Revelation 19

Revelation 19:1

Another vision I received much to the same purpose with the former; but differing in this, that the former looked especially on the city of Rome, and the luxury and pride of the inhabitants thereof; but this looked especially on the heathen religion there destroyed, and exchanged for the Christian, but that not all at once, but by several steps and degrees: and first, methought, I heard a multitude of Christian people (employed like the saints and angels in heaven) singing of hallelujahs, praises and thanksgivings to God, as to him who had wrought great mercies for them;

Revelation 19:2

Magnifying his fidelity to themselves, and his just vengeance on the idolatrous persecutors that had debauched so many to their courses, and shed so much blood of Christians;

Revelation 19:3

And again triumphing in this act of God’s, that this was like to be a fatal, irreparable blow to the Roman idolatry.

Revelation 19:4

And the bishops, or representatives, or governors of the Christian church in Judæa, ch. iv. 4, and proportionably to them, all other bishops, and the four apostles, formerly mentioned as the planters of the Christian faith in Judæa, ch. iv. 6, and two of them now in Rome also, Peter and Paul, gave their acclamations to those hallelujahs.

Revelation 19:5

And all Christians in the world, of what quality soever, were admonished of their duty and obligation to do so too.

Revelation 19:6

And that admonition was presently answered with the acclamation of all the nations (that is, Christian people in them) over all the world, thundering out hallelujahs to God for this illustrious enlargement of the kingdom of Christ, the conversion of that imperial city to Christianity;

7, 8. Which is, as it were, the marriage of Christ to a lovely spouse, his church, (and so matter of rejoicing to all that hear of it, John iii. 29,) which should now be adorned as the priest entering into the sanctuary under the law, to note the liberty and the privileges which should be bestowed on the church by the emperor Constantine.

Revelation 19:8

[a] righteousness of saints] Some difficulty there is in this phrase, τὰ δικαιώματα ἐστι τῶν ἁγίων, which is ordinarily rendered the righteousness of the saints. For the word δικαιώματα is not thus used in these books, (see note [b] on Rom. viii.) but for the ordinances of the Mosaical law. And then ἅγια being the very word which is used to denote the sanctuary, Heb. viii. 2, ἁγίων λειτουργός, the minister of the sanctuary, and ἅγια, the sanctuary, ch. ix. 2, and elsewhere, and τῶν ἁγίων being the neuter as well as the masculine gender, and by consequence capable of being accommodated to this sense, it is not improbable that δικαιώματα ἁγίων should denote the ordinances of the sanctuary, the Levitical laws or customs, among which this was one, that the priest, when he went into the sanctuary, should wear that vesture of fine linen, pure and white. Thus, Levit. xvi, it is appointed, Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place, ver. 3, he shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments, &c., that is, the garments which he is to use when he goes into the sanctuary, which being appointed him by this law of God to Moses, may fitly be called δικαιώματα τῶν ἁγίων, the ordinances of the holies. And if it be so, then it will most fitly be applied to this spouse of Christ, the Christian church, (to which Christ was ready so solemnly to be married, ver. 7, in respect of the public profession of the Christian religion by the emperor Constantine and his courtiers,) that it should now be clothed after the manner of the priest when he went into the sanctuary, to note the great liberty and immunities and privileges now bestowed on the church by the emperor. This we have formerly seen expressed by our being kings and priests unto God, (note [c] on chap. i.) priests in respect of liberty of assemblies, and executing the office of bishops, &c., in the church: which being so eminently bestowed on the church by Constantine, above all that ever had been in the church before, may here in like manner be most fitly expressed by being clothed in the holy garments, which denoted the priest’s going into the sanctuary.

Revelation 19:9

And an angel bade me take notice of this, as of the blessedest, happiest change that ever was wrought in the world, and happy he that should be a spec-

Revelation 19:10

And the joy of this news so transported me, that, as Abraham, for the joy of the good news, Gen. xvii. 17, fell on his face, &c. so I could not but fall down to acknowledge my sense of so blessed a news and messenger; but when I did so, he bid me forbear. For, saith he, I am no more honourably employed by Christ than thou art, I am now a messenger to make known this prophecy to thee of the conversion of emperors &c. to the gospel, and thou, and such as thou, apostles of Christ, are ambassadors of as honourable and blessed news as this. Let God have the praise of all; for to be an apostle of Christ, a witness and publisher of his resurrection, &c. is to be a prophet sent and endued with the Spirit of God, and so as valuable as that office which now I am executing, of foretelling things to come.

Revelation 19:11

And methought I saw Christ coming from heaven in a pompous manner, riding or sitting upon the white horse, (as he did ch. vi. 2,) that is, in the preaching of the gospel, and according to his promise and his just judgments against his enemies, proceeding against them, that is, against the emperor Maxentius: (see ch. xvi. 12. 14.)

Revelation 19:12

And methought his eyes were like fire, searching to the secrets of the heart, (noting him to judge and discern who are fit to be destroyed, who not;) and he had many crowns on his head, tokens and testimonies of as many victories over enemies, whom he had overcome either by their yielding, that is, conversion, or falling before him, that is, destruction; and as a token of those victories, he hath a note or ticket, by which to receive his reward, which nobody sees but himself, (see ch. ii. 17, and note [i]), that is, he is acknowledged victorious.

Revelation 19:13

And he was in a royal, purple garment, noting that regal power to which he was installed as a reward of his crucifixion, Isa. lxiii. 1, 2, Phil. ii. 9, now to belong to him most illustriously; and his name in which he was represented was that known title of Christ, The Word of God, noting that which is now done to be an effect of divine power, wrought by his word, without any visible working of ordinary means toward it.

Revelation 19:14

And the angels, the ministers of his vengeance, attended him in a glorious and splendid manner.

Revelation 19:15

And out of his mouth proceeded that terrible sharp part of the gospel, his threats against his enemies, and those now to be executed on the heathen, whom he shall now subdue by his power, because they will not be converted; in which respect he is now preparing for them the bitterest poisonous potion that ever was drank by any.

Revelation 19:16

And by this means he will shew himself what really he is, too strong for any power on earth to resist or stand out against.

[b] on his vesture and on his thigh] The mention of the ἱμάτιον and μηρός, vesture and thigh, are here put together, to denote the robe imperial by the former, and the sword, which is girded on the thigh, by the latter, as ensigns of supreme power and authority, especially when on them both, on the robe and the hilt of the sword, as the ensign of that office, is written that most honourable title, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, thereby noting him to be superior to all power and force in the world, triumphantly victorious over all.

Revelation 19:17

And methought I saw an angel standing in the sun, (noting the clearness of the vision now delivered,) and he called to all the birds of prey, Goths and Vandals, &c. that they should come, as to a feast, to this judgment of God upon these idolaters, (noting the great slaughter which was now foretold, to which vultures do betake themselves out of a natural sagacity, as Job saith of the eagle, Where the slain are, there is he.)

Revelation 19:18

And telling them that there should be abundant prey for them, an huge destruction.

Revelation 19:19

And the idol-worship set up at Rome, and under her dominion, set itself to persecute Christianity.

Revelation 19:20

And the Roman idolatry, and the magic, and auguries, and the divinations of the heathen priests, that had deceived the carnal Christians so far as to consent and comply with the heathenish idolatry, were to be like Sodom and Gomorra, utterly extirpated: (see ch. xiii. 11, and note [g].)

Revelation 19:22

And consequently that all the jollity and gallantry and populousness of that place was now at an end: (see note [b].)

Revelation 19:23

And the times of thy jollity (expressed by the nuptial lamps and solemnities) are now at an end, (see note [b].) And three eminent causes there are of this: first, luxury, which enriched so many merchants and made them so great; secondly, seducing other people to their idolatries and abominable courses by all arts of insinuation;

Revelation 19:24

And thirdly, the persecuting and slaying of the apostles and other Christians, and all the cruelties and unjust wars that this city hath been guilty of. ### CHAP. XIX.