had on their heads crowns of gold.

5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunder

which sat as many elders, clothed in white, having on their heads crowns of gold. No one can suppose this description to be a reality; it is purely imaginative. We think the words of Dr. Doddridge are worthy of great attention: – “We are not to imagine that the person sitting on the throne, or the four animals, or the four-andtwenty elders, were real beings existing in nature; though they represented in a figurative manner things that did really exist. — And though it is possible that aerial scenes might, by divine or angelic power, have been formed, I think it much more probable that all that passed was purely in the imagination of St. John. This will keep us, in our interpretation, clear of a thousand difficulties, not to say absurdities, which would follow from a contrary supposition : namely, that there is in heaven an animal in the form of a lamb to represent Christ; and that there are such living creatures as are here described, and that God himself appears in a human form, &c. And this observation I make once for all, desiring it may be remembered, and applied as occasions present.” — (See his Expos. on the place.) Such was Doddridge's opinion, and we have no doubt of its correctness. The great truths of prophecy made known to John were doubtless divine communications to him ; but the imagery is to be understood as imagery merely. We have already shown what suggested these metaphors to the mind of the revelator. He, doubtless, obtained them from the Old Testament. It is a common metaphor of the Old Testament writers to represent God as sitting on a throne, all glorious in appearance. The scene of John's vision, says Lightfoot, “is according to the scheme of the o and the divine glory there. And hence you have mention of the altar, candle

sticks, sea of glass, the ark of the covenant, and the like. And as at the opening of the temple doors, a trumpet sounded, - so is the allusion here. The door in heaven opened, and a trumpet calls John to come in and see what was there. — (Harmony of the New Testament.) The same author says again, – “The revelator seeth Christ enthroned in the middle of his church, in the same prophetic and visionary emblem that Ezekiel had seen; Ezek. i. and x.; and this is a commentary and fulfilling of that scene that Daniel speaketh of ; vii. 9, 10, 22. In Ezekiel the Lord, when Jerusalem was to be destroyed, and the glory of the Lord that used to be there, and the people, were to fit into another land, - appeareth so enthroned as sitting in judgment and flitting away by degrees to another place, as compare Ezek. i. and x. well together. So Christ here, when the destruction of Jerusalem was near at hand, and his glory and presence [were about] to remove from that na: tion, now given up to unbelief and obduration, to reside among the Gentiles, – he is seated upon his throne, as judge and king, with glorious attendance, to judge that nation for their sins and unbelief, and stating the affair of his church, whither his glory was now removing.”— (Harmony of the New Testament.) We explain the figures in this chapter on the same principle on which we explain similar imagery in the 24th and 25th chapters of Matthew. The appearance of God's dwelling-place is drawn from that of the camp of Israel. 1. The tabernacle was in the middle there; so is the throne here, 2. There, the four squadrons of the camp of Levi next the tabernacle; so here, the four living creatures. 3. There, the whole camp of Israel; so here, twenty-four elders, representatives of the whole church, built from

me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich ; and white raiment, that thou mayest be

clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye

earthly riches. But in their purest state, they are sometimes used to represent “durable riches and righteousness.” And so the process of the purification of the metals is used to represent the process of divine grace in the purification of the sinful; and afflictions and chastisements, because they purify, are compared to the fire of the furnace. “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried : they shall call on my name, and I will hear them ; I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, The Lord is my God;” Zech. xiii. 9. “But who may abide the day of his coming 2 and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and

silver, that they may offer unto the

Lord an offering in righteousness;” Mal. iii. 2, 3. Hence, gold as the purest metal, and especially in its highest state of purification, is put for truth and purity. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver;” Prov. xxv. 11. “How is the gold become dim how is the most fine gold changed the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street. The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!” Lam. iv. 1, 2. Buy of me gold, tried in the fire, i.e., the purest gold; that which has no alloy. It is certainly put here for truth and righteousness, – the virtues which that church greatly needed. They had supposed themselves rich; they had gold and silver; but they needed a better kind of riches, which the revelator represents by “gold

tried in the fire.” Ts White raiment.— We have already explained this metaphor, in the notes on iii. 5. White was the color that denoted honor, purity and rejoicing. The inhabitants of the heavenly world, the attendants who stand around the throne of God, messengers who bear the will of God to men, are all supposed to be clad in white. The heavenly messenger who appeared to Daniel, was in white; vii. 9. At the transfiguration, the raiment of Jesus was “white as the light;" Matt. xvii. 2. The angel who appeared at the resurrection of Jesus, had on raiment “white as snow;” Idem, xxviii. 3; see also Rev. iv. 4; vii. 9, 13; xv. 6; xix. 8, 14. From these facts, the redeemed, cleansed from all their sins, are said to be without “spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing;” Eph. v. 27; that is, they are wholly white. “Many shall be purified and made white, and tried;” Dan. xii. 10. And this whiteness, or purification, is produced by the virtue of Christ's word; for it was said of those who had been redeemed, “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb ;” Rev. vii. 14. When, therefore, the Laodiceans were counselled to buy white raiment, it was in effect urging them to be purified; and as their spiritual destitution had been described, among other metaphors, by a want of clothing, the purity they so much needed was beautifully represented by raiment of whiteness. "I Eye-solve. — The Laodiceans had been said to be blind, as well as poor and naked; the correspondence of the metaphor required, therefore, that the improvement of their spiritual condition should be described as the improvement of the sight. Eye-salve is to promote the health of the eye; and they were

salve, that thou mayest see.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten ; be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the

door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with

to apply it that they might see. ... But it is easily perceived that the triplicate of metaphors in this verse are all aimed at the same thing, viz., to convince the church addressed, they were truly in a destitute condition in spiritual things, whatever they might think of themselves; and that Jesus, if they would but listen to his voice, would lead them to such an improvement as they needed. 19. As many as I love. — The Son of God was specially careful that they should not think he loved them not, because he rebuked and chastened them. He therefore stated, that he rebuked and chastened those whom he loved. This is the principle of the divine administration. “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the ... Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him : for whom the Lord loveth , he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth;” Heb. xii; 5, 6. "I Be zealous therefore, and repent. — Their sin had been that of lukewarmness. They were called on ... to be zealous. Zeal is the counterpart of coldness. Paul said, “It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing;” Gal. iv. 18. The Christian's duty was a good thing; and the Laodiceans therefore were urged to enter into it with zeal, or heartfelt earnestness. They were ... called on to change their lives specially in regard to this matter of lukeWarrnness. 20. I stand at the door and knock. — This is a figure of our Lord that occurs in the gospels; see Luke xii. 36. It implies, that Jesus was interceding, by his word, for admission to

and mill sup nith him, and he nith me. —When a man receives the truth, Jesus is said to take up his abode with him. So we read, in John xiv. 23, “If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” The same in substance is found in John's 1st Epistle: “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father;” ii. 24. In the same sense God is said to dwell with men upon the earth, viz., by the power of his truth. 21. Sit mith me in my throne. — Some think this refers to distinguished honors to be conferred upon the Saints, or believers, in the immortal world. But wherein does it differ from the rewards offered to those of the other six churches who were faithful? Rev. ii. 7, 10, 11, 26; iii. 5, 12; — all the figures in these passages refer to the same class of honors. To sit noith Christ on his throne, is to reign with him. And where does he reign 2. Where is his kingdom 7 Is it not among men 2 Let it be observed that Jesus promised to his disciples that they should be exalted to thrones when his kingdom was fully set up, provided they followed him in the regeneration and suffered with him. “ Ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel;” Matt. xix. 28.

Jesus was a spiritual king, and, of my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let

him hear what the Spirit saith

unto the churches.

CHAPTER IV.

FTER this I looked, and behold, a door was opened

course, reigned in a spiritual kingdom. And according to Paul’s application of a passage in Isaiah, this was a matter of prophecy. “And there shall come forth a rod Out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots; and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord : and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth : and he shall Smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked;” Isa. xi. 1–4. For Paul's application of this passage to Christ, see Rom. xv. 12. The wicked will not have Christ to reign over them. “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me;” Luke xix. 27. Jesus will continue to reign until all enemies are put under his feet; 1 Cor. xv. 25. And how does he reign We have already said, spiritually. He reigns by the power of his truth and of his life. His faithfulness, his resignation, his piety, benevolence, love, have a great influence over all his followers. In this sense, all faithful Christians, whose lives are an imitation of his, reign with him, in the proclaiming and illustrating of his truth and in the influence of their lives. But this they cannot do, unless they are faithful. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us;” 2 Tim. ii. 12. This reigning with Christ exists in any

place where Christians are faithful. We are not obliged to confine it to the immortal world. It is expressly declared to be on the earth. “Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation ; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall REIGN on the EARTH;” Rev. v. 9, 10. See also the notes on Rev. ii. 26, 27. 22. He that hath an ear. — See the remarks on ii. 7, 11, 17, &c.

CHAPTER IV.

1. After this I looked.— After the things which had been described, I looked, &c. &c. We now enter on an entirely new section of the Apocalypse. The revelator had stated, in the commencement, the authority by which he spake; and had described

the actual state of the seven Asiatic churches, which perhaps were put forth as representatives of all the churches. Having finished so much. he proceeded to the prophetic parts of his communication. And let it be observed, the prophetic part of the Apocalypse begins with the verse now before us. The manner in which he had been prepared to make the communication to the seven churches, was described i. 10; and what he saw, he was instructed to write and communicate to those churches, ver. 11. A distinct epistle was written to each church. He had spoken by the Spirit, or rather the Spirit had spoken by him ; and at the end of each epistle, he had called on men as fol. lows: “He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” And here it strikes the mind, that the language is not what the Spirit saith to the seven churches, but what the Spirit saith to l

in heaven: and the first voice which I heard, was as it were

of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither,

the churches, as if meaning the churches at large. The presumption is, that although John addressed only the seven, yet being put as representatives of all the rest, they were all interested in the communications which he made. After he had concluded his communications to the seven churches, he came to the prophetic parts, which seem not to be addressed to those churches, but to the Christian world at large. Nothing more is said in the Apocalypse about the seven churches. The testimony is “to every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book;” xxii. 18. T I looked. — The word here is not to be taken in the ordinary acceptation of merely seeing ; but is to be understood as having an insight, after the manner of the prophets, or seers, by which he was enabled to foretell the events which he subsequently described. *I Door nas opened in heaven. — We take the opportunity, in this place, to offer a few remarks on the scriptural, and especially the apocalyptical, sense, of the word heaven. It is put, 1st. For the region of the air, as when we speak of the fowls of heaven; Rev. viii. 13, x. 6; xiii. 13; xiv. 6; xvi. 21; xix. 17; xx. 9. 2d. It is put for the firmament, as when we speak of the sun in heaven, or the stars of heaven; vi. 14; viii. 10; ix. 1; xx. 11. 3d. It is put for the imaginary dwelling-place of God. The firmament is but an imaginary place; and in the same sense heaven may be understood when spoken of as God's dwelling-place. The form of God's existence is altogether mysterious. We do not suppose we are to understand heaven, when spoken of as the dwelling-place of God, to be strictly a locality. It partakes of the metaphorical, the scenical. God, among the ancients, was supposed to dwell in any place where he specially manifested his presence. When Jacob

slept upon the ground, on his way towards Haran, he had a vision, and behold, a ladder was seen reaching from the earth to the heaven, on which the angels of God were ascending and descending ; and he heard a voice above it saying, “I am the Lord God of Abraham, thy father,” &c. He awoke, with the spell of the dream upon him. “Surely (said he) the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not ; this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven ;” Gen. xxviii. 16, 17. As though he had said, this is the avenue to God’s presence. The Jews of old supposed that God inhabited some spiritual dwelling, (if we may so speak,) which they called eternity, a high and holy place. They also supposed him to dwell in the humble and contrite spirit; Isaiah lvii. 15. This high and holy place, of which the Jews had an indistinct idea, they called heaven. But they held, from the earliest times, that God also dwelt among them. He dwelt beneath the cherubim, at the mercy-seat, upon the ark of the covenant; 2 Kings xix. 15; Psa. lxxx. 1; Isa. xxxvii. 16. In the case before us, it would seem that heaven was put for the supposed dwelling-place of God. This was represented to the Jews, in the temple, by the mercy-seat. By the door opening in heaven, may be understood the opening of the door, or gate, to the mercy-seat. "I A trumpet talking noith me. — This was the first voice the revelator heard. He had seen no person, but he heard a voice, which seemed to be as if a trumpet had life, and had the power to talk. The meaning is, it was a trumpet-like voice. In the view of the ancient Hebrews, men could not see God with the outward eye. They could See a representation of him ; but it was not supposed they could see God himself; John i. 18; 1 Tim. vi. 16. There was a moral or spiritual sense,