of the earth, and no man shall fray them away." The implied prediction of the herald that the flesh of these armies shall be entirely consumed, implies, also, the previous slaughter by the sword out of the mouth of the Word of God. The crisis here contemplated is sarcastically spoken of as a supper. As such it may be considered an opposite of the feast of fat things alluded to Is. xxvi. 6. So far, however, we have only reached the summons to these mid-heaven elements, to prepare themselves for the exercise of their peculiar functions; their appellation (carnivorous birds) reminding us of the answer to the question, "Where, Lord?" in reference to the coming of the Son of man, (Luke xvii. 37.) "Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together," wherever the error prevails,

there will be the contest for truth, and there the elements of falsehood will be consumed.

V. 19. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him

that sat on the horse, and against his

army.

Καὶ εἶδον τὸ θηρίον καὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς καὶ τὰ στρατεύματα αὐτῶν συνηγ μένα, ποιῆσαι πόλεμον μετὰ τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ ἵππου καὶ μετὰ τοῦ στρατεύματος αὐτοῦ.

$439. And I saw,' &c.-Immediately after the pouring out of the sixth vial, the apostle learned the fact (Rev. xvi. 14, and 16) that the kings of the earth and of the whole world, summoned through the instrumentality of certain unclean spirits, were collected together by Almighty power into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. He did not then see this gathering. His eyes are now open to behold the whole battle array. In this array the beast appears as commander-in-chief; for the dragon had given his power unto the beast, (Rev. xiii. 2 ;) and although the principal instigator of the war, he (the dragon) may be said to act in this scene only in the beast not appearing himself personally. The false prophet (the grand vizier and acting commander) is supposed of course to accompany his master; a supposition confirmed by the statement in the subsequent

verse.

As we take the beast to be a principle in the heart of man virtually setting itself up in its pretensions in opposition to Jehovah, and as we suppose the false prophet to represent a false construction of revelation, sustaining this blasphemous principle in man, so we consider the kings of the earth and their armies as subordinate powers of the beast, with their auxiliary principles,-standing in relation to the beast as earthly kings or chiefs might be contemplated in relation to a leader of imperial dignity. The kings are subordinate to the beast, though ruling in their respective spheres; as the seven heads of the beast might be resolved into seven leading principles of self-exaltation, constituting the element which, for want of a more significant

appellation, we denominate self. The seven heads, as we have before observed, may represent a totality. All the kings of the earth, that is, all kings of a certain kind-or, if this were not understood of the number seven, the same idea of totality might be derived from the expression employed in the sixteenth chapter-the kings of the earth, and of the whole world.

'Gathered together to make war against,' &c.; or, to make battleлoα nósμor-not merely to take counsel, but to fight; the crisis having now arrived for an actual collision. The apostle had accompanied, in vision, the armies of heaven until they reached the spot where the enemy was to be encountered; the conflict itself may be presumed to take place immediately afterwards.

Vs. 20, 21. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beastand them that worshipped his image. These both were east alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that eat upon the horse, which (sword) proceeded out of his mouth : and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Καὶ ἐπιάσθη τὸ θηρίον, καὶ ὁ μετ ̓ αὐ τοῦ ψευδοπροφήτης ὁ ποιήσας τὰ σημεῖα ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, ἐν οἷς ἐπλάνησε τοὺς λαβόντας τὸ χάραγμα τοῦ θηρίου καὶ τοῖς προς κινοῦντας τῇ εἰκόνι αὐτοῦ· ζῶντες ἐβλήθησαν οἱ δύο εἰς τὴν λίμνην τοῦ πυρὸς τὴν καιομένην ἐν θείῳ. Καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπεκτάνθησαν ἐν τῇ ρομφαίᾳ τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ ἵππου, τῇ ἐξελθούσῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάντα τὰ ὄρνεα ἐχορτάσθησαν ἐκ τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτῶν.

$440. And the beast was taken,' &c.-In the account of a human victory, in proportion to its magnitude, we should have a minute detail of the manner in which the battle was fought-the maneuvering of the hostile parties, with the alternations of success and defeat, in different portions of the battle-ground. Here nothing of the kind is to be met with. The mixed multitude of earthly opponents, with their earthly leaders, have to contend, as in a pitched battle, with the chosen band of the King of kings, led on by their divine commander. It is unnecessary to relate the issue, or to state on which side victory declared itself; the only inquiry to be made being such as may relate to the fate of the vanquished. The sententious brevity of the Roman, veni, vidi, vici, would contain on this occasion a redundant particular. As in the beginning God said, Let there be light, and there was light, so no sooner is the Word of God revealed, as here represented, than all the powers of darkness are overcome.

The Greek term rendered taken, is one applied to the taking of wild beasts in a snare. The beast and false prophet are both taken as in a snare. Of the nature of this snare we may form some idea by comparing the result of this battle with the language of the prophet, (Is. xxiv. 17, 18:) "Fear, and the pit, and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth, . . for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake." The opening of these windows from on high can be

nothing else than a peculiar revelation of truth, and it is such a revelation or exhibition of divine truth that operates as a snare in taking these leading elements of error. Their true character-the character of the system they advocate—is manifested by a counter manifestation of the opposite system of truth. Thus, like the wicked, they fall by their own snare, (Ps. ix. 16;) a crisis apparently alluded to Luke xxi. 35: "For as a snare shall it (the kingdom of God) come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth,”. the inhabiters of the earth; not because there is a deception in it, but because the destruction is sudden and unexpected, like that of a snare. These false principles or elements, (the beast and false prophet,) whatever they may be, are taken by a manifestation of the Word of God, with the peculiar attributes of that Word; and the weapon with which they are overcome, is the sharp sword out of the mouth of that Word. We cannot suppose this narration to be capable of any other construction than that here put upon it, viz., taking it as detailing the effect of a peculiar revelation of religious truth upon an opposite system of errors. This construction corresponds with that applied to the fate of the harlot, and of the great city; and we suppose this battle to be but another figure of the same crisis.

And with him the false prophet that wrought miracles,' &c.-There is a particular recurrence here to the mischief produced by this instrument of false interpretation, as if to give a reason why the same fate should be experienced by both of these elements; the power of the one depending upon, or being carried into effect by the delusive practices of the other. The remarks already made on the subject render it unnecessary to enlarge further upon it here.

'These both were cast alive into a lake burning with fire and brimstone.'-The beast with seven heads and ten horns, and the false prophet or beast with two horns, are not human beings, neither are they animals in a literal sense; they are figurative things, and being so, the lake into which they are cast must be something figurative. Our common version employs the indefinite article in designating this lake, as do also the Geneva, Cranmer, and Tyndale versions: "These both were cast into a ponde of fyre burnynge with brymstone," as if governed by the consideration that no such lake had been previously mentioned. The original, however, uniformly, we believe, has the definite article, with which the rendering of Wiclif accords: "These tweyne werun sent quyk in to the pool of fier brennynge with brymstoon." So, also, the version of Rheims, as if referring to a lake previously known to exist.

There is no previous mention of a lake of this description, either in the Apocalypse or in any other part of the Old or New Testament; but there is a preparation of fire and brimstone alluded to Rev. xiv. 10, 11, as the

instrument of the never-ending torture of those that worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in the forehead or in the hand; and with this preparation we may identify the lake here spoken of. We have already defined our idea of the action of fire, in the apocalyptic sense, in trying the truth or falsehood of elements of doctrine; and have given our reasons for supposing brimstone or sulphur, when spoken of in connection with fire, to indicate the eternal and perpetual action of this trial. On the present occasion, immediately upon the signal defeat of a great army, a lake of fire and brimstone is more in keeping with the whole figure than a furnace would be, and it may be for this reason that the term lake is here adopted. A lake or pond signifying a large stagnant body of liquid, such a body of fire and sulphur is equivalent as a figure to an immense furnace of unquenchable fire-a refiner's fire unceasingly and eternally in action ;a fire representing, we apprehend, the continual test of the revealed word. of God (the law and the testimony) rightly understood. To such a test the errors represented by the beast and false prophet are to be perpetually exposed, after having been once detected and overcome, through the instrumentality of the revelation implied in this action of the sword proceeding out of the mouth of the Word of God. In fine, we suppose the "lake of fire and brimstone" to be identic with the fire which is to try every man's work; a figure to which we have repeatedly had occasion to advert. Whatever this lake be, it must be something into which the element represented by the beast with seven heads and ten horns. and that represented by the false prophet or beast with two horns, as well as death and hell, (Rev. xx. 14,) are capable of being cast of course, we cannot but suppose it to be something else than that which is ordinarily understood as the place of future punishment in the usual sense of the term.

§ 441. And the remnant were slain [killed] with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which (sword) proceeded out of his mouth.'-There is a peculiar exactness of expression here, as if intended to guard against the possibility of misconception. The instrument of destruction is particularly designated as the sword, which came out of the mouth, 7720ovoy ix rov oróμuros. Had this not been specified, it might have been surmised that the conqueror had some other sword besides the one thus mentioned. A sword in his hand might have implied a different kind of destruction from that here in contemplation; but we are, now expressly restricted in our ideas of this sword to the action of an oral weapon; that is, to the effect of a divine revelation-a peculiar exhibition of truth. This remnant, therefore, whatever it be, must be something destructible by such a weapon; it must also consist, of course, of the kings of the earth and their armies, their captains and their mighty men, with all their forces, from the highest officer to the meanest camp follower. There seems to be no exception; all are

destroyed, not by the sword of man, or by a weapon wielded by human power or might, but by an emanation of divine wisdom;-a manifestation of the word or purpose of God, bearing with it the evidence of the work of propitiation and justification of Him who has trodden alone the wine-press of divine wrath; and who, even in doing so, has manifested himself to be King of kings and Lord of lords-Jehovah our righteousness;—the element of perfect infinite sovereignty, and the source of sovereign grace.

'And all the fowls were filled with their flesh;' or, with their fleshes.— The term translated filled is one applicable to the feeding or foddering of cattle; it does not necessarily imply satiety. These pretended righteousnesses or means of justification, are not to be presumed to be enough, and more than enough to satisfy the legal elements; on the contrary, the birds here alluded to may be considered still the same ravenous animals as before their feast. Something like this seems to be in contemplation in the prophecy of Ezekiel, of which this battle of Armageddon may be a fulfilment : "And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God, Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves and come, gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice, that I do sacrifice for even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD," Ezek. xxxix. 17-20.

you,

The feathered fowl, or rather, the winged or flying fowl of Ezekiel, as distinguished from domestic birds, may be presumed to represent the same legal elements as those symbolized by the birds flying in the mid-heaven of the Apocalypse. The only sacrifice, strictly speaking, adequate to the satisfaction of these legal elements, is the great sacrifice offered once for all in Christ Jesus. There may be some question whether the prophet alludes to the evidence of the sufficiency of this great sacrifice; or to what we may term the preliminary evidence of the insufficiency of all human means of propitiation. It would not be here the place for a discussion of this point; but there can be no hesitation in ascribing to the flesh and blood alluded to in the prophecy, the same symbolical character as that imputed to the flesh of the armies of the kings of the earth; the doubt being only whether Ezekiel refers to real or to pretended merits.*

There is a similar use of the figure (flesh) ultimately in view, we apprehend, in the prophet's vision of dry bones, Ezek. xxxvii. 1-9. When we look at man in his position under the law, entirely without a merit of his own, the question unavoidably