Part 11 (2/2)

Two considerations demonstrate the error of this prelatic interpretation, besides the fact that it is _prelatic_. Constantine had gone the way of all the earth some hundreds of years before the birth of this child. And again, the eternal Father never made the promise to Constantine or any other earthly monarch, to which the apostle John here refers. (Ps. ii. 8, 9.) This promise is obviously made to the Lord Christ. But it is objected by those learned expositors,--much like the Pharisees, (John vii. 52,)--”Search and look, for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.” So reason these men. They haughtily and confidently object thus:--”Christ is the son of the _Jewish_ church, but this child is the son of the _Christian_ church.” This argument destroys the unity of the church of G.o.d, which is one under all changes of dispensation of his gracious covenant. (Rom. xi. 16-24; Eph. ii. 20.) The Messiah is here represented as in the beginning of the war with the same enemy;--the _seed_ of the _woman_ shall bruise the serpent's head. Still may the church of G.o.d joyfully declare,--”Unto us a _Child_ is born, unto us a _Son_ is given.” (Is. ix. 6.) This _masculine_ son, however, is not to be understood of Christ _personal_, but of Christ mystical,--of those who are with him ”called, and chosen, and faithful;” whom ”he is not ashamed to call his brethren.” (ch. xvii. 14; Heb. ii. 11.) The ”sealed”

company, (ch. vii. 4,) the ”two witnesses;” (xi. 3), the ”144 thousand,”

(xiv. 1,) are the ”manchild.” As many rulers const.i.tute but one ”angel,”

(chs. ii. and iii.,) so the two witnesses are one _manly Son_. The Lord Jesus was _alone_ in the work of redemption; but he allows his faithful disciples to share in the honor of his victories, (ch. ii. 26, 27; Ps.

cxlix. 9.) From the devouring jaws of the dragon, as it were, the ”child is caught up unto G.o.d, and to his throne.” The leaders in church and state supposed that they had ”made sure” of the Saviour, when they had ”sealed the stone and set a watch.” So thought the enemies of the witnesses while their dead bodies lay unburied.--”He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.” The Anointed of the Father, the Head of the church, and Prince of the kings of the earth, as the representative of his people, in defiance of the serpent, is caught up to the throne of G.o.d, (Eph. ii. 6;) while the church flies to her appointed place in the wilderness during the 1260 years. At the beginning of that gloomy period the woman fled. This flight is not mentioned ”by antic.i.p.ation,” as some suppose; for the wilderness condition of the woman, and the sackcloth of the witnesses, are emblematical of the same depressed state of the church, and during the same time. The witnesses prophesy during the whole period of the 1260 years; and the woman is fed in the wilderness during the _same_ time.

Her flight, sojourn in the wilderness, and feeding there, are allusions to the history of Elijah as before, (ch. xi. 6.) when he fled for his life from the wrath of Jezebel. (1 Kings xix. 1-4.) Jezebel has been already introduced as an enemy to the church, (ch. ii. 20.) There may be allusion also to the miraculous subsistence of the church in the wilderness, till the ”cup of the Amorites should be full.” During the time of the conflict, to be described in the rest of this chapter, the woman is in a place of safety. In the worst of times there are places of safety provided for G.o.d's children. (Isa. xxvi. 20.)

7. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought, and his angels.

8. And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven,

9. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our G.o.d, and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our G.o.d day and night.

11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Vs. 7-11.--In this part of the chapter we have three attacks of the dragon upon the friends of true religion. The first is the war in heaven, (vs. 7-12.) The second persecution on the earth, (vs. 12-16.) The third is mentioned in verse 17th: and these three contests cover the whole period of the 1260 years.

The first war is waged in heaven. The allusion is obviously to the rebellion of angels, for which they were cast down from heaven, (2 Pet.

ii. 4.) The contest is the same in principle as the first war; but it is conducted in a different form and place. Heaven here, is the church general, and the serpent acts by the authority of the empire. The woman having fled into the wilderness, the dragon's power becomes so great in the symbolical heaven, that he aims at the entire destruction of true religion in the world. The advocates of the true religion at this time were the Waldenses, called by their adversaries in derision _Leonists_ and _Cathari_,--citizens of Lyons in France; and Puritans, a term of reproach heaped upon their successors till the present day. These people were deemed the most dangerous enemies to the church of Rome. Yet the reasons for their condemnation by the inquisitors, are their full vindication in the judgment of impartial men. They are three,--”This is the oldest sect; for some say it hath endured,--from the time of the apostles. It is more general; for there is no country in which this sect is not. Because when all other sects beget horror in the hearers, this of the Leonists hath a great show of piety: they live justly before men, and believe all things rightly concerning G.o.d; only they blaspheme the church of Rome and the clergy.” While the beast by its horns, instigated by an apostate church, and both by the dragon, was ”making havoc of the church,” represented by the Puritans: there were some even in the Romish cloisters whose hearts G.o.d had touched, and who occasionally espoused the cause of a virtuous minority at the hazard of life. This war _in heaven_, conducted with various success by Bernard, Peter Waldo, John Wickliffe and others on the European continent and in Britain, may be p.r.o.nounced by Gibbon ”premature and ineffectual;” but the Captain of salvation and his heroic followers, will give a different verdict. These n.o.ble confessors and martyrs, under the conduct of Michael our prince, began the struggle with the dragon, although the war did not come to its height till the early part of the 16th century. Then it was that ”Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels.” Both parties became more visible in the symbolic heaven before the eyes of all Christendom. Michael, (_who is like G.o.d_?) is the well known description of Jesus Christ. (Phil. ii. 6; Heb. i. 3.) To Daniel, while contemplating this same contest, he was made known as the ”great Prince, that standeth for the children of G.o.d's people,” and long before Daniel's time, had ”contended with the devil.” (Jude v. 9.) ”Christ and Belial” are therefore the two opposing leaders of the armies. In other words, Christ mystical and the devil incarnate are the belligerents; and we know that ”greater is he that is in the saints, than he that is in the world.” (1 John iv. 4.) The result of the war is not doubtful. The whole power of Rome, civil and ecclesiastical,--emperors, kings, princes, pope, cardinals and prelates, were baffled; and this too, whether in the use of the sword of the Spirit,--polemic _theses_,--or of the material sword, in literal warfare. When the Lord Jesus ”mustered the hosts to the battle,” he furnished them ”with the whole armour of G.o.d to stand in the evil way.”

When Zuingle, Luther, Calvin, Knox, their compeers and successors, were obliged to wrestle with the hosts of Antichrist,--”against princ.i.p.alities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,” (_wicked spirits in heavenly places_,) they found it both lawful and necessary,--”having no sword, to buy one.” (Luke xxii. 36.)

The dragon and his angels were defeated and routed,--”They prevailed not,--he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” The thunders of the Vatican thenceforth lost their wonted power to terrify. Ever since, they are but _brutum fulmen,--vox, et praeterea nihel_,--harmless thunder,--unmeaning voice. Papal curses, though annually launched against all heretics, tend only to amuse the popular mind, not to reach or disturb the individual conscience. For centuries the dragon has been unable to rouse any one horn of the beast to deeds of blood.

It is usual for the victors to give outward expression to their joy.

”The voice of them that shout for mastery,” has been heard since the days of Moses. (Exod. x.x.xii. 18.) Accordingly, these conquerors congratulate one another on their recent victory, but their joy terminates on the proper object. The ”kingdom of their G.o.d and the power of his Christ” const.i.tute their theme. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him the victory. The devil accused Job before G.o.d. His accusations in that instance were prosecuted through Job's friends and his wife. (Job ii. 4, 5, 9, 11.)--So it was in the experience of the reformers. They were loaded with infamy by their persecutors; and while they were depressed, G.o.d himself seemed to give sentence against them.

This was the wormwood and the gall in the cup of their affliction, as it was in holy Job's experience: but in due time G.o.d ”brought forth their righteousness as the light, and their judgment as the noonday.” Their ”good conversation put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.” The power of the Lord's Christ was made manifest through the instrumentality of his servants, by producing conviction in many hearts that the cause for which they suffered was from G.o.d, and thus prevailing with such to join in their fellows.h.i.+p. The hearts of kings and princes of the earth were touched from on high; so that they braved the combinations of imperial and papal power, while extending the s.h.i.+eld of their protection to the followers of the Lamb. Frederick the Wise, and especially John his brother, electors of Saxony in Luther's time, were notable bulwarks of defence to the sufferers, against the b.l.o.o.d.y edicts of Charles fifth, emperor of Germany. The ”good regent” in Scotland and others extended effectual protection to Knox, his coadjutors and followers in the cause of reformation. When the seven thunders uttered their voices, John ”was about to write,” (ch. x. 4.) He was about to proclaim a final victory!

He was too sanguine. ”The time was not yet.” Just so in the case of his legitimate successors in the work of the Lord. Confident in the power and faithfulness of Michael their Prince, confident in the righteousness of their cause, fondly hoping that at this time their Master is about to restore again the kingdom to Israel, they prematurely exclaim,--”Now is come salvation.”--In reaping the first fruits of victory, they antic.i.p.ate the harvest of final and absolute conquest, (ch. xiv. 8.) Indeed, the salvation of G.o.d and the power of his Christ, were experienced by great mult.i.tudes during the time of this contest. The saints experienced times of refres.h.i.+ng from the presence of the Lord.

Then followed a work of grace, both on the continent of Europe and in the British Isles; Christians entering into solemn covenant bonds with G.o.d and with one another, whereby the kingdom of G.o.d was rendered more visible among mankind than in the ”dark ages.” The weapons, with which the saints overcame the dragon, were not carnal, but mighty. These, we are told, were ”the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony.”

They believed and they taught in opposition to the popular doctrine of good works and penances, that the righteousness which the law of G.o.d requires of a sinner, is provided by a Surety; that the blood of Christ alone cleanses believers from the guilt of sin, and thus justifies them in the sight of G.o.d. No man ever used stronger language than Luther in denouncing the supposed efficacy of works, or in a.s.serting the sovereignty of free grace, in the justification of a sinner. Indeed it was the deep impression which the doctrine of justification made upon the hearts of men, and the firm hold which faith took of it, that enabled and constrained them to forsake the Romish church and to seek and erect a separate fellows.h.i.+p. This was with them ”the word of Christ's patience.” Other doctrines of grace were, of course, connected with this of justification in the apprehension of the Reformers, but it was the central one. And thus we may learn, that any doctrine of the Bible, when generally opposed, may lawfully become a point of testimony; and when openly opposed and practically denied, it may become a warrantable and imperative ground of separation. In all such cases,--and history supplies mult.i.tudes of them,--the declining majority are truly the schismatics and separatists. The malicious, the indolent and credulous, however, in all ages have joined in the cry of schism as attaching to the virtuous minority.

Many of the combatants fell in the conflict, ”resisting unto blood, striving against sin.” ”They loved not their lives unto the death.” They could give no stronger evidence of love to Christ and truth. Their faithful contendings const.i.tuted their testimony. This testimony is called in the 17th verse, ”the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Does this mean that it _belongs_ to Christ? or that it _treats_ of him? The language may probably be taken in either sense, or as embracing both. It is Christ's testimony, as he is ”the faithful and true Witness, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;” or it may be understood as bearing upon Christ in his person, offices and work. In either sense his faithful disciples enjoy intimate communion with himself, sharing the honour of his victories, (v. 5.) Therefore let the heavens rejoice in prospect of _final_ victory, (ch. xviii. 20.)

12. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

13. And when the dragon saw that he was cast into the earth, he persecuted the woman, which brought forth the manchild.

Vs. 12, 13.--Here is a note of warning. The dragon, though ejected from the symbolic heaven, the seat of imperial and ecclesiastic power, is not yet bound with the great chain, (ch. xx. 1, 2.) His late defeat has only incensed his rage, ”as a bear robbed of her whelps.” But the special reason a.s.signed for his ”great wrath” is, ”because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” How does the devil come to this knowledge? Is he omniscient! No. Was he joint-counsellor with the Most High? No. (Isa.

xl. 13, 14; Rom. xi. 34.) He must have derived this knowledge from revelation; and from some instances in Scripture, we might infer that the devil is more skilled in theology, especially in prophecy, than many, if not most modern interpreters. In the time of our Lord's humiliation he quoted and applied to him a prophecy in the 91st psalm, (v. 11, 12.) He also dreaded being tormented,--”before the time.” (Matt.

viii. 29:) from which it appears that he reasons of the ”times and the seasons” as revealed in the Bible. But by the phrase, ”a short time,”

the devil understood,--and we are to understand,--not the time to transpire till the end of the world; but, the time intervening between his ejectment out of heaven, and the overthrow of Antichrist, when he is to be bound. Now, we may learn from the _devil's calculation_, that all those learned and famous divines, especially of the prelatic church of England, ”do greatly err, not knowing the Scriptures;” who say, that the dragon was cast out of the symbolic heaven _in the time of Constantine!_ The s.p.a.ce of duration _from Constantine till the millennium_, cannot be relatively ”short,” under the New Testament dispensation. The time of the dragon's being cast out of heaven, and the instruments by which this was accomplished, are to be found clearly verified in the authentic histories of the sixteenth century, to which some references have been already made, as elucidating the events of the 11th chapter: for it is to be still remembered that the former part of the 11th chapter _agrees in time_ with the 12th, 13th and 14th chapters. At the end of the second woe, which we supposed to be in the latter part of the seventeenth century, about the year 1672, it is declared ”the third woe cometh quickly,” (ch. xi. 14.) Now here it is said ”the devil,--hath but a short time.” Taking both expressions as relating to the same period, it follows that we are now living,--not in the time of the third woe, but in the time of the devil's activity among the ”inhabiters of the earth and of the sea;” that is, the population of Christendom either in a tranquil or revolutionary state. The enemy makes his _second_ attack upon the ”woman” in a new and unexpected mode of warfare. So long as permitted, he never ceases to persecute the saints. When defeated in _heaven_, he renews the a.s.sault upon the _earth_. If the edicts and bulls of crowned and mitred heads have lost their power to terrify and destroy the souls of men, he will try to effect the same object by other means.

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