Your ShelfYour Projects

REVELATION XVIII—XXI

1%

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 5, 1857

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 9, No. 18.

Read the full edition

REVELATION XVIII—XXI.

By James White

We will briefly examine these chapters, and notice the order of events set forth in them.
Chapter xviii opens with the announcement that Babylon is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, the hold of foul spirits, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird. We believe this is being fulfilled in this age of moral darkness and spiritual deception, and that very soon the call will go forth in great power, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Thus Babylon's plagues (described in Chap. xvi,) are shown to be in the future. The remaining portion of Chap. xviii, is descriptive of the results produced by the pouring out of the plagues.
Chapter xix, introduces the second coming of Christ. Verse 7 mentions the marriage of the Lamb, which takes place prior to his coming; for when he comes for his waiting people, it is on his return from the wedding. Luke xii, 36. The marriage of the Lamb is the reception of the throne of David, or the throne of the fifth kingdom. Dan. vii, 13, 14. Therefore when Christ comes, "he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords." Next is mentioned the great slaughter and the supper of the great God. The beast, the kings of the earth, and the false prophet, are destroyed. Certainly there could be but a remnant left. What becomes of these? "And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth; and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." Then the chapter closes with the destruction of all wicked men at the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Chapter xx brings to view the two resurrections, with 1000 years between them, and the final destruction of all the resurrected wicked by the second death at the close of the 1000 years. What next? Answer:—
Chapter xxi opens with the very next things in order, which are a new heaven and a new earth, which appear after the 1000 years. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea."
Some have supposed that there would be no sea in the new earth, and refer to Rev. xxi, 1, as proof. They also conclude that Christ's reign from sea to sea, must be on the old earth during the 1000 years. But Whiting's translation of this text gives, we think, the correct idea:
"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and the sea was no more."
The first heaven, earth and sea pass away together. And when the new heaven and earth appear, why may not a new sea also appear? Then may be fulfilled Ps. lxxii, 8. "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth."
This is on the entire new earth, when none but immortal saints inherit it. After spreading out before us the new earth, the prophecy introduces

THE HOLY CITY.

"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
"And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away." Verses 2-4.
What is this city? One thing is certain, it is in the immortal state, on the new earth, where there is neither death, sorrow, tears, crying nor pain.
Another thing is also certain, that if this city be the church, as some suppose, then the saints must go up to God into heaven, in order to come "down from God out of heaven." This remark is made for the benefit of our Age-to-Come friends, who assert that this city is the church, yet deny the plain and important truth that the saints go up to God into heaven at Christ's second coming. Do tell us, friends, how the saints can come down from God out of heaven, if they never go up there. Do you teach that the Jerusalem spoken of by Paul, [Gal. iv, 26.] "which is above," and the "mother of us all," is not in heaven? That it is above only in rank? You do. Then when the Holy City comes down from God out of heaven, is it only coming down in rank?!! Is the church of Jesus Christ to be abased in the immortal state?!! Impossible!!
We object to making the Holy City a figure of the church for the following reasons:—
1. The description and definite dimensions of the Holy City cannot with the least degree of propriety be applied to the church, while they well apply to a literal structure, to be located upon the new earth, called the Holy City, New Jerusalem. Read the following description of the Holy City, as applying to the church; and as you read, mark well the senseless absurdities this view makes of plainly revealed literal facts.
"And there came unto me one of the seven angels, which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
"And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, [the church,] descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God; and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper-stone, clear as crystal; and [the church] had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
"On the east [side of the church] three gates; on the north, three gates; on the south, three gates; and on the west, three gates.
"And the wall of the city [the church] had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
"And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, [the church,] and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
"And the city [the church] lieth four square, and the length [of the church] is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city, [the church,] with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length, and the breadth, and the height of it, [of the church,] are equal.
"And he measured the wall thereof, [of the church,] an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
"And the building of the wall of it [the church] was of jasper; and the city [the church] was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
"And the foundations of the wall of the city, [the church,] were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
"And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl; and the street of the city [the church] was pure gold, as it were, transparent glass." Rev. xxi, 9-21.
We now inquire, What man in his sober senses can read these minute descriptions of the Holy City, and believe them to be figures representing the redeemed of the Lord? Those who listen to a gospel, more of mist and moon-shine, than of eternal realities, may regard them as figures, though it be beyond their power to apply them; but we will not charge the God of the Bible with representing the redeemed saints by descriptions and measurement which can in no wise represent them. Should any man undertake to describe a vast assembly by the dimensions and minute descriptions of a building, he would be regarded at once as a shattered man.
2. Another objection to making the Holy City represent the church, is, that in Chap. xx, 9, it is called "the camp of the saints," the "beloved city." Here the City is one thing and the saints another.
3. Abraham in viewing the promised, eternal inheritance, looked for a literal City.
"By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out not knowing whither he went.
"By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he looked for a City which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Heb. xi, 8-10.
"But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a City." Verse 16.
"For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come." Chap. xiii, 14.
To say that this city of foundations which God hath prepared, which is to come, and is contrasted with cities in this world, is the church, makes the Apostle's testimony unmeaning and of none effect.
4. The saints are represented in the scriptures as children, while the city is called their mother, and the bride of Christ.
"For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." Gal. iv, 25, 26.
"For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall he be called." Isa. liv, 5.
The apostle Paul, by inspiration of God, applies the prophecy of Isaiah referred to above, to the New Jerusalem. Gal. iv. He first says, "For it is written, that Abraham had two sons; the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman. But he who was of the bond-woman, was born after the flesh; but he of the free-woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory; for those are the two covenants; (testaments, margin;) the one from the mount Sinai which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children." Verses 22-26.
An allegory is "a figurative discourse, implying more than is literally expressed." The Apostle has in this chapter applied the figures of the allegory which he introduces. Abraham's two wives represent the two Jerusalems; Agar, the bond-woman, represents Old Jerusalem, or, as Paul says, "is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children," while Sarah, the free-woman, represents the New Jerusalem above, which is free. His two sons represent the natural seed of Abraham, and the children of God. Ishmael, the son of the bond-woman, represents the children of Old Jerusalem, who are in bondage with their mother; while Isaac represents the children of the New Jerusalem, the children of promise. Paul continues: "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, [in Isa. liv.] Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise." Verses 26-28. Here Paul applies the prophecy to the New Jerusalem.
It will be seen that the church is represented as the children, and not the mother, or the bride, in this great family, while the New Jerusalem is called the mother. Christ is the "everlasting Father" of his people. Isa. ix, 6. When the marriage of the Lamb shall be consummated, and Jesus "returns from the wedding," [Luke xii, 36,] to the joy of the waiting ones, and raises from the dead, and changes to immortality, all the children of promise, they will follow their Lord up to the Father's house of many mansions. John xiii, 33-38; xiv, 1-3. Then the whole family of God in earth and heaven, Father, mother and children, will be gathered together in one.
5. The marriage of the Lamb takes place before his second coming and the resurrection of the just, therefore the church cannot be the Lamb's wife.
"Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he shall return from the wedding, that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching; verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to set down to meat, and will come forth and serve them." Luke xii, 35-37.
This return from the wedding represents the second advent of Jesus Christ; therefore the marriage of the Lamb takes place before his coming. Then when he comes and gathers all his redeemed children home to the New Jerusalem, he "will make them to sit down to meat, [marriage supper,] and will come forth and serve them." Hence it is written, "Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." Rev. xix, 9. Therefore the children of God are not the bride, but the guests.
There are two things, or events, which the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, illustrate, by the marriage covenant. They are, first, the union of the people of God in all ages with their Lord; and second, Christ's reception of the throne of David in the New Jerusalem above.
There is a class of scriptures in the Old, as well as the New Testament, designed to set forth the union of God's people with their Lord, in which marriage is introduced as an illustration of that union. This union has existed for nearly 6000 years, and those texts which illustrate it by marriage, do not apply to the marriage of the Lamb at the end, any more than to Louis Napoleon ascending to the throne of France.
John iii, 29. "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled."
Here John uses the figure of the bridegroom and bride to illustrate the relation of Christ and those who came to his baptism. That Christ is here represented in his relation to his followers by a bridegroom, and his followers by a bride, is true; but that he and they are here called the bridegroom and bride, is not true. No one believes that the event called the marriage of the Lamb, took place more than 1800 years since.
It is true that Paul says, [2 Cor. xi, 2.] "I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." But we would inquire Did the "marriage of the Lamb" take place in Corinth? And could it be said in Paul's day, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready?" Or did Paul only wish to represent by marriage the union which he had effected through the gospel between Christ and the church at Corinth? Judge ye.
It is also true that Paul says, [Eph. v, 23.] "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church." But please turn to Eph. v, and read from verse 22, and it will be seen that Paul's subject is the relation and duty of man and wife to each other. This is illustrated and enforced by the relation of Christ and the church. Those who suppose that Paul is here defining who the Lamb's wife is, are greatly mistaken; for that is not his subject. He commences, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands." Verse 22. Husbands, love your wives." Verse 25. It is indeed, an excellent subject; but has nothing to do in determining who the bride would be in the great marriage, down in connection with the end.
The marriage of the Lamb is one event, to occur at one particular time, and that time is just prior to his second coming; for when he comes, he returns from the wedding. It is Christ's reception of the throne of the fifth kingdom in the New Jerusalem above.
The throne of the fifth universal kingdom will be in the New Jerusalem, the capital of that kingdom; hence when Christ is united to that throne, he receives the City as the capital of that kingdom; therefore in the marriage of the Lamb, the Holy City is represented as the bride.
Christ receives the title and office of King, and receives the throne and the capital of the fifth kingdom, which is called the marriage of the Lamb, before his second coming to destroy his enemies, and raise from the dead and change to immortality the subjects of the kingdom. To this agrees the word of the Lord, as we will now show.
Ps. ii, 7-9. "I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
That this text refers to Christ, and the time of his reception of the throne, there can be no doubt. Mark well: Christ asks for and receives the territory of the fifth kingdom before the nations are dashed in pieces by the plagues and the second advent.
Dan. vii, 13, 14. "I saw in the night visions, and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."
The "one like the Son of man," is understood to be the Lord Jesus Christ. The "Ancient of days," God the Father.
When Christ ascended to the Father to be a priest, he was attended by angels. "A cloud received him out of their sight." When he approaches the Ancient of days to receive the kingdom, it is "with the clouds of heaven," he is attended by angels; and when he returns from the wedding, and appears the second time, he comes with the "clouds of heaven" or with "all the holy angels with him."
But when does "one like the Son of man" come to the Ancient of days to receive the kingdom? Is it at Christ's second advent to earth? No, unless it can be shown that God the Father is now located on the earth? Then, was not this text fulfilled at the ascension of Christ? No, because,
1. Christ ascended to heaven, not then to receive the kingdom, but first to be clad in priestly garments, for more than 1800 years, before he should change them for royal robes.
2. The position which the text holds in the prophetic chain of Dan. vii, forbids its application to the ascension of Christ. In that chain are what we shall call six great links. 1. The lion, representing Babylon. 2. The bear, Medo-Persia. 3. The leopard, Grecia. 4. The fourth beast, Rome. 5. The fourth beast with three horns plucked up by the little horn, Papal Rome. 6. The Son of man approaching the Ancient of days to receive the kingdom. As the fifth link represents the period of Papal dominion, reaching from A. D. 538 to 1798, the scenes connected with the reception of the kingdom, represented by the sixth link of the prophetic chain, must occur some time between 1798 and the second coming of Christ.
We know of no event to which we may apply Dan. vii, 13, 14, (which speaks of the Son's approaching the Father to receive the kingdom,) but to Christ's entering the Most Holy of the heavenly Sanctuary, at the termination of the 2300 days.
That the marriage takes place before the second advent, is evident from Christ's admonition to the waiting ones: "Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning, and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the wedding." Luke xii, 35, 36.
Again, when Jesus appears the second time, with power and great glory, he has "on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." Rev. xix, 16. Therefore he is King before he comes. This is in harmony with Dan. vii, 14: "And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom," &c. With this glory which he receives of the Father, he comes to raise the dead, change the living saints, and to destroy those who are left of the plagues.
This also agrees with Dan. ii, 44: "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom," &c. Christ will receive the throne and capital, and the "heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession," before the kings of the earth are dashed in pieces, hence it is said, "In the days of these kings," &c.

HOW INCONSISTENT

Are those who deny the literality of the Holy City, of Rev. xxi, with all its minute descriptions and measurement, and at the same time will have it that many of the indefinite prophecies of the Old Testament teach the building up of a literal city, in what they call the future age!
Isa. ix, is regarded by them as a literal description of facts, in the future age. Well, read verse 7: "All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee." Also verse 16: "Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."
We leave with such the good old rule of scripture interpretation as follows: "All scripture should be literally interpreted, unless there be good reasons why it should be tropically or figuratively understood."