5 who is able to make war with him?" And there was given to the beast a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemies; and authority' was given him [to continue 2] forty6 two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, [and] those 7 who dwell in heaven. And it was given him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and authority' was given him over every tribe, and people, and language, and 8 nation. And all that dwelt on the earth worshiped him,

whose name was not written from the foundation of the 9 world, in the book of life of the lamb that was slain. If 10 any man have an ear, let him hear. If any lead into capti

11

vity, he shall go into captivity: If any shall kill with the sword, he must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

I

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, but he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causeth the earth, and those who dwell in it, to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth great miracles; so that he maketh fire to come

down from heaven on the earth in the presence of men. 14 And he deceiveth those who dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which it was given him to do in the presence of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast which had the 15 wound by a sword and yet lived. And he had power to give life to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would 16 not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slaves, to receive from him a mark on their right 17 hand, or on their foreheads: [and] that no man might power, N. "Or," to act," 66 to make war:" R. T. 3 Gr. that men should give them, N. m.

be able to buy or sell, but he that had the mark, even the 18 name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is

wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

CH. XIV. And I looked, and, behold, the lamb stood on mount Sion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand persons, having his own name1 and his Father's name written 2 on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven, as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of a great thunder: and the sound which I heard was as that of harpers 3 playing on their harps: and they sang a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures, and the elders and none could learn that song, but the hundred and forty-four thousand, that were bought from the earth. 4 These are they that were not defiled with women: for they are virgins: these are they who follow the lamb whithersoever he goeth: these were bought from among men, as the 5 first fruits to God, and to the lamb. And in their mouth was found no falsehood: for they are spotless".

6 And I saw [another] angel flying in mid-heaven, having an everlasting gospel to proclaim unto those who dwell on the earth, and unto every nation, and tribe, and language, 7 and people, saying with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgement is come: and worship Him who made heaven, and earth, and the 8 sea, and the springs of waters." And another angel followed, saying, “The great Babylon is fallen, is fallen; [because] she made all nations drink of the wine of the fury of 9 her fornication."And another a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If any one worship the beast "his own name and" omitted in R. T. 2" I heard the sound of," R. T. 3 Gr. harping. 466 as it were," R. T. and N.

they are spotless before the throne of God. R. T. 7 the great city, Babylon, R. T.

9" another" rejected by R. T.

5 was found no guile: for

6 the everlasting gospel, N.

8 Or, of her furious forncation. N. m.

and his image, and receive the mark of the beast on his fore10 head, or on his hand; he shall drink of the wine of the fury of God, which is prepared1 without mixture in the cup of his anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence 11 of the lamb: and the smoke of their torment shall go up for ever and ever*: and they shall have no rest day or night who worship the beast and his image, and if any one receive 12 the mark of his name." Here is the patience of the saints,

who keep the commandments of God, and faith in Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying 3, "Write: happy

are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth: Yes, saith the Spirit; they rest from their labours: and their works follow them 4."

14 And I looked, and, behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sitting, like a son of man3, having on his head a 15 golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Put in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come to reap; for the harvest of the earth is 16 ripe." And he that sat on the cloud applied his sickle to

1 Gr. mixed.

4 Or, go with them. thee," R. T.

Here are they who keep, R.T. 3 saying unto me, R. T. 5 the Son of man, N. 6 Or, heaven, Mss.

7" for

It would be very unreasonable to infer the gloomy doctrine of eternal misery from the loose and figurative language of a prophetic vision, in opposi tion to the plainest dictates of reason and justice, and to the whole tenor of divine revelation. But if any one is disposed to lay undue stress upon this text, it may be sufficient to remark, that it is not here asserted that the torment continues, but that the smoke of it ascends for ever and ever. The smoke of a pile in which a criminal has been consumed may continue to ascend long after the wretched victim has ceased to suffer. And a memorial of the punishment which has been inflicted on vice may remain long after vice itself has been utterly exterminated. After all, as the prophecy relates wholly to states of things in the present world, the punishments threatened ought, in all reason, to be understood of temporal punishments, and not of the sufferings of a future life. So in Jude, ver. 7, Sodom and Gomorrha are represented as suffering the vengeance of eternal fire, i. e, of a temporal calamity, a fire which completely destroyed them.

17 the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which was in heaven, he also hav18 ing a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had authority over the fire thereof, and called with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, "Put in thy sharp sickle, and cut the clusters of the vine of 19 the earth; for its grapes are fully ripe." And the angel applied his sickle to the earth, and cut off the clusters of the vine of the earth, and cast them into the great wine-press 20 of the wrath of God. And the wine-press was trodden, out

2

3

of the city; and blood came out of the wine-press up to the bridles of the horses, for the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

5

CH. XV. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful; seven angels having the seven last scourges: for by 2 them the wrath of God was finished 4. And I saw as it were a laver of glass mingled with fire; and those that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over the number of his name, standing by the laver of glass, 3 having the harps of God. And they sang the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the lamb, saying, “Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord God Almighty; righteous and true are thy ways, O King of the nations. 4 Who shall not fear [thee,] O Lord, and glorify thy name?

for thou only art holy for all the nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy righteous acts are made manifest."

5 And after that I looked, and the temple of the taber6 nacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: and the seven angels, who had the seven scourges, came out [of the

1 power over fire, N. See Wakefield. 2 vines of the earth; for their, N. 3 and cut the vines of the earth, and cast the clusters, N. ♦ filled up. N. $ Or, sea of crystal, Wakefield. 6 Or, who were pure from, or uncorrupted by, the beast, &c. See Schleusner. 7 R. T. adds, and over his mark. 8 King of saints, R. T. O King eternal, N. The Mss. vary. 9 I looked, and behold, R. T.

temple,] clothed in pure white

linen, and girded about And one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden phials* 8 full of the wrath of God who liveth for ever and ever3. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and none was able to enter into the temple, till the seven scourges of the seven angels were CH. XVI. finished. And I heard a loud voice [out of the temple,] saying to the seven angels, "Go, and pour out the seven phials of the wrath of God upon the earth.”

7 their breasts with golden girdles.

2

3

4

And the first went and poured out his phial upon the earth; and a bad and noisome ulcer fell upon the men that had the mark of the beast, and upon those that worshiped his image.

And the second [angel] poured out his phial upon the sea; and it became blood like that of a dead man: and every living creature died in the sea.

5

And the third angel poured out his phial upon the rivers 5 and springs of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying; "Thou art righteous, who art, and who wast, the holy One, because thou hast thus 6 executed judgement; for they have shed the blood of saints and of prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink: 7 of which they are worthy 9." And I heard a voice out of the altar 1o, saying, "Yea, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgements.'

8

And the fourth angel poured out his phial upon the sun; 9 and it was given him to burn mankind" with fire. And

'pure and white, R.T. 2 bowls, N. Qiaλas —In every instance where this word occurs, the Primate translates it bowls. 3 Gr. ages of ages. 4 "seven wanting in R. T. 5 Gr. soul of life. "living," R. T. 6 R. T. has angel, where it is wanting in the improved text, and is supplied by the Primate, ver. 4, 8, 10, 12, 17. 7 Thou art righteous, O Lord, R. T. 8" that art, and wast, and that art holy," N. Or, thou Holy One, N. m. Beza in one Ms. found, soousvos, who shalt be, which the public version follows. 9 for they are worthy. R. T. 10 I heard another out of the altar, R. T.

N. See Wakefield.

to blast men,