The Prophecy is distinguish'd into seven successive parts, by the opening
of the seven seals of the book which _Daniel_ was commanded to seal up: and
hence it is called the _Apocalypse_ or _Revelation_ of _Jesus Christ_. The
time of the seventh seal is sub-divided into eight successive parts by the
silence in heaven for half an hour, and the sounding of seven trumpets
successively: and the seventh trumpet sounds to the battle of the great day
of God Almighty, whereby _the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of
the Lord and of his Christ_, and those are destroyed that destroyed the
earth.
The Interpretation begins with the words, _And the temple of God was opened
in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the Ark of his Testament_: and
it continues to the end of the Prophecy. The Temple is the scene of the
visions, and the visions in the Temple relate to the feast of the seventh
month: for the feasts of the _Jews_ were typical of things to come. The
Passover related to the first coming of _Christ_, and the feasts of the
seventh month to his second coming: his first coming being therefore over
before this Prophecy was given, the feasts of the seventh month are here
only alluded unto.
On the first day of that month, in the morning, the High-Priest dressed the
lamps: and in allusion hereunto, this Prophecy begins with a vision of one
like _the Son of man_ in the High-Priest's habit, appearing as it were in
the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, or over against the midst of
them, dressing the lamps, which appeared like a rod of seven stars in his
right hand: and this dressing was perform'd by the sending seven Epistles
to the Angels or Bishops of the seven Churches of _Asia_, which in the
primitive times illuminated the Temple or Church Catholick.
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