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of the thousand years and the succeeding period; and at the same time that the dead are judged (ver. 14). We may observe, that, as the lake of fire is the place into which the enemies of Christ and of his people are cast (com.. pare vers. 10, 15, and ch. xix. 20); so the casting of death and the grave into the lake of fire evidently prefigures their being destroyed, as the enemies of Christ. Consequently we collect from this, that death and the grave as the enemies of Christ, are not destroyed at the time of what is called the first resurrection, but at the same time as the dead are judged, and the manifestation is made of those who are written in the book of life.

EIGHTHLY. After the judgment of the dead (noticed vers. 12, 13), those who were not found written in the book of life upon its being opened, are cast into the lake of fire (ver. 15) [Note G].

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[G] We remark that the judgment according to works, in this and other passages of Scripture, and the salvation of God's people through grace, in consequence of their being written in the book of life, or the Lamb's book of life (xxi. 27); i. e. of their election (compare Luke x. 20; Phil. iv. 3, xiii. 8, and xvii. 8) in Christ Jesus; are not contrary to, but delightfully harmonize with, one another. For as God the Father has blessed and does bless with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus those whom he has chosen in him before the foundation of the world (Eph. i. 3 to 5); and as (Eph. i. 7), in consequence of their union with Christ, they have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace; and are justified (2 Cor. v. 21), accepted in the beloved (Eph. i. 6), and preserved (Jude 1) unto his heavenly kingdom (2 Tim. iv. 18); so, in consequence of the same grace which was given them in Christ Jesus before the world began, they are called with an HOLY calling (2 Tim. i. 9), and created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that they should walk in them (Eph. ii. 10). Hence they bring forth the fruits of the Spirit; and in their measure and degree, produce those fruits of righteousness which are by (or in) Jesus Christ to the glory of God (Phil. i. 11). In consequence of this, not only is there a real distinction in the sight of God between the character and works of those who are, and of those who are not, written in the book of life, but this distinction will be solemnly marked and publicly declared at the time when both classes stand before the white (the pure, the distinguishing) throne of judgment; and when the books, in which, as it were, the works of each have been recorded, are opened, and those works are declared or published. Thus, I conceive, this judgment according to works will not in the least resemble the putting persons, as in human judicatures, upon any trial, but will be declaratory; so that the judgment of the saints will be declared and manifested to be, not in consequence of, but according to their works or character, as created in Christ Jesus. Then will the Judge,

upon it: consequently no part of the judgment described is carried on during the period of the thousand years, but it commences after both that period and the intervening one are finished.

SIXTHLY. The book of life is opened, not before, but at this time, which is also the time when the books are opened (ver. 12); and it is then found or discovered who are written in the book of life (ver. 15). We may observe that the opening of a book or seal appears, in the Revelations, to denote the time when the fulfilment or manifestation of what is written in the book begins (see ch. vi. 1,3, &c.) Thus the opening of the books (ver. 12) evidently signifies the open discovery or manifestation of what is written therein; i. e. of the works of those who stand before the throne of judgment (vers. 12, 13). Hence the opening of the book of life signifies the discovery or open manifestation of those who are written therein; that is, of the saints, ch. xiii. 8, and ch. xvii. 8. And that the manifestation of those who are written in the book of life takes place at this time, appears also from the expression (ver. 15), "Whosoever was not found written in the book of life," i. e. at the time of its being opened. From this, therefore, we collect that the open manifestation of those who are written in the book of life does not take place at the time of the first resurrection, but after the period of the thousand years and the intervening period (7 to 10) are ended, and at the time when the dead are judged.

SEVENTHLY. Death and Hell (or, rather, Hades or the grave) [Note F] are cast into the lake of fire, after the period

[F] The word ans is rendered the grave (1 Cor. xv. 55). It seems to me, like the word in the Old Testament to signify, in general, the unseen state, as the word itself imports, or the place of the soul or spirit when separate from the body (ch. i. 18, vi. 8). Sometimes it appears to mean the paradise in which Christ was after death and before his resurrection, and in which his people are when they depart out of the body to be with him (Acts ii. 27, 31, compared with Luke xxiii. 45); sometimes the place in which evil spirits now are (Matt. xvi. 18), and in which the ungodly will be after the spirit leaves the body (Luke xvi. 23). It does not, however, appear to mean the place of eternal torment, according to the common acceptation of the word hell; and certainly not so in this passage, for Hades is itself cast into the lake of fire (ver. 14). The word yeva, also translated hell (Matt. v. 22, 29, 30, and x. 28, &c.), appears rather to signify the place of eternal torment.

of the thousand years and the succeeding period; and at the same time that the dead are judged (ver. 14). We may observe, that, as the lake of fire is the place into which the enemies of Christ and of his people are cast (com. pare vers. 10, 15, and ch. xix. 20); so the casting of death and the grave into the lake of fire evidently prefigures their being destroyed, as the enemies of Christ. Consequently we collect from this, that death and the grave as the enemies of Christ, are not destroyed at the time of what is called the first resurrection, but at the same time as the dead are judged, and the manifestation is made of those who are written in the book of life.

EIGHTHLY. After the judgment of the dead (noticed vers. 12, 13), those who were not found written in the book of life upon its being opened, are cast into the lake of fire (ver. 15) [Note G].

[G] We may remark that the judgment according to works, in this and other passages of Scripture, and the salvation of God's people through grace, in consequence of their being written in the book of life, or the Lamb's book of life (xxi. 27); i. e. of their election (compare Luke x. 20; Phil. iv. 3, xiii. 8, and xvii. 8) in Christ Jesus ; are not contrary to, but delightfully harmonize with, one another. For as God the Father has blessed and does bless with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus those whom he has chosen in him before the foundation of the world (Eph. i. 3 to 5); and as (Eph. i. 7), in consequence of their union with Christ, they have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace; and are justified (2 Cor. v. 21), accepted in the beloved (Eph. i. 6), and preserved (Jude 1) unto his heavenly kingdom (2 Tim. iv. 18); so, in consequence of the same grace which was given them in Christ Jesus before the world began, they are called with an HOLY calling (2 Tim. i. 9), and created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that they should walk in them (Eph. ii. 10). Hence they bring forth the fruits of the Spirit; and in their measure and degree, produce those fruits of righteousness which are by (or in) Jesus Christ to the glory of God (Phil. i. 11). In consequence of this, not only is there a real distinction in the sight of God between the character and works of those who are, and of those who are not, written in the book of life, but this distinction will be solemnly marked and publicly declared at the time when both classes stand before the white (the pure, the distinguishing) throne of judgment; and when the books, in which, as it were, the works of each have been recorded, are opened, and those works are declared or published Thus, I conceive, this judgment according to works will not in the least resemble the putting persons, as in human judicatures, upon any trial, but will be declaratory; so that the judgment of the saints will be declared and manifested to be, not in consequence of, but according to their works or character, as created in Christ Jesus. Then will the Judge,

NINTHLY. The heavens and the earth having fled, or passed away (xxi. 1), from the presence of him who sits upon the throne, new heavens and a new earth succeed in the place of the former, xxi. 1. [Note H.]

TENTHLY. Those who are not written in the book of life, having been cast into the lake of fire, and the new heavens and new earth having succeeded to the former, those who are written in the book of life inhabit them; and therein God himself, as their God, dwells with them as his people. Death shall be no more (θανατος εκ εσται ετι) and the former things are passed away (or gone aπηλov); and he that sits upon the throne makes all things new, xxi. 3,5, and the state begins, which is described as the coming down from God the Son of Man, openly acknowledge before the assembled universe the works of his people, which were the fruits of that faith which worketh by love, and were accepted for his sake (Gal. v. 6; Phil. iv. 18; Heb. xiii. 15, 16). We must bear in mind that sanctification by the Spirit, through which believers bring forth the fruit of the Spirit, is not the cause, but a fruit of salvation by grace (Eph. ii. 4, 5); and, like all the other blessed privileges flowing to them from their union with Christ, is a consequence of their being written in the book of life, as well as an evidence of it (1 Thess. i. 3, 4; 2 Thess. ii. 13, 14).

[H] Those who interpret the first resurrection to be the resurrection of the saints, at the second coming of Christ, are compelled, I believe, to set up an hypothesis, that the events in Rev. xxi. 1 to 5, do not follow, in point of time, those in Rev. xx. 12 to 15, but precede them and that these verses contain a description, not of the state after the judgment, but of that during the Millennium, Three considerations will, I conceive, prove that this hypothesis is not well-founded:-First, Rev. xxi. 1, the new heavens and new earth succeed, because the first heaven and first earth were passed away. Now the time when the first heaven and earth pass away, is expressly marked to be after both the thousand years and the succeeding period (xx. 7-10): consequently the time of the new heavens and new earth also, must be after the thousand years, and the succeeding period. Secondly, The sea exists at the time of xx. 13, because it gives up the dead. But the sea is no more at the time of xxi. 1. Consequently, the time of xx. 13 must be before that of xxi. 1. Thirdly, the time when death is no more, xxi. 4 Gr., must be after the time when death delivers up the dead, and is destroyed by being cast into the lake of fire, xx. 13, 14: consequently the time of Rev. xxi. 4, must be subsequent to the time of Rev. xx. 13, 14. These three considerations, prove, I conceive, that the order of time of ch. xxi. 1 to 5, is posterior to the judgment described xx. 11-15; and that the events described in these verses do not take place during the Millennium, but after the judgment and the opening of the book of life.

C

out of heaven, of the wife of the Lamb, the holy Jerusalem, vers. 2 and 10. The church of Christ is his spouse, Eph. v. 23 to 26, which he will present to himself, a glorious church-holy and without blemish, Eph. v. 27, compared with Rev. xix. 7, 8; and she is now, under the Gospel, called Jerusalem which is above, the mother of all believers, Gal. iv. 26; and the heavenly Jerusalem, Heb. xii. 22. And as, at the period described, Rev. xxi., every believer will have put on his house from heaven; that is, his heavenly body, 2. Cor. v. 1, 2; so, in agreement with this, the Lamb's wife, his church, prepared as it were for, as well as composed of, all his glorified saints, is represented as coming down from God, out of heaven, ver. 2.

Having thus brought before the reader these ten points which appear to me to be laid down in the twentieth and following chapter, I shall endeavour, by comparing them with numerous passages in the Scriptures, to prove both that the first resurrection cannot be the same as the resurrection of the saints with their glorified bodies at the second coming of Christ; and also, that the period described in the latter part of the twentieth chapter, is the period of the resurrection of the saints. Each of these by itself, and both of them together, the one confirming the other, will shew, as far as what I advance is in agreement with Scripture, that the interpretation of the first resurrection as signifying that of the saints, at the second coming of Christ, is not according to the mind of the Spirit.

I shall begin by bringing before the reader several considerations, deduced from the passage itself, which, independent of what other parts of Scripture lay down concerning the time of the resurrection of the ungodly, convince my own mind, that the first resurrection cannot be the same as the resurrection of the saints; and that the reigning with Christ, described in ver. 4, cannot be the same as the reigning with him of all his people after his second coming.

First consideration. The description which the Holy Ghost has given of the persons, who will reign with Christ, as signified in this passage, convinces me, that he does not intend to signify the saints reigning with

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