Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, November 21st, 2024
the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Commentaries
Light & Truth: Bible Thoughts and Themes on Revelation Bonar on Revelation
Copyright Statement
These files are a derivative of an electronic edition available at BibleSupport.com. Public Domain.
These files are a derivative of an electronic edition available at BibleSupport.com. Public Domain.
Bibliographical Information
Bonar, Horatius. "Commentary on Revelation 19". "Light & Truth: Bible Thoughts and Themes on Revelation". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bch/revelation-19.html.
Bonar, Horatius. "Commentary on Revelation 19". "Light & Truth: Bible Thoughts and Themes on Revelation". https://www.studylight.org/
Whole Bible (49)New Testament (16)Individual Books (20)
Verse 10
The One Witness And The One Testimony.
Revelation 19:10
Revelation 22:20.
John was overpowered with glory. It was but the glory of an angel, and the words were the words of an angel; but the glory and the words were those of one who had come from the presence of God. Perhaps he was like Peter on the mount, who knew not what he did and said. He forgets for a moment that it is written, ’You shall worship the Lord your God,’ and he falls down at his feet to worship him. ’Stop!’ cries the angel, ’don’t worship me!’ And if the holy men and women, to whom the idolatry of the Church of Rome is paid, could speak, they would say the same, shrinking back horrified at the robbery of being made equal with God. But it is to the answer of the angel, and his declaration concerning himself, that I ask your attention.
Who am I, that you should worship me? Am I God? No, I am your fellow servant—and shall the servants worship each other, and forget the Master? No, I am the fellow servant of your brethren who keep the sayings of this book (Revelation 22:9). No, I am the fellow servant of the prophets of old (that is, the same angel who ministered to them). No, I am the fellow servant of the prophets of old (that is, the same angel who ministered to them). No, I am the fellow servant of all who ’hold the testimony of Jesus;’ for ’the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’
Thus then we have a proclamation made to us as to the oneness of the whole Bible.
I. The oneness of the TESTIFIER.He is the one God. The sender of the testimony is the one Jehovah; the subject of the testimony is the one Jesus; the inspirer is the one Spirit. Through many lips He has spoken, by many pens he has written; but it is the mind, the will, the purpose, the revelation of the one God that is here.
II. The oneness of the MESSENGER.It is intimated here that it was the one angel alone that was employed to communicate the testimony. He was sent to patriarchs and prophets of old, to apostles and brethren in later times. The instrument or medium of communication was a created being, an angel; but it was the same throughout.
III. The oneness of the TESTIMONY.It is not many testimonies, but one; it is the word (not words) of God. It was given at sundry times and diverse manners; in fragments and portions, great and small; by many lips and pens; spread out over more than four thousand years, for it began in paradise and ended in Patmos; yet there is unity throughout, not discord or contradiction—marvelous unity, which can only be accounted for on the fact that there was in reality but one writer—He to whom one day is as a thousand years; and that therefore the truths enunciated are the offspring of one mind, the thoughts of one heart. This testimony bore all upon one point, one person, one work, one kingdom. It was the "testimony of Jesus;" that is, it testified of Him from first to last; for Christ is the all and in all of prophecy, the all and in all of the Bible.
But let us consider the oneness of this testimony more in detail.
(1) Its oneness as to the character of GOD.His is one name throughout, Jehovah. He is the Holy One; righteous, good, true; hating the sin, loving the sinner. He is King eternal, immortal, and invisible; infinite in all things; without variableness or shadow of turning. It is the same good and gracious God that you meet with at man’s creation, that you meet at the close of time; it is the same holy God that you find driving Adam out of Paradise, and bringing His deluge over the world, that you find pouring out His vials upon earth, and preparing His judgments for the sons of men.
(2) Its oneness as to the character of MAN.He was made upright, but he sought out many evil inventions. And since sin came in, we see him perpetually evil—a dark understanding, a rebellious will, a heart full of sin; thinking evil, speaking evil, acting evil. His "progress" is always downward, not upward. God’s testimony to man throughout the Bible is the same. Patriarch, and prophet, and apostle tell us the same thing about the evil of man—and the exceeding sinfulness of sin. It nowhere hides the sins of the good; nor does it exaggerate the crimes of the evil. It bears one unvarying and undeviating testimony to man and man’s heart—’deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.’
(3) Its oneness as to the way of SALVATION.That salvation is described in many aspects, under many figures and types—yet it is but one salvation—one way to life for the sinner, through a death and a righteousness not his own. God’s free love—the great sacrifice—the sinner’s faith. ’The just shall live by faith.’ Salvation free, complete, present, everlasting—this is the announcement of Scripture from first to last.
(4) Its oneness as to the SAVIOR.He is the Seed of the woman; the Son of Abraham; the seed of David; the Child of Mary. He is the Man with the bruised heel—finite, yet infinite; created, yet uncreated; dead, yet living forever! Through His death life comes to us—through His blood cleansing comes. He is Jesus the Savior—able to save to the uttermost—Messiah, the Sin-bearer, the Lamb of God. Every book of the bible bears on this with marvelous concord.
(5) Its oneness as to the CHURCH’S HOPE.It is resurrection; glory; a kingdom—and all connected with Messiah. ’Behold!’ was Enoch’s utterance at the beginning. ’Behold! He comes with the clouds!’ is John’s at the close. One unvarying testimony to our eternal future.
(6) Its oneness as to the SINNER’S DOOM.Death, wrath, woe—a fearful judgment, and an endless darkness! Throughout it is the same. It began with, ’You shall die!’ It ends with, ’They were cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death.’ They shall have death without hope, who have refused the death of the one Substitute.
Verse 12
Messiah’s Many Crowns.
Revelation 19:12.
God’s great eternal purpose was to rule this world by a man—not directly by Himself, but mediately by a man, such as he whose creation is recorded in Genesis; not by an angel or mere spiritual creature, but by a being of flesh and blood. Earth’s government was to be in and by humanity. ’To the angels has he not put in subjection the world to come’ (Hebrews 2:5).
The first intimation of this is in Genesis, in the history of man’s creation—’God blessed him and said, Have dominion.’ This is a man’s investiture with regal power; this is earth’s magna carta; this is God’s constitution for our world; a monarchy, not a republic, nor an oligarchy; the crown is put upon man’s head and the scepter into his hand by God Himself.
Man sinned away his dominion—the crown fell from his head, the scepter from his hand. Yet still, ages after, God speaks of dominion as his. The question is asked, ’What is man, that You are mindful of him?’ no, puts into our lips a new acknowledgment of the original title, ’you have put all things under his feet’ (Psalms 8:6). Therefore it is that the redeemed sing, ’We shall reign on the earth’ (Revelation 5:10).
But the scepter was not to pass from the hands of humanity. God’s purpose must stand. In its first unfolding it seemed to break down; but it cannot fail. One in our very flesh, a true son of Adam, has the crown secured to Him. Messiah, the Word made flesh, is earth’s King—the last Adam, the Lord from heaven. Man and man’s earth are not to be disjoined.
But before Messiah reigns, there are to be ages of misrule and evil, rebellion and treason against the righteous King; for now ’we see not yet all things put under Him.’ God puts man on trial to see if he can rule the earth—to see if he will rule it according to the holy principles of its original constitution. In every region of earth this has been tried; and man’s total incapacity for righteous government has been proved, as well as earth’ persistent refusal to submit to righteous rule. Earth is at this day no nearer order, and peace, and holiness, than at first.
Yet God has enunciated the true principles of government to man. He did it briefly at first; He did it more fully afterwards, when He chose a land for the special scene of His dominion, and a people in whom the divine principles of government might be exhibited. He has done it most fully of all in His revelations of the future of man and man’s earth. All prophecy, more or less directly, points to this. Isaiah’s predictions of latter-day glory contain in them not only the germs of such principles of government, but their full and frequent exposition. God has told us how He wishes His world to be ruled. ’He who rules over men must be just;’ judges and rulers should be fearers of God, seeking to do His will and glorify His name. The crown and scepter are to represent holiness and righteousness, as well as power. The throne is to be established in judgment and justice. The legislation is to be religious; interwoven in all its acts with God and His laws. The king rules for God, and in the name of God; all that he says and does, are to remind his subjects of Him by whom kings reign.
Thus all God’s history of the past, and His revelation of the future, declare the principles on which He desires His earth to be governed; the true theory of earthly rule and legislation. He who dissevers God from government, or would exercise dominion without religion, is setting aside what God has taken such pains to affirm. Divine politics are heavenly in their nature; and it is by these politics that our world is to be swayed.
All that is good, and holy, and just, is concentrated in the person of Messiah. He is the Just One. His scepter is a scepter of righteousness; the center of His dominion is the new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.
Messiah then is the representative of Adam—yet also of God. To Messiah, when all else have failed, is committed the government of earth. He, the true Adam, with His true Eve, the Church is set by God on the throne, when the four great monarchies that have tyrannized over earth and trodden down the saints shall have been broken in pieces, and made like the chaff of the summer thrashing-floor. God casts down the thrones of earth; sets up the true throne, and places His Son upon it, King of kings and Lord of Lords. ’On His head are many crowns.’
I. The crown of HEAVEN is on His head.’We see Jesus crowned with glory and honor’ at the Father’s right hand. Heaven is His dominion. He sits upon its throne.
II. The crown of EARTH is on His head.Not yet, not yet—but soon! All the present crowns of earth shall pass away, He shall take to Himself His great power and reign. He shall yet wear the crown, and exercise dominion here, when all things are made new; ’come forth, O you daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him’.
III. The crown of PRINCIPALITIES and POWERS is on His head.He is the Head of these. I do not mean merely that the powers of hell are put under His feet—but the powers of heaven. He is the King of angels.
IV. The crown of the CHURCH is on His head.He is King of saints. He is at once the Husband and the King of the Church. ’He is your Lord, worship Him.’ The saints sit with Him on His throne; yet they fall down before Him.
Thus Christ is all and in all. Earth was made for Him as well as heaven. Men were made for Him as well as angels. Might and dominion are His here below; and he shall yet take the scepter and show what holy government is; what holy legislation is; what holy judgment is; what holy politics are; what a holy king is. Earth waits for His arrival. Men rebel against His government. They would cast out the heir. They would not have Him to rule over them. Yet God shall set His Son upon His holy hill of Zion!