illustrate our subject, that little more need be said. What is said, in the 13th verse, of the sea, and death and hell, delivering up the dead which were in them, is only a refiguring of the same things. Thus were they all before God, who sat upon his throne in spirit and in power over Jerusalem, which was called his throne. See Jer. 3: 17, “At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem." The books which were opened, and out of which they were judged, could have been nothing more than the law and the prophets, which contained those awful denunciations against them. Christ says to the Jews, "There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust." John 5: 45. He also says, John 12: 48, “ He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him : the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." The other book, called the book of life, was undoubtedly the principles of the gospel, which all those who were adjudged to life had embraced. They were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. This is true to the letter of all judgments on earth, but could not be of a judgment after the resurrection, because there is then but one infinite result, which cannot be the reward or effect of earthly and limited performances. Those who believed, and had their names enrolled with the Christian believers in the book of life, escaped the furious tornado of death and destruction into which the disobedient and unbelieving were thrust, as into a lake of fire, which is the second death. This second death is the tragical end and ruin of that people as a race and nation.

It may be objected that the book of Revelation was not written until after the destruction of Jerusalem. We know there are different opinions; but the best authorities, we think, show to the contrary. The inscription to this book in the Syrian Version, published by De Diew, 1627, and afterwards in the London Polyglot, is the following: "The revelation which God made to John the Evangelist, in the Isle of Patmos, to which he was banished by Nero Cæsar." This places it previous to the year 68, at which time the reign of Galba commenced. That this was the true time of John's banishment, and, consequently, that the visions recorded in this book are to be ascribed to this period, is contended by many learned and eminent writers, among whom are Hentenius, Harduin

Grotius, Lightfoot, Hammond, Sir Isaac Newton, Bishop Newton, and others. But we think the book itself shows that it was written before the overthrow of Jerusalem. In chap. 1: 1, it is said, that "God taught John by his angel things that must shortly come to pass." Verse 3, it is said, "The time is at hand."

Chap. 22: 6, 7, it is said, that "The Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." Verse 10, "And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand." Verse 12, "And behold, I come quickly and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Verse 20, "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly; Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

It

That the above passages show the then future, yet sudden coming of our Lord, we think is self-evident. The following, we think, show that Jerusalem was then standing. Chap. 1: 7, "Behold, he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." This corresponds with Matt. 24: 30, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." That this relates to the destruction of Jerusalem none will dispute. was to take place in that generation. See verse 34, "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled." Rev. 11: 1, 2, " And there was given me a reed like unto a rod and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given to the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." Compare this with Luke 21: 24, " And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Rev. 11: 8, "And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified." This time was then future. He says, their dead bodies shall lie in the streets of the city, &c., where

See

our Lord was crucified." Where was our Lord crucified, save in Jerusalem?

The 18th chapter evidently alludes to Jerusalem

In verse 8 it

is said, “Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and nourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her." Dr. Clarke says this passage means, "They shall mourn because of the slaughter and the famine, the fruits of their fields being utterly destroyed or burned by their enemies." See Deut. 32: 22-25, “A fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell (sheol) and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundation of the mountains. . . They shall be burned with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction. The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also, with the man of gray hairs."

The above can be said of no other city. Rome pagan has never been thus treated; only some parts of her were burnt with fire. Rome papal has not been thus treated; but it is true of Jerusalem. In chap. 18: 24, it is said, "And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” To what place will the above language apply so properly as to Jeru salem ? Christ says, "For it cannot be that a prophet perish ou of Jerusalem." Again, we hear him exclaiming to its devoted inhabitants, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee!" Well might the Saviour declare unto them that upon them should come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth. We might multiply instances to show the internal evidence of the book itself that Jerusalem was the devoted city in question, and was standing when the book was written; which period, as before stated, was previous to the year 68. Jerusalem was destroyed about the year 70. Thus, as we have seen, the time, when the book was written, was at hand.

The foregoing statements, we think, must be satisfactory to every candid mind. And should an objector say that Jerusalem was destroyed previous to the writing of the book, we reply, that John recorded things which had been, then were, and should be thereafter. See Rev. 1: 19, "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter."

Hence, whether it were before or after, the objector would have the same difficulty in showing that Jerusalem was not the scene and theatre of action referred to. We also notice that John saw "the dead stand before God." In the resurrection, people cannot be dead. They will then have been raised from death to life. "Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." See Matt. 22: 30; Luke 20: 36; and 1 Cor. 15: 42-44.

On the Greek terms krino, krima, krisis, &c., we remark, that these words nowhere signify endless misery, or damnation, in a future state of existence. We find no place in the Bible where their signification extends beyond this state of existence. Their strict signification appears to be simply this: First, a judgment; a resolution; a decision; a sentence; a condemnation; a penalty. See Krima. Second, separation; discrimination; choice; decision; judgment; the decision, or final issue; the crisis of a distemper. See Krisis. Or, third, to separate; to put asunder; to discriminate; to cull; to select; to choose; hence to form a judgment, opinion or decision; to examine; to criticize; to judge; to decide a difference; to give a verdict; to pass sentence; to inquire; to confirm ; to ratify, &c.—See Krino, Donnegan's Greek and English Lexicon. New work, pp. 778–9. It will be seen in Section III., this Chapter, that their renderings, though various, agree with the above definitions given. The same words that are rendered judge, judging, judgment, &c., are also rendered damned, condemnation, damnation, &c. Inasmuch, then, as the same words are rendered judgment and damnation, they cannot, intrinsically, signify a decision or judgment to endless misery in any case; for, if they necessarily imply it in the one, they also must, of necessity, imply it in the other; and we should then be under the necessity of reading the following passages thus: "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment (hrisin, endless misery) upon all." Now, we think, no one is willing to read the Scriptures in this manner, which would prove universal damnation, or damnation to all; yet, upon the premises laid down, we must of necessity do so; for it is the same word which occurs in Matt. 23: 33, "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers! how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" Damnation, in this text, is supposed to imply endless misery. Again, we must

read 1 Peter 4: 17, thus: "For the time is come that judgment (krima, endless misery) must begin at the house of God." This same word, krima, is rendered at least eight times damnation in the New Testament, and is supposed to teach the doctrine of endless misery. But, if so, then woe to "the house of God"! For Peter says, "The time is come that krima must begin there." But that this word, or any other in the Bible, teaches endless misery, cannot be sustained. They do not of themselves naturally imply it, neither are they prefixed to any word or phrase in the Bible that does teach it. They simply show a decision in judgment; which is either condemnation on the one hand, or justification on the other, agreeably to the merit or demerit of those adjudged. For further illustrations on these words, see on the words damned, damnation, &c., in this work.

We have, in Section I., this Chapter, so arranged the scripture passages as to show, first, the manner in which God judges his creatures; second, the time when, and place where, God judges them; and, in the third place, we have noticed sundry passages which speak of judgment. We now ask the candid reader to honestly decide for himself whether the judgments of God are not all executed in the earth, and in no other place? Whether men must not reap in the same field where they sow, instead of sowing in one field and reaping in another? Whether " the judgment-seat (bematos) of Christ" is not in this world, rather than in another? (See Rom. 14: 10; 2 Cor. 5: 10.) And whether Christ's kingdom on earth does not confine his reign of judgment to the gospel period? And, when that shall close, whether there will be a place for judgment or a judge to decide? When this is carefully, candidly and honestly 'done, we have no fears as to the result.