APPENDIX.

I.

SUGGESTED SCHEME AND AXIOMS FOR THE INTERPRETATION OF THE APOCALYPSE.

[359] The Author, after considering the vast variety of interpretations which have been given of this difficult but truly precious book, most acquiesces in the view taken by a valued friend, to whom he has before referred, and which he gives in this Appendix.

It may at least serve, with the preceding remarks, as a standard of the comparative approach of differing systems to each other. With some modifications, the scheme, or general arrangement, most harmonizes with Mr. Frere's views, and the more special applications with Mr. Cuninghame's. The leading earlier Protestant interpretations are those of Brightman, Mede, Vitringa and Bengelius; and the leading later interpreters, who have more or less followed these, are Woodhouse, Faber, Cuninghame, and Frere. After considering their respective systems, the Author is satisfied that there is more harmony and unanimous establishment of truth, than many suppose. He relinquishes as wholly untenable, all older or modern attempts, that would consider the Apocalypse as accomplished in the first stages of Christianity, or as yet wholly unfulfilled; or which proceed on an entirely new system of interpretation, wholly at variance with that which has been generally adopted by the large body of Protestant interpreters who have more or less followed the leaders just mentioned. After reading those new systems, the Author is only the more satisfied that there is sufficient ground to acquiesce in the general Protestant interpretation.

It may assist us first to compare the plans of former interpreters, and shew their harmony in great points, especially THE SYSTEMS OF FABER, CUNINGHAME, AND FRERE.

[360] The views of Apocalyptic arrangement and interpretation, based on regular principles, which have latterly been most widely received in the British church, are those of these three authors. The first of them excels rather in its discursive learning; the second in the justice of its individual interpretations; the third in symmetry of arrangement. They are alike based on the system and synchronisms of Mede: but the two last, by their applications of the seals, approach nearly to the arrangement of Vitringa; and Mr. Frere has sought to establish it by indications drawn from the parallel texts of the prophecy. The present currency of these three systems, the latest modification of the scheme of Mede, and with all the advantage of fuller historic light, will form the natural preparation for the full analysis of the prophecy.

First, These three systems agree alike with Mede and Bengelius, in the following principles: The commencement of the prophecy in the time of St. John; its continuance to the end of all things, without intervening break or chasm; the future and literal millennium; the application of the four first trumpets to judgments in the third, fourth, and fifth centuries; the prediction of the Saracens in one of the two former woes; the future restoration of Israel; the application of the woman to the true Christian church; the express description of the Papacy, in chap. xiii.; the mystical reckoning of the times, chap. xii. xiii.; the shock and rapid succession of the vials; the application of Babylon to the Roman church; its future destruction by the ten kings; the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the holy city, and the temple of God. All these are important truths, and it is a striking evidence of the promised blessing, chap. i. 3, that, on these, all the received systems, even that most defective in arrangement, are in entire accordance.

Secondly, These systems agree with Mede, where he differs from Bengelius, in the following points: The agreement in time, of the seventh trumpet with the vials; the application of the first woe to the Saracens; the application of the second woe to the Turks; the application of the first beast to the secular Latin empire; the application of the second beast to the ecclesiastical Latin empire, or Papacy; the common mystical reckoning of the forty-two months and 1260 days, chap. xi. xii. xiii.; the place of chap. x. and xi. before the seventh trumpet; the rate of mystical reckoning, a year for a prophetic day; the mystical meaning of the [361] holy city, chap. xi. 2; the first death and resurrection of the witnesses; the priority of the earthquake, (xi. 13) to the seventh trumpet; and the earthquake (xvi. 16,) the extinction of the Turkish power, in the sixth vial; the retrospective mention of the

heads, chap. xvii.; the application of the sixth head to the imperial rule in the prophet's time; the single millennium, followed by the loosing of Satan, and the judgment of the rest of the dead at its close. These are also important and leading truths, and, combined with the former, already lead us far towards a true and full understanding of the prophecy. Thirdly, These writers agree in the following corrections of Mede's system. They place all the vials under the seventh trumpet. They reject the chronological meaning of the inner court, as denoting the early times of the church. They distinguish between the image of the beast and the beast himself, and restore the uniform sense of the latter. They assign the first effusion of the vials to the French Revolution; and date the time, times, and a half, either with the decree of Justinian, so as to terminate with the commencement of the vials, or with the time of Phocas, so as to terminate with their close. Lastly, They make the commencement of this mystical period parallel with the first woe, instead of the first trumpet. Fourthly, To these elements of truth, already numerous, the interpretations of Mr. Cuninghame and Mr. Frere, add the following, in which they diverge from Mede and Faber as well as Bengelius. They assign to the series of the seals, the trumpets, and the vision of the woman, a parallel commencement. They extend the seals throughout the dispensation of the gospel. They place the sixth seal parallel with the opening times of the seventh trumpet. They close the time, times, and a half, at the beginning of the vials. They refer the harvest to an ingathering of mercy, as the vintage to a season of wrath. They view the vision of the Son of man, chap. xiv. and of the word of God, chap. xix. as two successive stages of the second personal advent in glory.

It may thus be seen that the variety of interpreters, and their views, is far removed from total uncertainty; and that increasing light has been constantly given. Of forty principles which exhibit the latest advance in prophetic truth, thirteen of the most vital are shared by Bengelius, whose scheme is the most defective, twenty-eight were already held by Mede; half of the remaining [362] twelve are received by the earliest, and the rest by the two later of the three living interpretators who have been most distinguished in this field of inquiry.

The chief remaining elements that need to be combined, for a more complete and full exposition, are the following: The application of the four first seals with Dean Woodhouse and Mr. Cuninghame; the interpretation of the symbolic opening with Mr. Habershon; the meaning of the fourth part with Mr. Faber; the right place of the seventh seal with Mr. Frere;

the true date of the first trumpet with Vitringa; the proper meaning of the second with Daubuz; of the third with Mr. Frere, and of the fourth partly as the same author; the true meaning of the fallen star with Vitringa; the meaning of the third part, the continuity of the sixth trumpet with Bishop Newton; the distinct reference of the temple, the altar, and the worshippers; the time of the death and resurrection with Mr. Fleming and Mr. Elliott; the earthquake with Mr. Frere; the unbroken continuity of chap. xii. with Brightman; the succession of the first and the second beast; the connection of the eagle and the angel messages; the note of time in the number of the beast with Bengelius; the name of the beast in the number with Clarke; the time and succession of the sealing of the tribes, with their historic meaning; the distinctive character of the three main visions; the connection of the times with the 1335 days of Daniel; the transition from the mystery of God and mystical events to the literal Antichrist and personal advent; the full interpretation of the number of the beast on a simple and strict principle, and in all the variety of its significance.

Some have entertained the opinion that there may be a literal recapitulation of the prophecy respecting the Man of Sin and the whole book of Revelation. That Antichrist will at last assume an open and infidel form, seems plain from many scriptures. And it is probable too that part of the book of Revelation may link itself with the Old Testament prophecies, and be finally realized in events more literal, at the recall of the Jews. But there seem to the Author insuperable objections in the structure of the Apocalypse, and the nature of many of its symbols, to such a re-application of the whole. The principles by which such parts might be distinguished would require a research beyond the purpose of the present work.