The corruption of Christianity, as foretold in the last chapter, is
allowed to have been the means that prepared the way for those events
which are announced at the opening of the present one. The ambition of the
clergy, and the state of ignorance in which they purposely kept their
flocks, had completely succeeded, before the end of the sixth century, in
subjugating the minds of the people, and in establishing the supremacy of
the priesthood in the west of Christendom, while the last of these causes
served to facilitate in the east the success of the Mahomedan imposture,
which, as well as Papacy, was an offspring of the spurious form of
religion then prevailing under the name of Christianity.
These two usurpations under the mask of religion, divided, at the
beginning of the seventh century, what had once been the Christian world,
between them; one occupying the western half of it, and the other the
eastern, according to our mode of expression; but as regards Palestine,
where the Prophet wrote, this division is more accurately represented, as
expressed in the Prophecy, by northern and southern; the northern half
engrossed by the Greek and Latin churches, which being essentially of the
same nature, are here taken as one; while Mahomedism usurped the place of
Christianity in the countries lying for the most part south of Palestine,
as Arabia, Egypt, India, Persia, and others. (See note on this.)
Such are the occurrences foreshewn in the opening of the present chapter;
which _now_ does, if it did not previously, declare the capture and
pillage of the holy city, or the loss of the spiritual Jerusalem, true
religion; this being followed by a portent awfully expressive of the
events which succeeded this loss, namely, the cleaving asunder of Mount
Olivet; (a symbol for nominal Christianity, Mount Zion signifying true
Christianity, Mount Sinai Judaism;) one part of which moves northward, and
the other southward, leaving a deep valley between them for the escape of
those who are not involved in this spiritual captivity or destruction.
After this follows the intimation of a period of spiritual obscurity,
which is declared to be neither day nor night, neither clear day-light,
nor utter darkness; but on the evening of that day, light is said to dawn
again, and living waters once more to flow out of Jerusalem. At length
this is to be succeeded by the restoration of Israel, and the universal
establishment of true religion in the new Jerusalem.
While the loss of true religion is clearly foreshewn in the capture of the
spiritual Jerusalem, with which this chapter commences; and while the rise
of Papacy and Mahomedism is foretold in the cleaving of Mount Olivet; the
Christian will readily perceive, in the day of obscurity that follows, the
dark ages shadowed forth; and in the dawn of light that breaks forth at
the evening time, he will see intimation of the restoration of true
religion at the reformation, when living waters again begin to flow out of
Jerusalem.
The conclusion of this chapter, and of the Prophecy, declares the final
and complete establishment of the Messiah’s kingdom; that happy period for
which we are taught to pray in the words, “_Thy kingdom come._” Concerning
the nature of this kingdom, the Jew not only differs from the Christian,
but Christians also differ from one another. Before I attempt to decide so
difficult a question, I shall state the prevailing opinions, and what the
prophets have said on the subject.
The Jews expect, at the coming of their Messiah, the establishment of
their political, as well as their spiritual supremacy over all the earth.
The Christians reject all idea of a political kingdom, but differ in their
views of it as a spiritual one. Some understand it to signify the
universal establishment of true Christianity on earth, with the full
enjoyment of all the blessings which it is calculated to afford; others at
this second advent, look for the personal appearance of Christ on earth,
to reign with the saints, who will be raised from the dead, to receive the
reward of virtue in his kingdom; while many regard his kingdom as
signifying a future state of happiness, having no connexion whatever with
the earth we now inhabit, but to be enjoyed in an eternal abode, of which
they have an indefinite idea as existing somewhere above the firmament.
This last, which is perhaps the most popular notion, seems least consonant
to Scripture and prophecy; which distinctly speak of a kingdom _on earth_,
as it is understood by the Jews; though not necessarily, as they suppose,
a political one. As this is the chief point on which I am at issue with my
opponent, I shall presently state the manner in which this city, the New
Jerusalem, is spoken of by Isaiah and St. John. But previously I think it
right to notice a fallacy in what I take to be the ground on which the
popular notion of this kingdom rests; namely, because St. John in the
Revelations gives intimation of a resurrection preceding, or accompanying
its establishment. Now, we have, as I conceive, no just ground for
assuming, in a vision, every other part of which is figurative, that this
part alone is to be understood literally. Why, I should ask, may not this
resurrection, like the rest, be also symbolical, or signify regeneration
to newness of life? which our Saviour expressed by being _born again_;
that is, a total change in our nature and habits, such as was produced in
his apostles and disciples by the gift of the Holy Spirit. But even
admitting the literal resurrection to be here intimated, (and no Christian
can doubt the reality of a resurrection,) yet this would not be at all
incompatible with a future existence on earth, a light in which it is
viewed by many: we shall therefore inquire what the Prophets have said
that may throw light on the nature of this kingdom on earth.
Both Isaiah and St. John, in speaking of the New Jerusalem, use the
two-fold metaphor of a City and a Woman. In Isaiah liv. 11, et seq. this
city is represented as having foundations of sapphire, windows of agate,
and gates of carbuncle; and St. John, Rev. xxi. 16, describes it as built
entirely of precious stones, having twelve gates, each of one solid pearl,
and its streets paved with gold; being, moreover, equal in all its
dimensions, that is, as broad as it is long, and as high as it is wide, to
wit, twelve thousand furlongs, or fifteen hundred miles. This is surely
very unlike a literal city; but this City shortly becomes a Woman, in St.
John, and is styled “The Lamb’s Bride;” while Isaiah, using the same
change of metaphor, says, “For thy Maker is thy husband.”
If we now look to the context in Isaiah, for the purport of this
figurative language, we shall find that he says, chapter liv. 14, “In
righteousness shalt thou be established;” and again, chapter lx. 19, “But
thou shalt call thy walls salvation, and thy gates praise;” and from chap.
lxi. it appears throughout, that this description is intended to portray
_the perfection of righteousness, the beauty of holiness_, and the _riches
of grace_; these being, as declared, the ornaments destined to adorn the
Bride. It is with _a robe of righteousness_, and _a garment of salvation_,
that _she will adorn herself_, as Isaiah expresses it, chap. lxi. 10.;
while St. John abounds in similar expressions; thus in Rev. xix. 9,
speaking of the Bride’s apparel, he says, “For the fine linen is the
righteousness of the saints;” and of the City, which nothing impure is
permitted to enter, he says, chap. xxi. 23-27, “For the glory of God did
lighten it, and the Lamb was the light thereof.” Thus both, under this
highly figurative description, appear to signify no literal city, or
political state, but one which is altogether spiritual; that is, the
utmost possible degree of purity and holiness, which will constitute this
_heaven upon earth_; the New Jerusalem.
This chapter opens with the denunciation of divine wrath about to fall
upon mankind on account of the corrupt state of religion. The expression
used to foretel this, belongs more peculiarly to the day of judgment,
called the _day of the Lord_; but is often employed in prophetically
foreshewing particular judgments on the world, as here:
_Behold the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the
midst of thee._
_For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city
shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished, and half of
__ the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people
shall not be cut off from the city._
The loss of the holy city, and the spiritual captivity of half its
inhabitants, which is the bondage of sin, is the particular calamity here
foretold; and this is followed by the punishment of those who were the
authors of this evil, the enemies of true religion, who war against
Jerusalem.
_Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he
fought in the day of battle._
The nations must signify here, as elsewhere, the Gentiles, or Pagans,
whose spiritual hostility against true religion was shewn, as before
stated, by their corrupting and paganising Christianity; while the
judgment denounced against them consists in God’s permitting the rise of
the two great Antichristian usurpations, Papacy and Mahomedism. One, the
man of sin, spoken of by St. Paul, (1 Tim. iv. 1, and 2 Thess. ii. 3,) a
spiritual tyranny, enslaving the minds of men; and the other, the
abomination of desolation, mentioned by Daniel, chap. viii. verses 10-12,
and, as he expressly foretold, permitted _by __ reason of transgression_,
or as a judgment on the world, its avowed object being the propagation of
religion by the sword. The division of the corrupt form of religion then
prevailing, into these two Antichristian apostacies, is thus foreshewn.
_And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is
before Jerusalem upon the East, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in
the midst thereof toward the East, and toward the West, and there shall be
a great valley, and half of the mountain shall move toward the North, and
half of it toward the South._
A mountain, meaning a place of eminence or power, in spiritual language
signifies religion; _Mount Sinai_, from which the Mosaic law was
delivered, means Judaism, and is contrasted in the Epistle to the Hebrews,
chap. xii. 18-22, with Christianity, which is there called _Mount Zion_,
and _the heavenly Jerusalem_. The Mount of Olives is neither of these, but
here symbolical of nominal Christianity, destined to be split asunder;
leaving, however, a valley between the two parts for the escape of those
not involved in this spiritual destruction; from which may be inferred,
that true Christianity would not become utterly extinct.
_And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains, for the valley of the
mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee like as ye fled in the
days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and the Lord my God shall come, and all the
saints with thee._
The true Christian is thus admonished to fly, or avoid the prevailing
apostacies; while divine favour and protection are promised to those who
shun the general corruption. From the establishment of these two
Antichristian dominations, a long day of spiritual darkness is declared to
follow; which was accomplished in the reign of ignorance and superstition,
during the period expressively denominated _the dark ages_. With God a
thousand years are but as a day.
_And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear
nor dark;_
_But it shall be one day, which shall be known to the Lord, not day nor
night, but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light._
In the return of light at the evening time of that long day of obscurity,
we see intimation of the revival of true religion at the reformation;
which is still more clearly expressed as follows.
_And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from
Jerusalem, half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the
hinder sea; in summer and in winter it shall be._
The former and the hinder sea, or as Dr. Blayney proposes to render it,
the Eastern and the Western Sea, may literally signify the Dead Sea and
the Mediterranean; but figuratively the Eastern and Western Gentiles, who
will receive the benefit of the spiritual waters. The expression, in
summer and in winter it shall be, signifies literally, that they shall
neither be dried up by the summer’s heat, nor congealed by the cold of
winter; but figuratively must mean, that the purity of religion shall not
again be corrupted by the heat of fanaticism on the one hand, nor frozen
by the cold of infidelity on the other. The universal prevalence of true
religion is then declared. (See note.)
_And the Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day shall there be
one Lord, and his name one._
The fulfilment of what now remains of the prophecy appears to be still
future, and consequently it does not fall within the limits of our plan to
attempt the particular exposition of each part of it; but sufficient, it
is hoped, will be found in what is already accomplished, to convince the
Christian reader of the general purport of the whole; and to warrant the
statement made at the outset, that these six chapters are not, as former
commentators have supposed them to be, a collection of unconnected
predictions relating to different subjects, but one continued and
uninterrupted prophecy, presenting a view of the progress of our religion,
from its promulgation to its final establishment in purity and perfection.
That the evidence of this will be sufficient to convince the Jew, I am far
from expecting, being well aware of the many objections he has still to
urge against our exposition of prophecy, after those which are here
presented, may have been removed. But it may possibly have some weight
with him, when he finds upon examination, the same view of the subject
offered by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others; which the Christian will
find more circumstantially displayed in the Revelation of St. John. In
fact, my exposition of the Apocalypse, has furnished me with the clue to
guide me through all the prophecies, that relate to the progress of the
Messiah’s kingdom; for I find that each succeeding prophet has helped to
fill up the outline given by his predecessors; while the picture is
finally completed by St. John, the last of them all. But as a portrait is
most easily recognised when the likeness is complete; so the prophecy last
uttered, being most perfect, is most easily interpreted, and naturally
becomes the key to all the others; that is, the last delivered ought to be
the first expounded, which is the order I have pursued.
As I have made no change in the translation of this chapter, few
explanatory notes are required; and the Rabbi’s reply to this, as to the
one preceding, may be comprised in this single objection; that no part has
yet been literally fulfilled, such being the only fulfilment which he
looks for or admits.
The impossibility of a more literal fulfilment has been shewn in many
places, but especially at the beginning of chapter x.; and until the Jew
answers this, I must consider, what to me appears to be the main pillar of
his argument, as fairly overthrown. And the grand question, whether Christ
be the Messiah, resting upon this, namely, whether his kingdom be a
spiritual or a temporal one, must be decided, as regards the present
argument, by shewing whether the prophecies relating to it have regard to
spiritual or temporal affairs.
Many who object to the spiritual view, misconceive what is meant by the
spiritual exposition; and consider it as setting aside altogether the
historical fulfilment of prophecy; whereas the question is simply between
religion and politics, between church and state; in short, whether the
spiritual or temporal history of the world should be looked to, for the
fulfilment of those prophecies which foretel the progress of Christianity,
or the Messiah’s kingdom. By directing their view to temporal affairs, the
ablest expositors have hitherto discovered only an occasional allusion to
Christianity in a few verses of particular chapters, and in others no
allusion to it whatever; whereas, by adhering closely to the spiritual
view, and understanding the prophecy as foretelling the progress of true
religion; the battles and conflicts foretold, representing the opposition
which it has experienced, and the corruptions which it has undergone from
the evil passions and worldly propensities of man; we have been enabled to
shew the historical fulfilment of the whole; not selecting, as others have
done, particular passages, but shewing that every chapter and every verse
relates to the same subject, and this subject, the progress of
Christianity.