mercy, who are in doubt; (23) and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. (24) Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy, (25) to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and 2 for evermore. Amen. 1 Or, while they dispute with you. * Gr. unto all the ages. doubt, and accordingly have not yet definitely decided to join the ranks of those mockers. In this case, they are to be snatched as a brand from the fire, in order to 23 deliver them from their deceivers and to save them. In contradistinction to others, the fear of being deceived forbids all contact with them, such as would be the case if an attempt was made to save them. As he, who hates every pollution that proceeds from the flesh, will regard as disgusting also the undergarment, because it is worn next to the body and is thereby polluted by the flesh, thus he who is anxious scrupulously to preserve himself will also regard as something hateful even the most superficial touch of him who is living in such sin. We can and must pity such persons deeply; but we must break off all associations with them in order to preserve ourselves. The author closes with a doxology of God, 24 who alone is able to preserve us against being misled in any way, and who can prevent us from stumbling and in this way can bring it about, that finally, in exultant joy, because we need not fear His judgment, we can stand without a spot before the face of His glory. For He, through our Lord Jesus Christ, has become our Deliverer, having sent Him and having accomplished the 25 work of redemption through Him, for which reason He is to be glorified, as He was glorified before the entire world age, now and in all coming world times. This Jude seals with his Amen. I THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto his 2servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: (2) who bare witness of the 1 Or, gave unto him, to show unto his servants. the things, &c. Or, them. The superscription of this book describes it as an Apocalypse, i. e. a revelation of the divine counsels con1 cerning the future. Such a revelation can, naturally, proceed only from God Himself. But, as in the case of everything pertaining to the carrying out of the work of redemption, He has entrusted its manifestation to Jesus Christ, in order that the latter may show to the servants of God in the narrower sense of the term, i. e. to the prophets, what must take place in the near future according to His counsel. The Apocalypse, accordingly, does not propose to give secret information concerning the events in the history of the world or of the Church, as these follow upon each other in thousands of years to come, but concerning the consummation of the divine plan of redemption, as this, in the entire New Testament, is expected to be near at hand. Christ has, through His angels, sent to His servant John, who had dedicated his entire life to His service, such instruction as, according to what follows, directed him to go to Patmos for the purpose of receiving the revelation, in order to describe to him in a series of pictures this divine counsel in reference to the impending consummation of sal2 vation, as this is to pass before his eyes in visions. It word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw. (3) Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein for the time is at hand. : (4) John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is 1 Or, who cometh. is expressly stated by John that this book contains such visions. But the most important thing in these visions is not what is seen, but the word of God therein imparted to the prophet, and the divine revelation of redemption thereby made. These visions, which Christ causes His servant to see, are only the form in which Christ gives testimony of the divine counsels of redemption concerning the last times, as these have become unfolded to Him in His exaltation with God, since they could not be unfolded to Him while He yet walked the earth. But John can do nothing more than testify in what form the divine revelation concerning the future of redemption has been given to him. The book is intended for public reading in the meetings of the congregations. John describes its contents as proph- 3 But by this term the Scriptures nowhere means merely prediction in the narrow sense, but also the admonition that is connected with the promise. For this reason those are pronounced blessed who read these words in public and hear them, but only in case this is followed by the keeping of them, i. e. by obedience to that which is written in these words. For the time is near at hand when that which is predicted is to be fulfilled, and thereby it will be decided who is to take part in the promised consummation of redemption. ecy. This book, however, while addressed to all Christen- 4 dom, is, primarily, like all New Testament writings, intended for a narrower group of congregations, to to come; and from the seven Spirits that are before his throne; (5) and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and 1loosed us from our sins by his 1 Many authorities, some ancient, read washed. Heb. 9. 14; comp. ch. 7. 14 2 Gr. in. which it is accordingly sent in the form of a letter. Those thus addressed are seven congregations in Western Asia Minor, the names of which are to be made known later. But the fact that they are seven in number intimates that in them the entire circle of congregations to which they belong, and, indeed, the whole of Christendom, is to be represented. The letter begins with the salutation with which the Pauline Epistles generally begin. But the grace, as also the redemption which comes from this grace, is here described in a solemn manner, as coming from God, who is called by the Old Testament name, Ihwh (cf. Ex. iii. 14), which word we are accustomed to pronounce Jehovah. But this name is here described as meaning, that He is the One who exists from eternity to eternity, He who was and He who is coming in order to bring about the consummation of redemption in His Messiah. For He was already engaged in this in the time of the Old Testament, when He transmitted His grace to the people of Israel through the Spirit who was bestowed upon His prophets. The manifold character of this Spirit, as operative in the different prophets, is again depicted in the form of seven spirits, seven being a sacred number. They stand before the throne in order to be sent by Him to the prophets and to give them His revelation. The last one, however, through whom He has trans5 mitted His grace to men, is Jesus Christ. He is the faithful, and for this reason the trustworthy witness for everything that He has made known to us of His divine redemptive counsels. He is the first-born of blood; (6) and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto 1 his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion 2 for ever and ever. Amen. (7) Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen. (8) I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, 3 who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. 1 Or, God and his Father. authorities omit of the ages. Gr. unto the ages of the ages. Many ancient * Or, he who. the dead, because in His resurrection He has not only been born again to a new life, but has also given us the surety of a similar resurrection. But through His exaltation He has been raised to be the Ruler of the world, who, notwithstanding the opposition of all the kings of the earth, will effect the consummation of the divine redemptive counsels. He will do this because He has proved His abiding love for us by delivering us, through His atoning blood, from the slavery of sin, and has already realized in us the kingdom of God, in 6 which we as priests serve God, who is at the same time His Father. For this He, to whom glory and power belong to all eternity, is glorified, and this glorification is sealed with the Amen of the Apostle. Of 7 Him is true that which, as it were, forms the motto of the entire prophecy of the book, namely, that He comes as He has promised (Mark xiv. 62), surrounded by the clouds of heaven. He is to be visible to all eyes, especially, as already prophesied in Zech. xii. 10, to those who slew Him, and because, when the judgment approaches, all the generations of the world will lament on account of this coming. The prophet seals this with his Amen, which he introduces with the Greek equivalent. God is the guarantee for this, who 8 speaks through His prophets, and Him he here calls by the Old Testament name of Jehovah Elohim, which he |