Accordingly, the showing things to come, is the great point in view throughout the whole. It is said afterward, 'Write what thou seest ' and again, 'Write what thou hast seen, and what is, and what shall be hereafter ' but here, where the scope of the book is shown, it is only said, the things which must come to pass. And this we are especially to have before our eyes whenever we read or hear it. The peculiar design of this is, to show the things which must come to pass. But these are also delivered in other parts of holy writ so that the Revelation need not to have been given for the sake of these. Peter says, 'The end of all things is at hand ' and our Lord himself, 'Behold, I come quickly.' There is in this book a rich treasure of all the doctrines pertaining to faith and holiness. The things which must shortly come to pass - The things contained in this prophecy did begin to be accomplished shortly after it was given and the whole might be said to come to pass shortly, in the same sense as St. Serve thou the Lord Jesus Christ in truth: so shalt thou learn his secret in this book yea, and thou shalt feel in thy heart whether this book be divine, or not. It is one single Revelation, and yet sufficient for them all, from the time it was written to the end of the world. This book is dedicated particularly to the servants of Christ in the seven churches in Asia but not exclusive of all his other servants, in all nations and ages. It is a great thing to be a servant of Jesus Christ. His servants - Much is comprehended in this appellation. In this manner does it display the manifold wisdom of God shining in the economy of the church through so many ages. In all its parts it has an admirable variety, with the most exact harmony, beautifully illustrated by those very digressions which seem to interrupt it. Indeed the whole structure of it breathes the art of God, comprising, in the most finished compendium, things to come, many, various near, intermediate, remote the greatest, the least terrible, comfortable old, new long, short and these interwoven together, opposite, composite relative to each other at a small, at a great, distance and therefore sometimes, as it were, disappearing, broken off, suspended, and afterwards unexpectedly and most seasonably appearing again.

xxii, 6 and in many places the parts of this book refer to each other.

God gave the Revelation to Jesus Christ Jesus Christ made it known to his servants. Which God gave unto him - According to his holy, glorified humanity, as the great Prophet of the church. John, indeed, who wrote this book, but the author of it is Jesus Christ. Certain it is, that appellation, the Divine, was not brought into the church, much less was it affixed to John the apostle, till long after the apostolic age. Of Jesus Christ - Not of 'John the Divine,' a title added in latter ages. It is, as it were, a manifesto, wherein the Heir of all things declares that all power is given him in heaven and earth, and that he will in the end gloriously exercise that power, maugre all the opposition of all his enemies. No prophecy in the Old Testament has this title it was reserved for this alone in the New. The Revelation - Properly so called for things covered before are here revealed, or unveiled.

Seven spirits of god and seven stars