John Wesley

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head.

“And a rainbow upon his head - A lovely token of the divine favour. And yet it is not too glorious for a creature: the woman, chap. xii, 1, is described more glorious still.”

He held in his hand a small scroll, which lay open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.

“And so St. John (as Patmos lies near Asia) could conveniently take the book out of his left hand. This sealed book was first in the right hand of him that sat on the throne: thence the Lamb took it, and opened the seals.”

When the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to put it in writing.

“Seal up those things which the seven thunders have uttered, and write them not - These are the only things of all which he heard that he is commanded to keep secret: so something peculiarly secret was revealed to the beloved John, besides all the…”

Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven.

“Christ, to his own two witnesses. Whom I saw standing upon the earth and upon the sea, lifted up his right hand toward heaven - As yet the dragon was in heaven.”

But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, just as He proclaimed…

“The mystery of God shall be fulfilled - It is said, chap. xvii, 17, "The word of God shall be fulfilled." The word of God is fulfilled by the destruction of the beast; the mystery, by the removal of the dragon.”

And I went to the angel and said, “Give me the small scroll.” “Take it and eat it,” he said.

“Eat it up - The like was commanded to Ezekiel. This was an emblem of thoroughly considering and digesting it.”

And they told me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”

“And he did prophesy, by "measuring the temple," chap. xi, 1; as a prophecy may be delivered either by words or actions.”

Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers there.

“Ezekiel's prophecy was not fulfilled at the return from the Babylonish captivity.”

But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.

“As all things are there so largely described, St. John is shorter and refers thereto. But the court which is without the temple - The old temple had a court in the open air, for the heathens who worshipped the God of Israel.”

When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them.

“Shall make war with them - It is at his last ascent, not out of the sea, but the bottomless pit, that the beast makes war upon the two witnesses.”

And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed.

“When the whole multitude gives glory to the God of heaven, then that "treading of the holy city" ceases.”

Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ…

“And of his Christ - This appellation is now first given him, since the introduction of the book, on the mention of the kingdom devolving upon him, under the seventh trumpet.”

The nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead and to reward Your servants the prophets, as well as the saints and…

“And the time of the dead is come - Both of the quick and dead, of whom those already dead are far the more numerous part. That they be judged - This, being infallibly certain, they speak of as already present.”

Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple.

“And the ark of the covenant was seen in his temple - The ark of the covenant which was made by Moses was not in the second temple, being probably burnt with the first temple by the Chaldeans.”

But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels.

“And he prevailed not - The dragon himself is principally mentioned; but his angels, likewise, are to be understood. Neither was this place found any more in heaven - So till now he had a place in heaven.”

Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you, knowing he…

“The might - Whereby the enemy is cast out. The kingdom - Here the majesty of God is shown.”

Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.

“This beast is a spiritually secular power, opposite to the kingdom of Christ. A power not merely spiritual or ecclesiastical, nor merely secular or political but a mixture of both.”

Here is a call for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is…

“Let him that hath understanding - Which is a gift of God, subservient to that wisdom. Count the number of the wild beast - Surely none can be blamed for attempting to obey this command.”

These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

“These are they who had not been defiled with women - It seems that the deepest defilement, and the most alluring temptation, is put for every other. They are virgins - Unspotted souls; such as have preserved universal purity.”

Then I saw another angel flying overhead, with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation and tribe and tongue and people.

“Flying - Going on swiftly. In the midst of heaven - Breadthways. Having an everlasting gospel - Not the gospel, properly so called; but a gospel, or joyful message, which was to have an influence on all ages.”

And a third angel followed them, calling out in a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives its mark on his forehead or on his…

“Saying, If any one worship the wild beast - This worship consists, partly in an inward submission, a persuasion that all who are subject to Christ must be subject to the beast or they cannot receive the influences of divine grace, or, as their expression…”

he too will drink the wine of God’s anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath.

“In all the scripture there is not another so terrible threatening as this. And God by this greater fear arms his servants against the fear of the beast. The wrath of God, which is poured unmixed - Without any mixture of mercy; without hope.”

And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who…

“And the smoke - From the fire and brimstone wherein they are tormented. Ascendeth forever and ever - God grant thou and I may never try the strict, literal eternity of this torment!”

And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write, “Blessed are the dead—those who die in the Lord from this moment on.”

“Who die in the Lord - In the faith of the Lord Jesus. For they rest - No pain, no purgatory follows; but pure, unmixed happiness. From their labours - And the more labourious their life was, the sweeter is their rest.”

And I looked and saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was One like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp…

“Here is no reference in either to the day of judgment, but to a season which cannot be far off. And I saw a white cloud - An emblem of mercy.”