T 0 
others alfcribing it to John a prefbyter; and others 
entirely reje&ing it, as unworthy of a place among the 
canonical writings. It does not appear that its genuine- 
nefs was called in queftion before the beginning of the 
third century; and Mill obferves, that in a few years 
after it was written it was numbered among the apoftoli- 
cal writings by the churches of -Alia, the neighbouring 
churches of Syria and Samaria,.the more diftant ones of 
Africa, Egypt, and Rome, and the other churches of 
Europe. Rut though from the third century fome have 
doubted of its authority, and others rejefted it, by the 
generality of Chriltians it has been received as unquef- 
tionably canonical and genuine in all ages. For the ex¬ 
ternal and internal teftimonies in its favour, the reader 
may confuit Lardr.er and his crowd of references. Mill’s 
Prolegomena, and fir Ifaac Newton’s Obfervations on the 
Apocalypfe. Some authors have contended that the book 
of Revelation was written before the deftruftion of Jeru- 
falem; but the great majority of ancient and modern 
critics have concurred in the more probable opinion, thatit 
contains an account of the prophetical vifions feen by 
St. John during his exile at Patmos, and that it was writ¬ 
ten either in that iftand, or after the apoltle’s return to 
Ephefus. Its date, therefore, feems to be properly af- 
figned either to the year 95, 96, or 97. 
The book of the Revelation, notwithftanding the pains 
which have been taken by men of ability and learning to 
explain it, feems yet to the generality of Chriftians very 
obfcure; and many look upon it as a fealed book ftill, 
never to be explained to any certainty or fatisfaftion. A 
great critic, Scaliger, fpid, that Calvin-was wife becaufe 
he did not write upon theTlevelation. And another 
(Dr. Whitby), who has written with great reputation on 
the other books of the New Teftameut, confeffes he did 
not do it for want of wifdom ; becaufe, fays he, “ I have 
neither fuflicient reading nor judgment to difcern the 
intendment of the prophecies contained in that book.” 
Michaelis has arranged the expofitions of the Apocalypfe, 
confidered as a divine work, under the following clafies. 
To the firft clafs may be referred all thofe commentaries 
•which are fafhionable among proteftants, and, according 
to w ( hich, the Revelation contains prophecies againft the 
pope and the church of Rome; and, in the commentaries 
belonging to this clafs, the prophecies in the Apocalypfe 
are confidered as ftill fulfilling. To this clafs of commen¬ 
tators we may refer Mede, fir Ifaac Newton, Lowman, 
bifhop Newton, Hurd, &c. &c. and many other proteftant 
writers. To the fecond clafs belong thofe commentaries 
which confine the prophecies of the Revelation to the 
three firft centuries, at leaft fuch as relate to perfecution 
and punifhment: for the happy millennium may, accord¬ 
ing to thefe commentaries, be made to commence with 
the converfion of Conftantine the Great. Commentators 
ef the third clafs find in this book nothing but the de- 
ftruftion of Jerufalem, and the flight of the Chriftians 
from that city to Pella, before the commencement of the 
fiege. The book of Revelation, according to the inter¬ 
pretation of the belt commentators, comprehends a much 
longer period than has been affigned to it by thofe who 
fuppofe that the expreflions, which mujl Jhortly come to pa/s, 
and the time is at hand, and the like, point out a very Ihort 
period; fo that the whole prophecy fhould be accom- 
plifhed in a few years after the vifion. Thefe expreflions 
will, indeed, ftiow that the accomplifhment of the things 
foretold in this prophecy was foon to begin, but deter¬ 
mine nothing concerning the time of their termination, 
the.duration of which is much longer, and reaches pro¬ 
bably from the time of the vifion to the day of judgment. 
The book itfelf feems alfo to fhow farther very plainly 
the order of the feveral prophecies, according to their 
feveral periods, as well as the whole duration, from the 
time of the origin to the finifhing of the whole myltery 
©f God’s providence towards the church. 
The Revelation begins, according to Mr. Lowman, by 
opening the fealed book, which deferibes the future ftate 
H- m £07 
of the church in feven fuecefilve periods. The JirJf pe¬ 
riod (hows the ftate of the church under the heathen 
Roman emperors, from about the year 95 to about the 
year 323, and comprehends the opening of feven, feals. 
The firft feal reprefeuts a white horfe and the rider with 
a crown, lignifying the Chriftian religion prevailing 
againft the opposition of Jews and Heathens. The fecond 
feal reprefents a red horfe with its rider, having power 
to take peace from the earth, denoting the firft memo¬ 
rable judgment on the perfecutors of Chriftianity, in the 
deftruttion of the Jews under Trajan and Hadrian, from 
100 to 138. The third feal reprefents a black horfe, the 
rider of which has a balance to meafure corn, denoting 
great fcarcity, approaching to famine, in the time of the 
Antonines, from 138 to T93. The fourth feal reprefents 
a pale horfe with its rider, called Death, fignifying a great 
mortality and peftilence, in the reigns of Maximin and 
Valerian, from 193 to 270. The fifth feal reprefents the 
fouls of the martyrs under the altar, denoting the fevere 
perlecution in the reign of Diocletian, with an encourage¬ 
ment to conftancy. The fixth reprefents earthquakes, 
&c. fignifying great commotions in the empire, from 
Maximian to Conftantine the Great, who put a period to 
the perfecution of heathen Rome. The interval between 
the firft and fecond periods reprefents an angel fealing 
144,000 with the feal of the living God ; fignifying great 
numbers forfaking the idolatrous worfhip of the Heathen 
Roman empire, and embracing the profellion of Chrif¬ 
tianity. 
Tiie fecond. period reveals the ftate of the church and 
providence in the times following the reign of Conftan¬ 
tine, during the invafion of the empire by the northern 
nations, and the rife and firft progrefs of the Mahometan 
impolture, till the Hop put to it in the weftern empire; 
extending from the year 337 to 750, and denoted by feven 
trumpets. The firft trumpet reprefents hail and fire min¬ 
gled ^vvith blood, fignifying great ftorrns of war falling 
upon the empire, and the blood that was (hed in the 
reigns of the Conftantine family and their fucCeffors, till 
things were fettled under Theodofius, from 337 to 379. 
The fecond trumpet reprefents a mountain burning with 
fire caft into the fea, whereby it-became blood ; denoting 
the invafion of Italy by the northern nations, and taking 
the city of Rome by Alaric, from 379 to 412. The third 
trumpet reprefents a burning ftar falling upon the rivers, 
which became bitter; fignifying the ravages in Italy, 
putting an end to the Roman empire, and founding a 
kingdom of Goths in Italy itfelf, from 412 to 493. The 
fourth reprefents a third part of the fun and moon dark¬ 
ened, fignifying the wars in Italy between Juftinian’s ge¬ 
nerals and the Goths, whereby the exarchate of Ravenna 
was erefted, and the remaining power and authority of 
Rome quite fupprelfed, from 493 to 568. The fifth re¬ 
prefents the bottomlefs pit opened, and locults coming 
out of it, fignifying the rife of the Mahometan religion 
and empire, and the great progrefs of both, till a ftop 
was put to them by a conteft for the fucceftion, from 568 
to 675. The fixth trumpet reprefents four angels loofed, 
which were bound in the Euphrates, fignifying the re¬ 
union of the divided Saracen powers, the invafion of 
Europe by them, and threatening the conqueft of it, till 
defeated by Charles Martel, from 635 to 750. 
The third period reveals the ftate of the church and 
providence in the times of the laft head of Roman go¬ 
vernment, reprefented by the beaft, for 1260 years to its 
final overthrow-, from about the year 756 to about the 
year 2016. The fealed book opened by the lamb, and. 
given to St.John to eat, denotes a further revelation of 
what was to follow, in order of time, to the end of the 
•world. There are three general deferiptions of this pe¬ 
riod in the xith, xiith, and xiiith, chapters. The firft 
fignifies the corrupt ftate of the church, and the conftancy 
of fome faithful vvitneifes to the truth, though under 
fevere perfecutions, during the who\e of this - period. 
The fecond repreients a woman forced to fly into the 
wildernefs 
