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The chapter opens with a figurative description of a great apostasy. John sees before him in vision, a "holy city" with a "temple," an "altar," and a "court without the temple." That that "holy city" was not the "holy city" of God's ancient people, nor its temple, the temple that stood on Mount Maria, is plain; for whether or not that temple was actually overthrown at the time that the apostle beheld this vision, certain it is, that soon after, at least, the words of our Lord were fulfilled in regard to it, in all their laterality, that not one stone should be left upon another that should not be thrown down.
And from the day when Terns Reefs drove the plug share over its foundations, down to this hour, notwithstanding the mad attempt of Julian the Apostate to the contrary, a temple of God has never again been erected on its site. Had the vision referred to the literal Jerusalem, its treading under foot of the Gentiles would, at least five centuries ago, have come to an end; but; instead of that, it is still as much trodden under foot as ever, and the mosque of Amber still occupies the site, where, on this supposition, Cod's holy temple ought at this moment to be standing.
We must look elsewhere, then, for this holy city of the prophetic vision. And where shall we find it? There can be no difficulty on the subject. All who have examined the matter; however much they may differ in other respects, are agreed on this, that the "holy city" is none other than the professing church of Christ as existing within the bounds of modern Christendom. In the early ages of Christianity, there were large and flourishing churches within these bounds, distinguished for holiness and good works.
The church at Rome contained many, whose "faith, "on the testimony of Paul; "was spoken of throughout the whole world." Before the end of the second century, Spain, France, Germany, and Dacca had not only received the glad tidings of salvation, but had shown their appreciation of its blessings, by sending forth multitudes of their sons to swell the "noble army of martyrs."
"Even those parts of Britain," says Tertian, "that the Romans have never reached, have submitted to the yoke of Christ.",1 The church of Christ, then, soon after its first planting in the western empire, was at once widespread and pure.
But that church, as represented to John, has undergone a woeful eclipse. The true worshipers of God are few; the immense mass of those who bear his name cannot be distinguished from heathens: "And there was given me," says John, "a reed like unto a rod; and the angel stood, saying, rise and measure the temple of God, And the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple, leave out and measure it not, for it is given to the Gentiles."
To understand the full meaning of this, and the greatness of the apostasy which it indicates, we must bear in mind an essential distinction, (a distinction which all the commentators I have met with, including the author of the "Seventh Vial," seem to have overlooked) between the temple of God, as it existed under the Old Testament dispensation, and that same temple as it exists under the New. Under the Mosaic economy the temple buildings consisted of no fewer than at least four distinct divisions. There was first the Holy of Halides, into which the high priest alone entered, and that only once a year, on the great day of atonement. Separated from this by a veil, was the sanctuary, where stood the altar of incense, and where the priests officiated in their courses.
Then all round the building that contained these two chambers--the holy place, and the most holy---was the, first or inner court, appropriated exclusively to the Israelites; and lastly, beyond this again, was the outer court, of still wider extent, into which the proselytes from among the Gentiles had admittance. Such were the arrangements of the temple and its courts under the Law. But the temple must be rectified, to suit it to the gospel dispensation. In the Christian temple, the temple as it appeared to John, there were three most essential changes which must not be lost sight of.
These were to be found only "in the temple and at the altar," in the holy place, in the comparatively small chamber allotted to the priests.2 For want of observing these changes which necessarily flow commentators, in explaining this part of the prophecy, have been only groping in the dark. Now, this holy place, with its inmates, John was commanded to "measure," in token that it was separated from the world, placed under God's peculiar care, and hedged about by the discipline of the church. All the immense extent of area around it lie was commanded to "cast out", to treat as forsaken of God, because "it was given to the Gentiles," to men who, though Christian in name and profession, were in worship, in spirit, and in practice, no better than baptized pagans. The true worshippers of Christ, then, as here represented to John, are a mere handful; not more in proportion to the masses of ungodly professors, than the sons of Aaron who served at the altar, were to the thousands of Jews and proselytes who worshipped both in the inner and outer courts of the ancient temple.
Now, while such is the low state of religion, it inevitably follows, that the whole nominal church of Christ would be one scene of profanation. "The holy city shall they," that is, the Gentiles, "tread under foot." Not a few seem to have misunderstood this expression of the angel, as if it meant, that "the holy city," or true church of Christ, should be oppressed and borne down by the heathen persecutors.3 It is true, as we, shall afterwards find, that the true and faithful followers of the Lamb were destined to suffer persecution.
But that is not the idea conveyed by the expression in question. The context shows, that "the holy city" here referred to, is not the true church of Christ, for it is described, ver. 8, as "the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified." It is Jerusalem, indeed, but Jerusalem apostate: Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto it. It is "the holy city," inasmuch as by profession and obligation it is bound to be holy; but, in practice, it is "Sodom," full of all uncleanness; it is "Babylon the Great, the mother of Harlots, and abomination of the earth." When, therefore, the angel says, that "the holy city shall be trodden under foot of the Gentiles," he cannot refer to the oppression of the saints.
The true idea of "treading under foot," when applied to holy things, or holy places, is that of desecration. Thus, for instance, in Isaiah i. 12, the Lord saith to the wicked, "Who hath required this at your hands, to tread my courts" And of apostates, it is said by Paul, showing the greatness of their guilt, and the hopelessness of their case, "Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing?" The treading under foot of the holy city, then, refers not to the persecution of the true church, but to the profanation of religious ordinances. Throughout its whole extent, the city of God, the nominal church of Christendom, should swarm with irreligious men; all places of authority should be usurped by them, all the ordinances of God should be perverted, all his worship defaced and profaned.
The moral characteristics of this holy city, trodden under foot of the Gentiles, described as Sodom, as Egypt, as Jerusalem, guilty of the blood of Christ, would of themselves go far to enable us to identify it with the Roman Church. Rome, above all churches, makes loud professions of holiness.
It is "our holy mother, the church;" "the holy apostolic Church" of Rome; and the head of it is "our Most Holy Lord, the Pope." But with all this high-sounding profession, it is essentially heathen in worship and in practice. As to its worship, its holy-water, its incense, its burning of wax-candles at noonday,4 its adoration of saints, its worship of images, are all borrowed from the ancient Pagans. Its practice is no better than its worship. In a moral point of view it is overspread with the worst abominations of heathenism. Its doctrine of the merit of virginity, its forced celibacy of priests, its convents for monks and nuns, and, above all, its confessional, have made it the Antitype of Sodom, and plunged it in the grossest debauchery.5 Its denial of the right of private judgment to the people, its denunciation of liberty of conscience, as "liberty to err," prove it to be the spiritual Egypt, the house of oppression and of bondage; and; above all, its cruel and intolerant spirit, that has made it so often drunken with the blood of the saints, and so often persecute Christ in his members, shows how aptly it is prefigured by Jerusalem the holy city, "where also our Lord was crucified." Contemplate the symbols and the reality; look on this picture and on that; and say, if they do not answer one to another as face answers to face in a glass.
But the locality, the geographical bounds, within which this heathenised church is to be found, render all doubt on the subject impossible. It is intimated (ver. 13,) that it consists of "ten parts," which parts are elsewhere (ver. 8) called "streets" thereby identifying it, so far as geography is concerned, with the ten-toes of Nebuchadnezzar's image, and the ten-horned beast of the Apocalypse itself; in other words, with apostate Christendom; or the ten kingdoms of Papal Europe, into which the Roman empire was divided, on the irruption of the Cloths and Vandals. The fact, that ten distinct kingdoms arose on the dismemberment of the empire in the West, is proved by undeniable evidence. Procopius, a heathen who lived soon after the period in question, Michiavel a papist, and Gibbon the infidel historian, men who had no theory to support who, least of all thought of elucidating the prophecies of Scripture, all concur in the statement that such was the number of the original Gothic kingdoms of Christendom. Their names even, and their localities, are expressly recorded. Thug Machiavel (Hist: Floe. i.) states them as follows:
These, according to ,this distinguished Roman Catholic historian, were the primitive ten kingdoms of the dismembered Roman empire. During the long ages that have passed away since that dismemberment took place, many, changes have occurred in the bounds and arrangements of these kingdoms; but from their original number, in common language as well as in the prophetic word, they are still denominated the ten kingdoms of the West.
Now, these kingdoms, though distinct, came all to be bound together by one common tie; they all became subject to the spiritual supremacy of the Pope; they all embraced the idolatry and superstition of the Roman Catholic church; and therefore, by the Spirit of God, they are all regarded as only, so many "streets" in "the great city Babylon:" Some of them have for a longer or a shorter period been, in a great measure, separated from the communion of Rome; but there is reason to believe, that as the grand consummation approaches the bounds of the great city will be very much the same as they were at first. Thirty years ago; when Dr. Macleod of New York wrote on this subject; he proposed that the Vandals of Africa should be expunged from the list of the ten kingdoms, and another kingdom substituted in their place, on the ground, that they had long exchanged the superstition of Rome for the imposture of Mohammed. But, behold the march of events. The French conquered Algeria, the seat of the ancient African Vandals, aid hastened anew to consecrate its soil by annexing it to the see of Rome in like manner, Britain might once have been supposed to be separated for ever from the papacy; but the recent formal recognition of the Pope had constituted us again one of the "streets" of the great city, and threatens, along with other anti-Protestant measures in progress, to undo, at no distant day, all that God did for us at the era of the blessed Reformation.
1Tertull, adv. Jug., sec. 7. Wirceburgi, 1781.
2 See Note A.
3 This is the sense in which it is understood by the author of the "Seventh Vial," See p. 89.
4 The Fathers of the Christian church frequently upbraided the Pagans of their day with the absurdity of this practice, "they light up candles to God," says Lactantius, "as if he lived in the dark; and do not they deserve to pass for madmen who offer lamps to the Author of light?"
5 For proof that Rome is justly characterized as "Sodom," see Author's "Light of Prophecy," pp. 112 127.