be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy, in all my holy mountain, saith Jehovah. s For from the rising of the sun, unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure of fering; for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith Jehovah of hosts..t s Isa. lxv. 19-25. t Mal. i. 11. CHAP. XII. The character and portion of the First fruits, or those who believe in time, and obey the gospel in this life: Intermixed with exhortations to them, and threatenings to. those that obey not God: AND I looked, and lo, a lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as a voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps; and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures, and the elders and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, who were And they sung a redeemed from the earth. a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth. b These are they who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins: these are they who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth :: these were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God, and to the Lamb.. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. c And I heard a voice from heaven,sâying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors ;: and their works do follow them. d. They loved not their lives unto the death. e And he saith unto me, Write; Blessed are they who are called unto the marriage-supper of the Lamb.f For he is Lord of lords, and King of kings and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. g He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. b Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a. Rev. xiv. 1, 2, 3. b Rev. v. 9, 10. d Rev. xiv. 13. è Rev. xii. 11. xvii. 14. b Rev. ii. 7. Rev. xiv. 4, 5. & Rev. ƒ Rev. xix. 9. a crown of life. He that overcometh, shall not be hurt of the second death. i To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden-nianna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it.j That which ye have already, hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers; even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. k Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, who have not defiled their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that over cometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new Rev. ii. 10, 11. ev. ii, 4, 5, Rev. ii. 17. Rev. ii. 25 --28 ame. m Behold I stand at the door and knock :: any man hear my voice, and open the door, I ill come in to him, and will sup with him,and e with me. To him that overcometh, will I rant to sit with me on my throne, even as I alo overcame, and am set down with my Father n his throne. n He that overcometh shall inherit all things; End I will be his God, and he shall be my son. o And they that dwell on the earth shall wonler, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they beheld the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. p And all that dwell upon the earth. shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. q And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and who had not wor◄ shipped the beast nor his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in. their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished; this is the first resurrection.Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. r m Rev. iii. 10, 11, 12. n Rev. iii. 20, 21. o Rev. xxi. . Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion, forever and ever. Amen. s Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. u Do not err, my beloved brethren: Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us, with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. V Put on therefore (as the elect of God, holy and beloved) bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace • Rev. i. 5, 6. t xxii. 14. a Heb. xii. 22, 23, 24. • James . 16, 17, 18. |