SYNCHRONISM VI.

Of the New Jerusalem, the Spouse of the Lamb, with the Seventh Trumpet, or the Period from the Destruction of the Beast.

The marriage of the Lamb, and the august kingdom of the Lord God Omnipotent, both begin from the fall of Babylon, from whence the seventh trumpet begins. This appears from the hymn of the elders and living creatures, which are quoted in the former synchronism, c. xix. v. 6, 7. “Alleluia! for our Lord God Omnipotent has begun to reign. Let us be glad, and rejoice, and give glory to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.” But the “new Jerusalem is the spouse of the Lamb, adorned and prepared for her husband,” c. xxi. v. 2. “And I saw,” says he, “the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, as a wife adorned for her husband;” and, v. 9, “Come, and I will show you, the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” Therefore, it will both begin and be contemporary with the seventh trumpet.

2. New Jerusalem is the beloved city; but that beloved city, as soon as the thousand years are finished, is said to be compassed out by the. last forces of Satan, then set at liberty. c. xx. v. 9. “And they compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city.” Therefore it must have existed before, while Satan was bound. To these two arguments, either for the sake of confirmation, or of illustration and ornament, two others seem proper to be subjoined.

3. As soon as the seventh phial has been poured out, “a great voice proceeded from the Throne, saying, Γέγονε, It is done, c. xvi. 19. In like manner, c. xxi. v. 5, 6. “He who sat on the Throne” said to John, as he saw the New Jerusalem descending from heaven, “Behold, 43I make all things new. Γέγονε, It is done. I am Α and Ω, the Beginning and the End.” Therefore the new Jerusalem, the wife of the Lamb, begins from the final termination of the phials: “It is done,” the harlot being now extinct, and so is contemporary with the interval from the destruction of the beast.

4. One of the angels of the phials, c. xvii. showed John the judgment of the harlot, while the phials were pouring out, and which was to be effected by one of them at least; and the same angel of the c. xxi. v. 10. shows the same John the bride of the Lamb, the great and holy city Jerusalem; because it was to become conspicuous when the phials were discharged, that is, when the beast and Babylon were extinct.