it appears as a literal description
of the final catastrophe of this old world.

It is evident that there are symbols connected with this appearance of
God, as truly as there were symbols connected with Christ in his
appearance in chap. 19. The _throne_ is a symbol of judgment and of
supreme sovereignty, its dazzling whiteness indicating the impartiality
and justice of the proceedings. The _books_, likewise, are symbols. We
are not to suppose that there are literal books in heaven, in which
Christ or some angelic secretary notes down all the affairs of earth.
The language and the symbols of Scripture are accommodated to the human
understanding, hence books are used as a symbol to denote that the
character and the actions of men are all as perfectly known and
remembered as if they had been recorded in the archives of heaven. The
_book of life_, in which the names of the faithful are often said to be
inscribed, denotes that God knows all his chosen people. In the
following chapter it is called the Lamb's book of life.

This scene, then, as a whole, is a sublime description of the
resurrection and the final judgment of all men and the dissolution of
the earth on which we now live. That the righteous will be judged at
this time is shown by the fact that the book of life, in which the names
of the righteous only are recorded (Chap. 21:27; Exod. 32:33), will also
be opened; and verse fifteen implies that the names of some during this
judgment scene were found recorded in that book. The wicked receive
their eternal portion by being cast into the lake of fire; while the
reward of the righteous is described in the remaining part of this
series, contained in the two following chapters.

CHAPTER XXI.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and
the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and
they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them,
and be their God.

4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed
away.

The events of thi