e reserved unto fire."--He speaks obviously
of the visible heavens and earth. These "heavens shall pass away ... and
"the earth also, ... shall be burnt up." He adds,--"We look for new
heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2 Pet. iii.
7, 13.)--"There was no more sea," no more disorderly passions,
animosities, arising from human depravity, to interrupt the delightful
harmony and fellowship of saints in glory. It is estimated that about
two thirds of this world are occupied by water. In that happy place
occupied by the people of God, there is no sea; consequently, "yet there
is room," many mansions, room enough for all the redeemed. "The holy
city," compared to a "bride," two very incongruous emblems, shows the
poverty of symbols, their inadequacy to represent the church triumphant:
how then shall created objects furnish suitable emblems of the glorious
and glorified Bridegroom? In vision the city seemed to the apostle as if
suspended in the air on the same plane with himself; for now he stood
neither on "the sand of the sea," (ch. xiii. 1,) for "there was no more
sea," nor upon the earth, for it was "passed away." No intervening
object could obstruct his view.--He heard a voice from heaven, saying,
"Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with
them," as his reconciled and beloved people. As a tender Father, he will
"wipe away all tears from their eyes." "There shall be no more death,"
either of themselves or their beloved friends, to open the fountain of
tears any more for ever. But death is the last enemy to be destroyed; (1
Cor. xv. 26;) how then can these words apply to any state short of
immortality in heaven? "Neither sorrow nor crying,"--for sin or
suffering; "neither shall there be any more pain," causing tears or
cries: and what is this but heaven? Yes, "the former things are passed
away." Now "he that hath the bride is the bridegroom," and she shall
never be false to her marriage covenant any more.--"He that sat on the
throne," denotes the Father most frequently in this book, as he is
distinguished from the Son; but the Son "is set down with his Father in
his throne," (ch. iii. 21;) and the Son is to be viewed as the person on
the throne here, as the following words, compared with the twentieth
chapter, verse eleventh, make evident.--He it is who "makes all things
new." He left his disciples as to his bodily presence, and went to
"prepare a place for them," (John xiv. 2;)