is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy,
let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous
still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

12. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every
man according as his work shall be.

Vs. 10-12.--Christ himself addresses John in person. He had done so at
the beginning of these glorious scenes of the future, (ch. i. 8.) Now he
appears again in glory, though not described as before, that he may thus
authenticate and close the vision.--"Seal not the sayings of the
prophecy of this book." Why is this? The reason is assigned, because
"the time is at hand" when they shall begin to be verified in actual
history. The case was different in Daniel's time, who was inspired by
the same omniscient Spirit to predict the same events. "O Daniel, shut
up the words, and seal the vision, even to the time of the end." (Dan.
xii. 4.) If the vision of the empires of Persia and Greece was to be
"for many days," (ch. viii. 26,) then the rise, reign and overthrow of
the Roman empire, were still more remote. No wonder that Daniel, with
becoming humility but intense interest inquired, "O, my Lord, what shall
be the end of these things?" Such was the subdued anxiety of other
prophets. (1 Pet. i. 10.) And here we may once for all notice the _three
distinct_ periods mentioned by Daniel, as measuring the duration of the
Roman empire, the Romish apostacy, and as they bear upon the promised
and desirable millennium. The two prophets, Daniel and John, agree in
fixing and limiting the domination of the Antichrist to 1260 years. This
agreement has been already pointed out. The Lord, however, to allay the
laudable anxiety of his "greatly beloved" servant Daniel, makes mention
of two other periods of time, 1290 and 1335 days or years, (ch. xii. 11,
12.) Now, when we have manifold assurances that the great apostacy shall
terminate with the close of the 1260 years, we may venture humbly to
suppose, that the next thirty years may be occupied in the conversion of
the Jews, and the remaining forty-five in the effectual calling of the
residue of the gentile nations; so as to bring the kingdoms of the earth
and the church of Christ to perfect organization and visible harmony,
and the whole population of the globe into voluntary and avowed
subjection to the Lord and his Anointed,--to perfect millennial
splendor, the nearest approximation to heaven. (Rom. x