The First Part: The Three First Chapters

Contain seven epistles to seven particular churches; but from the fourth chapter to the close of the Revelation is laid down a more general prophecy, reaching from John’s time to the end of the world. This former portion of the book concerns things past, present, and to come, (c. i. 19;) but the latter only “things which must be hereafter,” c. iv. 1. In the vision of the general prophecy is the story of all times, acted and represented by angels, for whom the stage of Christ’s church is erected; a scene is supposed where the things were done, and a chorus of spectators, (or church-members,) judging and approving, and giving their plaudit of glory to God by the mouth of the four beasts and the four and twenty elders; (see c. iv.): and as in such scenic exhibitions there is wont to be a prologue, so there is as artificial a one acted in c. v. as any in any poem; from whence, in c. vi. the representation of the story begins.