10. they that dwell upon . . . earth--those who belong
to the earth, as its citizens, not to heaven
(Re 3:10; 8:13; 12:12; 13:8).
shall--so Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic. But A, B,
and C read the present tense; compare Note, see on
Re 11:9,
on "shall not suffer."
rejoice over them--The Antichristianity of the last days shall
probably be under the name of philosophical enlightenment and
civilization, but really man's deification of himself. Fanaticism shall
lead Antichrist's followers to exult in having at last seemingly
silenced in death their Christian rebukers. Like her Lord, the Church
will have her dark passion week followed by the bright resurrection
morn. It is a curious historical coincidence that, at the fifth Lateran
Council, May 5, 1514, no witness (not even the Moravians who were
summoned) testified for the truth, as HUSS and
JEROME did at Constance; an orator ascended the
tribunal before the representatives of papal Christendom, and said,
"There is no reclaimant, no opponent." LUTHER, on
October 31, 1517, exactly three and a half years afterwards, posted up
his famous theses on the church at Wittenberg. The objection is, the
years are years of three hundred sixty-five, not three hundred sixty,
days, and so two and a half days are deficient; but still the
coincidence is curious; and if this prophecy be allowed other
fulfilments, besides the final and literal one under the last
Antichrist, this may reasonably be regarded as one.
send gifts one to another--as was usual at a joyous festival.
tormented them--namely, with the plagues which they had power to
inflict
(Re 11:5, 6);
also, by their testimony against the earthly.
JFB.
Picture Study Bible