Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/6_200.lzh/6_208.TXT

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which must be left until Elias comes to explain them.
Many Christian commentators have omitted the expo-
sition of these chapters; and all acknowledge the dif-
ficulties in them. Something however may be got out
of them, relating to the Gospel, and Gospel church-
state, which I am fully persuaded is intended by the
city and temple; for that no material building can be
designed is clear from this one observation; that not
only the whole land of Israel would not be capable of
having such a city as is here described built upon it,
but even all Europe would not be sufficient; nor the
whole world, accord ing to the account of the dimensions
which some give of it. The circumference of the city
is said to be about eighteen thousand measures, ch.
xlviii. 3,5. but what they are is not certain. Luther
makes them to be thirty-six thousand German miles;
and a German mile being three of ours, the circuit of
this city must be above a hundred thousand English
miles; and this :,s sufficient to set aside all hypotheses
of a material building, either of city or temple, the one
being in proportion to the other. The Jews dream of
a third temple to be built, by their vainly-expected
Messiah; but nothing is more clear than that the true
Messiah was to come into the second temple, and by
that give. it a greater glory than the former ever had;
as is evident from Hagg. it. 6--9. and, according to
Malachi, he was to come suddenly into his temple,
which could be no other than the then present one,
Mal. iii. 1. and into which Jesus came, and where he
often appeared and taught, as well as entered into it
with power and authority, as the Lord and proprietor
of it; by which he appeared to be the true Messiah,
as by many other characters; see Luke it. 22, 46. and
xxi. 37. Matt. xxi. I2, 13. There are some who think
that Solomon's temple, as it was before it was de-
stroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and as it was rebuilt by
Zorobabel, is hers described; and that partly to let
the Jews know what a glory to their nation they lost
by their sins; and partly that they might have. a com-
plete pattern for the rebuilding of it, as well as to
comfort them under its present ruins; but there is no
agreement between them. This temple was to be
built at a distance from the city, several miles; ac-
cording to some ten, others twenty, and by the best
account twenty-seven miles; see ch. xlv. 1--5. whereas
Solomon's temple, and that built by. Zorobabel, were
in the city of Jerusalem: nor from either of these
flowed waters, which rose up to a river, on the bank
of which were many trees for food and medicine, and
whose waters were healing, and quickened wherever
they came, as from this, ch. xlvii. I--I2. nor do we
ever read of the east gate of these temples always shnt,
as this, ch. xliv. 2. and besides, both these temples
were protuned and destroyed; whereas this shall never
be, but God will dwell in it forever, ch. xliii. 7. neither
place, structure, nor worship, agree. Nor is this city
here the same with the New Jerusalem John ha{l a
vision of; for though he borrows some of his expres-
sions to describe it from hence; and in some things
there is an appearance of agreement, as of the river of
water of life, and the tree of life on both sides of the
river, Rev. xxii. 1, 2. yet the description agrees not,
either with respect to its gates, or its compass; and
though there was no temple in that John saw, as there
was none in this, it being without the city; yet here.
is a temple in this vision, and the greatest part of it is
taken up in the description of it. It remains that this
must .be understood mystically and figuratively of the
Gospel church, which is often spoken of as a city and
,temple, Heb. xii. 22. Rev. iii. 1.o. and which began
to have its accomplishment in the first times of the
Gospel, immediately after the death and resurrection
of Christ; when hi.s disciples had a commission to
preach the Gospel to all nations; and who accordingly
did, even before the destruction of Jerusalem, and of
the material temple, so that Gospel 'churches were
planted in all parts of the world; and especially this
was the case, when the Roman empire, called the
whole world, became Christian: though the further and
greater accomplishment of this vision wil'l be in the
latter day; when the earth shall be filled with the
knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea;
when Jews and Gentiles will be converted, and Gospel
churches be set up everywhere; so that the Gospel
church-state, or kingdom of Christ, signified by the
great mountain in Dan. it. 35, and by this large city
here, will fill the whole earth: and the rather this may
be thought to be the design of this vision to represent
it, as it follows the prophecies of the Jews' settlement
in their own land; and of the destruction of Cog, or
the Turk, attempting to dispossess them; of which in
ch. xxxvii. xxxviii. xxxix. In this chapter are first an
account of the vision in general, the time, manner, and
place ofit,ver. 1,e.a description ofthe person,thebuiider
and owner of the house; and by whom the prophet is
shewn the several parts and dimensions of' it, whom he
calls to him for that purpose, vet. 3, 4. and then a par-
ticular account is given, which begins with the outward
wall around the house, ver. 5. then the east gate, with
its posts, porch, and chambers, and the outward court
with its chambers, ver. 6--19. then the gate of the out-
ward court to the north, with its chambers, and the
gate of the inner court over.-agaiust that, yet. 20---23.
then the gate to the south, with its posts, arches, and
chambers, vet. 24--31. then the inner court to the
east, its gate, chambers, and arches, ver. 32--34. then
the north gate, with its posts, chambers, and arches,
yet. 35--38. in the porch of which are the tables, on
which the sacrifices are slain, ver. 39--43. after which
are described the chambers for the singers and the
priests, vet. 44, 45, 46. then the inner court and altar
in it; and the chapter is concl,,ded with the dimensions
of the porch of the house, vet. 48, 49.
Vet. 1. In theJive-and-twentieth year of our captivity,
&c.] That is, from Jeconiah's captivity, from whence
this prophet begins his dates: he calls it our captivity,
besause he himself was then carried captive; and this
was twenty years after his first vision; see ch. i. 1, 2:
in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month;
the Jews had two beginnings of their year, the one on
civil accounts, which was in the autumnal equinox, in
the month Tisri, which answers to part of our Sep-
tember; and if this is meant here, the tenth day of it
was the day of atonement, in which the Jews were to
afflict their souls; but on this day the prophet has a
view of the Gospel church, which receives the atone-
ntent by the sacrifice of Christ: the other beghming
of the year, which was on ecclesiastic accounts, was in