Holy—all else had failed—the Lord alone was to be exalted.
These had gotten the victory over every thing of the beast: they were conspicuous in joy consequent on this before the throne of God, the elect remnant, faithful under the beast’s power.[1] There was a complete and final separation—they are not here seen as come forth to judgment with the Lamb, or on their thrones, for He is not yet so manifested, but singing His song: compare Psalm xcii. The judgments were on those who had the mark of the beast, not yet on the beast; that was by the Lamb coming with the saints. From these they were entirely exempt—seen in heaven. Faith may anticipate it; but the full actual accomplishment of this would be on the rapture of the victors: they were not under the altar, nor necessarily killed; but they had the victory, refusing the mark of the beast.
The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony was now seen opened. In chap. xi. it was the ark
- ↑ The imperial head subsisted in the apostolic times—Cæsar. It may be noticed that that head was destroyed in the West, and, taken in the protracted sense, was restored and continued with the continuance of the hierarchy and the Pope set up at Rome, who had the character of the image here described; any further or more critical accomplishment of it will have its place more fitly in a subsequent chapter.
