《Treasury of Scripture Knowledge – Revelation》(R. A. Torrey )
Commentator
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge was, and still is, a Bible reference work first published around 1830, created by the London publisher Samuel Bagster (1772-1851). It is a set of cross-references. That is, it consists entirely of a book-length listing of cross-references, showing only the chapter and verse citations with no accompanying text. About the size of a complete Bible, the TSK is also organized like a Bible, beginning at Genesis and ending at Revelation. Each verse of the Bible is cross-referenced to several others to enable the reader to gain a true sense of each word and phrase as it is used in the Bible.
· 800,000 cross-references, listing verses that illustrate how words and phrases are used elsewhere in the Bible.
· Helps the reader interpret Scripture with Scripture.
· Brief chapter summaries.
· Dates and other notes.
But the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is usually described as being the work of R. A. Torrey. Most editions you can buy these days have Torrey's name on the cover, and sometimes in the title: R. A. Torrey's Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. According to commen knowledge, Torrey did not specifically try to claim authorship of the reference book, but he did become one of its chief promoters, and as his own fame rose, his endorsement of the book mattered to more and more people. Inevitably his name ended up on the cover. But if you read his introduction to the book, often printed inside, you see that he describes having first encountered it "some twenty years ago."
Originally printed in a 700+ page book and now enhanced with two-way cross-referencing, this entire reference is available to you on StudyLight.org.
00 Introduction
The obscurity of this prophecy, which has been urged against its genuineness, necessarily results from the highly figurative and symbolical language in which it is delivered, and is, in fact, a strong internal proof of its authenticity and divine original. “For it is a part of this prophecy,” as Sir Isaac Newton justly remarks, “that it should not be understood before the last age of the world; and therefore it makes for the credit of the prophecy that it is not yet understood. The folly of interpreters has been to foretell times and things by this prophecy, as if God designed to make them prophets. By this rashness they have not only exposed themselves, but brought the prophecy also into contempt. The design of God was much otherwise. He gave this, and the prophecies of the Old Testament, not to gratify men‘s curiosities by enabling them to foreknow things, but that, after that they were fulfilled, they might be interpreted by the event; and his own providence, not the interpreter‘s, be then manifested thereby to the world. For the event of things, predicted many ages before, will then be a convincing argument that the world is governed by Providence. For, as the few and obscure prophecies concerning Christ‘s first coming were for setting up the Christian religion, which all nations have since corrupted, so the many and clear prophecies concerning the things to be done at Christ‘s second coming, are not only for predicting, but also for effecting a recovery and re-establishment of the long-lost truth, and setting up a kingdom wherein dwells righteousness. The event will prove the Apocalypse; and this prophecy, thus proved and understood, will open the old prophets; and all together will make known the true religion, and establish it. There is already so much of the prophecy fulfilled, that as many as will take pains in this study may see sufficient instances of God‘s promise; but then, the signal revolutions predicted by all the holy prophets, will at once both turn men‘s eyes upon considering the predictions, and plainly interpret them. Till then we must content ourselves with interpreting what hath already been fulfilled.” And, as Mr. Weston observes, “if we were in possession of a complete and particular history of Asia, not only of great events, without person or place, names or dates, but of the exactest biography, geography, topography, and chronology, we might, perhaps, still be able to explain and appropriate more circumstances recorded in the Revelation, under the emperors of the East and the West, and in Arabia, Persia, Tartary, and Asia, the seat of the most important revolutions with which the history of Christianity has ever been interwoven and closely connected.” History is the great interpreter of prophecy. “Prophecy is, as I may say,” observes Bp. Newton, “history anticipated and contracted; history is prophecy accomplished and dilated; and the prophecies of Scripture contain the fate of the most considerable nations, and the substance of the most memorable transactions in the world, from the earliest to the latest times. Daniel and St. John, with regard to those latter times, are more copious and particular than the other prophets. They exhibit a series and succession of the most important events from the first of the four great empires to the consummation of all things. Their prophecies may really be said to be a summary of the history of the world; and the history of the world is the best comment upon their prophecies … .and the more you know of ancient and modern times, and the farther you search into the truth of history, the more you will be satisfied of the truth of prophecy.” The Revelation was designed to supply the place of that continued succession of prophets, which demonstrated the continued providence of God to the patriarchal and Jewish churches. “The majority of commentators on the Apocalypse,” says Mr. Townsend, “generally acted on these principles of interpretation. They discover in this Book certain predictions of events which were fulfilled soon after they were announced; they trace in the history of later years various coincidences, which so fully agree with the various parts of the Apocalypse, that they are justly entitled to consider them as the fulfilment of its prophecies; and, by thus tracing the one God of revelation through the clouds of the dark ages, through the storms of revolutions and wars, through the mighty convulsions which at various periods have agitated the world, their interpretations, even when they are most contradictory, when they venture to speculate concerning the future, are founded on so much undoubted truth that they have materially confirmed the wavering faith of thousands. Clouds and darkness must cover the brightness of the throne of God, till it shall please him to enable us to bear the brighter beams of his glory. In the mean time, we trace his footsteps in the sea of the Gentile world, his path in the mighty waters of the ambitions and clashing passions of man. We rejoice to anticipate the day when the bondage of Rome, which would perpetuate the intellectual and spiritual slavery of man, shall be overthrown, and day-spring of united knowledge and holiness bless the world.rdblquote
01 Chapter 1
Introduction
1 / The preface.4 / John's salutation to the seven churches of Asia.
7 / The coming of Christ.
8 / His glorious power and majesty.
Verse 1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Revelation
Daniel 2:28,29; Amos 3:7; Romans 16:25; Galatians 1:12; Ephesians 3:3
which God
John 3:32; 8:26; 12:49
to shew
22:6; Psalms 25:14; John 15:15
which must
3,19; 4:1; 2Pe:
and he
22:6,16; Daniel 8:16; 9:21,23
John
4,9; 21:2
Verse 2
Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
bare
9; 6:9; 12:11,17; John 1:32; 12:17; 19:35; 21:24; 1 Corinthians 1:6; 2:1; 1 John 5:7-11; 3 John 1:12
and of all
19; John 3:11; Acts 4:20; 22:15; 26:16; 1 John 1:1; 4:14
Verse 3
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Blessed
22:7; Proverbs 8:34; Daniel 12:12,13; Luke 11:28
for
22:6,10,12,20; Romans 13:11; James 5:8,9; 1 Peter 4:7; 2 Peter 3:8
Verse 4
John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
John
1
to the
11,20; 2:1,8,12,18; 3:1,7,14; Acts 19:10; 1 Peter 1:1
Grace
Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Peter 1:2
him
1:8; Exodus 3:14; Psalms 90:2; 102:25-27; Isaiah 41:4; 57:15; Micah 5:2; John 1:1; Hebrews 1:10-13; 13:8; James 1:17
from the
3:1; 4:5; 5:6; Zechariah 3:9; 4:10; 6:5; 1 Corinthians 12:4-13
Verse 5
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
who is
3:14; Psalms 89:36,37; Isaiah 55:4; John 3:11,32; 8:14-16; 18:37; 1 Timothy 6:13; 1 John 5:7-10
and the first
Acts 26:23; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23; Colossians 1:18
and the prince
11:15; 17:14; 19:16; Psalms 72:11; 89:27; Proverbs 8:15,16; Daniel 2:2; 7:14; Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:20-22; 1 Timothy 6:15
him
Deuteronomy 7:8; 23:5; John 13:1,34; 15:9; Romans 8:37; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2:4; 5:2,25-27; 1 John 4:10
washed
7:14; Zechariah 13:1; John 13:8-10; Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:19; 1 John 1:7
Verse 6
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
made
5:10; 20:6; Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 61:6; Romans 12:1; 1 Peter 2:5-9
to him
4:11; 5:12-14; Psalms 72:18,19; Daniel 4:34; Matthew 6:13; John 5:23; Philippians 2:11; 1 Timothy 6:16; Hebrews 13:21; 1 Peter 4:11; 5:11; 2 Peter 3:18; Jude 1:25
Verse 7
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
he cometh
14:14-16; Psalms 97:2; Isaiah 19:1; Daniel 7:13; Nahum 1:3; Matthew 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:17
and every
22:4; Numbers 24:17; Job 19:26,27; 33:26; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 John 3:2; Jude 1:14
and they
Psalms 22:16; Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34,37; Hebrews 6:6; 10:29
and all
6:15-17; 18:15-19; Matthew 24:30; Luke 23:28-30
Even So
18:20; 19:1-3; 22:20; Judges 5:31; Psalms 68:1
Verse 8
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Alpha
11,17; 2:8; 21:6; 22:13; Isaiah 41:4; 43:10; 44:6; 48:12
which is
4
the Almighty
4:8; 11:17; 16:14; 19:15; 21:22; Genesis 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3; Genesis 49:25; Exodus 6:3; Numbers 24:4; Isaiah 9:6; 2 Corinthians 6:18
Verse 9
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
John
4
companion
2:9,10; 7:14; John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 4:9-13; Philippians 1:7; 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:8; 2:3-12
in the
3:10; 13:10; 14:12; Romans 2:7,8; 5:3,4; 8:25; 2 Thessalonians 1:4,5; 3:5; Hebrews 10:36; James 5:7,8
for the word
2; 6:9; 11:7; 12:11,17; 19:10
Verse 10
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
in
4:2; 17:3; 21:10; Matthew 22:43; Acts 10:10-33; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4
on the
John 20:19,26; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2
as
4:1; 10:3-8
Verse 11
Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
I am
8,17
What
19; 2:1; 10:4; 14:13; 19:9; 21:5; Deuteronomy 31:19; Isaiah 30:8; Jeremiah 30:2; Habakkuk 2:2
seven
4; 2:1,8,12,18; 3:1,7,14
Ephesus
Acts 18:19-21,24; 19:1-41; 20:17; 1 Corinthians 15:32; 16:8; Ephesians 1:1; 1 Timothy 1:3
Laodicea
Colossians 4:15,16
Verse 12
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
see
Ezekiel 43:5,6; Micah 6:9
I saw
13,20; 2:1; Exodus 25:37; Zechariah 4:2
Verse 13
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
like
14:14; Ezekiel 1:26-28; Daniel 7:9,13; 10:5,6,16; Philippians 2:7,8; Hebrews 2:14-17; Hebrews 4:15
clothed
Daniel 10:5
and girt
15:6; Exodus 28:6-8; 39:5; Leviticus 8:7; Isaiah 11:5
Verse 14
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
and his hairs
Daniel 7:9; Matthew 28:3
and his eyes
2:18; 19:12; Daniel 10:6
Verse 15
And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
his feet
2:18; Ezekiel 1:7; 40:3; Daniel 10:6
his voice