their agreement with the Christian Church do fall down in great humility and submission before him that sat on the Throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their Crowns before the Throne in token of Subjection and Homage saying 11 Thou art worthy and thou only O Lord to receive the Acknowledgement of Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things by thy Power and for thy pleasure or Will the only Motive to it they are preserved in their Being and were at first created Nehem. 9.6 CHAP. V. The Text. 1 AND I saw in the Right 1 Hand of him that sate on the Throne i. e. of God the Father a 2 Book or Roll Ezek. 2.9 10. written within and on the back-side i. e. containing a long Series of Events 3 sealed with 4 Seven Seals to denote the Obscurity of the Prophecy and the Delay of its Accomplishment Dan. 12.4 Annotations on CHAP. V. 1 God held the Book in his Right Hand to shew his Power and his Readiness to deliver it 2 This Book seems to have consisted of seven several Rolls rolled up into one in the Form of a Cylinder (a) Poli Synops Hammond on Luke 4.17 and on the place Mede pag. 789 790 791. Mori Oper. Theol. pag. 21. ubi formam libri videas according to the Custom of the Antients having seven Labels sealed with seven Seals which being opened in order there appeared in each of them the Seulptures or Hieroglyphicks hereafter mentioned and the back side of the last Roll which is the outermost in rolling was written upon to shew that there was a long series of Events contained in this Book it being not the Custom of the Ancients to write on the back side of the Roll but when the inside could not contain all their Writing We may divide for Order and Memories sake the whole Prophecy of this Book into Two Tomes as Mr. Mede calls them the first of which contained in the foregoing Chapters may be called The (b) See on Chap. 4.1 Church Prophecy wherein Symbols of Churches then in being are used the Second which begins here may be called The Book-Prophecy because its Events are represented by Hieroglyphicks in a Book And both Prophecies are of the same Extent this latter reaching to the End of Time and determining and distinguishing Church Successions and Affairs as well as the former only with this difference that they are represented in the latter by future Occurrences and Circumstances of the Civil State and Empire that so the Times of their Accomplishment might be the better known and taken notice of by the illustrious Events represented in them For as it pleased God to describe and foretel by his Prophets the Fall of Babylon and other Events under several Symbols and Representations for the greater assurance of the Prediction as in Pharaoh's Dream Gen. 41.32 and that the thing might be the more deeply imprinted on Mens Minds by the Variety of the Figures by which they are described so hath the Divine Spirit upon the same account given divers Emblems of one and the same thing in this Prophecy 3 I shall here once for all endeavour to give the true import of Sealing which seems to have these several Acceptations in Scripture 1. It denotes a secret or an hidden Condition as we seal up things which we would keep secret 2. It denotes Security Thus the Stone at the mouth of Daniel's Den and our Saviour's Sepulchre were sealed with Seals 3. It signifies Hindrance and Restraint Thus God Job 37.7 is said to seal up the Hand of every man i. e. to hinder their Work by Storms and wet weather and to seal up the Stars Job 9.7 i. e. to restrain their Influences as Satan is said Rev. 20.3 to be shut up and to have a Seal set upon him to restrain him 4. Propriety is signified by sealing in Scripture from the Custom of sealing Goods and Servants when they were bought thereby to denote their propriety in them and to distinguish them from other Mens Servants Hammond on Eph. 4.30 5. Lastly From these and other Metaphors it often in Prophetical Scripture signifies the Obscurity of a Prophecy and the concealing of it in dark terms from the Generality of the People Isa 8.16 and the stopping or hindring the Events foretold by it so that sealing and writing and sealing and opening are opposed in prophetical Language to one another and signifie as much as concealing and revealing delaying the Accomplishment of a Prophecy and bringing it into effect See the Notes on Chap. 7.2 3 4. 4 With reference to the seven states of Christ's Church which were hindred from coming into event whilst the Book was sealed and were to be by degrees accomplished and discovered upon the gradual opening of each of them 2 And I saw a strong 5 Angel or a mighty one Psalm 103.20 proclaiming with a loud 5 voice after the manner of a Herald Dan. 3.4 who is worthy for Authority and Ability to open 6 the Book and to loose the Seals thereof i. e. to bring into event the things there delivered 5 5 To shew the Weight and Concern of the thing to be delivered as worthy to be heard of all Creatures 6 To open it by unsealing it or when it is unsealed 3 And no 7 man or no creature Isa 41.28 in Heaven i. e. neither Saint nor Angel nor in Earth nor under the Earth i. e. in the State of departed Souls from whence Christ was just come was able to open the Book i. e. to bring to pass the Events of it neither so much as to look thereon if it were opened that is of himself to understand foresee and govern the course of the Prophecy and conduct it into Event 7 Here by a Hebraism consisting in describing the whole by an enumeration of its parts is signified that no Creature whatsoever was able to open the Book or so much as to understand it of himself 4 And I wept * much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the Book neither to look thereon as fearing that I should not be shewn those things that were promised me Chap. 4.1 * This weeping seems to be rather from a Despair that things would not be carried on to the great Kingdom of Redemption as the Two Apostles Luke 24.21 were sorrowful least Christ was not he which should have redeemed Israel and were astonished as Mary also was John 20.13 15. because the Lord could not be found for which she wept For Christ is represented at the sixth Verse as just risen from the dead and therefore in congruity to that appearance what is here said must relate to the time before he appeared as risen which is also a Circumstance that confirms the fixing of the Epocha of this Book at the Resurrection 5 And one or the 8 first and chief of the 9 Elders or Representatives of the Jewish Church Chap. 4.4 saith unto me Weep
the great River 21 Euphrates i. e. hindered by Divine Restraint and the Providential course of things from making any considerable Progress in the parts of the Roman Empire beyond that River 19 The Bad as well as Good Spirits which God makes use of are called in Scripture Angels which in this Book are put to denote the Men and Instruments used by and under them in their executing the Commands of God And because there is great Reason to believe as I shall shew hereafter that the Turkish Potentacy is meant in this place which immediately followed the Saracenical I shall therefore endeavour to give you a brief Account of its Original and Progress The Turks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by (a) Lib. 4. pag. 232. Mela 1. ult Plin. 6 7. Herodotus and Turcae by Mela and Pliny are by all Accounts a Northern People called therefore The King of the North Dan. 11.40 as the Saracens are The King of the South because they lie Southward of Palestine They were Orignally Natives of Tartary which is called Turchestân by the Eastern Writers and is a Countrey of a vast Extent reaching from the River Volga to the extreme East consisting of Two sorts of Tartars the Eastern or Mogul Tartars lying above China beyond the Mountain Imaus or Emodus and the Western Tartars on this side Imaus whose Language is different from the former and from these latter came the Turks as appears from their Language the Ground of which is Tartar and those Tartars also which inhabit the lesser Tartary upon the Black or Euxin Sea called the Crim Tartary or Tartaria Precopensis from a great Dike near which its Chief City stands Crim signifying a great Bank with a Ditch in the Tartar Language as Precop does in the Polish who were originally of the same Race with the Turks although they are now a mixt people because their Prince is by Compact to succeed the Grand Signior upon defect of Heir Male which the Turks would not have consented to if they had not been of the same Line Now the Turks made their Excursions from all parts at first some of them from beyond a Tanais where those Turks seem to have lived who sent an Embassy to Justin Junior and were employed by Heraclius against the Persians when he sailed through the Euxin Sea into Georgia and by degrees into Armenia but the greatest and most Famous Body of them came from Mawaralnà hra or the Regions beyond the River Oxus and from that part of it above the Caspian Sea which is particularly denominated from them Turchestân the Chief Seat whereof is Samarchand from whence they were called into Persia and not from Armenia as Abul-Pharajai and Elmacinus both testifie who make frequent mention of them and their Kings long hefore their setling in Persia They at first fell into Chorasân a Countrey lying betwixt Persia and India and ravaged some parts of (b) Petav. Rationar Tempor 9 7. Persia about A. D. 625. and afterwards (c) Abul-Phar pag. 115 116. assisted the Persians against the Saracens about A. D. 643. About (d) Sabellic Ennead 9. lib. 2. A. D. 800. they made great Incursions through the Portae Caspiae which is a narrow Passage near Derbent which signifies in the Persian Language a streight betwixt Mountains called by the Turks Demir Capi or the Iron Gate near the Caspian Sea betwixt Armenia and Persia and is part of that vast Ridge of Hills at least 1500 Miles long which runneth from West to East from Armenia to India where the Branches of it run several ways one great one of them separating the hithermost Tartary from that above China or the Mogul Tartary and is called Imaus these Hills receiving different Names in the different Counteies through which they run sometimes being called Mount (b) Nicephor Bryenn pag. 21. Du Cange in Not. ad Calcem Cinnami pag. 299. Excerpt e Legat. pag. 106. ed. Paris Leunclav Histor Mussulm pag. 22 23. Elmacin pag. 332. Abul-Phar pag. 222. Abul-Pheda per Gravium Knoll's History of the Turks Taurus sometimes Mount Caucasus and near Tartary Imaus Through this Natural Barrier of Nations there is a Narrow Passage which the Turks passed and possessed themselves of the Northern part of Armenia called perhaps from them Turcomania From whence and about the same time some of them went and settled in Caramania in Asia Minor anciently called Cilicia whilst others of them who were Stipendiaries to the Saracenick Chaliphs prevailed mightily at Bagdâd betwixt the Year 863. and 900. insomuch that although they had been often slain in great Numbers and were driven out of Chorasana they yet Rallied their Forces under Tugrol or Togrul-Beg (a) Du Cange ad calcem Cinnami pag. 300. called Tangrolipix and by several other Names by the Greeks who came from the Countries beyond the River Gihon or Jihun which is the same with Oxus as (b) Pag. 222. Du Cange ibid. Abul-Pharajai distinctly affims and passed that River and not Araxes which divides Armenia from Media except those Two Rivers are confounded by the Greeks as Du Cange thinks This great Captain together with the rest of his Brethren of the Family of the (c) Elmacin lib. 3.7 pag. 331. Abul-Phar 226 227. Leunclav Histor Musul pag 69 Niceph. Bryen pag. 21. Du Cange ubi supra Seljukidae who began to be Famous about A. D. 1038. being called into the Assistance of the Persians at last conquered them taking Ispahan about A. D. 1050. and having embraced Mahometism the Religion of that Countrey they proceeded so far as to conquer Bagdad A. D. 1055. and to put an end to the Empire of the Saracens in those parts Betwixt the years (d) Du Cange ad Calcem Cianam pag. 316. Histor Byzant illustrat pag. 354-358 1070 and 1080. they made great progress in Asia Minor some of the Family of the Seljukidae who came thither from Persia fixing their Imperial Seat at Iconium who are from thence called the Sultans of Iconium and are distinguished from the other Turkish Sultans who Reigned in Asia the Great whose chief Seats were in Persia where Tangrolipix * Elmac. pag. 342. died A. D. 1063. and at Bagdad But the (a) Tyrius de Bello sacro lib. 5. 6. Abul-phar pag. 242. Christians in the Holy War about A. D. 1097. having broken their power in those parts and what through the Divisions which arose amongst the Sons of Cutlumuses (b) Abul-phar pag. 245 290 312. the Cousin German of Tangrolipix and the first who made considerable Inroads into Asia Minor about A.D. 1108 We hear little considerable of the Actions of these Sultans until their Credit and Power came to be advanced by Sultan Aladdin Caicobad who was made Sultan A. D. 1219. and died about A. D. 1236. In the mean time the Eastern Turkish Empire mightily encreased especially under the Arms of Saladin (c) Abul-phar pag. 264-276 Fuller 's Holy War lib. 2. Chap. 35
Continent which lay Eastward of them and by Sea whatsoever lay to the West Continent as well as Sea Which way of Speech is to this day Observed by the Chinese who upon that account call all the World except Tartary Si Yam or the VVestern Sea from whence Siam a Countrey in the Indies takes it's Name as being Situated towards the Sea Westerly of China And therefore by this action of our Saviour seeing that in all other Places of Scripture the Earth is mentioned before the Sea may be Intimated that the Gospel which was now almost extinguished in the Eastern parts by Mahometism Should appear First in its Purity and Strength in the Sea or the VVestern Parts of the World signified by the mention of the Sea in the First Place and by Christ's putting his right Foot upon it the Strongest and the Honourablest of the two Which came to pass at the Reformation foretold in this Vision as shall beshewn hereafter And that there sbould be in the latter Days which Doctor Pocock (a) On Hosea 3.5 Pag. 618. extends from Christs First to his Second Coming some Wonderfull and Amazing motion of the People of God from the VVest is evident from Hosea 11.10 Where the Prophet foretells that the Lord shall roar like a Lion an Expreson which very Remarkably Answers to the Roaring and Thundring in this Vision and that thereupon or then the Children shall tremble from the VVest or from the (b) Dr. Pâ—cock on the Place Sea as the Word in the Hebrew Signfies that is from the VVestern Parts and from Remote and Distant Countreys and even the uttermost parts of the Earth which is encompassed with the Sea Which strange motion or conversion is to come to pass near Christ's Second Coming which Dr. Pocock asserts to be a Received Opinion as to the Jews in his Kingdom which was to have appeared when Christ set his Right Foot upon the Sea if the Thunders the Effect of the Lord 's Roaring had not been sealed that is if a stop had not been put to the Efficacy of them for Christ's Kingdom when it comes in its full force will prevail to the placing of the Jews in their Houses Verse 11. and to the bringing in the fulness and perfection of the Gentiles 3 And cried with a loud Voice i. e. proclaimed his Right as when a Lion 8 roareth i. e. terribly and with Majesty Isa 31.4 Amos 3.8 Joel 3.16 Prov. 20.2 and when he had cryed seven Thunders 9 uttered their Voices declaring the appearance of his Kingdom 8 Christ called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Rev. 5.5 is here understood whose Roaring denotes as Dr. Pocock has shewn upon Hos 11.10 the Efficacious power of the preaching of the Gospel resembled to the Voice of a Lyon because of its calling Christians together to partake of it and its Promises as the Lyon does those of its own kind to partake of the prey and because it is accompanied with a Terror and an Awe and extends it self to the uttermost parts of the Earth with great power as the Voice of a Lyon is terrible and loud And hereby also as appears from the Texts I have quoted is signified the Anger of God when he appears for the Vindication of his Kingdom against the Enemies of it 9 Thunders as I have before shewn on Chap. 6 1.8 5. signifie the Power and Efficacy and signal Appearances of Christ's Kingdom which Seven the Number of Perfection peculiarly denotes and which Hannah prophesied would be exalted by the Lord's Thundering out of Heaven 1 Sam. 2.10 4 And when the seven Thunders had uttered their Voices I was about to write that which they had uttered and I heard a Voice from Heaven saying unto me 10 Seal up those things which the Seven Thunders uttered and write them not i. e. conceal them as things which are to come to pass hereafter and hinder them from coming immediately into Effect Dan. 8 26.12 4 9. 10 Here Sealing and Writing are plainly opposed Writing signifying the bringing of the Vision into Effect and Sealing the delaying of the Acccmplishment of it as I have shewn on Chap. 5.1 So that here is a plain stop put to the Kingdom of Christ insomuch that his Roaring did not prevail to make the Children come trembling from the West 5 And the Angel which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the Earth lifted up his hand to Heaven the Throne of God in the posture and manner of Swearing Gen. 14.22 Dan. 12.7 6 And swore by him that liveth for ever and ever who created Heaven and the things that therein are and the Sea and the things which are therein i. e. by the Eternal Omnipotent God who created all things and therefore can alter them and their Times and Seasons that there should be such time 11 no longer as that which the Prophet Daniel foretold Chap. 7 25.12 7. 11 Time in general here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is divided by Daniel into several distinct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is appointed Times or Seasons which he calls Time Times and the Dividing of Time or a part that is an half of Time which Distribution is also used in this Book Chap. 12.14 By Time is meant in Daniel the most signal and perfect part of the appointed Times and seasons viz. a Year as appears from Dan. 4.16 and 11.13 where Times plainly signifie Years By Times absolutely put must be meant Two Times or Two Years because it is the Dual Number i. e. the next Plural Number to Time or One Year and then by consequence by The Division or cutting off or Half of Time must be meant Half a Year as I think all Interpreters agree Now The Prophetical Day being put for a Year in Scripture the Prophetical Year must by consequence be put for a Year of Prophetical Days that is a year of years consisting of as many years as a Year doth of Days viz. of Three hundred and Sixty Years in round and equal Numbers according to the degrees of a Circle and then (a) 360 a Time 720 Times 180 half a Time 1260. Times must be Two Years of Years i.e. Seven hundred and Twenty Years and the half Time must be half a year of years that is One hundred and Eighty Years all which amounts to Twelve hundred and Sixty Years Rev. 11 3.12 6. Now Christ's Oath here having a clear reference to Daniel 12.7 by no more Time must be meant no more such Time or of the same Nature with the Times there given to Antichrist which were to cease and no more time to be except when Christ's Kingdom appeared which is the import of the following Verse when there should be Time indeed but of a quite different Nature dated and reckoned from the glorious Reign of Christ and not from the Abominations and Servitude of Antichrist and ending in that which is not so properly Time as the completion and perfection of it Eternity For
THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION PARAPHRASED WITH ANNOTATIONS ON EACH CHAPTER Whereby it is made plain to the meanest Capacity DAN XII 4. Many shall run to and fro and Knowledg shall be increased HAB. II. 2. Write the Vision and make it plain upon Tables that he may run that readeth it LONDON Printed in the Year MDCXCIII THE PREFACE THere is scarce any part of Holy Writ which hath met with a more severe entertainment in the World than this Sacred Book For although it hath evident Characters of its Divine Authority and more Humane Testimony than any other Book of the New Testament yet upon the increase of the Millenary Controversies in the Church it was first called in question and then boldly and impiously rejected by that party whose Sentiments it oppposed until they had found out a way of reconciling it unto them Into such extravagancies will immoderate opposition transport men and a fond Love and heady Zeal for private Fancies and Opinions Neither have those who have endeavoured to illustrate and clear the difficulties of this Mysterious Book met with less gentle usage in these latter ages especially from those of our own Nation but have been commonly represented as Frantick Zealots and Crazed Enthusiasts or where such Characters could not be fastned on them they have been generally depressed in the World if their Sentiments proved contrary to what was most prevailing in it to the great discouragement of inquisitive Persons and to the mighty hindrance of Truth and Knowledg which never thrive better than under a gentle and moderate freedom And therefore I cannot but regret although it be to the Dishonour of my own Nation the hard fate of those two excellent Persons Mr. Potter and Mr. Mede the former of whom although admirably skilled in many abstruse parts of Learning yet lived and dyed in an obscure retirement in a remote corner of the Land whilst the other the Ornament of our Church and of the Age he lived in was never able so much as to keep a Horse for Health not State which was the heighth of his ambition And I wish I could say that we were grown more favourable to such disquisitions that so a considerable person of deep Thought and of great insight into Mysterious Truths upon whose Hypothesis the following Interpretation is chiefly grounded after much doubt and tryal of it might not be permitted to struggle with adversity and lie under the depressing circumstances of Restraint But alas I fear that like the Apostle Peter (a) Luke 9.33 when he desired the continuance of the Glory of Christ's transgfiuration upon this Earth we know not what we say when we wish that such men had met with greater advantages in the World as the present state of it is and that we ought not to seek (b) Jerem 45. great things for our selves or others whilst the Church is in a Sack-cloath State and Condition but that our Souls are to be suited to God's Dispensations and we are not to aim at high things in the times of publick calamities And whosoever makes this use of privacy and adversity may sooner meet with Divine Visitations and comforts in the most obscure corner and with Spiritual Illuminations in a Patmos or a Prison than amidst the greatest affluence of the enjoyments of this World and all the advantages of great Parts many Books and much Learning which too often swell the mind and puff up more than edifie whereas the chief qualifications next to Prayer and the Divine assistance to the attaining to Knowledg in this or any other part of Scripture are Humility Industry and Patience in searching and a ready submission to Convictions although they prove contrary to our former thoughts and our present interest For great application of Mind is necessary to search into the bottom of Mysterious Truths and a man who would understand the Will of God in this Prophecy must during the Study of it renounce Parties and Prejudices and divest himself of his former Principles although never so deeply rooted and never so seemindy rational and closely follow that Sense which appears to be the meaning of the Holy Spirit For God's Thoughts are not as our Thoughts and men of the greatest strength of Reason when they happen upon false Principles and too strictly adhere to them are of all others the most irreclaimable It were easy to shew that Alcasar who spent twenty Years in the Study of this Prophecy Ribera and other very Learned and Judicious Men amongst the Romanists had scarcely missed of many great Truths if they had not been of that Communion and that several truly great and good Men among the Protestants were misled by a too fond respect for some private Principles Such as were the impossibility that so gross an Idolatry and so Universal an Apostasy as is supposed in this Prophecy should ever be permitted to overspread the Face of the Visible Church which yet is supposed should actually come to pass towards the end of the Word by Ribera (a) Viegas Victorinus and most of the Ancient Fathers Alcas pag. 20. and other learned Papists chiefly upon the evidence which this Book afforded them And such also was their opinion of the necessity of an uninterrupted Succession in every Church and the impossibility of deriving it from one which was formally Idolatrous together with a greater Love for the outward Peace Unity and Prosperity of the Church than it is capable of during this imperfect State in which they seem to have rested without expecting one of a different Nature Which seem to be the chief prejudices upon which Grotius Mr. Thorndick Dr. Hammond and others espoused a groundless narrow and inconsistent Hypothesis contrary to the common Doctrine of Protestants and of the Churches of which they were Members and to the Scope and genuine sense of the words of this and other Prophetical Books of Scripture as hath been sufficiently shewn by Dr. Moor Dr. Cressener and several Divines of Foreign Churches Whereas Mr. Mede seems to have been rewarded by God with the best grounded the most consequential and the most comprehensive Hypothesis of any other for his great freedom of Mind impartial Search and universal Charity which were joyned in him with a rare and uncommon mixture of slowness and yet largeness of thought I am not ignorant that many excellent persons who have shaken off the fetters of Prejudice and Education and have too great Souls to he confined within the narrow compass of a Party or a private Interest are yet very a verse to the Writings of those who offer at the Interpretation of Prophetical Scripture if their sentiments seem to look with a too close and threatning Aspect upon the Age they live in because of the frequent falsity of such pretences and the ill influence they may have especially at some times and seasons upon the publick peace of Church and State And indeed they are not to be blamed for being cautious and
p. 47. l. ult r. 1 Cor. 2. p. 55. l. 26. r. Gospels p 64. l. 15. blot out an indifference p. 66. l 23. r. wilt p. 72. l. ult r. compare p. 82. l. 21. r. slain p. 83. l. 30. r. haveing p. 84. l. 30. f. in the Earth r. on p. 85. l. 13. r. 19. l. 23. r and that because l. 30. r. brought in l. 31. r. objects p. 86. l. 20. r. also as well as p. 88. l. 10. f. whence r. where l. 26. f. his r. Gods p. 113. l. 16. f. Psalm r. Palm p. 149. l. 3. r. in a Cave p. 158. l. 3. r. about it p. 170. l. 25. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 174. l. 7. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 191. l. 22. r. much indebted p. 177. l. 14. r. that it l. 15. f. that r. the p. 205. l. 7. f. Times r. Time p. 283. l. 4. r. each of which Heads p. 300. l. 7. r. Σ. p. 344. l. 20. r. were Types p. 402. l. 7. r. the Lord God p. 415. l. 17. insert see thou do it not I am p. 235. blot out these words A.D. 1507. within ten years of p. 236. l. 4. r. 1529. ANNOTATIONS ON THE REVELATION CHAP. I. The Text. 1 THE Revelation of Jesus Christ i.e. the Discovery and Manifestation of Divine Secrets in a Prophetical Vision from Jesus Christ which God the Father gave unto him the Great Prophet and Mediatour to shew or make known by Prophetical Symbols and Representations and actually to * So the word is taken John 5 20.14 8. and in this sense God is said to shew Christ and he to be Revealed when he came into the World exhibit or produce the Effect of every Vision in its proper time unto his Servants i. e. those Eminent and Faithful Christians especially Ministers who dedicate themselves to his Service things which must shortly i. e. suddenly and speedily begin 1 to come to pass one after another and or which †And is here according to the Custom of the Hebrew Language put for the Pronoun Relative which he Christ sent and signified it i. e. made known the Prophetical Visions of this Book by his 2 Angel sometimes one special Angel sent for this purpose and sometimes another unto his Servant John The Annotations 1 Thus Grotius Dr. Hammond and most Interpreters expound these Words this Prophecy containing a Discovery of things which were to come to pass in a Succession of time one after another of which it may be very appositely said That they must come to pass shortly when they are shortly to begin to pass into Event as an Army is said to be coming when only the Van-Guard begins to appear With which Interpretation these Words of Dr. Pocock agree on Joel pag. 145 150. Of those last things which were to be done or in doing to the last of time in this world St. John by reason of the certainty of their being fulfilled in due time saith that they should be fulfilled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or shortly come to pass 2 Michael and Gabriel are employed in Daniel but in this Prophecy several Angels are made use of but none by Name which together with the Humane Subordinate Ministry employed under them are generally called by the Name of Angel in this Book From this Verse we may observe the Order of Divine Revelation which proceeds from God the Father as the Fountain and Original and is committed by him to Christ unto whom all Power is given in the Church by whom it is sent to his Servants especially Ministers by the Ministration of his Angels who are under him as their Head and Lord and his Ministers to whom the Prophecy is principally directed are also stiled Angels from their Ministring to him in this Prophecy together with the Angels See on ver 20. 2 Who bare record i. e. hath testified and declared by his Preaching and Sufferings vers 9. and in this Book of Christ the Word of God John 1.1 Chap. 19.13 and of the Testimony of Jesus Christ i. e. the 3 Gospel 1 Cor. 1.6 and of all things that he saw 4 concerning Christ while he abode on Earth and afterwards in this and the following Visions 3 Called his Testimony because it testified of him declared the Will of God and was testified unto or confirmed by his Miracles 4 Here the Apostle plainly discovers himself to be the Writer of this Book from many Characters peculiar unto himself as that he had given Testimony which is part of the Office of an Apostle in Scripture Acts 1.8 22 c. unto the Gospel of Christ and to the Divinity of the Word of God by his Preaching and by his Sufferings for it and that he had delivered many things concerning Christ of which he had been a peculiar Eye-witness which are now upon Record in his Gospel in the like manner of Speech and way of Assurance John 1 14.19 35. And moreover this being a Preface to the whole Book of Visions he had already seen these Words may very well refer unto them 3 5 Blessed here and here after is he that readeth and expoundeth with diligence and understanding and they that hear with attention the words of this Prophecy and keep in their Minds observe and practise those things which are written therein for the time of their beginning to be successively compleated is at hand and therefore to be regarded and the Consideration of it not to be put off unto a further Day as the Jews were wont to do Ezek. 12 21-28 5 The Divine Authority of the Revelation the Author of the Book and the Subject-matter of it having been delivered in brief in the foregoing Verses St. John here declares the Fruit and Benefit which the Readers and Observers of it shall reap by it and very probably gives an intimation That it ought to be read in publick Assemblies here being mention of one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Reader and of many as it were assembled to hear him Read and Interpret according to the Custom of the Church And without doubt great is the blessing attending the sober Study of this Book and the due Observation of the Correspondence betwixt it and the Events foretold in it must needs be a matter of extraordinary comfort especially to those who shall be so happy as to live near the Times of its full completion as Christ told Daniel chap. 12. 12. And even what is not so fully understood is nevertheless according to the Example of Daniel and of the Blessed Virgin Luke 2.19 50 51. to be pondered upon and kept in our Minds lest we be found wholly ignorant of the great Truths contained in this Book when the Times of their Consummation appear and that thereby God may be wrought upon to make known unto us what we do not understand seeing he hath declared That he that seeketh shall find and to him that knocketh it shall be opened But chiefly the Blessedness here pronounced
Souls to call them back or retain them when they are departed out of the Body and of Death it self to keep men from it and therefore fear not for if you were really Dead I could raise you up again All which looks with a Full Eye on that great First Resurrection c. 20. 28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Hammond on Matth. 11. and Bishop Pearson on the Creed 19 And upon this assurance stand up upon thy Feet and be of good Courage and Write in a Book unto the seven Churches as I before commanded thee vers 11. the things which thou hast seen already 29 in the representation of the seven Stars and seven golden Candlesticks vers 12 13 16. and 30 write also the things which are now in being in my present Apostolical Church and the things which shall be hereafter successively to the very end of Time 29 It is manifest from the next Verse that this is the true sense of these Words where it is expresly said that the Seven Stars were Seen by him in his Right Hand which are therefore the things he had Seen and were written with the rest of the Preface in a Book to the seven Churches verse 11. 30 Here he is commanded to write the Epistles to the seven Churches the first of which viz. that to Ephesus as we have there shewn refers to the State of the then Apostolical Church beginning at Christ's Resurrection the others to the following successive States of the Churches to the End of the World 20 Which things present and future are the 31 Mystery or the Prophetical and Mystical sense of the seven Stars which thou sawest in my right hand which are the things thou hast seen and not the Mystery to be written concerning them and write the seven Golden Candlesticks i e. the mystery or mystick sense of them also The seven 32 stars are or signifie and represent Gen. 41.26 the Angels 33 or Pastors of the seven Churches and the seven Candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven Churches or are 34 seven Churches that is Bodies of Christians under their several Pastors as well those which are now as those which shall be successively hereafter 31 These words which are of the Accusative Case and put by way of Apposition plainly refer only to the things which are and shall be which are here said to be the Mystery or mystical meaning of the seven Stars which therefore are not referred to as being not themselves the Mystery but the things which were to be mystically explained in the following Epistles And from hence also we are plainly given to understand that the Subject Matter of these Epistles is Mystical and not barely Literal and that they concern things future as well as the present 32 Here is explained what is meant by Stars and Candlesticks whose further mystical meaning as they relate to Churches then in being and to future Successions of them and their Pastors is largely delivered in the following Epistles 33 The Ministring Spirits which attend on God are called Angels in Scripture from their being employed as Messengers in his Service and therefore by the Angels of the Churches must be meant the Pastors of them which are here clearly distinguished from the Churches themselves from their like Office of delivering God's Messages to the People and putting up their Prayers unto him Upon which Account the Jewish Priest is called The Messenger or Angel of the Lord of Hosts Malach. 2.7 where Angel that I may observe this by the way is evidently taken collectively as Dr. Pocock on the Place confesses for the Succession of the whole Jewish Priesthood comprehended there under the common Name of Levi their Father and spoken of as one Person because they were all of the fame Stock and all separated to the same Function And as they are upon this Account called Angels so are they called Stars from their Office of enlightning or instructing others By Angels therefore in this and the following Chapter is meant the Evangelical Ministry represented by Angels as all other Ministerial Agents are in this Prophecy because the present World is subject to Angels under Christ the Head of them and the Angel of the Covenant Whereas the World to come that is the Kingdom of Christ at his last coming as the Apostle speaks Heb. 2.5 is to be ruled by Christ and his Saints and is not to be in subjection unto Angels 34 It is here said That the seven Candlesticks are or signifie seven Churches for so it is in the Greek not the seven Churches which might seem to have determined them to the seven in Asia The Epistles are indeed to be sent to the seven Churches of Asia ver 11. But the mystical meaning of them is not here said to belong to the Angels or to the Seven Churches of Asia only but to Seven Churches and to the Angels of them from whence it is plain that they are prophetical relating to Seven Successions of the Vniversal Church See Mr. * Book 1. Disc 52. and pag. 905. Doctor Moor's Exposition of the Epistle to the Seven Churches Mede CHAP. II. The Text. UNto the Angel or Evangelical Ministry Chap. 1. 20. of the Church of Ephesus that is now planted there and of that Period 1 of the Church which is mystically represented by it write these things saith he that holdeth the Seven Stars in his Right Hand who walketh in the midst of the Seven Golden Candlesticks i. e. Christ the Light of the World who is more immediately present with them to enlighten guide and support them Chap. 1. 13 16 20. Annotations on CHAP. II. 1 This I shall hereafter endeavour to make out to be the principal if not only drift of these Epistles from such Characters and Arguments as shall arise from the Text it self Very good Interpreters and particularly Grotius on Revel 1.11 have thought that the several Successions of the Church here represented are intimated in their very Names according to a way of Allusion made use of in Scripture as well as in Heathen Authors For thus the God of Ekron whose True Name is thought to have been Baal zebachim or the Lord of Sacrifices is called in derision Baal zebub or the Lord of Flies and Belzebul or the Dunghil God And the Prophet Micah 1.14 15. manifestly alludes to the Names of Cities calling Achzib a Lie as if its Name were derived from Cazab which in Hebrew signifies to Lie and the City Mareshah is threatned to be disinherited in allusion to its Name and Adullam is called the Glory of Israel perhaps says Doctor Pocock on the Place from its Situation its Strength or its Beauty or some other Reason probably taken from its Name as the others are although now unknown And such Paronomasia's or Allusions may be more frequent in Scripture than we think for by reason of our Ignorance in the Premitive Language and of the Story and Circumstances of the Places whose Names are alluded to 2
shall not be hurt of the second death but shall escape it Rev. 20.6 12 And to the Angel of the Church in Pergamos 26 write These things saith he who hath the sharp 27 Sword of the Word and the Spirit with two edges to inflict severe and sharp Judgments chap. 1.16 26 Pergamos is distant from Smyrna Northwards about five hundred and Forty Furlongs and there are in it now but a few Families of miserable Christians and but one Church although it was anciently the most Famous and Chief City of Asia the Less having been the Seat of the Attalidae who were rich and potent Kings and of the Roman Proconsuls For which Reason as well as in Allusion to its Name it may be put to denote here The exalted State of the Church High and Lofty Fabricks and Things being called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Asiaticks And because of its (a) Andr. Caesar in locum excessive Idolatry it is a fit Type of the Apostate state of this Succession in which the Apostasy was exalted to a Throne 27 Corruptions daily encreasing under this State the Styleis here changed and Christ is represented with a sharp sword in his Hand 13 I know thy good works and where thou dwellest even where Satan's 28 Seat or Throne is i. e. under the Dominion of the Antichristian Apostasy and I know that nevertheless thou holdest fast or retainest the profession of my Name and hast not renounced it by becoming Antichristian and hast not denied my Faith or Gospel no not even in those days or Times of Darkness and Cruelty wherein Antipas 29 i. e. the Opposers of Popery was my faithful Martyr or Witness who was flain by Decrees Anathemas and frequent Deaths among you or under your Jurisdiction where Satan or Antichrist dwelleth or has his constant Residence in great State and Power 2 Thes 2.4 9 28 The Apostasy is now called Satan's Seat or Throne because that upon the Churches Exaltation under the Christian Emperors a Worldly Kingdom and a Paganizing Christianity arose by degrees especially at Rome to such an heighth that it became at last to have a Supremacy or a Throne in it to which Satan's power in this World is likened in Scripture viz. Isa 14 12-14 Luke 10.18 John 12.31 With which the History of those Times agrees it being evident that from about the year 400. and odd the precise year I shall endeavour to determine hereafter when Satan's Synagogue seems to have arrived to its maturity that the Apostasy daily increased chiefly upon the Growth of the Papacy which came to have a Throne about the year 606 when Boniface the Third Usurped the Title of Vniversal Bishop 29 There might have been perhaps a Martyr of this Name at Pergamus although the Story of him related in the Greek Menologies is vehemently to be suspected as Grotius has well noted a Brazen Bull being not a Punishment amongst the Romans whose Laws were then observed at Pergamus and the Relations of those early Martyrdoms being justly called in question by some of the Learnedst Men of the Romish Church But howsoever the Names made use of in this Book having constantly a mystical signification this also must be understood after the same manner and it will then plainly denote The Opposer of the Pope that is by a Figure usual in this Prophecy the whole Body or succession of those who during this period witnessed against the Apostasy of that See a Catalogue of whom you may find in Illyricus Vsher and other Authors For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies against or contrary and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Old Word for Father from whence by a Reduplication of Letters comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Pope or Holy Father for which consult what is said by the Etymoligists out of Eustathius And the Word Antipas is made use of and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because this was a Common Name which the others were not And because those Names would have given a too open intimation of the Mystery designed designed by them contrary to the Holy Secrecy and Reserve usually observed in this Prophecy 14 But yet I have a few or some little small things to object against thee because thou hast 30 there where thou dwellest and amongst you them or a prevailing Party that hold profess and practise the Doctrine Precept and Counsel of 31 Balaam i. e. the False Antichristian Prophet who taught Balack i. e. the Princes subject to Antichrist to cast a stumbling-block or an Occasion to commit Sin before the Children of Israel that is the Christians of that Age the Spiritual Israel to * eat things sacrificed unto Idols and to commit Spiritual Fornication which is Idolatry 30 Although the Apostate Church had the Throne that is the Antichristian Power and Preheminence yet the pure Church-State is here blamed for having them or that prevailing party amongst them although they could not help it because that it had not arrived to that perfection of Gifts and Graces as must necessarily have cast out the corrupt party by its power and efficacy Thus the Apostle blames the Corinthians 1 Cor. 5. and 2 Cor. 7. that they had not mourned that the incestuous person might be cast out from among them and for want of vehement Affections of godly Sorrow Desire Revenge c. by which alone they could approve and clear themselves in that matter 31 Concerning this wicked advice of Balaam who counselled Balack to draw the Israelites to Idolatry by enticing them with the Conversation of strange Women you may read the 22d 23d 24th 25th Chapters of Numbers and the 16th Verse of the 31st as also Micah 6.5 2 Pet. 2.15 and Jude 11. together with the Expositors on those places Whereby is plainly signified the wicked Counsel of the Antichristian Party especially of the Papacy which like Balaam pretends to Prophecy and Infallibility whereby the Secular Powers Represented by King Balack were perswaded to entice the people to Idolatry by worshipping Bread and Saints and Images So that this Period comprehends the Times in which these Doctrines were controverted and at last imposed and seems to reach until about the year 1100. when Antipas or the faithful Witnesses against these and other Errors which had been before slain by the Anathemas of several Councils and lay mostly concealed and hid within the Apostate Church began to unite into an open and visible Body and to appear under the Name of the Waldenses and Albigenses in a more direct Opposition to that Satanical or Antichristian Authority which had hitherto over-powered them Upon which as History testifies vast Numbers of all Ranks and Qualities united themselves unto them * To eat things sacrificed unto Idols as appears from the Apostles Discourse 1 Cor. 8. and 12. was accounted by the Corinthians no fault and was defended by them as Grotius notes upon the place by very subtile Distinctions not
of the Witnesses especially at the Reformation 1517. 46 This refers to some second space of Repentance afforded the Apostasie before the pouring out of the Vials which may be probably the time allotted to the uttering of the Voices Chap. 14. by which Babylon was called to Repentance 23 And I will kill her Idolatrous Children 47 i. e. her Proselytes and Followers with death i. e. I will certainly and utterly destroy them and by the greatness of the Punishment all the Churches of the World shall know that I am he which 48 searcheth the Râ—iâ—s i. e. the Desires and Hearts i. e. the Thoughts and can discern the Sincerity of them and I will give unto every one of you according to your works and not according to your subtile and fair pretences 47 As the Disciples of the Prophets are called the Sons of the Prophets and as Timothy and Mark are called Paul's Sons in Scripture because they were his Disciples and were converted by him so are the Proselytes of Jezebel called here the Children of her spiritual Whoredom as being brought over to the Apostasie by her subtile Enticements and by the power of those Kings and Princes especially who were of her Communion and thereby had committed Adultery with her 48 From whence it appears that the Apostasie made use of plausible Insinuations to seduce Men to their Communion and an appearance of Piety and Religion 24 But unto you I say and 49 to the rest in Thyatyra that is the Remnant of this Succession which shall continue until I come in my Kingdom Verse 25 26. as many of you I mean as have not held and approved this Idolatrous 50 Doctrine of the Apostasie before-mentioned Verse 20. and which have not known so as to hold and approve the depths 51 of Satan i. e. the Antichristian Mysteries and Policies as 52 they of the pure Church of Thyatira speak or call them I will put upon you no other burthen 53 of Command 49 The Church of Thyatira is distinguished into Two Intervals viz. one before and at the Reformation the other after it which is to last until Christ's Coming in his Kingdom when upon the appearance of that Succession their last works shall be greater than their former The first Interval is denoted here by You that is you who are now in being the second by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rest or the Remnant See Chap. 3 2.11 13. 50 By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are meant in Scripture Sentences or Parables and Precepts or Discourses tending to Doctrine and Manners for so the Word is frequently used in the New Testament of which sort there were many false and erroneous ones amongst the Jews as appears from Heb. 13.9 and amongst the Primitive Christians falsly attributed to the Apostles and Apostolical Men. 51 The profound Mysteries such as Transubstantiation and Infallibity and the deep Politick Devices of the Apostasie are called here Satanical Depths in opposition to the Mysteries of Christianity called deep things of God and the Depth Rom. 11.33 1 Cor. 2.10 52 It was the chief Accusation of the Waldenses the pure Christians of this Succession that they called the Papacy Babylon and Antichrist and adapted the Prophecies of this Book to that Church as may be seen in a Treatise put forth by them A. D. 1120. and printed in Perrin's History of them 53 A Phrase taken from Acts 15.28 Where Ordinances or Commandments are called Burthens as they are also Matth. 23.4 And Christ here assures them that he would not charge them with any Injunctions of doing their first Works or repenting as he had done the other Churches but bids them only stick close to what they held and maintained approving thereby their Integrity and Purity 25 But that or those necessary things Acts 15.28 which ye have already believed and held hold fast till I come in my Kingdom 26 And he i. e. that Body of Men or those Persons that overcometh the Corruptions of this State and keepeth my 54 Works or the Precepts and Commandments which I have given them and enabled them to perform unto the end of time when Christ's Kingdom shall come Rev. 10.6 7. to him will I then give power over the 55 Nations or Gentiles that is the Apostasie and their Abettors 54 They are called Christ's Works in opposition to the Depths of Satan which are the Works of the Devil John 8.41 44. And by his Works are meant Holy Worship and Practice and the most vigorous Opposition of the Apostasie 55 As being no better than meer Gentiles by reason of their Idolatry 27 And he or the Saints of this Church-State shall rule them the Antichristian Party and their Abettors with a Rod of Iron that is with just Severity and as the Vessels of a Potter shall they be broken to shivers i. e. their Church-State shall be dissolved easily and irreparably and I will give him power over the Nations even as I received Power of my Father Psalm 2.9 for they shall reign with me 28 And I will give him the 56 Morning-Star i. e. these Witnesses shall first arise and give early Notice of the approaching glorious State of Christ's Kingdom 56 A Phrase made use of by the Holy Ghost in 2 Pet. 1.19 with reference to this very matter where Prophetical Scripture is likened unto a light shining in a dark place which yet notwithstanding its Obscurity was a more sure word then a Private Voice from Heaven and which might be understood notwithstanding the dark state we are in provided they be not interpreted according to our own Natural Vnderstanding called there the VVill of Man nor according to a Private Interpretation but according to the VVill of God speaking in and by the Holy Penmen which is a Publick Interpretation because it is taken from the Common Analogy of Scripture Rom. 12.6 and is agreeable to the VVritings of All the Holy Men of God whose Spiritual Things are to be compared one with another that so we may have a Publick Standard of Interpretation in the Church and because it proceeds although in an ordinary manner from the same (a) 1 Cor. 6-16 12 4. spirit which alone knows the things of God which at first moved the Holy Prophets which is One and agreeable to it self in all its Gifts and Operations and which when it incited them to speak and write gave them not Prophecies of a private Sense as relating only to private and particular persons but which were to be understood in a Publick Sense concerning Christ his Church and Kingdom But although they may be understood by us yet the Apostle tells us that it will not be without great difficulty until the Day shall dawn and the Day Star arise in our Hearts by which the appearance of Christ in his Kingdom is meant who is called Rev. 22.16 the bright and Morning Star the first Dawnings and Approachings of whose Kingdom may be meant by the Morning Star as the Kingdom in its
and knowest not such is the ignorance of Man when left to himself that thou art wretched or The wretched full of wants and defects and miserable or The miserable in a helpless condition and poor in grace and glory and blind or ignorant seeing not thy wants nor the remedy of them and naked or iâ— a shameful condition in respect of the former now the Bride and her Husband are retired and God dwelleth not with thee Rev. 20 11.21 2 3 4. 39 Here is shewn the Ground of their Lukewarmness and the Reason why Christ would spew them out because they thought that their present State was as Glorious as their former and as much to be chosen as that which had the full Glory of the New Jerusalem 18 And therefore I counsel thee out of my Love to thee verse 19. to buy or obtain and procure of me what I will freely give thee if thou will be sensible of thy own unworthiness and inability of thy self to procure it Isa 55.1 2. Gold tried in the fire i. e. the most precious and most pure Wisdom of my Kingdom in Heaven above Prov. 2 4.3 14. Zeck 13.9 Math. 13.44 45 46. 1 Pet. 1.7 that thou mayest be rich in good and perfect works before God Luke 12.21 1 Tim. 6.17 18. and white raiment i. e. unspotted and perfect Holiness such as is required in my Kingdom that thou mayest be Cloathed with my Righteousness Rev. 19.8 and the shame of thy nakedness or thy shameful nakedness do not appear when I come to Judgment Rev. 20 12-15 and anoint thy eyes with Eye-Salve i. e. with clear knowledg that thou mayst see and discern betwixt the dark and imperfect state thou art in and the glorious entire light and perfection of the former Rev. 21.23 24.22 5. 19 Thou art the Camp of my Saints upon Earth and the beloved City and therefore have I permitted the Nations to gather themselves to Battel against thee and to encompass thee Rev. 20.8 9. for as many as I Love and whom I Love I Love unto the end John 13.1 I rebuke as I have done thee for thy lukewarmness and chasten by afflictions as thou hast been by the coming up of Gog and Magog against thee Rev. 20.8 9. be zealous therefore after a higher and a more glorious state and that in Heaven and repent of thy lukewarmness for to this end have I rebuked and chastened thee 20 And to shew what Love I have for thee Behold and let it be taken special notice of I stand waiting with an unwearied patience at the door of the Heart and Conscience of each person amongst you and 40 knock or use frequent and loud importunities by the motions of my Holy Spirit Cant. 5.2 Prov. 1.20 if any 41 man or any one of the Saints of this beloved City for to them and concerning them I now speak and not of their Church State which I will certainly spew out of my Mouth hear and obey my 40 voice and all that I have loved will do so John 10.27 28 29.13 1. and open the door of his Heart by removing all wilful impediments I who have now withdrawn my glorious presence will come unto him and will sup with him and he with me i. e. I will dwell with him possessing his Soul with my Gifts and Graces and will communicate my self after a friendly and a familiar manner unto him in my Heavenly Kingdom Luke 14.15 John 14.20 23. Rev. 19 9.21 3. 40 40 It was the antient custom to knock and call aloud at the same time 41 Christ before spoke to the Church of Laodicea here he speaks to the Members of it to whom he promises higher and more intimate communications of himself altho he had resolved to ease himself of their imperfect Church State 21 To him or that person that overcometh the evils of this State by hearing and obeying my voice and opening unto me will I grant to sit with 42 me in my Throne in my Kingdom whilst I judg the Nations Satan Death and Hell and then to reign with me to all Eternity John 17 22-24 Rev. 20 8-15 even as I also overcame Temptations Sin Death and Hell and am 43 set down with my Father in his Throne in Heaven John 17.5 42 Here Christ and his Saints are represented as sitting in one and the same Throne in allusion to the Thrones of the antient Eastern Kings which were very large and in the form of a Bed or Couch so that many persons might sit in them at once Cant. 3.7 43 Mr. Mede (a) Pag. 905. observes on this verse that although the glorified Saints are said to sit here with Christ on his Throne that yet none but Christ God-Man is said to sit with the Father on his Throne because no Creature is capable of the priviledge of sitting on God the Father's Right Hand in his Throne that being a Godlike Royalty altogether incommunicable 22 He that hath an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches CHAP. IV. The Text. 1 AFter this * first Prophetick Vision of the Seven Churches I looked or I was seeing 1 in a Prophetical Vision Dan. 4.10 and behold a door was opened in Heaven i. e. a Discovery was made of Divine secrets and the first voice or the former 2 voice of Christ which I heard at first Chap. 1.10 was as of a Trumpet i. e. full of Power and Authority Chap. 1.10 talking with me which said come up hither unto me to have a nearer access to and participation of Heavenly Secrets and I for none else can will shew thee in Symbols and representations things which must be hereafter in a Succession one after another Annotations on CHAP. IV. * The foregoing Vision contained in the Second and Third Chapters may be called The Church-Prophecy because that in it the several successive States and Periods of the Church from the beginning of it at Christ's Resurrection until the Kingdom of Christ and the End of all things are represented under the Types of Churches the most proper Emblem of them and that the following Vision which may be called the Book-Prophecy from its Events being represented in a Book with Seals to which this and the next Chapter are a Preface is of the same signification and extent shall be argued hereafter as occasion shall require and may at present be gathered from some Congruities observable in the Prefaces to each of them as that John is spoken to here by a Trumpet as he was in the former Preface in the first Chapter and is in the like Spiritual Extasie as he was then in which being Circumstances peculiar to these Two Visions may argue them to be of the like Nature and Import And here it is not improper to observe that in this and the following Chapter is chiefly contained 1. A Representation of the Throne Divine Consistory or Court of Judicature of Almighty God which is to pass Judgment upon the State of
thousands i. e. innumerale Heb. 12.22 12 Saying with a loud Voice and suitable affection worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive the Acknowledgment and Possession of power and Authority over all things especially his Church Matth. 11.27.28 18. John 17.2 and of Riches i. e. the inheritance of all things Heb. 1.2 and of Wisdom to govern his Church as being the Eternal Wisdom of his Father Prov. 3.16 and of strength to conquer his Enemies and honour from all Creatures and glory from his Father John 17.1 5. and blessing from Angels and Saints and all creatures Psalm 145.10 11. Psalm 148. 13 And every 16 Creature Phil. 2.10 which is in Heaven and on the Earth and under the Earth and such as are in the Sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing and Honour and Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb i e. to God the Father and his Son Christ for ever and ever 16 Even inanimatt Creatures are frequently in Scripture called upon to praise God by a common Figure usual to all Authors and Nations that because they would praise him if they could and are the Objects and Occasions of Praise to Angels and Men and are under the command of God and subservient to his Glory and his Churches good and because the very Order and Beauty of the Creatures especially as they shall be in the Restitution of all things is a Real and Virtual Praising of God And all Creatures Saints and Angels themselves are here brought as making this Acknowledgment to signifie that God and Christ are the alone Objests of Worship and not any Creature whatsoever Exod. 20.4 5. 14 And the four Beasts i. e. the Christian Church said Amen to this new Song i. e. consented and approved of it And after the Christian Church to shew that they received the clear and explicit Knowledge of Chrisi from the Christian Church and to testifie the Agreement there is betwixt the Old and New Testament the Four and Twenty Elders i. e. the Jewish Church fell down and worshipped him 17 that liveth for ever i. e. God the Father 17 Here it is to be observed that as the Christian Church began Chap. 4.8 9. with Hymns and Worship to God the Father so the Jewish Church here Ends after they had joyned with the Christian Church in Praises and Acts of Worship to Christ who has the same Worship here given him with the Father with an Act of Worship to the Father to shew that as all things are Of Him so are they also To Him and His Glory and that the Kingdom is to be delivered up unto him and that all things are to be subject unto him who is All in All 1 Cor. 15 24-28 which is signified by their falling down and worshipping him in token of their Obedience and of the Subjection of all things unto him all Creatures also are as themselves bowing or being subject unto him in the sense that they praise him Psal 2.10 11. CHAP. VI. The Text. 1 AND Christ being now possessed of the Right to his Kingdom and his sole and absolute Power and Dominion having been acknowledged by all Creatures in the former Chapter I saw or was in a Vision when the Lamb i. e. Christ having now the Right and Administration of the Affairs of his Kingdom opened 1 one i. e. the first Chap. 5. 5. of the Seals i. e. he revealed what was before hid and accomplished what was represented under each Seal and I heard as it was the noise or a Clap of 2 Thunder i. e. a powerful and a terrible Voice and efficaciously productive of its Effects See on Chap. 1. 10. 3 one i. e. the first of the four Beasts or the Apostolical Ministry saying Come and see and consider the Mysterious Sculpture which is to be seen in the first Roll of the Book and the great Event represented by it Annotations on CHAP. VI. 1 The Seals are as so many Stops and Delays to Christ's Kingdom and the opening of them signifies not only the making of the Visions known wnich before were concealed whereupon Prophecy is called a sealed Book but also the Effect of every Vision as the Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 12.23 Phrases it or the several Steps and Advances made towards the Kingdom of Christ this being the Book of Christ's Kingdom whirh he opened as King with Power and Authority and by actually effecting the things signified in their due and proper times 2 Hereby is signified the great Power and Efficacy which accompanied the first preaching of the Gospel whence Mark 3.17 James and John are called the Sons of Thunder and the utmost Force of God's Power is called the Thunder of God's Power Job 26.14 3 One as is usual in this Prophecy signifies the first of the Beasts like a Lyon whose Station being in the Eastern part of the Jewish Camp hereby is signified the coming forth of the Gospel from Jerusalem which is in the Eastern parts of the World whence the Gospel was first preached and the first Apostolical Church gathered according to the Prediction of the Prophets Isa 28.16 Micah 4.2 Acts 2.41 2 And I saw and behold I perceiv'd engraven on the first Roll a white 4 Horse signifying the pure and merciful power and conquest of the Gospel Dispensation Psal 45.4 and he 5 i. e. Christ that sat on him i. e. who had the Power and management of that Dispensation had a Bow 6 i. e. the Gospel Psal 45.5 and a Crown was given unto him as King and Conqueror and he went forth from Jerusalem Mic 4.2 conquering 7 by the efficacy of his Gospel and his Ministers and to conquer by degrees untill the completion of his Kingdom Psal 2 6.-8 4 Horses being a swift and warlike Creature according to the admirable Description of them given in Job Chap. 39. the Scripture does signifie by them some active and powerful Dispensation of his Providence brought to pass by his Angels and Ministers the Nature and Quality of which is denoted by the divers Colours attributed to those Horses as appears plainly from Zach. 1.8 10.6.2 3.10 3. Now the Dispensation here pointed at being that of Christ's Kingdom a (a) Bochart Hieros 2.7 white Horse is attributed unto him 1. to denote his Power Princes and Honourable Persons being used to Ride and that on White Beasts whilst Inferiours went on Foot as appears from Judg. 5.10 Eccles 10.7 2. To signifie the Mercifulness of his Conquest Psalm 45.4 Zech. 9 9.10 3. it being usual for Conquerors to ride on white Horses on the Days of Triumph Rev. 19.11 14. 5 That Christ is hereby signified is evident from Rev. 19.11 12 13. compared with Psalm 2. and 45. from whence these Symbols are taken 6 As an Archer with his Bow according to the Description given by the Psalmist 7 12.11 2. first menaces and threatens at a distance before he shoots so Christ first appeared with a peaceable
to be set up See on Chap. 8.7 9 And when he i. e. the Lamb Christ had opened 20 the fifth Seal I saw under the Altar 21 of sacrifice Lev. 4.7 i. e. under the Power in the presence of and in Communion with God and Christ the Souls of them see on Chap. 20.4 that were slain for the word of God and for the Testimony which they held i e. the Christian Martyrs especially under Diocletian Chap. 2 10.20 4. 20 The Beasts Voice or the Apostolick Ministry here ceases to shew that Satan's Synagogue was now rising in the Smyrnaean Succession upon the Honours paid to Martyrs under this Seal 21 When Altar is put indefinitely the Altar of Sacrifice is usually understood where the Blood of the Sacrifice was wont to be poured out and by being under the Altar is signified the happy state of Martyrs under the protection and in the presence of God and Christ as appears from Heb. 13.10 Colos 3.3 4. compared with 2 Maccab. 7.36 Psalm 27.5 Phil. 2.17 And here is given a plain Character of this Seal from the Voice of the Blood of the Martyrs and from the change of Things immediately following it in the next Seal whereby is evidently signified the great Persecution under Diocletian whereupon the Aera Martyrum was instituted and the overthrow of Paganism under Constantine from whence also it is very manifest that the Smyrnaean Succession is contemporary with this Seal from the like appearances Chap. 2.10 10 And they 22 cryed instead of the Apostolical Voices with a loud Voice thereby shewing their Number their Zeal and the importance of their Complaint saying How long O Lord Christ holy and therefore hateing Cruelty and Bloodshed and true to thy promises of avenging thy people Luke 18.7 8. dost thou not judge and avenge our Blood to vindicate thy Honour and thy Truth on them that dwell on the Earth i. e. the Pagan Empire for our Persecution has been long and cruel Revel 2.10 22 As Abel's Blood did Gen. 2.10 Heb. 12.24 11 And white Robes denoting Reward Honour and Purity Chap. 3.4 were given unto every one of them and it was said unto them that they should rest yet in quiet patiently expecting the time of God's Vengeance for a little season until their Fellow Servants also and their Brethren in Christ that should be killed as they were should be fullfilled 23 i. e. until the Times and the Number of Martyrs determined by God should be compleated 23 Hereby is signified the Martyrdoms which were to follow under Licinius Julian the Arrians and the Apostasie until God's signal and last Vengeance upon the Antichristian Tyranny under the Vials 12 And I beheld when he had opened the Sixth Seal and lo there was a great Earth-quake 24 i. e. a great commotion and a strange change of Affairs Hag. 2.6 7. Heb. 12.26 and the Sun 25 i. e. the chief God of the Pagans and the Heathen Emperour the chief Magistrate became black 26 as sackcloath of hair Isa 50.3 and the Moon i. e. the next in dignity became as 27 Bloâ—d i. e. were Eclypsed and lost their former Glory 24 It will not be altogether unseasonable to remark in this place what * Histor 4.11 Socrates the Ecclesiastical Historian notes from frequent Observation that Earthquakes are the Signs and Forerunners of Changes and Commotions in the Church 25 Here by Metaphors taken from the Prophetical Descriptions of the Day of Judgment and the last Conflagration of the World to which several of them seem plainly to refer as Dr. Burnet has observed in his ingenious Theory of the Earth and when the things described here by several Prophetical Accumulations shall be fully verified God's Judgments under Constantine and his Successors upon the Heathen Religion and Empire are set out unto us Although the Political World being described in Scripture by Metaphors taken from the Natural as appears from Isa 51.16 Dan. 8.10 the Heavens here may denote what is superiour in it and the Earth what is inferiour and the Sun may be taken for the Supreme in the State the Moon for the next and the Stars for those which are next in order unto them according to the Ancient Symbolical and Hieroglyphical Learning of the Eastern Nations of which we have an Example Gen. 37.9 10. Where Joseph's Dream concerning the Sun Moon and Stars is interpreted by Jacob of himself as Father and Chief of the Family of his Wife as next and of his Children as subject unto them And Sun Moon and Stars Hills and Mountains being the Objects and Places of Idolatry Hereby may be also signified the final Overthrow of Pagan Idolatry as well as of the Pagan Civil Powers 26 A Metaphor taken from an Eclipse in which the Sun appears black and the Moon of a dark Red like black Blood 13 And the Stars of Heaven i. e. the inferiour Deities and Magistrates fell unto the Earth i. e. were cast out and displaced by the mighty Power of God even as a Figtree casteth her untimely Figs Nahum 3.12 when she is shaken of a mighty wind e.e. as easily and in as great abundance Isa 34.4 14 And the Heaven i. e. the whole superior State of the Heathen World Civil and Religious departed 27 out of sight as a scroll that is rolled together so that they could not be seen i. e. they had no Authority nor Esteem and every Mountain i. e. all the places of Idolatry and of great strength and security Isa 2 14-18 Jerem. 51.25 Zech. 4.7 and Island 28 i. e. all their Provinces and Places beyond the Seas were moved out of their places i. e. the Government and Religion of them was changed and overturned 27 A Metaphor from the Ancient Manner of Writing upon one long Scroll which being rolled up according to their Custom what was written in it could not be seen 28 The Jews called all Maritime Places Islands and all places beyond the Mediterranean Consult the Interpreters on Gen. 10.5 and Mr. * Book 1. Disc 49. Mede And hereby is meant that no places escaped altho never so strong or remote 15 And the Kings 29 of the Earth i. e. the supreme Powers subject to the Roman Empire Isa 10.8 Acts 4.26 and the great men or Nobles Dan. 4.36 Mark 6.21 and the rich men and the chief Captains and the mighty men or Soldiers Judg. 5.22 and every bond man and every free man i. e. all of every rank and quality hid themselves for fear Isa 2.19 in the dens and rocks of the Mountains i. e. the most secret and most inaccessible places Judg. 6.2 29 Here by an enumeration of the several Ranks and Degrees of Men according to the Scripture-Phrase all the Members of the Roman Empire are reckoned up From a due consideration of these Six Seals it will be manifest that they are Synchronous with the two first Churches ending in that of Smyrna when that Period received a Crown of Life under Constantine and his
Fire issuing out of their mouths that is by Force of Arms and by their Tails or crafty pretences for they are noted to have at first entred Europe (a) Lord Nepeir on the Revel humanely although they proceeded after to oppression And lastly for their high and Vain-glorious Words and Titles and the fair pretences they made use of against Idolatry which was then too visible and predominant in the Church 20 And the rest of 31 the men i. e. the remaining part of the Empire viz. the Western which were not killed i.e. utterly destroyed by these foregoing Plagues inflicted by the Saracens and Turks yet repented not notwithstanding these Judgments which were designed by God for that End of the Work of their Hands i. e. their Idolatry 2 Kings 22.17 Jerem. 25.6 7. that they should not worship 32 Devils i. e. Daemons Lev. 17.7 and Idols of Gold and Silver and Brass and Stone and of Wood which neither can see nor hear nor walk i. e. Images Psalm 115 4.135 15. 31 The Third of men i. e. the Eastern Empire being killed the rest of men must signifie the remaining part that is the Western Empire which was usurped by the Papal Antichrist whilst the Mahometan Antichrist Tyrannized in the Eastern 32 By Daemons are meant Spirits of a middle Nature betwixt God and Men that is Angels and Souls departed See Mr. Mede on the place and his Apostasy of the Latter Times 21 Neither repented they of their Murthers i. e. Persecutions nor of their 33 Sorceries i. e. Wicked Arts and False Devices to deceive Souls Nahum 3.4 Isa 47.9 12. nor of their Fornication or Unclean and Idolatrous Doctrines and Practices nor of their Thefts i. e. cheating of Men by sanctified pretences 33 Such as Exorcisms Relicks Anointings and her lying Signs and Wonders together with all her bewitching and intoxicating Doctrines and Practices CHAP. X. 1 AND I saw 1 another mighty or powerful Psalm 103.20 Angel i. e. 2 Christ come 3 down from Heaven i. e. appear upon some extraordinary matter cloathed with a 4 cloud of Power and Glory Chap. 1.7 and a 5 Rainbow was upon his He d to shew his mindfulness of his Covenant notwithstanding the Deluge of Antichristianism and Mahometism and his face was as it were the Sun i e. the manifestations of himself were glorious Chap. 1.16 and his Feet i. e. his actions and comings to Judgment as Pillars of Fire i. e. terrible Chap. 1.15 Dan. 10.6 Annotations on CHAP. X. 1 And therefore a distinct one from the Seven Angels with Trumpets 2 Christ the Angel of the Covenant here appears for to him might or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Attributed Chap. 5.10 and this very Angel altho in a distinct appearance Chap. 11.3 declares that He will give Power unto His two Witnesses which Words can agree to none but Christ as well as the following description taken from Dan. Chap. 10 and 12. which are to be understood of Him 3 A Phrase frequent in Scripture Signifying God's more than Ordinary notice of the Actions of Men and that he was about to say or do some Extraordinary Thing Gen. 11 5.18 20 21. Exod. 3.7 8. Psal 144.5 Isa 64.1 Maimonid Ductor Dubit 1.10 4 A White Bright Cloud answerable to the White Linnen Dan. 10 5.12 6. 5 From hence it is Evident that this Angel was Christ the Angel of the Covenant Malac. 3.1 Who appears thus Cloathed to the Comfort of His Servants and to shew them that he was mindfull of His Promise and that His Kingdom of which the Rainbow a sign of mercy is the Symbol should Come notwithstanding he had Permitted a Deluge of Antichristianism to overflow the Church and Mahometism to prevail after so Extraordinary a Manner See Notes on Chap. 4 3. 2 And he had in his Hand a little 6 Book opened shewing that the Effects and Eâ—ents contained in it were now ready to be Revealed and fulfilled and he set his right Foot 7 upon the Sea and his left Foot upon the Earth as Lord of both and to take Possession of them Psal 2 8.72 8. Dan. 12.7 6 It was called a Book before Chap. 5. but is now called a Little Book to shew that many of its Visions were already fulfilled whereupon it 's bulk was contracted into a lesser space And it was before Sealed but now is Opened to shew that what was contained in it was at the present to have some Notable Appearance and Effect 7 To Place ones Foot upon a Thing signifies Dominion (a) Deut. 11.24 Psalm 60.8 or to have in Subjection as it were under ones Feet whereupon God bids Abraham Gen. 13.17 to walk through the Land and thereby take Possession of it Now Christs Kingdom being according to Prophecy to be Vniversal he here fixes his Feet upon the Whole Terraqueous Globe shewing by Actions as well as by Speech in the third Verse according to the Custom of the Eastern People who in matters of Moment joyn both that his Kingdom was not only from Sea to Sea as the Type of it David's was Psal 72.8 but that all the World the Sea and all that is in it upon which account he stands upon or over the Waters Dan. 12.6 7. were his Possession as well as the uttermost Parts of the Earth Psal 5.8 So that by this Action is signified that Christ was Lord of all of Sea and Land and of all the Creatures in them which he here again as it were takes Possession of His Kingdom haveing been interrupted chiefly by Antichristianism and by the spreading of Mahometism which yet was a judgment upon the other But methinks it is worth considering every Action and Word being Weighty in Prophecy why Christ is more peculiarly represented as upon the Waters of the River Tigris Dan. 12.6 7 Whilst only two Angels stood on each side of its banks and that he here sets his right Foot the stronger and the more honorable of the two upon the Sea but his left upon the Land which Grotius himself thinks to have some signification who supposes the right Foot to signifie the Greater Part of the People who are often Represented by Waters Seas Rivers in this Book We are therefore to understand that by the Sea in Scripture is meant the Western Parts of the World because the Mediterranean Sea was the Western (a) Numb 34.6 Border of the Land of Canaan Whereupon our Versions Translate what is to the Sea or Sea-ward in the Original to the West and Westward Gen. 12 8.28 14. Exod. 10.19 Ezek. 48.1 2. and in many other Places And the Scripture not only calls all the Places to which the Jews were to pass by Sea Islands as I have already noted and particularly our European Parts at least those in the Archipelago the Islands of the Gentiles Gen. 10.5 but also divides the whole World into East and West or according to the Phrase of their Language into Land and Sea meaning by Land all the
lawful for the Gentiles to pray there and therefore it could not properly be said to be given unto them now or to be polluted by them as having been always accounted unclean whereas they were never admitted into the other Courts And by the Court without the Temple is very appositely understood the Visible Christian Worship because the Visible Worship of God was performed in that place under the Law whereas all the Temple-Worship was hid from the People See the Books before quoted and Mr. (b) Pag. 19 20 478 479 480. and Ainsworth on Exod. 40.33 Mede's Works 8 Grotius on the places notes That this is called Extracludere by the Ancient Writers concerning the Limits and measuring of Grounds But the Word also denoting in (c) John 9.34 Acts 7 58 13 50. Grotius in loca Scripture an Ignominious casting out or an Excommunication it may also here signifie the leaving or casting it out of the Sacred Enclosure or Limits as unsacred and polluted as Mr. (d) Pag. 587. Mede speaks 9 So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is of the past Sense and not of the present may be translated whereby is signified that it had been given up or delivered by God before the time in which it was measured although it must be confessed that the past Tense is often used for the present in Scripture 10 By (a) Hammond on Matth. 23.15 Grot. on John 12.20 Acts 21.28 Gentiles or Nations the Jews understand all but themselves and Proselytes of Justice who were circumcised and accounted as Jews which were the Proselytes of the Gates as they call them who had renounced Idolatry but had not embraced the whole Jewish Religion and were permitted to come no further than into the Outer Court called the Court of the Gentiles and were thought to prophane and pollute the Temple if they did as appears from Acts 21 28 29.24 6. But by Gentiles are most commonly meant in Scripture the Heathen Nations round about them who whilst they continued in open Idolatry were not to live amongst them especially those who persecuted them and laid their Country City and Temple waste such as Nebuchadnezzar and Antiochus whose Desolations are bewailed and described in (b) Psalm 74. and 79. Dan. 8.1 Maccab. from Chap. 1. to Ver. 16 of the 6th Scripture and such were also the Four Successive Monarchies of the Assyrians Persians Grecians and Romans whose Times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or appointed Seasons the word made use of by Daniel and Jeremiah Chap. 27.7 are called by our Saviour (c) See Grotius on the place and Mr. Mede's Works pag. 709 753. Luke 21.24 the Times of the Gentiles at the ending of which fort of Times in the Expiration of the Roman Monarchy continued in the Antichristian the Jews are to be restored as our Saviour there plainly asserts and the Holy City is no more to be trodden under foot by the Gentiles Now the like Expressions and some of the Words here made use of being plainly taken from the (a) Psalm 79.1 Dan. 8.10 1 Maccab. 1.37 38 39.3 45 51.4 60. Luke 21.24 Scriptures quoted in the Margin it is manifest that they have an Allusion to them especially to the Story of Antiochus a lively Type of Antichrist who is therefore prophesied of in him as a Type by Daniel and of the Gentile Times and Actions here foretold and therefore the like Actions committed by some Christians must be here referred to called Gentiles for bringing the (b) Mr. Mede's Apostasy of the latter Times Gentile Worship into the Church together with Tyranny and crafty Baits to entice to Idolatry according to the Example of Antiochus the Type of Antichrist and the Paganizing Jews who did after the Ordinances of the Heathens and built a Place of Exercise at Jerusalem according to their Customes and thereby gave a great occasion to the Tyrant to take Jerusalem and to enter proudly into the Sanctuary and pollute it and lay it waste like a Wilderness and to make the City an habitation of Strangers or Gentiles and to become strange to those that were born in it as you may read in the places of the Book of Maccabes before quoted All which agrees plainly to the Apostasy which has introduced a Pagan Christianity into the Church 11 Jerusalem is called so which is the Type of the whole Christian Church whereby is signified a Vniversal Apostasy in the Visible Church the latent or invisible one having been before measured and secured by God 12 A Day is put for a Year in this Book as hath been before shewn on Chap. 2.10 and then by consequence a Month must be put for a Month of prophetical Days consisting of as many common years as a common month doth of days But for the better understanding of the Nature of these prophetical Times and Seasons it will be very convenient to deduce this matter from the very Beginning and Original of it And accordingly it is to be observed that out of the whole space of Time assigned by God to the Transactions of this World which is thought to be about Seven Thousand Years there is a certain part allotted by him for the Times of the Apostasy and the Reign of the Beast called by Daniel Time Times and half a Time Chap. 7 25.12 7. of which it hath been discoursed already on Chap. 10.6 which are reduced into 1260. Days and Forty Two Months in the Revelations Into Days with respect to the Witnesses and the Seed of the Woman in the Wilderness who are the Children of the (a) Mede pag. 481 492. Mori Oper. Theol. pag. 614 616. Gen. 1. Luke 16.8 Acts 26.18 2 Cor. 6.14 Eph. 5.8 1 Thes 5.5 8. 2 Pet. 1.19 Rev. 22 16. See the Notes on Rev. 12.1 Day and into Nights with respect to the Gentiles and the Beast whose Antichristian Deeds are Works of Darkness and they the Children of the Night of which the Moon has the Government And as the Natural Day is divided in Scripture into Evening and Morning so is this Line of Time in proportion to that Distinction divided into Days which answer to the Morning of the Natural Day and into Months which answer to the Evening or Night of it the Days and Months making up one and the same Line of Time as the Evening and Morning make up One Natural Day whence the Time allotted in Daniel Chap. 8.13 14. for the Course of Affairs from Cyrus to the cleansing of the Sanctuary is called Evening-Morning out of which for it principally respects the Apostasy which defiled the Sanctuary this Line is taken the Months out of its Evenings and the Days out of its Mornings which way of Speech is taken from Gen. 1.5 16. where the Light is called Day and the Darkness Night and the Moon is said to rule the one and the Sun the other and the Natural Day is called Evening-Morning the Evening being put before the Morning because the Darkness o◠Night of
upon this happy and glorious change of things 50 Here is an Acknowledgment of Praise and Thanksgiving to God according to the usual manner in this Prophecy as hath been before frequently observed and that made by the Twenty Four Elders the Representatives of the Jewish Church and by Voices in the former Verse which perhaps proceeded from the Four Living Creatures who are the Voices or Speakers in the sixth Chapter 17 Saying We give thee thanks O God Almighty which art and wast and art to come i. e. the Eternal Jehovah because thou hast taken 51 unto thee thy great or extraordinary power which hath been hitherto usurped by Satan Mahometism Antichistianism and the wicked Powers of this World and hâ—th reigned visibly and powerfully in Truth and Judgment without any rival 51 Here is declared the Succession of Christ's Kingdom as it is the manner to proclaim the Succession of Princes 18 And or although 52 the Nations or Gentiles that is the Paganizing Christians verse 2. were angry for being cast out of the visible Church which they had defiled and usurped verse 2. Psal 2. and 99.1 and or but 52 thy wrath 53 is come or is ready to be poured forth and executed upon the living and the time of the Dead is come that they should be Judged both good and bad according to their Deeds and that thou shouldst in that time of Judgment give reward unto thy Servants the Prophets or Witnesses of the Jewish Church or Ministers Dan. 12.3 and to the Saints or eminently holy Persons of the Christian Church and to all them that fear thy Name in every Nation according to the light and talents God hath given them Acts 10.2 34 35. small and great in Office or Graces who shall be rewarded according to what they have received and the use they have made of it Mat. 25. and shouldst destroy them of all sorts which destroy or corrupt the Earth by their Tyranny Wickedness and Antichristian Apostasy 52 In both these Senses the Article is used in Scripture according to its Acceptation in the Hebrew of the Old Testament Gen. 15 10.17 5. Job 17.10 Jerem. 11.17 and in several other places 53 This Verse relates to the Time of Trouble mentioned Dan. 12.1 and the great Battle Rev. 16. and the Resurrection and Judgment mentioned in the last Chapters which shall be particularly discoursed of in their proper places 19 And the Temple of God i. e. his pure Worship was opened in Heaven i. e. became visible in the Church and there was now seen in his Temple which before was measured sealed and shut up verse 2. the Ark 54 of his Testament i. e. the greatest Mysteries of Religion which were before obscured by Antichristianism were most clearly made known and there were lightnings and voices and thundrings and an Earthquake and great hail i. e. high and clear Manifestations and signs of Christ's Kingdom Mat. 24 Rev. 4 5.8 5. 54 The Ark of the (a) Numb 4.5 20. 1 Sam. 6.19 Exod. 25. Testament was always kept secret and covered and was to be seen only by the High Priest once a year whereby the Mysteries of Religion are Typified which the Angels desire to look into and were not Revealed unto them but by the Church 1 Peter 1.12 Ephes 3.10 Now these Mysteries called here the Ark of His that is Christ's Testament or New Covenant which were mightily obscured and perverted under the Reign of Antichristianism appear opened that is clearly manifested unto all Jews as well as Christians now united into One Body from whom also they had been for a long time hid by Types and Veils and a Judicial Blindness 1 Cor. 3 13-16 Rom. 11.25 Which Temple here opened and the Ark seen it are more fully and largely prophesied of by Ezekiel from Chapter the 40th to the End of his Prophecy CHAP. XII The Text. 1 AND * there appeared in vision a great wonder or prodigious sign portending great things in Heaven †or in the pure Primitive Church State a Woman i. e. the Church the Spouse of Christ Isa 54.1 2 Cor. 11.2 Eph. 5.32 cloathed or Environed wich the Sun beams shining all about her i. e. full of Communications of Glory Purity and Holiness from Christ the Sun of Righteousness Malac. 4.2 and the Moon 1 i. e. Antichristianism under her feet i. e. in comtempt and in subjection to her and upon her Head a Crown 2 of twelve 3 Stars representing the twelve Apostles chap. 1.20 Annotations on CHAP. XII * The Beast having been but just mentioned in the former Chapter Verse 7. the Holy Spirit doth here according to the Custom of Scripture which takes occasion from the bare mention of a thing to give a larger Account of it begin to set forth who he was and from whence he had his Original and how he came to be so powerful as to make War with and kill the Witnesses which Subject is prosecuted in this the following and the seventeenth Chapter And here we may observe that the Vision of the VVoman is Cotemporary with the Fifth Seal Chap. 6.9 when the pangs of Persecution were at the heighth the Child being brought forth in the Christian Empire in the next Seal †Heaven as hath been cursorily observed on Chap. 11.12 num 41. is not to be understood always in this Book only and perhaps not primarily of the Church-State on Earth but of the Archetype or State of it now in Heaven there seeming to be in Heaven a Kingdom of Christ and an Heavenly Tabernacle and Sanctuary which is an Archetypal and Exemplar State of what is to be performed on Earth in the Church Whereupon a Door was opened to John in Heaven Chap. 4 1. and the Temple of God was opened in Heaven Chap. 11.19 Which Interpretation will be much strengthned by a due Consideration of Hebr. 9. where the Apostle distinguishes betwixt a VVorldly (a) See Grotius on Heb. 9. and Mr. Dodwell of One Altar Sanctuary and a Heavenly one and calls the Jewish a pattern of things in the Heavens And there is also in this Book a Consessus Synedrium or Seat of Judgment in Heaven described in the Fourth and Fifth Chapters before which Satan as God and Prince of this VVorld was as it were tryed and after his Accusation of God's Servants and Defence of himself adjudged to be cast from the power of Godship which he had in those parts of the World which are concerned in this Prophecy Whereupon there is Joy in Heaven verse 12. upon the Brethrens being acquitted upon Satan's Fall from the Rule he had by God's Justice over the wicked World the Glory which accrued to God by his Wise and Holy Administrations and the present Advance of Christ's Kingdom Upon the increase of which the Saints may receive increase of Glory in that Heavenly Tabernacle which shall come down from Heaven in the New Jerusalem State 1 Worldly things because of their Mutability may be reprseented by the
Abbas Ursperg ad an 1298. Crakenthorp of the Pope's temporal monarchy Boniface the Eighth appear to be when he rode in Imperial Robes with a Naked Sword carried before him one proclaiming with a loud Voice Ecce hic duo Gladii Behold here are Two Swords the Spiritual and the Temporal and when to (c) Overal's Convocat Book pag. 314. make his infinite Soveraignty more conspicuous and memorable to all Posterity he came forth one day amongst the people to be admired of them with a Sword by his side and a Crown upon his Head strutting like an Image in vain Pageantry 2. When a (d) Mr. Mede's Apostasy of the latter times Dr. Moor's Mystery of Iniquity part 2 lib. 1.17 Bishop Stillingfleet's Discourses of Idolatry Pagano Christian Idolatry was established which is an Image or Representation of Heathen Idolatry 3. This Image of the Roman Imperialism which is chiefly represented by it consisting of Antichristianism as well as Supremacy may be also lookt upon as an Image of Christianity as being the Counterfeit of it assuming Supremacy under the pretence of Christ's Soveraignty whose Vicar he pretends to be and introducing a Religion which substitutes an imaginary counterfeit Christianity in the place of the true one when it is indeed opposite to it in which the Nature of Antichristianism consists 16 And he causeth all both small 37 and great rich and poor free and bond i. e. all of all Ranks and Conditions Dan. 3.4 5 6. to receive a 38 mark in their 39 right hand i. e. to be obliged to engage and act for him or in their 40 foreheads i. e. or openly to avow and own him and his profession 37 A distinction of (a) Grot. in Locum persons in use in the Roman Empire comprizing all Ages and Conditions 38 As the Followers of the Lamb have their Seal or Mark so have the Followers of Antichrist whereby is denoted his Propriety in them their Service of him and their open profession of his Name or Doctrine by which they are to be known and distinguished from others An Expression taken as (b) Grot. Ham. Poli Synops Criticks think from the Marks which the Romans were wont to put upon their Possessions Slaves and Soldiers but may be rather an Allusion to Cain's Mark or which seems to be most probable to the (c) 3 of Maccab. See Grotius on that place and Hammond on this Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Mark of an Ivy-leaf which Ptolemy Philopator caused to be burnt with Fire upon the Bodies of those Jews who were to enjoy the priviledges of the Common people of Aegypt in token of their being the Servants and Worshippers of Bacchus For the same Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in both places and several passages of the Books of Maccabees have been before alluded to in this Prophecy as hath been already (a) Pag. 203 204. observed concerning the Story of Antiochus those Apochryphal Books being preserved as Dr. (b) Scripture Line of Time part 2. pag. 43 44. Beverley has ingeniously and judiciously observed not without a Design of Providence and put into the Canon of the Church of Rome That a Prophet of their own or a Scripture of their own Canonizing might be a Witness against them 39 The Right hand being most in use and the strongest denotes Action whereupon God commanded the Jews that the Law should be a sign unto them upon their hands that is should be obeyed and kept by them 40 That is that they should not be ashamed of professing his Doctrine but should make their Relation unto him be as open and as remarkable as if it had been written upon their Foreheads as the Jews were commanded to have the Law upon their Foreheads and betwixt their Eyes Exod. 13.9 Deut. 6.8 17 And he causeth also that no man might 41 buy or sell i. e. partake or dispose of any Advantages or Preferments save he that had the mark i. e. was engaged in his Cause and profession and was active in it or the Name i. e. 42 Nature of the Beast or the Number of his Name i. e. the Number which shall shew his Nature 41 This Phrase has a relation to the Commodities or Merchandizes of the Beast's Kingdom and the Priviledges of his City reckoned up Chap. 18. of which the Papacy debars all Men by (a) Vid. Poli Synops in locum Medum Brightman Excommunications Interdictions and Civil Penalties who will not own and profess its Doctrine And here is a further Allusion to the Story of Ptolemy Philopator in the Book of Maccabees before quoted who seems to be a Type of Antichrist as Antiochus is confessedly owned to have been who took away from all those Jews the Priviledges belonging to Alexandrians which they before enjoyed who would not embrace his Idolatrous Religion and admitted only those into his Court and the higher Rank of Citizens of Alexandria who would be initiated into it thrusting even the Jews who complyed so far as to take the Mark of Bacchus into the Inferiour Rank of the Vulgar Aegyptians which is an Instance exactly agreeing to the Proceedings of the Antichristian King as all (b) See Foulis of Popish Vsurpations History testifies 42 So (c) Hammond on Matth. 2.23 Mr. Mede Disc 2. Name signifies in Scripture as Divines usually shew on the first Petition of the Lord's Prayer 18 Here is what requires and will exercise 43 Wisdom let him that hath understanding in such matters count 44 or calculate the number of the 45 Beast i. e. the Number which shall shew when he became an Idolatrous Beast for it is the Number of 46 a man i. e. such an one as Men of Wisdom and Understanding may and are wont to calculate and his number is six 47 hundred threescore and six 43 By Wisdom is meant here such Wisdom or Skill as the Aegyptians and the Skillful Jews and other Wise Men of the Eastern Nations had and for which Moses is so renowned in Scripture Acts 7.22 of which Knowledge in (a) See Bongus de Numeris Meursius de denario Pythagorico Wendelinus and other Authors who have witten of Pythagora's Tetractys Grot. in Act. 7.22 Hammond on 2 Tim. 3.8 Dr. Moor's Cabbala Mr. Potter of the Number of the Beast Numbers was none of the least And that such like mystical and obscure Knowledge was anciently called Wisdom is plain from the Author of the Book of Ecclesiasticus who tells us Chap. 6.22 that Wisdom is according to her Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not manifest unto many alluding as Philo also often does to the (b) Dr. Moor's mystery of Iniq. part 2. lib. 1. cap. 14. Etymology of the Greek Word as if it were derived from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to cover or hide 44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word signifies to calculate as Arithmeticians were wont to do of old with Stones or Counters 45 The Numbers
constant Attendants of the Lamb in his Heavenly Tabernacle and the first partakers of that exalted State of his Kingdom here Visionally represented by Mount Zion 5 And in their mouth was found no 8 guile i. e. they were not found guilty of the great Lye of Antichristianism and Idolatry for they are without Fault before the 9 Throne of God i. e. they are acquitted and justified by God although they had been condemned and anathematized by Antichrist 8 Idols are called Lyes in (a) Jerem. 16.19 Am. 2.4 Grotius and Mede on the place Scripture and Lying as Grotius observes on the place is a constant Concomitant of Idolatry and hereby this Apostolical Number of Christ's Followers are distinguished from those which belonged to Antichrist whose Religion is but an Image or Counterfeit of Christ's and is thereupon also justly called a Lye 9 Hence it appears that this is the Vision of some exalted State of Christ's Heavenly Kingdom seen as before the Throne of God or the Divine Sanhedrim and Court of Judicature coming down as it were on Mount Zion where the Witnesses who are the 144000. who had been killed by the Beast appear and are as it were adjudged by God as worthy the exalted State they enjoy with Christ and which they had obtained under his Conduct and for his Sake which Appearance shall have also as hath been all along observed a parallel one on Earth in the Philadelphian State of the Church 6 And I saw 10 anoth r Angel or Gospel-Ministry Chap. 1. 1 20 fly in the midst of Heaven to denote the Swift Publick and Universal Public tion of the Gospel of the Kingdom Chap. 8.13 having committed unto him 2 Cor. 5.19 the 11 Everlasting Gospel of the Kingdom spoken by the Mouth of all his Prophets since the World began which was to bring in Everlasting Righ eousne s Dan. 9.24 Acts 3 21-26 Rev. 16.7 to preach unto all them tha dwell on the Earth and to 22 every Nation of Pagan Mahometan and Antichristian Gentiles and Kindred or Tribes of Israeli es and Tongue or the various People of several Languages amongst them and People i. e. to the whole multitude of each 10 There being no Angel mentioned before but only a Voice Verse 2. By another Angel here must also be understood another Voice which Word imports Vtterance of Doctrine as John the Baptist is called The Voice of one crying in the Wilderness And this Voice is here called an Angel because it was pronounced by an Angelical Voice or Speaker who was seen whereas the former was only heard so that this is another or a distinct Voice or Angel from the former Whereby a certain Order of Voices is plainly represented which being also Seven in Number and distinctly reckoned up may very well be accounted the seven Thunders opened into loud and distinct Voices 11 The Gospel of Christ's Glorious Kingdom being the main Subject and Scope of these Visions it must therefore be here referred to which is called Everlasting 1. Because it was the Doctrine or Mystery designed by God from everlasting praefigured in all the Types of the Old Law and preached or spoken by the Mouth of all the Prophets since the World began by which Phrase Eternity is signified in Scripture See Acts 3 21-26 Rom. 16.25 26. 1 Cor. 2.7 Rev. 10.7 2. Because it was to bring in the Everlasting Righteousness mentioned Dan. 9.24 or the way of becoming Righteous in the Account of God by Christ alone which will then be fully manifested to be no New Doctrine as the Apostasy at the Beginning of the Reformation asserted it to be but the way which was from Everlasting and shall be until the End of all Things I think it may not be unfit to observe in this place That the Apostasy that it might be a perfect Antichristian Counterfeit of Christ's Kingdom did pretend to a New Gospel called the (a) Bishop Stillingfleet of Idol Chap. 4. p. 238-246 Eternal Gospel containing many Extravagant and Blasphemous Opinions and asserting that the Scriptures contained not the Gospel of the Kingdom but were to give way to a New Gospel which should take place in A. D. 1260. Six Years after the preaching of it which Gospel was so much favoured by the Popes and the Court of Rome that a Book written against it was burnt by their Order And although they were at last forced to burn the Eternal Gospel also yet it was done secretly and with much unwillingness 12 This is a Pleonasm or a Figure wherein by a Redundant Accumulation of many Particulars is expressed the preaching of the Everlasting Gospel for the bringing in of all Nations whereby Ethnicks or Gentiles of all sorts are meant in Scripture and of all the Tribes of Israel to the Kingdom of Christ according to Hosea 6 1-3 Matth. 24.14 Rom. 11.25 26. which is to be near the End when the Deliverer shall come out of Sion and after Two days in the Third Day which Dr. Pocock on Hosea extends even to the End of the World but others with more Reason to the End of (a) See on Chap. 11. 9 11. Antichristian or Gentile Times when Christ's Kingdom shall appear and they who have known something of Christ's Kingdom shall follow on to know the Lord more fully and perfectly by the preaching of this Everlasting Gospel Hos 6.3 7 Saying with a loud Voice i. e. after a zealous and most powerful manner fear God and not Idols Isaiah 8.12 13. and give Glory to him alone and not to Creatures Angels and Saints for the Hour or precise time and appointed Season of his Judgment Government or 13 Kingdom and of his Judgments on all manner of Idolatry Pagan and Antichristian which he will no longer wink at is come and worship him therefore the Creator of all things that made Heaven 14 and Earth and the Sea and the Fountains of Waters of the Great Deep Gen. 7.11 13 So Judgment often signifies in the Old Testament as Psalm 72.1 2. and in other places of Scripture 14 The Heathens worshipped all the parts of Nature even the Seas Rivers and Fountains as is clearly proved by (b) De Idolatr Vossius which the Antichristian (b) Dr. Moor's Mystery of Iniquity part 2. lib. 1.17 Bishop Stillingfleet's Fourth Conference concerning Idolatry Apostasy also having imitated in appointing Tutelar Saints and Angels to most of the parts of the Creation and in introducing a Worship which is but an Image or a New Model of Paganism Do their Idolatries may be here meant 8 And there followed another 15 Angel or Gospel-Ministry saying i. e. preaching and denouncing this great Truth 16 Babylon i. e. Antichristian or Papal Rome is 17 fallen is fallen i. e. will as certainly fall in a short time as if it were a ready fallen that great City of a large Juri diction and Head of the Roman Empire because she made all Nations drink of the Wine of the 18 wrath
an Imperial Roman City It is also observable 1. That this VVoman takes to her self the Colour of the Ornaments of the Tabernacle of God as Grotius also notes which were of (a) Exod 25.4 Purple and Scarlet whereby her Idolatrous Vsurpations of what belongs to God may be set forth And 2. That these Colours are much affected in the Papacy (b) Heidegger in Apocalyps pag. 429 430. Platin. in Vit. Paul secundi Vide Bezae argutum Epigramma in hanc rem that Christ's Priests saith Baronius might be in their Pomp equal to the High Priests amongst the Heathens 12 Such was also wont to be the Attire of Harlots Prov. 17.10 And it is observable that the Papacy has not only excessive Riches and Revenues but that the (c) Rycaut 's Preface to the Lives of the Popes Popes have been so prodigal in procuring Ornaments and Jewels for their own Pontifical Attire and especially their Triple Crown a fatal Counterfeit of Christ's many Crowns Rev. 19.12 that they have often run the Papacy into debt by it which by their Prodigious Pride is loaden with Gold and Jewels and became thereby so heavy that Pope Paul the Second died of an Apoplexy occasioned by the weight of it 13 Babylon her Type is said Jerem. 51.7 to be the Golden Cup that hath made the Earth drunken with her Wine 14 Abominations signifie Images or Idols and the abominable Practises accompanying them 1 King 11.5 7. 2 King 23.24 Jerem. 7 30. â—2 34. 5 And upon her 15 forehead after the impudent manner of a whoreish woman Ezek 23 and 16.30 was a Name 16 written so plainly that it might be read and understood by those who exercise Spiritual Wisdom verse 9. Mystery 17 of iniquity 2 Thes 2.7 18 Babylon the great i.e. the Metropolis of the Fourth or Roman Empire the 19 Mother City and Church of Harlots i. e. of Idolatrous Cities and Churches and abominations i. e. the cheif Author and Promoter of Image Worship and other filthy 20 and unclean Doctrines and Practices of the Earth i. e. of the Apostasy 15 Criticks have observed that Harlots were wont to have their Names written on the Portals of the House where they prostituted themselves and sometimes upon their Foreheads and that hereby is accordingly signified the notorious Impudence of her Idolatry although I presume that this may be rather an allusion to the Title (a) Exod. 28.36 upon the Forefront of the Mitre of the Jewish High Priest which had Holiness to the Lord written upon it and that hereby is intimated that this Apostate Church was of a contrary Temper and Spirit to what God required in his Church and Servants 16 She was not one of those whom God had sealed in the Forehead but had her Crime written upon it her sin being publick and notorious and easily to be discerned by the Mind that hath Wisdom 17 Hereby is evidently signified that this VVoman had compleated and brought forth that Mystery of Iniquity which began to work when the Apostle wrote to the Thessalonians called a Mystery of Iniquity because it undermined Christianity the Mystery of Godliness by the specious pretences of promoting and advancing it as Dr. Moor hath shewn in his Mystery of Inibuity where he hath also plainly proved that this hath been actually done by the Romish Church whose Religion and Worship especially in what belongs to the Mystery of the Mass is so mystical that many Books have been writen to give the significations of it and of the Habits of their Priests and the Ceremoniet and Vestments they make use of And that Papal Rome is hereby meant will appear more evidently from what Scaliger has noted on this place viz. that the Word (a) Heidegger in Apocalyps cap. 17. pag. 160. Downham of Antichrist and Bishop Barlow's Brutum Fulmen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was engraven on the Frontlet of the Pope's Mitre and was changed by Julius the Third when the Protestants began to adapt this Prophecy to the Papacy which is also confessed to be true by Brocardus a Papist in his Notes upon this place who lived in the times of Pope Julius and is but faintly denied by Lessius in his Answer to King James 18 Babylon was the Seat of the Assyrian Monarchy and is confessed (b) Dr. Cressener lib. 1.3 by almost all Interpreters Ancient and Modern Popish as well as Protestant to be a Type of Rome which in here described by the Phrase Nebuchadnezzar made use of when he proudly gloried in Babylon as the seat of his Kingdom from whence it appears that Rome is here meant under the relation of being the seat of the fourth Empire as Babylon was of the first And Rome as the seat of the Fourth Empire under its Antichristian King must be here meant because it is called the Mother of Harlots which is a Phrase peculiar to an Apostate City and Church in Scripture as hath been before observed on numb 4. 19 The cheif of the Idolatrous Churches from whence Idolatry is derived and propagated to all others and on which they depend as members of it in Opposition to the True Jerusalem the mother of us all Gal. 4.26 20 Such as the Denial of Marriage to the Clergy whereby Vncleanness is promoted the toleration and defence of Fornication and other abominable Doctrines and Practises which are Taught or Connived at under the Papacy 6 And I saw the Woman as it were drunken with the Blood of the Saints or holy and pure Christians which she had spilt with an excessive and insatiable greediness and delight and with the Blood of the Martyrs of Jesus i. e. his Special and Faithful Witnesse and when I saw her I wondered 21 with great Admiration what this Vision should mean 21 This shews that Rome Antiehristian must be here understood for it would have been no such strange sight to have seen Pagan Rome defiled with Idolatry and drunk with the blood of Christians 7 And the Angel said unto me wherefore didst thou marvel for the thing when thou understandest it more fully will not seem so strange and therefore I will 22 tell or explain unto thee the mystery or secret meaning and import of the Woman i. e. the City and Church and of the Beast i. e. the Roman Empire that carrieth or supporteth her verse 3. which hath the seven heads and ten horns verse 3 22 Here the Angel contrary to his wonted custom Explains the Vision to him which shews that it is a very remarkable one and upon which the understanding of all the others depend very much 8 The beast or Roman Empire as under its seventh Head the Papacy verse 10 11. which thou sawest carrying the Woman verse 3. was 23 in the sixth head the Pagan Emperours verse 10 and is 23 not as yet risen and arrived to an Antichristian Supremacy See chap. 13. 11 12. and or but shall ascend 23 out of the bottomless Pit and arrive to that
Lombards and the Franks were removed by him to make way for his Dominion in Italy VVhich is plainly foretold Dan. 7.8 24. by the coming up of a Little Horn amongst the Ten Horns by whom three of them were humbled subdued and pluckt up by the Roots 8. May not the Pope according to Daniel 7.24 be fitly called a King diverse from all the rest of the Kings which are united with him Is not his Supremacy an Image as it is called Rev. 13.14 of Imperatorial power not a true and real one and does not he subsist meerly by the Will of the Princes and Kingdoms of whom he is the Spiritual Head so that they may according to (b) Dan. 8.24 Prophecy be fitly said to give their power to him and his power to be mighty but not by his own power 9. Antichrist is called the Son of Perdition in Scripture And is it not notorious in all (c) See the Lives of the Popes and the Histories of the Papacy before quoted Foulis of RomishVsurpat Overals Convocat Book lib. 3. Bp. Stillingfl of Idolatry p. 314-337 History that Perdition Mischief Wars and Bloodshed has attended the Rise and Progress of the Papacy For it was founded upon the Perdition and Ruines of the Empire it was raised to a Supremacy by approving the Murther of the Good Emperour Mauritius and advanced it self above the Civil powers and all that is called God by trampling upon Kings and Emperours raising VVars and Seditions against them and by anathematizing persecuting and killing all that opposed it 10. The Times of the Beast are most admirably divided in Scripture into a Time Times and an half Time to de note the several Steps and Advances of it and its Declination in the half Time which being a Division or breaking of Time is an intimation of its broken and divided State as hath been shewn on Chap. 12. Now it is plain from the History of the Papacy that its Power was most considerably broken at the Reformation A. D. 1517 So that we may very well date its half Time from that Year after which so many Nations fell off from it if from that Year we ascend to the beginning of its Two Vnited Times which are 720 Years we arrive at A. D. 797. when his first time ended consisting of 360 Years the half of which is 180 Years and there according to Expectation we find this Man of Sin in the great strength and vigour of Manly Age having conquered all the Obstacles which opposed his Establishment For in that very (a) Zonar Cedren Sigebert Petav. Rationar Tempor Year remarkable for a horrible Darkness for Seventeen Days together the whole Race of Leo Conon called Iconomachus was utterly extinguished by the cruel Empress Irene who had all along opposed the Pope in the Controversie about Images whereby he was freed from his Enemies on all hands his Power in the West being then also setled by the (b) Mezeray pag. 99. It may be observed that the Kings of France were the first Kings that embraced Christian Religion as it was professed at Rome and that they contributed the most of any Kings upon the Earth to the raising and supporting of the Papacy as appears from an Inscription on a Marble-Stone still extant at Ravenna where it is acknowledged that Pepin was the first King who gave example to Posterity how the power of Holy Church was to be amplified and encreased and as they have all along afforded Refuge to Persecuted Popes as Monsieur Mezeray speaks so is it a thing remarkable that France although it hath no great Obligation or dependency upon Rome except with relation to the priviledges of the Gallican Church yet interests her self more warmly in her Affairs and sends more Stately Embassies thither than any other Princes whence it may be observed that it is upon all accounts the chief part of the Decem-principality and that her Kings are the most remarkable of the Ten. Mezeray pag. 15. 223. Rycaut's Preface to the Lives of the Popes Kings of the Franks to whom as we may observe by the way the Popes chiefly owe their Temporal Grandeur And if we ascend again from thence to the beginning of its first Time which must accordingly be A. D. 437. we arrive to a very remarkable Year in which we find the World very busie in setling the Lunar Year as on purpose to point out unto us that the Beast's Months were then just entring in whose Times compared with the Days of the Witnesses there is observed the exact Mathematical proportion betwixt the Motion of the Sun and Moon a thing very (a) See before on Chap. 11. 2. admirable and worthy observation And further not only the beginning and end of the first Time where the Two Times also begin are remarkable for some notable things relating to the Papacy but also the Year 1157 the very Joynt of Time in which the Two Vnited Times meet is very Famous for (b) Baron Heidegger histor Papat cap. 4. Foulis of Romish Vsurpat 4.4 Pope Hadrian's setting up in the Vatican a Picture of the Emperour's Vassalage who was fain to hold the Pope's Stirrup before he could be crowned and for his insolent Letters to him wherein he asserts that he was set up by God to destroy Kingdoms and Countreys and that the Roman Empire was held as a Feif of the Papacy whereby he sufficiently shewed his Antichristian Spirit and his Mouth speaking great things So remarkable is each Joynt of the Beast's Times divided by the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit into a Time Times or Two Times united into One and half a Time to denote the different States of Antichrist and his Kingdom who was the whole first Time in his Growth and Ascent to an Idolatrous Power which he was fully established in at A. D. 797 ten Years after his finishing the Iconoclastick War in the Second Council of Nice and because after that Time until 1517. his Kingdom continually encreased and received no decay and he went on and prospered in one and the same Kingly State therefore are the Two next Times given in One united Line of Time called Times because it was One and the same Kingly State the first Time measuring out a different State from this having a distinct Time to it self and being then ended And his last State beginning at the Reformation A D. 1517. is very appositely measured by half a Time because it was a divided and a broken one Seeing therefore that the Doctrine Name Number Image Place Times and all the other Characters and Notes of Antichrist given in Scripture do all agree to the Papacy and to that alone it will follow that the Papacy is The Antichrist Q E D. But that the Rise Progress and Times of Antichrist may be the better understood I shall give this brief Scheme of them referring to the several places in the Annotations where they are particularly discoursed of 1. Antichrist (a) See
safely and at rest when they shall be invaded by Gog that is the Heathen Nations out of whose Captivity they are to be brought And in such a Posture may the Saints upon Earth be well presumed to be after the Thousand Years when the Laodicean State as hath been before observed on Chap. 3 14-21 begins in which through a long continuance of Glory and Prosperity the Saints upon Earth began to be less Zealous and did not so ardently desire to be caught up to Christ and be for ever with him as they had before done 10 And the Devil that deceived them or the Deceiver of them and that from the beginning John 4.44 1 John 3.8 was without any Tryal as being taken in the very Fact and having been a notorious Murtherer and Lyar from the beginning and the Father of all Sin and Enmity to Christ's Kingdom cast immediately into the 33 Lake of Fire and Brimstone where the 34 Beast and the False Prophet are who were before cast into it Chap. 19.20 and shall be tormented day aad night for ever and ever i. e. he was adjudged upon undeniable Evidence of Fact to a State of utter inability of acting against God and Christ and to extreme Torments to all Eternity without intermission 33 He and his cheif Agents are condemned to the same punishment having no remains of any Power left no more than there is of a thing which is consumed by Fire for the Devil shall not be only held in Chains as formerly but all his Power and Authority shall be utterly abolished Grotius in locum in Cap. 19,20 34 From hence it appears that Gog and Magog is not Antichrist as some have thought because Antichrist was in the Lake before their Discomfiture and Condemnation 11 And I saw a 35 great white 36 Throne i. e. a Representation of the last and great Act of Judicature in which all Enmity was destroyed and the living remaining Saints were caught up to the Lord to sit with him on his Throne and all which belonged to Christ's Kingdom were fully sanctified and glorified and prepared for Union with God to all Eternity 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thes 4. Rev. 3.21 and him that sat on it i. e. Christ Matth. 25.31 Acts 17.21 from whose 37 Face or Presence upon the Declaration of his Will the 38 New Earth and the 38 New Heaven sled 39 away or disappeared at his Rebuke and Command and there was found no 40 place for them i. e. they were utterly abolished and annihilated Psalm 37.10 Dan. 2.35 Rev. 12.8 35 It was a great Throne because all who had overcome were to sit with Christ in it and the whole World was to be finally Judged at it and it was White to shew the Glory Sanctity and Purity of Christ's Justice and of the State in which the Saints were now to be invested who at this great and last Session are caught up together into the Air to be with Christ for ever after they had Judged the World with him 36 From the Appearance of this Throne and the following Judgment it may be concluded that this was the Laodicean State of the Church according to the importance of the Word which signifies the Judging of the People See on Chap. 3. 37 Face signifies a stedfast Will and Purpose shewn by Gestures or other Signs and Circumstances as the word is taken Luke 9 51-53 38 38 These must be the New Heaven and New Earth whose Description is given in the following Chapter because they fly away after the Expiration of the Thousand Years which is the space of Time allotted to the Duration of the Reign and Kingdom of Christ and of the Holy City prepared as a Bride the New Jerusalem which are to be not in the Old but the New Heaven and Earth as will plainly appear to any one who compares this Chapter with the following wherein as is all along observed are such Descriptions given of the Thousand Years Kingdom of Christ as can agree to no other but a New Heaven and New Earth in which dwelleth Righteousness 39 This New Earth flies away but the Old One is to be dissolved by Fire of which flying away is not a proper Expression 40 The Psalmist expresseth the Death of a Man by his place knowing him no more Psalm 103.16 But when it is said That no place is found for a thing thereby seems to be denoted its utter annihilation and withal the impossibility of any other thing succeeding in its place because there is no place remaining into which it should succeed Whence it follows that this is the last Heaven and Earth and that no New Ones are to succeed it and that nothing else shall remain after it but the Eternal Kingdom of God All in All in the highest Heavens and the Lake of the Damned 12 And I saw the 41 Dead in Trespasses and Sins who had lain in an unactive State of Infamy during the Thousand Years and were afterwards discomfited by the Fire of God which came down from Heaven Verse 5 9. small 42 and great i. e. all sorts and the whole Race of them Chap. 19.18 stand before God to be judged by him and the 43 Books of God's Omniscience Mens Consciences and the Law were opened i. e. Mens Actions and God's Knowledge of them were made manifest and 44 another Book was opened which is the Book 44 of Life viz. the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the World Chap. 3 5.13 8.17 8 21 27. and the Wicked Dead raised to Condemnation and discomfited by God's severe Judgment and Indignation and now brought all together to receive their final Sentence were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their own wicked Works which were not also found written in the Book of Life Verse 15. 41 Hence it appears that this is the Judgment of the Nations the Gog-Magog who were discomfited Verse 9. because they are called the Dead in Ezekiel and the Slain and Dead in this Prophecy 42 Hence it also appears that these are the Kings and their Armies mentioned Chap. 19.18 19. who are the slain and the all men small and great viz. the whole Race of wicked Men. 43 A Metaphor (a) Dan. 7.10 Esth. 6.1 Isa 65.6 Malach. 3.16 taken from the Rolls and Records of Courts of Judicature and from the Registers kept by the Eastern Kings of the Actions of their Reigns whereby God's exact Justice and the perfect Knowledge which he hath of all Mens Actions is set forth and the evident Conviction which will attend the procedures of that Great Day Matth. 12.36 1 Cor. 4.5 44 44 This is is the Book of Election and Predestination belonging to the Living in the New Jerusalem State which is represented as One single Book because it depends upon One single Decree of God and One single Cause of that Decree viz. the free Grace and Good Pleasure of God in Christ Acts 13.48 Rom. 8.28 c.
revealed in Flames of Fire It being very (a) Luke 17 26-31 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom c. Even thus shall it be in the Day when the Son of Man is revealed i. e. to make good the parallel in the very self same Day in which he is revealed 2 Thess 1.7 8. 2 Pet. 3.10 12. See Dr. Burnet 's Theory B. 3. and 4. Mather de Signo Filii Homin 2. 5. plain from Doctrinal Scripture that the present World shall be burnt before the end of all things and probably at Christ's very first coming to his Kingdom to which Conflagration there will be many preceeding Dispositions and Preparations which are called the Signs of Christs Coming in Scripture and are probably the Vials in this Prophecy before insisted on Chap. 16. This New (b) Dr. Burnet 's Theory B. 4. 3 8. Heaven and Earth which are to arise out of the Remains of the Old ones as out of a Second Chaos are no other than the Seat of the Kingdom of the Blessed Millennium in which the Saints are to Reign with Christ Chap. 20. because according to the plain words of the Apostle Peter it is that New Heaven and Earth in which Righteousness is to dwell i. e. Righteous Saints are to Reign in Holiness and Righteousness during the Day of Judgment which is a Day of the Lords consisting of a Thousand Years which is as plain a Description of the Blessed Millenium as can well be given of which Truth also the following Verses will administer many Proofs 3 The very word made use of by the Apostle Peter 2 Ep. 3.10 concerning the passing away of the Heavens of this World at the general Conflagration For it is to be observed that the Scriptures make mention of Three Worlds 1. The World before the Flood reaching from the beginning of the Creation to its perishing by Water Which the Apostle (a) 2 Ep. 2 5.3 5 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peter calls the Heavens and Earth of Old the World that then was and the Old or Original World concerning which see the (b) Burnet's Theory B. 1. and 2. and the Append to the 4th Book ingenious Theory of the Earth 2. The present World reserved for fire called in (c) 2 Pet. 3.7 Rom. 8 19-24 Gal. 1.4 John 12 31.14 30. 1 Cor. 2.6 8. 2 Cor. 4.4 Mather de Signo Fil. Homin 1. 2. Scripture the Heavens and Earth which are now this present evil World and this VVorld by way of Contempt and to distinguish it from the world to come 3. The New (d) 2 Pet. 3.13 Heb. 2.5 Eph. 1.21 Luke 20 34-38 and Chap. 17. Heavens and New Earth called in Scripture the VVorld to come that VVorld the VVorld of the Resurrection from the Dead and the Kingdom of God and of the Son of Man at his coming which is to succeed when (a) 1 Cor. 7.31 Psalm 102.26 2 Pet. 3. Psalm 104.30 Matth. 19.28 Acts 3.21 Rom. 8 19-24 Mather de Signo c. 2.5 Burnet 's Theory the Form Fashion and Disposition of the parts of this VVorld shall pass away and be changed upon its dissolution by fire and there shall be a Restitution Regeneration Delivery Redemption and Restauration of all things in the Natural as well as Moral VVorld into the Primitive State from which they had fallen by Sin 4 This is a very surprising confirmation of Doctor Burnet's Hypothesis viz. That the VVorld shall be restored to its Primitive Paradisiacal State in which there was no Sea and that the Sea shall be devoured by the Conflagration which latter is also alluded to by the Prophet Amos Chap. 7.4 where he supposes that Fire shall devour the great Deep of which it had already eaten up or devoured a part in Vision And the VVicked being separated by God from the Righteous now strictly united into one Body and living together in perfect Peace and Unity it seems to be very congruous there should be No Sea in that State which as it is the Type of unquiet multitudes so also is it an hinderance to the mutual communication of Men one with another And here it may be convenient to give a brief Account of the Series and Order of things according to Scripture from the Time of the Approach of Christ's Kingdom until the End and Delivery up of it to God 1. Antichrist will fall as soon as ever the Months of the Beast are expired and Mahometanism which was designed as a Scourge to it shall consequently afterwards cease to be a VVo to the Christian VVorld See Chapter 9 12.11 2 3 14. 2. The Jews also will be restored to their own Countrey after the fullfilling of the Times of the Gentiles i. e. at the End of Antichristian Times Matth. 21.24 3. There will be Days of Great Tribulation and immediately after them there will be many signs of Christ's coming and of the End of the VVorld and very great Preparations for the general Conflagration Matth. 24.3 29. Mather de Signo Filii Hominis Dr. Burnet's Theory B. 3. Chap. 10 11 12. 4. Then will appear some Extraordinary Sign of the Son of Man in Heaven upon which all the Tribes of the Earth shall mourn and the Son of Man shall be seen coming in the Clouds of Heaven Matth. 24.30 5. As soon as ever Christ shall appear the Dead will be raised and the Earth and Heavens of this present World will at the same time be dissolved by Fire in which the Wicked Living and Raised are punished (a) 2 Thes 1.8 9. 2 Pet. 3.7 Vengeance being to be taken on them and they suffering Perdition in and by this Conflagration of the Heavens and Earth which were kept in store and preserved by God for the perdition of ungodly men and that not only of the wicked men of that Generation which shall be then alive but of all who have died in their sins it being plain that our Saviour bids all of every Generation watch least that Day surprize them and that he supposes that Sodom and Gomorrah which were set forth for an Example of Eternal Fire should suffer again in the Day of Judgment and that all which repent not must perish (a) Luke 13.3 5. Matth. 11.24 Jude 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the like manner with the Galileans and those on whom the Tower of Siloam fell that is by sudden Bodily Judgments which can happen to all impenitents only at this General Judgment by Fire 6. The whole Antichristian State will be utterly annihilated at the first appearance of Christ Satan will be bound for a Thousand Years and the Wicked will not be consumed in the Conflagration but having Bodies capable of undergoing it will be brought thereby into a state of Confinement and that as it were in the (b) See the Opinions of the Ancients about Limbus Patrum in Bp. Usher's answer to the Jesuit Ends and Corners of the New Earth during the
in my Kingdom and thereby putting an end to Prophecy whose main scope and design was with reference unto it See on Chap. 1 8.21 6 14 Blessed 22 in Christ's Kingdom Dan. 12.12 See on Chap. 14.13 are they that (a) The King's M S. reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is wash their garments do his Commandments i. e. are now found and appear to have kept them that they may have right by virtue of the Covenant of Grace and upon their appearing in the fine (a) The King's M S. reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is wash their garments white Linnen of Christ's Righteousness See on Chap. 19.7 8. to the Tree of Life i. e. to the incorruptibility of the new Jerusalem State verse 2. and many enter in through the Gates of the City i. e. be admitted into that State See on chap. 21.6 12 21. 15 For without this blessed State in the four corners of the new Earth see on chap. 20.8 are Dogs i. e. the Members of the Antichristian (b) A Dog is thought by the best interpreters to signify a Sodomite Deut. 23.18 Canes qui Supra cap. 21.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut Hebrei exponunt id quod est Deut. 23.18 Grot. in Locum Sodom chap. 11.8 and those who are without the Covenant Matt. 15.26 Profane Bruitish and Persecuting Apostates Matt. 7.6 2 Pet. 2.22 and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murtherers and Idolaters and whosoever liveth and maketh a Lie i. e. all wicked Persons but especially the Antichristian Party to which these Characters eminently agree see on Chap. 21.8 27. 16 I Jesus have sent my Angel from the beginning (c) Chap. 1.1 of this Prophecy all along to this present conclusion of it to testify unto you John and all my other Servants chap. 1.1 these things in the Churches i. e. in or concerning the seven Successions of my Church see the Notes on chap. 1.4 and on chap. second and third I am the root and the off-spring of David i. e. the Messias proceeding from David as from a root to whom the Kingdom (d) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was Promised see on chap. 5.5 and the bright and morning Star which only dawned in the Church Succession of Thyatira but now shews in full brightness at the succession of my Kingdom see the Notes on chap. 2.28 17 And the Shirit speaking to and in the several Successions of the Church chap. 2. and 3. and makeing intercession for the Saints Rom. 8.26 27. and the Bride i. e. the Saints chap 19.7 8.21 2 say come Lord Jesus come quickly in thy Kingdom And let him that heareth and obeyeth the words of this Prophecy say joyning as in consort come Lord Jesus And (a) These are Christ's Words and are a kind of Antiphon◠in ths Divine Anthem or Sacred Dialogue wherein Christ in Answer to the Saints says as it were if you so desire my coming I will not be backward in inviting you let him say I that is a thirst come let him that is a thirst for the comforts and refreshments of the new Jerusalem State see on chap. 21.6 come And whosoever will or has a sincere desire for these times of full refreshments let him take the Water of Life freely for the incorruptibility of this State is of my free grace and favour chap. 21 6.22 1. 18 For I Christ verse 20. testify and declare (b) All this is frequently the import of the word Testifie in Scripture openly with the greatest earnestness zeal and holy Asseveration as with an Oath John 13.21 Rom. 1.9 Acts 18.5 unto every man of what (c) Nullo excepto pontifice vel concilio Paraeus in loc quality or dignity soever that heareth the words of the Prophecy of this Book that it is a Book of so great perfection and life that if any man shall (d)(d) Elegans est allusio in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grot. in Loc. add unto these things contained in this Book of Revelations and by consequence to any other part of Scripture by 22 Traditions and rash (e) Rashly to be the Authority of a false Interpretation of Scripture is to take God's Name in vain in a high degree Mr. Mede This is the last authoritative Prophecy that is likely to come from Heaven to be a rule of Faith to the Church and whosoever shall go about to infuse any other expectations into men than usually are agreeable to these Visions God shall bring on him the Judgments here denounced against his greatest Enemies and so in like manner whosoever shall derogate from the authority of this Prophecy or occasion mens not receiving the admonition of Christ here contained in every part thereof God shall cast him off c. Dr. Hammond's Paraphr or wilfully false Interpretations God shall add unto him besides the retributions of his ordinary Justice and Wrath the dreadful plagues that are written in this Book 22 Here is a change of Persons and John speaks whose words plainly refer to the admittance and entrance of the Saints into the new Jerusalem State and therefore must have respect to the times after the Pouring forth of the Vials when the Wicked were shut out of the City 19 And if any man shall take 23 away as the Antichristian Party hath even the Scriptures themselves from the words or authority of this of Prophecy God shall take away his part and the Book of Life i. e. he shall not be found written in the Book of Life among the Living in the New Jerusalem and out of the Holy City from which he shall be debarred and excommunicated and from the Things promises and blessings which are written in this Baok 23 As the Antichristian Party hath done 20 He which testifies these things i e. Christ who is Truth it self saith surely believe it for it is a certain and infallible Truth I come quickly i. e. all my comings are unexpected and by Surprize I begin very suddenly after the date of this Vision to bring it into effect I hasten all things to an end in the just and due time and am now just upon coming to put an end to this and all other Prophecies being not slack in performing them as some men count slackness 2 Pet. 3.9 Amen saith John the beloved Apostle and Servant of Christ in the Name and Person of Angels and Saints his fellow Servants even so be it come Lord Jesus in thy Kingdom come quickly 21 The 24 Justifying Sanctifying and efficaciously operative Grace Proceeding from the undeserved Love Favour and Assistances of our Lord God Jesus Christ our Saviour and anointed Prophet Priest and King be with you all Churches and Saints to whom this great Prophetical Epistle is Written Amen So be it and so it will certainly be 24 This whole Book of Prophecies being as it were one entire Epistle Monitory to the Church of God throughout all Ages of the World it is concluded as it was begun according to the custom of the Apostles with the usual Form of Valediction in their Epistles AMEN AMEN COME LORD JESUS COME QUICKLY FINIS