not for thy own sake or the sake of the Church which thou fearest will be deprived of what is contained in this Book for behold the Lyon 10 of the Tribe of Judah i. e. Christ Gen. 49.9 Heb. 7.13 14. who is also the root of David Isa 11.1 10. Rom. 15.12 hath prevailed with the Father by his Blood and Merits to open the Book and to loose the seven Seals thereof Vers 2 4. i. e. to declare what is in it and to accomplish it 8 For so One seems to signifie in this Prophecy as also it does Dan. 10.13 Gen. 1.4 Matth. 28.1 9 The Jewish Church having been entrusted with the Oracles and Prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Kingdom of Christ it is very proper that their Ministry should be here made use of to declare unto John the import of what had been delivered therein concerning the Merits and Power of Christ in revealing and erecting his Kingdom and therefore Christ is here described by Titles taken from what relates to the Jews as the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah because he came from that Tribe which is resembled to a Lyon in Scripture and the Root of David because he proceeded from his Stock as from a Root 10 No Creature whatsoever as Man signifies Verse 7. and Isa 41.28 was able to open this Book or look into it but only Christ by Vertue of his Merits whereby that extravagant Knowledge which is ascribed unto Angels and Saints in the Romish Church and their Mediatorship is plainly exploded as appears also from the 11th 12th 13th and 14th Verses 6 And I beheld with great concern and expectation and lo on a sudden in the midst of the Throne i. e. just before it and next unto it and of the Four Beasts and in the midst of the Elders i. e. betwixt God the Father and his Church stood 11 in a posture of Defence as Mediator and Advocate and in a readiness to receive his Kingdom Dan. 7.13 14. a Lamb i. e. Christ John 1.29.36 as it had been newly stain and just risen from the dead having seven Horns 12 i. e. perfect Regal Authority especially over the sevenfold State of the Church and seven Eyes signifying perfection of Knowledge and Providential Administrations Zech. 3.9 which are or represent the seven Spirits of God i. e. the perfect Operations of Gods Spirit Zech. 4.6 10. See on Rev. 1.4 sent forth into all the Earth to superintend dispose and conduct all things 2 Chron. 46.9 Isa 11.2 11 From Christ's being here represented as just risen from the dead with the Signs of his Sufferings fresh and bleeding it may be gathered that the Epocha of these Visions is to be taken from Christ's Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven as we have observed before on Chap. 1.10 And he is represented as standing to denote that he was not as yet in possession of his Kingdom which was due to him at his Resurrection as the Psalmist plainly affirms Psalm 2 7 8. but that he stood ready to receive it to which end he was brought unto the Father as appears plainly from Dan. 7.13 14. 12 Horns being the Weapons of Beasts they are put to signifie Strength and Power in Scripture as Psalm 75.5 10. and in Daniel and this Prophecy they denote Kings and their Regal Power as the Scripture interprets it self Dan. 8.20 21. Rev. 17.12 7 And he i. e. Christ being now entring upon his Kingly Office came to the Father being brought near before him to receive his Kingdom Dan. 7.13 14 and took the Book * out of the Right Hand of him that sate upon the Throne i. e. received his Kingdom from the Father and power to reveal and execute what was contained in that Book concerning it * This answers to Dan. 7.14 where upon his being brought to the Father a Kingdom is given him of which this Book is a Symbol as being the Book of the Kingdom of Christ only we are to take notice that the Book is sealed the Kingdom being not to appear but by steps and degrees according to the opening of the Seals until the seventh Trumpet of the seventh Seal during which time Christ was to sit in the patience and expectation of his Kingdom at the Right Hand of God until his Father made his Foes his Footstool according to Psalm 110.1 and 1 Cor. 15.25 27. 8 And when he had taken the Boâ—k the four Beasts and four and twenty Elders i. e. the Christian and the Jewish Church perceiving th t all Power was now given unto him of the Father fell down before the Lamb to worship him bearing every one of them Harps to praise him and golden Vials or Bowls to hold Incense in 2 Chron. 4.22 full of 13 Odours which are i. e. signifie the Prayers Psalm 141.2 of Saints i. e. of the living Creatures and Elders and all Saints and Members of the pure Church in his Kingdom Rev. 20.4 13 The Ascent of the Incense signifies the Ascent of Prayers to Heaven and the Odour of it their Acceptableness with God for which see Dr. Hammond on the place and on Luke 1.10 And here Christ appearing for his Saints as in his Kingdom makes them Priests to God by giving them Incense See Chap. 8.3 4.20 6. 9 And they sung a new Song of 14 singular Love and Gratitude upon the occasion of Christ's Redemption and Kingdom saying Thou art worthy and thou alone Verse 23. to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God i. e. to be his Servants and Worshippers by thy Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation to be a Catholick Church and Kingdom 14 In this sense this Word is taken Psalm 33.3 Isa 42.9 10. But it is rather called a New Song here because it will have been for a long time out of use during the Apostacy which will have perverted the Doctrine of Redemption and Kingdom of Christ therein celebrated of which Kingdom there is here given an Appearance and Representation signified by Musick and Harps which are the Attendants of it in this Prophecy Songs and Musick being not made use of in it but upon some such Pre-appearance until the Apostasie is at an end as if during the Absence of the Bridegroom Mourning were more suitable for the Church 10 And hast made us unto the Service and Glory of our God Kings and Priests i. e. a Priestly Kingdom Chap. 1.6 and we shall reign 15 in the Earth in thy Kingdom Rev. 20.4 15 From hence it is plain that Christ's Kingdom is to be upon Earth Rev. 20.4 11 And I beheld or was still in Vision and I heard the Voice of many Angels round about the Throne and round about the Beasts and the Elders i. e. the whole Church consisting of Angels and Men Christians and Jews Heb. 12.22 23 24. and the number of them i. e. of the Angels was ten tbousand times ten thousand and thousands of
4.19 Salaho Ddin who took Aegypt from the Saracenick Chalifs about A. D. 1169. where the Turkish and Circassian Mamlucs i. e. Slaves or Servants afterwards bore sway for about 275 years as Dr. Pocock informs us in his Supplement to Abul-Pharajai But on a sudden A. D. (d) Abul-phar p. 280-368 1202. there arose a New Empire in the World the Mogul-Tartars or Tatars called so from a (e) Bizar de reb Perfic River in that Countrey of that Name falling in upon the Eastern Empire of the Turks and making Incursions as far as Asia Minor which the Arabians call Rumaea and at last taking Bagdad A. D. 1258. whereby the Dynasty of the Arabian Mussulmen was transferred unto the Kings of the Mogul-Tartars according to Abul-pharajai which Empire nevertheless lasted not long in those parts for it was broken by mutual Discords about A. D. 1335. where Dr. (a) Supplem ad Abul-phar pag. 1-6 Pocock places the end of that Dynasty nothing considerable being performed by them until the Time of Tamerlan Timur Lenc who died A. D. 1404. Since which time they have contained themselves within their own Eastern bounds and have not carried their Arms into the Western parts This great and terrible Invasion gave occasion to the Rise of the (b) Annal. Turcici Pandect Turcic Histor. Musulman per Leunclav Pocock Supplem ad Abul-phar pag. 41-53 Ottoman Turks who being beaten out of Asia by the Mogul-Tartars and hearing of the Fame of the Sultans of Iconium began their March from the Province of Mahan in the Dominions of the Persians towards Asia Minor A. D. 1214. under the Conduct of Solyman-Shahum to one of whose Sons he himself being drowned at the passing of Euphrates Aladin Sultan of Iconium assigned a Portion of Land near the Mountains of Armenia From which small beginnings they raised themselves by their Valour and the Favour of Aladin to such a heighth that A. D. 1299. (c) Dr. Pocock Supplem pag. 42. Othman commonly called Ottoman Solyman's Grandchild took the Name of Sultan and so enlarged their Dominions that his Son he himself dying A. D. 1325. took Brusia formerly Prusa a City of Bithynia either that Year or very soon after and made it the First Seat as Hadrianople was afterwards and Constantinople is now of the mighty Ottoman Empire which (d) Leunclav Histor pag. 78 85 93. succeeded the Aladinian Sultany after it had been established in Asia Minor about Ninety Years Since which time their History is so well known that I shall not further insist upon it having brought it down to the Times here mentioned viz. their most Famous passing the River Euphrates and that at a time as (a) Narrat Turcic pag. 41. Camerarius has very well noted when Ecclesiastical Authority had advanced it self above the Civil and Divisions and Superstition had much encreased amongst Christians Now the Cause why this great Empire should be Characterized by Four Angels bound in the River Euphrates and afterwards loosed is a thing worthy our disquisition and it may perhaps be for these Reasons 1. Because that the Kingdom of the Turks was divided into Four Proefectures or Principalities whilst they were bound in the River Euphrates that is had made no Incursions into those Western parts which are bounded by that Famous River For so we are expresly told in the Relation (b) Excerpt e Legat. inter Histor Byzant pag. 106-108 of an Embassy from the Scythian Turks to Justin Junior about A.D. 570. where the Turkish Embassadours being asked hy the Emperour concerning the State of their Kingdom tell him that the Chief Power was indeed solely in their King Disabulus but that their Kingdom was divided into Four 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Principalities 2. At their most memorable passing the River Euphrates they were under the Command of Four (c) Pocock Supplem pag. 41 42. Captains viz. Solyman (d) Leunclav Hist pag. 86. Shahum and his Three Sons and upon the death of Solyman who was drowned in the passing of that River a circumstance not altogether to be disregarded they were again under Four Commanders viz. Otrogules and his Three Sons of whom Ottoman was one who upon their being loosed by having power from God to pass the River Euphrates laid the Foundations of that mighty Empire All which are no obscure Circumstances but most notable and most famous passages of their History the Number of Four Illustrious Families being so remarkable amongst them that (a) Pandect Turcic pag. 411. Paris edit ad calcem Chalcondyl Leunclavius hath a particular Chapter about 3. They are not only remarkable for (b) Leunclav Hist 86 87. pag. Four Chief successive Families viz. the Seljukian Aladinian Oguzian and Ottoman but if Mr. Mede's Observation prove true they were actually divided into Four Tetrarchies or Sultanies whilst they were bound in Euphrates And lastly Because the Spirit of God in delivering Prophecies which are on purpose dark and aenigmatical may allude to many passages and circumstances in one and the same Type and Figurative Expression some less known and obvious than others to excite men's Industry why may not the Turkish Potentacy be signified by Four because of the Vniversality of its Conquests described Dan. 11 40-45 Four as Dr. Moor observes standing for a Note of Vniversality in the Cabbalistick Mysteries especially in the Graecian Monarchy which it was more immediately designed to kill or destroy For as the Horns of the Altar from which the Voice comes Vers 13. are Four to signifie the Vniversal Extent of Christ's Church so are there here Four Angels loosed to shew that this Woe was to fall Vniversally upon the Grecian Church and Monarchy described in Daniel Chap. 8.8 by Four Notable Horns towards the Four Winds of Heaven For the Turkish Empire as that Judicious Historian Mr. (c) Turkish History in the Preface and pag. 981. Knolls has observed hath brought fatal mutations not upon Christendom only but the whole World having under its Command the chief and most Fruitful parts of Europe Africa and Asia and having fixed it self almost altogether even in the self same Kingdoms Countries and Regions as belonged to the Greek Empire For although the Third of the Earth and of Men be the Symbol of the Grecian Empire yet in respect of its Vniversality it may also be represented by the Number Four 20 To bind is to hinder and restrain as appears from Rev. 20.2 and that by secret Impulses and Instincts as the Word is taken Acts 20.22 And from hence we may learn That the Bounds of Empires and their progress are from God as are also the Providential Seasons in which he lets loose Barbarous Nations to chastise Christians 21 A great River upon which the Old Babylon the Type of the Antichristian City stood it was the fatal Boundary of the Roman Empire and was so oftentimes to the Turks they making but small Advances beyond it except in Asia
Imperial Seat at Rome and his great 11 Authority Rule or Government 7 7 7 From hence it appears that this was the Fourth or Roman Monarchy because it is represented as made up of the Three former whose People and Nations it conquered and out of whose Ruines it grew and because it had all the evil Qualities and Properties of Subtilty and Cruelty which are thought to be (c) See the Interpreters on Daniel 7. signified by these Beasts which Fourth Beast having no shape 〈◊〉 Daniel has here one given it in which the Parts and Shapes of the Image and the Beasts in Daniel are united into one Fourth Beast Only it is to be observed that the Order of the Parts of this Beast is contrary to that in Daniel the Leopard being placed first because it represented the Grecian Monarchy which immediately preceded the Roman which this Beast was like unto in its Body as it was in its Mouth to the Lion which corresponds to the Head of the Image and in its Fore-Feet to the Bear whose strength lies in his Fore-Feet which answer to the Arms of the great Image as the Hinder-Feet or Legs do to its Legs and Feet the proper situation of the Fourth or Roman Monarchy And the Dragon answers exactly to the first appearance of the Fourth Beast Dan. 7.7 and the Beast it self with its Ten Kings to the Ten Horned appearance of that Beast and the Little Horn amongst them Dan. 7.7 8. These being but several Symbols and Hierogliphicks of one and the same thing viz. of Four successive Vniversal Monarchies 8 By the Dragon is meant as hath been before observed on Chap. 12.3 the Imperatorial Pagan Power or the Heathen Emperours of Rome the sixth Head as under the Influence of Sathan who is mentioned chiefly with reference to the Roman Monarchy in this Prophecy which has the Character of Satanicalness above all the rest 9 Here the Succession of the seventh Head or the Antichristian King to the sixth Head or the Pagan Emperours is described by the Dragon 's giving him his Power which came to pass at A.D. 476. when the Christian Emperours the seventh King but no Head as is shewn on Chap. 17 8-13 ceased and the Antichristian King succeeded And the latter is represented as receiving Power from the former by immediate Succession although there were about an hundred and Fifty Years distance betwixt them because it was the next immediate Head to it although not the next King who being a Christian one is of no account in the Annals of the Beastian Kingdom as the Jews and Eastern People were wont to omit the History and Chronology of Vsurpers and because the Dragon's Antichristian Successor was then in Being although withheld from his actual Succession by the Christian Emperours according to 2 Thes 2. as is fully shewn on Chap. 17. And the Dragon is said to give his Power to the Beast that is secretly to convey and willingly to resign it to him because of the insensible Change of Paganism into Antichristianism and the Agreeableness betwixt them 10 This being a Roman Beast the Seat or Throne given it must be at Rome too Which was by a wonderful Interposal of Providence kept as it were empty for the Beast Constantine removing from thence to Byzantium and the Western Emperours residing mostly at Milan and Ravenna by which means the Power of the Papacy encreased at Rome and the Dragon made sure of his Seat for his Successor which he began to do as soon as he perceived that he must depart by so influencing Dioclesian and Maximian under the disposals of Providence that the one should live at Milan and the other at Nicomedia and resign the Empire in those Cities and not at Rome And this is a thing so evident from History that it is expresly mentioned by Laonicus (a) De reb gest Imperat. Turcar. edit Paris pag. 3. Blondus instaurat Rom. lib. 3. Steuch Eugub de Constantin Donat. lib. 1. Chalcondylas an Athenian whom I mention to shew that it was a thing so notorious that Strangers took notice of it with this Notable Remark That the Romans although Masters of the greatest Empire in the World left Rome to the High-Priest and passed into Thrace unto Constantinople under the Conduct of Constantine After the Division of the Empire into Eastern and Western Rome was so much neglected by the Western Emperours that there are frequent Complaints of that City in (b) Sâ—gon de Imper. Oceident lib. 10. pag. 167. edit Hanov. Claudian that Milan was preferred before it and when Augustulus abdicated Odoacer retired to Ravenna leaving Rome to the Papacy which came then into succession as its proper Seat and although (a) Sigon ibid. lib. 16. pag. 271. Theodorick acknowledged that it was a Crime to be absent from that City yet as if a Providential Fate had determined him contrary to his own Will and Choice he immediately after a splendid Triumph retired from it to Ravenna where his Successors the Gothick Kings resided And it is further to be observed that when the Beast succeeded into the Dynasty or Power and Seat of the Dragon that Odoacer called not himself Emperour of Rome which was the Seat of the Beast but King of Italy and that although there have been since the Time of Augustulus the last Emperour of Rome Kings of Italy Roman Emperours and Kings of the Romans yet there hath been no Supream Governour who hath had the Imperial Title of the City of Rome it self at least for any long time but the Pope who is peculiarly styled the Pope of Rome and hath the Supreme Government of it See more on Chap. 17. 11 This refers to the Authority the Pope hath in the Empire in Union with the Ten Kings of whom he is Head See on Chap. 17. 3 And I saw 12 one of his Heads to wit the Sixth the Pagan Emperours as it 13 were wounded or slain to death by the Christian Emperours and his to wit the Beast's deadly wound in its sixth Head was healed by its survival in the seventh Head which succeeded it See Verse 14. and Chap. 17.8 11 and all the * World wondred after the Beast i. e. were wonderfully taken with him and followed him with implicit Consent and Applause 12 It is evident by comparing Rev. 17 8-13 with this Verse that by this wounded Head must be understood the Pagan Emperours the sixth Head wounded by the Christian Emperours the seventh King 13 Here we may observe that the Sixth Head is not said to be dead but to have a Wound which seemed (a) Arethas in locum to be deadly or to be wounded as it were to death whereby may be denoted that although the Pagan Imperialism the sixth Head never came again into Succession for any long time the Roman Monarchickness of it only remaining under the Christian Emperours and not its Pagan Idolatry and Bloody Temper against Christianity that yet Paganism was not so
See Chap. 2.9 num 19. 22 The Humane Nature of Christ is called in (a) John 1.14 Hebr. 8 2.9 11. Col. 2.9 See Dr. Hammond on John 1.14 Scripture the True Tabarnacle in which the Divinity as it were sojourned here upon Earth And the Church also may be represented by a Tabernacle as it is called Ezek. 23.4 Rev. 21.3 because of its wandring Wilderness-condition in expectation of its Home and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Heaven The (b) See Dr. Moor's Mystery of Iniquity first is blasphemed in the Papacy many ways but especially by the Doctrine of Transubstantiation and the Idolatrous practises consequent upon it the latter by Calumnies Excommunications and Persecutions It is the Opinion of a Learned Man that by Tabernacle is here meant the State of Saints and Angels in Heaven or the Heavenly State in which Christ is said to minister Heb. 8.2 and through which he is said to have passed Heb. 9.11 to the Holy of Holies the very Throne of God which may also be the meaning of Heb. 10.20 And this Interpretation he thinks to be most probable 1. Because the Humane Nature of Christ is it self the Minister of the Tabernacle and not the Tabernacle in which the Ministration is performed 2. Because the Heavenly things themselves are to be purified and anointed Dan. 9.24 Heb. 9.23 and therefore are to be supposed to have been prophaned and blasphemed that is Idolatrously abused and because such an Acceptation of the Word Tabernacle here is more agreeable to what is said in this Vision concerning the Tabernacle of Testimony being opened and the Tabernacle of God being with Men and with Ezekiel's Visional Temple or Tabernacle and with the Divine Tabernacle Chap. 4. the Scene or Apocalyptick Stage of these Visions See Chap. 12 1. 21 3. And lastly because Christ in his Humane Nature may be more significantly comprehended under the (a) John 1.1 18. See Mercer and Pocock on Joel 2.32 and Acts 2.21 Name of God 23 Who are blasphemed by the Idolatrous Worship of them taught and practised in the Church of Rome 7 And it was given to him to make War with the Saints i. e. to oppose excommunicate and persecute the Witnesses Chap. 11 7. and the Seed of the Woman Chap 12.17 and to overcome them Chap. 11.7 and power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations i. e. to make Proselytes in all parts of the World and to Rule and Govern the Kings and People of the Antichrian Kingdom Chap. 10.11 8 And all that dwell upon the Earth i. e. the Apostacy shall worship him i. e. obey and honour him as an Infallible Head whose 24 Names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World i. e. except those Living Eminent and Excellent Members of Christ's Church particularly known and designed by him to be effectually saved by his Blood who was crucified in respect of the Divine Decree Appointment and Agreement betwixt the Father and the Son from all Eternity Phil. 4.3 Gen. 3.15 Acts 15.18 Gal. 3.17 24 See on Chap. 3. 4 5. These are the Witnesses Chap. 11. the seed of the Woman Chap. 12.17 and the Sealed ones 9 If any man 25 hath an ear let him hear for what hath been now delivered in a Spiritual and Mystical manner is very remarkable and worthy the most attentive and most serious Observation See Chap. 2.7 25 Hereby as hath been already shewn on Chap. 2.7 is intimated that what has been delivered concerning the Beast in this Chapter after an aenigmatical and parabolical manner this being the Sentence made use of by our Saviour in the close of his Parables is a Truth of the greatest importance against which yet many would shut their Ears And therefore all Christians are called upon seriously to consider and weigh what is here delivered and not to be driven from the profession of the pure Faith by Fear of Punishment nor wrought upon to follow the Beast by the spendid Baits of Greatness Power and Authority or the high and big pretences of Infallibility Success and Vniversality seeing it was foreseen and foretold by the Holy Spirit that the generality of Mankind should be earthly minded and should thereupon follow the Beast and only a few chosen and beloved of God should escape this Vniversal Corruption 10 He that leadeth 26 into Captivity shall go into Captivity he that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword i. e. all Antichrian Enemies shall be dealt with at last as they have dealt with others Chap. 19. 20 21. Here is an occasion for the Exercise of the Patience and Faith of the Saints in bearing their Sufferings and in believing and patiently waiting for their deliverance out of them and the destruction of the Enemies of God and of his Church See on Chap. 14.12 26 Here is a plain reference to the Beast's and the False Prophets being taken Captive and to the slaughter of the Remnant by the Sword Chap. 19. 20 21. For as the Prophets of old were wont to comfort the People of God when in Captivity and under great distress by Denunciations of Ruine and Destruction to their Enemies so does the Holy Spirit here revive the persecuted Saints by telling them that their Persecutions should have an End and that the Apostasy which now domineered and blasphemed the Holy Name of God should at last be abolished and utterly destroyed according to the just and righteous Judgment of Almighty God who recompenses Tribulation to them that trouble his Saints 2 Thes 1.6 7. Isa 33.1 2. Ezek. 39.10 Matth. 7 2.26 52. But yet they are commanded to have Patience for although the Judgment is certain yet it will not be so soon as they might expect Hab. 2.3 4. Matth. 21 19-24 11 And I beheld another 27 Beast i. e. another Persecuting and Idolatrous Body of Men under Superiors coming up silently slowly and by degrees as feet of Clay out of the 28 Earth or Apostasy and he had two 28 Horns Potentacies or Powers like a Lamb 29 i. e. seemingly Christian and he spake as a 30 Dragon i. e. was in his Doctrines Decrees and Practises Antichristianly Idolatrous and Persecuting 27 This Beast is different from the former as appears from his Original Shape and the other Characters here given of him called therefore the other Beast as being a distinct Beast from that whose Succession the Prophecy was describing 28 28 The former Beast rose up out of the Sea that is the Commotions and Divisions of the Empire This rises as things grow out of the Earth silently and by degrees And as by the former Beast the Papacy as Monarchick and Imperial was fitly represented so in this Type there seems to be a signification of the Apostate Hierarchy or of the whole Body of the Ecclesiasticks as Antichristian as appears 1. From the Account here given of its Original viz. that it was out of the Earth by which
when he arrived to his Kingship and Supremacy then this other Beast became his False Prophet serving and Advancing him by Lying Miracles and Wonders 14 For they three Frogs are indeed the Spirits 25 of Devils like Frogs workâ—ng 26 lying Miracles 2 Thes 2 9-11 Rev. 13.13 14. which go f rth unto the Kings of the Earth i. e. the Antichristian Potentates and Enemies of Christ's Kingdom Psalm 2.1 2. Judg. 5.3.19 Rev. 20 7-10 and of the whole World Chap. 20.8 to gather them by exciting and engaging them to the 27 Battle of that 28 great day of God Almighty Chap. 19.19 25 These Wicked Agents for Paganism and Aneichristianism are called Spirits of Devils because they are acted and influenced by the Devil and his Angels who ever since their Fall have been permitted to make bold Attempts full of Malice and Rage against God and Christ's Kingdom 26 They are permitted according to the Example of the Aegyptian Magicians to work Lying Wonders as the Devil had frequently done in the Times of Paganism and Antichristianism 27 This is the first Battle of Gog and Magog before the coming of Christ's Kingdom now ready to appear wherein they are overcome and the Wisdom and extraordinary Power of God styled here upon that account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord of Hosts in respect of his Rule and Dominion over all things and his Power by which he is able to perform them is manifested in the Defeat of the Devil who had summoned all his Force and Power together under the Wise Holy and Incomprehensible Justice and Vengeance of God to shew his utmost Malice and Rage against Christ's Kingdom See on Chap. 19.19 and on the Three Last Chapters 28 Wherein he would manifest his uncontroulable Power and absolute Dominion after the most extraordinary manner beyond any thing which had as yet appeared 15 Behold 29 says Christ I come or am just ready to come in my Thousand Years Kingdom as 30 a Thief i. e. on a suddain and after a surprizing manner chap. 3.3 10 11. Blessed in that happy state Dan. 12.12 is he that 31 watcheth in this time of trouble and temptation and they who shall be found so doing when I come Luke 12 35-40 and 32 blessed also is he that keepeth his Garments i. e. his purity righteousness and innocency chap. 19.8 lest loosing his righteousness he walk naked and they see his shame i. e. his shameful nakedness be discovered to his utter confusion and he be driven out of Paradise as his naked first Parents were Gen. 3. 2 Cor. 5.3 29 These Words are a Parenthesis spoken by Christ to those who professed his Religion as appears from the Gentleness and tender care of them commanding them to watch over themselves with great diligence and signifying what their state should be in his Kingdom just approaching intimated by the Word Blessed taken from Dan. 12.12 which is a place of the like import with this 30 Christ is every where represented (a) Matth. 24. 1 Thess 5.2 in Scripture as coming of a sudden to his Kingdom notwithstanding the many Prognosticks given of it and preparations to it because his actual appearing will be on a sudden and by surprize 31 32 Hereby is signified that all they shall be blessed who have watched for Christ with Oyl in their Vessels as well as their Lamps and shall be found really united to him and having on his Righteousness when he comes in his Kingdom See Chap. 3. 16 And he 33 i. e. the Spirits of Devils under the justice and Vengeance of Almighty God in order to his Glory and the punishment of his Enemies Judg. 4.7 Joel 3.11 12. gathereth them i. e. the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World together by their instigations and power ever them into a place called in the Hebrew tongue 34 Armageddon i. e. there was a most Powerful and Diabolical Confederacy against Christ's Kingdom Psal 2. 33 It is evident from Verse 14. that this gathering together is performed by the three Evil Spirits where yet as well as in this Verse a Verb of the Singular Number is made use of according to the Custom of the Greek Language when a Noun of the Neuter Gender is referred to And this gathering together is some desperate Attempt managed by the Wicked of the Old Earth at the instigation and by the help of the Evil Spirits against Christ's Kingdom just ready to appear in which they are discomfited after some extraordinary and miraculous manner as Sisera was at Megiddo Judg. 4 15.5 20. and are confined by God in a miserable and most contemptible condition during the Thousand Years of Christ's Kingdom upon the expiring of which Satan and his Wicked Kings and Nations are again loosed See Chap. 20. 34 The Word signifies the Hill of Megiddo called Megiddon by the (a) Zech. 12.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX Prophet a Royal City in the Tribe of Issachar but belonging to Manasseh which (b) Josh 17.11 12. Judg. 1.27 the Canaanites inhabited in despight of the Children of Manasseh and was (c) Judg. Chapters 3 and 4. famous for the miraculous Defeat of Sisera and the Kings of Canaan a Type of the Kings of the Earth in this Prophecy by Barak and the Israelites who came down from Mount Tabor which was not far from that place and discomfited them at the Waters of Megiddo in the Hilly as (a) In loc Grotius thinks and Mountainous parts of that place and also for the Death of (b) 2 Kings 9 27. Ahaziah but especially of (c) 2 Kings 23.29 30. 2 Chron. 35 20-27 Josiah who received his deadly Wound with a great slaughter in the Valley of Megiddo where he was bewailed with so great a Lamentation that the Mournings in that Valley are used by way of a proverbial speech by the Prophet Zechariah and Megiddo is interpreted by the LXX the Valley of the slain or cut off as if it signified a place of great grief and slaughter And the Name of this place is made choice of here perhaps to signifie 1. That Satan shall be discomfited and that although he make choice of the most advantageous places to defend himself signified by the Mountains encompassing the Valley of Megiddo For the Canaanites having had a Terrible Defeat in the Valley Satan the Leader of these Wicked Kings of the Earth may be supposed now to make choice of New Stratagems signified by the Hill of Megiddo according to the (d) 1 Kings 20.23 Notions received amongst Idolaters that the Gods of the Hills were stronger than the Gods of the Plain 2. With reference to what is prophesied of by (e) Chap. 39.4 Ezekiel concerning Gog the Type of these Kings of the Earth that he shall fall upon the Mountains of Israel 3. Megiddo is chosen as the Type and Symbol of the place of this Battel of Decision to shew that Satan intended the Destruction of Christ's Kingdom now ready to succeed
Men to reduce the several Divisions of the Roman Empire into Ten are not so successful as could be wisht Mr. Mede being forced to make the Greeks one of then and the Author of the Book de Excidio Antichristi confining them within the Rhine and the Danube So that I cannot but think upon further consideration that the True Account of this Division is with relation to the Image in Daniel the Book of the Revelations being nothing but a more full illustration by various Emblems of what is but briefly delivered in that Prophecy See the Annot. on Chap. 11 13. 12 3. 33 To wit at One Hour or Season made up of Two Half Hours beginning at A. D. 476. as hath been already fully discoursed on Chap. 8. 7. 13 These have 34 mind as to matters of Religion and shall give their power or Force and strength or Authority to the Beast to wit in Religious Matters and their Assistance and Arms on other occasions 34 Here is plainly foretold the strict Vnion there is betwixt the Papacy and the Popish Kings or Kingdoms and Governments and the Support Assistance and Authority they afford it which the Northern Nations were very Famous for at their first Settlement and Conversion 14 These shall make War with i. e. oppose and persecute the 35 Lamb i. e. Christ in his true Members and Faithful Witnesses Psalm 2 Acts 4.27 28. 9 4 and the Lamb shall overcome them by the high and powerful preaching of his Gospel Chap. 14 for he is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and therefore able to vanquish them and erect his Kingdom Dan. Chap. 2. and 7. Psal 2. and they that are with him i. e his Followers when he comes to his Kingdom Chap. 14. 1. are called and chosen by his Grace to this Service and were his faithful Witnesses Servants and Soldiers unto Death 35 Hence it appears that these are Antichristian Kings or Powers there having been no Persecution in the Roman Empire by Pagan Powers since the Division of it by the Northern Nations 15 And he i. e. the Angel saith unto me i. e. instructed me in the further knowledge of the Mystery I had seen The Waters which thou sawest Verse 1. where the Whore sitteth are i. e. signifie 36 Peoples and Multitudes and Nations and Tongues i. e. the People of the Roman Empire Dan. 4.1 36 Here is shewn the Amplitude and vast Extent of the Jurisdiction of the Papacy a thing she so much boasts of 16 And the Ten Horns or Kings which thou sawest upon the Seventh Head of the Beast even these Kings shall at last hate the 37 Whore whom they had before loved and admired and shall make her desolate by forsaking her Communion and naked by stripping her of her Ornaments Verse 4. and Authority and by exposing her to shame Chap. 16. 15. and shall 38 eat her Flesh i. e. consume and devour her very Substance and Revenues Dan. 7.5 Psalm 27.2 and burn 39 her with fire i. e. destroy what is left of her 37 A Metaphor taken from the Vsage which Harlots often meet with from those who have been misled and abused by them who are wont at first to entertain a dislike of them then to hate them afterwards to take from them the Gifts they had bestowed on them and at last revenge themselves upon them by their utter Ruin From this Verse it may be observed 1. That no one of the Kingdoms or Principalities in Union with the Papacy shall be able to arrive to an Vniversal Monarchy but as all such Attempts have been hitherto vain so shall they still be so Because as they were at first Many Independent Soveraignties said to be Ten in allusion to the Ten Toes of the Image and Ten Horns of the Beast when they at first gave thei Power to the Beast Verse 13. So are they to remain so until they forsake her it being expresly here affirmed that the Ten Horns shall hate the Whore 2. That the Whore or Idolatrous Church of Rome shall fall by those very States and Kingdoms which had all along upheld her Which is to come to pass as is plainly asserted in the next Verse when the Words of God shall be fulfilled that is the Promises of God concerning the expiring of the Beast's Times shall be compleated according to what hath been already observed on Chap. 10. 6 7. When the Ten Kings which support the City and Church of Rome which sits on them withdrawing themselves from her the Tenth of that great City or the City and Jurisdiction consisting in the Account of Prophecy of Ten Principalities must needs fall too From whence also it plainly appears that the Fall of the Tenth part of the City mentioned Chap. 21. 23. refers to the Ten Kings deserting and forsaking her 38 A Phrase taken from Dan. 7.5 Psalm 27.2 signifying their taking away her very Substance Revenues and Dominions and converting what they had bestowed upon her to their own Use as Grotius interprets the place 39 A Phrase taken from Levit. 21.9 where it is commanded That the Daughter of a Priest guilty of Wheredom should be burnt with Fire 17 For God hath put in their willfully wicked hearts Rom. 1.26 2 Thes 2.10 to fullfil his Will and to agree Verse 13 and give their Kingdom and its power and strength unto the Beast by submitting unto him and being governed by him until the words of God by his Prophets and by his Apostle in this Vision Chap. 13. 5. shall be fullfilled i. e. until the Promises made by God concerning the Expiring of the Times of the Beast and the following Approach of Christ's Kingdom shall be fullfilled Dan. Chapters 2. and 7. and 12.7 See on Chap. 10.5 6.11 13. and Verse 16. of this Chapter num 37. 18 And the Woman which thou sawest is or signifies that remarkable great City which now 40 reigneth over the Kings of the Earth 40 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Regnant Imperial City now actually having and exercising at this present time Soveraignty over the Kings of the Earth Which is a plain and evident Character that Rome is here meant no other City being in Exercise of such Power at the Time when the Apostle saw this Vision It may not be unuseful to add here in the Close of this Chapter this short Digression concerning Antichrist that the Reader might have in one View the chief of what concerns him in Scripture especially the more plain and Doctrinal parts of it In order to which it may be observed 1. That about Two Years after Ezekiel's (a) Ezek. 40 c. Dan. 2. Lightf Works Tom. 1. pag. 132 133. Vision of the Temple and Throne the Babylonian Monarchy began upon the Conquest of Aegypt by Nebuchadnezzar which was the only Kingdom that opposed him Which Vision contained a Type of Christ's Glorious Church and Kingdom which was then to have come into Succession in place of the Jewish Temple and City then in
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
3 4 18.6 2. 25 These Heavenly Armies appear in the same Habit with the Spouse at the Eighth Verse whence it follows that they are Saints who differ not from the Spouse which is the Church but as the Members do from the Body the whole from the parts united But Christ only and not the Saints appears in a Vesture dipt in Blood to shew that this Victory over Antichrist and the wicked world was wholly owing to his Blood according to Isaiah 63 1-7 and that the Saints Robes were washed and made white in his Blood alone 15 And out of his Mouth goeth a sharp Sword of Sentence and Condemnation proceeding out of it verse 21 that with it he should smite all the Wicked Nations of the Earth and after he hath smitten them he shall rule them with a rod of Iron during the continuance of his Glorious Kingdom Psalm 2. Rev. 2.27 See Rev. 20. and he treadeth and that alone Isa 63 1-6 the Winepress 26 of the feirceness and wrath of Almighty God i. e. the wicked of the Earth were punished by him with exquisite Torments 26 From hence it appears that this Judgment and Victory is contemporary with Chapter 14. 19 20. See also on Chapter 20. 16 And he hath on his Kingly and Glorious 27 Vesture Is 63.1 and on his Thigh upon which the Sword of his Fury was also girt Psalm 45.3 Is 27 1.66 16. Ezek. 38.18 21 a Name Written legibly and now seen and acknowled by all King of Kings and Lord of Lords i. e. the only Supreme Universal Monarch Dan. 2.44 45 47. 1 Tim. 6.15 Rev. 17.14 27 Here Christ is represented as taking possession of his glorious Kingdom clad in Imperial Glorious Apparel and girt with a Kingly Sword according to the Description of his going forth to his Kingdom in his Might Glory and Majesty Psalm 45. It is an ingenious conjecture of those who think that as his former Name Verse 12 13. denotes his Divinity so does this denote his Kingdom as the Son of Man Whereupon he wears a Title on his Vesture as Kings are wont to do their Regal Cognizances by which they are distinguished and made known and also on his Thigh to signifie that he came from the Loyns or Thighs of Abraham and David whose Son he was according to the Flesh Matth. 1.1 Rom. 1.3 to whose Seed which is Christ an universal Kingdom was promised Whereupon also they were wont to put their Hands under the Thighs of them to whom they swore Fidelity and Subjection to shew that Christ the Blessed Seed and Vniversal Monarch was to come from the Thigh or Loyns of Abraham Gen. 24 2.46 26.47 29. 1 Chron. 29.24 Ezek. 17.18 17 And I saw an Angel standing in the Sun to shew the Glory of Christ the King of Kings and the Sun of Righteousness now câ—mforting his Servants and treading down his Enemies Malach. 4.2 3 Rev. 1.16.8 12 10 1.12 1. and he cried with a oud voice saying to all the Fowls 28 that fly in the midst of Heaven come and gather your selves together unto the Supper of the great God i e. come and partake of and c lebrate this his great Victory Is 34.6 Jerem. 12.9 Ezek. 39.17 19. Zeph. 1.7 28 In this Verse begins the Third Vision of this Chapter wherein is described the Event and Success of the Battel of Armageddon by a Feast for Fowls upon the Carcasses of the slain to which they are as it were invited by a Poetical Allocution made use of 1 Sam. 17.46 Jerem. 12.9 and Ezek. 39 17-20 the place here alluded to from whence it is evident that the Battel and Success mentioned in this place has a reference to Gog the Subject of those Visions of the Prophet Ezekiel Now although by Fowl are meant in the Prophet the Damned Spirits who seize on lost Mankind as Ravenous Birds on their Prey yet because they are discomfited in this Battel and are represented as bound in it they cannot be understood in this place which has a reference rather to the Saints those Armies of Heaven on white Horses who come with Christ in the Air at this Day of Judgment typified by a Battel of Decision and are as it were invited to a Feast upon a sacrifice of the slain as it is called Ezek 39 17-21 according to the Notions and Customes of the Jews who were wont to (a) Dr. Cudworth's true Notion of the Lord's Supper Feast upon Sacrifices and that after a Victory and sometimes upon the Spoils taken in War as Abraham was fâ—asted by Melchizedeck and his Soldiers upon the Spoils taken from the wicked Kings a Type of the Kings here vanquished Gen. 14. And accordingly the Saints are here invited to an Eucharistical Feast for the slaughter of Christ's Enemies who are frequently in Scripture said to (b) See Rev. 18.20 Psalm 58.10 Psalm 106. and 149. rejoice not in the misery but in the righteous Judgments of Christ upon the wicked in regard of which Righteousness they are comforted as the Prophet Ezekiel speaks Chap. 14.22 23. concerning the Evil which God brings upon the wicked for their wicked ways and doings 18 That ye may Eat the Flesh of the Kings of the Earth and the Flesh of Captains and the Flesh of Mighty Men or Soldiers Jerem. 46 5. and the Flesh of Horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all Men booth free and bond both small and great i. e. that ye might rejoyce for the Judgments of God upon all his Enemies whatsoever Psalm 110. and 149. Rev. 18.20 Ezek. 39 18-21 19 And I saw the Beast i. e. the Papacy and its Hierarchy and the Kings of the Earth and their Armies i. e. all the wicked Potentates of the Earth and their followers and adherents gathered together to make War i. e. united in a Diabolical Conspiracy chap. 16.13 14 16. against him that sate on the white Horse i. e. Christ verse 11. against his Army the Saints verse 14 20 And the Beast was taken captive Rev. 13.10 and with him the false Prophet i. e. the other Beast that wrought Miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast and them that Worshipped his Image i. e. the adherents of Antichrist chap. 13. these 29 both were cast 30 alive into a lake of Fire burning with Brimstone i. e. were punished after a most exemplary manner and with the utmost severity 29 The Beast and the False Prophet as being the Chief in the Conspiracy against Christ's Kingdom are first taken and are condemned to the Lake even before the Devil and the wicked Nations who found them there when they were cast into it Rev. 20 10-15 30 This Phrase shews 1. That their Punishment will be very severe and very exemplary proceeding from the utmost Wrath and Indignation of God expressed by Fire and Brimstone 2. That it was their Final and Eternal Condemnation as being the very same punishment to which
manner and restrained from all sorts of Mischief but because he was to be let loose after the thousand years therefore he is said to be only shut up in the bottomless pit and is not cast into the Lake until afterwards when he is made utterly uncapable of any manner of power or Action against God and his Kingdom for the least season and that to all Eternity And here end the first Triumphs and Conquests of Christ in his Kingdom which begins with the reducing of his Enemies viz. Antichrist the Wicked Nations and the Devil so as to make them his Footstool whom his Father had been subduing for him from his Ascension as is evident from Psalm 110.1 1 Cor. 15.25 5 The duration of this Season is no where determined in Scripture and therefore cannot be positively assigned only if the Tradition of the seven Thousand Years duration of the World prove true it must comprehend that space of Time which will be found wanting to compleat the 7000 Years after the Expiration of the 1000 Years of Christ's Kingdom 4 And I saw 6 Thrones i. e. solemn and glorious preâ—arations for Rule and Judgment Dan. 7.9 and 7 they i. e. the Saints of the most High who come with Christ Chap. 19.14 Dan. 7.13 18 21 22 26 27. Zech. 14.5 1 Thes 4.14 sat 8 upon them i. e. were invested in a Regal and a Judicial Office and 9 Judgment i. e. Power of Governing Sentencing and Punishing was given unto them who sat on the Throne by God and Christ Dan. 7.22 27. and I saw the separate 10 souls of them or of the Persons that we e beheaded for the Witness of Jesus and for the Word of God i. e. the Souls of the Martyrs under the Pagan Emperour of Rome Rev 6.9 10 11. and 11 I saw also the 12 Souls of them which had not worshipped the Beast neither his Image neither had received his Mark upon their foreheads or in their hands i. e. the Faithful Witnesses killed by Antichrist Chap. 6 11. 11 7. 13 15 16. and they i. e. all these Saints and Martyrs 13 lived again in Spiritual and Heavenly Bodies 1 Cor. 15 42-50 and 14 reigned with 15 Chr st a 16 thousand Years 6 This Representation is taken from Dan. 7.9 in allusion to the (a) Mede's Works p. 762. Grot. in Matth. 19.28 Thrones or Seats of the Jewish Consistory or rather in the Opinion of (a) Mede's Works p. 762. Grot. in Matth. 19.28 Grotius to the ancient Custom of the Jews amongst whom the Princes of the Tribes were wont to sit with the King ih publick Assemblies And accordingly This Court of Christ's Kingdom and Grand Assizes of the Day of Judgment is represented as having many Thrones as 1. The Throne of God the Father Dan. 7.9 2. The Throne of Christ in which he was enstated Dan. 7.13 14 upon the Judgment passed upon Antâ—ehrist to shew that Christ's Glorious Kingdom begins not until after that Judgment and Destruction as in this Prophecy the Thousand Years do not enter until after the Battle of Decision which is also called a Judgment Chap. 19. 3. Many Thrones of Saints Dan. 7.10 18 22 26. where the Saints are called The Judgment and are said to he set in Judgment and many Thrones to be set down pitched or erected as the Word ought to be translated at the 9th Verse which Thrones do not belong to the Angels who are not represented as sitting but standing as Ministring and Assisting Spirits 1 Kings 22.19 Is 6.1 Dan. 7.10 7 By a diligent compare of Dan. 7.13 18 c. with Rev. 19.14 17. and this Verse it will plainly appear that the Saints those Armies of Heaven who come with Christ in the Clouds to Judgment are the They here referred to the very They Dan. 7.13 where the like Phrase is used who come with the Son of Man upon the Clouds of Heaven to whom Thrones a Kingdom and a Judicatory are ascribed in (a) Matth. 19.28 Luke 22.30 1 Cor. 6 1-4 Scripture over the Wicked Angels and the World and who have here Thrones given them as a Reward for their Attendance upon Christ in the foregoing Battle to whom alone yet the Victory is ascribed Chap. 19.21 8 To sit upon a Throne denotes in Scripture a continuance in an undisturbed possession of Soveraignty and Dominion with a Right of Judicature as Expositors of the Creed have shewn on the Article concerning Christ's sitting on the Right Hand of the Father 9 This Word signifies Rule and Government in Scripture as well as a Judicial Power Gen. 15 14.19 9.1 Sam. 4.18 Psalm 72.1 2. 10 From this place it may be observed 1. That these were the Souls of the very Martyrs whom he had seen before under the Altar Chap. 6 9-11 the same Expressions being used in both places 2. That they were particularly the Martyrs under the pagan Roman Emperours because they are said to have been beheaded which was a (b) Grot. in locum Roman Punishment 3. That the Soul is Immortal and sleeps not in its separate State because they cry with a loud Voice have Robes given unto them and are admonished to rest for a little season 6 9-11 11 These are distinguished from the former by the interposition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or And and are evidently as appears from comparing this place with Rev. 6.11 the Witnesses martyred under the Reign of the Beast or Antichrist who were to fill up or compleat the Number of Martyrs and then to Live and Reign together with the Martyrs under the Pagan Emperours 12 Pareus supposes an Ellipsis in this place which may be thus supplied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. although separate Souls are often spoken of in Scripture in the Masculine Gender Luke 16 19-31 13 They lived that is in their Persons in Bodies suited to the State of the Blessed Milennium for this cannot refer to the Souls here-mentioned which lived before as hath been already observed See also the Notes on the following Verse 14 This as well as almost all the other Expressions in the New Testament concerning the Great Day of Judgment is taken chiefly from Daniel who in the second and seventh Chapters of his Prophecy foretells that during the Times of the Fourth Kingdom evidently proved by several (a) Mede 's Works pag. 711. Dr. Moor'â— Sâ—â—ps Proph 2.13 Dr Gressener s Demonstr B. 2. 6-8 and the Append. Authors to be the Roman the God of Heaven should set up a Kingdom which from small beginnings or an Infant-State likned by Daniel to a (a) Mr. Mede 713 743 c. Stone should by a Divine and Supernatural Power increase so far that at last in the Days of the Ten Kings who are the Ten Toes of the Feet of the Great Image Dan. 2.43 44. it should become a Mountain filling the whole Earth that is a Vniversal and an Everlasting Kingdom after it had put an end to all other Kingdoms particularly that
that the Apostle might not seem to contradict what he had said just before concerning the Dead rising first the surviving Saints should be caught up in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air to be with him to all Eternity in Heaven Which is also asserted by the Apostle at the 15th Verse where he says that the Saints who shall be alive at the Day of Judgment shall not prevent them which are asleep that is shall not rise before them or shall not (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nequaquam assequemur sive attingemus Ludov. de Dieu attain the same State of Incorruptibility and Immortality they shall enjoy at the very moment of the sounding of the last Trump until afterwards which distance of Time is not determined by the Apostle and may be many Years for ought that is asserted in this place by him because the same word is used 1 Cor. 15.23 concerning the distance betwixt Christ's Resurrection and that of the Dead Saints which is now almost the space of seventeen hundred Years And although the Apostle 1 Thes 4.17 seems to assert that the Living Saints shall be caught up together with the Dead Saints yet those words must not be so understood as if the Living Saints were caught up at the same moment that the Dead Saints rise for then the Apostle would contradict himself but must be understood according to the acceptation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.12 viz. that they shall be caught up in their own Order and Time as well as the other and be in the like State with them or else do rather refer to the last joynt Ascent of both together into the higher Regions of the Air the appearance of Christ hitherto having been perhaps in some lower parts of it in order to their being for ever with the Lord. This and such like Parallels betwixt the Doctrinal and Prophetical parts of Scripture as to this Point of the Resurrection did incline me to understand it in a litteral Sense which I was for a long while averse to as I since find Mr. (a) Pag. 770. Epist. 20. Mede was until by a more close consideration of what Dr. Beverley hath discoursed on this Point I was fully convinced 22 By Second Death is meant Final Eternal Punishment to distinguish it from the First Death of the slain with the Sword of Christ's Mouth for at the very beginning of Christs Kingdom the Wicked are slain by the Conviction Sentence and Condemnation of Christ's Gospel and Appearance which is called the making of his Foes his Footstool Psalm 110.1 1 Cor. 15.25 Rom. 16.20 Heb. 2 5-9 whereby the first Act of Christ's Regal Power at his first sending of the Rod of his strength out of Zion to bring his Enemies under the Footstool of his Throne seems to be signified under which they lie in a state of Death that is Condemnation and Inability to act any thing against Christ's Kingdom until the Thousand Years are accomplished when they are permitted to break forth into open Enmity and Hostility and are at last utterly subdued and cast into the Lake to suffer Eternal Punishments and the Son shall put down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or abolish and bring to naught all his Enemies even Death it self the last Enemy to be subdued 1 Cor. 15.24 26. But those who are partakers in the first Resurrection being found alive at Christ's first appearing in his Kingdom are continued in that State and suffer no Death at all neither the first proceeding from the Convictions of Christ's Gospel and Judgments nor the second of final Condemnation 23 They may be said to Reign with Christ in the sense that we are said to be crucified with Christ and to live with him for the Personal (a) See Dr. Homes and Mr. Mather de Signo Filii Hominis Reign of Christ upon Earth cannot be proved from Scripture whatsoever Glorious Appearances may be of his Humanity from his Throne in the Clouds and the possession of the Kingdom is given to the Saints in Daniel of which more hereafter as occasion offers 24 Here it may be observed 1. That the same individual Thousand Years are meant throughout the whole Chapter as appears from the Greek Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby reference is made to each foregoing Thousand Years and it is shewn that they are the same For Satan is bound a Thousand Years Verse 2. and is restrained Verse 3. from deceiving the Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 during the same thousand Years The Dead Saints and Martyrs live and Reign with Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the same space of Years Verse 4. during which also the Wicked are in a state of Death Verse 5. The Living Saints are partakers in the first Resurrection during a Thousand Years Verse 6. at the End of which very Thousand Years Satan is loosed Verse 7. Whence it will follow that the Thousand Years during which Satan was bound are the same with those during which the Living Saints Reigned with Christ and that they are the same with the Thousand Years assigned to the Dead Saints raised and the Dead State of the Wicked because they which agree in one Third must agree amongst themselves 2. That there are but three sorts of Mankind to whom the Thousand Years are assigned viz. The Dead-raised Saints and Martyrs The Dead Wicked raised to a Spiritual and Political Death and the Living Saints changed for there are only so many parts or sorts of Mankind in the state of the Thousand Years and it is not assigned to any Living-Wicked who shall live wickedly and then die because whatsoever liveth at all shall live Ezek. 47.9 7 And when the foregoing Thousand Years during which he had been bound and restrained from deceiving the Nations Verse 2 3 were expired Satan shall be 25 loosed out of his Prison i. e. his close Restraints from all power and liberty of Temptation shall be taken off 25 Satan who was always a Prisoner and in everlasting Chains under Darkness unto the Judgment of the Great Day was more peculiarly restrained during the Thousand Years from all power of Temptation which he had exercised notwithstanding his Chains of Darkness from the time of his Fall from his first Estate until then when he was closely confined by the Glorious Appearance of Christ and his Kingdom in the New Heaven and Earth but when that Appearance was withdrawn from the New Earth then Satan was as it were loosed and at liberty to tempt which he could not do whilst the Holiness Righteousness Truth and Justice of Christ's Kingdom appeared in their full Power and Glory 8 And shall go out of his Prison and Restraints to and fro in the Earth seeking whom he may devour to deceive the 26 Nations which are in the four * quarters or Corners of the Earth Gog 27 and Magog i. e. the Enemies of God and his Christ Ezek. 38.2 3.39 8. Rev. 19.18 19 21.
belongs to those who practice according to the pure and undefiled Rules of Christian Worship given in this Prophecy 4 John to the Seven 6 Eminent Churches in Asia the Less Grace i. e. the free and undeserved Love and Assistance of God be unto you and 7 Peace i. e. all manner of Prosperity especially Spiritual from 8 him or The which is and which was and which is to come i. e. the Eternal and Immutable God Exod. 3.14 who can therefore reveal and will certainly accomplish all which is here foretold and which belongs unto his Church from the beginning unto the end of Time and from the 9 Seven Spirits i. e. the Holy Ghost or Spirit Zach. 4.2 6. which are before his Throne i. e. is present and of Counsel with him who sits on the Throne working and communicating Graces and Gifts by its Operations according to his supreme Good Pleasure and Determination 6 The Seven Churches particularly mentioned in the 11th Verse were the most eminent and flourishing of those which were under the peculiar Care and Government of John upon which account they might be very well made choice of by the Holy Spirit amongst many others which were then probably planted in Asia Minor now called Natolia Some Travellers particularly the Ingenious Mr. Spoon have remarked several Circumstances of their present Condition answerable to the Judgments denounced against them in the following Epistles which may render it something probable that they were immediately directed unto them although the Arguments brought by Dr. Moor and others seem to me to carry with them a full Conviction of what Grotius confesses that the seven Asiatick Churches are but a Pattern and Example of the sevenfold state and quality successive temper and condition of the Universal Church from the beginning to the end of it of which perhaps for it is not a thing unusual in Scripture there may be some intimation in their Names as Grotius has observed which might probably have been made out more clearly if we had a more particular account of the ancient History and circumstances of those Churches however that they are Mystical and not barely Literal Epistles I shall endeavour to prove by observations drawn from the Text it self in my following Annotations and shall not rest upon extrinsecal and more remote Arguments being sufficiently convinced of the frequent weakness of Reasoning upon such Topicks in these matters But upon an impartial consideration of all circumstances I cannot but be of opinion That these seven Asiatick Churches represent the seven Periods and Successions of the Vniversal Church which in correspondence to the Creation a Type of God's Transactions with his Church is according to the known Tradition of the Jews after six thousand years of Labour and Imperfection to enjoy a seventh of Peace Holiness and Perfection from whence the Pythagoreans whose Philosophy came from the East took their Doctrine of the perfection of this Number which is in Scripture and particularly in this Prophecy often made use of in what relates to Christ and his Kingdom and is a perfect number not upon an Arithmetical account for the Number Six is the first perfect Arithmetical one but upon a Mystical in memory of God's having finished and perfected his Works on the Seventb day and of the Sabbatical Rest of the Church in the Seventh Thousand Year of the World after Six remarkable Periods of it from Christ's Resurrection of which more hereafter on Chap. 20. 5. Howsoever thus much is certain That what is contained in these Epistles ought to be duly considered by all Churches that so they may avoid the Faults therein reprehended and the Punishments threatned in them For what is therein written is written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the World are come 7 Peace especially Spiritual being the greatest of blessings is put in Scripture to denote all manner of Prosperity 8 The That is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jehovah who is Being it self for these Words are an Explication of that Sacred Name See the Interpreters on Exod. 3.14 9 It is the Opinion of Mr. Mede Disc 10. and of Dr. Hammond on the place That by the Seven Spirits are to be understood Seven Angels But besides that as Grotius notes on the place Spirits are distinguished from Angels in the Fifth Chapter and that Chap. 4. 5. they are called the Seven Spirits of God which is a Title not given to Angels in Scripture it is not easily accountable why Angels should be placed in the same rank with the Persons of the Trinity and that before the Son and that Grace should be Prayed and Wished for from them when all good Gifts are said by the Apostle James Chap. 1. 17. to come from above from the Father of Lights and there being no form of a Salutation or Blessing in Scripture in the name of a meer Angel for the Angel Gen. 48.15.6 is Christ and not a created Angel such an Interpretation of these Words would give a greater Encouragement to Creature-Worship than can be imagined to have been given in this Prophecy which is so severe against all Idolatry and in which this very Apostle was twice reprehended for offering to give Worship to an Angel And therefore there being no necessity of interpreting the words in this Sense it is certainly the safest and the truest way in my Opinion to understand them concerning the Holy Spirit represented here by Seven Spirits in respect of his Various but Perfect Operations and Gifts denoted by Seven the Number of Perfection as we have already noted and shall declare more fully hereafter to the Vniversal Church in the Sevenfold successive State of it Whereupon Zach. 4. the Seven Lamps at the 2d Verse are at the 6th Verse said to be by God's Spirit That is from the Plenitude of the Holy Spirit which in those Seven Lamps diffused its Mighty and Perfect Operations But although Angels are not to be placed before Christ yet the Order of the Persons of the Blessed Trinity is not always observed in Scripture not in that very Apostolick Benediction 2 Cor. 13. where the Grace of Christ is placed first and in this Form of Benediction the Holy Ghost is put before Christ because more was to be spoken concerning him afterwards who was therefore more conveniently to be reserved unto the last place 5 And from 10 Jesus Christ who is the Faithful Witness of his Fathers Will and a Prophet worthy to be believed and the first begotten of or first born from the Dead by his being first raised which is a new Birth or a Regeneration Acts 13.33 and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth i. e. the chief Ruler and Disposer of the Kingdoms of Men especially the four Monarchies which shall be broken to Peices and consumed by his Kingdom Dan. 2 44.4 17. unto him that Loved us unto the Death John 15.13 and washed us from our sins in or by his own Blood shed for them 10 Note here the great
Propriety of the Titles attributed to Christ for he is said to be the faithful Witness that the following Prophecy might be the more readily believed and in Opposition to the Pretences of Antichrist to New Traditions distinct from those delivered by him in his Gospel the intire Revelation of his Father 's Will. 2dly His Resurrection is mentioned because it was the chief Proof of his Divinity and the Ground of our Faith and chiefly because that from thence is taken the Epocha or the beginning of the Account of the Times and Seasons of this Prophecy The other Titles plainly relate to the Efficacy of his Blood alone to our Justification and Sanctification and to our Praises due to him alone in opposition to Merits and Satisfactions Prayers to Saints and Angels and the other Corruptions of the Opposite Antichristian Kingdom 6 And hath made us Kings to Reign on the Earth in his Kingdom Dan 7.27 Rev. 5 10.20 6. and Priests to offer Spiritual Sacrifices 1 Pet. 2.9 Rev. 20.6 unto God and his Father and not unto Saints and Angels to him Christ be Glory i. e. Praise and Acknowledgment of his Perfections and Kingly Dominion for ever and ever in his Everlasting Kingdom Dan. 2.44 Revel 11.15 Amen So be it and so it will be 7 11 Behold he cometh 12 i. e. he will as certainly come as if we saw him now a coming with Clouds i.e. with Power and great Glory Dan. 7.13 Matth. 24.30 and every Eye of all Men shall see him coming and they also which pierced him i. e. the Jews shall see him feel his Power and acknowledge him Isa 40.5 Zach. 12.10 John 19.37 and all Kindreds Tribes or People of the Earth i.e. of the wicked worldly and 13 Antichristian Part shall wail because of him their Judg whom they had provoked Even so 14 Amen i. e. this is a certain Truth to be expected and desired 11 This Verse relates to the coming of Christ in his Kingdom at the last Day when the Jews who crucified him and all other his Enemies shall appear and be judged by him And it is worth noting That according to the Precepts of Art observed by the most Judicious Writers we have here from Verse 5. given us in short at the very entrance of this Prophecy a brief Representation of the chief End and Design of it The Kingdom of Christ of which upon all fit Occasions we are presented with a short View because it is the thing which all the Events Typified in this Book were designed to produce and as it were the Catastrophe of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the World according to Plotinus's Phrase or of all the Transactions which have appeared on the Stage of it 12 A Form of Speech in use with the Prophets denoting the Infallible certainty of what they foretold Or cometh may here signifie he beginneth to come as Verse 1. See * Pag. 145. 150. Dr. Pocock on Joel 13 Earth is taken in this sense sometimes in this Prophecy as we shall see hereafter 14 This Word in Scripture is put to affirm that the thing will be as well as to wish for it and approve it 8 And do not doubt of the Truth and Extent of this Prophecy for I Christ who have revealed it am Alpha 15 and Omega the beginning and the ending who am before all things and shall abide after them for ever saith the Lord Christ which is or The That is and which was and which is to come the Almighty as well as Eternal Jehovah who can bring to pass the Words of this Prophecy from the beginning of it to the end of Time 15 These are the first and last Letters of the Greek Alphabet whereby the Beginning and Consummation of all Things Times and Seasons is ascribed to Christ as the incommunicable Attributes of God also are viz. his Name Jehovah and his Almightiness So that this Verse contains a plain Declaration of the Divinity of our Saviour 9 I John who also am your Brother in the same Faith and Companion in tribulation i. e. a Fellow-sufferer with you and in the Kingdom and patience or patient 15 expectation of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ delayed unto the time of the end Dan. 12 4-13 Rev. 10.4 7. was in 17 Banishment in the Isle that is called 18 Patmos for preaching the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ i.e. the Gospel 16 For so the words seem to signifie and may very well be Translated by a figure common in Scripture for this Kingdom was to have begun in its full Power immediately at Christ's Resurrection and was then expected by the Apostles Acts 1.6 but was still patiently to be waited for until the time of the end to which it was deferred Altho the words may more properly relate to the Patience of Christ or to his own patient Expectation of his Kingdom until the times agreed on with his Father See Chap. 3.10 17 In the time of Domitian about the end of the year of our Lord 95 or the beginning of 96 as Chronologers generally agree 18 Situate in the Archi-pelago about 40 Miles from the Continent of Asia towards Ephesus in the Sea next to the Churches to which he wrote And as Ezekiel and Daniel had their Visions when they were in Captivity so also might it be by way of Correspondence Ordained by God that John should receive this Prophecy in a place of Exile Restraints and places of Recess and Retireme◠from the wicked World affording the fittest dispositions and opportunities for Divine Communications 10. I was in the Spirit 19 i. e. under the immediate Power of it on the 20 Lord's day and 21 heard that is perceived in my Spirit unexpectedly and as it were from behind me a great voice as of a Trumpet i. e. a very loud voice as the sound of the Trumpets on the solemn Festivals Psal 47.5 or in the time of War Zechar. 9.14 to raise my attention and to encourage me and to signifie that Judgments were to be denounced 19 That is I was not in the Body but in a Spiritual Extasie or Rapture under the immediate actings of the Spirit of God representing things to my Soul and not to my Senses 2 Cor. 12.2 20 The First Day of the Week or the Christian Sabbath instituted in Memory of Christ's Resurrection and called The Lord's Day a Phrase never used in the New Testament but with reference to this Day and the Lord's Supper because it was blessed and sanctified by Christ's Resurrection and the Descent of the Spirit intimated here by John's saying that he was then in the Spirit and instituted and set apart by his Authority as the Day in which his Worship was ordinarily and necessarily to be frequented by all Christians And the Day is here punctually expressed which is also exactly observed by Ezekiel and Daniel for the benefit of the Church which is to take notice of Times and Seasons to shew that these
on the parallel places in the Gospel 16 An Expression taken from Isa 22.22 where Eliakim a Type of Christ as his very Name imports signifying one raised or setled by God has the Key of the House of David given him whereby is denoted Christ's Government over his Church a Key being an Ensign of Government and David's House Family or Court being a Type of the Church especially as it shall be in the New Jerusalem the City of David or the Messias who is the Great King of it 8 I know thy Works to be perfect before God behold and 17 let it be noted and remarked I have set before thee or given thee an open 18 door i. e. a hopeful occasion and means of freely and effectually propagating the Truth and a prospect of better things and greater Liberty and no man although they shall often attempt it can be able to shut it or hinder you of this Liberty but it shall continue accompanied with great efficacy notwithstanding your many Adversaries until my coming for thou hast a little outward 19 worldly strength Force and Power to protect and countenance thee and yet for all that hast kept 20 my Word or Gospel as to Faith and Practice purely and entirely and hast discharged thy Office faithfully and hast not denied my Name 21 by entertaining any degrees of Anti-Christian Corruptions which bear not my Name or were not instituted by me but hast openly avowed and professed my Name as sole King and Law-giver of my Church 17 Behold is a Particle denoting the importance of the thing to be delivered 18 This is the true Import of the Phrase for which see and compare Hosea 2.15 Acts 14.27 1 Cor. 16.9 2 Cor. 2.12 Colos 4.3 And from this and what follows we may take notice that this Church although often denied Liberty of Preaching the Gospel in which sense Grotius understands the shutting of the Door here mentioned should yet enjoy it in despight of all opposition and never have it wholly shut against them and that this open Door should afford them a Prospect and a hope and confidence of enjoying a more perfect State of things 19 By Strength cannot here be understood inward and spiritual strength or Zeal and Courage to propagate the Truth with all Boldness and Success for that was great in them and they have a high Character and Commendation given them for it by our Saviour But by Strength must be understood outward humane Strength Advantages and Authority in respect of Birth Power Reputation for Learning Riches or the like in which the Might of this World consists 1 Cor. 1 25-28 but especially Countenance and Protection from the Secular Powers of which they had but little as having been in a patient afflicted Condition and under Restraints as appears from Vers 8 10. 20 To keep Christ's word denotes their faithful preaching and professing the Gospel and their strict adherence to it which is called keeping the Charge of the Lord in the Old Testament which Ministers are to do in their own Persons as appears from Ezek. 44.8 where in a Vision of the New Jerusalem when this Philadelphian State comes to its perfection those Priests are reprehended by God who kept not the Charge of his holy things but set keepers of them in his Sanstuary for themselves 21 By Name here seems to be meant the Name written on his Vesture Rev. 19.16 viz. King of Kings and Lord of Lords that is Supreme Disposer of all the Kingdoms of the World and sole Governour of his Church which is his Kingdom And this strict adherence of this Church to the Word or Commandments of God only is opposed to the departure of the Sardian and Ephesine Succession from what they had received and heard 9 Behold I will 22 make them who are of the part of the 23 Synagogue of Satan and by them I mean those which say they are Jews or Pure Primitive Christians and are not but do lye by such false pretences Behold I will make them by my providence and inward convictions to come and Worship before thy Feet i. e. to shew 24 the greatest honour and submission unto thee learn of thee and joyn in Communion with thee although in an inferior degree of esteem and to know i. e. be convinced and acknowledg that I have Loved thee as my pure and undefiled Church Cant. 6. 4 9. and have shewn it by preserving thee notwithstanding all their endeavours to the contrary 22 In the Greek it is I give the Present for the Future as is usual and them is added as a necessary Supplement and the Words supplied as they ought to be may be very well rendred thus Behold I will give unto thee them of the Synagogue i. e. I will bring them or fetch them in and present them unto thee 23 By the Synagogue of Satan is meant as has been shewn on Chap. 2.9 those who in the Smyrnaean Succession introduced Blasphemous or Idolatrous Doctrines and Practices into the Church under pretence of Judaism or Israelitism that is pure and primitive Christianity and therefore by Consequence here must be meant some of the Reformation that Interval or Succession being here described who lie and deceive others by the same false pretence not into Satanical or Antichristian Blasphemy or Idolatry but Defilements Verse 9. that is Corrupt Additions to God's Worship which are called Defilements or impure Mixtures by the Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 43.8 and Lyes Prov. 30.6 Isa 29.13 But yet we are to take notice that they are not called The Synagogue of Satan but They or Them of the Synagogue to signifie that only a Prevailing Party amongst them were defiled and that their Errors were not Idolatrous as theirs were who are reprehended in the Epistle to the Church of Smyrna called therefore The Synagogue of Satan but corrupt or defiled and false or lying Additions which yet were not so much their own Inventions as taken up by them from Antiquity whence they are called not The Synagogue but Of the Synagogue as being of their party and Imitators of them under pretext of Conformity to the Ancient Synagogue of the Smyrnaean Succession which first introduced those Corruptions 24 All which may be implied in this Phrase to lye prostrate at ones Feet being the highest Act of Honour and Submission amongst the Eastern Nations for so Joseph's Brethren which may be no unfit Type of what is here foretold Gen. 42 6.44.14 who had been the Authors of his Afflictions came and bowed down before him to the ground when he was exalted to be the Chief Governour in Aegypt and it being also a Custom for Scholars to sit at the Feet of their Masters to Worship at their Feet may denote their learning of them and joyning with them in their Worship but as in an inferiour degree of Knowledge and Esteem according to the Expressions of the Prophet Isa 60.14 from whence this place seems to be taken And the words also may be
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
32 living Fountains of Waters i. e. perpetual Comforts and Refreshments Isa 12 3. John 7.38 and God shall wipe away all Tears from their Eyes i. e. remove all Causes and Occasions of Sorrow 32 So the Jews call Fountains continually bubling and springing up Canticl 4.15 John 4 10. CHAP. VIII The Text. 1 AND when he i. e. Christ had opened the seventh Seal there was silence 1 in Heaven about the space of * half an hour i. e. there was a short respite from the commotions which followed upon the Sounding of the Trumpets Annotations on CHAP. VIII 1 The Metaphors here are taken from the (a) Mr. Mede Hammond on Luke 1.1 Ainsworth on Lev. 16.12 13. Temple-Service which shews that Church-Affairs are here typified as well as those of the Empire in which at the offering of Incense the People prayed without in the Court in private whilst the Priest offered the Incense which Prayers were very short and the whole Service performed in silence whereas the offering of Sacrifice the first part of their Service was accompanied with Singing Musick and Trumpets 2. Chron. 29.25 * See on Ver. 7. Num. 11. 2 And I saw the seven Angels which stood 2 before God as ready to execute his Pleasure and to them were given by God's appointment seven 3 Trumpets to denounce seven Judgments 2 These are expresly called Angels and not The Spirits of God whereby they are distinguished from the Seven Spirits Chap. 1.4 And by these Seven standing before God is denoted the Preparedness of the several Instruments and Means required to the executing of God's Judgments by the Seven Trumpets and also the Majesty of the Divine Presence is expressed by them in allusion to the Custom of the Eastern Kings from whose Rites many of the Descriptions in Scripture are taken who had Seven Princes who saw their Faces or stood before them and were the Chief in their Kingdoms Esther 1.14 Grotius on Matth. 18.10 3 Here is an Allusion also to the Temple Service where it was the Custom to blow with Trumpets after the Oblation of Incense as appears from Ecclus 50.15 16. strict Silence being observed before it as here the Angels have Trumpets given them to prepare to sound but sound not until the Incense was offered Angel signifies in this Prophecy not only the Angelical Spirits but also the subordinate Ministers employed under them here upon Earth as has been before shewn on Chap. 1.1 20. And therefore here may be meant by this Angel the Emperour Theodosius who is the Chief Person concerned in this Vision as we shall shew hereafter whose Prayer at the Head of his Army before the Battel with Eugenius is very remarkable in History and also the whole Christian Church which joyned with him in Prayer to God upon that great Occasion Angel being taken Collectively in this Book for all the several Instruments made use of in it 3 And another Angel or Ministring Spirit representing the Persons employed in the like service on Earth came and stood at or by the Altar of incense Exod. 30.1 having a Golden Censer or Vessel to hold Incense Levit. 16.12 Hebr. 9.4 and there was 4 given unto him much Incense Levit. 16.12 13. Rev. 5.8 that he should Offer it with the Prayers of all Saints 5 or Holy Chrians upon the Golden Altar of Incense Exod. 30 3 6 7.40 26. which was 6 before the Throne of God 4 Here may be an Allusion to a Custom in the Jewish Service of bringing the Odors to the Priest by others Exod. 27.20 See Maimonides in Ainsworth on Levit. 24.2 5 Here is also an Allusion to the High Priests offering Incense in the Temple while the People called here All Saints i. e. the Holy and Peculiar People of God prayed in the Outward Court And by what is here delivered and in the former Verses is intimated that the daily Publick Sacrifice of pure Worship which was wont to be performed in the Outward Court should cease and was about to be contracted into a retired and a silent one signified by the Silence Vers 1. and the Incense-Worship which was within the Temple and that although the Saints or Holy People were as yet without in the Outward Court not yet trodden down by Antichristian Defilements that nevertheless it would not be long but about half an hour or a short space before that also which was a Type of the Visible Church and its Worship should be polluted by them concerning which Allusion and the Grounds of it see more on Chap. 11.1 6 As the Altar of Incense in the Temple was before the Mercy-seat Exod. 30.6 7.40 26. 4 And the smoak of the Incense Chap. 5.8 which came with the Prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand i. e. they were grateful and acceptable unto him through the Merits and Intercession of Christ Psal 141.2 Acts 10.4 5 And the Angel took the censer which was now empty the Incense being consumed and their Prayers ended and filled it with fire from the Altar of 7 Sacrifice or Burnt-Offerings and cast it i. e. dispersed God's Judgment and fiery Indignation Ezek. 10.2 Luke 12.49 upon the Earth i. e. the Roman Empire and there were 8 Voices and Thundrings and Lightnings Chap. 4.5 and an Earthquake i. e. extraordinary Commotions in the Empire and great Manifestations of Christ's Kingdom Chap. 6.12 7 For there was a continual Fire on the Altar of Sacrifice but none on the Altar of Incense See Ainsworth on Exod. 30.8 and on Lev. 6.12 13. This Service was performed in the Temple but the Fire was taken off the Altar of Burnt Sacrifice in the Outward Court to shew that God's Judgments represented by Fire which denotes in Scripture any destructive thing came upon them by Reason of the Gentilism or Antichristian Pollutions of the Outward Court or Visible Church 8 The other Seals having been distinguished by some notable Events in the Empire it is reasonable to think that this is so too and there is none which agrees better to it than the Wonderful Victory (a) Sâ—â—aâ— Hist 5.25 Sozom. 7.24 Howel 's History Part 2. pag. 427 of Theodosius over Eugenius A. D. 395. Because 1. It follows in order the Event foretold in the sixth Seal this Victory giving the Deadly Blow to Heathenism and perfecting what was begun by Constantine and some of his Successors under that Seal 2. Because the following Trumpets denoting the fall of the Empire began to produce their Effects not long after this Defeat So that it exactly corresponds as a middle Event with the foregoing and following ones 3. The Vengeance of God fell extraordinarily upon the Pagans and their Defeat by a wonderful Tempest was miraculous as Claudian the Heathen Poet confesses and as the Soldiers who were present at the Battel told (b) 〈◊〉 â—iâ—itat Dâ—i 5.26 Augustine which is very naturally expressed by Fire cast by an Angel from Heaven upon Earth Fire being a general
Rev. 17.12 And therefore about half of that space seems here to be signified by about half an hour which will reach from 395 unto 437 which is about the half of this whole Line of Time and falls upon that Time when the Barbarous Nations who had been before often successfully repulsed began to make their most Furious Impressions upon the Roman Provinces on all sides under the weak Government of a Woman Placidia the Empress and her Son Valentinian who was a Child when he began to Reign insomuch that Genserick came then to be so powerful as that he severely persecuted the Orthodox from the very Year (b) Ricciol Chronol 437. unto 476. when he died And furthermore it is very remarkable that about 430 and odd the Apostasy which began in Image-Worship about 360. palpably increased as Mr. (c) Pag. 589. Mede has observed So that the Year 437. is very remarkable on all Hands as being about the middle Point or about half of the whole Hour or Aera reaching from the entire Defeat of Heathenism to the entire Fall of the Western Empire and because it may be justly accounted the Exact Year from which the actual sounding of the Trumpets are to be reckoned which were but in preparation from 395. until that time and also because it may be with great Reason thought to be the beginning of the Antichristian Apostasy which from that time generally increased until it gained a Kingdom with the Ten Kings arising out of the Ruines of the Roman Empire A.D. 476. and that at One Hour that is One entire Hour made up of Two Halves the first reaching from 395 to 437. the latter at the End of which this Kingdom began from thence to 476. See on Chap. 11 2.13.5.17 12. 12 The Fourth Kingdom which is the Roman Empire is called Dan. 7.23 The Kingdom upon the Earth to distinguish it from Christ's Kingdom the Heavenly and Everlasting Kingdom and Luke 2.1 it is called all the World or Earth because most of the then Known World was subject to it 13 It is the Opinion of Mr. Mede that by the Fourth of the Earth Chap. 6.8 is meant almost all the Roman Empire which upon due Compute says Dr. Moor was then one third part of the Earth upon which account they take the Third part to be the Symbolical and Cabbalistical Character of the Roman Empire according to the Genius of this Mystical Book and the Custom of the Ancient Eastern Nations who gave Characters from Numbers and Proportions But to interpose a Conjecture not altogether groundless I am apt to imagine that as the Roman Empire is called the Fourth Chap. 6.8 whilst it had its Imperial Seat fixed at Rome the Head then of the Fourth Kingdom So that after Constantine removed the Seat of the Western Empire to Constantinople it is called the Third because its Imperial Seat was then in the Greek or Eastern part of the Roman Empire which was the Third Kingdom of the Earth in Daniel From which time Constantinople or New Rome became the Chief Seat of the Civil Empire Old Rome being abandoned to the New Ecclesiastical Empire of the Pope the Western Emperours seldom coming at it and by degrees leaving it to them So that even the Western Empire may be Charactered by the Third because that Old Rome the Chief Seat of it and of the Transactions of this Vision had lost its Civil Imperialism over the Fourth part of the Earth and was now forced to truckle to the third part or Constantinopolitan Roman Empire where the Chief Majesty of the Empire was seated Old Rome being never able to gain its Preheminence and the Ruin of its Civil Jurisdiction being owing to this Action of Constantine which will appear also the more probable if we consider that the Rise and Fall of Empires is dated in Prophecy from the like Fate of the Imperial Seats of them See Chap. 9 15.12 4. 14 This is taken from Exod. 9.25 where we read that the Thunder Storm of Hail smote every Herb of the Field and broke every Tree of the Field By which is here signified all the Members and People of the Roman Empire denoted by Metaphors taken from those things which suffer most by Storms And Trees here according to the Prophetical Scheme of Speech signifie the Great Ones and Grass by the like Analogy signifies the Common People 8 And the second Angel sounded and as it were a great 15 Mountain or City Jerem. 51.25 burning with fire was cast into the Sea and the third part of the Sea i. e. the Roman Empire became Blood 16 i. e. was ravaged with bloody Wars Exod. 7.17 18. 15 This Type is taken from Jerem. 51.25 where it is used concerning Babylon by which all along in this Book Rome is understood A Mountain denotes a Kingdom or a City from its Strength and Lofty Edifices and Towers as Annotators have observed on Isa 13.2 Jerem. 51.25 Zechar. 4.7 And the Sea signifies a Body Politick because Seas are in Scripture-Phrase a gathering together of Waters which in this Book are put to denote People and Multitudes as appears from Chap. 18.15 And therefore by the Type in this Verse the Confusions and Desolations represented by the Psalmist Psalm 46.2 by Mountains carried into the midst of the Sea which the State and City of Rome then lay under may be fitly signified it being at this time as a great Mountain burning in the Sea but not actually burnt that is in a consuming Condition but not utterly destroyed For 1. (a) Zosim Oros August Civit. 5. 23. Radagaisus was entirely defeated by Stilicho and he himself and almost his whole Army was destroyed by Sword or Famine Stilicho being made an Instrument by God of preserving the Empire when he designed nothing but his own Interest and the usurping of it which appeared also in another Memorable Instance when he (b) Zosim Oros Hieron Rubeus Hist Raven lib. 2. saved the Empire from total ruine by succouring Saul the General of the Army under him at the very time that he was put to flight by Alarick 2. When (a) Oros lib 7. Socrat. 7.10 Sozom. 9 6-9 Jornand Cap. 30. Alarick took Rome he sackt indeed and rifled it but burnt only some part of it and that contrary to the wonted Custom of the Goths as Jornandes hath particularly observed and left the large Church of Peter entire for an Asylum for the Christians 3. When Athaulphus the Goth not long after had pillaged Rome and was resolved entirely to root out the whole Roman Power he was opportunely diverted by Placidia the Emperour's Sister and perswaded to make a (b) Petav. Ration Temp. lib. 6. Peace and retire into Spain where he married her A. D. 414. 4 Attila the Hun and Genserick the Vandal were both hindered from firing and destroying Rome by the Eloquence and Prudent Behaviour of Leo the Great And (c) Procop. pag 359 360 398 474. ex ed.
Words as appears from the Texts I have quoted evidently refer to the Perfidiousness and Subtlity of the Saracens for which they are notoriously infamous in all (a) Ammian Marcel pag. 13. Excerpta è Legat. pag. 149. ed. Paris Theoph. Simocat Hist 3. 17. History and to the specious pretences by which they advanced their Religion and the sagacity and strength of Reason for which they are (b) Sylburgii Saracenic pag. 69. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peculiarly noted to have valued themselves they becoming also such great Proficients in the Peripatetick Philosophy and the Art of disputing that Charlemain brought in Aristotle's Philosophy into the West and set up the Schools that the Christians might be the better furnished to oppose the Jews and Mahometans For the Religion of Mahomet was with great cunning adapted to the Looseness and Debauchery of that Age and being made up of a Medley of Judaism and of the Opinions of the Hereticks of those Times it was peculiarly fitted to prevail upon both of them Furthermore Mahomet is noted to have come of a Noble (c) Hottingeri Hist. Orient pag. 205 206. Tribe and to have got great Riches although his Parents were very poor and by Conversation with people of all Perswasions to have gained an insight into the several Religions which were then professed which being joyned (d) Elmacinus pag. 11 13. Hottinger pag. 356-361 Sylburg Saracenic pag. 36. with a good Natural Wit a sweet Voice and a courteous Disposition to Men of all Conditions especially to the Christians whom he pretended mightily to favour and forbad to be forced from their Religion as appears from other Testimonies as well as from his Last Will and Testament which some Learned men do now judge to be Genuine were very plausible ways of gaining upon men But above all the great Zeal which he shewed against (a) Elmacinus pag. 3. Images and Idolatry together with the (b) See his Life at the End of the Alcoran in English And Dr. Moor's Mystery of Godliness B. 5. 9 10. seeming holiness of his Life his solitary Retiredness into a Cave for a considerable time and the strange Feats he did by the power of Sorcery were the most plausible and most prevailing Insinuations he made use of and which were permitted to prevail by the just Judgment of God as a punishment upon the Christians for their great Superstition and Idolatry and that the Belief of the Vnity of the Godhead and of his Abhorrence of Images might be kept up in the parts of the Christian World where the Apostasy had so mightily encreased 9 And they had Breast-plates as it were Breast-plates ef Iron i. e. they were well armed Joel 2.8 and the sound of their 13 Wings was as the sound of Chariots of many Horses running to Battel denoting their Swiftness Noise and Terror Joel 2.5 Job 39.20 13 (c) Hieroz pag. 475. 478. Bochartus also notes that the Locusts make a terrible Noise with their Wings and that as was before observed they are not easily wounded 10 And they had Tails like unto Scorpions and there were 14 Stings in their Tails i. e. they pretended to Prophecy and infected and deceived Men by it Isa 9.15 and their power was to hurt men five months of years i. e. 145. years 14 The Sting and Poyson of Scorpions is in their Tails as (d) Hieroz pag. 636 637. Bochartus has observed and hereby is signified the poyson of their false Religion grounded upon pretence to prophecy and converse with the Angel Gabriel the Prophet that teacheth Lies being expresly likened to the Tail Isa 9.15 11 And they had a King 15 over them Eph. 2.2 which is the Angel of the bottomless 16 Pit i. e. a Satanical Instrument acted by an Evil Spirit who came out of it with the Smoak and Locusts Verse 2 3. whose Name in the Hebrew 17 Tongue is Abaddon but in the Greek Tongue hath his Name Apollyon i. e. the Destroyer â— viz. Mahomet whose Religion and Empire is seated in the Chief City of the Jews Jerusalem and of the Greeks Constantinople the Destroyer of the Lives and Religion of both 15 Hereby is intimated that these were Mystical Locusts not Natural oâ—â—â— which have no King over them Prov. 3â— 27 16 Mahomet's Hellish Doctrine is hereby described who also was suspected of Sorcery and therefore strives to clear himself of it in his Alcoran and seems to have been possessed by an Evil Spirit of which his extraordinary Epileptick Fits are thought to be no mean Argument See Mr. * B. 1. Disc 6. Mede and Dr. Hammond on Matth. 17.15 17 This is in allusion to the Inscription upon our Saviour's Cross Matth. 27.37 This is Jesus the King of the Jews which was written Luke 23.38 in Letters of Greek and Latine and Hebrew to shew that Christ our Saviour's Kingdom was to be dispersed and established through the whole World in correspondence whereunto Mahomet's Superscription is The Destroyer as Christ's was Jesus The Saviour and his Name is written in the Hebrew and Greek but not the Latine Tongue to shew that he should prevail over Jerusalem the Chief City of the Jews and over Constantinople the Chief City of the Greek Empire but not over Rome the Chief City of the Latin or Western Roman Empire 12 One Woe or the first of the Three Woes viz. the Saracenick denounced Chap 8.13 is past in Vision and behold there câ—â—e Two Woes more hereafter 13 And the sixth Angel sounded an Alarm to a new Woe and I heard a 18 Voice from the Four Horns of the Golden Altar of Incense which is before God Chap 8.3 4. 18 The Voice which commands the letting loose of the four Angels which were to execute the second Woe comes from tâ—â— Man of Incense which had Four Horns as we read Hâ—â—â—d 27 2.30 2. Ezek. 43.15 denoting (a) See the Commentators on the place and Spencer de Hebraeor legib pag. 562-569 the Sufficiency and Excellency of Christ's Intercession and his power and Authority of which Horns are an Emblem over his Church in the Four Quarters of the World So that hereby is signified the Voice or Prayers of the Saints of God or the pure Church gathered from the Four Corners of the Earth who now prayed in secret in a sealed or retired Condition as we have shewn on the Eighth Chapter Verse 3 4. that God would punish the Idolatry Verse 20 21. which now Reigned upon the whole Earth and was newly established at the Council of Nice And the Voice proceeded from the Four Horns of the Golden Altar to shew that they were pure from Idolatry and that Holiness to the Lord was graven upon the Horns of their Altar as the sin of Idolatry was upon the Horns of the Jewish Altars Jerem. 17.1 14 Saying to the sixth Angel which had the Trumpet loose from their Restraint the 19 Four Evil Angels i. e. the Turkish Potentacy which are bound 20 in
the Mystical signification of what is delivered in the Law of Moses with relation to the Sanctuary God's Worship and his Priests particularly Exodus 28 29 30 Chapters Leviticus 10 8-11 and Chapters 21 and 22. Ezekiel 42 13 14.44 8-31 much of Ezekiel from Chapter 40 to the end Matth. 18 15-20 19 17.20 24-29 23 6-12 and Grotius on those places John 15 27.17 â—0-23 Acts 1 13-26 2 37-47 3 1.4 31-37 5 1-14 41 42.6 1-8 8 2.9 39.12 5.13 2 3 15.14.22 23 27. Chapter 15.16 2 4 5 25.20 7 11 27-36 Romans from Chapter 12 to the End of the Epistle First Epistle to the Corinthians from the First Chapter to the 15th and Chapter 16. most part of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians Galatians 2 and 6. Ephesians 2 19-22 Chapters 4th 5th and 6th the Epistle to the Philipppians the greatest part of the Epistles to the Colossians Tbessalonians Timothy and Titus Hebrews 5 12-14 and Chapters 6.1 2.12 14-29 and Chapter 13 the generality of the Epistle of James 1 Peter 2d Chapter to the End of the Epistle 2 Peter 1 3-21 and Chapter 2d and 3d most of the Epistles of John and Christ's Letters to the Seven Churches Which places diligently compared with what is prophesied of Christ's Kingdom in the Prophets and the Three last Chapters of the Revelations will furnish a Man with an exact Idea of the Church as it was designed by Christ with respect to Faith Discipline and Manners Scripture which treat of Matters relating to Church-Affairs and then to compare the State of the Churches now in being with what God requires in a pure Church and I am confident they will abate much of a too fond Dotage upon any particular Constitution or Church-State that is now in the World Of which Opinion also are the Honest and the Judicious of all Parties when some happy Conjunctures force them upon cool thoughts and peaceable Considerations which yet do not meet with their desired Success but in God's own Times and Seasons Which is remarkably evident in the Reformation of the Church of England which although begun by very good and great Men and carried on often very vigorously and successfully yet hath not been able to arrive to those Degrees of Perfection which even the first Reformers who planted it and watered it with their Blood (a) Reformatio Legum Ecclesiastic designed and (b) Preface to the Comminat Fox's Book of Martyrs edit ult Vol 3. page 67 105 107 120 121 137 362 374 385 400 403 411 412 427 442 537. Bishop Burnet's History of the Reformation edit secunda Tome 1. Praefat. pag. 147 148 189 262 300 303 315 364. in the Collect. pag. 160 178 182. Praefat. ad Vol. secund and page 44 59 67 71 72 73 75 79 80 95 96 101 104. ad 110 112 141 145 152 153 154 155 156 182 189 190 191 196. ad 202 218 219 304 339 376 377 387 390 394 395 396 397 398 399 406 407 420. Camdeni Elizab. ed. Amstelod pag. 26 in Praefat. 391 392. Sir Simon D' Ewes's Journal pag. 156-158 161 166 167 177 184 257 302 303 329 357-360 557 639. Bishop Stillingfleet's Preface to his Vnreasonableness of Separation the Discourses written lately about the Ecclesiastical Commission and the Convocation a Paper entituled Grievances of the Church of England supposed to be written by Archbishop Sancroft Letters of the English Reformers in the Library of Switzerland and Bishop Burnet's excellent Discourse of the Pastoral Care wished for But what through the inconstant Humour of a Vain and a Cruel Prince under whom it begun the Avarice and Dissentions of the Chief Ministers of rhe Court of King Edward the Sixth the short Reign of that Prince the contrary turn of Affairs in Q. Maries Days and the invincible prejudices of that great Princess Q. Elizabeth under whom it was settled who was against Alterations in the Church the glorious Work did not receive the last and finishing Hand of its Master-Builders but has ever since been hindered and retarded by several strange Occurrences but chiefly by the contrary struglings of two Parties ever since the Differences at Frankford whereby through mutual Animosities and immoderate Opposition the chief Obstacle to all Noble and Peaceable Designs things have sometimes rather gone back than forwards So that there is little hope of going on unto Perfection until the Times of Restitution begin to appear and God shall be pleased to dispose the Minds of Men by his over-ruling Providence to so necessary and so glorious an Undertaking 8 And the Voice which I heard from Heaven verse 4. spake unto me again and said go and take the little Book which is open in the hand of the Angel which standeth or stood upon the Sea and upon the Earth 9 And I went unto the Angel and said unto him Give me the little Book And he said unto me Take it and eat 14 it up i. e. commit it to Memory and keep it secret as yet Dan. 7 28.12 4 9. Ezek. 2 8.3 1-10 and it shall make thy Belly bitter because what is contained in it must be delayed for a longer time Dan. 8.26 27.10 14-16 but it shall be in thy mouth when thou prophesiest again Verse 11. sweet as honey as containing the sweet and glad tidings of Christ's Kingdom Psalm 19 10.119 103. Jerem. 15.16 Ezek. 3.3 14 To eat signifies to meditate and digest Divine Truths as appears from our Saviour's Discourse John 6. and withal to keep them close and secret as Mary did Luke 2.19 51 the Belly denoting in Scripture the most secret Thoughts and Cogitations of a Man By which is signified that Christ's Kingdom which had appeared but for a short time only so long as to be just seen open and whilst the Book could be taken into his hand and mouth should soon have a stop put to it and thereby create much Sorrow to all the true Servants of God but that it should again appear signified by being again in his mouth after it had been in his Belly in its Glory to the Joy and Comfort of them 10 And I took the little Book out of the Angels hand and eat it up and it was in my mouth sweet as honey and as soon as I had eaten it my belly was bitter i. e. I was really affected after the manner the Angel had foretold 11 And he i. e. the Angel said unto me Thou must 15 prophesie again i. e. foretel the coming of Christ's Kingdom Chap. 11.3 before of or against many 16 People and Nations and Tongues and Kings i. e. before the People and Rulers of the Kingdom of Antichrist 15 To prophesie as is shewn on Chap. 11.3 is to foretel the coming of Christ's Kingdom which it is said here John should do because he was to deliver more Prophecies concerning it and because it was to be actually performed by the Witnesses represented by John as the people of Israel of Old were by the Prophets who were
greatest moment for which the Angel was most concerned and being to be accomplished in the last place were more immediately to be referred to in the Answer which was to be returned The Question proposed then is How long it was to be to the End of all those things which he had seen of which the Particulars mentioned were to be fulfilled in the last place And the Words are to be rendred thus according to the Hebrew Text How long the Vision the Daily c. and not concerning the Daily the Question being How long the Vision as well as how long the Daily and the Transgression of Desolation Obs 3. This Question must in all propriety of Speech be meant concerning a Period of Time to be deduced from the beginning of the Events foretold to the End of them the Answer to the Question being That the Vision should be unto 2300 Days viz. from the Time when the Effect of the Vision should first take place according to which sense a (b) Jachiad in Daniel per L' Empereur Jew has thus acutely paraphrased this Verse Then the Angel answered That the Streights in which they were were to last from the very time of the Vision to the Evening or Night of the Morning or Day of the two thousand three hundred years Obs 4. It is expresly contrary to the very Words of the Text to date these days from the ceasing of the daily Sacrifice the Question being not How long shall it be from the polluting of the Sanctuary to the cleansing of it but How long shall the Vision be That is the whole Vision he had before seen concerning the Medo-Persian and Grecian Empire as well as the taking away of the daily Sacrifice Obs 5. The Subject-Matter of the Vision is 1. Concerning the Medo Persian Empire Ver. 20. 2. Concerning the Greek Empire their first King Alexander and the Division of that Empire into Four Kingdoms upon his Death Ver. 21 22. 3. Concerning a Little Horn or King who was to rise out of One of those Four Kingdoms in the latter time or at the latter End of their Kingdom Ver. 9 23. which I take to be at least principally and in its chief mystical sense the Little Horn or Antichristian King mentioned Dan. 7.8 which came up from amongst the Ten horns of the Fourth Beast which is the Roman Empire and is said here at the 9th Verse to come up out of the Four Notable Horns towards the Four Winds of heaven that is out of the Western part of the World or of the Vniversal Monarchy of the Grecians where the Roman Power was seated and where it first appeared in Macedon to encroach upon the Grecian and the (a) Mr. Mede page 654 749. Fourth Kingdom brought the Third into its Subjection by conquering Greece the Western and Head Province of that Empire Out of this Western Horn or Kingdom the Roman Power with its Little Horn amongst its ten horns came forth which alone is here mentioned because that by it the Exploits specified in the following Verses were chiefly to be performed many of which can also agree to no other and none of them to any so properly as to the Antichristian King who is certainly called a Little Horn in the 7th Chapter and has Characters given him there parallel to those in this Chapter as in speaking great things Ver. 8. in having a look more stout and fierce than his Fellows Ver. 20. in prevailing against the Saints and the holy people and in being broken without hands by the Ancient of Days Ver. 21 22. Obs 6. Although some passages of the Vision from Verse 9 to Verse 12. may be understood of Antiochus the Type of Antichrist yet all of it and especially the Exposition of it from Verse 23 to 25. cannot be possibly meant concerning him who understood not dark Sentences nor was a King of any great Policy or Craft as this little horn is described Verses 23 24 25. but is expresly noted by (a) Liv. lib. 41. Foy-Vaillant de Seleucid Imper. pag. 161-163 Historians to have behaved himself so strangely and so unequally that it was much doubted amongst the wisest whether he were a Fool or a mad man And the Characters given in those Verses of the little horn are so utterly inconsistent with the Story of Antiochus and are so agreeable to the Antichristian King that even Dr. Moor is at last forced to confess That this Passage was put in by the Spirit of Prophecy with a more peculiar respect to Antichrist himself in whom they are more eminently fulfilled than to Antiochus his Type Obs 7. A Day being taken in other parts of Prophecy for a Prophetical Day or a Day of Years there is no Reason why it should be understood otherwise in this place it being called here Evening-Morning upon another account as we have observed at the beginning of this Annotation and not to shew as Dr. Moor thinks that Prophetical Days are not here meant but Natural Days which will amount but to six Years three Months and twenty Days a very small space of Time and which can be brought to comport only with the six Years Prophanations of Antiochus which is but a part of the Vision and cannot be here referred to as appears from Observation 4th and the following ones Obs 8. The Vision begins with the Medo-Persian Empire as plainly appears from the Explication of it Verse 20. And if the Vision begins there then the Line of Time must begin there too because it is the measure of it according to Obs 2 and 3. Obs 9. The Vision ends at the cleansing of the Sanctuary as appears from Verse 14. Then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed viz. at the End of 2300 days which were to last to that time Which cannot be meant concerning the particular cleansing of it by Maccabeus from the Prophanations of Antiochus because this could not be called the Last End of the Indignation of God the Temple having been afterwards polluted and blasphemed by the Successors (a) 1 Maccab. 6 62.7 33-50 and Chap. 9. of Antiochus and trodden under foot and entirely destroyed by the Romans Obs 10. This Line of Time is not yet at an end because the daily Sacrifice of the Jews is not yet restored nor their Desolations determined but they are still in a despicable condition their Sanstuary and City being trodden under foot by the Turks who at present have it in their possession Obs 11. The beginning of the Medo-Persian Empire is to be dated by the Joynt Consent of History and of the latest and best Chronologers from the taking of Babylon by Cyrus from whence the Scripture reckons the first year of Cyrus meaning thereby the first year of his Reign over the Babylonion Empire which was the last of the Seventy Years Captivity of the Jews and the first of their Return into their Countrey upon the Edict of Cyrus Now from a due consideration of what hath been said we
gained a Line of Time of 430 Years from Solomon's Death to the end of the LXX Years Captivity which is the first of Cyrus which is made out also by Dr. Beverley from a distinct Enumeration of the Reigns of the Kings of Israel and Judah and the fourteen Years assigned to the Visions of Ezekiel's Temple and does not much differ from the Calculations of the latest Chronologers who make this time to amount to 437 or 439 years at furthest although they confess after all their Pains that this Line of Time is very uncertain and obscure for Reasons collected by (a) Introduct Chronol ad Hist Eccles pag. 150-159 Spanhemius And therefore amidst so much doubt and difficulty where can we find a surer rest then in Scripture whose accounts of time will after all be found the most exact and that when Profane History and Chronology is most in the Dark if we take in Prophetical Time as well as Historical And now having settled the beginning of Cyrus's Reign or the Epoch of the Medo-Persian Monarchy we have obtained the beginning of the 2300 years and withal a Line of Time from it to the Cleansing or Justifying of the Sanctuary i. e. of the Christian Church Typified thereby from all Idolatry and Antichristianism when the Holy Place which is now shut will appear open in Heaven Rev. 11.19 Which Account stands thus A. M. 5759 A.D. vulg 1772. From the beginning of the Medo Persian Empire by Cyrus to the cleansing of the Sanctuary Dan. 8.13 14. 2300 Which will end in the 5759th year from the Creation and the 1772 year after Christ according to the common Account From which if you take Daniel's 75 years you come to the end of the 42 Months and the 1260 days and so by a regressive order to the Epoch or beginning of them at A.D. 437 as hath been already shewn on Paragr 5. pag. 210. All which is deduced by particular Accounts and after a most accurate manner by Dr. Beverley in his several Treatises called Scripture Lines of Time and stand as they are proved by him in this Order  Years 1. From Cyrus to Daniel's 70 weeks 75 2. Daniel's Weeks 490 3. The time between the Weeks and the 42 Months 400 4. The 1260 days or 42 Months 1260 5. The 30 and 45 Years of Daniel 75 Which amounts to years 2300 3 And I will give Power i. e. Commission and Ability of Testimony and Prophecy unto my two 13 Witnesses raised and sent on purpose to testify to the Truth and to denounce Judgments against the Apostasy and they shall Prophesie i. e. declare and Preach 14 against it and foretel Judgments a thousand 15 two hundred and threescore days of years cloathed in Sackcloath 16 i. e. in a Despicable Afflicted and Mournful condition 13 To Witness signifies to give Testimony to the Truth against Errors and Corruptions as the word is used Is 55.4 John 18.37 Acts 26.16 and also to pronounce God's Judgments against sinners as the word signifies Malach. 3.5 And the Witnesses are Two because Two Witnesses at least were required under the Law for confirmation Deut. 17.6.19 15. and to shew that a small number but a sufficient one should be made use of to confirm the Truth But chiefly in Correspondence to the Types in the Old Testament where these Witnesses are generally Two and accordingly God here raises up Two Witnesses to Witness and denounce Judgments against the Idolatry of the Christian Church as Moses and Aaron did against the Idolatry of Pharaoh Egypt Balaam and Moab as Elijah and Elisha did against Baal Ahab Jezebel and Ahaziah and as Zerobabel and Joshua were Witnesses in Babylon during the Captivity 14 So the Word Prophesie signifies frequently in the New Testament Although the Proper import of it here seems to be the Foretelling of the Encrease and Ruin of Antichrist and of the Coming of Christ's Kingdom to destroy him which being the Future Events of this Vision the Prophesying or Foretelling here mentioned must relate unto them particularly to the Kingdom of Christ the Chief Subject of all the Prophecies of the Old Testament which being not to begin to come into Event until the Expiration of the 1260 Days it is until then under Prophecy as a Future State And the Witnesses prophesie of it not only in their Discourses and Writings but by the mournful State they are in which is also of it self a signification that Christ's Kingdom is under a Delay a Sealing or a Prophecy which are words of like import 15 These Days begin with the Forty Two Months of the Gentiles and reach to the End of Antichristian Times running parallel along with them God taking care that as soon as Gentilism came into the Church there should be Witnesses raised up to testifie against it and to instruct the people in the contrary Truth by their Preaching and their Sufferings See num 12. 16 This was the Habit of Prophets when they denounced Judgments particularly of Elias one of the Witnesses under the Old Testament 2 Kings 1.8 Zech. 13.3 4. Matth. 3.4 And thus Mattathias and his Sons put on Sackcloth when the Gentiles prophaned the Sanctuary under Antiochus 1 Maccab. 2.14 4 These two Witnesses are or are signified by what in the Anti-type is represented by the two Olive 17 Trees Zach. 4 and the two Candlesticks 18 o◠〈…〉 Rev. 1.20 19 standing before or Ministring unto the 〈…〉 the Earth Zach. 4.14 17 The Types in this Verse are plainly taken from Zech. 4. And the Witnesses are called Olive-Trees upon these Accounts 1. Because they are to be anointed ones Zech. 4.14 or Kings and Priests in Christ's Kingdom 2. Because as the Olive Branches Zech. 4.12 they empty the Golden Oyl out of themselves into the Candlesticks or Churches That is impart to them the Fruit of those Gifts and Graces which they had received from the Spirit of God and were as fully replenished with as an Olive Tree is with Oyl Whereupon Christians are said to be anointed by God and the Holy Spirit and the Effects of it are called The Vnction in Scripture 2 Cor. 1.21 1 John 2.20 27. 3. Because the Witnesses were to perform the same Offices in the Christian and against the Antichristian Church as Joshua and Zerubbabel did for the Jewish and against Babylon the Type of Antichrist who is called a Mountain Zech. 10.4 And according to the Type in Zechariah the Witnesses are two anointed or chosen Servants of God replenished with his Spirit Verse 6. who are to level the Mountain of Antichristianism Verse 7. and to finish establish and build up the pure Church Verse 9. and that out of small things Verse 10. that is small beginnings and a Sackcloth or contemptible and afflicted condition 18 From hence it plainly appears that the Two Witnesses are Two Churches which are signified by Candlesticks in this Prophecy Chap. 1.20 as Grotius hath most appositely remarked on the place And amongst the Candlesticks or Church
Resurrection Matth. 27 51.28 2. 43 Which is called Earth in this Prophecy 44 By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be meant 1. The Tenth part of the City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being understood and then it may denote Rome as under the Papacy which Mr. Mede supposes to be the Tenth part of Old Rome or rather because it is doubted whether Mr. Mede's Dimensions of Old and Modern Rome be exact some One most Notable Kingdom of the Ten into which the Western Roman Empire was divided as is observed on Chap. 17. Whereby the Kingdom of France may most peculiarly be denoted which was the Tenth part of the City that is the last of those Ten Kingdoms which arose out of the Ruines of the Roman Empire and gave their Power to the Beast as may be seen in the Catalogue of them given by the Judicious and Learned Author of the Book de (a) Pag. 17. Excidio Antichristi Or 2. By the Tenth of the City may rather be meant the whole Papal Jurisdiction called the Tenth because it is symbolized in Prophecy by Ten Toes Ten Horns Ten Kings united under the Papacy as will be shewn on Chap. 17. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signifie not the tenth part of the City but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Decem-Principality the State of the Antichristian Jurisdiction or City after it came to have Ten Kings as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 6.8 signifies not the fourth part of the Earth but the fourth Earthly Kingdom or Monarchy which is a Sense of the Phrase more comprehensive than the former and more suitable to the symbolical Genius of this Prophecy And it is said to fall that is to be ruined and destroyed in the Commotion as Babylon is said by the Prophets to be fallen or destroyed 45 In the Greek it is were slain Names of Men seven thousand By Names of Men as Dr. Moor observes may be meant Titles Dignities Offices and Orders of Men by which they are named and distinguished or the Men themselves who were Men of Name or Repute upon those and such like Accounts as Vile or Base Men on the contrary are called Men of No Name Job 30.8 And by seven Thousand of them being slain is meant that there shall be a Perfect Total and Solid Overthrow of the Popish Hierarchy and Jurisdiction which shall entirely be slain or cease to be what it was before which is signified by Seven a Perfect Number multiplied into a Thousand a Cubical Solid Number as 1 Kings 19.17 18. from whence this Expression is taken God saith that he had seven thousand left in Israel That is a perfect Number of pure Worshippers reserved entire in secret See Notes on Chap. 1 4. 7 4 5. 9 5. 20 4. 46 To give Glory to God is to confess their Faults and acknowledge the Righteousness and Justice of God in his Punishments as Achan did Josh 7. 19 20. and Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4 34-37 and thereupon to Honour and Worship him after his own manner and to forsake their former Idolatry Rom. 1.21 25. 14 The second Wo 47 of the sixth Trumpet viz. Turkish Mahometism chap. 8 13 9 12 is past already and behold the third 47 Wo viz that of the sevenâ—h Trumpet upon Antichrianism chapters 14.15.16 cometh quickly 47 into event and execution after the second is past upon the sounding of the seventh Angel chap. 10 7. 11 15. 47 The First Wo is that of the Locusts or Saracens the Second of the Horsemen of Euphrates or the Turkish Mahometans the Third is the Wo of the seventh Trumpet or Angel upon Antichristianism which is largely related in some of the following Chapters And in this Verse is plainly asserted 1. That during or rather after the Earthquake and the Effects of it upon the Ascent of the VVitnesses into Heaven the second Wo or Turkish Mahometism should pass off and that more particularly from the Grecian Churches and their Empire or Imperial Seat For it is here said after the Vision of those Events that the second Wo is past that is it was then past in Vision and consequently was to pass off in the Event and Completion at the time immediately following the fulfilling of the foregoing Vision 2. That the Third Wo of the seventh Angel upon Antichristianism was to follow quickly upon the passing off of the second VVo that is upon its ceasing to be a Wo or a Scourge to Antichristianism for which End it was designed by God who will then inflict Woes of another Nature upon them And 3. That the Effects of the seventh Trumpet shall not take up any long time in their accomplishing but shall be performed with speed and of a sudden which may perhaps be the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as a Judicious Person hath acutely observed the sixth Trumpet comes immediately after the Fifth as well as the seventh after the sixth and therefore it cannot be distinguished from the others by its immediate Succession which is common to them all but by the speed of its Motions and the quickness of its Events 15 And the seventh 48 Angel sounded and there were great or loud voices of acknowledgment of the Kingdom of Christ and of Thanksgiving for it in Heaven or in the Heavenly pure state of the Christian Church num 41. saying The Kingdoms of this World are becometh Kingdoms of our Lord God the Father and of his Son Christ and he shall reign for ever 49 and ever Dan. 2 44. 7 14 18 26 27. 48 Seven is a Number of Perfection and hath a reference in this Vision to the Kingdom of Christ which is here foretold should come upon the sounding of the seventh Angel and is to consist not in destroying but in reducing the Kingdoms of this World that is the several Civil Governments of it to a Constitution suitable to Christ's Gospel whereby they become his Kingdoms and in Christ's Reign over these Kingdoms thus modelled which shall be for ever and ever That is to the End of all succeeding time here upon Earth no other Empire or Kingdom being to succeed it 1 Cor. 15 24-29 But of this we shall have Opportunity to discourse more fully hereafter or the three last Chapters 49 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (a) Dr. Hammond on Matth. 24.3 and Luke 1.70 signifies in Scripture an Age of the VVorld or some eminent Period of it more particularly that of the Jewish Church and State and therefore by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems here to be denoted the End of all the Periods or Divisions of Time consummated in that of the Messias which is called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VVorld or Age to come by the Jews 16 And the four and twenty 50 Elders or representatives of the Jewish Church chap. 4. 4 9 10 which sat before God on their seats in a posture of Authority as being to reign with Christ yet fell upon their Faces with great humility and reverence and worshipped God
(a) See Mr. Mede on this place and Pag. 613. Poli Synops in Gal. 4.3 Coloss 2.8 20. Moon the lowest of the Planets and nearest to the Earth Paganism also one and the same Symbol having divers significations in Scripture as Grotius observes on Heb. 9.11 may be very well signified by it but Antichristianism is here chiefly intended the main Subject of these Visions denoted by the Moon because of the Paganism it introduced into Christianity whose Idolatrous Rites were Works of the Night or of Darkness of which the Moon is the Governess and whose Festivities depended upon the Motions and Aspects of that Planet as hath been already observed on Chap. 11. num 12. And by the Moon 's being here under the Sun as it is when it Eclipses it seems to be pointed out the critical time of this Vision viz. that it was when the pure Apostolical Church typified by Ephesus was about to leave its first Love and to receive a (b) Compare Luke 21.24 with Rom. 11.12 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Deminution or Eclipse from the increasing Apostasy for the Lustre of the Christian Church of the Gentiles was diminished upon the coming in of the Apostasy and is not to have its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Full Light of Graces Knowledge and Converts until the Paganizing Times of the Gentiles in the Antichristian Apostasy are fullfilled 2 To shew that the Apostolical Doctrine is the Chief Ornament Crown and Glory of the Church Thus the Word Crown is used Isa 28.5 Phil. 4.1 1 Thes 2.19 And in this Verse there is an Excellent Description of the pure primitive Church enlightned and adorned by Graces Gifts and Communications from Christ and with the pure Apostolical Doctrine but yet capable of having its Light eclipsed by Antichristianism rising from under its Feet and of having its Crown of pure Gold fall from off its Head except Christ hold it in his Right Hand Chap. 1.16 3 Hereby is signified that the Church was Apostolical the Twelve Apostles being represented by Twelve Stars because they enlightned the Church and were constant and sixt in their Doctrine not variable and unconstant as the Moon is in its Appearances and Motions whereby it is the fitter Type of Antichristianism See the Notes on Chap. 7. 4 5. and 21 15-21 And perhaps the Twelve Stars may be symbolical of the Twelve Tribes as they shall be in the New Jerusalem State Predicted and Typified by this State of the Church as the Glorious Kingdom of Christ is by the Christian Empire 2 And she i. e. the Church being with 4 Child i. e. very Fertile and Fruitful with true Christians Is 54 1.60 22.66 8. Ezek. 16.20 cried travailing in Birth and pained to be delivered i. e. laboured with her utmost endavours to bring forth set up and propagate Christ's Kingdom Isa 66.7 Gal. 4.19 4 The Metaphors in this Verse are chiefly taken from Isaiah's Description of the Perfect Church consisting of Jews and Gentiles united into One Body as it shall be in Christ's Kingdom Isa 66 5-24 3 And whilst the Women was in Travail there appeared another Wonder in 5 Heaven and behold a 6 great 6 red 7 Dragon i. e. the bloody and Persecuting Pagan Roman Empire of a great Jurisdiction and Extent having seven 8 Heads or Forms of chief Government successively one after another See Chap. 17. 9 10. and ten 9 Horns or Kings Dan. 7.20 24. Chap. 17.12 and seven 10 Crowns or Diadems upon his Heads noting the seven successive Forms of Government in the Roman State to have been Imperial and Supreme 5 The Dragon appears as in Heaven because he was reputed as God by the Heathens and was now worshipped and in power in the Pagan Empire 6 6 7 Pharaoh Aegypt and other Idolatrous and Persecuting Powers and Empires are represented by (a) Psal 74.13 14. Is 27 1.51 9. Ezek. 29 3.32 2. Dragons in Scripture and by Leviathan and other monstrous Creatures for so the Word translated (b) Dr. Pocock on Mic. 1.8 Malac. 1.3 Dragons signifies in general in the Old Testament And accordingly the Roman Pagan Empire is set forth by a Dragon because it was a Satanical Kingdom shewing a Diobolical Spirit in its Persecution Idolatry Tyranny and Unjust Enlargement of Dominion Upon which also the Dragon is represented as of a great Size and red or bloody and because Satan called a Dragon or Serpent from his tempting our first Parents in that shape ver 9.2 Cor. 11.3 really influenced and presided over that Empire as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a Governing and Assisting Daemon and was indeed worshipped by them when they sacrificed to their Idols 1 Cor. 10.20 8 Rome indeed stood upon seven Hills which yet are not here meant because Head signifies in Scripture the Governing Part Isa 7.20 Dan. 7.6 1 Cor. 12.21 and therefore by these seven Heads are appositely denoted the seven successive Governments of the Roman State viz. Kings Consuls Decemvirs Dictators Tribunes Caesars or Emperours and the Antichristian King the seventh Head See the Notes on Chap. 17. 9 10. 9 Horns as hath been shewn on Chap. 5.6 signifie Kings and Kingdoms and the Roman Empire is represented with Ten Horns that it may bear proportion with the Description of it given Dan. 2.41 where the Fourth Kingdom hath the Toes of a Man which are Ten. See Chap. 17.12 10 Crowns are an Emblem of Imperatorial and Supreme Power and therefore the Ten Horns do not appear crowned because they were not as yet in being as Kings but were Subjects to the Roman Empire See on Chap. 13 1. 17 12. 4 And his 11 Tail i. e. his Power and Subtility drew after him and reduced under his Power the third 12 part of the Stars of Heaven i. e. the Potentacies and Governments of the world and did 13 cast them to the Earth i. e. Subdued them and the Dragon stood watching and ready fierce and hungry 1 Pet. 5.8 before the Woman or Christian Church which was ready to be delivered of the Kingdom of Christ for to devour 14 her Child as soon as it was Born i. e. to destroy the Kingdom of Christ as soon as it appeared 11 Some Dragons or Serpents particularly those which are called Rattle-Snakess have monstrous and prodigious long Tails which are an (a) Moor's Oper. Theol. pag. 601. Hammond on the place emblem of a great retinue and a long Military Train of Souldiers and Armies the Tail also signifies in Scripture Subtility and may here denote the Policy of the Devil and his pretences to Miracles Prophecy Magick and the like whereby he corrupts and deceives the minds of Men. See Chap. 9.10 12 By the third Part is meant the Grecian Monarchy the third Monarchy in Daniel whereby we have a remarkable Note of Time given us viz. that it was now upon the point of time in which the Seat of the Roman Empire was to be transferred from Rome to Byzantium by Constantine upon
which it came to be called the third part whereupon the Grecian Monarchy was cast to the ground it 's very Seat and Power becoming thereupon Roman Constantine (b) Cave's Introduct to the Lives of the Fathers vol. 2. pag. 13. Rycaut's Pref. to the Lives of the Popes commanding by a Law that it should be called New Rome and having Peopled it with the best Families he could draw from Old Rome and the Inhabitants of it being called Romans 13 Here is implied that the fourth Empire Subdued all the rest and bore Rule over all the Earth after it had Subdued the Grecian Monarchy which stood in competition with it according to what was foretold by Daniel chap. 2. 39 40. 7 7 19 32. 14 This refers to the Persecutions which fell upon the Christian Church by the Instigation of the Devil and his Instruments in the Roman Empire especially to their last and most cruel Effort in the ten Years Persecution under Dioclesian when the Woman was as it were teeming with a Glorious Church State in a Christian Empire which was brought forth under Constantine as a short Specimen and imperfect Representation of the Kingdom of Christ as hath been shewn on chap. 7 9.-17 5 And yet notwithstanding all his opposition Psal 2. she brought forth a 15 Manchild i. e. Christ reigned then as King and Lord of his Church and there was on Earth a lively and manly representation of him and his Kingdom for a short time Psal 2.7 8. Is 9 6.66 7 8. Acts 4 23.-30 who was to rule all Nations with a rod of Iron i. e. was to have an universal Kingdom Psalm 2 8-12 and her Child was caught 16 up unto God and to his Throne i. e. Christ and his Kingdom were advanced and his Church was in a State typical of his glorious Kingdom which yet not long continued Psal 110.1 15 Here the Kingdom of Christ is plainly set forth in Expressions chiefly taken from the second Psalm which contains a Description of it as all Interpreters agree And by the Man-child is meant 1. Christ himself who is said to be brought forth or born because he at this time obtained as King of his Church a Conquest over Paganism and a great increase to his Kingdom whereby he was begotten in the Phrase of the Psalmist Psalm 2.6 7 8. that is the holy Child Jesus was manifested and declared to be Lord and King 2. The Church and Christian Empire under Constantine may be called the Man-child as Cyrus is called the Lord's Christ or Messias Isa 45.1 because he was a Type of Christ and as Christians are said to be Christ's Body and to have Christ formed in them Gal. 4.19 And if the Roman Empire it self may in some sense as Grotius has well noted on Dan. 7.13 be not unfitly called an Image or Type of Christ much more may the Christian Empire under Constantine who was a greater Restorer of Christ's Kingdom than Cyrus was be styled a Mystical Christ and be an Emblem of his Glorious Kingdom on Earth 16 Christ after his Resurrection which is called his Birth in Scripture was taken up into heaven as we also shall be caught up thither 1 Thes 4.17 where the same word is used insomuch that this Phrase is taken from Christ's Ascent into heaven and alludes to it And its import may be 1. That Christ was then actually King of the Roman Heathen Empire which he had newly conquered signified by his being caught up to the Throne of God whereby some Ascents of his Throne in the Heavenly Places or Advancements of his Kingdom may be signified in which he was installed and inaugurated at his Ascension when he was caught up into Heaven 2. Hereby may be signified also the advancing of the Christian Religion to the Imperial Throne as Christ was advanced at his Ascension to the Throne of his Father at his Right Hand Psalm 110.1 But as Christ was of a sudden taken up in a Cloud out of the sight of the Apostles whilst they were looking on him Acts 1.9 so may also hereby be signified the short space of the continuance of the Roman Christian Empire Rev. 17.10 answerable to Christ's being seen of the Apostles only for Forty Days Acts 1.3 and the sudden depravation of Religion by a growing Antichristianism upon its advancement by Constantine whereby in a short time the true Primitive and Apostolical Christianity was obscured and could not be seen pure and unmixt which as (a) And on John 1.1 Grotius has noted on the place may be signified by being caught up to God those things being said in Scripture to be with God which are invisible and appear not unto Men. 6 And 17 or but yet it was not long before the Woman or Church thus delivered from Persecution and advanced in the Christian Empire * fled into the Wilderness 18 i. e. was in a secret and obscure state and condition in the midst of the encreasing Apostasy where she hath a place prepared by God i. e. she is secured by him that they 18 should feed her there or that she should be nourished and preserved there after a wonderful manner a thousand 19 two hundred and threescore days i. e. Years See chap. 11. 2 3. 17 When Christ was caught up to God and the Heavenly State he designed became thereupon invisible the Church soon retired into the Wilderness i. e. into an obscure and invisible State too as being bereft of that Presence and Power of Christ which was necessary to advance it into that perfect and heavenly State which his Kingdom requires Here the Flight which was after the War in Heaven is mentioned before it by a Prolepsis or Anticipation frequent in (a) Grot. in Gen. 1.27 Ecclus 48.1 Scripture and in this (b) See Pererius on the Revelations Grot. on Rev. 21.2 Prophecy the Holy Spirit being wont to hasten to the chief point it is about and to mention what intervenes of lesser consequence afterwards as is manifest from the History of the Creation where Paradise which was planted on the Third Day is not described until afterwards in the second Chapter and the full and particular Relation of the Creation of Mankind but briefly touched upon in the first Chapter is deferred unto the second which Figure is here observed to shew that the Man child Christ's Kingdom was not to succeed upon the Glorious Pre appearance of it Verse 5. and that the Church the Woman was to be in an obscure condition and that immediately after her Delivery and that she was presently to prepare for her Flight she being not to appear in Visible Glory until 1260 Years after it * So the Children of Israel went up in haste out of Aegypt Exod. 12.31 33 39. 18 This Type is taken from the Children of Israel's sojourning in the Wilderness after they had escaped out of the hands of Pharoah who is expresly called Psalm 74.13 14. Isa 51.9 the Dragon or Crocodile lying
wrath of the very Serpent 31 i. e. the Devil verse 9. 29 VVings denote Flight in Scripture Psalm 55.6 and a great Eagles VVings a swift and a safe Retreat joyned with tender Care Deut. 32.11 12. Isa 63.9 And here is an Allusion to Exod. 19.4 and Deut. 32.11 12. where God tells the Israelites that he had brought them out of Aegypt as on Eagles VVings Kings also and Kingdoms are represented by Eagles and VVings in (a) Ezek. 17.3 7. Dan. 7.6 Scripture whence the two VVings of an Eagle may be here appositely put to denote the Eastern and VVestern Divisions of the Roman Empire of which an Eagle is the known Ensign which by supporting and advancing the Visible Church secured also thereby the pure Church although in an obscure and VVilderness-State in the midst of the growing Apostasy as Wheat amongst Tares over-topping it according to the Parable Matth. 13. And here is also a Note of the Time when this came to pass the most remarkable Division of the Empire being upon Theodosius's Death when the Two Antichristianizing Divisions of it by introducing a State of Christianity which counterfeited the True one so covered and hid the True Church under it that the Enemies which Satan raised up against it combated not True Christianity but the counterfeit of Antichristianism for it which grounded its pretence to Grandeur on the very Glorious Promises made to Christ's Kingdom and its Idolatry on Honour for Christ and his Saints Which made the Devil who found that the Storms he had raised against the Church fell upon his own Antichristian part the Church becoming soon invisible to throw out of his Mouth verse 15. a Flood thinking thereby to overwhelm her wheresoever she was 30 Upon this place it is fit to observe 1. That this is the very distribution of Time allotted to Antichrist Dan. 7 25.12 7. Which was distributed after this manner to shew the different States and Progress of Antichrist who arrived not to his Kingdom but by Steps and Degrees for he was about One whole Time or Three hundred and sixty Years before his Kingdom was established upon his prevailing in the Iconoclastick War and from thence continued about Two whole Times or Seven hundred and Twenty Years in a flourishing State of Supreme Power and Dominion until the Entrance of the Half Time at the Reformation 1517. when his Kingdom declined and was in a broken and divided condition signified by Half Time which is called the dividing of Time Dan. 7.25 See what hath been said on Chap. 10 6. 11 2 3 9 11. and what is discoursed upon the Rise of Antichrist on the following Chapters 2. There being in the 1260 Days of the Witnesses some Remarkable proportionable parts called Three Days and a half it is highly reasonable that the woman in the Wilderness should have such a sort of Time allotted unto her because she differs not from the Witnesses but only Notionally as hath been before observed And therefore 1260 Days having been allowed her at the 6th verse it may be rationally concluded that the Distribution of Time in this Verse answers to the Three Days and a half of the Witnesses because they are both of the same Extent Three Times and a half being the same with Three Years and a half and also because they may fitly denote the Time in which the Church in general typified by the Woman was narrowly preserved from Destruction whilst its Members the Witnesses were oppressed and lay dead in the Streets See the Notes on Chap. 11. 9 11. 31 Serpents are noted by Naturalists to be quick sighted and the Old Serpent is described as very subtile Gen. 3. from whence we may conclude that the True Church was now at this time so closely secured by God that it escaped the sight of the Dragon himself even when he took the Shape of a Serpent that is used his utmost Craft and Subtilty as well as Power and walked about seeking to devour her And from hence also it appears that Antichristianism had now so mightily prevailed as to be praedominant the Church being hid and overgrown by it as the Wheat in the Gospel by the Tares and that this was the very time when the Witnesses lay dead as to Power being anathematized and silenced and yet prophesied in Sackcloth i. e. in a Wilderness State and Condition in which a Church was nourished and preserved by God altho latent and almost invisible the sealed ones being now closely secured and the Worshippers retired into the inmost Recesses of the Temple which are Symbols representing one and the same thing according to divers Notions and Circumstances For our better understanding of this Chapter we may distinctly consider the Woman or Church under these divers Respects 1. As Apostolical during the pure state of the Church of Ephesus Ver. 1. 2. As in pain and watched by the Dragon that her Child might be devoured during the Persecutions of the Church of Smyrna Verse 2-4 3. As Delivered of a Child under Constantine Verse 5. 4. As bereft of her Child which was caught up to God Verse 5. Whereby is signified That Christ was not to appear long in the Glories of his Kingdom at that time but was to disappear after he had given but a short sight and glimpse of it 5. As persecuted by the Serpent stirring up the Barbarous Nations Verse 13. 6. As in a preparation to fly when the Two Wings were given her Verse 14. 7. As fled into the Wilderness Verse 6. and as bid there in an invisible State during the closest times of her Wilderness condition called Three Times and a half Verse 14. and Three Days and a half Chap. 11. 8. As persecuted by the Mahometan Inundation Verse 15 16. It may also here be fitly observed That this Chapter contains a plain Answer to the common (a) See the Preface to Morney du Plessi's Mystery of Iniquity Mr. Mede Disc 29.32 and pag. 649. And a Discourse of Bishop Sanderson concerning the Church Question of the Romanists Where was your Church before Luther For it was in an obscure state sometimes more Visible than at others and sometimes almost wholly invisible amidst the Apostacy as Wheat amongst the Tares 15 And the Serpent i. e. the Devil cast out of his mouth 31 water as a flood i. e. multitudes of Barbarous Nations after the Woman the Christian pure Church that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood i. e. to be destroyed in the common ruin 32 Water as a Flood signifies in this Prophecy a sudden and violent Inundation of many People and Nations which seem to be the Mahometan Nations described Chap. 6th because 1. They are said to be cast out of the Serpent's Mouth by which the pernicious and prevailing Imposture of their false Prophets Doctrine may be signified whereby he deceived the Nations as the Serpent did Eve by his Subtilty Speech and Doctrine being compared in Scripture (a) Prov. 18.4
entirely destroyed at the Succession of the Christian Empire but that it recovered for a short time under Julian and was kept in some Life by the Pagan part of the Senate and those Heathens who continued in Office until the time of Theodosius and by the Emperour's connivance at their Religion all (b) Dr. Cave's Introduct to Vol. 2. of the Lives of the Fathers of them also having accepted of the Pontifical Stole and born the Office and Title of Pontifex Maximus or Chief Head of the Colledge of the Priests of the Heathens until Gratian who refused it and especially by the Heathen Customs and Rites which the Christians by degrees brought into the Church by which Paganism gradually and insensibly passed into Antichristianism and the Beast was kept alive and at last perfectly healed So that here is described the State of the Roman Empire as in its passage under the Christian Emperours from the sixth Head to the seventh in a bleeding and desperate Condition but in hopes of having its Wound cured And the State of the same Empire as actually healed is represented in the next Words when a Monarchy and Idolatry was introduced so like that under the sixth Head that its Rise is here described rather by the healing of an Old Wound than by the Succession of a New Head * Here is set forth the Extent of the Beast's Kingdom the whole World being said to be his Followers and Admirers which the Defenders of the Papacy make to be a Note of their Church who are wont as hath been well (a) Rivet Tom. 3. pag. 583. observed by the just Judgment of God to attribute those things imprudently to the Papacy which are the Apocalyptick Marks of Antichrist To wonder after him may also imply the implicit Faith and blind Devotion paid to the Papacy which is usually the Effect of a groundless Wonder and an Admiration of Mens persons And here we may observe that it is foretold that Defection from Truth shall be Vniversal 4 And they that wondred after the Beast which were a very great multitude worshipped the 10 Dragon or Roman Pagan Power or Monarchy which gave his power unto the Beast i. e. they obeyed a Roman Pagan Diabolical Power in an Antichristian Successor and they 15 worshipped and were subject unto the Beast i. e. the 16 Roman Empire under its seventh Head the Papacy as Imperial and Monarchick saying 17 Who is like unto the Beast in Eminency and Excellency who is 18 able to make War with him i. e. resist or withstand his Power 14 It was one and the same Roman Monarchy under the Dragon and the Beast because they had both the same Imperial Seat at Rome upon the continuance of which a Monarchy is continued in the Account of Prophecy and because they were both influenced by the same Draconick and Devillish Temper and Spirit whereby they became One Body the Dragon living in and being worshipped in the Beast Whence it is that the Beast has but one and the self same Body under all its Heads it being represented as One Beast with divers distinct Heads each of which Head also may be called a Beast by a Synecdoche or a Figure whereby what belongs to the whole may be attributed to an eminent part 15 To Worship denotes also (a) Grotius in locum Gen. 37.7 8. Subjection in Scripture because Subjects were wont to adore or prostrate themselves to their Princes and Superiors in the Eastern Countries As the Subjects also of the Popes do who are not approached unto without (b) Rivet Tom. 3. pag. 576 577. Fouli's Romish Vsurpat B. 1.4 Adoration and are placed on the (c) Ceremonial Roman Sect. 2. cap. 2. And Sir Paul Rycaut's Preface to the Lives of the Popes Altar after they are chosen to receive the Adorations of the Cardinals and others present 16 Beast absolutely taken signifies 1. The Roman Empire with all its seven Heads And 2. The State of the Roman Empire under the seventh Head and Eighth King the Papacy which is the general Acceptation of the Beast in this Prophecy 17 This is an Expression frequently made use of in (d) Exod. 15.11 1 Sam. 2.2 1 Chron. 17.20 Scripture to denote God's peerless and appropriated Supereminence and consequently his appropriated Worship And by it is very appositely set forth the (e) Rivet Foulis ubi supra extravagant prophane and blasphemous Titles and Prerogatives given to the Pope by his Followers who make as if he were something more than Humane calling him their (a) In Gloss extravag Rivet Tom. 3. pag. 518. confessed by Father Walsh the Author of the Controversial Letters and other honest Romanists God and Christ's Vicar and attributing to (b) See Mr. Dodwel's Fundamental Principle of Popery where it is proved that this must necessarily be the fundamental principal of their Communion although it be denied by some of them him Infallibility all which is signified here by this Phrase which is not unlike the blasphemous Expressions of Rabshekah 2 Kings 18. 18 This most (c) See Fouli's Romish Vsurpat Mr. Dodwell 's Considerat of present concernment Math. Paris Anno. 1245 Imperatorem Fredericum conculcavimus quis es tu qui nobis temere credis resistere Graseri Histor Antichrist pag. 176. Omnes Principes fortunam irritasse qui cum Papa certaruat Kings and Kingdoms have found to be true in their Contests with the Papal Omnipotency as some of their Admirers have called it 5 And there was given unto him by the Devil God permitting and ordering things accordingly upon mens willful blindness a mouth 19 speaking great things i. e. a Faculty of impudent lying and boasting concerning his own Power and Infallibility in Decrees Anathema's and the like and blasphemies i. e. Idolatrous Decrees and power was given unto him to continue 20 Forty and two Months of Years See on Chap. 11.2 19 This Phrase is taken from Dan. 7.8 11 20 25.11 36. where it is the Character of the Little Horn and the Antichristian King from whence it also appears that this Beast is an Antichristian one and that this also is a Mark of the Papacy clearly appears from their (d) See the Authors quoted on num 16. The Canon Law the Bullarium Romanum and the Authors who defend the Papacy and the Court of Rome extravagant Titles and Decrees and Pretences to Universal Power 20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (e) Grot. in Jac. 4.13 Mede in Locum when joyned with a word signifying any space of Time denotes in Scripture the continuance of it 6 And he opened his Mouth with great boldness and arrogance in Blasphemies or Idolatrous Expressions against God Dan. 7 25. to 21 blaspheme his Name or Essence and his 22 Tabernacle i. e. Christ's Humane Nature and his Church and them 23 that dwell in Heaven i. e. Saints and Angels 21 By making Images of God which is called Blasphemy or Idolatry in Scripture
is signified the Preservation and Security of the Saints during the pouring forth of the Vials upon the Wicked Whereupon Fire is not here mentioned where the Sea is spoken of with relation to them And the Scripture seems to affirm that the Days of the last Great Tribulation which may perhaps refer to the Vials shall be shortned or cut off for the sake of the Elect Isa 10.22 Matth. 24.22 Rom. 9.28 7 By a usual Hebraism the most Excellent things are attributed to God in Scripture whence these Phrases Cedars of God Mountains of God and the like And by these Harps is signified such Heavenly Musick or Praise and Thanksgiving in this Representation of Christ's Kingdom as David the King a Type of Christ used in his Royal Palace and in the Service of the Temple called the Musick of God in (a) 1 Chron. 16.42 2 Chron. 7.6 Scripture Skill to play on the Harp being one of those Gifts which God bestowed on David to fit him for the Kingdom 1 Sam. 17.13 18. and in which the Prophets exercised themselves 1 Sam. 10.5 And so also at the passage over the Red Sea which is here alluded to the Women went out after Miriam with Timbrels Dances and Songs Exod. 15 20-22 3 And 8 they sung now in an happy and secure State the Song of Moses i. e. one of the same Spirit and Style with that which was sung by him Exod. 15. the (b) Deut. 34.10 Heb. 3.5 Eminent Servant of God and (b) Deut. 34.10 Heb. 3.5 Faithful in all his House and therefore a fit Type of these Faithful Witnesses and worthy to be imitated by them in a Song in Memory of Gods Judgments on Antichrist of whom the Aegyptians the Subject of Moses's Song were a Type and they sung the Song of the Lamb Christ sung Chap 5 8-14 saying Great as to the Power by which they are wrought Exod. 15.6 7. Rev. 5.12 and marvellous as to the Wisdom of them Exod. 15.11 Rev. 5.12 are all thy Works especially those wrought in our Deliverance Lord God Almighty glorious in Holiness doing Wonders Exod. 15.11 Rev. 4.8 just in punishing and true in performing thy promises are thy ways i. e. Proceedings and Actions Exod. 15.13 Deut. 42.4 thou King of Saints whom thou dost defend deliver and exalt Exod. 15.17 18. Rev. 5.9 8 As Moses and the Israelites also did on the Banks of the Red Sea Exod. 15. betwixt which Song and that of the Lamb Chap. 4 and 5. there is a very remarkable Congruity as is observed in the Paraphrase 4 Who of all the Creatures Rev. 5.13 shall not fear thee O Lord for thy Judgments Exod. 15 14-16 Jerem. 10.7 and glorifie thy Name i. e. Thee thy Excellencies and Perfections Exod. 15.3 11. for thou only art holy Exod. 15.11 Rev. 4 8. for all Nations shall come and worship before thee alone Exod. 15 14-16 Rev. 4 8-11 and 5.13 for thy Judgments are made manifest in the Glories of thy Triumphs over thy Enemies Exod. 15.6 7. Rev. 5.13 5 And after that Song and Vision I looked again or was in Vision and behold the 9 Temple or (a) Psal 28 2. 138 2. Grot. and Hammond on this place and on Acts 7.44 Oracle the most Holy Place of the Tabernacle of the Testimony i. e. of the Divine Habitation or Dwelling-place where God used to manifest and exhibit himself and give Testimony of his Presence and in which were the Two Tables the Witnesses of the Covenant betwixt God and his People which were to testifie what God required and testifie against them if they broke it Exod. 25.10 22.31 18 38 21. Numb 1.50 Deut. 31.6 Acts 7.44 in Heaven in the Heavenly Tabernacle and in the Pure Church See on Chap. 14 2. was opened i. e. there was a very high Appearance of an Exalted State of Christ's Kingdom in the Heavenly Tabernacle and a very great Manifestation of his Kingdom on Earth and Extraordinary Communications of God's Will aod Evidences of his Presence especially in 10 Judgments 9 The Temple of the Tabernacle denotes the Holy of Holies the most sacred part of it which is now opened to signifie some extraordinary manifestation of Christ's Kingdom there seeming to be many Gradual Openings and Visions of the several parts of the Temple according to the several Advances of Christ's Church and Kingdom unto its perfection For in the Vision of the Temple Opened Chap. 11.19 only the Ark of the Testament was seen which relates only to some particular great Mysteries concerning Christ's Redemption Whereas here the whole Inward Tabernacle of Testimony was discovered which had several (a) Heb. 9 1-5 other things in it besides the Ark whereby other Manifestations may be signified But although the Temple of Jerusalem be the primary Type alluded to yet Ezekiel's Visional Temple is the more immediate Type and the ultimate Prospect of all is upon God's dwelling in holy Souls especially in the New Jerusalem State by his Shecinah or special Presence and to God and the Lamb being the Temple into which all is at last resolved Rev. 21.3 22. 10 This I take as appears from the next Verse to be the principal intent of the Opening of the Temple of the Tabernacle at this time viz. That God's Will concerning the approaching Judgments ready to be executed was now plainly made known expressed here by the Opening of that place from whence the Divine Responses and Oracles were wont to be made under the Law and therefore the Angels come forth in the Habit in which the High-Priest was wont to come out of the Holy of Holies with an Answer from God 6 And the seven Angels or Ministers of God's Judgments came out of the Heavenly Temple having the seven Plagues Strokes or Punishments clothed in pure and white Linen Chap. 3.4 5. and having their Breasts girded with golden girdles i. e. they came out in the Habit of Priests and Kings to shew the Royal Priesthood of Christ's Kingdom and Heavenly Temple or Tabernacle out of which these Judgments proceed See Chap. 1 13 7 And one of the Four Beasts or the first of the Representatives of the Apostolical Church Chap. 4 6. 6 1. gave 11 unto the seven Angels seven golden Vials or Bowls 2 Chron. 4.22 Rev. 5.8 full not of Incense but of the 12 Wrath of God trodden cut of the Winepress of his Wrath out of which the Vial are filled Chap. 14 19 20. 15 1. 19 15. who liveth for ever and ever and therefore can and will punish the Wicked with an utter and an everlasting destruction Deut. 32 22-43 Heb. 10.31 11 The seven Angels had indeed the seven Plagues that is the Judgments and Punishments which were to be executed but besides the Materials if I may so speak of these Judiciary Plagues there is also something in God's severe Judgments which comes more immediately from the hand of God himself in which the very Essence and Formality of (a) Rom. 12.19 Heb.
their Waters justly turned into Blood for making that Element the Instrument of their Bloody Design against the Israelitish Infants Ex. 1.22 11 And blasphemed 17 the God of Heaven by whose Command these Plagues were inflicted because of their Pains and their Sores or fiery Ulcers and Torment of 17 Mind and Body Verse 2. and repented not of their deeds as being given over to a Reprobate Mind Verse 9. 17 17 The extream Torment they were under affected their Minds and Consciences and made them blaspheme God and gnaw their Tongues as Men in the greatest Rage imaginable For in this Vial there is an Allusion to the thick and palpable Darkness with which God plagued Aegypt Exod. 10 21-23 wherein Men sate still for several Days together in a most disconsolate condition vexed (a) Psalm 78.49 VVisd 17. and tormented with great Terrors from their own affrighted Consciences and the Evil Angels 12 And the sixth Angel poured out his Vial upon the great River 18 Euphrates and the Waters thereof were dried up i. e. all manner of Impediments were removed Isa 11 15. Jerem. 50 38.51 32 36. Zech. 10.11 that the way of the Kings 19 of the East i. e. of those Living Saints who are to Reign with Christ in his Kingdom Isa 41.26 Rev. 21.24 might be prepared i. e. that all things might be 20 prepared for the Jerusalem State in the New-Earth See the Three last Chapters 18 In this Verse there is an Allusion to the Exploit of Cyrus who dreined the River Euphrates when he took Babylon as had been foretold by the Prophet (b) Chap. 50 38.51 32 36. Vid. Grot. in loc Isaiah 41.26 Jeremiah and to those passages of the (c) Is 15.15 Zech. 10.11 where by the Tongue of the Egyptian Sea is meant the Bay of the Mediterranean Sea which lies next to Egypt and by the River not Euphrates which has not Seven Streams but Nilus which by so many Mouths empties it self into the Mediterranean Prophets where the Return of the Jews into their own Land is described in the like Expressions 19 Here also is an Allusion to Isaiah 41.2 25.46 11. where it is foretold that one should be raised up from the North and come from the Rising of the Sun to call upon or (a) Ezra 1 1 2. proclaim God's Name meaning thereby Cyrus who by his Mother's side was of Media which lies North from Judea and by his Father was a Persian whose Countrey lies exactly Eastward of the Holy Land And although Arabia be sometimes called the East in (b) Judg. 6.3 Job 1 3. Scripture and the Arabs the Children of the East for Job was a King in Arabia as Dr. (c) Itiner Mundi pag. 72 73. Hyde hath fully proved yet it was in respect of (d) Mede 's VVorks pag. 476. Egypt where the Jews had learnt that Form of Speech Arabia lying Southward of Palestine Now Cyrus was a Type of Christ and therefore by the Kings of the East may in proportion be here meant those Saints who as so many Messiahsses or Anointed Kings and Priests by which Name Cyrus is called in Scripture shall Reign with Christ who is expresly said to come from the East Chap. 7.2 20 An Expression used Isaiah 40.3 Malach 3.1 Matth. 3.3 And here it is to be noted that (e) Gen. 2 10-14 Euphrates was one of the Branches into which the River which watered Paradise was divided after it had passed through it It was also the (f) Gen. 15.18 Exod. 23.31 Deut. 1 4.11 24. Josh 1.4 2 Sam. 8.3 1 Kings 4.21 2 Chron. 9.26 Eastern bound of the Land of Promise to which David and Solomon extended their Dominion the Kingdoms thereabouts being Tributary unto them although the Jews never enjoyed a quiet Possession of them as proper Owners for any considerable time God (g) Fuller's Pisgah Sight 1.2 contracting their Borders for their Sins and at last scattering and carrying them Captive beyond this very River into the Dominions of the Assyrian and Babylonish Tyrants So that this River which at first was a Stream flowing out of Paradise became the Fatal Boundary of the Kingdom of the People of God over which they were carried Captive and a Sign of Enmity and Hostility to God's Church Babylon the Type of the Seat of Antichrist being seated on one Branch of it From which Observations we may conclude that by drying up the Waters of Euphrates that the Way of the Kings of the East might be prepared is signified 1. Preparations for removing of all Impediments and Obstacles whatsoever especially from Antichrist which may hinder the Kingdom of Christ whose Dominion is to be extended beyond that River unto the Ends of the Earth as the Psalmist hath plainly foretold Psalm 72.8 2. Here may also be intimated the near Approach of the New Earth described in the Three Last Chapters signified by the drying up that River whereon the Type of the Antichristian City was seated which was an hindrance to the Saints entring into and enjoying the Paradisiacal State of the New Earth of Christ's Kingdom In order to which also according to Dr. (b) Theory of the Earth 3.9 Burnet's Hypothesis the Rivers are to be dryed up that so no stop may be put to the Conflagration which is to burn up the Old Earth 13 And I saw three unclean 21 Spirits of Devils Verse 14 like Frogs 22 come out of the 23 mouth of the Dragon i. e. the Pagan Roe man Powers Chapters 12 and 13. and out of the mouth of the Beast i. e. the Antichristian King Chap. 13. and of the False 24 Prophet i. e. the Antichristian Hierarchy the other Beast Chap. 13.11 21 An Epithet frequently given in Scripture to the Evil Spirits to distinguish them from the Pure and Holy Spirit of God and they are called unclean because they tempt to and take delight in Sin which is Impurity and Vncleanness 22 Like the Frogs of Aegypt Exod. 8 1-14 who went up into the Houses of the Aegyptians and even into the Bed-Chamber of King Pharaoh and his Nobles Psalm 105.30 Whereby is elegantly set forth the Vile Original of the Devil's Angels and Emissaries born as it were out of the unclean Mud and Slime and sent to Negotiate and Solicite of which the Croaking of Frogs is a Symbol the Kings of the Earth into whose Bed Chambers and most private Retirements they insinuate themselves 23 They came out of their Mouths as Embassadours to speak in their Name and interpret their Mind and Designs And these Spirits of Devils came out of the Mouths of the Dragon Beast and False Prophet to shew that Satan had made use of them all along as his principal Agents out of each of whom they came to shew that all their several and distinct Interests were now to be joyned together at this great Battle and decisive Attempt 24 He is called the Other Beast Chap. 13. whilst the Beast was in his Infancy but
according to what had before come to pass in the destruction of Josiah who was a Type of Christ as the godly Kings of Judah and Israel were and was slain near that place just when he had prepared the Temple of God the Emblem of Christs Kingdom 2 Chron. 35.20 4. To shew that God who over-rules evil Designs for good and who declares Judg. 4.7 the place here alluded to that he drew Sisera and his multitude together had ordained that these Kings should be totally overthrown as the Kings of Canaan were at Megiddo and that Christ's Church should triumph over them and bless God for the great Victory in the Song prepared for it in the preceeding Chapter as (a) 2 Chron. 20.26 Jehoshaphat and the Israelites did in the Valley of Beracah or Blessing for the Defeat of that great multitude of Wicked People which confederated against Israel Whereupon this place of Decision is called the Valley of Jehoshaphat in (b) Chap. 3.2 12 14. Joel The Battel being described sometimes as if it were to be in a (c) Joel 3. Ezek. 39 5. Valley or Plain and sometimes as on a (d) Ezek. 39.4 Mountain and confined to no particular place Jehoshaphats (e) Fullers Pisgah Sight pag. 280 294. Valley being far distant from the Valley of Megiddo but expressed so as to typifie other things unto us and to shew that they shall be totally defeated as men driven from their several Fastnesses and Retreats Mountains as well as Plains and Valleys 5. To shew that both Jews (f) Zech. 12.3 6 9 10 11 12 13 14. and Gentiles should mourn at the sight of Christ now ready to appear in his glorious Kingdom as there was a great Mourning for Josiah by the Jews and the Assyrians whom he then assisted which may probably be the meaning of Hadadrimmon Zech. 12.11 which according to (a) On Zech. 12.11 Grotius signifies the Glory of Rimmon an Assyrian Idol 17 And the seventh Angel poured out his Vial into the 35 Air and there came a great voice out of the Temple 36 of Heaven from the Throne i. e. there was an extraordinary manifestation of the intimate and more immediate presence of God saying it 37 is done i. e. this is the last vial and Judgment upon the wicked Nations Ezek. 39.8 See on chap. 20. and 21.6 35 By Air is meant in (b) See Dr. Hammond on Psalm 148.4 Scripture the Aerial Expansum or Firmament consisting of Air and Clouds ballanced by the Weight of it Job 37.16 which being the Place of Meteors the Angel pours his Vial upon it and thereupon follow Thunder and Lightning and a Great Earthquake which commonly accompany each other the Islands and Mountains fly away and so great Hail falls which is a usual Attendant of Thunder-storms as if the Clouds with all their (c) Job 38.22 23. Treasures of Meteors were thrown down from Heaven Whereby the more immediate preparations to the Dissolution of the Old Earth seem to be described according to the Prediction of the Apostle Peter and the Description given of it in Dr. Burnet's Theory who yet very (d) 3.3 7. prudently admonishes us not to be too positive or presumtuous in our Conjectures about these Things because if there be an invisible Hand Divine or Angelical that touches the Springs and Wheels of Nature it will not be easie for us to determine with Certainty the Order of their Motions 36 Called so in remembrance of the Throne and Temple in Ezekiel 37 A Phrase evidently taken from Ezek. 39.8 where it is used concerning Gog and Magog whence also it appears that their Destruction is here referred to concerning whom read Chap. 20. and Ezek. 38. and 39. 18 And there were voices and thunders 38 and lightning aad there was a great Earthquake such as was not since men were upon the Earth so mighty an Earthquake and so great i. e. there were very high manifestations of Christ's glorious Kingdom and a time of trouble such as never was before the powers of the Earth and Heavens being shaken to make way for a new Heaven and a new Earth Dan. 12.1 2. Matth. 24.29 Heb. 12 26-22 See on chap. 4.5 and on the three last chapters 38 See Dr. Burnet's Theory of the Earth Book 3. 19 And the great City i. e. the whole Antichristian Jurisdiction and Kingdom chap. 14 8.18 10 21. was divided by the Earth-quake into 39 three parts i. e. the whole strength of the Antichristian State was dissipated and overthrown and the Cities of the wicked Nations of the whole World verse 14. chap. 20.8 fell and great Babylon 40 i. e. Rome chap. 14.8 came in special remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the Wine of the feirceness of his Wrath i. e. to destroy her with a most severe and an utter destruction See on chap. 14 8-11 39 The general Type of Three Parts seems to be taken from Ezek. 5.2 12. where Jerusalem when it was designed for Destruction is marked out into Three Parts which Three parts here are the Three United Forces of the Antichristian Kingdom viz. 1. The Dragon or Devil with his Three Vnclean Spirits 2. The Beast and his False Prophet who as being united in Force and Interest have one punishment 3. The Kings of the Earth See on Chap. 19 19-21 40 Hence it appears that the Conflagration is here pointed at because it is plain from this Prophecy that Rome shall be destroyed by Fire as hath been before observed 20 And every Island fled away and the Mountains were not found i. e. the 41 old Earth was dissolved 2 Pet. 3. See on chap. 21.1 41 See Dr. Burnet's Theory of the Earth B. 3.9 whose ingenious Hypothesis gives great light to this place according to which as is here foretold the Mountains are to be destroyed in the last place and there are to be no Islands because no Sea in the New Earth which is to be plain and level 21 And there fell upon the wicked Kings and men of the Earth who were gathered together against Christ's Kingdom verses 14.16 a great Hail out of Heaven 42 i. e. an extraordinary Tempest of Divine Wrath inflicted by the more immediate command of God every stone about the weight of a Talent i. e. each stroak of God's Wrath was extraordinary great heavy and insupportable Ezek. 38.22 Matth. 23.44 and yet these men Blasphemed God because of the Hail i. e. were still obdurate and impenitent for the Plague thereof was exceeding great upon which they should therefore have humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God 42 Hail was one of the Plagues of Aegypt and the wicked Kings of Canaan were destroyed by great Hailstones from Heaven Joshua 10.11 as the Antichristian Aegyptians and Kings of the Earth here are But this place more immediately referrs to Ezek. 38.22 where God foretells that Gog and Magog shall be destroyed by a Thunder storm of Rain and Great Hailstones
〈◊〉 signifies of an other kind or sort from it as not being Beastian or Idolatrous but an utter Enemy to the Beast during whose Reign it lay wounded to Death Chap. 13. 3. Whereupon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to be made use of by the Holy Spirit that so it might be answered by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Word which includes both the former Senses For seeing that there are Eight Kings and but Seven Heads it is plain that One of the Kings must be no Head and therefore of a Nature different from all the other which can only belong to this Seventh King because the Five First Governments are known to be Idolatrous Governments which is the signification of an Head in this Prophecy and the Eighth is expresly said to be one of the seven that is Idolatrous Heads So that this Other is indeed a King and that the seventh of the Imperial City of Rome but is not of the Seven that is is not a King who is also an Idolatrous Head of the Beast as all the six Governments before the Christian Emperours were and as the seventh Head was to be who is the Eighth King or Government but the seventh Idolatrous King or the seventh King who is an Head as well as a King as appears from Verse 11. 30 This is also an evident Character of the Christian Empire which in comparison of the Reign of the Five preceeding Kings and the 1260 Years of the Beast lasted but for a short space uiz but about an hundred and Fifty Years reckoning from Constantine until the Fall of the Western Empire under Augustulus A. D. 476. Whence also it is evident that the Beast the next or Eighth King must enter into Succession at that Time together with his Ten Kings who receive power as Kings at the same Hour with him Verse 12. These being evidently Governments immediately successive as a Sixth to a Fifth a Seventh to that and an Eighth following it without any Interregnum or intermediate Government And it is here said that it must or ought not to continue long to shew that Providence had ordained that the Christian Empire should be short on purpose that there might be space enough out of the time destined for these purposes for the Reign of the Beast whose Kingdom was to be built upon the Ruines of the Christian Empire 11 And the Beast that was viz. in the sixth Head Verse 8. and is not as yet risen to his Supremacy Verse 8. even he and let it be observed is the 31 Eighth King Verse 10. and is one to wit the last of the seven Heads or Idolatrous Governments the Seventh King being no Head Verse 10. and goeth into perdition i. e. shall be destroyed and then all the Four Monarchies end in him and the Kingdom of Christ succeeds Dan. 2. and 7. See on Verse 8. and on Verses 16 17. 31 From this Verse it is evident 1. That The Beast is the Papacy because that although there were Kings of Italy after the Extinction of the Christian Emperours the Seventh King yet Rome the Woman or great City of these Eight Kings who upheld and sustained it by their Authority and where the Heads and Kings were resident which reigned over the inferiour Kings or Princes of the Earth was never afterwards under the Supreme Government of any but the Pope at least for any considerable time who must therefore be the Eighth King here mentioned they being called Kings with respect to the City of Rome as appears from Verse 3 9 10 11 18. and from what hath been observed on Chap. 13. 2. where the very same Beast with this is described as is evident from the Characters given of them in both Chapters which may be seen in Dr. Moor's Synops Prophet lib. 1. Chap. 10 c. and in Dr. Cressener's Demonstrat of the Apocalyps 2. That the Papacy is an Idolatrous Government because the Eighth King which is the Papacy is of the Seven Heads of the Beast or Idolatrous Roman Empire in general and is also The Beast in particular or that which is called so by way of Eminence viz. the Seventh Head but Eighth King which was is not and yet is which is called the Beast although it be only a Head of it as an eminent part has often the denomination of the whole and to shew that it is the same with the Little Horn in Daniel which is called Dan. 7.11 The Beast although it were only One of its Horns Whence 3. it will follow that the present Papacy is the Beast because that hath been in possession of the Government of Rome ever since the Christian Empire and so consequently no other Antichristian King is to be expected towards the End of the World nor any other City to be understood here but the present Papal Rome the Head of which the Pope is actually Crowned (a) Sir Paul Rycaut 's Preface to the Lives of the Popes with a Triple Crown after his Election and that with so many Solemnities that the Ceremony takes up a whole Day and he has also all the Ensigns of Temporal Soveraignty as a Court of Cardinals who in the Ceremoniale Romanum are called Princes in the Church Embassadours Guards and the like and is approached with more Reverence than the Emperours themselves which is so much taken notice of by the (a) Graseri Histor Antichrist p. 142. Buxtorf Lexic Talmud Jews and (a) Graseri Histor Antichrist p. 142. Buxtorf Lexic Talmud Infidels that the Pope is frequently called the King of the Franks i. e. the Christians by the Turks and the King of Edom by the Jews by which they mean Rome 12 And the ten 32 horns which thou sawest are or signify ten Kings or independent Soveraignities which have received no Kingdom or independency of and in the Empire as yet i. e. at the time of this Vision but receive Power as Kings i. e. an independent and Soveraign Power one hour 23 with the Beast i. e. at the same time that the Beast receives Power and in conjunction with him 32 These Kings receive Power with the Beast when he comes to be the Eighth King which coming not to pass until the Extinction of the Christian Emperours of Rome or the Western Caesars by these Kings can be meant no other then those amongst whom the Empire was divided upon the Conquests of the Northern Nations who are thought by Mr. (b) Pag. 463. 661. Author libri de Excid Antichrist Mede and other Learned Men to have been Ten at first although that Number seems rather to be retained upon the account of the Ten Toes of the Image in c Daniel to which the Ten Horns of the Beast do correspond to shew that this Beast is the last State of the Roman Empire in which the Image was to be broken in peices by the Stone the Emblem of Christ's Kingdom which is to smite it on its Feet and Ten Toes For the Endeavours of Learned
Candle shall shine no more at all in thee i. e. thou shalt be perpetual Darkness and Desolation without the least comfort Jer. 25.10 and the Voice of the Bridegroom and of the Bride shall be heard no more at all in thee i. e thy Polity and Society shall be no more propagated but shall utterly cease together with all the Joy of thy former Solemnities and Festivities Jerem. 7 34.16 9. and all this shall come upon thee for or because thy Merchants who proselyrted Souls to their destruction and made Gain of Godliness were the great 21 men of the Earth i. e. were Lordly Worldly Ambitious and Sensual and also because or for by thy Sorceries i. e. Idolatry and Superstition were all Nations deceived 21 See on Chap. 6.15 It is an Expression taken from Isa 23.8 where it relates to the Merchants of Tyre a Crowning or Imperial City and a Type of the Antichristian City whose Worldly and Ambitious Clergy are here signified 24 And in her was also found the guilt of the blood of Prophets or Witnesses and of Saints or Holy Persons and of all 22 that were slain upon the Earth i. e. she was found guilty of Persecution and Bloodshed as well as Idolatry and all which had been shed during the Times of Christianity was laid to her charge because she was the Off-spring of Persecuting Parents had approved her Fore-fathers wicked Deeds and had filled up the measure of their iniquities Jerem. 2.34 Matth 23.29 39. 22 This is to be understood in the sense our Saviour uses the like Expression concerning Jerusalem upon whom he charges all the Blood that had been spilt from Abel Matth. 23 29-39 See also Zech. 5 5-11 where the Land of Shinar or Babylon is represented as having the House and Basis or Foundation of all Wickedness in it as if she had been guilty of all manner of sins and all sinners were to be punished in the Lake of her Burnings See Note 19. CHAP. XIX The Text. 1 AND after 1 these things i.e. the things seen in the precedent Chapter I heard a great Voice of much people in Heaven i. e. of the innumerable Company which stands before the Throne and before the Lamb Chap. 7.9 saying 2 Alleluja i. e. Praise ye the Lord Salvation from all evils especially those suffered under Antichristianity and Glory and Honour and Power be ascribed unto the Lord our God and to him alone for he is the sole Author of all good Annotations on CHAP. XIX 1 From the First to the Tenth Verse there is a Vision of a Triumphant and Joyful Appearance in Heaven for the Judgment upon the great Whore described in the Two preceeding Chapters and for the Marriage of the Lamb and the near Approach of his Glorious Kingdom 2 This Word is first used Psalm 104.35 to express the Psalmist's Joy upon the prospect of the Accomplishment of his Prediction or Desire that sinners might be consumed out of the Earth And it is here also made use of accordingly upon the Judgment executed upon Antichrist God's Chief Enemy and upon a prospect of the Old Earth's being utterly consumed together with the wicked people of it and a New Earth's succeeding in its place 2 For true and righteous are his Judgements and therefore is he to be praised for he hath judged and punished the great whore or the Idolatrous City and Church which did corrupt and destroy Jerem. 51.25 the Earth with her Fornication or Idolatry and hath avenged the Blood of her servants at her hand i. e. hath rewarded her abundantly according to her demerits for shedding the blood of his Faithful Witnesses and Servants chap 18. 20. 3 And again or the second time they said Alleluja to testifie their Joy upon the sight of the smoke the sign and token of her everlasting burnings And her smoke rose up or was then in its ascent and that for ever and ever i.e. she was punnished with an everlasting Destruction 4 And the four and twenty Elders 3 and the Beasts i e. the representatives of the Jewish and Christian Church chap. 4. fell down and worshipped God that sat on the Throne saying Amen Allelujah i. e. there was a very great appearance and manifestation of Christ's glorious Kingdom and the justice of God's Judgments was acknowledged with Praise and Thanksgiving 3 The Elders of the Church of Israel are placed first in this Appearance of the Divine Confessus or Sanhedrim from whence it may be concluded that this was a Vision of the New Jerusalem-State in which the Israelites as the First Born are to have the Preheminence who according to all Prophecy and Rom. 11. are to be converted and restored to their own Land as hath been before observed And perhaps for this Reason also is the Hebrew word Allelujah here retained 5 And a voice 4 came out of the midst of the Throne from Christ See chap. 5 6. 7 17. saying by way of holy Excitement and Encouragement praise our God my God as well as yours John 20.17 Rev. 3.12 all ye his Servants and ye that fear and worship him both small and great i. e. of whatsoever Nation Quality and Condition ye are for God is no respecter of Persons Psalm 115.11 13. Acts 2 5.10 34 35. Gal. 3.28 4 This Voice seemes to be an Heavenly Excitement to all the Saints upon Earth Gentiles and Jews small and great of all Nations now converted to joyn with the Heavenly Assembly in rendring Praises to God 6 And immediately upon this efficacious Exhortation from out of the Throne I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty Thundrings i. e. there was a mighty appearance of Christ's Kingdom and powerful Communications from the Heavenly Throne to all his Servants upon Earth that fear'd him and Heaven and Earth joyned in praises saying Alleluja for the Lord 5 God Omnipotent now reigneth and that Gloriously Isa 4.23 5 These Words are taken from Isaiah 24 21-23 where it is prophesied That the Lord God of Hosts or the Lord God Omnipotent should Reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients or Elders of the Christian Church and that Gloriously after he had punished and shut up in Prison the Kings of the Earth Which is a clear Proof that the Reign of God here mentioned has a Respect to the Reign and Kingdom of Christ after the punishment of the wicked Kings and Nations of the Earth Chap. 20. 7 Let us be glad and rejoyce exceedingly and give honour or praise Luke 17.18 to him alone For the Marriage 6 of the Lamb Christ with his Church 2. Cor. 11.2 Eph. 5.32 is now actually come in and by the coming of his Kingdom Psalm 45. Matt. 22 11.25 1-13 Luke 12.36 and his Wife hath made her self ready i. e. the new Jerusalem state is now coming down from God out of Heaven Rev. 21.2 6 Christ is represented frequently (a)
in the broken and abrupt form of speech here made use of by the Angel 15 Here is declared that Angels and Men are Fellow-Creatures and shall be Fellow-Servants in the New Jerusalem-State the World to come which shall not be subject to Angels and in which there shall be an Equality betwixt them and Saints the Members of it and that they shall joyn together in the Worship of Christ Luke 20.36 Heb. 1 6.2 5. * That is Jesus the Word of God who is God and One with the Father and is accordingly worshipped in this Prophecy Chap. 5. and. 22.3 and in other places 16 16 Here the Angel delivers a most excellent Axiom wherein we are taught 1. That the principal thing to be attended to in Prophecy is Whether it be the Testimony of Christ or no That is whether it be delivered in Scripture which principal Character is here called The Spirit of Prophecy that is the Life and Soul of it which animates it and gives it its true Value and Esteem in the Sense that Spirit is often opposed to Letter and Flesh in Scripture 2 Cor. 3.6 2 That the Sense of Prophetical Scriptures given from a compare of Scripture with Scripture is when it evidently appears to be so of equal Credibility with the Prophecy it self because it is the Spirit of the Letter of it 3. That Interpreters of prophetical Scriptures when their Interpretations are confirmed are worthy of a Prophet's Reward because they have the Spirit of prophecy Matth. 10.41 11 And I saw Heaven 18 opened for a glorious appearance of Christ and behold a white Horse the Emblem of Christ's Royalty and Glory from his Resurrection to his second coming in his Kingdom chap. 6. 2. and he that sate upon him i. e. Christ was called faithful 18 and true to his Promises and his Friends and in Righteousness i. e. Truth and Peace he doth Judg 19 his People Psal 96.10 13. Is 11 1-9.32 16. and make 19 War with his Enemies Is 11.4 17 To shew that the Heavens shall open when the King of Glory appears Psalm 24 7-10 Matth. 24.30 And this Appearance which is the second Vision in this Chapter is that of Christ's coming in his Kingdom to Judgment and is the same with that Chap. 14.14 as will plainly appear to any who considers the Circumstances and Description of both 18 He is said to be Faithful and True because of his appearing in his Kingdom according to his promise which Atheists Antiscripturists and those of the Antichristian Party had called in question still asking with those Scoffers 2 Pet. 3. where is the promise of his coming 19 19 Hence it appears that the great Battle of Armageddon is by way of Judgment wherein the Enemies of Christ and of his Kingdom are represented as (a) Ezek. 32.27 and Chap. 38. Rev. 20. Warriors in Arms who when conquered were wont as Captives of War to be judged by and receive Sentence from the Conquerour as appears from Jerem. 52.9 12 His Eyes were as a flame of 20 Fire penetrating and judging of all things after a quick and terrible manner chap. 1.14 2 18. and on his head were many 21 Crowns to denote the amplitude of his Dominions his many Conquests and the several Exercises of his Regal Office especially now in his glorious Monarchy and Kingdom Psal 72 8-20 Rev. 14.14 and he had a Name 22 written that no man knew but he himself i. e. his Essence and Nature as God Incarnate and his Will Counsels Judgments and Rewards c uld not be fully known nor comprehended by any Creature and not at all after a saving manner but by them to whom he should reveal them Judg. 13.18 Job 11.7 8. Psalm 36.6 Matth. 11.27 Rom. 11.33 34. 1 Cor. 2 6.-16 1 John 3.2 20 Christ is to be revealed in flaming (a) Thes 1 8.2 8. fire when he comes to Judgment in his Kingdom and therefore his Eyes are represented as a flame of fire to signifie his Discerning Judgment and All-seeing Wisdom which he will then most peculiarly manifest 21 Christ had a Kingdom from his very Resurrection and has had all along many Conquests over his Enemies in the Administration of it and is therefore very fitly represented with many Crowns as David a Type of Christ put on his Head the Crowns of the several Kings conquered by him 2 Sam. 12.30 1 Chron. 20.2 See also 1 Maccab. 11.13 He has also many Crowns because of his Kingdom as the Eternal Word and as Mediator which he hath administred under the Father ever since his Resurrection represented by the first Seal and as he now enters upon the Administration of his Glorious Kingdom as he is also King of Kings and Lord of Lords he hath all the Crowns of the Kingdoms of the Earth belonging unto him and now as it were put upon his Head 22 His Name Emmanuel God made Flesh or God in our Nature seems to be here more particularly understood as being peculiar to him as distinct from the Father and the Spirit Judg. 13.18 Isa 9.6 Prov. 30.4 13 And he was cloathed with a vesture dipt in the Blood of his Enemies Psal 68.23 Is 63 1-6 and his Name is called or he is the Word 23 of God John 1.1 23 That is the Eternal Word of God by whom God spake when he made the World and spake also to our Fore-fathers under the Old Testament and unto us in the Gospel And he may also be called The Word because in him the whole Word of God Prophecies and Promises are Yea and Amen that is constant and not changeable punctually fullfilled unalterably confirmed and ratified 2 Cor. 1.19 20. See Grot. on Joh. 1.1 Bishop Pearson on the second Article of the Creed and Dr. Bull 's Defensio Fidei Nicaenae 14 And the Armies which were in Heaven i. e. Christ's mighty Angels and the Saints which shall accompany them when he comes to Judgment in his Kingdom Dan. 4 35. Zech. 14.5 Matth. 22.7 1 Thes 4.14 1 Cor. 15. Phil. 3.29 2 Thes 1.7 Jude 14.15 See the Notes on Rev. 14 14 15. and chap. 20. and on verse 11. of this Chapter followed him upon white 24 Horses as Companions and Partakers with Christ in his Glory and his Kingdom cloathed in fine 25 Linen white and clean i. e. they were Justified and Sanctified by the Righteousness and Holyness of Christ imputed unto them See on verse 8. 24 This Battle is a Judgment as appears from Verse 15. So that these Armies of Heaven must be the Angels and the Saints who shall come with Christ in Judgment to his Kingdom with glorified Bodies as the Scriptures quoted in the Paraphrase do plainly declare and they are represented as on White Horses to shew the Glory they shall appear in and their joynt Rule and Reign with Christ it being the custom for Kings Favorites Nobles and Rulers to be clad in White Garments and ride on White Beasts as hath been already observed on Rev.
all the wicked are at last consigned at the final consummation of all things Chap. 20. 10-15 So that hereby is signified the Eminency and Transcendency of their punishment and the utter and total Abolition of that Antichristian State which as being the base and Hypocritical Counterfeit of Christianity is most peculiarly abhorred by God and is accordingly consumed and abolished so as never to appear again immediately at the very First Approach or Dawning of Christ's Kingdom as the shadows fly away when the Day breaks and the Chaff is suddenly driven away with the wind Psalm 1.4 Hos 6 4.13 3. Canticl 2.17.2 Thes 2.8 21 And the 31 Remnant i. e. the Kings of the Earth and their Armies verse 18 19 were slain 32 with the Sword of him that sate upon the white Horse verse 11. which Sword proceeded out of his Mouth i. e. they were Condemned by the Light Evidence and Convictions of Christ's Gospel according to which God will then judge the Secrets of Men by Jesus Christ Rom. 2.16 and all the Fowls were filled with their Flesh i. e. all the Saints were fully satisfied with the Justice of their Condemnation and the high Praises of God were in their Mouths for it Psalm 149 5.6 31 The Beast and False Prophet the Chief Enemies of Christ's Kingdom are first sentenced and are cast into the Lake at the first Appearance of Christ to which punishment also all their Adherents are expresly adjudged Rev. 14 9-11 although not at the same time as seemeth to appear from their bewailing the Ruine of Babylon afterwards Chap. 18. or not to the same degrees of it Whereupon it follows that if under the Beast and the False Prophet their Armies and Adherents are to be comprehended who must needs be vanquished with their Cheiftains then by the Kings and their Armies must be meant all the other wicked of the Earth besides the Antichristian Counterfeit who are vanquished and condemned by Christ and his Armies And although the Devil and his Angels and Armies are not here mentioned yet it is evident from Chap. 20.2 that the Dragon was laid hold on or taken Captive which Phrase respects the Issue of a Battel and must consequently relate to this at Armageddon But because those Enemies are Invisible Instruments and acted in and by the others therefore are they not particularly named here but only their Instruments and Agents who openly appeared and resisted Christ's Kingdom 32 These are not cast alive into the Lake because they are to appear again after the Thousand Years Kingdom of Christ but are said only to be slain by the Brightness Efficacy and Power of Christ's Kingdom whereby is meant a Spiritual Slaughter accompanied with Bodily Torments proceeding from Anguish of Mind in the sense of the Psalmist Psal 59.11 13.104 35. concerning which see more on the following Chapter Here it may be noted That there are Three Enemies of Christ to be vanquished by his coming which may also be the Three Parts of the great City 1. The Dragon or Satan and his Angels by whose Diabolical Spirit all the Enemies of Christ's Kingdom were influenced who are bound and sealed up during the Thousand Years Kingdom of Christ and are afterwards cast into the Lake Chap. 20.2 3 10. 2. The Kings of the Earth and their Armies i. e. those who had a bare Enmity and Hostility against Christ's Kingdom and not under the pretence of advancing it who are slain at this Battel and then make Second Assault upon Christs Kingdom in which they are overcome and at last utterly abolished and cast into the Lake Chap. 20.9 10. 3. Antichristianism consisting of Beastianism and False Prophetism which State is utterly abolished by the first Appearance of Christ and all its Votaries and impenitent Adherents lye under the severe Judgments of God during the whole time of Christ's Glorious Kingdom being never able to make any the least opposition against it CHAP. XX. The Text. 1 AND I saw an Angel come down from heaven i. e. a very particular and peculiar Ministry of Angels deputed by God for this purpose having the Key of the bottomless pit i. e. a Power to open and shut the Pit of Hell Luke 8.31 Rev. 1 18.9 1. and a great chain in his hand i. e. Powerful means to restrain the Evil Spirits 2 Pet. 2.4 Jude 6 2 And he laid 1 hold on i. e. seized upon and secured Matth. 14.3 the Dragon that Old Serpent which is the 2 Devil and Satan Gen. 3. Rev. 12.9 and bound him i. e. restrained him from 3 deceiving the Nations a thousand years i. e. during the Reign of Christ See on Verse 4. Annotations on CHAP. XX. 1 An Account having been given in the former Chapter how Two parts of the great City or Two of the Three Enemies of Christ had been disposed of the Holy Spirit does in this Chapter from Verse 1 to 4. particularly describe the Event of that Battle with reference to Satan or the Devil and his Angels the Third Enemy or Third part of the Great City or Idolatrous and Wicked Polity of the Kingdom of Darkness 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (a) Grot. in Marc. 3.26 Vniversitas Satanica the Devil and all his Evil Angels called The Dragon as he presided over and influenced the Pagan Empire and Emperours and lived in the Imperial Supremacy of the Antichristian King Chap. 13.4 and That Old Serpent in respect of his Deceiving our First Parents in Paradise in that Shape and his working in and by Antichrist with all lying Wonders and deceivableness of Vnrighteousness 2 Thes 2.9 10. Rev. 12.3 14 and the Devil and Satan as he is the Accuser and Adversary of Mankind Rev. 12.9 Under whom are comprehended the several Sorts and Orders of Wicked Spirits mentioned Eph. 2 2.6 12. acting as one Power under one Prince and Chief of them who are here restrained from all manner of Power whatsoever either from themselves or as influencing others during the glorious Kingdom of Christ 3 As he had done our first Parents in the first Paradise so that there is no fear of being driven out of this New Paradise or of being deceived by Diabolical Temptations in it it being very (b) Burnet's Theor. 4.2 probable that the New Earth will be Paradisiacal 3 And he 4 cast him into the bottomless pit which is also a place of Torment Matth. 8.28 29. Luke 8.31 and 4 shut him up and set a 4 Seal upon him i. e. closely confined him after the most secure manner that he should deceive the Nations Verse 8. no more as he had hitherto done by the Lye of Idolatry and other deceitful Wickednesses and Temptations till the thousand Years of Christ's Reign should be fullfilled or ended and after that he must according to the secret Counsel and Will of God be loosed from this Restraint for a 5 little season 4 4 4 By these several Expressions is intimated that the Devil should be confined after the closest
of Antichrist upon whose destruction this Glorious Kingdom or Glorious State of Christs Kingdom is to begin And that there shall be a glorious state of Christs Church such as hath not hitherto been is a Truth so apparent in Scripture that those (b) Pocock on Micah pag. 24 29 32 42. who are most wary of interpreting the Scriptures to this Sense lest thereby any advantage might be given to the Jews cannot but confess that many Passages of the Prophets which relate to this State are not as yet clearly nor fully compleated but that they are still in fulfilling and more may be expected in the latter times which Dr. Pocock extends to the second Coming of Christ. And although we ought to be cautious how we administer occasion of hardening the Jews in their Infidelity by forcing Texts of Scripture to this Sense which may be meant concerning the first Coming of Christ yet the want of due distinguishing betwixt his first Coming in a way of Humiliation and Sufferings and his second Coming in Glory and that to erect a Kingdom upon Earth and under the Heaven as is expresly affirmed Dan. 7.27 Rev. 5.10 in a State of perfect Righteousness Peace and Prosperity has been no mean cause of Offence to the Jews and is the occasion of many Errors amongst Christians But that there shall be such a Kingdom of Christ which may be called his Mediatory Kingdom distinct from the Kingdom of Eternity of which the Man Christ Jesus is the Eternal King as he is united to the Eternal Word and from his Spiritual and Evangelical Kingdom will appear evident from these following Considerations 1. Because the many (a) Psalm 2.8 Isa 2 2-4 Micah 4.1 Mr. Mede Disc 25. 29. 36. Prophecies foretelling a Glorious Constant and uninterrupted Visibility and Vniversality of Christ's Church not yet accomplished do require such a Future State For the Church hath been seldom gloriously visible never constantly and uninterruptedly so neither hath it been at any time in possession of much above the sixth part of the known World so far hath it fallen short of the Vniversality prophesied of in Scripture 2. Many (b) Isa 11 6-9.65.17-25 Ezek. 48.35 Micah 4.3 Justin Mart. Dial cum Tryphon Dr. Burnet's Theor 4.5 7. Jurieu's accomplishm of prophec Tom. 2. Chap. 18 24. Grot. de Verit. Relig. Christ 5.18 Quaedam vero etiam definite sine conditione promissa si impleta nondum sunt adhuc possunt expectari Constat enim etiam apud Judaeos Tempus sive Regnum Messiae durare ad finem seculorum Prophecies relating to the Temporal and Spiritual Happiness of Christs Church are not yet at all fulfilled or only in part and therefore there must be some Future State in which they are to be accomplished Such as those which foretel its perfect peace prosperity holiness and the divine presence resting and remaining in it which can by no Art be so interpreted as to make out that they are already fulfilled 3. Many of the (c) Jurieu T. 3. Ch. 19. Types of the Old Testament prefigure and signifie such a State of Christ's Church and Kingdom such as Paradice the New World after the Flood the coming of the Israelites into Canaan out of Aegypt the Type of the Antichristian Apostasy their Return from their Captivity in Babylon into a peaceable possession of their Land the Kingdom of (a) 2 Sam. 7 8-29 and 23 3-8 See the Notes on Chap. 14.1 David in which he was established upon his Conquest over the Heathens and not until after many Troubles and Distresses wherein it was an Eminent Type of Christ's Kingdom as it proceeded from weak small and troublesome beginnings to strength and a lasting Peace after great Victories over the Sons of Belial and the Heathen Nations This Kingdom is also Typified by (b) Psalm 72. Solomon's Kingdom and his Marriage in the Book of Canticles and most eminently by the (c) See on Chap. 1.4 and what follows in the next Note Sabbatism or Rest of God in the seventh day after six for finishing his Works wherein the seventh Thousand Year designed for Christ's Kingdom is evidently prefigured for Christ's Kingdom being the main design of God to be accomplished in order to his Eternal Kingdom and the chief means conducing to it was the primary thing in his intention from the beginning and was not only foretold by all the Prophets but was prefigured by the (d) Ezek. Chap. 40 c. Heb. 8 5.9 9 10.10 1. Types which shall be perfectly and fully compleated in that State 4. (e) Dan. Chapters 2 and 7. 2 Thes 2.8 Burnet 's Theory B. 4. 8. Antichrist is not yet destroyed neither are the (f) Isa 11. and 14.1 2.25 8.56 8. Chap. 60.65 17-25 Ezek. 28 24-26.36 25-38 37 15-28 Hos 3.4 5. and Dr. Pocock on the place pag. 162. Zech. 9 9-17 10 5-12 and Chapters 12 13 14. Amos 9 11-15 Mic. 2.12 13. Rom. 11.2 Cor. 3.16 Grot. in Luc. 21.24 Mr. Mede Ep. 17. and pag. 891 Mons Jurieu's accomplishm of prophec Tom. 2 Chap. 17. Jews called nor is the (f) Isa 11. and 14.1 2.25 8.56 8. Chap. 60.65 17-25 Ezek. 28 24-26.36 25-38 37 15-28 Hos 3.4 5. and Dr. Pocock on the place pag. 162. Zech. 9 9-17 10 5-12 and Chapters 12 13 14. Amos 9 11-15 Mic. 2.12 13. Rom. 11.2 Cor. 3.16 Grot. in Luc. 21.24 Mr. Mede Ep. 17. and pag. 891 Mons Jurieu's accomplishm of prophec Tom. 2 Chap. 17. fullness of the Gentiles as yet come in nor are (a) Psalm 110.1 Cor. 15 24-29 Heb. 2 5-9 all things as yet subdued unto Christ all which yet according to plain Scripture are to come to pass some of them before Christ's Kingdom others before it be delivered up to the Father whence it is evident that this Kingdom is not yet come much less already past as some imagine 5. Christ is not yet come in his Glory and therefore his Kingdom is not yet come For the (b) Compare Isa 53. and 63. with many other places of Scripture For there are twenty Texts which speak of his Second Coming to Glory for one which speaks of his First Coming See Mons Jurieu and Dr. Burnet's Theory Scriptures evidently distinguish betwixt Two Comings of Christ the one in a State of Humiliation already past the other in a State of Glory and most commonly (c) Matth. 16 28.25.31 Luke 19 13 15.23 42. 2 Tim. 4.1 joyn his Second Coming and his Kingdom together 6. The Scriptures joyn the Resurrection and the Coming and Kingdom of Christ together Whence it is evident that this Kingdom is not come because the general Resurrection is not past For thus 1 Cor. 15.23 24. Christ's coming plainly refers to his coming to the Kingdom at the General Resurrection he having all the while from his Ascension sat at the Right Hand of the Father in the patient Expectation of this his Glorious Kingdom Psalm 110.1 Heb.
10.12 Rev. 1.9 7. There must be such a State in which all things even the inanimate parts of the Creation are to be restored to their pure primitive State that Christ's Redemption might be perfect and compleat For Christ died and made an Attonement and Reconciliation by his Blood that he might carry on the great work of Redemption through the several Ages of the World to its full perfection Now that (a) Rom. 8 19-24 1 Cor. 23 21 22. Redemption consisting in restoring whatsoever the First Adam lost there must be a Restitution of the whole Creation to its first State or else Christ's Redemption will not be perfect But of this more hereafter 8. If the General Resurrection and the Kingdom of Christ are the same then the Arguments from the Justice and Wisdom of God and all the other general Topicks which are commonly brought for the proof of the former will conclude as strongly for the latter to which may be added that it is agreeable to the Wisdom Justice and Goodness of God that he should reserve some Age of the World for his own entire Reign in Righteousness who had permitted the Devil and Antichrist to domineer in so many Ages of it and that his Son should be visibly glorified in the sight of that very Earth where he had been humbled even to the Death of the Cross and the last Act or Period of the Oeconomy of his Exaltation should be accompanied with the greatest Glory and Majesty as the last Act of his Humiliation was attended with the greatest Misery and Reproach and that his Saints who had undergone a long state of Misery and Persecution should inherit (a) Rom. 8 19-24 1 Cor. 23 21 22. the Earth in prosperity according to the promises of God and the Wicked should suffer in a Visible State of Shame and Ignominy and that for some long space of time and not only for a single Day of Judgment that Men might be deterred from sinning here by the length of the punishment and (b) Burnet's Theor. 4.5 by the dishonour of it which shall be notorious to the whole Creation whereas the Eternal State of the Damned is an hidden State besides which according to the general current of Scripture there must be a Visible Appearance of the Wicked and the Good at the general Retribution when God will display to the whole World the Reasons and Grounds of his procedures and the whole Scene and Contexture of his Providence that his Wisdom Justice and Goodness towards his Creatures might be seen acknowledged and admired by all of them to which the continuance of Mankind under a Visible State for some considerable time according to their Demerits in the Reverse of what they enjoyed here will very much contribute Psalm 73. Isa 65.13 25. Dan. 12.1 2. Phil. 2 9-11 9. It is agreeable (a) See Dr. Home 's Resurrection revealed lib 3. 5. to the wonted procedures of Almighty God that there should be a state of prosperity to his Church upon Earth For he hath generally in all Ages punished on Earth feirce Tyrants and Persecutors of his Church and given to it a general Rest after long and tedious Troubles Afflictions and Persecutions and that most commonly in the Churches Extremity whiCh is God's Opportunity and accordingly we may justly expect such a State upon the Destruction of Antichrist and that his Fall is not far off because the two special Witness-Churches of France and Savoy have been reduced to the utmost Extremity 10. The Oeconomy Dispensation or Fatherly Administration af this Kingdom which is God's Houshold is placed by the Apostle Ephes 1.10 in the Fullness of Times that is of All Time which not being as yet expired we may thence conclude that this Kingdom is not yet come For from the Consideration of Mark 1.15 Gal. 4.4 Ephes 1.10 and Isaiah 2.2 it seems there were as if a Line of Time in Scripture commencing from Christ's First Coming called the Fullness of Time and ending in his second Coming called the Fullness of Times or of all such Times 11. The Monarchick (a) See Dr. Beverley's Kingdom of Jesus Christ entring its Succession and Dan. 2 and 7. Image in Daniel is not yet broken to peices but continues in its Feet and Ten Toes under the Papacy and its Ten Kings and therefore the Kingdom of Christ is not yet come which is to destroy it VVhich Kingdom also as it is there described cannot be Christ's Evangelical Kingdom because that destroyed not Kingdoms but converted them nor his Kingdom of Eternity because according to Prophecy this Kingdom is to be under the Heaven and to fill the whole Earth Dan. 2. 12. Very many Texts of Scripture cannot possibly be explained at least in their Fullest and most compleat Sense and Latitude without supposing some such State For even the first and great Prophecy Gen. 3.15 concerning the bruising of the Serpents Head is not yet fully compleated nor will be until Christ's Second Coming when Sin and Death shall be utterly abolished 1 Cor. 15. Japhet's Tents according to Noah's Prophecy Gen. 9.27 have not been yet enlarged through the whole Extent of the Northern parts of the World neither hath God yet perswaded Japheth and Shem Gentile and Jew to live together in the same Tents or Church The Promises to (b) Dr. Homes Resurrect revealed B. 3. 2. Abraham as they are explained by the Apostles of such a Numerous Race as shall possess almost the whole VVorld are not fulfilled in their utmost Latitude as neither (a) Dr. Homes Resurrect revealed B. 3.2 some of Jacob's Prophecies to befal his Posterity in the last Days Gen. 49. particularly that Remarkable one Verse 10. for the universal and compleat gathering of the people both Jews and Gentiles into one Body is not as yet come to pass And who can say that the (b) Nâ—mb 24.17 Deut. 30 3 4 5.32 36 43. Psalm 2 8.22 27-31 45.47 7 8 9.49 14.67.68 22-35 72.86 9.110.149 Very many places in the Prophets already quoted The places in the New Testament which speak concerning Christ's Kingdom and the World to come of the Messias and Luke 19.11 12.23 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thy Kingdom Acts 3 19-26 1 Cor. 15.24 c. Eph. 1.21 Heb 3 5-9 2 Peter 3.13 Revel 11.15 See a Treatise written by Alstecius entituled The Beloved City or the Saints Reign Mr. Archer of the Personal Reign of Christ Dr. Homes 's Resurrection Revealed Dr. Burnet 's Theory B. 4. Dr. Beverley against Mr. Baxter Monsieur Jurieu and Mr. Claude Oevres Posthâ—m Tom. 3. Le Ciâ—quieme Empire Prophecies contained in the places quoted in the Margent are as yet compleatly fullfilled or that the First (c) See Dr. Beverley on the Lords Prayer Mede Ep. 52. Petitions of the Lords Prayer can be well understood without the supposal of such a Kingdom 13. VVhen the Apostles had received power in which all necessary Gifts Knowledge as well as
others is included Luke 24.49 by the Holy Ghost's coming upon them the knowledge of Times and Seasons was bestowed upon them by God which indeed it was not for them to know before of themselves and without the Spirit which alone knoweth the Secrets of God for which they were rebuked by our Saviour Acts 1 6-8 and not for supposing such a Kingdom and Restauration For in the first Sermon which the Apostle Peter made after the descent of the Holy Ghost Acts 3 19-26 he plainly makes mention of the Times and appointed Seasons of d Restitution or Restauration and Refreshment to Israel determining also the precise Time when this should come to pass viz. at the second Coming of Christ from Heaven foretold by all the Prophets when the sins of the converted Israelites were to be blotted out and they should have great comfort and refreshment from the presence of God by Christ's return referring to the Prophecy of Moses Deut. 18.15 18 19. where it is foretold that at the raising up or coming of Christ the Israelites shall hear or obey him in all things whatsoever he shall say unto them which perfect Obedience hath not been as yet paid unto Christ's Doctrine by them and therefore the Words must refer to some Second Coming when according to the Tenor of that and other places of Scripture the faithful Jews shall be restored comforted and rewarded and the Disobedient shall be destroyed from among the people Lastly The Apostle 1 Cor. 15 24.-29 plainly asserts that Christ shall have such a Distinct and Peculiar Kingdom to himself as that he may be said in the Exercise of it not to be subject to God the Father and God the Father during that Kingdom not to be all in all Which cannot be understood concerning him whilst he was upon Earth because he was then in a State of Humiliation and Sufferings being made lower then the Angels and having taken upon himself the Form of a Servant Phil. 2.7 8. Heb. 2.9 nor concerning him as he is now in Heaven because he is represented in Scripture in his present State as sitting on the Right Hand of God whereby is denoted his enjoying and possessing as the Son (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 3.2 the same word used Acts 1.6 by the Apostles when they proposed this question to our Saviour of Man a Glory and Authority next to that of God the Father and the Exercise of his Regal Office as a Branch of his Mediatorship as in subjection and subordination unto him and as in expectation of having his Enemies subdued by the Father Psalm 110.1 Heb. 10.12 13. Nor can this be understood concerning the Kingdom of Eternity because then God will be All in All And although Christ must Reign in his Humane Nature to all Eternity yet that is not as Mediator but as God-Man (a) John 13 32.17 5 24. glorified with the Glory which he had with the Father before the World was in which State his Humane Nature is not to have a proper and peculiar Glory of it self but one in and with God from him and him alone And therefore this must be understood concerning some State of his Kingdom called 1 Cor. 15.24 The Kingdom in which Christ as Son of Man and Mediators shall appear to Reign so gloriously with such Evidences and Manifestations of Glory in and from himself as that he may be said not to be subject to the Father but to have a distinct Kingdom of his own although communicated from God the Father in which he Reigns freely and absolutely as King and net as a Vice-Roy limited by a Commission and which was not to be One with his Fathers Kingdom until all things become One in him when Christ's Mediatory Kingdom is to cease A Mediator not being a Mediator of One. Now if there be such a Kingdom and that Kingdom be not his Mediatory nor Eternal Kingdom what Kingdom can it be but that Glorious Kingdom we have been treating of which is to begin as the Apostle there intimates and shall be shewn hereafter at the Resurrection and is to end when all things are subdued unto the Son when he shall deliver up his Kingdom in which the Saints had been sanctified by him and prepared for Union with God according to the Tenor of that admirable Prayer of our Saviour John 17. the Pattern of his Intercession Q. E. D 15 It is no where expresly said in Scripture that Christ shall come down upon the Earth at the Day of Judgment but only that he shall appear in the Clouds (a) So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendered compare Rev. 5.10 and Matth. 25.21 See Mr. Mather de Signo Filii Hominis and Dr. Homes Resurrect revealed 2.2 over the Earth in the lowest part of the Heavens into which be descends from the highest Heavens Judging the World and Reigning there with his Saints 1 Thes 4.16 17. 16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Thousand Years which are to be understoood of a definite space of time as appears from the Epocha and Period assigned to this Line of Time which is dated from the binding of the Devil and ends in the loosing of him And the Thousand Years are to be understood Literally and not Prophetically reckoning each Day for a Year because all Prophetical Time will be at an end before the Blessed Millennium begins according to Christ's Oath Rev. 10.6 that Time should be no longer after the expiring of the 1260 Years the Times foretold by the Prophets Now if Propheticall Time be at an end before the Thousand Years enter then they must be Literally and not Prophetically understood in which sense if they were to be taken the Glory of the Divine State in which God is all in all would be deferred to so vast a length of Time as could not rationally be supposed But that this State is to last such a precise Number of Years seems to be plainly asserted by the Apostle Peter 2. Ep. 3.8 who discoursing concerning the Day of Judgment delivers this remarkable Axiom of which he charges those he wrote to to take special notice as of a thing very observable viz. That one Day is with the Lord as a Thousand Years and a Thousand Years as one Day In which place the Apostle answers an Objection which he foresaw would be made by some Scoffers in the last Days against the coming of Christ to dissolve this present World and make a New One and tells the that this should certainly come to pass at the Day of Judgment But least his meaning should be mistaken he says that by the Day of Judgment he does not mean a single ordinary Day but a Day in the mysterious Account and Reckoning of Almighty God who made all things in Number as well as in Weight and Measure and had ordained accordingly that a Day in his Account should be reckoned as a Thousand Years and a Thousand Years as One Day and therefore that the Day
to gather them together from all parts to 28 Battel i. e. to oppose persecute and destroy Christ's Kingdom upon Earth the 29 number of whom is as the Sand of the Sea i. e. exceeding great Ezek 38.8 9 15 16. 26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (a) Grot. in Matth. 5 7. Eph. 2.11 12. that is Gentiles or Aliens from the New Jerusalem State banished as it were from that happy Society into the Four Quarters or Corners of the Earth and living there as without God in the New World of the Messias beleiving indeed but as the Devils do with trembling which is a Spiritual Death who were typified by the Hamonah and Multitude of Nations Ezek. 38 8 9 15 16.39 11 16. who are to come up against the New Jerusalem in the latter Days after the Resurrection Conversion and Return of the Jews and their Vnion with the Gentiles into One Church as appears from Ezek. Chapters 36 37 38 39. Now whatsoever is meant by these Nations in Ezekiel it is plain that in this place they can be no other than some of those to whom the Thousand Years are here assigned who are the whole of Mankind and seeing that it cannot be supposed that the Saints of any kind can be possibly engaged in such a design against Christ's Kingdom as being the saved and healed the Living the Sons and Partakers of the first Resurrection and secured by Christ the Second Adam in a State of Righteousness who will lose none that are his as the first Adam did it will follow that by these Nations must be understood the remnant slain the rest of the Dead who lived not again or the Dead-Wicked raised to a state of Condemnation and continuing under the Awe and Terror of it during the Glories of Christ's Kingdom who are now stirred up by Satan their Head and Ringleader to attack the Camp of the Saints upon Earth whom he thought he might easily overcome now the more immediate Presence and Assistance of Christ was withdrawn from them And to this sense agree many Expressions in Ezekiel who calls them the Multitude or Nations of the Dead Chap. 39 8-17 and also the general scope of this Chapter which has a relation as is granted by all Interpreters to what will come to pass at the last Judgment and the Resurrection * In the Four Corners or Angles of the New Earth which is represented as a square City or Camp without which as it were at the Four Angles and Corners of it the Wicked are placed here and Chap. 22.15 in allusion to the Custom amongst the Jews of executing Offenders without the Camp and City and of excluding and excommunicating all unclean persons out of it Numb 5 1-4 Heb. 13.11 12 13. 27 This is a plain proof that these Nations are typified by the multitude of the Dead in Ezekiel who calls them Gog and the Land of Magog by which the (a) Ezek. 32 26.38 15.39 2. The Mogul-Tartars above the Wall of China are called so by the Arabian Writers Dr. Hyde Epist de mensuris Sinens See Mr. Mede pag. 574. and Ep. 41. Northern and Scythian Nations are understood in Scripture a Type of the Enemies of God's Church and Kingdom prophesied of in Old Time by the servants of God the Prophets of Israel under the Names of such Nations as were the Chief Enemies of the Jews in the particular Times of each Prophet Ezek. 38.17 So that Gog and Magog seems to denote the whole multitude of God's Enemies in each Age which admirably agrees with what hath been discoursed already to wit that these Nations are the Wicked dead of every Age of the World raised to Condemnation 29 This Battel is distinct from that at Armageddon which was before the Thousand Years Neither will it appear incredible that the Faln Angels and the Damned should again attempt such a Design and that after they had experienced the power of Christ's Wrath for a Thousand Years If we consider that the Devils retain the same Enmity against God notwithstanding their many Ages of Punishment and their Expectation of an Eternal Doom and that this Attempt was under the wise Permission and Order of Almighty God at a time when his more immediate Glorious Presence was withdrawn from the New Earth of his Saints and the Laodicean state of Coldness and Indifferency to the Glories of Christ's Kingdom began For the Wicked Nations as they went down to Hell according to the Expressions of Ezekiel Chap. 32.26 27. with their Weapons of War that is with the same Enmity to Christ in which they lived and laid their Swords under their Heads in a readiness to act the same Wickedness over again so are they raised with the same Passions only the more enraged for their Punishments and may very well be supposed out of Envy and Revenge for their long confinement under a State of Punishment and Infamy to engage in this Attempt 29 Although the Number of the Wicked who shall be raised to Condemnation will be very great yet there will not be any inconvenience to our Assertion from thence as if the Earth would be incumbred with so vast a Number of wicked persons because no very great space will be required for their confinement if that be true which is asserted by Sir William (a) See his Essay in Political Arithmetick concerning the Growth of the City of London Petty That half the Island of Ireland would afford not only Footing to stand upon but Graves to lye down in for the whole Number of Men now living and also for those that have died since the beginning of the World To which may be added that their Bodies shall be spiritual they being to partake of the spirituality of the Resurrection although not of the Purity and Blessedness of it 9 And they went up in Battle array 1 Kings 10.1 from the Quarters and Corners to which they were confined on the breadth of the Earth i. e. to assault the Kingdom of Christ which had spread it self over the whole Earth Isa 8 8.49 6. Psalm 72.8 and compassed or besieged the Camp 30 of the Saints who reign with Christ Verse 6. and the 31 beloved City i. e. they endeavoured to destroy Christ's Kingdom and the New Jerusalem State on Earth See on Chap. 21.2 3. and 32 or but Fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them i. e. they were suddenly and miraculously discomfited by God and most severe Judgments were inflicted upon them by God's fiery Wrath and Indignation Ezek. 38.22 23.39 6 9 10. 30 A Metaphor from the Camp of the Israelites in the Wilderness a Type of the Church and Kingdom of Christ See Ainsworth on Numb 2.27 31 Jerusalem is called God's Beloved Psalm 60 5.108 6. which was a Type of the New Jerusalem State the Holy City the Bride and Beloved of her Husband Chap. 21. 32 The Israelites are represented by Ezekiel Chap. 38.11 as living in unwalled Villages without Bars and Gates