no humane help nor Arm of Flesh imployed in their Resurrection this shall be wrought only by the Spirit of Life from God entring into them Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord. If any liberty should be procured by force which ought not to be it will not prosper nor will any attempts that way The Resurrection of the Witnesses shall be like a Resurrection wrought only by the omnipotent hand of Heaven even by him in whose power alone it is to raise the dead and to call things that are not as though they were It is true indeed when the Earthquake cometh which followeth soon after the Ascension of the Witnesses there will be great Concussions in that Country whatever it is where the Witnesses must be slain but who shall be the Authors of them and Actors in them I do not know but as for the Resurrection it self it shall be effected immediately by the Spirit of Life from God who will certainly blast all humane attempts by Conspiracies and Insurrections in order or rather disorder to the Resurrection of the Witnesses Men were as good go about the raising of the dead out of their Graves as to raise the slain Witnesses by humane endeavours When the Israelites were e'en upon the point of their Resurrection out of Egypt which was not complete till they arose out of the Red Sea Ex. 15. compared with Rev. 15.2 3. what saith Moses to them * Exod. 14.13 14. Fear not stand still and see the salvation of God The Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace And yet the Israelites at that time were †Exod. 13.18 harnessed marshalled and prepared with Arms and they used them not long after this their Resurrection * Exod. 17.9.13 against the Amalekites at Rephidim but at their Resurrection there must not be a Sword drawn nor a stroke struck but as Jahaziel said to Jehosaphat and the men of Judah * 2 Chr. 20.17 Ye shall not need to fight in this Battel set your selves stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord with you Thus should I live to the Time and in the Street of the Resurrection of the Witnesses would I say and as Moses also said to the Israelites who would needs go up uncalled and fight against the Canaanites * Numb 14.41 Wherefore now do ye transgress the Commandment of the Lord But it shall not prosper Go not up for the Lord is not among you that ye be not smitten before your enemies Yet they would presume and go up but the Amalekites and Canaanites smote them and discomfited them even unto Hormah * Ex. 17. When they had a call to fight against the Amalekites they conquered them but when they will fight with them uncalled they are smitten by them Quest II. VVhat if we should see such a Slaughter as symbolizeth much with that here ver 7 8 c. And yet when the three years and half are ended there appeareth little or nothing in view agreeable to such a Resurrection as the Text here holdeth forth ver 11 12 Answ HEre lyeth the difficulty that as I said in answer to the former Question the last time I dare not be positive in determining whether the Witnesses are slain or not only I laid before you what the Scripture saith concerning their slaughter and left it to you to consider And the same course I shall take at present in answer to this Question But before I come to the Answer I shall premise a Position or two 1. That there must not only be a Resurrection of the slain Witnesses but such a Resurrection alâ—o as is here described for the Scripture cannot be broken It is not enough that there is an answerableness of things in the death of the Witnesses to prove their Slaughter but there must be the like in their Resurrection also or we can conclude nothing Every Slaughter hath not been the Sâ—â—nghtâ—r and so every Resurrection is not that Resurrection And to hold forth that which is like the death of the Witnesses but to fall in the Resurrection will not amount to satisfaction 2. This Resurrection of the Withesses must be homogeneal and of the same kind with the Slaughter 〈◊〉 If the slaughter be partly civil and partly spiritual so must also the Resurrection be and not proper and literal for those Bodies can never rise from a natural death which were never deprived of their natural lives These Positions premised I proceed to the Answer 1. Negatively I shall not answer as some have done who say that after three days and 〈◊〉 the witnesses shall arise but how soon after it is not said 〈…〉 not answer thus for this were ponere Resurrectionem 〈…〉 smite Resurrection without an determination of time and â—o to what purpose would the Text in hand â—â—rve Or what comfort thould we have from it more than this that there shall come a time when the witnesses shall arise For as Martha said to Christ of her dead Brother 〈◊〉 I know that he shall arise again iâ— the Resurrection at the last day all her doubt was whether Christ would raise him then John 11.24 Even â—o might we say of the slain Witnesses if their Resurrection here had 〈◊〉 been mentioned at all We know that they shall rise againâ— yea but when shall they arise After three days and aâ— half saith the Text therefore the time is determined For in these words there is the Epâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 Oâ—â—â—inal or beginning of time from whence the Reâ—urrection doth commerce and proceed i. 〈◊〉 presently after the expiration of the said 〈◊〉 of their death For the time of their Witnessing had 1. It s Epoâ—â—â—â— though 〈◊〉 dark and difficult to discover it 2. It s Continuance 〈…〉 like manner the time of their slaughter hath 1. 〈…〉 and â—egiâ—ning and term from whence to reckon and 2. It s 〈…〉 câ—â—â—â—ance vâ—z three years and an half And shall not 〈…〉 â—â—ction also have a certain fixed beginning God is very punâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 as to his times and seasons though our darkness knows not how to discern it as you may see Exod. 12.40 41 42. It came to pass at the end of the 430 years even the self same day it came to pass that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the Land of Egypt It is a night to be much observed c. it is doubled and trebled to shew us Gods exactness in keeping time 2. I shall not answer according to that Notion of some others concerning three years and half i. e. three years say they and half three years for the words in the Original are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. say they after three days and half leaving out the word an so that they reckon the time to be three years and half three years i. e. four years and an half But this answer will not hold For 1. There are three notable Numbers in
A DISCOURSE CONCERNING The Witnesses Relating to the TIME PLACE and MANNER of their being Slain BY WILLIAM HOOKE late Preacher of the Gospel LONDON Printed by J. Astwood for Thomas Cockeril at the Three Legs in the Poultrey over against the Stocks-Market 1681. Quest I. Whether the Witnesses are Slain I Dare not be definitive and peremptory in making answer hereunto being conscious to much darkness in my self about the understanding and unfolding matters Apocalyptical and knowing also that there are many difficulties attending the Answer of this Question I shall therefore humbly lay before you what the Scripture speaketh and leave it to you to consider and conclude as the Lord shall help you And in order to what I shall say there is something that I would premise and it is this That in the slaughter of the Witnesses there is that which carrieth a great analogy and proportion to the death of Christ the consideration whereof will much help us in the Answer of the Question but I mean not a complete and adequate proportion but as to many remarkable Particulars The sufferings of the Church are a great part of the subject matter of this Book of the Revelations especially under the Seals and Trumpers till you come to the last Wo which is objectated chiefly on Antichrist And these Sufferings were partly under the Pagan Roman Empire partly under Rome Antichristian and the sufferings of the Saints under both are the sufferings of Christ mystical and are so expressed as bearing a great proportion and likeness with the sufferings of Christ personal The first of these sufferings of Christ mystical we find Rev. 12.1 2 3. c. where it is said The Woman being with Child cryed travelling in Birth and pained to be delivered The Woman here is the Church and the Child that she travelleth with is her Seed which is Christ mystical whose Sufferings by the great Red Dragon i. e. the Devil in the Roman Pagan Empire do in many things * Mr. Dâ—â—â— on Rev. 1â— as a Learned Interpreter hath observed allude to the sufferings of Christ personal when he was born 1. In that Christ was a Child born of a Woman under many outward wants so as the condition of the Church is commonly 2. In that Herod did watch to destroy Christ so loon as he was born and as Paraoh several times called a Dragon sought to destroy the Jews Male-Children as soon as they came into the world 3. As Christ when he was born was soon put to flee into Aegypt with his Mother so it is here with the Church and her seed they flee into the Wilderness 4. The foresaid Author affirmeth that the time of Christs being in Aegypt was three years and an half which in the mistery is the time of the Church her Wilderness condition For Christ as my Author affirmeth was born in the thirtieth year of Herods Reign but he fled not presently but was first circumcised and his Mother purified after which also Herod sought to destroy the young Children in and about Bethlehem This took up some part of Herods thirty first year and Christ returned out of Aegpyt immediately after Herods death who reigned thirty four years 5. As Herod vented his malice upon the Bethlehemitish Infants after the flight of Christ so doth the Devil here vent his malice upon the Church her seed after her deliverance and flight 6. As Christ was still preserved till he had finished the work committed to him notwithstanding all the opposition he met with but after that he suffered and was slain even so it happeneth to the seed of the Church Thus you see how the sufferings of Christ mystical under Rome Pagan do in many things answer to the sufferings of Christ personal Secondly Let us consider the other part of the sufferings of Christ Mystical under Rome Antichristian and we shall see their conformity to the sufferings of Christ Personal especially in and about his death It is said you know * Rev. 11.8 that the doad Bodies of the Witnesses shall lye in the Street of the great City which is spiritually called Sodom and Aegypt where also our Lord was crucified Which last words are added not only to discover under what power the Witnesses should be slain viz. that of Rome spiritually called Sodom and Aegypt but also to shew us the conformity that should be between the slaughter of Christ and his Witnesses And yet we must not expect a complete analogy and proportion between them for in some Circumstances they differ but in several material ones they do agree 1. Christ preacheth forty two Months literally taken the witnesses prophesie as long taking forty two months * Numb 14.34 Ezek. 4.6 prophetically and mystically 2. Christ is slain when he had finished his Testimony and could not by any means be slain before so it is with the Witnesses Rev. 11.7 3. Christ is slain by the * Rev. 11.8 with Luk. 18.32 33. Gentiles grammatically and properly so taken and the Witnesses are slain by the * Rev. 11.2 7. Gentiles metaphorically so taken 4. Christ arose after three days figuratively taken i. e. part being put for the whole His Witnesses arise after three days and an half prophetically taken i. e. three years and an half 5. Christ's Sepulchre was guarded to keep him down in his Grave and hinder his Resurrection * Mat. 27.64 which his enemies could not bear the thoughts of In like manner the enemies of the Witnesses endeavour to keep them down by power and so to bury them but that they are hindered that they might never rise again 6. When Christ was crucified presently beginneth the Jews Passeover where his Enemies rejoyced together and made merry because Christ who had tormented them was crucified * Rev. 11.10 Even thus deal the Enemies of the Witnesses when they are slain 7. Christ arose notwithstanding the Soldiers who guarded his Sepulchre and when he arose they were wofully skared at the sight of him * Rev. 11.11 Even so it is at the Resurrection of his Witnesses 8. When Christ arose there was a great Earthquake properly so called So not long after the Resurrection of the Witnesses there is * Rev. 11.13 a great Earthquake mystically and metaphorically so called This Analogy thus premised I shall express to you what the Scripture saith concerning the slaughter of the Witnesses that you may make your Collections from it as the Lord shall help you 1. The * Rev. 2â— 8 9. Text seemeth to hold forth such a slaughter of the Witnesses as is partly civil and partly spiritual For were the slaughter literal and proper the enemies of the Witnesses would not have endured their dead Bodies to have lyen so long unburied in the Street because of the noisomness thereof nor would Kindreds and Tongues and Nations have hindered their burial from the Principle of mere Humanity And therefore this their death must be of another kind and that
with the Gospel which shall now begin to flourish when the tenth part of this City is fallen When the City begins to fall the Gospel shall begin to rise in equal proportion and never fall again There will be no Balm for this bruise no Cordial for this Consumption the great Whore shall now begin to abate of her flesh by that time that this Earthquake hath done reckoning with her her Arm shall be so broken that there shall be no Roller to bind it that it may be healed and strengthned And thus you have heard the first Effect of this Earthquake opened the next followeth 2. And in the Earthquake were slain of men seven thousand The New Translation rendreth it Capita hominum heads of men The Old Nomina hominum Names of men and so the Original hath it the meaning whereof is by an Hypallage Men of Names i. e. famous men The Grecians I suppose borrow the expression from the Hebrews who call eminent and renowned men Men of names as you may see 1 Chron 5.24 and 12.30 The Text there compared with the Margine in your Bibles where Men of names in the Hebrew are called famous men in the Text. And hence men of no name in the Hebrew are called base men by the Translators Job 30.8 By this then you see the meaning of the expression in my Text for these seven thousand men of Names are Viri nominati as Junius and Tremelius render the same word named or famous men They are therefore men of eminency and fame as if one should say Dukes and Earls and Lords and Knights and Esquires and Gentlemen and Prelates and Judges and Counsellours and Doctors and Collonels and Captains and Magistrates Officers c. Now of these men of Names there are slain in this Earthquake seven thousand i. e. very many Seven being a number of perfection and often used in this Book of the Revelations as seven Spirits seven golden Candlesticks seven Seals seven Trumpets seven Angels seven Vials so here seven Thousand i. e. a great number And of these it is said That they were slain in the Earthquake the Spirit of God perhaps alluding to such an effect of natural Earthquakes as when they throw down Towns or Cities and bury many of the Inhabitants in the ruines For this here is called a great Earthquake and therefore whenever and wherever it comes there will be a terrible shake both of Persons and Things viz Houses Inhabitants Lands Goods Moneys Inheritances Callings Trade Liberty Health Relations Life and many other Comforts Mens hearts will shake fear and tremble and some perhaps will cry to Rocks and Mountains It maketh me to think of the case of the Philistines 1 Sam. 14.15 16. when God committed them among themselves and when they sheathed their Swords in one anothers bowels there was a trembling saith the Text in the host in the field and among all the People insomuch that the Garrison and the spoilers also trembled and the Earth quaked so that it was a very great trembling or a trembling of God and the multitude melted away and they went on beating down one another Such a kind of Earthquake peradventure it may be when the Mighty man and man of Name shall stumble against the mighty and both fall down together Briefly It will be such a shake as will make a man to eat his bread with quaking and to drink his water with trembling and with carefulness as sometimes the Prophet did Ezâ—k 12.18 At what time the Sword shall devour flesh and be drunk with the blood of the slain from the beginning of revenges upon the Enemy And when shall this be Upon the back of the Witnesses Ascension when once a Reformation on their part riseth upon their rising for then and not till then will this Earthquake be which yieldeth some matter of Comfort to the People of God that they are so well prepared against such a shaking time for now that they are drawing nearer to God he will be their strong Tower to which they shall run and be set aloft Wherefore though the Heavens and the Earth shall shake the Lord will be the hope of his People and the strength of the Children of Israel So much for this Effect of the Earthquake And the remnant were affrighted This is the third Effect of it The Remnant Here is Mercy in the midst of Judgment that all in this tenth part of the City are not slain a remnant liveth and escapeth God is so far here from destroying the whole City that he destroyes not all the Street But yet the Remnant are affrighted flying like as the People fled from the Earthquake in the daies of Vzziah Zach. 14.5 Or as the Israelites that were round about the Tents of Korah and his Company fled when the Earthquake swallowed up the Rebels saying Lest the Earth swallow us up also Numb 16.34 This is the case of this Remnant who are not simply afraid but affrighted and e'en at their wits end they are not slain with the Earthquake but almost kill'd with fear yet spared and have their lives given them for a prey God might justly have destroyed the whole Street where his Witnesses were slain and lay dead but he is satisfied with the Sacrifice of the lives of Seven thousand men of Names and it is somewhat what a considerable price for if so many men of Names fall how many thousands of little or no name are slain together with them As Ahasuerus said to Ester The Jews have slain five hundred men in Shusan the Pallace and the ten sons of Haman what have they done in the rest of the Kings Provinces But God's Eye is especially upon the Fatlings and the best of the Flock that they may be offered up in sacrifice to him and it is somewhat like his sacrifice in Bozrah and his slaughter in the Land of Idumea where his sword is filled with blood and made fat with fatness with the blood of Lambs and Goats and with the fat of the kidneys of Rams when the Unicorns come down with them and the Bullocks with the Bulls in the day of the Lord's Vengeance and the Year of Recompences for the controversies of Zion Isa 34.6 7 8. And it is also considerable that what is wanting in the Number of the slain is made up in the fall of the Tenth of the City a part only are slain but the whole City falleth in a degree 4. And they gave Glory to the God of Heaven This is the last Effect of the Earthquake But how do they give God glory 1. By confessing their Sins especially in ought that they did relating to the slaying of the Witnesses My Son saith Joshua to Achan give glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him Josh 7.19 2. They repent also of the sins which they confess for therein also is God glorified Rev. 10.9 3. They give God the glory of his Patience and tender mercy in sparing them