to give his throne Chap. 13.2 together with the False Prophet who is said to exercise all the power of the Beast before him Chap. 13.11 12. have dominion over the evil spirits to send them to and fro in the earth This so great an expedition of all the Kings in the world combining to cut off the people of God at a blow is in it self very apt to strike a terrour into the Saints were no river dried up to give way to any of the Kings aforesaid and so to make them flinch from their faith and Piety wherefore the admonition here given by Christ is very seasonable who comparing his coming to that of a thief because of the suddenness thereof for when his Enemies shall say Peace and safety then sudden destruction shall seize upon them pronounceth them happy who in so perillous a time hold fast the garments of their righteousness whereby the nakedness of their sins committed in the time of Ignorance is kept from appearing to their shame As for the place which these Kings aforesaid make their Randezvouz it is here called Armageddon that is the mount of Megiddo For Har in Hebâ—ew signifieth a mount and Mageddon is the same with Megiddo a City belonging to Manasseh Jos 17.11 which is there written by the Greek interpreters Mageddo and hath here the letter N added thereunto by John Thus the City which Luke Chap. 9.10 calleth Bethsaida is by Matthew with the addition of an N termed in Greek Bethsaidan Chap. 11.21 But as the letter N is added to the end of the Hebrew word aforesaid so is the letter or rather aspiration of h taken away from the beginning thereof whilest it is written Armageddon as it fareth with the Hebrew word Hallelujah Psal 146.1 which in Greek is written both there and also in the Revelation Chap. 19.1 Allelujah without the letter or aspiration H. Now the mount of Megiddo seemeth to be chosen of God rather then another place towards which all the Kings of the earth must draw their Armies against that of the Saints because this City had been of old renowned for the wonderful defeat that Barak with ten thousand men at his feet gave to the potent host of Jabin King of Canaan who was a mighty oppresser of the Israelites Judg. 4.2 6. compared with chap. 5.19 20. where in Deborahs song of victory it is said the Kings came and fought then fought the Kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo they took no gain of money They fought from heaven the stars in their courses fought against Sisera For the memory of the miraculous discomfiture that hapned to Sisera the Captain General of Jabins Army and to the Kings of Canaan that sided with him against Gods people is of great influence upon the hearts of the Saints to make them expect the like overthrow to be given to the Beast and the Kings his followers in the same place Vers 17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne saying It is done Vers 18. And there were voices and thunders and lightnings and there was a great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth so mighty an earthquake and so great Vers 19. And die great city was divided into three parts and the cities of the nations fell and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath Vers 20. And every island fled away and the mountains were not found Vers 21. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven every stone about the weight of a talent and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail for the plague thereof was exceeding great God had already plagued the Beast and his worshippers in the other three Elements of Earth Water and Fire as appeareth by the history of the first third and fourth vials Wherefore that all nature may be armed against so out-ragious offenders this last vial is poured out into the Air. Which is no sooner done but a loud voice is heard out of the temple in Heaven from the Throne saying It is done This voyce is rightly ascribed to God himself that sitteth upon the throne rather then to any other person about or under the Throne as we see it come to pass Chap 19.5 because we find him speaking after the same maner Chap. 21.5 6. He that sat upon the throne said Behold I make all things new And he said unto me Write for these words are true and faithful And he said unto me It is done As therefore in that place it signifieth that there is a period set to the duration of the world so doth it here intimate that no more vials of wrath are to be poured out forasmuch as the wrath of God is accomplished by this last The voyces thunders and lightnings that follow hereupon are all fore-runners of the great and sore Judgements that God is about to bring upon the inhabitants of the earth For thus we see the plagues pertaining to the seven trumpets ushered in Chap. 8.5 6. Among those Judgements an Earthquake is one affirmed here to be the greatest that ever hapned since God created man upon the earth the truth whereof will appear to us if we consider the several effects of this Earthquake For first it sundreth Jerusalem into three parts to wit by the sinking of the intermediate buildings into the ground for no other division is wont to be the effects of an Earthquake And of this Cities shaking about this time we have a more ample relation Chap 11.13 For that Jerusalem is here meant by the great City is evident in that it is distinguished from great Babylon and the other Cities of the nations or Gentiles Wherefore there remaineth no other City to be understood but that of the Jews Jerusalem which hath this very appellation of a great City given to it Chap. 11.8 Another effect of this unusual Earthquake is the falling of the Cities of the Heathen many of which seem to be overturned thereby as it is wont to happen in such shakings A third effect or at least a consequent thereof is the coming of great Babylon into remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of his fierce wrath Not that God had before forgotten her but because he did not then so remember her as to execute his fierce wrath upon her that business being reserved for this time The maner of which execution you may read at large in the 18. Chapter The fourth effect is the removal of every Island and the sinking of the mountains which afterwards ceased to appear These two things shall either come to pass as they are here related for so the others that go before are undoubtedly to be fulfilled or else they onely denote the great alteration that shall happen over all the world by the erecting of
AN ESSAY To the Explaining of the REVELATION WHEREIN Amongst other things of great moment is clearly proved that by the Beast is meant an Universal Monarch which shall hereafter arise out of the Roman Empire That there shall be a Fifth Kingdom upon the Earth namely that of the Saints together with the manner thereof And that the New Jerusalem is a City properly so called which God hath reserved in Heaven for the Saints Revel 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things which are written therein Prov. 30.5 6. Every word of God is pure Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a Liar LONDON Printed by Henry Hills and are to be sold by George Sawbridge dwelling on Ludgate-hill at the Sign of the Bible 1661. A PREFACE TO THE READER THe Revelation is the most excellent of the P rophetick Books contained in the Scripture as being the Abstract of them all and therefore as the best things are most liable to abuse it hath been shamefully intreated by the greatest part of those that have undertaken to explain the same For it seemeth by their Expositions that they imagine this to be such a Portion of holy Writ whereon men are onely to exercise their Fancies and to suspend the use of Reason whilest they inquire into the sense thereof Neither did I ever finde such monstrous Interpretations imposed on any other Book whether sacred or profane For instance when John doth in the first Chapter wish Grace and Peace to the seven Churches of Asia from the seven Spirits that are before the Throne of God by these say they is meant the holy Spirit who is said to be seven either because of his manifold operations or because he wrought in the seven Churches But by what instance taken out of any Authour either sacred or profane can they avouch such an Interpretation Who ever heard that a single person as the holy Spirit is should either for his many Works or for his working in sundry places be termed Seven And how should any man ever reach the meaning of our word if took to our selves the liberty of speaking thus Again when it is in the 11. Chapter spoken of two Witnesses these say they are the Old and New Testament or Magistracy and Ministry But where in the Scripture are two Witnesses that prophesie or two Prophets for so the Witnesses are there in the 10. Verse expresly styled put otherwise than for two men endued with a prophâ—tick spirit Yea can it without the greatest absurdity be said of any but two men that they prophesie clad in Sackcloth that if any one goeth about to hurt them Fire issueth out of their Mouths and devoureth their Adversaries that they have Power to shut Heaven and turn the Waters into Blood and smite the Earth with every Plague as often as they please that when they have finished their Testimony they are killed and their dead Bodies lie three Days and an half in the Street of a certain City In fine that after the three Days and an half the Spirit of Life from God enters into them so that they stand upon their Feet and afterwards ascend up into Heaven in a Cloud whilest their Adversaries stand looking on them Is it possible for the wit of man with any congruity to Reason and to the words of the Text to draw these things either to the Old and New Testament or to the Magistracy and Ministry Grant once that we may with our mystical Interpretations evade the literal Truth of things so plainly delivered in the Scripture I would fain know what certainty is to be had there or how any thing should ever be proved from thence Likewise we are told in the History of the two Witnesses that they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and sixty Days This term of time say they signifieth a thousand two hundred and sixty Years a Day according to the usage of the Prophets being put for a Year to which purpose they allege Numb 14.3 34. where it is said Your Children shall wander in the Wilderness forty Years and bear your Whoredoms untill your Carcases be wasted in the Wilderness After the number of the Days in the which ye searched the Land even forty Days each Day for a Year shall ye bear your iniqu ties even forty Years And Ezek. 4.5 6. where it is said I have laid upon thee the Years of their iniquity according to the number of the Days three hundred and ninety Days so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the House of Israel And when thou hast accomplished them lie again on thy right side and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the House of Judah forty Days I have appointed thee each Day for a Year But in neither of these two places are Days to be drawn out into Years Otherwise when it is said in Numbers that the Israelites were forty Days a searching the Land of Canaan we must understand that they spent forty Years about it which every one seeth to be absurd Likewise when Ezekiel lay upon his left side three hundred and ninety Days for the iniquity of Israel and on his right side forty Days for the iniquity of Judah by this reckoning he would have lien on his sides four hundred and thirty Years Wherefore the words in Numbers import no more than that whereas the Israelites had spent forty Days in searching the Land their Children should answerably thereunto wander forty Years in the Wilderness So also doth the passage in Ezekiel signifie that forasmuch as Israel and Judah had now gone a whoring from God for the space of four hundred and thirty Years the Prophet should accordingly lie four hundred and thirty Days upon his sides to bear their iniquity I conclude therefore that it is contrary both to Scripture and Reason to understand by the thousand two hundred and sixty Days that the Witnesses shall prophesie any other than such Days as are properly so called consisting of four and twenty Hours a piece Finally it is said of the Carcases of the two Witnesses that they shall he unburied three Days and an half in the Street of the great City where our Lord was slain which is the most evident description of Jerusalem that can be given this City say they is meant of Rome because our Lord was put to death by the Roman Power 'T is true indeed that a Deputy of the Roman Emperour did crucifie our Saviour Christ but may it therefore be affirmed that he was crucified at Rome Are we wont to say that a thing is done at such a place when it is done onely by the Authority of him that hath his imperial Seat there What man that was in his wits did ever express things in this manner Certainly did the Revelation speak at such a rate as these men imagine it would be the most ridiculous piece that ever was penned and the Authour thereof
have eternal Life but they whom he had given unto Christ as Christ himself witnesseth John 17.2 saying of himself to the Father As thou hast given him Power over all Flesh that he should give eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him and it was necessary that God should by some means reveal to him who they were that had been given to him he chose this way of Discovery providing a Book of Life wherein all their Names are written by the inspection whereof Christ might understand who were to be saved Thus Christ attaineth to the knowledge of the Decrees of God touching sundry other matters by opening a Book sealed with seven Seals that was in the Hand of God Chap. 5.1 8 9. And lest any one should think that this is to be taken in a figurative sense let him consult the Prophecy of Daniel where he shall finde an Angel plainly signifying that the Decrees of God are set down in writing for thus he saith to Daniel Chap. 19.21 being about to declare the purpose of God touching the Kingdoms of the World I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of Truth It is further said in that passage of the Revelation that is now under discussion that the Lamb Christ Jesus was slain from the Foundation of the World which must of necessity be understood of the purpose of God touching the Death of Christ for Christ was actually slain in the Reign of Tiberius Caesar as the Scripture elsewhere testifieth Vers 9. If any Man have an Ear let him hear This Acclamation is never added in the Scripture but when there hath preceded some notable thing that requireth a more diligent reflexion to be made upon it But what is more remarkable than this that the constancy of the Saints and their resolute denial to worship the Beast when all the World doth the contrary is at no hand to be ascribed to the Saints themselves as men are apt to do but onely to the Decree of God who had before chosen them to Salvation without which they also as well as others would have committed that great transgression Vers 10. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity He that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword Here is the patience and the Faith of the Saints The equal Judgement of God is here set forth who usually plagueth Men in the same kinde wherein they had offended so that the punishment carrieth the footsteps and resemblance of their sin For the Beast who had brought many of the Saints into captivity is himself at length taken captive and thrown alive into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone Chap. 19.20 and the ten Kings who had assisted him in killing the Saints Chap. 17.12 13. are themselves slain with the Sword proceeding out of the Mouth of Christ Chap. 19.20 21. And hereby is the Faith and Patience of the Saints made conspicuous whilest they believe and patiently wait for the vengeance of God to be poured forth upon the Enemy in the time appointed Vers 11. And I beheld another Beast coming up out of the Earth and he had two Horns like a Lamb and he spake as a Dragon Now John cometh to the Description of the second Beast whereby is understood a false Prophet for so is he expresly called Chap. 16.13 and Chap. 19.20 And he is seen to ascend up out of the Earth because he ariseth from the Dead who have their place in the lower parts of the Earth Thus when the Witch of Endor had raised up Samuel she said to Saul I saw gods or rather a god as appeareth from the following Verse ascend out of the Earth 1 Sam. 28.13 Now that the Dead are placed in the lower parts of the Earth is evident from sundry Texts of Scripture See Psal 63.9 10. But those that seek my soul to destroy it shall go into the lower parts of the Earth They shall fall by the Sword they shall be a Portion for Foxes See also Ezek. 32. from Verse 18. to the end of the Chapter And this is the reason why the false Prophet together with the Beast who as I shall clearly prove in my Exposition of the 17. Chapter ought also to be raised from the Dead to act all those horrid things that are spoken of him in this Book of the Revelation are not slain in the Battel of Armageddon as all the rest are but taken alive and thrown into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone as having been once dead already When this second Beast is said to have two Horns as a Lamb this argueth that he maketh a shew of Lamb-like meekness and innocency in his outward garb but in his Doctrine hisseth like a Dragon uttering such things as tend to the ruine and destruction of Men as appeareth by the sequel of this Chapter Vers 12. And he exerciseth all the Power of the first Beast before him and causeth the Earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first Beast whose deadly Wound was healed See how this second Beast which in shape of Horns resembleth a Lamb begins to act like a Dragon in exercising all the Power of the first Beast in his presence that he may thereby force the Inhabitants of the Earth to worship the first Beast whose deadly wound was healed Thus Nebuchadnezzer brought all Peoples Nations and Languages to fall down and worship the golden Image which he had set up by threatning to cast Refusers into the midst of a burning fiery Furnace Dan. 3.6 9. Vers 13. And he doth great wonders so that he maketh Fire come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of Men Vers 14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth by the means of those Miracles which he had Power to do in the sight of the Beast saying to them that dwell on the Earth that they should make an Image to the Beast which had the Wound by a Sword and did live As the false Prophet made use of Power to drive Men to the Worship of the Beast so doth he also of subtilty t odraw then to a further degree of impiety inciting them by great Wonders which it is given him to do to erect an Image to the Beast which received a deadly Wound by the Sword but afterward recovered of the same For of all Impostures whereby Men are wont to be seduced to a false Worship there is none so powerful as that of working Miracles Hence Christ saith in the Gospel Matth. 24.24 There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect And Moses long before in the Law Deut. 13.1 2 3 If there arise among you a Prophet or a dreamer of dreams and giveth thee a sign or a wonder and the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee saying Let us go after other gods which thou hast not known
habitation And Chap. 37.32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant and they that escape out of Mount Sion And Chap. 52.1 Awake awake put on thy strength O Sion put on thy beautiful garments O Jerusalem Howbeit this standing of Christ upon Mount Sion with so great a company attending him doth not argue that he shall ever reign there by his personal presence no more than his standing by Paul in Jerusalem Acts 23.11 doth evince that he did then reign there after such a manner but onely intimate that those Saints shall perfectly follow the direction of Christ no otherwise than if he were personally present with them in Jerusalem as the fourth Verse of this Chapter explaineth it saying These are they that follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth Finally by the hundred forty four thousand upon whose forehead the name of the Lambs Father was imprinted are meant those Servants of God that were sealed out of all the Tribes of Israel Chap. 7.4 For both their number and their abode and the place of their body wherein they are sealed or marked exactly agree Whence by the way it appeareth that the Sealing mentioned in the said seventh Chapter shall happen in the Age wherein the Beast shall arise and consequently the general conversion of the Jews shall precede his coming otherwise those sealed ones would not thus be inserted into the History of the Beast Vers 2. And I heard a voice from Heaven as the voice of many Waters and as the voice of a great thunder and I heard the voice of Harpers harping with their Harps Vers 3. And they sung as it were a new Song before the Throne and before the four Beasts and the Elders and no Man could learn that Song but the hundred and forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the Earth Vers 4. These are they which were not defiled with Women for they are Virgins these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth these were redeemed from among Men being the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb. Vers 5. And in their Mouth was found no Guile for they are without Fault before the Throne of God Whether the voice out of Heaven resembling the noise of many Waters and the noise of great Thunder did utter any words and what those words are is not expressed or hinted so that we must of necessity remain ignorant thereof neither is it said who those Harpers are onely it is likely they are the Saints in Heaven who are thus brought in speaking aloud from thence Chap. 12.10 As little is it told us what the new Song is which they play upon their Harps yea we are on the contrary assured that none but those hundred forty four thousand can learn it and therefore the knowledge thereof belongeth not to us or any others but is reserved for them onely which argueth that there is something extraordinary in those godly persons of the Jewish Nation above those of any other Nation whatsoever For though it be common to them with other Saints to be redeemed or rather bought as the Greek word signifieth See Chap. 5.8 9. from among men namely with the Blood of the Lamb and so to be a first-fruits unto God and the Lamb as being theirs in a special manner no otherwise than the first-fruits were the Lord 's under the Law See Num. 18.12 13. yet is it peculiar to them above the multitude of Believers in any other Nation First to be the Servants of God that is Prophets for so this Appellation is expounded Chap. 11.18 And to give a Reward to thy Servants the Prophets And therefore no marvel if these persons being endued with the Spirit of Prophecy know the new Song that is sung in Heaven whilest other godly persons in the mean time are ignorant of the same Secondly to be Virgins and therefore such as have not been defiled with Women For it evidently follows that if they be Virgins and so never had to do with Women they could not possibly be defiled with them Thirdly to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth which implyeth that they strayed not from the way wherein Christ Jesus did lead them but yielded up themselves to his guidance in all things Fourthly to have no Guile in their Mouth and therefore to be without Fault before the Throne of God which last words before the Throne of God are emphatical for it is all one as if it had been said before the Judgement-Seat of God because as David testifieth Psalm 9.7 the Lord hath prepared his Throne for Judgement Behold then the Dignity of the Jerwish Nation to which the Lord will advance them in the time of the Beast above any other Nation under the whole Heaven namely that there shall be of the People of the Jews at the same time an hundred forty four thousand Prophets all of them Virgins perfectly following the guidance of Christ and having no guile or blame before God Wherefore I may truly say with Moses when he reflected on the peculiar favour that God had vouchsafed to Israel in another kinde Ask now of the days that are past which were before thee since the day that God created Man upon the Earth and ask from one side of the Heaven to the other whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is or hath been heard like it Deut. 4.32 Vers 6. And I saw another Angel fly in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth and to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People Vers 7. Saying with a loud voice Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgement is come and worship him that made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and the Fountains of Waters The first part of the Angels Message for so the Greek word ought no be rendred See 2 Sam. 18.20 in Greek neither is the Article prefixt as it is wont to be when the Gospel is meant is to excite men to fear God and give glory to his Name because the time of his Judgement is come namely when he will judge both the Beast and his Worshippers partly by the Vials of Gods wrath to be poured out upon them whereof see Chap. 16. partly by the utter Defeat of them at the great Battel of Armageddon Chap. 19. For indeed the Judgements of God are so terrible that even the Prophets when they only denounced them were wont to be seized with a great horrour Thus Esay after a grievous Vision had been declared to him Chap. 21.2 presently cryeth out in the following Verse Therefore are my loins filled with pain pangs have taken hold upon me as the pangs of a woman that travaileth I was bowed down at the hearing of it I was dismayed at the hearing of it How much more then ought they to breed a fear of God in the hearts of such as see them put in execution But as the terrour of Gods
rideth upon a swift cloud and shall come into Egypt and the Idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it Moreover the cloud that Christ sitteth upon is said to be white to set forth the glorious honour of his Majesty like as God intending to make that vision Matth. 17.5 to be the more Illustrious causeth a bright cloud to over-shadow the three Apostles that were with Christ at his transfiguration As for the golden crown upon Christs head it sheweth the Kingly power wherof he is possessed as the sharp sickle doth the severity of his anger against the wicked whom he is ready armed to cut off Vers 15. And another Angel came out of the Temple crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the Cloud Thrust in thy Sickle and reap for the time is come for thee to reap for the Harvest of the Earth is ripe Vers 16. And he that sat on the Cloud thrust in his Sickle on the Earth and the Earth was reaped An Angel longing to see the vengeance of Christ fall upon the Inhabitants of the Earth that had so openly and outragiously dishonoured God cometh out of the Temple in Heaven for there is the place of that Temple from whence the Angels are wont to issue forth as is apparent from the 17. Verse and cryeth to him aloud desiring him to destroy the wicked whose iniquity was now full with the sharp Sickle of his Wrath which is accordingly performed Vers 17. And another Angel came out of the Temple which is in Heaven he also having a sharp Sickle Vers 18. And another Angel came out from the Altar which had Power over the Fire and cried with a loud Cry to him that had the sharp Sickle saying Thrust in thy sharp Sickle and gather the Clusters of the Vine of the Earth for her Grapes are fully ripe For as much as Christ in executing this great Judgement is not onely himself an Agent but useth also the Ministry of Angels both which things are plainly set forth Chap. 16. 19. where this business is again repeated a Sickle bearing Angel is likewise introduced to whom another Angel cryeth aloud that he should put his Sickle in ure and gather the Vine of the Earth Neither is it without a Mystery that this Angel which cryeth is said to issue forth from the Altar and to have power over the fire thereof For this implyeth that he as being wont to attend at the Altar did perceive that the Prayers of the Saints with which he burned Incense before God were now heard and that God was accordingly resolved to avenge his People of their Enemies wherefore it is evident from this Passage that there is in Heaven a Temple and therein an Altar which Chap. 8.3 is said to be of Gold and to stand before the Throne of God and to have as here an Angel for Priest to burn Incense thereon that the smoke thereof may ascend up together with the Prayers of the Saints Neither can it with reason be affirmed that this Angel is Christ not onely because it is very hard if not altogether impossible to allege any passage of the Scripture where the appellation of an Angel is undoubtedly given unto Christ but also for that this Angel is here plainly differenced from Christ for Christ is said to sit upon a white Cloud having a sharp Sickle in his hand whereas this Angel is said to come out from the Altar which is in Heaven Again this Angel is said to be another Angel and therefore if the two precedent Angels which are also both of them distinguished from Christ be of necessity meer Angels so must this Angel also Which Reason is of force likewise in the 8. Chapter where this Angel is called another Angel in relation to the seven Angels that stand before God and so are meer Angels or ministring Spirits and consequently he being of their Rank is not Christ but a ministring Spirit also Vers 19. And the Angel thrust in his Sickle into the Earth and gathered the Vine of the Earth and cast it into the great Wine-press of the Wrath of God Vers 20. And the Wine-press was trodden without the City and Blood came out of the Winepress even unto the Horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred Furlongs These two Verses shew the accomplishment of what the Angel who came out from the Altar in Heaven did desire For the Vine of the Earth is gathered and the Clusters cast into the great Wine-press of Gods wrath and trodden without the City Which figurative Description doth intimate the quashing and utter ruine of the Inhabitants of the Earth that joyn their Forces with the Beast that they may cut off all the Saints at once The fulfilling whereof is set down at large Chap. 19. Now this Wine-press is said to be trodden without the City because this terrible execution shall be made without Megiddo a City belonging to the Tribe of Manasseh Josh 17.11 For thither shall the Kings of the Earth draw their Armies together to make war with Christ and his Saints as is related Chap. 16.16 Of which City I will discourse more largely in my Exposition of that Chapter Now the greatness of the slaughter that Christ shall then make slaying his Enemies with the Sword of his Mouth and so shedding their Blood is notably declared both by the depth of that bloody Stream that issueth out of the Wine-press of Gods wrath which is said to reach up to the Bridles of the Horses and so to be above a Yard from the Ground and also by the length thereof running out for the space of one thousand six hundred Furlongs which is by computation at eight Furlongs to the Mile two hundred Miles Neither will this seem so strange if we consider that all the Kings of the whole World together with their Armies shall then assemble themselves towards the City of Megiddo and there be slain Chap. 15 Vers 1. And I saw another Sign in Heaven great and marvellous seven Angels having the seven last Plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God The Exposition THis Chapter containeth in it self a Preparative to the pouring out of the Vials of Gods wrath upon the Beast and his Worshippers For John here seeth a great and wonderful Sign of seven Angels having seven Plagues which are therefore called the last Plagues because the Anger of God is accomplished by them so that after them succeedeth the chaining up of Satan and the uninterrupted prosperity of a thousand years through all the World as appeareth from the 20. Chapter Now the reason why the Angels are here sent to plague the Beast and his Worshippers is because all humane means did fail For the Saints who had adventured to oppose him with Arms though they fought in a just Cause were yet subdued and crushed by him as we saw Chap. 13.7 So that now was
they repented not to give him glory The sin of them that worship the Beast and receive his Mark as it is greater than that of evil Men in former times so is it also of a new kince and unheard of in the World before And therefore God provideth here for it a new Plague the like whereof is not to be found in all the Scripture For the fourth Vial being poured out upon the Sun causeth it to scorch Men with fire and that in a very grievous manner But it any one here object that should the Sun the common Luminary of the World but destitute of life and understanding have such a Power given to it the Saints also would not be untouched I answer that the words of the Text imply the contrary saying that such as were scorched by the Sun blasphemed the Name of God and repented not to give him glory whereby it appeareth that none but impenitent sinners do feel this Plague the Sun by the marvellous direction of God sending down fire upon them but casting out a chearing light upon the righteous Thus we read Exod. 14.20 that the cloudy Pillar did at the same time cause darkness to the Egyptians and light to the Israelites We read also Dan. 3.22 27. that the fiery Furnace which killed the Caldeans that did but approach thereunto did not so much as singe an Hair of the three pious Jews that were thrown into the midst thereof And let this consideration be taken along with us in reading the story of all these Plagues that they are so ordered as that no hurt redoundeth to the righteous from them God making a way for their escape As we see it did happen to the Israelites who though dwelling in Egypt were yet untouched with any of the ten Plagues thereof For albeit their immunity be not mentioned till the fourth Plague which was that of Flyes concerning which God saith I will sever in that day the Land of Goshen in which my People dwell that no Swarms of Flies shall be there to the end thou maist know that I am the Lord in the midst of the Earth Exod. 8.22 yet reason sheweth that the same is to be understood in all the foregoing Plagues for as much as they were sent of purpose to punish the Egyptians for their cruelty towards Gods people In like manner though it be not here expresly said that the Sun did not scorch the Saints but onely the wicked yet must it in reason be supposed to have so fallen out and the aforesaid intimation out of the Text sheweth as much Vers 10. And the fifth Angel poured out his Vial upon the Seat of the Beast and his kingdom was full of darkness and they gnawed their Tongues for pain 11. And blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores and repented not of their deeds As some other of the Plagues that God inflicted upon the Beast and his Worshippers are the same with those that he formerly inflicted upon Pharaoh and his People so also is this For the fifth Angel pouring out his Vial upon the Throne of the Beast which is without question as suitable a means to procure darkness as the stretching out of Moses hand towards Heaven his Kingdom that extendeth it self over the face of the whole Earth is thereupon darkned The extremity of which Plague is such that it causeth Men to gnaw their Tongues for pain For consider how grievous a thing it is to be bound for several days together in chains of thick and palpable darkness for it would be unreasonable to think that this darkness of the Beasts Kingdom should be inferiour either in duration or grosness to that of Egypt so as neither to see one another nor to arise out of their places Howbeit we are not to imagine that the Saints of this time as well as the Israelites heretofore during this dismal Fog that bespreads the face of all the Earth have not light in their dwellings seeing this Plague together with the rest is ordained of God for the punishment of their Adversaries and so ought not to involve both alike And this is sufficiently hinted according to the observation on the pouring out of the fourth Vial by the blasphemies that these Prisoners of darkness are said to vent against God the Authour of this and the other Plagues whereas to blaspheme God is so enormous a crime that it is impossible it should be incident to the Saints Wherefore I may truly bespeak the People of God that shall be in the Reign of the Beast with the words of Isaiah Chap. 60.2 of his Prophecy Behold the Darkness shall cover the Earth and gross Darkness the People but the Lord shall arise upon thee and his glory shall be seen upon thee Vers 12. And the sixth Angel poured out his Vial upon the great River Euphrates and the Water thereof was dried up that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared Vers 13. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet Vers 14. For they are the spirits of devils working miracles which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battel of that great day of God Almighty Vers 15. Behold I come as a thief Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame Vers 16. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Ar-mageddon By Euphrates must needs here be meant that River which runneth by Babylon properly so called and emptieth it self into the Persian Gulph For this River rising in Armenia and traversing all Mesopotamia and Caldea lyeth as a bar in their way that come out of the eastern Countreyes of Persia Tartaria India and China towards the land of Israel whither the kings here spoken of are to march with their Armies Neither is it a new thing that a river should be dryed up to give way to Princes and their hosts For we read in the scripture that Jordane was turned back to the end Joshua and the Israelites might in a terrible manner go over without interruption into the land aforesaid Jos 3.17 But as the River Euphrates is miraculously dryed up by the Angel for the speedier passage of the eastern Kings so cometh not it to pass without a miracle that they are drawn to undertake so desperate a design as to fight against Christ and his Saints for three unclean spirits do by working miracles incite not onely the foresaid Eastern Kings but also all the Kings of the world to the performance of this exploit And for as much as these are seen to proceed out of the mouth of the Dragon and of the Beast and of the false prophet this argueth that not onely the Dragon but also the Beast to whom the Dragon is said
to be there detained for a certain time but into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone to be there tormented for ever and ever From whence it may be gathered 1. That Satan after this time shall not tempt the Sons of Men any more and consequently as we have before discoursed they shall have no other inward sollicitation to sin then what issueth from the natural pravity of their own hearts which is nothing in comparison of that malignity which is infused into them by the artifice of Satan 2. That the reason why the Beast was formerly thrown into Hell-fire and not Satan also that stirred him up is this because God intended to make no further use of the Beast whereas Satan was a thousand Years after to seduce Gog and Magog Which being done and so the wrathfull Ministery of Satan accomplished he likewise is flung into Hell-fire to be there for ever tormented together with the Beast 3. That Hell-fire for that is the same with the Lake of Fire and Brimstone is already in being and not to be created at the Day of Judgement otherwise how should Satan be thrown thereinto before the coming of that Day 4. That Satan though a Spirit yet is not therefore immaterial otherwise how should a true real and material fire as that of the Lake is seeing the smoke of men therein tormented is said to ascend for ever and ever Chap. 14.11 be capable of working on him For he is no less said to be tormented therein than the Beast and the false Prophet who being both Men as I before proved must needs consist of matter as all will grant As for the place where hell-Hell-fire is we shall see concerning that towards the end of this Chapter Vers 11. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sat on it from whose Face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no Place for them Vers 12. And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works Vers 13. And the Sea gave up the Dead which were in it and Death and Hell delivered up the Dead which were in them and they were judged every Man according to their Works The Prophecies of the Revelation if we look rightly on them considering them in their own plainness and not as they are disguized and tangled with the far-fetcht Opinions of Men will be found to have been set down in an orderly manner those things being usually delivered first that are first to be accomplished Hence the casting of the Devil into Hell-fire being once dispatcht the universal judgement which was to follow whether in a little or a large distance of time is uncertain cometh here in its own place very fitly to be described God therefore is the supreme Judge is said to sit upon a great white Throne By which words the colour of his Throne which had been hitherto concealed seemeth to be here made known unto us For seeing God as David testifieth hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens for Judgement Psalm 9.7 103.19 and whiteness therein doth for its purity and lustre as well comport with the glory of God if not better than any other colour why should we not believe that the Throne of Judgement whereon God sitteth in the Heavens is as it is here described white But as the glory of God is set out in some measure by the greatness and colour of his Throne so is it infinitely more by the action that is here ascribed to him namely the Annihilation of the heaven and earth For to make them so fly away from before his face as that there is no more place found for them is indeed to reduce them into nothing Otherwise had they any being they would also have a place and be somewhere This reduction of the world into nothing leadeth us to believe the more easily that it was at first created out of nothing For had the matter thereof been from all eternity coexisting with God it would like him be ens necessarium and so likewise of necessity continue for ever with him John having seen the sovereign judge sitting on his throne doth in the next place see them also that stand before him in judgement and they are the dead of all sorts whether they be of high or low degree For that this expression of great and small doth so signifie is evident from Deuteronomy 1.17 Where Moses saith to the Judges of Israel Ye shall not respect persons but ye shall hear the small as well as the great And also from the nineteenth Chapter of this book verse 18. Where an Angel inviteth all the fowls of the heaven to come that they may eat the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great For the trial of the persons aforesaid are opened certain books containing not their actions for the words import the contrary but the laws by which God proceedeth in judging them and consequently they are the books of the Old and New Testament For Paul plainly telleth us that as many as have sinned in or under the law shall be judged by the law Rom. 2.12 And Christ saith John 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day These therefore must needs be the books and out of the things written in them the dead shall be judged according to their works For the inspection of these books doth presently discover both of what kind the works themselves are and what reward is appointed to them From whence it may be collected that they to whom God never made known his will nor imparted any of those laws recorded in the Old and New Testament but suffered them to walk in their own waies albeit they shall perish for their wickedness yet shall they not undergo any trial And thus much are we taught by the Apostle Paul who saith 2 Thes 1.7 8. That the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that knew not God And Rom. 2.12 As many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law That is without having any law proposed whereby they should be tried and cast Moreover that we might have a more full knowledge of the foresaid judgement both the resurrection of the dead which is a preparative thereunto and also the several places from whence the dead come forth are here described For the Sea giveth up the bodies of them that were drowned therein and the Grave giveth up the bodies of them that were buried in the earth For that the Grave is here to be understood by death is evident in that it is a place of the dead distinguished both from the Sea and also from Hell But there is
no other receptacle of the dead besides these twain save only the Grave Thus we finde that Job doth by death understand the Grave Chap. 27.15 When he saith of the wicked man that those that remain of him shall be buried in death and his widows shall not weep Finally Hell not hell-Hell-fire giveth up the souls both of them that were drowned in the Sea under which name all waters are comprehended and also of them that were buried in the earth For that Hell is designed to be the mansion of separated Souls appeareth from the words of Peter Acts 2.31 Who speaking out of the Psalms concerning the resurrection of Christ saith that his soul was not left in hell neither did his flesh see corruption And also from that passage of David Psalm 30.3 O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from Hell thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down into the pit For that I have rightly rendred the words in saying from hell and not from the Grave is manifest both from the Greek version which here hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also from the Hebrew original not using the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is proper to denote a Grave or Sepulchre See Gen. 23.6 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby Hell is wont to be expressed and which lieth in the lower parts of the earth See the Hebrew context of Numb 16.30.33 Besides it is apparent to common sense that not the souls but only the bodies of men are laid in the grave Vers 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire This is the second death Vers 15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire What the second death is and consequently those words mean which we read in the second clause of the sixth verse foregoing as also those Chap. 2.11 where it is said He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death is here by John explained for he expresly telleth us that the lake of fire and brimstone is the second death So that to be cast into that lake and to be under the power of the second death or hurt of it are expressions of the same import Thus had we the testimony of Jesus expounded to us in the nineteenth Chapter Nevertheless how Death and Hell being both of them places and receptacles of the dead should be cast into the said lake is hard to comprehend Yea were it not for a certain passage in the sixth Chapter of this prophecy I should be inclineable to think that this was a mystery which God would not have us pry into as we have above shewn that sundry such mysteries are to be met withal in the Book of the Revelation But forasmuch as in the Chapter aforesaid verse 8. Death is brought in riding upon a pale horse and Hell following him and consequently both of them are represented in the similitude of persons we may from thence rationally collect that in the passage here under debate the Holy Ghost intending to intimate that after the universal Judgement there shall be neither burial nor separation of the soul from the body doth exhibit two persons representing Death and Hell which are thrown into the lake of fire as resigning up their Office to it and being swallowed up therein according to that of the Prophet Hosea Chap. 15.14 O death I will be thy plague O Hell so it is in the Hebrew and not Grave I will be thy destruction Besides the books of the Old and New Testament which are the rule by which the actions of men that have had some form of Religion delivered by God shall at length be examined there is yet another Book opened in the day of judgement to wit the Book of life wherein whosoever have not their names written are said to be cast into the Lake of fire From whence it may be rightly concluded that as the want of being enrolled in that Book was above in the thirteenth and also in the seventeenth Chapters alleged as the Cause why so many erred most grosly in admiring and worshipping the Beast so is it here why so many are thrown into the Lake of Fire in that it is altogether impossible for such persons to attain that piety to which the Promise of eternal Life is annexed As for the place of the Lake of Fire that is here so much spoken of were it part of the World it would of necessity perish with the World which as we have before evinced is to be abolished Wherefore seeing it abideth for ever we ought in reason to conceive that it is without the compass of the World in the Description of which the Scripture doth perpetually omit it And hence it seemeth to be called by Christ the outer Darkness Matth. 22.13 as being without the Verge of Heaven and Earth Chap. 21. Vers 1. And I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away and there was no more Sea The Exposition WHat I before said touching the orderly course held by John in setting down his Prophecies is here worthy again to be observed For having in the precedent Chapter described the abolition of Heaven and Earth he now mentioneth the new Heaven and the new Earth that are to succeed in their place And he therefore affirmeth that he had seen this new Heaven and this new Earth though to this very day the old ones still continue because they were represented to him in a Vision Thus Christ saith to his Disciples Matth. 16.28 There be some of them that are standing here who shall not taste of Death till they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom Not that any of them were to remain alive to the end of the World for both the Scripture and the Ecclesiastical History testifie the contrary but because about eight days after he vouchsafed to three of them a sight of that glory wherein he shall come as King to judge the World Luke 9.27 28 29 30. But for as much as many endeavour to obscure this passage of the Revelation with their forced Allegories let us confirm the plain and literal meaning thereof by what the Scripture elsewhere speaketh concerning this matter The Apostle Peter describing the Day of Judgement and the alteration that shall happen to the World thereby telleth the pious Jews to whom he directeth his Letters that the Day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the Works therein shall be burnt up Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for and hasting unto the coming of the Day of God wherein the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent
heat Nevertheless we according to his Promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness 2 Epist 3.10 11 12 13. Is it possible that any thing should more plainly and positively be delivered to shew that the Heavens and the Earth which now are shall be dissolved by Fire and abolished and new Heavens together with a new Earth be created of God in their room Yea was not this Doctrine long before taught by two sacred Writers of the Old Testament to the latter of which the words of Peter whilest he speaketh of Gods Promise touching a new Heaven and a new Earth seem to relate For the divine Authour of the 102. Psalm directing his speech to God saith in the 25. and 26. Verses thereof Of old thou hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the Work of thine Hands They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed Which passage doth not onely tell us in plain words that the Heavens and the Earth shall perish but with all intimate that new Heavens and a new Earth shall be created whilest it saith that God shall change the Heavens and the Earth when grown old as a Vesture For in the change of an old Vesture a new one is taken in its stead Likewise the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 65.17 bringeth in God saying Behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde and Chap. 66.22 God to comfort the Jews speaketh thus As the new Heavens and the new Earth which I will make shall remain before me so shall your seed and your name remain Are not three such Witnesses as these sufficient to confirm the Exposition that we have given on the foresaid passage of the Revelation yea doth not the very close of the Verse evince it when it is said The Sea is no more For seeing in the World to come there is no place for Commerce and Traffique to what purpose should there be any Sea which serveth for a more easie and compendious passage from one Countrey to another that so Men may be supplyed with such Commodities as they want But if any one here object that he cannot imagine any more need of a new Heaven and a new Earth than of a new Sea I answer that it doth not therefore follow that they are all alike in that it is expresly denyed that there shall be any more Sea but on the contrrary it is plainly affirmed that there shall be a new Heaven and a new Earth Neither hath God left us wholly ignorant concerning the use of the new Earth and consequently of the new Heaven which will in likelihood be subservient thereunto as the old Heaven is to the old Earth as appeareth from the words of the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.19 20 21 22. where he saith The earnest expectation of the Creature waiteth for the Manifestation of the Sons of God For the Creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope Because the Creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Children of God For we know that the whole Creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now Now seeing the Creatures that here expect so earnestly and groan to be delivered from vanity are twice plainly distinguished from the Saints and Children of God is it not thereby manifest that the other living Creatures which God created shall after the Saints are once clothed with immortality be though not in their former Individuals yet in others of the same kinde made immortal as well as they and consequently live upon the new Earth or can any other sense be put upon the words of Paul without running into Absurdities Vers 2. And I John saw the holy City new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband In the same manner that John had before seen the new Heaven and the new Earth doth he here see the new Jerusalem onely this Jerusalem is already in being and therefore called New because it is so to the Saints when admitted thereinto in the life to come Thus Paul before Ananias was in very deed come to him had already seen him in a vision entring in and laying his hand upon him that he might receive his sight Acts 9.11 12. But forasmuch as the knowledge or the New Jerusalem is of so great importance without which neither can the happiness of the saints be rightly apprehended nor their faith as wanting a solid foundation be firm and stable we will evince out of the Scripture that by the New Jerusalem is not meant the Church but as it is here expresly termed a City which God hath reserved in heaven for the Saints To omit therefore the observation that may to this effect be rightly deduced from the very name of Jerusalem which being in the Hebrew of the dual number sign fieth that there are two Cities known by that appellation the Testimonies taken out of the divine Author to the Hebrews will abundantly confirm our assertion For he saith Chap. 11.9 10. By faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange countrey dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob heirs with him of the same promise For he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Certainly a City that is opposed to Tabernacles as having foundations whereof they are destitute and whose builder and maker is God himself is a City truly and properly so called Again in the 13.14 15. and 16. verses of the same Chapter he speaketh thus All these namely Abraham Isaac and Jacob died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them a far of and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a countrey And truly if they had been mindful of that countrey from whence they came out they might have had opportunity to have returned but now they desire abetter countrey that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God For he hath prepared for them a City You see by this that God hath provided for the Saints a City which is their heavenly Countrey and that the Patriarchs believed and longed for the same although they had received no promises of it but only seen them a far off and that they shewed their faith and longing by confessing themselves to be strangers and pilgrims on the earth How much then doth their practice condem many Christians who having received express promises of such a City and Kingdome are so far from longing after it as that they deny that there is any such place turning it into an allegory