Scripture-Prophecies OPENED Which are to be accomplished in these last times which do attend the second coming of Christ In several LETTERS Written to Christian friends BY E. Avery ISAI. 29. 17 18 19. Is it not a very little while and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book and the eyes of the blinde shall see out of obscurity and darknesse The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord and the poor among men shall rejoyce in the holy One of Israel LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the signe of the black spread-Eagle at the West-end of Pauls 1647. To the Reader Christan Reader THese following Letters were intended onely for some particular Christians but seeing that which is contained in them is of general concernment I do here present it to the view of all and the rather because the power of God doth appear in it in respect of the weaknesse and contemptiblenesse of the instrument whom he doth here employ as formerly it hath been his course in doing great things by weakest means and so by such foolishnesse he doth bring to nought the wisdom of the wise that so no flesh may glory in his presence And as it hath been the manner of God's proceedings heretofore so likewise I finde the immediate acting of the Spirit in giving in and so accordingly in carrying me forth to communicate it to others And seeing it is thus I dare not conceal it in oblivion but I must hold it forth to the view of the whole world not fearing any thing in way of opposition from the creature for I fear not the prison having such enlargements in God I fear not reproach for I can wear it as my Crown I fear not want in that I do enjoy all in God And though I may be counted mad to the world I shall speak the words of sobernesse and if I am mad as the Apostle saith it is to God and if I am in my right mind it is for the benefit of others And I desire likewise that the Christian Reader should know though I question not the truth of that which I do here hold forth yet I am resolved not to contend for it with carnal weapons as by Argument but rather I shall witnesse the truth of it with my Blood if God shall call me to it for I have nothing to do but to hold it forth and so I must leave it to God who I know will witnesse to his own Truth and reveal it unto all his in his good time in the mean while so far as we have attained let us walk by the same rule and minde the same thing and accordingly wait for further discoveries And so I shall leave thee good Reader to the manifestation of Christ in thy flesh which doth begin to appear in some and we do likewise expect it in general unto all the Saints when God shall bring them out of darknesse into his marvellous light which is begun and shall increase until it be perfect day And with this I shall close up committing thee to God and to the power of his grace ever remaining Thine in Christ Elizabeth Avery The Contents The First Letter THe opening of the mystery both of the state and fall of Babylon Pag. 1. Some discovery of what is meant by the mystery of the feet and toes of the great Image Dan. 2. 34. p. 3. How the Saints are said to be slain in and by Babylon Jer. 51. 49. p. 4. Of Babylons fall p. 6. How the Lord shall gather his Saints out of Babylon before it be destroyed as God overthrew Sodom p. 7. Objections answered as touching local separation p. 8 9. Objections answered as to a further discovery of the mystery of the feet and toes of the great Image p. 11. Also the mystery of the head of gold c. p. 13 14 15. The Second Letter HOw the heavens and the earth shall be dissolved p. 17. What is meant by the Apostle Peter when he saith that the heaven and the earth are reserved to fire against the day of judgement p. 20. Question answered How it can be said that the Saints are slain by their iniquities seeing Christ hath satisfied for the sins of the whole world p. 23. Of the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven p. 25. What is meant by the heavens and earth that must passe away p. 28 29. The beginning of the glorious estate of the Church by the calling of the Jews and what those Jews are p. 30 31. Of a threefold wildernesse which the Saints are brought into p. 34 35. The Third Letter COncerning the Resurrection of the dead c. p. 36. The death natural cannot properly be called death p. 37. When the Mediatour ship of Christ ceaseth p. 39. Khrists Kingdom in Spirit throws down all dominion that is of the earth p. 39. The state of the natural body after death p. 41. What the lake of fire and brimstone is Ibid. Martha her conference with Christ about the resurrection of Lazarus opened Ibid. Of the state of the wicked after death p. 45. What is meant by the body being clothed upon Ibid. Spirits not capable of torment out of the body Ibid. When the judgement of the devil and his angels in the wicked doth begin p. 46. Christian Letters The First Opening the Mystery of the state and fall of BABYLON Dear Friend SEeing it is the greatest joy of the Saints to have communion one with another in the Spirit though distant in the Flesh which joy is much improved when the Lord doth carry us forth in communicating one unto another that which he is pleased to reveal unto us by his Spirit And here by the providence of God I am come forth to act in this kinde So in the first place I shall speak of Babylon as it is that vail of Darknesse which covers all flesh Isa. 25. 7. which God will shortly take away from all his Saints but at present this vail covers all flesh more then ever and Antichrist the spirit of Errour doth reside in the flesh more then ever even in the Saints themselves as well as others and so it shall be till God is manifested in the flesh of the Saints as he was in the Humanity of Christ and such a one in whom God shall be thus manifested shall confesse that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh 1 Joh. 4. 3. and when it is thus with any in such a one Babylon and Antichrist is fallen But at the present Babylon and Antichrist is fallen in a very inconsiderable number of the Saints who are enlightned with the light of Truth and these are the Watchmen that shall declare glad tidings Isa. 51. 14 15 16. and 52. 7 8 But howsoever Babylon and Antichrist which is Confusion and Errour doth remain in the generality of mankinde yea the Saints
so after that the glorious state of the Church follows Others likewise do conceive that the Jews shall be converted to the Faith before the end And so concerning the glorious state of the Church most conceive it in a spiritual sense yet some do not deny but that there shall be a temporal power which shall go forth from the Saints as in Revel. 2. 16 17. and Psal. 2. which is the Kingdom of the Saints that is begun even here in Babylon amongst their implacable enemies as Mic. 4. from vers. 8. unto the end Dan. 2. 41. Now I shall not undertake to confute any of these particulars by force of Argument but I shall shew how far I can joyn with them and where I differ Now in the first place Whereas the Saints do expect a dissolution of all things at the last day when the Son of man shall come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and all the Saints with him in like manner who shall be gathered together by the sound of a trumpet as in 1 Cor. 15. and 1 Thess. 4 and 5 Chap. concerning which time the Scriptures are as follow Isai. 2. towards the end Isa. 13. Isa. 51. 6. Isa. 66. Psal. 50. Revel 6. 13. unto the end Reveâ— 20. all which Scriptures and many more speak of the day of Judgement and unto this I will assent in that I do verily believe that the glorious state of the Church shall not be until all these things be fulfilled which are spoken in these Scriptures as our Saviour saith Heaven and earth shall passe away but my word shall not passe away for that cannot be shaken because it is the foundation of the new heaven and the new earth as Isa. 51. 16. which is not to be understood of the written Word for that shall passe away when all things are fulfilled Now that Word of God which continues for ever is God himself as Joh. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and that Word was God so that as God was from all eternity so this Word of God continues to all eternity and sure this Word begins to be manifested in the Saints 1 Joh. 4. though it hath been a long time hidden Howsoever though I do joyn in this that the glorious state of the Church shall not be till these visible things are passed away yet I differ from them in the matter which shall passe away and in the manner how it shall passe away and by what means it shall passe away Now that matter which shall passe away is generally conceived to be this visible heaven and earth at the last day and by what means by fire and in what manner it is made forth at large 2 Pet. 3. where it is said that the day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night wherein the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the element shall melt with fervent heat and the earth with the works therein shall be burnt up Now I say I do differ in all these particulars in some sense for I differ First in the matter which shall passe away for I do not conceive that these visible heavens shall be dissolved and so consequently of that which follows Unto this some may reply Doth not the Apostle Peter speak plainly that the heavens and earth are reserved to fire against the day of judgement and perdition of wicked and ungodly men To this I answer If you do observe the Apostle Peter in the words foregoing you shall finde that he makes distinction between the world that perished by water and the heavens and earth which now are which are said to be reserved to fire whereas this visible heaven and earth as it is understood in the letter to be the firmament and the earth that we live in as it was distinguished in the Creation it is the same as it was from the beginning as the mockers say vers. 4. Now whereas the Apostle makes this distinction between the heaven and earth which was before the flood and the heaven and earth that now is whereas it is the same in the letter none will deny I say from this distinction of the Apostle in this Scripture and many other Scriptures which joyn in this I do conclude that these Scriptures which we have formerly conceived to concern the dissolution of this visible heaven and earth do onely concern the passing away of the Ordinances which is that heaven wherein God hath appeared gloriously unto the unspeakable consolation of the Saints and this earth here spoken of is the best part of man as his natural wisdom and humane learning and gifts not onely common gifts but spiritual gifts whereby they are enabled to speak unto edification which may be comprehended under the same notion for the Apostle speaks as if the wicked may have the common gifts of the Spirit Now those gifts that the Saints have been carried forth in of late do evidently appear to be that element which melts with servent heat But here you may observe that though heaven in our sense is thus on fire 2 Pet. 3. 12. yet it is but dissolved and the element is but melted onely here is a difference between heaven and the element for heaven onely ceaseth to be in that manner as it was in grosse yet there is no alteration in the nature of it as when we say the Parliament is dissolved the men continue the same onely it ceaseth to be a body Politick and likewise our precious Cordials as Bezer are not effectual to our good untill they be dissolved into some liquid matter so God who is our heaven in the Ordinance for there can be no heaven without him And so when God which is our heaven shall be thus dissolved and cease being covered with a vail then this vail shall vanish away like smoke which vail is the Ordinance and heaven being dissolved the Saints are in a capacity to contain this heaven in the flesh and surely God who is our heaven shall appear in the flesh of all his Saints shortly in his glorious manifestations for as the Apostle Peter saith We according to his promise look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse which is not a heaven without us as before in the Ordinances and the teachings of men but it is a heaven within us even God manifested in the flesh of his Saints as in the humanity of Christ Now the Saints stand in the same relation to God as our elder brother Christ whilst they are in the state of imperfection as John saith We are the sons of God but it doth not appear what we shall be but when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and then are the sons of God manifest Now we see that we are no losers though our heaven being on fire hath been dissolved for now we have our heaven within us that cannot
be shaken but our heaven without us hath been shaken which is the Ordinance and hath likewise been taken away for when God withdraws and doth not appear in it then all is gone But howsoever here is matter of unspeakable comfort to the Saints even at this time wherein the powers of heaven are shaken and shall likewise vanish away because that which remains cannot be shaken though it be dissolved ceasing to appear in that manner as formerly as covered with a vail but now we shall see face to face Now having spoken at large concerning the heavens being on fire which is dissolved to some and shall be dissolved to all when the Saints shall see God as he is because the Ordinance which is that vail that hath hid the glory of God from us whilst we live so lowe in the earth is taken away because we could not see God and live except he had been so covered but when this vail shall vanish away like smoke Isa. 51. and be rolled together like a scroll Revel. 6. 14. and every mountain and hill shall be removed out of his place and heaven shall be shaken and the earth shall be removed out of his place in the wrath of the Lord Isa. 13. 13 14. Heb. 12 God saith that once more I will not shake earth onely but also heaven Now this once more signifies the removing of those things which are shaken that the things which cannot be shaken may remain And our Saviour saith Heaven and earth shall passe away but my word shall not passe away which is God himself Now that which vanisheth and passeth away and is shaken and taken away as in these Scriptures here quoted heaven which is here spoken of is the Ordinances which shall passe away when God appeareth in his glorious manifestations when he comes into his Temple Mal. 3. 1 c. But it is said Who can abid his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth Heaven passeth away now with a great noise there is great trouble in the Saints when this shall be Now heaven which is the Word of God in distinction to that heaven which passeth away with a great noise v. 10. though this heaven which is the word of God shall be dissolved it remains the same in nature though not in such a grosse substance Now when it is thus dissolved there is more spiritual efficacy in it then before in that this Word shall become flesh as is spoken of Christ 1 Joh. 1. And so as the Word of God did become flesh in Christ our elder brother so this Word shall become flesh in all the Saints when God shall be manifested in their flesh and they likewise shall be declared mightily to be the sons of God by the Resurrection from the dead not the Resurrection of the body natural which we do not expect in that manner as formerly we conceived but the resurrection from the dead in a spiritual sense Now concerning the resurrection of the bodies of the Saints which is expected after their natural death it is to me a mystry as yet and so I conceive it is to most of the Saints As for that resurrection which is held forth commonly in the Scripture it is in part made known unto me 〈◊〉 to be dead with Christ and so to be risen with him Now to be dead with Christ the Apostle saith is to be dead unto the Ordinances and all vails and shadows and to be risen with him is to live in God in seeing eye to eye when God shall bring again Sion Isai. 52. And so that resurrection which we do expect is not the resurrection after death but a resurrection in a spiritual sense whilst we are in the flesh before the state of glory and it is a resurrection out of a spiritual defection which we have been brought into being slain by our iniquity as Hos. 13. where God saith O Ephraim thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help Onely here is a difference in the cause of the death of Christ and the cause of this death in the Saints in a spiritual sense Now the cause of the death of Christ was the sin of mankinde as the Scripture speaketh but the Saints are slain by their own sin Now here will arise a Question How can it be said that the Saints are slain by their iniquities seeing Christ hath satisfied for the sins of the whole world Answ. It is true the satisfaction which was in Christ it was a sufficient ransome for in that the whole Creation is redeemed from the curse of the â—aw and if all did believe all should have benefit by this redemption for it is evident that none are damned but for the sin of unbelief as the Scripture declares in divers places So howsoever though there be such a sufficient ransome yet none have benefit by it but those who do believe and unto them the guilt and malediction of sin is taken away but though the guilt and malediction of sin be taken away by this redemption and so the Saints cannot be slain by their iniquity in respect of the spiritual man yet they are slain in their own apprehension when they are bereft of all joy and comfort in the spirit in that God hath withdrawn himself from them And here it may be said they are put to death with Christ in that they are conformable to his sufferings in respect of the spiritual desertion that Christ was in who in the days of his flesh did pour out strong prayers with crying and tears as in the Hebrews and so likewise the Saints are to be conformable to Christ their Head in being slain by the cruel hatred of the wicked in respect of reproach c. And so the Saints may be said to be slain with Christ when they are slain by their iniquities as in the first Chapter of Hosea When Ephraim saw his sicknesse and Judah his wound then went Ephraim to the Assyrian and sent to king Jareb yet could be not heal nor cure him of his wound for saith God I will be unto Ephraim as a lion and as a young lion to the house of Israel I will tear and go away I will take away and none shall rescue And then God returns to his place until they do acknowledge their offences in their afflictions they will seek him early And so the resurrection of Christ follows in the sixth Chapter where those which are thus slain in a spiritual sense take unto themselves these words and say Come let us return unto the Lord for he hath wounded and he will heal after two days he will revive us and the third day we shall live in his sight So in Hos. 13 it is said that Ephraim had destroyed himself as we may see in the words following in that death follows for it is said that Ephraim was an unwise son for he should not have stood still in the breaking forth of children but he doth stand still and in
men whereas the Saints suffer the judgements of God in this kinde and the wicked and ungodly are freed Unto this I answer Judgement begins at the house of God as Peter saith and if it begin at the house of God where shall the wicked and ungodly appear and if it be thus with the green tree what shall become of the dry But howsoever though this fire with which God doth judge flesh in his Saints as it is in Isa. 66. the Lord doth judge with fire and the sword all flesh in the first place so I say this fire breaks forth in the house of God unto the destruction of the flesh and so you see the benefit that comes by it Now this destruction of the flesh it is not to be understood in the letter but flesh in a spiritual sense and so the works of the earth likewise Now flâ—sh in the Sainâ—s is that earth which shall be burnt up in some by the fire of the Spirit which hath dissolved heaven and hath melted the elements and burnt up the earth with the works thereof even that which remains when the pure metal is refined and separated from it Now this earth as before I have spoken is the best part of man as his Reason Natural Wisdom and Learning Now as the fire of the Spirit dissolves heaveâ— and melts the elements and burns up the earth which is the flesh in the Saints so the fiery trials which are inflicted upon the people of God whilst they are in Babylon do effect the same work as the fire of the Spirit though it doth not so appear to our apprehension Now when this is done and heaven which is the Word of God is dissolved ceasing to appear in a shadow which is to see Christ in the flâ—sh now we do enjoy heaven more spiritually in that we have more spiritual discerning and Truth which was our element hath been refined and hath lost nothing but its drosse and the earth being burnt up in the Saints when all this is accomplished in the Saints Object How can it be said that the heavens and earth that now are which is the Ordinances as before spoken can be reserved to fire against the day of judgement and perdition of wicked and ungodly men Unto this I answer It is howsoever it may appear for now heaven is passing away with a great noise and the elements are melting with fervent heat and the earth and the works thereof are burning up which is all accomplishing in the Saints and at this time the Church of God is in a sad condition for the sorrows of a travelling woman are come upon them as in Revel. 12. and Hos. 13. and Isai. 26. nay the pangs of death are upon her and sure it is not an easie matter for the soul to part from the body and it is no otherwise when we must part from all our former comforts and so when the Saints are under these fiery trials the dolorous nature of them cannot be expressed at this time the hateful enemies of God the inhabitants of Caldea do adde unto their affliction and in doing so they do procure damnation to themselves whose judgement as Judge saith of a long time slumbreth not where he speaks of Enoch the seventh from Adam who prophesied of these things Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement c. And so you see that these heavens and earth are reserved to fire against the day of judgement and the perdition of the wicked And surely the long-suffering of of God in that the heavens and earth have not passed away long ago is as the Apostle Peter saith salvation to us-ward in that God was not willing that any should perish but that all should be saved that is God will offer salvation to all and for this reason this heavens and earth are continued which is the Ordinances and the teachings of the Saints because God appearing in them they are the ordinary means of salvation for as the Apostle Paul saith faith cometh by hearing the Word of God preached and certainly though there have been much of earth made forth by the ministery of men yet there is somewhat of God so much as is necessary to salvation And so when this heaven and earth which is reserved to fire in reference to the Saints shall passe away with a great noise and the element shall melt with fervent heat according as before it is spoken then presently follows the perdition of wicked and ungodly men for when heaven is passed away and vanisht away and taken away which is the Ordinance then there remains no more means of grace in an ordinary way but howsoever no doubt but God will work extraordinarily in bringing in those who are heirs of salvation Now another reason why the perdition of wicked and ungodly men followeth immediately upon the passing away of the Ordinances is Because when God is refining his people in destroying the flesh in them he doth make use of the wrath of men who do fill up the measure of their sin by their cruel usage of the Saints but sure the wrath of man shall turn to the praise of God and the remainder of wrath will he restrain and when God hath finished his work on mount Sion whilst they are in Babylon and so shall have gathered his people from all places whither they have been led captive in respect of a local separation from their hateful enemies then he will visit the proud heart of the King of Babylon and then the violence which hath been done unto the Saints shall be on Babylon shall the inhabitants of Sion say as in Jer. 51. and our blood be on the inhabitants of Caldea shall Jerusalem fay And so when heaven and earth are passed away and the Saints gathered away then follows the destruction of the wicked The Scriptures to prove it are many as in Isa. 13. 14. c. Jer. 50 8 44. and 51. 45. Mic. 4. Rev. 18. This is the day of judgement and perdition of wicked and ungodly men Now having spoken so far as God hath carried me forth concerning the former particulars I shall come to the next as it lieth in order which is concerning the glorious state of the Church that shall not be until the Jews are converted unto the Faith Unto this I do agree with those of this judgement howsoever we differ concerning whom those Jews are which shall be converted Now as God hath made known to me I conceive that those Jews which are to be converted are not the natural Jews for we know there are no natural Jews in that they are mixt among all Nations But let it be granted that there are yet it can be proved that the ten Tribes did never return out of Captivity and so likewise they have no Genealogie howsoever I do not deny but that there are a remnant of those people according to the election of grace But the Apostle Paul who