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
he is truth Unto this I answer There is more excellency in the Saints then in the Truth I will instance in some particulars Our Saviour in Matthew speaking concerning the doctrine of the Pharisees who taught that if any did swear by the Temple it was nothing but whosoever sware by the gold of the Temple offended ye fools saith he for whether is greater the gold or the temple which sanctifieth the gold So by this we see that the Saints are more excellent then the Truth they are the temples of the living God the sons and daughters of God Almighty who do partake of the same nature union love and glory as Christ our Saviour our Head and Elder Brother Joh. 17. from vers. 21. unto the end From the Scripture it doth clearly appear that the Saints are more excellent then the Truth it self But I would not be mistaken for I do not speak here of Truth as God is said to be Truth nor dare I speak of it as Christ is called the Word of God as in Joh. 1. 1. Joh. and Revel. But I speak of Truth as it is held forth by the ministery of man in Babylon which appeareth most glorious unto to the carnal sense being held forth by men of learning and parts which shall fall in the fall of Babylon So my dear friend I have followed God in making forth that which he is pleased to convey by me as his instrument to whom I acknowledge all for here is no flesh to glory in his presence for it is none of mine the Lord knows And with this I shall close up desiring the Lord will manifest himself unto you in discovering those things which are hidden from the world who when they think of peace and safety the day of the Lord comes upon them as a thief in the night But I may say of you as the Apostle did of the Thessâ—lonians You brethren are not in darknesse that so that day should come upon you as a thief you are the children of the day we are not of the night nor of darknesse therefore let us not sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober And that must we do to whom the Lord is pleased to discover himself in making us to know that which is hidden unto others we dare not sleep nor be silent but stand upon our watch-tower as to wait for further discovery so to make known that which God hath revealed already And so here I shall close up committing you to God and to the power of his grace who will manifest himself more then ever in making his to know that now which hath been hidden from the beginning of the world And so wishing all happinesse in the Lord I shall ever remain yours in the greatest engagements An Addition Now having spoken concerning the spiritual meaning of the feet and toes spoken of Dan. 2. and likewise as God hath enabled me I have answered to some Objections yet upon further consideration there remain others unto which by the help of God I shall give answer Object 1. In the first place then How I can make it appear that the feet and toes of the great Image is one State How can it be confined to that Parliament of England which is come to confusion for it is evident the Scripture speaks of divers Kings which are the feet and toes for it is said in the last days of these Kings speaking of the last powers which is the feet and toes that the God of heaven shall set up a Kingdom Unto this I answer that if we wrest the Prophesies to the Letter the feet and toes appear to be divers Kings even ten in number answering to the ten horns that support the beast Dan. 7. and Rev. 13. Howsoever we have no warrant from the Scripture for any such interpretation the Scripture being altogether silent there is an interpretation given of the rest of the four Monarchs but for the Monarchical power which is in the mixture of the feet and toes there is no interpretation given but its own acts which the Scripture mentions in Dan. 2. 7 8 11. Now in the Letter the four Monarchies spoken of Dan. 2. which was first the King of Babylon the head of gold and so the other three Monarchies successively as the Scripture speaketh it needs no interpretation because it is clear in the letter but howsoever all Prophecies must have a spiritual interpretation for if it should be confined to the letter there would follow great absurdities because when the feet of the great Image are broken the iron and clay brasse silver gold falls all together and becomes as the chaff of the summer-floor whereas it is well known that the Babylonian Monarchy and the other two following are fallen the last is fallen in good part before the feet and toes are broken which in the letter are said to be broken in the first place by the stone which is cut out of the mountain And so it is clear that the great Image spoken of Dan. 2. is to be understood otherwise then we have formerly and certainly it will appear to be that Image of Babel that the Lord will visit Jerem. 51. 47 52 Now the Image or Images of Babylon are not to be understood in the letter that is such things as we count Images for they are not capable of visiting or punishing but is to be understood in a spiritual sense and so whatsoever is spoken here in Dan. 2. concerning this great Image whose head was of gold and his brest and arms of silver is to be accomplished in mystical Babylon and so in the first place the head of this great Image which is of gold doth concern the spiritual excellencies which do appear in mystical Babylon in respect of the glorious truths which have been held forth by the Saints but in confusion which is Babylon Jer. 51. where it is said that Babylon hath been as a golden cup in the Lords hand the nations have drunken of her wine therefore do the nations rage and it is evident that Babylon in the Saints which is the head of gold is lifted up very high in respect of those unspeakable comforts that the Saints have in the apprehension of the truth which is held forth by Babylon in that it is said How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer son of the morning Isai. 14. Now having spoken of Babylon in the Saints which is the head of gold now I shall speak of Babylon in the Ordinance which may be very fitly compared to the brest and arms of the great Image which are of silver I speak of the Ordinances which are held forth in the purest manner even those which are most agreeable to the letter of the Word even that element that melts with fervent heat which is a degree below Babylon in the Saints which is the head of gold But now it may be objected How can the brest and arms which are of silver signifie
from another but they make up the fulnesse of God and so this full God shall be manifested in the flesh of those Saints who shall live to the state of perfection and so the resurrection of this corporal body or flesh and blood as well in a spiritual sense as literal cannot inherit the kingdom of God neither can corruption inherit incorruption and so the Apostle saith Behold I shew you a mystery we shall not all die but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump and in Isai it is called the great trump that shall sound and then the dead in Christ rise concerning which I have spoken in another place So you see that these Scriptures do not concern the resurrection of the body after death which death cannot properly be said to be death in that the body is called a Tabernacle now a Tabernacle cannot be said to die onely it is dissolved as the Apostle saith When this earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved we have a house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens And so natural death may be looked on as when a man puts off his clothes when he goes to rest and the Apostle could desire not to be unclothed that is to put off this natural body but rather to live unto that time when the Saints shall be clothed upon and mortality swallowed up of life And so likewise the Scripture speaking of Christ calls his flâ—sh a vail saying the vail which was his flesh And so the natural body is onely a vail and when this vail which is the flesh is put off then man may be said to die and then this vail which is the body returns to the earth and the spirit returns to God that gave it Now this shews that the reasonable soul which is in all mankinde is God himself who is in a wicked man as well as in the Saints as the Apostle speaking to the Athenians comprehends them amongst the off-spring of God Acts 17. 28 29. when he saith Forasmuch then as we are the off-spring of God we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver Now though God may be said to be in a wicked man Christ is not in any but those that are Christ's those who are the sons and daughters of God Almighty in whom God is manifested in the flesh however the Saints stand in the same relation to God their Father before the time of this glorious manifestation as the Apostle 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 when to us a childe is born to us a son is given the government shall be upon his shoulder and in Revel. 12. that manchilde which is brought forth as he is caught up to God and to his throne so likewise he is to rule all nations with a rod of iron Now this Son in Isai. 9. and this Man-childe in Revel. 12. and he that sits on the white horse in Revel. 19. 11. who is called Faithful and True I say that which is spoken of in these Scriptures concerning Christ it is to be applied to every particular Saint who are comprehended in the number of those that overcome Revel. 2. 20. where it is said He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end to him will I give power over the nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to pieces even as I have received of my Father and I will give unto him the bright morning-Star So likewise Psal. 2. which speaks of that power which is given to the Saints which is confined unto those which shall overcome which shall sit down with Christ in his throne as in Revel. 3. 21. where it is said To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father on his throne Now when it is thus with the Saints Christ ceaseth to be a Mediatour in that the Saints are invested into the kingdom and so declared mightily to be the sons of God by the resurrection from the dead and so have overcome hell and death being risen with Christ as in Hos. 6. 2 3. and 13. 14. I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy plague O grave I will be thy destruction Now this ransome is an overcoming in that it is said in the Revelation that the Saints did overcome by the word of God and the testimony of Jesus which is done in the glorious manifestation of Jesus Christ and so we are in a capacity to keep the works of God unto the end Now this may be understood divers ways concerning which I cannot speak at present But when the Saints shall thus overcome they shall sit down with Christ in his throne even as he overcame and sate down in his Fathers throne Now this Kingdom of Christ is distinct from the former which was the Kingdom of Christ in the flesh a Kingdom of Forms a power over us but this Kingdom throws down all forms and power over us and all powers that were over us also in respect of the Ordinances which vanish away when this Kingdom doth begin and so likewise this Kingdom shall throw down all powers on earth Dan. 2 44. speaking there of the last powers it is said In the days of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to another people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms and stand for ever Dan. 7 27 it is said The kingdom and dominion and the greatnesse of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey him which is the fulnesse of God which comprehends all the Saints departed which shall be manifested in flâ—sh which is that resurrection spoken of as before Now this Kingdom which I have formerly spoken of is begun in Babylon Now here I have made a digression from the matter in hand in that I must follow God but now I am returned again and so accordingly I shall speak further concerning these particulars according as God shall give in which is concerning the state of the body after natural death Now we all know as the tree falls so it lieth and never riseth again as to live and that seed which is sown it dieth and ceaseth to be as it was that same body never appeareth And so when man dieth his body returneth unto the earth as in Ecclesiastes and Gen. 3. 19 where it is said In the sweat of thy brows theu shalt eat bread