The Calling of the Jews, Commentary on Revelation
THE REVELATION.
IN the Booke of the Revelation, I will but point at ſome principall things.
REVEL. 1. 7.
Behold he commeth with the clouds, and eueryevery eye ſhall ſee him. Yea euen they which pierced him thorough. And all the Tribes of the earth ſhall waile before him. Euen ſo. Amen.
IOHN hauing rendred praiſe to God for his mercy to the Gentiles, doth now celebrate his goodneſſe that ſhall be moſt conſpicuous in the calling of the Iewes.5. Poſit. Call.
1. Expreſſing the great glory that ſhall appeare in their conuerſion by Chriſts glorious comming in the clouds to iudgement: whereof this (of all things in the world) is the moſt expreſſe and liuely image.
2. The wayling here ſpoken of, are the teares of true repentance; as is manifeſt by the Prophet Zacharie, from whom this place is borrowed. Zach. 12. 10.
3. The name of Tribes ſheweth of what people it is meant: which in the Prophet is more manifeſt.
4. In ſaying all the Tribes, the 10 Tribes are included.8 Poſit. X. Tribes.
Rev. 16. 12. to the end of the Chapter.
THE very courſe of time being after the Sea of the beaſt (Rome) ouerthrowne, leadeth vsus by the hand to the expoſition of the ſixt Viale. To vnderſtand it of the Iewes, who are here called Kings of the Eaſt, which ſtile of Kings is giuen them, Pſal. 68. 29. Eſay 24. 21.
1. Is the repayre to their owne homes vponupon the beginning 12 Poſit. Repayr towards their Country.of Grace wrought in their hearts.
2. God for them will lay drie the waters of Euphrates, as once he did the red Sea, Eſay 11. 15. (verſ. 12.)13 Poſit. Euphrates dry.
3. Heereupon the Dragon (the Turke, Chriſts open profeſſed enemy, to leaue what may bee ſayd from hence 16 Poſit. Sore diſtreſſe.of the beaſt and the falſe Prophet, a more ſubtle and cloſe aduerſary) ſhall come with his Begs and Baſhawes to deſtory 15 Poſit. Conflict with Gog.this people. (verſ. 13. 14. 15.) This is the ſore time of affliction mentioned, Dan. 12. 1.
4. The conflict ſhall be at Harmageddon, the mount of delightfulneſſe that is in the holy land, as Dan. 11. and 17 Poſit. Place of conflict.euen as may be thought at Ieruſalem it ſelfe. (verſ. 16.)
5. The iſſue appeareth in the VII. Viall, the vtter ruine 18 Poſit. Conqueſt.of the whole kingdome of darkeneſſe, whereof the Turkiſh or Mahometicall tyranny is a principall. (verſ. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.)
Chap. 19. 5. to the end of the booke.
FRom hence to the end of the Reuelation are four ſteps or degrees: the ſame (though not altogether in the ſame order) that we noted, Ezech. 37. Which maruellouſlie cleereth the vnderſtanding of this Propheſie. Firſt, after Romes funerall; for which the Iewes as well as Gentiles breake forth into thankeſgiuing: (as Amen, Halleluiah, verſ. 4. one Hebrew by birth, but made a Greeke Deniſen, the other a meere Hebrew word importeth) they now ſetling themſelues after the great obſtacle of their repentance (the idolatry of the Romiſh Church) remoued, 5. Poſit. Call.to lend their cares to Chriſt; commeth the firſt call of that Nation, for the intimating whereof onelyonly the Hebrew word (Halleluiah) in this place is vſed. (verſ. 5. 6.) It is expreſſed:
1. By the preparing of her ſelfe for the ſelemnization of the marriage. (verſ. 7.)
2. By the marriage garment which they put on, the cleane and fine linnen of the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt imputed to the Saints, and by faith made theirs. (verſ. 8. 9. 10.)
The ſecond ſteppe (after ſome other things enterlaced, wherewith I ſhall not need to meddle) is the battell with Gog and Magog, vnderunder the conduct of the Turke, (Sathan or the Deuill, whoſe Miniſter he is) the chiefe principall cauſe being put for the inſtrumentall. This enemy riſing ſome 1000 yeares after Conſtantine, that is about Anno 1300. (verſ. 7.) and proſpering exceedingly, (1. part of verſ. 8.) warring all the while with the Saints (2. part of verſ. 8.) ſhall at the laſt when their appointed period draweth to an end, bend all his force againſt the conuerted Iewes.
1. Is noted the place of this conflict: They compaſſed the 20 Peſit. Place of Gogs Fall.beloued City, (3. part. of verſ. 8.) for the brunt of the battell ſhall be before Ieruſalem, in the valley of Iehoſhaphat, as Ioel 3. 2.
2. The defeat of the whole Army by ſtrange and extraordinary iudgements of God from heauen, as Eſay 27. 1. 19 Poſit. Gods fighting.(verſ. 9.)
3. The finall ruine of this tyrant, his ſtate and perſon, 18. Poſit. Conqueſt.and whole ſucceſſion of the Turkiſh Empire. (verſ. 10.)
The third ſtep is the full conuerſion of this people, betaking 7 Poſit. Generall call.themſelues to Chriſt, or rather Chriſt taking them vntounto him, their taking to, as it is ſaid, Rom. 11. 15. which the Apoſtle in that place calleth life from the dead, from the death of ſinne and infidelity. And therefore is heere gloriouſly deſcribed vnderunder the form of the generall reſurrection: Whereunto the Scripture in this argument doth ordinarily allude, Ezech. 37. Eſay 26. 19. Dan. 12. 2. Hoſh. 13. 14. Rom. 11. 15. (verſ. 11. 12, 13. 14. Though this be not 9 Poſit. Wrath againſt refractaries.the common condition of all, ſome will remaine obſtinate, whoſe end ſhall bee moſt iniferable: As Dan. 12. 2. (verſ. 15.)
The fourth and laſt ſteppe is the glory of the Chriſtian 31. Poſit. Gloricus Church.Iewiſh Church, dwelling in their owne homes, when their enemies are once ſubdued vnderunder them, in the 21. and 22. chapters. The laſt 8. chapters of Ezechiel are of the ſame argument: but (as the diſpenſation of thoſe times made it needfull) vnderunder the ſhadowes of heauenly things heere, more magnificently by heauenly things themſelues. It was ſhewed vntounto Iohn in two viſions: firſt, in a kinde of generalitie, then more diſtinctly.
The former containeth.
1. A new face of things in their happy and glorious renouation, by the power of the Goſpell. which ſhall bring 34. Poſit. Puritie.them quite out of louelove with their former legall worſhip: (chap. 21. 1.) as Eſay 65. 17. for this paſſing away of the firſt heauen and the firſt earth, and that the Sea was no more, is that ſhaking of heauen and earth, of the ſea, and of the dry land: whereof Haggai propheſieth, Hag 2. 7.
2 The ſanctitie of this Citie; for firſt it is altogether 34. Poſit. Purity.New, if you compare it with the ſtaynes and blemiſhes that the Churches of vsus Gentiles are tainted with, though wee alſo make a part of the heauenly Ieruſalem, Gal. 4. 26. Heb. 12. 22. Secondly, it is of a diuine off-ſpring, comming downe from God out of heauen. Thirdly, ſhee is clothed with the righteouſneſſe of the Saints, as a bride trimmed for her huſband. (verſe. 2.)
3. Gods tabernacle, his preſence and dwelling there, (1. part of verſ. 3.) as Ezechiel calleth the name of the City 35. Poſit. Couenant.Iehouah Shammah, Iehouah there. Ezech 48. 30.
4. His couenant, being their God, and taking them for his people. (2. part of verſ. 3.)35 Poſit. Couenant.
5. Heauineſſe and ſorrow ſhall bee taken from them, (verſ. 4.) as Eſay 25. 8.39 Poſit. Proſperity.
All which things are ſolemnely confirmed by the authority of him that cannot lye. (verſ. 5. 6. 7.) Yet euen here alſo, notwithſtanding all the illuſtrious arguments of 9 Poſit. Wrath againſt refractaries.Gods glory ſhining ſo cleerely, ſome will remaine fearefull to profeſſe Chriſt, vnbeleeuers, &c. as before, chap. 20. 15. (verſ. 8.)
Thus farre of that viſion which was in a kinde of generalitie. The other more diſtinct, (to the beholding whereof, Iohn was carried in the Spirit vntounto a great high mountaine) [verſ. 10.] declareth,
1. Her glory, ſo great, that ſhe ſhall be the enlightener 31. Poſit. Glorious Church.of the world, as Eſay 60. 1. 2. (verſ. 11.)
2. The elegancie of the City, moſt royally ſet forth, (from verſ. 12. to verſ. 22.)32. Poſit. Churches beauty
3. The ſincerity of Gods worſhip. No Legall rites, which God preſcribed for a time, much leſſe humane ordinances, 34. Poſit. Puritie:or the inuentions of mans braine. I ſaw, ſaith Iohn, no Temple there, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lambe are the temple of it. (verſ. 22.)
4. A wonderfull light of knowledge: as if they were rather taught immediately of God, then by booke-learning, 36 Poſit. Spirituall graces.or the miniſtry of man. They need neyther Sunne nor Moone, Candle nor any light; for the Lambe himſelfe is their light. (verſ. 23.
5. As ſhe giueth, (ver. 11.) ſo the Nations ſhall receiue 44. Poſit. Nations embracing Chriſt.light from her (1. part of verſ. 24.)
6. The honour they ſhall doe vntounto her, bringing all their glory to adorne this City; for which purpoſe the 45 Poſit. Nations honouring them.gates ſhall be open day and night: for there is no cauſe to feare any thing. (2. part of verſ. 24. 25. 26.)
7. The purity of Church-diſcipline, that no impure or vncleane thing ſhall enter thither. (verſ. 27.)33 Poſit. Sanctitie.
8. Plenty of ſpirituall graces, through the pure ſtreams of liuing water, flowing out of the throne of God, (chap. 22 verſ. 1.) & by the tree of life (Chriſt Ieſus) moſt fruitfull in it ſelfe, moſt medicinable vntounto others: the very leaues 36. Poſit. Spiritual graceswhereof are able to heale all the diſeaſes and vlcers of the ſoule. (verſ. 2.) Compare Zach. 14. 8. and Ezek. chap. 47. But where Zacharie ſpeaketh of waters flowing out of Ieruſalem, Ezekiel out of the Temple, Iohn expoundeth both to be meant of the throne of God and the Lamb, that is, from the grace and fauour of God in Chriſt.
9. Sanctitie of life. There ſhall be no cauſe of the heauie 37. Poſit. Cheerefull obedience.cenſure of Gods Curſe againſt any. (1 part of verſ. 3.)
10. Conſtancie in Gods ſeruice. (2. part of verſ. 3.)37 Poſit. Cheerefull obedience.
11. A ſweet and ioyfull communion with God: They ſhall ſee his face. (1. part of verſ. 4.)
12. Such a ſtarre of excellency ſhining in them, as maketh 40 Poſit. Joy.Gods glory moſt euident and conſpicuous. His name 32 Poſit. Churches beautyſhall be written in their forehead. (2. part of verſ. 4.)
13. A wonderfull light of knowledge, as before Reu. 21 23. (1 part of verſ. 5.)36. Poſit. Spiritual graces
14. And laſtly, Perpetuity of their happineſſe, and of 43 Poſit. Perpetuitie of the Church.Gods glorious preſence raigning for euer in and among them. (2. part of verſ. 5.) wherewith Ezechiel alſo doth conclude.