The Image of Both Churches in Revelation, Chapter 4
The fourth Chapiter.
THE TEXT.
1 After this I looked, and behold a dore vvas open in heauen, 2. and the first voice vvhichwhich I hearde vvas as it vvere of a Trumpet, talking vvith me, vvhichwhich sayd. 3. Come vp hither, and I vvill shevv thee thynges, vvhichwhich must be fulfilled hereafter. 4. And immediatly I vvas in the spirite, 5. and behold a seate vvas set in heauen, and one sat on the seate, 6. And hee that sate, vvas to looke vponupon lyke vntounto a Iasper stone, and a Sardine stone. 7. And there vvas a reyne bovve about the seate in sighte lyke a Smaragde. 8. And about the seate vvere .xxiiij. seates. 9. And vponupon the seates .xxiiij. elders sitting, 10. clothed in vvhyte rayment, 11. and had on their heads crovvnes of golde. 12. And out of the seate proceeded lyghtnings, and thundrings, and voyces. 13. And there vvere seuen lampes of fyre burnyng before the seate, vvhichwhich are the seuen spirits of God, 14. And before the seate there vvas a sea of glasse lyke vntounto Christall. 15. And in the middest of the seate and rounde about the seate, vvere foure beastes, 16. full of eyes before and behynde..
THE PARAPHRASE. 1
After thys speciall iniunction of my Lorde and maister Iesus Christ (sayth saint Iohn) I did cast vp mine eyes towards the skye lifting vp my hart to giuegive thankes vntounto God.Apoc. 1. Iohn. 13. Psal. 120. 1. Thes. 7. Eccle. 43. Ezech. 1. Act. 14. Luc. 24. And anon as I seriously beheld the face of the fyrmament or maiestie of Gods works, I saw a doore open in heauē. Which was a significatiō to me, that God mynded to opē certain high misteries of the scripture, & hidden secretes concerning his kingdome or church vntounto me his simple seruaunt.
Ezech. 3.2 And the first thyng that ascertained me of the same from thēce, was a mightie great voyce as it had bene the stoute noyse of a Trompe,Psal. 28. Esai. 18. Iohn. 6. Mat. 6. Hier. 31. or the vehement blaste of an horne. The which voyce though it were fearfull vntounto my fleshe (as commonly ye commaundement of God is) yet was it solatious vntounto my spirite, for so much as it familiarly talked with mée, and sayde these wordes.
3 Come thou vp hyther. Suspende thyne owne wil, wit, studie, practise,Ephe. 5. Col. 3. Phil. 3. Gala. 5. 1. Cor. 12. Apoc. 1. and iudgement. Condempne yt thou hast of nature. Lift vp thy self aboue thy self, ascend in soule by the spirite and power of God, and I will shewe vntounto thée thinges wonderfull, and such as must without fayle be fulfilled in euerie poynte hereafter by the vnuariable ordinaunce of God.
4 And as it had bene in a thought, I was sodenly by the Lordes power taken vp. I was in the spirit in déed, secluded frō all carnal imaginatiōs.
5 And anon I was ware of a beautifull seat prepared in heauen,Rom. 8. 2. Cor. …. Psal. 44. which moued mee to consider that before the constitution of the world almightie God had appoynted by his spirite to raygne in his faithful church.Sapi. 9. Ephes. 1. Iohn. 14. Psal. 77. Act. 7. 2. Reg. 7. Luc. 7. 1. Cor. 6. For I sawe that one sate vponupon yt seate, as vponupon the beautifull throne of his glorie. No where els raigneth God but among his chosen people. Hée dwelleth not in Temples made by hand, he resteth not in houses of mās preparation. Is the kingdom of God any where els thē within man? Hath God any Temple that hee more fauoureth then mans faithfull harte?
6 And he that gloriously sate vponupon that comely seate, was lyke by all similitude to a Iasper stone, and resembled also a precious stone called a Sardine. Betokening that his raign is durable & strong,Esai. 54. Ezech. 28. Dan. 7. Psal. 44. Dan. 4. Abacuc. 3. his power firme and invariable, his glorie cléere and precious, and that he him selfe is as the red Iasper beautifull and orient, and as the gréene Sardine, freshe, fayre, and neuer fading, that man shuld euer be desirous of him. Whose will to consider is our felicitie, and whose pleasure to folow is our perfectnesse.
7 And there was a fayre raynbow about that glorious seate,Psal. 16. Sapi. 15. Luc. 6. The rainebow is the couenaunt. Zacha. 2. Prou. 8. 1. Reg. 3. Ezech 28. Iohn. 16. 2. Cor. 13. Phil. 4. in sighte like a smaragde or an Amarald stone. Which signifieth his perpetuall couenaunt of peace & louelove to all them that hauehave fayth, which are so deare vntounto him as is the apple of hys owne eye, or as that thing which hee desyreth most. And no lesse precious the sayde couenaunt is, then the fresh Ameralde with his amorous hew and beautifull shewe of louelove, that wée should the rather couette it. For nothing is more auydyously to be desyred, then is the swéete peace of God.
8 And about that excéedyng fayre seate or empyre of the Lorde,The .xxiiij seates are vertues. Gala. 5. Esai. 11. were xxiiij. other meane seates appointed, which put me anon in remembraūce of charitie, pacience, stedfastnesse, louelove, ioy, peace, temperance, iustice, knowledge of god, méeknesse, & other fruites of fayth, with innumerable giftes of the holie ghost, wherein the seruauntes of God hath afore tyme and still doeth continually rest.
Apoc. 5. Mat. 19. Hebr 11. Eccle. 45. Ephes 4. Mat. 19.elders, or notable auncient men sitting. Which séemeth vntounto me to be Abell, and Noe, Abraham & Dauid, Moyses and Helyas, Ioseph & Iohn Baptist, the Prophets and Apostles, the Preachers & Martyrs, with such other lyke. To whom Christ promised in the regeneration to sitte with him vponupon xij. seates, iudging the xij. tribes of Israel.Numbers in the scriptures. Dan. 7. Apoc. 7. These set numbers in ye scripturs of xxiiij. or of .xij. & such lyke, noteth certaintie in ye promisse of God towards them which are in themselues without number.
10 And the foresayd elders or men of rype discretion, were cloathed in white rayment or apparell of innocencie according to the commaundement of the holye Ghost. For their works were pure and cleane before God,Hebre. 11. Apoc. 14. rysing only of fayth, and were neuer defyled with the filthie traditions of men.
11 They had also vponupon their heads as myghtie rulers,VVhat are mēt by the crownes. and gouernours, crownes of fyne golde, in token that they had héere the gouernance in his worde, and shall hereafter be partakers with Christ in his heauē ly kingdome and glorie.
12 Great is the maiestie of ye trone of God, and the power muche.Ezech. … Psal. 96. Apoc. 16. Zacha. 6. Act. 2. Iohn. 16. For from his heauenly seate into the vniuersall world procéeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voyces, which are the manyfolde and dyuers respectes of his worde. For a fearfull lightenyng it is when it rebuketh, throweth downe, and condempneth the sinner. It is a terrible thundering, when it feareth, threateneth, and commaundeth thynges contrarie to the fleshe.Psal. 118. Rom. 16. Iohn. 6. Esai. 2. Iohel. 2. And it is a solacious voyce agayne when it rayseth, reléeueth, and quickeneth the desolace conscience with comfortable promises. And full is all the scripture of these, which commeth from Syon, and the swéete worde of God whyche commeth from Hierusalem.
13 And there were seuen lampes of flamyng fyre burnynge before the sayde trone of God,Cant. …. Esai. 11. Zacha. 4. which are the seuen spirites of God, or the vniuersall giftes of the holie ghost,Zacha. 3. Apoc. 5. Iohn. 15. prefigured in the scriptures by the seuen lightes of one Candelsticke, the vij. eyes of one stone, and by vij. hornes and eyes also of the lambe. These shewe light euermore before Gods sight. The church without them in no wyse can be the trone of God.
14 And before the sayd seate, there was as it had béene a sea of glasse,Ezech. 47. Apoc. 1. Iohn. 14. Psal. 11. Mala. …. a plentifull vnderstanding of the veritie, fyrst giuen vntounto Christ by the father, and then vntounto the church or cō gregation by the spirite of Christ. And this sea was lyke vntounto a Christall cléere, beautifull and pure, without any corruption of humaine fantasies.
15 In the middest of that heauenly seate,Mala. 3. Ezech. 1. Ioannes ba…othorpe. Albertus & alii. Ezech. 10. Dani. 3. & in the circuite of the same, were iiij. beastes séene, of diuers nature and shape, not signifying the iiij. greater Prophetes, nor yet the iiij. Euangelistes (as no small number of doctors hath fantasied) but rather ye vniuersall number of all faithful beleeuers, & earnest setters foorth of the veritie in the foure quarters of the whole world. And this may be gathered by the noyse of their wings in Ezechiel by their crying of sanctus sanctus, sanctus, Ezech. …. Esai. 6. Apoc. 5. Franciscus Lambertu…& by their shewing of mysteries of the opened seales of the booke, as héereafter foloweth. By whom are to be vnderstande the sincere openings of Gods word, and the continuall praysing of his glorious name. These beastes are in the middest of the seate or congregation of God,Georgius aemilius. 1. Pet. 5. Ezech. 5. 1. Tim. 4. when they teach them and exhorte them to persist in the trueth. They are also in the circuite of the same, when they diligently labour to defende them from the doctryne of diuils, and errours of hypocrites.
16 These beastes were full of faire eyes before and behinde.Ezec. 1.1… ▪ Iohn. 15. Math. 13. Luc. 8. Iohn. 8. Haymo. 1. Cor. 2. Iohn. 6. Iohn. 16. Which is a cléere knowledge in the mysteryes of Gods word. The sincere fauorers of Gods heauenly truth doth sée many wonderful things, and know many secrete maruels, not only concerning matters past, but also of iudgements to come. So many eyes hauehave they, as they hauehave perceyued veryties. For they once made spirituall by fayth, discerne all things. They are taught of God. And ye holy ghost doeth lead them into all trueth.
THE TEXT.
1. And the first beast vvas lyke a Lyon. 2. The second beast lyke a Calfe, 3. and the third beast had a face lyke a man, 4. and the fourth beast vvas lyke a flying Egle. 5. And the foure beasts had eche one of them sixe vvings. 6. And round about vvithout and vvithin they vvere full of eyes. 7. And they had no rest neyther day nor night, saying: Holy, holy, holy is the Lorde God almightie, vvhichwhich vvas, and is, & is to come. 8. And vvhen those beastes gaue glorye, and honour, and thankes to him that sate on the seate, vvhichwhich lyueth for euer and euer. 9. The xxiiij. elders fell dovvne before him that sate on the trone, & vvorshipped him that lyueth for euer, 10. and cast their crovvnes before the trone, saying. 11. Thou art vvorthie Lord to receyue glorie and honour, and povver. 12. For thou hast created all things, and for thy vvilles sake they are and vvere created.
THE PARAPHRASE.
1 These iiij. beastes hath iiij. diuers exteriour similitudes,Ambrostus Ansbertus. Rom. 3. Gala. 5. Prou. 30. Prou. 28. Col. 3. Rom. 8. 2. Cor. 3. Apoc. 5. which are not els but the outward tokens, testimonyes, and signes of faith, or the fruitfull workes thereof only procéeding. For fayth is neuer without hir holesome fruites. The first beast was in similitude lyke vntounto a Lyon, strong and mightie in power. And that are they which hath layde asyde the olde man of sinne with his féeble faynte workes, and conuerted them selues into ye ghostly image of Christ, which is the mightie stronge Lyon of the Trybe of Iuda, for that they myght hauehave the victorie ouer sinne.
2 The seconde beast was fashyoned lyke vntounto a Calfe,Esai. 11. Exod. 2…. Gala. 5. Col. 3. Rom. 6. Rom. 12. 2. Tim. …. much vsed in the olde lawe to bée offered vp in sacryfice. And suche are they, which forsaking them selues and mortifying the corrupte lustes of theyr fleshe, doeth walke in a newe Christian lyfe, and offer vp them selues vntounto God as a lyuing sacrifice, readie to suffer all kyndes of persecution and death for his names sake.
Eccle. 8. Hebr. 12. Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 2. 2. Cor. 10.3 The third beast had a face in fauour lyke a man, hauing reason, wit, and discrecion. And those are they which through pollicie of fayth and prudencie in the spirit, so wysely and discretely order them selues in that they goe aboute, that nothyng is against ye glorie of God, but al things worketh for the best in them.
4 The fourth beast was lyke vntounto a flying Egle,Iob. 9. Hiere. 49. Rom. 6. Phil. 3. Col. 3. Hebre. 10. 1. Cor. 10. which buyldeth hir neast very highe in the harde rocke stone. Which are those godly persōs that liuing héere in this mortall bodie, by the counsell of the holy Ghost hauehave their conuersation in heauen. They séeke for those thinges which are aboue, where as Christ is sitting on the right hand of God. In whom only as in the sure rocke they buylde all their whole hope and trust.Ansbertus & Haymo. Apoc. 2. By these foure similitudes is the true congregation of God knowne from the painted sinagoge and coūterfaict church of Sathan glorifiyng hir selfe in vaine glorie, pompe, crueltie, rape,Apoc. 1…. Gala. 5. Phil. …. simonie, lyes, hatred, sectes, murther, Idolatrie, sedition, and tirannie, with other fruites of the flesh, whose God is their bellie, and theyr ende dampnation. And though these iiij. simylitudes be diuers, yet doe they respect one congregation after Ezech. which euer more applyeth all .iiij. vntounto one beast. And euerie one of the sayd iiij. beastes had .vj. winges about him.Lambertus Ezech. 1. Ezech. 10. Esay. 6. Esay. 4…. Hebr. 11. Gala. 5.
5 The winges whereby Gods people are raysed vp vntounto him, is fayth, hope, charitie, iustice, merciemercy, & veritie, with such other vertues as euer more accompanyeth them.Ephe. 1. Iohn. 15. Rom. 2. Tit. 2. Ezech. 1…. By these are they lifted vp vntounto heauenlye thinges. By these auoyde they the common mischieues of the world. By these obtayne they a plentuous quyetnesse in God, abyding their sauiour and redéemer Iesus Christ. And wher as in Ezechiell the sayd winges appearing but iiij. are here founde sixe, we may gather this. That the gospel now published, the giftes of the holy ghost are more high, plentifull, and open vnderunder christ, then afore time vnderunder Moyses.
6 Round aboute them without and within the sayde beastes were ful of eyes.Rom. 8. Iohn. 1. Ezech. 10. Psal. 4. 1. …or 2. Apoc. 21. 3. Reg 3. Eccle▪ 1. The seruants of the Lord hath Godly wisdome and knowledge eueryevery where inwardly to consider heauenly things durable, sure, and perfite, and neuer to perish. Outwardly agayne to iudge earthly things corruptible, wretched, and vaine, and shortly to be ended.
7 Neither day nor night could the sayde beastes cease from the praise of their Lord God,Psalm. 33. Esay. 6. Athanas…us Augustinus Fulgencius, Apoca. 1. Esay. 44. saying: Holy, holy, holy. Or blessed art thou almightye father, blessed art thou almightie sonne, blessed art thou almighty holy ghost, distinct thrée persons in trinity, and in substaunce one Lorde God almighty, which was withoute beginning, and is of him selfe onelyonly, and shall be for euer, & euer, euerlasting. And what is this els but yt the righteous feruently eprayinge, geueth continnuall thankes vntounto GOD reioysinge amonge them selues in psalmes, in hymnes,Primasius Aph…. Colo. 3. and in spiritusonges, praysinge hym euermore in their harts.
8 And when those .iiij. beastes,Robertus Tuitiensis. Esay. 11. Psalm. 118, or faithfull, feruent, sincere, and pure beleuers héere beléeuing in the flesh, gaue glory, honour, and thanks from the, iiij. quartes of the earth, in professing the verity, in teaching it vntounto other, and in liuinge accordinge to the same.Esa. 6. Exod. 15. Luc. 1. And that vntounto hym which sate on the seat, which is god almighty reigning ouer that congregation, which lyueth for euer and euer and hath of his kyngdome none end.
9 Anone stepped forth the .xxiiij. elders, or the whole, perfit,Apoca. 5. Albertus Magnus. and vniuersall number of them which hath rested in the Lorde, and they with all méekenes fel down before him which sate on the throne. They submitted themselues vntounto him,Psalm. 82. ackowleginge him for theyr onelyonly Lorde. They worshipped him also with dew reuerance, & gaue high thankes vntounto him, as vntounto their eternal liuīg god.
Gregorius magnus. 1. Cor. 1. Tit. 3.10 Yea, finally they threwe downe their crowns before the throne of his eternal maiestie. They cōfessed their owne good workes, merites, and deseruinges to be nothyng at all. But their whole health, wisdome, knowledge, vertue, holines, rightuousnes, and redemption to be onelyonly of his lyberall gift and vndeserued goodnesse.
11 And as men most highly reioysing they cryed vntounto him, saying thus: It is thou (O Lord God, & most mightie creator) that is alone worthie to receyue all glory, all honour, and all thankes for that hath bene wrought,Psal. 85. 2. Mach. 1. Rom. 11. Hest. 13. in heauen, & in earth, and none other els but thou.
Iude 9. Psal. 103. Gen. 12. Hest. 13. Eccle. 3. Ion. 1. Ephe. ….12 For thou hast alone by thy vnsercheable wisedome created all things, and brought them foorth out of nothing. And for the onelyonly pleasure of thy will they are now at this present tyme in substance and fashyon, and were created of thée at the beginning, not onelyonly to be at thy commaū demēt, but also to be euermore thākefull vntounto thée, and to laude thée, and prayse thée for euer.