The Whole Revelation of John in Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Proposition 14
14. PROPOSITION. The day of Gods iudgement appears to fall betwixt the yeares of Chriſt, 1688. and 1700.
Mar. 13, 32ALthough it be ſaid in Mark, that the day of judgment and houre therof, none doth know: yea, not the Sonne, but the father only: yea let none be ſo baſe, of judgment as to conclude thereby, that the yeare or age thereof, is alſo vnknowne to Chriſt, or vnable to be known any waies to his ſeruants; by reaſon, that firſt in that ſame part of Marke, Chriſt letteth vsus not only ſee, that he knew the age and yeares, neere the which that day ſhould fall, but alſo to the effect, that we may likewiſe foreknow the ſame, he giues vsus diuers indices and foretokens, which hee could not, nor would not hauehave forewarned, if he had bin vtterly ignorant of the time thereof, or yet had minded that we ſhould neuer hauehave foreknowne the age, and appearant yeares thereof, although the preciſe day and houre be onelyonly knowne to God. Secondly, although the Spirite of God hath hitherto concealed theſe miſteries from them whom the knowledge thereof might hauehave endammaged: yet that prooueth not, that the ſame ſhall be hidde from vsus, to whom the knowledge thereof might bring repentance and amendement: for as the foreknowledg of death, to him that were to liue long, might make the foreknower negligent of his dutie to God, and carefull to prouide inordinately for his long life here: Wherethrough God hath made the houre of death vncertain till it approch: Euen ſo, if the foreknowledg of the latter day had bin granted to men any waies long before it come, that long aſſured continuance of the worlde, foreknowne by them ſo long before, had made them to become more carefull per fas & nefas: for their families and poſterities, that were long to ſtande, than for that heauenlie kingdome, that was long to bee delayed. And therfore, was that myſterie juſtlie by the prouidence of God cloſed from our predeceſſors: but contrarilie, ſo ſoone as that day beginneth to approch, God by his Scriptures, ſhall make the age and years thereof to be manifeſted, as a ſpurre in his merciemercy, to mooue the elected ſinners to repentance, and a teſtimonie in Gods juſtice, againſt the hard hearted misbeleeuers, continuing in ſinne. Thirdlie, and for confirmation of the former, Chriſt teſtifieth, that his comming ſhall be lik vntounto the floud of Noah, before the which,Mat. 24, 37. the world being admoniſhed, both by Noahs preching, & by the viſible building of the Arke, woulde not the more repent, nor amend their liues, till vnawares they were all deſtroyed: and is God now otherwiſe thā he hath bin?1. Reg. 15 29 Is he (ſaith the ſcripture) a man that he ſhal repent that now, which he did then, and forbeare the like? Nay, but contrarilie, he ſhall make his own to be forſeene of this time, as wel as of that time, ſeing it is now as neceſſarie, that Gods Miniſters exhort vsus to repētāce of that coldnes of charitie, and al other vices that abound in this laſt age, & to terrifie vsus with the certeine & aſſured approching of the latter day, and deſtruction of the worlde by fire, as well as the longſome building of the Ark, the deeds, geſture, and apparant preaching of Noah, Gen. 6 3 1. pet, 3.19was a forewarning 120. years to the olde world, that for their vnlawful luſts, and other their horrible vices, they ſhould be deſtroied by water. Fourthlie, that the yeares or age of the latter day is not vnknown to Chriſt, nor euer vnſearcheable to his ſeruants, is certain by Daniell, to whome, although it is ſaid, Vade Daniel, Dan. 12.9quia clauſi ſunt ſignatique ſermones hi: Got thy waie Daniel, for theſe vvordes are cloſed and ſealed: As to the Apoſtles, Non eſt veſtrum ſcire tempora: It is not for you to knowe the times, Act, 1, 7for that their time was far from the latter day: yet, ſaith Daniel of the time of reuelation,Dan 12, 4. Signa librum ad tempus ſtatutum, multi pertranſibunt, & multiplex erit ſ…ientia, Seale the booke till the appointed time, manie ſhall goe to & fro, and knowledge ſhall be encreaſed: meaning, when as the due time beginneth to approch, theſe dates ſhall be knowne, for knowledge ſhal then abound. And again he ſaith, Impiè agent impii, Dan. 12.10neque intelligent omnes impii, porro docti intelligent. The wicked ſhal doe wickedlie, and none of the wicked ſhall hauehave vnderſtanding, but the vviſe ſhall vnderſtand. Fiftlie, this age or apparant yeares of the latter day, are neither vnſearcheable to Chriſts ſeruants, nor vnknowne to himſelfe, ſeeing it is euident, that the Deuils hauehave a certaine foreknowledge thereof, in that they ſaid to Chriſt, Veniſti huc, ante tempus torquere nos? Art thou come hither, Mat. 8.29to torment vsus before the time? meaning, that althogh they are continuallie reſerued in feare & dread, yet (as Peter & Iude teſtify) their chief torment is not vntil the latter day,2. pet. 2.4 Iude. 7 which they knewe, was not to be at that time. Againe, it is ſaid in the Reuelation, Laetamini coeli, &c. Vae autem terrae & mari, Apoc. 12.12quia deſcendit Diabolus ad vos, habens iram magnam, ſciens quòd modicū tempus habet. Therfore, reioyce ye heauens, &c. and wo to the inhabitants of the earth, & of the ſea, for the deuil is come down vntounto you, which hath gret wrath, knowing that he hath but a ſhort time. So then, ſeeing the Deuill hath great wrath in the latter daies, and doth know that his time is ſhort, ſhal we ſay, that Chriſt ſhall be ignorant of that, which the Deuill doeth know. Sixtlie, to what effect were the Prophecies of Daniel, and of the Reuelation giuen to the Church of God, and ſo manie dates of yeares; and circumſtances of time, foreſhewing the latter day, conteined therintil, if God had appointed the ſame to be neuer knowne or vnderſtood before that day come. Therfore, aſſuring our ſelues, that all theſe Prophecies of the latter day ſhall be known and manifeſted to Gods Church, before Chriſt come to judgment: let vsus confer al theſe prophecies and propheticall figures thereof together, and wee ſhall finde them come ſo neere to one time, that verilie the matter is wonderfull. And firſt (beginning at the Symbole of the the Sabboth) it is thought by the moſt learned, that the ſixe daies of labor, weekly obſerued, doth mean & bear the ſymbole of 6000. yeares, that mankinde ſhall indure the trauels and cares of this world: and that is confirmed by Peter, who ſpeking of the day of judgment,2. Pet. 3, 8 noteth, that a thouſand years ſhal be as one day in Gods ſight: and a day as a thouſand yeares: And ſo conſequentlie, the ſixe dayes of worke, to repreſent ſixe thouſand yeares: after the which ſixe thouſande yeares of worldlie trauels and cares, then ſhall come our aeternal Sabboth & reſt, in the glorie of heauen, ſignified by the ſeuenth daies reſt: For that truelie, there is no inſtitution appointed by God to Moſes, which (beſides the ciuill commoditie) had not alſo a ſpirituall figure: And ſure it is, that no figure appeareth more conſonant with theſe ſixe dayes of worke, and ſeuenth day of reſt, than the preſent miſeries of this worlde, and aeternall Sabboth hereafter. Secondlie, & agreeable with the former, there is a ſentence of the houſe of Elias reſerued in al ages, bearing theſe wordes: The vvorld ſhall ſtand ſix thouſand yeares, and then it ſhall be conſumed by fire: two thouſande yeares voide or without lawe, two thouſand yeares vnderunder the lawe: and two thouſand yeares ſhall bee the daies of the Meſſias: And for our offences, which ſhal be manie and great, ſhall theſe yeares lacke which ſhall lacke. Thus farre ſaith Elias: Now, the term of theſe 6000. yeares doeth expire, about the 2000. year of Chriſt, which term, both by the ſaid ſaying of Elias, and by Chriſts owne ſaying in Mat, appeareth to be ſhortned. And therefore, thirdlie,Mat. 24.22 Dan. 12 by Daniel we ſhal approch nerer that term: for he in his 12. cap. intreating both of the firſt reſurrectiō (which is the reſurrectiō frō the Antichriſtiā errors) & of the ſecond reſurrection, which is the general reſurrection from the dead: ſuch an Angel, as afterwards appereth to Iohn (Reu. 10) teaching him cōcerning the latter day,Ap. 10.5.6.7. doth here appear to Daniel, ſwearing ſolemnly a term of prophetical daies, to euerie one of thoſe queſtiōs, doubted of by the Prophet: of which, the greateſt terme is expreſſed to be 1335. prophetical daies, which (by the 1. propoſition) meaneth 1335. yeares,Dan. 12.11. whoſe beginning are determined in theſe words, And frō the time that the dayly ſacrifice ſhal ceaſe, & the abhomination put to deſolation (or made deſolat) ſhal be 1290. daies: bleſſed is he that awaiteth & abideth to the 1335 day. As if he wold ſay, frō that time that both the Iewiſh dayly Sacrifice ſhal vtterlie ceaſe, and the abhominable rites of the Gentiles be aboliſhed, to the cōpleating of the gret reſurrection from the Antichriſtian errours, and vtter decay of his kingdome, ſhall be 1290 years, and then bleſſed ſhal he be that abideth and remaineth conſtant in the ſmall time, that ſhall be betwixt that and the latter day, which ſhal fall in the 1335 year, from the taking away of the ſaid Iewiſh ceremonies, and Gentiles ſuperſtitions. But ſo it is, that theſe were neither actually taken away by Chriſtes paſsion, neither in the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, neither other waies els, till miraculouſlie in the daies of Iulian the Apoſtate, Anno Chriſti 365. This Apoſtate hauing in deſpite of Chriſt, ordained the Iewes to build vp and repaire their Temple of Ieruſalem on the one part, & on the other part, hauing ſent his Legats to offer Sacrifice in the chiefe Ethnick Temple of the Gentiles in Delphos, and to conſult with that Oracle of Apollo there, God ſent his thū der from aboue,Cation, Chron, lib. 3 and earthquake from beneath, and thereby ouerwhelmed both thoſe chiefe Temples about one time, ſo vtterlie, that to this day all the Iewiſh daylie Sacrifice of the one, & the abhominable Ethnick ſuperſtitions of the other, hauehave ceaſſed, and bene put to vtter confuſion and deſolation. But if (after the opinion of ſome learned men) this text doth mean in the original Hebrue, not the Abhomination to be put in Deſolation, but contrarilie, a deſolating and waſting Abhomination to be ſet vp; together alſo, with the taking away of the former and foreſaid daylie Sacrifice: In this caſe appearinglie, the ſame date is not the leſſe eſtabliſhed: for who was a more horrible & waſting Abhomination, than was the foreſaide Iulian, that blood-thirſtie Apoſtate, together, with his deteſtable, idolatrous and magicall decrees, which publiklie he erected and ſet vp, to bring Chriſtianiſme to vtter deſolation. So that howſoeuer this Abhomination be expounded, either paſſiuely, to be made deſolate; as the Gentiles chiefe abhominable & idolatrous Oracle of Apollo at that time was made deſolate, or actiuelie, that the Abhomination ſhuld make a waſting or deſolation, & that that waſting Abhominatiō ſhuld be then erected, as the abhominable Tyrant and Apoſtate Iulian was promoted Emperour, and his cruell decrees of perſecution at that time ſet out: Euen alwaies in that verie ſame 365. yeare, all the foreſaid accidents occurred: for, in that one year both firſt the foundations of the Iewiſh Tēple of daylie Sacrifice: as ſecondlie (in the paſsiue ſenſe) the ſaid Temple of the Ethnickes Abhominations in Delphos, were by thunder and earthquake both deſtroyed: as thirdlie (in the actiue ſenſe) that abhominable Iulian, and his decrees for deſolating & deuouring Gods ſeruants, were then ſet vp. Therfore, from this yeare of Chriſt 365. wee are commaunded to reckon 1335. years, which falles in An. 1700. And then (ſaith Daniel verſ. 6) ſhall be the end of all wonders, euen the wonderous and great day of the Lord: But yet, as this Prophecie doth abridge the foreſaid prophecie of Elias, ſo alſo Chriſts foreſaid ſaying in Matthew, that came after this Prophecie,Mat, 24, 22, doth apparātly abridge ſomwhat of this time: for the which, now we proceed to the laſt Prophecie in the Reuelat. Fourthlie therfore, it is reaſoned in the former propoſition, that euerie thundering Angell of three, contained 49. yeares, and then comes the great day of the Lord: and by the 12. Propoſition, the firſt thundring Angel, began in An. 1541. to which ad thriſe 49. yeares, which is 147. yeares: and ſo by that account, the latter day will fall in An. Chriſti 1688. Wherfore, appearinglie betwixt this 1688. yeare, according to the Reuelation, and the 1700 yeare, according to Daniel, the ſaid latter day ſhould fall. And for further confirmation hereof, there is a number put in the end of the 14. chap. of the Reuelation, which appears to be a date of the latter day: for that chapter altogether ſpeaketh of the Lordes great harueſt, and latter judgement. There (ſaith Iohn) The blood came out of the Wine-preſſe vntounto the Horſe bridles, by the ſpace of a thouſand and ſixe hundred ſtades or courſes: as if appearinglie, he would meane metaphoricallie, as wine may be thought to flowe from the preſſe, or the blood of ſlaine men in a fielde, to aſcend to the horſe bridles: ſo, aeternallie ſhall the torment of the wicked aſcend, after that a thouſand and ſixe hundred yeares be accompliſhed: For, theſe Stades agree well to meane yeares, ſeeing a ſtade is that race or courſe, that one may be thought to run with one breath, before he begin to renewe his breath againe: as one yeare is that race or courſe, that the Sunne maketh in a circuit, before he begin to renewe his circuit againe. Nowe, counting therefore, a thouſande and ſixe hundreth yeares, from the time that this was written, which was about the 97. yeare of Chriſt, as Euſebius in his Chronicle ſaith, or in the end of the raign of Domitian, as Irenaeus ſaith, which was in Anno Chriſti 99. The end of the count ſhall fall about the yeare of Chriſt 1697. or the yeare 1699. which is betwixt the ſaide terme 1688. and 1700. And ſo the difference of theſe dates is but ſmall, and if the time of hiſtories wer ſurely written and obſerued, it may be thought, that the difference would bee either leſſe, or vtterlie nothing at all.