The Whole Revelation of John in Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Proposition 16 – Proposition 18
16 PROPOSITION. The 42. moneths, 1260 propheticall daies, three great daies and a halfe: And a time, times and halfe a time, ſignifieth euerie one of them, 1260 Iuliane yeares.
SEing theſe dates are prooued by the former propoſition, to be aequall, therefore neceſſarilie what one is, al is, then we com to theſe 1260 daies, which we ſay, muſt needs be either vnderſtood ſo manie natural dayes, or els ſo manie propheticall daies, which are prooued to bee yeares in the firſt propoſition: But natural or common dayes they can not be, for theſe cauſes. Firſt, when the prophetes in number, or great dates mean of natural dayes, they vſe to adjoin the definition thereof, by morning and euening, defined in Gene. chap. 1. as Daniel doeth chap. 8. verſ. 14. and 26. But that is not done here, this being a prophecie: and therfore, theſe ar not naturall and common daies, but conſequentlie, are propheticall daies. Secondlie, it is not apparent, that ſo manie Prophets would hauehave written ſo much: for onlie a raigne of 1260 of common daies, which is but three yeare and a halfe, ſeeing manie cruell tyrantes and hereticall Emperours, that did raigne longer ouer Gods Church, were not prophecied of in particular, as Nero, Domitian, and others. Thirdlie, if theſe were naturall and common daies, then ſhoulde the Antichriſt raigne, but 1260. common daies, which is three yeare and an halfe: but contrarilie, it is certaine, by the Revelation cap. 20.4.5. that the Antichriſtian beaſt had authoritie, and did raign at the leaſt a thouſand yeares, martyring the ſainctes of God, and perſecuting them that reuerenced not him and his marke, &c. but ſpirituallie raigned, and liued as true Chriſtians theſe thouſand yeares, and that the reſt of the people ſhould lie dead and drunken in his errours, vntill the end of theſe thouſand years: and ſhould not▪ while then, begin to riſe in the firſte reſurrection, which is, to riſe from their errors. So then conſequently, theſe daies (which exceed 1000. yeares) cannot be 1260. of common daies, but 1260. propheticall daies, which are prooued by the firſt propoſition to be 1260. yeares: & ſo apparantlie, the Antichriſt raigning mightily 1000. years: the rēnant, 260. years ar attributed to the falling & decreaſing of his kingdom, making therby his whole raign 1260 yeares, to the which, ſeeing by the former propoſition, three great daies and an halfe, or three times and an halfe is aequall, it muſt needes bee, that eueryevery great day, or eueryevery time, muſt not ſimplie ſignifie a common year, as Nebucadnetzars times did, but muſt ſignifie a prophetical time, or yeare,Dan, 4.13 20.29 prooued by the firſt propoſition to be a year of years, or 360. years preciſely. For cōfirmation, wherof, it is to be vnderſtood, that the firſt makers of times, to wit the Chaldaeans, Graecians and Aſtrologes in their directions do agree with this deſcription of time: for they devide the Equinoctial into 360. degrees, and attribute a yeare for eueryevery degree of their directions, wherby the whole time of the great revolution or direction of the whole Equinoctial, wil bee 360 years: & conſequētlie, three of theſe great times & a halfe, or three times & a halfe, revoluing of the whole Equinoctial, will containe 1260. yeares. And ſo Daniel, writing in the Chaldee tongue to the Chaldaeans, and S. Iohn alſo writing in the greek tongue to the Graecians, obſerved their manner of counting times, as being a vulgar compt to them. But now, although it is prooved, theſe dates to be 1260. yeares: yet, foraſmuch as 1260. of Graecian yeares, are but 1242. Iulian yeares, and 8. moneths, or there about: and 1260. Iulian years, are 1277. & an half of Graecian years, making therby, neer 18. years of difference. It reſts therefore, to prooue what kind of yeares theſe be. Theſe (we ſay) ar common Iulian years, for two cauſes: Firſt, although the Graecian common year contained but 12. moneths, & 30. daies in every monethmonth, yet do they adjoin certain intercalar daies, which doth mak every year overhed to cōtain 12. moneths, fiue daies & a quarter, which is 365. daies & a quarter; & ſo cōſequently, ar ouerhead equal with our common Iulian year. Secondly, among the Hebrue Prophets, where a day is taken for a year, althogh the common year contain but 12. moneths, yet almoſt eueryevery third yeare, they adjoined an intercalar monethmonth, by dobling the monethmonth Adar, which made their Hebrew years ouerhead aequall alſo with our Iulian years, as teſtifieth Ioſ. Scal. de emend. temporum. Hitherto are the difficulties of dates reſolued: now followeth the reſolution of the principal termes and matter.
17. PROPOSITION. The deſcription of the throne of God in the fourth chapter, is not the deſcription of the maieſtie of God in heauen, but of his true religion, wherein he is authoriſed and ſits in the throne among his holy elect on earth.
BEcauſe it is ſaid in the text, that this throne is ſet in heauen: therefore, ſome thinks this to be a viſion of Gods glorie in heauen, but that can no waies be for theſe reaſons. Firſt, becauſe heauen, for the moſt part prophetically, is taken for Gods heauenly Elect or true Church vponupon earth. Secondly, becauſe it were ſuperfluous curioſitie for vsus to know any farther of Gods heauenly eſtate, and glorie of his majeſtie, than the ſimple points of our ſalvation. Thirdly, becauſe the Scripture teſtifies, that no pen can deſcribe, nor wit comprehend, the glory of Gods majeſtie in heauen. Fourthly, becauſe the foure Beaſts and 24. Elders, who here are coherent members of his throne, confeſſeth them ſelues toApoc, 5, 9, 10 raigne vponupon earth, and that Chriſt hath redeemed thē with his blood. Fiftly, becauſe it is ſaid, that among them, even among theſe four beaſts, aroſe aApoc. 6. 6. famine and dearth of Barley and Wheat. Therfore, this throne can not be Gods throne in heauen, but muſt needs be his throne vponupon earth among his heauenly elect here: and conſequently, are either his Church or true religion: but his Church is not properlie his throne and ſeate, but rather are theſe ouer whome hee ſits. Therefore, this throne muſt needes be his trueth and true religion, wherein he ſitteth, abideth, & making his reſidence, therein is authoriſed and inthronized here vponupon earth, among his heauenlie elect ſervants.
18 PROPOSITION. The 24. Elders, are the 24. books of the old Teſtament, and (metonymicè) all the true profeſſors thereof.
THeſe 24. elders, being prooued by the former propoſition to be vponupon earth, becauſe that the glory of the whol throne (whereof they are one coherent part) is vponupon earth, we ſay now farther, that they do repreſent the 24 bookes of the old teſtament for theſe reaſons. Firſt, ab officio, becauſe theſe ancients are ſaide in theAp. 4, 10.11 text, to glorifie God day and night, and what thing in earth is God more glorified by, thā by his ſcriptures & holy writings? whereof theſe be the firſt. Secondly, becauſe in name they do agree, for theſe 24. ar called the auncients, ſo are theſe 24. books called the old Teſtamēt. Thirdly in number they do agree, for theſe auncients ar 24. ſo there be 24. authentik books of the old Teſtament no minate by Ierome, in Prologo galeato. Fiftly, and finallie, what ſoever is ſpoken in the Reuelation, in name and behalf of any of the 24 Elders: The ſame ſhal ye find ſpecially written in one of theſe 24. books of the old Teſtament, as particularly ſhall be noted in their dewe place of our principall diſcourſe. As to the ſecond part of this propoſition, that vnderunder the name of theſe 24. books, both the true writers and true profeſſors therof be metonymicè included, it is certaine, otherwaies they could not ſay, that Chriſt hath redeemed them,Ap. 5 9, 10 and that they raigne vponupon earth.