The Whole Revelation of John in Two Treatises, Treatise 2 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
THE ARGVMENT.
This viſion the Spirite of God doeth premit, and ſet before the whole prophecie and hiſtorie following, as a moſt neceſſarie thing, to know the true throne of God and his word here in this world, and theſe authentike bookes and Scriptures, which teach the ſame, here ſet out in this chapter before, he proceeds to declare the tyrannie that the Antichriſt, and his prophane Princes are to vſe againſt that holie word and conſtant profeſſours thereof, to the end of the world.
The Text
1 AFter this I looked, & behold, a doore was open in heauen, & the firſt voice which I hard was as it were of a trū pet talking with mee, ſaying, Come vp hither, and I will ſhewe thee things which muſt be done hereafter.
2 And immediately, I was rauished in the ſpirite, & behold, a throne was ſet in heauen, and one ſate vppon the throne.
3 And he that ſate, was to looke vponupon, like vntounto a Iaſper ſtone, and a Sardine, & there vvas a rainbow round about the throne in ſight like to an Smaragds
4 And round about the throne vvere foure and twenty ſeates, and vponupon the ſeates, I ſawe foure and twentie Elders ſitting, clothed in white raiment, & had on their heads crowns of golde.
5 And out of the throne proceded lightenings, and thunderings, and voyces, and there wer ſeuen lamps of fire, burning before the throne, which are the ſeuē ſpirits of God.
6 And before the throne ther vvas a ſea of glas lik vntounto cryſtal and in the mids of the throne, & round about the throne vvere foure beaſtes full of eies before and behind.
7 And the firſte beaſt vvas like a lion, and the ſecond beaſt like a calf and the third beaſt had a face as a man, & the fourth beaſt vvas like a flying eagle.
8 And the four beaſts had each of them ſixe winges about him, and they were full of eies within, & they ceaſed not day nor night, ſaying, Holie, holie, holie Lorde God almightie, Which was, and Which is, & Which is to come.
9 And when thoſe beaſts gaue glory, and honour, and thanks to him that ſate on the throne, which liueth for euer and euer,
10 The four & twentie Elders fel down before him that ſate on the throne, and worſhipped him, that liueth for euermore, & caſt their crownes before the throne, ſaying,
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receiue glorie, and honour, and power: for thou haſte created all things, and for thy willes ſake they are, & hauehave bene created.
The paraphraſtical Expoſition.
1 AFter this I beheld, and lo, the door of heauēly knowledge was opened vntounto me, and a firſt, I was called, as by the mightie and fearfull trumpet of Gods Spirit, to ariſe frō earthly cares, & affections, to high & heauenlie contēplations, that I might ſee theſe things, that hereafter ſhould come to paſſe.
2 Then was I immediatlie rauiſhed in ſpirit, and did behold and contēplate the heauenly bthrone & tēple of God, ſet here amōg his faithfull, and in that throne, God by his word erected in honour, & ſet in authoritie.
3 And this majeſtie of God (though in him ſelfe he bee pure, bright and ſhining) yet in our dull apprehenſion it ſeemeth darke, and mixed with myſteries, as the Iaſper ſtone is mixed with vaines and ſpottes, which our eies can not pierce: neuertheleſſe, that weake apprehenſion is euer increaſing, flouriſhing, and continuing greene, as the Iaſper, holding freſh, and recent the memorie euer of Chriſtes blood and paſsion, repreſented by the bloodie and fleſhie hew of the Sardine, and this inferiour throne of Gods majeſtie, is circled ſo about with the couenant of his e protection, as a rainbowe, that whoſoeuer ſhall approch to his Majeſtie, are vnderunder the winges of his protection, for this couenant of protection, proceedeth from the throne and majeſtie of God, as the Smaragdus hath his beginning and growing from the Iasper.
4 And round about, and on euerie ſide is this majeſtie of Gods trueth and true religion, compaſſed, adorned, and ſet out by the honourable thrones and authorities of the d twentie foure authentike bookes of the old Teſtament, as wiſe Senators, ſitting and conſulting in Gods cauſe, clothed all in puritie, for that in them is found no lie, and crowned with victorie, for conquering, and enlarging Gods kingdome.
5 Forth of this throne & majeſtie of Gods trueth, and againſt the contemners thereof, proceedeth foreſhewinges of tempeſtuous troubles, theatnings of warres, and finallie, the thundering out of all maner of plagues, in Gods juſtice: before this throne and majeſtie of God, brightlie ſhineth the e ſeuen ſpeciall graces of Gods onlie Spirite, communicated to all the faithfull.
6 Before the eies of his maieſtie, the raging ſeas and ſtormes of this world, ar made fixed & ſtable as glaſſe, that his elect (though perhaps they ſlide) yet they ſhall not bee drowned therein: yea, theſe drumlie ſeas of worldlie tyrantes are made cleare as Chriſtal, and the ſecrets of their hearts diſcloſed. This holy throne of Gods trueth is adorned within & without, with the perfect teſtimony of his f four Euangeliſts, repleat with the eies of diſcretion, eſpying before thē the prophecies of the Meſſias to be fulfilled in Chriſt, & eſpying after them, that this our Meſsias ſhould raigne for euer.
7 The firſt Euangeliſt Mark begins his firſt face or leafe, at the voice, crying like a roring Lyon in the wilderneſſe, Prepare the way of the Lord, &c. The ſeconde Evangeliſt Luke, begins his firſt face or leafe, at Zachariah his offering incenſe (as it were a bullocke) at the altar, &c. The third Euangeliſt Mathew hath his firſt face or leaf, of the genealogie of Chriſt, as hee is man. The fourth Euangeliſt Iohn, begins his firſt face or leafe, at the high and diuine eſſence of Chriſts Godheade, flying ſo high in his ſtile, that he is compared to an Eagle.
8 Theſe foure, as with ſixe winges, betokening threefold haſte and expedition, proceed ſwiftlie in their function, opening the hiſtorie of Chriſt, and making the ſame patent to the eies of the whole worlde: ſo that day nor night, theſe neuer ſtay from vttering Gods praiſe, ſaying, Holie, holie, holie, Lord God almightie, which was, which is, & which is to come.
9 And as theſe Euangels and their profeſſours doe vtter this glorie: honour, & thanks to God, that liueth for euer, for that hee redeemed vsus in Chriſt,
10 The foure and twentie bookes of the old Teſtament, by the true profeſſors thereof, kneele down in Gods preſence, and worſhip him that liueth for euer and euer, acknowledging him to be the authour of their triūphāt victory, & glorious crownes, ſaying,
11 Thou only, ô Lord, art worthy to receiue glory, honour & power of all thy creatures, for that thou haſt created all things, & at thy pleaſure & wil they ſubſiſte, and to expreſſe thy glorie, they hauehave bene created.
Notes, Reaſons, and Amplifications.
a Before any acceſſe to heauenlie knowledge, wee muſt firſte leaue off all worldlie affections.
b Howe and why this throne, that here is ſaide to appeare in heauen, is Gods heauenlie trueth and true religion, whereby he ſits enthronized and authoriſed among his Saintes vponupon earth, is prooued at length in our 17. propoſition.
c The Rain-bowe was ſhewed to Noah, as a couenant of Gods protection, that the world ſhould no more be deſtroyed by water againe, Geneſ. 9.15. and ſo generallie in myſteries, it is taken for the couenant of protection.
d Of theſe foure and twentie Elders, and how they meane the foure and twentie authentike bookes of the olde Teſtament, read the 18. propoſition. Theſe doeth S. Hierome in prologo Galeato nominate this way, Geneſis, 1. Exodus. 2. Leuiticus. 3. Numeri. 4. Deuteronom. 5. Ioſhua. 6. Iudges. 7. Ruth. 8. Samuel. 9. Kings. 10. Chron. 11, Ezra. 12. Heſter. 13. Iob, 14. Pſalmes. 15. Prouerbs. 16. Eccleſiaſtes. 17. Song of Salomon. 18. Eſay. 19. Ieremies prophecie. 20. Ieremies Lamentations. 21. Ezechiel. 22. Daniel. 23. the twelue ſmall Prophets. 24.
e Theſe ſeuen Lampes, or ſeuen Spirites, illuminating Gods throne, are the ſeuen ſpeciall and princincipall giftes, graces, and functions of Gods onlie Spirite, beſides the innumerable ſmaller benefites thereof: of which read Roman. 12. and 1. Corinth. 12. And this ſeptenarie partition hereof, to be receiued of old, is euident by the Hymne Ʋeni Creator Spiritus, where after it is ſaide, Tu ſeptiformis munere, &c. In theſe ſeuen Lampes, or ſeuen Candleſtickes, chap. 1. or ſeuen grained Candleſticke, ſpecified in Exodus, chapt. 25. and chap. 37. is alſo a further ſymbole or figure contained, to wit, both of the ſeuen Churches of Aſia to whome Saint Iohn wrote, as alſo of the ſeuen Churches that Paule wrote vntounto. And of the one and twentie Epiſtles and remanent books of the new Teſtament, figured by the one and twentie cuppes of the graines, of that Leuiticall Candleſticke, with the remanent bowles and floures thereof: Which Churches, books, and Epiſtles are planted and framed, by the ſeuenfold grace of Gods onlie Spirit, and being the firſt lights and lanternes of the primitiue Church, are therfore here called ſeuen lamps, whereby the throne of Gods word on earth, is illuſtrated and adorned.
f That theſe foure beaſtes be the foure Euangelles, is prooued by our 19. propoſition, including alſo metonymicè▪ the true profeſſours thereof: But how Ezechiel agrees thereto, and alſo with this Text is to be declared. Ezechiel therefore, cap. 1. ſeeth theſe beaſts after a more ample maner, different from this Text in circumſtance, but not in effect: For firſt, in Ezech. they hauehave foure wings, meaning ſpeed in their future cōming: here hauehave they everie one ſixe wings, meaning much greater ſpeed & diligence, in their preſent function. Secondlie, there euerie one of them, hauehave all their foure faces, and the wings of eueryevery one joyned with others: meaning that euerie Euangeliſt agreeablie teacheth of Chriſt, borne as a man, ſacrificed and ſlaine as a bullocke, victorious ouer ſin and death as a Lyon: and finallie, riſing vp and aſcending to heauē as a flying Eagle. And both theſe four patent faces, and chiefe heads of Chriſtianiſme, as alſo euerie ſmaller head & point of doctrine, of anie one Euangeliſt to be contained in the others, and ſo one to be all, and all foure to bee as one, as true witneſſes ſhould be, and therefore, are their wings joyned, that where one flewe, all flewe, tending all to one purpoſe and ſcope: But here in the Reuelation, though their faces are ſeperate, there is no repugnance: for they are foure diſtinct witneſſes indeed, but here alſo, are they agreeable with Ezechiel, in that by this text, they tend all one way, ſaying al in one voice, Holie, holie, holie, &c. Thirdlie, there they hauehave wheeles with thē, &c. that is, the armie and congregations of Gods elect, going the waies they go, eſchewing the waies they eſchew, repoſing on the groundes, whereon they repoſe, euē on Chriſt the ground ſtone, for that the Spirit is all one, that is in them, and in vsus Gods congregation, euen that Spirit of God that indited thoſe foure beaſtes and Evangelles, inſtructeth vsus his Armie and Chariots, to fight out valiantlie our ſpirituall battels. So on the other part, the Reuelation agreeth herewith, ſpeaking (chap. 5.11.12.13) of infinit number of Saints and creatures, that with theſe Euangeliſts praiſed God. For concluſion, theſe and al other appearing varieties, & ſuppoſed repugnance of ſcriptures in circumſtance, are mere harmonies, and perfect agreementes in effect.