The History of the Bible, Revelation
Reuelation.
Q. Why is this booke called the Reuelation?
A. Becauſe it containeththings reuealed to Iohn.
Q. Where were they reuealed?
A. In Patmos, whither he was baniſhed by Domitian the Emperour.
Q. What was Patmos?
A. An Iland in the ſea called AEgaeū, one of thoſe Ilands called Sporades.
Q. Where lyeth this ſea Aegaeum.
A. It is betweene Greece and Aſia the leſſe, and in that place the diuiſion between Eucope and Aſia.
Q. When was this reuealed?
A. On the Lords day?
Q. By whom?
A. By God the Father, who ſent it by his Angell, Chriſt Ieſu.
Q. What is the end of this booke?
A. The end is, that wee by reading, hearing, and keeping it, might become bleſſed.
Q. How is this booke diuided?
A. Into two parts, the firſt concerneth things preſent: the ſecond, things to come.
Q. What are thoſe things which concerned the preſent time?
A. The ſeauen Epiſtles to the ſeauen Churches of Aſia the leſſe, figured by the ſeuen candleſtickes.
Q. What call you thoſe ſeauen Churches?
A. Epheſus, Smyrna, Pergamus, Thyatyra, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
Q. How are thoſe Epiſtles diuided?
A. EueryEvery of thoſe Epiſtles doe receiue a like diuiſion, that is, firſt an Exordium or entrance: the ſecond, an Aduertiſement:the third is the Concluſion.
Q. What is principally to bee obſerued in the Exordium?
A. He taketh a ſpeciall title to ſtirre vp them to whome he writeth, and to giuegive credit to the matter where of he writeth.
Q. What doth he in the ſecond part of his Epiſtle?
A. First, he commendeth the good of eueryevery Church. Secondly, he reprooueth the euill.
Q. What doth he in the Concluſion?
A. EueryEvery Concluſion hath firſt an exhortation, ſecondly a promiſe.
Q. First, to begin with the Epiſtle to the church of Epheſus, in the entrance, what title taketh he?
A. Hee that holdeth the ſeuen ſtarres in his right hande, and walketh in the middeſt ofthe ſeauen goldē candeleſticks.
Q. What commendeth hee in that Church?
A. Their labour, patience, tryall of teachers, and hating the worke of Nicholaitans.
Q. What is reprooued?
A. The leauing their firſt louelove.
Q. In the concluſion what is his exhortation?
A. Let him that hath eares to heare, heare: and it is one & the ſame to all Churches.
Q. What doth he promiſe?
A. The Paradiſe of God.
Q. In the Epistle to the Church of Smyrna, what is his title?
A. The firſt and laſt which was dead and is aliue.
Q. What is commended?
A. The workes of faith, patient bearing of tribulation, and pouertie.
Q. What is reprooued?
A. The blaſphemie of hypocrites, which ſay they are Iewes, but are not, but the Synagogue of Sathan.
Q. What is his promiſe?
A. Not to be hurt of the ſecond death.
Q. In the Epistle to the Church of Pergamus, what was his title?
A. He that hath the ſharpe ſword with two edges.
Q. What is commended?
A. Their conſtancie in the daies of tryall, and in a place dangerous.
Q. What is reprooued?
A. The doctrine of Balaam and of the Nicholaitans.
Q. What is his promiſe?
A. Manna hidden, and a white ſtone with a newe name in it.
Q. In the epiſtle to theChurch of Thiatyra what is his title?
A. The ſonne which hath his eies like a flame of fire, and his feete like fine braſſe.
Q. What is commended in that Church?
A. Worke, louelove, faith, patience, better at the laſt then at the firſt,
Q. What is reprooued?
A. Ieſabel a falſe Propheteſſete a ching fornication, and to eate things offered to Idols.
Q. What is the promiſe?
A. The morning ſtarre.
Q. In the Epiſtle to the Church of Sardis, what is his title?
A. He that hath the ſeauen ſpirits of God, and the ſeauen ſtarres.
Q. What is commended in that Church?
A. A few which hauehave not defiled their garments, but waiked in white.
Q. What is reprooued?
A. A name to liue, but are dead, workes vnperfect.
Q. What is the promiſe?
A. White array, their names to be put in the booke of life, & to be confeſſed before the Father and his Angels.
Q. In the epiſtle to the Church of Philadelphia, what is his title?
A. He that is holy and true, which hath the key of Dauid, which openeth and no man ſhutteth, which ſhutteth and no man openeth.
Q. What is commended in that Church?
A. A litle ſtrength kept my word, not denied by name.
Q. What is reprooued?
A. The Synagogue of Sathan,which ſay they are Iewes and are not, but lie.
Q. What is the promiſe?
A. To be a pillar in the houſe of God, to hauehave written vponupon him the name of God, and of the city of God, and to hauehave a new name.
Q. In the Epistle to the church of Laodicea, what is his title?
A. Amen, the faithful and true witneſſe, that beginning of the creatures of God.
Q. What is commended in that Church?
A. Nothing, yet a Church and teacheth it.
Q. What is reprooued?
A. Neither hote nor cold, vaine-glorie, it is miſerable, wretched, poore, blind, and naked.
Q. What is the promiſe?
A. To ſit with Chriſt vponhis throne.
Q. What doth the ſecond part of this booke containe?
A. Things that were to come afterward, chap. 5.1.
Q. How is the ſecond part deuided?
A. Into two parts: firſt, the oration of the Reuelation, ch. 5. the ſecond, the declaration of the ſame in the reſt of the booke.
Q. Who was the occaſion of this Reuelation?
A. God the Father, who is deſcribed, firſt, by his Throne, 5.2. Secondly, by his company attending vponupon him, verſ. 4. Thirdly, by the worſhip giuen to him, verſ. 8.
Q. How is this Reuelation declared?
A. It is deliuered and declared in two bookes: of the firſthe ſpeaketh here to the end of the 9. chap. of the ſecond book he beginneth in the 10. chapter, & it continueth to the end of this booke.
Q. What is ſaid of the firſt booke?
A. Three things: firſt of the booke it ſelfe: ſecondly, who ſhould open the booke: thirdly of the matter in it.
Q. What is ſaid of the booke it ſelfe?
A. Three things: firſt, that it was in the hand of God: ſecondly, that it was written within and without: thirdly, that it was ſealed with ſeauen ſeales. chap. 5.7.
Q. What ſaith the holy Ghoſt of the opening of this booke?
A. Firſt, an angell ſeekes for one to open it: verſ. 2. ſecondly, Iohn weepes becauſethere is not one ſound to open it: thirdly, an Elder ſhewed that the Lion of the tribe of Iuda, the Lambe which was killed ſhould open the booke.
Q. How is the matter of this booke ſet foorth?
A. The Lambe openeth the ſeauen ſeales, at the opening of eueryevery ſeale a ſeuerall viſion is ſhewed.
Q. What viſion appeared when the first ſeale was opened?
A. A white horſe, & he that ſate on him had a bow and a crowne.
Q. What appeared when the ſecond booke was opened?
A. A red horſe, and he that ſate on him had a great ſword.
Q. What appeared when the third was opened?
A. A blacke horſe, and he that ſate on him had ballances.
Q. What appeared when the fourth was opened?
A. A pale horſe, death ſate on him, and hell followed him.
Q. What appeared when the fifth was opened?
A. The ſoules of them which were killed for the word of God.
Q. What appeared when the ſixt was opened?
A. A great earth-quake, the ſunne was blacke, & the moone like blood, an angel ſealing Gods children, that the deſtroyers ſhould not touch them.
Q. What appeared when the ſeauenth ſeale was opened?
A. Seauen Angels with ſeauen Trumpets, to fore warn the world of Gods vengeance.
Q. Hauing thus gone through the firſt booke, we are come to the little booke, what doth this ſeedowne tovs?
A. Firſt, the eſtate of the Church in this life, ſecondly, the glorie of it in the world to come.
Q. What doth he ſet downe of the Church in this world?
A. Firſt, her comfort by the miniſterie of the word in the 10. and 11. Chapters: ſecondly, her afflictions.
Q. What is ſaid for the miniſterie?
A. Firſt, the booke is giuen to Iohn to eate, & he is commanded to propheſie. Secondly, it is confirmed and eſtabliſhed by the two witneſſes, two Oliue trees, and two candleſticks, and the ſame continued by reuiuing the two witneſſes which were ſlaine.
Q. By whome was the Church afflicted?
A. Firſt, by the beaſt out ofthe bottomleſſe pitte: ſecondly by the red dragon that old Serpent: thirdly, with the beaſt with ſeauen heads & ten horns: fourthly, by the beaſt with two hornes like the Lambe: fiftly, the whore of Babylon: ſixtly, the beaſt with the falſe Prophet: ſeauenthly, by Gog and Magog.
Q. Is the Church ouerwhelmed with theſe afflictions?
A. No, the Lord mixeth theſe troubles with comforts: firſt, the woman purſued by the dragon hath a place to reſt in: ſecondly, the Lambe by the euerlaſting Goſpell comforteth his: thirdly, the ſeauen angels ſing the ſong of Moſes.
Q. What becommeth of the aduerſaries?
A. Michael and his Angels fight againſt the dragon: ſecondlythe ſeauen Angels powre out the ſeauen vialls of wrath vponupon them: thirdly, the beaſt, the falſe prophet, the whore of Babylon, Gog and Magog, and the old ſerpent are al ouerthrowne, and Gods people freed from them.
Q. Hauing thus deſcribed the afflictions of the Church militane in this world, what ſaith he of the glorie of it.
A. In ſetting forth the Church tryumphant, he doth deſcribe, firſt 'the making of all things new fitting for the bride: ſecondly, the glorie and excellencie of the lambes wife: thirdly, the earneſt deſire of the elect, ſaying: Come, Lord Ieſus.
FINIS.
End of the text · Eusebius Pagit, The History of the Bible (1605)