A Key of Knowledge to Open Revelation, Part 4 · Chapter 6 · Notes 18
Notes on Chap. 21.
Verſ. 1. Iohn hauing told of the vaniſhing of the earth and heauen, in the former chapter, verſ. 11. heere hee ſheweth what enſued thereupon, all became new; a new heauen and a new earth: as in Eſa. chap. 65. 17. and 66. 22. for the firſt heauen, and the firſt earth were paſſed away, as in cap. 20. 11. is foretold. And there was no more ſea: that is, no more vnquietneſſe and troubleſome ſtate. The ſea cannot reſt, whoſe waters caſt vp dirt and mire, Eſa. 57. 20. therefore may an vnquiet ſtate be compared to the ſea.
Verſ. 2. And Iohn ſaw the holy City: The ſame that was before troden vnderunder foot, chap. 11. 2. but now exalted on high from her former low ſtate, and obtaineth a new name, and is called the new Ieruſalem, the bride, and the Lambs wife, cap. 19. 7. and heereafter, verſ. 6. So all the company of the faithfull are compared to the City Ieruſalem; and to a bride to be a wife vntounto Chriſt, comming downe from God out of heauen: This new Citie is the very hand of God, and his worke from aboue out of heauen, whence ſhe hath her birth, and which ſhe ſhal poſſeſſe for an euerlaſting inheritance. Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, whē ſhe is of a moſt heauenly condition, ſhee is then prepared; and when ſhe is arayed in fine linnen, cleane and white, cap. 19. 8. ſhee is adorned, and a wife ready for her husband, the Lambe Ieſus Chriſt.
Verſ. 3. And I heard a great voice out of heauen: as it were following this bride, this new Ieruſalem from heauen; to ſhew, that the matter here ſpoken of, was ſo indeed, and not a dreame, how ſtrange and incredible ſoeuer to mans reaſon; and therefore a heauenly voice confirmeth it, ſaying, behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, &c. chap. 7. 15. all the words taken out of Ezech. 37. 27. 28.
Verſ. 4. God his dwelling with his people maketh all things happie to them, and remooueth away all ſorrow with the cauſes thereof; heere is ſhewed, when that was to come to paſſe, which in the generall view of the Churches ſtate is ſet downe, in chap. 7. 16. 17. And God ſhall wipe away all teares from their eyes, (as he ſpeaketh in Eſa. 25. 8.) who before hauehave wailed and lamented, becauſe now they ſee, that God is reconciled to them, and become their God, and alſo come vntounto them, which might ſeeme before to hauehave been forſaken; and that it might appeare how effectually the Lord would wipe away teares, it is ſaid, that there ſhall be no more death, neither ſorrow, nor crying, neither ſhall there be any more paine. That is, no more ſuch cauſes, meanes and inſtruments of death, ſorrow, crying, and paine, as formerly had been: of which happineſſe ſummarily before, in chap. 7. 16. 17. And the reaſon of all this is giuen, becauſe the former things are paſſed away, that is, the firſt earth, and heauen, and ſea, all the Dragons Empire, the Beaſts dominion, power and practice, the deceits of the falſe prophet, and whatſoeuer was before any annoyance to the Church, and hurtfull to the quiet peace thereof: for now it may be ſaid of the Church, as in Eſa. 54. 14. and 60. 18. and 61. 3. 7. reade the places.
Verſ. 5. And for that theſe things here ſpoken ſeeme ſo impoſſible, and ſo hard to bee beleeued, he that ſate vponupon the throne, that is, God Almighty, chap. 20. 11. 12. and one that cannot lie, ſaid, behold I make all things new: a new heauen, a new earth, all things new. And that what here he hath ſpoken might be taken for certaine truth, Iohn is commanded to write them, with this reaſon, that theſe words are true and faithfull; and therefore to be aſſuredly fulfilled in their time, though men ſhould hold them falſe, and not worthie credit.
Verſ. 6. And he ſaid vntounto me, it is done: So in Ezech. 39. 8. Behold it is come, it is done ſaith the Lord God, this is the day whereof I hauehave ſpoken. The myſtery of God ſpoken of, in chap. 10. 7. now was finiſhed, and that in two things, wherein the fulfilling did conſiſt: The one in taking full vengeance vponupon all the enemies of Chriſt and his Church, at the pouring out of the ſeuenth viall, the laſt of the laſt ſeuen plagues; and therefore it was there ſaid, it is done, cap. 16. 17. The other, in bringing the Church into ſo glorious and happie eſtate, as is heere ſet downe; and therefore now alſo againe it is ſaid, it is done. I am Alpha and Omega: that is, the beginning and the end; this here foretold and promiſed, is of me; I begin it, I finiſh it: for of mee, by me, and for me, are all things, Rom. 11. 36. The Lord is the firſt and the laſt, Eſa. 44. 6. & 48. 12. he hath wrought and done it, Eſa. 41. 4. Now for that the Lord knew, that ſuch happie and excellent things as here are ſpoken of, and ſo certainly to be fulfilled, would worke in the hearts of the faithfull, a vehement deſire for the accompliſhment thereof, he here promiſeth in a figuratiue ſpeech to ſatisfie their thirſt, to the full; to giuegive to ſuch a one as is athirst, ardently inflamed in his affection after theſe things, of the fountaine of the water of life, chap. 7. 17. and that ſuch a one ſhall partake of the graces of his ſpirit, Ioh. 7. 38. 39. and that freely of his ſole merciemercy and good fauour towards him.
Verſ. 7. Here, leſt men ſhould thinke a feruent deſire to be enough, to aſſure them of that which is heere foretold and promiſed, the Lord telleth them of a victorie which they muſt get, ſaying, hee that ouercommeth ſhall inherit all things. Concluding with the words of the Couenant made of old with his people, I will be his God, and he ſhall bee my ſonne.
Verſ. 8. But (as if he had ſaid) what here I promiſe concerneth nothing the vngodly, of which, for example ſake, I will name ſome, the fearfull and vnbeleeuing and abominable, and murtherers, and whoremongers, and ſorcerers, and idolaters, and lyars, they ſhall not enioy any part or portion of this new heauen and earth, but ſhall hauehave their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone, the place of the diuell, the beaſt and falſe prophet, chap. 19. 20. and 20. 10. which is the ſecond death, ſeparation from God for euer.
Verſ. 9. Now that it might appeare, that no ſuch filthie perſons can come into this heauenly Citie, (as is noted alſo in verſ. 27. of this chapter) and to ſhew the Lords ſeruants more at large what this new Ieruſalem is, before mentioned, for whoſe ſake he would make all things new, heere is a moſt full and perfect deſcription giuen therof, which Iohn is made to behold, the ſame being duplicate page duplicate page ſhewed him by one of the ſeuen Angels, which had the ſeuen vials full of the laſt plagues, the ſame that ſhewed him the damnation of the great whore, chapt. 17. 1. which is (as I take it) the diſcouerer of the one, and of the other; becauſe theſe Angels and inſtruments of God were the meanes of the deſtruction of the one, and the furtherers of the Churches happineſſe and glory here ſpoken of.
Verſ. 10. Iohn to ſee the whore, was carried in the ſpirit into the wilderneſſe, chap. 17. 3. for it was neceſſary to be ſet apart from the whoriſh painting of that harlot, and with a ſpirituall vnderſtanding to bee enlightened, that hee might truly diſcerne her to bee the whore, though beloued of men, yet hated and condemned of God: but here Iohn is carried away in the ſpirit to a great and high mountaine: (an alluſion to Ezech. 40. 2.) for the Citie is on high; therefore muſt Iohn bee on high to ſee it; as Moſes was vponupon Piſgah, to behold the land of Canaan, Deut. 34. 1. This Citie for compaſſe is great, many ſhall enter into it, verſ. 24. For qualitie, holy, no vncleane thing ſhall come into it, verſ. 27. Ieruſalem it is called; for that, God, as there once, ſo now heere, will dwell in it for euer, Ezech. 48. 35. and it deſcended out of heauen from God, as in verſ. 2.
Verſ. 11. Hauing the glory of God: that is, ſuch maieſty, beauty, and excellent brightneſſe, as God himſelfe did put vponupon her; whereupon it is ſaid, And her light was like vntounto a ſtone moſt pretious, euen like a Iaſper ſtone: ſuch a one, as with which God himſelfe is ſet out, cap. 4. 3. cleere as Chrystall, without any dimneſſe at all; for Gods glory did lighten it, verſ. 23.
Verſ. 12. And had a wall great and high: freed from perill of aduerſaries, and now ſafe on euerie ſide: and had 12. gates; that is, paſſage into the ſame eueryevery way; an alluſion to Ezech. 48. 30. And at the gates twelue Angels, as Porters to let in, not now to keepe men out, as the Angell with the ſhaking ſword, Geneſ. 3. And they had names, (both for aſſurance and direction) written thereon, what theſe be is expounded, euen the names of the 12. tribes of the children of Iſraell.
Verſ. 13. The placing of the gates, three to eueryevery quarter, of which alſo Ezechiel ſpeaketh, though not in the ſame order, chap. 48. 31. 34. The myſterie may be, in bringing theſe faithfull Iſraelites to God.
Verſ. 14. And the wall of the Citie had 12. foundations. As the wall had twelue gates, and the names of the twelue tribes written vponupon them: ſo had it twelue foundations, and in them the names of the Lambes twelue Apoſtles; Peters ſupremacie here is quite out of date. The Romiſh Synagogue layeth Peter for the foundation, or Peters perſon, (for that hee was at Rome, as they ſay, but can not certainly prooue it), rather then his true preaching, which they hate and abhor. The Pope loueth not Pauls doctrine, but hee loueth to bee wealding his ſword; therefore hath neither hee, nor his, any part or portion in this new and holy City.
Verſ. 15. And he that talked with me, had a golden reede to meaſure the City, and the gates thereof, and the walles thereof: An alluſion to Ezech. 40. 3. 5. The Temple was onelyonly meaſured before, cap. 11. 1. but here the City, gates and walles, eueryevery thing muſt come exactly vnderunder rule and line now; a golden reed ſhall mete out eueryevery thing to a fit and moſt certaine proportion. Of this reed ſee chap. 11. 1. which is here golden, a reed moſt fit to meaſure ſuch a City with.
Verſ. 16. And the City lieth foure ſquare: becauſe it is moſt firme and ſtable without any tottering and moueable ſtate, and becauſe it looketh eueryevery way to the foure corners of the earth; by the gates to receiue in vntounto it frō all parts of the earth. And the length is as large as the breadth: As this hath compaſſe and is ſpread abroad, ſo hath it like length and full continuance without alteration. And hee, that is, the Angell, verſ. 9. 15. meaſured the Citie with a reed: as he had a reed for the purpoſe, ſo hee applieth it to the worke, and findeth it by true meaſure to he 12000. furlongs, eight furlongs being a mile, it is 1500. miles. Now the length and the breadth, and the heighth being equall, it maketh this to be wonderfull incredible; but all is to ſet out vntounto vsus, how abundantly capable this City is to entertaine the innumerable multitude, which ſhall come vntounto it.
Verſ. 17. And hee meaſured the wall thereof, 144. cubits: which is twelue times twelue, of which number it wholly conſiſteth, according to the 12. foundations of the twelue Apoſtles, verſ. 14. This meaſure is of the walles breadth for the heighth; and length muſt bee iudged by the heighth and length of the Citie, elſe it could not compaſſe the Citie, nor be high enough for ſo high a City; and neceſſity requireth that there bee an anſwerable thickneſſe to ſo long and high a wall, that it may be ſtrong and defenſible for the Citie; nothing able to ſhake it or pierce it through. The length and ſpaciouſneſſe of the City is for capableneſſe of in-commers, the height is for the manifold and goodly manſions, the thickneſſe of the wall compaſſing round the ſame with anſwerable height, giueth vsus the inuincible ſtrength of the City, and the ſecurity of the inhabitants. Iohn hauing told vsus of the meaſuring of the wall, he in the laſt place ſheweth, vntounto vsus, what kinde of meaſuring here is meant, the meaſure of a man; that is, (ſaith he) of an Angell, that is, ſo a mans meaſure, as it is alſo the Angels meaſure.
Verſ. 18. After the forme and meaſure, heere we are ſhewed the matter of which the wall, City, foundation, and gates were made of, yea and what the very ſtreet of the City was paued with, verſ. 19. 20. 21. all to point out to vsus the vnſpeakable glory of this heauenly Citie, as Eſay likewiſe doth to comfort the afflicted, cap. 54. 11. 12.
Verſ. 22. And I ſaw no Temple therein; no ſecret or hidden number, (as in chap. 11. 1.) no ſeparated place, as in old Ieruſalem to beautifie and to make glorious this City. For now the Lord God Almighty, and the Lambe are the Temple of it. To whom all hauehave free acceſſe, and who doth make his Saints in this heauenly Ieruſalem glorious, as the Temple did afore time Ieruſalem.
Verſ. 23. And the Citie had no need of the Sun, neither of the Moone to ſhine in it. Words of alluſion vntounto Eſa. ca. 60. 19. 20. and borrowed from thence. Now the Prophet meant not in comforting the Church then, that they ſhould hauehave no more light of Sunne and Moone: for liuing in the world, they ſo ſhould hauehave liued in perpetuall darkneſſe, and not hauehave enioyed the common bleſſings of this life; from which meaning the Prophet was farre, ſeeing the Lord created Sunne and Moone for mans vſe, which therefore hee would not depriue his owne people of. But the light of the Sun and Moone is put for earthly and fading comforts of this life, as the reſt of the words of the Prophet in the ſame verſes ſhew; for inſtead of the light of Sunne and Moone, which is not euer, he oppoſeth the Lord the euerlaſting light, and ſo concludeth, that the dayes of mourning ſhall bee ended. Becauſe this their comfort by the Lord, ſhall not bee like the light of the Sunne and Moone, which either paſſeth away, or is often darkened: Therefore here by the not needing the light of Sunne and Moone, (the glory of God and the Lambe being the light of it) is meant, that ſuch ſolace and ioy, ſuch gladneſſe of heart and heauenly comfort this City taketh in the Lord, and in his glorious preſence, as all earthly comfort, though it were as the light of the Sunne by day, and as the light of the Moone by night, ſhould bee as ſuperfluous and needleſſe and of no reſpect in compariſon of it.
Verſ. 24. And the nations of them that are ſaued, ſhall walke in the light of it, and the Kings of the earth: that is, euen ſuch as before were bewitched with the whore of Babylon, chap. 17. 2. and ſome (perhaps) of thoſe that bewailed her ouerthrow, cap. 18. 9. doe bring their glory and honour to it, of this ſpeaketh Eſa. 60. 3.
Verſ. 25. And the gates of it ſhall not bee ſhut at all by day: and the reaſon is giuen, for there ſhall bee no night there: the like ſaying is in Eſa. chap. 60. 11.
Verſ. 26. And they (that is, as I take it, the Kings, verſ. 24.) ſhall bring the glory and honour of the nations vntounto it.
Verſ. 27. And there ſhall in no wiſe enter into it any thing that defileth, &c. Here is the pure and vndefiled ſtate of this new Ieruſalem, which is therfore called holy, verſ. 2. of the inhabitants heere of ſpeaketh alſo Eſa. cap. 60. 21. Ioel 3. 17. Zach. 14. 21. Eſa. 52. 1.