A Key of Knowledge to Open Revelation, Part 4 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Of the manner of ſetting downe this prophecie, and the reuealing of the things foretold in this booke.
IT may be ſaid of this booke, as is ſaid by the Lord in Hoſea, chap. 12. 10. I hauehave multiplied viſions, and vſed ſimilitudes: for here are manifold viſions and ſimilitudes; the Lord by certain formes, ſhapes, and figures, as it were Images and pictures, did liuely repreſent the whole Comicall tragedie, or tragicall Comedie, that was from the time of the reuealing of the Reuelation, to be acted vponupon the ſtage of this world, by the Church militant, vntounto his Apoſtle, and Prophet Iohn; whoThis prophecie is deliuered, after the manner of prophecies of old, by viſions, ſimilitudes and figuratiue ſpeeches. was an eare-witnes of all that was ſpoken, and a beholder of theſe ſhadowes and reſemblances of what was truly to be done vponupon the earth, being played, as I may ſay, before him, euen as in the words it is written. So as we muſt learne by theſe viſions, things done, things in doing, or hereafter ſtill to bee done, till the world come to an end, as hath been alreadie ſaid.
Againe, as it is compoſed of ſuch ſimilitudes, ſo the words are figuratiue, the whole prophecie full of Metaphors, and almoſt altogether Allegoricall; ſo as we muſt take heede, that we looke further then into the letter and naked relation of things, as they are ſet downe, otherwiſe the booke ſhould be full of abſurdities, impoſsibilities, falſities, and flat contradictions vntounto other truthes of Scripture: all which are farre from the words of Gods holy ſpirit, which are euer holy and true. For who can beleeue a Lambe to hauehave ſeuen eyes, a mountaine burning to be caſt into the ſea, and this thereby in a third part to become blood, a ſtarre to fall from heauen, Locuſts to bee of ſo monſtrous a ſhape, as is ſet downe in chap. 9. and horſes with Lions heads, fire, ſmoke, and brimſtone comming out of their mouthes, and a hundred ſuch things? Therefore wee muſt not ſticke in the letter, but ſearch out an hiſtoricall ſenſe, which is the truth intended, and ſo take the words typically, and not literally. For propheticall deſcriptions much differ from common hiſtoricall narrations. A ſtorie ſets downe things indeed done: a prophecie repreſents to the view, as preſent, by ſimilitudes, the things not come to paſſe, but afterwards to bee done.
Alſo we muſt note, and this very carefully, thatThis prophecie is framed to the words of the Prophets, and cuſtome of the Jewes. all this whole prophecie is framed after the ſtate and condition of the ancient people of God, the Iewes, and after the words and viſions of the ancient Prophets; as we may ſee by comparing the words and viſions of this booke, to Moſes and the Prophets, to which the Prophet Iohn alludeth euerywhere.To what Iohn alludeth in this prophecie. Firſt, to their ſufferings vnderunder their enemies, of which there were three: firſt, Pharaoh in Egypt, called by Ezechiel, a Dragon, and therefore here mention of a Dragon, chap. 12. The Second, Babel, and the beaſts noted in Daniel, chap. 7. and 11. therefore here is mention of the beaſt, ca. 13.Ezech 38. and 39. and of Babell, chap. 14. and 17. The third and laſt enemy was Gog, and Magog, euen the Kings of Syria, and among them, chiefly Antiochus Epiphanes, therefore the laſt enemies here are called Gog, and Magog, chap. 20. Secondly, to the twelue tribes, chap. 7. to the wilderneſſe, chap. 12. thunder, lightening, and earthquake, chap. 5. to the Tabernacle, chap. 13. and 21. 3. the Arke of his Teſtament, chap. 11. 19. the Prieſts, chap. 1. to white raiment, chap. 1. a golden girdle about the paps, cap. 1. the Altar, incenſe, chap. 8. Odours, cap. 5. lamps, chap. 4. Candleſticks, chap. 1. and 11. golden Cenſor, chap. 8. Temple, chap. 11. to ſinging, chap. 5. and 15. to inſtruments of muſicke, chap. 5. and 15. to the ſea, chap. 4. and 15. 2. to the ſmoake filling the Temple, chap. 15. 8. to the Trumpets, chap. 8. to Ieruſalem, chap. 21. Kings, chap. 1. Thrones, Crownes, and Elders, chap. 4. Thirdly, to the ſaying of the old Prophets, as chap. 1. 7. to Zach. 12. 8. and 21. 3. to Ier. 31. 32. and 7. 17. and 21. 4. to Eſay 25. 8. and chap. 3. 12. to 1. K. 7. 15. and infinite other places, and alſo to their viſions, as chap. 1. 13. to Dan. 7. 13. and 10. 6. cap. 4. 6. 7. to Ezech. 1. 10. Yea the alluſions are eueryevery where to the words of the old Teſtament, which were too long to ſet downe here, though moſt neceſſary to be quoted, of ſuch as would truly comment vponupon this booke.
Now an alluſion is a reſpect had, and a reſemblanceWhat an alluſion is. made vntounto ſome other thing, agreeing in ſome ſort together; as in all the things before mentioned, the Apoſtle, (or rather the holy Ghoſt) hath reſpect vntounto that which hath been formerly, and maketh ſome reſemblance in ſome ſort thereof in the things in hand, of which he (heere in this preſent prophecie) doth ſpeake: which alluſions are made in this laſt booke of holy Scripture, for many reaſons: I. And that moſt vſually, rather forWhy Iohn is ſo full of alluſions. amplification and illuſtration, then for proofe and confirmation: as for example, as Babylon held captiue Gods people a determined time, but at length they were deliuered, and Babylon at laſt, came to vtter deſtruction; ſo ſhall it be with Rome, ſpiritually captiuating Gods people, theſe being deliuered, and the heauenly Temple built, ſhe ſhall vtterly periſh, and ſo of eueryevery other alluſion. II. For that the ancient people, their ſtate, ſufferings, ceremonies, worſhips, Temple, City, Prieſts, and Kings, were liuely types of Chriſt and his kingdome of true Chriſtians; and therefore now doth our Prophet ſet out the truth by the ſhadowes, and the ſubſtance by the very words of the ceremonies. III. To ſhew that the words and viſion of the holy Prophets, to which our Prophet alludeth, beſides the firſt and proper accommodation, had alſo typically in them a further ſignification and relation, as the frequent alluſions in this booke, from them doth ſhew, and in other places of the new Teſtament, Rom. 10. 18. Pſal. 19. 4. and Galath. 4. IV. To teach vsus by theſe myſticall ſpeeches, (wrapping, as it were, the old couenant into the new, the Iewes into Chriſtianiſme, and we Chriſtians, by theſe typicall termes, made mindfull of them) that the myſtery of God, declared to his ſeruants the Prophets, is not finiſhed, but ſhall be, when this prophecie is fulfilled, at the blowing of the ſeuenth trumpet, chap. 10. 7. Theſe I take to be the reaſons of theſe frequent alluſions, from Moſes, the Law, & the Prophets: the knowledge hereof, and the maner of the deliuering of this prophecie, in ſimilitudes, types, tropes, figures, and alluſions, will giuegive a great light to the vnderſtanding of this Reuelation, and preuent the foule miſtaking of many things, by marking the alluſions, and the common vſe thereof. It would be a worke worthy praiſe, and requiring the diligence of a learned man, well acquainted with Moſes, the Law and Prophets, to ſet downe throughout this prophecie, to what places of the old Teſtament, this our Prophet alludeth eueryevery where; it would cleere many points, which for want of this knowledge are to many very obſcure; it would preuent an vſuall miſtaking, and an ignorantly-ſeeking of propriety of ſpeech, in a meere alluſion, as may be obſerued in the writings of men, and their comments on ſome places of this prophecie. And thus much for the manner, the fourth thing to bee noted for to further our knowledge, in the vnderſtanding of this heauenly Reuelation.