A Key of Knowledge to Open Revelation, Part 4 · Chapter 6 · Notes 16
Notes vponupon Chap. 19.
Verſ. 1. After theſe things: To wit, before in the former chapter of Babylons vtter ruine, which firſt muſt bee, ere this ioy heere expreſſed befall the Church of Chriſt. I heard a great voyce of much people in heauen: The true Church here reioyceth now at the deſtruction of Babylon, growne into a great multitude, as is ſaid verſ. 6, of which alſo in chap. 7. 9, who there, as theſe here, giuegive praiſe vntounto God, verſ. 12.
Verſ. 2. The reaſon of their ioy here expreſſed, for he hath iudged. Theſe words ſhew what, is meant by iudgement in chap. 17. 1, euen Babylons deſtructions, ſet out in cap. 18. The great whore: Thus he calleth Babylon ſo iudged, as is ſhewed, in the former chapter. And it is euident by this, that the great Citie Rome is the woman, chap. 17. 18, the woman is the whore, chap. 17. 1. 4, this whore is Babylon, for vponupon Babylons deſtruction the whore here is ſaid to be iudged.
Verſ. 3. A doubling of their ioy againe, crying, Halleluiah, praiſe God. And her ſmoake roſe vp for euer and euer: Her eternall vengeance. The like words are in Eſai. 34. 10. An alluſion to the deſtruction of Zodome and Gomorrhe, Gen. 19.
Verſ. 4. The former reioycing may ſeeme to be of all true Chriſtians, heere and there diſperſed abroad, when they ſhall heare of this deſtruction of Rome; but this verſe is of the publique aſſemblie lauding and worſhipping God. Of the foure and twentie Elders and foure beaſts, ſee chap. 4.
Verſ. 5. And a voyce came out of the throne: The throne is Gods ſeate, here verſ. 4. and chap. 4. 2. The voyce is therefore from God, yet vttered by ſome of the Church, becauſe hee ſaith, Praiſe our God, &c. It may bee ſome one of the beaſts (who are in the middeſt of the throne, chap. 4. 6.) which exhorteth all of all ſorts to praiſe God.
Verſ. 6. The effect of this exhortation, God was praiſed. And Iohn heard (as it were) the voyce of a great multitude, and as the voyce of many waters: becauſe this, great multitude was of people, nations, and tongues, chap. 17. 1. 15. chap. 7. 9. and as the voyce of a mightie thunder: Becauſe as thunder it was heard a farre of, and men made to attend thereunto.
Verſ. 7. The Godly exhort one another to ioy, and to giuegive honour to God, for the now gladſome ſtate of the Church after the deſtruction of the Whore; For the marriage of the Lambe is come, and his wife hath made her ſelfe readie▪ Chriſt is heere ſet out as an husband; and the Church as a wife; the time after the burning of that common whore, to be the mariage day of Chriſt with his Church, which was all the time before, as only eſpouſed, but now is ſolemnely, as it were, to bee married; which ioyfull time the curſed Pope and Papiſts in their Antichriſtian glorie at Rome yet doe hinder. It is hence cleere, that there ſhall be as great difference between the ſtate of Gods Church now, and that which is to come after Romes ruine, as betweene the time of honourable perſons only betrothed, and the high ioyfull and glorious day of their publike marrying; and as betweene the time of a King comming on to his kingdome, and his actual and powerfull reigning as King in deed.
Verſ. 8. The Brides raiment fit for her pure and holy husband, the apparell is named, and the ſignification giuen.
Verſ. 9. The Angell who receiued theſe things from Chriſt to ſhew vntounto Iohn, chap. 1. 1, and whō in the next verſe Iohn would hauehave worſhipped, here willeth him to write; ſo was he alſo commanded, chap. 14. 13. This is for the certaintie of the things which are to be written, as the laſt words of this verſe ſhew, being added as a reaſon of the commandement to write; not that there is any miſtaking of any other thing of all the reſt, either done or ſaid to Iohn before; or, that there is any more or greater truth in this here commanded to bee written, then in all the reſt: but for the incrediblenes of the ſo glorious and moſt ioyfull eſtate of the Church, and their happineſſe alſo which ſhall be partakers thereof.
Verſ. 10. Iohns readineſſe to fall downe to worſhip this Angel (which he ought not to hauehave done) at theſe words, more then at all the reſt, doth implie neceſſarily, that hee was exceedingly lifted vp with ſome ſudden ioy of ſome ſtrange and happie matter foretold here vntounto him; which moued his hart to an extraordinary gladneſſe, & himſelf thus to fall downe, as Abraham did vponupon his ioy conceiued of that, which was foretold him touching the birth of Iſaac, Gen. 17. 17. Now what matter could ſo greatly rauiſh the heart of Iohn, as to heare of the calling of the Iewes? which in all probabilitie is the thing foretold; whoſe obſtinacie made S. Paul to hauehave great heauineſſe and continuall ſorrow of heart; and that he could hauehave wiſhed himſelfe accurſed from Chriſt for their ſakes, Rom. 9. 2. 3. That hauehave the teſtimonie of Ieſus: That is, which be preachers and witneſſes of Chriſt hauing the ſpirit, that is, the gift of the ſpirit to prophecie and to beare witneſſe of Chriſt; for here the hauing of the teſtimonie of Ieſus is (in chap. 22. 9.) expounded by the word Prophets.
Verſ. 11. And I ſaw heauen opened. Before the Apoſtle can follow on, to tell vsus further of this Bride thus arraied, and of the Churches happie eſtate, he muſt firſt ſhew vsus the maine lets yet hindring, and wholly to be taken out of the way; the lets are two, Antichriſt and the Dragon, both which are vtterly to bee confounded, before the perfection of the Churches gracefull ſtate. Of the firſt and his vtter damnation he ſpeaketh in this chapter; of the other in the next. For wee muſt know, that when Rome is deſtroyed, the Pope and his aiders ſhall liue for a while after, vntill the great battell ſpoken of, chap. 16. 16, and the euent here (in verſes 18. 19. 20.) be ended: of this hee hath a moſt perfect viſion, therefore it is ſaid, he ſaw Heauen opened, as did Stephen, Act. 7. 55, not a doore only, as in chap. 4. 1. Or, by Heauen opened, may be meant the open acceſſe vntounto the Church eueryevery where, and eueryevery way, as being now apparent to all; in which Chriſt and his armies were readie to breake out vponupon their deadly foes, gathering themſelues together againſt them, as is ſhewed, chap. 16. 14. 16, and here in ver. 19. Here is ſhewed, in what ſtate the Church ſhall be in, vponupon the ruine of Rome; euen as a people ſtanding in armes vnderunder their Generall Chriſt Ieſus for a time, till the laſt battell be fought, and the enemies deſtroyed. And behold: Spoken both for certaintie and alſo for matter needing attention, and our carefull conſideration of ſo great troubles, as then ſhall be in the world, by open hoſtilitie and bloudie battels, betweene true Chriſtians and the Antichriſtians. A white horſe: A horſe is a beaſt for warre; by this is to bee vnderſtood the meanes to encounter the enemies. White noteth his righteouſneſſe in proceeding to warre, and in the triumph. And he that ſate vponupon him was called faithfull and true, and in righteouſneſſe hee doth iudge and make warre: Theſe laſt words tell vsus, why he hath a white horſe. This Rider is Ieſus Chriſt, as all the words here and after ſhew: faithfull, chap. 1. 5. and true, chap. 3. 7. 14: for his righteouſnes in iudgement, ſee Pſal. 9. 8. and 96. 10. 13.
Verſ. 12. His eyes were as a flame of fire, ſo is Chriſt ſet out, chap. 1. 14. and 2. 18. And on his head were many crownes: in cap. 1. 14. no mention of any crownes, then vponupon his head, while his Church was to liue vnderunder croſſes and perſecutions, he was then bare headed: when ſhe crept from vnderunder Antichriſt he put on one crowne, cap. 14. 14. but now many crownes. A crowne, noteth out victorie, many crownes, many victories, either gotten, or to be gotten, now ouer all his enemies. Many crownes hee weareth, becauſe he taketh the crowns from Kings now, whom he conquereth, verſ. 19. and therefore is called King of kings. The Beaſt (the Pope) now ſhall weare no longer his triple crowne; for hee, and alſo his Kings ſhall periſh together: all nations: ſhall now doe worſhip to this King of Saints, cap. 15. 4. And he had a name written: to ſhew, that it was ſure and permanent. That no man knew but himſelfe: ſuch a name as Iehouah, not knowne to the Iſraelites, till Moſes came to deliuer them, Exod. 6. 3. but with his deedes hee declared his name; euen ſo here, Chriſt, while his people were in Egyptian bondage, his name written King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, verſ. 16. was actually vnknowne; but in this his maruellous worke of deliuering his people, in ſo ſtrange an ouerthrow of all his and their enemies, was made now manifeſt.
Verſ. 13. And he was clothed in a veſture dipt in blood: A garment expreſſing the exceeding great ſlaughter of his enemies, and the abundance of blood-ſhead, in which (as it were) his veſture is dipped. The alluſion is to the words of Eſa. chap. 63. 2. 3. And his name is called the word of God. Of this title we may reade, Ioh. 1. 1. and Ioh. 5. 7. but I take it, that here hee is ſo called, for that hee doth make good his fathers word, eueryevery way fulfilling it; and obtaining grace from God to hauehave it fulfiled, euen in eueryevery thing whatſoeuer was threatned againſt the enemies of the Church, for the Churches ſake. By him are the promiſes to Gods people accompliſhed, the myſterie of God, chap. 10. 7. finiſhed; by him iuſt vengeance paſſeth vponupon the Churches enemies, that ſo he may well bee called the word of God; as alſo that by him (now Antichriſt being deſtroyed) the word of God at this time chiefly ſhall take place, by which he ſhall bee knowne, as by a name.
Verſ. 14. Here are his ſouldiers, the armies in heauen, that is, of the true Church: followed him vponupon white horſes; clothed in fine linnen, white and cleane: This their rayment is expounded in verſ. 8. The ſpirit of God ſetteth them out, not as going to battell, but as in triumph hauing obtained the victorie; euen as alſo their captaine is ſet out. Hereby rather ſetting the end of the battell before vsus, that in conſideration thereof wee (the Church) might be comforted; then the warlike proceeding and bloody encounter, which without the certain knowledge of the iſſue, would worke nothing but feare and terrour in mens harts, which here is preuented.
Verſ. 15. Here is ſhewed, how the righteous and ſtout warrior obtaineth the victory: Out of his mouth goeth a ſharpe ſword: of this there is mention, ca. 1. 16. & 2. 12. 16. which is Gods word. that with it he ſhould ſmite the nations: That is, thoſe Antichriſtians, againſt whom he goeth to warre. An alluſion to the words of Eſa. chap. 11. 4. And he ſhall rule them with a rod of iron. An alluſion to Pſalm. 2. 9. nothing his ſtrong power to keepe them vnderunder, and to force them to obedience, which will bee obſtinate. And he treadeth the wine-preſſe of the fierceneſſe and wrath of Almightie God. An alluſion to Eſa. 63. 2. of the wine-preſſe, ſee cap. 14. 20. here is the partie treading it; whence it is that his raiment is ſo bloody, as in verſ. 13. The Grapes are the Antichriſtians or nations here ſo called, the winepreſſe the place Armageddon, chap. 16. 16. where the great battell, mentioned in the 19. verſe of this chapter, ſhall be fought. The treader of the wine-preſſe is Ieſus Chriſt with his armies, victoriouſly deſtroying their enemies, till the blood come vp to the horſes bridles, cap. 14. 20. by which the fierceneſſe and wrath of Almighty God, here mentioned ſhal be made manifeſt; for it is called the battell of the great day of God Almighty, cap. 16. 14.
Verſ. 16. And he hath on his vesture, and on his thing a name written: This is the name before vnknowne, but now certainly known to all, as written on his veſture, to wit, that which was dipt in blood, ſhewing it to be his title gottē victoriouſly in the deſtruction of his enemies: and on his thigh, becauſe now all the world ſhould acknowledge him to be ſuch a one, and doe homage vntounto him. The word is taken from the ancient cuſtome of the Hebrewes, the thigh being put for ſtrength and power; and the putting of the hand vnderunder the thigh for a token of ſubiection and ſeruitude, Gen. 24. 2. 9. and 47. 29. Or, it is to ſhew, that as hee had gotten it vponupon his garment by victorie, ſo was hee able by power and ſtrength to maintaine, it, for the name is written where the ſword was wont to bee girded, Pſal. 45. 3. Iud. 3. 16. Cant. 3. 8. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; the honour of his victorie, chap. 17. 14. now hee raigneth, verſ. 6. and the kingdomes of the world are Chriſts, and that for euer, cap. 11. 15. This is the time foretold by Daniel, cap. 2. 44.
Verſ. 17. And I ſaw an Angell ſtanding in the ſun. After the deſcription of Chriſt and his glorious title, here commeth forth before him his Herald, making an open and a loud proclamation to the foules of heauen, to come and feede vponupon the bodies of the ſlaine. He is ſaid to ſtand in the ſunne, that there may be an anſwerableneſſe of one part of this propheticall ſpeech with another. For here he is brought in, to make proclamation to all the foules vnderunder heauen; therefore is the ſunne made his ſtanding place, as fitteſt to make his voice to be heard abroad. The drift is, to ſet out the euident and cleere certainty of the victory, of which the Church ſhall be ſo aſſured, as if in the ſunne one ſtood to make proclamation thereof vntounto vsus. This Angell may type out ſuch, as by cleere light of truth ſhall make knowne the certaine deſtruction of the enemies, before the battell bee fought: the words in this 17. verſe, and in the next, verſ. 18. are an alluſion to Ezech. 39. 4. 17. 20. noting out the exceeding great ſlaughter, which ſhall be made of thoſe Antichriſtians of all ſorts.
Verſ. 19. This is the beaſt in cap. 13. 1. and 17. 8. 11. which is noted to make war with the Saints, in chap. 11. 7. and 13. 7. and his kings with the Lambe, cap. 17. 14. but here is the laſt battell, and his vtter ouerthrow for euer, as the next verſe ſheweth. Kings of the earth; theſe are mentioned in cap. 17. 2. and 18. 3. 9.
Verſ. 20. The falſe prophet: There is onelyonly a briefe mentioning of this prophet, in chap. 16. 13. but heere is plainly ſhewed who this is, euen the beaſt, in chap. 13. 12. 13. 14. that very Antichriſt. Theſe both were caſt aliue: An alluſion to Numb. 16. 31. 32. to ſhew, that their deſtruction ſhall be more then ordinary, to the terrour of al beholders, a vengeance for notorious wickedneſſe, Pſal. 55. 15. Into a lake of fire burning with brimſtone: of this lake ſpeaketh Iohn, in ca. 20. 14. and 21. 8. and of this plague, in ca. 14. 10. noting out fearfull and moſt exquiſite torments, Ezech. 38. 22. as in the deſtruction of Sodome, Geneſ. 19. thus ſhall periſh the chiefe enemies of Chriſt and his Goſpell. Thus (as is ſaid, cap. 17. 8.) ſhall the beaſt goe into deſtruction.
Verſ. 21. And the Remnant: that is, the Kings of the earth, and their armies, verſ. 18. 19. for they are the reſt or remnant left after the beaſt and falſe prophet: were ſlaine: Theſe alſo periſh, though not after that manner, as did the Beaſt and falſe prophet. With the ſword of him that ſate vponupon the horſe: verſ. 11. which ſword proceeded out of his mouth: verſ. 15. that is, they periſhed, as the Lord had threatened in his word. For the word is ſaid to ſlay them, when the Lord maketh that to come vponupon them which he denounceth againſt them; ſo is his word as fire, deuouring the people as wood, as Ieremie ſpeaketh, cap. 5. 14. And all the foules were filled with their fleſh. Theſe words are added to ſhew, that that ſhall be fulfilled, which the Angell in the ſunne proclaimed in verſ. 18. and withall it giueth vsus to know, what is meant by the remnant, whoſe fleſh is heere ſaid to be eaten by the foules, which are there called to the Supper.