A Key of Knowledge to Open Revelation, Part 4 · Chapter 6 · Notes 17
Notes vponupon chap. 20.
It is not ſaid, as in the beginning of the former chapter, after theſe things I ſaw; but onelyonly barely, I ſaw, becauſe Iohn heere calleth vsus backe to the Dragon, of whom before, chap. 12. mention was made, but hitherto paſſed ouer ſilently, except in chap. 16. 13. Heere is declared, what became of him all the time, that the beaſt bare a ſway; and what hee did vponupon the beaſts deſtruction, whom hee did ſo much fauour, chap. 13. 3. and ſo endeauour to helpe and vphold, as is ſhewed in cap. 16. 13. To this place is the matter reſerued to bee ſpoken of, as moſt fit to giuegive vsus in one view, his whole ſtory. For after the ſpirit had ſpoken in can. 12. of his caſting out of heauen; and in ca. 13. of his ſubſtitute the Beaſt, there could bee no conuenient place before this time, to make againe full mention of him, till all things concerning the ſaid beaſt were fully ended, but now the beaſts finall deſtruction being ſhewed, here commeth in this laſt enemie, & his laſt attempts to be ſpokē of.
Verſ. 1. An Angell: Not that in the ninth chapter, verſ. 1. as is ſhewed there in verſ. 11. for as in this one thing, to wit, that both hauehave the key of the bottomleſſe pit, they doe agree; ſo in many other things, the circumſtances compared together, they doe greatly diſagree. This Angell is a type of ſome one or moe, (ſuch) inſtruments, as Chriſt did vſe to curbe the open rage of Satan and his inſtruments murthering the Saints. Came down from heauen: This telleth vsus of what ſort this Angell is, receiuing his power and authority from out of heauen aboue, for, and in the behalfe of the heauen, the Church of God beneath. Hauing the key: Key is a ſigne of gouernment, power and authoritie, Eſay 22. 22. which this Angell bringeth from heauen with him; but the ſtarre, chap. 9. 1. brought it not from heauen (from which hee fell) to the earth, but it was giuen to him. Of the bottomleſſe pit: I thinke this bottomleſſe pit, is that which in cap. 12. 13. is called the earth, into which the Dragon was caſt out of heauen. For of that time is this matter which is here handled, and the ſame Dragon ſpoken of. Of this pit ſee before, cap. 9. 1. 2. And a great chaine in his hand: A chaine is that, with which are bound ſuch as be kept in bondage. Iudg. 16. 21. 2. King. 25. 7. hereby is noted the meanes of reſtraining this Dragon within this bottomleſſe pit, and it is ſaid to be great, for to ſet out the ſtrength of the means to hold in the great red Dragon; as hee is called in chap. 12. A great chaine for a great Dragon.
Verſ. 2. And hee laid hold on the Dragon: The words imply a forcible ſtrength in apprehending of him, as in the battell between Michaell and him, chap. 12. 7. 9. The Dragon, the Serpent, the diuell and Satan, foure names, to ſet out the head of all the power of darkneſſe; ſo in chap. 12. 9. and hee ſheweth himſelfe powerful, to be ſuch a one agreeable to all theſe in his inſtruments. And bound him a thouſand yeeres: The chaine is vſed, and therwith is he bound; that is, the Lords meanes are of force holding in (as it were) bound in a chaine, this great enemie within the pit; ſo as hee could not openly rage in bloody perſecutions, by his Ethnicke and Pagan inſtruments, as before hee had done: from this is he bound, in this reſpect is his reſtraint, for the ſpace of a thouſand yeeres. The beginning wherof is (as ſome thinke) in the yeere 300. or thereabout, when Conſtantine the great began to beare rule, and became the Chriſtian Emperour; and the ending was about the 1300. yeere, in the time of Pope Boniface the eighth. This binding implyeth a liberty before, from which he is now reſtrained; now his liberty before was open rage and bloodie perſecution, as is ſhewed in chap. 6. and 12. and as may appeare by his practice, when hee getteth looſe againe, here in verſ. 8. 9. returning to his former bloody rage, and murtherous diſpoſition towards the Saints: therefore his binding this ſpace of a thouſand yeers, is a reſtraining of him ſo long from the open ſlaughtering of the Saints, (for elſe he is not bound ſimply one houre, Iob 1. 1. Pet. 5. 8.) but this was not before Conſtantine his dayes. Againe, Iohn ſeeth the beginning of his binding in viſion; therefore (according to a rule giuen in this preparatiue from cap, 4. 1. That, nothing, whereof the original is ſhewed vntounto Iohn, is to hauehave beginning before the time of this Reuelation) this binding belongeth not to the time of the beginning of the preaching of the Goſpell; nor to take beginning in the time of Heathen Emperours, who bloodily in open furie raged againſt Chriſtians, from which onelyonly here he is now ſhewed to bee bound and reſtrained. The very act of this his binding, that is, of the reſtraint of his open and bloody ſlaughtering of the Saints was begun, when he was caſt, cap. 12. 9. out of heauen, (that is) when his inſtruments (the Heathen tyrants) were by Conſtantine throwne from the Empire of Rome, the City then raigning ouer all, cap. 17. 18.
Verſ. 3. And caſt him into the bottomleſſe pit: that is, into the earth, ca. 12. 9. where, and vponupon which, he muſt onelyonly exerciſe his furie: and therefore is it ſaid, cap. 12. 12. woe to the inhabitants of the earth; but with the Church in open rage, as before, he now was not to meddle; and therefore alſo in the ſame place the heauens are exhorted to reioyce. The Earth is the ſtate of the worldly ſort, to which the ſtarre fell, cap. 9. 1. and where he, becomming the beaſt, got by the Dragons helpe, dominion, cap. 13. 8. ſo as all the world did follow after him, chap. 13. 3. This earth is the bottomleſſe pit, out of which the beaſt commeth, chap. 13. 11. and 17. 8. and 11. 7. when this Dragon was caſt into it, cap. 12. 9. for he (in the Heathen Emperours) no ſooner was caſt out of heauen into the earth, (being then not able longer openly to perſecute the Church) but began to worke for his grandchild that Antichriſt, to raiſe him out of the earth, in which among the earthly ſort, hee was chained vp, as in a priſon, as it is called heere in this chapter, verſ. 7. for it is a priſon for Satan to be reſtrained from publicke and violent rage, yea from any degree of miſchiefe againſt the Church. And ſhut him vp: that is, he was not ſuffered to goe beyond his limitts, but was kept within his bounds, as in a cloſe priſon-houſe: the phraſe is in Geneſ. 7. 16. but to another end and purpoſe. And ſealed, (to wit, the doore or ſtone) vponupon him: An alluſion to Dan. 6. 17. to ſignifie, as there, ſo here, that the purpoſe was not to be changed. That he ſhould deceiue the nations no more: Theſe words ſhew the end of his reſtraint. By nations here is not meant the nations and Gentiles, in chap. 11. 2. 18. for theſe hee had liberty to deceiue, making the Beaſt ſpeake like him, chap. 13. 11. by which hee ſeduced the earth, verſ. 14. and did helpe to ſend out frogs, (thoſe vnclean ſpirits) from out of his own mouth, and out of the mouth of the Beaſt and falſe prophet, chap. 16. 13. 14. But nations here muſt bee taken, as in verſ. 8. here following, for the open enemies of Chriſt; ſuch as was formerly the fierce tyrants of Rome, and all ſuch as profeſſe not Chriſt. His deceiuing of them, was to moue them to bloody outrages, and open hoſtility againſt the Church, as appeareth in the ſaid 8. verſe. For his deceiuing heere, in this time of his binding, muſt bee vnderſtood, as his deceiuing is to be takē, at his looſing againe, from which here he is bound. So then the meaning is, that Satan ſhould not hauehave for his inſtruments the open enemies of Chriſt (in all this ſpace of a thouſand yeeres) to kill, murther, and to make warre vponupon the Saints, the true worſhippers of God; though the earthly ſort ſhould neuertheleſſe bee plagued, and that with bloudſhed and ſlaughter: for albeit he was caſt out of heauen, yet with great wrath hee came vntounto the inhabiters of the earth, (chap. 12. 12.) and the Turkiſh furie (in Gods iuſt iudgement) ſpared not the Antichriſtians, chap. 9. 18, from whom hee was not at all bound. Till the thouſand yeeres were fulfilled, and after that, he muſt be looſed a little ſeaſon, as is againe deliuered in verſe 7.
Verſ. 4. The Apoſtle telleth vsus, what he ſaw after that Satan was caſt into his priſon and there bound vp. This viſion is concerning the Church of Chriſt, that hidden number ſealed (chap. 7.) and ſtanding with Chriſt on Mount Sion, chap. 14. 1. And I ſaw: To wit, after the Dragons binding, thrones, that is, ſeates for Kings reigning with Chriſt. And they ſate vponupon them: who is meant by they may be vnderſtood by conſidering the words following, and the laſt words of this verſe, euen they that had iudgement giuen vntounto them, that is, the ſpirit of diſcerning betweene Chriſtianitie and Antichriſtianiſme, they liued and reigned with Chriſt thoſe thouſand yeeres. And I ſaw the ſoules of them that were beheaded: Among this reigning companie, Iohn ſaw, that ſome of them ſhould bee found out by the Dragons ſubſtitute, the Beaſt that Antichriſt, and by him be put to death. Firſt, for maintaining the truth, for the witneſſe of Ieſus, and for the word of God. Secondly, for not worſhipping him the Beaſt, neither his image, &c. By which words it is cleere, that the Beaſt in chap. 13, euen that Romane Antichriſt, is of great power, ruling mightily within the ſpace of theſe thouſand yeeres; putting, as we here ſee, ſome of the faithfull to death, for vpholding the truth of Chriſt and his word, againſt his vſurped Antichriſtian power and authoritie. And they (that is, thoſe that ſate on the thrones, not they that were beheaded) liued and reigned with Chriſt thoſe thouſand yeeres. It is ſaid with Chriſt, ſhewing, that this was not ſeene to the world; their life and reigne here was not worldly and open to mens eyes, but ſpirituall and hidden. If thoſe that were beheaded liued not againe, ſome may heere aske; why are theſe words (they liued) added after, as if they had riſen from the dead to reigne with Chriſt here; for this life and reigne is to be vnderſtood to bee here on earth? I anſwere, for that in ſome ſort, though not properly, thoſe that were ſlaine may be ſaid to liue and reigne; firſt, in reſpect that by their conſtant profeſſion and ſuffering, they ſtrengthened others in the faith to liue and reigne with Chriſt; and ſecondly, for that (when the aduerſaries had ſlaine them, and ſo thought themſelues to be rid of them) the Lord raiſed vp others in their ſtead, to witneſſe the ſame truth againſt thoſe their enemies; in whom theſe ſlaine ones may be ſaid to liue againe, as Eliah did in the perſon of Iohn Baptiſt, as Chriſt witneſſeth: and as did alſo the two Prophets, of which before in chap. 11. 3. 7. 8. 11.
Verſ. 5. But the reſt of the dead: That is, ſuch as were without the ſpirituall life of God, and ſo dead in the ſinnes and treſpaſſes of that Antichriſtian ſtate, as Ephraim was dead in Baal, Hoſea. 13. 1: and as the Church of Sardis was ſaid to be dead, chap. 3. 1, ſo theſe left, according to the appointed time of God, to be ſeduced by worſhipping of the Beaſt and his image, and by receiuing his marke alſo vponupon their foreheads or hands, became dead to Godward; though as Sardis they were aliue in the iudgement of men. Liued not againe, till the thouſand yeeres were finiſhed: Theſe words implie that firſt they once liued, then were dead, and after a thouſand yeeres were to liue againe, which cannot bee vnderſtood of the ſelfeſame perſons. But thus wee muſt conceiue of this ſpeech, that Antichriſt ſeducing men from the true worſhip of God (in which reſpect men are ſaid to be aliue) vntounto a falſe worſhip of Chriſt, (in which reſpect they are ſaid to be dead) and therein holding them for the ſpace of a thouſand yeeres; God would at length, by his faithfull Miniſters, call them out of this ſpirituall darknes, as out of the graue, to liue in the light of the truth, which formerly had been forſaken. And here the text ſeemeth to ſpeake of the ſame perſons, (which yet cannot be) onelyonly for that thefe laſt doe (through Gods mercy, after ſo long time) enter into ye profeſſion of that truth & true worſhip, which the firſt ſort did receiue, and the ſeduced did forſake. This verſe is a ſhort repetition or remembrance of that which is before ſpoken, concerning the power of the Goſpell preached, regaining vntounto Chriſt his people from vnderunder Antichriſt, out of people, nations, and tongues, cap. 10. 11. and 14. 6. This is the firſt reſurrection, to wit, ſo to be inlightened with the truth, as they come from popiſh ſuperſtition and idolatrie, to the true and ſincere worſhip of God, ſhewing foorth the powerfull effect thereof in life and conuerſation.
Verſ. 6. As the ſpirit of God gaue before comfort to ſuch, as ſhould die for the truth againſt Antichriſt, chap. 14. 13; ſo here he foretelleth ſuch as hauehave been deceiued in that way, how happie and holy they ſhall be, when God giueth them grace to ſee the abomination of that whore, and vtterly to forſake her: EueryEvery ſuch a one ſhall be held holy and bleſſed, on whom the ſecond death ſhall hauehave no power, ſo as they ſhall not periſh for euer; touching the ſecond death, what it is, ſee chap. 21. 8. But they, to wit, ſuch as before are mentioned to ſit vponupon the thrones, verſ. 4, who (before the end of the thouſand yeeres doe preuaile ouer the Beaſt, his image, and marke) ſhall be Prieſts of God and of Chriſt, and ſhall reigne with him a thouſand yeeres: ſo here great comfort is offered to all and eueryevery one, which at the length are called out from vnderunder Antichriſt; but ſuch are moſt happie, which are euer preſerued from him.
Verſ. 7. Here we are foretold, what ſhall happen at the end of a thouſand yeeres. Satan ſhall be looſed out of his priſon, the bottomleſſe pit before named, verſ. 3, that is, hee ſhall hauehave libertie to vſe his former power, and to riſe vp in open rage againſt the open profeſſors of the Goſpell.
Verſ. 8. This ſetteth foorth the Diuels laſt attempt being let looſe. He ſhall goe out to deceiue, as he did before his binding, chap. 12. 9. the nations, that is, the open enemies of Chriſt, which are in the foure quarters of the earth, ſo it ſhall be the greateſt power that he can make. Goe and Magog: So are the nations called, which Satan hath here the commaund of. The words are an alluſion to Ezech. chap. 38. 1. and 39. 1. 6, who ſpeaks of theſe enemies of the ancient people of God, being their laſt enemies before the comming of the Meſſias, Chriſt our Sauiour, among them. So Iohn heere maketh mention of their names, to ſhew, that as they then were the laſt enemies of the Iewes before Chriſts firſt comming; ſo theſe nations deceiued by Satan, ſhall be the laſt open enemies, that euer the Church ſhal hauehave, to interrupt her outward peace, till the ſecond comming of Chriſt, as the finall doome of the Diuell in verſ. 10; and next the remembrance of the laſt iudgement, in verſes 11. 15, plainly tell vsus. Some here vnderſtand by Gog the Pope and his ſtrength, by Magog, the Turke and his power; for that the one is a couert enemie of Chriſt; the other an open: but they, that thus take the name Gog, doe not conſider, that before this battell be, the Pope the Beaſt and falſe Prophet are vtterly deſtroyed, and ſent packing vntounto hell; as in the former chapter may be ſeene, verſ. 20. To gather them together in battell: The end of deceiuing them, to make them to intend the vtter extirpation of the Church of God. The number of whom is as the ſand of the ſea: Noting hereby the innumerable multitude of them, as in Iudg. chap. 7. 12.
Verſ. 9. After the gathering of the armie, the enterpriſe is here ſet downe, going and ſpreading themſelues, as a floud vponupon the face of the earth, farre and wide; words of alluſion to Ezech. 38. 9. 16, and endeuouring that none of the faithfull ſhould eſcape them, they therefore compaſſed about the tents of the Saints, as the Aramites did Dothan, 2. King. 6. 14. 15, and the Chaldeans Ieruſalem, 2. King. 25. 1. And the beloued Citie, the heauenly new Ieruſalem, cap. 21. 2. And fire came downe from God out of heauen and deuoured them: By this is meant ſome ineuitable deuouring deſtruction, as it were out of heauen, from Gods immediate power vponupon theſe enemies, who had compaſſed ſo about the Church of God, without whoſe eſpeciall helpe, they could not hauehave eſcaped the rage and bloudy intendment of their foes; fearefull deſtruction is ſet out by fire, Iob. 15. 34. and 20. 26. Pſal. 21. 9. an alluſion either to ye deſtruction of Zodom, Gen. 19, or to the deuouring vp of the proud Captaines with their fifties by fire, 2. King. 1. 10. 12.
Verſ. 10. The finall concluſion of the laſt enemy here is ſhewed, after the deſtruction of his armie, the Diuels endleſſe damnation, with his grandchild Antichriſt, chap. 19. 20.
Verſ. 11. From this verſe to the end of the chapter, is, as it were, a deſcription of the laſt iudgement; firſt to ſhew, that from this laſt battell, in which the laſt enemies were ouerthrowne, and Satan caſt into hell, there ſhould bee peace to Gods Church vntounto the comming of Chriſt vntounto iudgement; of which peaceable and gracefull ſtate of the Church is ſpoken in the next chapter, from the beginning thereof vntounto the end of the fifth verſe of the 22 chapter. But ſecondly, to giuegive vsus another conſideration of the end of all ſorts of enemies to Gods Church: for the Spirit hauing giuen vsus knowledge of two battels, with the iſſue of both, and of the deſtruction of the grand Captaines, chap. 19. 20. and here in this chap. verſ. 10; now for that it is not likely that all and eueryevery one of their part were in the ſaid Armies, but that there were alſo many other which came not to the battels, here we are giuen to know, how the Lord proceeded againſt them; euen as a Iudge in a moſt holie and vpright courſe of iuſtice to reward them after their workes; and ſo to remoue from before his preſence, whatſoeuer might hinder the making of a new heauen and a new earth, of which he ſpeakes in the next chapter, and of the aboliſhing of an earth and an heauen in this verſe of this chapter. And I ſaw a great white throne: An alluſion to Dan. chap. 7. 9. 10. A throne is a ſeate of kingly maieſtie; white noteth puritie, and ſo vprightnes of that ſeate of iuſtice: great, as fit for ſo glorious and high a potentate as Chriſt is, Tit. 2. 13. Luk. 1. 32. And him that ſate on it▪ Chriſt the Iudge of quick and dead, (Act. 10. 41.) who was brought foorth heere in this booke firſt ſtanding, in chap. 1, and in the time of the Churches troubles, chapter 8. 3, and 14. 1: but after the Church was ſomewhat recouered, and heere now victoriouſly preuailing, hee is ſhewed here ſitting, and in chap. 14. 14. From whoſe face the earth and the heauen fled away: What this flying away is, the next words ſhew, and there was found no place for them, becauſe they are corrupt before him, and all ſhal become new, the 1. 2. 3. 4. and 5. verſes of the next Chapter doe expound this verſe.
Verſ. 12. And I ſaw the dead: Theſe be they that be brought before the Iudge, ſmall and great, that is, all without exception, ſtand before God, making now their appearance. And the bookes were opened: An alluſion to Dan. 7. 10. His proceeding is by cleere euidence in writing; the bookes here be the conſciences of men, which as open books, when men come to be iudged, ſhall ſhew what eueryevery man is; theſe be the common books of all men, in and out of the Church, not ordained to be ſaued; for there is another booke for the elect, which is the booke of life; of which mention is made chap. 3. 5, and 13. 8. Luk. 10. 10. Exod. 32. 32. Phil. 4. 3. This booke here is opened, that Gods elect may be ſeene & knowne. By the way note, that all things here thus ſet down are ſpoken according to men in iudiciall proceedings, not that God either hath or needeth any ſuch booke. And the dead were iudged out of theſe things, which were written in the bookes, that is, according to their workes. So theſe laſt words ſhew, what are thoſe written things in the bookes, euen mens workes.
Verſ. 13. Here is ſhewed, whence all theſe dead appearing before God are fetched; from the ſea, the graue, or place where death hath ſeaſed vponupon them.
Verſ. 14. And death and hell were caſt into the lake of fire, where the diuell, the beaſt and falſe prophets are, verſ. 10. The meaning I take to be onelyonly this, that there ſhould bee a full end of the Churches enemies▪ and of all deadly meanes whatſoeuer, that might hinder her gracefull and glorious ſtate, deſcribed in the Chapter following.
Verſ. 15. And, to wit, for to know a concluſion of all reprobates, all ſuch inhabiters of the earth, that hauehave worſhipped the beaſt, chap. 13. 8. and hauehave holpen him to tread downe the holy Citie, cap. 11. 2. and merrily reioyced at the murthering of the faithfull witneſſes and Preachers of the truth, chap. 11. 10. Whoſoeuer was not found written in the booke of life, was caſt into the lake of fire. In this deſcription of iudgement, mention is onelyonly made of the dead, and of the reprobates, and of Chriſts proceeding to remoue them, as he did before their captaines and heads; which maketh me to thinke, that this heere is onelyonly made mention of, to giuegive full comfort to the Church of her perfect deliuerance, from all and eueryevery enemie, ſmall and great, and from all meanes of her future hurt and ruine, as is death and hell: that ſo, without any let or hindrance, ſhe may be that holy and heauenly City, that bride adorned for her husband, to liue with him for euer.