A Key of Knowledge to Open Revelation, Part 4 · Chapter 6 · Notes 7
Notes vponupon Chap. 10.
Verſ. 1. Another mighty Angell: This is a type of Chriſt comming forth to comfort his Church; this appeareth to be ſo, from the place whence he came, by his clothing, crowne, face, feet, which are more glorious then can bee aſcribed to any creature. This comming now of Chriſt ſheweth, how about this time he begun in more open manner to ſhew his care for his Churches ſafety. The rainbow is here mentioned fitly, after a deluge of impiety and miſeries, ſet out in the two former trumpets, as a generall deſtruction to the world. As Noahs flood was once, to ſhew that ſuch a deſtruction ſhould no more come vponupon the world; for God by Chriſt was reconciled to his people, who now againe ſent them meanes, to recouer them out of that darkneſſe of Antichriſtian Apoſtaſie, into which men were plunged, and ſure to bee drowned, except the Lord would call them out of the ſame.
Verſ. 2. A little booke: The type of holy Scriptures, and words of God. For this is that which Chriſts Miniſters muſt receiue, and preach vntounto the people eueryevery where, to gather them vntounto him, verſ. 10. 11. Open: to ſhew that the booke of God ſhould now bee no more hidden, but bee made knowne vntounto his people. And he ſet his right foot vponupon the ſea, and his left foot vponupon the earth: Chriſt here commeth as an oppoſite to Antichriſt, to ouerthrow his kingdome, who aroſe out of the ſea, cap. 13. 1. and out of the earth, chap. 13. verſ. 11. Therefore Chriſt ſets his feet of braſſe on both, to note his inuincible power, treading vponupon his enemies, and ſubduing them, and to take, by this his booke, poſſeſſion of all places; for now would he raigne, and take to him the kingdomes of the world, as we may ſee in chap. 11. 15. in ſpite of Antichriſt and all his power.
Verſ. 3. And cried with a loud voice, as when a Lion roreth: This ſheweth how Chriſt will hauehave his truth publiſhed with a loud voice, and with terror, as the roring of a Lion. He reuealeth (by this booke) his will, his voice is as the Lions roring, to worke feare; and thus ſpeaking, who can but prophecie, Amos 3. 7. 8? Yea thus roring, ſheweth how he commeth with terror againſt his enemies, for his Churches ſafety, Eſa. 31. 4. for Chriſt heere is deſcribed according to his vertue working in his ſeruants, whoſe powerfull ſpeaking wil make ſeuen thunders vtter their voices. Theſe therfore are cauſed by Chriſts voice, and are effects of it, in that place of Amos, chap. 3. (to which happily may be the alluſion, for any other agreeing hereunto, in any ſort, I find not) there is a reuealing of his will to his ſeruants, verſ. 7. to which this opened booke anſwereth: then there is the roring of the Lion, verſ. 8. ſo is there heere. Laſtly, vponupon that roring there is a prophecying, and heere the voices of thunders, or thunders vttering voices; which type out prophecying, and reuealing of thoſe things written in this booke open in the Angels hand, which was to be receiued, to inable the Prophets to prophecie to peoples, nations, tongues, and Kings, as is ſaid in verſ. 11. The number of ſeuen, anſwerable to the ſeuen trumpets is noted, to ſhew, that now the Lord would begin to ſend out a plentifull meanes of inſtruction, to recouer againe his people from vnderunder Antichriſt; and the times from thence till now, ſhew vsus, that hee hath ſo done. This miniſtery of the Goſpell, publiſhed by his faithfull ſeruants, is compared to the voyce of thunder. Firſt, for that it ſhall bee made to bee heard aboue all voices, as being the loudeſt, as the degrees of ſound of voices ſet out, cap. 19. 6. ſhew. No voice of multitudes, no voice of many waters, is ſo loud as the voice of thunde. As ſuch a voyce was needfull at the giuing of the Law, Exod. 19. to caſt downe all humane reaſon, and to cauſe men to ſubmit themſelues to the Lords will: ſo was it now, to beat downe mans carnal reaſon, now pearked vp in the Antichriſtian ſtate, preſcribing rules of religion, and making a meere will-worſhip of ſeruice vntounto God. Secondly, becauſe of the power of Gods word, being powerfull as thunder, as Iob ſpeakes, (chap. 26. 14.) to ſtrike terror and feare into mens harts: hence Iohn and Iames were Boanerges, ſonnes of thunder, Mark. 3. 17. So was Paul to Felix, when he made him to tremble, Act. 24. 26. as mans hart doth at the thunder, Iob 37. 1. Thirdly, becauſe as the thunder of Gods power is not to be vnderſtood, Iob 26. 14: ſo the power of Gods word paſſeth all mens vnderſtanding, they cannot comprehend the reaſon of ſuch a mighty and terrifying a power, as thunder, to bee in ſo weake meanes, in all outward appearance.
Verſ. 4. Scale vp theſe things: The Church here is told of ſeuen thunders, of which we are to take notice, for theſe are made knowne to vsus, but now what they vttered, that is not written; Iohn heard what was by them deliuered, for that he was about to write, as he receiued a commandement, chap. 1. 19. But here he was forbidden to write, and commanded to ſeale vp theſe things, that is, not to reueale them. Now why ſuch thunders ſhould bee, and the things vttered by them, not written and made knowne, may be, for that peraduenture, as in Dan. 8. 26. and 12. 9. the things were not now to be done: or for that they were not neceſſary; or not fit for mans reaſon to be vttered; as S. Paul ſpeaketh of ſome things reuealed to him in the third heauen. 2. Cor. 12. 4: or to ſhew that the things vttered, were only to be knowne immediately by the voices of the thunders themſelues; God reſeruing the opening of mens hearts, and enlightening of mens minds by the word preached, vntounto himſelfe; euen to make the things vttered, then to bee knowne, when the thundering power of the word was to be ſounded out, leſt it ſhould be deſpiſed: or for that here is ſet out the ſecrets of God, Amos 3. 7. and of his kingdome, Matth. 13. which is to be reuealed onelyonly to them, to whom it is giuen to vnderſtand the ſame; for albeit powerfull preaching, and the Preachers be as thunder, euen vntounto al, yet the things vttered are ſealed vp, except to thoſe, whom God ſhal pleaſe to make them known vntounto.
Verſ. 6. There ſhould be time no longer: that is, there ſhall be no more delay, or deferring off of time to finiſh the myſterie foretold by the Prophets; the next verſe ioyned to this, plainly giueth this expoſition. It is not ſaid, that there ſhall be no more time (as if here he ſpake of the worlds end, as many doe ſuppoſe); but time ſhall be no longer, ſo ſpeaking, rather of ſhortening ſome time, then of a conſummation of all time. In the next place it is to be noted, how ſolemnly he ſweareth, which had bin needleſſe, if it were to be taken for the end of the world, which was both a knowne truth already, and ſufficiently confirmed in the hearts of all Gods people, for whoſe comfort hee taketh this oath. Thirdly, here is not a word of the laſt iudgement, but of the finiſhing the myſtery of God, cap. 10. 7. for the fulfilling whereof the time ſhall no longer be deferred. Fourthly, in the time of the ſounding of the ſeuenth Angell, great and mighty matters muſt come to paſſe before the worlds end, as a great part of this booke, from chap. 14. ver. 14. to the end of the propheſie, foreſheweth.
Verſ. 7. The myſterie of God: This myſtery is taken commonly for the day of iudgement, albeit we hardly find the laſt iudgement day to be called a myſtery, though our change and alteration then ſo ſuddenly be ſo called, 1. Cor. 15. 51. But here is ſpoken of ſuch a myſterie, as hath a beginning, a progreſſe, and a finiſhing: yea ſuch a myſtery, as by the meanes of this little booke, commeth to be finiſhed. The mentioning of this myſterie is here inſerted betweene the Angels bringing forth of this booke, and Iohns receiuing of it, verſ. 10. and therefore may ſeeme not to be vnderſtood of the laſt iudgement. It is taken by ſome for the conuerſion of the Iewes, which is called a myſtery, Rom. 11. 25. and may ſo well be, both for the hidden ſecrecie thereof, and the vnlikelihood thereof in all mens reaſon, ſo obſtinate are they. By it may bee vnderſtood, all and eueryevery thing concerning Chriſts Church here vponupon earth, of which the Prophets hauehave ſpoken, Chriſt himſelfe, and the Apoſtles taught, and this very propheticall hiſtory declareth vntounto vsus; which Church and ſtate thereof is a myſtery from the very beginning, to the perfecting vp of the body of Chriſt, and ſo called, Epheſ. 3. 3. 4. 6. which place well noted, will tell vsus, that the calling of the Gentiles is a myſtery, and ſo alſo the place in the Romans, chap. 11. verſ. 21. that the calling of the Iewes againe is a myſtery, ſo as Chriſt his Church and kingdome is nothing but a myſtery in the calling of the Gentiles, and recalling of the Iewes.
Verſ. 11. Thou muſt prophecie againe before many people, and nations, and tongues, and Kings: Iohn our Prophet here beareth vponupon him the perſon of all faithfull Preachers of Gods word, ſent out by Chriſt, to preach. For theſe words cannot bee vnderſtood to be performed in the very perſon of Iohn, but of ſuch as ſhould be raiſed vp by Chriſt, to prophecie, that is, to preach the holy word of God, To people, nations, tongues, and Kings: Which words ſhew, that the fallen Starre, chap. 9. 1. that Angell of the bottomleſſe pit, (verſ. 11.) and falſe prophet, (chap. 13. 11. 14.) and whore of Babylon, (chap. 17. 3. 15.) had now gotten theſe vnderunder his power, and helliſh iuriſdiction; from vnderunder which to recouer his owne, ſuch as were ordained to life, Chriſt Ieſus ſendeth his ſeruants, and that only by preaching to regaine them; the effect and power whereof, wee hauehave found vponupon people, nations, tongues, and Kings, who in Gods mercy hauehave imbraced the Goſpell, and hauehave renounced that Antichriſt the Pope of Rome, with all his vſurped power, bleſſed be God.