A Revelation of the Holy Apocalypse, Summary
The ſumme of the Apocalyps.
IOhns Apocalyps telleth, that Chriſt ſhewed the ſtate to come, to the ende of the world; & a viſion of himſelfe: as vntounto Daniel, chap. 10. this doth hee, chap. 1. And in ſingular ſweetnes to the ſeaven ſtarres, in the ſeaven golden Candleſtickes, all theſe partes be applyed with addition againſt all Arrianes, that the Eternall, the ſonne of God, the Creator of the world, is he, that appeared vntounto Daniel. So, Iohn expoundeth Daniel, into Salvation of all Iewes of grace. This goeth through chap. 2. & 3. in eaſie facilitie.
Now for tymes to come, this appeareth, chap. 4. God on a throne fitteth a iudge, like Iaſper, for Beniamins temple: & Sardius as Ruben: to fight for the tribes. And Chriſtians, in ſtate Perſones, are 24. Biſhops, and beſides goodly, this in, chap. 4. Then the Lambe and Lion openeth the Booke of ſeaven ſeales, chap. 5. then hee cometh further againſt Caeſares, on horſe, white: with plaguing riders, vponupon red, blacke, pale; For the martyrs, who crave to deſtroy the Empire, but are bid to expect Diocletianes perſecution. Then ſhall their profane world be rowled vp, chap. 6. After that, a generall apoſtaſie commeth, chap. 7. Howe that falleth out, the ſeaventh ſeale doth ſhew. Chriſt ſtandeth at the golden Altar, to receive all prayers, & Rome bendes a policy againſt all this. Therevpon Chriſt, as in Ezekiel, caſteth fire into the earth: and Angels trompetters ſound howe haile and fire is mixt with blood: by that, Popes bee made a mountaine: ſo a mountaine of fire caſt into the worlds ſea, to ſet all on fire: when the ſtarre-Byſhop falleth from his heavens, to turne the Law-waters, into wormewood and to darken the chiefe Sunne, Moone, and Starres: comming vp by falling, and by turning the Scriptures into gall, ſoone darkening the third part of the Church: that three woes are pronounced, chap. 8. By his keies of the pitt, whence he fetched the wormwood of his haereſies, he bringeth locaſtes of Monkes to devour all the Weſt, and able to make warres, and becommeth King of Locuſts: and maketh warres: and ſo becommeth a firie mountaine, to make haile and fire mixt with blood. This was one woe. He weakned the Eaſt Empire, to ſet vp the Saracens: and is plagued from Euphrates: as his Idolatry and treachery turned away the Eaſt, chap. 9. Chriſt reviveth the Goſpell, when men eate the little booke, teaching againe, how hee is the Angell of Covenant, and Mediator for the faithfull, chap. 10. Martyrs bring policies to ſee what the king of Locuſts his Citie or policie is: and he falleth, and the Goſpell is reſtored: and he falleth with worlds ende, chap. 11. The ſame matter is repeated for Caeſares and Pope in a dragon of Romane Armes. As it was called Egypt, chap. 11. and Pharaoh, a Dragon, Eſai. 27. The vpper parte of the Dragon, is ſhewed to be the Romane Empire: one, compiled of the foure in Daniel: and the taile is expounded to be the beaſt ariſing from the earth, chap. 11. or King of Locuſts, chap. 9. he reuiueth the former empire, ſo, that none can live in it, without his marke, chap. 13. His marke is to force Chriſtians to Idolatrie. For which vilanie, Romane Babilon is told of a fall, chap. 14. By vrging Idolatry, he driveth from his Aegypt, the Church through a ſea of fire and fagot, into the wilderneſſe. Where the Tabernacle built hath a ſmoke of Gods anger, and Angels ſeaven plague him, as hee plagued all vnderunder the ſeaven Trompets: (Chapter 16.) For that our holy Martyrs calling for vengeance from vnderunder the Altar rowled vp alſo the Popes heaven as a booke rowled. The Beast revived hath no difference from the former, but in bloody color, and the daughter Rome riding vponupon it, all bloody, Chapter 17. Rome ſhall fall as Babilon & Tyrus did, Chapter 18. It ſhall fall when all nationes ſing Halelu-Iah vponupon the deſtruction of the wicked, with vnderſtanding. Then the WORD of GOD, will catch the Beaſt-falſe-prophet: the whole Dragon revived, and caſt him into a Lake burning with fire and brimſtone: which is the ſecond death, Chapter 19. But the Romane Dragon ſhall be tyed 1000. yeeres before the King of Locuſts deceiveth generally. But then hee makes a new Gog and Magog: for the old Ieruſalem: and thereupon ſhalbe deſtroied, as the old was, by the firſt coming, ſo he by the ſecond, of CHRIST, from a throne of iudgement: as the old Gog and Magog was, Chapter 20. As Iohn in Patmos ſaw the heavenly Ieruſalem: ſo Patmos the Church, toſſed with Aegean waves ſhalbe in Gods fight ſuch, as Iſaiah, Ezechiel, Aggei, and Zacharie ſpake of. CHRIST ſaluteth vsus poore heathen, with his owne moſt gracious voice.
To him that loued vsus, and hath waſhed vsus from our ſinnes by his blood, be all honour & glory for ever, Amen.
Iſaie 25.
And hee (the ETERNAL) will destroy in this mountaine the covering, that covereth all people, and the vaile, that is ſpread vponupon all nations.