A Revelation of the Holy Apocalypse, Part 2 · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
A plaine expoſition of the Womans fleeing into the wilderneſſe.
And I ſaw, another great and maruelous ſigne; ſeauen Angells hauing ſeauen the laſt plagues; for in them the wrath of God is finiſhed.
Chap. 6. expoundeth this: and how when the Church hath a ſeate in the wilderneſſe, and their Citie there: they make the wine-preſſe of Gods anger out of the Citie.
And I ſaw, as it were a ſea of glaſſe, mixed with fire, and them which ouercome, from the beaſt, and from his image, and from his marke, and the number of his name, ſtanding by the ſea of glaſſe, hauing the harpes of God, and they ſing the ſong of Moyſes the ſeruant of God, and the ſong of the Lambe, ſaying: great and wonderfull are thy workes, O ETERNAL, the God of Hoſtes, iuſt and vpright are thy wages: O King of ſaints: who would not feare thee, O Lord, and giuegive glory vntounto thy name, for thou only art gratious, for all nations, ſhall come, and worſhip before thee, for thy iudgements are manifeſted.
Sea,Rome cō pared to Aegypt: the old Iſrael with the Spirituall. ſignifieth troubles, as Dan. 7. glaſſe clearly conſidered of God: the alluſion, is to the Red ſea: at which Iſrael was perſequuted by Pharaoh: The addition by fire is an open diſtinction, for the Popes ſea of fire and faggott: the ſong of Moyſes Exod. 15. is a thankeſgiuening for deliuerance from Pharaoh by the blood of the Lambe: and the ſonge of the Lambe conteyneth all the ſonges in the Bible.This ſong is more fully deſcribed, chap. 19. But moſt directly they of his incarnation, and ſoules paſſage from the body to heauen, and reſurrection, and ſitting on the right hand of God. The workes of God be great and wonderfull: that the wicked whom he hath ſett vntounto wrath, beare ſway heere for a tyme: but ſoone come to aeternall flames. And they who in ſhort affliction profeſſe his name cary away an aeternall peiſe of glory:2. Cor. 4. wicked Babel worſhipping creatures had a great reigne: that Gods ſeruants might teach there the trueth of ſaluation. That which Ierem. ſpeaketh chap. X. of our Gods prayſe againſt idolls is heere repeated. That Egypt and Babel teach the Pope what to look for. Thus the holy proteſt their honor to God, and labor to increaſe the Church, that all nations may come and worſhip him.
And afterwardes I ſaw, and behold the Temple of the Tabernacle of Couenant was opened in the heauen: and the ſeauen Angells came forth (hauing the ſeauen plagues) from the Temple: and they were clothed with cleane and pure linen: and girded about the breast with golden girdles.
As Angells help Gods ſeruants to victories, ſo proper Angells conſidered with men, whom they ſtrengthen may heere be meant. Their clothing ſignifie ſyncere holineſſe: which men ſhould deſire: and the golden girdle about the breſt, ſignifieth the binding of the minde, in golden ſyncerity of heart. Maymo. in Beth Bechira handling Aharons garment: citeth traditions from them that ſaw the high ſacrificers manner, that Aharon was girded about the breſt, that ſheweth Iohn to ſpeake moſt learnedly, chapter 1. and heere, 15. and wiſer then any, who would forge a booke, could doe.
And one of the foure liue-wights, gaue to the ſeauen Angells, ſeauen golden cupps, full of the anger of God, who liueth for euer and euer.
The liuely wight is heere as orator of the whole Church: and after the acknowledging of Gods goodneſſe: by Gods charge the Angells take in hand to poure Gods wrath vponupon his enimies: viſibly, by men: but vnſeene: as the armie that guarded Eliſaeus. So, as I told, the puniſhment of Nabuchadnezar, Daniel chap. 4. commeth by the decree of the watchfull, and the petition of the holy. What the Angells deſire in reuenge for the Church: God appointeth them to help forward in aſſiſting men that be the fighters. So millions of millions waite vponupon Gods throne: to rule the foure beaſts: that the houſe of Zorobabell afflicted ſhould know, that the heauens ruled: and tyrants ſhould ſoone be tamed by them. The Pope ſhould from Dan. 7. learne this, and from Apo. chap. 6. where the profane Caeſares be deſtroyed: and know that after long angring of God, hee muſt hauehave full payment. Mortall Princes ſoone fade as a floure. But God is euerlaſting foreign Daniel 7. 9. and liuing for euer, Dan, cha. 12. and Apoc. X. and XV. who becauſe men did not receiue the louelove of the trueth, to be ſaued, ſendeth workfull error: that they belieue falſhood, that all may be condemned, which belieue not the trueth, but delite in badneſſe. This Booke was penned in ſuch a ſtyle, that it openeth not onelyonly it ſelfe, but alſo teacheth how all the old Teſtament, belongeth to Chriſt.
And the Temple was filled with a ſmoke of the glory of God: and of his power: and none could goe into the Temple, till the ſeauen plagues of the 7. Angells were finiſhed.
When the Tabernacle of Moyſes, and the Temple of Salomon were conſecrated, then Moyſes and the Leuites could not goe in while the glory of God filled them. Here a cloud of Gods anger filled with defenſe the Church in the wilderneſſe: that God will not giuegive the wicked grace to ioyne with them, vntill they be cōſumed: the ſturdy wicked who fight againſt open light, and be of the 666. ſonnes of Adoni-kam: which had rather hauehave 666. talents of Cethem from Ophir, then all the knowledge of Iohns Reuelation: ſuch that ſtriue againſt the light, ſhall neither be forgiuen in this world, nor in the world to come: but heere hauehave a conſcience ſtinged as by ſcorpions, and in the world of ſoules, death aeternall.