A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Revelation · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
1. ANd there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the ſun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve ſtars.
1. Some Popes, and their Flatterers, have ſaid that, by the Woman in Heaven, is meant, the Pope, and Church of Rome in its Power; and by the Sun is meant, their ſpiritual Power, as Key-bearers of Heaven; and by the Moon is meant, all Princes Secular Power as under the feet of the Papal Church, at leaſt, in order to the ends of the ſpiritual Power; by which he may, if they deſerve it, excommunicate and depoſe them.
By others is underſtood the Chriſtian Church, now raiſed to Honour, and flouriſhing in Grace and Wiſdom, and having worldly Proſperity as a lower part of her Bleſſing; or, ſay others, trampling on Wealth, and worldly things, with a holy Contempt: And known by this Enſign of Honour, that the twelve Apoſtles were its Founders, under Chriſt; and that ſtill they hold faſt the Apoſtolical Doctrine, and depart not from it by humane deprivations, or by heretical Seduction and Corruption. This is a Crown of Glory to the pure Church, being not yet ſeduced from Chriſtian, Apoſtolick Simplicity.
2. And ſhe being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
2. She laboured with earneſt deſire to propagate Chriſtianity through the World. Some refer this to the Jewiſh Church deſiring Chriſt's Nativity; but moſt, to the labour of Miniſters to ſpread the Goſpel; and ſome, ſpecially, to the Converſion of the Roman Empire.
3. And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon, having ſeven heads, and ten horns, and ſeven crowns upon his heads.
3. The Devil appeared in the ſhape of a great red Dragon (ſpecially Mars, whom the Heathen Romans took for their ſpecial God.) His ſeven Heads and Crowns ſignifie his great Power, eſpecially at Rome, the City that had ſeven Hills, and ruled in the Earth: and the ten Horns are the Kingdoms or Provinces of the Roman Empire.
4. And his tail drew the third part of the ſtars of heaven, and did caſt them to the earth: and the dragon ſtood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as ſoon as it was born.
4. By his Tail, ſay many, is meant, his Subtilty; by Hereticks he corrupted a third part of Chriſtians; which, ſaith Dr. H. was by Simon Magus, and the Gnoſticks: Say others, by all the Swarm of Hereſies. (Lira ſaith, All this is ſpoken of the War of Coſroe, King of Perſia, againſt the Chriſtians.) Moſt Proteſtants ſay, it is meant of the Roman, perſecuting, Emperors Succeſſes, acted by Satan, who ſought to extirpate Chriſtianity.
5. And ſhe brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
5. This Child, ſay ſome, was Chriſt; others ſay, Conſtantine; moſt ſay, the Church, as proſperous, which, in Conſtantine's time, was to be advanced to Power, and prevail againſt Heatheniſm, both by the Word, and by the Sword: Or that Chriſt, by the Church, was thus to rule: Or, as others, the Martyrs, taken up to God, triumphed by ſuffering, and furthered the Glory of the Church. Others think it meaneth that, in the days of the honeſt Heathen Emperors, Alexander Severus, Philip Arabs, Conſtantius Chlorus, &c. the Church travailed, as in the pains of Child-birth; but was to ſuffer with patience, as in the Wilderneſs, till Decius, Diocleſian, Max. Hercul. Maxentius and Licinius had done perſecuting: and then it was delivered by Conſtantine, to an advanced, free Church-ſtate.
6. And the woman fled into the wilderneſs, where ſhe hath a place prepared of God, that they ſhould feed her there a thouſand two hundred and threeſcore days.
6. Say ſome, the Church throughout the Empire, perſecuted by Nero for three Years and a half, was put to worſhip God in Obſcurity, and as in Flight: (But Nero's Perſecution was before John wrote this, if under Domitian.) Others, more probably, refer it to the later Roman Perſecutions, under which God kept his Church till its Deliverance. And ſome underſtand it of Antichriſt's driving the pure Church, as into a Wilderneſs.
7. And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels fought againſt the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels: 8. And prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.
7, 8. Some expound this of the Conflict at Rome, between Simon Magus and Simon Peter (long before John wrote this, if the ſtory be true.) Others more probably ſay, it repreſents the Churches Perſecution by the Heathen Emperors (eſpecially Diocleſian, Maxentius, Licinius, &c.) and their final Overthrow by Conſtantine, by a War in Heaven, of which this was the Effect. By Michael ſome mean Chriſt; Others rather that Arch-angel, mentioned Dan. 10. who was Guardian Prince over Iſrael, and is now ſuch to the Church. And whether ſuch have real War in the Air with Devils, is doubtful. But the caſting out Devil-worſhip, in the Empire, is here meant, as the Effect.
9. And the great dragon was caſt out, that old ſerpent, called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was caſt out into the earth, and his angels were caſt out with him.
9. By the Similitude of caſting down from Heaven to Earth, is ſignified, that Satan and Idolaters were caſt out of Power and Honour in the World, as Earth is oppoſed to the Church and Empire.
10. And I heard a loud voice ſaying in heaven, Now is come ſalvation, and ſtrength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Chriſt: for the accuſer of our brethren is caſt down, which accuſed them before our God day and night.
10. The Church Triumphant and Militant glorifies God for this wonderful Change; which ſhewed his ſtrength for the ſetting up his Kingdom, and the Exerciſe of Chriſt's Power, and the Salvation of Men, by conquering the Devil, and the Heathens.
Note 1. If Chriſtian Kingdoms be ſo honourable, and called the Kingdoms of God, and the Power of Chriſt, and the Fall of Devils, let them better conſider it, that cry them down under the name of National Churches, and would have Churches to be only ſome gathered out of the multitude.
2. Queſt. Why doth Satan accuſe Saints, day and night, to God, who never receiveth his falſe Accuſations? Anſ. 1. He hath too many true Accuſations againſt them. 2. He ſheweth his Malice, though without Succeſs. 3. He accuſeth them, by Slanderers and falſe Witneſſes, to the Rulers of the World, and to the People, to keep them in hatred of Faith and Godlineſs.
11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their teſtimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.
11. Not only Chriſt, but the Faithful under him, conquer Satan, and Heathens, and all the Churches Enemies. 1. By the Blood of Chriſt, whoſe Sufferings, truſted to, are the Merit of their Succeſſes. 2. By the Word of God, preached, pleaded and witneſſed by them. 3. By their Sufferings and Martyrdoms.
12. Therefore rejoyce ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them: wo to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the ſea; for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, becauſe he knoweth that he hath but a ſhort time.
12. Lira thought that this was Coſrot, King of Perſia, who, being conquered by Heraclius gave the Church great cauſe of Joy, but wofully oppreſſed his own Subjects; though, being old, he had not long to do it. Dr. H. ſaith, It was the Churches ioy, & the Devils rage, for the Overthrow of Simon Magus; and that now he fore-ſaw the Fall of his Kingdom, he ſet on foot Nero's Perſecution. Others That, the Empire turning Chriſtians, the Devil raged, by Julian, Valens, and ſuch others, for a little while, both againſt Laity and Clergy. Some think that it is properly thoſe in Heaven that rejoyce: Others, that it is the Church on Earth: Others, that it is both. And ſome ſay, It is upon the Approach of the Millenium, after the Fall of Antichriſt.
Note, 1. To be delivered from Satan, and ſee his Kingdom fall, is matter of great joy. 2. If Satan rage, becauſe he knoweth that his time is ſhort, how much ſhould we be quickened to Diligence and Hope, when we all know that our time on Earth is ſhort.
13. And when the dragon ſaw that he was caſt unto the earth, he perſecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child.
13. Saith Lira, when Coſroe ſaw that he was conquered by Heraclius, he perſecuted the Chriſtians in his own Dominions, whom Heraclius relieved by two Armies. Saith Dr. H. When Satan ſaw that he was conquered in Simon Magus, he ſtirred up Rome againſt the Chriſtians. Say others, more probably, when Satan ſaw that vigilant Paſtors had defeated his Religious Frauds by Hereticks, he turned to the way of Violence by Perſecutors; firſt Heathens, then Arrians. Some ſay, This containeth all the time from Anno 310. to 606. And others, That it is his Rage againſt the Reformation ſince, &c.
14. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that ſhe might fly into the wilderneſs, into her place; where ſhe is nouriſhed for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the ſerpent.
14. Chriſtians driven from Rome by Heatheniſh Perſecution, ſay ſome, or after, by Papal, ſay others, fled up and down, into Villages, and remote Countries, called a Wilderneſs, where God provided for them, till that Storm was paſt: (As the Waldenſes, and ſuch others.)
15. And the ſerpent caſt out of his mouth water, as a flood, after the woman: that he might cauſe her to be carried away of the flood.
15. The Flood▪ ſaith Lira, was by Coſroe: ſaith Dr. H. by Nero; and after by Domitian, and others: ſay others, it was by all the Heathen Perſecutions: ſay others, by the Goths, and the invading Barbarians: ſay others, by Hereſies: and ſay others, by Popery.
16. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and ſwallowed up the flood which the dragon caſt out of his mouth.
16. Say ſome, The Perſecution was diverted from the Chriſtians, by the Inſurrections of the Infidel-Jews, and their Suppreſſion: Say others, The Roman wicked Emperors were diverted, by the Goths, from miſchief: Say others, The Arrian Goths were conquered, even by bad Emperors: Say others, the Prevalency of Truth made▪ even carnal Biſhops, in Councils, help the Church: Say others, The viſible Church conſiſteth of many bad, worldly Men, who, for conjunct-Intereſt, help the Faithful.
17. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her ſeed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the teſtimony of Jeſus Chriſt.
17. Some ſay, this is Domitian and Trajan's Perſecution: Others, that it was the Arrians, when Satan ſaw he was diſpoſſeſt of Heathen Rome: Others, that it is his ſetting up the Papacy, as it perſecuted particular Chriſtians, for not corrupting Religion.
Note; There is no hope of a deſirable Peace with Satan, or Diaboliſts, while ſuch; through Chriſtians muſt ſtudy, as much as in them lieth, to live peaceably with all Men; and ſpecially, ſtudy Love and Peace among themſelves. The Devil will not lay down his War againſt Chriſt, till he be caſt down and bound; but the Members of Chriſt's Body ſhould not war againſt each other.
The poor Albigenſ…s, &c. were firſt, by Diocleſian, driven into a barren, mountainous Country, and after murdered by Popes and Papiſts.