A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Revelation · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
. ANd I heard a great voice out of the temple, ſaying to the ſeven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
1. I heard a great Voice out of the Temple, ſending theſe angels to pour out the Vials, and execute God's Wrath.
2. And the firſt went and poured out his vial upon the earth: and there fell a noiſom and grievous ſore upon the men which had the mark of the beaſt, and upon them which worſhipped his image.
2. Of the great Plague in wicked Commodus's Reign (that killed, in Rome alone, two thouſand a day;) and of the like, in the Reign of ſeveral Perſecutors, even till Conſtantine's Reign; and of the Blood-ſhed and Fire, and the reſemblance of this; to the Plagues of Egypt: See Dr. H. on the Text, and Grotius before him. Others ſay, It is the Papiſts Torment of Conſcience, when Popery is fallen.
3. And the ſecond angel poured out his vial upon the ſea, and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living ſoul died in the ſea. 4. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and they became blood.
3, 4. That theſe ſignifie a progreſs of the ſame Judgment on the Idolaters, is clear: But whether, by the Sea, and the Rivers and Fountains, ſignifie things ſo diſtinct, as many think; and which, of their many conjectured Significations, are right, I cannot ſay.
5. And I heard the angel of the waters ſay, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and waſt, and ſhalt be, becauſe thou haſt judged thus:
5. The Angel that executed God's Judgments on the Idolatrous Nations, performed it with Praiſe and Glory to God, for his Juſtice on perſecuting Idolaters.
Note; The Angels in Heaven were not ignorant of what God thus did on Earth: And as God's Mercy hindred not his Execution of Juſtice ſo their pity kept them not from triumphing over theſe deſtroyed Sinners, and giving God the Glory of their Puniſhment.
6. For they have ſhed the blood of ſaints and prophets, and thou haſt given them blood to drink, for they are worthy. 7. And I heard another out of the altar ſay, Even ſo, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
6, 7. Na. God and Angels will rejoyce in the terrible Revenge of the Blood of Saints. 2. The Angel from the Altar ſignifieth, the Conſent of the Souls under the Altar, and of the Church of holy Worſhippers on Earth, who pray for Deliverance. 3. Were it never ſo certain, that it is Idolatrous, Heathen Rome that is here meant, it conſequently inferreth that, if Papal Rome have equalled, yea far exceeded them, in ſhedding the Blood of Saints▪ their puniſhment ſhall be as great, or greater. It is no ſmall Aggravation of Pap…l Blood-ſhed (by Maſſacres, Inquiſitions, Burnings, &c.) that they father all on Chriſt himſelf, and do it as Chriſtians; yea and, in ſo many Ages, make it the neceſſary Defence of their Kingdom: And they ſhall find, that God knoweth a Saint when Men call him a Heretick; and will not be ſo mocked, as to diſ-own Chriſt's Sheep, for ſuch forged Marks.
8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the ſun, and power was given unto him to ſcorch men with fire. 9. And men were ſcorched with great heat, and blaſphemed the name of God, which hath power over theſe plagues: and they repented not, to give him glory.
8, 9. Some take this to ſignifie a great Drought, and Dearth, that came in the days of Commodus; and after, of Maximinus. Many take the Sun here, for Antichriſt, that calleth himſelf ſo: Others, for Governors: Some, for the King of Spain; ſome, for the German Emperor; or ſome ſuch Papal Luminary: Some, for the Scripture, as tormenting Papiſts: Some, for Chriſt, as ſending forth his Word and Judgments. I can go no further than the general ſure ſenſe; That a greater Plague, that fell on the Idolatrous Empire, made them lay all the blame on the Chriſtians, and rage the more; but cured not their Idolatry, or Perſecution.
10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the ſeat of the beaſt, and his kingdom was full of darkneſs, and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11. And blaſphemed the God of heaven becauſe of their pains and their ſores, and repented not of their deeds.
10, 11. The plain, general ſenſe of all this is, to liken Idolatrous, perſecuting Rome, and the ſuffering Chriſtians, to Pharaoh, and the Iſraelites; and liken God's Plagues on Rome, to the Egyptian Plagues: And to tell us that, as Pharaoh's heart was hardned till Deſtruction fell on him and his, ſo will be the Idolatrous Romans.
By the Seal of the Beaſt is meant, Rome, with the Imperial Power (or Papal, ſay many:) and by Darkneſs, the Confuſions there, and Diminutions of their Glory▪ In Heathen Rome theſe were many and great; the Soldiers ſetting up, and pulling down, and killing, Emperors, till they ſet the Empire to Sale; Emperors ſet up, and warring againſt each other; few dying a natural death: Valerian taken, captivated, and made his Foot-ſtool, by Sap…es, and flead. To be an Emperor, was the next way to Murder, or ſome odious diſgrace and death, by him that could overcome and kill him.
And Papal Rome was ſubdued by the Barbarians. Other Expoſitions are many.
12. And the ſixth angel▪ poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the eaſt might be prepared.
12. That this ſignifieth a further progreſs towards Idolatrous, perſecuting Rome's deſtruction, and the Churches deliverance, is clear; but what Euphrates ſignifieth, and what its drying up, and what, The Way of the Kings of the Eaſt, Expoſitors greatly differ in. Some take Euphrates literally; ſome, myſtically; ſome, for the Turk; ſome, for the chief Champions of Antichriſt; ſome, for the chief Strength and Garriſon of Babylon; ſome, for the Pope's Riches, and great Tributes and Revenues; and ſome for the River Tibris, in Rome, and ſo, for Rome it ſelf. And theſe take the drying of it up to be, the ruin of Maxentius, by Conſtantine, deſtroyed in Tiber: Others think, the drying up, to be the deſtruction of the Turks: And ſo they vary in the reſt. But ſome think, that this is but a further Aſſimilation of the Caſe to the Iſraelites, when the Red Sea was dryed up for their eſcape, and to prepare the way for Pharaoh's ruin: and ſignifieth, that the danger and impediments of the Chriſtians deliverance were removed, by the Overthrow of all the Idolater's Forces, the Ruin of Diocleſian, Maxim. Herculius, Galer. Maxim. Maxentius, Licinius; that ſo the Chriſtians, by and with Conſtantine, might triumph. And ſome think, it is a weakning the Roman Power, toward Euphrates, to let in the Perſians, and others, to afflict them.
13. And I ſaw three unclean ſpirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beaſt, and out of the mouth of the falſe prophet. 14. For they are the ſpirits of the devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battel of that great day of God Almighty.
13, 14. As, when Ahab was to be deſtroyed, the Devil was a lying Spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets, and bid him, Go and proſper; and Zidkiah made Horns, to ſignifie his Victory; ſo I ſaw, as it were, three Devils, like the Frogs of Egypt; or three lying Spirits, ſent by Satan, and encouraged by the Idolatrous, perſecuting Emperors, and by his flattering Oracles, Augurs, Orators, &c. to perſuade all the foreſaid Princes to fight againſt Conſtantine; eſpecially, Maxentius and Licinius; that they might fall, as Abab and Pharaoh did.
Or, ſay others, They were Popiſh Miſſionaries, and Prieſts, and Friers, ſent out by Antichriſtian, Civil Powers, and Antichriſtian Eccleſiaſtical Powers, to draw men to Popery and Idolatry, that they may be deſtroyed when God ſhall judge them. The day of God, ſome take, as before, for Conſtantine's Victories againſt Idolaters; others, for the day of the Pope's Fall; and others, for the laſt day of Judgment.
15. Behold, I come as a thief; Bleſſed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, leſt he walk naked, and they ſee his ſhame.
15. My coming will be, when men expect me not▪ Bleſſed is he that prepareth not for Shame and Confuſion, when his Sin and Hypocriſie ſhall, by my Judgment, be brought to light, by complying with the higher Powers in ſin, as thinking that I will be long in coming, to take down Sinners, and ſee up Saints.
16. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon.
16. The Devil's Prophets provoked them to gather, and fight to their deſtruction.
Note, Here the Dragon is expounded to be Devils: And this word, Devils, in this Book, uſually ſignifieth, thoſe Idols (Jupiter, Mars, Apollo, &c.) which the Romans worſhipped inſtead of God: (For Paul tells us, It was Devils that they worſhipped.) And it being the ſpirits of theſe Devils, or Heathen Idols, that are ſent out, it ſeemeth moſt probable, that it is the War with the Heathen Idolaters that is here meant. Dr. H. after Grotius, noteth that, in the Fight at Rome, Maxentius had a hundred and ſeventy thouſand Foot, and eighteen thouſand Horſe, of Romans, Italians, &c. and Conſtantine had ninety thouſand Foot, and eight thouſand Horſe, of Germans, Gauls and Britains: and that the Victory was of ſuch conſequence that, from that day, the Account of Years, by Indictions, began to commemorate the deliverance of City and Church; (which ſince, is turned into accounting from the Birth of Chriſt)
But others ſay, It is the day of the Fall of Antichriſt: And ſome ſay, Of the deſtruction of the Turks: And ſome ſay, He that gathered them together, is Chriſt, or God, by his permitting Providence, for their deſtruction.
17. And the ſeventh angel poured out his vial into the air, and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, ſaying, It is done.
17. The Angel, that poured his Vial into the Air, ſignifieth, the coming down of God's Plagues from Heaven, on the Generality of the Enemies. And the Voice out of the Temple ſignifieth, that it is done by God's Decree, for the Vindication of his holy Worſhip, and his Ch…h.
[It is done.] That is, The laſt Plague on the Roman Pharaoh is now pouring out, and he is to be drowned in the Red Sea. God's Judgments are accompliſhed for the Extirption of the Heathen Roman Empire, and the revenging the Blood of the Saints, ſhed by them. As Pharaoh's Cruel…ies increaſed, before the Iſra…lites were delivered, ſo Diocleſian made the cru…ſt Slaughters▪ before the Heathen Beaſt was to be deſtroyed: and then they were ripe, and the time was come. Or, a… others ſay, The time of the Fall of Pop…ry An…chriſt. Or, as others, The end of the World.
18. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings: and there was a great earthquake, ſuch as was not ſince men were upon the earth, ſo mighty an earthquake, and ſo great.
18. The great commotions which went to theſe great changes, and ſubverſion of the Heathen Powers, was repreſented to me, as by Thundrings, Lightnings, and the greateſt Earthquake. Say ſome, it is the changes by the Oſtrog…ths, and ſuch others: Say others, there were literally ſuch dreadful Earthquakes before Totilas took Rome: Say others, it is yet to come before Antichriſts fall: And ſay others, before the day of Judgment.
19. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell; and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceneſs of his wrath.
19. And Rome was then divided between Heathens, Chriſtians, and worldly men, that were indifferent for Religion: Or, ſay others, Heathens, Orthodox and Hereticks: It's taken from Ezek. 5. Others ſay, that literally the third part was deſtroyed by Totilas; and ſay others, by Alaricus; others ſay, it is three in relation to the three Princes, the Dragon, the Beaſts, and the falſe Prophet; others, that Antichriſt's Kingdom was falling by being divided in it ſelf.
20. And every iſland fled away, and the mountains were not found.
20. As Earthquakes ſhake Mountains and Iſlands; ſo all the Dependents of Rome fell with it.
21. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every ſtone about the weight of a talent: and men blaſphemed God becauſe of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
21. God's Executions bruiſed and broke them, as great Hail would do the tender Plants, and yet they did but blaſpheme God the more. A Talent is threſcore pound. God's Judgments purſued the ſcattered Roman Citizens, ſay ſome; the Papiſts, ſay others; and all wicked Chriſtians, ſay others.