A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Revelation · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
1. ANd I ſaw an Angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomleſs pit, and a great chain in his hand. 2. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old ſerpent, which is the devil & Satan, and bound him a thouſand years, 3. And caſt him into the bottomleſs pit, and ſhut him up, and ſet a ſeal upon him, that he ſhould deceive the nations no more, till the thouſand years ſhould be fulfilled: and after that, he muſt be looſed a little ſeaſon.
1, 2, 3. And as for the notice of the ſtate of the Church after the extirpation of the Pagan Empire and Idolatry, it was ſhewed me under the appearance of an Angel coming from Heaven with power to reſtrain the Devil, and he laid hold on him, and impriſoned, and ſurely ſhut him up▪ as in a bottomleſs Pit, that he might deceive the Nations now turned to Chriſt, no more for a thouſand years (or a long time:) But then he will be permitted a little while, to deceive many Churches.
Note; Satan ever ſince, to this day, hath kept about four parts of ſix of the World in Heatheniſm; ſo that it muſt be the World then under the Roman Empire that he is bound from deceiving. Whether a thouſand years be tak…n ſtrictly, or fo… a long time, is uncertain: Some take it to be a promiſe of his 1000 years reſtraint after the Fall of the Pagan Empire; and many, for 1000 years after the Fall of the Papacy. The former think it is all paſt; the laſt (moſtly) think it is all yet to come, but ſome, that it began 1560. It is not a promiſe that Satan ſhall not, in that thouſand years, corrupt the Chriſtian Church with any great ſin, but that he ſhall not ſeduce them from Chriſtianity, till after a thouſand years. Juſt at, or about, that ſpace of time, Mahometaniſm, which began farther off, about 606, did invade the Eaſtern Churches, and overcome the Chriſtian Powers, and ſet up a falſe Prophet, an Enemy to Chriſt, and bring Chriſtianity into captivity and ſcorn.
4. And I ſaw thrones, and they ſat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I ſaw the ſouls of them that were beheaded for the Witneſs of Jeſus, and for the word of God, and which had not worſhipped the beaſt, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Chiriſt a thouſand years.
4. And the happy following ſtate, of the Church, was further repreſented to me by the appearance of Thrones, where men ſate in Judgment, ſhewing the dominion of Chriſtians over their Enemies. And I thought I ſaw the Souls of the Martyrs, whom the Pagans murdered, and not only of them, but of all ſound Chriſtians, who had abſtained from all participation in the Pagan Idolatry, and they lived and reigned, as ſuperior to their Enemies, with Chriſt, the King of the Church, a thouſand years.
Note; Here is no talk of the Bodies Reſurrection, but the Souls living and reigning with Chriſt: And it ſeemeth to mean, that as the Souls of the Faithful live and reign with Chriſt in Heaven, for duration; ſo the Succeſſors of ſuch ſhall partake on Earth of ſuch a Reign, as Chriſt will exerciſe in his Church: And if yet many corruptions and troubles conſiſt in this imperfect ſtate, with Chriſt's own Reign in the Soul, and in the Church, why may it not conſiſt with this promiſed Reign of Saints in the Empire over Pagans? As Chriſt's Reign here is more or leſs prevalent againſt publick ſin, ſo ſhall their participation with him be. Both heavenly and Earthly Reign ſeem here ſpoken of: the firſt, as in reality, though, in the Viſion, but to ſhew the other.
5. But the reſt of the dead lived not again until the thouſand years were finiſhed. This is the firſt reſurrection. 6. Bleſſed and holy is he that hath part in the firſt reſurrection: on ſuch the ſecond death hath no power, but they ſhall be prieſts of God, and of Chriſt, and ſhall reign with him a thouſand years.
5, 6. The reſt of the dead, even the ſubdued Pagans, (or Papiſts, ſay others.) were kept as in a ſtate of death, out of power, till the Dragon revived their power again a thouſand years after. Happy are the holy Chriſtians, who ſhall be partakers in the priviledges, bleſſings and comforts of this delivered and advanced Church; they ſhall no more fall under the Pagan Power (or Papal, ſay others,) not partake with them of that utter deſtruction, which is as a ſecond death: Even as holy Souls, with Chriſt in Heaven, have these the ſtate of a firſt Reſurrection before the Body riſe, and are ſecured from the condemnation of the wicked.
7. And when the thouſand years are expired, Satan ſhall be looſed out of his priſon, 8. And ſhall go out to deceive the nations, which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battel: the number of whom is as the ſand of the ſea.
7, 8. There are ſeveral Expoſitions of this; ſome ſay that, by the Thouſand years, is meant preciſely that time, which fell out either from Conſtantine's Edict 611. till the Turks ſubdued Greece; or from Alaricus's ſacking Rome, till the Turks took Conſtantinople: And that the Fall of the Eaſtern Churches, under the Infidel Power, was the letting looſe of Satan: Others ſay, that a thouſand years ſignifieth only a long undeterminate time, and that it was the Churches proſperity, till the Papacy corrupted all, and tyrannized. Others ſay, it was a thouſand years before Antichriſt ſhould come: Others, that it will be a thouſand years after the Fall of the Papacy, in which Religion ſhall flouriſh under holy Princes and Paſtors: Others, that after the Fall of the Papal Antichriſt, Chriſt will viſibly return, and ſe…t up a holy Kingdom, whoſe chief Seat ſhall be at Jeruſalem.
Some ſay, that it will be a Reſurrection of Bodies; ſome only Political. Some ſay, that the Thouſand years began at Chriſt's Birth, or at the Apoſtles Preaching: Others, at the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, and ended about Hildebrand's time. Some (as before ſaid) at Conſtantine's Empire, and ended at Boniface the 8, that killed the Albigenſes, &c. Others, that it began at 1560. He that knoweth which of theſe is the right, let him tell it, for I do not. By Gog and Magog many underſtand the Turks; others, all ſorts of Chriſt's Enemies: Whoever they be, a War they will attempt againſt the Church, and will be overthrown.
9. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compaſſed the camp of the ſaints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
9. This Text ſeemeth the hardeſt of all the reſt: Thoſe that ſay, the holy City is Conſtantinople; ſome of them are put to ſay, that Gog and Magog's deſtruction, as by fire, is yet to come: But the Text ſeemeth to ſpeak of it, as done before they could take the City. Others ſay, it was Tamerlane, (an Infidel, and therefore ſent, from God, againſt his own inclination:) that raiſed Bajazet's Siege, and carried him about in a Cage of Iron in ſcorn, till he wilfully daſht out his own brains; and ſo Andronicus was delivered. Others refer it to Baldwin's, and other Chriſtians taking Conſtantinople, againſt the Turkiſh Power: But becauſe the Turks after took it, theſe ſeem not to agree with the Text. Others think it is a War yet to come, ſay ſome, at Jeruſalem, which ſhall by Chriſt be made the holy City, or his Chief Royal Seat; and there will be his Thouſand years Reign on E…rth. Others take the Holy City to mean the Reformed Churches, which ſhall again be aſſaulted by all ſorts of Enemies, before the day of Judgment. And ſome take the Camp of the Saints, and the Beloved City, to be the ſeven Aſian Churches to whom John wrote. Whatever it be, if it be paſt, I underſtand not what, or when it was; if it be to come, time muſt expound it. In general it is ſure, that Enemies will oft aſſault the Church, and God will defend it.
10. And the devil, that deceived them, was caſt into the lake of fire and brimſtone, where the beaſt and the falſe prophet are, and ſhall be tormented day and night, for ever and ever.
10. When Chriſt hath delivered his Church from Pagan Cruelty, the ſame Dragon, or Devil, will ſeek new Inſtruments to aſſault it, from age to age, and moſt notably at the laſt: But he ſhall be conquered after all, and be caſt out into torment, as the Pagan Powers and Deceivers were.
11 And I ſaw a great white throne, and him that ſat on it, from whoſe face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them.
11. Some think that this ſpeaketh not of the day of Judgment, but of the calling of the Jews: And ſome think the meaning is, that when Chriſt ſets up the Thouſand years refined Church, (by a Reſurrection, and his viſible preſence, ſay ſome; or by a holy Government and People, and Deliverance from Enemies, ſay others,) both the Power of Infidels, (Turks and Heathens,) which are meant by the Earth; and the Corrupted Church, (both Papal and Greek, &c. meant by Heaven) ſhall all vaniſh, that the holy City may take place. But moſt ſay, it deſcribeth the day of Judgment.
12. And I ſaw the dead, ſmall and great, ſtand before God: and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of thoſe things, which were written in the books, according to their works.
12. When Chriſt hath overcome his Churches Enemies, he will judge the World, and the book of their own doings and Conſciences ſhall be opened; and alſo Gods book of Life, (the Scripture or Goſpel Law,) ſay ſome, which is the Rule of Judgment; or the book of Gods Decree, ſay others, in which all are enrolled that ſhall be ſaved. And they ſhall be judged according to their works, the matter of Fact being recorded in their book, and the matter of right in Gods Law, and the concluſion in his Decree: To be judged according to their works, is to be then juſtified, or condemned, as they have ſincerely kept Chriſt's Law of Grace, by which they ſhall be tryed; or have not kept it, by Faith, Repentance, and ſincere Obedience, the condition of Salvation..
13. And the ſea gave up her dead which were in it: and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
13. All that were any way dead, were judged according to their works, by the Law that they were under.
14. And death and hell were caſt into the lake of fire: this is the ſecond death. 15. And whoſoever, was not found written in the book of life, was caſt into the lake of fire.
14, 15. And death and Hades, that is, Mortality, ſhall to his Saints be by Chriſt for ever aboliſhed, or, as ſome take it, thoſe wicked men, that death and hell ſhall deliver up to Judgment, ſhall be caſt into hell fire. This utter abolition, (or this damnation,) is called the ſecond death. And whoſoever hath not right to Salvation, by the Goſpel Covenant, or Law of grace, and is not by God enrolled among the Heirs of Life, was caſt into the Lake of fire.
Mr. Potter, and many others, expound all this confidently, (and the two following Chapters,) of Chriſts judging, and rewarding, and puniſhing, men in this Life: But others as confidently, of the Life to come. Though this make the Text difficult, it maketh no great doctrinal controverſie; both being commonly believed.