An Appeal by the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, Part 2

An Appeal by the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ · Part 2

p. 5A Continuation of Arguments from the Spirits Speaking foreign, expreſly in Scriptures, concerning the Dead, and of Gog and Magog, by way of Further Illuſtration of the 1000 Years Kingdom.

Arg. 4.

IF it be declar'd in Plain Scripture, that the Seed of the Woman ſhall Break the Serpent's Head, as Gen. 3. 15. and that God will Bruiſe Sathan under the Saints Feet ſhortly, Rom. 16. 20. and that moſt Expreſs Prophetic Scripture tells us, that during the 1000 Years, wherein Chriſt Reigns with his Dead Saints Rais'd, Living, and Sitting on Thrones; and with his Saints, Partakers of the First Reſurrection; Sathan lyes Chain'd, Seal'd, Bound, and Impriſon'd for all that 1000 Years; All which, ſo many, and ſo Emphatical Expreſſions ſpeake the utter Impoſſibility of his Annoying the Holy City for that 1000 Years; If All this be, It is then certain, that Chriſt, as He ſhall Appear the Glorious Second Adam, the Seed of the Woman, and the Lord from Heaven alſo, hath a Kingdom of a 1000 Years; wherein as Referring to that Promiſe, Sathan, Call'd Remarkably the Old Serpent, Rev 20. 1. Lyes under Him with his Head Broken by Him; and that in this Kingdom, Coming according to the Apocalyptic Phraſe, foreign Quickly, God Bruiſes Sathan under the Saints Feet, who Reign while He is ſo Bound, and Impriſon'd theſe 1000 Years alſo.

Now that which Juſtifies the moſt Solid, and Subſtantial Senſe of Sathan's Binding, and for a 1000 Years, under an utter Impoſſibility of Annoying the Divine Kingdom for thoſe 1000 Years, is; That Both the Binding, and the 1000 Years, muſt Bear a proportion to the Looſing Sathan for a Little Seaſon after the 1000 Years Expir'd, and to the Caſting Sathan into the Lake; which muſt needs ſignifie an utter Impoſſibility of his Action, except as within his own Lake, againſt the Divine Kingdom for ever; as All muſt needs Acknowledge; If then the Binding: Chaining, Impriſoning, Sealing Sathan in ſuch an Impriſonment for a 1000 Years, Bear a proportion to the Caſting Sathan into the Lake, He muſt be under an utter Impoſſibility of Acting againſt the Beloved City, and Camp of the Saints, or the Divine Kingdom for that 1000 Years, as He ſhall be, when in the Lake to Eternity; And if the 1000 Year Bear a proportion to the Little Seaſon of his being Looſed after Them, then that Little Seaſon muſt be but a Little part of a 1000 Years.

Now who can ſay? There hath been ever yet ſuch an Efficacious Foreprizal of the Action of Sathan againſt the Beloved City, and Camp of the p. 6Saints, as will Agree with the Seed of the Woman, Breaking his Head, or God Bruiſing Sathan under the Feet of the Saints ſhortly, or with his Chaining, Impriſoning, or Sealing, ſo as to Bear a Proportion to his caſting into the Lake? Or how can the Time, viz. from Conſtantine, Generally pitch'd upon for the 1000 Years, be that Time? wherein Both Antichrist, and Mahomet, have Rag'd ſo againſt the Church of Chriſt; And how could the Time ſince thoſe 1000 Years ended, viz. about 1300 A. D. be without Great unreaſonableneſs, call'd the Time of Sathan's Looſing, which hath been the very Time of the Goſpel Riſing out of the Apoſtaſie, firſt in the Bohemian Teſtimony, and ſince by the Reformation! How can it be call'd a Little Time, compar'd with the 1000 Years? when it is almoſt Half a 1000 Years already; beſides what may be expected of ſuch a State, as the preſent is; according to ſuch Apprehenſions, as Give no Credit to the Aſſigning of any Time according to Prophecy, that might be ſhort.

I Appeal therefore to Any Conſidering Perſon, whether this be not Equal to the Spirit's ſpeaking expreſly, when by plain, and Prophetic Scripture compar'd; Chriſt ſhall have a Kingdom of a 1000 Years, which is yet to come; and that after the End of that 1000 Years Kingdom, within a very Little Time, how Little we can't expreſs, ſeeing Scripture hath not, Sathan ſhall for ever be Thrown into the Lake.

Argum. 5.

If there be a State of the Wicked, Dead before the Kingdom of Chriſt, and Deſtroyed by the Fire of his Coming; and yet Rais'd to a State of ſuffering, that according to plain Doctrinal Scripture, may be a 1000 Y. and according to Prophetic Scripture muſt be a 1000 Years, and then the Lake; Then It is certain, There is ſuch a 1000 Years Kingdom of Christ.

1. If according to both ſorts of Scripture, There muſt be a Riſing of the Wicked, or Ʋnjuſt, that have done Evil at the very ſame Time, that the Just, and that They that have done well, Ariſe, and in Conjunction with Them; and that They with Them ſhall make an Appearance before the Tribunal of Chriſt; Then that muſt be in ſome State, and for ſome Time, or ſpace of Time, whatever State, or Space that ſhall be; And ſeeing the Juſt Ariſe at the Coming of Chriſt, and at his Kingdom 1 Cor. 15. 23. The Ʋnjuſt muſt then Ariſe alſo; This being a General Principle, and Article of Faith, I only Refer to the Scriptures, moſt Evidently proving it. Eccleſ. 12. 14. Dan. 12. 2. John 5. 29. Acts 24. 15. Mat. 25. 31. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Revel. 11 18.

And according to my Judgment, when by the Sixth Voice, Rev 14. 18. (For there had been Five before it;) The Earth is Reap'd by Him, that had on his Head the Golden Crown in the Raiſing the Dead Saints, and Changing the Living; In the Seventh Voice, (by which Seven Voices in that Chap. I underſtand the Seven Thunders open'd) the Cluſters of the Vine of the Earth are Gather'd, and Thrown into the Wine-preſs of the Wrath of God; that is; The Wicked are Raiſed to Condemnation, and to Everlaſting puniſhment; which by Comparing Rev. 16. 14. and c. 19. 10. 15. is done at the Battel of Armageddon, when Chriſt with the Armies of Heaven, viz. the Raiſed Saints on White Horſes in Linnen, White and Clean, expreſſing the Purity of p. 7Spiritual Bodies of the Reſurrection, Following Him, in Righteouſneſs Judgeth, and maketh War on all the Wicked, and Treadeth the Wine-preſs of the Wrath of God, into which They are caſt.

And yet Becauſe the Wicked Riſe thus to Shame, and to Contempt, and to this Everlaſting Puniſhment, their Reſurrection is Counted, as no Reſurrection; neither in Doctrinal, nor in Prophetic Scripture: The Reſurrection Abſolutely ſpoken of, is by our Lord ſtyl'd; The Reſurrection of the Juſt, Luke 14 14. and c. 20. 36. The Children of God are only Accounted the Children of the Reſurrection: The Apoſtle Paul in thoſe Two Great Diſcourſes of the Reſurrection, 1 Cor. 15. and 1 Theſſ 4. 13. ſo Frames the Doctrine of it, as to Apply it only to the Saints, who are Chriſts at his Coming, and to the We All of the Saints Changed, v. 23. v. 51. 52. and to Thoſe whoſe who Sleep in, or through Jeſus, Riſing firſt, and to the Living, the Remaining, who are Chang▪d in the ſame Moment with the Saints Rais'd; afterward, viz. the 1000 Years after, Caught up to Them, and into a Like State with Them, 1 Theſſ. 4. 13. &c. and ſo the Apoſtle Leaves the Wicked wholly out in Both.

Agreeably Prophecy, as if They were not Rais'd, calls the Remnant, Slain with the Sword of Him that Sat on the Horſe, Rev. 19. 21. as in that very word, the Reſt, or Remnant, (and in the ſame Senſe with Slain) of the Dead, c. 20: 5. viz. The Remnant, or Reſt, becauſe not caſt into the Lake, as the Beaſt, and Falſe Prophet, but only Slain; The Dead, becauſe Slain, and neither Saints of the Firſt Reſurrection, nor Saints Partakers of it; Both which Lived, and Reigned with Chriſt a 1000 Years; But the Dead Lived not for the 1000 Years, that the Saints Reigned; and yet to ſhew They were an Appendage to the Firſt Reſurrection as Rais'd, though but to Death; till They were nam'd, It is not ſaid, This is the Firſt Reſurrection, Then it is, and They are ſet in the middle of both ſorts of Saints; What Greater Evidence can there be of the 1000 Years Kingdom, then the plain Scriptures, Leaving the Wicked out of the High Diſcourſes of the Reſurrection, and Prophecy in Agreement, calling them the Dead, as neither Principals, nor Partakers of the First Reſurrection, but Aſſigning one and the ſame 1000 Years, to the State of the Principals, to the State of the Dead not Living, and to the Partakers in the Firſt Reſurrection, and the Reign with Chriſt Concurrent with it!

Argum. 6.

If Gog and Magog can by Scripture be Cleared to be theſe very Dead, ſlain with the Sword of Chriſt's Mouth, and ſo in the State of the Dead the 1000 Years, and then making their laſt Attempt, and ſo caſt into the Lake; This will ſtill Compleat the proof of the 1000 Years Kingdom; But there will be Found a Cloud of both Witneſſes, Prophetical and Doctrinal Scripture Probabilities; and one Great Proof of Scripture Doctrinal, and Prophetical Compar'd, that will conclude, it muſt be ſo.

Let then the Scripture Correſpondencies, both Prophetical firſt, to which this Figure firſt belongs, and then the Doctrinal be juſt nam'd, as Probabilities, and then the more concluſive Argument weigh'd. The p. 8Firſt Rudiments of this Image are Found in Ezekiel, which, whatever Litteral Senſe it may have, ſerves this Apocalyptical Image, with theſe Great Correſpondencies: 1. Gog Magog is a Confluence of Nations: 2. They Appear in Battel: 3. They come up againſt a People Reſcued from the Sword, and of Ʋnwall▪d Villages: 4. The Vengeance and Fury of God comes up as in his Face upon Them: 5. Their Death, and Graves are made moſt Monumental. Ezek. c. 38. c 39. Proportionably in the Revelation; Although Their Name is Conceal'd in the Firſt; Yet I lay their Appearance both in the Battle of Armageddon, c. 6. 14. &c. and in this Battle, wherein They are named, c. 20. 8 &c. and ſo firſt they are a confluence of Nations, the Kings, and the whole World, c. 16. Kings, Captains Great Small, c. 19. 18. &c. Gather'd under the Beaſt, and Falſe Prophet Both, and under the Dragon, by Spirits of Devils, c. 16. But when the Beaſt and Falſe Prophet were caſt into the Lake, c. 19. They are Rallied under the Dragon, Sathan only, c. 20. and their Number, to ſhew their Confluence is as the Sand of the Sea; Their City being a Hammonah, as Ezek. 39. 16. 2. Their Appearing in Battle is plain, and it is their Appearance under the mighty Efficacy of Spirits of Devils, or Sathan, in all their Malice againſt the Divine Kingdom. 3. They come againſt the Kings of the Eaſt, viz. (as I underſtand) the Saints, the Living, the Remaining, Reſcued from the Sword of Him that ſat on the Horſe, and on Ʋnwalled Cities, viz. theſe Saints, before the New Jeruſalem came down, and now again after the 1000 Years, when the New Jeruſalems Glory, as Walls and Bulwarks of Salvation was Retir'd. 4. The Vengeance of God is alike deſcrib'd every where, Ezek. 38. 21. &c. Sword, Fire, and Hail, Rev. c. 16. c 19. Fire, c. 20. 5. 9. As their Graves in their Hamon-Gog, and Hammonah, are Ezek. 39. ſo Their being Slain, call▪d the Dead, caſt into the Lake, is in the Revelation

The Correſpondencies of Doctrinal, and Prophetic Scripture Inducing a probability, that Gog Magog are the Wicked rais▪d, are, that there is a diſtance of Time between the Enemies of Chriſt, being made his Footſtool, and their being Finally deſtroy'd: The Man of ſin made up of the Beaſt, and Falſe Praphet, 2 Theſſ. 2. 3. Rev 17. 8. 11. c. 19. 21 goes firſt into Perdition, and is caſt into the Lake at Chriſt's very Appearance, no Antichriſtian Church, or Kingdom being any more poſſible; But the Three other Great Enemies of Chriſt, Sathan, Wicked Men, Hell and Death are firſt the Footſtool of Chriſt, according to Pſal. 110. Heb. 1 13. c. 10. 13. All Rule, Authority and Power are not Finally deſtroy'd, or under the Catargeſis, till the very End; Death is the Laſt Enemy, ſo deſtroyed juſt before the Kingdom Given up, 1 Cor. 15. 24, 26. And the very date of this Time is, when the We of All of Saints, the Living, the Remaining are caught up to Chriſt into a like State with the Saints raiſed Firſt with Him in the Clouds, and ſo put on Abſolute Immortality, and Incorruption; Then the Triumphal Song over Dearh is ſung; and ſo All Saints are ever with the Lord in the Clouds, or Air of the New Heaven, and in the Kingdom deliver'd up to God All in All. 1 Cor. 15. 51. &c. 1 Theſſ. 4. 13. The Occaſion of the Great p. 9Miſtake in this matier is, that the Changing, and the being caught up, are not diſtinguiſh'd; The changing into Bodies of Paradiſe, or of a Participation of the Firſt Reſurrection, is indeed at the ſame Moment with the Saints riſing Firſt; There is an Epita, an Afterward of a 1000 Years, before They are caught up.

According to this, The Enemies of Chriſt, as the Footſtool of his Feet, Bear up the State of his Sitting on the Throne for the 1000 Years, viz. Sathan Chain'd, Bonnd, Impriſon'd, and Seal'd up. The Wicked, as Gog Magog in ſuch an Infinite Number, Exil'd in the Four corners of the New Earth, Appear, but cannot ſtir againſt the Beloved City, and Camp of the Saints for the 1000 Years: Death, as not caſt into the Lake, hath an Appearance, and a poſſibility of Action, in that the Living Remaining Saints, in having but a part, and not the Full yet in the Firſt Reſurrection, have not put on Immortality and Incorruption; yet ſo Heal'd with the Leaves of the Tree of Life, They ſhall not dye; Death cannot Faſten, though It ſhews its Fangs. When Chriſt does, as it were, Take off his Feet from his Footſtool; from all his Three Enemies, in order to Give up the Kingdom, They Every one Riſe, as into Action; Sathan the Prince, the Gog Magog, the Dead under Him, viz. Condemn'd, and ſo in the State of Death; and Death and Hell under their Prince; All theſe move to their utmoſt Activity againſt the Holy City, but as in Anticipation to the Lake, or a preſent Deſcription of it, Fire comes down from Heaven; Sathan long ago Condemn'd is without any New Judgment caſt into the Lake: The Judgment of Gog Magog the Dead, from all the Receptacles of Death, is Recollected, and Ratified in their being All Judg▪d: And Death and Hell are caſt into the Lake with Them. This is the Final Catargeſts, deſtroying, and putting All the Enemies of Chriſt, that had been his Footſtool the 1000 Y. quite Below under his Feet.

The Concluſive Argument from the Compare of Doctrinal and Prophetical Scripture, That Gog Magog are the wicked dead rais'd, is this; According to all Scripture, the Wicked are Rais'd with the Servants of Chriſt, all at a Time; The Reſurrection is yet peculiar to the Saints, Becauſe the Wicked are Rais'd to Condemnation, and ſo to Death. All Ʋngodly Men, whether Dead before, or Found Alive at Chriſt's Coming, are under the Perdition of the Fire of the Day of Judgment, and of Chriſt's coming; according to the Apoſtle Peter, Ep. 2. c. 37. according to the Apoſtle Paul, 2 Theſſ. 1. 8. and ſo There are none, The Living, The Remaining, but Saints. Then according to Prophecy, whatever is not Partaker of the Firſt Reſurrection, to which, nothing is Second, but the Second death, muſt be under that Second Death, Beginning with that very Firſt Reſurrection; ſo the Wicked dead rais'd, not partaking of that Firſt Reſurrection, Immediately Begin to have their part in the Lake, which is the Second death, though not caſt into it, Revel. 21. 8. as the Living Saints in the Firſt Reſurrection, though not caught up into it; Gog Magog then call'd the Nations, and in ſo vaſt a Number as the Sand of the Sea, muſt be the Dead, having their part, though p. 10not the full in the Lake; For there are no Earth none elſe but the Nations of the ſaved; But Gog does not for the 1000 Years Annoy the Holy City, being Exil'd in the Four corners, even as the Wine-preſs is Trod 1600 Furlongs without the Holy City, or Camp; ſhewing the Four ſquare Vengenance, Iſſuing from the Four ſquare Holy City, on the Wicked without it, The Saints above Equal to Angels, with the Lamb, Behold their Torment, and are Satisfied with their Fleſh, viz. Rejoyce in the Vengeance; The Saints below, as it were Burying Gog, Ez. 39. 11, 12. in Iſrael, nigh the Holy City, go out to Behold their Carcaſes; For without are Thoſe Dogs, Going round about this City, Eſay. 66. 24. Pſal. 59 14. Rev. 14. 20. c. 22. 15.

Concerning the Gog Magog, as the Dead Rais'd to Comdemnation, I have this Remarquable to Add, that when at the Final Doom, They are ſaid to ſtand before God, Rev. 20. 21. The Earth is not ſaid to Give up any Dead. The Sea had (as Grotius and Piſcator Render it) Given up its Dead long before, viz. at the Beginning of the 1000 Years; when, as hath been prov'd, the New Heaven and New Earth entred, and There was no more Sea: Why then does not the Earth give up its Dead, as well as the Sea? viz. Becauſe the Sea giving up its Dead, wh… the Old Earth Burnt, became in its Four corners The Common Death, or State of the Dead, and the Hades, or Hell of Them: So Hades, or Hell, and Death Alone, Give… up the Dead, and are caſt with Them into the Lake. This Aſſures, Earth is not meant by Death and Hades; except the Old, as Burnt, and Becoming the Seat of the Dead, and ſo caſt into one Common Lake: For when Gog came on the New Earth to Cover it, Fire from Heaven then Reſcued that Earth, and devour'd Them; So Death and Hades, or Hell, had all the Dead, for the Sea had before Given up its Dead to that Hades, Death and Hell, which is the Hamon Gog, or Hammonah of Gog Magog, Slain, and Buried in Iſrael, viz. without the Gate, and Camp of the Holy City, as Malefactors of Old: Sathan, for whom the Lake was firſt prepar'd, is caſt into it, without the Formality of a Judgment, as to his own place; The Dead; on whom the Judgment was at the 1000 Years Begun, is at their end Compleated. The New Jeruſalem, Seated in the New Heaven, and New Earth, upon their Flying, Re-Aſcends to God, from whom it Deſcended; So the Kingdom is deliver'd up to God All in All, and the Saints are for ever with the Lord, with God in Chriſt.

THE END.