Good Things to Come, Part 2 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Containing, the holding forth, that the righteous living and remaining at the coming of the Lord Chriſt: changed in a moment. In ſpecial, the Iſraelites, the ſeed of Abraham, will be the inhabitants of the new earth, and habitable world to come, with ſome ſcriptures diſcuſſed, that ſeem plainly to ſpeak it forth.
THat there will be a new earth: and an habitable world to come; ſomething hath been ſayd before: and that the righteous alive, at the coming of the Lord; then, changed in a moment, ſhall be the inhabitants of it; not excluding the raiſed then living in the body again.
We ſhall now dilate a little, by way of enquirie; what the holy ſcriptures ſpeak, and hold forth concerning the ſame. Firſt, the Apoſtle Peter, 2. Peter. 3. 13. ſpeaking of the hebrews, commonly called Jewes: who are ſaid, to be the firſt in order, Rom. 1. 16. chap. 2. 10. To every man [found] working good, glory honor and peace; to the Jew firſt, and alſo [or after] to the gentile. It was ſo, in regard of the offer of grace and ſalvation: it is very like, it will be ſo then: Peter he ſayth, we, according to his promiſe, look for a new heaven, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteouſneſs, or righteous men and women, according as the prophet Iſaiah ſaith, Iſa. 60. 21. 22. Thy people alſo ſhall be all righteous: they ſhall inherit the land for ever [to wit, the land of promiſe, the land of Canaan]: a little one ſhall become a thouſand, and a ſmall one a ſtrong nation [a nation born in one day] I the Lord will haſten it in his time: when the redeemer ſhall come [again] to Sion, and all Iſrael ſhall be ſaved, which ſhall more fully be fulfilled at the time of their being ſo changed, in a moment, as declared by him. And on the other ſide, holy John tells us, Rev. 21. 27. There ſhall in no wiſe enter into it, [to wit the holy city] any thing that defileth [or is unclean] neither whatſoever worketh abomanation, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the lambs book of life: thoſe ſhall dwell in Gods mountain, then, or his hill, Pſal. 15. 1. namely thoſe raiſed, and changed ones; not excluding the children of the reſurrection. The Lord Chriſt ſhall ſend forth his Angels, and they ſhall gather together his elect from the four winds from the uttermoſt part of the earth, to the uttermoſt part of heaven, Mark. 13. 27. Very like to be made good in theſe changed ones, not excluding the raiſed. And that this will be made good then, ſee that in the fore going verſe, And then ſhall they ſee the ſon of man coming in the clouds, with great power, and glory; comporting with this. And that, in a ſpecial wiſe, it relates to them, take we knowledge of that, in Zech. 10. 6. 8. 9. 10. which as to its more full and through fulfilling, ſeems in my apprehenſion to eye that time. This ſeeing of the ſon of man at his coming, may minde us of that of our Lord Chriſt, Math. 23. 39. Ye ſhall not ſee me henceforth, till we ſhall ſay, bleſſed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: when every eye ſhall ſee him, and they alſo which peirced him, Rev. 1. 7.
Further we may take notice what Ezekiel holds forth Ezek. 36. Ezek. 37. In the 36th chapter, He declares the great diſpleaſure of God, againſt his people, the children of Iſrael; and ſpeaks of great calamitie that had been upon them; the heathen people being the inſtruments in Gods hand, who dealt cruelly with them: and that, when God hath pitty upon them, and returns to them, to take them again to be his people, then he would cauſe his fury againſt thoſe enemies to break forth, and they ſhould bear their ſhame and puniſhment: this from the 1. to the end of the 7th. vers.
Then followeth very high and great promiſes, vers. 8. 9. For behold, I am for you, and will turn unto you, &c. vers. 10. And I will multiply men upon you; all the houſe of Iſrael, &c. vers. 11. And I will multiply upon you, man and beaſt, and ſettle you after your old eſtates, and will do better unto you, then at your beginnings, &c. And ſo goeth on to the 16th. verſe, in a promiſſary way. Where the prophet begins again a further relation of their ſin, and the wrath that attends: and the reaſon of the ſtop and ſtaying of their miſery; namely, the pitty, and compaſſion he had to them, and the regard he had to the honor of his great name. Vers. 24. God ſpeaks of gathering Iſrael from all countries, and bringing them to their own land, the iniquity of it being removed in one day. And vers 25. and 29. he ſpeaks of full cleanſing promiſed. vers 26. a new heart promiſed, and a new ſpirit to be given: the ſtony heart to be taken away, and a heart of fleſh given. [corruption wholly put off, and incorruption put on: a great change, indeed; much the ſame we are treating of] vers. 27. I will put my ſpirit within you, and cauſe you to walk in my ſtatutes. Verſe 28. And ye ſhall dwell in the land, that I gave to your fathers, [which land ſhall have the iniquity of it, removed in one day]. And ye ſhall be my people, and I will be your God: The fulneſs of the bleſſing of the new covenant. See what followeth to the end of the chapter and weigh the whole.
Chapter 37. Firſt, we have that of the dry bones, ſet together with fleſh and ſynews, and covered with skin, and life breathed into them, with the interpretation of it, vers. 11, 12, 13, 14. Theſe bones, are the whole houſe of Iſrael. The opening of graves, as to the full, or utmoſt fulfilling of it, ſeemeth to eye the reſurrection.
We have likewiſe, the two ſticks, made one: to wit, Iſrael, and Judah made one, as vers. 17. explained in vers. 21. behold, I will take the children of Iſrael from among the heathen whither they be gone, and will gather them on every ſide, and bring them into their own land, vers. 22. And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Iſrael, and one king ſhall be king to them all: and they ſhall no more be two nations, neither ſhall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. Then in vers. 23. There is the promiſe of preſervation from pollution: the promiſe of full cleanſing; of full ſalvation and being kept in that happy condition they were changed into: and God to be their God, and they his people. And, as in vers. 24. David, Gods ſervant, to be king over them, and they to have one ſhepheard.
Then followeth, that very obſervable, and remarkable vers 25. And they ſhall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my ſervant, wherein your fathers have dwelt [to wit, the land of Canaan] and they ſball dwell therein, even they and their children, and their childrens children for ever, and my ſervant David ſhall be their prince for ever. We may take knowledge of the great thing in verſ. 26. and to the end of the chapter: as firſt, a covenant of peace, God will make with them then, [for a thouſand years only? no:] it ſhall be everlaſting, comporting with Pſa. 72. 7. In his days ſhall the righteous flouriſh: and abundance of peace, ſo long as the moon endureth: God will ſet his ſanctuary in the midſt of them for evermore. And as verſe 17. He will have his Tabernacle amongſt them, as ſometime he had of old, wherein the glory of God was, and a cloud covering of it; and as it ſhall be when the new heavens and the new earth take place; which holy John in Rev. 21. 3. holds forth with a behold, as a great thing: behold the Tabernacle of God is with men; relating to the ſame time: a great thing, for God to dwell with men on earth, as once he did, and will do again then: and further, God be their God, and they his people, in a very eminent manner, which crowns the whole. And then, as in vers. 28. The heathens [the unſaved of the nations] ſhall know Gods favour and goodneſs to Iſrael, and that it is he that doth ſanctifie them, when his ſanctuary ſhall be in the midſt of them for evermore. In chap. 36. 11. God ſayth, he will do better for them then at their beginning: when they enjoyed ſo great things by vertue of his preſence with them: ſo as this prophecy clearly relates to the Iſraelites, and by any thing yet appearing; it hath never been made good and performed ſince Ezekiells time. There was never ſuch gathering, and bringing out of their graves: never ſuch uniting, as one nation: nor have they had ſince his time, one king over them ſo united. David [to wit, Chriſt] Gods ſervant, hath never been king or prince over them: never did they enjoy ſuch an happy and bleſſed eſtate: never did they and their children, and their childrens children dwell in the promiſed land for ever: neither was Gods ſanctuary and Tabernacle planted in the midſt of them, ſince Ezekiels time, to this day. All muſt be fulfilled and made good, ſo declared by Ezekiel, without the leaſt fayler. And although much of this may be fulfilled before, and more eſpecially when the Jewes are returned to their own land and converted, yet there is no time ſo likely for it to have its full and utmoſt fulfilling, as at the coming of the redeemer, When all Iſrael ſhall be ſaved: at that happy time of the reſtoration of all things, which God hath ſpoken, &c. In the time of the new earth, the dwelling of the righteous, and ſaved people: in the world to come; wherein there will be incorruption, and immortalitie, and everlaſting life. And if any ſhall think, it may have its fulfilling ſooner, even in this day and in this world, and eſpecially before the time comes of the Jewes return and converſion, and ſhall think to make it out by allegoriſing, and a ſpiritual meaning, and ſaying, that all, or moſt of this is come, and done already, within them; ſo drawing a vale over this great prophecy, it will ſignifie little: for that no happy attainer ſooner, will any wayes hinder the full and final fulfilling then: all other fulfillings falling ſhort of that time, in compariſon will be imperfect, and one jot, or title muſt not fail thereof.
That in Rev. 7. ſeemeth very much the ſame, and to comport with what we have been treating of before; concerning the changed in a moment: and theſe ſo ſealed; as likely to be one and the ſame: and concurring alſo in the time, in order to the things attending the coming of the Lord Chriſt; and in holding forth the firſt-ſhip or preheminence of the Iſraelites the ſeed of Abraham.
It is declared, that an Angel having the ſeal of the living God: [the Apoſtle Paul tells us what that ſeal is, 2. Tim. 2. 19.] this Angel vers. 2. he cryeth to the Four Angels appointed to hurt the earth, to forbear the doing of it, till he had ſealed the ſervants of God in their forheads: ſo, as being ſealed [or marked] in their foreheads, they thus might be known, at leaſt, to the Angels that were to hurt the earth. The words are, hurt not the earth, neither the ſea, nor the trees [the words are ſhort, but very comprehenſive] till we have ſealed the ſervants of our God in their foreheads. This hurting the earth, in my apprehenſion, is likely to relate to that great burning ſpoken of at the end of the world, and the judgements that ſhould attend it, before and after: it being like the proceed, Ezek. 9. 4. of marking the mourners, before the going forth of the Angel to deſtroy. And being compared with that, in Rev. 22. 4. It will inform us where and when this ſealing and marking will be, In the earth, at the great burning of the then world, at the coming of the Lord Chriſt, and the reſtoration, and new earth, as before.
Holy John. Vers. 4. Having heard the number; declares it, to be One hundred and fourty and four thouſand, in the whole ſum of them ſo ſealed, or marked, to be as before. And that number was made up of all the tribes of Iſrael: twelve thouſand of every tribe: wherein, there is much of union: one nation then: and there is much of equalitle: it ſeemeth to eye that of Ezekiel, about the dividing the inheritance by Lot, in the holy land, to all the tribes, as ſet forth, in Ezek. 48. very conſiderable: but dark as yet: and alſo it ſpeaks forth, that preheminence will be to Iſrael Gods nation: they as Noah, and his family, were of the old world, and were reſerved, to be the firſt inhabitants of this preſent world: ſo thoſe then ſealed and not dying but living, are thoſe that ſhall be the inhabitants of, and have preheminence (above the gentile believers, then living and changed and alſo partakers thereof) in the world to come: and ſo be alive in both, as Noah, and his family were. Not hereby excluding the raiſed ſaints from their great intereſt and ſhare therein, then: it being ſayd, vers. 9. After this I beheld, and to, a great multitude, which no man could number [hapily the gentle believers then changed: and all that have ſlept in Chriſt ſince the creation, and fall] of all nations, and kinreds, and people, and tongues, ſtood before the throne, and before the lamb, clothed with white Robes, [they had changed, and put off the old robes of corruption: and put on new, of incorruption, and purity] and had Palms in their hands. [Much felicity, and abundance of peace, Pſal. 72. 7.] and as followeth, vers. 10. They cryed with a loud voice, ſaying, ſalvation to our God, which ſitteth upon the throne, and unto the lamb.
Of the ſealed ones we reade again in the 14th. chapter vers. 1. And I looked, and lo, a lamb [to wit, the Lord Chriſt] ſtood on the mount Sion [whether the redeemer will come] and with him an hundred, fourty and four thouſand, having his fathers name written in their foreheads. By the way, we may take knowledge, that ſealing on the forehead, and writing on the forehead, and marking on the foreheads are one, and the ſame. Vers. 2. and I heard a voice from heaven [for the company were on earth:] much joy and gladnes manifeſted by them: for, vers. 3. They ſang as it were a new ſong before the throne, and before the four Beaſts [or living creatures] and the elders; in that great aſſembly, of the one hundred fourty and four thouſand, ſo ſealed; and having the fathers name written in their foreheads. Further, which were redeemed from the earth, being found alive at the coming of the Lord Chriſt, according to the miſtery ſhewed by holy Paul. It is not ſayd, out of their graves, but from the earth, where the burning was: as to that of coming forth of the grave, ſee that of our Lord; Joh. 5. 28. 29. All that are in the graves ſhall come forth. The ſong that they ſung, none could learn, but they, and haply ſuch as they were. The cauſe or reaſon, why they could not, I ſhall forbear by way of aſſay to ſhew: it is ſayd, none could learn that ſong: haply not ſo as to expreſſe it, not ſo as to underſtand it or ſing it; it being a peculiar, like the white ſtone, with the new name in it, which none knows but they that have it: it being a peculiar to himſelf, that hath it. Rev. 2. 17.
In vers. 4. There is a deſcription of them, they are ſuch, as were not defiled with women: the corruption that came by Eve and all her daughters: they were rid of, and freed from; having put off corruption. They are ſaid to be virgins, in a pure virgin ſtate. And they are ſuch as attend the lamb, and follow him whitherſoever he goeth. As in his providences, keeping faithful to him and his truths before: ſo when he is come down among men on earth the ſecond time, in power and great glory. Further, it is ſaid, theſe were redeemed from among men. As from the fear and favour of men before: ſo hapily, at the burning, being marked, or ſealed for preſervation: taken, one of two in the field: at the mill: (women, as well as men) and in the bed: as is ſaid, one ſhall be taken and the other left, being, it may be, ſealed, or marked in the foreheads before; a very great thing! And they are ſaid to be the firſt-fruits to God and to the lamb: the firſt-fruits to God; of his bleſſed deſigne, of reſtoring ſome of Adams fallen poſteritie to their former happy eſtate and condition, then fully perfected and finiſhed, for his praiſe and glory; that, as his ſervants they ſhould ſerve him. They are the firſt-fruits to the lamb: namely, of the travel of his ſoul, Iſa. 53. 11. In his great humiliation he took on him the firſt-fruits of his purchaſe, and full redemption: the firſt fruits of his conqueſt, and ſaving to the uttermoſt, Heb. 7. 25. So as that may be minded here as being then fully fulfilled, Rev. 12. 10. Now is come ſalvation, and ſtrength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Chriſt, &c. to wit, full and perfect ſalvation of the ſpirit, ſoul, and body; the whole man: that of regeneration and the life of faith, was a kind of firſt fruits: and mens imbracing and believing the Goſpel is ſo called alſo, Rom. 16. 5. 1. Cor. 16. 15. Rom. 8. 23. But theſe of the changed ſealed ones; are the firſt fruits to God, and the lamb in a more eminent wiſe: the miſtery of God and of Chriſt as to mans reſtoration and full redemption and ſalvation to the uttermoſt and bleſſednes; being then fully finiſhed and made good, Rev. 10. 7. A new virginſtate then, (not hereby excluding what of that kinde may be before, as the forerunner of it) without defilement ſpot or ſtain: fitted to attend and follow the lamb, and to ſerve him.
Laſtly vers. 5. it is ſaid, in their mouth was found no guile: [no hypocriſie then, and further it is ſaid] for they are without fault [or blame] before the throne of God. All ſpots, ſtains, and corruption being off and done away; the deſign and undertaking of our Lord Chriſt, which coſt him ſo dear a price as his own bloud, being then fully accompliſhed: Ephes. 5. 27. to preſent his Church to himſelf, blameleſſe, without ſpot or wrinkle, or any ſuch thing: but holy, and without blemiſh, or fault.
What hath been ſaid concerning the ſealed and changed ones, hath not been intended in the leaſt in an excluſive way, to the prejudice of the children of the reſurrection or raiſed ones from the dead: for that they will be of the higheſt degree, then, in their attainers and enjoyments, of the great bleſſedneſs of that happy day; Abraham, & Iſaack, & Jacob: the holy Prophets and Apoſtles of the lamb, with the bleſſed martyrs for the Lord Jeſus, they will have the greateſt ſhare, & chiefeſt intreſt then, with all others that ſleep in Jeſus, till they are awakened by the great trumpet of God at that appearing of the Lord Chriſt: they will be very eminent in the kingdom of God, & of Chriſt, Math. 8. 11. Luk. 13. 28. 29. the faithfull followers of Chriſt and ſufferers for him among them, and ſuch as were beheaded or executed for his ſake, ſhall be eminent in the rule and government, and ſit on throns of judgment, Math. 18. 28. Luk. 22. 28. 29. 30. Rev. 20. 4. Rev. 3. 21. yea our Lord Chriſt ſaith of the whole raiſed: they ſhall be as the Angels of God, Math. 22. 30. It is not ſo ſaid of the changed ones, they are changed alive, and reſtored into their former good eſtate, with ſome additions of bleſſedneſs, as before is ſaid. To conclude, it is very probable, that the world to come, will be here below; on earth. That the promiſed land, to Abraham, and his ſeed, will be the center of the new earth. That the Iſraelites, thoſe ſealed ones, together with the gentile Saints, then alſo changed; will be the inhabitants of the new earth, and world to come, and the Iſraelites, of whom, chiefly ſo high things are ſpoken, and in whom chiefly thoſe high Prophecyes ſhall be fully made good; ſhall have the prehemence above the gentile Sains. The whole matter is ſubmitted to the conſiderate readers to judge: and to take, or leave, as they ſee cauſe.