Commentary on Revelation, Lecture 3
LECTURE III.
Vers. 1.
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomlesse pit, and a great chain in his hand.
THe second thing questioned concerning the parties reigning, is, whether they that reign thus, be such as have formerly lived and died, and after death are made to reign? Or, whether they be such as have not yet seen death? Answ. We say these that reign with Christ here are not Saints departed, but such as never yet died, living Saints, members of the militant Church. We shall first confirm the negative, to wit, that they are not dead Saints, that is, such as once lived and died, and thereafter are brought to this life again; which is three wayes expressed by severall Authors, 1. not such as have been Martyred and brought again to live on earth with their bodies, as the old Millenaries conceited: For, 1. that maketh all this literally to be understood of the resurrection, which we shew to be spirituall: and if this be a spirituall resurrection, Then it is not corporall; But that it is spirituall, may be thus made out, It is a resurrection that agreeth to Saints that never died bodily, Therefore it is spirituall. The antecedent is thus proven, This resurrection agreeth to all who are then living with Christ; But the living Saints must at that time be living with Christ, or else they must be comprehended under the common reckoning with the dead world, which cannot be; or, we must say there are no Saints in the militant Church then, which is false, this being certain that the end is not yet come. 2. This cleareth it, that it maketh folks free of the second death, and only that doth it, as is said. 3. It crosseth the scope, which is to shew the state of the militant Church on earth, whereof dead Saints are not members. 4. It is such Saints as may be in their dominion encompassed and straitned by Gog and Magog; But it were hard to bring Saints from heaven to that condition. 5. How should they live on earth a spirituall life not eating nor drinking, or a naturall life again in these? both which are absurd. 6. This would make a resurrection and judgement beside the one universall judgement and resurrection, against the Scripture: that, 1 Thess. 4. speaketh of all living then, and the dead that die before, to go together to meet Christ. 7. What cometh of them after the thousand years reign expireth? it is they who did reign who are encompassed; But that cannot be said of Saints raised again: For, 1. then they would be longer on the earth than a thousand years. 2. They would be interrupted in their reign (this lasteth but a thousand years) Therefore it is not such who reign. 8. If it be of such, it must either be before or after the day of Judgement; neither of which can be, as is cleared.
2. Again, others say that it is Martyrs rising again a thousand years before the general resurrection, but enjoying a dominion in heaven not on earth, (as is Piscators opinion.) This cannot be: For, 1. It is against the scope, as the former. 2. This dominion is of all Saints then in being (as we shall hear) Therefore it is not peculiar to Martyrs. 3. This dominion and these who reign here, are interrupted in their dominion, which can be said of none in heaven. 4. It is shown before to be on earth. 5. It would be also more than an thousand years reign before the generall resurrection, or else they must be again suspended in it, which is absurd.
3. Neither can it be applied to Martyrs and Saints living under Antichrist and other persecuters, who being dead are said to reign by their souls enjoying of Christ in glory (as Paraeus and ordinarily Interpreters do apply it) which is a truth that these Saints do reign even after their death; But it cannot be applied to these who reign here, 1. because that reign is in heaven; this meaned here is on earth. 2. That reigning of Saints departed, is continuall in all times; this is peculiar to these thousand years. 3. That of Saints in heaven cannot be interrupted; this may be. 4. It agreeth to Saints in their most suffering condition, even that of Gog and Magog; for even then they overcome and reign, so this is a peculiar good condition, and contradistinguished from the Churches former hard straits and is interrupted, as it is afterward, vers. 7. by that of Gog and Magog. It must necessarily follow then, that they are living Saints on earth, and then in some more than an ordinary flourishing condition. Concerning whom we are to enquire, 1. If it be all Saints then living, or some few only? 2. What these contradistinguished one from another are? who these Martyrs, and who these others are? 3. How they continue for a thousand years to reign, if in their own persons, or in their successors?
And we say, 1. they are living Saints, who never yet did see death, not Martyrs formerly killed, but who then shall be followers of the Martyrs faith and practice, and keep themselves from pollutions, such as are (Chap. 14.) called virgins, who are here meaned: For, 1. it is on earth, as is said. 2. It is of all Saints then living, thus contradistinguished from the rest of the dead world. 3. It is not the same individual persons, who live and reign all these thousand years, but they in their successors, The Church being one body, dieth never, even as the witnesses continued all the space of one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes, and died and rose again in their successors; so it is here, one generation succeedeth to another. Now, if it were Martyrs restored to life, Then, 1. it would be peculiar to them, which is here common to all. 2. Then they would live still and be in new hazard by Satans loosing, which is impossible; for, it is the same Saints that are encompassed by Gog and Magog, who formerly did reign, when Satan was bound, Therefore it is living Saints continuing in a succession for many years, They who in their life did reign, suffering after death in their successors by Gog and Magog, even as their predecessors who suffered in their life, yet after death reign in their posterity: The one expoundeth the other, and sheweth that both the reigning of Martyrs, and suffering of these Saints, must be verified in their successors: for, all who live and reign, are partakers of this resurrection; but many living Saints, who never died, must either be partakers of it, or they must be among the dead, Therefore it is a spiritual resurrection to living Saints.
Again, the Martyrs reign here would be then either alone, or with others; and none of these can be said without absurdity: Therefore it is the living who are understood. Add, they must live and reign who did not so reign before, Therefore it is not they.
Beside, this reigning agreeth to such as it can be interrupted in, and be at one time and not at another; which cannot be said of Martyrs glory, which is alway alike, Therefore cannot this be applyed to Martyrs in glory, nor yet on earth in their own persons, and therfore it must be in their successors.
Fourthly, Neither can it be said (as Forbes doth) that this reign of Martyrs is in respect of their good account in the Church after their martyrdome, in which respect, some apply their receiving white garments under the fifth seal, saying, that they that were reproached before in their deaths, are afterward honoured in their memories, which they begin at Constantine's time, when the publick profession of Religion became honourable. This, I say, cannot be said as intended here: for, 1. This is not peculiar to a thousand years or definit time; for, in the Church, that was alway honourable. 2. Those who reign here, are Saints on earth, and all Saints and Martyrs under Antichrists tyranny, which was not begun then, this application maketh it peculiar to some. 3. Beside, Martyrs under Antichrist after that, were as much liable to reproach as these formerly were under heathens, and therefore that cannot be applyed here. 4. Add, that these who reign here, are the same who afterward are encompassed and straitned by Gog and Magog; But that cannot be the fame and good name of Saints departed, but living Saints themselves in their persons, Therefore it is not that which is intended here.
These being on the negative part then laid by, we come to the affirmative: and seing it must be living Saints, who at the time here designed shall be members of the militant Church, It is, first, questioned, whether all the Saints then living are to partake of this good condition, or some only? that is, if it be a special priviledge of Martyrs or sufferers only who shall suffer during this time? Or, if it be common to all? Answ. This good condition whatever it be, is in some degree, and in its kind, common to all the Saints, who then shall be living, not so much distributively to all and every one of every kind, as generally to Saints of every kind, as collectively making up one body, of whatever sort and degree they be, if they be Saints and Believers: even as the low condition of the Churches suffering, will not prove, that every individual Saint suffereth, but that in common the Church hath a suffering estate; so its good condition will not prove, that all have it alike so, but that generally they have a flourishing condition in common. And that it is thus to be understood, appeareth, 1. In that these who live here, &c. are contradistinguished from the dead: now, all living Saints they must either thus reign, or they must be comprehended under these who continue dead, seing all the world is distinguished in these two; But none of them can be amongst the dead, Therefore all of them must partake of this good condition. 2. It is for this end, that not only Martyrs, but such as have not received the mark of the beast, nor worshipped his image, are mentioned; and by these no other can be understood, but such as in following the Lamb have keeped themselves free (as virgins, Chap. 14,) from the common snares and sins that others are taken with and given unto. Hence, (Chap. 13.) these are given as the properties only of those who are written in the Lambs book of life, and so mentioned here as the properties of all the elect Saints to whom this belongeth. 3. The priviledges here mentioned, are common to all, as to reign with Christ, to be blessed and holy, freed from the second death, to be Priests to God, &c. These are common to all Saints, Therefore so is that good condition also that hath these in it. From which we may see how unwarrantable it is from this to apply any singular felicity to some few Martyrs, or others, which is common to all.
The second thing to be enquired in the positive, is, Whether these living Saints that are raised to reign, be the same individual persons that did suffer, and so now reign for a thousand years? Or, if it be to be understood of the Saints in their succession, as the Catholick Church in its continuance from the begining unto the end. This will answer an objection, where it is said, That those who were set on the thrones, were those formerly beheaded for the testimony of Jesus. Now, those beheaded, we say, are not in their own persons raised again and set on the throne, but in their successors in the same faith and profession the generation preceeding reigning in the generation succeeding, as the generation succeeding suffered in the generation preceeding; even as in common speech we say, The Babylonians, Romans, &c. governed the world for so many years, though the same individual persons lived not so long. Or, as it is said in Dan. 7.18. the Saints shall take the kingdom which shall never have an end, importeth not, that in the dayes of the Gospel (of which time that speaketh) no Saints shall die, but that the Saints spiritual reign shall never be interrupted, and that there shall be a continual succession of a Church and of Saints; so here, we take not the same individuals to continue but their race, as one kind or stock (to speak so) the Church being one body, as the Babylonians, Romans, &c. are one Empire: Saints therefore here, are not personally or individually to be understood, but successively and in their general acception, as one body; so that during this time they shall have a visible profession, and there shall alway continue a visible Church-state in the world. So it is neither therefore Martyrs raised again, nor Saints living still all that time, but generally in their successors, This being the scope, to shew the estate of the Church in general and not of individual Saints. This may be confirmed, 1. from what is said, If they be the same, then Martyrs dead must live again, (this being a good condition to the Church on earth) and this is contrary to what hath been proven. 2. Then these Saints so raised again, must only be the Saints on earth at that time, for all partake of this. 3. Then these Saints must again in their own persons be encompassed by Gog and Magog: for, it is these Saints that are encompassed who did reign, vers. 9. and therefore so must they that reign be expounded to be the former sufferers, as they are accounted afterward the besieged; But that cannot be personally understood, Therefore neither the former; for, then were they not to continue only a thousand years on earth, and to live so long only, but much longer: both which have many absurdities with them, as that whoever died during that time, would be known not to be an Elect; and whoever lived that long, would be certainly known to be so; then also these who were born after the beginning of these thousand years, would not live so long in this reign as these who went before: it must therefore certainly be understood as it may in its continuance agree to all Saints, as well as in the events, which may well be in succession, so that what one wanteth in these who follow, he hath it in these who went before. And thus, generally, it setteth out the visible Church in her good condition during that time; for, it is still the same Church which reigneth. We understand it then, thus, that as it is said of the Prophets, (Chap. 11.) that they died and rose again, which yet is not to be understood of the same individuall persons, but of their followers and successours in that spirit and cause (as Iohn Baptist was successour to Elias, and in that respect is called Elias;) So the slain Saints now are said to rise, when the face of a visible Church, which was long eclipsed, as if it had been buryed with these Martyrs, doth now in the same truth and cause shew it self again in new professours, as if these old Martyrs had risen again to continue that Church-face of purity and worship, for which once they suffered. And this phrase of rising again, is in this sense not unusuall in the Prophets, as, 1. when they would signifie a restauration from a low condition, that is marvellous and such as men would think no lesse impossible than to raise the dead, as, Ezek. 37.11. 2. When the restauration is numerous and to make up an hopelesse sad condition by such a new comfort, as Ieremiah in his 31. Chap. ver. 18. speaketh to Rachel, mourning for her children. 3. When it is in the same truth, profession and cause, as is said of the Prophets, Chap. 11. so it may be of Professors here, the time also being one. 4. When men have the same bold spirit to testifie and suffer, as if these old Martyrs had risen to preach down Antichrist, who for a long time had had peace. Thus was Iohn accounted and named Elias, Matth. 17. and here Martyrs, both under the heathen persecuters and under Antichrist, are named. 1. To shew the Churches freedom from both these tyrannies, that now, these who were undone by both formerly, may boldly professe that truth for which they were persecuted. 2. To shew the numerousnesse of Saints now as if all were risen. 3. To shew what time it belonged unto, to wit, that, after both. 4. To shew what parts and courage these Saints should have, and how fitted they should be both against the open persecution and secret designs of Antichrist. 5. To shew that they who now come to professe the Gospel, are of one and the same Church with these who went before, it being still one woman who travelled under heathens, that fled under Antichrist, Chap. 12. and now returneth in her seed to sit upon thrones.
The third thing to be enquired here, is, what Martyrs these are, whether these suffering under heathen persecution, or these who suffer in the time of the beasts tyranny, (which to these of this opinion, is the same time of these thousand years,) or, such as have suffered both under heathen persecuters and Antichrist, preceeding the beginning of these thousand years? We take them to be such whose sufferings are by-past, before these thousand years begin, and not such as are to suffer under it what ever they be, as appeareth, 1. they are said to be once slain, and to rise again before this reign begin, which could not be if their sufferings had not preceeded. 2. They are said to reign a thousand years, which sheweth they begin all together to reign: and therefore their suffering must go before its beginning. 3. The time of their reign is expresly distinguished from, and made successive unto, the time of their suffering. Therefore are they not to be confounded, or their reign made to begin before their suffering. 4. This condition is marked as the outgate of a former strait, and what former strait rather than this, the Saints suffering under Antichrist? therefore that suffering must go before it. 5. The suffering which immediatly followeth the thousand years, is, Gog and Magog: now, Gog and Magog belongs not to Antichrist, but goes immediatly before the last Judgement, and comes after the thousand years; Then, these who suffer here, must either be after the thousand years, which cannot be, or during that time, which confoundeth the Churches good condition and her ill; or, it must be before, and it being none of the former two, must therefore be the latter. 6. Three states of the Church are clearly holden forth here, 1. a suffering state under Antichrist. 2. A good condition during the restraint of Satan, it being ill before. 3. An ill condition after his loosing again, by Gog and Magog: therefore as that of Magog followeth the thousand years, so that of Antichrist must preceed; for, these thousand years are put in the midst, and distinguished from both. 7. This reign agreeth so to Saints and to such Saints as it did not agree to them before these thousand years, nor can do after. But if these who reign be contemporary with Antichrists dominion, Then Saints would reign so both before and after, and so would not suffer and be in a strait. 8. If (as many think) the killing of Martyrs go before this reign, so must also these killed by Antichrist; for, both are equally installed into this reign, at its entry. Beside, this opinion would confound the Churches suffering condition with this reign which is peculiar to some one time, and differenced from the former, as hath been shewed. Hence followeth, 1. that Antichrists supream universall reign, is to preceed these thousand years. 2. That then Antichrist is not to be expected a few years before the end of the world; for, no other Antichrist there is, but this beast that persecuteth, before it begin.
Lastly, It is enquired here, if reasonable or senslesse creatures shall be partakers of this good condition and change? and how far it shall extend? for, of old, many, as Lactantius and others of late, Burroughs on Hosea, lay these two principles, 1. That the earth shall abound in extraordinary fruitfulnesse, that the rocks shall drop honey, and the earth be free of storms, &c. 2. That the Saints shall chiefly and largely share of all those temporall things. But we say, 1. as there is possibly more peace now, so God may make abundance of all these things the rifer in the earth, as not being wasted with troubles and persecutions as formerly. 2. That God may blesse pains, so as to have extraordinary increase, (comparatively with former times) is not impossible, especially if applied to the Iews, their land may be brought back to its wonted fruitfulnesse, to be as once it hath been, though now it be interrupted. 3. That the Saints may enjoy more of these (as being lesse persecuted or plagued) than formerly, and as having more liberty for industry and publick imployments, These may be granted. But that there should be an extraordinary fruitfulnesse put in the earth, as without pains or industry to bring forth, or with pains more than at any time it did since the fall; or, that, 2. the Saints should be all rich and none poor; yea, that chiefly they should enjoy the riches of the world, these we account false and groundlesse, and without the least warrant here. And as they are without ground from this place, so are they (as would seem) directly against it and other certain grounds, as, 1. that what is promised here, is especially spirituall. 2. That this promised here, is a peculiar mercy to the Saints; but fruitfulnesse of the earth would not be peculiar to them, many wicked men being possesso… of a great part of 'it. 3. The delivering of the creature from bondage is reserved for … …y, when the sons of God shall be manifested, which is at the last judgement, Rom. 8.21, 22, 23. If then there were a delivery before that, it needed not groan so, for that time. 4. Beside, the promises of the Gospel being spirituall especially, it would be but a diversion to our carnall humors to have such an occasion as temporall abundance to hunt after; and it is the sibnesse of our affections to creatures, that maketh many professe more delight in such a Kingdom than in that of Grace and Glory, which are uncontrovertible. Neither can any think, that the Saints are wronged by this; for certainly, spirituall things are ever preferable to carnall and temporall things.
The second thing is as groundlesse as the former, to wit, that Saints then should abound in that affluence of all these temporall riches: for, 1. Christs Promises and Covenant, under the Gospel, run not on these tearms, nor are they of that kind. 2. The Lord hath said, that the poor shall be alwayes amongst His People, and that there shall be alway objects of charity to the end of the world. 3. The crosse is spoken of to wait on Believers to the end; and certainly, poverty is no little part of their crosse and conformity with Christ, and a cause of many other crosses to them, which abundance of the things of the world usually keepeth off, as contempt, reproach, straits, &c. 4. The things of this world are accounted still a portion for these of this world, Psal. 17. that God, as it were, alloweth them a more large share of these things than He doth the others, to whom (as to young heirs). He hath reserved a better heritage. 5. It were hard to place this good condition of the Church in that which for many ages hath been the condition of the men of this world. 6. If this were promised to them, much riches, power, &c. then might they with a good conscience pray for it, and aim at it, as they may do for things necessary, to wit, health and peace, &c. yet can it hardly be thought, that Believers are warranted to pray to be rich, and to have a temporall dominion, we being commanded, (Heb. 13.5. and 1 Tim. 6.) to be content, if we have food and rayment. 7. If abundance of outward things were a part of this good condition promised, Then were it generally and equally to be applied to all sorts, whereof yet all, young and old, master and servant, rich and poor, (if such be supposed to continue during that time) are not, nor cannot be capable. 8. This opinion giveth too much way to carnall lusts to let out themselves on creatures, and therefore is so well entertained by such pallats, (as Eusebius saith of Caerinthus, that being delighted in these things, he moulded a kingdom agreeable to them) But what do these taste to a spiritual man, being compared with pure Doctrine in the Church with Spirit and power amongst hearers, and with these other things wherein this Kingdom consisteth? If any ask, but what ill is in that last opinion? Answ. Beside that it is against Truth, and wrongs the Word, to father any thing on it which it will not own, and so proveth an untender medling with the holy Word, to which nothing should be added, It doth, 1. alter much the nature of Christs Kingdom and promises to His people, which are ever spirituall. 2. It doth draw affections from things heavenly and spirituall to earthly, and instead of exercising and engaging their faith to a spirituall dependance on, and delight in God Himself, it doth rather awake their carnall humour to warm with, and to be desirous of, these supposed brave things that are expected, it being easier to engage our carnall part than our spirituall. 3. It often occasioneth want of sobriety among good people, that while they should be taken-up in thinking much of the Gospel, and blessing God for what they enjoy of it, and desiring the furtherance of its spirituall successe, they are by this brought to a lesser estimation of their present condition, still expecting and desiring these strange things. And hardly get these opinions place, but they carry a sway beyond the simple Gospel-promises and priviledges in mens estimation, as if these Saints were blessed beyond others, that are brought to heaven any other time, beside that it doth readily engage men in an untender pursuit of earthly things, as if from these supposed promises they had right and allowance so to do.