The Resurrection Revealed, Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Section 18
SECT. XVIII.
§. 1 THe eighth place in Iſaiah is Chap. 34. v. 1. to v. 18. wee ſhall need but touch upon ſome paſſages of ſo plaine a place as this. Verſ. 1, 2, &c. Come neer ye Nations to hear, and hearken ye people, let the EARTH hear and ALL that is therein, the WORLD and ALL things that come ſorth of it (obſerve, this Propheſie concerns the whole Univerſe) for the indignation of the Lord is upon ALL Nations, and his fury upon ALL their Armies, he hath utterly deſtroyed them, he hath delivered them to the ſlaughter; with many more illuſtrations, and all for the ſake of Zion, to be avenged of Zions enemies, v. 8. But there was nothing of this done at the Jewes return from Babylon (carried captive thither about ſeventy yeers after this was ſpoken.) And at Chriſts Incarnation, they were under the Romans power. And to this day under the Turks, who next ſucceeded the Romans in dominering over them. Therefore St. John carries this down to the New Teſtament, and the later times thereof, unto the ruine of the Antichriſtian Nations (that are incorrigible enemies of Chriſt) whereby to make way for the glorious Reſtitution of which wee treat, Rev. 11. There was a great Earthquake, and the tenth part of the City fell, and there were ſlain of men ſeven thouſand (a number of perfection, to ſignifie a ſufficient number for the deſigne, were taken off) The Lord takes to him his great power, and deſtroyes them that deſtroy the earth. Rev. 19. One ſate upon a white horſe, called faithfull and true, his eyes were as a flame of fire, &c. and out of his mouth went a ſharp ſword, that with it he might ſmite the NATIONS, and rule them with a rod of IRON. And an Angel cryed with a loud voice, ſaying, to the foules, &c. Come, and gather your ſelves together, &c. that yee may eat the fleſh of Kings, and of Captains, and of mighty men, and of horſes, and of them that ſit on them, and the fleſh of ALL men both free and bond, both ſmall and great, &c.
§. 2 Againe, verſ. 8, 9, 10. of this 34. Iſa. it is propheſied, It is the day of the Lords vengeance, and the yeer of recompences for the controverſie of Zion. And the ſtreams thereof ſhall be turned into pitch, and the duſt thereof into brimſtone, and the land thereof ſhall become a burning pitch, and it ſhall not be quenched night, nor day, THE SMOAK thereof ſhall go up FOR EVER. Now as there was none of this acted at the returne of the Jewes from Babylon, or at Chriſts Incarnation, or ſince; but that ſtill Antichriſt, both Eaſterne, and Weſterne, dominere over moſt of the world: So Saint John in the Revelation, not onelyonly in my judgement, but in the judgement of the old Geneva Notes, and of our New Annotationiſts too, carries down theſe Propheſies of the deſtruction of the Antichristian world, Rev. 14.11. Rev. 18.18. and Rev. 19.3. where it is ſaid, And the ſmoake of their torment aſcended up for ever, and they have no reſt day nor night, who worſhip the Beaſt, and his Image, and whoſoever receiveth the mark of his name. And they ſaw the ſmoak of the burning of Babylon, and her ſmoak went up for ever and ever.
§. 3 Again, it is propheſied in the 11. …erſe of the 34. of Iſa. that in, and upon the deſolations of the enemies of the Church, ſhall dwell the Cormorant, Bittern, and the Owle, and Raven; which being never fulfilled to the effect of Iſaiahs Propheſie unto St. Johns time, hee carries it downe (as our New Annotationiſts conſent with me) unto the deſolations yet to be made upon Antichriſt, Rev. 18.2. An Angel cryed mightily with a ſtrong voice ſaying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, is become the habitation of Devils, and the hold of every foule ſpirit, and a cage of every unclean, and hatefull bird.
§. 4 And (which is very conſiderable) the Hebrew Rabbins, and Chaldee Paraphraſe interpret theſe judgements denounced in this chapter of the ruine of Rome, Chal. v. 9. &c. foreign i. e. The ſtreams of Rome ſhall be turned into pitch, and its duſt into brimſtone, and its land into burning pitch. So the Chaldee, which Kimchy cites, and approves. R. Kimchi alſo on verſe 16. hath foreign The ruine of Rome. With which paſſages the Roman Clergy being offended, leave out in their Editions of thoſe Authors the foreign Rome, and put in foreign i. e. Cuthith and Javan, that is Grecia.
§. 5 And as all theſe things have not been hitherto fulfilled, ſo they cannot be imagined to be fulfilled at the ultimate judgement, at which time one place will be no more deſolate then another; no birds inhabiting deſolations, &c. Therefore they muſt bee fulfilled in a time between this Age, and the ultimate judgement.
§. 6 If it be objected, that the threats of this Chapter are directed againſt Idumea the Country of Edom, or Eſau, and Bozra the Metropolis thereof, v. 6. It is eaſily anſwered, that though Idumea bee named in particular, as a moſt inteſtine Jew-hating enemy, as the manner of unreconciled kindred is, and to be deſtroyed among the reſt, yet the threats are expreſſe in v. 1, 2. againſt ALL Nations. Secondly, Moab, and Ammon, and the Iſhmaelites, or Hagarens being knit to the line of the Jewes (Gen. 18. Gen. 16.) as was Idumea the Country of Eſau, they are moſt fitly held forth as types of the Antichriſtian enemies of the Church of the New Teſtament, Pſal. 83. 6, 7, &c. they all being mothers children (as Cant. 1.) but not acting as brethren, even as St. John makes the deſtruction of thoſe enemies Types and Propheſies of the deſtruction of Antichriſt, as we heard but now.