The Resurrection Revealed, Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Section 43
SECT. XLIII.
§. 1 NExt we come to the Prophet MICAH, wherein we ſhall conſider onelyonly one place, viz. chap. 4. throughout. Of which note this in generall,
1. That this propheſie of Michaiah, is as well concerning Samaria (the Metropolis of the ten Tribes) as concerning Jeruſalem (the metropolis of the two Tribes) chap. 1. ver. 1.
Secondly, That this place was urged for our opinion before Jeroms time (which was three hundred ninety yeares after Chriſt) which Jerom confeſſeth in theſe words in Micheam 4. Sciendum quoque, &c. i.e. we muſt know (ſaith he) that this Chapter alſo, and that like it, out of Iſaiah (meaning Chap. 2. Ver. 2. &c.) is referred by the Jewes, and the heires of their miſtake to the Kingdom of Chriſt and his Saints, for a thouſand years. Thus Jerom; for whoſe jircking our opinion, you ſhall ſee him anon jirck himſelf:
§. 2 For particulars, note in the firſt place the time of fulfilling this propheſie that we here alleadge. Our laſt Engliſh Tranſlation ſaith, In the laſt daies. The Hebrew ſpeaks higher foreign which words differing in Gender and Number, and foreign properly ſignifying laſt) cannot be cloſely conſtrued to the Grammer of them, but thus, In the laſt of daies. And ſo alſo Jerom renders it (in noviſſimo dierum.) So the Chalde (foreign.) So the Greeke according to the Septuagint (foreign.) So that the ſtate of the Church, here propheſied, is the laſt ſtate of the Church, before the end of the world, at the ultimate general reſurrection. And therefore the notation of the time doth undeniably put us upon a looking for ſuch a glorious ſtate of the Church on earth, as is here deſcribed, as yet to come. Obſerve ſecondly, that all thoſe words of the firſt, ſecond and third verſes [That the mountain of the houſe of the Lord ſhall be eſtabliſhed in the top of the mountaines, &c. and many Nations ſhall ſay, come let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord, &c. and he will teach us, &c. and we will walk in his pathes, &c. For the law ſhall goe forth out of Zion, &c. and he ſhal judge among many people &c. and they ſhall beat their ſwords into plow-ſhares, &c. Nation ſhall not lift up ſword againſt nation, neither ſhall they learne war any more.] I ſay, that all thoſe words are, per omnia idem, altogether the ſame, with Iſa. 2. ver. 2, 3, 4. largely diſcuſſed before in this third booke, and chap. 2. Sect. II. S. 1, 2, 3, 4. &c. whether we transfer the conſideration of them; onelyonly adding here
1. The notableneſſe of the propheſie; which is thus twiſe mentioned by two famous Prophets, with ſo great emphaſis, in the ſame words, phraſes, and figures.
2. The words of the Geneva notes, who aſſert in the margin, that this Propheſie of the ſtate of the Church in the laſt dayes, relates to the time of Chriſts coming, and to the time when THE TEMPLE ſhall be deſtroyed. Which order of words import, that they meant the time after that deſtruction of the Temple, which demoliſhed it about forty yeares after Chriſts aſcention. I ſay the time after that deſtruction (for which ſence they had good ground from the laſt verſe of the chap. 3. of this prophet Micha.) But ſuch a time of reſtauration of the Church, as Micha here in this fourth chapter deſcribes, was never yet ſeen on earth. Therefore it is yet to come.
3. Our new Annotations referre this to the time intended by Joel chap. 2.28. But that time, we have proved afore, (in this third booke chap. 2. Sect. 40.) in the maine of it, is not yet come to paſſe.
4. Dr. Mayer on the fourth verſe [they ſhall ſit every one under his own vine, &c. and there ſhall bee none to make them affraid] hath theſe words; And this (ſaith he) is ſtill to bee fulfilled WHEN THIS WORLD DRAWETH NEAR TO AN END, the FULNESSE OF THE GENTILES BEING COME IN, and the Jewes who remaine yet blinded, BEING CONVERTED TO THE FAITH OF CHRIST. Wherein the Doctor ſpeaks very home to the point in hand, in the main thereof. For ſurely this propheſie is not, in the chief intent thereof, fulfilled unto this day,
§. 3 In the laſt place, conſider exactly, in the remainder of the chapter, from ver. 4. to the end, the deſcription of the Churches, yea, of the Jewiſh Churches Proſperity, Piety, and Victory; and thou canſt not with any ſhew of ſolid divine reaſon imagine theſe things to have been ever yet fulfilled ſince the Jews firſt captivity in Babylon, but remain in future to be performed afore the laſt univerſall reſurrection.
¶ 1. The proſperity is deſcribed verſ. 4. They ſhall every man ſit under his own vine, and under his owne fig-tree, and none ſhall make them affraid, verſ. 6. In that day I will aſſemble her that halteth, and will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted, ver. 7. And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was caſt off, a ſtrong Nation, and the Lord ſhall reign over them in mount Zion, FROM HENCE FORTH, EVENIn Hebr. no even, But it is foreign i.e. And for ever. FOR EVER. Now when ever was this proſperity made good to them ſince their Babyloniſh captivity, and for ſo long time as for ever? It is true, two Tribes returned from Babylon about the year of the world three thouſand five hundred and eighteen, under the Perſian Monarchy. A long time it was ere they grew to a ſettlement of their City and Temple ſet up, and their publick miniſtration ſet in order, by reaſon of the oppoſition and undermining of Sanballat and Tobiah and their adherents. So that ſome thinke they were neare as long in attaining to the ſaid ſettlement, as they had been in captivity, viz. ſeventy years. But if they had been ſetled at the firſt of that their returne, yet from the year three thouſand five hundred and eighteen, to three thouſand ſix hundred and forty (about which time Alexander the (Greeke Monarch brought Jeruſalem under ſubjection to him) are but one hundred twenty two years; after which Alexander, the Romans immediately ſubdued them; and after the Romans, the Saracens and Turks, which is the ſlaviſh condition of all the Countries of the Jews to this day. A mark of remembrance of their ſubjection to the Greeks, is the Greek tranſlation of the Bible, called the Septuagint, becauſe it was done by about ſeventy Jewes, at the command of the Grecian powers. And as plain a Memento of their Romiſh ſubjection is, that Chriſt was crucified under the Roman Pontius Pilat. And a ſufficient Memorandum of their ſubjection to the Turks is, that they poſſeſſe Jeruſalem at this day. So that if wee deduct the time of the Jewes trouble under the Perſian Monarchy, from their firſt diſmiſſion by Cyrus, to their ſettlement; and make the reckoning to begin with that their ſettlement, and to end at Alexanders coming to Jeruſalem, it will not amount to above ſeventy years that the Jews were in peace and quiet, which is no more then the length of their captivity. If we take into the account the time of their ſtruggling to be ſettled; yet all, as I ſaid before, will make up but ſixſcore and two years; and what is this, in compariſon, to enable the Prophet to make the cloſe and ſeale of this part of the Text touching their proſperity, That the Lord ſhould reign over them of Mount Sion, from hence forth AND FOR EVER: which muſt be underſtood of ſuch a manifeſt, apparent, viſible reigning, as ſtands in flat oppoſition every way to Tyrannicall mens, or conquerours reigning over them; or elſe the Prophet had told them nothing; he had made this Antitheſis to their captivities under men, in vaine, and had expreſſed this his reigning in mount Zion to no purpoſe; ſeeing God doth equally reign by his power over all the world, and by his spirituall grace alike over beleevers, where-ever they be one the face of the earth.
¶. 2. Their piety is charactariſed in the fifth verſe. For all people will walke every one in the name ELOHAIU, of HIS GOD, and wee will walke in the name of JEHOVAH ELOHENU, of the LORD OUR GOD for ever and ever. Which words are not only a promiſe, but a propheſie, as to ſignifie the piety they ſhould practice, at the time when the Lord ſhould performe the aforeſaid proſperity unto them. For as for Micha, and his generation of religious men, they were ſoon dead. And the generality of the Jewes and their Common State, as to religion, now at this preſent of Micha's propheſying, were mightily corrupted; and ſtood heinouſly guilty of Ignorance, Idolatry, injuſtice, oppreſsion, cruelty, and the falſehood and ſecurity of Princes and Prophets, as the firſt, ſecond, third, and ſixt chapters abundantly teſtifie; expreſly reckoning up, and charging them with thoſe ſins, and threatning Gods wrath upon them for that cauſe. Nor was that proſperous time, in which they ſhould ſo ſerve God for ever, yet come: The Prophet minding both Judah and Iſrael of nothing they were to expect at preſent, but devaſtations and captivities (in the forementioned chapters,) if the ten tribes went not into captivity afore that Micahs propheſie was at an end. Who propheſied (as tis expreſſe chap. 1. ver. 1.) in the reign of Hezekiah, who reigned nine and twenty years (2 King. 18.2.) in the fourth yeare of whoſe reign, Salmanaſſer beſiegeth Samaria, 2 King. 18.9. and in his ſixt yeer, took it, ibid. And for after times, enſuing that returne of them that was granted by Cyrus the Perſian; from that day to this, they were under a forreign power, in a conſtant ſucceſſion, the hand of the ſucceeding oppreſſor being upon them afore the predeceſſors was taken off: Yea, the following, tearing them out of the hands of the former, to the great prejudice, as well of their piety as of their proſperity. In the time of the Maccabees, great prophanation was brought in as a flood upon their Jewiſh religion, 2 Maccab. chap. 5. chap. 6. and chap. 7. And in Chriſts and the Apoſtles time; firſt, For the Jewiſh religion, we find that the whole body of their law, according to their interpretations, and the bulke of publike worſhip, according to their traditions and practiſe to bee exceedingly corrupted, as our Saviour laies them open in the fifth, ſixt, thirteenth, fifteenth and three and twentieth chapters of Matthew. Beſides the many Sects mentioned, ſome in the four Evangeliſts, viz. the Phariſees, Sadduces, and Herodians, and others mentioned in Eccleſiaticall ſtories, as Aſsideans, Eſſenes, and Gaulonites, whoſe ſingle ſeveral errors were theſe. The Phariſees held
1. That they were the holy ones,Of the Phariſees. and all elſe vile, Luk. 18.11. God I thank thee, I am not as other men, John 7.49. This foreign (rabble of the common) people that know not the law are curſed. Suitably their common Hebrew phraſe was, to call the people foreign people of the earth.
2. They aſcribed many things to Fate, and many to free will, Joſeph. l. 13. c. 9.
3. They held that the ſoules of good men deceaſing paſſed by a kind of Pythagorean foreign or tranſmigration of ſoule, ſucceſsively into the bodies of thoſe good men that were next borne. Thence is that ſpeech (as the learned conceive) touching Chriſt riſen, that he was John Baptiſt, or Elias, or Jeremias, Matth. 16.14.
4. They ſtood mainly for Traditions, Matth. 15.2. Mark. 7.3, 4. Matth. 9.11. Luk: 18.12. Matth. 23.5. Therefore our Saviour calls the Phariſees ſo often Hypocrites, in that one chapt. Matth. 23.
The Sadduces firſt,Of the Sadduces. Denied the reſurrection of the body, or any reward or puniſhment in the world to come, Matth. 22.23. Luke 20.27. Act. 23. ver. 6, 7, 8. Concerning their opinion, that the ſoules of men were annihilated at their deaths, ſee Joſeph. de Bel. Iudaic. l. 2. c. 12. Secondly, They denied all the Bible, but the five Books of Moſes; which is the reaſon why our Saviour, Matthew 22.32. waves all other plainer places of the reſurrection, in Iob and the prophets, and proves to them the reſurrection out of Exod. 3.6. Thirdly, They aſcribed all to mans free will, Ioſeph. l. 13. c. 9. The Sect of the Herodians (mentioned Matth. 22.16.) were a ſort of Iewes, Of the Herodians.that complied with the Court of Herod in groſſe flattery, and a compounded piety, of Iudaiſme and Herodianiſme *Beza in Mat. 22.16.. For they**Epiphan. Hereſ. 20. Theophyl in Matth. 22.16. & alii. held, that either THE Herod (that is, Herod the great) was THE Meſsiah; or at leaſt, that … Herod (v. 9. Herod, Tetrarch of Galilee, alias Antipas, or &c.) was a Meſsiah to them; in that the Scepter was then departed from Iu…ah (the mark of the time of the Meſsiah's coming) and the then Herods government ſo wel pleaſed them. So that he and his Court concurred with them to crucifie Chriſt, Mark. 3.6. and they complied with him and his Court, touching the equity of the Jewes paying tribu…e‡Hieron. in Mat. 22.16. (Matth. 22.16.) And in the celebration of Herods birth ſay, with ſuperſtitious ſolemnities. At which Perſius, (who flouriſhed about ſixty years after Chriſt) hath a ſore jirke in his fifth Sayr. v. 10, &c.
Herodis venêre dies, unctâ que , feneſtrâ
Diſpoſitae pinguem nebulam vomuere lucernae
Portantes violas, rubrum que amplexa catinum
Cauda natat Thynni, tumet alba fidelia vino:
Labra moves tacitus, recutita que Sabbata palles.
When Herods Birth-day's come, the Lamps are plac'd
In ranks, in the oyl'd window all be-greas'd
By a far miſt, which they had ſpued out,
Though with ſweet vi'lets pranck'd and crown'd about.
And whiles in a red pan doth ſwim a Thyne,
The white ſtone Pitcher floateth'ore with wine.
But pal'd with faſts thou muttringly doſt pray
All the Circumciſions Sabbath day*On this of Perſius learned Lubins note is this. Herod the Aſealonite (ſaith he) reigning over the Jewes, they, called the Herodiens, adored his Birth day as Sabbaths. On which day they put lamps lighted up in the windowes, filled with oyle, and trimed with Violets, adorning alſo the doors with flowers. The Jews being wont to put on the Eve afore their Sabbath Enneamyxon, a lamp of nine Branches of lights in their window. The ſwimming of a Thyne or Tunie in a diſh or platter of red clay, ſignifies, that though the Jewes uſed plaine veſſels, yet they had varieties, and dainties well ſauced in their Feaſts, which is more illuſtrated by the abundance of wine in the next verſe. And their Feaſt daies are called, Circumciſed, or circumciſion Sabbaths, becauſe the circumciſed Jewes did celebrate them..
The ſacred Text doth intimate that a great number of the country of Galilee were at the celebration of Herods Birth day, Mar. 6.21. where you have the ſad event of that merry-making, viz. Iohn Baptiſt is beheaded; in which the Jewes no doubt had an hand, by that our Saviour ſpeakes Matth. 17. ver. 9. &c. to 14. where he having mentioned his reſurrection, and the Diſciples thereupon objected, why then ſay the SCRIBES**Scribe was a name of Office, not of Sect, and was of any Tribe, as the Jewes themſelves intimate. There were two ſorts … Laic. 1. Such as taught to write which we call Scribes or Writing. Maſters. 2 Such as drew Deeds and Writings of bargaines and ſale, which we call S…riveners. To both theſe Pſal. 45. ver. 1. alludes. Then thirdly, out of theſe that were moſt expert, there was foreign. The Kings Scribes, which we call Secretaries, 2 King. 12, 10. and chap. 22. ver. 1. And 2 Sam. 20.25.4 foreign The Scribes of the people, which were much like to our Clerkes of Aſſizes; for theſe Scribes were to attend the publicke Courts, and Conſiſtories; 1 Maccab. 5.42. The ſecond ſort of Scribes were Clericks, learned men called foreign, that is, Scribes of the Law, Ezra 7.6. and foreign Lawyers, Matth. 22.35. Luk. 7.30. and foreign Doctors, or Teachers of the Law, Luk 5.17. Elias muſt firſt come, he anſwers, Elias truly ſhall firſt come, and reſtore all things; but I ſay unto you, that Elias is come already, and THEY (the Iewes, led by thoſe Scribes) knew him not, but have done unto him whatſoever they liſted. Likewiſe ſhall alſo the Son of Man ſuffer of THEM. Then the Diſciples underſtood that he ſpake to them of John Baptiſt. And by Chriſts ſpeech, that generation in which he was borne, ſhould bee called to an account for all the blood of the Saints ſhed by the Jewes perſecution, from Abel down to the Apoſtles (which muſt needs include the murther of Iohn Baptiſt) Matth. 23.35. Luk. 11.51. And further the ſacred Text doth intimate, that theſe Herodians had held ſome dangerous leaven of doctrine (though tis not there expreſſed) Mar. 8.15.
The Aſsideans were of two ſorts, the foreign Tſadikim, and the foreign Chaſidim. The Iſadikim kept cloſe to the letter of the Scriptures, and ſtudyed that; The Chaſidim (commonly tranſlated Aſsidael, Aſsideans) ſtudyed how to adde to the Scriptures. The Tſadikim conformed (outwardly at leaſt) to what the law required. But the Chaſidim would be holy above the Law, D. Kimch. Pſal. 103.17. Pirke Aboth. cap. 5. The Eſſenes, firſt,Of the Eſſenes. Held many of the Pythagoreans evill opinions, as a communitie of goods (Aul. Gel. l. 1. c. 10. Laert. in Pythag. Ioſeph. l. 18. c. 2.) They allowed not lawfull pleaſures, (Iuſtin. l. 20. Ioſeph. de bello l. 2. c. 12.) they aſcribed all things to fate and deſtiny, Suid. Ioſeph. Antiqu. l. 13. c. 9.2 They worſhipped towards the ſun riſing, (Philo. Ioſeph.) 3. Bound themſelves by oath to preſerve the names of Angels, the phraſe implying a kind of worſhipping of Angels, Ioſeph. de bel. l. 2. c. 12. &c. The Gaulonites, Of the Gaulonites.who had their name from one Iudas ſometimes called Iudas Gaulonites, ſometime Iudas Galilaeus, Ioſ. Antiq. l. 18. c. 1, 2. mentioned Act. 5.37. Held firſt, That tribute was not to be paid to Princes, as being a badge of ſervitude. Secondly, that they ought to call none Lord, but the Lord of Lords, the God of Heaven. Thirdly, They forbad ſacrifices to bee offered for the welfare of the Roman Empire, and Emperour, which is conceived to be the reaſon why Pilat mingled their blood with their ſacrifices, Luk. 13.1. Oecumen. in Act. 5.37. Theophyl. in Luk. 13.1. For Pilat was not over the Nation or province of the Galileans; and therefore it muſt be this Sect that Pilat ſo puniſhed. And thus you have had an account of the Iewes corrupting of Religion in Chriſts time as Iewiſh. And as for Chriſtian religion, they did for the generality refuſe both it and him, Ioh. 1.11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. And ſo they did after in the Apoſtles miniſtrations; rejecting their Doctrine, and perſecuting their perſons, Act. 13. Act. 4. and ſo ſaith St. Paul, Rom. 11. they are to continue in blindneſſe till the fulneſſe of the Gentiles ſhal be come in, that then ALL ISRAEL may be ſaved.
¶. 3. For the Jewes victory, propheſied in this fourth of Micha, it is ſet forth in the eighth verſe &c. to the end of the chapter, v. 8. And thou O Tower of the flock, the ſtrong hold of the daughter of ZION, unto thee ſhall it come, even the FIRST DOMINION, the Kingdome ſhall come to the daughter of Jeruſalem. (That is, thou muſt have a flouriſhing eſtate, at leaſt, as glorious as at firſt, in David and Solomons time,) ver. 10. Thou ſhalt be delivered from Babylon; there the Lord ſhall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies. (They ſhall not onelyonly be dèlivered as by a common providènce, but ſhall be redeemed as relating to the fruit of a Saviour, Luk. 3. ver. 30, 31, 32. and v. 38.) Ver. 13. Ariſe, and threſh O daughter of Zion, for I will make thine horne Iron, and I wil make thine hoofs braſſe, and thou ſhalt beat in peeces MANY PEOPLES. And I will conſecrate their gaine unto the Lord, and their ſubſtance to the Lord of the earth. So that the Jewes muſt not onelyonly be delivered from their enemies, but muſt be the deſtroyers of their enemies, (that continue enemies) and that not of a few, but of many peoples. Now when ever had the Jewes ſince their firſt captivity, ſuch proſperity, ſuch victory; ſuch a Kingdom, and ſuch a conqueſt? Ten Tribes for two, are ſtill by the Jewes confeſsion, in captivity. And the two Tribes, ever ſince their firſt return, have been notwithſtanding, under the power of one Monarch or another by an immediate and concatena…ed ſucceſsion,
1. The Perſian,
2, The Grecian,
3. The Roman,
4. The Saracen,
5. The Turke.
So that this Scripture is not yet come to paſſe, and cannot be deferred to the ultimate general reſurrection, as being inconſiſtent with that time in moſt of the branches. Therefore it is yet to bee fulfilled afore that time.
Thus of Micha.