The Resurrection Revealed, Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Section 48
SECT. XLVIII.
§. 1 THe fourth place in Zecharie is in chap. 10. ver. 3. &c. to the end of the chapter. [3. Mine anger is kindled (Hebr. foreign hath been kindled) againſt the Shepheards] viz. Thoſe Diviners of lies, and Dreamers of falſhoods, in the former verſe. The period of this conflagration was at the late returne of Judah from captivity, as the FOR in the next clauſe imports; [For the Lord of Hoſts hath viſited his flocke, the houſe of Judah, and hath made them his GOODLY horſe in the battle,] which muſt needs ſignifie a viſitation in mercy; begun in their ſaid return; but extended to a vaſt longitude of future times, as the Septuagint (foreign) and the Chalde (foreign &c.] he ſhall viſite them, he ſhall make them as his goodly horſe. This their march from Babylon, being but the type, or firſt-fruites of their future, finall, full deliverance. Which future ſenſe is expreſſely carried on in all the reſidue of the chapter from ver. 5. to the end; all ſpeaking, (ſay our Tranſlators) in the future tenſe. And the fourth verſe is indefinite in the Hebrew, without tenſe or verb, [out of him the CORNER, out of him the NAILE, out of him the BATTLE BOW, out of him every oppreſſor, or as in the Heb. foreign EXACTOR OF TAXES.] That is, the houſe of Judah being built on the CORNER ſtone Chriſt. and ſo incorporated into the Church, they ſhall faſten the NAILE of union with Iſrael, and together with them, and the reſt of the Church, they ſhall be the BATTLE-BOW to wound (as in the former verſe) and THE GOODLY WAR-HORSE to tramphe nowne their enemies; ſo that out from the Church, as is the cloſe of this verſe, ſhall proceed the EXACTOR OF TRIBUTE, inſtead of paying Tribute, to ſignifie the Churches dominion over the world. The reſt of the chapter is ſo plaine for our point touching the viſible glorious ſtate of the Church yet to come, as it ſufficiently ſpeakes for it ſelfe (to every one that will underſtand) by a bare repetition of the words, without any humane gloſſe. ver. 5. And they ſhall be as MIGHTY MEN, which TREAD DOWNE their enemies in the MIRE of the ſtreets, in the BATTEL; and they ſhall FIGHT, becauſe the Lord is with them, and the RIDERS ON HORSES (viz. their enemies in the former clauſe) ſhall be confounded. 6. And I will ſtrengthen the houſe of JUDAH, and will ſave the houſe of JOSEPH (That is, Manaſſe and Ephraim, expreſſed ver. 7. ſignifying two of the Ten Tribes of ISRAEL, and by them all the TEN of Iſrael, as Judah is named for then, and the other, viz. Benjamin of the Kingdom of Juda) and I will BRING THEM AGAIN to PLACE THEM (as in v. 10. in Gilead, &c.) For I have mercy upon them, and they ſhall bee AS THOUGH I HAD NOT CAST THEM OFF, &c. (compare Hoſ. 1.10, 11.) 7. And they of EPHRAIM ſhall be like a mighty man (commonly in Scripture put to ſignifie the TEN TRIBES, Iſa. 7.2. Iſa. 9.21. Iſa. 11.13.) Yea their CHILDREN ſhall ſee it and be glad. What ſhall they ſee? Verſ. 8. I will GATHER THEM, for I have redeemed them, and they ſhall increaſe, as they have increaſed. 9. And I wil ſow them (The Chalde foreign, And as foreign I HAVE ſcattered them) they ſhall remember me in FAR COUNTRIES, and they ſhal live with their children, and RETURN AGAIN. 10. I wil BRING THEM AGAIN ALSO out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Aſſyria, and wil bring them into the land of GILEAD, and LEBANON (the Cities of Gilead being part of the lot of the Tribe of Gad; and halfe of the Country of Gilead, pertaining to the children of Machir, the ſon of Manaſſeh, Tribes of the Kingdom of Iſrael, Joſh. chap. 13. ver. 25.31. As Lebanon belonged alſo to the ten Tribes, an hundred miles from Jeruſalem being too remote for Iudah to inhabit) 11. And he ſhal paſſe through the Sea with affliction (Lerom, Arias, and the Septuagint render the Hebrew foreign in, or by a ſtreight, or narrow of the Sea; this their paſſage of great mercy, not induring the circumſtance and naming of miſery) and ſhall ſmite the waves of the Sea, and all the deeps of the River ſhal dry up; And the pride of Aſſyria ſhal be brought down, and the Scepter ſhal depart away (of all which ſee the propheſie of Nahum particularly propheſying to that.)
Now in the firſt place review WHO they are here mentioned, that muſt ſhare in the fulfilling of this Propheſie, viz. the Kingdom of Judah, and of Iſrael (all twelve Tribes) and they united as two wals joyned in a coyne or corner-juncture; or as two peeces of timber, nailed or pinn'd together. So expreſſely afore.
§. 3 Next reviſe, what they muſt injoy, or attain to, viz. the conqueſt of their enemies in battle; their domination over them in a way of Government; the Scepters and Powers of Nations (that are not of the Church) ceaſing. And the poſſeſſion of their own land. All which being thus plainly and candidly laid together; if any now that is of a ſcrutinizing ſpirit, and a pondering ingenuity, ſhould transfer to a ſpirituall ſence, I ſhould be extreamly filled with wonder.
¶. 1. Becauſe the main things inſiſted upon are corporall things, dreſt forth in ſuch language, and circumſtantiated with ſuch particulars, as ſuit not well but to corporalls. As for example, Battle-Bow; treading down in the mire; the riders on horſes ſhall bee confounded, &c.
¶. 2. Becauſe when there is a touch here and there of ſpirituals, it is with ſuch a diſtinguiſhed way from the corporals, with an inference from the cauſe to the effect, as rather to argue, and prove, and aſcertaine them by ſpirituals, then to draw them unto, and drowne them in a ſpirituall notion: as to give an inſtance or two. They ſhal tread down their enemies in the ſtreet, and fight, BECAUSE THE LORD IS WITH THEM. I wil bring them againe to place them; FOR I HAVE MERCY ON THEM. And they ſhall be as though I had not caſt them off: FOR I AM THE LORD THEIR GOD, AND WIL HEAR THEM, &c.
¶. 3. Becauſe ſome paſſages do parallel their future ſtate in outward things, to the pattern of their former proſperity, in Davids, Salomons, or the like times: As for example, They ſhal be as though I had not caſt them off; And, their children ſhall increaſe, as they have increaſed.
¶. 4. Becauſe ſome paſſages the holy Ghoſt elſewhere applies to a ſenſible, viſible, materiall performance. As that in ver. 10, 11.*So Grotius applies it, Flumen cùm ſimpliciter appellatur, intelligendus Euphrates. Ex hoc loco deſumitur et ille qui eſt Apoc. 16.12. viz. foreign &c. Subticetur quaſi. Senſus enim eſt, Euphratem tam pervium ipſis fore, quàm ſi …otus ab aquis destitutus eſſet, Iſa. 11.15. Maris fauces hoc loco deſignatas Hebrei, quos Hieronymus conſuluit, interpretabantur Boſphorum Thracium, inter Byzantium & Chalcedonem; non male, ſi conſideres Nabuchodonoſori imterium pertin…iſſe …tiam ad dextram Ponti oram, i. e. ad Daeiam. &c vid. Grot. in loc. of the returning of the Iewes from Egypt, and Aſſyria, over ſea, and deeps of rivers, is applied by St. Iohn, Revel. 16.12. in the pouring out of the ſixt viall, to the Kings of the East, that is, the Iewes returning from Aſſyria, over the river Euphrates; which river Zecharie muſt needs mean, whiles he ſpeakes of their return from Aſſyria, by the Metropolis whereof, viz. Nineve, and through parts of that Country Euphrates ſlides: Which returne of the Jews thence perſonally, and corporally, Mr. Mede **See Mede before on Dan. 11. the latter end. Particularly on verſ. 44, 45. And ſee him in his Comment. on Revelation 8.6. Phyal. in 16 Chap. And ſee our quotation of him in this third Book, chap. 2. Sect. 41. §. 5. p. 309. lin 35.hath aſſerted both on Daniel, and the Revelation, &c. ſeverall times with cleare demonſtration. The Jewes go further into a literal ſence, of a miraculous drying up of waters that ſhall lie as an hindrance in their way, as formerly at the Redſea and Iordan. Which though I aſſert not, yet the opinion is not ſo groſſe as ſome conceive. For if their firſt vocation and awakening ſhall bee by a miraculous, or extraordinary appearance of Chriſt in the cloudes, as before hath been largely demonſtrated, I doe not ſee ſuch an abſurdity as is remote from all reaſon, that ſome miracles may be done for confirmation that God is with them. See and conſider well what is ſaid afore in p. 310. lin. 4. and lin. 13. out of Iſa. 11.15, 16. Zech. 10.10, 11. compared with the Chalde.
§. 4 Now let the wiſe-hearted lay all together, and finde out if they can, when, and where, and how this intire propheſie, as tis here woven together, was ever yet fulfilled? And aſſert if they can, whether the laſt univerſall reſurrection, and ultimate judgement may be a meet time for the fulfilling of it?
§. 5 If they wil hazard the diſpute upon a transforming all into an Allegory, and make their reliance upon a ſpiritual ſence, there they are gone; and we are confirmed: For in that way ſeverall of the learned have ſtumbled and fallen; that is, have contradicted and perplexed themſelves; and could not fairly riſe and come off, but by taking hold (more, or leſſe; expreſſely, or implicitly) of our opinion.
¶. 1. Oecolampadius is very much for a ſpirituall ſence of this whole propheſie, afore-quoted; underſtanding by the War-horſe, the Corner, the Naile, the Battle-Bow, and the ſtrong men, &c. the Apoſtles, Evangeliſts, and Paſtors of the New Teſtament. And at every verſe almoſt he hath to this effect, Nos illa ſpiritualiter intelligimus; i. e. We underſtand theſe things ſpiritually. But if hee did ſo underſtand them, why doth he upon the ſixt ver. tell us That the naming there of the houſe of Judah, and the houſe of Joſeph, is a plaine demonſtration that the ſpeech of this propheſie is directed to all the Iſraelites? And why doth he tell us upon the ſeventh verſe, That the Tribe of Ephraim, whoſe captivity was greater, ſhall be greatlier ſtrengthened; and made like to a Gyant, refreſhed with wine, as the Country of Ephraim abounded therewith? The gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim, Judg. 8.2. being better then the Vintage of Abiezer. And woe (Iſa. 28.1.) to the crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim? For ſurely in the time of the Apoſtles and Evangeliſts, a great part of the Kingdom of Judah was in Canaan; but Iſrael was not then returned. And if any of them were, why muſt Ephraim be more ſtrengthened then Judah, or &c. if the ſence be ſpirituall, thoſe from Ephraim, as Jeroboam and his followers having been far more idolatrous then others? And again, if he will ſpiritually underſtand this propheſie, why doth hee tranſlate the eleventh verſe to a litterall ſenſe; he ſhall paſſe through a STRAIT of the ſea, and tels us, exponunt, &c. they expound this STRAIT to be Propontis? Yea, how doth that ſpeech of his upon the ninth verſe, [This is ſpoken (ſaith he) of the ten Tribes, who are ſaid to returne, when they are converted to Chriſt.] I ſay, how doth it agree with the times of the Apoſtles? from whoſe age, to this day, they are not converted, comp. Rom. 11.25. with experience downe to us. Laſtly, how doth his gloſſe and ſpirituall ſence, and the text agree together in the tenth verſe? The text is, I will bring them againe out of the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Aſſyria, and I will bring them to the land of Gilead, and Lebanon, and place ſhall not be found for them. His gloſſe is, The Prophet minds Egypt, and Aſſyria, becauſe there ISRAEL under-went harder ſervitude And he mentions Gilead and Lebanon, becauſe when all Iſrael went out of Egypt, they firſt poſſeſſed Gilead; and when Judah returned from Babylon, they entred into Judea by Lebanon. His ſpirituall ſence is, "we (ſaith Oecolamp.) underſtand thoſe things ſpiritually. For all that have received the knowledge of Chriſt are already brought into the holy Land. So hee. Now what ſhew of reaſon was there for the Prophet to mention ſo emphatically Egypt and Aſſyria, yea Gilead and Lebanon, to ſignifie the ALL of them that ſhould beleeve of what Nation ſoever, to bring them to faith in Chriſt; ſeeing moſt of thoſe things are obſcure to men unconverted, and we have new Teſtament miracles nearer at hand, and more particularly pointing to the perſon of Chriſt? much leſſe was there any ground for him to urge the conſideration of thoſe Regions and Countries to the ALL of beleevers, that already by faith were ſpiritually entered into the holy Land. And how doth this ſpirituall ſence agree with the Text, That place ſhall not bee found for them; that is, the place ſhall not bee ſufficient to receive them? For if the ſaid ſpirituall ſence ſtands good, then the whole earth ſhould not bee capacious enough to receive all that ſhall bee converted, which is contrary to common ſence. Therefore Oecolampadius ſpeakes ſafelier, and comes off fairlier, when he ſaith on the ſixt verſe, theſe things pertaine (ſaith he) to the times of Chriſt; not naming which time, whether that of his firſt, or that of his next coming; but leaves it large enough to comprehend both.
¶. 2. A Lapide likewiſe will underſtand by this goodly war-horſe, the Apoſtles and Apoſtolical men; on which Chriſt did, as it were, ride, conquering the world ſpiritually. And yet too, he will underſtand (as he ſaith) Judas Maccabeus, and his brethren trampleing Antiochus and his Commanders, to ſignifie this generous horſe for battle, here mentioned.
¶. 3. As for Calvin, though upon the fift verſe he hints moſtly a meer ſpiritual ſence, the Jewes, as alſo the Church militant under the croſſe, ſhall be conquerours, and triumph over all the wicked, partly in hope, and partly in the effect. For God doth wonderfully ſuſtaine them, and cauſeth that all particular beleevers poſſeſſe their ſoules in patience, &c. Yet before and after he lancheth forth into a further ſence; yea, and times too, beyond any that hath yet come to paſſe. For upon the fourth verſe he hath theſe words; From among the Jews ſhall be the Corner; that is, thoſe in that people that ſhall beare the publicke Government. And the batttle-Bow, that is, they ſhall be ſufficient to conquer their enemies. And the Exactor; that is, they ſhall injoy the Empire, or rule over their neighbours, and require tribute of them, inſtead of paying it to them. If any aske when this ſhall be fulfilled? I anſwer, There were ſome preludes of this, when God exalted the Maccabees: But tis certaine, that the Prophet compriſeth the whole courſe of redemption: And upon the ſixt verſe. The Jewes (ſaith he) could not acquieſce in thoſe beginnings, which ſcarcely in the hundreth part did anſwer to the promiſes of God. It behoved therefore to have their mindes lifted up on high, that they might hope for more then did appeare before their eyes. And this doctrine is uſeful for us, becauſe we are apt to reſtraine the promiſes of God to a narrow time; and ſo whiles we ſhut him up in our ſtraits, we cauſe him not to doe what we deſire: Therefore let the example of the returne of the people of Iſrael ſtill be before us; becauſe the Lord did promiſe by all his Prophets that their returne ſhould be glorious, and every way plentifull, and the ſtate of the people happy, which did not appear when the Jewes returned into their Country. And therefore it followes, I will ſtrengthen the houſe of Judah, and the houſe of Joſeph. In which Zecharie promiſes no vulgar thing, when as he ſaith, both peoples (Judah and Iſrael) ſhall bee rejoyned, and ſo incorporated into one, as before the breach, when the ten Tribes fell from the two. And in that clauſe, I will bring them again, and place them (as it is in our Engliſh, or, (as Calvin roads it,) I will bring them backe, and cauſe them to dwell foreign Hoſhbotim, being a compound word, or Verb, ſignifying, That God will not onelyonly bring backe againe the ten Tribes, but will give them a fixed ſeat in their owne Country. Which laſt words of Calvin are full to our ſence. Our new Annotations ſay upon the fourth verſe, touching the Oppreſſor, or Exactor, thus, They ſhall prevaile againſt their enemies, and oppreſſe their oppreſſors, and exact tribute, of them as Victors do of them whom they have ſubdued. This beſt ſuits with the context. And this we ſee partly verified in the hiſtory of the Maccabees, and more fully in, and under the Goſpell, the Prophet here comprehending in theſe promiſes the whole and entire, redemption, and deliverance of Gods Church and people, by, and under the Meſsiah.
Thus our new Annotations ſpeake, as well for a litterall ſence as a ſpiritual, and of times yet to come, as well as thoſe paſt.
¶. 4. Dr. Mayer hath obſerved a little this interfering of Authours againſt themſelves, having upon the eleventh verſe theſe words, Some by Judah (ſaith he) underſtand the Jewes, and by Joſeph and Ephraim, the Gentiles converted to the ſaith, and that no local motion is meant, when he ſpeakes of bringing them to their place, but onelyonly their coming into the Church, &c. And yet (ſaith he) they apply that which is here ſpoken, in part, to that which God did for the Jewes in the time of the Maccabees. The Doctor himſelf doth well apply this propheſie, mainly to a litterall ſence: but I had hoped with more coherence. For if, as he well aſſerts upon the fourth verſe, touching the Corner, tis there propheſied of the joyning together of the two Kingdomes of Judah and Iſrael, whereby they ſhould be greatly ſtrengthened; how then doth he tel us after on the ſame verſe, that this propheſie was partly fulfilled in Judas Maccabeus, and partly (as he intimateth, or affirmes on the eleventh verſe) in the return of thoſe Jewes that fled into Egypt under Iſhmael, upon the ſlaughter of Gedaliah (2 King. 25. ver. 25, 26.) who returned out of Egypt (as A Lapide beleeves Joſephus *Lib. 11. Antiq. c. 2.) in the reign of Ptolomeus Philodelphus, the ſucceſſour of Ptolomeus Lagi, in the Kingdome of the Greeks; and that the pride of Aſſyria was brought down when Alexander ſubdued both Perſians and Aſſyrians: And the Scepter departed from Egypt in the daies of Cleopatra, their laſt Queen (with whoſe love Antony was ſo intangled) whoſe dominions Ceſar conquered; but not her, becauſe ſhe ſlew her ſelfe, that ſhe might not come into his hands? I ſay how do theſe things hang together in an handſome harmony? For all theſe things do nothing conduce to the re-union, and re-dintegration of the two Kingdomes of Judah and Iſrael into one body, being never yet done, ſince their diviſion in Rehoboams time, to this day.
¶. 5. For the further clearing whereof, let us ſpeake diſtinctly ſome thing to all the three laſt mentioned particulars; eſpecially to that of Judas Maccabeus, who hath ſo taken the eyes of moſt Interpretors, that they cannot in commenting on this Chapter look off from him, putting the maine ſtreſſe of Interpretation upon his Hiſtory. Firſt, For that particular, Of the returning of thoſe Jewes from Egypt, that fled thither upon the occaſion of Iſhmaels ſlaying Gedaliah; It is not probable that many returned. When they went they were but the gleanings of a captivity, (2 King. 25.) And Dr. Mayer confeſſeth, that in Egypt, whiles they were there, Ptolomeus Lathurus ſlew of them thirty thouſand; and thoſe that did returne were of the Kingdome of Judah, which nothing concerns Iſrael. And the time of their return was long before Chriſt, at leaſt two hundred and fifty years. Now the ſacred Text tels us plainly, that the Scepter ſhould continue to Judah, diſtinctly (as divided from Iſrael) till Chriſt ſhould come. Since which it departed; but never returned either to Judah, or Iſrael, or to both joyntly. To the ſecond particular, of bringing downe the pride of Aſſyria, and the Scepter of Egypt, the former by the Greekes, the latter by the Romans; we ſay that it nothing favours the ſence and intent of this propheſie; which ſpeaks like all the reſt of the like propheſies, which threatning the ruine of the Jewes enemies, alwayes declare to what end and iſſue, namely, for the raiſing of the Jewes. Thus all along this Chapter, ver. 4. I have puniſhed the Goats, FOR the Lord hath VISITED his flock, the houſe of Judah, and hath made them his goodly horſe in the Battle. V. 5, 6. They ſhall tread down their enemies, and I will STRENGTHEN the houſe of Iudah, and SAVE the houſe of Ioſeph. And ſo in the eleventh verſe now under conſideration (compared with the twelfth verſe) The pride of Aſſyria ſhall be brought down, and the Scepter of Egypt ſhall depart away. To what effect? It followes, and I will ſtrengthen them, that is, the Jewes. The queſtion therefore is, What advantage accrewed to the Jews by the Grecians beating the Aſſyrians, and the Romans the Egyptians? Surely, no more but this, the Iews changed their oppreſſors, but not their oppreſſion, which continued upon them under the Roman yoke to Chriſts time, and hundreds of years after, till the Saracens and Turkes began to take their turn of oppreſſing them, which they have perpetuated to this day. To the third particular, Of the ſtory of the Maccabees; we confidently affirme that this contributed little or nothing to the fulfilling of this propheſie, which ſo emphatically foretels, ver. 6. the ſaving of the houſe of Ioſeph, and bringing them againe to place them; and the making them of EPHRAIM (ver. 7. &c.) to be like a mighty man, and gathering them from Egypt and Aſſyria. For, of what Tribe ſoever Iudas Maccabeus, and his brethren were, whether of Levi (as their fathers Prieſthood imports*1 Macc…. 2.1., if in thoſe corrupt times it were kept within the line) or what other Tribe, clear it is by frequent expreſſion throughout that Maccabean story, that they were the Inhabitants in and about Jeruſalem, of the quondam Kingdome of Juda, and not of the ten Tribes of Iſrael (which never returned from captivity to this day, as the Jews confeſſe) that made up the Army that did thoſe exploites. Beſides we may not forget what Mercer ſaid, pag. 313. lin. 14. And what Calvin ſaid afore to the ſame purpoſe in the ſame page 313. line 40. viz. That the ſtory of the Maccabees is not worthy the naming, in compariſon of the deliverance that God intends by theſe propheſies; that war being occaſion of bringing the Jewes into a lower condition, viz. that the Scepter departed from Judah*The glory of the hiſtory of the Maccabees Book 1. cha. 16. (where ends their exploits) ſets in a cloud. The hiſtory of the ſecond book of Macca. is of the acts done in the ſame times of the firſt; only with this difference, that the hiſtory of the firſt book extends to 40 years, that of the ſecond only to 14. And for the third book of Macca. as Junius and Grotius have it, it is in nature firſt; being (it ſeems) the relation of what was done at the beginning of all, in the firſt year.. And therefore Dr. Mayer doth a little correct himſelfe after, and pretty wel make up the matter, if he will be taken in our ſence. Becauſe (ſaith he) thus (that is, in the three particulars afore mentioned) the things here propheſied of, were but done in part, their perfect accompliſhment is to be looked at in Chriſt; no Ephraim or Joſeph having this made any way good unto them, before his coming. So he. Which coming being taken at large, as comprehending not onelyonly his firſt coming, but alſo his ſecond appearance, viz. in the clouds to convert the Jewes, doth well mend the matter: Or elſe nothing is ſaid to the full meaning of the Text. For ſince Chriſts coming, Judah and Iſrael (as we ſaid) have not been united, nor is the pride and Scepter of them that rule over them brought low, &c. Thus have I been drawn on by occaſion of the falſe lights that have dazled this Text, to enlarge my diſcourſe upon it, far beyond all purpoſe or expectation. But tis an old truth; Non ſunt long a quibus nihil eſt quod demere poſsis.
That is not of too long a ſize,
Which none can well epitomize.