The Resurrection Revealed, Book 1 · Chapter 2 · Section 1
1. SECTION Of Hebrew Antiquities.
§. 1 FOr, the Hebrew Antiquities, to be ſet (for ſeniorities ſake in part) in the Front, wee have divers: whereof the firſt is the Targum or Chalde Paraphraſe: which tooke its beginning from the Jewes Captivity in Babylon: where their native Hebrew tongue grew out of uſe, ſo that the generality of them farre better underſtood the Chalde then the Hebrew. The Targum hath many pertinences to the point in hand, eſpecially if we compare ſeverall Copies of it. For there is a Manuſcript Targum, which upon Eſter Ch. 1. reckoning up the ſeverall Monarchies that have, and ſhall bee from the beginning of the world unto the end thereof, makes the computation thus: The firſt Monarchy was of God. Second under Nimrod. Third, under Pharaoh. Fourth, under Salomon. Fifth, under Nebuchadnezzar. Sixth, under the Medes and Perſians. Seventh, under Alexander the Great. Eighth, under Julius Caeſar. The ninth, the Kingdome of the Meſsia, or Chriſt. Where obſerve how the Jewes place the Kingdome of Chriſt in order after the Roman Monarchy, and to bee on earth, as the former were. But leaſt this Copy, being a Manuſcript, and ſo hidden from the eyes of moſt, ſhould carry the leſſe authority with it; let us conſult the Targum, that lookes all the learned in the face.
§. 2 The Babylonian Targum, or ordinary Chalde Paraphraſe faith upon, Gen. 49.10. That CHRIST ſhall come, whoſe is the KINGDOME and him ſhall the PEOPLES obey. Obſerve the plurall PEOPLES, that is the Nations, indefinitly.
§. 3 Which the Jeruſalem Targum expreſſeth, more literally, and univerſally, The KING CHRIST ſhall come, whoſe is the KINGDOME, and ALL (marke the univerſality) KINGS (marke the perſons) ſhall be ſubject unto him, viz. ſo (as the ſame Jeruſalem Targum expoundeth on the 11. verſe of that 49. of Gen.) that thoſe Kings and Princes, that will not be ſubject unto him, he ſhall kill, making the Univerſe red with the blood of their ſlain, and the hils white with the fat of their mighty men, &c. But theſe things were not fulfilled at Chriſts being on the earth in the fleſh. It was above three hundred yeares after, ere one King, or Nation was ſubject unto Chriſt, viz. in the time of Conſtantine the Great, except ſome ſprinklings of Converts here and there, called Churches; the Nations and Kings of the earth, either taking no cognizance of his intereſt, or elſe perſecuted it, even as to this day they doe, even ten parts of the world, for one that ownes him. Neither hath Chriſt yet taken that material and ſenſible vengeance on them, by killing the diſobedient, in order to a bringing in of the reſt into a viſible ſubjection to him.
§. 4 Laſtly, Paraphraſt Jonathan in his Chalde Paraphraſe of Hoſ. 14.8. hath theſe words, They (ſpeaking of the Jewes) ſhall bee gathered together from out of the midſt of their CAPTIVITY, they ſhall DWELL under the ſhadow of their CHRIST, and the DEAD ſhall LIVE, and good ſhall grow in the EARTH, and there ſhall bee a memoriall of their goodneſſe FRUCTIFYING, and never fayling; as the remembrance of the ſound of the Trumpets over the old wine, which was wont to be offered in the Sanctuary; which things were never yet fulfilled on earth. We forbear to quote more out of their TARGUM, or Chalde Paraphraſe now, becauſe we ſhall afterwards oft caſt an eye upon it in our diſcuſſe of ſeverall Scriptures, that tend to the PROOF of the point in hand.
§. 5 To this let mee adde a touch out of the CAPITULA of RABBI ELIEZAR the GREAT, becauſe neare of the ſame Antiquity with the former; his words are theſe: As I live, ſaith Jehovah, I will raiſe YOU (ſpeaking of the Jewes) up in the TIME to come in the RESURRECTION of the dead; and I will GATHER you will ALL ISRAEL.
§. 6 You ſee, both doe harmoniſe to the ſame tune; the effect of their words the ſame, which is not yet fulfilled, in as much as to this day the generality of the Jewes have not owned any MESSIA to be come in the fleſh, but refuſed The MESSIA, Joh. 1.11. according as it was fore-propheſied, Eſa. 53.3. He is deſpiſed, and rejected of men. And the remnant of beleeving Jewes, never ſince, as yet ſaw that particular RESURRECTION of the dead, or that their gathering together out of the midſt of their CAPTIVITY, or that generall GOOD in the EARTH. And therefor according to the Scriptures (of which by and by) theſe things are yet to come, afore the laſt and generall Reſurrection.
§. 7 Of Hebrew Antiquities, SINCE the Incarnation of Chriſt, namely their Two TALMUDS (their SEDAR OLAM is of the ſame age near upon, with the Babyloniſh) ſomething of which TALMUDS was extant neare the Apoſtles time, if not ancienter, and of other Rabbins, we ſhall give you an account in divers particulars. In Gemara Sanhedrin, R. Ketina hath ſaid in the laſt of the Thouſands of yeares of the worlds continuance, the world ſhall be deſtroyed, of which it is ſaid (Eſa. 2.11.17.) THE LORD ONELYONLY SHALL BE EXALTED IN THAT DAY. And TRADITION agrees with R. Ketina, even as every ſeventh yeare of ſeven yeares is a years of releaſe; ſo of the ſeven thouſand yeares of the world, the ſeventh thouſand yeares, ſhall bee the thouſand of Releaſe, as it is ſaid, AND THE LORD ALONE SHAL BE EXALTED IN THAT DAY. Likewiſe That Pſalme (namely the 92.) is ſaid to bee a PSALME OR SONG FOR THE SABBATH DAY; THAT IS, THE DAY THAT IS NOTHING ELSE BUT REST. As alſo it is ſaid (viz. Pſal. 90.) A THOUSAND YEERS IN THY SIGHT ARE BUT AS YESTERDAY. By which it is plaine to acute obſervers, that the ancient Rabbinicall Jews did clearly underſtand the Propheſie of Iſaiah in Chap. 2. of the EXALTATION of the LORD (twice there repeated) as meant of the GREAT DAY, (which ſome Rabbins call the Day of JUDGEMENT, others the Day of MESSIA, others the Day of the RENOVATION of the WORLD) and of the REIGNING of CHRIST, which is elegantly and emphatically there limbed in its colours to the life, as it will more ſhine forth, when we come to an accurate diſcuſſe of that Chapter.
In Mid…aſch Tehillim upon the 90. Pſal. v. 15. Wee thus read, MAKE US GLAD ACCORDING TO THE DAYES WHEREIN THOU HAST AFFLICTED VSUS, That is by the Babylonians, the Grecians, and the Romans, AND THAT IN THE DAYES OF THE MESSIAH. And how many are the dayes of the MESSIAH? R. JEHOSUAS ſaid, that they are Two THOUSAND yeares; and it is ſaid, ACCORDING TO THE DAYES WHEREIN THOU HAST HUMBLED US: that is according to two dayes; for one day of the holy and bleſſed God are a thouſand yeares, according to that, BECAUSE A THOUSAND YEERS IN THY SIGHT ARE BUT AS YESTERDAY. The Rabbins alſo have ſaid, That according to the TIME to come, the DAY of the MESSIAH ſhall bee one. For God which is holy and bleſſed in the FUTURE (that is AGE) ſhall make one day to himſelfe, of which wee read, Zech. 14. And there ſhall bee ONE DAY, which ſhall bee knowne to the Lord, not day, nor night, and it ſhall bee at the EVENING-TIME Light. This Day is the AGE or WORLD TO COME, and the QUICKNING OF THE DEAD.
§. 9 In their Booke called Berachoth, wee finde this. Benzuma ſaith, It ſhall come to paſſe, that Iſrael ſhall not remember their departure out of the Land of Aegypt, IN THE WORLD TO COME, and IN THE DAYES OF THE MESSIAH: (marke diligently how by World to come, they underſtand a time on earth, as Paul hath it twice, viz Heb 1.6. Heb. 2.5. THE INHABITED WORLD TO COME. So the Greeke; ſo the ſenſe. For no man could imagine that heaven above ſhould bee put in ſubjection to the Angels, ſo as to need the Apoſtles Apology there to prevent ſuch an imagination.) And how (ſay the Rabbins in that Berachoth) doth this appeare? By that which is written (in J…rem. 23.) BEHOLD THE DAYES COME, THAT THEY SHALL SAY NO MORE, THE LORD LIVETH WHICH BROVGHT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL VP OVT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, & Which wiſe men interpret thus; not as if the name of Egypt ſhould be blotted out, but becauſe the WONDERS which ſhall bee effected in the DAYES OF THE KINGDOME OF MESSIA, ſhall principally be remembred, and their departure out of Egypt leſſe.
§. 10 Note by the way that it is not agreed among the Rabbins, in what THOVSAND yeares of the world the ſaid DAY of JUDGEMENT, or of MESSIAH, or RENOVATION of the WORLD, ſhall bee. Some ſay, further off, in the ſeventh, others nearer, in the ſixt, but others about the fifth.
§. 11 But to goe on, The TRADITION of the houſe of Elijah is, Thoſe Juſt ones, whom God ſhall raiſe up, ſhall not return unto duſt. But if you inquire what ſhall be to the Juſt in that thouſand yeares, in which the holy and bleſſed God ſhall RENEW his World, of which it is ſaid, AND THE LORD ALONE SHALL BE EXALTED IN THAT DAY: Wee muſt know that the Lord will give them, as it were, the wings of Eagles, that they may ſtye upon the faces of waters, Jeſch. 40.31. THEY THAT HOPINGLY WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL HAVE THEIR STRENGTH renewed, THEY SHALL BE CARRIED UPON WINGS, AS EAGLES.
§. 12 R. Saadias brings up the REARE gallantly, thus (on Dan. 7.18. The Saints of the moſt High God, ſhall receive a Kingdome) Becauſe the children of Iſrael have rebelled againſt the Lord, their Kingdome ſhall bee taken from them, and ſhall bee given to the foure Monarchies, which ſhall poſſeſſe the Kingdome in this world, and ſhall lead Iſrael captive, and ſubdue them to themſelves, Even TILL THE WORLD TO COME, untill MESSIAH ſhall REIGNE.
§. 13 Wee ſhall, for a cloſe of this Section awaken the Reader to have both eyes open upon this, That this reigning of the MESSIAH or CHRIST, ſo often mentioned by the aforeſaid Rabbins, cannot bee in the higheſt heavens after the ultimate day of judgement; for then hee layes downe all, and delivers up the Kingdome to God the Father, &c. 1 Cor. 15.24.28. Nor have theſe Rabbinicall predictions beene ever fulfilled on earth, as experience can witneſſe. And therefore neceſſarily they muſt be in effect, of the ſame judgement as is contained in our Poſition, or Theſis, which for that cauſe, cannot be adjudged novel, or ſingular.
1. SECTIO De Hebraeotum Antiquitatibus.
§. 1 HArum prima eſt Targumenica. Targum, ſeu Chaldaeus contextus, celeberrima inter Judaeos Paraphraſis, hinc deſumpſit originem, quò da Captivitate exoleviſſet lingua Hebraica, neque eam ampliùs intelligerent. Extat ab Onkelo in quinque libros Moſis; a R. Jonathan in Joſue, Judicum, quatuor Regum, omniumque Prophetarum, excepto Daniele; Et a Joſepho Caeco in Caeteros veteris Teſtamenti libros. Plura complectitur, quae Synagogae Judaicae faveant, paſsim tamen eam jugulat, dum luculentiſsimè de Méſsiâ teſtatur. Guid Mich. le Ja in praefatione, ſeu inſtituti operis ratione. Ad Bib. Reg. Lutetiae edita. Multa ſunt apud Targum (Collatis praeſertim exemplaribus) ad noſtram Theſin pertinentia. Targum ſeu Chaldaea Paraphraſis manuſcripta in Eſter Cap. 1. ad hunc modum & methodum, cùm temporis tùm loci computat Monarchias. Prima Dei fuit. Illa purum putum Hebraiſmum proſitebatur. Nimrodus alteram tenebat Monarchiam. Pharaonis Monarchia facit tertiam. Huic Salomonis Monarchiaſucceſsit. Eam Salomonis, quinta ſubſecuta eſt, nempe Nebuchadnezzaris Magni. Huic Babylonici Tyranni Monarchiae, ſexta ſucceſsit, nempe Perſarum & Medorum imperium. Alexandri Magni imperium facit ſeptimam. Alexandri Magni, ſuorumque Satraparum imperium, Julii Caeſaris octava tandem excepit Monarchia. Invadit hanc Julii Caeſaris Monarchiam, illud Meſſiae regnum, quod nonum eſt imperium. Haec Jacob Colerus S.T.D. in Eliae Hutteri in Biblia Ebraea, praefatione. Ita in terris hanc, ut Caeteras, & poſt Romanam, Meſſiae locat Monarchiam.
§. 2 Targ. Babyl. ſeu ordin. Chald. Paraph. in Gen. 49. v. 10. Donec veniat Meſſias, cujus eſt regnum, & ei obedient populi. POPULI (dignum obſervatu) in plurali, foreign.
§. 3 Quod Targum Hier oſolimitanum ad literam magis, & latiùs ſeu univerſaliùs exprimit. REX CHRISTUS venturus eſt, cujus eſt REGNUM, & OMNES Reges ſe illi ſubjicient. Ita ut quoſcun que regum, principumve, illi non ſubjecturos interfecerit, ad rubo rem fluminum ex ſanguine interfectorum, & albedinem montium ex pinguedine potentum.
§. 4 Paraphraſtes demum Jonathan in Chaldaicâ ſua paraphraſi in Hoſ. 14.8. haec habet verba, foreign &c. i.e. Congregabuntur (Iſraelitae) de medio ſuae Captivitatis; in umbrâ CHRISTI SUI habitabunt, VIVENTQUE MORTUI, & BONUM ACCRESCET in TERRA; Nec non erit memoriale bonitatis eorum fructificans & indeficiens, juxta ac memoria Clangoris tubarum ſuper vino veteri, quod libari ſolet in domo ſanctuarii; Quae res nunquam interris adhus impletae fuerunt. Multò plus Targum habet, quod (ut inutilis vitetur repetitio) in ventilationem Scripturarum Theſin probantium, comperendinamus.
§. 5 Huic Jonathani Concinit R. Eliezer (qui paulò poſt Templum ſecundum floruit.) In Capitulis Magni illius Eliezer Cap. 34. haec comperimus foreign &c. i.e. Vivo ego dicit dominus, quòd ſuſcitabo vos, in tempore futuro, in Reſurrectione mortuorum, et congregabo vos cum univerſo Iſrael IN TERRAM ISRAEL.
§. 6 Haec verò, quae protulerunt, Jonathan & Eliezer, ad hodiernum uſque diem, ut Judaeis universè, UMBRAM, imo perſonam CHRISTI ſui rejicientibus (Johan. c. 1. v. 11. Jeſch. c. 53. v. 3.) minimè impleta fuerint; ita pars illa, quorundam credentium, nunquam vel revixerunt, aut de praeſenti eorum Captivitate ſeſquimillenariâ reduces, BONUM ILLUD IN TERRA vel Caecutierunt.
§. 7 Ex Antiquitatibus Hebraeorum TALMUDICIS, Judaicis nimirum, & Babylonicis, a Ducenteſimo Nonageſimo poſt natum CHRISTUM, ad annum ſaltem 120m. aſcendentibus, reliquiſque Rabbinorum poſt-natis abundè, ſi placet, excipiatis.
[De Talmudicarum aevo Conſulite Bucholcerum Indic. Chron. ad annum Mundi 4161. Chriſti 191. Helvicum Theatr. Hiſtor. ſeu Chron. ad annum, quod mirum eſt Chriſti 500. Joh. Buxtorf in recenſione operis Talmudici, ejus libro de Abbreviaturis Heb. vulgo annexo. M. Lightfoot in Miſcellan, Cap. 7. De Chriſto confutante ſaltem Traditionem Talmudicam, Matth. 5. Chriſtum ipſum Judaeos inſcitiae arguentem, ex ſuâ ipſorum ſcriptâ lege; câ ſcilicet, ut probabile videtur, Talmudicâ, in quâ veteris Teſtamenti authentiam agnoverunt. Eâ autem ratione a CHRISTO dictum eſt Joh. 10.34. Nonne ſcriptum eſt in lege VESTRA?]
1. In Gemara Sanhedrin PEREK CHELEK, ita legimus foreign &c. foreign &c. Id eſt, Dixit R. Ketina, in UNO (nempe, ut intelligit, ULTIMO) mundi MILLENARIO vaſtabitur mundus, de quo dicitur, & EXALTABITUR DOMINUS SOLUS DIE ILLO Jeſch. cap. 2. v. 11.17. foreign &c. i. e. Convenit Traditio R. Ketinae, ſicut è ſeptimis annis ſeptimus quiſque eſt remiſſionis annus; ita MILLENARIUS HIC, remiſſionis erit, MILLENARIUS, quemadmodum dicitur, EXALTABITUR DOMINUS SOLUS DIE ILLO & PSALMUS (ſcilicet 92.) dicitur CANTICUM DE DIE SABBATI, Id eſt, de die, qui totus eſt quies & dicitur (Pſalmo nempe 90.) MILLE ANNI IN OCULIS TUIS VELUT DIES HESTERNUS. En (lectores perſpicaciſsimi) veteres Judaei, Prophetiam Jeſch cap. 2. de EXALTATIONE DOMINI bis repetitam de DIE MAGNO, an Judicii (ut R. Schelomo,) an MESSIAE (ut R. D Kimchi) an RENOVATIONIS MUNDI, (ut R. Aſche &c.) an alio nomine appella… veris, deque CHRISTI tunc temporis REGNO, articulatim, ornateque ibidem depicto, apertiſsimè intellexerunt.
Huic teſtimonio ſecundum ex Midraſch Tehillim exhibetur, Ubi ſemper Pſalm. 90. v. 15. laetifica nos pro diebus, &c. ſic paraphraſticè emphaſi non mediocri legitur. LAETIFICA NOS PRO DIEBUS QUIBUS AFFLIXISII NOS, ſcilicet per Babyloniam, per Graeciam & per Romanos, idque Laetifica in diebus MESSIAE, & quot ſunt dies Meſſiae? R. Jehoſuas dixit, quod ſunt duo millia annorum ſicut dictum eſt, foreign SECUNDUM DIES QUIBUS NOS HUMILIASTI i. e. ſecundum duos dies. DIES ENIM VNA DEI SANCTI ET BENEDICTI SUNT MILLE ANNI, juxta illud; QUONIAM MILLE ANNI IN OCULIS TUIS TANQUAM DIES HESTERNA. Dixerunt etiam Magiſtri, quod ſecundum FUTURUM (quod Paulus foreign imò & foreign Heb. 1.6. Heb. 2.5. appellat) DIES MESSIAE erit una. Deus enim ſanctus & benedictus in FUTURO (nimirum ſeculo) faciet ei diem unam, de qua dictum eſt, Zechar. cap. 14. ET ERIT DIES VNA, ET IPSA EST NOTA DEO, NON DIES NEQUE NOX, ET ERIT, AD TEMPUS VESPERI ERIT LUX. Haec dies eſt SECULUM FUTURUM & VIVIFICATIO MORTUORUM.
§. 9 Teſtimonium numer ato tertium e libro Berachoth lib. 11. c. 1. (ſcilicet foreign) quod ſic ſe habet. Dixit Benzuma; Futurum eſt, ut Iſrael non faciat memoriam exitus ex Aegypto in FUTURO SECULO, ET IN DIEBUS MESSIAE (vide ſis conjunctam Rabbini interpretationem.) Et quid eſt hujus rei probatio? Quod ſcriptum eſt, (Jerem. 23.) ECCE DIES VENIUNT, ET NON DICENT VLTRA VIVIT DOMINUS QUI ASCEND ERE FECIT FILIOS ISRAEL DE TERRA AEGYPTI, &c. Dixerunt ſapientes, Non quòd evellendum eſſet nomen Aegypti de loco ſuo, ſed quod mirabilia, quae fient in diebus REGNORUM (ſcilicet MESSIae erunt foreign i. e. principale, & Aegyptus erit foreign i. e. acceſſorium.
§. 10 Priuſquam nos alia proferamus teſtimonia, animadvertant acutiores oculi, inter Rabbinos, quoto mundi MILLENARIO dictum JUDICII, vel MESSIae, vel (ut appellant R. Aſche, R. Abba, R. Chanan) RENOVATIONIS MUNDI TEMPUS fore, non convenit. Quippe quod non nulli (longiùs) in ſeptimum, alii (propius) in ſextum, Caeteri (digniſsimum obſervatu) in MILLENNIUM (circiter) quintum incidere promittunt. De quinto conſulatur. Rabb. Aſche.
§. 11 Quarta hujus ſeriei antiquitas, ELiae Domo egreditur, foreign &c. i. e. Doctrina Domus Eliae. Juſti, quos Deus RESUSCITASIT (Reſurrectione nimirum primâ, quam Magiſtri paſsim, nec non Author libri Sapientiae Cap. 3. v. 7, 8. agnoſcunt) non redigentur iterum in pulverem. Si quaeras autem, MILLE ANNIS ISTIS, quibus, Deus ſanctus benedictus RENOVATURUS eſt mundum ſuum, de quo dicitur ET DOMINUS SOLUS EXALYABITUR ILLO DIE, quid Juſtis futurum ſit? Sciendum quod Deus ſanctus benedictus dabit, illis alas, quaſi aquilarum, ut volent ſuper facie aquarum; juxta Jeſch. 40.31. Expectantibus Dominum innovabuntur vires, efferentur alâ, inſtar aquilarum.
§. 12 Reſpondet ultima primae antiquitatum Hebraicarum; quam R. Saadias ex doctiorum foreign, eximi is) ſuppeditat. Quippe qui in Danielis cap. 7. v. 18. SUSCIPIENT REGNUM SANCTI DEI ALTISSIMI fic prophetat foreign &. i. e. Eò quod rebellarunt Iſraelitae contra dominum, auſeretur ab illis ipſorum regnum, Dabiturque quatuor hiſce Monarchiis, quae regnum poſſidebunt in HOC SECULO, Captivumque ducent, ſubjugabuntque ſibi Iſraelem, uſque ad FUTURUM SECULUM, donec REGNAVERIT MESSIAH.
§. 13 Verùm enimverò MESSIAH nequaquam regnaturus eſt in SECULO, vel duratione in Caelorum altiſsimo Continuandâ (1 Ep. ad Corinth. ca. 15. v. 24.28.) Nec dum in terris, haec Saadiana vel Caeterorum Rabbinicae praedictiones impletae fuerint; teſtanti experientid. Quarum authores, eodem fuiſſe animo cum n… ſtrâ theſi, neteſſe eſt. Quae, vel hâc de cauſâ, tanquam novitia, aut ſingularis condenmari nequit.