The Resurrection Revealed, Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Section 23 – Section 25
SECT. XXIII.
THe fourteenth place in Iſaiah is in Chapter 60 (the very next Chapter) the ſumme wherof our laſt Tranſlators have meetly given us in ſaying, that the Chapter is concerning the glory of the Church (of the Jews converted to Chriſt) in the acceſſion and addition of the Gentiles. The paſſages of moſt concernment to our point are,
§. 1 Verſ. 1. Ariſe, ſhine, for thy light is come, and the Lord is upon THEE. v. 2. Darkneſſe ſhall cover the EARTH, and groſſe darkneſſe the PEOPLE; but the Lord ſhall ariſe unto THEE, and his glory ſhall bee ſeen upon THEE. verſ. 3. And the GENTILES ſhall come to thy light, and Kings to the brightneſſe of thy riſing. v. 4. Thy ſonnes ſhall come from farre, and thy daughters ſhall be nurſed at thy ſide. v. 5. And thine heart ſhall be inlarged, becauſe, the abundance of the Sea ſhall be converted unto thee, and the forces of the Gentiles ſhall come unto thee. v. 6. They of Midian, and Sheba ſhall come, they ſhall bring gold, and incenſe, and they ſhall ſhew forth the praiſes of the Lord. v. 7. All the flocks of Kedar ſhall be gathered together unto thee, the Rammes of Nebaioth ſhall miniſter unto thee, &c. and I will glorifie the houſe of my glory. v. 8.9. Who are theſe that flye as a cloud, and as doves to their windows? Surely the ISLES that wait for thee. v. 10. The ſonnes of the ſtrangers ſhall build up thy wals, and THEIR KINGS ſhall miniſter UNTO THEE. v. 11.12. Thy gates SHALL BEE OPEN DAY and NIGHT, that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that THEIR KINGS may be brought. For the NATION and KINGDOME that will not ſerve thee, SHALL PERISH. v. 14. The ſonnes of them that afflicted thee, ſhal come BENDING unto thee, and all that deſpiſed thee, ſhal BOW THEMSELVES DOWN at the ſoles of thy feet, and they ſhall call thee THE CITY OF THE LORD, the ZION OF THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL. v. 15. Whereas thou haſt been forſaken, and hated, I will make thee an ETERNAL EXCELLENCY a JOY OF MANY NATIONS. v. 16. Thou ſhalt alſo ſuck the milke of the GENTILES, and the breaſts of KINGS. v. 17. For braſſe I will bring gold, for iron ſilver, &c. and I wil make thy OFFICERS PEACE, and thy EXACTORS RIGHTEOUSNESSE. v. 18. Violence ſhal be NO MORE heard in thy Land, but thou ſhalt call thy wals SALVATION, &c. v. 19. THE SUNNE ſhal be no more THY LIGHT by day, neither for brightneſſe ſhal the MOON GIVE LIGHT unto thee, BUT THE LORD SHALL BE THY EVERLASTING LIGHT, and thy God thy glory. v. 20. Thy Sunne ſhal no more go down, neither ſhal thy Moon withdraw it ſelfe, for THE LORD ſhal be thy EVERLASTING LIGHT, and the daies of thy MOURNING SHALL BE ENDED. v. 21. Thy PEOPLE alſo ſhal be RIGHTEOUS, and they ſhal inherit the Land FOR EVER. (i. e. none after them.) v. 22. (the cloſe of all) I the Lord wil haſten it, IN HIS TIME.
§. 2 Now I put the queſtion to all the Learned and Libraries in the world, when was ever any ſuch eſtate of the Church ſince the Jewes going into captivity in Babylon? If any are ſo heavy headed, as falling faſt aſleep, ſhall dream, that all theſe paſſages concerne not a viſible glorious eſtate of the Church on earth, or that theſe all are already ſpiritually fulfilled, let ſuch know that they would be hard put to it, ſo to expound this Chap. congruouſly, and to tell us the time and manner, and make all handſomely hang together. And therefore St. John, a ſurer Commentator, having propheſied in Rev. 20. v. 4. compared with Rev. 5.10. of the Saints reigning with Chriſt on earth, and in the 21 Ch. having given us his viſion of a New EARTH, and of New Jeruſalem, coming downe FROM heaven (with many more paſſages of the future glory of the Church on earth, of which abundantly afore, ſeverall times) he goes on in that 21 Chapter to apply many of the paſſages of this ſixtieth of Iſa. to that future glorious eſtate of the Church on earth, yet to come, after the fall of Antichriſt, which is not (as wee ſee) yet performed. For example; The third verſe of this ſixtieth of Iſaiah (but now preſented afore your eyes) is exactly ſo applyed, Rev. 21. v. 24. And the Nations of them that are ſaved, ſhal walk in the light of it (that is, the light of the glory of God, and the Lamb, as it is in the former verſe) and the Kings of the earth doe bring their glory and honour into it. So that in the 11. and 12. verſes of this ſixtieth of Iſaiah (as you ſee it afore) is likewiſe applied to that future glorious ſtate of the Church on earth afore the ultimate judgement, Rev. 21. v. 25, 26. And the gates of it ſhall not be ſhut at all by day; for there ſhal be no night there. And they ſhal bring the glory, and honour of the Nations into it. So the 19. v. of this ſixtieth of Iſaiah is in like manner applyed in Rev. 21. v. 23. And the City had no need of the Sun, neither of the MOON TO SHINE IN IT; (Mark, to ſhine in it, intimating that though thoſe Planets continue in being, yet there ſhall be no need of their ſhining) for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. The ſame is to be ſeen in the application of the 20 v. of this ſixtieth of Iſaiah in Rev. 21. v. 3, 4. Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he wil dwel with them, &c. and God himſelfe ſhal be with them, &c. And ſhal wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there ſhal be no more death, neither ſorrow, nor crying, &c. And laſtly, the application of v. 21. of this ſixtieth of Iſaiah is as cleerly applyed to the ſame purpoſe, Rev. 21. v. 27. And there ſhal in no wiſe enter into it, any thing that defileth, neither whatſoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie.
§. 3 Now where is the man, or book that can ſay theſe things have been fulfilled ſince the time of this Propheſie, That the Nations of Jews and Gentiles have conjoyned in matters of Religion; as in the firſt ten verſes of this ſixtieth of Iſaiah? When ever did the Nations of the Gentiles bow down to the Jews, and thoſe that would not ſerve them did periſh, as v. 11.12? When were the Jews made an eternal excellency, and the joy of many Nations, as it is in 15 v? when (as v. 21.) were the Jews made a righteous people to inherit the Land for ever? But as ſure, as God is true, theſe things muſt be; And upon earth, as the circumſtances conſtraine. And therefore before the ultimate judgement.
SECT. XXIV.
§. 1 THe fifteenth place in Iſaiah is in Chapter 63. firſt ſix verſes, of which in a word.
Chriſt comes up (as it is revealed to the Prophet) from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozra, red in his apparrel, by treading the Wine-preſſe alone, treading downe his enemies in fury, til their blood be ſprinkled upon his garments.
§. 2 John in the Revelation Chapter 14, v. 19, 20, and Chapter 19, v. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. applies theſe in the ſame phraſe and figure to Chriſts deſtroying of Antichriſt, to be fulfilled on earth, yet afore the laſt judgement. Another Angel came out from the al…ar, which cryed to him that had a ſharp ſickle, ſaying, thruſt in thy ſickle, and gather the cluſters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe. And the Angel thruſt in his ſickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and caſt it into the great Winepreſſe of the wrath of God. And the Winepreſſe was trodden without the City, and blood came out of the Winepreſſe, even unto the horſe bridles, &c. And I ſaw heaven opened, and behold a white horſe, and he that ſate upon him, was called FAITHFULL and TRUE, and in righteouſneſſe he doth judge, and make war. His eyes are as a flame of fire, and on his head were many Crownes, &c. And he was cloathed with a Veſture DIPT IN BLOOD, his name is called THE WORD OF GOD. And the Armies which were in Heaven, followed him upon white horſes, &c. And out of his mouth goeth a ſharp ſword, that with it he ſhould ſmite the Nations, and he ſhall rule them with a rod of iron, and he TREADETH THE WINEPRESSE OF THE FIERCENESSE and VVRATH OF ALMIGHTY GOD. And hee hath on his veſture, and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS.
§. 3 Theſe are obvious enough for every one to apply to the point in hand, according to our former method ſo often repeated. ##
SECT. XXV.
THe ſixteenth place in Iſaiah is Chapter 65. verſe 17, &c. to the end of the Chapter.
Verſe 17. Behold I create new Heavens, and a new EARTH, and the former ſhall not be remembred, &c. v. 18. But be you glad and rejoyce FOR EVER in that which I create; for behold I creat JERUSALEM a rejoycing, and her people, a joy, v. 19. And I will rejoyce in Jeruſalem, and joy in my people, and the VOYCE OF VVEEPING SHALL BE NO MORE HEARD IN HER, NOR THE VOYCE OF CRYING. v. 20. There ſhal be no more thence an infant of dayes, nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes, &c. And they ſhall build houſes, and inhabit them, &c. And plant vineyards, &c. Before they call, I will anſwer, &c. The woolf and the lamb ſhall feed together, &c.
§. 1 This, will every one ſay, that marks what he reads, muſt ſignifie a ſtate of the Church upon earth, to bee before the ultimate judgement. ##
§. 2 And there is no man or monument can be produced that ever this was ſo fulfilled ſince it was propheſied. Therefore it muſt ſignifie a ſtate on earth yet to come, according to the Propheſies of the Apoſtles, and their applications of the aforeſaid Propheſie of Iſaiah. So doth Peter, and John apply the 17. verſe. Peter in 2 Ep. chap. 3. v. 12. and 13. comforts the Jews (to whom he wrote, 1 Pet. 1.1.) that before the ultimate judgement there ſhould be new Heavens, and a new EARTH wherein dwels righteouſneſſe, according to Gods promiſe, meaning this of Iſaiah 65.17. And John in Revel. chap. 21. refers this ſame place of Iſaiah to the time of the glorious ſtate of the Church on earth immediately after the fall of Antichriſt. In Rev. 19. the three laſt verſes is Antichriſts fall, Chap. 20. the Devill is bound, and the Saints reign, Chapter 21. is their glorious eſtate deſcribed, and in part by theſe words of the Prophet Iſaiah, I ſaw (ſaith John) a new Heaven, and a new Earth, and the firſt heaven, and the firſt earth were paſſed away. And addes in verſe 17. Nothing that defileth, enters therein. In like manner the 18. and 19. verſes of this 65 of Iſaiah are referred and applied by St. John in Rev. 21. the firſt five verſes, to the glorious ſtate of the Church yet to come, after the fall of Antichriſt. Behold I make all things new, new Heavens, and new Earth, and new Jeruſalem (which is all one, as to ſay he creats,) And wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there ſhall be no more ſorrow, &c. I need ſay no more of this place to an underſtanding Reader, of which Mr. Mead, comparing it with 2 Pet. 3.13. and Peter with it, ſaith, Miror, &c. I wonder how any man can underſtand this of a ſtate in the higheſt heavens.