The Resurrection Revealed, Book 3 · Chapter 2 · Section 30 – Section 31
SECT. XXX.
THE fourth place in Jeremiah, is in Chapter 50. the foure laſt verſes, viz. v. 17, 18, 19, 20. The words are theſe:
Verſe 17. ISRAEL is a ſcattered ſheep, the Lions have driven him away; firſt the KING of ASSYRIA hath devoured him, and laſt, this NEBUCHADNEZZAR King of BABYLON hath broken his bones. v. 18. Therefore thus ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, the God of ISRAEL, Behold I will puniſh the King of BABYLON, and his land, as I have puniſhed the King of ASSYRIA. v. 19. And I will bring ISRAEL again to his HABITATION, and he ſhall feed on CARMEL, and BASHAN, and his ſoul ſhall be ſatisfied on mount EPHRAIM, and GILEAD.
§. 1 That this Propheſie is not yet fulfilled, nor can it be fulfilled at the ultimate day of judgement; and therefore to bee fulfilled on earth afore that day, note firſt that he dittie is of ISRAEL, which muſt at leaſt comprehend the ten Tribes, which appears, not onelyonly in ſtyling God here, in relation to this, the God of ISRAEL, but by ſeverall paſſages after, that all the twelve Tribes are here meant. Now the deliverance of the ten Tribes was never yet performed to this day.
§. 2 Secondly, the deliverance muſt be in a hoſtile way, viz. by the deſtruction of their enemies, namely of Kings and Kingdomes, expreſſed v. 18. in relation to which God is called the Lord of Hoſts. But as yet the Kings and Kingdoms, who in a conſtant ſucceſſion down to this day, have been the enemies of the Jews, are not deſtroyed.
§. 3 Thirdly, that God promiſeth to come downe in a methodicall order, to puniſh their enemies, ſucceſsively in time and place, as ſucceſſively as they afflicted the twelve Tribes: Firſt, the King of Aſſyria had devoured Iſrael, which can be no other then Salmaneſer his taking Samaria, &c. captive, (2 King. 18.9.) which Samaria was the Metropolis of the Kingdome of the ten Tribes. And this is the King of Aſſyria's devouring Iſrael, Nineveh being the Metropolis of that Kingdome, whiles called the Kingdome of Aſſyria, 2 King. 19.36. Then ſecondly, Nebuchadnezzar, alias Nebuchadrezzar King of Babylon, came up againſt Jeruſalem (the Metropolis of the Kingdome of the two Tribes) and took it, and carried away all the conſiderable perſons of that Kingdome, and all their ſubſtance of any value, captive to Babylon, 2 King. 25.1. &c. And this was the King of Babylon his breaking of their bones, called the King of Babylon, becauſe Babylon then was the Metropolis of the Kingdome of Chaldea, the Chaldeans then ruling over the Aſſyrians. And therefore the Monarchy was afterwards called the Aſſyrio-chaldean. Now as God hath puniſhed ſome of their enemies heretofore, viz. Nineveh of Aſſyria, according to the Prophet Nahum. And Sennacherib their King, and his Hoſt, 2 King. 19. So he muſt according to his promiſe deſcend in order, with deſtruction in an hoſtile manner upon Babylon, and upon the Kings of Babylon, whatſoever, and whoſoever that Babylon, and thoſe Kings be, in the Scripture name, and notion, and extended in the promiſes of the New Teſtament. And therefore as God did puniſh Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon, with turning him as it were into a beaſt for certaine yeers, Dan. 4. And after hee puniſhed Belſhazzar King of Babylon, and that City by Darius the Mede invading it, Dan. 5. and Darius the Mede (then King of Babylon) by Alexander the Greek, and Alexanders ſucceſſours (then King of Babylon) by the Roman; and the Roman Emperour (then King of Babylon both old and new, that is Babylon and Rome) by the Arabian, Saracen, or Turk (the now King of old Babylon) Dan. 7. ſo according to the explication and application in the New Teſtament, of this promiſe made in this Text in the Old, God muſt yet goe on corporally to deſtroy the Turk, the preſent King of old Babylon, and the Roman, that once was the Tyrant of Old Babylon and after that continued to be the Tyrant of New Babylon, viz. Rome, firſt by Heathen Tyranny, and after by Papal and Antichriſtian Tyranny, down to this day, acording to Propheſies in Dan. 7. and this muſt bee done by the power of Chriſt and his Church, ibid. and Dan. 2. Now neither the Turkiſh King of Babylon, nor his Kingdome, is yet deſtroyed, but rather mightily proſpers, and prevailes, yea and God is behinde in arrears of judgements with New Romiſh Babylon for her heatheniſh ten bloody perſecutions, extending, by intervals, about three hundred yeers, and hath not given her, her preſent pay for her late Papal, and Antichriſtian maſſacres, inquiſitions, tortures, and blaſphemies, as to the matter of deſtroying the ſupream power, and the Kingdome of this Babylon, according to the amplification of Revelation 17, 18, and 19 Chapters.
§. 4 Note fourthly, that the ſucceſſive puniſhing the enemies of the Jews, in ſucceeding generations, following this Propheſie muſt ſo ſucceed as to have this ſucceſſe, that ISRAEL and JUDAH may be delivered from their diſperſion, and reſtored to their own land, and diſtinctly to their ſeverall quarters there, viz. Carmel, Baſhan, Ephraim, and Gilead. One Carmel was a City of the Tribe of Judah, ſome twelve miles from Jeruſalem Southward. Another Carmel was of the Tribe of Iſſachar, about threeſcore and foure miles from Jeruſalem Northward, not farre from Prolemais, toward the ſhore of the Mediterranean Sea, Joſh. 19. Jer. 46. Baſhan before the Iſraelites came up from Egypt to Canaan, was of the Country of Og, but after became part of the portion of the half Tribe of Manaſſeh, Numb. 21. Iſa. 2.13. Mount Ephraim is between Jericho and Jeruſalem, extending towards the Sea. It was the portion of the ſonnes of Joſeph, Ephraim, and Manaſſeh, Joſh. 13. and 17. And as one halfe of the Tribe of Manaſſeh ſtuck to Judah, ſo Ephraim is an uſuall expreſſion to ſignifie the Kingdome of the ten Tribes, or Iſrael, Iſa. 7. Iſa. 9. Hoſ. 5. Pſal. 59. Gilead was a Country that lay between the ſea of Galilee, and mount Gilead, ſome ſixty miles from Jeruſalem. It ſeparates the Country of Galilee from Iſrael. By this deſcription of the ſcituation, and owners of theſe places, it evidently appeares, that Gods minde in this Propheſie of Jeremy is, that not onelyonly the two Tribes, but alſo the other ten, and ſo all twelve are to be reſtored to their own land, though it coſt the ruine of all Kings, of all Babylons whatſoever. But this is not yet fulfilled, as the preſent, and long time paſt condition of thoſe twelve Tribes ſadly ſpeak.
§. 5 Therefore as ſure as God is true, theſe Propheſies of Jeremiah muſt be yet fulfilled on earth: And that before the ultimate day of judgement (as we ſaid before) the nature of the things neceſſarily requiring it. Thus of Jeremiah.
SECT. XXXI.
NExt wee come to the Prophet Ezekiel. The firſt place is in Chapter 28. v. 24, 25, 26. Verſ. 24. There ſhall be NO MORE a pricking briar unto the houſe of ISRAEL, nor any grieving thorne, of all that are round about them, that deſpiſed them, and they ſhall know that I am the Lord. v. 25. Thus ſaith the Lord God, when I ſhall have gathered the HOUSE of ISRAEL from the people among whom they are ſcattered, and ſhall be ſanctified in them, in the SIGHT OF THE HEATHEN, then ſhall they dwell in their LAND, that I have given my ſervant JACOB. v. 26. And they ſhall dwell SAFELY therein, and ſhall build houſes, and plant vineyards; yea they ſhall dwell with CONFIDENCE when I have executed judgements upon ALL thoſe that deſpiſe them, round about them, and they ſhall know that I am the Lord their God.
§. 1 Take notice that God pawnes his manifeſtation of himſelfe to be the Lord God, and to be their God (twice repeated) that this propheſie ſhall be fulfilled.
§. 2 And fulfilled to the ten Tribes, as well as to the two, as appears by the ſeverall expreſſions of Jacob, of Iſrael, and the houſe of Iſrael (twice expreſſed.)
§. 3 The pricking briar, and grieving thorne are expreſt above, to bee the adverſaries of the Jews, whereof ſome are named, viz. Tyrus, verſe 1. &c. to verſe 20. Sydon verſe 20, &c. to 24. Both there threatned with ruine for being adverſaries to the Jews. Others are but intimated, as verſe 24. Nor any grieving thorn of ALL THAT ARE ROUND ABOUT THEM, THAT DESPISED THEM.
§. 4 Now mark the matter of the Propheſie, viz. Firſt, Thoſe adverſaries muſt be deſtroyed or removed, for the bringing of Iſrael and Jacob into their own land, there to dwel SAFELY, and with CONFIDECNE. Secondly, they muſt be gathered from all places where they have been ſcattered. 3 They muſt be free from ANY pricking briar, or grieving thorne. And fourthly they muſt there dwell in their own land, with full liberty as of their Politie, to injoy their buildings and plantations; ſo of their Piety, to exerciſe the true ſpirituall worſhip of God, as to ſanctifie God, or magnifie him, and that fifthly, in the ſight of all the Heathen.
Now let the wiſeſt men on earth, that know Hiſtory, and take notice of the preſent ſtate of all the twelve Tribes, ſhew us, whether ever this Propheſie was yet fulfilled to them! And if not, whether it be poſſible theſe things ſhould be performed at the ultimate day of judgement! And if not, whether we have not juſt cauſe to beleeve as God is true, that theſe things ſhall be yet fulfilled upon earth, before that day.