Annotations Upon the New Testament, Revelation · Chapter 20 – Chapter 22
CHAP. XX.
Vers. 1. AND I saw an Angell come downe from heaven] See the 12. ch. 9. v. Our Lord Jesus Christ.Quadrant in Christumaptissimè sacri contextus omnes circumstantiae. Reverendissimus Episc. Vsserius de Christianarum ecclesiarum successione & statu. l. 1. Primasius, Austen and others. The Angell of the Covenant, Mal. 3… Iohn 3.13. He descends from heaven by his incarnation. Pareus. He hath the key of the bottomlesse pit, that is, the power of hell and death, which Christ ascribes to himselfe, 18.18. and binds Satan which is proper to Christ. Pareus.
And a great chaine in his hand] By which he bound the Devill; the moderne Expositors interpret it the inevitable and binding power of the divine majesty, a long and strong chaine to bind a most cruell enemy, 12.13.
Vers. 2. And bound him a thousand yeares] That is, he should not stirre up the lusts of men,Alii ante passionem Domini tempus ligationis Satanae inchoandum non existimant freti Ioh. 12.31.32. Quod quidem tum ad passionem Dominicam referri poterit, tum ad Evangelii quae illam subsecuta est, per orbem terrarum promulgationem, quo tanquam firmissimo vinculo ligatus est Satanas: atque ex tyrannide illa qua Gentes antea oppresserat, planè deturbatus. Episc. Vsser. ibid. Ligatus dicitur Satanas & in custodias inclusus, non ut omnino non seduceret, sed …ne in omnes simul gentes, uti erat solitus, perversas atque impias religiones induceret; neve ita potenter ut antea, tantoque cum successu in mundo grassaretur. Id. ubi supra. Vide Pareum. to make warre against the Saints of God. See 8, 9. verses. What he was hindred from when he was bound he attempted to do when loose.
Id est, firmiter muniit, ne ullatenus pateret exitus. Nam mos erat Hebraeis & vicinis gentibus quando firmiter munitum & obseratum volebant ostium, ut ei sigillum apponerent. Sic Dan. 6.17. Matth. 27.62. Mede in Clav. Apoc.And shut him up and set a seale upon him] That is, upon the dore of the bottomlesse pit, lest hee should breake out before his time.
A thousand yeares] Not a definite time as is meant in the beginning of the chapter, but an indefinite time, that is, for ever, as Psal. 84.10. a thousand yeares is a type of eternity.Vers. 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, and shall reigne with him a thousand yeares] There are two common interpretations. Some understand the first resurrection from the death of sin, and a reigning in heaven a thousand yeares, they interpret eternity and a further degree of glory for such as are called forth to suffer. Secondly, others understand it literally, that then shall be a corporall resurrection of all the Martyrs to live with Christ a 1000. yeares. First, it cannot be a reigning with Christ in heaven, because it is something peculiar to those that are beheaded, a resurrection which followes that, they rise from sin before they dye, besides the 9. and 10. verses shew it cannot be meant of heaven. Secondly, it cannot bee understood of the corporall resurrection, the dead in Christ rise first, yet so that all the rest shall be raised in the same moment. Resurrection is used commonly in Scripture to expresse a high degree of advancement after a low ebbe of misery, Ezek. 37. Esay 26.19. Those that were beheaded shall live.
Priests of God] That is, sanctified to offer spirituall service.
Vers. 7. Satan shall be loosed out of his prison] Because the very acting of the power which he hath, is at the dispose of God.Id est, recipies priorem potestatem. Glos…a interlinearis.
Uers. 8. Gog and Magog] There is scarce a darker passage than this about Gog and Magog, for we read them joyned together only twice, once in the Old Testament, Ezek. 38. & 39. ch. and in this place. All the Schoole-men almost follow the Glosse and Prosper, who hold that by Gog, an hidden and secret enemy of the Church is meant,Dr Prid. in Orat. tertia. by Magog an open enemie, therefore they have no cause to find fault with our writers who apply those things to Antichrist in and Antichrist out of the Church.Some expound it the Papists and Mahometans. Pareus interprets Gog and Magog to be those foure Angels bound at the great River Euphrates. ch. 9.14.
Gog signifieth Asia minor, having that name from Gyges the King thereof. Magog is Hierapolis the chiefe seat of Idolatry in Syria, built by the Scythians, and from them hath that name. So that by the land of Magog we are to understand Syria, and by Gog, Asia minor. And for as much as the Princes and people of Syria and Asia minor,Plin. l. 5. c. 23. were the most grievous enemies of the Jews, by whom they sustained the chiefest calamities after their returne before the coming of Christ: therefore by an usuall speech in the Jewish language, the mortall enemies of the Church, are called Gog and Magog. And in this sense John the Divine useth these names, Gog and Magog, Down. of Antich. l. 2. c. 16.to signifie the enemies of the Church, meaning not the same enemies whereof Ezechiel speaketh, but the like enemies of the Church, which should afflict the true Christians, as Gog and Magog afflicted the Jews.
Vers. 10. And shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever] Ever hath no end,Pareus. but here is a plurality for ever and ever.
Vers. 11. And I saw a great white throne] A great throne] Because set for the great, that is, the universall judgement of the whole world; white] Shining with celestiall light and majestie.
The white colour in Scripture is used to represent purity and glory,Elton. here it signifieth that the Judge shall give most just and uncorrupt judgement, and free from all spot of partiality.
Vers. 12. And the bookes were opened] There are two books, 1. Of Gods omniscience, in which all our speeches, deeds, thoughts, are registred. Psal. 139.15. Mal. 3.16.Alludes to Dan. 7.10.
2. Of every mans conscience. Luke 16.9. Rom. 2.15.
And the dead were judged] The Apostle here speaketh prophetically, and putteth the past time for the future, they were judged, that is, they shall be judged.Mr Fennet.
Vers. 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire] That is, the dominion of death found no where but in hell.
CHAP. XXI.
Vers. 1. AND I saw a new heaven and a new earth] The interpretation of this (saith Brightman) may be taken out of Heb. 12.26. Heaven in this part of the Revelation is put for the more pure Church, and the earth for the degenerating Citizens thereof.
Vers. 2. New Jerusalem comming down from God] St Iohns new Jerusalem, and Ezechiels City *Quae omnia (de Novo Templo &c. à capite 40. usque ad finem libri) statum, formam, conditionem & fortunam ecclesiae Dei in N.T. designarunt, & gratiae regnum (à quo transitus fit ad regnum gloriae, ab Ezechiele quoque non minus quam à Johanne in Apacalypsi) eleganter expresserunt. Haffentefferus in Templum Ezech. sive in 9. postrema Prophetae capita.and Temple, from 40. Chapter to the end (say some) are contemporary, and signifie one and the same thing.
Ob. Iohn saith he lookt for a temple and saw none. Sol. He meanes in comparison of the former manifestation they had of God, and those darke wayes he had shewed himselfe in, it should be as glorious as heaven it selfe, longè uberior manifestatio. Bright. No Temple in opposition to the Jewish Temple, but a Gospell-Temple. Mr. Bridge.
Vers. 3. Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, and hee will dwell with them] A Tabernacle is moveable, therefore (say some) this is not spoken of heaven. 2. Yet this glorious Church of Jews and Gentiles shall have ordinances.
Vers. 4. And God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes] The meaning is, he takes from them all sorrow and crying, and paine, as the Spirit explicates himselfe. Dr Sclater.
The phrase is taken out of Esay 25.8. and it is an allusion to the naturall affection of Mothers, which are wont to please little children crying, and to wipe away their teares. Pareus. à Lapide.
And there shall be no more death] Neither the first nor second.
He doth not meane those which are ever fearefull of their owne estates, lest they have not faith, or be hypocrites, that shall be damned, though these feares being excessive and ill grounded are faults.Vers. 8. But the fearefull] Here is a catalogue of the damend crue, and the fearefull are in the forefront, that is, those which are so afraide of bodily dangers and miseries, that they count it their best course to save themselves from such evill, by neglecting their duty.
And unbeleeving] Which give not credit to the word of God.
Perkins.Vers. 18. and 19. The State of this heavenly City is shadowed by precious stones, and gold, to signifie as well the durablenesse as the excellencie thereof.
Vers. 22. For the Lord God Almighty, and the Lambe are the Temple of it] This cannot be understood of heaven. See 24. & 26. verses.
See 22. c. 3.4. and Ezek. 48. vlt.Vers. 24. And the Kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it] To the Church, not when in heaven. Mr. Burrh on Hos.
Vers. 26. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it] There shall bee a more glorious presence of Christ (whether personall or what it will,See Mr. Burrh. on Phil. 4.11. 3d Sermon. p. 52 we determine not) among his people than ever yet was since the beginning of the world.
CHAP. XXII.
Vers. 2. AND yeelded her fruit every monethmonth] Were the trees so created at first, that if sin had never entred in (which hath brought into the world thornes, briars, sweate of face,Brightman. and difficulty of living) they would have flourished alwayes laden with their fruites? This allusion here seemes to intimate some such matter, and perhaps Christ would never have cursed the Fig-tree that was void of fruit, when the time of Figs was not come, unlesse it ought to have borne figs at all times by the first nature thereof. Marke 11.13.
Vers. 4. And they shall see his face] Not that men shall have a beatificall vision of God here, but such a glorious discoverie of the will of God, that it shall be a beatificall vision in comparison of what was before seen.
Vers. 8. I fell down to worship before the feet of the Angell] See Rev. 19.10.Johannes semel admonitus iterum id non contendisset, nisi ex quadam tantum urbanitate prohibitum se credidisset. Lorinas in c. 10. Act. Apost. v. 25. Ejusdem opinionis est Viegas in. c. 19. Apoc. v. 10. & 22. v. 8. Verum verba Angeli pro urbana repulsa accipi nequeunt, sed pro necessaria prohibitione sunt intelligenda, inprimis si mandatum Adora Deum, & verba concisa Videne feceris, consideremus. Rivetus in Catholico orthodoxo.
Vers. 12. To give every man according as his worke shall be] Marke, he saith not to the worke, or for the worke, but to the worker, according to his workes. Perkins.
Vers. 15. And whosoever loveth and maketh a lye] Some apply it to hypocrisie, others to hankering after the old way of Idolatry.
Vers. 16. The bright and Morning Starre] That is, Christ, it is not unusuall to call any eminent person by this name. See Esay 14.12.
Vers. 17. And the Spirit and the Bride say, come] That is (say some) the Spirit in the Bride.
FINIS.