Commentary on Revelation, Vision 4 · Preface
THE PRAEFACE.
THey who thinke that in the propheſie of the Revelation, a continued hiſtorie of the Church is linked together, even from Chriſts firſt comming unto the ſecond: begin the ſame from this Chapter, in which it ſeems the new birth of the Church is repreſented. But at the verie firſt they run into a great inconvenience. For they are forced to bring in ſuch an hyperbaton, and confuſed order of the hiſtory, as cannot be defended: For, that which was firſt, ought not to have been omitted til now, but to have been deſcribed in the firſt place.
Wherefore their opinion is farr better, who obſerve that in this booke, the condition of the Church on earth is ſundry times ſhewed unto Iohn in certaine diſtinct Viſions, as in the beginning we noted. Neither is the iteration to be thought needleſſe: for however in the nature and kinde of the events moſt of the viſions are alike: yet in the ſpecies and indiviaduals they repreſent unto us hiſtories much different, in ſomuch that what is in the former was more darke & obſcure, is in the later clearer & fuller ſet down. And hence by diligent comparing of the Viſions each with other, aman ſhall have a ſingular helpe to remove that obſcurity which appeares in this propheſie.
After the three Viſions therefore formerly expounded, The firſt wherof ſpecially concernes Chriſts walking in the midſt of the candelſticks, and his admonishing the teachers of the Churches in Aſia touching their duty: The other two generally reſpect the booke ſealed with ſeven ſeales, The ſumme of the fourth Viſion.and opened by the Lambe, with the ſeven trumpets of the Angels: Now the fourth is exhibited to Iohn, touching the woman in travaile, & the dragon ſtanding to devour her childe and perſecuting her, and of the two Beaſts warring againſt the Saintes: as alſo of the Lambe overcomming them, and of the Angels preaching at the laſt harveſt and vintage: Chap. 12.13.14. In which types the future condition of the Church in this world is much more evidently ſhadowed out then before, even from the firſt beginning thereof under Chriſt and the miniſterie of the Apoſtles, untill the end. For the Church ſhall have to doe with the Dragon & the Beaſts, & be miſerablie afflicted and tryed by them, yet ſhe ſufficiently armed from heaven for ſo grievous combats, at laſt ſhall gloriouſly triumph over all her adverſaries.
This Viſion is alſo univerſal, manifeſtly conſiſting of four Acts, The four Acts thereof.like the two former general viſions.
The firſt Act containes the propoſition of the Churches calamities at her birth and growth under the Iewish and Romane tyrants perſecuting the woman: as alſo under hereticks labouring through the inſtinct of the Dragon to devoure her with the floodes of errours and hereſies, Chap. 12. It anſwereth to the four former ſeales of the ſecond Viſion, and to the firſt four trumpets of the third Viſion, repreſenting the hiſtorie of the Church for the ſpace of 606 yeeres, viz. from the birth of Chriſt untill the riſing of Antichriſt.
The ſecond Act is oppoſed to the former, & containes comfort for the Church againſt the wrath of the Dragon, and floodes of hereſies ſent forth againſt her: becauſe the childe of the Woman is caught up into heaven: and Michael the Archangel fighteth for her againſt the Dragon: The woman with Eagles wings is caried into the wildernes, hiding herſelf from the ſight of men: The earth ſwalloweth up the Dragons vomit. This Act is mingled with the former in the ſame Chapter: it anſwereth to the fift ſeale of the ſecond Viſion: and to the tenth chapter treating of the mighty Angel ſtanding upon the earth and ſea, Viſion the third.
The third Act hath two parts.
The firſt part is of the Antichriſtian perſecution, repreſenting the amplification of the Churches calamities, or the new and more grievous conflicts which ſhee ſuſtained during her abode in the wildernes againſt Antichriſt: whoſe kingdome, power, crueltie and ſubtiltie is ſet forth under the image of Beaſts Chap. 13. This part anſwereth to the ſixt ſeale of Viſion the ſecond: and to the fift trumpet of Viſion the third.
The latter part is oppoſed to the former in way of a parallel: beeing conſolatory to the godly, prefiguring Chriſts preſence in his deſerted Church, and his preſerving of the ſame againſt the Beaſts: as alſo the reformation that ſhould be in the latter times through the Angels, that is, new teachers of truth and godlineſſe, who by their preaching ſhould oppoſe the Babyloniſh Antichriſt: and bring men back againe into the right way of ſalvation. chap. 14. unto ver. 14. This part anſwereth to the former part of chap. 7. touching the 144000 that were ſealed by the Angel in Viſion ſecond, and to the former part of chapt. 11. of the meting of the temple, and propheſie of the two witneſſes in Viſion third: And this whole Act appertaines unto the hiſtorie of the Church, which now from Antichriſts riſing hath continued 1035 yeeres, and ſhal perhaps remaine unto the end of the 1260 dayes, or yet for the ſpace of 225 yeeres, but this is onelyonly known unto the Lord.
To be ſhort; the fourth Act from v. 14. unto the end of chap. 14. under the type of an Angel gathering in the harveſt, and vintage of the earth, repreſents the laſt judgement, in which the Church at length beeing freed from all trouble ſhalbe bleſt with eternal glorie: But Antichriſt with all his followers caſt into the lake of Gods eternal wrath. This part anſwereth to the latter member of Chapter the ſeventh, touching the melody of the Church triumphant, in Viſion ſecond: as alſo to the latter part of Chapter 11: concerning the joyfull ſong of the Elders, in Viſion third. Thus we have the whole diſtribution of this Viſion.