Commentary on Revelation, Vision 4 · Chapter 14 · Part 1 · Commentary 3
THE COMMENTARY.
ANd I looked and behold a white cloud] Hither to we have handled three Acts of the fourth Viſton: The first (briefly to repeat them againe) comprehends the condition of the Church in its beginning and growth, with her many combats under the Romane Emperours, both Pagan and Chriſtian untill Antichriſts riſing, in the firſt 600 yeeres, Chap. 12. The ſecond oppoſed to the former, contains the conſolation of the godly under the foreſaid conflicts, in the ſame Chapter. The third having two parts, repreſents 1. Antichriſts perſecutions, which from his firſt riſing till now have continued more then a thouſand yeeres, Chap. 13. 2. The Churches preſervation under the ſame, and alſo her future purging from the dreges of Antichriſt in the laſt times. Chap. 14. The fourth Ast here followeth, deſcribing the joyfull Cataſtrophe or change of all the Churches afflictions in the day of judgement, the forme whereof is figured out in two parables, viz. of the Harveſt and Vintage, in the reſt of this Chapter.
Furthermore, The conſent of …nterpreters about the laſt judgement.I ſee all interpreters (a few onelyonly excepted) unanimouſly to agree that the laſt judgement is here treated of: And I wonder that any ſhould diſſent in a matter ſo cleare and evident. For by types and words not much unlike, the judgement to come is deſcribed in Dan. 7. touching the Sonne of man comming in the clondes of heaven to judgement: and Mat. 3. & 13. of the harveſt of the tares and wheat. They agree alſo in the ſcope, that theſe types ſerve to comfort the godly, and terrifie the wicked. For the godly doe groane under their afflictions & troubles, deſiring to know what end at length ſhall be put to their evils: On the contrary Tyrants and Antichriſt doe-tumultuouſly rage without let or puniſhment, promiſing to themſelves perpetuall proſperity: Leſt therefore the faithfull ſhould be diſcouraged, ſeeing the ſonne of perdition thus to rage, and themſelves overwhelmed with divers ſorrows and calamities, here the laſt judgement is propounded to John, in which ſhall follow a wonderfull change of things. For then the Wheat ſhall be gathered into the heavenly Barne, and the chaffe burned with unquenchable fire. This I ſay is the ſcope and uſe of the remaining matter in the Chapter.
But in the coherence of theſe things with the foregoing, I finde all equally at a ſtay, as not perceiving wherefore the laſt judgement is here againe repreſented, Touching the Coherence interpreters are troubled.ſeing it was before ſhewed unto John, Chap. 6. towards the end. & Chap. 11. towards the end. and afterward againe in Chap. 16. and moſt clearely in the end of Chapters 19. & 20. Ribera (as before Chap. 11) hath nothing to ſay, ſave that the day of judgement is here deſcribed by an anticipation: becauſe the context of the things themſelves requires that the puniſhment of the wicked be here deſcribed. But no reaſon can be given why theſe judgements ſhould be ſo often deſcribed, and that indeed at the end of every Viſion, except our method be obſerved, in which we have noted that all the generall viſions conſiſt of foure Acts anſwering each to other. This therefore is the true cauſe why the laſt judgement is here againe repreſented, becauſe the last Act of the fourth Viſion now followeth. Let us ſee the words.
And I ſaw] This is the laſt part of the viſion. The laſt Iugdement figured out by the Harveſt and Vintage.The day of judgement is figured out by two types, The Harveſt and Vintage: becauſe there ſhall be two acts of the ſame: The gathering of the godly into heaven, and the caſting of the wicked into hell fire. The former is ſet forth by the Harvest, in which the wheat ſhall be gathered into the barne, according to the parable of Chriſt, Mat. 13.30. The latter, by the Vintage, becauſe the wicked ſhall be troaden downe in the lake of Gods wrath, that is, be tormented with eternall paines of hell. So theſe types may not unfitly be diſtinguiſhed.
Notwithſtanding it is not amiſſe to difference them as the whole and part. For the Harveſt ſhall not onelyonly gather the wheat out of the Lords field into the garner, but alſo burne the tares that are gathered, as we ſee in the ſaid parable, Mat. 13. Thus the Harveſt ſhould repreſent the whole judgement. But the vintage ſhall caſt and tread all the grapes in the lake of Gods wrath. Now the godly ſhall not be caſt into this lake, for they ſhall not come into condemnation, Ioh. 5.24. But the ungodly onelyonly. And therefore by the vintage the puniſhment of the wicked ſeemes onelyonly to be repreſented. Thus much of the parables in generall.
And behold a white cloud] The perſon of Chriſt the Iudge is gloriouſly diſcribed in this verſe, by foure adjuncts. 1. by his forme: that he is like to the Son of man. 2. by the geſture of body, he ſits on a white cloud: 3. by his habit, he hath on his head a Crown of Gold. 4. By the Inſtrument: He holds in his hand a ſharpe Sicle. In theſe words is no obſcurity: therefore I will not dwell on them.
They who deny or doubt, (as Ribera and Brightman) that the Son of man doth here denote Chriſt, becauſe it is not ſaid the Son of man, but like to the Son of man: Neither with an article foreign ſeeme in my opinion to ground it on a very ſlight conjecture. For in Dan. 7.13. It is plain; Chriſt is ſaid to be like to the Son of man: I ſaw in the clouds of Heaven as it were the Son of man. And Paul Philip 2.7. Being made in the likeneſſe of men, he was found in faſhion or habit as a man. And Rom. 8. He ſent his ſon in the likeneſſe of ſinfull fleſh. And Heb. 2.14. He likewiſe tooke part of fleſh and blood: and Verſe 17. It behoved him to bee made like his brethren: In which Phraſes the verity of Chriſts humane nature is not denyed, but the priviledge of the Man-Chriſt is noted: that though he bee like unto us in all things, yet is he not (like us) man onelyonly, but God alſo; neither as man is he borne a ſinner of mans ſeed, but conceived and begotten of a Virgin by the operation of the Holy Ghoſt, being not defiled with any ſtaine of ſinne.
That which they ſay of the Article, is infirme: For before alſo in Chap. 1.13. Iohn ſaw CHRIST foreign like to the Son of man (without an Article) ſtanding in the middeſt of the ſeven Candleſtickes: Here he ſees him ſitting as a Iudge on his Tribunall.
On a white cloud] Noting his divine Majeſty: For God in the Pſalms is often ſaid to be carried and ride on the clouds, becauſe of his heavenly power. This white cloud is that throne of glory, whereon Chriſt ſaith he will ſit, Mat. 25.31. The which throne he himſelfe interprets of the clouds of heaven, Mat. 26.64. Hereafter yee ſhall ſee the Sonne of man ſitting on the right hand of power, and comming in the clouds of heaven, according to that in Dan. 7.13.
The crown of gold on his head, is the enſigne of his Kingly Majeſty. In Chap. 19.12. he hath many Diadems on his head: and on his thigh a name written, The King of kings, and Lord of lords. The Beaſt alſo had crownes on his hornes, but not of gold, and ten onelyonly. This Iudge therefore is more powerfull then Antichriſt and all tyrants, for with an iron rod he will cruſh all adverſaries as a potters veſſell in the day of judgement.
The ſharp ſickle of a reaper, which is in his hand, to wit, in his right hand, denotes Chriſts judicary and divine power, to whom it is as eaſle to execute his judgement on the whole earth, as for reapers with a ſharp ſickle to cut down the ripe corne. ANDREAS: the ſickle, ſaith he, is a ſymbole of conſummation, for Chriſt himſelf cals the end of the world, a harveſt, Mat. 13.
15. Another Angell came out of the temple] This Angell and the other two comming forth out of the temple and altar, verſ. 17.18. are not preachers of the Goſpell, as Brightman ſuppoſeth (for at the harveſt and vintage of the laſt judgement preaching ſhall ceaſe) but it is one of the chiefe Miniſters of Chriſt, by whom he will execute the judgement. He comes out of the Temple, to wit, of heaven, as verſ. 17. & before Chap. 11.19. By and by another comes forth from the Altar of Heaven, which is viſionally to be taken: becauſe properly there is no Temple nor Altar in heaven: but formerly in Ieruſalem it was faſhioned and made according to the heavenly patterne. The great cry of the Angell (ſaith ANDREAS) denotes the common ſupplication of all vertues, deſiring to ſee the glory indeed of the juſt, but the exciſion of the unjuſt and all iniquity, that tranſitory and unſtable things might have an end, and that which is ſtable and eternal appeare.
Thruſt thy ſickle] It is no commanding but a ſupplicating voice, for the Angels command not Chriſt, but worſhip him: The words are taken out of Joel 3.13. where Iehovah ſaith: I will ſit in the valley of Jehoſaphat to judge all the heathen round about. Put yee in the ſickle, for the harveſt is ripe. The Angell knew that the day of judgement was neare, and intreateth therefore, that the judge would ſtay no longer, but thruſt the ſickle into the harveſt.
Thy ſickle, ſaith he, to wit, which is thine by office.
But how doth the Angell bid Chriſt to reap, ſeeing Chriſt calls the Angels reapers, Mat. 13.39? I anſwer, In all Allegories circumſtances doe often varie. Chriſt is here ſaid to doe that, which there is applyed to the Angels, becauſe Chriſt reapes by the Angels his miniſters, yea the Angell here offers himſelfe to the Lord to reape.
Becauſe the time is come for thee] Gr. foreign thy houre, &c. The Angell addes a twofold reaſon of his petition. The former from the firſt cauſe, for, ſaith he, the terme of judgement prefixed in the counſell of God is at hand. But whence doth the Angell know this, ſeeing that day and houre is not manifeſted to any creature, Mar. 13.9? I anſwer, by revelation from God: Or elſe, by the ſignes which he ſaw were either all paſt or at hand.
In ſaying, for thee, he acknowledgeth him to be appointed by the Father the onelyonly Iudge of the world: Ioh. 5.12.as he ſaith himſelfe: The Father judgeth no man, but hath given all judgement to the Sonne. Here by the phraſe we have no obſcure argument, that Iohn the Evangeliſt is the Authour of the Revelation, with whom we finde nothing more familiar then to expreſſe a defined time by foreign houre, as Cha. 2.4. My houre is not yet come, Chap. 5.25. My houre is come and now is, Chap. 7.30. No man laid hands on him becauſe his houre was not yet come, Chap. 13.1. Jeſus knowing, that his houre was come, Chap. 17.1. Father, the houre is come, glorifie thy Sonne, &c.
To reap] That is, to take away men from the earth: by gathering the good as wheat into the barne: but the tares into bundles to be burnt, as is declared, Mat. 13.30.
For the harvest is ripe] This is the ſecond reaſon, from the next cauſe, or order of nature, requiring harveſt when the corne is white, Ioh. 4.35. Lift up your eyes, ſaith Chriſt, and looke on the fields, for they are already white to harveſt: Therefore being ripe, the time of harveſt is at hand. This ripeneſſe ſignifies that the meaſure of the Churches calamities, Antichriſts tyranny, and the iniquity of the wicked was now full, as God in Gen. 18.21. ſaith touching the ſinnes of the Sodomites: that he was come to ſee whither they were come to the full height or not: And Chriſt of the Phariſees: Mat. 23.32. Fill yee up then the meaſure of your fathers. 2 Pet. 3.9. Rom. 2.4.This alſo commendeth both the patience and juſtice of God: The Lord is not ſlack in his judgement, but is patient towards us, not willing that any ſhould periſh: but by longſuffering leadeth us to repentance. So then he will execute judgement moſt juſtly, becauſe he will not doe it, till there be no hope of the worlds recovery, and that the ſinnes of men are come to that height as none ſhall have cauſe to complaine either of the overmuch haſte or ſeverity of the Iudge.
16 And he that ſate on the cloude thruſt in his ſickle] Chriſt readily yeelds to the requeſt of the Saints: for its no ſooner deſired, but he thruſts the ſickle into the earth, for, into the ripe fruits of the earth, by a Synecdoche, that is, on men themſelves. When therefore the houre of judgement ſhall come, Chriſt will finiſh the harveſt of the earth, without any delay, labour, or hinderance, for he is a moſt carefull and powerfull Iudge.
And the earth was reaped] that is, both the living and the dead being cited before the tribunall ſeat of judgement received rewards, according to that in Joh. 5.29. & Mat. 25.46.
The declaration of this parabolicall harveſt is beſt expounded by Chriſt himſelfe, Mat. 13.39. The harveſt is the end of the world: The reapers are the Angels: then the Sonne of man ſhall ſend forth, and ſay, gather yee together firſt the tares, and binde them in bundles to burne them: but gather the wheat into my barne. The tares are the ſeed of the wicked one: the good ſeed are the children of the Kingdome. Then therefore the Angels ſhall gather out of his kingdome all things that offend, and them which doe iniquity, and ſhall caſt them into a furnace of fire, there ſhall be wailing and gnaſhing of teeth: but the righteous ſhall ſhine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father, &c. This is that harveſt which John ſaw, by us indeed who walke in faith, longed after: but it ſhall be dreadfull unto the worſhippers of the Beaſt: for we ſhall be gathered into Gods barne: but as many as have not repented of their Antichriſtian idolatry, being threſhed with the eternall ſcourges of Gods wrath, ſhall be burnt in hell fire.
If thou demaund how Chriſt himſelf is ſaid to thruſt the ſickle into the earth: ſeeing this charge was committed before to the reaping Angels: we have even now anſwered, that Chriſt is ſaid to have done that which the Angels are to doe by his commandement, as in Ioh. 4.2. Chriſt is ſaid to have made and baptized more Diſciples then John, yet it is added, he baptized not, but his Diſciples did, to wit, by his authority and commandement.
17. And another Angell came out of the Temple] Another type of the foreſaid judgement, properly repreſenting the horrible puniſhments of the wickedunder the forme of a vintage. Firſt Chriſt doth againe come forth in the likeneſſe of an Angell with a ſharpe ſickle not to reap, (as before) but to cut downe the vine, which again repreſents Chriſts judicatory power.
Some by this Angell underſtand the Saints, who in that great Day, as aſſiſtants to Chriſt, ſhall judge the world, according to that in 1 Cor. 6.2. But I dare not attribute this ſickle to the Saints. Perhaps this Angell is one of the chiefe miniſters of Chriſt the Iudge: Or it is an Enallage of the ſingular for the plurall, becauſe as the Angells ſhall be Reapers, ſo alſo Vintagers in the end of the world. Yet I ſee nothing to hinder, why Chriſt the Iudge may not here be underſtood, who alone holdeth the Iudicatory Sickle, becauſe he onelyonly hath received all power from the Father. For often Chriſt is ſaid to be an Angell: as in Chap. 7.2. & 8.3. & 10.1. To wit, the Angell of the Covenant, and great Counſell: neither is it unuſuall that Chriſt in reſpect of his divers functions in divers Viſions, ſhould alſo be repreſented under divers Types, as ſometimes being called the Son of man, otherwhile a Lambe, a Lyon, an Angell, &c. He is ſaid to come out of the Temple, the which Iohn in Chap. 11.19. ſaw open in Heaven: for the Temple, eſpecially the Sanctuary: was a figure of Heaven: Heb. 9.2. ſo then he came out of Heaven from whence the Iudge ſhall come.
We ſee that all things are dramatically acted in this Revelation: for as in Comoedies among men, divers perſons comming out of divers Scenes, do act their parts on the Theatre: ſo it is in theſe Viſions, to the end we might more eaſily perceive Heavenly things by a certain ſimilitude of things done amongſt us.
18. And another Angell came out from the Altar] Seeing the former Angell having the Sickle, was Chriſt the Iudge: We therefore do rightly underſtand this Angell to be ſome chiefe Miniſter of Chriſt: whoſe Cry; Thrust thy Sickle, is not a commanding voyce or admonitory, as if the Iudge were ſlack in his Office, but ſupplicatory, deſiring him not to deferre the Iudgement any longer, but to execute the ſame, becauſe of the inveterate malice of the world: as in verſe 15.
He comes out of the Altar] Or from the Altar, that is, from Chriſt who is the Heavenly Altar: namely as a Herauld, who in the name of all the reſt proclaimes the time of the laſt Iudgement, teſtifies the deſire of all the Heavenly Powers, for the vindication of the Church, and puniſhment of the adverſaries, and offers as it were his moſt ready miniſtery to the Iudge.
Having power over fire] Hence we learne, ſaith Andreas, that God hath ſet the angelicall powers as administrators of things created by him: One over Water, another over Fire, Dan. 10.13.20.another over another part of the world: This expoſition I do not altogether reject, ſeeing the Scripture other where teſtifies, that ſome Angells were ſet over particular Kingdomes. Yet I neither will affirme, nor deny whether ſome are ſet over one Element, others over another: becauſe afterward in Chap. 16.5. What is meant by this fire.mention is made of the Angell of the waters: Nevertheleſſe it is clear, God uſeth them to execute ſome one judgement, ſome another.
Furthermore what this Fire is, over which he is ſaid to have power, is diverſly diſputed: ſome underſtand the fire of the holy Ghoſt. But no created Angell can have power over the holy Ghoſt, who is the eternall God. Others, the fire, which ſhall conſume the world: as if this Angell who is ſaid to have power over fire, ſhould ſet the whole world on fire. But God ſhall need no Incendiaties to burne the World.
Ribera hereby underſtands the fire of the heavenly Altar, by which the Sacrifices of the Saints were burn'd: probably indeed, but by an allegory not ſafe enough: for ſeeing the ſacrifices of the Saints in Heaven are their prayers and thankſgivings, by which they allwayes praiſe the Lord: I ſee not how it agrees to Chriſtian beleife, that any created Angell ſhould have power over this fire. But I wonder that none have applyed it to the fire of Purgatory.
Bede applyes it to the fire of Puniſhment: which Ribera approves not, becauſe the puniſhment of the wicked is here Metaphorically figured, not by fire, but by the Wine-Preſſe of Gods wrath: yet a little before we heard that the ungodly ſhould be tormented with fire and brimstone, the ſmoake whereof ſhould aſcend up for ever and ever.
This interpretation Bullinger followeth, and we alſo approve of: for fire in the Pſalmes, and generally through the whole Scripture, denotes Gods plagues and puniſhment on the wicked, the which he executeth by his Angells.
This Angell therefore hath power, to wit, miniſterially over Hell fire, becauſe by this Angell, or by theſe Angells (for it may be an Enallage of the ſingular for the plurall) Chriſt the Iudge will caſt the tares into eternall fire: which agrees with the Parable of Chriſt. Mat. 13.42. They ſhall caſt them into a Furnace of Fire.
And gather the Cluſters of the Vine of the earth] A Vine doth ſometimes denote the Church: Iſa 5.1. Mat. 20.1. Into which the Lord ſends divers labourers to dreſſe the ſame. But here it ſignifies other the Church of malignants, or the world of ungodly men: therefore he calls it the Vine of the earth, for, the whole multitude of the wicked, who are not thoſe ripe grapes, which the Lord looked for and found not in his Vineyard: Iſa 5.2. but it is taken in the evill part for the wild, unripe and ſowre grapes, which God in wrath threatens to cut off: And they are ſaid to be ripe, not for new Wine, but Verjuyce: becauſe when the wickedneſſe of the ungodly is grown to its full ripeneſſe, deſtruction & ruine neceſſarily followes.
19. And the Angell thruſt in his Sickle] The execution will be ſhort: for the Iudge, when the houre is come ſhall without any let cut downe the Vintage of the earth, that is, execute wrath on the wicked, by caſting them into the great Lake of Gods wrath.The lake of Gods Wrath is great.
Hell metaphorically is called the lake of Gods wrath, or the place of infernal torments, for as the cluſters of the Vine are troden in the Wine-preſſe, ſo the Reprobates ſhall be puniſhed in bell. It is great, that is large enough to containe all the multitude of the wicked that periſh. A large Vintage requires a ſpatious place: now this Vontage ſhall be the greateſt, to wit, of all the wicked even from Cain the firſt parricide, … the laſt …, which ſhall be death▪ And therefore the lake muſt be great.
20. And the Wine-preſſe wa… troden without the City] This ſhall be the thruſting of the wicked into eternall torments.
Without the City] viz. the Heavenly Ieruſalem, which is deſcribed Chap. 22.15. Without ſhall be dogs and ſorcerers, and whoremongers and murtherers, and Idolaters, and whoſoever loveth and maketh a lie: which is the proper deſcription of the Grapes of the Vine of the earth to be troden in the great lake of hell, and to be caſt forth into utter darkneſſe, where ſhall be weeping and gnaſhing of teeth.
And blood came out of the Wine-preſſe] The Scripture is wont to call red wine the blood of the grape, of the like redneſſe thereof. Here he calls the liquor, flowing out of the lake, Blood, not by reaſon of the colour, but to denote the bloody and horrible kinde of puniſhment that is to befall the wicked; for ſeeing they could not be ſatiated with the blood and ſlaughter of Saints, therefore hell alſo being made red with their blood, ſhall not be ſatiated for ever and ever.
Ʋnto the Horſe-Bridles] He aggravates the horribleneſſe of their plagues from the great abundance of blood flowing out of the Wine-preſſe, both by the ſpace, of a thouſand and ſixe hundred furlongs, and the depth ſo great, that it reacheth even to the horſe bridles. For there ſhall be an innumerable multitude of the cluſters of the earth, that is, of all the wicked from the beginning of the world to the end thereof, who being together caſt and miſerably cruſhed in the Wine-preſſe, there ſhall on all ſides flow forth ſo much blood, as it ſhall encreaſe to ſuch a wide and deep Lake or Sea. A Furlong containes an Hundred twenty and five Paces. Eight Furlongs make an Italian or Engliſh mile: Thirty two a Germane: ſo then a Thouſand ſix hundred Furlongs make fifty Germane miles.
Why the holy Ghoſt doth aſſigne preciſely this number to the lake, needs not to be known by us. Andreas thinkes it is to ſignifie the conſummated iniquity of thoſe men, and the greatneſſe of their puniſhment: ſeeing a millinary number is moſt perfect, and most conſummate: And in the ſixe hundred yeer of Noah, we read that ſin was overwhelmed by water. But it is more ſafe to ſay that a great definite number put for an indefinite.
But what is meant by the Horſe bridles? I thinke it ſerves to upbraide the adverſaries, who being mounted on ſtately horſes, were wont to behold the Martyrs in their ſufferings, and proudly to trample their blood under their horſes feet. But then thoſe proud horſes ſhall ſwim in blood (not of the Martyrs) but of their owne Lords and Riders.
Alſo I do not diſaprove that ſome ſuppoſe it to be an Alluſion unto Conquerours, who after the fight and great ſlaughter of their adverſaries, uſually go forth to behold the carcaſſes of the ſlain: and becauſe the fields do flow with blood, they go not a foot but ride on horſes: Now if the blood ſhall aſcend even to the bridles of the horſes, certainly hereby is ſignified the ſlaughter of infinite adverſaries, Iſ… 66.24.and a moſt horrible effuſion of blood: by a like figurative Speech Iſaiah deſcribeth the deſtruction of the wicked, and the victory of the Saints: They ſhall go forth and looke upon the Carcaſſes of men that have tranſgreſſed against me, for their worme ſhall not die, neither ſhall their fire bee quenched, and they ſhall be an horror to all fleſh.