Commentary on Revelation, Vision 7 · Chapter 20 · Part 1 · Commentary · Section 1
THE DEMONSTRATION.
That the firſt Reſurrection is not to be underſtood corporally, but spiritually.
Firſt, from the differences dividing the whole Subject. This first Reſurrection is either corporall, or ſpirituall. But it is not corporall: Therefore it is ſpirituall. The aſſumption is proved: If this Reſurrection ſhould be corporall, then it could not be called the Firſt, becauſe many Corporall Reſurrections are ſpoken of in Scripture before. I. The Reſurrection of the Son of the Widow of Sarepta, corporally raiſed up by Elias, 1. King. 17.22. which is the firſt reſurrection mentioned in Scripture. II. The Reſurrection of the ſon of the Shunammite, raiſed up by Eliſha, 2. King. 4.35. III. The Reſurrection of one put into the grave, by touching the bones of Eliſha, 2. King. 13.21. IIII. The Reſurrection of a Widows ſon, raiſed by Chriſt, Luk. 7.15. V. Of the daughter of Jairus, Luk. 8.55. VI. Of Lazarus, Iohn. 11.44. VII. The Reſurrection of many of thoſe Saints, who came forth out of the Sepulchre, when Chriſt ſuffered on the Croſſe, Mat. 27.52. VIII. The Reſurrection of Tabitha, raiſed by Peter, Act. 9.41. IX. The Reſurrection of Eutychus, brought from death to life by Paul, Act. 20.10, &c. And therfore if the Reſurrection here ſpoken of were corporall, it ſhould not be called the firſt, but at leaſt the tenth.
Neither helps it to object, that the foreſaid Reſurrections were onelyonly of a few: but that this ſhall be of very many: for the Queſtion is not touching the number of them that are to be raiſed up: but of the Qualitie and Order of the Reſurrection, and it followeth (ſeeing that is not the first of the ſame Genus, which hath many other before it) either that this cannot be called the Firſt Reſurrection, before which there were many other: or elſe that it is not of the ſame kind with the other Reſurrections, that is, it is not corporall.
Secondly, This Reſurrection being taken corporally and properly, muſt be underſtood either of the Soules of the Martyrs, or of the reſt of the dead, or of none. Of the ſoules of the Martyrs it cannot be underſtood: both, becauſe it is not ſaid of them, that they were raiſed, or lived againe; But, that they ſate on thrones, lived, and reigned with Chriſt, as before was ſhewed: As alſo, becauſe properly a corporall Reſurrection is not agreeable to Soules: ſeeing Soules properly die not, as not being bodies, neither of the nature thereof: nor can it be underſtood of the reſt of the dead: becauſe of theſe it is expreſly ſaid, that they lived not againe. Therefore this firſt corporall Reſurrection cannot be true of any at all.
Thirdly, The whole Scripture teſtifies, that ALL, I ſay, ALL the dead, ſhall in one Reſurrection, at the laſt day be raiſed by the Trumpet and Voyce of the Archangell, ſome indeed unto eternall Life, others unto eternall ſhame: Iohn 5.28. The houre commeth, in which ALL that are in the Graves ſhall hear his voyce, and ſhall come forth: they that have done good, unto the Reſurrection of Life, and they that have done evill unto the Reſurrection of damnation, Iohn 11.24. I know that my brother ſhall riſe againe in the Reſurrection, at the laſt day. Iohn 6.48. This is the will of him that ſent mee, that every one that ſeeth the Sonne, and beleeveth in him, ſhould have Eternall Life: And I will raiſe him up at the laſt day. From this univerſall, the Martyrs cannot be excepted, becauſe they beleeved on the Sonne of God. 1. Cor. 15.52. We ſhall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the laſt Trumpe, for the Trumpet ſhall ſound, and the dead ſhall bee raiſed. 1. Theſſ. 4.16. At the comming of the Lord, they that dyed in Chriſt, ſhall riſe firſt. Therefore the Martyrs alſo who dyed in Chriſt, ſhall riſe at the comming of the Lord. Iohn alſo toward the end of this very Chapter, deſcribeth the Second Reſurrection, which ſhall bee at the laſt day, ſo univerſall, as that all the Elements ſhall give up their dead, (a great part whereof ſhall bee Martyrs, being deſtroyed by Fire and Water.) By all which, I ſuppoſe that no Godly man, can, or ought to gather any other thing, then that all the dead ſhall be raiſed together in one Reſurrection at the laſt day: but that many millions of Saints ſhould be raiſed before the laſt day, cannot without errour be beleeved.
Fourthly, the Apoſtle Paul moſt exactly deſcribing the whole Hiſtory (and what we ought to beleeve) of the Reſurrection, opens indeed a Myſterie unto us: 1. Cor. 15.51. viz. That all ſhall not die, but in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, all ſhalbe changed. Yet not a word touching the myſterie of the Millinarie Reſurrection of the Martyrs before others. If thou ſay, that it was not revealed unto him: Conſider that the Apoſtle was caught up into the third heaven, 2. Cor. 12.4. and heard unſpeakable words, that is, all kind of myſteries, eſpecially ſuch as were to bee revealed unto the Church. And therefore undoubtedly hee ſhould have heard that alſo, for to reveale the ſame unto us, and would have revealed it, if it were true.
Fiftly, from the nature of Oppoſites: So as is the firſt death, ſo on the contrary is the firſt Reſurrection to be underſtood. For I ſuppoſe none will deny, but that theſe two are privatively oppoſites, as being contrary-wiſe affected about the ſame ſubject. But the firſt death, was not of the body or corporall, The firſt death what it is.but the death of the Soule, or Spirituall through fin: by which man was firſt ſeparated from God, made mortall, and deprived of Life Eternall. For by this death Adam was dead in Soule, although in the body he lived nine hundred yeeres after. But the death of the Soule drew with it corporall death, as it were by a neceſſary conſequence, and ſo perpetually drawes the ſame with it on all the Poſterity of Adam, by the threatning of God: Thou ſhalt die the death. Of this firſt Spirituall death the Apoſtle ſpeaketh: Through ſinne death entred into the world, Rom. 5.12.and ſo death paſſed upon all men, for all have ſinned: including indeed the Sequell of a corporall death: but eſpecially ſhewing the deliverance from ſpirituall death, through the death and life of Chriſt. Of this death alſo Auſtine: The ſoules alſo (ſaith he,) have their death in impietie and ſinnes, according to which death they are dead, of whom the Lord ſaith: Let the dead bury their dead: and according to this firſt Death, wee are all dead in ſinnes, no man excepted: becauſe it is ſaid of all men: when ye were dead in ſinnes, &c.
Seeing therefore the First Death was a Spirituall deſtruction and alienation of the Soule from God, and eternall Life through ſinne: certainely the firſt Reſurrection (being an oppoſite medicine to the firſt death) muſt bee a Spirituall converſion, and reſtoring of the Soule from ſin to God.
Sixtly, If the First Reſurrection were corporall, and properly belonging to the Martyrs: then onelyonly the Martyrs ſhould bee bleſſed, but all others that riſe at the laſt Day, ſhould be excluded from happineſſe. But this is very abſurd. And therefore the other alſo. The reaſon of the conſequence is, becauſe in the following verſe, onelyonly ſuch are ſaid to be bleſſed, who have part in the firſt Reſurrection: of which we ſhall there ſpeak.
Seventhly, from the ſame verſe: If the Firſt Reſurrection were corporall, and proper to Martyrs: then all the dead at the laſt Day ſhould bee raiſed unto the ſecond death, or unto eternall damnation, none of them unto life eternall. But the latter is falſe, and contrary to Scripture, Ioh. 5.24. Dan. 12.2. &c. Therefore the former alſo. The conſequence of the Major is grounded on the following Verſe, where the Second, or Eternall Death is ſaid to have power onelyonly over them that have no part in the Firſt Reſurrection, as there wee ſhall ſee.
Laſtly, in the ſame Verſe it is ſaid, that they onelyonly ſhall be Prieſts of God, and of Chriſt, which have part in the firſt Reſurrection, as ſhall be ſhewed. Whence againe it would follow, that the Martyrs onelyonly ſhould be the Prieſts of God and of Chriſt, in caſe that the firſt Reſurrection were corporall, and proper to Martyrs. But Peter teacheth the contrary, 1. Pet. 2.5.9. And Iohn, Rev. 1.6, &c.
Theſe things I ſuppoſe may ſatisfie the Godlie minded, and ſuch as are not contentious: unto which I will onelyonly adde this one thing, touching the Etymologie of the Firſt Reſurrection: that as the firſt death is ſo called, becauſe it firſt ſeazed on man, Why the firſt Reſurrection is ſo called.according to the ſoule, as ſoon as he had ſinned: ſo the firſt Reſurrection is ſo called, becauſe it firſt vivified man according to the Soule, as ſoone as he repented by hearing the promiſe in Paradiſe. Or alſo (which comes all to one thing) becauſe it is the vivification of the firſt or more noble part, that is, of the ſoule: as alſo becauſe it is wrought in the Firſt, that is, in this naturall life: and laſtly, becauſe it muſt goe before the Second reſurrection, which ſhall be the reſurrection of the bodyes to glory or, if the firſt went not before, unto condemnation.
Here I could adde the Authorities of ancient Divines. But it's needleſſe: Let Auguſtine ſuffice for all the reſt, who moſt diligently ſearched into this propheſie; The firſt Reſurrection (ſaith he moſt truely) is to Grace, the ſecond to Glorie, Lib. 20. de Civ. Dei. C. 7.18. Him Ribera unjuſtly reproveth, reſtraining the Firſt Reſurrection unto the immortality of ſoules, that the Martyrs, though esteemed as if they had utterly periſhed, yet according to their better part, they live. Then which, nothing is more unſavoury: for in this hee attributes nothing more to Martyrs, then to the worſhippers of the Beaſt, who themſelves alſo after the death of their bodies, lived in their better part, and yet never lived in the firſt Reſurrection.