Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 22 · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. Verſe 1. And I ſaw an Angel]
COnſtantine the great, the Churches male-childe, Chap. 12.
Having the key] Not that key, Chap. 9.1. but another.
A great chain] The ſucceſſion of Chriſtian Emperours.
Verſe 2. And he laid hold on the Dragon] Chap. 12.7, 9. He took him in a field-fight, and ſince then till now we have heard little of him, more then that he ſubſtituted the Beaſt, Chap. 13. whoſe deſtruction being declared, the prophecy returns to ſhew the judgment of the Dragon.
And bound him] From the open ſlaughtering of the Saints, as he had done by the Heathen Emperours: for from moleſting and miſchieving of Gods people, other wiſe he is not bound one hour, Job 1. 1 Pet. 5.8. And how his vicegerent the Beaſt hath beſtirred him, during the thouſand years, who knows not?
A thouſand years] Hos explicare fat…or trepidè m… aggredi, ſaith Pareus. He begins the thouſand at the deſtructi…n of the Temple, anno 73. and ſo it ends in Pope Hildebrand, who ſtept into that chair of peſtilence, anno 1073. Others begin it at the birth of Chriſt, and end in Silvester 2. Others at Chriſts paſſion, and end in Benedict 9. But they do beſt in my opinion, that begin at Constantine, and end in Boniface the 8. who is of his own ſaid to have entered like a fox, raigned as a Lion, and died as a dog. He excommunicated the French King, and publiſhed this decree, That the Biſhop of Rome ought to be judged of none, although he ſhould carry innumerable ſouls with him to hell.
Verſe 3. And caſt him into the bottomleſſe pit] That is, into the earth, Chap. 12.9, 12. Chap. 13.11. the earth is the bottomleſſe pit, out of which the Beaſt was raiſed by the Dragon.
Deceive the Nations] The Gentiles, by defending Gentiliſme, and hindering the courſe of the Goſpel amongſt them.
And after that the must be loſed] He muſt, becauſe God hath ſo decreed it, for the glory of his own name in the defence of his people; but deſtruction of his enemies. As alſo that the devil may ſhew his malice, which God can reſtrain at his pleaſure. Roger Holland Martyr, ſaid to Bonner: This I dare be bold in God to ſpeak, which by his Spirit I am moved to ſay; that God will ſhorten your hand of cruelty, that for a time you ſhall not moleſt his Church: And after this day in this place ſhall there not any be by him put to the fire and faggot.A…, and Mon… ▪ 852. And it proved ſo: for none after the ſuffered in Smithfield, for the teſtimony of the Goſpel.
Verſe 4. And they ſat upon them] Reſting from former p…rſecutions, and raigning in righteouſneſſe even here upon earth.
And judgement was given unto them] That is, ſay ſome, the ſpirit or diſcerning between Chriſtianity and Antichriſtianiſme: Or the clearing of the innocency, and doing them right, ſay others. Or, they had their chairs, ſeats and conſiſtories, wherein they did both preach the Word, and execute the Churches cenſure, as ſome ſenſe it.
And I ſaw the ſouls] This makes againſt the Millenaries Souls raign not but in heaven: there are the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect, Heb. 12.Cotton his pouring out of the 7. vio…s, p. 26. True it is (as Mr Cotton well obſerveth) that there are many deviſes in the mindes of ſome, to think that Jeſus Chriſt ſhall come from heaven again, and raign here with his Saints upon earth a thouſand years▪ But they are, ſaith he, but the miſtakes of ſome high expreſſions in Scripture, which deſcribe the judgments poured out upon Gods enemies in making way to the Jews converſion, by the patern of the laſt judgment. Thus he. The ſouls here mentioned are the ſame I conceive, that were ſeen under the Altar, Revel. 6.9. and doe cry, How long Lord? Theſe are not capable of a bodily reſurrection, nor of an earthly raigne.
And they lived and raigned with Chriſt] They, that is, thoſe that ſat on the thrones (not they that were beheaded) Lived and raigned, as ſpirituall Kings (after the ſame manner, as they are Prieſts, verſ. 6.) for elſe there ſhould be more Kings then Subjects.
With Chriſt] It is not ſaid with Christ upon earth, this is an addition to the text; or if the words did import a raigning upon earth, yet this would not inferre an earthly raign for a thouſand years in great worldly delights, begetting many children, eating and drinking, and enjoying all lawfull pleaſures, as ſome dream now a-daies. The conceit, I confeſſe is as ancient as Cerinth… the heretike, and P…pias (ſcholar to S. John) a man much reverenced for opinion of his holineſſe, but yet homo ingenij pertenui…, ſaith Euſebius, not oppreſſed with wit. Hierom and Augustine explode it, as a Jewiſh fable, and declare it to be agreat errour, if not an hereſie: ſo do all the foreign at this day. The Patrons of Chriſts perſonall raign upon earth,Moſes's choice, p. 487. are Mr Archer and Mr Burroughes, who tels us, That if the opinion of ſome concerning Chriſts coming to raign here in the world before the day of judgement be not a truth, he cannot make any thing of many places of Scripture, as this place for one. But if he cannot, yet others can. See an Anſwer to his and M. Archers chief Arguments in M. Bayl… his diſſwaſive from the errours of the times, Chap. 21. p. 238.
Verſe 5. But the reſt of the dead] Dead in Baal-worſhip, as Ephraim, Hoſ. 13.1. dead in ſins, as Sardis, Rev. 3.1.
Lived not again] By repentance from dead works: or they recovered not the life and immortality that is brought to light by the Goſpel.
Ʋntill the thouſand years] Untill, being taught better by Gods faithfull witneſſes, they abjured Popery.
This is the firſt reſurrection] From Romiſh ſuperſtitions. M. Fox tels us,Act. and Mon. fol 767. that by the reading of Chaucers books, ſome were brought to the knowledge of the truth.
Verſe 6. Bleſſed and happy is he] The holy only have part in this reſurrection,foreign. and are therefore happy, or out of harms-way, as the word ſignifies.
The ſecond death hath no power] For they are brought from the jaws of death to the joyes of eternall life, where is mirth without mourning, riches without ruſt, &c.
But they ſhall be Prieſts] See the Note on Chap. 1.6.
They ſhall raign] The righteous are Kings, Mat. 13.17. compared with Luk. 10.24. Many righteous is the ſame with Many Kings. See the Note on ver. 4.
A thouſand years] Theſe thouſand years begin (ſaith Maſter Brightman) where the former ended, that is in the year 1300. whereby continuance thereof is promiſed for a thouſand years forward, among ſome of the Gentiles: and how long it ſhall raign afterwards among the Jews, he onelyonly knows that knows all.
Verſe 7. Satan ſhall be looſed] i. e. Suffered to riſe up in open rage againſt the open profeſſours of the truth: and to make havock of them, as he did of the Waldenſes, Huſſites, Huguenots, Profeſſours in Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, England, &c. He hath laid about him lately to purpoſe. Beſides thoſe ſeas of Chriſtian bloud ſhed by the Turk, ſince the thouſand years expired.
Verſe 8. Gog and Magog] That is Pope and Turk, ſaith Aretius, the Pope a covert enemy to Chriſt, the Turk an overt,Ezek, 38. & 35. or open enemy, as Gog and Magog ſignifie. Theſe are ſet forth by Ezekiel, as the laſt enemies of Gods people before Shiloh came; and preſently after their utter overthrow, the ſtate of the City and Temple, is notably deſcribed. So, after the Pope and Turk in that laſt great battle at Armageddon routed and foiled, the new Jeruſalem is in the following Chapters excellently pourtraied and depainted: that being a ſpeciall type of this.
Verſe 9. And they went up] As a ſloud, Ezek. 8.9, 16.
And compaſſed] As reſolved that none ſhould eſcape them, Pſ. 118.11, 12. 2 King. 6.14, 15. & 35.1.
The camp of the Saints] The Church militant.
And the beloved City] The new Jeruſalem, Cap. 21.2.foreign. The dearly beloved of Gods ſoul, Jer. 12.7. or, Gods dearly beloved ſoul, as the Septuagint render it. For preſent, the Turk is the bridle that holds in the Pope with all his followers, from any univerſall proceeding againſt the Proteſtants: who herein are greatly advantaged above them, in that their oppoſites lie between them and the Turk: or in that their countreys coaſting ſo much as they do toward the North (as Denmark, Swethland, &c.) are out of his way,Spec Eur…p. and no part of his preſent aim. Italy is the mark he ſhoots at. And when once he ſhall riſe againſt the true Church, fire from heaven ſhall devour him.
Verſe 10. And he devil] This Mr Brightman interprets of the Turk, called here the devil, becauſe inſtigated and ſet awork by the devil. Albeit another learned Expoſit…ur is of opinion, that by the fall of the Beaſt and converſion of the Jews, the Turks and other States of the Eaſt ſhall be brought to imbrace the Goſpel, being firſt taught thereto by ſome notable foil. What to think of this I know not: but cannot but like well of Diodates note upon the fourth verſe of this Chapter; that in all this prophecy it is better and more ſure to expect and ſtay for the explication by the event, then to give it without any certain ground.
And ſhall be tormented]foreign. Gr. Racked: the devil and the damned have puniſhment without pity, miſery without mercy, ſorrow without ſuccour, crying without comfort, miſchief without meaſure, torments without end, and paſt imagination.
For ever and ever] This is as another hell in the midſt of hell, and forceth them to cry, foreign, Woe, woe, as if they ſhould ſay, foreign, Not ever, not ever, Lord. Whereto conſcience anſwereth as an eccho, foreign, ever, ever: Hence that dolefull foreign, Woe and alas for evermore.
Verſe 11. And I ſaw a great white throne] A lively deſcription of the laſt Judgement: to ſhew that henceforth, ſince the laſt great battle, the new Jeruſalem ſhould have no diſturbance till Chriſt comes to judgment.
From Whoſe face the earth, &c.] To ſhew either his terriblenes, or their renovation, 2 Pet. 3. 12. Rom. 8.21.
Verſe 12. Small and great] It is the common opinion, that men ſhall riſe again in that tall and goodly ſtature of body wherein Adam was created: or at leaſt in that vigour of age that a perfect man is at about 33. years old, each in their proper ſex. And hereunto ſome think the Apoſtle alludeth, Epheſ. 4.13. But M. Brightman holds, that in the reſurrection every one ſhall appear in that ſtature, in which he departed out of this life, and that the contrary opinion doth manifeſtly contradict this Scripture, foreign.
And the books were opened] The books of conſcience, ſaith Orig…n, of the Scriptures, ſaith Augustine: of both, ſay I: for according to law written ſhall the Judge paſſe ſentence, the conſcience either accuſing or excuſing.
The book of life] That Gods elect may be ſeen and known. God neither needeth nor uſeth books to judge by: but this is ſpoken after the manner of men. Mordecais name was regiſtred in the Chronicles of Perſia. Tam…rlane had alwaies by him a Catalogue of his beſt ſervants, and their good deſerts,Turk. …iſt. 22…. which he daily peruſed.
Verſe 13. And the ſea] Thoſe that periſhed in the waters, and thoſe whoſe aſhes were ſcattered upon the waters, as John Huſſes: whom after they had burnt, they beat his heart with their ſtaves, and caſt his aſhes into the river. But there is a ſubſtance of the Saints bodies preſerved, by a ſecret influence from Chriſt their head, and their duſt is precious.
Verſe 14. And death and hell] There ſhall be an utter end of all evils and enemies, nothing left to diſquiet the Church. She ſhall ſee them afar off, as Lazarus did the rich man, and be able to ſay of them, as ſhe did of her accuſers, Joh. 8. they are all gone.
Verſe 15. And whoſoever] As thoſe Prieſts were caſhiered that could not prove their pedegree, Ezr. 2.62, 63.