A Plain Explanation of Revelation, Part 7
Apoc. Cap. 7. 1.
And after that, I ſaw foure Angels ſtand on the foure corners of the earth, holding the foure windes of the earth, that the windes ſhould not blow on the earth, neither on the Sea, neither on any tree, &c.
BEtweene the declaration and manner of the execution of the iudgements to come on the world, as a ſnare to betrap them, here is this ſtory interlaced, containing the argument of the mercies of God in ſauing the Godly, as before in the former Chapter were ſet downe the arguments of his iudgement and iuſtice on the wicked.
Firſt, Iohn ſaith that he ſaw foure Angels holding the foure windes. They are named foure, in regard of the foure windes that they hauehave in charge to keepe; yet ſo to be meant as before of the foure Beaſts, to wit, a competent number for that worke.
And theſe Angels hauing receiued their charge, put themſelues in array, for execution of that they had in hand: And they are ſaid to hauehave the windes in their hand; that is, in their power and gouernement. So that albeit the windes be a very ſubtile Creature, yet the Angels appointed to that end, hauehave them in their hand and power to withdraw them from doing any hurt, to reſtraine them from blowing on the earth on men, or on the trees themſelues, ſignifying, that there ſhould not be the leaſt winde at all, no not ſo much as would ſhake a little ſprigge of a Tree, which of all things will ſooneſt be moued by the windes: Which noteth vntounto vsus, what a great ſtroke and authority the Angels hauehave ouer the vnderunder-creatures. Then there was another Angell, to wit, of another manner, namely, not created, but hee which was the Angell of the couenant, being another in regard of his natures, both of his man-hood, as alſo of his God-head.
And whereas he is ſaid to come from the riſing of the Sunne, the moſt probable interpretations ſeeme to be theſe; that either the returning againe of the Lord toward the Sanctuary, from whence hee was flitted for the ſins of the people (as appeareth in Ezechiel;)Ezech. 11. 23. Or elſe here is alſo ſet forth the declaration of his Maieſtie, that albeit the ſame be a moſt glorious creature, yet Chriſt comming from it could not be ſhadowed, or his glory any whit diminiſhed by the brightneſſe of the Sunne.
Againe, in that hee hath the Sealt to ſeale the Elect, it ſetteth downe his office, that hee onelyonly, as he alone, knoweth the heart, and who are elected, and none elſe, neither man nor Angell; ſo he alone Sealeth and Marketh the children of God to his Kingdome.
And further, the Angels of iudgement are commanded not to execute iudgement vponupon any, vntill the Children of God were Sealed, (the like wee hauehave in Ezechiel 9.) hauing as it ſeemeth, relation to the deliuerance out of Egypt, where it was commanded that there ſhould be a marke ſet on the Doore-poſts of the Children of Iſrael, which when the Angell that was to ſtrike the firſt borne of the Egyptians ſhould ſee, he ſhould paſſe by, and not ſmite them: euen ſo here the Children of God are marked, that when the Angels ſhould goe forth to execute iudgement, they ſhould ſee and euidently diſcerne the marke on them, as euidently as if it were on their Foreheads, whereby they ſhould be warned to take heed that they did not annoy them with the iudgements which were to be laide vponupon the earth.
After, it is ſet forth, who are thus Sealed and Marked, that they might be deliuered from this deſtruction to come vponupon the earth: And theſe are either Iewes or Gentiles. And firſt of the Iewes, the number is ſet down to be a hundred and foure and forty thouſand. The Gentiles are ſaid to be without number.
Which giueth vsus to vnderſtand, that albeit this be not the perfect and full number of the Iewes which were to be ſaued, yet that their number was ſuch, as that it might be attained vntounto, and numbred by men. But the Gentiles, howſoeuer with God their number was well enough knowne, yet they are ſaid to be ſo many, as that they could not be numbred by men. According as God promiſed Abraham touching his ſeede, that they ſhould be as many as the ſtarres of heauen, and as the ſands of the Sea in multitude.
In the particular numbring, the Tribe of Iuda is ſet firſt, becauſe of him, Chriſt the promiſed Meſſiah came.
Secondly, we obſerue that the Tribe of Dan is here left out (not as the Papiſts dreame, becauſe that Antichriſt ſhould come from thence,) but it is partly becauſe it is not an vſuall cuſtome of the Scriptures in the numbring of the Tribes, to ſet downe twelue Tribes only as a fit number: But a greater reaſon ſeemeth to be, becauſe (as it is in the Booke of the Iudges) the Danites did withdraw themſelues from the ſeruice of God, and from the other Tribes, and ioyned themſelues with the Gentiles, which Iacob alſo maketh mention of in his Prophecie; And therefore in the Chronicles there is no mention made of Dan, but hee is left out, as one that diſabled himſelfe of that fauour to be accounted in the number of the Church of God.
Here, hauing ſpoken of the Iewes, which could be numbred, and of the Gentiles that they were without number; he commeth to the execution of their marking; whereby they ſhould be kept from the iudgements to be laid on the earth, and that ſo they might be reſerued vntounto the Kingdome of God.
They are firſt deſcribed, to ſtand before the Throne of God, that is, in his ſight, there to miniſter vntounto the Lord, and to execute his will in his ſeruice; and it is the cuſtome of the Scriptures ſo to ſpeake: and therefore the Miniſters of the word are ſaid to ſtand before the ſight of God, that is, to miniſter vntounto God; ſo alſo Daniel is ſaid to ſtand before the King, that is, to miniſter vntounto him.
In that they are ſaid to hauehave vponupon them white robes, it noteth the royall eſtate they ſhall be in, in the kingdome of God.
The Palmes in their hands, ſignifie their victory ouer all their troubles, and ouer all their enemies and Perſecutors.
After all this is ſet downe a thankeſgiuing, which they giuegive vntounto God, whereby the Saints acknowledge that ſaluation belongeth onelyonly vntounto God in deliuering them from wicked men, and from all their miſeries; wherein they confeſſe that in themſelues there is no difference betweene them and other men, but that it was the onelyonly good-will and fauour, and mercy of God, whereby hee had choſen them, and vouchſafed them this honour.
To this the Angels anſwere, and ſay Amen, ſignifying alſo their conſent thereunto, that it is truely performed: and they themſelues reply with another ſong vntounto God for the deliuerance of his people, and they further giuegive all Praiſe, Glory, Wiſedome, Honour, Thankes vntounto God, which are effects of his power.
Laſtly, thoſe that were Sealed, are more manifeſtly ſet forth by a Dialogue betweene one of the Elders and Iohn, where the Elder is ſaid to aske Iohn firſt, What be theſe that are thus arrayed in white? and ſecondly, from whence they came? which hee doth not becauſe he himſelfe was ignorant therof, but to ſtirre vp Iohn the more to the conſideration of them. And he himſelfe anſwereth to both the queſtions: To the laſt he anſwereth firſt, according to the manner of the Scriptures, to wit, Theſe are they (ſaith hee) that are come out of great tribulation and afflictions; and he ſaith that theſe afflictions had not made their robes ſo white, that is, had not brought them to that honour they were in, but it was the bloud of the Lambe that brought them to it, and their robes were thus white, becauſe they were dipped in the blood of the Lambe.
Then hee anſwereth to the other queſtion, viz. who they be, namely, Thoſe that ſtand alwaies before the Throne; that is, in the preſence of God, to ſerue him with praiſes for euermore, being ſuch, as are deliuered from all euils, and from all teares, that is, all ſorrowes & griefe ſhall be taken away; and they ſhall be led to the ſweet waters, and tender graſſe, and continually deliuered and preſerued from all perils.