A Plain Explanation of Revelation, Part 10
Apoc. Cap. 10. 1.
And I ſaw another mightie Angell come downe from heauen, cloathed with a Cloude, and the Rainbow vponupon his head, and his face was as the Sunne, and his feet as pillars of fire, &c.
VVEe hauehave heard after the Preface of this Booke, the diuiſion of it into thoſe things already executed, and which were after to be executed. Thoſe which were to come, are either touching the iudgement of God vponupon the world, or thoſe things which more eſpecially did concerne the Church. Hitherto we hauehave heard of the world; now, the things that more eſpecially belong to the Church, doe follow; to the which in this Chapter is (as before) a Preface, wherein the holy Ghoſt prepareth and fitteth the Apoſtle Saint Iohn, and in him all vsus, to the diligent hearing and obſeruing of all thoſe things which concerne the Church. The whole drift of this Viſion is to giuegive credit to the hiſtory following; and this credit is drawne, firſt, from the Author of the prophecie, which is Chriſt; and ſecondly from the Inſtrument, to wit, Iohn. In the firſt part, that the thing it ſelfe might be the better eſteemed, the credit drawne from the Author is ſet forth by the glory and excellencie of him.
In the ſecond part, Iohn is ſet foorth by what meanes he came to this Prophecie, and from whom hee receiued it, to wit, that hee had it by commandement from God the Father, and from God the Son, who commanded him to publiſh this hiſtory, which after is ſet downe in this Booke.
For the firſt part, he ſaith, firſt, he ſaw another Angell, to wit, (as we hauehave heard before) our Sauiour Chriſt being of another nature, of other offices, and of another glory then any other Angell, as being the Angell of the Couenant, that is, hee in whoſe hand the Couenant is eſtabliſhed betwixt God and his Church.
This Angell is ſaid to come downe from heauen, viz. not that Chriſt came downe bodily, for the Scriptures ſay euidently, that the heauens muſt hold him till the reſtoring of all things, that is, till the end of the world; but here it was onelyonly repreſented vntounto Iohn in a viſion: For in that wee ſay that Chriſt is in heauen, it is not that wee tye or lincke him there (as the Papiſts charge and ſlander vsus wrongfully:) for wee hold that as there is in the heauens infinit roome for him to execute his will; ſo hee hath the heauen as an incomprehenſible place, and is not tyed and kept in as it were like a Priſoner, but is at his owne pleaſure to doe what he will himſelfe: And this which wee ſay, is proued out of the word of God, in the Acts, Acts. 1.where we are taught, that he muſt ſtay there till the latter day. So that this ſight was onelyonly a repreſentation of the minde, wherin it was giuen to ſee Chriſt thus.
Strong; a proper title vntounto the Lord, to be the ſtrong God, ſignifying that hee was the mighty God, and therefore this Angell is of another nature, then the other Angels.
Clad with a Cloud: that is, to ſet out the glory of our Sauiour Chriſt; euen ſo in the laſt day hee ſhall come attended vponupon, & compaſſed with the clouds.
A Rain-bow about his head: the Rain-bow about his head, ſeemeth to expreſſe and to note vntounto vsus, the gracious countenance of our Sauiour Chriſt towards his Church, for the Rain-bow in the Scripture is a ſigne of the fauour of God (as it is in Geneſis) namely, in that he will neuer drowne the world againe. OrChap. 4. 3. elſe to the further ſetting forth of his Glory and Maieſtie; for as before in the fourth Chapter, wee hauehave heard, that God the Father is deſcribed to hauehave had a Rain-bow about his Throne, whereby the glory of the firſt Perſon in the Trinity was repreſented; ſo that may be here noted of Chriſt, in that he is ſaid to hauehave a Rain-bow about his head, and therefore Chriſt is of equall glory with his Father.
His face as the Sunne: whereby his further glory is ſet forth in his excellent and al-ſeeing prouidence, in that as the Sunne beholdeth all the earth, ſo hee at one inſtant, and with one eye, as it were, ſeeth all things on the face of the earth.
He had in his hand a little Booke open: In this BookeChap. 5. 1. is contained thoſe things which were to follow, and to come vponupon the Church it ſelfe. As in the fift Chapter wee hauehave heard of a Booke in the hand of God the Father, which containeth the iudgements which were generally to fall vponupon the whole world. The difference betweene this Booke and that other, is very plaine; for firſt, wee hauehave heard, that is ſaid to be a Booke, noting that it was of a greater volume; this is ſaid to be a little Booke, namely, of a leſſer volume. Againe, in that it is ſaid to be in the hand of God the Father, this is in the hand of God the Sonne. The reaſon is, for that there is a more vniuerſall gouernment of the world by God the Father, conſidered by himſelfe alone, then betweene Chriſt and the World, as he is ioyned with the office of Mediation, which concerneth the Church. And againe, there is a more ſimple and immediate gouernement of Chriſt in his Church, then of the Father. Another difference is this, in that it is ſaid this Booke is open, the other was ſhut; which ſheweth vsus, that through Chriſt onelyonly, theſe things are made manifeſt vntounto vsus, for, without his mediation, all things in the will of God are hid and ſhut vp from vsus, that wee cannot know them: For as the Deitie of God is conſidered in the three Perſons, wee can hauehave no participation of any good thing from the ſame, but as Chriſt is the Mediator betweene God and vsus, all things which concerne vsus are opened vntounto vsus; yea, the knowledge of all things wee are to know: and therefore if hee come betweene vsus and God, then the things of our God ſhall be opened and reuealed vntounto vsus.
His feet like two pillars of fire; this is to ſhew his ſtrength and power. The pillars declare his ſteadineſſe; fire ſignifieth piercing, and therefore where his power ſetteth, there it cleaueth hard. Whereby is ſet downe the incomparable vertue and power of Chriſt. And whereas one foot is ſet on the Sea, and the other on the Land, it ſetteth forth vntounto vsus his full authoritie ouer all, and that he is in all places in regard of his Godhead.
This doth not proue the being of Chriſts naturall body in many places at once, for he did not ſet his feet of his naturall body at this time on the Land and Sea, neither can it be in diuers places, for then it leeſes the nature of a body.
The right foot on the Sea: This is ſaid after the vſe of the Scripture, by his right foot, meaning a greater meaſure of his ſtrength, that ſeeing the Sea is a moſt vnruly and raging creature, he ſets his right foot vponupon it; noting vntounto vsus, that Chriſt as he ruleth all, ſo euen thoſe things more eſpecially which are moſt vnruly, and that which needeth moſt power, he vſeth moſt to the ſubduing and gouerning of it.
This is to teach vsus not to feare at the great rage of the troubles that are in the world, but to know according as they are more grieuous, and as they doe increaſe, ſo the Lord will ad more helpe and encreaſe his ſtrength the more, to the aſſwaging of them, and when the earth beginneth to turmoile, then will he ſet his left foot on it, and when the Sea beginneth to rage, then will he ſet his right foot vponupon it. And as in generall, ſo in particular troubles we are to receiue notable comfort, for if more grieuous ſorrowes and afflictions doe aſſaile vsus, yet the Lord, hauing his right foot on them all, ſhall bee quiet and ſtill with vsus againe.
After, he is deſcribed by his voice; whereby hee declareth his terribleneſſe, that howſoeuer otherwiſe he was deſcribed to be like a Man, yet becauſe mans voice was too weake to expreſſe the force of it, hee compares it to the voyce of a Lyon, to ſtrike the more terror and feare into our hearts. According as it is ſaid, If the Lyon roare, ſhall not the Beaſts of the field tremble? How much more when Chriſt ſpeakes, and thunders out his iudgements, ſhall not wee which are filly Lambs (nay, not ſo much in reſpect of Chriſt as Lambs to the Lyon) be afraide? and if our Sauiour Chriſt ſhew forth the tokens of his wrath againſt ſinners, by denouncing and threatning iudgements againſt them, ſhould not wee tremble and be terrified for our ſinnes?
After that he had thus extended his voice, S. Iohn ſaith, he heard the voices of ſeauen thunders, and thoſe not ſuch as were confuſed, but there was a diſcerneable and plaine ſpeech in the voice of the thunders. Now Saint Iohn (as he was before commanded) being ready to write the things which were ſpoken by the thunders, is notwithſtanding bidden to Seale them vp; that is, to keepe them cloſe, as being matters of ſecrecie, for God of his good will was content to ſhew them, and make them knowne to him, for his particular comfort, which he will not hauehave be reuealed vntounto others.
Herein wee ſee how God diſpoſeth of his word, viz. ſome he reuealeth vntounto his Seruants, ſome hee keepeth hid in his owne euerlaſting counſell.
To teach vsus, that ſeeing God hath kept many things of his to himſelfe, which he hath not reuealed vntounto vsus; that therefore we ſhould not diſpaire in our troubles, but ſeeing hee hath reſerued ſecret to his owne counſell, euen many things which concerne the ſpeciall good of his Church, and the ſingular comfort of his children, wee are therefore rather to be ſtirred vp by prayer, to come vntounto him to intreate him that he would gouerne all things to the good of his Church.
Againe, that is here further to be conſidered which Iohn ſpeaketh elſe-where, that wee are not able, by reaſon of our careleſneſſe and dulneſſe of vnderſtanding, to attaine in any meaſure to the true knowledge of the meaning of this Booke; how much leſſe if greater matters had beene written downe? nay, rather wee would hauehave beene quite driuen backe from it: And therefore this is to teach vsus to be diligent in the ſearching out of thoſe things he hath already ſet downe, leauing to meddle (as many fooliſhly and madly doe) with thoſe things that God hath hidden in his ſecret will; And ſeeing we are ſo backward, ſlacke, and dull in the ſeeking out of thoſe things which wee hauehave, wee ſhould hauehave beene much more careleſſe of them if all the other had beene ſet downe.
After, it followeth what our Sauiour Chriſt ſaid, to wit, that hee ſwore, wherein is ſet downe, firſt the manner of taking his oath, and then the oath it ſelfe: The manner of the oath of our Sauiour Chriſt is; firſt, in his geſture, in that he lift vp his hands to heauen, which was the manner of taking an oath in thoſe times; and therefore he is here after this ſort repreſented: Then is ſet downe the Perſon by whom hee ſweareth, viz. by God, deſcribed by his owne nature, that he liueth for euermore; and of his effects, viz. of creation of heauen, earth, and all things therein.
His oath it ſelfe is this, that after thoſe things which were to be done vnderunder the ſeauenth Trumpet, and the ſeauenth Seale were fulfilled, there ſhould be time no more, that is, there ſhould not be diſtinction of time by the day and yeare, as we vſe now to count, according to the courſe of the Sunne and of the Heauens: This is done, firſt, for the declaring vntounto vsus the aſſurance of the end of the things of the world: And further, for the comfort of the children of God againſt thoſe troubles which were to be endured by them; for that ſpeedily there ſhould be an end of their troubles when that time ſhould end.
In that hee ſaith the Miſteries of God declared by his Seruants and Prophets were finiſhed, he rendreth a reaſon why God ſtayeth and commeth not ſpeedily to end the world, to wit, as for the fulfilling of the number of the Elect, ſo alſo for the accompliſhment of his word by his Prophets, Apoſtles, and Miniſters. The firſt reaſon why God delaieth the conſummation of the world, Saint Peter rendreth, in that he ſaith, The Lord is patient towards vsus, that none ſhould periſh 2 Pet. 3. 9.whom he would hauehave to be ſaued: ſo that we ſee it is by Gods great patience, becauſe hee would hauehave none loſt which belonged vntounto him, but would hauehave them to hauehave the meanes of knowledge and repentance, and therefore till all that belong to Gods election be called, there ſhould be no end of the world.
The other reaſon why the world is not finiſhed, is here expreſſed, becauſe all theſe things which the Prophets & Apoſtles hauehave ſpoken of, & this Prophecie eſpecially, which was deliuered to Iohn, is not yet fulfilled, for one iot or title of the word of God ſhal not fal.
After the deſcription of Chriſt, hee comes to the calling of himſelfe, that it might be more ſurely ſealed and confirmed to vsus, and that ſo wee might be more aſſured of the certainty of his Prophecie. And to this his calling, there commeth a double authority, to wit, of God the Father, which was before deſcribed in the fourth Chapter, and hee is here brought in, bidding Iohn to goe to the Angell, and to take the Booke at him.
Whereby we hauehave to vnderſtand, that the Miniſters are taught to hauehave authority and warrant from God, and out of the word of God, for all thoſe things they doe, eſpecially which concerne the matters and holy things of God.
This then Iohn doth, for he preſently goeth to take the Booke; and when he commeth to the Angell, hee alſo bids him take the Booke, hauing thereby a double warrant, not onelyonly of the Father, but euen of the Sonne alſo.
The Angell bids him eate it vp: meaning, that he ſhould ſettle it as it were in his belly, and euen let it ſettle into the very bottome of his heart, and namely, that he ſhould rightly conceiue it, and that hee ſhould hauehave a full capacity and perfect comprehenſion of the things herein contained, by hauing a ſound knowledge of the things to be reuealed, and, therefore, that he ſhould with diligence obſerue and marke them. The like thing we hauehave in Ezechiel, whoEzech. 3. 23. is alſo bidden to eate a Booke, giuen him by an Angell: But whereas it is here ſaid, it ſhould be bitter in his belly, and ſweet in his mouth; one of theſe onelyonly is ſet downe in Ezechiel, namely, the ſweetneſſe of it in his mouth.
Hereby the Lord ſeemeth to ſet forth that this Prophecie, as it was bitter to the Apoſtle, who was the Miniſter of it, in regard of the iudgements therein contained; ſo it ſhould be alſo ſweet vntounto him to deliuer it, as it is expounded in the words following in the next Verſe, whereas hee muſt Prophecie againe among People and Nations, &c. ſignifying, that hee ſhould not be able to hold it in his belly, that is, to keepe it in, but hauehave a care and delight alſo to publiſh it, and to deliuer it faithfully, and in that regard it ſhould be ſweet vntounto his mouth; for, howſoeuer the things themſelues were ſad and heauy and vnſauory to deliuer, yet in regard that God bids him to ſpeake it, he muſt take delight to doe the will of God in the deliuery thereof.
Here is ſet out the duty of the Miniſters in this caſe, that howſoeuer the denouncing of the iudgements of God againſt the people be very grieuous and ſorrowfull vntounto them, yet they are not to ſpare to deliuer them faithfully, bouldly, and cheerefully, if the Lord command them: And indeed it is requiſite, that they ſhould feele the calamities and miſeries of others, and therefore ſhould be grieued at Gods iudgements againſt others, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Who is offended, and I burne not? Euen ſo ſhould the Children of God hauehave compaſſion and a fellow-feeling of the miſeries of their Brethren, but the Miniſters eſpecially; becauſe as all, ſo eſpecially the Miniſters are oftentimes intereſſed in the ſame troubles.