A Plain Explanation of Revelation, Part 19
Apoc. Cap. 19. 1.
And after theſe things I heard a great voice of a great multitude in heauen, ſaying Hallelu-iah, ſaluation, and glory, and honour, and power be to the Lord our God, &c.
THe Apoſtle hauing ſpoken of the deſtruction of the City of Rome, noted by the name of an Harlot: he now comes to ſet forth the deſtruction of the Beaſt, and of the falſe Prophet; which are the vngodly Emperours, and the Popes, ſucceeding in that power, hauing gotten not onelyonly ciuill iuriſdiction, but Eccleſiaſticall power alſo ioyned therewith.
And firſt of al before he handleth that, he bringeth in all the children & ſeruants of God, praiſing & magnifying God for the notable works he had ſhewed vponupon the earth. And herein eſpecially doe the Angels & Saints of God in heauen, & the Saints in earth, magnifie and praiſe the Lord, namely, for the iudgement and deſtruction of the Whore, which is the City of Rome. The cauſes of her deſtruction are ſet downe, to be, firſt, becauſe ſhe had made all the Kings of the earth and their people to goe a whoring after her filthy abhominations. And ſecondly for that ſhee had murthered the Saints of God.
After that they had ſung this ſong of thankeſgiuing for that mercy receiued in the deſtruction of the City of Rome, the Lord calleth them, and citeth them as it were by a voice from the Throne, to a further thankeſgiuing for the mercies to come, in the deſtruction of the Beaſt, and of the falſe Prophet, and for particular benefits which the Church it ſelfe was to be partaker of: and therefore he doth call all the ſeruants of the Lord by name as it were, which did feare the Lord, both ſmall and great to praiſe the Lord.
Then he ſhewes how this voice was obeyed, in that he ſaith, there was a voice as of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the noiſe of a thunder; which ſignifie both the conſent and zeale, and earneſtneſſe of the Saints in praiſing God. Which teacheth vsus, that we are ſo to beleeue, and be aſſured of Gods promiſes and mercies to come, as that wee doe praiſe him for them, as for thoſe which we hauehave receiued, and as if wee had receiued them already.
The mercies for which they praiſe God are two, firſt, the marriage of the Church to the Lambe, becauſe the Church in this life, being made the Spouſe of Chriſt, yet ſeparated in part from him, ſhall at length inioy and hauehave the full fruition of Chriſt, and of his glorious preſence.
And alſo for that ſhe is arrayed with pure fine linnen; noting either the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt wherewith ſhe is cloathed, or elſe that ſanctification which being in part begun in this life in Gods children, ſhall be perfected in Gods kingdome when that ſpirituall marriage of Chriſt with his Spouſe ſhall be celebrated.
And further it is ſhewed, that ſuch is the happineſſe of the Church of God in this marriage, that not onelyonly the Bride and the Bridegrome, ſhall be partakers of his happineſſe (as vſually commeth to paſſe in our marriage feaſts, the married perſons onelyonly, not the gueſts being counted happy) but alſo thoſe are bleſſed and happy, that are bidden to this feaſt, for by the Bride, is to be vnderſtood in generall, the Church vniuerſall, by the perſons called, is meant the particular perſons in the Church.
Another cauſe of thankeſgiuing for the things to come, is in regard of the iudgement vponupon the wicked, and the execution thereof. And firſt he ſaith, to execute this, hee ſeeth Chriſt comming with his army, hee being the chiefe; for as the Beaſt gathers his armies againſt Chriſt, ſo in like manner, he bringeth his hoaſt againſt them to deſtroy them: And hee is deſcribed by his properties, namely, firſt, in that he ſitteth on a white Horſe; noting, that he was a Iudge, alluding to the manner of Iudges in thoſe times, (as we ſee in the Booke of Iudges) that in token of honour, they did vſe to ride on white Aſſes.
The ſword which went out of his mouth; ſignifieth, that he would ſlay them onelyonly by his will.
The Crownes on his head; note that his will ſhould preuaile againſt his enemies, and that hee will hauehave the victory.
His eyes as a flame of fire; ſignifying his infinite knowledge of all things that were done, and his piercing ſight into all the coaſts and ſecrets of his enemies, ſo that they could hide nothing from him. With his feete he ſhould tread and preſſe downe all his enemies in the Vine-preſſe of Gods wrath.
Then, as by his properties, ſo alſo he is deſcribed by his nature, in that his name is called The word of God. By his office, in that he is the King of Kings.
His Garments dipt in bloud; noting the ſharpe reuenge he will take vponupon his enemies in their deſtruction.
Further, he is ſet downe by his company and traine that followed him, to wit, the Angels and Saints, who are ſaid to ride alſo on white Horſes, ſignifying that they were conquerours ouer all their enemies by Chriſt.
An Angell in the Sunne; to wit, which was able to order the Sunne, by cauſing it to giuegive light vntounto the ſeruants of Chriſt, and withdrawing the light thereof, and to depriue the enemies of the vſe of it, by caſting darkeneſſe vponupon them, ſo as they could not ſee one another, much leſſe to fight againſt him; which ſignifieth and ſetteth forth the glory and power of Chriſt, that ſeeing one of his Angels was able to doe this, how much more wonderfull was his power, both in himſelfe, and in all the reſt of his Angels, to deſtroy thoſe his enemies?
This Angell makes a proclamation of defiance againſt them before the battell, as it is the vſuall cuſtome in warres: And here he doth not, (as in wars Princes vſe to doe to their forraigne enemies) by proclaiming open warre againſt them, to warne & challenge them vntounto fight, for hee needeth not, neither will hee, ſeeing they are not forreiners, but his ſubiects, and rebels againſt him, being King of Kings, and Lord of Lords: But in ſtead of ſending embaſſage or a Herauld of Armes vntounto them, in ſcorne of them, hee makes proclamation vntounto the Birds, and bids them come to eate of the fleſh of his enemies. And here he ſhewes the certainty and ſurety of his victory, in that before the battell he cals the Birds to deuoure, as if they were already ſlaine.
Chriſt being thus deſcribed, as hee is in himſelfe, and alſo by his retinue and attendants, after followeth the euent and execution of the iudgements.
And firſt, in that it is ſaid, the Beaſt, and the falſe Prophet (which went out from the Beaſt) were taken; it noteth, that Chriſt as it were in a rage, ſeemeth to lay hold on thoſe his principall enemies, the Beaſt and the falſe Prophet, taking them, in contempt as it were, by the neckes, euen as a ſtrong man in his fury, in ſcorne taketh his weake enemie (with whom he diſdaineth to fight) by the Collar of the necke, and caſteth him away; euen ſo Chriſt violently taketh them and caſteth them quicke into a Lake of fire & brimſtone.
The remnant are ſlaine with the ſword; to wit, the Kings and the People, noting the difference of their iudgement, from the iudgement of the Beaſt, and the Prophet; not that they were not alſo to be condemned, as well as theſe, but it is onelyonly to ſhew, that their condemnation ſhould not be ſo terrible as the condemnation of the Beaſt, and the falſe Prophet: for as it is in earthly iudgements, according to the heinouſneſſe and greatneſſe of the fact, ſuch is the grieuouſneſſe of the puniſhment, the more heinous offenders being to be burnt to death, thoſe that are leſſe grieuous offenders, to be ſlaine with the ſword, or with ſome leſſe violent death: euen ſo it ſhall be in this iudgement of Chriſt, the Beaſt and falſe Prophet being chiefe offenders and ring-leaders in this rebellion, ſhall hauehave a more terrible iudgement, and deeper condemnation.
Which teacheth vsus, that according to the degrees of ſinne, ſo ſhall be the degrees of puniſhment to the wicked in hell.
In the midſt of the Chapter, there is ſet downe an accident which befell Iohn, which hee here inſerteth for the comfort and inſtruction of Gods Children; which is, that Iohn, though an excellent man, yet by the glory of the Angell, and the excellencie of the things by him ſhewed, was ſo amazed and ouertaken, that hee fell downe to worſhip the Angell; which ſheweth the great weakeneſſe of men, and their proneneſſe to Idolatry, for ſeeing that Iohn who was ſo excellent a ſeruant of God, did thus forget himſelfe, much more others▪ which are not indued with ſuch graces. The Angell (as a faithfull ſeruant of God) refuſeth that honour, and forbids him, ſaying, that hee himſelfe was his fellow-Seruant, and therefore not to be worſhipped. But (ſaith hee) worſhip God; noting, that all worſhip belongeth to God alone.