A Plain Explanation of Revelation, Part 20
Apoc. Cap. 20. 1.
And I ſaw an Angell come downe from heauen, hauing the key of the bottomleſſe pit, and a great chaine in his hand, &c.
IN this Chapter, there is ſet forth vntounto vsus, two victories that God and our Sauiour Chriſt hauehave againſt the Dragon, the firſt and the laſt. Then is ſet forth the latter iudgement that ſhall be in the day of the Lord, the great day, the day as it were of the great aſſize. That which is contained in the firſt part of the Chapter, is ſomewhat diſplaced, belonging to the end of the twelfth Chapter, but reſerued to this place, that there might be a better declaration of the ſtory of the Dragon. To the better vnderſtanding of this, we are to remember that which was before in the 12. Chapter, where it is ſaid, that the Dragon perſecuted the Woman: which noteth (as wee hauehave heard) that great perſecution which befell the Church of the Iewes, that ancient Church of God. For when as the Dragon ſaw that he was caſt from heauen, and that the woman had wings giuen her to flye from him into the Wilderneſſe, and now hee could not hauehave his will againſt her; hee after that, rageth exceedingly againſt the ſeede of the woman, to wit, the Catholique Church of the Gentiles, for the Church of the Gentiles being begotten by the preaching and doctrine of the Apoſtles, are called their ſeed. And hereupon it is ſaid, that he is faine to be bound, after that he beganne thus to rage, which was about ſixe and thirty yeares after Chriſt, being the time that Ieruſalem was ouerthrowne, about that time was the Diuell taken, for hauing purſued the Church of the Iewes, and hauing ſet himſelfe fiercely againſt the Church of the Gentiles, God euen then ſeazes vponupon him by an elect Angell; for the good Angels of light are not onelyonly ſo ſtrong as he by creation, but alſo by the power of God, commanding them to doe it, they are made able to deale with the Diuell, to chaine him, and to doe with him whatſoeuer it pleaſeth the Lord to enioyne them.
It is then ſaid, that this good Angell commeth and bindeth him with a great chaine; to wit, not with a materiall Chaine; for the Diuell, being a ſpirit, cannot be bound with any ſuch Chaine, but ſpeaking to our capacitie, hee noteth by the Chaine, that the Diuell was tied ſtrongly & ſafely. And hee is caſt into the bottomleſſe pit; namely, Hell, where the Diuell and his Angels ſhall be throwne for euermore. And he ſealed the doore; that is, he made him ſure, as wee ſee in the Scripture, the cuſtome of thoſe times, that when they would keepe any in faſt hold, they would ſet a Seale on the doore, that ſo it might be ſeene whether any came to the parties cloſed vp: as namely, when Chriſt was buried, the Tombe wherein hee lay was ſealed vp: noting, that he was ſo ſurely ſealed, and ſo faſt tied vp, as that no ſtrength, power, or pollicie of his whatſoeuer, was able to looſe or deliuer him. The ſpace hee was ſhut vp in hell, was a thouſand yeares. The reaſon of his ſhutting vp is, that he ſhould not deuoure the Church of the Gentiles, nor hauehave his will in hurting the nations, which were called to the knowledge of the truth, at that time in the beginning of the Church: for ſeeing hee began ſo fiercely to ſtorme and rage, hee would hauehave deuoured and conſumed the Church, if hee had not beene reſtrained. So that we ſee in this reſtraint of his, howſoeuer he had ſtill power to doe hurt, and to deceiue, yet he could not doe it in his owne perſon, and therefore not ſo dangerouſly, nor ſo vehemently, as otherwiſe he would, neither yet ſo craftily, effectually, & mightily as hee did before; and yet notwithſtanding hee did it as maliciouſly as then hee could, but this was onelyonly by his deputie the Beaſt. After, it is ſaid, that when thoſe thouſand yeares are ended, hee muſt be looſed; which howſoeuer it was a heauie prophecie, and a great threat of God, and grieuous to the Church, that the Diuell ſhould be looſed, yet it is ſomewhat leſſened, in that it is ſaid, it ſhould be but for a little ſeaſon.
An effect of this binding and ſhutting vp of Sathan, is ſet downe, namely, in that there were Thrones, that is (as he expoundeth it afterward) that life, and that glory which the Children of God had, namely, to liue and raigne with Chriſt, which is not meant of the life to come, but onelyonly vnderſtood of that life of God which conſiſteth in godlineſſe, righteouſneſſe, and true holineſſe; of thoſe honours, and that credit which the Children of God ſhould hauehave: who are deſcribed what they are, namely, thoſe that ſhould ſuffer for the Goſpell, for the witneſſe of Ieſus, which had not worſhipped the Beaſt, neither receiued the marke of the Beaſt; to wit, profeſſed ſeruice to the Beaſt, either publiquely or priuately, and theſe are they that liued the life of God. Where wee ſee that God prouided for his Church in the beginning, leſt it ſhould be ouercharged and ouerthrowne at the firſt: and therefore howſoeuer they, euen then, by the malice of the Diuels ſubſtitutes, ſuſtained great troubles and afflictions, yet God moderates them ſo, as they might notwithſtanding be able to ſtand, ſuffering them to hauehave no greater troubles, then he vouchſafeth them ſtrength, and giues them meanes of ſtanding, to wit, by withdrawing the power and force of Sathan from purſuing them: for according to their ſtrength, ſo God ſends triall to his Children.
The reſt which were dead in thoſe thouſand yeares, hauing not the firſt reſurrection, are ſaid to hauehave fallen, though they were not in ſo dangerous dayes, as afterward enſued when the Diuell was looſed: And theſe are ſaid, that they ſhall not liue, to wit, vntounto Chriſt, to become Chriſts, during the thouſand yeares, vntill the thouſand yeares were ended, that is, neuer: for if they were not Chriſts, liuing holily and vprightly before Chriſt, in Sathans binding and impriſonment, which were milder and more eaſie times; much leſſe would they be his afterwards, to walke faithfully and purely in more dangerous times of perſecution and trouble. And this is ſaid to be the firſt reſurrection; namely, when men are renewed by the ſpirit of God, and ſo walke in newneſſe and holineſſe of life, and in a faithfull and conſtant profeſſion of the truth of God. And thoſe are bleſſed that hauehave part in the firſt reſurrection, for they ſhall be made partakers of the ſecond reſurrection, and the ſecond death ſhall hauehave nothing to doe with them, but they ſhall be Prieſts of God, and of Chriſt, to offer ſacrifice of praiſe and thankeſgiuing vntounto him: And theſe ſhall raigne with him a thouſand yeares, that is, for euermore; for thoſe that once taſt of the fauour of God, ſo that they are ſeaſoned with it, ſhall neuer leeſe it: according as our Sauiour Chriſt in the Goſpell of Saint Iohn ſaith, He that drinkes of the water of life, ſhall neuer thirſt againe.
After, it is ſpoken of the Diuels looſing, for hee ſhould not alwayes be ſhut vp in the place of condemnation, but being looſed, is ſuffered to range againe, to doe what hurt hee could; which notwithſtanding God doth in great wiſedome and care ouer his Church, ſo as howſoeuer he ſendeth more afflictions to them by Sathans libertie, then before, yet hee will giuegive them greater ſtrength then before: for as in the thouſand yeares before, God hauing giuen his ſeruants leſſe ſtore of ſtrength, he mittigateth alſo the meanes of their tribulations, by binding the Diuell, the chiefe worker of miſchiefe againſt them. So now Sathan being let looſe, and their troubles thereby augmented, he alſo increaſeth grace and ſtrength in them to vndergoe them.
The effects of Sathans looſing follow; as namely, that he went about eueryevery corner of the earth, to deceiue, and to doe miſchiefe; according as Saint Peter ſaith, that Sathan goeth about like a roaring enemy, ſeeking whom he may deuoure. And he called together, Gog and Magog, and infinite numbers, as many as the ſands of the Sea, which filled the face of the earth, to battell againſt the Church of God. Here by Gog and Magog, he alludeth onelyonly to a place in Ezechiel, not interpretingEzech. 38 it; Gog was a Country in Aſia the leſſe, whoſe firſt King was called Gog, whereupon the Country tooke that name; in heathen writers hee is called Giges, not differing from the letters in Hebrew. Magog was a name giuen to the Syrians: both theſe were neere vntounto the Iewes, whoſe enmitie (as Daniel recordeth) was moſt vehement againſt the people of God: wherupon the Iewes called their moſt bitter & ſpightfull enemies, by the names of Gog, and Magog. So that here is not meant (as ſome doe imagine) any particular Country of Germany, England, &c. ſaying, that as the Goſpell came out of the Eaſt into the Weſt, ſo it ſhall returne out of the Weſt into the Eaſt, and then (ſay they) theſe Weſt Countries falling from the truth, ſhall ſet themſelues againſt the Church, which thing can hauehave no allowance at all from hence: But here onelyonly is meant, thoſe moſt bitter enemies of the Church, which being ſtirred vp by Sathan, ſhall come with all might and malice that can be, and ſhall fight againſt the Church, compaſſing about it to deſtroy it.
But it is ſaid, the Church ſhall hauehave victory, and that by Chriſt, for fire, that is, the wrath of God, ſhall come downe from heauen and conſume them.
After, he ſaith, that the Diuell is taken, for hauing ſpoken before of the Whore, of the Beaſt, and of the falſe Prophet; he now ſheweth what ſhall be done to the Diuell, who was laſt to be deſtroyed; and it is ſaid, that he was caſt into a lake of fire and brimſtone, there to be tormented with the Beaſt, and the falſe Prophet for euermore.
The ſecond part of the Chapter, is of the deſcription of the laſt iudgement: where firſt it is ſaid, there was a white Throne; which of what matter it ſhall be, no man knoweth, yet ſeeing Chriſt is man as well as God, he ſhall hauehave no doubt, a royall and reall place, wherein he ſhall ſit moſt euidently.
His glory is further expreſſed, in that the heauens and the earth ſhall flye away from before his face, and ſhall paſſe away, and ſhall burne with fire.2 Pet. 3.
Then ſhall the dead be raiſed vp, and all, both great and ſmall, ſhall be ſummoned before God.
The Bookes were opened; that is, the Bookes of eueryevery mans conſcience ſhall be laid open and diſcloſed; wherein is nothing but guiltineſſe of conſcience to condemne eueryevery one.
Notwithſtanding, there is another Booke open, which is the Booke of life; to wit, the Booke of Predeſtination, which eueryevery one ſhall be iudged by, as he is elect or reprobate: yet ſo, as that election and reprobation doe not take away workes, for it is ſaid, they ſhall be iuſtified or condemned according to their workes; for they that are elected to life, are alſo elected to ſanctification; the reprobate contrariwiſe.
The iuſt hauehave reward, not for their good workes ſake, but according to their good workes wrought; and that not before their calling, conuerſion, and regeneration, but which afterwards were done in faith, and this onelyonly for his owne merciemercy and promiſe ſake in Chriſt.
The wicked are condemned, according to their workes, and for their workes ſake, their name being not found in the Booke of life.
Laſtly, it is ſaid, that death & hell were caſt into the lake, that is, were ſwallowed vp in immortality, there being now no more danger of death & hell.