A Plain Explanation of Revelation, Part 21
Apoc. Cap. 21. 1▪
And I ſaw a new heauen, and a new earth: for the firſt heauen, and the firſt earth were paſſed away, and there was no more Sea, &c.
VVEe hauehave heard heretofore of the ſtraits of the Church militant, being in warfare in this preſent world, ſubject to many troubles and perſecutions: yet being defended and protected by God, was not ouercome by any of them. Now followes the ſtate of the Church triumphant after this world.
And firſt, here Saint Iohn ſets forth the ſtate of all the world, then of the Church: Euen as Moſes in the Booke of Geneſis deſcribes firſt the beginning and creation of the whole world, and then ſets downe the condition and ſtate of the Church.
The ſtate of the world is declared in the firſt verſe, in that it is ſaid, there was a new heauen & a new earth; that is, the heauens being partly corrupted and darkened by ſinne, and hauing loſt ſomewhat of their glory they had before, ſhall not onelyonly hauehave that former, but a better glory then the firſt: ſo likewiſe ſhould the earth, and the ſea alſo; for in that it is ſaid, the Sea ſhall be no more, it is not to be vnderſtood, that it ſhould not afterwards be, but that it ſhould not then be the ſame that now it is; namely, raging, tempeſtuous, and diſturbed, as now wee ſee it to be; but it ſhould be ſtill and quiet, the waters and the fiſhes remaining ſtill, yet without roaring, ſwelling, and that diſtemperature which now it hath.
As for the Church, it is deſcribed generally in the firſt ſeauen Verſes; particularly in the reſt of the Chapter; as alſo in ſome of the next.
In generall, hee compares the Church to a braue Spouſe, prepared and trimmed for a King; Chriſt being her Huſband, ſignifying the glory and beautie of the Church of God: for as in the dayes of the ſolemnizing of marriage, Brides vſe to goe beyond their ordinary cuſtome and kinde of apparell, ſo the Church is now decked and beautified with full and perfect glory.
Secondly, it is compared to a City comming downe from heauen, that is, a beautifull City, hauing all her honour, glory, and good frame of building, not from her ſelfe, but from God: not as the Cities which are builded by men, but as one that is builded by God himſelfe: for as earthly Cities builded by men, receiue their title from them; ſo this City being built by God, hath her name alſo from God: Neither is here meant (in that it comes downe from heauen) that it ſhould be in earth, but onelyonly that it is altogether heauenly.
Afterward, the ſtate and bleſſedneſſe of it is ſet forth, in that God ſhall dwell in it continually, as the Scripture teſtifieth, that he ſhall more fully remaine and dwell with them then before: for as it is ſaid in the Scripture, that in this life hee will Dine and Sup with them, ſo now it is ſaid, he ſhall abide with them for euermore.
Then is ſet forth what they ſhall hauehave by the dwelling of God with them; namely, all happineſſe; firſt, in that they ſhall drinke of the Well of life; that is, ſhould receiue all pleaſure, and al comfortable, good, and deſirable things. Secondly, God ſhall wipe away all teares from their eyes; that is, all things naught, grieuous, corrupt, and painefull, ſhall be taken from them.
And albeit to fleſh and bloud this may ſeeme a ſtrange thing, and altogether impoſſible and incredible, in regard of theſe miſeries we now are in, and of our ſinfulneſſe and wretchedneſſe, yet to take away that infidelity of ours, it is ſaid, that God himſelfe ſpeaketh it, and bids Iohn write, that all things ſhall be new; for he will make all things new, howſoeuer now they be troubleſome and old.
And in that he biddeth Iohn, for the further comfort of the Church of God, to write, that all old things are done, and that new things are come, and in that he ſaith, that to him that thirſteth, he will giuegive of the water of life, and that he which ouercommeth, ſhall inherite all things; yet hee ſo ſaith it, that none ſhall hauehave it without holineſſe of life; for as for thoſe that were fearefull, vnbeleeuing, abhominable adulterers, idolaters, &c. they ſhould be caſt out of the Kingdome. And therefore hee teacheth, that none ſhould preſume of this merciemercy of God which liue wickedly and prophanely, but thoſe onelyonly ſhould inioy it, which ſhould liue holily and vprightly.
More particularly, hee deſcribeth the Church in the ninth Verſe, where firſt hauing noted it in generall (as before) that it ſhall be as a Spouſe, and as a Citie: he ſecondly in particular, purſues the City more at large.
And firſt he ſets downe the ſituation of this City (it being a notable commendation for a City to be well ſituated) and this City he ſaith, is ſituate vponupon an hill; that is, both in a faire and pleaſant, as alſo in a ſtrong place, according as Cities ſo ſituate vſe to be, noting hereby, the excellent ſituation of it, both in regard of the pleaſantneſſe, as alſo of the ſtrength of it.
Then hee deſcribes it firſt in the eſſentiall parts of it, and then by the properties and qualities, the priuiledges, and good things, belonging thereunto.
For the eſſentiall parts of them, hee mentions to be, the Wals, the Gates, the Streets, the foundations of the City, and of the Wall.
And of them he ſets forth the
matter.
forme.
The matter is ſaid to be gold, precious ſtones, &c. to wit, the moſt precious things that can be.
The forme, that they are moſt glittering, beautifull, ſhining, chriſtall-like, and laſtly in moſt excellent order.
In the matter of the Church, there are ſet downe the Children of God particularly, for as in generall the Church is ſet downe by a City, ſo by theſe particulars, are meant the Children of God particularly, they being called in the Scriptures, the ſtones of Gods houſe, and of Gods City. By theſe earthly things, (according to our weake capacity, by reaſon of our ignorance) hee ſets downe their excellencie, that by theſe things that are better knowne vntounto vsus, we may as by ſteares come to the view of the heauenly glory, and therefore by theſe matters which are moſt excellent on earth, hee ſetteth forth that heauenly beautie.
The forme of the City, is foure-ſquare; noting, a moſt excellent forme: To the meaſuring whereof, the Angell is ſaid to hauehave a golden Reede; where hee takes a ſimilitude from cunning Artificers, who to lay eueryevery part euen, hauehave their lines and ſquares, ſignifying, that here eueryevery thing is in perfect order.
In that the meaſure is ſaid to be the meaſure of a man, that is, of an Angell, it meaneth that it was the meaſure of this Angell that appeared to Iohn in likeneſſe of a man.
It had twelue Gates, and on the Gates the names of the twelue Tribes of the children of Iſraell written: By the twelue Tribes, are vnderſtood all the Children of God, which are the Iſrael of God, the ſeede of Abraham according to the ſpirit.
Their names written on the Gates, which are on eueryevery ſide of the City; doe note thus much, namely, that as a City hath Gates on eueryevery ſide, to the end, that people may hauehave recourſe vntounto it, from all coaſts round about, ſo the Church of God is ſaid to hauehave twelue Gates round about, with the names of the twelue Tribes of the Children of Iſraell in them, to ſignifie that all the Children of God ſhould come vntounto it, out of eueryevery part of the world.
Hauing ſpoken of the City, and of the particular parts thereof, he comes to ſpeake of the priuiledges, and firſt he ſaith, they hauehave no need of any Temple, for God ſhall be their Temple; that is, God ſhall be all in all in the Church, without meanes of the outward exerciſes of religion, as of the Sacraments, the Miniſtery of the word.
Secondly, there is no neede of the Sunne and of the Moone, becauſe the glory of God ſhall giuegive it light; in regard whereof, the Sunne ſhall hauehave no light, in regard of that light, nor any other light; for God being infinitely more light, ſhall inlighten them. Hereby ſignifying both by the Sunne and the Temple, that both ciuilly and eccleſiaſtically God ſhould be all in all, without any outward meanes of gouernement.
The glory and honour of the Nations ſhall be brought vntounto it; that is, they ſhall hauehave glory and ioy, in regard of the Nations comming thither, to wit, they ſhould not onelyonly hauehave ioy▪ in Gods preſence, which was principall, but alſo in regard of the preſence one of another, in that the people of God in all Nations ſhall come thither.
The Gates ſhall not be ſhut in the day, for night there is none: In that there is no night, hee meaneth that there is no alteration of ioy, but there is light altogether.
In that there is continuall day; hee noteth that there is all comfort for euermore, for the day is comfortable.
Againe, the Gates not ſhut; ſignifying, that there ſhould be no feare of danger now, nor terrour of enemies, but all peace, ſafety, and ſecurity.
Laſtly, it is ſaid, no vncleane thing ſhall be there; that is, holineſſe onelyonly, and thoſe things that are holy ſhall be there perpetually, becauſe thoſe onelyonly that are written in the Booke of life ſhould be there.