The City of God, Exposition of Revelation · Chapter 20 · Part 2
Of the Dragons taking or apprehending.
ANd he laid hold, or took; A Metaphor borrowed from the ſeizing of a Priſoner at war and ſo improved here, It is ſaid in the former Chapter he was fought with and vanquiſhed; and in this Chapter laid hold off, or taken, implying a compleat conqueſt; for when a chief General after Battle is taken, the buſineſs is over.
Which holds out no leſs than the abſolute victory, that Chriſt and his followers have obtained in pleading his kingly right to the Governments of this world over the Beaſtly and Dragonical powers of this world, who have uſurpt and a long time poſſes'd the ſame, and having not only ſubdued, but abſolutely diſmiſſed, caſhier'd, and damned the Antichriſtian ſtate in both parts of it, both Civil and Eccleſiaſtical, even to that degree, that they ſhall never appear to do miſchief any more, no more than two wicked wretches, that are caſt alive into Hell fire, can ever expect to come forth to act villany any more in this world; ſo now alſo is the Heathen Pagan ſtate ſo vanquiſh'd and brought down, and as much out of a capacity to do any more miſchief for the ſeaſon intended, then a Baffled, Conquered enemy that is apprehended and taken priſoner.
And that ſuch a ſeaſon ſhall be, wherein Chriſt Jeſus, (who hath right to the worlds Government, not only by gift, purchaſe, covenant and inheritance) muſt yet plead and obtain the ſame by war and conqueſt alſo, appears in part from theſe following Seriptures.
Numb. 24.8. He ſhall eat up the Nations his Enemies: He ſhall break their bones and pierce them through with his arrows. 9. He couched, he lay down as a Lyon: Who ſhall raiſe him up?
Iſa. 41.2. Who raiſed up the righteous man from the Eaſt, called him to his foot, gave the Nations before him, and made him rule over Kings? He gave them as the duſt to his Sword, and driven Stubble to his Bow: Speaking of Abraham (Gen. 14.) in his ſubduing the four Kings, Types of the four Monarchies. Who hath wrought and done it, calling the Generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the firſt (viz. he that was with Abraham in the Type in the beginning at the firſt,) and with the laſt I am he▪ (will alſo in the concluſion be with the ſeed of Abraham in the ſame work in ſubduing and taking their Antitypes, the four Monarches eyes themſelves) Iſa. 42.13. The Lord ſhall go forth as a mighty man: He ſhall stir up jealouſie like a man of War: He ſhall cry, yea roar: He ſhall prevail againſt his Enemies. 14. I have a long time holden my peace, I have been ſtill and refrained my ſelf: Now will I cry like a Travelling Woman; I will deſtroy, and devour at once. 15. I will make waſt Mountains and Hills, and dry up all their Herbs: and I will make the Rivers Iſlands, and I will dry up the Pools, &c.
Haggai 2.22. And I will overthrow the Throne of Kingdoms, and will deſtroy the ſtrength of the Kingdoms of the Heathon: and I will overthrow the Chariots, and thoſe that ride in them: and their Horſes and their Riders ſhall come down, every one by the Sword of his Brother.
Rev. 17.14. Theſe ſhall make War with the Lamb, and the Lamb ſhall overcome them; for he is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings: and they that are with him are called choſen and faithfull.
Rev. 19.13, &c. And he was clothed in a Veſture dipt in blood, and his name is called the Word of God: And the Armies, which are in Heaven, followed him upon white Horſes, clothed in fine linnen, white and clean: And out of his Mouth goeth a Sharp Sword, that with it he ſhould ſmite the Nations: And he ſhall rule them with a rod of Iron: And he treadeth the Wine-preſs of the fierceneſs and wrath of Almighty God: And he hath on his Vesture and on his thigh written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
So alſo, Pſalms 2.8, 9, &c. Dan. 2.44, 45. Pſal. 45.3, 4, 5. Pſal. 66.3, &c, Pſal. 72. 9, 10. Iſa. 24.19, 20, 21, 22. Ezek. 21.26, 27. Rev. 14.19, 20. Iſa. 63.1, 2, 3, 4, 6. Which diſpenſation is no other than the pouring out the Vials, Chap. 16. The Earth-quake, Deſolation and Slaughter that attends the Reſurrection of the Witneſſes, Rev. 11. Typed out by Abrams Conqueſt of the four Kings, as before; the overturning of Pharaoh and his Hoſt; the ſubduing the thirty one Kings in Canaan by Joſhuah, in order to give reſt to the people in the promiſed land; the deſtruction of all Enemies by David in order to Solomons quiet, and peaceable Reign. And this work (as in the Types) is to be performed gradually. Firſt the Antichriſtian powers and Intereſt; afterwards the Heatheniſh and pagan Governments, in order to the ſubduing, and bringing the whole world under the Dominion, and Soveraignty of Jeſus Chriſt, who muſt have the Heathen for his Inheritance, and the uttermoſt parts of the earth for his poſſeſſion, and muſt rule from Sea to Sea, from the River to the end of the Earth.