The City of God, Exposition of Revelation · Chapter 20 · Part 9
Of the rest of the Dead that lived not. But the reſt of the Dead lived not again till the thouſand years were finiſhed.
IN the underſtanding of this death of the wicked, interpreters as much differ, as they do about the living of the Saints. Some ſuppoſe a Corporeal death that is here intended; intimating that whilſt the Saints and Martyrs are raiſed, to live and Reign with Chriſt, the bodies of the wicked ſhall not be raiſed, but are to lye in their Graves, all the thouſand years.
And others ſuppoſe it a ſpiritual death, a death in ſin, an unconverted, unregenerated ſtate, that the wicked will be found in during all the thouſand years.
But it is humbly conceived there is the ſame good ground t'underſtand this as the former living of the Saints, viz. in a metaphorical ſenſe: As that living of the Saints is to be taken to be a civil life; ſo this death of the wicked is to be underſtood a civil death, being the direct Antitheſis to the former, and ſo indeed no other then a confirmation, and illuſtration of that happy ſtate of the Saints; for as when the Beaſt and Dragon and their worſhipers lived, viz. were found in the full exerciſe of power, Rule and Authority in the world, the Saints then civilly dyed, being not only put out of all capacity of that kind, but made lyable to all manner of natural deaths and diſtreſs for oppoſing their uſurpations, and refuſing their Idolatrous worſhip; ſo when the Saints come to take their turns to live in power and authority, then ſhall all the Beaſts and Dragons worſhipers and followers, take their turns in a ſtate of death too, not only thruſt from all Rule and Authority, but rendred lyable to give an account with their lives and liberties for all their cruelties and murders, during their tyrannous uſurpations: When they muſt have retaliation, and be filled in the Cup, they have filled to others, and be rewarded as they have rewarded the Saints, during their reign and rage. For how much ſhe hath glorified her ſelf and lived deliciouſly, ſo much torment and ſoorrw ſhe muſt have.
Object. But why called the reſt of the Dead that lived not again?
This alſo is a proper Character of the falſe Church, holding out their preſent poſture and condition, ſometimes termed Earth-dwellers, Beaſt-worſhipers and Wonderers, Babylon, Whore, a Glorious Queen, City of the Nations, and here according to their dethroned, ſlaughtered, impriſoned, captivated ſtate, The Dead that lived not.
But why the Reſt of the Dead, ſo read, as Pareus, after the manner of the Greek, the Genetive for the Nomnative, the reſt of the dead for the reſt being dead: ſo Rev. 9.20. reſt of the men, that is, other men. The word foreign being other, as Eph. 6.10. 1 Cor. 7:29. 1 Tim. 4.13, 20. The Saints that were dead, that would not worſhip formerly in the Dragons and Beaſts life and reign are now alive: But the other men that worſhiped Beaſt and Dragon, enter now a ſtate of Death and Judgment, who are judged to death all the thouſand years, no more to Rule or Reign either in Civils, Militaries, or Eccleſiaſticks (for, or under the Beaſt) during that time, then they permited the Saints to exerciſe any ſuch Soveraignty for, and in the behalf of Chriſt, during their day; for as one goes up, the other goes down. They are not to live again till the thouſand years be finiſhed, implying that when the Dragon is looſed, there will then be a Military power and juriſdiction at leaſt, that they may live to, again in oppoſition unto Chriſt and the Saints, in their encompaſſing the Camp of the Saints, and beloved City, which their ſaid raiſed ſtate makes good, and confirms the former interprepretation, that their death is miſtically and figuratively to be underſtood of a civil, and not litterally of a Corporeal death; for if the dead men muſt not live again till the thouſand years be expired, and then muſt be raiſed out of their Graves, and in that Reſurrection-ſtate appear in that Military poſture, is ſuch an abſurdity, that I preſume none will own: Wicked men being not raiſed to make oppoſition againſt Chriſt and his Saints, but to appear to judgment, being the Reſurrection (to them) of Damnation, as to the raiſed Saints of Life and Salvation.