The City of God, Exposition of Revelation · Chapter 20 · Part 11 – Part 17
Of being Prieſts of God and Chriſt. But they ſhall be Prieſts of God and Chriſt.
THis is another part of the Saints Priviledge this thouſand years, not only to Reign as Kings, but be Prieſts too, as Rev. 1.6. …ev 5.10. And haſt made us unto our God Kings and Prieſts, and we ſhall Reign on the Earth. Alluding hereby to that Dignity and Priviledge of the Prieſthood under the Law, who were ſaid to draw nigh to God in a more ſpecial and peculiar way in his worſhip, which was
Firſt, Patriarchal, (or the Prieſthood belonging to the firſt born:) Num. 63.12.41.45.8.16, 17.
Secondly, Moſaical or Levitical, Numb. 3.18.7.22. Exod. 28.1. 1 Chron. 6.49. Of whom
Firſt, High-Prieſt, 1 Chron. 6.14, 15.
Secondly, Chief Prieſts, Numb. 20.26.
Thirdly, Ordinary Prieſts of the ſame line. Lev. 6.29. Which were divided into four and twenty courſes; whoſe duty and priviledge is held forth in Deut. 33.10. Levit. 10.11. Numb. 16.9.
Thirdly, Judaical of the Tribe of Judah: of which Melchizedek the Type, Gen. 14.18. Hebr. 7.1. And Jeſus Chriſt the Antetype, our great High-Prieſt, Heb. 3.1.4.14. And under him the Spiritual Royal Prieſthood, Exod. 19 6. Rev 1.6. 2 Pet 2.5, 9.
Importing ſeparation and conſecration to God, and a nearneſs and conſtant communion with him, Numb. 16.9. Ordering in ſpecial the affairs of his Church being appointed and anointed thereto.
Now as in the Kingdom of Iſrael the Type of Chriſt's Kingdom, there was an anointed Prieſthood, a Miniſtry to manage the affairs of the Church: and an anointed Kingſhip or Magiſtracy to govern and manage the State: So
Hath Antichriſt in his …ſurpations in Imitation of them the Type, and as if they were this Kingdom of Chriſt the Antitype, pretended not onelyonly to the Kingſhip; but the Prieſthood to the Miniſtry as well as the Magiſtracy; to the Government of the Church as well as the ſtate: putting their Holy Oyl upon the one and the other as (moſt Holy and Sacred things) Dedicated to the ſervice of Chriſt in both.
Which nevertheleſs their glorious entitling themſelves to ſuch his peculiar ſervice; he is pleaſed, as to foretell this horrid blaſphemous uſurpation, ſo to renounce it with great deteſtation, calling their Magiſtracy an unclean, filthy, blaſphemous, bloody Beaſt, that comes not from him, but out of the bottomleſs Pit, and muſt go into Perdition: and the other, their Miniſtry or Prieſthood, a vile, filthy, Idolatrous Strumpet, that muſt for her lewd Whoredoms, Drunkenneſs, and Witchcrafts, have her fleſh torn off and burnt with fire. But his faithful Saints and Servants, that will neither bow the Knee to the one nor the other (as being Blaſphemous, Idolatrous Uſurpers, not only to the oppoſing, but outing Chriſts Miniſtry and Magiſtracy) ſhall be found in this his Kingdom (during this thouſand years) to adminiſter in both theſe bleſſed Ordinances, being received in Truth, Power and Purity to the advantage of his name and Glory, viz. as anointed Kings to manage the Affairs of State as Rulers, and Magiſtrates under Chriſt the King of Kings; and as anointed Prieſts, ſhall under Chriſt their High-Prieſt manage his pure Worſhip and Govern the Affairs of the Church, as his Elders, and Miniſters, which in happy conjunction makes up this Bleſſed and Glorious ſtate of Chriſts Rule in this his Kingdom.
Of the ſecond Death. On ſuch the ſecond death had no power.
THis is another Priviledge of the Saints in this happy Eſtate, that they ſhall not be lyable to the ſecond death.
By ſecond death in the Letter is to be underſtood Hell-fire, the place of the damned, as interpreted, Rev. 21.9.
But Miſtically and Metaphorically taken for utter ruine, deſtruction, and perdition. As for inſtance, it is ſaid in Rev. 19.20. that the Beaſt and Falſe-prophet were caſt alive into the lake of fire burning with Brimſtone, which muſt Metaphorically be underſtood; becauſe (as before explained Page 2▪ by Beaſt and Falſe-prophet) we are not to underſtand two perſons, but ſtates, viz. the Magiſtracy, and Miniſtry of Antichriſt, who being vanquiſhed in the great Battle, are now as utterly extinguiſhed and put into perdition (never ony more to do miſchief) as if two perſons were caſt into Hell fire, which gives light to Dan. 7 11. Rev. 17.8. Rev. 18.8.
So alſo Rev. 20.10. It is ſaid the Devil or Dragon that deceived them, was caſt into the lake of Fire and Brimſtone, where the Beaſt and Falſe-prophet are, &c. which admits the ſame miſtical ſignification, viz. that now the Dragonical or Heatheniſh power (as explained to be Page 2.) that was only bound in times paſt for a ſeaſon, is after the Gog-Magog deſtruction, as utterly ruined, raiſed and deſtroyed, as the Beaſt and falſe prophet, the Antechriſtian ſtare before: Yea and as the Devil himſelf will be, when he is caſt into the lake at the laſt day, now never more to work miſchief in the world.
And again the Worſhippers of the Beaſt, whoſe names are not in the Lambs book (the Beaſt and Dragon being thus in utter perdition) are now to ſhare with the principals in utter ruine and deſtruction, Rev. 14.10, 11, 13.8.17.8. compared with the 20.15.
And laſtly it is ſaid, that Death and Hell (or the Grave) are caſt into the lake of Fire, which is the ſecon… Death, Rev. 20.14. viz. Now after the general Judgment, there is to be no more Death, Death is ſwallowed up in Victory; a full confirmation of the former.
Of the Dragons Releaſe. And when the Thouſand years are expired, Satan ſhall be looſed out of his Priſon.
UPon the expiration of the thouſand years, it ſeems Hell is to break looſe again; the Conquered and ſubdued Heathen Nations, and their Authority, that during that ſpace have by the Righteous Laws and Soveraign Authority of Chriſt been as ſo many impriſoned, fettered Captives, yea as ſo many civil dead men kept down and under ſubjection, whereby univerſal peace and quiet hath been managed and maintained all the world throughout, do now by Gods permiſſion and the Devils inſpiration and ſedition, again perk up for him; and in a rebellious manner ſtanding upon their feet again, do break off their ſubjection and Allegeance from Chriſts Rule and Authority; and by combination and confederacy make head againſt him; and engaging under their old Captain general the Devil, do rally from the four quarters of the Earth, an huge and numberleſs Hoſt like to the Sand of the Sea, which mighty gathering is called here by the ſpirit Gog and M…gog, with deſign by beſieging and compaſſing the Camp of the Saints and beloved City, to raze and deſtroy the Soveraign Power and Authority of Chriſt, that he hath ſo long managed by the hands of his Saints in this World upon the breadth of the Earth, even as the Syrian Hoſt, the Prophet in Dothan; The Aſſyrian, Jeruſalem, the Sodomites, Lot, 2 Kings 6.14, 15. 2 Kings 25.1.
Of Gog and Magog.
ANd ſhall go out to deceive the Nations, which are in the four quarters of the Earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to Battel.
This is the Name the Holy Spirit is pleaſed to give this great and laſt enemy of the Church upon the Earth, which for your better underſtanding take the pithy expoſition given by Mr. Mead. It is (ſaith he) to be obſerved, that the Revelation is a Book of the Future eſtate of the Chriſtian Church ſet forth by Reſemblances and Parables borrowed from the condition of affairs of the Jewiſh Church under the old Teſtament, in which the Worſhip of the true God flouriſhed alone, the reſt of the Nations ſerving Idols univerſally. Hence therefore that Egypt & Babylon in the Revelations are not the Babylon and Egypt of the Iſraelites, but the enemies of the Church of the Gentiles, like that Babylon and Egypt being Types and Figures of theſe. In like manner Gog and Magog in the Revelation, are not the Gog in Ezekiel of the Land of Magog the head of Meſheck and Tubal the enemy of Iſrael, Gen- 10.3. Ezek. 38.39. For this came out of the North parts, ours from the four corners of the Earth: This appeared at the beginning of Iſraels Reſtoration, ours after the 1000. years of the Kingdom of the Saints following the Reſtoration of Jeruſalem: This before Chriſts coming in the Fleſh, ours before his coming to Judgement; But another Gog the enemy of the Church of the Gentiles to come immediately before the Reſurrection of the Dead: and farther it is plain that this Gog and Magog bear not the room of a ſubject, but a convenient Title, by which thoſe Nations of the four Quarters might be declared, as if he would have ſaid, the Nations in the four Quarters Spiritually called Gog and Magog.
Of the Camp of the Saints and Beloved City.
THoſe terms of Camp and City are alluſions to Iſraels twofold ſtate under the Tabernacle and Temple diſpenſation.
Of the order of Iſraels Camp ſtate we read Numb. 2. Wherein the Tabernacle of God with the 24 Courſes of the Prieſts and Levites were placed in the midſt, all the Tribes under their four Standards pitching their Tents round about it: Which is alluded to Rev. 4. And may greatly help the explanation thereof.
Then the City State was under Solomon, after the erecting of the Temple, to which glorious and beautiful condition this alludes, Rev. 21.10 &c. Holds forth the excellency it being c…lled the great City, the Holy Jeruſalem, where it is deſcribed in all its …lory and Dimenſions, called here the Beloved City. In oppoſition to the City of the Nations, the great City, Babylon containing the …nti-Chriſtian, nay whole World in their Policies and Governments. So here the Extent of this City and Camp of the Saints is held forth to be no leſs then the whole Earth, as large in extent as the City of the Nations; Chriſt's Government extending all the World over from Sea to Sea. Pſ. 72.8. Iſa. 44.6.
Of the Fire from Heaven, that deſtroyeth Gog. And Fire came down from God out of Heaven, and devoured them.
THis deſtruction as typt out in the Gog Magog deſtruction, Ezek. 38. Is here alluded to, That as fire came down from Heaven to deſtroy them; So is it here, for now is the time that Chriſt ſhall come in flaming Fire taking vengeance of his enemies, deſtroying the Heavens alſo and the Earth and all its works by fire, and this in order to the next Scene to be acted, viz. The Reſurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judgement.
Of the General Judgement.
AFter the Saints Reign, the Gog Magog gathering and deſtruction; Now in order comes the Lord Jeſus in perſon in the Glory of the Father, the Saints Glory, and in the glory of all the Holy Angels with the ſound of the Trumpet and Voice of the Archangel; The Sea, Grave and Death giving up their Dead, that there may be a general Reſurrection of the Juſt and Unjuſt. And then the preparing of the Throne, the ſitting of the Judge; the opening of the Books, the producing of the Witneſſes in order to the general Judgement of great and ſmall, who are to be judged according to their works by Chriſt, who Judges the quick and dead at his appearing and Kingdom.