The City of God, Exposition of Revelation · Chapter 20 · Part 5 – Part 6
Of the Dragons Binding, Impriſoning, ſhutting up, ſealing. And bound him and caſt him into the botiomleſs pit, and Shut him up and ſet a Seal upon him, that he ſhould deceive the Nations no more.
THis Binding, Caſting into Priſon, ſhuting up and ſealing are all terms of ſecuring, as Dan. 6.16, 17. Mat. 27.64, 65, 66. And are Metaphorical expreſſions, taken from the Nature of reſtraining and ſafe keeping ſome notorious deſperate Villane, from doing of miſchief. As when ſome cruel, murderous deſperate wretch is taken, they uſe to fetter him with heavy Chains, caſt him into the Dungeon, lock the door faſt upon him, not only to preſerve the peace and quiet, but to ſee him forth-coming to the Law day.
Which here holds out not only an abſolute Conqueſt, and ſubduing of Enemies (as before) but as much quiet and peace to the Church of God by this their cloſe impriſonment and reſtraint, as the neighbourhood may expect ſafety and quiet, when the murderous Thiefs and Robbers are in Irons in the Dungeon, or as the Lamb may enjoy freedom and eaſe, while the Foxes, Wolves and Dogs are in Chains; As the good Dutcheſs ſaid to the bloody Gardiner, looking out of his priſon in Edward the ſixt his days, that it was well for the Lambs when the Foxes were in Chains. For ſuch a righteous Rule by the Laws and Government of Chriſt ſhall take place, that ſhall be as Chains, Bonds and Cords to all the wicked tyrants and oppreſſors, that they ſhall have no more liberty and power to domineer and exerciſe their wonted cruelty over the Saints, then as ſo many men in Fetters and Chains.
And that ſuch a ſtate of eaſe, peace, quiet and reſt is to be the portion of the Church after all their trouble, diſturbance and vexation, they have met with from the bloody tyrants and beaſtly oppreſſours by this eminent reſtraint, that is to be put upon them, appears from the following Scriptures,
Iſa. 10, 9, 10. They ſhall not hurt nor deſtroy in all my holy Mountain; for the Earth ſhall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the Seas. 10. And in that day there ſhall be a root of Jeſſe, which ſhall ſtand for an Enſign of the people, to it ſhall the Gentiles ſeek, and his REST ſhall be glorious.
Iſa. 32.17. And the work of Righteouſneſs ſhall be peace, and the effect of righteouſneſs, quietneſs, and aſſurance for ever. 18. And my people ſhall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in ſure dwellings and in quiet reſting places.
Iſa. 60.17, 18. I will alſo make thy Officers peace, and thy Exactors righteouſneſs: Violence ſhall be no more heard in thy Land, wasting and deſtruction within thy Borders; but thou ſhalt call thy Walls Salvation, and thy Gates praiſe. 21. Thy people ſhall be all righteous.
Iſa. 2.3, 4. Out of Zion ſhall go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jeruſalem. 2. And he ſhall judge among the Nations, and ſhall rebuke many people: and they ſhall beat their Swords into Plow ſhares, and their Spears into Pruninghooks: Nation ſhall not lift up Sword againſt Nation; neither ſhall they learn War any mere.
Iſa. 33.20. Look upon Zion the City of our Solemnities. Thine eyes ſhall ſee Jeruſalem a quiet habitation, a Tabernacle that ſhall not be taken down, not one of the Stakes thereof ſhall ever be removed, neither ſhall any of the Cords thereof be broken
Pſal. 7….3. The Mountains ſhall bring peace and the little hills by righteouſneſs. 4. He ſhall judge the poor of the people, he ſhall ſave the children of the needy, and ſhall break in pieces the oppreſſcur. 7. In his days ſhall the righteous flouriſh, and abundance of peace, ſo long as the M…on endureth. So Ezek. 34.12. to 16.27, 28. Jerem. 50 6.
Heb. 4.9. There remaineth therefore a Reſt (or keeping of a Sabbath) to the people of God.
This is to be the ſtate of the new Heavens, and the new Earth, wherein righteouſneſs ſhall dwell, when Jeruſalem ſhall be a rejoycing and her people a joy, in whom ſhall no more be heard the voice of weeping, nor crying, when the Elect ſhall long enjoy the work of their hands, &c. This is the new Jeruſalems ſtate, Iſa. 65.17, 18.66.22. Rev. 21.3. The beloved City now takes place in the ruine of the great City Babilon, Rev. 20.9. Now comes the Bride, the Lambs wife, after the deſtruction of the Mother of Harlots and Abominations. And the Palme bearing multitu…e now appears, Rev. 21.9, 10, 11.79.10, &c. Typed out by Canaan the Land of reſt and promiſe, by Solomons reign, a time of peace, all the Enemies being ſubdued and brought under.
Of the Bottomleſs pit, that the Angel caſts the Dragon into upon his binding.
ANd caſt him into the bottomleſs pit. The word here rendred bottomleſs pit, is from the Latin Abiſſus, taken from the Greek foreign from α and foreign to Cover; for the deep is covered with waters: ſometimes therefore tranſlated the deep, 2 Cor. 11.25. a night and a day in the deep. So the Hebrew foreign is uſed for depth of the Sea, Iſa. 51.10. Pſal. 42.7. Or for Chaos, Gen. 1.2. and ſo taken herein this Book. For the Beaſt, that is ſaid to come out of the Abyſs or bottomleſs pit (Rev. 11.7.17.8.) is ſaid to riſe up out of the Sea (…3.1.) compared with Dan, 7.1, 2 Sea is ſo called from the gathering together of Waters (Gen. 1.10.) and Waters in this book are interpreted to be multitudes of People, Nations and Tongues, Rev. 17.15. Metapharicolly alſo put for Hell, Luke 8.31. Rev. 9.2.
So that as the Dragon, Chap. 12. was caſt by Michael from Heaven, viz. from the Rule, Dignity and Soveraignty that he enjoyed in the Empire, into the Earth (as Mead well interprets Heaven here; for in no other ſenſe could the Dragon be in Heaven, or caſt out of Heaven, being neither capable of the material Heaven, nor the Spiritual Heaven the Church: therefore no other but the figurative or metaphorical Heaven, in which he reſided, and out of which upon Michaels cornbate and overthrow he is thus caſt out) ſo is he here not only depoſed and dethroned, but ſo kept down during the thouſand years reign, as if he was ſhut up a cloſe priſoner in a Dungeon or pit.
And in this ſence, Earth, Sea, Deep, bottemleſs pit are much of the ſame ſignification, the Earth being founded upon the Sea. In the 12 Chapt. upon the Dragons caſting upon the Earth, there is a Woe to the inhabitants of the Earth, and of the Sea. The firſt Beaſt Chapt. 13 riſes from the Sea, and the ſecond two horned Beaſt comes from the Earth, and they are the Earth dwellers, that ſuccour and ſupport him, wander after and worſhip him.
He was in the 12 Chapt. caſt into the Earth though no reſtraint upon him; for he makes reaks there, deceives the nations ſtill, and by his Vicegerent the Beaſt, to whom he gives power ſeat and authority, caſts flouds againſt the Church ſtill, and ingages afreſh to their diſturbance, as Revel. 16. But here being caſt into the Abyſs, he is bound; an abſolute reſtraint is upon him for this thouſand years.
For during the ſaid term, all Empire and Rule is taken from him, and he is not onelyonly caſt into the Lump and Maſs of the people, the Earth dwellers, from whom he came out, but ſuch a reſtraint laid upon him, during Chriſts Kingdom, that the Nations ſhall know no other Rule, or Soveraignty either in Civil, Military or Eccleſiaſtical; but Chriſts only; and to which the whole world muſt be ſubject, will they, nill they.
The myſtical Dragon is caſt into the Sea, Abyſs, great Waters, or into the Earth, or among the Earth-dwellers, that through the Devils influence he ſhould not deceive the Nations to Idolatry, and murderous ſlaughter and perſecution by his tyrannous Rule and Government. The Spiritual Dragon influencing, in the mean time put into his reſtraint all that time as if chained in Hell.