The City of God, Exposition of Revelation · Chapter 21 · Outline
XXI. CHAP. Of the Revelation.
ANd I ſaw a new Heaven, and a new Earth: for the firſt Heaven and the firſt Earth were paſſed away, and there was no more Sea.
2 And I John ſaw the holy City, new Jeruſalem coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband.
3 And I heard a great Voice out of Heaven, ſaying, Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they ſhall be his people, and God himſelf ſhall be with them, and be their God.
4. And God ſhall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there ſhall be no more death, neither ſorrow nor crying, neither ſhall there be any more pain: for the former things are paſſed away.
5 And he that ſat upon the Throne ſaid, Behold, I make all things new. And he ſaid unto me, Write: for theſe words are true and faithfull.
6 And he ſaid unto me, Is it done: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, I will give unto him that is a thirſt, of the Fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh ſhall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he ſhall be my ſon.
8 But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and Whoremongers, and Sorcerers, and Idolaters, and all Lyars ſhall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone, which is the ſecond death.
9 And there came unto me one of the ſeven Angels which had the ſeven Viols full of the ſeven laſt plagues, and talked with me, ſaying, Come hither, I will ſhew thee the Bride, the Lambs wife.
10 And he carried me away in the ſpirit to a great and high Mountain, and ſhewed me that great City, the holy Jeruſalem, deſcending out of Heaven from God,
11 Having the glory of God; and her light was like unto a ſtone moſt precious, even like a jaſper ſtone, clear as Cryſtal;
12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve Angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Iſrael.
13 On the Eaſt three gates, on the North three gates, on the South three gates, and on the Weſt three gates.
14 And the wall of the City had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve Apoſtles of the Lamb.
15 And he that talked with me, had a golden Reed to meaſure the City, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16 And the City lieth four ſquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he meaſured the City with the Reed, twelve thouſand furlongs: the length, and the breadth, and the height of it are equal.
17 And he meaſured the wall thereof, an hundred and fourty and four cubits, according to the meaſure of a man, that is, of the Angel.
18 And the building of the wall of it was of Jaſper, and the City was pure gold, like unto clear glaſs.
19 And the foundations of the wall of the City were garniſhed with all manner of precious ſtones. The firſt foundation was Jaſper, the ſecond Saphire, the third a Chalcedonie, the fourth an Emerald,
20 The fifth Sardonyx, the ſixth Sardius, the ſeventh Chryſolite, the eighth Beryl, the ninth a Topaz, the tenth a Chryſopraſus, the eleventh a Jacinct, the twelfth an Amethyſt.
21 And the twelve gates were twelve Pearls, every ſeveral gate was of one Pearl, and the ſtreet of the City was pure gold, as it were tranſparent glaſſe.
22 And I ſaw no Temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are the Temple of it.
23 And the City had no need of the Sun, neither of the Moon to ſhine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the Nations of them which are ſaved, ſhall walk in the light of it: and the Kings of the Earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it ſhall not be ſhut at all by day, for there ſhall be no night there.
26 And they ſhall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27 And there ſhall in no wiſe enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatſoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lambs Book of life.
CHAP. XXII. Verſ. 1.2, 3, 4, 5.
And he ſhewed mea pure River of water of life, clear as cryſtall, prodeeding out of the Throne of God, and of the Lamb.
2 In the midſt of the ſtreet of it, and of either ſide of the River, was there the Tree of Life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yeelded her fruit every MonethMonth; and the leaves of the Tree were for the healing of the Nations.
3. And there ſhall be no more curſe, but the Throne of God and of the Lamb ſhall be in it, and his ſervants, ſhall ſerve him.
4. And they ſhall ſee his face, and his name ſhall be in their foreheads.
5 And there ſhall be no night there, and they need no Candle, neither light of the Sun; for the Lord God giveth them light, and they ſhall Reign for ever and ever.
The City of God, or Kingdom of Chriſt in the thouſand Years Reign further aſſerted, from the 21th, and part of the 22th. of the Revelations.
THis portion of Scripture, viz. the 21. Chap. to the 6. verſe of the 22 doth very elegantly hold forth the happy and Glorious condition of the Church in the thouſand years upon her deliverance from her Enemies (by their juſt ruine and deſtruction) wherein the Angel gives John a larger and fuller diſcovery of that bleſſed ſtate▪ whereof he had given him ſome hints and glimpſes in the foregoing Chapter, ſo that what he called an enthroning, verſe 4. and a City ſtate, verſe 9. he here declares to be no leſs than a new World, a new Heaven and a new Earth; Babylons old World, her old Heavens and Earth, viz. Sun, Moon, Stars, Sea being burnt up and conſumed; and no other than the taking place of the New Jeruſalem that holy and beloved City, after the ruine and deſtruction of that filthy and bloody City, or the coming forth of the Spouſe the Lambs wife in all her beatiful array (prepared for her Husband) after the deſolation, ruine and deſtruction of that beaſtly filthy Strumpet, that gaudy painted Harlot.
For you will find it naturally linkt to the foregoing ſtory of the thouſand Years, and belonging to the State of Grace before the Judgement, and not becauſe it is put down after the Viſion of the Judgement, therefore it muſt ſo in order be reckoned, and then conſequently to belong to the State of Glory, as moſt Interpreters judge. For you will find nothing more frequent in this Book, then to give brief hints of things in one Chapter, and then to proſecute them more fully in the next, ſeveral occurrences of after dates intervening and coming betwixt: As for inſtance that paſſage in the eleventh Chapter, where he mentions firſt the ſlaughter of the witneſſes by the Beaſt, then of the Witneſſes, Reſurrection, enemies Deſtruction, and Chriſt's Kingdom, yet afterwards in the 13th. Chapter returns again to the Beaſt, and gives an account of his riſe and rage, which muſt not therefore be ſuppoſed to be a Beaſt riſing up; after Chriſt's Kingdom takes place, (becauſe it is mentioned after it) but a further and larger account of that Beaſt, that he had but briefly hinted at before in the eleventh Chapter.
And that we are not miſtaken herein, Let firſt the Prophet himſelf, from whom the Prophecy is fetcht, about theſe new Heavens, and new Earth, and new Jeruſalem, (which are both one) be the Judge. For you will find the time, when he foretells ſuch a ſtate to take place, is not to be in a ſtate of immortality and glory, but in this World ſhort of the Reſurrection and Judgement, becauſe he ſaith in the 21, 22, 23. Verſes of that 65. Iſa. It muſt be in a time, when Building, Planting, and Procreating will be proper, which cannot poſſibly be in the State of Glory and Immortality, as our Saviour himſelf hath over ruled, Luke 20.34, 35.
And Secondly, Let it be conſidered that this new Jeruſalem or beloved City was in the thouſand Years, otherwiſe why ſhould it be ſaid upon the expiring thereof in the 9th. Verſe of the 20th. that the Gog-Magog Army encompaſſed the Camp of the Saints, and the beloved City.
And Thirdly, Conſider that the Church is called here the Spouſe, the Lambs wife only prepared and made ready for her Husband, and not (following the Allegory) yet in that full enjoyment and fruition, which the ſtate of glory brings her to.
And Fourthly, It may be conſidered that in this ſtate, God is ſaid to Tabernacle and dwell with Men, which diſcovers it to be a ſtate of grace here, and not in that ſtate when they ſhall always be with God in the ſtate of glory. And that we are not alone herein, you have Mr. Forbs upon the 21. Rev. delivering himſelf thus, viz. All the diſpenſation of God towards this City, being committed to the Lamb, the Mediatour beſpeaks it to be accompliſhed in this World; becauſe in the World to come he gives up the Kingdom to God, that he may be all in all, 1 Cor. 15.28.
And further, That nothing is here ſo magnifickly ſpoke, which the Prophets before have not almoſt in the ſame terms, uttered of the ſtate of the Church here in Grace; we will eaſily perceive that no ſuch thing is here meant as whereto moſt part of interpreters have drawn it. But even by this amaſſing together of all the goodly promiſes in the Prophets, of the Churches graceful and peaceable ſtate to let us ſee, that all this time ſhall be the full performance, never any more to be diſturbed and ſo therein the Myſtery of God to be finiſhed, nothing now reſting to be either expected or wiſhed, but that the Lord Jeſus come quickly.
And the Aſſembly in their Annotations upon Rev. 21.1. viz. As the Church is altered, ſo muſt her dwelling; it may be ſpoken of a Glorious Church on Earih, and then the day of Judgment is ſet before it in the former Chap. That the downfall of the Enemies of Gods Church, might be ſet down altogether, and then the Churches felicity after the deſtruction of the Whore, Beaſt, Dragon, and all covert and open Enemies, which new ſtate will abide till Glory come. Bringing in of Eaſtern Kingdoms may well be called a new world.
And Mr Mede further very ſignificantly to this point upon his ſixth Synchronyſme in his Clavis Apoc. p. 24. gives the following four ſubſtantial Arguments to enforce the ſame, viz.
Firſt, The Marriage of the Lamb and that Imperial Kingdom of the Almighty Lord God, both begin after the deſtruction of Ba…ylon, where the ſeventh Trumpet beginneth; this appeareth out of the Hymn of the Elders and Beaſts; which in the former Synchroniſme we have commended out of the Nineteenth Chapter, verſe 6, 7. Hallelujah; for our Lord God Almighty Reigneth: Let us be glad and rejoyce, and give honour to him; for the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made her ſelf ready. Put the New Jeruſalem is that Bride of the Lamb, aborned and prepared for her Husband, Chapter 21. verſe 2. And I ſaw (ſaith he) the Holy City, new Jeruſalem coming down from the God out of Heaven, as a Bride adorned for her Husband, and verſe 9. Come, and I will ſhew thee the Bride, the Lambs wife, &c.
Secondly, Jeruſalem is the beloved City, but that beloved City forthwith, after he thouſand years are ended, is ſaid to be compaſſed about by thoſe Troops of Satan then let looſe, Chapter 20. verſe 9. And they compaſſed the Tents of the Saints, and the beloved City, therefore it muſt needs have been extant before, while Satan was yet bound.
Thirdly, The ſeventh Vial being poured out, wherewith the Beaſt is diſpatcht and aboliſhed, there came a loud voice from the Throne, ſaying foreign, It is done Chapter 16. verſe 17. So alſo he that ſate upon the Throne ſaith to John (beholding new Jeruſalem deſcending from Heaven) Chapter 21. verſe 5, 6. Behold I make all things new; foreign, It is done, I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End: therefore new Jeruſalem the Bride of the Lamb, begins at the laſt end of the Vials foreign, the Whore being already diſpatcht, and ſo it contemporizeth with the ſpace of time, which enſueth the deſtruction of the Beaſt.
…ourthly, One of the Angels of the Vials (Chapter 17.) doth ſhew unto John the Condemnation of the Whore, even while the Vials are in pouring out, and at leaſt by one of them to be executed. And the ſame Angel of Vials, Chap. 21. verſe 10. ſheweth to the ſame John the Bride of the Lamb, the great City, Holy Jeruſalem to become Glorious, even when the Vials are now ended, that is, the Beaſt and Babylon being deſtroyed.
In treating whereof we ſhall firſt give you a brief Analyſis, then a ſhort Explanation of the moſt material and difficult things in the Viſion.
The Analyſis or Parts of the Chapter.
In this deſcription of the glorious and happy ſtate of the Church, we have
Firſt, A more brief and general account, which is given partly by Viſion, partly by Voice, from the firſt to the ninth Verſe.
Secondly, We have a more particular and larger account, which is viſionally expreſſed from the ninth of the twenty firſt, to the ſixth Verſe of the twenty ſecond.