The City of God, Exposition of Revelation · Chapter 21 · Question 2 – Rule 2
The ſecond Queſtion.
WHether the natural Jew is not concerned in the latter day, Promiſes and Prophecies, and particularly in thoſe that relate to the pulling down Babylon, and building of Zion, as Maton, and Holmes, and others affirm.
Becauſe as they intimate the promiſes, ſeemed chiefly to be made in their names and for their ſakes, viz. to Iſrael, Judea, Jacob, Ephraim, Benjamin and their ſeed, and who by promiſe are to return to their own Land, under one Head, Shepherd, King, to enjoy their Liberty and Priviledge, their enemies being all ſubdued, and then the Nations are only to expect good and bleſſing in and from their happineſs to whom muſt be the firſt Dominion, Mica 4.8. and the Tents of Juda to be ſaved firſt, Zach. 12.7. and therefore all other hopes, expectations and attempts for deliverance ſhort of theirs to be vain, fruitleſs, and ineffectual.
Anſw. It is true, the Prophets do ſeem in expreſs terms ſo to carry it in many places, & which therefore giveth the natural Jew, yet at ſuch a diſtance and enmity to Chriſt, having the Vail before their faces, ſo much confidence to boaſt of their natural Priviledges, looking only at the bare Letter, and not at the Goſpel myſtery contained therein.
I ſhall therefore for your better information into this ſeaſonable enquiry do theſe two things.
Firſt, lay down ſome certain plain Rules and Principles to help us in the right reading and true underſtanding of the Prophets relating to the Jews, and thoſe good things promiſed in their names, &c.
Secondly, From them draw ſome ſound and ſafe, Concluſions and inferences, for the better clearing of this great Queſtion, and whereby it will appear (I doubt not) who are moſt concerned in the promiſes, the natural or ſpiritual Jew.
1. Rule.
THat no promiſe, propheſie, or precept of the Scriptures be interpreted contrary to the Analogy of Faith, and the plain Principles aſſerted in the New Teſtament, Rom. 12.6.
Goſpel Principles to be obſerved concerning the Jews.
1. Principle. THat Jeſus Chriſt by his death hath broken down the middle Wall of partition, and of twain hath made one new man, ſo that the believing Gentile hath the ſame priviledge with the believing Jew, being both built upon the ſame foundation of the Prophets and Apoſtles, Jeſus Chriſt being the chief Corner ſtone, Eph. 2.14. to the end: inſomuch that now under the Goſpel neither Greek nor Jew, Circumciſed, Barbarian, Scythian, Bond or Free, but Chriſt is all, and in all, Col. 3.11. and ſo he puts no difference betwixt any whoſe hearts are purified by Faith, Acts 15.9. Rom. 3.22. Rom. 10.12. The inward Chriſtian Jew being now the only true Jew, Rom. 2.28, 29. Rev. 2.9.3.9. Jer. 9.25, 26.
2. Principle, That the Jewiſh priviledges of being 1. of the fleſhly ſeed of Abraham. 2. Belonging to this or the other Tribe, 3. Relating to their holy City or Nation. 4. Concerned in their Prieſt-hood, Temple, Altar, Sacrifices were all Typical, and by the Goſpel eſteemed Carnal, and Fleſhly, and were all done away in Chriſt, Col. 2.17, as may more particularly appear by the following Scripture inſtances.
Firſt, As to the Natural ſeed of Abraham, Mat. 3.9. Say not within your ſelves we have Abraham to our Father but bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance and amendment of Life, Compared, Joh. 8.37, 38. and do the works of Abraham, otherwiſe you are of your Father the Devil, ver. 44. Abrahams true ſeed which are eſteemed the ſeed of promiſe, is the believer, whether Jew or Gentile; for if they are Chriſts they are Abrahams ſeed and heirs according to promiſe, Gal. 3.16.29.4.28. Therefore whether to introduce a natural ſeed of Abraham to any Goſpel Priviledge out of Chriſt doth not deny the authority of theſe Scriptures, and thwart the new Teſtament, is ſubmitted to conſideration.
Secondly, The diſtinction of Tribes was alſo Fleſhly and Typical, Phil. 3. If any other man thinketh he hath whereof he may truſt in the Fleſh, I more: Circumciſed the eighth day, of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews, which he eſteemed but dung and dogs meat for the excellency and Knowledge of Chriſt. And therefore the ſame Paul 2 Cor. 5. ſaith, That henceforth know we no man after the fleſh, yea though we have known Chriſt after the fleſh, yet henceforth know we him no more: The only Tribe now is the Tribe of Judah into which the Kingſhip, Prieſt-hood, is transferred, the believers being Kings and Prieſts, the true Jew that is only of that Tribe of Iudah, being the inward Spiritual heart Circumciſed Jew: therefore whether to hold forth any Principles or interpret any Scriptures to uphold a diſtinction of Tribes in this new body and Corporation under the Goſpel, whereby the natural fleſhly typical ſeed was diſtinguiſhed of old, is not to thwart Goſpel-principles, and no leſs than to deny Chriſt, to be come in the fleſh.
Thirdly, The City Ieruſalem which under the Law was called the holy City was typical, and ſo reputed Carnal under the Goſpel, and therefore as belonging to Hagar the Bond-woman, was to be done away, and is therefore put in oppoſition to Ieruſalem, which is above, viz. the new Ieruſalem, which is the mother of us all, Gal. 4.25, 26. Heb. 12.12. compared with Eſay 54. being an explanation to each other.
Therefore whether now for any to interpret any Scriptures in the Prophets ſpeaking of Jeruſalem a holy City to be meant a material City that is to be rebuilt, and to become a Metropolis again amongſt the Nations, and to be eſteemed a holy City is not certainly to advance again Mount Zina above Mount Zion, is not to ſet up Hagar above Sarah, to bring in the City of Bondage again to the defacing the free City the new Jeruſalem, which is above all, and the mother of us all, from whence alone the free Denizens the Believers, whether Jews or Gentiles are to fetch their freedoms and Liberties?
Fourthly, That Territory called the Nation of Iudea, whether the leſſer contained betwixt Iordan and the Weſt Sea, and from Dan to Berſheba, or the greater from Sea to Sea, viz. Mediterranean, Aegyptian and Perſian, and from the River, viz. Euphrates to the end of the Earth, taking in the Arabias, &c. that was called the Land of Promiſe; the Land of Reſt was typical and fleſhly, and belonged therefore to the old Covenant, and is done away and no more to be expected by the ſeed of Promiſe, the Iſraelites, the Believers, (though it is not denyed but that the natural Jew may according to the Letter become a Nation, and dwell even in that Territory again) becauſe they now enter into, and muſt yet enjoy another Reſt, Heb. 4.3. with that promiſed Land typt out, the Believer whether Jew or Gentile being eſteemed the only choſen Generation, Holy Nation, peculiar people in the world, that either are or ever ſhall be, 1 Pet. 2.9. therefore whether for any to aſſert any Doctrines to make the Verge or Bounds of any Countrey upon Earth to be now in the Goſpel days to be ſet apart for holy Ground, and entred and poſſeſſed in chief, and by way of difference and diſtinction by any of the ſeed, is not to keep up Moſes, and out Chriſt, and to tye up Chriſts Kingdom to a particular Region that is to be over the whole World unbounded, unlimited.
Fifthly, That Prieſt-hood under the Law to which belonged the Temple, Service, Altar, Sacrifices was typical and done away by Chriſt; for as the Apoſtle reaſons, that Prieſt-hood being done away and changed and brought into another Tribe, there remains of neceſſity a change of the Law, viz. of all the appurtenances thereto.
Therefore is the Believer the Royal Prieſt-hood under Chriſt the high Prieſt, 1 Pet. 2.5.9 Heb. 8.1. they are the Temple, Tabernacle, the Mount Zion, Eph. 2.19, 20, 21, 22. Heb. 3.6, &c.
Their Prayers, Praiſes, Alms, Bodies, Spirits are the Sacrifices that in this new Teſtament-miniſtration are to be only offered as the acceptable ſervices upon that Altar; whereof they have no right to eat, that ſerve at the Carnal Tabernacle, Heb. 13.11. Therefore whether to bring in any other Seed, Tribe, City, Nation, Prieſt-hood then what is eſtabliſhed by Chriſt in the new Teſtament, is not to bring in Moſes again, and to rebuild that partition Wall that Chriſt Jeſus by his death pulled down, is not to harden the poor Jews in their enmity and ſuperſtition, and to caſt a ſtumbling Block before the Gentile believer, to the bringing back again into bondage?
2. Rule.
THat the new Teſtament Church and miniſttion are by the Prophets frequently repſented under the names, terms, ſtate, and condition that the old Teſtament Church was known by, and found in; As Jews, Iſraelites, and the ſeed of Abraham, Jacob, Jeruſalem, mount Zion, &c.
Therefore doth our laſt new Teſtament Prophet, in holding forth the condition of the Church, ſo deliver himſelf in ſuch phraſes and terms, alluding in all to the old Teſtament Church, that we might the better underſtand and comprehend what the prophets under like terms and Phraſes hold out concerning it; as the Learned Mead, Bernard, and others have at large obſerved, and whereof you may read ſomething in the 8 and 9th foregoing pages in the beginning of this Book, and to which I refer you. And therefore do they moſt excellently unfold the fourth Chapter of Rev. by comparing it with …he 2 of Numbers the 7th Chapter; holding out …he new Teſtament Church, the ſealed ones un…er the Jewiſh Names, Tribes and Phraiſes.
Therefore whether for any to take theſe things … the Letter, when the miſtery is intended, to …ke them in the Figure, Type, Allegory, when the Antitype is meant, will not be to invert the ſence, and introduce great confuſion? meni legis eſt lex: not the bare words, but the meaning of the Law, is the Law.