An Exposition of Revelation, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Act. 2. Viſion 3. Verſ, 1. And I ſaw another mighty Angel come down from heaven]
HEre in this Act are comforts for the godly under ſo long continued afflictions: as the fifth Seal contained the comforts of the Martyrs under the Altar, in reſpect of the evils of the foregoing ſeales; ſo this chapter belonging to the ſixth Trumpet doth containe conſolations againſt the evils of the foregoing Trumpets, which I have already mentioned in the preceding chapters.—
This mighty Angel is Chriſt, whom John ſaw in a Viſion deſcending from heaven, not by a local motion, but by the preſence of his Spirit and ſpecial help, to relieve the afflicted condition of his Church. Thus Chriſt has promiſed to be with his Church to the end.
Clothed with a cloud] This notes the majeſty of Chriſt, for God in old time oft appeared to the people in a cloud. So then Chriſt clothed with the cloud of our fleſh is not here meant, becauſe his birth is not here treated of, but his coming to aſſiſt by his ſpiritual preſence, nor his coming in clouds at the laſt day is not to be here conceived, but chap. 19. verſ. 11.—
And the Rainbow on his head] The Rainbow ſignifies mercy, becauſe God ſet it in the cloud as a ſigne he would not deſtroy the world by water any more, notwithſtanding the ſin of man. Chriſt comes to his poor afflicted Church as a Meſſenger of peace and mercy (who is our peace, and procured us mercy) a comfortable ſigne for an afflicted people, promiſing one day to his true ſervants eternal reſt and peace.
His face was as the Sun] Noting two things, Chriſts glorified condition and his being the Sun of righteouſneſſe, illuminating his Church, diſſipating the tempeſts of calamities, promiſing as it were by the clear beams of his countenance to diſpel adverſity from his people.
His feet as pillars of fire] Pillars note ſtrength to uphold, fire notes Chriſt refining his Church, for fire conſumes chaffe; alſo hereby is noted Chriſts conſuming his adverſaries and enemies; ſo Chriſt appears as upholder of his people, refiner of his Church, devourer of his adverſaries: Thus Chriſt the ſtrong Angel is above the Locuſts and like the Sun looks upon the rage of the four Angels looſed and the reſt of the adverſaries, ready to ſupport, refine, conſume.
Verſ. 2 And he had in his hand a little book open] This is the ſame book which was formerly ſealed with ſeven ſeales, which Chriſt opened and holds it ſo in his hand; 'twas leſſe now, then when the ſeven ſeales were one, for now many events were revealed to John out of it, and the ſeales taken off.
Queſt. Why doth Chriſt open the book and now keep it ſo?
Anſw. Becauſe Chriſt is the revealer of ſecrets, and of the will of his Father, and he keeps the holy Scripture open, ſo that the Locuſts nor their King (notwithſtanding the ſmoak of the bottomleſſe pit) can darken the truth of Jeſus totally; nor the armies of thè Barbarians could root up the faith of Chriſt.
Mark then, notwithſtanding all oppoſers of the truth the book is kept open; for Chriſt raiſed ſome alwayes to defend his truth; furthermore he keeps it open for his two Witneſſes in chap. 11. to purge by it the dregs of the Locuſts and their King.
And he ſet his right foot upon the ſea, &c.] Some by Chriſts right foot underſtand powerful miniſters, and by the left foot more weak ones; however Chriſt ſets his feet on ſea and land, that is, takes poſſeſſion of the world, as preſerving in all places ſome remnants of a Church to himſelfe, notwithſtanding the many perſecutions of tyrants, who endeavoured to root out the very name of Chriſt; mangre alſo the cunning endeavouring of that old ſerpent by many hereticks, and by the Biſhop of Rome's falling from heaven to earth, turning the doctrine of Chriſt into wormwood, and opening the bottomleſſe pit; this is a great conſolation to the Saints that none can put Chriſt out of poſſeſſion.
Verſ. 3. And he cryed with aloud voice as when a Lyon roareth] This lyon-like voice ſhews the efficacious ſpreading of the Goſpel, which ſhould and doth frighten the oppoſers, who the more they rage the louder the voice is, the more earneſtly the name of Chriſt was profeſſed, and this Chriſts loud voice did foretel, ſo that the enemies and oppoſers, though they did rage, yet they had a kind of ſecret feare in them.
Seven thunders uttered their voices] Theſe repreſent ſeven, that is, a perfect company of thundering miniſters or Boanergeſes of the truth: who ſhould (upon the books being open, and the voice of Chriſt, (as the Lyons roaring,) to wit, in the publiſhing the Goſpel, notwithſtanding all oppoſers) undauntedly preach Chriſt againſt tyrants, hereticks, and Antichriſt, to make them unexcuſable.
Verſ. 4. I heard a voice from heaven, ſaying unto me, &c.] This voice did not abſolutely forbid the writing of what the ſeven thunders uttered, but in reſpect of the event, God foreſeeing that the oppoſers would not hear but deſpiſe their voice, cauſing the ſame to be ſealed, ſecret and hid to them through their own default. Note that ſome Copies read (After theſe things, write what the ſeven thunders uttered) However here you ſee how true that of Paul is, the Goſpel is hid to them that are loſt.
Verſ. 5. And the Angel which I ſaw ſtand—lift up his right hand to heaven] So they did in old time that did ſweare; God once ſwore by himſelfe, Chriſt here ſweares by God. —Chriſt forbade not ſwearing upon a juſt occaſion, an oath ſo is the end of ſtrife; idle oaths Chriſt forbade, as by ones hair, head, Ieruſalem—by which none ever ſwore before a Magiſtrate; raſh oathes then are forbid, not other.—Obſerve Chriſts ſword as Mediatour and God-man by his father, who in that reſpect is greater then he.
Now in Verſ. 6, 7. And ſweareth by him that liveth for ever and ever, &c.] follows what was ſworn, to wit that time ſhould be no longer: but the accompliſhment of the myſtery of God under the ſeventh Trumpet at the day of judgement, was at hand: but Chriſt is not to be underſtood, as if he had ſwore time ſhould be no more after that day, but ſhould be ſwallowed up in eternity; for what needed an oath to confirme ſo apparent a truth? Chriſts ſwearing was to comfort the godly under tyrants, and eſpecially Antichriſt, who had eſtabliſhed his kingdome; as it made the Saints feare much more miſery (for it ſeemed ſo firme that it ſhould not be demoliſhed) now Chriſt promiſes a time of Reformation tacitly; of which in chap. 11. alſo the ruine of Antichriſts Kingdome; and that no more time of ſuch miſery and ſadneſſe ſhould happen to the Church. So the oath here is for the confirmation of the promiſe, and for the Saints conſolation.
The myſtery of God ſhall be finiſhed, &c.] either of the Jews calling a little before the ſeventh Trumpet, (of whoſe calling the Prophets ſpeak, and Paul, Rom. 11.) or rather the myſtery of the reſurrection, (as Paul cals it, 1 Cor. 15. behold I ſhew you a myſtery) and deſtruction of the adverſaries, of which ſee Zach. 14 Mal. 3. penult and Mal. 4. thus the ſixt trumpet ſhall continue (fulfilling) till the laſt day; then the ſeventh by the Arch-angel ſhall ſound, 1. Theſſal. 4.16.
Verſ. 8. And the voice which I heard from heaven, &c.] to wit, that bade not to write the things uttered by the thunders, ver. 4 commands him, 1. To take the book out of the hand of Chriſt. 2. To eat it. True, ſeven thundring miniſters in the time of Antichriſt, and oppoſers preached undauntedly the truth of Chriſt, but without fruit; but now John muſt eat the book, by which is ſignified that the Goſpel is to be preached anew, (though not by John himſelfe) in the time of Antichriſt with ſucceſſe; this book then written within and without, chap 5.1. is the Goſpel as well as the Revelation; that without is the known word of God, or the Goſpel, which Chriſt held open, ver. 2. in all the time of the hereticks, tyrants, and the kingdome of the locuſts; that within, the Revelation. This eating the book is a Preparation to the act of the two witneſſes fighting with Antichriſt, (of which in ch. 11.) which in ſome ſort is acting in this age. Hence obſerve that the open book doth manifeſtly ſet forth the myſteries of God, not the canons or traditions of Papiſts.—
Verſ. 9. And eat it up, &c.] So John did (however in the viſion;) to eat it, is to read, preach, meditate, digeſt, —ſo all miniſters ſhould be devourers of books, underſtand them before they preach.—Chriſt bids Iohn eat the book, and then prophecy. We muſt not then preſumptuouſly relie upon the extraordinary revelation of the ſpirit without reading.
Verſ. 10. And I took the little book, &c.] 'Twas foretold Iohn, it ſhould be in his belly bitter, yet he readily takes the book. —So the bitterneſſe of the events ſhould not diſhearten us from preaching,—now the word in it ſelfe is moſt ſweet, comfortable, bringing peace; but in the event it brings by accident bitterneſſe, gripings, hating the world, fighting with ſinne, nay and perſecutions, baniſhments, martyrdomes. This bitterneſſe to follow in the third act of this viſion is foretold Iohn, that he might not be thereby troubled, being already an exile.
Verſ. 11. And he ſaid to me, thou muſt propheſie againe, &c.] The true pteaching of the Goſpel was deſtroyed by Antichriſt, but now to be renewed, purged from the dregs of Antichriſt. And the locuſts reformed, meant by Iohns propheſying again.
Thou muſt prophecie] hence I beleeve John was reſtored in time, and performed his office miniſtring to the Churches: but this proves not that Iohn is alive, and reſerved to preach towards the end of the world; for Iohns propheſying again did not ſo much concern himſelf, as other witneſſes to be raiſed up to reform religion, as he tels us in chap. 11. for ſince the ſeven thunders wrought little on the enemy, Chriſt raiſes up his two Witneſſes as defenders and maintainers of his truth.