The Revelation Unrevealed Concerning the Thousand Year Reign, Section 6
§. 6 And first concerning the time of this raigne; The divers constructions of the thousand years reigne of the Saints. Haymo in Apocalyps. lib. 7.A thousand (saith Haymo) is a perfect number, and therefore, by a thousand yeares, we understand the present life, and the future: Now the Saints raign by faith; and in the day of Judgement there raigne shall not be terminated, but receive a glorious augmentation. So he.
To the same purpose, saith Colladon; Colladon in Apoc. 20.the thousand years are the whole series of time here in this world, in which there shall be alwayes a Church of Christ; As the faithfull have lived, and raigned with Christ 1000 years, that is in the whole space of this life, so they shall raign with Christ 1000 yeares in the whole duration of the world to come. And if this seem too large; surely these men do not shoot further over, then Joannes Brocardus shooteth short; who contracteth the thousand years after the establishment of the Gospel into a thousand days, here on earth; as contrarily Jonas his forty dayes were stretched out into forty yeares.
Of those that hold not fit to divide the time betwixt the present and future life; some understand the 1000 years raign to be understood of the flourishing estate of the Church militant, during the time of Satans captivity; for all the faithfull (say they) do in a sort live and raigne with Christ here on earth, when they overcome the world by faith; so Mr. Dent; some againe take it of the whole time between the first comming of Christ, and the second; so Occolampadius in Daniele. Others, waving the present life, define it to be meant of that glorious Kingdome, which the souls of the Saints enjoy in heaven untill the day of Judgement; so Mariana; so Estius; and, Fulk to the same purpose, thus. These Martyrs being delivered from the calamities of this miserable life by the first death; and being taken up into heavenly joyes, they live and raign still, with Christ through the whole thousand years, so long as Satan shall remain in bonds; Not that after that thousand yeares they shall die, but to expresse how great a benefit it was to the Godly to be all that while in happinesse; Thus hee, without any supposition of a preceding Resurrection; Joannes Piscator, as going yet further (even halfe the Millenary way) so construes it, as that it is to be understood of the raised Martyrs and their ensuing glorification; This (saith he) is the singular happinesse of the Martyrs of Christ, who before these 1000 years endured persecution; even, their Resurrection, which shall be before the generall Refurrection; and their raign in heaven with Christ for a thousand yeares before the Resurrection of the rest.
Of those which take this 1000 yeares raigne to be in this life below, there is no small variety of construction; Flac. Illir. Gloss. in Apoc.Illiricus takes it to be an inversion of sense, the predicate being set before the subject, the relative before the antecedent; so as the order of the sense should be thus; I saw the soules of those that worshipped not the beast, &c. and that dyed for Christ to live and raign with him, and to set on their thrones, and judge the wicked; raigning with Christ spiritually, in suffering bodily; as those who by their Martyrdome for Christ, shall raigne and triumph (all the time of Satans repression) over him, and his wicked Instruments.
Aretius thus, They lived again, and raigned with Christ; that is, their cause was found just before him, and they were openly accounted and pronounced Saints.
The thousand years raign (saith Ribera) is not to be referred to those which worshipped not the beast, for he speakes not of them as dead; but is to be referred to the souls of those, which had been Martyred for the testimony of Jesus; that is, to those, who, when he wrote this, had suffered death for Christ. So he. But others take it for a later reckoning: Brightman. Apocal.This raigne of a 1000 years (saith Brightman) was to begin where the former period ended; that is in the year 1300; wherein the continuance of the truth is promised to be for 1000 yeares, after the restitution of it in these parts of Europe, whose is the first resurrection; we onelyonly have seen three whole hundreds of it past, since the first Resurrection; Thus he.
Not so, saith Mr. Cotton, Corton resurrection of Churches.but after the destruction of Antichrist the Saints shall enjoy that liberty a 1000 years together; not any one of them, but men of the same spirit shall raign with Christ, 1000 yeares in the government of the Church upon earth:
Raign with him; that is, execute not their own government but the government of Christ.
Nay; saith Alstede, Mede, and Archer, that sense fals too short; but the bodies of the Martyrs and Saints shal rise again in the beginning of those thousand yeares, before the universall and last resuirection; and shall raigne here with Christ upon earth; as being appointed Governours of the Church with Christ.
No, they shall not rise in their bodies (saith Mr. Cotton) but there shall rise men of the same spirit; who shall have the Judicature and Government of the Church together with these Angels or Messengers, and Ministers of God; those that were branded before for Hereticks, they shall be the onelyonly men to be fit to have Crownes on their heads, and Independent government committed to them. Thus he.
But I may not tire the Reader too much with the enumeration of these differences; some take this thousand yeares raigne to take beginning after the second resurrection, whom Mr. Brightman absolutely rejects.
Others in the other extream imagine themselves, now already raigning with Christ; their resurrection or change to be already passed; and themselves glorified and possessed of the new Jerusalem descended from heaven: who if they do find in themselves these high workings of the spirit, which they professe; and be so farre transported with these raptures, as to think themselves already in their new heaven. I should not be more apt to wonder at their extasies then to pitty their glory. Mede, Cōmentarium Apocalypti cap. part. 2.Mr. Mede makes the 1000 yeares raigne to be the day of a more visible, and apparent judgement; circumscribed with two conspicuous Resurrections, as two limited termes; It shall be (saith he) begun first with the particular, and timely judgement of Antichrist, and other enemies of the Church, then remaining alive, with the glorious appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, in flames of fire; and at length, after the Kingdom of a thousand yeares granted to his holy Spouse, the new Jerusalem here on earth, and others, that shal afterward be born, this great day now drawing to an end, shall be finished, (after the letting loose of Satan, and utter destruction of the Churches enemies) with the generall resurrection and judgement of all the dead; which being performed, the wicked shal be thrust down to hell to be tormented everlastingly, and the Saints translated into heaven to raigne eternally with Christ. So he.
Shortly, some hold this raigne of Christ with his Saints for the 1000 years shall be personall, and visible. So Mede, and Archer, Others that this while, Christ shall raigne visibly in Heaven, invisibly upon Earth; so Alstedius: Others leave it in medio whether personall or otherwise, Boroughs in Hose. Lect. 7.so Mr. Boroughs.
And lastly, whereas this Kingdome of the thousand years, relates to the Resurrection; some hold the first Resurrection spiritually to be understood of rising from sin by a spirituall regeneration. So Fulk, and Aretius. Others take it of a bodily resurrection of some elect persons, before the geneiall; as Alstede and Mede; Others take it of a Resurrection of Churches, when recovered from then Apostaticall, and dead estate in Idolatry; so Mr. Cotton: Cotton Resurrection of Churches.Others lastly, make the first resurrection to be the glorification of the souls of the elect; and the second at the generall day, the arising to their perfect blessednesse both in soules and bodies; so Gagnaeus: Some appropriate this first resurrection and raigne to Martyrs onelyonly; others enlarge it to all the Saints; Now, Lord, where are we? what Reader doth not find himselfe lost in this wildernesse of opinions? Or what living man can, in such diversities of probable judgements, say, this, not the other, is the sense of the holy ghost? It was a wise and true word of that Father, Melius est dubitare de occultis, quàm litigarede incert is: It is better to doubt of things hidden then to quarrell about things uncertain; And to the same purpose is that discreet and moderate counsell of Deodati; In all this prophesie (saith he) it is better and more sure to expect and stay for the explication of the event, then to give it without any certain ground; which seasonable advise if it had been accordingly followed by many of our zealous compatriots, had saved me the labour of this not over-pleasing discourse.