The Revelation Unrevealed Concerning the Thousand Year Reign, Section 9
§. 9 Now when Christ hath thus done, M. Archers opinion concerning Christ's withdrawing to heaven again, and the government deputed to the Saints; with their priviledges.and put his kingdome into forme, he will withdraw to Heaven again, and leave the Government to the dead Saints raised up: among whom the Apostles shall be chiefe; and they shal have the Government of those Saints, which are found alive: that is, they and all believers shall rule the world, in which the twelve tribes shall be chief; and they shall not onelyonly rule as Kings, but as Priests; that is, discipline their souls as wel as their bodies.
Now for that it might seem to be no small dammage for the souls of Saints dead to be fetcht from heaven to live againe upon earth, with men, in their bodies; he tels us that it is likely the souls of the departed Saints are not in the highest Heaven, but in a middle place better then this world, but inferiour to the highest Heaven, which Place is meant by Paradise in the new Testament; which Paradise, he conceives, to be below the third Heaven, and therefore surely to be in the Region, or Element of fire, where the Sun, and Starres are, or in the highest Region of ayre, which is called Heaven in Scripture.
These Saints souls fetcht from this Paradise, and joyned with their bodies raised from the dead (which is the first Resurrection) they rule Christs Kingdom, even all of them; though some of them in more eminent place then others.
The Persons that shall be governed, or the subjects of this Kingdome, shall be all that live upon earth, and the place they shall governe shall be the whole world; the Saints shall be ruled like the Israelites under Solomon, the wicked as slaves; Those ten of the twelve Tribes that are lost, shall be found out and made subjects of this Kingdome; The cities of the Tribes shall be built againe, especially Jerusalem which shall be the most eminent city then in the world. The Israelites shall be first raised to this glory, and at Jerusalem wil Christ begin to shew himself; and from the Israelites shall glory descend to the Gentiles.
The priviledges of this Kingdome shall be wonderful: First, all the subjects of it that are freemen shall be holy, and not seemingly Saints, but true Saints, not any sinners. Nothing that defileth, shall be then, no hypocrite; no person excommunicated, as proving bad; nor any of the children of these Saints shall prove naught, but all shall be elect, and prove Saints, and the seed of the blessed; for if any of their issue should prove hypocrites, or wicked persons, it would so affect them that they should not have everlasting joy; neither could sorrow, nor sighing fly away; now in these times there shall be no sorrow nor weeping: They shall be edified immediately from God in Christ; The Sacrament is but to last till the next comming of Christ, to set up his Kingdome: Christ wil hold them up in fulness of grace, though not in full perfection of grace till the last generall judgement, or their translation to Heaven.
There shall be a full and present answer to all their praiers, there being no sin to keepe good things from them.
There shall be a fulnesse of all temporall blessings, as peace, safety, riches, health, long life, or whatsoever can be had in this world.
They shall have exemption from all bodily troubles.
Every one shall live an hundred years; no infant, nor any other shal die sooner; there shall be no sicknesse, or grief to consume the strength; although a naturall death shall be, yet yet there shall be no violent or untimely death by any grief, sicknesse or trouble: Satan shall be wholly restrained from tempting them to sin; or others to trouble them.
Originall corruption shall be kept in, not to break forth into any grosse way. To which hee ads; they shall not be infected with Popery.