The Key of the Revelation, Part 2 · Section 6
The Myſterie of the woman inhabiting in the Wilderneſſe.
The childe bearing woman, the Dragon being vanquiſhed honceforth dwelleth in the Wilderneſſe, whereby the ſtate of the Church delivered from the heathen tyranny untill the ſeventh Trumpet and the ſecond coming of Chriſt is figured; not in the type of one lying hid and inviſible, but as it were in a certaine middle condition, like that of the Iſraelites wandering in the Deſart, from their departure out of Egypt, untill their entrance into Canaan: a ſtate indeed thereof, ſafe from the furie of that red Dragon, as of Pharaoh but not as yet come to that glory, as it were the poſſeſſion of Canaan, whereunto at length ſhe was to attaine, the reſt of the enemies being vanquiſhed. A ſtate indeed which outwardly ſhould be better then the ſervitude of that Ethnick tyranny, out of which as it were out of the bondage of Egypt, the Chriſtian people by the power of Chriſt eſcaped: conſidering that leave was given from thence forth by the favour of Chriſtian …mperours and Kings to worſhip Chriſt freely, like as was to the Iſraelites in the Wilderneſſe of ſerving Jehovah; the Temples alſo and Tabernacles for Chriſtian worſhip being ſtately built, the politie of the Church ſetled with Lawes, ſacred Revenues, Tythes and Offerings; but no leſſe unhappy by manifold Apoſtaſie, then Iſrael continuing in the Wilderneſſe by the Calfe, Baal Peor, Balaam, Korah, &c. Neither is that happily Chap. 12.to be neglected that the forty two moneths of this Chriſtian woman abiding in the Wilderneſſe, doe anſwer to ſo many Manſions of Iſrael in the Deſart. See Numb. 33. The reaſon and aptneſſe of the Type being thus unfolded, let us open the Text particularly and fit it to the thing in hand.
And when the Dragon ſaw that he was caſt unto the Earth, he perſecuted the woman which brought forth the man Verſ. 13.childe.
And to the woman were given two wings of a great Eagle, that ſhe might flie into the wilderneſſe from the face of the Serpent 14.into her place, where ſhe is nouriſhed for a time, and times, and halfe a time.
An… the Serpent caſt out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cauſe her to be carried away by the 15.flood.
Here is the firſt attempt of Satan caſt downe, not indeed as yet utterly caſt out, but ſtaying a little while below; that while her child ſhould get the upper hand he might if by any meanes he could oppreſſe the Woman betaking her ſelfe to the eſtate of one in the wilderneſſe, before ſhe could in perfect ſafety from his fury attaine thither. For ſhe came not preſently into the Wilderneſſe after ſhe began to get away, but by ſome ſpace of time interpoſed. Even as Iſrael alſo in his paſſage undertaken thither out of Egypt ſpent ſome time. Now the words here put are ſo to be conceived, that there may appeare to be ſome kinde of reference to that which formerly was ſpoken of the womans flight into the Wilderneſſe, with this or the like underſtanding: When the Dragon ſaw that he was caſt unto the Earth, he perſecuted the Woman which brought forth the man childe. For when as (as aforeſaid) after the birth of her childe, and his taking up into the Throne, it was granted to the woman that ſhe might depart (to wit, by giving her two wings of a great Eagle, as it were by a certaine …light) into the wilderneſſe where ſhe ſhould be nouriſhed for a time, times, and halfe a time: he caſt out of his mouth water as a flood after her, that he might cauſe her to be carried away by the flood. So alſo Pharaoh perſecuted the people of Iſrael marching from his dominion into the Wilderneſſe, but with another flood.
The great Eagle is the Romane Empire. His two wings two Caeſars of the Empire parted into two parts, the Weſt and Eaſt by Chap. 12.whoſe protection and conduct the Church departed into an Eremiticall eſtate. For it is knowne that the Romane Empire, ſo ſoone as it had received the Chriſtian faith, became parted into two parts, and fled as it were with two wings of Caeſars. The Eagle being the Enſigne of the Romane Empire maketh this interpretation obvious to every underſtanding. But what forbiddeth to confirme the ſignification alſo of the Propheticall Type out of the Apocriphall Writer? that is Eſdras the Prophet (for by this name Clemens Alexandrin… citeth him, Strom. lib. 3. a little before the end) in whom the type of the Eagle ſignifieth the fourth Kingdome, the twelve feathered wings, ſo many firſt Caeſars thereof. See Chap. 11. and 12. But tell me Reader whether thou wilt not ſay that here is reſpect had alſo to that of the Lord, concerning Iſraels departure out of Egypt, Exod. 19. 4. Ye have ſeene, ſaith he, what I did to the Egyptians, how I bare you on Eagles wings, and brought you unto my ſelfe, that is to ſay, into the Deſart?
But there is another thing in this verſe, which requireth manifeſtation: wherefore the time of the Womans abiding in the Wilderneſſe, which before was accounted by dayes, is here turned into yeers, or a time, times, and halfe a time? I certainly can finde out no other cauſe of this changing one for another, then that it ſhould be the Key of the like notation of time in Daniel, and ſhould admoniſh us, that the Church is now in the very ſame times, which he had defined, by the period of a time, times, and halfe a time. And ſurely without this ſigne that ſetting downe of time had beene moſt uncertaine, and intricate. For from whence or by what marke could it have beene knowne, that time, doth ſignifie a yeere? or that times doth not ſignifie more then two yeeres? But now out of this change it is evident that that ſpace is to be reſolved into one thouſand two hundreth and ſixty dayes, and therefore ſignifieth, Ayeere, two yeeres, and an halfe.
Theſe things being brought to light in this manner, let us diligently conſider at length, what that water may be, which like a …lood the Dragon caſt out of his mouth, to drowne the woman, while ſhe made haſt into the Wilderneſſe. The well-ſpring of the mouth is ſpeech and doctrine, according to that Prov. 18. 4. The words of a mans mouth are as deepe waters, the well-ſpring of wiſedome is a flowing brooke. Whence the word foreign which ſignifieth Chap. 12.foreign and to runne out like a fountaine, is applyed to Doctrine, as Pſal. 78. 2. I will open my mouth in parables, I will caſt out or utter darke ſayings from the foundation of the world: which is alleadged concerning the doctrine of our Saviour, Matth. 13. 35. So Prov. 1. 23. Wiſedome is ſaid to preach in the ſtreets: I will poure out my ſpirit unto you, I will make knowne my words unto you. What therefore ſhall that caſting out of the mouth of the Serpent the venemous Beaſt be, but peſtiferous doctrine, that is, …ereſie? according to that, Prov. 15. 28. The mouth of the wicked will powre out or iſſue forth evill things. The hiſtory of this time ſhe weth it, proceeding out of the mouth of the Dragon like a flood, I ſay, Arianiſme and the off-ſpring thereof. By this flood of his the Dragon had well neere cauſed the woman to be carried away; certainly he deſired it. And verily it was a wonder that the Romane Emperours, who then newly had given their names to Chriſt, and had not as yet fully ſettled Chriſtianity, had not caſt away the faith being offended and alienated, by ſuch horrible diſcord of opinions among Chriſtians (even but a little while taking breath after perſecution) in ſo chiefe a point, with ſuch mortall hatred of the parties, tumults, cruelty againſt their brethren, even equalling that of the heathen.
But the Earth helped the woman; for the Earth opened her mouth and ſwallowed the flood which the Dragon caſt out of Verſ. 16.his mouth.
That is, the multitude of Chriſtians in Councels prevayling in the Orthodox faith, dranke up the Diabolicall inundation: even as the Earth is wont to doe the water, when it is exceeding dry. For if the water (but venemous and contagious ſuch as proceedeth out of the mouth of the Serpent) doth repreſent hereſie; the reaſon of the analogie did altogether require, that that which ſhould drinke it up and aboliſh it, ſhould be figured by the Earth, as which by its drineſſe is wont to drinke up the inundations of waters. Which truly in this matter falleth out ſo much the more apt to ſignifie the thing in hand, becauſe even other where in an hyſtoricall and ſimple ſpeech, the earth in many places is wont to be put for the inhabitants of the Earth. See Gen. 41. 57. 1 Sam. 14. 25. Deut. 9. 28. and in many places beſide.