The Scheme and Division of the Whole Prophecy

The stage being set, c. iv. and the prologue acted, c. v. the prophecy itself in several scenes and visions, begins c. vi.: but before I can proceed with the first six seals of the same, (or in deed with any of the visions,) I must needs give the arguments and parts of the whole book; which will afford a more delectable prospect, than that view of the glory of all the kingdoms of this world that was once made in the twinkling of an eye, Luke iv. 5; for what can be more pleasant than to have even a general in sight into God’s design and project upon the world in which the church is seated, and into the church’s condition in the world since Christ’s ascension? Here it is as artificially, and in as many scenes, in this book presented, as ever was story in any poem. Now for a general insight into this prophecy, serving both as compass and chart in our sailing over this sea, that we may know still where we are; I premise these general propositions or assertions concerning the whole prophecy.

PROP. i. — The ensuing prophecy, running to the end of the Revelation, contains two distinct prophecies; to represent the giving of which to the church, and its execution by the Lamb-lion of Judah, the book in c. v. is introduced. Two things are distinctly to be considered as given with that book, the seals on its back side, and its contents. Now, 1st, As the look contains matter of pophecy, so do the very seals also, the visions of which take up c. vi. — ix. both are mysteries, and contain matter of prophecy; its very backside and cover are prophetical; and the seals not only designate its difficulties, (as in Isa. xxix. 11,1 2,) but serve to contain a matter of vision to be delivered. Therefore, 2dly, In revealing and delivering this prophecy, two difficulties are distinctly mentioned, in c. v. 2, The loosing of the seals, and, The opening of the book. Now if the seals imported only the difficulty of this book, the opening of the book would not have been made a new difficulty in delivering another prophecy. Hence, 3dly, In c. vi. when the Lamb opens the first seal, a vision is seen, and therein a prophecy is delivered; so in the second, &c. to the seventh, which produces seven angels with seven trumpets, six recounted c. viii. — x. and the seventh in the end of c. xi. Again, when these seals are taken off one after another, and their prophecies and visions seen and ended, an angel comes with a little book open, as containing a new prophecy for John, who was bid eat the seal-prophecy that was past, to be enabled for the new one, to “prophesy again before many peoples and nations and tongues and kings;” whence it is said that “the same voice he had heard before spake from heaven again,” (see c. x. 2,8 — 11:) Now he had heard it but twice before, and that at the giving of a new prophecy; once at the delivery of the epistles to the seven churches, (c. i. 10,) and then at this general prophecy, c. iv. 1: and now a-

2 P 2 again c. x. 8, as beginning another new and third prophecy. N.S. In that the seals themselves contain a prophecy, there is nothing in God’s book without a meaning; “not a tittle shall pass,” Matt. v. 18: the very cover of the book here is prophetical; inuch more does every word in it contain matter of instruction: let not a jot of the scriptures then escape us, but let us search them narrowly, though we understand not many a tittle of them; there is enough in what we understand to admire, and in the rest to adore: every syllable of the word of the great God hath its weight and value.

PROP ii. — Both the seal and book -prophecy run over the same whole course of times from ChrisCs ascension to his kingdom; containing in them several events and occurrences successively to the end of this book: viz. The s<?a/-prophecy, c. vi. — xii. acts over one story of all times to the end of time; and then, The 6ooA>prophecy from c. xii. (beginning at the same time again,) acts over another story of all the same times unto the end: so that the whole race of time is run over in both, but with several and distinct occurrences; even as the books of Kings and Chronicles contain the stories of the same course of time, from David to the captivity; but the former handles most of the affairs of the kings of Israel, and the latter of Judah. To demonstrate this apart, First: For the seal-prophecy, I lay these three things together, (whereof the two first were never denied by any,) 1st, In c. vi. the six seals begin, in the first of which Christ goes forth in preaching the gospel, so to lay the first foundation of his kingdom; which going-forth refers to those primitive times: and in the fifth seal is the first mention of the bloody persecution of the saints professing the gospel, in the same times; for they are told that when the rest of their brethren, by the succeeding persecutions, should be killed, they then should have vengeance on their enemies for their blood spilt; shewing c. vi. to contain those first persecutions: besides, the former chapters were but a prologue or preparation to the prophecy, here beginning at least with John’s time, c. i. 1. 2dlv, These seals and trumpets, in successive order, contain continued prophecy of events following one another in a succession of ages downward; for, “In the days of the voice of the seventh trumpet, when it shall begin to sound,” (c. x.) imports, That these several trumpets, as scenes in a comedy, share among them the several successive ages and times; and with the seals, do have their days proper peculiary given to them: and the ages precede or succeed, as these are placed,j€r*£, second, &c. for the first age, &c. 3dly, The seventh trumpet, (c. xi-) ending all time, becomes a period to one distinct prophecy of all time; which appears from c. x. 6, 7, after the seals were passed over, and seen with their effects, and the six trumpets had sounded in c. viii. and ix. the angel swears “that time shall be no longer; but in the clays of the seventh trumpet,” all shall be

HEV.] SECOND PROPOSITION. 565

finished: therefore c. xi. 15, 18, (where the seven tli trumpet is introduced, sounding in the order of its day and turn,) must needs be esteemed the end of that prophecy; for it brings us to the end of all times allotted to this world and God’s enemies therein to rule and reign: when this world’s hour-glass is run out, that of the other world is turned up to run: so that from the first seal to the seventh trumpet, is run over all the time that the monarchies and kingdoms of this world, as in the enemies’ hands, should continue and last; being the “time” which towards the end, under the sixth trumpet, “should be no longer,” according to the oath; “He sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, earth, and seas, and all in them, that there should be time no longer ‘, but in the days of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets:” which words import, That much of the whole time having thus been past and run out already in the former visions of the seals and trumpets, now the time allotted by God was brought well nigh its very last sands: And that the church might have some warning, and be able to make some guess, and computation, when the world’s monarchy should end, and the Gentiles’ time be fulfilled, and no longer be; this angel gives us in c. xi. towards the expiration of the whole time, the true computation of the continuance of the last of the four monarchies, as serving to compute the period of the whole unto the beginning of Christ’s visible kingdom, even the days of the beast, or Pope, who is the last part with his ten kingdoms of Europe, treading down the church, or the holy city: which beast, and his kingdoms supporting him as their head, (whose time from his first beginning, even to the near approach of that seventh trumpet, commencing to sound about his very end, is forty-two months, or twelve hundred and sixty days, i. e. years,) shall end, and with him all rule and dominion on earth; and Christ shall take the kingdom when he shall have destroyed Antichrist through the “brightness of his coming,” (2 Thes. ii. 8,) which will grow brighter as his coming is nearer. This angel gives also to the church a signal of occurences immediately fore-running the period of this time of the beast’sruin,by representing (c. xi.) what shall be her face before the downfall of that kingdom, and her last persecution by the beast, fore-going her ruin; that so she might both have warning, (not thinking it strange for the fiery trial at last to come upon them,) and also be comforted in its being the last trial, introducing the end of time and the world’s kingdom. Secondly, For the book-prophecy there is a new prophecy, running over the whole race of time unto Christ’s kingdom, from the beginning to the end of the world’s monarchies from c. xii. to the end of the book; with other occurrences than the seal-prophecy of the same period, ending c. xi.: First, c. xii. begins a new prophecy, for the other made an end of ah time; and the vision of the woman and the dragon in c. xii. must needs be of things fore-going the rise of the Antichrist-beast, (c. xiii.) and therefore concerns the primitive times. The dragon in c. xii. endeavouring to devour the woman, is cast down from heaven; after which his striving to drown her in a flood is prevented: and then John standing on the sand of the sea, spies this new beast arising, to whom the dragon gives his throne and power, (c. xiii.) all therefore in c. xii. must needs contain a story of events of primitive times before the rise of Antichrist. Secondly, From the first rise of this beast (c. xiii.) there is allowed him to continue twelve hundred and sixty years, at the expiration

of which the seventh trumpet begins, which had ended all time before c. xi. 15; and then c. xiv. contains the state of the church during the time of the beast, in her separation from him and opposition to him; and then c. xv. and xvi. contain seven vials to ruin this beast, whereof the last ends all time again, as the seventh trumpet had done; for 1st, The angel swears “That time shall be no more;” and the voice says, “It is done,” c. x. 6; xvi. 17. 2dly, It is said, (c. xv. 1,) that these vials contain the last plagues, in which the wrath of God is fulfilled; and therefore they must necessarily make an end of all Christ’s enemies, and of their rule and time. 3dly, The same things are said to be done in the pouring out of the seventh plague-vial, that are presented to be done at the sounding of the seventh, or last woe-trumpet: for in c. xi. 19, were “lightnings, voices, thunderings. earthquakes, and a great hail;” and in c. xvi. 18, were “voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake,” such as never were before on earth; and so great a hail that every stone weighed a talent. But if Christ’s kingdom, in c. xx. — xxii. ends all, what is the time of c. xvii. — xix.? These in general contain a larger explication or vision of some eminent things under some of the vials; and therefore c. xvii. begins thus, “One of the seven angels which had the seven vials, talked with me, and shewed me,” &c. as implying that what follows belonged to their times: more particularly, c. xvii. contains an interpretation of what was spoken of the beast, c. xiii. shewing who it is: and as the Holy Ghost interprets the visions in Daniel, so here: Thus the whore carried by the beast, “is that great city that reigneth over the kings of the earth,” (c. xvii. 18,) which is Rome: and the Spirit must needs interpret some things in this book, (leaving the church to search into the rest,) and this especially as giving light to all the rest; which therefore fitly comes in after all. Again, c. xviii. contains a more poetical description of the ruining of that city, the seat of this last monarchy, and therefore is but a copious explication of the fifth vial poured out on the seat of the beast, (c. xvi. 10,) together with the church’s triumphing song for the times sung at the whore’s funeral, and for the approaching marriage of the

REV.] THIRD PROPOSITION. 567

Lamb, c. xix. 1 — 10, whence to c. xx. is a more full description of that last war of the beast and all the kings of the earth, and their overthrow by Christ; being all one with the last vial and the preparation thereunto, as is evident from c. xvi. 13 — 21, compared with c. xix. 11 — 21; the Spirit towards the end of this prophecy giving a more full explanation of the two more eminent vials, and the times of them; after first briefly setting them together with the rest, in their order: as after compendiously setting together in c. xx. the reign of Christ during a thousand years, and the universal judgment that follows, he yet spends c. xxi. in a more copious and magnificent description of the state of the New Jerusalem, and that millenial period. But again, Whereunto is c. xi. 1 — 14, to be referred, which is placed, as it were, between both prophecies? All that discourse delivered by word of Christ’s mouth, between the seal and book-prophecy, belongs to both, as containing an exact chronology of that last period of the time of the world’s monarchies; whereby we may easily compute the whole time of both prophecies; and there is withal a signal given of such eminent occurrences befalling the church, as should be most proper and suitable signs of the dawning of Christ’s kingdom and ending of these prophecies; that as Jerusalem had signs of its impending destruction, so hath New Jerusalem of the approach of its reaiung. Now that these passages in c. xi. belong to both prophecies, appears; In that, The Holy Ghost speaks of matters contained and after wards mentioned in the book-prophecy, c. xiii. and xvi. as likewise of matters mentioned in the seal-prophecy; viz. of the ending of the sound of the sixth trumpet; which is declared in c. xi. 14, “The passing away of the second woe:” And also, The angel therein mentions how and when the expirations of the times of both prophecies meet in the sixth trumpet of the seal-prophecy, ending about the time of date of the beast in the book-prophecy: and thus to insert, as it were, a chronological table between both prophecies, serving them both, and knitting togethei the times of both in one period, in c. xi. is agreeable to the way of historians affixing a table of times to their history, when they run over much time and several matters.

PROP. in. — What is the matter or argument prophesied of in this whole book? and more particularly what are the differing subjects of the seal and of the book-prophecy. I shall unfold and clear this by several steps and degrees in these heads following: First, The subject of both prophecies are the fates and destinies of the kingdoms of the world, after the ascension until Christ takes the kingdom to himself: therefore at the end of the seal or trumpet-prophecy, there is an acclamation that the kingdoms of the world were become Christ’s, (c. xi. 15.) after being in other monarchs’ hands, (as shewn throughout the former part of the prophecy,) till “time shall be no longer” for the

568 THIRD PROPOSITION. [REV.

wordly kingdoms: therefore the book-prophecy also beginning c. xii. when first given c. x. 11, hath this prologue or preface, “Thou must prophesy again before (EPI, about] kings;” having prophesied about them previously in the seal-prophecy; and now again to do so, together with new occurrences relating to the church. Secondly, The whole prophecy concerns only such kingdoms or monarchies of the Gentiles, as had to do with the church; for, 1st, At the beginning of both prophecies the church is made the stage or scene upon which all is acted, and so the prophecies extend to no other kingdoms than where the church hath been: as in the fifth seal, (c. vi. 10,) we have blessed martyrs there calling for vengeance of their blood; and under the trumpets, (which are miseries upon kingdoms,) there are the sealed servants of God, scattered and mingled among those nations upon whom these trumpets blow: so in c. vii. Thus, The Indies, Tartary, China, &c. are not here mentioned; as in the Old Testament also, only those kingdoms are named with which the interests of the Jewish church were interwoven. 2dly, This book being written for the comfort of the church; and all the judgments therein proceeding from the throne of that temple, upon the prayers of the church; it contains therefore the fates of such kingdoms as the church should have to do with. Thirdly, The Roman monarchy or empire, with the territories under its jurisdiction both in the east and west sea, then in its height and nourish, (with which the church had most to do, and in the almost alone jurisdiction of which it had always been seated,) must needs be, in its several revolutions and changes, the main subject of this book, together with the state of the church under it. Now the circuit of this empire and its dominions, was extended nearly as far as the dominions under the Turk in the cast, and the ten European kingdoms in the west; all in John’s time under the emperor of Rome: and here God placed his church and gospel, and here is the seat of Christendom to this day; and it is therefore called the world, and the whole world, or all the world, (Matt. xxiv. 14; Luke ii. 1; Acts xi. 28,) for its greatness, and as set up for God to act his great works upon: and beyond this line the apostles’ preaching never stretched to any considerable purpose, see 2 Cor. x. 16; Rom. x. 18; Ps. xix. 4. The reasons why this empire, with the church in it, should be the main subject of this book, are; 1st, It is the seat and circuit of the church, and by the several successions of its power the church hath been mainly oppressed in all ages: and if judgments, set out tinder seals, trumpets, and vials, come on her enemies for her sake, they must eminently light upon this grand enemy: and so this prophecy must note out the judgment and wars that ruined the Roman empire for persecuting the saints who cry for vengeance; and the trumpets are the answers to their prayers, c. viii. 3. 2dly, The Roman empire, and its eastern and

REV.] FOURTH PROPOSITION. 5C9

western successions, was the fourth and only great monarchy left to oppress the earth, when Christ ascended; as the prophets of old spake each of the reigning monarchy and its successions; so Daniel spake of Greece, and of Rome as most terrible of all. 3dly, The scope of this book is the instalment of Christ into his kingdom, and his putting down all opposing powers in his way to it: Christ’s empire is to succeed the Roman, under which he therefore upholds his church till his kingdom comes and forms a fifth monarchy: the same is the scope of Dan. vii. 7 — 11, only here more largely and particularly set forth. 4thly, That such should be the subject of this prophecy suits also with the chief prophecies of the other apostles; which were reduced to three heads, and were ordinarily preached by them and more expressly written by John: As 1, The foretelling the ruin of the Roman empire, called “a taking out of the way him that lets,” 2 Thes. ii. 2 — 9, with c. vi. — ix. 2, The discovery of the Pope, the man of sin, and the last head of the fourth monarchy; and his ruin, c. xiii. — xix. 3, Christ’s coming and kingdom, c. xx. and xxi.

PROP. iv. — What is the difference of the subject of the seal and book-prophecy? for in the story of the several successions and revolutions in the Roman empire, we are to consider the state of the political body itself, and also of the church under it; whence some write the ecclesiastical history apart by itself, and others the story of the several revolutions of the Roman empire; as the Book of martyrs relates chiefly the church’s conflict with Anti-Christ, but Speed’s Chronicle gives several invasions, wars, conquests, and intestine broils of the kingdom. The difference of the subjects’ of these two prophecies appears in the several characters, and also in the very place and situation of the visions themselves. 1st, For the differing shews or faces of these representations: In the first prophecy are seven seals and four horses, (c. vi.;) and then the seven trumpets, (c. viii. and ix,) noting sealed judgments and devastations on the empire, by plagues, famines, and wars, (trumpets being the signal and symbols of war in all nations, and put for it in scripture:) But the chief actors in the book-prophecy are women, fit emblems of the churches; viz. a travailing woman, c. xii. a virgin, c. xvi. a whore, c. xvii. xviii. and a bride, c. xix. Thus artificial is the Holy Ghost in handling things of differing nature apart. 2ndly, The difference of the subjects of these two prophecies is shewn also from their differing situation and place. The seals were on the back-side, as containing state-matters without the church, (c. xxii. 15,) but the book itself contains things within, (1 Cor. v. 12;) and so the prophecy thereof is cast to be, as it were, without the book, even upon the seals thereof, touching the outward temporal state of the church; whereas the book-prophecy treats of spiritual things within the church: and this appears in the interpretation of all particulars throughout the books, as well as in the general division;

570 A SYNOPSIS [REV.

for John, like the best historians, puts things of a sort together: yet not so as that nothing at all of church-affairs is found in the seal-prophecy, or of the affairs of the empire in the book-prophecy: as the matters of Judah are intermingled in the book of Kings, and those of Israel in that of Chronicles. I have now therefore to present