Of the millennium, or personal
reign of christ with the saints on the new earth a thousand years
John Gill
I have treated already of the kingly
office of Christ, as executed by him in various dispensations,
particularly under the gospel dispensation, see 4topics on 983 and have
observed, there are two branches of it yet to come; one called the
"spiritual", the other the "personal reign"; the former has
been considered, and this is a proper place to treat of the latter; which I
shall do by showing,
1. That
Christ will have a special, peculiar, glorious, and visible kingdom, in which
he will reign personally on earth.
1a. I call it a special,
peculiar kingdom, different from other kingdoms of Christ; from the kingdom of
nature and providence, which lies in the government of this world;
which he, as God, has an equal right to with his Father; but when this kingdom
will take place, this present world will be at an end: and from his spiritual
kingdom, which belongs to him as Mediator; which rule he has exercised in the
hearts of his people from the beginning of the world; and which has been, under
the gospel dispensation, more large and manifest; and will be more so in the
latter day, when his spiritual reign will take place; but
this is different from that.
1b. It will be very glorious
and visible; Christ's kingdom, in the spiritual reign, will be very glorious,
when all the glorious things spoken of it, will be fulfilled; and it will be
very visible, when exalted above all the mountains and hills, the kingdoms of this world: but this will be more so, since Christ will be in
it; not only by his Spirit, and the effusions of his grace, but he will
personally appear in all his glory, and reign gloriously before his ancients;
hence his "appearing" and "kingdom", are put together, as
contemporary, #2Ti 4:1 he in person will appear, and his tabernacle be with men
on earth.
1c. This kingdom will be after
all the enemies of Christ, and of his people, are removed out of the way. In
his spiritual reign antichrist will be destroyed, "with the Spirit",
or breath of Christ, his gospel; and with "the brightness of his
coming", that clear light which will attend his coming, by the effusion of
his Spirit {1}; which will be with such spiritual efficacy,
as to dispel all darkness, Pagan, Papal, and Mahometan; and cause an universal
reception of the gospel; which will open the way for the Christian princes, to
carry their victorious arms every where, and seize upon, and possess all the
antichristian states; and in this order things lie in the prophecy of Daniel,
#Da 7:1-28 where, after the vision of the "fourth" beast, of the judgment of it, of the slaying it, and burning its body, the
Roman empire, and the remains of it, in antichrist, and the antichristian
states; Daniel, had a vision of Christ, the Son of man, coming in the clouds of
heaven, and having an universal kingdom given him, which will not be succeeded by
any other. And in the same order things lie in the book of the #Re 19:1-21
where the beast, antichrist, and the kings of the earth, the
antichristian princes, are represented as gathering together, to make war with
Christ, described as an illustrious Warrior; when the beast and false prophet,
antichrist, in both his civil and ecclesiastic characters, are taken and
destroyed, and the rest slain, by the sword of Christ's mouth: all which will
be done, with the ruin of the Turk, the Eastern antichrist, at the beginning of
the spiritual reign: but still there will remain a most
potent enemy, Satan, with his principalities and powers; wherefore, in #Re
20:1-15 an angel descends from heaven, who is no other than Christ, who will
then personally descend from thence; described as having a great chain, and a
key in his hand; the one to bind Satan and all his angels; the other to open
the bottomless pit, and cast them in it, and lock it up; that they may neither deceive the nations, nor disturb the saints, for
the space of a thousand years {2}. And all enemies being thus out of the way,
follows the account of the Millennium, or personal reign of Christ.
1d. This glorious and visible
kingdom of Christ, will not take place till after the resurrection
of the just, and the renovation of the world {3}. As soon as Christ personally
appears, the dead in him will rise first; this is the first resurrection, which
they that have a part in, shall reign with Christ a thousand years; as appears
from the above place in the Revelation referred unto. These "children of
the resurrection", as Christ calls them, #Lu 20:35,36 and who will be
worthy of "that world", the new world, in which
Christ and they will reign, will be like the angels, die no more; nor will they
eat and drink, in a corporal sense; nor marry and be given in marriage; carnal
appetites will not be indulged; nor carnal pleasures enjoyed: in this state,
nothing but pure, refined, spiritual pleasures, will be had, suited to the
bodies and souls of men, united in the resurrection state. Our Lord, indeed, speaks of his disciples eating and drinking at his
table, in his kingdom; and of his drinking new wine in his Father's kingdom,
which is the same, #Lu 22:30 Mt 26:29 but then all this is to be understood of
divine repasts, of spiritual joys and pleasures, they shall then partake of.
The Jews, it seems, had very carnal notions of the kingdom of God, of a great
affluence of meats and drinks in it, and of rich and delicious
living; hence a certain person said, "Blessed is he that shall eat bread
in the kingdom of God!" #Lu 14:15 meaning, that shall live deliciously
there. And such gross and carnal conceptions, some that have bore the Christian
name, have entertained of the millennium, as well ancient {4} as modern writers,
at least, as represented by their adversaries; and therefore it has been
objected to them, as if their notion savoured more of a
Turkish paradise, than of a kingdom of Christ; and which has brought disgrace
upon the doctrine of the kingdom, and given disgust to pious and spiritual
minds; as it did to Austin {5}, who had some light into it, and owned, that
could it be restrained to spiritual delights and pleasures, it might be
allowed: but now the manner in which I conceive it, clears it from such
absurdities, and represents it as quite unclogged, and free
from such an objection. All the prophesies of temporal blessings in the latter
day, as length of life, a numerous offspring of the people of God, plenty of
corporal food, an affluence of wealth and riches, will have their
accomplishment in the spiritual reign, or latter day glory; when there will be
such au effusion of the Spirit of God, as will be a counterbalance to such earthly enjoyments, that they will not do the hurt they
would in the present circumstances of things; and even then, when the
influences of the Spirit shall go off, and be withdrawn, that state will
gradually sink into lukewarmness, pride, self-conceit, and carnality, #Re
3:15,16. But nothing of this kind will appear in the millennium.
1e. This kingdom of Christ
will be bounded by two resurrections; by the first resurrection, or the
resurrection of the just, at which it will begin; and by the second
resurrection, or the resurrection of the wicked, at which it will end, or
nearly; for it is expressly said, that "the rest of the dead", that
is, the wicked, "lived not again until the thousand
years were finished": now in the interval between the resurrection of the
one, and the resurrection of the other, will be the millennium, or thousand
years reign of Christ and his people together.
1f. This kingdom will be
before the general judgment, especially of the wicked. There
is a particular judgment that passes on every man at death; "After death,
judgment!" and there will be a virtual judgment immediately upon the
appearance of Christ, who will come to judge both "quick" and
"dead". Dead saints will be raised, and living saints changed, and
both be with Christ; which will be virtually pronouncing them righteous; and as
for the wicked, their bodies will be burnt in the conflagration
of the earth, and their souls will be shut up with Satan and his angels in the
bottomless pit; which will be virtually pronouncing them guilty: but the formal
judgment will proceed afterwards. Indeed, in the thousand years reign, will be
the judgment of the saints, as will be seen hereafter; and some time after the
close of the millennium, will come on the general judgment of the wicked; for
John, after he had given an account of the former, #Re
20:1-15 relates a vision of the latter.
1g. This glorious, visible
kingdom of Christ, will be on earth, and not in heaven; and so is distinct from
the kingdom of heaven, or the ultimate glory: the souls of the martyrs, and
others, said to reign with Christ a thousand years, cannot be understood
of their reigning with him in heaven; for so they had reigned with him from the
time of the death of their bodies; and was their reigning with him in heaven
meant, there would have been no need of binding Satan and his angels, and
shutting them up in the bottomless pit; as not to deceive the nations, so not
to molest them; since being in heaven, they were out of their reach, and could
not be disturbed by them: but it is on earth they are to
reign with Christ; of which the living creatures, and four and twenty elders,
the representatives of gospel churches, and the redeemed of the Lamb, express
their strong faith; "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and
we shall reign on the earth"; meaning, no doubt, in the millennium; for
they speak of it as future, saying, not "we do", but "we shall reign on earth"; and that the millennium reign will be
there, is clear, since the Gog and Magog army, at the end of the thousand
years, are said to go up "on the breadth of the earth", and
"compass the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city"; the
same with the saints before described as reigning with Christ, which therefore
must be on the earth; and the same with the holy city John saw descending from God out of heaven, that is, on earth, with whom his
tabernacle is said to be, and he to dwell with them, #Re 20:4,6,8,9 21:2,3. But
then this kingdom will not be upon this present earth, or upon this earth in
its present circumstances; the present heavens and earth will be burnt up
before this kingdom takes place; this world is not good enough for the second
Adam, and his saints, to dwell in; the curse must be removed
from it, and it must be refined, and new fitted up, for such inhabitants; and
all the wicked of it be no more in it, as unfit to dwell where such persons do.
Christ's kingdom is not of this world, nor never will be. This has been the
mistake of many, fancying that the millennium will be in the present earth;
which have given the adversaries of this doctrine, an occasion to object unto
it; as subversive of civil government, and as encouraging
sedition and rebellion in commonwealths, and as giving just umbrage to the
kings and princes of the earth, and to all civil magistrates. And, indeed, in
the seventeenth century, in this nation, there were a set of men, called
"fifth monarchy men", and who were levellers, and riotous persons,
were for pulling down civil magistracy, and all order of civil government, and setting up what they called a kingdom of Christ; which brought
the doctrine of the millennium into great contempt, and under which it has much
lain ever since. But putting it upon the footing I have, that this kingdom will
not be in the present earth, the kings of it have nothing to fear from it; it
will not interfere with theirs; civil government will not be hurt by it; for it
will not be till that is no more, and the world itself at
an end; and so can give no encouragement and countenance to persons of a
riotous and seditious disposition. Indeed, in the spiritual reign, the dominion
under the whole heaven, will be given to the people of the saints of the most
High, which will last to the end of the world: but then there will be no
alteration made in the order of civil government, much less will that be
destroyed; it will only be translated into other hands;
only Christian princes shall possess it; there will be no more pagan princes,
nor papal kings, nor Mahometan emperors; only such who are not only nominal but
truly Christian princes, according to #Ps 72:10,11 Isa 49:23 #Isa 60:3,10,16. But
as for the personal reign of Christ with his saints, that will be on the new
earth, wherein will "dwell righteousness", and that only;
that is, Christ, who is the Lord, the Righteousness of his people; and they who
are made righteous by him, #2Pe 3:13 so the new heavens and new earth John had
a vision of, are, according to that vision, the seat of the new
"Jerusalem", or church of God, and of Christ, who will there
tabernacle with them, #Re 21:1-3 and then the Lord will be King over all the earth;
there will be no offset; there will be one Lord, and his
name one, #Zec 14:9.
Having explained the nature of
Christ's kingdom, I shall proceed to give the proof that there will be such a
glorious, visible kingdom of Christ on earth: this proof, as it depends on
prophesies of future things, cannot be expected to be so full and clear in all respects, as a proof may be of things past or present;
the prophesies respecting the first coming of Christ, doubtless, did not appear
so clear and plain before their fulfilment, as since: so the prophesies of the
second coming of Christ, and of his kingdom, may not be so evident as they will
be, the nearer is the approach of it; or as when it will be. Besides, the
prophesies of the Old Testament are delivered in very general,
concise, and comprehensive terms; and sometimes include both his first and
second coming, and things that intervene between them; and therefore it should
be no objection to a proof of Christ's second coming and kingdom, that there
are some things in the context which respect his first coming; and others which
respect the spiritual reign; but these are to be separated, and distinctly
considered; and what belongs to the one, should be applied
to that; and what belongs to another, should be appropriated to that. Now the
proof of this point, may be taken from various passages in the Psalms, in the
Prophets, and in the books of the New Testament.
1g1. First,
from some passages in the Psalms; and to begin with
the
#Ps 45:1-17, which was made "concerning the King", the
King Messiah,
who is called "the King", by way of eminence,
the famous
King; and who is described as a divine Person, as
God, whose
throne is for ever and ever; and as graceful, and
full of
grace, as Man and Mediator; and as a most potent
Prince,
riding in great majesty, and as a triumphant
conqueror.
And though some things said of him may agree with
the conquests
of his grace, in the first and after ages of
Christianity;
yet they will have their full accomplishment
at his second
coming, when all his enemies shall be subdued
by
him. His court is represented in the Psalm as a very
brilliant
one; some in it have the name of queen, others are
called
honourable women, or maids of honour; and among
those, kings
daughters, and others the rich among the
people; which
may respect the different degrees of honour
among
the saints, in the resurrection and kingdom state,
which will
only obtain then; not in the ultimate glory. The
glory and
purity of the church are strongly expressed; the
"queen"
is said to be at the King's right hand, "in gold of
Ophir",
her clothing of pure gold; which agrees with the
new
Jerusalem, on the new earth, a city of pure gold. The
King's
daughter, the same, is said to be "all glorious
within",
being perfectly pure and holy; such as the new
Jerusalem
will be, into which nothing sinful, defiling, and
abominable,
shall enter. The church is also, in the Psalm,
represented
as introduced into the King's presence, in a
magnificent
manner, "in raiment of needlework", as well as
in
"clothing of wrought gold"; which fitly agrees with the
kingdom
state, in which Christ will present his church to
himself a
glorious church, being as a bride adorned for her
husband;
not only having on the robe of his righteousness,
but the
shining garments of immortality and bliss. Moreover,
at this time
he will make his people "princes in all the
earth";
which shows that this his kingdom will be on earth,
and agrees
with the faith and expectation of his saints,
that
as they are made by him "kings and priests unto God",
they shall
"reign on earth".
I take no
notice of #Ps 72:1-20 for though it relates to
Christ and
his kingdom, yet to that branch of it, his
spiritual
reign, and expresses the prosperity, peace, glory,
extensiveness,
and duration of it. But #Ps 96:1-13 must not
be
overlooked; which begins, "The Lord reigneth, let the
earth
rejoice!" which shows that the psalm respects the
kingdom of
Christ on earth; and which will take place at his
coming
to judge the world, as appears by its connection with
the last
verse of the preceding psalm; and which coming of
his, as
hereafter described, will be in the clouds of
heaven, and
with flames of fire, as has been observed in a
preceding
chapter. The #Ps 145:1-21 treats of the kingdom of
Christ,
and the glory of it, and represents the saints as
speaking to
one another of it; of its glory, majesty, and
duration, #Ps
145:11-13 which can suit no state so well as
this; in
which the saints will be employed in converse with
each other,
about the glory of their King, the glory of his
coming
to his kingdom, of his glorious acts done by him in
it, and of
the glorious things they enjoy therein.
1g2.
Secondly, from various passages in the prophets: and,
1g2a.
From #Isa 24:23. "Then the moon shall be confounded", &c.
this glorious
reign will take place after the punishment of
the
"kings of the earth upon the earth", #Isa 24:21 by whom
may be meant
the beast and the false prophet, with the kings
of the earth,
the antichristian kings; who will make war
with
the Lamb, and be overcome and slain by him, #Re 17:14
#Re 19:20,21
and whose army may be called "the host of the
high ones
that are on high"; being in high places, and in great
power and
dignity; and may be also very well applied to
Satan, and
his principalities and powers, those "spiritual
wickednesses
in high places"; and what is said in
#Isa 24:22 of
the shutting of them up and confining them as
in a prison,
and then after many days visiting them, very aptly
agrees with
the binding of Satan and his angels, and the
shutting of
them up in the bottomless pit; and then after a
thousand
years letting them loose for a short time, which
will issue in
their everlasting punishment; see #Re 20:2,3.
Moreover this
reign will not take place until the utter
dissolution
of the earth, when it shall fall and not rise again
in the form
it now is, #Isa 24:19,20 the person reigning
is
the Lord of hosts, the Lord of the armies of the heavens,
the angels,
and of the inhabitants of the earth, the greatest
among them;
who is King of kings and Lord of lords; all which
is true of
Christ, who reigns now in the kingdom of providence
as God, and
the Creator of all things; and in the kingdom of
grace,
as Mediator in the hearts of his people; and in his
churches,
where he will reign more illustriously in the
latter day;
but this is still a more glorious reign that is
here spoken
of: the place where he will reign is in Zion and
Jerusalem,
which may be literally understood of that spot of
ground
where these cities were, which may be the chief
residence of
Christ in this his kingdom; or mystically of
that Zion
where he and the one hundred and forty four thousand,
having his Father's
name on their foreheads, stood; and the
new
Jerusalem, that will come down from heaven, among whom his
tabernacle
will be, #Re 14:1 21:2,3. The persons
"before"
whom, and in
whose sight he will reign, for this kingdom will
be visible,
are his ancients; not his ancient people the Jews
only, but all
his elect that have been from the beginning of
the world;
Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the
prophets
of the Old Testament, and the apostles of the New;
and the four
and twenty elders, the representatives of gospel
churches; and
even all those ancient ones whom God has loved
with an
everlasting love, chose in Christ before the foundation
of the world,
called the "ancient people", #Isa 44:7 with
these
Christ will reign "gloriously", or "in glory"; he will
appear in
glory, in the glory of his deity, and in the glory
of his human
nature, and in the glory of his kingly office;
and such will
be his lustre and splendour, that the "sun" and
"moon"
will be "ashamed" and "confounded"; they will blush
and
withdraw their light, as it were, or that will not be
comparable to
his; and that city, the new Jerusalem, where he
will reign,
will stand in no need of their light, for the
Lamb will be
the light of it, #Re 21:23.
1g2b.
With this agrees another prophecy in #Isa 30:26. "Moreover
the light of
the moon shall be as the light of the sun", &c.
this prophecy
will not be fulfilled until "the day of the great
slaughter is
over", the great slaughter of the antichristian
kings, captains,
and mighty men; which carnage of them is
called
the supper of the great God, to which the fowls of the
air are
invited to prey upon, #Re 19:17,18 "when the towers
fall",
when the city of Babylon or Rome, with its towers, and
the cities of
the nations, of the antichristian nations, with
their towers,
will fall, #Re 16:19 nor will it be fully
accomplished
until "the name of the Lord", or the Lord
himself,
comes "with the flame of a devouring fire", to burn
up the world,
and all things in it, #Isa 30:27,30 and so much
respect the
second coming of Christ, which will be from
heaven with
flames of fire: and another criterion of the
fulfilment
of this prophecy is, that it will be when the Lord
will
"bind" up and "heal" the "wounds" of "his
people"; that
is, forgive
their iniquities, which in the kingdom state will
be publicly
and completely done; the sins of God's people
will be so
fully blotted out, that they shall not be seen by
themselves,
nor by others, any more; see #Ac 3:19-21 and
though great
will be the light and knowledge of men in the
spiritual
reign, the first branch of Christ's kingdom; yet
this
sevenfold light, which is expressive of a perfection of
it, best
agrees with that state, the light whereof exceeds
that
of the sun and moon; and when the Lord shall be the
everlasting
light of his people, and their God their glory,
#Isa 60:19,20
a prophecy which respects the same thing.
1g2c. There
is another prophecy which seems to belong to this
glorious
kingdom of Christ on earth in #Jer 23:5,6.
"Behold,
the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise
unto David a
righteous branch", &c.; there can be no doubt
but Christ is
here meant, who is the Lord our righteousness,
the author of
righteousness to his people; he is the man
whose
name is the Branch, and is raised up to David as such,
and a
righteous one he is; a King that shall reign in
righteousness,
and so prosper as to be king over all the
earth; and on
the earth this his reign will be, since it is
"in the
earth" he will execute judgment and justice: and
though
his saints, who are meant by Judah and Israel, are
always safe
under his protection, being in his hands, and
kept by his
power; yet what state or period can be named
wherein they
will dwell in more safety, and in such freedom
from the
oppression and molestation of their enemies, as in
the
millennium? when all their enemies will be no more, and
even Satan
and his angels will be bound and shut up in the
bottomless pit
for a thousand years, and so during that time
can give them
no disturbance.
1g2d.
There are some passages in Ezekiel which seem to have
respect to
this kingdom state; as in #Eze 21:27. "I will
overturn,
overturn, overturn it, and it shall be no more
until he
come, whose right it is, and I will give it him";
which may be
understood not only of the overturnings in the
Jewish
state before the first coming of Christ, but also of
the
overturnings of empires before his second coming; and
being expressed
three times, may denote the overturning of
the Pagan,
Papal, and Mahometan empires, which when
overturned
will be no more; and after Christ will come, who
is
heir of all things, and by the designation of his Father,
will be king over
all the earth. In #Eze 48:1-35 there is a
prophecy of a
city, the dimensions of which are such as
cannot agree
with any city on earth literally taken; but
must be
understood either of the gospel church state; or it
may
be rather of the city of the new Jerusalem, described in
#Re 21:1-27
in which Christ will reign, and his saints with
him, in a
most glorious manner; and the rather this may be
meant, since
the name of the city is "Jehovah shammah", the
Lord is
there, #Eze 48:35 and in the new Jerusalem will be
the
tabernacle of Christ with men on earth, where he is
said to be
with his saints, and dwell with them, #Re 21:3.
1g2e. There
are some prophecies in Daniel which respect the
kingdom of
Christ, as in #Da 2:1-49 the image Nebuchadnezzar
saw
in his dream is explained by Daniel as an emblem of the
four
monarchies, Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman;
and in #Da
2:44 it is said, "In the days of these kings,
shall the God
of heaven set up a kingdom", &c. that is,
after these
kings have reigned, and their kingdoms are
ended,
as Junius {6} interprets it; for this kingdom could
not be set up
in the days of them all, since their kingdoms
were
successive. Nebuchadnezzar also saw in his dream, "a
stone cut out
without hands, which smote the image, and
became a
great mountain, and filled the whole earth"; which
must
be understood of Christ, both in his human nature,
which is a
tabernacle not made with hands; and which God
pitched, and
not man; and in his kingdom, which was very
small in its
first beginning, but by degrees increased, and
will still
more increase, and become a great mountain, a
mighty
kingdom, and fill the whole earth, and so jostle out
all other
kingdoms: this will be, in part, fulfilled in the
spiritual
reign of Christ, when the kingdoms of this world
shall become
his; but most completely in the millennium,
when he shall
be King over all the earth. There is a
prophecy
of the same kind in #Da 7:1-28 where Daniel had a
vision of
four beasts coming up out of the sea; which design
the same four
monarchies rising up successively in the
world: and
after this, he had a vision of a judicial
process,
issuing in the slaying of the fourth beast, the
destruction
of the Roman monarchy; and the burning of the
body of the
beast, the remains of that monarchy, antichrist,
and the
antichristian states: after which he has a vision of
Christ, the
Son of man, coming in the clouds of heaven; and
so it must
respect the second coming of Christ, and of his
then
having a dominion, and glorious kingdom given him,
which is an
everlasting one, that is, which shall not be
left to
another people, as in #Da 2:1-49 nor be succeeded by
another
kingdom; but shall continue until the kingdom of
heaven, or
the ultimate glory, takes place; and this kingdom
will
not be in heaven, but "under the whole heaven"; as in
#Da 2:27.
1g2f. There
is a passage which has been frequently referred to,
and belongs
to this kingdom state, in #Zec 14:9. "And the
Lord
shall be king over all the earth; in that day shall
there be one
Lord, and his name one". This kingdom will be
on earth; and
will be when there is no other; and when the
homage and
worship paid to Christ, this King, will be
universally
the same. And though there may be some passages
in
this chapter which belong to the spiritual reign, the
first branch
of Christ's kingdom; yet there are others, as
well as this,
which can only agree with his personal reign,
upon his
second coming; for it is expressly said, "The Lord
my God shall
come, and all the saints with thee"; which will
be
fulfilled, and not before, when Christ shall descend from
heaven, and
bring all his saints with him, #1Th 3:13 4:14,16.
And this
reign of Christ over all the earth, will be when the
saints are in
a perfect state; and so not before his second
coming, and
the resurrection of the just. Holiness will now
be
so universal, that, proverbially speaking, it will be
written on
"the bells of the horses"; and every member in the
new Jerusalem
church state, into which nothing defiling shall
enter, meant
by "every pot in Jerusalem and Judah, shall be
holiness to
the Lord", or be completely holy; and there shall
be
"no Canaanite", neither a profane sinner, nor a carnal
professor, in
the house and church of God; nor any sinful
lust in any
of its inhabitants.
1g3. Thirdly,
The proof of this glorious kingdom of Christ, may
be
given from various passages in the New Testament; and,
1g3a. From
#Mt 6:10. "Thy kingdom come; thy will be done in
earth, as it
is in heaven". To this, as a proof, it may be
objected, at
first sight, that this is the kingdom of the
Father;
since it is "Our Father which art in heaven", the
petitions arc
directed to. To which it may be replied, that
the same kingdom
may he called, the kingdom of the Father,
and the
kingdom of Christ, as it is certain this kingdom we
arc treating
of is so called; as appears by comparing
#Mt
26:29 with #Lu 22:30 and there is a good reason to
be given for
it; because this kingdom is a kingdom which the
Father had
appointed to Christ, and which will be given him by
him, #Lu
22:29 Da 7:14 and for the same reason the Father
calls him his
King, because appointed and set by him as king
over
his holy hill of Zion, #Ps 2:6 this kingdom may be
called his.
Now this is a kingdom yet to come, and is prayed for
as being
future; and so cannot design neither the kingdom of
providence,
nor the kingdom of grace, nor the gospel
dispensation;
and though it may include the spiritual reign,
the
first branch of Christ's kingdom, yet will not be fulfilled
in that;
since it respects a perfect state, when the will of
God will be
done on earth by men, as it is in heaven by the
angels; the
saints, in the kingdom state, will serve Christ
their king
constantly and incessantly, and so perfectly; and
this
will be a kingdom on earth, where the will of God will
be perfectly
done, as it is in heaven, and so is a distinct
state from
that. To all which may be added, that the coming
of this
kingdom is to be prayed for {7}; not only the first
branch of it,
in the spiritual reign, as in #Isa 62:6,7 but
the
second coming of Christ, to take possession of his
kingdom
personally, saving, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!"
and this may,
and should be a prayer of faith; for since he
has directed
his people to pray daily for the coming of this
kingdom, it
may be assured that it certainly will come; for
Christ
would not direct his saints to pray for that which
never will
be.
1g3b. From
#Mt 20:21-23. "Then came to him the mother of
Zebedee's
children, desiring that her two sons may sit the
one
on Christ's right hand, and the other on the left, in
his
kingdom". The same request is made by the two sons
themselves,
#Mr 10:35-40. Now though these petitioners were
tinctured
with the national notion of the Messiah setting up
a temporal
kingdom on earth, at the time of his first
coming;
and with which all the apostles seem, more or less,
tinctured,
until the Spirit was poured down upon them on the
day of
Pentecost; yet our Lord does not deny, but rather
owns, there
would be a kingdom of his, in which distinctions
of honour
would be made, and peculiar privileges, and marks
of
respect, bestowed on some; but that these would only be
given to such
for whom they were prepared by his Father: he
blames them
for their pride and ambition, in affecting to
have
preeminence above their brethren; and suggests, that
their
petition was an unseasonable one; it was not a time to
think
of, and expect honours and preferments, they being now
in a
suffering state, and must expect sufferings for his
sake; yea,
that he himself must drink of a bitter cup, and
be baptized
with a bloody baptism, before he entered into
his kingdom
and glory; and this would also be their case:
this
glorious kingdom of Christ, and honours in it, are not
to be
expected in a militant suffering state; the saints
must suffer
with Christ first, before they reign and are
glorified together
with him; the crown of righteousness will
not be given,
till the good fight of faith is fought; and
not
before the glorious appearing of Christ, and only to
them that
love that: this cannot be understood of the
kingdom of
heaven, or a kingdom there, because there is no
sitting at
Christ's right hand there; he is set down indeed
in his
Father's throne, and sits at his right hand, where no
creatures,
angels nor men, are admitted: but in the
kingdom
state, he will have a throne distinct from his
Father, in
which his saints will sit with him, #Re 3:21
on his right
and left; and in which state will be thrones,
whereon some
will sit, being distinguished from others, with
some
matins of honour and esteem; for such there will be in
this kingdom
of Christ, though what they will be is not easy
to say; they
are signified by one being a ruler over ten
cities, and
another a ruler over live cities; which is not
to be
understood literally, but of some posts of honour, and
distinctive
marks of respect some will have; for as one star
differs from
another star in glory, so will be the
resurrection
of the dead; or such a distinction be in the
resurrection
state----in this glorious kingdom of Christ. In
#Mr 10:37
instead of, "In thy kingdom", it is, "In thy
1g3c. From
#Lu 1:32,33. "The Lord God shall give unto him the
throne of his
father David; and he shall reign over the
house of
Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be
no
end!" These words were spoken by the angel to the virgin,
concerning
her son, who should be great, and be called, "the
Son of the
Highest"; and which respects him, not in his
incarnate
state on earth, for then he appeared; not great,
but mean; and
his kingdom was not with observation: but
hereafter,
in the latter day, when his name should be great
among the
Gentiles, from the rising of the sun to the going
down of the
same, #Mal 1:11 and especially at his second
coming, which
will be with power and great glory; and he
will appear,
as the Son of the Highest, as the great God,
and
our Saviour; and whereas he was the Son of David,
according to
the flesh, it is foretold, that he should have
the throne of
his father David, not literally, but mystically;
which will
have its accomplishment, in part, at the conversion
of the Jews
in the last day, when they shall seek the Lord
their
God, and David their king, the true Messiah, and yield
subjection to
him; but more fully when all the elect of God
are gathered
in, both Jews and Gentiles, over whom be will
reign, even
over the house of Jacob, that Jacob, the Lord has
chosen for
himself; and this his kingdom will be for ever; it
will
not give way to, nor be succeeded by another; in the
same sense as
in the prophecy of Daniel, it is said to be an
everlasting
kingdom; there will be no end of it; for when
Christ has
reigned with his people on earth a thousand years,
he will reign
with them, and they with him, in heaven, to all
1g3d. From
#Lu 22:29,30. "As my Father hath appointed unto me a
kingdom",
&c. Here is a special and peculiar kingdom of
Christ, which
he calls, "my kingdom"; and which he has by
the
designation and appointment of his Father; and which was
yet to come, as
well as that he appointed to his followers;
in which
kingdom there will be a table, at which all Christ's
people will
sit, and eat and drink; not temporally, but
spiritually,
and shall feed upon a divine repast, suited to
their
resurrection state; for at this table shall sit Abraham,
Isaac, and
Jacob, and multitudes from divers parts, and who
have lived in
the several periods of time; and here will be
thrones
placed, on which the saints shall sit; for they will
now be
"kings and priests unto God", and shall reign as such,
and
have judgment given them, and on some distinct honours
will be
conferred.
1g3e. From
#Lu 23:42,43. "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember
me when thou
comest into thy kingdom!" The light and faith
the
penitent thief had in the kingdom of Christ, and in his
future coming
to it, were very great; for though Christ
appeared now
very mean and despicable, suffering a shameful
death, and
lying under the greatest reproach and ignominy;
yet he
believed that he would come again, and take
possession
of a kingdom that belonged to him; and desires
that he might
be remembered by him at his appearing and
kingdom: to
which an answer is returned; "And Jesus said
unto him,
verily I say unto thee, today shall thou be with
me in paradise":
signifying, that he should not stay so long
without
partaking of his favours; for that day he should be
with him in
the third heaven, and continue with him till his
second
coming; and then he, with all his saints, should come
with him, and
share in the glories of his kingdom.
1g3f.
From #Ac 1:6. "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the
kingdom unto
Israel?" The sceptre, according to ancient
prophecy, was
now departed from Judah, and Judea was become
a province to
the Roman empire; now the Jews had a notion,
that when the
Messiah came, he would restore the kingdom,
and
redeem them from the Roman yoke, and make them a happy
people, as to
temporal things; and with this notion, the
disciples
themselves were tinctured; and as they believed
that Jesus
was the Messiah, they had raised expectations of
this matter;
but when he was dead, their hopes seem to be
almost
quite gone, #Lu 24:21 but Christ being raised from
the dead,
their hopes revived: and it was a notion that
prevailed
with the Jews, and does to this day, that the
coming of the
king Messiah, to deliver them, and the
resurrection
of the dead, will be at the same time: and,
indeed,
Christ's personal reign will take place after the
resurrection
of the just. And now there having been a
resurrection
of many of the saints, #Mt 27:52,53 and
especially
Christ himself being risen, and also had spoken
to his
disciples of things pertaining to the kingdom of God,
#Mt
27:3 they might hope that this was the time the
kingdom would
be restored. Now though they had very obscure
and carnal
notions of the kingdom; yet Christ does not deny
that there
would be a kingdom hereafter he should enjoy, and
which should
be restored to Israel; only blames them for
their
curiosity in enquiring into the time of it, #Mt 27:7
and which
shows that this kingdom will not be till Christ
comes to
judge the quick and dead, which time none knows but
the Father
only, #Mt 24:36 and exactly agrees with this
passage.
1g3g. From #2Ti
4:1. "I charge thee therefore before God, and the
Lord Jesus
Christ, who shall judge the quick and dead at his
appearing,
and his kingdom". This appearing of Christ cannot
be meant of
his first appearing in human nature, that was
past,
this future; that was not to judge the world, this
will be: nor
did his kingdom then appear, now it will: but
of his
appearing a second time to those that look for him,
#Heb 9:28 and
then his personal reign, and glorious kingdom
will take
place, he now personally appearing in his glory;
and
when he will judge both quick and dead, will virtually
judge, as has
been before observed, the dead and living
saints, by
raising the one and changing the other, when he
shall descend
from heaven, and thus appear; and the wicked
also, by
burning their bodies in the general conflagration
which
now will be, and by shutting up their souls with
Satan, in the
bottomless pit. And moreover, the actual
judgment,
both of the righteous and the wicked, will follow
on this
appearing of his kingdom; the judgment of the saints
will be at
the beginning of it, and in it, and the judgment
of
the wicked at the end of it.
1g3h. From
#Heb 2:5. "For unto the angels hath he not put in
subjection
the world to come, whereof we speak"; though the
"world
to come", may be understood of the gospel dispensation
the
apostle had been speaking of in the preceding verses, in
distinction
from the legal, or Jewish dispensation, angels
had a concern
in; whereas they have none in the ministry of
the gospel.
And the Jewish dispensation is sometimes called
"the
world", the end of which fell upon the times of Christ
and
his apostles, #Heb 9:26 1Co 10:11 and with respect to
which, the
gospel dispensation may be called "the world to
come",
it being usual with the Jews, to call the days of the
Messiah by
this name; which may take in the whole time
between the
first and second coming of Christ. But though the
apostle
may have respect to what he was speaking of in the
preceding
verses, yet so as to include what he was going on
to speak of
in the following verses, concerning the second
Adam's world;
for the proof of which he refers to the eighth
Psalm; which
is spoken, not of the first Adam, not even in
his
state of innocence; the name of the Lord was not then so
excellent in
all the earth as it has been since, and especially
will be; nor
were there then babes and sucklings, out of
whose mouth
strength, or praise, could be ordained; nor was
Satan, the
enemy and avenger, stilled, he soon got the
advantage
over Adam; nor could Adam be called then Enosh, a
frail mortal
man, as that word is thought to signify; nor was
he a son of
man; nor were the works of God's hands so universally
put under him
as is said, not the angels: but Christ, the
second Adam,
is meant, with whom everything agrees; though,
as
yet, all things, in the fullest sense, are not in subjection
to him, nor
will be, till his second coming, till after the
binding of
Satan, and the resurrection of the dead; and then
the last
enemy, death, will be destroyed, and his glorious
kingdom take
place, which angels will have no concern in;
they
will be employed at the beginning of it, in gathering
together the
risen saints; and at the end of it, in casting
the wicked
into hell; but not in the kingdom itself; nor will
they be
needed. Moreover, this world to come, seems to
include the
new world, the new heavens and the new earth, the
apostle
Peter speaks of; for his beloved brother Paul, he
says, had
wrote and spoke of those to the same persons the
apostle Peter
wrote unto; now he wrote to the converted Jews,
scattered
abroad in various places, and therefore must refer
to the
epistle to the Hebrews, written by the apostle Paul;
and
where, in that epistle, can he be thought to speak of
this new
world, the heavens and the earth, but in this
passage under
consideration? and which may be very well
rendered, as
it is by Dr. Burnets {8}, "the habitable earth
to
come"; which will be the seat of Christ's personal reign.
I take no
notice now of the proof from the passages
#Re 5:10
20:4-6 which are very plain, because I have already
made mention
of them, and shall have occasion to make more
use of them;
though Socinus {9} thinks this kingdom cannot be
proved
from #Re 20:1-15 since the whole place, he says, must
be taken and
explained in an allegorical way; but he owns,
that should
he be asked, what is the allegorical interpretation
of it, he is
not ashamed to confess his ignorance of it. But
that it is to
be taken in a literal sense, will appear hereafter.
2. To show, that in this
glorious, visible, and personal reign of Christ, all the saints will have a
share; they will "reign with him", #Re 20:4,6. I shall not dwell long
on the proof of this; because those scriptures which speak of Christ's kingdom,
give plain and clear hints of the reign of his saints in
it.
2a. First, there are various
passages of scripture, which give plain intimations of the reign of the saints
with Christ in his kingdom; these are they which he will then "make
princes in all the earth", #Ps 45:16 these, however mean in their
original, are, through his grace, set among princes, and
shall inherit the throne of glory; and these princes are altogether kings; and
being such, shall reign with Christ on earth; for when he, the King, shall
"reign in righteousness", these are the "princes" that
shall "rule in judgment", #Isa 32:1. In the same prophecy of Daniel,
which speaks of the kingdom that shall be given to Christ, upon his coming in
the clouds of heaven, #Da 7:14 it is also said, #Da 7:27.
"And the kingdom, and the dominion, and the greatness of the
kingdom"; all which is expressive of a glorious kingdom under the whole
heaven; and so not a kingdom in heaven, but under it, on earth, and which will
extend to all the earth. Such a kingdom "shall be given to the people of
the saints of the most High"; to the people and saints of Christ, who is
Jehovah, the most High in all the earth; such a kingdom
they never had yet, nor never will have, till the Son of man comes in the
clouds of heaven; "Whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all
dominion shall serve and obey him": which shows, that this kingdom is of
the same nature, extent, and duration, with Christ's, #Da 7:14 and in which the
saints will share with him. Brenius
{10} thinks, that by one "like the Son of man",
#Da 7:13 is not meant Christ personally, but his glorious kingdom in the latter
day; that as the four preceding monarchies are represented by beasts, for their
fierceness, cruelty, and tyranny; his by a man, for the mildness, gentleness,
lenity, and humanity of it: and that coming in the clouds of heaven, denotes
the divine and heavenly original of it not rising out of the sea, or earth, as
the other kingdoms: and he supposes the Son of man, and the
people of the saints of the most High, #Da 7:27 to be the same to whom the
dominion will be given. There is a passage in #Mic 4:7,8 which plainly
intimates, that when Christ reigns, his church and people shall reign also;
"The Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion, from henceforth even for
ever"; to which reference seems to be had by the angel, in #Lu 1:32 and then it follows; "And thou, O tower of the
flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion"; which may be understood of
Christ, the tower and strong hold of his people: "Unto thee shall it come,
even the first dominion"; he shall have the first, the chief, the
principal share in this reign; yet also, "the kingdom shall come to the
daughter of Jerusalem", the church of God, the new Jerusalem, the holy
city of the saints. Our Lord tells his disciples,
"That ye which have followed me", who had embraced him as the
Messiah, and received his doctrines, and submitted to his ordinances: here
should be a stop, and then another clause begin: "in the
regeneration"; meaning, not the grace of regeneration, or the new birth;
but a new state of things, the resurrection state {11}: the word paliggenesia,
is used by Greek writers, both philosophers and the
Christian fathers {12}, for the renovation of the world; and the Syriac version
of it here, is, "in the new world", that is, the new heavens and the
new earth, the apostle Peter speaks of; in which new state, the Son of man
shall sit on the throne of his glory, reign in it before his ancients
gloriously; and then "also", adds he, "ye shall sit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel"; should
have posts and places of honour in the church of God, #Mt 19:28 similar to
this, is what Christ says to them in #Lu 22:29,30 that as his Father had
appointed him a kingdom, so he appointed one to them, in which they should
"eat and drink at his table, and sit on thrones", &c. which is
expressive of great nearness to him, communion with him in his kingdom, and of
great honour conferred upon them. The saying of Christ, in
#Lu 20:35 refers to this state; where he speaks of some that "shall be
counted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead";
by which is meant the world to come, in distinction from this present world,
#Lu 22:34 even the new world, the apostle Peter's new heavens and new earth,
which will take place upon the resurrection of the dead; and they that are worthy of the first resurrection, through the grace of Christ,
those shall obtain, possess, inherit, and dwell in the new world, and reign
with Christ in it. The kingdom to be restored to Israel, #Ac 1:6 which Christ
seems to allow will be, is what will be restored and given to the mystical
Israel, even the whole Israel of God, all his elect, consisting of Jews and
Gentiles. When the apostle Paul speaks of saints that
suffer with Christ, being "glorified together", #Ro 8:17 he elsewhere
expresses, by their "reigning with him", #2Ti 2:12 and to this
reigning together with Christ, he may well be thought to have respect in #1Co
4:8. "Ye have reigned as kings without us"; treating him, and his
fellow ministers, with some degree of contempt, as if they were below them, and
they stood in no need of them: and adds, "I would to God that you did reign", in the best sense, and in the highest
degree, even with Christ, in his personal reign; "that we also might reign
with you"; in which state the saints will all reign together. Once more,
Christ promises, #Re 3:21. "To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit
with me on my throne; even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father
in his throne": this promise will be made good to every overcomer; to everyone that is made more than a conqueror through Christ;
and will be fulfilled in the kingdom state, when he will have a throne of his
own; now he sits on his Father's throne with him; then he will sit on his own
throne, and this will be large enough for all his saints to sit upon with him;
which is as strongly expressive of reigning with him, as words can possibly be.
To all which may be added, the relations and characters the
saints bear in scripture, which will strengthen the proof of their sharing with
Christ in the glories of his kingdom. "They are", and will then
appear to be, "the children of God, being the children of the
resurrection", #Lu 20:36 as Christ was declared to be the Son of God by
his resurrection from the dead; so they will be declared also to be the sons of
God, by their resurrection from the dead; "And if
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ", #Ro
8:17. Christ is heir of all things, and they are joint heirs with him; he is
heir of the world, and the world is theirs, Christ being theirs; not the
present world, in which they have but a small share; but the world to come, the
new world, the world that Abraham was heir of, through the righteousness of
faith; as are also all his spiritual seed, even they that
are Christ's; and these are heirs according to the promise, and shall inherit
the new earth, and reign with Christ in it. The church and people of God, stand
in the relation of a bride to Christ, being espoused to him; hence as he is
king, the church is queen; and not only stands at his right hand in gold of
Ophir, but sits on the same throne with him; and as she bears the same name with him, #Jer 23:5,6 33:16 she shares in his honour, dignity,
and glory. The saints have the character of kings, being made so by Christ to
God; and they have the regalia of kings, have thrones to sit on, crowns on
their heads, and shall not want a kingdom; being kings, they shall reign on
earth, and reign with Christ there, #Re 1:6 3:21 4:4 5:10 20:4.
2b. Secondly, all the saints
will share in the glories of Christ's kingdom; though some will have
distinguished honours, yet all will reign with Christ. Some think only the
martyrs will rise first, and reign; and, according to the opinion of some, not
on earth neither; but shall ascend to heaven, and reign there, while the other
saints, during the millennium, are on earth; and which is
grounded on a passage in #Re 20:4. "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon
them, and judgment was given unto them", those next described; "and I
saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the
word of God--and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years".
That these were martyrs, no doubt is to be made; they suffered
death for the testimony they bore to Jesus and his gospel; and by the manner of
their death, beheading, it appears that such are designed who suffered under
the persecutions of the Roman pagan emperors, this being a Roman punishment;
hence the axe used to be carried before the Roman magistrates; and this one
sort of death is put for all others that Christians, in those times, were put
to: and these souls seem to be the same with those in #Re
6:9,10 such, indeed, who have been slain in the cause of Christ, shall
"live", that is, live again; their bodies shall be raised and united
to their souls, and "reign with Christ" in their whole person, body,
and soul: but not a word is here said, or elsewhere, of their ascension to
heaven, and reigning there; but, on the contrary, those who are said to dwell
with Christ, and he with them, are said to come down from
God out of heaven, #Re 21:2,3 and that there should be two sorts of persons in
the millennium, one in heaven and the other on earth; or, as others imagine,
that there shall be on earth some in an immortal, perfect state, and others in
a mortal and imperfect one; some having the word and ordinances among them, and
others not, are mere chimeras, for which there is no
foundation: and what communion can saints have with each other, who are either
at such a distance from one another, or in such different circumstances? and as
to the martyrs, it is certain, there are others besides them who shall live and
reign with Christ a thousand years: and who are mentioned in the same text; for
it follows, "And which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image; neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or
in their hands; and they", as well as the martyrs before described,
"lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years"; these are not
represented as sufferers for Christ, only as confessors and professors of his
name; who bore their testimony against the papacy, in every shape of it, and
did not yield unto it, neither by word nor deed; and may include
all such persons, who, in every age and period of time, abstain from all
corrupt worship, false doctrines, and ordinances of men. The reason why such
who suffered under Rome pagan, and those who submitted not to Rome papal, are
particularly pointed at and described, is, because the book of the Revelation
is chiefly concerned with the state of the church, from the resurrection of
Christ to his second coming. Otherwise, all the Old Testament
saints, as well as new, will have a part in the first resurrection, and share
in the millennium reign; even all the saints that have been from the beginning
of the world, now are, or shall be, to the end of it; for,
2b1.
All the saints will come with Christ, who have departed this
life, when he
comes a second time; this is asserted both in
the Old and
New Testament, #Zec 14:5 1Th 3:13 4:14.
2b2. All that
are Christ's shall rise from the dead at his
coming,
#1Co 15:23 and, in consequence of their
resurrection,
shall reign with him. Now all the people of
God, from the
beginning of the world to the end of it, all
true
believers in Christ, are his, belong to him; he has an
interest in
them, and they in him; and when he comes a
second
time, they will rise first; and having a part in the
first
resurrection, shall reign with Christ a thousand
years, #Re
20:4,6.
2b3. All the
elect of God, and the redeemed of the Lamb, are
kings
and priests; and being such, shall reign on earth;
those that are
a "chosen generation", or who are "elect
according to
the foreknowledge of God", are a "royal
priesthood",
or are kings and priests, #1Pe 1:2 2:9 and all
that are
redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, "out of every
kindred,
tongue, people, and nation, are made unto God kings
and
priests", and "shall reign on earth", on the new earth,
with Christ,
a thousand years; even all of them, all that
are chosen,
all that are redeemed, #Re 5:9,10 20:6.
2b4.
The whole church of God, and the members of it, in every
dispensation,
shall have a share in the kingdom of Christ.
Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, will have a
seat in it,
and multitudes from all parts of the world, and
who have
lived in different ages, shall come and sit down
with
them, #Mt 8:11 Lu 11:28,29. The four and twenty elders,
the
representatives of the gospel church, under the New
Testament
dispensation, being redeemed out of every nation,
and being
kings and priests, declare their strong faith that
they shall
reign on earth; and accordingly, are sometimes
represented
as having on their heads crowns of gold, as well
as clothed in
white, the raiment of priests arid princes,
#Re 4:4
5:9,10. In a word, the whole body of the elect, and
redeemed of
the Lamb, the church universal, consisting of
all its
members, not one wanting; and so a bride, completely
prepared
and adorned for her husband; even the holy city and
new
Jerusalem, will descend from God, out of heaven, on
earth; arid
the tabernacle of God, of Immanuel, will be with
them; and he
will dwell and reign with them, and they with
him, #Re
21:2,3 compared with #Re 20:9.
2c. Thirdly, in what sense the
saints, even all the saints, will reign with Christ, may be next considered. This
will not be after the manner of his spiritual reign among his saints; that is a
reign in them, this is a reigning "with" them, and of them with him.
His reign of grace takes place at the conversion of men, when, as King, he sets
up his throne in their hearts, and reigns there; and such a
reign has been from the beginning of the world, as soon as the first man was
called by grace; and has continued ever since, more or less, in every
dispensation, and will continue until the last man is converted. Nor does this
reign we are treating of, take place in the separate state of the soul in
heaven, before the resurrection: that state is expressed, by
a "being with Christ", #Lu 23:42 2Co 5:8 Php 1:23 but never, as I
remember, by "reigning with him". This reign will not be until the
resurrection, till soul and body are reunited; for there can be no proper
reigning while the body is under the power of death and the grave, at least not
fully and completely: the saints will first "live", that is, live
again in their bodies, have a part in the first resurrection, and then reign with Christ, soul and body, a thousand years, #Re 20:4,6. And
so,
2c1. This
will be a reign "with Christ" personally and visibly;
he will
appear in person, and be visible by them; and they
shall appear
with him, in a most glorious manner, in soul
and
body; and will be "like him", being glorified, and
reigning
together with him; and shall see him as he is,
personally
and visibly, in the glory of his person, as
God man,
reigning before his ancients gloriously; see
#Col 3:4 1Jo
3:2.
2c2. This
reigning with Christ, implies some kind of share with
him in the
glories of his kingdom; hence "thrones" are said
to be set for
them to sit upon; and "judgment given them",
which denotes
regal power to be exercised by them; yea, they
are
said to sit on the same throne with Christ, on "his
throne",
and to "eat and drink at his table, in his kingdom":
all which
expresses a great share of honour and dignity, and
of large
enjoyments; see #Re 20:4 3:21 Lu 22:30.
2c3.
This supposes dominion over all their enemies; as Christ
will now have
all enemies put under his feet, being subdued
by him; so
all enemies will be put under the feet of the
saints, and
they will have dominion over them. "Sin" will
now be no
more troublesome to them. Their power over sin, in
the
present state, is expressed rather negatively, by sin
"not
having dominion over them"; than affirmatively, by
their having
dominion over sin; nay, they are sometimes so
far from it, that
they are brought "into captivity by it":
but now the
straggle for dominion will be over, the warfare
will
be accomplished, and an entire victory obtained over
sin, which
will be no more. Satan, and his principalities
and powers,
though spoiled and bruised by Christ, and
triumphed
over by him, yet there is a wrestling and combat
between the
saints and them in the present life; and though
the
devil cannot devour and destroy them, yet he greatly
disturbs and
distresses them; but now he will be bruised
under their
feet also; when he, and his angels, shall be
shut up in
the bottomless pit, where they will remain during
the thousand
years Christ and his saints shall reign
together
in the world, in which the saints have now so much
tribulation;
and the "wicked" men of it, from whom they meet
with so much
persecution, in one shape or another, shall be
trodden down
by them, and be ashes under the soles of their
feet, their
bodies being burnt up in the general conflagration;
and
their souls in no capacity to hurt or molest them, being
shut up with
Satan in the bottomless pit. The last enemy,
"death",
will now be destroyed, being "swallowed up in
victory",
by the resurrection of the dead; so that the risen
saints,
reigning with Christ say, "O death, where is thy
sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?" and, indeed of this,
and every
other enemy, they may say, "Thanks be to God, which
giveth us the
victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ!"
#1Co
15:26,54,55,57.
3.
The description of the persons that shall thus reign with Christ, as given #Re
20:6.
3a. First,
they are such who have "part in the first resurrection"; which, what
that is, must be enquired into.
3a1. First,
this cannot be understood of a spiritual resurrection,
or of a
resurrection from the death of sin to a life of
grace, which
men are made partakers of at regeneration; such
a
resurrection cannot be intended here; for,
3a1a. As this
was a vision of something future, that John saw, be
it afterwards
when it may, it could never be the first
resurrection
of this sort; since there had been thousands of
instances of
this, from the beginning of the world to the
times
of John; and therefore could be nothing uncommon,
rare, and
wonderful, to be shown him, if this was the case.
3a1b. This
can never be the first resurrection, with respect to
the persons
themselves raised; for they are such who had
been
raised in this sense before; since they are the souls
of such who
had suffered for Christ and his gospel, and had
bore a
testimony against antichrist in every shape; and had
refused
obedience to him by word or deed: and can it be
thought that
such persons had not been quickened by the
grace
of God; or were not raised from the death of sin,
before they
suffered for the sake of Christ, or professed
his name?
3a1c. Persons
once raised in this sense, never die again; nor
stand in need of being raised a second time; he that
lives,
and believes
in Christ, never dies a spiritual death; grace
in him is
immortal and incorruptible: and could this
possibly be
their case, it would not be the first, but a
second
resurrection.
3a1d. There
is no such resurrection after death. Those persons
are
represented in the vision, as having been slain for
their
faithful testimony; or as having departed this life,
either under
Rome pagan or papal; and as they stood in no
need of such a resurrection, so if they had, they could
not
have had it;
if a man dies in his sins, he remains in them;
if he dies
impenitent, and an unbeliever, so he continues;
neither faith
nor repentance any grace, are given after death.
3a1e. Persons who have been quickened in this sense, or
have been
spiritually
raised from the death of sin, and have lived,
never lived
corporally a thousand years; not any of the
saints in the
patriarchal state, partakers of a spiritual
resurrection,
even those that lived the longest, not Adam,
nor Methuselah, lived to such an age; nor any afterwards
to
the times of
John; nor any since; nor is there any reason to
expect that
any will in the present state.
3a1f. There
will be none to be raised in this sense at the coming
of Christ in the last day; the Jews will have been
converted,
and the
fulness of the Gentiles brought in; all that God
meant should
come to repentance, will now have been brought
to it; and
when everyone of them is effectually called, or,
in other
words, raised from a death of sin to a life of
grace, then will the day of the Lord come, and the general
conflagration
take place, in which all the wicked of the
earth will be
burnt up; and the whole election of grace being
gathered in,
and the whole church of God completely prepared
for Christ
her husband, there will remain none to be the
subjects of a spiritual resurrection.
3a1g. If this
living again before the reign, or at the beginning
of the reign
of the thousand years, is to be understood of a
spiritual
resurrection, then the living of the rest of the
dead, that is, of the wicked, at the end of the thousand
years, must
be understood in the same sense, that they shall
live a life
of grace, being raised from the death of sin;
for it is
expressly said, "The rest of the dead lived not
again until
the thousand years were finished"; which
supposes they will live when they are finished, and live
in
the same
sense as they will who will live at the beginning
of them; that
is, a corporal life, being raised from the
dead; not,
surely, a spiritual one.
3a2. Secondly, nor is this first resurrection to be
understood in
a civil
sense, of the resurrection of the martyrs, not in
their own
persons, but in their successors, or of a revival
of the cause
for which they suffered; which it is supposed
{13} will be,
when in the latter day the Jews will be converted,
and the fulness of the Gentiles brought in; the conversion
of the Jews
being represented by a resurrection, by
opening their
graves, and bringing them out of them, and
causing them
to live, #Eze 37:13,14 and of which some
{14}
understand #Da 12:2 and by the apostle Paul called,
"life from the dead", #Ro 11:15. But,
3a2a. Though
this may be called a resurrection, in a figurative
sense, yet it
is never called, "the first resurrection"; nor
can it be
called so, with any propriety; because there have
been already revivals of the cause of the martyrs: there
was
a revival of
the cause of them who suffered in the persecutions
of the pagan
emperors, in the times of Constantine, when
paganism was
demolished throughout the Roman empire, and
Christianity got
ground, and flourished everywhere; and
there was a revival of the cause of the martyrs and
confessors
under Rome
papal, at the time of the reformation; when whole
nations, even
many of the European nations, fell off from
popery, and
embraced the truths of the gospel; so that,
admitting the
time referred to may be called the revival of
the cause of the martyrs, it cannot be said to be the
"first",
but rather
the "third" resurrection. Besides, a first
resurrection,
supposes a second, of the same kind. Now
after the
conversion of the Jews, and the great spread of
the gospel
among the Gentiles, what further reviving of the
cause of Christ is there to be expected in the present
state, that
can be called a second resurrection?
3a2b. Those that
shall have part in the first resurrection, are
expressly the
same persons who really existed in the times
of Rome pagan, and Rome papal, and not any successors of
theirs, of
whom the same things cannot be said as are of
them; nor in
the times referred to, will there be any
persons
similar, and answerable to the martyrs and
confessors
described; since there will be no antichrist to
suffer from, nor to bear a testimony against; for the
kingdoms of
this world, both pagan, papal, and Mahometan,
will now
become the kingdoms of Christ, and serve him.
3a2c. The
time of the conversion of the Jews, and of the Gentiles,
will be over before this first resurrection takes place;
and
an account is
given of those events in the book of the
Rerelation,
before this resurrection and millennium state.
They are
signified, partly, by the ascension of the witnesses
to heaven;
and partly by the kingdoms of this world becoming
Christ's, #Re 11:12,15 and particularly, the conversion of
the Jews, by
the marriage of the Lamb being come, #Re 19:7-9.
3a2d. The
resurrection of the cause of Christ, as in the
conversion of
the Jews, and the accession of the Gentiles,
and this first resurrection, are assigned and belong to
two
different
periods; the events relating to the Jews and
Gentiles,
will be upon the destruction of the Pope and Turk,
at the
sounding of the seventh trumpet, and the pouring out
of the sixth
and seventh vials, and when all the
antichristian kings and states will be destroyed: but the
events of the
first resurrection, and the millennium, will
be not only
after the destruction of antichrist, but after
the binding
and shutting up of Satan and his angels, with
the wicked,
in the bottomless pit, and after the burning of
3a2e. If the
first resurrection could be understood of the
revival of
the cause of the martyrs, at the beginning of the
millennium,
it would follow, that there will also be a
revival of it among the rest of the dead, or the wicked,
at
the end of
it; since it is suggested, that they shall then
live: but
this is not only altogether improbable, but the
reverse is
the truth; for they will gather together in a
body, and
encompass the camp of the saints, the beloved
city, with an intention to destroy it: it remains,
therefore,
3a3. Thirdly,
that this first resurrection is to be understood
literally and
properly, of a corporal one; for,
3a3a. This resurrection is of such who died a corporal
death,
either a
violent one, being slain for their testimony for
Christ and
the gospel; or in a natural way, not having given
into
antichristian principles and practices; and therefore
their living
again, or their resurrection, which is called
the first, must be a corporal resurrection; for as is their
death, so
must be their resurrection from the dead. The
souls slain,
cannot be understood of such, distinctly
considered;
for they die not, and cannot be said to be
raised again;
but of the persons of men with respect to
their bodies, which only die, and are the proper subjects
of
a
resurrection; and which being raised, are united to their
souls, and
live; and so the whole person lives.
3a3b. Of such
a resurrection, is the living again of the wicked
dead, at the end of the millennium; for as their living
then
cannot be
interpreted, neither of a spiritual resurrection,
nor of a
civil one, it must be of a corporal one; and if
theirs, who
are the rest of the dead, is a corporal one,
then those
who lived before them, being raised from the
dead, must be a corporal one likewise; for that one part
of
the dead
should be raised, and live in one sense; and the
rest be
raised and live in another sense, is not reasonable
to suppose.
3a3c. It is a resurrection, which, by way of emphasis, is
called,
"the
resurrection", which some persons are "worthy" of, and
others are
not; or, "the resurrection which is out of", or
"from
among the dead"; the wicked dead, leaving them to
continue
under the power of death for a longer time; and
this is the resurrection the apostle was so desirous of
attaining to,
#Php 3:11 where he uses a different word, than
what is
commonly used of the resurrection; it being "a
better
resurrection", #Heb 11:35 the resurrection of the
just, which
is better than that of the wicked, being unto
life, and "through Jesus", #Ac 4:2 through union
to him; and
of which he
is the example and first fruits.
3a3d. The
resurrection in the text has a double article, which
makes it the more
emphatical, and points at what
resurrection is meant, "The resurrection, the
first"; that
which is the
first, with respect to the wicked, whose
resurrection
can be no other than corporal, and therefore
this must be
so too. And this may be confirmed by other
passages of
scripture; as by #Ps 49:14. "The upright shall
have dominion over them", the wicked; they rising
first in
the morning
of the day of the resurrection; and the wicked
in the
evening, or at the end of that day: and especially by
#1Th 4:16.
The dead in Christ shall rise first; this can be
understood of
no other than a corporal resurrection, which
will be at the second coming of Christ; nor of any other
but
of the saints
who die in Christ, in union with him; and of
their rising
before the wicked, who die not in him, but in
their sins;
and not of their rising before the change of the
living
saints, as some think; for the resurrection of the
dead in Christ, and the change of the living saints, will
both be
together, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye",
#1Co 15:52
and so not one before another. Nor are the
several
particular resurrections mentioned in scripture, any
objection to
the resurrection of the saints first {15};
since these were not a resurrection to an immortal life;
and
besides,
would lie as strongly against Christ being the
"first"
that rose from the dead, #Ac 26:23. Nor is the
resurrection
of the saints, at the resurrection of Christ,
any objection
to it, #Mt 27:52,53 for whether or no they
rose to an immortal life, is a question; and if they did,
which is not
improbable, theirs was only a presage and
pledge of the
general resurrection of the just, which is the
first; and
that of the wicked, the second.
3a3e. Nor are the passages in #Da 12:2 Joh 5:28,29 to be
objected to a
first and second corporal resurrection, and to
such a
distance of time between them as that of a thousand
years; the
resurrection of good and evil men being mentioned
together, as
if they were events that took place at the same
time; since, in prophecies especially, as these are,
things
are often
laid together, which are fulfilled separately, and
at a distance
from each other; as some concerning the first
and second
coming of Christ; and also concerning his
spiritual and
personal reign. Besides, these passages may be
considered as perfectly agreeing with, and as expressive
of
this twofold
resurrection, as to the time thereof; thus the
prophet
Daniel says, "Many shall awake", or rise from the
dead; that
is, "all"; but not at the same time, nor to the
same end;
"some" of these shall awake, or arise, at the
beginning of the thousand years, "to everlasting
life"; and
"some",
at the end of them, "to shame and everlasting
contempt":
and so our Lord says in the other passage; "The
hour is
coming"; the word wra, does not always signify that
part of time
which is sometimes called an hour; but "time"
in general, and a very long time too; see #1Jo 2:18 Re
17:12
and so here;
"The time is coming", the time of the millennium;
within the
compass of which "all that are in the graves shall
hear his
voice, and come forth; they that have done good,
unto the
resurrection of life", at the beginning of the said
hour, or time: "and they that have done evil, unto
the
resurrection
of damnation", at the end of it.
3a3f. The
apostle John, when, in the context, speaking of the
resurrection
from the dead, says, "they lived", that is,
rose from the dead; "but the rest of the dead lived
not
again",
did not rise again from the dead till afterwards;
speaks in the
language of his nation; nothing is more common
with the
Jews, than to call a corporal resurrection Mytmh
tyyxt
"the quickening of the dead" {16}, or causing them to
live. And is agreeable to the sacred scriptures, #Isa
26:19
#Ho 6:2 Ro
4:17. Now since only such who have part in the
first
resurrection, and which is a corporal one, will reign
with Christ a
thousand years; the millennium reign will be a
reign only of
risen saints, in a perfect state, and who will
not be in a mortal and sinful one; so that here will be no
conversion
work, and so no need of the word and ordinances;
and much less
will there be an indulgence to carnal
pleasures.
3b.
Secondly, another part of the description of those that shall reign with Christ
in the millennium, and which shows their happiness, is, "On such the
second death hath no power": the phrase, "the second death", is
only used in the book of the Revelation, and was common with the Jews, and what
John was well acquainted with, and is frequently to be met with in their
writings {17}; what is meant by it, may be seen in #Re
20:14 21:8 and is no other than the punishment of body and soul in hell; an
eternal separation of both from God; and is called the "second"
death, in distinction from the death of the body, which is the first death, and
lies in a separation of the soul from the body: now to be free and secure from
such a death, must be a great happiness; and this all in the millennium state
will enjoy, and for evermore.
3c. Thirdly, those that will
share in the millennium reign with Christ, will be "priests of God and of
Christ"; that is, made priests to God by Christ; shall serve the Lord as
the priests in the temple did; draw nigh to him, and offer up the sacrifices of praise continually; they will be a royal
priesthood, both kings and priests; as in #Re 1:6 5:10 like Christ their head,
who is a Priest on his throne; and as his type, Melchizedek, who was king of
Salem, and priest of the most high God: nor has it been unusual, in the nations
of the earth, for men to be both kings and priests {18}; and certain it is,
that those in the millennium are priests, that shall reign
as kings; and the same word, in the Hebrew language, signifies both priests and
princes.
3d. Fourthly, upon the whole,
it is no wonder that they are pronounced "blessed" and
"holy": they must needs be "blessed", since they will be
always before the throne, and serve the Lord day and
night, and hunger and thirst no more; shall be free from evils of every kind,
and from death in every shape, and of every sort; and shall be in the perfect
enjoyment of the presence of Christ. And they will be holy in body, being
raised in purity, in incorruption, and in glory, like the glorious body of
Christ; and in soul, being perfectly sanctified, and entirely free from sin,
from the being of it, and all defilement by it; see #Re
21:27.
4. The continuance and
duration of the reign of Christ and the saints together, which will be a
"thousand years". The things to be enquired into are, whether these
years are to be understood definitely, or indefinitely? and whether they are
past, or yet to come?
4a. First, whether they are to
be taken indefinitely, for an uncertain number; or definitely, for an exact,
precise, determinate time literally.
4a1. One ancient writer {19} understands the words
indefinitely,
for a long
time, even from the first coming of Christ to the
end of the
world; a long time indeed! longer than the
thousand
years themselves; for more than nine hundred years
above a
thousand, have run out already. Another {20},
indeed, interprets them of the ages of eternity; for which
#Ps 105:8 is
quoted; but whatever may be the sense of that
text, it
cannot be the sense of the millennium reign, for
that will
have an end; it is expressly said, "The rest of
the dead
lived not again till the thousand years were
finished", #Re 20:5 and of Christ's reign and kingdom
in
them, there
will be an end, when he will deliver up the
kingdom to
the Father, #1Co 15:24 or else, as the same
ancient
writer thinks, the latter part of the last thousandth
year of the
world may be meant, a part being put for the
whole. But however indefinitely this phrase may be
sometimes
so
understood, as in #1Sa 18:7 Ps 91:7 it cannot be so taken
in the
passages relating to the binding of Satan, and the
reign of
Christ and his saints; but must,
4a2. Be interpreted definitely and literally, of a
precise,
determinate
space of time; better reasons for which cannot
be well
given, than are by a writer {21} in the seventeenth
century,
though not in the scheme of the personal reign of
Christ a
thousand years; which are as follow,
4a2a. Because
when there is no necessity to take a scripture in a
figurative sense,
we are to receive it in the letter; but
neither the
scope of the place, nor the analogy of faith,
nor other
scriptures, lay any such necessity upon us, so to
4a2b. Because
this same space is so often repeated by the Spirit,
to which we
should take the more earnest heed, as matter of
instruction
and information (and so fix it on the mind the
more strongly) for thrice it is said, Satan was bound a
thousand
year's, and afterwards loosed, #Re 20:2,3,7 twice
it is said,
the saints shall reign a thousand years,
#Re 20:4,6
once, that the rest of the dead lived not again
till the
thousand years were finished, #Re 20:5 in all six
4a2c. The
emphasis put upon the phrase. Pareus well observes,
that in #Re
20:2,6 the thousand years are without an
article,
cilia eth, "a thousand years"; but in the other
places, "four" times, with an article, ta cilia
eth, "these
thousand
years"; these emphatically, these precise thousand
years. As if
he should say, Satan's imprisonment shall
continue a
thousand years; the martyrs shall live and reign
with Christ
during these thousand years, and afterwards he
4a2d. The
parts to which this number is applied, are so cemented
together, as cause
and effect, distinction and opposition,
that they
very much strengthen and prove that just account
of a thousand years; namely, Satan is bound a thousand
years, that
he should not deceive the nations till the same
thousand
years be fulfilled; then the saints lived and
reigned a
thousand years with Christ, that same thousand
years: but
the rest of the dead lived not again until these
thousand years were finished; while the holy ones, as
their
happiness,
made priests of God and of Christ, reign with
Christ a
thousand years: to which may be added, that these
thousand
years are bounded both at the beginning and end:
they are
bounded by the binding of Satan at the beginning of
them, and by loosing of him at the end of them, #Re 20:2,7
and they are
bounded by two resurrections; by the first
resurrection
of the saints, and the reign of them with
Christ upon
it; and by the second resurrection, or the
resurrection
of the wicked, at the close thereof. The next
4b. Secondly, whether these
thousand years are past or to come? To the solution of which, this observation
is necessary, that the binding of Satan, and the reign of Christ, are
contemporary; that the same thousand years Satan is bound, Christ and his saints reign together; the thousand years of the one, and
the thousand years of the other, run parallel with each other: and it is
further to be observed, and what will contribute greatly to the settling of
this point, and even to the decision of it, that by the binding of Satan is meant,
an entire and absolute confinement of him, and of all his angels, in the
bottomless pit; so that he and they will not be able "to deceive the nations" any more, till the thousand years are
ended; that is, not be able to draw them into idolatry, to fill them with bad
principles, and lead them into bad practices, and to stir them up to make war
with the saints, and persecute them; and so by any, and all of these ways,
deceive; during which time, the church and people of God must be in a state of
purity and peace. Now if any such time can be shown, in which
the nations of the world, not any of them, were not so far under the influence
and deception of Satan, as not to be drawn into idolatry; nor to embrace false
doctrines, and go into evil practices; nor to be excited to persecute the
saints, for the space of a thousand years; and that the church of Christ,
during such a time, has been in a state of perfect purity and peace; free from
being disturbed and distressed by idolaters, heretics, and
persecutors; then may these thousand years be said to be past; but if this
cannot be made to appear, then most certainly they are yet to come. Let us put
this to the trial; which will he best done by considering the several epochas,
or periods, from whence these thousand years have been dated. As,
4b1. First, from the birth of Christ, who came to destroy
the
works of the
devil, and before whom Satan fell as lightning
from heaven;
yet this falls short of the binding and casting
him into the
bottomless pit: whoever considers the state of
the Gentile
world when Christ came, being under the power of
the god of this world, the nations thereof being left to
walk in their
own ways; nay, Christ forbad his disciples
going into any
of the cities of the Gentiles; nor had they a
commission to
preach the gospel to all nations, till after
his
resurrection from the dead; who, I say, that considers
these things, can ever imagine that Satan was now bound?
And
if we look
into the state of the Jewish nation and church,
how sadly
corrupted in their morals, being a wicked and an
adulterous
generation, and depraved in their religious
sentiments;
neglecting the word of God, and preferring the
traditions of the elders to it; rejecting Christ, when he
came to them
with all the marks and characters of the true
Messiah, and
treating him with the utmost indignation and
contempt; and
were, as cur Lord says, "of their father the
devil",
and his "lusts" they would "do"; there can be no
reason to believe that Satan was now bound. His many
attacks
on the person
and life of Christ show the contrary; as his
putting Herod
on seeking the young child's life to destroy
it, in his
infancy; and to make that carnage of the infants
in, and about
Bethlehem, he did; his tempting him in the
wilderness, in the manner he did, which was bold, daring,
and insolent;
instigating the scribes and Pharisees to lay
hands on him,
and kill him, marching towards him as the
prince of the
world, and combating with him in the garden;
and putting
it into the heart of Judas to betray him; and
stirring up the people of all sorts to he pressing to the
Roman
governor, for the crucifixion of him, and by which
means he was
brought to the dust of death. And though,
indeed, Satan
was dispossessed of the bodies of men, which
possession
shows he was not bound; yet when dispossessed he
was not bound; and cast into the bottomless pit, but was
suffered to
go and rove about where he pleased; and though
Christ, by his
death, destroyed Satan, who had the power of
death, and
spoiled his principalities and powers, and ruined
his works;
yet all this did not amount to a binding and
confinement of his person in prison.
4b2.
Secondly, Others date these thousand years of Satan's
binding from
the resurrection of Christ; when it is true,
Christ
ascended on high, and led captivity captive, and
poured down his Spirit upon his apostles, on the day of
Pentecost,
whereby they were wonderfully fitted to preach
his gospel; and
accordingly preached it with great success,
both in Judea
and in the Gentile world; but still Satan was
not bound.
Not in Judea; for in the first and purest
Christian church, he filled the hearts of Ananias and
Sapphira to
lie against the Holy Ghost. He stirred up the
Jews to lay
hold on the apostles, and put them in prison;
and to stone
Stephen the proto-martyr; he raised a violent
persecution
against the church at Jerusalem, and havock was
made of it, and men and women hauled to prison; he put
Herod
upon killing
James the brother of John, and committing Peter
to prison.
And whereas the ministers of the word went into
other
countries, preaching the gospel, the Jews, under the
instigation
of Satan, stirred up the people against them
wherever they came; as at Antioch, Iconium, Lystra,
Thessalonica,
and other
places; and what the Christian Hebrews suffered
from them,
may be seen in #Heb 10:32,33. Nor was Satan bound
in the
Gentile world; for though the gospel made its way into
divers countries
and cities, to the conversion of many souls,
and the forming of many churches; yet heathenism, under
the
influence of
the god of this world, was the prevailing
religion
everywhere; and the sect of the Christians was
everywhere
spoken against; and the apostles and ministers of
the word,
were everywhere persecuted; bonds and imprisonment
waited for them in all places; and all the apostles
suffered
death for the
sake of the gospel; see the account the apostle
gives of
himself and others, in #1Co 4:9,12,13.
4b3. Thirdly,
others begin these thousand years of Satan's
binding at the destruction of Jerusalem, which was very
dreadful; in
the siege of it eleven hundred thousand men
perished
{22}; and when such insurrections, internal
quarrels, seditions,
murders, and scenes of iniquity were
among the
Jews themselves, Satan could never be thought to
be bound then; and after it, though things took a
different
turn with the
Jews, and in favour of the Christians, in
Judea and
elsewhere; the Jews, though they had the same ill
will to them,
had not the same power against them; yet they
themselves
manifestly appeared to be under the deception of
Satan, by their giving heed to false prophets, and false
christs,
which our Lord foretold would arise; witness Bar
Cochab, a
false messiah, who rose up in the times of Trajan,
whom the Jews
embracing, rebelled against the empire, which
brought a war
upon them in which fifty eight thousand were
slain {23}; and under the same deception by false messiahs,
and under the
same blindness and hardness of heart, and
malice
against Christ and his gospel, have they continued to
this day. And
as for the Gentile world, though the gospel
got ground
every where, and multitudes of souls were
converted, and the Gentile oracles were struck dumb {24};
the temples
almost desolate, and worship in them was
intermitted
{25}; yet Gentilism continued to be the
prevailing
religion throughout the Roman empire, till the
times of
Constantine, at the beginning of the fourth
century; as appears by the persecutions of the Christians
by
the Roman
emperors: the first persecution was under Nero;
this was
indeed a little before the destruction of
Jerusalem;
the occasion of it was this, he himself set fire
to the city of
Rome, and then, under the instigation of
Satan, charged it upon the Christians, whom he most
inhumanly
racked and tortured, and put to the most cruel
deaths that
could be invented {26}. The tenth and
last
persecution
was under Dioclesian, a little before the times
of
Constantine; his area was called by the Egyptians the
area of the martyrs {27}; the whole world was embrued with
their blood;
and the world was more exhausted of men thereby
than by any
war, as the historian says {28}; it was the
longest and
most severe {29}, it lasted "ten" years; and
perhaps, in
allusion to the ten persecutions, or to the ten
years of the last persecution, it is said in #Re 2:10.
"The
devil shall cast some of you into prison, and ye shall
have
tribulation ten days"; and if the devil cast the saints
into prison,
he himself could not be bound and cast into
prison; nor
could this be their reigning time; nay
Dioclesian thought he had got an entire victory over the
Christians, and
therefore set up pillars {30}, in some parts
of the
empire, signifying that the Christian name was
blotted out,
and the superstition of Christ everywhere
destroyed, as
he called it; and the worship of the gods
propagated; so far was Satan from being bound, that he
triumphed
over Christ and his cause: and that he could not
be bound in
this period of time, appears by the multitude of
heathen
deities worshipped; the number not only of heathen
philosophers
among the Greeks and Romans, but of the Magi in
the east, and of the Druids in the west, and of the
Brahmins
among the
Indians; also from the vile and false charges
brought by
the heathens under the influence of Satan against
the
Christians, of idolatries, murders, incests, impurities,
and unheard
of crimes; which obliged their writers, as
Justin Martyr, Tertuilian, &c. to write apologies in
the
defence of
them; to which may be added, the scoffs and
flouts, the
malice and blasphemy of the heathen writers
against
Christ and the Christian religion, as Crescens,
Lucian,
Celsus and Porphyry: and if we look into the
Christian church in the three first centuries, how it was
harassed and
distressed with heretics and heresies, we shall
soon be
convinced that Satan was not bound, nor Christ's
reign began;
to reckon up only the names of them from Simon
Magus to
Sabellius, would fill up a page; some denying the
doctrine of the Trinity; some the distinct personality in
the Deity;
some the person of Christ, either his real
humanity or his
proper Deity, or divine Sonship; as vile a
set of men
now were, for corruption in doctrine and
practice, as
perhaps ever was, and may truly be called a
"synagogue of Satan", as they seem to be in #Re
2:9 in
the times of
these men therefore the devil could never be
said to be
bound, when he had a synagogue of them.
4b4.
Fourthly, others begin the date of Satan's binding, and
Christ's reigning, from the times of Constantine; and
reckoning the
thousand years from hence they will reach to
the beginning
of the fourteenth century. Those who go this
way suppose
the vision in #Re 12:1-17 and that in
#Re 20:1-15
to be the same, which cannot be; that in the
former respects the imperial dragon, or the papal empire
under
the influence
of Satan; the latter the person of the devil
himself, with
his angels; the former respects a battle in
heaven, the
latter a combat on earth; the former represents
Satan as east
out of heaven on earth, the latter as cast out
of the earth into the bottomless pit; the former says
nothing of
the binding and shutting up of Satan, the latter
does; the
former speaks of him after his casting down, as at
liberty to go
about in the earth and distress the nations,
and annoy the
church; but the latter as in such confinement
as to be able to do neither: but that Satan could not be
bound, nor
the reign of Christ take place in the above
period of
time is manifest; for though upon Constantine's
coming to the
throne, and declaring himself a Christian, the
Christian religion
lift up its head, and flourished greatly
with respect to numbers, wealth, riches, and grandeur, yet
all its
outward greatness in the issue ended in its ruin;
and though
heathenism was demolished throughout the empire,
and pagan
temples shut up {31}, yet pagan rites and
ceremonies
were introduced into the church, and gradually
prevailed; and especially when the man of sin was
revealed,
so that the
followers of antichrist go by the name of
Gentiles, #Re
11:2. That the devil was not now bound,
appears by
the flood he cast out of his mouth to destroy the
woman, the
church, who was obliged to disappear and flee
into the wilderness, the remnant of whose seed he
persecuted,
#Re 12:13-17
by which flood is meant either a flood of
heresies, as
those of the Arians, Nestorians, Eutychians,
Macedoninns,
and Pelagians, which sadly infested and disturbed
the churches;
or a flood of persecution, particularly by the
Arians, which was begun by Constantine himself; who, as
the
historian
says {32}, exercised "vin persecutionis", towards
the latter
end of his life, being imposed upon: and this was
carried on
with great violence by his sons, Constantius and
Valens, who
embraced that heresy; and in after times by some
of the northern nations, who broke into the empire, and
became
Arians. In the reign of Julian, which, though but
short,
heathenism was in a great measure restored, and many
diabolical
arts were used by him to revive paganism, and
extirpate
Christianity; the schools of the Christians forbid,
their temples shut up, and those of the heathens opened.
These, with
his attempt, in favour of the Jews, to rebuild
the temple at
Jerusalem, in spite of prophecy, and his
outrageous
blasphemies against the Galilean, as he used to
call our Lord,
plainly show that Satan was not bound. The
irruptions of the Goths and Vandals, and other northern
nations, into
the empire, and the destructions they made in
church and
state, is a full proof of this. Within this interval
of time
antichrist rose up, and manifestly appeared; whose
coming was
after the working of Satan, with all powers and
signs, and lying wonders; whose followers give heed to
seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils; and who worship
devils, and
idols of gold and silver; and whose reign is to
continue one
thousand two hundred and sixty days or years,
and so not
yet at an end: and while antichrist reigns,
Christ's reign cannot take place, nor Satan be bound. Also
much about
the same time, that vile impostor Mahomet, under
the
instigation of the devil, arose; when the bottomless pit
was opened,
and then Satan surely could not lie bound in it;
out of which
came the smoke of the absurd Alkoran, which
darkened the sun and moon, the light of great part of the
world; and
from whence came his locusts, the Saracens, which,
for some
centuries, greatly afflicted the Christian empire,
whose king
was called Abaddon, and Apollyon, #Re 9:11 as did
the Turks
after them, whose empire was set up in the beginning
of the fourteenth century, and continued to distress
Europe
till the
latter end of the last. And now, so long as Mahometanism
prevails over
so large a part of the world as it does, the
thousand
years reign, and the binding of Satan, cannot be
expected. To
which may be added, the persecutions of the
Waldenses and Albigenses, in the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries, by
the papal antichrist, and which have been
exercised on
them, even in the last century, in the valleys
of Piedmont {33},
show that Satan cannot be bound. And as to
the state of
heathenism, it will appear, by consulting the
Magdeburgensian centuriators, that it has subsisted in
various parts
of the world, throughout all the centuries,
from
Constantine to the fourteenth century; and about the end
of the
fifteenth, when America was first discovered, in what
state were
the inhabitants of it? ldolators: yea, they
worshipped the devil in some places in the West Indies
{34};
as the
inhabitants of the East Indies {35}, and others in
North and
South America: and how many nations and kingdoms,
both in
America and in the East Indies, are, at this day,
under the
power of heathenism? And it was a calculation made
by some in the last century, that if the whole known
world,
was divided
into thirty equal parts, nineteen of them would
be found
idolatrous Gentiles {36}. Surely then Satan cannot
be bound, so
as not to deceive the nations.
4b5. Fifthly, some begin the thousand years reign, and the
binding of
Satan, at the reformation from popery; but
whether the
date is from Wicklift, John Huss, and Jerom of
Prague, or
from Luther; they all of them either suffered
death, or met
with great inhumanity and ill treatment, from
the instruments of Satan, and therefore he could not be
bound; and
great numbers of their followers were persecuted
unto death.
Since the reformation, were the massacre in
Paris, when
ten thousand Protestants were murdered in one
night, and
seventy thousand in seven days time {37}: and the
many martyrs burnt here in England, in queen Mary's reign;
and the
massacre in Ireland, in which two hundred thousand
perished; all
under an hellish influence, are clear
demonstrations
that Satan was not bound. Besides, though
various
nations, at the reformation, fell from popery, yet
all did not, and some have revolted to it since; and
whoever
considers the
great decline of religion in our day, the
increase of
popery, and the spread of errors and heresy
among us, and
the great profaneness and immorality that
prevail, can
never think that Satan is bound, or that the
millennium is begun. Upon the whole, it must clearly
appear,
that there
never as yet has been such a time, in which it
could be
said, that Satan had no power to deceive the
nations, either
by drawing them into idolatry, and other bad
principles,
or into persecuting practices; nor any time in
which the church of Christ has been in a state of purity
and
peace, free
from idolatry, heresy, and persecution;
wherefore it
may be strongly concluded, that Satan is not
yet bound;
and that Christ's kingdom is not yet come; nor
are these
things to be expected in the present state.
The spiritual
reign in the latter day bids fairest for
it; and
which, indeed, is a branch of Christ's kingdom, when
both Pope and
Turk will be destroyed; but then Satan will
only be
destroyed in his instruments, but not in his person
bound. Besides, the spiritual and personal reign of
Christ,
though
branches of his kingdom, belong to different periods;
and will not
both take place in the present state; the
spiritual
reign will be in the present earth, and of saints
in a sinful,
mortal state, and in the use of ordinances: but
the millennium reign will be on the new earth, and of
saints
in a risen
perfect state, standing in no need of ordinances,
as now. The
millennium reign will not be till after the
first
resurrection; and the first resurrection will not be
till the
second coining of Christ, when the dead in him
shall rise first. The personal reign of Christ will not be
till the new
heavens and the new earth are made, which will
be the seat
of it; and these will not be till the present
heavens and
earth are dissolved and burnt up; and this
conflagration
will not be till Christ comes a second time.
The reign of Christ with his saints, will not be till
Satan
is bound, as
well as antichrist destroyed; and Satan will
not be bound,
till Christ, the mighty angel, descends from
heaven to
earth, which will not be till the end of the
world.
5a. I close all, with an
answer to a few of the principal objections to the above scheme; and to two or
three questions relative to the same.
5a. First, to
objections. As,
5a1. It may
be objected, to what purpose will Satan be bound a
thousand
years to prevent his deception of the nations, when
there will be
no nations to be deceived by him during that
time, since
the wicked will be all destroyed in the general
conflagration; and the saints will be with Christ, out of
the reach of temptation
and seduction? I answer, this will
not be the
case at the first binding of Satan, which is the
first thing
Christ will do when he descends from heaven;
first bind
Satan, then raise the righteous dead, and change
the living saints, and take both to himself; and then burn
the world:
but as the time between the binding of Satan, and
the burning
of the world, may be but short, I lay no stress
on this. Let
it be observed, that the same nations, Satan,
by being
bound, is prevented from deceiving any more, till
the thousand years are ended, are those that will be
deceived by
him after his being loosed; as appears by
comparing #Re
20:3 with #Re 20:8 and to prevent
their being
deceived by him, and put upon schemes to the
disturbance
of the saints, in their reign with Christ, he
and they, that is, their separate spirits, will be shut up
together in
the bottomless pit; so that the one will be in a
state of
inactivity, and incapable of tempting and
deceiving;
and the other in a case and condition not
susceptible
of temptation and seduction; and both will have
enough to do to grapple with their dreadful torments in
this
confined
state; the one will not be at leisure to propose a
mischievous
scheme, nor the other to hearken to it; and
Satan will
full well know, that should he form a scheme, it
would be
impossible to put it in execution in their present
circumstances. That the wicked, in an immortal state, are
capable of
being tempted and deceived by Satan, appears by a
fact, after
the loosing of him; for which reason it was
necessary he
should be bound during the thousand years: and
that the
saints, in an immortal state, are not exempt from
attempts upon them, by him and his emissaries, only when
he
is under absolute
confinement, which made it necessary,
during the
said term of time; and which will be his case
after this
affair is over, to all eternity.
5a2. That though the saints are said to reign with Christ
a
thousand
years, #Re 20:4,6 yet they are not there said to
reign
"on earth". But it is elsewhere said, the meek shall
inherit the
earth; and righteousness, or righteous men,
shall dwell
in the "new earth"; and the redeemed of the
Lamb, who are made kings and priests unto God, shall
"reign
on earth";
and they are the same with the priests of God and
Christ, that
shall reign with him a thousand years. Besides,
it appears
from the context, that this reign will be on
earth; the
angel that descends from heaven to bind Satan,
descends on earth; the binding of Satan will be on earth;
for there he
deceived the nations before, and will after his
loosing: the
resurrection, and living again of the dead,
will be on
earth; and so, in course, their reign with Christ
there.
Besides, they are manifestly the camp of the saints,
the beloved city, the Gog and Magog army will encompass,
who
will come up
on the "breadth of the earth"; and therefore
the saints,
the beloved city, must be on earth; and who are
no other than
the holy city John saw come down from God out
of heaven,
that is, on earth, where the tabernacle of God
will be with them, #Re 21:2,3.
5a3. It is
objected to the personal reign of Christ with the
saints on
earth, that they, by reason of the frailty of
nature, will be
unfit to converse with Christ, in his
glorious human nature; but, like the apostles Paul and
John,
who, when he
appeared to them, fell down at his feet, either
trembling or
as dead. But this objection proceeds upon a
supposition,
that the saints will then be in a sinful,
mortal state;
which will not be the case; but as their souls
will be perfectly sanctified, so their bodies will be
raised
in
incorruption, power, and glory, and fashioned like to the
glorious body
of Christ, and so fit to converse with him in
it; yea, more
so than separate souls in heaven.
5a4. It is suggested, that for the saints to come down
from
heaven, and
leave their happy state there, and dwell on
earth, must
be a diminishing of their happiness, and greatly
detract from
it. No such thing; for Christ will come with
them; all the
saints will come with him, and dwell and reign
with him; and where he is, heaven is, happiness is. Did
Moses and
Elias lose any of their happiness when they came
down from
heaven, and conversed with Christ on the mount, at
his
transfiguration? None at all. No more will the saints,
by being and
reigning with Christ on earth, in a more
glorified state than he was then in: yea, so far from
being
lessened
hereby, that the happiness of the saints will be
increased;
their bodies will be raised, and united to their
souls, they
had been in expectation of, to complete their
happiness:
and this being now done, they will be more like
to Christ, and more fit to converse with him. At the death
of Christ, he
committed his human spirit, or soul, to his
Father, and
it was that day in paradise; on the third day,
when he rose,
his soul returned, reentered, and was
reunited to
his body; and after his resurrection, he
continued on earth forty days, showing himself to, and
conversing
with his disciples. During this time, was his
soul less
happy than before his resurrection? yea, was it
not more so?
5a5. The bodies of the wicked lying in the earth till the
thousand
years are ended, may be objected to the purity of
the new
earth, and to the glory of the state of the saints
upon it. The
purification of it by fire, will, indeed, only
affect the
surrounding air, and the surface of the earth, or
little more, and the figure of it, and its external qualities
and
circumstances; and not the matter and substance of it,
which will
remain the same. And as for the bodies of the
wicked, that
will have been interred in it from the beginning
of the world
to the end of it, those will be long reduced to
their original earth, and will be neither morally impure,
nor
naturally
offensive; and if anything of the latter could be
conceived of,
the purifying fire may reach so far as entirely
to remove
that; and as for the bodies of the wicked, which
will be burnt
to ashes at the conflagration, how those ashes,
and the ruins of the old world after the burning, will be
disposed of,
by the almighty power, and all wise providence
of God, it is
not easy to say; it is very probable they will
be disposed of
underground: and this will be so far from
detracting
from the glorious inhabitation and reigning of the
saints with Christ upon it, that it will greatly add to
the
glory of that
triumphant reign; for now all the wicked that
ever were in
the world, will be under the feet of the saints
in the most
literal sense; now they will not only tread upon
the wicked as
ashes, but tread upon the very ashes of the
wicked; and so the prophecy in #Mal 4:3 will be literally
fulfilled,
which respects this very case.
5b. Secondly, to questions.
5b1. What will become of the new earth, after the thousand
years
of the reign
of Christ and his saints on it are ended?
whether it
will be annihilated or not? My mind has been at
an
uncertainty about this matter; sometimes inclining one
way, and
sometimes another; because of the seeming different
accounts of it in #Isa 66:22 where it is said to
"remain"
before the
Lord, and in #Re 20:11 where it is said to "flee
away"
from the face of the judge; as may be seen by my
"notes"
on both places, and by a "correction" at the end of
the
"fourth" volume on the Old Testament; but my last and
present thoughts are, that it will continue for ever; and
that the
passage in #Re 20:11 is a rhetorical exaggeration
of the glory
and greatness of the judge, which appeared such
to John in
the vision, that the heavens and earth could not
bear it, and
therefore "seemed" to disappear; the phrase,
"from whose face", which is unusual, seems to
suggest and
confirm it. I
am of opinion therefore, that the new earth
will be a
sort of an apartment to heaven, whither the saints
will pass and
repass at their pleasure; and which agrees
with other
scriptures, which speak of the saints dwelling
on, and inheriting the earth for ever {38}.
5b2. Who the
Gog and Magog army are, that shall encompass the
camp of the
saints, when the thousand years are ended? What
makes an
answer to this the more difficult is, that at the
general conflagration of the present earth, all the wicked
in it will be
burnt up, and none but righteous persons will
dwell in the
new earth; it is to no purpose therefore, to
think of
Turks, Tartarinns, Scythians, and other barbarous
nations {39},
types of these; nor of any remains {40} of the
wicked who escaped the general destruction, as supposed;
nor
of such
frightened at the first appearance of Christ, who
fled to the
remotest parts, and now resume their courage,
and come
forth: it is a strange absurd notion of Dr. Burnet
{41}, that
these will be men born of the earth, generated
from the slime of the ground, and the heat of the
sun; and
increasing and multiplying after the manner
of men, by
carnal propagation, after a thousand years will
become very
numerous, as the sand of the sea, and make the
attack they
are said to do. But there is no need to have
recourse to so gross an expedient as this: the persons are
at
hand, and
easy to be met with; they are "the rest of the
dead",
the wicked, who live not till the thousand years are
ended; and then
will live, being raised from the dead, even
all the
wicked that have been from the beginning of the
world; which accounts for their number being as the
sand of the
sea: and these rising where they died, and
were buried,
will be in and come from the four quarters
of the world;
and as they died enemies to Christ, and his
saints, they
will rise such; hell and the grave will make
no change in them; and as they laid down with the
"weapons
of war, their
swords under their heads", they will be in a
readiness,
and rise with the same malicious and revengeful
spirit; and
though it will be a mad enterprise, to attack
saints in an
immortal state, who cannot die; and Christ,
the King of kings, at the head of them; yet when it is
considered,
that they will rise as weak and feeble: as unable
to resist
temptation, and as capable of deception as ever;
and what with
being buoyed up with their own number,
and the posse
of devils at the head of them; and
especially considering the desperateness of their case,
and
this their
last struggle to deliver themselves from eternal
ruin; it may
not so much be wondered at, that they should
engage in
this strange undertaking {42}.
5b3. What the fire will be, which shall come down from
heaven,
and destroy
the Gog and Magog army? Not material fire; but
the wrath and
indignation of God, which will be let down
into their
consciences; and which will so terrify and
dispirit
them, that they will at once desist froth their
undertaking; like the builders of the tower of Babel, when
the Lord not
only confounded their language, but smote their
consciences
for their impiety. The issue of all this will
be, the
casting of the devil and his angels into the lake of
fire, where
the beast and false prophet are; and the
everlasting destruction of the wicked, soul and body, in
the
same, after
the general judgment is over; which is the next
thing to be
considered.
{1} So the author of Onus
Ecclesiae, published A. D. 1524. vid. Heidegger Dissert. 23.
de Chiliasmo, s. 8.
{2} See p. 744.
{3} This is the sense of the
ancient writers concerning the millennium; as of Papias, a hearer of the
apostle John, and a companion of Polycarp, Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 3. c. 39. and
of Justin Martyr, and the orthodox Christians in his time, Dialog. cum Trypho, p. 307. and of Irenaeus, adv. Haeres. l. 5. c. 20,
32. and of Apollinarius, Hieron, Catalog. Script. Eccles. c. 28. and of
Tertullian. contr. Marcion, l. 3. c. 24. and of Lactantius, Instit. l. 7. c.
14. 24. and of Victorinus Pictaviensis, vid. Hieron. ut supra. and of Sulpicius
Severus, Hieron. in Ezek. 36. fol. 235. I.
{4} Vid. Euseb. Ec. Hist. l.
7. c. 24, 25. Hieron. in Esaiam, c. 66. fol. 120. D. & Dionysium
apud ib. proem. in Esaiam, com. 18. fol. 112. L.
{5} De Civitate Dei, l. 20. c.
7.
{6} So the Hebrew particle b
sometimes signifies; see Noldius.
{7} It is a rule with the
Jews, that every blessing or prayer, in which there is no mention of God and
his kingdom, is no blessing or prayer. Maimon. Hilchot, Beracot,
c. 1. s. 5.
{8} Theory of the Earth, vol.
2. b. 4. ch. 2. p. 198.
{9} Opera, tom. 2. contra
Chiliastas, p. 458, 460.
{10} Not. in Dan. vii. 13. et
de regno Eccl. glorioso, c. 2. fol. 11.
{11} Austin says, without
doubt the resurrection of the dead is meant, De Civ. Dei, l. 20.
c. 5.
{12} Antoninus de Seipso, l.
11. f. 1. Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 15. c. 19. Basil. de Creat. Orat. 1.
Epiphan. contr. Haeres. l. 1. tom. 3. haer. 37.
{13} So Brenius in loc. et de
Regno Eccl. Glorioso, c. 10. The Author of Theopolis, Whitby on the Millennium,
Dr. Ridgley in his Body of Divinity, &c.
{14}
Brightman in Dan. xii. 2.
{15} Theopolis, p. 53.
{16} T. B. Sabbat, fol. 88. 2.
Sotah, fol. 48. 2. & Sanhedrin, fol. 92. l. Targum Hieros. in Gen. 19. 26.
et in Gen. 25. 24.
{17} Targ. Hieros. in Deut.
33. 6. & Tou in Isa. 22. 14. & 65. 6, 15. & in Jer. 51. 39, 57. deuterov yanatov is a phrase in Plutarch. de facie in
luna, p. 942.
{18} "Rex Anius, rex idem
hominum Phoebique sacerdos", Virgil. Aeneid. l. 3. so the Roman emperors
were called Pontifices.
{19} Ambros. in Apocalyps, c.
20. col. 473.
{20} Aug. de Civ. Dei, l. 20.
c. 7.
{21} The
Author of Theopolis, p. 43, 44.
{22} Joseph. de Bello Jud. l.
6. c. 9. s. 3.
{23} Lampe Synops. Hist. Sacr.
et Ecclesiast. l. 2. c. 3. p. 110.
{24} "----Delphis Oracula
cessant, Juvenal", Satyr. 6. v. 554.
{25} Plin. Epist. l. 10. ep.
97.
{26}
Sulpicii Severi Sacr. Hist. l. 2. p. 96.
{27} Schmid. Compend. Hist.
Ecclesiast. sec. 3. p. 116.
{28} Sulpicius ut supra, p.
99, 100.
{29} Orosii Hist. l. 7. c. 25.
{30} Gruter. Inscript. p. 280.
apud Fabricii Salutar. Lux. Evangel. p. 157.
{32} Sulpicius, ibid. p. 102.
Socrat. Eccl. Hist. l. 3. c. 11, 12.
{33} See Perrin's History of
the Waldenses, and Morland's History of the evangelical Churches in the valley
of Piedmont.
{34} P. Martyr de Angleria
Decad 1. l. 9. Oviedo de Ind. Occident. c. 5.
{35}
Vartomauni Navigat. l. 5. c. 2. 23. & 16. 27. Ross's View of all Religions,
p. 59. see p. 77, 79, 80, 88, 89.
{36} Schmid. compend. Hist.
Ecclesiast. sec. 17. p. 500.
{37} Ibid. sec. 16. p. 462.
{38} The Stoic philosophers
speak of the final resolution of all things into fire, into a liquid
flame, or pure ether. Dr. Burnet was of opinion that the earth, after the last
day of judgment, will be changed into the nature of a sun, or of a fixed star,
and shine like them in the firmament, Theory of the Earth, l. 4. c. 10. p. 317.
Mr. Whiston thinks it will no longer be found amoug the planetary chorus, but
probably become again a comet for the future ages of the world, New Theory, l.
4. c. 5. p. 451.
{39} Vid.
Hieron. in Ezek. 38. fol. 238. K.
{40} Lactant. Institut. l. 7.
c. 24.
{41} Theory of the Earth, l.
4. c. 10. p. 313.
{42} See my Exposition of Rev.
xx. 8. See Gill on "Re 20:8".