is nourished there for a time and times and half a time, while the red Dragon makes war with the faints. feal, con feven For the understanding this Chronology of the The Apocalypfe, it must alfo be known, that feventh the feventh Seal which is open'd in the be-tains under ginning of the 8th. Ch. contains under it the it the Teven Trumpets, & that the feven Trumpets Trumpets. reach to the end of the second Period, which is the Empire of Antichrift, & even to the reign of Chrift inclufively: That is to fay, to the very end of the World. For at the founding of the last Trumpet, there were great voices in Heaven, faying, the Kingdomes of the World are become the Kingdomes of our Lord C. II. 15. of his Chrift, & he fhall reign for ever and ever. And the feven Trumpets begin about the time of the fall of the Roman Empire under the Chriftian Emperors. Upon the c. 8.7. founding of the First Trumpet, there followed bail & fire mingled with blood, & they were caft upon the Earth & the third part of the Trees were burnt up. These are plainly the numberless Northern Armies of the Vandals, Goths & Hunn's, who in the reign of Honorius begun to make dreadfull havock throughout the whole extent of the Roman Empire, which is here meant by the Third part, because the Roman Empire in truth did contain very near a third part of the World. And fo the duration of the fix Trumpets even to the feventh exclufively, is alfo very near co-temporary with the 42 Months of The feven Vialls are contained fixth Tram pet. of the reign of the Beast & the Court trod den under foot by the Gentiles. It must alfo be obferved that the feven Vialls of the wrath of God are co-temporary under the with the fixth Trumpet, & do divide it even to the founding of the feventh. The duration of the Kingdom of Antichrift, which is 1260 Years, is divided into two other Periods. The firft is that of the birth, growth, & progrefs of the Babylonifh Empire to its perfection. And this Period reacheth to the tenth Century, i. c. it lafts between 5 and 600 Years. The fecond Period is from the tenth Century to the end of Antichriff's reign. Now the feven Vials of the 16th. Chap. of the Revelation are the fteps by which this Babylonish Empire paffes, to come to her ruin. So these feven Vials are not co-temporary neither with the feven Seals, nor with the feven Trumpets, as fome have imagin'd; They are co-temporary only with the fixth the effect of which begins about the tenth Century. The Chronology of the third general Period of the Church, which is that of the 10co Years, hath no difficulty in it that needs a refolution. We need only to observe that these five things are co-temporary in the third Period. I. The reign of the Saints for a 1000 Years. Five things Period of II. The Dragon that is bound, & whose the reign power is broken. Rev. 20. 2, 3. of the thoufand years. III. The III. The New ferufalem, the description wherof we have Rev. 21. & 22. Chapters. Rev. 7. 17. IV. The company of Saints that are clothed in white garments, & who carry Palms in their hands, finging this fong, Salvation to our God that fits upon the throne, & Rev.7. 19, unto the Lamb; and of whom it is faid, they fhall hunger no more neither thirst any more, neither ball the fun light on them, nor any heat; the Lamb fhall feed them, & fhall lead them unto living fountains of waters. Forthefe are not the 144 thoufand Sealed perfons, fpoken of in the beginning of the 7th. Chap. St. John faith expreffely After this, i.e. after v.g thefe 144 thousand fealed perfons, I beheld, lo a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, & kindreds, & people, & tongues ftood before the throne, & before the Lamb, &c. This plainly fhews, that these are not the perfons that were Sealed; For they might easily be numbred, because they were not above 144 thoufand; wheras thefe here fpoken of are innumerable. In truth these are the fame that are spoken of in the 20th. of the Revel, who are there called the fouls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Iefus, & for the word of God; & here they are called, they which came out of great tribulation, & have washed their robes, & made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They are therfore co-temporary with the reign of Christ for a 1000 Years, as the 144 thoufand that were fealed are co-temporary with the reign of Babylon for 1260 Days, C. 7.-14 Rev. II. 15. A fhort explanation of the 11th. Chap. V. The fifth and laft thing co-temporary is the duration of the feventh Trumpet. And the feventh Angel founded with a Trumpet, & there were great voices in heaven, saying, the Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of the Lord. For at the found of the Laft Trumpet, the laft blow must be given to the Babylonifn Empire, & at the fame time fhall begin the reign of Iefus Chrift, to which is affign'd a Period of 1000 Years. And the influence of this feventh and laft Trumpet muft reach even to the end of the World. Thus you have the Chronology of the twelve laft Chapters of the Revelation. We proceed to confider the Hiftory. CHAP. X. Afhort Syftem of the Events foretold in the Revelation concerning the Church, as to the Hiftorical part. IN N the 11th. Ch. where the Destinies of the Church do begin, the H. Ghoft in the firft place gives us an abridgment of these Definies & Events; & nothing is more methodical than that, First to give a general Idea of those things, that are afterwards more particularly to be explained. So this Chapter from the 2d. v. to the end contains a fhort History of the 1260 Years of Antichrift's reign, & of the 1000 Years of Chrift's reign; as great ▼. 2. v. 3. v. 76 as in the firft verfe he had defcribed the first Period of 360 Tears, as we just now observed in the foregoing Chapter. This reign of Antichrift is here defcribed by this Paganism that was to tread under foot the Holy City for 42 Months. The afflictions of the Church & its perpetuall fubfiftence in the midst of thofe afflictions during this reign of Antichrift, are fignified by the two Witnesses clothed in fack-cloth. A great perfecution, that muft befall the Church at the end of thefe 1260 Years of Antichrist's reign, is there alfo predicted. The total fuppreffion of the profeffion of the truth by that perfecution is fignified by the death of these two Witneffes, who muft remain dead in the territories of Babylon the for three prophetical days and a half, i.e. three Years & a half. We fhall fee afterwards what that means, & where we muft place this great event. At the end of three years & a half these two Witneffes, i.e. the publique profeffion of the truth, fhall rife again, and be gloriously reeftablifht. For the H. Ghoft faith, that the two Witneffes fhall afcend again up into Heaven. i.e. fhall be exalted & glorified upon the Earth. In the fame time the tenth part of the City fhall fall, i.e. one of thofe ten Kings that gave their power to the Beast, fhall revolt from him. And a little after, the feventh Trumpet fhall found which will give the laft blow to the Babylonifh Empire. After v.15, which the Reign of the Saints fhall commence, which fhall continue to the end of the World. V. IN |