not blow. d on the earth, nor on the 1ca, nor on any |
tree d. a The firſt Sufferings of the Church under the Reman Emperors
that were Pagans, were foretold under the firft fix Seals, as hath been ſhewed, but they had yet more, 11 not greater things to ſuf- fer, which are diſcovered to Fobn, as we ſhall fee when we come to the opening of the Seventh and /aF Seal- in the next chapter; only it pleaſeth God by a Viſion in this chapter to. comfort his Church; ſo as thou_h this Viſion relateth to the ſixth Seal, and was before. the openins of the ſeventh, yet it hatha relation to that, to ſhew the Care tht God would take of his Church ander thoſe great Evils that ſhould happen upon the opening of the ſeventh Seal;- or when the thin,s fore-told upon the opening of 1t, ſhould come to be: accom- pliſhed. b Four good Angels, God 1s called their God, verſe 3. c Thit is, to whom God hath given it in charge, that they ſhould in- fli!t his [udements upon all the parts of theEarth ; for God often uſeth by his Prophets, the Metap'tor of Winds, to expreſs ſtormy, trouble- ſome Diſperſations, as Jer. 49. 36. and 18. 17. and chap. 51. 1. d This. Phraſe is interpreted variouſly, Gad making uſe of the Winds in a way of Tudzment , to throw down-Buildings and Trees. 2. In
a way of Mercy, to purifie the Air, and by their gentle Breathings |
to cheriſh things. Some interpret this Command to the Angels, into a Command to theſe Angels to forbear a while thoſe Storms of Judgments which were coming , till the Servants of God ſhould be ſealed. Others interpret them into a Command to bring . Judg- ments, either corporal or ſpiritual, which they think is ſignified by the Winds not blowing. The firſt ſeemeth-to.be favoured by the next verſe, To whom it was given to burt; the Earth, and the Sea; * which ſcemeth to me to interpret the blowing mentioned jn- this Verſe, of an hurtſul blowing. d The Earth, the Sea, and the Trees, ſeem to ſignifie all the ſublunary Werld , eſpecially the Church.
2 And I faw another angel aſcending from the
REVELATION.
Their |
' 2, That : 22 | certain Number, which yet was very great. _ ing on the- four corners of the earth b, holding | - Y ſy 8
Chap.
eaſt e, having theſeal of the living God : And hecri- ed with a loud voice'to the four angels f, ro whom it
was glven to hurt the earth and the ſea.
e By this other Angel, ſome underſtand an Angel by Naturez ſoine, a Man, Elias, or Conſtantine; others, Chrif himſelf called an Angel, Exod. 24. 29. it.is not much material whether we by this An- - underſtand Chri$, or ſome Angel, which he made his Inſtrument.
He gives a command to thoſe four Angels, whom God had made the ore » or Executioners . of | his Wrath and Juſtice ia the
orld. | |
trees, until we haye + ſealed the ſervants of our God
In the foreheadsg. £ A manifeſt Alluſjon to Ezek. 9g. 4. and, as ſome think, to the uſage of ſome Eaſtern Countries, for Maſters to ſet their Names up-
theirs, as we mark our Sheepor other Beaſts, Men as vainly diſpute what this Scal, ſhould be, as what the T\ meant in. Ezck. 9. ( the Mark ſet ugon thoſe that mourned for the Abominations of Fer»ſ- lem.) The place where they were to be ſealed ſignified the end; of their ſealing, not ſo much for confirmation, for which Seals are uſed, as Notification, to fignifie to others they belonged to God, ſo as it was of the ſame uſe as the [Blood upon the two Side-poſts, and the upper Door-poſts of the Iaelites in Egypt, Exod. 12. 03. |
4 And I heard the number of them which were ſealed : and there were ſealed an hundred, and forty and tour thouſand” of all the tribes of the children of {{rae].
5 Of the tribe of Judah were ſealed twelve thou- ſand. Of the tribe of Reuben were ſealed twelve c-houſand. . Of the tribe of Gad were ſcaled twelve chouſand. 0
6 Ot the tribe of Aſer were ſealed twelve thouſang.. Of the tribe of Nephthali were ſealed twelve thouſand. Of the tribe of Manafles were ſealed twelve thou- ſand. . T0; this 7 Of the tribe of Simeon were ſealed twelve thou- ſand. Of the tribe of Levi were ſealed rwelve thou- ſand. Of the tribe of Ii{lachar were ſealed twelve thou-
ſand. 3 Of the tribe of Zebulon were ſealed twelve thou-
ſand. Of the tribe of Joſeph were ſealed twelve rhou- ſand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were ſealed twelve
thouſand h- |
h For the underſtanding of theſe five Verſes, ſeveral things are to be noted. | |
1. That the whole Number is 244000, which is the produ@t of I2, as the original Number, ( ſetting aſide the Cyphers ) for 12 times 12 makes 144. The Number of 144, chap. 21. 17.” was the mea- ſure of the Wall of the new Feruſalem : Twelve, which is the root of this Number 144, ſeemeth to be God's Number, and uſed in Scripture about - 144 times, and almoſt generally- in things -belong- 1ng to the Church, which: had 12 Patriarchs, 12' Tribes under. the Old Teſtament, 12 Apoſtles { as its Heads ) under the New Teſta» . ment, and the new Jeruſalem: from Heaven, chap. 21. 12. is ſaid to have 12 Gates, and at the Gates 12 Angels, verſe 14. the Wall had {0 Foundations, the length of it, werſe [-16, twelve thouſand Fur : longs. |
|
we muſt not by 14400e underſtand a certain, but an un-
f& +14 3.. That by the Tribes of Jf-4el mentioned here, are to be under- ; flood the ſeveral Goſpel-Churthes of the Gentiles, who are now God's ' Trae! ingrafted into the true Olive." | 4- That the Tribe of Dan'1s::here left out, and Epbraim is not named, ( though included in Zojeph.).of the Tribe of.Dan there were none ſealed. Dan was a great Ring-leader to-Iddlatry, fo, was E- phraim; Sec the 17, and 18, Chapter of Judges 3and-at Dan it was that Jeroboam .ſet up his Calves. Lew is put inſtead of Dep, and Joſeph inſtead of Ephraim, by which means here,are yet twelve Tribes which teacheth us this, That Chriſtians, if Idolaters, muſt __ look for./ aty ſpecial Prateftion or Favour from God in a day of evil, f $55; 7 7 hea] | 5 Theſe Tribes are not'ſet |in order, according to. their Birth- rignt. ys Judah was Leah's fourth. Sop, Gen.29.35. put firſt becauſe Chriſt deſcended from him. | | : ” 2. Reuben her eldeſt Son is Meſfiah's Tribe, } | 3. Gad, JacoÞ's Son by Zilpah, Gen, 3o. 11. is put next. . 4- Ajbea, Jacob's. Son; by Zilpab, .in the fourth + place, Gen. 30-
13 ES | 's Son by Bilbah, RacheF's
put next, giving place only to the
\