7 This voice ſuited him who is the Lioh of the Tribe of 7udah; the Lions voice is both loud and terrible. & Interpreters judge theſe ſeven Thunders to ſignifie thoſe Judgments of God which ſhould be executed in the World upon the ſounding of the ſeventh Trumpet, and precedaneous to the Day of Judgment, which we :ſhall find more fully opened. under the ſeventh Trumpet by the feyen Vials poured out, which ſignifie the ſame thing : Yet ſome underſtand by. theſe ſeven Thunders, the powerful preaching the Goſpel; but the other ſeemeth more probable. :
..4 And when the ſeven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about 'to write /: and I heard a voice fron heaven, ſaying unto'me, * Seal up thoſe things which the ſeven thunders uttered, and write 'them
not 7. 1 To write what he underſtood of the Voices of theſe Thunders.
7 But he was forbidden the publication of ' them, becauſe they con- |
cerned things tobe fulfilled at ſome diftance of time, and ſhould be afterward more fully revealed,
5 And the angel which IT ſaw ſtand upon the ſea, and upon the ..earth z, lifteq,-up his hand to hea- Ven 0, ut x 4 I '»W*4.*?} |
rn. See verſe 2. which Angel was Chrift, o as Dan. 12. 7. with which Prophecy thisagreeth. It is anordinary geſture uſed in Swear-
"_ . 1:
6 And ſware by him that fiveth for ever and ever, who created heayen, and the. things that-therein are, and the earth;and: the things'that theretn: are, and the ſea, and the: things which” ate" therein p, that. there ſhould be timeno longer 9. © |
p That is, by God; for this Deſcription can, agree.to, no other, neither is it Jawful to Swear by any other, ſee Dan. 12,7. _ q There ſhall be an end of the World ( ſo ſome, but this 7ohn-knew well e- nough. It is rather to be underſtood ofthe time of the fourtb 2/o-
| narchy, the Roman \Empire ſhould come' to 'an end.': Or the time of
' Hants the prophets z.
mies, ſhould be no more. |
7 But in the days of the voice of the ſeventh an- el 7, when. he ſhall begin to.ſound /;, the. myſtery of od ſhould be-fniſhed-z, ashe bath declared'to his ſer:
EIS |
the Affiitions of the Church, whether by Pagan or Antichriſtian Ene-
y Of whom, and his ſounding, we ſhall read , chap. 11. 15. From that time that he beginneth to ſound ſhall begin # the my- ftery of Ged to be finiſhed; either the myſtery mentioned, chap. 11. 15. when the Kingdoms of the World (hall become the Kingdoms of
REVELATION.
our Lord ard his Chrisk. Or more generally, Whatſoeycr God hath
_»
* Antichriſt, and the end of the World. declared by his Servants and Prophets about theſe thinzs (as to
revealed concerning the propagation of the Goſpel, the ruine of
u Whatioever God hath
which ſee the 24, 26, 27, 65 Chapters of Iſaiah, Dat. 7. It, 12.
Zech. chap. 14. Mal. 3. 4. ) it ſhall be tulfilied; and begin to be ful51-
ted when the ſeventh Angel ſhall begin to blow, within which period - time moſt Interpreters judge we are, as bcing begun ſome time Ince. |
8 And the voice which I heard from heaven w, ſpuke unto me again, and faid, Go, ard take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which ſtanderh upon the 1a, and upon the earth .
w The voice mentioned, verſe 4, x The little Book mentioned, verſe 2. Fohn is bid to take this Book, by which ſome underftand the Scriptures ; but it is moſt probable the Book mentioned, cl..7p. 5. 1. before ſealed, now open.
9 And1 went unto the angel, and ſaid unto him,
Give me the little book. And he ſaid unto me,
Chap. XI],
* Take zt, and eat it up y, and it ſhall make thy *Ezek.2.2.
belly bitter, but it ſhall be in thy mouth ſweet 2s ho- ney 2. :
y Thus Ezekiel was bidden to eat the Roll ; and it was in his Mouth as (weet as Honey, Ezek. 2.8. and 3.3. Theeating of a Book ſignifies the due reading of it, dizeſting it, and meditating uyon the matters 1n if. x It ſhould be ſweet in his Mouth, as it was the Re- velation of the Mind and Will of God ( which is ſiveet to all pious Souls ; ſee er. 15. 16._) but inhis belly it ſhou!d be bitter, being the Revelation of the Divine Will, as to the bringing ſuch terrible Judgments upon an impenitent” People. |
10 And I took the little book out of the angels hand, and ate it up a, gand it was in my mouth ſweet as honey 6b, and affvonas I had eaten it, my belly was bitrer c.-_
4 According tothe Command, verſe 9. b. As it was the Revelation of God's Will, c But wien he came to think upon it, it was cither ſo myſterious, that he could not comprehend it, or the matter of it was fo ſad, that it gave him great trouble.
11 And he ſaid unto- me; Thou muſt propheſie a- gain d before many people, and nations, and tongues, and kings e.
d Theſe words 3. many think ) evince this a Prophecy diſtin&t from the former, he muſt prophefte azain. e Who ſhall Le concern-
& 3.1,2,3-
ed to hear what ſhall now be revealed to thee concerning the Riſe of
Antichriſt, his Rule and Tyranny, and his Fall and Ruine, which are things began long before, during the Periods of time, when the ſix before-mentioned Trumpets founded, but were net there clearly re- vealed ; which things I will reveal unto thee, that thou, and aſter thee, the Miniſters of the Goſpel may in their ſeycra! Periods reveal them in the hearifig of many People and N.tions, gc. fo that there- by 7ohn ( as ſome think ) was conſtituted a Prophet to reveal the ſtate of the Church under 4ntichriF, and his Tyranny, and fina!ly his Ruine, which began at the ſoundin; of the ſeventh Trumpet, chap. 11. 15. but when it ſhall be finiſhed, God alone muſt inform the Warld by the Ifſues of his Providence. |
CHAP. XL
The Temple, Altar, and them that worſhip therein are meaſured, x. ' The outward Court not meaſured, but given to the Gentiles, 2. 2. The two Witneſſes propheſie in Sackeloth, yet. have power t1 infli& Plagues up- on their Enemies, 3 6. The Lea$t ſhall fight again them, and Þjll them, and 'ye unburied, 7, 8. The Nations rejice hereat, 9,10, After three days and a half they riſe again, to the terrour of them that behold them, 11. They are called up to Heaven, 12. A great Earthquake, and the fall of the tenth part of the City followeth : The ſecond Woe is paſt. 13, 14. The ſeventh Angel ſoundeth, the King- doms of this world made the Lords, 15. The 24 Elders praiſe the Lord, 16, 17. The Nations are angry, 18. The Temple of G:d open- ed, 19.
.Nd there was given to me a * reed like a rod a, A And the angel ſtood; faying, Riſe, and meaſure the temple of God 6, and the altar, and them that wor-