e Theſe words denote the Excellency of the following Saying. it 1s a Voice from Heaven, therefore worthy of our Attention. Fohn is commanded to write it, to be kept in Memory tor the Comfort and Encouragement of God's People, who might be dif- couraged at the hearing of thoſe calamitous Times which they were lixe to mect with, during the Reign of Antich;ift, in which many of them were like to be put to death. f This Phraſe of dying in the Lord, is applicable to any Perſons that die united to Chriſt by a true and hvely Faith; all ſuch die in the Lord. But if we confider the Scriptural uſage of. it, it ſeems rather to fignifie Martyrs, ſuch as die for the Lord ; for & oiten in Scripture ſiznifieth for, Rom. 16. 2,8,12. 1 Pet. 4. 14, (9c. If any ſhall be put to Death for Adhe- rence to Chriſt, they ſhall be no Loſers; for they ſhall be bleſſed, and that not only upon the account of that Glory into which they ſhall paſs, but upon the account of that Reft which their Death will give them from the Troubles of the calamitous Times before,or here- after mentioned. g There is ſome little difference amongſt Inter- preters about the ſenſe of this Particular : certain iris,” it 15 not to be underſtood of the time following this Revelation excluſively, as to thoſe who before died for Chriſt ; for they alſo were bleſſed, they alſo reſted from their Labours, (5c. yet tae Particle ſeems to refer to the time to come. The Emphaſis of the Particle ſeems to be, to obviate the Doubts of thoſe who ſhould happen to die under Antichriſt's Rage, becauſe they died not by the Hands of Pagans, and ayowed Enemies of the Goſpe), but of ſuch as ſhould call them- ſelves Chriſtians ; ſuch, ſaith God, die for the Lord, and are bſeſ- ſed, and ſhall be bleſſed. h The Spirit of Truth affirms it. . 7 They ſhall be at reſt from the Troubles of this Life, & and their good Deeds, and patient Sufferings, ſhall follow them as Witneſſes for them, before the Judge of the quick and the dead,
14 And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud ore fate, * like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a
ſharp fickle /. | |
{ The Deſcription here can agree to none but Chriſt, fitting, as it were, upon Clouds, and coming out in his Judicial Diſpenſations of Providence, to execute Judgment upon his Enemies, to which purpoſe he is ſaid to have in his Hand a ſharp Sickle,
Here follow two I iſtons, the one of an Harveſt, theother of a Vintage; there is no great Difficulty in determining, that they both frgnifie ſome judicial Diſpenſations of God, that he would bring upon the World, or ſome part of it ; the latter of which ſhould be greater than the former : Tet Dr. Moor, and Mr. Mede, have another Notion of them. But there is ſome doubt amongſt Interpreters, whether they ſignifie God's general Fudgment in the laſt day, or ſome particular Fudgments before that day, mentioned chap. 15, and 16. and belong to the Vials which we there reed of. Thoſe who think that the laſt Judgment is here ſhewed i are led to it from the Repreſentation of the Day of Fudgment, under the Notion of an Harveſt, Matt. 3.12. and 13. 39. But I rather agree with them who think that the Harveſt here mentioned, is a Repreſenta-
-tion of ſome judicial Diſpenſations of God before that time, particularly God's Vengeance upon the Beaſt, more fully expreſt chap. 15. For, 1, The laſt Judgment is fully deſcribed afterwards, chap. 19.20. 24 To expreſs that, there needed not two Types, the one of an Harveſt, the ether of alintage. 3+ Here is no mention of the Reſurrection, which muſt go before the laſt Judgment. Mr. Mede hath noted, that there are three rhings belonging to an Harveſt ; 1. Cutting down of Corn. {.;"Gathering 1t into the Bajn. 3. Threſhing it. Whence, in Scripture, - it ſignifieth either cutting and deflroying, or ſafety and preſerving (which is the end of gathering Corn into the Barn). We have Examples of the former, Iſa, 17. 3, 5- Jer. $1. 33. but of the latter, we have only Examples in the New-Teftament, Luke 10.2. It 3s his Opinion, that the Converſim of the Jews, going before the great Slaughter mentioned chap. 19. « that which is here meant ; but I ra- ther azree with thoſe who think, that by this Parable is ſignified God's Fudgments uhm Antichriſt, and that the general Scope of both the Pa- rables is to declare, That God would grievouſly puniſh Antichriſt, firſt by leſſer, then by greater Tudgments, as is more particularly expreſſed 3n the two next Chapters, to which this, to me, ſeemeth Prefatory: Let us now come to the Text it ſelf.
1s And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice ro him thar fate on the clond,
* Thruſt in thy {ickle and reap : tor the time iscome tor |
thee to reap ; for the harvelt of rhe earth 1s Þ ripe #, Vol. 3L.
REVELATION
Chap,
m Moſt Interpreters underſtand this of the Prayers of Gcd's Pea- ple, from the Church, ſoliciting the Lord Jeſus Chriſt (ay ſome) ty gather in the Fews, or the number of his EleR, the Fields beins now white to that Harveſt, (as Chriſt uſeth the Metaphor of the Sama- ritans, John 4. 35.) or, (as others fay, with whom 1 rather agree) to EXKECute Vengeance on Antichrift and his Adherents.
16 And he that fare on the cloud, thruſt in his
tickle on the earth, and the carth was reaped 7.
n According to the afore-mentioned different Notion of the Har- veſt, there is amongſt them a different Interpretation of this Verſe; ſome interpreting it of God's Calling in the 72s, or his Ele&, by the Preaching of the Goſpel : others, of his Vengeance upon Antichriſt and his Adherents more fully exprefled, chap. 1 5: and 16,
17 And another angel came out of the temple whichis in 2 :aven, he a!fo havins a ſharp fickle o.
o This Ar -<! fome will hav? to be fore Inſtrument Ged viouid make uſe o1 :5 ut down Antichy'it : Others would have it to be the Word of Gud 1a the Mouth of hi: Miniſters, wich, Zeb. 4. 12. 4s ſharper than z two-edged Sword, prercing to the dividing alunder of Soul and Spirit ; and thus they judge this Angel to be the ſame with the Rider upon the 14'te Horſe, chap. 19. out of whoſe Mouth went a ſharp Sword, vez. 1 5. |