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Character from Ireneus is the more to be depended on, because it so exactly agrees with the Teftimonies of fome Ancient Heathen Hiftorians, refer'd to by Eufebius, who particularly obferve that this Perfecution (under which St. John was Banifh'd into Patmos, and faw the Revelation there) did chiefly, if not folely belong to the 15th or laft year of Domitian, and the Confulthip of Flavius Clemens, i. e. to the latter end of A. D. 95. and to the greatest part of the following year 96.

Corollary. Hence it evidently follows, that none of the Predictions contain'd in the Revelation of St. John can refer to the Times or Events before the Deftruction of Jerufalem; or indeed, before the conclusion of the Reign of Domitian, when St. John faw thefe Vifions. This is an undeniable Confequence of the two Laft Propofitions compar'd together. For fince it appears by the firft, that thefe Vifions are all Predictions of things future; and by this fecond, that they were not feen till toward the end of the Reign of Domitian; It is clear that they cannot refer to former Times at all; much less to the Times fo far preceeding, as those before the Deftruction of Jerufalem. And this Obfervation intire ly overthrows the very Foundations of Grotius's, and Dr. Ham mond's, and Mr. Thorndike's Expofitions of thefe Prophecies. Tho truly, if thefe Visions had been jeen before that Deftruction, the Interpretations of those, otherwife, Great Men, appear to be much too loofe, inaccurate, and precarions; and too contrary to the Hiftories of thofe Times to be at all thought of for the Genus ine Meaning of this Prophecy. Nor indeed do I imagin that they will ever have any Followers in fuch their odd, and unaccountable Notions in thefe Matters: The Papifts themselves, whofe Cause thefe Notions would fo mightily ferve, not at all appearing

Εἰς τοσἔντον δὲ ἄρα κατά τις δηλομόρες ή τ' ἡμετέρας πίσεως διδασκαλία διέ λαμπεν, ὡς ἢ τὰς άποθεν τε καθ' ἡμᾶς λόγος σμηγραφείς, μὴ δἀποκνῆσαι ταῖς αὐτ τῶν ίσορους τόντε διαμὸν καὶ ταὶ ἐν αὐτῷ μαρτύρια παραδέναι. οἶχε ἐ τόν καιρόν ἐπ ̓ ἀκρίδες επισημήναντο· ἐν ἔτε πεντεκαιδεκάτη Δομετιανές μαζί πλείστων ἑτέρων καὶ Φλαξίαν Δομιτίλλιαν ἱερήσαντες ἐξ ἀδελφῆς γεγονυίαν Φλαβίας Κλήματα ενός * τηνικάδι ἐπὶ Ῥωμης υπάτων, δ εἰς Χριστὸν μαρτυρίας ένεκεν, εἰς νῆσον Ποντίων nammaves con did. Eufeb. Ecclef. Hift. lib. 3. cap. 18.

to

to agree to them; and the occafions of fuch forc'd Interpretations being no other than fome deep Prepoffeffions, and Prejudices which thofe Learned Perfons brought with them, when they attempted the understanding of this Book; as is too well known to need any par ticular account in this place, I shall not therefore take any farther particular notice of their Expofitions in the following Papers. They that defire to fee that Matter more largely debated, may read Dr. More's Synopfis Prophetica, and Anfwer to Grotius; as also Dr.Creffener's Demonftrations of the Proteftant Grounds of Interpretation of the Apocalypfe, Mr. Garrett's Difcourse concerning Antichrift, chap.3. and fuch other Writings as profeffedly treat upon that Subject, and have particularly taken thofe Matters into Examination, To me this Corollary feems abundantly fufficient for ever to prevent any fuch Fancies, as if the Revelation could relate to the Times by them affign'd; and to confine our Enquiries to the Ages fince the Reign of Domitian.

V.

The Scene, or Theater whereon the Apocalyptick Visions did appear, was that of the Encampment of the Children of Ifrael in the Wilderness: only with this addition, that whereas they had the Tabernacle alone then Built, the Temple is here frequently represented in its place.

This will appear from a Comparison of the words of the Prophecy, with the Defcription of the Camp of the Ifraelites in the Wilderness. The Encampment of the twelve Tribes in the Wilderness is thus Defcrib'd or Order'd by Mofes,

And the children of Ifraelfball pitch their tents, every man by Numb. j.` 52.

his own camp, and every man by his own ftandard, throughout &c. their hofts. But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of teftimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Ifrael. And the Levites fhall keep the charge of the tabernacle of teftimony. And the Lord fpake unto Mofes and un- Numb.ij.1. to Aaron, faying, Every man of the children of Ifrael fhall pitch &c by his own ftandard, with the enfign of their fathers house, overagainst the tabernacle of the congregation fhall they pitch. And on

E 2

the

Apoc.iv. 2.c.

the east fide, toward the rifing of the fun, shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their Armies; and with him fhall pitch the tribes of Iffachar and Zebulun. On the fouth. fide fhall be the standard of the camp of Reuben, according to their armies,and with him fball pitch the tribes of Simeon and Gad. Then the tabernacle of the congregation fhall fet forward with the camp of the Levites, in the midst of the camp. As they encamp, fo fball they fet forward, every man in his place by their standards. On the weft fide fhall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim, according to their armies: and by him shall pitch the tribes of Manasses and Benjamin. The standard of the camp of Dan fhall be on the north fide by their armies, and by him shall encamp the tribes of Alber and Nephtali. And the children of Ifrael did according to all that the Lord commanded Mofes : fo they pitched by their stane dards, and fo they fet forward, every one after their families, according to the house of their fathers.

The Prophetick Scene is thus defcrib'd by St. John.

And immediately I was in the spirit, and behold a throne was fet in heaven, and one fat on the throne. And he that fat was to look upon like a jafper, and a fardine ftone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in fight like unto an emerald. And. round about the throne were four and twenty feats; and upon the feats I faw four and twenty elders fitting, clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightenings, and thunderings, and voices; and there were feven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the feven fpirits of God. And before the throne there was a fea of glass like unto cristal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne were four animals full of eyes before and behind. And the first animal was like a lion, and the fecond animal was like an ox, and the third animal had a face as a man, and the fourth animal was like a flying eagle. And the four animals had each of them fix wings about him: and they were full of eyes within: and they have no reft day and night, faying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was,

*

Mix enim Hellenistis Bos eft. Ezek j. 10. Exod. xxxiv. 19. Namb. viij. 17. & alibi quadragies. Med. p. 544.

and

and is, and is to come. And when thofe animals are to give glory, honour, and thanks to him that fits on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders will fall down before him that fits on the throne, and will worship him that liveth for ever,and ever,and will caft their crowns before the throne, faying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created.

So that we see in both cafes a Throne for the Divine Majefty, the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle or Temple in the Wilderness; and a Throne, fo call'd exprefsly, in the Revelation and both are to be fuppos'd not vacant, but fill'd with the Divine Majefty; as 'tis particularly mention'd in the Revelation. Next to the Tabernacle in the Wilderness was the Camp of the Levites, including the Priests as their principal part. Next to the Throne in the Revelation are the 24 Elders, like the Heads of the 24 Courfes of the Priefts appointed by David, to attend in their Turns upon the Tabernacle or Tem-Chron. xxiv. ple, including the feveral Courses themselves alfo. Beyond thefe, in the Wilderness, are the twelve Tribes of Ifrael, reduc'd into four Armies or Bodies, pitching at a convenient diftance on the East, South, Weft, and North fides; with each Army its particular Enfign and Standard, under fo many principal Tribes, Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan. Each of which principal Tribes, as the Head of each feveral Army, according to the Ancient Tradition of the Jews, had their own peculiar Animals difplay'd upon their Banners: And the fame Tradition also affirms, that Judah's Enfign was a Lion; Ephraim's an Ox; Reuben's a Man; and Dan's an Eagle. And this Number and Order of the Animals, belonging to the Enfigns, is mightily confirm'd by the correfponding Situation of the four like faces of a Cherub, mention'd by * Ezekiel; where Ezck.i. 4, 6,1 0.

Neque difficile admodum fuerit ex Ezechielis & Cherubinorum ad invicem in ifthac vifione pofitu, quam quæque Cherubinorum facies mundi plagam refpexiffet colligere. Quippe cum Ezechiel + converfo ad feptentrionem vultu, Cherubinos quafi obviam fibi prodeuntes confpiceret, certe que tum ei è regione obverfabatur anterior erat, & directa cherubinorum facics; nimirum HOMINIS, coque Hominis facies Auftrum fpectabat. Unde fequi

that

& x. 14.

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that on the Eaft was of a Lion; that on the South of a Man; that on the Weft of an Ox; and that on the North of an Eagie, in perfect agreement with that ancient Tradition of the Jews concerning the Number and Situation of the feveral Standards of the Tribes in the Wildernefs, and to the great Illuftration of the Scene before us. For beyond the For beyond the 24 Elders in the Revelation, we find these four Animals, just the fame in Number and Pofition with thofe of the Enfigns in the Wildernefs; and accordingly they muft denote the twelve Tribes, or the Ifrael of God, in the Times of the New Teftament; i. e. The Church of Chrift, or more particularly the Church of the Gentiles, upon and during the Rejection of the Jews. [For it is very eafy to obferve, that as the Stile of St. John in the Revelation is commonly taken from the Old Prophets of the Jews; fo is the Chriftian Church reprefented by the Jewish; and agreeably the Enemies of the Chriftian Church reprefented under the Names of the Enemies of the Jewish Church under the Old Teftament.] And as in general this Situation of the feveral parts of the Scene or Theater, in the Revelation, agrees exactly with that in the Wilderness; only changing, upon occafion, the Tabernacle for the Temple; fo do the other Characters, Expreffions, and Circumstances fuit alfo. The Elders not only agree in Number with the Heads of the Courfes of the Friefs, 24 in both cafes; but they are cloath'd in white, as the Priefts were; and they wear Crowns alfo; which tho' it be an additional Honour above the Priests under the Old Teftament, yet is it agreeable to the Promises there, and in the New Teftament, that the Priefts fhould at laft be Kings alfo, or be a Royal Priesthood unto God. The feven Lamps are here before the Throne, as the Candlestick with feven Lamps was before the most Holy place in the Tabernacle : 2 Chron.iv.20. and the Sea of Glafs, like unto Cryffal, plainly anfwers to the great Molten Sea in the Temple of Solomon. And agreeably to this Scene or Theater of the Tabernacle or Temple do we everywhere find the Vifions and Representations all along the Pro

Exod. xix. 6.

1 Pet. ij. 9. Apoc. i. 6. & V. 10.

Exod. XXV. 3T,

32, 37.

Zech. iv. 2.

2 Chron. iv. 2,3,40

+ Verf. 10.

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tur quæ eidem Ezechieli ad dextram fuiffe dicitur LEONIS, Orientem, quæque ei ad finiftram BOVIS, Occidentem, AQUILINAM denique faciem fpetaffe Aquilonem. Med. Comment. Apocalypt. p. 542.

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