Note, That Part of Gog's Army will befiege Ferufalem, and "Part invade the Mountainous Parts, as Ezekiel has defcribed, and both Armies deftroyed, one by the Inha bitants of Jerufalem, andthe other by Judah. V. 10. And I will pour out on the House of David, and upon the Inhabitants of Jerufalem the Spirit of Grace and Supplication; and they fhall look upon me whom they have pierced, (or for that they had infulted me,) and they fhall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only Son. In that Day fhall be mourning in Jerufalem, as the Mourning of Hadadrimmon. The Seventy tranflate it, Whom they have infulted; and this Infultation was thro' all his Miniftry; they bind him, judge him, crown him with Thorns, ftrike him, fpit on him, mock him, as well as crucifie him. All this was a continual Infultation, and comprehends his Crucifixion, which the A poftles fignifie by Piercing. Both the Hebrew and Seventy declare the Appearing of Chrift, after the Conqueft of Gog; and the Lamentation of the Jews is defcribed for their Crucifixion of Chrift. And fince this Appearance of Chrift pierced, nor the Lamentation has yet happen'd, it is plain, that this Conqueft of Gog is not yet come. And these things can have no respect to the Hiftory of the Maccabees, nor to any Siege fince the Taking of Jerufalem by the Romans. The Prophecy of Ezekiel and Zachary must be fulfilled after the Advent of Chrift; because Gog was to come in no viffimo annorum; but the Gracian Princes in Syria and Ægypt were in medio annorum ; and Gog's Army will confift of Perfians, Libyans and Æthiopians; but the Maccabees only had fought the Syrians and Ægyptians: Therefore Gog did never yet befiege Jerufalem; and then will be the End of all Wars. This Lamentation, and seeing of Chrift pierced, is menti oned Ch. 1. of the Revelations : He fhall come in the Clouds, and every Eye fhall fee him, and all the Tribes of the Earth lament. This Mourning is like that on the Slaughter of 70fias at Roon, a Town near Jezreel, called Maximianopolis, near Megiddon. This is the Battel at Armagiddon, in Rev. 16. And the Land fhall lament, Tribe by Tribe; that of Da vid by it felf, the Women by themfelves, the Family of the Houle of Nathan, and their Wives, apart; and alfo the Tribes of Levi and Simeon, and the reft of the Tribes. Exchiel th Ezekiel and Zachary, tho' they prophefie in different times and Countries, yet agree with Efdras and the Revelations, in their Account of Antichrift's, or Gog's firft Coming. Ezekiel defcribes the Deftruction of Gog's Army in Judea and this St. J.bn makes the Battel at Armagiddon, that is, in the Valley of Megiddo, when the Water of Euphrates will be dry'd up, that the Way of the Kings of the Earth may be prepared: But Zachary only defcribes the Siege of Ferufalem in that War. Efdras calls it, the Befieging of the Man on the Mountain, who deftroys that Multitude by a Blaft of Fire and Tempeft; and then follows the Return of the Ten Tribes of the Jews, a peaceable Multitude. The Tribes which Zachary mentions had returned, and Efdras fays, built Sion. The Tribe of David is the Family of the Govern ors defcended from him, befides the Tribe of Judah, which Tribe had returned. The Tribe of Nathan is the Pofterity of Nathan, or Family. The Tribe of Levi fignifies the Priefts; the Tribe of Simeon, the moft Learned Family. Here the feveral Families are called Tribes: And these are they that were left on the Borders, according to Efdras, and firft returned, and then lived in Jerufalem: But the reft in the Places of their Difperfion, fhall fee this Appearance of Chrift crucified; and this will convert them to Chriftianity before the Ten Tribes Return, which must be after the Deftruction of the Multitude, as Efdras fays: And the fame is intimated in the Beginning of the next Chapter. Note, That in the laft Chapter, after the laft Deftruction of Gog, a pure Spring will go forth from Jerufalem the City will be enlarged with Buildings and Inhabitants, and no more of the Jewish Religion will be prescribed, but the Feaft of Tabernacles: And this must be continued fome Years, till the Re furrection of the Juft, and the Millennium; neither of which are defcribed by Zachary. All Nations will be obliged to come Year by Year to keep this Feaft, and to worship Chrift ; and then no other Sacrifice can be used, but that of Praife, and Thanksgiving, for this Deliverance of the Jews from their Captivity, and the Oppreffion and Wars of Antichriftian Gog. But if the Words. i duas, Chap. 14. v. 21. do intimate Sacrifi ces, then all that Chapter relates to the Two Tribes returned, and their Two Battels with Gog, and their fignal Deliverance by fome Appearance of Chrift. And that State of Things, and Religion. Mofes is to continue till Chrift's fecond Coming, at the Refurrection of the Juft. CHAP CHAP. XIII, and XIV. Concerning the Return of the Jews, and the The laft Ch. 13. IN that Day every Place fhall be opened to the V. I. Houfe of David, and to the Inhabitants of Ferufalem, for their Removal and Separation from the Gen tiles. V. 2. The Lord of Sabaoth faith, I will deftroy in that Day (or time) the Names of the Idols from the Earth. (Thefe are thofe that are in Chriftendom, and in the Eaftern Parts.) And there fhall be no more Remembrance of them, (that are amongft the Pagans ;) for every Eye fhall fee Christ, and mourn: And I will take away the False Propher, and the unclean Spirit from the Earth. Then the Ma bemetan Religion, which came from a False Prophet, and the Devil, the impure Spirit, fhall be deftroyed. This ought not to be expounded of the firft Planting of Chriftianity, fince this Falle Prophet Mahomet, and the Worship of Saints has come in long after it., V. 3. If any one fhall prophefie, his Father and Mother hall tell him, he has fpoken falle, he fhould not live, and they fhall fetter his Feet. V. 4. The Falfe Prophets fhall be afhamed of their Visi ons, tho' they put on a Hair Garment to deceive, and then confefs they are Husbandmen, and no Prophets. And if one is asked, what are thofe Marks in his Hands, he fhall confess that they be those he had by beating in his own beloved's House. This relates to fome meaner Perfons, who were Husbandmen, and will pretend to Prophecies; but his Friends or Family will correct him for it, by marking his Hands, and fertering his Feet. All Prophecies will be fulfilled, when the Ten Tribes have returned, and Gog is conquer'd, and the Jews converted, by feeing their crucified Saviour. This falle Prophet may counterfeit our Saviour, as being crucified, by the Marks in his Hands. V.7. O Sword, awake, and rife againft my Shepherd, and against the Man who is my Fellow-Citizen, faith the Lord Almighty: Smite the Shepherd, and the Sheep fhall be fcattered; and I will put my Hand on the inferiour People. V. 8. And in all the Land, faith the Lord, two Parts of it fhall be deftroyed, and fail; but the third Part of it shall be left in it. V. 9. And I will force the third Part thro' the Fire, and I will burn them as Silver is tried, and prove them as Gold is tried; and it fhall call on my Name, and I will hear it and I will fay, this is my People, and it fhall fay, my Lord and my God. This Prophecy is against the Jews, when they are returned. The chief Governour is called, my Fellow Citizen. Two Parts of the People fhall be flain by the Sword; but the Third left, and tried in great Affliction: After which, they fhall call on Chrift, as their God, and he will own them as his Disciples. Chap. 14. v. 1. Behold, the Day of the Lord cometh and thy Goods, taken as a Prey, fhall be divided in thy City. V. 2. And then all Nations fhall be gathered against Ferufalem to War; and the City fhall be taken, and the Houles pillaged, and the Women defiled, and half the City fhall go forth into Captivity; but the reft of my People fhall not be deftroyed out of the City. This is the Fate of the City; but the 7th, 8th, and 9th Verfes of the former Chapter belong to the Ten Tribes inhabiting Judea, as divided amongst them by Ezekiel's Directions. This cannot belong to the time of the Romans, or Maccabees, if the Deliverance which follows be confidered. Q V. 3. |