REVEL. CHAP. X.
A Little Book in the hand of Christ, speaketh the restoring of Religion, and Truth, after all the darknesse and confusions mentioned before. The words in ver. 6, 7. do help to state the intent of this Vision. He sware by him that liveth for ever, that there should be delay of time no longer, but in the daies of the seventh Trumpet the mystery of God should be fulfilled. The mystery of God is his gathering in of his Elect, more especially of the Gentiles, Rom. 16.25, 26. Ephes. 3.5, 6. and hitherto there had been great hinderance by Rome Heathen, by Heresies, Papacy, Turcism, but at last Christ swears, that there should be no more delay: the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 must be taken so here: and not unconsonant to the signification of the word, and very consonant to the context, and to the place from whence this verse is ta∣ken: That is Dan. 12.7. where the Angel is brought in swearing, as here, that the trouble of Antiochus and his persecution and hindrance should be so long, and there should be no delay further, but there should be a restoring. That place laid to this, and Antiochus looked upon as a figure of Antichrist, the construction of this place is easie. Only the great Angel would have the speech of the seven thunders, which referre to these times, to be concealed. The Prophesie in generall intimates the restoring of the Gospel in these later times, which is handled in the next Cha∣pter, but very generally, and very briefly. Iohns eating of the little Book, as Ezek. 2.8. and the words to him, Thou must Prophesie again before many Peoples and Nations and Tongues and Kings, do not so much inferre Iohns going abroad after this to preach to many Nations himself, as it doth the progresse of the truth that he preached, through Nations and People, which had been supprest so long: aiming at these times when the Gospel last broke out from under Popery. The passage is parallel to the last words in the Book of Daniel, Go thy way till the end be, for thou shalt rest, and stand in the lot, at the end of daies. Not that Daniel should live till the end of those miseries by Antiochus, but that his doctrine, and the truth should stand up and be restored in those times. The phrase is such another as when Christ telleth his Disciples that they should sit on twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel, which is not meant of their personall sitting to judge, but that their doctrine should judge and condemn that unbeleeving Nation.