Theopolis, or the city of God new Jerusalem, in opposition to the city of the nations great Babylon; comprehending the blessing and benefit of Christs Kingdom, in the thousand years reign before his personal coming and appearing, after the total ruine of the beast, and his kingdom. In a coment upon the 10th. and 21st. chapters of the revelations. With an additional answer to these two material questions: 1. Whether the thousand years reign is not already past, as Brightman, and others affirm. 2. Whether the natural Jew is not most concerned in the latter day promises prophecies, especially in the pulling down Babylon, and building of Zion, as Maton, and others assert

Of the living of the Martyrs or first Resurrection. And I saw the Souls of them that were behead∣ed for the witness of Jesus, and the Word of God: and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his Image, neither had re∣ceived his Mark upon their fore-heads, or in their hands. And they lived, &c.

IN the interpretation of this mistry of the living of the Martyrs, Writers and Commentators much differ; some judging this to be a Corporeal Resurrection: others (and they not a few) conceive it to be a spiritual Resurrection, a re∣newing and reviving of Soul, the effect of Christs Spirit upon the heart of Believers and faithful Witnesses; and a leaving others to a state of sin and death.

But it is humbly conceived, the mind of the Spirit here it is a mistical Resurrection, or civil life; they are said to live, as most consonant to Truth, sound Reason, and the scope of the place. They lived.

Living and dying in Scripture is variously taken sometimes litterally for the natural spirit or Eter∣nal life and death, sometimes figuratively for a

civil or mistical life and death, consisting either in a freedom from misery and di••••ress in this life; the lying under which is called death, Isa. 52.2. Isa. 26.19. Luke 2.34. 2. Chron. 19.10. And freedom therefrom into a prosperous state, Re∣surrection and Life. Resurrection, Isa. 52.2. 1 Sam. 2.7, 8. Isa. 26.14.19, Rom. 11.19. Life, Job 21.7. Psal. 38.19. Hosea 6.2. The not freedom therefrom, an unraised state, Psal. 140.10. Isa. 2••.14 43.17. Amos 8.14.

This therefore holds out under these terms of living or first Resurrection-state, the beginning of the Churches glorious, happy, and peaceable condition (whereof all the Prophets speak) after her long sorrow and suffering, her Enemios being now conquered and brought under, alluding to the Corporeal Resurrection; for as the Saints cannot enter into Glory, and triumph, till the bodies be raised out of the Dust, and revived, and Resurrection power passes upon them: No more shall the Church enter into its promised Rest, fore∣told to be enjoyed by her in this life, till this mi∣stical Resurrection or reviving passeth upon her, before which under the Beasts Dominion they are but as so many slain, and dead men, Rev. 11.7, 8, 9, 10.6.9. They are so in a natural sense, because they worship not the Beast, Rev. 13.15. Dan. 3.6. Being killed all the day long, Rom. 8.36. viz. in purpose and decree and by sen∣tence of the Antichristian Laws, multitudes also feel••ng actually the force of them under the

bloody Beast and Scarlet coloured Whore; much∣more in a civil sense, thrust down from the exer∣cise of all power, dignity and Soveraignty in the behalf of Christ, either in Civils or Ecclesiasticks, So was it with Israel in Babylon in these respects. as persons put into their Graves, Ezek. 37.12 as so many dead men.

But now is the time come (their Mortal dead∣ly Enemies being brought down by an high hand) that they shall not only have all the bloody Laws and Decrees reverst, and cancelled, and so be freed from all danger or damage, that may come to their persons: But be revived to a civil life, and put now into a capacity to come into the exer∣cise of power, dignity and Soveraignty, both in Church and State; for as is the Death, so the Resurrection. Therefore is it said, that when Israel were to come out of Babylon, and restored to former priviledges in their own Land, the Lord opened their Graves, caused Bone to come to its Bone, Sinew to its Sinew, put a Spirit of Life into them, set them upon their feet, to their be∣coming an exceeding great Army, whereby they came again to the exercise of their former Ju∣risdictions in Rule and Government among them∣selves.

And so a parrallel place to this Rev. 11.11. The Church having passed the State of Death, Slain, Slaughtered Witnesses during the Beasts reign and rage, comes now to have a Spirit of Life from God enter into them, enabling them

to stand upon their feet. And then a voice from Heaven, or the Orb of Government and Rule (for so Heaven here, and in the Rev. 12.7. is to be taken) calls them up thereto, alluding here∣by to Christs dead body that was killed, raised, and ascended into Heaven, And so the Prophet, Isa. 26.19. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise: Awake and Sing, ye that dwell in the Dust; for thy Dew is as the Dew of Herbs, and the Earth shall cast out the Dead.

And parallel to this, Hosea 6.2. After two days he will revive us; in the third day he will raise us, and we shall live in his sight. His mistical body the Church being in a mistical way to conform and suit in a figure to the Death, Resurrection and Ascension of his real Body.

The Prophet Hosea also in the 13, 14. ver. foretelling this promised restauration to the Church in this mistical manner, doth it in terms alluding to the Corporeal Resurrection, to which also the Apostle refers, 1 Cor. 15.55. when he asserts that Doctrine of the Resurrection. I will ransom them from the power of the Grave, I will redeem them from Death: O Death, I will be thy Plagues; O Grave, I will be thy destruction: Repentance shall be hid from my Eyes. And again by the Prophet Isa. 25.8. Speaking of this very time. He will swallow up Death in Victory, and the Lord will wipe away tears from all faces, and the re∣buke of his people shall he take away from off all the

Earth; for the Lord hath spoken it. Which very words of the Prophet are repeated by John, and applied to this very time, Rev. 21.4. Rev. 7.17. Now as is the Death, so must the Resurrection be: to the Spiritual Death there is a Spiritual Resurre∣ction, to the mistical Death a mistical Resurre∣ction, to the Corporeal Death a Corporeal Resur∣rection.

To this the Assemblies Annotations upon this place seem to concur also, Rev. 20.5, 6. After Antichrists destruction there will be such a new face of the Church, as if the Saints were all raised up again. This Resurrection is not of particular per∣sons, but of whole Churches and Nations, as Rom. 11.15. alluded to in the raising of dead Bones, Ezek 37. in which they are said to have part.

And that the Corporeal Resurrection of the Saints cannot be understood in this place, further appears.

First, Because the Text in the Letter of it speaks not of their Bodies, but Souls, and of the Souls only of them that were beheaded, as Rev. 6.9. And I saw under the Altar the Souls of them, that were slain for the Word of God, &c. Now it is no where said, that Souls in a proper sense revive and are raised; because they never dye being Immortal, and so not capable of Resurrection; necessitating therefore another sense.

Secondly, Because if we are here to understand a bodily Resurrection of the Saints (Martyrs

only being here mentioned and beheaded Mar∣tyrs too, taking in no other Saints and only such too, that suffered under Antichrist) then will Christ have but a small Kingdom: And then only such Martyrs partaking of that first Resurrection are to share of happiness and freedom from second Death; excluding all but such both from happi∣ness and exemption from such a curse, contrary to the Analogy of Faith, and whole current of Scriptures; for what by such Doctrine will be∣come of all the Saints from Abel to this time, that were not Martyrs under Antichrist.

Thirdly, Because this will hold out an absurdity of a two-fold Resurrection (a thousand years di∣stant each from other) of bodies, contrary to John 5.28. The hour is coming, in which all that are in the Graves, shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done Good to the Resur∣rection of Life; and they that have done Evil, to the Resurrection of Damnation. The state of the Resurrection being there held forth by Christ to be general and universal, relating to Good and Bad, and to be at one time, the hour. So in John 6. four several times he refers the Saints Resur∣rection to the last day, verse 39.40, 44, 54. The professed Faith of the Saints in that day, John 11.24. And Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day. So 1 Cor. 15.51, 52. Behold I shew you a mistery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a Moment, in the twinkling of an Eye,

at the last Trump; for the Trumpet shall sound, and the Dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed, Joh 19.25, 26. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth. 26. And though, after, my skin, Worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. So Job 14.12. Man lyeth down and riseth not till the Heavens be no more, &c. By which two Scriptures in Job the last day and time of the last Trump is explained, and limited to Christs personal coming, and end of the world, or dissolution of the Heavens and the Earth, as 2 Pet. 3.10, 11, 12. Rev. 20.11.

Fourthly, Because this opinion holds out this to be the first bodily Resurrection, contrary to what the Scripture speaks of, nine going before it. As first, the Widow of Sarepta's Son, 1. Kin. 17.22. 2^ly, The Son of the Shunnamite, 1 Kings 4.35. 3^ly The man that was raised by the touch of the Prophets Coffin. 2 Kings 13.21. 4^y The Widow of Naim's Son, Luke 7.15. 5^ly The Daughter of Jairus, Luke 8.55. 6^y Lazarus, John 11.44. 7^ly Those many that came out of their Graves accompanying Christ at his Resur∣rection. 8^ly Tabitha, Acts 9.41. 9^ly Eutichus, Acts 20.16. By which several instances it must appear, thar either this is not a Corporeal Resur∣rection spoken of, or these nine mentioned were not so; for this cannot be said in truth to be the first Corporeal Resurrection, when nine went before it, but the Tenth Resurrection rather.

Fifthly, The Bodily Resurrection cannot be here meant, because that is not to be till a thousand years after this, as in this Chapter, when all the Ele∣ments must give up their Dead, Rev. 20.12, 13.

Sixthly, This cannot be the Corporeal Resur∣ection of the Saints; for that cannot be till Christs personal coming and appearing, and day of Judg∣ment, 1 Thes. 4.14. Them which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him, 1 Cor. 15.23. Christ the first fruits, afterwards they that are Christs at his coming, 2 Tim. 4.1. Who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his King∣dom. And (as before) Christs personal coming is proved by many arguments not to be till after the thousand years: And 'tis as clear that the Judg∣ment day is not till after the thousand years, and destruction of the Gog Magog Army.

Seventhly, This cannot be the Corporeal Re∣surrection of the Saints, because it inverts Christs order, which is to be at the sounding of the last trumpet. The time of the living Saints change, the time that is expres'd to be the last day, which is the time of his coming and appear∣ing, which is the Judgment day. But this a thou∣sand years before all.

Eighthly, Because if Corporeal and to be un∣derstood of Martyrs only, then all the dead at the last day shall be raised to the second death; contrary to John 5.24.6.39, 40.44 54. Dan. 12.2. And they only as Martyrs, Priests to God, contrary to 1 Pet. 2.5, 9. Rev. 1.••.

Ninthly, Because if this be understood to be the Resurrection of all the Saints, who in that immortal and glorified state are to live and Reign the thousand years in and over the world, it necessarily infers these strange absurdities.

First; that glorified and unglorified, mortal and immortal bodies must converse together; for it necessarily follows, if the Saints are raised, then is Christ come in Glory, and their vile bo∣dies are made like to his glorified body; and that Christ and the Saints and Angels in this glorified state converse with the men of the world, Ruling, Governing and Ordering them in the respective policies by Zions Laws and Edicts, contrary to express Scripture, 1 Tim. 6.16. Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light, which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, nor can see, viz. No mortal man, no unglorified man; for if Moses that had only a glimps of Gods back parts, had such a Glory upon him, that the Children of Israel could not converse with him without a vail; And the Disciples were not able to stand before Christ in the Transfiguration, nor Paul in the Vision; how unable will wicked men be to stand before, and converse with Christ, who appears in transcendent Glory, both in his own and the Fathers Glory, the Glory of all the Holy Angels, and Glory of all Saints, as hereafter: And it is expresly said, that none can see God and live, Exod. 33.20. It being impossible that any poor, mortal, finite Creature can see and

stand before the glorious, immortal and infinite Being, without being consumed.

Secondly, It holds out that some glorified and unglorified Saints, shall at this time converse toge∣ther, viz. those that are raised from the dead, with those that are then upon the Earth, when the Scrip∣ture tells us, 1 Cor. 15.51, 52. that at the same in∣stant, that the dead Saints are raised, the living Saints, are changed at a Moment, in the Twinkling of an Eye, which must needs be so.

1. Because when Christ comes, he must have all the Saints come with him, who are raised, changed and glorified, taken up in the Air to meet him, and in that state are ever with him; not one Saint be∣ing to be left behind.

2. Because he then appears in flaming fire, a∣gaint them that know him not, nor obey his Gos∣pel, the day of Grace being then over, and none to be converted after that: And therefore are all the exhortations of making ready, of getting Oyl in the Vessel and in the Lamp, before he comes, it be∣ing too late to do it after he cometh.

A third absurdity is, that whereas Christ saith, The last Enemy is Death, here the raised Saints af∣ter death are to meet with another Enemy, the Gog-Magog Army.

Tenthly, This cannot be the Corporeal Resur∣rection because it is said expreslly, that during this thousand years, the new Jerusalem, new Heaven and new Earth-state, the Saints shall build, plant, Marry & give in Marriage, enjoy the works of their

hands, dispense Laws, manage Governments in the world, and be lyable to death and dessolution there∣in, which is utterly inconsistent with the Resurrecti∣on-state, Luke 20.34. The Children of this world marry and are given in marriage. 35. But they which shall be accounted worthy to'btain that world, and the Resurrection from the Dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage, neither can they dye any more,; for they are equal to the Angels, and are the childeren of God, being the Children of the Resur∣rection, the dispensing of Laws, managing worldly policies and affairs, being as utterly inconsistent with this state also.

Secondly, Neither can this living or rising a∣gain intend the Spiritual Resurrection, viz. the rising from the death of sin to the life of Grace, the converted, changed state, though that will abundantly be manifested herein, both amongst Jews and Gentiles by the preaching of the Gospel.

1. Because it is supposed it speaks of the Church that were converted & lived a spiritual life.

2. Neither was this a life their Enemies could take from them; for in this sense they lived all the time of the Beasts and the Dragons rage and rule, and in this respect might be said to live most, when most lyable to outward death and distresses,

Thirdly neither can this be the Eternal Life of Glory, Because this speaks of a state, that precedes that a thousand years.

Therefore lastly it will follow, that if it be nei∣ther

the Corporeal, Spiritual nor Eternal Life, that is here meant, to which the Saints are raised, then must it be the mistical or civil life, to which the Prophets give witness, as before: And the rather so, because of that mistical and civil death, that all Saints are lyable to, and lye under, du∣ring Antichrists reign, because they refuse to worship the Beast or his Image, or receive his Mark and Number, &c. As also bcause the whole Church and all Saints do at this time par∣take of this life; because it is said in the next verse, that the rest or others lived not, viz. those that did worship the Beast, the Character of the Antichri∣stian Church, they lived not this thousand years, viz. this mistical life: But are now to take their turns in the Vally of the shadow of death, lyable now to the Prison-state, and Gibbet. to give an account for all their cruelties and murders, to be kill'd all the day long, to be fill'd in the Cup they have fill'd, and as being thrust in the pit and bound, kept from all Rule, Dignity and Authority,

Object. But why must the Church be included under these terms or characters of Souls beheaded, and that would not worship the Beast?

Answ. Because it may more emphatically and significantly held forth the state, they are raised from and raised to.

Various are the names and Characters, the

Church is represented by in this Book, and yet all suitable to their present posture and station, viz. In her primitive purity and lusture, a Woman clothed with the Sun, and the Moon under her feet, and upon her head a Crown of Twelve Stars: In her persecuted, afflicted state under the Dra∣gon or Rome Heathen, Souls under the Altar, Rev. 6.9, 10. Slain for the Word of God, and Testimony they held, and so here Souls of the beheaded Rev. 20. In her contests with the Dragon, Rev. 12.2. A woman with Child cry∣ed travelling in birth, and pained to be delivered. Under the Beast tyranny, and persecution, Rev. 12. A Woman flying into the Wilderness, Rev. 11. Witnesses in Sackcloth and slain Witnesses: In their cleaving to Christ, whilst so many won∣der and wander after the the Beast, the Lambs followers, the Sealed and Marked ones, Keepers of the Commandments of God and Testimony of Jesus, Rev. 14. In the••r courageous oppo∣sition to Tyranny and Idolatry, called Victors over the Beasts Image, Mark, Number, Name. In their Martial attempts against the Beast and Whore, the called, chosen and faithful, the Lambs Army. In her quiet, peaceable state, Kings and Priests, Ascenders of Heaven and the Throne of God, Reigners with Christ, the Bride, the Lambs Wife, the new Jerusalem, the belo∣ved City, the Palme-bearing multitude. The false Church being represented also under various Marks, Names and Characters, as you may find

under another Head, and amongst the rest, they are called the Dead, that shall not live this thou∣sand years. As Antichrist and his followers dye and go off the Stage; so Christ and his followers live and come on: The death of the one is the life of the other,