A Paraphrase Upon the Revelation
of the Apostle Saint John

The Epistle to the Whole Church: in whatsoever part of the Earth.

To whom could I have so fitly directed (Christian reader) this paraphrase of mine upon the Revelation as unto you, who are the very and true posterity of those Churches to whom the Book itself was dedicated, and for whose instruction and comfort the said epistle was composed by the Holy Spirit, and written by that great theologue John the Apostle, whom our Master beloved dearly?

I doubt not but it will seem strange to many that any of my age*, calling, and literature, should have meddled with so obscure theological and high a subject: but let my earnest desire (by the manifesting the truth), as well to teach myself as others, serve for excuse; considering also that where diverse others in our age have meddled with the interpretation of this book pressing with preoccupied opinions only to wrest and conform the meaning thereof to their particular and private passions; I, by the contrary, protest that all my travails tend to square and conform my opinions to the true and sincere meaning thereof: which cause has moved me to undertake this work. Not thereby to despise infinite others, who, to the glory of God and great comfort of His Church have given it a great light already, but rather by that oft pursuing and dew considering thereof, whereto this work has led me.

I might be the better acquainted with the meaning of this book, which I esteem a special canon against the heretical wall of our common adversaries, the Papists: whom I would wish to know that in this my paraphrase upon it, I have used nothing of my own conjecture, or of the authority of others but only have interpreted it in that sense which may best agree with the method of the epistle, and not be contradictory to itself: the meaning whereof I expound partly by itself and partly by other parts of the Scriptures as the work itself will bear witness.

And therefore this one thing I must crave of our adversaries that they will not refute any part of my interpretation until they find out a more probable themselves, agreeing with the whole context: & cum serie temporum, and where their consciences bear them witness that I speak the truth that they will yield unto it and glorify God therein, and this is all the reward I crave for my pains.

But of one thing I must forewarn you (Christian readers) to wit, that you may understand that it is for the making of the discourse more short and tactile, that I have made John to be the speaker in all this paraphrase and not that I am so presumptuously foolish as to have meant thereby that my paraphrase is the only true and certain exposition of this epistle, rejecting all others.

For although through speaking in his person I am only bounded and limited to use one and not diverse other interpretations of every several place, yet I condemn not others but rather allow them to interpret it diversly so being it agree with the analogy of faith, with the method of the text, & cum serie temporum, as I said before for those three being observed it may fall out that diverse, diversly expound one place and yet all be according to the truth and very meaning of the Spirit of God as may easily be proved by the text itself.

For in the 16th chapter the angel expounding to John: the seven heads of the beasts that came out of the sea, he says the seven heads which you saw upon the beast are the seven hills, and they are also even kings. Here you see one thing is expounded in two very far different fashions and yet both true. And therefore let wise men take their choice in these things, observing always these rules I have spoken of, as specially for example: this Hebrew word armageddon in the 16th chapter and six vial, although I expound it to signify destruction by deceit as composed of ערמגדין gnarma & geddon which may very well agree with the history because it is the name of the place, John says, where the wicked being assembled together by the alluring and deceit of Satan and his three spirits of devils to make war with the faithful, were all destroyed by God and so their destruction came and was procured by deceit. Yet others interpret it to signify destruction by waters as composed of היר־םי & נגדן harma & geddon which also may very well agree with the history. For waters indeed in this book signify oft many people and nations as appears by the very text in the 17th chapter; and others take it to be an allusion to the destruction that Joshua made of God's enemies upon the hill of Mageddon, and therefore to be composed of הר har, which is called a hill and Mageddon, which may also very well agree with the history.

And as I speak of this, so I speak the like of Gog and Magog in the 20th chapter, and of all other ambiguous places in this book.

It rests then that what you find amiss in this paraphrase you impute it to my lack of years and learning, and what you find worthy to be allowed in it, that you attribute the full praise thereof to God, to whom only all praise appertains.

Farewell.

The Argument of this Whole Epistle

This book or epistle of Revelation was called in doubt as well for the uncertainty of the author, as also for the canonicalness of the book itself by sundry of the ancients, and especially by Eusebius; for solving whereof I need not to insist since it is both received now of all Christians and also diverse of the Neoterics, in special Beza in his preface upon it has handled that matter sufficiently already.

So that this doubt only rests now in men that this book is so obscure and allegoric, that it is in a manner unprofitable to be taught or interpreted; whereinto I will shortly make answer and then go forward to set down the method of the same: and therefore make a deduction from the beginning. Let us understand in what several or principal parts the whole Scriptures may be divided in and then which of them this book is.

How soon Adam being made perfect in his creation and having the choice of life and death, good and evil, did by his horrible defection make choice of death and cast off life, and by that means infected his whole posterity with double sin, to wit, original and actual. God, notwithstanding, had such a love to mankind as being His most noble workmanship and creature made to his own likeness and image that He selected a Church amongst them whom first because of their weakness and incredulity, He with His own mouth taught, and next instructed and raised up notable men amongst them to be their rulers, whom He endued with such excellent gifts as not only their example in life preached, but also by miracles they strengthened and confirmed their faith.

But lest this ministry of men should make them to depend only on their mouths, forgetting Him and making gods of them, He at length out of His own mouth gave them His law, which He caused them to put in writ and retain still amongst them; and then lest they should forget and neglect the same, He raised up godly rulers as well temporal as spiritual who by their holy lives and working of miracles, revived and strengthened the law in their hearts.

But seeing that notwithstanding all this, they cast themselves headlong in the gulf of vices (such is the unthankful and repining nature of man), He raised up prophets as especially Jeremiah and Daniel, to accuse them of their sins and by visions to forewarn them of the times to come, whereby the godly might turn and arm themselves and the wicked might be made inexcusable. And thus much for the Old Testament.

But then God seeing that notwithstanding this, there crept in such a general corruption amongst them, that scarce one might be found that bowed not his knee to Baal, He then by His unsearchable wisdom incarnated His eternal Son and Word The Lord Jesus, who by his death and passion, accomplished the faith of the fathers whose salvation was by the believing in Him to come, as also made an open and patent way of Grace to all the word thereafter: and then upon a new world and a new Church, God's fatherly care to mankind was renewed but in a more favourable form, because He looked upon the merits of His dear Son.

Then, first Christ with His own mouth did instruct men and confirmed His doctrine by miracles, and secondly raised up the Apostles to give the law of faith, confirming it by their lives and miracles. And last, that notwithstanding this defection was beginning to creep in again, He inspired one of them, to wit, John to write this book that he might thereby, even as Jeremiah and Daniel did in the old law, as well rebuke them of their sins as by forewarning them, to arm them against the great tentations that were to come after.

Then of itself it proves how profitable this book is for this age, seeing it is the last Revelation of God's will and prophesy that ever was, or shall be in the world: for we shall have no more prophets nor miracles hereafter, but must content ourselves with the law of the prophecies already given, as Christ in His parable of Lazarus and the rich man teaches.

Now as to the method, this holy epistle is directed to the seven Churches of Asia Minor whom he names and writes to particularly in the first three chapters of the same, and under their names to all their true successors, the whole Church militant in the world. The whole matter may be divided in six parts, to wit, the praise or dispraise of every one of these Churches, according to their merits wherein they merit good or evil, what way they ought to reform themselves, and this is contained in the three first chapters: and to make them inexcusable in case they slide again, he shows the estate of the whole Church militant in their time.

He tells them what it shall be until the end of the world and what it shall be when it is triumphant and immortal after the dissolution: these three last parts are declared by visions in the rest of the epistle, first the present estate of the Church then, and what it should be thereafter unto the latter day, is summarily declared by the first six of the seven seals: in the sixth and seventh chapters, and afterwards more at large by the seven trumpets that came out of the seventh seal in the: 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th chapters. And because through tyranny and abuse of the Popedom, Popery is the greatest temptation since Christ's first coming, or that shall be unto His last; therefore he specially insists more at large and clearly in the declaration and painting forth of the same, by vision of the woman in the wilderness and of the beasts that roll out of the sea and the earth in the 12th, 13th, and 14th chapters.

And then to comfort men that might otherwise despair* because of the greatness of that temptation, he declares by the next following visions of the vials, what plagues shall light upon the Pope and his followers. Next, he describes him again far clearer than any time before, and likewise his ruin, together with the sorrow of the earth and joy of heaven therefore**: and then to inculcate and engrave the better the foresaid visions in the hearts and memories of men***, he in a vision makes a short sum and recapitulation of them, to wit, of the present estate of the Church then, and what it should be hereafter, unto the day of judgment, together with a short description of said day. And last he describes by a vision the glorious reward of them who constantly persist in the truth, resisting all the temptations which he has forespoken, to wit, he describes the blessed estate of the Holy and eternal Jerusalem, and the Church triumphant, and so with a short and pithy conclusion makes an end.

Chapter 1

Argument: The book, the writer, and the inditer; the end and use thereof. The dedication of this epistle to the Churches and pastors, under the vision of the seven candlesticks and seven stars.

God the Father has directed His son and Word, Jesus Christ, to send down an angel or minister to me John, his servant, and by him to reveal unto me certain things which are shortly to come to pass to the effect in time the chosen may be forewarned by me; [2] who have borne witness that the word of God is true and that Jesus Christ is and was a faithful witness, and have made true the report of all I saw. [3] Happy are they that read and understand this prophesy and conform themselves thereunto in time, for in very short space it will be fulfilled.

[4] I am directed to declare the same, specially to you the seven Churches of Asia, with whom be grace and peace from the eternal, the Father, and from the Holy Spirit: [5] and Jesus Christ that faithful witness, the first borne of the dead, the mighty king of the world and of His Church, Who for the love He bare us, has made us innocent by His blood in the work of redemption.

[6] To Him then we, whom He has made spiritual kings and priests, in honour and holiness and ordained to serve and praise His Father, give all glory and power forever: so be it. [7] Assure yourselves of His coming again from heaven in all glory and all eyes shall see Him; indeed the wicked shall be compelled to acknowledge that it is even very He, whom so they did persecute*: and the whole world shall have a feeling before Him of their unthankfulness. So be it.

[8] I am eternal, says the Lord, before whom all things (which is or was) are present and I am only the worker of all, I Who ever was and still am, shall surely come again according to my promise. And as I am eternal and true*, so I am almighty, preordinating all things before all beginnings. [9] I John, your brother in the flesh and companion with you, as well in the service of Christ as in the patient suffering of the cross, being for that Word of God and witnessing of Christ, whereof I spake, so persecuted that for safety of my life I was constrained to fly all alone to the solitary isle of Pathmos**.

[10] Then was I berest in spirit upon the Sunday which is hallowed to the Lord: then heard I behind me, turn about and take heed, the mighty voice of the Lord as a trumpet because he was to declare the estate of the battle of the Church militant unto me; [11] saying these words: "I am Α and Ω, to wit, the first and the last; write you in a book what you saw and send it to the seven Churches in Asia, the names of which are these: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."

[12] And when I turned myself to see the voice*, I did see seven candlesticks representing these seven Churches: [13] and in the midst of them the figure of the Son of Man representing Him, clothed with a side garment for gravity and girded about the paps with a girdle of gold for glory. His head and hair were white as white wool** or snow for innocency, and His eyes were bright like flames of fire to signify His all-seeing knowledge. [15] His feet were of brass bright flaming as in a furnace, to declare His standing in eternity: and His voice like the sounding of many waters, representing His majesty in commanding.

[16] And He had in His right hand the side that the elect* are on, seven stars for you the seven angels, that is, pastors of the seven Churches. And from His mouth came a two-edged sword, to wit, the sword of the Word which comes only from Him, and His face** was as the sun shining bright, for from His face comes all light to illuminate blind man. [17] And when I thus did see Him I fell dead at His feet for astonishment, but He lifted me up again with His right and favourable hand*** and comfortably said to me: fear not be not astonished, for I am the first and the last. [18] Who as verily as now I live****, was once dead as you yourself bears witness, and yet now do live forever and ever, and by my death only I have overcome hell and death; and I only and no other, keep the keys that have the power of them both. [19] And now I came to charge thee to write these things which thou has now seen, because they are afterwards to come to pass.

Chapter 2

Argument: Admonition and exhortation to the Churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos and Thyatira.

Write then this to the angel or pastor of the Church of Ephesus: he that has the seven stars or seven pastors* in his right hand or favourable power or protection** and who walks among the seven golden candlesticks or watches over the seven Churches, even he I say, says thus unto you: [2] I know your works, your travail and patience, & that you will suffer not the wicked to walk with you, but have learned them out that call themselves 'Apostles' in the Church of Ephesus and are not***, and have tried them to be liars.

[3] You are also loaded with a great burden and yet willingly sustained it, and for the strongest-love of my name have you travailed much, and you weary not: [4] but in this I must find fault with you, that your former love is waxed cold: [5] remember then from where you* have fallen and repent, turning yourself to your first works otherwise I will turn against you soon, and will remove your candlestick out of the place it is in, to wit, the light of the Gospel from your Church, if you repent not in time**.

[6] But this again you do well to hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans* which I also hate. [7] Let all who have ears or are willing to be followers of me** hear and take example by this which is the Spirit of God says to the seven Churches, or their seven pastors in the name of them: and to him who is victor*** in the battle against Satan and the flesh, I shall give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God, to wit, I shall make him live eternally in heaven.

[8] To the angel or pastor of the Church of Smyrna write you, this says the first and the last who was dead but now lives: [9] I know your works, your trouble and poverty, but you are rich*, to wit, in graces I know also what blasphemies are used against you, by them who call themselves Jews, but are not, but by the contrary are the synagogue of Satan. [10] Fear not when you shall be troubled by the devil**, for he will persecute and trouble some of you in the flesh that your constancy may be tried, and you shall have get affliction for the space of ten days, to wit, for a certain space but be you faithful unto the death***, and for your continuance I shall give you the crown of life immortal.

[11] He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches; and he that overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death, which is hell. [12] And to the angel or pastor of the Church of Pergamos*, write you, thus says he that has the two edged sword: [13] I know your works and where you dwell, even where the throne of Satan is, to wit, among a great number of wicked; yet have you not denied your faith in me, no not in straightest times when Antipas** my faithful martyr and witness was slain among you where Satan, to wit, many wicked remain.

[14] Yet have I some few things to lay to your charge, to wit, that you permit them to remain amongst you, who retain the doctrine of Balaam, who persuade men to eat things immolate to idols*, and to commit fornication and filthiness in the flesh: for the very same did Balaam to Balak, to cause the Israelites' stumble. [15] You offend also in suffering some to be amongst you, who retain the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which I hate. [16] Repent therefore in time, otherwise I will come against you soon, and I will fight and overcome them who are amongst you, with the sword of my mouth, to wit, by the force of my word.

[17] He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches: and to the victor shall I give to eat of that secret and hidden manna, to wit, of Me the spiritual food of the faithful of whom that manna which was hid in the ark was a figure: and I will also give him a white stone or a mark of his election and righteousness through imputation and in it a new name written, to wit, his name shall be written up in the book of life, which no man knows but he who receives it; for no other many know the certainty of one's election, but only he who is elected.

[18] And to the angel or pastor of the Church of Thyatira write, this says the Son of God whose eyes are like the flames of fire, and whose feet are like to glistening brass: [19] I know your works, your strong-love, your alms, and careful helping of the weak, your faith, your patience, and shortly all your works; but in special I praise your great constancy and firm continuance even so as your works are better than the first: [20] yet some few things have I to lay to your charge, to wit, that you suffer a woman like to Jezebel in wickedness and idolatry who calls herself a prophetess to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication and filthiness of the flesh, and to eat of things immolate unto idols.

[21] Yet gave I her a time to repent from her filthiness but she would not. [22] Therefore lo, I shall cast her into a bed, to wit, I shall destroy her in the puddle of her sins and I shall trouble with great afflication all them who commit adultery, to wit, spiritual adultery with her, if they repent not of their evil works in time. [23] And I will kill and destroy her sons, to wit, all the followers of her doctrine that all the Churches and faithful may know me to be the searcher out of the secrets of all hearts, and the just renderer and compensator of every man according to his works.

[24] But I say unto the rest of you who are at Thyatira, who have not received that false doctrine nor know not the depth nor secrets of Satan or wickedness, whereof the other falsely did purge themselves, I will not lay any other burden upon you than that which already constantly you bear. [25] But that which you have, hold it out valiantly until my coming again.

[26] For unto him who is victor and bears out to the end that burden which I lay upon him, I will give power over nations, to wit, he shall triumph over the world: [27] and he shall rule them with an iron rod and they shall be broken like vessels of earth, according as I have received the power from my Father: [28] and I shall give unto him the morning star; for as the morning star shines brighter than the rest, so shall he shine brighter in glory than his fellows. [29] He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.

Chapter 3

Argument: Admonition and exhortation to the Churches of Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea

And to the angel or pastor of the Church of Sardis* write you, thus say he who has the seven spirits of God, to wit, he with whom the Holy Spirit is inseparably joined and who has the bestowing of all the Graces of God's Spirit on the elect and has the seven stars, to wit, who is the head of you the seven pastors, I know your works, for you say you live and yet are dead, for your faith is fruitless. [2] Be watchful then and sleep no longer in negligence and careless security, but strengthen again that which is dying in you, to wit, revive your zeal and fervency which is waxed cold and almost quenched; for surely I have not found your works so holy and pure as they are able to abide a trial before the face of God.

[3] Remember then what you have once received & heard that you may observe the same and repent; but if you watch not as I have said, I will come as a thief, for the day of trial shall come when you look least for it and if you be not always and at all times, prepared. [4] Yet have you some few heads and notable persons in Sardis who have not defiled their garments, to wit, corrupted their works as the rest have done and therefore they shall go with me being made white, to wit, being made innocent by my merit for they are worthy thereof: [5] and the victor shall be clothed with a white garment of innocency by imputation, neither shall I wipe his name out of the book of life but shall avow him to be one of mine before my Father and His angels.

[6] He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches: [7] but to the angel or pastor of the Church of Philadelphia* write you, this says He who is only holy and true and who has the key of David who opened and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens, as says Isaiah**; for as David was both king and prophet, and was the figure of me, so I, as the verity and end of that figure am only He who has the keys of absolute condemning or absolving specially and eternally.

[8] I know your works and lo, I have set an open door before you, to wit, I have made the way of Grace patent unto you, which door no man can shut because I have reserved the secret power of election and reprobation only to myself; and this favour will I show you, because you retain some good and virtuous things amongst you, and have kept my Word and have not been ashamed of my Name nor denied the same. [9] Lo therefore I will make subject unto you, these who are the synagogue of Satan, to wit, those who call themselves Jews and are not, but lie: I shall make them (I say) come and adore before your feet and they shall be compelled to know that I have loved you.

[10] And this shall I do unto you, because you have faithfully retained the tidings of my troubles and sufferings and therefore shall I deliver you also to try the indwellers of the earth. [11] Lo, I come shortly therefore retain surely to the end that good which is in you, in case another do receive your crown and reward. [12] For I will make the victor a pillar in the temple of my God, to wit, a special and steadfast instrument in the Church, out of the which he shall never again be cast forth: for he who once is elected is never cast off; and I shall write on him the Name of God, to wit, he shall bear the mark and seal of an elect and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, to wit, the holy and blessed number of saints and angels which come down from heaven from my God, to wit, is shortly and certainly to come down by the general appearing at the latter day and I shall also write on him my own Name for I shall apply my general redemption of mankind to him, in special, and so I shall write my new Name upon him, to wit, of redeemer and saviour which name I have lately acquired through my passion, death, and rising again.

[13] He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. [14] And to the angel or pastor of the Church of Laodicea* write you, thus says the Amen, to wit, He that is wholly and perfect holy, and true in all His promises that faithful witness, Who is the beginning of the workmanship of God, as well because He is that Word which did create all, and so is their beginning, for that they all received their beginning and being from Him, as because the uniting of the Manhood with the Godhead in His person is the most excellent, and so the beginning that is, the chief or first in preeminence of all the works of God.

[15] I know your works says He, to wit, that you are neither hot nor cold, would to God you were either hot or cold, to wit, either fervent and pure in the truth, or altogether cold and ignorant, that is, seeing and confessing your ignorance and slackness that you might be instructed in the same. [16] But you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold and so inexcusable* and therefore as lukewarm liquor provokes vomit, so will I spew you out of my mouth.

[17] For you say and think yourself to be wealthy and greatly enriched and lack nothing, but you know not yourself to be spiritually in misery and wretchedness, poor, blind, and naked of the Grace and favour of God. [18] I would wish you to buy of me gold purged by the fire that you may thereby be made truly rich, I mean, I would wish you to conquer by true repentance and earnest prayer the Word and the truth of God (which because it can receive no filth or spot and is able to abide the trial, David properly in his Psalms compares to gold purged by the fire), which will make you rich in all spiritual graces: I would also wish you to clothe yourself with a white garment, to wit, with innocency and righteousness that the shame of your nakedness and uncleanness appear not and to anoint your eyes with an eye-salve, that you may clearly see from where you have fallen.

[19] But despair you not for these my sharp words, for those whom I love, I reprove and fatherly chasten: take up therefore again zealously the right way to salvation and repent you earnestly of your former iniquities. [20] Lo, I stand at the door and knock, for I offer myself unto you by my ambassadors and my Word in their mouth, whosoever hears my voice and opens the door, to wit, whosoever hears my voice and yields thereunto due to obedience, to him will I come in, to wit, my Holy Spirit shall enter into him and I will sup and be familiar with him as he shall do with me, and reverence me with love.

[21] And I will make the victor to sit with me in my throne, to wit, he shall be partaker of my glory even as I sit with my Father in His throne and am in my Manhood, in which I overcame exalted to sit in glory at His right hand, equal in power, eternity and glory with Him. [22] He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.

Chapter 4

Argument: The ravishing of the writer: the description of the majesty of God in heaven, compassed about with angels and saints, under the figure of saints and elders.

And when this speech of Jesus was ended, I looked up and lo, I did see a door opened in heaven* to the effect that I might see and hear therein, the figurative representing of those things that were to come after: and that first voice which spake unto me before, loud as a trumpet and was the voice of Jesus Christ, spake unto me and said: "mount up towards, for I am to show you those things that are to be done hereafter." [2] Then was I immediately bereft in spirit; for the eyes of my earthly and gross body could not have seen and comprehended those heavenly and spiritual mysteries. And lo, I did see a throne set in heaven and did see one sit thereon, to wit, God the Father in all glory and majesty.

[3] And he that sat thereon was like in colour to the jasper and sardine stones, green as the jasper to represent His everlasting flourishing without decay, and fiery red as the sardine to signify His great brightness and consuming power who is the trier and separator of the elect from the reprobate, and the rainbow coloured like the emerald did compass him around about to testify thereby that as faster the deluge He made the rainbow as a sacrament of the promises made to Noah, so this rainbow which now I did see compassing his throne should serve for a sure sacrament, that He will never suffer His elect to perish, but will always and at all times be compassed with a great care and watchfulness over them. Green it was as the emerald to signify the continuance without ceasing of His care, as the emerald comforts the sight, so is this sacrament an unspeakable comfort unto the elect in their troublesome days.

[4] And about His throne were twenty four other seats, and I saw twenty four elders or ecclesiastical rulers sitting thereupon, clothed with white garments and having crowns of gold upon their heads: these are the twelve patriarchs, and then the twelve Apostles (who for that they have been the special teachers both of the old and new law, to the salvation, as well of Jews as of Gentiles, are set in seats about His throne for glory and clothed with white garments for their innocency and brightness), and crowned with crowns of gold in token of their victory over Satan and the flesh, and of their glorious reward therefore.

[5] And from His throne went forth thunder, lightning, and terrible voices to represent the great severity and terribleness of His judgements, denounced by the old law and executed on the wicked. And there were seven lamps of burning fire before His throne, which is the infinite, mighty, and flaming bright Holy Spirit resembling the love and light of the new law of the Gospel of Christ.

[6] And there was a sea of glass like unto crystal before His throne, for that is as in a glass He clearly sees even all the secret actions and cogitations of all in the world, described here by the sea, which is ever before His face for nothing can be hid from His presence and prescience. And though in lustre and glance the world be like the lively fountains of waters which are the faithful, daily springing and flowing with good works by fruitful faith, yet is it indeed without motion or liquor, dead and like glass, whensoever the Lord Jehovah does thunder His judgements upon it. And in the midst of the throne and about the same, were four beasts: their four hind parts were in the midst of it, their shoulders bearing it up, and their head and wings without and about the same, and these beasts were full of eyes behind and before: these are the holy cherubims, the highest degree of angels, four in number as well because of their qualities to execute His will* (as you shall hear hereafter) as for that the Lord directs them when it pleases Him, to all the four corners of the world, and are as it were, His four winds to blow, that is, to execute either favour or justice in whatsoever place He appoints them. They are bout His throne and as it were, sustain the same; testifying thereby that they were most excellent of all other, & per αίθραποπαθείαν, the pillars or footstools of His glory: their number of eyes before and behind signifiy their certain knowledge of things past, as to come committed to their charge, together with their continual vigiliancy to execute God's commandments.

[7] And the first beast was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third was faced like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle: hereby representing their excellent qualities in the execution of the Lord's decrees, to wit, great power, courage, patience, and strength to travel how oft and how much they should be commanded; great wisdom and a wonderful swiftness in the execution thereof.

[8] And every one of these beasts had six wings in circuit (these are the six wings Isaiah* speaks of): two at their arms to signify their great swift movement in accomplishing God's commandments; two to cover their faces with, to testify that the glory of God is so bright and His majesty is so great, as the very angels His most excellent creatures are not able to behold the same. And two at their feet as well to wipe the filth of the earth off them, after they have been here below (teaching us thereby that although they be oft in the world, by the direction of their creator, yet cannot the world infect them with her sinfulness and corruptions), as also to let us know that they are so far in glory above all men living in the earth, as it is impossible to us with corporeal eyes, to behold the least part of their glorious brightness without a veil, even as it is to them to behold the glory of the Almighty. And within they were all full of eyes to represent their incessant looking on God which comes from that inward and inestimable love they bear unto him, which also they expressed in their continual singing of these words: "Holy, Holy, Holy," that is threefold Lord God Almighty, whoever was, now is, and shall come again, replenished with all fulness of glory and power.

[9] And when these beasts were giving all glory, honour, and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, to Him (I say) who lives eternally. [10] The twenty four elders as next in rank, fell down upon their faces before Him that sat on the throne and adored Him who lives forever, and cast down their crowns of gold at his feet, in token that they received them only of Him, saying: [11] "You are only worthy, Oh Lord, to be accounted glorious, honourable, and powerful, for that you have created all things, and for your will and pleasure have they had their being, and were created." This glance did I see of the glory that is in heaven at the receiving of my commission, contained in the following visions which I did see of the things present and to come in the general church militant.

Chapter 5

Argument: The description of the book, wherein was contained all the mysteries which were revealed to this writer: Christ's opening of them under the figure of a lion, and of a lamb: the praises given to Him by the saints and angels therefore, who offer without any intercessor, every one His own thanksgiving and praises to the mediator.

Then first I did see in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne*, a book. The book wherein these mysteries are contained** and all the book was written upon, as well on the back as within. On the back was written these visions that I did see*** and am presently to declare unto you, within was written the plain exposition and the very proper names of all things which these visions did represent, which are the enclosed there to signify that the Lord has not permitted me to manifest the same to the word for the time thereof is not come yet. Which book, was sealed with seven seals as well as to keep every part thereof unrevealed to any, as also to give the greater certainty that these things shall come to pass which are prophesied therein.

[2] And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice: "who is worthy to open this book and to loose the seals thereof?" [3] But there could be none found worthy to do it, neither in heaven nor in earth, nor beneath the earth, no not to look on it much less to open it: for neither angel nor devil either knows or dare meddle with the high mysteries of God and things future, except so far as pleases Him to commit and reveal unto them.

[4] Then wept I very sore that none could be found worthy to open and read that book, no not to look upon the same: for I was very sorrowful that I could not have it revealed unto me. [5] At last one of the elders said unto me, weep not, lo, the lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed, to wit, He who is come of Judah and has admirable force in His flesh, derived from the tribe of Judah by which He overcame sin, death, and hell, and is the root of David (for David was his figure and forebearer in the flesh) is worthy and only worthy to open the book and loose the seals thereof.

[6] And then I took heed and behold, I did see in the midst of the throne and the four beasts, a second person of the trinity sitting with God, and in the midst of the second person of the trinity sitting with God, and in the midst of the elders as a man and our brother, a lamb standing like as He had been slain to signify that once indeed He was slain, to signify that once indeed He was slain but had risen again and had seven horns and even eyes, representing the innumerable times mighty and Holy Spirit of God, which after His resurrection he sent out through the whole earth to direct, instruct, and rule the same by His providence and power.

[7] This lamb then came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that did sit on the throne. [8] And so soon as He had taken the book in His hand these four beasts and these twenty four elders fell upon their faces before the lamb and adored Him and every one of them had in his hand harps, and golden vials full of sweet odours, these are the prayers of the saints which the four beasts comprehending all the degrees of angels and the twenty four elders comprehending the whole Church, as well militant and triumphant perceiving that Christ is to reveal all the successive steps which are to fall upon the earth and Church before the latter days do pour forth, as well on the Church triumphant's part, thanksgiving that by the revealing or opening of the book, He arms the militant Church to resist all the successive steps contained therein, as also on the Church militant's part to pray Him to hasten the end and dissolution for the hastening whereof all creatures sigh and groan to their creator. Every one of these beasts and elders presents their own prayers unto Him who sits on the throne to teach us, as He is mediator and therefore our prayers must be offered unto Him only, that so there is no intercessor between Him and us, but every one of us must present our own prayers before Him after the example of the beasts and elders: these prayers were enclosed in harps to signify the sweet and pleasing sound that faithful prayers make in the ears of God; they were enclosed in golden vials to teach us that acceptable prayers must come from an undefiled heart and as pure as gold, and they themselves are called incense because their smell is pleasant and sweet like incense in the nostrils of God. This did the incense at the sacrifice in the old law* signify and figurate; and of this incense speaks David in his Psalms**.

[9] And they, to wit, the twenty four elders did sing a new canticle for the matter of their canticle, to wit, the accomplishment of the mystery of redemption is new and ever ought to be new and fresh in the hearts* of all them that would be accounted thankful: their song then was this, "you are worthy, Oh Lord, to receive the book and open the seals thereof, for you have been slain though innocent and by your precious blood have redeemed us to God your Father and have chosen us out of all tribes, tongues, people and nations, as well Jews as Gentiles: [10] and you have made us kings and priests spiritually to our God, and we shall reign over the earth at the last and general judgement, and as kings shall be participant of the glory of the holy and new city Jerusalem."

[11] Then I beheld and hearth around about the throne, the beasts and the elders, the voices of many angels, to the number of many thousand thousands, to wit, innumerable legions of them*, [12] who said all with a loud voice: "the lamb who was slain is worthy to have all power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessing forever." [13] I also heard all creatures in heaven, in earth, and beneath the earth, and in the seas even all that are in them, I heard saying in one voice unto Him that sits upon the throne and unto the lamb be: "blessing, glory, honour and power forever and ever." And the four beasts said: "amen," and the twenty four elders fell on their faces and adored Him that lives forever and ever.

Chapter 6

Argument: The opening of the first six seals: the spreading of the evangel signified by the white horse in the first seal. The great persecution by the red horse in the second. The number of diverse heresies by the black in the third. The Popedom and tyranny thereof by the pale in the fourth. The complaint of the saints and their deliverance promised; their blessed estate in the meantime in the fifth. The day of judgement and the terribleness thereof in the sixth.

After this I looked to see when the lamb opened the first seal, and lo, I heard one of the four beasts for they were appointed to assist me in the time of these visions, as the most excellent creatures of God, and his voice was like a thunder making me awake, with terror to take heed to these great and terrible prophecies which God was to declare unto me, and he said: "come and see". [2] Then I looked and did see a white horse* and He that sat on him and had a bow in His hand, and a crown given unto Him, and He came forth a victor to win and overcome: this man coming on the white horse** was the coming and incarnation of our bright and innocent saviour, armed with a bow; forever since His coming 'till now, and a space hereafter, the dart and arrow of God, to wit, the Holy Spirit by the preaching of the Gospel does subdue and bring the world under His subjection and takes vengeance of His enemies. His crown is given to Him by His father in token of His victory over the second death and as king of the Catholic Church to crown the faithful, and so He comes forth a victor over Satan, and to overcome by once, converting a great part of the world to the true knowledge of God: this mystery is already begun but is not yet accomplished***.

[3] And when He opened the second seal, [4] lo, there came forth a red horse and there was power given to him that sat on him, to take away peace from the earth; that everyone might slay one another, and there was given him for that purpose a great sword for with the spreading of the evangel and rooting of the truth in the hearts of the nations, shall a bloody persecution of tyrants by the civil sword* be joined, which is meant by the rider on the red horse, but notwithstanding the evangel shall spread and flourish for such is the power of God, resisting the pride of man that under the cross, the purity of the truth most flourishes in the Church.

[5] And when he opened the third seal, the third beast said unto me: "come and see", and lo, I did see a black horse and he that sat upon him had balances in his hand. [6] And I heard a voice from among the four beasts saying: "a measure of wheat for one penny and three measures of barley for one penny, but wine and oil harm you not", for after that this first mystery shall be accomplished, not only dearth and famine shall ensue the contempt of the truth, but God shall permit Satan to tempt and vex His Church with a cloud of diverse and dangerous heresies which may be meant by the rider on the black horse, for the blackness and darkness of them* shall obscure the light of the Gospel, but yet God to assure us that He will never forget His own, speaks from His throne comforting us thereby that although (as the balances and measure signifies) good men shall be scant, who are the fine wheat and barley of his harvest**, yet some shall there be that shall not bow their knee to Baal, no not in the straighter times that shall come after and always gives us assurance, that the word and truth of God, which is an eternal oil and comfortable vine, shall never be destroyed nor any ways corrupted in spite of all the malice of Satan in his instruments.

[7] And when He opened the fourth seal the fourth beast said unto to me: "come and see". [8] Then I beheld and lo, I did see a pale horse and the name of him that sat upon him was death: this is the greatest and heaviest plague, for after that the persecutions and heresies shall take an end, and that infirmity and coldness have cropped* into the Church, then shall God redouble His former plagues by permitting Satan to erect a tyranny composed of both these former plagues, for it shall be full of heresy like the one and full of civil and temporal tyranny like the other: and therefore because it brings with it all manner of death, both of body and soul, the rider is justly called death as the fountain of all the sorts of the same, and the paleness of the horse is correspondent in all points to the quality of the rider. For as the rider is called death, so the colour of the paleness represents the same, and as the rider's qualities are composed of heresy and tyranny, so the colour of pale is composed and chiefly of black and red: and hell followed after him to the utter damnation of him and his followers. And power was given him over the fourth part of the earth, to wit, the rest who are not overcome by the other three riders, for all they who were not marked by the white horse, nor killed in body by the red, nor killed in soul by the black, are killed both in body and soul by this last. And as he has the power of destroying thus, given him over the fourth part of the earth, so by the four plagues specially does he execute the same, to wit, by sword, hunger, death and the beasts of the earth, these plagues allude to the plagues mention in the canticle of Moses, for this tyranny shall begin with persecution. This persecution shall cause a hunger, and great scarcity of the true worship of God, this hunger shall breed a second and eternal death, and this tyranny shall then end with a crueler and bloodier persecution of the bodies than ever was before**; which shall be so barbarous that is compared in this vision to the execution used by wild beasts upon offenders, and shall spare no degree, sex nor age, no more than beasts do.

[9] But when He opened the fifth seal I did see under the altar, the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and for His testimony which they maintained. [10] And they cried with a loud voice saying: "how long will you delay (Oh Lord) since you are holy and true, to revenge & judge our blood upon them that dwell on the earth; for this last persecution did enter so fiercely into the world and did make so great a number of martyrs that their souls lying under the altar", to wit, in the safeguard of Jesus Christ (who is the only altar* whereupon and by whom it is only lawful to us, to offer the sacrifice of our hearts and lips**, to wit, our humble prayers to God the Father) did pray, and their blood did cry to heaven, and crave at the hands of their Father a just revenge of their torments upon the wicked and therewith a hastening of the general dissolution for the delivery of their brethren who did remain yet alive.

[11] Then white robes were given every one of them and it was said unto them, and they were willed to rest and have patience for a short space, unto the time the number of their fellow servants to God and brethren companions in the cross were fulfilled, who were also to be slain as they were already. This surely ought to be a wonderful and inestimable comfort to all the Church militant, since by this seal we are assured that both the souls of the martyrs, so soon as their bodies are killed, shall immediately be rewarded with perpetual and bright glory in heaven, not going into any other place by the way, which is signified by the white robes; as also that so soon as their number shall be complete, which shall be within a short space. God shall then crave a full account at their persecutors' hands and then as the one number shall receive a full and eternal glory in body and soul, the other shall receive a full torment in soul and body, to the clear shining of His justice in the one, and His mercy in the other.

[12] Then I took heed when He opened the sixth, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sunbeam black like sackcloth made of hair, and the moon became all bloody*. [13] And the stars fell from the heavens upon the earth, even as the fig tree lets her unripe figs fall, being beaten by a mighty wind. [14] And the heaven went away like a scroll that is rolled together, and all the hills and isles were removed from their places.

[15] And the kings of the earth, the nobles, the rich men, the tribunes or commanders of the people, the mighty men, and all the slaves as well as free men, did hide themselves in caverns and under rocks of hills. [16] And they said to the hills and the rocks, fall upon us, and hide us from the sight of Him that sits upon the throne, and from the wrath of the lamb*. [17] For that great day of His wrath is come and who then may stand? This is the accomplishment of that dissolution, craved and promised in the fifth seal. These terrible things mention in the sixth seal are the alterations and signs in the last time, the very same did our master Christ prophesy when He was walking on this earth.

Chapter 7

Argument: A proper and comfortable digression, interjected of God's care over the elect, in the times of greatest temptations, signified by the visions of the four angels, the election and happy estate of the elected.

But lest I, or any other should doubt the safeguard and salvation of the elect, thinking that these terrible plagues should have lighted upon both good and bad indifferently, He represented unto my sight four angels standing on the four corners of the earth and retaining the four winds in their hands, and stopping them either to blow upon the earth, or sea, or any tree.

[2] And I did see one angel going up from the rising of the sun having the seal of the living God, and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels that had power given to harm the earth, and the sea, [3] saying: "harm not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we have marked the servants of God on the forehead." These angels four in number, because they sit upon the four corners of the earth ready to execute God's judgments upon every part of the world, although they already had stayed the winds to blow, to wit, the progress of the evangel upon the earth: which is the world, upon the sea: which is the numbers of people, upon the trees: which are the magistrates, civil or ecclesiastical*, yet one angel came from the rising of the sun, to wit, directed by Christ who is comfortable like the rising sun to His elect** and is that orient day-spring and sun of righteousness, rising over all the faithful which is mentioned in the Scriptures***, who cries and forbids these four angels to do any further temporal harm while first the chosen be sealed on the forehead by that seal which he bears with him for that effect, that these angels might know them being marked in so eminent a place in the general destruction, and so spare them assuring us thereby that He has such a care over His elect, as He has provided for them beforehand. Even as He did for Noah and Lot and their families, in the time of the deluge and destruction of Sodom.

[4] And I heard the number of them that were sealed in Israel, reckoned to be 144,000, for twelve thousand were sealed of every one of the tribes, which makes justly that number. Out of every one of the tribes was a certain number chosen to assure us that a number of every one of them shall be saved. [9] And that I might be assured that a number, as well of the Gentiles as of the Jews, shall be saved, lo, He showed me a number so great as I could not reckon the same and it was composed of certain out of every nation, tribe, people and tongue. And they stood before the throne and in presence of the lab, clothed with white robes, having palms in their hands, in token of the victory they obtained of their longsome battle.

[10] And they cried all with one voice, saying: "our health and our salvation comes from our God that sits on the throne, and from His lamb", to wit, their health came from God the Father by the mediation of His Son. [11] Then all the angels stood round about the throne, the elders, and the four beasts, and bowed themselves down upon their faces and adored God with thanksgiving for His mercy to the chosen, both of Jew and Gentile, and His justice upon all the rest, [12] saying: "amen", in allowance of the things done with full confession that "blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honour, virtue, and power" belongs only and most justly to God, forever and ever.

[13] Then one of the elders spake unto me and said: "what are these and from whence are they come, who are clothed with white robes?" [14] And I answered and said: "you know, my lord." Then he said unto me: "these are they who are preserved and come from that great affliction which was represented to you in some of the seals, and they have washed their garments and made them white in the blood of the lamb, for they, by virtue of His, are made righteous by imputation whose blood is the only and full purgation of us from our sins."

[15] And therefore they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in His temple, to wit, they without any intermission, contemplate His glory and ever serve Him by continual thanksgiving and praising His name in heaven, which is His eternal and celestial temple, and He that sits on the throne shall dwell with them, for they shall never be separated from His presence. [16] And they shall be no more anhungry or thirsty, nor the sun or any heat shall trouble them.

[17] For the lamb who is in the midst of the throne, to wit, co-equal in power with His Father, He shall feed them and guide them to the lively fountains of waters, to wit, they shall feed of that spiritual and lively bread and drink of that spiritual and lively water*, even Himself, which water He promised to the Samaritan woman at the well. And God shall wipe all tears from their eyes, for He shall both by the greatness of their present joys, put quite out of their memories, all the sorrow of their former troubles and shall also give them eternal joy which shall never be mixed with any kind of trouble or fear, so shall they not be molested with the vehemency of the sun or any other heat which signifies great troubles and sorrow.

Chapter 8

Argument: The opening of the seventh seal: the seven trumpets coming out of it: the effect of the prayers of the faithful signified by the vision of the fire of the altar. Some persecution and some heresies signified by the hail mixed with blood and fire in the first trumpet. The great persecution by the hill of fire in the second. The number of heresies, by the stars falling into the fountains of water in the third. The universal infirmity in the Church in some things by the sun, moon and stars darkened in the forth.

And when He opened the seventh seal there was silence in heaven almost half an hour, as well to let me know that He had once already summarily declared the whole things which was to come after as by silence a while to give me occasion to meditate upon that vision which I had seen, to the effect that afterward I might the better understand the more particular rehearsal thereof, which now under another vision and form was to be declared unto me by the opening of the seventh seal.

[2] And I saw seven angels standing before God, to execute whatsoever thing it should please Him to command then, and by his direction there were seven trumpets givne unto them that by these trumpets they might with one majesty denounce the world such plagues, as they were by the command of God to pour forth upon it. [3] Then another angel came and stood before the altar, having a golden censer in his hand, and there was much incense given unto him that he might offer up the prayers of the saints upon the golden altar, that is before the throne.

[4] And the smoke of the incense, which is the prayers of the saints, mounted up from the hand of the angel to the sight of God: [5] then the angel took this new emptied censer and filled it again with the fire of the altar and did cast it down on the earth, and there were thunderings, voices, lightnings and earthquakes. By this angel and his proceedings we are assured and made certain that Christ shall ever be vigilant over His own and that specially in straightest times He will hear their prayers and ever renew them with some light of the Gospel, by the working of His Holy Spirit. And to assure us hereof the vision of this angel was shown unto me immediately before that by the seven trumpets he is to dilate these visions shown me in the former seals: this angel was Christ, He stood before the altar, this altar is likewise Himself as I declared before: His standing before it means that by His office of mediator He was to do as follows: He had a golden censer in His hand for He keeps the censer wherein are contained the incense which the saints give Him, to wit, their prayers to be offered up to God by His mediation who is that golden and pure altar, which is ever in the presence of God and whose requests are no time refused, and therefore that incense and the smoke thereof mounts up to the sight of God to assure us that our prayers being offered in that form, are ever acceptable. The effect whereof does appear by the angels filling again the censer with the fire of the altar and casting it on the earth; wherewith is joined the noise you heard of; for these prayers procure that their mediator shall out of His golden box, to wit, out of His treasure of power send down the fire of the altar, to wit, the Holy Spirit which remains with Him, to make thunders, voices, lightnings and earthquakes, to wit, to give again the law by renewing the efficacy of the Gospel in the hearts of the faithful alluding to the giving of the old law whereof these fearful noises were the forerunners. This surely is the care and effect that our master in all troublesome times renews to strengthen our weakness with.

[6] And then the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to blow; for although they were before directed, yet were they not permitted to execute their office no more than the four angels, who stayed the four winds while Christ had strengthened and armed His own, as is said, to assure us that ever before any great temptation* He will make the backs of the elect ready and able to bear such burdens as He is to lay upon them.

[7] Then the first angel blew and there was a great hail and fire mixed with blood, and this storm was cast down upon the earth whereupon followed, that the third part of the trees was withered and burnt up, and all green grass was withered and burnt up, for the first plague which has already begun to work, shall be mixed partly of hail which is heresy, for as hail showers by the harm they do to the corn, makes them to become dear, so heresy makes the true harvest of the Lord to become scant. This hail or heresy and spiritual persecution is joined with the sword and persecution of the flesh, which is signified by the fire and the blood. This fiery and two edged trial shall make the third part, to wit, a part but not the greatest number of trees, to wit, of renowned men and all green grass, to wit, all them that are not well founded and strong in the truth (this green grass is that sort of professors of whom Christ spake in the parable of the seed sown in sandy and thorny ground)*, it shall make them (I say) to fall from the truth and so become withered and unprofitable.

[8] Then the second angel blew and there fell as it had been a great hill, all burning in fire; and this hill was cast into the sea, and the third part of the sea became blood. [9] And the third part of the living creatures in the sea was slain, and the third part of the ships therein did perish, for after that this former plague shall have an end and yet the world not turn themselves from their iniquities, then the second shall follow which is the corporeal plague of persecution, signified by the red horse in the second seal. More amply dilated here: this great heap of fiery persecution, like a mountain of fire, shall make the third part or a certain number of people and nations, which is signified by the seas or many waters to overflow in blood; for as it is said of the same in the second seal, they shall slay one another for even among themselves, to wit, among the wicked shall be great bloodshed and wars. For the third, or a certain number of all sorts of living things shall die, to wit, no sort of men shall be exempted from this trouble: but especially a number, and not the greatest part of the faithful shall be persecuted, which is signified by the ships, for even as ships on a stormy sea seek a haven, so the faithful among the wicked of the world tossed here and there resisting every wave, strive in despite of many contrarious winds to attain that haven, where at last casting their anchor they are freed from all worldly tempests and dwell there eternally in a perpetual calmness.

[10] Then the third angel blew and there fell from heaven a great star burning like a torch, and it fell upon the third part of rivers and fountains of waters and the name of the star was wormwood; and the third part of the rivers and fountains were turned into wormwood, and many men died, for the bitterness of the waters. This is the same plague which is signified by the black horse and his rider, to wit, a cloud of defections and apostatical heresies here signified by a great star burning like a torch: for it shall have a great light but like the light of a torch. For as the torch and candlelight is false to the eye and makes the colours to appear otherwise then they are, and is made dim by the brightness of the sun. So shall this light of false doctrine mask iniquity for a space and make it seem to be the truth unto the time the true light of God obfuscate and blind it. These heresies shall be stronger in deceit than those before: for they shall seduce the very pastors and spiritual magistrates, which is signified by the stars falling in a part of the fountains of waters: for these men are the worldly fountains whereout the rest of the faithful, by the buckets of their ears, draw that spring of heavenly liquor.

[11] This star is called wormwood, for as wormwood is a bitter herb, what greater bitterness can be to the soul of man than to procure the wrath of the Almighty through such a horrible fall? And as it turned a part of the pastors and made them to become of bitter quality like itself, so their bitterness did slay with the second death, a great number of men, to wit, their disciples and followers.

[12] Then the fourth angel blew and the third part of the sun, the third part of the moon, and third part of the stars were stricken, so that the third part of them, to wit, of their light was obscured, and the third part of the day and the third part of the night was obscured, to wit, the third part of their light was darkened. For after that one part of the pastors shall make horrible defection, it shall fall out that the whole Church visible shall be blinded with some errors, but not yet make a full defection which is signified by the obscuring of a part of the light of the sun, moon, and stars, to wit, of all degrees of spiritual magistrates; so that by their general weakness in some points a part of the meaning of the Gospel shall be falsely interpreted, which is meant by the light of the day and of the night. For as the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did guide the people of Israel through the desert to the land of promise, so will this light shining both day and night in our souls conduct us out through the wilderness of this world, to that spiritual land of promise, where we with our God shall gloriously reign in all eternity. This fourth blast is also a part of the third seal.

[13] And I saw and heard another angel flying through the midst of heaven and saying with a loud voice: "woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, for the harm that shall be done unto them by the last three blasts of the angels' trumpets." For the last three plagues shall be exceeding great, which, that I might the better note and take greater heed unto, God wakens me up and makes me see an angel flying through the midst of heaven with swift movement, as well to forewarn the holy angels and saints of these three plagues, so far in greatness about the rest, as to signify by his swift flying that they are hastily and within short space to be put in execution: and the number of woes, to wit, which he cries, are answerable to the number of plagues which are hereafter to be declared.

Chapter 9

Argument: In the fifth trumpet the heresies cause a great blindness and ignorance whereof comes the ecclesiastical Papistical orders signified by the grasshoppers breeding out of the smoke and their power and qualities: their king and head the pope, and his style. In the next trumpet the beginning of his decay, signified by the loosing of the four angels at Euphrates, the remedy he uses for the same by hounding out the Jesuits signified by the horse in the vision: their qualities signified by their breastplates. The Pope's and Turks his gathering to destroy the Church, signified by a great army of horse: the Pope is the plague for breaking of the first table, and the Turk for breaking of the second.

Then the fifth angel blew and I saw the star that fell out of heaven upon earth (for it is to be noted that all these plagues did fall out of heaven upon the earth; to teach us quod nullum malum est in civitate, quad non faciat dominus, by His justice permitting*, directing, ordering, and restraining it) I did see it get the key of the key of the bottomless pit which was given unto it**, for this cloud of heresies spoken of in the third trumpet and third seal, by process of time did breed this bastard tyranny whereof I spoke in the fourth seal. And so, it brought from hell by the opening of the bottomless pit whereof it gate the keys, to wit, by the assistance and device of Satan, it bred such plagues as follow.

[2] First, by opening of the pit came forth a great smoke like the smoke of a furnace, to wit, it did breed such a darkness and ignorance in the minds of men and the sun and air were obscured, (to wit, the light of the truth represented by the darkening of the sun), and so in place of living under and by the true and clear air of the truth, the world shall live under and by the bastard and dark air of false doctrine.

[3] And out of this smoke came grasshoppers upon the earth; for this great blindness shall breed a multitude of diverse orders of ecclesiastical persons, as well monks and friars, as others, but all agreeing in one heretical religion. These are grasshoppers because they breed of that filthy smoke of heresies even as grasshoppers breed of corrupted air; they are ever teaching false doctrine with their mouth which carries with it as great destruction to the souls of men as the mouths of grasshoppers do to the green grass and herbs, and the earth shall be overloaded with multitudes of them, even as grasshoppers sometimes come in great heaps and overcharge the face of a whole country. And like power was given to them as have the earthly scorpions; for as the scorpion's string is not felt sore at first and is long in working and impossible to be healed, but by the oil of a dead scorpion, so the poisoning of the soul cannot be perceived by the receiver at first but is long in operation, for piece by piece they infect the world with heresies and open not all their pack at first and the world shall never be freed from their heresies unto the utter destruction of these false teachers themselves.

[4] And it was said unto them or they were forbidden to harm the grass or any green thing, or any tree, but only these men that have not the mark of God in their foreheads, for though earthly grasshoppers when they swarm in heaps do destroy all green grass or trees, yet God shall so bridle the rage of these spiritual grasshoppers that they shall have no power to pervert the elect of whatsoever degree or sort compared to the green grass and fruitful trees, but their power shall extend only upon them that bear not the mark or seal of God upon their forehead and as withered and unfruitful sticks are ready for the fire.

[5] But they shall have no power to slay them, to wit, they shall not discover to the world their greatest blasphemies at the first, as I said before, but they shall torment them for the space of five months, and their torment shall be like the torment that a man suffers, being stung by a scorpion, to wit, they shall piece by piece infect them with spiritual poison; and as I have said already, they shall not feel the smart thereof, while the second death make them to feel the same. This torment shall endure five months, that is the time limited them by God, which alludes to the five months in summer when grasshoppers are; this form of speech does declare the continuing of the metaphor.

[6] And in these days men shall seek death and shall not find the same, and men shall desire to die but death shall fly from them, for then begins the troublesome times of the latter days, the misery whereof I heard our master while He was yet on the earth, declare in these words that I have now repeated.

[7] And the figure of these locusts was like unto the horse prepared for the war, to signify that their form of practice & policy shall be so worldly wise, that they shall lack nothing pertaining to the setting forth of their intents more than a horse of service which is curiously barded, equipped, and prepared for going forth to the battle. And they had crowns like crowns of gold upon their heads; for they shall pretend to be holy like the elders who for their reward get crowns of pure gold set upon their heads, as you heard before, and so shall outwardly glance in a hypocritical holiness. And their faces were like the faces of men, and the faces of men signify reason as man is a reasonable creature: the likeness then of their faces unto men signifies that they shall, by curious arguments, pretend reason to maintain their false doctrine but it shall be but a counterfeit resembling of reason indeed, even as their crowns are like unto gold, but are not gold indeed.

[8] And they have hair like the hair of women, for as the hair of women is a special part of their alluring beauty, so they have such alluring heresies whereby they make the way of heaven so easy by their help, to whomsoever how wicked soever they be, that will use the same as they allure them to commit spiritual adultery with them. And they have teeth like lion's teeth: for as the lion is stronger in the mouth and so may do great harm with his teeth than any other beast, so all these that will not be persuaded with their shows prepared like horses for the war with their crowns like crowns of gold, with their faces like the faces of men, nor with their hair like the hair of women, they shall be persecuted by the power of their mouth, to wit, their threatenings and thundering curses.

[9] And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, for they shall have to back this their authority, the assistance of princes, whose maintaining of them shall appear unto the world strong as iron. And the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots running with many horses unto the war: for as the grasshoppers make in the hot time of the year & the day a great sound with their wings, so these shall be made so strong and fearful by their breastplates like iron, as what they, being in the height of their day shall decree, it shall have such a majesty and fearfulness as the terrible noise of many horses and chariots hurling to battle.

[10] But they had tails like the tails of scorpions and there were stings in their tails, for at their first dealing with any, they appear not harmful to them that hear them and believe them, but the effect and end of their practice is poison to the soul. And thereafter their tails are like unto the tails of scorpions wherein is their sting: and they had power to trouble and harm men the space of five months. For as I shown you before, that they should torment men the space of five months, to wit, a certain space appointed them so now I assure you to your comfort, that as grasshoppers last but five months that are hottest, so these shall be like unto grasshoppers in that as well as in the rest; for they shall remain but for a certain space prescribed, and then shall be destroyed by the blast of Christ's breath.

[11] They have also a king but to rule over them, who is the angel of the bottomless pit, and his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek Apollyon, for these by the permission of God's justice and working of Satan, shall have at the last a monarch to be their head, who shall be like unto themselves, the angel or messenger coming, to wit, instructed and inspired by Satan to be his ambassador and to teach his false doctrine to the counterfeit Church, as well as the true pastors are the ambassadors of God to the true Church. He is called Abaddon or Apollyon, because as he is both a spiritual and civil monarch, so he destroys and kills both body and soul as I told you in the fourth seal, where he is called death for the same cause that he is called here destroyed.

[12] One woe is past and lo, two come after for this which by the first trumpet is declared, is the first of the three last and greatest plagues, whereunto I wished you to take special heed and therefore take good heed to the other two blasts of the trumpets that follow. [13] Then the sixth angel blew and I heard a voice coming from among the four horns of the golden altar that stands ever before the eyes of God saying these words to the next angel that had a trumpet: "loose these four angels bound at the great water Euphrates."

[14] Now the summons and warning being given by the sixth blast of the trumpet of the sixth and fearful plague that was to come; this command of Christ (which is the voice here mentioned) comes to the sixth angel commanding him to do as you have now heard. For although the trumpet was already blown yet the execution follows not, while Christ command and permit it; for these four angels mentioned here are the same who were standing before upon the four cardinal directions of the earth, ready to destroy the same who were then, as you heard, stayed by Christ. While first He had sealed his own, who now being all sealed because this is the last plague that is to come upon the world, except that of the consummation; Christ therefore commands them to be loosed for they were before stayed, as it were bound, to the effect they might now put in execution these things which they were ready to do. When they were stayed it is said they were bound at the great river Euphrates; alluding hereby to the history of Belshazzar in Daniel, for as Euphrates divided Babylon from the Persians and the Assyrians which they crossed when they slew Belshazzar, so this command of stay given to these angels by Christ was that great river Euphrates, beyond the which they were bound for they had no power to cross it and to plague the world, while first all His chosen were sealed and that He had loosed and permitted them as by this command here is done.

[15] And so these four angels were loosed who were ready at the hour, the day, the month, and the year to slay the third part of men, to wit, they were ready at the very moment prescribed to them by God to destroy all men, except such as were sealed, over whom they had no power and such as were reserved to the destruction of the last plague, to wit, the consummation. And so the third part was left to them to destroy. Now follows the plague of the sixth trumpet. [16] And first I saw an army of horsemen, the number whereof were two hundred million, for I heard the number reckoned. This doubly great number signifies that there shall be raised up at one time, two great monarchies and seats of tyrants; one ruling in the east and another in the west, who shall cruelly persecute the Church.

[17] And in this vision likewise I saw horses whose riders had breastplates of fire, of hyacinth and brimstone, and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions and from their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. Noting that with fiery rage, smoky pride, pretenses, and loathsome and wicked courses, these two monarchs the one secular and the other ecclesiastical, shall conquer and possess the greatest part of the world. These horses are a part yet not the least part of the forces of one of these monarchs, in whose description it is most insisted, because he is the destroyer, of whom it is spoken in the fifth trumpet, where he is named Abaddon. These horses and their riders are the last order and sect of his ecclesiastical swarm, their breastplates, to wit, their worldly defense is composed of fire, that is, persecution of the body for they shall have greater credit at the hands of princes than all these grasshoppers spoken of in the fifth seal, and so shall use their forces to defend themselves wherewith. They are composed of the hyacinth for as this herb is dark and of a smoking colour and bitter to the taste, so shall they be defended and maintained by the craft of their dark and bitter heresies (which in the third trumpet are called wormwood as here they are called hyacinth), and they are composed of brimstone which signifies the loathsomeness and stench of sin, and the same force of hellfire, to wit, Satan the author of the one and the ruler of the other, shall by all manner of craft defend them as his special instruments and the last vermin bred and come up from the smoke of the bottomless pit. And they shall not only have power to defend themselves by these three means but they shall also pursue and persecute the faithful, which is meant by their horses' heads like to the heads of lions, that is, able to devour. The means whereby they devour are the same whereby the defend themselves, to wit, by the power of princes to persecute the bodies by false and heretical bragging and sleights, which are here called smoke, and by the drifts and frauds of Satan in diverse fashions to deceive and inflame the soul, which craft of Satan is here resembled to brimstone.

[18] By these three plagues are slain the third part of men, to wit, by fire, smoke, and brimstone, which came out of their mouths, to wit, their malice and strength shall be so great as they shall use all means wherewith the third part of men shall be destroyed, although these means shall not be used by them only to work this great destruction with. [19] For their strength is not in their mouths only (as you have presently heard), but it is also in their tails, for their tails are like the tails of serpents, having stings whereby they do harm. In this they shall be like unto the grasshoppers.

[20] But not the less, the wicked shall be so hard hearted as the rest of them who were nto destroyed by the plagues of this trumpet, shall not repent nor desist from the workmanship of their hands, to wit, from idolatry and adoring of devils and of images of gold, of silver, of brass, of stone, and of wood: who neither can see, nor hear, nor go (whereof this heretical monarch is the punishment). [21] Nor yet will they repent them nor desist from breaking the second table by slaughters, sorceries, fornications & thefts, whereof that other monarch who only persecutes the body, is the revenge, scourge, and plague.

Chapter 10

Argument: John hears the explication of these mysteries, which was written upon the back of the book: it is not lawful to him to manifest it. By foreknowing things to come which is signified by swallowing the book, he is moved to a great joy in the instant time, but it turns in great bitterness to him thereafter.

Then I saw another strong angel coming down from heaven, he was clothed with a cloud and at his head was the rainbow and his face was like the sun, and his feet like the pillars of fire. This strong angel was Christ clothed with a cloud; for in a cloud He ascended and in the clouds shall He come again at the latter day. Which cloud was a guide to the people of Israel by day while they travailed through the wilderness; and out of that cloud He powers the rain and dew of His graces in abundance upon His chosen. His head was clothed with the rainbow which signifies His covenant He made with His elect as you heard before. His face was like the sun and his feet like pillars of fire, you heard these two described in the beginning of my epistle.

[2] And He had in His hand an open book, this was the book of the evangel or glad tidings. And He set His right foot or the strongest on the sea to make stable that liquid element so unstable of nature, and His left upon the earth which is sooner made firm, by this to show the power He has over all things contained in them, who has no power to pass the bounds and order which He has prescribed unto them. And therefore the earth is called His footstool by David in his Psalms.

[3] And He cried with a mighty voice like a roaring lion for they were terrible things and great which He was to denounce. [4] And when He had cried the seven thunders spake their voices. These were the seven spirits of God who by His direction did speak and I was to have written what they did speak; of purpose to have it set down with the rest. But I heard a voice from heaven, saying: "seal what the seven thunders have spoken but write them not," for the Holy Spirit having declared unto me by them, the exposition of the six trumpets, the voice of God commands me not to manifest that unto the world with the rest but by sealing of it, to keep it closed unto the due time.

[5] And the angel, to wit, Christ, whom I saw standing on the sea and on the earth lifted up His hand towards heaven, [6] and swore by Him that created heaven: the earth, the sea, and all that is in them that the time should be no longer. [7] But in the days of the seventh angel's voice when he begins to blow, the mystery of God should be consummate according as He told His servants the prophets. This oath He made to assure me that the world should end immediately after the accomplishing of these things mentioned in the six trumets, and taht the seventh declares the things which are to be done at the consummation, the form whereof will be as He has declared to His prophets.

[8] Then that voice which I heard spake to me from heaven, to wit, the voice of God the Father spake again unto me and said: "go and take that open book which is the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and the earth." [9] And so I went unto the angel and desired him to give me the book, and he answered: "take and swallow it and it shall bring a bitterness unto your belly, but in your mouth it shall be as sweet as honey."

[10] Then I took the book and found that which he said to me of it to be true; for indeed I thought it delightful unto me to know the mysteries of God by swallowing the book. And so it was sweet in my mouth, but so soon as by the digestion hereof I must preach it to the world and for that cause become to be hated, despised, and persecuted by the wicked and see but a small increase of my great labours, then surely it will be bitter to my belly as it was to Jonas, and shall be to all the true preachers thereof thereafter.

[11] Then he said unto me, you must prophesy again before people, nations, tongues, and many kings for my children in Christ, to wit, my successors in doctrine who shall be in the time of these plagues, shall have the same commission to teach over again the same evangel, to the salvation of all the believers. These shall have such boldness given unto them as they shall constantly declare their commission, not only before the people but even before many kings, and shall not be afraid of their faces.

Chapter 11

Argument: Babylon the Pope's empire, is the outward part of the temple: the true Church is in Sancto Sanctorum, but under the persecution of these hypocrites for a certain space, faithful pastors are sent from time to time to witness the truth: they are persecuted, condemned and slain by the Antichrist. God raises up at the last stronger preachers who shall describe the Popedom and foretell the destruction thereof: in the seventh trumpet is the day of judgment described.

And then was a long reed like a rod given unto me, and the angel who gave me the book stood before me and said: "arise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar and all them that adore in it, with that reed that is given you. But the court that is without the temple, exclude you and measure it not, for it is given unto the Gentiles who shall tread down the holy city for the space of forty-two months."

Now lest I should despair of any profit which my successors could have made in doctrine in their time, because as it appears by the sixth trumpet, the whole world should be subdued to these two monarchies. Christ, as well to assure me, some should still remain pure and unspotted as also to show me, and by me to forewarn the Church, that this most dangerous monarch called Apollyon should corporally succeed in the Church and should sit in the temple of God, gives me a reed for that cause and commands me to measure the temple. For He will save all them that are of the true Church, for they are the inward parts of the temple, and the rest by reason of their hypocrisy shall be accounted of as Gentiles. And this division shall be made by my successors in doctrine (of whom I spake already) for they by the measure and trial of the Word, signified by the reed, shall separate that holy Sanctum Sanctorum from the rest of the outward temple of God, to wit, the hypocritical and Antichristian Church which shall tread down and persecute the true Church for the space of forty-two months or three years and a half, for it is both one number. This space prescribed by Christ alludes to Daniel's prophecy of two times, a time, and half a time; for as Daniel meant thereby the half of his prophetical week, so Christ means by this that the persecution of this destroyer shall last the half, to wit, it shall reign about the midst of the last age of this whole week; which begins at His incarnation and first coming, and ends at His last coming again. Which because it is the last period it is here compared to a week.

[3] But I shall give that holy town to two witnesses of mine, who clothed with sackcloth shall prophesy the space of 1,260 days. For these my successors He shall raise up as witnesses, to wit, a sufficient number of them (for out of the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word is confirmed), to witness that their doctrine is false who persecute the Church which He shall give unto them. For He shall make them their patrons to defend and feed them by the power of the true Word, and they shall preach repentance to that counterfeit Church, and therefore they are said to be clothed in sackcloth. And to assure us to our great comfort, that in all the time of blindness God shall ever be raising up some of these two witnesses against the hypocritical destroyer, and to comfort and confirm His true Church. It is said they shall prophesy the number of days that you have heard, which is correspondent justly to the months before mentioned, to wit, they shall not leave off to witness all the time of the Antichristian kingdom.

[4] These witnesses are two green olives, who anoint the elect with that holy oil and two candlesticks (as Christ said, to enlighten the world with their brightness) who are set down and do their office, in the presence of Him who is Lord and ruler of the earth. [5] And if any shall press to harm them, fire shall come out of their mouths and devour their enemies, for whosoever will do them any hurt, himself must be slain so, to wit, the Holy Spirit who is the fire in their mouth, shall accuse and cause to be destroyed with the second death, all them that either persecute them or will not hear or obey their doctrine.

[6] These witnesses have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the days of their prophesy, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, so often as they please. For He shall authorize them and their message with as sure testimonies as the shutting of the heaven and stay of the rain was unto Elijah, so long as he forespake it should be so. And as unto Moses, the turning of the waters into blood and the striking of the earth of the land of Egypt with diverse and sundry plagues.

[7] But these shall be witnesses by their death as well by their life. For how soon any of them shall have run that course in the earth which God has appointed them, they shall be persecuted, overcome, and slain by that beast; the angel of that bottomless pit and king of the locusts, and that great town & seat of the monarchy shall publicly put them down as malefactors.

[8] So as their dead bodies or carcasses shall lie in the streets thereof. And this town is spiritually called Sodom because of the spiritual adultery, to wit, idolatry that it shall commit and maintain, and spiritually Egypt because it shall oppress and intolerably burden the souls of the chosen, even as Egypt captivated the bodies and burdened the backs of the people of Israel and in that town also was our Lord crucified. For where Christ's members are put to death for the Master's cause (as this town and kings thereof shall do), there is Christ Himself crucified in effect, and His crucifying shall be as well imputed to them, as to Judas who betrayed Him. [9] And men of all tribes, peoples, tongues, and nations shall see their carcasses the space of three days and a half, and they shall not be suffered to be buried in sepulchers.

[10] And the inhabitants of the earth shall be glad and rejoice for their slaughters, and shall send gifts one to another in token of joy, because they are made quit of these two prophets who tormented the indwellers of the earth. For the whole world who are not in Sancto Sanctorum shall not only suffer but allow that these witnesses be not only slain but also cruelly used and despised, as not to be suffered to be buried amongst others. And the whole earth shall rejoice at their death because that even as Ahab blamed Elijah for troubling of Israel, so shall the world think these witnesses troublesome unto them because they discover unto them their shamefulness and call them to the repentance thereof.

[11] And thus shall they be despised for the space of three days and a half, to wit, of three years and a half which signifies that during the space of the Antichrist's reign they shall thus be used. But after the space of three days and a half the Spirit of Life coming from God shall enter into them, and they shall be set upon their feet and a great fear shall fall upon them that did see them before.

[12] And they heard a great voice from the heaven saying unto them: "come up here," then they ascended up into heaven and their enemies saw them do so. For although that during the flourishing of this heretical and hypocritical monarchy, the true pastors no sooner appeared than they were put to death, yet at the last this monarchy shall begin to decay when the three years (or the three days and a half thereof) shall be expired. And then shall the Spirit of Life from God, to wit, the Holy Spirit sent from God work mightier in the latter pastors of these days, so as in them shall the bypast martyrs be revived and their doctrine shall take root in the hearts of many, and their reasons shall be so pithy as the Antichristian sect, and the rest of the world shall know as perfectly that they shall prevail, as if they heard God call them to heaven to reward them there for their victory. Neither shall they have power of their lives, for God shall move the hearts of many to defend them in such glory and safety, as if they were mounting up to heaven in a cloud and they not able to hinder them.

And then at that time shall be a great earthquake, to wit, great tumults among nations and the tenth part of the city shall fall. This city is divided in ten parts to show it is the same monarchy that shall afterwards be described by a beast with ten heads. And by the falling of the tenth part thereof is meant that diverse nations shall shake off the yoke of that monarchy, and so a part of the strength of that city shall decay. And there was slain in that earthquake seven thousand men, to wit, a great number of men shall be slain in these tumults and the rest were afraid and gave glory unto the God of Heaven, for these tumults and judgments of God shall by their terrors reduce some to the knowledge of the truth.

[14] The second woe is past for these are the plagues of the sixth trumpet, and lo, the third woe comes soon. For next follows the declaration of these days wherein the consummation shall be: first of that Antichristian kingdom, and next of the whole earth. Take therefore good heed unto the third woe for it is the last.

[15] Then the seventh angel blew and there were great voices in heaven saying: "the kingdoms of the world are made the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, who shall reign forever and ever." This joyful cry was in heaven because the days were come wherein the day of judgment should be, and so the power was to be taken from the kings of the earth who were enemies to the saints, and Christ was hereafter to be the great sole and immediate king over all.

[16] Then the twenty four elders who sat upon seats in the sight and presence of God, for joy that the salvation of their brethren was at hand, did fall upon their faces and adored God saying: "[17] we thank you Lord God Almighty who is and who was, and who are presently to come again because now you are to make your great power manifest, and are to begin your glorious kingdom."

[18] And the Gentiles waxed wrathful for all the wicked now perceive that neither their force nor craft can avail. For your wrath is now come which none may resist and the time of the dead is come, for now all the dead are to be judged and you are to reward your servants the prophets, and all the saints, and all that fear your name, small or great. And you are to destroy them that destroy the earth, by the persecuting of your saints and defiling it with every sort of vice.

[19] Then the temple of God was open in heaven that the ark of His covenant might be seen which was within it. God now did show the ark of His covenant to assure all the saints that He would now have mind of His promise and according thereto would presently send down Christ to judge the earth, as was done then in all terror. Which is signified by lightning, voices, thunder, and earthquakes which then were made. And a great hail which signifies the destruction of the earth as showers of hail of all others, are the most harmful and destroying.

Chapter 12

Argument: A new vision: the devil's malice against Christ and His Church. The Church by God's providence escapes His fury: she is secret and lies hid for a space. The devil raises up heresies and persecutions to destroy Her, but all that cannot prevail, whereupon he goes to raise up her great enemy, the Pope.

Now as this seventh seal, wherein these seven trumpets were (which you have presently heard declared) was no other thing but the more ample dilating of the six former seals (as I did show before), so this vision which I am next to declare unto you is nothing else but a clearer setting forth and forewarning of these times which are most perilous for the Church of all them which are to come after, especially of the three last woes.

[1] And there was a great sign and wonderful vision seen in heaven, to wit, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet and she had a crown of twelve stars upon her head, [2] and she was great with child and she was so near her childbirth as she was already crying, and was sore pained with the travail to be delivered of her cihld. [3] And there was also another sign and wonder seen in heaven, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his head seven diamonds.

[4] And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven with him, and did cast them down to the earth. This dragon stood before the woman awaiting to devour her birth so soon as she was delivered of it. [5] But she brought forth a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and her son was caught up to God and His throne. [6] But the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God that she might be fed there the space of 1,260 days.

[7] And there was a great battle struck in heaven for Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. [8] And the dragon and his angels could not obtain the victory, but by the contrary their place was no more found in heaven. [9] And so that great dragon, to wit, that old serpent who is called the devil and Satan, who seduces the whole face of the earth, was cast down to earth and all his angels were cast down with him.

[10] And I heard a voice in heaven saying: "now is wrought the health, the virtue, and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ, for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who day and night accused them in the sight of our God. [11] For they that fought with him have overcome him, for the love they bear unto the lam and His blood and to the Word of His testimony and have prodigally given their lives even unto death for that cause. [12] Therefore rejoice you heaven and you that dwell therein, but woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea, for the devil is come down to you and he is full of great wrath because he has but a short space to reign."

[13] And when the dragon saw himself cast down upon the earth, he pursued the woman who had borne the male child. [14] But there was given to the woman two great eagle wings that she might flee from the sight of the serpent into the wilderness, to the place that was there appointed for her to be nourished for 3.5 years.

[15] Then the serpent did cast out of his mouth after the woman to overtake her, a water like a great flood to carry her away perforce. [16] But the earth helped the woman and opened her mouth and swallowed up by the way the great flood which the dragon had cast out of his mouth. This part of the vision was to declare unto me that howsoever the Church, which is signified here by a woman (for she is the spouse of Christ who is her head, her husband, and her glory; obeying Him with a reverent love and yet weak and infirm like to a woman), how soon, I say, the Church shining in all brightness and innocency, which is represented by her garment of the sun, and treading under feet, and despising the world and the vanities thereof, here signified by the moon being under her feet. A planet that has no proper but a borrowed light, and subject to all mutability like the world, and being crowned with the shining glory of the twelve patriarchs and prophets, and the twelve holy Apostles, succeeding them in the unity of doctrine and therefore are called here a crown of twelve stars upon her head. How soon, I say, that she thus arrayed did bring forth Christ in the flesh who is that male child, who rules the Gentiles with an iron road as David says in his Psalms. That great red and ancient dragon for in our first forefather he uttered his malice, to wit, the devil who is ruler of infinite numbers of men, which is signified by his seven heads and seven diadems, or crowns upon them, and who has innumerable means and instruments to be executors of his malicious will which is signified by the ten horns, alluding to Daniel. And who is so mighty in deceit that he does not only allure the infidels to follow him, but even a part of the pastors and the visible Church to their destruction: which is signified by his drawing after him with his tail as followers of his enticements, the third part of the stars of heaven and casting them to earth. This dragon having waited to destroy her birth and for earnestness gaping for it, before it was born, and not able to prevail but by the contrary seeing Christ's rising from the dead and then His ascending into heaven, which is signified by the child's pulling up to God and His throne; and seeing the Church flourish though under persecution which is signified by her flying to a place in the wilderness, which God had prepared for her, where, thereafter she must lurk for the space of the days you heard reckoned, to wit, the Church shall be unknown and as it were unregarded and no man shall know how it shall be sustained. For God shall nourish it in the space of the Antichrist's kingdom, which is the number of days you heard counted before. The dragon, I say, having found this that both Christ and His Church did escape his hands and not only that, but himself also by the virtue of Christ's renewing of us, was no more able to accuse the saints of God as he did in time of the old law, since now we are made righteous which is signified by the battle in heaven; where God, to declare that none is like unto Him, made Christ, here called Michael (whose name imports: who is like God), with His angels to fight and overcome the devil and his angels, and to cast them on the earth. Satan, I say, finding himself thus debarred from further accusing of the saints, having found that he should never have place to do that in any time thereafter. As on the one part it rejoiced all the angels and saints in heaven for their brethren's cause on the earth as is witnessed by the song that the voice did sing in heaven, praising God therefore and extolling the deed of Michael and his angels, who fought so earnestly for the saints on earth as if they had been mortal, they would not have spared their lives in that cause for their sakes whom Christ had redeemed with His blood and of whose election He had borne witness to His Father. So on the other part it enraged the dragon so that he became the crueler tempter of men upon the earth, as well for that his place of accusing in heaven was taken away by the mystery of the redemption which is signified by this fight, as for that he knew within short space he was by Christ's second coming to be cast down from the earth into hell, there to be chained in eternal captivity and misery, even as by the first coming he was cast from the heaven which is signified by the last part of the song, so as he pursues the Church with heresy and civil powers, which both are signified by the floods of waters which he spewed out of his mouth, after that the eagle wings were given the woman to fly to that place appointed for her in the wilderness where she must remain the number of days you have heard, to wit, after that God had given His Church a sufficient witness to eschew the rage of Satan and to lurk the space of Antichrist's reign, which lasts 3.5 years, that is, a time prefixed by God and unknown to men as you have sundry times heard already. But seeing that all this vanishes as if the earth had swallowed and dried up that flood suddenly.

[17] The dragon therefore, or the devil, became more wrathful and enraged than before against the woman, or the Church, and went about by some other way to make war against the rest of the woman's seed, who kept the commandments of God and had the testimonies of Christ to God the Father that they were chosen and called, for these are only the true posterity of the Church, to wit, the successors in Grace, faith and truth. [18] And I stood upon the seashore, I mean, it seemed to me that I stood upon the seashore because I did wait to see come out of it, which represented all peoples and nations; such powers, as Satan would employ to fight against the Church. For the declaring whereof this vision was shown unto me and whereof these last two great wonders were but the introduction, that by these things past, as the root, I might the better understand the branches which are to bud forth thereof as follows.

Chapter 13

Argument: The Pope's arising, his description, his rising caused by the ruin of the fourth monarchy in the Roman Empire. The rising of the fall and Papistical Church, her description, her conformity with her monarch the Pope. The great reverence borne to the Pope by many nations, and not only to him but to his legates. A general defection so great as there shall not be another visible Church, but the Popedom. Of the first Pope who did take himself all their blasphemous and arrogant styles.

And then I saw a beast rising out of the sea, to wit, from among the number of nations and peoples. I saw a monarchy chosen and erected up by this dragon the devil, and it had seven heads and ten horns and ten diadems upon the ten horns. The signification of these heads and horns was declared unto me by an angel as you shall hear in the place convenient hereafter, and upon these heads was the name of blasphemy; for they by the persecution of the saints* and adoring false gods, shall both by word and deed blaspheme the name of the eternal.

[2] This beast, or monarchy, is the fourth king or monarchy whereof David prophesied*, to wit, even that monarchy which presently reigns and has the power of the other three revived in it, for it is far greater than they. And therefore as that monarchy of the leopard got that name because of the swiftness of the conquest. And that of the lion because of the mightiness and cruelty thereof. And that of the bear because of the strength and long standing thereof. So this is called like the leopard, to wit, in shape whereof comes her agility, headed like a lion because his strength is in the head as you heard already, and legged like a bear because in the bear's legs consists his greatest strength and durableness. This portion signifies that this monarchy is far greater than all the rest and all their powers are revived in it, as I said before.

[3] And I perceived that one of the heads of the beast had been deadly wounded but the wound thereof was healed, and the whole earth followed this beast with a great wondering. This was to signify unto that it was not of this beast that I was ordained to forewarn you, for the worst of this beast is almost past already and this monarchy shall be within short space destroyed, but this beast or monarchy is shown unto me because out of the ruins thereof shall rise in that same seat where it was, that heretical monarchy whereof I am to forewarn you, which is signified by the deadly wound it got on the head which was healed again. For as the phœnix revives of her own ashes (as profane stories make mention), so out of the ashes of this empire shall rise and be revived another which shall grow so mighty that the whole earth that is without Sanctum Sanctorum shall with amazement reverence, obey, and follow it as you heard presently declared.

[4] And they adored the dragon who gave power to the beast, for they shall give themselves over to the works of darkness which is to serve and adore the devil who raised up this beast to make war against the seed of the woman as you heard before*. And they also adored the devil in his instrument by reverencing that beast and monarchy erected by him. And they said: "who is like unto the beast or who may fight with him?" For this monarchy shall be so strong in worldly power as the world shall think it so far in strength above all other powers, that it is impossible to overcome it, especially that the little stone which was cut without hands out of the mountain mentioned by Daniel**, shall ever destroy it which notwithstanding at the last shall bruise it in pieces.

[5] And there was a mouth given unto it to speak great things and blasphemies. It is said in Daniel* that this mouth shall speak in magnificency and utter words against the sovereign, to wit, this monarchy and king thereof shall extoll himself far above all living creatures and shall usurp far higher styles than ever were heard of before, by the which and by his false doctrine together he shall so derogate from the honour of God and usurp so all power only proper unto Him as it shall be great words against Him and blasphemy of His Name. And there was power given him to do, to wit, God shall permit his tyranny to increase and persecute the saints the space of forty-two months. This space was mentioned unto me to let me know thereby that this monarchy, risen out of the ruins of the other, is the same which is meant by that city whereof you heard already in the sixth trumpet**, which persecuted the two witnesses. For the same space is assigned to her there and consequently it is that same seat and monarchy which is meant by the angel of the bottomless pit called Apollyon in the fifth trumpet*** by the rider on the pale horse called death in the fouth seal****, and also, obscurely meant in the sixth trumpet by the half of that great host of horsemen, of the which half the armored horse which I saw in the vision*** was a part of the power, whose head and monarchy was the plague for idolatry, as you heard. Which monarchy, together with the other (of whom you also heard obscurely in that place as the plague of the sins against the second table), to wit, this great beast here mentioned and the other revealed, a vowed and open enemy of Christ's Church, shall both gather their forces to fight against it in that battle of the great day of the Lord, whereof you shall hear in the own place. Then this beast, according to the power which was given him*****, opened his mouth in blasphemies against God and spake injurious words against His Name, His tabernacle, to wit, His Sanctum Sanctorum, which is the Church militant and them that dwell in heaven. For his reign shall be so great that he shall not only blaspheme the Name of God in such sort as you heard already, and persecute members of Christ that shall be on the earth in his days, but likewise upbraid with calumnies the souls of the saints departed.

[7] And for that effect he was permitted by God to make war against the saints and He gave him power to overcome them corporally and to rule over all tribes, tongues, and nations. So great shall his monarchy and power be. [8] And so all the indwellers of the earth shall adore him, to wit, a great part of them shall reverence him whose names are not written in the book of life, which is the Lamb's that was slain, which book was written before the foundation of the world was laid. For these are always excepted from bowing their knees to Baal who were predestinate by Christ to salvation before all beginnings.

[9] He who has an ear, let him hear and take heed unto this sentence that follows, to wit, [10] if any man lead in captivity, in captivity shall he be led again. If any man slay with the sword, with the sword shall he be slain again. Then since you are assured that God in His good time shall justly mete to their tyranny, the same measure that they shall mete to His Church, let not your hearts in your affliction through despair of God's revenge (because of His long suffering), swerve from the bold and plain professing of His truth. For in this shall the patience and constant faith of the saints or the chosen, be tried.

[11] And then I saw another beast rise up upon the earth, and it had two horns like unto the Lamb but it spake like the dragon, for lest this monarchy should be taken to be a ruler only over the body, and that I might understand the contrary, to wit, that he was specially a spiritual tyrant over the souls and consciences of men, this other beast was shown unto me, which represented the heretical kingdom of the grasshoppers whereof Apollyon was made king in the fifth trumpet*. And it uses the coloured authority of Christ by pretending two swords, or two keys, as received from Christ which is signified by the two horns like the Lamb's, but the end whereof it uses that authority, is to get obedience to that false doctrine which it teaches, signified by speaking like the dragon or devil.

[12] It is this false and hypocritical Church then, which does exercise all the power of the former beast, to wit, teaches the kings of this monarchy and seat, by what means they shall allure and compel the people to obey their commands. And this Church shall also entice the earth and the inhabitants of the same, to wit, all nations which believe the false doctrine that it teaches, to adore this other beast whose deadly wound was healed. For it shall persuade them that this heretical monarchy ought for conscience's sake to be obeyed by all persons in whatsoever it commands, as if it could not err.

[13] And to persuade men thereof it makes great signs or wonders, yea, even causes fire to fall out of heaven upon earth in the sight of men. Upon whom because they shall swerve from the love of the truth to believe lies, God shall justly by the means of this false Church, as His instrument of revenge, send a strong illusion and deceit with great efficacy of miracles and wonders*, yea, as mighty and strong as that of Elijah was, calling for fire from heaven which here is repeated**.

[14] And all these miracles it did in the presence of the beast to make the beast to be adored therefore, by the inhabitants of the earth, and it persuades them to make an image of the beast which was wounded by the sword and revived again. For not only shall this heretical monarchy have power in his own person to command absolutely many nations, but even the nations shall consent by the persuasion of this false Church to obey the absolute command of his lieutenants, legates, and ambassadors in every country so as they shall not only be exempted from the laws of every country, wherein they live, but shall even be fellows and companions in all honours and privileges to the princes or kings thereof. And this willing consent of nations unto this by the persuasion of this false Church is signified here, by the making of this image at the Church's persuasion.

[15] And power was given unto it, to wit, unto this false Church to quicken this image and to make it speak, and to cause that all those who will not adore this image, should be slain corporally. For as the consent unto this authority of the image must be given by the nations, and so they to be the makers thereof, so the authority, which is meant by the quickening of it, and making it speak, must be given it by the working of this false Church, whose rage shall be so great, as it shall persecute any who will not think the commands whatsoever this monarch's ambassadors and images, to be an infallible law, as well as his own.

[16] And so this false Church makes that all, small or great, rich or poor, bond or free, in short all men of whatsoever degree shall take the character or seal of this monarchy into their right hand or into their forehead, to wit, publicly profess obedience thereto, and assist the maintenance thereof and down-throwing all resistors.

[17] And that none may buy and sell except they have the character or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. For this defection shall be so universal and so received by all degree of men, as it shall not be possible to any, neither shall that hypocritical Church permit any to be partakers of their civil society which is meant here by buying and selling, except they be known to be of his fellowship in religion, which is meant by the character, and his name, and the number thereof. Then since you see that this defection shall be so general, beware of every one that shall say "Lord, Lord" thereby to deceive you, for you see by this, that false prophets shall for a time so triumph as they shall vaunt themselves to be the true Church, because there shall be no other Church visible at that time, although there shall ever be some that shall not bow their knee to Baal*. For the woman shall not be devoured by the dragon, but hid and nourished in the wilderness out of sight for a space, as you heard before**. Retain well in memory these words for the time shall come in the latter days, that this doctrine shall be thorns in the eyes of many.

[18] Now, as to the number of the beast here is wisdom, let him that is endued with knowledge number for it, for the number of the beast or monarchy, is the number of the man, to wit, of the first monarch of this seat, who shall first usurp all these styles of blasphemy and who in the fourth monarchy shall revive a spiritual supremacy and tyranny*. And his number, to wit, the date of years that he shall begin to reign, in reckoning from the time of this revelation, is six hundred and sixty six.

Chapter 14

Argument: The happy estate of the faithful in the meantime of the Pope's tyranny, his destruction, the faithful only are all saved.

Now so soon as the tyrannical government of these two beasts, to wit, the false Church and their king had been declared by this last vision unto me, even as before after the denouncing of the fearfullest plagues, the happy estate of Christ and His Church was declared to comfort me as you heard before. So now the plagues that are to be wrought by this spiritual tyranny being declared, the state of Christ and His followers in the meantime is next set forth as follows. Then I did look, and lo, I saw the Lamb standing upon Mount Zion and with Him 144,000, having the Name of His Father written upon their foreheads. For in the meantime that this tyranny was raging on the earth, this Lamb, Christ, was standing upon Mount Zion, to wit, upon His holy place out of which He promised salvation to the faithful as David says, and is accompanied with this great number of faithful, which number was composed of twelve thousand of every tribe as you heard before. But this number comprehends in this place all the faithful, as well of Gentiles as of Jews, although it seems to be understood of the Jews only, which is done for continuing of the metaphor because as Sanctum Sanctorum, which was a part of the material temple of Jerusalem did signify before all the faith, as you have heard, so now this number of Jews here signifies the faithful of both Gentiles and Jews, as I have said, who now are described here making public profession of Christ by bearing His mark on their forehead, and eminent part, even as the wicked bear on their forehead the character of their king: the angel of the bottomless pit. These faithful followers of Christ did bear now His mark, to testify thereby that they were preserved by it, even in the very time that this tyranny was raging all the falsest.

[2] And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters in greatness and like the roaring of the thunder in terribleness. And I also heard the voice of many harpers playing on their harps. [3] And singing as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts and the elders, none could learn that song except these 144,000, to wit, these who are bought from the earth. For they who were bought and redeemed by the precious blood of Christ from among the rest of the world, and so were no more of their number, were only able to learn and understand these voices for unto them only it appertains. Where first God promised that He should shortly destroy that tyranny (which voice of God is here described by resembling it to the sound of many waters, as David does, and to the roaring of the thunder). And where next the thanks thereof is given by the saints and angels in singing the praises of God as earnestly and cheerfully, as if it were but a new song, and to represent the harmony thereof, they sing to the concords of the harps and instruments in the presence of God sitting in His majesty and compassed about with the four beasts and twenty four elders of whom you heard mentioned made before.

[4] These attendants on the Lamb are these who are not defiled with women, to wit, not guilty of spiritual adultery for they are virgins as Christ called them in the parable of the lamps: these follow the Lamb whithersoever He goes, for they go not astray from His foosteps, neither to the right nor to the left, and those are they who are bought from among men and are acceptable first fruits unto their Father and His Lamb.

[5] And in their mouths was found no guile for they are inculpable before the throne of God because the Lamb has fully paid their debts for them. [6] Then I did see another angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the eternal evangel in his hand that he might preach the same to all the inhabitants of the earth, even to all nations, tribes, tongues, and peoples. For even as you heard before in the sixth trumpet, of the reviving again of the two witnesses who were slain by this tyrannical and heretical monarchy, so now the same was declared unto me by this angel, who when this tyranny is in the greatest pride, as you have heard, flies through the midst of heaven to be publicly heard and seen by all, having with him these eternal glad tidings to preach them to all the earth, to wit, God shall in the end of this tyranny while it is yet triumphing, raise up and send His angels or messengers who shall publicly teach the truth and refute the errors of this tyranny before the eyes of the sun and the moon, to the salvation of a part of every country, and to double condemnation of the rest through making them inexcusable who will not turn in time.

[7] And their exhortation shall be this when then I heard the angel say with a loud voice: "fear God, and render Him all glory, for the day of His judgment comes at hand. Adore Him therefore who made heaven and earth and seas, and fountains of water," to wit, all things good and evil, and the particular applications that these witnesses shall make of this general doctrine to the times of corruption that they shall be in, shall be this that I heard two angels following declare, of whom the first said: [8] "it is fallen, it is fallen, Babylon that great city," because she gave to all nations to drink of the vine of wrath of her fornication or spiritual adultery, to wit, that great monarchy called Babylon because it leads and keeps the souls of men in spiritual thralldom, even as the monarchy of Babylon led and kept the people of Israel in a corporeal captivity. That monarchy, I say, shall be suddenly destroyed; for it is to be noted that as there is no distinction of times in the presence of God but all things are present unto him, so He and His angels call oftentimes that thing done, that is shortly and certainly to be done thereafter, which form of speech you will sundry times hear thus used hereafter. That monarchy, I say then, shall shortly be destroyed and that justly, because she has abused a great part of the earth by inciting them to be senseless (as if they were drunken), and to embrace her errors and idolatries or spiritual whoredom. For as men are enticed by whores to leave their own spouse and enter into them, so shall they persuade the nations to leave their society with their spouse Jesus Christ and only settle their savlation upon her, and for the committing of this spiritual whoredom, this monarchy is here called a She, and afterward the great Whore, and the reason that they shall give why they make this warning* shall be in these words, which I heard the third angel proclaim, to wit,

[9] For whosoever shall adore this beast any longer or his image, or take his character on his forehead, or his hand, as you heard before, [10] he shall for his just reward and punishment drink of the wine of wrath of God, yea, of the pure and immixed wine thereof, poured out in the cup of His wrath. And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, to wit, he shall be cast into hell; the torments whereof they do signify, and that in the presence of the holy angels, for they shall bear witness against him in the sight of the Lamb: for the Lamb shall judge and condemn him.

[11] And the smoke of his torments shall mount up in all worlds to come, to wit, he shall be incessantly tormented forever: for all these that adore the beast and his image and have the character of his name, shall not have rest day nor night, to wit, they shall be perpetually tormented without any release or relief. [12] And in these days when the witnesses shall be making this exhortation, in these things shall the constancy of the saints or faithful be tried, and by this trial shall they be known and discerned that observe and retain the commands of God, and the faith of Jesus the Saviour.

[13] Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me: "write, blessed are the dead that die for the Lord's cause hereafter, so says the Spirit, for they rest from their travails and their works follow them." This voice from heaven did by these words declare unto me, that these witnesses who should make this exhortation that you have heard, should be persecuted therefore by that spiritual Babylon. But that these should be happiest who lost their lives for so good a cause, for the confirmation whereof the Holy Spirit says, yea, and subjoins the reason, to wit, because both they rest from these continual labours and troubles, that they were always subject unto in the earth, and in recompense thereof their works follow them: for as faith is the only leader of men to heaven, and so goes before them. So according to the greatness and honour of their calling in earth, if they discharge it well, they are rewarded in heaven with a measure of glory conformed thereunto. And so, their works follow them to obtain that measure in that place whereof they were already assured by the means of faith in Christ only. For although the sun, and the moon, and the stars be all bright lamps and lights of the heaven, yet are they not all alike bright, but the brightness of every one of them is different from the other. Always let us assure ourselves that although our measures shall be unequal, yet from the greatness to the least, all the vessels of mercy shall enjoy in all fullness, as much glory as they shall be able to contain, and the inequality of the measure shall be, because they are not able every one of them to contain alike in quantity. And the like shall be done with the measures of pains to the reprobate in hell.

[14] Then I beheld, and lo, I saw a white cloud and upon the cloud sat one like a man, having on his head a crown of gold, and in his hand a sharp sickle. [15] And another angel came out of the temple & cried with a loud voice to him that sat upon the cloud: "thrust in your sickle to reap, for the hour of your reaping is come, and the harvest of the earth is withered for ripeness and readiness to be cut." He who was like the Son of man and was sitting on a white cloud, was Christ in a bright cloud of glory, crowned with a crown of victory. All that was spoken of Him here was to declare to me, that the last days wherein His coming again shall be, shall be next following to the revealing of Babylon by the reviving of the witnesses as you heard in the end of the sixth trumpet.

[16] At what time Christ shall gather His harvest of the elect together as I heard Himself say while He was yet on earth among us. [17] Then another angel came forth of the temple that is in heaven and he had another sharp sickle in his hand. [18] And another angel came from the altar who had power over the first, and he cried with a loud voice to him that had the other sharp sickle, saying: "put down your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine trees, for the grapes are ripe."

[19] Then the angel put down his sickle on the earth and gathered the vines of the earth, and cast them in the winepress of the wrath of God. For so soon as Christ has gathered His harvest together, then the reprobate are fully to be destroyed as is declared here by the angels' command, who came from the altar, to wit, as directed by Christ. This angel had power over the fire, to wit, he had direction to destroy as he commanded, the messenger of God's plagues, who had the sickle to do it, who at his command cut the vines and cast them in the great winepress of God's wrath, to wit, destroyed the reprobate in the abundance of the wrath of God.

[20] And the winepress was trodden without the city and the blood came out of the winepress, even to the horse's bridles, and spread to the bounds of one thousand and six furlongs. This is surely a great comfort to all the chosen, that notwithstanding all the rest of the world except such as are Christ's harvest, whom He has gathered together in the holy city, the rest, I say, shall be destroyed in such a great number as their blood shall of deepness come to the horse's bridles and overflow the whole land of Canaan, whereof the number of the furlongs or eight parts of miles, you heard, is the length. Yet though it overflow the whole earth which is signified by Canaan, it shall be without the holy city which is in the midst of the land, to wit, although the true Church shall be in the midst of the world, as Jerusalem was in Canaan, yet that destruction shall not make a hair of one of their heads to fall but it shall be without them, and they fully exempted from it, as the land of Goshen was from the plagues of Egypt.

Chapter 15

Argument: The faithful praise God for the Pope's destruction, and their deliverance: the plagues which are too light on him and his followers, is to be declared by the pouring forth of the seven vials.

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful, to wit, seven angels having the seven last plagues for by them is fulfilled the wrath of God. For the Spirit of God having already declared unto me the general destruction of the whole world, which is without the Holy City, He next declared unto me unto my greater comfort, the particular plagues that are to light upon spiritual Babylon as a just recompense of her sins, and of the plagues that she is to load the earth withal. And these are the seven hindmost which are in the hands of the seven angels of whom there is here mention made.

[2] And I saw as it had been a glass sea mixed with fire and they that had won the victory over the beast, and over his image (or ambassadors), and his character and the number of his name, to wit, from that time that the last beast rose out of the ruins of the other, I saw these victorious (I say) standing above, or upon this sea of glass, and they had the harps of God: for now having declared on the one part how unhappy the state of Babylon shall be by the seven last plagues which shall fall upon it. So on the other part by these who stand on the sea of glass mixed with fire, he declared unto me what should be the blessed estate of the chosen at that time that these plagues shall fall upon Babylon, to wit, of these victors; for they shall reveal the Antichrist and deface him, they shall then behold the rest of the world which is here signified by the sea of glass, and they shall have the harps of God, to wit, the praises of God in their mouths because he has mixed this glass sea with fire, to wit, has destroyed and made his judgments to fall upon this wicked world as their song which follows will declare:

[3] And they sung the song of Moses as well because they did sing the praises of God's justice upon this glass sea, to the revenge of the blood of His chosen as Moses says in the very last words of his canticle. As because Moses praised God for the deliverance of his people from the corporeal thralldom of Egypt. And the song of the Lamb because they praised Him for doing the like by relieving the Church from the thralldom of the spiritual Egypt in the times of the evangel: and their song was this: "great and wonderful are your works, Oh Lord God Almighty, just in punishment and true, for the performance of your promises are your ways, Oh King, and defender of all your saints and true followers. [4] Who will not fear, Oh Lord, and glorify your Name since you are only perfectly holy, for all nations shall come at the latter day and adore before you, since your judgments are now made manifest and lighted upon the earth."

[5] And next after this I saw these particular plagues every one (for the which the saints did thus prais God as follows), for I did look, and I saw the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven opened. The like of this you heard was done in the beginning of the seventh trumpet and for the same cause it was also done here, to wit, to show the ark of the covenant which was therein, for thereby God did witness that He was now mindful of His promise by the sending out of these seven angels and seven plagues, which were now to be executed.

[6] And out of this temple came seven angels for from the remembrance of His ark and covenant proceeded their direction, and they were clothed with pure and white linen for innocency and purity, and girded about their breasts with gold for honour and glory.

[7] And one of the four beasts gave these angels seven vials of gold, full of the wrath of God that lives eternally and for all worlds to come. These angels are thus arrayed and these golden and precious vials of the wrath of God are given them by one of the four beasts, the most excellent creatures of God, all to teach us that as these plagues shall be most bitter to Babylon and her followers, so shall they be most sweet to all the chosen for their deliverance; for they are to light upon the wicked and no ways to harm any of the holy city.

[8] And the temple in heaven was filled with the smoke coming from the majesty of God, and from His virtue and power: and there could none go in into the temple while the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled, to teach us that no flesh, how guiltless soever it be, can compare before God when in His wrathful face He is clothed with justice, but only when a cheerful countenance clothed with mercy, He stretches forth His hands unto us.

Chapter 16

Argument: By the first vial the Pope's followers are plagued with sundry new and unknown diseases. By the second vial all kind of plagues such as sword, famine, and pestilence light upon the nations that acknowledge him. By the third are diverse Popes raised up at one time, who striving for the seats, fight among themselves, and so they are justly recompensed for shedding the blood of the saints. By the fourth the reverence of him begins to wax cold in the hearts of men. By the fifth, his abuses begin to be discovered. By the sixth, his forces decay, which he perceiving hounds out the Jesuits to gather all his forces to destroy the faithful, with whom God fights to his destruction. By the seventh, the latter day is described and the Popedom rent asunder.

Then I heard a voice out of the temple saying to these seven angels: "go pour forth in great abundance upon the earth the seven vials of the wrath of God." For now they were to be shown and to be described unto me.

[2] Then the first angel went to work and poured forth his vial on the earth and there fell a great and grievous sore upon all them that had the character of the beast or adored his image: these plagues which were shown to me were only ordained to light on Babylon (as I said before), and therefore they mete unto her with the measure that she shall measure others with, to wit, they shall plague her and her followers with the like plagues that she shall plague others with, corresponding as well in number as in quality. They also have allusion to the plagues of Egypt because she is called spiritually Egypt (as you heard in the sixth trumpet), and so by this first plague is signified that as she persecuted the faithful and killed them (as is declared in the sixth trumpet), and as Moses made a scab to come upon all the Egyptians for Pharaoh's sake, so shall there fall a pestilent and pernicious sore upon all his followers, to wit, they shall be troubled with diverse new and horrible diseases.

[3] Then the second angel poured forth his vial upon the sea, and the sea was made by it like the blood of a dead body and every living thing in the sea died. For as that beast should first so trouble the sea, to wit, the peoples and nations with persecuting all them who will not adore her, and by her abuse cause the world to become dead to all good works and fruitful faith, as is declared by the vision where I saw her rise out of the sea. And as Moses turned the red sea into a corrupted blood with drowning the Egyptians (which is here called the blood of a carrion), by the which all the fishes therein were poisoned, so shall the nations and the peoples which are the followers and partakers of Babylon, be troubled with wars within and without, and with all kind of plagues such as pestilence, and famine, and such others.

[4] Then the third angel poured forth his vial upon the rivers and fountains of water, and they became blood. For as this false church and grasshoppers did corporally succeed to the fountains of waters, to wit, the true pastors (as you heard in the third trumpet) and did assist their king Apollyon, to persecute bloodily the lively fountains of waters, or true pastors, who yet remained uncorrupted as you heard in the sixth trumpet. And as Moses made all the rivers and fountains of waters in Egypt to become blood, so shall the teachers and heads of this false Church be divided among themselves, yea, there shall be in three or four diverse places, three or four diverse persons, and every one of them shall claim to be king of the locusts; which question shall be decided by the cruel and bloody edge of the sword. And therefore to show me how justly that great persecutor of the saints is now made to be the persecutor of himself, divided in diverse persons.

[5] I heard the angel of the waters, to wit, the third angel who poured these plagues upon the waters, use these words: "just are you, Oh Lord: who is, who was, and holy for that you have judged these things." [6] Because even as they, to wit, these corrupt filthy and false fountains of waters have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, so shall you now given them of blood to drink, for they are worthy of such a reward.

[7] Then I heard the voice of one from the sanctuary for confirmation hereof, saying: "certainly, Oh Lord God, true and just are you judgments, for you have performed your promise and have justly recompensed them." [8] Then the fourth angel poured forth his vial upon the sun, and power was given unto him to afflict men with fire; for even as the sun was darkened in the fourth trumpet, to wit, the special teachers did begin to fall from the sincerity of the truth, enticed thereunto, though not by Apollyon himself (for he was not yet risen), yet by the qualities whereof he is composed, and therefore is he here punished for the same. And as Moses troubled by the hot eastern wind the land of Egypt by the breeding of grasshoppers, so shall the fiery Spirit of God in the mouths of His witnesses so trouble Babylon with the burning sun of God's truth, as men shall be troubled with a great heat, to wit, she and her followers shall be tormented and vexed therewith.

[9] But they blasphemed the name of God who had power over these plagues and repented not, that they might give him glory; for such is the nature of the wicked, and so hardened are their hearts that the same scourges and afflictions which make the godly turn themselves to God, and so are the savour of life unto them to their eternal salvation, they by the contrary make the wicked to run from evil unto worse, and so are the savour of death unto them to their just and eternal condemnation.

[10] Then the fifth angel poured forth his vial even upon the very throne of the beast, and his kingdom was made dark and they, to wit, he and his followers gnawed their tongues for dolour: for as this beast did breed and was nourished by the smoke and darkness that came forth of the bottomless pit, whereof he is the angel and messenger, as was declared in the fifth trumpet. And as Moses made a great darkness to come upon the land of Egypt, so now after the witnesses revealing him, which you heard signified by the heat in the fourth vial, shall follow that this kingdom shall become obscure by the light of the truth, and shall come to be despised by many whereby he and his followers shall be moved to a great rage, which I meant by gnawing their tongues for dolour.

[11] And they blasphemed the God of heaven for their dolours and griefs, and repented them not of their works; for as I said before, neither corporeal punishments signified by sores, nor spiritual, signified by dolours, can move them to repent but to a greater obstinacy and rage, as you shall see by their actions immediately after the pouring forth of the sixth vial upon the great water Euphrates.

[12] Then the sixth angel poured forth his vial upon the great river of Euphrates and the waters thereof were dried up that the passage of the kings coming from the east might be prepared, so as that beast by the means of many people (signified by waters), did tyrannize over the Church of God. And as Moses by Aaron's rod made a dry and safe passage through the Red Sea to the people of Israel*, so God by this plague dries up that great water Euphrates which compasses Babylon during His will, to wit, He makes now the power of this monarchy to decay and lays it open to invasion and destruction as you shall hear. This water was dried to make passage for the kings coming from the sun rising, alluding to Daniel as I showed in the sixth trumpet**. For even as the Persians and Medes came from the east, crossed the Euphrates, overcame Babylon, and slew Balthazar king thereof, so immediately after that the witnesses have begun to reveal spiritual Babylon as is declared in the fouth vial. And that thereupon has followed that the kingdom thereof is become dark, as is declared in the fifth vial; then shall follow that God shall prepare the destruction thereof, by drying Euphrates whereupon shall ensue, that such instruments as God shall appoint directed by that sun rising, to wit, Christ (as you heard in the sixth seal) shall destroy that king and sack that great city to the perpetual confusion of all her followers as you will hear more clearly declared hereafter.

[13] And then I saw from the mouth of the dragon and from the mouth of the beast, and from the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits come forth like to frogs. For this is all the repentance that these three vials shall work in the heart of Babylon as I said before, to wit, for the last remedy the devil or dragon shall invent him a fresh order of ecclesiastical factors and agents as the devil's last brood: these are the same that I called horse in the vision in the sixth trumpet, three in number to correspond to their threefold armour (as you heard in the said trumpet) because there came out of their mouths three sorts of persecutions and destructions. And themselves came out of three mouths, out of the dragons, because the devil is the inventor of them out of the beasts, because the beast or king of locusts commands over them, directs and employs them for the standing of his kingdom as the last refuge when now he sees the decay thereof evidently coming on, out of his false prophets or false Churches, because it authorizes them for the aforesaid effects. These unclean spirits and teachers of false and heretical doctrines and wicked policies (resembling frogs) as well for that they are bred of an old, filthy, and corrupted false doctrine which for a long space have blinded the world before their coming, as frogs breed of rotten and slimy corruption. As also for that they go craftily about to undermine and condemn all ecclesiastical orders preceding them, as unperfect and unprofitable because their kingdom is darkness. But howsoever they thus craftily insinuate themselves in the favours of the people, surely their doctrine is nothing else but the very same filthy puddle of unclean and wicked heresies and impieties taught by the grasshoppers before, even as the young frogs grow like the former.

[14] For they are spirits of devils, to wit, wicked and crafty like them, doing miracles of deceit for they shall wonderfully deceive men. And they go to all the kings of the earth and to the whole world, to gather them together to the battle of that day of God Almighty; for they shall have such credit of a great part of the princes of the earth, as I also showed you in the sixth trumpet, as they shall gather great forces together as the last brood of the devil, as I told you before, to fight against His Church who notwithstanding shall overcome them, as will after more clearly be declared.

[15] Happy are they then that swerve not, nor despair in the meantime, but awake and keep their garments clean and undefiled from the general corruption lest otherwise they walk naked, not clothed with the garment of righteousness, and so, their shameful parts or natural inclination to evil be discovered: for lo, I come as a thief for no man shall know the hour, no time of my coming.

[16] And the place whereunto these unclean spirits gathered the kings to this battle against God's Church in Hebrew is called Armageddon: for by deceit they assembled the kings and nations to their own destruction. [17] Then the seventh angel poured out his vial in the air and there came forth a great voice from the temple in heaven, even from the thrown saying: "it is done."

[18] Then was heard great sounds and lightnings and thunders, and there was a great earthquake, and such in greatness was never seen since men were upon the face of the earth. For even as the air was troubled and obscured by smoke of hell, out of the which the king of locusts bred in the first seal, and as Moses made hail in great abundance to fall on Egypt, which meteor does breed in the air; so God having stricken the battle against Babylon and her followers and having overcome them, as you heard in the sixth seal, now follows immediately the last plague of the consummation by the air. For in the air shall that great noise be heard which is the forerunner of that great day, most comfortable to the true Church, but most terrible to all the rest of the world which day is proclaimed by the voice of God from His temple, wherein was His covenant, declaring the consummation in these words you heard. And as the great noise signifies the same, so in special does the great earthquake as Christ Himself prophesying thereof does declare.

[19] And that city was rent asunder in three parts, and that justly because she destroyed the third part of the earth as you heard in the sixth trumpet. And the cities of the nations fell, because they drank the cup of her abominations. And great Babylon and her sins came then in memory before God; for then He was to make her drink the cup full of His wrath to her utter destruction.

[20] And all the isles fled and the mountains were no more found, for no deepness of seas nor inaccessibleness of mountains shall have power to save the wicked from the fearful and terrible judgments of that great and last day. This does also signify the latter day, as you heard before. [21] And a great hail to the greatness of talents fell upon men, but they blasphemed God for the plague of hail, for it was exceeding great. This great hail signifies also a great destruction at the latter day, as you heard in the seventh trumpet, but yet the wicked shall be so stiff-necked as even at their last breath; their malice and obstinacy shall rather increase than diminish as is declared here by men's blaspheming of God for the plague of the hail.

Chapter 17

Argument: The angel expounded to John this vision of the Pope, describes him at large and clearly declares the authors and manner of his destruction

But because that these plagues and Babylon whereupon they lighted did seem obscure unto me, therefore one of the seven angels who poured forth their vials full of plagues did say unto me: "here then I will show unto you more plainly the condemnation of this great whore, and what she is that sits upon many waters, [2] with whom the kings of the earth have committed spiritual adultery and with the wine of whose whoredom the inhabitants of the earth", to wit, a great number of nations who are not of the elect, are made drunk as you heard before.

[3] Then he bereft me in spirit as I told you in the beginning of this epistle, to the wilderness which signifies the Gentilism as says Isaiah; for she and her followers are Gentiles in effect as you heard in the sixth trumpet. And as our master says: all these that gather not with us they scatter, for no more is there a midst betwixt God and the devil nor betwixt the rewards thereof, heaven and hell. And as one of these two masters we must of necessity follow, so of the same necessity to one of these two places we must go. And then I saw in the wilderness a woman, even Babylon that whore, sitting on a scarlet coloured and bloody beast even as she was sitting before in the likeness of a man upon a pale horse in the fourth seal. And this beast was full of blasphemy and had in her hand a golden cup; for this monarchy and the monarch thereof shall as well be corporally clothed with these colours and decked with precious stones; as also these colours which are finest of all others, and these precious stones signify that this monarchy and the seat thereof shall be most glorious and glancing to the eyes of the world, as I said before, which shall not only be the true Church by appearance of outward glory, but even retain many of the general points of religion which is signified by her golden cup. But this cup was full of abominations and of the uncleanness of her spiritual whoredoms: for albeit in many points she shall retain the truth, which shall abuse men and allure them to her, yet shall she mix and poison this truth with her own abominable and heretical inventions and traditions, and with the uncleanness of her spiritual adultery, whereof you have heard before.

[5] And on her forehead was written a mystery: Babylon the great, to wit, spiritual Babylon as you heard before, the mother of the whoredoms and the abominations of the earth, for from her shall proceed the greatest and in a manner, the only chief abuses and heresies coloured and clothed with the show and title of Christianity with the which these who shall outwardly say "Lord, Lord" shall ever be infected with, until the consummation; and as a mother she shall not only breed but shall be the chief nourisher and maintainer of them. And this is called a mystery because although this abuse shall be public (as is signified by being written on her forehead), yet none shall consider the abuse thereof but only such whose eyes it shall please God to illuminate for that effect.

[6] And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and of the martyrs and witnesses of Jesus the Saviour, to wit, she shall greedily and cruelly shed their blood without all measure, reason or pity, as you have often heard before. And when I thus saw her I wondered at her marvelously, and I could not conjecture the meaning of the seven heads and ten horns that the beast had on whom she sat.

[7] And the angel who had now shown her unto me as you now have heard, seeing me thus wonder says unto me: "marvel not, for I will reveal unto you the mystery of this woman and of the beast she rides upon, which has seven heads and ten horns. [8] This beast that you have seen (or monarchy) was (for it is the fourth monarchy which is very great and flourishing) and is not, for it is now so far decayed that in a manner it is not, and it is to rise again out of the bottomless pit as you heard in the fifth trumpet, how soon the wound of the head shall be healed whereof you heard before, and it shall go to perdition as you often have heard already, and the indwellers of the earth shall wonder; whose names are not written in the book of life before the foundation of the world was laid. Of this wondering you heard before, they shall wonder (I say) at this beast which was, to wit, in great power, and is not, to wit, in a manner as you presently heard, and yet it is, I mean does stand, though far decayed from the former greatness. [9] Take good heed unto this that I declare unto you, for herein shall the true wisdom of men be tried, to wit, in knowingly by this my description of what particular empire and tyranny I speak of. And the seven heads of this beast signify as well seven material hills, whereupon the seat of this monarchy is situated as also seven kings, or diverse forms of magistrates that this empire has had and is to have hereafter. [10] Five of them have been already, one is presently and makes the sixth, another shall follow it and make the seventh but is not yet come; and when it comes it shall remain but a very short space. [11] And this beast which was, to wit, so great and is not, for now it is decaying as you presently have heard it; is the eight and yet one of the seven, for this beast which rose out of the ruins of the fourth monarchy as you heard before, in respect it uses a heretical tyranny over the consciences of men by that new form of empire, is different from any of the rest and so is the eight and yet because this form of government shall have the same seat which the rest had (and use great tyranny) and greater upon the world, and shall use the same form in civil government which one of the seven used, therefore because it is so like them I call it one of the seven. [12] And the ten horns which you saw signify ten kings, to wit, the great number of subaltern magistrates in all the provinces under that monarchy who have not yet received their kingdom; for under all the diverse sorts of governments that shall be in it, except the last and heretical sort, these subaltern powers shall be but in the rank of subjects, but they shall take their kingly power with the beast, to wit, at the very time that this Apollyon shall rise out of the ashes of the fourth beast or monarchy, the kings of the earth shall become his slaves and subaltern magistrates, whereas the subjects were only the power of that monarchy before. So as the horns or powers of this beast were but of subjects before it was wounded, but after the healing of it the worldly kings and rulers shall become the powers and horns of it. [13] These shall have one counsel and shall give their strength and power to the beast, to wit, these kings shall all willingly yield obedience to Babylon and shall employ their whole forces for the maintenance of that monarchy and the persecution of the saints. [14] For they shall fight with the Lamb in his members albeit all in vain, for in the end the Lamb shall overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of all kings, and these that are with Him and follow Him are called chosen and faithful."

[15] He also said unto me: "the waters that you saw this whore sit upon are the: peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues that have subjected themselves to her empire. [16] But as touching these ten horns you saw, thus far I foretell unto you, although that for a time these kings shall be slaves and servants to Babylon and shall be her instruments to persecute the Saints, the time shall come before the consummation that they shall hate the whore, who abused them so strongly and long and shall make her to be alone; for they shall withdraw from her their subjects, the nations that were her strength and shall make her naked, for they shall discover the mystery of her abominations and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire, to wit, they shall spoil her of her riches, power, and glory and so destroy her. [17] But do not you wonder at this for God gave them in their hearts, to wit, permitted them to be abused by her for a space that they might do what pleased her and consent to all her unlawful policies and pretenses, and give their kingdoms unto this beast, until the words of God might be accomplished, to wit, they shall submit their very crowns and take the right thereof from her, unto the fullness of times here prophesied: at what time God shall raise them up as you heard, to destroy Babylon. For the hearts of the greatest kings as well as of the smallest subjects are in the hands of the Lord, to be His instruments and to turn them as it shall please Him to employ them. [18] And this woman, or whore, which you saw; is that great city and seat of this beast or monarchy which bears rule over the kings of the earth, as you have heard already. But although it be one seat, yet diverse and a great number of kings (or heads) thereof shall succeed into it: one to another all uploading a heretical religion and false worship of God, and one form of government as the fourth monarchy did, out of the which this did spring as you have heard."

Chapter 18

Argument: The sorrow of the earth for the destruction of the Popedom, the profit that worldly men had by his standing, the great riches and wealth of that Church, the Pope by his pardons makes merchandise of the souls of men, heaven and the saints rejoice at his destruction, albeit the earth and the worldlings lament for the same.

And then I saw another angel coming down from heaven having great power, so that the earth shined with his glory; for so soon as God by one of the seven angels (who had the vials) had more plainly described unto me this woman sitting on the beast than He did before, He now appointed this other angel (who is Christ) to declare unto me and proclaim to the world (as is signified by His coming down to the earth for that cause) the just condemnation of Babylon according to her sins.

[2] And he cried out with a loud voice, saying: "it is fallen, it is fallen, Babylon that great city, and it is made the dwelling place of unclean spirits, and the habitation of all unclean and hateful fowls", to wit, it shall be destroyed and that great city the seat of that monarchy, shall be desolate forever, even as it was prophesied of Jerusalem. [3] "Because all nations have drunk the vine of her whoredom and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her and the merchants of the earth are become rich by the great wealth of her delights, in so great a worldly glory and pomp did that monarchy shine."

[4] And I heard another voice from heaven, to wit, the voice of the Holy Spirit, saying: "go forth from her my people", to wit, all the chosen in case you be participants of her sins and of the plagues which are to fall upon her for them. For if but outwardly you haunt with her and seem to bear with her abominations, you shall be accounted guilty of her sins; for if you will have Christ to profess you publicly at the latter day before His Father and His angels, and reward both your body and soul with eternal felicity, you must not be ashamed to serve Him both in body and soul before men. And this warning I give you beforehand to make you inexcusable who will otherwise do. [5] For her sins are come to such a height as they have touched the haven, and God is mindful of them, then not only haunt not with her as I have said (for it is not enough not to do evil), but [6] raise yourselves up against her and render the like that she has done to you, yea, pay her with the double of her own works and in the cup which she prophesied unto others, render her the double", to wit, trouble, "and destroy her by all means and in all things, even as she troubled and destroyed others before; and according to her pride and wantonness, recompense her with torment, woe, and wailing. [7] For she says in her mind: I sit a queen or am a stabled monarch, neither am I a widow or shall ever be desolate, nor shall ever see dolour or taste destruction. [8] And therefore because she thus builds her felicity upon her worldly strength, by worldly instruments shall she be plagued: with death, with dolour, with hunger, and burnt with fire", to wit, after suffering all sorts of torments she shall in the end be utterly destroyed; for strong is the Lord God who shall condemn her. [9] "And then shall the kings of the earth who were her horns and had committed whoredom and riotousness with her before, weep and lament for pity, when they see the smoke of her burning. For although some of themselves shall be the destroyers, as you heard before, yet shall her destruction be so great as their hearts shall pity the work of their hands when they shall see the great smoke of her destruction. [10] And they shall stand far off from her torment", to wit, her torment shall put them in memory of their guiltiness of her sins which shall affray them wonderfully and shall say in great admiration: "Alas, alas" for that great city Babylon, that strong city whose destruction is all come in one hour and at once. [11] "And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn for her because their merchandise will no more be bought for her pomp shall make the merchants rich by getting easy sale of all fine wares, [12] such as: gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet for her garments, and all kind of vessels to do her idolatrous service of ivory, costly wood, brass, iron, or marble stone. [13] Cinnamon and all kind of odours for her Church, with ointments and incense for the same purpose and the fine flower of wheat and all kind of foods and cattle and sheep, for her sumptuous banquets. And horse and chariots and slaves, for her triumphs and processions, and souls of men. For she shall have many that shall be merchants unto her of the souls of men, by selling for money, pardons given by that monarch; which shall be thought to have power to save, redeem, and free men's souls. But you shall hear more shortly of this hereafter. [14] And the fruits of the desire of your soul, oh Babylon, shall go from you", to wit, your joys and delights shall all turn to sorrow and all fat and fair things are gone from you, to wit, you shall leave all profit and pleasure, neither shall you ever find them anymore for you shall be destroyed forever. [15] "And so, the merchants of these stuffs being made rich by the buying and selling of them, they shall stand afar off from your torments and weep and wail, [16] saying: "alas, alas" for that great city that was clothed with fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and was so glittering a pomp (as was gilded with gold and decked with precious stones and pearls). [17] For lo, now how in one hour all her riches and pomp is vanished, and all the governors and owners of ships, and all the multitudes of men in the ships and the mariners in them, and these who gain their living upon the sea; shall stand afar off for fear, [18] and cry seeing the smoke of her burning saying with a great admiration: "who was like in power or shining glory to this city?" [19] And for pity of her decay and sorrow for wanting by that means, the carrying to her from all other countries all sorts of merchandise, they shall cast dust and ashes upon their heads and say: "alas, alas" for that great city wherein was made rich all these that had ships upon the sea by the princes and trade she made us have, and now she is made desolate in one hour. [20] But although the earthly men be sorrowful for her fall, as you have heard, because they want their earthly commodities and pleasures thereby, which she whose religion was earthly", to wit, founded upon men's traditions and inventions and maintained by earthly pomp and power, did make them enjoy. "Yet rejoice you heavens for her fall and you holy Apostles and Prophets, be glad thereof, for God in punishing her has revenged your cause."

[21] Then for the confirmation of this prophesy of her destruction I saw a strong angel take a great stone (like a millstone) and cast it in the sea, saying: "even with such a force shall Babylon that great city be casten down, and the very place thereof shall no more be found as Jeremiah prophesied of corporeal Babylon. [22] And the sound of harpers and musicians and players on pipes and trumpets shall be no more be heard in you. For no joy nor mirth shall anymore be in that monarchy, or the seat thereof, nor no craftsman of any craft shall be found in you, neither shall the grinding of the mill be heard any more in you, for that city (or seat and monarchy) shall no more be inhabited. [23] And the light of a candle shall be no more found in you and the voice of the husband and the wife shall no more be heard in you; for as it shall not be inhabited any more by the wicked, so neither shall the godly dwell therein. So accursed shall it be so as the lamps of the five virgins shall not burn there, neither shall Christ and His spouse, the true Church, anymore be there. Although that during the standing of that monarchy some chosen, though few and secret were, and at all times shall be, even within that city; the seat thereof whose merchants were the great men of the earth and with whose witchcrafts all nations were seduced. [24] And the blood of the prophets and of the saints were found in her, and of all them that were slain upon the earth", to wit, this plague of destruction shall justly fall upon her; as well for that she made her messengers (or ambassadors) who are great in power (as you heard before) to be the sellers of her pardons, prayers, sacraments, merits, and even of the sins and souls of men, as you have presently heard. "And so by that means and the like, bewitched (as it were) and abused many nations, as also for that she had cruelly persecuted and murdered the saints. So as the blood of all the saints since Abel, who willingly sacrificed their lives for the love of God's truth and for the testimony of His Son, shall be laid upon her head and imputed unto her in following, fulfilling, and exceeding the rage of former tyrants oppressing and persecuting the Church of God."

Chapter 19

Argument: The saints praise God for joy that the Pope is destroyed, the glorious form of Christ's second coming set down at large, the Pope and his Church is condemned forever.

Then according to the voices speaking to the heaven and prophets and Apostles there, to wit, that they should rejoice as much for the fall of Babylon, as the unregenerate men did lament therefore (as you have heard). According, I say, to this exhortation I heard the voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying: "hallelujah", which is if you interpret it: "praise God with a loud voice", salvation, honour, glory, and power is only with our Lord God.

[2] For true and just are His judgments and He has condemned that great whore who has defiled the earth with her whoredom, and He with His hand has revenged upon her the blood of His servants. [3] Then for the second time they said: "hallelujah", for the smoke of her destruction goes up in all worlds to come, for she shall never rise again but shall be burned with a perpetual fire. [4] And likewise for thanksgiving for the same, the twenty four elders fell down upon their faces before God and adored Him, and the four beasts also adored God sitting up on His throne. And all the beasts and elders said with one voice: "amen, hallelujah".

[5] And I heard a voice come from the throne, to wit, from one of the four beasts that supported it, saying: "praise our God all you His servants, and all you that fear Him, small and great." [6] And then conformly to that direction I heard (as it had been the sound or voice of) a great multitude, and as it had been the sound of many waters and as the sound of great thunders, to wit, the voice of all the creatures in heaven whose sound in greatness might be compared to the noise of many waters or to the roaring of the thunder, and they said all in one voice: "hallelujah" because our Lord God Almighty has now reigned by destroying Babylon and her followers.

[7] Let us therefore rejoice and be glad and render him all glory, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, to wit, the latter day is at hand and his wife has made herself ready for Him, to wit, His Church is now purified from the wicked.

[8] And it was given under her to clothe herself with pure and bright linen; which is the justification of the saints for fine linen is a pure bright white, and precious stuff. So are the saints clothed with that precious undefiled and glorious garment of righteousness through imputation. And this our garment of justification with the which we shall be clothed at the latter day, must only come of His righteousness, so (as you presently heard) it must be given us by Him: for as of ourselves we cannot think a good thought so can we merit nothing but eternal death, and when we have done all the good works we can, we must think ourselves but unprofitable servants as Christ Himself said.

[9] Then the same voice, to wit, the voice of the angel that showed me these things said to me: "write and leave in record to all posterities: happy are they that are called to the supper of the Lamb's marriage, whereof you yourself heard him speak parabolically, for those who are called shall never again be cast off but are chosen forever". And he said unto me: "these words of God are true which I bade you write, to leave to posterity that God himself has given this comfortable promise which I have specially willed you to witness to your Brethren because it will come to pass in the latter days that this whoring and heretical Babylon shall dissuade all her followers from trusting this promise, and so drive men to an uncertainty of their election".

[10] And I fell down at this angel's feet to have adored him (so all flesh is given of itself, to adore some visible thing which is idolatry; such is the corruption of our flesh if it be not holden up by Grace from above), but he did reprove me and said: "beware you do it not, for although I be a more excellent creature of God than you are, yet am I but your fellow servant and so one of your Brethren bearing the testimony of Jesus in heaven; to be His servant and creature as you do in earth. Adore therefore God only for no creature must either be prayed to or adored, nor no meditation can come, but by Christ only; and think me not a god for prophesying this unto you (for the witnessing of Christ is the Spirit of Prophesy), for that gift is common to others as well as to me, and it is the same Spirit of prophesy albeit not the same gift of it that foretells things to come, which gives Grace to all the elect, to bear true and constant record of Christ."

[11] Then I saw thereafter the form of the day of judgment for I saw the heavens open, and lo, a white horse came down from them (of this white horse you heard in the first seal), and He that sat upon him, to wit, Christ, was called faithful and true; for by giving judgment He was now to perform His promise, and He was also called He that justly judges and fights, for He was presently to judge the world and to condemn perpetually all the reprobate.

[12] And His eyes were like the flames of fire (as you heard in the beginning of this epistle) and on His head were many diadems for now He was to reign eternally over all the kingdoms of the earth, as the elders did sing in the seventh trumpet and He had a Name written upon Him which no man did know but Himself: for the mystery of His Name of redemptor is so profound as no creature is able to comprehend it by wisdom, and therefore I heard Himself say that no angel, no, not Himself in so far as He is man, did foreknow the day of His last coming, which shall be the fulfilling of that mystery.

[13] And He was clothed with a garment dipped in blood wherewith the garments of teh souls of the martyrs are washed as you heard in the fifth seal, and He is named: The Word of God, as I did show you in the beginning of my evangel. [14] And the hosts of angels and saints in heaven followed Him upon white horses clothed in white and pure linen, whereof you heard already.

[15] And from His mouth came forth a sharp sword as you heard in the beginning of this epistle, that He might strike the Gentiles therewith, for He shall rule them with a rod of iron as David says, and He treaded, to wit, gives command and power to tread the lake or sea of the vine of the fury and wrath of God Almighty, as you heard in the seventh trumpet. [16] And He has upon His garment and upon His thigh (as the strongest part of His body) this name written: the King of kings and Lord of lords.

[17] And I saw an angel standing in the sun that there he might be seen publicly of all, and that the whole world might take heed to that which he was to proclaim, and he cried with a loud voice to all the fowls flying through the midst of heaven: "come and gather yourselves to the supper of the Lord. [18] To eat the flesh of kings, of tribunes, of mighty men, of horses, and of their riders". In short, come eat the flesh of all free men and slaves, great and small. This was to declare that day of judgment was come wherein should that destruction ensue signified by fowls eating their flesh (because fowls use to eat the flesh of dead men unburied), which should overwhelm all sorts of men, excepting always these were marked who were sundry times excepted before, as you heard.

[19] Then I saw that beast, to wit, Babylon together with the kings of the earth who took her part, and their armies gathered together to make war with Him that sat upon the white horse and with His army. [20] But the beast was taken together with the false prophet (or false Church) which by her false miracles seduced the nations that did bear the character of the beast and adored his image, as you heard before, and they were both cast quick in the lake of fire, burning with brimstone.

[21] And the rest were slain by the sword which came out of His mouth that sat upon the horse, and the fowls were filled with their flesh. For how soon Christ shall come to judgment, then shall all the enemies of God be destroyed, and so victory obtained of this battle whereof you heard in the sixth trumpet and sixth vial, and shall hear farther hereafter. And chiefly Babylon and the false Church shall be cast into hell, because they merit double punishment for the abusing of men, although they shall not also want their damnation that follows them, as is signified by their slaughter with the sword of His mouth whereof you heard in the beginning of this epistle, and by the fowls eating their flesh as you presently perceive.

Chapter 20

Argument: The sum and recapitulation of all the former visions, to wit, the first estate of the Church in all purity after Christ; the heresies and specially the Popedom that followed, the destruction thereof in their greatest rage, the latter day, the salvation of the elect, and condemnation of all others.

The Spirit of God having now shown unto me the estate of the Church militant with the special temptations and troubles of the same, from the death of Christ to the consummation of the world and their joyful deliverance and victory at that time by the first six seals. And next, more amply by the seventh seal wherein were the seven trumpets and thirdly, her greatest temptations and troubles more clearly and at large, by the vision of the woman persecuted by the dragon. And lastly, the clear and ample description and damnation of Babylon, that great persecutor, the sorrow of the earth, and joy of heaven therefore. This vision now that you shall presently hear was next shown unto me to serve for a sum as it were, and a short recapitulation of the whole prophesy so often reiterated before; which is here divided in three parts:

1. First, the happy estate of Christ's Church, though not in the eyes of the world, from His first coming to a long time after, as was declared by the first seal.
2. Next, the grievous troubles and temptations unto the which she shall be subject thereafter, as was declared by the third and fourth seal, and by the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth blasts of the trumpets.
3. And thirdly, the destruction of all her enemies, her joyful deliverance, and the consummation as was declared by the sixth seal, the seventh trumpet, the seventh vial, and the coming down of the white horse which in my last words before these, you heard described.

But specially in this vision is declared the punishment at the latter day of the devil himself, before the destruction only of his instruments being mentioned, as you formerly heard. The vision then was this: [1] I saw an angel come down from heaven and he had the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand, [2] and he took the dragon, to wit, the ancient serpent (who is the devil and Satan), to wit, the tempter and bound him for the space of a thousand years.

[3] And did cast him in the bottomless pit and closed him in there, that it should not be opened that he might come forth and seduce the nations till the space of a thousand years were completed and past, for thereafter he must be loosed for a short space. [4] Then I saw seats and persons sitting upon them and judgment or power of judging was given unto them. And I also saw the souls of them who were beheaded or otherwise put to death for the testimony of Christ and the Word of God, and adored not the beast nor took his image, neither his character on their foreheads nor on their hands. These shall live and reign with Christ the space of the thousand years you heard, [5] but the rest of the dead shall not revive until the space of these years be complete: this is the first resurrection.

[6] Blessed and holy is he that is partaker of the first resurrection for over such the second death shall have no power but they shall be priests of God and Christ, & shall reign with Him forever. This is the first part of the division whereof I presently told you, to wit, Christ by His passion did bind the devil who before was raging in the world and closed him in hell by the removing of the veil of blindness from teh whole earth, which remained so the space of a thousand years, to wit, a long space & all that time the devil remained bound and casten into hell by Christ who only has power of it. So as in all that space the nations were not seduced: for the efficacy of heresies was not yet cropped in, and the saints and Church visible shall so increase albeit in the midst of persecution all this time and so retain the purity of the truth as by the glory of their constancy and patience in the time of their persecution, they shall as it were, reign over the earth and by their martyrdom be judges thereof; for it is called Christ's reigning and the saints upon the earth when His word and true professers thereof shine visibly therein, as I have said. And these were they who adored not the beast, to wit, they are the elect who were predestinated before all beginning to be preserved from all infections and heresies, which is generally represented by this part of them that the beast or Babylon shall raise and maintain as the greatest and most perilous that ever shall be raised by Satan. And the honourable sitting of the saints and souls of martyrs was shown to me to assure me that how soon the soul of any faithful man is parted from the body it ascends immediately unto heaven: there abiding in all glory the rejoining again of his glorified body at the latter day conjunctly to possess all glory in heaven eternally, like as by the contrary, the reprobate soul: how soon it parts from the body of the wicked, goes down immediately to hell there abiding in all torment (the knitting again with his cursed body at the latter day), there jointly to be subject to eternal pain. Neither is there any resting place by the way for any of them, and the rest of the dead, to wit, all the wicked shall not be revived while this space be complete; for the wicked shall neither during this space nor at any time therefore, taste of the regeneration which is the first resurrection and second birth as Christ said to Nicodemus. And therefore, as I said already, blessed and happy are they who are partakers of the first resurrection, for the second death, to wit, hell; shall have no power of them but they shall be priests of God and Christ, and reign with Him these thousand years, to wit, they shall eternally in heaven offer up that eucharistical sacrifice of praise to God, and so be joined in fellowship with the chosen which were upon the earth in that aforesaid time. This first part of this vision is begun already, now follows the next part.

[7] And when these happy days are expired then shall the devil be loosed out of his prison, [8] and he shall go forth with greater liberty to seduce the nations which are in the four cardinal directions of the earth, to wit, he shall not only (after the spreading of many heresies) cause a general blindness & defection but also make a great persecution upon the faithful Church by gathering Gog and Magog to battle against them, whose number is like the sand of the sea, to wit, after innumerable troubles at last he shall gather to the great day of the battle of the Lord (of the which you heard in the sixth trumpet and the sixth vial, and last immediately before this vision), Gog and Magog, to wit, two great seats of monarchies and tyrannies over the Church; who both at one time shall rise in the latter days and both at another time shall be destroyed by the blast of Christ's breath as you shall hear. Whereof the one is the avowed and professed enemy of God and His Christ, but the other is Babylon, the hypocritical and most dangerous adversary of these two you heard in the sixth trumpet. And so these two, although pride and envy shall still keep a rooted malice betwixt them, yet shall both with innumerable forces make war against the true Church, as Herod and Pilate did band themselves against Christ, notwithstanding the particular dislikes which were betwixt them. It is these and their forces that must fight against the saints at Armageddon as you heard in the sixth vial and the special drawers on of this battle shall be the three frogs (who are the last vermin) bred of the smoke of the bottomless pit as you also heard in the said vial.

[9] These great forces then went up upon the earth: for the devil raised them out of the bottomless pit and they spread themselves upon the breadth of the earth. So great was their number and compassed the tents or dwellings of the saints, and the holy city; for they were prepared to invade the true Church on all sides and by all means, but the fire came down from heaven and devoured them. For God by His Almighty power (even when their power was greatest) and nothing so like as an apparent rooting out of all the faithful, in rebus desperatis, did miraculously confound all the adversaries of His Church. And now comes the third and last part of this vision, to wit, in hell (out of the which he shall never come again) where also the beast and the false prophet were, as you heard before. Here now I saw the devil punished eternally to my greater comfort, for troubling the Church where before I saw only his instruments punished, as I said in the beginning of this vision. And he and his instruments shall be tormented there day and night, to wit, incessantly forever and ever.

[11] Then I saw a great white throne and one sitting thereupon in all glory and brightness, to wit, Jesus Christ now coming form heaven, to judge the earth: and from His sight fled the earth and the heaven, and their place was not found. For the whole earth and much of the heaven shall be destroyed and renewed at His last coming. [12] And I saw all the dead; great and small standing in God His sight, for then is the resurrection of the dead who at that time must be judged. And the books were opened, to wit, the counsels and secrets of all men's hearts, and another book, to wit, the book of life was opened: to the effect that all those whose names were written into it, to wit, predestinated and elected for salvation before all beginnings, might there be selected for eternal glory. And the dead were judged out of these things which were written in the books according to their works. For as God is a spirit so judges He the thoughts of man, and so by faith only justifies him which notwithstanding is done according to his works, because they are as the fruits of faith, cannot be separated from it and bear witness of the same to men in the earth.

[13] And the sea gave up all the dead she had, for all the dead must then rise as I have shown already. And death and hell gave up all they had; for not only the bodies but even the souls of the wicked shall be judged there, and everyone was judged according to his works as I presently did show you.

[14] And hell and death were casten in the lake of fire which is the second death, to wit, hell and death shall then be closed up forever within themselves, and shall never again come forth to trouble the saints. For death, which is the last enemy, shall be abolished from holy Jerusalem forever. [15] And whosoever's name is not found written in the book of life, is cast into the lake of fire; for not only the public evildoers but even whosoever is not predestinated for salvation, shall at that time be cast into hell, for there is no midway. But whosoever gathers not with Christ, he scatters, as I shown before.

Chapter 21

Argument: A large and glorious description of the Church triumphant in heaven, and of all the members of that holy and eternal Jerusalem.

Now the Spirit of God having by this last vision made a sum and recapitulation of all the former (as you have heard), He, by this following and last vision declares and gloriously describes the reward of all them who constantly persevere unto the end in the true service of God, notwithstanding all the assaults of Satan which you have heard dilated: the reward was then to be eternal inheritors of holy Jerusalem as you will presently hear.

[1] For I saw a new heaven and a new earth: it is over this new heaven and new earth that the faithful should reign kings and priests forever as you heard before. And the first heaven and the first earth went away, neither was the sea anymore. For all shall be burnt with fire at the consummation which fire shall renew them and take away their corruption and mutability, relieving them from the servitude of death to the liberty of the glory of the sons of God. Who, notwithstanding shall not dwell there but in heaven.

[2] And even I, John, saw the holy new city Jerusalem coming down from heaven made ready of God like a bride that is decked for her bridegroom. For this holy Church triumphant shall come down in all shining glory to meet Christ her husband, when He shall have judged the world (as you have heard before), to be incorporated and joined with Him forever. [3] And I heard a mighty voice from heaven, saying: "for confirmation of this happy conjunction, lo, the tabernacle of God and His dwelling place is with men, and He will now dwell with them forever and they shall be His people and He shall be a God with them and their God. [4] And God shall wipe all tears from their eyes for they shall feel no more any sorrow", as you have often heard before, "and death shall be no more, neither shall any sorrow, crying, or dolour ever be in that Church triumphant for the first are gone away, and all these things then shall have an end."

[5] And then He that sat upon the throne, to wit, God the Father said: "lo, I make new or renew all things", and He said unto me: "write and leave in record what you have seen, for surely these words are faithful and true and shall come certainly to pass".

[6] And He also said unto me: "it is done, for when these things shall come to pass then is the full accomplishment of all things, I am Α and Ω", to wit, the beginning and the ending of all things. "For as I made the creation so shall I cause the consummation. And I shall give to him that thirsts of the fountain of water of life, freely, or for nothing", to wit, He will grant salvation to all them who call upon Him for it, and that for nothing: for it comes of His free mercy and not of any merit in us. How foolish then are they to be accounted who despising that salvation which they may obtain for the craving, buy with their silver a counterfeit salvation from Babylon, as you heard before? [7] "And he that overcomes Satan and his own flesh shall possess all", to wit, he shall be a full inheritor of God's kingdom "and I shall be a God to him, and he shall be a son to Me. [8] But for all them who are fearful and unbelieving (not having a sure confidence and trust in my promises), and for execrable men, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars: for all these sorts of men, I say, there is a place appointed in that lake which burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death".

[9] Then there came unto me one of these seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and he said unto me: "come and I will show unto you the bride which is the wife of the Lamb", for this angel was directed to show me the glory of this holy Jerusalem: the Church triumphant. Not to satisfy my curiosity therewith, but that I might leave in record to all posterities to come not as a hearer only, but as an oculatus testis, what glorious and eternal reward did abide all the faithful.

[10] And so he took me up in the spirit to a high and great mountain: for it became well that so glorious a sight should be shown upon so eminent a place, and there he did show me a great city, to wit, that holy Jerusalem coming down from heaven and from God, as you heard before. [11] And it had the glory of God in it, and the light or brightness of it was like unto the glittering of a most precious stone, yea, even like the green jasper in flourishing eternity and like the clear crystal in shining brightness.

[12] And this city had a great and high wall to hold out all them who had not the mark of the Lamb, as you shall hear after, and to protect the citizens from all blasts of troubles; for all tears will then be wiped from their eyes as you heard before. And this city had also twelve gates and in them twelve angels, and their names were written upon them which were the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.

[13] And there were: three gates towards the east, three towards the west, three towards the south, and three towards the north; to signify that out of all parts and places of the world and whatsoever your vocation is, if you call to God with an upright heart you shall find that the entrance into the city is equally distributed about the same.

[14] And the wall of the city had twelve foundations whereupon were written the twelve names of the Apostles of the Lamb: these twelve angels of the twelve gates and twelve foundations of the wall are the twenty four elders of whom you heard in the beginning of this my epistle, the twelve angels of the twelve gates are the twelve patriarchs who were the first teachers of the way and so the guides to this holy Jerusalem. For by the law which they represent we must first begin to know the truth and to know ourselves. And the twelve foundations are we: the twelve Apostles for upon our doctrine is that wall founded which hedges in the saints in an eternal security and debars all others.

[15] And the angel who spake with me had a golden reed in his hand to measure therewith the city and the gates, and the walls of the same, thereby to signify the just proportion and symmetry that shall be among all the parts of this holy city. [16] And this city was four-square because of the gates towards the pour parts of the earth, to receive indifferently the comers out of any of them, as you heard before. And it was alike long and broad; to signify the infinite bounds thereof. And he measured the city with his reed and it came to twelve thousand furlongs, this number also expresses the great bounds of this city: for it is here used for a number of perfection as sundry times before. And this city was alike in length, breadth, and height, for all the parts of it were alike large.

[17] And the angel did measure the wall of it and it was 144,000 cubits of height: this number correspondent to the number of saints who were standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion as you heard before. And the measure wherewith this was measured was: the measure of the man, which is the measure of the angel. This city is measured with the measure of Christ, God, and man, to teach us that He is only the architecture of this spiritual city, which He measures by His cubits and not by the cubits of any man.

[18] And the fabric of the wall of the city was composed of jasper, to signify that the wall thereof shall stand eternally, and the city itself was of pure gold and like to clear glass, whereon no filth will remain. [19] And the twelve foundations of the city were decked with all kinds of precious stones:

1. the first foundation was of jasper,
2. the second of sapphire,
3. the third of chalcedony,
4. the fourth of emerald,
5. [20] the fifth of sardonyx,
6. the sixth of a sardius,
7. the seventh of a chrysolite,
8. the eighth of a beryl,
9. the ninth of a topaz,
10. the tenth of a chrysoprasus,
11. the eleventh of a jacinth,
12. the twelfth of a amethyst,

These twelve sundry stones, one for everyone of the foundations, signify that we, the twelve Apostles, who are these twelve foundations (as you heard) shall every one receive a diverse reward and crown of glory according to the greatness and excellency of our labours in the earth. These twelve precious stones allude also to the twelve precious stones in Aaron's breastplate.

[21] And the twelve gates were of twelve pears and every gate of a sundry pearl (this signifies the like of the patriarchs) and the marketplace of the city was of pure gold, and like the glistening glass signifying thereby, as by an evident token that seeing the marketplace (which is the commonest place of every town) of this spiritual city, is of so fine and bright stuff that no base and unclean thing shall be in any part thereof.

[22] And I saw no temple in it for the Lord God Almighty, even the Lamb, is the temple of it for no other shall be there wherein God must be praised, but the person of Christ in whom all the faithful shall be incorporated, as I said before. [23] And this city shall need no sun nor moon to shine in it, for the glory of God has made it bright and the Lamb is the lamp thereof. For as it is no corporeal paradise nor dwelling place on earth (which is here spoken of), so is no part of the glory thereof earthly but celestial and spiritual.

[24] And the Gentiles which are saved shall walk in that light and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory unto that city. For all the faithful kings shall reign all their worldly glory in that city and receive a new and incorruptible glory from the Lamb: who is the light thereof.

[25] And the gates thereof shall not be shut in the daytime for there shall never be any suspicion of trouble there, for which cause worldly cities often shut their gates and the night shall never be there, but an eternal brightness through all. [26] And the honour and the glory of the nations shall be brought into her, for all their worldly glory shall be nothing in respect of the glory of this city. [27] And there shall nothing enter into this city that defiles or is defiled, nor no man that commits any abominable deed or that speaks lies, but only these shall have entrance into this holy city whose names are written in the Lamb his book of life, as you heard before.

Chapter 22

Argument: The rest of the same description, man's proneness of his own nature to idolatry, the writer tells his name that no man may doubt who was the writer of this book and who indited the same, the faithful ought to wish the coming of the latter day, the curse upon them who add or take from this book and use it no aright.

Then to the effect that I might know that the inhabitants of this holy city were as well eternal as the walls and glory of the same, this angel did show unto me the clear and pure flood of the water of life whereupon Christ promised to give the Samaritan to drink, as I said before. And it was clear like crystal and it flowed from the throne of God and the Lamb. This river alludes to that spring Ezekiel which came forth from under the temple floor, and it also alludes to the rivers of the earthly paradise.

[2] And in the midst of the marketplace and on either side of this river, did grow the tree of life having twelve manner of fruits every month bearing once and bearing leaves for the health of the Gentiles. This tree and this water of life are the heavenly meat and drink meant by Christ, when the Capernaites were scandalized with His doctrine as you read in the evangel written by me. And of this tree and water were those of Ezekiel and in earthly paradise the figures: the number of the fruits thereof answers to the number of the tribes of Israel who through eating the fruits thereof by faith obtained salvation. As likewise the variety and plenty of joys to all the faithful there. And as it bare fruit to the Jews for food, that is, to satisfy them, so it did bear leaves to the Gentiles who being healed by these leaves of all spiritual diseases, were not only preserved but also prepared and got appetite thereby to eat and turn into nutriment or spiritual strength and contentation the fruits thereof. This tree grew on every side of the water of life to signify that they are both but one thing and inseparable, both proceeding from the mighty and merciful throne of God and His lamb, and they were both in the midst of the marketplace to signify by their being in so common a place that as they are the support, strength, and comfort of the Church triumphant or holy City, so all the indwellers therein have the like free access thereunto and are all alike participant thereof.

[3] And no accursed thing shall be anymore, for then shall hell and death be confined and restrained within themselves forever, as you heard in the former vision: for the seat and throne of God and His Lamb shall remain in this holy city forever. And all His servants shall be there, serving Him eternally by thanksgiving and praises. [4] And they shall see His face and be ever rejoicing at His presence having His name written upon their foreheads as you have often heard.

[5] And no night nor darkness shall be there at all, neither have they need of lamps nor of light of the sun, nor any material light for the Lord God makes them bright as you have heard already; and they shall reign there in all glory forever and ever. [6] Then the angel after these things had been revealed unto me said unto me for the confirmation of them: "all the words of this prophecy are true and faithful, and the same Lord God who inspired from time to time His holy Prophets to forewarn His Church of things to come, He also sent His angel unto me that by me He might reveal unto His servants these things that are shortly to come to pass.

[7] "Lo, I come shortly", says the Lord, happy is he therefore that observes and obeys the words of the prophecy in this book. [8] And I John am he who have heard and seen these things: I declare you my name the oftener lest the authority of the book should be called in doubt through the uncertainty of the writer. And when I had heard and seen these things I fell at the angel's feet that showed me them with mind to have adored him. [9] But he said unto me: "see you do it not, I am your fellow servant and one of your Brethren the Prophets, although I be an angel and one of them which keeps and obeys the words of this book, adore you therefore God to whom all worship only appertains. By this my reiterated fall and offense notwithstanding that lately before I had committed the same and was reproved for it and warned to forebear it (as you heard before), I am taught and by my example the whole Church of the great infirmity of all mankind, and specially in that so great an offense of the adoring of creatures whereof God is so jealous, as He says in His law and upon consideration of man his infirmity in this point, no I, but the Spirit of God by me in the very last words of one of my epistles says: "dear children, beware of idols", and in this I insist so much not without a cause. For I know that Babylon in the latter days shall specially poison her followers with this spiritual adultery or idolatry as you have heard mention made in this book.

[10] And the angel said unto me: "seal not the words of the prophecy of this book for the time is at hand. You heard before how I was commanded to seal that which the seven thunders spake because it was not lawful for me to reveal the same, but now on the contrary I am commanded to write and forbidden to seal these prophecies because I am appointed to reveal the same in respect that the time of their accomplishment is at hand".

[11] And he also said unto me: "despair you not of the effect of this prophecy, although it profit nothing the wicked but to make them the more inexcusable: for God has fore-signified that he who does harm, notwithstanding this prophecy shall yet continue his wrongs. And he who is filthy shall yet notwithstanding this remain filthy; even as on the other part it shall confirm and increase the just man in his justness, and the holy man in his holiness: for it is not the words of prophecy spoken but the Spirit which is cooperant with it; which makes the seed of faith to take root in any man's heart.

[12] "Lo, I come speedily", says the Lord Jesus, "and bring my reward with me to render every man according to his works", as you have heard before. [13] "I am Α and Ω, the beginning and the end: the first and the last", as you have heard already.

[14] Happy are they who obey and keep Christ's commandments that they may have right and part in the tree of life (for by obeying they shall be made citizens of that holy city of the which that is the food), and that they may enter at the gates to that city: for the gates shall be ready and open to receive them. [15] But without this city as debarred thence shall be dogs, to wit, all: profane livers, fornicators, sorcerers, murderers, and idolaters, and all who love and make lies; and shortly all who continue in any kind of known sin without repentance.

[16] "Jesus", says the Lord, "sent my angel to reveal these things to John that they might be testified to you the seven Churches: I am the root and offspring of David, and I am the bright morning star", to wit, the fountain of all your glory. [17] And the Spirit and the bridge say: "come", to wit, the Church; for they for their deliverance with His second coming to be hastened, and Christ for the love He bears them has granted them their request, and He hears it, let him say: "come" for it becomes all the faith to wish it. And he that thirsts let him "come", to wit, he that would drink of the water of life let him crave earnestly the dissolution and latter day. And let any who will receive the water of life freely and for nothing, as you heard before.

[18] And I protest unto all that shall hear the words of the prophesy of this book, that if any man add unto it anything, God shall make all the plagues in this book to fall on him. [19] And if any man take away anything from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take his part away out of the book of life and out of the holy city and out of these blessings that are written in this book: for whosoever in copying or translating this book adulterates any ways the original or in interpreting of it, wittingly strays from the true meaning of it and from the analogy of faith, to follow the fantastical invention of man or his own preoccupied opinions. He, I say, that does any of these shall be accursed as a perverter of the truth of God and His scriptures.

[20] And now I will conclude with this comfort unto you, to wit, He, even Christ, that testifies these things that you have heard: He, I say, does say: "surely I come shortly". Even so come Lord Jesus to hasten our deliverance. [21] The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, and all your successors in true doctrine by the which both you and they may be so strengthened in the truth that by your resisting all the temptations contained in this book and constantly preserving to the end, you may at last receive that immortal crown of glory mentioned in the last vision.

AMEN.

Copyright © Under the Bible | All Rights Reserved