Nuremberg, A.D. 1543, and dedicated to Albert, Marquis of Brandenburgh and Prussia. "Sunt duo genera annorum magnorum in sacris litteris: unum Angelicum, alterum Mosaicum. Annus Angelicus constat ex tot annis civilibus nostris ex quot diebus nostris constat annus noster civilis. Nobis enim qui cœlo inclusi sumus cursus solis ab occidente ad orientem, et rursus ab oriente ad occidentem, diem absolvit; id quod fit spatio 24 horarum. Angelis autem qui extrà et suprà globos æthereos versantur, dies est quem sol in zodiaco ab austro in aquilonem, et ab aquilone rursus in austrum, circumvolvendo conficit." So that to an Angel's view (as outside, I suppose, of our solar system) the only mundane revolution observable would be the annual; and consequently our year be to them a solar day.'—Aretius of Berne, who taught theology with much reputation at Marburg, and died A.D. 1574, urged a little after Osiander the same explanation : 2 and so too Chytræus, in his Apocalyptic Exposition published in 1571, of which more presently. And, advanced so far as they now were in the Christian æra, it became a primary element with all such expositors, in calculations of the probabilities of the future, to consider what the probable commencing date of these same fateful prophetic periods: as the lapse of 1260 years from it might be supposed to fix the epoch of the consummation; except, indeed, in so far as the Lord might in mercy shorten the days. By help of the last consideration the earliest Reformers, German, Swiss, and English, even though taking the year-day view, might yet hope for a speedy consummation to the world; as I have already shown in my Part iii. chap. v.3 Others looked to an epoch further forward, as supposable. Said Aretius, "We may reckon Antichrist's beginnings from Constantine's establishment of Christianity, A.D. 312; 1260 years from which end in 1572."-Said Chytræus : If numbered from A.D. 412, when Alaric took Rome and overthrew its empire, the end will be in 1672 or if from the time of Phocas A.D. 606, when the 66 Osiander adds that it was of angelic days that Christ spoke when he sent word to Herod, “ Behold, to-day and to-morrow I cast out devils, and on the third-day I shall be perfected." For this, says he, can in no way be explained of natural days; but must be referred to the three years in which Christ preached and did miracles, till his crucifixion. He adds, the angels in Daniel xii, call this their year by the same term that we call ours; viz. Hebraicè T. 2 So Foxe reports of Aretius: "Vaticinium hoc (de Testibus) non de communibus sed de angelicis mensibus et diebus interpretatur." Vol. ii. pp. 134–142. Pope's supremacy began, (I beg the reader's attention to this,) then the end may be expected A.D. 1866."-Other Protestant Expositors however of this æra construed the prophetic periods less definitely. 3. Reverting to the more general subject of Apocalyptic interpretation, I shall select Bullinger and Bale, as two of the more eminent and characteristic of the Apocalyptic Expositors of the middle of the period under review. Bullinger's work, which is in Latin, is made up of the Conciones delivered by him at Zurich; and dedicated, as a book well fitted to furnish them with consolation, to all the exiles from France, England, Italy, and other kingdoms, taking refuge in Germany, and Switzerland. The date is A.D. 1557; and during the reign therefore of our Popish Queen Mary. The following are in brief the heads of his Exposition. Of the Seals, he makes the first to signify the triumphant progress of the Gospel, even under suffering, whether from Pagan or Papal powers, from its beginning to the end-the second, wars, including both the Roman civil contests, the Gothic and Saracenic desolations, the Bellum Sacrum begun A.D. 1000, and then the Turkish :-the third, scarcities, inflicted from time to time, even till now; e. g. that in 1529:—the fourth, pestilence, as under Decius, Justinian, Gregory, &c. &c-the fifth, martyrdoms of the saints, continued even till the completion of the elect:-the sixth, "corruptela doctrinæ sanæ in ecclesiâ," from the heresies of Valentinus down to those of the Papal Antichrist heresies whereby mens' minds had been agitated, the sun of righteousness obscured, the doctors of the Church fallen like stars apostate, and the heaven of Christ's Church been withdrawn.1 -In the Sealing Vision there was figured the hindering of the winds of gospel-preaching and Bible-reading by Pagan Roman emperors first, then by Popes: while the sealing itself told of the multitudes saved all along, even in Antichristian times; and the palm-bearing, of the saints' ultimate blessedness in heaven. : 2 1 In reference to a different view of this Seal, as figuring the last judgments, he observes that some of the Apocalyptic details were such as to make any application like this impossible. 2 As to the Jews' restoration, which was urged by some from this figuration of the sealing of the tribes of Israel, he says; We must take care lest we fall into chiliasm, so as Papias, Irenæus, &c. He adds; " I believe that the predicted restoration of the Jews Proceeding to the Trumpets, (the silence in heaven having been explained simply of the waiting on God's revelations in admiration, and the Incense-Angel as Christ the intercessor, a remedial thought in all trouble,) he thus expounds them; premising that the use of trumpets in Israel was for convoking assemblies, moving the camp, and war. -The 1st was war, as denounced by the apostles against Judaizers : the 2nd, that against Valentinus, the Manichees, and Montanists :—3. against the star fallen from heaven, or Arius :- -4, against Pelagius and Pelagianism :-5. against the first Woe, Popery: Boniface (after Gregory, and under Phocas) having opened the pit of the abyss, by becoming Universal Bishop: the locusts figuring the Papal clergy, the king of the locusts the Pope; and the time mentioned (five months) being the brief duration of the natural locusts. In Trumpet 6, the second Woe, or Mahommedan Saracens and Turks, was figured with reference to their course of universal desolation: the Euphrates being taken literally; and the four angels loosed explained as Arabs, Saracens, Turks, Tartars. After a curious interpretation of "the rest of men non-repenting," in Apoc. ix. 20, as if meaning people, both nationally and individually, that were spiritually killed neither by the Papal nor Mahommedan plague, i.e. who, though neither Mahomedans nor Papists, had yet not given themselves to God,2 Bullinger proceeds to Apoc. x, xi, a part relating (as I believe in common with him and other Reformers) to his own times; and which he appears to me to have explained better than all else in his Commentary. The Angel-vision in Apoc. x he explains of Christ's intervention through the Reformers,3 against the Papal Antichrist and Mahomedans; the antithesis and contrast between Christ, as here figured, and the Papal Antichrist, being drawn out in detail. The book opened is the Gospel, opened to men by gospel-preachers, and with the aid of printing, in spite of the Pope the seven thunders anti-Papal preaching, begun by Berenis threefold: 1. historical and national by Cyrus; 2. spiritual, of the election (chiefly Gentile election, adopted into the true Israel) from Christ to Antichrist; 3. that “ a restituto evangelio, et extremo judicio, quod progrediatur usque in secula seculorum.” This last would be the most absolute restoration: and is the same that was meant by Peter in Acts iii. 19-21; and by Christ when he said, "Then lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." : * He quotes Nicephorus ; Τότε οἱ Σαρακηνοί ήρξαντο της τε παντος ερημώσεως. 2" Colligimus ex his non sufficere ad vitam piam et beatam ne quis sit Papista aut Mahumeticus, &c." 3 As beginning however before Luther. ger; the sealing up, that from the wicked : the oath (one deeply to be noted) alluding to the 34 times of Dan. xii; and showing to Christians at that time living that their redemption, as to be effected at Christ's coming and the resurrection, was even then drawing nigh : the charge, "Thou must prophesy again," meant of preachers of John's doctrine against Antichrist in the last time; and showing (I beg attention to this, as a point in which I now first see that Bullinger anticipated me) that God's own legitimate commission attached to the ministers of the Reformed Protestant Churches, although not ordained by bishops. Finally, "the court within" 2 cast out, he takes to be the Roman Pontifex and Pontificii excommunicated by God; but does not apparently follow up his own principles by explaining it, in the manner I have done, of the excommunication as acted out by the Churches of the Reformation. So Bullinger comes to the Witnesses.-The number two indicated them to be but few, yet sufficient. The 1260 days of their witnessing in sackcloth, and of the Gentiles treading the Holy City, are an uncertain, yet, in God's purpose, definite time. For above 700 years we know that there existed such, who opposed themselves to Papal abominations.-The statement, "When they shall have completed their testimony the Beast shall kill them," he applies individually; in the sense that none shall be cut off till they have done their appointed work. The 3 days of their lying dead, is the short time before their revival in others; as Huss and Jerom, killed at Constance, were quickly revived first in the Bohemians, then in Laurentius Valla, Savanarola, Luther, &c: the depicted joy at the Witnesses' death being also illustrated from the rejoicings of the Romanists, even then when Bullinger wrote, at the news of Queen Mary's persecutions of the Protestants in England. The Witnesses' ascent to heaven he makes that of their departed spirits entering Paradise; and the falling of the tenth of the city, and killing of the 7000, to mean the mighty defections already begun from the Papal Church and empire. He notes too the taking and sack of Rome itself in 1547 by the Constable Bourbon.-On the 7th Trumpet he says, "It must come soon : therefore our redemption draweth nigh." "Quod (sc. sacramentum) res maximi est momenti, consolatione plenissima, omnibusque omnino salutaris et necessaria hominibus." See my Vol. ii. p. 139. 2 Bullinger takes the reading esdev. Passing on to Apoc. xii, Bullinger explains the travailing Woman like many of his predecessors, alike of the Virgin Mary and the Church; the triumph and ascent of his members being assured and involved in that of Christ himself: but he gives a new interpretation to the Woman's flight into the wilderness; as meaning that of the Church from the Jews (who of old constituted God's inclosed vineyard) to the Gentiles. The 3 times are expounded generally, as before. And so too in a general sense the Dragon's seven heads and ten horns; as indicating that the Devil "præfuit monarchis impiis omnium seculorum, et omnium cornuum vel regnorum."-Then, in Apoc. xiii, the first Beast is rather remarkably made by him the old Pagan Roman empire: remarkably, I say, as by Bullinger, a Protestant. (In Bossuet and the Romanists it was quite natural.) The seven heads might have allusion to Rome's early seven kings, or to the seven Julian Emperors, ending with Nero: in whom the Beast suffered a deadly wound; which however was healed by Vespasian. The ten horns might allude to Pagan Rome's ten persecutions of the Christians. The second Beast is interpreted to be the Papal Antichrist, the same as Daniel's Little Horn and St. Paul's Man of Sin, rising up under Gregory I, and his successor Boniface, to be Universal Bishop, soon after Totilas' utter destruction of old Rome; just as this second Beast was seen to rise after the first. The Beast's two lamblike horns indicated his claims to both sacerdotal and royal supremacy, in heaven too and on earth: agreeably with which the Pope has the two swords, and Boniface at the first Jubilee, A.D. 1300, appeared one day in the Pontifical habit, another in the imperial purple. Bullinger draws out here a contrast of this Antichrist and Christ; and notes his changing times as well as laws, substituting his feriæ for Christ's sabbaths, &c. In short one must be blinder than Tiresias, he says, not to see the predicted Antichrist in the Popes.-The Image of the Beast is the new Roman or Western Empire: which is, indeed says he, but the shadow of the old one.1 The explanation of the second Beast's giving breath to the image is, on this hypothesis, obvious. Unless the Pope confirm the new Emperor's election, his election is invalid; and in the ceremony of his confirmation he has to take an oath of allegiance to the Pope. So is the Emperor in a 1 Very much as Luther. See p. 418 suprà. |