Chapter 28

§ 1.

Since then in this world some run unto the light and by faith unite themselves unto God, others withdraw from the light and separate themselves from God; the Word of God taketh them up, bringing upon¹ all a meet [law of] habitation: upon those in the light, for their fruition of the good things which are in it²; upon those in the darkness, for their partaking of the evil which is therein. Therefore He saith, that them on the Right Hand He hath summoned into the Kingdom of Heaven; those on the left He will send into the fire everlasting. For by themselves are they deprived of all good things.

§ 2.

And therefore saith the Apostle,³ For that they received not the love of God that they might be saved, therefore also God shall send them into a working of error, that they may believe a lie: that they all may be judged who believed not the truth, but consented unto iniquity. For when he cometh, and of his own purpose⁴ summeth up the Apostasy into himself, and by his own will and decree doeth whatsoever he shall do,⁵ and sitteth in the Temple of God, that as Christ they may adore him who shall be seduced by him:⁶—therefore also shall he be justly cast into the lake of fire: God for His part foreknowing all according to His Providence, and in due time sending him upon us who was to be such: that men might believe what is false⁷, and be judged, even all who believed not the truth, but consented unto iniquity. Whose coming John in the Apocalypse hath thus intimated:⁸ And the beast which I saw⁹ was like unto a Leopard, and his feet as of a Bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a Lion; and the Dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority, and one of his heads as it were wounded unto death, and the stroke of his death was healed, and the whole world wondered after the beast; and they worshipped the Dragon because he gave power unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto this beast, and who can fight with him? And there was given him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy, and power was given him for forty two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, blaspheming His Name and His Tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven. And power was given him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. And all adored him who dwell on the earth, whose name is not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man hath ears let him hear. Whosoever shall lead into captivity shall go into captivity. Whosoever shall kill with the sword he must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the Saints.¹⁰ Then afterwards concerning his armour bearer whom he also calleth “the false Prophet,” He spake,¹¹ saith he, like a dragon, and he did all the power of the first beast before him: and he maketh the Earth and them that dwell therein to adore the first beast, the stroke of whose death was healed. And he shall do great signs, so as to make even fire to come down from Heaven to earth before men: and he shall seduce them that dwell on the earth. These things he saith, that no man may think him to do signs by the power of God, but by magical working. And no wonder, if when demons and apostate spirits minister unto him, he work signs by them, whereby he may deceive them that dwell on the earth.

And an Image,¹² saith he, will he command to be made for the beast, and he will give breath to the image, so that the Image may even speak; and those who will not worship it, he will cause to be slain. And a mark too, saith he, he will cause to be put upon the forehead and in the right hand, that no man may buy or sell, unless he have the mark of the beast’s name, or the number of his name, and that the number is 666, i.e.,¹³ six hundreds and ten sixes and six Individuals, for the summing up of all his apostacy which took place in 6,000 years.

§ 3.

For in what number of days the world was made, in the same number of thousands of years is it brought to its consummation.¹⁴ And therefore saith the Scripture, And the Heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And God ended on the sixth day His works which He made, and God rested on the seventh day from all His works. Now this is a narrative of the past, and a prophecy of the future.¹⁵ For the day of the Lord is as 1000 years. In six days then were completed the things which were made: evidently then, their consummation is the 6000th year.

§ 4.

And for this cause in all time, Man who was framed in the beginning by the hands of God, i.e.,¹⁶ of the Son and Spirit, is being made after the Image and Similitude of God, by the casting away of the chaff, that is the Apostasy, and by the gathering into the garner of the Wheat, that is of such as by faith bear fruit unto God. And therefore is tribulation necessary for such as are saved, that being in a manner bruised, and beaten small, and by patience kneaded up¹⁷ with the Word of God, and put into the fire, they may be meet for the King’s Banquet: as said one of our people, condemned to the Wild Beasts for his witness unto God: “I am God’s corn and by teeth of wild beasts am being ground, that I may be found a pure loaf¹⁸.”