Matthew Poole and continuators on Job 19:25

25. For I know that my redeemer liveth , and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth .

This is the reason of his great Confidence in the goodness of his Cause, and his willingness to have the matter depending between him and his Friends published and submitted to any Tryal, because he had a living and powerful Redeemer to plead his Cause, and vindicate his person from all their severe censures, and to give sentence for him.

I have no knowledge nor confidence, nor hope of restitution to the prosperities of this life; yet this one thing [illegible: 1+ letters] know, which is more comfortable and con[illegible: 1+ letters]iderable, and therein I rejo[illegible: 1+ letters]ce though I be now a dying man, and in a desperate condition for this life.

In whom I have a particular interest, and he hath a particular care of me. Quest. What Redeemer, and what Deliverance doth Iob speak of in this and the two following Verses? Answ. Some late Interpreters understand this place metaphorically, of God's delivering Iob out of his doleful and desperate Condition, and restoring him to his former splendour and happiness in the World; it being a very usual thing in Scripture to call eminent Dangers or Calamities by the name of Death; as Psalm 22. 15. & 88. 4. 5. Ezek. 37. 11, 12. 2 Cor. 11. 23. And great and glorious Deliverances by the name of quickning and resurrection; as Psalm [illegible: 1+ letters]1. 20. Isa. 26. 19. Rom. 11. 15. But the most Interpreters both ancient and modern understand it of Christ and of his Resurrection, and of Iob's resurrection to life by his power and favour: Which seems most probable for many reasons. 1. From that known Bule, that a proper and literal Interpretation of Scripture, is always to be preferred before the Metaphorical, where it suits with the Text and with other Scriptures. 2. From the Hebrew word Goel, here used; which although sometimes it be used of God absolutely or essentially considered, yet it most properly agrees to Jesus Christ: For this word, as all Hebricians know, is primarily used of the next kinsman, whose Office it was [illegible: 1+ letters]o redeem by a price paid the sold or mortgaged Estate of his deceased kin[illegible: 1+ letters]man, Levit. 25 25▪ and to revenge his death, Num. 35. 12. and to maintain his Name and Honour by raising up Seed to him, Deut. 25. 5. All which most fitly agrees to Christ, who is ou[illegible: 1+ letters] nearest kiniman and brother, Heb. 2. 11. as having taken ou[illegible: 1+ letters] Nature upon him by Incarnation: who also hath redeemed that everlasting Inheritance which our first Parents had utterly lost and [illegible: 1 word] by [illegible: 1 word] price of his own blood; and hath revenged the Death of Mankind upon the great Contriver of it, the Devil, by destroying him and his kingdom; and hath taken a course to preserve our Name, and Honour, and Persons to Eternity. And if the places where God is called Goel in the Old Testament, be examined, it will be found that either all or most of them may be, and some of them must be understood of God the Son, or o[illegible: 1+ letters] Christ, as Gen. 48. 16. Isa. 59. 20. See also Psalm. 74. 2. Isa. 41. 14. & 44. 6. & 49. 7 & 52. 3. & 63. 16. 3. Because Iob was so far from such a firm Confidence as he here professeth, that he had not the least degree of hope of any such glorious temporal restauration as his Friends promised to him, as we have oft seen and observed in the former Discourses; as Chap. 16. 22. & 17. 12, 13, &c. And therefore that hope which every righteous man hath in his death, Prov. 14. 32. and which Iob oft professeth that he had, must necessarily be fixed upon his happiness in the future life. 4. Because some of the following expressions cannot without wresting and violence be applied to a Metaphorical Resurrection, as we shall see in the Sequel. 5. Because this is a more lofty and spiritual strain, than any in Iob's former Discourses, and quite contrary to them. And as they generally [illegible: 1+ letters]avour of Dejection and Diffidence, and do either declare or encrease his Grief; so this puts him into another and much better temper: And therefore it is well observed, that after this time and these expressions, we meet not with any such impatient or despairing passages, as we had before; which shews that they had inspired him with new life and comfort. 6. Because this well agrees with other passages in this Book; wherein Iob declareth, that although he had no hope as to this life and the comforts thereof, yet he had an hope beyond death, which made him prosess. Though [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] me▪ yet will I trust in him, Iob 13. [illegible: 1+ letters] 5. Trust in him: For what? Su[illegible: 1+ letters] for comfort and happiness. Where? Not in this life, for that he supposeth to be lost, therefore it must be in the next life. And this was one reason why he so vehemently desired Death, because he knew it would bring him unto God and unto true Felicity. And this his hope and confidence in God and in his Favour to him, Iob. opposeth to those [illegible: 1+ letters]oul and false aspers[illegible: 1+ letters]ons which his Fri[illegible: 1+ letters] had cast upon him, as i[illegible: 1+ letters] he had forsaken God and cast off all [illegible: 1+ letters]ear of him and hope in him. Object. 1. If this place had spoken of the Resurrection of the Body, some of the Hebrew Writer▪ or Commentators upon this Place, who did believe that Doctrine, would have understood it so, and have urged it against the Sadduces, which they did not. Answ. 1. All the Jewish Writers which are now extant, lived and wrote [illegible: 1+ letters]ce Christ's time; when the Doctors of that People were very ignorant of many great Truths, and of the plain meaning of many Scriptures, and very corrupt in their Principles as well as in their Practises. 2. There was a manifest Reason why they could not understand this Text thus, because they believed that Iob in his Agonies did deny God's Providence, and consequently the Resurrection and the future Judgment, which though it was a most uncharitable and false Opinion, yet forced them to interpret this Text another way. Obj. 2. How is it credible that Iob in those ancient times, and in that dark stare of the Church should know these great Mysteries of Christ's Incarnation, and of the Resurrection and Life to come? Answ. 1. The mystery of Christ's Incarnation was revealed to▪ [illegible: 1 word] by that first and famous Promise, that the seed of the woman should break the Serpent's head, Gen. 3. 15. which being the onely Foundation of all his Hopes for the recovery and salvation of himself and of all his Posterity, he would doubtless carefully and [illegible: 1 word] teach and explain it, as need required, to those that descended from him. 2. That the ancient Patriarchs and Prophets were generally acquainted with these Doctrines, is undeniably evident from Heb. 11. and 1 Pet. 1. [illegible: 1+ letters], 10. 11 12. 3 Particularly Abraham, from whom Iob is supposed to have d[illegible: 1+ letters]ded; had the Promise made to him that Christ should come out of his Loins, Gen. 12. [illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ and is said to have seen Christs day and [illegible: 1 word] to see it, John 8. 56. and had his hopes and desires fixed upon a divine and heavenly City and Country, Heb. [illegible: 1+ letters]1. 10, 16. And as [illegible: 1 word]

kn[illegible: 1+ letters]w and believed these things himself▪ so it is manifest that he [illegible: 1+ letters]aught them to his Children and Servants, Gen. 18. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. a[illegible: 1+ letters]d to his Ki[illegible: 1+ letters]red and others, as he had occas[illegible: 1+ letters]on: And therefore it cannot seem strange that Iob professeth his Faith and hope in these things▪ [illegible: 1 word] I am a dying man, and my hopes are dying▪ but he liveth and that for ever; and therefore though i die, [illegible: 1 word] both ca[illegible: 1+ letters] and will make me to live again in due time, [illegible: 1+ letters]ugh not in this World, yet in the other, which is much better▪ and though I am now highly censured and condemned by my Friend▪ and others▪ as a great Dissembler and a secret Sinner, whom God's ha[illegible: 1+ letters]d hath found out; yet there is a day coming wherein [illegible: 1 word] Ca[illegible: 1+ letters]se shall be pleaded, and my Name and Honour vindicated from all these Reproaches, and my Integrity brought to light.

I am falling and dying, but he shall stand firm, and unmo[illegible: 1+ letters]able, and victorious, in full power and authority: all which this word stand signifies; and therefore he is able to make me to stand in Judgment, and to maintain my Cause against all Opposers. Or▪ [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1+ letters]all arise, as this Verb most commonly signifies; i. e. Either 1. he shall exist or be born, as this word is oft used; as Num. 32. 14 Deut▪ 29. 22. Iudg. 2. 10. 1 Kings 3 12. Matth. 11. 11. And it notes Christ's Incarnation, that although as he was God, he was now and from all Eternity in being, yet he should in due time be made man, and be born of a woman. Or 2. he shall arise out of the dust; which had been more probable, if it had been in the Text from or out of, as now it is upon, the earth or dust; for Christ's Resurrection from the dead, might be fi[illegible: 1+ letters]ly mentioned here as the Cause of Iob's Resurrection, which followeth.

Either 1. in the days of the Messiah or of the Gospel which are oft called the letter or last days or times; as Isa. 2. 2▪ [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1+ letters]. 5. [illegible: 1 word] 2. 28. Compared with Acts 2. 17. 1 Tim. 4. 1. and 2 [illegible: 1 word]. 3. 1. [illegible: 1 word]. 1. 1. Or rather 2. at the day of the general Resurrection and Judgment, which, as those holy Patriarchs well knew and firmly believed, was to be at the end of the World; and which is called the last day▪ Iohn 6. 39, 40, 44., 54. & 11. 24▪ & 12. 48. 1 Pet. 1. 5▪ For this was the time when Iob's Resurrection, of which he speaketh [illegible: 1 word], was to be. Heb. at the last: By which word he plainly intimates, that his hope was not [illegible: 1 word] things present and of Worldly Felicities, of which his Friends had discoursed so much, [illegible: 1+ letters]ut of another kind of, and a far greater blessedness which should accrue to him in after-times, long after he was dead and rotten. Or, the last; who is both the first and the last, Isa. 44. 6. Rev. 1. 11. who shall subdue and survive all his and his peoples Enemies, and after others the l[illegible: 1+ letters]t enemy, death 1 Cor. 15. 26. and then shall raise up his people and plead their Cause, and vindicate them from all the Calumnies and Injuries which are put upon them, and conduct them to Life and Glory.

The place upon which Christ shall appear and stand at the last day. Heb. upon the dust; in which his Saints and Members lie or sleep, whom he will raise out of it' And therefore he is fitly said to stand upon the dust, or the Grave, or Death; because then he will put that among other Enemies under his feet; as it is expressed, 1 Cor. 15. 25, 26. Some render the Words thus, and that very agreeably to the Hebrew, The last, or at the last he shall arise or stand up against (for so this very Phrase is used, Gen. 4. 8. Iudg. 9. 18. Psalm 54. 3.) the dust, and fight with it, and rescue the bodies of the Saints, which are held in it as Prisoners, from its Dominion and Territories. Some understand this of God, that He should stand last in the field as Conquerour of all his Enemies. But this neither agrees with the words, the Hebrew, Aphar, signifying dust, and being never used of the field or pl[illegible: 1+ letters]e of Battel; nor with Iob's scope, which was to defend himself against his Friends Accusations, and to comfort himself with his hopes and assurance of God's Favour to be exhibited to him in due time. Which end the words in that sense would by no means serve, because God might and would be Conqueror of all his Enemies, though Iob himself had been one of them, and though his Cause▪ had been bad, and his Friends should with God have triumphed over him.

Marginal references: Or, at last.