A Brief Commentary on the Apocalypse Part 10

"And I will give charge to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive-trees, and the two lamp-stands, standing before the Lord of the earth. And if any one wisheth to injure them, fire proceedeth from their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if anyone wisheth to injure them, he must thus be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it may not rain in the days of their prophecy: and they have power over the waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they wish. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the wild beast that ascendeth out of the abyss will make war with them, and will overcome them, and kill them. And their dead body _will lie_ on the wide street of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. And those of the people, and tribes, and tongues, and nations, will see their dead body three days and a half, and will not allow their dead body to be put into a tomb. And those, who dwell on the earth, will rejoice over them, and exult, and send gifts to each other; because these two prophets tormented those, who dwell on the earth. And after the three days and a half the Spirit of life from G.o.d entered them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell on those, who saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven, saying to them, Ascend here! And they ascended into heaven in a cloud; and their enemies saw them. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake seven thousand names of men were slain: and the remnant became terrified, and gave glory to the G.o.d of heaven. The second woe is past away; behold, the third woe cometh quickly."-Rev. 11:3-14.

The two witnesses are not symbolically exhibited, but are referred to by an elliptical metaphor, and are explained to be the "two olive-trees, and the two candlesticks." Therefore, they are not two living men, as some suppose, shown to John in vision, symbolizing a.n.a.logous agents; but their nature is to be determined by a consideration of the olive-trees and candlesticks which symbolize them.

Candlesticks symbolize churches. Thus the Saviour said to John: "The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches," 1:20. When "men light a candle," they put "it on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house," Matt. 5:15. The candlestick does not originate, but sustains the light in a position to be seen and exert a beneficial influence. It is thus that the church is said to be "the light of the world," and is required to let her light "s.h.i.+ne before men," _Ib._ vs. 14-16,-_i.e._ She is to disseminate the light committed to her; and in so doing, she becomes a _witness_ for Jesus.

The church comprises all the holy persons who have lived on earth, and is symbolized by two candlesticks, corresponding to the two dispensations of its existence. Those who lived under the former dispensation, are called "a great cloud of witnesses," Heb. 12:1. Of Christ, "give all the prophets witness," Acts 10:43. They const.i.tute the voice of the church in that age.

Under the gospel dispensation, also, Christ had chosen witnesses of himself. He said to his disciples, "Ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth," (_Ib._ 1:8); and they said, "We are his witnesses," _Ib._ 5:32. "We are witnesses of all things which he did, ... witnesses chosen before of G.o.d," (_Ib._ 10:39-41);-"his witnesses unto the people," _Ib._ 13:31. They and their successors have "testified and preached the word of the Lord," (_Ib._ 8:25), overcoming "by the word of their testimony,"

(Rev. 12:11),-many of them being "slain for the word of G.o.d, and for the testimony which they held," 6:9. The church, one in all ages, symbolized by the two candlesticks, is thus a _witness_ of Jesus.

The two olive-trees, symbolize the other witness, which must sustain a relation to the church, a.n.a.logous to that sustained by the olive-trees to the candlesticks. The declaration, that the witnesses are _the_ two olive-trees and candlesticks, implies the existence of some previous symbolization, where those objects and their relation to each other are presented. And the connection shows clearly that reference is made to the vision, wherein Zechariah beheld "a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof; and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof," Zech. 4:2, 3. The relation which the olive-trees sustain to the candlestick, is shown by the questions of the prophet: "What are these, my Lord?" (_Ib._ v. 4); "What are these two olive-trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? What be these two olive-branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?" _Ib._ vs. 11, 12. The office of the olive-trees, was to supply the candlestick with oil which alone enabled them to give light.

The oil of the olive-tree, was burned before the Lord continually. The light committed to the church, is the truth of G.o.d's word. And thus the angel explains the meaning of the olive-trees: "This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel," (_Ib._ v. 6); "These are the two anointed ones [_mar_, sons of oil], that stand by the Lord of the whole earth," _Ib._ v.

14. And this expression, corresponding with that in Rev. 11:4, shows that this vision of Zechariah is the one referred to, and that it is explanatory of the witnesses.

The Scriptures, as well as the church, testify of Christ: "Search the Scriptures," said the Saviour, speaking of those then written; "they are they which _testify_ [or bear witness] of me," (John 5:39); and of the New Testament, he said: "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a _witness_ unto all nations," Matt. 24:4. Like two olive-trees supplying the candlesticks with oil, the Scriptures of the Old, and of the New Testament give light to the church, and testify of Christ. They stand on either side of him,-the one beginning with the creation and pointing to a Messiah to come, testifying of him by types and shadows; and the other looking back to the death and resurrection of Christ, and cheering the heart of the believer by the evidence of his second coming at the end of the world. Thus stood within the oracle of the temple the two cherubim, which Solomon made "of _olive-tree_," and whose wings met over the ark of the covenant: "He set the cherubim within the inner house, and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubim, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house," 1 Kings 6, 27. Thus symbolized, the Scriptures and the church are Christ's two witnesses.

To prophesy, is to make known the truths of G.o.d. Thus, at the epoch of the Reformation, they were to prophesy _again_ before many peoples, and nations, and tongues and kings, 10:11. It was to enable the witnesses to do this, that the necessary power was to be given them.

Sackcloth, is a symbol of humiliation and sorrow; and the witnesses being thus clothed, indicates that during the time specified, they should be in a despised and oppressed condition.

The one thousand two hundred and sixty days, symbolize years. G.o.d said to Israel, after the evil report of the twelve spies: "Your children shall wander in the wilderness forty _years_ ... after the number of the _days_ which ye searched the land," Num. 14:33, 34. And to Ezekiel, "This shall be a sign to the house of Israel: Lie thou upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it, ... for I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days.... And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee _each day for a year_," Ezek.

4:3-6.

This period of one thousand two hundred and sixty years, is not the whole time in which the witnesses prophesy, but marks the duration of their prophesying in sackcloth. It commenced when the light of the Bible began to be obscured by the secondary place which was accorded to it in the estimation of the Papal church, and the living witnesses were no longer permitted to preach the gospel in its purity.

In A. D. 533, the Emperor Justinian, wrote a letter to the Pope declaring him to be "the head of all the holy churches," and subjecting to his control "all the priests of the whole East." By the edicts and mandates of Justinian, who was master of the Roman world, the supremacy of the Pope received the fullest sanction; and the highest authorities among the civilians and annalists of Rome, refer to these as evidence of the right of the Pope to the t.i.tle of "Universal Bishop," and date it from A. D.

533. p. 200.

With this supremacy, the power of the Papacy commenced. The Bible was permitted only in a dead language, and the faithful Christian was obliged to seek refuge in the wilderness. False doctrines obscuring the Bible, and persecuting enactments oppressing the church, clothed the witnesses in sackcloth; and thus only did they testify, till the power of the papacy was broken.

Fire proceeded out of their mouth, when they made known the fiery judgments predicted in the Scriptures against all their enemies. And they shut heaven, smite with plagues, turn water to blood, &c., when, in accordance with the inspired record, are fulfilled the predictions which, in various places, are thus symbolized.-See Rev. 15:6; 16:4, &c.

The finis.h.i.+ng of their testimony, refers to the termination of the sackcloth period,-twelve hundred and sixty years from A. D. 533; _i.e._ in 1793,-if the former date is correct.

The beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit, is that on which, in a subsequent vision, the woman is seated, 17:7, 8. John saw this beast arise out of the sea, (13:1); and the subsequent exposition given of it, will show that it symbolized the civil power of the Roman empire in its divided form.-See p. 169. As the ten kingdoms const.i.tute the beast, what is done by any of these kingdoms, is done by the beast. France was one of the more prominent of these kingdoms, and at one period, under Napoleon, controlled the greater portion of the whole.

To war against the witnesses, is to oppose, resist, and endeavor to crush them; and to overcome them, is to be successful in such efforts.

To kill, when used symbolically and applied to Christians, is to cause them to apostatize-producing spiritual death, 9:5. When applied to the Scriptures, it can only denote their prohibition.

The great city, as shown in connection with Rev. 16:19, p. 290, is the Roman hierarchy:-symbolized by Babylon, and "spiritually called Sodom and Egypt." By being thus "_spiritually_ called Sodom," some understand that it is a "spiritual Sodom," &c., which would be a contradiction of terms; others understand that it is called _figuratively_ by those names, and deduce from it an argument for spiritualizing the Scriptures; but the use of the word "_spiritually_," it is believed, will not sanction any such meaning. It occurs only in two other pa.s.sages:-in Rom. 8:7, to be "spiritually minded," is to have a mind in accordance with the will of the Spirit; and in 1 Cor. 2:14, things "spiritually discerned," signifies that they are discerned by the aid of the Spirit. The great city, then, is called by the Spirit, "Sodom and Egypt;" and is so called because of her licentiousness and idolatries, and her subjecting the saints to bondage.

To crucify the Lord afresh, is to apostatize from his teachings, Heb. 6:6.

In 1793, twelve hundred and sixty years from the date of the Papal supremacy, the Bible was abolished in France, by the solemn decree of the government, which declared that the nation acknowledged no G.o.d. A copy of the Bible could not be found in a single bookstore in Paris. Inquiry also was made for it in Rome, in _all_ the book establishments of that city, and the invariable reply was, that it was prohibited. All the churches of Paris were shut, and the church plate was declared the property of the nation. Professors of religion, at the same time, in large numbers openly apostatized and embraced infidelity. Says Dr. Croley:-

"On the 1st of November, 1793, Gobet, with the republican priests of Paris, had thrown off the gown and abjured religion. On the 11th, a 'grand festival,' dedicated to 'Reason and Truth,' was celebrated instead of divine service in the ancient cathedral of Notre Dame, which had been desecrated, and been named, 'the Temple of Reason;' a pyramid was erected in the centre of the church, surmounted by a temple, inscribed, 'To Philosophy.' The torch of 'Truth' was on the altar of 'Reason,' spreading light, &c. The National Convention, and all the authorities, attended at this burlesque and insulting ceremony. In February, 1794, a grand fete was ordered by the convention, in which hymns to Liberty were chanted, and a pageant in honor of the abolition of slavery in the colonies, was displayed in the 'Temple of Reason.' In June another festival was ordered-to the Supreme Being: the G.o.d of Philosophy. But the most superb exhibition was the 'general festival,' in honor of the republic. It was distinguished by a more audacious spirit of scoffing and profanation than the former. Robespierre acted the 'high-priest of Reason' on the day, and made himself conspicuous in blasphemy. He was then at the summit of power,-actual sovereign of France."

The dead bodies of the witnesses, would be their existence in that prohibited condition, when, in France, neither the Scriptures, nor the church showed any symptoms of life. In the street, would be the conspicuous and public manner in which indignities should be heaped on them. France had been one of the princ.i.p.al states yielding homage to the Roman church. Surrounding nations beheld, but would not permit the extermination of the Bible and Christianity.

The French made merry over their blasphemous work. Says Dr. Croley:-

"A very remarkable and _prophetic_ distinction of this period, was the spirit of frenzied festivity which seized upon France. The capital, and all the republican towns, were the scene of civic feasts, processions, and shows of the most extravagant kind. The most festive times of peace under the most expensive kings were thrown into the shade by the frequency, variety, and extent of the republican exhibitions. Yet this was a time of perpetual miseries throughout France. The guillotine was b.l.o.o.d.y from morn till night. In the single month of July, 1794, nearly _eight hundred persons_, the majority, princ.i.p.al individuals of the state, and all possessing some respectability of situation, were guillotined in Paris alone. In the midst of this horror, there were twenty-six theatres open, filled with the most profane and profligate displays in honor of the 'triumph of reason.' "

In Lyons a Bible was tied to the tail of an a.s.s and dragged in a procession through the streets of that city. Thus they rejoiced over the supposed end of religion in France; and congratulated themselves that the terrors of G.o.d's word, and the church would no more torment them.

"After three days and a half," would be that number of years from the suppression of Christianity in November, 1793. On the 17th day of June, 1797, three and a half years from the abolition of the Bible and religious wors.h.i.+p, CAMILLE JOURDAN, in the _Council of Five Hundred_, brought up the memorable report on the _Revision of the Laws Relative to Religious Wors.h.i.+p_, by which France gave permission to all citizens to buy or hire edifices for the free exercise of it; repealing all opposing laws, and subjecting those to a heavy fine who should in any way impede or interrupt any religious service. The Bible and the church again stood erect, to the dismay of all who had rejoiced over their overthrow. Those two witnesses were again in a position to resume their testimony.

They were not only to be thus restored, but were to be elevated far above their former position. Since that epoch, have been made all those great efforts to evangelize the world, by means of missionary, tract, Bible, and other benevolent societies, which have caused the _Scriptures_ to be translated into nearly all known languages, and carried by the _living preacher_ to the ends of the earth. The very room in which Voltaire uttered his famous prediction-that "the time would arrive when the Bible would be regarded only in the light of an old curiosity,"-is now used for a Bible depository, and is "piled to the ceiling with that rare old book."

Copies of the Bible have been multiplied a million fold, and scattered broadcast over the earth. The other witness,-the church, has since then, also, been greatly magnified. In this age of missions and Bibles, the number of believers has been greatly multiplied; and missionaries have penetrated all lands. The last half-century has been distinguished for its wonderful revivals; and the servants of the cross have "prophesied [or testified] again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings," 10:11.

The same hour, is the time of the slaughter of the witnesses. Its epoch was to be marked by a great political revolution, which, in the Apocalypse, is symbolized by an earthquake. In the year in which Christianity was suppressed by France, they beheaded their king, abolished the monarchy, and entirely revolutionized the government. In the reign of terror following, the best blood of the nation was shed like water, and no man of influence could consider his life secure. Men, women and children were dragged before the revolutionary tribunals, had their accusations read to them, and were immediately condemned, and hurried off in crowds without a trial, to be shot, drowned or beheaded. At Lyons thirty-one thousand persons were thus slain; at Nantes thirty-two thousand,-and throughout France in proportion. The number thus slain, has been estimated at over one million,-a number hardly credible, and which might well be symbolized by seven thousand-a perfect number. Well might the remnant be affrighted, and hasten to give glory to the G.o.d of heaven, by the restoration of that book, the setting aside of which had involved them in such dire calamities.

The tenth of the city which fell, must be the tenth of the Roman hierarchy, which is symbolized by the city. With the suppression of religion, the Catholic church was prohibited, with all others. France was one of the ten kingdoms, and the overthrow of the church in France, would be the fall of one-tenth of that city.

Thus pa.s.sed the second woe-the prelude to the third woe, which cometh quickly.

The Seventh Trumpet.

"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world hath become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Anointed; and he will reign for ever and ever. And the twenty-four elders, who sat before G.o.d on their thrones, fell on their faces, and wors.h.i.+pped G.o.d, saying, We thank thee, O Lord G.o.d Almighty, who art, and who wast, because thou hast taken to thyself thy great power, and reigned. And the nations were enraged, and thy wrath is come, and the season of the dead, when they should be judged, and a reward should be given to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to those who fear thy name, small and great; and when thou shouldest destroy those, who destroy the earth. And the temple of G.o.d was opened in heaven, and the ark of his covenant in his temple appeared, and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail."-Rev. 11:15-19.

The seventh, like the preceding trumpets, marks an epoch from which an era dates. "The days of the voice of the seventh angel" (10:7), are indicative of a period of time to follow its sounding, in which will be fulfilled the events predicted of that era.

The voices in heaven, which immediately follow its sounding, are prophetic utterances of events then to transpire; and are distinct from the response of the elders. When Christ "shall be revealed from heaven," he will be accompanied "with his mighty angels," 2 Thess. 1:7. He will descend "with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of G.o.d," (1 Thess. 4:16); and the shout is evidently that of the attending angels, symbolized by those voices, which will announce the revolution which is to be made in the empire of the earth, and of the subst.i.tution of the kingdom of G.o.d in the place of human governments.

The kingdom here established, is the long promised consummation, foretold by prophets, and antic.i.p.ated by saints of every age. It is that predicted by Daniel, when he says: "In the days of these kings shall the G.o.d of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." Dan. 2:44. He also "saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pa.s.s away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.... And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." _Ib._ 7:13, 14, 27. It is that referred to in the simple pet.i.tion, "Thy kingdom come" (Matt. 6:10), which was to be the great object of our prayer till the final consummation; which the disciples thought was to appear immediately, when they journeyed towards, and were nigh to, Jerusalem, and which misapprehension the Saviour corrected by the parable of a n.o.bleman going into a far country to receive for himself kingly authority, and to return, Luke 20:12. It is that respecting which they inquired, as the SAVIOUR was about to be taken from them, if he would at that time restore it to Israel, (Acts 1:6); and to which the apostle refers, when he declares to TIMOTHY that the Lord JESUS CHRIST will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and kingdom, 2 Tim. 4:1.

"Thy kingdom come! Thus, day by day We lift our hands to G.o.d and pray; But who has ever duly weighed The meaning of the words he said?"

This kingdom is to be an eternal kingdom: "He will reign for ever and ever." This is in accordance with the declaration in Daniel, that "the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even for ever and ever," Dan. 7:18. To its eternity Nathan testifies when he says to David, "Thy house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever,"

2 Sam. 7:16. Though this was spoken to David, it was to be fulfilled in Christ; for we read in Luke (1:32, 33), "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord G.o.d shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." It is predicted in Isaiah, that "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty G.o.d, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end; upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth, even forever," Isa. 9:6, 7. To the Son the Father saith, "Thy throne, O G.o.d, is for ever and ever," (Heb. 1:8); and the blood-washed throng ascribe to him "glory and dominion for ever and ever," 1:5, 6.

"Thy kingdom come! O day of joy, When praise shall every tongue employ; When hate and strife and war shall cease, And man with man shall be at peace.

Jesus shall reign on Zion's hill, And all the earth with glory fill; His word shall Paradise restore, And sin and death afflict no more.

G.o.d's holy will shall then be done By all who live beneath the sun; For saints shall then as angels be, All changed to immortality."

The four-and-twenty elders,-symbolizing those who are redeemed "out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation," 5:8, 9,-at the establishment of the kingdom, are to be made "kings and priests," and are to "reign on the earth," 5:10. They are "saints of the Most High," who are to "take the kingdom," and possess it "forever." With the announcement of its establishment, they immediately respond with glad hosannas, which spontaneously and unitedly burst forth from the enraptured hosts of the ransomed ones, as they find themselves clothed upon with immortality, and in the joyful presence of their Lord. They are raised from the dead at this epoch; or are among the living who will then be translated, as says the apostle:

"Behold I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, _at the last trump_,"-the last of the seven;-"for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

The nations who are angry, will be the nations out from whom the righteous are taken, and who are left to the recompense of their reward;-"when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not G.o.d and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe," 2 Thess. 1:7-10.

The heathen had raged, and the people imagined a vain thing. The kings of the earth had set themselves, and the rulers taken counsel against the Lord, and against his anointed. Now the time of their anger is to end: the time for the exercise of the wrath of Jehovah upon them, has arrived, and they are filled with fear, consternation, and shame. The time has come when the dead are to be avenged,-when those who had been slain for the word of G.o.d, and for the testimony which they held, whose souls under the altar during the fifth seal, cried with a loud voice, saying,

"How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" (6:10) find their expectations answered, and the destroyers, or perverters of the earth, in like manner perverted and destroyed. This winds up the kingdom of Satan on earth; his reign terminates, and his subjects are banished. The absence of all the wicked, with the transfiguration of all the righteous living and resurrection of the just, leave for subjects only those who have pa.s.sed the period of their probation, and are introduced into the everlasting kingdom of G.o.d.