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"fathers, and Queens her nursing mothers *, persecution of the Church, by the civil powers, has only raged at some certain periods, arising from the ignorance of the kings, who worshipped only in the outward courts, and were not admitted to see the truth and purity of Religion in the inner Temple †.

Ver. 2. Forty-two months.] The period assigned for this Gentile worship in the courts of the Temple, is forty-two months. It is the very same duration of time, which we shall afterwards see described under the name of 1260 days. Forty-two months, of thirty days each, (such undoubtedly was the measure of time in the East ‡,) amount exactly to 1260 days. But a day, in the prophetic language of Scripture, has been shewn to signify a year §.

The exact commencement, and consequently the end of this period of 1260 years, shall be afterwards discussed. But certainly there appears exhibited in

* Isa. xlix. 23.

The note of the ancient commentator Arethas upon this passage deserves attention :-Πολιν άγιαν την ἐκκλησίαν έκαλεσεν, ἣν ἴσμεν πατείσθαι ὑπο ἔθνων, οἷς ἐδόθη οιονει ἐν αὐτῇ αναςρέφεσθαι, ύπο μεν Χρισιανων θεοφιλώς, ύπο δε απιςων καλαφρονητικώς και ολεθρίως. And it may be questioned whether 'Iguaλnu walɣuem, n. T. a. in Luke xxi. 24, should not be translated, "Jerusalem shall be trodden (not trodden down) by the Gentiles," and whether that prophecy does not belong to the same period as this?

See Louth, on Hos. vi. 6. Prideaux, Con. i. 380, &c. Wintle's Prelim. Dissert. on Daniel; where Gen. vii. 24. viii. 3. 6. vii. 11; 1 Kings vii. 4; 1 Chron. xxvii. 1; are quoted, to shew that the ancient year was composed of 360 days, or of 12 months of 30 days each and the learned writer refers to Sir John Marsham, Bishop Beveridge, Strauchius, &c., for proofs of other nations beside the Jews using the same method of computation. This may be seen also fully proved in Playfair's Chronology, p. 11.

Note, ch. ii. 10.

FF

See note, ch. xiii. 5.

history

history a period of this kind, in which the pagan nations of Europe, (or, in prophetic language, of the isles, of the sea,) after being converted to the profession of the Christian name, filled the courts of the Lord's house, and principally composed that body which we call the Christian Church. But these nations did not possess, during many centuries, a primitive faith and pure knowledge. They worshipped in the outer court, at a distance; their views of Divine truth were obscure; they were not admitted to a sight of the Ark of the Covenant, of the precious testimony of the Gospel *.

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The times, when the Gentiles should flow into the Church, are foretold by all the Prophets; upon which Saint Paul will be found to comment in Rom. xi. 12. 25. xv. 7-13. But the prophet Daniel has gone so far as to fix the duration of a period, in which, "the power of the holy people (the Jews) shall be scat"tered;" in which therefore we may suppose the Gentiles are to possess the Church. "It shall be "for a time, times, and half," which is understood to signify three years and an half: for, a time, in the prophecy of Daniel, signifies a year. But three years and an half, counted after the eastern computation, amount to forty-two months, or 1260 days, which is this very period of the Gentiles §.

Ver. 3. And I will give unto my two witnesses.] There is an ellipsis in this place, after the word Swew,

*Mosheim, i. $59. 430.

Dan. iv. 25. xi. 13.

↑ Dan. xii. 7.

It will be seen plainly under note, ch. xii. 14, that the period of 1260 days is exactly the same with the time, times, and half; because they are indiscriminately applied to the selfsame period of history.

which may perhaps be supplied by το Πνεύμα μ3, οι, as it stands in Acts ii. 17, 18, απο το Πνευματος με: I will give to my two witnesses a portion of my Holy Spirit. This is the necessary supply to be given, in order to make them prophets. They are here called Witnesses, Magiuges. Such is the title of those who, having been instructed in the saving truths of the Gospel, are enabled to testify them before the world; and, unawed by the fear of sufferings, to seal the testimony with their blood. Such a witness was our Lord himself*; such were his Apostles ; and such confessors of the faith are propure mised to the true Church during the period of 1260 years, in which the Gentiles are to tread the courts of the Christian Church in ignorance and impurity. Such witnesses are to appear in small numbers: for, two is the smallest number next to unity: and this number, to bear effectual testimony, was required X under the Law. The office of these witnesses is to be mournful; which is fully implied in their funeral garb of sackcloth §, and the period of their continuing to exercise this office, is the same which we have before noted,-1260 days; that is, 1260 years. But the life of one man will not ordinarily fill above the twentieth part of this space of time: we are therefore led to expect a succession of such prophets or martyrs, but few in number at one time.

Ver. 4. These are the two olive-trees, and the two lamp-bearers; &c.] The character of these witnesses is further expressed by their being called "the two

* Ch.i.5; 1 Tim. vi. 13.

+ Luke xxiv. 48. Acts i. 8; ii. 32; iii. 15; v. 32; x. 39.

Deut. xvii. 6; 2 Cor. xiii. 1; Matt. xviii. 16.

§ Note, ch. vi. 12.

FF 2

"olive

"olive-trees, and the two lamp-bearers, which stand "before the Lord of the earth." We have already learned, from infallible authority, that the AUXVIRI, the lamp-bearers, represent the Churches of Christ. But the seven Churches had forfeited the privilege in this corrupt and idolatrous period. And the newly converted Gentile Churches were not permitted to bear the holy Light: for, they are excluded from the inner temple and the altar, where the lamp-bearers properly stood. The office of bearing the Christian Light, before the Lord of the earth, is therefore committed to the two witnesses. The true light of the Gospel is exhibited by them, and commands attention, though seen through mists of surrounding ignorance and superstition. They are called also "the "two olive-trees." The olive was a sacred plant, permitted to grow up, even in the temple. This figurative resemblance had been applied before to such prophets, who are described as two olive-trees spontaneously producing the golden (the pure) oil; and, after this description, are said to be "the two "anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole "earth." Pure Religion therefore, which is not to be found among the Gentiles at large, who frequent only the outer courts, is to be seen here with the witnesses: for, here is the inner temple; here are the lamp-bearers; the sacred olives, in the presence of God.

Ver. 5.& 6.] These witnesses are also to be enqued with that power of the prophets, expressed in

* Ch. i. 12.

↑ Zech. iv. 11-14. These are usually understood to signify Zorobabel und Joshua, the lights and ornaments of the ancient Church alter the Babylonish captivity.

Holy

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Holy Writ; "I will make my word in thy mouth fire," says the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah," and "this people wood, and it shall consume them*.' They are to prophesy in the power and spirit of Moses and Elijah, at whose command the rain was suspended, and the waters turned into blood t.

Ver. 7. & 8.] But at the time appointed for the period of their prophesying, at the end of the forty- ? two months, or 1260 days, the wild-beast, who is to ascend from the great deep, and who is more particularly described afterwards, shall overcome and slay them; and shall prosecute his victory with such barbarous ferocity, as not to permit to their remains the usual privilege of burial. Their dead bodies, like those of the massacred Jews under Sennacherib, are to lie exposed in the streets of the great city; of that idolatrous, corrupt communion, of which Sodom, and Egypt, and Jerusalem in its most degenerate days, stained with the blood of Jesus, were expressive types.

Ver. 9. & 10.] And the persons who belong to this wicked city, consisting of “ many people, tribes, "and nations," that is, of the Gentile world, shall behold the dead bodies three days and an half, and rejoice over them. But, at the end of this period, the prophets rise from the dead, by the power of the Spirit; and are received into heaven, as their prototype Elijah, and perhaps Moses, had been before them .

To

* Jer. v. 14. See also Isa. x. 17. xi. 4; Jer. i. 9. 10; Hos. vi, 5; 2 Thess. ii. S.

+ Exod. vii. 20. James v. 17. Ch. xiii. § Tob. i. 18-24. The spurious gospel, under the name of Nicodemus, represents Enoch and Elijah as destined to undergo literally what is figuratively

foretold

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