Notes On The Apocalypse by David Steele

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6. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of
their prophecy; and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to
smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

Vs. 4-6.--"These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks,"
answerable to Joshua and Zerubbabel, the representatives of a gospel
ministry and a scriptural magistracy in their day, as seen by the
prophet Zechariah, (ch. iv. 14.) The official administrators of the
divine ordinances of church and state, require the oil of divine grace
to qualify them for the discharge of their responsible duties to God and
man. (1 Tim. i. 2; Titus i. 4; Ps. lxxii. 1.) Thus were those public
servants of God and of his people qualified who "stood before the God of
the earth," as Moses and Aaron in Egypt, Elijah and Elisha in Israel, to
whom there is obvious allusion in the special work of these witnesses.
(2 Kings i. 10; 1 Kings xvii. 1; Exod. vii. 17.) "Fire proceedeth out of
their mouth," when from the scriptures they denounce just judgments upon
the impenitent enemies of him whom they represent. They "smite the earth
with all plagues," when, in answer to their prayers, vengeance comes
upon antichristian communities. (Luke xviii. 7, 8.) They "turn waters
into blood," when through their effective agency, the votaries of
Antichrist are made the instruments of mutual destruction. And all this
is made more clear in the symbolic "vials," (ch. 16.) These witnesses
"prophesy," not as being inspired, but because they,--and _they only_,
apply existing predictions to their appropriate objects, so far as they
receive light from Him who is "the light of the world."

They are "clothed in sack-cloth," because they sigh and cry for all the
abominations of their time,--subjected to oppression, and excluded from
"kings' palaces,"--places of worldly honor, power and emolument.

But the question is of great importance, and, to themselves in
particular, of absorbing interest,--How shall these witnesses be
identified among mankind? For however few, humble, despised and
persecuted, even unto death; strange as it may seem, there are not
wanting many to put forth a claim to be identified with them! Assuming
that these mystic witnesses are individual persons, the Papists say,
they are Enoch and Elijah, hereafter to appear on earth! By Protestants,
John Huss and Jerome.--Luther and Calvin, have been selected. Others
suppose the Old and New Testaments, with many other vague and groundless
conjectures. The witnesses die; but the two prophets named "were
translated that they should not see death:" and the thought is
preposterous that they should be brought again from their glorious state
of immortality and subjected to an ignominious death. John Huss and
Jerome of Prague did not prophesy 1260 years, nor have we the shadow of
a ground to believe that any of the human race shall ever prolong their
days on earth to the age of Methuselah. The two Testaments cannot die,
for "the word of God liveth and abideth for ever." (1 Pet. i. 23.) But
it would be tedious and unprofitable to confute the various chimeras
which on this question have been entertained in the minds equally of the
learned and the illiterate. The like fanciful and diversified opinions
have been, and still are, prevalent in relation to what constitutes "the
Antichrist." (1 John ii. 22.) Now, it is evident, even on a cursory
perusal of the Apocalypse; that the witnesses and their opponents are
the principal parties symbolized in the whole series of the seals,
trumpets and vials. How then can any one attain to a rational
understanding of the manifold details, who remains "willingly ignorant"
of the principal characters in this grandest of all tragico-dramas,
presented to man's view on the stage of Jehovah's moral empire, to be
contemplated for the whole period of 1260 years? The prevailing
ignorance, bewilderment and error, in the minds of most spectators of
these moving scenes, we are warranted to expect. (Dan. xii. 10.) For the
present we define the witnesses and Antichrist concisely thus:--_The
Witnesses are a competent number of Christians, who for 1260 years,
insist upon the application of God's word to church and state; and who
testify against all communities who rebel against the Lord Christ._ Such
communities, in visible organization, constitute THE ANTICHRIST, as will
more fully appear in the thirteenth and seventeenth chapters, where the
two prominent parties are more formally presented.

Let us never lose sight of the fact, that these witnesses cease not to
prophesy,--to apply the scriptures, especially the prophetical parts of
them, during the _whole_ period of 1260 years; that is, _while they
live_. Authentic history supplies abundant evidence that such has been
their special work all along since the rise of the antichristian enemy.
That enemy is but obscurely mentioned,--_not described_ in the "little
book," the contents of which we have, as already said, in this chapter,
(vs. 1-13.) The character and achievements of the witnesses may be found
in the familiar histories of the Culdees and Lollards of Britain, the
Waldenses of Piedmont, the Bohemian Brethren; together with the more
recent and successful reformers on the continent of Europe and in the
British Isles. Is it unnecessary to mention the names of those men of
renown,--Zwingle, Luther, Calvin, Knox, Henderson, etc.,--men "mighty in
words and in deeds," whose influence on the great "family of nations,"
their very enemies have reluctantly attested? The testimony of an enemy
has ever been deemed weighty. The following is appropriate and decisive
from the polished pen of the historian of the "Decline and Fall of the
Roman Empire:" "The visible assemblies of the Paulicians, or Albigeois,
were extirpated by fire and sword; and the bleeding remnant escaped by
flight, concealment, or catholic conformity. But the invincible spirit
which they had kindled still lived and breathed in the western
world.--In the state, in the church, and even in the cloister, a latent
succession was preserved of the disciples of St. Paul, who protested
against the tyranny of Rome, embraced the Bible as the rule of faith,
and purified their creed from all the visions of the Gnostic theology.
The struggles of Wickliff in England, and of Huss in Bohemia, were
premature and ineffectual: but the names of Zuinglius, Luther and
Calvin, are pronounced with gratitude as the deliverers of nations."[2]

Ever since the time of those eminent witnesses, the same testimony has
been maintained. It is not yet finished, the witnesses are yet alive,
and the term of 1260 years is not expired.

7. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that
ascendeth out of the bottomless pit, shall make war against them, and
shall overcome them, and kill them.

8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city,
which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was
crucified.

9. And they of the people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations, shall
see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their
dead bodies to be put in graves.

10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make
merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets
tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

Vs. 7-10.--In these verses we have described the death of the witnesses,
as also the agent mentioned, by whom the fatal stroke is given. As
future occasion will occur for identifying this bloody tyrant,
ascertaining with precision his diabolical origin, here only hinted, his
crimes and his awful doom, it is premature to amplify in this place.

If the witnesses cannot be identified, neither can the time of their
death be ascertained. We find indeed among expositors as many vague
notions relative to the _time_ and the _nature_ of their death as in
relation to their identity. These notions are unworthy of notice; for
however they might amuse, they cannot edify.

Four questions are suggested by these verses.--By whom; in what manner,
when, and where are the witnesses slain?

The first question is explicitly answered in the sacred text. The
"beast," of hellish origin, kills them. But it will afterwards appear
that the beast is instigated to this relentless cruelty by another agent
of the devil. Again, as to the kind of death, we may in good measure
learn this from the kind of life. Now it is obvious that to give
testimony, or "prophesy" during the allotted time, constitutes their
life. They live, that they may prophesy. Hence it is usual to speak of
_silencing_, as equivalent to _slaying_ these witnesses. But this is not
strictly correct. Why? Because they have been hitherto "killed all the
day long." (Ps. xliv. 22; Rom. viii. 36.) Doubtless defection and
apostacy do always accompany persecution; and thus the testimony of such
is silenced. But the enemy in this case is "drunken with the blood" of
these witnesses; and this phrase must be understood literally. Moreover,
the enemy gets "blood to drink," because of "shedding blood." (ch. xvi.
6; xvii. 6.) The death of the witnesses is therefore a literal death, of
course it will be also moral,--they will cease to prophesy.

Some have supposed the "three years, or days and a half," during which
the witnesses lie dead are the same as the 1260 days or years; because
if these three and a half days be considered as prophetical, and reduced
to literal days, they will amount exactly to 1260. Such an
interpretation, however, is preposterous; simply because according to
this hypothesis, they _never lived at all_!--The absurdity is evident.

Having ascertained the nature of the death to which the witnesses are
appointed by the Lord of life, we now inquire as to the time of this
mournful event. The text informs us that their death is connected with
the "finishing of their testimony." However the original may be
translated,--when they _shall have finished_,--when they _shall be
finishing_,--or about to finish, affects not the question as to time.
While they live, their work is to prophesy, and their testimony is not
completed. Like their Master, to whose example they are conformed, their
life and testimony are finished together. These facts, briefly and
obscurely hinted here, will be more satisfactorily presented in the
next, but especially in the twentieth chapter, (vs. 1-4.) But inasmuch
as many, if not most interpreters, have expressed the opinion that the
witnesses are already slain, the following arguments in the negative are
submitted to the reader.

The 1260 years are not yet terminated, during which,--the whole of which
time,--the witnesses are to "prophesy," (v. 3.) Their testimony is yet
continued, and sensibly felt by the wicked. They still more or less
"torment them that dwell on the earth," (v. 10.) Beyond the usual
reproach attached to their names and their work, there has been no
general reviling and deriding of them throughout Christendom, to render
their memory infamous, (v. 9.)--No opprobrious epithets such as, "These
deceivers said, while they were yet alive," (Matt, xxvii. 63,) that so
they might be conformed to their Lord in his death. Nor, lastly, have
"they that dwell upon the earth" exulted as yet over these hated
individuals, as no longer "hurtful to kings and provinces,"--although
there have been, often, partial but premature rejoicings by a part of
the enemy. But although from time to time, "some of them, have fallen,
to try them, and to purge, and to make them white" as predicted, (Dan.
xi. 35;) yet the time of "making merry, sending gifts,"--is not yet
come.

While we believe, on the grounds adduced,--and much more might have been
cited from the context,--that the death of the witnesses is to be
understood literally, we do not suppose that every individual will be
personally put to death. No, but as in the time of Elijah's banishment,
or of our Saviour's lying in the grave, there will be no public body or
individual standard-bearer, to bear testimony against the enemies of
Jesus Christ, or boldly to assert and press his royal claims upon church
and state. In prospect of this dark time,--darker than the "dark ages,"
we may ask with Joshua,--"What wilt thou do unto thy great name?" But
though the witnesses die, the Faithful Witness lives, (ch. i. 18.)

The _place_, where the witnesses lie dead is pointed out by three places
well known in sacred history, Egypt, Sodom and Jerusalem. But these are
to be understood mystically. The place resembles Egypt for idolatry and
cruelty to the people of God; it is like Sodom for literal and spiritual
pollution; and Jerusalem, where our Lord was crucified afresh and put to
open shame in the persons of his slain witnesses. It follows of
course,--that place is to be utterly destroyed; having committed the
crimes and contracted the guilt of all those unpardonable criminals.
(Ps. lxxiv. 13, 14; Ezek. xxxi. 18; Isa. xiii. 19; Luke xxi. 20.) For
similar reasons, Babylon is afterwards mentioned repeatedly as the place
of this tragic event, this unpardonable crime,--the slaying of the
witnesses, (ch. xviii. 24.) It is to be specially noted here, that in
ascertaining the place of the death of these distinguished servants of
Christ, our attention is directed by the Holy Spirit to a "street" of
the city. At present it is assumed that _streets_ of the city and
_horns_ of the beast substantially harmonize as symbols. Now look over
the streets of the great city: contemplate the horns of the beast:
ascertain which is most guilty of persecution. In estimating the
relative degree of guilt, the degree of heavenly light against which the
criminal has rebelled is to be taken into the account. (John xv. 22;
Matt. xi. 24.) In view of these scriptural principles, and the actual
condition of Christendom as portrayed in authentic history, would the
conjecture seem presumptuous, should we venture to designate--Great
Britain? There, for centuries, the witnesses have been most numerous,
active, and pointed, in testifying against encroachments on the
crown-rights of Messiah. There also, lordly prelates, in close alliance
with a blasphemous horn of the beast, have often vied with the sworn
vassals of the "man of sin," in murdering the saints of God. "Therefore
it is no great thing" if, throwing off the mask of Protestantism,
English prelacy, combining with Romish Jesuitism, should make common
cause with undisguised infidelity, in slaying the witnesses against
their heaven-daring rebellion. The signs of the present time, (1870,)
render our conjecture not improbable. We give it only as a _conjecture_;
for in reference to events yet future,--as we believe that of the death
of the witnesses to be,--we may not presume to _prophesy_.--"Three days
and a half" is the limited period of their degradation; and this is
three natural years and a half: for the word "days" must be taken in the
same sense as in v. 3; otherwise we fall into an inextricable labyrinth
of endless confusion. From all which it appears that "the triumphing of
the wicked is short." If "while the wicked is in power, and we wait upon
God." we are called to "join trembling with our mirth;" the pleasing
prospect of the speedy and joyful resurrection of "these slain," may
inspire us with "a lively hope," and warrant us to join mirth with our
trembling.

11. And after three days and a half, the Spirit of life from God entered
into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them
which saw them.

12. And they heard a great voice from heaven, saying unto them, Come up
hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies
beheld them.

Vs. 11, 12.--In these two verses, as in the preceding, the thoughtful
reader will discern a beautiful allusion in the history of these
witnesses, to the death and life of our blessed Master. "For if they
have been planted together in the likeness of his death, they shall be
also in the likeness of his resurrection." Yes, they have communion with
him in death and life,--in grace and glory. "Nothing can separate them
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus their Lord."

"The Spirit of life from God entered into them." That is, God will
speedily raise up successors, who, maintaining the very same principles,
will be gloriously successful in putting down all rule and authority and
power," that had been in hostility to their Lord. (1 Cor. xv. 24, 25.
See Ezek. xxxvii. 11-14.) "This is the first resurrection," to be
explained by the inspired penman more fully hereafter, (ch. xx. 5.)--As
Saul feared David, and Herod John Baptist, because they were "just men
and holy;" so were the wicked afraid when these witnesses arose; and,
like Shimei, they justly dread the "due reward of their deeds." At the
time referred to, "the haters of the Lord will feign submission."--The
"great voice from heaven" inviting the witnesses to ascend, and their
actual ascent, is another allusion to Christ's exaltation. As when "he
was taken up, a cloud received him;" so here, "they ascended up to
heaven in a cloud."

It has often been the cry of the antichristian multitude,--"The voice of
the people is the voice of God." This cry has been iterated and
reiterated, in centuries past, like that of the Ephesian worshippers of
Diana; that thereby the testimony of the witnesses might be counteracted
and silenced. It has been only too often successful. But where did
flattering demagogues and haughty despots find the sentiment? They found
it engraved on the moral constitution of man by our beneficent Creator.
They found it also transcribed on the pages of objective
revelation,--the Bible. But, like other moral and scriptural principles,
it has been perverted and misapplied by the perverse ingenuity of wicked
men.--This "voice from heaven" is indeed the _people's_ voice: and it is
legitimate, as coming from the people, because it is first the voice of
God. The "heaven" here mentioned is the seat of civil power,--"the
ordinance of man." (1 Pet. ii. 13.) In the times here
contemplated,--millennial times,--the rights of men will be respected,
predicated upon the rights of God, and flowing from them as inseparable.
In settling the point of title to civil sovereignty, or the eligibility
of any candidate for civil office, the principle enunciated by Hushai
the Archite will be found to be alone reliable:--"Whom the Lord and this
people choose." (2 Sam. xvi. 18.) Only let the Lord have the first
choice of candidates for office in both church and state, and society
will be prosperous and happy. (Acts i. 23, 24; vi. 5.) The "great voice"
of the 12th verse, comes from "heaven," as the "great voices" of the
15th verse, announcing the millennium.

13. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part
of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven
thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of
heaven.

V. 13.--"The same hour" that the witnesses mark by their
resurrection,--contemporaneously with that joyful event, is "a great
earthquake,"--a revolution, (ch. vi. 12.) "The tenth part of the city
fell." The city,--"Sodom." "Tenth part of the city,"--a "street,"
equivalent to "horn." Some one of the "ten kingdoms" will secede from
the antichristian confederacy, or imperial dominion; "and the
remnant,"--the other nine, dreading the Mediator's vengeance, will
reluctantly but speedily submit. (See ch. vi. 16, 17.)--In the
"earthquake were slain of men (names, titles,) seven thousand." By
"names of men" to be slain,--that is, abolished in reorganized society,
we are to understand those "names of blasphemy" mentioned, (ch. xiii.
1,) hereafter to be explained.

We have now taken a very cursory view of the contents of the "little
open book." Its place is between the termination of the fourth, and the
sounding of the seventh trumpet. In other words, it gives an outline of
the contest between the witnesses and Antichrist during 1260
years,--events running parallel in time, at least in part, with the
first two woe-trumpets; for it obviously anticipates also, the effects
of the third and last woe.

This may be as suitable a place as any other, before proceeding to a
consideration of the seventh trumpet, to direct attention to the method
which Infinite Wisdom has chosen, by which to reveal to mankind the
purposes of God in prophecy. He who alone "knows the end from the
beginning,"--who "from ancient times has declared the things that are
not yet done," has told us plainly,--"I have multiplied visions, and
used similitudes, by the ministry (_hand_,) of the prophets." (Hosea
xii. 10.) Now since God has _multiplied_ visions, we ought not to think
it strange if the same important events in providence be predicted by
several, or by many of the prophets; or that one and the same important
event be foretold "at sundry times and in diverse manners" by the same
prophet. How often, and by how many prophets was the dispersion of the
Jews foretold!--the downfall of ancient cities, Babylon, Nineveh,
Tyre!--Need we refer to the language of our Lord, addressed to his
disciples on the way to Emmaus?--"And beginning at Moses, and all the
prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things
concerning himself." (Luke xxiv. 27.) We may be sure that the things
concerning Christ and the interests of his kingdom in this world, are
the theme of inspired prophets in the New Testament as well as in the
old. Agreeably to these views, we find Nebuchadnezzar's dream and
Daniel's visions relate to the same objects and events. What was more
obscurely revealed in the monarch's dream, is rendered more intelligible
by various symbols in Daniel's first vision. (Dan. ii. 36-45; vii.
17-27.) But in the next, the eighth chapter, Daniel is favored with
still clearer information relative to what he had already seen in
vision; and in the eleventh chapter, his attention is called to the most
obscure, but most interesting parts of his former visions; and, after
all, the "vision is sealed," so that he sees not "the end of these
things." (ch. xii. 8, 9.) "I heard, but I understood not," (1 Pet. i.
10, 11.)

In this book, styled Apocalypse, or Revelation, we are told in the first
verse, that the Lord Christ "signified,"--made known _by signs_, to his
servant John the things that were to come to pass. We have thus far seen
that the customary method has been pursued in using signs, symbols or
emblems. Henceforth we will find "multiplied visions" employed, more
clearly to illustrate events which have already passed under review, but
of which we could see little more than a _profile_:--"men, as trees
walking."

14. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

15. And the seventh angel sounded: and there were great voices in
heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of
our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.

Vs. 14, 15.--"The third wo cometh quickly,"--the time elapsing since the
end of the second, is not to be so long as that intervening between the
first two woes.--The first wo is thought to have begun about the year
612, and continuing by the Saracenic conquests about 150 years, to have
terminated in 762. The second woe-trumpet, it is alleged, sounded about
1281, and continuing for 391 years,--the period of the ravages by the
Euphratean horsemen, ended about 1672. The destructive influence,
however, of these two judgments, may be considered as reaching to the
time of the third woe, the one which is to demolish the whole
antichristian fabric.

Many eminent expositors,[3] in the early part of the present century,
while the first Napoleon was waging successful war with the other powers
of Europe, expressed their belief with much confidence, that the seventh
angel had begun to sound. They were evidently mistaken. Christendom will
not fail to hear the voice of the third woe. It may be so that an
individual may "not be conscious of having an interest inconsistent with
fidelity to the Scriptures," while political "bias" may in fact so
influence "sentiments, as to render conviction less dependent upon
_evidence_ than upon his _wishes_." And we doubt not that
misapprehensions and misinterpretation of "the other scriptures," are to
be attributed to this cause, insensibly influencing the minds and hearts
of learned and godly men, as well as in their expositions of the
Apocalypse. Indeed the misapplying of God's word, precept and prophecy,
to political and ecclesiastical organizations, has been the principal
means of combining and continuing the antichristian apostacy. Thus it is
precisely, that the great adversary has been successful, as "an angel of
light."

"The little book" has been shown to contain such extensive and important
events as to justify the solemnity accompanying its delivery to the
apostle.--He now resumes the subject which had been interrupted at the
close of the ninth chapter.--The "great voices in heaven" represent the
expressions of joy by the saints on hearing the voice of the last of the
trumpets, as assuring them of the happy change in the moral condition of
the world, which they had been warranted to expect by God's "servants
the prophets" from the days of old, (ch. x. 7.) The great, the universal
change consists in this:--"The kingdoms of this world are become _the
kingdoms_ of our Lord and of his Christ." The English supplement,--"the
kingdoms," is justified and required, equally by the sense and the laws
of syntax: and he is a deceiver, if a scholar, who insists upon any
other, to supply the ellipsis. Indeed, the omission of similar
supplements, has occasioned needless obscurity to the unlearned in other
parts of this book. (See chs. xix. 10; xxii. 9.) The greatest of all
revolutions consists in restoring church and state to their scriptural
foundation,--transferring both from allegiance to "the god of this
world," (Matt. iv. 8; Luke iv. 5, 6;) to their rightful owner,--"the
Lord and his Anointed." (Ps. ii. 2, 8.) When this desirable epoch
arrives, for which the persecuted witnesses have long and fervently
prayed, (ch. vi. 10,) gospel ministers and Christian magistrates will
seek to do the will, and aim at the glory of God.--It is painful and
pitiable to hear learned and pious men often pray,--"That the kingdoms
of this world may soon become the _kingdom_ of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ." This is to "ask amiss,"--to miss the promise; for no such
promise is on record. The groundless conception confounds the revealed
distinctions in the Godhead,--the Father with the Mediator; and it would
subvert Jehovah's moral empire, annihilating the eternal principle of
representative identification! But those good men "mean not so, neither
do their hearts think so." They ought, however, to be more careful and
diligent in "searching the Scriptures."--If the scriptural significance
of this joyful announcement "in heaven" were better understood by gospel
ministers generally, a chief barrier would be removed, which now
obstructs the advent of the millennium. Would they but cease, their
hearers might more readily cease, to "wonder after the beast." But we
may not anticipate.

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