Antichrist Stormed, Treatise 2
An Essay towards the understanding the Time set in the Scriptures respecting the Witnesses, left in the Word for the Use and Benefit of the Church.
AND First, why two Witnesses? First, Either because the Scriptures tell us, That in the Mouth of two or three Witnesses every thing shall be established. Two are sufficient, and less cannot; holding forth this truth to us; That let God's faithful Servants be never so much reduced as to their number, yet he hath not left himself without sufficient Witness in this World. Or, Secondly, To signifie unto us the greatness of that Apostacy that should be from the truth, of which the false Church should be composed, the whole Earth wondring after the Beast, and that but few comparatively should be found faithful in the time of the Holy Cities being trodden under footby the Gentiles. Or, Thirdly, Signifying to us, That as the Church at the time of Christ's coming was but one National Church, therefore represented by one Candlestick, Zech. 4. 2. Now under the Gospel the true Church of God, the Mystical Body of Christ her Head, consists of several visible Churches, and therefore is represented by two Candlesticks, Rev. 11. 4.
Secondly, Who those Witnesses are? Ans. Leaving them to their own thoughts, who take them to be either the two Testaments, or Magistracy and Ministry, or two particular Persons, I conceive them to be the faithful people of God, that have obtained Grace to hold the truth of Christ in all Ages, in a faithful adherence to him, under all the Apostacies that have been made from them, and Oppositions that have been made by them that have Apostatized from them that have not loved their Lives unto the death, for the Love they have had to Christ and his Gospel.
Thirdly, The time of their Prophesie is set down, Rev. 11. 3. and is 1260 days, that is, so many years, which time is contemporary with the Gentiles treading under foot the Holy City for forty two Months. Now although in forty two full Months there are more days by about eighteen than 1260, yet the Text seems to give us to understand that these times shall begin and end together, though thus differently reckoned, the one by the Sun, the other by the Moon, as may more fully appear in the next consideration of their work.
Fourthly, Their work is implied in the name given them; they are called Witnesses. To make a Person a true Witness, he must have a full knowledge of what he says or testifies, 1 John 1. 1, 2, 3. Therefore they are Gods Children here intended, that have experienced the things they testifie unto; so the matter of their Testimony is that Act. 1. 8. to testifie to Christ his Person and Offices the alone Mediator, as revealed, opened and held forth in the Gospel, which is that upon which the true Church of God is Built, Eph. 2. 19, 20, &c. And which is the Temple not given to the Gentiles, whilst the Court and Holy City is given to them to tread under foot forty two Months, all which time the Witnesses here intended are to Prophesie and Testifie to those truths, that others under a name and profession of Christ Apostatized from, and intruded their false Doctrines and Corruptions instead of the truths and true worship of God, Acts 20. 28, 29, 30. 2 Thes. 2. 1, 2, 3, 12. &c. 1 Tim. 4. 1, 2, 3. &c. 2 Tim. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 1 Pet. 3. the whole chapter, 2 Pet. 2. the whole chapter, the Epistle of Jude, all are Prophetical of great Apostacies that would be from the Truths and Purity of the Gospel. Now, I say, the work of the Witnesses is, to stand up for the defence of the Gospel, and they shall do so for 1260 years together, and then they are slain and lye dead for three days and a half, that is, three years and a half, then the Spirit of life from God shall come upon them.
Fifthly, Their finishing their Testimony, this must either respect their Testimony it self, or the time allotted to them, that is, the 1260 years; I conceive the first is intended, for after or when they are upon the finishing it, there is a fresh War made upon them, in which, they that make the War upon them prevail, so as to overcome them, and kill them, and then they lye dead for three years and ½, now how long time this shall take up, is not said. And if the holy Spirit who had been so exact, in setting down the time of 1260 years of their Prophesy, and the three days and ½ of their lying dead, had omitted a time between both, the Church of God had been at as great uncertainty, as if no time had been set almost. Therefore if we take the finishing their Testimony to respect their work, then it is our concernment to consider wherein this finishing part doth lye; And that I conceive to be in a witness to the Kingly Office of Christ. His Prophetical, and Priestly Offices were first Witnessed to; And this hath been lastly contested for, even to blood, in the last Wars in England, as the other had been upon which this last War hath been commenced. The Testimony being further confirmed in the Martyrdom of many of those concerned in the finishing of this Testimony. The sufferings of the Church in these late years has been carried on against her otherwise than in former ages, in other Methods, and under other names, and pretences, all bespeaking that the time of finishing the Testimony is come, and the War commenced, and it may be an overcoming, if not killing also.
Sixthly where this shall be? Ans. It will be there where this finishing part of the witness to Christ is born, for there the last War is (which is the last effort which Antichrist shall make against the Church of God) and overcoming, and killing will be: And where they shall lye dead, and where they shall rise? when the Spirit of life from God comes upon them; Now where shall all these things be? The Holy Spirit tells us, it shall be in the Street of the great City, Rev. 11. 8. Not in all the Ten, but in one Street, and upon their resurrection the tenth part of the City falleth, not the whole City at once, v 13. So that in the Street, or Kingdom where the Testimony hath been finished, there all the rest follow, and there the deliverance of the Church shall begin, to an utter overthrow of all her Persecutors and Mortal Enemies.
Seventhly, When this shall be? Ans. To know the beginning and end of these times and things, there are two ways of calculating. The one is beginning at the Head of a number, so reckoning forward to its end; The other is back-wards, as Daniel did, Chap. 9. beginning our reckoning at the end of the number, and so reckoning to the beginning; Now by one of these two ways, in Gods time we shall infallibly know. But to the Question, I suppose both ways may be a help to us now, and Scripture numbers have a dependance one upon the other, and there lies the harmony of them, when that is understood. The great number, which includes all the rest, throughout the sufferings of the Church of God, under the three last of Daniels four Monarchies, is that of 2300 years, which I have indeavoured to carry on by Scripture to the end of it, within forty five or forty four years, from this year of our Lord 1686. There are two other great numbers in Daniel, chap. 12. one of 1290. the other 1335. which is forty five more than the other; so that altho' they both begin together, they do not both end together, by 45 years. That they begin together is evident, for the 45th is the addition of so many to the 1290. therefore blessed is he that lives to the forty five longer than the 1290. for altho' the Churches deliverance shall begin at the 1290. it shall not be compleated till forty five more; Therefore blessed is he that lives till that time: so that when ever these 1335. years begin, they end with the 2300 years also. Again, the 1290. is thirty more than 1260. in Rev. 11. therefore tho' they may end together, yet they cannot begin together. And because of this, expositors have generally judged, that the 1290. in Daniel relate to the Jews, and the 1260 to the Gentile Church, but by what reason I cannot be satisfied. Hence they head this 1290. at Julians attempting to rebuild the Temple; The reason of which was this, he had apostatized from Christianity, and restored the Gentile Worship and Sacrifices, and as an affront to Christians, put the Jews upon Sacrificing also, who told him that it was not lawful for them, but in the Temple at Jerusalem, therefore he orders them to build it, which they attempted to do, but could but attempt, for God by his immediate power prevented them. This Julian began his Reign in 365. and Reigned but three years, so that this opinion time hath confuted; For add 1290 to 368, it makes but 1658. at which time they reckon'd the Jews would be called; but no such thing hath been: Therefore they expounded all these places, which we read Sacrifices, with a supplement, in Dan. 8 12. chap. 11. 31. chap. 12. 11. to intend the Jewish worship, which Julian attempted to set up in confront to Christianity, to be the abomination that makes desolate, for all or any of which I see no reason. It is properly translated Sacrifice in one place, as chap. 9. 26, 27. And this doth relate to the taking away of the Sacrifices then in being, of Gods own appointment, which accordingly were taken away, as Christ himself also admonished. Mat. 24. 15. by Titus—&c.
368
1290
1658
But the abomination which makes desolate, I conceive is some corruption in the Gospel worship, the true worship of God; And therefore seeing we, as before, find the Apostle concerned so much in forewarning the Church by a Spirit of Prophesie, of what had also been expresly foretold by the Spirit of God; If it was expresly foretold, it must be written some where or other: and take the Apostles own exposition, 1 Tim. 4. 1, 2, 3. Why may we not rather reckon this to be the abomination, to astonishment foretold by Daniel, and this came in in the 383. year, when Syricius was Bishop of Rome and continued 15 years; in his time Marriage was forbidden to the Priests, and in the 425. year Caelestinus was Bishop of Rome and continued eight years; He assumed the temporal power, as 2 Tim. 3. 1, 2, 4, 5. and why we may not head these numbers here, I would be glad to understand. In the last of which I conceive Antichrist did make his first visible appearance in the World: so that add the 1260 to 425 it makes 1685, and you bring it to the end of 2300 days within forty five years, or a year or two, which time I conceive is alloted to pour out the Vials, and to accomplish the great revolutions in, that shall come upon the Earth, in order to the possessing of the Kingdom, that shall be given to the Saints of the most high, Dan. 7. 26, 27, 28. There is time expressed by time, times, and dividing of time, three times in Scripture, as Dan. 7. 25. 12. 7. Rev. 12. 14. I find time thus expressed but in one place more, and that is, Dan. 4. 23. where it's certainly taken for years, and by what rule we will construe it otherwise in other places I see not. And that in Dan. 12. 11. seems plainly to relate to a special time of the Enemies accomplishing to scatter the power of the Holy People, then all shall be finished, (i e.) the sufferings of the Church, or deliverance shall thence begin, and bear date from the end of this three years and ½ In Dan. 7. 25. He tells who shall act this last part, compared with Rev. 11. and in Rev. 12. 14. how God even in that time will provide for his Church, when the Devil pours out his last wrath upon her, knowing his time is short, and what time this should be, except the three years and ½ of the Witnesses lying dead; I cannot see the time when Babylon shall say in her Heart, she sits a Queen, shall see no sorrow, Widdow-hood, or loss of Children any more, having accomplished what she had been 1260. days labouring
1260
425
1685.
at, the slaughter and death of the Witnesses, whom she hath now dead at her feet; Therefore they make merry, send gifts to one another, not knowing how near utter destruction is at her door, she being like Pharaoh of old. but a noise, and past her time. For I conceive the Witnesses cannot be said to Prophesy when dead, therefore this time follows immediatly upon the end of the 1260 days of their Prophecies; which ending in 1685 according to the preceding computation; at which time Popery came to be inthron'd in this Nation, accomplished the slaughter and death of the Witnesses; the time of whose lying dead, which was to be three years and an half, being added to 1685, amounts to 1688 and an half, which was the very time of Gods lifting up his hand by his present Providence to save these distressed Nations.
FINIS.