The Mystery of the Two Witnesses Unveiled, Errata
Reader;
By reaſon of the Authors abſence we have obſerved theſe faults, which we deſire thee to amend, and all others which thou doeſt finde.
ERRATA. IN page 59. line 16. for ſanctifie, read ſanctitie p. 62. l. 8. for Rome r. home. p. 75. l. 5. for meat, r. meant. p. 221. l. 11. for Prie r. Prieſt. p. 319. l. 17. for firſt Taumpet, r. ſixt Trumpet. p. 244. l. 8. for out read but. p. 341. l. 12. for with r. of. p. 166. l. 15. for, the great multitude of Saints, add; who are as ſome hold.
THE MYSTERIE OF THE TWO WITNESSES UNVAILED.
REVELATIONS 11. 1.
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod, and the Angel ſtood, ſaying, Riſe, and meaſure the Temple of God, and the Altar, and them that worſhip therein.
THere is much talke and diſcourſe of the two witneſſes, and great enquiry is made, to know, who they are, what is their teſtimony, whither they be ſlaine, when they ſhall riſe, &c. All which I ſhall endeavour to diſcloſe, according to the meaſure of light, that I have received, in the knowledge and revelation of this myſtery.
Before I make entrance upon this Chapter, give me leave, from the whole booke of the Revelation, to take notice of ſix things.
Firſt, of the Author, who was Jeſus Chriſt, Chap. 1. 1. He is both the Author and ſubject matter thereof, being the Alpha, and Omega, and all the letters beſides in this divine Revelation; in whom is the ſum and ſubſtance of all holy Writ, the whole myſtery of ſpirituall truth, all viſions of divine glory, lies wrapt up, doth meet and concenter in the perſon of the Lord Jeſus. Hence he is ſaid, to have the ſeven ſpirits of God, Chap. 1. 4. becauſe all perfection of knowledge was treaſured up in him, by which he is onelyonly able to be the diſpenſer of ſuch heavenly revelations and divine myſteries as theſe are.
Secondly, of the Meſſenger, that Chriſt doth here imploy, to convey this booke unto his Apoſtle, and that is an Angel: as is evident Chap. 1. 1. Now in that Chriſt doth ſignifie his meſſage unto John by an Angel; it denotes unto us, the great authority and power that Chriſt came forth in: He doth not appeare low and meanly, clothed in fleſh, or humane forme: but doth, as it were, ride upon the wings of an Angel; by the ſhining glory of an angelicall adminiſtration doth he declare this glorious myſtery.
Thirdly, into whoſe hands theſe truths are committed, that is, into Johns, who was the beloved Diſciple of Chriſt, that leaned on his boſome, as having much neerneſſe and intimacy with him. This John was called foreign, the Divine; but not ſo much from dignity of office, as from the ſuperexcellency of his graces and annointings. The Ancients did compare him to an Eagle, becauſe he ſoared aloft, in the knowledge and underſtanding the ſecrets of divine truth. This Apoſtle is honored above others, in writing this propheticall booke of the Revelation.
Fourthly, take notice of the forme of this booke, it is caſt into the forme of an Epiſtle, containing things preſent, paſt, and to come, Chap. 1. 19. The things, that John had ſeen, were the glorious appearance of Chriſt in the middeſt of the ſeven golden Candleſticks, Chap. 1. 12, 13. The things that were in being, were thoſe ſeveral meſſages both of praiſe and reprehenſion, that he was to give forth to the ſeven Churches, as appears in Chap. 2. and 3. The things to come, were the prophecies, that begin at Chapt. 4. and hold on to the end of the booke.
Fiftly, we have preſented to us the ſubject matter of this booke, and that's called a Revelation: and that becauſe it is not ſo much a doctrinall or hiſtoricall narration, as it is a ſymbolicall and propheticall prediction, containing ſuch glorious myſteries and divine Revelations, that did far ſurpaſſe the wiſdome, art, or reaſon of any humane creature: none but Chriſt himſelfe, and that by the mouth of a mighty Angel could bring to light or declare ſuch unutterable viſions of divine glory.
Sixtly, and laſtly, obſerve unto whom this booke was directed, and that was to the ſeven Churches in Aſia, Chapt. 1. 4. Seven is a perfect number, ſeven days containe mans labour and reſt, ſeven times ſeven is the great Jubile of the Lord, and reſt of all things. So that theſe Churches being ſet forth by the number of ſeven, they are a compleat repreſentation of all Churches and all Saints. The perfect number of Churches and all beleevers are moſt lively deliniated and ſet forth by ſeven Churches: Therefore whatſoever is here directed unto, or ſpoken of the ſeven golden Candleſtickes; is both directed and ſpoken to all Churches and Saints in the world. Thus much to be noted of the booke in generall: Now to begin with the Chapter.
I ſhall not ſtand upon any curious, artificiall Analyſis of the whole Chapter; that which is principally contained therein, is the myſtery of the two Witneſſes; holding forth a deſcription of their perſons, and prophecie, their time and acts, their death and reſurrection: in the opening whereof, we ſhall give much light to the whole booke, and much diſcover the ſecret myſtery wrapt up & contained therein. The two firſt verſes of the Chapter doe prepare us for what doth follow; and here I ſhall begin with the firſt.