The Mystery of the Two Witnesses Unveiled, Verse 14
VERS. 14. The ſecond woe is paſt, and behold the third woe cometh quickly.
HAving ſpoken of the great and notable effect, that followeth the riſing of the Witneſſes, namely, a great earthquake; with the ſeverall concommitants or conſequence thereof; we proceed to the cloſe of this propheſie, ending at the ſecond woe, and ſixt Trumpet. In Revel. 8. 13. we read of three woes, that were to goe forth with the three laſt Trumpets, which were as it were woe Trumpets, each of them denouncing heavy judgements to befall the earth, ſuch as were wicked idolaters, and did worſhip the beaſt. Theſe woes bring bitter and ſore calamities upon the Inhabitants of the world: and they are divided into three parts, firſt, ſecond, and third.
The firſt woe is that which accompanies the fift Trumpet, Chapt. 9. and imports thus much, that when the fift Angel ſhould ſound his Trumpet, the bottomleſſe pit was open, that is, the pit of darknes, of confuſion was open, ſo that the beaſt, & corrupt fleſh might act what they pleaſed. The Miniſters o… Antichriſt came forth like Locuſts, and tormented men, by compulſion and tyranny: and though they had faces like men, pretending humanity, and haire like women, uſing perſwaſive flatteries: yet they had the …eeth of Lyo…s, as being fierce and tyrannicall, and as Scorpions come forth with ſtings in their tailes, poyſoning and tormenting all thoſe that Iived under the form and power of Antichriſt, which had not the ſeale of God in their foreheade. Thus the firſt woe is paſt.
The ſecond woe, is the middle woe, and is a concomitant to the ſixt Trumpet. This woe is occaſioned by the earthquake, that we ſpake of in the former verſe: The ſhaking of States and powers, of governments, and dominions: The ſlaying of ſeven thouſand men of name and dignity: the fall of the tenth part of the Citie: the affrighting of the remnant of men, this is the ſecond woe. But looke backe to the ſounding of the ſixt Trumpet, Chapt. 9. 13, 14, 15, &c. There was looſed foure Angels bound in the river Euphrates. The river Euphrates is the ſpirit and power of Antichriſt, that hath as an overflowing ſtreame, overſpread the earth, which hath cauſed darkneſſe and oppreſſion to fill the world. The foure Angells are foure evill Angells or powers of darkneſſe; the Miniſters of Antichriſt, ariſing from all the quarters of the earth to worke wickedly. Theſe have an houre and a day appointed them to kill the third part of men. Theſe come forth like a company of horſemen, as ready prepared to kill and deſtroy: and out of their mouths proceedeth, fire, ſmoak, and brimſtone, whereby they kill the third part of men: that is, by power, oppreſſion, and perſecution, they ſo over-awed the ſpirits and minds of men, that out of torment & feare they were forced to worſhip Antichriſt: thus were the third part of men ſlaine, by theſe Angels of darkneſſe, coming forth in the multitudes and ſtrengths of their Armies, of ſuch that are acted by them. And it's ſayd, that the power of this Army is in their mouths and in their tails: noteing by their mouths, their ſyſtems and platformes of doctrine and worſhip, which they enforce upon all. And by their tailes is ſignified their power and ability to oppreſſe and tyrannize over thoſe, that by force they ſlay, by enſlaving them to ſubmit to all their wayes and ordinances. This grievous oppreſſion of the foure evill Angels looſed, together with the great earth-quake that follows, the riſing of the Witneſſes is the ſecond woe, that's here ſpoken of: this woe is paſt at the riſing of the Witneſſes.
The Third and laſt woe, comes quickly, it ſpeedily followeth, and ſhutteth up the whole myſterie. The death of the Beaſt is proclaimed under the ſixth Trumpet, and in the time of the ſecond woe, Chap. 10. 6. Time ſhould be no more, in which Antichriſt ſhould live and raigne. Then at the ſound of the ſeventh Angel, the myſterie of God ſhould be finiſhed, verſ. 7. The myſterie of Antichriſt fully laid open, and the myſterie and glory of Chriſts kingdom fully revealed. This laſt woe is meant of thoſe calamities, mentioned in the laſt verſe of this eleventh Chapter. And there was lightnings, and voyces, and thundrings, and an earthquake, and great haile. All which doth imply Gods heavy, terrible, aſtoniſhing, and irreſiſtable judgements upon the world, hee will plague the earth, as once he did Aegypt with haile, Exod. 9. 25. This is the third and laſt woe that accompanieth the ſeventh Trumpet.
Obſerve, That great and terrible woes Obſervebefall the world in the three laſt ages of Antichriſt. Here is three woes, but the ſecond that falls at the riſing of the Witneſſes is the greateſt. This ſecond woe is a bitter one indeed; it will fall like a milſtone, and grinde in pieces the inhabitants of the earth. Great are the torments and vexations this woe brings upon the world: all Famines, Sickneſſes, Feares, Warres, and all ſorts of evils, weakneſſe, a… …rightments, ſtrange amazements this woe brings with it. The preſent calamities upon the world, that are occaſioned by the Earth-quake, throwing downe States, Nations, Governments, Powers, and ſhaking men of quality, ſtate, wiſdome and parts, bringing wars, feares, famines, deaths, &c. Theſe, and the like woes upon the world this day, ſpeak forth the riſing of the witneſſes. And as the riſing of the Witneſſes is a work of time, and is of a graduall product: ſo alſo ſhall this ſecond woe be a laſting woe, and laſting woes are the worſt of all. The third woe followeth the ſecond, it comes quickly; this brings it's ſting along with it, but 'tis of a ſhorter diſpatch then the former. This laſt woe, that immediately ſucceedes the ſecond, comes with the ſeventh Trumper, and therefore is the laſt woe that befalls Antichriſt.
This laſt woe is the reaſon of all thoſe plagues, as death, mourning, famine, fire, that God will deſtroy Babylon withall, which ſhall cauſe the Kings of the Earth to lament her, and the Merchants to mourn over her; for ſhee is ſtript of her gold and ſilver, of her precious ſtones and pearles, of her purple and ſcarlet, of all her ſine linnen and cloathing, and in one houre ſhall be made utterly deſolate. Thus we are come to an end of the Propheſie of the Witneſſes reſurrection and aſcention, with the great effects that followes, namely the great Earthquake, and the ſecond woe, which is the work of the firſt Trumpet.
Next followeth that of the ſeventh Trumpet, and the ſtate of Chriſts Kingdom after the full and perfect aſcention of the Witneſſes, and the finall downfall of Antichriſt.