The Mystery of the Two Witnesses Unveiled, Verse 16 – Verse 17
VERS. 16. And the foure and twenty Elders which ſat before God on their ſeats, fell upon their faces, and worſhipped God.
IN this Verſe obſerve three things. Firſt, the title given to the ſervants of the Lord, his anointed ones, they are called Elders, becauſe the Lord doth appeare with them, and in them, with much gravity and majeſty, by his glorious indwellings of his everlaſting Spirit. Theſe be his Ancients, as the Prophet calls them, Eſa. 24. 23. before whom the Lord doth appeare. Saints taken up into the Ancient of dayes, living in the eternall ſpirit, theſe are called the Ancients, the Elders of the Lord.
Secondly, Their number, twentyfoure: The number of the Apoſtles were twelve, but here is the number of twenty-foure: anſwerable both to the twelve Tribes, and alſo to the twelve Apoſtles. Suitable hereunto is that place, Revel. 21. 12. 14. In the deſcription of the new Jeruſalem, it's ſayd, That upon the twelve gates thereof, were the names of the twelve Tribes, and upon the twelve foundations, the names of the twelve Apoſtles, which doth demonſtrate, that the Spirit of God ſhall appeare in a double meaſure, twice as much as in the Apoſtles, theſe ſhall have a fuller meaſure of the Spirit: The names, the vertues, the gifts, the graces, both of the twelve Tribes, and twelve Apoſtles, ſhall be engraven upon theſe anointed ones. Theſe ſhall enjoy a double meaſure of the Spirit, they ſhall not appeare as twelve, but as twenty-foure Elders before the Lord. Theſe are they which ſat before God: as having rule and dominion with him.
Thirdly, We have their poſture and action; they fell upon their faces and worſhipped God.
1. They fell on their faces; that ſheweth their humility, and ſelfe-deniall, as diſclaiming all fleſhly glory and excellency, they doe as it were put their faces in the duſt, as abhorring their own beauty and excellency.
2. They werſhip God: the time was, they did worſhip men, and meanes, they adored ſelfe & creature: but now they caſt off their idols of Gold, and their idols of ſilver, which they made each one for himſelfe to worſhip, to the moles, and to the bats, as the Prophet ſpeakes, Eſa. 2. 20. And now they exalt the Lord alone, they worſhip him, and him onelyonly. The voyce of praiſe follows.
VERS. 17.—We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty: which art, and waſt, and art to come, becauſe thou haſt taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
HEre likewiſe three things are conſiderable.
Firſt, The praiſes of the Saints: we give thee thankes, &c. They ſing the ſong of deliverance and joy; of triumph and victory, ſaying, we thanke thee O Lord: not to us, not to man, not to creature be the praiſe, but to thee O Lord, thou onelyonly deſerveſt all praiſe, O Lord, God, Almightie, & therefore we will praiſe thee onelyonly. The Saints exalted into the liberty and glory of Chriſts kingdome, they ſing the ſong of Moſes, and of the Lamb, Revel. 15. 2. They give thankes for deliverance and ſalvation-Their hearts, and their mouths are full of divine praiſes, they ſound forth Halelujahs, and ſing aloud the glory of the Lord.
Secondly, They praiſe him, who is the everlaſting and eternall being: which art, and waſt, and art to come. Here we have the very circle of eternitie, that is moſt comprehenſive, and doth comprehend, both the beginning and end of all things. The Lord was before all creatures, and ſhall abide alwayes, though all creatures ſhould periſh: from him all creatures had their being, and to him they are referred, as their utmoſt end. Therefore the Lord is worthy of all praiſe, being before all things: by whom all things are, and to whom all things tend; the Lord is the beginning, being, and end of all things, meeting and concentering together.
Thirdly, The ground of their praiſe, Becauſe thou haſt taken to thee thy great power, and haſt reigned. As if they had ſayd; Lord thou haſt given thy power to others, thou haſt let Satan, Antichriſt, and wicked men reigne on the earth: but now thou haſt taken thy power to thy ſelfe again, and haſt wreſted it out of the hands of earthly men, that have abuſed it, and thou wilt uſe it thy ſelfe. The men of the earth have reigned by wiſdome, policy, by plots, carrying on their own deſignes: but the Lord will reigne in truth and righteouſneſſe. It muſt needs be matter of great joy unto the earth, that the Lord will reigne: for while man reigned, there was nothing but oppreſſion on the earth, but the Lord rules & reignes with deliverance and ſalvation. It followeth.