The Mystery of the Two Witnesses Unveiled, Verse 19
VERS. 19. And the Temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was ſeen in the Temple the Arke of his Teſtament, and there was lightnings, and voyces, and thunderings, & an earthquake, and great hail.
COnſider three things from theſe words.
Firſt, The Temple of God opened. The time was it was ſhut up, as once the Temple of Jeruſalem was under Ahaz, 2 Chron. 28. 24. So this ſpirituall Temple was ſhut up, when it was meaſured in verſ. 1. When the outward Court, or viſible face of things were in the hands of the Gentiles, verſ. 2. The Church was driven into the Wilderneſſe, for many yeares into deſert places, there to be nouriſhed for a time, from the face of the Serpent, that ſought to devoure her. But now the Temple is ſet open, as of old it was by Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 29. 3. Thus it's ſaid of the new Jeruſalem, that the gates ſhould not be ſhut, Revel. 21. 25. And the reaſon is, becauſe there ſhall be no night, nor danger, the gates ſhall ſtand open continually. This noteth the free acceſſe for multitudes of Saints to enter in to the new Jeruſalem, without impediment or ſtop. Not as in times of perſecution, when they ſought to worſhip the Lord in corners; but they ſhall come and enter freely and boldly, and that without let or moleſtation. So that the woman ſhall no more be driven into the Wilderneſſe, and ſhut up there, but the Temple of God ſhall be ſet open, and there ſhall be a free and great acceſſe unto it.
Secondly, That which appeared in the Temple was the Arke of his Teſtament. As the Temple was opened, ſo the Arke was made viſible, which was ſhut from the eyes of men, under the old Teſtament, 1 King. 6. 19. It was very ſeldome ſeen, and that by the high-Prieſt onelyonly: the Arke was a pledge of Gods preſence with his people, and denotes unto us, the myſteries of truth, which formerly lay hid, but now are made manifeſt. The great high-Prieſt hath opened the Temple, and made viſible the Arke, by making knowne the myſteries of truth. In former time the Church was in the Wilderneſſe, the Gentiles poſſeſſed the outward Court, lets of truth were diſcovered, onelyonly ſomething was hinted out by a few choiſe inſtruments: but now the Saints have a Temple opened, a full and free acceſſe: and now they have an Arke made viſible, or the hidden myſteries of God revealed; not onelyonly to a few called Clergie men, but generally to all Saints the knowledge of the truth is revealed.
Thirdly, The cloſe of all, And there were lightnings, and voyces, and thunderings, and an earth-quake, and great hail. Earth-quake, hail, and lightning, ſet forth Gods judgements moſt terrible and irreſiſtible, Eſa. 30. 30. Of an earthquake wee have ſpoken before from verſ. 13 of this Chapter: Hail-ſtones was one of the plagues of Aegypt, that deſtroyed their trees, Exod. 9. 25. And by which the Amorites were deſtroyed in Canaan, Joſh. 10. 11. By theſe judgements wee have the finall deſtruction of Antichriſt. This is the third woe, that ſhall accompany the ſeventh Trumpet, and is agreeable to the plagues of the ſeventh Viall, by which Antichriſt ſhall be wholly deſtroyed; and ſhould blaſpheme God, becauſe of the plague of the hail, that was exceeding great. By this laſt and great judgement, the myſterie of iniquitie is diſcovered, and the power of Antichriſt wholly broken, at which his partie ſhall vex and fret, gnaw their tongues, and blaſpheme God for all their paines & ſores, whereby they ſhall be utterly ruined and conſumed.
Thus we have the Effects of Chriſts kingdome and reigne layd open: wee ſee for what it is, that the Elders doe ſo exceedingly praiſe the Lord, for that he takes to himſelfe his great power, and doth reigne, by which he doth offend the Nations, and reward his ſervants. The Temple is no more ſhut up under reſtraint, but free acceſſe is given; the Arke is no more hidden, but the myſteries of ſalvation made evident. And the Lord by his ſweeping judgements will wholly conſume Antichriſt, both in his policy and power. Hence it is, that the Saints ſhall thus triumph and rejoyce; How can the daughter of Sion, but rejoyce when he… King cometh? the redeemed of the Lord muſt needs triumph: And beſides the whole world ſhall rejoyce, when the oppreſſor ſhall ceaſe, when violence ſhall be no more heard in the Land, when our Exactors ſhall be righteouſneſſe: then I ſay, the world will ſing and rejoyce, becauſe the who… …th ſhall be at peace, and be quiet, Eſa. 14. 4. 7. When Chriſt ſhall come to reigne in his appearance in his Saints, b… ſhall judge the Nations with righteouſneſſe, and governe the people with truth. Pſal. 67. 4. 7. Therefore when the Lord ſhall come to reigne, to ſet all things in order, to governe and give ſettlement to the Nations: well may Antichriſt vex and fret, and all oppreſſing powers be angry; but the Saints ſhall rejoyce and ſing; and all the world beſides ſhall be glad, becauſe of his righteous judgements. So much to be ſpoken of the Effects of Chriſt's reigne, and ſo I end this whole Diſcourſe.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Robotham, The Mystery of the Two Witnesses Unveiled (1654)