The Mystery of the Two Witnesses Unveiled, Verse 9
VERS. 9. And they of the people, & kindreds, and tongues, and nations, ſhall ſee their dead bodies three dayes and a halfe, and ſhall not ſuffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
IN the former verſe, we heard of the place where the dead bodies lay: now here we come to ſee what is the carriage of their Adverſaries towards their dead bodies; wherein we may conſider theſe particulars.
Firſt, the perſons exerciſed about theſe dead bodies, and they are the people, and Kindred, and Tongues, and Nations.
Secondly, their carriages or actions towards theſe dead bodies, and they are two.
Firſt, they ſhall ſee them.
Secondly, they ſhall not ſuffer them to be put in graves.
Thirdly, the time how long they ſhall thus behold theſe dead bodies, and hinder their buriall, and that is, for three dayes and a halfe.
Firſt, concerning the perſons exerciſed about theſe dead bodies, and they are People, Kindreds, Tongues, and Nations. We may read the words partively thus: Some of all people and kindreds, &c. which implies ſome principall ones, viz. thoſe of power, ſtrength, wiſdome, authority, rule: Theſe principall men of all Nations, Kindreds, and Tongues, the moſt learned and wiſe, the moſt eminent and honourable of all Nations, the moſt choiſeſt of men, of the greateſt of gifts and abilities, ſuch as theſe ſhall be exerciſed about the dead bodies of the Witneſſes. There is not a man that hath a language, gift, tongue, or dominion, and rule, but he is taken up, and employed, about theſe dead bodies: Theſe are the perſons thus exerciſed.
Secondly, how are they exerciſed about theſe dead bodies.
Firſt, They ſhall ſee them.
Secondly, They ſhall not ſuffer them to be buried.
Firſt, they ſhall looke upon the dead bodies of the Witneſſes, not as the high Prie and the Jewes did upon Chriſt, with diſdaine and ſcorne, Lu. 23. 25. The people with the Prieſts, beholding of him, derided him; but rather theſe looke upon them with delight and affectation, and as it's expreſſed in the next verſe, they rejoyce over them: they make theſe dead bodies, or outward Carkaſe of heavenly things, to be the very object of their joy and delight: they live upon theſe Carkaſſes, they uphold them as their very life and comfort.
Secondly, they ſhall not ſuffer theſe dead bodies to be put in graves: this commonly is done in diſ-favour and ſcorn, it was ſpoken it was ſpoken to the indignity of the Babylonian Monarchs, that they ſhould be caſt out of their graves as on abominable branch, Iſſa. 14. 19. But I take the meaning here in the contrary ſenſe, that they kept theſe dead bodies above ground out of favour and liking, that they might ſee them, and ſatisfie themſelves with ſuch a pleaſing object.
Theſe are they that poſſeſs the outward Court, and will not ſuffer the dead bodies to be buried; the outward fleſhly form of the Witneſſes they will not let paſs out of their ſight, it is their life and Religion; the life and ſpirit of theſe things that were wont to torment them, is departed, and therefore they will not part with the externall forme that the Witneſſes did once adminiſter in. Theſe outward forms and figures of worſhip they will keep above ground, and will not ſuffer them to be put in graves. Abraham deſired, that when Sarah was dead, ſhee might be buried out of his ſight, Gen. 23. 4. becauſe the ſight of his Wife was a griefe unto him: but it is not ſo here with thoſe that manage the cauſe of the Beaſt, they preſerve the dead bodies of the Witneſſes, that they may from the Carkaſs or formes of the Saints, frame out, and ſet up a Religion unto themſelves: and therefore, though they ſlay the teſtimonie of the Witneſſes that did vex and trouble them, yet they keepe their bodies above ground, that they might live, and be comforted by them.
Thirdly, how long theſe ſhall ſee their dead bodies, and hinder their buriall, that is, three dayes and a halfe, which is ſpoken indefinitely and undeterminate: and as in Propheſie days are taken for years, ſo here it is meant of three yeares and a halfe, and ſo hold… proportion with the thouſand two hundred and ſixty dayes, and 42. moneths, and a time, times, and halfe a time. For it cannot be meant, that the Witneſſes ſhould propheſie three yeares and a half, and at the end of their propheſie ſhould be ſlain, and lie dead three dayes and a halfe afterward: But this three dayes and halfe in which the dead bodies of the Witneſſes lie ſlaine, and their dead bodies continue unburied, is the ſame terme of time with that of the Witneſſes propheſie: even all the ſpace that Antichriſt doth poſſeſs the ou… ward Court, and trample under foote the holy Citie.
The words being thus explained, we proceed to the Obſervations, which are theſe.
Firſt, That the power and greatneſs, the 1 Obſerv.wiſdome and abilities of men, are exerciſed about the dead bodies of the Witneſſes.
What is all the ſtudie and care that men take, what do they ſpend their time and parts about, but concerning theſe dead bodies; yea, the moſt excellent of men, Nations, Kindreds, and Tongues; theſe with all their dominion and greatneſs, with all their learning and wiſdome, they are all employd about the Carkaſs, or externall forme of things: All the ſyllogiſticall reaſonings and disputes, all the maximes and rules that worldly men are exerciſed in, what are they, but the very forme and figure, the ſuperficiall and externall part of thoſe things, that the Saints have in their time adminiſtred in: now the Gentiles come to poſſeſs the outward Court, and all their paines and endeavours they uſe about it, to advance it, and make it glorious in the earth.
Secondly, obſerve, That the great care that thoſe of the Nations and Tongues, &c. take about the dead bodies of the Witneſſes, is to keepe them above ground.
The remembrance and ſight of theſe are very deare and precious to the world: theſe are their very life, peace, and joy, they cannot live or enjoy themſelves without them. The externall formes of Religion, that the Witneſſes have ſometimes given forth their teſtimonie by, and having laid them aſide, the world doth with much greedineſſe take up to uſe them, and to make them their very ſtay & comfort. I have obſerved, that the Saints did never caſt aſide any externall form of Religion, that ſometimes they have been exerciſed in; but worldly Chriſtians did readily embrace them, they uſe them; they keep them above ground, and will not ſuffer them to be put in graves, becauſe they cannot ſubſiſt without theſe, their very life and being is upheld by theſe dead bodies, by theſe Carkaſſes, or outward things. Hence it is, that when the Witneſſes have caſt aſide ſome formall wayes of worſhip; what is the queſtion of worldly profeſſors? what Religion ſhall we be of now, ſay they? when ſhall we be ſetled? Alas, their Religion and life is gon, if the external from be taken away: They will not ſuffer theſe to be put in graves, if they can with all their endeavonrs keep theſe bodies above ground: and why? the life and ſpirit of theſe things is departed, with the Witneſſes laying of them down, ſo the world is willing to embrace them: So long as the Witneſſes uſed them, and there was ſome ſpirit and life in them, it tormented and vexed the worldly people, they continually oppoſed the Witneſſes in thoſe very wayes and formes that now they take up themſelves: they only perſecuted the ſpirit and teſtimony of the Saints, but their Carkaſes they keep above ground; for alas, take away theſe, you take away their Religion, their life, and all they have: they have but the outward Court to poſſeſs, and if you deprive them of that, they have nothing left: No wonder then, if worldly Chriſtians will not ſuffer the dead bodies of the Witneſſes to be put in graves. Now what is all the work and labour of thoſe that manage the cauſe of the beaſt? but this, that after they have-ſlain the teſtimony of the Saints, to advance the fleſhly part, and outward Carkaſs of heavenly things, in relation to their owne advantage.
It's ſaid in verſ. 18. The nations were angry, for his wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they ſhouid be judged. All the Ordinances and Worſhips, all the rules and authorities, all the orders and ſervices of Antichriſt, are but dead things, and ſhall be judged as dead, having nothing of the light of life of God in them. Well may the nations be angry, fret, and vex, and why? the Lords wrath is come upon all Religion, and glorious formes of worſhip, they are judged but as dead bodies, as empty Ca…k…ſes, without any ſpirit or life at all, and the glory of the worldly and carnall Church is now overturning, and all is, becauſe it is but a dead Carkaſs, and ſhall be conſumed.
Thirdly, In that theſe bodies lie unburied three dayes and a halfe, obſerve, That the dead bodies of the Witneſſes are 3 Obſerv:kept above ground, all the time of Antichriſts reigne. As before their dead bodies (viz. their outward formes of worſhip) did lie in all the ſtreets and dominions of Antichriſt: ſo alſo are they kept above ground in every age and period of time, in which the beaſt doth reigne. For theſe bodies have an agreement with the outward Court, which is given to the Gentiles for forty two moneths. This alſo is the time of the womans being driven into the wilderneſs a thouſand, two hundred, and threeſore dayes, Chap. 12. 6. where ſhe was nouriſhed for a time, times, and halfe a time, Ver. 14. So that theſe three dayes holds proportion with the forty two moneths: the ſame time that Antichriſt doth poſſes the outward Court, ſo long doth he make make uſe of the bodies of the Witneſſes. Then it is not in ſome particular time, or in ſome ſhort period, that the Beaſt ſhall riſe up againſt the Witneſſes, but namely all time of his Raigne he ſhall make warre with the Saints, ſlay their teſtimonie, and make uſe of their dead bodies. And though he could not endure the ſpirit & truth that the Saints held forth, yet hee knows how to make uſe of their externall forme and image, which hee will not part withal, ſo long as he is able to keepe it above ground, untill the wrath of the Lamb come, and that the dead ſhall be judged.