A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 47
¶ Of the two prophetes fightyng manfully agaynſt Antichriſt, and of their power. The .xlvij. Sermon.
ANd I will geue power to my two witneſſes, & thei ſhal prophecie a M. cc. and .lx. daies cloted in ſacke cloth. Theſe are two oliue trees, & two cā delſtickes ſtādyng before ye God of the Earth. And if any man wil hurt them, fire ſhal come forth of their mouth, & deuour their enemies And if any man will hurt thē, this wiſe muſt he be killed, theſe hauehave power to ſhut heauē, that it raigne not in the dayes of their propheciyng: and hauehave power ouer waters to tourne them to bloud, and to ſmite the earth with al maner plagues as oftē as they will.
Theſe thinges apperteyne alſo to the conſolation of the faithful.Prophetes are promiſed. For the lord promiſeth that he wil ſende prophetes: that is preachers, whiche ſhall mayneteyne and defende the veritie of the Goſpel, and glory of Chriſt, aſſayle Antichriſt, and diſtroye his kingdome, and auaunce the ſaluation of the faythfull. In the fourmer chapt. 8. and .9. was deſcribed the fight of Antichriſt and heretikes agaynſt God & his Chriſt, and againſt his church: & now at fewe wordes is ſet agaynſt the ſame the cōtrary fight, & the army of Chriſt is munſtred.
Two prophetes.And he bringeth forth two Prophetes, that is preachers: not for that there ſhalbe two only, but for that he wil ſo ſignifie that the power of Chriſt in the worlde ſhould be and ſeme to worldly men ſmall (as I ſhal tel you anone) in the meane time he vnderſtandeth al faithful preachers and paſtours of al times, whiche offer themſelues to reſiſte Antichriſt and heretikes. There be that expounde theſe thinges of Enoch and Helie, which ſhal come corporally before the iudgemēt. Howbeit S. Hierome in the epiſtle to Marcella doeth referre that opinion to Iewiſh fables, ſignifiyng that theſe thinges muſt de ſpiritually expounded of thoſe prophetes, as are alſo the moſt things of this boke. And in maner al expoſitours with great concorde, doe interprete all theſe thinges of theſe Prophetes ſpiritually, and not corporally after the lettre. I ſuppoſe that for two cauſes there be two Prophetes only here reherſed.
Firſt, for that he would allude to the olde Hiſtorie or prophecie of Zacharie, which is in the .4. chapt. It was thought than alſo to the people of Iſrael, retourned from Babylon, that the reparyng of the Tēple was vnpoſſible, for that they had many and mightie aduerſaries, and they were weake and fewe, and their gouernours Zorobabel and Iehoſua contemned: but through the mightie hande of God, and his faithful ayde it came to paſſe, that the power of their aduerſaries vaniſſhed awaye as vayne, and they indeſpite of hell gates buylded vp their Temple right, ſo the Lorde ſayeth it ſhal be in that later age, that the miniſters moſt contēptuous and very fewe in nombre, ſhal buylde vp Chriſt his temple, and repare it, & ſhake the moſt mighty power of Antichriſt. Herunto I ſuppoſe belongeth that ſaiyng of Daniel: and when they ſhal fal, they were holpen with ſmal ayde, &c. Secondely for this cauſe chiefly he accompteth only two witneſſes, for that it is red written in the Lawe, in the mouth of two or three witneſſes eueryevery worde ſhal ſtande. It is iudged therfore a full teſtimony, whiche ſhall be confirmed with the agreable declaration of two. Where therfore the lord ſayeth that he wil geue two Prophetes, it is aſmuch to ſaye, as that he wil geue ſo many miniſters as ſhal ſuffice, which ſhal both builde vp his church and alſo plucke downe and rēt a ſonder the kingdome of Antichriſt. There be of the expoſitours, which thinke that by two witneſſes are vnderſtande two teſtamētes. Howbeit we ſee that the Lord ſpeaketh here of witneſſes, not of the thing teſtified or to be witneſſed, which neuertheleſſe we ſeparate not from the witneſſes.
The Apoſtles and Apoſtolicall men are called witneſſes eueryevery where in the Goſpel, and in the .1.Who be witneſſes. chapt. of the Actes of Apoſtles. Witneſſes are ordeyned in iudgement that they ſhould faithfully vtter that whiche they hauehave ſene or hearde, that they ſhould forge nothing of themſelues, & to the things that ſhould be teſtified ſhould nother adde or put any thing, nor take awaye any thing. So likewiſe are placed of God in the church of God, the witneſſes of God, that is to ſaye miniſters: and of them is required, that they Imagine nothing of their owne braine, nother put to nor take away any thing from Gods worde, but ſimply declare to the church of God the thinges they hauehave ſene in the ſtory of the Goſpell and hearde of the prophetes and Apoſtles. Therfore are thei falſe witneſſes, nother worthie to be called the witneſſes of God and of Chriſt, which bryng not the Goſpell. They be rather the Popes witneſſes, whoſe decrees & decretalles they bring forth, and beare witnes of them to the foliſh people. Therefore ſhal thoſe two prophetes be witneſſes of Chriſt, and ſhal bryng witnes for Chriſt out of the moſt trewe Scriptures.
And the beginnyng of them is here referred to God and to his Chriſt as the original of Antichriſt is reduced to ye deuil him ſelf.The original of prophetes. I wil geue, ſayeth the lord, to my two witneſſes, and they ſhal prophecie. Chriſt ſendeth preachers, & geueth to them alſo that they can preach. The which is a wonderful comforte. For like as the deuil many times ſendeth, inſtructeth, and helpeth his falſe prophetes. So Chriſt leaueth not his church deſtitute, and geueth to this miniſters habilitie of teachyng and doyng luckely. For in the Goſpel alſo he promyſed and ſayde: I will geue you a mouth and wiſedome, which they ſhal not reſiſt, ſo many as be agaynſt you. Theſe thinges ought to comforte vsus, in the greuouſe conſultatiōs, trayhiſones & aſſaultes of the enemies of the Goſpell. Chriſt wil not forſake his miniſters, ſo thei be faithful, and depende vponupon Chriſt alone.
The time of ye preachyng of the prophetes.Now is alſo declared the time of the preaching of the goſpel agaynſt Antichriſt, verely al that time wherin Antichriſt ſhal treade the Temple and holy citie. For a thouſande two hondreth and .lx. dayes make .xlii. monethes, yf you put to eueryevery monethmonth .xxx. dayes. But we hearde before that Antichriſt ſhould treade the church .xlii. monethes. Agayne therfore is a certaine nōbre put for an vncertaine. And here is ſignified, and that with a miſterie is here defined the time of daies, not of monethes or yeres. For though the function of the miniſterie be neuer ſo harde and daungerouſe: yet ſo ſhal God comforte and confirme them, that they maye appere a fewe dayes only, not monethes or yeres to ſuffer perſecutiō, & to trauel in this laboriouſe worke of the Lord. And where I hauehave ſayed that thoſe nombred dayes are put for an vncertentie of time, this hath moued me, that by and by in the .12. chapt. the ſame nombre of dayes ſhall be aſſigned: for the which yet he hath ſet before, for a time, and times, and halfe a time. Whiche appereth playnely to be taken out of the .7. and .12. chapt. of Daniel. I knowe that the ſame is expounded of many for three yeres and a halfe: that the time, ſhould ſignifie a yere: times, two yeres: and halfe a time, half a yere. But eueryevery manne maye perceyue that the thing it ſelfe is repugnaunt to that nombre of yeres, if he be at the leeſte any thing ſene in ſtories. In the .7. of Daniel. the other beaſtes, ſayeth he, gaue ouer their rule, and ſpaces of life were graunted, for a time, and a time. But who will expounde theſe thinges of two yeres only: ſins it is euident, that the Babilonians, Perſians and Macedonians reigned many yeres? he ſignifieth therfore that thoſe kingdomes ſhould reigne ſo long, as God would permitte them, and geue them power to reigne. We ſaye in Dutche where yet we appoynt no time prefixed. In the ſame chapt. of Daniel is put the ſame phraſe of ſpeache, that the Sainctes ſhal be deliuered into the hande of Antichriſte, for a tyme, tymes, and halfe a tyme. And in the .12. chapt. he ſayeth that his Prophecie ſhal be fulfilled in a time, times, and halfe a time. But who ſhall beleue that within three yeres and an halfe all thoſe thinges ſhoulde be accompliſſhed, which he declared in the whole worke? Whie than doe they reſtrayne the times of Antichriſt to three yeres and an halfe, eſpecially his perſecution? whie ſee they not the deſtruction of Antichriſt, and the peace of Sainctes, and the daye of iudgement, to be the ſame daye? For Daniel ſayeth, that the beaſte ſhould be caſte downe hedlong into Hell, when the ſeates be furniſſhed. And Paul ſayeth, whome he ſhal deſtroye with his comyng, and who ſhall ſhewe vntounto vsus the certayne daye of iudgement? It is knowen to the father alone. Lette them leaue therefore with their ſupputations to ſtriue with the Goſpell. It appereth therefore that the Lord by that kinde of ſpeakyng as it were by a riddle, to hauehave diffined no tyme certayne: but rather to hauehave admoniſſhed the godly of longe ſufferyng, of patience and conſtancie: and to hauehave cōmaunded that we ſhould not ouer curiouſely ſearche the inſtaūt of this time, but ſhould rather permitte it to chriſt him ſelfe, in an other place ſaiynge: It belongeth not to you to knowe times, and the momentes of times, whiche the father hath reſerued in his owne power: but watche, that when the Lorde ſhall come, he maye finde you watchyng. Therefore whether ſo euer the Lorde ſhall differre his iudgement a longe, ſhorte, or meane tyme, be you conſtaunt. So at this preſent he ſayeth, howe the miniſters of Chriſte ſhal preach al that tyme, wherein Antichriſt ſhal perſecute. And verely if thou reade the ſtories, thou ſhalt finde, that the moſt vertuouſe & beſt learned men, hauehave in all ages, now for the ſpace of theſe ſeuen hondred yeres and more, conſtantly reſiſted the Popes enterpriſes, their great abominatiōs, and craftie iuggelinges and ſeducinges of monkes and Freres. Of the perſecutions that thei hauehave ſuffered, I wil ſpeake herafter.
The apparel of the prophetes.Furthermore alſo the apparel of theſe prophetes is ſhewed, that hereof alſo maye be gathered the maner of doctrine. They ſhal not be clothed in ſofte or preciouſe apparel, as veluet, ſactin, or damaſne, or crimoſine ingrayned, but in ſackecloth. And ſackecloth, as appereth in the Prophetes is for a mournyng garment, and for ſuche as are penitent. Therfore like as S. Iohn was courſely appareled,Matth. 3.11. and preached repē taunce. So ſhal theſe alſo moue vntounto repētaunce and amendement of life, and perſwade men to frugalitie, and riot and al vntemperauncie they ſhal perſecute. Certenly al good and learned men nowe theſe ſeuen hondreth yeres hauehave required nothing els of the Pope and Clergie, and of the people but repentaunce and a reformation: for the which they hauehave had ſmall thanke at their handes. But what the apparell of the Antichriſtianes is, there is no man ignoraunt at this daye. Certen of it differeth not much from whoriſhe. Conſequently he declareth more fully and more at large, of what ſorte thei ſhal be, and alſo their miniſterie, what alſo ſhal be the effecte, and vertue of their preachyng. And the ſame he ſetteth forth and declareth with ſondry figures taken out of the ſcriptures.
The prophetes be oliues and candelſtickes.And firſt he alludeth againe to the .4. chapt. of Zacha. Theſe be two oliues, &c. with oyle lightes are nurriſſhed: oyle therfore ſignifieth the matter of preachyng or of Sermons. For Candelſtickes bearyng lightes, are preachers, ſhewyng abroade the light of Chriſt, and of his goſpell through out the world. And that preachyng of light is taken out of the ſcripture, as alſo the light of a cādel is nurriſſhed with oyle. Oyle is a tipe of the holy of al holy. Wherfore S. Iohn calleth alſo the holy ghoſt, vnctiō. Certes the holy ſcripture, is the inſpiration of the holy ghoſte. Therefore thoſe preachers ſhall preach Chriſt out of the ſcriptures. And ſo preaching the goſpell of Chriſt through the inſpiration of the holy ghoſt, they are ſayed to ſtande before the ſight of God of the earth: that is to ſaye, theſe be in the protection, in the cure, and prouidēce of that God, by whoſe prouidence ar gouerned whatſoeuer are in heauen or in earth.The prophetes ſtād before god. For he appeareth to hauehave alluded to theſe wordes of Zachary. The eyes of the Lorde, loke ouer the whole earth: And theſe be the two childrē of oyle, which ſtande before the gouernoure of the whole earth. And theſe thinges comforte exceadingly the faythful preachers, which ſe that god hath a care of them, I meane God the Lord of al.
Agayne, they be nother Olyues, nor candleſtickes, ſhewing the light of the Goſpel, ſo many as of Antichriſtes parte eſteme dregges and doung of men, in the place of the oyle of the holy ghoſt, and power them alſo into the candle: nother ſhewe they any lighte, but darkenes, and opinions of moſte corrupte men. Againſt theſe S. Iohn reaſoning, theſe things hauehave I written to you, ſayth he, of theſe which diſceiue you. And the vnction which you hauehave receyued of him, abydeth in you, and you hauehave no nede that any man ſhuld teach you: but lyke as the very vnction teacheth you of al thinges, ſo is it trewe, and no leaſinge.
Nowe are alſo the weapons of theſe preachers deſcrybed,The armure of ye prophetes. wherewith they may defend their cauſe, and fyght againſte their enemies. Yf any man will hurte them (foreign) fyre eſſeweth out of their mouthe, and deuoureth their ennemies. And this foreign ſignifieth, with a pretenſed mallice, and againſt iuſtice to hurt or to iniurie: and firſt he ſayed to hurt. Yf any therfore of the champions of Antichriſt, ſhall aſſayle thoſe preachers, and ſhall blame their doctrine and miniſterie, ſtreight waies ſhal they bring forth of the holy ſcriptures Gods worde, & ſo ſhal repreſſe and ouercome their enemies. For that theſe thinges maye not be expounded after the letter, that ſame chiefly proueth, that by and by we ſhall heare, that thoſe prophetes ſhal be vaunquiſſhed, and put to death of Antichriſt: to witte corporally. Who than can not gather herof, that the victory of preachers is ſpiritual, that their aduerſaries vanquiſſhed of the veritie, may liue in dede bodily, but through the vertue of the veritie they maye ſeme to be ghoſtly ſlaine.Fire goeth out of the Prophetes mouthes. And therefore as it were by an interpretation is added: and if any wil iniurie thē, ſo muſt he be ſlayne. So I ſaye, by fire verely whiche goeth out of their mouth. And who will ſaye, that materiall and naturall fire ſhould come forth of a mans mouth? And S. Paul alſo expounding theſe thinges, taking the maner of ſpeaking of Eſaye, reaſoning of Chriſt & of Antichriſt: whome he ſhal kill, ſayeth he, with the breath of his mouth. Beholde S. Paule calleth it the breath of the mouth, whiche S. Iohn named fire. We reade alſo in the .xxiii. chapt. of Ieremie, is not my worde as fire, and as a mallet breaking the rocke? And againe in the .5. chapt. In as muche as you ſpeake this worde, beholde I will make my wordes in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it ſhall conſume thē. Of Helias we reade in the .4. of Kinges .1. chapt. that callyng downe fire from heauen he bodily burnte the kinges ſeruaūtes. Which example where the diſciples Iames and Iohn alledged, the lord forbadde them, that he might admoniſh them of their function, to witte that they muſte fight with long ſuffering and with the word of the veritie. Which thapoſtle in an other place cōmaundeth expreſſely, to wit in the .2. Timoth. 2. Wherby we are plainely taught, that Antichriſt muſt not be vanquiſſhed with corporal weapōs by th… miniſters, but with ſpiritual. For he muſt be ſlaine with the goſpel, wt that moſt ſharpe ſword, & fal downe and die in the breſtes of men, that he may be vtterly contemned, & knowen to be Antichriſt. And where many cōfounde the miniſterie of the word & the power of the magiſtrate, & for the ſame cauſe take the ſworde out of his handes, cōmaunding that in this caſe he may not ſtrike heretikes and blaſphemers, affirming that they ought not otherwiſe to be punniſſhed than by the word: let them learne to diſcerne better betwixt offices, & not to geue yt libertie to blaſphemers, & to all maner of ſeducers, & to ſuch as hauing ben a thouſand times cōuicte of hereſie, ceaſe not to infect innumerable, & bring them into perditiō, vnleſſe they be ſtraitely pūniſſhed by ye magiſtrate. Let eueryevery one therfore applie their owne office, & herein follow the rule of veritie and equitie, & than ſhal thinges be in better order.
They hauehave power to ſhut heauē.Furthermore he addeth more expreſſe things concerning their power & miniſterie, euen herein alluding alſo to ſondry tipes of the ſcripture. For firſt he ſayeth, they hauehave power to ſhut heauen that it rayne not in the dayes of their propheciyng. And he alluded to the ſtory of Helias which is red in the 3. of Kinges the .17. chap. And they muſt be ſpiritually applied to this our buſines. For like as Helias through, the power of God, did prohibite, that it ſhuld not raine: ſo ſhal the preachers of the goſpel frō the diſobedient, or ſuch as wil not heare the word, but had rather be ſeduced with popiſh abominations, ſhut vp heauen it ſelf, that is ſhall aſſuredly teſtifie yt it is ſhut of God, for aſmuch as through Chriſt alone, as the only gate yt waie is opened vntounto heauē, whom they not withſtanding do contēne: & ſhal tel thē alſo ſharpely, that the grace of God is denied thē, which is only graūted by Chriſt. For the prophetes are authours, that raine doeth ſignifie the grace of god, & fruictful watering ſent downe frō heauen. Therfore al the time of their prophecie thei ſhal cōſtātly teſtifie, yt thei are through their greateſt deſerte, & their own faulte depriued of that celeſtiall grace, light & life, ſo many as had rather hauehave ye Popes dragges than the true bread from heauē. And againe we vnderſtād that thei hauehave power geuen thē to open heauē to ye beleuers. Wherof here is now no place to ſpeake. For ye things are more manifeſt, which are writtē in ye goſpel cōcerning ye keies of ye kingdom of heauē, & herunto chiefly belōg, than yt I ſhuld nowe rehearſe thē: ſins I hauehave both at other times, & before alſo in this ſame boke ſpokē of them at large.
Secondly he alludeth to the ſtory of Moſes, & ſayeth,thei tourne waters into bloud. that power is geuē to theſe prophets to tourne waters into blod: which diſcordeth nothing with the fourmer mēbre. For the water of godly wiſedome, is a figure of the grace and reliefe of the ſpirite. Bloud betokeneth offence and punniſſhment. For that ſentence of the lawe and of thapoſtle is wel knowē: your bloud be vpō your owne head. Therfore ſhal theſe prophetes teſtifie, that God hath verely ſent his worde of ſaluatiō, to ſaue al beleuers, but that this ſhal be to the vnbeleuers through their owne faulte vntounto condemnatiō. For they that heare the preachyng of Gods word, and beleue it not, heare it to their owne condēnatiō. And ſo is the goſpel at this daie preached to many with out fruicte: as beyng corrupted with the popiſh doctrine, by force wil not be wiſe, &c.
Finally they hauehave power to ſtrike the Earth with eueryevery plague, ſo ofte as they wil. But they will not,they ſtrike the Earth wt plagues. excepte Gods worde, by the whiche they beyng inſpired and inſtructed are gouerned, ſhall commaunde them. For they wil do nothing wilfully, they will not followe their affectiōs, but the worde of God. Howebeit they are ſaide to ſtrike the earth with plagues, when out of Gods word thei threaten, that God with plagues wil punniſh the ſinnes of mē. Thoſe plagues are recited in the .26. & .28. of Deuter. Wherfore in caſe they threaten to impenitent perſons warre, peſtilence famine, ſickeneſſes and other calamities, God will ſende them to ſuch as are vncurable, as the lord ſayeth oft him ſelfe in Ieremie. Agayne and on the contrary parte they ſhal in riche with all bleſſyng thoſe that obeye gods word, what time they ſhal ſhewe forth the Lordes bleſſing.
Thus muche hath he ſpoken hitherto concernyng the preachers of the Goſpel, which ſhal fight agaynſt Antichriſt, in that laſt age before the iudgement, and ſhal buylde vp the church, & confirme the beleuers. Thou thy ſelf ſhalt obſerue, in what preachers thou ſhalt perceyue theſe markes, and the ſame ſhalt thou acknowledge for the lawefull prophetes of God. And ſhalt acknowledge with all, how great a benefite of God it is, to hauehave trewe and faithfull preachers of Gods word. The lord our God confirme al miniſters of his worde in the ſettyng forth of his trueth, to the worldes ende.