Chapter 11

“And 1 will give to my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, having been clothed in sack­cloths.”

Before this Deity of the earth, while in the plenitude of his power, the Spirit’s witnessing prophets had to stand in all the breadth of his dominion.

Thus, in this eleventh chapter, two Deities are presented to view; the one living and true Deity, styled in the C.V., “the God of Heaven,” and his counterfeit and rival, called “the God of the Earth.” This is the Antichrist — ho antichristos. The preposition anti in composition has the force of instead, equal to, like, corresponding to, counter, against, &c.

Now, it is expressly said, that these “two witnesses,” “two olive trees,” “two lightstands,” and “two prophets,” “have stood before the god of the earth. ” This was to be their position. This god is not to be mis­taken for the Eternal Creator. Though he made the earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein; and claims them all as his, He is not styled in this prophecy “the God of the earth.” His title in this chapter is “the God of heaven,” to whom glory is ascribed at the concluding act of the second woe (ch.

Thus, the history of the ages and the generations of the unmeasured Court is in strict harmony with this prophecy of the witnesses.

The third verse of this chapter testifies as follows: “And I will give to my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, having been clothed with sackcloths.” Here is a proposi­tion plainly stated. There can be no mistake, one would think, as to the personage who makes the statement. The “I” is, doubtless, the Spirit who speaks to the ecclesias, and who said to John.

The Holy Body Politic is measured — the period of its down-tread­ing by Gentile barbarism is measured. The Court of the Gentiles will continue to exist a longer time than their trampling of the Holy City. Not being measured, it does not appear how much longer it will continue; but as the Holy Polity is to destroy the Court and its sin-powers, it fol­lows necessarily, that the altar-worshipping and sackcloth prophesying of the Body, must come to an end before judgment is given to it.

John’s measuring was restricted to the One Body, the mystical body of Christ, the saints. He was expressly commanded to excommuni­cate all the Gentiles not of the One Body.

The altar in the text is the altar of sacrifice. Had it been the altar of incense it would have been specified, as in ch. 8:3, “the golden altar be­fore the throne. ” The altar John measured was the altar under which the saints lie, who are slain for the word of the Deity, as in ch. 6:9.

This being so, I proceed further to notice, that the power com­manding John to rise up, gave to him “a reed like to a rod.” The use he was ordered to make of it shows that it was a measuring reed. “Rise up,” said the voice of the Spirit, “and