The massacre with which they were overwhelmed at the outbreak of the war against them in 1572, and which was then supposed to have entirely ruined them, when known in Rome was a cause of great joy to their enemies in that city. When the letters of the Pope’s legate residing at the Court of Charles IX., were read in the assembly of the cardinals, by which he assured the Pope that all was transacted by the express will and command of the French king, it was immediately decreed that the pope should march with his cardinals to the church of St.

In the sixth verse of the chapter are the words, en hemerais auton tes propheteias, about which “the recent editors” are at variance with their predecessors.

“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.