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Eureka

AN EXPOSITION OF THE APOCALYPSE
Sixth Edition, 1915
By Dr. John Thomas (first edition written 1861)

 

 

Chapter 11

Section 2

THE MISSION OF THE ONE BODY IN THE ALTAR-WORSHIPPING AND SACKCLOTH-PROPHESYING SITUATION OF ITS AFFAIRS


 
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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. "Rise up and measure the nave of the Deity." He gave John power to do this in giving him the "reed like to a rod," the symbol of the measurement. John, on awaking, no doubt, obeyed the order; having accomplished the work, the Spirit added, "And I will give to my two witnesses" a certain mission to perform. The measuring was John’s work; the prophesying, theirs; and with this John was to have nothing to do, in person, until he shall "rise up" in "the time of the dead," and rejoin his classmates, as a constituent of the Angel of the Bow; and with one foot upon the sea, and the other upon the earth, prophesy with the voice of Boanerges in the utterances of Seven Thunders, "before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings" (ch. x).

The Spirit styles them "my two witnesses." They are therefore the Witnesses of the Spirit, styled in ch. xvii. 6, hoi martures Iesou, the witnesses of Jesus -- of Yah the Saviour. A witness is one who gives testimony to the truth at the hazard of liberty, estate, and life. The Spirit’s witnesses are witnesses of this kind. They testified to "the truth as it is in Jesus," in opposition to "every high thing that exalteth itself against the Deity’s knowledge;" consequently, they were conspicuous in testifying against the catholic worshipping of the daemonials and idols; and all the other abominations they encountered in the Court of the Gentiles. Many of them incurred the loss of all things -- "they loved not their lives unto the death" (xii. 11); therefore they are described in "the time of the dead," as "the souls of them who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of the Deity, and who had not worshipped the Beast, neither his Image, neither had received the mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;" and to show that these witnesses are the Saints, it is added, "and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (xx. 4).

To these witnesses something was given -- "And I will give to my two witnesses," saith the Spirit. What was this that was given? It could be nothing else than the gift of prophecy; for it is immediately added, as the result of the gift received, "and they shall prophesy." Now, the nature of the gift is determined by what, as prophets, they were to accomplish. They were to devour their enemies by fire bursting forth out of their mouth; to shut the heaven that it rain not; to turn the waters into blood; and to smite the earth with every plague (verses 5,6). These effects were to result from their testimony delivered "in their days of the prophecy;" for when those days were expired, "their testimony was finished," and they could neither prophesy, nor do any of these terrible things. Their tormenting power was gone, and the agency by which it was executed was silenced in death (verses 7-10).

The nature of the prophetic gift bestowed upon these formidable witnesses was divine. It was a divine power imparted to them, which none of their adversaries of the unmeasured Court could gainsay or successfully resist. It had been given to them when the angel, who had ascended from the east, sealed them in their foreheads with the seal of the Living Deity (vii. 2,3): A.D. 325, and onwards. As the result of this sealing, the word of the Deity dwelt in them richly in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; and as "the word of the truth of the gospel" is a great unfulfilled, as well as partially fulfilled, prophecy, the sealed, in vocalizing its testimony before the ignorant, are "prophets," whose inspiration is the word understood and believed. For this reason it is, that the saints are said to "prophesy," when they state, illustrate, and prove the truth. "He that prophesieth," saith Paul, "speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort" (1 Cor. xiv. 3); and "he that prophesieth edifieth the ecclesia" (ver. 4); therefore he saith in another place, "despise not prophesyings."

The essential difference between the prophets of antiquity, and "the two prophets" of this eleventh chapter, is not as to the matter given, but the manner in which that matter was imparted. The ancient prophets and apostles received the subject matter they proclaimed by revelation direct from Deity; while the apocalyptic prophets receive it by hearing expounded, and reading the writings in which the direct revelation is contained. A merely natural man is an empty earthen vessel. He contains none of "the golden oil." What he knows, he knows only as a natural brute beast; and like other animals, obeys only the impulses of his "inner consciousness." Such a human creature is utterly destitute of inspiration; and the efforts to enlighten him prove fruitless, he is fit only for capture and destruction. The unmeasured Court of the Gentiles is the aggregate of such; and in the midst of so dark and dangerous a community, the Spirit’s Witnesses were appointed to operate for a testimony against them.

These witnessing prophets were inspired by the truth; and the truth is declared to be "the power of the Deity for the salvation of every one that believes it" (Rom. i. 16). "Power belongeth unto him;" and "he giveth strength and power to his people;" and the truth is his power by which his witnesses are able to do, what mere naturals are utterly impotent to effect. But the truth in His witnesses is the power of the Deity to work intellectual and moral results; and is "the savor of life, ending in life" to those who believe; and of "death ending in death" to those who do not. Hence, it divides the peoples in the Court into two general divisions, believers and unbelievers, between whom the truth generates implacable hostility; for as in the days of Isaac, "he that was born after the flesh persecuted him born after the Spirit, even so it is now," "in all their days of the prophecy" (Gal. iv. 29). This state of feeling is the "enmity" put between the two seeds by Divine Power (Gen. iii. 15); so that a man’s foes are often those of his own house.

But the truth in the Spirit’s witnessing prophets is not uniform in its effects. The character of these depends materially upon the nature of the soil into which the incorruptible seed is sown (Matt. xiii. 19-23). In this parable, there are no less than six varieties of product from the same sowing -- the way side, the stony, the thorny and the good; and three varieties even of the good. These all received the word sown into their hearts, even with joy; but it was only those who, with honest and good hearts, understood it, brought forth fruit unto endless life. The good soil believers are the Spirit’s witnessing prophets; while the other soil believers, not sufficiently evangelized for their own personal salvation, are too much enlightened to accept the dogmas of the Great Harlot, of her Harlot-Daughters, and of the Denominations, alias, the Abominations, of the earth; or to conform to their ordinances and institutions. Hence, the Court of the Gentiles, besides containing the Harlots and Abominations, has a numerous class of nondescripts, who are not professors of any of the superstitions of the Court. These are variously styled by the spirituals of the world, "infidels," "liberals," "revolutionists," "disorganizers," "democrats," and so forth; but apocalyptically they are termed, "THE EARTH" (xii. 16).

In the way previously explained, this apocalyptic earth is a creation of the truth ministered by the Spirit’s witnessing prophets, "who keep the commandments of the Deity, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." It is not a homogeneous rabble such as may be found in all ages and generations of the world. It is, on the contrary, a heterogeneous company of divers sorts and conditions of men, as appears from Gen. vi. 12, where the phrase is applied to "all flesh;" as, "the Earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted Yahweh’s way upon the earth;" and again, "Hear, O Earth, the words of my mouth!" (Deut. xxxii. 1). But relatively to the Spirit’s witnessing prophets, "the earth" is used in a more restricted sense. "The Earth that helps the Woman" is all those upon whom her testimony or principles, or both, have made a favorable impression. Though they may not at all be influenced by her moral and doctrinal precepts for salvation, they incorporate her principles of "civil and religious liberty," and what they call "the rights of man," which were abolished by the edicts of the Imperial Dragon, when he subjected the nations of his dominion to the absolute sovereignty of the Episcopal God of the earth, A.D. 529. No one imbued with the principles of civil and religious liberty could forbear to testify against arbitrary power in Church and State; and when natural men become impregnated with such principles, they become impetuous and impatient of oppression, which is said to drive even a wise man mad; and in their fury organize resistance, and seek the overthrow and destruction of the oppressor. Such an "earth" as this did not exist in the ages and generations of Rome pagan. The Woman then had no Earth devoted to religious liberty to interpose itself between her and the arbitrary ferocity of "the great red dragon;" the whole brunt of this sanguinary despotism fell directly upon her unprotected self. It was not till after the establishment of that worse than pagan superstition -- that "dreadful and terrible" blasphemy, surnamed the Holy Catholic Church, that "the Earth" in its witnessing relations appeared upon the arena. When aroused to action in the unmeasured Court, it was a terror of the oppressors of the saints. It tormented them with all the plagues of war; and devoured them with fire and sword, as its own peculiar testimony against "the God of the earth," and the Sin-powers that sustained him.

An arrangement of this sort was absolutely necessary for the preservation and protection of the One Body, witnessing for the truth against "the worshipping of the daemonials and idols," in the midst of the nations, and "before the God of the earth;" the weapons of whose warfare were civil disabilities, and the infernal tortures of anti-heretical crusaders and inquisitions. The One Body, of which Christ is the Head, is commanded by him, not to avenge itself; not to take any other sword than "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of the Deity;" not to resist evil; if smitten upon one cheek to turn the other; and many other precepts, of which his own individual conduct when in the hands of his enemies, was an unmistakable illustration. In view of these commands, how was such a Polity to devour its enemies with fire, to turn waters into blood, and to smite the earth with plagues? Manifestly such a work of death and destruction was incompatible with obedience to such precepts of non-resistance. War and desolation are no part of christian duty. "The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all." This principle faithfully and duly observed by all the Lord’s servants in his absence, will prevent them from avenging their own wrongs; or lending themselves as instruments in the quarrels of others, be they individuals or nations. No degradation more ignominious can befall a servant of the Lord than that of being a bloodshedder in the service of any of the Sin-powers of the unmeasured Court. To be employed in such a service, is to be servant of the Lord’s enemies. "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." This is the duty of all soldiers -- they must labor to please their owners. Hence, the world’s soldiers must please the world, who is their lord and master; and "if I please men," says Paul, "I should not be the servant of Christ;" for Christ himself says, "that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of the Deity" (Luke xvi. 15; Gal. i. 10). The saints cannot serve two masters, Christ and Sin. If they "endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ;" and "fight the good fight of faith" scripturally, they cannot at the same time "serve Sin" in the armies of "the God of the earth" -- the armies of the nations of the Court. Their mission is to "contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints;" which protests against all the wars and fightings of the Gentiles as emanating from their unhallowed and unbridled lusts. What has the Holy City, trampled by the Gentiles, to do with what they deem great, sacred and good? What is the judgment of these worth in the premises? Doth not the word testify that they are all fools and drunk? And shall saints, the salt of the earth and the light of the world, lose their savor in the service of such, and be darkened by the fog of their delusions?

Thus were organized in the unmeasured Court of the Gentiles two powerful antagonisms -- civil and religious despotism, on the one hand; and civil and religious liberty, on the other. The adherents of the despotisms, in their civil and ecclesiastical organization, were the Dragon, the Ten Horns, the God of the earth, the Great Harlot, her Daughters, and the Abominations of the earth -- a blind, corrupt, and cruel host; while opposed to these, were the One Body and its unconscious instrument, "the Earth" -- unconscious that it was the divinely appointed and divinely energized agent for the aid, nourishment, and vindication of the Spirit’s witnessing prophets against their enemies.

Here, then, were two cooperative organizations against the Catholic Apostasy of the Court. Without any treaty of alliance offensive and defensive, and without any direct mutual understanding, the ages and generations of the past found them standing side by side in witnessing and prophesying with tormenting effect against the blasphemies and abominations of "them who dwell upon the earth." Each witness had its own speciality. Christ’s brethren testified the gospel, and laid before the Court the way of salvation. They showed men what they must believe and do for the remission of all their past sins; and for the obtaining a right to the tree of life in the Holy City, when it shall be measured by the angel of the golden reed (xxi. 15; xxii. 14). In doing this, they did their utmost to neutralize the teaching of the Jeromes, Augustines, Ambroses, and Martins, of the apostasy; and to turn the hearts of the peoples from their profane fables to "the engrafted word which is alone able to save their souls." In this work they were eminently successful. They filled the Court with their doctrine, which inflicted great torment of mind upon the clerical and ministerial craftsmen, whose pride, arrogance, and flesh, fattened upon its superstitions and delusions.

Such torment, of course, could not fail to arouse all the bitterness and animosity of sin’s flesh. The firm of the Jeromes, Augustines, and company, perceived that their episcopal craft was in danger; and that if they left this witness alone, the evil might become so great, that they might not be able to hold their own. Something, they concluded, must be done for the preservation of their fables and traditions. It had not yet become the custom for catholic to burn heretic; although the tendency to that orthodox solution of inconvenient questions was becoming rife. In A.D. 385, the blood of Priscillianists had been shed by catholic ministers; but this was not the rule. When the Christadelphians, or Brethren of Christ, undertook to protest against practices which they regarded as superstitious and unscriptural, they were then, as now, assailed with every expression of contumely and rancor. But the wordy passion and invectives of their enemies broke no bones, and destroyed no lives. These witnessing prophets of the Spirit were not to be deterred by hard words. They continued to contend earnestly for the "one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one Deity;" and to admit of no truce or compromise with anything that rendered one or all of these of none effect. Their course was onward by the light of the word, and by that only; so that by the time the Roman Bishop was primarily developed into "the God of the earth" by Justinian’s Decretal Epistle, A.D. 529, they had become a numerous and influential community in all the nations of the West.

But, when this "Name of Blasphemy, speaking great things," had received political life; and had been set up as a living Image of Imperial Power, styled "the Image of the Beast" in ch. xiii. 14; a change for the worse came over the situation of affairs. "All, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond," were commanded to worship this image upon pain of death; and "to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their forehead; and that no man might buy and sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." This pressed with great hardship upon the One Body; and upon those who were pledged to the antipapal principles of civil and religious liberty. Multitudes preferred death to submission to this decree; and determined to draw the sword in defence of "conscience and the rights of man," thus violently assailed by the new "god of all the earth." This Moloch of the Seven Hills was not backward in affording them scope for the development of their prowess in all the nations of the court. He proclaimed crusades against them; and called upon his worshippers to gather their hosts, and to take the field against them, and to slay them with utter and exterminating slaughter. "The Earth," the Spirit’s other witness, embraced the conflict, undismayed by the power and ferocity of the foe. With fire and sword, which was their testimony practically administered, they tormented the minions of the oppressor. The prophesying of "the Earth" that "helped the Woman," was not to be despised by the priests and rulers of the nations. They devoured their enemies in war; and shut the heaven of the Court, that there should be no peace "in their days of the prophecy."
 
 

 

 


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