The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 260

which is separated from the inner circle of lypse, tend to cause us to interpret the true believers, and given over to the w01·ld, symbol as above. whioh is here symbolized by" the Gentiles." Ver. 3.-And I will give power unto my The Gentilea, the Mtioo,, throughout the two witne111ea. Omit " power." What ls Apocalypae. signifies either (1) all mankind given follows, viz. "they shall prophesy," whatsoever: or (2) that portion of mankind etc. The voice, speaking. in the name of which is leR when the true Ohuroh of God Christ, says, " My : " "The two witne11110s of is withdrawn, and therefore whioh embraces me;" -ro,r, "the," 118 though they were well the unrighteous part of mankind in contrast known. There is much diversity of inter- to the godly (of. eh. ii. 26: xiv. 8; xvi. 19: pretation in regard to "the two witnesses." x viii. 23 ; xxii. 22). The latter is the It seems re11SOnable to understand the two sigmfioation hero. And the holy oity shall witnesses 118 representative of the elect they tread underfoot, The holy oity- Church of God ( embracing both Jewish and Jerusalem--always in the Apocalypse the Christian) and of the witneBB which she type of the Church. "They shall tread" bears concerning God, especially in the Old need not necessarily refer to " the nations," and New Testaments. The following con- though the context naturally leads to this siderations seem to support this interpreta- signification: but it may be impersonal, tion. (1) The vision is evidently founded amounting to no more than "the holy city on that in Zech. iv., where it is emblematical shall be trodden underfoot." St. John of the restored temple, which only in the seems to apply the words of our Lord con• preceding verse ( eh. xi. 2) is II type of the oeming the literal J ernsalem to the doscrip• elect of God's Churoh (llide 11-upra). (2) tion · of the fate in store for the typical The Apocalypse continually represents the Jerusalem (of. Luke xxi. 24). " The Church of God, after the pattern of the life nations" are the instrument by which the of Obrist, in three aspects~that of conflict Church is trodden underfoot, and the men- and degradation; that of preservation; that tion of the Gentiles in connection with the of triumph (see Professor MiHigan's Baird apostate portion of the Church leads to the Lectures, 'The Revelation of St. John,' description of the oppression of the faithful loot. ii. and v.). 'fhis is a summary of by the world. The seer is bidden to take the vision here. (3) Much of the Apoca- courage by a contemplation of the numbers lypse follows our Lord's description in Matt. of those preserved by God, but is warned, xxiv. In that chapter (vers. 13, 14) we nevertheless, not to expect from that fact have, '' He that shall endure unto the end, immunity for the Ohuroh from the persecu- the same shall be saved. A.nd this gospel tion of the world. Forty and two montha. Ka!, of the kingdom shall be preached in all the " and," is inserted contrary to the common world for a witness unto all nations ; and practice when the larger number precedes then shall the end come." Age.in, a brief (so also in John ii. 20; v. 5). This period d~scription of this vision. ( 4) It is not of three years and a half is certainly sym- probable that two iudividua.la are meant ; holieal. It is the half of seven years-a for (a) as we have shown throughout the perfect number. It therefore denotes a Apocalypse, the application is invariably broken, unoerta.in period ; a space of time to principles and sooietiea, though this may whioh is oertainly finite, but the eoo of include particular applications in certain which is un.oertain. This seems to point cases; (b) it is inoouceivable that Moses neceuarily to the period of the world's and Elias, or any other of the saints of God, existence during which the Ohurch is to should return from Paradise to sulfer as suffei oppression. This period is mentioned these two witnesses; (a) our Lord explel!Sly (1) in ver. 3 under the form of twelve explained the reference to the coming of hundred and sixty days, where it denotes ElillB, and declared that he had alre!ldy the same period that is referred to hel'e ; come; and (d) there seems no more re!ISOn (2) in eh, xii. 6 as twelve hundred and for interpreting these two witnelises literally sixty days, and in eh. xii. U as " 11 time, and of two men, than for interpreting Sodom times, and half a time," in lioth of whir,h and Egypt in their ordinary geographical pa.ssages the signification is the same as signifiootion in ver. 8. (5) The details of that given above; (3) in eh. xiii. 5 it is the fate of the two witnesses agree with the called, as here, forty-two months, and interpretation given-the whole vision being describes the same period. The expression understood as symbolical. Thus (a) the is founded on Dan. vii. 25 and xii. 7. In picture of the two witnesses is evidently the latter place the time signified is cer- formed after the pattern of Moses and Elias. tainly the period of the world's existence. on account of the conspicuous witneu they We therefore see (1) that its natural mean- bore and the hardship they BUffered, as well ing, in connection with the number seven, 118 their preservation and final vindication. (2) its signifiootion in Daniel, and (3) its Moreover, Moses and Eliaa are typical of apparent use in 1111 passages in the Apoca- the Law and the prophet&, or the Soripturee REVELA'l' IO.l!l. V 290 THE REVELA'l'lON 011' ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. [cu. x1. l• --19.