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CHAPTER XIII.

THE

CHURCH'S TRANSLATION TO HEAVEN;

OR

THE ASCENSION OF THE TWO WITNESSES,

BEING

STILL A CONTINUATION OF THE CONCLUDING SCENES OF THE SIXTH TRUMPET.

The connection of the history of the Two Witnesses with that of the Seven Seals and first Six Trumpets—Depressed condition of the true church for 1260 years-Connection of the VII. of Revelation, with the ascension of the two witnesses—Translation of the true church to heaven-The witnesses' revival to life—In the first place a political revival-The Spirit of life from God, what— The translation demonstrated — Typified by Elijah—All the result of sovereign grace.

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264

CHAPTER XIII.

THE

CHURCH'S TRANSLATION TO HEAVEN.

BEFORE Considering the next two verses, which describe the glorious and triumphant manner in which God will appear for his people at the end of this three years and an half persecution, it will throw additional light upon the subject, if for a moment we retrace the events of the seven seals and the six first trumpets, and connect them with the new aspect of the church given in this history of the two witnesses. In contemplating its state, as it appeared under the influence of the ruling powers of the empire, that is, as it is exhibited under the seven seals, in vain do we attempt to discover, after at least the first seal in the age of Constantine, anything like the appearance of real vital godliness in its external aspect. We see nothing but a state of gradual decay, corruption, and extreme wickedness, ending in the most awful apostacy. We hear indeed the voice of martyrs crying for vengeance, giving fearful intima

tion of what was the aspect of the times: and we behold altogether the most convincing proof that "the outer court was indeed given to the Gentiles," even to the moment that the mighty angel proclaimed that "time was no more;" that is, until forty and two months were ended.

As little, or less, could we discover of the true church, in the horrors of the tremendous judgments of the first six of the trumpets. To the question then, Where are we to look for it? I reply, In the account given in this place under the symbol of two witnesses; and here we find its situation accurately pourtrayed, as being that of mournful sorrowing and depressed, "clothed in sackcloth"-and as trodden under foot by the "Gentiles," or the paganized Christiansor, as it is expressed by Daniel," worn out." For speaking of the little horn of the papacy, he says, "And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High" the Lord's witnessing church-" and think to change times and laws: and they shall," he adds, and the language bears directly upon the prophecy before us, "they shall be given into his hand, until a time, and times, and the dividing of time"-they shall be given into his hands to wear out and tread underfoot forty and two months-or, they shall prophesy or bear their testimony a thousand two hundred and three score days clothed in sackcloth. The

* Diss. ch. ix. p. 221.

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narrative, the persons, the incidents, and the duration of time, in all the cases are the same.

Perhaps the arrangement that will set the closing scenes which are here described in the clearest and most convincing light, both as it regards the persecution described in the last chapter, and the glorious deliverance now about to be considered, is to connect them with the same closing scenes described in the 7th chapter of the Revelation, and with their explanation.*

Thus connected they will stand as follows:"And after overturnings and wars of the sixth seal, or of the French Revolution had ceased, I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds, that the hurricane of war which will be let loose upon a guilty world, on the sounding of the trumpet of the seventh angel, or the coming of the THIRD WOE, should not deluge the world with misery and slaughter, until the servants of God, the saints of the Most High, the Lord's witnesses, should be secured from its fury. And every individual member of the true church, in every part of the world, was, during a most severe persecution of three years and a half, purified, and made white, and tried, witnessing in the face of hunger, and thirst, and oppression, and sorrow, a good confession for Christ, thus bearing a seal in their foreheads that they belonged to the living God."

* See ch. vi. of this Work.

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