of the RE VEL A T I 0 N. And, I. the Church in this A~e is reprefented to him as the Temple franding ~ in the Holy City J emfolem, (as It was. rel;'refented to Eze/eel, Ezek. 4-o. which~ he alfo meafured with a Reed, as John Is bidden to do here) namely, the Temple inward, into which the Priefr on!~ was to come, and in ":hich ~ands the Altar, with a Company of true Worfluppers : but _round a_bout lt (as mclofing the Temple without) lies a vafr Outward Court, mto which (as of Old, the Multitudes and Croud of the People of the Jews profeffing the True God, fo here) all forts of Profeffors of true Worfhip do come. _This T~mple, the Church of this Age is moreover reprefented, as adorned wnhm, wuh Golden Candleflicks, and two frately Olive Trees, verf. 4· being two eminent Witneffes and Prophets, that minifrer before God in his Church. And the Gentilu, they poffefs the City already, and have done a long time, and are flill to poffefs it, till their 42 Months be expired. But the Temple, and the Outward Court about it, of late days erctl:ed in this City, they have been kept out of; and fo could not come at thefe Witneffes who are within the Temple, nor have been able to overcome, and kill them, as in former Times; againfl: whom notwitlifranding, in that they have fo tormented th~m ~ith Fir~, and other Plagues, out of this Temple, they are even mad agam With vexauon, and an eager defire to be avenged on them. But now, before the expiring of their 42 Months, God being angry, both with the Car~al Gofpellers in the O~tward Court, fo prophanely mixing themfelves wnh hiS Worfhtppers, and laymg themfelves to his Building and Temple, and alfo with the Carnal Gofpelling of the two Witndles among them, and with the imperfeCl:ion of his Temple Building, not yet anfwering the Pattern, and therefore intending to erell a purer Temple; He, 2. Bids ']oh11 ( reprefenting the Godly of that Age) metifi~re the Temple anew; and fo begins to make a new Reformation therein more anfwerable to the Pat– tern in the Mount ; for he is not pleafed with the Old one that now bath frood fo long. And therefore in this new Reformation, he commands Johu to leave out that Outward Court, as intending (after his purer Churches !hall thus firll: have (as it were) excommunicated them) to give up that Outward Court to t~efe Gentiles, who ha~e already took P?ffeffion of the CitJ:, and kep_t i~ a long time, but !hall now agam enter upon this Outward Court, It bemg wnhm their Leafe and Demife. And fo with this over-running the outward Court of the Church, !hall they accomplifh their Reign over the whole City, being then to be driven out of all fOr. ever ; which makes them fo angry, as you. have it verf 18. And thus they having gained the Outward Court, which fenced and kept fafe the Witneffes, as from Perfecution by the Papifrs, who yet had vexed arid plagued them, by !hooting of Wild-fire out of the Temple, (though they had alfo !hot back again that which had hurt the Witneffes all that while) : But now the Beafr can come to them to overcome them and kill them quite, (for their Omward Court was won) and fo utterly fcatter the Power of rhe Holy Peo– ple; but yet fo, as with t?is the days of the_ir Oppreffion !hall ceafe, this bemg the accomphlhment of thetr Years of fcattermg, and the lafr War 'Vherein An– tichrifr !hall any way prevail: He (the Reliques of him left ) !hall indeed make head again, before the feventh Vial ; but it !hall not come to a Victory as this doth.
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