r-An Ex P o s 1T 1 o N ~~~ Anfwerably and oppoGtely (as [xd] is taken) he fays tl~ree things ~e 1 A 1'' • WitnefTes · As ~ I. Tha~ the fame fpoceof Timethat the Gentiles arc to liavc to reign in, the 'f.1me rhcfc have (even as many) tO prophefy in, and fhall be enabled to oppofe them all rhat while. The Wimefles are tO have their 1260 Days, for the Gen– tiles 42 ~1onths; fo vcr. 3· . . And 2. Whcrr:JS this Temple was in his latter Age to be begun to be Meajind, but that Work is interrupted and hindred, by this Ail3ult and lnvafion made by th<fc Ger.tiles, upon thisOutward Court and Temple: Yet thefe WitncfTcs 01all be as thofe Tn·o Olive Ti·ees, (ver. 4) That mini)lcr before tf.e Lord of tloc wlo!e E .oth; (who(e Power is engaged in that Work.) And thus they are called, to lignify, that as }ojh11aand Zcmbbabel then, (who were called t\1'0 Olive Trees in that Vifion, Zcch. 4· in rclpcfr, that they were to perform the like work of linifhing the Temple, againfl: all Oppofition made); fo fbou\cl thefe two Wit– nd1es now complcat the finifhing of this Temple meafured, notwithfl:andingthis Interruption, by the Gentiles lnvafion ofthe Temple and Outward Court. And lo, thi> is oppofitcly lpoken to that fccond thing !aid ofthe Gentiles. And 3· Although thefe Gentiles in their fubduing the Outward Court,do much hurt to the Wimcf!es, who (hall oppofe them in this their Alf.1ult upon it, and the Ttmple: )"et they again fball be able to avenge all the hurt done to them– lclvcs, by Fire retmned upon their Enemies, and !pit out oftheir Mouths againfr them,whilfl: they are thus endeavouring to regain the Outward Court from them. And this is the firfl: thing in General to be oblerved. Now 2. To the f:1rne purpofe you may obferve, that this Power given them to hurt their Enemies, is lpokcn ofas a Matter of Fact, clone at that prefem Time, and in the Age wherein ]ohn in the Virion fl:ands, hearing the Perfons of the Godly who were to meafure this Temple. Yea, and that this is fpoken of, as an encouragement to that work, that If any Man wr/1 hurt them, Fire comes 011t of their Mo11ths. But now, 3· On the other fide, it may be obferved, that whatever elfe is laid of their Power in the 6th Verfe (beGdes thefe two things in the 4th and 5thVer– fes) is brought in mcerly as a thing added for illufl:ration fake, to fbew, what Power befides this, they have in their Days formerly exercifed : As thus, Thefe lvve Power in the Day oftheir Prophecy, &c. ver. 6. But the prime and eminent thing which is firfl: mentioned, is that their dev011ring their Enemies with Fire ; which is pl1inly the fourth Vial, mentioned next the meafuring the Temple, as conjunfr with it. And again, 4- This Exploit oftheirs bath an Emphafis fet upon it allo, z·cr.5. [In tlh manner he (!peaking of him that fball hurt them) nmji be ~illed,] as no– ting the greatefl: Plague which thdc Witnelfes could execute, anJ that which fo vexeth and tormenteth their Enemies, (as ver. 10. bath it) and lo fl:orcheth them, (as the fomth Vial cxprefTeth it) that they are thereby provoked to kill them for it, and fo to rejoice over them chiefly in this very refpefr, asver. 10. tells us. Yea, 5· Thefefour Plagues being plainly the four firfl: Vials; you may obferve, that they are here mentioned m·dine inverjo, in a clean contrary Order from what they are ranked in, Chap. 16. For the fourth Vial ofFire, which in Chap. 16. is made lafl: in Execution, is yet here ranked firfl:: And that Vial on the Eflrtbwhich is firfl: there, is mentioned lafl: here; meerly to fl1ew that ;his of Fire, was that which belonged to the prefent Times of this Chapter, and the Vifions of it ; namely, when the Temple is Meafured, and alfo as that which was mainly inten– ded : and the other to come in only for illufl:ration fake, to fbew more fully who thefe Witnelfes were, (even the fame, th~t the Pourers forth ofthofe Vials.) SEcT.
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