r&An ExPos 1 T IoN sEcT. IV. The 1ime of tl>e 'Beaft's enjo)'ing thu {tJII ViEto>y but tlJI·ee Years and an half. 1/,e 1ime of obtaining it, and of killing tbe Witne!Jes, may be longer. FOR the Time of the continuance of this Slaughter. Whereas there is here mentioned the Beafl:'s f}l.1k:j11g rf!dr againfl theNt, and overcoming and kil– ling them, than 1vheu they are about to fnifb their Teftimony, (that is, towards the Time of the tnd of it) and then their bing dead for tbrce Days and an half: \Ve muf\ herein warily tr.ke heed we miftake not this only mentioned T ime of three Years and an half, as if that were all. the Time allotted f<Jr t!.is ]aft War again(\ them, vill:ory over them, and Oaughter of them : No, it is not faid they Ihould be overcoming and kjlling them only fo long Time; .but that thefe Wit' ndfes fhould lie dead no longer, after a full Vill:ory obtainerl, and Slaughter once made. So that that War againfl them, and killing of them, may be much longer in execution, than for three Days and an half only. And indeed, how long that !hall continue afore thefe three Years and a half begin, we know not. The Gwtiles hnve already been a long while a beueging and making War again(\ the Temple, and have not as yet prevailed: It is not yet come to an overcoming of fo much as the Outward Court; that Out·work is not yet fully enough gained: (for the winning of the Outward Court, I account part of this their making War agamf\ the Witndles). But how long foevcr this War may prove, and how far focver it may be lengthened out, yet when it comes to a cornpleat Vill:ory once, then (for our comfort) we arc fi~re, that the Time of the Witnelies (!ing dead fi1all be but forthree Years and an half, until their ri– (i"g, or beginning to rife again. And as in a great Ecclipfe of the Moon the ·Time whil(l all or mofl of its Body is darkned, and whil(l that Eclipfe is in its fulnds, ufeth <frecially to be fet down and taken notice of by Af\ronomers, and that Time is efJ,ccially accounted the Time of the Eclipfe, and not fo much the Time when it begins to lofe, or after that to recover fome Light: So is it here in this great and ]aft hour of Darknefs which the Church is to have; wherein the Time of its rota! Eclipfe is only reckoned. The Pharifies were long a laying their Plots again(! Chrifl, and confulting how to ruin him, but at the ]a(l pre– vaJied only for tbrec D<~y. And thus all hitherto·done, ts but the War in order to this Conguef\; the Enemies are as yet but a taking the Out·works, and mak– ing their Approaches, 6c. 3· For this Time here mentioned of their b·ing dead; it is but for three Iean and a11 b"lf, which is here called three Days and ari half; whereby three Natural Days, conul\ing of 24 Hours, cannot be meant. For how !hall the noife of this full Vill:ory be carried to Nations and Tongues, (who are (aid tO fee their dea(l Bodres, pa,rtly in that refpell:, of having the news of it)? And how !ball · the
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