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THE
MEASURING REED
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reed.
He received the office of writing the Gospel in the reed, which is not
useless with a vain lustre, but is like "the rod of equity, the
rod of the kingdom of God,"
for it describes the eternal kingdom of Christ.
Rise.
"Rise," he said: not that John was seated, but that the hearts
of all are aroused by this word to measure the writings and actions
of the Gospel, for then they find what progress they each one make,
and how far they agree with the divine rule.
worship.
For not all they who are seen therein worship, as he "who shall
confess Me."
He commands, that is, in what he says, that a part should not be reckoned.
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without.
They who in name alone are united to the Church,
and who neither draw near to the altar nor the most holy place, are
cast forth by the rule of the Gospel, and are joined to the nations.
For "all the glory of her who is the daughter of kings is from
within."
tread.
Not only are they driven from the Church, but they also fight
against the Church itself, with the heathen as their allies, for
three years and a-half. It is not that they only trample upon
it then in the time of the Antichrist;
but that in that time all the body of the wicked, "in whom
the ministry of iniquity already works,"
is joined as it were, to its own head.
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THE
TWO WITNESSES
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witnesses.
That the cruelty of the bad may not alarm the hearer, he mentions,
that the Church also, which of two races is made one, is to become
illustrious by the gift of miracles. The Church, too, ever contemplating
its head, namely Christ, teaching in the flesh, will prophesy, it
is said, for two years and a-half. For the months of three years and
a-half, namely, thirty times forty-two, make up two hundred and sixty
days. But Daniel writes, that the days of the same period in which
the abomination of desolation is to be set up are one thousand two
hundred and ninety.
sackcloth.
That is, who are made to stand in penance; as the prophet says, "But
I clothed myself in sackcloth of hair, while they were vexatious unto
me."
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olive
trees. The Church is irradiated by the light of
the two Testaments, and ever waits upon the commands of the Lord. So
also the prophet Zechariah saw one candlestick with seven branches,
and these two olive-trees, that is, testaments, pouring oil into the
candlestick. This is the Church with its oil, which never fails, which
makes it shine for the light of the world.
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fire.
If any one harms the Church, he is condemned by a retributive sentence
of the same harm; and is consumed by fire. For "all they who take
the sword shall perish with the sword."
And so the Chaldean flame which was prepared for the children of God,
slew the ministers of ungodliness themselves. Or: he who is to be changed
for the better, is spiritually consumed in a good fire, by the prayers
of the mouth of the Church. "Thou wilt heap," he says, "coals
of fire upon his head."
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power.
All power in heaven and earth is given to the Church in Christ, for
the keys of binding and loosing are committed to it. But spiritually
also, the heaven is shut, that it rain no rain, in order that blessing
from the Church may not come down upon the barren earth. As the Lord
saith of the Father to His vineyard, "I will command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it."
waters.
Not only do they make to cease the waters, but they also render those
which had come down useless; and this is, to turn the waters into
blood. The sweet savour of Christ, which comes with fragrance from
the Church, is "to some a savour of death unto death, to others
a savour of life unto life."
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testimony.
He shews clearly, that all these things take place before the last
persecution, by saying, "when they shall have finished their
testimony;" namely, that which they give, until the revelation
of the beast, who is to come forth from the hearts of the ungodly.
It is not that they do not then strive boldly to resist the enemy
by the same testimony, but that the Church, as is supposed, will then
be left destitute of the gift of miracles, while the adversary is
resplendent with them in the sight of all through lying wonders. For,
as the Lord says, "Want shall go before his face."
kill.
He will overcome in those who shall succumb, he will kill in those
who, with laudable patience, shall be slain. Or: if he shall overcome
and kill spiritually, we may take it of a part of the witnesses, as
the Lord says in the Gospel, "They will deliver you up to affliction,
and kill you;"
which Luke the Evangelist intimates to have been spoken of a part,
saying, "Some of you they will kill."
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bodies.
"If they have persecuted Me," He says, "they will also
persecute you."
It is no wonder, then, if the city of the ungodly, which feared not
to crucify the Lord, has His servants also in derision, even when
they are slain. And such things as these ecclesiastical history relates
to have often occurred.
Sodom.
That is, "silent and dark," having forsooth neither the
light of faith, nor the voice of confession. For "with the heart
man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation."
These regions, for a sign of spiritual punishment, were visibly smitten
with these plagues, that is, with devouring fire, and water turned
into blood.
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see.
He said not the peoples and tribes will see, but, many from among
the peoples who openly deride the saints, when others believe.
tombs.
He has spoken of their wish and their opposition: not that they are
able to effect that the Church should not be their memorial; as it
is said, "Ye neither enter in, nor suffer others to enter in,"
seeing that some do enter in, although they oppose. But they will
evidently effect, in respect of the bodies of the living and of the
slain, that neither are the living suffered to meet together for their
memory by the celebration of holy offices, nor the slain to have their
names recited for their memory, nor to have their bodies buried for
their memory as witnesses of God.
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rejoice.
As often as the righteous are afflicted, the unrighteous exult and
feast,
as, "while the ungodly is lifted up, the poor is consumed."
tormented.
Because of the plagues with which the human race is vexed, because
of their testimony to God, even the very sigth of the righteous oppresses
the unrighteous; as they themselves say, "He is grievous unto
us even to behold."
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days.
Thus far the angel has spoken of the future,
and now he brings in, as accomplished, that which he hears is
to come to pass, namely that, after the reign of Antichrist
has been destroyed, the saints have risen to glory.
fear.
He has spoken of all the living, because even the righteous who shall
remain alive will greatly fear at the resurrection of those who sleep.
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cloud.
This is the same that the Apostle said, "We shall be caught up
in the clouds into the air, to meet the Lord."
enemies.
Here he has distinguished the unrighteous from those of whom he had
said, that they feared in common with them.
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THE
GREAT EARTHQUAKE
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earthquake.
When the terror of the judgement comes upon them, all the city of
the devil, which is built upon the sand, with all its builders, will
fall to the ground. For, both ten and seven are perfect numbers. But
if it were not so, the whole would be to be understood from a part.
affrighted.
Who of all men will boast that he has a pure heart, when "the
powers of heaven shall be shaken."
gave
glory. They
are built upon a rock, who, from their own stability, glorify
the Lord when others fall at the earthquake. For "the righteous
will rejoice when he seeth the punishment of the wicked."
Some understand the two prophets to be Enoch
and Elijah, and that they are to preach for three years and a-half,
and confirm the hearts of the faithful against the perfidy of
Antichrist,
which is presently to follow; and that, after their death, his
cruelty is to rage for the same period of time, and then, when
the conflict is at length renewed by the saints, who in the protection
of their hiding-places were supposed to be dead, is to be overcome.
And these, because of their fellowship in one body, are said to
rise as prophets themselves; and when the persecution is intensified
at the sight of those who were already thought to be dead, many
of those who were supposed to be worthy of the number seven, or
ten, will fall. For Daniel says, "He will confirm the covenant
with many for one week, and in the half of the week the oblation
and sacrifice will cease, and the abomination of desolation shall
be in the temple;"
and the following, "and when the abomination which makes
desolate shall be set up, there will be a thousand two hundred
and ninety days,"
which number is close upon the course of three years and a-half.
Finally, Elijah of old destroyed his adversaries by fire, and
was hidden for three years and a-half, and withheld the rain;
and at length, when the false prophets were put to death, by means
of the sacrifice
which had been consumed, he turned Israel unto the Lord.
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second.
The second woe does not belong to the recapitulation,
but to the battle of the horses, which was stirred up by the trumpet
of the sixth angel; for the eagle
had foretold three woes, from the voice of the three trumpets which
was to come. But he did not utter it then, lest that which belongs to
the seventh angel, and the end, should be supposed to follow immediately
upon the third.
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THE
TEMPLE OPENED IN HEAVEN
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seventh.
The six former trumpets, corresponding with the periods of the present
age, announced the various conflicts of the wars of the Church. But
the seventh, heralds in the eternal sabbath, and shews alone the victory
and the dominion of the true King.
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worshipped.
Behold, he says, the third woe will come at the voice of the seventh
angel. And when he had sounded, he only spoke of the Church as praising
God and giving thanks, from which we understand that the retribution
of the faithful will be nothing else than the woe of the evil ones.
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who
art. "Thou hast reigned from the age, although
the ungodly are rebellious against Thee. But now that Thou art Judge,
their fury will be repressed, and will cease." For, "The Lord
hath reigned, let the people be angry."
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dead.
It agrees with the order, as we read in the Gospel, that first, indeed,
all nations
should be gathered together before the Judge, then that those on the
right hand should be disposed in many mansions
in the Kingdom of the Father, but that the ungodly should be driven
out beyond the limits of the kingdom, to be burned in the accursed
flames.
corrupted.
This is the last woe. Therefore, concerning the seven angels sounding
with the trumpet, he now recapitulates from the birth of the Lord,
as about to say the same things in another manner, and more comprehensively.
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The
temple of God, which was placed aforetime on
the earth, had the ark of the covenant, inclosed within the mystical
veil. But now, in the Church, which is "the temple of the living
God,"
whose "conversation is in heaven,"
the ark of His Incarnation is laid open to the whole world, as the
veil of the old temple, and the middle wall of partition, have been
rent asunder by the blood of the Lord. For like the heavenly manna
in clean gold is the Divinity in a holy body.
lightnings.
These all are the miracles of the splendour, and preaching, and wars
of the Church. He had said also that these things took place in the
description of the announcement of the seven angels, from the Advent
of the Lord, when He stood upon the altar,
but generally from the beginning to the end. Then he described particularly
in what manner they took place, as he also does now, that the temple
of God is opened in heaven, and that conflicts follow.
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