uses of the life of the nation, became, through
their opposition, denial and pride, the cause of death, destruction,
dispersion, degradation and poverty. Hence these two witnesses have power
to destroy the nations.

Then it is said: "And smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they
will,"(44) meaning that they also would have the power and the material
force necessary to educate the wicked and those who are oppressors and
tyrants, for to these two witnesses God granted both outward and inward
power, that they might educate and correct the ferocious, bloodthirsty,
tyrannical nomad Arabs, who were like beasts of prey.

"And when they shall have finished their testimony"(45) means when they
should have performed that which they are commanded, and should have
delivered the divine message, promoting the Law of God and propagating the
heavenly teachings, to the intent that the signs of spiritual life might
be manifest in souls, and the light of the virtues of the world of
humanity might shine forth, until complete development should be brought
about among the nomad tribes.

"The beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall war against
them, and shall overcome them, and kill them":(46) this beast means the
Umayyads who attacked them from the pit of error, and who rose against the
religion of Muhammad and against the reality of 'Ali--in other words, the
love of God.

It is said, "The beast made war against these two witnesses"(47)--that is
to say, a spiritual war, meaning that the beast would act in entire
opposition to the teachings, customs and institutions of these two
witnesses, to such an extent that the virtues and perfections which were
diffused by the power of those two witnesses among the peoples and tribes
would be entirely dispelled, and the animal nature and carnal desires
would conquer. Therefore, this beast making war against them would gain
the victory--meaning that the darkness of error coming from this beast was
to have ascendency over the horizons of the world, and kill those two
witnesses--in other words, that it would destroy the spiritual life which
they spread abroad in the midst of the nation, and entirely remove the
divine laws and teachings, treading under foot the Religion of God.
Nothing would thereafter remain but a lifeless body without spirit.

"And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which
spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was
cr