shed from the worshipers
simply on account of their power and message.

[Sidenote: The two witnesses]

These symbols represent the true apostolic church. It is the holy
city, Jerusalem, his temple, whose holy, united worshipers obey the
commands of God. The application of the "witnesses" particularly
specified as they are in the description, requires further
explanation. It is said, "These are the two olive trees and the
two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth" (Rev. 11:4).
Whatever these two witnesses signify in particular, they are the
same as the olive trees and candlesticks spoken of. It appears that
allusion is made to Zechariah 4, where two olive trees are represented
as standing, one on each side of a golden candlestick, distilling into
it their oil for light. When the angel was asked for an explanation of
these two olive trees and the candlestick, he answered, "This is the
_Word_ of the Lord ... by my _Spirit_ saith the Lord" (verse 6). We
are to understand, therefore, that God's Word and Spirit are the "two
witnesses" in his church; that is, they signify the divine element
operating in his church. Just as the mediation of the prophets was
necessary in the olden times to maintain constant contact with God,
without which the religious exercises degenerated to mere formalism,
so the living _Word_ and _Spirit_ of God were present in the apostolic
church to elevate its service above mere human systems and forms
of worship. That the Word of God and the Spirit of God are special
witnesses is proved by many texts. Jesus said, "Search the scriptures
... they are they which _testify_ of me" (John 5:39). "This gospel of
the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a _witness_ unto
all nations" (Matt. 24:14). "The Holy Ghost also is a _witness_" (Heb.
10:15). "The Spirit itself beareth _witness_" (Rom. 8:16). "It is the
Spirit that beareth _witness_" (1 John 5:6).

Of the uncircumcised Gentiles it is said, "The holy city shall they
tread under foot forty and two months." This signifies the great
apostasy that overspread the earth, defiling and perverting the true
worship of God. The burden of this series, however, is not to describe
the foreign element thus introduced, but to set forth in greater
fulness the fact that during the same time that the idolatrous
multitude of Gentiles trod down the holy city God preserved his own
people. _The temple still remained_, and it had devout worshipers;
_the two