Zion. The papal period, represented
by the leopard-beast, continued for 1,260 years, its universal sway
terminating with the sixteenth century reformation. The length of the
Protestant reign following is not stated in this series.

[Sidenote: The two witnesses]

Let us now return to the description of the two witnesses given in
Revelation 11. We have already considered the first part of that
symbolic description pertaining to the 1,260 years during which the
holy city was to be trodden under foot and the two witnesses were
to prophesy in sackcloth; and we have shown that this description is
exactly parallel with the prophecy that set forth the period of the
papal supremacy. But the description continues, covering the era of
modern sects and leading up to the work of a final reformation.

After describing the 1,260-year prophecy of the two witnesses,
the narrative continues: "And when they shall have finished their
testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall
make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 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
crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations
shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not
suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell
upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send
gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that
dwelt on the earth" (Rev. 11:7-10).

[Sidenote: The witnesses slain]

This intricate picture of symbolical imagery is placed chronologically
just after the 1,260-year reign of Romanism and hence it was to meet
its fulfilment during the Protestant era. It describes in the most
graphic and realistic manner the evil characteristics and tendencies
of the sect-system. I have already shown that in the primitive church
the two witnesses--the Word and the Spirit of God--were the real
vicars of Christ, giving both character and government to the
universal church of God on earth. We have also seen that with the rise
of human ecclesiasticism the reign of the Word and Spirit ended in
so far as the Church of Rome was concerned. The same is true also
of Protestantism. The establishment of man-made creeds and the
concentration and centralization of church power and governmental
authority in human hands--a church-rule patte