Napier on the Two Witnesses

A paraphrase of Revelation 11:1-12

A plaine discovery of the whole Revelation of S. John
John Napier (1611)

Revelation 11 (JKV)	Paraphrase by John Napier
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.	And there was power and knowledge given me straightly, as with a met-wand, to measure the state of things to come: so Christ the great Angel of the covenant assisting me, commanded me to arise from all earthly affections, and to prophesy now the precise measure of times, that God has carefully appointed over his true inward and invisible Church his holy religion, and all the true posessors thereof.
But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.	But as for the outward superstitious and visible face of the pretended Church, it must be rejected from God, and no care, measure, nor account had by him thereof, because it must be given over to Antichristian and Idolatrous people, who shall subdue his holy Church and spiritual Jerusalem, and tread it under foot 1,260 years.
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.	Yet in the meantime shall God give that grace, that his two Witnesses, the old & new Testaments shall be authorized, and shall preach and prophecy these thousand two hundred and threescore years, though not in their due apparel but disguised with the obscurity of men's traditions.
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.	These testaments be as two Olives, to anoint us Kings and Priests to our God, and as two lanterns to illuminate us with the true light of his holy Spirit. These abide and stand before God with his elect upon the earth.
And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.	If any Heretic would pervert these the fire of godly zeal, proceeding from the mouths of their posessors, shall confound these Heretics. And if any Atheist would utterly subvert these Testaments, they shall be destroyed and die eternally.
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.	These have such authority, that the heaven shall be closed, and no rain shall descend from thence, and tyranny and bloodshed shall be among the people of the earth, and the world scourged with all kind of plagues, during all the days that these Testaments and posessors thereof do so prophesy and threaten us for our iniquities: yea even so often as they list to pronounce God's wrath against us for that cause.
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 when these two Testaments are completely written out, and their testimony authorized the Antichrist Monarch, rising from the devil, shall strive against them, and shall overcome them and shall deprive them of their spiritual meaning and lively sense.
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 their dead letter shall lie as dead carcases patiently, throughout all the jurisdiction of that great Antichristian city which spiritually is as Sodom in all stinking and unnatural lechery, and as Egypt in tyranny and oppression over the Saints of God, for even there, Christ our Lord, in many respects is continually crucified and put to death.
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 of all tribes, people, tongues, and nations shall see this dead letter, lying as dead carcases the said space of one thousand two hundred and sixty years, and shall not suffer the same to be duely buried, settled, & ingraved within their breasts.
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.	For all that dwell in earthly pleasures shall be merry to see God's word so smothered, and shall rejoice together, and send gifts and propines every one to another: For these two testaments would have preached against sins and prophesy their destruction and have troubled the glad state of these that dwell in earthly pleasures.
And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.	But after the said thousand two hundred and sixty years, the lively spirit of interpretation from God shall quicken them up, and they shall be authorized and set up in estimation, and the fear of God shall come upon the hearts of all men that shall then rightly see & consider them.
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.	For by the voice and preaching of God's heavenly and true Church, they were chosen & called upon, to ascend up to them, and be promoted above all human traditions, and they arose up, and were promoted to their due honour and authority, among them of that heavenly and true Church, while as yet they were but cloudy, dark, & unknown to the world: then shall their enemies the Antichristians, now begin to see and perceive their authority.