anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth'; and they are interpreted by the angel to be the Word of the Lord, by the Spirit of the Lord, unto Zerubbabel (verse 6). From this we clearly see that these two witnesses, two anointed ones, two olive-trees, signify the Word and the Spirit of God. The Word of God and the Spirit of God are the special witnesses of the Lord here on the earth. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations." Matt. 24: 14. "Search the Scriptures... they are they which testify of me." John 6:39. "The Holy Ghost also is a witness." Heb. 10:15. See also Rom. 8:16; 1 John 5: 6. These are the two prophets that have been given unto the church as the vicars of Christ in the world, and through them God has governed the church in all ages. They governed victoriously before A. D. 270, which is properly termed the morning-light age.

"Then came up the beast, with a man at the head of it claiming to be the vicar of Christ. A contest between the true vicars, the Word and the Spirit, and the false vicar, the pope, followed, which continued 1,260 days. These 1,260 days signify the same 1,260 years of the papal

age which lie between 270 and 1530. In this age the Word and Spirit of God never surrendered their vicarship, but there were always found true witnesses of Christ, who were determined to be governed by the Word and Spirit of God, like the saints in the morning light. These the pope was constantly causing to be put to death. This is doubtless what is signified by the sackcloth with which these two prophets were dressed during that age, sackcloth being an emblem of melancholy, distress, and mourning."

Turning back to Rev. 13:10 we read: "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." Ah! the patience and faith of the saints during that long, bloody night of papal darkness, was that the very beastpower which was leading them into captivity and killing them with the sword would sometime itself go into captivity and suffer death from the sword. Thank God, their prayers were answered and their hopes realized. In the sixteenth century, God began to raise up reformers, such as Huss, Melanchthon, and Luther, who hurled the awful thunderbolts of heaven

against the beast-power of popery. Truth, so long crushed, began to arise and triumph in the earth. The Reformation spread rapidly in every direction. Watch-fires were kindled throughout all Germany and almost all Europe. Thousands threw off the galling yoke of popery and came out into clearer light. God's kingdom, which was to conquer every opposing power, conquered popery.

The Reformation spread so rapidly and its power became so great that it cast its influence upon the rulers of nations, who turned Protestant. The very rulers and kings that had so long upheld the Catholic sect now turned against her and gave their support to Protestantism. The sword was turned against the beast. There were thirty years of bloody war in Germany. Finally the papal power was broken and the beast sheared of its temporal power. That beast which had ruled the earth for 1,260 long years was left bleeding and wounded, and it has been growing weaker ever since. Thus the prayers of those millions who were slain during its long reign were answered; and the words of God in Rev. 17:16 were fulfilled, where he says that the very kings and

rulers who supported the great harlot "shall hate her, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.” After this John was carried away in the spirit "into the wilderness" (Rev. 17:3).

What did John now see?

And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he car. ried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken

with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration." Rev. 17:

1-6.

Oh, how changed! What a contrast! Now he beholds "a great whore." Instead of a pure woman, that chaste virgin, he now beholds a woman "with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." She holds a cup full of the "filthiness of her fornication." This woman is "drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." No wonder John" wondered with great admiration." Before the apostasy she stood upon the moon-the Word of God (12:1); now she sits "upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." Ah, beloved reader, this woman represents the apostate church. She is the Catholic church. The beast that carried her is imperial Rome under the popes and bishops. This is made clear by the angel's interpretation of this marvelous vision.

"And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of