THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE — CHAPTER XI

 

Nota Bene: Before proceeding, the reader is advised to review our post titled, PREFATORY TO THE TRANSCRIPTION OF THE APOCALYPSE OF JOHN THE APOSTLE as well as our post titled, THE ARGVMENT OF THE APOCALYPSE OF S. IOHN. The reader is also advised that the source text of THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE — CHAPTER XI transcribed herewith can be accessed online by referring to pp. 717–719 of the original Rheims New Testament through the following link: THE NEVV TESTAMENT OF IESVS CHRIST, TRANSLATED FAITHFVLLY INTO ENGLISH, out of the authentical Latin, according to the beſt corrected copies of the ſame, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages: Vvith Argvments of bookes and chapters, Annotations, and other neceſſarie helpes, for the better vnderſtanding of the text, and ſpecially for the diſcouerie of the Corrvptions of diuers late tranſlations, and for cleering the Controversies in religion, of theſe daies: In the English College of Rhemes. PRINTED AT RHEMES, by Iohn Fogny. 1582.



THE APOCALYPSE
OF IOHN THE APOSTLE

Chap. XI.

S. Iohn meaſuring the Temple, 3 heareth of tvvo vvitneſſes that ſhal preache: 7 vvhom the beaſt cõming vp from the ſea ſhal kil, 11 but they riſing againe aſcend into heauen, 13 and ſeuen thouſand perſons are ſlaine vvith an earthquake: 15 and at the ſound of the ſeuenth Angel, the foure and tvventie ſeniors giue praiſe and thankes to God.

1. And there vvas giuen me a reede like vnto a rodde : and it vvas ſaid to me, Ariſe, and meaſure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that adore in it. † 2. but the court vvhich is vvithout the temple, caſt forth, & meaſure not that : becauſe it is giuen to the Gentiles, & they ſhal treade vnder foote the holy citie ⸬ two and fourtie monethes: ⸬ Three yeres and a halfe. vvhich is the time of the Antichriſts reigne and perſecution. † 3. and I vvil giue to ″ my tvvo vvitneſſes,1 and they ſhal prophecie a thouſand tvvo hundred ſixtie daies, clothed vvith ſacke-clothes. † 4. Theſe are the two oliue trees and the tvvo candleſtickes that ſtand in the ſight of the Lord of the earth. † 5. And if any man vvil hurt them, fire ſhal come forth out of their mouthes, and ſhal deuoure their enemies. and if any man vvil hurt them : ſo muſt he be ſlaine. † 6. Theſe haue power to ſhut heauen, that it raine not in the daies of their prophecie : and they haue povver ouer the waters to turne them into bloud, and to ſtrike the earth vvith al plague as often as they vvil.

    † 7. And vvhen they ſhal haue finiſhed their teſtimonie:the ⸬ beaſt vvhich aſcended from the depth, ⸬ The great Antichriſt. ſhal make vvarre againſt them, and ſhal ouercome them, and kil them. † 8. And their bodies ſhal lie in the ſtreates of the c great citie, vvhich is called ſpiritually Sodom and Ægypt, vvhere their Lord alſo vvas crucified. c He meaneth Hieruſalem, named Sodom and Ægypt for the imitatiõ of thẽ in wickednes. So that we ſee his cheefe reigne ſhal be there, though his tyrannie may extend to al places of the vvorld. † 9. And there ſhal of tribes, and peoples, and tonges, and Gentiles, ſee their bodies for three daies and a halfe:and they ſhal not ſuffer their bodies to be laid in monuments. † 10. and the inhabitants of the earth ⸬ ſhal be glad vpon them, and make merie : and ſhal ſend giftes one to an other, becauſe theſe tvvo prophets tormented them that dvvelt vpon the earth. ⸬ The wicked reioyce, vvhen holy men are executed by the tyrants of the vvorld, becauſe their life and doctrine are burdenous vnto them. † 11. And after three daies and a halfe, the ſpirit of life from God entred into them. And they ſtoode vpon their feete, and a great fear fel vpon them that ſavv them. † 12. And they heard a loud voice from heauen ſaying to them, Come vp hither. And they vvent vp into heauen in a cloude : and their enemies ſavv them. † 13. And in that houre there vvas made a great earthquake : and the tenth part of the citie fel : and there vvere ſlaine in the earthquake names of men ſeuen thouſand : and the reſt vvere caſt into a feare, and gaue glorie to the God of heauen.

     † 14. The ſecond vvoe is gone: and behold the third vvoe vvil come quickly. † 15. And the ſeuenth Angel ſounded with a trompet : and there vvere made loude voices in heauen ſaying, ⸬ The kingdom of this vvorld is made our Lords & his Chriſts, and ſhal reigne for euer and euer. Amen. ⸬ The kingdõ of this world vſurped before by Satan & Antichriſt, ſhal aftervvard be Chriſtes for euer.

     † 16. And the foure and tvventie ſeniours vvhich ſitte on their ſeates in the ſight of God, fel on their faces, and adored God, † 17. ſaying: Vve thanke thee Lord God omnipotent, vvhich art, and vvhich vvaſt, and vvhich ſhalt come: becauſe thou haſt receiued thy great povver, and haſt reigned. † 18. And the Gentiles vvere angrie, and thy vvrath is come, and the time of the dead, to be iudged, and ⸬ to render revvard to thy ſeruants the prophets and ſainctes, and to them that feare thy name ″litle and great, and to deſtroy them that haue corrupted the earth.⸬ To repay the hire or wages (for ſo both the Greeke vvord and the latin ſignifie) due to holy men, proueth againſt the proteſtãts, that they did truely merite the ſame in this life.

     † 19. And the temple of God vvas opened in heauen : and the arke of his teſtament vvas ſeen in his temple, and there vvere made lightenings, and voices, and an earthquake and great haile.

ANNOTATIONS
Chap. XI.

  1. 3. My tvvo vvitneſſes.] Enoch & Elias yet aliue, ſhal preach in the time of Antichriſt. Enoch and Elias, as it is commonly expounded. for, that Elias ſhal come againe before the later day, it is a moſt notorious knovven thing (to vſe S. Auguſtines vvordes) in the mouthes and hartes of faithful men. See li. 20 de Ciuit. Dei c. 29. Tract. 4 in Ioan. and both of Enoch and Elias, Lib. 1 de pec. merit. c. 3. So the reſt of the Latin Doctors. as, S. Hierom ad Pãmach. ep. 61 c. 11. & in Pſal. 20. S. Ambroſe in Pſal. 45. S. Hilarie 20 can. in Mat. Proſper li. vltima de Promiſsionibus c. 13. S. Gregorie li. 14 Moral. c. 11. & ho. 12 in Ezech. Beda in 9 Marci. The Greeke fathers alſo, as S. Chryſoſtom ho. 58 in Mat. & ho. 4 in 2 Theſſal. & ho. 21 in Geneſ. & ho. 22 in ep. ad Hebr. Theophylacte and Oecumenius in 17 Matthai. S. Damaſcene li.4 de Orthodoxa fide c. 27.
        Furthermore, that they liue alſo in Paradiſe, it is partly gathered out of the Scripture Ecclici 44,16. vvhere it is plainely ſaid of Enoch, that he is tranſlated into Paradiſe, as al our Latin exemplars do reade: and of Elias, that he vvas taken vp aliue, it is euident 4 Reg. 2. And S. Irenæus ſaith, it is the tradition of the Apoſtles, that they be both there. li. 5 in initio. Dicunt Presbyteri (ſaith he) qui ſunt Apoſtolorum Diſcipuli. So ſay the Prieſts or Auncients that are the ſcholers of the Apoſtles. See S. Iuſtine q. 85 ad orthodoxos. Finally, that they ſhal returne into the companie of men in the end of the vvorld, to preache againſt Antichriſt, and to inuite both Ievves and Gentiles to penance, and ſo be martyred, as this place of the Apocalypſe ſeemeth plaine, ſo vve haue in part other teſtimonies hereof. Malac. 4. Ecclei 44,16.48,10. Mat. 17,11. See alſo Hyppolytus booke of Antichriſt and the end of the vvorld. Al vvhich being vvel conſidered, the Heretikes are to contentious and incredulous, to diſcredite the ſame, as they commonly doe.↩️


 
Edwin Wright