Vs. 4-6.—­“These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks,” answerable to Joshua and Zerubbabel, the representatives of a gospel ministry and a scriptural magistracy in their day, as seen by the prophet Zechariah, (ch. iv. 14.) The official administrators of the divine ordinances of church and state, require the oil of divine grace to qualify them for the discharge of their responsible duties to God and man. (1 Tim. i. 2; Titus i. 4; Ps. lxxii. 1.) Thus were those public servants of God and of his people qualified who “stood before the God of the earth,” as Moses and Aaron in Egypt, Elijah and Elisha in Israel, to whom there is obvious allusion in the special work of these witnesses. (2 Kings i. 10; 1 Kings xvii. 1; Exod. vii. 17.) “Fire proceedeth out of their mouth,” when from the scriptures they denounce just judgments upon the impenitent enemies of him whom they represent.  They “smite the earth with all plagues,” when, in answer to their prayers, vengeance comes upon antichristian communities. (Luke xviii. 7, 8.) They “turn waters into blood,” when through their effective agency, the votaries of Antichrist are made the instruments of mutual destruction.  And all this is made more clear in the symbolic “vials,” (ch. 16.) These witnesses “prophesy,” not as being inspired, but because they,—­and they only, apply existing predictions to their appropriate objects, so far as they receive light from Him who is “the light of the world.”

They are “clothed in sack-cloth,” because they sigh and cry for all the abominations of their time,—­subjected to oppression, and excluded from “kings’ palaces,”—­places of worldly honor, power and emolument.

But the question is of great importance, and, to themselves in particular, of absorbing interest,—­How shall these witnesses be identified among mankind?  For however few, humble, despised and persecuted, even unto death; strange as it may seem, there are not wanting many to put forth a claim to be identified with them!  Assuming that these mystic witnesses are individual persons, the Papists say, they are Enoch and Elijah, hereafter to appear on earth!  By Protestants, John Huss and Jerome.—­Luther and Calvin, have been selected.  Others suppose the Old and New Testaments, with many other vague and groundless conjectures.  The witnesses die; but the two prophets named “were translated that they should not see death:”  and the thought is preposterous that they should be brought again from their glorious state of immortality and subjected to an ignominious death.  John Huss and Jerome of Prague did not prophesy 1260 years, nor have we the shadow of a ground to believe that any of the human race shall ever prolong their days on earth to the age of Methuselah.  The two Testaments cannot die, for “the word of God liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 Pet. i. 23.) But it would be tedious and unprofitable to confute the various chimeras which on this question have been entertained in the minds