[This second section of threshold materials is a reconstruction of the lost text of Spiritual Experiences, paragraphs 1 to 148, 1:3, from the indexes and the "Bath Fragment."]
Revelation 11
1
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.
2
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.
3
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
5
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.
6
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.
7
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.
8
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.
9
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.
10
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.
11
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.
12
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.
13
And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14
The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
16
And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
17
Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
18
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
19
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
Apocalypse Explained #635
635. Verse 3. And I will give unto my two witnesses, signifies the good of love and charity and the truth of doctrine and faith, both from the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "witnesses," as being those who in heart and faith acknowledge and confess the Lord, His Divine in His Human, and His proceeding Divine; for this is what essentially bears witness respecting the Lord, that is, acknowledges, and from acknowledgment confesses Him. (Respecting the signification of "witness" and "bearing witness," see above, n. 10, 27, 228, 392.) "The two witnesses" here signify the good of love and charity, and the truth of doctrine and faith, for it follows that "the two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands;" "the two olive trees" signify the good of love to God and the good of charity towards the neighbor; and "the two lampstands" signify the truth of doctrine and the truth of faith (on the signification of these more presently).
[2] These goods and truths are meant by the "witnesses," because they, that is, all who are in them, acknowledge and confess the Lord, for it is the Divine proceeding that is called the Divine good and the Divine truth, whence is the good of love to God and the good of charity towards the neighbor, and the truth of doctrine and the truth of faith thence, which bear witness concerning Him; from which it follows that those who are in these likewise bear witness concerning the Lord, that is, acknowledge and confess Him. For it is the Divine that bears witness concerning the Divine, and not man from himself; consequently the Lord is in the good of love, and in the truth of doctrine therefrom, that are in man, and it is these that bear witness.
[3] As all acknowledgment and confession of the Lord, and principally the acknowledgment and confession of the Divine in His Human, is from the Lord Himself, and as "to bear witness" signifies to acknowledge and confess this, therefore "to bear witness" stands for acknowledgment and confession in the Lord's own words respecting Himself in the following passages. In John:
Search the Scriptures, for they are they which bear witness of Me (John 5:39).
The Sacred Scriptures or the Word is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and the Divine proceeding is the Lord Himself in heaven and in the church; so when it is said that "the Scriptures bear witness of Him" it is meant that the Lord Himself bears witness respecting Himself. In the same:
I am He that beareth witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me (John 8:18).
Here it is openly declared that the Lord Himself, or the Divine in Him, bears witness of Him.
[4] In the same:
Jesus said, When the Paraclete is come, the spirit of truth, he shall bear witness of Me (John 15:26, 27).
"The Paraclete, the spirit of truth," means the Divine proceeding from the Lord, which is the Divine truth. In the same:
Jesus said to Pilate, Thou sayest it, because I am King; for this have I come into the world, that I might give testimony to the truth (John 18:37).
"To give testimony to the truth" signifies to cause the Divine truth proceeding from Him to bear witness of Him; moreover, this Divine truth is signified in the Word by "king." These passages are cited to make known that "to bear witness" means to acknowledge and confess the Lord, and that this is from Him; consequently "to bear witness" means the good of love and charity and the truth of doctrine and faith, since these are from the Lord and are His in man.
