This witness was guarded not by external worldly preservatives, far from it; during this period “woe” was on what might have been so. What was external, was the subject of merely secret angelic interference of God; but judgment corresponded to their testimony. If any would hurt them, out of their mouth went out fire. It was not the coming down of judgment by external manifest authority; the pretence at least of that was on the side of the false prophet: but they were answered in judgment, to preserve them according to the testimony of their mouth against those that would destroy them. This secret hand of God, according to the word of the faithful witness, when all was gone wrong and desecrated, has, I doubt not, been always in such eases afforded. It was not the time for open appearance in judgment, but always to interfere in watchful vindication of their testimony when needed. If they took the sword in such cases, it
order in all the parts; and in the arrangements of the one candle-stick, and its two olive trees and pipes. But here there are two olive trees and two candlesticks. There they stood before the Lord of the whole earth; here they stand before the God of the earth; a witness to the truth, but not the accomplishment of it: not its order, beauty, and regularity, but a testimony to God’s title to have it so. Such were these witnesses.
