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Sect. III.
Of the first & second Temples and their Candlesticks.

As a Beast & his horns signify a kingdom & the parts of a kingdom so a Temple & its candlesticks signify a Church & the parts of a Church. And in this Prophesy there are two Temples, the first with seven candlesticks called the seven Churches of Asia, the second with two Candlesticks called the two Witnesses. The first Temple represents the Church of God diffused throughout the kingdom of the Dragon: the second Temple represents the Church of God diffused throughout the kingdom of the Beast. While the Empire continues united & the whole is represented by the Dragon, the Church of God diffused through the whole Empire is represented by the first Temple & the seven Churches of Asia being the seven Candlesticks which by their seven lamps illuminate the whole Temple, are to be considered as the Metropolis of this Church, & their teachers as the lamps which illuminate the whole Church . But when the Empire becomes divided into two Empires represented by the Dragon & Beast. that each Empire may have its Temple the first Temple continues in the kingdom of the Dragon & a new Temple is built in the kingdom of the Beast. And these two Temples are the two eyes of the son of Man & his two leggs standing upon the earth & sea. His eyes are like flames of fire & his leggs like amber or or shining brass as if they burned in a furnace to represent his people under persecutions. Before The second Temple is in the kingdom of the Beast because the Beast makes war upon the two Witnesses represented by its Candlesticks & & overcomes them & kills them in the streets of the great city Babylon which in the form of a Woman reign over him. And therefore the first Temple continues in the kingdom of the Dragon. For the seven Candlesticks do not cease at the division of the Empire but continue in the first Temple to the end of the Prophesy. The seven Angels which sound the Trumpets & pour out the Vials being a their lamps. This Temple (not the second Temple but the Temple of the Tabernacle) stands till the seven plagues of the seven Angels be fulfilled, & the Church of Pergamus lasts till Christ comes & fights against the Nicolaitans with the sword of his mouth & that of Sardis till Christ comes as a thief, & the Churches of Thyatira & Philadelphia are to hold <2r> fast what they have till Christ comes. So then the Greek & Latin Empires

with their Churches false & true are represented by the Dragon & first Beast, the fals Prophet & Whore, the seven Candlesticks in the first Temple & the two Candlesticks in the second. For it was fit that all these things should be represented.

But you are to remember that the nations in which the whole Church of Christ was seated became divided into three parts, the eastern Empire the western Empire & the northern nations of Europe. The first Temple was seated in the eastern Empire which was one of the three parts, & the second Temple was seated in the other two parts & by its two Candlesticks represents two Churches in those two parts one within the old Western Empire the other within the northern nations under the Latin Church. For Charles the great king of France by conquering all Germany, & by being Crowned Emperor of the Romans by the Pope & swearing fealty to the Church of Rome & by establishing the authority & religion of the Pope in all his conquests propagated into all Germany the dominion of the Whore of Babylon & that of the Beast upon which she sits,

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But you are to remember that the nations in which the whole Church of Christ was seated consisted of three parts, the Eastern Empire the Western Empire & the northern nations of Europe. The first Temple before the division of the Empire, comprehended the whole: but After the division it comprehended only the nations of the Greek Empire amongst which I reccon Dacia; & as a new temple was built for the saints of the Western Empire & of the northern nations who had received the gospel from them. And this Temple comprehended two of the three parts, it has in it two Candlesticks & two olive trees to represent the two Churches of those two parts, one Church within the Empire & the other among the northern nations. For Candlesticks signify Churches (Apoc. 1. 20) & so do Olive trees (Rom 11. 17) The seven Candlesticks were applied to the Churches of particular cities & least you should apply the two Candlesticks to the churches of two cities they are called also two Olive trees. For Olive trees are types of Nations & national Churches (Ier. 11. 16. Rom. 11. 17) They are also called two Witnesses & by that name comprehend all the saints & Martyrs who prophesy against the Beast & Whore of Babylon & with whose blood she is drunken. & by consequence extend into the northern nations. For the northern nations invaded the Empire & mixed with the Romans & at length – Charles the great--- upon which she sits. And the mind of the Prophesy was to make the Beast & his Churches true & false of one & the same extent so that the two Witnesses might prophesy against the Beast & Woman in all their dominions.

© 2024 The Newton Project

Professor Rob Iliffe
Director, AHRC Newton Papers Project

Scott Mandelbrote,
Fellow & Perne librarian, Peterhouse, Cambridge

Faculty of History, George Street, Oxford, OX1 2RL - newtonproject@history.ox.ac.uk

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