"the people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations," till the
witnesses are raised from the dead and ascend to heaven in the
presence of their enemies; when Christianity will revive, and Christ's
reign on earth begin.

These representations may be designed to intimate that the term in
which infidelity will appear to be universal, will be so short that
the warnings of the faithful will not be forgotten--that they will
be kept in mind by the exultations occasioned by deliverance from the
fears of religion, and from the presence of those who had excited
those fears, by exhibiting proofs of religion which they could not
refute. And how natural and common are such exultations, with those
devoid of religious fear? But agreeably to the view given by the
apostle, when such shall have become the state of the world, and the
nations shall be thus felicitating themselves in full persuasion that
all religion is a dream, and death an eternal sleep, the signals of
Christ's coming to take the kingdom, will be given, and witnesses of
the truth of Christianity, which cannot be disputed, suddenly arise,
to the surprize and confusion of scoffing sinners; multitudes of whom
will be swept off by desolating judgments to prepare the way for "the
people of the saints of the most high, _whose kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom_." For that desolations are to close the sad scene
of apostasy, and prepare Christ's way is clearly foretold;
particularly by St. John, who beheld, in vision, "the kings of the
earth, and of the whole world, gathered to the battle of the great day
of God Almighty;" and saw such an effusion of their blood, that "the
harvest of the earth might be considered as reaped, the vine of
the earth as cut and cast into the great wine press of the wrath of
God, whence flowed blood to the horses bridles." *