| Reformed Perspectives Magazine, Volume 9, Number 7, February 11 to February 17, 2007 |
CONTAINING
A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE PROPHECIES
OF DANIEL AND JOHN
TOGETHER WITH
A CRITICAL ESSAY ON THE SECOND ADVENT.
BY
JAMES STACY, D.D.,
PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, NEWNAN, GEORGIA.
"We have a more sure word of prophecy."- 2 Peter 1. 19
RICHMOND:
PRESBYTERIAN COMMITTEE OF PUBLICATION.
This article provided as a ministry of
Jeff Rojan of the Reformed Layman.
CONTENTS
Greek text and charts not available in HTML format.
INTRODUCTION
Principles of Interpretation
PART I.
CHAPTER I - DANIEL’S PROPHECIES
First Vision, - (Dan. ii. 31-35,) – An Image
Second Vision, - (Dan. vii. 1-14,) – Four Beasts
Third Vision, - (Dan. viii. 1-14,) – Ram and He Goat
Summary – Four Great Empires
CHAPTER II – PROPHECIES OF JOHN
General Plan
Seven Seals
Interpretation of Symbols
Sealing of the 144,000
Trumpets
First Trumpet
Second Trumpet
Third Trumpet
Fourth Trumpet
Woe Trumpets
Fifth Trumpet, - (First Woe Trumpet)
Sixth Trumpet, - (Second Woe Trumpet)
A Pause
The Little Book, - (The Reformation,)
Slaying of the Witnesses
Second Great Earthquake
Seventh Trumpet, - (Third Woe Trumpet)
Third Great Heaven
Wonder in Heaven
The Red Dragon, - (Rome Pagan)
First Beast, - (Rome Pagan)
Second Beast, - (Rome Christian)
Image of the Beast
Number of the Name
Seven Last Plagues
First Vial
Second Vial
Third Vial
Fourth Vial
Fifth Vial
Sixth Vial
Battle of Armageddon
Three Unclean Spirits
Seventh Vial
Babylon
Description of the Prophecy
The Man of Sin
Lamentation Over the Fall
Destruction of Remaining Enemies
Binding of Satan
The Millennium
Satan Loosed
Battle of Gog and Magog
Resurrection and Judgment
The Heavenly City
CHAPTER III
How Much Fulfilled
When Shall These Things Be?
Abomination of Desolation
Beginning of Prophetic Periods
Concluding Remark
Practical Lessons
PROPHETIC CHART
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE
PART II
SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
Postmillennialism
Premillennialism
Diagram
I. Number of Comings
II. Number of Judgments
III. Number of Resurrections
IV. Revelation xx. 4-6
V. Other Considerations
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INTRODUCTION
I PROPOSE, in the following pages, to give a brief outline of the prophecies of John, as set forth in the book of Revelation, and as usually held by leading interpreters. And I am led to do this for the reason that there is a great and felt need for just such a work. To the masses the Apocalypse is simply a sealed book. They read it, if at all, without getting an idea, either as to its intention or scope of its teachings. Indeed, many seem to think that it is neither possible, nor yet intended, to be understood. But if so, why is it termed a "revelation"? How a revelation with nothing revealed? If not to be read and studied, why the benediction pronounced, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy"? If "All scripture is given by inspiration, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness," can there be any reason why the prophetical portions should be made the exception? As the object of prophecy is twofold, being alike the attestation of revelation and the encouragement of God’s people, we can neither see wherein comes the encouragement, nor yet how they can be competent witnesses to sit in judgment upon this part of the evidence, if they are to know nothing about the things predicted, either as to their meaning, or the times and terms of their fulfillment?
The duty of investigation is clearly set forth in the double challenge: First, in the declaration that these things are "shortly to come to pass," and secondly, in the command "to search the scriptures," which command, if it means anything, must mean that we are to search every part alike, the prophetical portions as well as the epistles or gospels; and to seek to find out, as far as possible, their meaning, how much and wherein fulfilled; and especially is this duty incumbent on us who live in these latter days, when we hear so much about the "Millennial Dawn," and the second coming of Christ.
I am fully aware that many wild and extravagant notions have been entertained, and fanciful interpretations given portions of this book, insomuch as to bring discredit upon the whole, and even to reflect upon the good sense of any who undertake to unravel its meaning. As Dr. South has quaintly said, "The book either finds one mad, or else makes him so." But we see no reason why we may not apply the same good common sense here as elsewhere, accepting what we can understand, and leaving undisturbed what is clearly beyond our depth. As in the entire realm of nature, there is a part we can understand, where nature reveals herself, and a part wholly incomprehensible, where she refuses thus to interpret; so in the domain of prophecy there is a part entirely comprehensible because self-interpreted by its own fulfillment, and a part still wrapped in profound mystery for lack of such interpretation. We rejoice in the light of the one; before the darkness and obscurity of the other we can only bow in humble silence and await further light and development.
To form any true conception of the book of Revelation, or to get anything like a satisfactory view of its teachings, it is necessary ever to bear in mind the following things:
1. That prophecy is intended only as a general outline or rough picture of coming events. The prophetic periods are seldom if ever clearly defined, but, like the rainbow hues, are so gradually blended into each other that it becomes oft times impossible to tell where the one period ends and the other begins. Besides, there is purposely cast over the whole more or less obscurity, and for the reason that if the thing were made unmistakably plain beforehand, man might be tempted to thwart the purpose.
2. The book is highly symbolic in its character, its nomenclature being made up of the boldest figures and emblems. Thus, under the guise of an earthquake, it speaks of a revolution or moral upheaval. It makes a battle, stand for a conflict of principle, the chaining of an evil spirit for the restraining of its influence and power. So the darkening of the sun and moon, and blotting out of the stars, is but the symbolic overthrow of human governments and kingly authority.
3. It is equally well to remember that a great deal of the imagery employed is intended simply as drapery to fill out the picture. Just as in the case of the parables, we are only to look for the general teaching or leading truth. To force every part to mean something will only be to "darken counsel with words," and obscure the truth, as the sun, with multitudinous coverings of clouds.
4. Then we must not forget that the book of Revelation is not intended as an indiscriminate foretelling of future events, but only as a prophecy of the future of the church. If any allusion is made at all to any outside nation or people, it is simply because their history is incidentally connected with the history of the church. Hence the prominence given Chaldea and Egypt in the Old Testament, and the Roman Empire in the New. The scriptures are profoundly silent about all outside matters, however great and important they may seem. The final establishment of the church, and the universal enthronement of her Lord and King, are the great themes, and only burden of their teachings.
Asking the reader to bear these things in mind, and especially seeking the illumination of the Holy Spirit, and the blessing of God upon the effort, I proceed to the task before me.
BEFORE introducing the prophecies of John it is necessary first to consider those of Daniel, as they largely treat of the same things, the one being the key to the other; Daniel gives the grand outlines, while John fills in the picture. To understand the one is but the better to comprehend the other.
The prophecies of Daniel are in the form of visions.
Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. He saw a great image, whose head was of fine gold, his breast and arms were of silver, his body and thighs were of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. He also saw a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which smote the image upon its feet, and broke it to pieces; but the stone which smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Daniel interprets as follows: That the head of gold represented the Chaldean empire, of which Nebuchadnezzar was head. That after the Chaldean empire another, but inferior, empire would arise, represented by the breast and arms of silver. That would be followed by a third, which would rule over all the earth, represented by the brass of the body and thighs. That by a fourth, strong as iron, breaking in pieces all these, and represented by the legs of iron. This last to be divided into ten inferior kingdoms, represented by the iron and clay of the ten toes, partly strong and partly weak, as iron and clay, not mingling and mixing together. In the days of which kings God would set up a kingdom, represented by the little stone, 1 which would break all these kingdoms into pieces, and which would never be destroyed, but last forever.
This vision is very plain. Beginning with the Chaldean empire, of which Nebuchadnezzar was head, we have a clear-cut prophetic announcement of the forthcoming of the last into ten minor kingdoms, and the setting up of the kingdom of Christ, all of which came to pass as foretold. The Chaldean empire gave place to the Medopersian, the Medopersian to the Macedonian, and the Macedonian to the Roman, which was broken into ten kingdoms, during the existence of which the church of Christ was set up.
In this vision, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar and running to the end of time, we have presented only a general view, showing when the kingdom of Christ would be set up, and also its nature and final triumph, small at first, but in the end filling the whole earth as a great mountain.
Daniel saw four beasts come up from the sea, diverse from each other: the first like a lion with eagle’s wings; the second like a bear raised up on one side, with three ribs in his mouth; the third like a leopard with four heads, and four wings of a fowl. The fourth beast was diverse from all others, terrible and exceeding strong, and had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet. This beast also had ten horns; and behold there came up among them another little horn, before whom three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. In this little horn were eyes, like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things, which Daniel viewed till the appearing of the Ancient of days, and judgment given the saints, when this beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame. He also saw dominion and power, and a kingdom given the Son of man, that all nations and peoples should serve him.
The interpretation that Daniel gives of this vision is just as clear cut and as easily understood as the other. The four beasts were the same kingdoms above mentioned, with a more particular description of the fourth kingdom. The fourth beast, so diverse from the others, represented a fourth kingdom which was to arise, and which was to tread down the whole earth; that the ten horns were ten kingdoms to arise out of it, and out of these another was to arise after them, and he should be diverse from the first, and should subdue three of the kings, and that he would speak great words against the Most High, wear out his saints, and think to change times and laws and that they should be given him. "For a time and times and the dividing of time"; and that, in the end, his dominion should be taken away, and the kingdom and the dominion given the saints of the Most High.
Here we have a second mention of the same four great empires, with the additional statement, that out of the ten kingdoms into which the fourth or last empire should be divided another and different kingdom should arise. The fourth kingdom, as in the former vision, was the Roman empire; the ten horns, the same as the ten toes of the previous vision, representing the ten kingdoms into which that empire was afterwards divided, and were, as usually understood, the Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Sueves and Allans, Vandals, Franks, Burgundians, Heruli, Saxons and Angles, Huns, and Lombards. The little horn to arise in their midst, the Papacy, as we will afterwards see, the three horns or kingdoms plucked up by it, the Heruli, Lombards, and Ostrogoths; the time of continuance, three and a half years; that is, 1,260 days, or 1,260 years; a day for a year, according to prophetic count.
This vision begins with Belshazzar, about 555 B.C., and runs also to the end, showing the rise of the Papacy, or man of sin, which was to wear out the saints, and to continue 1,260 years. 2
In this vision Daniel saw a ram with two high horns, one higher than the other, and the higher came up last. This ram was pushing westward, northward, and southward, and no beast could stand before him, and he became great. Then he saw a he-goat coming from the west, on the face of the whole earth. He had a notable horn between his eyes, and he came up against the ram with two horns, and smote the ram and broke his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to withstand him, but the ram was cast to the earth and stamped upon. The goat waxed very strong, and when strong, the great horn was broken, and four notable ones came up towards the four winds of heaven, and out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed great, towards the south and east, and the pleasant land, and it waxed great even to the host of heaven, "and cast down some of the host and of the stars," to the ground and stamped upon them. And he magnified himself even to the prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, the place of his sanctuary removed, and a host given him against the daily sacrifice, by reason of transgression; and it "cast the truth to the ground and practiced and prospered." And when it was asked, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation and to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? The answer came, unto 2,300 days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
Even if Daniel had not given any interpretation of this vision his reader would not be slow in understanding that the ram with two horns, one being higher than the other, was the Medopersian Empire; the Persian being weaker at first, and becoming the stronger in the end. And the he-goat, the kingdom of Macedonia, that soon overcame the Persian Empire; and the horn becoming strong, being broken, and four notable ones coming in its place, representing the division of the empire into four parts, viz.: Egypt, Syria, Thrace, and Macedon; and divided among his four generals: Ptolemy, Selecus, Lysimachus, and Cassander. Out of one of these, viz., Syria, arose a little horn, a "king of fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences," representing the Mohammedan power, as we understand it, and waxing great in the East, that is, in Persia; in the South, that is, in Egypt; and in the Pleasant land; that is, Palestine; magnifying himself against the Prince of the host and taking away the daily sacrifice, and trampling the sanctuary under foot because of the fullness of transgression, all of which was true, as we shall hereafter see.
Here, then, we have a vision beginning with the Macedonian empire, and to last 2,300 days, or years, showing the rise and continuance of the Mohammedan delusion; the four kingdoms into which the Macedonian empire was to be divided, and the part out of which the king of "fierce countenance" was to arise; the time of his active life, and the time for the cleansing of the sanctuary.
From this rapid review of the prophecies of Daniel we are taught, in clear and unmistakable terms, that there were to be four great empires, which were to arise and follow each other in quick and rapid succession, viz.; the Chaldean, the Medopersian, the Macedonian, and the Roman; and out of the Roman would arise a strange and mysterious persecuting power, diverse and unlike any other, and continue 1,260 years. And also, out of the four kingdoms into which the Macedonian empire would be divided, another power of great fierceness would arise, which would trample under foot the holy city, and defile the sanctuary; and, measuring from the rise of that kingdom, would continue to the end of the 2,300 years.
On turning to history to see what kings of the above description, if any, arose at these two periods, we find two, and only two, and these precisely meeting the demands of the case, viz.: the Papacy and the Mohammedan delusion. They both arose at the very time and place indicated. The one arose out of the Macedonian, and the other out of the Roman Empire. The one out of the four kingdoms into which the former, and the other out of the ten kingdoms into which the latter was to be divided. The time, therefore, for their appearing has long since gone by; for these four great empires have successively arisen and passed off the stage,- the sanctuary been in desolation for centuries; so the kingdom of Christ for a long time set up. If they be not the kings intended, then there is absolutely nothing else to fill the place. Nor yet can the prophecies concerning them ever be fulfilled, unless the past history should be repeated, and there yet arise another set of great empires, the exact counterpart of the first, the one to be divided into four, and the other into ten parts. In other words, that there be another Macedonian, and another Roman empire, and Jerusalem rebuilt, and the services of the sanctuary re-established, and all to be again destroyed and defiled, a thing wholly unreasonable. We need never expect history to repeat itself after this fashion. Neither is there any necessity for such a repetition. Nor yet do these prophecies, which in their mighty sweep reach the very end of time, give a single hint as to any other great nations yet to arise, but rather give us to understand that the time is forever past for any other great universal empire, save the kingdom of Christ, which is yet to cover the whole earth, superseding all others. Indeed, the history is already so complete that even Papists themselves do not hesitate to admit the general application. In their English Bible, edited by Dr. Challonier, and with the endorsement of Bishop Hughes and his associates, and intended for, and in use among the common people, we find the following candid admissions: That the four great beasts are the Chaldean, Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires; that the ten horns are the ten kingdoms among which the fourth beast shall be parceled; and that the little horn is "commonly understood of Antichrist." (See note, p. 697.) This seems to us a most remarkable and fatal admission on their part. For, admit that the four beasts are the four great empires above mentioned; admit that the ten horns were the ten kingdoms arising out of the ten was the Antichrist, and the identity of Rome with Antichrist is at once established. The claim of the Papists that he is yet to come is clearly untenable; for how come out of one of the ten kingdoms, and overcome three of them, when those kingdoms have long since ceased to exist? The plea is further refuted by the declaration of the Apostle Paul, that he had already commenced to work in his day. (II Thessalonians 2: 7, 8) And that as soon as he that hindered- that is, the Roman government, which then held the sway- was removed, the Man of Sin would be revealed and take his place. 3 According to Paul, the place to look for the Man of Sin is behind, and not before. Why, then, be looking for him in the future, when he had already begun to work in Paul’s day? And why still be looking for these two kings, the one of strange and the other of fierce countenance, when the time so clearly and definitely fixed for their appearance, has so long been past? And have they not been sufficiently fierce and sanguinary, and shed blood enough, and defiled the sanctuary enough, to entitle them to the distinctive appellation, that we should be looking yet for others? Furthermore, how account for the silence of the scriptures concerning these if they be not the ones intended? Why such emphasis given Assyria and Egypt of old, and nothing said about these strange and mysterious enemies of the church? We submit, if prophecy be the future of the church’s history, would it not be passing strange, yea even a marvel, that two such antagonizing forces should exist for so long a time, the one in the very bosom of the church, and the other on its nearest confines, like the Canaanites within, and the Philistines without, Israel of old, and for so many long centuries waging a merciless warfare against the saints, and persistently resisting the onward march of the kingdom of Christ, and yet no mention made of them, and not even a hint given, by any sacred writer, concerning their rise and appearance?
As there are no other kings in the above mentioned period, and the time fixed for their appearance has long since passed, and these so precisely agree with the description, we are forced to the conclusion that the two kings that were to arise, the one out of the ten kingdoms of the Roman, and the other out of the four kingdoms of the Grecian empire, were none other than the Papacy and the Mohammedan delusion.
The following summary will represent to the eye the truths set forth in the preceding prophecies.
Macedonian, divided into Egypt, Syria, Thrace, Macedon; Syria, the one out of which the first little horn, or king of fierce countenance, arose.
Roman, divided into Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Sueves and Allans, Vandals, Franks, Burgundians, Heruli, Saxons and Angles, Huns, Lombards, out of which the second little horn or mysterious king was to arise.
The three plucked up by it: Ostrogoths, Heruli, Lombards.
The last great universal kingdom, which is to overcome the others, and yet to fill the whole earth.
Here are set forth: v1. That there were to be four great empires.
2. The third was to be divided into four, and out of one of these a fierce king should arise, and continue to the end of the vision of 2,300 years.
3. The fourth should be divided into ten kingdoms, and out of these should arise a strange and mysterious king, unlike anything else that ever lived, and who should subdue three of them, and continue 1,260 years.
4. That about this time God would set up a kingdom, small at first, but to grow, and in the end to fill the whole earth.
From these clear-cut statements of Daniel we now turn to John. This apostle lived nearly seven centuries after Daniel. While in exile on the isle of Patmos, banished for the testimony of Jesus Christ, he was favored with a most wonderful revelation, both of "things that are and things to be hereafter." The first containing an account of the seven churches, and the second the future history of the church.
Being in the spirit on the Lord’s Day, he was favored with a view of the symbolic throne of Jehovah, located in the firmamental heaven 4, surrounded with a coruscation of light and glory, and in the midst of which, and surrounding the throne, were twenty-four elders, seated upon thrones, and four Living Creatures, with four different faces. The first like al ion, the second like a calf, the third like the face of a man, and the fourth like a flying eagle, representing, as we understand it, the different orders of the redeemed, crowned and uncrowned; the former, the sanctified saints in heaven, already crowned, and the latter the unsanctified saints on earth struggling in the flesh. 5
John also saw, in the right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book written within and without, by the reason of the abundance of the revelation, or perhaps, as Elliott suggests, the things without being supplemental to those within.
This book was divided into three parts, the first containing the seals, the second the trumpets, the third the vials; seven of each. The seventh seal containing the seven trumpets, the seventh trumpet the seven vials. At the close of the seals there was an earthquake or upheaval, announcing a change and introducing and containing the trumpets or judgments. At the close of the trumpets another earthquake or upheaval, announcing another change, and introducing and containing the vials or last plagues. At the close of the vials another and greater earthquake or upheaval, the greatest of all, including the binding of Satan, the Millennium, the loosing of Satan, the battle of Gog and Magog, the general resurrection and final judgment.
Under the seals we have the following symbols: First, a white horse with its rider, with a bow and a crown given to him, and going forth conquering and to conquer. Second, a red horse, with power to kill and take away peace. Third, a black horse with balances, and a statement of the price of corn, weighed with exactness, on account of scarcity, but oil and wine to be left; God’s judgments always tempered with mercy. Fourth, a pale horse, with death sitting on him and hell following in his train. Fifth, the souls of martyrs crying for vengeance. Sixth, the great earthquake, and the sealing of the 144,000, and concluding with the seventh seal.
The first four seals being under the same symbol of a horse and rider must refer to the same thing, and represents the Roman empire, with the church of Christ in its bosom. Church and state are always in one sense united, being alike blessed and cursed of God together. At first the state dominated the church; in the end the order is to be reversed, and the church is to dominate the state. At first the world was punished for its treatment of the church; in the end the church chastened for its treatment of the state; but always one and inseparable. According to this interpretation the white horse in the first seal fitly represents the victory, progress, and prosperity of the Roman empire, bearing the church of God in its bosom as the horse its rider. Then the horse, changing its color to red, representing the same empire in a state of strife, war, and bloodshed. Then to black, the symbol of distress, representing famine and want. Then the pale color, a representation of still greater general terror and dismay consequent upon the preceding state of things. Then the souls of martyrs, the symbol of persecution. Lastly, the earthquake or upheaval, betokening some great revolution about to follow, which likewise would be in the same empire.
In this general outline we have a corresponding outline in the history of the world for the first three centuries, till the first great upheaval in the time of Constantine, and afterwards followed by the great invasion of the Vandal hordes from the North. According to Gibbon, 6 the time of the greatest prosperity of the Roman empire was during the reigns of Nerva, Trajan. Hadrian, and the two Antonines, from A.D. 96 to 180, known as "The golden age." After which, with the assassination of Commodus, began the decline, and for about ninety years, till the accession of Diocletian, there was incessant strife, "thirty-two emperors and twenty-seven pretenders alternately hurling each other from the throne." Then a period of greater distress, from 180 to 193. Then still greater terror and dismay, from 193 to 243, and greater still from 243 to 248. Then the cry of those martyred souls, the result of those awful persecutions, beginning with Nero and terminating with Diocletian, when the sword of Caesar and the whole world sought to put down this new religion, and when the blood of martyrs flowed like water, when so many sealed their testimony with their life’s blood. Then the great earthquake or upheaval, connected with the conversion of Constantine, the Roman governor, when there was a comple somersault, the whole world rushing into the church. Never, perhaps, was there ever before such a complete revolution in matters religious and ecclesiastical. As Dr. Adam Clark has well said, "The revolution under Constantine and the destruction of Jerusalem were the two greatest events that have ever taken place in the world since the flood to the eighteenth century of the Christian era." 7 And this is the more remarkable on account of the smallness of the number of the Christians, they being, according to Gibbon, only about one-twentieth of the population. 8 So general was the reaction against heathenism, and so complete the revolution, that it required some such striking images to represent it as the darkening of the sun, paling of the moon, and blotting out of the stars; when, as Bishop Newton has expressed it, "The great lights of the heathen world, the great powers, civil and ecclesiastical, were all eclipsed, and obscured, the heathen emperors and Caesars were slain, the heathen priests and emperors and Caesars were slain, the heathen priests and augers extirpated, the heathen officers and magistrates removed, the heathen temples demolished, and their revenues appropriated to better uses." 9
That the figures thus employed were none too bold to depict these scenes will appear from the fact that they are the very ones used by the old prophets in speaking of similar things. Thus Isaiah, in speaking of the destruction of Babylon, says, "For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light, the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine." (Chap. xiii. 10.) So in the judgments to be visited upon Idumea, "All the hosts of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens be rolled together as a scroll, and their host shall fall down as the leaf falleth off the vine." (Chap. xxxiv. 4.) So Joel, in his description of the change from the old to the new dispensation, uses language equally strong: "And it shall come to pass afterwards, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy; . . . and I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke; the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come." (Chap. ii. 28-31.) See also Amos. viii. 9, and Zech. i. 14, 15, where the destruction of Jerusalem is spoken of as "the great day of the Lord."
The entire suitableness of the figures employed will also appear in a still stronger light when we remember that beyond and behind all this we have here given us a typical foreshadowing of impending judgments still in the future. In this typical overthrow of governments, and the whole world in consternation and woe, we also have a forecast of coming judgments, set forth in the trumpets, and even extending to the final destruction of all the enemies of the Lord and his church. Every rill is but the prophecy of the existence of the mighty ocean; so every judgment is but the foreshadowing of the final destruction of all the wicked. We cannot look out upon any object in nature without seeing objects behind it as a background. As the Savior, in his description of the destruction of Jerusalem, imperceptibly glides into the final judgment, because included in it, so here. This terrible upheaval, the dim adumbration of final destruction of all his enemies, was but the first great ground swell, or reactionary movement back in the direction of God and heaven. Hence the consternation and woe represented by the call to the rocks and mountains to fall upon them, and hide them from the face of an angry God. Similar language is used in Hos. x. 8. referring to Shalmaneser’s invasion, and also by the Savior in Luke xviii. 30, where, when speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem, he represents its terrified inhabitants as calling to mountains and hills to fall on them, and furnish a place of retreat.
Here, then, in this first outlook, reaching to the distant future, we are brought face to face with all the after judgments set forth in the trumpets and seals that are to be visited upon all the enemies of the Lord, the past being but the earnest, prophecy and pledge of all succeeding ones.
Before the sounding of the trumpets, introducing these impending judgments, we have the sealing of God’s people, not Jews simply, but all his elect people, 144,000; a definite for an indefinite sum. 10 As in Egypt, before the destroying angel went forth, the houses of Israel were first marked; and as in Ezekiel’s vision, the man with the inkhorn first went through Jerusalem and marked every one who wept and sighed for the abominations done therein before the man with the sword upon his thigh should pass through; so the sealing or marking of God’s people must precede these judgments. Thus showing that God will ever take care of his people at all times, and under all circumstances.
As in the first outlook we have the judgments as already completed, so we also have the anticipatory giving of thanks, as though the final victory was likewise achieved. John sees the multitude of victors with palm branches in their hands, as having already passed through the tribulation of earth, and now led beside the fountains of living waters, and having all their tears wiped away by the hand of a loving Father.
After the sealing of the 144,000, the angels with the trumpets were commanded to sound. The trumpet, the usual signal for war, was also employed to herald the approach of any important event. Here it was used to proclaim the coming of those terrible judgments about to be visited upon a corrupt church and world; for, though seemingly advanced, the church was really abased by her worldly alliances. The scene was preceded by voices, thunderings, and an earthquake, all indicative of the unwonted heaviness of those judgments, and in all of which we have clearly set forth the invasion of the Northern vandal hordes upon the Roman empire, the then masters of the known world, with the church of God in her bosom, and as her pretended guardian and protector.
The first angel sounds, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, which were cast upon the earth, and the third part of the trees were burned up; that is, a third part of the Roman empire, or the whole, as a third part of the world. In this we have a striking and most picturesque description of Alaric and the Goths, who made several incursions into the country from the North, carrying destruction and ruin in their march —(395-410)— when he took and sacked and burned the city of Rome.
And the second angel sounded, "and as it were a great mountain, burning with fire, was cast into the sea, and the third part of the sea became blood, and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea and had life died, and the third part of the ships were destroyed."
Soon after the depredation of Alaric, Attila, fitly styled "the scourge of God and man," with a large army of Huns, ravaged the empire, for the space of fourteen years, aptly represented by the burning mountain cast into the sea; in which another third part of the empire was destroyed, or as the Roman people were estimated about one-third part of the earth, another third part of the whole is thus fitly spoken of as turned into blood.
The third trumpet sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven as a burning lamp, and it fell upon a third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters. And the name of the star is called "Wormwood"; and a third part of the waters became wormwood; and men died of the waters because they were bitter.
Soon after Attila’s retreat, Genseric, with a large army of 300,000 Vandals and Moors from Africa, invaded the empire, and besieged and took Rome, and abandoned the city to the licentiousness and cruelty of his soldiers. The bitterness of such an experience may well be termed "Wormwood." Genseric being also a bigoted Arian, and a cruel persecuter of the orthodox Christians, likewise poisoned the fountains, and rendered their bitterness still more intense.
The fourth angel sounded, and the fourth part of the sun was smitten, and a third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. The judgments here reached the government. If the three preceding trumpets refer to the disasters sent upon the Roman empire, this trumpet is then simply the completion of the work; and we here have the final fulfillment in the complete overthrow of Roman supremacy, and the final establishment of barbarian dominion under Odoacer, the king of the Heruli, who, coming to Rome with an army of barbarians, stripped Momylus of the imperial robes, and caused himself to be proclaimed king of Italy; and thus putting an end to the very same of the Western empire; fifty represented by the smiting of one-third part of the sun, moon and stars.
The remaining three trumpets are termed "Woe trumpets," on account of the intense bitterness connected with them. The four preceding ones seem to contain woe enough, and bitterness enough, but nothing to be compared with the three that are to follow, because these blight the soul as well as destroy the body; and because they were to continue longer, and take in a larger scope in their vast sweep. The first four trumpets refer chiefly to the downfall of the Western empire: these last three to the downfall of the Eastern, to be effected by the influx of the Mohammedan and Turkish hordes, the setting up of the "Man of Sin," at first stated in a general way, but afterwards with more fullness and distinctness.
These trumpets are introduced with an angel flying through mid-heaven, and saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels yet to sound."
The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth, and to him was given the key to the bottomless pit, and there arose a smoke, which darkened the sun and air, and out of the smoke came locusts, to which was given power as to scorpions, and to hurt only those who had not the seal of God in their foreheads. They should not kill, but only torment for five months. And their torment was the torment of a scorpion. And in those days men desired to die, but death fled from them. The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for battle. They had a crown on their heads, and faces of men. Their hair as that of women, and teeth of lions, and breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings like the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle, and had tails like scorpions, and stings in their tails; and had power to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them whose name was Abaddon in Hebrew, but Apollyon in Greek.
This trumpet is generally conceded to have reference to the Mohammedan or Saracenic conquests; the Mohammedan leaders represented by the star, and the Arabian army by the locusts; with faces like men, but long, flowing, uncut hair like women, indicative of the fierceness of their nature; with the sting of scorpions in their tails, poisoning men with the destructive doctrines of the Koran; their power to torment being five months, equal to one hundred and fifty days or years, just the length of the Mohammedan conquests, extending from A.D. 612 to 762.
"One woe is past, behold there cometh two more woes hereafter."
The sixth angel sounded, and with greater solemnity, as a still greater woe was coming, and as coming from the "four corners of the altar," as the place of the guilt. The angel with the trumpet was ordered to loose the four angels bound in the great river Euphrates. The number of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand. They had breast plates of fire, and of jacinth, and of brimstone. The horses had heads of lions, and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. They had power alike in their mouths and in their tails. By these the third of men were killed. The time for which they were prepared were an hour, a day, a month, and a year.
We are not long in finding an event in history and the world at that time, agreeing precisely with this description. The Mohammedan or Saracenic conquest was followed by that of the Turks, a people of the same general spirit and character; hence the similarity of the description. There were four Sultans (the four angels) arising at different times, but at last uniting in the same work, and these angels were at first bound or held back in their conquests by the Crusades. The description, too, exactly suited their horsemen, and the fierceness and celerity of their conquests. They had power in their horses` tails as well as heads, as they carried the teachings of Mohammed with them, thus stinging men with their teachings, as with the sting of a scorpion. Their number two myriads, or two ten thousands of thousands, equal to two millions, a definite for an indefinite number. Their time, an hour, a day, a month, and one year, being a total of three hundred and ninety-one days or years; the length of the Turkish conquests, beginning A.D. 1281, and continuing till A.D. 1672, the time of their last victory over the Christians.
In this conquest the Romans were in a measure protected by the armies of the Crusaders. So it is added: "the rest of the men, that is, the Romans, not killed with these plagues, and who were not deterred by them, repented not of the works of their hands, but continued to worship devils, and idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk."
In this particular case, as in the preceding trumpet, the description given and the developed facts seem wonderfully to agree.
Before the sounding of the seventh trumpet, introducing the third and last great woe, there is a pause in the vision to introduce "The Little Book," with its account of the slaying of the witnesses. The arrest was made with the statement that the mystery of God connected with the last great woe would not yet or then be revealed, as the time was not yet ( ) but would be at the sounding of the seventh trumpet.
John saw a mighty angel come down from heaven, with a little open book in his hand, which, upon his request, was given him with instruction to eat it, which he did; but soon found it, as the angel had foretold, both sweet as honey to his mouth, but all bitterness within, and also the added instruction, "Thou must prophecy again before many peoples and nations and tongues and kings." A very striking statement indeed, as, before the Reformation, preaching had fallen into disuse, the mass and other ceremonial observances having wholly taken its place.
In looking for the fulfillment of this symbol we are at once reminded of the Reformation in the time of Luther and his coadjutors in the preaching of the true gospel preparatory to and connected with the second great upheaval. In this preaching of the gospel there was a striking admixture of bitter things with much that was exceedingly sweet.
In this connection we have the measuring of the temple, the casting out of the apostatized portion, and giving up the court without to the Gentiles, who were to tread it under foot forty-two months; that is, twelve hundred and sixty days, or years, during which time the two witnesses should prophecy; not two men, or even two peoples, who were to live that long, but the continuation of faithful witnesses; and two, because that number was required by the Mosaic law to establish any fact. These should prophecy clothed in sackcloth; and when they shall have finished, or about to finish, their testimony- or finished at least so far as the purpose was concerned, for they are bearing testimony, and always will- the beast, that was to ascend out of the bottomless pit, and to be afterwards described, would slay them, and leave their bodies unburied for three days and a half in the streets of the city spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, the former on account of its wickedness, and the latter on account of its oppression; and after three days and a half would come to life again and ascend up unto heaven.
Some, like Scott, that prince of interpreters, and following Bishop Newton, have held that the matters here spoken of are yet in the future; but it does seem that the events happening since their day show them to be mistaken, and too clearly prove that the time is past for the fulfillment of this part of the prophecy. These two witnesses obviously were slain with the suppression of the gospel in 1514, when the whole world was under Popish authority, and when at the Council of Constance the orator of the occasion, at the ninth session, May 5th of that year, could and did say, "Jam nemo reclamat nullus obsistet" (No one now denies, no one opposes)... But the witnesses were not buried, nor really dead, for it was on the 21st of October, 1518, only three years afterwards, that Luther nailed his theses to the church’s door posts at Wittenberg, when the witnesses came to life again, and have been living and testifying ever since; and taken up to God, not in the sense of leaving the world, but in the sense of being kept and preserved by him, never again to be silenced or put to death.
After the resurrection of the two witnesses, and in connection with it, there was a second great earthquake or upheaval, when a tenth part of the city fell, and of men, ten thousand were slain, and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to God; all fulfilled in the Reformation in Luther’s day, which was truly a great upheaval, in which there was a great loss to, and falling away from, the doctrines of Popery, and when the British Isles, one of the ten minor kingdoms into which the Roman empire was divided, came out from under the Romish yoke.
At this stage of the prophecy the announcement is made, "The second woe is past, and behold a third woe cometh quickly."
As the third woe is the largest and longest in continuance, and had already commenced, and needed a more minute description, the announcement is here simply made that the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and the result given as already accomplished, as well as a general outlook, and in the following terms:
"And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven saying, the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." And, as anticipating the final result, the heavenly hosts fell on their faces and worshipped God, 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."
Here with this general outlook, in which the final anticipatory triumph of the church is asserted, the first part of the book closes.
After this glowing doxology the prophecy goes back a little to give a fuller account of the great woe of which mention has already been made, and of things written "without" the book, as Elliot suggests. As the Papacy is clearly the great woe, and had already been in existence for centuries before this time, the prophecy goes back to give a fuller account of its origin, rise, and progress. We have this account in Chapter xii.
John saw, in the firmamental heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and with a crown of twelve stars upon her head, all indicative of majesty, and about to be delivered of a child; whilst a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads, and with his tail drawing the third part of the stars of heaven, was standing before the woman ready to devour the child as soon as born. The woman brought forth a man child, who was to rule the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was caught up to God and his throne; and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there for a thousand two hundred and three score days.
He also saw, in this connection, Satan, spoken of as a dragon, cast out of the firmamental heaven, where previously seen as the great Adversary and accuser of the brethren; and now, being cast out, began persecuting the woman, casting out water out of his mouth, and seeking to destroy her; but God gave her two great wings, by which she fled into the wilderness, and where she was "nourished for a time and times and a half," that is, three and a half years, or 1,260 days.
These two visions seem clearly to refer to the same event; the first being anticipatory of the second; the first stating in general terms what is more fully explained in the second, the woman being the same and representing the church in both instances, and the child her prospective increase and enlargement.
The Red Dragon, with its seven heads or forms of government, and ten horns or kingdoms , is clearly Rome Pagan, as generally admitted, even by Papists. Satan and the Dragon are interchangeably used, because he works through the Dragon. As he is called "the old serpent," because he first appeared to our first parents in the garden in the form of a serpent, and worked through the serpent, so here he is the Red Dragon because he entered the Red Dragon and worked through it. And the name is the more appropriate as the Dragon was the original standard of the Roman legions; and because, as the Red Dragon, Rome had subdued one-third of the princes of the world; so he is represented as drawing one- third of the stars with his tail. The general idea, then, is that as there was about to be an enlargement in the church, in the conversion of Constantine, and successive Christian emperors, who were appointed of God to punish the enemies of the gospel, and thus "rule the world with a rod of iron," Satan instigated Rome Pagan to endeavor to thwart the purpose by persecuting the women, or church, who was hid by God in the wilderness for twelve hundred and sixty years, the church’s increase being taken to heaven in the sense of being defended and preserved by the Lord; the two great wings given the woman being the Eastern and Western empires, and the water out of the Dragon’s mouth and helping the woman being the multitudes of the Northern hordes who remained at Rome after the invasion and were converted to Christianity, and thus becoming helpers of the cause.
The further continuance and progress of this struggle between the woman and her adversaries are set forth in the rising of two beasts, or enemies, one from the sea, the other from the earth, against both of which she must contend.
The first beast is described as coming out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon the horns ten crowns, and upon these heads "the name of blasphemy." The beast was like unto a leopard, his feet as the feet of a bear, his mouth as the mouth of a lion. And the Dragon gave him his power and his seat and his great authority. One of his heads was wounded as unto death, but his deadly wound was healed, and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the Dragon and worshipped the beast, saying, "Who is like unto the beast, and who is able to make war with him?" And unto him was given a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty-two months. And it was given him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. And power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life.
If the Red Dragon be Rome Pagan, as interpreters, and even Papists themselves generally admit, then it is but a step, and an easy one at that, to the conclusion, that this first beast was Rome Christian; that is, the same power as before; in other words, the Red Dragon with the form of Christianity engrafted upon it; for it derived its seat and all its power and authority from the Dragon. In other words, this first beast was the same Dragon, modified and held in check by the elements of this new religion. Notice the description, how sharply drawn, and how applicable to Rome. Seven heads! That is, seven forms of government. The different forms of government of Rome were Kings, Consuls, Dictators, Decemvirs, Military Tribunes, Emperors (the head wounded and afterwards healed) and Dukedom. "Ten horns"! that is, ten kingdoms into which the empire was divided, already mentioned, viz., Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Sueves and Allans, Vandals, Franks, Burgundians, Heruli, Saxons and Angles, Huns, Lombards.
Notice, too, the Dragon had seven crowns upon his seven heads; that is, had his power within himself. But this beast differs in this, that his crowns, ten in number, are not upon his heads, as in the case of the Dragon, but upon his horns, showing his authority being not within himself, but as coming from the kingdoms composing the empire. He also had the additional name of "Blasphemy," growing out of the engrafted and perverted abuses of the religious element.
Further, one of the heads, the sixth (the emperor) was wounded "unto death," representing the entire subversion of imperial authority in the time of Augustulus, when Rome became a Dukedom, subject to the Exarchate of Ravenna; but afterwards healed in the revival of the imperial name and dignity, in the person of Charlemagne, who was proclaimed Augustus. And this beast withal had all the characteristics of the different animals; the leopard, bear, and lion, because he had the same spirit and power of the former kingdom. He was to "practice" and continue to exercise his power for forty-two months. What other power ever existed, agreeing at all with this description?
The prophet saw a second beast. The first he saw had seven heads and ten horns; but this one had only two horns, and was like a lamb. The first beast came up out of the sea; out of the wars and tumults of the world. This last comes silently up, like a plant out of the earth. This second beast exerciseth all the power of the first that had been healed. He also doeth wonders; maketh fire to come down from heaven in sight of men, and deceiveth by means of those miracles, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image of the beast that had been wounded by the sword and did live, and that no man should buy or sell, without the mark and number of the beast; the mark being put, either "upon the forehead," as evidence of profession, or "on the hand," in token of service.
If the first beast be Rome Christian, then the second can be nothing else than Rome Papal, or the Romish hierarchy; for he is connected with the first beast, being its legitimate offspring, and which he has caused all men to worship. The further description also fixes this interpretation, as it had two horns, viz., the two orders of her clergy, or two sources of her power, secular and spiritual. Its identification also with the image to be made proves the same thing, as we shall see.
We do not agree with Newton, who is followed by Scott and Clark, in holding that the Pope is the image, nor yet with Elliott, who interprets it of the Ecclesiastical Councils. We understand it of the second beast itself; in other words, the Papacy. This identity is clearly inferable if not expressly stated. It will be noticed that the second beast neither makes the image nor worships it, but puts this upon the people. So Popery is not the direct creation of the civil government, but grew up among the people, and had civil power engrafted upon it. It will be noticed that the second beast had all the power of the first, whom it orders all men to worship. It not only had power to order the making of the image, but also to impart life and power to it, both to make it speak, and to require all men to worship it; and yet, what is passing strange, and even marvelous, is that, though thus clothed with such regal power, being the successor and possessor of all the rights and prerogatives of the first beast and dragon, yet itself is not worshipped. The dragon and first beast are said to be worshipped (Chap. xiii. 4) , but not the second beast. Wherefore? The answer seems easy, because the image and the second beast are one and the same, and worship rendered the one is worship rendered the other. The dragon merges into the first beast, and the first beast merges into the second, with the Papacy as the perfected image and culmination of the whole. Indeed, a mere glance is sufficient to show that the first and second beasts, and the image, are all associated together, as members of a common firm, and actuated by a common impulse, the destruction of Christ’s kingdom. As the horses in the seals are one, under different colors, so these are all one, only under different forms and different stages of development. I therefore hold and earnestly maintain, that the "Antichrist," or "Man of Sin," is not simply the dragon, or first, or second beast alone, but all three combined: a triune monster of iniquity, all working in harmony, and all under the control of the first great dragon, Satan; the acts of the one being the acts of the others, and worship rendered the one being worship rendered the others.
We see, therefore-
1st, Why the name of the monster is always "beast," and never "beasts"; although spoken of as three, they are really but one.
2nd, Why the name of the monster is always "beast," and never "beasts"; although spoken of as three, they are really but one.
3rd, Herein, too, is the answer to the objections that have been raised: that the forty-two months, as the time given for the existence of the beast, as well as what is said concerning the shedding of the blood of the saints, is affirmed only of the first beast; and further, that Popery cannot be both the Woman and the beast she was riding; the point of these objections being to relieve the Papacy of all complicity with the beast, and all participation in its guilt. The answer to it all is found in their essential unity. What is true of the one is true of all the others. The signature of any one of a firm being the signature of the whole.
4th, We likewise can see why the second beast puts the mark and number of the entire beast upon all the subjects of the kingdom, because it stands and acts as the representative and accredited agent of the whole.
5th, We will also see, as we further proceed, the exact fitness of the suggestive name as given the beast, viz., "The Latin Man," because Latin, in all of its transformations, whether pagan, Christian, or Papal.
The number of the name as given is 666. "Here is wisdom; let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man"; that is, a name, the number of the numerical value of its letters would amount to 666. As a challenge is here given, it is no evidence of presumption should we attempt, at least, to find out the number, especially as it is so closely linked with the intolerance of the beast, no one being allowed or tolerated, unless bearing the same. Now it is a remarkable fact that the name Lateinos, The Latin Man, the name of the fourth kingdom seen by Daniel, makes 666, both in Greek and Hebrew. This solution was first suggested by Irenaeus, as far back as the second century, and some three centuries before the rise of the beast. Says he, "Lateinos 11 has the number 666, and it is a very probable solution, this being the name of the last kingdom of the four seen by Daniel." (Clark’s Pub., 107) And this has been the common interpretation among protestants ever since. As to the appropriateness of the name, we leave the reader to judge, since her letters, decrees and services are all in Latin. The two words in Greek and Hebrew are Lateinos and Rommith.
Here we have, to say the least of it, a most singular thing, that the same name should have the same numerical value in both Greek and Hebrew, the two languages in which the Scriptures were written. 12
Ere the declaration of the downfall of this beast, known as the mystical Babylon, and for the encouragement of God’s people, the prophet again sees the 144,000 already sealed, standing upon mount Zion with the Lamb, and singing a new song; and also another angel flying through the midst of heaven, with commission to preach the everlasting gospel to every nation kindred, tongue, and tribe. In quick succession, another angel follows, crying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of wine of the wrath of her fornication."
Then follows the third angel, saying with a loud voice, and by way of warning or caveat, "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured without mixture into the cup of his indignation."
Thus, not only is the great city to be destroyed, but, according to the commission of the third angel, the curse shall even extend to all the worshippers of the beast, in every place and in every land.
The world not being influenced by the warning of these three angels, then follows by anticipation the prophetic description of the execution of the threatened judgments. This is set forth under the figure of a harvest or vintage; as much as to say, that the destruction, when it does come, will be so terrible, and the blood shed so abundantly, that, like the wine pressed from the grapes in the vintage, the stream would reach even to the horses` bridles; and this to extend "a thousand and six hundred furlongs," or two hundred miles, the exact length of the old papal dominions. How terrific the judgments yet to be visited upon the idolatrous and wicked city!
After these prophetic warnings and delays, as if loath to issue the order for the execution of the sentence, one of the four Living Creatures gave the seven vials, containing the seven last plagues to the seven angels, with instructions to empty them upon the earth.
In obedience to the above instruction, the first angel poured out his vial upon the earth, and there fell a grievous sore upon the man that had the mark of the beast, and them which worshipped his image. This sore or running ulcer, similar to one of the plagues of Egypt, was but the fit emblem of, and fulfilled in, the blatant infidelity, national and individual, social disorder and moral corruption of France in the latter part of the eighteenth century; and just before, and preparatory to, the great revolution which shook all Europe to its centre. Thus poured out upon France because at that time the leading supporter of the Papal throne and worshipper of the image. In the days of Charlemagne she took the lead in restoring the Papacy; and on account of her constant and unswerving devotion to the interest of the Papal See, her king received from the Pope the loving sobriquet, "The eldest son of the church," upon whom she leaned, and from whom she expected support.
The second angel poured out his vial upon the sea, as the other upon the earth; upon the sea as the representative of the turbulent seething masses of men; and, as in another of the plagues of Egypt, the sea became as blood of a dead man. According to Alison, 13 over a million persons were put to death in France during the Reign of Terror. And not in France alone, but all Europe, according to the saying of Napoleon, that "A revolution in France is sooner or later followed by a revolution in all Europe." And thus it was. As the result of the revolution, all Europe was deluged in blood. It is quite easy therefore to see how this emblem of pouring out on land and sea fitly represents the murders and terrible scenes of the French revolution, and which led to the revolution in Europe, in which human blood flowed as a sea, and which, instead of leading to repentance, only resulted in increased wickedness and rebellion of heart.
The third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and they also became blood; this being but a continuation of the same judgments as in the two preceding vials, only more general, now permeating the whole land, and reaching even to individuals and communities, as well as to the centers of governments. The revolution, local at first, soon became general, and, like an ocean upheaval, covering all Europe with its disastrous effects, as already indicated.
The fourth angel poured his vial upon the sun, and giving him power to scorch men with fire. In accordance with the general, and we may say the invariable interpretation of this symbol, the sun and moon standing for governments and rulers, this pouring out of a vial upon the sun, must mean nothing more than military rule or despotism; and if Napoleon and his military contemporaries did not scorch the world, it will never be again. Without enlarging, we point to the Napoleonic wars and the devastation and accompanying terrors and dismay that followed, and reaching all the governments of Europe, as the exact fulfillment of this vial, both as to time and place, it being in close connection, following upon the very heels of the three preceding ones.
The fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast, and his kingdom became dark, and they gnawed their tongues, and blasphemed the God of heaven; all of which was most strikingly fulfilled, beginning in 1798, when Rome fell into the hand of the French army, and the Vatican was robbed of its works of art, and the Pope compelled to flee; again repeated in 1868, when Victor Emanuel disrobed the Papal See of all temporal power, and Rome was thrown open to all the world. And later still, in 1900, in the disasters upon Spain, another seat of Papal power and supremacy.
The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the river Euphrates, to dry up the river, and to "prepare the way for the kings of the East." In this prediction we think we clearly see reference to the Turks. Nor is this interpretation so arbitrary as may at first appear. In the sixth trumpet the horsemen were turned loose from the river Euphrates. This is generally admitted to refer to the Turkish conquests. If so, the drying up of that river is simply to dry up the source of that power; in other words, the weakening, if not the entire overthrow, of that government. The Turkish power has for some time been waning. As far back as 1820, with the insurrection in Greece, Walachia, and Moldavia; the taking of Algiers in 1829, and the loosening of its hold upon Egypt; and now upon its tottering throne we see indelibly stamped the unmistakable seal of prophecy forecasting its impending doom. The present and past discontent and unrest are but the distant mutterings of the coming storm; nothing now supporting it but the strategic policy of the interested princes of Christendom.
Before the pouring out of the seventh vial we have an account of the preparation for the final great struggle between the church and her enemies. Three unclean spirits like frogs are seen going forth to gather all the kings of the earth, with all their forces, to a place, called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. As the battle is no real battle, but simply a struggle of principle, so no particular locality is intended, but simply a place of destruction, as the word seems to mean "Mountain of Megiddo"; so designated from Megiddo, the place that witnessed the slaughter of the Canaanites in the days of Barak, when the stars fought in their courses against Sisera (Judg. V. 19), as well as the scene of the defeat of Josiah, and the great lamentation which followed. (2 Chron. Xxxv. 23-25.)
The sources from whence these unclean spirits proceed show the work to be done, as well as the agents to be employed.
Here then, in these three suggestive symbols, we have the different methods to be used by the adversary in the last great struggle.
1st, He will, as far as possible, continue to keep the world under the chains of heathenish darkness and away from the knowledge of Christ, ever seeking to drown every uplifted and opposing voice, with the old cry, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians."
2nd, He will seek to weaken and destroy the influence and power of the church, directly if possible, by the use of Caesar’s sword; if not, just as effectively, though more stealthily, by means of worldly entanglements and alliances.
3rd, By false and heretical teaching; if not entirely to deny and disown, to degrade the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ, by covering it up in a mass of worthless forms and ceremonies, so as to rob it of its power or else secure the same end by human additions and substitutions, calculated only to deceive and to lead to destruction.
In the setting up of these and similar golden calves in different parts of the kingdom, these croaking spirits are ever calling to the people, and saying, "These by thy gods, O Israel," and thus preparing for the final struggle, which is to result in the destruction of the beast and False Prophet, as well as all the other enemies of the Lord. The time for this destruction is not now given; but we have an anticipatory description of it further on, in Chapter xix. 17-21. Only this caveat is here added: "Behold I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."
The seventh angel poured out his vial in the air (universal), followed by thunderings, lightnings, and the final great earthquake or upheaval, that is to usher in the Millennium; described as the greatest earthquake men have ever seen, or ever will see; when the great city is to be divided into three parts, cities of nations are to fall, and the great Babylon will come for remembrance before God; and when the last judgment, like hail of the size of a talent, shall be visited upon the earth.
After the pouring out of these vials, we have presented a more extended and minute account of the great city of Babylon, spoken of as the great whore, or apostate church, the mother of abominations, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornications; and also the judgments to be visited upon her.
This apostate or persecuting church is presented as a woman, drunk with the blood of saints, and with the blood of the martyrs, and as a woman seated upon a scarlet beast, full of the name of blasphemies, having seven heads and ten horns; the same as heretofore mentioned. And the woman was arrayed with gold and precious stones and pearls, insomuch as to excite the astonishment of John, which the angel sought to allay with the question, "Wherefore didst thou marvel?" I will tell thee the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carrieth her." The following is the description and interpretation as given by the angel.
"The beast thou sawest was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit."
"The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth; and there are seven kings; five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet, and when he cometh he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition."
"The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues."
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire."
"And the woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth."
The above description and interpretation, easily and unmistakably find their fulfillment in the Romish church, and nowhere else.
That the Papacy is this apostate church, elsewhere Styled the "Antichrist," and "Man of Sin," the culmination and embodiment of the Dragon, and first and second beasts, and as such, the image and representative of the whole, will appear from the following considerations:
1. From the very name, "Catholic," which means universal, at one time the only church, and therefore the only church to become universally apostate.
2. It agrees with the time and place set for its appearance. It was to come out of one of the ten kingdoms of the fourth monarchy. Daniel speaks of it as "the little horn," with eyes, coming up in the midst of, and during the existence of the ten kingdoms into which the fourth kingdom was to be divided. If so, then the time and place for its appearance have both passed.
So the order and succession are given. First the Chaldean, then the Medopersian, then the Macedonian, then the Roman, acknowledged by all, even the Papists, as the red dragon with seven heads and ten horns with seven crowns upon its seven heads; then the first beast, with its seven heads and ten horns, and ten crowns upon its ten horns; then the beast with two horns, like a lamb but speaking as a dragon; then lastly, the image and representative of the whole. In each remove the succeeding form not only takes the place, but also inherits the seat and power of its predecessor. The Dragon gave his seat and power to the beast with seven heads and ten horns (Chap. Xiii. 2) , and the woman in scarlet was afterwards seen seated upon, and riding the same. Rome Papal is but the continuation of Rome Pagan. The modern city is built on the ruins, with much of the same material, and garnished and adorned with many of the works of art of the ancient; the image of St. Peter itself being the old image of Jupiter, with the two keys substituted for the thunderbolts of the former. 14
As the time and place for its appearance, and the order of the succession, are given, and with such definiteness, if this be not the Antichrist, then there can be none in the future, unless this same order and succession return, and the Dragon,- that is Pagan Rome,- be again brought to life; a thing too unreasonable to be entertained for a moment.
3. It has all the characteristics ascribed to the Antichrist.
(a). It was to be in the church. "Sitting in the temple of God," and therefore an apostate church.
(b). It was to be a great power ruling the nations of the earth. "And power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." Was there ever a greater nation than Rome, at one time the acknowledged master of the world? Will there ever be a stronger religious organization than the Romish hierarchy, with its different orders and equipments, with its cathedrals, treasures of art, its schools, nunneries, monasteries, covering the whole earth; and with such power over kings and princes, having actually dethroned fifty of them at different times! 15
(c). It was to be a persecuting power, making war upon the saints, shedding the blood of the same, and so abundantly as to be "drunk with blood." To say nothing about the ten awful persecutions under Rome Pagan, in which it is estimated that fifty millions of martyrs were slain, the victims of Rome Papal have simply been astonishing. Witness the horrors of the Inquisition, the innocent slaughtering of St. Bartholomew, the bloody cruelties of the Duke of Alva, and the bitter persecutions of the Waldenses, which moved the pen of Milton to write:
Avenge, O Lord, they slaughtered saints, whose bones
Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold;
E’en them, who kept thy truth so pure of old,
When all our fathers worshipped stocks and stones,
Forget not; in thy book record their groans,
Who were thy sheep, and in their ancient fold
Slain by the bloody Piedmontese, that rolled
Mother with infant down the rocks. Their moans
The vales redoubled to the hills, and they
To heaven. Their martyred blood and ashes sow
O’er the Italian fields, where still doth away
The triple tyrant; that from these may grow
An hundredfold, who, having learnt thy way,
Early may fly the Babylonian woe.
"It is estimated that in the war with Albigenses and Waldenses, there perished of these poor creatures, in France alone, a million. From the first institution of the Jesuits to the year 1480, that is, in a little more than thirty years, 900,000 orthodox Christians were slain. In the Netherlands alone, the Duke of Alva boasted that within a few years he had dispatched to the number of 36,000 souls, and those all by the hand of the common executioner. In the space of thirty years the Inquisition destroyed, by various kinds of tortures, 150,000 Christians." 16
It is true that these were not all put to death by the Papacy, any more than Christ was crucified by the Jews; but by instigators alike. "Quid facit per alium, facit per se." Whatever he does by another he does himself. It was the first beast that was to make war on the saints, and to overcome them. (Ch. Xiii. 7; Dan. Vii. 26.) But the first beast was agent of the second, and the second approved and endorsed all the deeds of the first and became its accomplice. There is such a thing as a sinner by endorsement, as well as actual transgression; so all the bloodshed of the first was added to that of its own.
(d), It was to be a blasphemous power. "Blasphemies upon her heads." "Sitting in the temple of God and thinking that he is God." "Speaking great words against the Most High." Thinking to change "times and laws." "With all power and signs and lying wonders." "Giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils." All of which are found in the Church of Rome.
We give the following quotations in proof of this high assumption: "Tu enim pastor, tu medicus, tu gubernator, tu denique alter dues in terries." Thou art a shepherd, thou art a physician, thou art a ruler; in one word, thou art another God. 17 "Consider ate esse vicarium Christi, Christum Domini." Consider thyself to be the vicar of Christ, the Christ of God. "Honorem qui debetur Christo, secundum quod Deus est, deberi, papae; quia honor debetur potestati, sed uno est potestas Christi, secundum quod deus est, et papae." The honor which is due to Christ, because he is God, belongs likewise to the Pope; for honor is due to authority; but the same authority belonging to Christ, because he is God, belongs likewise to the pope. "Deus, quia Dei vicarious." God, because the vicar of God. 18 What blasphemies!
To say, then, that we are to have another antichrist in the future, with the same characteristics, is simply that we are to have two antichrists identically the same; a thing as unscriptural as it is unreasonable.
4. Notice other peculiarities mentioned with great minuteness by the angel, and which find their fulfillment nowhere else. "The seven heads are seven mountains," or hills, Rome being built on seven hills; hence the sobriquet, "Urbs Septicollis," city of seven hills. Their names are familiar, vix., Palatinus, Capitolinus, Esquilinus, Caelius, Aventinus, Quirinalis, Viminalis. The seven heads, or seven kings, are seven forms of government, already mentioned, viz., Kings, Consuls, Dictators, Decemvirs, Military Tribunes, Emperors, Dukedom. Five were fallen, viz., Kings, Consus, Dictators, Decemvirs, Military Tribunes. These were already past in John’s day; "one now is," at that time, the Emperor; one yet to come, and continue a little while, viz., Dukedom. "And the beast that was and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seventh, and goeth to perdition." The beast was first in the form of Rome Pagan "and is not"; that is, not then existing in that form. "And yet is," at that time as Rome Christian; "And is the eighth, and is of the seventh." The Papacy was but the continuation of the seven different forms already mentioned, and to be the eighth and last; there being no ninth or tenth to come after it; and to go to perdition or destruction. "And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings"; the ten kingdoms already mentioned, "which have received no kingdom as yet"; that is in John’s day; but were "to receive power as kings one hour with the beast," and continue for a little while, as only an hour compared with the life of the beast, which was to be 1,260 years.
5. The Number of the name furnishes additional proof "Lateinos," the name of the last kingdom, as we have seen, aggregating, in the numerical value of its letters, the prophetic number 666.
6. The same also appears from the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the judgments to be sent upon it. First, those set forth in the first four trumpets, and secondly, in those in the sixth vial poured out upon the seat of the beast. These have been and are now being poured out.
7. Also in the fulfillment thus far of the saying, that these kings would at last turn against her and eat up her flesh, as was the case in the British Isles, when she renounced Papal authority; and later in France, in the revolution, when thousands of priests were put to death; and later still, even in Italy, herself, the Pope being a prisoner to-day in the Vatican, upon his own confession, and in her very bosom.
8. The condition of the world precludes all possibility of another man of sin, another apostate church, of the same characteristics, ever again arising with power to bring the whole world under its corrupting influence and crucifying power, requiring, as it would, centuries for its growth and development. Before this could be, the whole world of necessity must again be brought under the arbitrary sway of another, if not the same Caesar, which neither Scripture nor reason will for a single moment allow. Nothing less than a miracle will ever again place the ruling power of the world in the hand of any single man or nation. Up to the time of the Papacy the world was ruled by Caesar; but from then till now a struggle has been going on, which will result in the reversal of the order, and in the subjugation of Caesar to the church. In the end the church is to be the dominant power in the world, controlling her kingdoms and governments; not, however, by the mistaken scheme of union of church and state, but by the dissemination of her pure and holy principles, which, like leaven, are yet to leaven the whole earth.
9. The testimony of the interpreting angel. To make the matter so plain as to leave no room for doubt or misapprehension, the angel adds, "The woman thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth." Nothing could make the description more complete. Rome was the only city that then, or since, has dominated the world.
10. The whole is confirmed by the consensus of opinion. The early fathers generally identified the little horn of Daniel with Paul’s man of sin; and this sentiment has been growing ever since, and is now commonly held by the Protestant world.
11. The commingling of so many minute and unusual particulars, and the merging of the whole into such a strange compound, which finds its parallel in nothing else, and running through so many centuries, forever fixes the interpretation, and as unmistakably points to the true Antichrist, as the footprints in the sand determine the owner and wearer of the shoe.
In opposition to all this we are told:
1st, That Antichrist means against Christ, the preposition anti meaning against, and one that denies Christ; whereas the Papacy neither denies Christ nor is against him.
2nd, That the historic facts do not agree with the prophetic dates, neither as to the time of taking away the daily sacrifice, nor the length of the profanation.
3rd, That what is said concerning the shedding of the blood of the saints, as well as the time of the existence of the beast, refers to the first beast or antichristian Rome, and not the Papacy. vAs to the alleged disagreement between the facts and the dates, I must refer him to what I have to say upon this point further on.
Concerning the name, Antichrist, I have now to say that the word does not necessarily mean against Christ. The preposition anti has two meanings, either against, or for, that is, in the place of another. (See Schleusner’s Lex.) In this sense it is frequently used in composition of proper names, as Elliott has shown (Vol. 1., 67). According to that meaning, Antichrist would be one who claims to be the agent or representative of Christ, or, so to speak, a Vice-Christ. As the world occurs nowhere else except in the New Testament, and only in John’s epistles, and there only four times, why may not that be the meaning here?
But admit the meaning to be in the sense of against, as generally understood, still the objection has no force; for may not a man really be against, though seemingly in favor, of a person or thing? Witness the strange and apparently contradictory statement of the apostle Paul, "Some preach the gospel, even of envy." (Phil. i. 15.) Witness Peter’s unquestioned zeal in defending his master, with the accompanying rebuke, "Get thee behind me, Satan, for thou savorest not the things that be of God." (Matt. xvi. 23.) Witness a similar mistaken zeal on the part of James and John, in asking for fire to come down from heaven to consume the Samaritans, and the sharp rebuke that followed: "Ye know not what Manner of spirit ye are of." (Luke ix. 54.) Witness the untiring and even greater zeal still of the Scribes and Pharisees of old, compassing sea and land to make one proselyte, coupled with the unsparing denunciation of the Master, which seemingly only increases in intensity with the increase of zeal: "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how shall ye escape the damnation of hell"? (Matt. xxiii. 33.)
There is such a thing as "having zeal, but not according to knowledge"; such a thing as saying and doing great things with flourish of trumpets, and yet to no purpose; such a thing as speaking with the tongue of angels and of men; having faith to remove mountains; giving all one’s goods to feed the poor, and even the body to be burned, and yet, in the end all "sounding brass and tinkling cymbal." (I Cor. xiii. 1-3.) There is such a thing as prophesying in the name of the Lord, casting out devils in the name of the Lord, and doing many and wonderful works in the name of the Lord, and yet being driven away at last, as "workers of iniquity," and that too with the still more striking announcement, "I never knew you." (Matt. vii. 22, 23.) Yea, more,- and the Master’s word for it,- there is even such a thing as being "False Christs," and with power to show signs, work wonders, and to deceive many. (Matt. xxiv. 24.)
It is very easy, then, to see how a church may far outstrip all others in her charities and self-sacrificing labors, and after all be an apostate church; the very mention of its possibility being a prophecy of its existence; and if apostate, what else but antichrist?
Another rule is applicable here. The Savior lays it down as a basic principle of his kingdom, that he and his disciples are one. Whatever is done to them is done to Him. Give but the cup of cold water to a disciple, and it is given him. So to persecute his people is to persecute him. "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" To be against the disciple is to be against him. How, then, can a persecuting church, "drunk with the blood of saints," be anything more or less than Antichrist?
Then, there is still another sense in which a man can be against Christ without openly fighting him, and that is by sitting in his seat, and claiming his honors and prerogatives. This is to be against him, as well as to deny and reject him. This is what Popery has done. It makes the Pope the Vicar and Vicegerent of Christ. For it is only upon this ground he bases his claim to infallibility. It is as the Vicar of Christ, sitting in his seat, he claims homage, requiring kings to how in humble supplication and kiss his feet, being addressed as "His Holiness," "My Lord God the Pope," and even worshipped as another God, as in days past, and as previously shown. As Vicar he claims the power of dethroning kings, as he has done in scores of instances; of granting indulgences, as well as absolution of sins; the power of carrying the keys, and of opening and shutting the gates of Paradise; the power of making and enforcing laws and decrees. For how can the representative of God be subject either to man or his laws? He who is the Vicar of Christ must absolutely be above law. Paul describes his case exactly when he speaks of him as the "lawless one" (foreign): the one not under, nor subject to law. (2 Thess. ii. 8.) And what is all this but robbing Christ of his rights and crown? And what is a usurper but an Antichrist?
This usurpation may also extend to erroneous teachings, as well as assumption of power. To preach any thing but what Christ has taught is to be against him; for it is tearing down his authority and kingdom by setting up another, different and opposite. This is what the Papists have done; placing for the doctrines of Christ the commandments of men; such as baptismal regeneration, worshipping saints and images, praying to and for the dead, purgatory, Mariolatry, auricular confession, penance, canonization of saints, mass for the dead, immaculate conception, forbidding to marry, and denying the cup to the laity.
Schleusner, therefore, correctly defines the word when he says, "The word antichrist, in John, and to this the old Fathers agree, stands for the whole crowd of false teachers and false apostles." (Lex. in loc.) The open enemy, who denies that Jesus has come in the flesh, is indeed an antichrist, but not the only one, of whom, as John says, there are many. Equally so is every false teacher, and every usurper, claiming either to be Christ or to be in the place of Christ.
After the description of the great city, we have presented to us the great lamentation over its fall; symbolically set forth by the angel casting the millstone into the sea, and formally declaring its perpetual destruction.
Then follows the rejoicing in heaven, and rendering thanks to God, over the destruction of the great enemy of God and man, as already accomplished; for in prophecy distant things are spoken of as present; together with an anticipatory allusion to the future marriage of the Lamb to his heavenly bride. As no account of the marriage is given, the nuptials to take place after the new heaven and new earth have been set up, of which mention is made in the next chapter.
After this we have a sublime description of the Faithful and True, riding upon a white horse, having many crowns upon his head, with his vesture dipped in blood, and his eyes a flame of fire, with a sharp sword out of his mouth, with the armies in heaven following upon white horses, and clothed in fine linen, white and clean, going forth conquering and to conquer, extending his kingdom with the destruction of his enemies, and with this superbly royal title emblazoned upon his thigh, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
In connection with this slaughter, an angel is seen standing in the sun, and calling to all the fowls of the air to come and eat the flesh of kings and captains and mighty men.
John saw, that in this great struggle, the beast and kings of the earth, gathered together to make war upon him that sat on the horse and against his army; but that the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone. The remnant were also slain, and all the fowls were satisfied with their flesh. All indicative of the final and universal spread and triumph of the gospel, as well as the destruction of all the enemies of the Lord.
After the destruction of the beast and false prophet, and all the other enemies of the Lord, Satan himself was bound with a chain and cast into the bottomless pit, not, as Professor Milligan strangely interprets, 19 that Satan is always bound to the Christian, and always loose to the sinner, but that his power was put under actual restraint, and that for a thousand years, which constitutes what is known as the Millennium.
We understand the Millennium literally as a thousand years of rest and peace, and not simply a symbolic portraiture of the intermediate state, as Professor Warfield would have us believe. 20 That there will be such a period of rest and peace we doubt not, as this will be but the natural sequence from the binding and imprisonment of Satan. Besides, we have the positive statement, as well as the general analogy of scripture to guide us. "The kingdom will be given to the saints of the Most High." (Dan. vii. 27.) "The heathen shall be given for an inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for a possession." (Ps. ii. 8.) "The earth is to be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." (Isa. xi. 9) So from analogy, as the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, the seventh seventh is the sabbatic year, and the seventh sabbatic the year of Jubilee, we would naturally expect the seventh thousand of the world to be a millennium of rest. There is an old tradition, two hundred years before Christ, that the world is to continue 6,000 years; 2,000 years before the law; 2,000 under the law; and 2,000 under the Messiah. And ever since the days of Irenaeus, the idea has currently obtained in the Christian church, that the seventh thousand would be the sabbatic thousand.
Concerning this Millennium, we are not to understand that everybody will be converted. The wheat and tares will always continue to grow together to the end of time. "Many shall be purified, but the wicked will do wickedly," says Daniel xii. 10. But simply that all organized opposition to the gospel will be done away with; the principles of Christianity will prevail; the authority of the scriptures be recognized. Instead of war, political questions will be settled by arbitration. When the conscience of the world is aroused as it should, and yet will be, the nations of the earth will feel that they are the "nation’s keeper," as every man his "brother’s keeper," and will no more allow internecine wars, between nations, than individual broils are now permitted on the streets by the bystanders.
Whether Christ is to come at the beginning of the Millennium, and reign in person on earth during this period, with his saints, who are to be raised from the dead; or whether he will not come till the end of the world as judge, is a question which has long divided the world, Premillennialists holding the former view, Postmillennialists the latter. As I will, further on, and somewhat at length, discuss this question, I will now only say this much: that I cannot believe that the language is to be understood literally, and that either the martyrs, or any part of the dead, are to be raised up at the beginning, or rest of the dead at the termination, of the thousand years; but figuratively, viz., that during the Millennium the martyr spirit will return, and be honored, and represented as being put upon thrones; and that after that the old spirit of ungodliness and persecution will return, when Satan will be said to be again turned loose.
After the thousand years Satan is to be loosed for a season, and go forth to deceive the nations. The world is again to become wicked and degenerate. If the binding of Satan is to produce the Millenium, his release will again restore the world to its former wicked state. Hence the inquiry of the Master, "When the Son of man shall come, shall he find faith on the earth?" Also his emphatic declaration, "As in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, … so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
Some time after the Millennium,- how long we know not,- will be the final struggle, when Satan shall seek to regain his lost supremacy, by stirring up the world and his associates everywhere, to make war against the saints, for so largely invading his domains during his imprisonment. But God shall send fire from heaven and consume all the aiders and abettors of the unholy crusade, and the devil that deceived them shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet are, to be tormented forever.
After this, but when, no man knoweth, not even the Son, but only the Father, will be the Resurrection and Judgment.
"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, both small and great, stand before God. And the books were opened- (no new matter to be introduced)- and another book was opened, which was the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."
After all this the new heaven and new earth will appear. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." This was the new heaven and new earth in which righteousness was to dwell, of which Peter speaks, and which manifestly did not appear till after the Millennium.
The prophecy most fitly and beautifully concludes with a dramatic description of the heavenly city, in connection with the new heaven and new earth, wit its pearly gates, its sapphired walls, its dazzling splendor, its burning glory. As the inspired volume begins with the Paradise lost, it is proper that it should close with the Paradise regained, and end with the invitation to all shut out of the first to enter the second. After a solemn warning not to add to, or take from, the words of the book of this prophecy, the whole concludes with the heavenly benediction, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be with you all.- Amen."
Having thus given a rapid sketch of what we conceive to be the meaning of these prophecies, we proceed to inquire how much of them has been fulfilled?
From the interpretations given, the answer to this question must be that we are rapidly approaching the end. My study of the question forces me to the conclusion that we are under the seventh trumpet, and in the after part of the fifth vial, which is being emptied upon the seat of the beast; and as the vials overlap at junctional points, also under the beginning of the sixth, which is being poured out upon the river Euphrates, to dry up the river; said river being the Turkish power, for reasons already given. When these are finished, there will remain but one, the seventh, to be poured out in the air, universal.
According to this scheme, the thing now in order is the final drying up of the Turkish power, including the Russian Government, the regular offspring and descendant of the third great beast of Daniel, and upon which the Greek church, the offshoot of the eastern leg, or empire, is so snugly seated as its rider; these being the last armed foes resisting with the sword the spread of the gospel, and obstructing the way of the kings of the East. After which will be the universal outpouring of God’s wrath upon all those who wear the mark of the beast; then the last great earthquake or upheaval, which is to usher in the Millenium.
Before the Millennium three things are necessary;
1st, The preaching of the gospel to every creature.
2nd, Completed accumulation of prayer.
3rd, The universal outpouring of the Spirit.
This is seed sowing time; the running to and fro, and increasing knowledge. Never such a close union of different denominations; never such study of the scriptures, and dissemination of light; never before was there such activity in all Christian work, especially in the cause of Foreign Missions; never such enlarged contributions to all the schemes of benevolence. So the accumulation of prayer has been going on for ages. Patriarchs, prophets and apostles, and the saints in all ages, have been earnestly uniting in the petition, "Thy kingdom come." The accumulation of prayer on high has already become a mighty ocean encompassing the throne of God, his plan being not to hear and answer each petition separately, but all at once, so that we who remain shall not have any advantage over those gone before, and all may have part alike in the "harvest home." Likewise, abundant assurances have been given for the universal outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the latter days. When, then, this seed sowing shall be fully accomplished, and this gospel preached to every creature, and this accumulation of prayer be fully completed, it will then only remain for God, in accordance with the promise, to pour out his Spirit in Pentecostal effusion and power, and nations will easily be converted in a day.
But is there anything to guide us in reaching a conclusion as to when these things will be? We thing there is, and certainly enough at least to lead to an approximate estimate.
In order to see this, we have only to place side by side the statements of Daniel with those of John.
According to Daniel, the first little horn (Papal) was to continue "A time, times, and the dividing of time," That is, three and a half years, or 1,260 days. (2), The second little horn (Mohammedan) to continue, as we interpret, 1,290 days. (3), From the time the daily sacrifice is taken away, and abomination making desolate set up, to the end, 1,290 days. (4), Blessed period to him that cometh to the 1335.
According to John, the holy city was to be given to the Gentiles, to be trodden down forty-two months, or 1,260 days. (2), Two witnesses in sackcloth to testify 1,260 days. (3), The woman to remain in the wilderness, to be nourished, a time and times and a half, 1,260 days.
It is generally agreed that the different forms of expression, "time, times and a half," "forty-two months," and "1,260 days," are all the same, and refer to the same thing, and terminate with the 2,300 days, the only trouble being to know where these different dates begin, and to make them harmonize with the facts of history, as well as the interpretation of the Master concerning the setting up of the abomination of desolation at Jerusalem.
Concerning the 2,300 days, the writer has no difficulty, as he understands it to refer to the time of the cleansing of the sanctuary, and not the length of its profanation; not that the sanctuary was to be defiled 2,300 days, but the vision was to extend thus far. How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? "And he said unto me unto two thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." As the vision includes all that was said concerning the ram and he-goat, as well as the little horn, and the transgression of desolation, this answer simply asserts that it would take that many days to cover the whole, without telling when that period was to begin.
It becomes, therefore, a matter of importance to determine the beginning of the 2,300 days. It might be either the time of the vision, or the time of the notable little horn, or the time of the cessation of the daily sacrifice and the setting up of the abomination.
It cannot be the time of the vision, for that was about 583 years B.C. and the 2,300 whether days or years, have long since passed, and the sanctuary not yet cleansed.
Neither can it be the time of the removal of the daily sacrifice and the setting up of the abomination as generally understood; for the angel expressly tells Daniel, that from the time the daily sacrifice would be taken away, and the abomination set up, to the cleansing of the temple, would be 1,290 days. The daily sacrifice was taken away by the Romans in A.D. 70. Add 1,290 and we will have 1,360, and whether days or years, the time is past, and the sanctuary still remains polluted.
We are therefore forced to the conclusion, that the 2,300 days must begin with the Medopersian ram, and with his "standing" on the banks of the river, and not his first beginning. For the goat found him thus standing. Alexander’s first victory was 434 B.C. Add 2,300, and it brings us to 1866, which harmonizes with the other dates, viz., "The time, times and half time," the forty-two months and 1,260 days, and make them all terminate about the same time.
Three questions spring up here. 1st, When was the daily sacrifice taken away? 2nd, The abomination of desolation, what was it, and when set up? 3rd, What have Mohammedans to do with it?
To the first question I reply, that, in the first and typical sense, the sacrifice was clearly taken away when the Romans under Titus took the city. The interpretation of the Master settles that.
To the second I answer, that the Abomination so frequently alluded to was not simply the destruction of Jerusalem, but something to be set up in after years.
The part the Mohammedans will take in setting it up will appear further on.
To a clear understanding of the matter, we must ever bear in mind that there is here, as in other prophecies, a double meaning, one outward, and one inward, one the shadow, and the other the substance. The student cannot fail to see this in the language of the Savior, already alluded to in that mysterious blending of these two, where he speaks of the destruction of the city and coming judgment in almost one and the same breath. Indeed it is utterly impossible to understand his meaning upon any other supposition.
Daniel just as clearly alludes to two different things, one near, the other remote, when he speaks of the "ships of Chittim" (Ch. Ix. 30), generally understood of the Romans, who were so soon to come, and yet at the same time declares that the vision was "For many days," and "To the end," and not to be accomplished till the completion of "the scattering of the holy people." He may have been speaking directly in Chapter viii. of the profanation by Antiochus, as many think; but as so much said is wholly inapplicable to him, the conclusion is unavoidable, that he was speaking also of another and more important spiritual abomination, to arise further on. So the Master, while telling of the abomination by the Romans, so near at hand, clearly had in his eye another and more detestable abomination in the more distant future. Hence his caveat, "Let him that readeth understand," clearly intimating the existence of a deeper meaning and a different abomination.
The apostle John just as clearly refers to a future abomination. He says nothing in his vision about the destruction of Jerusalem, for that was already past. He was banished, as we believe, under Domitian, and not Nero 21; the city was therefore already destroyed, and the sacrifice removed. From his standpoint the coming ills were all in the future- something yet to be set up- and something dealing entirely with the church of God in the latter days; in other words, the Antichrist, or Man of Sin, of which Paul also speaks, and from the rise of which, and not form the destruction of the city, we are to date the beginning of the forty-two months, the "time, times and a half," three and a half years, the 1,260 years; when the real and true sanctuary was to be cleansed; and when, after the fullness of the Gentiles had been brought in, the Jews would return to their land, not, however, to rebuild the temple, and reinstate the Jewish worship, as Dr. Rutledge and followers affirm.
According, then, to the concurrent testimony of Daniel, John, and the Savior, with all of whom Paul so fully agrees, some great abomination was to be set up in the future, apart from, and after the destruction of the city and the dispersion of the people, which was to be the beginning of the 12600 period, and to which the former simply pointed as prophecy and type.
What then was that abomination? And when set up? Daniel tells us very plainly where to look for it, as well as the time of its appearing. He tells us that it was to be found in the two feet of Nebuchadnezzar’s image, after the division of the Roman empire into ten subordinate kingdoms, and would appear in the form of two horns or powers- the one imbedded in, and growing out of the one foot, and the other imbedded in, and coming out of the other foot; both, therefore, appearing about the same time; the one the regular descendant of the four great empires; the other the offspring of the third great beast, and though seemingly outside in its origin, yet so engrafted in, and identified with, as to become one with the eastern leg, and to act in unison with the western, in its tyranny over the earth.
A bird’s eye view of the prophetic utterances of Daniel will aid in this investigation.
In chapter vii. He tells of a strange and mysterious king coming out of the fourth or Roman monarchy, and also described in Chapters ix. and xi. as the king who would destroy the city and take away the sacrifice.
In Chapter viii. he tells of another king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, to come out of the third beast, or Grecian monarchy of whom it is also said that he would take away the sacrifice, and set up an abomination.
In Chapter xi. he gives the general history of his people, from the time of the Persian empire till the end of time; and more especially how that, after alternate struggles between the kings of Syria and Egypt, the upper and lower portions of Alexander’s kingdom, one on the north and the other on the south of Jerusalem, and therefore spoken of as the king of the north and the king of the south, the "ships of Chittim" would come, and "Arms should stand," generally understood of the Romans, described as a willful king, who would neither regard the God of his fathers nor the desire of women; who would pollute the sanctuary, and take away the sacrifice; who would magnify himself, speaking against the God of gods, worshipping a strange God, even the god Mauzzim, or defenders,-(patrons of saints and images)- and for a while rule with power and great riches.
I understand the concluding verses (40-45) to refer to the Romans and at a later period, at the end of time, and therefore the nomenclature, "the king of the north," and "king of the south," changes, so that the king of the north would be the Saracens, and the king of the south the Turks, "at the time of the end," therefore,- that is, the time that shall lead to the end, - the king of the north, or Saracens, would push at the Romans, as they did, and the king of the south, or Turks, would come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen and with many ships, as they did. He, that is, the Turks, would enter the countries and overflow and pass over. He would also enter the glorious land, and subdue countries.
Edom and Moab would escape, but Egypt would not escape. Yet tidings out of the north (Russian invasion), and from the east (yet in the future, perhaps Persia), shall trouble him. He shall plant the tabernacles of his palace (his camps) between the seas, in the glorious mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
In Chapter xiii. he tells of the time of the continuance of the real pollution, and the length of time necessary for the destruction of the two aforesaid kings mentioned in Chapters vii. and viii. viz., 1260, and 1290 years for perfecting the cleansing of the real spiritual temple; and 1335 as the blessed period.
Here, then, we have (1), The different nations of people from whom the oppression is to come- the Romans and Turks. (2), The different forms of oppression, two wicked kings, represented by two horns. (3), The different peoples oppressed; not only the Jews, but also the Gentile world. (4), The time of continuance of the oppression, 1260 and 1290 years. (5), The period of complete and blessed deliverance, viz., 1335.
In hunting for these two horns, or wicked kings, we need not be long in the search. Interpreters are generally agreed that the first little horn of Daniel, Chapter VII., refers to the Papacy. We are just as fully persuaded that the other little horn in Chapter viii. finds its counterpart in Mohammedanism. We may not be able to go as far as Sir Isaac Newton, who held that Mohammedanism was the second beast of John, yet we must believe that he his the second horn of Daniel. To make the two horns refer to the Papacy, as some have done, is to confound things entirely different, fail to explain all parts, and besides a useless repetition, unusual in scripture. The aptness too of the description fixes the interpretation. "A king of fierce countenance"; Mohammed proffered only submission or the sword. "His power was mighty, but not of himself"; Mohammed inherited no hereditary dominion, but was a self-made man. "Understanding dark sentences." How applicable to the Koran!-a book remarkable for "its sententious obscurity," as Scott has well said, and as every one knows who has ever read the same. He was also to "stand against the Prince of princes." Mohammedanism seeks the destruction of the supremacy of Christ. "Cast down some of the host of heaven," and "in his hand craft would prosper," all of which find their counterpart in that delusion.
Here, then, in these two contemporaneous and singularly strange and mysterious religions, one imbedded in, and by natural descent coming out of the one foot, and the other imbedded in by amalgamation, and identified with the other foot of Nebuchadnezzar’s image, we have the two horns by which the world was to be, and has so long been gored. The one, Popery, with its sister, the Greek Church, with the Czar, (contraction of Caesar) as its head; and the other, Mohammedanism. Rome stands as the representative of the one, Constantinople of the other.
The reason why these two are selected and emphasized out of all the other false religions is, as we imagine, first, because of their historical connections, and secondly, on account of their blasphemous assumptions and tendencies, the one making the Pope the Vicar of Christ, with the Virgin Mary as the intercessor, and the other in enthroning Mohammed in the place of the Lord Jesus Christ, "Great is Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet," being the Muezzin’s daily cry. In all of which the throne and prerogatives of Christ are ignored, if not directly assailed, which cannot be said of Buddhism, Shintooism, Taoism, or any other false religion; for, though these may be even more degraded and degrading, they are nevertheless free from such blasphemies.
Then there is something quite suggestive as to the association, if not in the actual kinship, of the two. Alike and yet unlike, enemies and yet friends, like Herod and Pontius Pilate, making friends in order to their better prosecution of their unhallowed warfare upon the church of God. Of Amsterdam it has been said that it was a "Vulgar Venice." So of Constantinople it might also be said that it was a "Vulgar Rome." It shows, though in a subordinate degree, all the leading features of the imperial city. It imitates in these particulars: (1), Once the Capital of the Empire; it still claims supremacy over the one-half, as Rome over the other. (2), Like its rival, it is built upon seven hills, though not as distinctly defined as those of the former. (3), It has its great church edifice, the Mosque of St. Sophia, but not equal in grandeur to the magnificent structure of St. Peters at Rome. (4), Both are intolerant and exclusive, though the sway of the former is not so extensive as that of the latter. (5), The one directly in the path of the Jew, and the other in the way of the Gentile. It is for this outward, if not inward affiliation, that has led Barnes and others to adopt the view making Mohammedanism the false prophet, to be cast at last with the beast into the burning flame.
What we have already said is a sufficient answer to the third question, "What has Mohammedanism to do with the pollution of the sanctuary?" With the first destruction and first pollution it has nothing to do. That was the work of the Roman, as we have already seen.
But it has had much to do with its after pollution and continued disturbance, and interference of its service (foreign). By him was the sacrifice disturbed, as the Septuagint has it; much to do with the setting up, and keeping set up, the second, real, true abomination; much to do with interfering with the return of the Jews, and cleansing of the true tabernacle. The Romans first took the city and trampled it under foot. The Mohammedans afterwards took it, and further degraded it by locating their Mosque upon the very spot occupied by the temple of Solomon. Thus the two uniting in the humiliation; the one showing contempt by razing it to the ground, the other by the substitution of its iniquitous rites for its holy service; and not only united in the humiliation, but equally so in their opposition to the fulfillment of the prophecy concerning the final triumph of the gospel, the bringing in of the fullness of the Gentiles, and the return of the Jews, if not to their native land, at least their fealty to their rejected Messiah.
Behold then the picture! This double abomination, as well as double domination! (See frontispiece.) One from within 22 and the other from without the temple of the living God. Both standing for centuries with their feet upon the neck of the Jewish and Gentile world! And the two, like Egypt and Babylon of old, though acting separately, yet conjointly to the same end; and, under the skilful management of the great adversary of souls, to prevent the spread and final triumph of the Redeemer’s kingdom. But, like all the other enemies of the gospel, these too must perish. Whoso arrays himself against the Lord Jesus Christ may expect, sooner or later, to be overwhelmed, and to be brought to the dust. The confession of the apostate Julian will yet be extorted from the lips of every vaunting foe, "Thou hast conquered, O Galilean." Jesus is yet to reign over all the earth. Every knee is to bow, every lip to confess. The little stone cut out of the mountain without hands is now smiting, and will continue to smite, the image in his feet till the whole is destroyed. The time of their triumph is given as 1,260 years to the former, and 1,290 to the latter; or, if both of these refer to the same event, the latter number will be the required time for the complete finishing of the work of destruction, and 1,335 years for the recognition, if not full establishment, of the kingdom.
If the true and real abomination was not set up at the destruction of Jerusalem, but in after years, we are at once relieved of all the difficulties which have beset interpreters in their vain attempts to harmonize the prophetic periods with that event. We have only to inquire when this man of sin within, and this king of fierce countenance without, one in the east and the other in the west, were set up. Their continuance was to be 1,260 and 1,290 years. To know their beginning is to know their ending. As they rose about the same time, they will doubtless also go out about the same time.
There are three different dates given by different interpreters for the rise of the beast, the setting up of the abomination, and therefore the beginning of the 1,260 years. Some fix it as early as A.D. 553, when the emperor Justinian issued his edict recognizing John II as head of the church. Others fix the time in the year 606, when the Emperor Phocas proclaimed Boniface III universal bishop. And others again, as late as 752, when Pepin of France conferred on Pope Stephen the exarchate of Ravenna in return for his confirming act in settling upon him the crown of France. The year usually adopted by a majority of interpreters is the middle one, viz., 606. By adding 1,260 the life of the beast, we have the year 1866 23 as about the time for the termination of the prophetic period. And it is a most remarkable fact that the revolution in Italy under Victor Emanuel, beginning about that time, resulted in 1868 in the unification of Italy, the forever taking away from the Pope his temporal power, and throwing open the gates of Rome to the world, and thus bringing about the destruction of the political power, or death of the first beast, and clearly establishing the correctness of the day year principle of interpretation.
But Daniel gives another important date, viz., 1290, when another disaster might be expected to befall the kingdom of the beast, and also pointing forward to a happy period a little further on, adding, "Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five." Add to these years 606, and we have as the important years 1896 and 1941. The year 1898 witnessed the further outpouring of the fifth vial, this time upon Spain, another seat of the beast and supporter of Papal supremacy. What the year 1941 will bring forth remains to be seen. By that time we confidently expect a wonderful change and development in the progress of events, if not another complete upheaval.
It may not be possible, nor is it necessary, for us to know the exact date for the fulfillment of these impending prophecies; it is enough to be assured of their nearness. The mariner may not be able to see the land, yet his log book and sounding line tell him that he is nearing the shore. The driftwood told Columbus of his nearness to land. We may not know of the day or hour, nor even the year, of the fulfillment of these prophecies, and yet know that they are near at hand, even in sight. As no interpreter has placed the time for the rise of the beast earlier than 533, and none later than 753, we feel warranted in saying that the 1260 years began somewhere between these extremes, and therefore must expire somewhere in the present century. As the rise of the Papacy was gradual, so also will be its decline. Like the rest of the beasts of which Daniel speaks, though their dominion would be taken away, their "lives would be prolonged for a season." (Chapter vii. 12.) As in the old Babylonish captivity, intended as the type, there were several removals and returns, so doubtless it will be here. Neither Popery nor Mohammedanism is to be destroyed in a moment, but, like all other false religions, to be consumed gradually. That their destruction has already commenced none can doubt. One of the horns, the political, was broken off when he ceased to be a temporal ruler. The other, the religious, will gradually fall away, and years may be required for its complete eradication. The signs and indications all point to the rapid fulfillment of the remaining vials. And we see no reason why we may not expect to see, with the beginning of the next century, which is to introduce the seventh or sabbatic thousand of the world, the overthrow of the beast-the complete drying up of the Euphrates,- the destruction of all the open enemies of the church, and the last great upheaval which is to usher in the Millennial reign!
I have endeavored in the preceding pages to give, in brief outline, the meaning of these prophecies, as they appear to me, and according to the scheme as usually held by leading interpreters, and also ventured to give some dates as to the time of their fulfillment. In doing this I have adhered to the purpose of leaving out all minor details, and only sought to give the general outline, that they might be the more easily comprehended. How far I have succeeded in giving a clue to the general meaning I must leave the reader to judge. To my own mind the interpretations and explanations given have generally been not