Part 12 (1/2)
Thus, this city mystically combines the wickedness of the three most wicked places on earth--Sodom, Egypt, and Jerusalem. These facts we shall notice more particularly hereafter.
But these two witnesses were not always to remain trampled under foot in the streets of great Babylon; for a time came when ”the spirit of life from G.o.d entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.” In this is portrayed the reformation which is now taking place in the world. About the year A.D.
1880 G.o.d began to raise up holy men and women whom he commissioned to preach the everlasting gospel of the kingdom again; and they went forth in his name calling upon G.o.d's people everywhere to come ”out of all places where they had been scattered in the cloudy and dark day” (Ezek.
34:12) and to take up their abode in the one true church of Jesus Christ, his body, independent of all sectarianism and the creeds and disciplines of men. In this a.s.sembly of the faithful, gathered out of all nations, no man nor set of men attempts to form laws or regulations for the supervision of spiritual affairs; but with one consent they humbly bow before the only true Lawgiver (Jas. 4:12), and say, ”The government shall be upon his shoulder” (Isa. 9:6); and the Word and Spirit of G.o.d have perfect control of his saints. Halleluiah! They can preach, teach, and believe every word of truth placed in the Sacred Volume, without a conference or discipline of men forbidding. Standing upon this apostolic platform of eternal truth, they hurl the thunders of divine judgment against the hidden works of darkness, causing the graceless devotees of fallen Babylon to quake with fear and to ”gnaw their tongues for pain.”
After the resurrection of these witnesses, a voice from heaven is heard, saying, ”Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.” This ascension to heaven in the presence of their enemies, which according to this chapter occurred before the end of time, has reference undoubtedly to their great exaltation. ”Thy greatness is grown, and _reacheth unto heaven_.” Dan. 4:22. We see that in this text a similar expression signifies great exaltation. So this work is destined to a.s.sume such proportions that the people of earth may have the privilege of seeing the truth. In the preceding chapter John, as a symbol of the church at this time, under the living ministry symbolized by the rain-bow angel, was told that he ”must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” Verse 11.
The signification of the time-period of three days and a half claims our attention next. According to the foregoing explanation, it will be seen that the writer applies it as three centuries and a half, or three hundred and fifty years--from A.D. 1530 to A.D. 1880. It will be necessary to adduce strong reasons for thus applying it. In the first place, the time-prophecies of the Bible are by no means confined to the year-day manner of interpretation. Many times in the Old Testament the expression occurs, ”And it shall come to pa.s.s _in that day_,” which expression is admitted by all to have reference to the gospel day, or the entire gospel dispensation. When the church of Philadelphia was promised deliverance from the _hour_ of temptation which was to come upon all the world (chap. 3:10), no one supposes that a short period of only one week is specified. The rulers of the ten kingdoms were to ”receive power as kings _one hour_ with the beast” (chap. 17:12), which expression will be shown later to really cover many years. We might point out many such exceptions were it necessary.
Again, it was the beast that came up at the expiration of the twelve hundred and sixty years, or Protestantism, that slaughtered the witnesses, and we could not expect their resurrection during the reign of Protestantism, which every one will admit was longer than three and one-half years, according to the year-day application. The events as they have developed prove that it was just three and one-half centuries before Protestantism was entirely ignored and the Spirit and Word recognized as the sole Governors in the church of G.o.d. Besides, the general trend of events following the formation of Protestantism naturally divide the succeeding centuries into separate periods. The first (sixteenth) was a fierce conflict for the establishment of Protestantism; the second (seventeenth) was a violent reaction, wherein the church of Rome nearly triumphed over her hated opposers; while the third (eighteenth) is specially noted in history as the period of infidelity or reason. This division of time was so noticable that D'Aubigne, who wrote about A.D. 1835, in his famous History of the Reformation, refers to it in the following remarkable language: ”It has been said that the three last centuries, the sixteenth, the seventeenth, and the eighteenth, may be conceived as an immense battle of _three days'_ duration. We willingly adopt this beautiful comparison.... The first day was the battle of G.o.d, the second the battle of the priest, the third the battle of Reason. What will be the fourth? [1830-1930] In our opinion, the confused strife, the deadly contest of all these powers together, TO END IN THE VICTORY OF HIM TO WHOM TRIUMPH BELONGS.” Book XI, Chap. 9.
The writer is thankful to G.o.d that he is permitted to see the fourth day ending ”in the victory of Him to whom triumph belongs.” And may we, my brethren, be grateful to our dear Lord that it is our privilege to have part in this glorious reformation of divine truth that is now sweeping over the world and gathering the elect together for the soon-coming of the Savior.
13. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the G.o.d of heaven.
14. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
At the time the witnesses reach their greatest exaltation, a great earthquake takes place upon earth, and the tenth part of the city falls.
The nature of the symbol would point us to some political upheaval.
Since the great city of Babylon is composed of different divisions (as will be seen hereafter), it is a matter of doubt as to which part of the city is here referred to; but most probably that of the hierarchy as embraced in one of the ten divisions or kingdoms. Since the fulfilment of this prediction is yet future, I speak with hesitation and wait for the event to make all clear. It is probable, however, that either in this political revolution, or about that time, the Ottoman power will be overthrown; for immediately the announcement is made, ”The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.”
15. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
16. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before G.o.d on their seats, fell upon their faces, and wors.h.i.+pped G.o.d,
17. Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord G.o.d Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
18. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
19. And the temple of G.o.d was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
The seventh angel that here sounded is the third woe-angel, and according to the description before us, ushers in the general judgment.
When the temple of G.o.d was opened that this mighty event might take place on earth, there were ”lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” Wondrous commotions took place in the world, for kingdoms and empires were all overthrown, and Jesus Christ was the only king remaining, and his mission was to raise the dead that they might be judged, to give reward to the prophets and saints, and to banish with everlasting destruction those that corrupted the earth. The description itself is too plain to need further comment.
”The temple of G.o.d” that was opened in heaven is to be understood as symbolical (as explained in chap. 6:9), and not literal. In other words, the heavenly world appeared to John symbolized after the sanctuary of the temple on earth. Chap. 15:5-8; 16:1, 7, 17, etc. This is proved clearly by the fact that, when the real heaven, the future home of the redeemed, is described, John says, ”I saw _no temple_ therein.” Chap.
21:22.
Before dismissing the visions of this chapter, I wish to call attention to one more point hitherto referred to--that of parallelism and contrast. While we have the history of the church apostate described by the treading down of the holy city, we have also, in immediate contrast and running parallel therewith, a history of the true church existing during the same period of twelve hundred and sixty years, although it was in a sackcloth state. And while the reign of Protestantism is described as a period during which the two witnesses were in one sense dead, we have in immediate contrast a history of the last great reformation, in which the spirit of life from G.o.d again enters these same witnesses, and they stand upright on their feet, to the consternation of all their adversaries. Amen.
CHAPTER XII.
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2. And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of Heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto G.o.d, and to his throne.