Revelation 9—Two Ineffective Reformation Woes
9:1. And the fifth angel sounded.—The Wesleyan movement began, leading up to the Methodist Episcopal Church, United American Methodist Episcopal Church, African Methodist Episcopal Church, African United Methodist Protestant Church, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Methodist Protestant Church, Wesleyan Methodist Church, Methodist Episcopal Church South, Congregational Methodist Church, New Congregational Methodist Church, Zion Union Apostolic Church, Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, Free Methodist Church, Reformed Methodist United Episcopal Church, and Independent Methodist Churches.—1 Cor. 3:3.
And I saw a star.—John Wesley became a star in the Anglican heavens in 1728, at which time he was ordained a priest by Bishop Potter.
Fall from heaven unto the earth.—For many years Wesley had no thought of forming a sect; and yet, unconsciously, he began to do so from the time he was ordained. He was then in Oxford University, where “the completeness of his self‐devotion to the service of God, combined with his rare moral courage and superior strength of character, caused him to be recognized as the leader of a group of under‐graduates which was nicknamed the ‘Holy Club’ by the ungodly of the University, who derided its members for their rigid rules and charitable practices by calling them ‘Methodists.’ ” (McC.) “He fully accepted the recognized teaching of the Church of England, and publicly appealed to the Prayer‐Book and the Thirty‐nine articles in justification of the doctrines he preached. Methodism began in a revival of personal religion, and it professed to have but one aim, to spread Scriptural holiness over the land. Its doctrines were in no sense new.” (Brit.) The work in the Western World, particularly in the United States, grew to vast proportions. “The preachers in the South determined upon administration of the sacraments, and a committee was chosen who ordained themselves and others. The Northern preachers opposed this step and for several years the Connexion was on the verge of disruption. Wesley perceived that the Society would disintegrate unless effective measures were speedily taken, and, aided by two presbyters of the Church of England, (one of whom was James Creighton) early in 1784 he ordained Thomas Coke, a presbyter of that Church, as Superintendent.”—Brit.
His brother Charles heartily disapproved of this and wrote the following (which does not, however, appear with his other hymns in the Methodist hymnal):
“So easily are bishops made By man or woman’s whim; Wesley his hands on Coke hath laid, But who laid hands on him?”
In 1787 the American Conference changed Mr. Coke’s title to “Bishop.” Mr. Coke tried to introduce this title into the English Conference of which he was president, but the English Brethren could not accept it, despite his great earnestness in the cause. It must have been a strange sight to see a bright man like Wesley engaging those two presbyters of the Church of England to help him ordain somebody to a higher office than any of them had ever held. But the plan worked. All Methodists believe that Bishop Coke, the first Bishop of the Methodist Church received some “apostolic succession” from the original line described in comments on Rev. 2:13. These brethren have grieved that Pastor Russell did not get his ordination from the same source.
And to him was given the key of the [bottomless] pit OF THE ABYSS.—Wesley was given the key to nothing and to nowhere.
9:2. [And he opened the bottomless pit].—Wesley opened nothing. He did interpret Rom. 8:21 as meaning that the lower animals would go to Heaven, but that was an error. He was honest enough, however, to object to using the word Trinity because he did not find it in the Bible. “Christian Advocates” please note.
And there arose a smoke.—Confusion—a blinding haze.
[Out of] OVER the pit.—In the “air,” the ecclesiastical heavens.
As the smoke of a great furnace.—Methodism was no ordinary smudge.
And the sun.—The true Gospel.
And the air.—The Anglican Church.
Were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.—Methodism damaged the Anglican communion as much as it did the Truth.
9:3. And there came out of the smoke locusts.—An immense number of followers.—Judges 7:12.
Upon the earth.—Among order‐loving people.
And unto them was given power.—To attend an old‐time Methodist meeting and witness the “getting the power” was to see the sight of a life‐time.
As the scorpions of the earth have powers.—“A well‐known injurious insect of hot climates, which is shaped very much like a lobster. They are carnivorous in their habits, and move along in a threatening attitude with the tail elevated. The sting, which is situated at the extremity of the tail, has at its base a gland that secretes a poisonous fluid, which is discharged into the wound by two minute orifices at its extremity. The scorpion makes a painful wound in men and beasts which produces fatal results unless speedy remedies be provided such as scarifying the wound or sucking out the poison.”—McC.
9:4. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth.—Men of independent thought.—Rev. 8:7.
[Neither any green thing.] Neither any tree.—Saint.—Rev. 8:7.
But [only] those men.—The unconverted.
Which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.—Methodists understand that to be converted from being a sinner means to have the seal of God in one’s forehead. All the energies of that church are devoted to gathering in goats to the sheepfold.
9:5. And to them it was given that they should not kill them.—No such sane and merciful sentence as “The wages of sin is death” has any place in Methodist theology. Wesley was born at a time when the original meaning of the word “Hell” had become hidden, and was saturated with the later teachings that it signifies a place of torment. He threw his whole heart into the work of spreading this error throughout the earth.
But that they should be tormented five months.—In symbolic time, 150 years. (Rev. 2:21). Wesley became the first Methodist in 1728. (Rev. 9:1). When the Methodist denomination, with all the others, was cast off from favor in 1878 (Rev. 3:14) its power to torment men by preaching what Presbyterians describe as “Conscious misery, eternal in duration” came to an end legally, and to a large extent actually.—Rev. 9:10.
And their torment.—The torment of those tormented by the tormenting doctrine of torment.
Was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.—See Rev. 9:10.
9:6. And in those days.—Throughout the 150 years of widely prevalent “Methodist hell‐fire”.
Shall men seek death.—Would be glad to know that “The wages of sin is death.”—Rom. 6:23.
And shall not find it.—Because all the texts which plainly teach that “All the wicked will God destroy,” were perverted to mean “All the wicked will God immortalize in hell.”
And shall desire to die.—Real men would prefer to die and stay dead rather than forever companion and worship the greatest devil of the Universe.
And death shall flee from them.—They were told that men only seem to die, although touch, hearing, sight and smell all bear eloquent testimony to the contrary.—Rom. 6:23; Ezek. 18:4; Gen. 3:19; Psa. 115:17; Ecc. 9:5; Psa. 37:10, 20; Ecc. 3:19‐21; 1 Cor. 15:13, 18; Dan. 12:2.
9:7. And the [shapes] LIKENESSES of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle.—The battle‐cry of the old‐time Methodist was “All at it, and always at it”.
And on their heads were as it were crowns like gold.—Those born of the spirit, changed from human conditions and made like the Lord, have received the very highest blessing, the “Crown of life”, the Divine nature. Gold is a symbol of Divinity. To receive a crown of gold is to be born of the spirit. All old‐time Methodists felt certain that they were “born of the spirit” when converted, no begetting or quickening being necessary. But here is pointed out that these good people had “as‐it‐were” crowns instead of real ones.
And their faces were as the faces of men.—They were not “Born of the spirit” as they supposed.
9:8. And they had hair as the hair of women.—“If a woman have long hair it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.” (1 Cor. 11:15.) The Church’s glory is her wedding robe, the robe of Christ’s righteousness. It is to the credit of old‐time Methodists that they trusted for salvation in the precious blood of Christ.
And their teeth were as the teeth of lions.—Lions are able to chew and swallow almost anything. When the conference at Baltimore in 1787 turned John Wesley’s Superintendent into a Bishop, the Methodist people swallowed it all; and to this day most of them really believe that their clergy are a Divinely appointed institution, despite the fraud perpetrated.—Joel. 1:4‐6.
9:9. And they had breastplates.—“Breastplates of righteousness.”—Eph. 6:14.
As it were breastplates of iron.—An iron breastplate would be a good one but an “as‐it‐were” breastplate would need examination. It was not uncommon for old‐time Methodists to deceive themselves into thinking they had not sinned for years. Those who had such breastplates wore the “As‐it‐ were” variety.
And the sound of their wings.—When engaged in “getting the power”.—Rev. 9:3.
Was as the sound of chariots.—The noisiest vehicles known in the Revelator’s day.
Of many horses running to battle.—The old‐time Methodist hell‐fire revival was in days gone by the noisiest place on earth, excepting the camp‐ meeting. Those good old days have long since gone.
9:10. And they had tails.—Followers—class‐leaders.
Like unto scorpions.—The old‐time class‐leader was an invaluable adjunct of the Methodist Church. Upon him devolved the duty of requiring each probationer to attend the class‐meeting and report his spiritual progress weekly, whether he had made any or not. After each report it was the class‐leader’s duty to squirt in a little more of the poisonous doctrines from the two orifices referred to in comments on Rev. 9:3. From the “heaven” orifice came the doctrine “If you are good you will go to Heaven when you die”—and from the “hell” orifice came the message “If you are bad you will go to hell when you die.” It was all very simple. Everybody was simple in those days.
And [there were] stings.—Revivals in which the attendants were stung, doctrinally and financially.
AND in their tails [and] WAS their power [was] to hurt men five months.—One hundred and fifty years, from Wesley’s ordination in 1728 to the casting off of Methodism in 1878.—Rev. 9:5.
9:11. [And] they [had a] HAVE THEIR king [over them].—The same king as exercises general rulership over all the ecclesiastical affairs of this present evil world.
[Which is] the angel of the [bottomless pit] ABYSS.—“The prince of the power of the air.”—Eph. 2:2.
Whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon.—And he is “a bad one,” sure enough.—2 Cor. 4:4.
But in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.—That is, Destroyer. But in plain English his name is Satan, the Devil. As a means for preventing people from seeing the Truth, Methodism has been as efficient as any of the five systems previously described, or any that follow. All have been sadly misled and deceived by our great and wily Adversary; “Taken captive by him at his will.”—2 Tim. 2:26.
9:12. One woe is past.—Methodism was the first woe of the epoch leading up to and associated with the Time of the End. It was a serious blow to the pretensions of the Papacy, but its days of usefulness have long since passed.
And, behold, there come two woes more [hereafter].—One outlined in the remainder of this chapter and one in Chapter 10. It was the discovery of Methodism as the first woe that led to an identification of the four movements of the Reformation proper which preceded it.—Rev. 8:7‐13.
9:13. [And] AFTER THESE THINGS the sixth angel sounded.—The Evangelical‐ Alliance‐Spiritism movement began in 1846‐1848 culminating in the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America. The following great denominations which comprise 90% of the Protestant Church membership are represented in this council: Baptist (North), Free Baptist, Christian, Congregational, Disciples of Christ, Evangelical Association, Evangelical Synod, Friends, Lutheran General Synod, Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal (South), German Evangelical Synod, Colored Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant, African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Mennonite, Moravian, Presbyterian, Presbyterian (South), Welsh Presbyterian, Reformed Presbyterian, United Presbyterian, Protestant Episcopal, Reformed Church in America, Reformed Church in the U. S. A., Reformed Episcopal, Seventh‐Day Baptist, United Brethren in Christ, United Evangelical, National Baptist Convention.
Methodism
Babylon Perplexes The World
Although these sects are the only ones now members of the Federal Council, yet, in hatred of the Truth, and darkness in regard to God’s Plan, the following are also entitled to membership: Evangelical Adventists, Advent Christians, Seventh‐Day Adventists, Church of God, Life and Advent Union, Church of God in Jesus Christ, fifteen kinds of Baptists named in comments on Rev. 8:12, four kinds of Dunkard brethren, the Conservative, Old Order, Progressive and Seventh‐Day German varieties, four kinds of Plymouth Brethren, three kinds of River Brethren, the Brethren in Christ, Old Order or Yorker and United Zion’s Children, Catholic Apostolic, New Apostolic, Christadelphians, Dowie’s Christian Catholic, Christian Union, Church of Christ Scientist, Winnebrenarian Churches of God, Colored Churches of the Living God, Christian Workers for Friendship, Apostolic, Church of Christ in God, Churches of the New Jerusalem, General Convention, General Church, Church Transcendent, Communistic Societies, Shakers, Amana, Churches of Christ, Apostolic Faith Movement, Peniel Missions, Metropolitan Church Association, Hepziba Faith Association, Missionary Christian Association, Heavenly Recruit Church, Apostolic Christian Church, Christian Congregation, Colored Voluntary Missionary Society, Hicksite Friends, Wilburite Friends, Primitive Friends, Friends of the Temple, German Evangelical Protestant, Latter‐Day Saints, Reorganized Latter‐Day Saints, twenty‐one kinds of Lutherans shown in comments on Rev. 8:7, Swedish Evangelical Missionary Covenant. Swedish Evangelical Free Mission, Norwegian Evangelical Free Church, twelve kinds of Mennonites, Bruederhoef, Amish, Old Amish, Conservative Amish, Reformed, General Conference, Church of God in Christ, Old Wisler, Bundes Conference, Defenceless, Brethren in Christ, sixteen kinds of Methodists shown in comments on Rev. 9:1, Union Moravian, Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, Other Pentecostal Associations, twelve kinds of Presbyterians shown in comments on Rev. 8:10, 11, Christian Reformed, Hungarian Reformed, Reformed Catholic, Salvation Army, Schwenkfelders, Social Brethren, Society for Ethical Culture, Spiritualists, Theosophical Society, Old Constitution Brethren, Unitarians, Universalists, etc.
Their “faiths” are quite as varied as their names, but without exception they deny the central truth of the Scriptures (1 John 4:2, 3) that when Jesus Christ came to earth He came as a man only, devoid of immortality or Divinity, that when He died He was as dead as though He never had lived, and that by that death He bought for Adam and his race the Restitution of all things foretold by “the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world began.” (Rev. 4:10.) The common ground upon which they stand is this, their denial of the Ransom, their affirmation of Spiritism, in some form, and their adherence to the principle of Federation. All of these things are condemned in the Scriptures but the Scriptures will never be allowed to stand in the way of those who live by shearing the wool from the sheep. (2 Tim. 4:3, 4; Deut. 18:10, 11; Isa. 8:9‐22.) The latter passage is full of the deepest significance at this time.
“Christian Heralds” that refused to publish advertisements of Pastor Russell’s books now give space to advertisements of godless, Christless, Buddhist, demoniacal books, glorifying the New Thought system of mind worship, the boot‐strap system of religion by which men, by cultivation of the will, lift themselves into money, piety and immortality, and by making assertions to and demands of the alleged “sub‐conscious mind” invite and receive the assistance of evil spirits, and finally come under their control. Modern “Christianity” is Buddhism.
“The Rev. Dr. Day, Chancellor of the Syracuse University, recently, in an address to the Y. M. C. A., is reported by the public press to have said: ‘Wouldn’t you rather live in America than in Heaven? I would. I’d like to go to Heaven when I can’t be here. In fact, I think I’d be rather discontented in Heaven till I got adjusted. You can get anything you want here. You can live under forty odd governments, meet all the nations of the world, eat all the fruits of the world and get any kind of climate that you choose. So America is the beat place to live; but I think when a man can’t stay here any longer he ought to steer for Heaven,’ ” (Z. ’08‐196.) Having concluded to stay here as long as possible, “Christians” are now flocking by thousands to the purchase of works which will show them how to use spiritism to take advantage of their fellow men. The religious and other periodicals are now filled with advertisements of these books. We quote a few extracts to show their Satanic character:
“It is necessary to control others, to discover their plans. This you may be able to do if you have developed your inner faculties. We show you how to so develop your intuitional nature that you are able to detect the feelings of others; to penetrate their secret motives; and to discover what they try to conceal. The Golden Rule must be followed in controlling others. ‘Do unto others as you would that they should do unto you.’ There comes more and more the power of seeing the future, so that more and more true becomes the old adage that coming events cast their shadows before. Health in time takes the place of disease; for all disease and its consequent suffering is merely the result of the violation of law, whether consciously or unconsciously. There comes a spiritual power which, as it is sent out, is adequate for the healing of others the same as in the days of old.”
“Many omniscient men and women will soon walk the earth. Omniscience and Freedom are the goal of all, and in this Great Age of Light many Egos are approaching the blessed omniscience state.”
“Suddenly it seemed that the top of my head had been lifted, and I became aware of an immense increase of personal consciousness. I became conscious, I say—I know what I am writing—of the vast sky above, and the mighty deeps below, and the wide sweep of present human life, and the long forward and backward stretch of human history. It seemed that I could sense the All. Since that day all is well. Life is deeper, richer, stronger—assured, fearless, and saturated with perennial vital interests.” (What really happened to this man was that he became obsessed by demons.)—Rev. 7:3.
“The strength of these delusions lies in the grave errors mixed with truths long held by Christian people, because of the ‘falling away’ from the pure faith of the Apostolic Church, foretold in the Scriptures. Among these errors none is designed to open the heart and mind to these delusive and destructive theories of today more effectually than the general belief of the first lie—‘Ye shall not surely die.’ (Gen. 3:4.) The general acceptance of it results from a failure to understand the Bible doctrine concerning life and immortality, which were brought to light by our Lord Jesus through His Gospel of salvation from sin by His Ransom‐ sacrifice. The advocates of these false doctrines are surprisingly alert and active everywhere, especially in the United States, where thought is most active and where liberty often means license. Hundreds of thousands have embraced these errors as new and advanced light. The extent of their success is not fully apparent to many; for their success lies in a still hunt for prey. Their advocates are to be found in almost every congregation of every denomination, and especially among the more cultured; and the ‘angel of light’ feature is seldom neglected. The nominal churches are already permeated, leavened with these false doctrines. The Scriptural prophecy that ‘a thousand shall fall at thy [the true Church’s] side, and ten thousand at thy right hand’ (Psalm 91:3‐14), is now fulfilled before our eyes.”—Z. ’15‐343.
And I heard a voice.—William Miller, from A. D. 1829 to 1844.
From [the four horns of] the golden altar which is before God.—“The Golden Altar in the ‘Holy’ would seem to represent the ‘little flock,’ the consecrated Church in the present sacrificing condition.”—T. 120.
9:14. Saying.—By pointing to the near fulfillment of the 2300 days.—Dan. 8:14.
To the sixth angel which had the trumpet.—The Evangelical Alliance‐ Spiritism movement. The Alliance proper was organized Sept. 2nd, 1846, at the end of the 2800 years. The spiritism feature began January, 1848. The two have been growing towards each other ever since until now they are substantially one and the same thing.
Loose the four angels.—Four errors in the nine fundamental principles of the Evangelical Alliance. We give the erroneous clauses by number: (3) “The unity of the Godhead, and the trinity of persons therein.” See Rev. 6:4; 5:7. (5) “The incarnation of the Son of God.” (8) “The immortality of the soul.” (9) “The Divine institution of the Christian ministry” (i. e., the clergy).
Which are bound.—Hindered from gaining fullest expression.
In the great river Euphrates.—The world of mankind.—B. 209, D. 24.
And the four angels.—The four great errors of trinity, incarnation, immortality and lordship over God’s heritage.
Were loosed.—Given greater liberties than ever before.
Which were prepared.—Each sect for itself, and in its own time.
For [an] THE hour.—The hour of judgment, 1918.
[And a day] and [a] month, and [a] year.—Thirteen symbolic months, the 390 years of Protestantism’s siege of the Papacy.—Ezek. 4:5.
For to slay.—To make nominal Christians of, to take away the manhood of.
The third part of men.—According to the World Almanac for 1917, the total number of Christians in the world at the beginning of the twentieth century was 571,400,000, of whom one third, 177,800,000, were Protestants.
9:16. And the number of the army of the horsemen.—In round numbers, at the time of identification.
Were two hundred thousand thousand.—Approximately two hundred millions.
[And] I heard the number of them.—Heard, heeded, or noted, the count as given in the World Almanac, as correct. This is a tribute to a journal notorious for its ignoble, unjust and dishonest attacks on Pastor Russell. “Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee.” And have you noticed, on the same principle, that nearly all the encyclopedic references herein are to the great standard Protestant works to be found in every capable minister’s library? How is it that they do not know these things?
9:17. And thus I saw the horses in the vision.—Horses are symbols of teachings. It is the doctrines a man has been taught that carry him along to do things. “As a man thinketh, so is he.” The man and his beliefs are inseparable.—Joel 2:4. (The four kinds of horses of Zech. 6:1‐8 seem to refer to four companies of saved ones. Red, the Ancient Worthies; black, the Little Flock; white, the Great Company; bay, the world of mankind.)
And them that sat [on] UPON them.—The total Protestant church membership.
Having breastplates of fire.—Keeping the doctrine of hell‐fire well to the front in their teachings.
And of jacinth.—“The hyacinthus of the Romans is invariably blue and lustrous. This description suggests the blue flame which issues between the fire and the brimstone, represented as ‘smoke’ in verse 18.”—Cook.
And brimstone.—Yes, indeed, plenty of brimstone went along with the hell‐ fire.—Rev. 14:10.
And the heads.—“The ancient and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet that teaches lies, he is the tail.”—Isa. 9:15. “In a genus of serpents or ophidian reptiles called amphisboena the tail and head are equally obtuse, and the scales on the head so similar to those on the back as to render it difficult to distinguish one extremity from the other. Hence these reptiles have been supposed to have the power of creeping backwards or forwards with equal facility.” (Cook.)—Isa. 29:10‐14; John 4:22.
Were as the heads of lions.—Able to swallow the most ridiculous and impossible theories.—1 Chron. 12:8.
And out of their mouths issued fire.—Sermons full of hell‐fire.
And smoke.—See Rev. 9:18.
And brimstone.—O yes, surely; plenty of brimstone, to go with the hell‐ fire.
9:18. By these [three] PLAGUES was the third part of men.—The Protestant third of Christendom.
Killed.—Deprived of reason, manhood and dignity.
By the fire.—The sermons full of hell‐fire.
And [by] the smoke.—Smoke is a symbol of confusion. The following is an extract from an article on the brain written by a well‐known physician and alienist:
“To illustrate how effectually such conceptions served to block all progress in the science of life we may quote one instance from a ponderous volume in my library with the date 1618 on Physiology and Anatomy by Hilkiah Crooke, Physician and Professor on Anatomy and Chirurgery to His Majesty, James I. Speaking of the origin and growth of hair, he says: ‘The immediate matter of the haires is a sooty, thicke, and earthly vapour, which in the time of the third concoction (distillation) is elevated by the strength of the action of naturall heate, and passeth through the pores of the skin, which heate exiceateth or drieth this moysture of these sootie and thicke vapours, for the vapour being thicke, in his passage leaveth some part of it selfe, to wit, the grossest, in the very outlet, where it is impacted by a succeeding vapour arising where the former did, is protruded and thrust forward, so that they are wrought together in one body. The straightness of the passages of the skin were through the matter of the haires is anoyded, formeth them into a small roundness, even as a wyre receyeth that proportion whereof the whole is, where through it is drawne.’ One great office of the hairs of the head, therefore, Crooke perceived to be to lead off ‘the vapors which otherwise would choke and make smoaky the braine,’ though how hopelessly choked the brains of all bald heads hence would be he does not mention.” A study of the foregoing leads to the conclusion that the various churches must have been founded by bald‐headed men, and the smoke being unable to find its way out through their scalps naturally had to come out of their mouths!
And [by] the brimstone.—Yes, indeed; plenty of brimstone.
Which issued out of their mouths.—Especially when an evangelist firm is in town looking for shekels.
9:19. For [their power] THE POWER OF THE HORSES is in their mouth.—Assuredly, assuredly; it certainly is not in the Scriptures.
And in their tails.—Followers, “Workers,” class‐leaders.—Isa. 9:15.
For their tails were like unto serpents.—Bright enough to know better.
And had heads.—Wills of their own—unlike the “Beheaded” saints (Rev. 20:4.)
And with them they do hurt.—Damage the cause of Truth.
9:20. And the rest of the men.—Those ordinary “good fellows” (and bad ones too), men of the world who had too much sense to swallow what is taught by any of the sects.
Which were not killed by these THEIR plagues.—Who remained “unconverted” to the mass of errors masquerading in the name of religion.
Yet repented not of the works of their hands.—Failed to turn their money, brains and service over to the nominal church, but continued on in their own way.
That they should not worship devils.—Joining, if they choose, the Masons, Odd Fellows and other secret organisations teaching a debased form of religion.—Lev. 17:7; Deut. 32:17; 1 Cor. 10:20.
And idols of gold, and silver and [brass] COPPER.—Having their affection set upon currency in hand and in the bank.—Psa. 115:1‐4; Dan. 5:22, 23.
And stone, and of wood.—Giving their attention to earthly affairs, improvements in real estate, etc.
Which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk.—But are more or less permanent, tangible and fixed.
9:21. Neither repented they of their murders.—Teaching hell‐fire keeps nobody from being a murderer or a slanderer.—Rev. 21:8.
Nor their sorceries.—Use of drugs, Greek. Teaching hell‐fire keeps nobody from being a drug fiend or pseudo‐philosopher.—Rev. 21:8.
Nor of their [fornication] WICKEDNESS.—Teaching hell‐fire keeps nobody from being a wicked man.
Nor of their thefts.—Teaching hell‐fire keeps nobody from engaging in “high finance.”
Revelation 10—The True Reformation Woe
10:1. And I saw another angel.—“The Messenger of the Covenant,” the Lord Jesus.—Mal. 3:1.
Come down from Heaven.—At the time of the Second Advent, Oct. 1874.—Rev. 3:20.
Clothed with a cloud.—“ ‘He cometh with clouds;’ and while the clouds of trouble are heavy and dark, when the mountains (kingdoms of this world) are trembling and falling, and the earth (organized society) is being shaken, disintegrated, melted, some will begin to realize what we now proclaim as already at hand—that Jehovah’s Anointed is taking to Himself His great power and beginning His work of laying justice to the line and righteousness to the plummet. (Isa. 28:17.)”—B. 138.
And [a rainbow was] THE HAIR upon His head, and His face was as it were the sun, and His feet as pillars of fire.—See Rev. 1:14‐16; 7:2; 18:1.
10:2. And [He had] HAVING in His hand.—In His power, given to Him by the Father.—Rev. 5:7, 5.
A little book open.—The Present Truth message.—C. 89.
And He set His right foot.—Exerted the strongest power of restraint.
Upon the sea.—The masses not under religious control, who, without the Lord’s control of the situation, would have long since swallowed up the present order of things.—Rev. 7:1‐3; Luke 21:25; Psa. 46:2, 3.
And His left foot on the earth.—“Throughout the Scriptures, earth, when used symbolically, represents society; seas, the restless, turbulent, dissatisfied masses of the world.”—A. 318.
10:3. And cried with a loud voice.—Pastor Russell was the voice used.—Rev. 7:2.
As when a lion roareth.—Symbolical of Justice.—Rev. 4:7; Amos 3:8.
And when.—In 1881 A. D.
He had cried.—With the first great cry, “Food for Thinking Christians,” 1,400,000 copies given away, free.
Seven thunders.—Seven volumes of “STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES.”—Rev. 8:5.
Uttered their voices.—Were foreseen as necessary to the complete statement of the Plan, and the fulfillment of this and other Scriptures.
10:4. And [when] WHATSOEVER the seven thunders had uttered [their voices], I.—Pastor Russell as a representative of the John class.
Was about to write.—Intended to put on paper at once.
And I heard a voice from Heaven.—The guidance of the Heavenly Father, directing and overruling, knowing that the results would be better if the interest of His little ones were sustained by expectancy throughout the whole time of Harvest, rather than to give them all the light at once.—John 16:12.
Saying [unto me], Seal up [those] WHAT things [which] SOEVER the seven thunders uttered.—Do not immediately disclose their full contents.—Dan. 8:26; 12:4, 9.
And write them not.—Observe how the Lord retarded the publications: Vol. I was published in 1886. “In sending forth this first volume of the MILLENNIAL DAWN, it is but proper that we apologize to the many friends who have waited for it so patiently since promised.” (A. 3.) Volume II was published in 1889, and III in 1891. “Some have urged greater haste in the writing and publishing of the several volumes of this series, and, to a large extent, I have shared the same feelings of impatience; but my observations of the Lord’s dealings and leadings and unfoldings of His Plan are gradually convincing me that He has not shared our impatience. Indeed, I can clearly trace His hand in some of the hindrances encountered and can realize by the delay I have been enabled to grasp the subjects more thoroughly, and to present them more fully, than if the work had been hastened more. Not only has this delay worked for my good and yours, but in another way also. It has afforded time for a more thorough digestion of the truths of each volume, and thereby has given to the faithful student the very necessary preparation for that which was to follow. And not only so, but it has also given opportunity for practicing the lessons learned, and for exercising the talents of each in spreading the advancing light before others of God’s saints.” (C. 12.) Volume IV was published in 1897, V in 1899, VI in 1904 and VII in 1917. This makes a total lapse of 36 years from the publication of FOOD FOR THINKING CHRISTIANS to the last volume of the SCRIPTURE STUDIES. Meantime the Harvest work grew to a movement of vast proportions; and Volume VII was delayed.
10:5. And the angel which I saw.—The Lord Jesus, since 1874.—Rev. 10:1.
Stand upon the sea and upon the earth.—In control of the masses not under religious restraint as well as order‐loving society.
Lifted up His RIGHT hand to Heaven.—The seventh angel was in that hand when He did so.—Rev. 1:16, 20.
10:6. And sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever.—By Jehovah, His Father and our Father, His God and our God.—John 20:17.
Who created Heaven, and the things that therein are.—“The heavens declare the glory of God.”—Psa. 19:1‐6; Neh. 9:6; Rev. 4:11; 14:7.
And the earth, and the things that therein are, [and the sea, and the things which are therein].—“When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.”—Job 38, 39, 40 and 41 chapters.
That there [should be] IS time no longer.—“There shall be no further delay.”—Weym.
10:7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel.—Pastor Russell was the seventh angel.—Rev. 3:14.
When he shall begin to sound.—In the autumn of 1881, at which time FOOD FOR THINKING CHRISTIANS was circulated, and the General Call ceased.—Rev. 11:15.
The mystery of God [should be] WAS finished.—“The great unfolding of the Divine mystery we are expressly told was reserved until the close of the Gospel Age.” (Z. ’97‐255.) “The Plan ceases to be a mystery, because there is no further object in perpetuating its secrecy. The greatness of the mystery, so long kept secret, and the wonderful grace bestowed on those called to fellowship in this mystery (Eph. 3:9), suggest to us that the work to follow its completion must be an immense work, worthy of such great preparations. What may we not expect in blessings upon the world, when the veil of mystery is withdrawn and the showers of blessing descend! It is this for which the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now, waiting for the completion of this mystery, for the manifestation of the Sons of God, the promised ‘Seed’ in whom they shall all be blessed.—Rom. 8:19, 21, 22.” (A. 87.) “While the door stands open, it indicates that any believer who is anxious to enter and ready to comply with the conditions may yet do so, even though the general ‘call’ or invitation to enter is no longer sent out. The opportunity to labor and sacrifice has not yet closed though the general call ceased in 1881.”—C. 213.
As He hath declared to His servants.—The Harvest Workers.
AND the Prophets.—Daniel (12:4‐12) and Habakkuk (2:1‐3).—Rev. 1:1.
10:8. And the Voice which I heard from Heaven.—The Heavenly Father’s voice.—Rev. 10:4.
Spake unto me again.—By His Holy Spirit.
And said.—Through the Bible, His Word, His Voice.
Go take the little book.—“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.”—2 Tim. 2:15.
Which is open in the hand of the angel.—The Lord Jesus. Rev. 10:1, 5.
Which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.—See Rev. 10:2, 5.
10:9. And I went unto the angel.—“In coming out of bondage to human traditions, creeds, systems and errors, we are coming directly to our Lord, to be taught and fed by Him, to be strengthened and perfected to do His pleasure, and to stand, and not fall with Babylon.”—C. 167.
And said unto Him.—By my act in obeying His command.—Rev. 18:4.
Give me the little book.—Take me into Your confidence; give me Your Holy Spirit; show me, as promised, the “things to come.”—John 16:13.
And He said unto me, Take it, and eat it up.—“It is absolutely useless for us to pray Lord, Lord, give us the Spirit, if we neglect the Word of Truth which that Spirit has supplied for out filling.”—E. 245, 225; Ezek. 2:8.
And it shall make thy belly bitter.—Lead to self‐sacrifice, with its attendant sufferings, but create an appetite for more. “The after effects are always more or less blending of the bitterness of persecution with the sweetness.”—C. 89; Ezek. 2:10; 3:14; Dan. 8:27.
But it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.—“O the blessedness.”—Dan. 12:12; Psa. 19:10; 119:103.
10:10. And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it up.—“Thy words were found and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.”—Jer. 15:16.
And it was in my mouth sweet as honey.—“So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that roll. And it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.”—Ezek. 3:2, 3.
And as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was [bitter] FILLED.—“It satisfies my longings as nothing else could do.”
10:11. And [He said] THEY SAY unto me.—The Scriptures do the saying.
Thou must prophesy again.—Continue to proclaim the Message of Truth Divine.
Before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.—Until it has been fully testified to all.—1 Tim. 2:6. The concluding word of this Scripture suggests that the last witness of the church in the flesh is, like their Lord’s as alleged malefactors, before earth’s rulers.
Revelation 11—The Time Of The End
11:1. And there was given me.—The John class in the Time of the End.
A reed like unto a rod.—The Lord’s Word is both a rod to lean upon, (Isa. 11:4) and a reed with which to measure. (Jer. 1:11‐12). The word here tendered “rod” is rendered “staff” in Matt. 10:10; Heb. 11:21.
[And the angel stood, saying], HE SAITH.—It is the “reed” or “rod” itself, the Divine Word, that does the saying.
Rise.—“At the exact ‘time appointed,’ 1799, the end of the 1260 days, the power of the Man of Sin, the great oppressor of the Church, was broken, and his dominion taken away. With one stroke of His mighty hand, God there struck off Zion’s fetters, and bade the oppressed go free. And forth came, and are coming, the ‘Sanctuary’ class, the ‘holy people,’ weak, and halt, and lame, and almost naked, and blind, from the dungeon darkness and filth and misery of papal bondage. Poor souls! they had been trying to serve God faithfully in the very midst of the lurid flames of persecution, clinging to the cross of Christ when almost every other truth had been swept away, and courageously endeavoring to emancipate God’s ‘Two Witnesses’ (the Old and New Testaments), which had so long been bound, and which had prophesied only under the sackcloth of dead languages.”—C. 122.
And measure the Temple of God.—“That symbolic Temple which is The Christ.” (T. 70.) “The mention of worshippers proves that the measuring is symbolical. To ‘measure’ is to separate for sacred purposes; what is excluded from the measurement is, accordingly, more or less mingled with evil. Hence, in this place, what is measured—the true believer typified—is to be exempted from the Judgments in which what is not measured (ver. 2) is involved.” (Cook). “If the direction be understood figuratively, as applicable to the Christian Church, the work to be done would be to obtain an exact estimate or measurement of what the true Church was—as distinguished from all other bodies of men, and as constituted, and appointed, by the direction of God; such a measurement that its characteristics could be made known; that a church could be organized according to this, and that the accurate description could be transmitted to future times.” (Barnes.)—Ezek. 40:3; Rev. 21:15.
And the altar.—The Golden Altar, within the “Holy”, the true Church, as sacrificers.—Ex. 30:1‐10.
And them that worship therein.—The several volumes of Scripture Studies and the booklet Tabernacle Shadows are devoted to the “measurements” herein prophesied.
11:2. But the court which is [without] WITHIN the Temple leave out.—The court here represents the same thing as is represented in the Court of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, the condition of progression toward complete Justification.
And measure it not.—Devote all attention to the higher privileges of the “Holy”. The “Court” was merely provided as a proper approach to the “Holy”. Acceptance of Christ as one’s Savior, appreciation of His work at Calvary, and washing one’s self in the water of the Word as represented respectively by the First Gate, Brazen Altar, and Laver of the “Court” are not the things to which we are particularly invited; but consecration to God’s will, illumination by His Spirit, appropriation of His promises and sacrifice of our all, acceptable to the Father through our great High Priest, represented respectively by the Second Gate or Door, the Candlestick, Table of Shew‐bread and Golden Altar of the “Holy”, are the things to which we were called: so that we might pass the Third Gate or Veil, actual death of the body, and finally become a part of The Christ, represented by the Ark of the Covenant, of which our Father is the Head.
For it is given ALSO unto the Gentiles.—With the deliverance of the Little Flock, the condition represented by the “Holy” ceases. This leaves the Great Company still in the “Court” and the special objects of Gentile wrath as their kingdoms fall into ruin. “Being denied the liberty accorded to the Priests, these will have merely the standing of justification, which, if they maintain, will constitute them worthy of eternal life. But that life will not be human life, because they gave that up in order to become Priests. Their failure puts them out of the Holy condition back into the Court condition.” (Z. ’11‐22.)
“After the establishment of Messiah’s Kingdom, this distinction between the Church proper, joint‐heirs with Christ, and the larger company of antitypical Levites, will be perpetual, and the services of the two will be different. The former will be a Priesthood corresponding to that of Melchizedek—a Priest upon His Throne. The work of the latter will correspond more to that accomplished by the Levites; namely, teaching the people, etc., as servants of the Priests, from whom they will receive their directions.”—Z. ’14‐79.
And the Holy City.—The embryo Kingdom of God.
Shall they tread under foot.—“The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”—Matt. 11:12.
Forty and two months.—1260 years from papacy’s establishment as a temporal power, 539 A. D. to 1799 A. D.—B. 91, 310; C. 50, 64; Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 12:6, 14; 13:5; Jas. 5:17.
11:3. And I will give power unto My Two Witnesses.—“The Lord refers to the Old and New Testament Scriptures, and faithfully they have borne their testimony to every nation.”—D. 258.
And they shall prophesy.—Teach.
A thousand, two hundred and three score days.—1260 years, from A. D. 539 to 1799.
Clothed in sackcloth.—“Kept covered in dead languages.”—C. 50.
11:4. These are the Two Olive Trees.—Sources of the oil, the holy Spirit.—Zech. 4:1‐6; Rom. 11:17.
And the Two Candlesticks.—“The light of the world, during all the darkness of the past.”—D. 652.
Standing before the [God] LORD of the earth.—Jehovah. “The earth is the Lord’s.”—Psa. 24:1.
11:5. And if any man will hurt them.—“And if any man desireth to hurt them. The present tense here points to the continued enmity of the world to the Church, during the entire course of the Witnesses’ testimony.”—Cook.
Fire proceedeth out of their mouth.—“I will make My words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.”—Jer. 5:14.
And devoureth their enemies.—“History supplies the illustrations—the fire that consumed the opponents of Moses (Num. 16:28, 35), and that which came down at the word of Elijah. (2 Kings 1:10, 12)”—Cook.
And if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.—“Therefore have I hewed them by the Prophets; and I have slain them by the words of My mouth.”—Hos. 6:5.
11:6. These have power to shut heaven.—The literal heavens and the spiritual heavens.—1 Ki. 17:1.
That it rain not.—That there be no literal showers, or spiritual showers of blessings.
In the days of their prophecy.—Literally in the three and one half years in Elijah’s day in which there was no rain (James 5:17) and spiritually in the three and one half times, or 1260 years, from A. D. 539 to 1799 in which the showers of blessing were withheld from the world.—Rev. 2:20.
And have power over waters.—Literal and symbolic.
To turn them into blood.—Literally as when Moses turned the waters of Egypt into blood (Exodus 7:21.) Symbolically during this Harvest time in which the Heavenly Harvest truths have become “bloody”, repulsive, abhorrent, symbolizing death where they should be received as a blessing.—Z. ’07‐279.
[And] to smite the earth with all plagues.—Literal and symbolic.
As often as they will.—Literally in the plagues which Moses poured out upon the Egyptians (Exodus 7 to 11.) Symbolically in the spiritual plagues, the seven last upon Christendom.—Rev. 16.
11:7. And when they shall have finished their testimony.—In the dead languages, about the time of the end of papacy’s power to persecute.
The beast that THEN ascendeth out of the [bottomless pit] ABYSS.—The government without a foundation; revolutionary France during the “Reign of Terror.”
Shall make war against them.—“In 1793 a decree passed the French Assembly forbidding the Bible; and under that decree the Bibles were gathered and burned, every possible mark of contempt was heaped upon them.”—Smith.
And shall overcome them, and kill them.—“All the institutions of the Bible were abolished; the weekly rest day was blotted out, and every tenth day substituted for mirth and profanity. Baptism and the communion were abolished. The being of God was denied, and death proclaimed an eternal sleep. The Goddess of Reason, in the person of a vile woman, was set up, and publicly worshipped.”—Smith.
11:8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street.—France.
Of the great city.—Christendom, the Old Roman Empire.—Rev. 14:8; 16:19; 17:9, 18; 18:2, 10, 16, 18, 19, 21.
Which spiritually is called Sodom.—“ ‘Remember Lot’s wife!’ is our Lord’s pointed warning. How intensely forceful it is as a caution to God’s people here, in the close of the Gospel Age. When we learn that Babylon is doomed, and hear the Lord’s message, ‘Come out of her My people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues,’ it is indeed like the voice of the messengers who hastened Lot and his family out of Sodom, saying, ‘Stay not in all the plain; escape for thy life; escape to the mountain lest thou be consumed; look not behind thee.’ (Gen. 19:17). Christendom is ‘that great city [Babylon] which spiritually is called Sodom.’ ”—D. 607, 608; Rev. 17:5; Isa. 1:9, 10; 3:8, 9; Jer. 23:14; Ezek. 16:48, 41.
And Egypt.—“Egypt is recognized as a symbol or type of the world of mankind, full of vain philosophies, but ignorant of the true Light.”—C. 315; Ezek. 23:3, 4, 8, 27.
Where also [our] THE Lord was crucified.—Catholic France, through its connection with the papacy, is a part of the old Roman Empire, in another part of which our Lord was slain. In another aspect France is identified with the death of the Lord. Anything done to the least of one of the Lord’s little ones is counted as done to Himself. When Saul of Tarsus persecuted the Lord’s saints, the One who met him in the way said, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” (Acts 9:4, 5; 22:7, 8; 26:14, 15.) A plot was laid in France to destroy all the Protestants; and on Aug. 24, 1572, sixty thousand were murdered, and the streets of Paris literally ran with blood. The Protestants were in Paris under a solemn oath of safety, to celebrate the marriage of the king of Navarre. Admiral Coligny, a Protestant of great ability and prominence, was basely murdered in his own house, and his head was sent to his holiness, the Pope, as proof that he was really dead. The “Holy Father of Fathers”, the “Vicar of Christ”, the “Chief Pastor and Teacher”, was so pleased that “bells were rung, and guns were fired, bonfires were set ablaze; and Gregory XIII, attended by cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and a great throng of prelates, marched in procession. A Te Deum was chanted, and the Pope commissioned the painter Vasari to paint the scene of the massacre, and employed an artist to engrave a medal commemorative of the event. The preachers in Rome delivered eloquent orations, and a messenger carried a golden rose to Charles as a present from the Pope.”—Coffin.
11:9. And they of the people.—The Protestant people.
And kindreds and tongues and nations.—Of other parts of Europe.
[Shall] see their dead [bodies] BODY.—“As if though silenced in death they continued witnesses still.” (Cook.) Take note of the horrible effect upon France of their effort to exterminate the Scriptures. “The more deeply the French Revolution is considered, the more manifest is its preeminence above all the strange and terrible things that have come to pass on this earth. Every ancient institution and every time honored custom disappeared in a moment. The whole social and political system went down before the first stroke. Monarchy, nobility and church were swept away almost without resistance. The good things of this world,—birth, rank, wealth, fine clothes and elegant manners,—became worldly perils, and worldly disadvantages. The people waged a war of such extermination with everything established, as to abolish the common forms of address and salutation, and the common mode of reckoning time, abhorred ‘you’ as a sin, and shrank from ‘monsieur’ as an abomination, turned the weeks into decades, and would know the old months no more. The demolished halls of the aristocracy, the rifled sepulchres of royalty, the decapitated king and queen, the little dauphin so sadly done to death, the beggared princes, the slaughtered priests and nobles, the sovereign guillotine, the republican marriages, the Meudon tannery, the couples tied together and thrown into the Loire, and the gloves made of men’s and women’s skins: these things are most horrible.” (T. H. Gill, The Papal Drama.)—D. 537.
Three days and an half.—See Rev. 11:11.
And [shall not] suffer NOT their dead bodies to be put in [graves] A GRAVE.—On the contrary, this very attempt “served to arouse Christians everywhere to put forth new exertions in behalf of the Bible.”—Smith.
11:10. And they that dwell upon the earth.—The people of France, then infidels, without any hopes except for the present poor earth‐life.
[Shall] rejoice over them, and make merry.—Literally fulfilled when the Assembly proscribed the Scriptures.
And [shall] send gifts one to another.—Literally fulfilled, the gifts being expressions of joy over the sudden “liberty,” “a custom usual in times of festivity.”—Neh. 8:10, 12; Esth. 9:19, 22.—Cook.
Because these Two Prophets tormented.—By continuing to proclaim the coming Reign of Christ and His Church.
Them that dwelt on the earth.—The classes whose hopes and destinies are earthly.
11:11. And after three days and an half.—Three years and one half.
The Spirit of life from God entered into Them.—In a symbolic sense They were “raised from the dead.”—Ezek. 37:5, 9, 10, 14.
And They stood upon Their feet.—See Ezek. 37:10. “In 1793, a decree passed the French Assembly suppressing the Bible. Just three years after, a resolution was introduced into the Assembly superseding the decree, and giving toleration to the Scriptures. That resolution lay on the table six months, when it was taken up, and passed without a dissenting vote. Thus, in just three years and a half, the Witnesses ‘stood upon their feet.’ ”—Smith.
And great fear fell upon them which saw them.—“Nothing but the appalling results of the rejection of the Bible, could have induced France to take her hands off these Witnesses.” (Smith.) “In the light of the foretold character of coming events of this battle, we may regard the French Revolution as only the rumbling of distant thunder, giving warning of an approaching storm; as a slight tremor preceding the general earthquake shock; as the premonitory click of the great clock of the ages, which gives notice to those already awake that the wheels are in motion, and that shortly it will strike the midnight hour which will end the present order of affairs and usher in a new order,—the Year of Jubilee, with its attendant commotion and changes of possession.”—D. 535.
In comments on Rev. 3:14, reasons are given for anticipating the deliverance of the Little Flock about Passover, 1918 [possibly on the Passover day, as a result of activities by the tribe of Dan. (Jer. 8:16.)] There we noted the Lord’s use of the half‐week principle. In this prophecy, we have the same principle. The French Revolution is Divinely provided as a picture of events now at hand, and we therefore expect three and a half years of proscription of the Truth, from the spring of 1918 to the fall of 1921. This will give the Great Company splendid opportunities for martyrdom and allow another three and a half years, to the spring of 1925, for the world to think the matter over, by which time, doubtless, they will be quite ready to listen to the voice that speaketh from Heaven.—Heb. 12:19.
11:12. And they heard a great voice from Heaven.—The voice last referred to—the Lord Jesus Himself, the “voice,” the “Word,” of the Heavenly Father.
Saying unto them, Come up hither.—“The Two Witnesses of God, the Old and New Testaments, ascended to heaven, the place of honor and power, as the Scriptures symbolically represent the matter.”—Z. ’15‐199.
And they ascended up to heaven.—“The British and Foreign Bible Society (which has distributed 230,000,000 copies of the Bible) was established in 1803; the New York Bible Society in 1804; the Berlin‐Prussian Bible Society in 1805; the Philadelphia Bible Society in 1808; and the American Bible Society (127,000,000 copies distributed) in 1817. Bibles by the million, in over 300 languages, are published yearly and sold at low prices, and many thousands are given away to the poor. It is difficult to estimate the wide influence of this work. Its quiet teaching is the greatest of all levelers and equalizers.”—C. 51.
In a cloud.—In a time of trouble, the French Revolution. The exaltation which the Word of God received as a result of the French Revolution is as nothing compared with the exaltation which awaits it after the “Time of Trouble such as was not since there was a nation.”
And their enemies beheld them.—As the enemies of the Word of God were compelled by the stern logic of events to consent to its restoration in the French time of trouble, so the Lord’s enemies, and the enemies of His Church, will be compelled to submit to the Reign of Truth when their forces have been exhausted in the Battle of the great Day of God Almighty.—Luke 19:27; Isa. 54:11‐17.
11:13. And the same hour was there a great earthquake.—“In the symbolic language of Revelation, the French Revolution was indeed a ‘great earthquake’—a social shock so great that all ‘Christendom’ trembled until it was over; and that terrible and sudden outburst of a single nation’s wrath, only a century ago, may give some idea of the fury of the coming storm, when the wrath of all the angry nations will burst the bands of law and order and cause a reign of universal anarchy. In fact, the French Revolution seems referred to by our Lord in His Revelation to John on Patmos as a prelude to, and an illustration of, the great crisis now approaching.”—D. 531.
The French Revolution lasted ten and a half years, from June 17th, 1789, when the Assembly began its reign, until Napoleon seized the government and caused himself to be appointed First Consul, November 9th, 1799. This coincides well with the thought previously expressed (Rev. 7:3) that all phases of Babylon will not be disposed of until about ten and a half years from the fall of 1914. The Assembly was in control from the first, but did not execute the king until January 21st, 1793, three years and one‐half from the time the trouble started. The Assembly continued in control until June 25th, 1795, six years from the time the trouble began, when the government was intrusted to five persons under the name of the Directory. It was on October 4th of the same year that Napoleon cleared the streets of Paris of the mobs, and from that point onward his star began to rise. Some interesting developments in connection with the setting up of the Kingdom may occur in 1920, six years after the great Time of Trouble began. It would not be strange if this were so, when we recall that after forty years wandering in the wilderness the Israelites came into possession of the land of Canaan after a further six years. As these matters are still future we can but wait to see. We anticipate that the “earthquake” will occur early in 1918, and that the “fire” will come in the fall of 1920.—1 Kings 19:11, 12; Z. ’98‐207, 208.
And the tenth part of the city fell.—The French part of Christendom; one of the ten toes of the image seen by Nebuchadnezzar; one of the ten horns of Daniel’s beast and John’s dragon.—Dan. 2:41‐43; 7:24; Rev. 12:3.
And in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand.—“And by the earthquake were destroyed seven thousand names of men.” (Diaglott.) “France made war, in her revolution of 1793‐98, on all titles of nobility. It is said by those who have examined the French records, that just seven thousand titles of men were abolished in that revolution.”—Smith.
And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of Heaven.—“Their God‐dishonoring and Heaven‐defying work filled France with such scenes of blood, carnage, and horror, as made even the infidels themselves tremble, and stand aghast; and the ‘remnant’ that escaped the horrors of that hour ‘gave glory to God’—not willingly, but the God of Heaven caused this ‘wrath of man to praise Him,’ by causing all the world to see that those who make war on Heaven make graves for themselves; thus glory redounded to God by the very means that wicked men employed to tarnish that glory. For the statistics and many of the foregoing thoughts on the Two Witnesses, we are indebted to an exposition of the subject of The Two Witnesses, by the late George Storrs.” (Smith.) “And here I gratefully mention assistance rendered by Brothers George Stetson and George Storrs, the latter the Editor of The Bible Examiner, both now deceased. The study of the Word of God with these dear brethren led step by step into greener pastures and brighter hopes for the world.”—Pastor Russell’s Autobiography. Z. ’16‐170.
11:14. The second woe is past.—In the narrative of Chapter XI are briefly summed up the three most important events of the Time of the End. Between the French Revolution and the great Time of Trouble occurs a most significant event, which leads up to and is the direct cause of the great Time of Trouble. That event is the second woe. It is described in detail in Rev. 9:14‐21. But for this the great Time of Trouble would never have been necessary (Mal. 4:6); but it is necessary now, as necessary as was the Flood in Noah’s day, and for the same reason—to rid the earth of the progeny of the evil spirits, the “abominations of the earth.”—Rev. 17:5; 9:13.
And, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.—The third woe is the Reign of the Lord begun, with its attendant upsetting of the present order. The woes are visited upon those interested in maintaining the present order of things, who would like to retain indefinitely the advantages they have obtained. “The battle of this great Day of God Almighty will be the greatest revolution the world has ever seen. Behold, how, even now, the searchlight of general intelligence is discovering the secret springs of political intrigue, financial policies, religious claims, etc., and how all are brought to the bar of judgment, and by men, as well as by God, declared right or wrong as judged by the teachings of the Word of God.”—D. 541.
11:15. And the seventh angel.—Pastor Russell. See Rev. 3:14; 10:7.
Sounded.—“We find the ‘shout,’ the ‘voice of the Archangel’ and ‘the trump of God’ all symbols, and now in process of fulfillment.” (B. 149, 197.) “The ‘great trumpet’ we understand to be the antitypical ‘trumpet of Jubilee,’ as symbolic as the preceding six, none of which ever made any literal sound. It has been symbolically sounding since October, 1874, and will continue to the end of the Millennium.”—D. 601; Rev. 10:7.
And there were great voices in heaven.—“These voices have been uttered, and to some extent heard, in the symbolic heavens, the nominal church. For some years past a ‘volunteer work’ has been steadily progressing amongst the brethren—the work of rendering assistance to the members of the Household of Faith still in Babylon, still in darkness respecting the Lord, His true Character, His true Plan, and respecting the nearness of His Kingdom.”—Z. ’02‐118.
Saying, The [kingdoms] KINGDOM of this world [are] IS become the [kingdoms] KINGDOM of our Lord, and of His Christ.—“The volunteer matter prepared for this present year (the issues of our journal for February 15 and March 15) had already been prepared before we thought of how wonderfully this year’s distribution will agree with the declaration of our text. Here will be a million voices proclaiming throughout the nominal Church (symbolic heavens) the great message of this present time; namely, the Second Presence of our Lord as the reaper of the Harvest of the Gospel Age, gathering the ‘wheat’ into the ‘garner,’ destroying the tares (as tares—not as human beings) and establishing His glorious Kingdom upon a firm foundation of righteousness and equity, for the blessing of every creature.”—Z. ’02‐119.
And He shall reign for ever and ever. AMEN.—See Rev. 5:13; Dan. 2:44; 7:14, 18, 27.
11:16. And the [four and] twenty‐FOUR elders.—The prophecies pertaining to the Kingdom of God.—Rev. 4:10.
Which [sat] SIT before God on their seats.—Rev. 4:4.
Fell upon their faces, and worshipped God.—Rev. 4:10.
11:17. Saying, We give thee thanks.—See Rev. 5:11‐13.
O Lord God Almighty.—“Represented in Christ—‘All things are of the Father,’ and ‘all things are by the Son,’ His honored Representative.”—D. 624.
Which art, and wast, and [art to come].—See Rev. 1:4. He is not to come. He has come.
Because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned.—“ ‘Thy God reigneth!’ The oft‐repeated prayer of the Church has been answered: the Kingdom of God has indeed come. The dead in Christ are even now risen and exalted with our Lord and Head. And the ‘feet’ members of the Body of Christ, who still tarry in the flesh, catching the inspiration of the glorified throng who have already ascended into the Mount (Kingdom) of God, reflect a measure of that transcendent glory, as did Moses when he came down from Mount Sinai.” (C. 301.) “In describing the events under the Seventh Trumpet, this order is observed:—(1) the power is taken by the Lord as King of Earth, and His Reign begun; (2) as a consequence the great judgment‐trouble comes upon the world.”—D. 622; Rev. 19:6; Psa. 99:1.
11:18. And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come.—“Although they are called Christian nations, they have not received the Spirit of the Lord; they have not received the spirit of meekness, gentleness, long‐ suffering, brotherly kindness and love, the fruits of the Holy Spirit; but on the contrary, the spirit which St. Paul says consists of hatred, wrath, strife, murder—works of the flesh and the Devil. For this reason they did not even wait for God’s wrath to come, but began to bring it upon themselves nearly two months in advance. They became so angry that they began to destroy each other even before their lease of power had expired.”—Z. ’14‐328.
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged.—“They cannot be judged without His words, and the vast majority,—‘dead in trespasses and sins,’ blinded and deafened by the Adversary, through sin,—have not thus far been enabled to hear their Redeemer’s wonderful words of life. In the Millennial Kingdom the dead world will have the eyes of its understanding opened and its ears unstopped, and the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth and reach every member of the dead race, not only those who have not yet gone down into the tomb, but ‘all the families of the earth;’ for, ‘all that are in the grave shall come forth’ for the very purpose of hearing the ‘wonderful words of life,’ and of being judged by them. If they shall accept them heartily they shall, by restitution processes, be brought fully up to life conditions.”—Z. ’02‐116; Dan. 7:10; Rev. 14:7; 15:4.
And that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy Servants the Prophets.—Who are therefore without their rewards until Christ’s Second Advent.—Heb. 11:39, 40.
And to the saints.—“We hold that it is a most reasonable inference, and one in perfect harmony with all the Lord’s Plan, that in the spring of 1878 all the holy Apostles and other ‘overcomers’ of the Gospel Age who slept in Jesus were raised spirit beings, like unto their Lord and Master.”—C. 234.
And them that fear Thy name, small and great.—All other classes of believers, past, present and future.
And shouldest destroy them.—The Papal and Protestant sects.
Which destroy the earth.—Corrupt the earth, Greek.—Rev. 19:2.
11:19. And the Temple of God.—The true Church.—1 Cor. 3:16.
Was opened in heaven ABOVE.—Was revealed as in the ascendency over the nominal ecclesiastical heavens.
And there was seen in His Temple.—Clearly revealed to His Church.
The Ark.—The repository of the sacred and hidden things of Revelation and Ezekiel.
Of [His] THE testament of God.—The Secret—“The Finished Mystery.”—Psa. 25:14; Col. 1:27; Rev. 14:17; 16:1, 17.
And there were lightnings, and voices and thunderings.—See Rev. 8:5.
And an earthquake.—See Rev. 8:5; 16:18.
And great hail.—A deluge of Truth in its most compact form.—Isa. 28:17; Rev. 16:21.
“The tidal wave is coming, the Year of Jubilee; With shout and song it sweeps along, like billows of the sea, The jubilee of nations shall ring through earth and sky; The dawn of grace draws on apace—’tis coming by and by.”
Revelation 12—The Birth Of Antichrist
12:1. And there appeared a great wonder.—Sign, Greek.—Rev. 1:1.
In heaven.—In the power of spiritual control.—A. 318; Eph. 2:4‐6; Phil. 3:20.
A Woman.—The early Church, Nominal Zion, (D. 591), originally a chaste Virgin.—2 Cor. 11:2; Matt. 9:15; 22:2; John 3:29; Eph. 5:25, 32.
Clothed with the sun.—Resplendent in the full, clear light of the unclouded Gospel.—D. 591.
And the moon under her feet.—“The moon under her feet represents that the Law which supports her is nevertheless not the source of her light.”—D. 591.
And upon her head a crown of twelve stars.—“The twelve stars about her head as a crown represent her Divinely appointed and inspired teachers—the Twelve Apostles.” (D. 591.) “Now if God ordained only twelve stars as lights for His Church, as here represented, is it not a great mistake for popes, bishops and clergy to regard themselves as successors of the Apostles,—stars also?”—D. 594.
12:2. And [she] being with child.—As a result of the Mystery of Iniquity which was working within her.—2 Thes. 2:7.
[Cried], AND SHE CRIETH travailing in birth.—Felt the weight of the burden even in apostolic days.—Rev. 2:2.
And pained to be delivered.—Desired to get rid of the loathsome thing from which, by the machinations of Satan, she was at the time suffering. In a sense the birth of the Antichrist from the early Church was a counterfeit of the birth of Christ from the virgin Mary, the one a manifestation of the power of God, the other of Satan.—John 16:21, 22.
12:3. And there appeared another wonder in heaven.—Among the ecclesiastical powers of the same epoch.
And behold a great red dragon.—The Pagan Roman Empire, which had its own religious system. “The Roman Empire had not only conquered the world and given it politics and laws, but, recognizing religious superstitions to be the strongest chains by which to hold and control a people, it had adopted a scheme which had its origin in Babylon, in the time of her greatness as ruler of the world. That plan was, that the emperor should be esteemed the director and ruler in religious as well as in civil affairs. In support of this, it was claimed that the emperor was a demi‐god, in some sense descended from their heathen deities. As such he was worshipped and his statues adored; and as such he was styled Pontifex Maximus—i. e., Chief Priest or Greatest Religious Ruler.”—B. 288.
Having seven heads and ten horns.—See Dan. 7:7, 20; Rev. 13:1; 17:3, 9‐12; 5:6; 1 Sam. 2:10; Deut. 33:17; 1 Ki. 22:11. The Eastern, or Byzantine Empire, was founded in A. D. 395, when Theodosius divided the Roman Empire between his two sons, Honorius and Arcadius, assigning to the latter all the portion lying east of the Adriatic sea. At this time the Roman Empire became the two legs of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision. At the time the division was made the five potential races in the East were the Greeks, Lombards, Ostrogoths, Heruli and Vandals. The five potential races in the West were the Franks, Britons, Saxons, Visigoths and Suevi. During the next one hundred and fifty years great migrations and invasions have so confused history that there is great difference of opinion among historians on many important details. It is plain, however, that three of the migratory races disappeared from history, all within a few years of each other, apparently in order to leave Rome and its environs free for the development of the papacy. The Heruli, a race from Germanic territory, disappeared from Italian territory in A. D. 489; the Vandals, a race from the shores of the Baltic (never in control of Rome except on a brief raid, but a great enemy of the papacy) disappeared in A. D. 534; and the Ostrogoths, an Asiatic race, in A. D. 539. The Western Empire itself disappeared in A. D. 476. The matter is treated by Pastor Russell at greater length in C. 76, 77, and all his statements are, of course, correct.
And seven crowns upon his heads.—In the Eastern Empire, corresponding to the present Turkey and the Balkans, and in Lombardy, corresponding to the present Austria, we may see the two horns which remained of the five Eastern powers after the Ostrogoths, Heruli and Vandals disappeared. And in the Visigothic Kingdom, corresponding to Spain; Suevia, corresponding to Portugal; the Kingdom of the Franks, corresponding to France and the Netherlands; Saxonia, corresponding to Germany and Scandinavia; and Britannia, corresponding to Great Britain, we may see the five horns which represented the five western powers. The following explains why Italy is not included in the list:
“The difficulty of Italian history lies in the fact that until modern times the Italians have had no political unity, no independence, no organized existence as a nation. Split up into numerous and mutually hostile communities, they never, through the fourteen centuries which have elapsed since the end of the old Western Empire, shook off the yoke of foreigners completely; they never until lately learned to merge their local and conflicting interests in the common good of undivided Italy. Their history is therefore not the history of a single people, centralizing and absorbing its constituent elements by a process of continued evolution, but a group of cognate populations, exemplifying divers types of constitutional developments.”—Brit.
The foregoing justifies Pastor Russell’s thought that the Western Empire should be counted as one of the horns rooted up to make way for the Papacy. As to whether it or the Vandal race should be counted as the third horn, since both were destroyed, is a matter of no great importance to us. The point of greatest interest now is that the Lord is about to destroy the other seven, including the Papacy. All the powers named, except Spain, are already in the great War. Indeed, except South America, which expects to be dragged in, the only countries of the world not now (June, 1917) engaged in the war are Scandinavia, Holland, Switzerland, Spain, Abyssinia and Mexico.—Jer. 25:15‐38.
12:4. And his tail.—Constantine, last of the Roman emperors to maintain his capital at Rome. “After the senate and people of Rome had ceased to be the sovereigns of the Roman world, and their authority had been vested in the sole person of the emperor, the eternal city could no longer claim to be the rightful throne of the state. That honor could henceforth be conferred upon any place in the Roman world which might suit the convenience of the emperor, or serve more efficiently the interests he had to guard. Furthermore, the empire was now upon its defense. When Constantine, therefore, established a new seat of government at Byzantium, he adopted a policy inaugurated before his day as essential to the preservation of the Roman dominion. He can claim originality only in his choice of the particular point at which that seat was placed, and in his recognition of the fact that his alliance with the Christian church could be best maintained in the new atmosphere. The city was founded by Constantine the Great, through the enlargement of the old town of Byzantium, in A. D. 328, and was inaugurated as a new seat of government on the 11th of May, A. D. 330. To indicate its political dignity, it was named New Rome, while to perpetuate the name of its founder it was styled Constantinople. The chief patriarch of the Greek church still signs himself ‘Archbishop of New Rome.’ ”—Brit.
Paganism Attacks the Early Church
Drew the third part.—“The Roman Emperor Constantine saw a vision—probably when wide awake—a vision of greater prosperity for himself and his Empire, by a recognition of Christianity as the religion of his Empire instead of paganism, which had previously been recognized. Constantine’s influence in Church affairs became great. He proposed the calling of a council of all the bishops, numbering about one thousand. He wanted to know why these apostolic bishops, all inspired with the same Spirit of God, taught so differently. He offered to pay the expenses of all the bishops to the Council of Nice; but the majority, fearing that the Emperor would be under the control of the Roman bishop (not yet claiming to be pope), declined to attend. Only 384 came. But even they were unable to agree. Many held to the Bible teaching, but the mystification thought of trinity had gained a hold on some of the bishops. Thereupon Constantine decided the matter; and the Nicene Creed, backed by the Emperor’s power, was declared to be the Christian faith, and anything contrary to it, heresy. Yet be it remembered that only about one‐third of the bishops were present at the Council; and that they could not be coerced into substituting ‘mystery’ for the Word of God, until the Emperor lent his influence. Thus was the mystery of trinity enshrined by a heathen emperor, not baptized—not even sprinkled. The history of the persecution of all who would not worship the trinitarian mystery would fill volumes. One sad illustration is familiar to all—the burning of Servetus, by good Brother Calvin’s signature to the death warrant. Is it any wonder that with such conditions prevailing for centuries, the Bible ignored and the creeds worshipped, the true teachings of the Bible on many subjects were completely lost sight of? Is it any wonder that, when in the sixteenth century God began to bring the Bible back to the attention of the world, it was burned by the Episcopal bishops in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London? Is it any wonder that the Christians of that time were persecuted for studying it, and could meet only in secret?”—B. S. M.
Of the stars of heaven.—False stars, “wandering stars,” man‐ordained lights of the nominal heavens.—D. 595. There the bishops became substitutes for the true Apostolic stars.
And did cast them to the earth.—Forced them to teach what he told them or else be banished, as was Arius.
And the dragon.—Imperial Rome, represented by Constantine.
Stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered.—The early Christian Church.
For to devour her child.—Absorb it, make it a subordinate feature of the Roman system of government.
As soon as it was born.—As soon as the development of the clergy class and others equally unfaithful to Christ had made it impossible for them to be retained longer in the true Church.
12:5. And she brought forth a man child.—The papacy.—Z. ’79‐12‐2.
Who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.—“In a bull, or edict, Sixtus V declares: ‘The authority given to St. Peter and his successors, by the immense power of the eternal King, excels all the power of earthly kings and princes. It passeth uncontrollable sentence upon them all. And if it find any of them resisting God’s ordinance, it takes more severe vengeance on them, casting them down from their thrones, however powerful they may be, and tumbling them down to the lowest parts of the earth as the ministers of aspiring Lucifer.’
“A bull of Pope Pius V., entitled ‘The damnation and excommunication of Elizabeth, queen of England, and her adherents’ reads as follows: ‘He that reigneth on high, to whom is given all power in heaven and in earth, committed one holy, catholic and apostolic church (out of which there is no salvation) to one alone upon earth, namely, to Peter, the Prince of the apostles, and to Peter’s successor, the bishop of Rome, to be governed in fulness of power. Him alone he made prince over all people and all kingdoms, to pluck up, destroy, scatter, consume, plant and build.’ ”—B. 311.
And her child was caught up unto God, and [to] UNTO His throne.—“St Bernard affirms that ‘none except God is like the pope, either in heaven or on earth.’ ‘The Emperor Constantine,’ says Pope Nicholas I., ‘conferred the appellation of God on the pope; who, therefore, being God, cannot be judged by man.’ Said Pope Innocent III.—‘The pope holds the place of the true God;’ and the canon law, in the gloss, denominates the pope—‘our Lord God.’ Innocent and Jacobatius state that ‘the pope can do nearly all that God can do,’ while Decius rejects the word nearly, as unnecessary. Jacobatius and Durand assert that ‘none dare say to him any more than to God—Lord, what doest Thou?’ ”—B. 311.
Pope Martin stated the matter in his own behalf as follows: “All the earth is my diocese, and I am the ordinary of all men, having the authority of the King of all kings upon subjects. I am all in all, and above all, so that God Himself, and I, the vicar of God, have both one consistory, and I am able to do almost all that God can do. In all things that I list my will is to stand for reason, for I am able by the law to dispense above the law, and of wrong to make justice in correcting laws and changing them. Wherefore, if those things that I do be said not to be done of man, but of God—What can you make me but God? Again, if prelates of the church be called and counted of Constance for Gods, I then, being above all prelates, seem by this reason to be above all Gods. Wherefore, no marvel if it be in my power to change time and times, to alter and abrogate laws, to dispense with all things, yea, with the precepts of Christ”—B. 314; Dan. 7:25.
12:6. And the woman.—The true Church of God.
Fled Into the wilderness.—“Error, always more popular than truth, when exalted to influence and power, hunted down, proscribed and made disreputable the truth, and all who held it. This was the time when the true Church (woman) fled into the wilderness—into solitude—an outcast because of her fidelity to the truth, and to the true Lord and Head of the Church.”—B. 329.
Where she hath a place prepared of God.—“The secret place of the Most High.”—Psa. 91:1.
That they.—The antitypical ravens that fed the Elijah class, the unknown, “faithful men” who, in secret, broke the bread of life to those that hungered for righteousness.
Should feed her there.—As Elijah was fed in the wilderness.—Rev. 2:20.
A thousand two hundred and threescore days.—1260 years, from A. D. 539 to 1799.—Rev. 11:2, 3.
12:7. And there was war in heaven.—Between the two ecclesiastical powers, Pagan Rome and Papal Rome.
Michael.—“Who as God,” the Pope.—B. 275; C. 62.
And his angels.—The Bishops. The following is the reply given in the Catholic catechism to the question, “Who are the successors of the Apostles?” Ans. “The bishops who are rightly consecrated, and are in communion with the head of the Church, the Pope.”
[Fought against] TO WAR WITH the dragon.—Attempted to get the temporal power away from the civil rulers.—Rev. 2:12.
And the dragon.—Imperial Rome.—B. 288; Rev. 12:3; 20:2.
Fought and his angels.—Did everything possible to circumscribe the growing power of the papacy, but all in vain.—Rev. 2:12.
12:8. And THEY prevailed not AGAINST HIM, neither was [their place] HE THEN found any more in heaven.—The Papacy came out of the contest victorious. “Paganism, defeated, relinquished all things pertaining to religious affairs and contented itself with social, civic and political affairs,” so stated one of Pastor Russell’s coworkers.
12:9. And the great dragon was cast out.—Verses 9 to 12 contain the rejoicings of the Papacy over their triumph.
That old serpent, called the Devil, [and] Satan.—“To this fourth beast, representing Rome, Daniel gives no descriptive name. While the others are described as lion‐like, bear‐like and leopard‐like, the fourth was so ferocious and hideous that none of the beasts of earth could be compared with it. John the Revelator, seeing in vision the same symbolic beast (government), was also at a loss for a name by which to describe it, and finally gives it several. Among others, he called it ‘the Devil.’ He certainly chose an appropriate name; for Rome, when viewed in the light of its bloody persecutions, certainly has been the most devilish of all earthly governments. Even in its change from Rome Pagan to Rome Papal it illustrated one of Satan’s chief characteristics; for he also transforms himself to appear as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), as Rome transformed itself from heathenism and claimed to be Christian—the Kingdom of Christ.”—A. 258.
Which deceiveth the whole world.—By intimating that anybody in it except the pope has any right to say anything about how it should be run.
He was cast out into the earth.—We, the Papacy, are in control!
And his angels were cast out with him.—We, the cardinals, etc., have the positions of power once held by the priests of Pagan Rome!
12:10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven.—In the Roman Catholic Church.
Now is come salvation, and strength.—“Cardinal Manning, Papacy’s chief representative in England, endorses and draws public attention to the following clause of the Catholic faith: ‘We declare, affirm, define, and pronounce it necessary to salvation, for every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff.’ And in a published discourse he represents the pope as saying, ‘I claim to be the Supreme Judge and Director of the consciences of men; of the peasant that tills the field, and the prince that sits on the throne; of the household that lives in the shade of privacy, and the Legislature that makes laws for kingdoms. I am the sole, last, Supreme Judge of what is right and wrong.’ ”—B. 317.
And the kingdom of our God.—The Papacy really believed that its exaltation to power was the exaltation of the kingdom of God in the earth, and so it was, but not our God.—2 Cor. 4:4.
And the power of His Christ.—The pope really believes he is the Vicar of Christ.
For the accuser of our brethren is cast down.—It seemed to the Papacy that in undermining and supplanting Imperial Rome they had gained a great victory for Christ.
Which accused them before our God day and night.—Pagan Rome truthfully accused the Papacy of lying, simony, murder, adultery, and every crime on the calendar.—Rev. 2:13.
12:11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.—This is the way it looks to Catholics even to this day. “By this sign [the cross] conquer!” was the Crusaders’ standard.
And by the word of their testimony.—But not by the testimony of history or of God’s Word, both of which show that “their testimony” (i. e., the testimony of the papacy, in the forged decretals and otherwise) was one of continuous lies.—Dan. 11:27.
And they loved not their lives unto the death.—This was the Catholic viewpoint.
12:12. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens.—Catholic heavens—popes, bishops and prelates.
And ye that dwell in them.—“The under‐priests of Papacy, not parts or members of the church or hierarchy, but called ‘Brothers.’ ”—B. 303.
Woe to the [inhabiters of] the earth and [of] the sea.—It seemed to the Papacy as though the Millennium, and the great Time of Trouble which the Scriptures everywhere show is to precede it, were just at hand.—Rev. 7:1
For the devil is come down to you.—The papal thought that Pagan Rome was a good representative of the Devil is quite right; and the Scriptures return the compliment.
Having [great] wrath.—Being very greatly angered at Papacy’s aggressions. The Papal policy has ever been to crowd the civil powers as far as they could possibly go, then wait until a generation had passed and crowd some more. The horns have always hated the whore.—Rev. 17:16.
Because he knoweth he hath but a short time.—Had Papacy been able to bring it about it would surely, in time, have deprived all the rulers of the world of every particle of civil, social, ecclesiastical and financial power. There has never been any limit to its ambitions or pretensions, and there is none now.
12:13. And when the dragon.—The civil powers of the old Roman Empire, under the control of the Papacy.
Saw that he was cast unto the earth.—Deprived of the superstitious reverence now almost wholly absorbed by the Papacy.
He persecuted.—Not on his own account, but under the orders and instructions and encouragements of the Papacy, and to win Papal approval.
The woman which brought forth the man child.—The true Church. For details of the infamous work of Charles V, Emperor of Germany and King of Spain and the Netherlands, the Duke of Alva, Philip II of Spain, the French kings Francis and Henry, see pages 337‐338 of STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES, Vol. II. These are but illustrations of what occurred in all parts of the old Roman world, and were all done at the behest of the Papacy.
12:14. And to the woman.—The true Church.
Were given Two Wings.—The Old and New Testaments.
Of a great eagle.—The eagle is a symbol of wisdom, a fit representative of the Scriptures in which are contained the words of our God. (Rev. 4:7.) “I bare you on eagle’s wings, and brought you unto Myself.”—Ex. 19:4; Deut. 32:11‐12.
That she might fly into the wilderness.—Separateness from the world; ostracism; represented by Elijah’s three and a half years in the wilderness.—Rev. 2:20.
Into her place, where she is nourished.—By Divinely provided means, of which almost no records have been permitted to survive the ravages of papal persecution.
Both for a time, and times, and half a time.—1260 years from A. D. 539 to 1799.—Rev. 11:2, 3.
From.—Safe from.
The face of the Serpent.—Satan himself, the real instigator of all persecutions from the Lord’s time even until now.
And the Serpent.—Satan himself, at the close of the 1260 years of Papacy’s power to persecute.
Cast out of his mouth water as a flood.—“The strength of the French revolution, to which reference is here had, lay in the fact that it was instigated by many stern truths, regarding priest‐craft and king‐craft, and regarding the individual rights and liberties of all. Truths regarding human rights were seen and expressed there which cause us surprise when we consider the ignorance, superstition and servility of that day, under which the masses had so long rested. Many of the truths which then swept as a flood over France, deluging it with blood, are now very generally accepted among all civilized peoples.”—C. 65.
After the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.—“Satan’s design in instigating the French revolution was to create an alarm throughout Europe, especially the influential class, unfavorable to liberty, and to illustrate in France the theory that, were the superstitions of Rome to be overthrown and liberty to be given full sway, all law and order would speedily end.” This strategy Satan is now about to repeat—this time with success, but his triumph will be short.—C. 66.
And the earth.—The order‐loving people of Europe.
Helped the woman.—The true Church.
And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood.—“It is a fact of history that the flood of truth which spread over France—arraigning Papacy and its priestcraft, and monarchy and its parasitic aristocracy, as the responsible causes of much of the ignorance, poverty and superstition of the people—was swallowed up, or absorbed by the people of Europe generally (The Roman ‘earth’). And when the rulers of Europe formed what was called ‘The Holy Alliance,’ for the suppression of the liberties of the people and the perpetuation of their own thrones, it was too late to fetter the people; for, having drunk up the flood of waters, they would not submit. It was too late to think of re‐establishing Papacy, which had been so terribly humiliated and whose anathemas against liberty and the French had so reacted against itself; so the pope was not even invited to join the ‘Holy Alliance,’ of which before he would have been the recognized head.”—C. 66.
Which the dragon cast out of his mouth.—“This sudden flood of waters (truth) was designed to act as an emetic, to lead to the casting out of the food of liberty, already being received by the people from the Bible, as the result of the Reformation, and thus to force rulers and teachers to oppose the truth through fear of anarchy.”—C. 66.
12:17. And the dragon was wroth with the woman.—The protesting Church of God. This will apply with great force shortly.
And went to make war with the remnant of her seed.—The true saints in the Roman Catholic communion or wherever otherwise found,—always objects of hatred and oppression by ecclesiasticism.—Rev. 13:7.
Which keep the commandments of God.—“The law is fulfilled in us.”—Rom. 8:4.
And have the testimony of [Jesus Christ] GOD.—Have HIS word as the man of their counsel.—Rev. 14:12.
Revelation 13—The Papal And Protestant Beasts
13:1. And [I] HE stood upon the sand of the sea.—The sea represents the masses not under religious restraint. It is this symbolic sea that is to overturn and swallow up all kingdoms of earth in the great Time of Trouble. The proper understanding of the vision is located down at the edge of this sea, near the Time of Trouble.
Papacy As God Pictures It
And I saw a beast.—“This character is very forcibly delineated even in the names applied to it by the inspired writers. Paul calls it ‘That Wicked One,’ ‘The Man of Sin,’ ‘The Mystery of Iniquity,’ ‘The Antichrist,’ and ‘The Son of Perdition;’ the Prophet Daniel calls it ‘The Abomination that maketh desolate’ (Dan. 11:31; 12:11); and our Lord refers to the same character as ‘The Abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel the Prophet’ (Matt. 24:15). This same character was also prefigured by a little horn, or power, out of a terrible beast that Daniel saw in his prophetic vision, which had eyes, and a mouth that spoke great things, and which prospered and made war with the saints, and prevailed against them. (Dan. 7:8, 21.) John also saw and warned the Church against this character, saying, ‘Ye have heard that Antichrist shall come.’ He then advises how to escape Antichrist’s influence. (1 John 2:18‐27.) These various appellations and brief descriptions indicate a base, subtle, hypocritical, deceptive, tyrannical and cruel character, developed in the midst of the Christian Church; claiming, to the last, peculiar sanctity and authority and power from God.” (B. 271.) “We need not look long to find a character fitting all the requirements perfectly. But when we state that the one and only system whose history fits these prophecies is Papacy, let no one misunderstand us to mean that every Roman Catholic is a man of sin. Popes, bishops and others are at most only parts or members of the Antichrist system, even as all of the Royal Priests are only members of the true Christ.” (B. 277.) Antichrist now finds its expression in the “Christian” governments of the world founded upon its teachings—Christendom.
Rise up out of the sea.—See Rev. 17:15; Psa. 65:7; 93:3, 4; Isa. 57:20. At the time of papacy’s birth the masses of the Roman people had ceased to have reverence for the ancient mythology of Pagan Rome. Constantine, a shrewd politician, discerned this and discerned the growing influence of the Christian religion. In adopting it, in forcing the adoption of the Nicene Creed, and in removing his capital from Rome, he gave the papacy its start.
Having TEN HORNS AND seven heads [and ten horns].—See Rev. 12:3; Dan. 7:7, 20; Rev. 17:3, 9‐12; 5:6; 1 Sam. 2:10; Deut. 33:17; 1 Ki. 22:11.
And upon his horns ten crowns.—In this calculation are included the three potential races plucked up to make way for the papacy. (Rev. 12:3; 17:3, 9.) In this picture the location of the crowns upon the horns instead of upon the heads, as in Rev. 12:3, denotes the changed situation after the papacy came into control. The papacy ruled not directly, as did Pagan Rome, but through other powers to which it was joined.
And upon his heads.—The seven kingdoms that still survive: Spain, Portugal, France, England, Germany, Austria, Greece, and their past and present dependencies.
The name of blasphemy.—Every one of these kingdoms falsely claims, or has claimed, to be a part of the Kingdom of God, though actually all part of the one great kingdom ruled by “The god of this world.”—2 Cor. 4:4.
13:2. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard.—“The body of the Papal beast was like a Leopard. The Leopard was the third beast seen by Daniel, viz., Grecia. Greece was noted as the center of learning, piety and wisdom (Acts 17:23); so Papacy’s chief claim, to be the ruler of all kingdoms, is based on the claim that it is the center of wisdom, learning and piety. Other peculiarities of the Leopard are its activity, vigilance and secretiveness; so with Papacy. Again, a Leopard is spotted irregularly, so too Papacy’s policy in various parts of the earth.” (Z. ’79‐12‐2.) “In one place it is liberal, almost white in its professions or appearances; in another quarter black, corrupt, degrading, brutal; and in still other places it has various neutral and tawny shades of correspondence to the natural depravity of the people it rules with its rod of eternal torment and its staff of Purgatory. In Spain, for example, which has been for centuries one of its dark spots—as dark as the general civilization of the people will permit,—the ‘leopard’ has been accustomed to have its way, and is incensed that freedom of worship, or even of thought, should be dreamed of.”—Z. ’99‐262.
And his feet were as the feet of a bear.—“The bear suggests another of Papacy’s peculiarities as an empire, viz., persistency. Like the Bear Empire (Medo‐Persia) which would besiege for years, and even turn a river aside to accomplish its ends; so Papacy moves cautiously and gets possession of kingdoms rather by strategy than by battles. The bear hugs its prey to death with its paws.”—Z. ’79‐12‐2.
And his mouth as the mouth of [a lion] LIONS.—“Babylon was celebrated for its splendor and pride—the Lion the king or ruler of all beasts—so Papacy had a mouth of this sort, i. e., it claimed to be the kingdom over all kingdoms by Divine right, the kingdom of God, which was to break in pieces and consume all others—a strong mouth.”—Z. ’79‐12‐2.
And the dragon.—Imperial Rome, represented by Constantine.
Gave him his power.—“Ancient Pagan Rome had only a mere skeleton of sacerdotal power as compared with the complex and elaborate machinery and contrivances of doctrine and practice of Papal Rome, the triumphant successor to their scheme, who now, after centuries of cunning and skill, has its power so intrenched that even today, when its power is outwardly broken and it is shorn of civil dominion, it rules the world and controls kingdoms secretly, under cover, more thoroughly than the Roman emperors ever ruled the kings subordinate to them.”—B. 288.
And his seat.—His place in the city of Rome, by transferring his own headquarters to Byzantium, “New Rome.”—Rev. 12:4.
And great authority.—At the hands of the Roman Emperor Justinian, in A. D. 539.—Rev. 12:3‐5.
13:3. And I saw one of his heads.—One of the dragon’s heads—Papacy.
As it were wounded to death.—Whenever the Scriptures use the expression “as it were” (as in Rev. 9:7, 9) what seems or appears is not actually the case.
And his deadly wound was healed.—“At the Diet of Augsburg, in 1555, the Religious Peace was concluded. Every prince was to be allowed to choose between the Catholic religion and the Augsburg Confession [of the Reformers]; and the religion of the prince was to be that of the land over which he reigned: that is, each government was to choose the creed for its subjects.
“In fact, the political circumstances of the time, combined with the fact that even the leaders of the reform were only beginning to get awake to some of the moral and a few of the doctrinal errors of Papacy, lead us to wonder at the rapid strides taken toward the right, rather than to harshly condemn them for not making the cleansing more thorough. But when the Protestant churches united with the state, progress and reform came to a standstill. Soon creeds were formed which were almost as unyielding and opposed to growth in knowledge as the decrees of Rome.”—C. 111.
And all the [world] EARTH wondered after the beast.—The reference is to the symbolic earth, the people, obedient to the ruling powers.—Rev. 17:8.
13:4. And they worshipped the dragon.—“Dragon means civil power, Pagan Rome.”—Z. ’79‐12‐2.
[Which] BECAUSE HE gave THE power unto the beast.—“The people respected the civil power all the more because it had so honored ecclesiastical authority. The various kingdoms (horns) soon learned that their hold over the people was strengthened rather than weakened by allegiance to Papacy, for Papacy in turn recognized them, and commanded the people to recognize those despots as of divine appointment. Thus it is, that to this day, the rulers of Europe claim to rule by Divine right and appointment, and their children after them, no matter how incompetent. For the same reason the Protestant churches of Europe, to gain national favor, protection and assistance, became State churches, and they, as Papacy did, recognize the reigning families as possessed of Divine title to the office and rulership of the people. God’s Word, on the contrary, denounces all the governments of earth as beastly, selfish, oppressive, and recognizes only one Kingdom as being of God’s appointment, viz., the Kingdom soon to be established in all the earth—Christ and His saints in glory. (Dan. 7:27; Rev. 11:15; 2 Tim. 2:12.) It is in that Kingdom only that the saints have their citizenship, it alone they recognize, and for it pray ‘Thy Kingdom come.’ ”—Z. ’80‐1‐1.
And they worshipped the beast.—“The following, called The Adoration, is still a part of the ceremony connected with the installation of a new pope: ‘The pope is lifted up by the cardinals and placed by them upon the altar‐throne. One of the bishops kneels, and the singing of Te Deum [We praise thee, O God] begins. Meantime the cardinals kiss the feet and hands and face of the pope.’ A coin representing this ceremony, struck in the Papal mint, bears the words, ‘Whom they create, they adore.’ ”—B. 316.
Saying, Who is like unto the beast.—What other character in history ever made such claims or received such homage?—Rev. 18:18.
AND who is able to make war with him.—“When, in A. D. 455, the city of Rome was invaded and plundered by the Vandals, and all around was distress and desolation, Leo, the bishop of Rome, improved the opportunity for impressing upon all, both barbarians and Romans, his claim of spiritual power. To the rude and superstitious barbarians, already greatly impressed by what they saw about them, of Rome’s greatness and wealth, Leo, arrayed in his pontifical robes, exclaimed: ‘Beware! I am the successor of St. Peter, to whom God has given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and against whose church the gates of hell cannot prevail; I am the living representative of divine power on the earth; I am Cæsar, a Christian Cæsar, ruling in love, to whom all Christians owe allegiance; I hold in my hands the curses of hell and the benedictions of Heaven; I absolve all subjects from allegiance to kings; I give and take away, by divine right, all thrones and principalities of Christendom. Beware how you desecrate the patrimony given me by your invisible king; yea, bow down your necks to me and pray that the anger of God may be averted.’ ”—B. 295.
13:5. And there was given unto him a mouth.—The mouth of Antichrist is one of its leading characteristics.—B. 305; Dan. 7:8, 11, 25.
Speaking great things and blasphemies.—“How evident it must be to the simplest minds that Papacy’s great swelling words and boastful claims have, one and all, been blasphemies. The establishment of a counterfeit Kingdom of God was a libel upon God’s government, a gross blasphemy, and a misrepresentation of His character and Plan and Word. God’s character, i. e., His ‘name,’ was blasphemed in the thousand monstrous edicts, bulls and decretals issued in His name, by the long line of those who claimed, as vice‐gerents, to represent His Son by the titles, appropriate only to the Father or to Christ, which they have applied to themselves; and God’s Tabernacle, the true Church, was blasphemed by the false system which claimed to take its place.”—B. 306; Dan. 7:8, 20, 25.
And [power] IT was given unto him to [continue] DO WHAT HE WILL.—He still continues, though he can no longer do what he will.
Forty and two months.—1260 days, or a time, times and a half; fulfilled in 1260 literal years from A. D. 539 to 1799 A. D. (Rev. 11:2.) As a secondary fulfilment, we may see the end of the rule of the Kaiser and others of his mouthpieces in 42 literal months from Aug. 1, 1914. But what folly it would be to try to see in the German Kaiser, or any other one man, the foretold Antichrist.—Rev. 11:11.
13:6. And he opened his mouth in [blasphemy] BLASPHEMIES against God.—Misrepresentations of the Divine Character and Plan.
To blaspheme [His name] HIM.—God was blasphemed, or misrepresented by the titles used by the popes, by their claims to the exercise of Divine power on earth (B. 311), by claims that the Pope is God on earth (B. 314), by claims that he is the sole judge of right and wrong (B. 317), by claims that he is infallible (B. 318), by proscribing the Bible (B. 319), by the doctrines of eternal torture and purgatory (B. 323), by masses for the dead and the sale of indulgences (B. 324), and by devilish practices against His saints, too numerous to name.
And His tabernacle.—The church in the wilderness.—Rev. 12:6, 14.
[And] Them that dwell in heaven.—God’s Tabernacle is His true Church in the flesh, but, nevertheless, “Our citizenship is in Heaven.” (Phil. 3:20, R. V.) Even here we have been made to “Sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”—Eph. 2:6.
13:7. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints.—See Rev. 2:20; Acts 9:32; Rom. 15:25; 1 Cor. 6:1.
And to overcome them.—See Rev. 6:8; Dan. 7:21, 22.
And power was given him over all kindreds, AND PEOPLES, and tongues, and nations.—This has been literally fulfilled, but will have a secondary fulfilment soon, through the beastly governments that are Papacy’s living representatives in spirit if not in fact.—Rev. 17:15.
13:8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him.—Yield either willing or forced obedience to his mandates; bow the knee in submission.
Whose names are not written in the Book of Life.—“The deception of Papacy was so complete that the world was deceived, and all the church, except the overcomers, whose names were ‘written in Heaven,’ were deceived in the same way, and hastened to unite themselves with, and to worship the Beast, and have it enroll their names on its books. From this has sprung the delusion so common to all Protestants at this day, viz., that their names must be connected with some such earthly system, or they are not the Lord’s saints. But the important item is, to have our names recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life; His is the only record of any value.”—Z. ’80:1‐1; Psa. 69:28; Dan. 12:1; Lu. 10:20; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 21:27.
Of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.—“This selection of the Only Begotten to be the Head and Chief of the New Creation—subject to the trials, disciplines, humiliations and other necessary experiences to prove His worthiness—had already been determined upon in the Divine counsel before man was created.”—F. 65; 1 Pet. 1:20; Eph. 1:4; Rev. 5:6; John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32.
13:9. If any man have an ear, let him hear.—“Only those whose ears have been circumcised—those who had come to a considerable knowledge of God’s Word and who had the hearing of faith—to respect Him and His Word, despite the magnificence, success and power of error, would be able to receive the foregoing statements concerning those who were deceived by Papacy.”—Z. ’80‐1‐1.
13:10. [He that] IF ANY ONE leadeth into captivity [shall go] HE GOETH into captivity.—“The Papal system was one of bondage. All who acknowledge its claims must of necessity render implicit obedience, as unto God; for it claimed to be the kingdom of heaven; and its head, the Pope, to be God’s vice‐gerent; consequently those who were for, or in favor of such captivity of individual thought, and who would acknowledge the right of that Papal system to limit and define the faith of all, by consenting, became captives.”—Z. ’80‐1‐2.
He that killeth with the sword must be killed by the sword.—“There were some who asserted that Papacy was a usurpation of the titles and power of the true Head and Ruler of the Church, and claimed their rights to the individual liberty wherewith Christ had made them free. Such used the ‘Sword of the Spirit,’ which is the Word of God, in defense of their liberty, and such were put to death by Papacy; it overcame the saints during its 1260 years of power.”—Z. ’80‐1‐2.
Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.—“This was a severe test of true saintship—Would they go into captivity and join in the usurper’s ranks, or would they remain faithful to the true King and wait for the Kingdom which He promised to establish? Those whose names were written in Heaven stuck to the Word, and sealed their testimonies by death.” (Z. ’80‐1‐2.) The same situation now confronts the saints, in the matter of aiding in some way the murderous spirit of the governments which are permeated by Antichrist’s spirit.—Rev. 14:12.
13:11. And I beheld another beast.—“If the preceding wild beast represented an ecclesiastical power, as we have just seen, then this beast called another should be understood to represent a similar ecclesiastical or church power. As the first beast had ten horns, or powers, which gave it their strength, so this beast has ‘two horns’ which indicates that two powers or governments will support it. Again, notice that this beast ‘ascended (came gradually) out of the earth,’ while the first came out of the sea. Now, if our definitions be correct—as the coming of Papacy from among the irreligious masses of the Roman Empire was shown by its coming out of the ‘sea’—then the coming of this second beast out of the ‘earth’ should signify that it sprung up among a professedly religious people. The Two‐horned Beast is one ecclesiastical system, and the two horns show that it is supported, and its authority recognized by two kingdoms. Remember that to be simply aided or supported by the empire does not make a symbolic ‘Beast’; a ‘Beast’ is a government, and to become a symbolic beast, a church must needs become an element in, or part of the government.
“There is but one church which this symbol fits perfectly, viz.: The established ‘Church of England and Ireland.’ This system, like the Papal, was a blending of church and state, an ecclesiastical empire. In the year 1200 England became subject to the Pope. In 1531, owing to a dispute between her king, Henry VIII, and the Pope, England withdrew from allegiance to Papacy. The Convocation of its clergy called the same year, in its decrees, declared King Henry VIII to be ‘The one protector of the English Church, its only and Supreme Lord; and as far as might be, by the law of Christ, its Supreme Head.’ Those are the exact sentiments of Papacy; that is exactly the sense in which the Pope is recognized as Christ’s vice‐gerent. What a glorious representation of the Lord Jesus they had in Henry VIII, who, out of six wives, was divorced from two, beheaded two, and by many is supposed to have poisoned one! He was a worthy rival of some of the Popes as an Anti‐christian claimant of headship to the church. The Clerical Convocation which could acknowledge such a head was not far from being as corrupt as Papacy.
“The proof that the title, ‘head of the church,’ was not an empty honor, appears from the historian’s words—‘At the same time it was ordained that no regard should be paid to censures which the Pope might pass on account of this law and that Mass should be said, and sacraments administered as usual. In 1534, all payments made to the apostolic chamber, and dispensations, were abolished; monasteries were subjected to royal government, and exempted from all other; the right to summon Convocations, approve or reject canons (laws or doctrines enacted by the Convocation of clergy), and hear appeals from the Bishops, was vested in the King alone. These matters are but imperfectly understood by people in general, and the same titles—“Supreme head of the church on earth,” etc., are still applied to English sovereigns. It is needless to remark that the Lord Jesus never gave this office to any one, but claims it Himself; and any others who claim it are usurpers. Paul said: “Christ is the Head of the Church,” and that we are to “grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ.” Again he repeats that “God gave Him to be the Head over all things in the Church, which is His body.” (Eph. 1:22 and 4:15, and 5:23; Col. 1:18.) It is the church on earth that Paul is speaking of, hence any Pope, Queen, Council, Assembly, Conference, or any other man or company of men, who claim or exercise the powers of the true Head—Jesus—are opposing Him. And all who support such by influence, presence or money, are abettors of evil and supporters of false systems. Now does this system (the English church) fill the picture? The second Beast had two horns; what two kingdoms (horns) supported this church? Bear in mind the distinction between a church supported by a government, as the Presbyterian in Scotland, and a church united in the government, as in England; it is the latter relationship that constitutes a “beast.” ’ ”—Z. ’80‐1‐2; Rev. 13:14, 15; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2, 13.
Coming up out of the earth.—“From the visible church of God.”—Cook.
And he had two horns like a lamb.—“Now about the two horns. England, of course, was one of them, and Ireland the other. Let us see. History says that in 1537 the Irish Parliament in Dublin ‘passed the Act of Supremacy, declaring Henry VIII Supreme Head of the Church, prohibiting intercourse with the court of Rome, and making it treason to refuse the oath of supremacy.’ ‘Henry VIII also took the title of King of Ireland.’ Thus it is seen that the second horn came up within the brief space of five years after the first. The fact that Ireland was not a powerful horn matters not, for it was stronger than some that supported the Papal Beast. What effects result from the disestablishment of the Church in Ireland? From 1538 to 1871 (333 years), the title of the church was ‘The Church of England and Ireland,’ thus recognizing both ‘horns.’ On January 1, 1871 (by action of Parliament and the consent of the Queen, the head of the church) the Irish church was disestablished, or that horn was cast off. So, too, all of the horns which once supported Papacy have broken off from her; the difference being that in the case of Papacy the horns have turned against her, and in the case of the second Beast it casts off the Irish horn of itself, believing it to be a weakness rather than a strength. And it would not be at all remarkable if the other horn (England) would be separated from this Beast. ‘The two horns like a lamb,’ would seem to indicate that this Beast would be peaceably inclined—not aggressive, but merely using the horns for defense.”—Z. ’80‐1‐2.
And, he spake as a dragon.—“ ‘He spake like a dragon.’ Notice, it is not said he spake like the dragon, but like a dragon. We understand this to mean that its utterances resembled those of a purely civil (dragon) power, and that in its words there would be little to denote that it is an ecclesiastical government.” (Z. ’80‐1‐2.) England’s conduct in forcing opium into China is evidence enough of its Satanic character. “China realizes that opium is her great curse; she has passed laws against the growth of the poppy and the manufacture of opium. But she finds that the imports of opium amount to 5,000,000 pounds per year. She cries out again, as in the past, that this Great Kingdom of Christ (?) (Great Britain) will have mercy upon her and cease to insist on this curse being introduced to blight China morally and physically. The young men of heathen China have started a monster petition for the cessation of opium importation. The text of this appeal appeared in the New York Herald, February 17. It recounts that a previous appeal, of similar character, was made without avail to the King’s royal grandmother in 1858, when she was the representative of this branch of Christ’s Kingdom (?).” (Z. ’11‐115.) “The False Prophet who causes the dwellers on earth to worship the Beast symbolizes the deification of the world and of the world power, throughout the conflict between the church and Antichrist.”—Cook.
13:12. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him.—“And the authority of the first Wild Beast—the whole of that authority—he exercises in his presence, and he causes the earth and its inhabitants to worship the first Wild Beast.” (Weym.) “This shows that the second does not take the place of the first beast, but that they exist contemporaneously.” (Z. ’80‐1‐2.) It also shows that the sufferings of the last members of the Body of Christ, under the combination of governments dominated by Great Britain, may be expected to be as great as in Papacy’s palmiest days.
And causeth the earth and them which dwell therein.—“We make a distinction between the earth and those who dwell on it. As the earth symbolizes those obedient to and supporting the Beast, so ‘those dwelling on the earth,’ we understand to mean independent Christians who do not support either of these systems.”—Z. ’80‐1‐2.
To worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.—“The Church of England claimed all the powers and authority which Papacy claimed. It claimed to be the Church; it acknowledged and repudiated some of the corruptions complained of by the Reformers, such as the sale of indulgence, transubstantiation, etc., and abandoned these as well as the name Roman, for which they substituted the word Holy, calling it the original ‘Holy Catholic Church.’ It claims the same governmental authority and the same veneration for its decrees as Papacy does for hers. And by establishing a similar system, devoid of some of the grosser Papal errors, it attracted the attention of all to those errors, as being the only possible fault of Papacy. And when some of those errors were shortly after discarded by Papacy, the inference was that both Beast systems were right. People at that day, as now, seemed to think those systems proper and right, if their powers, etc., were properly exercised; but from God’s standpoint the systems are abominations, and wrong from the very center. These systems are based upon errors, and like a corrupt tree, ‘cannot bring forth good fruit.’
“The principal error was in this—the very basis of those systems—their claim to be the ‘Kingdom of God’ in reigning power. That idea, once admitted, justifies their persecution of individuals and nations, forcing them to submit and bow in obedience. Scripture accords these powers to the ‘Kingdom of God’—when ‘the Kingdom is the Lord’s and He is the Governor among the nations; all the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and all the kindreds of nations shall worship before Thee.’ (Ps. 22:27, 28.) He shall ‘dash them in pieces as a potter’s vessel.’ (Ps. 2:9.) Unto Him every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess. (Phil. 2:11.) And if their claim be good, who can object to their carrying out the Scriptural statements? These Antichrists, to make their claim of kingdom power appear true, had simply to take another, viz., to compel obedience, backing up their right to do so by the Scriptures just quoted. And not only was this great evil sanctioned, but their claim, once admitted, that the Kingdom was established and the reign in progress, those who admitted it were hindered from looking for the true Head of the Church to set up the true Kingdom under the whole heavens, which shall break in pieces present imperfect governments, establish righteousness in the earth, and cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess, to the glory of God.”—Z. ’80‐1‐2.
13:13. And he doeth great wonders.—The strongest text of Scripture forewarning against the impending Church Federation is the strongest text of Scripture forewarning against spiritism. (Isa. 8:9‐22.) It is not by accident that these warnings are placed together. “We shall not be at all surprised if some later manifestation of the powers of darkness, transformed to appear as the angels of light and progress, shall be much more specious and delusive than anything yet attempted. We do well to remember the Apostle’s words,—‘We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with princely powers of darkness, with the spiritual things of the Evil One.’ (Eph. 6:12.) In 1842, six years before ‘modern Spiritism’ began to operate, Edward Bickersteth, a servant of God and student of His Word, wrote,—‘Looking at the signs of the times, and the long neglect and unnatural denial of all angelic ministration or spiritual influence, and at the express predictions of false Christs, and false prophets, who shall show signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the Very Elect, and that when men receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved, for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they shall believe a lie; I cannot but think there is a painful prospect of a sudden recoil and religious revulsion from the present unbelief and misbelief, to an unnatural and undistinguishing credulity.’ Satan is the inspirer and supporter of every Antichrist; and as he led those who had pleasure in error rather than the truth to the organization of the great Antichrist, Papacy, symbolically the ‘beast’ of Rev. 13, and as he is now operating to produce a Protestant ‘image of the beast’ with life, which will cooperate with the chief Antichrist, so in combination with these will be the powers of darkness, the powers of the air, the lying and seducing spirits, operating in some manner or in a variety of ways,—Spiritism, Christian Science, New Thought, Theosophy, Hypnotism, etc.” (S. 32.) “If we gain the right conception of the matter these deceptions are to affect the whole world, including its wise men, and indeed practically everybody.”—Z. ’09‐123; Deut. 13:1‐3; Matt. 24:24, 25; 2 Thes. 2:9‐12; Rev. 16:14.
Note the readiness of Christendom to fall into the trap: “In a sermon in which he told of the effect of religious seances and the efforts of certain writers to shatter belief in a future life, the Rev. H. D. C. Maclachlan preached to a large congregation in Seventh Street Christian Church on ‘The New Spiritualism,’ in which he gave scientific proof of a future life and exhorted his hearers to be of good cheer and continue to hope. Mr. Maclachlan spoke in part as follows: ‘There has been no more remarkable change in public opinion than that witnessed within the last few years with regard to that class of facts known as spiritualistic. There was a time when it was not quite respectable to believe in them, but quite recently there has been a change. Ghosts have become respectable; planchette and table rapping are parlor amusements; the popular magazines vie with each other in saying nice things about mediums and their ways. The cause of this change in public opinion has been a similar change in scientific belief. It is not more than thirty years ago that orthodox science refused so much as to investigate the things of which we are speaking. Some twenty‐five years ago the Society for Psychical Research was formed in England with such names as Crookes, Myers, Romanes, Eidgwick, Barrett and others on its list of members, and since that day telepathy, table rapping, clairvoyance, clairaudience, telekinesis, apparitions, materializations, mental healing and all the other phenomena which Professor James, of Harvard, aptly calls residual, have been investigated. Mediums have been transferred from back parlors, where all sorts of trickery was possible, to the physical laboratories of the universities. They have been put under conditions of strictest control. Even the traditional darkness has been denied them. And still the wonderful results came. One after another leading scientists entered into these investigations skeptical and contemptuous, but came out of them believers in the facts on the evidence of their own senses.’ ”—Z. ’09‐164.
So that he maketh fire come down from heaven.—Fire from heaven was the test by which Elijah proved that Jehovah is the true God, and was the method by which Jehovah accepted the offerings made to Him on the Day of Atonement. (1 Kings 18:38; Lev. 9:24.) In the test at hand the second beast will be able to prove to all except the Elect that his claims to Divine approval are correct. “Our Lord warns us of danger from false Christs ‘then’—that is now. Had it been foretold precisely what form these deceptions would take, this would have somewhat hindered their deceptive power. God permits these deceptions for the very purpose of separating the ‘overcomers’ from all others, and merely guarantees us that the ‘Elect’ will be kept from falling. And yet it is quite possible that some of these trials, siftings and delusions, may come closest upon those possessing the largest degree of the light of Present Truth.” (D. 581; Rev. 7:3.) “The Lord allows the storms to press us more and more so that we will cry unto Him. Then He will hear us and give us the necessary deliverance. These storms may be right inside, in our own person. Whether, therefore, storms financial, political, religious or demoniacal, come his way, the child of God may rest secure and be of good courage. The Lord is both able and willing to care for his interests and bring him off victor.” (Z. ’13‐150.) As soon as the beast has apparently made out a clear case, perhaps by outward, visible evidences, but surely by evidences from the Scriptures (distorted) of its standing with God, we may expect a very prompt and practical use of the “fire” (Luke 9:54) thus obtained. “The Image, as soon as vitalized, will very promptly use its influence, prestige, power, in every way to punish in the name of the Lord those who in any sense of the word it shall consider to be its opponents. Speedily none will be allowed to buy or sell, in the spiritual marts [or perhaps in any marts], except those who have either the mark or the number of the Beast, or of the Image, either in the right hand of co‐operation or in the forehead of public confession. This will mean that the INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION and all others not in affiliation with the Alliance will be subjected to radically coercive measures. Truth shall fall in the streets. (Isa. 59:14.) Righteousness will be unable to enter under the stress of the new order of things. For a time it will appear as though a great Christian victory had been won, shared equally by Papacy and Federated‐ Protestantism—no longer protesting.”—Z. ’13‐343.
On the earth in the sight of men.—Amongst his own followers and among Christians unattached to either beast.
13:14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth.—The independent Christians just named.
By the means of those miracles.—Signs, the laying on of hands, doctrines of immortality, trinity and claims that none are qualified to understand the Bible aright except those consecrated by the imposition of holy orders by the episcopal succession.—Z. ’80‐1‐2.
Which he had power to do in the sight of the beast.—While the papacy is still alive and active.—Rev. 19:20.
Saying.—By its own example.
To them that dwell on the earth.—Independent Christians.
That they should ALSO make an Image to the beast.—“From the year 1800 to 1846 was a time in which great numbers of new sects arose, whereas before that, they were few and prominent. This gave rise to uneasiness among the older denominations who wondered whereunto this thing would lead. As the Bible came to be read more and more by the masses, occasional individuals would feel free to preach what they thought it taught, regardless of denominational creeds and the views of the older sects. As a consequence, Protestants were fast splitting up into fragments. They began to say, By what means shall we check and stop this disposition to individual thought and opinion relative to the teachings of Scripture? They wanted to stop the very thing God desired; viz., that each individual should be free and independent of restraint, with his faith based, not on the views of others, not on the decisions of Councils or Presbyters, nor in the decision of the Pope, nor in things approved of the head of the English church, but in the Word of God. The question came: How can we restrain these preachers? This was a quandary to all except the Roman and Episcopal churches, since these both claimed the ‘Apostolic Succession,’ and that this, by ordination, conferred upon their ministers special power and authority to preach and to administer the ‘Sacraments’; hence that no others had a right to do so, but were clerical pretenders. Other denominations could not claim this continuation of apostolic power through their preachers, but simply set them apart by prayer, consequently those of one denomination could not object that the preachers of other denominations, as well as all laymen, were not as truly authorized of God to expound the Scriptures as their own clergy.
“But the example of the Church of England showed what a prestige she had by reason of the voice of authority with which she commanded a reverence for her clergy and her teachings. This teaching by example was not lost. The various denominations felt a necessity for some common Standard of Doctrine which would be supported and upheld by all of them, and thus give prestige to their teachings, and bring the combined influence of all against any further advance in knowledge or the development of any different phase of truth. Thus they would protect themselves by being able to say: The combined opinion of all Protestants is against you; therefore you are heretics, and therefore we will shun you, and not call you Brethren, but use all our influence against you. This was done by the formation of the ‘Evangelical Alliance.’ It was stated to be one of the objects of the Alliance (and we believe the principal one) to ‘Promote between the different Evangelical denominations, an effective co‐operation in the efforts to repel common enemies and dangers.’
Evangelical Alliance—Church Federation The Image of The Beast
“Do not understand us as opposing the Christians represented in that Alliance; we are opposed merely to their attempt to muzzle truth, and to prevent the opening up of any other truths buried by Papacy than those which they had received. It is far from our purpose to say that they intentionally combined against the unfolding of truth, nor would we say this of Papists. But we do say, that by their action they were following Papacy’s tactics, and that in that Alliance they did make the Image of the Beast. It has tended to make a separation clear and distinct between the Clergy and the Laity.
“How much the Image resembles the Papal Beast may be judged from the fact that Papacy acknowledged the Image—owned it as a creditable likeness—by the Pope sending ‘Greetings’ to the last meeting of the Evangelical Alliance. Strange to say, the delegates to the Alliance had so far lost sight of the principles and doctrines which led to the protests against the Papal church (that it was the Harlot church—Antichrist—Man of Sin—mentioned in the Scriptures) that they actually felt flattered by the Pontiff’s notice, instead of becoming alarmed and examining how and why he who is ‘The Chief Antichrist’ should feel pleased to greet them as fellows. A prominent Presbyterian minister present at the above named meeting mentioned the ‘Pope’s Greeting’ with evident pleasure and satisfaction to the writer.
“A prominent characteristic of the Beast copied by the Image is the honoring of a special class, the Clergy, with special honors and titles. They are known as Revs., Divines, etc., but Jesus the Divine said: ‘Ye call Me Lord and Master, and ye say well, for so I am.’ ‘Be not ye called Rabbi, neither be ye called Master, for one is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren.’ (Matt. 23:8.) These titles are assumptions fashioned after those of Papacy. When the various denominations began their existence, more full of the spirit of Christ, they claimed no such high‐sounding titles. The Reformers were not known as Rev., D. D., etc., but as John Knox, Martin Luther, etc. Unpretentious, like Jesus and the Apostles, they were intent upon serving God, and therefore became the servants (ministers) of the Church. But now the Clergy are far from being servants; they are Lords. They have itching ears, loving the approval of men. As pride and worldliness have come in, vital godliness and power have gradually departed. For the very same reason, they are losing all power to expound the Word of God—the gift of teaching—because ‘God abhorreth the proud, but giveth grace (favor) to the humble.’ We find ministers of all denominations ready to confess their ignorance of the Word. They appeal, for their information, back to the early reformers, and thus confess that they have less light than they. That their light should grow dim, and their spiritual life become dwarfed, is the natural result of their joining the Image, and subscribing to creeds made in the fifteenth century, which, like the shoe of China, will not admit of any growth. It is a shoe a little larger than Papacy put upon its followers, but of the same sort.
“Papacy established the clerical hierarchy, who lorded it over God’s heritage instead of serving their brethren as Jesus explained—‘One is your Master; all ye are brethren,’ and as Paul said: ‘We are to speak the truth in love and grow up into Him in all things who is the Head, even Christ; from whom the whole Body fitly joined together [not by creeds of men, but by love begotten by the one Spirit of Truth] and compacted by that which every joint supplied [every joint is every member, not the clergy only] maketh increase of the Body unto the edifying of itself in love,’ thus coming ‘to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God.’ (Eph. 4:15, 16.) As Papacy established the priesthood over the church, so Protestantism has established the same, and there is no opportunity for the Body to edify itself, every joint taking part. True, there is a seeming show of liberty at prayer meetings, etc., but it is only upon the surface, for the ordained pastor is to watch zealously lest anything contrary to the teachings of his church should be expressed, and if so, to silence the audacious member at once, for the church creed is the rule, not the Word of God. If this is not sufficient, they must have a sort of church trial and excommunicate him (‘kill him’). The trial, by the way, gives evidence of another likeness to the Beast, namely, the exaltation of the teachings of the organization above the Word of God, for all such are tried according to ‘the authorities’ of their church.”—Z. ’80‐1‐2.
“The Alliance endeavored to establish a standard of orthodoxy. They saw the power of the Papal argument, that it is the Church, and that all others are heretical. In this sense it was a copy, or image, of the Papal institution. It has been merely an Image without life or power for now more than sixty years.” (Z. ’13‐342.) “And he told the inhabitants of the earth to erect a statue (possibly a symbol of corrupt public opinion) to the Wild Beast who had received the sword‐stroke and yet had recovered.”—Weym.
Which had the wound by a sword, and did live.—Which was smitten by the Sword of the Spirit in the hands of the reformers, but not persistently enough to kill it. (Heb. 4:12.) “It is important to observe that the wound of one of the heads is here ascribed to the whole beast.”—Cook.
13:15. And he had power to give life.—Either “apostolic succession” or its effect. “It may not be known to many how much stress was laid upon the ‘apostolic succession,’ which was supposed to be a virtue transmitted through hundreds of years of Papal corruption, by the laying on of the hands of the Bishop. This, of course, was vested in the Roman church, and also in the English church on account of its being at first rather a secession from Papacy than a reformation. To many minds; even among the clergy, there was a veneration for that ceremony, which neither Papacy nor the English church were averse to promoting.” (Z. ’80‐1‐2.) For the effect of this superstition on the mind of Wesley, see Rev. 9:1, 2. “The Lord’s symbolic prophecy tells us that in the close of this Age the Image will receive life, vitality, energy, power. No longer will it stand as a mere Image. It will become as active as the Beast. Moreover, it will not be antagonistic to the Beast, but sympathetic, and cause that all shall either worship the Beast or the Image—all must be in harmony either with Catholicism, or with the Protestant Church Federation as soon as it receives the vitalizing breath.”—Z. ’13‐343.
Unto the Image of the beast.—“The vitality of the Image is to come from the two‐horned Beast; the Church of England. A few years ago the Episcopal Church took an important step toward vitalizing the Church Federation movement. That important step was the recognition of the ministers of the denominations represented in the Evangelical Alliance. Previously no minister not ordained by the laying on of hands of a Catholic or an Episcopalian bishop was allowed to preach from an Episcopalian pulpit. Perhaps this recognition of the Image is all the vitalization the Image needs, but we are inclined to expect more. For years the Episcopalians have proffered reordination to the ministers of the different denominations represented in the Evangelical Alliance. And they still proffer it. We have been inclined to expect that the ministers would finally concede the point and accept a reordination at the hands of an Episcopal bishop. But we are not sure of this. It is possible that, to meet the requirements of the case, some other way will be found by which the Episcopal Church will recognize the Church Federation without obligating the ministers to be reordained. We are waiting for this.” (Z. ’13‐343.) “If the various ministers of other denominations in considerable numbers accept reordination as ministers at the hands of Episcopalian Bishops, the validity of other ordination will be speedily questioned. The authority of this so‐called ‘Apostolic Ordination’ will give seeming right of authority, dignity and power. After the prominent ministers of various denominations submit themselves to such reordination, the ‘lesser lights’ will make a rush for it.”—Z. ’10‐308.
Canon Henson, of Westminster Abbey, has said: “The logical goal of modern tendencies is not toward Disestablishment, but toward a fuller and worthier Establishment. Why should not the nation draw into its service all the organized Christianity instead of limiting itself to a single denomination? I rejoice to observe a beginning made in this direction by recent legislation, which has recognized for certain civic purposes the status of Nonconformist clergymen.” (Z. ’06‐6.) The change of name of the “Image of the Beast” to that of “False Prophet” in Rev. 16:13, between the sixth and seventh plagues, indicates it was vitalized prior to the publication of Vol. VII (the 7th plague). Truly it now lives—in the minds of the clergy—but it will grow stronger.
The matter is growing in the minds of those interested, as the following dispatches show: “Washington, Dec. 31, 1916.—In a signed document addressed to the nation, more than fifty prelates and laymen of various denominations representing many sections of the country have united in a warning against what they declare may be a premature peace in Europe which ‘may bring a curse instead of a blessing.’ ” “Last winter commissions of all American Protestant churches met at Garden City, L. I., for the first time, and adopted a general platform on which it recommended that the World Conference on Faith and Order proceed. Pope Benedict XV. sent a letter to the commissions, assuring them of his ‘deep interest and prayers.’ ”—Literary Digest, January 13, 1917.
That the image of the beast should both speak.—Thus far he has been significantly “silent” as far as claiming any real power or authority is concerned; but the time for the breaking of the silence is near.—Jer. 8:14‐17; Rev. 8:1.
And cause that as many as would not worship the Image of the beast.—“Worship of this symbolic beast and his image is to be the great test or trial upon professing Christians in every province of symbolic Babylon in the end of this Age. And we have the same inspired record as authority for the statement that only those who refuse to render worship to those powerfully influential religious systems (symbolized by the beast and his image) will be counted by the Lord as ‘overcomers’ and be made His joint‐heirs as members of His elect Church. (Rev. 20:4.) And there are some the world over who, with a courage not less than that of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed‐nego, declare publicly that the Lord God alone shall have the worship and the service which they can render. The faithful few will be exposed to fiery experiences—boycotted socially, boycotted in business, slandered in every conceivable manner, and often by those of whom they least expect it, who, according to the Lord’s declaration, will say ‘all manner of evil against them falsely.’ (Matt. 5:11,12.)”—Z. ’99‐170.
Should be killed.—“Soon we shall have their ‘Union’ or ‘Confederacy’ (Isa. 8:12), and the bitter fruits of Union in error will speedily manifest themselves in tyranny, as during the Dark Ages.” (Z. ’04‐212.) “To us the Scriptures indicate that the prosperity of the Federated Protestant ‘Image’ will for a little time be so great, so pronounced, and its arrogance become so great that the sympathy of the masses will be entirely alienated and turned into bitterness.” (Z. ’10‐309). It may be objected that the Church would have no part in the killing of their fellow worshippers, but ecclesiastics themselves have a better understanding of the ecclesiastical mind and ecclesiastical conscience. The following is from the pen of Rt. Rev. Chas. D. Williams, Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Michigan:
“It is an appalling thought that the Church should have had a part in the crime of Calvary, and yet it did, and that the chief part. The ecclesiastical mind is a closed mind—and there is nothing it resents so much as being pried open to receive a new idea. Its settled rule of judgment, its accepted test of truth, is, ‘What is new is never true, and what is true is never new.’ The other characteristic of a perverted religion is the ecclesiastical conscience. It is strikingly illustrated by one Good Friday scene. A procession is sweeping through the streets of Jerusalem, bound for the Governor’s Palace. Who compose this procession? They are the religious leaders of the people the prominent divines, the chief ecclesiastics. What is the business they have in mind? They are intent on committing the greatest crime in history. But at Pilate’s threshold they stop. Why? Ah, they have stumbled across a canon of the Church. If they should enter a heathen house that Passover morning, they would become ceremonially defiled and unfit to partake of the sacrament.” (Z. ’15‐339.) “In 1526 Prof. Tyndale, having prepared his MS., published it in Germany, because of the opposition of the English clergy. He imported his New Testaments into London, in whose shops the people began to purchase them. At this same time the Germans were learning something of the New Testament and its different teachings, from Luther and his associates. The Church of England bishops forthwith bought up the entire edition in the shops, and publicly burnt them in front of St Paul’s Cathedral, London. They knew that the eighteen Ecumenical Councils had declared to be true Christian faith many things not taught in the Bible, and had omitted many things that are taught therein. They feared that the people, becoming Bible students, would know of these things, and thus would be upset the general belief based in the creeds—and not in the Bible. Then, too, they warned the people against putting any construction upon the Bible that would make it different from the teaching of the so‐ called ‘Apostolic Bishops’ in the creeds—threatening them with eternal torment. As it was, Tyndale and some of the others interested in the Bible suffered martyrdom, as enemies of the ‘Apostolic Bishops,’ and their creeds and institutions.”—Z. ’15‐253. Are the clergy divinely ordained?
13:16. And he causeth all, both small and great.—“The great feast which preceded the fall of Babylon would seem to correspond well with the great denominational union expected soon, and the season of rejoicing which will accompany it. The gold and silver vessels of the Lord’s house which were profaned may fitly represent not only the precious truths of Divine Revelation, but also the Lord’s consecrated people—the golden vessels representing the Little Flock, and the more numerous silver vessels representing the ‘Great Company.’ What may be the character of the defilement and injury of these is of course problematical; but in any case we remember that those consecrated vessels were all highly honored, and restored to the Temple by Cyrus, and likewise we know that not only the truths of Divine Revelation will all be cared for by our Lord, but also that all that are His shall be glorified in the spiritual Temple which He will rear shortly.”—Z. ’99‐175.
[Rich and] Poor AND RICH.—“So popular will Federated Churchianity become that to even criticize it will be a ‘crime’ worthy of crucifixion in some form—socially and financially, if not physically. Politicians will quickly realize that their bread is buttered on that side, and be ready to enact legislation of any kind desired by the Federation. Mammon‐worship will take on new forms temporarily, but power will soon debauch the unregenerate mass and drive out the regenerate faithful who may temporarily be misled by the great ‘Union’ movement in the name of Christ, but without His Spirit or authority.”—Z. ’06‐6.
Free and bond.—“It is altogether possible, indeed probable we think, that John’s course which brought him into conflict with Herod was in some degree typical of the course of the Gospel Church in this present time; and of the course of events that may be expected. If it be a type, Herod would represent civil government, and the unlawful wife would represent the nominal church, which throughout the symbolic Scriptures is represented as a woman, Jezebel, etc. Should it prove to be a type by its fulfilment in antitype, the fulfilment will probably be on something like the following lines: (1) A partial reunion of Church and State. [This has now been accomplished by the Alliance of the United States with Great Britain.] (2) In such case it would become the duty of the true Church, the forerunners and announcers of the Messianic Kingdom, to reprove the civil powers as well as the nominal church systems, and to declare their union unlawful—contrary to the Word of God. (3) The effect of this would pretty surely be to awaken the animosity of both civil and religious powers; but it would draw out specially the animosity and venom of the latter. (4) The church nominal, in her false position would be anxious to stifle the reproofs and to destroy the reprovers, and the effect would be that the civil power would be induced to pass such legislation as would restrain the liberty of the faithful ones and hinder them from public utterances;—as John was hindered by imprisonment. (5) Herodias’ daughter (united Protestantism) will become the tool for the destruction of the most loyal servants of God.”—Z. ’98‐95.
To [receive] GIVE HIM a mark in their right hand or in their [foreheads] FOREHEAD.—By contrast with Ex. 13:9; 28:26‐38; Deut. 6:8; Z. ’07‐265; Rev. 7:3; 14:1; Ezek. 9:4‐6. “Consecration to the service of the beast is what is signified here.” (Cook.) (Lev. 19:28.) “All classes of Christians must bow; all must, in some way, give evidence of their support of the Image and consecration to its interests and laws; either a public, open profession of being members of the Alliance, and hence supporters (mark in forehead), or at least a giving of some assistance and influence to the principles of Image organisation—(the right‐hand support).” (Z. ’80‐1‐2.) This implies a re‐establishment of the inquisition soon—in some form of house‐to‐house “investigation” or public enrollment.
13:17. [And] That no man might buy or sell.—“The ‘buying and selling,’ like the other features, is symbolic, and refers to dealing in spiritual things. [But it may be literally fulfilled as well in the year of prospective famine now at hand.] None may be recognized as having any right to teach or preach or baptize or administer the emblems of our Lord’s death, except those licensed by some orthodox member of the Image, and acts of such persons (‘unlicensed’) are not counted valid.”—Z. ’80‐1‐2.
Save he that had the mark [or the name] of the beast.—Protestants affiliated with the Federal Council of Churches—already “marked,” stamped O. K. by the papacy.
Or his name.—Roman Catholics.
Or the number of his name.—Consent to the principle of clergy rule in matters of faith, order and war (murder.)—Rev. 15:2.
13:18. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath [understanding] AN EAR count the number of the beast.—“Here is scope for ingenuity. Let people of shrewd intelligence calculate the number of the Wild Beast; for it indicates a certain man, and his number is 666.”—Weym.
For it is the number of a man.—The Man of Sin, the Papacy.—Rev. 19:20; 2 Thes. 2:3.
[And his number is] Six hundred threescore and six.—In the Greek this number is six hundred (represented by the Greek letter χ), plus sixty (represented by the Greek letter ξ), plus six (represented by the Greek letter ζ). It is not as though it read six plus six plus six.
“The following extract on this point is from a work entitled The Reformation, bearing the date of 1832:
“ ‘Mrs. A.,’ said Miss Emmons, ‘I saw a very curious fact the other day; I have dwelt upon it much, and will mention it. A person, lately, was witnessing a ceremony of the Romish Church. As the pope passed him in the procession, splendidly dressed in his pontifical robes, the gentleman’s eye rested on these full, blazing letters in front of his mitre (tiara—crown): VICARIVS FILII DEI, the Vicar of the Son of God. His thoughts, with the rapidity of lightning, reverted to Rev. 13:18.’ ‘Will you turn to it?’ said Mrs. A. Alice opened the New Testament, and read: ‘Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.’ She paused, and Miss Emmons said, ‘He took out his pencil, and marking the numerical letters of the inscription on his tablet, it stood 666.’ ” (Smith.) This explanation was approved by Pastor Russell, and was given by him at a Convention Question Meeting.
V 5 I 1 C 100 A 0 R 0 I 1 V 5 S 0 —— F 0 I 1 L 50 I 1 I 1 —— D 500 E 0 I 1 —— —— Total 666
On the pope’s crown in the Vatican museum is the recognized and most used title of the pope, VICARIVS FILII DEI (Vicar of the Son of God.) The word VICARIVS is on the top of the threefold crown. The word FILII is on the second circlet; and the words are made from dark, shining precious jewels. The word DEI is on the under part of the threefold crown and is made of 100 diamonds. “The Tiara is a bee‐hive shaped, somewhat bulging head‐ covering, ornamented with three crowns. It is first mentioned by Pope Constantine, in A. D. 715. It first appears on papal coins in the reign of Sergius III., A. D. 911. At this period it was merely a cap of white stuff. The papal coins of the 11th century leave it doubtful whether the ornamental band at the lower edge of the tiara is intended to represent a crown or merely a decoration. It is only in representations dating from the late 13th century that the circlet appears as a regular spiked crown. The second circlet was added by Pope Boniface VIII., A. D. 1303. The third was added under Clement V., A. D. 1311.” (Brit.) The reason for the addition of any of these crowns is unknown, or why the pope should have any crown at all. The words VICARIVS FILII DEI are, it is said, also carved over the entrance to the Vatican.
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Gideon’s Band.
“Count Me the swords that have come.” “Lord, thousands on thousands are ready.” “Lo! these are too many, and with them are some Whose hearts and whose hands are not steady. He whose soul does not burn, Let him take up his tent and return.
“Count Me the swords that remain.” “Lord, hundreds on hundreds are daring.” “These yet are too many for Me to attain To the victory I am preparing. Lead them down to the brink Of the waters of Marah to drink.”
“Lord those who remain are but few, And the hosts of the foe are appalling, And what can a handful such as we do?” “When ye hear from beyond, My Voice calling, Sound the trump! Hold the light! Great Midian will melt in your sight!”
Revelation 14—The Five Harvest Messages
14:1. And I looked, and, [lo, a] BEHOLD THE Lamb.—See Rev. 5:6; 13:8; John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32; 1 Pet. 1:19.
Stood on the Mount Sion.—The Return of the Lord is here pictured as accomplished the sleeping saints raised, and the full number called. This was all fulfilled in 1878. (Rev. 11:17.) At that time our Lord took unto Himself His great power and began His Reign.
And with Him an hundred forty and four thousand.—See Rev. 7:4.
Having His [Father’s] name AND THE NAME OF HIS FATHER.—How beautiful and how true that we have both the Father and the Son in our minds, while trinitarians must necessarily have more or less, and are proportionately confused.
Written in their foreheads.—Isa. 44:5; Rev. 7:3; Ex. 13:9; 28:26‐38; Deut. 6:8; Z. ’07‐265; Ezek. 9:2‐6.
14:2. And I heard a voice.—The message of Present Truth from the lips of the Lord’s saints on this side of the veil. They are on Mount Zion in the spirit of their minds.
From heaven.—“We are seated with Him in Heavenly places.”—Rev. 13:6.
As the voice of many waters.—A great outpouring of Truth, in many tongues.—Rev. 1:16; 19:6.
And as the voice of [a great] thunder.—Seven thunders, the seven volumes of Scripture Studies.—Rev. 8:5; 10:3, 4.
And [I heard] the voice WHICH I HEARD WAS AS THAT of harpers harping with their Harps.—“The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments constitute what the Lord Himself designates ‘the Harp of God.’ (Rev. 15:2.) And the various testimonies of the Law and the Prophets are the several chords of that Harp, which, when tuned by the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts, and swept by the fingers of the devoted servants and searchers after Divine Truth, yields the most enchanting strains that ever fell on mortal ears.”—F. 233; Rev. 5:8.
14:3. And they [sang as it were] SING a new song.—The Lord particularly promised that in this Harvest time, out of His Storehouse would come things new. (Matt. 13:52; 24:45.) “In symbol He pointed out to us the fact that the Message of His grace in the closing days of this Gospel Age would be so different from the commonly accepted message, misnamed the Gospel, that it would properly be termed a new song.”—Z. ’00‐37; Rev. 5:9; 15:3.
AND IT WAS before the Throne.—While still on earth. Compare Rev. 4:5 and 5:6.
And before the four beasts.—Every declaration of Present Truth has for its object the presentation of one or more of the Divine attributes—Justice, Power, Love and Wisdom. All that we do in the service of the Truth is done in their sight.—Rev. 4:7‐10.
And BEFORE the elders.—The prophecies. In all that we do we are pointing to the prophecies and fulfilling them. How often it was said of our Lord Jesus, that He said or did this or that “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the mouth of” one of the Prophets.
And no man could learn that song but the 144,000.—“Nothing is more manifest than that it is necessary to be somewhat of an ‘overcomer’ of the world and its spirit which pervades nominal Christendom, ere any would have the courage to sing this song—to declare before men the lengths, breadths, heights and depths of the goodness and grace of the Divine Plan, of which Jesus and His Sacrifice are the center. To all others ‘the fear of man bringeth a snare,’ and stoppeth their mouths from speaking ‘forth the praise of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.’ ‘But the people that do know their God [His Character and Plan] shall be valiant and do exploits,’ and like the Apostles of old will feel and say. ‘Whether it be right to obey God or men, judge ye; but we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard,’—Dan. 11:32; Acts 4:19, 20.”—Z. ’00‐37.
Which were redeemed from the earth.—Agorazo, acquired at the forum.—E. 443, 429.
14:4. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.—“All Bible exponents of the Protestant kind recognize there are two Women especially mentioned in Revelation; the one the true Woman, the Bride class, the other the false Woman; and Protestants in general understand that false Woman to represent the papacy. Then again other Protestants understand that the Scriptures which refer to the mother and daughters refer to the papacy, and these denominational daughters, or systems, which sprang from her, and have more or less of her nature, disposition and characteristics. The Bible proposition is that the Church is a Virgin Church; viz.: not united to the world at all, and that this is the error that was made by the early Church in leaving Christ as the prospective Bridegroom and becoming united with the nation of Rome. This constituted an illicit union; for as the Bride of Christ she had no right whatever to be associated with any earthly dominion; therefore in becoming associated with the Roman Emperor she lost her standing. We are to remember that this word ‘harlotry’ as used in Revelation is merely a symbolical term; there is nothing more than that to be understood. God speaks of some of His children as being in Babylon. Babylon is the name for the mother, the papal system, and the daughters also have the same name. It means confusion, mixture and improper relationship. Now then some are in Babylon and not of Babylon, just the same as the children of Israel were carried captive into Babylon, but they were not Babylonians. And in due time God sent forth the Message to all Natural Israel that if those who had been carried in captivity into Babylon desired to return to the Lord their God, and to the Land of Promise, they might do so. Cyrus gave that decree, you remember, and many of them did return.
“No one is called out of Babylon until he hears the Lord’s voice. So you and I may have been in Babylon for years and not have had any responsibility or any impurity; we were not defiled, because we did not know any better. But He says, ‘Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins.’ That implies that you are not yet partakers of her sins; you are My people, in her, but not yet partakers. I was not responsible for what was in my head from childhood; and God did not hold me responsible; nor you, nor anyone else; but after we come to see the great errors which are taught by Babylon’s system then we are responsible. We have said things about our Heavenly Father that we would be ashamed to say about ourselves or of our earthly parents.
“We have said He created our world of mankind and knew what He was doing, had full power and full wisdom, and intended from the beginning to damn nine hundred and ninety‐nine out of every thousand, and to have them roast through all eternity; and that He made fireproof devils to handle them; that He created a great place called hell in which all of this diabolical work was going on. No honorable man would treat a poor rat that way—predestinate the rat before it was born, foreordain it to eternal torture. And now then after we once see that this doctrine is blasphemy against God, after we once see that it was evidently instigated by our great Adversary, the Devil—after we once see what an awful thing it is—if then we wish to uphold earthly systems and give our lives, strength, talents and means, to upholding these diabolical teachings, then we are worse than any others there; we are the worst of them all. What right has any man to stay inside of a denomination and deny the teachings of that denomination? He is branding himself as a fraud, professing to believe what he knows he does not believe, claiming to teach what he knows he should not teach; or, on the other hand, teaching that which he knows is wrong, and professing that which he does not believe at all. The whole matter is wrong; such are defiled by the Women.
“But those who come out when they see the right and wrong on the question, who take their stand for right, they are delivering their souls from Babylon. ‘Flee out of Babylon, saith the Lord; deliver every man his soul.’ Now no one is responsible to flee out unless he sees that it is Babylon, but the very suggestion that it is Babylon to every honest person means that he should make an investigation, and a thorough one, to know whether or not he is in Babylon. If he says, ‘Well, God’s voice says “flee out of Babylon,” and I believe that the system is Babylon, but I do not wish to look into it for fear I find it true,’ that means he is dishonest with himself; he is defiling himself. There is only one way of being thoroughly honest, and that is to be honest.” (Pastor Russell.) “That the words can only be understood spiritually seems to follow from the whole tone of Apocalyptic symbolism:—see the mention of the Bridegroom and the Bride, of the Harlot and her fornications. Elsewhere we have the language of Ps. 45, of the Canticles, of the Book of Hosea, above all of 2 Cor. 11:2:—‘I have espoused you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.’ ”—Cook.
[These are they which] THOSE WHO follow The Lamb.—On this side of the veil.
Whithersoever He goeth.—Those who fail to “Walk in the light as He is in the light” find sooner or later that they “walk in darkness” for the light goes on and leaves them.—John 1:6, 7; Prov. 4:18.
These were redeemed from among men.—They are a separate class, “from among” men. “The thought is that of public purchase; and all the other uses of this word agorazo, throughout the New Testament, emphatically support a most commercial signification. We call especial attention to the signification of this word, because the tendency to deny that there was a purchase of our race effected by a price given for man’s release from the ‘curse’ is prevalent and a growing one—very subversive of the true faith, once delivered to the saints.”—E. 443, 430.
[Being the first‐fruits] FROM THE BEGINNING unto God and [to] IN the Lamb.—“Separated from the entire mass as the best absolutely.—Num. 18:12.” (Cook) Deut. 26:2; Jas. 1:18.
14:5. And in their mouth.—By contrast to the lies of the False Prophet.
Was found no [guile] FALSEHOOD.—They fully and thoroughly believe the doctrines they teach.—Psa. 15:1, 2.
For they are without fault [before the Throne of God].—“Faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding Joy.”—Jude 24; Eph. 5:27; Psa. 15:1‐5.
14:6. And I saw [another] AN angel.—The Divine Plan of the Ages, Volume I of the Scripture Studies.
Fly in the midst of heaven.—“From one end of heaven to the other” amongst Christian people of all denominations.—Matt. 24:31.
Having the everlasting Gospel.—The same Gospel preached by our Heavenly Father (Gal. 3:8), the Lord Jesus Christ (John 10:16), the holy Apostles (Acts 15:13‐18), the holy Prophets (Acts 3:19‐24) and the holy Angels (Luke 2:10, 13, 14); but entirely overlooked by the clergy.
To preach unto them that dwell on the earth.—To independent Christians.—Rev. 13:13, 14.
And [to] UNTO every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.—All mankind, living and dead.—1 Tim. 2:4‐7.
14:7. [Saying] with a loud voice.—By millions of copies circulated earth‐ wide.
Fear God, and give glory to Him.—Rather than to creeds, sects and clergy.
For the hour of His judgment is come.—The MILLENNIAL DAWN, the dawn of the thousand‐year Judgment Day of Christ, is at hand.—Rev. 15:4; 11:18.
And worship Him that made Heaven, and earth, and the sea.—God, our Heavenly Father, the Creator of all things.—Neh. 9:6; Psa. 33:6, 124:8; Acts 14:15; 17:24.
And the fountains of waters.—His Heaven‐sent Word.
14:8. And there followed another [angel] A SECOND.—Volume II of Scripture Studies.
Saying, [Babylon is fallen,] is fallen, [that] BABYLON, THE great [city].—Chapters 7 and 9 of Volume II are particularly devoted to this theme. “The name Babylon originally signified God’s gate‐way; but afterward, in derision, it came to mean mixture or confusion. In the book of Revelation this name is applied specifically to the church nominal, which, from being the gate‐way to glory, became a gate‐way to error and confusion, a miserable mixture composed chiefly of tares, hypocrites,—a confused mass of worldly profession in which the Lord’s jewels are buried, and their true beauty and luster hidden.” (C. 153.) “The name Babylon was applied, not only to the capital city of the Babylonian empire, but also to the empire itself. Babylon, the capital, was the most magnificent, and probably the largest, city of the ancient world. It was built in the ‘form of a square on both sides of the Euphrates river; and, for protection against invaders, it was surrounded by a deep moat filled with water and inclosed within a vast system of double walls, from thirty‐two to eighty‐five feet thick, and from seventy‐ five to three hundred feet high. On the summit were low towers, said to have been two hundred and fifty in number, placed along the outer and inner edges of the wall, tower facing tower; and in these walls were a hundred brazen gates, twenty‐five on each side, corresponding to the number of streets which intersected each other at right angles. The city was adorned with splendid palaces and temples and the spoils of conquest.’ ” (D. 23; Jer. 51:8; Rev. 18:2.) “This use of the aorist—in the sense of the ‘prophetic preterite’—expresses the certainty of the fall: see chapters 10:7; 11:18; 18:2; and see on chapter 15:1. The language is taken from Isa. 21:9, the verb denoting the violent fall and overthrow of kingdoms—see Ezek. 30:6; and see on chapter 17:10. With the fall of Babylon, the capital of the ungodly world‐kingdom, the Old Testament connects the redemption of the people of God.—Isa. 13:19; 47:1; Jer. 51:1‐10.”—Cook.
Because [she made all nations drink of] ALL NATIONS HAVE FALLEN THROUGH the wine of the wrath of her fornication.—“The ruin of all the nations of earth is here attributed directly to the fact that ‘Babylon made all the peoples drunk with the wine [spirit, influence] of her fornication’—worldly affiliation.”—C. 164, 104; Jer. 51:7; Rev. 2:20; 17:2, 5; 18:3; 19:2.
14:9. And [the] ANOTHER, A third angel followed them.—Volume III of the Scripture Studies followed I and II.
Saying with a loud voice.—Proclaiming clearly, in chapters 2, 4 and 6.
If any man worship the beast.—The Papacy.
And his image.—The Evangelical‐Alliance‐Spiritism combination.—Rev. 13:11, 13, 14, 15; 14:11; 15:2; 16:2, 13; 19:20; 20:10; Matt. 24:24.
And receive his mark In his forehead, or in his hand.—See Rev. 13:16, 17.
14:10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God.—The Message of Present Truth.
Which is poured out without mixture.—Different from Babylon’s mixed wine.—Isa. 5:20‐22.
Into the cup of His indignation.—“The Lord our God hath put us to silence and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord.”—Jer. 8:14; Isa. 51:17‐20; Jer. 25:26‐28; Rev. 18:6; 16:19; Psa. 60:3; 75:8.
And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone.—Whoever worships, reverences, human institutions and doctrines more than the Word of the Lord has experienced the torment here specified. Doctrines of hell fire and brimstone have been his portion.—Rev. 9:17‐19.
In the presence of the holy angels.—The Harvest workers on this side of the veil.—Matt. 13:39.
And in the presence of the Lamb.—“In the days of the Son of Man;” after the Second Advent has taken place.
14:11. And the smoke of their torment.—“A noun, unlike a verb (or ‘time‐ word,’ as the Germans call it), does not indicate time. So ‘the smoke of their torment’ may mean that of pain endured once for all, and then at an end. There is nothing in this verse that necessarily implies an eternity of suffering. In a similar way the word ‘punishment’ or ‘correction’ in Matt. 25:46 gives in itself no indication of time. Cp. Gen. 19:28; Jude 7.” (Weym.)
“About endless torment:
“(a) The doctrine is found nowhere in the Old Testament, nor any hint of it. The expression, in the end of Isaiah, about the fire unquenched and the worms not dying, is plainly of the corpses of men upon the physical earth.
“(b) The doctrine of endless torment was, as a historical fact, brought back from Babylon by the Rabbis.
“(c) St Paul accepts nothing of it as far as we can tell, never making the least allusion to the doctrine.
“(d) The Apocalypse asserts that not only death, but hell shall be cast into the Lake of Fire.
“(e) The Christian Church has never really held it exclusively till now.
“(f) Since the Reformation it has been an open question in the English Church.
“(g) The Church of England, by the deliberate expunging of the 42nd Article, which affirmed endless punishment, has declared it, authoritatively, to be open.
“(h) It is so, in fact. Neither I nor any others who have denied it can be dispossessed or proceeded against legally, in any way whatsoever.—Rev. Chas. Kingsley, May 9, 1857.”—Z. ’11‐363.
Ascendeth up for ever and ever.—“The remembrance of the destruction of these systems of deception and error will be lasting, the lesson will never be forgotten—as smoke, which continues to ascend after a destructive fire, is testimony that the fire has done its work.—See also Isa. 34:8‐10.”—H. 64; Rev. 19:3.
And they have no rest day or night.—A literal fulfillment of this is expected. (Rev. 7:3.) A few days of it will be enough to satisfy the most ardent lover of the torment system of religion. And it will be a just recompense of reward.
Who worship the beast and his Image.—“All will at once concede that if a literal worshipping of a beast and image were meant in verse 9, then few, if any, in civilized lands are liable to the penalty of verse 11; and if the beast and his image and worship and wine and cup are symbols, so also are the torments and smoke and fire and brimstone.”—H. 64; Rev. 14:9.
And whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.—Of fear, sympathy or worship.
14:12. Here is the patience of the saints.—Their crowning trial.
[Here are they] that keep the commandments of God.—The commandments of God during the Harvest time are to proclaim, “Gather My saints together unto Me;” “Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity.”—Psa. 50:5; Jer. 51:6.
And the faith of Jesus.—“He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16.) The Great Company class are our brethren and we ought to show as much interest in them as we do in the Little Flock. The gathering of the full number of the Very Elect would give us no reason to discontinue Harvest work.
14:13. And I heard a voice from Heaven.—The Heavenly Father’s Word.
Saying [unto me], Write.—The message found in chapter 9 of Volume III.
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.—“Each member of the Body of Christ must finish his sacrifice in actual death. They are reckoned of God as being already dead, and they are exhorted so also to reckon themselves: ‘Reckon ye yourselves dead indeed unto sin.’ No other dead men can be said to die but this class of dead ones, who must finish their course of sacrifice in actual death.”—C. 241; 1 Thes. 4:16.
From henceforth.—From the spring of 1878.
[Yea,] saith the Spirit.—The Word of God, in Rev. 6:11. “Nowhere in the Scriptures is death represented as in any sense a blessing, except in this one instance; and here it is particularly limited and made applicable to a certain specific time.”—C. 240.
That they may rest from their labors.—“Poor, bruised ‘feet,’ now despised of men, none but yourselves fully appreciate your privileges. None others can appreciate the joy you have in proclaiming Present Truth.” (C. 236.) “One by one the ‘feet’ class will pass from the present condition, in which, though often weary and wounded, they are always rejoicing, to the other side the veil;—‘changed’ in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, from mortality to immortality, from weakness to power, from dishonor to glory, from human to Heavenly conditions, from animal to spirit bodies.” (C. 237.) “Instead of the Kingdom waiting for the living members to finish their course, the Kingdom work began at once; and the living ones on this side the veil are privileged to know ‘the mysteries of the Kingdom’ and to engage in Kingdom work before their ‘change;’ and as they die (will not fall ‘asleep,’ but) will be ‘changed’ in the moment of death, resurrected as part of the blessed and holy First Resurrection.”—D. 622.
[And] FOR their works do follow them.—“Their work will not cease with this change; for all those who will be counted worthy of that change to glory will be already enlisted in the service of the Kingdom on this side the veil: only the weariness, the labor feature, will cease with the change.” (C. 238.) “We may not be able to judge accurately as to what features of the great work are now being carried on by the Lord and His glorified saints beyond the veil; but we may be sure that they are active participants in the work assigned the members of the same Kingdom class, whose course and service are not yet ended on this side the veil—the Harvest work.”—D. 624; 1 Cor. 15:58.
14:14. [And I looked], and behold a white cloud.—See Rev. 10:1. As the cloud indicates the Time of Trouble, so the white indicates the pure motive back of it.
And upon the cloud [one sat] I SAW ONE SITTING like unto the Son of Man.—“To the Jewish House Jesus presented Himself in three characters—as Bridegroom (John 3:29), Reaper (John 4:35, 38) and King (Matt. 21:5, 9, 4). To the Christian House He presents Himself in the same characters. (2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 14:14, 15; 17:14.)”—B. 238.
Having on His head a golden crown.—The Divine nature, Immortality, the highest form of life.—2 Tim. 4:8; Jas. 1:12; 1 Pet. 5:4.
And in His hand a sharp sickle.—“This Harvest, like the Jewish one, is to be first a time of trial and sifting upon the Church, and afterward a time of wrath upon the world, including the nominal Church. That which tried fleshly Israel in the Harvest of their Age was the truth then presented to them. The truth then due was the sickle, and it separated the ‘Israelites indeed’ from the nominal Jewish Church; and of the true wheat there was but a fragment compared to the professors. So also is the Harvest of this Age. The Harvest of the Gospel Age, like that of the Jewish Age, is under the supervision of the Chief Reaper, our Lord Jesus, who must then be present.”—A. 238.
14:15. And another angel.—The Witness to the Lord in the Land of Egypt. (Isa. 19:20.) See pages 309, 311, Vol. III, and observe that Chapter 10, Vol. III, Scripture Studies, is in reality a separate book.
Came out of [the] HIS temple, crying with a loud voice.—Throughout the 66 pages of his testimony.
To Him that sat on the cloud.—To our Present Lord.
Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come [for thee] to reap.—The Great Pyramid confirms the Bible’s teaching that the time of Harvest has come.
For the Harvest of the earth is ripe.—“The use of a sickle is to gather wheat, not to ripen it.”
14:16. And He that sat on the cloud.—The Lord Jesus, during His Parousia, overruling and withholding the Time of Trouble.
Thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.—Reading verses 13‐16 connectedly, we note that the resurrection of the sleeping saints is recorded, and is immediately followed by the Harvest. This suggests that the Harvest proper began in 1878; and that the three and a half years prior to the spring of 1878 was devoted to preliminary work, but not to Harvest work in the full sense. It was not proper to say “Come out of her, My people,” until Babylon was cast off, in the Spring of 1878.—Rev. 3:14; Matt. 13:30; 24:31.
14:17. And another angel.—Pastor Russell himself, after the harvesting of the saints was finished. (Volumes IV, V, VI are not shown in this strictly Harvest chapter, as they are more used for the upbuilding of the saints than as Harvest instruments. They are, however, shown in Rev. 10:4; 15:8; 16:1‐18.)
Came out of the Temple which is in Heaven.—The Church in glory, on the other side of the veil.
He also having a sharp sickle.—The privilege of guiding the work of bringing forth out of the Divine Storehouse all the Master’s store of provisions, as needed, and of directing the execution upon the nominal church of the chastisements promised in the Holy Word. “Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that He will make him ruler over all that He hath.”—Luke 12:44; Psa. 49:5‐9; Isa. 21:1‐10.
14:18. And another angel.—The corporate body which Pastor Russell organized to finish his work. See Rev. 8:3‐5, which describes the same matter as here narrated.
Came out from the altar.—The place of sacrifice. The SOCIETY is maintained by the sacrifices of the saints.
Which had power over fire.—Authority over the publication and distribution of expositions of Ezekiel and John the Revelator, symbolical “coals of fire.”—Isa. 6:6; Ezek. 10:2.
And cried with a loud [cry] VOICE to Him that had the sharp sickle.—What a disappointed cry went up from the whole Church that dear Brother Russell went beyond the veil without writing the Seventh Volume of Scripture Studies, for which we all have looked so long!
Saying, Thrust In Thy sharp sickle.—Oh, that the Lord would wind up the present order of things, in whatever way He might elect!—Joel 3:9‐14, 13; Matt. 13:39‐43.
And gather the clusters of the vine of the earth.—In the Adventist cluster there are 6 bunches of smaller sects; in the Baptist 15; Brethren (Dunkard) 4; Plymouth Brethren 4; River Brethren 3; Catholic Apostolic 2; Churches of the Living God 3; Churches of the New Jerusalem 2; Disciples of Christ 2; Evangelical Bodies 2; Faith Associations 9; Friends 4; Latter‐Day Saints 2; Lutheran 21; Scandinavian Evangelical Bodies 3; Mennonite 13; Methodist 16; Moravian 2; Pentecostal bodies 2; Presbyterian 12; Protestant Episcopal 2; Reformed 4; United Brethren 2.
For her grapes are fully ripe.—All these sects have long ago taken their stand against the Truth and therefore against the Lord. O Lord, judge them with Thy Truth! Thou hast called them the “abominations of the earth” and so they are. Bring their man‐made clergy‐ridden systems to an end and make their memory to perish from the earth! Amen.—Isa. 65:17; Rev. 17:5; Jer. 6:9‐30.
14:19. And the angel thrust in his sickle [into] UPON the earth.—Distributed far and wide among order‐loving people the good news that nominal Zion’s travail is at hand, and the new and better order of things near.
And gathered the vine of the earth.—Brought together all the sects in virulent opposition to the Message of the Truth.
And cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.—“The fruitage of the True Vine is Love, and is precious to the Father; but the fruitage of the Vine of the Earth is selfishness in various forms, and will be ultimately gathered into the great winepress of the wrath of God in the great Time of Trouble with which this Age will close.” (F. 207; Rev. 19:15.) “While the taking of different names was wrong, it was an evidence of a deeper wrong—of a selfish, party spirit. It was an evidence that those Corinthians who took the party names had never appreciated the oneness of the Body of Christ; that they did not really appreciate that Christ is the only Head, Leader and Standard; and that His is the only name by which His followers should recognize themselves and each other.” (Z. ’08‐116.)
Many of the clergy are today followers of Darwin and Socrates instead of Moses and Christ And both Darwin and Socrates were mentally unsound. The following is from Dr. Dorland’s The Age of Mental Virility: “It is likewise exceptional to find an unusually short nose, such as that possessed by Darwin and Socrates, among men of intellect. Nasal abbreviation is one of the well‐known signs of degeneracy, as is also the sessile or otherwise misshapen ear, the sugar‐loaf skull, the close‐set eyes, and other physiognomic irregularities, including the cretinoid face. The latter, strange to relate, has been noted in certain men of remarkable genius, including Darwin and Carlyle, Rembrandt, Pope and Socrates. I wish to emphasize at this point the assertion that not every individual who chances to possess one of the above mentioned physical peculiarities is to be immediately stamped as a degenerate. It is only when there is a combination of two or more of these traits, especially if this combination has been noted as a family peculiarity, that the suspicion will be awakened; and this may then be confirmed and the condition established by close and careful investigation.” “Socrates,” writes Pedigo, “presented one of the most interesting studies in dual personality and subconscious conditions in all history in his memorable daemon, which he said guided him and inspired him with wisdom.” “Herbert Spencer was the victim of a fixed delusion.”
The clergy are the ones directly responsible for the war in Europe. It was not their province to convince the rulers of those countries that their kingdoms are parts of God’s Kingdom of peace, holiness, justice, love and truth—monstrous! They are an entirely unauthorized class—except by themselves; a self‐perpetuating fraud. They have brought upon their heads the blood of all the nations of the earth in this world war; and God will require it at their hands. In the spring of 1918, and from that time onward forever, it will be as unsafe to tell the lies that have filled Babylon’s exchequers as it will to be a king.—Zech. 13:2‐6. “Though controversy and words of passion and arguments will be and are among the weapons used in this battle, especially in the beginning of it, yet it will not end with these. Every prophetic detail indicates that before it ends it will be most sanguinary, a fierce and terrible storm.”—D. 529; Jer. 25:26‐38; Isa. 63:1‐6; Lam. 1:15.
14:20. And the winepress.—The Seventh Volume of Scripture Studies, the work that will squeeze the juice out of the “Abominations of the earth.” Cook’s Revelation, page 709, calls attention to the peculiar fact that this word is both masculine and feminine. This seemingly indicates the Lord’s recognition of the co‐operation of the sisters, particularly in the closing feature of the Harvest work. Priscilla was such a valuable helper that she was named before her husband in Acts 18:18.
Was trodden without the city.—“In symbolic prophecy a ‘city’ signifies a religious government backed by power and influence. Thus, for instance, the ‘holy city, the new Jerusalem,’ is the symbol used to represent the established Kingdom of God, the overcomers of the Gospel Church exalted and reigning in glory.” (D. 25.) “The treading of the winepress is the last feature of Harvest work. The reaping and gathering is all done first.” (D. 18.) Worldly editors have applied this verse to the great war now raging in Europe; but this expression makes it impossible to so apply it. If the war is the winepress and Christendom the city, it is not being trodden without the city, but right in its midst. This suggests that the Revelator referred to another city; and with propriety; for this chapter is devoted to Harvest work only. What city more appropriate to refer to then than the Bethel, the Divinely appointed center for the Harvest work, the embryo Kingdom of God on earth? See Rev. 19:15.
And blood.—Teachings which though truthful will be death‐dealing and seem “bloody” to sectarianism. (“And blood came out of the winepress even unto the horse bridles” is a parenthetical clause. Without this parenthesis the verse reads: “And the winepress was trodden without the city by the distance of a thousand and two hundred furlongs.”)
Came out of the winepress.—The exposition of the prophecies of Ezekiel and the Revelator.
Even unto the horse bridles.—So deep as to strangle and drown the old false doctrinal hobbies so long ridden. Sectarianism will be the universal laughing‐stock. See Rev., chapters 8 and 9. “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all My counsel, and would none of My reproof; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find Me; for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way.”—Prov. 1:24‐31.
By the space of a thousand and [six] TWO hundred furlongs.—This can not be interpreted to refer to the 2100 mile battle line of the world war. A furlong or stadium is not a mile and this is without the city whereas the battle line is within the city. See Rotherham’s translation.
A stadium is 606‐¾ English ft.; 1200 stadii are, mi., 137.9.
The work on this volume was done in Scranton, Pa. As fast as it was completed it was sent to the Bethel. Half of the work was done at an average distance of 5 blocks from the Lackawanna station, and the other half at a distance of 25 blocks. Blocks in Scranton are 10 to the mile. Hence the average distance to the station is 15 blocks, or, 1.5 mi.
The mileage from Scranton to Hoboken Terminal is shown in time tables as 143.8 and this is the mileage charged to passengers, but in 1911, at an expense of $12,000,000, the Lackawanna Railroad completed its famous cut‐ off, saving 11 miles of the distance. From the day the cut‐off was completed the trainmen have been allowed 11 miles less than the time table shows, or a net distance of 132.8 mi.
Hoboken Ferry to Barclay Street Ferry, New York, is 2.0 mi.
Barclay Street Ferry to Fulton Ferry, New York, is 4,800 feet or 0.9 mi.
Fulton Ferry, New York, to Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn, is 2,000 feet or 0.4 mi.
Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn, to Bethel, is 1,485 feet or 0.3 mi.
Shortest distance from place where the winepress was trodden by the Feet Members of the Lord, Whose guidance and help alone made this volume possible. (John 6:60, 61; Matt. 20:11.), mi., 137.9
Revelation 15—The Song Of The Saints
15:1. And I saw another sign.—Seemion, the same word used by our Lord when He said, “Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man.” The proofs of the Lord’s Second Advent are here referred to.
In heaven.—Among God’s professed people.
Great and marvelous.—Very different in tone and contents from other Bible “helps.”
Seven angels.—The seven volumes of Studies in the Scriptures.
Having the seven last plagues.—The seven volumes of Studies in the Scriptures together constitute the third and last woe poured out upon papacy.—Rev. 16:1‐21; 22:18.
For in them is filled up the wrath of God.—Their united testimony is that the Times of the Gentiles have expired, the Reign of Christ has begun, all earthly potentates—Civil, Social, Ecclesiastical and Financial—must give way to the New Order of things, and will not give way peaceably, but must be ejected.
15:2. And I saw as it were a sea of glass.—The Time of Trouble made transparent. We can see why the Lord permits it, and see the Golden Age of glory, peace and Divine blessing that lies just beyond.
Mingled with fire.—The coming anarchy. “They are the waves of the Red Sea, which appears on fire as the Sun of righteousness arises upon them, on the margin of which the true Israelites sing the song of Moses and the saving Lamb. Standing on its shore are seen those who are delivered from the beasts’ sway as the Israelites were in their exodus from the land of Pharaoh. The song of Moses is sung by delivered Israel after the Egyptian plagues: here the hymn of praise is sung by the redeemed before the plagues are renewed and the Church gains its last victory over the antichristian world.”—Cook.
And them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and [over] his image.—Who understand and live in harmony with the knowledge that both Papacy and Protestantism, and the governments under their influence, are of Satanic spirit.—Rev. 13:11, 13, 14, 15; 14:11; 16:2, 13; 19:20; 20:10; Matt. 24:24.
[And over his mark,] And over the number of his name.—Who refuse to let any stand for them in the place of Christ.—Rev. 13:14‐18.
Stand on the sea of glass.—Not in among the restless and discontented, but on a higher plane.—Heb. 13:5.
Having the harps of THE LORD God.—See Rev. 5:8; 14:2.
“God’s Word is that harp, which has long been unstrung, And men heard but discordant its notes; Now as tuned are its chords from Moses to John, How grandly sweet melody floats.”
15:3. And [they sing] SINGING the song of Moses.—“Hebrew scholars have remarked on the evidence of the antiquity of the song of Moses, recorded in Exodus 15:1‐20, some even noting the fact that a few of the words showed an intermingling of the Egyptian language. It is further authenticated by the reference made to it in the book of Psalms, where the entire matter of the deliverance of the people and the overthrow of their enemies in the sea is graphically described by the sweet singer of Israel. (Psa. 106:7‐12.) If it was appropriate, as we all admit that it was, that the Israelites should give glory to God for their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, much more is it appropriate that spiritual Israel should recognize the still greater deliverance from the power of Satan and the thralldom of sin, accomplished for us through the blood of the Lamb of God who died for our sins.”—Z. ’07‐158; Rev. 14:3.
The Servant of God.—See Ex. 14:31.
And the song of the Lamb.—“They sing in the sense of declaring in harmonious and beautiful cadences the relationship of the types and figures of the Law and the Prophets of the Mosaic Dispensation with the antitypes of these of the Gospel Dispensation; showing that all things written in the Law and in the Prophets are finding glorious fulfilments in the Lamb of God and in the great Plan which the Father is working out through Him.”—Z. ’00‐310.
Saying, Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty.—“First amongst the great and marvelous works of the Almighty was the sentence of death upon father Adam and his posterity. As we look at this marvelous work, we must concede that it was just (in that it was merited), that it is true (in the sense of not being an unreasonable penalty), true in the sense that it was exactly what God forewarned father Adam the penalty of disobedience would be. ‘Just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints.’ But Jehovah’s first great and marvelous work of condemnation was, after four thousand years, followed by another great and marvelous work; viz., the work of redemption. How stupendous this work of the ransoming of all Adam’s race of hundreds of millions by the sacrifice of one Man! How great and wonderful indeed this act, and how just and true, and how fully in Harmony with every feature of Divine Justice and Love!—1 Tim. 2:5, 6; Rom. 5:12, 18, 19.”—Z. ’00‐310.
Just and true are Thy ways.—“As we have viewed the failure of Christendom to adopt the spirit of Christ’s teaching, and seen how the knowledge and liberty gained from His teachings were blended with the spirit of evil, selfishness, and as from present foreshadowings we mark the sure approach of anarchy and every evil work, yet realizing its necessity and justice, and having learned also the ends of mercy to be attained eventually by this very means, our hearts exclaim, ‘Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are Thy ways.’ ” (D. 526; Deut. 32:4; Psa. 145:17.) “As Aaron and the two remaining sons were forbidden to make lamentation for their brethren who were cut off, this signifies that all the faithful of the priests will recognize the justice of the Divine decisions, and will bow to them in humble submission, saying, ‘Just and true are Thy ways.’ ”—Lev. 10:1‐7; Psa. 89:14; Job 36:17; 37:23; Isa. 56:1; T. 40.
Thou King of [saints] THE WORLDS.—The margin renders this “King of nations or ages.” He will be King of all nations by and by. He is King of all ages (worlds) in the sense that the ages are working out His sovereign will.
15:4. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name.—“Here is still another feature to this song, and it is glorious also. It looks forward to the glorious Millennial Age, to the time when, under Divine providence, the knowledge of the Lord, essential to faith, and to any acceptance of His favor and mercy through Christ, shall be extended to every creature. ‘Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess.’ (Rom. 14:11.) And while this bowing and confessing may at first be compulsory, yet the Scriptures assure us that ultimately all who will not come into heart harmony with the Lord and with all His gracious arrangements and provisions, shall be cut off from amongst the people,—in the Second Death. (Acts 3:23.) So that ultimately, instead of the Universe being filled with hundreds of millions who to all eternity will wail and gnash their teeth and blaspheme God’s holy name in agony—instead of this the time shall come when every tongue in Heaven and in earth shall be heard praising God, and giving honor to Him that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lamb, forever, for by that time all evildoers shall be cut off. (Rev. 5:13.)”—Z. ’00‐311; Jer. 10:7.
For Thou only art holy.—“This song continues, and has yet another strain. It declares, ‘Thou only art holy’. All holiness, all perfection, wherever it is found, must proceed from God, the great Fountain of holiness. How strange, then, that any of God’s dear people (and we ourselves were once amongst this number) should so misunderstand the Divine Character and Plan as to misrepresent the same as being the very essence of unholiness, injustice, unkindness, inequity, lovelessness, toward the great mass of God’s creatures!”—Z. ’00‐311.
For all nations shall come and worship before Thee.—“There is still another strain in this song; and it is a grand one also, like all the others,—reaching down into the Millennial Age. It declares, ‘All nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest.’ ‘All nations’ will include, not only all the nations then living, but all the nations of the dead, just as does the promise which God made to Abraham, saying, ‘In thy Seed [The Christ, Head and Body] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.’ (Gen. 22:18.)”—Z. ’00‐311.
For [Thy] judgments are made manifest BEFORE THEE.—There was a time when we could not sing this song (Psa. 137). We looked forward with dread to the time when the Lord’s judgments would be made manifest. We did not see that the Judgment Day is a day of “assurance to all men.” (Acts 17:31.) We did not see that the first judgment day was against our race (Rom. 5:18), and that no culprit can be on trial twice for the same offence. We did not see that another Judgment Day, favorable to our race, came at the time of our Lord’s great victory over death (John 12:31); nor did we see that our own, the Judgment Day of the saints, is here and now. (1 Tim. 5:24; 1 Cor. 11:31; 1 Pet. 4:17.) We did perhaps note, our duty of judging wolves by their greed, dogs by their quarrelsomeness, swine by their interest in earthly things, thorns by their disposition to wound and tear, and thistles by their disposition to scatter seeds that cause trouble (Matt. 7:6, 16, 15); and some of us went beyond and began judging one another (Rom. 14:13; Matt. 7:1). We never wanted the Lord to do it, even though we do know that He will bring every secret thing into judgment. (Prov. 15:3; Ecc. 12:14.) Now we see that the world’s Judgment Day is a thousand years long (Psa. 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:7, 8); we have learned that a day is not always merely a 24‐hour period. (Gen. 2:4; Heb. 3:8; 2 Cor. 6:2.) We see now that our Lord Jesus at the first Advent judged nobody (John 12:47; Luke 12:14), but that God has exalted Him to be the world’s Judge (Acts 5:31) a Deliverer (Judges 3:9; Isa. 1:26); that He will have associate judges (1 Cor. 6:2; Rev. 20:6); that His judgments will end war, promote righteousness and aid the poor and needy (Isa. 2:4; 11:4; 26:9), destroy unrighteousness and bring in everlasting peace and joy.—2 Thes. 1:7; Isa. 65:18; 1 Cor. 15:25; 1 Chron. 16:31; Psa. 96:13; Psa. 98:1‐9; Psa. 72:1‐14.
15:5. And after that I looked, and, [behold].—Another vision of the same thing.
The Temple of the Tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.—Pastor Russell was given a clear, beautiful, complete comprehension of the Plan of God as revealed in the Tabernacle arrangements and sacrifices. (Acts 7:44). This is the foundation of all his works.
15:6. And the seven angels came out of the Temple.—The seven volumes of Scripture Studies, emerged, all in harmony with the teachings of the Tabernacle, from which they proceeded.
Having the seven last plagues.—Though counted as plagues by ecclesiasticism they are in reality blessings, destined to rid the earth of every obnoxious thing, not the least of which are the great whore and harlots, large and small, that have defiled the earth with their unclean doctrines. (Rev. 17:5.) “Suppose that the salaries and ‘livings’ of all ministers, bishops, priests, etc., were cut off, all churches, chapels and cathedrals destroyed, all theological seminaries broken up, and their professors turned to other pursuits, all religious guilds and societies disbanded, including all sectarian organizations—what would be the effect? Who can doubt that it would be a real blessing under the disguise of a great and terrible catastrophe? The effect would be to bring true Christians together as the family of God, and not as sectarian bands; to study God’s Word, and not human traditions and creeds formulated in the Dark Ages. The Scriptures seem to indicate that very much of this sort of destruction of present systems must take place before all the ‘wheat,’ the true Church, will be separated from the ‘tares,’ the mere professors.” (Z. ’08‐119.) “The Church, or company of believers, probationers for coming glory, in its ‘voluntary association,’ was indeed to recognize ‘teachers,’ ‘helps,’ ‘Apostles,’ etc., but not to make them. If they recognize a man ‘mighty in the Scriptures,’ ‘apt to teach,’ they should be careful always, even while rejoicing in and thanking God for such a servant, to require a ‘thus saith the Lord’ for every point of doctrine, and to search the Scriptures daily to see whether these things be so.”—Z. ’08‐120.
Clothed in pure [and white] BRIGHT linen.—“The ‘Linen Girdle’ indicated a righteous servant: linen—righteousness, girdle—servitude.” (T. 30.) “A different word than in Rev. 19:8. The word here used is suitable as describing priestly attire and refers to ministrations on this side of the veil.”—Cook.
And having their breasts girded with golden girdles.—“The under‐priests were robed in linen garments and wore girdles. Their robes represented the righteousness of Jesus, imputed to us, and their girdles represent us as servants of righteousness.” (T. 36.) The Scripture Studies are servants of the Church—righteous servants, clad in the Lord’s robe.—Rev. 1:13.
15:7. And one of the four beasts.—Heavenly Wisdom.—Rev. 4:7; Matt. 24:45; Jas. 1:5; 3:17; Ezek. 10:2, 7.
Gave unto the seven angels [seven] golden vials.—The message of Present Truth. “The vial was the shallow bowl in which they drew from the larger goblet.”—Cook; Psa. 79:6; Jer. 10:25; Zeph. 3:8.
Full of the wrath of God.—Against all untruth, injustice and selfishness in organizations, Civil, Social, Ecclesiastical and Financial.
Who liveth for ever and ever, Amen.—Whereas all of those are to pass away.—Rev. 4:9, 10; 10:6.
15:8. And the temple was filled with smoke.—The nominal Church is filled with confusion as the deformities of her errors are made manifest.—Isa. 6:4.
From the glory of God, and from His power.—As revealed in His Word in this Harvest time.—2 Chron. 5:14.
And no man was able to enter into the temple.—No person of mature thought. The large proportion of new members now received in the various denominations is from the Sunday School.—Rev. 9:20.
Till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.—Until the seven volumes of Scripture Studies were written, published and circulated. Shortly afterward the true Temple will be in readiness, wherein men, women and children of all races and ages will find their hearts’ hunger satisfied.
“Yet once it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this House with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver [the Great Company class that will be used in connection with its ministrations] is Mine, and the gold [the Little Flock, of which it will be composed] is Mine, saith the Lord of Hosts. The glory of this latter House shall be greater than the former, [the nominal church], saith the Lord of Hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of Hosts.”—Hag. 2:6‐9.