(corrected)
LOGOS PUBLICATIONS
632 Buebridge Road, West Beach, South Australia 5024 by
Eureka Press Pty. Ltd.
56-58 Howards Road. Beverley, South Australia 5009 Reprinted - July, 1992
3
EUREKA:
OF
THE APOCALYPSE
IN HARMONY WITH
"THE THINGS OF THE KINGDOM OF THE DEITY, AND
THE NAME OF JESUS ANOINTED".
BY JOHN THOMAS
AUTHOR OF ELPIS ISRAEL," AND OTHER WORKS
"IF any man speak, let him speak according to the Oracles of the Deity." -PETER.
"WE have more established the prophetic word, to which ye do well giving heed as to light shining in a dark place while day may have shone, and a light-bearer have arisen in your hearts." - PETER.
Page 4 .
Picture page 4 not shown
The massive city Wall of Rome, pictured above, Was built between 271-280 AD, during the reign of Aurelian (270-275), the restorer of the Empire, and the man who met the widespread monotheism of Christianity by introducing the cult of the sun, the symbol of the Empire. It was probably he who introduced the feast of the birth day of the invincible sun - natalis solis invicti - on 25th December, which was later (in AD 330) taken over by an apostate Christianity, and given the name of Christ. Constantine Was not only the "first so-called Christian Emperor", but also an avid worshipper of the Sun. Re identified himself closely with its Worship. Eusebius wrote: "Aurelian builds a temple for Sol and surrounds Rome with stouter walls". But though the enormously stout wall of Rome completed by Probus (276-82), has been preserved almost intact in spite of the ravages of time, it has not been able to protect the city against the barbarians or against treachery from within. The Apocalypse predicted the fall of Rome from these causes, and all the efforts of man to prevent it were in vain. This volume of Eureka witnesses to this fact - Publishers.
Page 5
The earliest essay at a systematic exposition of the wonderful and ingenious prophecy now extant, is one by Victorinus, overseer of an ecclesia at Pettau in Pannonia; who was put to death in the period of the Fifth Seal, or "ten days' tribulation" of the Diocletian persecution, from A.D. 303 to A.D. 313
The next hundred and sixty years, extending from the accession of Constantine to the wounding of the Sixth Head of the Beast, and the manifestation of the Seventh Head upon the Seven Hills, several scribes belonging to the Laodicean Apostacy, enthroned by Constantine as the religion of the Roman State, bestowed upon their contemporaries some bewildering speculations, by which the prophecy was intensely darkened. These were the ecclesiastical historian Eusebius; the tutor of Crispus, murdered by his father Constantine, the chief bishop of the Apostacy named Lactantius; Athanasius, Hilary, Cyril, Euph rem Syrus, Chrysostom, Jerome, Augustine, and Tychonius, who was said to be a Donatist, reclaimed from Donatism by Augustine.
After these came certain Latin expositors, named Primasius, Bede, Ansbertus, Haymo, Andreas, Arethas, and Berengaud. These flourished from the wounding of the Sixth Head, and in the period of the rising of the Ten Horns, to A.D. 1,100. They were no more luminous in their expositions than their predecessors. They failed to discern the signs of their own times; and either endorsed the foolishness, or made more manifest the impenetrable obscurity, of them that preceded them.
Anselm, Joachim Abbas, Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, the "angelic doctor," Pierre d'Olive, and Walter Brute, followed after them; and set to their hands in the work of making darkness visible. They had no misgivings as to the divine origin of the Apocalypse. In this Luther, "The Great Father of the Reformation," who came after them in the 16th century, was not in the same assurance. He had doubts of the genuineness of the Apocalypse as an apostolic or lnspired book; though he came at length when he perceived how it might be
Page 6
wielded against his late master the Pope and papacy, to hold his doubts in abeyance, and presumptuously to venture upon its exposition.
But this "great father" made out no better than the Laodiceans who preceded him. The "Mighty Angel," says he, "with a rainbow and a little bitter book, is Popery: the open book being that of papal laws, given to John to eat!" The Seventh Head he supposed to be Spain: while the three frog-like spirits depicted papal sophists, like Faber, Eck, and Emser, stirring up opposition to what he called gospel. His conceptions of the Millennium were as cloudy as those of Jerome and Augustine, who could see nothing in it but the triumph over Satan in the hearts of true believers! In short, to men in the fog even the truth itself is foggy but where the light within is not darkness, all things are bright and resplendent. Jerome, Augustine, and Luther did not understand "the truth as it is in Jesus," nor the voices of the Old Testament; it was impossible, therefore, that they could discern the import of the Apocalypse, which is "the Mystery of the Deity as He hath announced the glad tidings to His servants, the prophets" (Apoc. 10:7). Luther was as a useful anti-papal element of "the Earth that helped the Woman" in her tormenting witnessing against "the god of the earth;" but, as a guide to the blind, and a teacher of babes, in the way of salvation; or an expositor of apocalyptic mysteries, his incompetency was only second to the Pope himself.
In the 16th century also appeared as apocalyptic expositors, Bullinger, Bale, Marlorat, Foxe, Brightman, Pareus, Ribera, and Alcasar. Bullinger interpreted the ascent of the witnesses of the ascent of their departed spirits entering Paradise! He dated the Millennium from Christ's ascension; or from A.D. 60, when Paul speaks of the gospel "having been preached to every creature under heaven;" or from A.D. 73, the date of the destruction of Jerusalem. In either case, df course, it has long since passed away. Bale commenced it at Christ's ascension. From these two may be learned all. It was only a question between them of more or less foolishness. Ribera and Alcasar were Spanish Jesuits who sought to expound the Apocalypse so as to deliver the Papacy from any identification with its symbols. Alcasar's Commentary was the result of over forty years' study; but a worshipper of the beast might study it twice forty years, and at the end thereof his speculations would not be worth the paper consumed. The true meaning of the Apocalypse is accessible only to the Brethren of Christ, and the fellow servants of the apostle, who keep the sayings of the book. All others will prove but vain and fanciful theorists with whom the secrets of the Deity are never found.
Next after the era of the Lutheran rebellion against papal authority came Mede, Jurieu, Cressener, Bossuet, Vitringa, Daubuz, Sir Isaac Newton, Whiston, and Bishop Newton. Mede first published his Clavis Apocalyptica in 1627, and his Commentary in 1632. He was regarded by his contemporaries in England as a man' almost inspired for the exposition of apocalyptic mysteries. And assuredly in comparison of all his predecessors who had written upon the subject, he was a great light shining into thick and incomprehensible darkness. In several important points he much advanced the science. He interpreted the prophetic periods on the year-day principle; made the resurrection and ascen-
Page 7
sion of the witnesses an ascent to political eminence; made the Sixth Head under which John lived, the Imperial Caesars; adopted Lateinos as the Beast's name and number, explained the sun of the fourth vial of the German Dynasty, as the chief luminary in the Papal Imperial system; indicated Rome as the throne of the beast upon which the fifth vial would be poured; interpreted the drying up of the river Euphrates of the exhaustion of the Ottoman power; and coincided with Justin, Irenaeus, and others of the earliest date, in the first resurrection, being the literal resurrection of the saints to be developed on Christ's coming to the Antichrist's destruction; after which the Millennium will be introduced. This is quite refreshing after all the absurdity to be waded through in the writings of fifteen hundred years.
Jurieu, who wrote in 1685, indicated the death of the Witnesses as occurring in that year; and that they would lie dead and unburied in the street of the great Papal city, or empire, which he judged to be France, where, of course, their resurrection and ascension would ensue.
Cressener seems to
have been the first who, in my judgment, rightly, in 1690, concluded that the
Seventh Head was the Ostrogothic, which continued but a short time: the Eighth
being the revived secular imperial, confederated with a Roman ecclesiastical
head, somewhat as under the old emperors; that is, the secular Western Emperors
combined with the Popes. The Image of the Beast he makes to be the Roman
Church, and the name Lateinos.
Vitringa's exposition was no improvement upon Mede, Jurieu, and Dr. Cressener. He was a spiritual Millennialist, whose future age was to be characterized by a thorough evangelization of the world, by what he regarded as "the Church," which would then answer to the New Jerusalem! Alas, for the world if its evangelization depend upon the ecclesiastics of Vitringa's church! He was a very learned man, and well versed in the wisdom current a hundred and fifty years ago; but in apocalyptic intelligence, his wisdom was the foolishness of a babe.
Daubuz, who published in A.D. 1720, was about as luminous as Vitringa which is not saying much for the result of his apocalyptic labors.
Sir Isaac Newton published his brief commentary in A.D. 1733, appended to his treatise on Daniel. Many of his opinions were very crude. He generally agreed with Mede, but not always. The five-month period of tormenting in Apoc. 9:5,10, he expounds as I have done, as signifying two periods of 150 years each, or 300 years for the times of the Saracens. The "hour day month and year" he reckons to signify 391 years; namely, from Alp Arslan's first victories on the Euphrates, A.D. 1063, to the fall of Constantinople, A.D. 1453. Generally speaking, his commentary was not equal to his reputation.
Whiston Sir Isaac Newton's successor in the Mathematical Professorship at Cambridge, combated the opinions of others without shedding upon the subject any particular light of his own, save that the seven vials ought to be deemed contained in, and the evolution of, the Seventh Trumpet.
When the great French Revolution caused the astonished world to shake to its foundations, a shock was given to the minds of men whose vibrations have not yet subsided. The murdered witnesses, slain by the sanguinary Bourbons,
Page 8
had started into life, and ascended into political eminence, as Mede had taught his readers to expect. This, and the coincidence also, that this ascension was exactly 1260 years from the epoch of the delivery of the saints into the hand of the episcopal element of the Little Horn by Justinian, in A.D. 533; all concurred in arousing some to a renewed and earnest study of the prophetic word. Prominent among these was Mr. Bicheno, who published his "Signs of the Times" in 1793. His writings were interesting, though abounding with many speculations proved fallacious by the lapse of time. One thing, however, he did which should not be forgotten. He showed that the three days and a half during which the two witnessing prophets were to lie unburied in the platea of the great city, should be interpreted as three lunar days and a half of years; and that Jurieu, therefore, was right in his conjecture that their death ensued, A.D.1685.
Since Mr. Bicheno's time several writers on prophecy have risen up. Of these may be mentioned Irving, Faber, Keith, Cuninghame, Frere, Bickersteth, Elliott, and others. But I am not aware that they have added anything that would at all increase the intelligibility of the Apocalypse. Of this I am well assured, that from the days of Justin Martyr in the beginning of the second century, to the publication of Mr. Elliott's elaborate commentary, there has been produced by no writer, a systematic and thorough exposition of the Apocalypse that will stand the test of scripture, history, and reason enlightened by the truth. If there ever were such a work, it is certainly not extant. A perusal of a digest of their apocalyptic speculations, has convinced me that none of them, from Justin Martyr to Elliott, understood the prophecy. With no other guides to the blind than these, it is not to be wondered at that men should give the Apocalypse the go-by, and, with a reviewer in a London weekly, conclude "that nothing is more ridiculous than for any one to arrogate to himself the power of interpreting the prophecies contained in Daniel and the Revelation; being convinced that it would require as divine and miraculous an inspiration to interpret and apply those prophecies as was necessary to utter them." This is the conviction of the general public, which, like the public of the third century that had no ear for what the Spirit said to the ecclesias, pronounced it "without sense and without reason;" and denied that it was even a revelation. If so, then the man that composed it was the most extraordinary genius of the ancient or modern worlds. But it is not necessary to defend the Apocalypse at this crisis. The Constitution of Europe for the past thousand years which it so accurately exhibits, is evidential of its inspiration. It was revealed to be understood by the uninspired: and that it can be understood by them is proved to a demonstration by the three volumes of EUREKA, (NOTE, there are now 5 volumes due to being reprinted)which are now, through the munificence of a few CHRISTADELPRIANS, who desire to understand this neglected portion of "the Word," and have confidence in the author's ability to expound it, in the hands of their fellow-servants and brethren. I claim no "divine and miraculous inspiration;" yet, I maintain, that whatever failures others may learnedly have accomplished, the exposition I have given in these three volumes, however "ridiculous" and "arrogant" it may be considered to affirm it, cannot be set aside by a fair and candid appeal to the testimony of Jesus, political geography,
Page 9
and the truth of history.
Since the publication of the second volume, and even since the writing of the third was finished, events have been progressing steadily and stealthily to the appointed end. The most striking characteristic of the times is the neglect, or indifference to, tending to the repudiation of, the PUBLIC WOMEN OF EUROPE, apocalyptically styled "the Mother of Harlots, and all the Abominations of the Earth. "The "women" with whom the Lamb's Virgins are undefiled:
Apoc. 14:4. Behold the changed policy of the Two-Horned Beast of the Earth since the overwhelming defeat of its hosts at SADOWA. This power, that for-merly gave life to the Image, enabled it to speak, and caused that as many as would not worship it should be killed, has now taken almost all the life out of it, so that it can no longer speak in terror to the worshippers of the beast in all the Austrian Empire. Territorial continuity with "St. Peter's Patrimony" being in-Ierrupted, through the intervention of the revolutionary kingdom of Italy, the Concordat, the political bond between "His HOLINESS" and "His Apostolic Majesty," is dissevered, and the worshippers of the beast are freed from the audacious inspection, and profane decrees, of the "EYES like the eyes of a man and the MOUTH speaking great things and blasphemies." Inspired by "the Spirit of the Age," which is "the Spirit of Life from the Deity" that entered into the slain prophets, who ascended to power in 1789, the Reichsrath, or Imperial Legislature of Austria, practically abolished one of the seven sacraments of the Church of Rome in authorizing "civil marriage." Besides this, it proclaimed "liberty of worship" to all sects: and has taken the education of the people out of the hands of an accursed priesthood, and given it to schoolmasters of their own choice. By the Concordat the Roman Pontiff King, was above the emperor in all the spiritual affairs of the Austrian Empire; throughout which, all such things were "given into his hand" as absolutely as when Justinian made him "Head over all the Churches" of his estate. But behold how great a reverse of fortune hath befallen the "UNIVERSAL BISHOP" in this False Prophet section of his dominion. What doth all this mean. What else than that the 1335 and 1260 years of his ascendancy from the times of Justinian and Phocas, are come to an end; and that he is doomed no longer to "practice and prosper" to the ruin of saints, and the quenching of the Spirit of the Age; which is a spirit of liberalism, and of democratic hostility to the old order of things in Church and State a spirit that may be impeded, but cannot be extinguished till the manifestation of THE ANCIENT OF DAYS.
Then, if we turn our attention to Spain, the "Most Catholic," from which the virtuous and immaculate ISABELLA, the last of the infatuated and atrocious Bourbons, the ensanguined murderers of the saints, hath so recently been expelled, what see we there? Do we not behold the Spirit that rose and ascended to power in 1789, notwithstanding all its misfortunes, and frequent discomfiture’s triumphant in 1868? The virtuous, pure, and most catholic daughter of His Papal Holiness, his last and most devoted friend among the Ten Horns, driven into exile at the end of the 1335 and 1260? A letter from Spain to La Liberte, dated Sept.22, says: "Isabella has lost her throne. She seized it in 1839, supported by the Spanish Liberal party, which, in 1837, made her proclaim the
Logos Publications January, 1985.
Page 10
Constitution, which suppressed les seigneuries, les droits des ames, and tithes. It was this party which caused her to sell the mortmain property, suppress privileges, shut up the convents, sending away with a pension 30,000 monks useless to the country, and hurtful to public prosperity. But as soon as the Queen was married to Prince Francis of Bourbon, in 1846, reaction gained the upper hand everywhere. All the conquests made by the Liberal party were lost again. In 1863, Conservatives, Progressists, and moderate Liberals, wished to resist the reaction. Marshall O'Donnell, the head of this party, recognized Italy, and promulgated several liberal was in 1866. The Revolution was vanquished. O'Donnell could not profit by his success, for, to the great amazement of everybody, he was suddenly replaced by Narvaez two days after his victory Since then all the constitutional system has disappeared; and Spain is in the same condition as if Don Carlos and his ideas had triumphed in 1840.
"The Queen has become the humble servant of the Pope.
All Spain nearly burst with laughter, when, a year ago, she read the papal
letter announcing to the whole world that Pius IX sent the 'golden rose' to
Isabella, in recompense for her virtues
and the purity of her life!
"The struggle has now begun between the Liberal and the reactionary party. Everything would incline one to believe that the latter will be beaten; for, in fact, the Liberal party, composed of all shades opposed to absolutism, form a very compact whole".
Here is the last pillar of the papal throne leveled with the dust. While yet upon the throne, the same correspondent wrote, "the clergy is above the Queen." But where will they be now that the spirit of '89 has driven into exile the humble servant and most catholic daughter of their UNIVERSAL BISHOP, the lambskin-invested wolf of the Seven Hills? Will Louis Napoleon now be able to send 40,000 troops through Isabella to garrison Rome and protect the Pope against Italy, while he combats Prussia for the Rhenish frontier of France? May we not rather expect that the Spanish section of "the Revolution" will ally itself with the Italian section, and revive the work with renewed energy of "hating the Harlot and making her desolate and naked, and eating her flesh, and burning her with fire?" Further developments will soon illustrate this point in the Roman Question; though it is not to be expected that Rome will become the capital of any other dominion than is enthroned there. No Ninth Head can constitutionally exist upon the Seven Hills.
And what see we in England? We behold there the Spirit of '89 in its British manifestation, carrying out the principle of hatred and desolation, of stripping and eating, in regard to the Anglo-Hibernian Harlot, a daughter of ROME, "Mother and Mistress of All Churches," and sister to those other "Harlots" of England and Scotland, "as by law established". This, hating, desolating, stripping, eating, and burning of ecclesiastical establishments has been a striking characteristic of the past seventy-five years. The abolition of the Gallican harlot is "only a question of time." The world will progress until the ignorance, superstition, hypocrisy, and spiritual wickedness in the high and low places of old, worn out, ANTICHRISTENDOM, shall come to be abolished by Christ and his Resurrected Brethren, whose apocalypse is soon to be revealed.
Page 11
With all these signs of the times before the faithful, well may they rejoice and lift up the head; for assuredly "the redemption draweth nigh."
In conclusion, as the Corsican remarked concerning the leadership of his victorious hosts, "it is the hand of God that leads my armies;" so when I consider the difficulties surmounted in the development of this Exposition, I may truly affirm, that the power of the Deity has performed the work. The labor has been diffused over twelve years; but, if I had not well understood "THE GOSPEL OFTHE KINGDOM," which "is the Power of God," I might have contained in my earthen vessel all the lore of ancient and modern times, and consumed twelve years thrice told in the study of its mysteries, yet should I have signally failed; and have had to confess with Dionysius, "the great bishop of Alexandria;' as Eusebius styles him, that the words of the Apocalypse were "too lofty to be comprehended by me." I have been careful to treat nothing as non-essential or unimportant because of apparent difficulties. The work is now finished by "the power" aforesaid through my instrumentality - a work concerning which it may be said in the words of an old Roman exile,
Eregi monimmentum
perennius u're:
this generation may not appreciate it, but one in the future will.
The following (see pg. 12) is my scheme of the prophecy to be studied in connexion with the Chron. Tab. in Vol.1, p.428, and the Tab. Analysis, Vol.2 p.110.
- Author
PUBLISHERS' NOTE Originally, the Third Volume of Eureka was a large book of over 700 pp. Subsequent editions divided it into two volumes called Volumes lllA and llIB. They comprised books of over 300 pp. each. However, with the additional matter that we have included in the form of illustrations and footnotes, a single Volume would make too unwieldy a book. As it is, the present volume, answering to Volume lllA of previous editions exceeds 400 pp. And we anticipate the final Volume will exceed the present one in the additional information we hope to include; for in the form of footnotes, we shall try to bring up to date the fulfillment of Bible prophecy in accordance with the Author's anticipations of over 100 years ago.
Note tables pages 12 and 13 not shown
Analysis 17
Summary 18
Translation 19
Remarks connecting Second and Third Volumes 20
1. "The Time of the End" 20
2. The End, last developed, but first revealed 27
3. A Great Sign in the Heaven 31
4. The Sun-Invested woman 35
5. The wreath of Twelve Stars 41
6. The woman Pregnant 47
7. The Period of Pregnancy 52
8. The woman cries, being in pangs 53
9. "Another Sign in the Heaven" 54
10.The Great Fiery Red Dragon 55
11.The Seven Heads of the Dragon 58
12.The Ten Horns of the Dragon 63
13.TheTailoftheDragon 65
14."The Old Serpent" 66
15. "The Devil and Satan" 82
16. The Dragon stands before the woman 86
17.The woman's Son 88
18.TheMannerofhisBirth 94
19. The Son's Ascent to the Deity 101
20. "War in Heaven" - The Ascent Historically Illustrated 102
21. The Great Voice in the Heaven 112
22. The Ruling of the woman's Son 120
23. The Flight of the woman 121
24. The woman's Place 127
25. The Period of the woman's Sojourn 130
26. The Earth helped the woman 138
Historical Illustration 141
27. The woe 154
28. The Other Remnants of the woman's Seed 157
29. The Earth again runs to the woman's Help 161
Page 15
CHAPTER XIII
Analysis and Summary 175
Translation 176
1. Preliminary Remarks 177
2. The Prophetic Standpoint of the Vision 183
3. The Sand of the Sea 186
4. The Sea 187
5. The Bottomless Pit 189
6. The Beast with Seven Heads and Ten Horns 192
7. The Seven Heads 192
8. The Ten-Diademed Horns 193
9. The Ten Diadems 201
10. The Name of Blasphemy 206
11. The Body of the Beast 217
12. The Mouth of the Beast 222
13. Development of the Name of Blasphemy 228
14. The wounding of one of the Seven Heads 267
15. The Healing of the Deadly wound 269
16. Rise and Decollation of the Seventh Head 272
17. Development of the Name of Blasphemy - continued 284
Justinian's Decretal Epistle 286
18. The Forty and TWO Months 301
19. Speaking Great Things and Blasphemies 309
20. The Name and Tabernacle of Deity, and the Dwellers in the Heaven 317
21. War with the Saints 322
22. The Faith and Patience of the Saints 323
23. Names Written from the Foundation of the world 325
II - THE BEAST OF THE EARTH
25. The Image-Worship Question 333
26. Further Development of the Beast of the Earth 345
27. Two Horns like a Lamb 351
28. The Episcopal Beast causeth the Earth to Worship the First Beast's
Sixth Head 358
29. Fire Descending from the Heaven 360
30. The Image of the Beast 364
31. The Image Historically Identified 368
32. The Utterances of the Speaking Image 381
33. The Sign of the Beast 389
The Sign left by Christ 399
34. Buy or Sell 401
35. Name of the Beast and Number of his Name 406
Page 16
Picture of Rome page 16 not shown
Chapter 12
The first four and THE SIXTH SEALS representative of the judicial manner of "taking out of the way" the PAGAN CONSTITUTION of the Dreadful and Terrible Fourth Beast," which withheld the revelation of "THE LAWLESS ONE;" (Dan. 7:7; Apoc. 6; 2 Thess. 2:3-9) and the consequent manifestation of the CATHOLIC MYSTERY OF INIQUITY, or Man of Sin Power, in the Heaven of the said beast, or "GREAT FIERY-RED DRAGON" (Apoc. 12:1-5, 7-13).
TIME OF EVENTS
From
A.D. 107 to A.D. 325-See Tab. Analysis,
Vol.2, p.110.
SIXTH SPECIAL DIVISION OF THE SEVEN SEALED SCROLL
ACT VI-SEAL6
A great earthquake inaugurates this judicial period. War in the Heaven, (Apoc. 12:7) resulting in an eclipse of the sun, in the moon becoming blood, in the stars of the heaven, the stars drawn by the Tail of the Dragon, (Apoc. 12:4) falling into the earth, and of the casting out thereunto of the great fiery-red Dragon (Apoc. 12:9). The heaven of the Dragon-Polity departs as a scroll rolled up; and every mountain and island change their places. The angels of the Dragon are cast out with him (Apoc. 12:9). No place for them any more in the heaven from which they are ejected, having been effectually conquered by the Archer of the First Seal - the Fellow-servants and Brethren of the souls under the Altar; who conquered him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, on account of which they were slain, not loving their lives unto death (Apoc. 12:11; 6:9). Great rejoicing in the heavens by them who succeed the ejected Dragon and his officials, who rage with great fury in the earth and sea of their late dominion (Apoc. 12:12). The great day of wrath upon Paganism.
The woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess, the Laodicean Apostasy, imperialized, and the Man of Sin Power revealed (Apoc.2:20).
Page 18
TIME OF THE SEAL
FROM A.D. 311
THE LAODICEAN STATE
The "little strength" of the Philadelphian State exhausted, and Laodiceanism fully established, Pagan persecution having ceased, and "the Catholics," as nominal Christians were now called, being in high favor with the authorities, they say "We are rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing" - Apoc. 3:17. Being "lukewarm," the Spirit "spues them out of his mouth". This state continues until abolished by the judgments of the Seventh Vial, which are executed by the Saints after the resurrection.
SUMMARY
The Spirit "spues" her Laodicean element "out of his mouth," and a remnant of her seed, as the woman fuitive, is found in the wilderness.
War ensues in the Roman Heaven between the powers there, which results in the ejection of the great Draco-Serpent Devil and Satan from thence. The "Brethren" and "Fellow-servants" of the souls under the altar rejoice at his expulsion. But woe be tides the inhabiters of the earth and sea, where the Dragon retains power for a "short time" longer; and persecutes the constituents of the woman dwelling in his dominion.
The woman being in the wilderness is protected there for a period of 1260 days; and in her flight thither is pursued by the Serpent, which seeks to sweep her away; but the Earth helps her, and defeats her enemy. The Dragon is wroth with her; and resumes the war with the remnants of her seed.
PAGE 19
TRANSLATION
1. And a great sign appeared in the heaven; a woman who had been in-vested with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head and a wreath of twelve stars. 2. And being pregnant she cries being in pangs and straining to bring forth.
3. And there appeared another sign in the heaven, and behold, a great fiery-red Dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems: and his tail draws the third of the stars of the heaven, and he casts them into the earth. And the dragon stood in the presence of the woman about to bring forth, that when she may have brought forth, he might devour her offspring.
5. And she brought forth a male child, who is about to rule all the nations with an iron sceptre: and her son was forcibly carried up to Deity and his throne.
6. And the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place that had been prepared of the Deity, that they may sustain her there a thousand two hundred and sixty days.
7. And there was war in the heaven. The Michael and his angels waged war against the Dragon; and the dragon waged war and his angels.
8. And they prevailed not; neither was their place found any longer in the heaven.
9. And the great dragon, the old Serpent, surnamed Diabolos, was cast forth; and the Satan which deceives the whole habitable was cast into the earth; and his angels were cast forth with him.
10. And I heard a great voice saying in the heaven, Now is the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our Deity, and the dominion of His Anointed; for the prosecutor of our brethren, who accused them in the presence of our Deity, day and night, has been cast down.
11. And they overcame him through the blood of the Lamb and through the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life unto death.
12. On account of this let the heavens rejoice and those who tent in them.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and the sea, because the Diabolos has fallen among you having great wrath, foreseeing that he hath a short time.
13. And when the Dragon saw that he was cast into the earth, he pursued the woman who brought forth the male.
14. And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, in which she is sustained there a time and times and half of a time, out of the sight of the serpent.
15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a flood, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.
16. And the earth ran with help for the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17. And the dragon was enraged against the woman, and went away to wage war with the remnants of her seed who keep the commandments of the Deity and have the testimony of the Anointed Jesus.
Page 20 .
BY WHICH THE SECOND AND THIRD VOLUMES ARE CONNECTED*
But to such a conclusion as this, it is
impossible that any one intelligent in the word can come. It is, on the
contrary, a period well and clearly indicated. Its commencement is synchronical
with the ending of "the time of the vision" seen by Daniel "in
the third year of the reign of King Belshatzar"; for, it is written,
"to the time of the end the vision" -l'eth kaitz he khazon - ch. 8:17. Now in an answer to the question,
"How long the vision?" it was replied, "for an evening-morning
of two thousand four hundred." This, according to what time has proved to
be the best reading, is the time of the vision - a period of 2400 (†) years;
which, having expired A.D. 1860, bring us to the time of the end, in which
"the holy shall be vindicated" from the violence and injury resulting
from so long a period of subjection under the feet of the Gentiles.
The world must therefore now be in the eighth
year of the Time of the End. The termination of the 2400 years, and the
synchronical beginning of the time of the end, were both signalized by the
outbreak of the American civil war, which in its development proved to mankind,
that with all their boasted science, civilization and religion, they are not
one whit in advance of the beasts that perish (Psa. 49:12,20). The time of the
end thus portentously begun continued to unfold itself in the events of the
Franco-Mexican war, and in those of the Russo-Polish, and Prusso-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* In
this edition of Eureka, the 2nd and
3rd volumes have been replaced by Volume 3 and4-Publishers.
(†)The correct time period
is 2300 days, not 2400 as accepted by Bro. Thomas! See our footnote Vol.3 p.323
- Publishers.
Page
21
Austrian Danish, and Prusso-Austrian Italian
wars. By the American civil war several millions of Southerners have been
subjected to an ignoble military despotism, and social degradation and ruin;
while the fanatics used by Providence in its judicial visitation upon the
South, have blasted the prosperity of the North, filled its families with
lamentation and death, and laid the foundations of trouble that will only be
finally assuaged in the absorption and obliteration of the so-called United
States in the NEW UNIVERSAL EMPIRE of the Ancient of Days.
The invasion of Mexico by
France, England, and Spain, resulted in the fall of a republic - a corrupt and
worthless popular sovereignty; and in the provisional establishment (for it
will prove to be nothing more) of a Franco-Austrian imperiality, which has this
redeeming quality, that it is hostile to the Papacy, and inimical to the
priests. These events in Mexico are, it is most likely, only preparatory
elements of the situation being now organized in the providence of the Deity.
They are preparing for a future complication, by which the trouble of the
latter days will pervade not Europe and Asia only, but America as well.(*)
The Russo-Polish war was
most ferocious. In the ratio of its extent it was as savage a conflict as the
American civil war, though of shorter duration. It was a contest between
Russo-Greek and Polish Latin, in which the Greeks, "the worshippers of the
Dragon," destroyed the Polish nationality of the Latins, "the worshippers
of the Beast." Poland was blotted out from the political geography of the
world. It became a monument of the dead, whose epitaph forewarns the nations of
the fate that awaits their kingdoms and republics when judgment shall be given
to the saints, and the time comes that they shall possess the dominion under
the whole heaven (Dan. 7:22,27). In devouring Poland, "Gog, the Prince of
Rosh, Mesech, and Tobl," has prepared, and become a guard to so much of
"Gomer and all his bands" as it contains. Nor has the Prince of Rosh,
whom we style the Autocrat of All the Russians, being negligent of his mission
in the direction of "Togarmah of the north quarters and all his
bands" (Ezek. 38:2,6,7). Since the end of the 2400 years, he has advanced
his frontier so as to include Khokan and Bokhara, so that there is now but one
state between him and British India, namely, Afghanistan (†,)all of whose
sympathies are in accord with the enemies and rivals of British rule in India.
Thus "Gog of the land of Magog," the great king of the north, who is
to figure so conspicuously
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(*)This was written in
1866. Events since that time have proved this observation to be correct. The
future of US is inextricably bound with that of Europe and Asia as anticipated
above - Publishers. ~
(†) In recent years, the
Soviet has moved into Afghanistan, and in doing so has occupied portion of the
territory of the King of the North of Daniel 11, surely a significant sign of
the times. The territory of the ancient king of the North extended to the River
Indus thus reaching to modern Pakistan -Publishers.
Page 22
"in the time of the end" - b'aith kaitz, styled by Ezekiel "the
latter years" and "the latter days," is standing almost face to
face with "Sheba and Dedan, and the Merchants of Tarshish;" whose
young lions ere long will need all their strength and prowess for the
repression of the further aggrandizement of the Russo-Assyrian power in the
East.
Nor is the alliance of
Austria, Prussia, and Germany, the two-horned beast of the earth, against
Denmark, for the possession of Schleswig and Holstein, without significance in
this eventful time of the end. It is a question pregnant with trouble; and a
necessary complication of a situation in which "the kings of the earth and
of the whole habitable" will be engaged in an angry and sanguinary
conflict,(†) preparatory to "the war of the great day of
AIL-Shaddai," when their thrones will be cast down, and the Ancient of
Days shall sit (Apoc. 16:14; Dan. 7:9).
And besides all this, not to dwell upon the
increase of taxation(*)financial embarrassment, pestilence, destruction of
mankind and their fellow-beasts, and all the minor evils by which humanity is
grieved, there is the all-important and inevitable Roman Question. This is
preeminently the question of the time
of the end. It can only be solved in the final and complete abolition of the
Papal Kingdom. This result, however, can not be developed by the action or
policy of France, Italy, or the Roman people. They are blindly preparing this
consummation; and will doubtless develop for "the Great Harlot that
sitteth upon many waters" a hatred of the European Powers, that shall
cause them yet more than ever to "make her desolate and naked, and to eat
her flesh and burn her with fire" (Apoc. 17:1,16). But the final and
complete destruction of the Papacy is an honor decreed for a more noble and
powerful class of agents than these. It is a glory reserved for "the Heirs
of the Kingdom which the Deity has promised to them that love him" (James 2:5). These are the destroyers of the
Papacy in the time of the end. They are the Avengers of the Holy - the avengers
of the blood of the saints and witnesses of Jesus, and of all slain upon the
earth in defense of righteousness and truth (Apoc. 18:6-8,20,24). It is from
these proceed the lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and earthquake, and
great hail" (Ch. 11:19).
The Roman is a question
that cannot be evaded or postponed. A policy must be pursued towards the Pope
that will cause his government to use all its influence to enlist the powers in
his defence against the Red Republicanism of the Italians and their allies. The
cry of these is "an
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(†)This was written
in 1866, before the Prusso-Austrian Italian campaign, so fatal to the influence
and interests of the Papacy.
* What would the Author of Eureka say today of taxation and the other listed problems -
Publishers.
Pge. 23
united Italy with Rome for its capital, or
death!" To give effect to this would be the expulsion of Austria from
Venetiat; and the incorporation of the States of the Church with the kingdom or
Commonwealth of Italy. If Red Republicanism can acquire the ascendancy in
Italy, it will assuredly adventure the experiment of giving effect to its cry.
In this event an appeal to arms would be inevitable. First, because Austria
will never consent to the surrender of Venetia without a struggle; and
secondly, because the spiritual influence of the Pope, which is still great in
all the ten kingdoms of the beast, would go forth with all its unclean and demoniac
activity to stir up war in his behalf. In this array of belligerents the
combinations will be for a trial of strength between the expiring feudally of
the middle ages, and the revolutionary principles of 1789 a sanguinary and
final conflict between the adherents of Church and State Absolutism, and the
partisans of popular sovereignty as "the voice of God."
Thus, by the intervention
of the Roman and Eastern questions, a situation is created in the time of the
end in exact accordance with the description of it in the prophetic writings.
These questions create a trouble for all the nations and governments symbolized
by the four beasts seen by Daniel arising out of the great sea (Dan. 7). They
are all questions affecting the vested interests of the Image seen by Nebuchadnezzar
in his dream. This great image, whose brightness is excellent, and its form
terrible, appears in all its majesty and power in the time of the end. In the terminal epoch of the sixth vial, which
obtains after the ad-vent of the Ancient Days, the great Russo-Assyrian Gogian
Image stands prepared for conflict with "the Prince of princes," whom
Daniel styles "Michael, the Great Prince" (Dan. 8:25; 12:1). When the image stands thus in the time of the end the
crisis will be of the most troublesome and exciting character. "The nations" will have been "made angry;" nor will their
anger subside henceforth until the image shall be utterly broken, and all its
fragments ground to powder. This result, however, will be beyond their power to
accomplish. No combination short of the mighty angel clothed with cloud and
rainbowed (Apoc. 10:1) can shiver it to pieces reduce these to chaff, and sweep
them away that no place shall be found for them (Apoc. 2:27; Psa. 2:8,9; Dan. 2:35).
The time of the end, which
is notably chronological, commences with the termination of the 2400 years, and
ends with the exhaustion of the Seventh Vial. Hence the time of the end
embraces part of the sixth and the whole of the seventh vials. It embraces so
much of the sixth as
(†) This has since been effected by the
Prusso-Italian campaign against Austria.
Page 24
pertains to the development of the Roman Question
after 1860; the events attendant on the coming of the Ancient of Days; and
those consequent on His appearing to the beginning of the seventh vial. Here
are three epochs - the present, characterized by the three wonder-work-ng,
unclean, frog-like demon-spirits, proceeding out of the mouth of the papal
false prophet; the adventual epoch, characterized by the visible presence of
Christ in Southern Asia; and the third, or terminal epoch, characterized by the
gathering of the military forces of the powers into the Holy Land for that
signal discomfiture, which constitutes the place of slaughter the apocalyptic
Armageddon. The events of the sixth vial in the aggregate prepare "the way
of the kings" which arise in the light of the Sun of Righteousness. The
way of these kings is the career of judgment marked out for them in the full
development of the seventh vial, which is at once the consummation of the
Seventh Trumpet, and the Seventh Seal; and the filling up of the wrath of the
Deity upon the nations. The angriness of these, the coming of divine wrath, and
"the time of the dead that they should be judged and rewarded," are
series of events which synchronize with the adventual epoch of the sixth vial.
In this epoch, the dead in Christ, both just and unjust, are caused to stand
upon their feet again among the living. This anastasis, or standing again,
precedes the destroying of them "who destroy the earth" Rev.
11:18. The honor of executing the judgment written belongs to all those saints
whose names may, in the judgment which begins at the house of Deity, be found
registered in the Lamb's book of life Rev. 20:15; Ps. 149:9; Dan. 7:22. Hence,
resurrection must precede the setting in of judgment; and this must begin at
the house of the Deity; "and if it first begin there, what shall the end
be of them that obey not the gospel of the Deity?" 1 Pet. 4:17. It will be
"destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his
power" 2 Thess. 1:9.
The destruction issuing
from this glorious presence, is styled in Rev. 14:10. "tormenting with
fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels, and in the presence of
the Lamb." The end of the eleventh chapter expresses this torment in the
words, "lightnings, and voices and thunderings, and an earthquake, and
great hail." Hence the conclusion of the eleventh chapter, with which the
second volume of this exposition is concluded, is synchronous with all of the
fourteenth chapter from the beginning to the end. I say from the beginning of
it, because all the things therein represented are subsequent to the saints
standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion. Now, when Christ comes, as I have shown
in my second volume, he does not come direct to Zion. Moses, in his prophetic
blessing of the sons of Israel, says, "Yahweh came from Sinai and rose up
from Seir unto them; he shined forth from Mount Paran; and he
Page 25
came with ten thousands of saints" (Deut.
33:2). He comes to Sinai before he can come from Sinai; and to Seir and Paran
before he can rise up and shine from them. He comes to Sinai in the adventual
epoch of the sixth vial; and to Mount Zion consequent upon the Armageddon overthrow,
by which the sixth Vial is closed, and the Seventh Vial period is inaugurated.
The time of the Seventh
Vial is that portion of the time of the end chronologized in the words of
Micah, "according to the days of Israel's coming out of the land of Egypt"
(ch. 7:15). It requires no proof that
these days were a period of forty years. Hence, in the vindication of the Holy
from injury and violence after the termination of the 2400 years, a judicial
period of forty years will be manifested. The object to be attained in the
vindication of the holy, is the deliverance of the holy and the host from the
treading under foot "the transgression of desolation" to which they
have been subjected for 2408 years to the date of this work: in other words,
the putting an end, or accomplishing, to scatter the power of the people of the
holy yadam-kodesh (Dan. 8:13-14;
12:7). The full import of these words is the restoration of the kingdom to
Israel, in building again the tabernacle of David, that it may be as in the
days of old; with the additional glory of Christ and his Brethren, the
glorified Israel of the Deity, in possession of the throne (Amos. 11:11; Acts
15:16; 1:6; Matt. 19:28; Luke 1:32-33).
The work then of the
seventh vial will be the setting up of the kingdom by the ELOAHH of the Heavens
(Dan. 2:44). This work cannot be fully accomplished until the now widely
scattered tribes of Israel are concentrated in the Holy Land, and restored to
the independence they enjoyed under David and Solomon. No prosperity in the "breadth
of the Great City spiritually called Sodom and Egypt," can compensate the
loss of this. They must be brought out of this Egypt in the seventh vial
section of the time of the end, as was the generation out of the literal Egypt
in the days of Moses, "with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm,
and with fury poured out" (Ezek. 20:33). In other words, the seventh vial
is the exodal period of Israel's return from their enemies' lands; and of the
punishment of all peoples who have burdened themselves in any way with the Holy
City (Zech. 12:2-3; Rev. 11:2). In the accomplishing to scatter the power of
the people of the holy in this second exodus of the nation, the Spirit, who
will co-work with the saints in their seventh vial execution of the judgments
written, says in the testimony already cited from Ezekiel, "I will bring
you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye
are scattered, with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm, and with fury
poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there
will I
Page
24 .
pertains
to the development of the Roman Question after 1860; the events attendant on
the coming of the Ancient of Days; and those con-sequent on His appearing to the
beginning of the seventh vial. Here are three epochs - the present,
characterized by the three wonder-work-ing, unclean, frog-like demon-spirits,
proceeding out of the mouth of the papal false prophet; the adventual epoch,
characterized by the visi-ble presence of Christ in Southern Asia; and the
third, or terminal epoch, characterized by the gathering of the military forces
of the powers into the Holy Land for that signal discomfiture, which
constitutes the place of slaughter the apocalyptic Armageddon. The events of
the sixth vial in the aggregate prepare "the way of the kings" which
arise in the light of the Sun of Righteousness. The way of these kings is the
career of judgment marked out for them in the full development of the seventh
vial, which is at once the consummation of the Seventh Trum-pet, and the
Seventh Seal; and the filling up of the wrath of the Deity upon the nations.
The angriness of these, the coming of divine wrath, and "the time of the
dead that they should be judged and rewarded," are series of events which
synchronize with the adventual epoch of the sixth vial. In this epoch, the dead
in Christ, both just and unjust, are caused to stand upon their feet again
among the living. This anastasis, or standing again, precedes the destroying
of them "who destroy the earth" Rev. 11:18. The honor of executing
the judgment written belongs to all those saints whose names may, in the
judgment which begins at the house of Deity, be found registered in the Lamb's
book of life Rev. 20:15; Ps. 149:9; Dan. 7:22. Hence, resurrection must precede
the setting in of judgment; and this must begin at the house of the Deity;
"and if it first begin there, what shall the end be of them that obey not
the gospel of the Deity?" 1 Pet. 4:17. It will be "destruction from
the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power" 2 Thess. 1:9.
The destruction issuing
from this glorious presence, is styled in Rev. 14:10. "tormenting with
fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels, and in the presence of
the Lamb." The end of the eleventh chapter expresses this torment in the
words, "lightnings, and voices and thunderings, and an earthquake, and
great hail." Hence the conclusion of the eleventh chapter, with which the
second volume of this exposition is concluded, is synchronous with all of the
fourteenth chapter from the beginning to the end. I say from the beginning of
it, because all the things therein represented are subsequent to the saints
standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion. Now, when Christ comes, as I have shown
in my second volume, he does not come direct to Zion. Moses, in his prophetic
blessing of the sons of Israel, says, "Yahweh came from Sinai and rose up
from Seir unto them; he shined forth from Mount Paran; and he
Page 25
came with ten thousands of saints" (Deut.
33:2). He comes to Sinai be-ore he can come from Sinai; and to Seir and Paran
before he can rise up and shine from them. He comes to Sinai in the adventual
epoch of the sixth vial; and to Mount Zion consequent upon the Armageddon over-throw,
by which the sixth Vial is closed, and the Seventh Vial period is inaugurated.
The time of the Seventh
Vial is that portion of the time of the end chronologized in the words of
Micah, "according to the days of Israel's coming out of the land of Egypt"
(ch. 7:15). It requires no proof that these days were a period of forty years.
Hence, in the vindication of the Holy from injury and violence after the
termination of the 2400 years, a judicial period of forty years will be
manifested. The object to be at-tained in the vindication of the holy, is the
deliverance of the holy and the host from the treading under foot "the
transgression of desolation" to which they have been subjected for 2408
years to the date of this \vork: in other words, the putting an end, or
accomplishing, to scatter the power of the people of the holy yad-am-kodesh (Dan. 8:13-14; 12:7). The
full import of these words is the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, in
building again the tabernacle of David, that it may be as in the days of old;
with the additional glory of Christ and his Brethren, the glorified Israel of
the Deity, in possession of the throne (Amos. 11:11; Acts 15:16; 1:6; Matt.
19:28; Luke 1:32-33).
The work then of the
seventh vial will be the setting up of the king-dom by the ELOAHH of the
Heavens (Dan. 2:44). This work cannot be fully accomplished until the now
widely scattered tribes of Israel are concentrated in the Holy Land, and
restored to the independence they enjoyed under David and Solomon. No
prosperity in the "breadth of the Cireat City spiritually called Sodom and
Egypt," can compensate the loss of this. They must be brought out of this
Egypt in the seventh vial section of the time of the end, as was the generation
out of the literal Egypt in the days of Moses, "with a mighty hand, and
with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out" (Ezek. 20:33). In
other words, the seventh vial is the exodal period of Israel's return from
their enemies' lands; and of the punishment of all peoples who have burdened
them-selves in any way with the Holy City (Zech. 12:2-3; Rev. 11:2). In the
accomplishing to scatter the power of the people of the holy in this second
exodus of the nation, the Spirit, who will co-work with the saints in their
seventh vial execution of the judgments written, says in the testimony already
cited from Ezekiel, "I will bring you out from the peoples, and will
gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand
and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you
into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I
Page 26
plead with you face to face; like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of
Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. And I will cause you
to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. And
I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against
me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they
shall not enter into the land of Israel." But concerning Israel cleansed
from the rebellious; and, by continuing no longer in unbelief, prepared for the
blessedness promised in Abraham and his seed, He saith, "in mine holy
mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, there shall all the house of Israel all of them in
the land, serve Me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your
offerings, and the first-fruits of your oblations with all your holy things. I
will accept you with your sweet savour when I bring you out from the peoples,
and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will
be sanctified in you before the nations. And ye shall know that I (the Anointed
Jesus) am YAHWEH when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the
country for the which I lifted up My hand to give it to your fathers."
This regeneration of the
twelve tribes of Israel, and resettlement of them in the Holy Land, is a grand
and important result of the seventh vial outpouring of judgment. When it is
consummated, "Yahweh's servant David will be a Prince among them, and be
their Shepherd." They will have stood upon their feet an exceeding great
army in their enemies' lands; and from thence have opened for themselves a way
by divine cooperation into the land of Israel, upon the mountains of which they
will be, for the first time since the fourth year of Rehoboam, B.C. 982, one
nation, and one kingdom, under one king. "They shall no more be two
nations neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all."
The sanctuary will be in the midst of them, and the tabernacle also; and Yahweh
will be their Elohim, and they shall be His people (Ezek. 34:23; 37:10,11,12;
22-27). This restitution of all things pertains to the seventh vial, which
embraces "the times of" that "restitution of all things which
the Deity hath spoken by the .mouth of all His holy prophets since the days of
Moses" (Acts 3:21). Jacob is saved out of his trouble; the yoke of Esau is
at length broken from off his neck; and the first dominion, the kingdom, has
come to the daughter of Jerusalem (Gen. 27:40; Mic. 4:8). The vindication of
the holy is complete.
Now, as the reader may
well suppose, this wonderful and mighty operation of Deity becomes an affair of
world-wide interest and importance. It will not be a work of peace. The
Frog-Dominion has been pro-claimed to be peace: l'empire c'est la paix but not so the kingdom pro-claimed in the
gospel. This kingdom, in the period of its establishment,
Page 27
is not peace; but war,
until it has been broken in pieces and subdued the four beasts of Daniel; and
planted itself without a rival in all the earth. Such an enterprise as this may
be planned and prepared, but cannot be executed in secret. It is therefore
testified that "the nations shall see and be confounded at all Israel's
might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.
They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes
like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of YAHWEH our Elohim, and shall fear because of
thee" (Mic. 7:16). The testimony of Micah is developed in the forty years
of the time of the end immediately preceding the Millennium, as the result of
the Seven Thunders, by which, not the earth, but those who corrupt the earth,
are destroyed (Rev. 11:18).
Page 28
.is the symbolical prefix to the prophecy of the seven epistles; but the actual manifestation of the Spirit's presence in the midst of the redeemed is not revealed until he occupies the throne in the time of the ending of the Laodicean state (ch. 3:20-21).
Again; this peculiarity is exhibited in the fourth chapter. Here the whole is occupied with a symbolical exhibition of the Spirit in covenant-manifestation. The throne and kingdom of David, termed Yahweh's by the prophets, have been covenanted to Jesus and his Brethren, who are to possess them when "glorified together." This purpose, or end proposed, is first represented to John; not because it existed then or since; but because all to be shown him, called "the things which shall be hereafter", are to result in the development of that revealed purpose. It would be a great mistake to look for the subject-matter of the fourth chapter as extant in heaven or upon earth while John was in Patmos. There was no counterpart to them. The figuration was simply a symbolic vision, showing, that at some future time not specified in the chapter, there should be a throne established in the air, or firmament, of the Romano-Dragonic Universe, which should be possessed by an Omnipotent Theocracy, from which should "burst forth lightnings, and thunderings and voices;" and having thereby established its sovereignty, should rule with universal dominion. But, though so early exhibited in the scroll, it is not until the seventh trumpet period that the announcement is made of its actual development, saying, "The kingdoms of this world are become Yahweh's and His Anointed's" (Ch. 11:15). Thus the end, though first in purpose is in development the last; and we are taught that to establish this throne of omnipotence will require, according to the divine predetermination, the full development of all the events prefigured in the seals, trumpets, vials, and thunders.
Another notable instance of this structural characteristic of the apocalypse is found in the eleventh chapter. It occurs in the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth verses. In these is announced the end purposed in the complete sounding of the trumpet, and therefore the con-summation of the seventh seal; or, as it is expressed in ch. 10:7, the finishing of the mystery of the Deity, as he hath declared the glad tidings to his servants the prophets. This is finished en tais hem era is hotan melle salpizein, in the days when he (the Seventh Angel) shall sound; not "when he shall begin to sound," as in the Common Version; nor while he is sounding; but when he shall have finished sounding, then the mystery shall be finished in the kingdoms of this kosmos or constitution of things, the unmeasured court of the Gentiles becoming Yahweh's and his Anointed's. The sounding being over, and the wrath of Deity, consequently, all expended, the mission of the FOUR LIVING ONES FULL OF
Page 29
EYES is completed: the "lightnings" flash no more, the "voices" are hushed, the "thunderings" burst forth no more from the throne, the vibrations of the "earthquake" have ceased, and the "hail" falls no more Out of the heaven upon men. In other words, the "judgment given to the saints" has accomplished its work in putting them in possession of "the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven" (Dan. 7:27). For this cause, therefore, in the ascription of thanks to YAHWEH AlL Shaddai, the four belligerent Living Ones are withdrawn from the figuration; and the four and twenty elders only are in prostration before the Everliving One. The reader is aware that the saints are symbolized both by the Four Living Ones and the Elders, only in different relations. The Four represent them in their militant an-tagonism to the powers that rule the nations; while "the elders" represent them as victorious kings and priests in the glorious and peaceful possession of their conquests. When "the war of the great day of AlL Shaddai" is over, and peace obtains in all the earth, there is no more pre-millennial work for the saints to do as the "Four Living Ones full of eyes." As militants they have "gotten the victory," and their community is wreathed with the coronals which "they cast before the throne." These are cast there when the cause of thanksgiving, rejoicing, and prostration has been developed. Hence, ch. 4:10, is parallel with ch. 11:16. The saints, no longer belligerent, give thanks because YAHWEH AIL-Shaddai has acquired great power on the earth and reigned. When this thanksgiving was dictated to John in Patmos, it was the revelation of a purpose - an end which Deity had predetermined. The "great power" had not been taken, nor the reign commenced, when the apocalypse was given to John. Nor have they yet; nor will they be till the end of the seventh trumpet. Hence, the eighteenth verse of the eleventh chapter does not treat of what is to ensue after the reign mentioned in the seventeenth verse has commenced. "The nations are angry," not when the divine wrath is fulfilled, but when it comes. "The nations were made angry, and thy wrath came." This arrival of the divine wrath is synchronous with the advent of Christ, and with the operation of the Frog-Power in the final development of its working upon the Papal False Prophet, as prefigured in the sixth vial (ch. 16:14-15). The arrival of the divine wrath in the advent of the YAHWEH-NAME from far with anger burning (Isaiah 30:27) is at the epoch of the resurrection of the saints. It is from this epoch that ch. 11:18 originates a series of events, which ultimate in the destruction of the destroyers of the earth, and in the conquest and appropriation of their kingdoms by the Four Living Ones constituted of the prophets, the saints, and the venerators of the divine name, small and great. So that the order of the prophecy according to its succession
Page 30
of events is first verse 18, then 19, and after this verses 15,16,17: but, as a verbal revelation, the last event which crowns the whole series is first indicated; and then an outline is given of the series which ultimates in the victorious consummation.
This structural characteristic of the primordial statement of the end, is illustrated also in ch. 14. In this the primordial statement is contained in the first verse. It specifies a great predetermined end-the occupation of Mount Zion by the son of the Divine Father, together with those upon whom he has previously written the name of his Deity (Ch. 3:12). But this predetermined end is not the first thing executed. On the contrary, it is the last. The redeemed get possession of Mount Zion consequent upon the effect of the "voice out of the heaven" indicated in verse 2 the voice of a belligerent multitude, even the roaring voice of the Rainbowed and Cloud-invested Angel, who takes victorious possession of the City where David dwelt.
Thus, the end, first in purpose, is the last developed, but first revealed in the prophecy. Not attending to, or ignorant of, this structural peculiarity, some have committed grievous errors in their efforts at in-erpretation and exposition. It has led them to affirm, that the apocalypse is all to be fulfilled after the advent of Christ; while others declare that its revelation has been fulfilled long ago. Both these extremes meet in absurdity, where they embrace and kiss each other. They are mere assumptions, and too ridiculous for a serious refutation. The former theory is very convenient for the ignorant and the indolent; for if the apocalypse as yet is none of it fulfilled, nor even to begin to be fulfilled till after the advent of Christ, all are upon one low, common level respecting it. He that knows much of doctrine and history is at equal disad-vantage with him who knows nothing of either, and thus ignorance Is strengthened and consoled.
There are others again who think that much of the apocalypse is fulfilled but have not discernment enough in things past and present to draw the line between the future and the past. Some of these have taken up a notion that all the vials are poured out after the advent of Christ! This imagination has been conceived in a misunderstanding of the fifteenth chapter. They have not perceived that the whole chapter is de-clarative of the end purposed to result from the outpouring of the vials. It is declarative of the victory of the saints over the constituted authorities of the nations; and the subjection of these to the King of Kings because of manifested national judgment. They err also in supposing, that "the seven last plagues" are identical with "the seven vials." The seven vials contain "the seven last plagues;" but the plagues and the
Page 31
vials are not severally synchronical. On the contrary, the seven last plagues are synchronical only with the seventh vial; and so much of the sixth as obtains between the advent of Christ and the opening of the judgments of the seventh, is the epoch when One of the Four Living Ones gives the plagues to the angels. The seven last plagues are identical with the Seven Thunders; and as they are comprehended in the seventh vial, the giving of the plagues is represented in the presentation of the "seven golden vials." These vials contain much more than the "seven last plagues." They contain first plagues, styled "these plagues" in ch. 16:9, as well as last plagues. The plagues of the vials exhibited in this chapter are separated by the thief-like advent of Christ. "Last plagues" imply others that are not the last. The former plagues precede the advent; and all developed after it are "the seven last plagues." What extraordinary blindness to affirm that none of the vials are poured out till after Christ comes, while his coming is predicted under the sixth! This sixth-vial prophecy is subversive of the notion. The position it occupies as a speaking hieroglyphic shows, that five of the vials, and a considerable part of the sixth, were to be poured out before the advent. It is impossible therefore for the outpouring of all the vials to be delayed till that event. When it takes place, then in giving judgment to the saints recently raised, judged, and chosen, as signified by the "golden girdles" and "pure and white linen," the golden vials are given to them; and they consummate in their seventh vial mission the work of the whole seven vials, which without their intervention would never ultimate in victory over the beast, his image, his mark, and the number of his name.
This structural feature appears in the prophecy of the seventh vial itself. This is given in the last five verses of the sixteenth chapter; while the result of the whole is briefly stated in three words of the first of them 'it is done!" It is done consequent upon the pouring out of the vial into the air. The mystery is finished. But this finishing results only when there is no more wrath to pour out upon the air. Before the end thus primordially stated is developed, the voices, thunders, lightnings, earthquake, and hail ,must do their work upon the Great City, the cities of the nations, and their political islands and mountains. When these are all disposed of judicially, then, and not till then, will the consummation, primarily announced in the words "it is done" be established.
Page 32 .
Thus reads the text of Rev. 12:1. In the sixth verse this "great sign" is styled a "a great wonder." The word semeion signifies "a work by which something is known." A footstep in the sand is a mark by which it is known that a human being had been there. Hence the footstep is a sign, or mark with a signification; a mark by which something is signified. The mark is not the foot; but the impression stepped by the foot
- the sign of the foot, in a like sense is the sign of the text to be taken. This first verse exhibits a mark, or sign, by which something may be known. To constitute the sign there is a woman, the sun, moon, and stars, an investment, and a wreath. These are but lesser marks or signs of the "great sign." The woman, and the luminaries in the great sign are no more, as some imagine, a real human being of the female sex, and the lights of the sky, than the step of the foot is the foot itself. They are merely signs of something else, between which and them there is an analogy, or resemblance. These lesser marks when grouped together, as in the text, constitute "a great sign," which must, therefore, be regarded as representing a notable development, a wonderful appearance in the apocalyptic heaven.
The sun, moon and stars of this great sign, belong to the heaven in which the sign appears. It is the same heaven as that in which "silence, as it were a half hour," supervened after the departure like a scroll of the heaven which preceded it (Rev. 8:1; 6:14). These two apocalyptic heavens are evidently revealed in these texts. In my exposition of the sixth seal (see Vol.2. pp.276, 292), I treated of the abolition of the former of these two heavens, in the taking out of the way that which hindered the revelation, or manifestation of the Anomos, or Lawless One (2 Thess. 2:7). The removal of this obstacle is predicted apocalyptically in these words, "the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of the heaven fell into the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken by a mighty wind." And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together. This prediction was fulfilled in the change of the constitution of the Roman Orb consequent upon the success of Constantine, crowned by the victory of Chrysopolis, A.D. 324. Until this epoch of eighteen years, "the heaven" of Daniel's Fourth Beast styled apocalyptically the Dragon, had been in all its constituents pagan. The emperors were all worshippers of Jupiter, and his associate gods. The sun-light of their imperialism was reflected from the idol superstition, of which they were ex-officio the High Priests or Supreme Pontiffs. This was the moon of the heaven shining by reflected imperial light. So long as the Roman constitution of the Fourth Beast continued pagan, none but pagans could constitutionally execute the functions of the imperial office; for
Page 33
none but a pagan could be Pontifex Maximus of the Roman Orb. But the victories of Constantine changed all this. He shook the Dragonic Fig tree with a mighty wind, and caused the stars of the heaven to fall into the earth, as perished figs from the parent tree. He slew with great and sanguinary defeats the adherents of the State Superstition, so that "the moon became as blood." She no longer walked in the brightness of im-perial favor, reflecting to the earth the glory of the Roman Sun. The testimony of Jesus Christ against idolatry, borne by his witnesses, had alienated the popular mind from Jupiter and the gods, though it had failed to convert it to the gospel. The priests of the idols having lost their hold upon the affection of the multitude, the way was prepared for the subjection of Roman Idolatry to the Catholic, or Laodicean Apostasy. The consummation was necessarily sanguinary; for the testimony of history, and present experience, show that a minority in arbitrary power can only be brought to abdicate by the arbitrament of the sword. This award was appealed to by the contending parties of the day. The issue was between the PAGANS and the CATHOLICS; or between a pagan minority in place and power, and a majority of anti-pagans of all varieties and shades, who desired a change in the civil and ecclesiastical constitution of the Roman State. In their appeal to arms the power of the minority was broken. It could no longer bring an army into the field to defend the interests of the idols constitutionally vested in their priests; so that nothing remained but the favor of an infidel and alienated multitude, inconstant as the wind. The revolution was complete. The ancient order of things incorporated with the reigning idolatry was canceled, and the scroll of its constitution rolled up out of the way. The pagan imperiality became black as sackcloth of hair. Since the death of Licinius, the last of Constantine's rivals, only one worshipper of Jupiter has occupied the Roman Throne. The total eclipse of the pagan sun, the sanguinary obscuration of the brightness of the pagan moon, and the hurling of the pagan stars into the lowest walks of life among the people, finally and effectually signalized the departure of the pagan heaven as a scroll rolled up. We have witnessed the departure of a heaven as a scroll when it is rolled up, in the collapse of the Southern Confederacy (†). The dispersion of the southern forces resulted in the abolition of its civil constitution, and the consequent suppression of all things related to it; so that with the exception of the calamities entailed, it is as though it had never been. Such was the collapse of Roman Idolatry in its church and state constitution, or heaven. Its forces were overpowered and dispersed, and as the
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(†) The reference is to the American Civil war. The Southern Confederacy constituted the southern States of America who resisted the abolition of slavery. They were defeated in battle and the nation reformed as USA as a result Publishers.
Page 34
world never 'wonders" after a sinking cause, but is always ready to worship success, it easily transferred its allegiance to the more powerful rival which had dethroned it.
Thus the idol-heaven of Daniel's Fourth Beast-dominion was rolled out of the way by the judgments of the Sixth Seal to make room for a new heaven with its own appropriate luminaries. This "heaven" was a church and state constitution of things, in which the Apostasy, foreshadowed in the epistle to the ecclesia at Laodicea. shone with all the brightness and glory an unscrupulous world lying under the wicked could confer upon a system of delusion congenial to it. Its sun, moon, and stars shone brightly. Though a new constitution of the aerial was proclaimed, the sun was not abolished. The storm-clouds of a departing idolatrous institution had blackened it. It no longer shone in the splendor of pagan majesty which was totally eclipsed; still the supreme power continued to be a diademed imperiality. It was the same twelve-starred Sixth Head which was developed in the Augustan epoch of Daniel's "dreadful and terrible" beast. When the half hour's silence invaded the heaven, the "mighty wind" which had been rudely shaking the Roman Fig-tree for eighteen years, was calmed; and the sun of imperial power and majesty emerged again from the hair-sackcloth blackness of the darkening and sanguinary revolution by which it had been obscured. It emerged again to shine with an unclouded blaze upon an entirely new order of things - an order, such as the sun in the natural heaven had hitherto never shone upon since he was placed there to rule the day; an order therefore, which, in the words of the apocalypse, might fitly be represented as "a great sign in the heaven."
In the "great sign" of ch. 12:1, the Roman Sun is no longer invested with blackness, but invests a sign-woman with a blaze of glory peculiar to himself - a woman invested with the sun." Whatever the woman may signify, this investiture symbolizes the clothing of the thing signified with supreme imperial authority; so that whatever might emanate from the woman would be by sanction and co-operation of the highest orders of the state.
The woman, or Laodicean Community, could not have been invested with a more appropriate symbol than "the sun," expressive of the imperial embrace, as well as of the particular emperor by whom she would be patronized. Gibbon informs us that Constantine had a particular veneration for Apollo, or the sun, to which Julian alludes in his orations. His words are, "The devotion of Constantine (while yet in embryo) was more peculiarly directed to the genius of the sun, the Apollo of Greek and Roman mythology; and he was pleased to be represented with the symbols of the god of light and poetry. The unerring shafts of
Page 35
that deity, the brightness of his eyes, his laurel wreath, immortal beauty, and elegant accomplishments, seem to point him out as the patron of a young hero. The altars of Apollo were crowned with the votive offerings of Constantine; and the credulous multitude were taught to believe, that the emperor was permitted to behold with mortal eyes the visible majesty of that tutelar deity; and that either waking or in vision, he was pleased with the auspicious omens of a long and victorious reign. The sun was universally celebrated as the invincible guide and protector of Constantine; and the pagans might reasonably expect that the insulted god would pursue with unrelenting vengeance the impiety of his ungrateful favorite in his becoming a Laodicean Catholic. Diocletian had chosen Jupiter, and Maximinian, Hercules; but Constantine preferred the sun before all the gods of his fathers, as his guardian and protecting deity." When, therefore, Constantine came to occupy the Roman throne, and was manifested as Supreme Bishop of the Catholic Church, this Laodicean community might fitly be said to hav been "invested with the sun."
The position of the imperially invested woman in this "great sign" with "the Moon under her feet," indicates that she occupies the former place of the Roman Moon. In the heaven which had departed as a scroll, there was no woman standing upon the moon. There was simply the moon-hierarchy invested with the light of imperialism by which it shone; and between this hierarchal moon and the throne of the Dragon power, nothing intervened. But the Constantinian Revolution, or "great earthquake" of the Sixth Seal, had baptized the idol-hierarchy in blood; so that the moon became AS BLOOD.~ The sun and moon were not annihilated, but only subjected to changed conditions consequent upon the great earthquake revolution. This popular convulsion exalted one from among the people, and placed her in the moon's orbit. The light and glory of the imperial majesty fell upon her. The rays whose brightness had formerly glorified the priests of Jupiter, and conferred dignity upon his superstition, were now intercepted by a Hierarchy more favored by the state. This new hierarchy had been elevated by the earthquake above the old one; so that, in the "great sign," their relative position is symbolized by the former moon being subjected, or placed under the woman's feet.
Page 36
presbytery of the ecclesia in Thyatira he charges it with suffering, or tolerating, teachers and seducers within its jurisdiction, whose traditions were destructive of those "servants" who received them. Those teachers and seducers constituted a class of men of which Balaam is a representative. They "ran greedily in the error of Balaam's reward" (Jude 11). They were seducing spirits and demons who spoke lies in
Picture of medallion page 36 not shown
The gold medallion depicted above. commemorates thc entrance of the triumphant Constantine into Rome after the defeat of Maxentius, and shortly before the defeat of Licinius. The coin gives honour to the invincible Sun-god, whilst the Emperor atso acknowledges the God of the "Christians". In his coins and monuments, Constantine honored the pagan gods (and particularity the Sun god) as well as the so-called Christians.
Page 37
hypocrisy (1 Tim. 4:1,2): false teachers privily bringing in destructive opinions, and denying the Despot who bought them. Through covetous-ness, with feigned words, they made merchandise of professors unstable In the faith, sporting themselves with their own deceivings. They had once known the way of righteousness, and by the obedience of faith it inculcates had become children of God. But they afterwards forsook the right way, and went astray. Their heart was exercised like Balaam's with covetous practices; and without regard to the honor and interests of the truth, they zealously and volubly entertained their hearers with crotchety conceits and speculations. Their teaching and practices favored the wantonness and lusts of the, flesh. The inconstant and unstable among the saints favored their traditions, which proclaimed a liberty in things which the word condemns. This licentiousness strengthened the flesh to which it is congenial; and as this was developed, the power of the word became impotent; their hold upon it was relaxed; they became entangled again in the pollution’s of the world, and were overcome of their inordinate desires. Thus these teachers and seducers, with the disciples they had drawn away after them by the perverse things they taught, though they zealously contended for one God against the idolatry of the Roman State, adopted opinions and practices applauded by the profane. They "committed fornication, and ate things sacrificed to idols." For this contemptible "mess of pottage" they sold their birthright; and not only ruined themselves, but caused the truth to be evil spoken of by those whom it was designed to benefit (2 Pet. 2).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Picture page 37 not shown
This illustration is taken from a Roman Catholic catechism, and pictures Mary with twelve stars circling her head and the crescent moon under her feet. It is significant that the Egyptian goddess of fertility, Isis, is similarly pictured, and that The Apocalypse identifies the Apostasy with Sodom and Egypt (Ch. 11:8). Publishers
Page 38
Now teachers and seducers of the Balaam type either gained the ascendancy in the ecclesias, or not being able to maintain themselves therein, separated from them, and organized "churches" to suit themselves in which they could lord it over their flocks. But whether tolerated within the ecclesias, as in Thyatira, or separated in distinct and in-dependent congregations, they were all prefigured by a woman. The character of this figurative woman is known to the faithful by the name she bears. She is in certain relations apocalyptically styled JEZEBEL. because of the analogy subsisting between the character of the infamous daughter of Ethbaal and wife of Ahab, and that of the teachers and seducers by whom the Laodicean Catholic Apostasy was organized and perfected within the Anti-pagan Community. The original Jezebel essayed the utter abolition of Yahweh's worship in Israel; and substituted the adoration of other deities, with the lascivious abominations which had formerly brought extermination upon the Canaanites. Her fate also made her a fit emblem of the apocalyptic Jezebel, whose children will be eaten by dogs in the day of Jezreel (Psa. 68:23). The false teachers and seducers of the first three centuries, although they did not avow it as their purpose, effected completely what Jezebel aimed to accomplish in Israel. They utterly abolished "the doctrine of Christ" by their traditions; and if it had not been for "a little strength" found among a very small remnant that kept the Spirit's word, and had not denied His name, "the Israel of the Deity" would have been entirely transformed into "the Synagogue of Satan." The Star-Angel Presbytery of Thyatira was too tolerant of "the depths of Satan as they taught," for the Spirit's approval; for, after commending the angel's love, service, faith, patience, and works, he adds, "Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols." In this toleration the Star-Angel or Eldership, was culpable. They ought to have silenced their false teaching, and to have permitted nothing to reach the ears of the flock not in harmony with the written word. This would have preserved "the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God;" and have prevented the development, out of the One Body espoused to Christ, of a self-complacent Catholic Jezebel, who in the epoch of the "great sign" was at once wretched, and miserable and poor, and blind, and naked" (Ch. 3:17).
Such was the figurative antipagan woman we behold exhibited in the heaven invested with the sun's majesty, and his ancient lunar idol-harlot made subject "under her feet." The "great sign" represents her situation as it appeared the outer world, for under another aspect of
Page 39
things, the "few names not defiled" of the same figurative woman are represented by "the remnants of her seed who keep the Commandments of the Deity, and hold the testimony of Jesus Christ." Hence the figurative woman of ch. 12, invested with the Roman Sun, and fleeing from the Dragon, represents the whole ANTIPAGAN COMMUNITY; the vast majority of which answered to Jezebel and her children; while the remainder, with whom alone the doctrine of Christ was to be found, refused to have anything to do with a church in alliance with the "dreadful and terrible beast having seven heads and ten horns." These two divisions of the antipagans, though opposed on the question of church and state alliance, were agreed in their hostility to the ascendancy of the existing Imperial Idolatry, which grievously afflicted them all. The first ecclesiastical separation of these two divisions did not occur till after the birth of the woman's son, who was to rule all the Greek and Latin nations with an iron sceptre. When this event transpired, the anti-state church party repudiated the desecrating alliance with emperors and their courts. They refused to recognize the emperor's claim of being at once the representative of the Sixth Head of the Dragon, and Bishop of the Bishops of Christ. The truth was with this party. They seceded; and by their secession incurred the enmity and bitter hostility of the. New Church imperially established. The secessionists became the subject of virulent persecution by this new power, which caused them to take refuge in the wilderness. In this flight they are prefigured by the woman, who therefore leaves behind her the sun and moon, and wreath of twelve stars.
But this transient appearance of the woman in the heaven characterizes the sun, moon and stars she had repudiated. They had become the catholic luminaries of a new heaven; which, under the sounding of the fourth wind-trumpet, are found ruling the day and the night of the Catholic Roman Orb. The transient standing of the woman upon the moon indelibly stamped the character of Jezebel upon it; and proclaimed it to be the lunar representative of the Laodicean Synagogue of Satan; which ever since has been allied, in some form or other, to the blasphemous and ferocious despotisms of the world.
But, though "the Lamb's Woman" refused to be allied to the Roman State, and retired into the wilderness, the State-Church Woman, Jezebel, was not so scrupulous. As "the church by law established" she retained her place in the heaven; and became "the Great Harlot" of the world. Little notice is taken of her apocalyptically until she is exhibited in ch. 17:1, in all the enormity of her profligate career. In this scene, she appears in the wilderness, into which the Anti-State Church Woman fled. She is seen "drunk with the blood of the saints,
Page 40
and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus;" and sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. She represents a "great city" of polity, "reigning over the kings of the earth." Her name in the beginning was Jezebel; but in the crisis of her fate it is also "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the earth." She reigns until the Ancient of Days is revealed, who "casts her into a bed, and them who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, and kills her children with death" (Ch. 2:22). This is the end of Jezebel in the day of Jezreel (Hos. 1:11).
A different destiny, however, is apocalyptically indicated for the woman espoused as a chaste virgin to Christ. She entered the imperial presence, but soon found that it was impossible to enjoy imperial favor and protection, and maintain her honor and allegiance to her Divine Husband in purity and truth. She therefore fled from the sunshine of royalty, and left behind her the Jezebel of her communion, to whom the meretricious blandishments of courts were altogether congenial.
While her Jezebel counter-self remained invested with the Roman sun, and acquired and exercised dominion over the kings of the earth, she was sojourning in the wilderness; in which, however, Jezebel after-wards succeeded in establishing her blasphemous, licentious and sanguinary rule. The Anti-Jezebel Woman dwelt in the wilderness as many months of years as Israel did years in the exodus from Egypt; and two months of years more. She remained there 1,260 years, or forty-two generations of years after her flight; and will continue trodden under-foot by the lovers and protectors of Jezebel until the end of another period of 1,260 years, when the Ancient of Days will come(*), and avenge the wrongs she has suffered, in the judgment which shall sit. At this crisis, she is carried to the Lamb to whom she has been so long espoused. Her husband who is her head is Christ. In "the time of the dead," having "made herself ready", she is "arrayed in fine linen clean and white" (ch. 19:7,8). Her marriage with the Lamb establishes such a oneness between those she represents and Christ, as exists between him and the Father in heaven. She is then "the Holy and Great City, the New and Holy Jerusalem, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Ch. 21:2,10). When thus "glorified together with Christ" (Rom. 8:17), the Jezebel-Synagogue of Satan will "be made to come and worship before her feet, and to know that Christ has loved her" (Ch. 3:9). Jezebel's children will have been slain with death, and her communion and sovereignty abolished; and the only woman seen in the heaven will be the glorified fugitive of the wilderness; clothed with the sun of
Righteousness, the moon of the Laodicean Apostasy under her feet. and
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* See note on the Publishers comment of these prophetic dates in Vol.2 p.10. Publishers.
Page 41
upon her head a wreath of twelve Apostolic Stars.
What a remarkable contrast between these two apocalyptic women. The one, Jezebel, the Great Harlot and the Mother of Harlots; the other, the Lamb's wife and the Mother of all the Saints. The former, sovereign in all times of the Gentiles; the latter, trampled underfoot of the Gentiles in all their times; and persecuted with the utmost rancor and bitterness of hate: the former, "arrayed in purple and scarlet-color, and decked with gold and precious stones, and pearls, and reigning over the kings of the earth;" the latter, clothed in sackcloth, and the habiliments of subjection: the former, the embodiment of ignorance, superstition, cruelty, blasphemy, hypocrisy, and vice; the latter, holy, harmless, undefiled, and without fault before the throne. Nor is the difference of their destiny less striking. Jezebel is first hated by her subject kings, who make her desolate and naked, and eat her flesh and burn her with fire (Ch. 17:16); and afterwards, having somewhat of intermission from his rough usage, she is utterly and forever destroyed out of the way by YAHWEH ELOHIM who avenges on her the righteous blood she has caused to be poured out upon the earth. The world being thus freed from the accursed presence of the Jezebel-superstitions of "Christendom" so-called; the nations henceforth enlightened, regenerated, and saved, walk in the glorified fugitive's light; who, for a thousand years, sheds the glory of the divine majesty with which she is invested upon all peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues; all of them blessed with faithful Abraham, in Abraham and his seed (Gal. 3:7-9). This blessedness under the government of Christ and his Bride is the theme which concludes the Apocalypse given by the Deity to Jesus Christ.
5. The Wreath of
Twelve Stars
Now, the reader of the former volumes of this exposition is aware of the important apocalyptic difference there is between a stephan and a diadem. The former was given to a combatant when victorious in his conflicts; the latter is the symbol of regal and imperial, or elective sovereignty of an established order. The Antipagan Woman was a combatant community, to whom dominion and power over the nations were
Page 42
promised, as a prize to be contended for, and bestowed upon the victor (Ch. 2:26,27). This prize was signified by a stephanos. If she were victorious, her success would be indicated by a stephan upon her head, as in the "great sign".
It may be remarked here, that the antipagan Woman and the
arrowless Archer of the first seal are representative of the same community in
its warfare "against the principalities, powers, world-rulers of the
darkness, and the spirituals of the wickedness in the heavenlies of the Roman
Orb (Eph. 6:12). The Antipagan Archer went forth to conquer the Graeco-Latin
Dragon. He had first to overcome and dethrone Jupiter and the gods, "by
the blood of the Lamb, and the word of his testimony;" and afterwards to
take possession of the diadems enthroned under the whole heaven, and to rule
their nations for a thousand years. Significative of this it is written in ch.
6:2, edothe auto stephanos, there was
given to him a stephan, or wreath. John saw that the archery of this
communion, to which he himself belonged, was prevailing "against the
darkness of the course of things" - tou
aionos toutou - which obtained while he was in Patmos. He saw it,
therefore, going forth "conquering, even that it might conquer." Its
career of conquest, though harassed by the enemy, was not to be stopped. The stephan was to be placed upon the
woman's head by the highest authority in the state, as the result of "a
great earthquake," or revolution, which should place her son upon the
throne. When John in vision saw the archer ride forth upon the white horse he
had not then won the stephan. He had a combat for the faith of over two
centuries before him; at the end of which the fraternity he represented was
seen in the heaven invested with the sun, the moon in subjection, and the stephan
of victory emblazoning her head with its stars. Thus far the triumph was
complete: nevertheless, the earnest or
type only of a greater yet to come.
But, the placing of a simple stephan upon the Woman's head would have merely signified that she was a victor. But what was the prize of victory? What had she gained by her victory over the Dragon persecutor, which accused her people. incessantly before the Deity? This question is apocalyptically solved by the TWELVE STARS inserted in the wreath. These were the twelve most conspicuous stars of the Roman Firmament. They were stars of the first magnitude which excelled all the other stars in the glory of their position. There were none brighter in the political astronomy of the state. They were the stars of that imperial dragon- headship of which it was remarked to John in chapter 17:10, saying "ONE is." These stars of this Sixth Head at the time of the apocalyptic going forth of the archer of the first seal were exactly twelve, and may be enumerated chronologically thus -
1. AUGUSTUS, founder of the Sixth Headship of the Roman Dragon. This Star reigned 44 years from the battle of Actium, which was fought B.C. 30. He died A.D. 14, in his 76th year. He made Tiberius his colleague in the empire three years before his death A.U.C. 764, to..............................................A.D. 11
2. The SECOND STAR was Tiberius Caesar, successor to Augustus. In the 15th year after being made the colleague of Augustus, "the word of God came to John the son of Zachariah in the wilderness;" and he began to preach. This was 483 years from the 20th of Artaxerxes, the beginning of Daniel's seventy weeks. John was aged 27; Jesus 26 years and six months A.D. 26 At the end of three years and a half, Jesus having been immersed, and John cast into prison, Jesus began to preach the gospel of the kingdom. This began the second half of Daniel's seventieth week ................................................ .A.D. 30
At the end of Daniel's Seventieth Week, or 490 years from the 20th of Artaxerxes, which was the 22nd of Tiberius Caesar, sin was condemned in our common nature by the crucifixion of Jesus Christ ....................................................... A.D. 33
3. Tiberius dies in the 23rd year of his reign, and is succeeded by the THIRD STAR, named Caius Caesar Caligula A.D. 33
Of this human monster Tiberius said, that he had brought up a serpent for the Roman people; concerning whom he expressed the wish that they had but one neck, that he might cut if off at one stroke. He died ................................... A.D. 37
4. The FOURTH STAR was Claudius Caesar. The famine mentioned in Acts 11:28, pervaded the whole Roman Habitable under this star. He reigned not quite fourteen years, and died aged 63 .......... ........................................................... ..A.D. 51
5. The FIETH STAR was his successor Tibenus Llaudius Nero. This Caesar for the first five years reigned with applause, being provoked to good conduct by the perpetual admonitions of the renowned Seneca. But changing his manners, he sunk to the lowest depths of degradation. He reduced the greater part of Rome to ashes, and charged it upon the christians, upon whom he inflicted the most exquisite torture. He died by his own hand in the fourteenth year of his reign, aged 32............ A.D. 64
6. The SIXTH STAR, was Galba, who reigned 8 months.
7. The SEVENTH STAR was Otho, remarkable for his wickedness, and the shortness of his reign, which scarcely exceeded three months. He died by his own hand, and was succeeded by a man of incontinent gluttony.
8. Vitellius was the EIGHTH STAR, whose reign of seven months was signalized by the expenditure of thirty millions of dollars in feasting and riot. In the 57th of his age, he was dragged half-naked by a Roman mob into the forum, and with exquisite tortures torn to pieces, and thrown into the Tiber.
9. The NINTH STAR was Vespasian. He emulated the excellences of Augustus, and grieved to inflict punishment when justice demanded it. He was, however, extremely avaricious. He reigned ten years, and died aged69................ A.D.75
Page 44
10. The renowned Titus was the TENTH STAR. On account of his singular humanity, he was called "the delight of mankind." In the life-time of his father Vespasian he destroyed Jerusalem. He reigned rather more than two years, and died aged 41. He is supposed to have been poisoned by his brother who succeeded him............................................................................................................................. A.D. 77
11.Domitian was the ELEVENTH STAR of the Imperial Stephan. He persecuted the christians with the greatest rigor. He was a second Nero. John, the Apostle, was banished by his decree to the isle of Patmos, where the Apocalypse was revealed to him for the benefit of all true Christadelphians, or Brethren of Christ. After a reign of fifteen years, being detested on account of his cruelty, he was put to death by his own guards, age 55......................................................................... AD 92.
12.The TWELFTH STAR of this "dreadful and terrible" succession Cocceius Nerva, a man of prudence and moderation, who acquired the dominion late in life. During his brief reign of one year and four months, John was restored to the society of his brethren and companions in tribulation. He died, aged 66, and was succeeded byTrajan........................................................................................................A.D. 94
In the foregoing chronological table the dates are given according to the true time, which is four years earlier than the regular era.
Such was the WREATH OF TWELVE STARS extended by the Deity as a prize to be gained by the conquest of the Dragon. All the twelve were imperial supreme pontiffs. For the archer-and-woman fraternity to carry off the prize, was for it to be wreathed with the imperial stephan of the Caesars; and to subdue their pontificate under their feet. This it did most effectually; and, as a sign prophetic of this great victory over the principalities, authorities, world-rulers, and spirituals of the Roman Heaven; and for the encouragement of all engaged in the good fight of faith against the gods, who had eyes to discern the import of the vision, the woman was photographed in the firmament of the Roman Orb, wreathed with the supreme pontifical authority of the twelve.
For two centuries after the reign of the twelve stars, the soldiers of the faith, when they perused the verbal description of the "great sign in the heaven," would understand what was the stephan to be conferred; and would be filled with a full assurance of hope, that they would go on conquering until they obtained it. It was under this conviction, that on the opening of The Fifth Seal, they are represented as crying with a loud voice from underneath the altar, "How long?" How long till their brotherhood should wear the dodecal Caesarian starry stephan? They knew that this wreath of victory was Caesarian. A believer living in the beginning when the apocalypse commenced to be fulfilled; that is, at the accession of Trajan; knew that twelve Caesars had occupied the draco-Roman pontifical throne. From Augustus to Constantine there were about fifty-four emperors. Why, then, were there not as many stars upon the imperial stephan, seeing that it was gained when so many had
Page 45
sat upon the Italian throne? Because, I conceive, the number of the stars was given to indicate, that the opening of the apocalyptic. seals was to begin when the twelfth imperial star had set; that is, with the reign of Trajan, who was a thirteenth, or number one of a new series. Trajan and his pagan successors may be said to have worn the crown of the Twelve Caesars(*) But they could not retain it. It was wrested from them by the Woman, whose Jezebel-son claiming to be her Head - the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church - wreathed himself therewith; and then caused her to become a fugitive in the wilderness of the Great Eagle.
Ignorance and superstition have sadly misinterpreted the significance of this "great sign in the heaven." An engraving published with the sanction of the authorities of the Mary-worshipping synagogue of New York City, as a fronttspiece to a book entitled "The Glories of Mary," interprets the sign as a signification of the "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary." In the centre of the picture is a woman standing upon a cloud. She stands, as it were, in the sun, with beams of light issuing from the palms of her hands downwards towards the earth, as if they were rays of grace being shed upon her worshippers. Around her head is a halo, in which is a circlet of twelve stars; and over these a diadem supported by winged angels resting upon the upper margin of the cloud on each side of the woman. Under her feet is the moon, and beneath this, the ocean and rocks of earth. Thus is represented the ghost of a dead woman having been taken up into heaven and being on exhibition there as queen; for the legend of the picture is "salve regina," Health to thee, O Queen! Assuredly, nothing can be more remote than this from the true import of this "great sign". The reader, unless he be a Mariolator or d Puseyite, need scarcely be told, that the sign is wholly irrelevant to the mother of Jesus; and but for the adoption of the heathen dogma of the immortality of the soul by the Laodicean Apostasy, such a signification could never have been invented. There is no such woman in being, whether in heaven above or tn the earth beneath, as the Virgin Mary, body or ghost. The dust of what was once Mary is in "the pit of corruption," or Sheol, and will there remain until "the time of the dead," when she will stand again upon her feet the "blessed among women," and thenceforth all generations will call her blessed." In all "the times of the gentiles," however, she is non-existent. This is well known to all who are not drunk - drunk with the wine of the abominations and filthiness
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(*)The first twelve of the emperors, who ruled the Roman Habitable with undivided authority assumed the surname of Caesar, this title was therefore their original distinction -Imperator Caesar But when their successors associated colleagues with them in office, it became an inferior title the chief emperor being styled Augustus, the rest Caesars. Hence the diadem of the Sixth Head of' the Dragon was the Crown of the Twelve Caesars with which the woman's head was wreathed The Austrian emperors, who claim to be the secular chiefs of the Holy Roman Empire are styled Kaisar or Caesar to this day. - J.Thomas
Page 46
of Jezebel's fornication (Apoc. 17:4; 18:3). Hence the object of the adoration of Romanists is the merest fiction that can be conceived They have deified nonentity, and fall down and worship the conceit as the goddess-queen of heaven. This is not only folly, but the idiocy of pietism notably characteristic of the ecclesiasticism of our day.
But not only have Romanists missed the truth of this great sign, but their Protestant brethren likewise. Dr. Newton, a former Bishop of Bristol, in his work on the prophecies, page 600, in commenting most meagerly upon this sign, says, "St. John resumes his subject from the beginning, and in ch. 12:1,2, represents the church as a woman, and a mother bearing children to Christ. She is 'clothed with the sun,' invested with the rays of Jesus Christ, the sun of righteousness; having 'the moon,' the Jewish new moons and festivals, as well as all sublunary things, 'under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars,' an emblem of her being under the light and guidance of the twelve apostles." This is all he can see signified by this great sign! The bishop of Jezebel's English daughter has certainly made a nearer approach to the import of the sign than Jezebel herself. He does perceive that the woman represents church of some kind - that she is a sign-ecclesiastical woman, and not the emblem of a phantasma yclept the Queen of Heaven. But more than this he sees nothing signified.
The Rev. E. B. Elliott, however, does not agree with the interpretation of his ecclesiastical superior. He admits with him that church in some sense is meant by the woman in the sign; but this is all. On page 8, vol.1, he says, speaking of the sign, "But what the things prefigured hereby? This is the question. And first there can scarce be meant by the solar emblem, I think, what so many commentators have suggested in explanation - the church's investiture with Christ, as the sun of righteousness. The sun is no where in the Apocalyptic imagery made the representative of Christ. His countenance with its own intrinsic light is
described as like the sun, not as borrowing the sun to enlighten it: and, when fully revealed in the heavenly city, as altogether superseding it to the favored inhabitants. Nor, again, by her having the moon subjacent can there be meant a trampling upon things sublunary. Can the moon signify things under the moon? Consistency requires that we explain these greater luminaries to signify the chief rulers of the state, according to the general prophetic use of the symbols; and in the same way the stars, also seen in symbol, to signify lesser rulers in it. As to the precisely defined number of twelve stars - considering that the professing church on the Apocalyptic scene, including the true, was in an earlier vision (though one depicting somewhat later and worser times) numerically symbolized as the twelve tribes of Israel, we can not well err, I think, in
Page 47
explaining them to signify the heads, or ecclesiastical rulers, of those twelve tribes. The rather so, since this interpretation agrees with that which is given by inspiration itself of almost precisely the same symbol in the earliest of all emblematic visions, the dream of Jacob's son Joseph: and indeed with that explanatory note given at the very commencement of the Apocalyptic visions by the revealing angel himself; 'the seven stars are the angels (or chief and presiding ministers) of the seven churches.'
"And thus we are led to see that the figuration here given of Christ's faithful church was not one universally or generally true; but designative of it at some remarkable and particular time and conjuncture, viz: when the ruling powers in the Apostolic world would be associated with it, as its decoration and support; and its ecclesiastical rulers, or bishops, would be recognized as dignified authorities before the world. And in-deed much the same thing is indicated by the very representation of the woman as in heaven. For the heaven meant is evidently that of political elevation; just as in the vision, a little while since discussed by us, of the ascent of the witnesses; it being one in which the dragon might occupy a place as well as the woman; and one, the position in which is contrasted with dejection to the earth, as of a change from political power to political degradation."
Thus far Mr. Elliott, in whom there is certainly more light than in bishop Newton. Still Elliott's light is but darkness after all. The woman-church being crowned by the heads, or ecclesiastical rulers, of the twelve tribes of the apostolic Israel, is a very far-fetched conceit. He admits, that the sun and moon of the sign belong to the heaven common to the woman and the dragon; what consistency then is there in not recogni zing the twelve stars as belonging to that heaven also! Why interpret the sun and moon of the Roman Heaven, and twelve stars of the woman's own polity in apostasy? The stars are Roman as well as the sun and moon; and stripped of these in flight, the twelve stars remain with the sun and moon in the same heaven from, or out of, which she flies; otherwise, we ought to behold her a fugitive with a wreath of beauteous stars upon her head in the wilderness; a symbolization which would be Incompatible with her trampled condition there.
6. The Woman Pregnant
"And being pregnant she cries being in pangs and straining to
bring forth" - verse 2
En gastre echousa, literally, having in belly. She contained something within the pale of her communion afterwards to be manifested, or
Page 48
brought forth. She contained it, according to the fitness or decorum of the symbol, previous to her cries in parturition. She did not cry being in pangs and straining to bring forth after her investiture with the solar mantle of imperialism. Her being invested with the sun was consequent upon her giving birth to what was contained within her, and its being placed upon the Italian throne. Had her child not been born, the "great sign in the heaven" would not have there appeared. The Italian throne in Rome had first to be vacated by its pagan occupant, before anything produced from the Laodiceanized Christian Body, pre-figured by this woman, could be herpasthe, carried up from its birth-place in the Roman heaven to godship and its throne - proston Theon, kai ton thronon autou. Hence the "great Sign" described in the first verse, was representative of the consummation of certain antecedents; and though first stated, was the last thing in the situation developed before the world.
The woman's pregnancy, then, preceded her cries. With what was she pregnant? This is now the question to be solved.
Zion and Jerusalem not only signify the geographical and topographical things so called, but all those, whether Jews or Gentiles, who have acquired citizenship in the Commonwealth of Israel by adoption through Jesus Christ. These all constitute a community, which in Isaiah 66:7, and Jer. 6:2, is likened to "a comely and delicate woman". In the former text the Spirit saith of her, "before she travailed, she brought forth; before her patn came, she was delivered of a man child." It was the same comely and delicate woman the exile in Patmos saw in the heaven invested with the sun. Isaiah's woman and John's woman are both represented as pregnant, and bringing forth, or giving birth to, a man child. But the difference existing is this, that John's woman brought forth under the Sixth Seal, A.D. 312-313; while Isaiah's woman brings forth under the Sixth Vial at "the time of the dead." There is difference also in the things brought forth. Isaiah's woman brings forth a multitudinous man child; that is, a nation, the "holy nation" (1 Pet. 2:9) consisting of the children of Zion., whom the earth is made to bring forth in one day. This nation is "born at once" before the travailing of Zion in the bringing forth her children after the flesh. As the saints are still mostly in the grave, and Israel and Judah in captivity among the nations - en-tombed in national graves - Zion is now a pregnant woman waiting until her time come to be delivered.
But we have to do with the comely and delicate Zion-woman as pregnant neither with Israel and Judah, nor the Saints, but with some other thing. What was that thing?
In writing to the Corinthian section of the Zion-community, Paul
Page 49
says,. "I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present a chaste virgin to Christ" (2 Cor. 11:2). By this we are taught, that the "One Body," likened to a woman, is to be considered in the absence of Christ, not as a married, but as an espoused woman - a bride elect. Paul desired that she might be presented in all the purity of her original espousals, when she was "sanctified and cleansed iri the laver of the water with doctrine" (Eph. 5:26). But, though this was his desire, penetrating the dark-ness of the future by the light of the Spirit, he could not forbear the expression of his fears lest the fate of Eve, the espoused of the first Adam, who was corrupted from the simplicity of the truth, should become the unhappy condition of the betrothed of the second Adam. "I fear," says he. "lest by any means, as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
What Paul feared, and to prevent which he was "jealous over all with a godly jealousy," was even then secretly at work, impregnating the Christian Eve with principles which in fruition caused her to give birth to a Cain, who has been murdering his brother Abel for fifteen hundred vears. It was even then at work. He styles it "the Mystery of the Iniquity" - the secret principles of that lawlessness which would develop itself into the Lawless One, or Man of Sin - anthropos tes hamar-tia - THE MAN OF THE APOSTASY. The seed-germ of this man was already in the womb of the espoused. "The mystery of the iniquity is already effectually working," says the apostle in 2 Thess. 2:7. Yes, it was this working, which, in verse 9, he styles "the inworking of the Satan," gave him so much trouble, and caused him such great anxiety, as evinced in his epistles. The principles of the apostasy were being inwrought, as he informs us, "with all power, and Signs, and miracles of falsehood ,and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish." So effectual and specious was this inworking that, as Jesus predicted, even the elect would be endangered (Matt. 24:24). How could it be otherwise when, as Paul said to the Star-Angel of the Ephesian section of the betrothed Woman, "Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:30). These Star-Angel men had been made overseers of the ecclesia of the Deity by the Holy Spirit. They were the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, who had been supernaturally qualified by spiritual gifts "for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:12). With all the sanction of these gifts from the ascended Lord himself, they had been recognized by the flock they episcopized as the ministers of Christ. How unlikely therefore, that they would speak perverse things, and, becoming deceivers, rend the flock as grievous wolves, instead of feeding it, as they were exhorted to do by Paul. But,
Page 50
unlikely as it might seem, such was the fact. It is true that the Lord had bestowed upon them spiritual gifts; but these gifts did not act compulsorily upon those who had them. They did not compel them to speak only the truth, and to use them aright; they only qualified them so to do if they were disposed; but if, under the temptation of the flesh, they were indisposed, they could falsely teach, and speak perverse things, and misapply the signs and miracles they were able to work, to confirm what they said; for Paul says plainly that "the spirits (or spiritual gifts) of the prophets are subject to the prophets" (1 Cor. 14:32): the prophets were, therefore, responsible for the right use of them. They could abuse them, and many of them did, to the overthrow of the faith of those who heeded them.
It was by the inworking of these unfaithful teachers constituting "the Satan", "the Serpent," that the Christian Eve was "corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ." The depths of the Satan as they taught (Apoc. 2:24) impregnated her with the mystery of iniquity. They formed within her the embryo of the Man of Sin. They preached a Jesus which was not according to the Jesus Paul preached; they taught another gospel than that proclaimed by him; and denied a future resurrection of the dead; or, which was equivalent thereto, said that it was already past. The inworking of this mystery, or perverse teaching, showed itself very early in the history of the Christian Eve. The first intimation on record of this subverting of souls is found in Acts 14:1-5. In this place we are told that certain who believed were not satisfied with the sufficiency of the simplicity which is in Christ for salvation. The belief of "the things concerning the kingdom of the Deity and of the Name of Jesus Christ;" and the immersion of such a believer for salvation from the sins of the past did not satisfy them. They required that Moses should be obeyed as well as Jesus; and that no gospel short of this would save any one:
"Except ye' be circumcised after the manner of Moses, and keep his law, ye cannot be saved." This was their perversion of the gospel, which Paul terms "another gospel," the preachers of which, though of celestial angelic origin, he pronounced "accursed."
But these accursed preachers did not regard the anathema of Paul. They did not desist from the sowing of tares; but continued to heap tradition upon tradition until the distinctiveness of the truth was lost in "the commandments and doctrines of men" (Col. 2:22); and the way of truth came to be evil spoken of. Many followed their pernicious ways. Nor were the apostles able to extinguish their evil influence. Their reasonings and denunciations and threatenings, although sanctioned by the Spirit, failed to check or restrain the rapidly developing apostasy. Whole houses were subverted from the faith by these mercenary, unruly
Page 51
and vain talkers and deceivers (Tit. 1:11): and as error always progresses more rapidly than truth, the apostles found their influence waning, and the faithful falling into a minority; which steadily increased until there remained but few names who had not defiled their garments; and only a little strength to maintain the truth before the world (Apoc. 3:4,8).
From these premises then, we perceive, that the Zion-woman community was no longer, as a whole, "a chaste virgin." She had been corrupted and defiled by the subtlety, or "slight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they laid in wait to deceive," after the example of the beguilement of Eve. Hence, the woman-community, originally a chaste virgin, and all her constituents virgins undefiled, came to be pregnant with a multitude of "children tossed to-and-fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine." These were tares, or "children of the wicked one, and sown of the enemy, the devil" (Matt. 13:38,39). In the seven Apocalyptic Epistles, the constituents of this embryo apostasy are termed "liars," "Nikolaitanes," blasphemers, spurious Jews, "the synagogue of the Satan," "Balaam", "that woman Jezebel", "her children , 'the Satan", "the dead," "the wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." In the pentecostal beginning, these constituents were not found in the Christian Eve. Then "the multitude of them that believed were of one heart, and of one soul" (Acts 4:32). They had not yet been distracted and thrown into confusion by "grievous wolves," and "men speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them," for their own glory and advantage, reckless of the truth. But, in the course of three hundred years, all this was changed. The multitude of them who styled themselves Christians, were destitute of all unity of heart and soul; and had degenerated into a "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" set of catholic politicians. These gave character to the woman-community in the beginning of the fourth century. The Christadelphians or Brethren of Christ, at that crisis, were the "few names left, who had not defiled their garments." These alone were the pillar and support of the truth;" and but for them, it would have died out from among men; and there would have been no woman to fly into the wilderness, and to be sustained there 1,260 years. But the Deity had reserved to Himself a remnant, styled "the remnants of her seed, who keep the commandments of the Delty, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Ch. 12:17).
Thus the woman, who had become excessively attenuated, as it were skin and bone, a living skeleton, in all the period of her pregnancy, was grieved with a multitude of nominal professors ready for any enterprise by which they might acquire power and office in the state. This was the party with which she was pregnant. It styled itself "the HOLY APOSTOLIC
Page 52
TOLIC CATHOLIC CHURCH;" and only waited for a catholic man of power to lead them in their attack upon the pagan Roman government. This was "THE COMING MAN" of the fourth century - a leading politician, a Man of Power, who should be able to make the party to which he should belong the ruling power of the state. With this party, waiting for the manifestation of its chief, the woman was pregnant before "she cried being in pangs and strained to bring forth."
7. The Period of Pregnancy
The espousal of the "one body," symbolized in this
prophecy by a woman, occurred on the day of that Pentecost, which first
followed the crucifixion of the anointed Jesus. The apostles were instrumental
in this betrothal, and promising the virgin bride of believers marriage to the
Lamb when He should return to celebrate his nuptials with all who should be
found faithful to the end. "I have espoused you," says Paul, "to
one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ ' He had
begotten them to this honorable and glorious destiny by the truth he had taught
them, and which they had received in its simplicity; therefore he says in
another place, "to Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the
gospel" (1 Cor. 4:15).
But the Chrisladeiphian Eve had not been espoused twelve months before it became manifest that iniquity was working within her. The case of Ananias and Sapphira was illustrative of this. The evil manifested through them was the evil principle which generated that "Mystery of Iniquity" which at length developed the Lawless One or Man of Sin. It was the spirit of falsehood, which Paul styles "the deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish" (2 Thess. 2:10).
Page 53
This case of Ananias and Sapphira marks the commencement of the woman's symbolic pregnancy. It occurred A.D. 33. This was the epoch of her impregnation. From this year of apostolic espousal to what Mr. Whiston styles "the famous proclamation and edict for the universal liberty and advancement of christianity (more correctly, "the Apostasy") by Constantine and Licinius, A.D. 313, which put an end to the pangs of birth in the heaviest persecution that ever was then known, was exactly 280 years." A pregnancy of forty weeks of years, at the end of which there was manifest a Man of Power, who professed the faith of the majority of the woman's community; delivered her from the sanguinary oppression of the pagan "Devil and Satan," whom he cast out of the heaven into the earth together with the stars of his tail; and who set himself up as the Bishop, or Overseer, episkopos (the Eyes and Mouth) of all the bishops of the Roman world.
8. The Woman Cries Being In Pangs
The period during which she was tormented with the pangs of parturition were the "ten days," or years, preceding the proclamation and edict of Constantine and Licinius, which were issued, as I have said, A.D. 313. This parturient crisis in the woman's history is foretold in the letter to the ecclesia at Smyrna in these words - "the Devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days" (Apoc. 2:10). This ten days' parturient tribulation came upon her with the opening of the fifth seal, A.D. 303. This is known in history as the great Diocletian Persecution, the severest ever inflicted by the great red pagan "Devil and Satan" upon professors of Christianity. In this fifth seal period her "cries" were uttered "with a loud voice, saying, Until when, 0 Despot, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on the dwellers upon the earth?" Her pangs produced these outcries, which need not to be expounded heie in detail, seeing that they have been sufficiently treated of in the second volume at p.264. After the death of the Augustan emperor Galerius, in A.D. 311, her straining efforts began. Her pains now became forcing. She felt that she must die, if she did not give birth to a deliverer. The time of judgment and vengeance was to come at the end of "a little while," chronon mikron; and of that little while about two years only remained for the manifestation of her son upon the throne of the Roman Orb. The strain-
Page 54
mg efforts of the woman were synchronous with the opening of the sixth seal, by which was initiated that "war in heaven" which resulted in casting the pagan Dragon out, and her own investment with the sun; in allusion to which, Eusebius, in his Life of Constantine, says, "In short, as the sun, when he rises upon the earth, liberally imparts his rays of light to all, so did Constantine, proceeding at early dawn from the imperial palace, and rising as it were with the heavenly luminary, impart the rays of his own beneficence to all who approached his person" - lib. 1 ch. 43. The totality upon which these rays of the imperial beneficence fell, was all of the woman's adherents previously to his drawing the line between those who recognized his EPISCOPAL SUPREMACY and those who rejected it as the usurpation of the ANTICHRIST. After this line was drawn, the rays of his beneficence were reserved exclusively for what he styled "THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH," of which he was the acknowledged episcopal head. All others were regarded as perverse and wicked.
9. "Another Sign in the Heaven"
John saw "another sign in the heaven." The first Sign which he terms "a great sign," was the woman invested with the sun. The same heaven was the scene in which the two signs were exhibited to all who observed them. It was the heaven of the Roman Orb in Which shone all the luminaries of the Graeco-Latin body politic. The Dragon had long occupied the heaven of Italy; but it was not until the judicial crisis of the sixth seal that he was exhibited as "a sign." He was significative of a power occupying a position of hostility to the Christian Eve, and to all who favored her. This third verse is the first place in the Apocalypse where this hostile power is mentioned by the name of Dragon, though it is not the first where the power itself is indicated. The power is referred to in ch. 2:10, where it is styled "the Devil." Here the Smyrnean section of the woman is exhorted to "fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the Devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried." The Devil was the power which owned and controlled the prisons into which then, as now, he casts all whom his prosecuting attorneys convict of violating his laws. All the sufferings of the woman in her gestation.of 280 years were inflicted upon her by "the Devil and his Angels," who reigned in the heaven of the Roman Orb. These were her
Page 55
opponents who sought her destruction. The Devil was her adversary, who, "as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour;" but she resisted him being steadfast in the faith; nevertheless, though cast down by the afflictions he heaped upon her, she was not destroyed (1 Pet. 5:8); but overcame him in the epoch of this other sign in the heaven (Apoc. 12:11).
Picture shown page 56 not shown
PAGAN ROMAN DRAGON
- Overthrown AD 312-313 Rev. 12:3
"Dragon" applied to Eastern Emperors AD 395-AD 1453
This illustration is taken from the Apocalypse And Gospels by F. Bilton. Rev. 12:3 states:
~Behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads". This is not to be confused with the beast of the sea with its "seven heads and ten hoins" (Rev. 13:1), for the description of the latter symbol represents the crowns as on the horns. The position of the crowns illustrates the time sequence. The dragon of Rev. 12:3 represents Rome before divided among the horns or kingdoms of Euro p e, and so the crowns are on the heads, or Rome proper; the beast has the crowns upon the horns, not on the heads, and so represents the penod when Rome no longer dominates the horns which have secured independence of rule. - PublIshers.
10. The Great Fiery Red Dragon
Page 56
guished from the beast of the earth, and the beast of the sea; nevertheless, he possesses certain characteristics in common with them both: for they are all found upon the same arena, though not contemporary in all their history
The four beasts in Dan. 7:3, the winged lion, the bear, the winged leopard, and the anonymous fourth beast, are explained in verse 17, as representative of four kings or powers, styled kingdoms in verse 23. The nameless fourth beast, that is not named by Daniel, is styled by John diversely a dragon and a beast, according to the subject he may be treating of.
The Hebrew tannin, and the Greek drakon, rendered in our English version dragon, it is evident from Ezek. 29:3, signifies a crocodile; the great scaly serpent-fish of the Nile, the symbol of the Egyptian power, styled "Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers."
The dragon, then, whose force is in his tail, symbolized the power of the old Egyptian Polity. This, in the days of Moses, was the great enemy of Israel after both flesh and spirit. It embodied in its institutions all the filthiness, and superstition, and tyranny of human nature; and stood before the world as the great SIN-POWER of antiquity - "the Old Serpent, the Devil and the Satan."
But the empire of the Dragonic-Sin-power was westward. It did not remain enthroned in Egypt. Yahweh's servant Nebuchadnezzar transferred it to Babylon; whence in due time it migrated, and was at length found in the city of the Seven Hills. The power there, in the epoch of the sign, was the old Egyptian Dragon incorporate in the Graeco-Latin polity, which possessed Egypt, Syria, and the East. Hence, the territory of the Dragonic fourth beast of Daniel is apocalyptically and "spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was crucified" (Ch. 11:8); "the great city Babylon."
"The Dragon," says Daubuz, "is a crocodile, a
creature which is ranked among the serpents by Honis Apollo; and is called by
the Arabians Pharaoh, and which was
held by the Egyptians as the symbol of all mischief. And therefore' Typho
being, in their belief, the author of all evil, was supposed to have
transformed himself into a crocodile, or dragon. So that the principle of all
evil, or Typho, was in the symbolical character represented by a crocodile or
dragon; and under this symbol was the said principle worshipped. Agreeably
whereunto in the Chaldean theology the principle of evil was called Arimanius;
that is, the crafty serpent, from 'aruwm,
crafly, and 'tachash, serpent."
Amongst profane writers may be mentioned Horace, who compares the Roman people, not only to a beast because of its ferocity, but
Page 57
to a many-headed beast - lib. 1 Ep. 1 ver. 76. The apocalypse denominates that Egypto-Roman monster a great seven-headed dragon.
The dragon was one of the military ensigns of imperial Rome. Ammianus Marcellinus, as quoted by Elliott, thus describes it: "The dragon was covered with purple cloth, and fastened to the end of a pike gilt and adorned with precious stones: its wide throat being opened, so that the wind blew through it; and it hissed, as if in a rage, with its tail floating in various folds to the breeze." He elsewhere often gives it the epithet of purpureus, purple-red; "purpureum signum draconis." In another note Mr. Elliott remarks that "in Trajan's time the dragon was a Dacian ensign, not a Roman; as appears from the basreliefs on Trajan's arch. A century afterwards it was, as a Roman ensign, sculptured on Severus'
Picture page 57 not shown
At one time apurpurcus or purple-red dragon was used as a standard for Rome. It was first used as an ensign near the close of the second century, though it was not until the third century that its use had become common. It is most appropriate, there-fore, that The Apocalypse should introduce it at this particular point of the prophecy.
arch of triumph. Later in the third century it had become almost as notorious among Roman ensigns as the Eagle itself: and is in the fourth century noted by several authors. Among these John, surnamed Chrysostom, who flourished then, says that "the emperors wore among other things to distinguish them, silken robes embroidered with gold, in which Dragons were represented." Speaking of the procession of Constantine from Milan to Rome, Gibbon says, "he was encompassed by the glittering arms of the numerous squadrons of his guards and
cuirassiers. Their streaming banners of silk, embroidered with gold, and shaped in the form of Dragons, waved round the person of the em-peror".
Daniel's nameless "dreadful and terrible" fourth beast is a contraction, or condensation, of John's great fiery-red dragon, ten-horned
Page 58
beast of the sea, two-horned beast of the earth, image of the beast, and scarlet beast and drunken woman. These apocalyptic symbols are illustrative amplifications of the head, ten horns, eleventh horn, and eyes and mouth, of Daniel's "dreadful and terrible" beast, in its relations with the saints in all the 1260 years of their subjection, or down-treading by the Gentiles. In Daniel's description of it no mention is made of more heads than one. "The ten horns that were on his head." This is all recorded of its head. Daniel says nothing about "seven heads" on any beast shown to him. He only saw one; but behind this one were con-cealed seven others, of which we should have no more knowledge than he, had not the Apocalypse brought them into view. In this, the seven heads are brought out conspicuously. They are seen upon the Dragon, the Beast of the Sea, and the Scarlet-coloured Beast of the Wilderness. Though seen on different symbolic beasts, they are not different sets of seven; that is, one set of seven heads for the Dragon; and a set of different seven heads for the Marine Beast; and yet a different seven from either, for the Scarlet Beast of the Wilderness. They are one and the same seven heads upon all three beasts; so that the signification of them in connection with the scarlet beast, is their signification as the heads of the Dragon and the Beast of the Sea.
11. The Seven Heads of the Dragon
But the seven heads have not only a political, or ecclesiastical and
Page 59
secular, signification; they have also a topographical one. By this, I mean, they represent the particular place, or city, where the seven heads, in their political manifestation, were to be enthroned. The heads were politically anchored to the capital of the body politic. They must be sought for there, and only there; for the legislative head of a dominion is constitutionally located at the seat of government.
Now "here is the mind which hath wisdom" - here is the sense or meaning which is true. "The seven heads are seven mountains, where the woman is sitting upon them." This is a Hebraism; an idiom, in which "are" is used for represent. It is a form of speech often used in Scripture; as, of the rock smitten by Moses, it saith, "that rock was Christ" (1 Cor. 10:4); it represented Christ: "this bread is my body;" it represents my body: ~the seven lightstands are the seven ecclesias;" they represent them: and in many other places too numerous for reference. The seven heads have a two-fold signification, the first whereof is given in Apoc. 17:9. They represent seven mountains. But, if nothing more had been said, we should have been at a loss with regard to the particular seven represented. It was therefore added, "where the woman is sitting upon them." But what does "the woman" represent? There can be no doubt about the signification of this symbol; for John was informed that the woman represented "a Great City" -an Imperial City; even "that great city, which," while he was in Patmos, is "having dominion over the kings of the earth" (verse 18). From the description, it was impossible that John could mistake as to the signification of this imperial woman. He knew, as we may know, that no other city could be meant than "the Seven Hilled City" ROME. This is the only city situate upon seven mountains, in John's day or since, that can be said to have dominion over the rulers of the earth. Her topography is seven heads, or elevations, of the land drained by the Tiber; and are thus named:
1. Mount Coelius;
2. Mount Viminal;
3. Mount Aventine;
4. Mount Esquiline;
5. Mount Quirinal;
6. Mount Capitoline;
7 Mount Palatine.
Upon these seven mounts Rome, styled by its historians, "the Eternal City," is sitting; and, when the Apocalypse was revealed to John, contained a population of millions. She was founded by Romulus753 years before the birth of Jesus Christ; so that in A.D. 1868 she is 2621 years old. Her limits are now greatly reduced. About thirty years before Christ, and in the days of Augustus Caesar, Rome contained two
Page 60
millions of inhabitants; and was fifty miles in circumference; but in 1847, she contained only 175,883 inhabitants, exclusive of Jews, whose number was computed at 8000. As long as she continues above ground she will be an interesting city. She contains 354 edifices, termed by Daniel mivtzerai mauzzim, BAZAARS OF GUARDIANS; but, by "the daemons, foul spirits, and unclean and hateful birds" of "Christendom" so-called, "churches;" which, in their ignorance and folly, they have dedicated to ghosts or phantoms, which they have decreed to be immortal, and protecting guardians to all who worship them therein. Among these bazaars of Romish saints, St. Peter's, the temple of the Roman God, holds the first rank, being the largest temple in the world. It is 666 feet long, 284 wide, and its magnificent cupola rises to the height of 408 feet. It was 200 years in building. It is the temple of "the god of the earth", before whom, in belligerent antagonism, the saints and witnesses of Jesus stood; prophesying in sackcloths 1260 years (Dan. 11:39; Apoc. 18:2; 11:3). It is the temple in which is worshipped "the Man of Sin and Son of Perdition," styled also "the Lawless One"; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called a god or is reverenced: so that, as a god, he sits in the temple of the god, publicly exhibiting himself that he is a god" (2 Thess. 2:4). Such are the capital and chief temple of the apocalyptic Sodom and Egypt; the Queen City of the Gentiles, and most holy sanctuary of Satan.
Picture of Basilica "Vatican" not shown
The interior of the Basilica or temple of "the god of the earth" in the Vatican. Its painted walls depict the "pleasant pictures against which judgment is to fall (Isa.2:16).
Page 61
The second signification of the seven heads is expressed in Apoc. 17:10; as, "And they are seven kings"; the "and" connecting them with the seven mountains - "the seven heads are seven mountains, and they are seven kings," or governing bodies, as basileis also signifies. These seven forms of government belong to the seven hills; and are therefore Roman and Italian. John was informed, that at the time of the revelation of the mystery being made, five of the heads had fallen; and that the one in existence, consequently, was the sixth head; and that the other, or seventh head, had not yet appeared; but that when it came up, it would continue only a short time: "they are seven kings; the five have fallen, and the one is, the other not yet come; and when he may come, it behooves that he continue a short time." The two greatest historians, Livy and Tacitus, have enumerated the five from the building of the city, as,
1. The Regal Head, which continued 240 years;
2. The Consular Head, which continued 11 years;
3. The Dictatorial Head, which continued 5 years;
4. The Decemviral Head; and,
5. The Tribunitial Head with consular authority, which continued till it was superseded by
6. The Imperial Head, B.C. 31. John the apostle and Tacitus the historian, lived under this head, which continued in Rome 507 years. It was then wounded as it were to death by the
7. Or Gothic Head, A.D. 476. But, as this was only to continue "a short time" compared with the sixth, it was slain after reigning 60 years, in A.D. 554.
Picture of coins pg 61 not shown
Rome seated on seven mountains as depicted on a Roman coin in the British Museum struck A.D. 69-79.
Page 62
There was this peculiarity about the sixth head, namely, that, about A.D. 330, Constantine, the first catholic emperor, dedicated a new city, which, after his own name, he called CONSTANTINOPLE.(*) This new Rome was also built upon seven hills; nevertheless, it is impossible to mistake it for "the woman", or "great city", of Apoc. 17,' inasmuch as it has never been the capital of hoi hepta basileis, the seven governing bodies enumerated by the historians of the Italian Rome. On the dedication of Constantinople, the imperial residence and court were established there; while the ancient Senate of the empire continued its sittings and the exercise of its functions in Rome, until it became contemporarily extinct with the seventh head A.D. 554, after a continuance of 1307 years from its institution by Romulus, the founder of the Roman State. Thus, from the dedication of the City of Constantine to the establishment of the Seventh Head upon the seven mountains, the Sixth Head of the Dragon had two capitals and two thrones to which the governing orders of the state were related. This was an arrangement peculiar to the sixth head, and doubtless providentially ordered with reference to future predetermined constitutional developments, to be manifested after the fall of the Seventh Head. The sixth head continues enthroned in Constantinople, though not in Rome, to this day. Rome has witnessed eight heads upon her seven mountains; but Constantinople only one. The government in Constantinople has always been imperial, whether administered by a Roman or Ottoman dynasty. The imperiality of the Ottoman capital has descended, through Constantine, from Augustus Caesar, the founder of the sixth head of the Dragon. The loss of old Rome by the sixth head did not deprive the governing power in Constantinople of its sixth headship. The sixth head there still rules over the eastern section of the territory of the Dragon; and perpetuates the Dragon Power for the developments of which it is to be the subject in "the time of the end". Hence, the Constantinopolitan power, without regard to the particular race administering it, be it Italian, Greek, Turkish, or Russian, is the Dragon, as opposed to the Beast of the Sea, and the Beast of the Earth, of Apoc. 13. The Constantinopolitan power, as we have seen, originally owned both Rome and Constantinople; but in after times "yielded to the Lion Mouth of the Beast of the Sea his power, and his throne, and great authority"; reserving to itself what it was able to keep: so that the Roman Orb came to be divided between the Eastern Dragon and the Western Beast; and the populations of the two sections "worshipped" each respectively, as it is written, "they worshipped the Dragon which yielded power to the Beast: and they worshipped the Beast" Apoc. 13:4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(*)Today better known as Istanbul. Constantinople was called the new or second Rome.
Page 63
Further details concerning the Imperial Sixth Head will be exhibited when I come to treat of the Beast of the Sea. I would, however, call the attention of the reader to the remarkable feature in the symbolism of the Dragon in contrast with that of the Beast, namely, that upon the seven heads are "seven diadems", while upon the seven heads of the Beast there are none. Now, a diadem is a symbol of sovereignty. Upon the ten horns of the Dragon are no diadems, but only upon its seven heads. Had there been seven diadems upon the heads, and ten diadems upon the horns, seventeen in all, there would have been no Beast of the Sea and Image of the Beast, to have divided with it the political "worship in all the earth." The heads of the Dragon being only diademed indicates that its heads are sovereign; and that the Dragon symbol during the continuance of the Beast has specially to do with apocalyptic developments connected with the heads, Therefore it is we find the Dragon in existence after the destruction of the Beast and his Image in "the Lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Ch. 19:20). These are entirely destroyed when "judgment is given to the saints"; but the Dragon is not. This power is bound in the abyss for 1000 years; but at the end thereof, he lifts up his diademed sixth head, of which is the eighth, and by which the nations are again beguiled into the old delusion of the sovereignty of the people, and independence of all power but that which is inherent in themselves (Apoc. 20:7,5). But this is the last effort of flesh and blood to rule itself imperially upon the earth. The power that binds the Dragon, and destroys the Beast and his Image, premillennially, will at the end of the thousand years crush the Dragon's Sixto-Octavian Head, and so rid the earth forever of man's accursed nature, which is the Devil and Satan, in apocalyptic eight-headed and ten-horned manifestation -verses 9,10.
12. The Ten Horns of the Dragon
John in the wilderness saw the horns in what may be termed their Dragon-state, and writes of them thus, "the ten horns which thou sawest", said the angel to him, "are", or represent, "ten kings", or sovereignties, "which have received no kingdom as yet" (Apoc.17:12).
Page 64
This was their apocalyptic status until the Sixth Head of the Dragon had been wounded. After this had been slain almost to death, then we may look for the ascending of the Beast out of the abyss, in the dragon-horns receiving their kingdoms at the cost of the Dragon power (Apoc. 11:7;13:1).
We have seen that the heads were interpreted to John by the revealing angel, topographically and politically; thus conferring upon them a two-fold signification. So it is with the Horns: they are to be interpreted chronographically and politically. Until they had received their kingdom, they were mostly chorographic appendages of the Dragon-empire
The Pagan Dominion called the Old Serpent or Satan's Kingdom.
Map page 64 not shown
that is, they existed as provinces, territorial regions, of the dominion, upon which ten kingdoms were afterwards established by the barbarians, who founded the seventh head upon the seven mountains; wounded the Dragon's Sixth Head, which was afterwards "healed", and subverted the Dragon's jurisdiction over extensive regions.
Those regions were styled, by anticipation, horns - undiademed horns. In the time of John, they might be enumerated as, Greece, Moesia, Illyricum, Pannonia, Noricum, Rhoetia, Italy, Gaul, Spain, and Africa. The Dragon had then, and afterwards, other provinces in the east; but those only are to be reckoned as horn-provinces upon which kingdoms "receiving power as kings one hour with the Beast's" eighth head, horns sustaining the Papacy, were established. The political organization of the peoples that was developed upon these Dragon-horn provinces, became the apocalyptic Beast of the Sea; while
Page 65
Macedonia, Thrace, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt, remained to the Dragon, as at this day.
13. The Tail of the Dragon
The tail of the old Roman Dragon swayed by this power must have partaken of the character of that power, as the tail of a beast partakes of the peculiar vitality of the beast. The dragon in the heaven, heads, horns, body and tail, as a sign there, is to be viewed chronologically, in his tail-conflict with "Michael and his angels". This tail-conflict was the last conflict of the Pagan Roman Serpent-power, or Dragon, with the partisans of the Christian Eve. "The ancient and the honorable he is the head, and the prophet that teaches lies he is the tail" (Isa. 9:15). All the pagan priests and philosophers were the teachers of lies in this, the crisis of the sixth seal. They would therefore constitute a very important element of the Dragon's tail. Added to these would also be all "the rulers of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains (or chiliarchs, commanders of a thousand men), mighty men, and every slave, and every freeman" (Apoc. 6:15) who adhered to the pagan prophets. Of these were "the Stars of the heaven" in which the Dragon was a sign. Entering into the composition of his tail, his tail is said to "draw" them. The tail of a power in motion, represents ':ie fierce anger of that power against its enemies, as manifested in its movements of an
CONSTANTINE REIGNS SUPREME
Map page 65 not shown
Constantine in Italy (Rome) and Licinius in II lyricurn issue a Joint decree proclaiming religious toleration Constantine attacks and defeats Licinius in Illyricum and Pannonia Licinius retires to Byzanttum but is there defeated by Constantine land and sea forces with crawing to Asia Mtnor, the Eastern third of the Roman Empire, he is finally defeated and then murdered by the first
Christian Emperor who then reigns over a Christianized Empire
Constantine becomes Sole Ruler replacing Gairriss Masentius Masimin and finally Licinius
Page 66
army to destroy them. This appears from Isa. 7:4, where the armies of Syria and Israel, in march against Jerusalem, are styled the two tails of as many smoking firebrands, or their fierce anger. The tail of the Dragon is represented as in motion; for it is written, "his tail draws the third of the stars of the heaven, and did cast them to the earth." The power of the Dragon, or crocodile, is in its tail. It sways it violently in its anger; but if the power of its tail is overcome, all composing the tail, or attaching themselves to the party of the tail, will be laid prostrate under the feet of the victor; or, in the words of the prophecy, be "cast to the earth." The conflict was between Michael and the Tail of the Dragon, both being in the heaven. A third of the stars of this heaven sided with the Dragon's Tail; while the two thirds ranged themselves under the Standard of "the Cross," by which sign "Michael" proposed to conquer. At that time, the Dragon dominion was divided into three parts - the Eastern, the Western, and the Illyrian, prefectures. On the defeat of Maxentius, Constantine ruled the Western, Licinius the Illyrian, and Maximin the Eastern, Third. Maximin was the champion of Jupiter and the gods. This third was chorographically the Dragon's Tail, his Head being in Rome. Maximin dying in great torments, was succeeded in the Eastern Third by Licinius; who, apostatizing from the Catholic profession, solemnly professed himself at an idolatrous altar the champion of the gods. He was now the Pontifex Maximus of Paganism, or Chief Prophet of the Tail of the Dragon. He was the centre of attraction to the stars of the Eastern Third of the Heaven; and therefore to a "third of the stars of the heaven." He drew them after him to a final struggle against the Archer of the First Seal. But he was defeated and dethroned, and ignominiously ejected from his high position in the state; and, in his fall from the heaven, drew with him to the earth, all the men of power, philosophers, and priests of Paganism, the stars of the Dragon's Tail, who had staked their all upon his success.
14. The Old Serpent
The whole habitable, ten oikoumenen holen, was that portion of the earth comprehended within the limits of the great Pagan-Dragon dominion, which, in the epoch of the Sixth Seal, acknowledged the jurisdiction of the great city Rome. The head of this dominion was the Roman emperor, who united in his own official person the supreme pontifical, civil, and military authority. He was the sovereign living incarnation, for the term of his official existence, of the power resulting
Page 67
from the combination of the dwellers upon the habitable into a body politic, or kingdom of men. Human power enthroned upon the seven mountains, and exercising authority over the whole habitable imperial human power - is apocalyptically styled "the Old Serpent," ho ophis, ho archaios - the Serpent which was in the beginning.
The apocalyptic dominion ruled by this Serpent was Mediterranean. It enclosed this sea within its territory. On the north, it was bounded by the Caucasus, the Euxine, the Danaster, the Danube, the Rhine, and the German Ocean. On the south, by the Roman Africa, a strip of land lying between the Atlas range and the sea, and extending from the Atlantic to the Red Sea: on the west, it was washed by the Atlantic: and on the east reached to the Tigris, Euphrates, and the Arabian Desert. This territory, two thousand miles by three thousand, extended into Scotland; but did not include Ireland, Germania, Sarmatia, nor Persia. The former three were peopled by savage hordes; but at the epoch of the Sixth Seal they did not belong to the dominion of the apocalyptic Serpent.
But an inquirer might ask, were not all the outlying countries as much ruled by the Serpent, as the inhabiters of the Roman earth and sea? To this I reply, not in the apocalyptic sense. The apocalypse prefigures the conflict between "the Seed of the Woman" and the Serpent, for the sovereignty of the world (Gen. 3:15). This conflict was not between the Woman's Seed and the governments outlying the Roman empire. At the opening of the Sixth Seal, the time had not come for that. The time to deal with the sin-powers of Asia and America had not then arrived. It was therefore necessary only to indicate by appropriate symbols that section of the general enemy with whom the saints would have especially to contend; and this was the Serpent in his Graeco-Latin, or Roman, manifestation upon the territory defined.
But, if the Pago-Roman Dragon Power be the Old Serpent, did that power exist in the days of the serpent that tempted Eve? To this question the answer is, it did unquestionably exist. The testimony before us, bears witness to the fact. It is there styled archaios, which signifies, not only old, ancient; but primeval, from the beginning, original. The Roman Dragon was the original serpent power. This is not to be disputed.
The reader will bear in mind that we are treating of a power styled the old serpent," not of the reptile styled nahkash, which Moses says, "was more sagacious than any beast of the field, which Yahweh Elohim had made." The animal was not the power, but only the type of it. He was quick of thought, penetrating, and acutely discerning. He was the most intellectual of all the creatures, and had but one superior among
Page 68 .
the living, and that was Man. The difference between man and the serpent was diversity of organization. They were both dust of the ground; but the one more highly and perfectly organized than the other. The organism of the serpent embodied faculties whose functions placed him in harmony with man's nature. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, were common to them both; so that their intellectual and animal tendencies were on a par. Hence, man was more nearly related to the serpent than to any other animal - so nearly, that the serpent-nature and the man-nature, without much exaggeration, might be termed identical. I have said that man was intellectually his superior. This, however, must not be taken absolutely. The serpent showed himself to be more of an adept than Eve. He purposed to make her and Adam eat the fruit; and to do so by reasoning them into the commission of the act. In this he succeeded, and thereby proved that his intellectual subtitle was superior to theirs. Had they been as quick of thought and penetrating as he, he would have found his match, and the temptation would have failed. They, however, were over-matched by the serpent, who succeeded in deceiving them. He was the intelligent deceiver who darkened their understandings; while they stood in the humiliating position of the serpent-deceived.
Man has a class of faculties which the serpent had not. These are the moral faculties. The possession of these is the mental difference between the two creatures. The moral faculties are the basis of man's accountability. If he had been destitute of these he would have been as little accountable as the serpent. This organic difference is a matter of capacity for the reception of ideas. The mental capacity of the man was more ample than the serpent's, though less acute. He had more knowledge of things in general, and was capable of higher attainments in knowledge than the serpent, but he was not so sharp-witted in the use of what he knew as the subtile beast, whose wisdom has passed into the proverb, "Be ye wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."
The moral faculties, I say, are the basis of man's accountability. The mere fact, however, of their possession would not have made him responsible to the Deity. The possession of them gave the man no advantage over the serpent. The serpent was "very good," and the man was "very good;" for it is written, "Elohim saw everything that he made, and behold, it was very good" (Gen. 1:31). As mere material creatures, then, the capacity of one of them for the reception of moral, or spiritual ideas, did not destroy the analogy, or rather the identity, of the serpent nature and the man nature. The truth of this is apparent in mankind at this day. The Fejees, Japanese, New Hollanders, and such-like,have the same number of cerebral organs as Adam when pronounced "very
Page 69
good." Among those are organs capable of high moral developments. But ,what better are they for the possession of them under existing circumstances? Manifestly none. They are as thoroughly serpent in nature as though they had but the intellectual and animal faculties of the serpent, and no more.
Morally, then, the serpent could not respond to the thoughts, principles, and the institutions of the Deity; but man could, because of his organic capacity for the reception of them. The serpent could not, and the man would not; so that in relation to the way and principles of the Deity, both man and the serpent were reprobate; and of the two the man who could but would not believe and do, was unquestionably the worse.
Man was the only creature of the Deity's "very good" animal creation, whose action was restrained by a law. It was said to him, "Of every tree of the garden eating thou mayest eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day of thine eating thereof, dying thou shalt die." This was spoken to man only; but in the hearing of the serpent. Had the serpent, or any other animal, eaten of it he would not have transgressed, because the eating, or touching of the tree, was only prohibited to man. The law demanded of man the recognition of the Deity as his ruler and lawgiver by a faithful abstinence from the thing forbidden. The law was the spoken word, or oracle, of the Deity; and threatened the man with death if he despised it. No greater offense could be committed by the man; because "the Deity hath magnified his word above all his name;" so that to despise his word is equivalent to despising him.
The serpent saw the lawgiver, heard the law, and could distinguish the trees. Being very quick of thought, he instinctively speculated, or reasoned, upon what he saw and heard. "The eyes of the Elohim are open, and they know both good and evil, and yet are immortal. Adam is made in their image and after their likeness; and is doubtless like them in all things but the knowledge of evil as well as good. This knowledge, it is clear, may be obtained by eating of the tree forbidden. If they eat thereof, the man and the woman would be like the Elohim; their eyes would be open, and they would know good and evil. And as for dying, that is by no means a necessary consequence. The Elohim are immortal, and Adam and Eve may be so too; for all that is needful to be done to avoid the threatened penalty of the law, is for them to go to the other tree, called the Tree of Lives, and to eat of it' and they will live forever." Such was the intellectualizing of the serpent upon what he had seen and heard. It brought him to conclusions, not altogether false nor entirely true. His conclusion was a mixture of truth and error, in which the error neutralized the truth and made it void. It was therefore "a lie;" and he,
Page 70
though ignorant of the falseness of the theory he was thinking out, "a liar, and the father of it."
Highly satisfied with his newly discovered views of the situation, he presented himself before the mother of all living, and opened a conversation with her upon the subject of the law and its penalty, in which he submitted to her the conclusions to which he had come from the premises before him. He introduced the conference by showing that, he knew what the Elohim had said, "Yea," said he, "hath Elohim said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden!" The "yea" implies that he knew the fact; but he put what he knew interrogatively to draw the woman out. She admitted that it had been so said, and specified the particular tree, and its locality in the midst of the garden, and added that they were forbidden even to touch it upon pain of death. This was the point he wished her to come to as it enabled him at once to state the discovery he had made of what Deity really intended contrary to his word. He replied, "Dying ye shall not die:" that is, "Your dying shall not end in death." This was a point-blank denial of what the Deity had said. He had said they should die, and the serpent said they should not, and undertook to establish his position by declaring his acquaintance with the secret of the Deity hidden from her - "Dying ye shall not die; for Elohim knows that in the day of your eating thereof then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as Elohim, knowing good and evil." The Elohim do not die, they know good and evil, and you will become like them.
The woman listened to his sermon on the law, and thought his exposition of the word might be its true spiritual import. It was possible that the Deity did not mean what he said; that it was the letter of the law only that killed; but the spiritual or secret meaning expounded by the intelligent and eloquent serpent, was the real life-imparting truth. She entertained this supposition, since become so popular with her descendants; and, half convinced, she moved towards the tree to take a look at it, and more practically consider the matter. Her faith in the unadulterated Word was shaken. She believed the spiritualizing serpent, and she believed the Deity; for she believed the eating of the tree would impart the knowledge of the good and the evil divinely indicated; but then she believed also, that the death-penalty might be evaded according to the doctrine of the serpent. The tree, she knew, was "good for food," it was also "pleasant to the eyes." Here were two classes of human lusts co-working in favor of the serpent's conclusion. There remained only one class more to be gained and his triumph would be complete. She was ambitious. She knew the Elohim, how wise and exalted they were, and how superior to Adam and herself. She wanted to be like them, and the serpent had assured her that she had the power of this desirable self-exaltation in her own hands. But then, might she not lose all by the operation of the death-penalty? True; but the serpent had assured her that Elohim did not intend to carry it into effect; and besides, was there not that other tree - the tree of lives - as accessible as the tree of the know-ledge of good and evil? could she not also eat of that, and be immortal as the Elohim? Surely, this was a well-combined scheme of the serpent's by which they might easily and speedily attain to wisdom and immortality upon their own terms! With the earth in their possession, what independent, glorious, and powerful ones they would be when like the Elohim! The thought was charming; it was quite fascinating to contemplate! What more could "the pride of life" desire? They would live on the earth forever; and all the world that might inhabit it would be subject to them and to the principles of the serpent, by which they would have attained their high Elohistic estate!
Thus was the mother of all living "drawn away of her own lusts, and enticed." She was attracted by "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." These instincts of the flesh predisposed her to believe the serpent and to follow his suggestion, regardless of the divine law. Lust conceived within her. The doctrine of the serpent sown in her heart inflamed her desires, and stirred them up into rebellious exercise. Faith in the word was obliterated; her mind was darkened by false teaching; she was beguiled and corrupted from the simplicity of the truth; her thinking was serpentized, and she "brought forth sin," or the transgression of the law; and when the sin was perfected, contrary to the serpent's theory and her own expectation, "it brought forth death" (James1:14,15).
Such was the first lie, the father of it, and the consequence of believing it. YAHWEH Elohim admitted that the lie contained some truth. As the serpent said, their eyes were opened, but opened to discover their own shame; they became as the Elohim in the knowledge of good and evil of an evil state adapted to the formation of character under trial; but independence, glory, honor and power, they were not permitted to attain. Nor could they so easily as they imagined eat of the tree of lives, and live forever. When the sin was finished they were too much occupied with their new discovery of their nakedness, and devices to conceal it from their expected Elohistic visitors, to promptly follow out the serpent's program. In the midst of their perturbation they perceived their approach, and fled for concealment among the trees from the presence of YAHWEH Elohim. This appearing of "the Lord the Spirit" was an incident not provided for in the program of the serpent. It marred the whole scheme, and stamped his speculation with falsehood and de-
Page 72
-ceit. The Lord's appearing arrested the guilty in their career of sin, and brought them before the Judge for trial and sentence according to their works. The offense was charged upon Adam, who accused the woman as the first in the transgression; and when she was interrogated she confessed, saying, "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." The serpent was the progenitor of the whole transaction. Animal intellectuality, or the thinking of flesh in accordance with its own lusts, emanating from the serpent in discourse, was the spirit that worked in the disobedient, and caused them to stumble at the word. The divine Judge did not inter-rogate the serpent. It had preached according to its instinct, making proclamation simply of its own reasoning in the premises. The subtle beast, however, was visited with reprobation for the mischief incurred by his ignorant presumption in prating about what he did not understand. He had given expression to what had proved to be a lie, and therefore, he was truly the father or inventor of it. This particular serpent that beguiled Eve by his subtlety, spent all the days of his life in the dust upon his belly; and from being the most sagacious, he became "cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field." The intellectualism of the serpent had been transferred to the man. The serpent-system of ideas and mode of thinking had become characteristic of the man, whose lustful nature, inflamed to rebellion by the serpent's reasoning, came to occupy the same relation to the word of the Deity in all after ages, that the original speaking beast did before the fall of man. All the primeval serpent, or any other kind of serpent, has had to do with serpentine developments since that important crisis has been merely as the expressive and appropriate symbol of the nature of man.
The serpent, then, is the reasoning of the flesh, which is
inseparable from it, and tends only to death. This is human nature, and styled
by Paul in Rom. 8:3, sarx hamartias, SIN'S FLESH, in which, inch. 7:18, he
says, "dwelleth no good thing." In its original creation, this flesh,
like the serpent, was "very good" of its kind. It had its affections
and desires, which, like the affections and desires of other creatures, were
innocent and harmless; and the man would not have known sin in the
gratification of them, except the law had said, Thou shalt not eat of the tree.
There would have been no scope for the serpent's speculation if no law had been
enacted; for without the law his doctrine could have no existence. The
serpent's reasoning was sin in
conception. "Sin is the transgression of law," and this
transgression was originally conceived in the brain of the serpent, and by
reasoning on false premises, was transferred into the woman's, where, taking
occasion by the commandment ordained for life, and in itself holy, just and
good, it wrought in her all manner of intense and unlawful desires. Had she
been contented to believe the Deity, and to obey the commandment, her course
would have resulted in life eternal. But, instead of this, she found the
commandment to be for death; because the reasoning of the serpent, taking
occasion by the commandment, deceived her, and by it slew her. Thus, the
serpent's reasoning which she adopted as her own, worked death in her by the
good and just and holy law, by which, when the reasoning was perfected in
transgression, Human Nature displayed itself as an exceedingly great sinner - kath' huperbolen hamartolos.
The theory generally entertained concerning "the old serpent" is, that "an Evil Genius under the semblance of a serpent styled the Devil, was the primary cause of man's fall, and that he used the serpent as his instrument. This theory is founded in incredulity, or unbelief of the Mosaic account. A brute beast, they say, was incapable of reasoning the woman into the transgression of the law. They might as well say that the dumb ass upon which Balaam rode was incapable of speaking with man's voice and rebuking the madness of the prophet. The one is as improbable as the other; yet improbable as the story of the ass, and incapable of speaking and rebuking madness, as by experience we know asses to be, the fact is attested by both Moses and Peter, and, therefore, rests upon as good evidence, and is as worthy of belief as any other fact in Scripture. He that made the serpent and the ass - "very good" brutes of their kind, and not so inuch inferior to man, their fellow brute, as is generally supposed - could also for any special occasion or emergency confer upon them the power of expressing their thoughts in human speech. No reasonable being will deny the power of the Creator to do this. Whether he did so is a matter. of evidence, and no evidence can be more plainly, pointedly, and intelligibly testified than that the serpent was a beast of the field, preeminently subtle, and capable of expressing his thoughts in man's speech rationally. There is not a word said about any other "evil genius," devil or satan, than the serpent himself; and to bring in another in an interpretation is only to spoil the narrative, and to confess ignorance of its meaning, and inability to expound it as it stands. No, the whole transaction is referable exclusively to the serpent and the woman. There was no third party behind the scenes styled "the great enemy of mankind". The greatest enemy of mankind is man, and more to be feared than any devil or evil genius incredulity and ignorance of the word are able to invent. The serpent was an acute observer and an attentive listener; and all the inspiration he was the subject of consisted in the things he had seen and heard.
As to the incapability of a woman being reasoned into transgression by a brute beast, we are every day familiar with the contrary. Man that is in honor and does not understand the word has no pre-eminence over a
Page 74
beast. This is the doctrine of Scripture. He is as an ass or a serpent, whether performing in a pulpit, a temple, a mosque, or in the private walks of life. The folly that hisses from their mouths is but the teaching of the serpent less speciously expressed than in the beginning; so that it is not a question of principles and brains, but of external configuration, that establishes an apparent difference between them and "their father who abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him" (John 8:44). These "natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed," serpent-like, speak evil of the things that they understand not; "and creeping into houses, lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." They reason them into transgression of the word, and into self-satisfaction and contentment in sin, as effectually as their father did the mother of all living.
After the death of the particular serpent that beguiled Eve, the only speaking serpent was within man. His own lusts are the internal serpent by which he is drawn away and enticed. He is hungry. This condition of stomach creates a strong desire for food. This is a lust. He may have power to convert stone into bread for the satisfying of his hunger. He begins to reason, what harm is there in exercising one's power for the appeasing of one's hunger? Manifestly none. But would it be right to exercise the power under the circumstances of the case? I have been placed thus in order to be made to know that man lives not by bread only, but by what proceeds out of the mouth of Yahweh. If I exercise the power, I distrust him, and express my conviction to the contrary; and in effect declare, that without bread supplied by my own providence, I should die. I have the power, it is true, to put an end to this painful craving for food; but I will not frustrate Deity in placing me here, by anticipating his deliverance.
In this example, the reasoning suggested by the hunger, and counseling its immediate satisfaction by any means within reach, is the innate serpent, or devil, speaking within the man. It is the "I carnal sold under sin" - the sin dwelling in the man; the sin-law in the members. Such reasonings are the writhing and twistings of the serpent, or the motions of sins working in the members, which, if unchecked and unrestrained by "the engrafted word" as the law of the mind, bring forth fruits unto death. All unenlightened men are what the Scripture terms "the natural man." This man does "not assent to the things of the Spirit of the Deity;
Page 75
for they are foolishness to him; and he is unable to know them because they are spiritually discerned". This was exactly the serpent's case. He was without the power of spiritual discernment. And so with all men in default of a revelation of spiritual things from the Deity.
If he had not made known his purposes none of Adam's descendants could have discovered them. Hence, while ignorant of the word, they are as the serpent, and Scripturally classed with him as his seed or children.
Thus, mankind in whom the truth is not, being the Seed of
the Serpent, the flesh of sin, is their natural parent. This is "their
father the Devil, whose lusts they do." But when the truth obtains entrance
into a serpent-man, or sinner, and makes a lodgment in his understanding and
affections, a power gets possession of him, and generates there "a new
man," styled also "the inward man;" so that a Christadelphian,
or brother of Christ, is not what he appears to be in the eyes of ordinary men.
The serpent-world of sinners does not know them. To the eye of sense they
appear as serpent-men. Their outward man differs nothing from the seed of the
serpent; while their inward man is beyond the range of the perceptions of the
serpent-man, or sinner. It is this new man of the heart, within the old man of
the flesh, which constitutes an individual a saint, a son of the Deity, and a
brother of Christ. Collectively, the saints or brethren of Christ, constitute
his woman or spouse; they are, there-fore, styled the Seed of the Woman. This
arrangement distributes man-kind into two unequal and opposite classes - THE SERPENT-WORLD, and the Woman-Seed; the former, being based upon
a lie; the latter, upon the truth.
In the beginning, the Serpent-World consisted of no more than two sinners - Adam and his wife; yet small as was its extent, all the evil that has since manifested itself, was latent in them. Their symbol was the Serpent, or Dragon, and represented falsehood, unbelief, and rebellion against the Deity. Wherever these three have been found politically organized, and in conflict with the saints, there is the Serpent which was in the beginning - "the old serpent." Of this serpent-world the Scripture saith, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of the Deity abideth for ever" (1 John 2:15-17).
Now, after Adam had brought sin into being by transgression
of the law, the Deity proceeded to organize the "evil" to which man had sub-ected himself by his
rebellion. He had come to know it elohistically, as the serpent had said; but
he was not also to be like the Elohim in abiding for ever. He had sinned, and
the law he had violated was now to take its course. YAHWEH Elohim therefore
proceeded to expound the penalty of the law, and to teach him the practical
import of the phrase, "Dying thou
Page 76
shalt die." He
began with the instinctive whispering promoter of the mischief, whom having
cursed, he addressed as the representative of the disobedient in all future
time, and said, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
THY SEED and HER SEED; this shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his
heel." To the woman, as first in the transgression, he said, her progeny
should be greatly multiplied, her desire should be to her husband, who should
rule over her. And to Adam, because he hearkened to his wife instead of to him,
he said, "Cursed' is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of
it all the days of thy life; . . . till thou return to the ground; for out of
it wast thou taken; for thou art dust, and to dust shalt thou return"
(Gen. 3:15-19). The specifications in these sentences upon the serpent, the
woman, and the man form THE CONSTITUTION of the Serpent-World, or KINGDOM OF
SIN; and termed in Scripture "the Kingdom of Men" - dominion hostile
to the Divine law administered by the Serpent's Seed. It matters not what form
the dominion assumes, whether imperial, regal, republican, or papal, its basis is
one and the same; and most appropriately symbolized by the serpent which was in
the beginning - ho ophis, ho archajos.
In after times, far distant from the beginning, the serpent-world acquired an immense development. From two persons it had increased to myriads of millions; and without specifying the outlying savages of the dominion, is treated of in Scripture as "the kingdom of Egypt;" which, in the days of Moses, had attained great political proportions - a kingdom of kingdoms. It was "the dragon, the old serpent," of his day-the great enemy and bruiser of the woman's seed, who sought their extirpation from the earth. This was the political relation of things then. The "Woman's Seed" was identified with Israel; the "Serpent's Seed," with all that had enmity against, or oppressed, them; while the "Head of the Serpent," styled in the sentence upon the serpent "thy head," is that chief government of the Gentiles, or nations, which directs, controls, or influences, the policy of the world for the time being.
The Scriptures oftentimes connect the beginning and the end with-out taking cognizance of the interval of a multitude of generations and ages, or, if at all, only very slightly. Thus, in Psa. 74:12, the Mosaic salvation from Egyptian bondage, and the future Messianic salvation from the down-treading of the mystic Babylon, apocalyptically and "spiritually called Sodom and Egypt" (ch. 11:3), are so connected: as it is written, "My King of old is Elohim, working salvation in the midst of the earth. Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength." Then, predictive of what will assuredly come to pass, and befall the same Serpent-power in its latter-day manifestation, as apocalyptically displayed in the binding of the Dragon, it proceeds in verse 14 to state, "Thou bruisedst the
Page 77
heads of leviathan, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness." LEVIATHAN signifying "a serpent coiling himself in folds," is the Dragon of Apoc. 20:2; and embraces all the intermediate dragonic manifestations of previous ages and generations, which are the folds of his coil. The "heads of leviathan" are those apocalyptically exhibited. "The people inhabiting the wilderness" are the saints, and Israel after the flesh made willingly subject to them. "The wilderness" is "the two wings of the Great Eagle" where the fugitive woman was fed and "nourished for a time, times, and half a time from the face of the serpent," or, for 1260 symbolic days (Apoc. 12:6,14); and where John saw Leviathan as he will be seen by the discerning after the thief-like advent of the Ancient of Days (ch. 17:3).
In the thirteenth verse of the Psalm brief and passing reference is made to the dragon-powers of the interval; as, "Thou breakest the HEADS OF THE DRAGONS upon the waters." In the English Version, 'breakest" occurs in relation to the "heads of the dragons" and "the heads of leviathan;" though in the original different words are used. In reference to the dragon-heads the word used is shivbarta; while the other is ritzatzta. This verbal difference was doubtless not accidental. The former signifies "to break the power of, destroy;" the latter, "to bruise." Leviathan is bruised and bound for a thousand years, and at the end thereof revives, and embraces the serpent-world in his coils: but the power of the dragons and their heads in the long interval antecedent to the epoch of the binding, is destroyed.
Now there have been different dragon-manifestations of "the old serpent" in the long interval between the Mosaic salvation of Israel and the Messianic, which is at the door. That contemporary with Moses, and styled "Rahab" in Isa. 51:9, was developed into what Ezekiel describes in ch. 29:3. Here the power of Egypt, called Pharaoh, is thus addressed by the Spirit, "Behold I am against thee, Pharaoh, King of Egypt, THE GREAT DRAGON that lieth in the midst of his rivers" - the mouths of the Nile, representative of the subjects of the power: "which hath said, My river lS my own, and I have made it for myself." For this arrogance, and blasphemy against the source of all power, YARWER Elohim sentenced it to destruction, so that Egypt should no more exalt itself above the nations to rule over them; and, as Nebuchadnezzar had received no recompense for executing the sentence of Deity against Tyre, therefore YAHWEH Elohim gave the land of Egypt to him for his labor. Thus Egypt became a part of Babylon; the great Egyptian Dragon was abolished; and the power of "the old serpent" thus symbolized, transferred to the FIRST of Daniel's four Mediterranean empires; which under Nebuchadnezzar stood man-like upon its feet, with a lion's head, and the heart of a
Picture page 78 of 4th Century Rome not shown
EXPOSITION OF THE APOCALYPSE. 79
man (Dan. 7:2,4). Hence, at this epoch, when the Seed of the Woman; of which Daniel, Ezekiel and Jeremiah were constituents, was heel-bruised in Babylon, the wing-plucked lion-power was "the Great Dragon, the old serpent, surnamed the Devil and the Satan. "The Head of the old serpent, in this first beast manifestation, was the dynasty represented by Nebuchadnezzar, who had conquered Egypt, and plucked the wings of the Assyrian Lion. This dynasty was "the Head of Gold" - the cockatrice, or adder, which came forth out of the Egypto-Assyrian Serpent's root, whose fruit the world has found to be "a fiery flying serpent" (Isa. 14:29).The Dragon under this dynastic form continued only seventy years. At the end of this period it was changed; and "Lucifer, son of the morn-ng, who weakened the nations, was cut down;" and made to give way to YAHWEH'S "sanctified ones," the Medes and Persians; who, under the command of Darius and Cyrus, "took the kingdom" (Isa. 14:12; 13:17 Dan. 5:28,31). This was the Medo-Persian dynasty of "the old Serpent". It answered to the second of Daniel's four beasts; and is represented in Nebuchadnezzar's Lion-Man image by the breast and arms of silver; and by the two horns of unequal height upon the ram (Dan. 2:32; 8:3).The old serpent continued under the Bear, or silver, dynastic manifestation some two hundred and six years. Another change was then developed. Power set in from the west, and diffused itself "over the face of the whole earth." The Medo-Persian Bear, or Ram dynasty was made to give place to Daniel's third dominancy, symbolized by the four-winged and four-headed Leopard, the brass of the image, and the four-horned goat (Dan. 7:6; 2:32; 8:5-8). These symbols represent "the old serpent" in the Era of the Greeks. Dominion was given to this people over the whole Dragon territory, which was enlarged towards the west. But the power of the old serpent was not to remain in the form of the four heads of the leopard, and four horns of the Grecian goat. The Greeks of "the whole earth," the sovereign race, were to yield the dominion given to them, to "A LITTLE HORN," or power; which, in relation to the Lion-Man territory of Daniel's first beast, which included the Holy Land, was to appear in the country of the Northern Horn of the Goat. This is evident from Dan. 8:9. The power, which was new to the Asiatic, came from Europe west of Greece; and planting itself in Syria, north of Palestine, extended its dominion eastward, and southward, until it had absorbed within itself the power of all the Four Horns of the Goat. The Little Horn power was that of a rude and uncultivated people inhabiting Italy; and known in the history of that country, as Etrurians, Umbrians, Ligurians,Sabines, Veientes, Latins, Aequi, and Volscians. About five hundred years after the foundation of ROME, Italy was sub-
Page 80
dued to the authority of this city of the seven mountains; and all these tribes came to bear indiscriminately the name of Romans. After the subjugation of Italy, the Little Roman Horn proceeded to conquer all the nations round the Mediterranean. It subdued Greece about 146 years before Christ. In 67 before Christ, it appeared in Syria; and from thence "waxed exceedingly great, toward the south," and "toward the pleasant land," absorbing Palestine and Egypt; "and toward the east," to the Tigris and lands of Euphrates.
Thus the Little Horn became an exceedingly great power. Its empire, which, seven hundred and thirty years before the birth of Jesus, was confined to the walls of a small city, in the second century of our era, was about two thousand miles in breadth, from the walls of Antonine and the northern limits of Dacia, to Mount Atlas and the tropic of Cancer; it extended in length more than three thousand miles from the Western Ocean to the Euphrates, and was supposed to contain 6,000,000 square miles. The number of subjects, who, either as citizens, provincials, or slaves, observed the rule of Rome, is estimated at
120,000,000.
This Little Horn become so great was now the fourth of Daniel's beast-dominions. It planted itself in Jerusalem B.C. 63; and in A.D. 33, was popularly and pontifically acknowledged as "the King of the Jews" (John 19:12,15). It had acquired identity with "the old serpent" by it sin-corporation of the Syro-Babylonian, or Northern Horn power (out of which, in relation to the Holy Land, it come forth), into its Italian dominion. It was now "the Dragon, the Old Serpent" - Leviathan, the flying and very tortuous serpent, the dragon that is in the sea (Isa. 27:1). But when it conquered the Syro-Babylonian Horn, B.C. 67, it did not thereby acquire the apocalyptic "surname" of "the Diabolos and the Satan." It was not until the Little Horn had "magnified itself against the Prince of the Host," or Messiah the Prince; and undertook, as "a roaring lion, prowling about, seeking whom he might devour," to exterminate the saints from among the living; that it acquired the character signified by the terms "fiery red," "diabolos," and "Satan" (Apoc. 12:9).
This crocodile, or Egypto-Romaic Babylonian, embodiment of falsehood and rebellion is styled purros, "fiery red," or red as fire. Daubuz, on the authority of certain heathen writers, says, "the Roman emperors and empresses had fire carried before them; also kings and generals at the head of their armies; it serving instead of trumpets as signs to begin the fight." This was notably the fact in the aggressions of the Dragon. Fire preceded him when he stood before the woman and her seed. During 280 years he had contended with her in all the fire of his fury, blazing forth against her with all the power of destruction at his command. He became red with rage and slaughter, especially in the period of the fifth seal, in which he vowed the extermination of the very name of christianity, which he likened to a hydra. But the archer of the first seal, who continued his warfare through all the six, was Divinely commissioned to go on conquering until he conquered him "through the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony." The fiery redness of his wrath caused multitudes of the woman's seed 'to lie beneath the altar weltering in their blood. But their death availed him nothing in the end. The truth is stronger than human wrath too mighty for the Dragon though confederate with all the potentates of earth.
I have termed this symbol of fiery destruction, the Egypto-Romaic Babylonian Crocodile. The propriety of this designation will appear from what has been said in this section; and from the fact, that "the Great City" of the Seven Hills, which in John's day, as also in ours, "reigns over the kings of the earth," is styled Babylon and Egypt (Apoc. 11:8; 17:5,18). These specifications identify Rome, Babylon, and Egypt, as well as Sodom, with "the Great City;" so that the crocodile, dragon, or serpent, symbolizing the power of which Rome was the capital until ceded to the Beast (ch. 13:2) is properly designated Egypto-Romaic Babylonian.
Page 82
15. The Devil and the Satan
A surname is a name added to the original name. The original name for the embodiment of falsehood, unbelief, and disobedience, was "the Serpent". In all the five Books of Moses we do not once find it styled "the Diabolos," nor "the Satan." This surname was not bestowed upon the Egypto-Romaic Babylonian Dragon until, as the Little Horn of the Macedonian, or Grecian, Goat, it "magnified itself against the Prince of the Host “Christ" (Dan. 8:11). It did this when it falsely accused and crucified him. I need not repeat here what has been written in the first volume of this work on the Diabolos and Satan. The reader can refer to this on pages 234 and 241, at his leisure. '5uffice it in this place to say, that the Roman power acquired the surname of the diabolos, because, being falsehood and transgression politically incarnate, it enacted the part of the Old Serpent in tempting the Brethren of Christ to cross the line of their allegiance to him in burning incense to Caesar as the god of the earth - diabolos, in its etymological import, being that which causes to cross the law-line of Deity.
But, it also acquired the surname of "the Satan." This word sahtahn, signifies an adversary; and without the definite article the, may signify any adversary in general. It is applicable to persons and things of whatever kind they may be. Thus, when the sons of Zeruiah counseled the death of Shimei, David rejected their impolitic advice, and styled them, Satan, (2 Sam. 19:22). So also when Yahweh became adverse to Israel because of transgression, He is styled Satan. This appears from 2 Sam. 24:1, where it is written, that Yahweh moved David against Israel to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah:" while in 1 Chron. 21:1, it is written, "And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel." There is also the case of Job. Job was a man of substance and power, being "the greatest of all the men of the East". He was one of "the sons of the Deity" belonging to that generation. There was among them also another man of power, an oriental, who was nominally a coreligionist, but full of envy and unfriendly feeling towards Job. This is not an unusual circumstance, even in societies reputed apostolic. In these, Satans too often abound, and become the adversaries of those they cannot imitate. In Job's day, there were general gatherings of the Men of the East, with the sons of the Deity, at the place where the symbol of Yahweh's presence was established. If I might hazard a conjecture I should say, they assembled at Salem, in the days of the High Priesthood of Melchizedek. Be this, however, as it may, "the sons of the
Page 83
Elohim came to present themselves before Yahweh, and the Satan has-sahtahn, came also among them." Here were two classes of worshippers, the nominal and the true; the former constituting the Satan; the latter consisting of the Sons of Deity, of whom Job was most eminent and conspicuous. Among his adversaries, one seems to have been more notable than the rest. This was probably the Chief of the Sabeans, a tribe of Arabia Felix, who fell upon Job and did him much mischief. To this man Yahweh said by His priest (for, in Scripture, what is said by his priests and prophets, Yahweh is said to say Himself) "Whence comest thou?" To which he replied as any marauder would, "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. His attention was then directed to Job, whose character was highly eulogized. This developed the latent enmity of the Sheik, who insinuated that Job's fear of Elohim had been purchased by extraordinary favors; but that, if these were withdrawn, and he were reduced to poverty, he would curse Him to his face. Yahweh, however, knew Job better; nevertheless, He was willing that he should be tested, that his enemies might be confounded; and a triumph of principle in adversity might be exhibited, as an example for the Sons of Deity in all future times. Therefore to Job's adversary He granted permission to do what he pleased against him, short of personal injury. Having obtained this grant, he returned home, and organized his Sabeans and Chaldeans for raids, which, with the fire of heaven, soon stripped Job of all he possessed.
Now, in the first chapter of Job, this is all attributed to Satan, as though, according to popular tradition, it had been done by a Fallen Angel, the world has agreed to call "The Devil." But, in the second chapter, the Eternal Power informs us, that it was He that brought Job to poverty; for addressing his adversary, He says, "thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause." All that was done being averse to Job, it was attributed to his personal enemy, who was the moving cause; though the efficient cause was the power of Deity Himself.
Such was the Satan in Job's case. In the case of Jesus Christ the satanic development assumed a different phase. Jesus was tempted by both the Diabolos and a Satan. These were both concerned in the trial to which he was subjected; and as the one co-operated with the other, they are spoken of as if the same. Jesus was "led up," or "driven," of the Spirit, into the wilderness "to be tempted of the diabolos;" or that which causeth to transgress, and "hath the power of death" - sin's flesh. This was subjected to the long abstinence of forty days, at the end of which he felt a hunger that must have been very keen. We all know what would be the promptings of our flesh in a like situation. "Hunger," it is said, "will break through stone walls." It is very obstreperous, and will do any
Page 84
thing to satisfy itself. If any one had the power, under the pressure of intense hunger, he would convert stones into bread and eat them. Jesus had that power; and there was one acquainted with the Scripture, introduced himself to his notice at this crisis, and suggested that he should use it. Paul doubtless alludes to this personage in 2 Cor. 11:14 saying, "the Satan is transformed into an Angel of Light." Such an angel is a messenger enlightened in the word, who handles it in such a way as to test the fidelity of others to it. Such an one becomes a Satan in suggesting a course of action in conformity with the promptings of the flesh. And if Deity became Satan to Israel, and to Job, it is not to be denied that an angel may have assumed the same attitude in the case of Jesus Christ.
Peter, though a good man and devoted friend of his Master, was styled Satan by Jesus. He had told his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem, and be killed, and be raised on the third day afte?. But Peter rebuked him, saying, "Be merciful to thyself, Lord; this shall not be unto thee." He could not endure the idea of such a catastrophe. But Jesus said to him, "Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto me; for thou savorest not the things that be of the Deity, but those that be of men." Had Jesus been merciful to himself, as Peter advised, he would not have been "obedient unto death;" in the event of which he would have frustrated the Father's purpose, incurred the fate of the first Adam, and failed in the dedication of the Abrahamic Covenant by which alone man can be saved. Peter's well-meant advice was adverse to the first and last of these things, and therefore as such an adviser, he was for the time a Satan to Jesus.
On another occasion, the Lord said to his disciples, "I beheld the Satan fall out of the heaven like lightning". This was the Satan in heaven contemporary with his sojourn upon earth. He beheld his fall as the prophets beheld things not yet come to pass: for this Satan was still in the heaven after his assumption to the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens. This is evident from Paul's assurance to the saints in Rome, the Capital of the Satan's empire, that "the Deity of peace should bruise the Satan under their feet shortly" (Rom. 16:18). When Paul wrote this, the Satan was still in the heaven. It was the same Satan that prevented Paul more than once from visiting the saints in Thessalonica (1 Thess. 2:18). It was their great and potent adversary in the Dragon government, the Pagan Roman Church and State. It was this Great Red Dragonic Diabolos and Satan, that "magnified himself against the Prince of (Is-rael's) host: and by whom the Daily Sacrifice was taken away, and the place of its sanctuary was cast down" (Dan. 8:9-12). It is symbolized in this place by "a Little Horn, which waxed exceeding great." It was by this Satahic Power, "Messiah the Prince was cut off;" and by which the
Page 85
city and sanctuary were destroyed" (Dan. 9:26). It was the great adversary of Judah, and of the Saints, whom it reckoned also as Jews. When the Lord Jesus saw it in vision fall like lightning from heaven, he saw their adversary expelled from the Roman Heaven, as symbolized in this twelfth chapter of the Apocalypse. Paul said it would be bruised "shortly" after he wrote. It was ejected by the lightning of war from the heaven, about 250 years after, when the Michael and his party fought against the Dragon and his angels (ch. 12:7). It fell out of the heaven, as Jesus said; and John records, that "he was cast out into the earth," to the great terror of those among whom he fell (ver. 9,12).
The Dragon-Power of Rome, then, was surnamed THE SATAN, because it was the great and persistent Adversary of Christ, and His Brethren. No one intelligent in the word would confound the Satans related to Israel, Job, Jesus and Peter, and merge them into one and the same Satan, identical with such a Devil, as is pressed into the service of the Clergy, to aid them in scaring sinners into church-membership. The clerical devil and satan belongs to the mythology of the heathen, and is as unreal as their gods: nevertheless, this mythical phantasm has a real and tenacious hold of their worshippers; who are much more careful to treat him with reverence, than to praise and honor Him by whom they live and have their being.
The apocalyptic or Roman-Satan is the great enemy of Jerusalem, and of all related to her. Zechariah saw it in vision, when he saw the Satan standing at the right hand of Joshua to resist him. In all the times of the Gentiles, during which Jerusalem and the saints are trodden under their feet, the Holy City is subjected to the Satan. When these are fulfilled, then Yahweh who hath chosen Jerusalem, will rebuke the Satan, in "rebuking strong nations afar off," and making them powerless (Mic. 4:3); and "pluck Jerusalem as a brand out of the fire". Her warfare will then be accomplished; and her deliverer will be a wall of fire round about her, and the glory in the midst of her (Zech. 2:5; 3:1,2).
The Satan of Apoc. 12, is characterized as the power "which deceives the whole habitable" - ten oikoumenen olen; not "the whole world," as in the English version, in the sense of all the inhabitants of the globe; but the whole of that portion of it subject to the Dragon-Power of Old Rome. When the apocalypse was communicated to John, the Satan in the heaven was pagan. It deceived the people of the empire by the priests and poets (and the emperor was the High Priest) of the reigning superstition. But while this Satan flourished in the heaven of Italy, there was another Satan in embryo preparing to occupy the same heaven from which the pagan Satan was foredoomed to fall like lightning. This was the Satan enthroned in Pergamos (Apoc. 2:13); where his principal
Page 86
synagogue was situated (ch. 2:9,24; 3:9). This Satan consisted of nominal christians; professors, who claimed to be Jews by adoption through Christ; but not being what they claimed, the Spirit denounced them as liars and blasphemers. They were zealous anti-pagans, as Protestants are, or used to be, zealous anti-papists; but their spiritual condition was that of Sardians and Laodiceans; and fit only to be "spued out of the Spirit's mouth." These pretenders styled themselves "the Church of God;" or "the Holy Apostolic Catholic Church." They contended earnestly against paganism; from which "with all power and lying wonders," styled by Paul "the working of the Satan" they alienated multitudes; but failed to indoctrinate them with "the love of the truth that they might be saved" (2 Thess. 2:9,10). Their Satan was enlarged, and their political influence increased; so that, when the pagan Satan fell from the heaven, the "Holy Catholic" Satan was prepared to occupy the Bishoprick vacated by his fall. The revolution of the Sixth Seal substituted the one Satan for the other. The Catholic Satan is still in the heaven; and will remain there, until he is ejected by Christ himself, after the type or pattern, exhibited in this twelfth chapter. This final expulsion of the Satan from the heaven, is represented in Apoc. 20:1-3. In this scene, hs head is bruised; and "the Dragon the Old Serpent, which is Diabolos and Satan," is bound in the abyss, and shut up and sealed, so that the nations may be no more deceived for a thousand years.
16. The Dragon Stands
Before The Woman
Understanding that the "Great Red Dragon" is symbolical of the blood-stained powerof Rome-pagan; and that the Woman represents the Anti-pagan Community of the Roman empire; the only points for exposition under this head are the standing of the one before the other; and the time when the standing occurred.
For a power to stand before that which is offensive to it, is to assume a hostile attitude. In Esther 9:16, the Jews against whom a decree of extermination hadgone forth, and who were afterwards permitted to use their weapons for attack upon all assailants, are said to have "stood for their lives." In Jer. 46:15, it is said of the Egyptians "they stood not, because Yahweh did drive them." And in Dan. 8:7, speaking of the relative power of the Macedonian Unicorn, and the two-horned Persian Ram, it says, "there was no power in the ram to stand before him."
Page 87
Hence, to have power to stand, is not only to be able to struggle for victory, but to do it with effect.
The standing of the Dragon before the Woman indicates that he was in an aggressive attitude. His standing had no courtesy in it, for he stood before her that he might devour her offspring.
The time when he stood before her with this ferocious intent, was before her delivery. She was "about to bring forth " while he was standing, or making war upon her. Her child had not been manifested to the world. Hence, the historical illustration must be applicable to a time of the Woman's career when she had no champion, but when that "Coming Man" was just about to be manifested.
The time, then, of this standing was the period of the Fifth Seal; or the ten years preceding the development of Constantine, as the imperial chieftain of the anti-pagan party. The exposition of the Fifth Seal will be found in Vol.2 p.264. Its historical illustration shows the attitude assumed by the Dragon, and how that sanguinary power deported itself towards her in its standing. The following extract from Gibbon will furnish an exhibition of the situation at the crisis of the Woman's delivery:
"The fame of Constantine has rendered posterity attentive to the most minute circumstances of his life and actions. The Great Constantine was most probably born at Naissus, in Dacia. He was about eighteen years of age when his father (Constantius) was promoted to the rank of Caesar. Instead of following Constantius in the west, he remained in the service of Diocletian, signalized his valor in the wars of Egypt and Persia, and gradually rose to the honorable station of a tribune of the first order. The favor of the people and soldiers, who had named him as a worthy candidate for the rank of Caesar, served only to exasperate the jealousy of Galerius (the chief emperor of the Dragon): and though prudence might restrain him from exercising any open violence, an absolute monarch is seldom at a loss how to execute a sure and secret revenge. Every hour increased the danger of Constantine, and the anxiety of his father, who, by repeated letters, expressed the warmest desire of embracing his son. For some time the policy of Galerius supplied him with delays and excuses, but it was impossible long to refuse so natural a request of his associate, without maintaining his refusal by arms. The permission of the journey was reluctantly granted, and whatever precautions Galerius might have taken to intercept a return, the consequences of which he, with so much reason, apprehended, they were effectually disappointed by the incredible diligence of Constantine. Leaving the palace (of the Dragon) at Nicomedia in the night, he traveled post through Bithynia, Thrace, Dacia, Pannonia, Italy and Gaul, and amid the joyful acclamations of the people, reached the port of Boulogne in
Page 88
the very moment when his father was preparing to embark for Britain." Such was the narrow escape of the Woman's future imperial chief from being "devoured" by the imperial Pontifex Maximus who "stood before her" in ferocity watching to that end.
17. The Woman's Son
The Spirit is here careful to designate the sex of the child that was to be born of the Woman. It is termed in the original, huion arrhena, literally, a male offspring. He was brought forth at length; but not "devoured" by the Dragon-Power; for he was destined to "rule all the nations with an iron sceptre," in the Italian Heaven, from which the Woman's adversary, or Satan, was to be ejected. It was not a female child that was to be born; but a man, whose birth had long been foretold in the prophets. In Psa. 10:15,18, he is styled "the wicked and evil man," and "the Man of the Earth," whose arm is broken in the epoch when "Yahweh" becomes "King of the hidden period and bey6nd; and the heathen are perished out of His land." The Spirit in David makes the following address to him in Psa. 52: "Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, 0 Mighty Man? The mercy of AlL is all the day. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Thou lovest all devouring words, 0 thou deceitful tongue! But AlL shall beat thee down forever, He shall take thee away, and pluck thee from thy dwelling-place, and will root thee out of the land of the living. The righteous shall see and fear, and upon it they shall laugh, saying, Behold the man that made not Elohim his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness."
Daniel styles this Mighty Man, "THE KING" a man of power; ruling potentially and sovereignty over nations, during many centuries to the epoch of his destruction in the time of the end." He is thus described in Dan. 11:36-39. "And the King shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every ail (or Power); and shall speak marvelous things concerning the AlL of ails (the Power of powers, or the greatest, and the source, of all power); and he shall flourish till the indignation shall be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the gods of his ancestors, elohaiavothahv; nor the desire of wives, nor regard any eloahh, "or god". "But upon his place (or throne) shall he do honor to the eloahh mahuzzim - the god of guardians: and to an eloahh, 'or god,' which his ancestors knew not shall he do honor with gold, and silver, and with costly gems, and durable
Page 89
things. Thus shall he do to the Bazaars of the guardians pertaining to a FOREIGN GOD (eloahh) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall give them authority over many: and shall divide the land for gain."
Thus, we see exhibited in the ancient and remarkable oracle of the Deity, an Absolute Sovereign Power, which repudiates the gods of his predecessors, and sets up in their place a god of foreign origin, who becomes a constituent of the power by which he is enthroned. Hence, the power consists of, or is represented by, the King and his god; who exalt and magnify themselves above every power, temporal and spiritual, claiming sovereignty and lordship upon the whole habitable. The King has the priority of existence in the New Constitution of things - new in relation to the old, under which the gods of his predecessors bore rule through their priests. The priority is manifest from the fact, that he is the founder of the glory of his New God - "whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory." The acknowledgment of the candidate for divine honors, must be accepted as the date of his creation: that is, the aspirant became a god, as soon as he was recognized by the King. Until this recognition, the King would be supreme in all the spiritual and temporal affairs of his dominion. He would be the chief magistrate, the commander-in-chief of the military forces, and the chief bishop, of his empire; but when he should come to set up his new god, he would in so doing, delegate to him the supervision and administration of all spiritual and ecclesiastical affairs. This arrangement would make his god "the Head of all the Churches" of the habitable; while he would reserve to himself the headship of the State.
This foreign god unknown to his predecessors, is styled Eloahh Mahuzzim - a god of fortresses. A fortress is a strong place affording defense and protection. "The way of God," is termed in Proverbs 10:29, "a fortress to the upright". Upon the same principle, "saints and angels" are regarded as fortresses, or guardians, to those who worship them. These are the fortresses, or Mahuzzim, of the system of superstition, whose Supreme Pontiff is the god created by "the King". His special fortress, is a phantasm he styles St. Peter. This is the guardian of his god-ship; besides which, he claims the protection of all the supposed
existences of "the spirit-world". The Virgin Mary, whom he styles "the Queen of heaven," is conspicuous among these. No god, according to his own tradition, was ever so strongly fortified as he. All the conceivable saints and angels of the invisible world are his fortresses, protectors, or guardians. One cannot help but think, however, that they must be very negligent of their duty at the present time; for his godship is manifestly dying for want of protection by the powers of heaven and earth.
Page 90
Illustrative of these fortresses are the remarks of Chrysostom, a subject and priest of the King, who flourished in the 4th century. In his homily on the martyrs of Egypt, he says: "The bodies of those saints fortify the city more effectually for us than impregnable walls of adamant; and like towering rocks placed around on every side, repel not only the assaults of enemies that are visible, but the insidious strategerns also of invisible demons, and counteract and defeat every artifice of the devil as easily as a strong man overturns the toys of children."
The buildings pertaining to this God of Guardian Saints and Angels are styled by Daniel, "the Bazaars of the Guardians". The noun mivtzahr, is derived from the root bahtzar, which among other meanings signifies to enclose with a wall. As a noun betzer signifies ore of gold and silver, precious metals, store, or treasure so secured. Parkhurst has the following upon the word: "Derivative, Bazaar, a kind of covered market-place among the eastern nations, somewhat like our Exeter 'Change in London; but frequently much more extensive. Latin, or rather Punic, Byrsa, the Burse at Carthage;" equivalent to the French Bourse. In the English version, the phrase is rendered, "the most strongholds," with which those who compiled the marginal readings were not satisfied; and therefore they have tried to improve it by substituting the words of Moses Stuart renders it fenced strongholds; and the foreign god he styles, "the god of strongholds; that is, the god that has power over them." He confesses, however, that verse 39 is "a difficult verse, which has occasioned many discrepant interpretations." He refers to Lengerke, who, he remarks, "makes the fenced strongholds to mean temples, and the sentiment to be, that the tyrant will do for temples and their foreign gods the same thing that verse 38 says he will do in respect to the god of strongholds, that is, he will bestow many liberal presents upon them." As neither Lengerke nor Moses Stuart seem to see anything in Daniel (the last chapter, perhaps, excepted) beyond the times of Antiochus, some hundred and sixty years, or so, before the birth of Jesus Christ, their temples and "strongholds" have relation to "fortified strongholds of foreigners" attacked by Antiochus, and temples of idols. Lengerke has almost fallen upon the correct meaning. Had he referred the betzer, heemantively written mivtzar, to the temples of "guardian saints" instead of to those of the pagan Greeks, he would have hit the mark exactly; but then, how could he be so uncharitable as to turn the "Holy Father" of Christendom so-called, into a foreign god, and all the ecclesiastical edifices of his bishopric dedicated to the disembodied ghosts of reputed saints, into Bazaars, or places of traffic in spiritual merchandise, and in "the bodies and souls of men!" (Apoc.
18:13).
Page 91
The churches, chapels, and cathedrals, then, are "the most strong-holds" of the King's superstition, which has spread itself over Europe and America. They are the houses of business dedicated by the prospering craft to "Guardian Spirits". There are laid up in store the images and pictures of reputed saints. They are Saints' Houses in which are deposited their shrines; silver, gold and ivory crucifixes; "religious articles" of all sorts; together with old bones, and various kinds of votive trumpery. They are literally, "Dens of Thieves," without ever having been houses of the Father - dens, where people are hoodwinked, and by "sharp practice" robbed of their money under divers false pretenses. They are places where pews are sold by auction, the proudest sittings being knocked down to Mammon's greatest favorites; places where fairs of vanity and deceit are held for "pious objects;" and whose spiritual empirics pretend to "cure souls" in consideration of so much per annum. In view of these facts, the Scriptural epithet bestowed upon the ecclesiastical edifices of the Apostasy , is most appropriate. They are truly bazaars of spiritual merchandise; and the prospering craft, "the great men of the earth," papal, catholic, and protestant, made rich by trading in their wares, are the Bazaar-Men, who extort all kinds of goods from their deluded customers by putting them in sulphurous and mortal fear; and comforting them with counterfeits upon some transpatial bank when time shall be no more! They "buy and sell" under license from the Ecclesiastical Power, having received its "mark upon their foreheads, or on their right hands." The reader may find their inventory of merchandise in Apoc. 18:12,13. Among the articles received in exchange for their "spiritual things," are tithes, bodies (somata) and souls of men. But the trade of these soul-and-body merchants is in anything but a satisfactory state at present. Great numbers of their customers have discovered that the profit is all upon one side; nor are they back-ward in proclaiming that when a favorable opportunity presents they will break up the iniquitous concern, and make the cheats disgorge their unhallowed gains (†). This will be to them a sad day - a day of universal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(†) when Eureka was written there was vigorous opposition manifested towards the Papacy throughout the countries of western Europe in fulfillment of the prediction of Rev. 17:16: "the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire". This antagonism had been generated by the political philosophy of Karl Marx, whose Manifesto of The Communist Party, written in the same year as Elpis Israel, resulted in a revolutionary spirit being manifested throughout the Continent. There were widespread anti-papal movements and in Italy these culminated in the loss of temporal power by the Papacy, anticipated by Bro. Thomas, but which took place in 1870 after his exposition had been published. However, in recent years, the Papacy has gained in influence both in Europe and the Third world; and this, too, is in accordance with tlie requirements of the prophecy. For John saw the Papacy at the epoch of its judgment at the hands of Christ and the saints in a position of dominance over the "beast and its European horns) which in order to "fulfill the words of God" are required to give "their kingdom unto the beast" (Rev. 17:17). In a very exciting manner, because of the implications relating to the return of Christ, the prophecies of The Apocalypse are being fulfilled. - Publishers.
Page 92
bankruptcy for the weeping and wailing merchants of "Babylon the Great;" for "no man buyeth their merchandize any more." When a man's trade is thus extinguished, nothing but ruin stares the shattered tradesman in the face. This is the fate that awaits the preachers of all the "other gospels" of the bazaars gospels other than Paul preached, and which leave men in ignorance and disobedience; gospels which make them partisans of human crotchets and traditions; and the apologists of anything sincerely professed as a substitute for the truth.
It is a remarkable feature in this prophecy that the Bazaars for priestly and clerical wares are distinguished from houses or shops of fair and honorable trade, by being styled Bazaars of Mahuzzim. When jewelers, bakers, hardware-men, and such-like, open stores, they emblazon their signs with their own names. When people go to the baker's or the butcher's, they do not say they are going to St. Paul's or St. Barnabas', as if the stores were theirs. But when the clergy of "the King" and his foreign god, whether they be loyal or non-conformist, open bazaars for the sharp practice of their trade, they impose upon the credulous and strongly deluded public the idea that they belong to the apostles and their brethren! They say that these ancients "of whom the world is not worthy," are still alive and in heaven, and greatly interested in human affairs, especially in church edifices, and in the orchestral and pulpit demonstrations therein! Hence, they set up statues in niches, and on parapets, which they call by their names, and make them presents of their churches, as is evident from the names they bear; as St. Sophia's at Constantinople, St. Peter's at Rome, Our Lady's at Paris, St. Paul's at London, and so forth. The flagrancy of the imposture, however, consists in this, that while they profess to give these houses of the king's god to the "departed spirits" they call by these names, they will not permit the gospel the apostles preached, and the institutions they ordained, to be announced in their walls; but, by various arts, perversely persist in its exclusion, and in making it of none effect by their vain and foolish traditions. But the whole system is a cheat, and a very profitable one for the present to those who live by it. It is ecclesiastical craft caused to prosper by the Civil Power, or "the King;" and it will continue to prosper "till the indignation shall be accomplished;" when Israel's Commander will bring it to an end, and cause the truth, by the energy whereby he is able to subdue all opposition, and to unmask all impostures, to prevail at last.
This king, or Imperial Power, and its foreign god, are presented in Dan. 7:8,20,24,25, under the symbol of a Little Horn, in which were EYES like the eyes of man, and a MOUTH speaking very great things. In this, the Eyes and the Mouth are representative of the foreign god;
Page 93
while the Little Horn itself is significative of "the king," or power, that glorifies him. This remarkable constitution of Church and State did not obtain in the days of Paul and John. The former in 2 Thess. 2 predicted its manifestation as the result of apostasy from the faith; and that when that apostasy was well developed, the power would be revealed. Not, however, in full manifestation at the beginning. The power had to receive its birth, and to grow to manhood, or maturity; so that when it had fully established itself above all, it might be in a position to set up its foreign god. Paul styles the power, "the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition:" and foreseeing the extraordinary arrogance of the spiritual element of the power, he speaks of it as one "who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called a god, or an object of reverence; so that he as a god sitteth in the temple of the god, showing himself that he is a god." This is the god Daniel styles "a foreign god;" and by John in Apoc. 13:2,5, "the Mouth of the Beast as the mouth of a lion, and speaking great things and blasphemies;" and in verses 14,15, "the Image of the Beast," which received life and ability to speak from the Civil Power.
Now, the Pagan Imperial Roman Power existed before the Woman; and so did Jesus Christ. Neither of them, therefore, could be the son to be born of her. But in the days of Constantine, there was a great revolution in the State, the effects of which are felt in all Europe and America to this day. When he became Emperor of Rome, the constitution of the empire was modified in Church and State. He assumed supremacy in both; and became the Chief Bishop - "the Bishop of the bishops" - of "the Holy Apostolic Catholic Church," so called. He established the Catholic Apostasy as the most favored religion of the Roman State; but, according to Labanius, "made no alteration in the legal worship; the temples indeed were impoverished, but the sacred rites were performed there." Though the Court was transferred to Constantinople, the Senate continued to hold its sessions in Rome, where by solemn decrees it still presumed to consecrate the divine memory of their sovereigns; and Constantine himself was associated, after his death, to those gods of his predecessors whom he had renounced and insulted during his life. "The titles, the ensigns, the prerogatives, of SOVEREIGN PONTIFF" says Gibbon, "which had been instituted by Numa, and assumed by Augustus, were accepted without hesitation, by seven christian emperors, who were invested with more absolute authority over the religion which they had deserted, than over that which they professed." Hence, this Son of the Woman, styled by historians "the first christian emperor," was at once Sovereign Pontiff of paganism, and Chief Bishop of the Catholic Church! Such a child born and son given could be no other than "THE MAN OF SIN." The historical
Page 94
testimony of Gibbon concerning this personage is
demonstrative of the true character of the Woman's Son. "The first of the
christian emperors," says he, "was unworthy of that name till the
moment of his death." This he clearly proves in his great work. In the
days of the apostles they only were christians who believed "the gospel of
the kingdom," and were immersed; but Constantine was ignorant of it, and
therefore could not believe it, and was not immersed until three days before
his death, A.D. 337. During many previous years he was reputed a christian by
the Catholic Church. He assumed the character of a bishop, presided at
ecclesiastical councils, gave judgment against christians reputed
"heretical" by his party, enjoined the solemn observance of the first
day of the week, which he called the day
of the sun, Die Solis, after his once favorite god, and in the same year,
A.D. 321, directed the regular consultation of AURUSPICES.§ He was permitted by the Catholic Woman to enjoy most
of the privileges of her communion. Instead of retiring from the congregation,
when the voice of the deacon dismissed the profane multitude, he prayed with the faithful, disputed with
the bishops, preached on the most
sublime and intricate subjects of theology, celebrated
with "sacred rites" the vigil of Easter, and publicly declared
himself, not only a partaker, but, in some measure, a priest and hierophant of
the "christian mysteries". In view of such premises as these, what
shall we say of such a church, and of such a religion, whose professors could
permit, and even applaud, such flagrant violation of the first principles of
the doctrine of Christ? The only conclusion attainable is that such a community
is the CHURCH OF ANTI-CHRIST, and
her imperial protector and chief, THE
MAN of SIN.
18. The Manner of His
Birth
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* See illustration p.37.
Page 95
means of safety. He was well acquainted with the character and sentiments of Galerius, who in vowing the destruction of the christian name, was implacable towards those who favored it. He was therefore sufficiently apprised, that if he wished to live he must determine to reign. After a show of decent and even obstinate resistance, affected to justify his usurpation, he yielded to the acclamations of the army, which saluted him as Augustus, and emperor. Upon this, he immediately dispatched a letter to Galerius, informing him of his father's death, modestly asserting his natural claim to the succession, and respectfully lamenting, that the affectionate violence of his troops had not permitted him to solicit the imperial purple in the regular and constitutional manner. The first emotions of Galerius were those of surprise, disappointment, and rage; and as he could seldom restrain his passions, he loudly threatened that he would commit to the flames both the letter and the messenger. But his resentment insensibly subsided. Without either condemning or ratifying the choice of the British army, Galerius accepted Constantine as the sovereign of the provinces west of the Alps, but gave him only the title of Caesar, and the fourth rank among the Roman princes, whilst he conferred the vacant place of Augustus on his favorite Severus. The apparent harmony of the empire was still preserved, and Constantine, who already possessed the substance, expected, without impatience, an opportunity of obtaining the honors of supreme power.
For the first, and indeed the last time, the Roman World was administered by six emperors, A. D. 308. The opposition of interest, and the memory of a recent war, divided the empire into two great hostile powers. In the west, Constantine and Maxentius acknowledged the superior influence of Maximian; while in the east, Licinius and Maximin honored with more real consideration their benefactor Galerius: but upon the death of the elder princes, Maximian and Galerius, a new direction was given to the views and passions of their surviving associates.
During six years Maxentius reigned in Rome. He was repeatedly heard to declare that he alone was emperor, and that the other three princes were no more than his lieutenants, on whom he had devolved the defence of the frontier provinces, that he might enjoy without interruption the elegant luxury of the capital. In the crisis thus formed, A. D. 312, Constantine was convinced that the hostile and ambitious designs of the Italian emperor made it necessary for him to arm in his own defense. Maxentius was constitutionally the head of the Dragon-Power, being enthroned in Rome, and identified with the Roman Senate. He openly avowed his pretensions to the whole monarchy of the west, and
Page 96
had already prepared a very considerable force to invade Constantine's jurisdiction on the side of Rhoetia.
That Constantine at this crisis was in the womb of the Catholic Woman, appears from the fact, that while he exercised his limited sovereignty over the provinces of Gaul, his christian subjects were protected by his authority, while, says Gibbon, "he wisely left to the gods the care of vindicating their own honor. If we may credit the assertion of Constantine himself, he had been an indignant spectator of the savage cruelties which were inflicted by the hands of Roman soldiers on those citizens whose religion was their only crime." The example of Galerius, his implacable enemy, had made this severity odious to him. By the authority and advice of his dying father, he determined to pursue an opposite course. He immediately suspended or repealed the edicts of persecution, and granted the free exercise of their religious ceremonies to all those who had already professed themselves members of the church. They were soon encouraged to depend on the favor as well as on the justice of their sovereign, who had imbibed a secret and sincere reverence for the name of Christ, and for the God of the christians.
Picture of Constantine’s head not shown pg 96
The colossal head of Constantine's stature in Rome (the rest of which is now in fragments). Constantine is the man child of sin of Rev. 12:5. He was a very skillful and powerful ruler. He united the empire under his sole rule, and established the authority of the Church. He is claimed to have been the "first Christian Emperor" but, in fact, only submitted to baptism a short time before his death. - Publishers.
Page 97
"The warm and active loyalty of the Catholics exhausted in Constantine's favor every resource of human industry; and they confidently expected that their strenuous efforts would be seconded by some divine and miraculous aid. The enemies of Constantine," continues Gibbon, "have imputed to interested motives the alliance which he insensibly contracted with the Catholic Church," or the Woman, and which apparently contributed to the success of his ambition. In the beginning of the fourth century the Catholics still bore a very inadequate proportion to the inhabitants of the empire; but among a degenerate people like the Romans and Greeks, who viewed the change of masters with the indifference of slaves, the spirit and union of the Catholic minority would assist the popular leader, to whose service, from a principle of conscience, they had devoted their lives and fortunes. The ranks of his legions were filled with the proselytes of the new faith; so that when they marched against Maxentius, a great number of the soldiers had already consecrated their swords to the service of Christ and of Constantine. In the Catholic councils assembled under Constantine's protection, the authority of the bishops was employed to ratify the obligation of the military oath, and to inflict the penalty of excommunication on those soldiers who threw away their arms during the enjoyment of peace by the church. But the Woman was not confined to the dominions of Constantine. She overspread the Dragon empire; so that while he increased his adherents from her communion in Britain, Spain and Gaul, he could depend on the support of the Catholics in the provinces, which were still possessed or usurped by his rivals. Thus a secret disaffection was diffused among the Catholic subjects of Maxentius and Licinius - the Dragon Power against which he was about to contend. The regular correspondence which connected the bishops of the most distant provinces, enabled them freely to communicate their wishes and their designs, and to transmit without danger any useful intelligence, or any pious contributions, which might promote the service of Constantine, who publicly declared that he had taken up arms for the deliverance of the Catholic Church.
By this declaration he constituted himself the Woman's champion against the Dragon, in all the Roman World; nevertheless, he had not yet announced himself as one of her sons. The real and precise date of Constantine's conversion to Laodicean Catholicism has been variously stated. Eusebius has ascribed the faith of Constantine to a sign alleged to have been displayed in the heavens whilst he was waging war against Maxentius. A contemporary writer affirms with the most perfect confidence, that in the night that preceded the last battle with Maxentius, Constantine was admonished in a dream to inscribe the shields of his sol-
Page 98
diers with the celestial sign of God, the sacred monogram of the name of Christ - thus (Sign was a Capitol P with an X superimposed); that he executed this command, and that his valor and obedience were rewarded by the decisive victory of the Milvian Bridge. But it is not easy to determine if this were a real miracle, or merely a "lying wonder." Probably it was the last. Be this as it may, the victory of the Milvian Bridge developed Constantine as the FIRST IMPERIAL SON OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, commonly, but absurdly, styled, "the first Christian Emperor." Previous to that victory he was an usurper of imperial rank, unrecognized by the Roman Senate, and the Coming Man of the Catholic party; favoring its policy, but temporizing between them and their opponents. He was in the womb of his mother, but not yet born of her, as the chief ruler of the Roman nations.
His birth could not be accomplished without the pains of parturition. His mother was "in pangs, straining to bring forth." These pangs and strainings were the pains of persecution, and the efforts of war for deliverance. The threatened invasion of his territory by Maxentius caused Constantine to hesitate no longer. He gave private audience to ambassadors, who in the name of the Senate and people, conjured him to deliver Rome from a detested tyrant; and without regarding the timid remonstrance’s of his council, he resolved to prevent the enemy, and to carry the war into the heart of Italy.
The enterprise was as full of danger as of "glory." Maxentius was prepared to resist him with 120,000 foot, and 18,000 horse. But Constantine was not to be deterred by this array. At the head of about 40,000 soldiers, he descended into the plain of Piedmont by the road across the Cottian Alps, now styled Mount Cenis, with such activity, that his army arrived there before the court of Maxentius had received any certain intelligence of his departure from the banks of the Rhine. He stormed, and entered Susa sword in hand, and cut in pieces the greater part of the garrison. About forty miles from thence, in the plains of Turin, he encountered the lieutenants of Maxentius, commanding a force largely consisting of heavy cavalry, horses and men clothed in complete armor. Their weight was almost irresistible, and they flattered themselves that they would easily break and trample down the army of Constantine. But his skillful evolution’s divided and baffled them. They fled towards Turin, which shut its gates against them, so that very few escaped the sword of their pursuers. The result of this victory was the submission of Milan, and almost all the cities of Italy between the Alps and the Po, which also embraced with zeal the party of Constantine.
From Milan to Rome the AEmilian and Flaminian highways offered an easy march of four hundred miles. But he preferred for strategic reasons the route by Verona. He was met by a large body of cavalry
Page 99
which he defeated near Brescia, and pursued to the gates of Verona. He crossed the Adige, a rapid river encompassing three sides of the city, and laid siege to it. Pompeianus, finding that he could not successfully defend it, escaped from Verona, and with indefatigable diligence collected an army sufficient either to meet Constantine in the field, or to attack him if he obstinately remained within his lines. But leaving part of his legions to continue the siege, he led those troops on whose valor and fidelity he more particularly depended, in person against the enemy. The engagement began at the close of the day, and was contested with great obstinacy the whole night. The return of light displayed the victory of Constantine, and a field of carnage covered with many thousands of vanquished Italians. Pompeianus was found among the slain; Verona immediately surrendered at discretion, and the garrison was made prisoners of war.
The resources of Maxentius, both in men and money, were still considerable. A third army was soon collected, more numerous than those which had been lost in the battles of Turin and Verona. The contempt of the Roman people, who tumultuously reproached his pusillanimity and insolence, while they celebrated the heroic spirit of Constantine, compelled him to assume the command of the army in person. But before he left Rome he consulted the Sibylline books. These were the ancient oracles of the old Roman superstition, whose guardians were as well versed in the arts of this world, as they were ignorant of the secrets of fate; they returned him the very prudent answer that, Illo die hostem Romanorum esse periturum, "on that day the enemy of the Romans would perish;" which might adapt itself to the event, the vanquished prince, of course, becoming the enemy of Rome.
On arriving at Saxa Rubra, about nine miles from Rome, Constantine discovered the army of Maxentius prepared to give him battle. Their long front filled a very spacious plain, and their deep array reached to the banks of the Tiber, which covered their rear, and forbade their retreat. Constantine charged in person at the head of the Gallic horse, whose impetuosity determined the fortune of the day. The defeat of the two wings left the flanks of the infantry unprotected, and the undisciplined Italians precipitately fled. The praetorians, conscious that their offenses were beyond the reach of mercy, were animated by revenge and despair. But they were unable to recover the victory. The confusion then became general, and the dismayed troops of Maxentius, pursued by an implacable enemy, rushed by thousands into the deep and rapid Tiber. Maxentius endeavored to reach the city by the Milvian Bridge, but he was forced into the river by the crowd, where he was immediately drowned by the weight of his armor. On the recovery of his
Page 100
body from the mud next day, his head was exposed to view,
which convinced the people of their deliverance, and admonished them to receive
with loyal and grateful demonstrations the victorious Constantine, "who
thus achieved," says Gibbon, "by his valor and ability the most splendid enterprise of his
life."
This "most splendid enterprise" was his birth as the Woman's Son. Before, he was an usurper and adventurer, but by these splendid defeats of the forces of the Dragon, and the acquisition of his throne and capital, he was assigned by the decree of the Roman Senate, the first rank among the three Augusti who governed the Roman World. He was now exalted to a position of great influence, which he speedily exerted in favor of the Catholic Church. He had not yet attained to Supreme God-ship in the Roman heaven, by which he could "rule all the nations" of the empire "with an iron sceptre." By the overthrow of Maxentius he annexed Italy and Africa to his dominion; but there still remained the territories held by Licinius and Maximin, the two other Augusti. The former ruled the nations of Illyricum; the latter, those of Egypt and Syria. But the destiny marked out by Deity for the Woman's Imperial Son, was that he should rule all these nations with an iron sceptre; so that we may expect to find that his career will be onward until he acquires the sole dominion over the whole Roman Habitable.
About five months after the conquest of Italy, in March, A.D. 313, Constantine made a solemn and authentic declaration of his sentiments, by the celebrated Edict of Milan, which restored peace to the Catholic Church. After the death of Maximin, it was received as a general and fundamental law of the Roman world. Constantine, with the ready, but not hearty, concurrence of Licinius, provided for the restitution of all the civil and religious rights of which the catholics had been deprived. It was enacted that the places of worship, and public lands, which had been confiscated, should be restored to the Catholic Church, without dispute, without delay, and without expense; and this severe injunction was accompanied with a gracious promise, that if any of the purchasers had paid a fair and adequate price, they should be indemnified from the imperial treasury. The two emperors proclaimed to the world, that they had granted a free and absolute power to the catholics, and to all others, of following the religion which each individual thinks proper to prefer, to which he has addicted his mind, and which he may deem the best adapted to his own use. Thus, as expressed by Eusebius, while the East was involved in the shades of infernal darkness, the auspicious rays of celestial light warmed and illuminated the provinces of the West. The piety of Constantine was cited as an unexceptionable proof of the justice of his arms; and his use of victory in their favor confirmed the opinion of
Page 101
the catholics, that their hero was inspired, and conducted, by the Lord of hosts.
19. The Son's Ascent
to the Deity
"And her son was forcibly carried up to the Deity, and his
throne"
Before the Woman's Son could "rule ALL the nations" of the Roman Habitable, it was necessary that he be placed upon the throne of the Deity. "There is no power but of the Deity," says Paul; "and the powers that be are ordered of the Deity." The throne of the Deity upon the Roman Habitable would be the seat of the Supreme and Sole Sovereignty of the empire, wherever it might be located. Jerusalem is styled "the throne of Yahweh" in Jer. 3:17. That city is the place where supreme power will be established in the Millennium. It was also Yahweh's throne when occupied by David and Solomon - 1 Chron. 29:23. But in the days of Constantine, supreme power had long before departed from Jerusalem. Israel and Judah had been broken and divorced; and a people formed from among the Gentiles for the Divine Name. This people came to contend with the Pagan Dragon for supreme power. After a long and bloody conflict they acquired it by the will of the Deity, "of whom are all things" (1 Cor. 8:6). Their military commander is therefore, said to have arrived at the Deity and his throne. Hence Constantine, as sole emperor of the Roman world, invested with supreme power in all spiritual and temporal affairs, is the illustration of the import of the text predicting the translation of the Woman's Son "to the Deity and his throne."
But under the circumstances of the case it was not possible for him to attain that high position without further conflict. He had fought his way up from a Caesar of the fourth rank of Roman princes, to be the first of the three Augusti of the empire; but he could ascend no higher while his two colleagues, Licinius and Maximin, ruled Illyricum and the East. These had to be removed by force of arms; for they were not the men voluntarily to abdicate position and power in favor of a rival as ambitious as themselves.
The word in the original indicating this necessity, is herpasthe; rendered in the Common Version, "was caught up." The phrase "to the Deity" implies ascending from a lower to the highest position. Hence the word "up." The word implies violence in the action it represents; as, to convey, take or carry by force. I have, therefore, rendered it, was forcibly carried up. Her son did not forcibly translate himself into the possession of supreme power; but he was carried up to that high position by his Victorious armies, whose hearts and arms were energized by Divine power.
Page 102
WAR IN THE HEAVEN;
OR,
20. The Ascent
Historically Illustrated
"And there was
war in the heaven; the Michael and his angels waged war against the Dragon; and
the Dragon fought and his angels, but prevailed not; neither was their place
found any more in the heaven."
When Constantine was declared by the Roman Senate the first of the three Augusti, Licinius, the Illyrian Augustus, seemed cordially to endorse his policy with respect to the Catholic Church. But his subsequent conduct soon betrayed the reluctance with which he had consented to the wise and humane regulations of the Edict of Milan. The convocation of provincial synods was prohibited in his dominions; his catholic officers were ignominiously dismissed; and if he avoided the guilt, or rather danger, of a general persecution, his partial oppressions were rendered still more odious, by the violation of a solemn and voluntary engagement.
The interview between Constantine and Licinius at Milan was brief. In the midst of the public festivity these allies were suddenly obliged to take leave of each other. An inroad of the Franks demanded the presence of Constantine on the Rhine; and the hostile approach of Maximin required the immediate presence of Licinius. Maximin had been the secret ally of Maxentius, and without being discouraged at his fate, he resolved to try the fortune of a civil war. He invaded the dominion of Licinius with a disciplined and veteran army of about seventy thousand men. Licinius encountered him with thirty thousand, and after a severe contest, gave him a signal and decisive overthrow. Maximin, perceiving that all was lost, fled with great precipitation. He was the most implacable of all the enemies of the Catholic Church; but he did not long survive his defeat to torment it. Three or four months after he died by Divine justice; and the provinces of the east, delivered from the terrors of civil war, cheerfully acknowledged the authority of Licinius.
The Roman world was now divided between Constantine and
Licinius; the former being master of the West, and the latter of the East. Constantine,
as the military chieftain of the Catholic Church, which the Deity had
predetermined should have the rule instead of the Pagan Priesthood, is styled
in the prophecy ho Michael, the
Michael: that is, the Michael of the situation. This name is Hebrew in a Greek
dress. The Hebrew is resolvable into three words put interrogatively, as Miyka'el,
Page 103
or Mi, who, cah, like, ail power? Or Who like that power Divinely energized to cast the Pagan Dragon, surnamed the Diabolos and the Satan, out of the Roman heaven? There was no contemporary power under this Sixth Seal that was able to contend successfully against it. Hence Constantine, as the instrument of the Deity in the development of his purpose, is styled "the Michael". He was not personally the Michael, or "first of the chief princes" spoken of in Dan. 10:13, nor the Michael termed in Dan. 12:1, "the great Prince who standeth for the children of Daniel's people;" but for the time being he filled the office that will hereafter be more potently and gloriously illustrated by the Great
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Map showing the Roman Empire under Constantine not shown
THE ROMAN EMPIRE UNDER CONSTAN"IINE
The extent of the Roman Empire was very great. It reached from the Atlantic coast to the Caspian Sea, and from the coast of North Holland to that of Africa comprising the then known world, fulfilling Revelation 12:5.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prince from heaven, who will bind the Dragon and shut him down in the abyss for a thousand years (Apoc. 20:2,3). The militant mission of Constantine and the Great Prince, Jesus Christ, are similar, but not identical. The power of the Deity was with Constantine, as it was with Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Alexander, and the first Napoleon; while Christ is the great power of the Deity corporealized. Constantine was to rule all the nations of the Roman Habitable with an iron sceptre from the time he attained supreme power till he died, which was about four
Page 104
teen years. Christ Jesus and his brethren are to rule all the nations of the globe with an iron sceptre for a thousand years (Apoc. 19:15; 2:26,27). Constantine stood up with Catholics and for them and Christians, against the Pagan Dragon. Christ Jesus will stand up for the saints, and with them, against the Catholic Dragon and Beasts whom he will bind and destroy. Thus the word parallelizes the greater and the less in their military antagonism, to the powers hostile to the Divine Name. It may, therefore, be fairly admitted that in his military career against the Dragon, Constantine was a typical Michael - typical of that Michael who shall stand up in the resurrection period, and bring all the nations of mankind into subjection to his almighty power.
But the Michael, Constantine, was not alone in his wars. There were associated with him "his angels". Angels are agents employed to execute the will and pleasure of those who commissioned them. They may be mortal or immortal agents, and hold their commission of the Deity or of men. In the prophecy, the Divine Power, or AlL, commissioned certain mortal agents, known as Constantine and his adherents, to cast the Dragon and his adherents out of the Roman Heaven. The same power that co-worked with Constantine cooperated with his retainers. They were, therefore, the Michael-power and its angels - the corrupt and militant class of the Woman's children.
"And there was war in the heaven." "Wherever the scene is laid," saith Daubuz, truly, "heaven signifies, symbolically, the ruling power or government; that is, the whole assembly of the ruling powers, which, in respect of the subjects, or earth, are a political heaven, being over and ruling the subjects, as the natural heaven stands over and rules the earth: so that according to the subject is the term to be limited." The scene is laid in "the whole habitable of the Dragon;" hence "the heaven" in the prophecy signifies the whole assembly of the ruling powers of the Roman Dragon. This being the subject of the prophecy, the term must be limited to the official region of the Roman world.
In the Roman Heaven, then, there was to be war. There had already been a war there; that namely, between Licinius and Maximin. But this could not be the war predicted; for, although Maximin was
defeated, he was not cast out by Licinius; having died in office and from disease: neither were Licinius and his adherents "the Michael and his angels." The chief difference between Licinius and Maximin was, that the former was a hypocritical and cruel politician and pagan; while the latter was all this and more ferocious, but without the hypocrisy. No; the particular war predicted was to be waged between "the Michael" and the Dragon; and not to reach its final termination until the place of "the Dragon and his angels" should be "found no more in the heaven." Con-
Page 105
stantine took no part in the war against Maximin, being engaged in checking the incursions of the Franks across the Rhine.
Since the death of Maximin, Licinius by his patronage of "the gods of his ancestors," and his hatred, ill-concealed, of Constantine and the catholics, came to be represented from A.D. 314 to A.D. 324, by the Dragon-tail which "drew the third part of the stars of the heaven"
Ver. 4.1 say from A.D. 314, because previously to this date, he was the chief luminary of two-thirds; of his own Illyrian third, and of Maximin's Asiatic third which he acquired by his death.
Now, he was reduced from a tail, or following, of two-thirds to one-third of the stars of the Roman firmament by a war with Constantine. A year had scarcely elapsed after the death of Maximin, before Constantine and Licinius turned their arms against each other. This was a war, but not the war predicted. It was a war for the development of the Dragon's Tail - the tail end of the pagan dragon-power. The character of Licinius was perfidious. He secretly fomented a conspiracy against the authority of Constantine. But this vigilant ruler discovered it before it was ripe for execution. Licinius haughtily refused the extradition of the criminals who had sought refuge in Illyricum. This confirmed the suspicions of Constantine; who, without further loss of time in the interchanges of diplomacy, marched against him with twenty thousand men. Licinius met him near Cibalis in Pannonia with thirty-five thousand. Licinius was defeated with a loss of twenty thousand. After this he retreated, but halted in the plain of Mardia in Thrace, where he determined to hazard another battle. This was no less obstinate and bloody than the former; the troops on both sides displayed the same valor and discipline; but the superior abilities of the Woman's Son again decided the fortune of the day in his favor. The loss of two battles, and of his bravest veterans, reduced the fierce spirit of Licinius to sue for peace. His situation was almost desperate. Constantine, however, consented to retain him in "the heaven," but with a dominion considerably reduced. He left him in possession of a third part of the Roman Habitable, consisting of Thrace, Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt; now comprehended in Modern Turkey: but the provinces of Pannonia, Dalmatia, Dacia, Macedonia, and Greece, the other third, were annexed to the Western Empire; so that the dominions of Constantine now extended over two-thirds, from the confines of Caledonia to the extremity of Peloponnesus.
Thus terminated this war in the heaven. It had reduced the dominion of the pagan element; but had not given the Woman's son rule over all the nations of the habitable; nor had it cast the great red dragon and his angels out. The overthrow of Maxentius, with whom Maximin was
Page 106
allied, that is, the birth of the Woman's son; left "the earth and the sea" in the possession of Licinius and Maximin: who, in relation to "the inhabiters of the earth and sea," constituted "THE DIABOLOS." The signs of the times convinced them, that the pagan political power was doomed to speedy extinction, unless its fall could be arrested by the overthrow of the catholic party and its military chief. This they were determined to compass if possible. Hence, the two wars in the heaven, which brought "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and sea: because the diabolos had come down (from Italy where he had reigned before the defeat of Maxentius) unto them, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" - verse 12. This "short time" was a period of about twelve years; that is, from A.D. 312 to A.D. 324, when Constantine became sole emperor of the Roman world.
The recent treaty of peace between the Diabolos-emperor, Licinius, and the Woman's Son, Constantine, maintained the tranquillity of the empire above eight years. A very regular series of imperial laws commences about the period of this treaty, the most important of which were intimately connected with the new system of policy and religion, which was not perfectly established till the last and peaceful years of his reign.
In the exalted state of glory to which he had attained A.D. 323, it was impossible that Constantine should any longer endure a partner in the empire. Confiding in the superiority of his genius and military power, he determined to exert them for the ejection of "the dragon and his angels out of the heaven." For this purpose he commenced the war predicted in the seventh verse. Licinius prepared himself for the contest, collected the forces of his Eastern Third, the "Angels" of his power, and soon filled the plains of Adrianople with one hundred and fifty thousand f6ot, and fifteen thousand horse; and the straits of the Hellespont with a fleet of three hundred and fifty galleys of three ranks of oars. The troops of Constantine, the Michael of the situation, amounted to a hundred and twenty thousand horse and foot. Constantine's naval preparations were in every respect much inferior to those of Licinius. They did not exceed two hundred small vessels. With this naval preponderance he might have carried an offensive war into the centre of his rival's dominions, and so have changed the whole face of it. But the prudence of Licinius was at fault in contending with "the Michael and his angels," whose attack he awaited in a fortified camp near Adrianople. Constantine's advance from Thessalonica was arrested by the broad and rapid Hebrus, the steep ascent from which to the city was filled by the army of Licinius. Here were now assembled Licinius and Martinianus, whom he had made Caesar, "the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the
Page 107
rich men, and the chiliarchs (chiefs of a thousand men) and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman" (Apoc. 6:15). This was the great day of the Lamb's wrath upon the pagan dragon-tail, and the third part of the stars of the Roman firmament that followed it. "The Michael and his angels," the executioners of the Lamb's wrath, "waged war against the Dragon." Many days were spent in doubtful and distant skirmishes; but at length the obstacles of the passage and the attack were removed by the intrepid conduct of Constantine. Zosimus, an historian who was the partial enemy of his fame, relates a wonderful exploit of Constantine. He says that the valiant emperor threw himself into the Hebrus, accompanied only by twelve horsemen, and that by the effort or terror of his invincible arm, he broke, slaughtered, and put to flight a host of one hundred and fifty thousand men. Other causes combined to develop this result; for while he was perplexing Licinius with his artful evolution’s, a body of five thousand archers deployed from a thick wood in his rear, and made it necessary for him to take up a new position in the plain. The advantage of position being lost, the contest was no longer equal. "The Dragon fought, and his angels, but prevailed not". His confused multitude of new levies was easily vanquished by "the Michael," and his experienced veterans of the West. Thirty-four thousand of the Dragon's forces were slain; their fortified camp was taken by assault on the evening of the battle. The greater part of the fugitives "hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains." The logic of their flight hither was that they might hide from the conqueror; and the language of it was, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne" (Apoc. 6:16). Next day they came forth from their hiding places, and surrendered themselves to the discretion of the victor.
This battle of Adrianople had been a consummation of "woe to the inhabiters of the earth:" the time had now come for a like consummation of "woe to the inhabiters of the sea." Here were five hundred and fifty vessels full of combatants, drawn together from the maritime part of the Roman earth, to engage in the great conflict between the worshippers of the idols, and the catholic believers in the Divine Unity. While Constantine was besieging Byzantium, to which Licinius had retired after his defeat at Adrianople, Crispus, the eldest son of Constantine, was entrusted with the daring enterprise of forcing the passage of the Helles-pont. This he performed with great courage and success. The engagement between the contending fleets lasted two days. A south wind springing up about noon, carried his vessels against the enemy, and as the advantage was improved by his skill and intrepidity, he soon obtained a complete victory. A hundred and thirty vessels were destroyed, and five
Page 108
thousand men were slain. The Hellespont being now open, Licinius perceived that he could not hold Byzantium much longer. Therefore, before the place was surrounded, he prudently removed his person and treasures to Chalcedon in Asia.
Such were still the resources and abilities of Licinius, that, after so many successive defeats, he collected in Bithynia a new army of fifty or sixty thousand men, while Constantine was still actively employed in the siege of Byzantium. The vigilant Michael did not neglect the last struggles of the Dragon. He transported a considerable part of his victorious army across the Bosphorus; and soon after their landing fought the decisive battle of the war on the heights of Chrysopolis, or, as it is now called, Scutari. "The angels" of the Dragon, though lately raised, ill armed, and worse disciplined, made head against "the Michael and his angels" with fruitless but desperate valor, till a total defeat, and the slaughter of five and twenty thousand men, irretrievably determined the fate of the Supreme Pontiff of the Idols and his adherents. Licinius retired to Nicomedia from whence he opened negotiations with Constantine. Peace and affluence were granted to him on condition of sacrificing Martinianus, whom he had created Augustus, and of resigning the imperial office. Licinius accordingly solicited and accepted the pardon of his offenses, laid himself and his purple at the feet of his Lord and Master, was raised from the ground with insulting pity, was admitted the same day to the imperial banquet, and soon after was sent away to Thessalonica, which had been chosen for the place of his confinement, which was soon terminated by death at the hand of the executioner.
Such was the result of this last "war in the heaven." "The Dragon and his angels fought and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in the heaven" - verse 8. "He was cast out into the earth; and his angels were cast out with him" - verse 9: and in his projection, "his tail drew the third part of the stars, and cast them to the earth" - verse 4. The memory of Licinius was branded with infamy(*), his statues were thrown down, and, by a hasty edict, all his laws, and all the judicial proceedings of his reign were at once abolished. By this victory of Constantine, A.D. 324, the Roman world was united under the authority of one emperor; and he the first of a long line of emperors, who, though not christian, but catholic, repudiated "the gods of their ancestors." The immediate and memorable consequences of this revolution were the
_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(*)(*)Eusebius of Caesarea (AD 260-340) wrote a History of the Church and a Lfe of Constantine in which the Emperor is praised for his piety and ability. The earlier editions of his Church History also praised Licinius, but following his fall from favour and execution by order of Constantine, he promptly excised all complimentary allusions to Licinius from the latest edition of his Church History". This statement from Who Was Who In The Roman World illustrates Bro. Thomas' comment above. - Publishers.
Page 109
foundation of Constantinople, and the establishment of the Laodicean Catholic Apostasy as the religion of the State.
While these stirring and exciting events were transpiring, their connexion with apocalyptic prophecy was not unperceived by Constantine and his adherents. In a letter to Eusebius he writes of "that dragon having been deposed from the governance of affairs, by God's providence". And Eusebius further relates, that in a picture elevated by Constantine over his palace gate, there was represented the cross placed over his head; and beneath his own and his children's feet, his enemies under the semblance of a dragon cast down headlong into the abyss. In a letter also to Eusebius he says, "But now that liberty is restored, and that Dragon driven from the administration of public affairs by the providence of the Supreme Deity, and our instrumentality, we trust that all can see the efficacy of the Divine power." A dragon is a symbol stamped on some of the coins of Constantine. I have the representation before me of two, on which the cross, the symbol of the catholic church, is erected over a fallen dragon, the symbol of Roman superstition in its political constitution.
Licinius himself seems to have been aware that the conflict was not simply a matter of personal rivalry and ambition between him and Constantine, but the great question which system of belief and practice was genuine and designed of the Eternal Power, be that power the gods of the Roman Habitable, or "the foreign God" whom the adherents of those gods derided, to prevail. This question was considered by both
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coins not shown
Licinius (left) and Constantine (right) are depicted upon contemporary gold medallions. Every attempt was made to emphasise the serene, pious features of Constantine in contrast to those of Licinius. - Publishers.
Page 110
parties as on trial in the contest of the "short time," and to be determined by its issue.
As a religious preparation for the impending conflict, Licinius col-ected around himself Egyptian seers and diviners, enchanters, jugglers, and the priests and prophets of his idols, and having propitiated his deities with sacrifices, then inquired what was to be the issue to him of this "war in the heaven." If he had inquired of an enlightened Chrisladeiphian of the period he could have told him that it would be to cast him out of the heaven into the earth, and his angels (the Egyptian seers and diviners, enchanters, jugglers, priests, prophets, and all his officials) with him; but there was none such in his tail, or following, to testify the truth; he therefore, had recourse to the stars drawn in his tail, who unanimously assured him that he would undoubtedly prove the stronger in the contest, and be victorious; a judgment everywhere reiterated in long and elegant songs by the Oracles of the Idols. Elated by these deceitful promises, he advanced with great confidence, and prepared for battle. When about to begin, he summoned his trustiest attendants and friends to meet him in a consecrated grove, spacious and irrigated, in which were set up all kinds of idol-statues, and having lighted wax tapers, in the after-fashion of papists and ritualists, and offered the accustomed victims to them, he delivered the following address:
"Friends and fellow-warriors, these are the gods of our ancestors, whom, received from our earliest predecessors as objects of worship, we honor; but he who commands the army that is drawn up against us, having adopted an atheistic Opinion, violates the customs of the fathers, venerating a god from abroad, I know not whence, and disgraces his troops with his ignominious standard (the Cross with the monogram of Christ) trusting in which he arms not so much against us as against the gods whom he offends. This occasion therefore will show which of us errs in his belief, and will decide between the gods who are honored by us, and by the other party; for either by showing us victors, it will show our gods are most justly regarded as auxiliaries and saviours; or, if the Deity of Constantine, come from I know not whence, shall prevail over ours, which are many, let no one thereafter doubt what Deity ought to be worshipped, but go to the strongest, and present to him the reward of the victory. If the foreign god, whom we now deride, should appear the mightiest, we must acknowledge and honor him, and bid farewell to those to whom we have vainly lit wax tapers. But if ours prevail, which is not to be doubted, then, after the victory, we must proceed to war against the atheists."
Thus, the contest was considered by both parties as between the christians' Deity and the many gods of paganism. Each party regarded
Page 111
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Picture not shown
Illustrative of the chicanery of the Church in its relation to the State, is the so-called Donation of Constantine This was a document advanced by the Church in the 8th century to support its claim to exercise temporal power with the emperor as the secular arm of the church wielding the sword on behalf of the vicar of Peter It was claimed that Constantine on transferring the civil and military authority to Constantinople conferred dominion over Rome on pope Sylvester 1(314-35) This document was proved to be a complete forgery The illustration above is a fifth century fresco entitled the Donation of Constantine No such authority was ever conferred by the Emperor but the Church is notorious for using any means to gain power - Publishers
Page 112
itself as the respective instrument of these. Hence the propriety of the apocalyptic title bestowed on the enemy of the dragon-tail, "the Michael." Constantine's victory was regarded by him, by the church, and by the people at large, as the victory of the Deity, that is living and true, over the false deities, of christianity over idolatry. Eusebius says, that "when the whole was, by the power of Deity, the Saviour, subjected to Constantine, he made known to all the Giver of his prosperity, and testified that the Deity, not he, was the author of his victories."
21. The Great Voice in
the Heaven
11. "And they
overcame him, through the blood of the Lamb, and through the word of their
testimony; and they loved not their life unto death. 12. On account of this let
the heavens rejoice and those who tent in them."
"The heaven," in which John, in prophetic vision, heard this "great voice," was the same heaven as that in which the Woman, the Dragon, the Michael, and the war, had contemporary existence. I say contemporary existence; for, on the defeat of Maxentius, A.D. 313, the Catholic Church, or "Woman clothed with the Sun, and the Moon under her feet, and a stephan of Twelve Stars upon her head," was the established religion of Constantine's dominion; but not of the whole habitable, the rest thereof still rejoicing in the ascendancy of the Dragon and the gods of antiquity. Hence there were two contemporary established religions in the empire, each of them sustained by rival political factions. The Dragon had been cast out as the result of the recent war in the heaven. His "short time" was at an end. He had no longer any place in the heaven, nor his adherents. He who ruled there had no regard for the defeated gods of his ancestors. The heaven had been effectually cleared of all who rejoiced in them; so that there were now found therein only the Sun-clothed Woman and her Son.
This woman and her son constituted "the heavens and those who tent in them." In other words, they were the constituted authorities of the Church and State, who were now all real or pretended catholics. Their religious and political adversaries and oppressors had been turned out of place and power; and they had been turned into them by the wonderful revolution, with all the comforts and advantages accruing to
Page 113
those who by victory may claim the spoils. It was these in the heaven from whom the "Great Voice" ascended joyously. They had been long looking for "the salvation," "or deliverance," and "the power," which they now enjoyed without fear; and what could that constitution of things, exhibited in the Woman and her Son, be, but "the kingdom of our Deity and the authority of His Anointed?" So they thought; for Eusebius, the ecclesiastical historian, who was one of the most prominent among those who then tented in the heaven, being one of the bishops of the Woman, and a companion of her Son, speaking of the new order of things in Church and State, says, "The event surpassed all words. Soldiers with naked swords kept watch round the palace-gate. But the men of God passed through the midst of them without fear, and entered the heart of the palace. And they sat down, some at the emperor's table, the rest at tables on either side of his. It looked like the very image of the kingdom of Christ; and was altogether more like a dream than a reality. And on the occasion of opening a new catholic temple at Tyre, he said to the multitude assembled, 'What so many of the Lord's saints and confessors before our time desired to see and saw not, and to hear and heard not, that behold now before our eyes! It was of us the prophet spake when he told how the wilderness and the solitary place should be glad, and the desert rejoice and blossom as the lily. Whereas the church was widowed and desolate, her children have now to exclaim to her, Make room, enlarge thy borders: the place is too strait for us. The promise is fulfilling to her, In righteousness shalt thou be established: all thy children shall be taught of God: and great shall be the peace of thy children'."
From these quotations which have reference to the real kingdom of Christ, Eusebius in his application of them to the Catholic Church, in the good fortune of which, he says, they were fulfilling; manifestly concluded that it was not only "the image", but the very kingdom of Christ itself! This was his Opinion, and that also of the clergy and people of his communion generally. Their belief was that "the salvation, power, and kingdom of the Deity, and the authority of His Anointed" had really come; and that now, all that remained was for professors to lead moral lives, or at all events to live at peace with, and in the favour of "Mother Church," which would secure to them an abundant entrance into the only other kingdom known to them, termed "the kingdom of glory," situated afar off from earth, "beyond the realms of time and space!" This opinion of Eusebius and his coreligionists, that the church is the kingdom of God, took deep hold of the catholic mind of his generation; and in the nineteenth century is a characteristic of those who know not the truth. Catholics, papists and protestants all believe that what they
Page 114
call church is the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of heaven. Of course, Millennarians may claim exception from this rule. Still, few of them are free from the tradition; for while they expect the reign of Christ upon earth, they hold the church to be the kingdom in some sense; and send off disembodied "immortal souls" to transkyanal regions, there to await the terrestrial millennial reign!
If Eusebius had restrained his fancy, and contented himself with saying, that the New Order of things was the shadow, type, or pattern, of the kingdom of Christ, there would have been little ground for objection. But "the very image of the kingdom of Christ", is that kingdom it-self; "the very image," being used by Paul in Heb. 10:1, for the reality of things shadowed forth, or typified. The kingdom of "the Michael and his angels" shadowed forth the kingdom of Christ, the real Michael, and his angels, the Saints. Constantine, like Cyrus, in his military career, and in his ecclesiastical relation to the Catholic Church, was a type of Christ. The typical hero established his kingdom in its fullest extent on the ejection of the pagan dragon from the heaven; Christ will establish his by binding the Catholic Dragon, and shutting him down in the abyss (Apoc. 20:2,3). The typical hero attained "to Deity and his throne;" Christ will sit down with Deity upon his throne (Apoc. 3:21). The typical hero acquired all the kingdoms of the Roman earth; Christ will acquire all the kingdoms of the globe (Apoc. 11:15). The typical hero ruled all the Roman nations with an iron sceptre; Christ will rule all the nations of the globe with an iron sceptre (Apoc. 19:15). The catholic clergy shared with the typical Michael the glory, honor, and power of his kingdom; the Saints will share with Christ the glory, honor, and power of his (Apoc. 2:26,27; 3:21). After his birth of the unprivileged and persecuted woman, the sun-clothed catholic church became the Spouse of the typical Michael; the glorified Saints become the married wife, or bride adorned for her husband, Christ (Apoc. 19:7,8; 21:2,9). The power of the Deity was with Constantine in measure; Christ is the great power of Deity without measure. Constantine established a new religion, the catholic; founded a new administration of affairs; and built a new capital, called Constantinople, or New Rome: Christ will establish a new system of worship for all nations, the Millennial; will organize a new government of the world; and establish a new capital for the throne of the Deity, Jerusalem rebuilt, in the midst of which he will be the glory (Isa. 56:7; Zeph. 3:9; Acts 17:31; Eph. 1:10; Jer. 3:17; Zech. 2:5; 8:21-23).
Now, I take it, that these parallels are not accidental, but designed. Michael and the Dragon was literally enacted as previously explained. Its performance is the history of the last twenty-five years of the life of
Page 115
Constantine. This history in its most striking particulars was like much of the history of the Jews. Jewish history is not like common history - a story of the past unprophetic of the future. The things that happened to Israel as narrated in their history, happened unto them for types (tupoi); and they were written for our admonition, "upon whom," says Paul, "the end of the aeons is come" (1 Cor. 10:11). Typical history is the past representative of the future. This is the character of Michael and the Dragon. It is a past series of events. typical of a future contest between the Michael of Dan. 12:1 and the Dragon of Apoc. 20. This view of the prophecy imparts to it an interest for us which it would be devoid of if it were regarded merely as belonging to a past epoch over fifteen hundred years remote. There was war in the heaven then; and when the door shall be opened in the heaven, and the throne shall be set therein (Apoc. 4:1,2) there will be a war in the heaven again, "the war of that great day of AIL.Shaddai, "which will terminate in similar, but grander results; for "the very image" is always greater and more magnificent than the type. The great voice in the heaven, celebrative of the victory over the great red dragon, partakes of this typical character. It not only expresses what then obtained in shadow; but by anticipation celebrates the greater realities of the victory of Christ and the Saints over all the apocalyptic beasts; when the great salvation, and power; and kingdom of Yahweh, consisting of the kingdoms of the world, and the authority of His Anointed, the One Body of which Jesus is the head, shall have actually come. Then there will be in the heaven a great voice indeed "a voice as the sound of many waters; and as the voice of a great thunder; the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Praise ye Yah: for Yahweh Elohim omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made her-self ready" (Apoc. 1:15; 14:2; 19:6,7).
But to return to the "great voice" of the Constantinian period. The things spoken were uttered in the heaven: namely, by those appointed to the vacancies created by the ejection from the heaven of the adherents and worshippers of the gods. In other words, the voice proceeded from the officials in church and state, who all professed the catholic religion, and said they were now "rich, and increased with goods, and had need of nothing:" but "they knew not that they were wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Apoc. 3:17). Such was the choir which sang:
"Salvation now, and pow'r, are come,
The kingdom also of our God,
And the dominion of His Christ:
For he who did our brethren try,
Page 116
And night and day 'fore God accus'd,
Hath from the heaven been cast down.
And they through th' Lamb's blood him o'ercame,
And also through the word they taught:
Nor yet their life lov'd they till death.
Because of this, 0 heavens, rejoice,
And all ye who sojourn therein!"
It is not to be wondered at that such a people who imagined that "they had need of nothing," should mistake the shadow for the substance; and rejoice in what then existed as the full accomplishment of the Divine purpose. Salvation, or deliverance, had indeed come from the tyranny of the Public Prosecutor (ho kategoros) who continually accused them falsely, and punished them with torture unto death. But the "great salvation," preached by Christ and his apostles, has not come yet. A new power, and a new kingdom, and a new dominion, had taken possession of the Roman Heaven, to the exclusion of the old order of things; and to the generation witnessing so wonderful a revolution, it seemed "more like a dream than reality." The prophecy attributes it all to the power of Deity, as symbolized in the apocalyptic name Michael The salvation, power, kingdom and dominion, therefore, are very properly predicated of the Deity and Christ; for assuredly, if they had stood by Licinius instead of by Constantine, this epinikon, or song of victory, would never have been heard in the heaven. But we must be careful not to fall into the error of Eusebius and his Laodicean Catholic companions, who had need of nothing more, and to take the type for "the very image of the things." The typical "kingdom of the Deity and dominion of His Christ" had come; and therefore it was, that the Woman's Son, when he had fought his way up, by the providence of Deity, to supreme power in the heaven, is said to have been "carried up by force to Deity and his throne." The power of the Deity was enthroned in the New Capital, Constantinople. But the shadowy representation of the kingdom of the Deity and the dominion of His Christ, passed away with the death of the typical hero, Constantine. The reigns of David and Solomon were prefigurative of the reign of Christ; but the typical character of their reigns was not transferred on their decease to their successors. And thus it was in relation to Constantine and those who came after him. His career of conquest, and "half-hour's" peaceful reign (Apoc. 8:1), typified the future career of Christ in the conquest of the world, and the succeeding tranquillity of his times. But all this typical manifestation was dissolved when his three sons succeeded him, and divided the empire between them. The Heaven was still catholic; but, as the Spirit had "spued them out of his mouth" on their indifference to his "counsel" (Apoc. 3:16,18), he left them to their delusions; and "the Serpent" by
Page 117
whom they were beguiled; that is the Sin-power of the flesh, in a catholic instead of a pagan, political manifestation was enthroned; and became the future antagonist of the ANTI CATHOLIC WOMAN and her seed (vers. 14-17).
The Laodicean officials in their victorious declaration refer to those they style "our brethren, whom the public prosecutor accused day and night before the Deity." All passed for brethren untl'l the Spirit formally spued the state party out of his mouth. Politically, they might truly claim all the saints who had, for two hundred and eighty years previous, been engaged in the conflict with the pagans. They were all "brethren and fellow servants," as all democrats are brethren politically; while, religiously, they are scattered among sects of the most perverse and contradictory opinions. This is true of all other political factions in all ages; and it was true of those who uttered this great 'voice of triumph over the fallen adversary of their party. As anti-pagans, they belonged to a common brotherhood; but, when it became a question of religious doctrine, this political brotherhood resolved itself into two great hostile parties, between which no fellowship obtained.
In this great voice, the whole brotherhood might to some extent concur. It was a deliverance to them all from the Great Red Dragon; but to many of them, it was only a change from his oppression to that of a new form of tyranny. They allude to the fallen power as the kategoros. This signifies one who speaks against another, especially before judges; one who appears as a prosecutor. The fallen power is said to have spoken against them as prosecutor "before the Deity, " enopion, in the sight of the Deity. This was literally true; for during the first five seals, which, at the end of the fifth, brings us down to the birth of the Woman's Son, A.D. 312-313, the Seven Eyes of the Deity, which are his Seven Spirits (Apoc. 5:6) were present in the ecclesias. In the first four seals, their presence is symbolized by the Four Living Ones full of eyes; and their absence from the scenery of the fifth is supplied by the phrase "and it was said unto them." The Deity dwelt in the encampment of the saints; and by His spirit, or power, "dwelt in them, and walked in them" (2 Cor. 6:16). Whatever, therefore, was transacted against them was done "in his sight," or "before his eyes. "He was therefore the Judge before whom the Dragon unconsciously displayed his malignity. He seemed to prevail for a time; but when the end of the "little season," or ten years persecution of Diocletian arrived, the Deity stepped into the arena, and judicially vindicated his elect.
The victory of the souls weltering at the altar base is attributed by the "great voice" "to the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. "These brethren, "who were slain for the word of the Deity, and for the testimony which they held" (Apoc. 6:9) were brethren, of whom
Page 118
those in place and power giving utterance to the great voice, were not worthy. "They loved not their life until death" laid them at the altar base. "The word of the Deity," in the prophecy of the fifth seal, is parallel to "the blood of the Lamb," in the great voice. The official utterers of this voice did not venture to say, "WE have overcome the fallen power by the word of the Deity concerning the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of our testimony." They knew very well that they had overcome him by hard fighting. No; the honor and glory of the victory was not due to them who drew the sword; but to those faithful brethren, who had so leavened the Roman world with the truth, as to make the strongholds of paganism no longer tenable. "The blood of the Lamb," as opposed to the blood of idol-sacrifices, was the great theme of "the word of the Deity." The word of their testimony demonstrated the efficacy of the one; and the inutility and utter worthlessness of the other. Every pagan convinced by the word and their reasoning in exposition of it, was alienated from the party of the Dragon, and added to the faithful. The threatenings and torments unto death, inflicted upon them by the pagan authorities, could not put their testimony to silence. Where one fell others stepped in and stopped the breach; so that, "the blood of the witnesses became the seed of the church." Thus, the power of the word accumulated, until society, but superficially acquainted with "the deep things of Deity," had become too much enlightened any longer to tolerate the licentiousness and absurdity of the old superstition. Therefore, having no conscientious scruples as to war, they repudiated the passivity of the faithful; and having found in Constantine an ambitious politician and skillful general suited to their purpose, they unsheathed the sword against the idols, and cried, "Victory or Death." As we have seen, they gained the victory; and in the great voice of triumph, clothed the memory of their non-resisting predecessors in the conflict with the "white robes of purity and truth" (Apoc. 6:11). The victims slain by the fallen power had borne the heat and burden of the conflict; and the catholic church entered into their labors. The "great voice" called upon all catholics in power to rejoice at this result; saying, "Rejoice, 0 heavens, and ye that tent therein!" They are addressed as hoi skenountes, dwellers, or rather, sojourners in a tent. This is a very temporary indwelling. They were not permanently established there. There tenantcy was transitory: the mere shadow of the holding to which the slain victors shall attain in "the time of the dead, when they shall be judged, and the reward shall be given to them," with the "white robes" of incorruption and eternal life. These will not then merely "tent" in the heavens of the conquered world. When they enter there, they become the pillars of the Divine temple, and go out no more (Apoc. 3:12): they possess the king-
Page 119
dom for the Olahm, even for the Olahm, and Beyond (Dan. 7:18). Then, not only will the heavens rejoice, but all the earth will be glad. This was not the case in the time of the "great voice;" for, while it called upon the heavens to rejoice, and those that tented in them, it gave no invitation to the inhabiters of the earth and sea to join in the joyousness of the time. But when the great salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of the Deity, and the dominion of His Christ, shall exist in the very image, then "every creature which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, shall say, Blessing and honor and glory and power, unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb for the aeons of the aeons (Apoc. 5:13), for all will then be blessed in Abraham and his seed.
Such was the "great voice," and the interpretation of it. Did the character of the time, consequent upon the victory over Licinius, correspond to my exposition? Unquestionably it did. Eusebius, who lived at the time, testifies to this. "On the fall of Licinius," says he, "the great conqueror Constantine and his son Crispus the Caesar, received the East as theirs, established one government as formerly over the Romans, and swayed the whole in peace from east to west, and from north to south. The people therefore being freed from all fear of the Court by which they had before been overwhelmed, held festal days of great splendor. There were everywhere illuminations. They who were before dejected, looked on one another with joyful aspects and smiles, and with choirs and hymns through the cities and country, gave honor, first to God the Supreme Ruler of all, as they were taught, and then to the pious emperor and his children. The miseries and impiety of the past were forgotten; joy and exultation prevailed at the blessings now prom-ised, and happy anticipations of the future. Philanthropic edicts were everywhere published by the emperor, and laws that displayed his munificence and piety." And Lactantius also, a contemporary and friend of Constantine writes; "Let us celebrate the triumph of God with gladness; let us commemorate His victory with praise; let us make mention in our prayers day and night of the peace which, after ten years of persecution, He has conferred on his people." Eusebius narrates very fully how, at the same time, there was solemn remembrance of the witnesses and confessors that had illustrated the past persecution, and praise and honor rendered them: he tells how public notice was taken of those who had suffered unto death, as of heroes that had conquered by the doctrine of the cross in their conflict of witnessing unto death; and how, as a further tribute to their innocence and worth, the property con-iscated from them was reclaimed and restored to their surviving relatives, or to the catholic church.
Page 120
In consequence of the final overthrow of the idols by the defeat and death of Licinius, their champion, the Woman's Son, who had cast him and his partisans Out of the heaven, became, by right of conquest, the Supreme Ruler of "the whole habitable". He had now arrived at "the Deity and his throne." There was no power on the Roman inhabited earth equal to him; his authority was absolute in church and state, in both of which he did "according to his own will; and exalted himself and magnified himself above all." He was now the chief of a great dominion, and prepared to rule with an iron sceptre. He was to rule all the nations; not all the nations of the globe, but all the nations of Daniel's Fourth Beast so far as it was then developed. Beyond the limits of this symbolical dominion he exercised no rule. The nations of Persia, China, India, and so forth, with the tribes of what is now called Germany and Russia, were all exempt from his jurisdiction. He ruled "all the nations" inhabiting Britain, Gaul from the Rhine to the Atlantic, and from the Channel to the Alps and Pyrennees, Spain, Italy, the Roman Africa, Egypt, Syria from the Mediterranean to the Tigris, Asia Minor, the rest of Turkey and the Danubian Principalities, and Hungary (as they are now termed), Greece, the Islands of the Mediterranean, and the region lying between the Danube and the Adriatic: all the nations of these countries were subjected to his iron rule.
The character of Constantine as a ruler is no doubt correctly delineated in the eighteenth chapter of the Decline and Fall of the Roman empire. Therein Gibbon remarks, that by the grateful zeal of what he calls "the christians," he has been decorated with every attribute of a hero and a saint; while the vanquished party compared him to the most abhorred of those tyrants, who by their vice and weakness, dishonored the imperial purple. But neither of these opinions can be admitted with-out qualification. He was doubtless a hero and a tyrant; but neither saint, nor the worst of the tyrants that had reigned. Had he fallen on the banks of the Tiber, or even on the plains of Adrianople, he might have transmitted to posterity, with some exceptions, a less questionable fame: "but the conclusion of his reign," says Gibbon, that is, the last fourteen years, "degraded him from the rank he had acquired among the most deserving of the Roman princes." This remark of the historian assigns the worst period of his rule to that indicated in the prophecy; namely, from the time he arrived at "the Deity and his throne" by the overthrow of Licinius. This was the period "the conclusion of his reign," when he was to rule all the nations with an iron sceptre; and Gibbon re-
Page 121
fers to it as the period of his degradation among princes.
In regard to this period of his life he says, "we may contemplate a hero,
who had so long inspired his subjects with love, and his enemies with terror, degenerating
into a cruel and dissolute monarch, corrupted by his fortune, or raised by
conquest above the necessity of dissimulation. The general peace which he
maintained during the last fourteen years of his reign (the Half-hour's silence
in the heaven - Ch. 8:1) was a period of apparent splendor rather than of real
prosperity; and the old age of Constantine was disgraced by the opposite yet
reconcilable vices of rapaciousness and prodigality. The oppression of the
people was the only fund which could support his magnificence. His unworthy
favorites, enriched by the boundless liberality of their master, usurped with
impunity the privilege of rapine and corruption. A secret but universal decay
was felt in every part of the public administration, and the emperor himself
though he still retained the obedience, gradually lost the esteem of his
subjects. An impartial narrative of the executions, or rather murders, which
sullied the declining age of Constantine, will suggest to our most candid
thoughts the idea of a prince who could sacrifice without reluctance the laws
of justice, and the feelings of nature, to the dictates either of his passions
or of his interest." The murderous executions of his son Crispus, his
nephew Licinius, and of a great number of respectable and innocent friends, who
were involved in their fall, were sufficient to justify the discontent of the
Roman people, and to explain the satirical verses affixed to the palace-gate,
comparing the splendid and bloody reigns of Constantine and Nero. Such was the
character of his rule - a sceptre of iron in the hand of the Man-Child of Sin.
23. The Flight of
the Woman
The ANTIPAGAN BODY, compared in the prophecy to a WOMAN, consisted of Catholics, Novatians, Donatists, Valentinians, Marcionites, Paulists, Cataphrygians, and others, whose names are no longer remembered. Out of this heterogeneous community, which agreed only in its Opposition to the reigning idolatry, the Man-child of Sin was developed, A.D. 312,313. The fall of Maxentius was the crisis of his birth. Being decreed by the Senate the first of the three Augusti of the Roman world, and being in intimate alliance with Licinius, then seemingly favorable to his policy, he published jointly with him the famous Edict of Milan. This was the great charter of toleration. It granted to "the whole body of the christians," as well as to others, the free choice to fol-
Page 122.
low that mode of worship which they may wish; and that no freedom at all shall be refused them. No distinction was made between christian and pagan in this matter; so that each might have the privilege to select and worship whatsoever divinity he pleased. Nor was there any distinction made with regard to sect in "the whole body." When the edict was published, Constantine's mind was either undecided as to which religion was absolutely true, or he hesitated to speak plainly that he might not offend the latent prejudices of his colleague. This indiscriminate toleration, he said, "has been done by us, that we might not appear in any manner to detract anything from any manner of religion, or any mode of worship."
But, though well disposed to Antipaganism, the Man-Child of Sin, at the time of the edict of Milan, did not know his own Mother. He was too young to be able to discern her. He did not know to which sect of "the whole body of christians" he belonged. It was not long, however, before the worst of the sects was able to establish its ascendancy over the untutored mind of this ambitious and fortunate soldier. This was the sect which styles itself, and taught him so to style it, "THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH." This was that sect which was preeminently "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked;" but which said, "l am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." It was the sect in which the rage of faction exploded in frequent and violent seditions; and the blood of its members was shed by each other's hands. Hilary, a contemporary of the times, writes to Constantine's successor, and declares concerning the catholic clergy, that "in the wide extent of the ten provinces of Asia, to which he had been banished, there could be found very few prelates who had preserved the knowledge of the true God. It is a thing equally deplorable and dangerous that there are as many creeds as Opinions among men, as many doctrines as inclinations, and as many sources of blasphemy as there are faults among us; because we make creeds arbitrarily. The Homousion is rejected and received and explained away by successive synods. The partial or total resemblance of the Father and of the Son is a subject of dispute for these unhappy times. Every year, nay every moon, we make new creeds to describe invisible mysteries. We repent of what we have done, we defend those who repent, we anathematize those whom we defended. We condemn either the doctrine of others in ourselves, or our own in that of others; and reciprocally tearing one another to pieces, we have been the cause of each other's ruin."
Such was the sect which Constantine concluded it would be to his interest to ally himself to. He, therefore, used the altars of catholicism as a convenient footstool to the throne of universal dominion. He came
Page 123
to imbibe the piety peculiar to it, and with it its sanguinary spirit of persecution, and murderous hostility to all who dissented from it. The catholic church became the especial object of his care and favorable legislation; and he was taught by its bishops to believe that its members were his only real and trustworthy adherents. Impressed with this conviction he established it by law; and set it up in the heaven as the "Woman invested with the sun, and the moon underneath her feet, and upon her head a wreath of twelve stars." And there she has remained over fifteen hundred and fifty years, even to this day. She has never been a fugitive in the wilderness: but has always (except in the short reign of Julian, who apostatized from her communion) retained her position in the heaven, by enacting the part of a Harlot with the kings of earth, until with her whoredoms and sanguinary abominations, she be-came "the Great Harlot sitting upon many waters, drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus" (Apoc.17:1,2,6).
But when Constantine came to recognize the catholic sect as his Mother Church, what became of the rest of the Anti-pagan Body "the whole body of the Christians" besides, namely, of the Novatians, Donatists, Valentinians, Marcionites, Paulists, Cataphrygians, and others? They were still "the Woman," only minus the catholic sect. Whatever other differences obtained among them, they were generally opposed to the union of church and state; for, as all of them could not be the world's church, they were displeased at any one sect enjoying that preeminence over the rest. "What," said they, "has the emperor to do with the church? What have Christians to do with kings, or what have bishops to do at court?" Hence, without ceasing to be anti-pagan, they now became an ANTI-CATHOLIC BODY. This was the Woman" of the sixth verse of this twelfth chapter - the ANTI-CATHOLIC WOMAN. Between this woman and the Sun-clothed Harlot in the heaven, there has been, and can be, no fellowship. They are essentially hostile Organizations. Not that the anti-Catholic woman as such is what Mr. Elliot styles "Christ's faithful orthodox church;" for there were sects in her communion whose principles and practices were both worldly and unscriptural; but there were to be found in her anti-Catholic pale hoi loipoi tou sper-matos autes, remnants of her seed, who were characterized by "keeping the commandments of the Deity, and holding the testimony of the anointed Jesus" (verse 17). These were anti-Catholic of the intensest character; but they were also opposed to all other sects of the anti-Catholic woman, which did not keep the commandments of the Deity, and did not hold the testimony of the anointed Jesus. This is illustrated by the position of CHRISTADELPHIANS in regard to all sects at this day.
Page 124
They are intensely anti-catholic, and are, therefore, an ecclesiastical element of the anti-catholic woman; but they do not, therefore, recognize as Christians, the anti-catholic sects of "Christendom" so-called.
The edict of Milan(*) had confirmed to each individual of the Roman world the privilege of choosing and professing his own religion. But this inestimable privilege was soon violated; for with the knowledge of Catholic principles, the son and protector of the Catholic church, imbibed the maxims of persecution; and the sects which dissented from it were afflicted and oppressed by the triumph of Laodiceanism. Constantine easily believed that Heretics who presumed to dispute his opinions, or to oppose his commands were guilty of the most absurd and criminal obstinacy; and that a seasonable application of seventies might save those unhappy men from the danger of an everlasting condemnation. Not a moment, therefore, was lost in excluding the ministers and teachers of the separated congregations from any share of the rewards and immunities which the emperor had so liberally bestowed upon the Catholic clergy.
An imperial persecuting and represent influence was thus brought to bear upon the anti-catholic woman, who under the hostile pressure would set her face fugitively towards the wilderness - eis ten eremon. The anti-catholic sect that took the lead in Opposition at this crisis was that of the Donatists. It was in feud with the catholic sect before the overthrow of Maxentius; and, therefore, before the Roman Africa became subject to Constantine. It was such a feud as might be supposed to exist in the Baptist denomination, resulting in the development of the Campbellite sect. There was, doubtless, error and wrong-doing both with the Donatists and Catholics; but, as from among the Anti- baptist Campbellites was originated to foutro tou hudatos en remati, by the laver of the water with doctrine (Eph. 5:26), the CHRISTADELPHIAN DENOMINATION; so from among the anti-catholic Donatists began to be manifested in the three years of their trials before Constantine and his bishops, by the sealing angel that had ascended from the East (Apoc. 7:2), the first of "the remnants of the woman's seed, who keep the commandments of
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(*)The Edict of Milan was a decisive document in political and ecclesiastical history. Published in A.D. 313 as the joint agreement between Constantine, then ruler in Rome, and Licinius, the Augustus of the East, it granted freedom of worship to all, both Pagans and Christians, and ordered the restoration of all property seized from the latter. At the same time it gave to Christians the right, as a corporation, to own property. The text of the edict is lost, but it began a new epoch in human history, laying the foundation of Catholicism as a corporate body. It was received with great joy and relief by the Christians who had previously experienced bitter persecution. Though Licinius was joint author with Constantine of this Edict, in 316 war broke out between them. Constantine attacked on the pretext that his colleague had recommenced persecution of the Christians, and in the ensuing war, he won nearly all of Licinius' European possessions. In 324 Constantine again advanced through the Balkans and Byzantium. His fleet forced the passage of the Dardanelles, Licinius was decisively defeated, and Nicomedia, his capital, captured. Constantine granted him his life and entertained him at dinner, but killed him with in a year. - Publishers.
Page 125
the Deity, and hold the testimony of the anointed Jesus." The name of this first remnant, if it had any other than Donatist, has not come down to us. But it matters not what it was called in its beginning it was the sect composed of "the servants of the Deity sealed in their foreheads." This is the apocalyptic description of it. Arising in the epoch of the Donatist trials, and being with the Donatists intensely anti-catholic, it is very likely to have been confounded with them, without having at all been mixed up with the feud between the party of Caecilian and that of Majorinus.
This feud is styled in history "the African Controversy." The provinces south of the Mediterranean, from the confines of Cyrene to the columns of Hercules, A.D. 312, were distracted with religious discord. The source of the division was derived from a double election in the Catholic church of Carthage, the second in rank and opulence of the ecclesiastical thrones of the West. Caecilian and Majorinus were the two rival bishops of Africa, and the death of the latter soon made room for Donatus, who, by his superior abilities and virtues, was the firmest support of his party. The advantage which Caecilian might claim from the priority of his ordination was destroyed by the illegal, or at least indecent haste, with which it had been performed without awaiting the arrival of the bishops of Numidia. The bishops of the contending factions maintained, with equal ardor and obstinacy, that their adversaries were degraded, or least dishonored, by the odious crime of delivering up the Holy Scriptures to the officers of Diocletian to be burned. In this state of bitter partisanship, the divided church was incapable of afford-
Picture (map)Page125 not shown
126 EXPOSITION OF THE APOCALYPSE.
mg an impartial judicature. Application was, therefore, made to Constantine by the Donatist bishops of Africa, A.D. 313, desiring him to appoint bishops of the church in Gaul to settle their difficulties. "Good emperor,' said they, "as you are of a just family, of all the emperors your father alone having never persecuted, and as Gaul is now exempted from that outrage, we ask you in your piety to appoint bishops from that province who may judge between us and the other bishops of Africa, with whom we are at variance." Their request was granted, and the controversy was tried in five successive tribunals, and the whole proceeding, from the first appeal to the final sentence, lasted above three years. A severe inquisition taken before the praetorian vicar and the proconsul of Africa; the report of two episcopal visitors who had been sent to Carthage; the decrees of the Councils of Rome and Aries, and the supreme judgment of Constantine himself in his "sacred consistory," were all favorable to the cause of Caecilian: and he was unanimously acknowledged, by the Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers, as the true and lawful catholic primate of Africa. The honors and estates of the church were attributed to his suffragan bishops, and it was with difficulty that Constantine was satisfied with inflicting the punishment of exile on the principal leaders of the Donatists.
The punishment of exile was banishing, or causing to flee into a wilderness state. This was the imperial sentence upon the anti-catholic, or anti-state-church woman in the African wing of the empire. Her seed were banished from the high places of church and state, and made to seek refuge in the wild and uncivilized places of society.
Speaking of this "schism of the Donatists" A.D. 315, Gibbon remarks: "This incident, so inconsiderable that it scarcely deserves a place in history, was productive of a memorable schism, which afflicted the provinces of Africa above three hundred years, and was extinguished only with Christianity itself. The inflexible zeal of freedom and fanaticism animated the Donatists to refuse obedience to the usurpers, whose election they disputed and whose spiritual powers they denied. Excluded from the civil and religious communion of mankind (driven into the wilderness), they boldly excommunicated the rest of mankind, who had embraced the impious party of Caecilian, and of the Traitors, from whom he derived his pretended ordination. They asserted with confidence that the prerogatives of the catholic church were confined to the chosen portion of the African believers, who alone had preserved inviolate the integrity of their faith and discipline. Whenever they acquired a proselyte, even from the distant provinces of the east, they reimmersed and reordained him, as they rejected the validity of the baptism and ordination administered by heretics or schismatics. Bishops
Page 127
and virgins were subjected to the disgrace of a public penance, before they could be admitted to the communion of the Donatists. If they obtained possession of a temple which had been used by their Catholic adversaries, they purified the unhallowed building with the same jealous care which a temple of idols might have required. They washed the pavement, scraped the walls, burnt the altar, which was commonly of wood, melted the consecrated plate, and cast the 'holy eucharist' to the dogs, with every circumstance of ignominy which could provoke and perpetuate the animosity of religious factions. The narrow and solitary path which their first leaders had marked out, continued to diverge from the great society of mankind; so that they could affirm that when Christ should descend to judge the earth, he would find his true religion preserved only in a few nameless villages of the Caesarean Mauritania."
From this condensed quotation from Gibbon the reader will easily discern the feeling that existed between the Woman Jezebel in the heaven, and the Woman, by oppressive imperial edicts, caused to begin her flight into the wilderness. No enlightened professor of the doctrine which is according to godliness would think of looking for the true believers in “the heaven" where all was sunshine and imperial favor. "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12). This testimony is true and not to be gain-said, and directs us in our search for "the remnants of the woman's seed, who keep the commandments of the Deity, and hold the testimony of the anointed Jesus," to that anti-catholic community of professors, which has been ever since the great Donatist repudiation of the self-styled "Holy Catholic Church." and "Church of God," A.D. 315, an oppressed, proscribed and persecuted people - persecuted in some form or shape, if not by governments, by the machinations and slanders of scribes, pharisees and others; of all professors, in fact, whose foreheads are unsealed by the truth, and whose hearts, consequently, are unpurified by "faith that works by love" of the truth believed.
24. The
Woman's Place
The fourteenth verse, in certain particulars, is explanatory of the sixth. In this it is said that "the woman fled;" but nothing is hinted about "the two wings of the great eagle." The sixth verse testifies that "she fled into the wilderness," in which wilderness a place hath been prepared for
Page 128
her of the Deity. But where was this wilderness to be found?
The Roman habitable was well stocked with wildernesses. Was it simply an
uninhabited solitude, a desert waste? or did the word eremon, indicate her isolation
and exclusion from the ecclesiastical pale recognized by the powers that
be? She fled into the wilderness-state, in
which she did not stand in the presence of the Serpent. The Serpent was in the
heaven, from the sunshine and splendors of which she was caused to fly. It was
the woman Jezebel that stood before the Serpent, and gloried in his embrace.
The Serpent had beguiled her, and enthroned her in the heaven; but those of her
party, who were proof against his enticements and subtitles, he banished from
his imperial presence, that they might dwell
alone in the solitude of social isolation.
But the woman fugitive was not an abstraction, of a mere idea. She was a multitude of dissidents from the new and established order of things. Like Israel after the flesh, they were to dwell alone, and not be reckoned among the nations; still, like Israel, they required some place, or country, in which to dwell. Where did the woman dwell in her wilderness-state? This question is answered in the fourteenth verse in the words, "The two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman." These were the sections of the habitable Divinely appointed for her, that there she might be sustained in her wilderness-state.
But, what was represented by this great bird of pray? The original is quite emphatic - ho aetos ho megas, the Eagle which is the great one. There was but one eagle contemporary with the woman's flight that could be styled emphatically, ho megas, the large, spacious, ample one. This was the Roman territorial jurisdiction. Rome was the eagle's head; Italy, its body; and the Roman Africa and the regions of the Alps, Pyrennees, Britain, Bulgaria, Thrace, Asia Minor, and Armenia its wings or extremities. The eagle is the well-known symbol of the Roman Power. Moses alludes to this power in connection with the eagle in Deut. 28:49,50,63,64, as, "Yahweh shall bring a nation against thee from far ,from the end of the earth, which as (kaasher) the eagle shall fly; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; a nation of fierce countenance.. . and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates. .. and ye shall be plucked from off thy land whither thou goest to possess it; and Yahweh shall scatter thee among all peoples." This cannot refer to the Eagle of Nineveh and Babylon; because these eagle powers did not come "from the end of the earth" against Israel; and because they understood the tongue spoken by the Assyrians and Chaldeans. "The end", not ends "of the earth" in regard to Palestine, was Chittim, or Italy; whose ships came against Asshur, when Antiochus, king of Assyria, invaded Egypt (Dan. 11:30). Israel did not understand the tongue
Page 129
of Chittim, which is known as that of the Roman Eagle, the Latin, between which and the Hebrew there is no family likeness. This eagle nation was to come against them as a bird of prey to devour their body-politic, and to scatter them among all peoples, because they did not fear ~that glorious and fearful name, YAHWEH ELOHIM." This was accomplished by the Roman legions under Titus, A.D. 70; predictive of which, YAHWEH ELOHIM, in fleshly manifestation, said, "wheresoever the carcass is, there shall the Eagles be gathered together" (Matt.
24:38).
But, in relation to the woman's flight into the wilderness, the two wings of the great Roman Eagle, spreading along its northeastern and southwestern regions, were not for destruction, but that she might find safety and protection in obscurity; upon the principle of being "out of the Serpent's sight" (apo prosopon) she might be out of his mind also. The two wings" is regarded by some as a more correct reading than .two wings". They say that it reads thus in certain manuscripts - hai duo pteruges. They are, no doubt, right. Daniel's leopard had four wings; but there is nothing in symbolic prophecy to indicate that the great Roman Eagle had more than two. The mountains, glens, fastnesses. and more open valleys of these wings of the empire, would be but little cared for, or regarded, by the priests of the Catholic Church, who would crowd to those centers whence wealth and honors were distributed. The more interior locality of the eighteen hundred temples, endowed by the munificence of the emperor, would be the arena upon which they would, as Arians and Trinitarians, Iconoclasts and image-worshippers, disputatiously exhaust their zeal for the ensuing five hundred years. The violence of these all-absorbing disputes within the pale of the Serpent's communion, would so occupy him that he would have but little time or ability to hunt for "heretics" and "chismatics" in the two wings of his dominion. In this way was Providentially "prepared a p/ace," or country, for dissenters and nonconformists of whatever names their enemy, the Seed of the Serpent in church and state, might, in the plenitude of ignorance and malice, think proper to call them. It is not to be supposed, however, that in all sections of the Eagle's Wings they would be always nourished in peace and safety. The woman's seed could not evade the common lot of mankind, which is born to trouble. They are an afflicted people, clothed in sackcloth, until the end of their appointed time, when they will be invested with white raiment. But till then, affliction is more or less the rod of their condition; and necessarily so. for 'whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourgeth every son
whom he receiveth;" that, by this wholesome, but unjoyous, discipline they who are exercised by it, now partaking of the Divine holiness, may
Page
130
hereafter reap the peaceable fruit of righteousness - Heb. 12:6; Apoc 11:1-3.
25. The Period of the
Woman's Sojourn
In the fourteenth verse, this is equivalently expressed by the words, "where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time out of sight of the Serpent." This parallelism shows us that "1,260 days" is a form of words importing the duration of "a time, times, and half a time". Whatever the word day may signify, it requires 1,260 of them to equal three Limes and a half. In common time, 1,260 days are forty-two months, or three years and six months. But in dramatic prophecy, where the things predicted are acted on a small scale, by the persons of the drama, the time is proportioned, and therefore expressed in miniature. Hence, when a piece is performed on the boards of a theatre, its incidents, which are spread over a long series of years, are all brought in the acting before the spectator's eye in the short space of an evening. This is a practical condensation of the time of the piece performed. If the acted time of the piece were dramatically expressed by the performer, according to the real time, an evening theatrical entertainment would be impossible. He has therefore, in his acting, to reduce the literal, or real, time of the incidents he represents, from years to minutes, which all the audience, from pit to gallery, easily perceives.
Now, upon the same principle of condensation is time exhibited in the apocalyptic drama. It is condensed from real time to acted time, the latter being proportioned to the former, and to the agents dramatically engaged. Thus, if the real time be 1,260 years, it is proportionally rep-resented by 1,260 days, or forty-two months, or three times and a half. It is also made proportional to the agents acting in the time. Thus, in the dramatic prophecy before us, the woman and her feeders, or nourishers, are the agents. She dwells in her place as a woman, the cycle of whose natural existence is threescore years and ten. Now, to affirm of her that they nourished her 1,260 years, would be in violation of the decorum of things. It would be a monstrosity in the picture, because out of all proportion, seeing that, naturally, women do not live 1,260 years. But the fitness and suitableness of things are observed; and the language descriptive of her pregnancy and subsequent life, does no violence, but is in strict accordance with, the laws of a real woman's natural existence. The remarks of Daubuz upon symbolic time, are to the point in this place.
Page 131
"The way of the symbolic language," says he, "in expressions determining the spaces of time may be set in a plain light from the manner of predictions, or the nature of the prophetical visions. For a prophecy concerning future events is a picture, or representation of the events in symbols; which, being fetched from objects visible at one view, or cast of the eye, rather represent the events in miniature, than in full proportion; giving us more to understand than what we see; and, therefore, that the duration of events may be represented in terms suitable to the symbols of the visions, the symbols of duration must be also drawn in miniature. Thus, for instance, if a vast empire, persecuting the Church for 1,260 years, was to be symbolically represented by a beast, the decorum of the symbol would require that the said time of its tyranny should not be expressed by 1,260 years; because it would be monstrous and indecent to represent a beast ravaging for so long a space of time; but by 1,260 days. And thus a day may imply a year; because that short revolution of the sun bears the same proportion to the yearly, as the type to the antitype."
Thus, the anti-catholic community was to be sustained, out of the sight of the Serpent-government, in the two wings of the Great Roman Eagle, for one thousand two hundred and sixty years from the epoch of its legal condemnation as heretical, its exclusion from high places, and its banishment from the sunshine of imperial favor, A.D. 312-315. The three years intervening between these dates, constitute the initiatory epoch of the Woman's flight. The individuals who composed the party of the woman were not all saints; they were all, as we have seen, exceedingly hostile to the State Church: but it was only a particular class of the woman's seed which was entitled to be regarded as consisting of the saints. Her seed was composed of remnants, hoi loipoi, not, as in the Common Version, of a remnant. She was providentially placed in the wilderness, that she might be fed and nourished; for without food and nourishment she could not exist in such a world as this. The "faithful men" who were within her pale, "who were able to teach others" (2 Tim. 2:2), fed her with knowledge and understanding (Jer. 3:15); and "the earth," with whom she found an asylum, "helped her" with the nourishment of protection, without which she would have been carried away of
the serpent-flood. A remnant of her seed, and the common people of the Eagle's wings, "the earth," coalesced. They became political allies against the party in power; and were upon emergency prepared to withstand their oppressor by force of arms. These were the vanguard of the other remnant of her seed, whose principle is passive endurance of injury "unto death;" and trusting for vindication to Him who saith, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." These were the saints sealed in their
foreheads as the especial servants of the living God.
Page 132
Now, to what in our own times shall we liken the civil and ecclesiastical arrangement of things existing at the crisis of the woman's flight? The following constitution of things with which the reader is familiar, will answer the purpose of bringing vividly before his mind what was presented before John's in the dramatical exhibition of the woman in the wilderness. The British Imperial Unicorn is an element of the Serpent-power of the world. It is enthroned in all the splendor of the heaven; and sheds the rays of its glory and power upon all the constituted authorities of the state. Invested with this brightness is a Harlot, diademed with the jewels of the British crown. This woman is a daughter of "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and all the Abominations of the Earth;" and is constitutionally styled, "the Church of England and Ireland, as by law established." In the palmy days of the Tudors and the Stuarts, there was another woman, who fled from the face of the British Serpent. This was the woman of nonconformity and dissent. And to this fugitive were given the wings, or extremities, of the Great Unicorn; that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished until the coming of the Ancient of Days. These wings are now known as the United States and British America. Here the Puritan Woman exists out of the sight of the British Serpent, fed by her spirituals, and nourished by "the earth," which is remarkably inimical to everything British. But, are the sects of which this Anti-British State-Church Woman is composed, "the remnants of her seed which keep the commandments of the Deity, and hold the testimony of the anointed Jesus?' Far, very far, from it; they are as far from it as the British Harlot herself; nevertheless, there will be found within the pale of Anti-British Harlotry a remnant, styled CHRISTADELPHIANS, whose intellectual and moral characteristics are answerable to the last clause of Apoc. 12:17.
Now, the Puritan Woman, styled by her enemies and persecutors "the Donatists;" but by the children of her body, Cathari, or the Pure Ones; for the first 1260 years of her existence was Providentially settled in the wings of the Roman Eagle. Her remnants were not to be found in Persia, India, China, or America: but after the discovery and settlement of America, the persecutions and massacre of her seed by the Serpent-Powers of Europe caused her to seek refuge in the American wilderness, whereby the help of "the earth," which styles itself "the unterrified democracy," she is fed and nourished to the full.
It is now over 1550 years since her flight began in the days of Constantine, or A.D. 315. In Apoc. 11:3, "the remnants of her seed" are specified by the names "THE HOLY CITY "and "The two Witnesses. "The former, consists of those "who keep the commandments of the Deity,
Page 133
Picture of the copy of the Edict of Nantes not shown
A copy of the Edict of Nantes, which was promulgated by Henry IV in 1598, an important date in Apocalyptic prophetic chronology. This edict granted Protestants a degree of toleration. Its benefits, however, were terminated by its revocation in 1685 by Louis XIV, which resulted in the political death of the Witnesses (Rev. 11:9). However, as predicted, after their "dead bodies" had remained un-buried in "the street" (France) of the Great City (Babylon the Great) for 31/2 lunar "days" or 105 years, their political "resurrection" followed in 1790 through the French Revolution, Rev. 12:14 also requires a period of 1260 years during which time the "woman" finds refuge in the "wilderness" or in various parts of the Roman Empire. Commencing from A.D. 312 when the Donatist controversy divided the Church, 1260 years terminates in 1572 and the Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day. This commenced the "war" of Rev. 11:7, and whilst the Edict of Nantes gave temporary relief to the Protesting communities, this terminated its revocation. See comments opposite, and compare with the time periods epitomised in Vol.2, p.282 - Publishers.
Page 134
and hold the testimony of the anointed Jesus:" the latter, the Politico-Religious Democracy essentially and constitutionally hostile to the "Mother of Harlots" and her Harlot Daughters, in all the countries where they are "by law established."
Now, the times of these two classes are differently arranged. The duration of the symbolical formulas is the same number of years with respect to each; though the symbolical formulas themselves are differently expressed. Thus the symbolical formula of "the Holy City" is written " forty two months" while the symbolical formula of the woman with especial reference to the remnant, "the witnesses," is written "one thousand two hundred and sixty days." This is also expressed in the form a time, and times, and half a time:" and the reason why these two various formulas are given in the sixth and fourteenth verses of this twelfth chapter is, that this form, which is reproduced from Dan. 7:25, and 12:7, might be shown to consist of 1260 symbolic days. The form in Daniel indicates a period reaching to the epoch when judgment is given to the saints of the Highest Ones, which implies the manifestation of the Ancient of Days and the subsequent resurrection of the dead; because, there can be no judgment until they are raised; and no resurrection till he comes.
But the time when the 1260 aeon commences is not the same in all its relations. In Dan. 7 and 12, it has special reference to "the Holy City," or saints, in the highest sense; and begins with their delivery as heretics into the hand, or power, of the Roman Blasphemer, styled in Dan. 11:38,49, "a foreign god" and "a god of guardians." The "forty-two months" of Apoc. 11:2, begins at the same time. Not so, however, the 1260 of the Two Witnesses, and the times of the woman in ch. 12:6,14. These all begin with the commencement of her flight in the Constantinian epoch. In these times she was to be fed and nourished; and fire was to proceed out of the mouth of her dualized witnessing remnant, to devour her enemies and theirs. During these times they had power to shut the heaven, that it might not rain in their days of the prophecy, or the 1260. But when they may "have finished their witnessing," which they accomplished at the end of that period, or 1260 years after their banishment by Constantine, that is, in the epoch of A.D. 1572-'75, war was made upon them, and they were overcome, and put to death politically: they were "killed" in a like sense to the killing of "the third of the men" in ch. 9:18 - a death which said third sought, but could not find, because the time Divinely appointed to extinguish the eastern Roman dominion had not yet come.
But, though the 1260 years of the sackcloth-witnessing of the anti-catholic remnant of the woman's seed ended in A.D., 1575; the other
Page 135
class of her seed, "the Holy City," still continued to travail in the affliction of its down-trodden condition; and to press on through the weary years assigned to it in the "forty-two months," or "the reed like to a rod" with which it was measured (Apoc. 11:1). The finishing of the witnessing by the secular element of the woman in A.D. 1572-'5, marks the lapse of nine hundred and sixty-eight years of the forty-two months; in all of which time "the Holy City" had been in the hand of the Roman Blasphemer. At the end of the witnessing in A.D. 1575, there still remained two hundred and ninety-two years of the forty-two months to be traversed by the Holy City. These elapsed, and she attains the A.D. 1867-'8; or, having traversed and completed an aeon or cycle, of forty-two months of years from A.D. 607, she is justified in looking for a speedy deliverance from the down-treading she has been subjected to in all that terrible and sanguinary time.
But though the 1260 years of her sustentation in the two wings of the Roman Eagle were fulfilled, it must not be supposed that, because war was made upon her seed, and they were overcome and politically killed, she was therefore dead, and had no further part in the history of the papal world. So long as she has a remnant upon the earth, she lives in it; though she may no longer be found in her original place of abode. Exterminated in one section of the Habitable, her seed reappear in another, on the principle of being persecuted in one city, they flee to another. In the first 1260 years of her sojourn out of the Serpent's sight, her fugacious migrations were confined to the wings of his dominion. For three hundred years after her flight she was fed and nourished in the Roman Africa, and the Cottian Alps. At the end of these centuries, she disappeared from the African Wing of the Great Eagle, and manifested her presence in Armenia and Asia Minor; and when she could no longer find food and nourishment there, she migrated in the course of a hundred and fifty years into France, and thence into Bulgaria, and up the Danube westward and northward through Hungary and Bavaria. In the ninth century, the witnessing of her seed was no longer heard in Armenia, Asia Minor, and Thrace; but was more particularly limited to the Alpine regions of Italy, Switzerland, and France. In the twelfth century, the witnessing of her seed in these countries became so hateful to the Roman Catholic Church, that its malice against her became unbounded. "The rivers and fountains of waters," or those who ruled among the mountains and valleys of the Alps, were stirred up by the spiritual head of that communion, to shed their blood without mercy (Apoc. 16:4-7): nevertheless, the food and nourishment afforded her, enabled her to endure, and to continue her witnessing in these Alpine regions until the expiration of her 1260 years. But in the sixteenth and
Page 136
seventeenth centuries, the power of the strong governments of Europe was brought to bear upon her seed. The two wings of the Great Eagle no longer afforded her protection; so that her witnessing against catholicism, and THE ANTICHRIST, whose power had now reached its greatest altitude and breadth, was suppressed in all the kingdoms, or Horns, of the Beast of the Sea (Apoc. 11:7; 13:1)
This was the death of the witnessing of the politico-ecclesiastical remnant of her seed. The war upon her that ultimated in this result, continued over a century after the termination of her aeon (aion) of 1260 years. From A.D. 1685 to A.D. 1790, her seed's voice against the Roman Antichrist was death-stricken in all the Ten-Horns of the Beast of the Sea. During this period of three lunar days and a half of years, her anti-catholic communities lay voiceless in the streets, or kingdoms, of the Great City, very much to the joy and mirthfulness of the priests and rulers of the Horn-Powers, especially of the VICE-GOD of "Christendom" and his Cardinals, whose sanguinary domination is now tottering to its fall. These priestly and besotted tyrants "rejoiced over them, and made merry," because the tormenting testimony of her seed was, as they thought, effectually and finally silenced (Apoc. 11:4-10). But they knew not the purposes of Him who doeth all things after the counsel of His own will. They knew not that a great revival of this tormenting witnessing had been decreed; and that their joyous mirth was doomed to set in mourning, lamentation, and woe. For, after the expiration of the three lunar days and a half of years, that is, of 105 years; marked also by the termination of 1260 years from the epoch A.D. 530-533, in which the Dragon-Power "acknowledged" the bishop of Rome as "a god" over all the spiritual affairs of his dominion (Dan. 11:39): after the end of his cycle, "the Spirit of life from Deity was to enter into them, and they were to stand upon their feet." In the epoch of A.D. 1789-'93, this came to pass in the birth of what the terrified "foul spirits" and "unclean and hateful birds" of the Roman "cage," denominate "THE REVOLUTION." This fearful power, which is now sternly and threateningly glaring in the face of the trembling demon-and-idol-worshippers of the Roman "hold" (Apoc. 18:2), is the organized witnessing of the politico-ecclesiastical remnant of the Woman's Seed. Created A.D. 315, slain A.D. 1685, it rose again A.D. 1789-'93; and, in the last epoch "it ascended to the heaven," where it is now working through the Frog-like influences of the French, Italian, and Prussian powers which will not cease to operate until they shall have unwittingly "gathered the kings of the earth and of the whole habitable to the war of that great day of God Almighty - a day which is near, even at the door, and waiting only the expiration of the forty-two months of the down-treading of the Holy
Page 137
Picture of Constantinople not shown
Above: Constantinople (modern Istanbul) occupies a commanding position on the Bosphorus that links Europe with Asia Minor. The widespread territory ruled by Constantine demanded a more convenient centre than that of Rome. Below: Coins depicting Constantine, and the dedication of the city of Constantinople on 11 May 330.
Page 138
City; that is, of 1260 years from the giving of the Saints into the hand of "the Foreign God," A.D. 607-'8; or 1335 from his "acknowledgment" by the King that did according to his will in A.D. 533; which gives for a glorious epoch to the believer, A.D. 1868-'9.
26. "The Earth
Helped the Woman."
16. And
the earth ran with help for the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and
swallowed up the flood which the Dragon cast out of his mouth. 17. And the
Dragon was enraged against the woman, and went away to wage war with the
remnants of her seed who keep the commandments of the Deity, and hold the
testimony of the anointed Jesus" - Verses 15-17.
The Dragon, the Serpent, the Diabolos, and the Satan, in this twelfth chapter, are all terms expressive of the political, or civil, military, and spiritual, "enmity" in organized activity against the woman and her seed. When the political Organization that seeks her destruction is wholly pagan, then it is represented as "a Great Fiery Red Dragon" -ver. 3: if still pagan, but not wholly so in all departments of the state, then it is no longer the "great fiery red dragon," but simply the Diabolos, as in ver. 12; and if no longer pagan, but a subtle and seductive power, wise in its own conceit, and invested with supreme authority, it is indicated by "the Serpent" and "the Dragon," as in ver. 15,16. This identity is established by the testimony concerning the flood of water, which states that it issued both from the mouth of the Serpent and the mouth of the Dragon: now the flood being one, not two, the Serpent and the Dragon in the verses at the head of this section must represent the same power.
But the Dragon and his angels were cast out of the political heaven, or Roman government, "and their place was found no more in the heaven;" nevertheless, in the last four verses of this chapter we find the Dragon in power, and exercising it vengefully for 1260 years against the woman, and making war with the remnants of her seed. How is this? It was the pagan constitution of power enthroned in Rome and Italy that was cast out, and has reappeared no more to this day. But after the battles of Adrianople and Chrysopolis all power over the Roman Habitable came to be vested in Constantine. He was the sole imperial bishop of the Dragon empire; which, by the revolution he had consummated, was transformed from the Pagan Dragon, into the Catholic Dragon, dominion. It is this Catholic Serpent and Dragon that figures in the concluding verses of this chapter, as well as in the thirteenth and twentieth chapters
Page 139
of the Apocalypse, which has no more to do with the Great Fiery Red Dragon after ch. 12:13.
The throne of the Pagan Dragon was Rome; but when the Dragon-power came to be vested in Constantinople he established a New Polity in a New Capital, which after himself he styled, the City of Constantine, or Constantinople. In the period in which the woman became a fugitive, Constantinople, previously called Byzantium, became the capital of the Roman world. It has retained its sovereign rank over 1540 years. Its founder ascribed his resolution of building it to the infallible and eternal decrees of Divine Wisdom; and in one of his laws, he declares that it was in obedience to the commands of God, that he laid the everlasting foundations of Constantinople. His choice of Byzantium for a city is said, by contemporary writers, to have been owing to a vision which appeared to him while he slept within the walls of that city. Its tutelar genius, a venerable woman sinking under the weight of years and infirmities, was suddenly transformed into a blooming female, whom his own hands adorned with all the symbols of imperial greatness. The emperor awoke, interpreted the auspicious omen, and obeyed, without hesitation, the supposed will of heaven. On the day on which the foundation of the city was laid, Constantine on foot, with a lance in his hand, traced out the boundary of the destined capital. It was of great extent, which his assistants observing, ventured to remark, that he had already exceeded the most ample measure of a great city. "I shall still advance," replied Constantine, "till he, the invisible guide who marches before me, thinks proper to stop." Whether or not the emperor did see the vision of his dream, it is a fact as already sh6wn, that this twelfth chapter was generally supposed by anti-pagans of that day to refer to the events of the life of Constantine. Hence, it is more than probable that the dream he professes to have had was not a vision of his own, but a fiction into which he introduced the two women of this chapter, the one distressed, inferior, and persecuted, the other blooming and decorated with the sun, the moon and the stars, the symbols of imperial greatness, with which "his own hands adorned her;" and for whom he determined, dream or no dream, to found a new capital.
'Water as a flood" is said to have been cast Out of the Serpent's mouth after the woman to sweep her away. Water flowing like a river indicates an army or body of men in motion. That water symbolises people is evident from Apoc. 17:15. Hence, when the water is in motion the people are moving; when it flows like a river the body of people moves In a certain direction; when the river overflows its banks, the army crosses its frontiers and invades another nation; when the water sweeps along like a flood, the army subdues and carries all before it; but when
Page140
the earth opens and absorbs the flood, then the operations of the army are spent without effecting its purpose; and if the water of the river be dried up, as in Apoc. 16:12, the power and independence of the people represented are destroyed. Some of these definitions are strikingly illustrated in Isaiah 8:7: "Behold," says the prophet, "Yahweh bringeth up upon them (the Jews) the waters of the river, the strong and mighty; even the king of Assyria and all his force. And he shall rise above all his channels, and shall go over all his banks; and he shall pass through Judah, overflowing and spreading; even to the neck shall he reach; and the extension of his wings (the wings of his army) shall be over the full breadth of thy land, 0 Immanuel!" The kingdom of Assyria was divided from that of Israel by the Euphrates, termed in Scripture "the river," and "the great river." Hence, it came to symbolize his power; so that when he invaded Israel, the waters of his river are said to have swelled over their banks, and flooded their country to so great an extent as to rise "to the neck," or capital, but without submerging it; so that it would be an overflowing invasion, which would recede without finally subjecting the nation.
The Mouth of the Serpent or Dragon is symbolical of the words, utterances and commands, proceeding from the power called Serpent or Dragon. The commands of a power are expressed or made audible and effective by the reigning administration of public affairs; and which holds a similar relation to the power that the mouth does to the brain of a man. Hence, "the Mouth of the Dragon, the Mouth of the Beast, and the Mouth of the False Prophet," are the governments of the powers signified by these symbols.
The Serpent and Dragon are said to have cast water as a flood out of their Mouth; that is, an army of pursuers was sent forth by order of the catholic government of Constantinople and Rome, to sweep the fugitive woman from among the living. The execution of this decree of extermination might have been successful, had not "the earth ran with help for the woman, and opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood." The Common Version says, "the earth helped the woman. "This is not incorrect; but it is not as exact as it might be, and as the events represented justify. The word boetheo, signifies properly, "to run to the aid of those who cry for help." The woman in her flight was pursued, or persecuted by power, which caused her in her sufferings to cry aloud. Her cries fell upon the ears of the earthiest of earthborns, who ran to and fro dealing the most terrific vengeance upon her foes. The ferocious purpose of the catholic power encountering this most unexpected resistance was defeated; the earth swallowed up the wrath which expended itself upon it, and the woman was saved.
Page 141
HISTORICAL
ILLUSTRATION
Such, then, is the meaning, or "mystery," of the form of words pre-sented in the prophecy. The Catholic Dragon, or Man of Sin power, in-corporate in the unbaptized episcopal emperor, Constantine, and in the ignorant and superstitious ecclesiastics whom he had associated with himself in synodical session, was the effluent pursuer of the woman, who rejected the traditions and commands of the tribunal which had arraigned and condemned her, and all her seed, as odious and pestilent heretics. Having lost their cause at Rome and Arles, the Anti-catholic Donatists had appealed for the last time to Constantine himself, who in A.D. 316, examined the whole affair at Milan, in the presence of the contending parties. The issue, as might be expected from the character of the judges, was not more favorable to the Donatists than the decisions of the previous councils, which were confirmed by the sentence he pronounced. Condemned by the Bishop of Rome, and by that bishop's imperial master, "this perverse sect," as they are styled by Mosheim, are said to have loaded the emperor with "the bitterest reproaches," and complained that Osius, bishop of Cordova, who was honored with his friendship, and was intimately connected with Caecilianus, had, by corrupt insinuations, engaged him to pronounce an unrighteous sentence. "Perhaps their complaint," says Gibbon, "was not without foundation, that the credulity of the emperor had been abused by the insidious arts of his favorite, Osius. The influence of falsehood and corruption might procure the condemnation of the innocent or aggravate the sentence of the guilty." Be this as it may, "the Dragon, the old serpent, incited to great wrathfulness by these irritating trials, which disturbed the serenity of the party in power, deprived the anti-catholic Donatists of their churches in Africa, drove their bishops into exile, and carried his resentment so far as to put some of them to death. This was the commence-ment of the Catholic Dragon's wrath against the woman, and of the war he waged against the remnants of her seed (verse 7). The immediate effect of these violent measures, were desperate commotions and tumults in Africa, as the Donatists were exceedingly influential and numerous in that wing of the great eagle. But these insurrections were regarded by them with the utmost detestation and abhorrence; and, therefore, though a persecuted people, we are not to attribute these popular uprisings in their defense to a spirit of recrimination in them against their "christian" oppressors. The Donatists Remnant had fled "into the wilderness" of Getulia that they might be "out of sight of the Serpent" - of "the first Christian emperor" and his catholic myrmidons, who had seized their property, exiled their teachers, and put some to death. Upon this, the Spirit of Deity stirred up the indignation of "the Earth"
Page 142
- of those who, though neither catholics nor Donatists, had spirit enough to defend the oppressed against imperial and ecclesiastical tyranny, and that in their own irregular and violent way. This situation of affairs may be illustrated by the following supposition. Thus, Christadelphians where known are in very bad odor with "every name and denomination," against which t