Revelation
...
And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven,
clothed with a cloud and a rainbow was upon his head,
and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire
And he had in his hand a little book open:
...
Here John's vision of the angel with the sixth trumpet is interrupted. He sees another angel. Why the interruption? The last angel sounded the sixth trumpet and set about telling of the second woe. Could it be perhaps because even while the woe is occuring other things are hapening as well? Think about it. Right now there are men and women overseas fighting in wars, some of us know some of those over there, or we know of others who have loved ones over there. What do you think their lives consist of? Anything but the normalcy which we know, in which we live. The exist in another whole world, a world of war where they have guns in their hands, slung across their backs, in a holster at their hips, in a strap about their leg, in a back pack they wear on their backs. They have weapons of war in their possession and they wield them with the intention of shooting another human being should they be attacked by them. They are fighting to uphold principles of freedom that the others don't seem to have. The war is on going and has been for several years now. Think about it, really think about what is going on right now in a place that we are not. We are sitting at our computers reading/writing this in the comforts of our own home, in our own town, in our own city, in our own state, in our own country and we aren't wielding weapons of warfare. Two different worlds and it's the same in all time really. While wars are being waged there is also another existence for those who send their loved ones off to war while remaining home. Rarely is there war every where in fact most likely never. When a war is started it's for a purpose, whether or not that purpose is achieved it is started for a reason. Prehaps to conquer, but there is no guarantee to be a conquerer, you could be the conquered in the battle.
Anyway, the point that I'm trying to make here is that while wars go on they don't go on simulataneously everywhere so there is an existence that doesn't have the war going on and I believe that when this angel comes down from heaven after the angel with the sixth trumpet sounds and tells of the second woe, it's not necessarily a continuation of time because that would mean the seventh angel should sound. It isn't the seventh angel with the seventh trumpet but rather a completely different angel and we'd do well to pay attention what messages are given to us by this angelic interlude.
This mighty angel comes down from heaven and is clothed with a cloud and a rainbow rests upon his head, what an image this evokes. His face is as the sun, his feet as pillars of fire.
If ever an angel was grand in appearance this angel all but demands notice. We are concerned with symbols and the symbolic references here are what? Clothed with a cloud and rainbow on his head. A reminder of God's past dealings with human, mmm? The rainbow was given as a symbol that God would never flood the entire earth again in a way that would kill almost all living things, it was a sign, a covenant with God and His people. His face as the sun- brilliantly bright, illuminated with the most powerful illuminary in the skies. Feet as pillars of fire, a pillar of led God's people at night when Moses was guiding them through God out of captivity into the land of freedom. Clearly this angel is bringing a powerful message from God, enlightenment, powerful- powerful enlightenment.
...
and he set his right foot upon the sea,
and his left foot on the earth
...
Symbolically in prophecy the sea can represent a place of many people, just as the earth can represent a place without so many people. It's possible the angel's stance is such that this messenger is going to give the message to all.
...
And cried with a loud voice,
as when a lion roareth:
and when he had cried,
seven thunders uttered their voices.
And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices,
I was about to write and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me,
Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
...
What a mighty cry! Yet just what his cry was isn't mentioned. He cry precedes the voices of seven thunders to sound. Seven Angels, Seven Seals, Seven Trumpets, Seven Thunders- and yet whatever messages the Seven Thunders have to give to us we can't know, it wasn't for us to know or read, or hear, or keep. A voice came from heaven to John and told him to seal up the things the seven thunders uttered and write them not. That the rather angel who was amazing and glorious in appearance cried out and caused seven thunders to sound a message we weren't to know tells us what? There are mysteries not meant for us, mysteries we cannot know. What we are being given isn't all there is but it's all we need and we have to trust that God has given us His words in such a way that we aren't completely overwhelmed.
...
And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever,
who created heaven,
and the things that therein are,
and the earth,
and the things that therein are,
and the sea, and the things which are therein,
that there should be time no longer
...
Our Father who are in heaven
Hallowed be thy name
They kingdom come
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who tresspass against us
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory forever.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God
in it thou shalt not do any work
thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant,
nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that in them is,
and rested the seventh day
wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day,
and hallowed it.
Him that liveth forever and ever! The creator of heaven, of earth, of the sea.
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea.
The angel swore by the one and the only Creator God, the maker of heaven, of earth, of the sea.
...
But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel,
when he shall begin to sound,
the mystery of God should be finished,
as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
...
The seventh angel has yet to sound and yet we are being told ahead of time that when the seventh angel does soung that the mystery of God would be finished.
The mystery of God
...
Colossians
{2:1} For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and [for] them at Laodicea, and [for] as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
{2:2} That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
{2:3} In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
{2:4} And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
{2:5} For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
...
In whom are hid ALL the treaures of wisdom and knowledge.
Romans
{16:25} Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began
{16:26} But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith
{16:27} To God only wise, [be] glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
Praise God!
1 Corinthians
{2:7} But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom,] which God ordained before the world unto our glory
{2:8} Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it,] they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
{2:9} But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
{2:10} But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
{2:11} For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
{2:12} Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
{2:13} Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
{2:14} But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them,] because they are spiritually discerned.
{2:15} But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
{2:16} For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
***
Praise the Lord!
Ephesian
{3:9} And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ
{3:10} To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly [places] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of
God
{3:11} According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord
{3:12} In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
{3:13} Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
{3:14} For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
{3:15} Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named
{3:16} That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man
{3:17} That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love
{3:18} May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
{3:19} And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
All Glory to God!
***
The mystery of God finished. Realized. Known. Complete. Amen.
...
And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again,
and said,
Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
...
The voice from heaven which told John not to write what the seven thunders uttered, spoke again. He told Him to take the little book which is opened in the hand of the angel standing upon the sea and earth. John is taking something from an angel, very interesting.
...
And I went unto the angel,
and said unto him,
Give me the little book.
And he said unto me,
Take it,
and eat it up
and it shall make thy belly bitter,
but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand
and ate it up
and it was in my mouth sweet as honey
and as soon as I had eaten it,
my belly was bitter.
And he said unto me,
Thou must prophesy again before many peoples,
and nations,
and tongues,
and kings.
...
Wow. The little book is open. Was there ever a little book closed?
Daniel
{12:9} And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words [are] closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
Now a little book is opened.
John is to take this little open book and eat it. Eat it? Who eat's books? Seriously? If I devour a book I'm reading it with enthusiasm. We've discussed this before recently, the book of Daniel- a book of prophecy was to be sealed to the time of the end. Now here in Revelation John is being given prophecy and in this particular prophecy he is shown an amazing angel who has this little open book and he's instructed to eat it. After eating it his belly would be bitter even though the book tasted sweet.
In the 1800's there was a religious revival that was unprecedented as the book of Daniel and Revelation as well were studied and enlightenment seemed to descend upon people. History fit together with the prophecies and this particular prophecy in Daniel talked of 2300 days. The end of that 2300 day would be in 1844. So people began to believe that Christ would return then. They believed it so thoroughly their lives revolved around the predicted second coming of Christ- it was sweet, so sweet to have such understanding! Then when Christ didn't come as they believed the bitterness was vile in their bellies. There was more to be done. This was the beginning of the end so to speak. There had to be more prophesizing, a lot more, and where were John's thoughts directed?
...
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod:
and the angel stood,
saying,
Rise,
and measure the temple of God,
and the altar,
and them that worship therein.
But the court which is without the temple leave out,
and measure it not
for it is given unto the Gentiles
and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
...
The temple of God! The wonder of the Sanctuary and its services. If after 2300 the Sanctuary was to be cleansed and that didn't mean Christ's returning it surely meant something momentous. A study of the Sanctuary services revealed the typified day of Atonement, the day the Sanctuary was cleansed. The High Priest had to enter the Most Holy Place, a place so sacred it was only entered once a year on this day. So in heaven it's safe to believe that Christ entered in the Most Holy Place, the most sacred of places to finish the cleansing. Once that cleansing is complete then Christ will return again- we live in that cleansing time.
...
And I will give power unto my two witnesses,
and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days,
clothed in sackcloth.
...
Again I'm going to defer to the Book of Daniel and Revelation for a more intellectual explaination of things.
(Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith) --
By this message, our attention has been called to the temple above, and through it the light and truth on this subject has come out. Thus we measure the temple and the altar, or the ministration connected with the temple, the work and the position of our great High Priest; and we measure the worshipers with that part of the rod which relates to character, the ten commandments.
"The court which is without the temple leave out." This must be interpreted to mean that the attention of the church is now directed to the inner temple and the service there. Matters pertaining to the court are of less consequence now. It is given to the Gentiles. That the court refers to this earth is proved thus: The court is the place where the victims were slain whose blood was to be ministered in the sanctuary. The antitypical victim must die in the antitypical court, and He died on Calvary in Judea. The Gentiles being thus introduced, the attention of the prophet is directed to the great feature of Gentile apostasy, the treading down of the holy city forty and two months during that time. Thus we are carried back into the past by an easy and natural transition, and our attention is called to a new series of events.
Verse 3 And I will give power unto My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
The period of "a thousand two hundred and three score days" is variously referred to in the Scriptures. It appears in three forms:
As 1260 days in this verse and Revelation 12: 6.
As 42 months in Revelation 11: 2 and 13: 5.
As 3 1/2 times in Daniel 7: 25 and 12: 7, and Revelation 12: 14.
These all refer to the same period and can be easily be calculated. A time is a year, as is evident from Daniel 11: 13, marginal reading. A year has twelve months, and a Biblical month contains thirty days. Thus we have the following:
1 year of 12 months at 30 days - - - - 360 days
3 1/2 years, or times, of 360 days - - - - 1260 days
42 months of 30 days - - - - - - - - 1260 days
A year made up of 12 months will be readily conceded, but that the month has 30 days needs perhaps to be demonstrated. This can readily be seen by referring to the record of the flood in Genesis 7 and 8. There we learn the following:
1. That the flood came on the seventeenth day of the second month. (Genesis 7: 11.)
2. That the waters subsided on the seventeenth day of the seventh month. (Genesis 8: 4.)
3. That the flood continued for five months--from the second to the seventh month.
Reference to Genesis 7: 24 reveals the fact that "the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days." Our calculation showed five months. This text mentions 150 days; hence we have five months equaling 150 days, or 30 days to a month.
Thus we have a definite measure for calculating the prophetic periods, bearing in mind that in prophecy a day is equal to a year of ordinary time.
The Two Witnesses.--During this time of 1260 years the witnesses are in a state of sackcloth, or obscurity, and God gives them power to endure and maintain their testimony through that dark and dismal period. But who or what are these witnesses?
...
These are the two olive trees,
and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
...
Evident allusion is here made to Zechariah 4: 11-14, where it is implied that the two olive trees are taken to represent the word of God. David testifies, "The entrance of Thy words giveth light;" and, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119: 130, 105. Written testimony is stronger than oral. Jesus declared of the Old Testament Scriptures, "They are they which testify of Me." John 5: 39.
Says George Croly: "The 'Two Witnesses' are the Old and New Testaments. . . . The essential purpose of the Scriptures is to give witness to the mercy and verity of God. Our Lord commands, 'Search the Scriptures, . . . they are they which testify [bear witness] of Me.' This was addressed to the Jews, and described the character and office of the Old Testament. The New Testament is similarly pronounced the giver of testimony. 'This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.' (Matthew 24: 14.)" [1]
These declarations and considerations are sufficient to sustain the conclusion that the Old and New Testaments are Christ's two witnesses.
...
And if any man will hurt them,
fire proceedeth out of their mouth
and devoureth their enemies:
and if any man will hurt them,
he must in this manner be killed.
...
To hurt the word of God is to oppose, corrupt, or pervert its testimony, and turn people away from it. Against those who do this work, fire proceedeth out of their mouth to devour them, that is, judgment of fire is pronounced in that word against such. It declares that they will have their punishment in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. (Malachi 4: 1; Revelation 20: 15; 22: 18, 19.)
...
These have power to shut heaven,
that it rain not in the days of their prophecy
and have power over waters to turn them to blood,
and to smite the earth with all plagues,
as often as they will.
...
In what sense have these witnesses power to shut heaven, turn waters to blood, and bring plagues on the earth? Elijah shut heaven so that it did not rain for three years and a half, but he did by the word of the Lord. Moses by the word of the Lord turned the waters of Egypt to blood. Just as these judgments, recorded in their testimony, have been fulfilled, so will every threatening and judgment pronounced by them against any people surely be accomplished.
"As often as they will" means that as often as judgments are recorded on their pages to take place, so often they will come to pass. An instance of this the world is yet to experience in the infliction of the seven last plagues.
...
And when they shall have finished their testimony,
the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them,
and shall overcome them,
and kill them.
And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city,
which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt,
where also our Lord was crucified.
...
"When they shall have finished their testimony," that is, "in sackcloth." the sackcloth state ended, or as elsewhere expressed the days of persecution were shortened (Matthew 24: 22), before the period itself expired. "A 'beast' in prophecy, denotes a kingdom, or power. (See Daniel 7: 17, 23.) The question now arises, When did the sackcloth state of the witnesses close? And did such a kingdom as described make war on them at the time spoken of? If we are correct in fixing upon A.D. 583 as the time of the commencement of the sackcloth state, forty-two months being the 1260 prophetic days, or years, would bring us down to A.D. 1798. About this time, then, did such a kingdom as described appear, and make war on them, etc.? Mark! this beast, or kingdom, is out of the bottomless pit--no foundation--an atheistical power--'spiritually Egypt.' (See Exodus 5: 2: 'Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not
the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.') Here is atheism. Did any kingdom, about 1798 manifest the same spirit?--Yes, France; she denied the being of God in her national capacity, and made war on the 'Monarchy of heaven.' " [2]
"In the year 1793, . . . the gospel was, by a solemn act of the Legislature and the people abolished in France. The indignities offered to the actual copies of the Bible were unimportant after this; their life in their doctrines, and the extinction of the doctrines is the extinction of the Bible. By the decree of the French Government, declaring that the nation acknowledged no God, the Old and New Testaments were slain throughout the limits of Republican France. But contumelies to the Sacred Books could not have been wanting, in the general plunder of every place of worship. In Lyons they were dragged at the tail of an ass in a procession through the streets. . . .
"On the 1st of November, 1793, Gobet, with the Republican priests of Paris, had thrown off the gown, and abjured Religion. On the 11th, a 'Grand Festival,' dedicated to 'Reason and Truth,' was celebrated in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, which had been desecrated, and been named 'the Temple of Reason;' a pyramid was erected in the center of the Church, surmounted by a temple, inscribed 'To philosophy.' The torch of 'Truth' was on the altar of 'Reason' spreading light, etc. The National Convention and all the authorities attended at this burlesque and insulting ceremony." [3]
*1793 marked a year that could have been prevented, a period
that should never have befallen the liberated citizens of
France. Mirabeau warned that the destruction of the
Monarchy would plunge the country into anarchy and his
words rang true. France was not prepared for such social
and political upheaval, and the resulting shift towards a
republic would change the country forever. The Jacobins
discarded their holy bible, the constitution, in order to
ensure the security and stability of the country. Not only
did their hasty actions backfire, but the tens of thousands
of lives that perished during their reign symbolized the
radical stage of the revolution in all its bloody glory.
http://www.studyworld.com/newsite/reportessay/History/European%5CThe_Radical_Stage_of_the_French_Revolution_(1792-1793)-32644.htm
*
http://books.google.com/books?id=iaspAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA4&lpg=PA4&dq=gobet+1793&source=bl&ots=wkJPJoghJr&sig=Rq4KgBFQPBgiEJ2GI4MHywZIT94&hl=en&ei=KUe0SvveLsn7tgft6dGxDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=gobet%201793&f=false
*
Spiritual Sodom.--" 'Spiritually' this power 'is called Sodom.' What was the characteristic sin of Sodom? Licentiousness. Did France have this character? She did; fornication was established by law during the period spoken of. 'Spiritually' the place was 'where our Lord was crucified.' Was this true in France? It was, in more senses than one. First, in 1572 a plot was laid in France to destroy all the pious Huguenots; and in one night, fifty thousand of them were murdered in cold blood, and the streets of Paris literally ran with blood. Thus our Lord was 'spiritually crucified' in His members. Again, the watch-word and motto of the French Infidels was, 'CRUSH THE WRETCH,' meaning Christ. Thus it may be truly said, 'where our Lord was crucified.' The very spirit of the bottomless pit' was poured out in that wicked nation.
"But did France 'make war' on the Bible? She did; and in 1793 a decree passed the French Assembly forbidding the Bible, and under that decree the Bibles were gathered and burned, and every possible mark of contempt heaped upon them, and all institutions of the Bible abolished; the Sabbath was blotted out, and every tenth day substituted for mirth and profanity. Baptism and the communion were abolished. The being of God was denied; and death pronounced to be an eternal sleep. The Goddess of Reason was set up, in the person of a vile woman, and publicly worshiped. Surely here is a power that exactly answers the prophecy." [4] This point will be further developed in the comments on the next verse.
*
http://books.google.com/books?id=IwUZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA99&lpg=PA99&dq=French+Assembly+forbidding+the+Bible&source=bl&ots=_xPhhO-3Fk&sig=2nlHyT14I1POihZuFYgAevwmh0c&hl=en&ei=oUe0SrjMF9m_tgeO_dDADg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=French%20Assembly%20forbidding%20the%20Bible&f=false
THE COUNCIL OF TARRAGONA - 1234 A.D.
The Council of Tarragona of 1234, in its second canon,
ruled that:
"No one may possess the books of the Old and New
Testaments in the Romance language, and if anyone
possesses them he must turn them over to the local
bishop within eight days after promulgation of
this decree, so that they may be burned...."
- D. Lortsch, Historie de la Bible en France, 1910, p.14.
*
...
And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half
and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves
...
"The language of this verse denotes the feelings of other nations than the one committing the outrage on the witnesses. They would see what war infidel France had made on the Bible, but would not be led nationally to engage in the wicked work, nor suffer the murdered witnesses to be buried, or put out of sight among themselves, though they lay dead three days and a half, that is, three years and a half, in France. No; this very attempt of France served to arouse Christians everywhere to put forth a new exertion in behalf of the Bible, as we shall presently see." [5]
...
And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them,
and make merry
and shall send gifts one to another
because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
...
"This denotes the joy those felt who hated the Bible, or were tormented by it. Great was the joy of infidels everywhere for awhile. But 'the triumphing of the wicked is short;' so was it in France, for their war on the Bible and Christianity had well-nigh swallowed them all up. They set out to destroy Christ's 'two witnesses,' but they filled France with blood and horror, so that they were horror-struck at the result of their wicked deeds, and were glad to remove their impious hands from the Bible." [6]
...
And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them,
and they stood upon their feet;
and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
...
Witnesses Restored.--"In 1793, the decree passed the French Assembly suppressing the Bible. Just three years after, a resolution was introduced into the Assembly going to supersede the decree, and giving toleration to the Scriptures. That resolution lay on the table six months, when it was taken up, and passed without a dissenting vote. Thus, in just three years and a half, the witnesses 'stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them which saw them.' Nothing but the appalling results of the rejection of the Bible could have induced France to take her hands off these witnesses." [7]
"On the 17th of June, Camille Jourdan, in the 'Council of Five Hundred,' brought up the memorable report on the 'Revision of the laws relative to religious worship.' It consisted of a number of propositions, abolishing alike the Republican restrictions on Popish worship, and the Popish restrictions on Protestant.
"1. That all citizens might buy or hire edifices for the free exercise of religious worship.
"2. That all congregations might assemble by the sound of bells.
"3. That no test or promise of any sort unrequired from other citizens should be required of the ministers of those congregations.
"4. That any individual attempting to impede, or in any way interrupt the public worship should be fined, up to 500 livres, and not less than 50; and that if the interruption proceeded form the constituted authorities, such authorities should be fined double the sum.
"5. That entrance to assemblies for the purpose of religious worship should be free for all citizens.
"6. That all other laws concerning religious worship should be repealed.
"Those regulations, in comprehending the whole state of worship of France, were, in fact, a peculiar boon to Protestantism. Popery was already in sight of full restoration. But Protestantism, crushed under the burthen of the laws of Louis XIV, and unsupported by the popular belief, required the direct support of the state to 'stand on its feet.' The Report of the Church; the old prohibitions to hold public worship, to possess places of worship, to have ingress, etc.
"From that period the Church has been free in France. . . .
"The Church and the Bible had been slain in France from November, 1793 till June, 1797. The three years and a half were expended, and the Bible, so long and so sternly repressed before, was placed in honor, and was openly the book of free Protestantism!" [8]
...
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them,
Come up hither.
And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud;
and their enemies beheld them.
...
" 'Ascended up to heaven.'--To understand this expressions, see Daniel 4: 22: 'Thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven.' Here we see that the expression signifies great exaltation. Have the Scriptures attained to such a state of exaltation as here indicated, since France made war upon them?--They have. Shortly after, the British Bible Society was organized [1804]; then followed the American Bible Society [1816]; and these, with their almost innumerable auxiliaries, are scattering the Bible everywhere." [9] Before 1804 the Bible had been printed and circulated in fifty languages.
"Up to the end of December, 1942, the Bible in whole or in part has been translated into 1,058 languages and dialects."
No other book approaches the Bible in inexpensiveness and the number of copies circulated. The American bible Society reported having printed and circulated, in whole, or in part, 7,696,739 portions in 1940; 8,096,069, in 1941; and 6,254,642, in 1942. The British and Foreign Bible Society reported for the year ending in the middle of 1941 a circulation of 11,017,334 copies; and in 1942, 7,120,000 copies.
A conservative estimate places the number of Bibles printed annually by commercial houses at six million. Hence the annual output of Bibles and portions has reached the enormous total of from twenty-five to thirty million copies a year.
From its organization up to and including 1942, the American Bible Society had issued 321,951,266 copies; and the British and Foreign Bible Society up to March, 1942, had issued 539,664,024 copies, making a total of 861,600,000 copies put out by these two societies alone. The American Bible Society said in May, 1940: "It is that nine tenths of the 2,000,000,000 people in the world might now, if they turned to the Bible, hear it read in a language they understand." The Bible is exalted as above all price, as, next to His Son, the most invaluable blessing of God to man, and as the glorious testimony concerning that son. Yes; the Scriptures may truly be said to be exalted "to heaven in a cloud," a cloud being an emblem of heavenly elevation.
*
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books
Bible [1](Koine Greek t? ??ß??a) Traditional Christian view: Revelation or Inspiration by God[2] to various authors Hebrew, Koine Greek, Aramaic 70 BC- 105 AD,
Further information: dating of the Bible 2.5 billion[3] to more than 6 billion[4]
*
...
And the same hour was there a great earthquake,
and the tenth part of the city fell
and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand
and the remnant were affrighted,
and gave glory to the God of heaven.
The second woe is past
and, behold,
the third woe cometh quickly.
...
"What city? (See Revelation 17: 18: 'The woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings [kingdoms] of the earth.') That city is the papal Roman power. France is one of the ' ten horns' that gave 'their power and strength unto the [papal] beast;' or is one of the ten kingdoms that arose out of the Western Empire of Rome, as indicated by the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar's image, Daniel's ten-horned beast [Daniel 7: 24], and John's ten-horned dragon. [Revelation 12: 3.] France, then, was 'a tenth part of the city,' and was one of the strongest ministers of papal vengeance; but in this revolution it 'fell,' and with it fell the last civil messenger of papal fury. 'And in the earthquake were slain of men [margin, names of men] seven thousand.' France made war, in here revolution of 1798 [1789] and onward, on all titles and nobility. . . . 'And the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.' Their God-dishonoring and Heaven-defying work filled France with such scenes of blood, carnage, and horror, as made even the infidels themselves to tremble, and stand aghast; and the 'remnant' that escaped the horrors of that hour 'gave glory to God--not willingly, but the God of heaven caused this 'wrath of man to praise Him,' by giving all the world to see that those who make war on heaven make graves for themselves; thus glory redounded to God by the very means that wicked men employed to tarnish that glory." [10]
***
May God bless and keep us, opening our eyes and our hearts to understand His holy word, His prophecy. May all truth be discerned in Him through His righteousness and not that of any man but Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, by His mercy and His grace forever!
Amen.
9/18/10
Heb 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
Heb 8:2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
This is the sum.
We like when we reach the sum don't we? We like conclusions. We like to have things all wrapped up in neat little packages and sometimes we don't even mind having a pretty bow on top. To have the end product is ideal, isn't it? At the end of a story we want the ending to tie up all the loose ends. When we finish watching a movie we don't want to be left hanging, we want a satisfactory conclusion. We want to hear -even if it's only in our private thoughts- this sums it all up.
We hear these words right here in Heb. 8:1.
Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum.
We're going to condense this and give you the sum of it all…
'We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. '
We HAVE such a HIGH PRIEST.
This High Priest is SET on the right hand of the throne of the MAJESTY in the heavens.
A MINISTER of the SANCTUARY.
A minister of the TRUE TABERNACLE.
A minister of the sanctuary and true tabernacle which the LORD PITCHED AND NOT MAN!
This is it, this is what we're telling you, listen…this says it all… we have a High Priest ministering in the Heavenly Sanctuary.
People often make the mistake of stopping in their Christian walk after they learn the basics--
Our Savior was promised.
Our Savior was born.
Our Savior died.
Our Savior rose.
Our Savior lives.
We live through forgiveness of our Savior.
We will have eternal life through our Savior.
The End.
The milk of the gospel. The first principle oracles of God. Babes. Remember that?
Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
People keep on suckling the milk never growing and people will be accountable for not maturing in Christ for not ever eating strong meat. It's all well and good to take the milk- but only as babes. We ought to be teachers, not be as those who need to be taught again. We ought to be hungry and eating the meat that is there for us to eat and some of this meat is going on to acknowledge that our Savior lives for us, and that He lives for us as our HIGH PRIEST in Heaven. A Minister in the Heavenly Sanctuary. Jesus did not go to heaven and sit down at the right hand of God becoming a permanent statue in the Heavenly museum housing God who sits there as well. We have a LIVING God, a LIVING Savior, a MINISTERING HIGH PRIEST! Our Savior is NOT a pretty portrait hung in the heavenly museum. He's not a magnificent sculpture cold and lifeless. Our Savior is alive and busy! Yes, busy. He is not bored upon the throne ho-humming while the years of our lives are ticked off. Our Savior lives for US, everyone that would have Him know them will be known by Him. Our Savior is just that… OUR PERSONAL SAVIOR. We make much about having personal trainers, personal dieticians, personal physicians, personal advisors, all people that can be called on to do their jobs for us personally. We have a PERSONAL SAVIOR! Our personal Savior needs to be MORE real to us than any other person in our lives. We have to believe in Him as a reality! We need to stop being babes only feeding on the milk of the gospel never growing. We have to sink our teeth into the strong meat of the Word of God.
Heb 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
Heb 8:2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
We have to realize our Savior is our High Priest in a very real way. If you've never thought of your Savior as your High Priest, now is the time to start.
There is a lot more we are going to study on this, there is a lot of meat ready for us to eat. Our Savior would have us fully understand and by His grace, by His mercy, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, by the Righteousness of our Lord we will become the spiritual adults He would have us be.
Amen.
9/18/11
Rev 8:8 And the second angel sounded, and as it
were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third
part of the sea became blood;
Rev 8:9 And the third part of the creatures
which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were
destroyed.
Again
- Taking a lot of information from the book Daniel and Revelation by Uriah
Smith--
*******
The
Second Trumpet--
'The
Roman Empire, after Constantine the Great, was divided into three parts. Hence
the frequent remark, "a third part of men," is an allusion to the third part of
the empire which was under the scourge.
This division of the Roman kingdom was
made at the death of Constantine, among his three sons, Constantius, Constantine
II, and Constans. ' (D&R by U.
Smith)
Web
Info - Constantius II (Latin: Flavius Julius Constantius Augustus;[1][2]
August 7, 317 – November 3, 361), was Roman Emperor from 337 to 361. The second
son of Constantine I and Fausta, he ascended to the throne with his brothers
Constantine II and Constans upon their father's death
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantius_II
Web
Info- Constantine II (Latin: Flavius Claudius Constantinus Augustus)[1]
(316 – 340), was Roman Emperor from 337 to 340. Co-emperor alongside his
brothers, his short reign saw the beginnings of conflict emerge between the sons
of Constantine the Great, and his attempt to exert his perceived rights of
primogeniture ended up causing his death in a failed invasion of Italy in
340.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_II_(emperor)
Web
Info- Constans (Latin: Flavius Julius Constans Augustus)[1]
(c.323[1][2]–350), was Roman Emperor from 337 to 350. He defeated his brother
Constantine II in 340, but anger in the army over his personal life and
preference for his barbarian bodyguards saw the general Magnentius rebel,
resulting in Constans’ assassination in 350.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constans
'Constantius
possessed the East, and fixed his residence at Constantinople, the metropolis
of the empire. Constantine II held Britain, Gaul, and Spain. Constans held
Illyricum, Africa, and Italy.
The
sounding of the second trumpet evidently relates to the invasion and conquest
of Africa, and afterward of Italy, by Gaiseric (Genseric), king of the Vandals.
His conquests were for the most part naval, and his triumphs were "as it were a
great mountain burning with fire, cast into the sea."
What
figure would better, or even so well, illustrate the collision of navies, and
the general havoc of war on the maritime coasts? In explaining this trumpet, we
are to look for some events which will have a particular bearing on the
commercial world. The symbol used naturally leads us to look for agitation and
commotion. Nothing but a fierce maritime warfare would fulfill the
prediction.
If
the sounding of the first four trumpets relates to four remarkable events which
contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire, and the first trumpet refers
to the ravages of the Goths under Alaric, in this we naturally look for the
next succeeding act of invasion which shook the Roman power and conduced to its
fall.
The
next great invasion was that of Genseric, at the head of the Vandals. His
career reached its height between the years A.D. 428-468. This great Vandal
chief had his headquarters in Africa. But as Gibbon states, "The discovery and
conquest of the black nations [in Africa], that might dwell beneath the torrid
zone, could not tempt the rational ambition of Genseric; but he cast his eyes
towards the sea; he resolved to create a naval power, and his bold resolution
was executed with steady and active perseverance." [5] From the port of Carthage
he repeatedly made piratical sallies, preyed on the Roman commerce, and waged
war with that empire. To cope with this sea monarch, the Roman emperor,
Majorian, made extensive naval preparations.
(The
history of the decline and fall of the Roman empire, Volume 4 By Edward Gibbon,
Guizot (François, M.))
"The
woods of the Apennines were felled; the arsenals and manufacturers of Ravenna
and Misenum were restored; Italy and Gaul vied with each other in liberal
contributions to the public service; and the imperial navy of three hundred
large galleys, with an adequate proportion of transports and smaller vessels,
was collected in the secure and capacious harbor of Carthagena in Spain. . . .
But Genseric was saved from impending and inevitable ruin by the treachery of
some powerful subjects, envious, or apprehensive, of their master's success.
Guided by their secret intelligence, he surprised the unguarded fleet in the
Bay of Carthagena: many of the ships were sunk, or taken, or burnt; and the
preparations of three years were destroyed in a single day. . . .
"The
kingdom of Italy, a name to which the Western Empire was gradually reduced, was
afflicted, under the reign of Ricimer, by the incessant depredations of the
Vandal pirates. In the spring of each year, they equipped a formidable navy in
the port of Carthage; and Genseric himself, though in a very advanced age,
still commanded in person the most important expeditions. . . .
"The
Vandals repeatedly visited the coasts of Spain, Liguria, Tuscany, Campania,
Lucania, Bruttium, Apulia, Calabria, Venetia, Dalmatia, Epirus, Greece, and
Sicily. . . .
"The
celerity of their motions enabled them, almost at the same time, to threaten
and to attack the most distant objects, which attracted their desires; and as
they always embarked a sufficient number of horses, they had no sooner landed,
than they swept the dismayed country with a body of light calvary." [6]
A
last and desperate attempt to dispossess Genseric of the sovereignty of the
seas, was made in the year 468 by Leo I, the emperor of the East. Gibbon bears
witness to this as follows:
"The
whole expense of the African campaign, by whatsoever means it was defrayed,
amounted to the sum of one hundred and thirty thousand pounds of gold, about
five million and two hundred thousand pounds sterling. . . . The fleet that
sailed from Constantinople to Carthage consisted of eleven hundred and thirteen
ships, and the number of soldiers and mariners exceeded one hundred thousand
men. . . . The army of Heraclius and the fleet of Marcellinus either joined or
seconded the imperial lieutenant. . . . The wind became favorable to the design
of Genseric. He manned his largest ships of war with the bravest of the Moors
and Vandals, and they towed after them many large barks filled with combustible
materials. In the obscurity of the night, these destructive vessels were
impelled against the unguarded and unsuspecting fleet of the Romans, who were
awakened by the sense of their instant danger. Their close and crowded order
assisted the progress of the fire, which was communicated with rapid and
irresistible violence; and the noise of the wind, the crackling of the flames,
the dissonant cries of the soldiers and mariners, who could neither command nor
obey, increased the horror of the nocturnal tumult. Whilst they labored to
extricate themselves from the fire ships, and to save at least a part of the
navy, the galleys of Genseric assaulted them with temperate and disciplined
valor; and many of the Romans who escaped the fury of the flames, were destroyed
or taken by the victorious Vandals. . . . After the failure of this great
expedition, Genseric again became the tyrant of the sea; the coasts of Italy,
Greece, and Asia were again exposed to his revenge and avarice; Tripoli and
Sardinia returned to his obedience; he added Sicily to the number of his
provinces; and before he died, in the fullness of years and of glory, he beheld
the final extinction of the empire of the West." [7]
Concerning
the important part which this bold corsair acted in the downfall of Rome,
Gibbon uses this significant language: "Genseric, a name which, in the
destruction of the Roman Empire, has deserved an equal rank with the names of
Alaric and Attila." [8]
Edward
Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
[6]
Ibid., 481-486.
[7]
Ibid., 495-498.
[8]
Ibid., chap. 33, p. 370.
*******
Revelation
Rev 8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there
fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the
third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
Rev 8:11 And the name of the star is called
Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of
the waters, because they were made bitter.
Taken
from the book Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith-
*******
The
Third Trumpet.--In the interpretation and application of this passage, we are
brought to the third important event which resulted in the subversion of the
Roman Empire. In revealing the historical fulfillment of this third trumpet, we
shall be indebted to the notes of Albert Barnes for a few extracts. in
explaining this scripture, it is necessary, as this commentator says, "that
there would be some chieftain or warrior who might be compared with a blazing
meteor; whose course would be singularly brilliant; who would appear suddenly
like a blazing star, and then disappear like a star whose light was quenched in
the waters. That the desolating course of that meteor would be mainly on those
portions of the world that abounded with springs of water and running streams.
That an effect would be produced as if those streams and fountains were made
bitter; that is, that many persons would perish, and that wide desolations would
be caused in the vicinity of those rivers and streams, as if a bitter and
baleful star should fall into the waters, and death should spread over the lands
adjacent to them, and watered by them." [9]
It
is here premised that this trumpet has allusion to the desolating wars and
furious invasions of Attila, king of the Huns, against the Roman power. Speaking
of this warrior, particularly of his personal appearance, Barnes says:
"In
the manner of his appearance, he strongly resembled a brilliant meteor in the
sky. He came from the East gathering his Huns, and poured them down, as we
shall see, with the rapidity of a flashing meteor, suddenly on the empire. He
regarded himself also as devoted to Mars, the god of war, and was accustomed to
array himself in a peculiarly brilliant manner, so that his appearance, in the
language of his flatterers, was such as to dazzle the eyes of beholders."
[10]
In
speaking of the locality of the events predicted by this trumpet, Barnes has
this note:
"It
is said particularly that the effect would be on 'the rivers' and on 'the
fountains of waters.' If this has a literal application, or if, as was supposed
in the case of the second trumpet, the language used was such as had reference
to the portion of the empire that would be particularly affected by the hostile
invasion, then we may suppose that this refers to those portions of the empire
that abounded in rivers and streams, and more particularly those in which the
rivers and streams had their origin--for the effect was permanently in the
'fountains of waters.' As a matter of fact, the principal operations of Attila
were in the regions of the Alps, and on the portions of the empire whence the
rivers flow down into Italy. The invasion of Attila is described by Gibbon in
this general language: 'The whole breadth of Europe, as it extends above five
hundred miles from the Euxine to the Adriatic, was at once invaded, and
occupied, and desolated by the myriads of barbarians whom Attila led into the
field.' " [11]
The
Name of the Star Is Called Wormwood.--The word "wormwood" denotes bitter
consequences. "These words--which are more intimately connected with the
preceding verse, as even the punctuation in our version denotes--recall us for a
moment to the character of Attila, to the misery of which he was the author or
the instrument, and to the terror that was inspired by his name.
"
'Total extirpation and erasure,' are terms which best denote the calamities he
inflicted. . . .
"It
was the boast of Attila that the grass never grew on the spot which his horse
had trod. 'The scourge of God' was a name that he appropriated to himself, and
inserted among his royal titles. He was 'the scourge of his enemies, and the
terror of the world.' The Western emperor with the senate and people of Rome,
humbly and fearfully deprecated the wrath of Attila. And the concluding
paragraph of the chapters which record his history, is entitled, 'Symptoms of
the Decay and Ruin of the Roman Government.' The name of the star is called
wormwood." [12]
[9]
Albert Barnes, Notes on Revelation, p. 239, comment on Revelation 8: 11.
[10]
Ibid.
[11]
Ibid., p. 240.
[12]
Alexander Keith, Signs of the Times, Vol. I, p. 267-269.
*******
Rev 8:12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the
third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third
part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone
not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Rev 8:13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying
through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the
inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the
three angels, which are yet to sound!
Taken
from the book Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith--
The
Fourth Trumpet.--We understand that this trumpet symbolizes the career of
Odoacer, the first barbarian ruler of Italy, who was so intimately connected
with the downfall of Western Rome. The symbols sun, moon, and stars--for they
are undoubtedly here used as symbols--evidently denote the great luminaries of
the Roman government, its emperors, senators, and consuls. The last emperor of
Western Rome was Romulus, who in derision was called Augustulus, or the
"diminutive Augustus." Western Rome fell in A.D. 476. Still, however, though
the Roman sun was extinguished, its subordinate luminaries shone faintly while
the senate and consuls continued. But after many civil reverses and changes of
political fortune, at length the whole form of the ancient government was
subverted, and Rome itself was reduced from being the empress of the world to a
poor dukedom tributary to the Exarch of Ravenna.
The
extinction of the Western Empire is recorded by Gibbon as follows:
"The
unfortunate Augustulus was made the instrument of his own disgrace: he
signified his resignation to the senate; and that assembly, in their last act
of obedience to a Roman prince, still affected the spirit of freedom, and the
forms of the constitution. An epistle was addressed, by their unanimous decree,
to the emperor Zeno, the son-in-law and successor of Leo, who had lately been
restored, after a short rebellion, to the Byzantine throne. They solemnly
'disclaim the necessity, or even the wish of continuing any longer the imperial
succession in Italy; since in their opinion the majesty of a sole monarch is
sufficient to pervade and to protect, at the same time, both the East and the
West. In their own name, and in the name of the people, they consent that the
seat of universal empire shall be transferred from Rome to Constantinople; and
they basely renounce the right of choosing their master, the only vestige that
yet remained of the authority which had given laws to the world.' " [13]
Keith
comments on the downfall of Rome:
"The
power and glory of Rome as bearing rule over any nation, became extinct. The
name alone remained to the queen of nations. Every token of royalty disappeared
from the imperial city. She who had ruled over the nations sat in the dust,
like a second Babylon, and there was no throne where the Caesars had reigned.
The last act of obedience to a Roman prince which that once august assembly
performed, was the acceptance of the resignation of the last emperor of the
West, and the abolition of the imperial succession in Italy. The sun of Rome
was smitten. . . .
"A
new conqueror of Italy, Theodoric, the Ostrogoth, speedily arose, who
unscrupulously assumed the purple, and reigned by the right of conquest. 'The
royalty of Theodoric was proclaimed by the Goths (March 5, A.D. 493), with the
tardy, reluctant, ambiguous consent of the emperor of the East.' The imperial
Roman power, of which either Rome or Constantinople had been jointly or singly
the seat, whether in the West or the East, was no longer recognized in Italy,
and the 'thirdpart of the sun' was smitten till it emitted no longer the
faintest rays. The power of the Caesars was unknown in Italy; and a Gothic king
reigned over Rome.
"But
though the third part of the sun was smitten, and the Roman imperial power was
at an end in the city of the Caesars, yet the moon and the stars still shone,
or glimmered, for a little longer in the Western hemisphere [empire], even in
the midst of Gothic darkness. The consulship and the senate ["the moon and the
stars"] were not abolished by Theodoric. 'A Gothic historian applauds the
consulship of Theodoric as the height of all temporal power and greatness;'--as
the moon reigns by night, after the setting of the sun. And instead of
abolishing that office, Theodoric himself 'congratulates those annual favorites
of fortune, who, without the cares, enjoyed the splendor of the throne.'
"But,
in their prophetic order, the consulship and the senate of Rome met their fate,
though they fell not by the hands of Vandals or of Goths. The next revolution
in Italy was its subjection to Belisarius, the general of Justinian, emperor of
the East. He did not spare what barbarians had hallowed. 'The Roman Consulship
Extinguished by Justinian, A.D. 541,' is the title of the last paragraph of the
fortieth chapter of Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of Rome. 'The
succession of the consuls finally ceased in the thirteenth year of Justinian,
whose despotic temper might be gratified by the silent extinction of a title
which admonished the Romans of their ancient freedom.' 'The third part of the
sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the
stars.' In the political firmament of the ancient world, while under the reign
of imperial Rome, the emperorship, the consulate, and the senate shone like the
sun, the moon, and the stars. The history of their decline and fall is brought
down till the two former were 'extinguished,' in reference to Rome and Italy,
which so long had ranked as the first of cities and countries; and finally, as
the fourth trumpet closes, we see the 'extinction of that illustrious
assembly,' the Roman senate. The city that had ruled the world, as if in
mockery of human greatness, was conquered by the eunuch Narses, the successor
of Belisarius. He defeated the Goths (A.D. 522 [*]), achieved 'the conquest of
Rome,' and the fate of the senate was sealed." [14]
E.
B. Elliott speaks of the fulfillment of this part of the prophecy in the
extinction of the Western Empire, as follows:
"Thus
was the final catastrophe preparing, by which the Western emperors and empire
were to become extinct. The glory of Rome had long departed; its provinces one
after another been rent from it; the territory still attached to it become like
a desert; and its maritime possessions and its fleets and commerce been
annihilated. Little remained to it but the vain titles and insignia of
sovereignty. And now the time was come when these too should be withdrawn. Some
twenty years or more from the death of Attila, and much less from that of
Genseric (who, ere his death, had indeed visited and ravaged the eternal city
in one of his maritime marauding expeditions, and thus yet more prepared the
coming consummation), about this time, I say, Odoacer, chief of the Heruli--a
barbarian remnant of the host of Attila, left on the Alpine frontiers of
Italy--interposed with his command that the name and the office of Roman
Emperor of the West, should be abolished. The authorities bowed in submission
to him. The last phantom of an emperor--one whose name, Romulus Augustus, was
singularly calculated to bring in contrast before the reflective mind the past
glories of Rome and its present degradation--abdicated; and the senate sent
away the imperial insignia to Constantinople, professing to the emperor of the
East that one emperor was sufficient for the whole of the empire. Thus of the
Roman imperial sun, that third which appertained to the Western Empire was
eclipsed, and shown no more. I say that third of its orb which appertained to
the Western empire; for the Apocalyptic fraction is literally accurate. In the
last arrangement between the two courts, the whole of the Illyrian third had
been made over to the Eastern division. Thus in the West 'the extinction of the
empire' had taken place; the night had fallen.
"Notwithstanding
this, however, it must be borne in mind that the authority of the Roman name
had not yet entirely ceased. The senate of Rome continued to assemble as usual.
The consuls were appointed yearly, one by the Eastern emperor, one by Italy and
Rome. Odoacer himself governed Italy under a title (that of patrician)
conferred on him by the Eastern emperor. And as regarded the more distant
Western provinces, or at least considerable districts in them, the tie which
had united them to the Roman Empire was not altogether severed. There was still
a certain, though often faint, recognition of the supreme imperial authority.
The moon and the stars might seem still to shine on the West with a dim
reflected light. In the course of the events, however, which rapidly followed
one on the other in the next half century, these, too, were extinguished.
Theodoric the Ostrogoth, on destroying the Heruli and their kingdom at Rome and
Ravenna, ruled in Italy from A.D. 493 to 526 as an independent sovereign; and
on Belisarius's and Narses's conquest of Italy from the Ostrogoths (a conquest
preceded by wars and desolations in which Italy, and above all its seven-hilled
city, were for a time almost made desert), the Roman senate was dissolved, the
consulship abrogated. Moreover, as regards the barbaric princes of the Western
provinces, their independence of the Roman imperial power became now more
distinctly averred and understood. After above a century and [a] half of
calamities unexampled almost, as Dr. Robertson most truly represents is, in the
history of nations, the statement of Jerome--a statement couched under the very
Apocalyptic figure of the text, but prematurely pronounced on the first taking
of Rome by Alaric,--might be considered as at length accomplished: 'Clarissimum
terrarum lumen extinctum est.' 'The world's glorious sun has been
extinguished;' or as the modern power has expressed it, still under the same
Apocalyptic imagery--
'She
saw her glories star by star expire.' till not even one star remained, to
glimmer on the vacant and dark night." [15]
The
fearful ravages of these barbarian hordes who under their bold but cruel and
desperate leaders devastated Rome, are vividly portrayed in the following
spirited lines:
"And
then a deluge of wrath it came,
And
the nations shook with dread;
And
it swept the earth, till its fields were flame,
And
piled with the mingled dead.
Kings
were rolled in the wasteful flood,
With
the low and crouching slave,
And
together lay, in a shroud of blood,
The
coward and the brave."
Fearful
as were the calamities brought upon the empire by the first incursions of these
barbarians, they were light as compared with the calamities which were to
follow. They were but as the preliminary drops of a shower before the torrent
which was soon to fall upon the Roman world. The three remaining trumpets are
overshadowed with a cloud of woe, as set forth in the following verses.
Rev 8:13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying
through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the
inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the
three angels, which are yet to sound!
This
angel is not one of the series of the seven trumpet angels, but simply another
heavenly messenger, who announces that the three remaining trumpets are woe
trumpets, because of the more terrible events to take place under their
sounding. Thus the next, or fifth trumpet, is the first woe; the sixth trumpet,
the second woe; and the seventh, the last one in this series of seven trumpets,
is the third woe.
[13]
Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. III, chap. 36, p.
512.
[14]
Alexander Keith, Signs of the Times, Vol. I, p. 280-283.
[15]
Edward B. Elliott, Horae Apocalypticae, Vol. I, pp. 354-356.
[*]
Edward Gibbon, in History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume
IV, chapter 43, pages 273, 274, places the defeat and death of Teias, the last
king of the Goths, in A.D. 533. This is the date usually accepted by
historians, and is the one used by the author of this book. (See pages 127,
128.)--Editors.
*******
History.
Does
it all fit? Only time will tell. Greater minds than mine have studied all this
and put it together. I'm willing to entertain the idea that it fits and will
continue to do so as I keep my mind open to be guided by the Lord to all truth.
May
God continue to bless us as we seek to understand His word, putting things
together as history unfolds.
In
His most amazing LOVE. Through the Holy Spirit may we be guided always! Please
Lord let us see, let us know all we need to know, let Your love shine through to
us in all things. We need Your wisdom, Your righteousness, Your love all by the
grace of our Lord and Savior!
Amen.
Heb 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
Heb 8:2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
This is the sum.
We like when we reach the sum don't we? We like conclusions. We like to have things all wrapped up in neat little packages and sometimes we don't even mind having a pretty bow on top. To have the end product is ideal, isn't it? At the end of a story we want the ending to tie up all the loose ends. When we finish watching a movie we don't want to be left hanging, we want a satisfactory conclusion. We want to hear -even if it's only in our private thoughts- this sums it all up.
We hear these words right here in Heb. 8:1.
Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum.
We're going to condense this and give you the sum of it all…
'We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. '
We HAVE such a HIGH PRIEST.
This High Priest is SET on the right hand of the throne of the MAJESTY in the heavens.
A MINISTER of the SANCTUARY.
A minister of the TRUE TABERNACLE.
A minister of the sanctuary and true tabernacle which the LORD PITCHED AND NOT MAN!
This is it, this is what we're telling you, listen…this says it all… we have a High Priest ministering in the Heavenly Sanctuary.
People often make the mistake of stopping in their Christian walk after they learn the basics--
Our Savior was promised.
Our Savior was born.
Our Savior died.
Our Savior rose.
Our Savior lives.
We live through forgiveness of our Savior.
We will have eternal life through our Savior.
The End.
The milk of the gospel. The first principle oracles of God. Babes. Remember that?
Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
People keep on suckling the milk never growing and people will be accountable for not maturing in Christ for not ever eating strong meat. It's all well and good to take the milk- but only as babes. We ought to be teachers, not be as those who need to be taught again. We ought to be hungry and eating the meat that is there for us to eat and some of this meat is going on to acknowledge that our Savior lives for us, and that He lives for us as our HIGH PRIEST in Heaven. A Minister in the Heavenly Sanctuary. Jesus did not go to heaven and sit down at the right hand of God becoming a permanent statue in the Heavenly museum housing God who sits there as well. We have a LIVING God, a LIVING Savior, a MINISTERING HIGH PRIEST! Our Savior is NOT a pretty portrait hung in the heavenly museum. He's not a magnificent sculpture cold and lifeless. Our Savior is alive and busy! Yes, busy. He is not bored upon the throne ho-humming while the years of our lives are ticked off. Our Savior lives for US, everyone that would have Him know them will be known by Him. Our Savior is just that… OUR PERSONAL SAVIOR. We make much about having personal trainers, personal dieticians, personal physicians, personal advisors, all people that can be called on to do their jobs for us personally. We have a PERSONAL SAVIOR! Our personal Savior needs to be MORE real to us than any other person in our lives. We have to believe in Him as a reality! We need to stop being babes only feeding on the milk of the gospel never growing. We have to sink our teeth into the strong meat of the Word of God.
Heb 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
Heb 8:2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
We have to realize our Savior is our High Priest in a very real way. If you've never thought of your Savior as your High Priest, now is the time to start.
There is a lot more we are going to study on this, there is a lot of meat ready for us to eat. Our Savior would have us fully understand and by His grace, by His mercy, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, by the Righteousness of our Lord we will become the spiritual adults He would have us be.
Amen.
9/18/11
Rev 8:8 And the second angel sounded, and as it
were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third
part of the sea became blood;
Rev 8:9 And the third part of the creatures
which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were
destroyed.
Again
- Taking a lot of information from the book Daniel and Revelation by Uriah
Smith--
*******
The
Second Trumpet--
'The
Roman Empire, after Constantine the Great, was divided into three parts. Hence
the frequent remark, "a third part of men," is an allusion to the third part of
the empire which was under the scourge.
This division of the Roman kingdom was
made at the death of Constantine, among his three sons, Constantius, Constantine
II, and Constans. ' (D&R by U.
Smith)
Web
Info - Constantius II (Latin: Flavius Julius Constantius Augustus;[1][2]
August 7, 317 – November 3, 361), was Roman Emperor from 337 to 361. The second
son of Constantine I and Fausta, he ascended to the throne with his brothers
Constantine II and Constans upon their father's death
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantius_II
Web
Info- Constantine II (Latin: Flavius Claudius Constantinus Augustus)[1]
(316 – 340), was Roman Emperor from 337 to 340. Co-emperor alongside his
brothers, his short reign saw the beginnings of conflict emerge between the sons
of Constantine the Great, and his attempt to exert his perceived rights of
primogeniture ended up causing his death in a failed invasion of Italy in
340.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_II_(emperor)
Web
Info- Constans (Latin: Flavius Julius Constans Augustus)[1]
(c.323[1][2]–350), was Roman Emperor from 337 to 350. He defeated his brother
Constantine II in 340, but anger in the army over his personal life and
preference for his barbarian bodyguards saw the general Magnentius rebel,
resulting in Constans’ assassination in 350.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constans
'Constantius
possessed the East, and fixed his residence at Constantinople, the metropolis
of the empire. Constantine II held Britain, Gaul, and Spain. Constans held
Illyricum, Africa, and Italy.
The
sounding of the second trumpet evidently relates to the invasion and conquest
of Africa, and afterward of Italy, by Gaiseric (Genseric), king of the Vandals.
His conquests were for the most part naval, and his triumphs were "as it were a
great mountain burning with fire, cast into the sea."
What
figure would better, or even so well, illustrate the collision of navies, and
the general havoc of war on the maritime coasts? In explaining this trumpet, we
are to look for some events which will have a particular bearing on the
commercial world. The symbol used naturally leads us to look for agitation and
commotion. Nothing but a fierce maritime warfare would fulfill the
prediction.
If
the sounding of the first four trumpets relates to four remarkable events which
contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire, and the first trumpet refers
to the ravages of the Goths under Alaric, in this we naturally look for the
next succeeding act of invasion which shook the Roman power and conduced to its
fall.
The
next great invasion was that of Genseric, at the head of the Vandals. His
career reached its height between the years A.D. 428-468. This great Vandal
chief had his headquarters in Africa. But as Gibbon states, "The discovery and
conquest of the black nations [in Africa], that might dwell beneath the torrid
zone, could not tempt the rational ambition of Genseric; but he cast his eyes
towards the sea; he resolved to create a naval power, and his bold resolution
was executed with steady and active perseverance." [5] From the port of Carthage
he repeatedly made piratical sallies, preyed on the Roman commerce, and waged
war with that empire. To cope with this sea monarch, the Roman emperor,
Majorian, made extensive naval preparations.
(The
history of the decline and fall of the Roman empire, Volume 4 By Edward Gibbon,
Guizot (François, M.))
"The
woods of the Apennines were felled; the arsenals and manufacturers of Ravenna
and Misenum were restored; Italy and Gaul vied with each other in liberal
contributions to the public service; and the imperial navy of three hundred
large galleys, with an adequate proportion of transports and smaller vessels,
was collected in the secure and capacious harbor of Carthagena in Spain. . . .
But Genseric was saved from impending and inevitable ruin by the treachery of
some powerful subjects, envious, or apprehensive, of their master's success.
Guided by their secret intelligence, he surprised the unguarded fleet in the
Bay of Carthagena: many of the ships were sunk, or taken, or burnt; and the
preparations of three years were destroyed in a single day. . . .
"The
kingdom of Italy, a name to which the Western Empire was gradually reduced, was
afflicted, under the reign of Ricimer, by the incessant depredations of the
Vandal pirates. In the spring of each year, they equipped a formidable navy in
the port of Carthage; and Genseric himself, though in a very advanced age,
still commanded in person the most important expeditions. . . .
"The
Vandals repeatedly visited the coasts of Spain, Liguria, Tuscany, Campania,
Lucania, Bruttium, Apulia, Calabria, Venetia, Dalmatia, Epirus, Greece, and
Sicily. . . .
"The
celerity of their motions enabled them, almost at the same time, to threaten
and to attack the most distant objects, which attracted their desires; and as
they always embarked a sufficient number of horses, they had no sooner landed,
than they swept the dismayed country with a body of light calvary." [6]
A
last and desperate attempt to dispossess Genseric of the sovereignty of the
seas, was made in the year 468 by Leo I, the emperor of the East. Gibbon bears
witness to this as follows:
"The
whole expense of the African campaign, by whatsoever means it was defrayed,
amounted to the sum of one hundred and thirty thousand pounds of gold, about
five million and two hundred thousand pounds sterling. . . . The fleet that
sailed from Constantinople to Carthage consisted of eleven hundred and thirteen
ships, and the number of soldiers and mariners exceeded one hundred thousand
men. . . . The army of Heraclius and the fleet of Marcellinus either joined or
seconded the imperial lieutenant. . . . The wind became favorable to the design
of Genseric. He manned his largest ships of war with the bravest of the Moors
and Vandals, and they towed after them many large barks filled with combustible
materials. In the obscurity of the night, these destructive vessels were
impelled against the unguarded and unsuspecting fleet of the Romans, who were
awakened by the sense of their instant danger. Their close and crowded order
assisted the progress of the fire, which was communicated with rapid and
irresistible violence; and the noise of the wind, the crackling of the flames,
the dissonant cries of the soldiers and mariners, who could neither command nor
obey, increased the horror of the nocturnal tumult. Whilst they labored to
extricate themselves from the fire ships, and to save at least a part of the
navy, the galleys of Genseric assaulted them with temperate and disciplined
valor; and many of the Romans who escaped the fury of the flames, were destroyed
or taken by the victorious Vandals. . . . After the failure of this great
expedition, Genseric again became the tyrant of the sea; the coasts of Italy,
Greece, and Asia were again exposed to his revenge and avarice; Tripoli and
Sardinia returned to his obedience; he added Sicily to the number of his
provinces; and before he died, in the fullness of years and of glory, he beheld
the final extinction of the empire of the West." [7]
Concerning
the important part which this bold corsair acted in the downfall of Rome,
Gibbon uses this significant language: "Genseric, a name which, in the
destruction of the Roman Empire, has deserved an equal rank with the names of
Alaric and Attila." [8]
Edward
Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
[6]
Ibid., 481-486.
[7]
Ibid., 495-498.
[8]
Ibid., chap. 33, p. 370.
*******
Revelation
Rev 8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there
fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the
third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
Rev 8:11 And the name of the star is called
Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of
the waters, because they were made bitter.
Taken
from the book Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith-
*******
The
Third Trumpet.--In the interpretation and application of this passage, we are
brought to the third important event which resulted in the subversion of the
Roman Empire. In revealing the historical fulfillment of this third trumpet, we
shall be indebted to the notes of Albert Barnes for a few extracts. in
explaining this scripture, it is necessary, as this commentator says, "that
there would be some chieftain or warrior who might be compared with a blazing
meteor; whose course would be singularly brilliant; who would appear suddenly
like a blazing star, and then disappear like a star whose light was quenched in
the waters. That the desolating course of that meteor would be mainly on those
portions of the world that abounded with springs of water and running streams.
That an effect would be produced as if those streams and fountains were made
bitter; that is, that many persons would perish, and that wide desolations would
be caused in the vicinity of those rivers and streams, as if a bitter and
baleful star should fall into the waters, and death should spread over the lands
adjacent to them, and watered by them." [9]
It
is here premised that this trumpet has allusion to the desolating wars and
furious invasions of Attila, king of the Huns, against the Roman power. Speaking
of this warrior, particularly of his personal appearance, Barnes says:
"In
the manner of his appearance, he strongly resembled a brilliant meteor in the
sky. He came from the East gathering his Huns, and poured them down, as we
shall see, with the rapidity of a flashing meteor, suddenly on the empire. He
regarded himself also as devoted to Mars, the god of war, and was accustomed to
array himself in a peculiarly brilliant manner, so that his appearance, in the
language of his flatterers, was such as to dazzle the eyes of beholders."
[10]
In
speaking of the locality of the events predicted by this trumpet, Barnes has
this note:
"It
is said particularly that the effect would be on 'the rivers' and on 'the
fountains of waters.' If this has a literal application, or if, as was supposed
in the case of the second trumpet, the language used was such as had reference
to the portion of the empire that would be particularly affected by the hostile
invasion, then we may suppose that this refers to those portions of the empire
that abounded in rivers and streams, and more particularly those in which the
rivers and streams had their origin--for the effect was permanently in the
'fountains of waters.' As a matter of fact, the principal operations of Attila
were in the regions of the Alps, and on the portions of the empire whence the
rivers flow down into Italy. The invasion of Attila is described by Gibbon in
this general language: 'The whole breadth of Europe, as it extends above five
hundred miles from the Euxine to the Adriatic, was at once invaded, and
occupied, and desolated by the myriads of barbarians whom Attila led into the
field.' " [11]
The
Name of the Star Is Called Wormwood.--The word "wormwood" denotes bitter
consequences. "These words--which are more intimately connected with the
preceding verse, as even the punctuation in our version denotes--recall us for a
moment to the character of Attila, to the misery of which he was the author or
the instrument, and to the terror that was inspired by his name.
"
'Total extirpation and erasure,' are terms which best denote the calamities he
inflicted. . . .
"It
was the boast of Attila that the grass never grew on the spot which his horse
had trod. 'The scourge of God' was a name that he appropriated to himself, and
inserted among his royal titles. He was 'the scourge of his enemies, and the
terror of the world.' The Western emperor with the senate and people of Rome,
humbly and fearfully deprecated the wrath of Attila. And the concluding
paragraph of the chapters which record his history, is entitled, 'Symptoms of
the Decay and Ruin of the Roman Government.' The name of the star is called
wormwood." [12]
[9]
Albert Barnes, Notes on Revelation, p. 239, comment on Revelation 8: 11.
[10]
Ibid.
[11]
Ibid., p. 240.
[12]
Alexander Keith, Signs of the Times, Vol. I, p. 267-269.
*******
Rev 8:12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the
third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third
part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone
not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Rev 8:13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying
through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the
inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the
three angels, which are yet to sound!
Taken
from the book Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith--
The
Fourth Trumpet.--We understand that this trumpet symbolizes the career of
Odoacer, the first barbarian ruler of Italy, who was so intimately connected
with the downfall of Western Rome. The symbols sun, moon, and stars--for they
are undoubtedly here used as symbols--evidently denote the great luminaries of
the Roman government, its emperors, senators, and consuls. The last emperor of
Western Rome was Romulus, who in derision was called Augustulus, or the
"diminutive Augustus." Western Rome fell in A.D. 476. Still, however, though
the Roman sun was extinguished, its subordinate luminaries shone faintly while
the senate and consuls continued. But after many civil reverses and changes of
political fortune, at length the whole form of the ancient government was
subverted, and Rome itself was reduced from being the empress of the world to a
poor dukedom tributary to the Exarch of Ravenna.
The
extinction of the Western Empire is recorded by Gibbon as follows:
"The
unfortunate Augustulus was made the instrument of his own disgrace: he
signified his resignation to the senate; and that assembly, in their last act
of obedience to a Roman prince, still affected the spirit of freedom, and the
forms of the constitution. An epistle was addressed, by their unanimous decree,
to the emperor Zeno, the son-in-law and successor of Leo, who had lately been
restored, after a short rebellion, to the Byzantine throne. They solemnly
'disclaim the necessity, or even the wish of continuing any longer the imperial
succession in Italy; since in their opinion the majesty of a sole monarch is
sufficient to pervade and to protect, at the same time, both the East and the
West. In their own name, and in the name of the people, they consent that the
seat of universal empire shall be transferred from Rome to Constantinople; and
they basely renounce the right of choosing their master, the only vestige that
yet remained of the authority which had given laws to the world.' " [13]
Keith
comments on the downfall of Rome:
"The
power and glory of Rome as bearing rule over any nation, became extinct. The
name alone remained to the queen of nations. Every token of royalty disappeared
from the imperial city. She who had ruled over the nations sat in the dust,
like a second Babylon, and there was no throne where the Caesars had reigned.
The last act of obedience to a Roman prince which that once august assembly
performed, was the acceptance of the resignation of the last emperor of the
West, and the abolition of the imperial succession in Italy. The sun of Rome
was smitten. . . .
"A
new conqueror of Italy, Theodoric, the Ostrogoth, speedily arose, who
unscrupulously assumed the purple, and reigned by the right of conquest. 'The
royalty of Theodoric was proclaimed by the Goths (March 5, A.D. 493), with the
tardy, reluctant, ambiguous consent of the emperor of the East.' The imperial
Roman power, of which either Rome or Constantinople had been jointly or singly
the seat, whether in the West or the East, was no longer recognized in Italy,
and the 'thirdpart of the sun' was smitten till it emitted no longer the
faintest rays. The power of the Caesars was unknown in Italy; and a Gothic king
reigned over Rome.
"But
though the third part of the sun was smitten, and the Roman imperial power was
at an end in the city of the Caesars, yet the moon and the stars still shone,
or glimmered, for a little longer in the Western hemisphere [empire], even in
the midst of Gothic darkness. The consulship and the senate ["the moon and the
stars"] were not abolished by Theodoric. 'A Gothic historian applauds the
consulship of Theodoric as the height of all temporal power and greatness;'--as
the moon reigns by night, after the setting of the sun. And instead of
abolishing that office, Theodoric himself 'congratulates those annual favorites
of fortune, who, without the cares, enjoyed the splendor of the throne.'
"But,
in their prophetic order, the consulship and the senate of Rome met their fate,
though they fell not by the hands of Vandals or of Goths. The next revolution
in Italy was its subjection to Belisarius, the general of Justinian, emperor of
the East. He did not spare what barbarians had hallowed. 'The Roman Consulship
Extinguished by Justinian, A.D. 541,' is the title of the last paragraph of the
fortieth chapter of Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of Rome. 'The
succession of the consuls finally ceased in the thirteenth year of Justinian,
whose despotic temper might be gratified by the silent extinction of a title
which admonished the Romans of their ancient freedom.' 'The third part of the
sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the
stars.' In the political firmament of the ancient world, while under the reign
of imperial Rome, the emperorship, the consulate, and the senate shone like the
sun, the moon, and the stars. The history of their decline and fall is brought
down till the two former were 'extinguished,' in reference to Rome and Italy,
which so long had ranked as the first of cities and countries; and finally, as
the fourth trumpet closes, we see the 'extinction of that illustrious
assembly,' the Roman senate. The city that had ruled the world, as if in
mockery of human greatness, was conquered by the eunuch Narses, the successor
of Belisarius. He defeated the Goths (A.D. 522 [*]), achieved 'the conquest of
Rome,' and the fate of the senate was sealed." [14]
E.
B. Elliott speaks of the fulfillment of this part of the prophecy in the
extinction of the Western Empire, as follows:
"Thus
was the final catastrophe preparing, by which the Western emperors and empire
were to become extinct. The glory of Rome had long departed; its provinces one
after another been rent from it; the territory still attached to it become like
a desert; and its maritime possessions and its fleets and commerce been
annihilated. Little remained to it but the vain titles and insignia of
sovereignty. And now the time was come when these too should be withdrawn. Some
twenty years or more from the death of Attila, and much less from that of
Genseric (who, ere his death, had indeed visited and ravaged the eternal city
in one of his maritime marauding expeditions, and thus yet more prepared the
coming consummation), about this time, I say, Odoacer, chief of the Heruli--a
barbarian remnant of the host of Attila, left on the Alpine frontiers of
Italy--interposed with his command that the name and the office of Roman
Emperor of the West, should be abolished. The authorities bowed in submission
to him. The last phantom of an emperor--one whose name, Romulus Augustus, was
singularly calculated to bring in contrast before the reflective mind the past
glories of Rome and its present degradation--abdicated; and the senate sent
away the imperial insignia to Constantinople, professing to the emperor of the
East that one emperor was sufficient for the whole of the empire. Thus of the
Roman imperial sun, that third which appertained to the Western Empire was
eclipsed, and shown no more. I say that third of its orb which appertained to
the Western empire; for the Apocalyptic fraction is literally accurate. In the
last arrangement between the two courts, the whole of the Illyrian third had
been made over to the Eastern division. Thus in the West 'the extinction of the
empire' had taken place; the night had fallen.
"Notwithstanding
this, however, it must be borne in mind that the authority of the Roman name
had not yet entirely ceased. The senate of Rome continued to assemble as usual.
The consuls were appointed yearly, one by the Eastern emperor, one by Italy and
Rome. Odoacer himself governed Italy under a title (that of patrician)
conferred on him by the Eastern emperor. And as regarded the more distant
Western provinces, or at least considerable districts in them, the tie which
had united them to the Roman Empire was not altogether severed. There was still
a certain, though often faint, recognition of the supreme imperial authority.
The moon and the stars might seem still to shine on the West with a dim
reflected light. In the course of the events, however, which rapidly followed
one on the other in the next half century, these, too, were extinguished.
Theodoric the Ostrogoth, on destroying the Heruli and their kingdom at Rome and
Ravenna, ruled in Italy from A.D. 493 to 526 as an independent sovereign; and
on Belisarius's and Narses's conquest of Italy from the Ostrogoths (a conquest
preceded by wars and desolations in which Italy, and above all its seven-hilled
city, were for a time almost made desert), the Roman senate was dissolved, the
consulship abrogated. Moreover, as regards the barbaric princes of the Western
provinces, their independence of the Roman imperial power became now more
distinctly averred and understood. After above a century and [a] half of
calamities unexampled almost, as Dr. Robertson most truly represents is, in the
history of nations, the statement of Jerome--a statement couched under the very
Apocalyptic figure of the text, but prematurely pronounced on the first taking
of Rome by Alaric,--might be considered as at length accomplished: 'Clarissimum
terrarum lumen extinctum est.' 'The world's glorious sun has been
extinguished;' or as the modern power has expressed it, still under the same
Apocalyptic imagery--
'She
saw her glories star by star expire.' till not even one star remained, to
glimmer on the vacant and dark night." [15]
The
fearful ravages of these barbarian hordes who under their bold but cruel and
desperate leaders devastated Rome, are vividly portrayed in the following
spirited lines:
"And
then a deluge of wrath it came,
And
the nations shook with dread;
And
it swept the earth, till its fields were flame,
And
piled with the mingled dead.
Kings
were rolled in the wasteful flood,
With
the low and crouching slave,
And
together lay, in a shroud of blood,
The
coward and the brave."
Fearful
as were the calamities brought upon the empire by the first incursions of these
barbarians, they were light as compared with the calamities which were to
follow. They were but as the preliminary drops of a shower before the torrent
which was soon to fall upon the Roman world. The three remaining trumpets are
overshadowed with a cloud of woe, as set forth in the following verses.
Rev 8:13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying
through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the
inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the
three angels, which are yet to sound!
This
angel is not one of the series of the seven trumpet angels, but simply another
heavenly messenger, who announces that the three remaining trumpets are woe
trumpets, because of the more terrible events to take place under their
sounding. Thus the next, or fifth trumpet, is the first woe; the sixth trumpet,
the second woe; and the seventh, the last one in this series of seven trumpets,
is the third woe.
[13]
Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. III, chap. 36, p.
512.
[14]
Alexander Keith, Signs of the Times, Vol. I, p. 280-283.
[15]
Edward B. Elliott, Horae Apocalypticae, Vol. I, pp. 354-356.
[*]
Edward Gibbon, in History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume
IV, chapter 43, pages 273, 274, places the defeat and death of Teias, the last
king of the Goths, in A.D. 533. This is the date usually accepted by
historians, and is the one used by the author of this book. (See pages 127,
128.)--Editors.
*******
History.
Does
it all fit? Only time will tell. Greater minds than mine have studied all this
and put it together. I'm willing to entertain the idea that it fits and will
continue to do so as I keep my mind open to be guided by the Lord to all truth.
May
God continue to bless us as we seek to understand His word, putting things
together as history unfolds.
In
His most amazing LOVE. Through the Holy Spirit may we be guided always! Please
Lord let us see, let us know all we need to know, let Your love shine through to
us in all things. We need Your wisdom, Your righteousness, Your love all by the
grace of our Lord and Savior!
Amen.