The Interval Between the
Sixth and Seventh Trumpets.
1. THE LITTLE BOOK.
Revelation 10:1-11. |
"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: and He set His right foot on the SEA,
and His left foot on the EARTH, 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. And the 'ANGEL' which I saw stand upon the sea and
upon the earth lifted up His hand to Heaven, and swear by
Him that LIVETH FOREVER 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: 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.
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. 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 he 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."
Who this "MIGHTY ANGEL" is we
do not know unless he be Christ Himself. In the Old
Testament the Son of God was called the "ANGEL OF THE LORD"
(Ex. 3:2-18), and as we are now in that part of the Book of
Revelation that deals mainly with Israel it is nothing less
than what we should expect to hear, Christ spoken of as a
"MIGHTY ANGEL." Then the description of this "MIGHTY ANGEL"
seems to point to the same Person that John saw standing
amid the "Lampstands" in chapter 1:12-16, or Christ Himself.
The "ANGEL" was clothed in a CLOUD, there was a RAINBOW upon
His head, His face was as it were the SUN, and His feet as
PILLARS OF FIRE. No mere angel was ever before or since
described in the Scriptures as appearing like that.
Then He is described as
crying with a loud voice, as a lion roareth, and Christ is
spoken of in this Book (Rev. 5:5) as "THE LION OF THE TRIBE
OF JUDAH"; and in the chapter that follows this the same
"MIGHTY ANGEL" speaks of the "Two Witnesses," as "MY
WITNESSES," which is further indisputable evidence that this
"MIGHTY ANGEL" is no other than Christ Himself. This
interpretation makes clear what follows. For when this
"MIGHTY ANGEL" places His right foot upon the sea, and His
left foot on the earth, and swears that there shall be "TIME
NO LONGER," or "NO LONGER DELAY" (margin), it is Christ
taking formal possession of the Earth and Sea, and declaring
that there shall be no longer delay in dispossessing the
false claimant Satan.
When the "MIGHTY ANGEL" cried
with a loud voice, John heard "SEVEN THUNDERS" utter their
voices. These "THUNDERS" spoke, for John heard what they
said, and as he had been commanded to write what he should
see and hear, he proceeded to write what the "voices" of the
"SEVEN THUNDERS" uttered, but he was told to "seal up those
things which the 'SEVEN THUNDERS' uttered, and write them
not." What they said has never as yet been revealed, but
doubtless will be when the time comes to make the
revelation.
John was then told to--"Go,
take the 'LITTLE BOOK' which is open in the hand of the
'ANGEL' which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth."
John was at this time back again on the earth. And when John
took the "LITTLE BOOK," the "ANGEL" said to him--"Take, and
eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, and it shall
be in thy mouth sweet as honey." And when John had eaten the
"BOOK" it was as the "ANGEL" had said, sweet to his mouth
and bitter to his stomach.
What was this "LITTLE BOOK"?
Some claim that it was the "SEVEN SEALED BOOK," now open,
and therefore the "TITLE DEED" to the Earth, and that the
"MIGHTY ANGEL" held it in His hand, as He stood with one
foot on the sea and one foot on the earth, as His authority
for claiming possession. But the "ANGEL" does not make that
use of it, and if it were His "TITLE DEED" to the Earth it
seems a strange procedure for Him to give it to John to eat.
Then it is described as a "LITTLE BOOK," as if its contents
were small. In that respect it stands in marked contrast
with the "SEVEN SEALED BOOK" whose numerous "Seals" and the
time taken to break them, imply that it was of considerable
size. Then the effect upon John of the eating of the "LITTLE
BOOK" seems to indicate that it was more than a "Title
Deed." For it contained matter that when John first ate it
(glanced over it) was sweet as honey to his mouth, but when
he had thoroughly digested its contents was bitter to his
belly. In other words the "LITTLE BOOK" contained matter
connected with John's work as a Prophet, for the "ANGEL"
immediately said to him--"Thou must prophecy again before
many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings," which
for ought we know John did.
This "LITTLE BOOK," here
open, is probably the "BOOK" that Daniel was told to "SEAL
UP." Dan. 12:4, 9. That "Book" contained things that were
not to be revealed until the "TIME OF THE END." Not the "End
Of Time," but the "End" of the "TIMES OF THE GENTILES,"
which synchronizes with the last half of Daniel's
"SEVENTIETH WEEK," and therefore with "THE GREAT TRIBULATION
PERIOD." If this supposition be true, then the "LITTLE BOOK"
was a foreview of the things that are to befall Daniel's
People in the last half of Daniel's "SEVENTIETH WEEK." The
effect on John of reading the "LITTLE BOOK" seems to confirm
this view, for as he read of the deliverances that were to
come to his people, and of the final victory of the Lamb,
and the setting up of "The Kingdom," the "Book" was as
"sweet as honey" to his taste, but when he meditated upon
the awful sufferings that would come upon the world, and
upon the Jews, under the reign of the "BEAST" (Antichrist),
and during the pouring out of the "VIALS," it was bitterness
to his soul.
THE FINISHED MYSTERY.
When the "SEVENTH TRUMPET
ANGEL" shall begin to sound the "MYSTERY OF GOD" shall be
finished. This is not the "Mystery of the Church" for that
was finished by the taking out of the Church in chapter
four. That "Mystery" was unknown to the Prophets. The
"MYSTERY OF GOD" is the "Mystery" of why God permitted Satan
to cause the "Fall of Man" and thus bring sin, and misery,
and death into the world. To the Old Testament Prophets God
revealed the fact that in His own good time He would make
clear this "MYSTERY," and when the "SEVENTH TRUMPET" (that
includes all that happens from chapter 11:15) sounds, the
"MYSTERY OF GOD" will be finished, for then the "MYSTERY of
INIQUITY" (Antichrist, 2. Thess. 2:6-10) will be revealed,
in whom Satan will incarnate himself after he is cast out of
Heaven, and in his destruction, and the "Binding of Satan,"
and the setting up of the "Millennial Kingdom" of Christ,
shall be fulfilled the promises to the Prophets, that peace
and righteousness shall reign on the earth. And when, as the
result of the "Renovation of the Earth by Fire," the
redeemed human race shall take up its abode upon a redeemed
and restored earth, and sin and rebellion shall forever be
destroyed, the "MYSTERY OF GOD," or why sin was permitted to
wreck this world, will be finished.
2. THE TWO WITNESSES.
Revelation 11:1-14.
"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. And I will give power unto MY 'TWO
WITNESSES,' and they shall prophesy a THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED
AND THREE-SCORE DAYS, clothed in sackcloth. These are the
'TWO OLIVE TREES' and the 'TWO CANDLESTICKS' standing before
the God of the earth. 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. 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. 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.
And they of the people and
kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies
THREE DAYS AND A HALF, and shall not suffer their dead
bodies to be put in graves. 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. And after three days
and a 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. 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. 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 "ANGEL" that told John to
rise and measure the TEMPLE was the same "MIGHTY ANGEL" that
handed him the "LITTLE BOOK" to eat. And as they were both
still on the earth, the "TEMPLE" that John was told to
measure was the Temple at Jerusalem. Not the Temple of
Herod, for that had been destroyed over 25 years before by
Titus, in A. D. 70. This then must be a future temple that
is to be built at Jerusalem. It is clear that there will be
a Temple at Jerusalem during the reign of Antichrist, for he
shall sit in it, and proclaim himself GOD. 2. Thess. 2:3-4.
And he shall cause the "ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION" spoken of
by Daniel the Prophet (Dan. 9:27), probably the "IMAGE OF
THE BEAST," to be set up in the "HOLY PLACE." Matt. 24:15.
This will not be the Millennial Temple described by Ezekiel
(Ez. 4:1; 42:20), for that will be built at Shiloh, in the
midst of the Holy Oblation (Ez. 48:8, 21), and not until
after the physical changes that will take place at the
return of Christ (Zech. 14:4) shall have changed the surface
of the Land of Palestine. The Temple that the Jews will
build on their return to Jerusalem will probably be
destroyed by the Earthquake that destroys the tenth part of
the City, for that Earthquake will synchronize with the
"Great Earthquake" that shall occur at the breaking of the
"Seventh Seal," the sounding of the "Seventh Trumpet," and
the pouring out of the "Seventh Vial." Rev. 8:5, 11:19,
16:18.
John was told to measure only
the Temple proper, and to leave out the "Court" that
surrounded it. The Temple of Herod had four Courts: the
Court of the Priests, the Court of Israel, the Court of the
Women, and the Court of the Gentiles. The Tabernacle had but
one Court; while Solomon's Temple had two, the Court of the
Priests, and the Court of the Gentiles. As the "Court" of
this new Temple, as well as the Holy City (Jerusalem), is to
be trodden under foot of the Gentiles for 42 months, or 3�
years, this period must refer to the last half of the
"Seventieth Week," after Antichrist breaks his "Covenant"
with the Jews, and desecrates the Temple, for Jerusalem must
be trodden down of the Gentiles until the "Times of the
Gentiles" is fulfilled (Luke 21:24), and that will not end
until the Battle of Armageddon.
After the "MIGHTY ANGEL" had
given John instructions as to measuring the Temple, He
said--"And I will give power unto MY 'TWO WITNESSES,' and
they shall prophesy a 'thousand two hundred and threescore
days'." As a "thousand two hundred and threescore days" are
equal to 42 months of 30 days each, or to 3� years, then
the time when these "TWO WITNESSES" are to prophesy must
correspond with the last half of the "Week," or the time of
THE GREAT TRIBULATION.
Who are these "TWO
WITNESSES"? They are men: not systems, or churches, or a
body of witnesses, for they prophesy and are clothed in
sackcloth, neither of which can be said of other than
persons, and there are TWO of them. It is very easy to
identify them. They have power to shut heaven that it rain
not in the DAYS OF THEIR PROPHECY. This can refer to no
other than Elijah, who had power in the days of King Ahab to
shut up the heavens for the space of three years and six
months (1. Kings 17:1. Luke 4:25. James 5:17), and this is
the same length of time, 42 months, or 1260 days, or 3�
years, that these "TWO WITNESSES" are to prophesy. Then we
know that Elijah was translated, and did not see death, that
he might come back before "THE GREAT AND DREADFUL DAY OF THE
LORD" for the purpose of "turning the heart of the children
to their fathers," and this is the purpose of the
prophesying of these "TWO WITNESSES." Mal. 4:5-6. It is
clear from the time that the Prophet Malachi said that
Elijah would come again, JUST BEFORE "The Great And Dreadful
Day Of The Lord," that this prophecy was not fulfilled in
John the Baptist. He announced the "First Coming" of Christ,
but no "Great And Dreadful Day Of The Lord" followed. That
event is yet future, and follows the testimony of these "TWO
WITNESSES."
When the Jews sent Priests
and Levites from Jerusalem to John to ask him "Who Art
Thou?" he confessed--"I AM NOT THE CHRIST." And they asked
him, "What then? Art thou ELIJAH?"
And he said--"I AM NOT." It
is clear from John's answers to these questions that he was
NOT ELIJAH. When Gabriel announced to Zacharias the birth of
John the Baptist, he said, he shall go before Him (Christ)
in the "SPIRIT AND POWER" of Elijah. That is, he will not be
Elijah, but shall be like him in spirit and power. When John
from his prison cell sent messengers to Jesus to ask Him if
He were the Christ, after Christ had dismissed those
messengers He said to the multitude of John, "IF YE WILL
RECEIVE 'IT,' THIS IS ELIJAH WHICH WAS FOR TO COME." Matt.
11:1-14. Jesus here simply affirms that John was ELIJAH if
men would RECEIVE "IT." Not receive "HIM" (John), but
receive "IT." What did Jesus mean by "IT"? The context shows
that Jesus was talking about the "KINGDOM" (Verses 11 and
12), and if they had received "THE KINGDOM" that John
announced was at hand, then John, instead of being John,
would have been ELIJAH come back, but because God foresaw
that the Jews would not receive the KINGDOM, He could not
send ELIJAH at that time, so He had to send a substitute
with the "spirit" and "power" of Elijah in his place, so He
sent John the Baptist.
But you say, did not Jesus
say to the Disciples when they were coming down from the Mt.
of Transfiguration, where they had seen Elijah--"Elias truly
shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you
that ELIAS IS COME ALREADY, and they knew him not, but have
done unto him whatsoever they listed. Then the Disciples
understood that He spake unto them of JOHN THE BAPTIST"?
Matt. 17:11-13. Now whatever this may mean, it cannot
contradict John's own declaration that he WAS NOT ELIJAH, or
Christ's statement that if God had foreseen that the Jews
would have received the Kingdom, He would have sent ELIJAH
instead of John. And Christ's statement in the above
reference, that Elijah's purpose in coming is to "RESTORE
ALL THINGS," which John did not do, and Malachi's
declaration that Elijah would not come until just before the
'GREAT AND DREADFUL DAY OF THE LORD,' makes it clear that
John the Baptist was not Elijah, and that Elijah is yet to
come.
It is clear then that one of
the "TWO WITNESSES" will be Elijah, but who will be the
other? Many claim that Moses will be the second Witness,
while some say he will be Enoch, because they say Moses
being a resurrected person cannot die again, and the "Two
Witnesses" are both to die. They claim that both Enoch and
Elijah were caught up in their bodies, without dying, that
they might come back again in their bodies and die. There is
no scriptural ground for declaring that Moses cannot die
again. Lazarus was raised from the dead and he died again,
and the "Wicked Dead" shall be raised from the dead, and
after Judgment at the "Great White Throne," they shall be
sentenced to die again, which is the "SECOND DEATH." Rev.
20:12-15.
It is said of these "TWO
WITNESSES" that they have power--
1. "To SHUT HEAVEN, that it
RAIN NOT in the days of their prophecy."
2. "And have power over
WATERS to TURN THEM TO BLOOD, and to smite the earth with
ALL PLAGUES, as often as they will."
Now we know that Moses had
power to turn water into BLOOD, and to smite the earth with
PLAGUES, but we are not told that Enoch had such power.
If we study carefully what
shall happen during the period the "TWO WITNESSES" shall
testify, which as we have seen will be the last half of the
"Week," or 3� years, we shall see that the "TWO WITNESSES"
can be no other than MOSES and ELIJAH. It is probable that
Elijah will shut up the heavens that there shall be no rain,
during the 3� years of their witnessing, for we read that
there is to be a "FIRE TEST" such as Elijah appointed on Mt.
Carmel in the days of King Ahab (1. Kings 18:17-40), and the
con-test will be between Elijah and the "FALSE PROPHET," and
that the "FALSE PROPHET" shall have power to do what the
Priests of Baal could not do, bring FIRE FROM HEAVEN. Rev.
13:13.
The crucial question on Mt.
Carmel was, who is GOD, JEHOVAH or BAAL? In the days of
Antichrist it will be, who is GOD, JEHOVAH or ANTICHRIST?
The test will be the power to bring down FIRE FROM HEAVEN.
As the "False Prophet" will imitate the power of Elijah and
bring down FIRE FROM HEAVEN, the test will not be decisive.
The true Israel of God however will acknowledge the claim of
Jehovah, while the followers of "The Beast" will continue to
believe in him. But Elijah shall not be as fortunate as he
was in the days of Ahab, for then he escaped the vengeance
of Jezebel, but he will not be able to escape the vengeance
of Antichrist who will see to it that both he and Moses are
slain.
As the Plagues that are to
accompany the pouring out of the "Vials," are four of them
similar to the "Plagues of Egypt," who more likely to bring
them to pass than Moses? The evidence seems conclusive that
the "TWO WITNESSES" will be MOSES and ELIJAH.
In passing it is worth noting
the "TITLE" of these two men. The "MIGHTY ANGEL" (Christ)
calls them My "TWO WITNESSES." This implies that
"WITNESSING" was their business. And when we recall their
witnessing on the Mt. of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:3), and
that it was TWO MEN that witnessed to the women at the Tomb
that Jesus had risen (Luke 24:4-7), and that it was TWO MEN
who stood by and witnessed to the Disciples as Jesus
ascended into Heaven (Acts 1:10-11), and that in all three
incidents the MEN were clothed in "shining garments," it
seems clear that Moses was resurrected and Elijah translated
for the express office of "WITNESSES."
These "TWO WITNESSES" are
called the "TWO OLIVE TREES" and the "TWO CANDLESTICKS"
which stand before the God of the earth. For an explanation
of this symbol we must turn back to the Old Testament. The
Prophet Zechariah saw in a vision a "GOLDEN CANDLESTICK,"
with a bowl upon the top of it, and the seven lamps thereon,
and seven pipes to the seven lamps; and TWO OLIVE TREES by
it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon
the left side thereof. And he turned to the angel that
talked with him and said "What are these 'TWO OLIVE TREES'
upon the right side of the CANDLESTICK and upon the left
side thereof?" And he said, "These are the 'TWO ANOINTED
ONES,' that stand by the Lord of the whole earth." Zech.
4:1-14. These "TWO ANOINTED ONES" were Zerubbabel the
Governor, and Joshua the High Priest. Haggai 1:1, 14. Zech.
3:1; 4:6.
They had been anointed by the
Holy Spirit to rebuild and restore Jerusalem and the Temple
after the Babylonian Captivity, against which Satan was
raising up much opposition. Zech. 3:1-7. What more
appropriate type could have been used than this? Zerubbabel
and Joshua are types of the "TWO WITNESSES" whose work it
will be to proclaim that the time has come to rebuild
Jerusalem and re-establish the Temple worship, for the
"KINGDOM OF HEAVEN" is at hand. And they will have to do it
in the face of the opposition of Satan, who at that time
will have incarnated himself in the Antichrist. How
beautifully this illustrates the fact that every Type in the
Scriptures has its Anti-Type, and that the Old Testament
infolds and unfolds the New Testament, and that until the
Anti-Type appears the plan and purpose of God remains'
unfulfilled and incomplete.
These "TWO WITNESSES" are to
prophecy for 1260 days, or 3� years, and for that length
of time they are immune from death. For if any man attempt
to hurt them, "fire will proceed out of their mouths and
devour their enemies." But when they have "finished their
testimony," they shall be overcome by "THE BEAST"
(Antichrist), who will make war against them, and shall kill
them, and their dead bodies shall lie in the streets of
Jerusalem, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt at
that time, because the character of its inhabitants will
resemble the character of the inhabitants of Sodom in the
days of Lot, and the conduct of Israel in Egypt (Ezek.
23:3-4, 8, 19), for the space of "three days and a half,"
and the people of all nationalities shall not suffer their
dead bodies to be buried, and they shall rejoice over them,
and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because
these "TWO WITNESSES" who tormented them by their testimony
and their plagues are dead. How foolish men are. They think
that when they kill God's Prophets they have destroyed His
law, and cannot be punished.
But the people's rejoicing
will be short-lived, for at the end of the 3� days the
"SPIRIT OF LIFE" will re-enter the bodies of the "TWO
WITNESSES," and they shall stand upon their feet, and great
fear shall be upon their enemies, and a voice from Heaven
will be heard saying--"COME UP HITHER," and they shall
ascend up to Heaven in a cloud as Christ Himself ascended,
and their enemies shall witness their ascent. They are first
resurrected and then translated. The same hour of their
ascension there will be a "Great Earthquake" that will
destroy a tenth part of the city of Jerusalem and 7000 of
its inhabitants, and the remainder of its inhabitants will
turn to God from fright. But this repentance will be
short-lived, like that of Pharoah's.
It must not be supposed that
because this description of the "Two Witnesses" is given to
John in the "INTERVAL" between the "Sixth" and "Seventh"
Trumpets, that the "Two Witnesses" testify only during that
"INTERVAL." The time is too short, for they testify for 1260
days, or 42 months. Their witnessing was still future when
John was told about them, for the "MIGHTY ANGEL" said to
John--"I WILL give," showing that the "Two Witnesses" had
not as yet appeared, for John did not see them, he simply
recorded what the "MIGHTY ANGEL" told him about them. As we
have seen, the period of their witnessing is during the
"last half" of the Week, and therefore they do not appear
until the "Middle" of the Week.
"The 'SECOND WOE' is past:
and, behold, the 'THIRD WOE' cometh quickly."
SEVENTH TRUMPET.
THIRD WOE.
(Covers The Rest Of The Week.)
Revelation 11:15-19.
"And the 'SEVENTH ANGEL'
sounded: and there were great voices in Heaven, saying, THE
KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD ARE BECOME THE KINGDOMS OF OUR LORD,
AND OF HIS CHRIST; AND HE SHALL REIGN FOR EVER AND EVER. And
the four and Twenty Elders, which sat before God on their
seats, fell upon their faces, and worshiped God, saying, We
give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast,
and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great
power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and Thy
wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be
judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy
Servants the Prophets, and to the Saints, and them that fear
Thy Name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which
destroy the earth. And the TEMPLE OF GOD was opened IN
HEAVEN, and there was seen in His Temple the 'Ark of His
Testament': and there were LIGHTNINGS, and VOICES, and
THUNDERINGS and an EARTHQUAKE, and GREAT HAIL."
The sounding of the "SEVENTH
TRUMPET" includes all that happens down to chapter 20:3.
When it sounded John heard "Great Voices" in Heaven
saying--"THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD ARE BECOME THE KINGDOMS
OF OUR LORD, AND OF HIS CHRIST; AND HE SHALL REIGN FOR EVER
AND EVER." This is the announcement that the time had come
for Christ to take "THE KINGDOM," though "The Kingdom" does
not fully come into His possession for 3� years. The whole
of this passage is anticipative, for the "sayings" of the
Four and Twenty Elders look forward to the Resurrections and
Judgments of chapter 20. The scene is located in Heaven. For
it is there that John hears the Trumpet sound, and sees the
"Temple of God" opened, and hears the "voices" and
"thunderings" that accompany the devastation of the earth by
"earthquake" and "hail." This announcement is preliminary to
the great events that are to follow, which will be the most
remarkable and momentous that have ever happened on this
earth.
The "THIRD WOE" includes the
"VIALS," and all other judgments down to chapter 20:3. The
"Time Limit" of the "SEVENTH TRUMPET" is given in chapter
10:7, and is spoken of as "THE 'DAYS'" of the "Voice" of the
"SEVENTH ANGEL" when he shall BEGIN TO SOUND. Implying that
the blast or blasts, of the "SEVENTH TRUMPET" shall be long
continued, that is, extend over the whole of the last half
of the "Week."
|