The Revelation Explained Part 7

12. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

13. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

14. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

15. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

16. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;

17. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Upon the opening of this seal the scene changes again. The symbols are all drawn from an entirely different source. We are taken out of the department of civil life into the scenes of nature, which is a clear evidence that the history of the church is no longer under consideration. Had G.o.d intended to here continue her history, he would no doubt have employed symbols derived from the same source as those preceding, so as to prevent our being led astray. No more hors.e.m.e.n or living characters appear, but we behold the most terrific convulsions of nature--a mighty earthquake, the darkening of the sun and the moon, the falling of the stars, and finally the dissolution of the heavens, together with the mountains and the islands being removed. If the history of the church is no longer under consideration, this great change of symbols directs us with absolute certainty into the political and civil world for their fulfilment. Of course, we are not to suppose that this is a literal description.

In this manner the dignity and the excellence in the use and the interpretation of symbols is preserved. To describe the religious history of the church, n.o.ble symbols chosen from the department of human life are selected; while symbols drawn from an inferior department--that of nature--are chosen to represent political affairs. This point will appear very clear as we proceed in the interpretation of the Apocalypse.

It is just what we might naturally expect.

The question may be asked, If these symbols from nature represent political affairs, where in the events of civil history shall we look for their fulfilment? Every one will readily perceive the a.n.a.logy between an earthquake and a political revolution, when all society is in a state of agitation as when the solid earth trembles. It is also evident that the sun, moon, and stars bear the same a.n.a.lagous relationship to the earth that kings, rulers, and princes do to the body politic; while the firmament of heaven is a.n.a.lagous to the entire fabric of civil government, the symbolic heaven in which the symbolic orbs are set to give light.

The symbols, then, point us to the most terrible revolutions--when society is in a state of agitation, when kingdoms are overthrown and their rulers and princes thrown from their positions or made objects of the most gloomy terror; yea, when the entire fabric of civil government is finally overthrown and all the inst.i.tutions and organizations of society are swept away as with a tornado. This is the time of consternation to the great men of earth, when they shall hide "themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains," and say to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" This is the time that the martyrs looked forward to when they cried, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" A large portion of the Apocalypse is occupied with the history of these persecuting powers, civil and ecclesiastical.

It is their dominacy that const.i.tutes the long period of tribulation to the church, when the witnesses prophesy in sackcloth and the faithful are ground into the dust by the feet of these proud oppressors as they stand in the high places of the earth. But the cries of the slaughtered saints have ascended to the throne as incense; G.o.d speaks; the judgments of Heaven descend upon these lofty ones; and a voice from heaven declares, "They have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and _thou hast given them blood to drink_; for they are worthy."

This is surely a striking combination of symbols, and the way they are arranged would indicate that their fulfilment occupied a considerable period of time. First we have a great earthquake, afterwards the darkening of the sun and the moon, with the falling of the stars, and finally the dissolution of the heavens themselves, with the sweeping away of mountains and islands. This description covers the same period as that described under the seven last plagues, beginning with certain fearful revolutions in which the nations that had slaughtered the millions of G.o.d's people were given "blood to drink," and ending finally in "the great day of his wrath" that shall sweep them from their positions eternally. The full explanation of these events can not at present be appreciated by the reader, therefore I reserve it for the future, to be more fully developed under other symbols.

In these six seals we have a vivid outline of mighty events, political and ecclesiastical, extending from the earliest stage of Christianity to the end of time. This description in advance was no mere human production. No human foresight would have detected, and no mortal mind would have conceived, events so wonderful and so farreaching in their character. Any other history would sooner have been imagined. It takes divine wisdom to understand the true position of the church in the present, and she can scarcely read her past history by natural wisdom alone, much less outline the future. First the establishment of Christianity is symbolized, then the violence of the Pagan party, the apostasy, and final establishment of the "man of sin," until the millions of earth are crushed by the spiritual tyranny or by the arm of civil power, and the cry of the martyrs goes up "How long, O Lord?" But they are told to rest "a little season," when they shall witness the hand of G.o.d laid upon these persecuting nations of earth, convulsing them in the most fearful revolutions, and ending finally in their complete overthrow in that last "great day of G.o.d Almighty."

CHAPTER VII.

And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

2. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living G.o.d: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea.

3. Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our G.o.d in their foreheads.

4. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

5. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

6. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Mana.s.ses were sealed twelve thousand.

7. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

8. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

A clear understanding of the two visions in the chapter before us can be obtained only by considering the plan of the prophecy already referred to. The events are narrated by series. A particular theme is taken up and followed through to its completion; then the narrative returns and another theme is introduced. But this is not all. Whenever the history of abounding error or iniquity is set forth, we have in immediate connection and in perfect contrast therewith a history of the true people of G.o.d; thus, the contemporaneous history of righteousness and iniquity, truth and error, a true church and a false one. The visions of this chapter cover the same period of time as the events described in the preceding chapter, but form the most perfect contrast. The student of Revelation who unfolds the dark history of apostasy and iniquity contained in the preceding seals might naturally be led to ask, Is this the melancholy end of G.o.d's church? Does it deteriorate rapidly and turn out so badly, after all? As an answer to these questions, G.o.d gives us next a history of his own people, showing that he preserved his own church complete, although Antichrist reigned in power.

The princ.i.p.al points in the vision before us are the tempestuous winds about to descend upon the earth, and the sealing of G.o.d's servants. The first of these, being drawn from nature, would lead us to look for its fulfilment in political events; while the latter, derived from human life, directs us into the affairs of the church. The "four winds of the earth" from the "four corners of the earth" signify all the winds from every direction--the cardinal points of the compa.s.s; while the four angels signify all the agencies that have control of these winds, which for the present are held in restraint in order to give opportunity for the sealing of the Lord's servants. _Angels_ in the Scripture is frequently used to denote evil agencies as well as good, the context determining which is meant. See Chap. 12:7. The design of the winds was to "hurt the earth, the sea, and the trees."

What, let me ask, in the political world is a.n.a.lagous to tempestuous storms sweeping over the earth? What but huge ma.s.ses of men, excited by fierce pa.s.sions, precipitating themselves upon the inhabitants of an empire, sweeping everything before them in the fury of their march and spreading desolation on every side? In the symbols of the next chapter we find that just such hordes of men--barbarians--under their angels, or leaders, precipitated themselves upon the Roman empire; and the fearful effects upon the earth, the sea, and the green trees produced thereby, is particularly detailed. For the present, however, they are held under restraint until the sealing of the servants of G.o.d should be accomplished, then they were to go forward in their work of destruction.

The sealing of the servants is not making them the people of G.o.d, but rather marking or designating them as such, just as later we find the devotees of a corrupt apostate church specified as having the "mark of the beast." Considerable light can be thrown upon the subject of the sealing of G.o.d's servants and of the mark of the beast by consulting Roman history for the origin of such expressions. The many conquests of the Roman arms furnished so many prisoners that they became a drug in the slave-markets of the world, and were so numerous that in many places they outnumbered the Roman citizens ten to one. In the first century before Christ it is said that some Sicilian estates were worked by as many as twenty thousand slaves. "That each owner might know his own, the poor creatures were _branded like cattle_." The "mark of the beast"

possessed by the followers of a false communion will be found to consist of an Antichristian spirit by which they are filled with "doctrines of devils." So, also, "the seal of the living G.o.d" consists of the giving of the Holy Spirit, by which his people are led into all truth. See John 14:26. While Sabbatarians vainly try to prove that keeping the seventh day is the seal of G.o.d in this dispensation, yet there is not one text of Scripture that hints such a thing, but, on the contrary, the Scriptures are against them. "Grieve not the _Holy Spirit_ of G.o.d whereby _ye are sealed_ unto the day of redemption." Eph. 4:30. Again, the Word of G.o.d says, "Now he which stablished us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us is G.o.d; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." 2 Cor. 1:21, 22. The time this sealing of the people of G.o.d takes place is thus described: "_After_ that ye believed, ye were _sealed_ with that Holy Spirit of promise."

Eph. 1:13. The winds of heaven were restrained until the work of _full salvation_ could be firmly established in the earth. When Christ appeared, the Roman empire was in a state of comparative quiet, and the immense hosts of foreign invaders did not appear until the firm establishment of Christianity, being held back by the power of G.o.d until his work should be accomplished.

In the description of the sealing given, twelve thousand were selected from each of the twelve tribes. Some have supposed this to have reference solely to salvation work among the Jewish nation; but that would be adopting the literal mode of interpretation, thus destroying its symbolic character. The twelve tribes are chosen from the proper department to represent the church or "Israel of G.o.d" in this dispensation, irrespective of nationality. The twelve gates in the wall of the heavenly city are named after the twelve tribes of the children of Israel (chap. 21:12), showing that it is only through "Israel" that any one can enter the New Jerusalem. Since the gospel is given to all nations, this can not signify literal Israel. "The children of the promise are counted for the seed." Rom. 9:8. "If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:29.

Since the vision is symbolical, we are to consider the numbers given as symbolical also, the definite number of twelve thousand from each of the tribes showing that the church of G.o.d was _complete and perfect_, no part being omitted.

9. After this I beheld, and, lo, a great mult.i.tude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

10. And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our G.o.d which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

11. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped G.o.d,

12. Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our G.o.d for ever and ever. Amen.

13. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

14. And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15. Therefore are they before the throne of G.o.d, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

16. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

17. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living mountains of waters: and G.o.d shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

In this scene the vision is carried forward to the close of the long period of tribulation and persecution to the church of G.o.d, when all her enemies are finally overthrown; and here are the glorious results, the harvest gathered: a great mult.i.tude whom no man can number, gathered out of all nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands, the symbols of their victory. The scene is laid in heaven, and refers undoubtedly to the end of time when the heavenly world will be opened up to all the faithful who have suffered for Christ amid the trials and the oppositions through which his church is called to pa.s.s in this present world. We are expressly informed by one of the elders who these are in white robes and whence they came, so there can be no question respecting them. This is the glorious company of the redeemed of all ages who "came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of G.o.d, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat." What a contrast with the scenes of earth, when oppressed by famine, and cold, and nakedness, and peril, and sword, they were killed all the day long! But their sufferings are over; "for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters and G.o.d shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

This redeemed company is represented as uniting in a song of praise and thanksgiving to G.o.d for bringing them through their long period of trial, "saying Salvation to our G.o.d which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb"; while heaven resounds with universal praise as the angels and all the redeemed host take up the chorus and swell the mighty anthem "saying, Amen; blessing, and glory, and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be unto our G.o.d forever and ever. Amen."

It is clear that, in this chapter and the one preceding, we have two grand parallel and comprehensive histories--in one, the process of corruption in the so-called church and the final judgments that overtook these cruel persecutors of the Lord's people; in the other, the setting apart and sealing of G.o.d's servants, their preservation from the contaminations of an apostate church, and the final glorious triumph of all who endure unto the end.

This vision has often been applied in a figurative manner to the spiritual reign of G.o.d's people on earth before the end of time--that they are overcomers through the blood of Christ, that G.o.d dwells with them in his church, that their spiritual needs are all supplied so they hunger and thirst no more--but a careful study of the plan of the prophecy will show that its real signification is the heavenly state at the end. As the sixth seal describes the final overthrow of all the antichristian powers that have oppressed G.o.d's people on earth; so this vision describes the great white-robed company gathered out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, who have been preserved faithful through all these trials and tribulations, and who receive at last the crown of everlasting life. This last vision will be more fully described under certain symbols contained in the last two chapters of this book; while the earthquake, the falling of the stars, etc., of the sixth seal will be more perfectly detailed in chapters 15 and 16.

CHAPTER VIII.

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the s.p.a.ce of half an hour.

2. And I saw the seven angels which stood before G.o.d; and to them were given seven trumpets.

3. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.