In the year 1546 that league falls to pieces 114 In the following year the interiin is presented to the Diet. at Augsburg by the emperor-He procures its reception ..... ib. Violent measures of Charles to enforce the interim throughout the empire, and to suppress the reformed worship....... 115 The death of the witnesses took place when they were silenced.. 116 Towards the end of the year 1551, Maurice of Saxony takes arms to vindicate the protestant cause, and advances towards Inspruck ..... ib. The emperor Charles V. flies from Inspruck in consternation.... 117 The peace of Passau secures to the protestants the free exercise of their religion, which is confirmed by a ręcess of the Diet of Augsburg 118 Importance of the treaty of Passau... ib. The revival of the witnesses and their ascension into the symbolical heaven were accomplished in these events 19 Other particulars of correspondence between the above occur rences, and the prophetic account of the death and resurrection of the witnesses 120 Recapitulation of the whole prophecy 121 What is intended by the ascension of the witnesses in a cloud.... 122 At the same hour there is a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city falls ib. The reformation and the events which followed it were this revolution .... ib. Meaning of the fall of the tenth part of the city... 123 England was that tenth part which fell from the Romish jurisdiction at the reformation ib. The slaughter of seven thousand names of men explained .... 124 What is meant by the remnant being affrighted and giving glory to God.. 125 The last shock of the earthquake did not take place till the year 1688, when James II. abdicated the throne 126 Remarks on the great importance of the preceding events in the kingdom of England ib. The earthquake being over, it is declared that the second woe is past, and the third woe cometh quickly-This is a chronological mark to distinguish the period of the death of the witnesses 127 The second woe shown to have passed away in the year 1698.... 128 The expression “ the third woe cometh quickly” explained ib, LIR xli CAIIE CHAPTER X. TAE SOUNDING OF THE SEVENTH TRUMPET. Daniel constitute the great Kalendar of prophecy, and are a 129 It is very important to ascertain the place which the seventh trumpet occupies in the prophetical Kalendar of Daniel ...... 130 Daniel informs us that the great enemy of the church in the latter ages is the little horn of the fourth beast. This horn continues until the Ancient of Days comes, and the judgment is given to the saints ib. Description of these events from the prophecy of Daniel. 131 Inference from the above passage, that the sounding of the seventh trumpet takes place at the coming of the Ancient of Days in Daniel ib. Three points of coincidence between the above two events stated, which prove that they correspond in time...... 132 Though the kingdom of God is established in the days of the seventh trumpet, yet this is not to be at its commencementDreadful judgments are first to be executed against the nations ... The eleventh chapter of the Apocalypse, is only an epitome of events afterwards more largely described.. 133 It contains therefore no detailed account of the seventh trumpet ib. It is briefly noted on the sounding of this trumpet, that the temple of God was opened .. ib. The opening of the temple is of great use in determining the place of the seven Apocalyptic vials, which are thereby proved all to belong to the seventh trumpet ... ib. There were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail 134 What is signified by these symbols. ib. These events are a part of the third woe ib. And therefore of the seven vials 135 An inference bence deduced, that they are the same with the similar phenomena, mentioned in the seventh vial.... ib. The parallelism of three important passages established The seventh trumpet appears to have sounded at the French revolution, and probably on the 10th of August, 1792........ ib. Remarks on that revolution, in its origin, progress, and consequences 136 ib. ib, And on the language in which it has been described by those who bave spoken of it without any reference to prophecy ......... 136 Recapitulation of five different particulars, which have been de termined in this chapter in reference to the sounding of the seventh trumpet 137 Concluding observation respecting the termination of the great prophetical period of 1260 years....... 138 CHAPTER XI. THE WOMAN AND THE DRAGON Apocalyptical deseription of the woman and the dragon, and her man child. 139 Introduetory observation ib. The woman in the twelfth chapter is the true spiritual church of Christ 140 Her symbolical description explained.. ib. The man child signifies the mystic Christ, or Christ formed in his members ..., 141 Passage quoted from Isaiah, to illustrate the meaning of this man child ib. The prophecy received its accomplishment in the conversion of the Gentiles, within the Roman empire ib. What is signified by the man-child being caught up to the throne of God.... 142 Objection to the above interpretation, that it makes the woman and her child to signify the same thing—Answer to this objection .... 143 The dragon is the devil, enthroned in the Roman empire... 144 What is intended by his standing before the woman to devour her ib. The flight of the woman into the wilderness explained. 145 Remarks on its accomplishment ib. War in heaven between Michael and the dragon-- The dragon cast out. 146 Two interpretations have been given of this passage: one by Mede and Bishop Newton, the other by Mr. Faber and Mr. Andrew Fuller 147 The last of these was adopted in the first edition of this work, but is now, abandoned as erroneous.. ib. Reasons, founded on the fifth general rule of interpretation, for applying the war between Michael and the dragon, to the same events as the gestation of the woman, viz. the contest between Christianity and Heathenism, the triumph of the Gospel, and child .... the expulsion of Paganism from its authority in the Roman empire ...... 147 Further reasons for thus applying the passage 150 The heavens called to rejoice at the downfall of the dragon ib. Woe denounced against the inhabitants of the earth and sea .... 151 Meaning of the expression, that Satan knows his time to be short ib. The dragon persecutes the woman, and Arianism is his first engine for this purpose ib. The schism of the Donatists, another means.. 152 But the most powerful of his weapons is derived from the rapid growth of superstition, idolatry, and the spirit of ecclesiastical domination.. ..... ib. The woman gradually recedes from the eyes of men, and her final retreat into the wilderness may be dated from the time when the emperor Justinian declared the pope head of the church in the sixth century ..... ib. The dragon casts out of his mouth a flood of waters to carry away the woman 153 The meaning of this symbol ascertained.... ib. The passage received its accomplishment in the torrent of bar. barous nations, which broke in upon the Roman empire while the woman was retiring into the wilderness, and during the following centuries ... ib. How the earth swallowed up the symbolical waters 154 The dragon makes war with the remnant of the woman's seed .. 155 CHAPTER XII, THE TEN-HORNED BEAST OF THE SEA. Apocalyptical description of the beast ... 156 The Holy Spirit, in this chapter, shows us the instruments through which, Satan is to act against the church, and the beast is the first of them ib. That the fourth kingdom of Daniel, is the Roman empire, is one of the principles taken for granted in this work...... 157 The ten-horned beast seen by John, is the same with the fourth beast of Daniel, but with one important point of differenee and he represents the Roman empire..... The sentiments of various commentators, quoted in support of this opinion .... ib. Arguments in confirmation of it...... 159 The Roman empire, since its division into ten kingdoms, has formed a species of federal republic 160 ib. Enumeration of the ten Gothic kingdoms, into which the Roman empire of the west was divided 160 The kingdoms of Europe, have been ten in number at various periods.... 161 The seven heads of the beast considered 162 Passage from Rev. xvii. containing a more particular account of the seven heads ib. The seven kings which are designated by the heads of the beast, are seven successive forms of government–The first six of these forms engmerated ib. A great diversity of sentiment exists about the seventh form, and likewise the eighth 163 The opinion adopted in the former edition of this work stated, and abandoned as erroneous, and a new solution offered.... ib. The sixth head is the heathen imperial government of the Cæsars -On the dethronement of Licinius by Constantine, that form fell to rise no more ib. The seventh bead is the Christian imperial power, from Constantine to Augustulus .. 164 At the fall of the Western empire, the seventh head received a deadly wound by the Gothic sword..... 165 Out of the seventh head, grow the ten regal horns... ib. The wound of the seventh head was healed, wben the Western empire was restored by Charlemagne ib. The restored empire, together with the ten regal horns, conjunctly constitute the eighth form 166 The meaning of that part of the description of the beast, that he was, and is not, and yet is....... ib. It signifies the spiritual resurrection of the Heathen Roman ein pire in an externally Christian form, by its lapse into antichristian idolatry 167 A brief view of the fulfilment of this part of the prophecy... ib. This character belongs to the beast only under his eighth political form 169 Under this form the beast goeth into perdition 170 This clause illustrated by a concise view of the spiritual and secular bistory of the beast, down to the present period ... ib. The rise of the beast out of the bottomless pit or abyss, chap. xvii. 8. shown not to be different from his rise out of the sea, chap. xii. 1. .. 171 How the dragon gave the beast his seat and great authority 172 What is intended by the worship paid to the beast... 173 |