“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” (verse 11).

Examining this symbol closely we discover that the entering of the spirit or breath of life from God into the witnesses fitly represents the infusing of new life into those who receive the truths of the Gospel. Particular refer-

ence, however, is made to the experiences of those who had been under the fear, bondage, and thraldom of the false Christianity that prevailed in the days before the great Protestant Reformation; especially the experiences of those who were sincerely and earnestly seeking to secure God’s favor by the observances of the Romish superstitions. Faith in Christ’s sacrifice brings joy and peace. It would bring what is commonly and Scripturally denominated Christian assurance of acceptance with God. The effects of its reception brings with it a discovery of the utter falsity of the Romish methods taught to secure pardon, peace, and assur- ance of salvation. This experience came to Martin Luther about 1510, on his finding the Holy Scriptures. This incident described by the Historian D’Aubigne, we have already alluded to.

Another historian takes up the narrative when these experiences of Luther had ripened and the responsibilities to God, as a result of such a knowledge and experience, began to be felt by him:

“While the Roman pontiff slumbered in security at the head of the church, and saw nothing throughout the vast extent of his dominion but tranquillity and submission; and while the worthy and pious professors of genuine Christianity almost despaired of seeing that reformation on which their most ardent desires and expectations were bent, an obscure and inconsiderable person arose, on a sudden, in the year 1517, and laid the foundation of this long expected change, by opposing with undaunted resolution, his single force to the torrent of Papal ambition and despotism. This extraordinary man was Martin Luther, a native of Aisleben in Saxony, a monk of the Augustine eremites [order of hermits] who were one of the Mendicant orders, and, at the same time, professor of divinity in the Academy that had been erected at Wittenberg, a few years before this period by Frederic the Wise. The Papal chair was at this time filled by Leo X. Maximilian

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I, a prince of the house of Austria, was King of the Romans, and Emperor of Germany; and Frederic, already mentioned, Elector of Saxony. The bold efforts of this new adversary of the pontiffs were honored with the applauses of many, but few or none entertained hopes of their success. It seemed scarcely possible that this puny David could hurt Goliath, whom so many [Christian] heroes had opposed in vain. None of the qualities or talents that distinguished Luther were of a common or ordinary kind. His genius was truly great and unparalleled; his memory vast and tenacious; his patience in supporting trials, difficulties, and labors incredible. It would be equally rash and absurd to represent this great

man as exempt from error and free from infirmities and defects; yet if we except the contagious effects of the age in which he lived, and of the religion in which he had been brought up, we shall perhaps find but a few things in his character that render him liable to reproach.

“The first opportunity that this great man had of unfolding to the view of a blinded and deluded age, the truth, which had struck his astonished sight, was offered by a Dominican, whose name was John Tetzel. This bold and enterprising monk had been chosen on account of his uncommon impudence by Albert, arch- bishop of Mentz and Magdeburgh, to preach and proclaim in Germany those famous indulgences of Leo X, which administered the remission of all sins, past, present, and to come, however enormous their nature, to those rich enough to purchase them. The frontless monk executed this iniquitous commission, not only with matchless insolence, indecency, and fraud, but even carried his impiety so far as to derogate from the all-sufficient power and influence of the merits of Christ. At this, Luther, unable to smother his just indignation, raised his warning voice, and in ninety-five propositions maintained publicly at Wittenberg on the 30th of September, in the year 1517 [and nailed to the church door October 31st], censured the extravagant extortion of these questors, and plainly pointed out the Roman pontiff as a partaker of their guilt, since he suffered the people to be seduced by such delusions from placing their principal confidence in Christ the only proper object of their trust. This was the commencement and foundation of that memorable rupture and revolution in the church which humbled the gran- deur of the lordly pontiffs, and eclipsed so great a part of their glory” (Mosheim’s Ecclesiastical History).

Truth Crushed to Earth shall Rise Again

Thus do we have recorded on the page of history the great event that began the fulfillment of the vision of the resurrection of Christ’s witnesses. The foun- dation truths of Christian life and experience began again (a second time) to be spread far and near. Parts of the Scriptures were translated into the language of the people and began to be scattered and read all over Germany; and not only in Germany, but as time went on, all over Christendom. Luther translated the whole Bible into the German language. The witnesses sprang up all over the world, and the truths that Huss and others taught a hundred years before, and up to the time of their complete suppression in 1514, were again proclaimed world- wide. These truths were chiefly those that had to do with making more clearly

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manifest God’s way of salvation through Christ alone; and with this there was also a testimony against the prevailing apostasy. The events connected with the rise of Protestantism were recognized by the Reformers themselves later on, as the resurrection of the witnesses. Even their enemies gave expression to utter- ances that established the correctness of this interpretation. Pope Adrian, Leo’s successor, expressed himself in a communication to the Diet of Nuremberg:

“The heretics, Huss and Jerome, seem now to be alive again in the person of Luther.”

However, while it is true that the war of the “beast” on the witnesses continued on fiercely, and did not cease entirely until about 1799, the beginning of the “time of the end,” the warring after 1517 was different, in that before this time the “beast” prevailed against “the witnesses” and finally silenced, suppressed them — “wore them out.” Since then, however, he has never been able to silence them all — never been able to crush them out in all countries.

Who were these that composed this great cloud of human resurrected witnesses to the truths of the Holy Scriptures? We answer, a few of their names (like the “great cloud” of Old Testament witnesses of Hebrews 11) are graven on the pages of history. Among them were Luther, Melancthon, Calvin, Zwingli, Reuchlen, Farrel, Latimer, Ridley, Knox, and others; later on we have the Wesleys, and nearer our day William Miller, H. G. Guinness, C. T. Russell, and others.

We quote some of the words of Luther, the first of these human witnesses to the Scriptures of truth. When summoned to appear at the Diet of Worms in 1521 to answer and retract the charge of heresy, he was ill, and his friends besought him not to heed the summons which involved, for that time, a long journey. He said in a letter to the Elector:

“If I cannot perform the journey to Worms as a man in good health, I will be carried thither in a litter. For since the Emperor has summoned me, I can regard it only as the call of God. If they intend to use violence against me as they prob- ably do I commit the matter into the hands of God. He still lives and reigns

who preserved the three Israelites in the fiery furnace. If it be not His will to save me, my life is of little worth. Who shall say whether my life or death

would contribute most to the salvation of my brethren? Expect anything of me

but flight or recantation. Fly I cannot, still less can I recant.” Other significant words of Luther show his confidence in God:

“It is a glorious thing to think of, that we sinners believing in Christ and feeding on his flesh should have him dwelling in us. I have sometimes seen

Christians halting in their walk, and ready to fall, but when the hour came that they must wrestle with the enemy, or plead their Master’s cause before the world, Christ on a sudden stirred within them, and so strong and valiant did they become that Satan was dismayed and fled from their presence.”

“Such an hour,” says the historian, “as he spoke was soon to come upon himself; and Christ, who ‘abode’ with him, was then to be his present help.”

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Speaking of his anticipated appearance before the assembly of the Pope’s prel- ates, he said:

“I am ready to answer for myself — for it is not in the spirit of recklessness, nor for the sake of worldly profit, that I have taught the doctrine that is laid to my charge; I have taught it in obedience to my conscience, and to my oath as a doctor of the Holy Scriptures; for God’s glory have I taught it — for the salvation of the Christian Church — for the rooting out of gross superstitions and grievous abuses … the overthrow of tyranny and impiety in countless forms.”

The historian in referring to his appearance before the august assembly of ecclesiastical and civil potentates at Worms says:

“Thus was the purpose of God fulfilled. It was His will that this light, which He had kindled in the world should be set upon a hill; and emperors, kings, and princes were all busily employed, though they knew it not, in executing what He had appointed. It is an easy thing for Him to raise the meanest to dignity. An act of His power, operating through successive years, suffices to lead the offspring of a Saxon peasant from the lowly cottage of his childhood to that imperial hall in which assembled sovereigns awaiting his coming. In His presence none are either small or great, and when He wills it, Charles [the Emperor] and Luther meet on the same level.”

As in his journey he approached nearer to the city where the great trial was to be held, and observed on every hand how Papacy’s followers longed for his condemnation and death, he said:

“No matter! Pray not for me but for the Word of God. My blood will scarcely be cold before thousands and tens of thousands in every land will be made to answer for the shedding of it. The most holy [?] adversary of Christ, the father and master and chief of manslayers is resolved that it shall be spilt. Amen! The will of God be done! Christ will give me his spirit to overcome these ministers of Satan. I despise them while I live, I will triumph over them in death. They are striving hard at Worms to force me to recant. My recantation shall be this: I said formerly that the Pope was Christ’s vicar; now I say that he is the adversary of the Lord, and the apostle of the devil.”

The historian goes on further:

“When he was told that all the pulpits of the Franciscans and Dominicans were ringing with imprecations against him, he said: ‘O how it delights me to hear it.’ He knew that he had obeyed the will of God, and that God was with him

— why then should he fear to set out? Purity of intention and a conscience void of offense, impart to the servant of God a hidden, yet incalculable strength which never fails him — a strength in which he goes forth against his enemies with that assurance of victory which no adamantine breastplate, no phalanx of trusty spears can ever afford.”

We are further informed that as he proceeded on his journey to the place of trial, a dense crowd accompanied him:

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“ ‘Ah,’ said some, ‘there are plenty of cardinals and bishops at Worms! … You will be burnt alive and your body reduced to ashes, as they did with John Huss.’ But nothing daunted the monk. ‘Though they should kindle a fire whose flame should reach from Worms to Wittenberg and rise up to heaven, I would go through it in the name of the Lord and stand before them — I would enter the jaws of the behemoth, break his teeth and confess our Lord Jesus Christ.’ ”

Another striking incident is related:

“One day when he had entered into an inn, an officer made his way through and thus addressed him: ‘Are you the man who has taken in hand to reform the Papacy? How can you expect to succeed?’ ‘Yes,’ answered Luther, ‘I am the

man. I place my dependence upon the Almighty God whose word and command- ment is before me.’ The officer deeply affected gazed on him with a mild expres- sion and said: ‘Dear friend, there is much in what you say; I am a servant of Charles [the Emperor] but your Master is greater than mine. He will help and protect you.’ ”

He was thus advised by Spalatin, his old and aged pastor, in a message:

“ ‘Abstain from entering Worms.’ Luther turning his eyes on the messenger said: ‘Go tell your master, that though there should be as many devils at Worms as there are tiles on the roof, I would enter it.’ ”

The historian describes the state of mind Luther was in as he came to the final crisis:

“On the morning of the 17th of April, he was for a few minutes in deep exer- cise of mind. God’s face seemed to be veiled — his faith forsook him — his enemies seemed to multiply before him, and his imagination was overcome by the aspect of his dangers. His soul was like a ship driven by a violent tempest rocked from side to side — one moment plunged in the abyss, and the next carried up to heaven. In that hour of bitter trial, when he drank of the cup of Christ, an hour, which to him was as the garden of Gethsemane, he threw himself upon his face upon the earth, and uttered those broken cries, which we cannot understand, without entering in thought into the anguish of those depths from whence they rose to God. ‘O God, Almighty God everlasting! how dreadful is the world! behold how its mouth opens to swallow me up, and how small is my faith in Thee! Oh! the weakness of the flesh and the power of Satan! If I am to depend upon any strength of this world — all is over. … The knell is struck. Sentence

is gone forth. O God! O God! O Thou my God! help me against all the wisdom

of the world. Do this I beseech Thee! Thou shouldst do this by Thine own

mighty power. … The work is not mine but Thine. I have no business here. I

have nothing to contend for with these great men of the world! I would gladly pass my days in happiness and peace. But the cause is Thine and it is righ-

teous and everlasting! O Lord, help me! O faithful and unchangeable God! I lean not upon man. It were vain! Whatever is of man is tottering, whatever proceeds from him must fall. My God! My God! dost Thou not hear? My God! art Thou no longer living? Nay, Thou canst not die! Thou dost but hide Thyself. Thou hast chosen me for this work. I know it! Therefore, O God, accomplish Thine

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own will! Forsake me not, for the sake of Thy well-beloved Son Jesus Christ, my defense, my buckler, and my stronghold.’ After a moment of silent struggle, he continued, ‘Lord — where art Thou? … My God where art Thou? Come! I pray Thee, I am ready. … Behold me prepared to lay down my life for Thy Truth … suffering like a lamb. For the cause is holy. It is Thine own! I will not let Thee go! no, nor yet for all eternity! And though the world should be thronged with devils — and this body which is the work of Thine hands, should be cast forth, trodden under foot, cut in pieces … consumed in ashes … my soul is Thine. Yes I have Thine own Word to assure me of it. My soul belongs to Thee, and will abide with Thee forever, Amen! O God, send help! Amen!’ ”

Was this cry of anguish heard? Ah yes, and answered too:

“Never had any man appeared before so august an assembly. The Emperor, Charles V, whose kingdom extended across both hemispheres, his brother, the Archduke Ferdinand, six Electors of the Empire, most of whose successors are now crowned heads — twenty-four dukes, many of them territorial sovereigns, and among whom were some who bore a name in after times held in fear and horror by the nations who accepted the Reformation — (the Duke of Alva and his two sons), eight margraves, thirty archbishops, bishops and prelates, seven ambassadors, including those of France and England, the deputies of ten free cities, a number of princes, counts and barons of rank, the Pope’s nuncios, in all two hundred persons. Such was the imposing assemblage before which stood Martin Luther In the ante-chambers [of the town hall] and window recesses

there were more than five thousand spectators, German, Italian, Spanish, and of

other nations. As he drew near the door which was to admit him to the presence of the judges, he was met by a valiant knight, George Freundsberg. This old

general seeing Luther pass, touched him on the shoulder, and shaking his head blanched in many battles, said kindly, ‘My poor monk, thou hast a march and a struggle to go through, such as neither I nor many other captains have seen the like in our most bloody battles. But if thy cause be just and art sure of it, go forward in God’s name, and fear nothing. He will not forsake thee.’

“And now the doors of the hall were thrown open — Luther entered, and many who formed no part of the Diet gained admission with him. Meanwhile

the guards made way for Luther. He stepped forward, and found himself in front of the throne of Charles V. All eyes were turned upon him. After a moment’s

pause John Eck the Chancellor of the Archbishop of Treves rose and in a clear

sonorous accent, first in Latin and then in German said:

“ ‘Martin Luther, his sacred and invincible Majesty has cited you before his throne, acting on the opinion and advice of the states of the holy Roman Empire, to require you to answer to these questions. First, Do you acknowledge these writings to have been composed by you?’ At the same time the speaker pointed with his finger to about twenty volumes placed on a table in the center of the hall, immediately before Luther. ‘Secondly,’ continued the Chancellor, ‘are you prepared to retract these works, and the propositions contained therein, or do you persist in what you have therein advanced?’ Luther without faltering was about to answer the first question in the affirmative when Jerome Schurff, hastily

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interrupting him, exclaimed aloud: ‘Let their titles be read.’ The Chancellor, advancing to the table, read the titles. The enumeration being gone through,

Luther spoke as follows, first in Latin, then in German:

“ ‘Most gracious Emperor, Princes, and Lords! His Imperial Majesty puts to me two questions. As to the first, I acknowledge the books, the names of which have been read, to be of my writing. I cannot deny them.

“ ‘As to the second, seeing it is a question which has reference to faith and the salvation of souls — a question which concerns the Word of God, the greatest and most precious treasure of heaven or earth — I should act rashly if I were to answer without reflection. I might say less than circumstances demands, or more than truth requires, and so sin against the Word of Christ — Whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I deny before my Father who is in heaven. Therefore it is, that I most humbly desire his Imperial Majesty to allow time, that I may answer without offending the Word of God.’

“This reply was worthy of the Reformer and the assembly. It was fit that

he should act calmly and circumspectly in a question of such grave importance, that this solemn moment of his life might be clear from the suspicion of passion or precipitancy. Besides by taking reasonable time, the deliberate firmness of his resolution would be the more strikingly apparent. Many men in the history of the world have brought great evils on themselves and their contemporaries by a hasty word. Luther restrained his own naturally impetuous temper: he suppressed the words that were on his tongue, and kept silence when all the feelings that inspired him struggled for utterance. The Diet on reassembling

agreed to grant the request to allow one day’s delay but on condition that he

make answer by word of mouth and not in writing.” During the interval, the record runs as follows:

“Luther composed his thoughts. He felt that tranquillity of soul without which man can do nothing great. He prayed; he read the Word of God, he glanced over his own writings and endeavored to give a suitable form to his answer The

moment when he was to make his appearance was approaching. He drew near the table on which the volume of the Holy Scriptures lay open, placed his left hand upon it and raising the other to heaven, he vowed to adhere to the Gospel, and to confess his faith freely, even though he should be called to seal his confes- sion with his blood. This done he felt the peace of his soul increased. At four o’clock the herald presented himself and conducted Luther (again) to the hall of the Diet.”1

Another writer in referring to this eventful scene has said:

“The least failure now, any sign of fear, the smallest hesitation or weakness, one word of apology, a single step to the rear and all is lost. It is one of those

(1) For a more complete description of this memorable scene, we refer the student to the great historical work from which we have been quoting: D’Aubigne’s History of the Reformation.

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sublime moments of history, when under God, the welfare of ages and genera- tions depends on the courage and steadfastness of a single will.”

Continuing further from D’Aubigne:

“His enemies expect his fall, they believe that he will yield, that he will retract, that they shall triumph through the overawing presence of an assembly of kings and ecclesiastics and the near prospect of martyrdom. And when they beheld him entering the hall with his pale face and downcast eye, they deem their cause is won. Very different are their thoughts when they see the flash of his eye at the question, ‘Will you or will you not retract?’ and hear from his lips the intrepid reply:

“ ‘Since your most serene majesty and high mightiness requires from me a clear, simple, and precise answer, I will give you one, and it is this: I cannot submit my faith either to the Pope or to the councils, because it is as clear as day that they have frequently erred and contradicted each other. Unless, therefore, I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture, or by the clearest reasoning, unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted, and unless they thus render my conscience by the Word of God, I cannot and I will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience.’

“And then turning a look on that assembly before whom he stood, and which held in its hand his life or death: ‘I stand here and can say no more — God help me. Amen.’ ”

The witnesses, as represented in such as Luther and the bold stand he main- tained for the Holy Scriptures, and represented additionally in the little company of Christian confessors who had been gathered into a church previous to this at Wittenberg, were again coming to life. The resuscitation of the two witnesses continued. The Bible began to be translated into the language of the people. All over Christendom the great work which was evidently the work of God sped on. Persecution continued — terrible persecution. The great slaughter of St. Bartholomew’s day occurred half a century after. However, their testimony was never again silenced. How much do Bible students owe to the steadfast, invincible courage of Martin Luther, of Calvin, of Zwingli, of John Knox, of the pilgrim fathers and a host of others! Do we prize the great privileges that were purchased for us at so great a cost? We still possess them. Shall they ever be taken from the followers of Christ again?

Nor has the day passed when the powers of darkness have ceased their efforts to throttle and take away from the saints their God-given rights and liberties in Christ as New Creatures. Though we are living at a time far in advance of Luther’s day, the forces of darkness would still beguile footstep followers of the Lamb of the simplicity of their faith, of their personal freedom of conscience, and of their right to settle every matter of faith and practice by the infallible Word of our Lord and the holy Apostles and Prophets. The Adversary would still by his blinding influences set up a human arrangement and system and by terrorization and intimidation would cause many to bow before an unsanctified and an unholy shrine.

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Do we in these days value the right to exercise individual judgment and that Christian liberty established in the Scriptures, and for which these faithful men of God in the past devoted their lives and suffered and endured so much to maintain? or do we esteem them lightly, and ignominiously yield these sacred privileges to some who seek to lord it over God’s heritage? It has been truly said that “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,” and the Lord’s people must ever be on guard that freedom of conscience and judgment may be preserved. “And great fear fell upon them which saw them” (verse 11). In order to under- stand the symbolical significance of these words, it will be necessary to consider the vision as though it were a death and an awakening of two literal human witnesses. Considering it in this way we can easily imagine how rejoiced would the murderers of these witnesses be as they beheld those who had troubled and tormented them lie dead in their sight. No more would they hear their disturbing testimonies against their false and impious doctrines. What amazement and consternation would come upon them when, after three and a half days, they would see them rise from death and stand again upon their feet! Indeed this is the symbol. It is designed to show the amazement, fear, and consternation of the Papal hierarchy and its followers as they heard again the voices proclaiming the truths of the Word of God, and unfolding the prophecies that describe the Papacy as the Antichrist. It would not only cause them to experience a renewal of their former troubles, but it would indicate to them that Divine favor was being shown to the witnesses, and possibly indicate the vengeance of God about to come upon themselves. The historian informs us that this was the effect produced upon the Papacy and its supporters when a testimony to the truth and against the Apos- tasy was first given by Martin Luther and his associates.

The Witnesses Ascend to Heaven

“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” (Revelation 11:12).

We urge the reader to bear in mind that this language, like that used else- where by the Revelator, is to be understood symbolically. The symbol of the ascension of the witnesses to heaven will be seen to be greatly elucidated if we consider the words of Christ when speaking to the people of Capernaum who were privileged to witness his miracles, and to hear the words of him who spake as never man spake: “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven” (Matthew 11:23). This expression is very evidently figurative, and signifies that the people of Capernaum were “exalted unto heaven” in the sense of having great favor shown to them at the time and of having exalted privileges. A similar thought is contained in the vision we are considering — that whereas, before the great Reformation movement began, God’s consecrated ones, the little gatherings of God’s people, who held to the Scriptures, had been out of favor altogether with the nations, the civil powers, they would now be brought gradu- ally but surely into favor with them. The enlightening influences of the truths proclaimed by Christ’s true followers after their revivification would materially

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affect nations, to the end of liberating them from Papal bondage and fear, and thus give favor more and more to the Lord’s people to scatter and proclaim the truths of Scripture.

It should be kept in mind, however, in considering this symbolism of the ascen- sion of the witnesses, that like the others of this remarkable series of visions of Revelation 10 and 11, the fulfillment covers a comparatively long period of time. Indeed, we believe it will be seen that this symbol covers the remainder of the period of the twelve hundred and sixty years.

The vision of the ascension of the witnesses embraces in its significance all the notable events of history effected by the great Reformation which have had to do with the bringing in of all the blessed privileges of freedom to worship God according to the dictates of conscience — the translating and giving of the Bible to the people, the liberty to interpret it and proclaim it far and near without being molested or hindered by the powers that be — indeed, all the wonderful privi- leges that have come to the Lord’s people since the Reformation, and especially since their deliverance from the domination of Papacy in 1799. It reaches down to the opening events of the Nineteenth Century, when the great Bible Soci- eties were organized and the Bible was circulated in all languages, amongst all peoples. It embraces all the great blessings that have come to the Lord’s people since the Reformation and especially in the period described by the Prophet Daniel as the “time of the end,” when “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Daniel 12).

It should be kept in mind that the work of publishing the Scriptures in languages of the people began with Luther and was taken up in other countries by other reformers. Its circulation, however, continued to be bitterly opposed by Papacy and some of the governments of earth, even up to 1799 and to some extent since that time. It was of frequent occurrence that large numbers of copies of the Scriptures were seized and publicly burned. The great work of proclaiming the Truth, however, continued steadily on in spite of terrible perse- cution in some places. Some of the governments of Christendom became nomi- nally Protestant, and thus were God’s consecrated ones assisted in their work of scattering the Truth, in the measure they understood it. The great Protestant movement spread all over Christendom and made great in-roads upon the Papal Church even in France, which was the first nation in the early centuries to give its support to the Papacy.

A war of extermination was waged by Papacy against this movement in France and in 1572 the horrible slaughter of St. Bartholomew’s day occurred in which many thousand Protestants were slain by the adherents of Papacy and some four hundred thousand were banished from the French kingdom. However, as is described in the next verse of this vision, a reaction occurred at the close of the Eighteenth Century, and France became infidel in its belief, and revolted against the Papal government and the Roman Catholic institutions, inflicting upon Papacy’s power a blow from which it has never since recovered. As some of the countries gradually freed themselves from Papal influence, the under-

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standing of the Scriptures that Papacy was the Antichrist increased in those countries. It was not, however, until the twelve hundred and sixty years had nearly reached their termination, in 1799, that the Papal power to persecute ceased entirely.

We thus see that the fulfillment of the vision of the ascension of the wit- nesses signifies the exaltation of the Lord’s true people to favor with the civil powers, and also the exaltation of the Scriptures to a place of dignity and influence, as the sole rule of faith and practice, in place of the dogmas and decrees of Papacy.

The fulfillment of the vision would further signify the gradual work of estab- lishing little companies of believers all over Christendom where Papacy previ- ously had full control. It would include giving to the Lord’s people the privilege of living under governments that accorded liberty of conscience in matters of religion to the extent of their being permitted to promulgate the truths of the Bible without fear of molestation, and also their being brought into favor with the civil authorities.

It is proper at this stage of our exposition to note that while the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century was a great religious revival, yet like all movements of this character, it stopped short of accomplishing full results. Toward the close of many of the reformers’ lives, there was a disposition to court the favor of the governments that became nominally Protestant and to become united with them. In this way, to a certain extent, the freedom necessary to obtain a full, clear knowledge of the Scriptures was held back. This, however, was over-ruled by the Lord, to accomplish His purpose. In this connection we quote the words of another who has well expressed the situation:

“The love of the world and a desire to be in power, influence and ease were the snares which first seduced the Church and brought forth Papacy; and the same desires and endeavors interrupted the Reformation. Luther and his compan- ions at first boldly denounced, among other of the Papal errors, the union of church and state; but when, after some years of brave resistance to powerful opposition, the Reformation began to have some influence because of numbers, when kings and princes began to flatter the reformers, and avenues to social and political preferment opened before them, the evils of church and state union, which once they saw and opposed in Papacy, were lost sight of. The reformed churches in Germany, Switzerland, etc., stepped into the very shoes of Rome, and stood ready to unite with and favor any political party, or prince, or govern- ment, willing to own and recognize them. Thus some of understanding fell, and from being leaders of reform they became leaders into temptation. Thus the reform movement, well begun, was greatly checked.

“But all this could not frustrate God’s Plan. By His wisdom it was overruled for good. It served, as Papacy’s error had done, to further test the true saints, to prove whether they were really followers of men or of God. It has served this purpose all the way down, from that time to this — ‘to try them, and to purge, and to make them white’ ” (C. T. Russell).

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The Part Played by Napoleonic Wars

As noting the still greater work of reform that was marked at the ending of the twelve hundred and sixty years of Papal ascendancy over the saints, hear again this author:

“When Napoleon [in 1799] boldly ignored both the blessings and the curses of Papacy, yet prospered phenomenally, his course not only greatly weakened the Papal influence over civil governments, but it also weakened the influence of the various Protestant systems, in matters civil and political — which influence had grown very strong in two and a half centuries [since 1517]. Napoleon and

his co-workers were godless men, animated by their own selfish ambitions for power; but God, unknown to them, was overruling their course and causing it to work out His own designs, which it effectually did [in bringing favor to Christ’s Witnesses]. …

“Napoleon’s work together with the French Revolution broke the spell of reli- gious superstition, humbled the pride of self-exalted religious lords, awakened the world to a fuller sense of the powers and prerogatives of manhood and broke the Papal dominion against which the religious Reformation had previously struck a death blow, but which its after course had healed (Revelation 13:3). The era closing with 1799 AD, marked by Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign, sealed and defined the limit of Papal dominion over the nations [and saints]. There, the time appointed (1260 years of power) having expired, the predicted judgment against that system began, which must finally ‘consume and destroy it unto the end’ (Daniel 7:26).

“This date also clearly marks the beginning of a new era of liberty of thought, and the realization of individual rights and privileges, and has already been distinguished by its rapid strides of progress toward the full accomplishment of the work mapped out for this Time of the End. As a single illustration, notice the rise and work of the various Bible Societies — ‘pestiferous Bible Societies,’ Rome calls them, though it cannot now hinder them. And the sacred volume which once she confined in chains, kept covered in dead languages, and forbade her deluded subjects to read, is now scattered by the million in every nation and language. The British and Foreign Bible Society was established in 1803; the New York Bible Society in 1804; the Berlin-Prussian Bible Society in 1805; the Philadelphia Bible Society in 1808; and the American Bible Society in 1817. The extent of the work done by these societies during this [nineteenth] century is wonderful. Bibles by the million are published yearly and sold at low prices, and many thousands are given away to the poor. It is difficult to estimate the wide influence of this work. While much is doubtless lost, the result in general is to break the bonds of slavery and superstition, political and ecclesiastical. Its quiet teaching — that popes, priests, and laity, as well as kings, generals, and beggars, must all render an account to one Lord — is the greatest of all levelers and equalizers.

“Though the religious reformation movement throughout Europe had severely shaken Papacy’s influence, yet the reformed churches had so closely

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imitated her policy of statecraft, affiliation with earthly empires, and claims of clerical authority over the people (that the ‘clergy’ constitute a special and divinely appointed rulership in the world), that the first effect of that reformation became greatly modified, and left the people and the civil rulers largely under superstitious awe and subserviency to everything called church authority. The reform divided among several sects much of the superstitious and unwholesome veneration formerly concentrated upon Papacy alone. But the political reform witnessed during this Nineteenth Century, dating particularly from 1799, the ‘Time of the End,’ though very different from the former, is none the less a reformation. The revolution and independence of the American colonies — the successful establishment of a prosperous Republic, a government by the people and for the people, without the interference of either royalty or priestcraft — had set a new lesson before the now awaking people, who for so many centu- ries had slumbered in ignorance of their God-given rights, supposing that God had appointed the church to the supreme rulership of earth, and that they were bound to obey those kings and emperors sanctioned by the church, no matter how unjust their demands, because she had declared them to be appointed by God through her.”

While these words quoted were not designed by their author to portray the gradual fulfillment of this vision of the “ascension of the witnesses to heaven,” yet as already noted they describe what he understood was the significance of this symbolic expression. Let us consider the explanation of another eminent expositor of this vision:

“ ‘And they heard a great voice from heaven.’ Some manuscripts read, ‘I heard’

— but the more approved reading is that of the common text. John says that a voice was addressed to them calling them to ascend to heaven. Come up hither. To heaven. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud. So the Savior ascended, Acts 1:9, and so probably Elijah, 2 Kings 2:11. And their enemies beheld them. That is, it was done openly, so that their enemies, who had put them to death, saw that they were approved of God, as if they had been publicly taken up to heaven. It is not necessary to suppose that this would literally occur. All this is, manifestly, mere symbol. The meaning is, that they would triumph as if they should ascend to heaven, and be received into the presence of God. The sense of the whole [vision] is, that these witnesses, after bearing a faithful testimony against prevailing errors and sins, would be persecuted and silenced; that for a considerable period their voice of faithful testimony would be hushed as if they were dead; that during that period they would be treated with contempt and scorn, as if their unburied bodies should be exposed to the public gaze; that there would be general exultation and joy that they were thus silenced; that they would again revive, as if the dead were restored to life, and bear a faithful testi- mony to the truth again, and that they would have the Divine attestation in their favor, as if they were raised up visibly and publicly to heaven. All that is here

represented [the ascension of the witnesses to heaven] would be fulfilled by a

triumph of the truth under the testimony of the witnesses; or by its becoming gloriously established in view of the nations of the earth, as if the witnesses

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ascended publicly, and were received to the presence of God in heaven. All this was fulfilled in the various influences that served to establish and confirm the Reformation, and to introduce the great principles of religious freedom, giving to that work ultimate triumph, and showing that it had the favor of God. This would embrace the whole series of events, after the Reformation was begun, by which its triumph was secured, or by which that state of things was gradually introduced which now exists, in which the true religion is free from persecu- tion; in which it is advancing into so many parts of the world where the Papacy once had the control; and in which, with so little molestation, and with such an onward march toward ultimate victory, it is extending its conquests over the earth. The triumphant ascent of the witnesses to heaven, and the public proof of the Divine favor thus shown to them, would be an appropriate symbol of this” (Albert Barnes).

How long shall we be permitted to enjoy these blessed privileges? Will the great anti- Christian system ever again, in God’s providence, be permitted to lift its head in pride and arrogance? Will it ever again be permitted to gain and exercise the power it once possessed to make war on God’s saints? We will not attempt to speculate concerning these matters, but will watch closely the rapid unfolding of history as it fulfills other visions of the Revelation, concerning the closing events of the Divine Drama of the Ages. These visions picture the utter destruction of this system, as also other systems that partake of its spirit and unite with it, as prophecies seem to intimate they will, in taking away the liber- ties of the sons of God. The consideration of these matters will come in connec- tion with the study of visions found farther on in this grand book of symbols

— visions designed for the comfort and encouragement of God’s saints in times

of trial.

The Great Earthquake

We will now consider another effect produced by the great Reformation, on Papacy, and the nation that for a thousand years was its most devoted servant in carrying out its persecuting decrees against God’s witnesses. These matters are brought to view in the symbols contained in the next verse:

“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” (verse 13).

The expression, “in that hour,” would in harmony with the interpretation foregoing, refer to the closing of the twelve hundred and sixty years of Papal domination over the saints. It was immediately after this time that the saints of God came under very favorable conditions to study and understand God’s Word

— His truth concerning Christ’s Kingdom, and were thus prepared to proclaim a last world-wide testimony.

We would, therefore, look for the fulfillment of the events symbolized by the great earthquake, and the fall of a tenth part of the city just before the opening of the Nineteenth Century. An earthquake, as we have seen in previous expo- sitions, is designed to represent a revolution. While the general effects of the

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Reformation caused many revolutionary disturbances amongst earth’s nations, the one referred to in this vision must have reference to a particular, a very special one, occurring at this particular time — just before the opening of the Nineteenth Century. It must refer to one that would not only weaken, but end Papacy’s power to persecute and “wear out the saints of the Most High.” This great symbolical earthquake can refer to no other event than that of the great French Revolution and Reign of Terror. This event is by all historians said to be the most terrible of its kind that had ever occurred in human history. The time this event occurred, as we have already seen, marked the beginning of a new era, not only for the Lord’s people, but for all mankind as well. It was also the most severe blow to Papacy’s power and influence that had ever been given since the great Reformation began. The “great earthquake” is applied by many expositors to this notable event of human history. We quote Mr. Russell’s reference to the event as fulfilling this part of the vision:

“In the symbolic language of Revelation, the French Revolution was indeed a ‘great earthquake’ — a social shock so great that all ‘Christendom’ trembled until it was over; and that terrible and sudden outburst of a single nation’s wrath, only a century ago, may give some idea of the fury of the coming storm, when the wrath of all the angry nations will burst the bands of law and order and cause a reign of universal anarchy. It should be remembered, too, that that calamity occurred in what was then the very heart of Christendom, in the midst of what was regarded as one of the most thoroughly Christian nations in the world, the nation which for a thousand years had been the chief support of Papacy. A nation intoxicated with Babylon’s wine of false doctrines in church and state, and long bound by priestcraft and superstition, there vomited forth its pollution and spent the force of its maddened rage. In fact, the French Revolution seems referred to by our Lord in his Revelation to John on Patmos as a prelude to, and an illustra- tion of, the great crisis now approaching.”

Mr. Guinness after describing some of the awful scenes of the Reign of Terror, says:

“Let these things be considered in the light of a mighty and successful revolt against, and overthrow of absolute monarchial power and Papal tyranny and usurpation, and it will at once be granted that nothing similar had ever occurred previously in the history of the fourth great empire. Terribly iniquitous had been the career of the monarchial [Roman Catholic] power thus rudely overthrown; and fearfully corrupt the priesthood and religion thus utterly and with abhorrence rejected. A solemn character of retribution attaches to even the worst excesses of the French Revolution. The Papacy in the hour of its agony was exultingly reminded of its own similar cruelties against Protestants. Papists were treated according to the example set by Papists of other days, and the worst barbarities of revolutionary France could not out-Herod the previous barbarities of Papal France.”

Still another writer remarks concerning this great political and ecclesiastical earthquake:

346 The Revelation of Jesus Christ

“They are withal eloquent of retribution, they bespeak the solemn presence of Nemesis, the awful hand of avenging power They call to remembrance the

Protestants murdered by millions in the streets of Paris, tormented for years by military dragoons in Poiton and Bearn, and hunted like wild beasts in the Cevennes. …

“In no work of the French Revolution is this, its retributive character, more strikingly and solemnly apparent than in its dealings with the Roman Church and Papal power. It especially became France, which after so fierce a struggle had rejected the Reformation, and perpetuated such enormous crimes in the process of rejection, to turn its fury against that very Roman Church on whose behalf it had been so wrathful to abolish Roman Catholic worship, as she had abolished

the Protestant worship; to massacre multitudes of priests in the streets of the great towns, to hunt them down through her length and breadth, and to cast them by thousands upon a foreign shore, just as she had slaughtered, hunted down, and driven into exile hundreds of thousands of Protestants … to carry the war into Papal territories, and to heap all sorts of woes and shames on the defenseless Popedom. …

“In one of its aspects the Revolution may be described as a reaction against the excesses, spiritual and religious, of the Roman Catholic persecution of Prot- estantism. No sooner had the torrent burst forth, than it dashed right against the Roman Church and Popedom. …

“The property of the church was made over to the state; the French clergy sank from a proprietary to a salaried body; monks and nuns were restored to the world, the properties of their orders being likewise gone. Protestants were raised to full religious freedom and political equality. The Roman Catholic reli- gion was soon after abolished.

“Bonaparte unsheathed the sword of France against the helpless Pius VI. … The Pontiff sank into a dependent … Berthier marched upon Rome, set up a Roman Republic, and laid hands upon the Pope. … The sovereign pontiff was borne away to the camp of the infidels from prison to prison, and finally carried

captive into France. He breathed his last at Valence, in the land where his

priests had been slain, where his power was broken, and his name and office were a mockery and a byword. It was a sublime and perfect piece of retribu-

tion, which so amazed the world at the end of the Eighteenth Century; this proscription of the Roman Church by that very French nation that had slaugh- tered myriads of Protestants at her bidding; this mournful end of the sovereign pontiff in that very Dauphine, so consecrated by the struggles of Protestants and near those Alpine valleys where the Waldenses had been so ruthlessly hunted down by French soldiers. … Multitudes imagined that the Papacy was at the point of death, and asked, would Pius VI be the last pontiff, and if the close of the Eighteenth Century would be signalized by the fall of the Papal dynasty. But the French Revolution was the beginning and not the end of the judgment. France had but begun to execute the doom, a doom sure and inevitable, but long and lingering, to be diversified by many strange incidents, and now and then by

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a semblance of escape, a doom to be protracted through much pain and much ignominy” (T. H. Gill, The Papal Drama).

Thus ended the “time, times, and a half,” the twelve hundred and sixty years of Papal domination over the saints of God. This great symbolical earthquake fittingly marks the beginning of that period described in the vision as the ascen- sion of the witnesses to heaven, just as the Reformation marks that of their resurrection.

The statement that the “tenth part of the city fell” has been variously applied by Historical expositors. Those who crowd nearly all the events portrayed in the symbols of the tenth and the eleventh chapters of the Revelation into the brief period of the Sixteenth Century, have explained this symbol to refer to the breaking away of England (one of the ten kingdoms of Christendom) from the Papacy. If these grand symbols could be crowded into so brief a space of time, it would not be true, however, that England was referred to in this symbol. England did not break away from the Papacy because of its accepting the Reformation or because it became infidel in its belief. It was rather because England’s king, Henry VIII, was unable to obtain the consent of the Pope to divorce his queen Katherine. There was no protest on the part of England’s government, as repre- sented in Henry VIII, against Papal abominations. The Reformation in England was effected by more humble instrumentalities — Ridley, Latimer, Cranmer and others, who saw clearly the abominations of the Papacy, and embraced the truths of a pure Christianity. These were persecuted even unto death by the govern- ment of England, and it was not until some time after the reign of Henry VIII that the government really favored the Reformers.

Others have applied this symbol to Papacy’s loss of a tenth part of its influence and power. The great Protestant Reformation was a cause of the loss of a greater proportion of Papacy’s power and influence, however, than would be literally represented in one tenth.

Others, (and seemingly, more reasonably) apply it to the breaking away of the French government from Papacy. The “great city” is quite generally interpreted to be Christendom. Christendom is generally understood to represent the ten kingdoms, which, on an average, occupied the territory of the Western Roman Empire during the twelve hundred and sixty years. These are symbolized always by the ten horns on the fourth beast (Roman Empire) of Daniel’s prophecy, and on the beast of Revelation 13 and 17. In harmony with this, then, the tenth part of the city would seem to represent in symbol one of these ten kingdoms. How strange and significant is it that in Divine providence the kingdom that gave its support to Papacy in the beginning of its history, and for a thousand years had been a willing instrument in carrying out its cruel, persecuting decrees, should be the one that would turn against and become the instrument in God’s hand of executing judgment upon it.

“And by the earthquake were destroyed seven thousand names of men” (verse 13).

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The expression “names of men” is a very peculiar one, and should be exam- ined closely. A very reasonable, and seemingly the correct interpretation and application of these words is, that during the “Reign of Terror” there were swept away all the various names or titles belonging to the nobility and clergy, together with all the minor or petty offenses attached to both. The record of this occur- rence by the Historian Gill is very significant:

“In a country where every ancient institution and every time-honored custom disappeared in a moment, where the whole social and political system went down before the first stroke, where monarchy, nobility and church, were swept away almost without resistance, the whole framework of the state must have been rotten — royalty, aristocracy, and priesthood must have grievously sinned. Where the good things of this world, birth, rank, wealth, fine clothes, and elegant manners, became worldly perils, and worldly disadvantages for a time — rank, birth, and riches must have been frightfully abused. The nation which abolished and proscribed Christianity (?), which dethroned religion in favor of reason, and enthroned the new goddess at Notre Dame in the person of a harlot, must needs have been afflicted by a very unreasonable and very corrupt form of Christianity. The people that waged a war of such utter extermination with everything estab- lished as to abolish the common forms of address and salutation, and the common mode of reckoning time, that abhorred ‘you’ as a sin, and shrank from ‘monsieur’ as an abomination, that turned the weeks into decades and would know the old months no more, must simply have had good reason to hate those old ways, from which it pushed its departure into such minute and absurd extravagance” (T. H. Gill, The Papal Drama).

“And the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven” (verse 13).

“The remnant,” would refer to those left in the “great city” — Christendom. The knowledge of the downfall of the French government and the Roman Cath- olic hierarchy existing in France, became known all over Christendom, and the revolutionary sentiments which caused this overflow were also spread far and near. The National Assembly passed a resolution offering assistance to the people in other parts of Christendom to overthrow their rulers, etc. All these things, we are told by the historian, caused fear and consternation among the ruling classes and law-abiding ones, lest the revolution should extend into their domin- ions and cause like disaster. The wars of Napoleon before he became emperor were waged in behalf of the revolutionary government, France. His successes in these wars contributed greatly to increase the fears among the ruling powers of Christendom, both Roman Catholic and Protestant. There seemed to have been a general recognition that these terrible events that were occurring in France were indications of the Divine displeasure. Mr. Guinness has thus described the state of affairs in Europe at this time:

“In the reign of Louis XVI came to its crisis a tremendous, unparalleled move- ment, which put an end at once to absolute monarchy, aristocracy, and ecclesi- astical power in France; and which communicated to the neighboring nations in

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Europe, the shocks of revolution and the fierce fires of democracy, together with an anti-ecclesiastical mania, that has never since been allayed.”

Concerning the expression, “They gave glory to the God of heaven,” as expressed by Mr. Barnes: “It does not mean, necessarily, that they would repent, and become truly His friends, but that there would be a prevailing impression that these changes were produced by His power, and that His hand was in these things. This would be fulfilled if there should be a general willingness among mankind to acknowledge God, or to recognize His hand in the events referred to; if there should be a disposition extensively prevailing to regard the witnesses as on the side of God, and to favor their cause as one of truth and righteousness; and if these convulsions should so far change public sentiment as to produce an impression that theirs was the cause of God.”

That the Bible and those who have so nobly stood for its defense during and since the Reformation period have in a marked manner come into public favor, that these have been very generally recognized as the source of “liberty enlight- ening the world,” cannot be disputed by any; and herein there appears to be the substantial fulfillment of the words, “They gave glory to the God of heaven.” Surely a careful examination of the testimony of the historian is all that would be required by the earnest and reverent student in order to reach the conviction that the vision of the witnesses in sackcloth, their death, resurrection, and ascension have been fulfilled in the events and transactions of the past four centuries.

Our God

Holy and Infinite! Viewless, Eternal! Veiled in the glory that none can sustain, None comprehendeth Thy being supernal, Nor can the heaven of heavens contain.

Holy and Infinite! limitless, boundless,

All Thy perfections, and power, and praise! Ocean of mystery! awful and soundless

All Thine unsearchable judgments and ways!

Therefore archangels and angels adore Thee, Cherubim wonder, and seraphs admire; Therefore we praise Thee, rejoicing before Thee, Joining in rapture the heavenly choir.

Glorious in holiness, fearful in praises,

Who shall not fear Thee, and who shall not laud? Anthems of glory Thy universe raises, Holy and Infinite!

Father and God!