Section II

II. The Seventh Seal

Apoc. viii.

This seal covers the whole period from A. D. 325 to A. D., 1905, an interval of 1580 years. It therefore contains the judgments specially allotted to the seven trumpets, seven vials, and seven thunders.

It treats of the development of the imperialized Laodicean Apostasy into “the powers that be” of the Greco-Latin habitable under the forms of the Beast of the Sea, the Beast of the Earth,^g the scarlet-colored beast and drunken woman,^h the image of the Beast,ⁱ and of the relation of these powers to the fugitive woman and to the remnant of her seed “who keep the commandments of the Deity, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”^j They are prevailed against;^k but the Ancient of Days comes to their relief; the tide of adversity is turned; the Saints become victorious; the Apostasy incorporated in the Names and Denominations of “Christendom,” is abolished; and they take possession of the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven^l of Daniel’s Four Beasts.

p. 101Arena of the Seventh Seal

“The Earth and the whole Habitable.”^a Territory of Nebuchadnezzar’s Image.

Induction of the Judgments of the Seventh Seal

Though cast out of the third of the Heaven, as indicated by his Tail drawing the third of the stars of the heaven, and casting them into the earth,^b the Dragon still retained power in “the earth and sea” of the Greco-Latin Polity.^c His power there was a “woe” to their indwellers, not excepting those who professed the faith of Jesus. Retribution, however, followed in his entire exclusion from the Heaven, A. D. 324; upon which the Sealing of the 144,000 servants of the Deity, and the period of “Silence” about half an hour, began. Further retribution was suspended during the silence; but this being ended, the prayers of all the saints which ascended during the silence as a cloud of incense from the Golden Altar of the Tabernacle of the Testimony before the Deity, were answered by “voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and earthquake,”^d which preceded the Preparation of the Seven Trumpeters to sound against the earth and sea.^e

First Section of the Seventh Seal

The four winds of the earth for the injury of the earth, sea, and trees—ch. vii. 1.

Preparation for Sounding

Seven angels having the seven trumpets prepare themselves to sound—ch. viii. 6.

Blowing of the Four Winds, or First Four Trumpets

Act I.—First Wind-Trumpet

Apoc. viii. 7

p. 102 The hurting of the earth by hail and fire mingled with blood; by which a third part of the trees, and all green grass is burned up.

ARENA.—The third part of the Fourth Beast habitable.

A. D. 395.

Act II.—Second Wind-Trumpet

Ch. viii. 8, 9.

The hurting of the sea by a great mountain burning with fire being cast into it; by which the third of the sea became blood; the third of its living creatures died; and the third of its ships was destroyed.

ARENA.—The third part of the sea of the Greco-Latin empire.

A. D. 429.

Act III.—Third Wind-Trumpet

Ch. viii. 10, 11.

The poisoning of the third of the rivers and fountains of waters with a deadly bitterness, by the great blazing star, Wormwood, falling from the heaven into them, and causing the death of many.

ARENA.—The third of the rivers and fountains of the empire.

A. D. 450.

Act IV.—Fourth Wind-Trumpet

Ch. viii. 12.

The darkening of the third of the luminaries of the Greco-Latin Catholic firmament by smiting them; so that the day and the night of their system were without ruling lights, and, therefore, shone not the third of them.

A. D. 476.

Note

The judgments of these Four Winds culminate in the development p. 103 of the Seventh Head, which continues a short space,”^a and of the Ten Diademed Horns of the Beast that rises out of the sea;^b in the “wounding as it were to death” of its Sixth Head;^c and in the consequent cession by the Dragon of his power, throne, and authority^d over the affected third part, which, before the blowing of these winds, was a constituent of his dominion.

Time of Events

From A. D. 395 to A. D. 554, the end of the darkened day and night in the third of them, being equal to a period of 159 years.

Second Section of the Seventh Seal

Apoc. ix.

The first two woe trumpets.

Act I.—Fifth Trumpet or First Woe

Apoc. ix. 1-11.

A star falls from heaven into the earth, to whom is given the key of the pit of the abyss, which he opens, and from its furnace a smoke issues that darkens the sun and air. Out of the smoke locusts go forth into the earth with scorpion power to torment “those men who have not the seal of the Deity upon their foreheads,” during five months, and to injure them other five. Their king is styled the Angel of the Abyss; in Hebrew, Abaddon; in Greek, Apollyon.

Time of Events

From A. D. 632 to A. D. 932 = 300 years.

ARENA.—The territory of the Dragon upon which “the sun” shone before being darkened by the smoke.

Act II.—Sixth Trumpet or Second Woe

Eastern Part

Apoc. ix. 13-21.

Still in response to the prayers of all saints, a voice from the four horns of the golden altar of incense commands the four messenger p. 104 powers, confined by the great river Euphrates, to be loosed. They are prepared for successful aggression against the Byzantine empire during the hour and day and month and year, that, at the end of this period, they may slay with political extinction the power of the men who ruled the Eastern Third of the Roman orb, and worshipped demons and images, and were murderers, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and thieves; and had not been smitten by the judgments of the wind trumpets.

Time of Events

From April 29, 1062, to May 29, 1453 = 391 years 30 days.

Western Part

Apoc. xi. 1-13.

The fugitive woman in the wilderness and the remnant of her seed, as the nave of the Deity, the altar and the worshippers therein, measured by John. These as the holy city, and posterior to their measurement, are trodden under foot forty and two months by the Lion Mouth Gentiles of the unmeasured outer court; that is, until the Ancient of Days comes.

But “the earth helps the woman” from the time of her flight into the wilderness of the two wings of the Great Eagle, where she is protected for a time, times, and half a time.^a To “the earth,” as the two witnesses against the woman’s persecutors, power is given to maintain their testimony in sackcloth 1260 days. In the exercise of their mission, they smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will. At length the Lion-Mouthed Beast of the Sea effects their subjugation and political extinction. But after three days and a half they stand upon their feet again, and ascend to the heaven in sight of their enemies. At this crisis, an earthquake overthrows a tenth of the city, “Babylon the Great;” titular distinctions within the sphere of the convulsion are abolished, and many of those who rejoice in them slain; the rest are terror stricken, and give glory to the God of heaven.

During the testifying of the witnesses the Ten Horns, the two horned beast of the earth, and the image of the wounded sixth head of the beast, appear upon the arena.

Time of Events

From A. D. 312 to A. D. 1794, a period of 1482 years.

p. 105Third Section of the Seventh Seal

So much of the seventh trumpet or third woe as is comprised in the first six vials to the advent of Christ as a thief—ch. xvi. 15.

Act III.—Seventh Trumpet or Third Woe

Apoc. xi. 14; viii. 13.

The judgments of this last woe extend to the end of the Seventh Seal, or victory of the saints over the beast, his image, his mark, and number of his name.^a In the days of the voice of this woe when its calamities shall be complete, the mystery of the Deity will be finished, as he hath declared the glad tidings to his servants the prophets.^b The Eloah of the heavens will then have set up the kingdom^c promised to them that obey him;^d so that the kingdoms of this world will all have become Yahweh’s and His Anointed’s,^e who reigns for the aions of the aions.

But before this glorious and blessed consummation, Yahweh Ail-Shaddai, the Ancient of Days, comes in^f upon the world as a thief in the night.^g This is indispensable, because it is his personal mission to accomplish it.^h At his coming the nations will be in a state of anger among themselves, with distress and perplexity; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the habitable.ⁱ

In the midst of this the saints are raised from the dead to their judgment; after which all of them who are approved and chosen are recognized by the Lamb as constituents of the 144,000, and follow him whithersoever he goes.^j Being approved, judgment is given to them for execution upon many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings;^k in the rendering of which there issue from them lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail, every stone being about the weight of a talent.^l

ARENA.—The whole habitable of Daniel’s four Beasts.

p. 106First Six Special Divisions of the Seventh Trumpet, or Third Woe

Act I.—First Vial

Apoc. xvi. 2.

The pouring out of wrath in the form of a noisome and grievous sore upon that part of the earth inhabited and ruled by those having the mark of the beast, and who worship his image.

Act II.—Second Vial

Ver. 3.

The pouring out of wrath upon the apocalyptic sea, making it as the blood of a corpse; so that every living soul therein died.

Act III.—Third Vial

Vers. 8, 9.

The outpouring of wrath by which the rivers and fountains of waters of the beast’s dominion are turned into blood, in righteous retribution for the cruelties of his Lion Mouth, perpetrated in that section of his empire upon the saints and prophets whom he had subjugated and killed. This vial gives their “destroyer”^a blood to drink.

Act IV.—Fourth Vial

Vers. 4, 7.

The outpouring of wrath upon the sun of the beast’s dominion; and-power is given to a constituent of that luminary to scorch with great heat the blasphemers of the Deity’s name; yet they repent not to give him glory.

Act V.—Fifth Vial

Vers. 10, 11.

The outpouring of wrath upon the throne of the Beast, which p. 107 fills his kingdom with darkness. The rulers and their adherents gnaw their tongues for pain, and blaspheme the Deity of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they repent not of their deeds.

Arena of the First Five Vials

The Horn-kingdoms of the Beast of the Sea, the Beast of the Earth, and the States of the Image of the Sixth Head, commonly styled “the States of the Church.”

Time of Events

From A. D. 1795 to A. D. 1819, a period of 24 years.

Act VI.—Sixth Vial

Vers. 12-16.

Part 1

Ver. 12.

Outpouring of wrath upon the great river Euphrates, by which its water is dried up, that the way of the kings of a Sun’s risings may be prepared.

Part 2

Vers. 13, 14.

Three Froglike, unclean, wonder-working spirits of demons issue forth from three principal governments—from the Mouth of the Dragon, the Mouth of the Beast, and the Mouth of the False Prophet—to the powers of the earth and of the whole habitable—to gather them for the war of the great day of AIL-SHADDAI—the Seven Horns and Seven Eyes of the Lamb, the Seven Spirits of the Deity sent forth into all the earth;^a the Spirit incarnate in Jesus and his brethren, the Saints.

p. 108Part 3

Ver. 16.

While the frog-like spirits are working, “the Lord the Spirit”^a comes into the world as a thief in the night. He descends from heaven having great power—the key of the abyss and a great chain^b—for the work of enlightening the earth with his glory.^c Having been clothed with a cloud^d of witnesses, he stands on Mount Zion in the midst of the 144,000—his companions and coworkers—the mystical Son of Man, whose voice is as the voice of a multitude;^e as the sound of many waters.^f His head is encircled with the rainbow of the covenant; his face is as the sun, and his goings forth as pillars of fire. Thus prepared, he stands ready for action with his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth, and a little open scroll in his hand, upon which are inscribed, “the lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and earthquake, and great hail,” to be ministered by those who are honored to take the scroll and to eat it up.^g

Now is the judgment of the nations—the Hour of judgment, in which they are invited to fear the Deity and to give glory to him.^h Proclamation is made by the One Body, now anointed and glorified, and of which Jesus is the Head, that “there shall be no longer delay” in the finishing of the mystery of the Deity. They sing a new song before the throne; and confidently aver that they shall reign as kings and priests of Deity upon the earth;ⁱ to accomplish which are the judgments of the Little Open Scroll given to the Saints.^j

Part 4

Ver. 16.

The advent, or “manifestation of the sons of the Deity,” having transpired, the angel of the sixth vial gathers the kings of the earth and of the whole habitable into the place styled in Hebrew, Armageddon. This gathering is effected by the events of the seventh vial.

Time of Events

From A. D. 1821 to the overthrow in Armageddon.

p. 109III.—The Little Open Scroll

Fourth Section of the Seventh Seal

“The Great Day of Ail-Shaddai”^a

Apoc. x. 2.

The things written in this scroll, sweet as honey in the mouth of them who eat it, but bitter in its effects upon them that perish, are the remaining judgments of the seventh seal, and wholly comprised in the seventh vial (and a fraction of the sixth), which is the last division of the seventh trumpet, and fills up the wrath of the Deity upon the nations. And whereas, all the judgments of the Seventh Seal running parallel with the Laodicean Apostasy are executed by the wicked upon the wicked as the sword of Yahweh;^b those of this “little open book,” the crowning judgments of the wrath of the Deity, consummate his indignation, and are assigned to the saints of the Rainbow, who have the “honor” of their execution, by which they “prophesy again” with John, “against many peoples and nations, and tongues, and kings.”^c

The Seventh Vial

Apoc. xvi. 7-21.

The exhausting of the judgments of this vial consummates the sounding of the seventh trumpet which transfers the Kingdoms of this world to Yahweh, and his Anointed Body—the saints. The wrath of this vial is poured into the Air—the firmament of the appropriated kingdoms. When the wrath upon “the House of the Wicked” is expended, the Times of the Gentiles will have wholly expired, and a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne proclaims, “It is done!”^d Yahweh’s bow is now made quite naked, even that word which went forth “conquering and to conquer.”^e

But, between the advent of the Son of Man and the proclamation aforesaid, is an interval of several years. This interval is Daniel’s “time of the end ”—the time specially appointed for the judgments of the Little Open Book. In it is developed the antitype in full of the Passover, of the First Fruits, of the Blowing of Trumpets, of the day of Covering of Iniquity, of the Jubilee, of p. 110 the Feast of the Tabernacles, and of the Bearing of Palms. The antitypical celebration of the last three feasts of Yahweh consummates the time of the end, and inaugurates the reign of the thousand years. The judicial events of this little open scroll open the “door in the heaven,” and place therein the Great White Throne upon which is set the jasper and sardine-like Man,^a encircled with a coronetted “multitude which no man can number.”^b These are the “thousand thousands and ten thousand times ten thousands” who are prepared to go forth as a fiery stream, and as the Spirit’s wheels of consuming flame,^c for the utter destruction of the body politic of the Fourth Beast, and subjugation of the other three.^d

In their execution of “the judgment written” there is a great earthquake, which develops Daniel’s “time of trouble,”^e in which the superstitions of “Christendom” are abolished, and their blaspheming clergies of all orders and degrees made to drink the cup of the wine of the fierceness of Divine wrath. All islands and mountains of the political world disappear; and the stone that smites and grinds them to powder becomes a great dominion, and fills the whole earth.^f With a view, therefore, to this “end of the matter,”^g the following symbolization thereof is revealed.

Act I.—Mission of the First Angel

Apoc. xiv. 6, 7.

The postadventual proclamation of the good news concerning the Aion to all the governments and populations of the habitable, announcing the fame and glory of the Great King,^h and that the hour of His judgment has at length arrived. In making this proclamation the class represented by John, “prophesy again before many peoples, nations, tongues and kings.” It results in separating the nations one from another as a shepherd divideth sheep from goats,ⁱ and in the goats coming out like a whirlwind to scatter Him and his hosts.^j

The Seven Thunders and Their Voices

Apoc. x. 3.

These are the lightnings, and thunderings, and voices proceeding p. 111 from the newly established throne in the heaven.^a They are the lion-roaring voice of the rainbowed angel, who strides the earth and sea with feet as pillars of fire, or as fine brass glowing in a furnace.^b They result in the mightiest earthquake that ever shook the constitution of the political world. The shepherd like separation of the nations divides the great city Babylon into three parts,^c and the kingdoms of nations fall. “The goats are punished,” being conquered by the Lamb and his associates in arms,^d who “follow him whithersoever he goes.”

Act II.—Mission of the Second Angel

Apoc. xiv. 8.

The spirituals of wickedness in the heavenlies of the great city, commonly styled “Christendom,” rewarded double according to their works by Yahweh Elohim—Eternal Spirit incarnated in the quickened saints, and styled, “heaven and holy apostles and prophets.”^e These retaliate upon the Apostasy with torment and sorrow by which it falls, and is abolished from the earth.

The Harvest

Apoc. xiv. 14-16.

Consequent upon the result of the proclamation of the good news by the first angel, another angel from the temple announces to the golden wreathed Son of Man, associated with a cloud of followers in white, upon whom he sits as the Commander-in-chief, faithful and true, prepared in righteousness to judge and make war, that the time is come for him to reap the ripe harvest of the earth.^f This He does, and the result is the fall of Babylon the great.

Act III.—Mission of the Third Angel

Apoc. xiv. 9-11.

The work of this angel-power exhausts the wrath of the Deity upon the nations of the Fourth Beast Polity, the destruction of which it consummates. It is the supper of the great Deity upon the p. 112 mountains of Israel^a in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb; who torment them with fire and brimstone, and give them no rest day nor night, to the aions of the aions; by which time the seven plagues of the seven angels of the vials, will have been fulfilled^b.

The Vintage

Apoc. xiv. 17-20.

The consummating vengeance of the altar. The national clusters of the Gentile vine are gathered into Armageddon, the great wine press without the city, full to overflowing with the wicked^c. The treading of this, binds “the Dragon, that Old Serpent, which is the Devil and Satan,” and shuts him up in the abyss, and seals him that he should deceive the nations no more till a thousand years are fulfilled^d. This binding also deprives the lion, the bear, and the leopard of their dominion; but does not extinguish their political life, which is prolonged for “a season and a time,” or 1000 years^e. “It is done!” The third angel’s mission is complete; and the blessed are now prepared to rest from their labors. The earth and the heaven of the Gentiles have fled away from the face of the enthroned, and no place is found for them again^f.

IV.—The Prophecy of Millennial Blessedness

Apoc. xiv. 13.

The feast of Tabernacles. The white robed palm-bearers^g and divine harpists stand upon the sea of nations now no longer mingled with fire, and celebrate their victory over the vanquished powers of the world. They sing the song of Moses and the Lamb^h; and a song before the throne which no man could learn who is not redeemed. The smoke of divine wrath being dispelled, they enter into the temple of Deityⁱ where they rest from their labors of judgment, and serve him day and night. Over them the second death hath no power; but they are priests of the Deity and of Christ, and reign with him upon the earth a thousand years^j.

As the great and holy city, the new and holy Jerusalem, the bride, p. 113 the Lamb’s wife^a, they shed their light upon the nations saved from their present delusions, degradation and oppressions, being^b then joined to Yahweh as his people, and blessed in Abraham and his Seed. Yahweh Ail-Shaddai and the Lamb are the temple of those who had died in the Lord; and the glory of Deity and the Lamb their light^c. The healed nations walk in this light; and the kings of the earth, the saints, do bring their glory and honor, and the glory and honor of the subject nations, into it.

V.—Prophecy of the “Little Season”

Apoc. xx. 7-10.

The end. Rebellion against the government of the saints. The Devil and Satan, whose dominion had been suppressed a thousand years before, is permitted to renew the struggle for sovereignty over the nations of the earth. These are deceived to a vast extent by the illusions of the flesh, stimulated into insurrection by the ambition of evil counsellors, by whom they are precipitated into a great war against their divine rulers, which eventuates in the manifestation of “the end.”^d The lake is rekindled by the fire and brimstone of God’s wrath, and the saints torment them in war to the end of the aions of the aions, or expiration of “the little season.”

The rebellion being destroyed, the heaven and earth of the previous thousand years are superseded by a New Order of things, in which there is no more sea of nations of mortal men to be lashed into tempest and fury by ambitious and deceitful demagogues.^e The Son—Jesus and his brethren—has reigned until the Father hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy, death, comes now to be abolished, and all things made new. The mediatorial kingdom of the thousand years is delivered up to the Father by his kings and priests, who become subjected to Him, who becomes the all things in all the dwellers upon earth—τα παντα εν πασιν.—Amen.

II.—Seven-Sealed Scroll

1. First General Division of the Scroll

The First Four and the Sixth Seals, representative of the judicial manner of “taking out of the way” the PAGAN CONSTITUTION of the “Dreadful and Terrible p. 114 Fourth Beast,” which withheld the revelation of “the LAWLESS ONE,”^a and the consequent manifestation of the CATHOLIC MYSTERY OF INIQUITY, or Man-of-Sin Power, in the heaven of said beast, or “Great Red Dragon.”

Time of Events

From A. D. 107 to A. D. 324.