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THE SEVEN SEALS of
REVELATION
Revelation 5
1 And I saw, upon the
right hand of him that was sitting upon the throne, a
scroll; written within, and on the back, sealed up
with seven seals.
2 And I saw a mighty
messenger, proclaiming with a loud voice-Who is worthy
to open the scroll, and to unloose the seals thereof?
3 And, no one, was
able, in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth, to
open the scroll, or, to look thereon.
4 And, I, began to
weep much, because, no one, worthy, was found, to open
the scroll, or, to look thereon.
5 And, one of the
elders, saith unto me-Do not weep! Lo! the lion that
is of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath
overcome, to open the scroll and the seven seals
thereof.
“Then came the opening of the seals:
the disclosing of one after another of the
various features connected with the divine purpose.
Each seal as it was loosed permitted
the scroll as a whole to open a little wider, and a
little wider, thus permitting “the mystery
of God” to be a little more clearly discerned. And
so God’s people down through this
“secret of the Lord;” — the divine plan. But not
until the last seal was broken, did the
scroll fly wide open, permitting the “mystery of
God” to be fully disclosed; as it is written:
“In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when
he shall begin to sound, the mystery of
God should be finished, as he hath declared to his
servants the prophets.” — Rev. 5:1; 10:7.
R2209:1
Verse
1 the "scroll" is God's "Divine Plan of the Ages"
sealed within the Bible.
In Rev. 5:1 God’s Word is represented
by a book (scroll), written on the inside and
outside and sealed with seven seals. The
things written on the outside represent the easy and
simple things of the Bible, like histories, most of
its precepts and exhortations and some of its
doctrine, while those written on the inside sealed
by seven seals represent the secret features of the
Bible, none of which can be understood until in due
time Jesus opens the secreting seals and expounds
the thing therein to the elect people of God (Rev.
5:9).
The scroll is a forceful representation of the
Divine Plan originally existing only in the mind of
God, and which could not be made known to men until
some one was found worthy to open the seals and
display it to view. But “no one in heaven nor
in earth was able to open the scroll, neither to
look thereon,” until one came whom the Revelator
describes as “The lion [strong one] of the Tribe of
Judah, the root of David,” of whom the testimony is
given - “Thou art worthy to take the scroll and to
open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain and has
redeemed to God by the blood out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made
them unto our God a kingdom and priesthood; and they
shall reign on the earth.” (Rev.5:1-5,9,10) "The
Divine Scroll" Epiphany Bible Students
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THE SEVEN STAGES
of the CHURCH
Ephesus
29 AD to 69 AD
Smyrna
69 AD to 313 AD
Pergamos
313 AD to 799 AD
Thyatira
799 AD to 1309 AD
Sardis
1309 AD to 1479 AD
Philadelphia
1479 AD to 1874 AD
Laodicea
1874 AD to ...
Revelation 1:4 John to the seven churches that are in
Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who
was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits
that are before his throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ,
who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the
dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
20 the mystery of the seven stars which thou
sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden
candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the
seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven
churches.
JESUS CHRIST — THE FIRST AND THE LAST
REVELATION 1:1-8, 17-20 THE MESSAGE OF THE RISEN
CHRIST — THE APOSTLE JOHN REPRESENTATIVE OF
THE FEET-MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST — IN A
TRANCE HE SAW A SERIES OF VISIONS OF THE
LEADING EVENTS OF THE GOSPEL AGE, THE SEVEN STAGES
OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GOSPEL
CHURCH AND THE SETTING UP OF THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM
— A SYMBOLICAL PICTURE OF OUR
GLORIFIED LORD — THE WORD LIKENED TO A TWO-EDGED
SWORD.
“It will be noticed that the messages to the
various
Churches are addressed to these stars, messengers,
angels,
as though our Lord would have us understand that
the appropriate
message for each appropriate epoch in the
Church's experience would be sent by the Lord
through a
particular star, or messenger, whom He would
especially
commission as His representative. Our Lord Himself
is
represented by the great light of the sun; and His
special
messengers in the Church throughout the entire
period of
the Gospel Age are consistently enough represented
as stars.
November
15, 1916 Tower R5991-5992
The Bible is
it's own interpreter and Jesus gives us the answer
key showing us the symbolic nature of this book. Jesus is
clearly identified as the first one who died and
lived again.
His message is
to the seven churches of John's day and given
through the "star members" of each of the 7 stages
or time periods of our 2000 years of church
history. rcb
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THE SEVEN TRUMPETS
Rev. 8:2 And I
saw the seven messengers which, before God, do stand;
and there were given unto them seven trumpets...
6 And, the seven
messengers who had the seven trumpets, prepared
themselves, that they might sound."
"...we,
in common with almost all expositors, recognize
that the seven trumpets of Revelation are
symbolical and not literal – indeed that this
entire book is a book of symbols, and that so far
it has been symbolically fulfilled. Christian
people in general understand that five of these
trumpets have already "sounded" and are in the
past; – we would say six. It is admitted that
those that have already "sounded" have not been
literal blasts of a bugle on the air, but divine
decrees and their fulfilments; and we esteem that
it is reasonable to expect that the seventh
trumpet will be similar in this respect to the
preceding six."
Z1902APR.asp#Z117:3
"In Num. 10:8 it is stated that
“the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with
the trumpets”; and it is worthy of note that in
each of the seven epochs of the Gospel‑Age Church
it was the priests ‑ the leaders in the Church,
the Star Members – who began to blow the trumpets.
In the first epoch (the church of Ephesus) it was
the Lord and the Apostles, and they were quickly
joined by the lesser lights in the Church as they
embarked on their march toward the Heavenly
Canaan. And this same condition prevailed with
each Star Member during the Age. When Luther began
to trumpet “Justification by faith” (early in the
Philadelphia ‑ sixth ‑ epoch), he
was soon joined by many capable brethren." epiphany
bible students
/the-gospel-age-trumpets
"Jesus is the lion of
Judah, also the lamb who does the unsealing. The
Bible is being unsealed. Jesus gradually does this
through 7 stages of church history using his most
loyal followers, many who are the blowers of the
seven trumpets and not limited to seven, but with
seven main characters and an "eighth principal
man", the key figure of which is also the seventh
angel who pours out the vials or bowls that
unleash the plagues upon the erroneous Babylon
system, and thereby begin to reverse the curse.
This way over time, Jesus has successfully routed
the enemy who is Satan." rcb
THE TRUMPETS
Each of these appears to coincide in its period with
the corresponding “seal” period and
church epoch of the preceding chapters. The last
three of these periods introduced by the
sounding — or beginning to sound — of the fifth,
sixth, and seventh trumpets are
associated with, or bring, the three “woes” (Rev.
8:13). Rev. 9:12; 11:14 indicate that they
do not overlap. "Notes on the Book of Revelation"
Ludlow Loomis
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THE SEVEN BOWLS of
WRATH
We
use Wilson's Emphatic Diaglott translation in this
column. We
believe "Studies in the Scriptures" by Charles Taze
Russell constituted the vials of Revelation.
Note on Time: These
"bowls" or "vials" are not poured out until the
7th seal chronologically speaking. However each
plague once delivered during that later time
starting in 1874 would begin it's work of
destruction of the false system, to reverse the
effects of each of the original errors introduced
during each successive stage of Church
history.
We place the
"bowls" in a parallel column here, even though
they were not poured out chronologically at the
same time as the seals, stages, trumpets and
parables of our Lord were occurring. Only in their
effects against the original adverse
conditions described by our Lord for each separate
Church period are we making the comparison, again
however not a chronological comparison which the
other columns do show. rcb
The six volumes of the Studies in the Scriptures
were published consecutively: The Divine Plan of the
Ages, 1886; The Time is at Hand, 1889; Thy Kingdom
Come, 1891; The Battle of Armageddon, 1897; The
Atonement Between God and Man, 1899; and The New
Creation, 1900. These volumes are six of the seven
vials of Revelation 16. The seventh volume – The
Finished Mystery – was published after Pastor
Russell’s death. This Seventh Volume contains many
quotations from Pastor Russell, but it also includes
many other writings, mostly by two persons, which
contain much error. While it is the Seventh Volume
that is the seventh vial of Revelation 16, it is in
vile condition. The Society excommunicated brethren
who refused to accept the errors in that book, but
later commanded their devotees not to read it. The
Society has written another book also named The
Finished Mystery. It may be this book is forbidden
to be read by their devotees now. No.
437 "A Prophet Unto The Nations" Epiphany Bible
Students
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THE SEVEN PARABLES
OF OUR LORD
Matt 13:1 "On
that day, Jesus, going out of the house, was sitting
near the sea:
2 and there were
gathered unto him, large multitudes, so that, he, into
a boat, entered, and was sitting, and, all the
multitude, on the beach was standing.
3 And he spake unto
them many things, in parables, saying: Lo! the sower
went forth to sow..."
In
parables – Really word-pictures of the
Kingdom. No one of these parables represents the
complete view of the subject, but merely one phase
of it. R2633:3
Giving prophetically the Church's experiences from
various standpoints – from the time the work of
selection began until the time when that work will
be completed. R2276:3
Parables which illustrate truths can only be seen as
illustrations as the truths they illustrate become
manifest. R1742:4
These parables, seven in all, refer not to the
non-professing world, but to two classes in the
Church. R580:3,
263:6
Each of our
Lord's parables are predictions that match the
seven seals and stages of the Church. See "The
Parables of Our Lord" P.L. Read 1918 rcb
In the Paul Mezera book "The
Divine Plan and It's Chronology" which confirms
Pastor Russell's chronology, there are charts and
timelines made of circles that ultimately make up
the "eyes" and "wings" depicted in divine symbolism.
We point to this work as further corroboration that
we are looking at several distinct periods of Bible
chronology. See Rev. 4:8 rcb
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First Seal
Rev. 6:1 And I
saw, when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and
I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as
with a voice of thunder-Go! [Rotherham]
2 And
I saw, and lo a horse white, and the one sitting on
him having a bow; and was given to him a crown, and he
came out conquering, and that he might conquer.
white horse= pure doctrine
"the faith once delivered to the saints" Jude 1:3
"given to him"
- bow
- crown
- conquering
- "and to conquer"
Horse
= doctrine
White = pure
The
White Horse scene is the time period of Jesus and
the Apostles during the first advent. These are the
rider, who "GO" on their mission - the gradual
unsealing of the Bible...
The 24 elders represent the Bible while the voices
from the throne represent differing aspects of God's
divine character attributes of Justice, Love, Wisdom
and Power.
Notes:
Rotherham says "GO" not "COME" as though the voice
is NOT telling John to "look" or "come and see" but
rather the voice, which always represents an aspect
of God's character, is the one ordering the horse
and/ or it's rider to "GO"...
The message did it's "conquering" by christianity
becoming a popular faith in the first century, then
His long career of conquering would continue thru
the acts of his disciples and He will "conquer"
still more at His promised second advent during the
seventh or Laodicean period.
Note: While not wanting to create a document of
confusion with too many differing viewpoints, some
comments deserve mentioning where the Truth is not
absolutely clear, this one from Bro. Loomis
suggesting the rider is the Nicolatianes deserves
mentioning. As to whether or not it effects any
ultimate conclusions remains to be seen. rcb
"The conqueror on the first horse
(Rev. 6:1, 2), to whom a crown was given before he
conquered, could not represent the overcomers such
as those in Rev. 2:10, nor their Lord,
whose kingdom was not of this world. (John 18:36) He
seems rather to be a counterfeit of
the riders in Psalm 45:3-5, Rev. 19:11, who do
represent our Lord. We have thus a picture
rather of the Nicolaitans — conquerors of the
people. (Rev. 2:6, compare 1 Cor. 4:8; 1 Peter
5:3; Acts 20:29, 30) Ludlow Loomis "Notes on The
Book of Revelation"
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1st Stage
Ephesus
29 AD to 69 AD
First Messenger "Stars"
- Simon Peter,
- James (son of Zebedee),
- John, (brother of James)
- Andrew,
- Philip,
- Bartholomew /Nathanael,
- Matthew,
- Thomas,
- James (son of Alpheus),
- Thaddeus (Jude of James)
- Simon the Caananite
- Paul
Rev. 2: 1 Unto the messenger
of the assembly, in Ephesus, write:-These things,
saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right
hand, he that walketh in the midst of the seven lamps
of gold:
2 I know thy works,
and thy toil, and endurance, and that thou canst not
bear bad men, and thou hast tried them who were
affirming themselves to be apostles, and they were
not, and hast found them false;
3 And thou hast,
endurance, and hast borne for the sake of my name, and
hast not grown weary.
4 Nevertheless, I have
against thee, that, thy first love, thou hast left.
5 Remember, therefore,
whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do, thy first
works; otherwise, I come unto thee, and will remove
thy lamp out of its place, except thou repent.
6 But, this, thou
hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitanes,
which, I also, hate.
7 He that hath an ear,
let him hear what, the Spirit, is saying unto the
assemblies. Unto him that overcometh -I will give,
unto him, to eat of the tree of life, which is in the
paradise of God.
THE CONGREGATION IN EPHESUS –
(Ephesus meaning "first, desirable" – a fitting name
for this epoch), this first era being from 29 to 69
AD, with St. Paul as the Principal Man, the "angel"
or "star" including all twelve of the Apostles as
explained above. It should be noted, too, that
although this epoch embraced forty years, the twelve
stars officiated in the "church which is His body"
for only 36½ years. J
Hoefle "The Seven Stars"
As is often said, the Christian
church is like a boat at sea, fine until the "Sea"
class gets in the boat. This is the time
when false Christian leaders came in. Paul said
"the mystery of iniquity doth already work." 2
Thess 2:7
"Nicolatians"
[a root word is "Nike"] = power graspers, those
who wish to become leaders. They illicitly "lord
it over" the Lord's true people. rcb
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1st Trumpet
Rev. 8: 7 And, the first,
sounded; and there came to be hail and fire mingled
with blood, and it was cast unto the earth; and, the
third of the earth, was burned up, and, the third of
the trees, was burned up, and, all green herbage, was
burned up.
"...the first three trumpets are called the woe
trumpets." R3992:4
The
events under the first six trumpets refer to
humanity's doings, while the seventh refers
specially to the Lord's work, and covers the
"Day of the Lord." (1 Thes. 5:2) B148
"The
first sounded" The trumpet is the first Gospel
message given by Jesus and the Apostles to the
world. John 3:16
"Hail"=Great Truths destructive
to the social order. "Fire"=Destruction,
however in this case it could mean the holy spirit,
in which case
"mingled
with blood" is symbolic for the message of the
Ransom sacrifice of our Lord and the consecration of
His followers even unto death, the "blood" as
a symbol for life offered through the Ransom
of Christ Jesus given sacrificially as our Passover
lamb, also a symbol of sacrificial death by
consecration or actual sacrifice through martyrdom.
The
message "cast unto the earth" = the effect it had on
society. The phrase
"mingled with blood" may also mean loss of national
vitality as the Roman government was threatened by
the new Christianity then rising.
see Louisville New Albany Revelation Notes rcb
The result of this first trumpet message of Jesus
and the Apostles was to divide the known world.
Jesus poured scriptures on the heads of the
Pharisees in a symbolic "hail" and the "fire"
destroyed national Jewish polity. This was
"mingled with blood" when many Jews lost their lives
under Roman rule in AD 70.
"third of the earth" = one of the three sections of
society: Christian, Roman and Jewish society which
is the third of the earth that "burned up" at the
end of Jewish national polity.
"Trees" are deeply rooted people of faith - the
consecrated. It may be a reference to the Jews.
"All green herbage" may refer to the new converts
who abandoned their faith, a class inferred or
indicated in the parable of those who grew on rocky
ground and were choked by thorns. In our Parables
column to the right you can
observe how closely our trumpet picture matches the
first parable with damage to the "trees" and "green
herbage" after what had been planted by Jesus as the
Sower. rcb.]
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1st Bowl of Wrath
Rev. 16:1
And I heard a voice great out of the temple, saying to
the seven messengers: Go you forth and do you pour out
the seven bowls of the wrath of the God into the
earth.
2 And went forth the
first, and poured out the bowl of himself on the land;
and was an ulcer bad and evil on the men those having
the mark of the wild-beast, and those doing reverence
of the image of him. [diaglott]
The first bowl is the first volume of
"Studies in the Scriptures" by Charles Taze
Russell. rcb
“And the first went, and poured out his bowl on the
earth (organized Society), and there came an evil
and malignant ulcer on those men having the mark of
the beast, and on those worshiping his image.”
Volume One was published in 1886, and truly it
proved to be a “malignant ulcer” to antitypical Saul
and his henchmen; it was a “hot penny”: they could
not hold it, and they were afraid to drop it. The
stewardship doctrine of Restitution, with which
Volume One is replete, made material for a “plan of
the ages,” the likes of which had not been known
since the days of the Apostles; and it placed
Restitution and eternal torment at opposite ends of
the measure. It did indeed “spoil the vines” for
many a hell‑fire evangelist! Also, Chapter 14 – The
Kingdom of God – made a shambles of the teaching
that we now have Christendom – Christ’s Kingdom; and
it showed the present order to be a far, far cry
from “Thy will be done on earth.” Our Lord’s Return,
The Permission of Evil, The Day of Judgment, etc.,
etc., all combined to make this “bowl” a “malignant
ulcer” – “a savor of death unto death” to many
members of antitypical Saul.
This is pointedly typified in Ex. 4:9: “The water
which thou takest out of the river shall become
blood upon the dry land.” “The water” in this text
is the Truth as contained in the Bible – so
excellently presented in Volume One – The Divine
Plan of the Ages. The “dry land” typified the
withered and sere condition of society as it existed
at the time of the book’s appearance. And the
“blood” represented the faulty reasoning of
Christendom’s religious leaders, who branded the
book as error – bloody, repulsive, abhorrent,
death‑dealing – whereas, it actually contained the
water of life uplifting, life‑giving, to all who
were “of the Truth.” It should be noted that at that
time many preachers were describing the animal
sacrifices of the Law as bloody and barbaric –
because they could not see the grand antitype of the
“better sacrifices” (Heb. 9:23) that were offered
during this Gospel Age by “the Church which is His
Body.” (Eph. 1: 22,23) No. 351 "In
Memoriam" Epiphany Bible Students
When we
compare the results of the bowls with the
conditions described by our Lord plaguing each
church period we see certain similarities. The
first stage saw bad men taking leadership. Those
following them had "the mark of the beast" already
in the Apostles day. It is association with and
support for the false religious system that would
grow into the Papacy.
"Thou gavest
them blood to drink" is an apt punishment for
those false Christians of the "sea" class
supporting those seeking leadership as
Nicolatians. The first volume "The
Divine Plan of the Ages" was truly an ulcer for those
serving their images as they could not refute
Pastor Russell. rcb
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1st
PARABLE
The Sower
Matt 13:
3 And
he spake unto them many things, in parables, saying:
Lo! the sower went forth to sow,-
4 and,
as he sowed, some, indeed, fell by the pathway, and,
the birds, came, and devoured it;
5 And,
some, fell on the rocky places, where it had not much
earth,-and, straightway, it sprang up, because if had
no depth of earth;
6 and,
the sun arising, it was scorched, and, because it had
no root, it withered away;
7 And,
some, fell upon the thorns, and the thorns came up,
and choked it;
8 But,
some, fell upon the good ground, and did yield
fruit,-this, indeed a hundred fold, and, that, sixty,
and, the other, thirty.
9 He
that hath ears, let him hear.
GOOD
SEED FOR GOOD GROUND
FROM a
boat our Lord taught a most wonderful lesson
respecting the method used by the Almighty in the
selection of the "little flock," whom he invites
to be members with Christ Jesus in the
administration of his Millennial Kingdom. The
Kingdom message or invitation is the "seed" which
is under consideration in the above parable,
which, under favorable conditions, germinates and
brings forth the required fruitage of
character-development. Our Lord was the great
Sower of this good seed of the Kingdom, and after
him came the Apostles. Since then he has used all
of his faithful people more or less in this
seed-sowing.
The fact that
most of the "seed" of the Divine message seems
wasted is no proof that the message is not good
and desirable. This parable shows that the real
fault lies in the soil – in the heart. If all
hearts were right the message or seed would bring
forth much fruit everywhere.
This matches
the conditions of the first stage and the first
seal as Jesus and the Apostles supplied the good
seed of the Word, as Jesus interprets this by
giving a class on the symbolism. Here worldly
people are those who lack character or depth to
grow roots of faith. "Thorns" are earthly cares
that got in the way of the message. "Birds" can be
people or fallen angels who take away the message
with erroneous attacks on the Truth. Those of
better character are "on good ground" and were
more productive. We suggest the "hundred fold"
increase is spirit birth to the divine nature, 100
being a divine number, 60 standing for the Great
Company class (Rev. 7:14) and 30 indicating the
Youthful Worthies. We note how in the first
trumpet the damage is to the "trees" and "green
herbage" which may refer to Christians both
established and new, grown up by the seeds of
faith in Christ dispensed in the first century and
as the parable of the sower details. rcb
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2nd SEAL
Red
Horse
Rev. 6:3 And, when he opened
the second seal, I heard the second living creature,
saying-Go! 4 And there went forth
another, a red horse,-and, unto him that was sitting
thereon, it was given, unto him, to take away peace from
the earth, and that, one another, they should slay; and
there was given unto him a great sword. [Rotherham]
Red
Horse= Doctrine of the Ransom
"One
sitting on him" = the star members including Apostle
John as the principal star.
"was
given him"
- "to take peace from the earth" =
the new faith created social instability
- "kill each other" the
new faith created spiritual animosities.
- "given him a great sword" the
sword of Truth this was the time of compiling the
Word of God. rcb Matthew 10:34 "Think not that I
came to send peace on the earth: I came not to
send peace, but a sword. 35
For I came to set a man at variance against his
father, and the daughter against her mother, and
the daughter in law against her mother in
law: 36 and a man's foes'shall be they of his
own household."
This
was the most violent time under
pagan Rome when Titus destroyed the temple. Although
commentaries don't mention it pagan Rome persecuted
the Jews to near annihilation. There were other
Masada's that were reported to have occurred,
fulfilling the red horse "kill each other" as
regarded the Jews. Spiritually it was fulfilled as
well, with the advent of controversialism and
rampant anathemas and excommunications, thus
fulfilling the "kill each other", the "sword" being
the then known Word of God. Certainly there was no
peace for Jewish society, and Jesus words can
equally be applied to them as well as Christian
society, which was under persecution equally during
this inhospitable period of pagan rule.
The beginning of the rule of cardinals and bishops
makes red and apt choice for their attire later in
Catholicism. But here, the very existence of this
new religion took peace from the societal earth,
forcing the persecution which only failed to
repress the new faith, hence the next stage of
cooperation of Church and state. The great
sword strictly speaking can be interpreted as the
next mouthpiece of the Word of God, since the
church of this dark period was still the only
source of gospel light to be found, and that only
among the saintly few. rcb
See
the following article refuting replacement
theology:
https://ffoz.org/messiah/articles/the-synagogue-of-satan
Again when we are
not certain we are open to other views on who
the riders are on these horses. Bro. Bob
Jones sent us his large Revelation study which
says:
Red
Horse=Doctrine tainted with error="though thy
sins be as scarlet..." "Revelation Decoded and
Explained"
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2nd Stage
Smyrna
69 AD
to 313 AD
Second
Messenger "Stars"
- John
-
Polycarp
-
Iraneus
-
Tertulian
Rev. 2: 8 And, unto the
messenger of the assembly, in Smyrna, write:-These
things, saith the first and the last, who became dead,
and lived:
9 I know thy
tribulation, and destitution, nevertheless, thou art,
rich, and the profane speech from among them who
affirm that they themselves are, Jews, and they are
not, but a synagogue of Satan.
10 Do not fear the
things which thou art about to suffer. Lo! the
adversary is about to cast some of you into prison,
that ye may be tried, and may have tribulation ten
days. Become thou faithful until death, and I will
give thee the crown of life.
11 He
that hath an ear, let him hear what, the Spirit, is
saying unto the assemblies. He that overcometh, shall
in nowise be injured by reason of the second death.
THE CONGREGATION IN SMYRNA – (Smyrna meaning
"bitter," in allusion to the bitter and excruciating
persecutions of the Pagan Roman Empire into the
early part of the fourth century) continued from 69
to 313, the Principal Man being St. John. Here it is
well to remember that John is the only one of the
"stars" who was a "star" in two different epochs of
the Gospel-Age Church, although he was the
"principal man" in the second epoch only. He is
presumed to have lived until about 100 AD...
J
Hoefle "The Seven Stars"
The Lord Jesus is here in the book of Revelation
addressing the second phase, the Smyrna phase, of
the Church. He tells the brethren that the Roman
empire, which He here calls the devil, would cast
some of them into prison – would greatly restrain
them in their work and persecute them most
fiendishly and most outrageously; for the Smyrna
Church and the Philadelphia Church were the two most
persecuted by violence of any of the seven churches
of the Gospel Age. Their tribulation of ten symbolic
days was especially the ten years’ persecution they
endured under Diocletian. The Lord exhorted them to
be faithful unto death in spite of those terrible
persecutions and He would give them a crown of life
– immortality, the Divine nature. J
Hoefle The Kingdom of God - part 1
This Babylonish union incited the leaders in civil
and religious position to annihilate any
leaders that might arise to oppose this contagion.
Previous to 313 AD the Roman government had acted
individually to rid itself of the Christians, the
last pronounced effort of its kind being under
Emperor Diocletian from 303 to 313 – the final years
of the Smyrna period of the church. Smyrna means
‘bitter,’ and it fittingly describes the
experiences of the church during that time. “The
devil shall cast some of you into prison... and ye
shall have tribulation ten (symbolic) days” (Rev.
2:10) – ten literal years from 303 to 313.
J Hoefle A Magnificent Type
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2nd Trumpet
Rev. 8:8 And, the second
messenger, sounded; and, as it were a great mountain
burning with fire, was cast into the sea; and the
third of the sea became blood,
9 and the third of the
creatures which were in the sea, which had life, died,
the third of the ships, was destroyed.
"mountain" = government the
government of pagan Rome fell in a time of the
restless "sea" a time of great social unrest saw the
end of pagan Rome, the "third" that is effected. In
the first stage we saw the Jewish "third" effected.
The world was in three segments - Roman "Christian",
Jews and Heathen. Here the Jewish third is decimated
during this time period. rcb
Rev. 8:8, 9
pictures the result of the missionary effort begun
during the second, or pagan, persecution period of
the church. Compare B285. As a result of the
missionary efforts begun then, the barbarians were
converted to at least a nominal form of
Christianity. Since waters
would not burn,
this death to their former condition is shown by
blood--shed blood being symbolic of death" Ludlow Loomis
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2nd Bowl of Wrath
Rev. 16: 3 And the second messenger
poured out the bowl of himself into the sea; and it
became blood as of a dead one, and every soul of life
died in the sea.
The second
“bowl,” “The Time is at Hand,” made its appearance in
1889...And
the time features were indeed a powerful refutation of
those who were loudly proclaiming “no man knoweth the
day nor the hour” and those who were lustily singing,
“When my work on earth is ended, and time shall Be no
more.” The second “bowl” demonstrated the correct
translation of Rev. 10:6 to be, “The time shall be no
longer delayed”; that is, the “time is at hand” for
God, through the Christ, to carry out His promise of
Restitution – that time had arrived for the Blessing
of all the families of the earth. No. 351 "In Memoriam" Epiphany Bible
Students
The second bowl is the book "The
Time is at Hand" volume two of Studies in the
Scriptures by Pastor Russell. This book was
published during the time just after the close of the
general gospel age call for high calling purposes,
thus ending the spiritual hopes of the "sea" class -
the nominal class of Christians at that time. rcb
Here we see again the similar language
used in both the bowls and the trumpets, for when the
trumpets originally sounded a third or section of
population was dramatically effected. In the pouring
out of the bowl we see the reciprocation upon the
illicit church state system and it's die hard
followers. rcb
|
2nd PARABLE
The Tares
Matthew 13:24 Another parable, put
he before them, saying-The kingdom of the heavens hath
become like a man sowing good seed in his field;
25 and,
while men were sleeping, his enemy came, and sowed over
darnel, in among the wheat,-and away he went.
26 And,
when the blade shot up, and brought forth, fruit, then,
appeared, the darnel also.
27 And
the servants of the householder, coming near, said to
him,-Sir! was it not, good seed, thou didst sow in thy
field? Whence then hath it, darnel?
28 And
he said unto them-An enemy, hath, done this. And they
say, unto him-Wilt thou, then, that we go and collect
it?
29 And,
he, saith-Nay! lest, at any time, while collecting the
darnel, ye uproot, along with it, the wheat:
30 Suffer
both to grow together until the harvest, and at, harvest
time, I will say unto the reapers,- Collect ye first,
the darnel, and bind it into bundles, with a view to the
burning it up; but, the wheat, be gathering it into my
barn.
34 All
these things, spake Jesus in parables, unto the
multitudes, and, without a parable, was he speaking,
nothing, unto them:
35 that
it might be fulfilled, which was spoken through the
prophet, saying-I will open, in parables, my mouth, I
will bring up things hidden from the foundation!
36 Then, dismissing the
multitudes, he went into the house, and his disciples
came near to him, saying- Make quite plain to us the
parable of the darnel of the field.
37 And,
he, answering, said-He that soweth the good seed, is the
Son of Man;
38 And,
the field, is the world, and, the good seed, these are
the sons of the kingdom,-and, the darnel seeds, are the
sons of the evil one;
39 And, the enemy that
sowed them, is the adversary, and, the harvest, is, the
conclusion of an age, and, the reapers, are, messengers.
40 Just, therefore, as
collected is the darnel, and, with fire is burned, so,
will it be in the conclusion of the age:-
41 The
Son of Man will send forth his messengers, and they will
collect, out of his kingdom, all the causes of
stumbling, and the doers of lawlessness,
42 and
will cast them into the furnace of fire: there, will be
wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then, the righteous,
will shine forth as the sun, in the kingdom of their
Father. He that hath ears, let him hear!
The embryo Kingdom
during the entire Gospel age. R5048:3,
3769:3
"Another
parable" – These parables are related to
each other, but should not be confounded. The
first prepares the way for the other. The first
deals with the individual; the second with the
church collectively. R97:1, 4*; NS626:2
To show some of the difficulties which interfere
with the best hearers, the best hearts, some with
the best seed. R3769:3
Kingdom of heaven
– Practically every parable which our Lord uttered was
given to teach something respecting the character of
the Kingdom. NS627:2
A
man – The Lord Jesus. R3769:3,
5048:6
Sowed
good seed – The Gospel of the Kingdom from
the Word of God, "He brought life and immortality to
light through the Gospel." (2 Tim. 1:10) R3769:3,
5048:6
Seeds of truth, the promises, which, springing up in
the hearts of his disciples, transformed them to
newness of life. R2634:1
"Which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord."
(Heb. 2:3) R3769:3
Christ and the Apostles sowed the good seed, meanwhile
gathering the ripe wheat of the Jewish nation. R5018:3
Same sower man,
casting good seed, but "while men were sleeping" =
as the Apostles died - the enemy came = "mystery of
iniquity doth already work" "Nicolatianism" [see
Frey notes]
Any attempt to
organize became unauthorized and grew beyond the
size of it's intent, ultimatley become "tare
systems" to be bound together for destruction in the
ecumenical movement at the end of the age. rcb
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|
3rd Seal
Black Horse
Rev. 6:5 And, when he opened
the third seal, I heard the third living creature,
saying-Go! And I saw, and lo! a black horse, and he that
was sitting thereon holding a pair of balances in his
hand.
6 And I heard as a voice
in the midst of the four living creatures, saying-A
quart of wheat for, a denary, and three quarts of
barley, for a denary,-and, the oil and the wine, do not
wrong.
Since Horses are
doctrines this is the new teaching for the new fourth
century and beyond. Since black is the combination of
all colors at once we suggest this is the time when
the Roman Church began it's big tent approach
accepting every kind of religious convert, changing
the doctrine to cater to the masses. Once pure white
but now too dark to see the original white - the
doctrine of Christ - setting the stage for the papal
inquisition. Black is the opposite of white so this
was certainly a time when the light of the true gospel
of Christ had all but gone out.
"Scales" or "Balance" = The suggestion
is that this was the time when "church" direction was
now to be based on economics.
The
oil and wine represent holy spirit and doctrine.
rcb
There is a book written by my
own mom called "The Chasm Between
Christianity and the Bible" - Now she's
not a known author, but in this book of
rhymes, she says: "The first Church was
pure, Jesus doctrines are sure- A
conqueror whose horse is white. Each new
age shows a horse on a descending course:
Paganism, apostasy, night. Rev. 6:4-8
rcb
The war in 1914 was the culmination of developed evils
during the Gospel Age. St. Paul had predicted that
there would be a “falling away” (2 Thes. 2:3), that it
was already working in his day (2 Thes. 2:7). It
really had developed in a pronounced way by about 315
A.D., when it was considered proper to unite the
Church with the Roman Empire, which union quickly
developed a debasing and secularizing spirit in
teaching and practice. In Revelation 17-19 this
union is blamed for all the false doctrines and
secular spirit that gradually engulfed the church
as a nauseating flood, embracing as it did the
theoretical and practical elements of heathen
religions – under Christian names. The revelator
styled this combination as Babylon (confusion), which
indeed it was. A
Magnificent Type Epiphany Bible Students
|
3rd Stage
Pergamos
313 AD to
799 AD
Third Messenger
"Stars"
- Arius
- Tichonius
- Adelbert
Desiderius
Rev. 2:12 And, unto the
messenger of the assembly, in Pergamum, write:-These
things, saith he that hath the sharp, two-edged sword:
13 I know where thou
dwellest, where, the throne of Satan, is; and thou art
holding fast my name, and didst not deny my faith,
even in the days of Antipas, my witness, my faithful
one, who was killed near you, where, Satan, dwelleth.
14 Nevertheless, I
have against thee, a few things,-that thou hast there,
such as hold fast the teaching of Balaam,-who went on
to teach Balak to throw a cause of stumbling before
the sons of Israel, to eat idol-sacrifices and to
commit lewdness:
15 thus, even, thou,
hast such as hold fast the teaching of the
Nicolaitanes, in like manner.
16 Repent, therefore,
otherwise, I come unto thee speedily,-and will fight
against them, with the sword of my mouth.
17 He that hath an
ear, let him hear what, the Spirit, is saying unto the
assemblies. Unto him that overcometh, I will give,
unto him, of the hidden manna, and I will give unto
him a white stone, and, upon the stone, a new name
written, which, no one, knoweth, save he that
receiveth it.
THE CONGREGATION IN PERGAMOS – (Pergamos
meaning "earthly elevation," having reference to
that period in which the Papacy became greatly
elevated as it united with Pagan Rome to form "The
Holy Roman Empire") continued from 313 to 799, the
principal Man being –ARIUS, who was presbyter at
Alexander from AD313.
J
Hoefle "The Seven Stars"
Verse 12: Jesus is still weilding the sharp two
edged sword - the word of God - especially during
this time when the Bible would become codified
into 66 books, Arius fighting the good fight of
faith against the Trinity that ultimately won out.
rcb
verse 13: Antipas
– Anti [against] papas [father or the pope];
one who protests against the pope. The true
followers of the Master denounced the attempt to
disobey the direct command of Jesus, "Call no man
Father." Matt 23:9 R5993:2
The spirit of
the Nicolataines increases, the beast rises into
the Papacy, ready to crown Charlemagne in an
official illicit union of church and state. The
dragon or civil power under the auspices of Rome
comes forth.
The white
stone is a symbol of Christ given to individuals,
the manna is the truth they would be supplied with
along the way, the "new name" - the character of
Christ that will belong to the devout
overcomers... rcb
|
3rd Trumpet
Rev. 8:10 And, the third
messenger, sounded; and there fell, out of heaven, a
great star, burning as a torch, and it fell upon the
third of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters.
11 And, the name of
the star, is called Wormwood; and the third of the
waters became wormwood, and many of the men died of
the waters, because they were made bitter.
This is
the rise of the papacy. The star that fell out of
heaven, wormwood, is the pope, the rivers and
waters are the truth and it's supporters. The
teachings became perverted so now spiritual life
in Christ was near impossible due to the now
complete obscuring of the doctrine of Christ - the
white horse. See column one Seal comments. rcb
|
3rd Bowl
of Wrath
Rev. 16:4
And the third poured out the bowl of himself into the
rivers and into the fountains of the waters; and it
became blood.
5
And I heard the messenger of the waters saying:
Righteous art thou, the one existing and who was, the
bountiful one, because these things thou hast judged;
6
because blood of holy ones and of prophets they poured
out, and blood to them thou gavest to drink; worthy
they are.
7 And I heard the altar saying: Yes, O Lord the
God the almighty, true and righteous the judgments of
thee.
The angel of the waters – Pastor Russell, the
Messenger of the Truth (waters).
Again we can see in
comparing the trumpets and the bowls some similar
things, water in this instance. The papacy
resulted from the bitter waters of polluted truth.
It's demise is from the pure Truth (waters) given
in due time.
Pastor
Russell's third volume "Thy
Kingdom Come" added to the ulcers of Rome's adherents as
their true history was laid bare, with Napolean
delivering the blow to end papal sovereignty over
the nations, the release of this book surely
turned her waters of truth into the deathly
reality of actual historic facts. It also pointed
out God's promises of "The Restoration of Israel",
since the blood of both "saints" and "prophets"
were poured out, truly the promise of their return
will be blood upon their own papal heads, for them
to "drink" or be forced to accept the facts of
their own infamous careers.
In verse 7 the
voice from the alter is an allusion to Pastor
Russell's chapter 10 "God's Stone Witness" about
the Great Pyramid in Gizeh being an altar in the
midst of and on the border of the land Isaiah
19:19-20 This
book, "Thy Kingdom Come" volume 3 in the Studies
in the Scriptures series and constitutes the third bowl.
rcb
It should
be noted, too, that Volume 3 contained a moderate
explanation of the Great Pyramid of Giza, showing
from the prophetic statement of Isa. 19:19‑22 that
the “altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of
Egypt” was indeed “a sign and a witness” to the
great Plan of the Ages as contained in the Bible.
Thus the pertinence of v. 7: “I heard another
(angel) out of the altar” – in “the midst of the
land of Egypt.” This truth, too, has been completely
rejected by some, and distorted by others since
Brother Russell’s death. No. 351 "In Memoriam" Epiphany Bible
Students
|
3rd PARABLE
Mustard Seed
Matt 13:31 Another parable,
put he before them, saying-The kingdom of the heavens
is like unto, a grain of mustard seed, which a man
took and sowed in his field;
32 which,
indeed, is, less, than all seeds, but, when grown, is
greater than garden-plants, and becometh a tree,-so
that the birds of heaven come, and lodge among its
branches.
As a
mustard seed is very small, yet produces a large
bush, so that the fowls of the air may lodge in its
branches, so this illustrates how the gospel of the
Kingdom would, from a small beginning, attain to a
considerable size. Its size would not be great among
the trees, but great among bushes or herbage. Thus
the message of Christ received at first only by the
poor and the few of Israel, has finally grown to
such important dimensions that the fowls like to
gather in its branches. But let us remember that the
fowls, according to our Lord's interpretation of a
previous parable, represent the servants of the
Wicked One. So then the teaching of this parable
would lead us to conclude that the Church of Christ,
at one time, was so unimportant in the world that it
was a shame and a dishonor to belong to it, but that
ultimately it would become honorable and great and
the Adversary's servants would have pleasure in its
shade. This development the Scriptures represent as
being Babylon, declaring that, as a whole, with the
various branches and denominations, the nominal
Church of Christ is [R4636
: page 205] Babylonish. Hearken to the Lord's words;
"She has become the hold of every foul spirit and
the cage of every unclean and hateful bird."
This period of
time is the immense growth of the roman church to
cover the full roman empire beginning with 313 AD
Constantine followed by the fall of the western
empire in 476 AD then 539 AD Justinian and the
desolating abomination...and leading right up to
Charlemagne 800 AD
The fouls or
birds of heaven are the fallen ones, both men and
angels, who take control of the hierarchy of this
gigantic system of branches. rcb
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|
4th Seal
Livid Horse
Rev. 6:7 And, when he opened
the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth
living creature, saying-Go!
8 And I saw, and lo! a
livid horse,-and he that was sitting thereupon had for
a name, Death, and, Hades, was following with him; and
there was given unto them authority over the fourth of
the earth, to slay with sword, and with famine, and
with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth.[Rotherham]
The Holy Roman Empire is born,
"hades" = purgatory
Papal Dark Ages. Now
Catholics 1/4 earth's population and/ or land
areas...
The evil time of the Crusades
and the Inquisition.
The horse is now sickly green [will
eventually become earth worship - rcb]
[Bro. Bob
Jone's Rev. Study suggests "green" is the doctrine
of "Justification by Faith" - a faint green glow
of improvement emerging during this time period.
This would presumeably lead to white horse
conditions of Rev 19 rcb]
The one
sitting on him - "Death" is the Pope. "the unseen"
or "hades" is a symbol for the doctrine of
purgatory. The "holy" Roman Empire had
control over the Christian world which was "the
fourth part of the earth" [society]. Jews,
Mohammedans and Heathen making up the other 3
parts. To "kill with sword" refers to the
controversies over doctrine and a time when
Christians killed other Christians both literally
and figuratively, pronouncing one another
heretics. The Waldenses were killed by the
thousands for example.
To kill "with
famine" describes an era when the Word of God was
hidden by the Papacy. "Not a famine for bread nor
a thirst for water but of the hearing and the
doing of the Word of God." To kill "with death" is
symbolic for being excommunicated. To kill "with
the wild beasts of the earth" is symbolically
describes how the papacy used earthly governments
to control heresies. rcb
The Crusades were a series of religious wars
initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the
Christian Latin Church in the medieval period. The
best known of these military expeditions are those
to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291
that were intended to conquer Jerusalem and its
surrounding area from Muslim rule. Beginning with
the First Crusade, which resulted in the conquest of
Jerusalem in 1099, dozens of military campaigns were
organised, providing a focal point of European
history for centuries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades
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4th Stage
Thyatira
799 AD to
1309 AD
Fourth
Messenger "Stars"
- Claudius of Turin
-
Ratramnus
- Hugh
Capet
- Adalbert
of Prague
- Berengar
of Tours
- Peter
Abelard
- Peter
de Brys
- Henry
of Lausanne
- Arnold
of Brescia
- John
Waldo
Rev. 2:18 And, unto the
messenger of the assembly, in Thyatira, write:-These
things, saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a
flame of fire, and his feet like unto glowing copper:
19 I know thy works,
and thy love, and faith, and ministry, and
endurance,-and that, thy last works, are more than the
first.
20 Nevertheless, I
have against thee, that thou sufferest the woman
Jezebel, she who calleth herself a prophetess, and is
teaching and leading astray my own servants to commit
lewdness and to eat idol sacrifices;
21 and I gave her
time, that she might repent, and she willeth not to
repent out of her lewdness.
22 Lo! I cast her into
a bed, and them who are committing adultery with her,
into great tribulation,- except they repent out of her
works;
23 and, her children,
will I slay with death;-and all the assemblies shall
get to know, that, I, am he that searcheth reins and
hearts, and will give unto you, each one, according to
your works.
24 But, unto you, I
say,-the rest who are in Thyatira, as many as have not
this teaching, such as have not come to know the deep
things of Satan, as they say, I do not cast upon you
any other burden;
25 nevertheless, what
ye have, hold fast, till I shall have come.
26 And, he that
overcometh, and keepeth throughout my works, I will,
give unto him, authority over the nations;
27 and he shall
shepherd them with a sceptre of iron,-as, vessels of
earthenware, are dashed in pieces:- as, I also, have
received from my Father.
28 And I will give
unto him the morning star.
29 He that hath an
ear, let him hear what, the Spirit, is saying unto the
assemblies.
THE CONGREGATION IN THYATIRA – (Thyatira
meaning "the sweet perfume of a sacrifice" in
allusion to the elevating sacrifices of the true
church during the drunken revelings of the
apostate Roman Church) continued from 799 to 1309.
J Hoefle "The Seven Stars
Notes:
Verse 18 "eyes like flame of fire" Christ perception
of all "trying reins and hearts"-their true motives.
"feet like glowing copper" = copper is a symbol for
the human nature. This is indicating Christ's having
walked this earth = "polished copper" "glowing"
from the fiery
trials during this time.
Verse 19 is about Christ's footstep followers who
suffered these persecutions. they
displayed "works" "love" "faith" "ministry" and
"endurance" in this severe time.
"The
Crusades" started around 1095 AD, later the medieval
Inquisition started around 1184, causing the last
works of the Thyatira church to be greater than
their first as their sufferings increased.
By verses 20-23 the false Church is now called
"Jezebel" to distinguish this time as when the "Holy
Roman Empire" engaged in "adultery" by mixing her
false religious toxins together along with her
illicit state governance for the persecuting of the
saints.
The nations cooperating with her are promised a
table of woe at "The Great Tribulation" which would
begin in 1914, when the non repentant nations
involved would lose their subsequently born
generations through war, famine and pestilence and
other plagues during their "judgement day" as He
that "searcheth reigns and hearts" began taking
control over earth's affairs.
The overcomers in verses 26 and 27 are ultimately
given control over the nations and given the
spiritual nature as shown in verse 28 which infers
Job's description of the time when the morning stars
- God's angelic creation - "shouted for joy" while
assisting the Logos in the work of Creation. What a
shout they shall make in the future, we hope to hear
some day. rcb
Job
38:6 Whereupon were the foundations thereof
fastened? Or who laid the corner-stone thereof,
7When the morning stars sang together, And all the
sons of God shouted for joy?
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4th Trumpet
Rev. 8:12 And, the fourth
messenger, sounded; and the third of the sun was
smitten, and the third of the moon, and the third of
the stars,-in order that the third of them might be
darkened, and the day might not shine for the third of
it, and the night, in like manner.
13 And I saw, and I
heard one eagle, flying in mid-heaven, saying with a
loud voice-Woe! woe! woe! unto them that are dwelling
upon the earth, by reason of the remaining voices of
the trumpet, of the three messengers who are about to
sound.
"a third of" = [from wikipedia] - The
Inquisition, as a church-court, had no jurisdiction
over Muslims and Jews as such.[10] Generally, the
Inquisition was concerned only with the heretical
behaviour of Catholic adherents or converts.[11]
The darkest
period of Church history, obscuring the light of
the sun = the true Gospel, the light of the moon =
the Mosaic Covenant. A third of the stars =
Christian lights that fell into darkness from
their misdeeds during this time. rcb
Verse 13 says "one eagle". Since numbers are
literal we should establish a single individual as
wiser than the others at this time who was able to
pronounce the upcoming three woes. Was it
Claudius, Waldo or other? rcb
|
4th Bowl
of Wrath
Rev. 16:8 And the fourth
poured out the bowl of himself on the sun; and was
given to him to burn the men in fire.
9 And were burned the
men heat great, and blasphemed the name of the God of
that having authority over plagues these; and not they
reformed to give to him glory.
The fourth bowl appeared in 1897; and it certainly
affirmed its title, “The Battle of Armageddon,” in
that “power was given to scorch men with fire.” It
pointed out the prevalent sins among rulers, clergy,
aristocracy and labor; and was a true fulfilment of
Jesus’ words in John 16‑8‑11: “When the Holy Spirit
is come, it will reprove the world of sin (the
wrongs they are committing), of righteousness (point
out the right way to do), and of judgment” (warn
them of the coming judgment, which in this instance
was in its initial phase to be the “battle of the
great day of God Almighty”). But, “as it was in the
days of Noah,” they neither heeded nor wanted to
hear that message – “repented not to give God
glory."
It should be noted that the “fourth bowl” described
events that are happening today as though the book
were written this year; whereas, it was written 78
years ago. The forecasts of that book are in part a
fulfilment of Dan. 5:25‑29 – the much‑quoted
“handwriting on the wall.” It explained that the
statement, “The kingdom is divided, and given to the
Medes and Persians” (v. 28) indicated that
Christendom would be divided into two hostile camps:
a conservative camp, consisting of church, state and
capital, and a radical camp, consisting of trade
unionists, socialists, communists, anarchists and
nihilists.
At the time the book was written these antagonistic
factions had only a faint beginning, which developed
to some degree up to 1914; but it was the outbreak
of the war in 1914 that caused a clear cleavage
between them, as typified by Elijah smiting Jordan
(type of Christendom and the curse) – when the
waters (peoples) of that river developed into two
distinct warring factions. The terse substance of
Volume 4 – “The Battle of‑Armageddon” – gave 1914 as
the end of “the times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:
24); Great Babylon’s judgement and downfall; the
overthrow of Satan’s empire, to be followed by God’s
kingdom on earth. All of these things were set forth
in precise detail and accuracy – so much that, when
the great events began to transpire in 1914, it
directed the world’s attention to Brother Russell as
the outstanding interpreter and Bible lecturer of
his time, the greatest religious teacher in
Christendom. And in the Fall of 1917 the czarist
regime in Russia was overthrown, it being one of the
strongest and most absolute monarchies that had ever
existed in all human history. There the text began
to be fulfilled, “the mountains (strong autocratic
governments) carried into the midst of the sea (the
lawless elements of society).” This feature of
prophecy has now been carried to a completion; the
last autocracy being Ethiopia, which was toppled in
1974.
No. 351 "In
Memoriam" Epiphany Bible Students
This is an
ideal setup for Pastor Russell's fourth volume of
Scripture Studies titled "The Battle of
Armageddon", where the author takes Babylon to
task for their tremendous war preparations
expenditures. The nations chose not to
reform from their militaristic ways and instead
"repented not" and began World War I in 1914. This
volume was "poured on the sun" in the sense that
the Roman Church was the oracle of God's Word
during this time and it brought a scathing or
rather scorching indictment. Notice "mankind" is
merely "scorched" not burned nor destroyed - with
the warning to Christendom which this volume
indeed was. rcb
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4th PARABLE
Matt 13:33 Another parable,
spake he unto them:-The kingdom of the heavens is
like, unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three
measures of flour until, the whole, was leavened.
The three
measures of meal are faith, hope and love.
"LEAVEN
HIDDEN IN THE MEAL"
"The parable of the "leaven" (v.
33) illustrates the process by which, as was
foretold, the Church would get into the wrong
condition. As a woman would take her batch of flour
for baking and put leaven (yeast) in it and the
result would be that the mass would become leavened,
so it would be with the Church of Christ; the food
of the entire household would become leavened or
corrupted. Every portion would become more or less
vitiated with the leaven of false doctrines which
would permeate the entire mass. Thus today nearly
every doctrine inculcated by Jesus and his Apostles
has become more or less perverted or twisted by the
errors of the dark ages." R4636
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|
5th Seal
[no horse]
Rev. 6:9 And, when he opened
the fifth seal, I saw, beneath the altar, the souls of
them who had been slain because of the word of God and
because of the witness which they held.
10 And they cried out
with a loud voice, saying-How long, O Sovereign, the
Holy and True, dost thou not vindicate and avenge our
blood from them that dwell upon the earth?
11 And there was given
to them, each one, a white robe, and it was bidden
them, that they should rest yet a little while-until
the number should be made full of their
fellow-servants also, and their brethren, who were
about to be slain as even, they.
[Rotherham]
This is a
picture of consecration as well as a depiction of
our Lord's ransom [John 3:16] these are not
necessarily literally killed. saying
"how long" could introduce the chronology aspect of
the Bible
"judge and avenge" where protestantism pointed out
the destiny of the antichrist system as shown in the
Bible that would ultimately punish "those dwelling
on the earth" or those in positions of society.
"White robe" is justification by faith. "Rest a
little while" indicates a further period of waiting
for glorification as the full number of the elect
church. rcb
|
5th Stage
Sardis
1309 AD to 1479 AD
Fifth Messenger
"Stars"
- Marsiglio
- John
Tauler
- John
Wycliffe
- John
Huss
- Jerome
of Prague
Rev. 3: 1 And, unto the
messenger of the assembly, in Sardis, write:-These
things, saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God,
and the seven stars: I know thy works,-that, a name,
thou hast, that thou art living, and art, dead.
2 Become thou
watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, that
were about to die; for I have not found thy works
fulfilled before my God.
3 Remember, therefore,
how thou hast received, and didst hear, and keep it
and repent. If then thou shall not watch, I will have
come as a thief, and in nowise shalt thou get to know,
during what sort of hour, I will have come upon thee.
4 Nevertheless, thou
hast a few names, in Sardis, which have not defiled
their garments; and they shall walk with me in white,
because they are, worthy.
5 He that overcometh,
shall, thus, array himself in white garments, and in
nowise will I blot out his name, from the book of
life; and I will confess his name before my Father,
and before his messengers.
6 He that hath an ear,
let him hear what, the Spirit, is saying unto the
assemblies.
THE CONGREGATTON IN SARDIS – (Sardis meaning
"that which remains" in reference to the brief
period just before the Reformation by Sects)
continued from 1309 to 1479, the Principal Man being
Marsiglio, who officiated from 1309 to 1343.
J Hoefle "The Seven Stars"
...seven angels to the seven churches," each of
which had a 'principal man' (a 'prince')--with two
'principal men' (or 'princes') in the Laodicean,
or seventh epoch. The 'principal man' during the
sounding of the fifth trumpet was Marsiglio, whose
specific ministry was from 1309 to 1328 A.D, His
ministry was climaxed in 1324 by the appearance of
his book "The Defender of the Peace"--a work which
aimed at the papal evils of that time. ..." J.
Hoefle "BROTHERS FROM EVERY VIEWPOINT"
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5th Trumpet
Rev. 9:1 And, the fifth
messenger, sounded; and I saw a star, out of heaven,
fallen unto the earth, and there was given unto him
the key of the shaft of the abyss.
2 And he opened the
shaft of the abyss; and there came up a smoke out of
the shaft, as the smoke of a great furnace, and the
sun and the air were darkened, by reason of the smoke
of the shaft.
3 And, out of the
smoke, came forth, locusts, upon the earth; and there
was given unto them licence, as the scorpions of the
earth have licence.
4 And it was bidden
them that they should not injure the herbage of the
earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree,-but only the
men who have not the seal of God upon their foreheads.
5 And it was given
unto them, that they should not slay them, but that
they should be tormented five months; and, the torture
of them, was as of a scorpion's torture, whensoever it
smiteth a man.
6 And, in those days,
shall men seek death, and in nowise shall find it, and
shall covet to die, and death fleeth from them.
7 And, the likenesses
of the locusts, were like unto horses prepared for
battle; and, upon their heads, as it were crowns, like
unto gold, and, their faces, were as the faces of men,
8 and, they had hair,
as the hair of women, and, their teeth, were, as of
lions,
9 and they had
breastplates as breastplates of iron, and, the sound
of their wings, was as the sound of chariots of many
horses, running into battle;
10 and they have tails
like unto scorpions, and stings, and, in their tails,
is their licence to injure men five months.
11 They have over
them, as king, the messenger of the abyss, whose name,
in Hebrew, is Abaddon "=Destroyer", and, in the Greek,
he hath for name, Destroyer.
12 The first, Woe,
hath passed away, lo! there come, yet, two, Woes,
after these things.
The air – The Greek word here is
used symbolically to represent government or
controlling power over the earth. R152:6
Rev. 9:1-2 A false star is referred to here who fell
- the pope. His having the key to the abyss is his
ability to speak ex cathedra any and all things
false = the black smoke of confusion that is the
papal decretals and decrees. The true saints were
thrust into a furnace of affliction during these
Crusades and Inquisitions, during which time the
light of the true gospel was hard to see. rcb
Rev. 9:3
"We offer the true
interpretation of the "locusts" of Rev, 9:3 as
describing the diabolic teaching of indulgences (a
devastating 'pest' in every respect) which
flourished during the symbolic five months --150
symbolic days, actually 150 years -of Rev.
9:5. The practice of indulgences appeared during
the Crusades--innocently enough promising
'indulgence' to all who offered their service in
the crusading armies attempting to wrest the Holy
Land from the "Terrible Turks." In time the
teaching was developed as an aid to fill the empty
coffers of the greedy money loving popes of
that time...
...seven angels to the seven churches," each of
which had a 'principal man' (a 'prince')--with two
'principal men' (or 'princes') in the Laodicean,
or seventh epoch. The 'principal man' during the
sounding of the fifth trumpet was Marsiglio, whose
specific ministry was from 1309 to 1328 A.D, His
ministry was climaxed in 1324 by the appearance of
his book "The Defender of the Peace"--a work which
aimed at the papal evils of that time. ...
If we add 150
years to 1328, we come to l478, when we find John
Wessel just beginning his ministry as the
'principal man' sounding the sixth trumpet. This
trumpet continued to sound for 391 years (See Rev.
9:15), until 1870 when That Servant began to sound
the seventh trumpet....John Wessel saw this clearly enough
(although we doubt he understood the correct
interpretation of Rev. 9). That faithful mouthpiece
of the Lord is rated by history as "the most
renowned scholar of his time--a man of rare
erudition--a reformer before the Reformation." He
aligned himself with the anti-papal party and
protested the growing paganizing of the Papacy,
contending that "Sin can be forgiven by none but
God." That battle cry of the sixth angel was hurled
forth by Martin Luther as a mighty thunder; and,
supplemented by others of his day, forced the Great
Reform Council of Trent to declare an end to
the abuse of indulgences in the year 1562. Thus, the
sting of the locusts began to subside in 1478
through the exposures of Wessel and others just
'five months' (l50 literal years) after the death of
Marsiglio--and was completely nullified by 1562."
"...when we consider the time setting when the
antitypical locusts of Rev. 9:3 made their
appearance. It occurred when "the fifth angel
sounded" (Rev. 9: 1). The "trumpet" of the
fifth angel had already completed its work by the
year l479-" J.
Hoefle "BROTHERS FROM EVERY VIEWPOINT"
Rev. 9:4 Grass – People. 1 Pet. 1:24
The Earth – Organized society
Green thing = converts?
According to the Tischendorf Notes "neither any
green thing" is not found in the Sinaitic MS.
Seal of God – Present Truth. Not Present (2023)
Truth but Present (Wycliffe's day) Truth.
In their
foreheads – Their intellects.
Rev. 9:5 slay=not
always literal - Romans
8:36 Even
as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the
day long; We were accounted as sheep for the
slaughter.
Rev. 9:6 death =
political death as nations under tyrannous restraint
sought national reformation but were thwarted. See
CTR HG77:6
Rev. 9:7
Locusts = Indulgences
Horses=doctrines
"as it were crowns" meaning not really crowns
"like unto gold"
"Gold" = divine nature. They were
imposters not authorized
by the true God
but a false church.
Rev. 9:8 "Hair"= long professions, explanations
"Women" = churches. These are false doctrinal
teaching using their "teeth as lions" meaning verbal
arguments with authority.
Rev. 9:9 "breastplates of iron" = authorized by Rome
[corroborates the iron legs of Nebuchadnezzar's
statue in Daniel.] This is a counter to the
"breastplate of righteousness" in Eph. 6:14 which
comes through Christ alone.
Rev. 9:10 Scorpions tails = the torturous after
effects of these events.
Rev. 9:11 Abaddon is the Pope.
Rev. 9:12 This was the first "woe trumpet." rcb
|
5th Bowl
of Wrath
Rev. 16:10 And the fifth
poured out the bowl of him on the throne of the
wild-beast. And became the kingdom of him darkened;
and they bit the tongues of themselves because of the
anguish,
11 and they blasphemed
the God of the heaven because of the pains of
themselves and because of the ulcers of themselves;
and not they reformed from the works of themselves.
In 1899 came the fifth “bowl” – that “poured out his
vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was
full of darkness (great portions of the beast’s
teachings were proven to be error, superstition and
tradition – the “precepts of men”); and they gnawed
their tongues for pain” (v. 10). It should not cause
much argument when we declare that Volume 5 was
Brother Russell’s masterpiece. His analysis of the
Holy Spirit, of Life Everlasting and Immortality, of
the Trinity, the Soul, of Sheol ‑ Hades ‑ Gehenna,
left his opponents “speechless.” Of a truth, “they
gnawed their tongues for pain.” So clear and
convincing were the presentations of the fifth
“bowl” that many segments of the secular press gave
it unstinted praise; although antitypical Saul and
the lesser lights “repented not” (v. 11) No. 351 "In Memoriam" Epiphany Bible
Students
Brother
Russell's 5th Volume "The Atonement Between God
and Man" included an unassailable treatise against
the doctrine of the trinity, the chief of the
creeds being the throne of the beast. This put the
lie to Romanism who had no answers ("naw their
tongues") against Pastor Russell's Scriptural
treatise on the subject. By refusing to accept the
falsehood of the trinity, they in a sense
"blaspheme God" because in the doctrine
of the trinity they keep insisting that Jesus is "God"
meaning equal to
the Heavenly Father, when it is the Most
High God who "anoints" the Son Jesus, (the greater
always anoints the lesser. Jesus said "My Father is
greater than I" John 14:28) rcb
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5th PARABLE
Matt 13:44 The kingdom of the
heavens is like unto, a treasure hid in the field,
which a man, finding, hid,- and, by reason of his joy,
withdraweth and selleth whatsoever he hath, and buyeth
that field.
TREASURE HID IN A FIELD
The desirability of obtaining joint-heirship with
Christ in his Millennial Kingdom, is pictured in the
parable of "the treasure hidden in the field." The
finder, realizing its value, desired it for himself
and had such faith in it that he disposed of all of
his property in order to buy that field, which he
believed to contain the precious treasure. Only
those who will appreciate the Gospel message will
gain its glorious promises. If we love the present
life with its joys and prospects, its hopes and
ambitions, then we will labor for these, but if we
intelligently hear and, by faith, believe the Gospel
offer of this age of a share with Christ in his
Millennial Kingdom, then in proportion to our faith
and appreciation will be our self-sacrificing zeal
to attain that prize. Whoever believes the message
of the Kingdom will find his faith an inspiration,
indeed a necessary inspiration, to the attainment of
the prize, for it will cost all that he has of
earthly blessings; and unless he has faith that he
will find the prize, he will surely be unwilling to
sacrifice all he has for it. The field belongs to
God. He has put the treasure there. He offers it for
sale to any willing to pay the price. The buyer is
the Lord and those who accept his invitation to join
with him in the sacrifice of their earthly interests
that they may be sharers with him in his heavenly
glories – in the work of the Millennial Age, to
unearth all that treasure in the blessing of the
world of mankind. R4636
The Lord's followers are to reckon that no sacrifice
is too great to attain the blessing; indeed, the
Kingdom can be attained at no less cost than the
surrender of all their earthly hopes and aims. HG439:1
Present Truth. Not Present (2023) Truth
but Present (Wycliffe's day) Truth.
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6th Seal
Rev. 6:12 And I saw, when he
opened the sixth seal, that a, great earthquake, took
place; and, the sun, became black as sackcloth of
hair, and, the full moon, became as blood,
13 and, the stars of
heaven, fell to the earth, as, a fig-tree, sheddeth
her winter figs, when, by a great wind, it is shaken,
14 and, the heaven,
was withdrawn, as a scroll rolling itself up, and,
every mountain and island, out of their places, were
shaken.
15 And, the kings of
the earth, and the great men, and the rulers of
thousands, and the rich, and the mighty, and every
bondman and freeman, hid themselves within the caves
and within the rocks of the mountains;
16 and they say, unto
the mountains and unto the rocks-Fall upon us, and
hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the
throne, and from the anger of the Lamb;
17 Because the great
day of their anger is come, and who is able to stand?
[Rotherham]
Rev. 6:12 The
French Revolution is the earthquake. It's
barbarism turned the teaching of religion black
with darkness of papacy's professions (hair) which
coincidentally created a villainous character out
of world Jewry, to whom their schemes always
attach blood libels and their subsequent
persecutions and pogroms. rcb
Symbolically, the creeds (the moon of the papal
heavens) have become repugnant, though still
hypocritically professed.
Symbolically, also the light of the Mosaic Law
(the moon of the true heavens) has been made to
appear evil by the claims of the clergy that the
typical sacrifices were bloody and barbaric.—
D590, 592
The first world war was the start of the tribulations as shown by Br Russell. It would have led to the full
establishment of the Kingdom was it not for God delaying it a little longer until some more events were
to occur as shown in chapter 7.
According to Bible chronology and the book of Daniel chapter 12, the time of the end started soon
after the French revolution in 1799 and during which time knowledge started to increase.
Whilst biblical knowledge was also increasing among faithful Christians, the worldly knowledge was
overtaking it causing a spiritual darkness that was shaking up religious institutions as shown in Rev
6:12-14
When WWI started in Europe, in the centre of Babylon’s and her daughters, it seemed that Br Russell
was right and the predicted end was coming.
In order to avoid this predicted end to occur, those nations turned to the mountains for help. One was
the US and it got involved with its allies in 1917, the war was won by the allies and the inevitable have
gotten delayed. That was what God had intended unbeknown to Br Russell who had passed away by
then. Frederick Delon "Revelation Chapter 6:12 through 7:3"
Rev. 6:13 Here the untimely figs and fig tree are
not natural Israel as depicted in Volume 7 "The
Finished Mystery" even though it is an inviting
solution. If we are to be consistent however, then
we are again referring to Christians as the symbolic
"synagogue of Satan who are affirming themselves to
be, Jews, and are not,- but say what is false". So
here we add the commentary from mostholyfaith.com
"We should notice that it is as
a fig tree casts her untimely figs. Natural Israel
(the fig tree) should have been ripe for harvest at
the time of the first advent. But instead of
supplying the full number of the body of Christ,
they proved unworthy and their untimely (unripe)
figs (fruitage) were cast out. – Just so in the
harvest of the Gospel Age for nominal spiritual
Israel."
Remaining
question, is it to be (paraphrasing)"as a fig tree
sheddeth her figs" or could it be instead "while
the fig tree sheddeth her figs"?
In which case
it can refer to premature Zionist hopes? However
since Zionism really ignited with Herzl in the
late 1800's I still believe this is a metaphor for
the fact that during this period just prior to
Jesus' return, it resembled the same thing that
occurred with natural Israel at His first advent,
they were simply unripe - unprepared to receive
Him. rcb
Rev. 6:14
Catholicism and Protestantism begin to unite in
1846 with the Ecumenical movement.
As their confusion increases, Catholicism and
Protestantism roll together for self-protection.
D258; R5349:4
They believe that in union there is strength.
R1947:6
The extremes of the ecclesiastical heavens, Catholic
and Protestant, will be drawn together. R4698:6
Rev. 6:15, figuratively describes that time of falling
of kingdoms when every mountain (kingdom) and island
shall be moved. The kings and chief ones as well as
bondmen will recognize in this trouble that "The great
day of his wrath is come," and will seek to be covered
and protected by the great mountains (kingdoms) of
earth, and to be hid in the great rocks of this world
(secret societies). But they shall not be able to
deliver them in the day of the Lord's anger, for all
the kingdoms of the world shall be thrown down, and
instead of these mountains (kingdoms) "the kingdom of
the Lord becomes a great mountain, and fills the whole
earth." Daniel 2:35,45. R409
And the kings of the earth.— The aristocracy
And the great men.— The clergy. (Rev. 18:23,
comment.) Rendered "nobles" in Mark 6:21. See
Job. 12:2; Isa. 9:15.
[And the rich men,]
and the chief captains,
AND THE RICH MEN.—
The high military
officers.
Rendered "high
captains" in Mark 6:21. The
magnates and
financiers.
And the mighty men.—
The labor organizers.
And every bondman.—
Member of a labor
organization.
And every free
man.— Other worker (if not a
bond-slave of
Christ).
"The Finished Mystery"
122
Hid themselves in the dens.— See Isa. 2:19-21.
And in the rocks of the mountains.— "As the
trouble increases, men will seek, but in vain, for
protection in the great rocks and fortresses of
society (Free Masonry, Odd Fellowship, and
Trades Unions, Guilds, Trusts, and all societies
secular and ecclesiastical), and in the mountains
(governments) of earth."— B139;
Jer. 3:23; Hos.
10:8.
Revelation
6:16
And said to the mountains and rocks,
Fall on us. -"The Greek word epi, here used, is
generally translated on, but has also the
significance of over (Rev. 5:10) and about, and is
so translated many times in the common
version. The thought is that of
protection, not of
destruction. The common view of this
passage,
that it teaches that wicked men will
get faith
enough to pray for literal mountains
to fall, is
absurd. The real fulfillment is
already beginning:
the great, the rich, and no less the
poor, are
seeking to the mountains and rocks
and caves for
shelter from the darkening storm of
trouble
which all see is gathering."— B139;
Hos. 10:8;
Hab. 3:6.
“The heavens (the present religious systems) shall be
rolled together as a scroll: and all their host
shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the
vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.” (Isa.
34:4) The end of all this is graphically set forth in
Rev. 6:14: “The heaven departed as a scroll when it is
rolled together; and every mountain (powerful absolute
monarchies) and island (republics and lenient
governments) were moved out of their places” – of
which we have seen so much since the collapse of the
powerful Czarist regime in Russia in 1917.
J
Hoefle 163 Retrospect-and-prospect
Day of his wrath – "The seven last plagues; for in
them is filled up the wrath of God." Rev. 15:1
Rev. 6:17 Because Satan knew
that Jesus' Kingdom was about to come, and helped his
schemers
and planners, demons with corporations to somehow
avoid (if it were possible) Christ's "Day
of Wrath" "Day
of Judgement"= 1914 Today we find the large demonic
plan had it's beginnings in the days of Rockefeller
and J.P. Morgan et. al.
For MORE on this please see the Revelation
13 study by Martin Reuter and Roman Wigienka.
rcb
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6th Stage
Philadelphia
1479 AD to 1874 AD
Sixth
Messenger "Stars"
- John Wessel
- Jerome Savonarola
- Martin Luther
- Ulrich Zwingli
- Balthazer Hubmaier
- Michael Servetus
- John Wesley
- Thomas Cranmer
- Robert Browne
- George Fox
- Thomas Campbell
- Barton W. Stone
- William Miller
Rev.
3:7 And, unto the
messenger of the assembly, in Philadelphia,
write:-These things, saith he that is holy, he that is
true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth
and no one shall shut, and shutteth and no one
openeth:
8 I know thy
works,-lo! I have set before thee an open door, as to
which, no one, can shut it,-that thou hast, a little
strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied
my name.
9 Lo! I give them of
the synagogue of Satan, who are affirming themselves
to be, Jews, and are not,- but say what is false,-lo!
I will cause them, that they shall have come, and
shall bow down before thy feet, and shall get to know
that, I, loved thee.
10 Because thou didst
keep my word of endurance, I also, will keep thee out
of the hour of trial, which is about to come upon the
whole habitable world, to try them that dwell upon the
earth.
11 I come quickly:
hold fast that which thou hast, that, no one, take thy
crown.
12 He that overcometh,
I will make, him, a pillar in the sanctuary of my God,
and, outside, shall he in nowise go forth any more;
and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the
name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which
cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I will
write upon him my new name.
13 He that hath an
ear, let him hear what, the Spirit, is saying unto the
assemblies.
THE CONGREGATION IN PHILADELPHIA –
(Philadelphia meaning "love of a brother,"
indicating the strong brotherly love that prevailed
especially among persecuted Protestants during this
epoch) continued from 1479 to 1874.
J Hoefle "The Seven Stars"
Rev. 3:7,8 Joint heirship comes
to light the time when the door is still open to the
high calling.
Rev. 3:9 "Synagoge
of Satan" is those who claimed to be Christians
and are not. This was a key feature of this time
period. At the end of the time period it was
brother Russell who maintained that "the Ransom"
was the determining doctrine as to who was a true
Christian or not.
Rev. 3:10 "The
dark night in which no man can work" John 9:4 =
1914" rcb
Rev. 3:11
Invisibly in 1874
"Behold I come
as a thief" Rev. 16:15
Rev. 3:12-13
Special rewards of the little flock, the
firstborns. "Write upon" their characters =
stamped with the character of Christ. rcb
of interest:
1914
-360
=1554 AD
1914 is (was to be) the day of vengeance.
rcb
It will be of little consequence then that the
ecclesiastical heavens (the religious powers, Papal
and Protestant) will [D552] have rolled together as
a scroll. (Isa. 34:4; Rev. 6:14) The combined
religious power of Christendom will be utterly
futile against the rising tide of anarchy when the
dread crisis is reached. Before that great army "all
the host of heaven [the church nominal] shall be
dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together
as a scroll [the two great bodies which constitute
the ecclesiastical heavens; viz., Papacy and
Protestantism, as the two distinct ends of the
scroll are even now rapidly approaching each other,
rolling together, as we have shown]; and all their
host shall fall down [fall off, drop out; not all at
once, but gradually, yet rapidly] as the leaf
falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from
the fig tree" (Isa. 34:4); and finally these
"heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the
elements [of which they are composed] shall melt
with fervent heat." 2 Pet. 3:12 D551
|
6th Trumpet
Rev. 9:13 And, the sixth
messenger, sounded; and I heard one voice, from among
the horns of the altar of gold which is before God,
14 saying unto the
sixth messenger, who was holding the trumpet-Loose the
four messengers, who are bound at the great river
Euphrates.
15 And the four
messengers were loosed, who had been prepared for the
hour, and day, and month, and year, that they should
slay the third of men.
16 And, the number of
the armies of the horsemen, was twice ten thousand
times ten thousand-I heard the number of them.
17 And, thus, saw I
the horses in the vision,-and them who were sitting
upon them, having breastplates as of fire and hyacinth
and brimstone;-and, the heads of the horses, were as
heads of lions, and, out of their mouths, come forth
fire and smoke and brimstone:
18 by these three
plagues, were slain, the third part of mankind, by
reason of the fire and the smoke and the brimstone,
that proceedeth out of their mouths;
19 for, the licence of
the horses, is, in their mouth, and in their tails,
for, their tails, are like unto serpents, having
heads, and, with them, they injure.
20 And, the rest of
mankind who were not slain by these plagues, repented
not of the works of their hands,-that they should not
do homage unto the demons, nor unto the idols of gold
and of silver and of copper and of stone and of wood,
which can neither see nor hear nor walk;
21 Neither repented
they of their murders, or of their sorceries, or of
their lewdnesses, or of their thefts.
"An hour, and a day – 391 years, 15 days"
CT Russell HG78:1
Rev. 9:13 The golden altar – This is the golden or
incense altar in the holy. mhf.com
v. 9:14 This is
the voice of the prayers of the saints (past
martyrs) telling the angel (present martyrs) to
allow the judgement of Babylon to begin.
Crying out a
second time - parenthetical to Rev. 6:10 "And they
cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord,
holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our
blood on them that dwell on the earth? rcb
Another
thought based on a New Albany class study guess,
is that it is four individuals who were laboring
within the Catholic Church, each speaking out at
their appointed time. rcb
The return of our Lord is represented by the angel
coming down from heaven at the close
of the sixth trumpet period (Rev. 10:1) and setting
his foot upon (assuming control of) the
land and sea (classes) — the organized, civilized,
stable elements and the restless, lawless,
communistic, and anarchistic phases, respectively.
The latter’s being under his right foot
may indicate his use of this group as his “great
army.” (Joel 2:11) This scene recalls Dan.
12:1, where Michael stands up in another picture of
this. This event is followed almost
immediately, in 1878, by the close of the 360-year
“chronos” — translated “time” in Rev.
10:6 Ludlow Loomis
In R1094:2 Br. Russell mentions four reformers (not
necessarily as an application of this text) as
being: Knox, Melanchthon, Zwingli, Calvin. mhf.com
hour=15 days
day =1 year
month=30 years
year=360 years
slay= consecrate
third=that went over to protestantism
men=christians
The true application of
Rev. 9:15 requires exactly 391 years and 15 days as
the period of the prophecy's fulfillment. PSL
Johnson PT1940
To slay – Not torment merely, but death,
political death. CTR HG77:6
Euphrates – The people supporting the
system of Babylon. Q720:4
Rev. 9:16 Two hundred thousand thousand – 200
million. - OBSERVATION: This was the population of
Christendom around the time of the French
Revolution. mhf.com
This indicates that 200,000,000 would be involved in
Bible study in the years from 1799 til 1874 when our
Lord Jesus returned. Bro. Bob Jones "The Revelation
Decoded and Explained"
Rev. 9:17
"horses" are doctrines. "breastplate" of
"fire...brimstone" = destructive to the Papacy.
"Jacinth" is hard, protective and beautiful - the
Bible Truth. "heads of lions" meaning spoke
with authority as the "mouth" [or "mouthpieces" I Pet 4:11] of God.
rcb
Rev. 9:17 alternative: this refers to the eternal
torment doctrine threatened by the adherents of
protestantism. Bob Jones
"The Revelation Decoded and Explained"
Rev. 9:18 Many
Catholic converts resulted from this, "killed" by
the clear arguments of Scripture. rcb
Rev. 9:19 The serpent tail inflicted harm, but the
lion head brought death. Direct confrontation with
the head was soon considered by antagonists to be
inadvisable and to be
avoided at all cost.
The tail of a horse usually contains numerous
strands of long, somewhat wiry hair.
The tails in the vision were thicker than normal,
resembling a snake with its head presumably at the
bottom end of the tail. A free translation of this
portion of the text
might be rendered in two ways: (a) Each horse had
one serpent tail; therefore, the several horses had
several tails (one apiece). Or (b) each horse had a
cluster of snakes for
a tail; therefore, the several horses had several
(multi-serpent) tails. The last interpretation is
contextually superior.
240 Seven Seals and Seven Trumpets
The lion head of the horse represents early
Reformation doctrine, such as that proclaimed by
Luther and his contemporary associates.22 The work
began as a loud protest against religious tyranny
in doctrine and practice. But as time
progressed—symbolized by the hind or latter part of
the horse with its tail—a notable
change took place: That which before had been a
single wide breach in the world of
Catholicism now became splintered into several other
denominational sects, each with
its own head or spokesman. The lionlike roar and
teeth of the one head of each horse
were supplanted by the sinister quietness and the
softer hissing tongues of a multitudinous
serpent-headed tail. The lion head of each horse,
though an exceedingly dreadful
antagonist, was easier to identify and confront face
to face than the less outspoken—but more
numerous—subtle, evasive, and nonetheless deadly
foes later to arise.
Thus Papacy viewed the horse-doctrines under the
sixth trumpet.
In this light Papacy has, from time to time,
surveyed the progress and the effect of
the Reformation. Frank Shallieu "The Keys of
Revelation"
Rev. 9:20-21 "the rest of the men" = those spiritual
leaders remaining faithful to the papacy
|
6th Bowl
of Wrath
Rev. 16:12 And the sixth
poured out the bowl of himself on the river the great
Euphrates; and was dried up the water of it, so that
might be prepared the way of the kings of those from
risings of a sun.
13 And I saw out of
the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the
wild-beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet
spirits three unclean as frogs;
14 (they are for
spirits of demons working signs;) which go forth to
the kings of the habitable whole, to gather together
them for the war of the day of that of the great of
the God of the almighty.
15 (Lo, I come as a
thief; blessed the one watching, and keeping the
garments of himself, so that not naked he may walk,
and they may see the shame of him.)
16 And he gathered
together them into the place that being called in
Hebrew Armageddon.
Then came the sixth “bowl” early in this century,
which contained much less of controversial writings
than the previous five had done. In fact, its title
– “The New Creation” – is well in keeping with verse
12 – “that the way of the kings of the east might be
prepared”; its purpose was to instruct the true
church (kings of the east) in every good word and
work. It was the “law,” the better way, to every one
who is “of the truth.” And any one who knows and
faithfully abides by the teachings of Volume Six can
be assured of the best of present possibilities – “a
good and honest heart.”
No. 351 "In
Memoriam" Epiphany Bible Students
Another match between trumpets and bowls with the
focus on the river Euphrates. rcb
Euphrates – The people supporting the system of
Babylon. Q720:4
Continuing
with our view that the 7 bowls or bowls of wrath
are the Studies in the Scriptures series by Pastor
C.T. Russell, it is a beautiful comparison here
since volume 6 "The New Creation" was specifically
designed to help the footstep followers of the
feet class, those at the end of the Gospel age, to
become actual kings and priests, so this book was
so "that the way might
be prepared, of the kings who were from the rising
of the sun"=the gradual revealing of the sun of
righteousness at His second advent. After this
book was published, public support for papacy
lessened over time, drying up her symbolic
Euphrates river of followers and subsequent
revenues. rcb
Rev. 16:13-14
"Dragon"=civil power of Rome
The
dragon – Civil government, especially that which
once constituted civil Rome. R510:4; OV271:4
"Beast"=a mixture of religion with state = Roman
Catholic Church
The beast – Papacy. R510:4
"False Prophet" = united protestantism.
Three – The harmonious teaching in which these can
all unite is the dogmas of "the divine right of
kings," "the authority of the clergy," and the claim
that mankind is bound to submit to these and be
controlled by them. R510:4[R510:4]
[and "divine right of aristocracy"]
Rev. 16:14
The spirits of devils – Doctrines of devils--the
devil's theory relative to present evil governments.
R510:5[R510:9]
The spirit of revolution and anarchism in the world
is generating a boiling, seething, condition of
affairs. Q769:3
Working miracles – Working signs. R510:5
Spiritualism has not yet reached the climax of its
power. Its powers are to increase wonderfully.
R266:4
Unto the kings – Not only kings, but princes,
generals, also those termed financial kings and
merchant princes, and the great one among religious
teachers. R510:6
To gather them – The croaking of the frog spirits,
or doctrines, will gather the kings and princes,
financial, political, religious and industrial into
one great army. OV274:6; SM235:3
Ecclesiastical kings and princes will be gathered in
solid phalanx--Protestant and Catholic. Political
kings, financial kings and merchant princes will
join the same side. OV274:4; SM233:3
The nations of the earth are already gathered
together, associated by the modern methods of
communication--cables, wireless telegraphs, railways
and steamship lines. Q769:3
The gathering of the armies is plainly visible from
the standpoint of God's Word. B101
They do not realize, however, that they are coming
to Armageddon. OV274:4
To the battle – The general conflict between priest
and people, rulers and ruled, capital and labor.
R377:6
Organized capital on the one hand and organized
labor on the other are the two forces arrayed
against each other in deadly conflict. Q849:T
In proportion as men have aided error and wrong,
they have been battling against the new Ruler; and
in proportion as their tongues, pens and hands were
used to support the right and truth on any subject,
they have been fighting on the Lord's side. B141
Prophecy requires an evidently larger number of
wealthy Hebrews to be in Israel before the
Armageddon crisis. "Jacob's trouble" in the Holy
Land will come at the very close of Armageddon.
OV276:5; SM239:2
This battle is the seventh plague, and is a result
of the six plagues which precede it. R377:3
To war, the conflict between right and wrong. R510:6
The Millennium is preceded by the most terrible
judgments on the nations; but, in consequence of
these judgments, the people are turned to a pure
worship. HG18:5
Typified by Gideon's battle. NS240:6
Rev. 16:15 Our
Lord's thief like presence promised to be
upcoming = 1874 "keep his garments" = keeping
faith in Jesus, our robe of righteousness. rcb
Rev. 16:16 God will be represented by the great
Messiah. He will be on the side of the masses. "At
that time shall Michael stand up"--assume authority.
(Dan. 12:1) SM236:3
Gathered them together – The turmoil of speech and
the conflict between classes are hurrying us toward
the vortex of the great Armageddon. R5448:6
Warring political factions, militant suffragettes,
socialists, nihilists, anarchists, labor
organizations, capitalistic combinations, the
ecclesiastical system, all in opposition to each and
all; are rushing headlong to Armageddon. Q769:2
Armageddon – Symbolizing the great controversy
between truth and error, right and wrong, God and
mammon. Dii
Armageddon means mount of destruction; and this
describes what will be the result of their doctrine.
R510:6; Dii, xiii; OV268:2; 275:2; Q769:2; SM236:3
The Scriptures abound with allusions to Armageddon.
Our Lord calls it "great tribulation." (Matt.
24:21); Daniel describes it as "a time of trouble."
(Dan. 12:1) OV269:2
V. 16 "Armageddon" see
HERE for MORE CTR comments:
|
6th PARABLE
Pearl of Great Price
Matt 13:45 Again, the kingdom
of the heavens is, like, unto, a merchant, seeking
beautiful pearls,-
46 and, finding one
very precious pearl, departing, he at once sold all
things, whatsoever he had, and bought it.
THE PEARL OF
GREAT VALUE
Pearls
were much more in vogue in ancient times than now.
Pearl buyers traded in these gems and carried them
to the market, where they were highly estimated.
The parable represents one of these pearl
merchants as coming across the finest pearl he had
ever seen. He considered it so priceless that he
was quite rejoiced to sell or trade all of his
other pearls and property that he might become the
owner of that pearl.
This
parable represents the Gospel offer of a share
with Christ in his Kingdom as being superior to
all other propositions of the world. The honor of
the world, of name and fame, position and wealth,
are indeed desirable; as the Scriptures say, "A
good name is rather to be chosen than great
riches"; but when our eyes behold "the pearl of
great price," the Kingdom offer of joint-heirship
with our Lord Jesus in his heavenly glory and the
association with him in his work of blessing all
the families of the earth, we realize that this is
a priceless thing, worth more by far than all the
honors and dignities and pleasures of the world.
Those worthy to buy this pearl will gladly
exchange all earthly things therefor – even their
good name, and this will be necessary, as the
Master forewarned them, saying, "they shall say
all manner of evil against you falsely for my
sake; rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is
your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the
prophets who were before you." [R4637 : page
205] (Matthew
5:11,12). He that is not willing to have the
Kingdom at such a cost is not worthy of the
Kingdom. The Apostle has said, "Through much
tribulation must we enter the Kingdom" (Acts
14:22); and only those who willingly endure
such tribulations for righteousness' sake – for
the sake of the truth, in obedience to the
Heavenly calling – are overcomers. And only to the
"overcomers" has the Lord given "the exceeding
great and precious promises." "To him that
overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my
throne." – Rev.
3:21.
Pearl= the Kingdom offer of
joint-heirship
R4636
Again – This parable illustrates the process by
which his Kingdom is obtainable. R4535:6
Seeking – Seeking imperishable values of not
frittering away life and its opportunities;
seeking for the best things, and most valuable
things, temporal or spiritual. NS514:2
Goodly pearls – In ancient times the pearl
occupied the chief place among the jewels of
personal adornment. NS511:1
Those qualities and rewards, even of an earthly
kind, which would be enduring. NS514:5
All the other pearls--of being a great doctor, a
great artist, a great musician, a model
house-keeper, or something else--are trifling
and insignificant in comparison with this great
Pearl. Q428:4;
SM681:2
Luther's
"Justification By Faith" keynote doctrine of
the reformation. rcb
|
|
7th Seal
Rev. 8:1 And when he opened
the seal the seventh, was silence in the heaven about
half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven
messengers which, before God, do stand; and there were
given unto them seven trumpets.
3 And, another
messenger, came, and took his stand at the altar,
having a censer of gold: and there was given unto him
much incense, that he might give it unto the prayers
of all the saints, upon the altar of gold that is
before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the
incense went up, with the prayers of the saints, out of
the hand of the messenger before God.
5 And
the messenger at once took the censer, and filled it
from the fire of the altar, and cast unto the earth; and
there came to be thunderings, and voices, and
lightnings, and an earthquake.
TBA:
CTR commentary here...
Here we can commend the remarks that form the
conclusion of bro. Ludlow Loomis in his "Notes on
Revelation"
"Chapters
2 and 3, in the messages to the seven successive
stages of the church, Chapters 6 -
8:1, the opening of the seals, and the seven
trumpets in Chapters 8 - 11 show the early
church and the falling away and eventually the
destruction of the old order and
establishment of the everlasting kingdom of
righteousness.
The falling away and destruction of the old order
are likewise elaborated in chapters 12 - 20.
Chapters 20 - 22 show the establishment of the
kingdom of righteousness. Thus, though
most of its visions deal with the period of the
Gospel age followed by the Millennium, there
is a similarity of contrast to the whole Bible
narrative which starts with creation, as expressed
in A56:2, showing the fall of man, which follows the
account of his creation in perfection
in the first three chapters of Genesis, and the
restoration to everlasting righteousness and
life in the last three chapters of the Bible, which
are, of course, the last three chapters of
Revelation itself.
A56: This we do find: One plan, spirit, aim and
purpose pervades the entire book. Its
opening pages record the creation and fall of man;
its closing pages tell of man’s recovery
from that fall; and its intervening pages show the
successive steps of the plan of God for
the accomplishment of this purpose. The harmony, yet
contrast, of the first three and the
last three chapters of the Bible is striking. The
one describes the first creation, the other the
renewed or restored creation, with sin and its
penal-curse removed; the one shows Satan
and evil entering the world to deceive and destroy,
the other shows his work undone, the
destroyed ones restored, evil extinguished and Satan
destroyed; the one shows the
dominion lost by Adam, the other shows it restored
and forever established by Christ, and
God’s will done in earth as in heaven; the one shows
sin the producing cause of
degradation, shame and death, the other shows the
reward of righteousness to be glory,
honor and life.
The importance of this book is increasing as we
approach the end of the harvest period. The
signs of approaching fulfilment of its closing
features — the siftings among the Lord’s
followers, many of whom are off guard while drinking
of the water of truth (Cf. Judges 7:4-
7; the approach of a semblance of peace among the
Gentiles (Jer. 6:14; 1 Thes. 5:3) and soon
perhaps even in Israel too (Ezekiel 38:8, 11); Yet
the unrest among the Peoples and the
approaching union of churches (Rev. 13:15-17) —
alert the watchers, although some would
prefer to close their eyes and ears to these things
and write them off as fulfilled or perhaps
put them into the indefinite future. Ludlow Loomis in
his "Notes on Revelation"
|
7th Stage
Laodicea
1874-
star members
-
Charles T. Russell
-
Paul S.L. Johnson
Rev. 3:14 And, unto the
messenger of the assembly, in Laodicea, write:-These
things, saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness
the beginning of the creation of God:
15 I know thy
works;-that neither, cold, art thou, nor hot: I would
that, cold, thou hadst been, or hot.
16 Thus, because,
lukewarm, thou art, and neither hot nor cold, I am
about to vomit thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou
sayest, Rich, am I, and have become enriched, and, of
nothing, have I need, and knowest not that, thou, art
the wretched one, and pitiable, and destitute, and
blind, and naked,
18 I counsel thee to
buy of me, gold refined by fire, that thou mayest
become rich,-and white raiment, that thou mayest array
thyself, and, the shame of thy nakedness, may not be
made manifest,-and eye-salve, to anoint thine eyes,
that thou mayest see.
19 I, as many as I
tenderly love, I convict and put under discipline: be
zealous, therefore, and repent.
20 Lo! I am standing
at the door, and knocking; if anyone shall hearken
unto my voice, and open the door, I will come in unto
him, and will sup with him, and, he, with, me.
21 He that overcometh,
I will give, unto him, to take his seat with me in my
throne, as, I also, overcame, and took my seat with my
Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an
ear, let him hear what, the Spirit, is saying unto the
assemblies.
And
unto the angel – The appropriate message
for each appropriate time or epoch in the Church's
experience would be sent by the Lord through a
particular star or messenger whom he would
particularly commission as his representative.
R3570:4, 2826:6
The number of Scriptures which speak of the Gospel
Church after being cast off from God's favor, and of
her rapid decline and fall are somewhat wonderful.
In Rev. 3:14 to 21, the whole picture is vividly
presented. The Lord is addressing the last phase of
the Church, the seventh. [We in common, with nearly
all expositors of the Apocalypse, understand the
seven Churches here addressed to represent seven
phases or conditions of the entire nominal Church,
from the days of the apostles to the end of the
Gospel age, in the order mentioned.] To this seventh
Church, Jesus says: "I know thy works," [the works
are greater far than the faith] "that thou art
neither cold nor hot; so, then, because thou art
lukewarm I will spew thee out of My mouth." What a
description this is of the present condition of her,
whom God calls "Babylon" – confusion – mixture –
lukewarm.
Babylon says she is "rich, increased in goods and
has need of nothing;" that she is in a more
prosperous condition than ever before, and she
boasts of fine churches, high steeples, eloquent
preachers, wealthy members, splendid music, large
salaries and worldly popularity, and knows not that
she is "poor and miserable and blind," (stumbling
over present truths) and remembers not that her
worldly popularity is an evidence of her disfavor
with the Bridegroom. "For the friendship of the
world is enmity against God." She is therefore given
up, as was the fleshly house – she is "spewed out of
His mouth." She has been His mouthpiece, and through
her He has spoken to the world, but it shall be so
no longer. "The voice of the Bridegroom and the
Bride shall be heard no more at all in thee." Rev.
18:23... R177:1
The church in the end of the Gospel age. R4870:2,
5651:5
This message is sent particularly to those who
profess Christ's name, but deny the truth which he
himself here presents. R5993:5
"the
beginning of the creation of God"-
Jehovah's Logos, his Only Begotten Son. R2408:5,
3861:5
The one first created. HG272:3
He was both the first created and the first or
highest in rank of the angels. As Archangel, he was
pre-eminent over all and the life-giver to "all
creation." R1063:6*, 1060:4, 417:6, 164:2
He has been the agent of Jehovah in all that has
since been done. R369:5
The only being directly created by Jehovah. R5748:1,
1060:4
The Lord became the "only begotten son of God" at
the time of his creation. Q746:3
THE CONGREGATION IN LAODICEA – (Laodicea meaning
"justice for the people," in allusion to the
rebellion of the masses against the classes, which
speedily leads up to Armageddon). This period began
technically in 1874, still continues, and contained
only two "stars" – Brother Russell and Brother
Johnson, the same being also the seventh and eighth
principal men of Micah 5:5.
J Hoefle "The Seven Stars"
|
7th Trumpet
Rev. 10:7 but, in the days of
the sounding of the seventh messenger, as soon as he
is about to blow his trumpet, then shall have been
completed the sacred secret of God as he told the
good-news unto his own servants the prophets.
Rev. 11:15
And the seventh messenger sounded, and were voices great in the heaven,
saying: Became the kingdom of the world, of the Lord of us and of the
Anointed of him, and he will reign for the age of the ages.
16
And the twenty-four elders those in presence of the God sitting on the
thrones of themselves, fell on the faces of themselves, and worshipped
the God,
17
saying: We give thanks to thee, O Lord the God the almighty, the one
existing and who was, because thou hast taken the power of thee the
great, and reigned.
18
And the nations were angry, and came the wrath of thee, and the season
of the dead ones, to be judged and to give the reward to the
bond-servants of thee the prophets and to the holy ones and to those
fearing the name of thee the small ones and the great ones, and to
destroy those destroying the earth.
19
And was opened the temple of the God in the heaven, and was seen the
ark of the covenant of the Lord in the temple of him; and were
lightnings and voices and thunders and an earthquake and hail great.
The seventh trumpet covers the entire
period of the Millennial reign of Christ, as
indicated by the events which are to transpire
under it. (Rev. 11:15, 18) B149
Be finished – When
the Church is exalted, the mystery both of the
Church and God's plan will be finished. R194:4;
A87
Mystery is used in the same sense as the word
church. Thus the true and false churches are
called, "The mystery of God," and "The mystery of
iniquity." (Col. 1:27; 2 Thes. 2:7) R368:6
Not until the days of the voice or sounding of the
seventh trumpet--in the end or close of this
Gospel age and the dawn of the Millennial age.
R4452:5, 368:3; CR361:4; OV6:T
Not until the last seal was broken, did the scroll
fly wide open, permitting the "mystery of God" to
be fully disclosed. (Rev. 5:1) R2209:1, 2156:4
The due time for revealing to the Church the
divine plan respecting its participation with
Christ in the blessing of all the families of the
earth--"meat in due season." R2490:2
This is the very
time of the completion of the bride. Now there is
a little flock of 144,000 as of September 16,
1916. rcb
For our Pastor it was only six weeks later
he passed beyond the veil October 31, 1916,
"just as he is about to blow - then - shall have
been completed - what we think refers to the
church as the mystery finally revealed. rcb
|
7th Bowl
of Wrath
Rev. 16:17 And the seventh
poured out the bowl of himself on the air; and came
forth a voice great from the temple of the heaven,
from the throne, saying: It has been done.
18 And were lightnings
and voices and thunders, and an earthquake was great,
such not was from of which the men were on the earth,
so great an earthquake so great.
19 And was the city
the great into three parts, and the cities of the
nations feel; and Babylon the great was remembered
before the God, to give to her the cup of the wine of
the wrath of the anger of himself;
20 and every island
fled away, and mountains not were found,
21 and hail great as
if weighing a talent comes down out of the heaven on
the men; and blasphemed the men the God on account of
the plague of the hail, because great is the plague of
her exceedingly.
Rev. 17:1 And
came one of the seven messengers of those having the
seven bowls, and spoke with me, saying: Come hither, I
will show to thee the judgment of the harlot the
great, of that sitting on the waters the many;
2 with whom committed
fornication the kings of the earth, and were made
drunk those inhabiting the earth with the wine of the
fornication of her.
3 And he carried away
me into a desert in spirit; and I saw a woman sitting
on a wild beast scarlet, being full of names of
blasphemy, having heads seven and horns ten.
4 And the woman was
having clothed purple and scarlet, and having been
gilded with gold and a stone precious and pearls
having golden a cup in the hand of herself being full
of abomination, and the uncleannesses of the
fornication of herself,
5 and on the forehead
of herself a name having been written: Mystery:
Babylon the great, the mother of the harlots and of
the abominations of the earth.
6 And I saw the woman
drunken with the blood of the holy ones, and with the
blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And I wondered,
having seen her a wonder great. [Wilson's Emphatic
Diaglott]
The seventh vial – titled “The
Finished Mystery” – did not appear until 1917;
and, as Brother Johnson so aptly stated, it
appeared in a vile condition. It had been produced
by uncleansed Levites – a “rush” production, at
the urging of That Evil Servant in this haste to
“eat and drink with the drunken” (Levites drunken
with error). However, as the seventh “bowl” (its
controversial features), there was not too much
fault to be found with it, the reason for this
being that the “bowl” portions of “The Finished
Mystery” were almost completely paraphrase or
exact quotation from the Star Member. It was the
injection of their own ideas into what should have
been a priestly production that brought those
uncleansed Levites eventually to Atlanta Federal
Penitentiary. They had run ahead of the Lord to
publish the seventh vial; had published it in a
vile condition; and the Lord rewarded them
“according to their works” – by reducing them to
durance vile (prison). In fact, the expression in
verse 6 regarding Vol. 3 is also emphatically
pertinent here: “Thou gavest them also blood to
drink (revulsive error); they deserve it.” (Rev.
16:6, Dia.)
It would seem in order here to declare that the
“seventh bowl” not only plagued Big Babylon, but
is also produced a severe contagion right in the
backyard of those who had Published it: ecclesias
in many quarters were split right down the middle
over the book; it was made a test of fellowship
near and far, It was not enough just to keep quiet
if you did not believe all of it; you must openly
espouse it. At that time we ourselves were ejected
from the colporteur work because we did not offer
it for sale, although we were offering the other
six volumes to the public.
No. 351 "In Memoriam" Epiphany Bible
Students
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7th PARABLE
The Drag Net
Matt 13:47 Again, the kingdom
of the heavens is like unto, a large drag-net, cast
into the sea and gathering of every kind,-
48 which,
when it was filled, they dragged up on the beach, and,
sitting down, collected the good into vessels, but,
the worthless, forth they cast.
49 So,
will it be in the conclusion of the age: The
messengers will come forth, and separate the wicked
from among the righteous;
50 and
will cast them into the furnace of fire: there, will
be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
This parable is applicable to the close of the
Gospel age. C213
Is like unto – Not like a net;
but the embryo Kingdom resembles a fishing
experience with a net. R5048:2
A net – The Gospel message. R4637:1
Representing the nominal church of this present
time. HG438:6
That was cast – First cast at
Pentecost, and from then to the present harvest
time it has been gathering in all sorts of fish,
together constituting the great nominal Gospel
church. R1716:1,
920:1
Into the sea – The world. C214
And gathered – "I will make you
fishers of men." (Matt. 4:19) C214;
R5555:2
Of every kind – Real Christians,
half-deceived and deluded Christians, and
multitudes of hypocrites. C214
They – The fishermen, the Lord's
people. C214;
R5555:1
Drew to shore – Withdrew the
invitation to a place in the Kingdom. C214
Sat down – Not to dive again
into the sea, either with net or hook and line, to
gather more fish. R920:2
And gathered – Separated,
divided. C214;
D600
"Come out of her, my people." (Rev. 18:4) D601
The catching and the sorting are two parts of the
one grand work of making ready a people prepared
for the Lord, corresponding to the works of the
sower and the reaper. R1716:4
Into vessels – The special work
of harvest is the gathering of the good fish into
safety, rather than to catch more fish. R1716:4
Cast the bad away – As
unsuitable for a place in the Kingdom. C214;
R5555:1, 2, 4637:1
Corresponds with the tares of Matt. 13:30. The
unsuitable fish in the net are all church members.
The unprofessing world are not represented in the
parable at all. R5048:5
End of the world – The end of
this age, a sifting and separating time. R4637:1;
C214
"The harvest is the end of the age." (Matt. 13:39)
C214
When the Lord shall have gathered the foreordained
number of the elect Church. R5048:4
The wicked – But some of the
true children of God will also be rejected and get
into the wailing and gnashing of teeth condition
because they have assimilated with the
worldly-minded. R920:5
[R1000]
Furnace of fire – The great time
of trouble. R5048:5[R5048:5], 4637:1[4637:1]
Gnashing of teeth – "Gnawing
their tongues in pain." (Rev. 16:10) R920:5
[R1000]
Symbolically expressing the vexation and anger of
those in whom the truth only awakens a spirit of
opposition and hatred. R920:4
[R1000]
See comments on Matt.
13:42
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Rev. 8:8 And, the voice which I
had heard out of heaven, I again heard talking with me;
and saying-Go take the opened scroll, that is in the
hand of the messenger who is standing upon the sea and
upon the land.
9 And I went away unto
the messenger, asking him to give me the little scroll;
and he saith unto me- Take it, and eat it up; and it
shall embitter thy belly, but, in thy mouth, shall be
sweet as honey.
10 And I took the little
scroll out of the hand of the messenger, and did eat it
up; and it was, in my mouth, as honey, sweet, and, when
I had eaten it, embittered was my belly.
11 And they say unto
me-It behoveth thee again to prophesy against peoples
and nations and tongues, and many kings.
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More on 7 bowls of wrath
"A
VOICE OUT OF THE TEMPLE"
The caption for this treatise is taken from Rev.
16:1, the real thought of which would be better
expressed by “A voice out of the Tabernacle.” To
substantiate this conclusion it becomes necessary
first of all to offer an analysis of Brother
Russell’s Stewardship Doctrine, which we believe to
be:
A correct understanding of the Atonement as
portrayed in Leviticus 16, the central teaching of
which is Restitution.
It should be noted that those Star Members who
received special stewardship doctrines received them
early in their ministry; quite often those doctrines
were the cause of their leaving the religious group
with whom they had been associated; and it was the
teaching that provided stimulus throughout their
entire ministry. For instance, Martin Luther was
motivated by Romans 5:1 to break with the Catholic
Church, because this text was a direct contradiction
of the Catholic belief in justification by works, as
opposed to St. Paul’s clear statement that it is
justification by faith that brings “peace with God.”
Luther’s primary objection, of course, was the sale
of indulgences, the elimination of which he believed
would at least start a cleansing of the Roman
system; but it soon became clear to him – after his
expulsion from that Church – that it was simply a
surface malady, fed and encouraged by justification
by works. Thus, his “justification by faith” almost
automatically and very quickly became the
antithesis of indulgences and their underlying
evils.
While the doctrine of Restitution was not directly
responsible for Bro. Russell’s leaving his
“orthodox” surroundings, it was indeed indirectly
responsible for his doing so. His very vitals
rebelled at the teaching of eternal torment for the
unsaved world; and this revulsion – much the same as
Luther’s experiences with indulgences in turn drove
him toward the proper explanation, which he received
when the Atonement Day ritual was made clear to
him in type and antitype. That the doctrine of
Restitution sparked Brother Russell’s entire
ministry after receiving this Truth surely none will
dispute. It is probable he never delivered a public
discourse thereafter in which Restitution did not
have a large and prominent place. And those who
witnessed the Photo Drama will recall the
oft–repeated expressions: “India needs Restitution;
China needs Restitution,” etc., etc. We know, too,
that his favorite Scripture was John 3:16, 17, the
mainspring of which is also Restitution – “For God
so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.” And early in his
ministry he urged the Pilgrims and the Bethel
speakers to stress Restitution in their public
discourses, as he himself also did.
To
avoid argument, it should be here stated that
Brother Russell taught all the stewardship doctrines
of the past, in addition to Restitution, although he
had to remove many a rough spot from those doctrines
– taints, impurities and distortions that had been
attached to them by the crown–lost leaders of the
past. When the Harvest arrived, the time also
arrived to restore “the faith once delivered to the
Saints” (Jude 3), so that the “Harp of God” would
once more be attuned to its pristine harmonious
melody. This Brother Russell accomplished with all
the skill of the master artisan!
OCTOBER
1, 1968
NO. 160: "A VOICE OUT OF THE TEMPLE"
by Epiphany Bible Students
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8th PARABLE
The Householder
Matt 13:51 Have ye understood
all these things? They say unto him, Yea!
52 And,
he, said unto them-Wherefore, every scribe, discipled
unto the kingdom of the heavens, is like unto a
householder, who putteth forth out of his treasure,
things new and old. |
Before Herzl, There Was Pastor Russell: A Neglected Chapter of Zionism
