great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away; and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great bail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great." This is the same, in this second general division, with the seventh trumpet, or third woe, in the close of the first. In this event, the different series of the trumpets, the woes, the vials, and the great periods of the Revelation, (antecedent to the Millennium,) meet. Here each of those series finds its ultimate number; and all strike in unison. And the way is thence prepared for the millennial Kingdom of Christ. See treatise on the seventh vial.* * It has been shown in the treatise on the fifth and seventh vials, that the judgment of the seventh vial, and that of the seventh trumpet, is one and the same. The seventh trumpet is a prediction of an event, in the first general division of the book; and the seventh vial, a prediction of the same event, in the second division. The judgment of the seventh trumpet is only "as God hath declared to his servants the prophets:" chap. x, 7. And the judgment of the seventh vial is "the battle of THAT great day of God Almighty;" alluding to the same predictions in the prophets. Both occupy the same period; and are predicted under the same figures. The old opinion, that as the seventh seal comprises all the trumpets; so the seventh trumpet, or third woe, must comprise all the vials, appears incapable of support; as is ascertained under the vials. The trumpets and the vials belong to different divisions, in the prophetic part of the Apocalypse. Each of these divisions has its arrangement peculiar to himself. The seventh trumpet closes the first division, and introduces the Millennium; precisely as the seventh vial closes the second division, and introduces the Millennium. The representation of the vials has no dependence on the seventh trumpet. The vials belong to a different system of arrangement. The old view of the subject, that the seventh trumpet contains all the vials, is attended with unanswerable objections and difficulties. There may seem, in the old opinion, a kind of mathematical nicety. But this is of no avail, when it is found incapable of being made to accord with the sacred Oracles. We must judge, not after the outward appearance, but judge righteous judg ment, comparing scripture with scripture. 11th. The seventeenth chapter relates to a still later period; or to the commencement of the fifth vial, toward the close of the 18th century. It presents a new and blasphemous Roman Beast, just risen from the bottomless pit. His heads and horns identify him with the Roman Beast. Yet he is not (as was the old Roman Beast,) from the "sea;" but from the infernal region. His origin is not of ancient, but of late date. He was, and is not, and yet is. He in a sense formerly existed. He for a long time had no actual existence. Yet he mystically existed. "The Beast that thou sawest was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition." He is mystically the Beast, that was, in his ancient Pagan form; but died of his wound in his Imperial head, in the revolution under Constantine. And in the last days ascends from the bottomless pit, just before he shall go into perdition, in the battle of that great day. He is mystically the old Imperial sixth head, healed of his deadly wound; and now symbolized by a new Beast. He is the eighth head of the Pagan Roman Beast, in numerical order. The ancient Imperial head was the sixth. The atheistical republican head was the seventh. And the new Imperial head the eighth. Yet the Roman Beast has really but seven heads of specific difference. This head in the last days therefore, is "of the seven:" or one of them. He is specifically the sixth, healed of his deadly wound. In one view he is a new Beast, directly from the infernal world. In another sense, he is the eighth head of the old Pagan Beast. And in a third sense, he is the sixth, the old Imperial head that was slain by Constantine, recovered to life. He has his ten horns, or vassal kingdoms. He is the executioner of the Papal harlot. He has her dressed out for execution, with her crimes written upon her forehead, after the manner of ancient Roman criminals, presented for execution. Her guilty characteristics are prominent upon her. She is mounted upon the Beast; and moving on to execution. The horns are goading her, as she passes. And they are to burn her with fire. What can this Beast be, but the enormous Power, which has risen in France? And what vial can it fulfil, but the fifth, poured upon the throne of the Papal Beast, and filling his kingdom with darkness? For the evidence of this, see the treatise on vial fifth in the second edition of the dissertation. And for the explanation of this chapter, see section 6th, chapter i, on the Roman, Papal, and Antichristian Beasts. The period of this scene, is from the revolution in France, A. D. 1789;-till the battle of the great day of God. 12th. The eighteenth chapter belongs to the same period with the scene just noted. It it a more full illustration of the descent of the angel of the covenant, in chapter tenth, before noted in the first general division. To enlarge upon the same event, in this second general division, the Angel is again represented as descending from heaven, and announcing, that Papal Babylon has indeed fallen; and has become the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird. The preceding scene presents the terrible instrument of the execution of Papal Babylon; and presents her on the way to execution. In this scene a description of the terrible event, as fulfilled is given. See explanation of this chapter, section 7th, chapter i, of the dissertation. 13th. The nineteenth chapter goes to a still later period;-the battle of the great day, and the introduction of the Millennium. The latter (as though to relieve the mind of the reader) is given first, under the emblem of the marriage of the Lamb. The battle, which precedes this blessed marriage of the Lamb, is thus described, in the last half of the chapter. An explanation is given of it in sec. 3d, chap. i, of this second edition; and in other parts of the dissertation. In describing the same events, in the close of the first general division, chap. xi, 15-19, the same method is adopted, of first noting the Millennium; and then the battle that precedes it. 14th. The twentieth chapter proceeds to describe the Millennium, under the view of the confinement of the devil to the bottomless pit, that he shall deceive the nations no more for a thousand years; and all the people of God, for this term, reigning on the earth. The dead, both martyrs, and all who escape the second death, are mystically represented as rising, and reigning. This is fulfilled, in the coming forward of bold, and zealous successors; as the resurrection of Elijah was fulfilled in John the Baptist. Christians are raised up in the spirit, zeal, and power of the martyrs, and deceased followers of Christ. The cause, in which the hearts of the mar tyrs and saints of past ages, were bound up, and in which they lived and died, revives and fills the world. The saints in heaven will see this event, and feel additional joy and glory. This is their mystical resurrection in this twentieth chapter, and then additional rewards noted in the corresponding passage in the first division, or in chap. xi, 18; "And that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants, the prophets; and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great." This twentieth chapter advances to events not noted in the preceding chapter; nor in the first gen. eral division. It predicts a second mystical resurrection, a resurrection of the wicked, in an apostacy toward the close of the thousand years. Gog and Magog (names under which Antichrist goes into perdition, in the battle preceding the Millennium) are raised again.* The last and a terrible scene of persecution follows Christ then comes to judgment. The dead are literally raised. All men are arraigned before him, judged, and awarded to bliss or woe. 15th. In the two last chapters, the scene unfolds the heavenly state, under the emblem of a vast city, the New Jerusalem. And the book closes with most sol. emn warnings to the world. 16th. In favor of the two general divisions of the prophetic part of the book, does any thing more need be said? The view of the contents of the chapters on the chart, evinces that the subject is thrown into these two grand divisions. The first division begins with the first century; and moves regularly on, through nearly two millenaries; and closes in the seventh trumpet or third woe, introductory to the Millennium, * See 11. page 300 of this book, This first general division has various subdivisions; as the seven seals; the seven trumpets; and the three woes. It moves forward through these, and closes in the battle of the great day, and the Millennium. These internal arrangements are such, as are, for the most part, peculiar to this first division; and show, that it is a part by itself. The first division admits of no reversion back to the period where it begins. moves directly forward, (only with two collateral scenes) to its close in the Millennium. It It The second division then commences, on a new scale of internal arrangement. It reverts to the period where the first division commences; and traverses the same ground, with subdivisions wholly new, excepting where the first division begins, and closes. gives events, which were either hinted, or implied in the first division, in more circumstantial description. Its uniform dualities of scenes, relating to the same periods, and the gradual advance of these scenes toward the end of the world, and into the future eternity, show it to be a new division, with arrangements peculiar to itself. This second division has five periods, with two synchronical scenes appropriated to each; as is seen upon the chart. And, with the first division, it has its septenary, or series of seven, the seven vials. These are on a new scale, and different from any septenary of the first division. I shall then rest on the evidence that these two divisions of the prophetic part of the Revelation, are founded in reality. And much aid is hence furnished in explaining this enigmatical book. 17th. The following things appear evident, relative to periods, in these two general divisions. The first division has its septenary of trumpets, which closes in the decisive judgments introductory to the Millennium. The second division has its septenary of vials, which closes in the same judgment. The first division has its septenary of seals; the last of which contains the seven trumpets. And beside these septenaries, both divisions unitedly contain a septenary of notable periods, |