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which plain the town of Megiddo was situated, and is understood to be the same place which in the Revelation is called Armageddon.

Ver. 13, 14. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe : come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, (or, concision, Phil. III. 2, or, threshing,) for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

The putting in of the sickle indicates their appointed destruction, and the repetition of the word "multitudes," as is obvious, the immense armies which will be assembled.

Revelation xvi. 16. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Isaiah XVII. 12-14. Woe to the multitude of many people, who make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty (or, many) waters! The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing (or, thistle down,) before the whirlwind. And behold at eventide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.

It would seem more than probable from the context that this portion of prophecy applies to the period in question, not only from the description which it affords, but because a sudden and apparently miraculous destruction is implied. Revelation XIV. 14-16. I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle and reap: for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

The Latin earth having filled up the measure of her iniquity, the Saviour while governing and protecting his peo

ple during this season of trouble, is so represented by his sitting on a white cloud; and is called upon by an angel, with a loud voice,-" coming out of the temple," ("as the representative of God's people,") to complete the overthrow of Papal domination. Their prayers are heard, and “the earth is reaped."

We think that where it is said, ver. 15, "the harvest of the earth is ripe," (or, dried,) it merely indicates the fall of the mystical Babylon, of which we have treated in a former Chapter; but the words, "fully ripe," ver. 18, seem to point to the battle of Armageddon; which is further distinguished as the execution of divine wrath, by another angel having, as the Son of man had, a sharp sickle; and who gathers the clusters, or assembled bodies, of the vine of the earth, the earthly church of Rome, embracing the various powers, despotic, idolatrous, and infidel, already alluded to, its entire and collective body, power, and influence, and casts it into the great winepress of the wrath of God; thus:

Ver. 17-20. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar who had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

The angel who came out from the altar and had power over fire, seems to be commissioned to execute the divine vengeance, now to be consummated, in answer to the prayers of the saints or martyrs "whose souls were seen" by

the prophet " under the altar, and who were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held," Rev. vI. 9. The entire extinction of these enemies of Christ is not effected in the Papal territories, but "without the city," in Palestine; yet this fatal overthrow is probably symbolized by the length or extent of those territories in Italy."*

Revelation XIX. 17-21. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come, and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, (ver. 14,) and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These were both cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

"An angel standing in the sun," or, as controlling these earthly powers, • • • "calleth the fowls to the great slaughter

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of Christ's enemies. These enemies are the beast and the false prophet,' the antichristian powers, civil and ecclesiastical, with their armies gathered together,' their adherents and followers combined and determined to support idolatry, and oppose all reformation. But the principals, as deserv

"Mr. Mede," says Bishop Newton, " ingeniously observes, that this is the measure of stato della chiesa, or the state of the Roman church, or St. Peter's patrimony, which reaching from the walls of Rome unto the River Po and the marshes of Verona, contains the space of 200 Italian miles, which make exactly 1600 furlongs,"

ing of the greatest punishments, are 'taken, and cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone:' and their followers are slain with the word of Christ,' the sword which proceedeth out of his mouth; and all the fowls are filled with their flesh;' their substance is seized for other persons and for other uses. In a word, the design of this sublime and figurative description is to show the downfal of Popery, and the triumph of Christianity: the true word of God will prevail over superstition and idolatry; all the powers of antichrist shall be completely subdued; and the religion of Rome. . . be totally destroyed."*

Revelation xvi. 17-21. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the 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 hail 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 exceedingly great..

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"The seventh vial is 'poured out into the air,' the seat of Satan's residence, who is emphatically styled, Eph. 11. 2, 'the prince of the power of the air,' and is represented, ver. 13, as the principal actor in these latter scenes; so that this last period will not only complete the ruin of the kingdom of the beast, but will also shake the kingdom of Satan every where. Upon the pouring out of this vial a solemn proclamation is made from the throne' of God himself. It is

* Bishop Newton's Dissertations.

done;' in the same sense as the angel before affirmed, x. 7, that in the days of the seventh trumpet the mystery of God should be finished. Of this vial, as indeed of all the former, the completion is gradual; the immediate effects and consequences are, voices, and thunders, and lightnings,” which describe the tumult, noise, confusion, and dismay of the hostile multitudes and their leaders during this tempest of God's wrath. There is also "a great earthquake," -literal, we doubt not, but it more especially implies the shaking of these kingdoms, and the distraction and total overthrow of their assembled armies.

It would appear that the territories of the monarchs engaged in this contest are divided into three parts, or factions; not effected, perhaps, on their former principles, but on such as are the natural result of a change so mighty; for their cities are fallen, and their national pride is humbled. Or, if we can admit that a remnant of their power may remain, and that they divide on their former principles, though so lately united; this will be finally for its utter extinction. Possibly the desolate condition of these countries may excite the ambition of some northern and eastern powers, who were not engaged in the conflict, to invade these kingdoms, and divide them accordingly. But in regard to this point, all our conjectures are shrouded in impenetrable obscurity. Some may imagine, indeed, that the prophecy does not pertain to this period, but to the previous fall of the mystical Babylon; but this is most improbable, for it immediately follows the 16th verse, which is relative to Armageddon, and is especially so, if taken in conjunction with the two preceding verses. However this may be, we find that "every island," or city, with its pertaining territories, has politically vanished, and "the mountains," or

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