Thunder is a striking emblem of war.* And seven shocks of thunder breaking at once must be a striking emblem of an unprecedented scene of wars. The import of this symbol was sealed up, till it should be fulfilled. Then it was no doubt to be understood. These seven thunders, we may apprehend, have been heard in the wars of our day, attending the rise of the Antichristian beast, and the formation of his horns. Our blessed Lord, when predicting his coming,† foretold that there should be wars and rumors of wars, which are but the beginning of sorrows; but the end, he says, is not by and by; or is not yet: As the Angel in this chapter swears, that the time is not yet, or immediately. These two passages, no doubt, relate to the same period and thing. And when the great events of the seven thunders, which must be viewed as opening a new era of affairs, commence, instead of introducing the events of the third woe, as some would, from the greatness and terrors of the scenes, naturally expect,

not be then long deferred. This chapter appears clearly to be a prediction of the rise of Antichrist. And it seems to imply, that the event should be attended with an expectation, which yet should prove incorrect, that the coming of Christ to finish the mystery of iniquity, and set up his millennial kingdom, is then opening upon the world. But this the Angel announces is not quite yet; but in the days of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. The tremendous scenes of judgment shall then be finished, as it were at once. But in the mean time the bitterness of the little book must be realized, in the successors of John being called to prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. It must be very interesting to ascertain the period of the events of this chapter. And we find for certainty, that it is a period intervening between the sixth and seventh trampets, or the second and third woes. It intervenes between the taking of Constantinople by the Turks, in 1453, and the destruction of Antichrist under the seventh trumpet. What then can these events be but the rise of Antichrist? This event appears perfectly to accord with the representation of the seven thunders. And how well do the bitter contents of the little book agree with the predictions of the trials of the Church under the reign of Antichrist? See scc. i, chap. iii.

*See Isa. xxix, 6.

+ Mat. xxiv, Mark xiii, Luke xxi.

the Angel announces, that the seventh trumpet is still future, that it shall not be quite yet; or shall not be long deferred. The great events of the seven thunders then, are not the seventh trumpet.

2. In verse 7, we learn, that at the beginning of the seventh trumpet, when the Angel shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished: precisely the same idea with that in chap. xvi, 17; where upon the pouring out of the seventh vial into the air, the great voice from the temple of Heaven announces, It is done. But surely if the mystery of the prosperity and triumphs of the enemies of God, is finished, in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, his beginning to sound must be at a later date, than the introduction of the period of the vials! It must be the same with the seventh vial; which does indeed finish the mystery of iniquity. If the beginning of the seventh Angel to sound, or the commencement of the third woe, be but the introduction of the period of the vials, how could the Angel of the covenant announce, that when the seventh Angel shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished? The assertion would be utterly untrue; as would the assertion in chap. xi, 15, upon the sounding of the seventh trumpet before noted, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ. Do not these Scriptures viewed in this connexion, demonstrate, that the seventh trumpet and the seventh vial, relate to the same event?

3. The seventh trumpet, we here learn, relates to the great event which God of old revealed to the prophets. But in the days of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. What great event of these last days did God of old abundantly reveal to his servants the prophets in Israel? The event of the seventh vial, the destruction of the final and mystical Babylon, to prepare the way for God's Israel to build their millennial Jerusalem, was abundantly revealed of old to God's servants the prophets. The battle of that great day was very much by them pre

dicted; as may be seen in the second and third sections in chapter iii of this Dissertation. And lest any should say that that event, so much predicted in the ancient prophets, comprises all the vials, as they have conceived that the seventh trumpet comprises them, we find the dreadful event restricted, in Rev. xvi, 14, to the seventh vial: To gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. What great day? That great day so well known, as abundantly revealed in the prophetic parts of the Word of God. This clause, applied to the seventh vial, forcibly implies, that this vial is that very event so abundantly predicted in the prophets, that God would gather the nations, and assemble the kingdoms, and pour out upon them his indignation, even all his fierce anger; and the whole earth should be devoured with the fire of his jealousy. And that he would destroy the sinners thereof out of it. The minor events of the preceding vials probably were not much known in the prophets of the Old Testament. But the dismal, decisive event of the seventh vial was well known in the writings of the ancient prophets. And the predictions of this event can by no means admit that the judgments of all the vials are included in that tremendous scene. For it is ever represented, not as a series of judgments, occupying some conturies; but as one decisive 'event: A day that burns as an oven: A gathering of the nations to the valley of decision: And a short work, which the Lord will make upon the earth. Surely then that event, declared to the ancient prophets, could not comprise all the vials. It comprised only the seventh; which is accordingly called, The battle of that great day of God Almighty; as being so well known in the prophets. Yet the passage in Rev. x, 6, under consideration, identifies the seventh trumpet with this very event in the prophets, which is to be fulfilled in the seventh vial; or shows their events to be one and the same. But in the days of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. Here then it appears decided, that the seventh trumpet does not comprise all the

vials; but only the seventh. Consequently the seventh trumpet and the seventh vial relate to one and the

same event.

The numerous predictions in the Old and New Tes taments, of the awful and universal destruction of the contending enemies of Christ, to prepare the way for his millennial kingdom on earth, evince, that the event will be of sufficient magnitude to fulfil the seventh trumpet, the third woe, the battle of that great day of God Almighty, and the seventh vial: Or, that these different representations may relate to this same event. Its extent and terrors will be such, that it is not to be esteemed strange, that in addition to its being called the seventh trumpet, it should be represented as the third woe, the battle of that great day of God Almighty, and the seventh vial. We do not imagine the third woe to be a different event from the seventh trumpet; nor the battle of that great day of God Almighty to be an event different from the seventh vial; although they are different representations. Why then should it be deemed improper to conclude, that the seventh trumpet and the seventh vial relate to the same event?

The supposition that the seventh trumpet includes all the vials, involves the subject in inexplicable difficulties. We must then say, according to the foregoing scheme of the vials, that the third woe commenced, or the seventh trumpet was blown, at the time of the reformation, early in the sixteenth century. Consequently, that the slaying and the resurrection of the witnesses, and the earthquake, (see Rev. xi, 7—15,) preceded that period. How then could the witnesses when they were slain, be said either to have finished, or even to be about to finish their testimony? And how could the Angel announce, (Rev. x, 5, 6,) But in the days of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets? Or how could the great voices in heaven, chap. xi, 15, announce, at some period before the reformation, or at that time, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ? For the kingdoms have

not yet become thus. And the commencement of the reformation was nearly three hundred years ago.

Or shall it be said the third woe commenced at the time of the revolution in France? and that the vials then began to be poured out? But can we exclude from the vials that regular series of fatal judgments upon the Papal see, which commenced at the time of the reformation, and which have been noted as fulfilling the four first vials? Have they not a most evident claim to be reckoned among the vials? Can it appear judicious to exclude them; and then to suppose (with a late author) that at least four of the vials were accomplished on France and her dependencies, in about twenty years? This appears too much to diminish the object of the vials. And has it not been shown, in section ii, chapte ii, in remarking upon the slaying of the witnesses, that no event took place antecedent to the French revolution, which can be viewed as answering to that representation?

It does appear indeed from every consideration, that the seventh trumpet is still future. For the way is not yet prepared for the kingdoms of this world to become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ. But is it probable that after all the fatal judgments inflicted on Papal Rome, the whole period of the vials is still future? This cannot be admitted. It follows then, that the seventh trumpet does not comprise all the period of the vials. It probably comprises only the seventh vial.

According to the foregoing scheme of the vials, we are yet under the second woe. Under this, six of the vials were to be accomplished. The sixth trumpet established the Ottoman empire. And this trumpet will close in the subversion of the same empire under the sixth vial. The existence of the Turkish government then, as it introduced, so it bounds the period of the second woe. The latter commenced, and will end with the former.

Four of the vials have been poured out. The effusion of the fifth has been introduced in our day; and now accomplishing, with tremendous roar, the judg