were, they would answer, that they knew nothing about it? No, far from it. Man has never been so foolish on earth. But how much less could we imagine that any such thing could ever happen in heaven.

Let us, for a moment, conceive that we see these happy souls before the throne of God, and hear their charming music and their songs of victory. We step forward and inquire of one, what the beast is over which they have gained such a glorious victory. He turns and answers, "I do not know. I never examined that matter, and can give you no information about it." How astonished we would be!

Again the heavenly courts are filled with the glorious songs of salvation, the music sounds to the praise of God, and every soul is filled with heavenly joy. There is a short pause, and we ask another what image it is that they have. warred against and gained the victory over.

He replies: "Sir, I do not understand what you mean. I know that once I was a child of God, and that is sufficient; I want nothing more, and what more could I have? I have never troubled myself to look into those secret things which belong only to God. That is probably something you got from the Old Testament, and our preachers did not use that."

If it were possible that we could receive such an answer, would we not marvel greatly that mortal beings endowed with reason could sing in heaven before the throne of God, of something which they did not understand, and never had heard anything about?

Once more the heavenly arches are filled with song and music. The redeemed sing that they have gained a glorious victory over the mark of the beast and over the number of his name. They praise God because his righteous. judgments have been poured out upon those who would not heed the warning message of God in the last days, but

who worshiped the beast and his image, and received his mark. Every face is lighted up with heavenly joy. Peace and love radiate from every eye. They take off their crowns, and worship humbly before the throne of God.

Then we endeavor once more to get some information concerning this wonderful song of victory, and we ask one of the happy singers who seems to look more noble than the rest, if he can tell us what the mark was, over which they have gained the victory.

Let us suppose that he answers in a similar way: “My dear friend, I do not know what you are talking about. You are, no doubt, one of those foolish Adventists, who attempted to read and explain the prophecies, and thought to obtain light from God through them. We have never been so foolish. Our pastors never treated on such subjects, because they do not belong to salvation at all. Sects and heretics deal with such things. We have been saved because we belong to the true church, and once, without our own choice and consciousness, we were born again in baptism, through the proper ceremonies of a regularly ordained pastor, who was properly called and paid for by the State. Thus we became members of the true orthodox church, and after that time to the day of our death, our spiritual life was nourished by the Lord's supper."

Such scenes could not be enacted on earth, much less in heaven. If the children of God are to rejoice before the throne of God because they have "gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark,” then they must also have had a knowledge of the meaning of these things. They must have fought a spiritual warfare against these enemies of God while they lived on earth during the time of probation.

Away with a religious system which thus sets aside the word of God, and exalts men instead of God and his living word! Give heed to the plain testimonies of the divine

word. It teaches that a warning message will be proclaimed in the last days before the second coming of Christ. Many people reject it because they are filled with self-conceit and spiritual pride, but some will accept it. They gain the victory over the wicked demands of the beast and his image by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And as truly as God lives, and Jesus is the faithful and true Witness, his gracious word and glorious promise will also be fulfilled when he comes. Those who have gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark will stand on the sea of glass before the throne of God, and sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb to the glory of God.

95 Rev. 3 14.

95

CHAPTER VI.

WHE

THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES.

HEN the seven last plagues are poured out, the highpriestly work of Christ in the heavenly temple has ceased, for the temple is, filled with the glory of God, and no one is able to enter into the temple.1

These plagues fall before the second coming of Christ; because, when the sixth plague is falling, the Lord says: Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."2

The First, Second, and Third Plagues.

The first plague is a noisome and grievous sore which falls upon them that have the mark of the beast, and upon them which worship his image. The second plague falls upon the sea, and every living soul in the sea dies.3

The third plague turns the rivers and fountains into blood.' In like manner the water in the rivers was turned into blood during the first plague, when the ten plagues came upon Egypt and its inhabitants, in order that the Israelites might be delivered from their bondage."

Just as the Lord then brought out the people of the old covenant with a high hand and an outstretched arm, so likewise he will bring out the Israel of the new covenant in the great day of the Lord which is near and hasteth greatly. Just as Pharaoh and his host were thrown into

1 Rev. 15:5-8.

4 Rev. 16: 4.

2 Rev. 16: 15.

5 Ex. 7: 19.

3 Rev. 16: 2, 3.

the sea and covered by the mighty waters, so the enemies of the truth of God will perish. The enemies of the Lord sank as a stone to the bottom of the Red Sea, but the children of Israel were redeemed by the strength of God, and they praised God on the other shore with their song of victory. Thus God will also save his people from all their enemies, and they shall stand on the sea of glass and sing the praise of God.

If that which happened in the shadow and type was wonderful and important, how much more wonderful and important the reality itself must be, and how necessary that we consider the word of God carefully and study it diligently, praying always to God that it may be a living word in our hearts, and may be the means of our salvation.

The Fourth and Fifth Plagues.

The fourth angel pours out his vial upon the sun, and men are scorched with great heat, and blaspheme the name of God, yet they do not repent to give him glory, as they were told to do by the message, because the time of mercy is then passed.'

This plague is very clearly described by the prophet

"Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered." 8

The Lord withholds the rain, and the burning heat of the sun is so great that no seed can germinate. The barns are empty, and there is no food to put on the tables. The terrors of famine are upon the inhabitants of the earth; joy and gladness depart even from the house of God. All faces are turned into paleness; "it is even the time of 7 Rev. 16: 8, 9. 8 Joel 1: 15-17.

6 Ex. 1: 2, 10, 14.