The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

"And the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven."--Verse 13.
"The remnant," would refer to those left in the "great city"--Christendom. The knowledge
of the downfall of the French government and the Roman Catholic hierarchy existing in
France, became known all over Christendom, and the revolutionary sentiments which
caused this overflow were also spread far and near. The National Assembly passed a
resolution offering assistance to the people in other parts of Christendom to overthrow
their rulers, etc. All these things, we are told by the historian, caused fear and
consternation among the ruling classes and law-abiding ones, lest the revolution should
extend into their dominions and cause like disaster. The wars of Napoleon before he
became emperor were waged in behalf of the revolutionary government, France. His
successes in these wars contributed greatly to increase the fears among the ruling powers
of Christendom, both Roman Catholic and Protestant. There seemed to have been a
general recognition that these terrible events that were occurring in France were
indications of the Divine displeasure. Mr. Guinness has thus described the state of affairs
in Europe at this time:
"In the reign of Louis XVI came to its crisis a tremendous, unparalleled movement, which
put an end at once to absolute monarchy, aristocracy, and ecclesiastical power in France;
and which communicated to the neighboring nations in Europe, the shocks of revolution
and the fierce fires of democracy, together with an anti-ecclesiastical mania, that has never
since been allayed."
Concerning the expression, "They gave glory to the God of heaven," as expressed by Mr.
Barnes:
"It does not mean, necessarily, that they would repent, and become truly His friends, but
that there would be a prevailing impression that these changes were produced by His
power, and that His hand was in these things. This would be fulfilled if there should be a
general willingness among mankind to acknowledge God, or to recognize His hand in the
events referred to; if there should be a disposition extensively prevailing to regard the
witnesses as on the side of God, and to favor their cause as one of truth and righteousness;
and if these convulsions should so far change public sentiment as to produce an
impression that theirs was the cause of God."
That the Bible and those who have so nobly stood for its defense during and since the
Reformation period have in a marked manner come into public favor, that these have been
very generally recognized as the source of "liberty enlightening the world," cannot be
disputed by any; and herein there appears to be the substantial fulfillment of the words,
"They gave glory to the God of heaven." Surely a careful examination of the testimony of
the historian is all that would be required by the earnest and reverent student in order to
reach the conviction that the vision of the witnesses in sackcloth, their death, resurrection,
and ascension have been fulfilled in the events and transactions of the past four centuries.