The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

still as a plausible fiction of diplomacy, and that henceforth it had to shape its conduct in
accordance with the views of its neighbors, the Christian nations of Europe. It was a
compulsory sheathing of the sword of persecution, which had been relentlessly wielded
for over twelve centuries, a most marked era in the overthrow of Mohammedan power."
Does it not seem most clear that from this last date is to be reckoned the space of time
covered by the word "quickly" or "speedily"--"The third woe cometh speedily."
In the case of the seventh trumpet the same distinction should be made regarding the woe
and the trumpet. The seventh trumpet itself, and the events that occur during its sounding,
cover a long period--a thousand years, as we shall see; but the woe feature of this seventh
trumpet refers to those calamitous events that accomplish the complete overthrow of all
Christendom. They are referred to in the words of verse 18, "and Thy wrath is come." This
woe is very specially portrayed in chapter sixteen, and is called "the seven last plagues; for
in them is filled up the wrath of God."--Rev. 15:1.
Seventh trumpet announces transfer of earth's sovereignty
The first thing recorded in connection with the sounding of the seventh symbolic trumpet
is that of an announcement of the transfer of earth's sovereignty:
"And there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become
the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever."--Ver.
15.
The question most naturally arises, From whence, and from whom proceed these voices?
Mr. Barnes, Mr. Lord, and some others have interpreted the word heaven here to refer to
the heaven of God's presence, and they ascribe the voices to angels. Mr. Elliott's view,
however, appeals to us as being the true interpretation, although he speaks with some
hesitancy. He says:
"It does not appear clear, thus far [1860], whether these voices were from the heavenly
ones in the inmost part of the mystic temple; or, like other voices said [in other visions] to
sound in heaven also, from servants of God elevated into the political heaven of human
ascendancy and power. We may not improbably suppose the latter; and that they
proceeded from the witness or Protestant body, elevated into political ascendancy ere the
close of the former (sixth) trumpet."
It seems very evident that the "heaven" of this vision in which the voices were heard is not
the "new heaven" of Rev. 21:1, which represents the new spirit ruling order of God's future
Kingdom, nor the heaven of God's presence, but rather the present heaven--the present
ecclesiastical systems of the close of the Gospel Age. It is among these ecclesiastical
systems that these loud trumpet-voices will be heard.
An exposition of these words written in 1902 by Mr. Russell conveys the startling thought
that this feature of the vision has been meeting its fulfillment for some years past; and