The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

2. It was the priest's duty to keep this sacred fire burning continually.
3. It was also his duty to gather together the ashes that were mixed with the propitiatory
offering, as sacred things, and to lay them beside the altar.
4. It was further his duty after their accumulation to change his garments and carry the
ashes as sacred things outside the camp to a clean place.
Justice long deferred
In our effort to discover the significance of these things, let us not conclude that this
Revelation vision is the antitypical fulfillment of the Levitical transaction; rather, the
particular features mentioned are drawn from this typical service and are designed to
assist in understanding and applying this vision. Still further, we notice that the events
that will fulfill this altar symbol are very evidently associated with those described in Rev.
6:9-11--the souls crying under the altar, and the response. The connection between the two
visions will be readily seen as we briefly review the explanation of the vision of chapter
6:9-11. Referring in a general way to the significance of the cry, "How long, O Lord, holy
and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" we
have the words:
"This is a symbolical picture of Justice long deferred crying for vengeance, representing
those [God's saints] who are actually dead and know not anything, and cannot know
anything until the resurrection. The answer to this query before the seat of Justice is given.
We are told that it would be but a little while until others are similarly maltreated, and the
intimation is given that then [after a little while] the judgment will come which will
compensate for the whole."
It will be recalled that we interpreted this martyr cry to have had its fulfillment at the close
of the 1260 years of Papal ascendency over the saints, 1799. The connection between that
vision and the one under consideration is this: In this we are now considering, the time
had come to respond to that cry from under the altar of Divine Justice to bring vengeance
upon the persecuting systems, "the false vine of the earth." We would understand
therefore that this angel who came from the altar represents a distinct movement among
the Lord's consecrated under Christ--a movement which emphasizes these coming
judgments, declaring that the time to respond to this cry of the martyrs is at hand. The
feature of the vision described as the gathering together of the clusters of the vine of the
earth is now fulfilling before our eyes. The treading of the winepress is evidently an event
of the future. We quote from a noted commentator, explaining some of the particular
symbols of this altar angel:
"As to the angel that had to announce to the one just mentioned the precise moment for his
putting in the sickle of execution, . . . his description is remarkable both as being the one
'that had authority over the fire' (that is the altar fire), and as appearing to come forth
'from out of the altar.' He answered evidently . . . to those Levitical priests of the Jewish
earthly temple, whose office it was to keep the sacred fire ever burning on the altar, in