The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

third of the creatures in the sea being destroyed, we explained as representing that
proportion of the sea class becoming absorbed in the new professed Papal Christian
civilization that followed. This feature of the second plague symbol we explain the same,
only that when fully completed, all of the sea class--"those in the sea"--will become
absorbed in the new order, the new heavens and new earth condition in which "there will
be no sea." (Rev. 21:1.) In other words, this second plague is designed to teach that the
dreadful conditions brought about by this great judgment plague will finally result for
good in that the irreligious masses of mankind will be brought to acknowledge the
righteousness of God's claims to their homage and worship. This recognition will be in
connection with the full establishment of God's Kingdom over mankind, as we read, "For
all nations shall come and worship before Thee, because Thy judgments are made manifest";
these judgments being symbolized by the "seven last plagues." (Rev. 15:4.) We have
already noted that these seven last plagues are designed "to rid the world of every form of
evil and wrong, . . . to cause the ending of the present reign of evil, and a necessary
preparation for the reign of righteousness."
It will be seen that the second plague has special reference to no other but the "sea" class.
The period of time covered is the same as that of the first plague. In other words the great
unrest and disturbances caused by the discontent of the "sea" class, which conditions mark
the beginning of the second plague, commenced about the same time that the indications
of death began to be manifest in the Protestant religious systems--the image of the beast-these
death indications being symbolized by the appearance of the "ulcer" of the first
plague on the worshipers. The two visions are contemporaneous in their fulfillment and
increase in severity until their destructive work is completed.
The exposition we have given thus far of this second plague would be sufficient to cover
the explanation of the vision were it not for the particular statement that the sea became as,
or like the blood of a dead man. It would seem that there must be some special significance
attached to this expression, which is found only in this vision. To understand the
significance will require a careful examination, for we must discover the difference
between the blood of a dead man and that of a living man. Here again we are assisted by
Mr. Russell's very able presentation:
"To appreciate the trouble on this [sea] class we must study the symbol. Blood in a living
creature is full of vitality, but the blood of a dead person is the very reverse. After death,
the blood rapidly begins to separate into two parts--a watery liquid called serum, and a
more solid substance termed clot. As soon as this separation has been accomplished, the
clot begins to putrefy or corrupt. Applying this, we understand it to teach that a great and
thorough disintegration will occur in this large [irreligious] class of humanity, after which,
one element will rapidly corrupt and putrefy. Among the irreligious masses have been
numbered such noble specimens of humanity as Stephen Girard, George Peabody, and
Peter Cooper, besides many less notable, honestly skeptical souls. The result of the commingling of such with the masses
imparted a life principle and vitality. But reading this plague, we realize that a separation