tinuously[1] for the acting of the agents, there described in their final conduct in the crisis; only, that it traces them downwards from the state of
- ↑ But the historical continuance is then not immediate; but from the state of things consequent on the position of the parties, more particularly the flight of the woman into the wilderness, the previous verses being merely to shew what had brought the parties into this condition, that the strength of the man-child was not at first put forth but taken out of the way,—then there was a process by which the heavens were first cleared; and then that by which, after its full heading up against Christ, apostate power was put down. The thing to be noted here, as to order, is, that the war seems to be before the powers of heaven were changed, with which the fifth, sixth, and seventh seals must be compared. I do not see that the owning of the saints, in the fifth, involves the changing of the heavens. The sixth seems, however, to do so; and if we are so to read it, this changing of the heavens is, according to Matthew and Mark, immediately after the tribulation connected with the abomination of desolation, and, according to Joel, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.
The order which these passages would involve, as to the final crisis, would be this:—The three seals after the first, the beginning of sorrows: during this period the faithful witnesses on earth were liable to be killed, and the Gospel of the kingdom was preached among the Gentiles.
The abomination of desolation is set up.
The two witnesses are slain.
A time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.
The dragon persecutes the woman.
The woman flees.—Those in Judea flee to the mountains.
The sixth seal opened: and, before the winds blow, the remnant are sealed, and the palm-bearing multitude on high seen clothed in white.
