him [Jude 22, 23], let him know, that he who converteth the sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death [that soul shall be his gain], and shall hide a multitude of sins. [Cover the multitude of that sinner's sins (1 Pet. iv. 8). Ye also ought to wash one another's feet. John xiii. 14.] THE TIME OF TROUBLE: OR, THE GREAT TRIBULATION OF THE LAST TIMES. (DURING THREE And a half years.) [Rev. xi. 2, 3; xii. 6, 14; xiii, 5; Dan. vii. 25; ix. 27; xii. 7 (xi. 33, many days).] ["Under the error and delusion, that is to exhibit extensive, longcontinued, and violent prevalence." Bengel.]* 2 Thess. ii. 4-9-12. [2 Pet. ii. 4, 5. Bringing in the Flood upon the world of the ungodly,not again a flood of water, but an "overflowing" scourge, Isa. xxviii. 18; viii. 7, 8; xxx. 27, 28; Dan. ix. 26; xi. 10, 22; a Great Tribulation, Matt. xxiv. 21, 29; Rev. vii. 14; of "summer" heat, Matt. xxiv. 32; which shall prepare the Harvest of that Corn of Wheat that bringeth forth much fruit (John xii. 24), and will ripen for destruction the evil fruit of the vine of the earth. Rev. xiv. 6-16, 17-20.] In the Lord put I my trust: Psalm xi. How say ye to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain?" For, lo! the wicked bend their bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string, That they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. * Bengel's interpretation has reference to the 1260 years of the Antichristian system, or Papal Apóstacy; not to the subsequent and final 1260 days of the Infidel Apostasy and Personal Antichrist. The description applies to both, except in regard to the "long" period of its" continuance." If the foundations ["of social order, the principles of justice"] be destroyed, what can the righteous do? ["Innocence then affords no protection, and society is hastening to dissolution."]-Paragraph Bible, Rel. Tract Society. The Lord is in His Holy Temple, The Lord's Throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous: But the wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth. Upon the wicked He shall reign snares, Fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest: For the Righteous Lord loveth righteousness: Ps. xii. Help, Lord for the godly man ceaseth; For the faithful fail from among the children of men. They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: With flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. And the tongue that speaketh proud things: Who have said, "With our tongue will we prevail; Our lips are our own: who is lord over us ?" "For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now will I arise," saith The Lord; "I will set him in safety, from him that puffeth at him [or, that panteth for it]." The words of the Lord are pure words [His sayings true, His promises certain]: As silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord! Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted. Isa. lvii. 1, 2. The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: And merciful men are taken away, None considering that the righteous is taken away from that which is evil. He shall enter into peace: They shall rest in their beds [divans, thrones], Each one walking in his uprightness. Nahum i. 7. (2 Tim. ii. 19.) The Lord is good, a Stronghold in the Day of Trouble: John x. 14 (Rev. xii. 7-12) 28. I am The Good Shepherd, and know My Sheep, And am known of Mine. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, Dan. xii. 1. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a Time of Trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in The Book. [Luke x. 20. But, rather, rejoice, because your names are written in heaven (comp. Jer. xvii. 13). Phil. iv. 3. . My fellowlabourers, whose names are in The Book of Life. Rev. iii. 5. He that overcometh, . I will not blot out his name out of The Book of Life, but I will Rev. xii. 5-17. And she [the "Woman" clothed with the sun. ] brought forth a Man-child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron and her Child was caught up unto God, and to his Throne. And the Woman fled into [towards] the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there 1260 days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon : [Jude 9; 1 Thes. iv. 16: this Archangel,-whether, or not, he be the only Archangel,-appears to be connected with the resurrection of the dead ] confess his name before My Father, and before His Angels. Rev. xiii. 8. All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him [the "beast"] whose names are not written in The Book of Life,-of The Lamb slain,-from the foundation of the world. Rev. xx. 12, 15. And the books were opened; and another Book was opened, which is The Book of Life: And whosoever was not found written in The Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Rev. xxi. 27. And there shall in no wise enter into it [The City] anything that defileth, . . : but they who are written in The Lamb's Book of Life.] and the Dragon fought, and his Angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great Dragon was cast out, that old Serpent [Gen. iii. 1,4], called the Devil and Satan, [The same "adversary named in Greek and Hebrew as resisting and harassing both Gentile and Jewish saints.] which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his Angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now [at the 7th Trumpet] is come salvation, and strength, and The Kingdom of our God, and the Power of His Christ: for the Accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by The Blood of The Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore, rejoice ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them! Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the Devil is come down to you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." [The 3rd Woe-xi. 14 — is now predicted finally: ch. xiii. xiv. it actually follows.] And when the Dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he per secuted the Woman which brought forth the Man-child. And to the Woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, ["Wilderness and west, are in Hebrew, connected by derivation. Bengel.] into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the Serpent. And the Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the Woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. And the earth helped the Woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the Dragon cast out of his mouth. And the Dragon was wroth with the Woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. |