Prefigured by Enoch's translation before the Flood came. Gen. v. 23, 24; Heb. xi. 5; Jude 14, 15. by Noah's safety within The Ark while the Flood overwhelmed the unbelieving world. (Gen. vi. 3—5.) Gen vii. 11—13, 16-18; viii. 4. by Joseph's "making himself known" to his brethren, in the early part of the third year (1 Cor. xv. 4), of the seven (Dan. ix. 27) years of famine; and their removal to Goshen, where their posterity subsequently escaped the Egyptian plagues, the types of the future literal trumpet and vial plagues. Gen. xlv. 4-7; xlvi. 34; Ex. viii. 22; ix. 4, 6, 26; x. 23; xii. 23-29. by the mysterious removal of Moses at the end of Israel's forty years in the wilderness, and five years before the dividing of the Promised Land and the reign of the Judges. (Deut. ii. 14; xxxiv; Josh. xiv. 7, 10; Rev. v. 10; xx. 4, 6.) A remarkable type of the removal of the "wise virgins," at the end of the forty years of the year-day sixth vial; and five years before Christ's descent on the Mount of Olives, visibly; and the final dividing of the Holy Land among the Jews (Ezek. xl.-xlviii.), and the millennial reign of the glorified saints as Judges. (1 Cor. vi. 2, 3; Rev. v. 10, xx, 4, 6; 2 Tim. ii. 12; Dan. vii. 22, 27.) Moses is also a saint of the resurrection: dead (Deut. xxxiv. 1—6), and raised from the dead (Jude 9; Luke ix. 30, 31); again to appear with Elijah, a saint of God who was translated without death; The Lord's "two witnesses " (according to His law's requirement, Deut. xvii. 6, xix. 15; Matt. xviii. 16, 19) of the great sin of the world in "killing the Prince of Life." (Acts iii. 15.) Luke ix. 30, 31; Rev. xi. 3—6. Another event of interest to the Church, in those last (seven) years of the Gentile dispensation, has a prefiguring in the escape of Lot out of Sodom,—which place he had chosen as a residence, for its fertile soil and luxuriance of earthly blessings (Gen. xiii. 10, 11); but in which, nevertheless, he had vexed his righteous soul when beholding the wickedness of its abandoned inhabitants (2 Pet. ii. 7-9). Lot's deliverance, as a brand plucked from the burning (1 Cor. iii. 15; Rev. iii. 17—19—21), appears like a foreshadowing of the flight of the Church into its wilderness hiding-place, provided by God (Rev. xii. 14). For the Lord himself had gone up, after speaking with Abraham,-the faithful, the "friend of God" (2 Chr. xx. 7; Isa. xli. 8; Jas. ii. 21-23; John xv. 14-16; Ps. 1. 5; Rev. iii. 10); and His two Angels only, entered Sodom on the edge of that last night. (Gen, xviii. 1-8, 16-20, 21-33; xix, 1.) Were these types of the Lord's "Two Witnesses" who shall prophesy "before the coming of that great and dreadful Day of the Lord,"-" the two olive-trees" which have fed the seven lamps in the Temple of God, "the law and the prophets" (Zech. iv. 2, 3, 11-14; Rev. xi. 4; Luke xvi. 31, xxiv. 27, 44, 45),-to be afterwards manifested to the world, in the persons of the Lawgiver and the Prophet of fire, when the Judgment shall be set and the books be opened? (Dan. vii. 10.) Mal. iv. 5, 6; Matt. xvii. 11; Deut. xvii. 6, xix. 15; Luke ix. 30, 31; Rev. xi. 3-6. Yet out of Sodom the reluctant Lot also was conducted by Angels (Matt. xxiv. 31); although not before the morning of that Day of Terror had already arisen upon the earth. Gen. xix. 1-3, 15, 16—23, 30. And many other Scriptures there are stored up by the good providence of The Lord and Saviour who is "The Head over all things to the Church " (Eph. i. 22), for the instruction and warning of those who obey the command, "Hear ye Him! for My Name is in Him!" (Ex. xxiii. 21; Matt. xvii. 5; John xvii. 5, 6; Heb. i. 3; Rev. xxi. 22, 23), in these present days of "distress of nations with perplexity," and in the coming days when "the sea and the waves" will "roar," in the "overturning" of revolutions (Ezek. xxi. 27); "men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth" (Luke xxi. 25, 26): "until He come whose right" the government of the earth and the nations "is." (Ezek. xxi. 27.) Among these Scripture facts and histories, "the translation of Enoch before the Deluge, prefigures the first, or ante-tribulation, translation ; and the translation of Elijah, after he had passed through the three and a half years' famine (1 Kings xvii. xviii.; 2 Kings ii.; Jas. v. 17, 18; Rev. xi. 6), typifies the second translation of the saints surviving after the three and a half years' Great Tribulation." Rev. iv. 2-11, v. 8—10, xiv. 1–5; — vii. 9—17, xiv. 12—16, xv. 2—4. And David, “a man after God's own heart" (1 Sam. xiii. 14; Acts xiii. 22, vii. 46), chosen and anointed secretly, while yet accounted little and despised among his brethren (1 Sam. xvi. 1—6, 7—11, 12, 13; xvii. 28), exhibits in his kingship a striking type of "The Kingdom and patience of Christ" (Rev. i. 9; Rom. viii. 17; 1 Pet. iv. 13; 2 Thes. iii. 5, margin). Like "the Nobleman Who went into a far country" (Luke xix. 11, 12), David waited for the crown to which Samuel had anointed him, until thẻ troubles of a previous reign should be accomplished (John v. 43; xiv, 30, 31; Acts iii. 14; John viii. 44; 1 John iii. 8; 2 Thes. ii. 8-12; Isa. lxvi. 4; Rev. xii. 9, 12, xiii. 2): the troubles created by the king who was chosen by the people, and given to them in judgment, because in choosing him they had rejected the Kingship of Jehovah. (1 Sam. viii. 5-18.) Then David reigned seven years in Hebron over his own people, before he was accepted by the entire country; as his glorious Son waits, and reigns over His Church, until He shall have "made His foes His footstool," and shall reign gloriously in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem (Ps. cx. 1, xlv. 6, 7, margin; viii. 6, 9; Heb. ii. 8; Isa. xxiv, 23), over His "purchased possession," over" things in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth." (Eph. i. 10-14; Phil. ii. 9—11; Col. i. 20.) 2 Sam i. 1; ii. 1—4, 8—11; iii, 1 ; v. 1–5; xv. 13–15, 17, 25—28—30; xvii. 22-24; xix. 9—15, (16—40), 41–43; (xx.); Acts iii. 19—23, 26; ii, 82-36; Phil. iii. 20. THE SEVEN EPISTLES TO THE CHURCHES Rev. ii. iii. LONG CONSIDERED AS Prophetic delineations of the leading features of the Church of Christ during seven successive periods of this dispensation: Are also probably delineations of seven different classes of Christians existent at the Lord's return. [See Tabular View of the structure of the Apocalypse in "Why I hope to see The Sign of The Son of Man in Heaven. A letter to a friend." London: J. and W. Rider, 14, Bartholomew Close.] THE CHURCH BEFORE WHICH IS SET AN OPEN DOOR. (Rev. iii. 7, 8; Matt. xxv. 10; Rev. iv. 1.) Rev. iii. 10. Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the Hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Luke xxi. 25, 26. As a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye! therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand [εμπρoσ0εv,—to stand accepted as objects of His complacent approbation. Eph. i. 6; Jude 24; Rev. vii. 9] before The Son of Man. 1 Thes. v. 2-4. For yourselves know perfectly that The Day of The Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction cometh upon them, -and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren! are not in darkness that That Day should overtake you as a thief. 1 Thes. i. 6-10. Ye became followers of us, and of The Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of The Holy Spirit, . in every place your faith toward God is spread abroad, [showing] how ye turned to God from idols to serve The Living and True God; and to wait for His Son from heaven Whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, Who delivered us from the wrath to come. THE THREE PRINCIPAL FEASTS OF THE LORD IN THEIR SEASONS. Lev. xxiii. 4. The Passover and Feast The Feast of Weeks, The Feast of Taber of unleavened Bread, or Harvest, after 50 days nacles, or in-gathering, when the sheaf, or hand- (Pentecost); when the-when both the "floor ful, is waved an offering" Bread of the firstto The Lord. Lev. xxiii. 5-12. Comp. Rev. xiv. 1-5; also xxi. 9-23, xxii. 1—5. fruits," two loaves baked Lev. xxiii. 15-17, 20. also xxii. 10-15, (corn) and the wine. press (vintage) have been gathered. The "rest," or "keeping of a Sabbath," into which the faithful servants"enter." Heb. iv. 9-11. Lev. xxiii. 7, 21. (2 Chr. viii. 9; Isa. lxi. 6; Rev. xxii. 3, 4.) SEALING OF THE "MAN-CHILD," OR "WISE VIRGINS." (Mystic Israel.) * During the Year-day fulfilment of the events of the Sixth Seal, and first Six Year-day Vials, 1792-4-1864-8. (From 1794 to 1815, the French Revolution.) From 1815 to 1866 the four Angels hold back the winds of havoc and desolation for 50 years during the sealing : Rev. vii. 1-3. And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another Angel ascending from the East, having the seal of The Living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, "Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads!" ... Rev. v. 9. And they sung a new song. "For Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy Blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” Acts xv. 14. Declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His Name. (xiii. 46: Matt. xvi. 16, 19; Acts ii. 14-40, x. xi.) Rev. ix. 13-15. (In its first, or Year-day fulfilment.) And the sixth Angel sounded, and I heard a Voice from the four horns of the Golden Altar which is before God, saying to the sixth Angel who had the trumpet, "Loose the four Angels who are bound in the great river Euphrates!" And the four Angels were loosed that were prepared at an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, to slay the third part of men. * Man-child (Rev. xii. 5.), the Firstfruits, the Church of the Firstborn (Jas. i. 18; Heb. xii. 23), called also "Virgins" (Rev. xiv. 4, 5; Matt. xxv. 1-10); signifying free from idolatries (2 Cor. xi. 2-4, observing the marginal correction in verse 4). |