Chapter 14

This “thousand six hundred furlongs” is a great Apocalyptic puzzle. Is it a measure of territorial surface, a measure of length without breadth and depth; or is it such a measure of length, representative of a measure of time? It cannot be taken in the sense of territorial measure­ment, because this would require a continuous line of cavalry two hundred miles long; and whether in single file, or broadly massed, can­not be told. Such an exposition would not be reasonable; nor is there anything in the prophets to justify it.

The winepress of Divine wrath is trodden “without the City. ” That is, the fearful judgments to be manifested will not be confined to the Ten-Streeted Babylon, which is geographically bounded by the Rhine, the Danube, and the Euphrates, the English Channel, and the Atlantic. There are extensive regions beyond, or “without,” these limits, equally obnoxious to the “fierceness and wrath of Almighty God”.

17. “And another angel came out from the Nave, which is in the heaven, he having also a sharp sickle. 18. And another angel came out from the Altar, having power over the fire, and he shouted with a great outcry to him having the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and cut off the clusters of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.

14. “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sitting like to a Son of Man, having upon his head a gold­en stephan, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15. “And another angel came out of the nave, vociferating with a loud voice to him sitting upon the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap, because for thee hath arrived the hour of the reaping; for the harvest of the earth hath been ripened. 16.

“And I heard a voice from the heaven, saying to me, Write! Blessed the dead dying in the Lord from this time. Yea, saith the

Spirit, in order that they may take rest from their labors; and their works he goeth in aid of with them” — Verse 13.

“Here is the patience of the saints; here, they who keep the commandments of the Deity and the faith of Jesus” — Verse 12.

“And a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any one worship the Beast and his Image, and receive a sign upon his forehead, and upon his hand: 10. He also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of the Deity, which hath been prepared without mixture in the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.

“And another angel followed, saying, Fallen, fallen hath Babylon, the Great City, because she hath, made all nations drink of the wine of the raging of her fornication” — Verse 8.

“And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having aionian good news to proclaim to those who dwell upon the earth, even every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear the Deity, and give to him glory; for the Hour of his judgment hath arrived; and do homage to him who made the heaven, and the earth and sea and fountains of waters”.