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The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 4
Sabbath was blotted out. Romanism had enjoined image worship;
now divine honors were paid to the vilest objects. The work which
the papacy had begun, atheism completed. The one withheld from
the people the truths of the Bible; the other taught them to reject
both the Bible and its Author. The seed sown by priests and prelates
was yielding its evil fruit.
Terrible indeed was the condition of infidel France. The word
of truth lay dead in her streets, and those who hated the restrictions
and requirements of God’s law were jubilant. But transgression and
rebellion were followed by the sure result. Unhappy France reaped
in blood the harvest she had sown. The war against the Bible and the
law of God banished peace and happiness from the hearts and homes
of men. No one was secure: he who triumphed today was suspected,
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condemned, tomorrow. Violence and terror reigned supreme. The
land was filled with crimes too horrible for pen to trace.
God’s faithful witnesses were not long to remain silent. “The
Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their
feet, and great fear fell upon them which saw them.” [
Revelation
11:11
.] The world stood aghast at the enormity of guilt which had
resulted from a rejection of the Sacred Oracles, and men were glad
to return once more to faith in God and his word.
Concerning the two witnesses the prophet declares further, “And
they heard a great voice from Heaven saying unto them, Come up
hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies
beheld them.” [
Revelation 11:12
.] Since the French Revolution the
word of God has been honored as never before. The Bible has been
translated into nearly every language spoken by men, and scattered
over every part of the globe. After being, as it were, thrust down to
hell, it has, in truth, been exalted to heaven.
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