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France’s Reign of Terror: Its True Cause
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French army made the pope a prisoner, and he died in exile. The
papal hierarchy has never since been able to wield the power before
possessed.
The persecution of the church did not continue throughout the
entire 1260 years. God in mercy to His people cut short the time of
their fiery trial through the influence of the Reformation.
The “two witnesses” represent the Scriptures of the Old and the
New Testament, important testimonies to the origin and perpetuity
of the law of God, and also to the plan of salvation.
“They shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore
days, clothed in sackcloth.” When the Bible was proscribed, its
testimony perverted; when those who dared proclaim its truths were
betrayed, tortured, martyred for their faith or compelled to flee—then
the faithful “witnesses” prophesied “in sackcloth.” In the darkest
times faithful men were given wisdom and authority to declare God’s
truth.
“And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their
mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them,
he must in this manner be killed.”
Revelation 11:5
. Men cannot with
impunity trample upon the Word of God!
“When they shall have finished [are finishing] their testimony.”
As the two witnesses were approaching the termination of their
work in obscurity, war was to be made upon them by “the beast that
ascendeth out of the bottomless pit.” Here is brought to view a new
manifestation of satanic power.
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It had been Rome’s policy, professing reverence for the Bible,
to keep it locked up in an unknown tongue, hidden from the people.
Under her rule the witnesses prophesied “clothed in sackcloth.” But
“the beast from the bottomless pit” was to make open, avowed war
upon the Word of God.
“The great city” in whose streets the witnesses are slain, and
where their dead bodies lie is “spiritually” Egypt. Of all nations in
Bible history, Egypt most boldly denied the existence of the living
God and resisted His commands. No monarch ever ventured upon
more highhanded rebellion against Heaven than did the king of
Egypt, Pharaoh: “I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.”
Exodus 5:2
, ARV. This is atheism; and the nation represented by