Out of the Temple of [Heaven, from the Throne,] GOD.—The true Church.
Saying, it is done.—See title of this book.—Ezek. 9:11.
16:18. And there were [voices, and] thunders.—Seven of them—indicating wide-spread interest in the Scripture Studies. There will probably also be some thundering by the esteemed clergy. If in the past they had thundered less and lightened more, the world would not be in its present predicament.—Rev. 8:5.
And lightnings.—A good lighting up of the dark places of the ecclesiastical firmament.
AND VOICES.—The “voices” of the Great Company, who, after the Little Flock have gone beyond, will display unparalleled energy and faithfulness amid unparalleled difficulty.—Rev. 11:15; 8:5.
And there was a great earthquake.—Social revolution. The same mentioned in Rev. 8:5; 11:19 and 1 Kings 19:11, 12, following the War.
Such as was not since men were upon the earth.—World-wide socialism, an unprecedented and sure-to-fail experiment in government.
So mighty an earthquake, and so great.—The following is from an address given to the Chicago Bankers Club in December, 1916, by Frank A. Vanderlip, president of the National City Bank of New York. “State socialism in Europe may develop problems, the like of which never concerned our minds. We may have to meet collective buying, State aided industries, forms of governmental control of ocean borne commerce and novel factors in international finance. There may come out of the war changes in forms of government that will have profound and world-wide influence.”
16:19. And the great city was divided into three parts.—Christendom is now divided into three parts: Socialistic Russia, Imperial Teutonia, and the Representative Governments of the West; but we think a religious division is coming: The Greek church, the Papacy and the False Prophet Protestant aggregation, all under papal control. Or the city of Rev. 14:20, may be meant.—2 Ki. 2:10, 12, 15.
And the [cities] CITY of the nations fell.—The reference is to Rome, the “city” mentioned in Rev. 17:18. By Rome is meant the Papacy. All other kings have already drunk deeply of the wrath of God and Sheshach's turn has come.—Jer. 25:26; Rev. 14:8.