The Revelation Explained / An Exposition, Text by Text, of the Apocalypse of St. John

by F. G. Smith

This "season of external prosperity" mentioned by Rutter began with the accession of Gallienus to the imperial throne in A.D. 260. Up to this time the hand of persecution had been raised against the church almost incessantly; but from 260 until the reign of Diocletian persecution almost ceased, during this space of about forty years. But this period also marked the greatest decline in spiritual things and a marvelous development of the hierarchy. Speaking of the bishop of Rome in these times, Dowling says, "He far surpassed all his brethren in the magnificence and splendor of the church over which he presided; in the riches of his revenues and possessions; in the number and variety of his ministers; in his credit with the people; and in his sumptuous and splendid manner of living." History of Romanism, p. 34.

Ammianus Marcellinus, a Roman historian, who lived during these times, adverting to this subject, says: "It was no wonder to see those who were ambitious of human greatness, contending with so much heat and animosity for that dignity, because when they had obtained it, they were sure to be enriched by the offerings of the matrons, and of appearing abroad in great splendor, of being admired for their costly coaches, and sumptuous feasts, outdoing sovereign princes in the expenses of their table." This led Proetextatus, a heathen, who was præfect of the city, to say, "Make me bishop of Rome, and I'll be a Christian too!"

Speaking of the period now under consideration, Eusebius, "the father of church history," "mentions one Paul, who was at this time bishop of Antioch; who lived in luxury and licentiousness, and who was a teacher of erroneous doctrines, and usurped so great authority that the people feared to venture to accuse him. In the conclusion of the same chapter in which this is found, he shows that after a general council was held at Antioch, this Paul was excommunicated and robbed of his bishopric by the bishops of Rome and Italy; from this it appears that they possessed an authority still greater than that usurped by Paul." The following are his words: "Paul, therefore, having thus fallen from the episcopate, together with the true faith as already said, Domnus succeeded in administration of the church at Antioch. But Paul being unwilling to leave the building of the church, an appeal was made to the emperor Aurelian, who decided most equitably on the business, ordering the building to be given up to those whom the Christian bishops of Italy and Rome should write." Eccl. History, Book VII, Chap. 30. The Encyclopædia Britannica says that this council at which Paul was excommunicated was held "probably in the year 268," and that "Paul continued in his office until the year 272, when the city was taken by the emperor Aurelian, who decided in person that the church-building belonged to the bishop who was in epistolary communication with the bishops of Rome and Italy." Vol. XVIII, p. 429.

The above extracts show not only the development of error in the church, but also the great power already obtained by the hierarchy. Geo. Fisher says, "The accession of Constantine [A.D. 312] found the church so firmly organized under the hierarchy that it could not lose its identity by being absolutely merged in the state." History of the Christian Church, p. 99.

In the year A.D. 270 Anthony, an Egyptian, the founder of the monastic institution, fixed his abode in the deserts of Egypt and formed monks into organized bodies. "Influenced by these eminent examples [Anthony, Hilarion, et al.] immense multitudes betook themselves to the desert, and innumerable monasteries were fixed in Egypt, Ethiopia, Lybia and Syria. Some of the Egyptian abbots are spoken of as having had five, seven, or even ten thousand monks under their personal direction; and the Thebias, as well as certain spots in Arabia, are reported to have been literally crowded with solitaries. Nearly a hundred thousand of all classes, it is said, were at one time to be found in Egypt.... Although the enthusiasm might be at a lower ebb in one country than in another, it actually affected the church universal, so far as the extant materials of ecclesiastical history enables us to trace its rise and progress.... The more rigid and heroic of the Christian anchorets dispensed with all clothing except a rug, or a few palm leaves round the loins. Most of them abstained from the use of water for ablution; nor did they usually wash or change the garments they had once put on; thus St. Anthony [the founder of this order] bequeathed to Athanasius a skin in which his sacred person had been wrapped for half a century. They also allowed their beards and nails to grow, and sometimes became so hirsute, as to be actually mistaken for hyænas or bears." Hist. of Romanism, pp. 88, 89. Reader, what was the condition of the so-called church in A.D. 270 that could make the introduction of such abominations possible? Although many more historical quotations on this point might be added, I will conclude with the two following extracts from Joseph Milner.

"We shall, for the present, leave Anthony propagating the monastic dispositions, and extending its influence not only into the next century, but for many ages after, and conclude this view of the state of the third century, with expressing our regret that the faith and love of the gospel received toward the close of it a dreadful blow from the encouragement of this unchristian practise." Cen. III, Chap. 20.

"Moral, and philosophical, and monastic instructions will not effect for men what is to be expected from evangelical doctrine. And if the faith of Christ was so much declined (and its decayed state ought to be dated from about the year 270), we need not wonder that such scenes as Eusebius hints at without any circumstantial details took place in the Christian world." Cent. IV, Chap. 1.

After reading the foregoing statements of historians, the reader will, I believe, agree with me that the year 270 is a consistent date to mark the time when the visible external church was wholly given over to the profane multitude of uncircumcised, idolatrous Gentiles to tread under foot. Measuring forward the allotted period of twelve hundred and sixty years brings us to the exact date of the first Protestant creed (the Augsburg Confession) in A.D. 1530. We must point to this date both for the end of Rome's universal spiritual supremacy and for the rise of Protestantism. D'Aubigne, in his History of the Reformation, when he comes to this period, says: "The conflicts hitherto described have been only partial; we are entering upon a new period, that of general battles. Spires (1529) and Ausburg (1530) are names that shine forth with more immortal glory than Marathon, Pavia, or Marengo. Forces that up to the present time were separate, are now uniting into one energetic band." Book XVIII, Chap. 1. "The first two books of this volume contain the most important epochs of the reformation—the Protest of Spires, and the Confession of Augsburg.... I determined on bringing the reformation of Germany and German Switzerland to the decisive epochs of 1530 and 1531. The history of the reformation, properly so called, is then in my opinion almost complete in those countries. The work of faith has there attained its apogee: that of conferences, of interims, of diplomacy begins.... The movement of the sixteenth century has there made its effort. I said from the very first, It is the history of the reformation and not of Protestantism that I am relating." D'Aubigne, Preface to Vol. V.

The next important object in the vision is the "two witnesses" that prophecied in sackcloth. From the description given, it would appear at first that these witnesses were active intelligent agents; and as such, belonging to the department of human life, they would symbolize the church, the number two denoting the ministry and the people of God. But the church is already symbolized in this chapter, the angel representing the ministry, as in the preceding chapter, and John, who is clearly one of the symbolic agents in this vision, representing the church; therefore the two witnesses must be representative of something else. Since the actions ascribed to them are drawn from the department of human life, it is evident that their interpretation is to be found in connection with the affairs of the church. By way of explanation, verse 4 represents them to be "the two olive-trees, and the two candle-sticks standing before the God of the earth," although it is not stated that any olive-trees and candle-sticks were shown in this prophetic vision. In this reference is made to the fourth chapter of Zechariah, where two olive-trees are represented as standing one on each side of a golden candle-stick, distilling into it their oil for light. When asked for the signification of the two olive-trees and the candlestick, the angel answered, "This is the Word of the Lord ... by my Spirit, saith the Lord." Ver. 6. That the Word of God and the Spirit of God are special witnesses is proved by many texts. Jesus said, "Search the Scriptures ... they are they which testify of me." John 6:39. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations." Mat. 24:14. "The Holy Ghost also is a witness." Heb. 10:15. "The Spirit itself beareth witness." Rom. 8:16. "It is the Spirit that beareth witness." 1 John 5:6. It is the Spirit acting in conjunction with the Word of God that gives spiritual life, through regeneration, unto men, and which opens their understanding that they may know the things of God. 2 Cor. 2:9-15.