ended. The surrounding nations
were the rivers and fountains upon which the third was poured. It is not
said of them that they became as the blood of a dead man, nor that every
living thing in them died, but only that "they became blood." This
symbol denotes the insurrections and desolating wars in which the
nations of Europe were involved for a number of years, growing out of
the French Revolution. I shall not here take time nor space to enter
into the historical details relating to this statement; the facts are
well known. "The blood-thirsty Jacobinism of France waged war not only
upon its own monarchy, but sought to overturn all the thrones and
fabrics of despotism in Europe. The same system of infidelity and
atheism had been spread through the kingdoms there, though not to so
great an extent as in France, and prepared the elements for revolution
in them likewise." The French republic encouraged these agitations and
by a unanimous decree of the Assembly, in 1792, set itself in open
hostility with all the established governments of Europe. It was in
these words: "The National Convention declares in the name of the French
nation, that it will grant fraternity and assistance to all people who
wish to recover their liberty; and it charges the executive power to
send the necessary orders to the generals, to give succor to such
people, and to defend those citizens who have suffered, or may suffer in
the cause of liberty." "The Revolution, having accomplished its work in
France, having there destroyed royal despotism, ... now set itself about
fulfilling its early promise of giving liberty to all peoples. In a
word, the revolutionists became propagandists. France now exhibits what
her historians call her social, her communicative genius." Napoleon was
right when he said that a revolution in France was sure to be followed
by a revolution throughout Europe. "France conceived the idea that she
had a Divine mission, as the great apostle of liberty, to propagate
republicanism through all the kingdoms of Europe. In her madness of
intoxication she undertook the work, threw down the gauntlet, and the
fierce tocsin of war sounded from nation to nation, until the continent
was converted into one vast battle-field."

The "angel of the waters" signifies the angel that had charge of the
vial of wrath poured out upon the rivers and fountains of waters. In
full view of the awful plagues sent upon the inhabitants of earth, one
grand thought