s sixth vial, is not intended to signify any persons
literally from that quarter of the earth, but represents the bringing in
of knowledge and understanding. Thank God that we live in the time when
the defenses of spiritual Babylon have been broken through and when
light and knowledge on the Word of God has reached the hearts of many
redeemed souls held in bondage there! And like the Israelites of old,
when Cyrus, entered the ancient Babylon through the dry river-bed of the
Euphrates, they have come out with rejoicing and made their way to Zion
again. Halleluiah! That the spiritual downfall of Babylon is a real
plague to sectarians there can be no doubt, and it is plainly declared
to be such in chap. 18:8, where the same event is described.

At the very time when the defenses of Babylon are thrown down, the three
unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon
(Paganism), and out of the mouth of the beast (Romanism), and out of the
mouth of the false prophet (Protestantism), to gather together all the
wicked powers throughout "the whole world" for that last great day of
God Almighty.[13] There is no analagous object to which a _spirit_ can
be made a symbol; therefore we must regard them as being literally
spirits of devils, here appearing under their own appropriate title.
Their mission is to form a confederation of all the gigantic powers of
wickedness, slimy and loathsome as the animal to which they are likened,
and to array themselves against the cause of Christ.

[Footnote 13: I do not suppose that these three unclean spirits should
be limited in their operations to Paganism, Romanism, and Protestantism;
for that leaves out Mohammedanism, which is neither Pagan, Roman, nor
Protestant, yet is certainly "false prophecy"; and the three spirits
were to gather the "whole world."]

Armageddon, where the spirits gathered all the enemies of truth and
righteousness together, means the mountain of Megiddo, the memorable
field of the overthrow of Sisera's mighty host by Barak. It was also the
place of great defeat to the Israelites in the time of Josiah and the
scene of his death. The name, therefore, stands as a symbol for a field
of slaughter or defeat and denotes that when the confederation of
wickedness is complete, the united host of God's enemies will be utterly
defeated, as by the overthrow of Megiddo. This great conflict with
powers of wickedness and spirits infernal will be further explained in
chapte