the last day. Thus, the political history of the Western
empire is carried through to the end. The Eastern division of the empire
is also made a subject of prophecy, and its overthrow is described under
the sixth trumpet. This was effected by the second woe, or the rise of
the Ottoman power, and that woe is represented as continuing until after
the death and the resurrection of the two witnesses and terminating
shortly before the end of time. Therefore the political history of the
Eastern empire, which has been under the power of the Turks for
centuries, is outlined until the end. The ecclesiastical history of the
Eastern empire is also given, its most prominent feature being the rise
and the development of that pest of Mohammedanism, which rests like a
dark cloud over that fair country until this day. In the Western
division the rise of the Papacy, its continuation, the rise of
Protestantism and its duration, are all clearly outlined, reaching down
to these last days. Then the scene is suddenly enlarged and is carried
beyond the limits of the earth--the Apocalyptic earth--into "the whole
world," when the powers of wickedness are combined in spirit to
antagonize the reformation of holiness and truth which God is using to
gather his faithful ones together in preparation for the coming of the
Son of God to judgment. In view of these wonderful events of the last
days, how comforting the words of the text before us--"Behold, _I come
quickly:_ blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this
book"!

[Footnote 16: Some historians give A.D. 395 as the date of the permanent
division of the empire. The government of the Eastern and Western
divisions was separate from the accession of Valens and Valentinian, in
364, until during the reign of Theodosius the Great, when the West,
through the jealous rivalries of different competitors for the throne,
had fallen into great disorder. Theodosius twice interposed to right
matters and finally took the government into his own hands for the space
of four months, in 395, when he died, after arranging for the division
of the empire between his two sons Arcadius and Honorius.]

8. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had
heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the
angel which showed me these things.

9. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them