supremacy, amid the scenes of the
French Revolution, drew the attention of Bible students everywhere. It
was seen that prophecy was being fulfilled before men's eyes. It gave
great impetus to the study of the prophetic scriptures. The great
historic prophecies began to be opened up--unsealed--to the
understanding. An English historian of that period, John Adolphus,
though writing a secular history, remarks upon this awakening interest
in prophetic study:

"The downfall of the papal government [in 1798], by whatever
means effected, excited perhaps less sympathy than that of any
other in Europe: the errors, the oppressions, the tyranny of
Rome over the whole Christian world, were remembered with
bitterness; many rejoiced, through religious antipathy, in the
overthrow of a church which they considered as idolatrous,
though attended with the immediate triumph of infidelity; and
many saw in these events the accomplishment of prophecies, and
the exhibition of signs promised in the most mystical parts of
the Holy Scriptures."--_"History of France from 1790 to 1802"
(London, 1803), Vol. II, p. 379._

From those tunes of fulfilling prophecy, there arose a distinct
movement, reviving the teaching of the doctrine of Christ's second
coming, and directly preparing the way for the advent movement that was
to come with the days of 1844, when yet fuller light was to break forth
from the unsealed prophecies of the book of Daniel. Of the angel that
symbolizes the special gospel work for these last days, it is written,
"He had in his hand a little book open." Rev. 10:2. The "time of the
end" came, and with it has come the opening of the sealed book. The
"sure word of prophecy" speaks its message full and clear to the ears of
all mankind today.

Increase of Knowledge

"Many shall run to and fro," the prophecy said, "and knowledge shall be
increased." It is knowledge of the prophecy and of the things of God
that is primarily the topic; but the era that we are discussing has been
one of general enlightenment and extension of knowledge.[J] "The
entrance of Thy words giveth light," says the psalmist: and when the
Reformation of the sixteenth century broke the bands of age-long
superstition and error, and set free the Word of God, the way was
preparing for the coming of this wonderful era of the diffusion of
general knowledge.

The era of reform movement was an era of world explor