We have only to call to mind the menace to national existence that the submarine

campaign instituted, to appreciate, somewhat, the dreadful calamity it will be when a

third part of the shipping is destroyed.

Our desire is single--we wish to believe God, and to help His people to be free to do

the same, and any allusions to the teachings of other servants of God are not made in a

carping spirit, but in an earnest desire for truth free of tradition.

To set out in diagram form that the seventh seal sub-divides into seven trumpets, and

the seventh trumpet again sub-divides into seven vials, is attractive, and we have made

several attempts to improve upon the efforts of those who had previously dealt with it.

Being desirous of making our lay-out as scriptural as possible, we made careful

examination of the Scriptures to obtain data upon which to work. The result is that no

diagram has been prepared, for we have been obliged to confess that our notion on the

subject was not supported sufficiently by the Scriptures.

We have seen that the six seals are complete in themselves. No event except solemn

silence is chronicled upon the opening of the seventh seal. Instead of the seventh seal

expanding to cover the events of the seven trumpets and seven vials, a new set of

prophetic visions, ranging over parts of history already covered by the six seals, is

introduced by the seven trumpets judgments. Just as the sixth seal completes the series,

leaving the seventh detached and isolated, so the sixth trumpet appears to complete the

The narrative proceeds unbroken  till the sixth trumpet is sounded (9: 13-21).

Chapter 10: does not immediately follow with the sounding of the seventh trumpet.

Another mighty angel comes down from heaven, holding in his hand a little book. Seven

thunders utter their voices and their utterances are sealed. The mighty angel refers to the

days of the sounding of the seventh trumpet as a period when the mystery of God shall be

finished. John, however, is told that he must prophecy again before many peoples and

nations and tongues and kings. The temple of God is measured, and the two witnesses

prophecy for 1260 days. There is therefore a considerable interval indicated. These

trumpets are, however, connected by the fact that they are called the three woes (8: 13;

9: 12; 11: 14). Chapter 12: must go back again in history, for the seventh trumpet

proclaims Christ as heaven's King, while in chapter 12: Satan is active and the Lord's

people are persecuted. Chapter 13: tells of the rise of the beast and the false prophet,

and chapter 14: speaks of the 144,000 on Mount Zion, and of the fall of Babylon. Then

after this long interval the apostle speaks of the seven vials as the seven last plagues. It

will be seen, however, that under the seventh vial great Babylon comes into remembrance

(16: 19), whose judgment is given in detail in chapters 17: and 18: This shows that