This triumph of early Christianity over Paganism was a theme worthy of the song.  “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ.”  Even before the death of the apostles, according to the younger Pliny, the temples of the gods in Asia Minor were almost forsaken.  No wonder, then, that even the inhabitants of heaven were called upon to rejoice at so great a victory attained by the followers of the Lamb.  But the same voice also says, “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”  This represents the violence of the Pagan party upon its defeat, being exasperated to the exercise of greater opposition and cruelty wherever the means and the power were still in their hands.  Cast down from his exalted position in the heavens—­the religious sphere—­his ecclesiastical prestige lost, he had no place to abide but in the earth—­the political kingdom—­whence he took up arms, and “woe to the inhabitants of the earth.”  But “the days of Paganism in the empire were numbered.”  The Devil knew that he had but a short time, therefore he came down in great wrath.  This is in accordance with the facts of history.  Paganism did not die an easy death, but struggled hard and long.

When cast from his high position, however, the dragon “persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child.”  The true idea expressed in the original is that he pursued the woman, and this signification is indicated by what follows—­“To the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”  The time as a definite period signifies one year; hence a time, times, and half a time would be three and one-half years, or twelve hundred and sixty days, as before explained.  There is an apparent incongruity or contradiction of statement in reference to the symbols here; but it is a contradiction that when rightly understood throws light upon the whole subject.  It will be noticed that the woman and Michael with his angels symbolize the same object—­the people of God.  Under the latter figure they were triumphant and the dragon was defeated.  Yet after he was cast down, he turned upon the woman and pursued her, and thus, the church appeared to be the defeated party.  According to this, then, the Pagan party is represented as prevailing soon after he met defeat and the church apparently defeated soon after her period of triumph.  Here again we have two separate symbols of the same object in order to represent two of its different phases.