actively co-operating with civil and ecclesiastical society, at war with the Bible—­in organized hostility to the Lord and his Anointed. (Ps. ii. 9.) “Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?” (Ps. xciv. 20.) But during the 1260 years, the secular imperial beast consists of “kingdoms of this world” in alliance with the beast of the earth, (ch. xiii. 1, 11.) And as both are for their crimes consigned to utter destruction, so in the time of the “third angel,” every individual is threatened with everlasting punishment, who identifies with them.  “No temporal judgments on collective bodies can be the fulfilment of this awful denunciation, which evidently relates to individuals, and to each individual who is guilty; and if words can convey the idea of eternal punishment, it is here denounced."[10] The words in the original, translated “for ever and ever,” (v. 11,) are the strongest in the Greek language to signify eternity, and are not susceptible of any other meaning.

As already intimated, the special mission and awful message of this angel is yet future; but the testimony of his predecessor will have made the tyranny, idolatry, immorality and profligacy of civil despots and mercenary ministers so palpable and glaring, that the vengeance of the Lord proclaimed by the last messenger will appear to be just.  In this way the “two witnesses smite the earth with all plagues,” (ch. xi. 6;) for they are identical with the “third angel,” and have an active agency in the work of judgment to be executed upon the antichristian enemies, (ch. xv. 7.) And “who knows the power of that wrath which is poured out without mixture into the cup of Jehovah’s indignation?” In temporal judgments there may be a mixture of mercy; but there is no such element in the cup of the impenitent votaries of mystic Babylon.  “Holy angels” look on without sympathy for her agonies, while the Lamb inflicts the tremendous penalty of her complicated and long-continued crimes. “He shall be tormented—­their torment:”—­individuals found guilty of complicity with Babylon, will be bound up into bundles as fuel for that fire and brimstone, whose “smoke ascendeth up for ever and ever.”  “They have no rest day nor night who worship the beast,”—­no mitigation of their sufferings.  They are doomed to dwell “with everlasting burnings.”  (Is. xxxiii. 14.) Such are the denunciations which the “third angel” is commissioned to proclaim in the ears of men, either to bring them to repentance, or to justify the Lamb in punishing their impenitent disobedience.  Now “every one who is acquainted with the writings of the reformers and their successors, knows that they generally declared, without hesitation, that popery is a damnable religion."[11] Popery, however, is the religion which has corrupted states and churches throughout the world; and therefore future reformers will not hesitate to join civil states with her in their testimony and prayers, saying,—­“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.  Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name; for they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his dwelling place.” (Psa. ix. 17; lxxix. 6, 7.)