Revelation 15-16


	Do recall from our previous discussions that “all the world” can mean the Roman Empire -- in whatever form it exists. In the Fourth Trumpet, we found that one third was scorched. Now, all is scorched -- warning passes into judgment. In the historicist view, this was a third of the Roman Empire (the political Rome); it will now be all of the Roman Empire (papal Rome).
	The Sun may be a king (see, for example, Joseph’s vision) or a sign of judgment (see, for example, Deu 32:24 and Isaiah 24:6). Either interpretation will fit here, in any view, for judgment is usually carried out by a person God appoints.
	The literal view -- that this is some sort of astronomical phenomenon -- is restricted to the futurists, and not all of them. McGee and Talbot, for example, allow for either approach.
	The literalists typically make this a natural event, coming under the providence of God (as opposed to the miraculous). Smith has this as ozone depletion. He follows that with the sun going supernova (based on the fifth bowl, in which the sun goes dark, paralleling such an explosion). Unless this is interpreted in the completely miraculous sense, this is very poor astronomy (the sun is not big enough to go supernova -- but Smith is no scientist).
	Lindsey, on the other hand, invokes a total thermonuclear exchange -- the fourth, with several others possible (6th seal, 2nd trumpet, 6th trumpet are the others). The B-52 pilots must be rather tired by this point -- and the planet a bit shopworn. Perhaps Smith has a better imagination.
	The figurative view holds, as stated, that this would be a great king. The historicist interpretation finds its fulfillment in Napoleon Bonaparte. His curse upon the papacy:
	• He literally scorched the papal dominions, ultimately taking the Pope as his prisoner.
	• He forced the Pope to crown him Holy Roman Emperor -- and when the moment came, took the crown from the Pope’s hands and placed it on his own head. This symbolized that the Pope no longer determined who would or would not be crowned.
	• Before Napoleon, 380 states owed allegiance to the Pope. After Napoleon, only 30 did.
	• Even after Napoleon’s fall, the Pope never again regained his political stature. It was the beginning of the end.
	(See maps, next)