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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).
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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:
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• He literally
scorched the papal dominions, ultimately taking the Pope as his prisoner.
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• 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.
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• Before Napoleon,
380 states owed allegiance to the Pope.
After Napoleon, only 30 did.
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• Even after
Napoleon’s fall, the Pope never again regained his political stature. It was the beginning of the end.
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(See maps, next)
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