From Henry VIII to the Peace of Ryswick

John wrote, "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads" (Rev. 14:1).

Who is the LAMB? Jesus ... the LAMB of God" (John 1:29). Astronomically it is Aries the Ram.

Where is Mount ZION? Mount Zion is in worldly Jerusalem. To Jesus belongs the throne of David, who ruled on Mount Zion (Luke 1:32). But the throne of David today is the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey, London, England. "Ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the HEAVENLY JERUSALEM, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant" (Heb. 12:22-24). This "HEAVENLY JERUSALEM" is wherever the 144,000 Christian Israelite saints are who migrated to the British Isles in chapter 7. Only Jews dwell in earthly Mount Zion today. "The Lord hath chosen Zion: he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell" (London in type; Jerusalem in anti-type) (Psalm 132:13-14). (See also Isaiah 9:6, Micah 4:7, Isaiah 24:23.). Yes "the LORD, my God, shall come, and all the saints with thee" (to London in type; Jerusalem in anti-type) (Zech. 14:5; cp. 1 Thess. 4:16-17). He "hast made us ... kings and priests" (Rev. 5:10) and "judgment was given to the saints ... and ... the saints possessed the kingdom" (Dan. 7:22). "Let the saints be joyful in glory ... Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the peoples; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written. This honor have all his saints" (from London in type; Jerusalem in anti-type) (Ps.149:5-9; Rev. 2:26-27).

In type this occurred in 1534 with the Act of Supremacy when Henry VIII destroyed Papal supremacy in England. Henry had married his deceased brother's wife (Catherine of Aragon) in obedience to Deuteronomy 25:5. But five of her six children had died, causing Henry to wonder if God was displeased (cp. Lev. 20:21; Matt. 14:4). But the Pope wouldn't grant a divorce. Henry divorced anyway and married Ann Bolyn. In 1535, Henry VIII found countless convents served by 'lewd confessors' full of illegitimate children and clergy having sex with whores and married women (de Rosa's Vicars of Christ, pp.579-580). In 1539, all Catholic monasteries were dissolved and Henry VIII ordered copies of the Great Bible to be printed and placed in every English church by Royal command (secured by a chain to a reading desk). This enabled the LAMB to begin ruling in English lives. It enabled "HEAVENLY JERUSALEM" to be built in England. Henry also was the first to build battleships with cast iron cannons (1/5 cost of bronze). He consented before his death in January 1547, to abandon the Roman Catholic Mass for the Communion service, to confiscate Rome's land and money in England, and to allow the clergy to marry. The formulation of the 39 Articles in the Convocation of 1563 under Queen Elizabeth completed the separation from the Pope. Then in 1611 the King James Authorized Version was produced.

"And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth" (Rev. 14:2-3).

Astronomically, Gemini and Lyra are the harpers. Taurus has an alternate image of a harp too. There are 24 stars in Ursa Minor (the Little Flock). Historically, the FOUR BEASTS symbolize the FOUR CAMPS of ISRAEL in the British Isles. The 24 elders (Rev. 4:4) denote 12 sons of Jacob (Old Covenant) and 12 apostles of Jesus (New Covenant). After David had been "brought ... up ... out of an horrible pit," he said that God "hath put a NEW SONG in my mouth" (Ps. 40:3). David also said, "I will sing a NEW SONG unto thee, O God ... who delivereth David, his servant, from the hurtful sword" (Ps. 144:9-10; cp. 33:3; 96:1; 98:1; 149:1). Therefore, a "NEW SONG" means "a new DELIVERANCE" from some kind of trouble. The DELIVERANCE of the 144,000 is DELIVERANCE from Papal Rome in 1534 and from the feebleness of mortal human nature at Christ's second coming. "For the Eternal ... will beautify the meek with salvation" (Ps. 149:4). They "shall shine like the brightness of the firmament" (Dan. 12:3). "Arise, shine" (Isa. 60:1). But in type the "NEW SONG" was the British NATIONAL ANTHEM -- "God Save The King" composed in 1652. By the Act of Settlement in 1689, it was once and for all determined that the British monarch must be a Protestant. That was something to SING about. At succeeding coronations, the monarch was required to take the Oath that he will defend the Protestant Faith and maintain the Act of Settlement. In 1910 the Declaration was "watered down."

"These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb" (Rev. 14:4).

This must be taken figuratively because "Marriage is honorable" (Heb. 13:4) and wives are "heirs together" with their husbands of the grace of life (1 Pet. 3:7) and the bulk of the apostles were married men (1 Cor. 9:5; cp. Luke 10:42; Acts 8:12). If the Roman Catholic Church is the "mother of HARLOTS" (Rev. 17:5) (she is often called the "mother church"), the DAUGHTERS must be recognized in her OFFSHOOTS -- all sects and denominations that recognize her as their "mother." These "HARLOT" churches are the "WOMEN" that have not defiled the 144,000. The 144,000 have been outside popular "Christianity" which is just a "refuge of lies" (Isa.28:17). True Christians obey the Bible. They follow Jesus into suffering and then into glory. "Our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 16:17). "Them who honor me I will honor, and they who despise me shall be lightly esteemed" (1 Sam. 2:30). "If ... we suffer with him ... we may be also glorified together" with him (Rom. 8:17). "But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God" (Luke 12:9).

Redeemed Israel is a "VIRGIN" (Eph. 5:25-27; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; 7:1; 11:2). All Protestant European Israel nations are "VIRGINS" -- England, Holland, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Scotland. Sir Walter Raleigh asked Queen Elizabeth if he could name the eastern United States "VIRGINIA" -- after her. She consented. It was colonized by English Puritans and Separatists (Pilgrims) who rejected everything Roman Catholic. As the daughter of Henry VIII and Ann Bolyn, Queen Elizabeth, as England personified, entertained Catholic suitors from Catholic countries, among whom were King Philip II of Spain, Archduke Charles (Hapsburg) of Austria, and the French Duke of Anjou to buy time, but remained a Protestant VIRGIN till death. She caused the Bible to be distributed throughout the kingdom and read in English and forbade the elevation of the host. The Pope excommunicated her as a heretic.

Why are they "FIRSTFRUITS"? "Every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming" (1 Cor. 15:23). The main, great harvest will be at the end of the Millenium as the result of the work of Christ and the saints in ruling the world for a thousand years. Multitudes will ripen for immortality under their reign. The first resurrection is "the twelve tribes ... FIRSTFRUITS" (James 1:1,18). The "two wave loaves" of wheat (144,000 & innumerable multitude -- Rev. 7) (Lev. 23:17) due to the "former rain" (Joel 2:23) before the Millenium (Rev. 20:4-6); the second resurrection is "fruit of a citron, an unopened palm frond, myrtle branches and willows" (Lev. 23:40) due to the "latter rain" (Joel 2:23; James 5:7) after the Millenium (Rev. 20:11-15).

"And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God" (Rev. 14:5).

Psalm 32:2 says, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." Every man is saved by grace (Eph. 2:8) but rewarded "according to his works" (Matt. 16:27). In order to be saved by grace we must have good works since "The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 6:9).

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people" (Rev. 14:6).

"And this GOSPEL of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matt. 24:14). Gutenberg's printing press was invented in 1454. In 1476 Caxton introduced printing into England. In 1526 Tyndale's English New Testament was printed. In 1535 Coverdale's Complete English Bible was printed. In 1539 the "Great Bible" was printed under Coverdale's supervision and placed by Royal Command in every church for the use of parishoners. In 1611 the King James Authorized version was printed. The British and Foreign Bible Society founded in 1804 and the American Bible Society founded in 1816 both print millions of Bibles per year in over 1000 different languages to the countries of the world. This establishes the Anglo-Saxon nations as being Israel "my witnesses, my servant" (Isa. 43:10). "The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it" (Ps. 68:11).

"Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters, And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication" (Rev. 14:7-8).

"Babylon" caused all nations to toast her idol-gods with her wine of false doctrines poured into, and drunk out of, God's HOLY VESSELS stolen from His Temple (Dan. 5:1-4; cp. Jer. 50:28; 51:7; Rev. 9:20-21; 17:2; 18:2-3). The wine of this spiritual fornication -- the worship of images, holy pictures, holy relics, holy medals, and demons, through the medium or channel of BIBLICAL names, characters and associations such as Jesus, Mary, angels, saints -- has deceived and stupefied all nations. The false SACRIFICE of the Mass, the false "ISRAEL" of ten Latin-German nations and the false MILLENIUM of the Dark Ages (533 to 1534 A.D.) have all made the world drunk. This prophecy is repeated in Revelation 16:19 and 18:2. Babylon fell once in 539 B.C. and fell again in 1527A.D., so "is fallen, is fallen." In 1527 A.D., a Protestant army consisting of Spaniards, Italians and Germans under Charles the Fifth took the city of Rome and for nine months sacked the city and insulted the pope (Gibbon's Decline and Fall, ch.31). This was a token pledge of the complete fall just like the transfiguration was a foretaste of the kingdom (Matt. 16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27). Just as JERICHO had to fall before Israel could possess the Promised Land, so ROME must fall before British and Americans can possess the worldwide Kingdom of God.

"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb, And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Rev. 14:9-12).

Astronomically, the three angels who fly "in the midst of heaven" are the three bird constellations Aquila (eagle), Cygnus (swan) and Lyra (vulture). The smoke of torment is the Milky Way. Historically, Jesus will be "revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction" (2 Thess. 1:7). Paul describes it as "a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries" (Heb. 10:27). Malachi says it is "a day that will burn up the wicked, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch" (Mal. 4:1). Sodom and Gomorrah also suffered "the vengeance of eternal fire" (Jude 7) though "overthrown as in a moment" (Lam. 4:6).

In 1588 the Pope and Philip of Spain assembled their great fleets in Spain and a large army in the Netherlands, in an effort to conquer the "heretical" Island and end England's Reformation. Just as it set sail, the Chief Commander, Marquis Santa Cruz, died. On the first day of battle, the Spanish lost two flag ships, 450 men, the paymaster of the fleet and 100,000 ducats of gold. The Protestant Dutch blocked the harbor at Dunkirk thereby making it impossible for the great army of the Duke of Parma to be transported across the Channel. At the same time Drake and his fire ships spread havoc in the Spanish galleons. Then the enforced passage around the coast of the British Isles completed the destruction of the Armada. 8,000 Spaniards perished along the Irish coast, murdered for their clothing and jewelry by Irish Catholics. From the year Constantine named the capital Constantinople in 328 A.D., thereby fulfilling 2 Thess.2:7, till the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 A.D., is 1260 years.

From 1572 to 1609 Protestant Holland's William of Orange fought for independence from Catholic Spain's Philip II and his Duke of Alva. From 1562 to 1629 the Huguenot Wars in France were fought between Protestant and Catholic France. From 1618 to 1648 the Thirty Years' War was fought between Catholic and Protestant princes of Germany, but gradually involved almost all the nations of the continent. From 1649 to 1652 Cromwell's English Protestants defeated Catholic Irish Royalists. In 1660, Charles II, and in 1688 James II, in turn allied themselves with Louis XIV of France in an endeavour to restore Roman Catholicism to Britain with French troops and money. The people revolted in 1688 and offered Protestant William Prince of Orange the Crown. The outcome of this Protestant Revolution was the separation from the Catholic church of north Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, England and Scotland along with parts of Switzerland and the Netherlands. These Nordic peoples transferred their allegiance from the Church to the Bible.

"And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them" (Rev. 14:13).

"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle, And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs" (Rev. 14:14-20).

What is the WHITE CLOUD? The Milky Way. Who is the SON of MAN? Sagittarius with the solar disk or crown on his head and the lunar crescent in his hand. "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all" (Jude 14, 15). "And before him (Jesus) shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his SHEEP from the goats: And he shall set the SHEEP on his right hand, but the goats on the left" (Matt. 25:32-33). The "lost SHEEP of the house of ISRAEL" (Matt. 15:24) are the "SHEEP" nations. The "goat" nations are everyone else. The "TEMPLE" is the heavenly vault of the SKY. Who is the angel coming out of the Temple? Verse 17 may be referring to the constellation Perseus who has a pruning knife in hand. He has wings on his feet so may be coming "out of the temple" of the starry sky-dome. The other two angels could be almost any of the constellations. Who is the "vine of the earth"? Hydra who is "trodden" by Leo "without" the ecliptic. The red glow of sunset rises to the level of the horse's bridal and bit in Auriga's right hand an equal distance inside the ecliptic.

Yes, in type the SICKLE was the CRESCENT of ISLAM which was an instrument used by God to gather and slaughter wicked Roman Catholic forces of Europe. Suleiman the Magnificent captured Belgrade in 1521 after several assaults. In succeeding years Turks regularly raided Hungary (1526-1566) and Austria (1529-1691), creating panic throughout central Europe. Moslem Turks also battled Sicily and southern Italy (1534), Spain (1554-1585), Venice (1537-1684), Malta (1565), Russia (1677-1702) and Poland (1672-1676). Finally the united armies of Venice, Savoy, Germany, Austria and Poland in the Fourteenth Papal Crusade turned the tide. In 1699 the Treaty of Karlowitz ended the fighting. Turkey yielded up huge territories including Hungary, Transylvania and Ukraine. "He will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matt. 3:12).

What is the WHITE CLOUD? "So great a CLOUD of witnesses" (Heb. 12:1). The CLOUD that helps the Turkish Islamic reaper cut down Roman Catholics in eastern Europe stands for a MULTITUDE and the color WHITE stands for RIGHTEOUSNESS, so a WHITE CLOUD is a RIGHTEOUS MULTITUDE of Protestant witnesses who are fighting Roman Catholics in western Europe.

What are the VINE CLUSTERS? "The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance; he shall wash his feet in the blood of the WICKED. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth" (Ps. 58:10). "The slain of the Lord shall be in that day from one end of the (Roman) earth even to the other end of the (Roman) earth; they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried: they shall be dung upon the face of the ground" (Jer. 25:33). "The indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter" (Isa. 34:2).

What is the WINEPRESS? In type it is western Roman Catholic Europe -- particularly France where grape wines are famous. But in anti-type it may be western Washington State where grape wines are also famous. "Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the Valley of JEHOSHAPHAT (Kidron Valley); for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe; come, get down; for the press is full, the fats (vats) overflow; for their WICKEDNESS is great" (Joel 3:12-13). Also Armageddon (Megiddo) (Rev. 16:16). Then will be "a time of trouble, such as never was" (Matt. 24:21). A day when "the haughtiness of man will be humbled, and the Lord alone exalted" (Isa. 2:17). Palestine is between 150 and 200 miles in length and will be a battleground for the overflowing winepress (Joel 3:12-14). Therefore it is interesting that 1600 furlongs equal 184 miles (607 feet per furlong x 1600 furlongs = 971200 feet / 5280 feet per mile = 184 miles.). The Seine-Marne River valley in France is about 184 miles long -- the site of bloody fighting in World War 2. The equivalent location in America would be from Everett to Portland in the Pacific NW -- 184 miles.

What are the "HORSE BRIDLES" and "1600 FURLONGS? In anti-type we learned in Revelation 6 that a HORSE symbolized the ROMAN EMPIRE. Therefore, a HORSE BRIDLE must be the place where the HORSE is controlled -- the PAPACY. Pagan and Papal Rome received her fill of blood after 1600 years. If each FURLONG represents a YEAR (just as seven ears of corn and seven cattle stood for seven years -- Gen. 41:26-27), and if we begin counting in 96 A.D. (when John wrote the Book of Revelation), we arrive at 1697 A.D. when the Peace of Ryswick was signed ending Christian religious wars between Catholic and Protestant. Then the Treaty of Carlowitz in 1699 was signed ending Christian religious wars between Moslems and Christians. Furthermore, the mid-date of these two treaties is 1698 which was 1,260 lunar years from the end of the Western Roman Empire in 476 A.D., and 2,520 lunar years or "seven times" from Nabonassar (747 B.C.) -- the starting point of Babylon's chronology. In the early days of the Reformation, when Protestantism was weak and divided, the Moslem Turks kept the papal forces pre-occupied with Moslem diversionary wars. Once Protestants were safe, Moslems made peace.

Also 1600 furlongs are exactly 200 Italian miles -- the extent of the Pope's Roman States, namely of the Provinces in Italy which specially belonged to the Pope, and which extended from Rome to the River Po and were called "Peter's Patrimony." Napoleon deprived the Pope of these Papal States, and they were finally taken from him in 1870 and his temporal power abolished. But many believe the city of Rome will be destroyed by earthquake and volcanic eruptions to accomplish another fulfillment.

Chapter 14 encourages the martyrs of papal Rome foreseen in chapter 13, just as chapter 7 encourages the martyrs of pagan Rome foreseen in chapter 6.