s these things as they appear from above.

This is the first view of the tribulation. It begins with the moment
when our Lord Jesus up in heaven begins action, describes the
characteristics of the tribulation on earth, and closes with the
national regeneration of Israel, and the catching up from earth of
Christ's true followers.

Evil Let Loose.

The _second view_ runs through chapters eight and nine. Chapters ten and
eleven to the close of verse thirteen make a distinct parenthesis. And
then this view is picked up again at eleven, fourteen, and runs to the
close of that chapter. But this final bit in chapter eleven is merely a
connecting link with what comes later. Practically the whole of this
view is in chapters eight and nine.

It closes with an earthquake, so connecting it with the final event in
the first view. It begins with a period of prolonged silence, which
would seem to answer to the hush in the great volume of praise in the
first view, when the Lamb takes the sealed roll. So it carries us back
to the same starting-point as there.

There is first a striking scene before the throne, where John sees a
golden altar. On this there is being offered incense, which is said to
be added to the prayers of all the saints. Incense and prayers rise
together before God. Then an angel pours some of the fire of this
prayer-altar into the earth, and a storm follows. So these two views,
first and second, have another common starting-point, the beginning of a
storm.

This is a very suggestive scene. The prayers of all the saints, both in
earth and heaven, have a decided restraining influence over evil down on
earth at the present time. At the close they will become a decisive
influence in the cleaning-up process on earth, and the bringing in of
the new order.

Then follows a fourfold description of distressing events on earth,
which are caused by fiery influences coming out of the heavens. The
language used seems to make clear that it is through a loosening out of
the powers of evil that the tribulation comes.

In the picture language of the vision, "a great mountain burning with
fire was cast into the sea," with injurious results to water, to life,
and to shipping. A mountain is a common figure in the Bible for a great
ruling power. So Israel is called by Isaiah.[141] The seventeenth
chapter of Revelation speaks of seven kingdoms as seven mountains.[142]
In Jeremiah, Babylon, which is spoken of repeatedly and typi