er,
And cast away their cords from us.'"

But their efforts seem so puny, and the result so one-sided, that

"He that sitteth in the heavens will laugh:
The Lord will have them in derision."

And we remember that, in these Revelation pages, it is always with the
sword of His mouth that the Lord Jesus is said to fight, as we read on:

"Then will He _speak_ unto them in His wrath,
And vex [or trouble] them in His sore displeasure; [saying]
'Yet I have set _my_ King
Upon my holy hill of Zion.'"

Then the Son speaks:

"I will tell of the decree:
Jehovah said unto me, 'thou art my Son;
This day have I begotten thee.
Ask of me and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance,
And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;
Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.'"

And the writer of the Psalms closed with a word of earnest counsel to
the kings of earth:

"Now therefore be wise, O ye kings:
Be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
Serve Jehovah with fear,
And rejoice with trembling [awe],
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish in the way,
For His wrath will soon be kindled.
Blessed are all they that take refuge in Him."

Thus it is seen that these seven views describe (1) the general
characteristics of the tribulation time; (2) the way in which it comes,
that is, by the withdrawal of restraint and so the loosing of evil; (3)
the faithful witness being borne throughout the period; (4) the great
evil leader and the character of the persecution he wages; (5) the
visitation of judgments upon earth with the great gathering of nations
to battle against God; (6) the world system of evil; and (7) the coming
of our Lord Jesus to judge evil and set up the kingdom.

Still He Waits.

It will at once be noted that these things group up, naturally and
easily, under _three headings_. First, there is a terrible _persecution_
of God's people. This will end in a _visitation_ of _judgments_,
including great plagues. There will be a gathering of the armies of all
nations, and a great battle. It will end in a decisive defeat for them
by the personal coming of the Lord Jesus, and will be accompanied by a
terrific earthquake and an equally terrific shake-up of the heavenly
bodies connected with the earth, sun, moon, and stars. Then comes the
establishment of the _Kingdom of God_ upon earth. These three things
stand dominantly out.