1. And I [the John Class] looked,
and, lo, a Lamb [a
meek humble One] stood on the mount Sion [ruled in the heavenly
kingdom], and with him an hundred and forty and four thousand,
having his Father’s
name [having
his name and the name of his Father, Diaglott]
written [impressed—These saints have been sealed in character.] in their foreheads [minds]. [Revelation 14:1-5 may be scene
at the end of the Gospel harvest.]
2. And I [the John Class] heard a voice
[proclamation] from heaven [the divine ruling authority], as the
voice [proclamation] of many waters [peoples], and as
the voice of a great thunder [controversy]: and I [the John
Class] heard the voice [teachings] of harpers harping
[those making music with the Word of God] with their harps [teaching the
interpreted Word of God].
3. And they sung as it were a new song [message of salvation] before
the throne [the divine authority], and before the four beasts
[living creatures, attributes of God], and before the elders [Royal
Priesthood offices]: and no man [Christian] could learn that song
[message of judgment and salvation—this may be related to the song of Moses and the Lamb
of Revelation 15:2, 3] but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were
redeemed [purchased] from the earth [stable society].
4. These are they which were not defiled with women [united with
churchianity]; for they are virgins [pure]. These are they which
follow the Lamb [meek-humble One] whithersoever he goeth [in the
path he takes]. These were redeemed [purchased] from among men
[nominal Christianity], being the firstfruits [church of the firstborn] unto
God and to the Lamb [the meek-humble One].
5. And in their mouth [message] was found no guile
[deceptive teachings], for they are without fault [before the throne
of God not in Sinaitic and Alexandrine].
6. And I [the John Class—this may take us to the
beginning of the Gospel harvest] saw an [another not in Sinaitic] angel
[messenger—"The Three Worlds" book, which later was developed into the
First
and Second Volumes of STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES]
fly in the midst of heaven [carried throughout the ecclesiastical realm
using truths of the Old and New Testaments], having the everlasting gospel
[good news of the kingdom] to preach unto them
that dwell on the earth
[society], and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. [It
is interesting to note that the message which first was preached in the United States was
soon carried back to Europe and then to other nations. The United States was melting pot
of all languages and the truths preached here spread to a host of countries.]
7. Saying with a loud voice [proclamation], Fear God, and give
glory to him; for the hour of his judgment [hora of trial during this
harvest time] is come: and worship him that made heaven [spiritual
rulership], and earth [society], and the sea [restless
masses], and the fountains of water [sources of truth].
8. And there followed another angel [a message of the nominal
church’s rejection published early in the harvest and later embodied in Vol. 3, THY KINGDOM COME], saying, Babylon is fallen, is
fallen [the great nominal church is rejected], that great city
[ruling institution], because she made all nations drink [partake] of
the wine [false doctrines] of the wrath [passion] of her
fornication [her illegitimate association with the civil rulers].
9. And the third angel [a message warning against affiliation with
papacy or Protestant Federations published early in the harvest and later embodied in Vol.
4, THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON] followed
them [the other two preceding messages], saying with a loud voice
[great proclamation], If any man worship [venerate] the beast
[papacy] and his image [the World Council of Churches], and
receive his mark [designating characteristics] in his forehead
[by mental assent], or in his hand [by support or co-operation],
10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God [prophetic
teachings of God’s vengeance], which is poured out without mixture
[or modification—that is, full strength] into the cup of his indignation
[or wrath]; and he [the nominal Christian] shall be tormented
[tried] with fire and brimstone [destructive judgments] in the
presence of the holy angels [to be witnessed by God’s righteous messengers],
and in the presence of the Lamb [to be witnessed by the meek and humble One]:
11. And the smoke [remembrance] of their torment
[testing] ascendeth up for ever and ever [will be recalled in all future
ages]; and they have no rest [of heart or mind] day nor night
[as long as they], who worship
[venerate] the beast [papacy] and his image
[World Council of Churches], and whosoever receiveth the mark
[designation] of his name [papacy's characteristics].
12. Here is the patience [incentive to patient endurance and the
faith] of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the
faith of Jesus.
13. And I [the John Class] heard a voice
[proclamation] from heaven [the place of spiritual control] saying
unto me [the John Class], Write [publish abroad—from 1878 and
forward], Blessed are the dead [in consecration] which die
[literally die] in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the [holy] Spirit,
that [then] they may rest from their labors; and their [kingdom]
works do follow them [beyond the veil].
14. And I [the John Class] looked, and behold a white cloud
[the time of trouble] 
and upon the cloud
one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown [the divine
authority with all power in heaven and earth], and in his hand [power to
direct] a sharp sickle [the harvest message intended to gather true
wheat].
15. And another angel [the message of
"The Three Worlds"
published and promoted by Bro. Russell] came out of the temple [true
church of Christ], crying with a loud voice [a great message] to
him [the Lord] that sat on the cloud [oversees the time of
trouble], Thrust in thy sickle [the harvest truths], and reap
[gather thy saints]: for the time [hora, the harvest is frequently
referred to as an hour] is come for thee to reap [for gathering the
wheat]; for the harvest of the earth [society] is ripe
[for gathering true Christians].
16. And he [the Lord] that sat on the cloud [oversees
the time of trouble], thrust in his sickle [broadcasts his harvest truth]
in the earth [society]; and the earth [society] was
reaped [the true wheat was harvested].
17. And another angel [message from the overall writings of Brother
Russell] came out of the temple which is in heaven [the divine presence
where God dwells in supreme authority], he also having a sharp sickle
[harvest truth judgment message—this particular message is directed toward the false
religious systems].
18. And another angel [message—a proper understanding of Revelation,
an enhanced understanding from that given by Bro. Russell] came out from the altar
[where sacrifices are consummated], which had power over fire [sets in
motion divine judgments]; and cried with a loud cry [great proclamation] to
him that [see Ezekiel 10:2-4 where the man with the
writer’s inkhorn receives his second assignment which we believe is the second work
of Brother Russell’s message] had the sickle [the present truth
message], saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle [broadcast thy harvest truth
judgment message], and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth [the
by-products of Christendom with its institutions, honor, wealth, social standing, and its
multitudinous "tares"]; for her grapes are fully ripe [Christendom's
iniquity has come to the full].
19. And the angel [messenger—Brother Russell by his writings] thrust
in his sickle [broadcasts the harvest judgment truth] into the earth
[society], and gathered the vine of the earth [the by-product of the
false religious systems of society], and cast it into the great winepress
[of the time of trouble] of the wrath of God.
20. And the winepress [the final feature of harvesting the vine of the
earth, Vol. 4, p. 18, par, 2] was trodden [crushed in the time of
trouble] without the city [beyond the pale of former Christendom],
and blood [life] came out of the winepress [was squeezed out of
it], even unto the horse bridles [fulfilling the prophetic testimony of
the horse bridles], by the space of a thousand and six [two,
Sinaitic] hundred
furlongs [actually 1200 furlongs; this destruction takes in the distance of 120
miles.
].
