Bible students began to see more clearly the lesson of the great outlines of historic prophecy, and hearts were stirred with the evidences that the coming of the Lord was drawing near. In Europe and America, in the early decades of the nineteenth century, there was the beginning of a revival of the study and preaching of the advent idea. Another Sign in the Heavens Just here appeared another great sign in the heavens, foretold by the word of prophecy. Of the sign that was to follow the darkening of the sun and moon, Christ's prophecy says: "The stars shall fall from heaven." Matt. 24:29. The prophet John beheld the spectacle in a vision of the last days, and described it in these words: "The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind." Rev. 6:13. On Nov. 13, 1833, came the wondrous celestial exhibition of falling stars, which is listed as one of the most remarkable phenomena of the astronomical story. Meteoric displays, swarms of shooting stars, have been observed at various times all through the ages; but this phenomenon, coming in the order given by the prophecy, that is, following the darkening of the sun, constituted the sublime display answering to the pen-picture of the Apocalypse,--as if all the stars of heaven were falling to the earth. The essential thing about a sign is that it shall be seen, that the circumstances of its appearance shall fasten attention. Not in America alone, but equally in all the civilized world, as a topic of study, this sign in the heavens commanded the attention of men. An English scientist, Rev. Thomas Milner, F.R.G.S., wrote: "The attention of astronomers in Europe, and all over the world, was, as may be imagined, strongly roused by intelligence of this celestial display on the Western continent."--_"The Gallery of Nature" (London, 1852), p. 141._ This writer called it "by far the most splendid display on record."--_Id., p. 139._ Another English astronomical writer of more recent date says: "Once for all, then, as the result of the star fall of 1833, the study of luminous meteors became an integral part of astronomy."--_Clerke, "History of Astronomy in the Nineteenth Century," p. 329._ This same work describes the extent of the display as follows: "On the night of Nov. 12-13, 1833, a tempest of falling stars broke over the earth. North America bore the brunt of its pelting. From the Gulf of Mexico to Halifax, until daylight with some difficulty put an end to the display, the sky was scored in every direction with shining tracks and illuminated with majestic fireballs."--_Page 328._ The Spectacle Described The closest scientific observations were made by Prof. Denison Olmsted, professor of astronomy at Yale, who wrote in the _American Journal of Science_: