And, [lo,] there was a great earthquake.—_Literally_, the great Lisbon earthquake, Nov. 1, 1755, which extended over 4,000,000 square miles; shocked all Africa and Western Europe, including Scandinavia and Greenland; slew 90,000 persons in Lisbon and many thousands elsewhere; destroyed every church and convent in the city; caused a tidal wave 60 feet high; split mountains from top to bottom; sunk an immense area to a depth of 600 feet and threw sailors to the decks hundreds of miles at sea. It is believed to be the most severe earthquake shock ever felt on the earth. _Symbolically_, the American Revolution, 21 years later (the underlying cause of the French Revolution); the most successful and most extraordinary movement upward of the lower strata of human society that had ever been seen in the world up to that time. God has so written Revelation that those who will not accept the symbolical significance of what is expressly declared to be a symbolical book (Rev. 1:1) may find literal fulfillments, and thus lose the light they would otherwise get. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair.—_Literally_ in the dark day of May 19, 1780, which extended over 320,000 square miles. (D. 587.) _Symbolically_, the light of the papal heavens (the pope) became darkened when Napoleon fined the Pope ten million dollars, organized the Papal territory into a republic and took the Pope a prisoner to France. (C. 41, 55.) _Symbolically_, too, the light of the true heavens, the Gospel light, the Truth, and thus Christ Jesus, has become hidden from view of many by the denial of the clergy of our day that we were bought with the precious blood and by the teaching of the theory of Evolution.—D. 590; Joel 2:10, 31. And the WHOLE moon became as blood.—_Literally_ on May 19, 1780. _Symbolically_, the creeds (the moon of the papal heavens) have become repugnant, though still hypocritically professed. _Symbolically_, also the light of the Mosaic Law (the moon of the true heavens) has been made to appear evil by the claims of the clergy that the typical sacrifices were bloody and barbaric.—D. 590, 592. 6:13. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth.—_Literally_, the meteoric shower of Nov. 13, 1833, covering 11,000,000 square miles. (D. 588.) _Symbolically_, the bishops and the priestly stars of the papacy fell from their positions of power and influence over the minds and consciences of the people. _Symbolically_, also, the Protestant pulpit stars make a great display in coming down from spiritual things to the Christian‐citizenship‐politics level.—D. 595.