[And] thy last works to be more than the first.—(Diaglott.) “So general and widespread became the so‐called heresy that Innocent III determined to crush it out—‘exterminate the whole pestilential race’ was the language of which he made use. The commission he gave to the authorities was to burn the chief of the Vaudois (Waldenses), to scatter the heretics themselves, confiscating their property, and consigning to perdition every soul who dared to oppose the pope. Joined with ‘His Holiness’ in his relentless persecution of the Waldenses was Dominic, the father of the Inquisition. Such has been the history of the Waldenses all through the ages—subject to untold suffering from persecution; then enjoying, in the quiet valleys of Piedmont, comparative tranquility for a time; then assailed by their ever‐ relentless foe, the Roman Catholic Church, which has spared no pains, by fire and slaughter, and the horrors of the Inquisition, to put an end to the unfortunate victims of their violence.” (McC.) How evident it is that the followers of Peter Waldo have given a larger witness by their sufferings (their “last works”) than they did by the first works (the translation of the Gospel into French)! 2:20. Notwithstanding I have [a few things] MUCH against thee.—The fourth epoch of the church nominal. [Because] THAT thou sufferest that woman Jezebel.—The Roman Catholic Church, as shown in parallel below: “Elijah was persecuted for “The Church was persecuted for fidelity to truth and fidelity to truth and righteousness. righteousness. “His principal persecutor was “The principal persecutor was Jezebel, the wicked queen of the apostate Church of Rome, Israel, who is mentioned by which claims to be a ‘queen’ name as the type of the enemy and ruler over Spiritual of the saints.—Rev. 2:20; 2 Israel.—Rev. 18:7. Kings 9:7. “Jezebel’s persecuting power “Papacy’s persecuting power was exercised through her was exercised through the husband, Ahab, the king.—1 Roman Empire, to which she was Kings 21:25. joined. “Elijah fled from Jezebel and “The true Church fled into the Ahab into the wilderness, to a symbolic wilderness—or place prepared of God, where condition of isolation—to her he was miraculously place, prepared of God, where nourished.—1 Kings 17:5‐9. she was sustained.—Rev. 12:6, 16. “Elijah was ‘three years and “The Church was three and a six months’ in the wilderness, half symbolic years (a day for and during that time there was a year—1260 literal years) in no rain, and a great famine the wilderness condition, was in the land.—James 5:17; 1 during which there was a Kings 17:7; 18:2. spiritual famine because of the lack of Truth—the living water.—Rev. 12:6; 11:3; Amos 8:11.