BS 2825 .072 1922 Osborn, Thomas. The lion and the Lamb The Lion and the Lamb A Drama of the Apocalypse By/ THOMAS bSBORN THE ABINGDON PRESS NEW YORK CINCINNATI Copyright. 1922, by THOMAS OSBORN Printod in the United States of America The Bible text used in this volume is taken from the American Standard Edition of the Revised Bible, copyright, 1901, by Thomas Nelson & Sons, and is used by permission. TO My Wife, who has been a constant inspiration to my life, this volume is affectionately dedicated CONTENTS PAGE Introduction 11 Preface 17 CHAPTER I THE PURPOSE Interpretation 23 The Author 23 The Time 25 The Place 26 The Occasion 28 Emperor Worship 30 Internal Evidence 33 Morale in Trial 36 The Old Testament 38 The Limited Objective 39 Numbers Related to Time 41 The Thousand Years 43 Immediacy of Action 46 ''Prophecy" 48 The Apocalypse Meets the Need of the Hour 50 CHAPTER II THE FORM Form Fundamental to Interpretation 55 1. Negative Aspects: (1) Not a pure Apocalypse. (2) Not Pre- dictive 'Trophecy." (3) Not Pure Prose. (4) Not Subject to a Literal Interpre- tation. 6 CONTENTS PAGE 2. Positive Aspects: (1) Two Characteristics . (a) Form must not excite suspicion, (b) It must stim- ulate morale. (2) The Romans not Pro- ficient in the Drama. (3) A Flexible Form Demanded. (4) Religious Lessons Already Taught by the Drama. (5) A Disguised Method. The Main Reasons for Considering the Original Apocalypse a Drama 65 1. Seen, Heard, and Read, 2. Current Tradition. 3. Action and the Drama: (1) Pillaged Material. (2) Wickedness in High Places. (3) Natural Forces and Pests. (4) "Marks" Versus "Seals." (5) Kings. (6) Kingdoms. (7) Thrones. (8) Crowns. (9) Royal Purple. 4. ^^ Enter ChrisV^ — A Dramatic Necessity. 5. The Dramatic Chorus. 6. The Dramatic Vocabulary. 7. The Dramatis Personoe. The Conclusion 86 CHAPTER III THE POWER Power the Key Word 89 Cause of Suffering to Christians 90 The New Power 91 Man's Double Capacity 93 Christ and the New Power 94 Christ's Choice 95 Christ and Pilate 96 The Old Hope 97 The Vocabulary of Power 98 CONTENTS 7 PAGE The Symbol of Power 98 Evil Not Minimized 98 Angels of Power 100 The Book of Angels 100 Power Episodes 101 The Chorus and Power 104 Voices of Power 106 The Power of Natural Forces 107 Outstanding World Forces 108 CHAPTER IV THE CONFLICT A Book of Conflict 115 The Fighting Book of the New Testament. 116 Har-Magedon 117 The Old Story of Evil 118 Preparation for Conflict 119 The Real Conflict 120 The Opening Scene 121 The Conflict in Heaven 122 T^E Conflict in Earth 123 Satan and the Conflict 124 The Dark Hour in the Conflict 126 The Premonition of Renewed Conflict. ... 128 The Hiatus in Conflict 130 Gog and Magog 131 The Final Issue of the Conflict 132 CHAPTER V THE VICTORY Victory High Lights 137 The Defeat of Humanity 138 Human Helplessness 139 8 CONTENTS PAGE The Vision op Victoky 140 The Opening Scene 140 Hope of Return 142 The Victory Book 143 Ultimate Victory 145 Victory Voices 145 Death and Defeat 146 Life and Victory 148 Christ and Life 149 Christ the Overcomer 150 Christ's First Triumph 151 Christ's Trail of Triumph 152 Victory in Heaven 154 Victory in Earth 155 Poetic Justice and Victory 156 Christ the Enthroned Victor 157 CHAPTER VI THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE The Book of the World's Redemption ... 163 The Old Testament 163 The New Testament 165 John's Gospel and Epistles 166 The Apocalypse 168 1. Christ the Redeeming Lamb. 2. The Sealed Book and the Slain Lamb. 3. The Angels of the Bowls and the Slain Lamb. 4. The Redeeming Lamb the Basis of Victory. 5. The Redemptive Purpose Older Than the Race. 6. Redemption Versus Brute Force. 7. Premillennialism Dependent Upon Brute Force. 8. The Oppugnant Cities. 9. The Sharp Contrast. 10. The Chorus and Re- demption. 11. The Names of Christ. 12. The Lamb on the Throne. CONTENTS 9 CHAPTER VII THE DRAMA PAGE Act I Earthly Needs 201 Scene I. Patmos. The Lord's Day. The Prologue. Act II Heavenly Origins 210 Scene I. An Open Door in Heaven. Scene II. The Earth. Act III Heavenly Help 221 Scene I. The Temple of God in Heaven Is Opened. Scene II. The Earth. Scene III. Mount Zion. Scene IV. In Heaven. Scene V. The Earth. Scene VI. The Wilderness. Scene VII. The Open Heaven. Scene VIII. The Earth. Scene IX. The New Heaven and the New Earth. Scene X. A High Mountain. APPENDICES Appendix I. A Brief List of Old Testa- ment Sources 243 Appendix II. A Brief List of Suggestive Words Used Which Have Good Dramatic Capacity . . . 253 Index 257 INTRODUCTION This is a twice-born book. Its first birth was in the Methodist pulpit at Centerville, Iowa, where its main points were used in a series of sermons by the pastor-author for the edification of the flock over which the Holy Ghost had made him overseer. It was born again as a Conference sermon at Muscatine, Iowa, in September, 1919. I was present. I heard the sermon. Dr. Osborn fairly took my breath by announcing the whole book of Reve- lation as his text ! I said to myself, "Here is rashness." For this last book of the Bible not only glows with splendor unsurpassed in any literature, but is crowded with things hard to be understood. Indeed, it has been truly said that the book of Revelation fur- nishes the acid test of an expositor's sanity. And this preacher before me that day was quite calmly taking the whole book as the text for a single sermon. Where learned commentators were dumb, and on ground trampled hard by the rash tread of hot-eyed fanatics rushing to announce wild and grotesque interpretations this man was preaching a sane, spiritual, and 11 12 INTRODUCTION consistent exposition of this book of mystery and wonder, and actually carrying us with him straight through to the end of an hour of men- tal and spiritual delight. Of many of us who heard on that memorable day, it could be said, *^He sat mute in the midst, The whole man one amaze." For the preacher made his case. We, the homi- letic jury (nearly all preachers), gave him a verdict unanimously. With others, I insisted that he put the argu- ment into form and offer it to the Methodist Review. On further thought, it became clear that it would require more space than the Review could give to advance and adequately support the theory of Revelation which the sermon had set forth. We then urged publica- tion in book form. The result is in your hands. It is sent forth with the prayers of the author and of all of us who have believed that this so- lution of the problems presented by John in his Patmos visions should be accessible to all who love the Word of God. As a contribution to the study of this most intricate and wonderful book of the Bible, I may claim : 1. Novelty. 2. Deep spirituality. INTRODUCTION 13 3. Entire consistency and cogency. 4. Infectious and well-reasoned optimism. 5. Freedom from the fanciful and grotesque. 6. Complete elimination of second-coming extravagance. Mark you — elimination! 7. And finally, the nearest approach to a satisfactory solution of the hard problems of Revelation I have ever read or heard. H. C. Stuntz. Omaha, Nebraska, May 1, 1922. "I wondered at the vision, but there was none to make it understood." — Dan, 8. 27. PREFACE The book of Revelation is admittedly the most difficult book of the Bible to interpret. Because of its many highly colored figures of speech and its enthralling descriptions of amazing exhibitions of power, it is probable that more vagaries have been put forth as in- terpretations and more fanciful expositions of the book have been written than of all the rest of the Bible. The author was reared in a community where great emphasis was put upon this style of exposition and where it was a fairly common household belief, based upon these interpreta- tions, that "the world would come to an end in ten years." Observing that the dire results which the prophets of literalism so boldly proclaimed did not happen, the author gradually came to the conclusion that some other method of interpre- tation must be found than the one which had so signally failed. About twenty-five years ago the conviction began to deepen that this book, strange though it was in form and expression, must have had a more rational purpose behind it. For many 17 18 PKEFACE years the literary horizon was persistently scanned in search of the book which might of- fer a more rational solution of the hitherto baffling problem of interpretation, but no such book appeared. It is now apparent that the general drift of the best thought about the book through these years has been in the direction of seeking the solution of the problems of interpretation by the same general approach as has been em- ployed in connection with the other New Tes- tament books. Appeals for the consideration of this method of approach which have been made before lay- men and ministers have met with such gener- ous commendation, finally culminating in definite requests for the development and pub- lication of these ideas led the author to consent to undertake the task of preparing a book embodying them. The task has not been an easy one, as much constructive work of a pioneer character had to be done. Though deeply conscious of personal limita- tions, this book is sent forth, not as the final word, but in the hope that it may prove to be the beginning of a more satisfactory interpre- tation, and with the prayer that it may help many perplexed folks to a new appreciation of this remarkable book which has such mar- PREFACE 19 velous power to inspire heroic endeavor in great adversity. The kind encouragement of many friends is here gratefully acknowledged. The author is indebted to many sources of information, pro and con, which it is mani- festly impossible to enumerate. Besides the book itself, which has proven highly illumina- tive as to its own purpose, the following is a partial list of the works consulted in the prepa- ration of the manuscript: Dictionary of the Bihle, Hastings. Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, Hast- ings. The Letters to the Seven Churches, Ramsay. Biblical Apocalyptics, Terry. John and His Writings, Hayes. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Edersheim. Clarke's Commentaries. Literary Study of the Bible, Moulton. The Revelation of John, Case. The Drama of the Apocalypse, Palmer. The Johannine Writings and the Johannine Problem, Vedder. Modern Premillennialism, Rail. The Apocalypse of Saint John, Swete. The Book of Revelation Not a Mystery, Kep- pel. 20 PREFACE Heart Problems and World Issues, Geis- singer. The Millennial Hope, Case. Studies in Recent Adventism, Sheldon. The Return of the Redeemer, Eckman. Premillennialism, Mains. The Millennial Dawn Heresy, Eaton. ^^Revelation," The Century Bible. History of Rome, Gibbon. Complete Works, Josephus. History for Ready Reference, Lamed. The Coming of the Lord, Snowden. The International Critical Commentary, "The Revelation of Saint John/^ Charles. "Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it." — Eah. 2. 2, CHAPTER I THE PURPOSE Interpretation What is the purpose of this strange book? The correct answer to this question will have great bearing on the whole matter of interpre- tation. A misconception of its purpose will color the entire book with its mistaken light. In order to secure the most satisfactory re- sults in the interpretation of any biblical book it is essential to know the author, the time, the place, and occasion of its writing. The more certain and definite the knowledge about these four items with information concerning man- ners, customs, current thought, and historic setting, the more satisfactory the conclusions will be. Should the book be peculiar and therefore difficult of exposition, the more vital it will be to secure all possible information con- cerning these items. The subject matter will also loom large as a determinative factor as to purpose. The Author It is not the writer's purpose to present an 23 24 THE LION AND THE LAMB extended discussion of the authorship of the Apocalypse, but to consider its literary form and purpose. Since the intention of a well- known author may be more easily determined than that of an unknown writer, the matter of authorship will be briefly considered because of the light to be thrown on his purpose. The writer of the Apocalypse calls himself "John" five times in the book. The common conception of the church has been and is that "John" is none other than the apostle John. This belief is based upon the oldest and most current tradition that the Apocalypse is the work of the disciple of the Lord. The external evidence overwhelmingly favors this view. Justin Martyr, Irenseus, Tertullian, Hippo- lytus, and Origen bear direct testimony that the apostle John wrote the book. The author- ship of no book of the New Testament is better attested by external evidence than that of the Apocalypse.^ Ramsay is so confident of the apostolic authorship that he writes a note- worthy chapter on "The Education of Saint John in Patmos."^ After a masterly review of the matter of authorship Professor D. A. Hayes reaches the same conclusion.^ It requires very strong evi- 1 Biblical Dogmatics, Terry, p. 294. ' Letters to the Seven Churches, Ramsay, pp. 82, 89. f John and His Writings, Hayes, p. 246, THE PURPOSE 25 dence to controvert this view which has been so generally held by the church. The witnesses to do this do not seem available. The Time There is strong internal evidence that cer- tain portions of the book were written after the death of Nero. There was a popular Ro- man legend that Nero would rise from the dead and sit upon the Roman throne. This belief was so persistent that, as late as the time of Domitian, many believed that he was the dead Nero returned to life. There is un- doubted reference to this curious popular leg- end about Nero in the text of the book, where reference is made to him as the "beast'' that "was and is not ; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition."^ As Christ, who lived, died, and rose from the dead, is referred to as the one "Who is and who was and who is to come," so Nero is referred to as one who "was, and is not, and shall come." John writes to comfort the Christians who might fear the return of the infamous Nero to the throne. He intimates that if he should "come up out of the abyss," it will not be to go on the throne, but to go into "per- dition." * Rev. 11. 7; 17. 8, U, 26 THE LION AND THE LAMB As a flame by night reddens the sky, and the sky, in turn, reddens the landscape with its borrowed glare, so the blood of slain martyrs colors the inspired imagination of the author of the Apocalypse, and that borrowed glow, reflected in the phrasing of the book, is a mute, but certain, witness that the Apocalypse is the mirror of a terrible persecution. The external evidence for dating the Apocalypse late in the reign of Domitian is much stronger than that for a late date of any other New Testa- ment book. Irenseus, Jerome, Victorinus, and Eusebius definitely fix the date at this time. This conclusion was practically unchallenged during the first three centuries of church his- tory. More than forty conspicuous authori- ties may be cited in support of this date. The consensus, based upon the external evidence, fixes the date near the close of the reign of Domitian. Thus both the internal and external evidence fix the time of the writing of the book as sub- sequent to the death of Nero. The Place The author states that he "was in the isle that is called Patmos.'' Owing to the cryptic nature of the book this bit of internal evidence alone would not be conclusive. Many marine THE PURPOSE 27 figures and references make it reasonably cer- tain that the author was sea girt. Pliny and Tacitus support this conclusion by asserting that small and inhospitable islands were fre- quently used as places of banishment for ob- noxious persons. Eusebius and Jerome state that Saint John was banished to Patmos by Domitian. In view of these statements there is little doubt that Patmos was the temporary residence of the author of the Apocalypse. The entire book may not have been composed there, as certain materials, if not already com- mitted to writing, would probably have been mentally prepared as the author saw the storm of persecution gathering prior to his confine- ment. The proximity of Patmos to the seven churches is reflected in the language of the book. With Patmos as a center, an arc de- scribed by a radius of one hundred and thirty miles would have included the seven cities. The cities were located in the form of a huge shoe, with Ephesus at the heel and Smyrna about half way up the back and Pergamum at the top. The mouth of the shoe is forty miles across at the top, thence thirty-five miles to Sardis, the buckle, and on through Philadel- phia to Laodicea, the toe, thence back along the huge sole to the heel. Beginning at Ephe- sus, the point nearest Patmos, Christ directs a 28 THE LION AND THE LAMB message to be sent to each of the seven churches in the exact order of their location on the map. The Occasion Each book of the New Testament was writ- ten to supply some great fundamental need, which if unsupplied would have resulted in serious misfortune to Christianity. The Apoc- alypse is no exception to this general rule. Not a book of the New Testament could be taken from its place in the Bible and the need of its particular generation without doing ir- reparable damage to the whole cause of Chris- tianity. Every book was specifically adapted to meet some urgent need. The purpose of the book is vitally and inseparably connected with its capacity to meet that need. Our problem is to find the outstanding need of the Chris- tians in western Asia in the days of the Apoc- alypse and to determine if the book meets that need. Would it not be perfectly natural if during his banishment from his bishopric John should write a letter to his fellow Christians to meet whatever need might have arisen among them ? With Domitian on the throne at Rome and Saint John banished to Patmos for his faith and teaching, what outstanding event of the THE PURPOSE 29 period would justify a written message from John to the Christians in western Asia? Do- mitian had begun his career as a constitutional monarch who devoted all his energy to the good of his realm. Something happened, however, which changed the whole imperial policy, so that the career which had begun with such promise ended in a reign of blood and terror, during the last three years of which the mon- arch played the part of a frenzied madman. Two things contributed to this change of policy, both personal to the emperor. His armies were defeated on a Danubian battle- field by the Dacians, and for the first time in their history the Romans were compelled to pay an annual tribute to the victors. Em- boldened by the defeat and the resulting criti- cism, certain elements revolted. The uprising was put down without mercy, and Domitian seized the opportunity to destroy his political enemies on the ground that they had been in- volved in the conspiracy. This marked the be- ginning of a general reign of terror which was heartily promoted by the jealous monarch, during which many of the "noblest Romans of them all" perished. Once kindled, the fire of persecution developed into a general con- flagration which swept over the whole empire. The first direct contribution to the persecuting 30 THE LION AND THE LAMB impulse was the suspicion awakened in the mind of Domitian by the civil embarrassments to which reference has just been made. The second impulse, which led directly to the per- secution of the Christians, after suspicion had been aroused by civil events, was of religious origin. Emperoe Worship Emperor worship first grew and flourished on eastern soil where the rulers had been called *^Sons of God" for centuries. Ptolemy I was heralded as "Saviour and God." Antiochus IV was designated on his own coins as "The God Who Appeared Among Men." Julius Caesar was known as "God and Saviour." A temple was erected at Pergamum and dedicated to the "God Augustus and the Goddess Rome." Similar temples were subsequently erected at Smyrna and Ephesus and festivals connected with the worship of the emperor were cele- brated, from time to time, at Pergamum, Sar- dis, and Philadelphia. The first Roman province added by conquest was western Asia. It had a cosmopolitan popu- lation consisting of Greeks, Romans, Jews, and local tribes. Conflicting racial prejudices and practices were abundant. The land was rich, and the covetous eyes of the Romans were not THE PURPOSE 31 set on it in vain. It became a veritable prey to Roman officials and soldiers who inaugu- rated a reign of plunder and terror. Augustus restored law and order and was hailed "Sav- iour" of Asia. By decree of the Roman Senate his birthplace was declared a "Holy Place," and his birthday celebrated as the "Birthday of God.'' Many cities fused emperor worship with that of their local deities. The people encouraged the fusion because they found it an easy road to imperial favor. The Romans fostered it because they saw great opportunities for uni- fication of empire interests. Domitian, self-styled "Lord and God," find- ing himself greatly discredited by his military failures, naturally encouraged imperial wor- ship as the surest means of regaining his lost prestige. Under his policy refusal to worship the emperor became high treason. Christian- ity, growing in numbers and influence, refused to assent to the worship of any being except the Triune God. Conflict between the state and Christianity was therefore inevitable. There were some striking parallels between the two. Each had a universal program, aim- ing at world conquest. The dream of pros- perity and peace of the Old Testament prophets had its counterpart in the stable and well- 32 THE LION AND THE LAMB ordered governmental regime. The "Lord,'' "God," "Son of God," "Image of God," "God Manifest," of the Christian religion were matched by the same words upon the lips of the imperial high-priesthood, but applied by them to the deified emperors. In addition to these predisposing causes of persecution there were other elements which might stimulate the Roman purpose to insist upon conformity to imperial worship. There is plenty of evidence that the Gentiles and the Jews of western Asia would not hesitate to join hands with the Ro- mans in persecuting the Christians (Acts 9. 23 ) . The Master had warned his followers, "Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake,"^ and his preword seems more like his- tory than prediction. It was the purpose of Domitian to exterminate the Christians as the Druids were destroyed before them.^ What would a group of helpless folks who were completely at the mercy of pagan perse- cutors most need? The imprisoned John was also a victim. Working in quarry or mine and feeling the lash of the taskmaster daily, he would be keenly alive to the sufferings of his fellow Christians. Everything jealous heathen- ism could devise was inflicted upon them in 6 Mark 13. 13. • Letters to the Seven Churches, Ramsay, pp. 91, 92. THE PURPOSE 33 this time of terror. They were compelled to bridge the chasm between gross heathenism and Christian civilization with their suffering bodies. They laid the foundation for this sac- rificial superstructure with the stone of super- human endurance, in mortar mixed with their own blood. In these circumstances would it not seem strange if God did not move some gifted saint who was a "fellow sufferer" with them to write a message of tender helpfulness, which would comfort the broken-hearted and so strengthen the morale of the Christians that they would be willing to die for Him who "loved them and loosed" them from their "sins by his blood"? Who would be better qualified to write such a book than the venerable John? Would not such a book likely contain internal evidence that it was designed for such a period of trial? Internal Evidence Cavities where once a human body was buried beneath the avalanche of ash and lava from Mount Vesuvius, refilled with mortar, re- veal the form and feature of the men who per- ished in that catastrophe. So certain cavities of speech and phrasing from those buried years of persecution have preserved, to the thought- ful inquirer, long-hidden thoughts, hopes, mo- 34 THE LION AND THE LAMB tives, and needs of those terrible years. Let us examine this book and see if we cannot find the reasons which led to its writing. As the deep need of Job's heart is revealed by the drama when it puts into his lips the exultant shout, "I know that my Redeemer liveth/'^ so this drama seeks to meet the needs of the tried souls of that day by revealing to them their Redeemer who is "alive forever more." Very early in the book Christ directs John to write a message to the seven churches to meet imperative needs peculiar to each of them. The writer is a "partaker'' in "tribulation." He exhorts the church at Smyrna to "fear not" when they "suffer," are "cast into prison," and have "tribulation." He congratulates the church at Pergamum, "where Satan's throne is," that they hold steadfast where Antipas lived and "was killed." The special rewards offered to "overcomers" at Ephesus, Thyatira, Sardis, and Laodicea indicate a time of trial. The pledge to keep the Philadelphians from the "hour of trial" suggests persecution. The presence of souls "slain for the word of God," sanctuaried under the altar, and the intima- tion that others will be slain before the day of terror is over, reveals a day of trial. Select spirits "before the throne of God," who came » Job 19. 25. THE PUEPOSE 35 "out of great tribulation'' is a reminder of the presence of the persecutor. The slaugh- ter and denial of burial to the "two witnesses" is another testimony to the presence of persecu- tion. When foiled in his attempt to "devour" the newly born child the dragon "persecuted the woman." Defeated again, he "waxed wroth" and prepared to "make war with the rest of her seed." These bear unchallenged witness to persecution. The sea-born "beast" had power to war against the "saints and to overcome them." The earth-born "beast" had authority to slay those who refused to "wor- ship the image of the beast," and to exclude those not bearing the "mark of the beast" from the marts of trade. ^ These are pertinent re- minders of the day of trial. The angel of the waters, extolling the Holy One for turning the fountains into blood because "the blood of saints and prophets" had been poured out, is another scrap of vivid evidence that the author was thinking of a day of trial. The "mother of harlots," "drunken with the blood of the saints," and the "voice of a great multitude in heaven" praising God because he had avenged the blood of his servants suggest that the hosts of heaven had not forgotten the "day of trial." John's sight of those who had been "beheaded 8 Apocalypse of John, Swete, p. 174. 36 THE LIOK AND THE LAMB for the testimony of Jesus'^ is one more of many bits of corroborative evidence of the strongest character that the very heart of the author's purpose was to bring comfort to men and women in the fires of persecution. With such a strong and steady current of testimony running through the book, and all of it indicat- ing the time of severe trial, how can one doubt that the book was written primarily for those who were suffering a terrible persecution? What would these tried souls need more than the strengthening of their morale? Morale in Trial The Apocalypse was born in the hour of trial, with God for its Father and necessity for a mother. Porter thinks the justification for its presence in the sacred canon is its mar- velous power to strengthen morale in trial.^ As the aim of the book of Daniel was to strengthen men in the hour of severe trial, so the purpose of the Apocalypse is to steady and sustain those who were victims of an un- speakable persecution.^^ Morale is the key- stone of the arch of Apocalyptic purpose.^ ^ This taken away, the whole arch falls in mean- ingless ruin. A book which would enable men » Hastings, vol. IV, p. 241. w Hastings, vol. IV, p. 245. u Modern Premillennialism, Rail, p. 93\ THE PURPOSE 37 to remain true to Christ under the trials which the Christians endured would be entirely worthy the high endeavor of any man who loved the kingdom and the folks who composed it. The permanent merit of the book lies in its power to strengthen hope in adversity.^^ What the tried saints of those days needed most was not a panorama of events running through six thousand generations to come, but the sight of a pageant of power which would be available to them in their own generation. The author of this book sought to reveal God as the final source of comfort and strength to his own generation.^^ As a river mirrors the trees which grow upon its banks so this book reflects the needs of the Christians in the days of Domitian. The red glare of blood shed by the hand of the persecutor is reflected by John^s imagination and projected into every page of this book. It is a bloody book. When the common wine press runs red with human blood and royalty reels, "drunk" with saintly blood, then do persecuted souls need a vision of power avail- able to them in their hour of need, and nothing else can strengthen their morale like such a sight. " Hastings, vol. IV, p. 266. " Apostolic Church, Hastings, vol. I, p. 74. 38 THE LION AND THE LAMB The Old Testament It is clearly evident that the Apocalypse is the mirror of a terrible persecution. If we find the author freely using quotations from the Old Testament which were originally em- ployed to comfort souls in the hour of trial, it will be reasonably certain that it was his purpose to comfort those to whom he wrote. This conclusion is materially supported by the fact that many of his readers would be conver- sant with these excerpts, while their common enemies would be unacquainted with them. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah were written to comfort Israel under the iron heel of the oppressor, though that was not their only message. These books along with others were freely drawn upon as sources for much of the phrasing in direct quotation, carrying identical thought and much verbatim language. The Westcott and Hort list of Old Testament quotations in the Apocalypse shows that sixty- five per cent of the verses of the Apocalypse contain direct Old Testament language, with a total of five hundred and fifty references to material taken from the Old Testament. A careful checking of the list against original sources will reduce the number somewhat, but THE PURPOSE 39 will still leave an amazing number of passages imported directly from the Old Testament. A careful study of these passages will show that the great bulk of them are employed in the Apocalypse, as they were originally used in the Old Testament, to comfort men in the day of trial. Comment on these striking parallels is with- held as unnecessary. Since out of so generous a selection made by the author, from so many Old Testament sources, there is scarcely one which does not bear directly on the comfort of hearts in the hour of trial, ^^ but one con- clusion can be drawn: the author must have intended to employ material for the purpose of strengthening the morale of the tried saints under the lash of the persecutor in his day.^^ The Limited Objective Does this book have a limited or an unlim- ited objective? Does its real goal lie within that generation or two or three thousand years away? Fortunately, certain everyday key words are found in the book the meaning of which one cannot mistake. They furnish a vital and final clue. To get the long look for >* For detailed comparison of the Apocalyptic references with the Old Testament sources see Api>endix. « International Critical Commentary, "The Revelation," vol. I, Charles, Introduction, p. xzii. 40 THE LION AND THE LAMB the objective one must unsee these unmistak- able signs of purpose hung up at strategic places in the book. These key words are ren- dered "shortly," "quickly," and "at hand," throughout the entire New Testament. The word translated "shortly" and "quickly" is used thirty-eight times in the New Testament. It appears in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, First Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Second Thessalonians, First Timothy, Hebrews, First Peter, and James. There should be little difficulty in determining the meaning of a word which is found in more than one half of the New Testament books. In these books it is translated "quickly," "hastily," "shortly," "soon," "speedily," "slightly," "outrun," "suddenly," and "with all speed." Applied to time the words give the idea of brevity only. It is used in the Apoca- lypse eight times, appearing in the first chap- ter, where announcement is made of things which must "shortly" come to pass. The statement is repeated in the last chapter. The word translated "at hand" is used forty- two times in the New Testament. Its root meaning is to "squeeze," to "throttle," to re- duce to small compass. It is employed by the writers of twelve New Testament books. It should be easily defined. It is translated "at THE PURPOSE 11 hand," "drew nigh," "come nigh," "approach- ing." Not one of these words means a great length of time or space. It is used twice in the Apocalypse, in the first and last chapter. In both instances the phrasing is "at hand." In the first chapter certain impending events are said to be "at hand." In the last chapter John is directed to leave this book unsealed, for the "time is at hand." If the meaning of these words, which is so definitely fixed by usage in the New Testament, is to have any real con- sideration, they surely suggest a very limited objective for the Apocalypse. A rational use of the words as they occur cannot put the objective beyond the generation of that day. Numbers Related to Time The terms used to indicate brevity of time also suggest a limited objective for the book. Christ warned the church at Smyrna, "Ye shall have tribulation ten days." The frequent use of material from Daniel in the Apocalypse would indicate that the ten-day diet test of Daniel and his companions probably suggested the ten-day test in the Apocalypse. It is highly improbable that the ten days were literal days of twenty-four hours each. It is far more likely that they indicate a short time. The two '* witnesses" who were put to death 42 THE LION AND THE LAMB for faith in Christ preached for three and one half years. Their enemies triumphed over them but for three and one half days. They served for years. Their enemies triumphed over them for days, when God intervened on their behalf. Certain nations were permitted to tread the precincts of the Temple under foot for three and one half years. If this reference is to Jerusalem and the Temple there, which had been in the defiled hands of the Komans for a score of years, it could not mean a literal "forty and two months," but it undoubtedly signifies a short time. Authority was given the sea-born beast — Kome — to persecute the saints for ^^forty-two months," but the real Rome-born persecution lasted intermittently for more than forty-two years. The lesson is that Roman dominancy must in the end be comparatively brief. No literal interpretation is at home in this section of the book. The time periods must be considered as relative only. The woman who fled from the dragon was nourished "one thousand two hundred and three score days" ( three and one half years ) . This period is contrasted with the "short time" parallel which is allotted to the devil to do his nefarious work. The actual length of time in- THE PURPOSE 43 volved is subsidiary to the main lesson that God will sustain as long as the devil persecutes. Five months is the period which the locust- horse hordes had power to torture men. A long time is not intended by it. It suggests that though brief the punishment will be in- tense. The Thousand Years The "thousand years'^ is the longest period of time referred to in the book. There are six references to it in the twentieth chapter, and it occurs nowhere else. Three of the references refer to the time the devil is bound and three to the time of the regnancy of the saints. If all other numbers in the book had a strictly literal content, this one should be held to the same general interpretation. Since none of the others are so construed, why this one? Were there literally two hundred million gal- loping horsemen, no more, no less? Did a lit- eral stream of human blood, bridle deep to horse and two hundred miles long actually flow from a wine press in w^hich grapes had been placed? Were there seven thousand, not one more nor one less, slain in the earthquake? Let us also examine the matter in the light of other statements referring to time and di- rectly connected with the time immediately 44 THE LION AND THE LAMB preceding the binding of Satan and that also following it. Let us see if we cannot catch the author's object as he teaches by the compara- tive object-lesson method. At the time of Satan's entrance into earthly affairs he is rep- resented as "having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time" (12.12). His time for action after his release from imprisonment is described as a "little time" (20. 3 ) . He car- ried out his program without great restraint prior to his incarceration, though limited to a "short time." He was free again to act without great restraint after his duress, though only for a "little time." Between the "short time" and the "little time" is a period of compara- tively long time — a "thousand years" — during which he is imprisoned by the angel keeper of the pit. The comparison is not between the "thousand years" and all time preceding it and all to follow it. The "thousand years" is not the short term in the comparison but it is the long time. The Apocalypse represents Satan as having two short periods of unre- strained effort with a long period — a "thou- sand years" — between the two short ones. By this object lesson the Christians are being "shown" that, though Satan may persecute without great restraint for two brief periods, yet the time of their regnancy is much longer. THE PURPOSE 45 Job had two comparatively long periods of freedom from the actual power of Satan, one in the early part of his career and one late in life, with a correspondingly short time in which God said, "All that he hath is in thy power."^^ Job^s time of freedom from Satanic power was the long time at the beginning and the long time at the close of his career with a short time of Satanic dominion between the two. In the Apocalypse the beginning and the end con- stitute the time of Satanic mastery, with a long time of saintly regnancy between the two. In both books the time of man's regnancy is long and the period of Satanic dominion, though fierce, is brief. Remembering that Satan's time of triumph was at the beginning and the end, Christ's saying, "I am the be- ginning and the end," has a new significance. Thus are the Christians given the impression, by this remarkable book, that the time of Sa- tanic dominion is short. Since they are passing through that short period of his dominancy, through his agents the "beasts," they have their eyes fixed upon the limited objective for this book. They are comforted with the sug- gestion that the days of Satanic mastery will soon end and the time of their regnancy is near >Vob 1. 12. 46 THE LION AND THE LAMB at hand. Should he return after his imprison- ment, it will be only a "little time" until he is defeated again. Immediacy of Action The book is saturated with the spirit of im- mediacy. Nothing is to be long deferred. Sa- tanic dominancy can, at the worst, be only brief. It is almost sunup of the day of saintly mastery and of Satanic defeat. The creak of the oxcart is never heard in this book. Every- thing moves with rapidity. Horses gallop in cavalry charge. Lightnings flash. Seas swal- low ships at a gulp. Fire and earthquake work swiftly. Hail crashes through the air. Pesti- lence flies upon the wings of the wind. Flying messengers flash their wings over earth and sea. The gospel is carried by a winged angel. Everything is in rapid action. Nothing is static. Scenes are constantly shifting. The sense of rapidity is everywhere. "Delay shall be no longer." "The hour to reap is come." The "grapes are fully ripe." "In one hour thy judgment is come." "In one day her plagues shall come." "The marriage of the Lamb is come." "His wife hath made herself ready." Woes tread upon each other's heels, they come so quickly. In Daniel the vision was shut be- cause the objective was afar off. Seal not the THE PURPOSE 47 words of the prophecy, for the "time is at hand," is the apocalyptic urgency. The reaper rides a cloud. Beasts move too slowly. Swift- winged birds are summoned to feast upon the flesh of slain royalty. The woman escapes a pursuing dragon on the wings of an eagle. Saints, sanctuaried under God's altar, grow impatient for full inheritance, and cry out, "How long?" They are told to "rest yet for a little time." The mystery of God is "fin- ished." The devil is "cast down." Merchant princes plead for rocks to "fall" upon them. A flying eagle announces coming woes. Stars fall like blazing torches. Horses rush to war. Islands flee. The heavens are rolled up as a scroll. Dire disaster follows the decisive action of the angels of the bowl with cataclysmic sud- denness. Saints are tried for ten days. Satan, sullen with anger, begotten of defeat, moves swiftly because he knows his time is "short." Christ is urgent. Twice he breaks unannounced into a scene, once before the angel has com- pleted his conversation with John. Both times he appears to say the urgent words "Behold, I come quickly." The very rapidity of action so characteristic of this book shows that the goal for which the saints long is "at hand," that the objective is a limited one. No saint of that day had the long look in his eyes, seeing 48 THE LION AND THE LAMB no hope except at the misty foothills of the dim and far distant future, but every heart leaped at the welcome words, "Behold, I come quickly." To them his coming meant the dominance of the right and the defeat of evil. "Prophecy" Perhaps no one word in this strange book leads so many readers from the real trail of truth as the word for "prophecy," because a false content is read into it. The word for "prophet" and "prophecy" in its varied forms appears twenty-one times in this book. This is a sufficiently wide usage to give a fair con- ception of the meaning based upon actual use. It appears in the first and last chapters and in six intervening ones. In the first chapter the "prophecy" is to be "heard," "read," and "kept." One may "keep" a commandment or conform to the spirit and teaching of a mes- sage, but how can one "keep" a "prophecy" if it foretells future events? In four instances the word used in this book signifies a "mes- sage." This seems to be Jesus' conception in the last chapter. Once the "testimony of Jesus" is called the "spirit of prophecy." Once the author is to preach or "prophesy" to many nations and peoples "again." In three cases THE PURPOSE 49 the message of two "witnesses'^ is called a "prophecy/' and the "prophecy'' in turn is called a "testimony." In six instances "proph- ets" are mentioned as a part of a group without regard to action. Once "prophets" declare "good tidings." These "prophets" were probably gospel preach- ers, as "good tidings" is a New Testament ex- pression. Jezebel is called a "prophetess.'- False "prophets" are mentioned three times. In all this wide range of usage no "prophet" in the book reveals future events. In all in- stances where a definite status is suggested the work of the "prophet" is that of edification, comfort, and consolation. Thus do they match Saint PauFs conception of the New Testament "prophet." "He that prophesieth speaketh unto men edification, and comfort, and conso- lation."!^ The New Testament prophet is the one who declares God's will. Prophecy is the message which contains the declaration of that will. The New Testament "prophet" is a forth- teller and not a foreteller. ^^ To assume that New Testament "prophecy," and therefore Apocalyptic prophecy, which is included in it, is predictive and then find the prediction unfulfilled excites sus- " I Cor. 14. 3. »» The Johannine Writings, Vedder, p. 40. 50 THE LION AND THE LAMB picion concerning the inspiration of the book.^^ The Apocalypse Meets the Need of the Hour The terrible plight of the Christians in the Apocalyptic period, due to unspeakable perse- cutions, and the impending peril to the cause of Christianity as inextricably involved in the threatened disaster, should the persecuted ones not remain steadfast, demanded a message which would so strengthen the morale of those tried people that they would "endure as seeing him who is invisible." The Apocalypse is the only book of the New Testament which can be regarded as specifi- cally written to meet the requirements of the situation in western Asia and other parts of the Koman Empire. If it was not written to meet the imperative needs of those days of pa- gan frightfulness, then there is no book which does meet the need of that soul-tried genera- tion. That the church should pass through such fires of persecuting fury as it did in the first three centuries of its history without God having inspired some understanding and sym- pathetic soul to pen them a message of hope to w The Drama of the Apocalypse, Palmer, p. 94; The Reoelalion of John, Case, p. 385. THE PURPOSE 51 steady and sustain them is unthinkable. Other New Testament books had been written for a lesser reason than that demanding a message in the days of the Apocalypse. The very neces- sities of the case argue that such a book was written. The Apocalypse is that book. It is indigenous to the soil of the generation of Do- mitian. It is deeply rooted in the subsoil of the social, mental, moral, religious, and po- litical life of that day. The very petals of its blossoms of hope, comfort, and promise are colored by the thought and emotions of that day. Its fruit is such as famishing souls must have if they are not to perish. It is the "hid- den manna" upon which these stalwart sons and daughters of God fed and were sustained. It is the literary answer of God to the needy souls of men of those terrible years of blood and fire and tears. One might write upon every copy— "The Saint in the Day of Triar'— "His Book." "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God : but to the rest in para- bles; that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand." — Luke 8. 10, CHAPTER II THE FORM Form Fundamental to Interpretation Form is fundamental to correct interpreta- tion. Prose cannot be interpreted like poetry, nor historic narrative like fiction. Legal phraseology cannot be construed like the im- passioned appeal of the orator. Form will therefore have a profound influence upon in- terpretation. What is the literary form of the Apocalypse? It is really the description of a great drama. There must be a sharp dis- crimination between what John saw and his description of it. The former is the real drama, the latter is the reporter's account of it. The book of ^^Revelation" is John's description of the drama which he saw. It has many dramatic qualities, but is not the real drama and is not designed to be staged. The people to whom he wrote had no means for staging a drama, but they could see the one which John saw from his description of it. What John really saw was the most stupendous pageant ever staged under the stars. 55 56 THE LION AND THE LAMB Much confusion of interpretation has arisen because the dramatic quality of the original presentation to John has been overlooked. With the instinct of a true dramatist the au- thor enhances the effectiveness of this mar- velous pageant, by elaborate scenic settings. Having access to no stage with suitable para- phernalia and dramatic arrangement, he must present the setting in words. Any interpreta- tion which places the same emphasis upon the descriptive portions of this drama which it does upon the spoken message will find grave difficulty in satisfying either the mind or heart of the thoughtful student. 1. Negative Aspects, Before presenting the main reasons why the book should be interpreted from the dramatic standpoint let us consider some negative as- pects of the matter. It is not a pure Apocalypse. The word "Apocalypse'^ is a distinctive New Testament word. It has too often been understood to be used in Revelation alone. Its meaning is fixed, not by the book of Revelation alone, but by its New Testament use. Here it appears forty-four times, twenty-six times as a verb and eighteen times as a noun. It appears once each in the title and body of the book. There THE FOKM 57 is no valid reason why the meaning should be fixed entirely by the two times it is used in the Apocalypse, but there is strong ground for concluding that the forty-two times it is em- ployed in the rest of the New Testament should shed considerable light on its meaning in the Apocalypse. In the rest of the New Testament it is always translated to reveal, or a revela- tion, and signifies literally an unveiling, an un- covering, a display, an exhibition. When the veil is drawn aside and the picture is exposed to view, that is an Apocalypse. The New Testa- ment use of the word will not warrant the con- clusion that the book is an Apocalypse in the usual sense of the word as indicated in the Old Testament and the Jewish Apocalypses. A second reason why the book may not be re- garded as a true Apocalypse is the vital differ- ence between the fundamental concept of the real apocalyptist and the author of the book of Revelation. The real apocalyptist despairs of immediate relief, loses faith in God's actual presence in the world, and doubts his intention to give speedy victory to the cause of right. Despairing of present relief, he looks to a fu- ture day when earthly conditions shall be re- versed and God will intervene with a high hand of power to destroy the baneful world order by sheer force. It is not denied that certain 58 THE LION AND THE LAMB Apocalyptic types are employed in the bold imagery of the book. The writer must have been strongly impressed by the imagery of the Jewish Apocalypses. In real essential spirit, however, it is not a strict Apocalypse. Instead of the writer despairing because of the lack of God's presence in the world, his whole men- tal horizon is aflame with the conviction that the Triune God is present as an evident and vital factor in the gigantic struggle for right- eousness in the world at the hour of his writ- ing. To him God is no unconcerned spectator upon the sidelines, but is everywhere present in the grim scrimmage of those awful days. This conception is the very heart and soul of the Apocalypse of John. He seeks to make men feel the wholesome and stimulating sense of God's presence in the world, working with mighty energy, in spite of men or demons. The book of Revelation is not predictive "prophecy.'^ This phase having been discussed in the previous chapter needs only to be re- stated here. It is not pure prose and therefore not sub- ject to the literal interpretation usually ac- corded that type of literature.^ Even a casual study will convince the reader that the poetical quality of the book must be reckoned with in iPremtttennioiMOT, Mains, p. 41. THE FOKM 59 any rational interpretation. To treat the poetical element, so conspicuous in this book, as if it were prose has inevitably led to errone- ous conclusions. These errors have resulted in serious and conflicting conceptions, making it difficult to reconcile the book with the age which produced it or to harmonize it with its own evident purpose. Its presence in the sacred canon suggests that it is not an enigma. The difficulty is not with the book, but with human conceptions of it; not with the motive and purpose of the author, but with the interpreta- tion. That it is not a prose composition seems axiomatic, but it is worth while to call atten- tion to the serious difficulties involved in giv- ing the book a literal interpretation such as is usually accorded prose. Literalism presents no vital clue which may lead to a reasonable solu- tion of the problems of this unique book. It seems to increase the difficulties rather than to diminish them. Assuming that John intended to give a literal list of Roman kings leads to in- evitable conflict with the historic record. No amount of sophistry can avert this catastrophe. Conflict with well-established historic records results in final doubt of the author's accuracy. Doubt of accuracy raises a suspicion as to in- spiration. Presuming that he prophesied the 60 THE LION AND THE LAMB downfall of the Roman Empire within a few months causes serious doubt as to his reliabil- ity as a prophet, for it did not fall for more than two centuries. The presumption that John expected the imminent Coming to judge the world and to rule it with a literal "rod of iron," and that all oppressors of the Chris- tians were to be flung immediately into the flaming pit, while Christ and the saints were to share the throne of material world rulership falsifies history, discredits the author, and weakens confidence in the inspiration of the book. Because of the insuperable difficulties of a literal interpretation, Luther doubted the book was the work of the Holy Spirit and Zwing- lius thought it "not a biblical book." The keen- brained Calvin withheld approval for the same reason. Adam Clarke refused detailed com- ment because many expositions had "done great disservice to religion." Porter thinks literal interpretations have often been condu- cive to harmful results. Literalism is bound to have difficulty with a stream of blood four feet deep and two hun- dred miles long, flowing from a wine vat in which grapes have been placed. A pregnant woman, in heaven, nearing the hour of her ac- couchement, a serpent capable of vomiting up THE FORM 61 a river of such huge volume as to disturb a woman flying with the wings of an eagle ; and a dragon of such monstrous size that its tail could sweep one third of the stars from the sky leads literalism upon perilous shoals. The lit- eralist will have great difficulty to adjust the falling of the stars into the earth with such terrific impact that heaven is removed as a scroll and every mountain and island is moved from its place, while men are able to live on the earth and hide themselves in the rocks and caves of moving mountains. It is evident that the literal interpretation must go on the rocks of despair in the amazing scenic display of chapters seven, eight, nine, ten, and eleven. A simple problem in mental arithmetic ought to satisfy the contender for a literal interpreta- tion. It could be stated like this : ^'The stars of the heaven fell unto the earth."^ One third of them is subsequently darkened.^ Another third is swept from the sky by the tail of the red dragon.^ How many stars are left to shine? Having solved this problem, the con- tender might consider how the horsemen were transported from the plains of heaven to Har- Magedon and how the woman traveled from » Rev. 6. 13. » Rev. 8. 12. *Rev. 12.4. 62 THE LION AND THE LAMB heaven to her refuge in the earth after the birth of her child. It is evident that some more flexible in- terpretation must be found than literalism af- fords if this book is to be sanely interpreted and have full opportunity to carry its great message of cheer and comfort to the hearts of a needy race. If compelled to make choice of a form of literature which must be construed literally and the drama, there is no longer a question but that the drama is the only one flexible enough to employ what current ru- mor had suggested. Since the literal in- terpretation terminates in confusion, no form of literature which requires it can be consid- ered in a discussion of the form of the book of Eevelation. For the purpose of comfort and the strengthening of the morale of those con- cerned the drama may teach the lesson that God has the mastery of all the forces of the world, without requiring a literal interpreta- tion and without underwriting the material used, and so far as this feature is concerned, is certainly eligible for consideration. 2. Positive Aspects Having discussed some negative aspects of the case, let us now consider some positive phases of the matter, giving attention first to THE FORM 63 qualities of form which the exigencies of the situation would demand. A powerful government was determined to destroy Christianity. A message which would fully meet the exigencies of the situation should appear in the form least likely to excite the suspicion of the eagle-eyed Imperial of- ficials, else it would increase the animosity and thus defeat its own purpose. It must so stimu- late the morale of the Christians that they would endure in the face of death. The dra- matic form would be singularly adapted to these two purposes. The Romans were not proficient in the drama and were less skilled in its use to teach religious lessons. This fact would be a good reason why the dramatic form would be an ideal one in the exigencies of that period. The drama is the only form of literature which is sufficiently flexible to admit the very materials we find in the book of Revelation. Freedom in the use of figures of speech, the un- spoken message which the actor may give by appearance and action, the opportunity to play one sentiment against another, the chance to weave bits of literature and legend into the fabric, which would be familiar to the Chris- tians and unfamiliar to their enemies, the ease with which cryptic utterances may be employed 64 THE LION AND THE LAMB and veiled references made to current events and outstanding characters of the day, and many other peculiar privileges of the drama combine to make it especially adapted to the real purpose of the Apocalypse. The drama had been used to convey reli- gious lessons prior to this time. It was born of religious parentage among the Greeks. In its earliest form, in the Dionysiac festivals, the Satyr followers of the wine god Bacchus were impersonated by choruses of men scantily clad in goat skins, chanting their songs as they danced about the altar. Aristotle defined its motive as the attempt to purify the passions of fear and pity by the exalted exercise of them. In ^schylus, the Nemesis of divine vengeance is the very heart of the tragedy. In Sophocles, the moral law of life furnishes the thread for weaving the fabric of the drama. The drama also developed first as a religious type among many other nations. Since the race had used the drama quite uniformly to teach religious lessons, why should there be any hesitancy in thinking that, should the exigency arise in the stress of a great hour of need, the Christians would do the same? Christ used a disguised method of teaching in the presence of his enemies,'^ As a mother * Mark 4. 11. 12. THE FORM 65 bird flutters away from her nest, as if crippled, in order to lead the enemy aside, might not John "cripple'' in his Greek, deliberately in- tending to confuse his enemies by its crudity? As the Master used the parabolic form of speech to discomfit his enemies and teach his disciples, why might not John employ a dis- guised form of literature as the most effective method of reaching the persecuted Christians? The Main Reasons for Considering the Original Apocalypse a Drama Having examined some negative phases of the question of form and considered the adapt- ability of the drama to the purposes of the hour, let us now discuss some main reasons why the Apocalypse should be considered from the dramatic standpoint. 1. Seen^ Heard, and Read The drama is the only form of literature which may be "seen,'' "heard," and "read." The book opens with a prologue in which it is in- timated that the original presentation was seen by John and closes with a benediction on those who read and hear. The opening sentence of the book suggests that the purpose of the Apocalypse was that Christ might "show" it "unto his servants." John is the reporter, 66 THE LION AND THE LAMB and the book of Revelation is his account of what he saw. The writer uses the striking phrase "I saw" fifty times and "I heard'' twenty-nine times. No New Testament writer makes it so unmistakable that he was giving his readers a description of what he had seen. The things which the writer saw constitute, in the main, the scenic features of the drama. The spoken message of the drama is included in what he "heard.'' Counting a half verse as a minimum unit, two hundred and forty-seven verses are employed to describe, sometimes with painstaking minuteness, what the author saw. Christ and the other characters speak one hundred and fifty-seven verses, or a little more than one third of the entire book. Some character besides John speaks in every chapter except the twentieth, which contains the de- scription of an exceedingly artistic bit of dra- matic action. John speaks in twenty chap- ters, narrating what he had seen or heard, Christ speaks in six, and the other characters in nineteen chapters. In general, approxi- mately two thirds of the book is devoted to a description of that which had been seen or heard and one third is given to the spoken word. Since the drama is the one form of literature which may be seen, heard, and read, and this book expressly states that its contents THE FORM 67 are to be shown, heard, and read, and two thirds of its contents is devoted to a record of what was seen and one third to what was said, why quibble about it being dramatic in its real essence? How could it meet this threefold re- quirement and not be a drama? 2. Current Tradition The use of current tradition, so much in evi- dence in this book, could not be so gener- ously used in any form of literature except the drama. So terrible was the persecution under Nero that the populace, base as it was, felt that judgment must come for such acts. Rumors of impending calamities began to spread. The air was reported as full of prodigies. Shake- speare weaves similar omens into his Hamlet : "A little ere the mightiest Julius fell, The graves stood tenantless and the sheeted dead Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets. As stars with trains of fire and dews of blood, Disasters in the sun ; and the moist star Upon whose influence Neptune's empire stands Was sick almost to doomsday with eclipse." — Act 1, Scene 1. So in the Neronic days terrible storms and aw- ful plagues were freely predicted by the super- stitious. The bronze statue of Nero was al- leged to have been melted by a single bolt of 68 THE LION AND THE LAMB lightning. Fourteen different regions of Rome were reported to have been devastated by lightning. Many mysterious deaths were said to have been due to the same cause. There were whisperings of sudden darkenings of the sun and hurricane devastations. Comets were ex- pected to blaze in the heavens and earthquakes to rock the world. The Christians would give credence to these portents, though mainly the product of rumor. A cherished fund of them would become the natural heritage of fathers who would hand them down to their children. The terrible tragedy of Herculaneum and Pompeii occurred during the reign of Titus. That Roman royalty had summer villas at Pompeii would not be overlooked by the suffer- ing Christians. A dreadful plague followed the destruction of the two cities, taking toll of more than ten thousand lives daily. This was followed by a terrible conflagration in Rome which raged for three days and destroyed the Capitol, the Library of Augustus, and Pom- pey's Theater. Note the quaint manner in which these rumors are reflected in this dra- matic pageant. Current rumor made use of fire, lightning, wind, earthquake, blazing com- ets, bloody waters, plague, pestilence, and famine as the agents in the punishment of gross offenders. This drama contains the same THE FORM 69 elemental forces, as the agents of Divine Power. Thus does it utilize what current ru- mor had suggested, in order to reenforce the morale of the Christians in the hour of trial. 3. Action and the Drama (1) Pillaged Material. What an actor does in a drama and when he does it is quite as im- portant as what he says. Pillaging Eomans had carried away the trumpets, the golden bowls, and the seven-branched candlestick from the Temple during the siege and sack of Jerusalem. If the reader will couple the ac- tion to the episodes in this book, he will find the impression tremendously intensified. See Christ walking among the golden candlesticks and John falling at his feet. Recall that the seven candlesticks are the seven churches and that the risen Son of the Almighty is walking among them! Now run back in thought to Rome. Go to the Arch of Titus. See there as the trophies of triumph, the representation of the golden bowls, the trumpets and the seven- branched candlestick w^hich had been carried from the sacred Temple a quarter of a century before. Try to enter into the emotions of the men and women, many of whom this same Ro- man Empire is now seeking to crush, as they catch sight of the golden bowls, the trumpets, 70 THE LION AND THE LAMB and the seven-branched candlestick. When you have done this you will understand some- thing of the significance of these scenes to them and how fundamentally important action is to this pageant. Catch a glimpse of an angel of huge enough bulk to be garmented with a cloud, turbaned with a rainbow, his face as the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire, his right foot upon the sea and his left upon the land. Hear him crying out with leonine voice to the accompaniment of the seven thunders, "Delay shall be no longer!" Take the action from this episode and the life is gone. (2) Wickedness in High Places. Messa- lina, wife of Claudius, whose name was pro- verbial for infamy, not content with being a courtesan herself, compelled court women to prostitute themselves in the palace, in the presence of their husbands. Poppse, wife of Nero, was publicly known as a harlot-queen. Pompeia, wife of Trajan, with her sister, Mar- ciana, were the first ladies of the Roman Court to check, by personal example, the flaunting licentiousness which had almost uniformly prevailed among the women of the higher classes for a half century. During all this period there was not a single literary protest against this sin within the imperial realm. When the ^^mother of harlots" was put upon THE FORM 71 the back of the "scarlet" beast, there was re- buked by that act what had been an unrebuked, though well-known, fact in imperial circles for more than fifty years. What John did was far more effective than anything he might have said. (3) Natural Forces and Pests. Thunders, lightnings, fire, smoke as the "smoke of a fur- nace," and a "voice like a trumpet" had ac- companied the giving of the Law (Exod. 19. 16-18). Thunders, lightnings, fire, and smoke as the "smoke of a great furnace" feature epi- sodes in Revelation (Rev. 8, 9). Out of the "smoke" a cloud of locust-scorpion creatures emerged. The eastern locust was a pest which usually devoured every green thing in its path. In this drama they are not to devour any green thing, but to torment "such men as have not the seal of God." The legitimate food of the scorpion was the locust. In this drama the sting of the scorpion is put into the tail of the locust. In this manner the eater and the eaten, the two pests of the Orient, which all men dreaded, were combined in one creature to execute punishment upon the enemies of God's people. Such action was bound to have a profound effect upon all who caught the vision. The sight of age-long enemy pests com- bined and turned to friendly allies would tre- 72 THE LION AND THE LAMB mendously hearten these tried saints of the Lord. (4) "Marks^' versus "Seals." "Marks" or brands were often put upon slaves to indicate their serfdom. Temple slaves were frequently branded with the insignia of the temple where they served. The imperious Caligula had branded Roman citizens in the face with a hot branding iron to show that they were the prop- erty of the empire. But one may search the suggestive pages of this pageant in vain for one saint with a "mark" upon his forehead or in his hand. The "mark" was the property sign. The "seal" was the sign of security, se- crecy, and the warrant of preservation until certain purposes were achieved. Let the Ro- man wear his property "brand" as the ox in the field or the donkey at the cart ! Not so the saints. They bear no "marks" but are "sealed" with God's seal. That seal was the solemn token that God was the guarantor of their safety. None but the living Son of God could open the seven-sealed book. When six seals have been opened by him, the keeper of the seal of the living God appears with seals for the forehead of the saints. This seal, which no power on earth could break but Christ, is put on the Rome-hated children of God. How this action would have comforted them ! Cal- THE FORM 73 vinism, in its final logical implication, was a revolting doctrine, but because it taught that certain men were God-chosen, it put steel into the determination of men as nothing else could have done. So this "sealing" of God must have injected iron into the fabric of the pur- pose of these saints. To be assured that they had been sealed of God and that he was thereby pledged to preserve inviolate that which he had sealed must have been of infinite comfort. (5) Kings. Not forgetting the relation of royalty to the persecution, what is done about kings in this pageant? Not much is said about them, but the action indicates they are not held in high esteem. Of a group of eight, five are dead, one is to come, one is present, and one is to go into perdition. A group of ten kings are without kingdoms, having authority from the beast who had borrowed his authority from Satan — even then they were to reign but for one hour. "Kings of the earth" are held up as mere puppets, being dominated by the "woman," Rome, or else scurry away, with their armies, to Har-Magedon at the behest of unclean spirits like frogs. Once they are sketched as drunken fornicators. They are de- picted as hiding in terror at the display of God's power. They are described as war part- ners of the beast. Once they are listed with 74 THE LION AND THE LAMB the common folks to whom John is to preach and they are ultimately to bring their glory to the temple of God. An angel empties his bowl upon the "Eu- phrates" and it is dried up, that a way may be made for the "kings that come from the sun- rising.'' This allusion is probably to the Da- cians, whose lands were adjacent to the empire and almost directly east of Rome. They had already crossed the Danube, called the "Eu- phrates," as Rome is called "Babylon," and for the same reason. They conquered the Roman armies sent against them by Domitian and dic- tated terms of peace which included an annual tribute from the haughty empire. The sting- ing defeat had become a scandal to Roman arms throughout the realm. The allusion car- ries the same whisper of encouragement whether it be the literal "Euphrates" or the Danubian "Euphrates." There is the same striking thrust at the vulnerableness of the empire in either case. Words could not have cheered them more than this veiled allusion, that God had kings behind the scenes ready to come for conquest. Scant consideration is given the queen as the natural consort of the king. The term is used but once, when the "Mother of Harlots" refers to herself as a queen ! THE FORM 75 (6) Kingdoms. What a joke is a king with- out a kingdom ! With fine irony John puts ten kings in the scenic center of this pageant, but not one of them has a kingdom ! "Kingdom" is a big word on the lips of Christ. The word is reported in the Gospels more than two hun- dred times. In the incomparable prayer the Master taught his disciples, the first real note of request human lips are taught to pray is "Thy kingdom come." In this pageant earthly kingdoms are held in slight esteem, perhaps in contempt ! The "Harlot" has a "kingdom" of kings. Kinglets give their kingdoms to the beast only until God's purposes shall be ac- complished. A few drops of the wrath of God are poured from the angel's bowl upon the throne of the beast and the whole kingdom is "darkened." In great jubilation over the defeat of the devil, a great voice announces, "Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ." In sharp contrast with the earthly kings who reign for one brief hour, in borrowed authority, is Christ the "King of kings and Lord of lords," who "shall reign for- ever and ever." (7) Thrones. All the appurtenances of roy- alty are seen in this book. Reading it alone, one would never know that earthly kings pos- 76 THE LION AND THE LAMB sessed thrones. Thrice only may thrones be seen oppugnant to the purpose of God. The seat of the Koman government at Pergamum is called "Satan's throne." Another was there beside the imperial representative — Antipas, the only martyr mentioned by name in the pag- eant. Antipas stood for the dominion of Christ though under the shadow of "Satan's throne." Few historians know what Roman sat upon this throne, but millions know that a Roman throne was there because the heroic Antipas lived and died under its shadow. How many souls, standing in places of trial, seeing this devoted saint beside the Roman throne, stalwart and true as steel, have stood more firmly because they saw him in this pageant, tasting death for Christ. The throne of the beast is introduced twice in this drama, once that it may be seen that he derived his power, throne, and authority from a defeated devil who had instigated the persecution, and once it appears just long enough to show how it melts away at the touch of God's wrath. One purchasing furniture to reproduce this pag- eant would be compelled to invest largely in thrones or use a few a good many times. There are thirty-six episodes in which the throne is conspicuous. The word is used forty-five times in seventeen chapters, and not a trace of a THE FORM 77 devil upon forty-two of them. What a throne room is this pageant! Twenty-four elders sit upon as many thrones. There are a temple throne, a white throne of victory, a rainbow throne of hope, thrones with lightnings flash- ing from them, thrones of judgment with saints seated upon them, and a throne with a fleeing child caught up to it for shelter. There are thrones for God, for Christ and for God and the Lamb. The bloody Domitian sits upon a borrowed throne ! There is no second throne, but perdition for Nero! How suggestive is the action with its three borrowed thrones for evil and its many thrones of stability and com- manding influence for the hosts of right. Of a truth "actions speak louder than words." The white- souled Son of God, with rope- bound hands, stood before the bema upon which sat the soiled-souled Pilate, the Roman. In this superb pageant, in which so many earthly conditions are reversed, Pilate and all the Romans stand with sealed lips before the judgment throne of Christ. Munkdcsy with consummate dramatic skill painted his "Christ Before Pilate." Some day some discerning son of genius will paint its counterpart, "Pilate Before Christ," and when he does he will catch his loftiest inspiration from the twentieth chapter of this intensely dramatic pageant 78 THE LION AND THE LAMB (8) Crowns. The throne would be lone- some without a crown. There are many crowned heads in the panorama of this strange book. The crown was the emblem of chief dis- tinction, the insignia of power, the symbol of royalty. Despotic rule was universal. The imperial word was final. There was no appeal from it except that of the sword. Domitian had found it easy to gain a crown, but difficult to retain it. The defeat of Koman arms on a Danubian battlefield with its imposition of an- nual tribute, sealed by the gift of a crown, rankled in the heart of the Roman people. In the reaction Antoninus incited two legions to revolt and called the Germans to his aid. Thinking his throne imperiled, Domitian began a fearful slaughter of unfriendly personages, on the ground that they were involved in the uprising. His unpopularity, due to the defeat, revolt, and slaughter, led many to believe that his crown was endangered. Using current speech, John wrote the church at Philadelphia, *'Hold fast that no one take thy crown." He does not forget about the significance of the crown, though he puts them upon heads un- accustomed to wear them. Though no earthly monarch wears one and the beast has only a borrowed one, yet there is one for the faithful Christian. There is a crown for the bow-carry- THE FORM 79 ing rider of the white horse and one for the king of the locust-horse allies of the "King of kings/' Israel had her twelve tribes, Christ his twelve apostles, and this pageant presents its elders, equal in number to both groups, and each one wears a crown of gold. The woman who escapes from the dragon wears a crown of twelve stars. The dragon has a diadem on each of his seven heads. The sea-born beast wears his upon his horns. The cloud-seated Son of man who bears the sickle of judgment is crowned. Christ, King of Death and Prince of Life, wears many diadems. John had seen the Roman soldiers press the platted crown of thorns upon the brow of Christ. He has not forgotten that scene of mockery with its de- risive shouts of, "Hail, the king of the Jews !''^ He knows that crowns belong by right upon the head once crowned with thorns ! There are seven diadems on the head of the dragon, but there are many on the head of Christ. Thus are they singled out as leaders for the conflict."^ It is no longer Roman against Christian only ; it is Christ against the dragon ! What is done about crowns in the drama is vastly more im- portant than anything that is said. (9) Purple. Royal purple was really a • John 19. 3. » International Critical Commentary, vol. I, Charles, Introduction, p. ciii. 80 THE LION AND THE LAMB cheap thing. Kich raiment easily becomes commonplace when worn unworthily. John saw the brutal Roman soldiers throw the pur- ple robe over the shoulders of the Son of God and bend the knee in derision. That scene was yet a living entity in his memory. He cannot think of purple and forget that hour of mock- ery. Though entirely worthy to wear it, not a shred of purple is put upon the Son of God, and not a thread upon an earthly potentate. Though purple had been the peculiar garment of royalty for many generations of kings, it was too tawdry for the shoulders of the King of kings, and earthly kings were unfit to wear it. So long had purple robes been associated with dissolute royalty that when the "harlot" mounts the scarlet beast as the personification of flaunting licentiousness the purple and scar- let were put upon her ! Earthly kings were her cof ornicators. Let her wear the purple sign of royalty! When the "harlot" city is decked for its doom, the purple and the scarlet are interwoven as its chief colors. When the story of the downfall of its commercial greatness is told, the purple is placed upon the counters of the merchant princes, "for sale," as any other commodity, if the buyer has the price. What is done about the purple in this pageant is everything; what is said about it is nothing. THE FORM 81 4. ^^Enter Chrisf^ — A Dramatic Necessity The real drama opens with Christ saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega." He is the first actor to be seen and the last to appear. After the herald has announced the opening of the drama his lips are first to speak and he is last to be heard. He is literally the "be- ginning and the end." Though he speaks many times as the drama progresses, yet at certain periods he is silent (14. 1; 19. 13). Some of these appearances of Christ call for considera- tion at this point because of the peculiarities involved in them and because a rational in- terpretation cannot be made apart from the dramatic requirement, "Enter Christ." While John is narrating what happened when the sixth angel emptied the contents of his bowl upon the great River Euphrates Christ sud- denly appears, without introduction, and makes announcement of the suddenness of his coming. When he is gone the narrative is com- pleted. The incident can best be understood if the book be considered as a drama. It is certain that something not germane to the nar- rative is here interjected. Neither the Bang James Version nor the Tauchnitz edition by Tischendorf shows any recognition of that fact. Westcott and Hort set this verse off by dashes. 82 THE LION AND THE LAMB The Eevised and American editions put the verse in parenthesis.^ The last three suggest a difficulty but do not remedy it. Insert the dramatic requirement — "Enter Christ" — and the difficulty is at once dissipated. While one of the angels of the bowls is as- suring John of the truth of the Herald's an- nouncement in the Prologue, Christ suddenly appears, without announcement, saying, "Be- hold, I come quickly" (1. 1; 22. 6; 22. 7). He must have left the stage, because John con- tinues his narrative, and in the next verse says he fell down at the feet of the angel to worship him. He would not have fallen down at the feet of an angel to worship him if Christ had been present (22. 8, 9). The angel resumes his instructions, when Christ again suddenly enters without warning and says, "Behold, I come quickly." He continues to speak through- out eight verses, closing with his reiterated saying, "I come quickly." If these unan- nounced entrances and utterances of Christ are prefaced by the dramatic requirement — "Enter Christ" — all will be clear; otherwise there is the utmost confusion. 5. The Dramatic Chorus Primitive races begin literature with poetry. 8 Chap. 16. 15. Apocalypse of St. John, Swete, p. 209. THE FORM 83 Action precedes speech in individuals and races. Because it combines action and speech the drama is usually one of the earliest forms of literature. The drama almost uniformly be- gins with religious themes. The early Greek drama was a serious religious function. The chorus was a striking feature of it. The per- formers chanted their words as they danced about the altar in the chorus. It would not be difficult to conceive that the words were not always sung, but sometimes recited in unison. The chorus is also an important feature of the Apocalypse. There are thirteen of these choruses, or groups, and two monologues. Ap- proximately, one word out of twenty-five in the entire book is spoken or sung by these groups. The minimum number in a chorus or group is four, while the maximum is ten thou- sand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands. With these groups appearing at intervals to speak or sing, what literary form except the drama could accommodate them? 6. The Dramatic Vocabulary^ This strange book contains a wonderful vocabulary which is singularly rich in words adapted to dramatic expression. In the final analysis every form of literature must employ » See Appendix for brief list of words. 84 THE LION AND THE LAMB words, but words alone will not determine form, althougli it would be possible to select a list of nine hundred words which would be exceedingly difficult to weave into a drama. A list of nine hundred words, rich in dramatic capacity, such as this book presents, is a good asset for the dramatist. He must have such a vocabulary before he can write his drama. Hamlet may say "Words, words,'^ even as George Third said to Hume, "I perceive you are always a-scribbling." However, it takes more than words to write a Hamlet and more than scribbling to write a history like that of Hume. The striking vocabulary of this book covers the whole range of thought and action of that day in civics, religion, politics, litera- ture, commerce, domestic and social relations. It is peculiarly expressive of hope and fear, love and hate, joy and sorrow, victory and de- feat, courage and despair, life and death. 7. The Dramatis Personce A drama without a personnel is unthinkable. The mere presence of characters in a produc- tion does not assure the dramatic form. But if the personnel is of sufficient number, and the different ones constantly act or speak, and their action is as significant as what they say, and if they have their entrances and exits in THE FORM 85 such combinations and at such times as to make a distinct contribution to the dramatic effectiveness of the production, then the pres- ence of the personnel marks the production as dramatic in character. Such a list of words as found in this book with their flexibility, range, conveying power, and capacity for dra- matic combination are not grouped together by chance. The presence of such a list in a literary production which bears so many other essential marks of the drama, strongly sustains the position that this pageant, as originally apocalypsed to John, was cast in dramatic form. No drama of any literature has a more con- spicuous cast of characters, both as to numbers and importance, than the Apocalypse. Ten of the leading Shakespearean dramas average six groups and twenty-six individual characters each. There are thirteen groups, or choruses, in the Apocalypse and the total number of performers is so great that one must contrast them with the Shakespearean average rather than compare them. Two hundred million horsemen in one scene and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels in another makes the brain fairly reel with the stupendousness of this world drama. Suffering and injustice are as wide as the sky 86 THE LION AND THE LAMB lines of the world and this drama must have its world setting to match the world's need. The Conclusion It is the belief of the writer that a brief re- sume of this chapter will show that the book of Revelation and the original drama, of which it is the reporter's account, were neither strict Apocalypse, predictive "prophecy," nor prose; that a literal interpretation is impossible ; that the drama is the only form flexible enough to meet all exigencies and to admit the very ma- terials found in the book ; that the Apocalypse was to be seen, heard, and read, which could only be true of a drama; that action plays a fundamental part in this pageant as in the drama; that the dramatic form alone makes possible an intelligent understanding of cer- tain sections ; that its vocabulary is so rich in dramatic capacity as to make dramatic inten- tion certain ; and that its wonderful dramatis personoB, along with these other features, stamps the original pageant as a real drama. "Then shall the wind sweep by, and he shall pass away, and be guilty, even he whose might is his god.''— Hab. 1. 11. CHAPTER III THE POWER Power the Key Word Power was the key word to the purpose and policy of the imperial Roman government. Power and the authority assumed to accom- pany its possession watermarks all Roman history. It was the watchword of the field, the street, the camp, and the forum. It was the one star which shone in the Roman firmament night and day. Power was the Alpha and the authority conferred by it the Omega of the Ro- man alphabet of national procedure. By matchless feat of arms her soldiery had carried the bronze eagles of authority to the four winds of heaven. They had no scruples about keep- ing what they had won by the power which had won it. The state was not only "drunken with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus,'^ but also with the lust for power. From the most menial citizen, dependent upon the state purse for bread, to the most aristocratic senator or the imperator himself, each was mad with the lust for power. Rome was mistress of the land 89 90 THE LION AND THE LAMB and sea. Her word of authority had made countless kings and unmade as many more. If any nation in human history ever worshiped at the shrine of power, that nation was Rome. They were conspicuous exemplars of the doc- trine that the power to do confers the right to do. Possessing no illusions concerning the place of power in the offensive and defensive program of the state, they had no scruples about using every ounce of power at their com- mand, without reference to right or wrong. At the threshold of every national endeavor they asked but one question, even though it touched the boundary or other vital rights of another nation. That question was, "Do we have the power to take and keep?" With them purity was weakness, virtue an Illusion, justice an empty name, and mercy an unknown quantity. Cause of Suffering to Christians The humble Christians, everywhere in the Dominion, felt this unscrupulous hand of power. They had scarcely a friend at the im- perial court. There was not an influential voice in all the realm to plead their rights as human beings. To them the emperor and his advisers, the priests of emperor worship, were the ultimate embodiments of power. Nothing less than the vision of an arm of mightier THE POWEE 91 power than that of the emperor on the Roman throne could comfort them. Sheer might alone could hope to resist the power of the Roman state. Whoever would be comforted, as he felt the sting of the Roman lash, must see tre- mendous power arrayed against their oppres- sors. Seeing the horses and chariots of Roman power day^ after day, they needed some stal- wart soul who nestled on the bosom of God to say to them as Elias had said to his servant, "Fear not ; for they that are with us are more than they that are with them.^'^ xhe sage old prophet knew there are times when hearing is not enough, so he prayed for vision for his servant and, "Behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire." So hearing was not enough for the tried saints of the Lord in the days of Roman persecution. They too must see the "horses and chariots of fire." The Apocalypse is the record of the divinely sent panorama of power, in which they see the most amazing display of power ever given to mortal vision. The New Power The advent of man into the world introduced a new factor, that of moral power. Prior to » Beacon Lights, Lord, vol. I, p. 229. 2 2 Kings 6. 16, 17. 92 THE LION AND THE LAMB his entrance there was the play of gigantic world forces and brute strength which domi- nated all within its range without regard to justice or right. It was the right of might. It was the law of the marsh, the plain, the jungle, the sea, and the air. It was "red in tooth and claw.'^ Man possessed all the powers of the brute, but in lesser degree than many of the beasts about him. His physical inferiority was sup- plemented by superior brain power. This evened the scale somewhat, but did not fulfill the purpose of his creation. He brought with him a capacity for receiving and applying power of a higher order than any which had been displayed in the world. The new power was moral and spiritual. Man was animal with a plus which was denied all other animals. The plus was designed to become the con- trolling function of life. In spite of this, the law of the jungle triumphed over him when his appetite betrayed him. Very early in the history of the race some men were called "sons of God" and some women were designated "daughters of men," probably because in some the moral traits predominated while in others the animal qualities remained in the mas- tery.^ > Gen. 6. 4. THE POWER 93 Man^s Double Capacity Because man possessed moral and animal capacities two divergent paths opened before him. He could seek triumph by force, abetted by superior mental equipment, without regard to right. He could elect to seek his triumph within the limitations of justice and right, by the pursuit of righteousness. The whole fabric of human history shows some of these strands woven and interwoven through it. Conquest by moral means particularly distinguishes the race through which the Bible was given to the world. The Bible is the conspicuous main record of the human effort to triumph by moral means. From the days of Cain, who con- quered by the bludgeon, and of Abel, who was slain as he resisted by the power of right, every great crisis in the history of this race reveals the presence of these two courses of conduct When the tide of brute force, in its myriad forms, well nigh submerged this race, it in- stinctively turned to the Source of Right for comfort, strength, and the "will to victory." "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord," was first upon the lip and then upon the stylus of Zechariah. That is an epitome of the struggle in his day and of pro- phetic endeavor in the entire Old Testament.'* * The Coining of the Lord, Snowden, p. 89. 94 THE LION AND THE LAMB Christ and the New Power When the Son of God tabernacled among men, to establish the Kingdom of the Father, his whole adventure in the human realm was marked by the play of these two forces. The experience of the forty days of Temptation, during which he was choosing his method of life work, revolves about the point of contact between these two forces as a center.^ He could have made stone into bread without sin, as he made water into wine without sinning. The appeal was to make bread for self. The wine was made for others. There was the kingly conception of the Messiah — that of force without regard to right. His own people were suffering grievously at the hands of Imperial Kome as the victims of this program. The n a- tional thought expected the Messiah to Jead armed hosts to battle to win their freedom. How he could have rationed an army had he turned stones to bread. Man must have bread, but he must have more. He must have the whole realm of moral right with God at the zenith. As a bread maker Christ would have been superb timber for kingship. Making bread for his own use was the first step and he chose not to take it. A leap from the pinnacle s Ibid., p. 91. THE POWER 95 of the Temple would have made him immensely popular, but popularity looked toward king- ship with its program of brute force. The lure of the kingdoms of the world — the reward of the conquering king — also led to inevitable conquest by arms. Christ's Choice Christ's choice was between the power which characterized the world before the days of man and the power which the advent of man intro- duced. He deliberately selected the hard path of world conquest by moral and spiritual means. In order to carry out his chosen pro- gram he became the Teacher and Preacher of truth. When the tide of popularity ran high because of his healings he frequently broke away from this work of mercy to avoid prema- ture refusal of kingship. His final refusal marked the beginning of his decline in popu- larity. His chosen pathway led straight to Calvary and world conquest through it. He is the world's greatest exponent of the might of right. Encouraged by his ex- ample and leadership, his followers, who wrote the New Testament in their blood, became the champions of the doctrine of their Master that right was supreme (Matt. 6.33). 96 THE LION AND THE LAMB Christ and Pilate Christ's program included world conquest. The Koman program also included world con- quest, and Pilate was the personal representa- tive of that government. The two methods of world conquest were represented in these two characters. They "talked shop'' when they met, and John, the author of the Apocalypse record, is the only one who reports that con- versation. Said Pilate to Christ, "Art thou King of the Jews?'' Christ answered, "My kingdom is not of this world : if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight."^ "Art thou a king then?" questioned Pilate. Jesus answered : "To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth."^ Because Christ's program was so vitally different from that of the world leader- ship of that day he was compelled to adopt a different method for its success. His method in the program of world conquest was "Go and teach." Every great world leader would have spurned his "Tarry-ye-at-Jerusalem" method of equipment for service. In all the great crises incident to the new program with its new method the Christians had been taught • John 18. 36. 'John 18.37. THE POWER 97 to rely upon spiritual power for wisdom, sus- tenance, and ultimate success. In apocalyptic days they were engaged in a conflict which would determine if the new method could suc- ceed with all the civic power of the regime of force hurled against it. The Old Hope The apocalyptic hope of divine aid for the followers of Christ was not a new message. That hope had been a dominant one from the days of Adam. The new element lay in the unusual methods made necessary by the pe- culiar conditions surrounding those who were suffering persecution. There had probably never been such a demand for a display of power as this period required. Such a com- plete ensemble of power display as this drama presents had never been attempted. The mas- siveness and sheer display of potency mark this book as unique in the literature of the world. In its massing of power it puts the capsheaf upon the shock of the world's hope, which had been painfully gathered, straw by straw, through the centuries. Every blade and stem in the shock had grown in the soil of the conception that the ultimate triumph of moral right over material world forces was certain. 98 THE LION AND THE LAMB The Vocabulary of Power Six outstanding words for power are used in the New Testament. All six of them are found in the Apocalypse. No other book of equal length employs them all. Luke is the only other book in which they are all used. They are employed in Luke once to every twenty- nine verses. The Apocalypse uses one of them to every nine verses. On the verse basis, the ratio of use is three times as great in the Apoea- lypse as in the Gospel by Luke. This stamps the book as unique in usage of words for power. The Symbol of Pov^er For many generations the throne had been the symbol of power. There is a throne in every chapter of the book, except the ninth, tenth, thirteenth, fifteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth. The word is used an average of twice to each chapter in the book. Each chapter in which the word does not appear fairly throbs with power, and in all but the thirteenth it keeps step with righteousness. There is a power of evil in the thirteenth which is later overcome by the might of right. Evil Not Minimized This book never seeks to comfort the Chris- THE POWER 99 tians by minimizing the power of their enemies. Author and reader alike fully under- stood the power of the "beast.'' The horn was symbolic of power to the Oriental, and a ten- horned beast rises from the sea, bearing names of blasphemy on his heads and diadems on his horns. Power, a throne and great authority were given him by the dragon.^ His followers believed his might to be so irresistible that they challenged comparison.^ He was empowered to make war against the saints and to over- come them and authority over "every tribe and tongue and nation" was conferred upon him. His power was described as so great that "If any man is for captivity, into captivity he go- eth." A second "beast," having all the "au- thority of the first beast," came up out of the earth, having two horns like a lamb and a voice like a dragon. Blind and aged Isaac, half un- deceived by the ruse of his son Jacob, said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau." So the horns of the beast may have been those of an innocent lamb, but the voice was the voice of a dragon. This "beast" undoubtedly is the priesthood of Im- perial Worship. He compelled the worship of the first beast, and it was said that he had • Rev. 13. 2. • Bev. 13. 4. 100 THE LION AND THE LAMB power to bring fire down from heaven and to give breath and speech to the human-made image of the first beast. He was empowered to slay all nonconformists and to prohibit those not bearing the "mark of the beast" from buy- ing and selling in the markets. Angels of Power The introduction of angels into this drama warrants more than a cursory consideration. Their presence alone is remarkable, but the power revealed in and through them is signifi- cant indeed. They are mentioned one hundred and fifteen times in the Old Testament and one hundred and four times in the New Testament, besides the Apocalypse, while the latter em- ploys the word seventy-five times, or one third as many times as in the rest of the entire Bible. Putting the matter concretely, the word is used in the rest of the Bible once to every five chapters, while in the Apocalypse the word oc- curs more than three times to every chapter, making the ratio sixteen times as great in the Apocalypse as in the rest of the Bible. It is the book of angels of the entire Bible and most of them are beings of mighty power. The Book of Angels Is there a jagged bit of sky line anywhere THE POWER 101 in the book, with scraggly and gnarled stumps of trees showing the marks of the storm of fury where evil had swept the horizon, leaving only broken fragments in its path of desola- tion? There is an angel there among the de- bris. Is there a wind from some unexpected quarter which may sweep, with its blistering and blighting touch, the broken fragments, which a pitiless persecution has overlooked? There is an angel with the winds in his power for that exigency. Is there an altar where the deluge of persecution has poured down its in- human torrent until the flickering blaze seems likely to go out? God has an angel at that altar with "power over fire." Is there a church among the seven so harassed by the minions of Rome that it needs more than human help? Christ puts an angel at the door of each church. Their presence in so many places, performing so many tasks, is striking indeed, but that they are under the command of a Power so mighty that the human mind staggers in its attempt to conceive it, is still more impressive. Power Episodes There are two series of power displays, of seven episodes each, nearly paralleling each other but differing slightly in application and results. There is one in the first half of the 102 THE LION AND THE LAMB book and one in the latter half. In the first one seven trumpeter angels feature such dis- plays of power that they seem almost uncanny and make the reader feel as if he had been transported to fairyland or had fallen under the spell of some amazing witchery. When the first trumpeter sounded, hail and fire mingled with blood fell into the earth and a great con- flagration ensued in which one third of the earth, trees and green grass was consumed. At the sounding of the second trumpet, a great mountain of flaming fire was flung into the sea, turning one third of it to blood, slaying one third of the marine creatures and destroying one third of the shipping. When the third trumpeter sounded, a huge blazing comet, trail- ing fire, fell upon the rivers and fountains, turning one third of them to wormwood and many men died from drinking the water. When the fourth angel sounded, a third part of the sun, moon, and stars was smitten with darkness. At the sound of the fifth trumpet a huge star fell into the earth as a signal for the release of the locust hordes. When the sixth angel sounded, a voice from the horns of the golden altar ordered the release of four bound angels in waiting at the Euphrates. The angels ordered a charge of two hundred million galloping horsemen to slay the third of men. THE POWER 103 At the sounding of the seventh trumpet voices in heaven proclaimed the ever-regnant Christ, elders gave thanks, the heavenly temple opened and lightning, voices and thunders, earth quakes and great hail followed. What an amazing display of power ! Hail and fire min gled with blood, mighty conflagrations, flam ing mountains splashing in the heart of seas blading comets, an opened pit emitting locust hordes as smoke, commandant angels ordering millions into action, lightning, thunders, earth- quakes, sun, moon, and stars are all obedient servants to a mighty power behind the scenes. We shall miss the pertinency if we miss the amazing exhibition of power. The second set of seven power episodes opens with a notable scene in the heavenly temple when a Living Creature gives to each of seven angels a golden bowl filled with the wrath of God and directs them to go their ways and empty their bowls. The first emptied the con- tents of his bowl into the earth and, as if by magic, grievous sores broke out upon those bearing the "mark of the beast" and those worshiping his image. The second angel emp- tied his bowl upon the sea, and it became as the blood of dead men, and every living thing in it died. The third bowl bearer emptied his vessel upon the rivers and fountains of water, 104 THE LION AND THE LAMB and they were turned to blood. The fourth angel journeyed to the sun and poured the contents of his bowl upon it, and it flamed up with such intense heat that men were scorched by it. The fifth emptied his bowl upon the throne of the "beast," and the kingdom was darkened and his courtly followers gnawed their tongues in pain. The sixth angel emptied his bowl upon the river "Euphrates," and its waters were dried up for the passage of the kings from the sunrising. The seventh flung the contents of his bowl into the air, and there were lightnings, thunder, and a mighty earth- quake and every island fled away and the mountains were not found. What a sweeping range of power ! Men, sea, and sea life, rivers and fountains, the sun and its heat, the throne of evil, the current of a mighty river, air, lightning, thunder, earthquake, island and mountain, all are mightily moved by the power behind these angel messengers. What these scenes may or may not signify is not so per- tinent at this point, but it is all important that so many angels, acting under divine orders, introduce such scenes of power over earth, air, sea, sky, mankind, and the throne of evil. The Choeus and Power The chorus plays a significant part in mir- THE POWER 105 raring the essential elements of power in this pageant. The first group is composed of four Living Creatures, who have such power at their command that they have only to utter the magic word, "Come,'^ and the white horse with its crowned rider, the red horse with its be- sworded rider, War, the black horse ridden by Famine, and the pale horse ridden by Death gallop across the stage. The second group is composed of twenty-four Elders seated upon as many thrones encircling the throne of God. Twenty-five thrones in this scene alone is the warrant for power. The third group is com- posed of the Creatures and Elders represent- ing power combined. Great-voiced angels are added to the Creatures and Elders to consti- tute the fourth group, making a triple-powered one. The massing of "every created thing" sug- gests power in a most unusual combination. When the unnumbered, white-robed, and palm-bearing hosts express their adulation of the Enthroned One their sheer force of num- bers commands assent to their power. There is a striking display of power when the hosts of angels about the throne and the Living Creatures and Elders fall on their faces to wor- ship. Great Voices in Heaven chanting a paean of praise about the regnancy of Christ convey the impression of power. Elders wor- 106 THE LION AND THE LAMB shiping God as the Almighty and giving thanks for his power is a direct method of expressing the idea of power so prevalent in this pageant. The chanting chorus of one hundred and forty- four thousand having voices like the sound of many waters or the voice of a great thunder certainly contribute their proportion to the array of power presented by the actors in these groups. Hosts who were victors over the "beast/^ singing the victory song of Moses and the Lamb about God the Almighty, strike the power note with no uncertain tone. The great- voiced multitude in heaven, mingling hallelu- jahs and praises about the power and glory of God, gives unique emphasis to the power ele- ment so characteristic of these groups. The great multitude extolling God as the regnant Almighty, with voices like the sound of many waters and mighty thunders, is a fitting climax to this remarkable series of groups which ap- pear with such visible evidences of power. The actors in these groups are vested with power, and potency colors the sentiment which they speak or sing, and all is intensified by the sight of a throne in the scenic background of every appearance. Voices of Powbe "Voices" feature this pageant. They are THE POWER 107 mentioned fifty-six times, twenty times of which they are described as "great'^ voices. Four of them are accompanied by thunder, and in nine instances they are described as "of thunder" and in five of the nine they are said to be like the sound of many waters also. In three cases the voices are trumpetlike. Twice the voice of Christ is likened to the "voice of many waters." Four voices are loud enough to be heard from heaven. One voice is from the horns of the golden altar before God. One is like the voice of "many waters and mighty thunders." Another is heard "from the throne." An angel is said to have "mighty voice." The angel in the sun had a "loud" voice. But one voice in the book may be as- sumed to have been a quiet one, the voice of the bridegroom and the bride. Even the "voices" of the harps are described as the "voice of many waters and the voice of a great thunder." It is significant that the word for "voice" is used twice as many times in this pageant as in the book of Acts, and more times than in all the Gospels, and in every case but one, in the Apocalypse, it is connected with some word suggestive of power. The Power of Natural Forces In the initial stages of power display the 108 THE LION AND THE LAMB Lamb is often connected with the natural forces of the world and at his touch they imme- diately come into play. When he opened the sixth seal "there was a great earthquake,'' the sun turned black as sackcloth of hair, the moon became as blood, the stars of heaven fell into the earth, the heaven was removed as a scroll, and every mountain and island were moved out of their place. How could one conceive of a greater display of power? The two humble witnesses were empowered to destroy their enemies with fire, to shut the heavens, to turn water into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague. They were so enshielded by power that the breath of God came into them after three and one half days, they were caught up to heaven in a cloud, a mighty earthquake shook the city and seven thousand were slain. Cloud and earthquake fought against their enemies as the "stars in their courses" had fought against Sisera. Outstanding World Forces Forces of nature, as the earthquake, moon, sun, stars, lightning, thunder, wind, rain, hail, rivers, fire, air, and clouds, are used in a supra- natural way in the Apocalypse eighty-two times. They are utilized in a similar fashion thirty-four times in the Gospels and nineteen THE POWER 109 times in the rest of the New Testament. Omit- ting the duplications, some one of these forces is used in a supranatural way once to every one hundred and fifty-seven verses in the New Testament, while they appear once to every five verses in the Apocalypse. On the verse basis the ratio is thirty-one to one in favor of the Apocalypse. Natural forces were used in a supranatural way to aid the work or the workers in the es- tablishment of God's program long prior to the days of the Apocalypse. The earthquake was used to strengthen Elijah (1 Kings 19. 11). Isaiah declared God would visit his ene- mies with "thunder, earthquake, and devour- ing fire'' (Isa. 29. 6) . There was an earthquake at the time of the crucifixion and the resurrec- tion (Matt. 27. 54; Matt. 28. 2). The earth- quake figures conspicuously as an ally of the cause of right in four chapters of the Apoca- lypse. The sun and moon were reputed to have stood still over Ajalon (Josh. 10. 13). Joel represented God as saying, "I will show won- ders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood" (Joel 2. 30, 31). The sun's light failed at the crucifixion (Luke 23. 45). The sun be- came "black as sackcloth of hair," the "whole 110 THE LION AND THE LAMB moon became as blood/^ and pillars of smoke appear in the Apocalypse (6. 12; 8. 12; 9. 2; 19. 3 ) . The moon furnishes a footstool for the mother of the expected child (12. 1). Deborah sang: "From heaven fought the stars, From their courses they fought against Sisera." — Judges 5. 20. Isaiah prophesied that in the day of God's wrath the stars would fail to give their light ( Isa. 13. 10 ) . Joel declared that in God's day the stars would "withdraw their shining" ( Joel 2. 10 ) . A "star in the east" heralded the Saviour's birth (Matt. 2. 2). The "stars of heaven fell into the earth," stars were dark- ened, a great star fell like a "burning torch" and the mother of the unborn child was crowned with twelve stars, in the Apocalypse (6. 13; 8. 10; 8. 12; 12. 1). Thunders, light- nings, fire, smoke, and a quaking mountain ap- peared at the giving of the Law (Exod. 19. 16-18 ) . Hail mingled with fire fell in Egypt (Exod. 9. 24). Thunders, lightnings, fire, and hail mingled with fire appears in the Apoca- lypse (4. 5; 11. 19; 20. 9; 8. 7). Waters and rivers were turned to blood in Egypt (Exod. 7. 20 ) . Seas, rivers, and fountains were turned to blood in the Apocalypse (8. 8 ; 16. 3, 4) . God THE POWER 111 made a furrow through the Red Sea with the wind for a plow (Exod. 14. 21). Christ was Master of the winds (Matt. 8. 27). Four an- gels were given the mastery of the winds in Revelation (7. 1). Moses cast handfuls of ashes into the air and boils and blains ap- peared upon man and beast (Exod. 9. 10, 11). An angel of the bowl emptied the contents upon the earth in the Apocalypse and a "noi- some and grievous sore'^ broke out upon men bearing the "mark of the beast." Jehovah "rained brimstone and fire out of heaven upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah" (Gen. 19. 24). John once asked the Master if he should "bid fire to come down out of heaven and consume" some inhospitable folks (Luke 9. 54). "Fire came down out of heaven and devoured" the enemies of the saints in the Apocalypse, and they were cast into the lake of "fire and brim- stone" (20. 9, 10). God told Solomon what to do when he "shut up the heavens so that there is no rain" (2 Chron. 7. 13). Thunder and rain were sent, in harvest time, in response to the prayer of Samuel (1 Sam. 12. 18). The two "witnesses" in the Apocalypse had power to "shut the heaven, that it rain not" during the days of their preaching (11. 6). Thus had the people of God been taught through the centuries, that in times of great 112 THE LION AKD THE LAMB stress and trial the forces of the natural ele- ments might interpose, in a supranatural way, in their behalf. Now that the people of God were passing through one of the most trying periods in the history of Christianity, would it not be a perfectly natural thing if God should resort to the age-old expediency of com- forting them by "showing^' them the power behind the scenes which would be theirs in the hour of their deepest need? In this respect the Apocalyptic message is not a new one, but an old one in new combinations and well cal- culated to strengthen the morale of the per- secuted Christians, by showing them how all the great forces of the world were arrayed upon the side of the right and were ready to inter- pose, in a supranatural way, in their behalf. The Apocalypse presents a new alignment of familiar forces in order to match new world needs. That all this display of power was hap- hazard or purposeless is unthinkable. Its very presence in the scenes of this pageant argues intent upon the part of the Divine Author to strengthen the morale of these persecuted souls by unveiling to their sight the tremendous power of personal and world forces which were arrayed against wrong. "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wick- edness in the heavenly places.'^ — Eph. 6. 12. CHAPTER IV THE CONFLICT A Book of Conflict The Apocalypse is preeminently a book of conflict. It is a conspicuous mirror of a frag- ment of a conflict which is age-old and world- wide. In the dim dawn of history the Creator said to the serpent, ^'I will put enmity between thee and the w^oman, and between thy seed and her seed'' (Gen. 3. 15). This conflict for su- premacy has known no color line nor racial barrier. Climate has not curbed it, nor longi- tude evaded it. It has followed man in all his journeys upon the land, and when he con- structed his first rude boat and ventured upon the water it embarked with him. It is no stranger to hut or palace. Neither riches nor poverty have been able to avoid it. Field, for- est, city, plain, and rugged mountain bear the imprint of the footsteps of the contenders in the conflict. Every advance made by the race has opened new gateways for its entrance. The day the first rude stone battle-ax was fashioned or the first stone-pointed arrow leaped from 115 116 THE LION AND THE LAMB the bow, the moral conflict entered a wider- ranged horizon. What would man do with his new weapon? Would he use it justly or un- justly? Would it become an instrument to liberate or to enslave? The new instrument entailed new moral responsibility as it might be used to promote justice or injustice. As the elements of civilization have come upon the stage of action one by one, the horizon of the fields of conflict has constantly widened. Under every sky wrong will constantly contend with right and right must unceasingly war against wrong. The Fighting Book of the New Testament The Apocalypse is the fighting book of the New Testament. In its brief twenty-two chap- ters the words "to war" and "to make war'^ are used fifteen times. The words are found in the rest of the New Testament but fourteen times. Concretely put, two hundred and thirty-eight New Testament chapters use the words fourteen times, while the twenty-two chapters of the Apocalypse employ them fifteen times. This certainly indicates a purpose deeper than the mere incidents of literary ex- pression. None of these words appear in the Gospel or the Epistles of John. There must have been some significant underlying reason THE CONFLICT IIT for such a remarkable difference between the authors of the other New Testament books and the Apocalypse in this respect. There must also be a vital reason behind the difference in use in John's other writings and the Apoca- lypse. Other basic words in the vocabulary of conflict of that day also appear in it. The two New Testament words for "sword" appear in the Apocalypse. Luke is the only other writer to employ both of them. Omitting duplica- tions, the words for "sword'' appear twenty times in the rest of the New Testament and eleven times in the Apocalypse. Two words for "chariot" are used in the New Testament and both appear in the Apocalypse. "Chief Cap- tains" are mentioned twice in the Apocalypse. The fighting Parthians tied up the tails of their war horses in compact, pointed fashion until they looked like serpents. Two hundred mil- lion war horses with tails like serpents charge across the stage of this drama. The shape of the locusts was said to be "like horses prepared for war." The sound of their wings was like the sound of many horses and chariots rushing to war. Har-Magedon One of the most noted battlefields of the world is introduced in the pages of this pag- 118 THE LION AND THE LAMB eant. It is "Har-Magedon/^ The little plain of Esdraelon was scarcely larger than three Iowa townships. As Belgium has been the "cock-pit" of Europe, so the plain known as "Har-Magedon" was the battle ground of the Orient. Here Sisera was overthrown, the "children of the east" defeated by Gideon, and Saul and Jonathan were defeated and slain. Here Elijah had his encounter with the priests of Baal and here Josiah was mortally wounded. Across this plain Jehu rode to the destruction of Ahab's house. Across it Ahaziah fled to die near Megiddo. Hither came the armies of Holofernes, of Thothmes III, of Kameses II, and Napoleon I. This blood-soaked plain — the one place in Palestine large enough for a great battle — would be entirely too small for a world battle of marching men of flesh and blood, but its history could easily suggest the name of "Har-Magedon" as the place for the dramatic battlefield of the ages which is a con- spicuous feature of the Apocalypse. The Old Story of Evil There were a serpent, a woman and her seed at Eden's gates. There is a serpent coiled in the heart of the Apocalypse and poised ready to strike a woman and her seed. In the Gene- sis story Satan sought to win by craft and THE CONFLICT 119 guile. When the curtain of this superb drama is raised the first sight to greet the eyes is Saint John, the human amanuensis and reporter, and Christ, the Divine Author, with the seven churches of Asia in the background. The drama begins with John taking dictation from Christ for a message to each of the seven churches. Except in the case of Antipas, Satan is depicted as working by craft and guile as in Genesis. He is mentioned six times in the seven messages. Preparation for Conflict Beginning with the fourth chapter the suc- ceeding eight chapters in the first half of the book are devoted to a display of power on the side of right in preparation for the conflict. The scene opens with the announcement by a herald voice that things which must come to pass will be presented. The forces, personal and impersonal, appearing in this section are God, twenty-four Elders, four Living Crea- tures, seal-bearing angel, Christ, every created thing, riders of white, black, red, and pale horses, ushering in conquest, war, fam- ine, and death, a mighty angel, four an- gels of the winds, empowered witnesses, riders of a huge army of galloping horses, ofBcer-angels in charge of the expedition. 120 THE LION AND THE LAMB Holy Spirit, Angel of the Altar, seven trumpeter angels, millions of angels, earth- quake, a darkened sun, a bloody moon, falling stars, thunders, lightnings, mysterious voices, hail and fire mingled with blood, fire and brim- stone, a burning mountain, blazing comets, swarms of locusts, bloody seas, fountains, and rivers. All this marvelous display of power, arrayed on the side of right, must have made a profound impression just on the eve of the real conflict which begins in chapter twelva The dramatic value is greatly enhanced by the fact that during all this marshaling of power display not a force of evil peeps or mutters. Nine out of thirteen choruses in the book ap- pear in these eight chapters. Every one of them, in essence and spirit, has power for con- flict as its major theme. The last one, appear- ing at the close of chapter eleven, is a burst of praise to the "Almighty' ' because he is ready to reward the suffering saints and to "destroy them that destroy the earth.'' The Real Conflict The real conflict begins with chapter twelve. Prior to this time, with the exception of the slaying of Antipas, whose slaughter fore- shadowed the real conflict, Satan had carried out his program by subtlety and craft. The THE CONFLICT 121 plan did not achieve satisfactory results be- cause Christianity prospered in spite of it. This chapter marks the beginning of a new pro- gram. Satan now seeks to accomplish by brute force that which he had failed to do by subtlety and craft. The first six verses of this chap- ter present an incident which epitomizes the whole new order. Eleven of the fifteen times words signifying "to war" are used in the book occur in the last eleven chapters. Three out of the four times the word for "army" is used in the book occur in the latter half. In dramatic movement the hour for craft and guile is gone and the day of dallying and tem- porizing is over. The hour has struck for the final conflict. The main factors on the side of right have been presented. Whatever power evil may have must appear in the progress of the drama. The Opening Scene The opening scene is laid in heaven. When the curtain rises in this scene a remarkable pageant greets the eye. Satan, a woman and her seed, as in Eden, stand facing each other. Satan wears the garb of the great red dragon, with seven diademed heads and ten horns. His tail is so huge that it sweeps the stars out of the sky and they fall to the earth. The preg- 122 THE LION AND THE LAMB nant woman facing him wears a tiara of twelve stars. She is garmented with the sun and stands upon the moon. Satan stands ready to devour the child when it is born. The child escapes him and is caught up to the throne of God for safety. The mother fled to her pre- pared place in the earth. The Conflict in Heaven The next phase of the conflict presents Mi- chael, the angel at the right hand of God. Ac- cording to tradition, he delivered Abraham from the fiery oven of Nimrod, and the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace. He was the angel of the burning bush who had saved Lot at Sodom and had prepared Moses' bier.^ Le- gions of angels are associated with him. Op- posed to him stands Satan. Now that the mask of the red dragon is off, he is revealed in his true nature and called the "great dragon," the "old serpent," the "Devil and Satan." Ac- cording to Jewish legend, he had descended to the earth with a company of his angels and had selected the serpent as the fit instrument of his foul purpose to blight the race. He was the "accuser" of Abraham, of Job and the brethren. He had shown Nimrod how to cast Abraham into the fiery oven and had tri- » Life and Time* of Jeatu the Meeaiah, Edersheim, vol. II, p. 751. THE CONFLICT 123 umphed over Michael concerning the death of Moses. These two leaders, and their angel- armies face each other for the conflict upon the plains of heaven. Michael and his hosts as- sume the offensive. Satan and his army are defeated and "he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him." From this point onward there are one mono- logue and four choruses and all have the ma- jor chord of triumph after conflict in them. The monologue leads the song of triumph over the "accuser" of the brethren because he had been cast down. The Conflict in Earth The woman, escaping from the infuriated dragon, had fled to the earth. When the dragon was cast down to the earth he renewed his attack upon the woman. She escaped on the wings of an eagle, and later makes the es- cape final by the aid of the earth. Failing in pursuit of the woman, he "went away to make war with the rest of her seed." This "war" was the terrible persecution then upon the world. You hear no sound of the rhythmic tread of marching men for which the Romans were world-famous. You catch no sight of bronze eagles or glinting spears. There is no whir of swinging battle-ax and no charging columns of 124 THE LION AND THE LAMB fiery horsemen, with spears aloft, galloping to the charge. You see no spoils of real war in the hand of the Roman soldier as he returns from the battle front. But a grim foreboding and a nameless terror clutched the throat of the Christians in city, plain, and mountain re- treat. It was not war. It was slaughter. It was planned by Satan and executed by the "beast." Satan and the Conflict Earlier in the drama Satan worked by craft and guile, and the work was his alone. He was alone in his attack upon the woman in heaven and in earth. His army of angels was asso- ciated with him in the battle with the hosts of Michael. As this new program of brute force begins in the earth, he begins to work through other agencies. The first event in this new order is the appearance of the "beast" rising from the sea.^ He came in the similitude of Satan's guise, with this difference — that Satan wore his diadems on his head while the beast wore his upon his horns. The horn was the undoubted sign of power and was so under- stood by Christians and Romans. It w^as crowned as such. All the civil forces of the ^International Critical Commentary , "The Revelation," vol. I, Charlea, p. 345. THE CONFLICT 125 empire were concentrated in the beast. All the mighty enginery of the haughty empire was to be used to destroy Christianity. So great was this power arrayed against Chris- tianity and so confident were the adherents of the ''beast" that they flung out the challenge, "Who is like unto the beast, and who is able to war against him?" The conflict seemed so fierce and unrelenting and the results so cer- tain that the age-long cry of fatalism mounted the lips and passed from man to man, "If any man is for captivity, into captivity he goeth." To make the issue seem doubly certain from the worldly standpoint another "beast" came upon the scene. He was the coworker of the "first beast." "He had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon." All the authority of the state was conferred upon him. He compelled "beast" worship. He decreed that all nonconformists should be put to death. Every Christian understood who this "beast" was. They knew full well that he represented the priesthood of Emperor Worship.^ They fully understood that the "first beast" was the imperial government and they possessed no delusion whatever about the "number of a man"* who had the final word. They knew he * International Critical Commentary, "The Revelation," vol. I, Charles, p. 357. * Clarke's Commentary, vol. VI, p. 1026. 126 THE LION AND THE LAMB was the emperor and as the emperor repre- sented the Latin kingdom.^ The Dark Hour in the Conflict In dramatic development that was a dark hour for Christianity. All the forces of the civil and religious elements of the empire had been welded by hate and jealousy and were ready to be hurled at the inoffensive Chris- tians. Just at the critical moment when the power of the two beasts had reached its maxi- mum, the scene shifted with kaleidoscopic swiftness. With true dramatic instinct the darkest hour came just before dawn. The first streak of golden dawn flashed upon the stage of the drama when the Lamb was revealed standing on Mount Zion with one hundred forty-four thousand, having the Divine Name written upon their forehead. One is strik- ingly reminded of Elijah's plaintive cry, ^^I, even I only am left," and of God's reminder of the "seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him." The real kingdom is always stronger than it seems. In spite of the "beasts" with all their power, spurred on by a frenzied jealousy, inspired by Satan, the Lamb is still on Mount Zion ! God > Apocalypae of John, Swete, p. 176. THE CONFLICT 127 was still in his heaven ! The morning is com- ing. Additional arrows of golden light, shot from the bow of the coming morn appear in the eastern sky, when the angel flies across mid-heaven bearing "eternal good tidings" for "every nation and tribe and tongue and peo- ple." The band of light expands along the ho- rizon as the angel announces the arrival of the hour of Divine Judgment and exhorts men to worship "Him that made the heaven, the earth and the sea'^ — the very places whence the "beasts" had come! The light rises still higher in the sky when a second angel an- nounces, "Fallen, Fallen is Babylon the Great," and a third angelic messenger declares that all who bear the "mark of the beast" or worship his image shall "drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger." During this lull in the conflict in which both sides are strengthen- ing their lines and preparing for the resump- tion of the struggle important dramatic ele- ments appear upon the stage. In rapid succes- sion there is a Voice from heaven saying, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." Reaper angels gather the vintage of the earth to be cast into the wine press of the wrath of God. Seven angels bearing the ^Qast plagues" appear. Victorious hosts, as the harbingers 128 THE LION AND THE LAMB of Victory, assemble upon the sea of glass min- gied with fire and sing the Victory song of the ^'Lord God Almighty." The seven angels empty their bowls of plague upon the earth, the sea, the air, and the sun, and dreadful consequences follow. Lasciviousness, personified by a woman, garbed in purple and scarlet, decked with gold and pearls, "drunken with the blood of the saints," rides a scarlet "beast" across the stage. Explanations follow which end in identifying the woman as Rome. God^s angel of authority descends from heaven and the whole earth is lighted with his glory as he an- nounces with a mighty voice, "Fallen, Fallen is Babylon the Great." The dramatic story of the city's fall is narrated in chapter eighteen, with rich Oriental setting and imagery. As Satan's fall from heaven was followed by a paean of jubilation over his defeat, so when the unholy city, with its pride and glory, has fallen the multitudes of heaven break forth with unconcealed and unrestrained joy : "Sal- vation, and glory, and power, belong to our God." The Premonition of Renewed Conflict As the dragon had come out of heaven, the first "beast" out of the sea, and the second out of the earth, so a message-bearing unclean THE CONFLICT 129 spirit like a frog emerges from the mouth of the dragon, and one from the mouth of each of the beasts, and hurries away to the kings of the "whole world," to enlist them in the "war of the great day of God, the Almighty." These hosts gather at Har-Magedon. In order to give added emphasis to events about to be introduced a door "opened in heaven" at the beginning of the fourth chap- ter. The "temple of God in heaven" opened, introducing the scene of conflict between the dragon and the woman. In like manner "heaven opened" to reveal the Rider of the White Horse and his white-robed warriors. He was so described as to awaken the utmost con- fidence in victory after conflict. He was called "Faithful and True." He was both judge and warrior. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His head was crowned with "many" diadems, while that of the "beast" against whom he goes to battle wears but ten. He was arrayed in a blood-sprinkled garment and called the Word of God. A sharp sword pro- ceeded from his mouth. His garment and thigh bore the legend, "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords," Forecasting certain slaughter and increasing sustained interest in the resumption of the con- flict, an angel invited "all the birds that fly 130 THE LION AND THE LAMB in mid heaven" to the ^^supper of God" to eat the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, horses, riders, and footmen. This peculiar fea- ture, taken from Ezekiel,^ is not associated with the hosts of Gog and Magog as in the book from which the idea is taken, but with the battle of Har-MagedonJ The armies of the kings of the "whole world" had already assem- bled at Har-Magedon.^ They had gathered to make "war against him that sat upon the horse." The armies of heaven which had rid- den across the heavenly review ground upon their white horses, led by their Invincible Leader, assumed the offensive and attacked the enemy upon the world battlefield of Har- Magedon. The armies of the assembled kings were routed and slain by the "sword of him that sat upon the horse." The "beast and false prophet" were captured and cast alive into the lake of fire. The Hiatus in Conflict There is another cessation of conflict at this point. It is said to be a thousand years long, but it must be remembered that a thousand years measured by dramatic units is vastly dif- • Ezek. 39. 17, 18. » Rev. 19. 17, 18. « Rev. 16. 16. THE CONFLICT 131 f erent from a thousand years of real time units. This period opens with one of the most dra- matic episodes in the entire book. An angel comes down out of heaven, bearing the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seizes the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, binds and casts him into the abyss and seals it over him "until the thou- sand years should be finished." After his thou- sand years of confinement Satan is released for a "little time.'' During this "little time'' he collects an army to replace the one which he had lost in the previous battle. He is in personal command, as his lieutenants had been cast into the lake of fire. Gog and Magog In preparation for the impending battle with the unconquered hosts of Christ, Satan was compelled to gather a new army from the "four corners of the earth." He found the traditional army of Gog and Magog which had been so long lost to the Bible reader. They were first mentioned in the thirty-eighth chap- ter of Ezekiel. Gog was the name of the peo- ple and Magog the name of the land. Ezekiel had described them as coming "out of the ut- termost parts of the north" and "all of them riding upon horses, a great company and a 132 THE LION AND THE LAMB mighty army."^ God announced that he would send ^^hailstones, fire, and brimstone'' upon them and "fire on Magog."^^ The slaughter would be so great that Israel would be com- pelled to burn the weapons, and seven months would be required to bury the remnants of the slain. Bird and beast were invited to eat of the slain at the table of God." The Final Issue of the Conflict As the description of the desolation of the seaport of Tyre, with its shipping and its sea- going peoples and maritime setting had been carried over into the Apocalypse and applied to Rome, alias "Babylon," without regard to the fact that Rome was an inland city, so these traditional peoples, who were probably the children of an inspired prophet's creative gen- ius, "Gog and Magog," whose final destruc- tion by fire at the hand of God had been prophesied by Ezekiel, were also carried over into the Apocalypse as the army summoned by Satan in his last desperate effort to defeat the cause of Christ.^^ Satan is represented as hav- ing searched the "four comers" of the earth for this army, which in numbers was as the • E«ek- 38. 15-17. uEiek. 38. 22; 39. 6. »E»ek. 39. 9, 12, 17-20. "Eaek. 39. 4-6, 17-20. THE CONFLICT 133 "sand of the sea." There is nothing to indicate what army finally meets them in battle, but the presumption is much in favor of the army from heaven which rode upon white horses un- der the command of the ^*Word of God'' in the battle of Har-Magedon. The battle site is probably near the walls of the City of Kedemp- tion.^^ The army of Satan undertook to en- circle the "camp of the saints," and made a wide detour to accomplish its purpose when "fire came down out of heaven and devoured them." It will be recalled that when Satan began his program of destroying Christianity, as narrated in the latter half of the drama, he first sought to "devour" the newly-born child. When the hour of final defeat of his earthly helpers comes they meet the fate he sought to mete out to others, when they are "devoured" by fire.^* As in the battle of Har-Magedon when the armies were destroyed, the leaders captured and flung into the lake of fire, so in this battle the armies of Gog and Magog were devoured and the Satanic commander of this last for- lorn effort to wrest the Kingdom from the Re- deeming Christ was also cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. " Rev. 20. 9. " Rev. 12. 4; 20. 9. 134 THE LION AND THE LAMB The conflict which is evident in the first chapter of the book, and is directly represented by display of power or note of triumph in con- flict in the nineteen succeeding chapters, amply justifies the writer's estimate that the Apoca- lypse is the fighting book of the New Testa- ment. "In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.'' — John 16. 33. CHAPTER V THE VICTORY^ Victory High Lights Two of the most brilliant spots in world his- tory are Eden and Calvary. The three bright- est spots in Bible history are Eden, Calvary, and Patmos. In Eden we glimpse man in his pristine glory, with such capacity for God and godlikeness as is well-nigh overwhelming. The annals of time yield nothing more splendid than this portrait of man, with capacity for sin, but unsinning. Beside it is the blackest night the eyes of Father Time has seen. It followed the day the unsinning man sinned. Calvary made possible the restoration of that which was lost at Eden's gates. Patmos searched all the wide ranges of power in the world and marshaled them in serried ranks to assure man of ultimate victory in the final struggle to secure for all men of all ages that which Calvary made possible, but which was then dangerously imperiled. * The author makes no attempt to construe other portions of the Bible than the Apocalypse. They are used simply as sources without regard to literal or figurative quality. 137 138 THE LION AND THE LAMB The Defeat of Humanity The glorious beginning of the world race, created in the image of God and nnsinning, is the most conspicuous figure which limns tbe horizon of those distant days. What a world it would have been if the race had remained pure! What constellations of transcendent splendor would have illumined all the sky of human history if this high-born race had lived as it had been created ! No blacker midnight sky was ever painted by the hand of fate than that which palled the night following the day of man's sin. The heart of the Infinite was broken when wings designed for flight in sun- lit skies flapped in filth. The face of the Deity was stained with tears when voices planned to unison with angelic choirs snapped and snarled with beastly confreres. The very soul of the Eternal One was cleft with bitter grief when the man, who was created to stand up- right and commune with God, fell upon his face in the dust and crawled with the slimy serpent over his sinuous trail. Whence and when and how evil came matters but little; that it came and that a race was polluted be- yond its own power to be clean again is every- thing. Think of God as we may, as of "purer eyes than to behold evil," if we will, yet God — THE VICTORY 139 the God of the sobbing heart — himself could have beheld no scene more disheartening than when he "saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil con- tinually."^ When God saw that picture, in its awful reality, he turned his face away from the man who had been created to wear his image and sorrowed that he had made the race. Human Helplessness Though many events of world importance happened between the day of man's sin and the day of the Son of God on Golgotha, there was nothing which could make possible man's com- plete recovery of that which had been lost by sin. There was a great system of moral law with correlated rite and ceremony, but it was not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could restore the irreparable loss sustained by sin.^ No rite or ceremony alone could "save to the uttermost." Nothing but the blood of Christ could do that. One important New Tes- tament book is devoted to showing how the whole program of legalism and ritualism ut- terly failed and that only "Jesus the mediator of the new covenant" could save the race. « Gen. 6. 5. • Heb. 10. 4, 140 THE LION AND THE LAMB Nothing short of the "blood of an eternal cov- enant, even our Lord Jesus" could make men "perfect in every good thing."* Thus the race was helpless without Christianity and its re- demptive provisions. But the deluge of blood of the martyrs threatened dire disaster to the only hope of a saved race. One thing alone could meet the full need of that terrible hour. That was a vision of victory. The Vision of Victory The hearts of men would have failed had they not caught sight of the horsemen and chariots of God. The Apocalypse is the divine agency for giving the needy-souled generation of that day such a vision of victory that they could survive the fearful persecutions to which they were subjected. The victory banner was un- furled early in the drama. The three-verse prologue was announced by a herald. Brief suggestive salutations were made by John. The first harbinger of victory was the appear- ance of Christ. This was followed by a descrip- tive portrait of him and concluded with Christ laying his hand upon the beloved disciple. The Opening Scene The scene opened with Christ dictating his message to the seven churches to John. It was «Heb. 13. 20. THE VICTORY 141 probably laid at night, when John could do his writing, after a long arduous day of toil in quarry or mine. The location may be easily conceived as John^s cell or lodging place. Out- side was the incessant pounding of the waves against the rock-bound coast, which had brought to John's mind again and again the saying of Ezekiel about the voice of God "like the sound of many waters."^ From this re- treat John had often heard the "voice of mighty thunderings," as the thunder of some passing storm echoed and reechoed among the rocks along the shore. Not far away, from some point of vantage, he had seen the sun go down upon a smooth sea, and its reflections of red and gold seemed like a "sea of glass mingled with fire." On every side stretched the wild waste of imprisoning waves which may have suggested to him the fabric of his dream of the day when "the sea is no more." Less than fifty miles away was Ephesus, the nearest one of the seven cities and John's residence prior to his confinement on Patmos. There had been a tender love between John and the Master in the days of the Saviour's fleshly sojourn. Had not John "leaned back on his breast at the sup- per"?^ Had not the dying Christ commended •Esek. 43.2. •John 21. 20. 142 THE LION AND THE LAMB John to his mother as a son and the mother to John as his mother? Had not John taken the foster mother to his own home?^ Was it not perfectly natural for Jesus to begin his dic- tation of letters with Ephesus? In this first letter he tells them, "To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." Hope of Return From the days of Moses the "Tree of Life" had been conspicuous in the book of Genesis. It was said that when God drove sinning man from the garden of Eden he placed there on guard a "cherubim, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."^ This story is probably older than Moses and likely one of the oldest her- itages of the Hebrew race. Except in the book of Proverbs little reference is made to it for hundreds of years. Through all these years the hope had been ardently cherished of a day when the way would be opened for the return of man to the tree of life whence he had been so long banished. Separation from that sword- guarded tree was a part of the penalty of sin. Christianity provided the one remedy for sin. 7 John 19. 26, 27. •Gen. 3.24. THE VICTORY 143 With this provision in sight but seriously im- periled, Christ directed John to close the first letter to the seven churches with the promise that the Victor should eat of the "Tree of Life." Similar promises were made to each of the seven churches. The "tree of life/' the "crown of life," the "book of life," were prom- ised to three of them. The "New Name" was promised to two of them. "White garments" and a throne shared by Christ were promised to others. Each promise presaged victory. The Victory Book The word for "victory" occurs in this short book of twenty-two chapters seventeen times. It appears in the remaining two hundred and thirty-eight chapters of the New Testament but eleven times. Seven of these eleven times it is used by John in writings other than the Apocalypse. There must have been an im- portant motive behind so conspicuous use of the word. That purpose was to encourage men to hold steadfast for victory. The word is employed in connection with the forces of right fifteen times in the Apocalypse. Twice the forces of evil had power to overcome, but it was only temporary. Beast and false prophet had power to overcome the saints; but it is only a step away in the march of the drama 144 THE LION AND THE LAMB until the chorus sings the victor's song upon the sea of glass and only a brief time measured in dramatic units to Har-Magedon and Satan's defeat. The beast from the abyss had power to slay the two witnesses, but it is only five verses away to the resurrection and ascent to heaven. The "beast" might slay, but there was power behind the scenes mighty enough to give life to the dead within three and one half days. The design of victory for the right was woven into the very fabric which Satan attempted to weave upon his own loom. Pen- nants of victory gleam everywhere in the book, either in anticipation or realization. Like huge banners bearing emblems of victory and hung from windows or draped across the front of buildings along the street where marching columns of men go by to embark for war, so as this drama hastens to its denouement gTOups or voices appear at intervals to repeat a famous slogan or sing a song which will hearten the souls of men and encourage them with the hope of ultimate victory. There are fifteen of these utterances, thirteen of which are spoken by more than one actor and two of which are spoken by a "voice." Three of them feature Christ. Two refer to him as the Lamb. Four refer to God, three to God and the Lamb, and two to God and Christ. The singers of the THE VICTORY 145 "song without words" are associates of the Lamb. These utterances begin with an adora- tion to Christ and end with the "Hallelujah Chorus" of praise for the regnancy of God. All of them are aflame with the hope of victory. Ultimate Victoey All the qualities which would inspire belief in ultimate victory are ascribed to God and Christ. These utterances contain five hun- dred and seventy-two words. Thus one twen- tieth of the book is devoted to these groups seeking to inspire the hope of certain victory. Interspersed between these utterances is such a marvelous display of power that one is con- fused and the brain grows dizzy attempting to conceive its greatness. Power is written all over these unique pages. It is not power for its own sake, however, though it "works for righteousness," but it is here displayed that men may see behind all this marvelous mar- shaling of power the ultimate certainty of vic- tory. Victory Voices Of all unique books of literature this one holds the preeminence in certain respects. It is distinctive among the books of the New Testament in its use of the word for "voice." 146 THE LION AND THE LAMB No other book approaches it in this respect. "Voices" unconnected with personality abound in these pages. Voices are employed more than two score times, in relation to victory, in this book. Not a devil in the drama has a "voice." Speech is linked up with the devil or his agents but five times. Once the "world" cried out, "Who is like unto the beast and who is able to war with him?" The false prophet urged men to make an image of the beast and worship it. He also spoke blasphemies against God. In three instances courtiers and men are said to have blasphemed God. With these excep- tions Satan and his subordinates are dumb. On the day of the triumphal entry the en- thusiastic followers of Christ "took the branches of the palm trees, and went forth to meet him," crying, "Hosanna: Blessed is he that Cometh in the name of the Lord." In the Apocalypse a great multitude "out of every nation and of all tribes" stood before the throne and the Lamb, arrayed in white apparel and bearing palms as tokens of victory. Death and Defeat The author's vocabulary is exceedingly fer- tile in words for "death" and kindred expres- sions. In terms employed, in scenes of carnage and the number of the slain the book drips with THE VICTORY 147 the dew of death. It is the New Testament book of death. Death rides a pale horse and gallops across the stage with authority to slay one fourth of men. Famine, seated upon a black steed, follows war, riding his red charger and carrying a great sword while men "slay one another.^' Strange riders with breast plates as of hyacinth, fire, and brimstone ride leonine-headed, serpent-tailed horses to the slaughter of men. The "Mother of Harlots" is "drunken with the blood of the saints." Hu- man blood flows from the winepress of the wrath of God bridle deep to horse. Men die like flies, after drinking star-smitten waters. The sea is turned to blood and every living creature in it dies. The sword, dripping with blood, seems to have displaced the rainbow in the sky. All the birds of heaven gorge upon human flesh. A whole army is "killed with the sword of him that sat upon the horse." The hosts of Gog, in number "as the sand of the sea," are destroyed by the hot breath of fire from heaven. Seven thousand die by earth- quake. Souls of martyrs, slain by the red hand of hate, crowd under the altar of God to find sanctuary. As if one death were not enough, the maw of a second one is opened to swallow some who have already passed through the gates of the first. Death stalks its victims 148 THE LION AND THE LAMB everywhere. Famine, pestilence, sword, wild beast, earthquake, and falling stars become its agents. The head reels, the heart faints, and the soul shudders at the carnival of death. Be- holding this picture alone, it would seem as if Death were king of the apocalyptic realm with Madness for a queen. Though death seems regnant, it is not the book of death, but, rather, a picture of life painted upon the background of death. Life and Victoey Outside the word for "Deity'^ no word in human speech signifies so much as the one for "life." Love has been said to be the "greatest thing in the world," but life is the "greatest thing in the world" and love is its greatest manifestation. Love is a great word in the vocabulary of John, but it is not much used in the Apocalypse. Life outranks it there. There may be life without love, but there can be no love without life. John is credited with being the Apostle of Love. He is that, but he is more. He is the Apostle of Life. Matthew uses the word for "life" and its cognates once to every fifty-one verses. Mark employs them once to every fifty-six verses. Luke writes the word for "life'' and its kindred terms once to every thirty-seven verses. In his Gospel, John THE VICTORY 149 uses the same terms once to every fourteen verses. If Paul may be credited with the au- thorship of thirteen New Testament books, he uses the terms indicating life once to every eighteen verses. The New Testament is the Life Message of the Bible. The words for "life'^ appear in it once to every thirty-two verses exclusive of the works of John. In his writings these words appear once to every eleven verses. In the Apocalypse alone they appear once to every seven verses. Compared with other New Testament writers as a whole, in the use of terms for life, John is the Apostle of Life and the Apocalypse is his Book of Life. Christ and Life Only seven verses of the drama have been presented, three by the herald and four by John, until Christ introduces himself as the One "who is and who was and who is to come.'* The first chapter is not completed until he presents himself as the "Living one," who "was dead, and behold, I am alive forever more, and I have the keys of death.'' Because he is the "Living one" who bears the keys of death in his scarred hands, he instructs John to write the story of the pageant which he had seen. In the first verse after the prologue John announces greetings "from him who is 150 THE LION AND THE LAMB and who was and who is to come." This for- mula is used four times in the drama and ap- pears three times with the present tense put first. Like the "I Am," as God revealed him- self to Moses, Christ stands at the opening of the drama as the Living One who IS, and who was, and who is to be. The whole drama may be conceived as the conquest of life over death and the Living One walking across the stage with the tread of a Conqueror, carrying the keys of death in the nail-pierced hands. "In the world ye have tribulation : but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world," was a mes- sage John caught from the lips of Jesus, which others seem to have overlooked. Christ the Overcomer It matters little whether John wrote the Apocalypse before the Gospel or after it, the same current of thought runs through the two, the world presents the tribulation and Christ is the OVERCOMER. The thought of Jesus in the dark of the night of his approaching anguish, just before his farewell prayer, is of the same fabric as the opening portions of the Apocalypse. In both cases the light is fo- cused on the outstanding figure of the Over- coming Christ. Each reveals the tribulation and the Overcoming One. THE VICTORY 151 The first letter to the churches closes with the promise of access to the tree of life for vic- tors. The last letter ends with the promise that the victors shall sit upon the throne with Christ as he had overcome and sat down with the Father upon his throne. Promises to vic- tors are featured in the five intervening letters, white, the victory emblem, being presented in two cases. The fourth chapter reveals the rainbow throne — the throne of hope— and in- troduces the Living Creatures and Elders. It closes with the Creatures glorifying Christ as the ''Almighty" and the Elders casting their crowns before the throne and adoring Christ as the Creator who is worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. Christ's First Triumph Christ's first triumph comes when he opens the book of the seven seals which none other could open. With this sealed book in hand he stands while the Living Creatures and Elders sing the "new song" of his worthiness to reign. He opens the seven seals one by one and as he opens the first four the Living Crea- tures step forward, one at a time, and utter the magic word "Come." This is instantly followed, in succession, by the Conqueror rid- ing a white horse— the emblem of victory; 152 THE LION AND THE LAMB the red horse and his rider, War; the black horse and his rider, Famine ; and the pale horse with Death for a rider. At the opening of the fifth seal, souls of slain martyrs appear and are robed in white as the emblem of victory. When the sixth seal was opened the whole physical universe was disturbed and the mighty men of earth pleaded for rocks to fall upon them to hide them from the glory of the wrathful Lamb. When the seventh seal was opened a new cycle of seven was started with the seven trumpeter angels. A display of power which beggars description appears in the succeeding incidents. With the closing episode of the new cycle a heavenly voice pro- claims, "The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ," who "shall reign forever and ever." When the voices cease, the Elders, seated upon their thrones about the rainbow throne of hope, glorify God, the "Almighty," that the time has arrived to reward his servants and to "destroy them that destroy the earth." There is a real line of cleavage in the book at this point. Christ^s Trail of Triumph With one exception the first half of the book presents Satan working by craft and guile, as in Eden of old, with Christ the Victor. Christ's THE VICTORY 153 trail of triumph is marked as by a chain of gold through the first eleven chapters of the book. He is the Victor and every touch of power reveals his presence behind it as the in- itial impulse. At the time of writing the Apocalypse John had either written or would write, "To this end was the Son of Man mani- fested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."^ In the last verse but one of the elev- enth chapter of this drama the Elders glorify God that the time has come to "destroy them that destroy the earth.^' These two passages are one in spirit. Different words are used to express the idea of destruction, that in the Apocalypse being the much more intense. In the first the word means literally to "break up" the works of Satan. In the latter he is to be "rotted thoroughly.'^ These words pre- reveal the intensity of the program in the lat- ter half of the drama as compared with the first. The opening scene of the latter half is a "dumb show," suggesting the character of the conflict and predicting the outcome. Satan starts the conflict by seeking to "devour" the newly-born child. "Devour" lets a flood of light in upon the fury of the conflict to be carried on by the hosts of evil. "Rot thor- oughly" is the counterfoil in the progTam of • 1 John 3. 8. 154 THE LION AND THE LAMB the forces of righteousness. The Son escapes the fiery red dragon, in safety, under the shadow of God's throne. With supranatural aid, the mother eludes the pursuing dragon in the earth. This episode foreshadows victory over Satan in heaven and in earth. One might paraphrase a well-known quotation by saying, "Hell hath no fury like a devil scorned.'' Henceforth it is not "sound and fury" alone, but the conflict has the fury of the battle unto death. There are no battles staged in the first half of the drama, but there are three in the latter half. Victory in Heaven Following the "dumb show'' the first battle in the new program of fury takes place in heaven between the forces of God and the hosts of evil. The hosts of Satan are defeated and he is cast out — "flung headlong flaming from the ethereal sky," as Milton puts it. A great voice from heaven proclaims the victory and announces the arrival of the kingdom of God and the authority of Christ. That is a master- stroke when Satan is introduced into the earth as a defeated devil ! There is the very tang of ultimate victory in it. He is no longer the invincible one. He has been defeated by the power of heaven. These forces are operat- THE VICTORY 155 ing throughout the earth, and he will be de- feated again! Victory in Earth Following the deviPs defeat on the plains of heaven the scene shifts to earth. Being de- feated in his attack on the woman, who had escaped him in heaven, he is enraged and pre- pares to make war on her seed. He begins the war by empowering the two "beasts," the civil and religious leadership of the Roman Empire. Unclean spirits creep out of his mouth and out of the mouth of each of the "beasts" and hurry away, like orderlies, to summon the kingly hosts to battle. Heaven prepares to help the forces of right in the world. The natural forces of the earth assume a supranatural ac- tivity, in cooperation with the angels of the seven bowls. The wicked city trembles at the touch of the breath of God's power and falls into ruins. After suitable jubilations over its downfall by heavenly hosts and lamentations by the copartners of the fallen city, the heavens open. The conquering Christ is seen on the plains of heaven, riding a white horse and go- ing forth to make war. As conquerors return from the field of victory with bloody garments, so as he plans his battle his white raiment is already flecked with the blood of the fray. He 156 THE LION AND THE LAMB is followed by his white-clad warriors, who also ride white horses, the emblems of victory. Satan's armies, reenforced by the hosts of the kings of the earth, are encamped at Har- Magedon, where they are attacked by the armies of heaven led by Christ, the Word of God. The forces of evil are defeated and slain and the two beasts captured and cast alive into the lake of fire. Immediately after the defeat of Satan's underlings the heavens open and an angel descends with the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He binds Satan and casts him into the abyss, which is sealed over him. Being freed from his prison, Satan makes another des- perate attempt to defeat the plans of God. He recruits his new army from the ^^four corners of the earth," the number being ^^as the sand of the sea." As this army charges "over the breadth of the earth," in attempt to encircle the "camp of the saints," fire falls from heaven and consumes them all but their leader, who is captured and meets the most terrible fate the brain of man can conceive. He is cast into the lake of fire to be "tormented day and night forever and ever." Poetic Justice and Victory One more step in the march of victory is THE VICTORY 157 necessary to complete this drama and satisfy the vein of poetic justice which runs through it. Myriads of suffering saints had stood be- fore the Roman tribunal and had been led away to be burned at the state or torn by lions. But the scene is now changed. Christ is the Victor, and the persecuting Roman world must now stand before the throne of God for judg- ment. Thus, before the final curtain of this drama is down every head of evil that wore a diadem is prostrate in defeat. Christ^s head alone is erect, with flashing diadems upon it, as he stands. Supreme Victor, silhouetted against the sky-line of time. Christ the Enthroned Victor Matthew, Mark, and Luke record Christ as applying the first verse of the one hundred and tenth Psalm to his own exaltation. ^^ Peter followed his Master's example in his sermon at Pentecost.^^ All three of the Evangelists refer to Christ's victory and the resultant seat on the right of God.^^ L^ke in Acts, Paul in Colossians, the author of Hebrews and Peter in his first Epistle do likewise.^^ The church of the apocalyptic period must have had a vivid w Matt. 22. 44; Mark 12. 36; Luke 20. 42. " Acts 2. 34. "Matt. 26. 64; Mark 16. 19; Luke 22. 69. "Acts 7. 55, 56; Col. 3. 1; Heb. 12. 2; 1 Pet. 3. 22. 158 THE LION AND THE LAMB conception of Christ's triumph and his conse- quent share in the honor and glory due to God. This common heritage would naturally receive fresh impulse in the day of intense struggle and trial. The apocalyptic appeal would be greatly intensified by this preliminary con- ception. Christ closed his message to the seven churches by referring to his seat upon the throne beside the Father, thus linking their previous heritage of thought with the apoca- lyptic message. Between this and the close of the drama there are occasional veiled hints of the presence of Christ on the throne with the Father, but the full expression does not come until the last chapter, when the throne of God and of the Lamb is unveiled for the first time. Thrones came thick and fast in the prepara- tory stages of the drama when banners of hope were being held aloft. Thirty-three appear in the first half of the drama and but twelve in the latter. After Satan's final defeat the throne appears but four times. Once it is the judgment throne of God. Once Christ sits upon a throne making all things new. Twice the throne of God and the Lamb is presented. In the last night of Christ's earthly anguish he prayed, "I glorified thee on the earth, hav- ing accomplished the work thou hast given me to do. And now, Father, glorify thou me with THE VICTORY 159 thine ownself with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." When the last throne of this dramatic pageant is lifted up that prayer is answered in dramatic terms, and the Conquering Christ sits upon the throne with the Father as the Victor over all evil. "Fear not, for I have redeemed thee ; I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine." — Isa. 43.1, CHAPTER VI THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE The Book of the World's Redemption In broad, general terms, the Bible is the book of the world's redemption. It contains the unfolding story of the divine purpose to re- deem and records the various steps taken to accomplish the actual result. This program had its inception in the concern of a loving God for a sinning race which he had created and placed in a world keyed to righteousness. The entire plan was not revealed in the beginning, but the process extends through the centuries and is gradual, though not uniform, in its de- velopment. Like a mighty river which starts upon a mountainside, and as it flows onward grows in volume and power, so this redemptive idea begins early in the Book of books and pro- ceeds with its development, growing in clear- ness, breadth, and depth, as the silent cen- turies go by. There are occasional freshets of contributing elements and the stream runs low in times of drought, but it runs on. The Old Testament Naturally, the redemptive idea begins witli 163 164 THE LION AND THE LAMB the Old Testament. Judged by its use of the words ^^ransom,'' "redeem," and "atonement," the development seems to have been in the form of waves rather than by steady accretion. Like the overflowing river which leaves a rich de- posit of silt upon receding, so certain periods of oppression of the Israelitish people left a residuary deposit in words, related to redemp- tion, which shows a close correlation between oppression and the idea of redemption. Nineteen Old Testament books are inti- mately related to periods of oppression of the chosen people of God. "Ransom,'' "redeem," and "atonement" appear in the entire Old Tes- tament two hundred and seventeen times. They are found in the nineteen books related to periods of oppression one hundred and eighty-two times and thirty-five times in the remaining twenty books. Since much of the history of the Israelitish race was written un- der the shadow of oppression, and deliverance from the oppressor is such a natural longing of humanity, it is not strange that the human relation to the dark problem of sin should be tinged with the same thought of oppression and deliverance. The Israelites w^ere so accus- tomed to being regarded as slaves that they naturally thought of man under sin as a chat- tel, to be bought back, redeemed, or ransomed. THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 165 During the Old Testament period the strands of redemptive purpose were so interwoven with those of ethics, social and national prosperity, that at times they seem to represent the ex- treme minimum of the recording page. There were flashings of it in song and prayer ; the his- toric page was frequently lighted up with it. Its germ was frequently embedded in the legal fabric and the prophetic page was occasionally luminous with its growing light. The process persevered and the centuries witnessed the gradual addition of the fundamentals. The New Testament Fresh emphasis was placed upon the devel- oping idea of redemption in the New Testa- ment period and it centers in a person for the first time. The angel told Joseph the unborn child should "save his people from their\^ sins."^* The saintly Zacharias caught a vision of the coming Redeemer of whom his newly-born son was to be the herald and con- cerning whom he sang in his "Benedictus."^'^ The devout Simeon, having been promised the sight of the "Lord's Christ" before his death, took the Holy Infant in his arms, and blessing God, said: »* Matt. 1, 21. " Luke 1. 67-80, 166 THE LION AND THE LAMB "Now lettest thou thy servant depart, Lord, According to thy word, in peace; For mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples." ^^ The aged Anna saw in Christ the hope of re- demption.^"^ Very early in Jesus' ministry John the Baptist sensed the relation of Christ to the redemptive purpose, crying out, ^^Be- hold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world !"^^ Matthew and Mark agree that Christ came, not to be the passive subject of ministry, but to "minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'^^^ Christ recognized his place in the atonement, at the Last Sup- per, "For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins."^^ He came not only to die but to give his entire life as a ransom. His confinement in the limitations of a human body was as much a part of his sacrificial humiliation as his agony in death. JoHN^s Gospel and Epistles There is little doubt that the writings of » Luke 2. 29-32. 1' Luke 2. 38. "John 1. 29. »» Matt. 20. 28; Mark 10. 45. » Matt. 26. 28: Mark 14. 24: Exod. 24. 8. THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 167 John are among the last^of the New Testament works to be written. vThe developing idea of redemption would reach its most complete form in the later books. This is precisely what happens. The mediatorial life and death of Jesus is presented with striking explicitness in the Gospel of John. He is the only New TesA tament writer to record the Baptist's appraisal) of Jesus as the "Lamb of God.^'^i Christ is likened to a lamb by two other New Testament writers, but he is not called one.^^ One of the most outstanding statements of the New Testa- ment, showing that the mediatorial ministry of Jesus had its origin in the love of God for men, is made by John.^^ One of the clearest cut gems of expression, touching the vicarious of- fering of himself, is Jesus' own saying recorded by John.^^ No writer reports a single state- ment from the lips of Jesus, revealing the com- plete surrender of his person to the redemptive purpose, which is more cogent than that re- corded by John.^^ While he put great empha- sis upon the person of Jesus as the Son of God, he is equally emphatic in his insistence upon the essential relation of Christ to the « John 1. 29, 36. a Acts 8. 32; 1 Pet. 1. 19. » John 3. 14, 15, 16. MJohn 10. 11, 15. » John 10. 18. 168 THE LION AND THE LAMB salvation of men. He is the Vine, the Water of Life, the Bread of Life, the Light of Life, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. So essential is the contact between the saved soul and Christ that "No one cometh unto the Father''^® but by him, and "except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in your selves."^^ Christ is referred to but four times in the New Testament as the "Propitiation for sin" and two of these times the phrase is employed by John.^^ The Apocalypse No book of the Bible is more thoroughly saturated with the idea of redemption by the blood of the slain Lamb of God than the Apoca- lypse. Though last it is not least in its appre- ciation of the efficacy of the atonement in Christ. Very early in the drama Christ is presented as the one w^ho "loosed us from our sins by his blood."^^ The great chorus of Living Crea- tures and Elders, singing of the worthiness of Christ, base it upon the fact that he had been slain and had "purchased unto Gk>d," men of every tribe, tongue, people and nation with « John 14. 6. " John 6. 53. M 1 John 2. 2; 4. 10. V Rev. 1. 5, THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 169 his blood. Martyred souls, sanctuaried under the altar of God, received white robes, ^^ "washed in the blood of the Lamb."^^ A great voice declared the victory of the saints over the forces of the evil one was made possible because of the blood of the Lamb.^^ There are two references in the drama to a book of life "written from the foundation of the world." This book, in which the names of saints were enrolled, is the "book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain." One hundred and forty-four thousand associates of the Lamb, bearing his name upon their foreheads, are said to have been "purchased^^ as "first-fruits unto God and the Lamb." Paul had written, "Ye were bought with a price."^^ Peter had already re- ferred to men who had forsaken Christ as deny- ing Christ who had "bought them."^* Accord- ing to Matthew and Mark, Jesus used the word "ransom" concerning his life of sacrifice, and Paul had declared that he "gave himself a ransom for all."^^ John never used the word "ransom," but he used its commercial equiva- lent, "purchase." Each of the Gospels and the Apocalypse used the word in a purely com- mercial capacity. The word is applied to the •oRev. 7. 13. « 1 Cor. 6. 20. »i Rev. 7. 14. « 2 Pet. 2. 1. «Rev. 12 !. U. « 1 Tim. 2, .6, 170 THE LION AND THE LAMB redemptive intention three times in the Apoca- lypse and the same number of times in the rest of the New Testament. Thus the age-old idea, of "buying back" the erring soul is also a characteristic feature of the Apocalypse. 1. Christ the Redeeming Lamb Because of the strong emphasis placed upon Christ as the redeeming Lamb, the Apocalypse is unique in biblical literature. The word A^ "lamb" appears in nineteen books of the Old Testament, where it is usually connected with sacrifice. It is employed by only three authors in the New Testament— ^uke, I*^er, and^ohn. It appears in the New Testament but six times outside the Apocalypse. Twice it is not related to sacrifice. Two times Christ is referred to as a lamb and twice he is called the "Lamb of God." \The word appears in the Apocalypse lamb." Tw^tlty-eight times the word refers to Christ as the redemptive Lamb. No other book of the Bible employs the word so many times, except that of Numbers, which contains so much descriptive matter pertaining to the sac- rifices. Two hundred and thirty-eight New Testament chapters refer to Christ as a Lamb four times, two of them being similes. ^^^ twenty-nine times. The earth-born beast is >(>^jJ^ described as having "two horns like unto a THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 171 Twenty-two chapters of the Apocalypse refer to him as a sacrificial Lamb twenty-eight times, and four times he is said to be a "slain" one. If the rest of the New Testament had used the word in the same ratio, it would have appeared over three hundred times instead of four. One half of the chapters of the Apocalypse contain references to Christ as the Lamb, averaging two and one half times to the chapter in which they are used. Twenty-three verses out of one hundred are devoted to narrating incidents in which the Lamb is conspicuous. 2. The Sealed Booh and the Slain Lamb The book of seven seals was opened by the slain Lamb. All the wonderful episodes of power introduced in chapters five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, have their initial im- pulse imparted by him. More than twenty- five per cent of the entire book is occupied with this series of episodes alone. The sun, moon, stars, earthquake, thunder, lightning, moun- tains, rivers, and seas, fountains of water, winds, fire, hail, seagoing ships, marine crea- tures, grotesque creations shaped like horses combined with locusts and scorpions, two hun- dred million galloping horses with their strange riders, angels, elders, living creatures — all created things and singing hosts are in- 172 THE LION AND THE LAMB troduced into the scenes of this drama in epi- sodes which have their initial impulse of power imparted by the slain Lamb. 3. The Angels of the Bowls cmd the Slain Lamb In the latter half of the drama, beginning with chapter fifteen, the seven angels of the bowls are introduced. Following this the vic- torious hosts of God, which had triumphed over the beastly representative of Satan, ap- peared by the sea of glass, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. This song about the Lamb introduces the seven angels, who appear garbed for their special duties, and immedi- ately begin their work. A remarkable series of episodes follow strikingly analogous to the ef- fects resultant from the actions of the seven an- gel trumpeters in the first half of the drama. The work of these angels does not end until the drama is almost completed (22. 15). One needs only to compare the episodes connected with the seven trumpeter angels and those of the angels of the bowls to see that they are of the same pattern and almost identical in main features. Practically all the forces of nature in the first set are again used in the second series. More than one half of the drama, after the first three chapters, is in- volved in these spectacular episodes of power. THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 173 and all of them are either introduced by a song about the Lamb or have the slain Lamb as the initial imparter of power. It is difficult to conceive how any writer, intending to impress his readers with the glory and power of the re- deeming Lamb, could do it more effectively than it is done in these striking episodes. 4. The Redeeming Lamh the Basis of Victory There are three battles staged in this drama. The first one takes place on the plains of heaven and is between Michael and his angels and Satan and his hosts. After the defeat of Satan the angel announcer of the victory de- n^<>^^ clared, "They overcame him because of thec^^j^ blood of the Lamb." In the second victorious '''^^^^^^ battle the forces of right are led by the "Word of God.'' The third battle is undoubtedly be- tween the Satanic hosts of Gog and Magog and the white-raimented hosts also commanded by the redeeming "Word of God," and takes place near the walls of the "beloved city" of redemp- tion. Thus the results of these three decisive battles of the drama are intimately dependent upon the Redeeming Lamb. It may be truly said of all of them, "They overcame him be- cause of the blood of the Lamb." Thus is vic- tory based upon the blood of the atoning Lamb. Victory over Satan and his beastly confreres 174 THE LION AND THE LAMB was just what the heart of these tried saints of the Lord longed and wept for night and day. They could scarcely have been told more ef- fectively that all their hopes of victory hung upon the blood of the slain Lamb. Every per- secuted follower of Christ would assuredly feel, after reading or hearing such passages read, that somehow his victory over evil was based upon the efficacy of the blood of the slain Lamb. 5. The Redemptive Purpose Older than the Race The redemptive purpose of God is older than the race. Redemptive provisions had been made ^^before the foundation of the world."^* Christ as the supreme Sacrifice "was fore- known indeed before the foundation of the world."^^ Redemption in Christ is called an ^^eternal covenant" in the book of Hebrews.^^ The idea of the eternal quality of the re- demptive purpose in Christ appears twice in this drama. ^^ The names of the saints are "written in the book of life from the founda- tion of the world." This book is identical with the "book of life of the Lamb that hath been » Eph. 1. 4. w 1 Pet. 1. 20. w Heb. 13. 20. » Rev. 13. 8: 17. 8. THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 175 slain.'' There is a bit of confusion whether the phrase "from the foundation of the world" modifies written or slain. The result is the same in either case and Alford thinks it modi- fies slain. *^ Thus the Apocalypse is in strict accord with John's other writings and the rest of the New Testament in the matter of the eter- nal quality of the redemptive purpose. No fundamental element in all the rest of the Bible, touching the necessity, power, and per- manency of the redemption in Christ, is omitted from the Apocalypse. The doctrine of blood redemption which watermarks the teaching of the apostles and which has vital- ized the program of Christianity through the ages,^^ is also the very heart and soul of the drama of the Apocalypse. 6. Redemption Versus Brute Force In certain quarters it is held that the book of Revelation teaches the failure of the re- demptive plan. Does the Apocalypse teach that the atoning plan of God for the salvation of the world is a failure? Having been finally completed, as it centers in the person of Christ and his death upon Golgotha, is it to be aban- doned and brute force substituted for it? Does « Century Bible, "Revelation," p. 238. " Apostolic Church, Hastings, vol. ii, p. 309. 176 THE LION AND THE LAMB the Apocalypse reveal, even a hint, that in the mind of John the redemptive purpose which had eternal rootage in the thought of God would ultimately be abandoned in favor of a return to the primitive method of force? The literal interpretation would suggest that, in the final analysis, the enemies of right are to be defeated by the sword and flame. The conquest of evil by fire would be an easy way, but is it God's way? Rome thought she could conquer Christianity with the sword and flame, but all the world knows that she was stupidly mistaken. This drama holds up the powers of evil to be seen by the flares of their own light- ing. They sought to conquer by the sword and flame, but this drama presents them as van- quished by their own weapons. John is saying, by the drama, what Matthew reported Jesus as having said, "They that take the sword shall perish with the sword.'"*^ This drama does not literally teach that God will triumph over wrong in «o cheap a fashion. Christ had been nailed to the cross. Roman hands of force drove the nails. But that cross, into which the Roman hands of force drove the nails, becomes the emblem of world conquest by redemptive power. God could kindle a fire in us hot enough to « Matt. 26. 52. THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 177 burn up all capacity for sin, but his redemptive plan is not built upon the flame. That would be a short cut to the overcoming of evil, but God did not take that short path. His problem is like that which confronts the physician. It is the physician's task to destroy the disease and to save the life of the patient. Redemption is God's plan for the destruction of sin and the salvation of the sinner. The physician can destroy any disease, but in so doing he may take the life of his patient. God can destroy all sin in the race by one sweep of his hand of power and destroy the race by the same stroke. Redemption is not with silver or gold or flame of fire, but by the blood of the slain Lamb as the basis of strenuous striving against sin. The very heart of the dramatic message is that men may overcome sin by the "blood of the Lamb."*^ God-sent fire is not the basis of ultimate triumph, but a divinely inspired de- fiance of fire is not the real basis of victory. In the dark hour of his betrayal Jesus did not forget that "more than twelve legions of an- gels" were available if he but called for them.'** That knowledge helped to give him strength to go through the gates of unjust judgment to the death of the cross. The intervention of the ** Rev. 12. 11. ** Matt. 26. 53. 178 THE LION AND THE LAMB legions of angels could have given temporary victory, but his death upon the cross alone could save the world. All the material world forces are arrayed upon the side of the right in this world drama, not because the policy of force is to be substituted for the redemptive program, but that men who feel that the legions of God's natural world forces are at their call will be strengthened thereby to go through the gates of unjust judgment to their cross as their Master did to his. Since the days of the dying Jacob ^^ the Israelites had turned to the hope promised in the Lion of the tribe of Judah, in all their oppressions. Enslaved and perse- cuted by others, the Jewish dreams were ever of the "Lion of the tribe of Judah," to deliver them from the hand of the oppressor. All ho- rizons were searched for the "lion," in the days of Christ, to deliver them from the yoke of Ro- man bondage. Because Christ was not lion- like he was "despised and rejected." Does this drama convey the impression that the Lamb- like quality of Jesus' character and teaching is to lead to his ultimate failure to save the world by redemption? Does it teach that the method of force, which he deliberately rejected during his earthly sojourn, alone can lead to final triumph? « Gen. 49. 9. THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 179 7. PremillennMism Dependent Upon Brute Force^^ Premillennialism is referred to at this junc- ture because it answers both the above ques- tions in the affirmatiye. The premillennial theory is based upon two postulates : 1. The failure of the redemptive method.*^ 2. The resort to force to complete the task which redemptive measures fail to accom- plish.^ « The drama of Revelation gives the impres- sion that the world is to be saved by the efficacy of the blood of the slain Lamb. The theory of premillennialism is fundamentally at war with this conception. An accurate estimate of the value of these two premises of premillennial- ism is impossible without careful consideration of the following fundamental factors : 1. These premises are based, for the most part, upon the twentieth chapter of the book of Revelation. « Modern PremiUennialism and the Christian Hope, Rail, p. 125. " Jesus Is Coming, W. E. B., p. 45. Behold the Morning, Wimberly, p. 210. ** "He will enunciate hia claim by terror and might. ... He will tread and trample them beneath his accusing feet, till their up-spurting blood BhaU make him crimson. ... He comes to his glory not as the Saviour meek and lowly, not through the suffrage of willing hearts and the plaudits of a welcoming world, but as a king, an autocrat, a despot, through the gushing blood of a trampled world. ... In this way the kingdom is to come,^ not by the preaching of the gospel and the aU-persuasive power of God." Haldeman, chap, xvii, quoted in Modem Premillennialism and the Christian Hope, Rail, p. 118. 180 THE LION AND THE LAMB 2. These premises upon which the theory is based are dependent upon a literal interpreta- tion of a poetical structure which contains an unusual amount of highly wrought imagery.*^ 3. These premises are dependent upon a lit- eral construction of a production of high dra- matic quality, entirely ignoring the dramatic features and what the actors in the drama do, which is as vital to a rational understanding of the book as what they say. Conclusions thus formed are not entitled to serious consideration because they are drawn from premises which ignore the most vital ele- ments of sound interpretation. These two fundamental premises of premillennialism must be rejected for the further reasons : 1. Because the advent of man into the world introduced a new factor, that of moral and spiritual power, and no vital human problem can be truly solved by force alone. 2. Because Judaism and its successor, Chris- tianity, constitute a vital part in the develop- ment and application of this new power, and the redemptive purpose of God in Christ is the most conspicuous element of Christianity and the most outstanding factor of moral trans- formation of all the ages. 3. Christ deliberately chose the moral and *» The Coming of the Lord, Snowden, p. 225. THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 181 spiritual method of world conquest and definitely rejected the plan of world domina- tion by force. 4. The actors in the drama of Revelation, by speech and action, give the impression that evil in men and in the world is to be overcome "because of the blood of the Lamb.'' 5. The Apocalypse reveals nothing in the background of John's thinking which indicates an abandonment of the earlier New Testament conception of the redemptive efflcacy of the blood of the Lamb. 6. John's phrasing in the Apocalypse shows that his appreciation of redemption by the blood of Christ, so fully and confidently ex- pressed in his other writings, had not abated in the slightest degree. 7. The drama of Revelation, as a whole, more constantly accentuates the place, power, and permanency of the redemptive purpose than any other book of the Bible. In view of these facts, it is obvious that any theory which teaches the failure of the redemp- tive method and the substitution of force for it, is seriously out of harmony with the spirit of the drama and the attitude of the author which is reflected in the book. Instead of giv- ing the impression of the failure of the redemp- tive method the drama presents the Roman 182 THE LION AND THE LAMB Empire, which was the mightiest incarnation of force in its day, as in vital conflict with re- demption and its allied elements, and almost every page glows with confidence in the inev- itable triumph of the redemptive forces. Pitted against the saints alone, the beast had power to make war against them and to overcome them,^^ but warring against the redemptive purpose of God, the beast and his confreres "shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings.^'^^ 8. The Oppugnant Cities Of all contrasts in this book of weird oppo- sites the most remarkable one is that of the two cities. One thread of golden thought runs through the entire drama. It is expressed in the saying just above quoted. This motif of the drama is very evident in these two con- trasts with which it practically closes. Chris- tianity is based upon Christ as the Son of God and the Redeemer of the world. There is the constant assertion and suggestion running through this drama that the terrible conflict which marked those bloody days was one be- tween the imperial power and that conception » Rev. 13. 7. " Rev. 17. 14. THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 183 of religion which accepted Christ as the world's redeeming Lamb. The forces of the empire were ^'making war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them.'' The last main scene presents the two oppugnant cities, Rome and the New Jerusalem. One is the City of Sin, the incarnation of brute force. The other, contrary to the general conception, is not heaven but the City of Redemption which comes "down out of heaven from God."^^ As the attack upon the woman and her child by the dragon was a dumb show, forecasting the outcome of the conflict between the hosts of evil and the forces of righteousness, so the episode of these two oppugnant cities is a summary of the whole drama. The Spirit car- ried the seer into the wilderness to see the judgment and downfall of "Babylon," and an angel guided him to a great high mountain to witness the Holy City descend from heaven. One of the angels of the last plagues tells John about both cities. Each city has a woman con- nected with it. The woman in "Babylon" is a harlot, the one in the New Jerusalem is a bride, "the Lamb's wife." These two women are indicative of the character of the two cities. One is the Unholy City, the other the Holy City. The word for "harlot" appears five times KKev. 21. la 184 THE LION AND THE LAMB in the drama and is applied to nothing else than the city of "Babylon.'^ She is a harlot — mother of harlots. That is shameful in- deed! "Fornication" is used twenty-nine times in the rest of the New Testament. It is employed seventeen times in the Apocalypse, thirteen times in connection with the wicked city, Kome, alias "Babylon." Twenty-eight per cent of the times the word for harlot or har- lotry is used in the New Testament and sixty- eight per cent of the times it appears in the Apocalypse is in connection with the City of Sin. 9. The Sharp Contrast In sharp contrast with this city of amazing wickedness, as suggested by these terms and kindred references, the City of Redemption is the "wife of the Lamb." Its twelve gates bear the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and its foundations the names of the "twelve Apostles of the Lamb." The foundation walls are adorned with the precious stones like those set in the breastplate of the high priest, who alone could enter the Holy of holies, and then only on the great Day of Atonement. Nothing un- clean, and none who make an abomination or a lie, may enter the City of Redemption, but only those whose names are written in the THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 185 Lamb's book of life. In the twenty-four verses about the Holy City the word "Lamb'' appears seven times, one fourth as many times as in the entire book. This brief section employs this word, which is so closely related to the redemptive idea, once to every three and one half verses, while it appears but once to every eighteen and one half verses in the rest of the drama. The characteristic word connected with "Babylon" is "harlot." The outstanding word in the description of the New Jerusalem is "Lamb." Hearing it said that those who wash their robes may have a right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates to the city would inevitably recall the intense word used early in the drama about the souls who had been "loosed from their sins by his blood," and the other trenchant expression about the mar- tyrs whose robes were "washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb." When this drama was written the ancient city of Jerusalem was in the hands of the Ro- mans, and they were dominating it as they had ruled Rome. When the final curtain of this superb drama rings down, the City of Sin, with all its wealth, pride, and glory, has fallen into the dust, the heavens have opened and the Holy City has descended to take its place. 186 THE LION AND THE LAMB In contrast with the City of Sin and its many temples, wherein were many orgies of sin and shame, is the City of Redemption. It is built upon the foundation of the apostles of the Lamb. It is templeless except that God and the living Lamb are its temple, the Lamb its light, God and the Lamb are seated jointly upon its throne, the names of its citizenship are engraven upon the Lamb's book of life, and its mute gates of invitation are flung open day and night, while the Spirit joins with the open- gated City of Redemption inviting whoever will to come and take of the water of life freely. After viewing the episodes of the Wicked City and the Holy City, whatever other im- pressions may have been made upon the expect- ant souls of the saints in the days of the reg- nancy of the "beast," amid the fury of the sword and flame, one abiding impression must have been that Sin, not Redemption, would fail; that Redemption, not Sin, would ulti- mately triumph. 10. The Chorus and Redemption If there ever was an intention upon the part of the author of this drama to make it teach that Redemption would fail in its purpose to save the world, it certainly would appear in the choruses or group sayings, for the drama THE EEDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 187 reaches its utmost intensity at these points. Four of these groups are devoted to adoration of God alone. One proclaims the rulership of God and Christ. Nine of them glorify the Lamb. Not one of them or any portion of any one of them, contains a hint of the triumph of Christ as "King of kings" or "Lord of lords," which we might expect if it were the intention of the author to suggest that force would ultimately replace the redemptive pro- gram because of its failure. 11. The Names of Christ Christ is known by twenty-five other titles in this drama. This unusual range of title af- forded a fine opportunity to convey definite impressions to the sensitive spirits of the per- secuted saints by these names. Had it been the intention of the author to teach them that victory must come by the hand of force it would have been an easy matter to have in- troduced Christ as "King of kings" and as such the leader of armed hosts to which they might look for help to win their victories. The exact contrary of this is true. Of the twenty-six titles applied to Christ in this drama fourteen of them appear to have no suggestive quality touching this matter. It would be generous to say that of the remaining twelve titles by 188 THE LION AND THE LAMB which he is known, six of them might be re- garded as reflecting the popular kingship method of that day. These names are "Lion of the tribe of Judah," "Root of David/' "Ruler of kings/' "King of kings/' "Lord of lords/' and "Offspring of David." They ap- pear nine times. The remaining six titles are "Christ/' "Jesus/' "Jesus Christ/' "Lord Jesus/' "Word of God/' and "Lamb." By com- mon consent they all look toward Calvary and the death of Christ as the Lamb of God that "taketh away the sin of the world." These titles appear forty-eight times in the drama. Though these titles, suggestive of the redemp- tive purpose of God, are the same in number as the ones which reflect the kingship method of the day, they appear in the drama more than five times as many times. Though these words, suggestive of the redemptive purpose, constitute but twenty-one per cent of the total number of titles applied to Christ in this drama, yet they appear sixty-one per cent of the times which the entire set of titles are em- ployed in the book. Had it been in the author's thought that the redemptional method would be replaced by the military program, how easy it would have been to have an Elder suggest that the Lamb could open the book of seven seals and, when THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 189 all eyes were in expectancy, to have the "Lion of the tribe of Judah" break the seals instead of the Lamb ! That would have been convinc- ing enough; but the reverse of this happened because the redemptive purpose is not to be abandoned in favor of the military program of force, but the militaristic policy is to be super- seded by redemptional agencies. In order to show how weak and inefficient the throne of world rulership really is, either to carry forward or to hinder the redemptional purpose of God, a monarch's throne is intro- duced and occupied by a beast. It remains on the stage just long enough for one of God's angels to empty a vial of God's wrath upon it, when the whole kingdom is immediately "darkened." Had it been the intention of the author to show the futility of the redemptive plan for saving the world, how easy it would have been for him to have introduced an episode showing the Lamb upon the throne, and later replaced by the "King of kings" ! Nothing like this oc- curred because it was his intention to show the suffering saints, and the world after them, that redemption was enthroned as the permanent policy and the most effective element in the program of moral endeavor. The use of so many titles for Christ, in the 190 THE LION AND THE LAMB peculiar way in which they are employed, and the significant action in the episodes to which reference has just been made, overwhelmingly sustains the theory that it was the purpose of the drama to give the impression that the re- demptive purpose of God is to triumph. 12. The Lamb on the Throne The relation of the Lamb to the throne of God in this drama is unique in biblical litera- ture. There is not the slightest intimation elsewhere in the Bible of one who might share the throne with God. Christ is the first to suggest such a conception. That first intima- tion appears early in the drama when he pledges that all his followers who overcome shall share his throne with him, as he, having overcome, would sit upon the throne with his Father. This is the first and last intimation of his relation to the throne of God as Christ. As the Lamb he appears in two later episodes in the "midst" of the throne of God. Near the close of the drama there are two references to a shared throne — the "throne of God and of the Lamb."53 He is the "Alpha and Omega'' in this drama, but it is not because he stood by the pillars of the gates of time at its opening moment, nor »» Rev. 22. 1, 3. THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 191 because his eyes will feast upon the glories of the sunset of the last day of Eternity that he sits upon the throne with the Father. He is the ^^Son of God," and though from the dawn of the historic memory of man sons had succeeded their fathers upon the royal throne, yet as a Son he ascends no throne of his Father. He is the ^'Word of God" who "became flesh," that "by the grace of God he should taste of death for every man," who leads the white-robed militant hosts of God to victorious battle and whose head was crowned with "many" diadems; but he sits upon no throne because of his genius as a military leader. With the reins of authority in his pierced hands he drives the chariot of power through such scenes, in this drama, as would have stirred the envy of the most powerful Caesar that ever sat upon the imperial throne, but he ascends no throne because of his power. Great voices proclaim his regnancy as Christ and put him on an equality with God by that sacred Name, but as Christ he never sits upon a throne nor wears a diadem. He is the "Lord of lords," and with Perronet our hearts join in singing, "Bring forth the royal diadem and crown him Lord of all," but no crown is upon his brow and he sits upon no throne because he is "Lord of lords." 192 THE LION AND THE LAMB He is the "King of kings" and the "Ruler of the kings of the earth,'' but this drama robes him with no purple, thrusts no. scepter in his hands, presses no crown upon his sacred brow, nor seats him upon a throne because he is the "King of kings.'' He is the "Offspring of David," but no an- gelic master of ceremonies leads him to the foot of the Davidic throne because he is the offspring of that illustrious poet-king. He sits upon the throne in this drama not as Master or Lord, not as Christ or Jesus, not as the leader of triumphant militant hosts, not as a judge or Creator, not as Imperator Di- vine, not as the Son of God, but he sits upon the throne as the Redeeming Lamb. There is not the faintest whisper of one to sit upon the throne with God the Everlasting Father, ex- cept the Eternal Son, and he only as the Re- deeming Lamb. Why does this wondrous "Word of God," bearing so many striking titles, and appearing so conspicuously in the scenes of this marvel- ous drama, whose honor and glory are chanted by lips human and divine, never ascend the throne except as the Lamb? There is but one answer. The Son of God sits upon the throne with the Father as the Redeeming Lamb be- cause it was and is the purpose of God to save THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE 193 the race to eternal life by the redemptive mediation of his Son "as a lamb that is led to the slaughter.'' This drama does by action what the forerunner of Christ did by speech. Both cry aloud to all the world, "Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world !" "Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man ; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire.'^ — 2 Kings 6. 17. CHAPTER VII THE DRAMA The original apocalypse appeared to John in dramatic form, and the book of Revelation is the reporter's account of the drama which he saw. Since there is no copy of the first presentation, the best way to understand the purpose and scope of the original drama is to reproduce it, as far as possible, from the only written account we have of it. To prevent the scenic features being over- emphasized or confused with the spoken word, these portions have been condensed somewhat ; while the actual words spoken by the different characters are presented verbatim. In order to give the reader an actual glimpse of the great drama which was apocalypsed to John, ihe portions which he "saw" are sharply distinguished from what he "heard,'' the dramatis personse have been introduced at the proper moment and the scenic features pre- sented as actual "color" to their spoken word. While the descriptive portions of the drama have been abridged in order to bring out the spoken message, there is no intentional omis- 197 198 THE LION AND THE LAMB sion of any word or phrase which may shed light upon the interpretation. The reader is urged to keep in close touch with the text by use of the marginal references provided for his convenience. The whole, as thus arranged, will now be presented, with the current of the drama fol- lowing the exact order given in the book of Revelation. THE DRAMATIS PERSONiE Forces OF Evil Red Dragon, the Chief The Mother of Har- The Red Dragon's lots Angels The Sea-Born Beast Beast Worshipers The Earth-Born Beast Blasphemers (two Armies of Earthly Groups) Kings Blaspheming Cour- Armies of Gog and tiers Magog Kings of the Earth Nero as Beast from the Abyss Three Unclean Spirit Orderlies Hosts of Righteousness "Voices" Saints Heralds Prophets Unknown Second Angel THE DRAMA 199 Herald Angel An Eagle Holy Angels King Abaddon Captains, Rich and Strong Sea-Profiting Folk Woman in Heaven Merchants Shipmasters Angel in the Sun Angels of the Winds Angel of the Waters Michael, Prince of An- gels Great Voice in Heaven Seven Angels of the Bowls Angel Guardians of the Gates Great Voice like a Trumpet Angels Martyrs Freemen Apostles Witnesses Third Angel Strong Angel Orderly Angel Throne Angels Seven Thunders Four Living Creatures Sea-going Folk Newly Born Child Mariners Bondmen Birds of Heaven Angel of Fire Sickle-bearing Angels MichaePs Angel-army A Speaking Altar Seven Angel Trumpet- ers The Trumpet-voice Angel Keeper of the Pit Great Voice from the Temple yoice from the Golden Altar Angel of Authority Four Angels bound at Euphrates Angel in Mid-heaven Angel of the Temple Locust - Horse - Scor- pion Hosts 200 THE LION AND THE LAMB Eider of the White Horse Bider of the Ked Horse Two Hundred Million Horsemen Chorus of Creatures and Elders Group of Creatures and Elders Group of Every Cre- ated Thing Chorus of Victorious Hosts Great Multitude in Heaven Voice from the Throne Seal-bearing Angels Christ, the Kedeeming Son Another Voice from Heaven Censer-bearing Angel Voice in midst of Liv- ing Creatures Announcing Angel from Heaven Great Voice from Temple and Throne Armies of Heaven on White Horses Twenty-four Elders Rider of the Black Horse Death Riding a Pale Horse Group of Angels, Creat ures and Elders Numberless Multitude Robed in White Group of Throne An- gels, Creatures, and Elders Great Voices in Heaven Chorus of Virgins One Hundred Forty- four Thousand from the Twelve Tribes A Great Multitude God, the Almighty The Holy Spirit THE DRAMA 201 THE DRAMA Act I EARTHLY NEEDS Scene I. — Patmos. The Lord's Day THE PROLOGUE Enter Herald Herald : "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God ^^^p ^ ^-^ gave him to show unto his servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John; who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that read, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are writ- ten therein : for the time is at hand." John, greeting the seven churches of Asia: "Grace to you and peace, from him who is chap. i. 4-7 and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits that are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth 202 THE LION AND THE LAMB us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood; and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father ; to him he the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he eometh with the clouds ; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen." Enter Christ Christ : ^*p- ^- 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." John continues his greeting: Chap. 1.9-18 ^^I^ John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and pa- tience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying. What thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven churches: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst THE DRAMA 203 of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle. And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars : and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword : and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not ; I am the first and the last, and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades." Christ, dictating messages to John the amanu- ensis: "Write therefore the things which thou chap. 1. 19, a sawest, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter ; the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candle- sticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches : and the seven candlesticks are seven churches." 204 THE LION AND THE LAMB THE MESSAGES "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, he that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks : I know thy works, and thy toil and patience, and that thou canst not bear evil men, and didst try them that call themselves apostles, and they are not, and didst find them false; and thou hast patience and didst bear for my name's sake, and hast not grown weary. But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love. Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God." "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: "These things saith the first and the last, who was dead, and lived again: I know thy tribu- lation, and thy poverty [aside] (but thou art THE DRAMA 205 rich), and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer : Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried ; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." "And to the angel of the church in Perga- ^^p- 2- 12-17 mum write : "These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword: I know where thou dwell- est, even where Satan^s throne is; and thou boldest fast my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner. Repent therefore ; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth. He that 206 THE LION AND THE LAMB hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it/' Chap. 2. 18-29 "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write : "These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass: I know thy works, and thy love and faith and ministry and patience, and that thy last works are more than the first. But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess ; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornica- tion, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent of her fornication. Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribula- ' tion, except they repent of her works. And I will kill her children with death ; and all the churches shall know that I am he that search- eth the reins and hearts : and I will give unto each one of you according to your works. But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, who know THE DRAMA 207 not the deep things of Satan, as they are wont to say; I cast upon you none other burden. Nevertheless that which ye have, hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers ; as I also have received of my Father : and I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches." "And to the angel of the church in Sardis chap. 3. i-e write : "These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead. Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die : for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it^ and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. But thou hast a few names in Sar- dis that did not defile their garments : and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy. He that overcometh shall thus be ar- rayed in white garments ; and I will in no wise 208 THE LION AND THE LAMB blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches." Chap. 3. 7-13 "And to the angel of the church in Phila- delphia write : "These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth and none openeth : I know thy works [aside] (behold, I have set before thee a door opened, which none can shut), that thou hast a little power, and didst keep my word, and didst not deny my name. Behold, I give of the syna- gogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou didst keep the word of my pa- tience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. I come quickly : hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown. He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more : and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down THE DRAMA 209 out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.'' "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea chap. 3. 14-22 write: "These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the crea- tion of God : I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked : I counsel thee to buy of me gold re- fined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest ; and eye-salve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I reprove and chasten : be zealous there- fore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock : if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. He that overcom- eth, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my father in his throne. He that hath 210 THE LION AND THE LAMB an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.'^ ACT II HEAVENLY ORIGINS Scene I. — An Open Door in Heaven Voice like a trumpet: "Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter." John sees a rainbow throne, its occupant ap- pearing as a jasper and sardius. Enter twenty-four Elders^ white raimented and golden crowned. They sit upon thrones circling the great throne. Lightnings flash, voices and thunders are heard. Seven lamps burn before the throne. Enter Four Living Creatures; they are six- winged and featured like a lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle. They circle the throne. Four Living Creatures: "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Al- mighty, who was and who is and who is to come.'' As the Living Creatures honor the En- throned One, the Elders cast their crowns at his feet, and worship him who lives for- ever : THE DRAMA 211 Elders : "Worthy art thou, our Lord and God, to re- chap. 4. n ceive the glory and the honor and the power : for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were created.'^ The Enthroned One holds a seven-sealed book ^*^p- ^- ^ in his right hand. Enter sl Strong Angel Strong Angel : "Who is worthy to open the book, and to chap. 5. 2 loose the seals thereof?" John weeps that no one is able to open the chap. 5. 3.4 seals. An Elder: chap.6.5 "Weep not; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath over- come to open the book and the seven seals thereof." Enter sl slain Lamb having seven horns and chap. 5.6-8 seven eyes. He stands in the midst of the Elders and Creatures. He takes the book from the hand of the Enthroned One. The Creatures and Elders, each having a harp and a golden bowl of incense, fall at the feet of the Lamb. Rising, they sing a New Song. Creatures and Elders: chap.5.9.10 "Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof : for thou wast slain, 212 THE LION AND THE LAMB and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and madest them to he unto our God a kingdom and priests ; and they reign upon the earth." Chap. 5. 11 Enter myriads of Angels whose voices mingle with those of the Creatures and Elders. Angels, Creatures, and Elders: Chap. 5. 12 "Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wis- dom, and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing." Chap. 5. 13 Enter Every Created Thing Every Created Thing: "Unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, he the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever." The Living Creatures : Chap. 6. 14 "Amen." The Elders fall down to worship. Chap. 6. 1 The Lamb opens the first seal. First Living Creature: "Come." Chap. 6. 2 Enter a white horse with a bow-carrying rider who is crowned and rides away to conquest. Chap. 6. 3 rphe Lamb opens the second seal. THE DRAMA 213 Second Living Creature : "Come." Enter a red horse whose besworded rider, after ci»ap 6. 4 being commissioned to break peace by slaughter, gallops away to war, bearing a great sword. The Lamb opens the third seal. ^*p- ^' ^ Third Living Creature: "Come." Enter sl black horse whose rider carries a balance. Voice from the midst of the Living Creatures : "A measure of wheat for a shilling, and ^hap. e. e three measures of barley for a shilling; and the oil and the wine hurt thou not." The Lamb opens the fourth seal. ^*p- ^- ^ Fourth Living Creature: "Come." Enter sl pale horse with Death for a rider, cJ^-es Hades following. Authority is conferred to slay one fourth of men with sword, fam- ine, death and wild beasts. The Lamb opens the fifth seal. Martyrs chap.6.9 emerge from beneath the altar. Martyrs : "How long, O Master, the holy and true, dost ^^^^- ^ ^° thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" 214 THE LION AND THE LAMB Chap. 6. 11 White robes are given them and they are told to wait a little time. Chap. 6. 12-14 ipijg Lamb opens the sixth seal. An earth- quake ensues, the sun becomes black, the moon bloody, stars fall, the heavens roll up like a scroll, mountains and islands move from their places. Chap. 6. 15 Enter cowering kings, princes, captains, rich, strong, bondmen and freemen, who hide among the rocks. Kings, Captains, Princes, etc.^ addressing the mountains: Chap. 6. 16, 17 "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb : for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?" Chap. 7. 1 Four angels appear at the corners of the earth having power over the winds. Chap. 7. 2 Enter a seal-bearing Angel from the sunrising. Seal-Bearing Angel to Angels of the Wind : ^^^p 7- 3 **Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." Chap. 7. 4-0 Twelve thousand from each tribe are sealed. Enter sl numberless multitude out of every na- tion, wearing white robes and carrying palms in their hands. They assemble before the throne. THE DRAMA 215 Numberless Multitude: '^Salvation unto our God who sitteth on the chap. 7. 10 throne, and unto the Lamb." Angels, Elders and Creatures fall before the chap. 7. 11 throne to worship. Angels, Elders, and Creatures: "Amen : Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, ^^^p- ^' ^^ and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, he unto our God forever and ever. Amen." An Elder to John : ^^^p- '^- ^^ ^These that are arrayed in the white robes, who are they, and whence came they?" John: chap. 7. 14-17 "My Lord, thou knowest." The Elder: "These are they that come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night in his tem- ple : and he that sitteth on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat : for the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life; 216 THE LION AND THE LAMB and God shall wipe away everj tear from their eyes." Chap. 8. 1 The Lamb opens the seventh seal. Silence in heaven, for half an hour. Chap. 8. 2 Seven throne Angels stand forth and each re- ceives a trumpet. Enter the Angel of the altar, bearing a golden censer and incense. Chap. 8. 3-6 As i]^Q smoke of the incense ascends to heaven with the prayers of the saints, the angel fills the empty censer with fire from the altar, and casts it upon the earth. Thunders, voices, lightning, and an earthquake follow. Chap. 8. 6-12 The sevcu angel Trumpeters prepare to sound. The First Trumpeter sounds : Hail and fire mingled with blood fall upon the earth. One third of the earth, trees, and grass is burned. The Second Trumpeter sounds: A great burning mountain is hurled into the sea. One third of the sea is turned to blood, one third of marine creatures die and one third of the ships are destroyed. The Third Trumpeter sounds : A great star, burning as a torch, falls upon a third of the rivers and fountains of water, and they are turned to wormwood. Many men die from drinking the water. THE DBAMA 217 The Fourth Trumpeter sounds: One third of the sun, moon, and stars are smit- ten with darkness. Enter an Eagle flying in mid-heaven ^^p- s- is Eagle : "Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth, bj reason of the other voices of the trum- pet of the three angels, who are yet to sound/^ The Fifth Trumpeter sounds : chap. 9. 1-11 A huge star falls to the earth. The star (an- gel) is given the key to the abyss. Smoke rolls up from the opened pit until the sun is darkened. Clouds of strange creatures escape from the smoke. In shape they are like war horses with faces like men, hair like women, teeth like lions, tails like scorpions; the sound of their wings is like horses rushing to war. They wear crowns and their breastplates are of iron. They do not have power to kill or destroy any green thing, but they are empow- ered to sting those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads, and to torment them until they long to die, but are unable to do so. Abaddon is their king. Enter Herald Herald : ^^^p ^ 12 "The first Woe is past : behold, there come yet two Woes hereafter." 218 THE LION AND THE LAMB Chap. 9. 13 rpjjg SiXTH TRUMPETER SOUnds : Voice from the golden altar to Angel: Chap. 9. 14 "Loose the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates." Chap. 9. 15-21 rpjj^ Angels being released summon a mighty host of horsemen. The horses are leonine- headed and serpent-tailed. Fire, smoke, and brimstone pour from their mouths. The riders wear breastplates as of fire, hyacinth, and brimstone. Two hundred million of these strange horsemen gallop away to the slaughter of one third of men. Scene II. — The Earth Chap. 10. 1-3 Enter strong Angel from heaven, arrayed with a cloud, turbaned with a rainbow, face as the sun, feet like pillars of fire, open book in hand. He speaks like a lion, and the seven thunders respond as an echo. John is about to record what they said when a voice from heaven intervenes. Voice from Heaven : Chap. 10.4 "Seal up the things which the seven thun- ders uttered, and write them not." Chap. 10. 5, 6 Angel lifts right hand to heaven as a token of fealty. Angel : "There shall be delay no longer." Chap. 10. 7 Days of finishing the good tidings. THE DRAMA 219 Voice from Heaven to John : c^^p ^^- » "Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel that standeth upon the sea and upon the earth." John requests the book. chap. lo. 9, 10 Angel to John : "Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey." Angel and Voice to John : "Thou must prophesy again over many peo- chap. 10. 11 pies and nations and tongues and kings." A reed like a rod is given to John. ^^^p- "• ^"^ Unknown Speaker to John: "Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations : and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three score days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two can- dlesticks, standing before the Lord of the earth. And if any man desireth to hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devour- eth their enemies ; and if any man shall desire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed. 220 THE LION AND THE LAMB These have the power to shut the heaven, that it rain not during the days of their prophecy : and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they shall desire. And when they shall have finished their testi- mony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them." Dumb Show — Chap. 11. 8-11 rpjjg prophets are slain by the beast from the abyss. Their bodies lie unburied for three and one half days. Their persecutors make merry and send gifts to one another. The breath of God enters the slain and they stand upon their feet. Chap. 11. 12 Voice from heaven calling them: "Come up hither." Dumb Show — Chap. 11. 13 They ascend to heaven. An earthquake en- sues in which seven thousand are slain. Enter Herald Chap. 11. 14 Herald : "The second Woe is past ; behold, the third Woe cometh quickly." Chap. 11. 15 rjy^^ SEVENTH TRUMPETER SOUUdS I Great Voices in heaven: "The kingdom of the world is become the THE DRAMA 221 kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ : and he shall reign forever and ever/^ The twenty-four Elders descend from their chap. ii. le-is thrones and fall upon their faces to worship God. Twenty-Four Elders: "We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast ; because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign. And the nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and the time of the dead to be judged, and the time to give their re- ward to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the earth." ACT III HEAVENLY HELP Scene I.^ — The Temple of God in Heaven chap. 11,19 IS Opened Dumb Show (forecasting in miniature the chap. 12. 1-4 outcome of the remaining episodes of the drama) — Enter a woman nearing the hour of her ac- couchement. She is arrayed with the sun, 222 THE LION AND THE LAMB moon is her footstool, and she wears a tiara of stars. Enter a great red dragon with seven diademed heads and ten horns, his huge tail sweeping one third of the stars from the sky. He takes his position before the woman ready to de- vour the expected child. Chap. 12. 5, 6 rpjjg uewlyborn Son is caught up to the throne of God for safety. The mother escapes to the earth, where provisions are made for her care. Chap. 12. 7-9 Enter Michael and his angels Enter Satan's angels joining their leader The opposing hosts fight, and the forces of Satan are defeated and cast out of heaven. Chap. 12. 10-12 Great Voice in heaven: *^Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the ac- cuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea : THE DRAMA 223 because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time." Scene II. — The Earth Dumb Show — Finding himself on the earth, Satan renews chap. 12. 13-17 the persecution of the woman who had es- caped him in heaven. Two wings of an eagle are given her and she flies away. Satan casts a river of water after her, which the earth swallows. In fury begotten of defeat Satan makes war with the seed of the woman. Enter sl beast from the sea, having seven heads ^^*p- ^^- ^'^ and ten diademed horns. He is like a leopard, with the feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion. Authority is conferred upon him by the Devil. One of his heads appears to have been smitten and healed. Enter Earthly Hosts who worship the dragon c^ap. 13. 4 and the beast. Earthly Hosts: "Who is like unto the beast? and who is able to war with him?'^ The beast is empowered with authority for chap. 13. 5-8 three and one half years, and power is given to overcome the saints. He blasphemes God. 224 THE LION AND THE LAMB Enter Herald Chap. 13. 9. 10 Herald : "If any man hath an ear, let him hear. If any man is for captivity, into captivity he goeth: if any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." Chap. 13. 11-18 Enter a beast emerging from the earth, having two horns like a lamb and a voice like a dragon. He is reputed to be able to bring fire down from heaven, and was said to bestow life on the image of the beast. He fixes the death penalty for noncompliance with beast worship, and exclusion from the marts of trade for all who do not bear the "mark.'' Scene III. — Mount Zion Chap. 14. 1 Enter the Lamb and the one hundred forty and four thousand with the name of the Lamb and the Father upon their foreheads. Chap. 14. 2-5 Voice from heaven, like the mingled voices of the waters, harps, and thunder. They sing a new song which none but the one hundred forty and four thousand know. Chap. 14. 6 ^ Flying Angel appears in mid-heaven ready to proclaim the gospel to all the world. THE DRAMA 225 Flying Angel: ^'Fear God, and give him glory ; for the hour chap. 14. 7 of his judgment is come : and worship him that made the heaven and the earth and sea and fountains of waters." Enter Second Angel Second Angel: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, that chap.w.s hath made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Enter Third Angel Third Angel, with loud voice: "If any man worshipeth the beast and his ^^^p- ^*- ^"^^ image, and receiveth a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand, he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger ; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb : and the smoke of their torment goeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, they that worship the beast and his image, and whoso receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints, they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Voice from heaven: "Write, Blessed are the dead who die in ^^^p- i^- is 226 THE LION AND THE LAMB the Lord from henceforth : yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them." Chap. 14. 14 Qjjg i]^Q a son of man appears, sitting upon a white cloud, with a golden crown upon his head and a sickle in his hand. Chap. 14. 15, 16 Enter Angel from the temple Angel, to one sitting on the cloud: "Send forth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe." Sickle-bearing angel reaps. Chap. 14. 17. 18 Enter Second Angel from the temple (Enter Angel of the altar, having power over fire.) Angel of the altar to Second Angel : "Send forth thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth ; for her grapes are fully ripe." Chap. 14. 19, 20 The sickle-bearing Angel reaps and the vintage is thrown into the winepress of the wrath of God, and a huge stream of blood flows out. Scene IV. — In Heaven Chap. 15. 1.2 Enter Seven Angels of the plagues. Enter Kedeemed Hosts^ victors over the beast, each having a harp of God. Standing by the sea THE DRAMA 227 of glass, they sing the song of Moses and the Lamb. Redeemed Hosts : "Great and marvelous are thy works, O cbap. is. 3. 4 Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are thy ways, thou king of the ages. Who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all the nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy righteous acts have been made manifest." The temple of the tabernacle of testimony chap. 15. 5-8 opens. The Seven Angels of the plagues, arrayed with garments set with precious stones and wearing golden girdles, emerge from the open door. A Living Creature gives to each of the angels a golden bowl filled with the wrath of God. God's glory so fills the temple that none may enter until the Seven Angels have finished their task. Great Voice from the temple, to Seven An- ^^^p- ^^- ^ gels : "Go ye, and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth." Scene V. — The Earth The First Angel empties his bowl into the chap. 16.2^ earth, and noisome sores break out on all 228 THE LION AND THE LAMB bearing the mark of the beast or worshipiijg his image. The Second Angel empties his bowl into the sea, and it turns to blood, and all living things in it die. caap. 16. 4 rpije Third Angel empties his bowl upon the rivers and fountains and they turn to blood. Chap. 16. 6, e Enter Angel of the Waters Angel of the Waters: "Righteous art thou, who art and who wast, thou Holy One, because thou didst thus judge : for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and blood hast thou given them to drink: they are worthy." The Altar: Chap. 16. 7 "Yea, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments." Chap. 16. 8-14 The Fourth Angel pours the contents of his bowl upon the sun. As men are scorched with the intense heat, they blaspheme God.^ The Fifth Angel empties his bowl upon the throne of the beast and the kingdom is dark- ened. Courtiers gnaw their tongues in pain and blaspheme God. The Sixth Angel pours the contents of his bowl upon the "Euphrates," and it dries up, making way for the kings coming from the iChap. 16. 8, 21. THE DRAMA 229 sunrising. An unclean spirit creeps from the mouth of the dragon and each of the two beasts. Acting as orderlies, they hurry away to summon the kings of the world to battle at Har-Magedon. Enter Christ c^^p- le. is Christ : "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." The armies of the kings assemble at Har- chap. le. le Magedon. The Seventh Angel pours the contents of his ^^^^' ^^- ^^ bowl into the air, and a Great Voice sounds from the temple-throne. Great Voice: "It is done." Lightnings, voices, and thunders follow. A Chap. le. 18-21 mighty earthquake ensues and the cities of the nations fall. Babylon is visited in judg- ment. Islands flee, mountains disappear. A terrible hail storm completes the devasta- tion. One of the Seven Angels, speaking to John : "Come hither, I will show thee the judgment chap. 17. 1, 2 of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters ; with whom the kings of the earth com- mitted fornication, and they that dwell in the 230 THE LION AND THE LAMB earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication." Scene VI. — The Wilderness Chap. 17.3-6 The Angel bears John away in the Spirit into the Wilderness. Enter a woman; riding a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns, with blas- phemous inscriptions upon it. She is ar- rayed in purple and scarlet, decked with rare jewels, and bears a golden cup of un- clean things of her fornications. Her fore- head bears the inscription, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." She is drunken with the blood of the saints. One of the Seven Angels to John : Chap. 17.7-18 "Wherefore didst thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, they whose name hath not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was. THE DRAMA 231 and is not, and shall come. Here is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth : and they are seven kings; the five are fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come ; and when he Cometh, he must continue a little while. "And the beast that was, and is not, is him- self also an eighth, and is of the seven ; and he goeth into perdition. And the ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet ; but they receive authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour. These have one mind, and they give their power and authority unto the beast. These shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall over- come them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and they also shall overcome that are with him, called and chosen and faithful. . . . The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her utterly with fire. For God did put in their hearts to do his mind, and to come to one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God should be ac- complished. And the woman whom thou saw- 232 THE LION AND THE LAMB est is the great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." Chap. 18. 1-3 Enter Angel of Authority Angel of Authority: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every un- clean and hateful bird. For by the wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations are fallen; and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth waxed rich by the power of her wanton- ness." Chap. 18. 4-8 Voice from Heaven : "Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath re- membered her iniquities. Eender unto her even as she rendered, and double unto her the double according to her works: in the cup which she mingled, mingle unto her double. How much soever she glorified herself, and waxed wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning. Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning, and THE DRAMA 233 famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judged her." Enter Kings of the earth, weeping and wailing chap. is. 9, 10 Kings of the Earth: "Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city ! for in one hour is thy judgment come." Enter Merchants of the earth chap. is. 11-17 They mourn that no man buyeth their mer- chandise any more. They recount the wares they had sold in the city, listing some of it by name. Merchants : "Woe, woe, the great city, she that was ar- rayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearl ! for in one hour so great riches is made desolate." Enter Ship Masters, Marines, Sailors, etc., chap. is. is. 19 looking upon the smoke of her burning Ship Masters, Marines, etc.: "What city is like the great city ?" ( Lament- ing and casting dust upon their heads ) . "Woe, woe, the great city, wherein all that had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate." 234 THE LION AND THE LAMB Chap. 18.30 Voice from he(wen: "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles, and ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment on her.'* Chap. 18. 21-24 Enter a Strong Angel who flings a huge stone into the sea Strong Angel: "Thus with a mighty fall shall Babylon, the great city, be cast down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers and minstrels and flute-players and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee ; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft, shall be found any more at all in thee ; and the voice of a mill shall be heard no more at all in thee ; and the light of a lamp shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee : for thy merchants were the princes of the earth ; for with thy sorcery were all the nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth.*' Great Multitude in hecuven: Chap. 19. 1-3 "Hallelujah; salvation, and glory, and power, belong to our God: for true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the great harlot, her that corrupted THE DRAMA 235 the earth with her fornication, and he hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand." (An interval.) ^'Hallelujah. And her smoke goeth up forever and ever." Elders and Living Creatures, worshiping God: "Amen; Hallelujah." ciiap.i9.4 Voice from the throne: "Give praise to our God, all ye his servants, ^hap. 19. 5 ye that fear him, the small and the great." Voice of a great multitude, like the sound of ^^^p- ^^- ^"^ many waters and mighty thunders: "Hallelujah: for the Lord our God, the Al- mighty, reigneth. Let us rejoice and be ex- ceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And it was given unto her that she should array her- self in fine linen, bright and pure : for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." One of the Seven Angels to John : "Write. Blessed are they that are bidden to ^^p- ^^' ^ the marriage supper of the Lamb." (An in- terval. ) "These are true words of God." John falls at his feet to worship. ^^^- ^^- ^^ The Angel: "See thou do it not: I am a fellow servant with thee and with thy brethren that hold the 236 THE LION AND THE LAMB testimony of Jesus : worship God : for the testi- mony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Scene VII. — The Open Heaven Chap. 19. 11-16 Enter sl white horse ridden by the Word of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, wear- ing many diadems, garments sprinkled with blood, the inscription "King of kings" and *Xord of lords" upon his thigh, a sword pro- ceeding from his mouth, his army following him upon white horses and robed in white. Chap. 19. 17, 18 ^jj Angel takes his place in the sun. The Angel, addressing the birds of heaven: "Come and be gathered together unto the great supper of God ; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit thereon, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, and small and great." Scene VIII. — The Earth Chap. 19. 19-21 Enter the beast and his allies, the kings of the earth and their armies in battle array. Enter the white robed army of the Word of God ready for action. They fight. The beast and the false prophet are cast alive into the lake of fire. Their army is slain THE DRAMA 237 by the sword of the Word of God. The birds gorge upon their flesh. Enter the Angel keeper of the pit, descending ^^*p- ^^' ^"^^ from heaven, having a key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seizes Satan, binds him and casts him into the abyss to remain for a thousand years. Thrones ap- pear with martyrs sitting upon them in judgment. Satan, released from the abyss, summons the armies of Gog and Magog to battle in his behalf. In command of the newly-recruited army, he seeks to encircle the camp of the saints, when fire comes down from heaven and devours them. Satan, be- ing captured, is cast alive into the lake of fire. The Great White Throne appears, and all men of all ages come to judgment, based upon the record of the book of life. Death and Hades and all whose names do not ap- pear in the book of life are cast into the lake of fire. Scene IX. — The New Heaven and the New Earth The Holy City is seen descending out of chap. 21.1-4 heaven. Voice out of the throne: "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, 238 THE LION AND THE LAMB and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and he their God: and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more ; neither shall there be mourn- ing, nor crying, nor pain, any more : the first things are passed away." Chap 21. 5, 6 The Enthroned One : "Behold, I make all things new." One of the Seven Angels : "Write: for these words are faithful and true." (After a brief interval.) "They are come to pass." Chap. 21. 6-8 J57n^er Christ Christ : "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the begin- ning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit these things ; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornica- tors, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall he in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone ; which is the second death." Chap. 21. 9 Angel : "Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the wife of the Lamb." THE DRAMA 239 Scene X. — A High Mountain John is carried away in the Spirit to a great Chap. 21. 10 high mountain, to see the Holy City descend from heaven. The Holy City descends. In form it is a cube. The wall is jasper, the Chap. 21. 11-27 city pure gold. There are twelve gates of pearl, three on each side. The name of a tribe of Israel is inscribed upon each and a guardian angel stands beside it. The foundation is in twelve courses and each is adorned with a precious stone bearing the name of an apostle of the Lamb. The suf- fused radiance of the glory of God and the Lamb is the Light. Its gates stand open day and night, and only the redeemed may enter. The river of the water of life flows from the ^^^- ^- ^'^ throne of God and the Lamb. Trees of life grow upon both banks, bearing fruit every month, its leaves for the healing of the na- tions. Curses are past, the throne of God and of the Lamb is established. Christ^s followers shall see his face. Night is gone and the day of saintly regnancy is dawning. One of the Seven Angels to John : ^^p- 22- 6 "These words are faithful and true : and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, 240 THE LION AND THE LAMB sent his angel to show unto Ms servants the things which must shortly come to pass." Enter Christ Chap. 22. 7 Christ : "And behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book." [Exit Christ.] Chap. 22. 8 John falls at the feet of the Angel to worship him. Chap. 22. 9 r[.jjj, ANGEL ! "See thou do it not : I am a fellow servant with thee and with thy brethren the prophets, and with them that keep the words of this book : worship God.'' John arises. Chap. 22. 10. 11 rpjjg ANGEL : "Seal not up the words of the prophecy of this book ; for the time is at hand. He that is unrighteous, let him do unrighteousness still : and he that is filthy, let him be made filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him do righteousness still: and he that is holy, let him be made holy still." Enter Christ Chap. 22. 12-16 ^hRIST : "Behold, I come quickly ; and my reward is with me, to render to each man according as THE DRAMA 241 his work is. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city. Without are the dogs, and the sor- cerers, and the fornicators, and the murder- ers, and the idolaters, and every one that lov- eth and maketh a lie. "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things for the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, the bright, the morning star." The Spirit and the Bride (The city by its chap.22. 17 open gates) : "Come. And he that heareth, let him say. Come. And he that is athirst, let him come : he that will, let him take the water of life freely." Christ : chap. 22. 18-20 "I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book. If any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book : and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book." (An interval.) "Yea: I come quickly." 242 THE LION AND THE LAMB John: "Amen : come, Lord Jesus." Chap. 22. 21 Benediction "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints. Amen." APPENDICES APPENDIX I A Brief List of References from the Old Testament with the Corresponding Verses from the Apocalypse Showing Some of the Sources from which the Author of the Apocalypse Drew Much Valuable Material. Zechariah Note the striking similarity between the "two olive trees'' of Zech. 4. 11, 13 and Rev. 11. 3, 4, "the man with a measuring line in his hand," of Zech. 2. 1 and Rev. 11. 1. Red, white, black, and grizzled horses may be found in Zech. 6. 2, 3 and a red, white, black, and pale horse may be found in Rev. 6. 2-9. Daniel Compare Dan. 7. 9-10 with Rev. 20. 11, 12; Dan. 7. 13 with Rev. 1. 7 ; Dan. 7. 27 with Rev. 11. 15; and it will be readily seen that the shadow of one is projected into the other. The "thousands of thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand" of Dan. 7. 10 are repro- 243 244 THE LION AND THE LAMB duced in Rev. 5. 11. The burned body of the slain beast found in Dan. 7. 11 is the precursor of Rev. 19. 20. "Four winds of heaven'^ blew upon the sea in Dan. 7. 2 and "four winds" of the earth are kept from blowing upon the sea in Rev. 7. 1. Three beasts, one like a lion, an- other like a bear, and one like a leopard, came up from the sea in Dan. 7. 4, 5, 6 and a beast like a leopard, with a mouth like a lion and feet like a bear came up out of the sea in Rev. 13. 1, 2. Saints are enthroned in both books. Dan. 7. 18, 22 ; Rev. 20. 4-6. "Ten horns'' sym- bolize "ten kings" in both books. Dan. 7. 24 ; Rev. 17. 12. The stout horn of the ten-horned beast in Daniel "made war with the saints and prevailed against them." Power was given to the ten-horned beast in Revelation "to make war against the saints, and to overcome them." Dan. 7. 21 ; Rev. 13. 7. Everlasting dominion and glory were given to the son of man in Daniel and "glory and dominion forever and ever" were bestowed upon him in Revelation. Dan. 7. 13, 14; Rev. 1. 6, 7. One with "eyes as flaming torches" and "feet like unto bur- nished brass" and a voice like the "voice of a multitude" appeared in Daniel, and one with "eyes as a flame of fire and his feet like unto burnished brass" with a voice as the "voice of many waters" in Revelation. Dan. 10. 6; Rev. APPENDIX I 245 1. 14, 15. Michael was described by Daniel as "the great prince who standeth for the chil- dren of thy people," while Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, the enemy of God's children, and overcame him in Revela- tion. Dan. 12. 1 ; Rev. 12. 7. "One like unto a son of man" appeared in the "clouds of heaven" in Daniel and one "like unto a son of man" appeared, sitting on a w^hite cloud, in Revelation. Dan. 7. 13; Rev. 14. 14. EZEKIEL Ezekiel had a vision of "four living crea- tures," with faces like the "face of an eagle," the "face of a man," the "face of a lion," the "face of an ox." John also had a vision of "four living creatures/' one "like a lion," one "like a calf," one had a "face as of a man," and one was "like a flying eagle." Ezek. 1. 5, 10 ; Rev. 4. 6, 7. Both Ezekiel and John were taken up into a "high mountain" for a vision. Ezek. 40. 2; Rev. 21. 10. Each of them saw a city and a man with a measuring reed to meas- ure it. Ezek. 42. 15-19; Rev. 21. 15. Each city was "four square," Ezek. 42. 20 ; Rev. 21. 16. Both cities had three gates on each of its four sides and each gate was named after one of the twelve tribes. Ezek. 48. 30-34 ; Rev. 21. 12, 13. The armies of dry bones in Ezekiel "lived and 246 THE LION AND THE LAMB stood upon their feet" after the "breath of God" came into them. The slain prophets in Revelation "stood upon their feet" after "the breath of life from God entered into them." Ezek. 37. 10 ; Rev. 11. 11. Waters issued from the threshold of the sanctuary in Ezekiel and a "river of water of life" was seen "proceeding out of the throne of God" in Revelation. Ezek. 47. 1, 2; Rev. 22. 1. "Every tree for food" grew upon a river bank in Ezekiel, yielding "new fruit every month" and the "leaf for healing." "Trees of life'^ grew upon both banks of the river "yielding its fruit every month" and its leaves were "for the healing of the nations." Ezek. 47. 12; Rev. 22. 2. Birds were invited to a banquet of the flesh of horses and mighty men in Ezekiel and "all the birds that fly in mid heaven" were invited to eat the flesh of kings and captains, horses and mighty men in Revelation. Ezek. 39. 17- 19. Rev. 19. 17-18. God told Ezekiel, "My tabernacle shall also be with them ; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." In Revelation a voice from the throne pro- claimed, "The tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples." Ezek. 37. 27 ; Rev. 2L 3. Sym- pathizers with God's purpose in Ezekiel were "marked" in the forehead. Those not receiving APPENDIX I 247 the "mark'' were to be slain. In Revelation sympathizers with the Roman goyemment were "marked" in the forehead. Many who refused the "mark" were slain. Ezek. 9. 4, 5 ; Rev. 20. 4. Ezekiel announced that God would slay inhabitants of Jerusalem with the sword, famine, beasts, and pestilence. In Revelation authority was given to slay one fourth of men with sword, famine, beasts, and pestilence. Ezek. 14-21 ; Rev. 6. 8. According to Ezekiel, God was to come to the relief of a distressed people with a "voice like the sound of many waters"; according to Revelation Christ came to the relief of his distressed peo- ple with a "voice as the voice of many waters." Ezek. 43. 2 ; Rev. 1. 15. Ezekiel ate a roll of a book and declared "it was in my mouth honey for sweetness." John ate a roll of a book and declared "it was in my mouth as sweet as honey." Ezek. 3. 3; Rev. 10. 10. There was a denunciation of godless Tyre in Ezekiel and a list of wares sold in her markets. There is also a merchandise list in Revelation, and sixteen of the articles are identical in the two. Ezek. 27; Rev. 18. There is a list of precious stones in both books. Ezek. 28. 13 ; Rev. 21. 19-20. God called both cities to judg- ment. Ezek. 28. 26; Rev. 18. 20. Seagoing folks bewailed the fate of both cities and cast 248 THE LION AND THE LAMB dust on their heads. Ezek. 27. 27-33; Rev. 18. 17-20. Harpers and singers were silenced in both cities. Ezek. 26. 13; Rev. 18. 22. Jeremiah "True and faithful witness" is applied to God in Jeremiah and "faithful and true wit- ness" is applied to Christ in Revelation. Jer. 42. 5; Rev. 3. 14. Jehovah is the "fountain of living waters" in Jeremiah and Christ shall guide unto the "fountains of waters of life" in Revelation. Jer. 17. 13 ; Rev. 7. 17. After reading Jeremiah 15. 2, 3, can any thoughtful person doubt that the author of Revelation was thoroughly familiar with the excerpt from that book when he wrote Revelation 13. 10? Observe the striking similarity between the words of Jeremiah in Chapter 51, verses 7, 8 and Revelation Chapter 14, verse 8. There can be no doubt of the intimacy of relationship between the "golden cup" of Jeremiah and the "golden cup" of Revelation. Jer. 51. 7; Rev. 17. 4. "The cup of the wine" of God's "wrath" is featured in both books. Jer. 25. 15; Rev. 16. 19. Witness the likeness of Jeremiah, Chapter 25, verse 10 to Revelation, Chapter 18, verses 22, 23, in which the voice of the "bridegroom and the voice of the bride," "the sound of the millstones," and the "light of the APPENDIX I 249 lamp" are repeated in the second with a richer dramatic touch than in the first. Joel The sun, moon, and stars are touched with darkness in Joel and in Revelation. Joel 3. 15; 2. 10; Rev. 8. 12. Locust armies appear in both books, and their appearance is likened to that of horses in each and the sound of their wings like the noise of moving chariots. Joel 2. 4, 5; Rev. 9. 7, 9. The sickle which reaps both the harvest of wheat and the vintage of the grapes in Joel is easily the prototype of the sickle-bearing angels of Revelation who reap harvest and vintage. Joel 3. 13; Rev. 14. 15-20. Isaiah Isaiah saw the seraphim, before the throne of God, each having six wings and crying, "Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of hosts.'' John saw "four living creatures" round about the throne of God, each having six wings and cry- ing incessantly, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God the Almighty." Isa. 6. 2; Rev. 4. 8. The sealed book which Isaiah saw which none could open is easily the prototype of the "book close sealed" on the back "with seven seals" which John saw and which no one could open 250 THE LION AND THE LAMB but the Lamb of God. Isa. 29. 11 ; Rev. 5. 2-4. Isaiah's "lamb that is led to the slaughter," in preview of the death of Christ, in postcruci- fixion view is easily the "lamb standing as though it had been slain," in the Apocalypse. Isa. 53. 7; Rev. 5. 6. Isaiah's graphic sketch of haughty sinners hiding in the "rocks" and "caves" and "holes" was probably the under- study for John's master picture of kings, princes, and captains hiding themselves in the rocks and caves. Isa. 2. 19; Rev. 6. 15, 16. The shepherd picture of Isaiah with its food, water and shelter, was easily developed into the heart-comforting scene suggested in Reve- lation with Christ as the Shepherd, to which John only needed to add, "Jehovah will wipe away tears from off all faces," direct from Isa. 25. 8, to complete the picture. Isa. 49. 10 ; Rev. 7. 16, 17. Exodus There were twelve stones in the priestly breastplate of Exodus and twelve layers of stones in the foundation walls of the Holy City in Revelation. Exod. 28. 21 ; Rev. 21. 14. In Exodus each of the twelve stones had the name of one of the twelve tribes graven upon it. In Revelation each one of the twelve layers in the foundation bore the name of one of "the APPENDIX I 251 twelve Apostles of the Lamb." Exod. 28. 21 ; Rev. 21. 14. The setting of the stones in Exodus was "four square." The city "lieth four square" in Revelation. Exod. 28. 16; Rev. 21. 16. The idea of twelve stones which adorned the foundation wall of the Holy City was probably suggested by the twelve precious stones in the priestly breastplate and now be- lieved by many scholars to be identical, though not given in the same order nor under the same name. Exod. 28. 17-20 ; Rev. 21. 19, 20. The "white stone" of Revelation was probably sug- gested by the two onyx stones which were placed upon the shoulder piece of the priestly ephod and upon each of which six names of the twelve tribes were engraved. Exod. 28. 9 ; Rev. 2. 17. In Exodus God was represented as bearing his people out of bondage on "eagle's wings." In Revelation the woman in trouble was given the "two wings of the great eagle." Exod. 19. 4 ; Rev. 12. 14. In Exodus, God's people were promised they should be a "kingdom of priests." They are made a "king- dom and priests" in Revelation. Exod. 19. 6 ; Rev. 5. 10. Plagues were sent upon the oppres- sors in the days of Egyptian bondage. Like plagues are evident in the Apocalypse. Water was turned to blood in both books. Exod. 7. 20 ; Rev. 16. 4, 5. Frogs appeared in both 252 THE LION AND THE LAMB books, except that they came in the form of un- clean spirits in the Apocalypse. Exod. 8. 6; Kev. 16. 13, 14. The boils and blains of Exodus are, by good authority, fairly matched by the ^^noisome and grievous sore of the men" in Kevelation. Exod. 9. 8-11; Rev. 16. 2. Hail and fire were mingled together in each book. Exod. 9. 24 ; Rev. 8. 7. Locusts came with af- flicting power in both books. Exod. 10. 14; Rev. 9. 3-11. There was a plague of darkness in each book. Exod. 10. 21; Rev. 9. 1, 2. Job As the drama of Job sought to shed light on the problem of human suffering, so the purpose of the book of Revelation is to bring comfort to men and women in inescapable suffering. Suggestive parallels are found in the two books. There is an "Abaddon" in Job and one in Revelation. Job 26. 6 ; Rev. 9. 11. A man child was conceived in Job and one was born in Revelation. Job 3. 3; Rev. 12. 5. Satan is an "accuser" in each book. Job 1. 9; Rev. 12. 10. Satan was the cause of affliction in one book and of persecution in the other. Job 2. 7; Rev. 12. 12, 13. Each book has a sea beast and a land beast. Job 41. 31 ; Rev. 13. 1 ; Job 40. 15; Rev. 13. IL APPENDIX II The following brief list of suggestive words is here given as addenda to Chapter II. It is in no sense even an attempt at an exhaustive list but given only as an illustration of what can be done. Animals: Lion, leopard, bear, dog, frog, eagle, scorpion, locust, horse, bird, fish, calf, sheep, cattle, marine creatures. Colors: Red, black, white, scarlet, purple, and pale. Desired Things: Honor, power, glory, vic- tory. Directions: East, west, north, south. Family: Father, mother, child. Human body: Eye, ear, face, flesh, fore- head, hand, foot, hair, blood, mouth, teeth, thigh, tongue. Implements: Reed, bed, bow, rod, chain, cage, bridle, furnace, cup, millstone, idol, sickle, trumpet, bowl, wine press, key, potters^ vessel. Man: Prophet, priest, master, slave, bride- groom, freeman, captain, king, prince, mariner, 253 254 THE LION AND THE LAMB shipmaster, apostle, brother, father, husband, son, craftsman, fellow servant. Merchandise: Linen, purple, scarlet, silk, thyine woods, ivory, marble, cinnamon, spice, oil, ointment, eye-salve, wine, barley, flour, wheat, precious stones. Metals: Brass, iron, silver, gold. Music: Harps, harpers, singing, minstrels, flute-players, trumpeters. Money: Shilling, penny, talent. Nature: Lake, cloud, rain, rainbow, dust, earthquake, earth, sea, river, snow, fire, water, smoke, light, darkness, thunder, lightning, sand, hail, sun, moon, stars, wind. Precious Stones: Amethyst, beryl, chryso- lite, chrysoprasus, emerald, jacinth, jasper, pearl, sapphire, sardine, sardius, sardonyx, topaz. Religion: Altar, temple, priest, lamb, trumpet, bowls, candlestick, incense, praise, prayers, first-fruits, worship, censer, ark, sac- rifice, church, synagogue, tabernacle, ark, hell, heaven, elders. Shipping: Sea, ships, ship-master, mariner, "every one that saileth any whither," as "many as gain their living by the sea." Sins: Adultery, blasphemy, idolatry, lying, murder, hate, theft, whoremastery, harlotry, drunkenness. APPENDIX II 255 State: King, prince, throne, crown, king- dom, lord. Time: Hour, day, month, year. Undesired Things: Plagues, famine, pesti- lence, death, sorrow, tears, suffering, torment, pain. War: Sword, army, captain, chariot, breast- plate, horsemen, battle. Woman: Woman, wife, mother, widow, bride, queen, prophetess, harlot INDEX Abaddon, 217, 252 Abel, 93 Abraham, 122 Accuser, the, 252 ^schylus, 64 Ahab, 118 Ahaziah, 118 Ajalon, 109 Alpha, 81 Altar. Angel of (Ch. 8, 5), 216, 226 Altar, the speaking, 228 Altar, voice from, 107 Angel, the announcing, 222 Angel, the, of authority, 232 Angel, censer bearing, 216 Angel, of fire, 226 Angel, the flying, 225 Angel, guardians of the gates, 239 Angel, herald, 211 Angel, keeper of the pit, 131, 237 Angel, in mid-heaven, 225 Angel, orderly, 129, 226 Angel, seal-bearing, 214 Angel, second, 225 Angel, sickle-bearing, 226 Angel, strong, 211, 234 Angel, in the sun, 236 Angel, of the temple, 226 Angel, third, 225 Angel, of the uplifted hand, 218 Angel, of the waters, 228 Angel, of the winds, 214 Angels, 212 Angels, book of, 100 Angels, holy, 199, 225 Angels, of the bowl, 47, 226; power of, 103 Angels, at church doors, 101 Angels, and fire, 101 Angels, four bound at Euphrates, 218 Angels, in New Testament, 100; in Old Testament, 100 Angels, power of, 100 Angels, of the red dragon, 123, 222 Angels, seven trumpeter, 172 Angels, the throne, 215 Angels, twelve legions and Christ, 177; the Apoca- lypse, 178 Angels, and the wind, 101 Anna, 166 Antiochus IV, 30 Antipas, 76, 119 Antoninus, 78 Apocalypse, not an enigma, 59; the fighting book, 116 Apocalypse, and John the Baptist, 193 ; meaning of, 56 Apocalypse, need of the hour, 50; and New Testa- ment, 56; poetical qual- ity of, 59 Apocalypse, prophetic but not predictive, 49; and redemption, 168 Apocalyptist, the real, 57 Apostles, 234; of the Lamb, 184 257 258 INDEX Aristotle, 64 Army, the Roman, 123 Army, the white clad, 156; riding white horses, 129 ; of heaven, 236 Asia, western, 30 Atonement, 166 Augustus, 30 Authority, of beast from dragon, 99 Authorship, of Revelation, 23 Baal, 118, 126 "Babylon," 74; fallen, fallen, 127; a, Rome, 184 Bacchus, 64 Beast, diadems on horns, 124; the earth-born, 224, 125; the mark of, 127; number of, 125; the scar- let, 230; the sea-bom, 223, 42, 124; the wild, 148; worshipers of, 127 Beginning and end, 45 Benediction, 242 Bible, the record of moral effort, 93; the book of redemption, 163 Birds, of heaven, 129, 236 Blains and boils, 111 Blasphemers (two groups), 228 Bondmen, 214 Book, the, of life, 143, 169 Bowls, the golden, 69 Boycott, the, 35 Bride, and bridegroom, 234 Bush, the burning, 122 Brute force, rejected by Christ, 181 Caesar, Julius, 30 Cain, 93 Caligula, 72 Calvary, 137 Calvin, 60 Calvinism, 72 Candlestick, the seven branched, 69 Captains, rich and strong, 214 Case, S. J., 50 Chariots, 117; of God, 91 Charles, R. H., 39, 79, 124, 125 Cherubim, 142 Child, the newly bom, 222 Chorus, the chanting, 106; of creatures and elders, 211; the dramatic, 82; and victory, 144; of vic- torious hosts, 226; of virgins, 224 Christ, 202; the Alpha and Omega, 81; the appear- ance of, 81; the choice of, 95; the conqueror of death, 150; disguised method of teaching, 64; enthroned, 192; the entry of, 229; the keys of death, 150; the King of Kings, 129; the Lamb of God, 167; the Living one, 149; messages of, 203; and moral power, 96; the names of, 187; the overcomer, 150; be- fore Pilate, 77; and Pilate, 96; the purpose of coming, 153; the re- deeming, 133; the re- deeming Lamb, 170; re- jected because un-lion- like, 178; his relation to salvation, 168; the Son of God, 206; the teacher- preacher, 95; the temp- tation of, 94; the tri- umph of, 152; supreme victor, 158; why re- INDEX 259 jected, 178; method of program, 96 Christian morale, 112 Christian, persecution of, 33 Cities, holy and unholy, 184; the oppugnant, 182; the seven, 27; the two a summary of the pag- eant, 183 ; and two wo- men, 183; the holy the Lamb's wife, 183 City, of redemption of sin, 184; of sin replaced hy the city of redemption, 185; the templed, 186; the templeless, 186; the unholy fall of, 128; the unholy a harlot, 184 Clarke, Adam, 60, 125 Claudius, 70 Comfort, 69 Conflict, the, 115; age old, 115; cessation of, 130; earthwide, 130; in hea- ven, 121; lull in, 130; opening scene of, 121; preparation for, 119; the real, 120; and Satan, 124; vocabulary of, 119 Courtiers, blaspheming, (Rev. 16. 10), 228 Creatures, four living, 210, 212; and elders, 211; the living, 105 Crown, Domitian's gift to Dacians, 78; of life, 142; Philadelphian church, 78; woman's starry, 79; of thorns and diadems, 79 Crowns, 78 Crucifixion, the, 109 Dacians, 74; victory of, 29 Daniel, 38 Danube river, 74 Death and defeat, 146; the second, 147 Deborah, 110 Deity, names of, 32 Description and speech, 56 Devil and Satan, 122 Devour, 133, 153 Domitian, 30; crown of, 78; "Lord and God," 31;' his borrowed throne, 77 Dragon, the, 42; diademed heads, 79; the red, 121, 124, 222; woman and child, 122 Drama, the, and action, 69; and actors, 85; and cryptic utterance, 64; and chorus, 82; a flex- ible form, 62, 63; the Greek, 64, 83; and morale, 62; opening scene of, 141; the real, 86, 55; reproduction of, 197; Romans unskilled in, 63; and rumor, 68; three fold requirement, 65, 66; the Shakespear- ean, 85 ; a vehicle of reli- gious teaching, 64 Dramatic, form adapted to need, 63 Dramatis Personse, 198, 85 Druids, the, 32 Dumb show, 153, 223, 220, 221 Eagle, 217; a flying, 210; wings of, 123, 199 Earthquake, 108 Eden, 137; garden of, 142 Edersheim, 122 Egypt, plagues of. 111 Elder, 211 Elders, twenty-four, 77, 211 260 INDEX Elias, 91 Elijah, 109, 118, 126 Emperor worship, 30 Enthroned, the one, 211, 238 Entry, triumphal, 146 Ephesus, 30; John's resi- dence, 141; message to, 204 Esau, 99 Euphrates, 74, 228 Eusebius, 27 Every created thing, 105, 212 Evil, forces of, 198; intro- duction into world, 138; not minimized, 98 Exodus, 250 Ezekiel, 38, 130, 132, 141 Famine, 147 Fatalism, 125 Fire, defiance of the basis of victory, 177; and hail, 110; slaughter by, 133 Force, brute, 124; and Ro- man Empire, 182 Forces of nature, in Old Testament and New Testament, 109; natural power of, 107 Form, fundamental, 55 Freemen, 214 Garments, white, 143 George Third, 84 Gideon, 118 Glass, sea of, 141 God, the Almighty, 221, 228; presence of in world, 57; of the sobbing heart, 138; the task of, 177 Gog and Magog, 130, 131, 237 Golgotha, 139 Gomorrah, 111 Greek, John's "crippled," 65 Greeks, the, 30 Group, of angels, crea- tures, and elders, 215; of creatures and elders, 235; of throne angels, creatures and elders, 212 Hamlet, 84 Hand, uplifted a fealty sign, 70 Harlotry, 70 Harlots, mother of, 230 Har-Magedon, 61, 73, 117, 129, 130, 144, 229 Hayes, D, A., 24 Hebrew children, 122 Help, heavenly, 221 Helplessness, human, 139 Herald, 201, 217, 220, 224 Herculaneum and Pompeii, 68 Hippolytus, 24 Holofernes, 118 Holy City, 237 Holy Spirit, 241 Hope, new yet old, 97 Horse, black, 105, 147, 213 ; pale, 105, 147, 213; red, 105, 147; rider of, 155; white, 105 Horsemen, four, 151; two hundred million, 218 Humanity, defeat of, 138 Hume, 84 Hundred forty and four thousand, 224 Immediacy, 46 Irenseus, 24 Isaac-Jacob's ruse, 99 Isaiah, 249, 109 Jacob, 99 INDEX 261 Jacob and the Lion of Judah. 178 Jehu, 118 Jeremiah, 248 Jerome, 27 Jerusalem, and Romans, 185; siege of, 69 Jesus, sayings of, in Mat- thew and Apocalypse, 176 Jews, 32 Job, 34, 45 Joel, 109 John, amanuensis, 141; author, 20; and redemp- tion, 181; other writ- ings, 116; and his writ- ings, 166 John, the Baptist, 167 Jonathan, 118 Joseph, 165 Josiah, 118 Judaism and Christianity, 180 Judgment throne, Ro- mans before, 157 Justice, poetic and victory, 157 Justin, Martyr, 24 Keeper of the pit, 237 King of kings, 127 Kingdom and Christ, 75 Kingdoms and Christ, 75 Kings, of earth, 73, 155, 229, 232; armies of, 236 Kings from sun-rising, 74 Lake of fire, 130; and brimstone, 133 Lamb, Christ the, 250 ; Vs. Lion, 188; marriage of, 46; on Mt. Zion, 126; the sacrificial, 168; the slain, 211; and angels of the bowls, 172; on the throne, 192 Laodicea, message to, 209 Lasciviousness, 128 Law, the giving of, 110 Life, "the greatest thing in the world," 148; and love, 148; river of water of, 239; and victory, 148 Lion, of Judah, 211; Vs. Lamb, 178 Literalism, 43, 59 Locus t-horse-scorpion Lord of lords, 75 Luke, 157 Luther, 60 Mains, G. P., 58 Man, double capacity of, 93; and moral power, 91 Mariners, 233, (Ch. 18. 17) Mark, Gospel of, 148, 157, 166 "Mark" of beast, 224; Vs. seals, 72 Martyrs, 213; under altar, 147 Matthew, Gospel of, 148, 157, 166 Mediator, 139 Megiddo, 118 Merchants, 233 Messalina, 70 Michael, 122; army of, 222 Milton, 154 Moon, the bloody, 109 Morale, of Christians, 33; in trial, 36 Moral force, 180 Moses, 142; bier of, 122 Mount Zion, 126, 224 Multitude, a great, 231; in heaven, 234; the number- less, 214 Munkacsy, 77 Name, on forehead, 126; the new, 143 262 INDEX Natural forces, 71 ; and the Lamb, 107; in supra- natural procedure, 108 Nero, beast from abyss, 230, 25; statue of, 67 New Testament, a life message, 149 Nimrod, 122 Number, of a man, 125 Numbers, related to time, 41; the book of, 170 Objective, the limited, 39 Old Testament, 39 Omega, 81 Origen, 24 Origins, heavenly, 210 Pageant, 55 Palmer, Frederick, 50 Patmos, 26, 137 Paul, 149, 157 Pergamum, 30; message to, 205 Persecution, 32, 33, 34 Pestilence, 148 Pests, turned to allies, 71 Peter. 157, 154 Philadelphia, 30; message to, 208 Physician, task of, 177 Pilate, before Christ, 77; and Christ, 96 Place, the, 26 Plagues, 46; the last, 127; seven angels of, 127; in Old Testament, 110; in Apocalypse, 111 Pliny, 27 Pompeia, Trajan, 70 Poppae, Nero, 70 Porter, F. C, 36, 60 Power, 100; and the throne, 98; and the chorus, 104; episodes of, 101; turned against the Christians, 90; episodes of and redemption, 172; vocabulary of, 98 Pre-millennialism and brute force, 179; Vs. re- demption, 179 Priesthood, the imperial, 99 Prophecy, 48 Prophets, 220, 234; false, 49 Propitiation, 168 Prostitution, royal, 70 Proverbs, 142 Ptolemy, 30 Purchase, 169 Purple, the royal, 79 Purpose, the, 23; and in- ternal evidence, 33; of New Testament, books, 28; the redemptive, 163 Queen, 74 Raiment, white, 155 Rail, H. F., 36 Rameses II, 118 Ramsay, W. M., 24 Ransom, 169 Redeeming Lamb, t h ^ basis of victory, 173 Redemption, by the blood of the Lamb, 170; Vs. brute force, 175; centers in a person, in New Testament, 165; and the chorus, 186; city of, 133; and drama of Revela- tion, 181; and ethics, 165; eternal quality of, 174; not a failure, 175; God's permanent policy, 189; moral transforma- tion of, 180; and the New Testament, 165; INDEX 263 and oppression, 164; in the Old Testament, 164; purpose, 174; purpose of eternal, 174; purpose to triumpli, 189 Red Sea, 111 Resurrection, 109 Revelation, reporter's ac- count of drama he saw, 55 Righteousness, hosts of, 198 Rod of iron, 60 Roman Empire, and Chris- tianity, 125; power of, 89 ; attitude toward Christianity, 63 Romans, 30 ; and drama, 63 Rome-Babylon, 184; burn- ing of, 68; city of, 128 Saints, 224; in day of trial, 51 Samuel, 111 Sardis, 30; message to, 207 Satan, 45; accuser, 122; bound, 131; craft of, 124; craft and guile, 152; defeat of, 144; a defeated, 154; a diadem of, 124; dumb, 146; fail- ure of, 123; fate of, 156; dominancy of, 45 Saul, 118 "Saviour and God," 30 Sea-going folks, 233, (Ch. 18. 17) Sea, no more, 141 Searprofiting folks, 233, (Ch. 18. 17) Serpent and woman, 118 Seven churches, 119; mes- sages to, 34 Shakespeare, 67 Shipmasters, 233 Simeon, 165 Sisera, 110, 118 Slain Lamb, imparter of power, 172; and sealed book, 171 Smyrna, 30; message to, 204 Snowden, J. H., 93, 180 Sodom, 122 Solomon, 111 Song, the new, 224 "Sons of God," 30 Sophocles, 64 Spirit and Bride, 241 Spirits, three unclean, 73 Stars, 121; falling, 61 Stones, twelve, 251 Swete, H. B., 35, 126 Sword, 147; the flaming, 142 Tacitus, 27 Teaching, disguised, 64 Temple, at Jerusalem, 69 Ten day period, 41 Terry, M. S., 24 Tertullian, 24 Testimony of Jesus, 48 Thousand years, the, 43 Thothmes, III, 118 Throne, of God and the Lamb, 158; the rainbow, 151; of Satan, 76 Thrones, borrowed from the devil, 77; of evil, 76, 158 Thunderings, the mighty, 141 Thunders, the seven, 218 Thyatira, message to, 206 Time, of the book, 25 Titus, arch of, 69 Tradition, current, 67 Tree of life, 142 Trumpeters, 102 ; the seven, 216 Trumpets, the seven, 69 264 INDEX Trumpet voice, 202, (Ch. L 10) Tyre, 132 Unclean spirits orderlies, 229 Unknown speaker, 219 Vedder, H. C, 49 Versions, of Bible, 81 Vesuvius, 33 Victory, 137 Victory, book of, 143; in earth, 155; in heaven, 154; with the Lamb, 183; ultimate, 145; Vi- sion of, 140; voices of, 145 Vocabulary, the dramatic, 86 Voice, another from heav- en, 232; from golden altar, 218; great in heav- en, 220; great from the temple, 227; great from temple and throne, 229; from midst of living creatures, 213; from throne, 235; like a trum- pet, 210 Voices, 213; great in heav- en, 220; in heaven, 103; of power, 106 War, phraseology of, 116 Waters, sound of, 141 White horse and rider, 130 White, emblem of victory, 151 Wine press, the bloody, 43 Witnesses, the two, 41, 108, 219 Woman, in heaven, 221; and newly born child, 42 Word of God, 129 Worship, imperial, 31 Zacharias, 165 Zechariah, 93 Zwinglius, 60 Theological Semmary-Speer Library 1 1 1012 01085 8373