4V/ r STORY SEER o PATMOS i^M 9ki n m kS .9^ ■« "^^ s^X-^o Class BAJ^HS Book CopyiightN"_ iiii COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. I, John, saw the holy city. THE STORY OF THE Seer of Patmos BY STEPHEN N. HASK^ELL. " Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein : for the time is at hand." Rev. 1 : 3. SOUTHERN PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION, Nashville, Tennessee. Fort Worth, Texas. -p^ ?25 1\J UBRARY of congress! »wo Oopiei) < ** He Had in his Hand a Little Book Open," . . 184/ The Law of God, .....; i . 207 A Woman Clothed with the Sun, and the Moon under her Feet, 212 " I Stood upon the Sand of the Sea, and . Saw a Beast Rise Up out of the Sea," 227 The Law of God as Changed by the Papacy, . . 231 The Three Messages, ....... 260 *' I Saw a Woman Sit upon a Scarlet Colored Beast," 291 Satan upon the Desolate Earth, .... 328 6 INTRODUCTION. One of the distinguishing features of the age of the world in which we live is the prevalence of light and knowledge. It is but a fulfillment of the divine words : " But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end : many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased!' Dan. 12:4. During the preceding century, more than in all the centuries of the past, a flood of light has been shed upon the prophetic page. The seal which metaphorically hid the true meaning of the book of Daniel has been removed by the fulfillment of nearly all its predictions, so that the records of history demonstrate its true meaning. Prophecy is history in advance. History is prophecy fulfilled. When both agree we have the genuine meaning. Therefore we know we are in the " time of the end," and very near its close. The book of Revelation is introduced by the following words : "The Revelation of Jesus Christ,'Which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass ; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John." Rev. 1:1. As the book of Daniel reaches to the ^Uime of the end^' and the book of Revelation contains "things which must shortly come to pass,'' before the end, the two books must be ^^ companion volumes !' closely related to each other. The book of Daniel, in point of time, precedes the book of Revelation upwards of six centuries. In short, the latter is largely an inspired commentary on the former, and as such, becomes a valuable aid to its correct understanding. Every earnest, intelligent student of prophecy will study these two books together. Each is mutually helpful to the understanding of the other. There is an opinion extant, quite prevalent among those skeptically inclined, and a class of professed Christians who ignore the whole sub- ject of prophecy, that the book of Revelation is mystical, foggy and cannot be understood. If so, the Spirit of God has misnamed it. God says it is a " Revelation of Jesus Christ." A revelation is not some- 7 8 INTRODUCTION. thing concealed. It is something made known. In other words, this blessed book makes known to us the things God wishes us to know. He reveals to us the nature of the events to occur all through the Christian dispensation, and especially those connected with Christ's return to this earth at His second coming. The *' Revelation " is a book of symbols. The representation of mighty kingdoms by the symbols of beasts, as given in Daniel and Revelation, is common among the nations of the earth. We speak of the British lion, the Russian bear, the American eagle ; and every intelligent person understands what is meant, because nations them- selves have chosen these creatures to represent them on their flags and standards. Inspiration chooses symbols to represent various na- tions, and the Scriptures themselves plainly define their meaning. There are no books in the Bible of greater interest to the earnest student than the visions of Daniel and John. This volume, '* The Story of the Seer [of Patmos," is a companion volume to *'The Story of Daniel the Prophet," by the same author. We doubt not that this volume will equal or exceed the former in popularity. The author is a devoted minister of the gospel of long experience ; a deep and most earnest student of the holy Scriptures, and especially conversant with the subject of prophecy. He has given many years of careful study to the subjects contained in this volume. It is written for all classes of readers. The most intelligent professional man can find herein blessed food for thought, and precious instruction in the Bible truths for this remarkable age. The business man can be greatly profited by the perusal of this volume. Men need to have their atten- tion called away from worldly themes, to the great things God is about to do in our world. The common people will read this volume with delight. It will open up great fields of thought v/h:ch they have never before explored, while the Bible student will find in it a rich mine of treasure. The apostle John was an old man when he wrote the book of Revelation. It was a special revelation from Jesus Christ Himself, and reveals the order of events commencing in John's time, and reaching to Christ's second coming, under various heads and series of events: The Seven Churches, The Seven Seals, The Sever Trumpets, The INTRODUCTION. 9 Three Messages, etc. It ends with the glorious restitution of all things, spoken of by the *' mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began." Here are themes worthy of the most careful study. The author has made these mysterious symbols so plain, that any one who will carefully follow him can understand the book of Revelation. The study of this inspired book of Holy Writ is important. Christ Himself says, " Blessed is he that readeth^ and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein : for the time is at hand!' We are living at the close of the great prophetic periods revealed in Daniel and Revelation. We greatly need the light contained in this volume. We most gladly welcome every additional ray of light shining on our pathway. The perils of the last days are around us. Great changes are occurring. Satanic deceptions abound on every hand. The time has come, foretold by our Saviour, when if it be possible, even the elect are in danger of deception. Matt. 24:23, 26. The Revelator speaks of the same things. Let all become intelligent in reference to these things. " The Story of the Seer of Patmos " will enhghten all who will read and study it. Our Saviour informs us that when the signs of His coming begin to come to pass His people should look up and lift up their heads, for their redemption draweth nigh. Ah ! dear reader, do you not desire to be a citizen of that glorious city spoken of in the last chapters of Revelation, with its gates of pearl, streets of gold, wall of jasper, and foundations garnished with precious stones ; where the tree of life shall grow, and the river of life flows out from beneath the throne of God ; where Christ will ever dwell .? Where God shall wipe away all tears from the eyes of His people ; where death will never come, sorrow will never be felt, nor pain evermore exist.? Study the blessed Revelation, and you will get new and blessed, concep- tions of these great divine realities. Geo. I. Butler. Nashville^ Tenn.^ Aptil 24, 1^0^, A WORD TO THE READER. The history of this world is fast closing. Events are taking place, in the physical, political, and spiritual world, which show that we are living in a crisis such as has never been since the creation of this world. The voice of innocent blood crieth from the ground. The nations are angry. Not one nation, but all the nations of earth, look for- ward with fearful apprehensions to w^hat is coming. The prophet, in view of this time, exclaims, " Watchman, what of the night ? Watchman, what of the night .? " The watchman said, **The morning cometh and also the night," — the glorious morn of salvation that will bring deliverance to the people of God, and the night of eternal death to those who reject the repeated warnings given in the Word of God. Through John on the Isle of Patmos, the Lord lifts the veil, and lets us see the history of the church in its relation to the world. Seven times the prophet exhorts all who have an ear, to hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. We invite all to a careful perusal of the contents of this book, with the prayer that God will impress minds by His Holy Spirit. It is not the design of the writer of the " Story of the Seer of Patmos " to arouse discussion and awaken controversy upon theoretical points, but to tell the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. The book is written in a narrative style, and the symbols are explained by the marginal references, so that the reader will readily find a mine of rich treasure in the book. The entire book of Revelation is printed in italics on the margin of the pages, together with several thou- sand other scriptures which throw light on the subject. We earnestly pray that Gcd's blessing may rest upon the readers, and that the book may help many to become better acquainted with the Book of all books, the Word of the living God. Yours in the blessed hope, s. N. H. lO CHAPTER I THE SEER OF PATMOS- The men whom God has chosen as a means of communication between heaven and earth, form a galaxy of noted characters. The gift of prophecy is called the "best gift," and the church is exhorted to covet that <'best gift." To be able to view scenes still future and to talk in the language of heaven, requires a closer walk with God than is attained by most men. But through all the ages, there have been those whose lives were so in unison with the laws of Jehovah that they became the channel of the Spirit ot God. It is not that such men have greater attain- ments than all others, but they are like the dense Disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. I Peter 2 -.4. By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved. Hos. 12 :i3. Gen. 20:7. 1 Cor. 14:1. Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints. Jude 14. Gen. s : 24. 2 Cor. 12 : 1-5, Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are. Jas. 5:17. Amos 7 : 14, 15. I delight to do thy will, O my God : yea, thy law is within my heart. Psa. 40 : 8. Note. — In the margin are many passages of scripture that will direct the mind of the reader to those portions of the Bible which give light upon the story of the Seer of Patmos. In the texts quoted, marks of ellipsis are omitted ; and frequently several verses are cited in the reference, though only one or more are printed in fiill. II STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud. Gen. 9 : 14. Eze. I :28. I Cor. I : 25-28. I will look upon it, that I may rem ember the everlasting covenant. Gen. 9 : 16. To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the sanct. uary. Psa, 63 : 2. Isa. 63 : 9. Isa. 48 : 10, II. Beloved, think it not strange con- cerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. I Peter 4 : 12. And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. And straightway he called them : and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him. Mark i : 19, 20. Rev. I :g. Dan. I :i. Dan. 2 : 31-45. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. Dan. 7 : 17, 18. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. Dan. 9 : 24-26. Dan. I :3, 6. cloud with its falling rain drops, through which the sun shines to produce the rainbow in its glory. One forgets the cloud while watching the bow of promise. So with the prophet ; one loses sight of the instrument through whom God speaks, by beholding the glory of the scene which He por- trays. But lest the Spirit should be lost in its transmission, the chosen instrument must be purified in the furnace of affliction. Those tests which bring the human soul in touch with the divine are necessary experiences, before human eyes can see, or human tongues can speak of things yet future. Genesis, — that condensed treatise on the plan of salvation, — the work which contains the Gos- pel in embryo, — was written in the Midian des- ert, probably near Mount Horeb, while Moses watched the flocks of Jethro. Every other book in the Bible is but the unfolding of the truths of Genesis. It is the Alpha, and the book of Reve- lation is the Omega, of the Word of God to man. As God prepared Moses, by a life of forty years in the solitudes of Midian, so He called the Apostle John from the society of men, and led him along a strange path upward, and still up- ward, until at last on the rocky coast of Patmos, heaven was opened to his wondering gaze, and the future history of the church was made known. About six hundred years before the advent of Christ, there lived another seer, Daniel. To him God revealed the history of the nations of the world. From his own day, when Babylon bore universal sway, until nations should be no more, Daniel was shown the world's history. In connection with the account of the rise and fall of nations, Daniel saw the history of his own THE SEER OF PATMOS. 13 people, the Hebrew race, from their captivity in Babylon, until they rejected the Anointed of God. Daniel was of the royal seed of Israel, and was prime minister in the Court of Babylon during the years when this history was revealed to him. He of all men was fitted by education and posi-- tion to write the history of the world. 1 Luke 24 : 27. The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Prov. 4 : 18. Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. Dan. 2 : 48. Dan. 5 : 11, 12. Dan. I : 17, 20. Heb. 12:6. Heb. 12 ; Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things that are, and the things which shall be hereafter. Rev. 1 : 19. Dan. 8:27. Gen. 3:15. Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian : and he led the flock to the back side of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. Ex. 3:1. Gen. I : i. Genesis was written while Moses watched the flocks of Jethro. As foretold by ancient prophets, the Saviour came a servant of men. He was anointed at the very time predicted by the Prophet Daniel. *'And Jesus when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water : and lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him : and lo a voice from heaven, saying. This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." MESSIAH. Dan. 9:25. Sixty-nine weeks or 483 years from the commandment to restore Jerusalem unto Messiah. Ezra 7 : 9-26. Command given 456 1-2 B. c. John 1:41 [margin]. Messiah means Christ or anointed. Acts ID : 38. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost, Matt. 3 : 15-17. The Holy Ghost came on Christ at His baptism ; 483 years added to 456 1-2 years b. c. reaches to 26 1-2 a. d., or 27 a. d., the date of Christ's baptism. 14 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. John I : 36-38. Rev. 1 : 19. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank : so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hana- niah, Mishael, and Azariah. Dan. I :s, 6. There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these. Dan. 2 : 28. Luke 9 : 52-56. Mark 9 : 38-40. But go thou thy way till the end be : for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. Dan. 12 : 13. If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee ? follow thou me. John 21 :22. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass. Rev. 1:1. The disciples were called Chris- tians first in Antioch. Acts II :26. Rev. 2 : 1-29. Rev. 3 : 1-22. Rev. 6 : 1-17. Rev. 8 : 1-13. Rev. 9 : 1-21. Dan. 2 : 48. Dan. 6 : 1-3. Mark i : 19, 20. Standing on the banks of the Jordan, a witness to this anointing, was a young man chosen of Heaven, to continue the history begun by Daniel. The Hebrew prophet Daniel, was in the schools of Chaldea three years, during which time God revealed to the wise men of Babylon the superiority of the wisdom of God over all the learning of the world. While in that school, Daniel received the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. John the fisherman, the first of Christ's disciples, spent three years at the side of the Master Teacher, receiving such instruction as fitted him, in spiritual things to become a leader of nations. Daniel will stand in his lot in the latter days, by his prophecies revealing the time of the end. Johii, according to the words of Christ, will by his prophecies tarry until the coming of the Saviour in the clouds of heaven. For, when in answer to Peter's question concern- ing the future of the beloved disciple, Jesus said, " If I will that he tarry till I come," He revealed the prophetic mission of that disciple. The Saviour saw him on Patmos receiving the Reve- lation. The prophecy as given to John is a revelation of Jesus Christ, and is the history of God's deal- ings with the church which bears the name, Christian. Daniel is a history of nations ; the Revelation is ecclesiastical history, and into it, nations are introduced only when they affect the growth of the church. The life of Daniel shows how God can work through men in high positions : the preparation of John for his wbrk as a prophet is the story of the transformation wrought in the heart of a fisherman by the Spirit of God. The extremes THE SEER OF PATMOS. 15 of society were represented by these two men The story of each life is the narration of the events of a life in which love worked, and is an object lesson of the development of Christian character. In the town of Bethsaida, on the west shore of the Sea of Gali- lee, lived the fisherman, Zebedee, with his wife, Salome, and two sons, James and John. The two young men were partners with their father in his business, and were accustomed to the toil and hardships of a fisherman's life. A spirit of piety charac- terized the home ; for beneath the rough exterior, was a desire to understand the Word of God. The promise of the Messiah had been read, and when it was known that the Prophet of the Wil- derness was preaching and baptizing at Enon, and proclaiming the advent of Christ, the younger son of Zebedee, in company with Andrew of Bethsaida, sought baptism. It was there that they witnessed the anointing, and heard the Baptist's words, "Behold the Lamb of God." John and Andrew were the two disciples who followed after Christ, and to whom Pie turned saying, *' What seek ye .? " They said unto Him, * Rabbi . . . where dwellest thou ? " And when Pie led them to the place where He abode, they talked with Him, they believed, and the nucleus of the Christian church was formed. Bethsaida of Galilee. John 12:21 Mark 6 :4s. Matt. 4 : 21. Matt. 27 : 56. Going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. Matt. 4:21. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. Acts 15 :2i. And John also was baptizing in Enon near to Salim, because there was much water there : and they came, and were baptized. Johns =23. Again the next day after, John stood, and two of Lis disciples ; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith. Behold the Lamb of God ! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them. What seek ye? They said unto him. Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted. Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was An- drew, Simon Peter's brother. John I : 35-40. And I , if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. John 12 :32. i6 THE STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. I John 5 :ii, 12. 3 Tim, 3 : 16. John I :4i. John 1 : 42. Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did : is not this the Christ? John 4: 29. Gen. 32 :28. Gen, 25 : 30. Beloved, let us love one another : for love is of God ; and every one that loveth is bom of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God ; for God is love. I John 4 : 6-12, I John 3 : 1. The soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God. i Sam. 25 : 29. And the whole multitude sought to touch him : for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. Luke 6:19, Mark 5 : 30. Luke 8 : 46. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. John 13 : 23. Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him . I John 2 :5. I John 1 : 7c Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh : and these are contrary the one to the other ; so tliat ye cannot do the things that ye would. Gal. 5 : 16, 17. But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them. Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them ; and their great ones ex- ercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you : but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister : And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. Mark 10 : 35-45. Christ, the center, the Hfe, drew John, and the young man's heart responded to the quickening touch. This was the beginning of a new Hfe, — a soul communion. Andrew, too, was convinced of the divinity of Christ, but Andrew represents those who accept because the mind is convinced of truth. He sought at once for his brother Peter, saying, ** We have found the Messiah, . . . the Christ, the Anointed." And when Peter came to Christ he was convinced of the divine nature of Jesus, because the Saviour read his character and gave him a name in accord with Peter's nature. But John represents those of the inner circle of discipleship. He was won by love, not argu- ment. His heart was held by love, and the whole theme of all his writings is love. He saw only love in Christ, and he responded freely to that wondrous drawing power. It was like an electric current flowing from Christ, and John desired to be ever in the circuit. He kept close to Jesus, walked hand in hand with Him, sat next to Him at the table, lay on His bosom, — he was ''that disciple whom Jesus loved." As long as John kept in touch with the divine life of the Master, there was nothing in his life out of harmony with the Saviour. That there were times when the harmony was broken, is true, and this was due to the fact that the hu- man in John had not yet been subdued. The human channel through which the spirit flowed, sometimes arrested the flow. This was the case when James and John asked to sit, one on the left, and the other on the right, of the throne in the new kingdom. Christ recognized the desire as a result of more than human affection, and so THE SEER OF PATMOS. 17 in place of a rebuke, He attempted only to deepen and purify that love. The entire life of John tended to cleanse the soul temple, and to prepare him for his final work The union between the soul of Christ and John, is shown by numerous incidents. During the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, John sought Him out, longing to go with Him. But Christ bade John return, for He did not wish the young man to witness the fierce struggles with the prince of darkness. When not allowed to remain as companion in the wilderness, he sought out Mary of Nazareth, who was in doubt as to the whereabouts of her Son Sitting by the side of the lonely mother, John related the story of Christ's baptism, and told her of His present condition. He won his way into the heart of the family, as well as into the heart of Jesus This explains why the Saviour, when hanging on tne cross, gave directions for John to make a home for this same mother. Such gentleness was not alto- gether natural with the sons of Zebe- dee ; for when they first became Christ's followers. He called James and John ''Boanerges," "Sons of Thunder." They possessed an ambitious, hasty, outspoken spirit, w^hich was subdued by association with the Saviour. The natural inclinations were replaced- by contrition, faith, and love. John especially yielded to that power of the Christ. Every experience of this disciple pointed un- mistakably to the crowning work of his life. When the Saviour had returned to heaven, John Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. Isa. 52 : 11. Matt. 17 : 1. Mark 5 : 37. Mark 13 :3. Luke 8:51. Luke 22 : 8. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan : for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Matt. 4 : 10, ii. Luke 3 :2i, 22. John 19 : 26, 27. Sitting by the side of the lonely mother, John relates the story of Christ's baptism. James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James ; and he sumamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder. Mark 3 : 17. I John 3 :23. I am crucified with Christ : nev- ertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Gal. 2 :2o. STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. NEW TESTAMENT PROPHETS. Acts 7 137. Jesus. Matt. II rg-ii. John the Bap- tist. 2 Cor. 12 : 1-7. Paul. ReY. I : 10. John. Acts 10:9-17. Peter. Acts 1 1 : 27, 28. Agabus and one other. Acts 21 : 8, 9. Philip's four daugh- ters. Acts IS : 32. Judas and Silas. Luke 1 :67. Zacharias. Luke 2 :25--28. Simeon. Luke 2 : 36. Anna. James 5:1-5. James. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. James 5 : 10. Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. I John 1:3. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17 : 2-4. And he shall be as the light of tl^.e morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds. 2 Sam. 23 :3, 4. And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us ; and we forbade him, be- cause he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not : for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. Mark 9 : 38, 39. Rom, 2 : 1. Matt. 7 : 1. Rom, 14 : 3, 4. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said. Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to comedown from heaven, and con- sume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said. Ye know not what man- ner of spirit ye are of. Luke 9: 54, 55. would become the medium of communication be- tweeyi God and man. He was not the only prophet of the apostolic church, for sixteen oth- ers are named in the New Testament ; but to him was given the mosc extended view of the future work of God in the earth. Bearing in mind that the eye of Heaven was upon John, and that he was in every act preparing for that noblest of callings, although he knew it not, the history of this disciple becomes a wonderful object lesson to those who live in the end of time. He yielded himself fully to the teachings of the Man of God ; his mind met the mind of Christ ; his soul touched the soul of the Divine One. Life flowed from Christ, begetting life in the disciples. This is Christian experience ; this will be the experience of all who live to see the Saviour coming in the clouds of Heaven ; and this experience enabled John to say, *'0f His fullness have we all received, and grace for grace." The growth in grace was a gradual develop- ment, and, at times, an unholy zeal over-mastered the tenderness which Christ constantly sought to impart. There was one man who cast out devils, and John rebuked him because this man was not like the disciples a follower of the Sav- iour. This spirit of judging all others by a self- reared standard, was rebuked in the words of the Master, " Forbid them not." When the Samari- tans offered insult to the Saviour, John was the one who wished to call down fire from heaven and destroy them. He was surprised when the Saviour revealed to him the fact that such a spirit was one of persecution, and that He, the Son of God, had not "come to destroy mens' THE SEER OF PATMOS. 19 lives, but to save them." Each correction was keenly felt, but it opened to the mind of John the principle of divine government, and revealed to him the depth of divine love. Near the close of Christ's ministry, the mother of James and John came to ask for her sons the place of honor in His kingdom. Salome herself was a follower of Christ, and the great love of the family for the Saviour, led them all to desire to be near Him. Love always draws us near the object of our love. Jesus saw what the granting of the request would imply, and in tones of sad- ness, answered that the place nearest the throne would be occupied by those who endured most, who sacrificed most, and who loved most. In Now no chastening for the pres- ent seemeth to be joyous, but griev- ous. Heb. 12 : 11. Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou ? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. Matt. 20 :2o, 21. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand, Sol. Songs 5 : 10. I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. Sol. Songs 7 : 10. To sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. Matt. 20 : 23, And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire : and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. Rev. 15:1-3. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins. Isa. 43 : 24. Salome asks for ber sons the place of honor in His kingdom. later life John comprehended the meaning of the answer ; for he was given a view of the redeemed as they will gather on the sea of glass about the throne. These human desires came at times when the life current was partially broken. At other Thou art all fair, my love ; there is no spot in thee. Sol. Songs 4 : 7. Luke 9 : 28-36. Matt. 17:1-13. Mark 9 : 2-10. 20 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedce, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Matt. 26 : 36, 37. times its flow was steady and strong. Thus it was when John stood with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, and heard the voices of Moses and Elijah, as they sought to strengthen the Saviour for His soon coming death. John sat at And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour ? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation : the spirit in- deed is willing, but the flesh is weak. H e went av/ay again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again : for their eyes were heavy. Matt. 26 : 40-43. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. Jas. I :3. And they all forsook him, and fled. ]\Iark 14 : 50. And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple : that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door with- out. Then went out that other dis- ciple, which was known unto tlie high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter. John 18 : 15, 16. John pressed close to the Saviour's side. the Saviour's left hand at the Passion Supper, and as the little company of twelve walked in the moonlight toward Olivet on that last night, John pressed close to the Saviour's side. As they en- tered the Garden of Gethsemane, eight of the disciples remained without the gate ; while Peter, James, and John went on a little farther. The Son of Man longed to have John sit beside Him during that bitter struggle ; and although John had lived so near to Jesus, yet he failed to grasp that last opportunity which would have placed him next the throne. While the Saviour pleaded in agony, and finally fell fainting to the ground, John was sleeping. The flesh was weak although the spirit was willing. His love so fervent, was still weakened by the clay channel through which it flowed. Still more bitter trials were needed to burn out all the dross. Having slept, he too fled when the mob came for the Saviour, but his love drew him back. Ashamed of his cowardice, he returned, and en- THE SEER OF PATMOS. 21 tered the judgment hall, keeping close to the man condemned as a criminal. All night long he watched and prayed, and hoped soon to see a flash of divinity which would forever silence the accusers. He followed to Calvary. Every nail that was driven seemed to tear his own flesh. Fain-t, he turned away, but came back to support the mother of Jesus, who stood at the foot of the cross. That dying cry pierced to his very heart ; the One whom he had loved was dead. Unable to comprehend the meaning of it all, yet he helped prepare the body for burial, and with the other sorrowing disciples passed a lonely Sabbath. Life seemed scarcely worth living; for He for whom they had given up everything, and whom they had believed to be the Son of God, was silent in death. The words which Christ had spoken concerning His own death, and which John should have understood, had fallen on deaf ears. Much as he loved his Lord he was dull of hearing. On the morning of the resurrection John was the first of the twelve to reach the tomb ; for he outran Peter, when Mary Magdalene reported that the body was gone. Seeing the folded nap- kin in the sepulchre, he recognized the familiar touch of a risen Saviour, and believed. On the evening after the resurrection John re- ceived the benediction when Christ appeared ; but since he could no longer see his Master with the physical eye, he returned to his fishing on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. But Jesus sought him again, and bade him go forth a fisher of men. In the last recorded interview between Christ and His disciples, the Saviour prophetically gave the work of Peter and John, those two earnest fol- And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Gal- ilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. Luke 23:49. John 19 :26, 27. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. Matt. 27 146, so. Luke 23 150-53. Mark 15 .-42-47. And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments ; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment, Luke 23:54-56. Matt. 16:21-23. Matt. 20 : 17-19. Marks : 31-33. Mark g :3i, 32. Mark 10 : 32-34. Isa. 29 : 10. Luke 9 : 21, 22. Luke 18, 31-34. And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other dis- ciple, which came first to the sepul- chre, and he saw, and believed. John 20 : 4-9. John 20 : 19-23. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship imme- diately ; and that night they caught nothing. John 21 : 1-3. Verily, verily, I saj' unto thee, When thou wast young, thou gird- edst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest : but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou would- est not. 22 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Then spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he salth unto him, Follow me. Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved fol- lowing ; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said. Lord which is he that betrayeth thee ? Peter seeing him salth to Jesus Lord, and whax shall this man done Jesus salth unto him, If 1 will that he tarry till I come, what is thac to theef follow thou me. John 21 : 18-22. lowers, who had passed through so many clouds, and yet had seen such bright rays of sunhght. Peter was told it would be his lot to follow his Lord to the cross. When he asked the fate of John, Christ replied, " If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" The life of John is but briefly referred to after the ascension. He remained in Jerusalem for a number of years, and was known as one of the pillars of that church as late as A. d. 58. John's Her sins, which are many, are forgiven . for she loved much ' but to whom lit- tle is forgiven. the same loveth little Luke 7 : 47* And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Bar- nabas the right hands of fellowship. GaU 2 : q. And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Dan. 9 :25. Isle of Patrtios. Distant View. fervent love for the Saviour grew stronger as he suffered oppression and imprisonment. His own brother, James, was among the first martyrs to the cause of Christianity. Living as John did at the center of the work, he witnessed the spread of the truth, and knew of its triumphs as THE SEER OF PATMOS. 23 well as its vicissitudes. Roman oppression became greater. The city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the army of Titus, and John was banished to the Isle of Patmos. He himself says that he was there for the ^*Word of God, and for the Testimony of Jesus Christ." It is a beautiful thought that he whose heart was so bound up in Jerusalem and the Hebrew race, and who was always so true to both, should have been permitted to see the glories of the New Jerusalem, the city finally to take the place of his own earthly Zion. To him was given the entire history of the church of God, which must do the work rejected by his own race. The road from the Jordan to the rocky height of Patmos was a steep and stony way ; but when he sat alone upon the mountain side overlooking the sea, the intense love, the soul union with Christ, which those previous years had developed^ enabled that "disciple whom Jesus loved " to be- come the connecting link between heaven and earth. Gabriel, Christ's own angel, stood by the side of the last survivor of the chosen twelve, and opened to his vision the glories of the future. A nature less spiritual would have failed to grasp the picture of eternity ; a mind less consecrated could not have been the channel for such a flood of divine enlightenment. In the Midian desert, where none but God was near, Moses wrote Genesis, the Alpha of all things. John wrote Revelation — the complete unfolding of that first book — the Omega — when alone on an island in the midst of the sea. The pen of him who wrote the history of crea- tion, was guided by the same angel who bore to John the heavenly message concerning the con- summation of the plan of redemption. Rev. r : 9. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Rev. 19 : 10. Pray for the peace ot Jerusalem : they shall prosper that love thee. Psa. 122 :6. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Rev. 21 : 2. For if God spared not the nat- ural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Rom. II : 21. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it : if a man would give all the sub- stance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. Sol. Songs 8 : 7. If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. Num. 12 :6. Dan. ID :2i. Dan. 8 : 16. Rev. 1:1. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God : for they are foolishness unto him : neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. I Cor. 2 : 14. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24 :27. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to wor- ship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not : for I am thy fellow serv- ant, and of thy brethren the proph- ets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book : v/orship God. Rev. 22 : 8, 9. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth ; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. Deut. 18 : iS. 24 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Acts 3:22, 23. Deut 34:1 -4- Rev. 21 • I , 2. Zech. 14:4 5. Gen. I • I- Rev. 22 : 10 Moses recorded the story of Creation and the Fall, and by faith he grasped the promise of a Redeemer. John lived with that Redeemer, and as he stood on Patmos, he looked back into the past to the place where Moses stood on Pisgah, and then forward to the City of God, which he saw descending on the Mount of Olives. The two mountain peaks from which all history can be viewed are Genesis and Revelation, the he- ginning and the end, the first and the last. 30lfn ttf^ S^lnwb. I'm growing very old. This weary head That hath so often leaned on Jesus' breast In days long past that seem almost a dream, Is bent and hoary with its weight of years. These limbs that followed Him — my Master — oft From Galilee to Judah, yea, that stood Beneath the cross, and trembled with His groans, Refuse to bear me even through the streets To preach unto my children. E'en my lips Refuse to form the words my heart sends forth. My ears are dull, they scarcely hear the sobs Of my dear children gathered round my couch ; God lays His hand upon me, — yea, His ha7id And not His rod, — the gentle hand that I Felt, those three years, so often pressed in mine In friendship such as passeth woman's love. I'm old, — so old I can not recollect The faces of my friends, and I forget The words and deeds that make my daily life ; But that dear face and every word He spoke Grow more distinct as others fade away. So that I live with Him and holy dead More than with the living. 25 26 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Some seventy years ago I was a fisher by the sacred sea. It was at sunset. How the tranquil tide Bathed dreamily the pebbles ! How the light Crept up the distant hills, and in its wake Soft, purple shadows wrapped the dewy fields ! And then He came and called me. Then I gazed. For the first time, on that sweet face. Those eyes. From out of which, as from a window, shone Divinity, looked on my inmost soul And lighted it forever. Then His words Broke on the silence of my heart, and made The whole world musical. Incarnate Love Took hold of me, and claimed me for its own. I followed in the twilight, holding fast His mantle. O, what holy walks we had. Through harvest fields and desolate, dreary wastes ! And oftentimes He leaned upon my arm. Wearied and wayworn. I was young and strong. And so upbore Him. Lord, now /am weak. And old, and feeble ! Let me rest on Thee ! So, put Thine arm around me. Closer still ! How strong Thou art ! The twilight grows apace. Come, let us leave these noisy streets, and take The path to Bethany, for Mary's smile Awaits us at the gate, and Martha's hands Have long prepared the cheerful evening meal. Come, James, the Master waits ; and Peter, see. Has gone some steps before. What say you, friends ? That this is Ephesus, and Christ has gone Back to His kingdom ? Ay, 'tis so, 'tis so. I know it all ; and yet, just now I seemed To stand once more upon my native hills. And touch my Master. O, how oft I've seen The touching of His garment bring back strength To palsied limbs ! I feel it has to mine. JOHN THE BELOVED. 2^ UP ! bear me once more to my church ! Once more There let me tell them of a Saviour's love ; For, by the sweetness of my Master's voice Just now, I think He must be very near, — Coming, I trust, to break the veil, which time Has worn so thin that I can see beyond, And watch His footsteps. So, raise my head. How dark it is ! I can not seem to see The faces of my flock. Is that the sea That murmurs so, or is it weeping ? Hush, My little children ! God so loved the world He gave His Son. So love ye one another. Love God and man. Amen. Now bear me back. My legacy unto an angry world is this. I feel my work is finished. Are the streets so full ? What call the folk my name, — the Holy John ? Nay, write me rather, Jesus Christ's beloved. And lover of my children. Lay me down Once more upon my couch, and open wide The eastern window. See, there comes a light Like that which broke upon my soul at eve. When, in the dreary Isle of Patmos, Gabriel came And touched me on the shoulder. See, it grows As when we mounted toward the pearly gates. I know the way ! I trod it once before. And hark ! It is the song the ransomed sang Of glory to the Lamb ! How loud it sounds ! And that unwritten one ! Methinks my soul Can join it now O my Lord, my Lord ! How bright Thou art ! and yet the very same I loved in Galilee. 'Tis worthy the hundred years To feel this bliss ! So lift me up, dear Lord, Unto Thy bosom. There shall I abide. — Selected. CHAPTER 11. THE AUTHOR OF THE REVELATION. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. Rev. 7 ; /, For in him dwelleth all the ful- ness of the Godhead bodily. Col. 2 -.g. John I : I. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we be- held his glor}', the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John i : 14. Heb. 2 : 14. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. i Tim. 2:5. Rev. I -.g. Believe me that I am in the Fa- ther, and the Father in me : or else believe me for the very works' sake. John 14 : II. Matt. I :2i. John I 41 [margin.] Dan. 9 :26. Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Em- manuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matt. I : 23- The first chapter of Revelation is an introduc- tion to the entire book. The first three verses are a preface to the chapter, and the first verse is the key, not only to Revelation, but to every prophetic book in the Bible, showing how all prophecy is given. In this first verse is given the title of the book, the author of the prophecy, its object, the manner in which it came, and the agent of God in making known the history of future events. It is ''The Revelation of Jesus Christ." It is not the Revelation of John, as many seem to think ; for then it w^ould cease to be prophecy, and as a history, would rank no higher than the w^orks of many other writers. John calls him- self our "brother and companion in tribulation." It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, — an unfold- ing of the life of the God-man. Jesus means Savioitr. '' Thou shalt call His name Jesus : for He shall save His people from their sins." Jesus was the name given by the angel when he talked with Mary, the mother of Jesus. CJuist means 28 THE AUTHOR OF THE REVELATION. 29 anointed : Jesus Christ is the anointed Saviour ; prophets of old ha'd foretold of His mission on earth, and named Him Emmanuel, " God with us." To John, then, was laid open, or made mani- fest, the mystery of Emmanuel, the union of the divine and human, the Christ. The entire book of Revelation is an explanation of the divine life which God placed in the human mold, and gave to man for all eternity. "Divinity needed hu- manity ; for it required both the divine and the human to bring salvation to the world. Divinity needed humanity, that humanity might afford a channel of communication between God and man." Humanity was lost without divinity. Salvation came by the union of the two in Christ. The union formed in Him will never be severed, for the church to which His teachings gave birth is a child of God, and the history of the church is the history of Emmanuel, — the mystery of godliness. Adam was made in the image of God, and was a son of God ; but sin severed the tie, and the children of Adam were born in sin. But Christ, the second Adam, was the Son of God,; and the church, the only begotten of Christ, partakes of the nature of the Father, and stands before the world to perpetuate His name, — Emmanuel. This family name will never be- come extinct. " I [Paul] bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of w^hom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." The continued history of Emmanuel, as read in the life of the Christian Church, is what was revealed to John by the angel Gabriel, Christ's attendant, — that member of the heavenly host whose duty it has long been to make known the mystery of God to His servants. God desires And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness : God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. I Tim. 3 : 16. To wit, that God was in Chris't, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them ; and hath committed unto us ' the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us : we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 2 Cor. 5 : 19, 20. Luke iq : 10. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of command- ments contained in ordinances ; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace. Eph. 2 : 15, 16. Eph. 3 : ID, II. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him ; male and female created he them. Gen. i :27. And so it is written. The first man Adam was made a living soul ; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. I Cor. 15 :45. Eph. 3:11-17- Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, j-ea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also mak- eth intercession for us. Rom. 8 :34. Eph. 3:14, 15. VJho bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Je- sus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Reu. 1 : 2. Dan. 10 :2i. Dan. 8 : 16, I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. Hos. S:i2. / 30 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God : but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Deut. 29 :29. I have also spoken by the proph- ets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the minis- try of the prophets. Hos. 12 : 10. Num. 12 : 6-8. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John i : 14. that man should comprehend the nature of His law and the manner of His working. Near the close of the first century, Gabriel was bidden to open to the Prophet on Patmos the signs, or symbols, by which John might under- stand the history of the work of God in the earth. God reveals Himself to man in various ways, '' Nature is the mirror of divinity ;" the Word of God is His character in human language ; Christ was that Word lived in human form, and the body of Christ — the church — has, in addition to these methods, the providences, or leadings, of the Heb. 4 : 12-15. John 15 : 10. John 16 •.-] , 8. Rev. 19 : ID. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things, I John 2 : 20, 27. Yea, if thou criest after knowl- edge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding ; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treas- ures ; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. Prov. 2 :3-5. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein : for the time is at hand. Rev. 1 : 3. Spirit. Thus John ''bare record of the Word of God," as written and as lived in Christ ; and he bare record also "of the testimony of Jesus Christ," "which is the spirit of prophecy," and he likewise bare record of the signs which Ga- briel presented to his vision, — the "all things that he saw." A heavenly benediction is pronounced upon him "that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy," and upon those who " keep those things which are written therein." It must needs be that the things written by John can be understood, else why the blessing that is here pronounced } Since the book is a revelation of THE AUTHOR OF THE REVELATION. 31 Jesus Christ to the servants of the Most High, all who are His serv^ants will study and under- stand the prophecy. Every doctrine necessary for salvation was given in the revelation of Christ, and the book becomes a compendium of the whole Bible. The blessing pronounced upon the servants to whom it is sent, is an eternal bless- ing ; *' For thou blessest, O Lord, and it shall be blessed forever." John, while on the island, away from the work with which he had been so long and so intimately associated, away from friends and companions, often let his mind wander to the scene of his former labors. As he looked toward the shores of Asia Minor, there came up before him the picture of the companies of believers who were standing for the truth in the midst of pagan dark- ness. He loved those followers of his Lord, and through him, Christ sent a message to each of ''the seven churches which are in Asia." The Spirit used each of those churches to represent a period in the history of the work of God on earth, the seven covering the time from the life of John to the closing events in the history of the world. There was a peculiar significance in the loca- tion of these seven churches. Asia Minor, or more particularly the western portion of the pen- insula to which the term Asm is applied in Rev. I : 4, held in the spread of Christianity, a posi- tion corresponding to that which was occupied by Palestine in the history of the Jewish nation. When God wished to make the Hebrew race the leading government of earth, He chose, for the seat of that government, a position unrivaled by any other portion of the globe. Palestine was 2 Tim. 3 : 15, 16 John 5 : 39. I Chron. 17 :2j. Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man : thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Psa. 31 ;2o. Jer. 15 : 15-1J Deut. 33 : 3. John to the seven churches which are in Asia : Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come ; and from the seuen Spirits which are before his throne ; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the liings of the earth. Unto him that loued us, and washed us from our sine in his own blood. Rev. 1 : 4, 5. Rev. 12 : 17. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. Psa. 48:2. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Psa. 50 : 2. 32 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. All that pass by clap their hands at thee ; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? Lam. 2 : 15. Acts if : 8-10. Acts ig : iS-20. Acts 2 :5-ii. Go ye therefore, and teach all na- tions, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost : Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have com- manded you : and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matt. 28 : 19, 20. Ex. 1. : 2-6. And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM : and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Ex. 3 : 14. John 20 : 22. 1 Cor. I :3. 2 Cor. I : 2. 2 Cor. 13 : 14. Gal. I :3. Eph. I : 2. Phil. 1 : 2. Col. I : 2. 1 Thess. 1:1, 2 Thess. I -.2 1 Tim. I : 2. 2 Tim. I ; 2. Titus I : 4. Phil. I :3. He is despised and rejected of men ; a man of sorrows, and ac- quainted with grief : and we hid as it were our faces from him ; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isa. 53:3. the highway between the South and the East and between the East and the West. When the power of God passed from this nation to the Christian Church, Asia Minor became the center of activity and the base of operation. In tho,se seacoast towns, and in Ephesus above all others, Jew and Gentile met on equal footing. Every nationality, — Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and dwellers in Mesopotamia, representing the far North and East, met in trade, with citizens of Rome, Egypt, and Cyrene, men from the South and the West. Into these busy marts the Chris- tian faith penetrated, and from these centers, the knowledge of the Christ was spread to all the world. Jehovah, the Great I AM, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush, the Father of us all, who meets us where we are, — He, the Ever Present, breathed His blessing on the church called by the name of His Son. And from " the seven spirits which are before His throne," and from Jesus Christ, the visible manifestation of that Spirit, came the greeting of grace and peace to the companies who should be known by the name of the Anointed. Here is inscribed the name of the author of the Revelation. He, who to-day witnesses for us in the heavenly court, is the ^'faithful wit- ness," ''the first begotten of the dead," "the prince of the kings of the earth;" and above all He is the one who ''loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood." He, who on earth was the despised and rejected of men, was in truth the Prince of the kings of the earth. Again and again this same Christ had, by His providences, caused men to acknowledge the fact THE AUTHOR OF THE REVELATION. 33 that '' the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men." No ruler on earth reigns independent of the Lord of heaven ; for all power belongs unto God, and " the powers that be, are ordained of God." For this reason men are exhorted to pray for governors and kings, that there may be peace in the land. Here is the position to which He calls us. He "hath made us kings," to sit on thrones and rule ; "and priests " to minister " unto God and Dan. Psa. 44 Psa. 33 Psa. 75 I Sam. I Sam. Jer. 46 Rom. I :6,7. ■S-7- 2 : 10. 14 : 6. : 16-20. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for euer and ever. Amen. Rev. 1:6. I John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Je- sus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos,for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Rev. i : 9. Patmos. Near View. His Father." And yet, when on earth. He had said, " He that is greatest among you, let him be . . . as he that doth serve." The joint- heirs with Christ rule while still on earth, but their authority here is by virtue of the " power of an endless life," and they are leaders, not in a phys- ical sense, but in the spiritual realm. The scepter that they sway is not carnal and tem- poral, but eternal. The position is above earthly potentates, and the wonderful part of it all is, that, in the world, which is in the hands of the prince of evil, Christ has a nation of kings and priests, — a kingdom within a kingdom. " This Behold, he cometh with clouds ; and euery eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him : and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the be- ginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Al- mighty. Rev. 1 : 7, 8. 34 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. 2 Cor, lo : 4. Heb. 7 : 16. Col.' I : 12, 13. Eph. s : 32. Jude 25. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night ; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 2 Pet. 3 : 10. is a great mystery : but I speak concerning Christ and the church." The eye of the prophet swept over the com- pany and as he saw the power of the gospel, in ecstasy he exclaimed, "To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.'* He saw, in one glance, the closing of earth's history, the coming of the Son of man with power and great glory. He saw, again, that angry crowd who gathered in the Garden of Gethsemane, and rudely bore He came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. Mark 14 : 39. They came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. Luke 22 : 32. m^ Garden of Qeth Luke John 47, 48. 34- Luke 23 : 27, Rev. 1 :8, ij 28. . 17, And hallow my sabbaths ; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. Eze. 20: 20. away his Master ; he saw the jeering company about the cross, and the soldier who pierced His side ; but as he watches this time, he hears the bitter wail of those who rejected the Saviour of mankind. And, as he looked, he heard the words : " I am Alpha, the beginning, and Omega, the end- ing, *the Lord, which is, and which was, and •which is to come, the Almighty..' " This expres- sion, or its equivalent, occurs four times in this first chapter. The Sabbath was a precious day to John, and it had been especially dear since that never to be forgotten Sabbath on which their Master rested THE AUTHOR OF THE REVELATION. 35 in the tomb. The preparation for that Sabbath was the bitter hours on Calvary ; the day itself was one of utter loneliness ; because the gospel of the resurrection was not comprehended. It should have been a day of joy ; it was intended as such ; and after the Saviour came from the grave, and the light of His countenance again rested upon His followers, they saw more clearly than ever before that the Sabbath was not only a reminder of Creation, but that it also commem- orated Redemption. It became the central truth in giving the life of Christ. To John on Patmos it was a day of holy joy. The Saviour came divinely near, and as John contemplated scenes in his own association with Christ, the Man of God, his heart warmed with praise. In imagina- tion he stood by Jordan, and saw the baptism of the Holy Spirit : again he was on the Mount of Transfiguration ; he saw the pained face of the Master as they sat around the table on that last night ; an agony of feeling passed over him as he recalled the trial, the condemnation, and the death; but it was replaced by the joy of the resurrection, and the remembrance of those last words as the clouds caught Him from the sight. of men. John's love for Christ was so strong that it seemed his Master must surely speak to him again. And he heard behind him a great voice as of a trumpet, and Christ, his own Christ, stood by his side. '' I am the first, but I am also the last. * I am Alpha and Omega.' Write what thou seest in a book and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia." He spoke in trumpet tones, like the clearest music, and the voice was as the sound of many waters ; but still, to John He was the same Jesus Luke 23 : 54-56. Isa. 58 : 13. / John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribula- tion, and in the kingdom and pa- tience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testi- mony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last ; and. What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia ; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Perga- mos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. Rev. 7 ; 9-11. Col. 1 : 14-16. John 13 : 21-25. Luke 3:21, 22. Matt. 17 : 1-3. Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you : and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Ju- dea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts I :8-ii. O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy counte- nance, let me hear thy voice ; for sweet is thy voice, and thy counte- nance is comely. Sol. Song 2 : 14, Rev. 1 : 10. Eze. 42 :2. Eze. I :24. Rev. i9:S»6. 36 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candle- sticks ; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow ; and his eyes were as a flame of fire. Rev. 1 : 12-14. " The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness." Prov. i9 :3i. Dan. 7 : 9. And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound uf many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars : and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword ; and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. Rev. 1 : 15, 16. Eze. I : 7, Matt. 17 : 2. Acts 26 : 13-15. I Pet. 1:7. Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Psa. 4 : 6. Psa. 89 : 15. Luke 9 : 29. The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart. Prov. 15 :3o. The light of the body is the eye. Matt. 6 : 22. whom he had known in Gahlee and in Jerusalem. Not now despised, mocked, and rejected, but standing in the midst of the seven candlesticks, — the churches, their light being the reflection of His own. He was clothed, not in the cast-off purple robe, but in a garment of righteousness of dazzling whiteness, and girt about the loins with the golden girdle of truth. The purity of God Himself encircled His brow with a halo of light, for His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow. The white hairs, which in old age are a crown of glory, even in the presence of sin and decay, are a token of salvation through a Saviour's love. The power of the life within shone through His eyes as a flame of fire, and the character is still further portrayed in the fact that His feet glowed like unto the most brilliant metal purified seven times. His footsteps were attended by light and heat, and His countenance shone aboA'e the brightness of the sun. The shining of our sun is a figure of the light of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ. In human beings, the light of the eye betrays the inner life, and a man's " countenance doth witness against him." Thus in every detail of John's description is revealed the depth of spirituality, the power of the God of life. Although this is a description of the personal appearance of Christ, it portrays His character as well. Those who continue to reveal God in the earth must, through the merits of Christ, manifest the same character as living epistles known and read of all men. The robe of His righteousness must cover the human frailties and imperfections ; the truth of God must be the THE AUTHOR OF THE REVELATION. 37 rule of life ; cleansed by the blood of Christ, the sinner becomes as white as snow. As He was made perfect through suffering, so the church will be purified by the fires of affliction ; they will be brethren with John ; '' companions in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ." He who spoke to John was the One who com- manded, and worlds stood forth in space. Christ Isa. 3 :g. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Col. 2 : 6. 2 Cor. 5 : 20. 1 Pet. 2 :2i. 2 Cor. 3:1,2. Isa. 6 :io. Rev. 19 : 8. Jas. 2 : 12. I John I :/. Isa. I : 18, 19. Heb. 10 : 35. Rev. I '.g. Jesus laid His right hand upon him. now stood beside John, and the prophet, looking upon His glory, fell at His feet as one dead. He had walked with Him and talked with Him, — with this same ma7i, Christ Jesus, — when He was on earth. He had asked to sit by His side in His kingdom. The glory of His pres- ence now overcame John, but Jesus laid His right hand on him, — that hand which had so Prov. 16 :3i. Psa. 33 : 6-9. When I saw him I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me. Fear not ; I am the first and the last : I am he that liveth, and was dead : and, behold, I am alive for ever more, Amen : and have the keys of hell and of death. Rev. 1: 17, 18. 38 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter : The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden can- dlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches : and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Rev. 1 : 19,20. Mai. 2 : 7. The Lord thy God in tk2 midst of thee is mighty ; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy ; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zeph. 3 : 17. Heb. 2 : 12. Zech. 2:5. And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh : and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Acts 2 : 17. Luke 15 : 10. Luke 2 : 7-14. Matt. 4: II. Luke 22 : 43. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow- citizens with the saints, and of the household of God ; And are built upon the founda- tion of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief comer stone. Eph. 2 : 19-21. Col. I :28, 29. I Cor. 3 : 3, 15, 16. Rev. 1 : 3. often rested there before, and in a voice which John recognized as the same with which the Master spoke to the stormy waves of Gahlee, He said, *' Be not afraid, * I am He that Hveth and was dead ; and, behold, I am aUve forever- more.' You saw me in the grave, but I now have the keys of hell and of death." And so the message which John was commanded to give unto the churches is a message of triumph over sin, over death and the grave. It isr the victory of truth over error. Christ appeared, walking in the midst of the candlesticks, which symbolize the churches ; and He held in His hand the seven stars or angels, which direct the work of the churches, and which are light-bearers from His throne to those who represent the work of heaven on earth. God looks upon the Christian Church as He looked upon Christ in the days of His sojourn on earth. As He was attended by an angel, so the church is guided by the Spirit of God, and by the testi- mony of that Spirit. In days of triumph, the angel attendants sing the song which filled the plains of Bethlehem on the night of the birth of Jesus: in days of persecution, trials, and de- spondency, angels lift the weary heads, as Ga- briel ministered to Christ in the wilderness and in Gethsemane. The church completes the work begun by Christ in the flesh. His life studied will give the history of the church. His life as recorded in the Revelation of Jesus Christ is but a further unfolding of that same mystery of the incarnation, — the Emmanuel. *' Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are writ- ten therein." CHAPTER III, THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. EPHESUS. The message to the seven churches covers a period in ecclesiastical history, extending from the time of Christ's first advent to His second coming. To John, Christ appeared walking in the midst of the churches, — the candlesticks ; and it is a most beautiful truth that the Divine Presence has never been withdrawn from the earth. One of the last promises made by Christ to His disciples was, " Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world," and it matters not how torn or scattered His people may have been, that promise, reverberating from age to age, has been the comfort and solace of each in- dividual Christian, and of the church as a body. Heaven looks upon the earth as one vast mission field, and the church is a beacon light in the midst of darkness. The incarnation of Christ drew the sympathies of all the universe earth- ward, and ** the whole creation groaneth," waiting for our adoption. Christ, attended by the host of heaven — His ministering spirits — is always He which testifleth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Rev. 22 : 20. Rev. 1 : 19. Rev. I : 13 ; Ruth 4 : 4. For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Heb. 13 : 5. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. John 15 :26. Matt. 28 : 20. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely : for mine anger is turned away from him. Hosea 14 : 4. Fear thou not ; for I am with thee : be not dismayed ; for I am thy God : I will strengihen thee ; yea, I will help thee ; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isa. 41 : 10. Matt. 5 : 13-17. Suddenly there was with the an- gel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God. Luke 2 : 13. 39 40 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Rom. 8 : 22. I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him ; ' Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth ; and my delights were with the sons of men. Prov. 8 : 29-31. Zech. 2:8, Psa. 17 :8. Deut. 32 : 10. Rev. 2:1. The church is a beacon light in the midst of darkness. Page 39. Be not deceived : evil communi- cations corrupt good manners. I Cor. 15 :33. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves : be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. Matt, 10 : 16. Tim. 1-7- Avoiding profane and vain bab- blings, and oppositions of science falsely so called : Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. I Tim. 6 :2o, 21. found in the midst of the church, and he that toucheth the church, toucheth the apple of the eye of Christ. The first message which John was bidden to deUver was to the church of Ephesus. There were other churches in Asia Minor, but there were reasons why Ephesus was first addressed, . and why it should be taken to represent the church in general during the first years of its existence. The word " Ephesus " means '^fii'st,'' or " desirable y In the first cen- tury, Ephesus was the capital of Asia Minor, and the center of trade from both the east and the west. It was strongly under Greek influence, and in position, corresponded to Corinth in Greece, and Alexandria in Egypt. It has been called the "rallying place of paganism," and was a stronghold of the recognized religion and the popular education of the world, when, soon after the death of the Saviour, it was first visited by the apostles. It may well be taken to symbolize that period of ecclesiastical history when the Gospel in its purity met, in open conflict, the darkest forms of pagan worship. Side by side with the Greeks, dwelt Jews, men who ought to have held aloft the worship of Jehovah, but who had lost the Spirit by mingling with the idol worshipers. It was into this city, restless and turbulent and easily wrought upon, that Paul, as a missionary, went to preach of a risen Saviour. He met with difficulties. Opposed on one side by science, falsely so called, and on the other side by a re- ligion which had the form of godliness, but which had lost the power thereof, Paul offered THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 41 the crucified Son of God. Miracles attended his preaching. In the synagogue of the Jews, he reasoned three months concerning " the king- dom of God;" and when men hardened their hearts against the Word, he entered the school of Tyrannus, where he taught for two years with such power that the Word of the Lord Jesus went abroad throughout all Asia, among both Jews and Greeks. The Greeks were scholars, and exalted the power of intellectual culture. God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul. Acts 19 : 11. He went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, lie departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. And this continued by the space of two years ; so that all they which Ephesus. Present State. Paul, as a Christian missionary, first taught in the synagogue, theny in the schools, where the Gospel of Jesus Christ was offered in place of the philosophy of Plato, whom the Greeks deified. Said he, "The Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling- block, and unto the Greeks foolishness ; but un- to them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." So powerful was this teaching of the apostle that many who owned books of sorcery, or magic, which passed for wisdom in the eyes of the dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. Acts 19 : 8-10. For all the Athenians, and strangers which were there, spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing. Acts 17 : 16-21. 2 Cor. 10:5. ISIany that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men : and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. Acts 19 : 18-20. 42 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Acts 1 8 :4-6. For a certain man named Deme- trius, a silversmith, which made sil- ver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen ; Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said. Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands : So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought ; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be de- stroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. And when they heard these say- ings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. Acts 19 : 24-28. Dan. 2 : 10-19. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write ; These things saith he that hoideth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candle- stictis ; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil : and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. Rev. 2 : 1, 2. And hast borne, and hast pa- tience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Rev. 2 : 3. Acts 5 -.41, 42. Acts 8 : 4. Acts II :24, 25. Acts 13 :2-5. Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtilty world, brought their books and burned them before all men. Students from this school of Tyrannus became earnest workers in Asia Minor, and through them the Gospel was made known. Not only was the learning of the Greeks, who were the intellectual lights of the world, opposed by Paul and his disciples, but the trades were affected ; so much so that there was an uprising of the people, who with one voice cried, " Great is Diana of the Ephesians." Diana, the patron goddess of Ephesus, was a personification of fecundity. In this city, Christianity — the power of God unto salvation — came in open and bitter conflict with the false religion and the false edu- cation of the world. He who walked among the churches, watched the lighting of the torch of truth in Ephesus, and so the first words addressed to the church are, '' I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience." Those, who, on the day of Pente- cost, received the baptism of the Spirit, and those who heard the Gospel from their lips, were filled with a burning desire to spread the news of a Saviour. They were married unto Christ, and in the ardor of their first love, the converts sought for their friends and relatives, pleading with them to forsake evil and to accept salva- tion. There was no work too arduous, no jour- ney too difficult, to be undertaken for Him whom they loved. It can be seen that the power of God and the power of evil were in each other's grasp. By the side of pagan temples, were erected Chris- tian churches ; Christian schools sprang up in the very shadow of the Greek institutions of learning. In spite of the power of the enemy. THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 43 the spread of truth was rapid, so rapid, indeed, that paganism trembled for its life. Among the converts to the new doctrine, were some who were convinced of the truth, but who failed to experience the change of heart which comes with the new birth. There were others, who, for policy's sake, sought fellowship with the Chris- tians ; but as long as the church maintained a close connection with God, a clear and distinct line separated believers from impostors. *' Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars." The power which at- tended even the com- m o n converts, and their ready spirit of discernment, is seen By the side of pa- gan temples were erected Christian churches. in the case of Priscilla and Aquila, when Apollos, who received the Gospel, or at least a part of it, in Alexandria, came to Ephesus. Apollos was fervent in the Spirit, and taught with power ; for he was an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures ; but he knew only of the baptism of John. When he preached in the and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteous- ness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord ? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a dark- ness ; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Acts 13 :8-ii. Acts 16 : 16-18. Acts 8 : 18-24. 2 Tina, i : 15, This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith ; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Titus I : 13-16. 1 Tim. I : 20. 2 Tim. 2 : 17, 18. Rev. 2 : 2. A certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. . This man was instructed in the way of the Lord ; and being fer- vent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John, And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue : whom when Aquila and Triscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. Acts 18 : 24-26, Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. Prov. 8:34, 35, He said to them all. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9 : 23, If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him, John 11 : g, 10. 44 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. The remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Micah 5 8. Matt. 28 : 19, 20. Mark 16 : 15-18. Rev. 6:2. Acts 19 : 1-7, 9, 10. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. Psa. 92 : 13. Gal. 2 : 9. Acts 19 : 10. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wick- edness. Psa. 84: 10. Rev. 2 : 2. Acts 5:1-11. Rom. 5:3-5. I am the Lord : that is my name : and my glory will I not give to an- other, neither my praise to graven images. Isa. 42 : 8. Christianity walked as a spotless virgin clothed in white. hearing of those with whom Paul abode in Corinth, and who had studied with the great Apostle, ' Aquila and Priscilla —^^^' detected his ignorance of the outpouring of the Spirit, and the eloquent man re- ceived instruction from those who had recently come into the truth. One can, in im- agination, picture the sacri- fice which seems necessary on the part of those who ac- cepted Christ in this central stronghold of paganism. Light and darkness met face to face, and pagan- ism made a desperate struggle for existence. It is for these reasons, that the first message, addressed to Ephesus, is applicable to the first era of the Christian religion. Into the darkness of the worst forms of heathenism, the religion and culture of the Greeks, backed by the government of Rome,— Christianity walked as a spotless virgin clothed in white. By preaching and by teaching, two methods which are divinely ordained for the spread of the truth, Paul and his fellow laborers raised up a church at Ephesus. John had known of the work at this place ; for he, as a pillar in the Jerusalem church, was acquainted with the progress of the light as it spread from that center, and from Patmos his heart turned to the believers on the mainland. The angel said, " Unto the church of Ephesus write : * I know thy works, and thy labor, and THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 45 thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil : and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and, are not, and hast found them liars.' " The message is sent by the One who in heaven ** holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks." God Himself had watched each soul as it had separated from the world and linked itself with Christ. The power of Christ Himself attended the spread of the Gospel in those early days ; for it was carried Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I will receive you. 2 Cor. 6 ; 17. Acts 2 : 1-4. Acts 5 : i-ii. Acts 10 : 44-48. Acts 19 :6. Ex. 20 : 4-6. The Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire : ye heard the voice of the words, but ye saw no similitude ; only ye heard a voice. Deut. 4 : 12. .ifiM?: God is a Spirit : and they that worship him must worship him in I There were no idols, no spirit and in truth. John 4: 24. \ outward forms, only a spiritual worship. by men who had received of the Pentecostal showers. Christianity was a strange power as viewed by the heathen, for there were no idols, no outward forms, only a spiritual worship which they could not comprehend. The kingdom of Christ was invading the realm of the enemy, and there were no weapons which could attack it. In the space of thirty years, the Gospel went to every crea- ture under heaven. Rich and poor alike heard the glad tidings of the Desire of all Nations, For we can do nothing against the trutli, but for the truth. 2 Cor. 13:8. Rom. I :5, 8. Rom. 16 : 19. Col. I :6, 23. The rich and poor meet together : the Lord is the maker of them all. Prov. 22 : 2. Luke 3 : i. 46 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all Cesar's court, and in all other places. Phil. I : 13 [margin.] Phil. 4 : 22. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation : for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Jas. I : 12. Love is strong as death. Sol. Songs 8:6. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty ; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy ; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zeph. 3:17. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed : among the which was Dionysius the Areopa- gite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them. Acts 17 :34. Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Al- mighty unto perfection ? It is as high as heaven ; what canst thou do ? deeper than hell ; what canst thou know ? Job. II :7-9. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolai- tanes, which I also hate. Rev. 2:4-6. who had been born in Judea. Caesar ruled with unUmited power at Rome. No hand was raised against the throne ; and yet Christianity crept within those palace walls, and Paul preached to some of Nero's household. This growth is rec- ognized in the message. Thou "hast borne, and hast patience, and for My name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted." This was the experience of the first century of the Christian religion. The power by which it grew was that of love, — the first love, which in its ardor knew no bounds. It was the love of which Paul writes when he says that " Love is the fulfilling of the law." Christ watched over the believers with the joy of a bridegroom, and they in return gave Him their heart's devotion. There were many among the pagans who lis- tening to Paul, were convinced of the truth in their minds, but retained their Greek man- ner of reasoning. Indeed, they applied to the Scriptures the . same interpretation which they had formerly placed upon their own Greek writings. These converted Greek philosophers stood side by side with the simple Gospel teach- ers, and in trying to refute paganism by argu- ment, Christianity was in danger of weakening. The shadow of the enemy was falling upon the church. God called after these first believers, *' Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works ; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place." The Nicolaitanes, referred to in verse six, are said by Mosheim to have been a branch of the Gnostics, a sect living in Asia, who denied the divinity of Christ, and " boasted of their being THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 47 able to restore to mankind the knowledge of the true and Supreme Being." Their belief concern- ing the creation of the world, conflicted with the writings of Moses, and led to a denial of the divine authority of the Old Testament. Still other beliefs, contrary to the teachings of Christ, the. result of a mixture of Greek and Oriental philosophy, led to practices which the church of Christ could not tolerate. He does not say they hated the presence of the Nicolaitanes, and could not endure them ; but that they hated their deeds, " which I also hate." This church was in a position where they could hate the sin, and not the sinner, where they could have patience, and labor long for the erring, and love them ; while they hated the deeds that separated them from the Lord. The Lord closes with a message to every one : " He that hath an ear let him hear." The message comes to all ages in all time, to every one who receives the gift of hearing. It is the Spirit of God speaking to the church. "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." Adam was overcome by Satan, and thus lost his right to the tree of life ; but to every son of Adam ,the message comes, "I give to eat of the tree of life." It is the privilege of every child of God to claim the vic- tory, and to overcome every attack of the enemy through the strength given by Christ. To the tree of life, the faithful are promised access, in contradistinction to the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life was transplanted from the garden of Eden to heaven, but its boughs hang over the wall for all who will Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Heb. 11:3. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me : for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words ? John 5 : 46, 47. Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already ; and overthrow the faith of some. 2 Tim. 2 : 18. The message comes to every- one who receives the gift of hearing. God commendeth his love to ward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom. 5:8. ' 2 Cor. 2 :5-ii. Acts -23. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that over- cometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God, Reu. 2 : 7 48 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver ; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it : for how should my name be polluted ? and I ■will not give my glory unto another. Isa. 48 : lo, ii. Rev. 2 : 10. reach upward for its fruit. As the experience of the church is apphcable to each denomination, to each organization, and to each individual, so to the end of time. Christians will be placed in positions where they must choose between the wisdom of God, and the philosophy of the world, — the wisdom which is pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy and good fruits ; and the philosophy which, if adhered to, brings loss of light, and eventually death. Smyrna. Present State. Having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. SMYRNA. Smyrna, the second church addressed, was only about fifty miles from Ephesus, and doubt- less knew of the conditions at the central church of Asia Minor ; but as it was not a great trade center, many of the perplexities with which Eph- THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 49 esus had to contend were not present in Smyrna. Its members were poor, but still they worked earnestly for others. The wealth of Ephesus was one of the greatest drawbacks to the spirit- uality of that church ; but Smyrna, though poor in worldly goods, was rich in the eyes of the Lord. Through false teachers, claiming to be the children of God, persecution came to those who wished to follow the teachings of Christ. The true Jew is an heir by faith of the inherit- ance promised to Abraham, but many pride themselves on the inheritance of the flesh. Such belong to the synagogue of Satan ; for righteousness by works is the devil's coun- terfeit of the Lord's plan of salvation through faith alone in the merits of the Son of God. The words written by Paul in his letter to the Galatians, who had this same false teaching to meet, makes clear the difference between those who are children of promise and those who are Jews in name only. Paul illustrates the truth by repeating the life experience of Abraham. Ish- mael, the son of Hagar, the Egyptian bondwo- man, represents in allegory, those who hope to obtain righteousness by their own efforts. Such are the Jews against whom the church at Smyrna was warned. Isaac, the son of Sarah and Abraham, was the child of promise, and rep- resents those who accept Christ by faith. " But as then he that was born after the flesh perse- cuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now." So to the Smyrna church God said, " Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer ; behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried ; and ye shall have tribulation ten days : be thou faithful 4 For the love of money is the root of all evil : which while some cov- eted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things ; and follow after right- eousness, godliness, faith, love, pa- tience, meekness. I Tim, 6 :8-ii. Ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kins- folks, and friends ; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. Luke 21 : 12-17. Titus 1:9-11, For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly ; neither is that circum- cision, which is outward in the flesh : But he is a Jew, which is one in- wardly ; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter ; whose praise is not of men, but of God. Rom. 2 : 28, 29. Rom, 9 : 31. Rom. 4 : 3-7. Wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead ? Was not Abraham our father justi^ fled by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar ? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect ? Jas. 2 : 14-26. Gal, 3 : 8-10, 26-29. Gal. 4 : 22-3 1. We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Isa. 64 : 6. Rom. 3 :23. Gal. 4 :29. 50 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive. Rev. 2 : 8. Num. 14 :34. Eze. 4:6. Rev. I : 18. Beloved, think it not strange con- cerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you : But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings ; that, when his glory shall be re- vealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. i Pet. 4 : 12, 13. Pet. 1:5-^. Take heed therefore unto your- selves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my de- parting shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Acts 20 :28, 29. 2 Thess. 2 : 2-7. / linow thy war lis, and tribula- tion, and poverty, {but thou art rich) and t know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Rev. 2 : 9. Dan. II :34. Zech. 3 :6, 7. The law is no more ; her proph- ets also find no vision from the Lord. Lam. 2 :q. unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." The message was signed by Him "which was dead, and is alive." Christ's sacrifice of life and His victory over death, was pointed to by Gabriel as a special lesson and source of encouragement to those followers who would be called to pass through the fire of persecution. By faith the martyrs could see the crown of eternal life held out to them by the Son of- God. The message came to Smyrna, a church in Asia Minor, and like- wise to the Chris- tian church as a whole, during the second and third centuries. It was a time when pa- ganism was ma- le in g its final stand for supremacy in the world. Christianity had spread with wonderful rapidity, until it was known throughout the world. Some em- braced the faith of Christ because of heart con- version, others, because of the might of argu- ment brought to bear, and still others, because they could see that the cause of paganism was waning, and policy led them to the side that promised to be victorious. These conditions weakened the spirituality of the church. The Spirit of Prophecy, which characterized the apostolic church, was gradually lost. This is a gift which brings the church to which it is en- trusted, into the unity of the faith. When there 1 ^^^^^ISy '^^^^H^B The d shall some you it prison evil cast of ito THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 51 were no longer true prophets, false teachings spread rapidly ; the philosophy of the Greeks led to a false interpretation of the Scriptures, and the self-righteousness of the ancient Pharisees, so often condemned by Christ, again appeared in the midst of the church. The foundation was laid during the two centuries preceding the reign of Constantine for those evils which were fully developed during the two centuries following. During this period, martyrdom became popular in many parts of the Roman Empire. Strange as this may seem, it is none the less true. It was the result of the relationship existing be- tween Christians and pagans. In the Roman world the religion of all nations was respected, but the Christians were not a nation, they were but a sect of a despised race. When they therefore persisted in denouncing the religion of all classes of men, when they held secret meetings, and separated themselves en- tirely from the customs and practices of their nearest relatives and most intimate friends, they became objects of suspicion, and often of perse- cution, by the pagan authorities. Often they brought persecution upon themselves, when there was no spirit of opposition in the minds of the rulers. In illustration of this spirit, history gives the details of the execution of Cyprian, bishop of Carthage. When his sentence was read, a general cry arose from the listening mul- titude of Christians, who said, " We will die with him." The spirit with which many professed Chris- tians accepted death, and even needlessly pro- voked the enmity of the government, probably had much to do with the passage, in 303, a. d., of He gave some, apostles ; and some, prophets ; and some, evan- gelists ; and some, pastors and teachers ; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Eph. 4:11-16. When Peter was come to Anti- och, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gen- tiles : but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the cir- cumcision. Gal. 2:11, 12. They that are unlearned and un- stable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their ovm destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. 2 Pet. 3 : 16, 17. , Titus I :9-i3. 2 Tim. 2 : 19, 20. Phil. I : 12-19. We desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest : for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. Acts 28 : 22. Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too super- stitious. Acts 17:22. Be not conformed to this world : but be ye transformed by the renew- ing of your mind, Rom. 12 : 2. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. I John 2 :i5. As obedient children, not fash- ioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. I Pet. I : 14. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son ; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. Mark 13 : 12, 13. Psa. 31 :ir-i3. 52 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Heb. Rev, : 35-38. '1' Fear none of those things which thou Shalt suffer : behold, the devil shall 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 a crown of life. Rev, 2 : 10. Sweet smelling myrrh. Sol. Song 5 : 13. Like the smoke from the altar of incense. Precious shall their blood be in his sight. Psa. 72 : 14. Having received the things vphich were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. Phil. 4 : 18. A bundle of myrrh is my well-be- loved unto me. Sol. Song i : 13. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not accord- ing to knowledge. Rom. 10 : 2. Happy is that people, that is in scch a case : yea, happy is that peo- ple, whose God is the Lord. Psa. 144 : 15. the edict of persecution, by the emperor Diocle- tian, and his assistant, Galerius. The edict was universal in its spirit, and was enforced with more or less strenuousness for ten years. Many Christians suffered death. The sacri- fice of a child of God opens afresh the wound made in the Father's heart when Christ was slain. The death of Christ was a sign of sepa- ration from sin, on the part of him who accepted the sacrifice. Like the smoke from the altar of incense in the sanctuary service, a life given for the Saviour becomes a sweet savor in the sight oi Jehovah. Smyrna means ^* myrrh " or ^^ sweet scent!' This name is ap- plied to those who willingly offered their lives for their faith. The mercy of God is shown in this message in a most wonderful way; for although some doubtless suffered needlessly, and brought persecution upon them- selves, yet God does not condemn them for mistaken zeal. This is a message that con- tains no reproof, and it would seem that the ten- derness of our Father causes Him to lose sight of the fact that death was sought ; because He sees the earnestness in the heart of the one who offers his life. It is the same in individual ex- perience. The over-zealous ofttimes suffer when there is no need of suffering, and yet God reads the motive of the heart, and measures out the reward in accordance with what He finds there. Fellowmen may criticize and condemn, but God accepts any sacrifice made in His name; and He says to such a follower as He did to King David, "Thou didst well that it was in thine heart." THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 53 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches ;" " He that over- corn eth shall not be hurt of the second death." The second death is the only death that the peo- ple of God need to fear. Satan may bring phys- ical death to the faithful followers of Christ, but they will be shielded from the second death. God's people will rejoice in life everlasting; while the decree of the second death will be passed upon Satan and his emissaries. The Smyrna church immediately followed the time of Christ and His disciples, and was often referred to prophetically in their teachings. But he shall receive an hundred- fold now in this time, with persecu- tions ; and in the world to come eternal life. Mark lo : 28-30. 2 Chron. 6 : 8. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches ; He that ooercometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Reu.2:11, Rev. 20 : 12-15. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part o£ the same ; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. Heb. 2 : 14. Pergamos* Present state. PERGAMOS. The condition of Christianity for two or more centuries following the accession of Constantine the Great, to the Roman throne may be learned from the message delivered to the church of Pergamos. The ten years' persecution, which took place during the reign of Diocletian, failed to accomplish the design of its instigator, and a wonderful reaction followed. Constantine, wish- ing to gain favor above the very men who were foremost in the opposition to Christianity, es- poused the cause of that despised sect, and There are many devices in a man's heart ; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Prov. ig : 21. Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High : Therefore he brought down their heart with labour ; they fell down, and there was none to help. Psa. 107 :ii. 12. Herein thou hast done foolishly : therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. 2 Chron. 16 : 9. Heb. II : 15, 16. 54 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write ; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges. Reu. 2 : 12. Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is bet- ter than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. I Sam. 15 :22. / know thy worlis, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is : and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr^ who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. Reu. 2 : 13. The dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. Rev. 13 -.2. Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matt. 18 :6. I Cor. 5 : 1-6. Num. 31 : 16. Num. 25 : 1-5, Num. 22 : 15-22. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingbtock before the chil- dren of Israel, to eat things sac- rificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. Rev. 2:14. through him, Christianity was raised to the throne of Rome. Pergamos means *' exaltation,' or ^^ elevation,'' and it was when nominal Chris- tianity became popular, and swayed the civil government, that the two-edged sword of the Word was necessary to separate between the true and the false. Naturally the number of converts increased rapidly, and church buildings multiplied. Officers in the church, under favor of the government, spread themselves like the green bay tree. The doctrine of Him who said, '' He that is greatest among you shall be your servant," was reversed, and the papal hier- archy grew apace. This was peculiarly true of the Roman See. Other dioceses attempted the same exaltation. Constantinople, Jerusalem, Ephesus and Alexandria, — all contended for supremacy, but Rome, the seat of the dragon, was finally the acknowledged head of the Chris- tian church. God watched the church as it trod this dangerous path to worldly exaltation, and to Pergamos He sent this message : " I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication." During the period of ecclesiastical history, when the message to Pergamos is applicable, the church was guilty of idolatry and fornication. Lest Christians should misunderstand the appli- cation, and be led to deny the charge, the Spirit of God cites them to the experience of Balaam with Balac, the king of the Moabites, at a time when Israel was about to enter the promised land. The following quoted paragraphs throw THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 55 light on the work of Balaam in teaching Balac to cast a stumbling-block before Israel : — - '' Balaam was once a good man and a prophet of God ; but he had apostatized, and had given himself up to covetousness ; yet he still professed to be a servant of the Most High. He was not ignorant of. God's work in behalf of Israel ; and when the messengers (from Balac) announced their errand, he well knew that it was his duty to refuse the reward of Balac, and to dismiss the ambassadors. But he vent- ured to dally with temptation, and urged the messengers to tarry with him that night, de- claring that he could give no decided answer till he had asked counsel of the Lord. Balaam knew that his curse could not harm Israel. The bribe of costly gifts and prospective exaltation excited his covetousness. He greedily accepted the offered treasures, and did not change his course when met by the angel. While professing strict obedience to the will of God, he tried to comply with the desire of Balac.'' If in reading this paragraph the word "Ba- laam " is replaced by the '' Church," in the fourth and fifth centuries, and for '^ Balac" is read '< Constantine," or ''the Roman Emperor," the exact history of the church is portrayed. The church had known God, but it became cov- etous ; while it still professed allegiance to the Most High. The church, tempted by the rich offers of the government, parlied with its ambas- Josh. 13 :22. Woe unto them ! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gain- saying of Core. Jude 11. Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his, house full of sil- ver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. Num. 22 : 15-21. For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that so- joumeth in Israel, which separateth Balaam did not change his course when met by the angel. himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity be- fore his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concern- ing me ; I the Lord will answer him by myself. Eze. 14 : 7. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be ; and that which is done is that which shall be done : and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said. See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. Eccl. i tg, 10. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, andhonoureth me with their lips ; but their heart is far from me. Matt. 15:8. 56 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Israel invited to a feast of the Moabites. This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord. Isa. 30 :9. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Jas. 4 : 4. Num. 23 : II. Num. 24 : 10, sadors and refused to declare the statutes of Jehovah, and remain a separate and peculiar people. The union of Church and State was formed in order to obtain the privileges and pro- tection of the civil power. The following paragraph, read in the same way, gives the second step in the transaction," when Church and State joined hands : — " Disappointed in his hopes of wealth and promotion, in disfavor with the king, and con- scious that he had incurred the displeasure of God, Balaam returned to his self-chosen mis- sion. After he had reached home, the control- ling power of the Spirit of God left him., and his covetousness, which had been merely held in check, prevailed. He was willing to resort to any means to gain the reward promised by Balac. . . .He immediately returned to the land of Moab, and laid his plans before the king. . . The plan proposed by Balaam was to separate them (Israel, the church) from God by enticing them into idolatry. . . . This plan was readily accepted by the king, and Ba- laam himself remained to assist in carrying it into effect. Balaam witnessed the success of his diabolical scheme." The scheme was that Israel should be invited THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 57 to a feast of the Moabites, where meats sacri- ficed to the heathen gods, were eaten, and that Israel should be caused to commit adultery with the inhabitants of Moab. The church between 312 and 538 a.d. joined hands with the civil power. It took of the wealth of the State, and asked for civil protec- tion. Then it was that the spiritual sins of idolatry and fornication were introduced. Idol- atry was the love of money, the world, and all false worship which took the place of the worship of Jehovah. It is fornication in the e3^es of God when His people are wedded to any power save the arm of Omnipotence.- If ancient Israel had remained true to the teachings of their leader, the temptations of the Moabites would have fallen on deaf ears. The same is true of the church to which all this his- tory is sent as an allegory. The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, as described under the church of Ephesus, was a mingling of the pure teachings of Christ with the philosophy of the Greeks. If this doctrine had not been accepted in the church which claimed to be following the Saviour; if the children and the young people had been fed on truth instead of the mixture of good and evil, as represented by the doctrine of the Nicolai- tanes, the church would never have fallen. The message to Pergamos apphes in the fourth and fifth centuries ; it has also been the expe- rience of each separate Protestant denomina- tion, and it is a warning to all churches to the end of time. Any interpretation of this period that does not correspond with the history of Balaam is not according to the mind of the Lord, for God has given Balaam's history as a For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again en- tangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of right- eousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 2 Pet. 2 :2o, 21. Matt. 12 : 43-46. Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the con- gregation of the Lord. Num. 31 : 16. They called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods : and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor : and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. Num. 25 : 1-3, Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin ; beguil- ing unstable souls : an heart they have exercised with covetous prac- tices ; cursed children : Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, follow- ing the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of un- righteousness. 2 Pet. 2 : 14, 15. O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor an- swered him from Shittim unto Gil- gal ; that ye may know the right- eousness of the Lord.' Mic. 6 : 5. Rev. 17 : 2-5. Rev. 18 :2,3. 58 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. For the love of money is the root of all evil : which while some cov- eted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves ■through with many sorrows. I Tim. 6 : lo. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments ! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy right- eousness as the waves of the sea. Isa. 48 : 18. Psa. 119 : II. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Rev. 2 : 15. Num. 23 : 1-6, 14-17, 29, 30. No man can serve two masters : for either he will hate the one, and love the other ; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matt. 6 : 24. Jer. 7 : 17-19. Deut. 4 : 23-28. That which hath been is now ; and that which is to be hath already been ; and God requireth that which is past. Eccl. 3 : 15. Heb. 4:12. test by which we may know the true interpre- tation. " Repent ; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth," which is the two-edged sword. From the midst of the church, which fell because of its union with the State, God separated, by His Spirit, a little company whose history may be read in a part of the message sent to the church of Thyatira. God calls to each church, no matter how low the ebb of spirituality, and those who have an ear turned heavenward, hear. "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man know- eth saving he that receiveth it." As the sms of the church of Pergamos are given in the form of a parable, so the blessings to the repentant ones of this period are offered in figure. Those who had in sin partaken of food offered to idols, are offered in exchange the ''hidden manna." Manna is the bread of heaven, and as it was the only food necessary to nourish the multitudes of Israel during their forty years' journey, it be- came a fit emblem of Christ, the bread sent down to the world. Eating flesh sacrificed to idols brings death, but hidden manna brings life. "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven ; but My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." A union of Church and State crushes the spiritual life of any church. Why will men eat the food of idolatry when the THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 59 bread of heaven is free to all ? Why do Chris- tians in the education of their children, cultivate in them an appetite for "food sacrificed to idols," instead of spreading the table with manna which will give life to the soul ? Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Reu. 2:16. Deut. 13 : 6-n. Isa. 17:6. 1 4 m ^^ 1 , ' B|^^^^ ^ r^*^^ 1 lit. V 1 ^■^M 111 w The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people ; for ye were the fewest of all people. Deut. 7 : 7. Luke 12 : 32. Isa. I : 18. Isa. 43 : 26. Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up be- fore the Lord, to be kept for your generations. Ex. 16:32, 33. Rev. 19; He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches ; To him that ouer- cometh will I glue to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiueth it. Reu. 2 : 17. Our fathers did eat manna in the desert ; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. John 6 -.31. Ruins near ancient Pergamos. The lesson for the church as a whole is total separation from the civil power. The lesson to the home and to the individual is complete sepa- ration from the world. Cling to God ; for He has the hidden manna. Feed the children on I am the living bread which came down from heaven : if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever : and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. John 6 51. 6o STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Isa. 52:11, 12. Jer. 50 : 8. Jer. 51 :6, 45. 2 Cor. 6 : 14-18. 2 Tim. 3 : 15, 16. Com shall make the young men grow, and new wine the maids. Zech. 9:17 [margin.] In the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. Judges 5 : 15, 16 [margin.] Eph. 6 : 17. Rev. 2 : 17. Hag. 2 : 23. Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm : for love is strong as death. Sol. Songs 8 : 6. Mai. 3 : 17. We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3 : 18. my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy counte- nance, let me hear thy voice ; for Rweet is thy voice, and thy counte- nance is comely. Sol. Song 2 : 14. Matt. II :27. 1 Pet. 3 : 4. I Cor. 6 : 18-20. Gen. 32 : 24-29. Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed : he 'wept, and made supplication unto him : he found him in Beth-el, and there he spake with us. Hos. 12 '.4. hidden manna ; for it is well adapted to supply every need. God is teaching in these words a wonderful lesson on the laws of physical growth by simplicity of food ; of mental growth by purity of food, — ^food unadulterated with heathen teachings, — and a spiritual lesson of marriage with the Lamb, instead of with the dragon. The keen heart searching of the Spirit, repre- sented by the sword with the double edge, is shown in the second reward which is offered the repentant soul. To him is given a white stone, and in the stone a new name, which is known only to the one who receives it. As Zerubbabel was called a signet, or stone of sealing, repre- sented as worn upon the hand of the Lord, so is each one who chooses to follow Christ in prefer- ence to the ^world. The stone is white, of dazzling purity. There are seen in it none of the tints which are admired by human eyes, but it is a stone free from all signs of impurity, and on it is impressed, by the power of God, the name which is known only to the individual and his Redeemer. Others may pronounce that name, it is true, but its significance is a secret between Christ and the individual. The one who receives it has been guilty of idolatry and fornication, and none other save his Lord can know the soul experience which brought the new name. Once it was Jacob, supplanter. None but the bearer knew how applicable was the name. Every time it was pronounced by friend or foe, it was an open rebuke from God. And when at the close of the night of wrestling, the angel said, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel" — a prince of God, — THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 6i none but Israel knew the depth of meaning in that new name. When the Jewish nation Hved near to God, and the voice of Jehovah could be heard, every child was named under the direction of the Spirit. To-day heaven has a new name carved on a pure white stone for each sinner who repents, and the deeper the crimson dye of sin, the purer the stone will appear by contrast. *' Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." Gen, 23 : 28. Gen. 16 : 11. Matt. Ex. 2 ; Rom. Come now, and let us reason to- gether, saith the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isa. I : 18. Rom. Thyratira. Present state. THYATIRA. The message to Pergamos carries ecclesiastical history to the year 5 38 A. d., at which time the un- ion between civil and ecclesiastical power, begun in the days of Constantine, was consummated. During the period covered by Pergamos, the Israel is swallowed up : now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure. Hos. 8:8. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up ; his sin is hid. Hos. 13 : 12. 62 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Deut. 32 ; 32-34. O Israel, thou hast destroyed thy- self ; but in me is thine help. Hos. i^ :q. We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel : only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. Isa. 4 : i. Eph. 2:3, 4. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge ot the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. Heb. 10 : 26, 27. Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Jas. 4 .' 4. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass. Reu. 2 : 18. Rev. 2 : 19. Rom. 3 : 15. Matt, 23 : 15. Rev. 13 :3. Rev. 18:9-11 All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Rev. 13 :8. Be sober, be vigilant ; because your adversary the devil, as a roar- ing lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Pet. 5:8. E-Om. 3 :20, 28. Spirit of the Lord was with the church as a church ; but near the end of that period, a sep- aration began to take place. In the years fol- lowing, there was formed an organization still carrying the name of Christian ; and another company, separating from that first organization, because of the practices of Balaam, — the idolatry and fornication practiced by those who were once Christians indeed. Thus improper educa- tion was the cause of the apostasy of the church, and the one sign of its fall was that, in its spiritual weakness, it sought the civil power for support. It is under these conditions that the message comes to the church of Thyatira. It is sent by " the Son of God, who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass." Christ still walks among the candlesticks, but to Thyatira He comes with " eyes like unto a flame of fire" to search the very hearts of those who profess to be His followers. To these He says, " I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works." This was not an idle period ; their works are thrice mentioned in the one list. Those who estab- lished a state religion, replacing paganism by the papacy, were most diligent workers. The church absorbed every government, every industry, all the educational institutions, — everything. There was not a corner of Europe which was not under the direct inspection of that all-absorbing organization known as the papacy. Not only kings on their thrones, but every private individual in his own home, was amenable to the power of Rome. The church stood between the king and his subjects ; it stood between parents and children ; it came THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 63 \ even between husband and wife. The secrets of men's hearts were open to the confessor. Works, works of all kinds were advocated ; for the church taught that men were saved by works. Long pilgrimages across continents paid many a debt of sin. Penance and indulgences took bread from many a hungry mouth. The strongest government that ever bore sway was seated on the throne. Nevertheless the masses thought that in their works for the church, their service, their charities and their faith, they served the Christ. " Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, be- cause thou sufferest that woman Jeze- bel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols." The sins im- puted to the church of Pergamos are repeated in the message to Thyatira, but they are introduced by a different character. The woman Jezebel is taken as an object lesson. Jezebel was a Zidonian princess, a prophetess of the god Baal. Unlike Balaam, who before his fall worshiped the true God, Jezebel never made any pretensions of worshiping the Lord. Ahab, the king of Israel, married her for the sake of her influence, but found himself completely under the control of a headstrong, wicked woman. At her table, in the kingdom of Israel, sat the prophets of Baal. In the capital were erected temples, groves, and altars, to the heathen god ; sun-worship took the place of the worship of Jehovah. The prophets / knoLU thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works ; and the last to be more than the first. Reo. 2:19. Dan. 2 :4o. I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every syn- agogue them that beUeved on thee. Acts 22 : 19, 20. Gal. I : 13. The secrets of men's hearts were open to the confessor. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my serv- ants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. Rev. 2:20. It came to pass, as if i* >vvi been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians. i Kings 16:31-33. 64 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Prov. 5 : 3-6. Prov. 7 : 21-27. I Kings 18 : 19. 1 Kings 18 : 4. 2 Chron. 14 : 5 [margin]. She wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people : And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear v/itness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. I Kings 21 :8-i3. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. Jas. 5:17. I Kings 17 : i. Luke 4 : 25. 1 Kings 21 : 23, 24. 2 Kings 9 : 30-37. Jas. 2 : 14-26, I John 5 : 4, Rom. s : 13-17, But there was none like' unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the chil- dren of Israel, i Kings 21 : 25, 26, Lam. s :i2, Dan. 7 : 21, 25. Rev. 13 : 7. Lam. 4 : 18, ig. Rev. 17 : 1-6. Rev. 16 : 13, 14, Who opposeth and exalteth him- self above all that is called God, or that is worshipped ; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 2 Thess. 2 :4. of God were put to death by order of the queen • even Elijah fled before her face. She was a prop- agator of whoredom and witchcraft, and in the name of the king, she wrote a letter causing in- nocent men to be put to death. Israel had war, bloodshed, and finally captivity, as the result of the evil of this woman. It was during her lifetime that the heavens were stayed so that it rained not for three years and a half. The history of Jezebel is an unerring guide to the inter- pretation of the prophetic history of the church during the Dark Ages. In every detail, even to this last period of years, the history of Jezebel is a parable of the church history during the time, times, and half a time — the three and one half years of the papal supremacy, the period covered by the message to Thyatira. As a result of the doc- trine of justification by works, which was the stronghold of the church during this period, Europe had over a thousand years of darkness, known in all history as the Dark Ages, It was a tyranny of the most absolute kind, — a tyranny of theology over thought. Whosoever raised a hand against the church, fell as did Naboth whom Jezebel slew. Sorcery, witchcraft, idol- atry, and fornication took the place of the religion of Jesus Christ. Antichrist, or the "mystery of iniquity," had full control of the world. As Jezebel wrote in the king's name, and in his name slew an innocent man, so the apostate church opposed and exalted itself above the King of heaven, and while speaking in His name, it changed the law of Jehovah, and put to death thousands who were, indeed, followers of Christ. THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 65 Jezebel had an opportunity to repent, so also had Ahab her husband ; for there were many prophets in Israel, and the truth of God was taught ; but the royal family were so under the control of the mother that there was no salvation for them. So God said of Thyatira, or the church of the Dark Ages, " I gave her space to repent of her fornication ; and she repented not." But as there was a day of recompense with Jezebel, so there will be with the oppressive The End of Jezebel. power of the papacy. Jezebel was thrown from a window and dashed to pieces, and dogs ate her body. Ahab was slain, and dogs licked up his blood, and his sons were also killed. Of the "mystery of iniquity" it is recorded, "Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts : and I will give unto every one Dan. 7:25 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she re- pented not. Rev. 2 : 21. I Kings 18 : 17-39. 1 Kings 21 :23-2C). 2 Kings g : 7-10. Dan. 7 :7-ii. Rev. 2 : 21. Rev. ig : 20, Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying. In the portion of Jfezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel. 2 Kings g : 36. 2 Kings 9:30-37. 1 Kings 22:37-39. 2 Kings 10 : 1-7. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation^ except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death ; and all the churches shall know that I am he which search- eth the reins and hearts : and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. Rev. 2 : 22, 23. k 66 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity : he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Rev. 13 : 10. Dan. 7 : 26. Rev. 17 :5. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them tliat had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. Rev. 19 :2o. There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time : and at that time thy people shall be de- livered, every one that shall be found written in the book. Dan. 12 : 1. To the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent Rev. 12 :6, 14. I Kings 18 :4, 13. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, a.V the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. I Kings ig : 18. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy : when I fall, I shall arise ; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me : he will bring me forth to the light, and I t.'..all bi.hoId his lighteousness. Micah 7 :8, g. of you according to your works." Herein is given the final destruction of the apostate church. The civil power of the papacy was broken in 1798, when Pope Pius VI. was taken prisoner by the French ; but the influence continues. Thyatira is Babylon itself, and the churches spoken of elsewhere as " daughters of Babylon," will meet with the fate of the mother, Thyatira ; for when the history of all churches is over, Babylon and her daughters will be de- stroyed in the lake of fire. The time of trouble spoken of by Daniel, the prophet (Dan. 12:1), will be the time of tribulation for Thyatira. Of this the dreadful death of Jezebel is a symbol ; as her life and deeds are taken to typify the church itself. Mention has already been made of a separa- tion from the church as a church in the days of Pergamos and the early days of Thyatira. Individuals, who recognized the leadings of the Spirit, gathered in little companies, hidden away in the caves, mountain fortresses, and dens, like the prophets of God in the days of Jezebel. In these secluded spots were thousands who did not bow the knee to Baal. Among these were the Waldenses of Italy, and others scat- tered all through Europe, who retained the Word of God, and trusted in His promises. Of these scattered, yet faithful ones, the message speaks in the following words: ** But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine (of Jezebel), and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak ; I will put upon you none other burden." The name Thyatiiu means " sacrifice of con- tritioiiy' and appears to have direct application THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 67 \ to those, who, in the eyes of their persecutors and the world, were looked upon as heretics and outlaws — fit subjects for the stake. Their sacrifice was in truth a *' sacrifice of contrition." The contrite heart is the heart which God honors. As the ages passed, much of the light and truth which shone upon the Apostolic Church had been lost ; but the Saviour does not rebuke the ones who were sacrificing for the truth which they knew and lived out, because they did not have the light of the first centuries. Justification by faith was the doctrine which broke the power of the papacy. Christ and Him crucified, a truth so long forgotten, or replaced by faith in the head of the church, was given to the people of the world in the sixteenth century. Many other truths, long hid- den by the darkness, or buried under the traditions of the \ church, were brought forward j: I ._^_ in the early days of the Reformation. The Sabbath of the decalogue was acknowledged ; some preached upon the true meaning of baptism, and others made known the proper relation of the church to the state ; but these subjects were too strong for minds so long held in subjection. The age was not ripe for the fullness of truth. But as watchmen of the night hail the dawn when the morning star arises, so the early Reformers, from Wycliffe to Luther and his contemporaries, opened the Scrip- tures, and the first rays of light brought joy and gladness to those who sat in darkness. The But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not f STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Ex. 20:8-11. Rom. 6 :3-s. Acts 8:38,39. Matt. 3 : 15, 16. Matt. 22 :2i. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God ; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteous- ness : for he is a babe. Heb. s :i2, 13. Psa. 130 :6. Dan. II :33. Thy words were found, and I did eat them ; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart : for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. Jer. 15 : 16. The entrance of thy words giveth light ; it giveth understanding unto the simple. Psa. 119 : 130. Matt. 24 :29. When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads ; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21 :28. But that which ye have already hold fast till 1 come. Rev. 2:25. For he knoweth our frame ; he remembereth that we are dust. Psa. 103 : 14. I Cor. 10:13. Matt. 24 : 42. Prov. 4:18. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart, Psa. 97:11. Matt. 5 : 14-16. Psa. 147 : 15, Luke 13 :2i. Psa. 2:8,9. very ones who saw the darkness break before the Hght of God's Word, saw also the sign of the coming of the Son of man, which was hung in the heavens. In 1780 the sun was darkened. This was the first of a series of celestial signs (see chapter VII., Sixth Seal), and it was given to encourage those who had been oppressed. Christ says, *' I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come." How merciful is our God. He measures out to humanity its burdens of life, and no burden is made heavier than can be borne. "Only hold fast till I come," are His words of encouragement. To others, more accustomed to the light, greater truths would be made known. Holding up the torch of truth. To the little companies thus addressed, was given the privilege of holding up the torch of truth. As a beacon on a hill, seen from afar, the light shone from the valleys of the Piedmont. Many came in contact with this light, and soon fires were kindled throughout Europe. "He that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations." Truth was bound to trmmph, though trampled to the ground for over a thousand years. At last the faithful ones will reign as kings. The hand of the oppressor will be broken to pieces, as a potter's vessel. There was a time when the clay was soft and yielding, when THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 69 it could have been remolded ; but as the fires of persecution kindled, those who remained hardened in sin became so set that any attempt to change them resulted in breaking them to pieces. "I will give him the morning star." Christ is the light, and the faithful ones at the close of the years of persecution were told to lift up their heads, for their " redemption draweth nigh." This is the first church which is pointed forward to the second coming of Christ. The message to Thyatira is in harmony with the Psalmist's words, " My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning; I say, more than they that watch for the morning." It should be remembered that, as the experi- ences of Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos, will be repeated in the last church before the second coming of Christ, so the history of Thyatira will have its counterpart in the last generation. The power of Jezebel will again be felt. What was once done by a church in days of intellectual darkness will be repeated in days of great light. The union of the church and state will be fol- lowed by laws compelling obedience to man-made laws, instead of the laws of God. The law of God will be trampled under foot ; for a church with civil power always works the works of Jez- ebel. Just as Elijah fled before ancient Jezebel, so those proclaiming the last warning message, of which Elijah was a type, will be persecuted by this power. This message is impressed upon the minds of those living in the latter days by the oft-repeated words, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.'^ And he that overcometh, ana keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations : And he shall rule them with a rod of iron : as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers : even as I received of my Father. Rev. 2:25,27. Jer. 1 5 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected : for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. Heb. 12 : 15-17. I Pet. 4:12, 13. And I will give him the morning star. Rev. 2:28. I am the light of the world : he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8 : 12. Titus 2 : 13. Psa. 130:6. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. Eccl. i : 10. Dan. 7 :2i, 22. He had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. Rev. 13:15." That no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Rev. 13 : 17. Rev. 17 :3-6. Rev. 12 : 17. He that hath an ear, let htm hear what thel Spirit saith unto the churches. Rev. 2 : 29. CHAPTER IV. THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES.— Continued. SARDIS. The Lord bless thee, O habita tion of justice, and mountain of holiness. Jer. 31 : 23. Because they have committed vil- lany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not com- manded them ; even I know, and am a witness, saith the Lord. Jer. 29 : 19, 23. I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. Jer. 12:7-11. Jer. II : 15-17. Acts 5 : 29. Eze. 20:35, 37. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. Isa. I : 19. The message to Sardis is addressed to Prot- estantism. The period covered by Thyatira was the era of papal persecution. This church was once the church of God, one of the candle- sticks among which the Son of man was seen to walk, but when that organization prostituted itself by joining hands with the state, when, in other words, it followed the example of Balaam and worked the works of Jezebel, the oil was withheld from the candlestick, and given to those who were willing to obey God in preference to the head of the church. God regards char- acter, not name ; and the faithful few to whom the light was entrusted, were mentioned in a part of the message to Thyatira. They were the ones who knew not the works of Jezebel. 70 THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. n These became the forerunners of Protestantism. The darkness was first broken when Wychffe, *'the morning star of the Reformation," trans- lated the Bible into the Enghsh language. The first streaks of dawn lighted up the sky, and in the course of two hundred years, the sun had a- risen in its splendor. The church came out of the wilderness, leaning on the arm of her Beloved. The twelve hundred and sixty years of darkness ended. It was like the return of spring after a severe winter. Life of every kind sprang into existence. Energy, long dormant, seemed sud- denly imbued with a hitherto unknown activity. Discovery followed discovery ; inventions were multiplied ; men, accustomed to spending a life- time in one village, now found the world opening before them through publications and increased facilities for travel. Every branch of science was explored, governments bestirred themselves, and the dust of the Middle Ages was shaken off. America was discovered and settled. Men knew not why it happened at such a time and under such circumstances ; but God was prepar- ing a cradle for the new-born cause of Protest- antism. Germany might have nourished it ; England had an opportunity to cherish it ; but it was in America that the new church found con- genial environments for growth: and while all nations receive the Sardis message, it is par- ticularly applicable in the United States, or at least, the United States becomes the center for the movement therein mentioned. Sardis means ^^ prhice of joy' ; and the name is most appropriate for those who received the light of the eighteenth century, and the first half of the nmeteenth century. Protestantism If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted ? Gen. 4 : 7. He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds ; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. 2 Sam. 23 : 4. Wycliffe. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Dan. 12 -.A,. Hos. 2 The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways : they shall seem like lorches, tliey shall run like the lightnings. He sl\all recount his worthies : they shall stumble Ji their walk ; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defence shall be prepared. The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved. Nahum 2 : 4-6. Psa. 40: 13, 14. Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto ; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled ! All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see 3'e, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains ; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isa. 18 : 1-4, 7. 72 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Neither be ye sorry ; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Neh. 8:io. In him was life ; and the life was the light of men. John i : 4. Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Rev, 22 : 17. For there is no respect of per- s^B with God. Rom, 2:11. 1 will overturn, overturn, over- turn, it : and it shall be no more, un- til he come whose right it is ; and I will give it him. Eze. 21 : 26, 27. The small and great are there ; and the servant is free from his master. Job 3 : 19. Prov. 2g :2. Isa. 9 :2. It is happened unto them accord- ing to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again ; and, the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 2 Pet. 2 :22. 2 Cor. 6 ; 14. Isa. 8 :2o. Deut. 6:6-9. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Je- sus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. i John 1:7. Acts 15:28. Prov. 11:5, Luke ig 120-23. How long halt ye between two opinions ? if the Lord be God, fol- low Jiim: but if Baal, then follow him. I Kings 18 :2i. My son, fear thou the Lord and the king : and meddle not with them that are given to change : For their calamity shall rise sud- denly ; and who knoweth the ruin of them both? Prov. 24 : 21, 22. is an active, living principle, based upon eternal truths. It came as the result of the opening- of the Scriptures to the common people. The doctrine of justification by faith makes every man responsible to God alone, and necessitates freedom of conscience. When it is once made known that every man is equal in the sight of God, a deathblow is struck to all tyranny in government ; and with freedom of conscience, comes also a government by the people and for the people. In the days of Luther, Germany and the other countries of Europe, had an opportunity to develop this twofold nature of Protestantism. For a time it seemed that all Europe would be transformed ; but gradually, there was a return to papal principles in Germany, and nearly all of the other countries, which had espoused the cause of Protestantism, followed her example. The return was largely due to the educational work of the Jesuits, who arose to counteract the teachings of the Reformers. Since the days of Wycliffe, there had been in England followers of God, walking in all the light which they had received. Upon these God placed ''none other burden"; but as the light increased. Protestantism in its broadest sense, was offered to England. The history of England was, for a time, a struggle between the papacy, and Protestantism under the name of Puritanism. The Commonwealth was Puritan- ism in power ; and it was then demonstrated that there was not yet strength enough to resist the crown of tyranny when it lay within the grasp of man. England returned allegiance to her own royal family ; but so strong were the principles of Protestantism that her government ° ft ^ S^ ? bjO E UJ < LU o •^'1 &? 4 •3 o) a o ^ o 1 —1 (D o t— a o 3 ^1 w 2 C rt J^ R «, ^ W (U M ^• i ? -^ <1^' ^ CJ rd '42 33. l: Love. _£2 CD >■ PI ^ ^ . s Ji '^ .2 p. 'a. S ■*" f^ )8. 18: Lack of Zeal. >- CO Q cc CO t^ 'm "^ a i^p ^ r:J -^ 1|I^ .2 S .o 8 g S) « , Is § n "d So " w ■5 4> 13 ^ .^•2 _Q 1) a; , o xi 5S 2s JD - W) o ^ Q ,£3 rQ (3 1 03 >- O cc >- 31 w CM I— -1 1 5| S oj w ci tuO ^ ^ ^ .s ^;«i a ^ ^ ^ i- bJO . [/] V > n (u . •S g S :2 CO 8^ g S S -^ « '^ 1 -S ^ & 5o CO o <: o •H -^ ^^ ^, o o •'^ o o C^ a QC UJ a. •^1 !3 ^2 rt 1^ p--^ ^ ro ■^ 2 s s CO •< §-„ . -f o CM « CM "^ z cc >- Ilia 2 ^ ^ ^ CO >- C/3 •^2 u o o p. § S'sl'S 13 g .>: -S CO CO UJ o-S' >>« s S - •^ .s ^ ^ H ;§ - - f_i i-< o ^ Q- ►i^ u f5 "S J5 D D 5 Qt>: UJ H ■5 a « <^ THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 73 has been, since the days of the Commonwealth, a government by the people. It was in England that the first Anglo-Saxon branches of Protest- antism had birth, and it was because of lack of freedom in the mother country, that separatists from the English church sought homes in America. It is true that freedom was not always granted in those early days ; for the very ones who crossed the ocean because of oppression at home, oppressed, in America, those who did not wor- ship God in the prescribed way. Nevertheless, America was destined to be the home of Protest- antism ; and gradually, the shackles of the Dark Ages were dropped off, and the equal rights of mankind were acknowledged. The Constitution of the United States was the first document ever granting complete freedom of worship, and placing in the hands of the people the sole power of the government. It was a world-wide wonder, not the work of any man, but the cul- mination of those principles born in Germany in the sixteenth century. The Constitution was adopted in 1789 ; the sun was darkened in 1780. These events, taking place as they did, were as if God saw the end hastening on, and as a source of encouragement to His followers, placed the sign of His approval in the heavens. A few years later the papal power was completely bro- ken, and then the countries of southern Europe, France, Spain, Italy, and others, were free to choose between the principles of the papacy and those of Protestantism. America responded with its free government. During the fifty years following the adoption of the principles of Protestantism in America, the various branches Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit : but the upright shall have good things in possession. Prov. 28 : 10. When the wicked rise, men hide themselves : but when they perish, the righteous increase. Prov. 28 : 28. The anointed'of the Lord, was taken in their pits, of whom we said. Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen. Lam. 4 : ig, 20. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes : but the Lord ponder- eth the hearts, Prov. 21:2. I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth ; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. Rev. 13 : n. Through wisdom is an house builded ; and by understanding it is established. Prov. 24:3. The nations shall see and be con- founded at all their might : they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. Mic. 7 : 16. In those days, after that tribula- tion, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light. Mark 13 : 24. Luke 21 :25. Gen, I ; 14. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity : he that kill- eth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the pa- tience and the faith of the saints. Rev. 13 : 10. The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth Rev. 12 : 16. 74 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor ; if it may be a lengthening of thy tran- quillity. Dan. 4 :27. I heard another voice from heaven, saying. Come out of her, my peo- ple, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Rev. i8 :n4. If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve ; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell : but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Josh. 24:15. I will make a man more precious than fine gold ; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. of the Protestant church had their period of probation. One by one the denominations arose, separating farther and farther from the physical, intellectual, and spiritual tyranny of the papacy. To each denomination was offered the' law of God and the faith of Jesus. The '""" ~ -' time came when each had an oppor- S?^ tunity to ac- Isa. 13 :i2. God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 4 :6. Luther searching: for ligrht. cept or reject, as seemed good to them ; but the decision then made, decided their eternal destiny. In the early days of the nineteenth century God took a man, hitherto unacquainted with the Bible, and opened to him the beauties of the prophecies. As Luther found in Christ a Sav- THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 75 iour, and with the Hght that entered his mind, attacked the papacy, so William Miller, in 1818, saw light in the books of Daniel and Revelation. He studied with care the twenty-three hundred days, spoken of by Daniel, and became convinced that the second coming of Christ was near at hand. He applied every test, but all pointed forward to the year 1843 as the time when the world must welcome its Saviour. The con- dition of the people at the first advent of Christ, was now repeated ; when the time approached for the message of His second coming, the world lay in ignorance : and not the world only, but the church which bore the name of Chris- tian. Nay, more ! the very churches which in their zeal for truth had faced hardship and persecution, in protesting against the errors of the papacy, — these churches w^ere quiet when great changes were right upon them. But unto the church of Sardis, John was bidden 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 art dead." He, who walked among His churches, and who sought diligently for signs of life, searching among the seven stars, — the leaders of the churches, — found that, although Sardis claimed to have life, it was dead. Strange condition ! So quietly had this life been lost, that, looking back upon the activity of the past, and priding itself upon what great things had been done by Protestantism, this church had allowed the very principles of the papacy to twine about it until its life was choked. There was a time in the history of Pergamos, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim, 2 : 15. Dan. 8 : 14. Matt. 24:33. Prove all things ; hold fast that which is good. i Thess. 5:21. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John I : II. I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgot- ten in the city where they had so done : this is also vanity. Eccl. 8 : ID. And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write ; These things saith he that hath the seuen Spirits of God, and the seuen stars ; I l