isis !JJ » Mi SV. wmM, i. : V* .'«?,• -VS$k-$: ti 1 fAtf- V* • •" ■' - .v '■■ ■■ : . lift .' . ! -,‘>-' 'fei' ISiSfija -; >f&yj r •►.«•*. ' * • • V ;/. .• W • . , '. . '. • • jissK, ^ .; “v..," ,.:.% : '■;,■■■ •.■: „::sjj; > .»>•< y ■ •‘•>-;-/i.>vf c'.;Vi : .“ v * v .^*. i: . vv> ." '•"' ■ v, .<• -.•■ s:s:; c:•*,t . ■ ..... •.. . • ■ - .; ' ■ ■, ■ ..": N ysV--^ • -j ^kv*\. ;V'*. p\ '>■-:■'■>:;■■ V- $> »> V-5 v»?=' i|ifF:N' ,.■■:,•■• £v:vV >ifci VA>J SSlisli/' vi x'j ■•' : ."•/'■ if;' JV-*■ - ':; * ‘ IIP^ S» «s^ i fwwM yy-hH; ... >'V iX; fc Wife - «:;.■« ?.v:-.>,..': • v.'^-.v': (•••^' 'ft" V •» • •>!?/ J. r ^.-*..jr> »!!!: v' . 1 . ,.'••■ : r- V. ; .'• .. V : . ,-. . K SW3:; -w , -'>**£11 L f ty ^3 Library of the University of North Carolina Endowed by the Dialectic and Philan¬ thropic Societies BOOK of REVELATION WHAT it teaches and WHY this teaching:— Not y^t fulfilled,— But has begun to be, and must be. BY Rev. Walter Thaddeus Cutchin, writer and student, and for many years an industrial worker. Price paper in pamphlet form, 25 cents each. Published for the author BY Orange Printshop, Inc. 1923. A Partial List of Pamphlets and Tracts Published and for Sale by the Author. All these Subjects are of Interest and Teach Bible Lessons you need to know. Order such as you would like to read or distribute. Be Berean like, and seek for Truth, then Teach it. The Lord is Coming Again_01 The Judgment of Christ and Plis Saints-—-01 His Blood be on Us- -01 Affliction - 01 The Two Mysteries_ 01 Two Big Questions_01 Obedience to The Law_01 Faith _01 A Reply to a Post-Millenniumist_01 The Eternal Inheritance_01 Heathendom and Christianity_01 What did Paul Write the Thessalonians ?_ 01 The Kingdom of Heaven _01 Salvation is for All_ 01 With You Always_ 01 Who is Jesus Christ?_01 The Plan of Salvation_01 Man and His Responsibility to God_01 Ye Must be Born Again _01 How Do I Know God Forgives and Saves Sinners_01 The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like Unto What?_01 The Trinity,—God, Three in One___01 Love_01 The Resurrection__01 The Church _ 01 What is Truth?__01 Baptism_ 01 These are for sale at one cent each for fifty cents a hundred Rev. W. T. Cutchin, Chapel Hill, N. C. n>i go THE BOOK OF REVELATION teaches. The day that Adam and Eve sinned was man’s first tumble; the flood was his second tumble; at the Call of Abraham was his third, and the Captivity of Judah was his fourth; the Coming of Christ a fifth; the Rise of Catholicism a sixth; the Reformation was a seventh, and the world’s war of 1918 the eighth. Every tumble has been a sinking into a spirti- ual loss and a rise into worldliness, independence, obstinancy and rebellion to God. The world claims that it is growing better every year, and many preachers teach it, but the Bible declares, whether men be¬ lieve it or not, that this world is growing worse. Before the Flood there are but two instances recorded where one man took another’s life, and yet that generation is said to have been so wick¬ ed that it repented God that he had made man. In the last war there were more deaths from the hands of men than perhaps ever destroyed before. Destruction of property and bloodshed, the making of widows and orphans may be a great evil and an enoimous crime, but there is a greater evil than that. It is the evil of the heart that finds pleasure in a life of worldliness and a daily indulgence of passions, that forgets God and lives only for time. Man becomes wiser and richer, as the world sees it, but less godly and brotherly. It grows away fom God instead of toward him. They deny it, and remind us of charitable institutions, of schools, of colleges, universities, asylums, orphanages, homes, associations, fraternities and many orders. They claim that in no age was the poor and destitute better protected or their lives happier, and that all our opportunities are very much supe¬ rior to any previous age. Improvement is going on every where and every day they declare. From log huts to mansions they climb, from old and unsatisfactory methods and no systems they have arisen to labor and time-saving machmey to systematic and efficient ways that eliminate stress and strain, brawn and muscle i until the world in an eight hour day can do more and live hap¬ pier than formerly by toil and sweat during a day that had night at both ends. Surely there is an evolution from ignorance to education, from stTain and toil to efficient and pleasurable ways; from poverty and want to riches and happiness. I deny none of their premises,—but the Bible teaches: REVELATION A “If 1 love the world, or the things of the world, the love of the Father is not in me.” in all those organizations mentioned there is a fundamental teaching to love the world and the things of the world. All the teaching of self-denial is for the advancement and for the betterment of the body politic. It is the self-denial cf patriotism. And when that is brought to a tentative analysis it means that certain ones should be sacrificed for certain others, and that one should lay down his life for those above him The Bible teaches that “we should lay down our lives for the brethren,” those just like yourself,—those who have no higher level, or enjoy other remuneration—a contact that is personal, that is brotherly and fraternal and social,—and that this should be strong enough to require the gift of life. “If a, man smite thee on one cheek, turn the other also: if a man take away thy coat, give him thy clothes also: if he compel you to go a mile go with him two.” There is a command to bless and curse not; to return good for evil; and even to love your en¬ emies, praying for those who despitefully use you, and say all mannei of e\i! against you falsely. Jesus Christ did not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets,- -not at all. He came to fulfill the law,—and that meant to teach its true and spiritual meaning,—to give us a Inter¬ pretation of law. To the world, “lav/ful” means literal, and as the statute reads. 6 per cent legal interest means 0 per cent on 595.00 written in the note $100.00. The intent and purpose, the spirit and real meaning is avoided and the law becomes but a meaningless quibble. But in moral law the evasion Is often worse than in civil. The Scribes and Phar’seees, as did Nathaniel and Saul, lived up to the Law as they conceived it. They had yr> Idea of the intent and purport but the literal aril statutory rwj ' Ag They needed a new and higher interpretation. Christ came to give it. “Except your righteousnes shall exceed that of the ssribes and pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven/* was the declaration. “Thou shalt not commit adultery''* said the Law, but Christ taught, “Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in Ills heart.” The Law stands as ever but there is a new interprets- 8 REVELATION tion given it, the true meaning as was intended has been applied. The spirit as well as the letter is applied and a Christian character is formed. “Wars and rumors of wars” will ever be the daily news and gossip for a world seeking only its excesses and selfish gratifi¬ cation,—of the earth, earthly; and they will be in evidence until the end of time. Thei^e was once a war in heaven, but it was not heavenly,—it was earthly, sensual and devilish, as any other war. There will never be another there, and the time must come when there will not be another here. Righteousness must cover the earth as the waters cover the sea, and the lion and the ox eat straw together. When this world has tried out its faith in itself,—when its wisdom has been proven false,—and the world has realized its helplessness without God,—and social salvation has proven a fail¬ ure,—THEN Jesus Christ will return, and the work of man’s restoration and Edenic state will begin. Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. The world is to be saved, Satan is not greater than Christ; and if sin does reign now it must eventually be destroped; mankind, redeemed by his precious blood, shall be rescued or his death is in vain. Satan, the great Adversary and Deceiver, is to be chained, when man has realized his own weakness, and he shall remain chained until the shackles have been broken and there has been a "restitution of all things.’’ THEN with a final sifting of the wheat and garnering of the grains "the chaff shall be burned with unquenchable fire.” Revelations tells of this work, and shows to man things "shortly to cont^to pass.” This Revelation is not John’s but that of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to the intent that he might show to his servants the things that were shortly to come upon the world That men are woefully ignorant of these things and but little concerned about them shows whose servants they are. If this revelation has been given to his servants then very few are truly his servants; for very few ministers of the gospel know any more about "things shortly to come to pass” than High- school students. Very few people are concerned about the word and work of God in this world. John says, "Blessed is he that readeth and REVELATION 9 they that Hear the word of this prophecy.” But apparently few care about this blessing,—they are more concerned about money and wealth, of grandeur and show, of applause and honor, of ease .and indulgence, of sensual gratification and pleasure than any¬ thing else. This Revelation was not needed before Christ: for even himself, nor the angels knew it then, but it was needed AFTER, and is badly needed today. The “time is at hand,” said John, changes are taking place over night and are astonishing the world because they know not. To the Seven Churches. (Lesson 2.) The Apostle addresses himself to the SEVEN churches in Asia, but he knew that there were more churches in Europe and Africa than in Asia; and this is in itself a reason for address, ing himself to Asia. God always looks after that which man does not consider. And that of the many churches THERE he men¬ tions only SEVEN, shows again his differentiation from man and his ways. But in Scripture, parts are often mentioned for the whole and this number seven is peculiarly so, often in its use. It is a representative number for the whole, and no doubt is so used here,—I think that is the consensus of all commentators. But it MAY MEAN even as some have stated, the church’s growth and decline, and its history down through the years since. And after seeing such a state, he asks Grace and peace from Him and the Spirits over the churches before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the “first begotten from the dead.” (To be begotten from the dead, means to live again,—but some of the old prophets, and he himself had raised the dead before to life,— then that he is “the first begotten,” means something MORE than mortal life,—it means “life forever more,” “death hath no more dominion over him.” And He is the FIRST raised into such a life,—the first wherein mortality has put on immortality, and corruption put on incorruption, and can never die a second death. Nov/ hear! hark! attention! “Behold he cometh with clouds: and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all the earth shall wail because of Him.” Commen¬ tators may uiiTer as to how he is to come and when he is to come but here we have the word of God declaring positively HOW he is REVELATION 10 to COME. When he left he went away on a cloud and when he COMES He will return with clouds, and Jude says “with ten thousands of his saints,” and not secretly and quietly, but openly and boldly in glory before the eyes of an astonished world, so that “every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him.” If He came quietly and unobserved, and was here unseen and spiritual, as Russell teaches, “why on a cloud,” or with clouds, or “with tens of thousands of his saints?” The teaching of his coming, “ as it was in the days of Noah,” and “as it was in that of Lot,” and “as the sun coming out oi the east and shining even unto the west,” is the sudden and unexpected coming, “like a thief in the night.” Unlooked for and unexpected is the true teaching. This necessitates a resurrection of the wicked dead as well as the regenerate. The dead before he comes are as much “kin¬ dreds of the earth” as those living when he comes, and “all kindred of the eartii shall wail because of him.” Those who have lived In pride as rulers and leaders among men so long, now that they are cast down from their pinnacle of honor and pride will be loth to be abased and set to serve. Yes, they will wail BECAUSE OF HIM. ‘‘Even so, Amen.” Thus does the last prophet sent by God speak to us, and introduces this Revelation,—which informs us of things shortly to come to pars. Hear him: 4 T was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, seying, 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.” The speaker must have been God; for no other is the First and the Last. The message is to “the seven churches,” a symbolic number for ALL the churches; hence all should listen and take heed to what they hear. Again, “I saw seven golden candlesticks, and in the midst of them one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. Hi's head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; end his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his.foot like unto fine as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars; and t mss. REVELATION 11 out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his coun¬ tenance, was as the sun shineth in his strength.” This was a wonder that awed and astonished John so, that he fell on his face as dead at its sight. It’s no less a wonder, that on them who read of this and about it, there is so little impression, and influence for good. Then John was told, “I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth and was dead; and behold I am alive forever more. Amen, and have the keys of hell and of death.” Surely WHO he is, and WHO he was, was helpful to John,—this great personage “like unto the Son of Man.” He had been with the Lord for three and ■ half years, and knew him. well,—now he was highly exalted to th right hand of God, and given all power in heaven and in earth, and as such he was God and as God, held the keys of hell wit!' dying tenacity to all that aids and abets a good character, “nor e other name under heaven given to man whereby we can be s ved.” This image clearly indicates his position.. He tells us the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seve golden candlesticks ARE the seven churches. Then this indicates to us that as candlesticks are for light so must the churches give light to a darkened world. But the churches have help and guidance, for over each is a messenger of God. These messengers are to the churches what the ancient prophets were to the Hebrews: and hence the letters are to the Angels of the churches. And these seven representative churches are given letters representative for all time that Christendom may learn its own character and the necessity of constant diligence to fight the good fight of faith, blow plain! is all this made, and interpreted, and yet h-nv much is written to interpret what is already inter¬ preted. Some have written whole books on the seven churches. Truly is it said, “Of the writing of books there is no end.” Christianity is a character builder, and faith and obedience yield up all that is contrary to this purpose, and firmly adheres with dying tenacity to all that aids and abets a good character The fight of faith is the fight of life. “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.'* Man was cast out of Eden lest he partake of the tree of life and live forever; it is. here referred to as showing 12 REVELATION that they who are faithful have an eternal life* and no others will. The wages of sin is death and the soul that sinneth shall die. Again, he premises a crown of life, and the overcomers shall not be hurt of the second death. The crown of life and the second death are opposites.—The one is LIFE and the other is DEATH. Again, they eat of a hidden manna, and have a new name. That indicates a new way of existence, and a new relation never exist¬ ing before. Again, they have power over the nations, and rule them with a rod of iron; indicating position and place in the re¬ demptive plan and purpose of God. The Lord has declared that they will reign with him in his throne during a thousand years, and bring about a restitution of all things spoken of since the world began,—not just since Christianity began. Again, they shall be clothed in white raiment,—which is their righteous char¬ acter and holiness of soul; their names shall not be blotted out of the book of life, but shall be confesssed before God and the angels; as the Lord said, “If ye will confess me before men I will also confess you before God.” Again, “they shall be pillars in the temple of God, with the name of God upon them, and his city.” Fillars mean supports, and the names of their God and their city mean power and authority to perform their wills; and they shall “sit with him in his throne,” as he now sits with the Father in his throne. Such is the wonderful attainment of the children of God, —the faithful ones that follow Christ in the regeneration. Glorious and amazing but promised by Him who hath all power in heaven and earth. BUT those that refuse to deny themselves, to take up their crosses daily and follow him will lose their crowns. REVELATION 13 ■ ' (Lesson 3 .) The fourth Chapter of Revelations opens with a NEW vision. It says, “After this.” A door was opened in heaven: and a voice like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you some things which must be hereafter.” And behold, a throne was set and one on it. He was like a Jasper and a Sardine stone. A rainbow like an emerald en¬ circled the throne. Around the throne were twenty-four lesser thrones, filled by twenty-four Elders, clothed in white, and wear¬ ing crowns ot gold. Out of the throne came thunder and light¬ ning and voices: and before the throne were SEVEN lamps of fire burning, which are the SEVEN spirits of God. And before the throne was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the. MIDST of the throne and ROUND about the throne, were four LIVING ONES (translated BEASTS), full of eyes before and behind. And the first was iike a lion, and the second was like a calf, and the third had the face of a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle, and each had six wings about him, and were full of eyes within: and they rest not day or night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is, and is to come. The El¬ ders fell down and worshipped, casting their crowns before the throne, praising God. Like a Jasper stone means, without alloy, pure and holy: the rainbow like an emerald means, promise and hope unfailing and eternal; the 24 elders are the 12 sons of Jacob and the 12 apos¬ tles of the Lord, the elders in each dispensation; thunder and lightning means, power and determination; the sea of glass like unto a crystal means, a foundation unmixed with error, pure and tried and clear as truth; the four beasts mean, four governments or dispensations of God: before the flood,—like a lion in age, years and strength; from the flood to Jacob,—like a calf, wherein sacrifices were made in every household; from Jacob to Christ,— like the face of a man, in phophecy and the law, through the prophets: and since Christ,—like a flying eagle, in the gift of th? 14 REVELATION Holy Spirit and his operation on human hearts. These beasts rep¬ resent the TRUE governments of God under each dispensation, hence six wings for every day, to find every need, and bring a remedy for every ill, and full of eyes, to know how to meet every trial. The Fifth Chapter continues: In the right hand of the KING was a book written within and without, and sealed with SEVEN seals. An angel cried, “Who is worthy to open the book and loose* the seals?” And not a man in all creation was found able to open the book or look thereon. But the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David prevailed to open it and loose the seals. He took the book amidst acclaims of holy admiration and praise by the' beasts, the elders and ten thousand times ten thou¬ sand and thousands of thousands of angels, and every creature above or below. And they said, “Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” They sang, they gave glory, and they were “Out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and na¬ tion,—IIow many we are not told; but they wore kings and priests” and they were to “Reign on the earth.” Be they many or few, they did not seem to affect John like the hosts of angels of whom he attempted to number. And this 13th verse says, “And EVERY creature which is IN HEAVEN, and ON THE EARTH, and UNDER THE EARTH, and such as are IN THE SEA, and ALL that are IN THEM, say¬ ing Blessing and honor, and glory and power be unto Him that sitteth on the throne.” Of course it would not be expected that obdurate sinners and rebellious subjects would proclaim this, hence this TIME must be AFTER the churches have ceased to be recog¬ nized and a new era had dawned. The things that John saw were to be HEREAFTER, and that the WHOLE creation above and below gave glory to God is evidence such has not yet taken place. The book represents the “mystery of God;” the seven seals, the seven steps of procedure, or seven successive developments in disclosing the mystery; and that every creature above or below REVELATION 15* gave praise to God means this is all yet future, and necessarily must be when some great spiritual awakening, such as under the first seal or later, under the seventh seal. The Sixth Chapter begins with the opening of the Seals of the Book. The Book is the Revelation, and the Revelation must precede the Book of Life. This book has much to do with the final Records in the Book of Life. The Book of Life is the most important book to mankind, and will contain the names of ALL who pass from death unto life, of all who will inherit the eternal promises of God. When the FIRST resurrection takes place, the first list will be read and sum¬ moned to meet the Lord in the air; so these things must precede His coming, the clays of the Time of the End. The Opening of the Seals On opening the first seal, there went forth a rider on a white horse, crowned, and a bow to conquer. This is spoken of by commentators as the Gospel in its role as a Teacher, but specifically and immediately it must point to SOME FUTURE day in which God designs some especial victory. We all know that the Gospel, while influencing and affecting every mortal thing on earth, its victory and glorification is not manifest. It has been a light in darkness and a hope in a weary land, but HAS NOT CONQUERED, but that it MUST is indicative of some FU¬ TURE day. On opening the second Seal, there went forth a rider on a red horse, with power to take away peace and give war; carrying a sword. This SEEMS to point to “the Dark Ages” of persecution, and the low ebb of Christianity, but just as in the First, its spe¬ cific application must abide some future date, when the world AFTER being aroused as never before by the spread of the Gos¬ pel and its victory over man, then the forces of darkness and the emissaries of Satan will let loose worse than in any previous day or age and there shall be “wars and rumors of wars” covering the earth. The Dark Ages will be but a shadow, and the horrors of the German war will be but a misty dew. 16 REVELATION On opening the Third Seal, there went forth a black horse, whose rider carried ballancies, indicative of famine and want. This would seem to indicate a great dearth in the land, of scarcity and want, of distress and hunger; and there have been many such dearths. Much famine and want exists today, enough to make strong hearts quail, but the specific dearth that is here predicted must be in the future. Such things will follow in the wake of wars and the greatest war must bring the greatest famine. On opening the fourth Seal, there went forth a rider on a pale horse, and his name was Death. He had power over a fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, and with the beasts of the earth. This SEEMS to be the Papacy that many have thought to have over-run a fourth of the earth; and she did kill with the sword, with hunger and the beasts of the earth; and its applica¬ tion like the preceding, may have strong evidences of similarity . and cause some even to point out the very things that were done, yet I think THIS day of death and gloominess is YET TO COME. History not only repeats itself but enormities increase with the years. On opening the fifth Seal John saw all the martyrs, and heard them cry, ! ‘How long, O Lord, Holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood?” And they were given white robes and told to rest a while till their comrades should join them.” This has been referred to as the years of Reformation and the spread of Protestant Christianity; in a manner the Lord at that time looking in upon the martyrs. But that is all proba¬ bility, a guess or hint, for as before said instances of similarity have never been wanting in History, and the strong Mrmations of Bible students unauthorized or faintly applicable often turn men away from the Bible rather than toward it. That the mar¬ tyrs were given white robes, or that they could ask for judgment is plainly placing the whole transaction in the future. On opening the sixth Seal, “There was a great Earthquake; the sun was black as sack cloth of hair, and the moon as blood; the stars fell as an untimely fig tree casting her figs, and the heaven departed as a scroll, and all mountains and islands moved -out of their places. The kings and great men, and rich men, cap- REVELATION 17 : tairs and mighty men, and bond men and free men, hid them¬ selves in the dens and rocks, and cried that mountains and rocks might hide them from Him on the throne and the Lamb: for the day of his wrath is come.” At this juncture in the revelation four angels appear on the four corners of earth, holding the winds: another angel from the East having the Seal of the living God,—to seal His servants in their foreheads,—the number being 144,000, 12,000 out of each tribe of Israel; and standing before the throne was a multitude without number, clothed in white and with palms saying, Salva¬ tion to God and the Lamb. “These were those that came out of much tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the * Lamb.” We sometimes think that the sealing of God’s servants is still going on and the angels are still holding the winds of trouble and wasting destruction, but THIS sealing is specific and the seal¬ ing is among the ISRAELITES and their tribes. The Time of the End is near, the great day of His wrath is approaching and the nations are puzzled, wasting destruction looks the world in the face. A new order of things is daily being tried. They cry Peace, when there is no peace. The mighty are trembling and the proud are falling. This SEALING is not among the kindred, people and na¬ tions of earth, its among the tribes of Israel. They are chosen from among the Lord's own people, as were the apostles, and for some specific reason and purpose. But the great earthquake, the black¬ ened sun, the bloody moon, the falling stars, the heaven departing as a scroll and the mountains and islands moving out of their places all inaicate some future day; and the dark days of the past, the ruddy moon and falling stars, were but faint types pointing us forward to this great day, when like a scroll will the heaven above roll back and not a star be seen, and the mountains shall change their Oases, and islands shall submerge themselves like submarine vessels and rise no more. THEN men will tremble, then will men quake and fear, then will men hide and cry might¬ ily because of what they see, and pray to be blotted out lest they fall into the hands of an avenging God. The inference is plain that THE THRONE AND THE LAMB ARE OPEN TO MORTAL 18 REVELATION EYES, and Uiev think the day of wrath is come. But the day of Wrath is further on, it belongs to some future day. Man’s direst calamity and quaking fear is not yet. There have been days of adversity, Ernes of great distress and much tribulation to individ¬ uals and nations in all history, out of which have come many martrys for truth and righteousness, and these are here referred to as having washed their robe and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The persecuted and oppressed of all lands have been God’s people in preferenc to the rich and noble, the leaders and rulers. And though the great day of tribulation is yet future, God’s people have had tribulation in every age. On opening the seventh Seal, there was silence in heaven for halt an hear. Astonishment! Wonder! Awe! Amazement! None could speak. And seven angels with seven thumpets made ready; and another angel with a censor, tilled it and cast it into the earth, and noises and an earthquake occurred. Then the first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire and blood; and the THIRD part of trees burned up and all green grass. We may read and see some of the things which are soon to come to pass and the truly wise will prepare to meet them. The half hour of silence in heaven will take place when the seventh Seal is broken, and THEN the sounding of the seven trumpets in rapid succession. As they all come in the closing time of the end and under ONE SEAL they naturally follow each other rapidly. These are “the days that must be shortened or no flesh could be saved.” This is the seventh and last SEAL, and indicates things that will take place at the very close of the TIME OF THE END. Every act is performed to get ready for the opening up of the SEVEN THOUSAND year day of The Lord’s reign and rule. No man can tell what is to be but he may read what God discloses and makes knovvn unto us. John has spoken in figures and types and told us all this for the especial purpose of letting us KNOW there is no occasion for despair or discouragement,—God’s triumph is as sure as the hills. What is here told will be understood only by the closest application and study with prayer and fasting. The closest student will discover most, but all who read will be blessed. ■ 1 i The breaking of the seventh Seal is the preparation for the REVELATION 10 sounding of the seven trumpets,—all of which are WOES follow¬ ing woes; each increasing in distress and hardships. An angel pouring incense upon the altar casts it to the earth,—indicating prayers are unheard now, and petitions are not made. The earth has become apostatized, it is asleep in luxury, it is gone on in a mad rush for gain and honor until conscience is seared as with a hot iron. Either these TRUMPETS sounding, close up the sixth thousand year day or it opens up the seventh thousand. In either case it is one of woe and distress and plenty of it. Now, the world is having some troubles, and always have, but there are worse ones ahead, i he sounding of the trumpets will be WOE on WOE, paying man in his own coin what he has paid to others. Let us read the sounding of the seven trumpets with much care. \ 20 REVELATION (Lesson 4. Chapter 8.) The Seventh Seal Continued,—or the Sounding of the Seven Trumpets. The Judgments and Woes of God,—or the Days of Wrath These seven Trumpets are sounded under the opening of the seventh Seal, and of course are the works done under that Seal, —they are the Seal itself. And such woes as are here described, and such judgments as are here sent upon humanity is the reason for that half hour of silence in heaven. The enormities of sin stagger angels and God, but Satan and men show wrath at its hindrance or subjection. They roll it as a sweet morsel under their tongues. They go to the extent to where they can believe a lie. “The carnal mind is not subject to the law of God, but is at enmity against God, neither indeed can be:” “men drink in iniquity as an ox drinketh in water:” “they thirst for it as a dry and thirsty land where no water is:” they are as “prone to evil as the sparks to fly up¬ ward.” There is no truth whatever in the poetry that says:— “Sin is a monster of so frightful a mien, That to be hated needs but to be seen.” These Woes or Judgments of God are sent upon mankind as punitive or corrective that they may see their errors and turn away from sm: they are as truly the miracles of God before men for their conviction and conversion as any ever performed by Christ or His disciples. THEY are to teach us that Capital punishment, Penitentiaries and Jails DO NOT lessen crime, that compulsion i nd force never make men better, and there is NO CONSCRIPTION to the armies of heaven, or the ranks of the saints. Hear tho result of this severe and awful test,—“And the rest of the n ui which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship dev¬ ils, and idHs of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: neither repented they REVELATION 21 of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” These woes are not only to distress and trouble men but to exterminate one-third of all; and in order to make it most ef¬ fective their torments are to become such that they shall seek death and not find it; and they “shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.” First Trumpet The sounding of the first Trumpet is followed by hail and fire mingled with blood cast upon the earth; and the THIRD part of trees was burnt up and all green grass was burnt up. All green grass and a third of all trees were burnt up. Surely this must have been a drouth and a dirth of thirst that man has never felt or known. It seems to be a combination of the second, third and fourth Seals all in one. THEN the fourth of men were destroyed; NOW a third of the forests and all grass. THEN man was hurt; but NOW he is only obliged to see NATURE suffer. But blood was mingled with the fire, indicates man received some hurt also. This must be the greatest drouth ever the world has known. Second Trumpet The sounding of the second Trumpet is followed by a burn¬ ing mountain cast into the sea, and the THIRD part of the sea became blood; and one-third of all in the sea, or on it were de¬ stroyed. This portends that sea and land share alike in the woes to come, and none shall escape. It is possible this sounding may follow the preceding so closely as to appear at the same time. In fact it may possibly be at the same time, and with the same drouth. Third Trumpet Following the sounding of the third TRUMPET, there fell a great star lrom heaven burning as a lamp. It fell on a THIRD part of the rivers and fountains of water and they became as wormwood and many died because of the bitter water. It is plain that this is but extending the hurt into all the earth so that none shall escape. Here it is reaching the rivers and streams and playing fountains. They begin to become REVELATION tainted and polluted and the water is not good. The fact that this is called a “lamp” in contradistinction to a “burning moun¬ tain” shows the same agency at work, and may also be at the same time. Fourth Trumpet Following the sounding of the fourth Trumpet, the third part of the sun was smitten, the moon and the stars, and a third part of ail light was withheld. Then just as this was about to take place John saw and heard an angel flying through the heaven, “WOE, Woe, woe, to the inhabitants of earth because of the three angels yet to sound.” Does this portend insanity, presumption and great rash¬ ness among the teachers, the writers and speakers among men: the leaders loosing their heads, as some say, or is it but the ex¬ tension of the woe and judgment of God to all nature,—land, sea, rivers and fountains of earth, and ABOVE the earth to all things that affect the earth: even the sun, moon, and stars, that a third part of all being destroyed, man may be affected for good,—be made to stop and ponder his ways? Thus far only nature has been made to feel the woe of God, its* hurt and harm to man has been secondary or incidental: man's hurt has come from observation and relation and connection with nature, but just here, after the woe on the heavenly bodies a change is to be made, Man has resisted all and plays the harlot still, so an angel warns him that the woes yet to come shall fall heavier and be severer,—man must be made to FEEL and experience as well as SEE the wrath that he has made others feel. The Fifth Trumpet Following the sounding of the fifth Trumpet a Star fell upon the earth, with the key of the bottomless pit. He opened it, and the smoke of it darkened the sun and the air, and locusts with scorpion power went forth to hurt all mankind not hav¬ ing the seal of God in their foreheads,—to hurt them only for FIVE months, so that they should seek death, but death should be denied them. These locusts had a king, Apollyon or Abaddon, over them: they were like horses, caparrisoned for battle, but on their heads were crowns of gold, and they had the faces of men: their hair was like that of women, and their teeth of iron: REVELATION 23 they had breastplates of iron; and wings. Their tails were that of scorpions, and with them they stung men. This portends Woe to MAN. The Pit itself is opened and the Devil let loose. None are to escape this woe but the servants of God. These Locusts have “faces of men and the hair of wom¬ en” showing their friendliness and good-will to man. They have “crowns of gold” showing that they are persons of high authori¬ ty. Eut they came from the smoke that darkened the sun and air showing that they are the out-come' of ‘darkness settled upon man,’—just as during the dark ages, but far beyond them in extent and rapacity. The Star that fell is said to have the “key of the bottomless pit,” shows that the star was some messenger of God sent to turn loose the demon of darkness with his army of emmissaries to make men feel the distress they have often imposed upon others, and to so feel it as to wish for death. That these emmisaries are called locusts, means only the rapacity and swiftness with which they act: that their tails are like scorpions means the severity of their hurt; and that they should have pow r er for five months means that this woe is so severe that more time would be ruin to all and an utter destruction. Here men are not to die but FEEL, not to be destroyed but be made to EXPERIENCE torment. Cainai man delights in torment; they find pleasure in other’s woes. They preach it in the pulpits, they proclaim that God is a God of wrath, of fire and torment, and that all men not conscripted to His services must suffer the pangs of Eternal fires and sulphurous fumes In His presence and befor the angels forever and ever. They find fully as much glory and happiness in look¬ ing on the w r oes of others as they have in their own escape. They seem to think that God is Democracy, and the party that triumphs should have all the spoils and the one that is beaten should reap but tears: glory and power belong to God because He is strong and gets the victory, and Satan, and every oppos¬ ing one deserves, not bitter remorse and agonizing despair, but unending TORMENT. The Sixth Trumpet Following the sixth sounding trumpet, four angels were loosed fiom the river Euphrates, which were prepared for an 24 REVELATION hour, a day, a month, and a year to slay one-third of mankind. They had an army of horsemen of 200 million men,—their riders had breast plates of fire, of Jacinth and brimstone, and the horses’ heads were like lions, and their mouths sent out fire and smoke and brimstone: which killed one-third of mankind. Their tails were like serpents, that bit to hurt. Awful you say; yet hear what God says,—V.20-21. “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and wood: Which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” Repentance, neither from observation of woe upon na¬ ture under the first four trumpets, nor from personal experience under the fifth and sixth Tumpets; from the hurt that lasted for months and made them seek death and found it not; nor from the vast army of horsemen with deadly gasses in their mouths to destroy one-third of mankind, and hurt in their tails for all: THESE dread calamities, these dire and awful judgments, these severe and astonishing woes, these extreme and unlimited pun¬ ishments had no moral effect, no religious and regenerating effect: they proved useless and without value. Here is shown the falsity of force and power in man’s re¬ generation; the mistaken notion that punishment and torment make men better, or deter others. “The wisdom of man is foolishness with God.” “The thoughts of God are as much higher than man’s as the heavens are above the earth.” God is Love, but man makes Him a God of wrath a3 are heathen gods. HERE, God permits the extreme test and trial to the fullest of MAN’S WISDOM in the punish¬ ment of crime and the betterment of society. War has been man’s highest court and judgment for overcoming wrongs and overthrowing evil; declaring that God would give victory to the right and defeat to the wrong. His¬ tory declares that thus has God given to the world the Civilization and progress it enjoys today: some even claiming that wars are essential for progress and civilization,—weeding out the feeble REVELATION 25 and weaker and teaching Man's power over influences and sur¬ roundings and the creation of new and better, higher and nobler things; as well as sensing man to his power to do and dare and win. This war, here, is spoken of as the Armageddon, and a whole world at strife; as the Great Tribulation, and the world’s last conflict: it is called The Day of Wrath, and lasts “an hour, a month, and a year,” and the number of this great Cavalry is 200 million and this fight is by gases of smoke and brimstone, so deadly that one-third of mankind is destroyed, and so effici¬ ent are these dreadful steeds that the riders need only to direct and steer the deadly conflict. Four great armies, under four great Generals loosed from the Euphrates,—or that RACE of mankind which settled and inhabited the valleys and lands of the Eu¬ phrates country when Noah's descendants divided and settled the earth. But in all this Woe on woe, there is no turning to God, no repentance from dead works, no desire to live differ¬ ently, or to serve the God of Righteousness and holiness. At the end of this conflict and world war, “Tor an hour, a day, a month, and a year/' John saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he Had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. These utterances were not to be disclosed, but the angql swore that TIME should be no longer: but when the seventh angel's trumpet should sound, The Mystery of God should be FINISHED. John was told to take the open book and eat it, and that he should “prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” This mighty ANGEL, speaking as a lion roaring, and de¬ claring “TIME is no more,” seems to be of almost equal impor¬ tance as the Son. he is CLOTHED with a cloud, a rainbow is about his head, his face shone like the sun and his feet like pil¬ lars of fire.. He had the OPEN BOOK and he resembles the Son very much. 26 REVELATION WHO ELSE would be commissioned to END the age? Who else would have the open book? The Age is COMPLETE, —the six thousand years have ended; and a complete CHANGE is about tu be inaugurated: man’s rule and dominion ceases. Just a short while now and the seventh Trumpet will sound and “The Mystery of God shall be FINISHED.” There is such little more to be revealed that John is told that he will be permitted to return and prophesy again to the people. No doubt John telt rejoiced at this, especially now after seeing the things coming on the world. At this point a change is made and John was the Servant:— Chap. 11:1-13: “And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and meas¬ ure it not; for it is given unto the gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a (thousand two hundred and three score days, CLOTHED IN SACKCLOTH. THESE are the TWO OLIVE TREES, and the TWO CANDLESTICKS standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their month, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven that it rain not IN THE DAYS OF THER PROPHE¬ SY : and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And WHEN they shall have FINISHED their testimony, the beast that ascendMh out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the streets of the great city, which spirit¬ ually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was cruci¬ fied. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and na¬ tions shall SEE THEIR DEAD BODIES three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth. And AFTER REVELATION 2T tlnve days and half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and a great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies BEHELD THEM. And the same hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake, were slain of men Seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; and behold, the third woe cometh quickly.” Urs is the closing of the woe under the sixth trumpet. Why John was to measure the temple and altar and they who worshipped therein I do not know. As they worshipped in the alter they maj have been the martyrs that had cried for ven- gsaoc on their enemies and had been clothed with white robes, and John needed to see that they come fully up to all the require¬ ments, as the temple and altar. The court of the temple given over to the Gentiles was not to be measured because it was not yet ready for judgment or final decision. But the holy city itself was given unto the Gentiles for forty two months,—which is. three and a half years. During this same period of twelve hun¬ dred and sixty days the two witnesses, which are the two olive trees or the two candlesticks which ever stand before the God of the earth, prophesy and bear testimony before all men. These two Witnesses seem to be The Old and New Testaments,—the Word of God; and that they have power to work all miracles in self defence, and with whatever hurt men may impose on them, the same shall destroy those men,—all indicate that all believers and adherents of the Word have the power of Apos¬ tles and will have, during the Age. That their Testamony is to be finished and they are to be overcome by the Beast from the Pit indicates a great dearth of the Gospel in the land; and just such a dearth is prophecied. For three and a half years this dearth will prevail in the holy city. The holy city must be a rebuilt city when the Jews have been returned to Falestine and their return to power and rule among the Nations of the earth. Their strong rejection of the Gospel and Christ will lead to ITS BANISHMENT and their 28 REVELATION complete infidelity, so as to make it Spiritually a Sodom or Egypt. This infidel stage will be an occasion of much rejoicing and merry-making, even leading to an exchange of many gifts and congratulations, but at the end of just “three and a half days” this overthrow and subjugation comes to an end, and a new life, somehow is -revived in the TRUiK God says, the Spirit of Life FROM GOD entered into them—and it aston¬ ished the people, and while yet in wonder beholding it, an earth¬ quake destroys a tenth part of the city and 7000 men. Tnis has a wholesome effect and the remnant give God the glory. The resurrection of the TRUTH and the ascension of the BOOK united, on a cioud, up to heaven opened their eyes and quickened their consciences. It seems to be a r i iME when a Nation is born in a day: and it seems to be the one instance where WOE so affrighted man as to cause him to give glory to God. This ends the second woe on man, or the sixth woe on the world, and “behold, the third woe cometh quickly.” The Seventh Trumpet “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying The kingdoms of this world are be¬ come the kingdom of our Lord, and his Christ; and lie shall reign forever and ever. And the four and twenty Elders which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and wor¬ shipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Al¬ mighty, which art and was, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and THY WRATH IS COME and THE TIME OF THE DEAD, THAT they should be judged, and THAT thou shouldest GIVE REWARD UNTO THY SERVANTS the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear tky name, SMALL AND GREAT; and shouldest DESTROY them that de¬ stroy the eaith. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earth¬ quake, and great hail.” The opening under the seventh Trumpet is wonderful. No doubt the “great voices” mean the voices of great person- REVELATION 29 ages, but their deciarations are wonderful. The earth has been subjugated, God has triumphed and His reign has come. The 24 Elders say He has taken to himself his great power and reigned: that the nations are angry, and God’s wrath is come, and the TIME of the dead for Judgment, and his servants and prophets and saints, small and great, should be rewarded, and the destruction of them that destroy the earth. This is remark¬ able. Here are answered the questions so often asked. This is the TIME of judging the dead; this is the Time of rewards to the Faithful. Under this sounding of the seventh Trumpet MUCH is to be accomplished. This is the final winding up of man's rule and dominion and preparation for the reign of Christ, as God has declared. Under this Trumpet come all the Vials of wrath, and they cease not until the Bride hath made herself ready, and the Bridegroom is about to descend. Almost all writers are now telling about the “rapture” and the “revelation,” and placing three and a half to seven years between the two. They cannot bear the idea of the saints on earth parsing through the “tribulation,” though we are told, “these are they who have come up through tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” They are not satisfied with a SECOND coming of Christ, they must have a THIRD. (The Seventh Trumpet Cont'd, Chap. XII.) _The Great Wondec Chapter XII. “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman ciothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the STARS OF HEAVEN, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be deliv¬ ered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she- brought forth a MAN CHLD, who was to rule all nations with 30 REVELATION a red of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throve. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought against his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found anymore in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; and he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, whicii accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore, rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, be¬ cause he kneweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was CAST UNTO THE EARTH, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into a place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and a half time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to / be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with THE REM¬ NANT of HER SEED, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. What does this Chapter mean ? J. H. Conkey says it is an “inset” and not strictly a part of the continued record. I am not of his opinion. I think the whole Book of Revelation is one continued and connected vision and revelation, and each REVELATION 31 and every record here is one continued story. This twelfth chapter is the FIRST occurrence under the sounding of the SEVENTH Trumpet after the Halleluiahs of the great ones and the 24 Elders. John says, this great wonder appeared IN HEAVEN. Certainly, Israel, as MeConkel says, is not the woman clothed with the sun; and the moon never under Israel's feet, nor can she be crowned with the twelve stars which composed Israel herself. Israel was of the earth and IN the earth, not in heaven. Again, when John had this revelation and said it was of. things ‘To come to pass"’ Christ had lived and died and arisen,—this vision is a thing as yet so unreal and unusual as to cause won¬ der in heaven. And well it may have been a cause of wonder when it led to WAR IN HEAVEN. If this thing caused war in heaven, it seems strange the CAUSATION should have been IN THE EARTH. War in heaven has puzzled Commentators and students: and WHEN it occurred has been as great a mystery. Man is prone to hatch theories and then twist the Bible to prove his theories. I do not pretend to know what this woman represents; but as she is clothed with the sun, and the moon is under her feet, and in heaven, it seems to me to REP¬ RESENT a “Triumphant Church," and her delivery is the “new birth" of the ages, caught up to God and his throne. This Tri¬ umphant Church disappears for 1260 days, and the war begins and ends. The devil is cast out of heaven, down to the earth, and ail his angels with him. THIS is the first time that any record is made of Satan being dealt with for his satanic doings, and his astonishing re¬ bellion. Oh the long suffering and patience of God! “They over¬ came him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." It could not have been before the crucifixion: and a triumphant Church must have entered largely into the vic¬ tory. And NOW is WOE to the inhabitants of earth and sea: his wrath is great because he knoweth his “time is short." The woman is safe from Satan for a time; but her place prepared and her salvation, is HERE on earth, and she has a REMNANT 32 REVELATION of seed which the devil went to make war upon. This day is yet in the future. But it is drawing near rapidly. This must be in the dosing years of “The Time of the End;” and just be¬ fore “the days of wrath.” REVELATION 33 LESSON 5, CHAP. 13, Continued The Beasts Satan is now cast out of Heaven, down to the Earth alto¬ gether, and this is his only territory in which to tempt and de¬ stroy, and lie gets busy because he knows his time is short, and he persecutes the ‘"remnant of her seed” with all his power to enslave and destroy. John in his vision comes down to the earth also, and what he sees is on the earth. The 13th Chapter reads: “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, Saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speak¬ ing great things and bLsphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy, yes, against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And 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. If any man have an ear, let him hear. (Mark it.) Pie that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that kill- eth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saints. 34 REVELATION And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns, like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exercised all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and he deceiveth them that dwell on earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as would not worship the image cf the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and 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. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is 686.” The subject of this Chapter is the two beasts and an image of the first. The first beast rises up out of the sea, and means out of the ruling class of people, that he had seven heads and ten horns, and upon his ten horns ten crowns, and on his heads blasphemy, indicates that this beast was a POWER, or organized government, and THAT power was the combination and the union of seven powers or nations; and the ten horns or crowns were ten smaller nations associating and a-betting and lending all the aid possible to make the one power—the Beast— mighty and strong. That the seven heads had names of blas¬ phemy, shows that they acted and lived under a false color and took a name foreign to their character. That the beast was like a leopard, indicates his unstableness, his inconstancy, and con¬ stant changing and trying of new and strange methods. That his feet were those of a bear, indicates slow-moving but fero¬ cious and able to climb up into the highest pinnacles of human ambition. That his mouth was that of a lion, indicates bold, dar¬ ing, strong and positive in assertions. That this beast was REVELATION 35 given the dragon’s power, seat and great authority, indicates the worship and passion that guided the beast and ruled in all its decisions and judgments. j hat one of its heads was wounded to the death, means that (one of these seven great pow T ers would become offended and withdraw from the confederation:) that the deadly wound was healed, means that the offended nation would become rec¬ onciled, to astonish the world at her reconciliation, and be so effectual in results that all the world will wonder after the Beast. The world will acknowledge and submit so complacently that they readily worship at the shrine of the author of these iniquitous and deceitful, arrogant and presumptuous powers; and tT.y glory Lx iheir self-exaltion and rule so that they wor¬ ship the Beast or confederation saying, Who is like unto the beast ? Or Who is able to make war with him ? Just such expressions are made about the League of Na¬ tions, and more positive and assertive about this Federation of Nations. The present transactions and rulings are but straw votes feeling after the sentiment and testing the pulse of the world. “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and pow T er to continue 42 months.” This shows cna this beast is the creation of the dragon, and for the purpose of making war upon “the remnant of her seed,” while the “Triumphant church” is in hiding,—the two periods being the same: and shows the headstrong and daring manner of the beast with highsounding words and declarations in blas¬ phemous terms. And because the churches do not accept and teach all the balder-dash as many did while at war with Gem many, he will blaspheme God and his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven or live in constant fullness of the Spirit and the Peace of God that passeth all understanding. That he makes war with the saints and overcomes them is plainly evident that the “saints” are “the remnant of her seed;” and the success of the beast shows the power of the dragon over man. They glory in him, and worship him as a god; and it ex¬ tends to all peoples and kindreds, and nations, except those whose “names are written in the book of life,” shows the uni- ■36 REVELATION versality of the adherence to the beast. (Now listen,)—If any •man hath an ear let him HEAR/’—Hear what? Listen! “He that leadeth into captivity, shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword.” Hear that ye preachers of war and rule. This is the Golden Rule, and this is the Judgment of God: and on this, and in its living is the “patience and faith of the saints.” This is the test, and none but saints can bear it. The second beast that John saw came up out of the ‘‘earth;”—that means the “common people.” As the first was ♦from the ruling class, now we have one from the common people; —you can sec it now; Monarchy gives way to Democracy. His horns like a lamb indicate in his ruling and civil administration -socialistic principals; but his speech, is the speech of the dragon: his theories, and statements flatter and cajole the people, but his actions and life lead all to worship the FIRST BEAST, whose deadly wound was healed,—the confederation of nations. You see it in the Bolshevism of Russia; that it promised much and •gave nothing caused the people to return to the rule and power of Aristocracy and its munificence, its grandeur and royalty. This social and communistic association, this Democratic and Republican electorate doeth wonders in the sight of men, so 'much so that by their co-operation and co-operative efforts they astonish men. The papers are filled vfith its glory and success. They even claim and apparently perform miracles, and so de¬ ceive the world, and before the first beast, that they make an image of the first beast, and give it life and make it speak won¬ ders, and his power is so complete that the people are com¬ manded to worship and give obeisance;— and anyone refusing shall be killed,—as in the Ku Klux days or those of th& night- riders. This beast even goes to the limit of giving everyone small and great a mark, whereby in supervising and directing or working none who are without this mark can buy or sell. This will extend far beyond the numbers, grants and licenses of the war with Germany, and be required in every house. It will be Socialism run mad, and exercising the tyranv of the Aristocracy. Here is wisdom says the word. Look and learn, yea, and know, that Monarchy never did have any LOVE for the com- REVELATION 37 mon people and never will; but equally true is it, that Democ¬ racy worships the SAME ideals and leads to the same results. Man was given dominion over all the inferior creation by God, and he has translated that to mean over all weaker humanity; a part are masters and the rest are slaves. The number of the beast is 686. Many have puzzled their minds over what that meant, and some have declared its solu¬ tion, but 1 have failed to find anything satisfactory. As it is the number of the beast and also the number of man, the indication is that both started out together in Eden and that both will ter¬ minate together, when man as a sinner, and the beast as his ideal for life, shall perish together. The three sixes are an ex¬ pression where a part is used for the whole; and six sixes would mean an entire six thousand years of man’s history and his ideal government. When the beast,—his idea!—falls, then man comes back under Lie rule and dominion of God. Chap. 14, The Pause Before Final Wrath John saw a lamb standing on MOUNT ZION, and with him 144,000 having the Father’s name written in their fore¬ heads. And he heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder; and he heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the 144,000, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the FIRST FRUITS (unto God and to the Lamb.) And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” This IHh Chapter is a strange change from the two pre¬ ceding chaptcis, of the woman, and the beasts. It shows to us that God is not man, nor does he work like man. It seems to us that God siarts some new plan, or rather stays the progress of Satanic works, and inaugurates a SPECIAL effort to turn men to the truth. The Lamb comes down to Mount Sion, and REVELATION 38 gathers about him the 144,000 of HIS BRETHREN sealed under the sixth seal, in the seventh chapter, and having their Father’s name written in their foreheads—THEN a loud voice from heaven of music and singing that none could learn. Why from heaven ? When the saints stood with their Lord on Mount Sion? BE¬ CAUSE they only stood there just long enough to gather to¬ gether and then went up;—must have been. They follow the Lord wherever he goes. What follows indicates as much. “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, hav¬ ing the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT IS COME; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea/ and the fountain of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Baabylon is fallen, is faiien, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice. If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascend- eth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” After the Lord and his FIRST FRUITS went up, then the angel hew through heaven preaching the everlasting gospel,— no doubt that angel felt honored highly and was glad to carry the tidings forth as bravely as apostles in their day. Do you say no, that it was a. man, then have it so, but remember it was “in the midst of heaven,” and what he said was for them “ on the Earth.” And he says, “The hour of judgment is come.” But God has not forsaken you in your sins, man is not totally lost by any means, sinners yet are called, turn and live. John says, “I saw another angel following this one saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, BECAUSE she REVELATION 39 made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornica¬ tion.” This must have been good news to a languishing .world, and great joy to the saints and all who loved peace and right¬ eousness. Babylon is Confusion, and means the world’s delights and labors as well as its strife and contention: it means “love of the world and the things of the world,”—after which all men are continually striving. It means grandeur and greatness luxu¬ ry and pleasure, accumulations and wealth at whose fountains all nations drink and revel. This must cease. These things will fail, this city must fall: and it falls BEFORE this great evan¬ gelization work begins. Yet man is not safe,—there are other temptations besides the glory of the world. “And the third angel followed them saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indig¬ nation ; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb : and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast ana his image, and vdhosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” It seems that after this world has no longer any desires for worldly pleasures, and luxury, and munificence—no attrac¬ tions,—still if wants to rule the weaker class. They must be warned by an angel from heaven to cease this domination and know that we all be brethren. So loth is man to live among men 4 as brethren should live that here is a special warning of im¬ pending hell-fire and indignation. The love of money may be the root of all evil, but the love of domination and rule is one against which God sends a special angel to warn man. Says John, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the com¬ mandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” This 10th and 11th verses are often quoted to prove that God has an unending hell, a never-dying life in infernal regions for the lost. They declare the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: but my friends of the unending hell and never-dying death fail to see that this is “no rest day or night” and that it is “in the presence of the holy angels and in the pres- 40 REVELATION ence of the Lamb.” If their hell is in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb, it strikes me that THEIR angels and Lamb would certainly be very fond of Torment. But “Day and night” show that it does not reach beyond where is no day or night. And brimstone can but mean eternal death or complete death. “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saitb the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works ao follow them.” This is a strange verse. Did you notice it says, Blessefl are the DEAD Which DIE in the Lord from henceforth?” Do dead men die? Are they not already dead? If you remember, the apostle says, “Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee life.” Every body translates that to mean dead in trespasses and in sin, and we accept it as its true meaning; so here, the dead which die in the Lord must mean dead in sin and transgression, but if they turn and live, if they serve God “They may rest from their labors, and their works follow them. This is the VINTAGE season and the harvest is rapidly ripening fur the ingathering harvest. Somebody said when Christ came to gather his jewels and take the first fruits then this world would become a hell. But Brother, sister, does this chapter teach any such rant? No. But after the first fruits, THEN tho harvest. ‘'And I looked, and beheld a white cloud ,and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.” Here it is declared the “harvest of the earth is ripe,” and it is also declared that “the earth WAS reaped.” It is also de¬ clared that “one like unto the Son of man” did the reaping. Now everybody knows that man is not wheat and that God does not ga'her men like gathering wheat, but while that is so, REVELATION 41 everybody Knows what is meant; there is no need of comment. This great harvest is not the first fruits,—and it is plain that as the first fruit formed the first resurrection, THIS GREAT HAR¬ VEST is ALSO a resurrection of a thousandfold over the first resurrection. If there is no resurrection for this harvest, Tell me how can they be blessed who died in the Lord ? As Paul says, “If there be no resurrection” they as we, “are of all men most miserable.” How can Christ gather the harvest of the earth without a resurrection? Dr. Watson, and many others have been declaring that there be many resurrections;—and there are. “Another angel came out from the altar, which had the power over lire; and cried with a loud voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her graphs are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horses’ bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” Now if the Son of man did reap the earth and it was reaped, then this “gathering of the clusters of the vine of barth” is ANOTHER gathering; and the manner of its gathering is different also. This gathering is by the angel with theesharp sickle, and the wine is extracted BY TREADING. I am not wise enough to tell you what kind of treading God has for this vin¬ tage; but it is one in which the angel with power over fire has something to do and no doubt refers to much fiery TESTING ' ! * and TRYING times. But one thing seems sure, the Vintage is IMMENSE. The blood of the grapes rose up to the horses’ bridle, and extended 1600 furlongs or 200 miles; that was an immense vintage. Surely God in mercy knows how to, seek and save, or the Son would never have died to save the rebel race. Let us give thanks that God can work and none can hinder; Sin and Satan must cease. God is going to get a glorious victory..* 42 REVELATION A Lesson 8th, Chapter XY„ “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, jgeven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God, 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. And they sang the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou king of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. And after that 1 looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: and the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever. Aaid the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were ful¬ filled.” This Chapter is- a vision of “another sign” IN HEAVEN. This wonderful sign, is the preparation and pouring out of the seven vials of wrath, i take it that this and the XVIth chapter axe both but special details as to the manner of treading the winepress mentioned in the close of the XIV chapter. This tells HOW the treading was done. The seven last plagues,—means “last plagues” and in them is “filled up the wrath of God.” Re¬ member that. They fill up the wrath of God: and the great winepress mentioned in the close of the XIVth chapter. This tells The “sea of glass mingled with fire” means, foundation of a ruling class, wherein justice and truth will be their bed-rock REVELATION 43 principles. Those standing on it means, that they rule with Christ for 1000 years; and that they sing of Moses and the Lamb, means, that BOTH under Moses and Christ are equally entitled to this high privilege. That these seven angels came out of the temple, means, that they are from the immediate presence of God. That they were given ‘Vials of wrath,” means, that the wrath of God on humanity is the very least that is POSSIBLE to test men’s souls. That “No man was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues were poured out,” means that under the testing and try¬ ing ordeal of the plagues God was not accessible and THESE SEVEN angels had complete control of their work. As the FOUR Beasts represent the FOUR Dispensations of God,-—the one here giving the vials of wrath must be the last act of THIS dispensa¬ tion, before The reign of Christ. Chapter XVI,-—The Seven Plagues Poured Out “And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels. Go your ways, and pour out the vials of wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worship his image.” The first vial is poured out upon the earth, i. e. upon the common people without distinction, people who are led, who fol¬ low after others more daring and headstrong. They were those who had tne mark of the beast upon them, and they worshipped the image of the beast,—were strong on Democracy. The kind of sore with which they were afflicted is not told, but it was very grievous and noisome. “The second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as ulie blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.” This was upon the ruling class of men, those in authority and pover, and dominated over their fellow-man; every living soul died; not one escaped; God made a clean sweep of that class. “The third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountain of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the 44 REVELATION angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and was, and shall be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and right¬ eous are thy judgments.” God made rivers and fountains to water man and beast,— they represent the priestly class, those who should carry glad tid¬ ings and revive and regenerate sinful man, but at this time are completely sold unto Satan and Evil for filthy lucre’s sake, wor¬ shipping either the beast or his image, and gone “gainsaying after Core.” This is the class that ruled during the dark ages largely, but live in every age until this vial shall heap upon them the fruits of their own doings. “And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun: and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.” The sun is the source of all light and heat, and makes signs and seasons, and da}’s and years. The worship of the sun is re¬ ligiously observed in parts of the world. The sun, metaphori¬ cally, is emblematic of the law of God, of the presence of God, of the person of the Savior, and of the glory and purity of angels. It is a power that has no supremacy; but here especial reference is had to heat,—which properly regulated gives comfort and joy, and produces life and growth,—but unregulated and let loose, un- confined or controlled, is a destruction and complete ruin. What class then dees the sun represent? That men were scorched by the heat, and repented not of their ways, may help us to see or give some clue to the class. Is it not The Church? As rivers, and fountains represented the priests or preachers and teachers ; here, the sun represents the Source of Priestly authority; as it is the CAUSE of rivers and fountains. The Church is plagued also. “The fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast, and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues (for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven REVELATION because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.” This vial of wrath is poured upon the seat of the beast: and the beast is Government, so the seat of the beast must be the cities. There was a time when the people of the country had some prominence in society, but that day is past, now the cities contain all the people who think themselves of much importance. This plague is visited especially upon the cities of the world: there the Mayors and Aldermen, and Commissioners form a Gov¬ ernment. The cities of the earth are to fall, and yet they will exist in disobedience and impenitence. ‘‘The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the East might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working mira¬ cles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Al¬ mighty.” Euphrates is the “good and abounding river,” and the longest and largest river in western Asia. It is 1780 miles long, 1200 of which are navigable. It is 400 yards wide 750 miles from its mouth. It and its tributary Tigris watered the Garden of Eden. On its banks stood Babylon the great ancient city. Its importance to commerce and the vast country through which it ran shows us the key to its interpretation in this Lesson. You will notice that three unclean spirits out of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet went forth to the kings of the earth, to de¬ ceive them and lead them into battle, and that they were able to perform miracles in order to deceive. The drying up of the Eu¬ phrates is a preparation for the oncoming battle and to aid in its coming. Then is it not plainly evident that the drying up of the river is, every good that it has supplied has ceased, and that THIS has made it possible to bring on war? The cessation of friendly relations and benefits to the nations has made it easy for the deceiving spirits to urge on war. “Behold, 1 come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, 46 REVELATION and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 1 ’ At this time God pauses again to warn man; he is not willing that any should perish but that all turn and live: blessed is he that watcheth, that keeps his eyes and ears open in these times. Not only is the plague coming and man is visited with wrath but The Son of man is coming; and coming as unexpectedly as a thief in the night. This Armageddon is the big battle of the world,— its the most disastrous and far reaching and wreck¬ ing in ruin of ail battles. ‘‘And the seventh angel poured out his vial in the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Baby¬ lon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail: for the plague thereof was exceeding great.” This seventh and last vial is poured into the air. The air is our breath, and when the air is plagued there is no escape for saint or sinner; it is suffering everywhere and with all: it is a universal plague. The earthquake that followed was the great¬ est ever occurred; that in itself must be terrible and awful. That “great city” must mean some great head of the world,—some nations fell, shows how far reaching and disastrous it was. That the great city was divided into three parts and the cities of the place wfmre exists Supreme and high authority over the whole world,—made so by the last battle. Babylon was once the mistress of the world; Daniel gives us some of her doings and her blasphemies. Here, in this city at this time, is so much of ancient Babylon, she comes again in remembrance before God, and even nature becomes aghast at man’s blasphemies: “every island fled away, and the mountains REVELATION 47 were not found.” Islands are refuges, like oases in the desert, and mountains are hopes and encouragements:—these fled away and were not found. Despair seems to reign supreme every¬ where. But God does not hold up. Then the hail descends. (I was in a hail storm once where stock were killed, and the crops and all foliage were completely destroyed: it was terrible, and I never saw a hailstone that weighed over a pound; but in this storm every stone was a talent in weight). Think of such a hailstorm; think of 100 lbs. weights raining on the earth. That surely looks like destruction; but even then some could escape, and did, for the record is, men blasphemed God because of the hail. It is done, cried a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne. The day of wrath is over; the last vestige of the vintage has been trodden and nothing is left but those who love darkness rather than light. And who serves Satan rather than God. The plagues are ended. 4S REVELATION Lesson 7, Chap. 17-18—The Judgment of the Whore and Downfall of Babylon Now that the world’s plagues are ended, and the last viol of wrath poured out on humanity, we might expect a change, and look for better days, but while mankind have been severely dealt with; even had meted to them that which they have meted to others; there are some THINGS which man has inaugurated and built up that have not yet felt the torment and plague they deserve. Net only must men be punished but the works of their hands, and the creations of heir brains must be cast down. Certain systems, and long-standing customs are as de¬ structive as the men. that made them: in fact, they are agencies that do more to inflict harm and suffering than their creators would dare to do. The Popes of Rome were mean enough during the dark ages, but their system was much worse. In France, when they renounced God, they inaugurated a system meaner th an the people. Often lav/s are enacted that do more injury than good,—their enactors intended good but the dragon used them as- cat’s paws to further his aims. So here, in the 17th and 18th chapters we have the Judgment of the Great Whore, and the Mother of Harlots. This “woman” is Ecclesiasticism. The fourth angel poured out his vial on the sun, which was the Church, but that was on the individuals and not the systems which they inaugurated. Here, it is the SYSTEMS, and GOV¬ ERNMENTS, and Customs that constitute their Ecclesiastical Policy. Over all peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues, heathen and Christian, she sits a queen, arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls. She has swayed her rule in defiance of protestation, of reason, of the Bible and God. She is called a mystery: but its the mystery of iniquity. The history of our Independence, that of Mexico, and South America; all show that men fight and give their lives FOR THE WRONG as well AS THE RIGHT. Men blinded he God of this world believe a lie: the carnal mind is REVELATION 43 enmity against God, not subject to his law, neither indeed can be. The scarlet colored beast that she strode was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. Many names indicate many governments: “the seven heads are seven moun¬ tains.” From this statement many suppose that it means Rome; but not necessarily, it may mean, and is much more likely, seven large and pretentious cities that sway a large influence ever the nations. The “Ten horns are ten kings,” and they “reign one hour with the beast,” indicating that they are inaugurated and set up for this very purpose, to strengthen and establish the power of the beast. “And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come.” Chapter 12:3, says The dragon had seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his head*?* and chapter 13:1 says. The beast that arose out of the sea, had se^en heads and ten horns, and upon her horns ten crowns, and on his heads the name of blasphemy.” Some readers, not noting the reading carefully, think a! these refer to the same beast; but, they are not the same, is ap- partner to any close reader. One is the dragon in heaven, the other rises out of the sea, or aristocracy and the ruling class of the world: this one is a scarlet colored beast. They are all related and have a common origin perhaps, but each one is distinct and separate in its sphere of action. THIS beast has seven kings; but it seems that only one rules at a time,—“Five are fallen, one is, and one not yet come.” This plainly indicates that this beast has ALWAYS EXISTED, or is the oldest beast of man’s crea¬ tion. Five of its kings have fallen; but the beast will exist fcn the end, as “one is not yet come.” “Full of names of blasphemy** indicates that it possessed all the phases of all the governments, and has varied with the years. That the ten kings have no power as yet,” indicates they will not exist until in the future, when the Federation of States will create them as ft did Roman Catholi¬ cism, and as they will reign with the iJlast and make war with the Lamb, arid as they will “hate the whore, and shall make her desolate, and naked, and eat her liesh and burn her with lire,” It seems that a kind of anarchy will arise or rival ecclesiasticism. 50 REVELATION and they clash. And Ecclesiasticism is doomed and destroyed and her reign completely terminated. ‘‘The woman is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” The great city may mean some central city to be created by the Federation of Nations from whence shall go out authority over all the earth, or it may be from seven cities united in compact and purpose, ecclesiastically. EccJesiasticism is doomed and the SUPREME GOVERN¬ MENTS WILL SET UP ITS OWN RULE AND TEACH ITS OWN SPIRITUALLY. ... The 18th chapter continues the story of the fall of the systems created by man. “Babylon is fallen,” was declared in the 14th chapter and 8th verse, before the plagues were poured out. HERE, again : after the plagues are poured out the SAME declaration is made.. Babylon existed 600 years before Christ came and it ruled the world. It has long since disappeared from the earth. Babylon, then means something other than that great city. It means a system that originated in that city. That system fell, as declared in 14:8, but here it is said that it be¬ came “the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird,”—i. e. though fallen, it is now superceded by devils and foul spirits. Though Ecclesiasticism is destroyed, mad anarchy and red handed bol¬ shevism has superceded it; wars and rebellions have arisen and through them the merchants have WAXED RICH. In such times men seem void of conscience or mercy, but they grasp and profiteer, oppress and greedily devour unto the last ditch. God has determined this shall cease, and he pauses to sound a voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” .The plagues are still falling and will fall until every system of a Babylonish nature is utterly rooted out. “Reward her even as she rewarded you,, and double unto her double according to her .works.” The profitteerers and anarchy schemers who have lived '‘deliciously with her” shall wail and lament for her. The treasures of earth and its glory, the luxury and pleasures of the flesh must die. Men will weep and wail, but heaven and the holy apostles and prophets will rejoice. Babylon will die hard, but REVELATION 51 die she must;—she shall be thrown down and be found no more at all. Now notice how this rejoices heaven and earth in chapter 19:1-7, ‘T heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia, Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and hath avenged the blood of his ser¬ vants at her hand. And again they said Alleluia. And her smoke rose up forever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshippd God that sat on the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Aileuia: for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him : For the MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB IS COME, and his WIFE HATH MADE HERSELF READY.” I said, Notice how the Fall of Babylon made heaven and earth rejoice; but it is not that as much as it is, The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth, and the marriage of the Lamb IS COME. Oh, how men have prayed and suffered and hoped for THIS day! It has been the theme of writers and poets; it has been the elo¬ quence of rostrum and pulpit, and the prayers oi enumerable souls. Yes, you old time sinners and rebels against God’s grace, even you have sometimes wished it would come,—not to cast you off but to give you a chance that your fellow man refused to you. Well did Paul write, “The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain until now.” Amen and Amen. Chap. 19, 7-21, “The Marriage of the Lamb is Come” “The Marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself already. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the rignteousness of the saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of 52 REVELATION • God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto pie, see thou do it not: for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in right¬ eousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were; in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name writ¬ ten, King of kings, and Lord of lords. And I saw an angel standing in Che sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to ah the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sat on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false-prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” Yes, many have preached and wrote that the ‘‘marriage of the Lamb ’ was before “the days of tribulation;” before the vials of wrath were poured out”; and while the world groaned and agonized in torment, the saints feasted in glory at the mar¬ riage supper. But where is it stated in this Book? What angel REVELATION 53 declared it to them? I know, in the 14th chapter, verse 1, it said, The 144,000 stood with him on mount Sion; and that they were ‘‘the first-fruits unto God and the Lamb:” I know that under the 7th trumpet, 11:18, it said, “the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them that de¬ stroy the earth,” IS COME. Yes, I know “the time is come” all right, and the work is begun in earnest and going on every¬ where, but you must not jump at conclusions; you must not hasten where God calls us to painstaking patience. NO THEO¬ RIES must take the place of the TRUTH. Under all seasons, times and years death has been slaying humanity; they have fallen like leaves to the ground; they have yielded up the ghost and were no more. Heathendom has given no hope, and per¬ haps 9 10 of the world have died without any hope of life again. But God has said, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” “By man came death, and by man came also the resurrection of the dead.” “As by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men: even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” And Johns says, 5:29 “Those who have done good have a resurrection of life, • and they that have done evil a resurrection of judgment.” The Christian re¬ ligion is a religion of life, and to teach Christianity is to teach life: he came “to bring life and immortality to light:” through him the world shall live again: even Sodom and Ghomorrow shall live again, and Tyre and Sidon shall have more toleration than Capernaum. “The time of the dead that they should be judged,” comes under the sounding of the seventh trumpet, and the resurrection must begin then, and the 144,000, that stood with him on mount Sion were the 144,000 that were sealed under the sixth seal, and were all, of the TRIBES OF ISRAEL, and these are said to be the first fruits, and AFTER THEM there must have been many others; every man in his own order, as Paul says, and as Dr. Watson puts it, fin his own regiment.' Some have proclaimed a resurrection day, and supposed ALL the saints were raised “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” but 54 REVELATION the word does not teach it. Nor does it teach that it is a noon¬ day occurrence and the world looking on: in fact, the concur¬ rence of opinion is, that it is done secretly and silently as was that of Jesus Christ. And I do not believe it took place when the sixth trumpet sounded: it only begun then, just as judg¬ ment BEGUN on the wicked. And as judgment continued, and will continue, not only before the 1000 years of Christ's rule, but CONTINUE,— so the resurrection began and will continue until every soul of man is alive again,— the quick and the dead. At the time here referred to it says the Bride hath made herself ready,—i. e., she is now COMPLETE,— her NUMBER IS FULL, and the marriage of the Lamb is come. But even here, salvation does not end, as many declare. Listen! “Blessed are they which are CALLED unto the supper of the marriage of the Lamb." The parable of the marriage of the king's son, Mat. 22, shows that the guests and those invited to the- supper are NOT the Bride. And it also indicates that those who attend this sup¬ per are gathered from the highways and hedges: they are the LAST class of the FIRST FRUITS or first resurrection. It seems that there will be a large number of “vessels unto dis¬ honor,”—but yet they have a place in the first resurrection. Notice, in verse 11 a white horse appears,— just such a horse as went forth under the first seal. The rider is apparent¬ ly the same too, but then he had a bow,— now he has a sharp sword and with it he smites the nations as well as rules them, and rules with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God: showing he is still seek¬ ing to save, and is still long-suffering, not willing that any should be lost, but turn and live. But who is this that rides forth? Bis name is called the word of God, and the armies of heaven aie behind him, and victory is assured. Will the world be converted ? No. There will be a great slaughter of kings, of captains, of mighty men, and horses and them that ride them, and many of free and bond, and great and small. This is the supper of the great God for the fowls of the air: this the last battle of earth before the reign of Christ and his Bride. This decides the issues; this is the inauguration of a new order,—of a new government,—and the beast—which is man’s govern- REVELATION merit was taken and with him the falseprophet, which is decep¬ tion and false theology. “These both were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.” How? And Why? If the beast is Man’s government, and the falseprophet is man’s false theology, and men are all dead, surely you have no trouble in seeing that the BEAST and the FALSEPROPHET are certainly NOT IN EX¬ ISTENCE, but are as completely destroyed as though they never were.—and THAT the Book calls a lake of fire burning with brimstone. But was man destroyed from off the face of the earth? YES, just as completely as when there was a flood of waters. Hoes the Book say so? It says, “The remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse.” The rem¬ nant means ALL that was left after all the judgments and trials and testings had been tried out. The Psalmist wrote 110:1, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy foot¬ stool.” This passage of scripture, declared so much, that it was quoted by Christ himself, and thought of so much importance by the apostles that Matthew and Mark, Luke and Peter, and Paul referred to it. The Father determined upon the world being thor¬ oughly subjugated before the reign of Christ here would BEGIN. Did I say that all men on the earth were dead? Notice, “The remnant were slain by the sword of him that sat upon the horse,”--But his name was The Word of God, and “Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations.” Men may now laugh at the Gospel, they may ridicule and spurn offered mercy, but the day COMETH when this same GOSPEL shall SLAY the last man on earth. It may be like the slaying of Annanias and Saphphira or it may be in some other way,—but the LAST man yields to a supreme power and the earth is subjugated in pow T er and in truth. The Captain of this heavenly army can be no other than him who is to be its king,—just as at the fall of Jerusalem under Titus he went home to Rome and became the Roman Emperor. When w’as the marriage? Now r it is evidently taught in this Book that newly married ones are not sent into battle,— 56 REVELATION hence I am inclined to' believe, HERE, after this last and trium¬ phant victory, the last invited guest to the supper ready, then the Lamb and Bride go in and sup, and heaven and the saved of earth rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Chap. XX, Satan Bound and the 1000 Year Reign Begins After the Marriage of the Lamb and his Bride, THEN the Father appoints him a kingdom, and he is inaugurated the king. The first thing is the chaining of Satan and putting him out of business. “And I saw an angel some down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after this he must be loosed a little season." Then the thrones are set up, and the saints are set on them, “and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." John says, “And I saw thrones and they sat upon them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their fore¬ heads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." The Fifth vefse reads, “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. THIS is the first resurrection." We must study this verse, and not only the'verse but study, over what are Christ and his Bride reigning? If the dead are not raised until the end of their reign, and our LAST Lesson was True, “That the remnant were slain," so that the world is depopulated and not a living soul is on it over which to reign: then will some wise Solomon, or some angel tell us Over what will they reign? Is it just a figure of speech, or do they reign over the brute creation? That is certainly not God- REVELATION 57 like. No. In order to correctly comprehend the reign of Christ and his Bride, you need to first correctly understand this fifth verse, it says, ‘‘The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.” Notice, The dead lived not again, and I do not think that meant ALL the dead EVER lived again, but those who did, lived only until after the thousand years. Now, What does John mean by saying, “lived not again?” The Emphatic Diaglot translation is, “The rest of the dead did not live till the thousand years were ended.” The literal translation is ‘ But the remaining ones of the dead ones lived not till the thousand years should be ended.” And the word translated LI\ED is EZASAN, while in Mark 9:35 “Whosoever shall save his life shall lose it,” PHUXAN is the word used’ and in 1 0 • 43* and 45, ZOAN is the word used. PHUXAN re¬ fers to temporal life, and ZOAN is used when he refers to spirit¬ ual or eternal life. And here, in Revelation XX. 5, EZASAN is from ZOAN and means spiritual and eternal life. So, the proper translation for this fifth verse is, The rest of the dead had no eternal, immortal and transformed life until the thou¬ sand years were ended. That this is the true meaning seems also apparent from the next sentence and the sixth verse,—“This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Surely it is highly blessed to be able to be kings and priests, and reign a thousand years;—that would be an exalted blessing above any one ever enjoyed on this earth,—but how much more blessed is it to know that “The second death hath no power over you,”—that you never will die; that you are immortal, and eternity lies before you? The First Resurrection is a resurrection to Immortality: “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must but on immortality.” To all such “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection.” And this begins with Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15: 20) There were others after him, “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out 58 REVELATION of the graves AFTER HIS RESURRECTION, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” Matt. 27: 52, 53. Now, “the remaining ones of the dead ones,” having no part in the First resurrection, could not have This Immortal Life until the thousand years were ended. And that plainly implies, THEN they shall have it. BUT, How is that possible, If all the dead are doomed and damned ? If not a soul is saved after Christ comes? And some do preach, They are LOST,—irre¬ trievably lost. Some declare that this earth for one thousand years is a desolate barren and a howling wilderness with only the Devil and his emmissaries roaming it, and at the end of that time eternal fires consume and burn it up. The theories of man, make men desparate; and some drive them away from God and the Bible. Yet those people mean good, they have a desire to better the world and save sin¬ ners. You recall that Christ taught, “When shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, When saw we thee and hungered, or a thirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not administer unto thee;”? or as he taught in Matt. 7:22, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophecied in thy name? and in thy name cast out Devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works”? And yet he will say, “I never knew you.” Brother*—Sister,—Jesus Christ came to save the world not to condemn it. He came to seek and to save the lost, not to make a burning fire of lost souls. His mission on earth was not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentence. Men have not only made a hell out of the world, but invented one of unend¬ ing duration, IN THE PRESENCE of God and the holy angels, with its brimstone smoke ascending for ever and ever. Some men seem to gloat over the agony and suffering, the torment and pain of others,—but my Bible says, God is Love, and will- eth not the death of any, but that all should turn and live. LISTEN: Christ is to have a Bride. Your Bible tells you so. John says, His wife hath made herself ready. That has a meaning; and it is this, This world is to be a home,—a habitable globe, and the millions shall be born and trained for time and eternity. It means that the second Adam will generate REVELATION 59 a posterity. Jesus Christ and his Bride will reign, not over stock and stones, but over living souls. The dead are to come forth unto judgment. Every sinner under the clod will rise again,—and just as the good, they will rise in their order and in their regiments. They will come forth to serve and learn the ways of Truth. They will come forth to stand before the Lord, and be reared and trained by the Bride, until his children shall cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea; until no man will say, “Know the Lord, but all shall know him from the least unto the greatest.” Then this old world will “bloom and blos¬ som like the rose, and yield her increase.” For one thousand years the Lord will rule and his Bride will train'for eternity: Peter declared, “There is to be a resti¬ tution of all things spoken of by all the prophets since the world began.” And' when “it is done;” when “the thousand years are ended,” and there is one happy Eden restored; “Satan shall be loosed out of his prison” and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.” Gog and Magog, means, everywhere, There will be none to escape. And as the DECEIVER he is to try ALL, just as he tried Adam and Eve. Oh Yes, you have read about Adam and Eve, and you said, What fools they were. But just such as you'are, are to have that same trial, and just such as you are will fall just as they fell. The number that were de¬ ceived and gathered together is said to be “as the sand of the sea.” The kings and captains and great men w T ho had been ser¬ vants for near a thousand years will be easily deceived to put themselves back in power. They will gather and “compass the camp of the saints and the beloved city.” Headed by their cap¬ tain, they will expect to put the rascals out, and put themselves in. It will be a regular old time fight for Democracy. All have been approached and all have decided: THIS is the “dividing the sheep from the goats,” and the Devil does it for the Lord and Shepherd of souls. Then the word is given! Forward, March, Take the City and spare none! But line Pharoah and his army at the Red sea, they forgot with whom they were dealing: Like the Sodomites, they forgot. Like the Antide- 60 REVELATION luviarjA they forgot. And like some of you, they forgot their day of Grave and Mercy. I beg of you, Don’t forget. Every man must render an account unto God. “And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” I wish I could impress this on you; I wish I could get you to fully compre¬ hend,—“The wages of sin is death.” Verse 10, “And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.” WHERE is Satan now? Where the Beast and the False- pruphet are. “Tormented day and night forever and ever.”? Yes, Tormented with dismal failure, with false hopes, and with “eternal destruction FROM the presence of the Lord.” Amen and amen. Chap. XX. 11, “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it. from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.” John failed to tell us much about the rule of Christ and his Bride for the thousand years,—and we did not need it: but he tells us much that we all need to know, and should know, to encourage and make us strong in the Lord. Some say that he repeats much; and some chapters are the same tiling related under different types and figures, but I doubt it. The Whole book seems to lead on and up, with only a pause here and there to show mercy and save sinners, and sometimes to impress the momentous thing with a deeper sense and consciousness of their importance. This 11th verse said what? Read it again. A great white throne, and him that sat on it! During the thousand years the Lord sat on the throne of David and judged, but HERE is a throne so white and holy, and the king on it so exalted and grand that the heaven and the earth fled away at his approach, “and there was found no place for them.” I think this must be the END of the whole matter this side of the great beyond,—“The ages to come.” I think so be¬ cause in chapter 21: 1, he says, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for tne first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” REVELATION 61 I think the, 12, 13, 14, and 15th verses is a short concise ab¬ breviated statement of what was done before the thousand year? WERE ENDED. Have I any evidence that this is so? I think so. in the first place, “The DEAD small and great stand before GOD,” and the dead small and great, had stood before Jesus Christ, and been judged according to their deeds. In the second place, “The BOOKS were opened, and the dead were judged OUT OF those things which wre written in the books, according to their works. “And this is the very judgment that Jesus Christ came to give his personal and undivided atten¬ tion: a work that the Gospels all declare was his to perform. In the third place, “Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire,”—and when “Fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them,” there could have been NO MORE DEATHS; and as death is the LAST enemy to be destroyed,—this is but a new statement, “It is done.” One word more,—“This is the second death.” What is the second death? John says it is “The lake of fire.” And now to close up the abbreviated statement “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire.” The Judgment is ended, the World is redeemed, the mission of Christ ig finished. Now, “The ages to come.” 62 REVELATION LESSON 12—ALL THINGS NEW We begin with Chapter 21, and here we have a vision of the beyond, after the final and last Judgment, and the world’s redemption and restitution. Surely we may claim to be highly privilegec and wonderfully blessed to be allowed today in our sinful and unregenerate stato such a heavenly vision. Listen! “And 1 saw a new heaven and a new earth : for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” Let us not forget that, as we saw in our last Lesson, the great white throne, with the king on it, had already come, from whose face the first heaven and the first earth had FLED AWAY; and there was found NO PLACE for them. (Some of course would find them in SOME REALM of their imagination where Satan and his emissaries could ROAM AND TRAVEL.) But NOW God is here; the first heaven and the first earth is no more; a new heaven and a new earth has come, and as there is no more sea, there is no more clouds and rain, and no more rain¬ bows to declare there shall be no more floods. The Great God, for whom and by whom things exist, on the great white throne is here; old things have passed away, and be¬ hold, he says, “Fll make all things new.” Not a vestage of the old remains. It is new above and all around. Now, “I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming dow r n from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Men sometimes move w^hole houses, but God moves a whole city wdien needed. And such a city as man never dreamed of in size or grandeur! Jesus has said, “I go to pWyare a place for you,” and may not this be the finished work and the abode of His brethren ? It certainly looks like it, and all things point to it as the prepared place. “And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, “Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with 63 REVELATION them, and they shall be His people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” I wish you would read that Scripture again. It has .a meaning, and one that is clear and strong. Some people say that God can never be seen, and only spirit and divine beings can behold Him. But here it is declared by a great voice “He w'.ll dwell with MEN, and THEY shall be His people” and God, not by proxy, but, himself shall be with them, and be their God. Now for something more relative and personal, Listen; “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither burrow noi cry mg, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things have passed away.” Need I comment on this plain and positive statement: Need I interpret such assurances? Surely all men believe death means death, sorrow means sorrow and pain means pain. No more death, no more sorrow, no more pain, or any of the fruits of sin; for all things of a sinful world are forever past. Health, perfect health, and the bloom of youth, and the strength of manhood prevails forever. Physicians, Hospitals, Sanitariums, Health Resorts and healing springs will be needed no more forever; the Physician that never fails has taken a hand and without Fee or charges. “And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold I make all things new. And He said unto me, It is done.” What is done? What is made new? All things are made new, and the work of Redemption is complete. Is Eden restored? Is there a restoration of all things since the world began? Yes, and more. The great God has come to the earth,—the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, and with all things new, T , * 4 , * the work is ended,—“It is DONE.” And God says it, and says it to John for us. From henceforth all things are new. “The AGES to GOME” begin with all things new. This is man’s FU¬ TURE. John, here on this Isle of Patmos, I tell you; you shall go back to your people, set free from his imprisonment, and carry this message. Go tell them, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of 64 REVELATION the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be my Son.” What a message! Shall I receive it? Will you receive it? Am I athirst? Are you athirst? Does labor and fatigue, and care and drudgery, and heat make us thirst? Are we not ac times almost famished? Almost prostrated? Hear Him: “I will give unty you of the fountain of the water of life freely.” This must be the water that Christ referred to at the well of Samaria, from which when we drink we never thirst again, but it shall be in us a well of waters springing up into eternal life. And is life to us a battle, a constant and continual war, or a race or a game? Are we put to the greatest and highest ten¬ sion, struggling as in a death throe? Hear Him! ‘‘He that overcometh shall inherit all things.” What a prize—What a reward! “All things.” I really cannot comprehend that,—can you? All things. No, I find that too big for me. But there is more still, “He shall be my Son.” Tell it John, tell it Disciples, tell it hearers; Glad tidings of great joy to all people: joy un¬ speakable and full of glory. Gladness, shouts of praise rejoic¬ ing, hallelujahs,—SUCH glad tidings. But Listen: “But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second . death.” Dreadful! Awful! How can you hear it and not shud¬ der? But it’s essential. Even God, who is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish but rather that all should live, He cannot condone sin forever. When the Truth is persistently and continually refused, when darkness is prefer¬ able to light, and the heart becomes obdurate and obstinate and sin is rolled as a sweet morsel under the tongue, THEN Death must be preferable to life. At death, eternal death, the sec¬ ond death, is the reward and portion. “Then one of the seven angels with the vials of wrath said to John, “Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” REVELATION 65 This must have rejoiced the old Prophet’s heart, when he was invited to behold the Bride of Christ, So much had been said about the bride and now to be led into her presence and be¬ hold her was one exalted and honored privilege. And to see her in her bridal robes made ready and not awaiting her Groom, but having lived with him 1000 years, this was his pleasure. After ail had been said and all these wonders shown, in order to fire the soul of John with a new glow and enthuse him with an undaunted courage for his message and his great work when freed from his prison and banishment he shows him the Bride, —not as she was when ready for marriage and for her work and reign with her Groom, but as she WILL BE when com¬ plete and full, and forever. He had seen the Holy city, the New Jerusalem, descend from God out of heaven, and wondered,— but NOW once more, to impress it on him AGAIN he Sees. ‘'That great city the holy Jerusalem, descending cut of heaven from God, having the glory of God! and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; and had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and the names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: on the East three gates; on the North three gates; on the South three gates; and on the West three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” That must have been a wonderful sight for John, glori¬ ous ana resplendent, awe inspiring and soul stirring. To see his own name written in the very foundation of the holy Jeru¬ salem. Jesus Christ the maker had done it. He had prepared a place for the Bride and it suited him to lay its foundations upon his Apostles; but the gates into this holy city were the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Go tell the world that when God named the twelve tribes he then named the twelve gates into the everlasting habitations of the Bride. Go tell the world that God has made three gates, East, North, South and West, that all the world might know that he was no respecter of persons, but to the four points of the compass he offered all a free and gracious invitation to come unto him. 66 REVELATION “And he that talked with me had a golden reed to meas¬ ure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city, lieth four sqare; and the length is as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of; a man, that is of the angel.” In this description we have the dimensions of the city ana the height of the wall. Back in the 12th verse it said the “wall was great and high,” be e when measured it ~ound to be 144 cuoits, A cubit is very near two feet, so it seems this wall was very near 275 feet high. That was some wall. The ancient people used to enclose their cities with walls for pro¬ tection, but never have we read of any such high wall as this. Such a wall about our cities would hide the city but for a few sky-scraper buddings. But the e : ty within this wall is as aston¬ ishing as tiie wall, and more Immense. It lay four-square and w r as a perfect cube; for the length and breadth and height were equal. Some say that 12000 furlongs means around the entire wall, but that cannot be, for if we count that way, the height is not included, and we should have no rea^n for saying the city lieth four square. But if it is four-square and the length and breadth ana lieigfit are equal,- the only statement needed was the length or breadth, which -is here told to be 12000 furlongs. Then 8 furlongs make a mile, and dividing 12000 furlongs by 8 gives us 1500 miles; and this Is the length, and breadth and height of this wonderful city, adorned as a bride for her hus¬ band. What a city! Marvelously wonderful! A 1500 mile cube! How insignificant the big cities of our day which so astonish us, yet only 30 to 40 miles in their dimensions. This vast city J5Q0 miles in extent would be immense and grand be¬ yond our dreams; but it is square, and covers an area of 2 1-4 million square miles. This palls on the mind in contempla¬ tion, but its Height is 1500 miles also. We are told that beyond 500 miles upward the atmosphere ceases and man cannot live; but here is a city that rises up story upon story, mansion above mansion, three times the distance that man has set as the limit of humanity. What a city! A city above a city, with streets REVELATION 67 above streets for whatever God has set for the height of one mansion until you reach the uppermost. If we make 300 yards the height of the highest mansion and then draw a plane and form another set of streets and an¬ other set of mansions, we will have 8800 planes and sets of streets and mansions, one rising upon one another or what we might rightly call in our tongue 8800 cities but all one city ^ Surely this is vastness and immensity harnessed. If we allow a 30-yard street around the wall, and each Main street 60 yards in width, then we shall have 16 block on each 8800 planes or 140,800 blocks of 695,940 yards square in the city. Each block capable of containing 90,000 acre lots, so that in that city would be 12 1-4 billion acre lots. Surely we have a city immense enough to contain the Bride which has been redeemed and gathered from this sinful world. We have sung, “There’s room enough in Paradise for all a home in glory,” and here we see that all may find a place. Now having seen the immensity of the place, let us hear what John says of its richness and beauty:— “And the foundations oi the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. And the building of the wall of it was of Jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. The first foundation was Jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chaledony; the fourth an emerald; the fifth sar¬ donyx ; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a schrysophrasus; the elev¬ enth, a jacinth; the twelfth, an ametlfyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was of pure gold, as it were transparent glass.” This description shows the beauty and richness of the garnished wall, and the city of gold like unto clear glass. Both the city and the streets are pure gold, and the gates are one s^Hd pearl. Surely was- never such richness and never such gi^ndeur seen as this magnificent city of God. “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Al¬ mighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need cf the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the 68 REVELATION glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”* In this vast city, with its great length and breadth and height, there is no temple. Think of it! Here, New York city, London, Berlin or Canton are full of churches, chapels and cole- seums for worship. But there The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb is the temple. Worship is universal and everywhere, God in them and they in him. There is no sun nor moon needed to give it light. Here light comes from without, dispersing shad¬ ows and dart:ness, but there, there is no shadows nor darkness;, light fills every place and the glory of God and the Lamb keep it bright and gleaming everywhere. All are in God and God is in all so that glory fills the city as the air fills space. ‘•And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter in to it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Here are many lessons: we notice first none go out or come in whose names are not in the Lamb’s book of life, and all the saved walk in the light of the Holy city, and that the earth is inhabited and ruled by kings and they bring their honor and glory into the city, where they must dwell as inheritors of their princely estates. The admission into the city is free and unmolested. God’s fbrone is m the city and there the wealth of the nations is brought and where all find their chiefest delight. The great God who never sleens guards forever, that no evil ever arise, and every one that goes in or comes out are written in the Lamb’s book of life. This is the bride: the home of the bride, and every one, great and small therein or enter there t are the bride. Then you notice that nations are saved. Not that every individual is saved but so many more than Satan de¬ ceive! and destroyed. Then there is a freedom and universal mingling and associating that indicates to all a oneness and uni¬ ty and likeness and brotherhood that denies any stations or de¬ grees or varying phases of life. Holy, happy people of one REVELATION 69 family, one nation, one tongue and one relation,—all in ONE. (Last Chapter of the Book. Read Prayerfully) “Ard lie showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb. In the midst of the Street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare 12 manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the trees were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse*: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his ser¬ vants shall serve him: and they shall see His face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever.” This chapter is a continued vision of the Bride, and the things appertaining to the bride. I wish you would get the very words given; get everything said here. There is little that needs any explanation. Note that “the throne of God has come down from heaven to this earth,” and has its place within the holy city, and from that throne a river flows whose waters are as clear as crystal, carrying the living waters throughout the new earth for every living creature, and from which when men drink they never thirst again; and drinking is a pleasure not to quench thirst but an inspiring satisfying delight. Its stream is laid in the midst of the street of pure gold, and over shadow¬ ing it on either side grows and spreads the green branches of the tree of life, with its 12 manner of luscious fruit, yielding so abundantly continuously and monthly that they are always load¬ ed with a golden harvest. Even the green foliage and leaves of the tree prove more efficacious there than all the medical sys¬ tems of the learned doctors of the world. The Throne of God and the Lamb are in the city,—per¬ haps near the center, so that the river flowing out from it might reach all the streets and flow from the city in four streams, north, south, east and west to all the world making twelve mighty streams of life giving water flowing and refresh- 70 REVELATION ing all the earth. The throne is the meeting place for hallelu¬ iahs and glorious praise. And there shall be no more curse. Surely not nor anything to curse. “His SERVANTS shall serve him: and THEY shall see his face.” Yes, there will be ser¬ vants there,—yea, in this mighty city and in this new earth. Some seem to think that service is a disgrace, and servants have no rights among the holy happy throngs where God is, but not so. Jesus Christ has taught us that he that is greatest in heav¬ en is the servant of all. Another important matter here shown is that these servants shall “see his face.” How different is this from some assertations made that God can never be seen but by a few of a privileged class. John says, his servants shall see his face and His name shall be written in their foreheads. As He is not ashamed of them, they are not ashamed of Him. Their glory is to serve. “And there shall be no night there.” This shows the glory of the place; one eternal day, lighted by the great God and the Lamb: guarded forever from a single shadow or a single cloud. And “They shall reign forever and ever.” Yes, though servants and toilers, serving and caring they reign. How different from what we see and know? But this is a fam¬ ily of kings,—all kings, and joint heirs with Christ to an inheri¬ tance that fadeth not away. These things are true, and God sent his angel to show them to John. You need never be discouraged nor cast down. These things are TRUE. As true as God, and as firm and es¬ tablished as the hills. “Behold I come quickly.” . He is not here now as,some declare, but is coming,—and coming quickly. He said when he went away he would come again, and he is coming. Keep that prophecy sacred. The time is near, the hour of his ,, • t return is imminent. His coming is proclaimed over the whole earth. The earth is looking for him as never before. - i 1 1 iii If you are in doubt and believe not, unjust or unholy, filthy or righteous, so you are and so he will find you, but he comes and “his reward is with him, to reward every one accord¬ ing as his work shall be.” Listen! “Blessed are all they that do hi^ commandments, that they, may have right to the tree of life, .and may enter in through the gates into the city.” You want to enter that city, you want to be one of the Sons of the liv- in;, God, you want an inheritance rich and glorious, you want eternal life, and here you have the permission, you get the right and title,—“DO HIS COMMANDMENTS.” But go tell the whole world,—go tell it to all peoples, nations, kindreds and tongues,— “The Spirit says come, the Bride says come,” the hearers may say come, and every thirsty soul may come, and “WHOSOEVER will may come,”—NONE need be left behind. Then Come,—and “him that cometh I will in no wise cast out” declares the Son. He which told all this vision of truth saith, “Surely I come quickly. Amen.” Even so come Lord Jesus,—Prepare to meet him. Amen. Finis Other Publications soon to follow this Pamphlet, and all of much interest to all those who are seeking the Truth and want to know God's Will. Is The Soul Immortal?_02 The Second Coming of Christ_02 Dying Thou Shalt Die_02 The Second Advent__,_02 On The Second Coming_ 02 The History of Lot .!. 02 Whom Do Men say, That I the Son of Man Am ?_02 The Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Christ_02 Literal Prophecy_ 02 What Paul Tells the Hebrews_05 God and Man_05 The Book of Daniel, or, The Five World Empires_05 A Classical Work on Mathematics, that Embraces the the Entire Subject, from the Simplest Arithmetic to the Highest Branch, Mathematical Astronomy. The Entire Course simpli¬ fied and Illustrated. With this Book and The Ordinary School and College Books you can Teach yourself all of Mathematics. It Answers in Mathematics what an Interlinear Translation does for Languages. You will need it. Mathematics _ _§3.00 Rev. W. T. Cutchin, Chapel Hill, N. C. R i ■ ,< This Book on Revlation is a work of diligent Inquiry and ^earnest research, after reading every Author on Revelation that this Author could secure. The Author fully believes he has found what others have failed to find, and given a clearer and better comprehension of the Book than any other Author. I do not claim to have more inspiration or more learning than others, but I fully believe I have the Plainest and most reasonable view of any Author that I have read. Read and see for yourself. All Christian people of every Creed need this word to con¬ sult on the existing Times. It is your bounden duty to know the times and to be awake and on the alert today. Listen to what God says:— “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eter¬ nal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5:39. “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. “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming hither went into the syna¬ gogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Tessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so.” Acts. 17: 10 . 11 . Write the Author, get interested and work while it is called today. I need help and you need help, let us mutually help each other. Rev. Walter Thaddeus Cutchin, Chapel Hill, N. C. Form No. A-368. Rev. 8/95