oe DIVINITY SCHOOL LIBRARY a = tre? eee > a oa . : > ~ 12) tat eS ° vo v = = Saw , John, I THE STORY OF “THE SEER OF PATMOS. BY STEPHEN WN: .HASKELE. — QZ ZINN “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Rev. 1:3. bite REVIEW AND HERALD PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION WasuineTon, D. C. 1907 ve " . J 3 4 Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1 f STEPHEN N. HASKELL, ; it In the office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. AUTHORS PREPACE. PropHeEcy is often considered dark and mysterious. The Lord describes how prophecy given in vision, will be looked upon by many people. “And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I am not learned.” The book of Revelation was never sealed ; for the angel said to John, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.” God has given the book of Revelation a title different from any other book in the Bible, signifying that it is open to all. It is the “vevelation of Jesus Christ.” He has pronounced a blessing upon every one who reads it, or even hears it read. ‘Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” It is adapted to every mind, and is full of choice illustrations and symbols, which will not only interest, but instruct the reader. It is a complete book in itself ; for John was told “ What thou seest, write in a book.” He then said that he bear record of the Word of God, and “of all things that he saw.” _The prophecies of Revelation cover the period of the time from the first advent of Christ to the earth made new. The history of the Chris- tian church is repeated four times in different figures, illustrating almost every phase of experience the church will pass through. Portions of the history are repeated several times. The book of Revelation opens the portals of the city of God, and presents to the readers, Eden restored, with its tree of life bearing twelve manner of fruit. The study of prophecy, by many, is considered uninteresting, and much that is written upon this subject is given in an argumentative style, which is unattractive to many minds. The “Story of the Seer of Patmos” is a treatise on the book of Revelation, given in a narrative oS inter- esting alike to old and young. 3 4 AUTHOR’S PREFACE. The “ Story of the Seer of Patmos” is sent forth on its mission of love with earnest prayer to God that it may point all who read to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. May the Bible student find treasure, the skeptics find ground for faith, and the thoughtless become acquainted with the thoughts of God by reading this book. May the Lord bless it in its mission ; and in love of the great Master, may it prove a blessing to thousands of souls who are struggling with the conflicts and ills of this life, and guide them to the pearly portals of the New Jerusalem, CONTENTS: INTRODUCTION, I.—TueE SEER OF Opies: JOHN THE BELOVED, (POEM) Il —TuHeE AvuTHOR OF THE REVELATION, IlI.— Tue MessaGE To THE CHURCHES, IV.— Tue MEssAaGE TO THE CHURCHES, Ce V.—A GtimpsE or HEAVEN, VI.— Who Is Wortuy To OPEN THE Bone? VII.— History IN THE SEALs, VIII.— Tue SrEartinec Work, IX.—TuHeE TruMpeETs, : X.— THE BEGINNING oF WOES, XI.—TuHeE Voice oF A Micuty ANGEL, XII.— Tue Tuirp Woe, ‘ XIII.— THE Great ConrTROVERSY, XIV.— Tue BEAsT FROM THE SEA AND TueE BEAST FROM THE EARTH, XV.— THE THREE ANGELS’ MESSAGES, XVI.— PREPARATION FOR THE PLAGUES, XVII.— Tue SEvEN Last PLAGUEs, XVIII. — Basyton, THE GREAT MysTERY, XIX — Be Ye SEPARATE, XX.—TuHE Two Suppers, XXI.— THE JUDGMENT OF THE Wickes: XXII.— Tue Gtories oF THE NEW JERUSALEM, XXIII.—Tue New Earru, XXIV.— THE SANcTUARY AND Its — ICE, QUESTIONS FOR STUDY, : é INDEX oF MarGInaL REFERENCES, A ‘ E - 5 FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS “J, Joun, Saw THE Hory City,” . , : ; Frontispiece. : PAGE. DIAGRAM OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES, . ‘ R ‘ : 72 THE DARKENING OF THE SUN AND Moon, 5 : ; 122 “THE GREAT Day oF His WratH Is COME: AND Wuo SHALL BE ABLE TO STAND,” 126. “ He Hap in ois Hanpd A LitTLE Book OPEN,” 5 c 184 THe Law oF Gop, . : ; . ; , : : 207 A Woman CLOTHED WITH THE SUN, AND THE MOON UNDER HER FEET, 212 “T Stoop UPON THE SAND OF THE SEA, AND Saw A Beast Rise Up out OF THE SEA,” 227 THE Law oF Gop AS CHANGED BY THE PAPAcy, : ; 231 THE THREE MESSAGES, . s ; : ; 260 ‘“T Saw A WomAN SIT UPON A wee ARLET 'Couauen BEAsT,”’ 291 SATAN UPON THE DESOLATE EARTH, : ‘ : 328 6 INTRODUCTION. OnE of the distinguishing features of the age of the world in which we live is the prevalence of light and knowledge. It is but a fulfillment of the divine words: ‘But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.’ Dan. 12:4. During the preceding century, more than in all the centuries of the past, a flood of light has been shed upon the prophetic page. The seal which metaphorically hid the true meaning of the book of Daniel has been removed by the fulfillment of nearly all its predictions, so that the records of history demonstrate its true meaning. Prophecy is history in advance. History is prophecy fulfilled. When both agree we have the genuine meaning. Therefore we know we are in the “time of the end,” and very near its close. The book of Revelation is introduced by the following words: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John.” Rev. 1:1. As the book of Daniel reaches to the “tzme of the end,” and the book of Revelation contains “things which must shortly come to pass,” before the end, the two books must be “companion volumes,’ closely related to each other. The book of Daniel, in point of time, precedes the book of Revelation upwards of six centuries. In short, the latter is largely an inspired commentary on the former, and as such, becomes a valuable aid to its correct understanding. Every earnest, intelligent student of prophecy will study these two books together. Each is mutually helpful to the understanding of the other. There is an opinion extant, quite prevalent among those skeptically inclined, and a class of professed Christians who ignore the whole sub- ject of prophecy, that the book of Revelation is mystical, foggy and cannot be understood. If so, the Spirit of God has misnamed it. God says it is a “ Revelation of Jesus Christ.” A revelation is not some- 7 g INTRODUCTION. thing concealed. It is something made known. In other words, this blessed book makes known to us the things God wishes us to know. He reveals to us the nature of the events to occur all through the Christian dispensation, and especially those connected with Christ’s return to this earth at His second coming. The “ Revelation” is a book of symbols. The representation of mighty kingdoms by the symbols of beasts, as given in Daniel and Revelation, is common among the nations of the earth. We speak of the British lion, the Russian bear, the American eagle; and every intelligent person understands what is meant, because nations them- selves have chosen these creatures to represent them on their flags and standards. Inspiration chooses symbols to represent various na- tions, and the Scriptures themselves plainly define their meaning. There are no books in the Bible of greater interest to the earnest student than the visions of Daniel and John. This volume, ‘The Story of the Seer -of Patmos,” is a companion volume to “The Story of Daniel the Prophet,” by the same author. We doubt not that this volume will equal or exceed the former in popularity. The author is a devoted minister of the gospel of long experience ; a deep and most earnest student of the holy Scriptures, and especially conversant with the subject of prophecy. He has given many years of careful study to the subjects contained in this volume. It is written for all classes of readers. The most intelligent professional man can find herein blessed food for thought, and precious instruction in the Bible-truths for this remarkable age. The business man can be greatly profited by the perusal of this volume. Men nccd to have their atten- tion called away from worldly themes, to the great things God is about to do in our world. The common people will rcad this volume with delight. It will open up great fields of thought which they have never before explored, while the Bible student will find in it a rich mine of treasure. The apostle John was an old man when he wrote the book of Revelation. It was a special revelation from Jesus Chnst Himsc!f, and reveals the order of events commencing in John’s time, and reaching to Christ’s second coming, under various heads and series of events: The Seven Churches, The Seven Seals, The Sever Trumpets, The INTRODUCTION. 9 Three Messages, etc. -It ends with the glorious restitution of all things, spoken of by the “mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began.” Here are themes worthy of the most careful study. The author has made these mysterious symbols so plain, that any one who will carefully follow him can understand the book of Revelation. The study of this inspired book of Holy Writ is important. Christ -Himself says, ‘ Blessed is he that readeth, and they that ear the words of this prophecy, axd keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” We are living at the close of the great prophetic periods revealed in Daniel and Revelation. We greatly need the light contained in this volume. We most gladly welcome every additional ray of light shining on our pathway. The perils of the last days are around us. Great changes are occurring. Satanic deceptions abound on every hand. The time has come, foretold by our Saviour, when if it be possible, even the elect are in danger of deception. Matt. 24:23, 26. The Revelator speaks of the same things. Let all become intelligent in reference to these things. ‘The Story of the Seer of Patmos” will enlighten all who will read and study it. Our Saviour informs us that when the signs of His coming begin to come to pass His people should look up and lift up their heads, for their redemption draweth nigh. Ah! dear reader, do you not desire to be a citizen of that glorious city spoken of in the last chapters of Revelation, with its gates of pearl, streets of gold, wall of jasper, and foundations garnished with precious stones; where the tree of life shall grow, and the river of life flows out from beneath the throne of God; where Christ will ever dwell? Where God shall wipe away all tears from the eyes of His people; where death will never come, sorrow will never be felt, nor pain evermore exist? Study the blessed Revelation, and you will get new and blessed concep- tions of these great divine realities. Geo. I. BuTLer. Nashville, Tenn., April 24, 1905. A WORD TO THE READER. -_ Tue history of this world is fast closing. Events are taking place, in the physical, political, and spiritual world, which show that we are living in a crisis such as has never been since the creation of this world. The voice of innocent blood crieth from the ground, The nations are angry. Not one nation, but all the nations of earth, look for-’ ward with fearful apprehensions to what is coming. The prophet, in view of this time, exclaims, “ Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?”’ The watchman said, “The morning cometh and also the night,”—the glorious morn of salvation that will bring deliverance to the people of God, and the night of eternal death to those who reject the repeated warnings given in the Word of God. Through John on the Isle of Patmos, the Lord lifts the veil, and lets us see the history of the church in its relation to the world. Seven times the prophet exhorts all who have an ear, to hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. We invite all to a careful perusal of the contents of this book, with the prayer that God will impress minds by His Holy Spirit. It is not the design of the writer of the “Story of the Seer of Patmos” to arouse discussion and awaken controversy upon theoretical points, but to tell the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. The book is written in a narrative style, and the symbols are explained by the marginal references, so that the reader will readily find a mine of rich treasure in the book. The entire bock of Revelation is printed in italics on the margin of the pages, together with several thou- sand other scriptures which throw light on the subject. We earnestly pray that God’s klessing may rest upon the readers, and that the book may help many to become better acquainted with the Book of all books, the Word of the living God. Yours in the blessed hope, Ss. N. H. Io eS A CHAPIER. oF THE SEER OF PATMOS. THE men whom God has chosen as a means of communication between heaven and earth, form a galaxy of noted characters. The gift of prophecy is called the “best gift,” and the church is exhorted to covet that “best gift.” To be able to view scenes still future and to talk in the language of heaven, requires a closer walk with God than is attained by most men. But through all the ages, there have been those whose lives were so in unison with the laws of Jehovah that they became the channel of the Spirit ot God. t is not that such men have greater attain- ments’ than all others, but they are like the dense Disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. 1 Peter 2:4. By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved. Hos, 12:13. Gen. 20:7. 1 Cor. 14:1. Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints. Jude 14. Gen. 5:24. 2 Cor. 12:1-5. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are. Jas. 5:17. Amos 7:14, I5. I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. Psa. 40:8. NotTe.—In the margin are many passages of scripture that will direct the mind of the reader to those portions of the Bible which give light upon the story of the Seer of Patmos. In the texts quoted, marks of ellipsis are omitted ; and frequently several verses are cited in the reference, though only one or more are printed in full. 11 12 STORY When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud. Gen. 9:14. Eze. 1:28. 1 Cor. 1 :25-28, I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant. Gen. 9:16. Tosee thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the sanct2 uary. Psa. 63 +2. Isa. 63:9. Isa. 48:10, 11. Beloved, think it not strauge con- cerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. 1 Peter 4:12. And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. And straightway he called them : and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him. Mark 1:19, 20. Rev. 1:9. ms Dan, 1:1. Dan. 2:31-45. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth, But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. Dan. 7:17, 18. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. Dan. 9: 24-26. Dan. 1:3, 6. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. a cloud with its falling rain drops, through which the sun shines to produce the rainbow in its glory. One forgets the cloud while watching the bow of promise. So with the prophet; one loses sight of the instrument through whom God speaks, by beholding the glory of the scene which He por- trays.~But lest the Spirit should be lost in its transmission, the chosen instrument must be purified in the furnace of affliction. Those tests which bring the human soul in touch with the divine are necessary experiences, before human eyes can see, or human tongues can speak of things yet future. Genesis,—that condensed treatise on the plan of salvation,—the work which contains the Gos- pel in embryo,—was written in the Midian des- ert, probably near Mount Horeb, while Moses watched the flocks of Jethro. Every other book in the Bible is but the unfolding of the truths of Genesis. It is the Alpha, and the book of Reve- lation is the Omega, of the Word of God to man. As God prepared Moses, by a life of forty years in the solitudes of Midian, so He called the Apostle John from the society of men, and led him along a strange path upward, and still up- ward, until at last on the rocky coast of Patmos, heaven was opened to his wondering gaze, and the future history of the church was made known. About six hundred years before the advent of Christ, there lived another seer, Daniel. To him God revealed the history of the nations of the world. From his own day, when Babylon bore universal sway, until nations should be no more, Daniel was shown the world’s history. In connection with the account of the rise and fall of nations, Daniel saw the history of his own THE SEER OF PATMOS. ye t8 people, the Hebrew race, from their captivity in Babylon, until they rejected the Anointed of God. Daniel was of the royal seed of Israel, and was prime minister in the Court of Babylon during the years when this history was revealed to him. He of all men was fitted by education and posi- tion to write the history of the world. Genesis was written while Moses watched the flocks of Jethro. As foretold by ancient prophets, the Saviour came a servant of men. He was anointed at the very time predicted by the Prophet Daniel. «And Jesus when. He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: and loa voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Luke 24:27. The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Prov. 4:18. Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. : Dan. 2:48. Dan. 5:11, 12. Dan. 1:17, 20. Heb. 12:6, Heb. 12:8. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things that are, and the things which shall be hereafter. Rev. 1:19. Dan. 8:27. Gen. 3:15. Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back side of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. Ex. 3:1. Gen, 1:1. MESSIAH, Dan. 9:25. Sixty-nine weeks or 483 years from the commandment to restore Jerusalem unto Messiah. Ezra 7:9-26. Command given 450 I-2 B.C. John 1:41 [margin]. Messiah means Christ or anointed. Acts 10:38. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost. Matt. 3:15-17. The Holy Ghost came on Christ at His baptism; 483 years added to 456 1-2 years B. C. reaches to 26 1-2 A. D., or 27 A. D., the date of Christ’s baptism, 14 STORY John 1 :36-38. Rev. 1:19. And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hana- niah, Mishael, and Azariah. Dan. 1:5, 6. There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these. Dan. 2:28. Luke 9 : 52-56. Mark 9 : 38-40. But go thou thy way till the end be: fer thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. Dan. 12:13. If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. John 21 :22. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass. Rev. 1:1. The disciples were called Chris- tians first in Antioch. Acts 11326, Rev. 2: 1-29. Rev. 3: 1-22. Rev. 6: 1-17. Rev. 8: 1-13. Rev. 9:1-21. Dan. 2: 48. Dan. 6:1-3. Mark 1 : 19, 20, OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Standing on the banks of the Jordan, a witness to this anointing, was a young man chosen of Heaven, to continue the history begun by Daniel. The Hebrew prophet Daniel, was in the schools of Chaldea three years, during which time God revealed to the wise men of Babylon the superiority of the wisdom of God over all the learning of the world. While in that school, Daniel received the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. John the fisherman, the first of Christ’s disciples, spent three years at the side of the Master Teacher, receiving such instruction as fitted him, in spiritual things to become a leader of nations. Daniel will stand in his lot in the latter days, by his prophecies revealing the time of the end. John, according to the words of Christ, will by his prophecies tarry until the coming of the Saviour in the clouds of heaven. For, when in answer to Peter’s question concern- ing the future of the beloved disciple, Jesus said, “Tf I will that he tarry till I come,” He revealed the prophetic mission of that disciple. The Saviour saw him on Patmos receiving the Reve- lation. The prophecy as given to John is a revelation of Jesus Christ, and is the history of God’s deal- ings with the church which bears the name, Christian. Daniel is a history of nations; the Revelation is ecclesiastical history, and into it, nations are introduced only when they affect the growth of the church. The life of Daniel shows how God can work through men in high positions: the preparation of John for his work as a prophet is the story of the transformation wrought in the heart of a _ fisherman by the Spirit of God. The extremes THE SEER OF PATMOS. of society were represented by these two men The story of each life is the narration of the events of a life in which love worked, and is an object lesson of the development of Christian character. — In the town of Bethsaida, on the west shore lee, lived the fisherman, Zebedee, with his wife, Salome, and two sons, James and John. Thetwo youngmen were partners with their father in his business, and were accustomed to the toil and hardships of a fisherman’s life. A spirit of piety charac- terized the home; for beneath the rough exterior, was a desire to understand the Word of God. The promise of the Messiah had been read, and when it was known that the Prophet of the Wil- derness was preaching and baptizing at Enon, and proclaiming the advent of Christ, the younger son of Zebedee, in company with Andrew of Bethsaida, sought baptism. It was there that they witnessed the anointing, and heard the Baptist’s words, “Behold the Lamb of God.” John and Andrew were the two disciples who followed after Christ, and to whom He turned saying, “What seek ye?’’ They said unto Him, ‘Rabbi . . . wheredwellest thou?” And when He led them to the place where He abode, - they talked with Him, they believed, and the nucleus of the Christian church was formed. of the Sea of Gali- {5 Bethsaida of Galilee. John 12:21, Mark 6:45. Matt. 4:21. Matt. 27:56. Going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. Matt. 4:21. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. Acts 15:21. And John also was baptizing in Enon near to Salim, because there Was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. John 3 :23. Again the next day after, John stood, and two of his disciples ; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was An- drew, Simon Peter’s brother. John 3 :35-40. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. Jobn 12:32. 16 1 John 5:11, 12. 1 Tim, 3:16, John 1:41 John x: 42. Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? John 4: 29. Gen. 32:28, Gen. 25:30. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God ; for God is love. 1 John 4:6-12, 1 John 3:1. The soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God. And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. Luke 6: 19. 1 Sam. 25 :29. Mark 5 :30. Luke 8: 46. Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. John 13:23. Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him, 1 John 2:5. 1 John 1:7. Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Gal. 5:16, 17. But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them ; and their great ones ex- ercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister : And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. Mark 10 : 35-45. THE STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Christ, the center, the life, drew John, and the young man’s heart responded to the quickening touch. This was the beginning of a new life,— a soul communion. Andrew, too, was convinced of the divinity of Christ, but Andrew represents those who accept because the mind is convinced of truth. He sought at once for his brother Peter, saying, “‘ We have found the Messiah, . . the Christ, the Anointed.” And when Peter came to Christ he was convinced of the divine nature of Jesus, because the Saviour read his character and gave him a name in accord with Peter’s nature. But John represents those of the inner circle of discipleship. He was won by love, not argu- ment. His heart was held by love, and the whole theme of all his writings is love. He saw only love in Christ, and he responded freely to that wondrous drawing power. It was like an electric — - current flowing from Christ, and John desired to be ever in the circuit. He kept close to Jesus, walked hand in hand with Him, sat next to Him at the table, lay on His bosom,—he was “that disciple whom Jesus loved.” As long as John kept in touch with the divine life of the Master, there was nothing in his life out of harmony with the Saviour. That there were times when the harmony was broken, is true, and this was due to the fact that the hu- man in John had not yet been subdued. The human channel through which the spirit flowed, sometimes arrested the flow. This was the case when James and John asked to sit, one on the left, and the other on the right, of the throne in the new kingdom, Christ recognized the desire as a result of more than human affection, and so THE SEER OF PATMOS. in place of a rebuke, He attempted only to deepen and purify that love. The entire life of John tended to cleanse the soul temple, and to prepare him for his final work The union between the soul of Christ and John, is shown by numerous incidents. During the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, John sought Him out, longing to go with Him. But Christ bade John return, for He did not wish the young man to witness the fierce struggles with the prince of darkness. When not allowed to remain as companion in the wilderness, he sought out Mary of Nazareth, who was in doubt as to the whereabouts of her Son Sitting by the side of the lonely mother, John related the story of Christ’s baptism, and told her of His present condition. He won his way into the heart of the family, as well as into the heart of Jesus This explains why the Saviour, when hanging on the cross, gave directions for John to makea home for this same mother. Such gentleness was not alto- gether natural with the sons of Zebe- dee; for when they first became Christ’s followers, He called James and John “Boanerges,” “Sons of Thunder.” They possessed an ambitious, hasty, outspoken spirit, which was subdued by association with the Saviour. The natural inclinations were replaced by contrition, faith, and love. John especially yielded to that power of the Christ. Every experience of this disciple pointed un- mistakably to the crowning work of his life. When the Saviour had returned to heaven, John 2 17 Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord, Isa. 52:11. Matt. 17:1. Mark 5 :37. Mark 13 :3. Luke 8:51. Luke 22 :8. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan : for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him, Matt. 4:10, 11. Luke 3 :21, 22. John 19:26, 27. Sitting by the side of the lonely mother, John relates the story of Christ’s baptism. James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is. The sons of thunder. Mark 3:17. 1 John 3 :23. Iam crucified with Christ: nev- ertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Gal. 2:20, 18 STORY NEW TESTAMENT PROPHETS. Acts 7:37. Jesus. Matt. 11 :g-11. John the Bap- tist. 2 Cor. 12:1-7. Paul. Rey. 1:10. John. Acts 10:9-17. Peter. Acts 11:27, 28. Agabus and one other. Acts21:8,9. Philip’s four daugh- ters. Acts 15 232. Luke 1:67. Zacharias. Luke 2:25--28. Simeon. Luke 2:36. Anna. James 5:1-5. James, Judas and Silas. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who Fave spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. James 5:10. Truly our fellowship is wita the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17 : 2-4. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds. 2 Sam. 23 :3, 4. And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting ott devils in thy name, and he followeth not us; and we forbade him, be- cause he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. Mark 9 : 38, 39. Rom, 2:1. Matt. 7:1. Rom. 14:3, 4. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and con- sume them, even as Elias did? But he tured, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what man- ner of spirit ye are of. Luke 9:54, 55. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS, would become the medium of communication be- tween God and man. He was not the only prophet of the apostolic church, for sixteen oth- ers are named in the New Testament; but to him was given the mosc extended view of the future work of Godin the earth. Bearing in mind that the eye of Heaven was upon John, and that he was in every act preparing for that noblest of callings, although he knew it not, the history of this disciple becomes a wonderful object lesson to those who live in the end of time. He yielded himself fully to the teachings of the Man of God; his mind met the mind of Christ ; his soul touched the soul of the Divine One. Life flowed from Christ, begetting life in the disciples. This is Christian experience ; this will be the experience of all who live to see the Saviour coming in the clouds of Heaven; and this experience enabled John to say, “Of His fullness have we all received, and grace for grace.” The growth in grace was a gradual develop- ment, and, at times, an unholy zeal over-mastered the tenderness which Christ constantly sought - to impart. There was one man who cast out devils, and John rebuked him because this man was not like the disciples a follower of the Savy- iour. This spirit of judging all others by a self- reared standard, was rebuked in the words of the Master, ‘Forbid them not.” When the Samari- tans offered insult to the Saviour, John was the one who wished to call down fire from heaven and destroy them. He was surprised when the Saviour revealed to him the fact that such a spirit was one of persecution, and that He, the Son of God, had not “come to destroy mens’ THE SEER OF PATMOS. lives, but to save them.”” Each correction was keenly felt, but it opened to the mind of John the principle of divine government, and revealed to him the depth of divine love. Near the close of Christ’s ministry, the mother of James and John came to ask for her sons the place of honor in His kingdom. Salome herself was a follower of Christ, and the great love of the family for the Saviour, led them all to desire to be near Him. Love always draws us near the object of our love. Jesus saw what the granting of the request would imply, and in tones of sad- ness, answered that the place nearest the throne would be occupied by those who endured most, who sacrificed most, and who loved most. In Salome asks for her sons the place of honor in His kingdom. later life John comprehended the meaning of the answer ; for he was given a view of the redeemed as they will gather on the sea of glass about the throne. j These human desires came at times when the life current was partially broken. At other 19 Now no chastening for the pres- ent seemeth to be joyous, but griev- ous. Heb. 12:11. Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. Matt. 20:20, 21. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. Sol. Songs 5: 10. I am my beloved’s, and his desire istoward me. Sol. Songs 7:10. To sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. Matt. 20:23. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. Rev. 15 21-3. Thou hast made. me to serve with thy sins. Isa. 43 224. Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. Sol. Songs 4:7. Luke 9 : 28-36, Matt. 17:1-13. Mark 9 :2-10, 20 STORY Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons cf Zcbedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Matt. 26 : 36, 37. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit in- deed is willing, but the flesh is weak, He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy willbe done. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. ? Matt. 26 : 40-43. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. Jas. O23. And they all forsook him, and fled. Mark 14 : 50. And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door with- out. Then went out that other dis- ciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter, John 18:15, 16, OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. times its flow was steady and strong. Thus it was when John stood with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, and heard the voices of Moses and Elijah, as they sought to strengthen the Saviour for His soon coming death. John sat at John pressed close to the Saviour’s side. the Saviour’s left hand at the Passion Supper, and as the little company of twelve walked in the moonlight toward Olivet on that last night, John pressed close to the Saviour’s side. As they en- tered the Garden of Gethsemane, eight of the disciples remained without the gate ; while Peter, James, and John went on a little farther. The Son of Man longed to have John sit beside Him during that bitter struggle; and although John had lived so near to Jesus, yet he failed to grasp that last opportunity which would have placed him next the throne. While the Saviour pleaded in agony, and finally fell fainting to the ground, John was sleeping. The flesh was weak although the spirit was willing. His love so fervent, was still weakened by the clay channel through which it flowed. Still more bitter trials were needed to burn out all the dross. Having slept, he too fled when the mob came for the Saviour, but his love drew him back. Ashamed of his cowardice, he returned, and en- THE SEER OF PATMOS. tered the judgment hall, keeping close to the man condemned as a criminal. All night long he watched and prayed, and hoped soon to see a flash of divinity which would forever silence the accusers. He followed to Calvary. Every nail that was driven seemed to tear his own flesh. Faint, he turned away, but came back to support the mother of Jesus, who stood at the foot of the cross. That dying cry pierced to his very heart ; the One whom he had loved was dead. Unable to comprehend the meaning of it all, yet he helped prepare the body for burial, and with the other sorrowing disciples passed a lonely Sabbath. Life seemed scarcely worth living; for He for whom they had given up everything, and whom they had believed to be the Son of God, was silent in death. The words which Christ had spoken concerning His own death, and which John should have understood, had fallen on deaf ears. Much as he loved his Lord he was dull of hearing. On the morning of the resurrection John was the first of the twelve to reach the tomb; for he outran Peter, when Mary Magdalene reported that the body was gone. Seeing the folded nap- kin in the sepulchre, he recognized the familiar touch of a risen Saviour, and believed. On the evening after the resurrection John re- ceived the benediction when Christ appeared ; but since he could no longer see his Master with the physical eye, he returned to his fishing on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. But Jesus sought him again, and bade him go forth a fisher of men. In the last recorded interview between Christ and His disciples, the Saviour prophetically gave the work of Peter and John, those two earnest fol- 21 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Gal- ilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. Luke 23 : 49. John 19 :26, 27. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. Matt. 27 : 46, 50. Luke 23 : 50-53. Mark 15 : 42-47. And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and behe!d the sepelchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment, Luke 23 54-56. Matt. 16 :21-23. Matt. 20:17-19. Mark 8 : 31-33. Mark 9 :31, 32. Mark 10 :32-34. Isa. 29 : 10. Luke 9:21, 22. Luke 18, 31-34. And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other dis- ciple, which came first to the sepul- chre, and he saw, and believed. John 20 : 4-9. John 20: 19-23. Simon Peter saith unto them, I goafishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship imme- diately ; and that night they caught nothing. John 21: 1-3. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou gird- edst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest : but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou would- est not. 22 STORY Then spake he, signifying by what death. he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved fol- lowing ; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus Lord, and what shall this man done jesus saith unto him, If 1 wilt that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. John 21 : 18-22. Her sins, which are many, are forgiven. for she loved much but to whom lit tle is forgiven, the same loveth littie Luke 7 : 47- And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars; perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Bar nabas the right hands of fellowship. Gal, 2:9. And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Dan. 9:26. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. lowers, who had passed through so many clouds, and yet had seen such bright rays of sunlight. Peter was told it would be his lot to follow his Lord to the cross. When he asked the fate of John, Christ replied, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” The life of John is but briefly referred to after the ascension. He remained in Jerusalem for a number of years, and was known as one of the pillars of that church as late as A.D. 58. John’s Isle of Patmos. Distant View. fervent love for the Saviour grew stronger as he suffered oppression and imprisonment. His own brother, James, was among the first martyrs to the cause of Christianity. Living as John did at the center of the work, he witnessed the spread of the truth, and knew of its triumphs as THE SEER OF PATMOS. well as its vicissitudes. Roman oppression became greater. The city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the army of Titus, and John was banished to the Isle of Patmos. He himself says that he was there for the “Word of God, and for the Testimony of Jesus Christ.” It is a beautiful thought that he whose heart was so bound up in Jerusalem and the Hebrew race, and who was always so true to both, should have been permitted to see the glories of the New Jerusalem, the city finally to take the place of his own earthly Zion. To him was given the entire history of the church of God, which must do the work rejected by his own race. The road from the Jordan to the rocky height of Patmos was a steep and stony way; but when he sat alone upon the mountain side overlooking the sea, the intense love, the soul union with Christ, which those previous years had developed, enabled that ‘disciple whom Jesus loved ”’ to be- come the connecting link between heaven and earth. Gabriel, Christ’s own angel, stood by the side of the last survivor of the chosen twelve, and opened to his vision the glories of the future. A nature less spiritual would have failed to grasp the picture of eternity ; a mind less consecrated could not have been the channel for sucha flood of divine enlightenment. In the Midian desert, where none but God was near, Moses wrote Genesis, the Alpha of all things. John wrote Revelation—the complete unfolding of that first book—the Omega—when alone on an island in the midst of the sea. The pen of him who wrote the history of crea- tion, was guided by the same angel who bore to John the heavenly message concerning the con- summation of the plan of redemption. 23 Rev. 1:9. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Rev. 19:10. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Psa. 122 76, AndI John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, Rey. 21:2. For if God spared not the nat- ural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Rom, 11:21. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: ifa man would give all the sub- stance of his house for Icve, it would utterly oe contemned. Sol. Songs 8:7. If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. Num, 12:6. Dan. 10:21. Dan. 8: 16. Rev. 1:1. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. x Cor. 2:14. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself, Luke 24:27. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to wer- ship before the feet of the angel ~ which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow sery- ant, and of thy brethren the proph- ets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. Rev. 22 38, 9. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth ; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. Deut. 18: 18. 24 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Acts 3:22, 23. Moses recorded the story of Creation and the Fall, and by faith he grasped the promise of a Pre edie Redeemer. John lived with that Redeemer, and Zech. 1424, 5+ as he stood on Patmos, he looked back into the past to the place where Moses stood on Pisgah, pry and then forward to the City of God, which he saw descending on the Mount of Olives. The two mountain peaks from which all history can be viewed are Genesis and Revelation, the be- ginning and the end, the first and the last. Sohn the Beloved. I’m growing very old. This weary head That hath so often leaned on Jesus’ breast In days long past that seem almost a dream, Is bent and hoary with its weight of years. These limbs that followed Him—my Master—oft From Galilee to Judah, yea, that stood Beneath the cross, and trembled with His groans, Refuse to bear me even through the streets To preach unto my children. E’en my lips Refuse to form the words my heart sends forth. My ears are dull, they scarcely hear the sobs Of my dear children gathered round my couch; God lays His hand upon me,—yea, His hand And not His vod,—the gentle hand that I Felt, those three years, so often pressed in mine In friendship such as passeth woman’s love. I’m old,—so old I can not recollect The faces of my friends, and I forget The words and deeds that make my daily life; But that dear face and every word He spoke Grow more distinct as others fade away, So that I live with Him and holy dead More than with the living. 25 26 ‘STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Some seventy years ago I was a fisher by the sacred sea. It was at sunset. How the tranquil tide Bathed dreamily the pebbles! How the light Crept up the distant hills, and in its wake Soft, purple shadows wrapped the dewy fields! And then He came and called me. Then I gazed, For the first time, on that sweet face. Those eyes, From out of which, as from a window, shone Divinity, looked on my inmost soul And lighted it forever. Then His words Broke on the silence of my heart, and madé The whole world musical. Incarnate Love Took hold of me, and claimed me for its own. I followed in the twilight, holding fast His mantle. O, what holy walks we had, Through harvest fields and desolate, dreary wastes! And oftentimes He leaned upon my arm, Wearied and wayworn. I was young and strong, And so upbore Him. Lord, now /am weak, And old, and feeble! Let me rest on Thee! So, put Thine arm around me. Closer still ! How strong Thou art! The twilight grows apace. Come, let us leave these noisy streets, and take The path to Bethany, for Mary’s smile Awaits us at the gate, and Martha’s hands Have long prepared the cheerful evening meal. Come, James, the Master waits; and Peter, see, Has gone some steps before. What say you, friends? That this is Ephesus, and Christ has gone Back to His kingdom? Ay, ’tis so, ’tis so. I know it all; and yet, just now I seemed To stand once more upon my native hills, And touch my Master. O, how oft I’ve seen The touching of His garment bring back strength To palsied limbs! I feel it has to mine. JOHN THE BELOVED. 27 UP! bear me once more tomy church! Once more There let me tell them of a Saviour’s love; For, by the sweetness of my Master’s voice Just now, I think He must be very near,— Coming, I trust, to break the veil, which time Has worn so thin that I can see beyond, And watch His footsteps. So, raise my head. How dark itis! I can not seem to see The faces of my flock. Is that the sea That murmurs so, or is it weeping? Hush, My little children! God so loved the world He gave His Son. So love ye one another. Love God and man. Amen. Now bear me back, My legacy unto an angry world is this. I feel my work is finished. Are the streets so full? What call the folk my name,—the Holy John? Nay, write me rather, Jesus Christ’s beloved, And lover of my children. Lay me down Once more upon my couch, and open wide The eastern window. See, there comes a light Like that which broke upon my soul at eve, When, in the dreary Isle of Patmos, Gabriel came And touched me on the shoulder. See, it grows As when we mounted toward the pearly gates. I know the way! I trod it once before. And hark! It is the song the ransomed sang Of glory to the Lamb! How loud it sounds! And that unwritten one! Methinks my soul Can join it now. : O my Tork: my Roedi Plow bright Thou art! and yet the very same I loved in Galilee. °*Tis worthy the hundred years To feel this bliss! So lift me up, dear Lord, Unto Thy bosom. There shall I abide. ; — Selected. CHAPTER UAL THE AUTHOR OF THE REVELATION. The Revelation of Jesus Ghrist, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must short/y come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. Rev. 71:1. For in him dwelleth all the ful- ness of the Godhead bodily. Col. 2:9. John r:1. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we be- held his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth, John 1:14. Heb. 2:14. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. x Tim, 2:5. Rev. 1:9. Believe me that I am in the Fa- ther, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. John 14:11. Matt. 1:21. John 1:41 [margin.] Dan. 9:26. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Em- manuel, which being interpreted is, God with us, Matt. 1 : 23. 28 Tue first chapter of Revelation is an introduc- tion to the entire book. The first three verses are a preface to the chapter, and the first verse is the key, not only to Revelation, but to every prophetic book in the Bible, showing how all prophecy is given. In this first verse is given the title of the book, the author of the prophecy, jts object, the manner in which it came, and the agent of God in making known the history of future events. It is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” It is not the Revelation of John, as many seem to think; for then it would cease to be prophecy, and as a history, would rank no higher than the works of many other writers. John calls him- self our “brother and companion in tribulation.” It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ,—an unfold- ing of the life of the God-man. Jesus means Saviour. ‘Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Jesus was the name given by the angel when he talked with Mary, the mother of Jesus. Christ means THE AUTHOR OF THE REVELATION. 29 anointed: Jesus Christ is the anointed Saviour ; prophets of old had foretold of His mission on earth, and named Him Ammanuels*‘ God with us.” To John, then, was laid open, or made mani- fest, the mystery of Emmanuel, the union of the divine and human, the Christ. The entire book of Revelation is an explanation of the azvine life which God placed in the human mold, and gave to man for all eternity. “Divinity needed hu- manity ; for it required both the divine and the human to bring salvation to the world. Divinity needed humanity, that humanity might afford a channel of communication between God and man.” Humanity was lost without divinity. Salvation came by the union of the two in Christ. The union formed in Him will never be severed, for the church to which His teachings gave birth is a child of God, and the history of the church is the history of Emmanuel,—the mystery of godliness. Adam was made in the image of God, and was a son of God; but sin severed the tie, and the children of Adam were born in sin. But Christ, the second Adam, was the Son of God; and the church, the only begotten of Christ, partakes of the nature of the Father, and stands before the world to perpetuate His name, —Emmanuel. This family name will never be- come extinct. “I [Paul] bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.” The continued history of Emmanuel, as read in the life of the Christian Church, is what was revealed to John by the angel Gabriel, Christ’s attendant,—that member of the heavenly host whose duty it has long been to make known the mystery of God to His servants. God desires And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. r Tim, 3:16. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them ; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 2 Cor. 5:19, <0. Luke 19: 10. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of command- ments contained in ordinances ; fer to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace. Eph, 2:15, 16. Eph. 3 : 10, 11. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him ; male and female created he them. Gen. 1:27. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul ; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 1 Cor. 15 345. Eph. 3:11-17. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also mak- eth intercession for us. Rom. 8 :34. Eph, 3:14, 15. Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Je- sus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Rev. 1:2, Dan. 10:21. Dan. 8: 16. I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. Hos. 8:12. 30 STORY The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Deut. 29:29. I have also spoken by the proph- ets,and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the minis- try of the prophets. Hos, 12:10. Num. 12:6-8. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth, John 1:14. Heb. 4: 12-15. John 15:10. John 16:7, 8 Rev. 19:10. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 1 John 2:20, 27. Yea, if thou criest after knowl- edge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding ; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treas- ures ; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. Prov. 2 :3-5- Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand, Rev. 1:8, OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. that man should comprehend the nature of His law and the manner of His working. Near the close of the first century, Gabriel was bidden to open to the Prophet on Patmos the signs, or symbols, by which John might under- stand the history of the work of God in the earth. God reveals Himself to man in various ways. «Nature is the mirror of divinity ;’ the Word of God is His character in human language; Christ was that Word lived in human form, and the body of Christ—the church—has, in addition to these methods, the providences, or leadings, of the Spirit. Thus John “bare record of the Word of God,” as written and as lived in Christ ; and he bare record also “‘of the testimony of Jesus Christ,” ‘which is the spirit of prophecy,” and he likewise bare record of the signs which Ga- briel presented to his vision,—the ‘all things that he saw.” A heavenly benediction is pronounced upon him ‘that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy,” and upon those who “ keep those things which are written therein.” It must needs be that the things written by John can be understood, else why the blessing that is here pronounced? Since the book is a revelation of THE AUTHOR OF THE REVELATION. Jesus Christ to the servants of the Most High, all who are His servants will study and under- stand the prophecy. Every doctrine necessary for salvation was given in the revelation of Christ, and the book becomes a compendium of the whole Bible. The blessing pronounced upon the servants to whom it is sent, is an eternal bless- ing; “For thou blessest, O Lord, and it shall be blessed forever.” John, while on the island, away from the work with which he had been so long and so intimately associated, away from friends and companions, often let his mind wander to the scene of his former jabors. As he looked toward the shores of Asia Minor, there came up before him the picture of the companies of believers who were standing for the truth in the midst of pagan dark- ness. He loved those followers of his Lord, and through him, Christ sent a message to each of “the seven churches which are in Asia.” The Spirit used each of those churches to represent a period in the history of the work of God on earth, the seven covering the time from the life of John to the closing events in the history of the world. There was a peculiar significance in the loca- tion of these seven churches. Asia Minor, or more particularly the western portion of the pen- insula to which the term Asza is applied in Rev. 1:4, held in the spread of Christianity, a posi- tion corresponding to that which was occupied by Palestine in the history of the Jewish nation. When God wished to make the Hebrew race the \eading government of earth, He chose, for the seat of that government, a position unrivaled by any other portion of the globe. Palestine was 31 2 Tim, 3:15, 16. John 5 :39. 1 Chron. 17:27. Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Psa. 31320. Jer. 15 215-18. Deut. 33 3. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne ; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Rev, 1:4, 6. Rev. 12:17. Beautiful for situation, the joy of tle whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. Psa. 48 :2. " Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Psa. 50:2. 32 STORY All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? Lam, 2:15. Acts 19 : 8-10. Acts 19 : 18-20, Acts 2:5-11. Go ye therefore, and teach all na. tions, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost : Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have com- manded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matt. 28: 19,20. Ex. 3 :2-6. And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Ex. 3:14. John 20:22. x Gor. 1:3. 2Cor.. 1!2. 2 Cor. 13:14. Gal. 1:3. Eph, 1:2. Phil. 1:2. Colini<2. 1 Thess. r: 1 2 Thess. 1:2. 1 Tim. 1:2. 2 Tim. 1:2. Titus 1:4. Phil iz. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and ac- quainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him ; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isa. 53 :3- OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. . the highway between the South and the East and between the East and the West. When the power of God passed from this nation to the Christian Church, Asia Minor became the center of activity and the base of operation. In those seacoast towns, and in Ephesus above all others, Jew and Gentile met on equal footing. Every nationality,—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and dwellers in Mesopotamia, representing the far North and East, met in trade, with citizens of Rome, Egypt, and Cyrene, men from the South and the West. Into these busy marts the Chris- tian faith penetrated, and from these centers, the knowledge of the Christ was spread to all the world. Jehovah, the Great I AM, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush, the Father of us all, who meets us where we are,—He, the Ever Present, breathed His blessing on the church called by the name of HisSon. And from “the seven spirits which are before His throne,’’ and from Jesus Christ, the visible manifestation of that Spirit, came the greeting of grace and peace to the companies who should be known by the name of the Anointed. Here is inscribed the name of the author of the Revelation. He, who to-day witnesses for us in the heavenly court, is the “faithful wit- ness,’ “the first begotten of the dead,” “the prince of the kings of the earth;”’ and above all He is the one who “loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” He, who on earth was the despised and rejected of men, was in truth the Prince of the kings of the earth. Again and again this same Christ had, by His providences, caused men to acknowledge the fact THE AUTHOR OF THE REVELATION. that “the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men.” No ruler on earth reigns independent of the Lord of heaven; for all power belongs unto God, and “the powers that be, are ordained of God.’’ For this reason men are exhorted to pray for governors and kings, that there may be peace in the land. Here is the position to which He calls us. He “hath made us kings,” to sit on thrones and tule; “and priests” to minister “ unto God and Patmos. Near View. His Father.” And yet, when on earth, He had said, “‘ He that is greatest among you, let him be . . . ashe that doth serve.” The joint- heirs with Christ rule while still on earth, but their authority here is by virtue of the “power of an endless life,’ and they are leaders, not in a phys- ical sense, but in the spiritual realm. The scepter that they sway is not carnal and tem- poral, but eternal. The position is above earthly potentates, and the wonderful part of it all is, that, in the world, which is in the hands of the prince of evil, Christ has a nation of kings and priests,—a kingdom withina kingdom. “This 3 33 Dan. 4:17. Psa. 44°5-8. Psa. 33 :6, 7. Psa. 75 : 5-7- 1 Sam. 2:10. x1 Sam. 14:6, Jer. 46 : 16-20, Rom. 13:1. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Rev. 1:6. I John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Je- sus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Rev. 1:9. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. lam Alpha and Omega, the be- ginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Al- mighty. Rev. 1:7,8, 34 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. 2 Cor. 10:4. Heb. 7 : 16, Col, 1:12, 13. Eph. 5:32. Jude 25. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night ; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up, 2 Pet. 3:10, He came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. Mark 14:39. They came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. Luke 22 :32, Luke 22 : 47, 48. John 19:34. Luke 23 : 27, 28. Rev. 1:8, 11, 17, 18. And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. Eze, 20: 20, is a great mystery : but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” The eye of the prophet swept over the com- pany and as he saw the power of the gospel, in ecstasy he exclaimed, “To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.” He saw, in one glance, the closing of earth’s history, the coming of the Son of man with power and great glory. He saw, again, that angry crowd who gathered in the Garden of Gethsemane, and rudely bore arden of Gethsemane. away his Master; he saw the jeering company about the cross, and the soldier who pierced His side; but as he watches this time, he hears the bitter wail of those who rejected the Saviour of mankind. And, as he looked, he heard the words: “Tam Alpha, the beginning, and Omega, the end- ing, ‘the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.’”’ This expres- sion, or its equivalent, occurs four times in this first chapter. The Sabbath was a precious day to John, and it had been especially dear since that never to be forgotten Sabbath on which their Master rested THE AUTHOR OF THE REVELATION. in the tomb. The preparation for that Sabbath was the bitter hours on Calvary; the day itself was one of utter loneliness; because the gospel of the resurrection was not comprehended. It should have been a day of joy; it was intended as such; and after the Saviour came from the grave, and the light of His countenance again rested upon His followers, they saw more clearly than ever before that the Sabbath was not only a reminder of Creation, but that it also commem- orated Redemption. It became the central truth in giving the life of Christ. To Johnon Patmos it was a day of holy joy. The Saviour came divinely near, and as John contemplated scenes in his own association with Christ, the Man of God, his heart warmed with praise. In imagina- tion he stood by Jordan, and saw the baptism of the Holy Spirit: again he was on the Mount of Transfiguration ; he saw the pained face of the Master as they sat around the table on that last night ; an agony of feeling passed over him as he recalled the trial, the condemnation, and the death; but it was replaced by the joy of the resurrection, and the remembrance of those last words as the clouds caught Him from the sight of men. John’s love for Christ was so strong that it seemed his Master must surely speak to him again. And he heard behind him a great voice as of a trumpet, and Christ, his own Christ, stood by his side. “I am the first, but I am also the last. ‘Iam Alphaand Omega.’ Write what thou seest in a book and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia.” He spoke in trumpet tones, like the clearest music, and the voice was as the sound of many waters ; but still, to John He was the same Jesus 35 Luke 23 : 54-56. Isa. 58 3 13. 4 John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribula- tion, and in the kingdom and pa- tience of Jesus Christ, was inthe isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testi- mony of Jesus Christ. / was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, / am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last : and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Perga- mos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. Rev. 1: 9-11. Col. 1:14-76. John 13 221-25. Luke 3 :21, 22. Matt. 17 1-3. Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you : and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Ju- dea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 138-11. O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy counte- nance, let me hear thy voice ; for sweet is thy voice, and thy counte- nance is comely. Sol. Song 2:14. 36 STORY And | turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, / saw seven golden candle- sticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were asa flame of fire. Rev. 1:12-74, **The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.’’ Proy. 19:31. Dan. 7:9 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. : And he had in his right hand seven stars : and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. Rev. 1:16, 16. Eze. 1:7. Matt. 17:2. Acts 26 : 13-15. x Pet. 1:7. Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Psa. 4:6, Psa. $9 215. Luke 9 : 29. The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart. Prov. 15 330. The light of the body is the eye, Matt. 6:22, OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. whom he had known in Galilee and in Jerusalem. Not now despised, mocked, and rejected, but standing in the midst of the seven candlesticks, —the churches, their light being the reflection of His own. He was clothed, not in the cast-off purple robe, but in a garment of righteousness of dazzling whiteness, and girt about the loins with the golden girdle of truth. The purity of God Himself encircled His brow with a halo of light, for His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow. The white hairs, which in old age are a crown of glory, even in the presence of sin and decay, are a token of salvation through a Saviour’s love. The power of the life within shone through His eyes as a flame of fire, and the character is still further portrayed in the fact that His feet glowed like unto the most brilliant metal purified seven times. His footsteps were attended by light and heat, and His countenance shone above the brightness of the sun. The shining of our sun is a figure of the light of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ. In human beings, the light of the eye betrays the inner life, and a man’s “countenance doth witness against him.” Thus in every detail of John’s description is revealed the depth of spirituality, the power of the God of life. Although this is a description of the persoral appearance of Christ, it portrays His character as well. Those who continue to reveal God in the earth must, through the merits of Christ, manifest the same character as living epistles known and read of all men. The robe of His righteousness must cover the human frailties and imperfections; the truth of God must be the THE AUTHOR OF THE REVELATION. 37 rule of life; cleansed by the blood of Christ, the sinner becomes as white as snow. As He was _made perfect through suffering, so the church will be purified by the fires of affliction; they will be brethren with John; “companions in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.” He who spoke to John was the One who com- manded, and worlds stood forth in space. Christ Isa. 3:9. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, Col, 2:6. 2 Cor. 5:20. tibet. 2206 2iCorn aay 20 Isa. 6 10. Rev. 19:8. Jas. 2:12. 1 John 1:7. Isa, 1:18, 19. Heb. 10:35. Rev. 1:9. Jesus laid His right hand upon him. now stood beside John, and the prophet, looking upon His glory, fell at His feet as one dead. He had walked with Him and talked with Him,—with this same man, Christ Jesus, —when He was on earth. He had asked to sit by His side in His kingdom. The glory of His pres- ence now overcame John, but Jesus laid His right hand on him,—that hand which had so Prov. 16:31. Psa. 33 : 6-9. When I saw him | fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not ; |!am the first and the last : ! am he that liveth, and was dead : and, behold, | am alive for ever more, Amen: and have the keys of hell and of death. : Rev. 1: 17. 18. 38 STORY Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter : The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the scven golden can- dlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Rev. 1: 19,20. Mal. 2:7. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zeph. 3:17. Heb. 2:12. Zech, 2:5. And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Acts 2:17. Luke 15:10, Luke 2 : 7-14. Matt. 4:11. Luke 22 : 43. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow- citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the founda- tion of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. Eph. 2: 19-21, Col. x :28, 29. 2 Cor. 3/53, 1s, 16, Rev. 133. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. often rested there before, and in a voice which John recognized as the same with which the Master spoke to the stormy waves of Galilee, He said, “ Be not afraid, ‘I am He that liveth and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forever- more. You saw me in the grave, but I now have the keys of hell and of death.” And so the message which John was commanded to give unto the churches is a message of triumph over sin, over death and the grave. It is the victory of truth over error. Christ appeared, walking in the midst of the candlesticks, which symbolize the churches ; and He held in His hand the seven stars or angels, which direct the work of the churches, and which are light-bearers from His throne to those who represent the work of heaven on earth. God looks upon the Christian Church as He looked upon Christ in the days of His sojourn on earth. As He was attended by an angel, so the church is guided by the Spirit of God, and by the testi- mony of that Spirit. In days of triumph, the angel attendants sing the song which filled the plains of Bethlehem on the night of the birth of Jesus: in days of persecution, trials, and de- spondency, angels lift the weary heads, as Ga- briel ministered to Christ in the wilderness and in Gethsemane. The church completes the work begun by Christ in the flesh. His life studied will give the history of the church. His life as recorded in the Revelation of Jesus Christ is but a further unfolding of that same mystery of the incarnation,—the Emmanuel. “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are writ- ten therein.” CHP RL. THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. EPHESUS. THE message to the seven churches covers a period in ecclesiastical history, extending from the time of Christ’s first advent to His second coming. To John, Christ appeared walking in the midst of the churches,—the candlesticks ; and it is a most beautiful truth that the Divine Presence has never been withdrawn from the earth. One of the last promises made by Christ to His disciples was, ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world,” and it matters not how torn or scattered His people may have been, that promise, reverberating from age to age, has been the comfort and solace of each in- dividual Christian, and of the church as a body. Heaven looks upon the earth as one vast mission field, and the church isa beacon light in the midst of darkness. drew the sympathies of all the universe earth- ward, and “the whole creation groaneth,” waiting for our adoption. Christ, attended by the host of heaven—His ministering spirits—is always The incarnation of Christ He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen, Rev. 22:20, Rev, 1:19. Rey. 1:13; Ruth 4:4. For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Heb. 13:5. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. John rs :26. Matt. 28 : 20. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him, Hosea 1; 4. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee ; “yea, I will help thee ; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, Isa, 41 } 10. Matt. 5 : 13-17. Suddenly there was with the an- gel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, Luke 2:13. 39 40 Rom. 8: 22. I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him ; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men. Prov. 8 :29-31. Zech, 2:8. Psa. 17:8. Deut. 32: 10, Rev. 2:1 The church is a beacon light in the midst of darkness. Page 39. Be not deceived: evil communi- cations corrupt good manners, 1 Cor, 15 :33- Behold, I send you forth as shecp in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. Matt. 10: 16, x Tim, 1:1-7. Avoiding profane and vain bab- blings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith, 1 Tim, 6:20, 21. STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. found in the midst of the church, and he that toucheth the church, toucheth the apple of the eye of Christ. The first message which John was bidden to deliver was to the church of Ephesus. There were other churches in Asia Minor, but there were reasons why Ephesus was first addressed, and why it should be taken to represent the church in general during the first years of its existence. The word “ Ephesus” means “first,” or “ desirable.” In the first cen- tury, Ephesus was the capital of Asia Minor, and the center of trade from both the east and the west. It was strongly under Greek _ influence, and in position, corresponded to Corinth in Greece, and Alexandria in Egypt. It has been called the “railying place of paganism,” and was a stronghold of the recognized religion and the popular education of the world, when, soon after the death of the Saviour, it was first visited by the apostles. It may well be taken to symbolize that period of ecclesiastical history when the Gospel in its purity met, in open conflict, the darkest forms of pagan worship. Side by side with the Greeks, dwelt Jews, men who ought to have held aloft the worship of Jehovah, but who had lost the Spirit by mingling with the idol worshipers, It was into this city, restless and turbulent and easily wrought upon, that Paul, as a missionary, went to preach of a risen Saviour. He met with difficulties. Opposed on one side by science, falsely so called, and on the_other side by a re- ligion which had the form of godliness, but which had lost the power thereof, Paul offered THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. the crucified Son of God. Miracles attended his preaching. In the synagogue of the Jews, he reasoned three months concerning “ the king- dom of God;” and when men hardened their hearts against the Word, he entered the school of Tyrannus, where he taught for two years with such power that the Word of the Lord Jesus went abroad throughout all Asia, among both Jews and Greeks. The Greeks were scholars, and exalted the power of intellectual culture. AI God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul, Acts 19:11. He went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things: concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and ‘separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. And this continued by the space of two years ; so that all they which Ephesus. Present State. Paul, asa Christian missionary, first taught in the synagogue, them in the schools, where the Gospel of Jesus Christ was offered in place of the philosophy of Plato, whom the Greeks deified. Said he, “The Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling- block, and unto the Greeks foolishness ; but un- to them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” So powerful was this teaching of the apostle that many who owned books of sorcery, or magic, which passed for wisdom in the eyes of the dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. Acts 19 : 8-10. For all the Athenians, and strangers which were there, spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing. Acts 17 : 16-21. 2 Cor. 10:5. Many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them beiore all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. Acts 19 : 18-20, 42 Acts 18: 4-6. _ For acertain man named Deme-— trius, a silversmith, which made sil- ver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen ; Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands : So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought ; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be de- stroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. And when they heard these say- ings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. Acts 19: 24-28. Dan. 2 : 10-19. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candle- sticks ; ] know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil : and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars, : Rev. 2:1, 2. And hast borne, and hast pa- tience, and for my name's suke hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Rev, 2:3, Acts 5:41, 42. Acts 8:4. Acts 11:24, 25. Acts 13 52-5. Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of ali subtilty STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS: world, brought their books and burned them before all men. Students from this school of Tyrannus became earnest workers in Asia Minor, and through them the Gospel was made known. Not only was the learning of the Greeks, who were the intellectual lights of the world, opposed by Paul and his disciples, but the trades were affected ; so much so that there was an uprising of the people, who with one voice cried, “ Great is Diana of the Ephesians.’’ Diana, the patron goddess of Ephesus, was a personification of fecundity. In this city, Christianity—the power of God unto salvation—came in open and bitter conflict with the false religion and the false edu- cation of the world. He who walked among the churches, watched the lighting of the torch of truth in Ephesus, and so the first words addressed to the church are, “I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience.” Those, who, on the day of Pente- cost, received the baptism of the Spirit, and those who heard the Gospel from their lips, were filled with a burning desire to spread the news of a Saviour. They were married unto Christ, and in the ardor of their first love, the converts sought for their friends and relatives, pleading with them to forsake evil and to accept salva- tion. There was no work too arduous, no jour- ney too difficult, to be undertaken for Him whom they loved. It can be seen that the power of God and the power of evil were in each other’s grasp. By the side of pagan temples, were erected Chris- tian churches; Christian schools sprang up in the very shadow of the Greek institutions of learning. In spite of the power of the enemy, THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. the spread of truth was rapid, so rapid, indeed, ‘that paganism trembled for its life. Among the converts to the new doctrine, were some who were convinced of the truth, but who failed to experience the change of heart which comes with the new birth. There were others, who, for policy’s sake, sought fellowship with the Chris- tians; but as long as the church maintained a close connection with God, a clear and distinct line separated believers from impostors. ‘Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.” The power which at- tended even the com- mon converts, and their ready spirit of discernment, is seen By the side of pa= gan temples were erected Christian churches. in the case of Priscilla and Aquila, when Apollos, who received the Gospel, or at least a part of it, in Alexandria, came to Ephesus. Apollos was fervent in the Spirit, and taught with power; for he was an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures; but he knew only of the baptism of John. When he preached in the 43 and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all rightcous« ness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a dark- ness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Acts 13 : 8-11, Acts 16: 16-18. Acts 8 : 18-24. 2 Tim. 1:15. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith ; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn front'the truth. Titus 1 13-16, x Tim, 1:20. 2 Tim. 2:17, 18. Rev. 2:2. A certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus, This man was instructed in the way of the Lord ; and being fer- vent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligentiy the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John, And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue ; whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. Acts 18 : 24-26, Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors, Prov. 8:34, 35. He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9 :23. If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But ifa man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him, John 11:9, 10, 44 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS, - The remnant of Jacob shall be hearing of those with among the Gentiles in the midst of a many people, as a lion among the whom Paul abode in beasts of the forest, asa younglion (Corinth, and who among the flocks of sheep: who, if . he go through, both treadeth down, had studied with the and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Micah 5 8. great A pos tle ? Aquila and Priscilla detected his ignorance of the outpouring of the Spirit, Matt. 28 * 19, 20, and the eloquent man re- Mark 16 : 15-18, _ FE Rev. 6:2. ceived instruction from those Acts 19 1-7, 9) 50. who had recently come into the truth. One can, in im- agination, picture the sacri- fice which seems necessary Those that be planted in the ON the part of those who ac- Christianity walked asa house of the Lord shall flourish in cepted Christ in this central] svetless virgin clothed the courts of our God. in white. Psa.g2:33. Stronghold of paganism. Light and darkness met face to face, and pagan- ism made a desperate struggle for existence. It is for these reasons, that the first message, addressed to Ephesus, is applicable to the first era of the Christian religion. Into the For a day in thy courts isbetter_ qarkness of the worst forms of heathenism, the thana thousand. I hadrather bea doorkeeper in the house of my God, religion and culture of the Greeks, backed by the than to dwell in the tents of wick- Gal. 2:9. Acts 19:10. ee, Psa.8y:10, government of Rome,—Christianity walked as a , spotless virgin clothed in white. By preaching Rev. 2:2, and by teaching, two methods which are divinely ordained for the spread of the truth, Paul and 5 gr his fellow laborers raised up a church at Ephesus. _ John had known of the work at this place; for he, as a pillar in the Jerusalem church, was acquainted with the progress of the light as it spread from that center, and from Patmos his Iam the Lord: thatis myname: heart turned to the believers on the mainland. and my glory will I not give toan- ‘The angel said, ‘Unto the church of Ephesus other, neither my praise to graven images. Isa. 42:8. Write: ‘I know thy works, and thy labor, and Rom, 5 : 3-5. : THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. As thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them wherefore come out from among which are evil: and thou hast tried them which °™ 2nd be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean say they are apostles, and are not, and hast thing; and I will receive you, : . 2 Cor, 6217. found them liars.’” The message is sent by the 5 One who in heaven “holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.” God Himself had = Actss::s. watched each soul as it had separated from the world and linked itself with Christ. The power ““"*4** of Christ Himself attended the spread of the Gospel in those early days; for it was carried Acts 2 21-4. Acts 19 26, Ex, 20 24-6. The Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but ye saw no similitude ; only ye heard a voice. Deut. 4:12. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:24. 4 There were no idols, no | outward forms, only a ~* | spiritual worship. For we can do nothing against by men who had received of the Pentecostal ine truth, but for the truth, showers. 2 2 Cor, 13 38. Christianity was a strange power as viewed by the heathen, for there were no idols, no outward forms, only a spiritual worship which they could not comprehend. The kingdom of Christ was Invading the realm of the enemy, and there were — Col. « #6, 23. no weapons which could attack it. In the space > The rich and poor meet together : of thirty years, the Gospel went to every Crea- tne Lordis the maker of them all. ture under heaven. Rich and poor alike heard Pre Wenee ee the glad tidings of the Desire of all Nations, Luke s:1., Rom. 1:5; 3. Rom. 16 :19. 46 STORY So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all Czsar’s court, and in all other places. Phil. 1:13 [margin.] Phil. 4 : 22. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation : for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Jas. cies Love is strong as death. Sol. Songs 8:6. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty ; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zeph, 3:17. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed + among the which was Dionysius the Areopa- gite, and a woman named Damaris, ” and others with them. Acts 17 334. Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Al- mighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know ? Job. 11:7-9. Nevertheless | have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else | will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast. that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolai- tanes, which | also hate. Rev, 2: 4-6, OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. who had been born in Judea. Czesar ruled with unlimited power at Rome. No hand was raised against the throne; and yet Christianity crept within those palace walls, and Paul preached to some of Nero’s household. This growth is rec- ognized in the message. Thou “hast borne, and hast patience, and for My name’s sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.” This was the experience of the first century of the Christian religion. The power by which it grew was that of love,—the first love, which in its ardor knew no bounds. It was the love of which Paul writes when he says that “ Love is the fulfilling of the law.” Christ watched over the believers with the joy of a bridegroom, and they in return gave Him their heart’s devotion. There were many among the pagans who lis- tening to Paul, were convinced of the truth in their minds, but retained their Greek man- ner of reasoning. Indeed, they applied to the Scriptures the same interpretation which they had formerly placed upon their own Greek writings. These converted Greek philosophers stood side by side with the simple Gospel teach- ers, and in trying to refute paganism by argu- ment, Christianity was in danger of weakening. The shadow of the enemy was falling upon the church God called after these first believers, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works ; or else I will:come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place.” The Nicolaitanes, referred to in verse six, are said by Mosheim to have been a branch of the Gnostics, a sect living in Asia, who denied the divinity of Christ, and “boasted of their being THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. able to restore to mankind the knowledge of the true and Supreme Being.” Their belief concern- ing the creation of the world, conflicted with the writings of Moses, and led to a denial of the divine authority of the Old Testament. Still other beliefs, contrary to the teachings of Christ, the result of a mixture of Greek and Oriental philosophy, led to practices which the church of Christ could not tolerate. He does not say they hated the presence of the Nicolaitanes, and could not endure them; but that they hated their deeds, “which Ialso hate.” This church f was in a position where they could hate the sin, and not the sinner, where they could have patience, and labor long for the erring, and love them; while they hated the deeds that separated them from the Lord. The Lord closes with a message to every one: “He that hath an ear let him hear.” The message comes to all ages in all time, to every one who receives the gift of hearing. It is the Spirit of God speaking to the church. “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Adam was overcome by Satan, and thus lost his right to the tree of life; but to every son of Adam the message comes, “T give to eat of the tree of life.” It is the privilege of every child of God to claim the vic- tory, and to overcome every attack of the enemy through the strength given by Christ. To the tree of life, the faithful are promised access, in contradistinction to the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life was transplanted from the garden of Eden to heaven, but its boughs hang over the wall for all who will comes to every 47 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word’ of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Heb. 11 33. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? John 5:46, 47. Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. 2 Tim. 2:18. one who receives & the gift of hearing. — God commendeth his love to ward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom, 5:3. 2 Cor. 2: 5-11. Acts 28 : 18-23. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that over- cometh will | give to eat of the tree of life, whichis in the midst of the paradise of God. / Reo. 2:7. 48 STORY Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver ; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction, For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I willnot give my glory unto another. Isa. 48: 10, 11. Rev, 2:10, OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. reach upward for its fruit. As the experience of the church is applicable to each denomination, to each organization, and to each individual, so to the end of time, Christians will be placed in positions where they must choose between the wisdom of God, and the philosophy of the world,—the wisdom which is pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy and good fruits; and the philosophy which, if adhered to, brings loss of light, and eventually death. Having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition, Smyrna. Present State. SMYRNA. Smyrna, the second church addressed, was only about fifty miles from Ephesus, and doubt- less knew of the conditions atthe central church of Asia Minor; but as it was not a great trade center, many of the perplexitics with which Eph- THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. esus had to contend were not present in Smyrna. Its members were poor, but still they worked earnestly for others. The wealth of Ephesus was one of the greatest drawbacks to the spirit- uality of that church; but Smyrna, though poor in worldly goods, was rich in the eyes of the Lord. Through false teachers, claiming to be the children of God, persecution came to those who wished to follow the teachings of Christ. The true Jew is an heir by faith of the inherit- ance promised to Abraham, but many pride themselves on the inheritance of the ficsh. Such belong to the synagogue of Satan; for righteousness by works is the devil’s coun- terfeit of the Lerd’s plan of salvation through faith alone in the merits of the Son of God. The words written by Paul in his letter to the Galatians, who had this same false teaching to meet, makes clear the difference between those who are children of promise and those who are Jews in name only. Paul illustrates the truth by repeating the life experience of Abraham. Ish- mael, the son of Hagar, the Egyptian bondwo- man, represents in allegory, those who hope to obtain righteousness by their own efforts. Such are the Jews against whom the church at Smyrma was warned. Isaac, the son of Sarah and Abraham, was the child of promise, and rep- resents those who accept Christ by faith. “But as then he that was born after the flesh perse- cuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so itis now.” So to the Smyrna church God said, “ Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful 49 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some cov- eted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things ; and follow after right- eousness, godliness, faith, love, pa- tience, meekness. x Tim. 6 : 8-11. Ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kins- folks, and friends ; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. Luke 21 : 12-17. - Titus 1: 9-11. For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly ; neither is that circum- cision, which is outward in the flesh : But he is a Jew, which ‘s one in- wardly ; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter ; whose praise is not of men, but of God. Rom. 2 : 28, 29. Rom, 9:31. Rom. 4 :3-7. Wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead ? Was not Abraham our father justi- fied by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? Jas. 2 214-26. Gal. 3 : S10, 26-29. Gal. 4 22-31. We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Isa. 64:6. Rom. 3 :23. Gal. 4:29. 50 STORY And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive. Rev. 2:8. Num, 14:34. Eze. 4:6. Rev. 1:18 Beloved, think it not strange con- cerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings ; that, when his glory shall be re- vealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1 Pet. 4:12, 13. 1 Pet. 15-9. Take heed therefore unto your- selves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my de- parting shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Acts 20 :28, 29. 2 Thess. 2 :2-7. 1 know thy works, and tribula- tion, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and / know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Rev. 2:9, Dan. 11:34. Zech. 3 :6, 7. The law is no more ; her proph- ets also find no vision from the Lord, Lam. 2:9, OF THE SEER OF PATMOS: unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” The message was signed by Him “which was dead, and is alive.” Christ’s sacrifice of life and His victory over death, was pointed to by Gabriel as a special lesson and source of encouragement to those followers who would be called to pass through the fire of persecution. By faith the martyrs could see the crown of eternal life held out to them by the Son of God. The message came to Smyrna, a church in Asia Minor, and like- wise to the Chris- tian church as a whole, during the second and third The devil, shall cast centuries. It was some of — . you into a time when pa- na ganism was ma- king its final stand for supremacy in the world. Christianity had spread with wonderful rapidity, until it was known throughout the world. Some em- braced the faith of Christ because of heart con- version, others, because of the might of argu- ment brought to bear, and still others, because they could see that the cause of paganism was waning, and policy led them to the side that promised to be victorious. These conditions weakened the spirituality of the church. The Spirit of Prophecy, which characterized the apostolic church, was gradually lost. This is a gift which brings the church to which it is en- trusted, into the unity of the faith. When there - THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. were no longer true prophets, false teachings spread rapidly ; the philosophy of the Greeks led toa false interpretation of the Scriptures, and the self-righteousness of the ancient Pharisees, so often condemned by Christ, again appeared in the midst of thechurch. The foundation was laid during the two centuries preceding the reign of Constantine for those evils which were fully developed during the two centuries following. During this period, martyrdom became popular in many parts of the Roman Empire. Strange as this may seem, it is none the less true. It was the result of the relationship existing be- tween Christians and pagans. In the Roman world the religion of all nations was respected, but the Christians were not a nation, they were but a sect of a despised race. When they therefore persisted in denouncing the religion of all classes of men, when they held secret meetings, and separated themselves en- tirely from the customs and practices of their nearest relatives and most intimate friends, they became objects of suspicion, and often of perse- cution, by the pagan authorities. Often they brought persecution upon themselves, when there was no spirit of opposition in the minds of the rulers. In illustration of this spirit, history gives the details of the execution of Cyprian, bishop of Carthage. When his sentence was read, a general cry arose from the listening mul- titude of Christians, who said, ‘‘ We will die with him.” : The spirit with which many professed Chris- tians accepted death, and even needlessly pro- voked the enmity of the government, probably had much to do with the passage, in 303, A. D., of 51 He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets ; and some, evan- gelists; and some, pastors and teachers ; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Eph. 4: 11-16. When Peter was come to Anti- och, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gen- tiles : but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the cir- cumcision, Gal. 2:11, 12. They that are unlearned and un- stable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. 2 Pet. 3:16, 17. Titus 1 39-13. 2 Tim. 2:19, 20. Phil, 1: 12-19. We desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where itis spokenagainst. Acts 28 ;22, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too super- stitious. Acts 17 322. Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renew- ing of your mind. Rom, 12:2. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. x John 2:15. As obedient children, not fash- ioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. 1 Pet. r:314. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. Mark 13 : 12, 13. Psa. 31 3 11-13. 52 STORY Heb, 11 35-38. Rev. 13:7. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and | will give thee a crown of life. Rev, 2:10. Sweet smelling myrrh, Sol. Song 5:13. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. the edict of persecution, by the emperor Diocle- tian, and his assistant, Galerius. The edict was universal in its spirit, and was enforced with more or less strenuousness for ten years. Many Christians suffered death. The sacri- fice of_a child of God opens afresh the wound made in the Father’s heart when Christ was slain. The death of Christ was a sign of sepa- ration from sin, on the part of him who accepted the sacrifice. Like the smoke from the altar of incense in the sanctuary service, a life given for the Saviour becomes a sweet savor in the sight _ ot Jehovah. Smyrna means “ myrrh” or “sweet scent.” This name is ap- plied to those who willingly offered their lives for their faith, The mercy of God is shown in this message in a most wonderful way; for although Like the smoke from the altar of incense. Precious shall their blood be in his sight. Psa. 72 $14. Having received the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. Phil. 4:18, A bundle of myrrh is my well-be- loved unto me. Sol. Song 1: 13+ For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not accord- ing to knowledge. Rom. 10:2. Happy is that people, that is in such a case. yea, happy is that peo- ple, whose God is the Lord. Psa, 144 :15. some doubtless suffered needlessly, and brought persecution upon them- selves, yet God does not condemn them for pies zeal, This is a message that con- tains no reproof, and it would seem that the ten- derness of our Father causes Him to lose sight of the fact that death was sought; because He sees the earnestness in the heart of the one who offers his life. It is the same in individual ex- perience. The over-zealous ofttimes suffer when there is no need of suffering, and yet God reads the motive of the heart, and measures out the reward in accordance with what He finds there. Fellowmen may criticize and condemn, but God accepts any sacrifice made in His name; and He says to such a follower as He did to King David, «Thou didst well that it was in thine heart.” THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. «He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches ;” “ He that over- cometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” The second death is the only death that the peo- ple of God need tofear. Satan may bring phys- ical death to the faithful followers of Christ, but they will be shielded from the second death. God’s people will rejoice in life everlasting; while the decree of the second death will be passed upon Satan and his emissaries. The Smyrna church immediately followed the time of Christ and His disciples, and was often referred to prophetically in their teachings. 53 But he shall receive an hundred- fold now in this time, with persecu- tions; and in the world to come eternal life. Mark 10: 28-30. 2 Chron. 6:8. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Rev. 2:11, Rev. 20: 12-15. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. Heb. 2:14. Pergamos. Present state. PERGAMOS. The condition of Christianity for two or more centuries following the accession of Constantine the Great, to the Roman throne may be learned from the message delivered to the church of Pergamos. The ten years’ persecution, which took place during the reign of Diocletian, failed to accomplish the design of its instigator, and a wonderful reaction followed. Constantine, wish- ing to gain favor above the very men who were _ foremost in the opposition to Christianity, es- poused the cause of that despised sect, and There are many devices ina man’s heart ; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Prov. 19:21. Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High : Therefore he brought down their heart with labour ; they fell down, and there was none to help. Psa. 107 211, 12. Herein thou hast done foolishly : therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. 2 Chron. 16:9, Heb. 11:15, 16, 54 STORY And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges, Rev, 2:12, Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is bet- ter than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. x Sam. 15:22. 1 know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, evenin those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. Rev. 2:13. The dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. Rev. 13:2. Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matt. 18:6, 1 Cor. 5: 1-4, Num, 31: 16, 22: 15-22. But / have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the chil- dren of Israel, to eat things sac- rificed unto idols, and to commit fornication, Rev, 2:14, OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. through him, Christianity was raised to the throne of Rome. Pergamos means “ exaltation,” or “elevation,” and it was when nominal Chris- tianity became popular, and swayed the civi government, that the two-edged sword of the Word was necessary to separate between the true and the false. Naturally the number of converts increased rapidly, and church buildings multiplied. Officers in the church, under favor of the government, spread themselves like the green bay tree. The doctrine of Him who said, “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant,’ was reversed, and the papal hier- archy grew apace. This was peculiarly true of the Roman See. Other dioceses attempted the same exaltation. Constantinople, Jerusalem, Ephesus and Alexandria,—all contended for supremacy, but Rome, the seat of the dragon, was finally the acknowledged head of the Chris- tian church. God watched the church as it trod this dangerous path to worldly exaltation, and to Pergamos He sent this message: “I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.” During the period of ecclesiastical history, when the message to Pergamos is applicable, the church was guilty of idolatry and fornication. Lest Christians should misunderstand the appli- cation, and be led to deny the charge, the Spirit of God cites them to the experience of Balaam with Balac, the king of the Moabites, at a time when Israel was about to enter the promised land. The following quoted paragraphs throw THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. light on the work of Balaam in teaching Balac to cast a stumbling-block before Israel :— «Balaam was once a good man and a prophet of God; but he had apostatized, and had given himself up to covetousness ; yet he still professed to be a servant of the Most High. He was not ignorant of God’s work in behalf of Israel ; and when the messengers (from Balac) announced their errand, he well knew that it was his duty to refuse the reward of Balac, and to dismiss the ambassadors. But he vent- ured to dally with temptation, and urged the messengers to tarry with him that night, de- claring that he could give no decided answer till he had asked counsel of the Lord. Balaam knew that his curse couldnot harm Israel. . . . The bribe of costly gifts and prospective exaltation excited his covetousness. He greedily accepted the offered treasures, and did not change his course when met by the angel. While professing strict obedience to the will of God, he tried to comply with the desire of Balac.” If in reading this paragraph the word “Ba- laam” is replaced by the “Church,” in the fourth and fifth centuries, and for “Balac”’ is read “ Constantine,” or “the Roman Emperor,” the exact history of the church is portrayed. The church had known God, but it became cov- etous; while it still professed allegiance to the Most High. The church, tempted by the rich offers of the government, parlied with its ambas- 55 Josh. 13 :22. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gain- saying of Core. Jude rr. Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of sil- ver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. Num, 22: 15-21. Tor every one of the house of Isracl, or of the stranger that so- - journeth in Israel, which separateth Balaam did not change his course when met by the angel, himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity be- fore his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concern- ing me ; I the Lord will answer him by myself. Eze. 14:7. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be ; and that which is done is that which shall be done : and there is no new thing under the sun, Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. Eccl. 139, 10. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. Matt. 15:8. 56 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. i | _ Nees ye aa oy Le EE rei S ssl er Ss a ofa =m i ie ae Pe see Ya is ohm CSE sadors and refused to declare the statutes of Jehovah, and remain a separate and peculiar people. The union of Church and State was formed in order to obtain the privileges and pro- tection of the civil power. The following paragraph, read in the same way, gives the second step in the transaction, when Church and State joined hands :— “Disappointed in his hopes of wealth and promotion, in disfavor with the king, and con- scious that he had incurred the displeasure of God, Balaam returned to his self-chosen mis- sion. After he had reached home, the control- ling power of the Spirit of God left him, and his covetousness, which had been merely held in check, prevailed. He was willing to resort to any means to gain the reward promised’ by Israel invited to a feast of the Moabites. Balac. . . . He immediately returned to the land of Moab, and laid his plans before the This is a rebellious people, lying king. 3 > = the plan proposed by Balaam children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord, Isa. 30:9. | WaS to separate them (Israel, the church) from God by enticing them into idolatry. . .. This Ye adulterers and adulteresses, plan was readily accepted by the king, and Ba- know ye not that the friendship of > Z £ : 3 , the world 1s enmity with God? Jaam himself remained to assist in carrying it Jas-4:4 into effect. Balaam witnessed the success of ; his diabolical scheme.” Num. 23: 11. Num. 24 10, 116 The scheme was that Israel should be invited THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. to a feast of the Moabites, where meats sacri- ficed to the heathen gods, were eaten, and that Israel should be caused to commit adultery with the inhabitants of Moab. The church between 312 and 538 A.D. joined hands with the civil power. It took of the wealth of the State, and asked for civil protec- tion. Then it was that the spiritual sins of idolatry and fornication were introduced. Idol- atry was the love of money, the world, and all false worship which took the place of the worship of Jehovah. It is fornication in the eyes of God when His people are wedded to any power save the arm of Omnipotence. If ancient Israel had remained true to the teachings of their leadcr, the temptations of the Moabites would have fallen on deaf ears. The same is true of the church to which all this his- tory is sent asan allegory. The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, as described under the church of Ephesus, was a mingling of the pure teachings of Christ with the philosophy of the Greeks. If this doctrine had not been accepted in the church which claimed to be following the Saviour; if the children and the young people had been fed on zruth instead of the mixture of good and evil, as represented by the doctrine of the Nicolai- tanes, the church would never have fallen. The message to Pergamos applies in the fourth and fifth centuries; it has also been the expe- rience of each separate Protestant denomina- tion, and it is a warning to all churches to the end of time. Any interpretation of this period that does not correspond with the history of Balaam is not according. to the mind of the Lord, for God has given Balaam’s history as a 57 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again en- tangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of right- eousness, than, after they have known it, to tum from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 2 Pet. 2:20, 21, Matt. 12 : 43-46. Behold, these caused the children of Isracl, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the con- gregation of the Lord. Num. 31:16, They called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. Num. 25 : 1-3. Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin ; beguil- ing unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous prac- tices ; cursed children : Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, follow- ing the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of un- righteousness. 2 Pet. 2:14, 15. O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor an- swered him from Shittim unto Gil- gal; that ye may know the right- eousness of the Lord. Mic. 6:5. Rev. 17 22-5. Rev. 18 32, 3. 38 STORY For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some cov- eted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Tim, 6:10, O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy right- eousness as the waves of the sea. Isa. 48: 18, Psa, 119: 11. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing | hate. Rev. 2:16. Num, 23 : 1-6, 14-17, 29, 30. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other ; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon, Matt. 6:24. Jer. 7 17-19. Deut. 4 :23-28, That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been ; and God requireth that which is past. Eccl. 3: 15. Heb. 4:12. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. test by which we may know the true interpre- tation. * Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth,” which is the two-edged sword. From the midst of the church, which fell because of its union with the State, God separated, by His Spirit, a little company whose history may be read in a part of the message sent to the church of Thyatira. God calls to each church, no matter how low the ebb of spirituality, and those who have an ear turned heavenward, hear. “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man know- : eth saving he that receiveth it.’ As the sins of the church of Pergamos are given in the form of a parable, so the blessings to the repentant ones of this period are offered in figure. Those who had in sin partaken of food offered to idols, are offered in exchange the “hidden manna.” Manna is the bread of heaven, and as it was the only food necessary to nourish the multitudes of Israel during their forty years’ journey, it be- came a fit emblem of Christ, the bread sent down to the world. Eating flesh sacrificed to idols brings death, but hidden manna brings life. “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” A union of Church and State crushes the spiritual life of any church. Why will men eat the food of idolatry when the THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. 59 bread of heaven is free to all? Why do Chris- tians in the education of their children, cultivate in them an appetite for “ food sacrificed to idols,” instead of spreading the table with manna which will give life to the soul? Ruins near ancient Pergamos. The lesson for the church as a whole is total separation from the civil power. The lesson to the home and to the individual is complete sepa- ration from the world. Cling to God; for He has the hidden manna. Feed the children on Repent; or else | will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Rev. 2:16. Deut. 13 : 6-11. Isa. 17:6. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people ; for ye were the fewest of all people. Deut. 7:7. Luke 12:32. Isa. 1:18. Isa. 43 226. Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up be- fore the Lord, to be kept for your generations. Ex. 16:32, 33- Rey. 19:12. He that hath anear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that over- cometh will | give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stonea new name written, which no man &noweth saving he that receiveth it. Rev. 2:17. Our fathers did eat manna in the desert ; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. John 6:31. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever : and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world, Tohn 6 51. 60 STORY Isa, 52211, 12. Jer. 50:8. Jer. 51 :6, 45. 2 Cor, 6: 14-18, 2 Tim. 3:15, 16. Corn shall make the young men grow, and new wine the maids. Zech. 9: 17 [margin.] In the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. Judges 5 :15, 16[margin.] Eph. 6:17. Rev. 2:17. Hag. 2:23. Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death. Sol. Songs 8 :6. Mal. 3:17. We all, with open face beholding as ina glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3:18. O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy counte- nance, let me hear thy voice ; for sweet is thy voice, and thy counte- nance iscomely. Sol. Song 2:14. Matt. 11:27. « Pet. 3:4. 1 Cor. 6: 18-20. Gen. 32 24-29. Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed : he [wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Beth-el, and there he spake with us, Hos, 12:4, OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. hidden manna; for it is well adapted to supply every need. God is teaching in these words a wonderful lesson on the laws of physical growth by simplicity of food; of mental growth by purity of food,—food unadulterated with heathen teachings,—and a spiritual lesson of marriage with the Lamb, instead of with the dragon. The keen heart searching of the Spirit, repre- sented by the sword with the double edge, is shown in the second reward which is offered the repentant soul. To him is given a white stone, and in the stone a new name, which is known only to the one who receives it. As Zerubbabel was called a signet, or stone of sealing, repre- sented as worn upon the hand of the Lord, so is each one who chooses to follow Christ in prefer- enee to the world. The stone is white, of dazzling purity. There are seen in it none of the tints which are admired by human eyes, but it is a stone free from all signs of impurity, and on it is impressed, by the power of God, the name which is known only to the individual and his Redeemer. Others may pronounce that name, it is true, but its significance is a secret between Christ and the individual. The one who receives it has been guilty of idolatry and fornication, and ‘none other. save his Lord can know the soul experience which brought the new name. Once it was Jacob, supplanter. None but the bearer knew how applicable was the name. Every time it was pronounced by friend or foe, it was an open rebuke from God. And when at the close of the night of wrestling, the angel said, “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel”—a prince of God,— fi MESSAGE TO" THE CHURCHES. 61 none but Israel knew the depth of meaning in that new name. When the Jewish nation lived near to God, and’ the voice of Jehovah could be heard, every child was named under the direction of the Spirit. To-day heaven has a new name carved on a pure white stone for each sinner who repents, and the deeper the crimson dye of sin, the purer the stone will appear by contrast. ‘Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” Gen, 23 :28. Gen. 16:11. Matt. 1:21. Ex. 2:10. . Rom. 5 : 20. Come now, and let us reason to- gether, saith the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isa, 1:18. Rom. 4:7, 8 Thyratira. Present state, THYATIRA. The message to Pergamos carries ecclesiastical history to the year 538 A. D., at which time the un- ion between civil and ecclesiastical power, begun in the days of Constantine, was consummated. During the period covered by Pergamos, the Israel is swallowed up : now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure. Hos, 8:8. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; hissinis hid. Hos, 13:12. 62 STORY Deut. 32 : 32-34. O Israel, thou hast destroyed thy- self ; but in me is thine help. Hos. 13:9. We willeat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. Isa. 431. Eph. 2:3, 4. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge ot the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice forsins. Heb, 10:26,27. Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. jase dae And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like untoa flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass. Rev. 2:18. Rev. 2:19. Rom. 3:15. Matt. 23 215. Rev. 13 :3.- Rev. 18: 9-11. All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Rev. 13:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roar- ing lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, 1 Pet. 5:8. Rom. 3 :20, 28, OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Spirit of the Lord was with the church as a church ; but near the end of that period, a sep- aration began to take place. In the years fol- lowing, there was formed an organization still carrying the name of Christian; and another company, separating from that first organization,’ because of the practices of Balaam,—the idolatry and fornication practiced by those who were once Christians indeed. ‘Thus improper educa- tion was the cause of the apostasy of the church, and the one sign of its fall was that, in its spiritual weakness, it sought the civil power for support. It is under these conditions that the message comes to the church of Thyatira. It is sent by “the Son of God, who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass.” Christ still walks among the candlesticks, but to Thyatira He comes with “eyes like unto a flame of fire” to search the very hearts of those who profess to be His followers. To these He says, “T know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works.” This was not an idle period; their works are thrice mentioned in the one list. Those who estab- lished a state religion, replacing paganism by the papacy, were most diligent workers. The church absorbed every government, every industry, all the educational institutions,— everything. There was not a corner of Europe which was not under the direct inspection of that allabsorbing organization known as the papacy. Not only kings on their thrones, but every private individual in his own home, was amenable to the power of Rome. The church stood between the king and his subjects; it stood between parents and children; it came HE MESSAGE TO: TEE CHURCHES: even between husband and wife. The secrets of men’s hearts were open to the confessor. Works, works of all kinds ,were advocated ; for the church taught that men were saved by works. Long pilgrimages across continents paid many a debt of sin. Penance and indulgences took bread from many a- hungry mouth. The strongest government that ever bore sway was seated on the throne. Nevertheless the masses thought that in their works for the church, their service, their charities and their faith, they served the Christ. “ Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, be- cause thou sufferest that woman Jeze- bel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.” puted to the church of Pergamos are repeated in the message to Thyatira, but they are introduced by a different character. The woman Jezebel is taken as an object lesson. Jezebel was a Zidonian princess, a prophetess of the god Baal. Unlike Balaam, who before his fall worshiped the true God, Jezebel never made any pretensions of worshiping the Lord. Ahab, the king of Israel, married her for the sake of her influence, but found himself completely under the control of a headstrong, wicked woman. At her table, in the kingdom of Israel, sat the prophets of Baal. In the capital were erected temples, groves, and altars, to the heathen god ; sun-worship took the place of the worship of Jehovah. The prophets The sins im- 63 1 know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and ‘thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Rev. 2:19. Dan. 2:40. I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every syn- agogue them that believed on thee. Acts 22: 19, 20. Gal. 1:13. The secrets of men’s hearts were open to the confessor. Notwithstanding | have a few things against thee, 5ecause thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my seru- ants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. Rev. 2:20. It came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians. 1 Kings 16 :31-33. 64 Prov. 5 :3-6. Prov. 7 :21-27. 1 Kings 18:19. 1 Kings 18:4. 2 Chron. 14:5 [margin]. She wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on STORY high among the people : And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the 1 Kings 21 : 8-13. space of three years and six months. x Kings 17:1. Luke 4:25. x Kings 21 :23, 24. 2 Kings 9 : 30-37. Jas. 2: 14-26. 1 John 5:4. Rom. 5 : 13-17. But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the chil- Jas. 5 : 17. dren of Israel. 1 Kings21:25, 26. Lam. Dan. Rev. Lam. Rey. Rev. Who opposeth and exalteth him- self above all that is called God, or that is worshipped ; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, icine. 7 321,25. 13 37a 4:18, 19. 17 31-6. 16 13, 14. shewing himself that he is God. 2 Thess. 2:4. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. of God were put to death by order of the queen ; even Elijah fled before her face. She was a prop- agator of whoredom and witchcraft, and in the name of the king, she wrote a letter causing in- nocent men to be put to death. Israel had war, bloodshed, and finally captivity, as the result of the evil of this woman. It was during her lifetime that the heavens were stayed so that it rained not for three years and a half. The history of Jezebel is an unerring guide to the inter- pretation of the prophetic history of the church during the Dark Ages. ‘ In every detail, even to this last period of years, the history of Jezebel is a parable of the church history during the time, times, and half a time—the three and one half years of the papal supremacy, the period covered by the message to Thyatira. As a result of the doc- trine of justification by works, which was the stronghold of the church during this period, Europe had over a thousand years of darkness, known in all history as the Dark Ages. It was a tyranny of the most absolute kind,—a tyranny of theology over thought. Whosoever raised a hand against the church, fell as did Naboth whom Jezebel slew. Sorcery, witchcraft, idol- atry, and fornication took the place of the religion of Jesus Christ. Antichrist, or the “mystery of iniquity,” had full control of the world. As Jezebel wrote in the king’s name, and in his name slew an innocent man, so the apostate church opposed and exalted itself above the King of heaven, and while speaking in His name, it changed the law of Jehovah, and put to death thousands who were, indeed, followers of Christ. THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. Jezebel had an opportunity to repent, so also had Ahab her husband; for there were many prophets in Israel, and the truth of God was taught ; but the royal family were so under the control of the mother that there was no-salvation for them. So God said of Thyatira, or the church of the Dark Ages, “I gave her space to repent of her fornication ; and she repented not.” But as there was a day of recompense with Jezebel, so there will be with the oppressive The End of Jezebel. power of the papacy. Jezebel was thrown from a window and dashed to pieces, and dogs ate her body. Ahab was slain, and dogs licked up his blood, and his sons were also killed. Of the “mystery of iniquity” it is recorded, “ Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their.deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one 5 65 Dan. 7 :25. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she re- pented not. Rev. 2:21. 1 Kings 18 : 17-39. 1 Kings 21 :23-29. 2 Kings 9 :7-10. Dan. 7 :7-11. Rev. 2:21. Rev, 19 20, Wherefore they came again, ana told him. And he said, This is the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel. 2 Kings g :36- 2 Kings 9 30-37. 1 Kings 22 337-39 2 Kings 101-7, Behold, | will cast her into abed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds, And | will kill her children with death ; and all the churches shall know that | am he which search- eth the reins and hearts: andl will give unto every one of you according to your works. Rev. 2; 22, 28, 66 STORY He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Rev, 13 310. Dan. 7 :26. Rev. 17:5. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. Rev. 19:20. There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time : and at that time thy people shall be de- livered, every one that shall be found written in the book. Dan, 12:1. To the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished fora time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent Rev. 12:6, 14. 1 Kings 18:4, 13. Yet have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him, 1 Kings 19:18. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise ; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me, I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness, Micah 7 :8, 9 OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. of you according to your works.” Herein is given the final destruction of the apostate church. The civil power of the papacy was broken in 1798, when Pope Pius VI. was taken prisoner by the French; but the influence continues. Thyatira is Babylon itself, and the churches spoken of elsewhere as “daughters of Babylon,” will meet with the fate of the mother, Thyatira ; for when the history of all churches is over, Babylon and her daughters will be de- stroyed in the lake of fire. The time of trouble spoken of by Daniel, the prophet (Dan. 12: 1), will be the time of tribulation for Thyatira. Of this the dreadful death of Jezebel is a symbol; as her life and deeds are taken to typify the church itself. Mention has already been made of a separa- tion from the church as a church in the days of Pergamos and the early days of Thyatira. Individuals, who recognized the leadings of the Spirit, gathered in little companies, hidden away in the caves, mountain fortresses, and dens, like the prophets of God in the days of Jezebel. In these secluded spots were thousands who did not bow the knee to Baal. Among these were the Waldenses of Italy, and others scat- tered all through Europe, who retained the Word of God, and trusted in His promises. Of these scattered, yet faithful ones, the message speaks in the following words: “ But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine (of Jezebel), and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.” The name Zkhyativa means “sacrifice of con- zvition,’ and appears to have direct application THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. to those, who, in the eyes of their persecutors and the world, were looked upon as heretics and outlaws—fit subjects for the stake. Their sacrifice was in truth a “sacrifice of contrition.” The contrite heart is the heart which God honors. As the ages passed, much of the light and truth which shone upon the Apostolic Church had been lost ; but the Saviour does not rebuke the ones who were sacrificing for the truth which they knew and lived out, because they did not have the light of the first centuries. Justification by faith was the doctrine which broke the power of the papacy. Christ and Him crucified, a truth so long forgotten, or replaced by faith in the head of the church, was given to the people of the world in the sixteenth century. Many other truths, long hid- den by the darkness, or buried under the traditions of the church, were brought forward in the early days of the Reformation. The Sabbath of the decalogue was acknowledged; some preached upon the true meaning of baptism, and others made known the proper relation of the church to the state ; but these subjects were too strong for minds so long held. in subjection. The age was not ripe for the fullness of truth. But as watchmen of the night hail the dawn when the morning star arises, so the early Reformers, from Wycliffe to Luther and his contemporaries, opened the Scrip- tures, and the first rays of light brought joy and gladness to those who sat in darkness. The 67 But unto you / say, and unto the rest in Thyatlra, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; / will put upon you none other burden. Rev, 2:24. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. Nah. 1:12. Thou hast made us as the off- scouring and refuse in the midst of the people. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. Lam. 3 :45, 46. When the morning star arises. Acts 24:14. Heb, 11:38. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. Isa. 63 :8. This is the victory that overcom- eth the world, even our faith. x John 5:4. For I am determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 1 Cor, 2:2. Psa. 119: 18. Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which * ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. Mark 7:2-13. 68 Ex. 20:8-11. Rom. 6 :3-5. Acts 8:38, 39. Matt. 3 215, 16. Matt. 22:21. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God ; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. -For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteous- ness: for he is a babe. eb ae). 25 tas Psa. 130:6. Dan. 11:33. Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart : for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. Jer. 15 : 16. The entrance of thy words giveth light ; it giveth understanding unto the simple. Psa, 119: 130. Matt. 24:29. When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21 :28. But that which ye have already hold fast till | come. Rev, 2:26, For he knoweth our frame ; he remembereth that we are dust. Psa. 103 :14. x Cor. 10:13. Matt. 24:42. Prov. 4 :18. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Psa. 97:11. Matt. 5 : 14-16. Psa. 147215. Luke 13 :21. Psa. 238, 9. STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. very ones who saw the darkness break before the light of God’s Word, saw also the sign of the coming of the Son of man, which was hung in the heavens. In 1780 the sun was darkened, This was the first of a series of celestial signs (see chapter VII., Sixth Seal), and it was given to encourage those who had been oppressed. Christ says, “I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.” How merciful is our God. He measures out to humanity its burdens of lite, and no burden is made heavier than can be borne. ‘Only hold fast till I come,” are His To others, more accustomed to the light, greater truths would be made known. words of encouragement. Hoiding up the torch of truth. To the little companies thus addressed, was given the privilege of holding up the torch of truth. Asa beacon on a hill, seen from afar, the light shone from the valleys of the Piedmont. Many came in contact with this light, and soon fires were kindled throughout Europe. “He that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations.” Truth was bound to tnumph, though trampled to the ground for over a thousand years. At last the faithful ones will reign as kings. The hand of the oppressor will be broken to pieces, as a potter’s vessel. There was a time when the clay was soft and yielding, when tne MESSAGH FO: VHE CEURCHES, it could have been remolded; but as the fires of persecution kindled, those who remained hardened in sin became so set that any attempt to change them. resulted in breaking them to pieces. “I will give him the morning star.” Christ is the light, and the faithful ones at the close of the years of persecution were told to lift up their heads, for their “ redemption draweth nigh.” This is the first church which is pointed forward to the second coming of Christ. The message to Thyatira is in harmony with the Psalmist’s words, ‘‘ My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning; I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” It should be remembered that, as the experi- ences of Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos, will be repeated in the last church before the second coming of Christ, so the history of Thyatira will have its counterpart in the last generation. The power of Jezebel will again be felt. What was once done by a church in days of intellectual darkness will be repeated in days of great light. The union of the church and state will be fol- lowed by laws compelling obedience to man-made laws, instead of the laws of God. The law of God will be trampled under foot; for a church with civil power always works the works of Jez- ebel. Just as Elijah fled before ancient Jezebel, so those proclaiming the last warning message, of which Elijah was a type, will be persecuted by this power. This message is impressed upon the minds of those living in the latter days by the oft-repeated words, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” 69. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will | give power over the nations ; And he shall rule them with a rod of iron: as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: evenas! received of my Father. Reu, 2:26, 27. Jer. 18:1-4. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. Heb, 12: 15-17. dete dT Os, ic And / will give him the morning star. Rev, 2; 28, Iam the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12. Titus 2:13. Psa. 1306. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. Eccl. 1: 10, Dan. 7:21, 22. He had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. Rey. 13:15. That no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Rev. 13:17. Rev. 17 :3-6. Rev. 12:17. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Rev, 2; 29. CHAPTER IV. THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES.—Continued. The Lord bless thee, O habita tion of justice, and mountain of holiness. Jer. 31: 23. Because they have committed vil- lany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not com- manded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the Lord. Jer. 29: 19, 23. I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. Jer. 1227-11. Jer. 11 215-17. Acts 5 :29. Eze. 20:35, 37+ If ye be.willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land, Isa. 12 1Q 7O SARDIS. THE message to Sardis is addressed to Prot- estantism. The period covered by Thyatira was the era of papal persecution. This church was once the church of God, one of the candle- sticks among which the Son of man was seen to walk, but when that organization prostituted itself by joining hands with the state, when, in other words, it followed the example of Balaam and worked the works of Jezebel, the oil was withheld from the candlestick, and given to those who were willing to obey God in preference to the head of the church. God regards char- acter, not name; and the faithful few to whom the light was entrusted, were mentioned in a part of the message to Thyatira. They were the ones who knew not the works of Jezebel. THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. These became the forerunners of Protestantism. The darkness was first broken when Wycliffe, “the morning star of the Reformation,” trans- lated the Bible into the English language. The first streaks of dawn lighted up the sky, and in the course of two hundred years, the sun had a- risen in its splendor. The church came out of the wilderness, leaning on the arm of her Beloved. The twelve hundred and sixty years of darkness ended. It was like the return of spring after a severe winter. Life of every kind sprang into existence. Energy, long dormant, seemed sud- denly imbued with a hitherto unknown time came when each had an oppor- - tunity to ac- Luther searching for light. cept or reject, as seemed good to them; but the decision then made, decided their eternal destiny. : In the early days of the nineteenth century God took a man, hitherto unacquainted with the Bible, and opened to him the beauties of the prophecies. As Luther found in Christ a Sav- THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. jour, and with the light that entered his mind, attacked the papacy, so William Miller, in 1818, saw light in the books of Daniel and Revelation. He studied with care the twenty-three hundred days, spoken of by Daniel, and became convinced that the second coming of Christ was near at hand. He applied every test, but all pointed forward to the year 1843 as the time when the world must welcome its Saviour. The con- dition of the people at the first advent of Christ, was now repeated; when the time approached for the message of His second coming, the world lay in ignorance: and not the world only, but the church which bore the name of Chris- tian. Nay, more! the very churches which in their zeal for truth had faced hardship and persecution, in protesting against the errors of the papacy,—these churches were quiet when great changes were right upon them. But unto the church of Sardis, John was bidden write: “These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” He, who walked among His churches, and who sought diligently for signs of life, searching among the seven stars,—the leaders of the churches,—found that, although Sardis claimed to have life, it was dead. Strange condition! So quietly had this life been lost, that, looking back upon the activity of the past, and priding itself upon what great things had been done by Protestantism, this church had allowed the very principles of the papacy to twine about it until its life was choked. There was a time in the history of Pergamos, 7% ’ Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim. 2:15. Dan. 8:14. Matt. 24:33. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 1 Thess, 5 ‘21. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John r:trr. I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgot- ten in the city where they had so done : this is also vanity. Eccl. 8: 10. And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; / know thy works, that thou hast a name - that thou livest, and art dead. Rev. 8:1. Isa. 1: 11-15. Matt. 6:5. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honour- eth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. Matt. 15 :8, 9. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey ; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness * Rom, 6: 16, 76 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things : they have put no difference be- tween the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference be- tween the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Eze. 22: 26-28, The heads thereof judge for re- ward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. Mic. 3:11. Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace ; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter, Eze. 13 : 10-12. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for! have not found thy works perfect before God.- Rev, 3:2, He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Mic. 6:8. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, | will come on thee asa thief, and thou shalt not know what hour | will come upon thee, Rev, 3:3, STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. when Christianity thought Paganism was dead; but in reality, the religion which was apparently vanquished, had conquered. Paganism baptized, stepped into the church. In the days of Sardis this history was Protestantism thought itself free from the principles of the Dark Ages; but the plant was sturdy and long lived, and although Protestantism reared itself repeated. -aloft like a mighty oak, the rootlets of the papacy were planted with the oak, and soon the vine encircled the tree, and sapped- its very life. Protestantism reared the struc- ture, andthe pa- * pacy is sup- ported by it. “Be watchful,” says the divine mes- sage to Sardis, “and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.” There was, at the time this message came, some life still in the oak, but unless haste was made to “strengthen the things which remain,’ death would follow. “Remember, therefore, how thou hast re- ceived and heard, and hold fast, and repent.” The truths already received were indeed life, but a church, as well as an individual, must make constant progress, or they will suffer spir- itual death.. THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. For nine years William Miller was convinced that he ought to Pive his message to the churches; but he waited, hoping that some rec- ognized authority would proclaim the glad news of a soon-coming Saviour. In thus waiting, he but proved the truth of the message; there was a name that they lived, but they were fast dying. In 1831 Miller gave his first discourse on the prophecies. He was a member of the Baptist church, and in 1833, he received from this church, license to preach. This was the very year in which appeared another sign in the heavens,—the third spoken of by the Saviour in Matthew 24:29. In November, 1833, “the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.” God was calling to the dying church of Sardis by the voice of man and by signs in the heavens. ‘If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee asa thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will, come upon thee.” As the time, which was supposed to be the time of the second advent approached, men of learning and position helped spread the message. The light of this message flashed throughout the world. “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments.” Three years after Miller was convinced of the near coming of Christ, that is, in 1821, Joseph Wolff, known as the “missionary to Asia,” began to give the same message. Egypt, Abyssinia, Palestine, Syria, Persia, Bok- hara, and India,—everywhere proclaiming the soon coming of the Messiah. In 1837 he was in America; and after preaching in several large He visited - Heb. 2:1 [margin.] Quench not the Spirit. 1 Thess, 5 : 19. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Eph, 4:30. The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. Mic. 5:7. The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. Rey. 6:13. Joseph Wolff. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. John 1:9. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy. Rev. 8:4, Go ye therefore, and teach all na- tions, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Matt.28:19, 78 The Lord said unto him, Go thy way : for he isa chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the chil- dren of Israel. Acts 9:15. How hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. Acts 2:8, 11. William Miller. Said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea ; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and suck- lings thou hast perfected praise ? Matt. 21: 16. Saying to the sixth angel whch had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men, Rev. 9:14, 15. Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy moun- tain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand. Joel 2:1. STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. cities, he visited Washington, where, in the presence of all the members of the Congress of the United States, he preached on the personal reign of Christ. In England the same message was given by Edward Irving, a minister of the Church of England. South America heard of Christ’s soon coming from the pen of Lacunza, formerly a Spanish - Jesuit. Gaussen, finding that many mature minds claimed that prophecy could not be interpreted, gave the message of the soon coming of Christ to the children of Geneva. In Scandinavia, the truth was proclaimed by chil- dren; for God used child-preachers, when older persons were restricted by law. In 1838 Josiah Litch and William Miller published an exposition of the ninth chapter of Revelation, in which it was predicted that the Ottoman Empire would fall in 1840. The exact fulfillment of this prophecy on August 11, 1840, when the Turkish government surrendered its independence, and has since been known as “the sick man of the East,” was a startling proof to many that prophecy could be under- stood, and that men were living in the end of time. This message of the personal appearance of Christ was one of the most world-wide proclam- ations ever given. Every kindred, nation, and people were suddenly aroused from their lethargy by the cry,—‘ Behold the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out tomeet Him.” This truth is inseparably connected with the wording of the message to Sardis. ‘Thou hast a few names even in Sar- dis which have not defiled their garments ; and they shall walk with Me in white: for they are THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. worthy.” The very sins of idolatry and fornica- tion, which characterized the mother church in the days of Thyatira, were staining the garments of her daughters during the Sardis period. But “he that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment.” The white raiment is the righteousness of Christ,—“the fine linen clean and white.” ‘And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.” A most precious promise, and a most solemn Sardis. Present state. warning, are combined in these closing words of the message to Sardis, The second coming of the Son of man had been proclaimed to all the world. To him that accepted truth, it was promised that his name should remain in the book of life, and should be confessed in the presence of God. The books of heaven are opened. Christ promises to witness for all who are true to His cause on earth. The church of Sardis lived in the period when Daniel saw 79 Woe unto you, scribes and Phari- sees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and gar- nish the sepulchres of the right- eous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Matt. 23 :29-32. Acts 7 $52, 53. Rev. 19:8. Isa. 61: 10. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and / will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but | will confess his name before my Fa- ther, and before his angels. Rev. 8:6. Isa. 4:3 [margin.] Rev. 3:5. Luke g: 26. I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the ever- lasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. Rev. 14:6, Matt. 10:33. Mark 8:34. > A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand _stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. Dan. 7:9, 10. 80 STORY Isawin the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. Dan. 7:13, 14. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true ; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Heb. 9:24. The books were opened : and an- other book was opened, which is the book of life : and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, accord- ing to their works. Rev. 20:12. Matt. 22: 9-14. Rev. 6:11. Into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offcred for himself, and for the errors of the people. Heb. 9:7. Heb. 8:5. Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 1 John 3 :3. mibetin sae Isa. 25 29. Which hope we have as an an- chor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil ; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Heb. 6: 19, 20. Heb. 7 :24, 25. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, Rev. 8:6. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS: “One like the Son of man [who] came . . . to the Ancient of Days.” It was at the end of the twenty-three hundred days of Daniel 8:14, that Christ was brought in before the Father. He entered the Holy of Holies in the sanctuary above. ‘The judgment was set, and the books were opened.” Then there came before Him all who had ever named the name of Christ, and to those whose garments were unspotted, was given the fine linen of Christ’s righteousness. This great change in the heavenly sanctuary, corresponding to the entering in of the high priest in the earthly, or typical service, on the day of atonement, was made known to the church of Sardis. Those who opened the prophecies where this truth is made known, misinterpreted the cleansing of the sanctuary to be the second coming of Christ. | Nevertheless, while mistaken in the event which transpired, they were not mistaken in the time; and the heart cleansing necessary to prepare a people for the beginning of the investigative judgment, which has been going on in heaven since 1844, is the same preparation necessary to welcome the Son of God in the clouds of heaven. Al- though Christ did not then come to the earth,— the outer court of the heavenly sanctuary,—but entered within the most holy place before the Ancient of Days, to act as mediator in the inves- tigative judgment, the message to prepare for His coming, will continue to the end of time. Some of those who witnessed the signs given to Sardis and listened to the advent message, will see Him when He comes in the clouds of heaven. So near is Sardis to the end. THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. Present state. Philadelphia. PHILADELPHIA. The Saviour, walking in the church of Sardis, found a few whose garments were undefiled. They were those in whom life remained after the body was dead; and to these the call came to separate from the lifeless form, that their own life might be saved. The message of the soon coming of Christ was a universal mes- sage. It offered an opportunity to all to repent, and as many as believed, took up the cry with the enthusiasm which characterized the Apostolic Church. They were experiencing their “first love,’ and those who welcomed Christ were bound together with a love surpassing that of Jonathan for David. The oneness of spirit which Christ prayed might be found among His follow- ers was more perfectly developed among those 6 8I Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. Psa. 68 233. Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. Isa. 52:11. Jer. 51:6, 45. Rev. 14:6. Repent ye therefore, and be con- verted, that your sins may be blot- ted out, when the times of refresh- ing shail come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3 : 19. Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. Song Sol. 6:4. $2. STORY Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. John 6 : 26, Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant. Song Sol. 1: 16. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 1 Cor, 12:27. Dan. 7:13. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and Rev, 3: 7. no man openeth. The glory of God appeared in the shekinah above the mercy seat. Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the Roly place within the vail be- fore the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. Lev. 16:2. 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 earthquake, and great hail. Rey, 11:19. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. who heeded the closing message to Sardis, than among any others since the day of Pentecost ; and to this company of believers scattered every- where, yet united in heart and purpose, the name Philadelphia signifying “brotherly love” is ap- plicable. Some who heard the advent message, accepted it through fear; others were attracted by the forcible arguments ; but whatever may have been the motive, all were tested, and those who ac- cepted because of real love for the Saviour, com- posed the Philadelphia church. Of this church no complaint is made; and as love is the ruling power of the throne of God, the Saviour appears to recognize the Philadelphian church as a part of His own being,—heirs with Christ of the everlasting promises made to David. These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David.” When the call was made, saying, “the Bride- groom cometh,” Christ, the Heavenly Bride- groom, passed into the presence of His Father, there to receive dominion and power ; anda door in heaven was opened to the faithful and true ones on earth. This door was the entrance into the most holy place in the temple, where Jehovah sat enthroned over the mercy seat. He is sur- rounded by His angels, and the law of God is the foundation of His throne. This was shown in type and shadow in the tabernacle, built by Moses. To Israel in the wilderness, the glory of God appeared in the shekinah above the mercy seat. The attention of the Philadelphian church is directed to the heavenly sanctuary. It was opened by the Saviour Himself, as He entered the most holy place at the close of the THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. twenty-three hundred days. He sends the mes- sage to all, “I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it2’ Thedoor stands open to all, who by faith, will enter, and no com- bination of circumstances, instigated by men or demons, can shut out the soul that keeps the eye of faith centered upon the Saviour within that shin- ing portal. The time of test for those who were looking for their Lord, came in the autumn of 1844. At first the expiration of the twenty-three hundred days was thought to be in the spring of 1844. On further investigation, it was found that the decree of Artaxerxes, from which the prophetic period is reckoned, went into effect in the autumn of the year 457 B. c.; hence, this reck- oning would cause those days to expire in the autumn of 1844.4.D. Here wasa waiting time, in which those who loved the Lord, prepared, by deep heart searching, to receive Him. Many inquired, «‘What must I do to be saved?” Those who were looking upward received the light of the in- vestigative judgment, when, in the autumn of 1844, the door in heaven opened, and Christ ap- proached the Father. But many who had only professed to believe in the advent, changed when the time passed and He did not come, and now scoffed at those who still clung to the message, “Fear God, and give glory to Him ; for the hour of His judgment is come.’’ The heavenly door opened, but those who turned back to the world were left in darkness; while those who sought earnestly for their mistake in interpreting proph- ecy, received a flood of light, straight from the throne. Through this open door in the heavenly temple, there was seen “the ark of His testa- ment,” containing the ten commandments: and 83 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is seton the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. Heb. 8:1. 1 know thy works: behold, | have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name, Rev. 3:8. All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee : they hiss and gnash the teeth: theysay, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it. Lam, 2:16. John 10:28, 29. Jude 24. Heb. 12:27. Dan. 8:14. Dan. 8 : 16-27. Dan. 9: 20-27. Ezra 7: 11-26. John 1:41 [margin] Luke 3 :21, 22. : Acts 10:38. Acts 3:4. Ezra 7:9. Dan. 9:25. Matt. 25:7. Heb. 10:32-34. From that time many of his dis- ciples went back, and walked no more with him. John 6:6. 2 Pet. 3:3, 4 Rev. 14:6, 7. Matt. 25 : 10. Matt. 6:23. x Pet. 3:15. Psa. 119 : 105- Rev. 111g 84 Ex, 31:18, Ex. 32 215. Deut. 1021-5. Ex. 4073. Heb. g:2-5. 1 John 5:3. Every open door should be a reminder of the heavenly door opencd by Christ, which no man can close. Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. Mark 7 : 13. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleas- ure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable ; and shalt hon- our him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord. Isa. 58:13, 14. Behold, | will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, | will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that / have loved thee. Rev, 3:9, STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. from that time, the Sabbath of the Fourth Com- mandment became a test to the people of God. The God who had led His people thus far, was still leading them by His Word. Many precious rays of light that had been hidden by tradition during the Dark Ages, now opened up to their understanding. The Sabbath reform now be- came the message to the world. The traditions which connected the Philadelphian church with the Dark Ages, were portrayed in vivid colors; and man was called to exalt the law of God, and ~ remove his foot from desecrating the Sabbath of Jehovah. Hitherto, all the Protestant churches opened their doors to receive the message; but when the Sabbath truth was proclaimed, the churches closed their doors against those who accepted the new doctrine. When the door in heaven opened, the doors of the Protestant churches closed. Every open door should bea reminder of the heavenly door opened by Christ, which no man can close, from whose portals shines forth a stream of light upon the pathway of all whose minds are staid upon Him. Those who forsook the new light, that came with the “open door,” are referred to as those “of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not.”’ As the Jewish nation, at the first advent, turned from the Saviour, and rejected the Son of God, so many in 1844 crucified the Son of man afresh. But He will one day be lifted up in the eyes of all men; and those who have followed close beside Him, entering by faith, within the second veil, will be seated on thrones and will reign with Him. To the disciples in Geth- semane, was given an opportunity to drink of the THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES. cup of which He drank. To the faithful ones in 1844, it was, likewise, given to drink of the cup of the world’s scorn. To such is the promise, « Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, Lalso will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” Before His second coming, there will be such a time as the world has never seen. God’s people will be saved from this; for He will hide them in His “pavilion.” «Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Patience will be ‘developed “by keeping the commandments and by clinging to the faith of Jesus. If He tarry, wait for Him ; for He says to Philadelphia, “ Behold, I come quickly.” To the faithful in Thyatira, the angel said, «That which ye have already, hold fast till I come.” To Philadelphia came the _ words, « Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” The people in Thyatira may have had but a few rays of light, compared with those living in the later period; for the light was but dawning in Thyatira, while its midday rays shone in Philadelphia; but the crown is the re- ward of character, and he who receives one, will - have been faithful to all the light which shone upon his pathway. Heaven can be enjoyed by those only, who have developed a character in harmony with the truth. Every man isa candi- date, but only he who striveth lawfully, will in- herit the crown. It belongs to him who receives a white stone with a new name. For six thou- sand years the angelic hosts have been watching for the circle of perfection -to be completed, 85 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, | also wiil keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Rev, 8:10. Dan. 12:1. Jers307~ Patience will be developed by keeping the commandments. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion; in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock, Psa. 2735. Rev. 14:12. Behold, | come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crewn. Rev. 3:11. The crown is the reward of character. For as many as have sinned with- out law shall also perish without Jaw : and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law. Rom, 2:12. 88 STORY Lam. 5 :6. Isa. 1:9. Rev. 12:17. Usaors san They regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the opera- tion of his hands. Isa. 5:12. 1 know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: | would thou wert cold or hot. Rev. 3:16. When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wis- dom, Prov. 11:2. Rom. 8:22. The devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Rey, 12:12, 2 Thess, 2:9, 10. Gen, 19: 16. Rev. 7 1-3. Heb. 1:14. Gen. 33:14 Rev. 1:13. Rev. 2:1. Deut. 3 : 28. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness know- eth not whither he goeth. John 12 :35. What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return, unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart, Deut. 20:8. His word was in mine heart asa burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. Jer. 20:9. Matt. 26:51-55. 2 Sam, 7 : 1-13. So thenbecause thou art luke- warm, and neither cold nor hot, / will spew thee out of my mouth. Rev, 3:16. Jer. 3 : 32-36. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS,. as given in the fourteenth chapter of Revelation. Upon this last church—the remnant,—shine the accumulated rays of all past ages. It isa church highly favored, and one of which heaven and earth have a right to expect great things. But like the churches of the past, it has disappointed heaven, and Christ sorrowfully says of them, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.” Spiritual pride is the worst of evils, and the hardest to reach. Heaven and earth are waiting for the closing up of history. The climax has been reached in the controversy. Satan is preparing for the final struggle. The armory of heaven awaits the signal of its Leader. The church of God on earth, is the only object which can retard the progress of events. It becomes the center of interest for the universe. The Saviour still bids the hosts hold till the servants of God are sealed. Angels are hurry- ing to and fro between heaven and earth, but God will go no faster than His church. For centuries He has walked with it, holding its star in His right hand. Every encouragement has been offered to speed the work; but when the church hesitates, He goes no faster than it can go, lest the light be so far in advance that His followers will lose their way. A spirit of lukewarmness rests upon God’s people. Says the Witness, “I would thou wert cold or hot.” If very cold, something could warm them, or if too hot, their ardor could be controlled; but **because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth.” There is danger that those who have seen the signs of His coming; those who have heard the advent message, and have fol- SHE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCHES: lowed in the light which shone from the open door: and those who have sacrificed for the cause in many ways, will, near the close, when just about ready to receive the crown, rest satis- fied in their past experiences. They say they are “rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;” and forget that he who receives most, is accountable for the most. “And know- est noc that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Think of it. He who prides himself on his wealth is, in the eyes of heaven, poverty-stricken, blind and naked. Heaven pities such a church, and the true Witness, who longs to plead for, and not against them, in the presence of the angels, counsels them, “Buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich.” Faith and love is the wealth offered by Christ, and with these the possessor can purchase the treasures of heaven. ‘Buy of Me white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.” The raiment offered is the righteousness of Christ. It is a garment of light, which will attract the world to Christ. This will clothe all the redeemed who are living on the earth when Christ appears. It is a reflection of the holiness of God, and comes to him only, who lives in constant communication with the Lord of Life. The life of him who is in touch with heaven, is like the glow of the incan- descent light. When this counsel is heeded, the “loud cry” of Revelation 18:1 will sound throughout the world. “‘T counsel thee to anoint thine eyes with eye- salve, that thou mayest see.” The oil for anointing, is the oil of His grace, which will give 89 Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me : and if thou take forth the pre- cious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth ;: let them return unto thee ; but return not thou unto them. Jer. 15:19. Mark 10:31. Luke 12 : 47, 48. Hosea 12:8. Because thou sayest, | am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know- est not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Rev. 3:17. Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. 1 Cor. 4:8. Hosea 12 14. The Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan ; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusa- lem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Zech. 3 : 1-6. Prov. 8: 18-21. Rev. 19:8. If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 2 Cor. 5:3. 2 Cotas 2s 2 Cor. 4: 4-6. 2 Cor. 3: 18. / counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalue, that thou mayest see. Rev, 3:78, Psa. 10432. All that sat in the council, look- ing steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. Acts 6:15. As truly asI live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, Num, 14 : 20, 21. go STORY Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. Mal. 3 : 18, For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders ; insomuch that, if it were ‘possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matt. 24:24. For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience. Col. 3:6. Luke 1:17. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed ; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Eze. 18:31. The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. Jer. 8: 20, Rev. 22:11, 12. Rey. 22:10, As many as I “love, 1 rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Rev. 3:19. John 16 :8, 9. Ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my re- proof. Prov. 1:25. John 17 :23. Song Sol. 5:2. Behold / stand at the door, and knock : if any man hear my voice, and open the door, / will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Rev. 3:20. Which doeth great things past finding out ; yea, and wonders with- out number. Job. 9:10. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, evenas / also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Rev, 3: 21, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Rev, 3:22, OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. spiritual eyesight to the soul in blindness and darkness, that he may distinguish between the workings of the Spirit of God and those of the spirit of the enemy. The way which these souls must travel, is a narrow way. Satan, as his time grows short, uses every device to deceive, if possible, the very elect ; and as his deceptions become more delusive, only those eyes which are anointed with the oil of grace, can discern the spirits, The heavenly Merchantman opens His wares, and counsels us to buy of Him. He addresses these who have lost their first love, those who have lost their zeal and interest in spiritual things, and urges them to buy of the heavenly store. Many will be reproved for the sins mentioned in the Laodicean message, and such reproofs, unheeded, will cause those to be shaken out who are unwilling to receive the reproof of the Spirit. Eternal interests are at stake; the time of probation is almost over; and Christ, as if loath to lose one single soul, reproves and rebukes, that sin may be discarded. There is no other time for preparation, for the Laodicean message covers ecclesiastical history to the very end of time. “Asmany as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” To those hearts that have not yet admitted Christ as the one Ruler in the soul-temple, He says, ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.” He does not force Himself in, although His own heart is breaking over our hardness. He pleads in gentleness, and if allowed to enter, in the capacity of an intimate friend, He will sup with us. The very closest relationship is seen to- exist between God and His remnant church. It , DHE, MESSAGE TO, THE, CHURCHES. is asa brand plucked from the burn- ing. Weak, trembling, and sin- laden, this remnant of the race, is taken by the Saviour to sit with Him on His throne, even as He overcame, and sat down on the throne of the Father. Angels see the place, made vacant by the fall of Lucifer, filled by those whom sin had marred and defaced more than any other race. The Majesty of heaven reaches to the lowest depths of earth, and exalts man to the highest place in heaven,—a seat beside the King on His throne. The redeemed occupy a position nearer the Creator than they could have occupied, had there been no sin. Such is the wondrous love of Christ! To-day angels and in- habitants of unfallen worlds are watching the consummation of the plan. We who live to-day are the objects of their interest. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” ** Behold I stand at the door and knock.”’ OI CHAPTER Y: A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN. For he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Heb, x1 :27. John 14:21. John 17 : 20-23. % £ SaSong Sol. 2: 16. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would ut- terly be contemned. Song Sol. 8:6, 7. After this | looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which | heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said, Come up hither, and / will shew thee things which must be hereafter. Rev, 4:1. Acts 7:55, 56. ~ Tn all their affliction he was af- flicted. Isa. 63 :9. He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. Zech. 2:8. Rev. 1 : 10. Q2 SouL communion with the Redeemer was sweet to the prophet John, as he lived alone on Patmos; and the actual meeting with Christ in that first vision, which opened before his mind the future history of the church, had drawn him very near to the object of his love. “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven.” Stephen, while men were killing the body, looked, and the heavens opened; and he said, “Behold, Isee . . . the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” As>Christ rose in sympathy with that suffering disciple, so the yearning felt by John, touched the heart of Christ, and the prophet heard again the trumpet tone saying, “Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.” Only the spiritual eye can gaze on things of God ; and few mortals have allowed the spiritual side of their natures to be developed until it - is possible to leave earthly scenes, and view the realms above. John was one, who, when God said “Come,” could go. Ezekiel was an- A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN. other who had the privilege of visiting heaven ; and he describes, as best the human language can portray, the glories of the throne of God. When Christ called, Gabriel conducted John into the sanctuary above, into the very presence of Jehovah. He says, “Immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.” “A glori- ous high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.” As Moses, before the burn- ing bush, was commanded to take off his shoes ; “‘for,” said the Lord, “the place whereon thou standest is holy ground;” so one feels to step lightly when in the presence of the scenes which John portrays. ‘Heaven, from whatever standpoint it may be This plan is the one all-absorbing theme of the uni- verse of God; and heaven reflects it in all its works. viewed, presents the plan of Redemption. Only the sinful heart of man, is unmind- ful of the work of God in overcoming the effects of the fall. The things presented to John show ' that the activity of the heavenly beings is spent in the service of man. ‘He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there > was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” The light of the glory of God, as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ, is a light of dazzling whiteness, its rays are un- broken. The rainbow in the clouds is but a symbol of the rainbow which has encircled the throne from eternity. Back in the ages, which finite mind cannot fathom, the Father and Son were alone in the universe. Christ was the first begotten of the Father, and to Him Jehovah made known 93 Rom. 11 : 33, 34+ How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 2i Cor. 1253), 4. And immediately / was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat onthe throne. Rev, 4:2. ere muyete Ex, 332-5. Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us? r Sam. 6 : 20. Num. 4:5, 19, 20. 2) Sam. 627-15. 1 Kings 21 : 27. Heb, 12 :29. God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sin- ners, Christ died for us. Rom. 5:8. We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. ~ Cor. 459. Heb. 1: 14. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib : but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Isa. 1:3. The living creatures ran and re- turned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. Eze. 1:14. Dan. 9 :20-23. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like untoanemerald. Rev, 4:38. 2 Cor. 4:4. Eze. 1:28. Matt. 17: 1-3. Luke 9g : 28, 29. Rev. ro:1. And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance ofa sapphire stone : and upon the like- ness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above uponit, Eze. 1:26, 27. 94 STORY I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a cov- enant between me and the earth, Gen. 9: 13. Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne ; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both, Zech, 6:12, 13. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Gen. 1:26. Who verily was foreordained be- fore the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. 1 Pet. 1: 19, 20. 2 Tim. 1 9g, 10. Eph. 1:4, 5. Heb. 1:13, 14. Rev. 5:7. Isa. 1412-14. Col. 1:20. Col. 1: 14-17. Heb. 13 :20. Iam inthe Father, and the Fa- ther in me: the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but thé Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. John 14:10. But made himself of no reputa- tion, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likcness of men. Phil. 2:6-11. Rom. 8 : 22, 23. For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the tim- ber shall answerit. Hab, 2:11. Josh. 24:27. Rev, 21 19-21. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. the divine plan of Creation. The plan of the creation of worlds was unfolded, together with the order of beings which should people them. Angels, as representatives of one order, would be ministers of the God of the universe. The creation of our own little world, was included in the deep-laid plans. The fall of Lucifer was foreseen ; likewise the possibility of the intro- duction of sin, which would mar the perfection of the divine handiwork. It was then, in those early councils, that Christ’s heart of love was touched; and the only begotten Son pledged His life to redeem man, should he yield and fall. Father and Son, surrounded by impenetrable glory, clasped hands. It was in appreciation of this offer, that upon Christ was bestowed creative power, and the everlasting covenant was made; and henceforth Father and Son, with one mind, worked together to complete the work of creation. Sacrifice of self for the good of others was- the foundation of it all. As angels came into being at the command of Jehovah, heaven was so arranged that the plan of salvation could be read by them in everything. Thearrangement of the angels in their work about the throne, is a picture of the redeeming love of God. Angelic beings know nothing different. Thusall heaven waits for the redemption of man. Even the stones which compose the foundation walls, have voices which speak of the atonement. The colors reflected from every object in the heavenly court speak louder of the power and infinite mercy of God than mortal tongue can speak. Human language cannot tell the story. It is beyond description. Throughout eternity, as one thing after another reveals the love of the A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN. Father, the redeemed, like the living creatures now about the throne, will sing, «Holy, holy, holy” - Upon the face of our own world, is reflected this story ; for nature is “the mirror of divinity ;’ but man is blind, and he misinterprets those things which point unmistakably to a God of love. The purpose of this revelation of Jesus Christ to the apostle John is to show men how near God is to the creatures of His hand; that Jehovah’s voice may be heard explaining the plan of Redemption. As a token of the covenant be- tween Father and Son, the bow was E =a ea : placed about the throne. “Justice and | mis judgment are the habitation of thy | throne: mercy and truth shall go be- F fore thy face,” for “mercy and truth | are met together ; righteousness and } peace have kissed each other.” After the flood, the rainbow in the cloud was 4 but a faint reflection of the constant § reminder in heaven of the; everlasting cov- enant made for B= the salvation of man before the foundation of the world. Sin hides God’s love from us, shutting out from the soul the rays of light from the throne of mercy. As the cloud gives forth the rain, and the sun, shining through the drops, produces the rainbow, so “the tears of the penitent are only the rain drops that precede the sunshine of holiness.” The Sun of Righteousness, shining upon the tears of the penitent, makes manifest the glory of God, of which “the bow that is in 95 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. Rom, 1:20, Deut. 30 : 11-13. The bow shall be in the cloud ; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living crea- ture of all flesh that is upon the Gen, 9 : 16. Upon the face of our own world is reflected this story. Psa. 89 214. Psa. 85 : 10. Through the blood of the ever- lasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will. Heb. 13 :20, 21. Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isa.59 2. 96 Behold, for peace I had great bitterness : but thou hastin love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption : for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. Isa. 38:17. It shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my cove- nant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. Gen. 9:14, 15- And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats / saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. Rev. 4:4, x Chron 24 :1-5, 19. Luke 1:8. Rev. 5:9. 2 Tim. 4:7,8. 1 Cor. 9 : 24,25. Blessed isthe man that endureth temptation : for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Jasvaciian Matt. 27 ‘51-53. Wherefore he saith, When he as- cended up on high, he led a multi- tude of captives, and gave gifts unto men. Eph. 4:8 [margin.] Psa. 68 : 18. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices ; and there were seven /amps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Rev. 4:6. And above the firmament that was over their heads was the like- ness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone. Eze. 1+ 4-26, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. . Heb. 1:2. STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS, the cloud in the day of rain” isalikeness. When God looks upon the bow, He remembers the everlasting covenant. In our own storm clouds, God and man look upon the same bow; to man it is a promise of iorgiveness ; to God a reminder of mercy. Turning from the Father, who sat- upon the throne, John saw four and twenty seats round about the throne. These seats were occupied by four and twenty elders, “clothed in white raiment ; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.” These also represent the atoning work of Christ. They represent men from every kindred, tongue, and people, redeemed by the blood of Christ, clothed with the white raiment of His righteousness, and wearing on their heads the crowns of victory, which are promised to every overcomer. They were of that company who arose from the grave when Christ came from the tomb, and who are spoken of by Paul as a “multitude of captives,” offered to the Father as the first fruits from the dead. The work of these four and twenty elders is described in the fifth chapter, and for that reason, they are but mentioned in this connection as sitting near the throne. The throne of God is a throne of life; not an inanimate throne of stones, but a living and moving throne. As John looked, he saw light- nings and heard thunderings and voices. He is viewing the center of creation,—the throne of God. It is the great body of life, the source of all law. By the power which centers there, worlds are held in space, and suns complete their circuits. The power which holds the universe in space, and binds atoms together, emanates A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN. from this throne of life. Angels are the minis- ters sent forth to do the will of Him who sits as King. Some are light-bearers to worlds, others are guardian angels for little children upon earth ; but whatever the mission, whether great or small, as measured in humanity’s scales, there is the same obedience to the mandates of Jehovah, Issumg from the presence of the Father, clothed in the reflection of His own light, those mes- sengers disappear like flashes of lightning. The coinmands given, when spoken in an unknown tongue, sounded like the roar of Upholding all things by the word of his power. Heb. 1:3. He is before all things, and by him all things consist. Col. 1:17. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts ; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Psa. 103 : 21. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again, The. people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thun- dered : others said, An angel spake to him. John 12 :28, 29. the sea, or like deep and distant thunder. Other men have heard God speak when His voice sounded like thunder. This was so at Sinai, and also, when, near the close of His ministry, men gathered about Christ in the temple court. To the Son it was the voice of God; to men it which he understood. He saw also& the seven spirits of God, which, in the earthly tabernacle, were typified by the seven lamps upon the golden candlestick. These stood before the throne. This was the ever present, all-pervading Spirit of Jehovah, in which all life has its origin. The throne was high and lifted up, as Jere- miah saw it. Ezekiel describes the throne as above a firmament, having the appearance of “terrible crystal.” And this crystal firmament, or expanse, rested above the heads of four living Creatures, which were full of eyes. John was accustomed to the placid waters of the Mediter- 7 3 Some are light-bearers to worlds, others are guardian angels for little children. For with thee is the fountain of life : in thy light shall we see light. Psa. 36 ig. He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things, Acts 17 325. A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanct- uary. Jer. 17 512. And before the throne there was asea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and be- hind, Reu, 4:6. 98 STORY Eze. 1:26, 27. Ex. 24:10, Eze. 10:1. Rev. 15:2. Eze. 10: 8-22 Eze. 1 35-14. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face asa man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: wid they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come, Rev, 4:7, 8 Luke 3 : 23-33. Gen, 49:9, 10. Isa. 9:6, 7. Rev. 19:16. On the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the stand- ard of the camp of Judah pitch. Num, 2:3. In the first place went the stand- ard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies. Num, 10:14. The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matt. 1:1. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Em- manuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matt. 1:23. John x: 18, Heb, 1:6. Gen, 49:3. r Tim, 3:16. When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. Galea. - OF THE SEER OF PATMOS, ranean, and the space about the throne is described by him as “a sea of glass like unto crystal.” “And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts [or liv- ing creatures] full of eyes before and behind.” These four living creatures represent four phases of the character of God. The first was like a lion, the second like a calf, or an ox, as Ezekiel says, the third had the face of a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. This again establishes the fact that when the plan of redemption was laid, all heaven was in unison with the plan. Ezekiel and John, one before Christ’s advent, the other after, describe the same thing, showing that the New Testament is but the unfolding of the Old. Christ in His life upon earth combined these four natures. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, of whom it was prophesied, “‘ The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come.” As law- giver and governor, Christ represented the kingly nature of the Father. When the tribes were given their places about the sanctuary, Judah was located on the east ; and as they journeyed, the standard of Judah went before them. In the Gospels, Matthew begins with the genealogy, showing the right of Christ to the throne of David. There was, in the life of Emmanuel, a union of divinity with humanity. Christ was the firstborn in heaven; He was likewise the first- born of God upon earth, and heir to the Father’s throne. Christ, the firstborn, though the Son of God, was clothed in humanity, and was made perfect through suffering. He took the form of man, and through eternity, He will remain a A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN. a man. Every firstborn into human families is a type of the offermg made by Christ. Mark, in his life of Christ, gives the servant side. The second face was that of the calf, or the ox, the servant of men. This represents the priesthood,—the Levites who were chosen for service. Christ is both the slain lamb, and the priest who ministers in the sanctuary on high. He boxe the sins of the world in His own body on the cross, and the burden crushed Him to death. The most exalted position, and the most lowly position are here represented,—God in the heavens, and God on the cross. As Levites always accompanied the tabernacle, so Christ ministers constantly to man. no other story till man is redeemed from the earth. Every beast of burden beneath its load, every overworked child of God, is a reminder of the Christ who became the servant of men. Although He stepped into the lowhest place, yet He was still the giver of the law, and He is judge of all. The Gospel of Luke describes the man side cf the Son, giving that part of His life work, which appeals most forcibly to the mind of man. As God took the form of man, there is, in the gift, a promise that man may have the nature of his God. The keen eye of the flying eagle is taken to represent the searching gaze of Him whose eyes, as a flame of fire, “run to and fro throughout the whole earth, strongly to hold with them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” Among the different writers, it was John, the beloved disciple, who saw the character of Christ portrayed as the glorious Word, One equal with the Father in might, power, and glory, and his gospel completes the inspired record of the Heaven will know ee The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God ; As itis written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Mark1r: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness : by whose stripes ye were healed, 1 Pet. 2 :24. my OS But made himself of no reputa- tion, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. Phil, 2:7, Heb. 2: 10. (xe, ug) ae Num, 3: 14-51. Wherefore in all things it be- hoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suf- fered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Heb. 2:17, 18. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Jas Auit2. Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word ; It seemed good to me also, hav- ing had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus. Luke 1: 1-3. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, The same was in the beginning with God. John 1:1, 2. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever. @Rev. 4:9, 100 STORY The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liv- eth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to re- ceive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created, Reu, 4:10, 17. I heard the voice of harpers harp- ing 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 hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redcemed from the earth. Rey. 14:2; 3. OF. THE SEER OF PATMOS. Saviour’s life. He portrayed the divine character more fully than any other writer. This is rep- resented by the eagle flying heavenward. In the heavenly court, there is such an over- powering sense of the infinite work of God that the four living creatures cry constantly, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.’ And in the song of heaven, those redeemed from among men, take up the response ; and casting their crowns before the throne, they sing, “ Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure oe are and were created.” oe = Joun had been taken in the © Spirit into the presence of God. In the fourth chapter he de- scribes the appearance of the throne; this is followed by a view of the work of Christ and others connected with the plan of salvation. The fifth chapter is only a continuation of the subject introduced in the fourth ;—it is an introduction to the history given in the sixth chapter. Finite man may think himself separated from his Creator; but “there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it alto- gether.” Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit ? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?” John was made to understand this truth in a most solemnly impressive way. He says, “I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back side, sealed with seven seals.’’ The right hand of the Father holds the record of our lives, and unless one can approach within the inner circle of the majesty CHAPTER VL WHO IS. WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK ? Rev. 4 :1-3. All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. 2 Cor. 5:18, Psa. 139: 1-12. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass. Job 14:5. And! saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back- side, sealed with seven seals. Rev. 6:1. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Psa. 25214. * Tor 102 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou know- est; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the chil- dren of men.) 1 Kings 8:39. Eph. 3:16. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Eph. 5 :32. And | saw a strong angel pro- claiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to /oose the seals thereof ? Rev. 6:2, And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And | wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. Rev. 6:3, 4. Rey. 19:14. Gen. 32:1, 2. Psa. 103 : 19-22. And one of the eiders saith unto me, Weep not : behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of Da- vid, hath prevailed to open the -book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. Rev. 6:6, ‘ STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS of the Eternal One, he cannot look within this book. It is written both within and without. Within, is the life which is known only to God, —the secret, known only to the soul and its Creator. Without, is the reflection of that inner life, the outward part which is open to the gaze of others. As the condition of the individual, so is the condition of the church of God, The one created in the image of Jehovah, has received of His Spirit, and the soul history can be under- stood only by Him of whom it is a part. This connection between God and man, is the mystery of the Gospel. As the host of heaven gazed upon the One on the throne, a strong angel proclaimed with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?’ Heaven’s arches rang as the challenge was given. It was not a reproof, but a call to all the universe of God, to witness anew the glory of the Son of This was a fresh unfolding of the plan of salvation. John, a representative of the fallen race, was near, and he wept when “no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.” Must the work of earth cease? Was the sacrifice a failure? Would history cease even after Christ had cied? Hosts of angels, marshaled under their leaders, bowed before the throne. They had known of the mignty power of Jehovah, they had watched the work of crea- tion, and had ministered in the utmost bounds of space ; but they were silent when the herald’s voice was heard. Though angels held their peace, one of the elders broke the silence. He who had once lived man. WHO IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK? on earth, who was born in sin, who had fought and conquered in the name of Christ, and who had risen with Him a victor over that last and greatest enemy—death—spoke to his fellow man. He knew the full meaning of life on earth; he knew the terrors of the grave, and he could also speak from experience of the right- eousness of Christ, for he was clothed in the white garment, and on his head was the golden crown of victory. He approached John, saying, “Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book.” The elder, who had seen the mighty power of Christ so often manifested, took the strongest objects in the vegetable and animal kingdoms to represent His power,—the root and the lion. Massive rocks are torn asunder by the noiseless power of the root. Hidden beneath the soil its power is mighty. So the power of the Root of David, hidden in the heart, can break the strongest bands of sin. The Saviour speaks of those who had no root in themselves as not being able to endure tribulation. The Root of David bears the tree of righteousness. None can be trees of righteousness who have not this pure and holy Root hidden in the soil of the heart. The elder used language familiar to the prophet, for John was a Jew, and from infancy, had listened to the prophecy of Christ read from the book of the law. He was promised as the “Lion of the tribe of Juda,” the King for whom the nation looked as temporal ruler. The sure mercies of David were repeated in the synagogue services as the prophecies of Jeremiah wereread. “Behold . . . Ivwillraise unto David a righteous Branch, . . . and this is 103 Matt. 27 : 52-53. t Cor. 15:26. When the chief Shepherd shall appear, ve shall veceive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. n Pet, 5:4. I Tesus have sent mime angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. Rey. 22 316, What is stronger than a lon? Judges 14:18. That he would grant you, accord- ing to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love. Eph. 3 : 36, 17. Matt. 13 26, 21. The root of the righteous shall not be moved. Proy. 12 33. The root of the righteous yield- eth fruit. Prov, 12:12. Gal. 5 :22, 23. That they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting cf the Lord, that he might be glorified Isa. 61 33° For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, beiug read in the synagogues every sabbath day. Acts 15:21, Jer. 23 25, 6. Zech, 3 : 8 Isa, 11 310. 104 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both tread- eth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Mic. 5:8. I am he that liveth, and was dead ; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. : Rev, 1:18, As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep, John 10:15. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth, Rev. 6:6, STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. ‘ ensign of the people.” His name whereby He shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.” “I will bring forth My servant the Branch,” the Lord had said through — the prophet Zechariah. “In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, which shall stand for an Christ, in the presence of John, had used these same symbols to desig- nate His own work in the earth. As a lion of the forest, He was born to rule, and the power of the Spirit within drew all men unto Him. Like the tree, which, springing from a seed hid, |} den in the cemented vault- burst asunder the tomb of the dead, so the Root of David prevailed to loosen | the seals and to open the book. It was not the sim- ple reading of the book that was called for. Theangel’s |Py call was for one whose life le could accomplish [ Sees what was written ; therein. There, was written the work of God in the earth. This is seen when the seals are broken, as given in the following chapter. As John watched, “lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain.” In the center of all the glory, in the very presence of Life, before adoring angels and witnesses from earth, stood a Lamb, slain, its life-blood dripping from its veins. There was a time when sin did not exist; The tree burst asunder the tomb. WHO IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK? when the harmony of perfection reigned supreme. Man broke the chord. Life began to ebb. All nature mourned. Slowly, one by one, the stately trees shed their leaves ; the flowers faded. Each blossom as it fell, sounded a death knell throughout the universe of God. But Christ had already covenanted with the Father. His life was offered for this very time. And man,— penitent, sorrowful man,—brought a lamb from the flock, slew it; and its life-blood became a token of thelife of Christ. Every creature, from the highest form of creation, down to the insect mote in the sunbeam, lives in the life of God; and when death occurs, a vibration is felt in the heart of the Eternal. In every lamb, slain in all the sacrificial offerings, God saw the blood of His own Son. The heart of the Father was broken when the first lamb was slain ; and every time the knife was stained with the blood of an offering, it brought afresh to the mind of God the death of His Son. Christ died of a broken heart. Heaven knows the meaning’ of a broken heart,—of a life spent,—of hopes blasted. “A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” : So when John watched for one to open the the book, there appeared, as it were a Lamb slain. That all power was given to the Lamb, that all heaven was poured out in this sacrifice,. _ is shown by its seven horns and its seven eyes. “He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne” ; for not even Christ could do the work alone. The power came from the Father. Father and Son unite in the work of Redemption. ‘And when He had taken the book, the four beasts (living 105 Gen. 1:31. Gen. 321-7. r Tim. 2:14. Cursed is the ground for thy sake ; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life ; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee. Gen, 3:17, 18. Rev. 13 8. Gen. 4:4. In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. Job 12 : 10, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:17. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, itisatree of life. Prov.13 :12. Psa. 512137. Being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Rom. 4:21. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. Rev. 6:7. Matt, 28:18, And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. Rev. 6: 8 Rev. 8:3-8. 106 STORY Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for Heb. 7:25. The whole multitude of the peo- ple were praying without at the time of incense. Luke 1: 10, He shall bum incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. Ex. 30:8. them. In the tabernacle service on earth, the altar of incense burned continually. Lev. 16:2. And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testi- mony, that he die not. ; Lev. 16:12, 13. Rev. 8:3, 4. Rev. 5:8. Let my prayer be set forth be- fore thee as incense ; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sac- rifice. Psa. 14122. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. ea SS Sze OF THE SEER OF PATMOS: creatures) and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors (incense), which are the prayers of saints.” Here is given the work of the elders and the living creatures. As the Lamb ministers constantly before the throne of God, these who have been redeemed to God “out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation,” bow before the throne, offering to Him who sits thereon the prayers which ascend from the earth. With the prayers, is a cloud of incense. ‘This holy incense is the merits and intercession of Christ, His perfect righteousness, which, through faith, is imputed to His people, and which alone can make the worship of sinful beings acceptable to God.” In the tabernacle service on earth, the altar of incense burned continually before the ark of the covenant, where shone the visible presence of God. When the high priest entered on the day of atonement into the Holy of Holies, he made his offering for the people with much in- cense, a cloud ascended from the censer as long as he remained in Divine Presence. To-day in heaven those who once lived on earth, represent- atives from every kindred, nation, and people, having passed through every phase of earthly experience, take the prayers offered by penitent sinners, and present them before the Lamb. Repentance is a sweet odor before our God ; for it tells of sorrow for sin, and the acceptance of the life of Christ. Since the death of Christ, the lamb is no longer slain; but the morning and evening prayers, when the blood of Christ is presented by faith, touch the heart of God, and from His throne angels speed their way on - WHO IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK? rapid wings to fulfill the petition. there does not seem to come an answer, there is still the assurance that no earnest petition escapes the notice of our Father. They are represented as preserved in vials, in “bottles,” as David says ; and when the family of the redeemed is at last gathered on that crystal sea with the Lamb and the four and twenty elders, it will be found that every prayer of faith is answered. The lowliest believer, the most burdened sinner, who turns his face heaven ward, can see the rainbow of promise above the throne. For him the Lamb was slain, and in his behalf, some one in that company of elders, who If to prayer immediate surround the throne, can plead, ‘‘I have passed over this same road and I have been rescued by the Saviour.’ Look up, and take heart; for all heaven is working for the redemption of man! In anticipation of the final cleansing of the universe from sin, and the restoration of man to his place beside the Father, there is sung in heaven the song of the redeemed. The four beasts and the four and twenty elders sing a new song,—a song of Redemption; for they have been raised from the depths of sin to the position of kings and priests unto God. Those now in heaven, look forward to their reign with Christ on the earth made new. When the plan is completed, the few who now minister in heaven, together with the multitudes who come forth at the first resurrection, will reign as kings and priests on the earth. “Thine is the kingdom, Thine is the power, and Thine the glory,” will be the grand chorus when Christ as King of kings receives His everlasting dominion, and the redeemed reign with Him. To the earth 107 Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. Dan. 9:21. Jer. 10225. Rev. 5:8. But thou, when thou prayest, en- ter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Fa- ther which is in secret and thy Fa- ther which seeth in secret shall reward thee opec:;. Matt. 6:6, The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous : but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. Psa. 34:18, 19. Dan. 8:14. And they sung a new song, say- ing, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast re- deemed 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: cnd we shall reign on the earth. And | beheld, and | heard the voice of many angels round about the throne ana the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thou- sand, and thousands of thousands, Rev. 6:9-11, 108 STORY Rev. 11:15. Isa. 35 : I-10. He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the gar- den of the Lord ; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiv- ing, and the voice of melody. Isa. 51:3. Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to re- ceive power, and riches, and wis- dom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Rev. 6:12. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and un- der the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard | saying, Blessing, and hon- our, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. Rev, 6:18, 14, OF THE SEER OF PATMOS: renewed, and reflecting again the glory of God as when it first came forth from the hand of its Creator; with the discord all gone, and the music of the spheres rolling in ceaseless pzeans through endless space; is the scene which heaven looks forward to in anticipation. The redeemed sang, “ Thou art worthy,” and from ten thousand times ten thousand of angel voices there rang the response: ‘ Worthy is the © Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” . And then in the chorus of voices, angels, elders, and every creature from earth and sea and sky, joined in singing, “ Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.’ And the four beasts answered, “Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down, and worshiped Him that liveth for ever and ever.” If man but caught a glimpse of the joy of salvation, his lips would repeat the songs of heaven. Angelic beings are looking forward to the completion of the plan. So may we. CHAPTER VII. HISTORY IN THE SEALS. Tue book of Revelation is introduced as a “revelation of Jesus Christ”; the first five chap- ters verify the truthfulness of the name. The sixth chapter opened to John a new phase of the divine character as revealed in the life of the . Son, and in His attitude toward the people upon whom His love is bestowed. The secret history of those on earth, between whom and the Father no being can intervene, is held in the right hand of that Father, and the Lamb alone is able to fulfill what is written within the scroll. The seals, opened, reveal the life of the church, the child of God; and_ begin- ning at the birth of Christianity, the seals extend to the end of time. Others may know somewhat of the life; but only the Father knows the en- vironments, the place of birth, the inherited tendencies of His child, Healone is able to ap- preciate the character, and to form righteous judgment concerning it. When the first seal was broken by the Lamb, cne of the four living creatures, whose voice was The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass ; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. Rev. I 31. John 15:13. Eph. 5 : 23-25. Rev. 2:17. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. x Tim. 2:5. Of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her’ and the highest himself shal estab- lish her. The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Psa. 87:5, 6. John 16:27. And | saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and | heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And! saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth con- quering, and to conquer. Rev. 6:1, 2. Rey, 12:11. Zech. 6:5. 109 IIO STORY The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him, 2 Chron. 16:9. He went forth conquering, and to conquer. Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren. Gen. 48 :22. 1 Cor. 1: 1-7. Acts 221-17. Luke 9:23. Gen. 49:26. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS:, like thunder, bade John behold. Those living creatures, as they surround the throne, reflect the character of God, they are interested in those upon earth, whose lives also reflect the Divine Image. “And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and‘he went forth con- quering, and to con- quer.” Zechariah was told that horses sym- bolized the “spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing be- fore the Lord of all the earth.” God’s Spirit is seeking for those who will give it full control in their lives, and the . Apostolic Church was blessed with a double portion of the Spirit. The horse upon which it rode was white, rep- resenting the simple faith and trust of those who accepted the bap- tism of the Spirit in its purity. All the gifts of the Spirit were man- ifested in the church of the first-century. The followers of Christ separated themselves from the midst of the world, from friends and relatives and all that earth counts dear, and God pronounces His richest blessing “On the crown of the head HISTORY IN THE-SEALS: of him that was separate from his brethren.” A crown denotes victory. A crown was given to him that sat on the horse, and he went forth “conquering, and to conquer.’”’ During the first century, it mattered not whether there was an appearance of defeat, or whether triumph was seen in the healing of the sick, and the: deliver- ing of the tried and tempted. The name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth was health to the af- flicted and life tothe dead. Victory was written upon every move of the disciples. In prison, with their backs lacerated, their songs of praise and thanksgiving brought victory and resulted in the conversion of souls. Peter was sentenced to death, shut up in the inner prison; but that last night in prison was a victory; for the angel of the Lord brought deliverance. Truly wonderful was the story of the Gospel during the first century, as it went forth “ conquering, and to conquer.” Like the tree planted by the fountain, whose branches grow beyond all bounds, so the church of the first century spread throughout the world. Its very loneliness and spirit of sacrifice was its most attractive feature to those hitherto unac- quainted with the power of the Gospel. It was indeed planted by the Fountain of Life, and so long as it remained in connection with that living water, no amount of opposition could retard its growth. The unparalleled rapidity attending the propa- gation of the gospel of the Cross, is witnessed to by writers of that age. To the Roman church Paul wrote: “I thank my God that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world ;” and again, “ Your obedience is come abroad unto all men.” Ii! 2 Tim. 4:7, 8 Rev. 2: 10. Acts 5:40, 42. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up : and imme- diately his feet and ankle bones re- ceived strength. Acts 3:6, 7. Acts 9:36-41. Acts 16 : 19-39. Behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, say- ing, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. Acts 12:7. Rom, 1:8. Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall. Gen. 49:22. Jer. 17 :7, 8. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; bis leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Psa. 1:3. STORY Not by army, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Zech. 4:6 [margin.] These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, John 16:33. And when he had opened the second seal, | heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another : and there was given unto hima great sword, Rev. 278-11 Rom, 4:17. Heb, 11 34. Rev. 6:38, 4, OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. When the apostle had been preaching but little more than thirty years, he said to the Colossians that the Gospel had been “preached to every creature which is under heaven.” What stronger expression could be used than “it went forth conquering, and to conquer.” But it was “not by army, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts.’ This was the soul ex- perience of those children of the living God when they felt the warmth of “their first love.” The Gospel of Christ brings peace on earth, but when men fail to receive the truth, it brings sword and bloodshed. The second beast said, “Come and see.” “And there went out another horse that was red, and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another.” Peace was taken from the earth ; blood was shed upon the right hand and upon the left, and the saints were led as a lamb to the slaughter. Nothing could more vividly describe this period than the “horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth.” This carries us through the period known as the triumph of paganism, correspond- ing to the Smyrna church. In the eyes of the world, the experience of God’s people through this age, was one of great defeat, but in the eyes of Him, who has power to give victory in the smallest things of earth, and to bring to naught things that are, by things that are not, this ex- perience was a triumph. The very witness borne by the sacrifice of the lives of the saints became seed that sprang up and bore fruit. God’s infinite power is made manifest in every sacrifice made by men upon earth. In their HISTORY IN THE: SEALS. : 113 Power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, utter helplessness lay their strength. It was then that the power of Christ rested upon them. Even the smallest act, performed in behalf of Christ, multiplies not only a hundredfold in this life, but its influence, like a stone thrown into a smooth surface of water, extends until it reaches the ocean of eternity. & Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer : behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried ; and ye shall have tribulation ten days; be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches ; he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death, Rev. 2:10, 11. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. Inthe world ye shall have tribulation : but be of good cheer ; I have overcome the world. John 16 33. Therefore I take pleasure in in. firmities, in reproaches, in necessi. ties, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Cor, 12:10. Matt. 10: 42. Mark 10:29, 30. Matt. 26 :6-13. 114 STORY. Seeing they cruciiy to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him toanopenshame. Heb, 6:6. He said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Rev. 7:14. The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall re- main in the congregation of the dead. Prov. 21:16, And when he had opened the third seal, | heard the third beast say, Come and see. And / beheld, and loa black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand Rev. 6:6. Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself ; for thou that judgest doest the same things. Rom. 2:1. Ex. 32 230-35. Rom. 9 : 1-3. EX. 32 23%, 32. Jas. 4:12. Speak not evil one of another, brethren, He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judg- eth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. Jas. 4:11. 2 Thess. 234, Isa. 14213, 14 OF THE SEER OF PATMOSss To live a spiritual life requires a ceaseless climbing, higher and still higher; but humanity is prone to take an easier part. Sad as it may seem, we find the church, which for years sacri- ficed its life for the sake of the Gospel, begin- ning to compromise the truth of God. The church turned its eyes from Christ, and was al- lured by the world into strange paths. What Satan could not do by persecution, he accom- plished by flattery. When the third seal was opened, the third beast was heard to say, “ Come and see.” And I beheld, and lo a black horse ; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances.” It is strange that, when men lose the Spirit of God, they at once become self-appointed judges of other men. The Spirit of Christ is, “in honor preferring one another.”’ The life of the Saviour exemplifies this ; the lives of those who have followed closely in His footsteps show that the same spirit has dwelt in men. The prayer of Moses was that God would blot out his name from the book of life, but save Israel. ‘Oh, this people have sinned a greatsm. . . . Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin ;—and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.” “There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. who art thou that judgest another?’’ When, however, men cease to obey the law of God, they at once exalt self above the Lawgiver, and seated on the throne of justice, they attempt to weigh men’s deeds. This is the “mystery of iniquity,” which “opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing him- self that he is God.” It is the spirit of him who MISTORN INV THe wes, 115 said, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the erincmeor God 9... I will ascend above the heights of the clouds ; I will be like the Most High.” But the balances held by man are false balances; and _ while man is passing judg- ment, God, from the throne, is watching those who are being weighed, and in His infinite kindness, limits the power of the self- made judge. This judge may say “a measure of wheat fora penny, and three meas- ures of barley for a penny ;” he may, it is true, judge somewhat from outward appearances, he may weigh out the physical actions, but the Divine command is, «See thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” The oil of His grace, and the wine, the emblem of the inner spiritual life, must not, and cannot be touched, The church during the fourth and fifth cen- turies, began dictating to men what they should believe, and how they should worship, This was the period when Christianity was replaced by the papacy, and man was exalted as vicegerent of God on earth. ; He that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found want= ing. Dan. 5 :27. And | heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the o!l and the wine. Rev, 6:6. And when he had opened the fourth seal, / heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see, Rev. 6:7. His name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And | looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him, And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. Rev. 6:8 Jer. 2:22. Hos. 13 : 12. Gen. 474-8. power, it weighs out to perience. STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. The fourth beast bade John come, and see the opening of the fourth seal, which was the culmination of the scenes begun under the third seal. ‘I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.” The pale horse was an indication of still greater departure from the spirit of truth than the black one. Thousands have been put to death by the sword, by starvation, and by wild beasts; and what is worse than killing the body, many more have _ suffered spiritual death because of the hiding of the Word of Life. When- ever the church is clothed with civil mankind Christian ex- If that experience is not according to the prescribed religion, the thumbscrew and other instruments of torture are brought forth to extort confessions from the penitent. But God, even in the midst of the severest persecu- tion, watches over every afflicted soul. It might seem that God would have prevented “HISTORY IN THE SEALS. such seeming cruelty during the Dark Ages ; but the view given to John, shows that Christ suf- fered in the person of His saints. At the time of the crucifixion angels were restrained from rescuing the Saviour from His agony. It was suffered to be so for the time, that the greater glory might be seen thereafter. So in the mar- tyrdom of the Middle Ages, and in any form of persecution, Christ identifies Himself with the _ sufferer, and all heaven stands ready to succor him. “When He had opened the fifth seal,” John “saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the testi- mony which they held.” God does not forget those who have suffered for His name, but their names are written in the Book of Life. The lamb in the tabernacle service was slain on the earth; Christ left the courts of heaven, and the earth became the altar where His blood was shed; the rock-hewn sepulchre became the grave in which His dead body was laid; so the earth has drunk the blood of martyrs, and their bodies lie buried in its bosom. Representatives of all classes of men, from the lowly tradesman to the men of brilliant intellect, fell before the power of him who sat on the pale horse. Such men as Huss and Jerome, Ridley, Cranmer, and Latimer, suffered for the Word of God. But there were others, such as Galileo, who were persecuted because they advocated principles, which, when weighed in the balances of him who sat enthroned, were deemed to be danger- ous to the government. The blood of Abel cried unto God, so the earth bears witness before Jehovah of every life 117 John 18:36, 37. Luke 12 :4-7. The King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my breth ren, ye have done it unto me. Matt. 25 :40. Isa. 41 : 10-12. And when he had opened the fifth seal, | saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the tes- timony which they held : And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? Rev. 6:9, 10. Luke 22 : 44. Num. 35 :33, 34 Josh, 24:26, 27. Others had trial of cruel mock- ings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment : They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wan- dered about in sheepskins and goat- skins ; being destitute, afflicted, tor- mented 3 (Of whom the world was not wor~ thy.) Heb. 11 : 36-38. Gen. 4: 10. Psa. 50:4. Rom. 8 :23, 24. 118 STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Ga) which has been taken in His name. This wit- ness is true, one that can never be suborned ; and it matters not what may be the verdict of him who holds the balance. God knows, and gives righteous judgment. When the history of nations was revealed to Daniel, the angels of heaven cried, “How long, O Lord, how long till the end of these things?” The whole creation suffers because of the curse which sin has brought ; and in addition to these voices, which plead for the end of all things, the blood of the mar- tyrs is heard by the sen- sitive ear of Jehovah. ‘** How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and When asked wh y ayenge'our blood’? there is such long-suf- The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. Psa. 34215. And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. Rev. 6:11. Heb. 11 :35-38. fering on the part of God, John saw the white robes of Christ’s righteousness, prepared for every one who has given up life for the sake of the truth, They have been despised, rejected, and killed by men; but on the record books of heaven, every sin is covered by the character of their Lord. They were the company who were “destitute, afflicted, tormented: of whom the HISTORY IN THE SEALS. world was not worthy ;” but heaven has a home for them, and in the restoration of all things, they will be given a place near the throne. Their numbers will be increased by those who are called to suffer a similar death in the period of time preceding the second coming of Christ. What was done under the cover of darkness in the Middle Ages, will be repeated when the sun is at its zenith. All who are slain for con- science’ sake, sleep together in their graves until called forth by the trumpet tones of Him, who is the resurrection and the life. Then will white robes be given them, together with palms of victory. To-day they are seen clothed in white robes ; for the world, forgetting the crimes of which they were basely accused, assigns them a martyr’s crown. This inner life history, as revealed by the opening of the seals, was not for the benefit of those who lived during the period in ecclesiasti- cal history, when it was especially applicable ; for at those times the prophecies were not under- stood ; but it is for those who live in the time of the end, especially under the sixth seal, that the wondrous love of Him who ruleth in the heavens, may be read in the events which occur. The sixth seal covers history until the end of time ; therefore the generation now living will witness at least some events shown to the prophet when this seal was opened. It differs from the first four seals, by showing events which mark prophetic time, rather than by show- ing the condition of the church. Those who recognize the signs therein given, as omens of the second coming of the Son of man, will wel- come Him under the seventh seal. Those who 119 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us. 2 Tim, 2:12. This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 3: 16-19. Job 14:12-15. Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision, Dan. 8:17. The words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly : and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. Dan. 12 :9, 10. Song Sol. 4:7. Mark 13 : 23-31. Luke 21 : 29-31. Eccl. 3:1. Eph. 5 : 26, 27. Col. 1:28, 29. The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bit- terly, Zeph. rt: 54. 120 Amos 1:1. Zech, 14:5. Ex, 10: 21-23. There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars ; and upon the earth distress of na- tions, with perplexity ; the sea and the waves roaring. Luke 21:25, Joel 2:31. Amos 8:9. Isa. 13 29, 10. Eze. 32:7, 8. Matt. 24:29, Mark 13:24, Luke 21:25, Rey. 6 :12, 13. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. Mark 13:20, And | beheld when had he opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. do not thus read the language of God, as given in signs and wonders, will have the experience recorded in Rev. 6: 15-17. At the beginning of the sixth seal, a mighty earthquake shook the earth. This doubtless re- fers to the earthquake of 1755, felt with greatest severity at Lisbon, Portugal, and known in history as the Lisbon earthquake. Its influence was felt as far north as Greenland, also in the north of Africa. This was to be followed by the darkening of the sun, and the moon, and the fall- ing of the stars of heaven. There have been many earthquakes in the history of the world, and the sun has often been darkened; but a definite earthquake was to be considered as a sign of the times in which men were living. A definite darkening of the sun and moon would be used by the Lord as a token of His near ap- proach. That men might know which events to accept and which to reject, the Word of God has described with divine minuteness the ones referred to under the sixth seal. Eight writers of the Bible give the signs in the sun, moon, and stars, as heralds of the last day. Four of these, Joel, Amos, Isaiah, and Ezekiel, wrote before the time of Christ ; the other four are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, three of whom repeat the words given by the Saviour Himself. The description of the signs in the heavenly bodies, given by these eight writers, points out at least thirteen peculiarities, which unmistakably indi- cate the time and nature of their occurrence. The time when men might look for signs in the heavens is given by Matthew. He says, “Im- mediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not HISTORY IN THE SEALS. 121 give her light,” etc. The “tribula- tion of those days” is the period of darkness and persecution, known as the “abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet.” It began with the establishment of the papacy in 538 A.D., and continued twelve hundred and sixty years, or until 1798. But God in mercy shortened the time of persecution; for “except those days be shortened there should no flesh be saved.” The persecuting power of the papacy was broken about 1776 A.D. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light.” The prophesied dark day must then be looked for soon after 1776. Mark adds another item which helps in the : location of the time. He says, ‘In those days, after that tribu- lation,” etc. That is, within the period of the twelve hundred and sixty years, or be- fore 1798 and after 1776, “the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light.” History records the extraor- ** He is even at the door.’’ dinarily dark day of May 19, 1780; and the stu- agreat earthquake; and the sun dent of prophecy finds that in point of time, this became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. meets the requirements of Matthew and Mark. Rev, 6:12. 122 STORY The following are thirteen peculi- arities which indicate the time and nature of the signs in the heavens: Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be dark- ened. and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven. Matt. 24:29. In those days, after that tribula- tion, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light. Mark 13:24. When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh, So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand, Luke 21 : 28, 31. The sun shall be turned into dark- ness, and the moon into blood, be- fore the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. Joel 2:31. Maketh the day dark with night. Amos 5:8. The sun shall be darkened in his coing forth. Isa. 33\¢ 10. I will cause the sun to go down at noon. Amos 8:9. I will darken the earth in the clear day. Amos 8 :9. I will cover the sun with a cloud. Eze. 32:7. The sun became black as sack- cloth of hair. Rev. 6:12. The moon became as blood. Rey. 6:12. The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even asa fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake, Rey. 6:12. aay Pea Rey. 6:13. OF THE SEER OF PATMGS Luke, the Gospel writer, who appeals especially to the lover of logic, so states facts that the reader is at once convinced that the signs in the sun, moon, and stars, are consecutive events. In Luke 21 :25—33, the signs are mentioned. The 28th verse says, “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads ; for your redemption draweth nigh.” It is not yet nigh, but it draweth nigh. The 31st verse continues, “When ye see these things [Matthew says, ‘all these things,’] come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.” There is a lapse of time between the first and the last signs. When they begin to appear, redemption draweth nigh; when all have ap- peared, redemption is nigh, ‘even at the door.” Those who endured the afflictions of the Dark Ages, who had seen friends tortured on the rack, or burned at the stake ; or had themselves endured imprisonment or persecution, when the light of the Reformation scattered the dark- ness, were bidden to look forward; for the morning star was to be seen. A little later came the darkening of the sun. Then they were encouraged to lift up the head, for “re- demption draweth nigh.” Those living since the fulfillment of all the signs, should rejoice; for ‘He is even at the door.” One characteristic of the darkening of the sun, which is given as a sign of His coming, is found in Joel 3:15. That prophet states that the sun, the moon, and the stars, should all be darkened. «‘The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.” The accounts of the dark day in 1780 agree with this. It appeared to those who witnessed the phenom- i HISTORY IN THE SEALS. enon, that the darkness at its height could not have been more dense, had every luminary been blotted out of existence. One writer says, “The darkness of the following evening was probably as deep and dense as ever had been observed since the Almighty first gave birth to light. . . . A-sheet of white paper, held within a few inches of the eyes, was equally invisible with the blackest velvet. *. ~... this evening darkness was a fact universally ob- served and recorded.”’ (Devens, in “ Our First Century.”’) Amos witnesses to the fact that the night fol- lowing the darkening of the sun, would be dark also. That is to say, that the darkening of the sun and moon, to which the sixth seal has refer- ence, would be within the same twenty-four hours ; one day would be dark, and the night following, the moon would be dark also. The paragraph quoted above shows that -the darken- ing of the sun and moon on May 19, 1780, met these specifications. The prophet Isaiah gives one point to which none of the other writers refer. He says, “The sun shall be darkened in his going forth,” that is, in the morning. Amos 8:49 states that the dark- est portion. of the day would be at noon, and that this would take place on a clear day. Ezekiel states that a cloud would cover the face of the sun. Here are four peculiarities worthy of notice. The sign which the Lord placed in the heavens, could be easily read. Of all the dark days which history records, none, but the one in 1780, meets all these specifications. The morning would be clear, but during the morning a cloud would ob- scure the face of the sun. The darkness would The denseness, of 123 Now learn a parable of the fig tree ; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh : So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Matt. 24:32, 33- Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Matt. 24:21. Luke 21 : 28-33. Gen. 1: 14. The Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even dark— ness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven ; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. Ex. 10:21, 22. The fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of dark- ness ; and they gnawed their tongues for pain. Rey. 16:10. Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos 3 :6, 7. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel. Tm the same day also will I pun- ish all those that leap on the thresh- old, which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit. Zeph. 1:7-9. 124 _STORY Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not de- sired ; Before the decree bring forth, be- fore the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger come upon you. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment ; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger. Zeph, 2 :1-3. The earth shall quake before them ; the heavens shall tremble the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining : And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great : for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible ; and who can abide it? Joel 2:10, rr, “The dark day of Northern America was one of those wonderful phenomena of nature which will always be read of with interest, but which philosophy is at a loss to explain,’’—Herschel, Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. Amos 4212. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, evenas a fig tree cast- eth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. Rev, 6:13. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. increase until it reached its greatest density about noon, On these points “ Our First Century,” the work before referred to, states: “The time of the commencement of this extraordinary dark- ness, was between the hours of ten and eleven in the forenoon on Friday, of the date already named [May 19, 1780]. As to the manner of its approach, the darkness seemed to appear first of all in the southwest. The wind came from that quarter, and the darkness appeared to come on with the clouds. . . . The sun, rising towards the zenith, gave no increase of light, as usual; but, on the contrary, the darkness continued to increase until between eleven and twelve o’clock, at which time there was the greatest ob- scurity in that place.” Speaking of another local- ity the same writer says, “At twelve the darkness was greatest. Lights were seen burning in all the houses; . . . the birds in the midst of their blithesome forenoon engagements, stopped sud- denly, and singing their evening songs, disap- peared and became silent; the fowls retired to their roosts, the cocks were crowing in their accustomed manner at the break of day.” The day was not intensely black as if there were no sun, but as stated in Rev. 6:12, “the sun became black as sackcloth of hair.’’ Sackcloth of hair is made of goat hair, and is black mingled with gray. John is the only one who mentions this feature. Joel and John prophesied that the moon would be turned into blood. Those who witnessed the dark night, say that when the moon appeared, near the morning, it was a blood-red ball in the heavens. The peculiar features of the special falling of PUSTOR YIN THE SEALS. the stars, which God gave as a sign, are given by John. They should fall from heaven “as a fig tree casteth. her untimely figs, when she is Extensive and mag- shaken of a mighty wind.” nificent showers of shooting stars have been known to oc- cur at various places in modern times ; but the most universal and won- derful which has ever been recorded is that of the 13th of November, 1833, the whole firmament, over all the United States, being then for hours in fiery commotion. As a fig tree covered with green fruit being violently shaken sends the fruit in all directions, so from one center in the sky, the stars fell in showers in every direction. Since 1755 the inhabitants of the earth have been living under the sixth seal. In the heav- ens and on the earth, signs have appeared, which show that time is short. This period has been a time of great intellectual hght. Men, by their discoveries and inventions, have made rapid transit and speedy communication between dif- ferent lands possible. Since “ the tribulation of those days,” the light of truth has been shining in steady rays upon God’s people. At no time, save when Christ was born, has greater light shone upon the world. Some will accept a spiritual life, while others will find very soon that should the Lord come, it would be to them a time of darkness and despair. The sixth seal 125 The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. Zeph. 1:14. ** As a fig tree casteth her untimely figs.’’ Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 1 John 3:3. Dan. 12: 4. The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings. Nahum 2:4. I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath. Zeph, 1:17, 18. And the heaven departed as a scroll when itis rolled together: and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Rev. 6:74, . 126 STORY Psa. 82:5. Gen. 2:6. Gen. 7:11. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid them- selves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains ; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Rev. 6:16-17. 2 Pet. 3:10." They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for him- self to worship, to the moles and to the bats, Isa. 2: 19, 20. Isa. 33:15. Psa. 24: 4-6. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. looks forward to the very end, when the heaven: depart as a scroll rolled together ; and when the mountains and islands are moved out of their places. When sin entered the world, the course of nature was changed. The atmosphere, once agreeable to the senses of man, now chilled him; the moisture, at first distilled as the dew, finally came in torrents from the sky, and the fountains of the great deep were broken up. The earth itself was turned from its original position, at the time of the flood; vast portions were made uninhabitable on account of the cold and the vast amount of water left on the surface. At the sound of the voice of the Son of man, the elements of the atmosphere will be rearranged, the high places will be brought low, and islands will be moved from their positions. At that time those who have put their trust in idols of gold rather than in their Maker, and those who have exalted humanity above Divinity, will in terror seek to be hidden by rocks and mountains from the piercing gaze of Him who sits upon the throne. There is now a time of probation. All may know the time of God’s visitation, for we are walled about by the signs given by Jehovah. We cannot lose ourselves ; for the dates 1755, 1780, and 1833, are as clearly marked as the close of the twelve hun- dred and sixty years, and the twenty-three hun- dred years of the book of Daniel. «Who shall be able to stand?” He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn de- ceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” “The great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” CHAPTER: VIII. THE SEALING WORK. THE seventh chapter of the book of Revela- tion continues the description of events taking place under the sixth seal. Already the signs, which prophecy foretold would appear in the heavens, have been seen. Not only did men_ witness the phenomena, but as early as 1844, and since that time, these things have been rec- ognized as signs of the second appearing of the Son of man, and as such, have been preached before all the world. When the Saviour was giving the signs by which men should know of the approach of the sécond advent, He men- tions, in addition to the strange appearance in the heavens, “upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity.” This distress of nations follows the falling of the stars, and as it is the subject with which the seventh chapter of Revelation is introduced, it places that chapter, when consid- ered chronologically, between the thirteenth and fourteenth verses of the sixth chapter of Reve- lation. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Isa. 41 322, 26, Go ye therefore, and teach all na- tions. Matt. 28:19. There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars ; and upon the earth distress of na- tions, with perplexity ; the sea and the waves roaring ; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken, Luke 21:25, 26. 127 128 STORY And after these things | saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. Rev. 7:1. Zech, 14 9. God is the King of all the earth. Psa. 4727. Heb. 1:14. Psa. 103 20. I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince. Dan, 10:21, Psa. 34:7. Matt. 18:10, The king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships ; and he shall en- ter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. Dan, 11: 40, Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas ; and to the rush- ing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. Isa. 07512, X30 Rev. 13:8. Gen. 4:3, 4. Rev. 12: 14-16, Isa. 60: 16. Isa, 61 36, OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. “ After these things,” that is, after the oc. currence of the signs mentioned in Rey. 6: 12, 13, “I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth.” opened to his mind the workings of the govern- ment of God, and the work of the angels was re- vealed as he watched the loosening of the seals. «‘ Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salva- tion?” Angels who excel in strength, do the bidding of Jehovah, hearkening unto the voice of His word. Gabriel, the angel of prophecy, is by no means the only one who has a specifically assigned task. ‘To John are shown four of these heavenly beings, standing on the four corners of the globe, holding the winds that they might not blow. Winds symbolize war or contention. There has been more than one war in the past, as well as more than one dark day ; but at a cer- tain period of time, there should be a distress of nations differing from all previous international troubles. In the opening of the fifth seal, when the church as a church came from the Dark Ages, two great principles born of the Reformation, and cutting short the persecuting power, finally made martyrdom impossible. These two princi- ples then came into existence under the names of Protestantism and democracy. Protestant- ism, representing the religious phase of society ; democracy, or the principle which recognizes the equal rights of all mankind, representing the civil government. In other words, the results of the sixteenth century Reformation were not seen alone in the organization of Protestant churches; John’s view of heaven had THE SEALING WORK. but there was at the same timea protest against the absolute monarchy which had borne sway for a thousand years. Under these conditions the salvation of the cause demanded a new soil for the cultivation of freedom. For this purpose God had already opened America and Southern Africa. The South African colonies failed to profit by their opportunities, but in America both Protestantism and democracy —freedom to worship, and the equal rights of men in civil affairs,—blossomed and bore fruit in the Consti- tution of the United States. During the first half century of this nation’s existence, it was watched with a most critical eye by monarchs and statesmen of Europe. But as the govern- ment grew stronger, and one state after another was added ; as its ministers received recognition in foreign courts; and as its products were sought in foreign markets, the people of Euro- pean governments saw, that democracy was no longer an experiment, but a possibility. There was restlessness in Europe. From the days of Napoleon, France was divided in its opinions, and the desire for a representative gov- emment, was more than once made known. Any manifestation on the part of subjects in all European countries was jealously watched by ‘the sovereigns, and all uprisings were put down with unusual severity. The elements were gath- ering for a storm, the low mutterings of distant thunder were heard ; yet each ruler tried to con- vince himself that his throne was secure. France, fortunate or unfortunate, as one may choose to view the matter, appears, however, to have been the center from which the waves of commotion started. In 1830 the French minis- 9 129 He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again. He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilder- ness where there is no way. Job. 12:23, 24. Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same : For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a re- venger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Rom. 13 :3, 4. . Asa roaring lion, and a ranging bear ; sois a wicked ruler over the poor people. Prov. 28:15. Thou hast increased the nation, O Lord, thou hast increased the na- tion: thou art glorified : thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth. Isa. 26:15. There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the Lord, a wicked counsellor. Nahum r:rr. Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee aceording to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. Isa. 9:3. He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms. Isa. 23 : 11. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. Dan. 4:17. All people, nations, and lan- guages, trembled and feared before him : whom he would he slew ; and whom he would he kept alive ; and whom he would he set up: and whom he would he put down. Dan. 5:19. 130 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. But the Lord is my defence ; and my God is the rock of my refuge. And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness ; yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off. Psa. 94 : 20. The wrath of a king is as messen- gers of death. Psa. 94: 20-23. Arch of Triumph, Paris. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that Tuled the nations in anger, is perse- cuted, and none hindereth. Isa. 14:6, . Therefore shall evil come upon thee: thou shalt not know from whence it risetn : and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shali come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know. Isa. 47:11, STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. try, fearing that too much authority was being exercised by the Chamber of Deputies, issued an ordinance declaring all recent elections illegal, restricting suffrage, and limiting the freedom of the press. This act was met by mob violence, and resulted in the unseating of the reigning monarch and the enthroning of a new French king, who, because he was crowned by the mid- dle classes, was called the “ citizens’ king.” The name was significant. The common people were © coming into power, and had nations followed the lead- ings of Providence, there might have been, in the next few years, a peace- ful reorganization of Europe. In- stead, however, the people, especially of dependent coun- tries and provinces, | were oppressed. But the French up- rising had its effect. ‘In Saxony and in the minor states of Germany, disturbances were consequent on the tidings of the revolution at Paris.” In Poland there was an uprising, a result of the movement in Paris. One result traceable to the French trouble, occurred in the year 1832, when “ eight thousand Poles were sent to Siberia.” In Ger many, unity was foretold by the formation of the customs-union between 1828 and 1834. Upris- ings occurred in Italy, demanding independence THE SEALING WORK. and unity. In 1833 the system of slavery in the British colonies was abolished. In 1837 Victoria became ruler of England; and the re- peal in 1846 of the Corn Laws, which imposed duties on imported grains, was an omen of the increasing liberality of the British government. Events might be multiplied, to show the sharp division between those who favored popular rights and those who still fought for the divine right of kings. The internal pressure became greater. It was recognized by all that some settlement must soon be reached. The climax came, when in 1848, mob violence again broke out in France. For two years there had been a scarcity of food, and the rabble rebelled against all authority. The king, Louis Phillippe, abdicated, and escaped to England. Except for the courage and firm- ness of a few French statesmen, who guided affairs through this critical period, the scenes of the Revolution of 1789, would have been re- peated. The soldiers fraternized with the mob. Only through the wisest management, a socialis- tic Directory was avoided. Instead, the motion for a provisional government, prevailed. A con- stitution was adopted which provided for a pres- ident who should serve for a term of four years. Louis Napoleon was elected first president of the new French Republic. This was the event- ful year of 1848. Judson, in his work entitled «Europe in the Nineteenth Century,” says this revolution “was like a lighted match touched to the dry prairie grass after a drought. The flames flashed at once throughout the continent.” In Germany “new ministries were installed which were pledged toa liberal policy.” “ Prus- 131 Righteousness exalteth a nation - but sin is a reproach to any people. Prov. 14-34. Thou, O king, art a king of -kings : for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and Strength, and glory. Dan. 2:37. The balances of deceit are in his hand : he loveth to oppress. Hos, 12:7. So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done un- der the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter ; and on the side of their oppressors there was power ; but they had no comforter, Eccl. 4:1. Eze. 14:13. Her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer. Lam. 1 :6. There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: ’ Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom de- livered the city ; yet no manremem bered that same poor man. Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength. Eccl. 9: 14-16. He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good. Prov. 16:20. But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries, Psa. 38:19, 20. 132 STORY Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times. Isa. 33 : 6. Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south, % But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. Psa. 75 : 5-7. There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. Psa. 33 : 16. Louis Napoleon, And I saw another angel ascend- ing from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four an- gels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, nei- ther the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads, Rev. 7:2, 8, Rev. 1429-12. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. sia and Austria were thoroughly disturbed by the movement for freedom and national unity.” In Germany nearly five hundred men gathered, de- termined to organize a provisional government. The disturbances in Prussia, forced the king to swear to maintain a new constitution. Both Hungary and Vienna revolted, and this furnished the long coveted occasion for the Italians to throw off Austrian rule. Thus, in a brief period of time, many crowned heads of Europe sub- mitted themselves to the people. In the midst of the turmoil and strife, came a ~ sudden calm. No man could assign any reason for it. Like the troubled waters of Gennesaret when Christ spoke peace out of the storm, tumult and confusion ceased. The four an- gels had been stationed on the earth to hold the winds of strife till the servants of God could be sealed. Europe had been wrought upon until the power of an absolute monarchy was practically a thing of the past. There was now an opportunity for the ripening of the principles of the Reformation. The closing work in . the earth, will be a continuation of the movement set on foot when the darkness of the Middle Ages was broken. God has pre- pared the earth for the rapid spread of the Gospel, and the sealing work is now going on. «« And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, . . saying, ‘Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our THE SEALING WORK. God in their foreheads.’” Nations are repre- sented as being held in check by the angels of heaven until the servants of God are sealed. Men are led to ask, “‘ What is this seal placed upon the foreheads by which God recognizes His servants?” God’s chosen people are always a peculiar people ; they are called to be a nation of kings, a royal priesthood, who show forth the virtues of their Commander. Jehovah looks not on the outward appearance, but weighs charac- ter, and places His seal on those whose hearts are right toward Him. When Abraham was called to become the founder of a nation, God gave. to him “the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had.” To the seed of Abraham, who live in the time of the end, the same God gives a sign, or seal, of the righteousness of the faith which they have. This seal comes not because of boasted pride, or self-supremacy, but by simple faith in the prom- ises of God, as a child learns from its mother. Christ, looking up to heaven, said, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, be- cause thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” This sign or seal, is a direct revelation from God, to those who will accept with the faith of a little child. <‘ Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.” That which the Father and Son alone can re- veal is a knowledge of God, and this knowledge of God, is the seal placed in the foreheads of the chosen generation. To this, Paul testifies in the words, “The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His.’?- The seal then is the knowledge 133 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself-a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:14. x Pet. 2:9. Look not upon his countenance, or on the height of his stature ; be- cause I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward ap- pearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. x Sam. 16:7. Rom. 4:11. Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 18:3. Matt. 11:25. Matt. 16:17. This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17:3. 2 Tim. 2:19. Eze. 20:20. If ye love me, keep my command- ments. John 14:15. Eze. 20 212. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that lov- eth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John 14:21. Ex. 31:13. Ex. 31:17. The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. Jer. 10:14, 12, John 4:24. 134 STORY The Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. Eze. 9 24. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sab- bath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in themis, and rested the sev- enth day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hal- lowed it. Ex, 20: 8-11. Gen. 2:2, 3. x. 34 22k If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleas- ure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable ; and shalt hon- our him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words : Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord Isa. 58 : 13, 14. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. of the true God, and this, Jehovah has placed in His Sabbath. ‘ Hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” “Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that Iam the Lord that sanctify them.” This seal is a sign of sanctification, and it is a sign forever. “Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations.”” Again He says, ‘It is a sign between Me and the children: of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed.” This was spiritual rest, for *‘ God is a Spirit,’” and knows no rest but spiritual rest. The rest, the blessing, and the sanctification of the Sabbath of Jehovah are all spiritual, and only such as are living in a con- dition symbolized by the first seal, can rest as God rested. Such, and such alone, have a knowledge of God. The seal placed in the fore- head by the angel, cannot be read by man; only God and heavenly beings can read it. For this reason, no civil law can enforce Sabbath keep- ing. Man may keep the form one day in seven, _ but only a knowledge of God can give the seal in the forehead. Christ was a living commen- tary on true Sabbath observance, and the things ‘which He did on that day, reveal the mind of God toward the children of men. ‘The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” “On the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.” THE SEALING WORK. In these texts, the day upen which God ‘rested, and which He subsequently blessed and sanctified, is plainly stated to be the seventh day. And from that seventh day on which Jehovah rested, all future seventh days have in them the blessing and the sanctification. The use of the word sea/ directs the mind to a legal document. When a ruler’s seal is attached to a legal paper, that seal contains the name of the one in authority, his right to rule, and the terri- tory over which he rules. These features are all made prominent in the seal contained in the law of God. To-day the seal is usually placed, either at the beginning, or at the close of the decree or law; but in the divine law it is placed in the center, that nothing may be taken from, or added thereto. The fourth commandment reads: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work : but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work. . . . For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Herein lie the three specifications of a seal: first, the name,—the Lord thy God, Jehovah; second, the authority,—Creator; third, the ex- tent of territory,—the heavens and earth. Take away this command from the decalogue, and it would contain no seal. God’s right to rule rests in the fourth commandment, and the seal will be placed in the foreheads of those who thus know God. The knowledge of the creative and the redeeming power of God, is re- vealed by Christ in the fourth commandment of the decalogue. 135 Matt. 24 :20. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, Rom. 7:12. and good. Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring : for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, May no man reverse. Esther 8:8. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. Isa. 8:16. Think not that I am come to de- stroy the law, or the prophets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Matt. 5:17, 18. 136 STORY Thus saith the Lord God; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sab- bath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened, Eze. 46:1. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. Lev. 19 : 30. That day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke 23 : 54-56. And | heard the number of them which were sealed : and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Rev. 7 : 4. Here is the patience of the saints : here are they that keep the com- mandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Rey. 149-12. Madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant. Neh. 9: 14. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold.on it; that keepeth the sab- bath from polluting it. Isa. 56:2. If some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree ; Boast not against the branches, But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Rom, 11:17, 18, Rom, 11:20. Blessed are they that do his com- mandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Rev. 22 : 14. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. In 1848 the Angel from the East called to the four angels to hold the winds of war until the servants of God were sealed in their fore- heads. Since 1848, in the quiet which has prevailed among nations, light upon the Sabbath of Jehovah’s law, has been going to every nation of the earth. It began gently as the rising sun; it shines to-day with the clearness of the noon- day rays. Thousands, in all quarters of the globe testify to the saving health in the Sabbath observance. The number of the servants of our God is now being made up. “I heard the number of them which were sealed : and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” Character alone is the basis of the sealing work. The promise of the new earth was made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ; -but the literal descendants of these patriarchs, failed to develop a character which would place upon them a seal of the living God, and they were rejected as a nation. Then the Gentiles, like branches from a wild olive tree, were, contrary to nature, grafted into the Jewish root; and those who bear fruit unto righteousness will partake of the inheritance once promised to Jews of the flesh. The places in the twelve tribes, which might have been filled by the direct descendants of Abraham, will be occupied by children by adoption. The attention of all heaven is directed toward this sealing work; for when it is over, the plan of redemption is completed. The one hundred and forty-four thousand are divided into classes called by the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. These are character names, and those THE SEALING WORK. who develop the character, will be classed under the tribe bearing a name indicating that charac- ter. To illustrate; “Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: and he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant ; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.” Burden bear- ers are here described. Those, who, looking forward to the promised future home are willing to couch of- ten beneath heavy bur- dens ; and like the patient ass, even bear double bur- dens, that the cause of God may prosper. They are free and happy in this service; and the cause of God would never move forward in the earth if it were not for these loyal bur- den bearers,—these faithful Issachars, spending their lives “couching down between two burdens,” while close by per- haps, are the representatives of Naphtali, whe bear no burdens. “ Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.” Free and _light- hearted, he sees a thousand places where he can speak goodly words, and spring hastily to give a helping hand, that the representatives of Issa- char, bowed down under their heavy burdens, would never see, neither does God expect it of them. All are needed to make the number com- 137 How often would I have gath- ered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Luke 13 :34. Behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast com- manded me, Eze. 9:11. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thou- sand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelv= thousand. Of the tribe of Manas, Ses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were Sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of /ssa- char were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benja- min were sealed twelve thousand. Rev, 7 : 6-8. Gen. 49:14, 15. Gal. 2:9. Tsa. 9:6. Isa. 22 : 22, Of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command- ment. t Chron. 12 :32. Judges 5:15. Gen. 49:21. The words of the pure are pleas- ant words. Prov. 15 :26. Prov. 16:24. Psa. 119: 103. A soft answer turneth away wrath. Prov. 15:1. Naphtali were a people that jeop- arded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. Judges 5 :18. 138 STORY But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the cye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee : nor again the head to the feet, I have noneed of you. 1 Cor, 12:20, 21. Gen. 49: 5-7. They shall teach Jacob thy judg- ments, and Isracl thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacri=ce upon thine altar, Deut. 33 : 8-11. Gen. 49:3, 4. Deut. 33 :6. Gen. 49 : 8-12. Deut. 33:7. At the gates twelve angels, and names writtcn thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Rey. 21:12. Rev. 7 :5-8. Rev. 7: 6-8. Gen. 49: 16, 17. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother ; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son. Psa. 50: 20-22. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off. Psa. ror 35. 1 Kings 3 :7-28. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed : And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed : Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which’ hath ten talents, Matt. 25 : 24-28. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS, plete. Let not the burden bearer think, that be- cause he bears the heavy burdens he is the most important. He is only one twelfth part of the whole. One company will represent Levi, whose life seemed a failure through sin; and yet through victory in God, the Levites became teachers in Israel. And of unstable Reuben it is said, ‘Let Reuben live, and not die.” He became the “excellency of dignity, and the ex- cellency of power.” Judah represents the leaders, those before whom the others bow down. Every phase of the work 1s rep- resented, and the name of each tribe will be piaced on one of the gates of the city of God. The tribe of Dan is omitted in the final count, and two yortions are given to the family of Joseph to make up the twelve. Of be a serpent by the way, that biteth the horse heels. «Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes Dan it was said: of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall back- ward.” God purposed that Dan should judge Israel righteously. Keen observation, and quick discernment are necessary for a judge. These gifts were given to Dan, but instead of using them aright, he was “a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.” Tn THE SEALING WORK. other words, he became a backbiter, a cruel critic. The gift intended for a blessing, when perverted, became an injury, causing others to fall. The cruel critic, the one who always detects the evil in others and speaks of it first, has the gift of judgment misdirected. None who persist in this work, can ever enter the kingdom of heaven; for the ‘accuser of our brethren” was cast out of heaven once, and neither he, nor his representatives, will ever enter its shining portals again. Once more the prophet John was shown the end of the sixth seal. The creatures of God’s love were gathered from all ages. An innumer- able company of the redeemed were seen stand- ing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed with the robes of Christ’s righteousness; but throughout eternity, they will remember that both robes and palms are the result of the sacrifice of the Son of God. With one voice the song rings through heaven, «Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” The redeemed host sing the song of their experience ; and the angels who are acquainted with each individual, the.four and twenty elders, and the four beasts who have had a similar experience, respond to the mighty chorus. Then, as if again to call attention to the little company who have suffered most, one elder, pointing to the one hundred and forty-four thou- sand, said, “ What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?” He answers his own question, saying, ‘These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white 139 Rev. 12! 10. After this | beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, say- ing, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God. Rev. 7 : 9-11. Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiv- ing, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And | said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. Rev. 7 :12-16., Heb. 5:8, 9 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Rev. 3:21. 140 The Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and eschew- eth evil? : Job 1:8. 1 John 3:2, 3. The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. John 14:30. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth ; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy moun- tain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire, Eze. 28 : 14. The great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him, Rev. 12:9. I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the taber- nacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. Rev. 21:3. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst ; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. Isa. 49:9, 10. Heb. 11:27. Rev. 3 : 10, They shall hunger no more, nei=- ther thirst any more ; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto liv- ing fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Rev. 7:16, 17. STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. in the blood of the Lamb.” The Saviour Himself was made perfect through suffering, and, as a man, gained the place on the throne beside the Father; because He overcame. The life of the one.hundred and forty-four thousand is pictured in the experiences of the apostles who lived nearest to the Saviour when He was upon earth. Because they have lived as He lived, and passed. through the trials which He endured, and Satan has been forced to acknowl- edge that he found none of his own nature in them, “therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His tem- ple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.” Before the rebellion in heaven, Lucifer was a covering cherub, standing always in the pres- ence of God. In his fall he took with him a multitude of angels. The place once occupied by Satan and his angels, will be filled by the hundred and forty-four thousand, when they gather at last about the throne, where they serve God day and night in His temple, with God Himself dwelling in their midst. This is their reward for the hunger and thirst endured on earth. They form the bodyguard of their Saviour, and He leads them to the foun- tain of living waters. They, who, on earth clung to the knowledge of God when the world was given over to idolatry, have an in- finity of truth to learn, and endless ages for. growth and development. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” That begin- ning was made here on earth, when, to be true to the knowledge of God, men ofttimes suffered hunger and thirst, tribulation and persecution. THE SEALING WORK. But he who endures as seeing Him who is invisible—the Lamb, who is in the presence of God, will one day be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. In that day the tears of earth will be wiped away by the joys of eternity. « Neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.” On earth they have felt the heat of the sun’s rays, and although, after the restoration, the sunshine is sevenfold brighter than at pres- ent, yet the little company stand so near the throne, and are so enshrouded by the intense light of the Father and Son, that the sunlight is no longer noticeable. Thé appearance of one angel on earth dazzled the eyes of the centu- rion’s guard at the Saviour’s tomb, and they fell like dead men. Light is the result of an abun- dance of life. What must be the purity of those who partake of divinity to such a degree that they walk in the very presence of the Creator ? 5 _ These are redeemed from among men. They come from the last generation,—that race which is almost extinct because of the prevalence of disease and sin. But the blood of the Lamb is all powerful, and places these next the throne. “Where sin abounded grace did much more abound.” The matchless love of Christ, who can understand! 141 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be seven- fold, as the light of seven days. Isa. 30 326. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, Matt. x3 : 43. The angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like light- ning, and his raiment white as snow : And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. Matt. 28 :2, 3. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delight- eth in mercy. Mic. 7 : 18. Rom, 5:20. Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Rev. 7 :3. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Matt. 22:37. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love. Eph. 3°17. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the founda- tion of the world. Matt. 25 :34. And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thou- sand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. Rev. 14:1. 142 CHAPTER Ix. THE TRUMPETS. The closing work of the earth is the sealing of the servants of God. The universe is now waiting for that work to be completed. The only thing in heaven or earth that can hinder the work of God, is a lack of spirituality on the part of His chosen people. The kingdom over which Christ will reign will be a spiritual kingdom, and while many serve God in the mind, the subjects for whom Christ is now waiting, are those who serve with the whole heart. When it is fully demonstrated that the Spirit of the Eternal Father can dwell in man, then those who have overcome as Christ over- came, will inherit the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world. The one hundred and forty-four thousand, together with the mul- titude of the saved, gathered about the throne and the Lamb on Mount Zion, were shown to the prophetic eye of John. The sixth seal closes when the one hundred and forty-four thousand have received the seal of God, and are waiting for the appearance of Christ in the THE TRUMPETS. clouds of heaven. The opening of the seventh seal is the ushering in of eternity. “And when He had opened-the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.” God’s dwelling place is the center of life and the scene of constant activity. Music ever echoes from the vaults of heaven, and choruses composed of ten thousand times ten thousand of angel voices, sing the praises of the Lamb and of Him who sitteth: on the throne. When the little company on earth are prepared, the sealing angel speeds back to heaven with the message that the work is done. Christ in the sanctuary above, lays aside His priestly robes, and the Lamb appears as the King of kings. Angel leaders marshal the hosts of heaven. The throne of Omnipotence is moved. God accompanies His Son to earth. Attended by myriads of angels, the Rulers of heaven and earth leave heaven empty, drawn earthward by the faithful ones whose hearts have become the abiding place of His eternal Spirit. The time for the fulfillment of the promise of the Saviour, has come. He said, “It is expedient for you that I go away.” “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and preparea place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Never before has there been such a scene. This is the cause of the silence in heaven. Those who have been torn asunder by the ruth- less hand of death, meet in the air around their Deliverer. Some had been burned at the stake; others had perished in dungeons; others had been buried in the sea. Happy families, rent asunder by the cruel hand of death, are now 143 Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvaticn. Isa. 25:9. And when he had opened the sev- enth seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. Rev, 8:1. Isa. 42:5. Job 33:4. His throne was like the fiery fiame, and his wheels as buming fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. Dan. 739, 10. And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me. Eze. 9:11. Lev. 16:23. Isa. 63 :3. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Rev. 19 : 16. Rev. 19: 14. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of tlie great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him. Matt. 25 :31. John 16:7. John 14: 1-3. This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seer him go into heaven. ‘Acts 1 :g-11. Deut. 4:32, 33. Heb. 12: 22-24. That he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Rom. 8 :29. Rejoice, because your names are written in heavea. Luke 10:20, Heb. 9:15. 144 For the Lord himself shall de- scend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first ; Then we witch are alive and re- main shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ~ x Thess. 4:16, 17. Heb. 11 :33-39. He will swallow up death in vic- tory ; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces ; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. Isa. 25 : 8. Rey. 8:1. I have appointed thee a day fora year, a day for a year. Eze. 4:6 [margin.] 1 day = 1 year. 1 hour or 1-24 of a day = 15 days. 1-2 hour = 7 1-2 days. Blessed are they that do his com- mandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may ecn- ter in through the gates into the city. Rev. 22:14. Rev. 14:1. And mount Sinai was altogether ona smoke, because the Lord de- scended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. Ex. 19:18. The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. Psa. 119 372. And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude ; only ye heard a voice. And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten command- ments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. Deut. 4:12, 13. STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. united around Christ. Husbands and wives, parted in this life, who slept in Jesus, meet at the voice of Him who died for-them. Oh, what a meeting that will be! Friends will recognize friends. All will unite in thanksgiving and praise to Him who died and rose again, and has now come to give them everlasting rest and peace. The cruel monster death has no power over them. ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” This is heavenly reunion. Together, for seven successive days, they are traveling to their glorious home. They are a company of Sabbath-keepers, and the first Sab- bath in their redeemed. state will be spent on the way to the city of God. This is the com- pany that sing the response given in the twenty- fourth Psalm ; and it is the same company, who, as they gather about the throne with white robes and palms of victory, join in the chorus which John heard. The giving of the law on Mount Sinai may be considered as a symbol of Christ’s coming for the redeemed. Moses, an eyewitness of the giving of the law, says, “The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them ; He shined forth from Mount Paran, and He came with ten thousands of saints: from His right hand went a-fiery law for them. Yea, He loved the people ; all His saints are in Thy hand: and they sat down at Thy feet; every one shall receive of Thy words.” Then it was that His law, the guide of life, was spoken in the hear- ing of all the people. Only those who have LHE TRUMPETS. known this same fiery law, the righteousness of Jehovah, and have had its seal implanted in their foreheads, will hear the law spoken, again, by Jehovah The prophet on Patmos was given a three- fold view of events which would take place between the time in which he lived, and the time when the redeemed gather about the throne. The mes- sages to the seven churches are eccle- siastical history, showing the spread of the religion of Jesus Christ, and 145 Rev. 7:9. Declaring the end from the be- ginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, say- ing, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Isa. 46:10, the errors which crept in. The seven seals reveal the inner workings of the church,—the individual experience— and foretell the signs of Christ’s com- ing. In the messages to the churches, & Christ was seen as the Light walking in their midst : in the seals, He is the Lamb who was slain that man might live. Another phase of history, not wholly national, but having to do with nations, is revealed in the sound- ing of the trumpets. The sounding of the seven trumpets extends to the close of the eleventh chapter, the seventh trumpet carrying history into eternity, like the seventh church and the seventh seal. The work of the trumpets is first introduced to John in the second verse of chapter eight. Seven angels stood before God, “and to them were given seven trumpets.” The trumpet, or bugle sound, is the call to war; and the history of the trumpets is one long story of war and bloodshed, but in order that men might learn that the hand of God is overruling in every army, and that He guides in every war, the stery of the trumpets is left on record. The giving of the law. ‘Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done ; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might. Isa. 33 213. In the midst of the seven candle- sticks one like unto the Son of man, The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches, Rev. 1:13, 20. Rev. 5:6. Rev. 11: 15-19. And | saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. Rev. 8:2. And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets. Num, 1039. 10 146 STORY He shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail : And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the “mercy seat that is upon the testi- mony, that he die not. Lev, 16:12, 13. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Lest men, in following the details of national = history, should, in the chronicle of all the distress of nations, lose sight of the work in heaven, a most precious phase of the Redeemer’s work, is revealed, before the work of the trumpeters is described. Instead of introducing Christ as a sacrifice, bleeding in the presence of the heavenly beings, He is here shown as our great High Priest, ministering in the pres- ence of the Father. John saw Him standing at the altar, having a golden censer. In the shadowy service of the earthly tabernacle, the altar of incense burned continually before the inner veil. The smoke ascended before the glory of the shekinah, which shone above the mercy seat. On the Day of Atonement, when the high priest entered into the Most Holy place, he carried with him a censer filled with precious odors, the fra- grance of which was wafted by the breezes far beyond the The glory of the shekinah shone above the mercy seat. tabernacle court. The priest And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. , Rev. 8:8, 4, entered the presence of Jehovah, bearing the sins of the people, and carrying with him their prayers. These prayers were acceptable with God because offered by faith in the righteous- ness of Christ. So in the heavenly court, God is enthroned and Christ stands before Him in behalf of His people. He pleads His own right- eousness which is acceptable with God. There is an inexhaustible fund of perfect obedience, THE TRUMPETS. which is the “much incense” which He offers. This ‘perfect obedience,’ or righteousness, meets every need, covers every case. As He was tempted in all points, yet yielded in none, so where sin abounds grace more than meets the need, The offering which the High Priest makes, is the prayers of all saints. From the time of the fall, heart yearnings have been felt in heaven. Every prayer has been recorded in the record books ; never has one soul-longing been passed by unheeded. Parents have prayed for the con- version of their children, and children have pleaded for their parents. The burden for souls in distant lands, has often rested heavily on some faithful follower of God ; and although the ones prayed for may never have been conscious of the fact, a connection was made between heaven and earth, and the needy ones were within the circuit. Heaven always responds to the call of a soul; it is pledged to do so, and will fulfill the promise. So the prayers which are ascending daily are as sure to be answered as the truth is sure that God’s throne is eternal. Angels are rearranging environments, changing circumstances, weaving about disinterested souls a network of influences which will some day lead to a surrender. God never forces Himself upon a single life, but there is one way to connect a man with heaven in spite of himself, and that way is through prayer. Will none who are prayed for reject light ?— Certainly they will; but when those upon whom the light has shone, do reject, they will be broken off like the dead branch of a tree, and some one else will be grafted in. Those who offered the prayers may be quiet in death, but the prayers 147 Rom. 5:20. 1 Sam. 1:17. Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they notin thy book? Psa. 56:8. The prayer of the upright is his delight. Prov. 15 :8. Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. Acts 10:4. The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up ; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him, Jas. 5:15. Jas. 5:17, 18. Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven. 2 Chron. 30:27. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me ; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Dan, 10:13. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Rev. 3 : 20. Matt. 8:34. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear. Rom, 11:20. It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. Acts 13 :46. Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Joel 2: 12-14. 148 And the angel took the censer, and “illedit with fire of the altar, ana vast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunder- ings, and lightnings, and an earth- quake, Rev, 8:6. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselvestosound. Rev.8; 6. Neither is there salvation in any other : for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12. We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags ; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isa. 64:6. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin, Rom, 14:23. Now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shallcome. Dan. 10:20, The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty ? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchad- nezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. Dan. 4:30, 31. To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Fa- ther, and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. Rom. 1:7, 8 Jer. 17: 24-27. Jer. 38 : 17-20, STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. are lodged on heaven’s altar, and will be answered before the censer is thrown down. Thus John sees Christ pleading for sinners, while the sealing work is going on in the earth, When the angel returns to heaven with the mes- sage that all are sealed, Christ casts the censer to the earth, and the thunderings, the lightnings, and the earthquake, proclaim that the end is at hand. Having seen Christ as man’s intercessor, John follows the work of the seven angels which had the seven trumpets. Belief in the imputed righteousness of Christ, is the only means of salvation for man. Self- righteousness was the cause of Satan’s fall, and it has ever been the studied plan of his satanic majesty to lead men from faith in the righteous- ness of Christ to a faith in their own works. When this is accomplished, destruction is inevi- table. To an individual this means the loss of eternal life; to a church, it means the withdraw- ing of the Spirit of God; to a nation, it means subjugation by some stronger nation. This les- son was taught by Nebuchadnezzar, the Baby- lonian monarch. When he walked in his palace, saying with lordly pride, “Is not this great Baby- lon, that I have built?” destruction waited at the door. The same truth has been taught in the downfall of every nation which has risen to prominence in past ages. God, in the voice of the first four trumpets, taught this lesson to the Roman Empire. Rome, the universal kingdom at the time of Christ’s first advent, was wonderfully blessed with a knowledge of the truth, but in proportion to the greatness of her privileges, so her fall was terrible. .. THE TRUMPETS. In the days of Constantine the empire was divided, Rome being the western capital, and Constantinople the eastern. At the death of Constantine, three divisions were made in order to seat each one of his three sons on a throne; this triple division is recognized throughout the trumpet history. Of these divisions, Italy, or the Western Roman Empire, was known as one third. While the three divisions are referred to, the first divi- sion into an eastern and western em- pire, is also preserved, until the capture of Constantinople by the Turks. “The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth.” This is a most concise statement of a long series of terri- ble events; but brief as it is, the most forcible language is chosen ; hail and fire are mingled with blood and cast upon the earth. As early as the days of Constan- tine, hordes of barbarians pressed upon the frontiers of the Roman territory. Europe had, from prehistoric times, been subject to an influx of barbarians, and a spirit of emigration periodically swept like an undulating wave, over all the continent. When pressure came on the eastern frontier from the Scythians of northern Asia, the more western tribes were forced to seek broader fields in the populous southern countries. Largely because of this pressure, Constantine divided the empire, in order that there might be greater-strength to resist invasions. The time came when all the resources which Rome could muster, were insufficient to repel the invaders. 149 For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations. Psa, 22:28, When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people. Deut. 32:8. Ancient effigies of Constantine and his wife Fausta. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire min- gled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth : and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. Rev, 8:7. An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. Prov, 16:27. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved. Psa. 46:6. 150 STORY The lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea. Isa. 16:8. The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation. Lam. 1:10, Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Psa. 12731. For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. Proy. 1: 16. Many seek the ruler’s favour ; but every man’s judgment cometh from the Lord. Prov. 29: 26. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. Prov. 30:14. If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest re- gardeth ; and there be higher than they. Eccl. 5 38. But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him re- member the days of darkness ; for they shall be many. All that com- eth is vanity. Eccl. 11:8. The wrath of a king is as mes- sengers of death. Prov. 16:14. All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater. Nahum 3 ; 12. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS,. In the year 395, the Goths, with their re- nowned leader, Alaric, invaded the Eastern Roman Empire. As they crossed the Danube, the dividing line between the territory of the Romans and the wilds of Germany, in the mid- dle of a winter of uncommon severity, they came like the hail from the north, and one of the Roman poets has said, “They rolled their pon- derous wagons over the broad and icy back of the indignant river.” Alaric was no mean leader ; but bold, artful, and more than a match for any general in the degenerate Roman army. For a number of years, the Goths remained in the eastern division of the empire; part of the time at peace, at other times, at variance with the emperor. In the year 408 Alaric descended upon Italy. He hastily passed the Alps and the Po, pillaged the cities of northern Italy, and ad- vanced a constantly increasing army to the city of Ravenna, where the pusillanimous emperor had his capital. Without meeting any resist- ance, he proceeded along the Adriatic until he came near Rome. Alaric took Ostia, the port of Rome at the mouth of the Tiber, and de- manded unconditional surrender of the city it- self. The senate yielded without reluctance, and Alaric placed the purple robe of the em- peror on Attalus, the prefect of the city. Rome, the proud monarchy, was in the hands of a bar- barian army, which could crown its emperor at will and insult its senate at pleasure. Later, Attalus, the tool of Alaric, was degraded in the presence of the people; his diadem was taken from him, and as if to offer insult to injury, the haughty barbarian sent the ensigns of royalty to Honorius, the real emperor, who was trembling THE TRUMPETS. behind the fortifications of Ravenna. Folly and imprudence provoked the Goths, and the city of Rome was awakened one night in the year 410 by the tremendous trumpet of the bar- barian soldiers. Rome was ravaged. The gold and the silver, the silver plate and’ costly furni- ture from Roman palaces, were loaded on the Gothic wagons. Fire and bloodshed filled the city with terror. For six days the city was in the hands of the invaders. At the end of that time, “at the head of an army, encumbered with rich and weighty spoils, their intrepid leader advanced along the Appian Way into the southern provinces of Italy, destroying whatever dared to oppose his passage, and contenting him- self with the plunder of the unresisting country.” On the death of Alaric, in 410, he was suc- ceeded by his brother-in-law, Adolphus, who allied himself with the Romans; he assumed the character of a Roman general, and later, married the sister of Honorius, the emperor. Thus, the conquest of the Goths over the weak- ened Roman Empire, was complete. “The second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood.” The power here brought to view is dis- tinguished from the Goths by the fact that its force was felt upon the sea imstead of on the land. While Honorius, who had experienced the invasion of the Goths, was still nominally the emperor of Rome, the Vandals were making their presence feltin Spain. They were a horde of barbarians who had come from the northeast and for a time halted in the western provinces cf Rome. In 428 the terrible Genseric be- 151 The nations shall see and be con- founded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. Mic. 7:16, Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil! Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul. Hab, 2:9, 10. Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity ! Hab, 2:12. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood. Rev, 8:8. There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth ac- cording to the work of the wicked ; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this alsois vanity. Eccl. 8:14. This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they gotothedead. Eccl. gi3. 152 Woe to the bloody city ! itis all full of lies and robbery ; the prey departeth not ; The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots. The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of car- cases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses. Nahum 3: 1-3. Yea, they shall not be planted, yea, they shall not be sown: yea; their stock shall not take root in the earth : and he shallalso blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. Isa. 40 324. Behold, the nations areas a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very lit- tle thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof suffi- cient for a burnt offering. All nations before him are as nothing ; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. Isa. 40: 15-17. Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed; and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years : therefore have I made thee a re- proach unto the heathen, and a mocking to all countries. Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock thee, which art infamous and much vexed, Eze. 22:4, 5. Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces atthe top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains, Nahum 3;1o. STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. became their leader, and at once the Vandals assumed the aggressive. Of Genseric it is said, ‘“‘ His slow and cautious speech seldom declared the deep purposes of his soul; he disdained to imitate the luxury of the vanquished ; but he in- dulged the sterner passions of anger and revenge. The ambition of Genseric was without bounds and without scruples.” ‘The experience of navigation, and perhaps, the prospect of Africa” placed the Vandals on the sea. They were at first invited into Africa by Count Boniface, one of the Roman generals. The fatal step had been taken. The enemy once in Africa, Rome was confronted by a most formidable foe. It was m 431 that the Vandals crossed the Straits of Gibraltar. A few years later, they were sole possessors of Carthage and northern Africa. Rome could ill afford to lose her African posses- sions; for they furnished both wealth and food to the cities of Italy. Nevertheless Genseric and the Vandals grew strong on the southern shore of the Mediterranean. Soon their borders were too narrow, and the success of their fleet added Sicily and other places to the barbarians. In June of the year 455, A. D., Genseric and his Vandals disembarked at the mouth of the Tiber, and Rome was again at the mercy of the bar- barians. The pillage lasted fourteen days and nights; and all that yet remained of public or private wealth, of sacred or profane treasure, was diligently transported to the vessels of Genserice The Empress Eudoxia, with her two daughters, was compelled as captive to follow the haughty Vandal. Thousands of Romans were likewise transported as slaves to the capital of the Vandal empire. ‘Their distress,” says Gibbon, “was FR it ane oe PE TRUMPEAS: aggravated by the unfeeling barbarians, who, in the division of the booty, separated the wives from their husbands, and the children from their parents.” The sack of Rome by the Goths had been a terrible calamity; but that by the Vandals, forty-five years later, was still worse. However, the devastation of the city itself was but a small part of the destructive work of these barbarians. The prophet was shown a great mountain, burning with fire, cast into the sea. It was like a mighty stone cast into the waters, causing wave af- ter wave to beat against the de- fenseless shores; or like an active ff volcano in the midst of the sea which periodically caused the waters to boil. This agrees with the description of the inroads of the Vandals. “In the spring of each year [between 461 and 467] they equipped a formidable navy in the port of Carthage ; and Genseric himself, though in a very advanced age, still commanded in person the most important expeditions. . . . The Vandals repeatedly visited the coasts of Spain, Liguria, Tuscany, Campania, Lucania, Bruttium, Apulia, Calabria, Venetia, Dalmatia, Epirus, Greece, and Sicily. . . . Theirarms spread desolation and terror, from the cclumns of Hercules to the mouth of the Nile.” They took with them horses, so that their terror spread in- land from the port at which the fleet landed the 153 They shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it! Eze. 26:17, 18. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. The ruins of Carthage. Thus saith the Lord God ; Itshall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought : And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages ; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey ; to turn thine- hand upon the desolate places that are now inhab- ited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods; that dwell in the midst of the land. Eze. 38 : g-12. 154 Shall not all these take up a para- ble against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay ! Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them? Hab. 2 :6, 7. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh fora reward ; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper thana thorn hedge : the day of thy watch- men and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity, Micah 7:3, 4. And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. Rev. 8:9. Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings. Micah 7 : 13. They shall come all for violence : their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the cap- tivity as the sand. And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it, Hab. 1:9, 10, STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. savage warriors. So hidden were the designs of Genseric that the Roman world never knew where to look for the next attack.. As wealth and an abundance of plunder were the objects of their greed, the Vandals usually avoided fortified cities. Rome was at last aroused to take active measures against her constant and most persist- ent enemy. She spent months in preparation of a fleet. The forces of the East and the West united in invading Africa. The Roman army stood under the VES of oe ' Genseric asked and By a3 obtained a five days’ The fire spread from vessel to vessel. truce. The wind became favorable to the war- rior of the Mediterranean. His vessels were manned with the bravest of the Vandals and Moors, who in the darkness of the night, towed a large number of ships loaded with combustibles, into the very midst of the Roman fleet. The fire spread from vessel to vessel. ‘ The noise of the wind, the crackling of the flames, the dis- sonant cries of the soldiers and mariners, who could neither command nor obey, increased the Danube. THE TRUMPETS. horror of the nocturnal tumult.” Many who might have escaped the flames, met death at the hands of the Vandal warriors. Historians state - that eleven hundred Roman vessels were de- stroyed. The burning mountain had fallen upon the sea. f Genseric was again recognized as the tyrant of the sea. He lived to see the final extinction of the Roman Empire of the West in 476. His was the work which was permitted to be done at the sounding of the second trumpet, in that na- tion where apostasy replaced the true worship of God, and where the mystery of iniquity was fast coming into power. But the end was not yet. “The third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp.” For nearly one hundred years previous to the final downfall of Rome, the Huns, one of the wildest of the Scythian tribes, had pressed upon the empire, spreading themselves from the Volga to the For a time they commanded the alternative of peace or war, with both the eastern and western divisions of the empire. In the days of /Etius, a general of the West, sixty thousand Huns marched to the confines of Italy ; but retreated when paid the sum which they cared to demand. Theodosius, the emperor of the East, bought peace by paying an annual tribute of three hundred and fifty pounds of gold, and bestowing the title of general upon the king of the Huns. There was still a senate at Rome, and it purchased peace of the Huns. This wasa part of the “wormwood” which Rome was caused to drink. In 433 Attila and his brother became joint rulers of the barbarians, and in a treaty 155 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies. Hosea 7:3. I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. Hosea 8: 12. And the third angel sounded, and there fella great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters, Rev. 8:10. For thus saith the Lord God ; Because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel; Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee ; and thou shalt know that iam the Lord. Eze. 25 :6, 7. Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people. Hab. 2:5. Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not. Hosea 7 :9. And the name of the star is called Wormwood : and the third part of the waters became worm- wood ; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter Rev. 8; 11, 156 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown. Prov. 14:11 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure. Job. 8:15. The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Prov. 16:33. They were haughty, and committed abomination be- fore me : therefore I took them away as I saw good. Eze. 16:50. I will pour out mine in- dignation upon thee, I will ~ blow against thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brut- ish men, and skilful to de- stroy. Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire ; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land ; thou shalt be no more re- membered: for I the Lord have spoken it. Eze. 21:31, 32. Ye have ploughed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity ; ye haveeaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men. Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy for- tresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children. Hosea 10:13, 14. STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS,. with the emperor, the Huns “dictated the con- ditions of peace; each condition was an insult on the majesty of the empire. Besides the free- dom of a safe and plentiful market on the banks of the Danube, they required that the annual contribution should be augmented from three hundred and fifty pounds of gold to seven hun- dred pounds of gold; that a fine, or ransom, of eight pieces of gold should be paid for every Roman captive who had escaped from his barba- SIR ee : Ruins of the Forum. rian master ; that the emperor should renounce all treaties and engagements with the enemies of the Huns; and that all the fugitives who had taken refuge in the court, or provinces of Theo- dosius, should be delivered to the justice of their offended sovereign.” Thus was the Roman Empire made to realize that its power was gone, and that the proud Romans were subject to the most cruel of all barbarians. This was “worm- wood” indeed. After concluding such a treaty with the emperor of the East, Attila gathered his hordes and marched into Gaul. Here he was defeated THE TRUMPETS. by the Visigoths, and the Huns retreated to northern Italy. One barbarian horde might repel another, but there was little danger of de- feat when once within the confines of Italy. Attila crossed the Alps, “the fountain of waters.” Aquileia, the richest and most populous city of the Adriatic, fell, and the succeeding generation could scarcely discover the ruins, so complete was the overthrow. Many cities were reduced to heaps of stones and ashes. Milan, the city of the royal palace, submitted. Rome was the next point of attack, but the city escaped the hand of Attila, its salvation being purchased by the gift of the princess Honoria, with an im- mense dowry. The bitterness of the portion which Rome drank is well described as worm- wood. The “star” which fell upon the foun- tains of waters, retreated to his home in Hungary, where his light was extinguished. Attila, king of the Huns, died in 453. His light went out like the snuffing of acandle. He was a lamp burning on the earth. But Rome was not delivered from her enemies. The Van- dal king, Genseric, was in the height of his power, and continued to ravage the southern coasts until the final overthrow, about twelve years later. Roman power was lost, although in name the Western Empire still existed. A Roman, Attalus, was seated on the throne by Alaric, the Goth, and recognized as sovereign by the right- ful heir to the throne. The Vandals tormented the government until life was a burden. In order to complete the overthrow, nothing re- mained to be done, except to seat a barbarian on the throne in the place of the royal family. 157 There shall the fire devour thee ; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the canker- worm, make thyself many as the locusts. Nahum 3 : 15. Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the peo- ple shall spoil thee; because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein. Hab. 2:8. In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall. Eze. 27:34. Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall brandish my sword be- fore them ; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall. Eze. 32:10. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. Rev. 8:12, Attila. I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter. Eze. 21215. In thee have we taken gifts to shed blood ; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by extor- tion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God. Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns: by our own strength? Amos 6:13. For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. Micah 6 : 12. Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen ; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the centuries : I will destroy thee : and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. ze. 25:7. Eze. 22:12. 4 Hun. md service of the Roman princes. “The fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars.” The prophetic history given under the fourth trumpet, represents the dense darkness that would exist if the sun, moon, and stars all refused to emit light. Its fulfillment was the extinction © of the light of Western Rome. During the last twenty years of the existence 1 of the Western Empire, nine emperors had suc- e cessively disappeared. The third from the last ; was murdered, and his successor, Nepos, was i expelled. Orestes was a Pannonian by birth, and for years a faithful follower of Attila, the On the death of Attila he entered the Step by step he advanced in the army until he was granted the title of patrician by Nepos, and made master- general of the troops. On the expulsion of Nepos, Orestes was offered the purple, but re- fused it; consenting, however, that his son, Augustulus, should become emperor of the West. Augustulus was a mere tool in the hands of the numerous barbarians who were now in Italy and upon her borders. The confederate tribes de- manded one-third of the land of Italy, and when the request was refused, they united their forces under the leadership of Odoacer, the son of a barbarian, who had himself followed the great leader of the Huns, and then accepted a position in the Roman army. He was noted among the barbarians for his courage and ability. By the confederate tribes, he was saluted as the king of Italy. Augustulus offered his resignation, which was accepted by the Senate. This was its last act of obedience to its prince. Zeno, ruler of the THE TRUMPETS. East, was recognized as sole emperor, and he awarded to Odoacer the title of “ Patrician of the Diocese of Italy.” *Odoacer was the first barbarian who reigned in Italy over a people who had once asserted their just superiority above the rest of mankind.” He reigned fourteen years, from 476 to 490, A. D., but the Roman Empire of the West was a thing of the past. The territory once held by the rul- ing kingdom of the world, was divided among the barbarians who had assisted in its overthrow. Rome was now broken into fragments, and the ten divisions presented to the prophet Daniel were each given power.. As iron and miry clay refuse to unite, so the fragments of the Western Roman Empire will remain separate until the end of time. With the year 476, which marks the fall of Rome, begins the history of the Middle Ages. Within the next few years every obstacle was cleared away, and the papacy hada clear road to the throne. Odoacer was by faith an Arian, and his kingdom, that of the Heruli, was the first of the horns, according to Daniel 7:8, to be plucked up by the little horn, which exalted itself, and spoke great words against the Most High. In the distress caused by the numerous inva- sions of the barbarians, the bishop of the Roman diocese had acted well his part. | When nations fell, and emperors ceased to grant protection, men sought safety in the shadow of the church. Daily the power of the bishop increased, and from the decaying ruins of ancient Rome, the papacy arose. The church had the name of life, but it was dead. To the one who followed the Saviour, He appeared as the High Priest in 159 As they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the m dst thereof. As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof ; and ye shall know that I the Lord have poured out my fury upon you. Eze. 22 : 20-22. Whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be di- vided ; but there shall be im it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men ; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withhold- eth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 2 Thess. 2: 5-7. I considered the horns, and, be- hold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, be- hold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. Dan. 7:8. Dan. 2 : 41-43. Rev. 13:2. Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Rev. 22:17. 160 STORY I will shake all nations. Hag. 2:7. There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be de- livered, every one that shall be found written in the book. Dan. 12:1. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, acd think to change times and laws : and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. Dan, 7:25. And | beheld, and heard an angel fiying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound | Rev. 8:13. His lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire : And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity. Isa. 30:27, 28. 1 Tim. 4:1-3. 2 Tim. 3:1-8. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. the heavenly court, offering His own right- eousness to all of every nationality who would accept. The fall of Rome was a mighty shaking up of nations, divinely symbolized by the trumpets blown by angels who stand in the presence of God. Its fall is a’type of the time of trouble, preceding the final destruction of the world. God loved His. people then, and through the darkness, His hand was leading. So it will be at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The history of the fourth trumpet evidently covers the events of a number of years; for the next time the Roman Empire is brought to view, it is presented as the persecuting power which bore sway a thousand two hundred and three score years. é When the fourth angel had sounded, John be- held another “angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” Barbarian warfare is terrible; the crushing of a nation calls out the armory of heaven, and angels veil their faces from the scenes of cruelty and bloodshed. But the false doctrines which crush the sons of God, and the errors which hide the righteousness of Christ, are especially desig- nated as woes. To these woes the student of prophecy is next introduced. Crear TE Rs Xs THE BEGINNING OF WOES. The struggle between truth and error has always been a bitter one. No great light has ever shone upon the earth for which the arch- enemy has not had a counterfeit, contain- ing enough of the truth to make it palatable to those whose taste for spiritual food is not the keenest ; and yet, with all this, God has used these very deceptions, to reveal the greatness of His love. The student of prophecy should ‘bear in mind that before John was allowed to hear the trumpets, Christ was presented as full of righteousness. God plans from eternity; and while Satan worked hard for the utter destruction of all things, yet the guiding hand of Jehovah still controlled affairs; and preceding the setting up of the papacy, the eye of the Infinite One saw those who would give the last message to the world and see the triumph of truth. Thus TI And there was war in heaven : Mi- chael and his angels fought against the dragon ; and the dragon fought and his angels. Rev. 12 37. Heb. 12:4. Luke 2 :32. Matt. 24:24. 2Cor. 11 314, 15. 2 Thess. 2 : 10-12. Prov. 4:18, 19. Rev. 8:3. Matt. 22:11, 12. Rom. 4:5-7. Matt. 6 22, 23. Mark 4:4, 14. Psa. 193 4. Rom. 10:18, Rom. 1:19, 20. Acts 13:47. He said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Isa. 49:6. + TOI 162 STORY Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest. 2 Kings 19:28, Isa. 37 : 29. I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven, Matt. 8:11. Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. John 6:64. Isa. 37 326-29. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption : for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 2 Pet. 2:19. I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them, Jer. 24 9, 10. And the fifth angel sounded, and / saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. Rev. 9:1, Eze. 26: 20. Eze. 39 : 2-4. The Gentiles shall see thy right- eousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Isa. 62:1, 2. The princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after re- wards: they judge not the father- less, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. Isa, 1323. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. when the “mystery of iniquity” thought to reign supreme, it found that the seed of truth, which would inevitably cause its overthrow, had already been planted by God, in the Western Empire. Events which took place © in the eastern third of the world, and which finally centered about Constantinople, the capi- tal of the Eastern Empire, show, with equal clearness, the wonderful foresight and wisdom of the Saviour. Satan may be rich in resources, but the God of heaven knows a thousand ways to thwart his every scheme. The history of the fifth trumpet is another exemplification of this fact. The barbarian hordes had spent their strength in the overthrow of the Western Empire, and had, in the course of a few years, laid aside their savage ways, and. assumed the manners of the conquered people with whom they lived. But the Eastern Empire was as full of weak- ness and pollution as the Western, and its downfall was just as certain, although it came in an entirely different way. “The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.” The north of Asia had sent forth its hordes of barbarians, who passed like waves of the sea over the entire continent of Europe, even to the British Isles. From the central portion of western Asia, the Gospel was spread as the life and light of all mankind. Near the close of the sixth century there was born in Mecca, of the princes of Arabia, a man who claimed direct descent from Ishmael, the son of Abraham. This man was Moham- med, the son of Abdallah, and the founder of a hates, THE BEGINNING OF WOES. faith, which, to-day has many thousand adher- ents. “Arabia,” says Gibbon, “was free; the adjacent kingdoms were shaken by the storms of conquest and tyranny, and persecuted sects fled to the happy land where they might pro- fess what they believed, and practice what they professed.” In Arabia were gathered, at this time, Christians, Jews, Persian fire-worshipers, and representatives of all sects and _ beliefs. Mohammed was acquainted with them all as he mingled in the thoroughfares of Mecca, and in his journeys to Da- mascus, and seaports of Syria. Mohammed was of a serious mind, and it was his custom to retire one month each year to a cave, a few miles from Mecca, where he gave himself to - fasting and prayer. On his return from one of these seasons of seclusion he g announced his belief in one God, and ; that Mohammed was the prophet of God. This was the beginning of Islamism. The prophet first taught in his own family, and gradually gained a number of converts. His flight, from Mecca, called the Hegira, [a. D.622] is the era of his glory, and the date from which the Moham- medans compute their time. In opposition to the forms and ceremonies of the numerous worshipers who congregated at Mecca, and to the professed Christians who revered the images of saints and martyrs, the simple principles of the new religious leader called for prayer, fasting, and alms. Five times a day, his fol- lowers all over the world turn their eyes toward Mecca, and lift their hearts in prayer. 163 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. Psa. 106 : 35-42. Therefore speak unto them. and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God ; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling- block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; Flight from Mecca. That I may take the house of Is- rael in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. And they shall bear the punish- ment of their iniquity: the punish- ment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seek- eth unto him. Eze. 14 34-10, 164 STORY The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. Isa. 59: 3-8. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? where- fore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Be- hold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Mohammed. Behold, ye fast for strife and de- bate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard onhigh, _—_Isa. 583-7. There came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him, And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And ‘he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets, And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: goforth, and do so. 1 Kings 22:21, 22. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. Paradise, where the pleasures of this life are enjoyed in an exaggerated form throughout eternity, is the reward held out to the faithful. Wherever the followers of Mohammed met the foreigner, there was a single rule of action. “Confess,” said the Mussulman, “that there is but one God, and that Mohammed is His prophet ; pay tribute, or choose death.” The atoning blood of Christ was spurned. Jesus was a prophet, they thought; but He, like Moses, was inferior to Mohammed. The Bible of the Christians was replaced by the Koran. True, the simple faith and austere practices of the Mohammedans were, to all outward appearances, a re- form over the apostasy of the Greek Catholics ; but in the rejection of Christ, the Mohammedan had nothing in which to place his faith, save in his own ability to obtain righteousness by works. So. while the papacy was exalting man in the West, and perfecting its system of self-righteousness, the new religion of the East was propagating, under another name, the same device of the devil to destroy the souls of men. The Arabs, or the Saracens, had never exer- cised any influence in the earth. In the history of nations, these free men of the desert had passed with scarcely a notice. Mohammedanism united the scattered tribes, and sent them forth as the conquerors of nations. The rapid prog- ress which attended the Saracen arms was due, in great measure, to the strife between the Romans and Chosroes, the head of the modern Persian Empire. This strife resulted in the fall i AU! THE BEGINNING OF WOES. of the latter. Modern Persia had stood as a barrier wall, keeping in check the power of Mohammed; but when that power fell, the barrier was gone, the “bottomless pit” opened, and the Saracens deluged the world. When the “bottomless pit” was opened, there arose a smoke which hid the face of the sun. The figure is a strong one, representing the darkening effect of Mohammedanism, as_ it spread over the face of the earth. This same characteristic is emphasized in the symbols used throughout the history. “There came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth.” The Saracens themselves are called locusts by the prophet John, and the doctrine which impelled their actions was as a dense smoke, issuing out of a furnace. The work of these locust-like warriors is described in the eighth plague, sent upon the land of Egypt in the days when Pharaoh refused to let Israel go. “I will bring the locusts into thy coast: and they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field: and they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians.” The wisdom of Solomon led him to say, “The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands.” In using this one figure the divine historian tells the whole story of the Saracen conquest. There was no king, there was no organized government; but there was one common faith which bound the hordes of Arabia to their caliph. When Mohammed first advo- 165 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace ; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. Rev. 9:2, And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. Rev. 9:3. ““The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands.”’ And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened ; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt. Ex, i0:12-15. He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust. Psa. 78: 46, He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillars, and that without number. Psa. 105 334. Prov. 30:27. In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Judges 17:6. 166 STORY Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace ; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even pre- pare war against him, Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision ; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine ; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips ; for there is no answer of God. Micah 3: 4-7. That I have set before you life and death, Deut. 30: 19. “ And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the scal of God in their foreheads. Reu. 9:4, No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn, This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. Isa. 54217. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. cated his doctrine, he gained adherents by the power of argument; but this process soon be- came too slow for his ambition, and arms were taken to defend and extend the territory of the new religion. Inthe course of a few years, Persia, Syria, Egypt, Africa and Spain had been con- quered by Saracen arms. It was in 632 that Caled, the lieutenant of the first caliph, began the conquest of Persia. His efforts were crowned with victory. To every man was offered death, or the acceptance of the Moham- medan doctrine. With the sword above their heads, multitudes thanked God for Mohammed, His prophet. When the tribes of Arabia were gathered for the conquest of Syria, the caliph Abubeker instructed the chiefs of the army as follows: “When you fight the battles of the Lord, acquit yourselves like men, without turning your backs; but let not your victory be stained with the blood of women or children. Destroy no palm trees, nor burn any fields of corn. Cut down no fruit trees, nor do any mischief to cattle, only such as you kill to eat. . . . As you go on, you will find some religious per- sons who live retired in monasteries, and pro- pose to themselves to serve God that way; let them alone, and neither kill them nor destroy their monasteries: and you will find another sort of people that belong to the synagogue of Satan, who have shaven crowns; be sure you cleave their skulls, and give them no quarter till they either turn Mohammedan or pay tribute.” It would seem that God put a spirit of gentle- ness into the hearts of these warriors toward THE BEGINNING OF WOES. those Christians, who, in the solitudes of Syria, were keeping the law of God; but the tonsured priests and monks were to be slain without mercy, unless they accepted the faith of Moham- med and paid tribute. Syria was soon wholly in the hands of the Saracens: In 638 the conquest of Egypt was begun. The conquest of Africa, from the Nile to the Atlantic, was attempted by the caliph Othman in 647; but the Moors were not conquered until the beginning of the next century, and then the Moslem faith was accepted from Syria to the Straits of Gibraltar. In 711 the Arabs crossed these straits into Spain, and the horn of the Crescent, the Moslem standard, reached the Pyrenees. Thus the power of their arms was extended. They had hoped to encircle the Mediterranean, and, having driven out the pa- pacy, to seat Mohammedanism in place of Chris- tianity in the City of Seven Hills. But in 732 A. D., the onward progress of the Saracens was checked by Charles Martel, in the battle of Tours, in France, and relinquishing the hope of gaining Europe on the west, the Mohammedans retreated into Spain. Here they established schools, and by the cultivation of the arts and sciences, won, by the intellect, what they had failed to gain by the sword. It was from Toledo, Salerno, and other Spanish centers of learning, that the light of scientific knowledge shone into the darkness of Europe during the Middle Ages, and acted its part in breaking the strength of the papacy at the dawn of the Reformation. This is the history of the Saracens as they marched south and west. They gradually lost 167 When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Prov. 16:7. For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody ; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves : who was slain ; andall, as many as obeyed him, were scat- tered, and brought to nought. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought. Acts 5 :36-38. _ They have spoken words, swear- ing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hem- lock in the furrows of the field. Hos. 1074. Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels. Hos. 13:15. 168 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues : for I have seen violence and strife in the city. Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. Wickedness is in the midst thereof : deceit and guile depart not from her streets. Psa. 55 : 9-11. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear. Psa. 58:4. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Psa. 14023. Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures ; Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave. Job 3:21, 22. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some cov- eted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Tim. 6:10, He casteth forth his ice like mor- sels ; who can stand before his cold? Psa. 147: 17. An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed. Prov, 20:21. STORY OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. their warlike characteristics, and conquered by the power of the intellect. The attacks on the Eastern Empire were of a different character. The constant pressure and oft-repeated assaults of the Saracens led men to wish for death. To the Saracens who fell in battle was given the sure promise of a life in paradise. This made They lost their warlike characteristics, and conquered them unmindful of death, and especially in the East the Saracens stung men with their false doctrines, and tormented them by repeated attacks. Only forty-six years after the flight of Moham- med from Mecca, (A.D. 668), the Saracen army ~ appeared under the walls of Constantinople. They were especially anxious to gain possession of this center of wealth and commerce, and there was a saying among the followers of the prophet, that the first army which besieged the city should have its sins forgiven. With this induces ment ever before them, the troops landed and formed the siege. But they had underestimated the strength of the fortress, and were dismayed by the use of fire, recently introduced into Grecian warfare. On the approach of winter, they retreated; but for six summers, in succes- sion, the siege was carried on without success.- THE BEGINNING OF WOES. Finally in 677 a thirty years’ truce was signed by the Greeks and Saracens at Damascus. During the years 716 and 718 a Saracen army again overran Asia Minor, crossed the Hellespont, and for the first time, landed on European soil. History states, that the gen- eral stood at the head of one hundred and twenty thousand Arabs and Persians, and that one thousand eight hundred ships ap- proached the Bosporus, both armies intending to attack the capital at the same moment- Again Greek fire saved the threatened empire. The citizens of Constantinople loaded ships with combustibles, sent these into the midst of the fleet of the enemy, and the Arabs with their arms and vessels were consumed by the flam.es or the waves. The following winter was unusually severe, and this, together with the aid rendered the Greeks by an army of Bulga- rians, and the report of still stronger forces who were arming in the West, made it advisable to give up, this second attempt, to capture Constan- tinople. These were the “locusts” that spread over the face of the earth. Like the insect from which they are named, they devoured everything that came in their way, and stung men as a scorpion stings with its tail. The failure of the Arabs to capture Constan- tinople during these years was due to the absence of a centralized government; for the Saracens were still controlled by caliphs; and jealousy had led to the elevation of several lead- ers, each faction having its following. They went, as Solomon said of the locusts, in bands without a king. The dash of the Arab cavalry is proverbial in history. Arabia is considered to Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east fora Possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk, Eze. 25: 4. Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grass- hoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are. Nahum 3:17. Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall con- sume it. Deut. 28 :38. Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established. Prov. 15:22. They said, Nay ; but we will have a king over us ; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. 1 Sam. 8:19, 20. 170 STORY Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves : and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far ; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat. Hab. 1:8. Zech. 10:3. I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle. Jer. 8:6. The horse is prepared against the day of battle : but safety is of the Lord. Prov. 21:31. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months ; and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man, And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto - scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. Rev. 9: 6-10. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, Prov. 18:21. If a man have long hair, itis a shame unto him, = _ 1 Cor. 11: 14. He will be a wild man ; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him ; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren, - Gen, 16:12. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. be the home of the horse; and Gibbon says (chapter 50): “These horses are educated in the tents, among the children of the Arabs, with a tender familiarity, which trains them in the habits of gentleness and attachment. They aré accustomed only to walk or to gallop; their sen- sations are not blunted by the incessant abuse of the spur and the whip; their powers are pre- served for the moments of flight and pursuit; but no sooner do they feel the touch of the hand, or the stirrup, than they dart away with the swiftness of the wind; and if their friend be dismounted in the rapid career, they instantly stop till he has recovered his seat.” Since so much of the success of these human locusts depended upon the steeds which they rode, it is not surprising that the prophet John saw them “like unto horses prepared unto battle;” and it is also not surprising to find that the tail of a horse was often used as an ensign by the Bedouin chiefs. The crown worn by the Arab, was the turban which was unfurled when Mohammed became prince of Medina, and “to assume which is proverbially to turn Mussulman.” Personally the Arab is grave and dignified ; “his speech is slow, weighty, and concise; he is seldom pro- voked to laughter, his only gesture is that of stroking his beard, the venerable symbol of manhood.” ‘Though they wore long hair, which to the European has the appearance of effeminacy, yet from the days of Ishmael, a tenderness mingled with the savage nature of the lion, seems to have characterized the men of the desert Gibbon, in his graphic description of the Arab, nicely illustrates this fact in these words: ‘If a Bedouin discovers from afar a soli- THE BEGINNING OF WOES. tary traveler, he rides furiously against him, cry- ing with a loud voice, ‘ Undress thyself, thy aunt [my wife] is without a garment.’ A ready sub- mission entitles him to mercy; resistance will provoke the aggressor, and his own blood must expiate the blood which he presumes to shed in legitimate defence. A single robber, or a few associates, are branded with their genuine name ; but the exploits of a numerous band assume the character of a lawful and honorable war. The temper of a people thus armed against mankind, was doubly inflamed by the domestic license of rapine, murder, and revenge.” The breastplates of iron, spoken of by John, refer to the cuirasses with which the soldiers were provided from the days of. Mohammed. Enough has been said to show the vividness of the’ prophetic description of the charge of the Arab cavalry, who were armed with scimiters, protected by cuirasses, and seated on horses swift as the wind. “They had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name is Destroyer.” This character might in truth be imputed to the Arab caliphs, who directed the armies for so many years after the death of Mohammed ; but it is especially applic- able to Othman, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. This, the first attempted centraliza- tion of government was the outgrowth of the doctrines of Mohammed. “Othman,” says the historian, “‘ possessed, and perhaps surpassed, the ordinary virtues of a soldier; and the circum- stances of time and place were propitious to his independence and success.’ The close of the thirteenth century was near. The Crusades had oo e e 171 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the © other ; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also, Give to every man that asketh of thee ; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. Luke 6 : 29, 30. An evil man seeketh only rebel- lion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him. Prov. 17:11. A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly : and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Prov. 18 324. Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle. Harness the horses ; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets ; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines. Jer. 4623, 4. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottom- less pit, whose name in the He- brew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. Rev. 9:11. He beholdeth all high things : he isa king over all the children of pride. Job 41:34. I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army. Job 29:25. 172 STORY The residue of the number of arch- ers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished : for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it. Isa. 21 217. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together : who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Isa. 45 321. FIVE MONTHS, Gen. 7:11. The flood began the 17th day of the 2nd month, Gen. 8:3,4. Waters abated the 17th day of the 7th month. Gen. 7:24. The flood continued 150 days, hence 150 days=5 months. Each day for a year. Num. 14:34. July 27, 1299 plus 150 years=July 27) 1449 Ezra 9:8. Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country : yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. Isa. 46:11. Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity ; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men, Hosea 10:13. OF THE SEER OF PATMOS. thrust Europe against the Turks in a most reck- less manner. Constantinople had numerous emperors, but the Greek government grew weaker, and the time of its’ destruction was stealthily approaching. “It was on July 27, A.D., 1299,” says Gibbon, “that Othman first invaded the territory of Nicomedia; and the singular accuracy of the date seems to disclose some foresight of the rapid and destructive growth of the monster.” More than human foresight recorded this date with such definite- ness. To the prophet on Patmos, it had been revealed that “their power was to hurt men five months.” Five prophetic months is the equivalent of one hundred and fifty literal years, one day meaning a year, and counting thirty days to the month. Since the exact day for the beginning of this power is given, the expiration of the five months may be reckoned to the day. It closed July 27, 1449. It is these dates which enable the student of the trumpets, to locate the events which take place under each trumpet. These dates are “nails in a sure place” for both the first and the second woe. To show that in 1299 power was given “to hurt men five months” we have the testimony of histo- rians. After speaking of the invasion by Oth- man of Nicomedia, which was the eastern frontier of the Greek Empire, Gibbon continues: “The annals of the twenty-seven years of his reign would exhibit a repetition of the same inroads; and his hereditary troops were multiplied in each campaign by the accession of captives and volun- teers.” The successors of Othman, the founder of the Ottoman Empire, each pushed his con- THE BEGINNING OF WOES. quests nearer to the coveted seat of power.