27. ad 5 b) es Us she ex as ty Cire : és 0h aS ee rye ef PCAN esgic Fs ; : 5 ; Ys open a Pees Chae airy x on by ps 9 ste) 2 FD iss ard, i KASss c ae rs Sea TS wafees SM vie) BOLL Nee LANs EIR ws y oie tines c by t Ss aes Ase aK a 9 we tea 3 ~ « Wea Sareea by ; PAKS * lakes X ehtestre : \ <3 4 ! eo She fi As fe }) Bot a SHAT AU EG SF Sa ey Foie; ts 3) : f (Feet Sack Og LOH * mee ‘i ra C ANOS Penney SAN Ca ELE Ea AUN Pacamees Vist sors wert ; > ee } ays 5 RRS < ak * . tS Cars PER Arsy {2 Neos oF 2 os ‘ot ® re. Ae Section A Ae be") > ‘ q y re aa ine THE PATMOS VISIONS ren Aes GN ay \ Wn tliat eae + 0C1 171925 | The PATMOS VISIONS A Study of the Apocalypse 4, EM asicar sewed By PHILIP MAURO AUTHOR OF The World and Its God, Life in the Word, The Number of Man, The Seventy Weeks, The Chronology of the Bible, Evolution at the Bar, etc., etc. “I JESUS have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches” \ HAMILTON Bros. SCRIPTURE TRUTH DEPOT 120 Tremont Street, Boston, Mass. Copyright 1925 By Hamilton Bros. Printed in the United States of America Contents Chapter XIII XIV Introductory Remarks . Outlines and Major Divisions of the Book The Vision of the Son of Man . The Letters to the Churches of Asia . The Vision of the Throne in Heaven . The Opening of the Seals The Trumpet Series The Mighty Angel With the Little Book . The Two Signs in Heaven The Vision of the Two Wild Beasts . Seven Visions of the Time of the End . ‘The Seven Vials Rejoicings in Heaven. The Marriage of the Lamb. The Battle of Armageddon 00) The New Heaven and New Earth. ‘The Bride. The Holy Jerusalem Conclusion—Where We Now Stand . Vets . 554 Dt yl wae re ae ah it a it ha ne i ¥, f o mM . Introductory Remarks THINK it not amiss to state that I have felt | impelled to the writing of this present book. I —-— was most reluctant to undertake it; for whenever the thought presented itself, such mountains of diffi- culty arose before my mind, that I shrunk from the attempt with a deep consciousness of my insufficiency. Yet the pressure to which I have referred persisted, and with i Parcs force, until at last I made.a be- ginning truly ‘‘in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling’. But confidence came as I went on; for it seemed evident that help was being given from above, in that difficulties vanished, and passage after passage, previously dark or obscure, opened up clearly to my view. When the significance of the four horses and their riders dawned upon me and was confirmed by abun- dant evidence from the Scriptures; when the meaning of the great “signs in heaven” of Chapter XII was per- ceived; and particularly when the trumpet visions showed forth their transcendently important meaning —all in the clear light of other Scriptures— I could no longer doubt that these studies, however defective as to details, were correct as to the main lines of the prophecy, and that they should be given to my com- panions in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. The reader will understand that I am not giving the above experience as a reason why anyone should ac- 1 2 Introductory Remarks cept the explanations set forth in this book, but only as my own reason for publishing it. A good test of the explanation of any part of the Apocalypse is its agreement, or otherwise, with the de- sign of the Book as a whole. If it be seen in the first place that the interpretation of a particular passage explains the symbols thereof consistently with the scrip- tural usage of those symbols, and without straining, forcing, or in anyway manipulating them; and if it then be found to be in harmony with the design of the Book as a whole, and specially with that of the particular group to which it pertains, it may be safely accepted as correct. For the true solution of every complicated problem proves itself by the fact that it explains and agrees with every feature thereof. Take for example the trumpet series: All the visions in that group should have a common character, in agreement with the biblical significance of a trumpet. So the explanation of every trumpet vision must first of all meet that requirement. Then it must agree with the explanation of each of the other trumpet visions, and stand in proper chronological order with respect thereto. And finally, the entire trumpet series must be so explained as to be in agreement with all the other groups, in such wise as to constitute with them a com- plete and harmonious design, answering to the de- clared purposes for which the Apocalypse was written. I think the explanations given herein can bear this test. In the preparation of this book I have been guided throughout by the principles, first, that the Apocalypse Introductory Remarks 3 is written not in common speech, like the other Books of the New Testament, but in the sign language; and second, that every sign, symbol, or figure is interpreted somewhere in the Bible. What Hengstenberg said is most true: ‘The seer of the Apocalypse lives entirely in Holy Scripture’. And so is Zullig’s remark to the same effect: ‘The Book hardly ever refers to any- thing that is not Biblical”. Therefore in the Bible it- self the explanation of every symbol is to be sought; and there too it may be found, if diligent search be made. ! And here we have an exceedingly strong proof of the authenticity of the Book, and that it is the Divine - ending to the sacred Volume. For the Apocalypse sends those who would search out its treasures, to every part of the Bible, thereby proving its relation to all the other Books, as an essential part of one design. On the other hand, the diverse rays of light that spring up: from every part of the Bible, point onward to, and converge upon, this final Book. In entering upon the study of the Apocalypse, one is met at the threshold by certain questions which he must needs settle before he can advance. These preliminary questions relate to the main divisions of the Book, and to the relations they bear one to another, in respect both to their subject matter, and also to their sequence, that is to say, to the chronological order of the events they severally symbolize. For there are two conflict- ing systems of interpretation that claim our careful 4 Introductory Remarks consideration, namely, the Historicist, and the Futur- ist; and the difference between them is great. 1. The Historicist System This is the generally accepted Protestant view of the Book, a prominent feature thereof being that it re- gards the first beast of Chapter XIII as representing the Church of Rome, and the second as representing the Papacy. According to this system, the things seen in the several groups of visions of Chapters VI to XX (from the opening ‘of the first seal to the beginning © of the Millennium) are events that were to happen during this present gospel dispensation. Hence, ex- positors of this school seek the fulfilment of those visions in the historical events of the Christian Era. And generally, though not perhaps unanimously, they regard the several groups as following each other in regular chronological order; that is to say, the seven seals are supposed to begin at the days of the apostles and to carry us along a few centuries; and then the trumpet group begins where the seals leave off; and then the vials in like manner. According to this view, as elaborated by its able exponents, Newton, Birks, Guinness and many others, all or nearly all the proph- ecies of the Book down to the Millennium have now been fulfilled. I find certain serious defects in this system; chiefly that it ignores what seems to me a very plain fact, namely, that the visions of the several groups are ar- ranged not with respect to the period of time in which the things they picture are to happen, but with respect Introductory Remarks 5 to their character, or subject matter. Thus, the things symbolized by the seals have the same general char- acter, so with the trumpets; and so with the vials. For surely, the fact that certain things are grouped to- gether under a certain emblem that is common to them all, whereas other things are grouped together under another emblem, common to them, but very different from the first, is proof that the grouping is topical and not chronological. ‘Therefore, one of the main con- clusions underlying the present exposition is that each of the several groups is complete in itself, and that its starting-point in time must be determined without any reference at all to the point in time at which the pre- ceding group ended. Thus the groups may, or may not, overlap; that is to say, one group may take us again over a period of time already traversed by a pre- ceding group, in order to reveal events of a different character, or in a different sphere. ‘This feature of the independence of each group from the others I regard as of prime importance, insomuch that, if disregarded, the interpretation must needs be erroneous. It is a feature that characterizes other parts of the Bible. A conspicuous and instructive instance is found at the very beginning thereof. For the first section of Genesis (Chap. 1:1-2:3), is complete in itself. It gives a consecutive account of the creative acts of the six days, including the creation of man, male and female; and it goes on to the seventh day, upon which God rested from all His work. The next section of the Book, which begins at verse 4 of Chapter II, does not take up 6 Introductory Remarks the account where the first leaves off, but goes back to the work of the third day, giving particulars con- cerning the origin of plant life; and then it comes to the sixth day, and gives a detailed description of the creation of the first man and first woman. Precisely the same method is seen again and again in Revelation. Thus, for example, the series of the seven seals gives an account of consecutive happenings up to the day of wrath (sixth seal) and takes us on to the silence in heaven (a sabbath) at the opening of the seventh seal. Then the visions of the trumpet group go back, and give particulars of eras embraced in the preceding visions of the seals. [his example is the more note- worthy because of the marked correspondences in other respects between Genesis, the Book of the old creation, and Revelation, the Book of the new creation. Another objection to the Historicist system is that its explanations are often materialistic, sometimes grotesquely so. It seeks an interpretation of every vision in some historical event—a battle, an invasion, a revolution—or some happening of a purely physical kind; and often it is exceedingly difficult to see any re- semblance between the symbol and the thing it is sup- posed to represent. But to me, the Book is essentially spiritual in character; and while it certainly has much to do with human affairs and other happenings on earth, yet it has much to do also with happenings on the spiritual, or unseen, side of creation. This will appear clearly in the course of the exposition. Introductory Remarks 7 2. The Futurist System This system of interpretation has gained the accept- ance of many writers and students of prophecy during the past forty years. Apparently its popularity is due largely to Dr. Seiss’ Lectures on the Apocalypse; for there is little in current writings of the futurists that is not found in those Lectures. According to this view, all the visions from and including Chapter IV to the end of the Book are yet future; and none will begin to be fulfilled until the resurrection and rapture of the saints (1 Thess. 4:14-17; 1 Cor. 15:51, 52) shall have taken place. It is a distinctive feature of the Futurist system that all the events and eras pictured in Chapters IV to XX. 6, inclusive (i. e. to the beginning of the Millennium) are to take place in the short space of seven years; and that this fateful period, into which all these stupendous events are to be crowded, is the last ‘‘week”’ of the seventy weeks of years mentioned in the famous prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27. For it is held by commentators of this school that the seventieth “week”? was not continuous with the other sixty-nine, but is to be viewed as a disconnected period of time, which will be fitted in at the end of the Christian Era, filling the interval between Christ’s coming for, and His coming with, His people. It will be recognized by all who consider the matter with any degree of care, that the Futurist view is a radical one, involving departures of a very material character from the view that has been taken by Prot- estant expositors in general. For that reason it should 8 Introductory Remarks not be accepted without a diligent inquiry first as to the foundations upon which it rests. Having held that view for a number of years I was, of course, reluctant to part with it; and the more so because it is the teach- ing of so many of those who, in these last days, are standing firmly for the truth of the gospel of Christ. But a painstaking examination of the matter has satis- fied me that the futurist interpretation lacks the sup- port of scriptural evidence; whereas, for the historical fulfilment of many of these prophetic visions, we have all the proof there ever can be in such a case; namely, the correspondence of the event with the thing fore- told. Therefore, to those who hold the futurist view of the Apocalypse, my word is this: You must needs admit upon the proof offered in the following pages, first, that the events therein referred to have hap- pened, and the conditions therein described have ex- isted, during this present era; and second, that those events and conditions do correspond closely with the prophetic visions of the Book; and that is all I ask. If beyond that you think there is reason to expect a further and more complete fulfilment after Christ shall have come for His people, there is nothing to forbid. I can only say that I do not share that expectation. One strong objection I now see to the Futurist view- point is that it tends to quench one’s interest in this wonderful Book, by pushing the things it predicts far away from us, making its transcendently important revelations to be for those of a coming dispensation, Introductory Remarks 9 the so-called ‘‘tribulation saints’, and thus virtually de- taching it from the rest of the Bible. On an occasion, some years ago, when I raised a question about this with one who held the Futurist view, he suggested that we should not grudge to the “tribulation saints’? one Book out of the sixty-six in the Bible. But I do most decidedly grudge it to them, and the more so because I am firmly persuaded that the “tribulation saints’’ of the Futurist system are altogether an imaginary com- pany; and that we, the Lord’s people of this dispensa- tion, are the true “tribulation saints’ (John 16:33; Ac. 14:22; and see comments below on Rev. 7:14). After I had completed my preliminary studies, and had made considerable progress in the writing of the present volume, Hengstenberg’s valuable commentary, written more than seventy-five years ago (and previ- ously quite unknown to me) came by chance into my hands. I was gratified to find in it (as will appear by quotations here and there) a confirmation of conclu- sions I had reached in regard to some of the more im- portant visions. I am indebted also to the author of that exposition for light upon several specific passages. But as to his exposition as a whole, it seems to me that, to use one of his own favorite expressions, ‘‘it swims in the air’. For his interpretations of the major groups are not attached to any definite events or epochs; and even the Millennium is left floating about, as a thing that has had its fulfilment somewhere in the time past of this present dispensation. This is ‘‘post- millennialism” of a sort I had not hitherto heard of. IO Introductory Remarks My expectation is that the present volume will at least serve the useful surpose of awakening fresh inter- est at this time in the study of the Apocalypse, a thing much to be desired. ‘This I believe the reading of it will do, regardless of whether the reader views the Book from the historicist, or from the futurist stand- point. And my expectation also is that it will prove helpful in the study of Bible Symbology in general. I feel confident that the right lines of interpretation have been followed, and that the various groups of visions have been correctly explained as to their main features. Yet there remain many questions to be answered, affording abundant opportunity for further study in various directions. Particularly is further light to be sought with respect to some of the numerical symbols. And now, with praise and thanksgiving to Him Who gave us this “Revelation of Jesus Christ,” for the hours spent and meditations enjoyed in the study of it, and for the sustaining strength and help therein that could have come from no other source, I commit to His use, and invoke His blessing upon, this humble effort to edify His saints, heartily uniting with all who can say: “Unto Him that loveth us, and hath washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen’’. Framingham, Mass., June 30, 1925. CHAR TE Rel Outlines and Major Divisions of the Book N ENTERING upon the study of this wonderful | Book we should keep always in mind that what we have before us is the Revelation of Jesus ‘ Christ. It is not the revelation of things to come, though it has to do largely therewith. It is not the revelation of the four horsemen, nor of the woman clothed with the sun, nor of the ten horned beast, nor of the scarlet woman, nor of the fall of Babylon, nor of the New Jerusalem, but—of Jesus Curist. ‘There- fore we should be ever on the alert to observe how, and in what various connections, Christ is revealed in the different divisions of the Prophecy. For Christ is central in every part of the Book, and every group of symbols derives its significance from Him. With this thought in mind, and remembering also that the groupings of the symbols are according to topics, or subject-matter, and not necessarily accord- ing to chronological order, let us take a rapid survey of the entire Book, and thus familiarize ourselves in a general way with the several subjects here revealed in their relations to the Lord Jesus Christ. Chapters I-III, Emphasis is here laid upon the foundation truth concerning Christ that He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last (vv. 8, 11). He is here fully iden- 11 eS SSS 12 The Patmos Visions tified with ‘Him which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (vv. 4, 8). In these chap- ters He is revealed as the great Head of the Church (Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18), giving His message, by the Spirit, to the angels of the seven churches, a special message covering the entire dispensation, and intended for all the churches of Christ (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). It is easy to see that in this entire vision we have but one general subject, Christ in relation to the churches, and that with the next vision (Chap. IV) there is a complete change of subject. Happenings in a different sphere altogether from that of the churches of Christ are pictured to us from this point on to the end of the Book. Hence the question arises, do these events belong to the same era as that in which the churches of Christ are in the world, or to a subsequent era? Do they run parallel to the history of the churches, or do they lie entirely beyond the last chap- ter of that history? ‘The latter view is that of the futurist school of interpretation, which is in favor with many students of prophecy in our day. But I have been constrained to reject that view as contrary to the evidence, which points clearly to the conclusion that the design of the Book as a whole is to give to the peo- ple of God (Christ’s ‘‘servants’’) a foreview of those events of the Christian era which in God’s estimation thereof are most important, and would best serve to sustain their faith and patience during the long period of waiting for the coming again of the Lord from Outlines and Major Divisions of the Book 13 heaven. For it seems very clear to me that, as an- other has said :— “The Revelation gives no regularly progressive disclosure of the future, advancing in unbroken series from beginning to end; but it falls into a number of groups, which indeed supplement each other, every successive vision giving some other aspect of the future, but which are still formally complete in themselves, — each proceeding from a beginning to an end”’. Chapters IV-VII, Here we have a vision of heaven and the throne of God therein. Christ is now seen in a very different character, being symbolized as ‘‘a Lamb as it had been slain”. In that character He takes the throne and receives the book sealed with seven seals. So we here behold the Lord as Redeemer and Heir, receiving the Kingdom He has gained by His redemptive work (Dan. /7:13,\143 [Du 19:12, 15) ine cluding ‘‘all power (authority) in heaven and in earth” (Mat. 28:18). He thereupon proceeds to exercise this authority by opening successively the seals of the book; and as the seals are opened on the throne of heaven, world-embracing events take place on earth, whereby, as will be seen hereafter, the course of his- tory throughout this entire dispensation from begin- ning to end, was to be shaped. Chapters VII to XI. 18. The era of this vision (or series of visions) is that of the seven trumpets. It is characterized by visitations in judgment upon the deni- zens of earth, at first comparatively mild in their na- ture, but increasing in severity, and culminating in the ' three “‘Woe’’—trumpets, the last of which ushers in Pays | Tie Patmos Visions the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judg- ment of God (Rom. 2:5). As the purpose of a trum-- pet is to sound a loud, far-reaching warning (Ezek. 33:3) so the events of this series are warnings to men and nations to take heed to their ways, and to flee from the wrath to come, by submitting to the will of God and the authority of His King. In this series Christ appears, not in the likeness of a Son of man, girt as Head and Lord of His churches, nor as a Lamb newly slain, but as a mighty “Angel”. In Chapter 8 :3-5, He stands at the golden altar, and ‘much in- cense’”’ is given Him, which He adds to (marg.) the prayers of all the saints. Inasmuch as no creature could minister at that altar, or offer the prayers of “all the saints’’ to God, or add any merit or worthiness (incense) thereto, it is clear that Christ Himself is represented by this symbol. What this has to do with the action of the trumpets will appear later on. Again, just before the sounding of the last trumpet, He is seen as a mighty Angel, whose face is as the sun and His feet as pillars’ of fres(cfs Chap. :15 771 6) and to the accompaniment of a loud voice, as when a lion roareth, and of the seven thunders, He places His right foot upon the sea and His left on the earth, thereby showing that all things have been put under His feet (Eph. 1:22), and announces the speedy end- ing of “the mystery of God” (Chap. 10:1-7). Chapters XII, XIII. ‘The days of the voice of the seventh angel’ (10:7) were to be an era of trans- cendent importance, that in which the eternal purpose eee eee eee eee ee ————— ee Outlines and Major Divisions of the Book 15 of God in the creation of man (Gen. 1:26) was to be accomplished. That purpose was to be fulfilled not in Adam, the first man, but in the Son of man, and specifically in the woman’s “Seed”. In keeping with this, Christ is revealed in this vision first as the “Man child Who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron”, whom the dragon, “that old serpent’ (as old as the days of Eden, and older,) sought to destroy, but who was caught up to God and His throne (12:5). Chapters XIV-XVIII. Another vision, marking another division of the Book, begins at Chapter 14:1, with the words: ‘‘And I looked and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion’. The period of this vision is the last part of the days of the voice of the seventh angel, marked by the outpouring of the vials of wrath, the overthrow of the Kingdom of the beast, and the fall of Babylon. In this era the rule of rebellious man, human govern- ment in its opposition to God, reaches its culmination in the reign of the beast. After contemplating this development on earth, John looks in another direction and sees on Mount Sion (where God said He would put His King, Ps. 2:6) a Lamb, and with Him a hun- dred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s Name in their foreheads (Chap. 14:1). Christ is also seen in this vision as One like a Son of man, seated upon a cloud, having upon His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle, with which He is about to reap the harvest of the earth (14:14, 15). 16 The Patmos Visions Here again, as is easy to see, Christ is revealed in characters which are in keeping with the subject of the vision. Chapters XIX, XX. This vision opens with trans- ports of joy in heaven, amidst which ‘‘the marriage of the Lamb” is announced (19:1-7); and then John sees heaven opened, and a wondrous vision of Christ is given as the ‘‘Faithful and True” (v. 11), as “The Word of God” (v. 13), and as ‘KING OF KINGS, AND Lorp oF Lorps”’ (vy. 16). Chapters XXI, XXII. In these last chapters we are brought to the ‘‘new heaven and new earth,’ to the eternal state and the heavenly Jerusalem. There is here no symbolic representation of Christ, but we are told that the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of the Holy City, and that ‘‘the Lamb is the light thereof’? (21:22, 23). And at the end His voice is heard again speaking to John as at the begin- ning, declaring once more that He is “Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last,” and giving the thrice-repeated assurance, “‘I come quickly.” Thus it will be seen that the Book as a whole is composed of seven distinct groups of visions. This sevenfold structure is one of the prominent character- istics of the Book. Divisions and Sub-Divisions Looking at the contents of the Book from another point of view, we observe that the greater part Outlines and Major Divisions of the Book 17 thereof is composed of five distinct programs or groups, which are easily identified, and marked off from each other and from other portions, by the fact that each comprises a complete series of seven. hese are :— bel hespeven Churches: (ChullallPy. 2. The Seven Seals (Ch. VI-VIIT). 3. ‘The Seven Trumpets (Ch. VIII-XI). 4. The Seven Visions of Chapter XIV. 5. The Seven Vials (Ch. XVIII). Further we observe that, in addition to these five groups, each composed of exactly seven distinct parts, there are other visions, which are introduced at var- ious points, and which have a special bearing upon what follows next after their respective appearances. These are :— 1. The vision of Christ in the midst of the seven candlesticks (Ch. I). ‘This introduces the letters to the seven Churches. 2. The vision of the throne in heaven, the Lamb taking the throne, and receiving the book sealed with seven seals (Ch. IV, V). This introduces the program of the seals. 3. The vision of the sealing of 144,000 of all the tribes of Israel, and of the innumerable company out of all nations (Ch. VII). This vision occurs between the 6th and 7th seals. It plainly pertains to the day of wrath (6th seal), and signifies the restraining of the destroying storm (‘four winds’) until all the elect are gathered out (Mat. 13:30). 18 The Patmos Visions 4. The vision of the angel at the golden altar, who offers the prayers of all saints, with much incense added thereto (Ch. VIII). This introduces the pro- gram of the trumpets. 5. The vision of the mighty Angel whose face was like the sun, who had in his hand a little book open, and who set one foot on the sea, and the other on the dry land, and swore that the mystery of God should be finished in the days of the voice of the seventh angel (Ch. X). This introduces the immensely important era of the 7th trumpet. And here we find a special group of prophecies, apparently those of the little book which John was commanded to eat. ‘They are found in Chapters XII, XIII, XIV. 6. The vision of the measuring of the temple of God, and of the two witnesses (Ch. XI). This vision also precedes the sounding of the seventh trumpet. 7. The panoramic vision of the sun-clothed woman, the great red dragon and the Man-child (Ch. XIV). This leads into the vision of the ten-horned beast that rose up out of the sea, and of the two-horned beast that rose up later out of the earth (Ch. XIII). 8. The vision of the company standing upon a sea of glass, who sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb (Ch. XV). This introduces the program of the vials. 9. The vision of the woman on the ten-horned beast (Ch. XVII). This adds further details of the reign of the beast. Outlines and Major Divisions of the Book 19 10. The vision of the fall of Babylon (Ch. XVII), giving additional particulars concerning the day of wrath. 11. The vision in heaven acclaiming the approach of the marriage of the Lamb (Ch. XIX). This intro- duces the coming of Christ in judgment to execute vengeance on His enemies (2 Thess. 1:7-10), and to reign with His saints a thousand years. 12. The vision of the New Jerusalem (Ch.