The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-11-25
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Practical Duties Taught By a study or the later.
national Sunday school Lesson Appointed for
Dee y Rev. h. LA

d
in about the year 90, A. ID. st. John was son
Of Zebedee and SalOme and brother of st. James
the Greater, who, though an Apostle, wrote no
part of the book of the New Testament. The
Emperor Domitian had sent st. John into ban
ishment on account Of his being a Christian.
In the year So Domitian was succeeded by
Nerva, who being more clement released those
whom Domitian exiled, among them st. John.
Nerva ruled two years and Trajan became En-
peror. 1t was during the reign of the last that
st. John died. The writer of the Revelation
must have been about 100 years old when he
wrote. He died soon after.
There is much Of the last book Of the Bible
which can be explained without great diff
Guilty. Back of much of it, however, there is
deep mystery. We shall do well to seize upon
the apparent, practical, and that uppermost in
present profitableness, for our study hour in
Sunday school. We could spend all the time
in discussing single word or verse, but the
lesson includes II verses. A German professor
can deliver several interesting lectures on the
first letter of the alphabet; so teacher can
allow the whole hour to pass in debating differ
ent opinions held on single phrase of verse.
What the teacher wants in each Sunday session
| is to impress on the class the use which can be
made at home, in school and out in society Of
the lessons taught by the paragraph appointed
for study each Lords Day.
Chapters and Of the Revelation give
| the letters sent to the seven churches
| Il: H. Those seven churches represent all
| the churches then or to be. Tho letters
| sent were not for the seven churches only,
| but for all churches through all time and
| in all places. Practically the seven churches
| comprehend Christ's Kingdom On earth Then
the object of the remaining chapters of the
Revelation is to picture forth the work, expert
ences, trials, victories, rewards, encouragements
| Of Christianity. We are taught the relation
| between Heaven and earth. We find Christ
interested not Only in founding the Church,
| but in all its progress through time. We see
| angels concerned about salvation. If the Church
has enemies it also has friends. If earth op-
pose, Heaven is in sympathy with it. If Dom
| titan prosecute, God sustains.
st. John was shown in kind Of vision tho
events to occur in the centuries to come. The
history OF the Church moved along before his
\ eyes in kind of panorama so distinct that it
! could be written up as a historian prepares his
volumes from data gathered. Thus the ApOs-
| tie was able to see how Heaven and earth act
\ on each other-how the history of earth,
| though il be the product of voluntary human
operations, is toned, modified, shaped, controlled
| Overruled in Heaven how actors in this world
are inspired and strengthened by influences
from Paradise and Heaven; how enemies of
/ Christianity are restrained, outmatched, out
witted and often yanquished by the powers
above. 1t can be seen how encouraging to the
| Christian world must be the Revelation and
what reason we should study it.
God is represented rs sitting on a throne in
| Heaven. (V. ], and 4:2, 81 Human form and
acts are a5cribed to him to bring him more into
| our comprehension and sympathy. So he has
hands, sits, looks, etc.
| In Gods right hand the Apostle saw book
with seven seals. This means that God is
about to reveal the future. The events to
occur are imagined written in q volume. To
learn the series OF circumstances destined to
/ exist in the history which the Church is to
make, it is only necessary to read the record.
So God was about to give to the world,
/ through st. John, statement in advance Of
events which could be expected to attend the
| onward march of Christianity. Books in early
| days were not printed and on successive leaves,
but written Oh rolls called scrolls, the rolls
being sometimes written on both sides. Hence
our word volume which means q roll. One
side is read as you unroll, the other side as you
roll. Along at different distances the scroll
! had seals Fixed. In the case of our lesson there
| were seven such seals. These could be readily
seen on the ends OF the roll. To unseal meant
TO unroll, and to unroll meant to read. But
the real Specification is that God told to St.
John the events to occur, and that the Apostle
followed, writing his statements as an amanu-
ensis.
| What God had scaled no man dared unseal.
To violate the rights Of q seal was capital
crime. What God would have secret no one
can know. Who then can tell the future?
| Who can unseal the book which sets forth
history to be made? None other than The
| Word, the Manifestation of Deity the One who
| knows God as God knows him-Jesus Christ,
styled the Lion of the tribe OF Judah, Heb, Il:
a. the Descendant from David as a root. st.
John was evidently anxious to know the
future. lie was filed with disappointment at
the thought no one could reveal the destiny OF
the Church. He had fear the promise made
4:1) was to fail, to wit, " 1 will show thee
| things which must be hereafter"
We must remember that the consolation Of
the vision given to st. John did not depend on
| Gods omuscience alone, but on his Omnipo-
tence. 1t was not Gods purpose to tell the
Apostle what was to happen, hit or miss, at the
hands of human beings, but to declare to him,
and through him to the Church at large, how
he God was determined to manipulate mum
dane affairs and force them to contribute to
the growth of the Kingdom of God on earth.
st. John was greatly concerned to foreknow
the divine program, so as to foreYarn and fore
arm the Church for opposition, to comfort it in
trial, and to cheer it for duty.
What it was wicked for man to peer into,
(V. 81 Christ could forsee aud reveal by nature
and right. (Y. 81 He was, however, eclectic in
this. After all, We learn very little of the fu-
ture. 1t was not Gods plan to remove all
mystery, all demand for faith, all inspiration
for healthy and animating curiosity, all call
for study, work, patience. But some reyela-
tion to those destined to great trial, discour-
agement, sorrow, was well, as affording courage
to face future, even yet left quite dark and
inexplicable.
The revised translation has for man in
v. 3 "one." 1t was belief that the departed
dead were under the earth. We all allow they
are as to their bodies. So verse means that
no being already in Heaven, no inhabitant
of earth, and no occupant OF Hades Tor the
place of departed spiritsl could open the book
1. G., was able to foretell the future. No one
but God knows what coming centuries have in
store for the Church.
1t is difficult to explain who are meant by the
four beasts and the 81 elders. Beasts is not
a correct translation, and Giving creatures " OF
the revised rendering is better. All these were
indebted to Christ as Savior vs.. s, o. and hence
were of the redeemed. They probably stand as
representatives OF the Church.
Most prominent of all was the Lamb. (V. g.
In the verso before he is called the Lion
Strength and tenderness combine in Christ
(St. John, 1 30, 36.) Horns symbolic power
and eyes intelligence. Seven is the perfect
number, and the sense is that Jesus is omnpo-
tent and omniseient. Christ q Lamb slain
There is power in innocence. There is gran
deur in suffering.
10 was left to Christ alone to reveal the future
Of the Church. AS soon as he is recognized and
it is known he is TO make revelation of what
the Church may expect as its future career
there is joy among all the saints. They knew
he had power and authority. Having interest
cd himself even TO the cost of life, none could
question his worthness to act in all that relat.