The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-11-20
The REVELATION.

The REVELATION.
The Book of Revelation appears to have
been an epistle sent by John to the Churches
in Asia, seven of which are particularly ad-
dressed. II is is the form of an Allegory,
and contains panorama of pictures OF exist
ing things, and of things shortly to come to
pass concerning the churches and the KING
dom of CHRIST. The scenes are mainly de-
scribed in the symbolic language of the Old
Testament pr ophets. II is called, "A heve-
lation of JESUS CHRIST, which COP gave him
to show to his saints the things that must
soon occur; and was sent in symbol (signl-
fed) by his messenger to his servant John,
who testified to what things he saw" (Chap.
1.1,2). 1t appears to have been an inspired
vision of john, when in exile on the island OF
Patmos, a small prison island OF the roman
government, and distant about twenty-five
miles from the western coast of Asia Minor,
-"for his testimony of CHRIST and the "ord
of GoD," partaker with his brethren III at
Fiction and suffering for the sake OF JESUS
and his kingdom of truth and righteousness.
The book was evidently written in time of
persecution of the Church, and of great suf-
fering and encouragement of the Christians.
II was written with a purpose to comfort the
suffering and afflicted, and encourage hdel-
ity and patient endurance by its pictures OF
the glorified CHRIST, who himself had died
martyr to the truth, the triumph of his king
dom, and the glory of the saints who should
die as witnesses of their Lord and his truth.
"ro him that overcometh," special blessings
are repeatedly promised, and "crown OF
life" is promised to all who are faithful
unto death" Scenes are described IN which
''the souls of those who were slam FOR the
word of COP and the testimony which they
held" appear in felicity, where myriads, who
have come out of great tribulation, are ar
rayed in "white robes and are seen to be at
rest in peace and JOY before the throne or
COP. All who shared in the sutferlngs ana
death of their Lord should also share IN his
glory. While those who remained in the
earth, and true to their faith would be album
dainty rewarded for their fidelity and labors,
and the Church would enter upon period
of joyous prosperity when the power OF Its
enemies should be speedily broken by the in
visible might of their glorifed king.
Il cannot fail to impress the attentive
reader that every feature of this book Is made
to bear upon the case of Christian men and
women breastiug the fire and flame OF perse-
cution. They are thought of as IN the midst
of such conflicts as try mems souls. They
are precisely where they need TO see the sur
passing majesty and glory of their own risen
Redeemer Ii. 1919. They need the assur-
anee of his presence, walking amid the seven
golden candlesticks, searching all hearts,Wlt-
Messing every believers personal conflicts,
1nItf u tn nc Mnc
ter; where it must be cheering to see visions
of myriads of men saved through blood and
fire. and to witness the ineffable glory of
their joy, and where the judgments of the
Almighty on his foes are the pledge ofsp eedy
victory, Zion's King and people. Such, COM
prehensively, are the main points made IN
this book Throughout, they undeniably as
sumo that the writer and his first readers
were in the midst of bloody prosecutions, and
therefore give us beyond dispute the moral
purpose Of this book of ReUetdfon.- The
Reuetdtion of John, ioith Notes, Cowles.
When John was an exile at Patmos, and
the date of his vision and writing are matters
of some disagreement among Biblical schol-
ars. There are two periods of early Church
history, corresponding with the times and
circumstances indicated by the apparent
purport of the book. The first was during
the reign of Nero, who, after the burning
of Rome, A. d. GA, charged the act upon the
Christians and excited against them most
cruel persecution, which continued till after
his death, A. d. 6S. The second was under
Domitian A. ID. 80, &c. when Christians we're
involved in persecution against the Jews as
race. The Syrian translation of the Apoc-
alypse made before A. d. 37S the date of the
death of Ephraim of Nisbis, whose writings
are said to abound in quotations from it,
bears this title: "The Revelation which God
made to John the Evangelist in the Island of
Patmos to which he was banished by Nero,
the Emperor" Eusebius, the "father of
Church history" who wrote before A. ID. $40,
speaks of John as being banished to Patmos
and of seeing his visions there in the reign Of
Donlitian, and quotes as authority passage
from Ireneus, who wrote about A. D. $50.
But the passage quoted appears to be ambig-
nous and will admit of three different con-
structions, only one of which, and that not
the most obvious, would authenticate Fuse
biuss assertion. The purpose of the context
in which the passage from Ireneus appears
does not seem to favor such construction.
Others following Eusebius have established
the opinion that has been held that the Apoc-
alypse dates from A. d. 90, SO. But may not
Eusebius have misconstrued Ireneus' Ian
guage? The evidence of the book itself is GER
taiuly in favor of an earlier date. Theimagery
which JESUS employed to describe the de
struction of Jerusalem and the overthrow OF
Judaism is employed in the Apocalypse. Je.
rusalem and the temple are spoken of as in
existence when the uisiOn was seen, and to