The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-11-27
JOHNS VISION OF CHRIST.
DR.. JOHN HALLS NOTES ON THE
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
Lesson TX OF tho international Series for
Sunday, Nov. 2S-Golden Text, Il am
He that Liveth, and was Dead"-ltev.
1, I8-Lesson Text, Rev. 1, Ais.

1, 1S-LessOn Text, Rev. l, Ais.
No more important lesson than this has
been studied and the difficulty will bc to
bring into the fixed limits even IA brief notice
of the many great truths here touched The
teacher will explain at the outset that the
whole book Is q letter, and while the seven
churches" are formally addressed, tho entire
book is an epistle to the whole church
throughout the world
A second thing tho teacher will bear in
mind, namely, that the bold imagery Of the
book-and this lesson has much of its TO
be traced To foregoing scripture. The Old
Testament is therefore the standard by which
we are to interpret many Of the symbols OF
the book. Indeed, it presents and completes the
unity of Revelation; for while man begins in
Paradise from which his sin drives him, he is
seen in the end Of Revelation again in Eden,
and holding converse with God without
temptation and without sin
Our lesson naturally divides itself into the
introduction, the description of Jesus and the
message he sends; but for the purpose Of the
class, it will probably be better to take it up
verse by verse.
V. 4. John, the friend Of Jesus, the life
long preacher, the writer of the gospel, tho
sufferer for the truth, the aged disciple, is
well fitted to receive and deliver the mes
sage OF tho Churchs Head The "seven
churches" in Asia represent, while they are
one by one, no doubt, truly described, the
conditions Of the whole Church in all time.
Asia-sometimes called Proconsular Asia
includes only small part of the continent
now so described. 1t is the Asia referred to
in l Peter i, /; Acts ii, o; vi, 9. "Grace and
peace" are in the usual New Testament bless
ing. "Mercy" is inserted in the Epistles to
Timothy. The description from him "which
is" etc, can only apply to God the Father,
the II Am" who is "from everlasting to ever
lasting" Sec Gods description of himself
to Isaiah, Isa. xii, A. xiv, 6. The "seven
spirits" cannot he angels or creatures
of any sort. or they would not be placed be-
tween the Father and tho Son in this nc
count The lamp OF the tabernacle, the sa-
cred and perfect number seven, found in the
same connection in Lech. iv, ., q, and the
fact that the gift Of the Spirit are sevenfold
iii Is xi, ., explain this language. The per-
feet, sevenfold work Of the one divine Per-
son wo have brought before us. 1t is the
idea of Cor. xii f. Universities of gifts, but
the same Spirit" This Spirit is given through
Christ hence Rev. i'll, T.; iv, 5, and v, i.
" s. Jesus is the faithful witness to Gods
character and law, concerning all eternal
things, from God to men. Jesus himself often
employed the word witness" He is the First
begotten from the dead; for though there
were resurrections before his lazarus, e. 81,
they were only temporary, and the last
enemy came again. BIT Jesus 'dieth no
more" and his rising is the ground of all
other triumphant resurrections He is "prince
of the kings OF the earth; as he said, "all
power is given" etc, Matt. xviii Is. (Ps ii,
Eek, 81 Then comes the doxology, in which
Christ's great work is owned, running on into
" g. Mark the order-love, washing, max
ing kings and priests, etc. We arc to give
this glory to Jesus now and forever. We
are-all believers-now, kings and priests
unto God. Peter ii, o.
V. T. Christ came once in lowliness. He
will come again in glory, with clouds of
awe-inspiring darkness. The idea Is of terror
to his enemies, as we see by the next words
"they which pierced him" wall" etc To
the saints his coming Is joyful; it is ter
rible to unpardoned sinners. Read care
fully Ps. lxlvii 3, from which perhaps this
idea comes But John and all believers re-
joice in his coming and in all he does So
Even so, Amen"
VS. The divine Being describes himself at
greater length, as in v. 4, taking the first and
last letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha and
omega-"the beginning and the ending"-to
represent his eternity, and repeating the Ian
guage Of V. 4, adding "the Almighty OF
this supreme cause Of all, Jesus is the repre-
sentative; and while men reject him now,
and in so doing reject the Almighty, when he
comes again it will be tc assert and vindicate
divine right, and his enemies will quail be-
fore him. See Zech. xii, l0.)
V.9. John now describes himself in Ian
guage which could apply to no other John
than the apostle "Brother"-how he puts
himself on level with the ordinary believers!
All were there suffering for the truth, hence
companion in tribulation;" but all had joy
and strength III the kingdom and patience of
Jesus. He was an exile in Patmos, IA rocky
isle in the .Egean sea The government of
Domitian was trying to put down Christian
itv. The cause of his Punishment was for
"the word of Cod and the witness he was
bearing to Jesus. They could place him on
the bare bleak rocks, but they could not rob
him of his joy.
V. 10 The Lords day first occurs here
as a phrase, and soon came into general use
1t is good description Of the first day of
the week r." the day of his rising. He was lin
the Spirit'-not merely ms all Gods people
are ain the Spirit" Gal V, IL, ~ but spec
tally taught, helped and comtorted. When
Gods people suffer for him, he gives them
blessed compensation. Notice the significance
of the dcscription-tho Lords day, house,
supper people, service For the voice, as of
"a trumpet" see Num- X, =; IS xviii, 33.
V. II gives instructions to write the COM
munications now to be made to him and send
them to the seven churches named. There
were doubtless many more than these, but
probably these are chosen to represent to the
future the dangers, duties, encouragements
and hopes to be kept in mind by all Gods
people in their various conditions. The his
tory Of tho church shows the need Of such
revelation We do not take the commission
to include only the epistles to each, but the
whole revelation to the end.
V. L. The speaker is seen among "seven
golden candlcsticks," the description as in
the Septuagint of Ex. XIV, 81 Heb. tx, p, re-
produced in Zech iva
V 49,, and representing tho churches,
many in number, dependent for the light
they give out on him who is in the midst. A
candlesticlI by itself gives no light 1t holds
,,,> lao l,bt Eailincy in tb;s 10 ,,S.laca