The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-12-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson for Decembev ~.
1898 The Giorin-d Saviour = Rev. ~

Especially Arranged from Peloubers Notes
GOLDEN TEXT Wherefore God also hath
highly exalted him. and given him name
which l. above every name.-Phil go
DATE-The book OF r. yelation was written
either about A. ID u, shortly before the destruc-
tion OF Jerusalem or A ID " or o. toward the
close Of the reign OF Domltian
The external evidence Is chiefly in favor Of
the later date The internal evidence from
the language used. is . strong argument In IA
vor Of the earlier date The difference In lam
guage between Revelation and the Fourth Cos
PEI can most easily be accounted for, u John
wrote the Revelation in his earlier life when
Hcbraic Influences prevailed. and his Greek
would be imperfect and Hebraized. and the
gospel he wrote with its purer Greek. after
living twenty i've or thirty years In Ephesus
amid the Influences OF Greek culture and civil
zatlcn
For the most part, IL makes little difference
In the Interpretation which date Is held 10 DO
correct. except that II most OF the events de-
serlbed are those connected with the Neronian
persecution and the destruction OF Jerusalem,
then IL must have been written at the earlier
date But any ether view OF the interpret ation
may be held with either date.
ArTHOR st John the apostle. the son of
Zebedee, The beloved disciple. and the author
Of the Fourth Gospel and three Epis,les
PLACE 1t was written on Patmos, n small
rocky island in the .f.yean sea TO which John
Possibly al Ephesus on his return from exile
THE OBJECT or THE BOOK Is To encourage
and strengthen the church during the period
which was 10 clapse between the close OF direct
revelation and the second coming OF her Lord
That period had been described by Jesus Him.
self especially In His last discourses. as one Of
great difficulty and trial 10 His people. They
would have to contend both with outward per-
seeufion and with inward degeneracy and
apostacy- Mems hearts would faint for fear
and for expectation OF the things that we're
coming on the earth. The very powers Of
heaven would be shaken The Book OF Revela-
ton. then was designed 10 cheer and animats
the church through these days OF darkness.
Every epoch leads up 20 the golden day. The
line or conflict may advance and recede from
time 10 time. bat II l. . triumphant battle field
which Is pictured II Is thus the book OF the
advent aud victory OF Christ
IL s. book Of war. but the war ends In
riurnph and peace II Il book OF thunder.
but the rolling Of the thunder dies away In
litur-ies and psalms Ii Is a superb
and stormy protest against the apparent
triumph ~ evil a MAGNIFICENT and tempestuous
assertion OF hopes which no darkness could ex-
tugulsh. no seas OF blood could drown
II wa. a rallying cry % the armies OF Christ At
the moment when they seemed to be trampcd
In irreuediable defeat 1t expressed
the thoughts Of men who hal seen Peter cruci-
fed ana Paul bcheaded We must
try 10 feel a. Christians felt when they saw
their brethren torn by the Wild beasts OF the
amphitheater or standing as living torches.
each IN his pitchy tunic, on one CHASTITY night
in Rome Ii was written in the days
Of earthquakes and foundations and volcano
outbrrsts and horrible prodigies. Emperor
after emperor was peTishing by poison suicide
or slaughter Alike Rome and Jerusalem had
been dc.u-ed with massacre. The sun Of hui
man lie seemed 10 be setting amid seas ~
blood. the air was full Of the vutures Of retri.
button Al such an hOur-ferhaps the dimmest
aud the most disastrous which ever fell upon
an afflicted world-the seer still prophesies
triurnphantly OF the coming dawn
PAEALLEI--<o little light is thrown upon
Revelation by the great discourse Of our Lord
in Matt -.
FOUR SCHOOLS OF INTERPRETERS.
l. the Prnterists, or those who hold
that the whole. or by far the greater
part. of the prophecy has been fulfilled
tamong whom are Ewald. DeWette,
Moses Stuart, +. ID. Maurice. Farrar in
a measure). These understand that .
large portion Of Revelation refers to
the Ncronian persecution and the de-
struction of Jerusalem.
H. The Futurists, or those who main
tain that the prophecy relates entirely
to events that are 10 take place at or
near the coming of the Lord (such As
Maitland. Todd. Isaac Williams).
III. The Historical Interpreters. or
those who hold that the prophecy EN-
braces the whole history of the church
and its foes. from the time of its writ
ing TO the end of the world. Among
these are Isaac Newton. Bcngcl,
Wordsworth. Barnes, and. in modified
form. Afford. Cook. This view had
dominated the church for several
centuries. To me it seems indispnt-
able that the book does speak Of things
past. present. and future; that some of
its prophecies are already fulfilled.
some are now fulfilling, and others
await their fulfilment in the yet IN
known future.
~. Some of the more modern com
mcntators take a view which seems to
me to be nearer the truth than the
older commentators reached, in which
recent Interpreters have been distinct
lyapproaching to a unanimity never be-
fore observed in regard to its interprc-
tation." We are disposed to view the
Apocalypse as the pictorial unfolding
Of great principles in constant con-
fiict. though under various forms The
prmterist may, then, be right in find
ing early fulfllmcnts, and the futurist
in expecting undcveloped ones, and
the historical interpreter is unques-
tionably right in looking for them
along the whole line of history; for
the words Of God mean more than one
man. or one school of thought, can
compass The visions Of the book
find countcrparts in the occurrences
Of human history. They have had
these, and they yet will have these
fulfllmcnts; and these fulfillments be-
long neither wholly to the past, nor
wholly to the future. The prophecies
of God are written in q language
which can be read by more than ono
generation
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Yer. o. Even the best and most low
ing Of men have their share of tribula-
ton.
Yer. 10. But Of that tribulation they
,metimes enter the seventh Heaven,
and have most glorious visions, as
jacob saw the Heavenly stairway from