The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-12-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson for December II,
1893 : The Glorified Saviour = Rev. L,

highly exalted him, and given him a name
which is above every name.-Phil go
DATE.-The book OF Revelation was written
either about D. 6s. shortly before the destruc.
tion Of Jerusalem, or A. d. 95 or 96, toward the
close of the reign of Domitian.
The external evidence is chiefly in favor OF
the later date The internal evidence from
the language used, is a 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, II John
wrote the Revelation In his earlier life when
Hebraic influences prevailed, and his Greek
would be imperfect and Hebraized and the
gospel he wrote with lis purer Greek, after
living twenty five or thirty years in Ephesus
amid the influences Of Greek culture and civili-
zatlon.
For the most part 1t makes little difference
in the Interpretation which date is held to be
correct, except that II most of the events de-
scribed are those connected with the Neronian
persecution and the destruction Of Jerusalem,
then it must have been written at the earlier
date But any other view Of the interpre etation
may be held with either date. i
AUTHoR--St John the apostle, the son Of
Zebedee, the beloved disciple, and the author
Of the Fourth Gospel and three Epistles.
PLACE was written on Patmos o small
rocky island in the d1gean sea, to which John
was banished, and where he saw the vision.
Possibly ut Ephcsus on his return frcm exile
The OBJECT OF THE Book is to encourage
and strengthen the Church during the period
which vas TO elapse between the close Of direct
revelation and the second coming OF her Lord
That period hal been described by Jesus Him.
self, especially in His last discourses, as one of
great difficulty and trial to His people. They
would have TO contend both with outward per-
sccuiion and with inward .dcgeneracy and
apostacy. Mems hearts would faint for fear
and for expectation Of the things that were
coming on the earth. The very powers of
heaven would be shaken. The Book OF Revels-
tion, then, was designed to cheer and anim lte
the church through these days Of darkness.
Every epoch leads up to the golden day. The
line OF conflict may advance and recede from
time to time, but 1t is q triumphant battle field
which is pictured 1t is thus the book of the
advent and victory Of Christ
1t Is book OF war, but the war ends in
riunlph and peace 1t is a book Of thunder.
but the rolling of the thunder dies away in
liturgies and psalms 1t is superb
and stormy protest against the apparent
triumph of evil magnificent and tempestuous
assertion Of hopes which no darkness could ex-
tingush, no seas Of blood could drown
1t was a rallying cry to the armies Of Christ at
the moment when they seemed to be trampled
in irremediable defeat . 1t expressed
the thoughts of men who had seen Peter cruel
fed and Paul bcheaded . We must
try to feel as Christians felt when they saw
their brethren torn by the wild beasts Of the
amphitheatcr or standing as living torches,
each in his pitchy tunic, on one CHASTITY night
in Rome. 1t was written in the days
of earthquakes and inundations and volcanic
outbursts and horrible prodigies Emperor
after emperor vas perishing by poison, suicide
or slaughter Alike Rene and Jerusalem had
been dcluged with massacre. The sun of hu
man life seemed to be setting amid seas OF
blood the air was full of the vultures Of retri.
button. AT such an hour-perhaps the dimmest
and the most disastrous which ever fell upon
an afflicted world-the seer still prophesies
triumphantly OF the coming dawn.
PARALLEL-No little light is thrown upon
Revelation by the great discourse of our Lord
in Matt "a.
FOUR SCHOOLS OF INTERPRETERS.
|. The PrBterists, or those who hold
that the whole, or by far the greater
part, of the prophecy has been fulfilled
(among whom are Ewald. DeWette,
Moses Stuart, L. d. Maurice, Farrar in
a measure). These understand that a
large portion of Revelation refers to
the Neronian persecution and the de-
struction of Jerusalem.
III. The Futurists or those who r1ain-
tain that the prophecy relates entirely
to events that are to 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, Bengel,
Wordsworth, Barnes, and, in modified
form, Afford, Cook. This, view had
dominated the church for several
centuries. To me it seems indisput-
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 vet un-
known future.
Nv. Some of the more modern COM
mentators take a view which seems to
me to be nearer the truth than the
older commentators reached, in which
''recent interpreters have been distinct
ly approaching to unanimity never be-
fore observed in regard to its interpre-
tation." We are disposed to view the
Apocalypse as the pictorial unfolding
of great principles in constant con-
tiict, though under various forms. The
praterist may, then, be right in find
ing early fulfillments, and the futurist
in expecting undeveloped ones, and
the historical interpreter is unques-
tionably right in looking for them
along the whole line of ehistory; for
the words of Gcd mean more than one
man, or one school of thought, can
compass. The visions of the book
find counterparts in the occurrences
of human history. They have bad
these, and they yet will have these
fulfillments; and these fulfillments be-
long neither wholly to the past, nor
wholly to the future. The prophecies
of God are written in language
which can be read by more than one
generation.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Yer. 8. Even the best and most low
ing of men have their share of tribula-
ton.
Yer. 10. But of that trihulation they
enter the seventh Heaven,
and have most glorious visions, as