The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-06-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JUNE ID.

l.. The heavenly state Tvs. 1-5). ].
And" The first five verses complete
he description of the new heaven ard
earth. The entire passage 21:1 to 22:5
should he read as one u%nbroken de-
scription. HE showed me" (R. W It
was the angel interpreter Of 21:9, u,
who showed" John this wonderful
vision. Pure river" This is evident
y a reference to the garden Of para
1ise, and the river by which it was
watered. Water of life" This is a
familiar .s%criptural image. Living,
pure water is everywhere the type of
blessing (Psa. 1858; 1874; 105:41; Joel
3:1s; John 7:37-39). proceeding" etc.
The supply is ~exhaustless. Here is all
unfailing 4ulness Of love, joy and
peace.
2. Street of it," This refers to the
lily described in the preceding chap
ter. Tree Of life" The symbol Of
perpetual Immortality. The heavenly
paradise, like the paradise in Eden,
has its river and tree of life. The tree
If life is a favorite image of Selomon's
wisdom; the fruit of the righteous, the
fulfilled desire, the wholesome tongue,
each is "a tree of life" What posi-
oilities of blessing these figures shadow
forth, who shall say? Twelve man
uer Of fruits" Rather, twelve fruit
ages, or fruit ha~ests. The idea is not
that there were different species Of
fruits, but successive crops. Leaves
IF the tree" The very leaves, in their
fadeless beauty, are a universal guar
antee that perfect health is the coll
slant and everlasting blessing. Of the
tlorifed state. mo more curse" AS
there shall be no more SHINING against
God, so there shall be no more curse Of
God upon the people, for they shall be
all His servants and serve Him. 4.
Shall see His face" This is that
vision Of God" of which ~theologians
have much spoken, constituting the
highest glory of heaven. See 1 Cor.
1912; l John 80. In their fore
beads" Saints of God in this life Of
ten reflect the image of the heavenly
IN their c~ountenances.
5. mo night there" John in his
vision sees one eternal day. This is
6gurative language. Darkness is the
emblem of sin, sorrow, pain and death;
none of these will be found in heaven.
1Giveth them light" The divine glory
never dims. No revolving of the orb
renders the opposite hemisphere dark.
Who can anticipate what honors God
nay have awaiting the saints. For
ever and ever" Unto the ages Of the
ages" R. ", margin. Unto eterni-
lies of eternities."
II. Gods sayings are true Tvs. 6, q.
8. "Ard." The visions which John
saw are now ended. The remaining
verses of the chapter are his epilogue.
He said" The interpreting angel ".
y here reafirms the words Of God (21:
81. "These sayings" The utterances
and revelations of this book. "Of the
spirits of the prophets" Or. w. The
God who called and commissioned the
prophets to reveal His word. Shortly
De DONE" There are many things in
This book which, if taken literally,
would intimate that the prophecies
were to be fulflled.in a short time af-
Ter their delivery. This would support
The idea that they referred to those
dimes in which the apostle lived, and
TO the disturbances which took place
among the Jews and in the Roman en-
pire. What they all mean, and when
and how they are to be fulfilled, God
IN heaven alone knows! Z. II come
quickly" There is a difference of
opinion as to what this coming refers:
1. Some think it refers to Christ's
coming at the end Of the world. 2.
Others think it may refer to His COM
ing in the gospel dispensation. 8.
Christ comes to each of lis at death,
and in this sense His coming, at the
longest, will be soon. BLESSED"
Blessing and woe are dependent on the
spirit in which the truths Of this book
are read and practiced.
III. God only is to be worshiped Tvs.
3, 81. 8. II John saw" The R. V. is
better here. John had placed his
name in the tile of his book (chap. Ia,
D, and now at the close he names him.
self again, so that we might perfectly
know that he, the Apostle John, had
written this testimony as to the coming
Of Jesus Christ" II fell down." Over
whelmed with wonder and reverence
at the extraordinary revelations made
to him, and filed with praise at the
amazing blessedness God has prepared
for His children, John felt the impulse
Of worship. and it may be that Barnes
Is right in his suggestion that tse apos-
tie mot improbably entertained some
suspicion that it was the Redeemer
Himself who had manifested Himself,
There was the same attempt and refu-
sal in chapter 1910. This twice offered
and refused worship is full of teach
ing. Thy fellow servant" One bond
Of service unites angels and men; to
be servants Of God is the highest title
they can attain; worship is for God
alone. The words worship God" are
most emphatic; Ito God give thy wor-
ship, and not to me-"
Nv. In the future world character
Is fixed Tvs. 10, 11). 10. Seal not the
sayings" Isaiah (S:16; 30:S) and Dan
lei (S:26; 1914, 81 were commanded to
seal up their prophecies. Their prophe.
cies related to far-distant times. John
was directed not to seal up his prelic.
tons, but to leave them open so that a
prosecuted church might have access
to them. II. He that is unjust" See
p. v. The words contain that solemn
lesson often taught in the Scriptures
that we are fixing our own character
every day we live and that. if judg-
ment overtake US at the last, the result
will be traceable to no arbitrary de-
cree, but to the manner in which, as
moral beings, we met the conditions of
that moral system in which we have
been placed.
Tree Grows Six Inches q Day.
Catalina grows at the rate Of q third