Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1912-11-05
THE DRAMA OF THE APOCALYPSE
A New Book Written BY Rev. Thomas
c. Bird.

A new book, Just published by the
Roxburgh Publishing Company,
Boston. il 1.-The Drama IF the Apo
calypso. an introduction to the Book
of Revelation, by the Rev. Thomas
G. Bird. minister of College Avenue
Baptist Church.
This book fills a long-feIt need.
No portion of the Bible has been
more perplexing than the Revelation.
But this author has translated the
abstruse into the comprehensive.
We admire the boldness with which
he handles the mysterious figures
and symbols, and eonfers the plausi-
bility of his explanations. He implic-
ity accepts the traditional view of the
Johannine authorship and unity of the
Revelation: he acknowledges his in
debtedness to many who have wrought
in the same field, and there is much
here held in common by all who have
written on this subject. But in pa ss-
ing through the mold of his brain il
has assumed such shape that we
question whether chey would recog-
nize their contributions.
This by no means implies a lack
of genuine originality in this work,
for it is by far the most predomi-
nant feature. The author has bold
ly hewed out a new path. shows
the object of the Revelation and
the harmony of all its parts. 1t
is not Commentary as this tern is
generally understood. The book is
remarkably free from all technical
and theological terms His thesis is
that the inspired writer boldly gIap-
pies with the problem of evil; Iic-
lures its conflict with righteousness
from the beginning of time to the
final issue, and shows the relation of
religious conditions in his own day to
the age-long struggle between good
and evil which ends in the triumph
Of good.
After reading this book land it is
readable) one has a clear
conception of the message of the
The author has a won
derful grasp of his subject and writes
as if he occupied some lofty altitude
and viewed the whole prospect of the
Revelation at his feet. He does not
hurry over the hard places, but
bravely meets each question in turn
and shows its relation to the whole.
In the progress of this study the read
er is never allowed to lose sight of
the ground he has already traversed,
and when he closes the book will in
wardly thank the author for such a |
clear presentation of the teaching of |
the Revelation.
This is different from everything
else that has ever been written on
this Book of Scripture We wonder /
why no one ever saw it this way be- !
fore. Even that which is commonly
held by all interpreters takes on a /
new significance in this authors
scheme. The perplexing symbols and
figures are so satisfactorily explain
ed that we wonder why it was ever
that their primary purpose
was to obscure rather than reveal
the truth, so as not to give the politi-
.al authorities an occasion for furth- 1
er persecution thus assuming that the
inspired writer's contemporaries
we're conversant with their meaning
and that the very nature of things
we have lost the key to their inter-
probation.
Mr.. Bird shows that the thought
in the mind ofithe Inspired writer was
exactly the opposite, the objects |
serving the purpose of pictures as
with mere words One
strongly commehdatory feature of
this work is that it does not leave
the gre ater part of the Revelation
yet to be fulfilled. We have no
hesitancy in saying that it is the |
most satisfactory explanation of
this Book fof Scripture that has
ever come under our notice, and we
predict for it a sympathetic recep-
tion at the, hands of all who are
iesirous of knowing what the Rev
elation really teaches. 1t is the /
latest word on this confessedly OBJ
scure Book, and unless we are greatly i
all future efforts to ex-
plain the Revelation must necessarily |
run along the lines laid down in this i
pioneer work.
& 1t is work that..will live and will |
be extensively read and referred to, |
lrote1 and highly priced by lavman,
scholar and all who may be interested /
in this line Lof thought and study. |
It.is bound lin English silk-finished |
cloth, and printed on high grade pa
per. 1t sells for. So and may be or
lered at any book store.