Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-02
By Rev. H. T. Stevenson.

revelation is unique among the scrip
tural books, in that it assures bless
ing to all who read, hear and keep Its
prophecies. There is no other portion
that contains as much comfort for the
Christian in the hour of discourage
ment, darkness and despair as this
photographed record of John. who
informed his brethren of the churches
of Christ how there came to him while
he was a prisoner on the Isle Of Pat
mos this vision of the crowned Christ.
The unwilling Of the personality, power
and purpose of the Lord Jesus con-
tanned in the last book of the Bible
makes it the ideal Scripture for the
followers of Christ to study.
The miner has to dig for his gold. SO
the student of the Scriptures will find
that he will have to study to master
the difficulties presented by Revelation
There are at least four different
methods of interpreting this book
the preterist, historic, futurist and
spiritual The patient study of the
book will be rewarded. The main lines
of its thought will appear and give
power to the disciple of Christ because
it reveals how Jesus is today ruling
over the destiny Of men and nations
and how that eventually all the king
doms of this world shall become the
kingdom of the Lord Jesus. The mys-
terry of the personality of the Christ
and of His presence, power and program
in the work of the churches will not be
unprecedented except by those who have,
through their love for the Master. come
to know the secret of their Lord.
The tribulation. trial and testings of
the last surviving apostle did not destroy
his faith but filed him with the spirit OF
worship upon the Lords Day, when he
knew that across the sea in Ephesus his
loyal flock were remembering their absent
pastor before the throne of grace. The
darkness, danger and degradation all dis
appeared when he thought that he was
enduring the prisons experience because
of his fidelity as a preacher of the Word
and witness for the Lord Jesus.
In that hour of His servants trial the
Master, who upon earth had been the
humblest of men, drew near and unveiled
His grace. government and glory to His
disciple. In the vision of the Master that
John saw on Patmos the apostle saw
his risen Lord and heard the notes OF
triumph that proclaimed the exaltation OF
the one who had been despised and re-
jected among men. He was the Living
one. having life in Himself. who had once
tasted death for every sinful man. He
had conquered death and possessed the
keys of death and of hades." He was
the Master OF them both, SO that all VINO
believed In Him were assured that they
would also be triumphant over sin and
satan.
The appearance of the crowned Christ
to the lonely apostle in his trouble sug-
gests how closely the unseen Lord watches
over His own in their struggles, suffering
and sorrow The unwilling of the Mas
ter showed to John that He was still the
same loving. compassionate Christ that
once trod the hills of Gallilee with him
n J., iafn In, no, ~
Jesus. Enthroned in glory. His heart con-
tinued and continues to beat in sympathy
with His people to whom In the hour of
their trial He draws near and speaks to
them as he did to John when He tenderly
placed the pierced hand upon him and re-
moved all sense of fear with His reassur-
ing words.
John was trying to understand the flu
ture. wondering what would be the result
of his work in building up the churches