Middletown transcript., 1916-12-02
LESSON FOR DECEMBER 8
JESUS CHRIST THE FIRST AND
THE LAST.
LESSON TEXT-Rev. 1.

| was DEAD, and DenOlQ, am dllNo AOE
| evermore.-Rev. iii 18.
The lesson committee have depart
ed, seemingly, a long way from any
thing like chronological order. Paul
had nothing to do with the writing OF
the Revelation, yet this lesson Illus
trates the pre-eminence which Jesus
Christ had in the mind and labors of
the great apostle (COl. 1879.
|. Introduction. wv. 1-3.) We would
suggest that all Bible students and
teachers, if possible. read the intrOduc-
ton to the Book of Revelation in SEQ
fields Reference Bible. The bUOk
proper is "The Revelation of Jesus
Christ" John, the beloved disciple,
who wrote the Gospel and Epistles,
was the one who saw the visions re-
corded therein. Many of the things
are historical, others are prOphetically
set forth. The latter are shortly to
come to pass" (See also II Peter 3 :8.)
John tells not only what God said but
what he himself saw. The late Doctor
from his study for many years until
he saw the comments recorded in verse
8. The time of the writing of this
book has variOusly been stated as from
A. D. 60 to A. D. 96; the writer was
certainly John the Beloved. The place
of writing was the island Of PatmOs
in the Aegean sea, not far from Ephe-
sus. The real author, however, is
Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
II. SaIutation (vv. 4-8). "The serv-
ant Of Jesus who records his message
was John, and the message was to be
to "the seven churches which are
in Asia !" that is, the western portion
of Asia Minor, of which Ephesus on
the Aegean sea was the principal city.
These churches are definitely named in
verse IL. There is good reason to
think that these churches represented
the seven successive epochs of church
history. If so, no age is exclusively
EpheSian, or Philadelphian, or LaOdl-
cean. The grace, favor, loving kind
ness, is a free gift from Christ, who
is here giving a threefOld title. name
ly: First begOtten from the dead. wit
ness and prince. He it is, which is
love, and which is to come. eternal
I am.-Ex. 8: ~ His work is also set
forth in verse 5, and the results in our
lives In verse 6. We have here the
real humanity and the certain deity Of
OUr TOrd and Saviour
III. Vision wv. 9-18). What John
saw on the isle of Patmos he was to
write upon a parchment roll and send
it to the seven churches, each Of
which needed a message. Under the
figure of seven candlesticks are emu
merated seven churches. Into the midst
of these churches, actually present in
them, is one like unto the Son of Man.
(See also Matthew Is :20.) Like hui
man being, Jesus was, but now clothed
with the garment of his eternal glory,
girded about with the girdle worn by
priests and kings, a symbol of his
power and strength (Isaiah II IS; Eph.
6:14). His head and his hands, his
feet and his eyes are all referred to,
each having it's symbOlical significance.
In his right hand are the seven stars
". 16), the angels of the churches,
pastors or leaders, possibly guardian
angels ". 2O). They are held In his
right hand, signifying that they are
protected, upheld and controlled by his
wisdom and power. (See jeremiah %:
24). From his mouth goes a sharp,
two-edged sword; the spirit Of the
Word of God sharper than any two
edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). And his
cOuntenance was as the sun shining In
its strength, the glory, such as was
manifested in the transfguratiOn, such
as Paul saw near Damascus, is here re-
ferred to. 1t is the symbol of the glOri-
our nature of our Savior King, eclipS-
ing all other beings, as the sun
eclipses the stars. He who is victory
over the darkness of ignorance and
sin and who is the prince of all pow
ers. Is it to be wondered at that John
fell at his feet as one dead after hav-
ing seen such an overwhelming vision?
The greater the discoveries we have
of the glory of Christ, the more we
shall be humbled In the dust before
him. Jesus laid his right hand upon
John, a gentle. brOtherly touch, which
aroused him to consciousness and en-
couraged him by the words, Gear not;
I am the first and the last" The same
divine Jesus, whom he had known on
earth and whom he had seen crucified
and risen from the dead, ever
liveth. ". 18) And he also has the
keys of power and the control of
death; has the power to preserve from
death and to raise to immortal life,
even as when he raised the body Of
Lazarus.
w. The Command. John had en-
Ioyed tender intimacy with the Lord
during his earthly life and yet he was
stricken down with the overpOwering
majesty and glory which had been re-
vealed. Now he realized. as perhaps
never before, the significance Of the
everything Christ, and he is hereby
commanded to record this
vision as he had seen it and the mes
sages which the Lord had for the
churches. The word mystery ". 20)
has reference to something which has
hitherto been hidden to men and which
s now about to be revealed. The
revelation was to these churches, and
t is to US also.
Jesus is not a mere vision but he
s a living reality, unveiled for the
ime from the unseen.
Jesus is a living fact which we are
o communicate to men. The seven