Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1916-11-30
LESSON FOR DECEMBER 3
JESUS CHRIST THE FIRST AND
THE LAST.
LESSON TExT-Rev.

-
| GOLDEN TExT-Fear not; I am the
j first and the last, and the living one; and
I was dead. and behold, I am alive for
evermore-Rev LII, Is.
The lesson committee have depart
ed, seemingly, 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. 1:1S).
|. Introduction. wv. 1-3.) We would
/ suggest that all Bible students and
teachers, if possible, read the introduce
| ton to the Book of Revelation in SEQ
fields Reference Bible. The book
proper is 1.-THE Revelation of JestY
Christi John, the beloved discipl4
who wrote the Gospel and Epistles,
was the one who saw the visions re-
corded therein. Many of the things
are historical others are propheticaily
set forth. The latter are shortly to
come to pass" (See also III Peter 80
John tells not only what God said but
what he himself saw. The late Doctor
Brooks of st. Louis omitted this book
from his study for many years. until
he saw the comments recorded in verse
3. The time of the writing of this
book has variously been stated as from
A. d. 60 to A. D. So; the writer was
certainly John the Beloved. The place
of writing was the island of Patmos
OF 70 E1rah
sus The real author, however, is
Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
II. Salutation wv. 4-S). "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 inI
verse II. 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 Philadelphia, or Laodi-I
cean. The grace, favor, loving kind-l
ness, is q free gift from Christ, Who'll
is here giving threefold title, name
ly: First begotten from the dead, witt
ness and prince.
Ill. Vision wv. 9-1S). What John
saw on the isle of Patmos he was to
write upon parchment roll and sendl
it to the seven churches, each of
which needed message. Under theI
figure of seven candlesticks are enu-h
merated seven churches. Into the midstl
of these churches, actually present in
them, is one like unto the Son of Mani
(See also Matthew IS :20l Like a hui
man being, Jesus was, but now clothed
with the garment of his eternal glory,I
girded about with the girdle worn by
priests and kings, a symbol of his
power and strength Qsaiah II 20; Eph.
6 I'D. 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 ". 20). They are held in his !.
right hand, signifying that they areu
protected, upheld and controlled by his |
wisdom and power. (See jeremiah %:
24). From his mouth goes sharp,
two-edged sword; the spirit of the
Word of God sharper than any two
edged sword (Hebrews :12). And his
countenance was as the sun shining in
it's strength, the glory, such as was
manifested in the TRANSPORTATION, such
as Paul saw near Damascus, is here re-
ferred to.
Nv. The Command. John had en-
joyed a 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
specifically 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
is now about to be revealed The
revelation was to these churches, and
it is to US also.
Jesus is not mere vision but he
is a living reality, unveiled for the
time from the unseen.
Jesus is living fact which we are
to communicate to men. The seven
stars ". 20) are messages in his OWE
right hand.
The churches are the lamp stands
Christ himself is the light, the sun
". 16).
The messages John is commanded to
deliver have a four-fold application ID
to the churches actually addressed, but
which have long since passed away;
(2) to all churches in all times, adj
monishing them to discover their true
spiritual state; 90 to individuals, 'he
that hath an ear that they shall claim
the promises made ito him that over
cometh" and az they are prophetic OF
the different nbbSac of cDirit,1a1 bieS