The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-12-01

S.ir j. '.r. '".hr '"n have depart
al, so"' ~ from any
t!G"@ a... s., c VI! .r,,"r. Paul
Ii,.G i.n o nr writing NJ
tn, -. e.. !spH illus
t"::t,a ."e rI'0l Jesus
Chr..i and !!.bors Of
tI.' g;i,-r 80 -.
t Ins; s,. Z t.laj We would
@i..:i U ice. ..s.l,utE and
t,;.a us, J.. l. ID. Il -. iu;roduc.
lion 10 thr Gsa' ul t:oy,.I..om in SEQ
fclG's Ecsor.H'' r.&r. IN" bool;
proper '..a Revocation Of Jesus
Chri4t' John, liIn irloyed disciple,
wEo wrote the Gospel and Eplstlca,
was tho ore WHO saw the visions re-
corded thcrcia.. Many OF The th!agS
are historical, others are prophctlcally
set forth. The latter are shortly to
come to pass" (Src also II Peter 3 81
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. 9G; 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.
u. SaIutation wv. 4-S). 1.-THE serv.
ant Of Jesus who records his message
was John, and the message was to be
10 "the seven churches which arc
N ASIA" that Is, the western portion
pf 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
lhe seven successive epochs Of church
history. If so, no age is exclusively
Epheslan, or Philadelphia, or Laodl-
cean. The grace, favor, loving kind
ness, is free gift from Christ, who
Is here giving a threefOld title, name
": First begotten from the dead, wit
ness and prince.
III. Vision wv. 0.1s). What John
saw on the isle of Patmos he wns 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 :2O.) Like hu-
man being, Jesus was, but now clothed
girded about with the girdle worn by
rrleStS and kings, symbol of his
bower and strength Qsaiah II 20; Eph.
B:14). His head and his hands, his
feet and his eyes are all referred to,
each having It's symholical significance.
In his right hand are the seven stars
". 10y, the angels OF the churches,
pastors or leaders, possibly guardian
angels ". 20). They are held In his
right hand, signifyIng that they are
protected, upheld and controlled by his
wisdom and power. (Sce Jeremiah %:
PAY. From his mouth goes sharp,
two-edged sword; the spirit Of the
Word Of God sharper than any two
edged sword (HcbrcwS 4 10y. And his
eountenance was as the sun shining in
Its strength, the glory, such as was
manifested in the transformation, such
rs Paul saw near Damascus, is here re-
ferred to.
w. The Command. John had en-
joyed tender intimacy with the Lord
during his earthly life and yet he was
stricken down with the ovcrpowering
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 1t 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
ts living reality. unveiled for the
time from the unseen.
Jesus IS living fact which we are
10 communicate to men. The seven
stars ". 20) are messages in his own
right hand.
The churches are the lamp stands,
Christ himself Is the light, the sun
". 1877.
T. The messages John is commanded to
deliver have four-fold application ~
TO the churches actually addressed, but
which have long since passed away
(2) to all churches in oil times, adj
nionishing them to discover their true
spiritual state; (S) 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 phases Of spiritual his.
tory, following the days of John, the
writer, (a) Beginning; (b) persecution;
10 worldllness; (d) priestly form.
hlism; (e) reformation; (f) test.
lmony to the word and the name.
NNIINTv TN HAVE Dali PNAn