The Green Forest tribune., 1916-12-01
INTERNATIONAL SUNl6XSCnO0L
 LESSON (By D. O. SELLERS, Acting Director of the Sunday School Course in the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago0 Copyright, 1916, Western Newspaper Union.)
LESSON FOR DECEMBER 3
JESUS CHRIST THE FIRST AND
 THE LAST.
LESSON TEXT-ReY. 1.

LESSON TEXT--Rev. 1.
 GOLDEN TEXT-Fear not; I am the first and the last and the living one; and l was dead, and behold, l am alive for evermore.-Rev. 1:17 IS.
 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. 1:1S).
 |. Introduction. (vv. 1-3.) We would suggest that all Bible students and teachers, if possible, read the introduc- tion to the Book of Revelation in Sco- fields Reference Bible The book 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 :S.) 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 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
 H. Sautation (yy. 4-S). "The serv- ant of Jesus who records his message was John, and the message was to be i to "the seven churches which are in Asia" that is, the western portion l of Asia Minor, of which EpheSus on the Aegean sea was the principal city. These churches are definitely named in verse H. 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 Laodi- 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 External I am.-EN. 3 :4.) His work is also set forth in verse 5, and the results in our lives in verse 6. We have here the +1c in, n; ;txya of our LOT nd Saviour.
 III: yIyls+ss 9551s}: What John ',.s@ on fhe isfa of Patmos m he W was to write>Mpon N otchment roll and send it to theos s,se4 churches, each of which neeled aamessage. Under the figure of seven candlesticks are enu- merated seven churches. Into the midst of these churches, actually present in them, is one like unto the Son of Man. (See also Matthew :20) Like hu 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 Qsaiah Il D; 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 l (v. 16}, the angels of the churches, pastors or leaders, possibly guardian angels tv. 20l. They are held in his right hand, signifying that they are protected, upheld and controlled by his wisdom and power. (See Jeremiah 20: 24). From his mouth goes a sharp, two-edged sword the spirit of the Word of God sharper than any two edged sword GHebrews 4 :12). And his cOuntenance was as the sun shining in its strength, the glory, such as was manifested in the transfiguration, such as Paul saw near Damascus, is here re- ferred to, It 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 CTS. Is it to be wondered at that John fell at his feet as one dead after hay 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 geatle brotherly touch, which aroused him to consciousness and en- couraged hlm by the words, Fear 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. (v. 1S) And he also has the keys of power and the control o1 death; has the power to preserve iron death and to raise to immortal life even as when he raised the body o1 Lazarus.
 ". The Command. John had en jOyed tender intimacy with the Lor( during his earthly life and yet he wa' stricken down with the overpowerinl majesty and glory which had been re vealed. Now he realized, as perhap never before, the significance of th
 ever-living Christ, and he is hereb. specifically commanded to record thi
 vision as he had seen it and the mes
 sages which the Lord had for tn
 churches. The word mystery (v. 20
 has reference to something which Ina hitherto been hidden to men and whicl is now about to be revealed. Tn revelation was to these churches, an