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THE REVELATION OF JOHN 
 
THE REVELATION OF 
 JOHN 
 
 AN INTERPRETATION OF THE ( OCT 1 
 
 BOOK WITH AN INTRODUC- \> 
 TION AND A TRANSLATION BY 
 
 1918 
 
 %MIMI Sflfip 
 
 CHARLES C. WHITING M.A., B.D. 
 
 yARTIetV6RITi 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 THE GORHAM PRESS 
 
 MCMXVIII 
 
Copyright, 1918, by Charles C. Whiting 
 
 All Rights Reserved 
 
 MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
 The Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A. 
 
To My Wife 
 
 Whose Continuous Sympathy 
 
 and Valuable Assistance 
 
 Have Contributed Greatly 
 
 To This Volume 
 
PREFACE 
 
 In the following pages an attempt is made to reach an inter- 
 pretation of the Revelation of John that will be both reasonable 
 and in accord with the best modern scholarship and at the same 
 time so simple that the ordinary layman will find it easily within 
 his grasp. It is hoped, therefore, that these pages may be found 
 profitable by all who are interested in the interpretation of the 
 closing book of the New Testament. 
 
 Although this volume is the result of study extending over 
 many years it makes no claim to exhaustiveness ; indeed it is 
 only an interpretation, and that merely in outline, of the book. 
 An accurate interpretation of every word and phrase of the book 
 along historical lines is impossible in the present state of our 
 knowledge, but enough is known to enable us to understand it 
 in a general way, and this general knowledge is of very great 
 practical value. 
 
 For the reader's convenience, and because careful study show- 
 ed both the Authorized Version of 1611 and the Revised Ver- 
 sion of 1885 t0 De defective, it was found necessary to include 
 a fresh translation of the book in this volume. A translation, as 
 literal as possible, into clear, simple, modern English has been 
 the aim. Although in many ways the book is a difficult one for 
 the translator it is hoped some success has been obtained. The 
 translation is inserted as Appendix I. In Appendix II will be 
 found brief explanations of the very few technical terms and 
 proper names used in the volume the explanation of which might 
 be helpful to some readers. 
 
 If the succeeding pages prove to be a help to the intelligent 
 comprehension of the book the writer of them will rejoice that 
 his labour has not been in vain. 
 
 c. c. w. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Part I. Introduction 1 1 
 
 I. The Apocalyptic Age 13 
 
 II. The Apocalyptic Literature 18 
 
 III. The Revelation of John as an Apocalypse 28 
 
 IV. The Historical Setting of the Apocalypse of John. 30 
 V. Its Author 37 
 
 VI. Its Date 38 
 
 VII. Its Unity 39 
 
 VIII. Its Destination and Purpose 43 
 
 IX. Its Symbolism 45 
 
 X. Its Contents and Plan 46 
 
 XI. Its Interpretation 49 
 
 Part II. . Exposition 55 
 
 Part III. The Correlation of the Interpretation 215 
 
 Appendix I. Translation 225 
 
 Appendix II. Explanations 253 
 
 Index 257 
 
PART I 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 In order to obtain a proper understanding of any book of the 
 Bible it is absolutely indispensable to know the circumstances 
 surrounding it. The age in which it was written, the situation 
 that called it forth, the author, and the purpose he had in view, 
 the class of literature to which it belongs, as well as any other 
 general features regarding it that throw light on its meaning, 
 must be taken into account. This has been fully recognized 
 for so long a time that no argument is needed to establish its 
 truth. It applies however, with special force to the Book of 
 Revelation. Few portions of the Canonical scriptures have been 
 burdened and obscured by so many unreasonable and fantastic 
 attempts to explain them as has this splendid book which, as Dr. 
 Swete well says, is in some respects the crown of the New Tes- 
 tament canon. In the following pages an attempt is made to 
 review these surrounding circumstances briefly and compre- 
 hensively but by no means exhaustively. 
 
THE APOCALYPTIC AGE 
 
 While it may be freely admitted that the literature of the 
 Persians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Egyptians furnishes many 
 examples of apocalyptic writings, and while we find passages in 
 the historical and prophetic books of the Old Testament that 
 present distinct apocalyptic features, yet it is to a certain period 
 in the history of the Israelitish people and the Christian Church 
 that the apocalyptic literature with which we are more imme- 
 diately concerned belongs. This period may be called the 
 Apocalyptic Age and extends, generally speaking, from the close 
 of the seventh century before Christ when the Babylonian cap- 
 tivity began, to the Edict of Constantine in 313 A. D. Prob- 
 ably never in the world's history has any religion been called to 
 pass through such a long period of extreme trial as this. There 
 were conflicts with political powers, pagan religions, and foreign 
 influences of various sorts, all of which were especially severe 
 in the first and second centuries B. C. and the first century 
 A. D. A brief review of the history of Judaism and Christian- 
 ity during this long season of extreme trial will help us to see 
 how the apocalyptic literature arose. 
 
 The conquest of Judah by the Babylonians was begun soon 
 after they captured Nineveh in 606 B. C. and was carried on 
 with all the barbarities of ancient warfare until the country 
 was entirely in their power in 586 B. C. Jerusalem was be- 
 sieged, and ultimately captured, many of the best people were 
 carried away to Babylon, some of whom were treated to all 
 the refinements of ancient cruelty. The city and temple were 
 laid in ruins and remained so for many years, (See Dan. 1:1, 2, 
 2 Kings xxiv and xxv, Ezek. 1:1, 2, Esther 11:5, 6, Ezra 1:7-11, 
 2 Chron. xxxvi 117-21, Jer. xxxivn, xxxix, Hi). 
 
 The exile was complete from 586 B. C. to 536 B. C. and dur- 
 ing that time the Jews were in a condition of nominal slavery 
 in Babylon, which, while severe and trying as we learn from the 
 
 13 
 
14 The Revelation of John 
 
 137th Psalm, was much less rigorous than that to which captive 
 peoples were generally subjected. Probably however it will be 
 nearer the truth to say that their condition varied with the 
 place and time as we may gather from the indications in .he 
 narratives. The first band of exiles were allowed to build 
 houses and plant gardens (Jer. xxix:5f) and to live in com- 
 munities of their own (Ezra viniij, Ezek. i:i) under their own 
 elders (Ezek. viiin, xxivii, xx:i) while Jehoiachin after many 
 years captivity received consideration of the ruler (2 Kings xxv: 
 27ft). On the other hand the Chaldeans were often cruel (Jer. 
 xxix:2iff) and afflicted them with hard service (Isa. xiv:3f). 
 
 The Persian period extended from 536 B. C. to 333 B. C. 
 Although the records of this time are fragmentary and broken 
 they are sufficient to show that the religious life of Israel made 
 little real advance in spite of the return from the exile. The 
 temple was rebuilt under difficulties (Ezra iv:2ff, v:3ff, v:i6fr, 
 vi:i5, Hag. i:2) and the inter-marriage of the Jews with 
 heathens would tend to diminish the vigour of the religion of 
 Israel, (Ezra x). The walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt (Neh. 
 vi:i5), the condition of the poor improved (Neh. vn-12), the 
 law of God was published (Neh. viii:i-8), and other steps 
 were taken to improve the religious condition of the people 
 (Neh. ix and x). However years later Nehemiah found many 
 old abuses still existing and took vigorous action to have them 
 removed (Neh. xiii). It is clear that strong disintegrating 
 influences were at work as is evident from the drastic measures 
 taken by Ezra and Nehemiah to counteract them, and little if 
 any permanent improvement was made in the religious condi- 
 tion of the Jews. 
 
 The Greek period (333-63 B. C.) shows us powerful foreign 
 influences at work on the Jews and their religion. For cen- 
 turies they had been scattering and as time passed they became 
 more and more diffused over the whole civilized world. A 
 great dispersion took place at the beginning of the third cen- 
 tury B. C. when thousands of Jews were transported to Egypt 
 to serve as colonists and support the reigning dynasty; besides, 
 the opportunities of commerce attracted them. This dispersion 
 brought them under Hellenizing influences. But their hearts 
 were still at home and as they returned, on visits to Jerusalem, 
 themselves Hellenized, they exerted a subtle influence on the 
 Jews in Palestine. So great was the Hellenizing influence that 
 
The Apocalyptic Age 15 
 
 the Scriptures had to be translated into the Greek in order that 
 they might be able to read them. Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) 
 endeavored to hasten this Hellenizing by force soon after he 
 came to the throne of Syria in 175 B. C. For some years there 
 was much disturbance, the temple being profaned and robbed 
 and many citizens of Jerusalem put to death in 170 while in 
 168 the city was laid waste, orders given that Jewish rites in 
 the temple should cease, and an idol altar "the abomination of 
 desolation," set up in the temple instead, copies of the law were 
 searched for and destroyed and merciless cruelties meted out to 
 the Jewish inhabitants. It was the avowed intention to extir- 
 pate the Jewish religion. Every village was required to set up 
 its heathen altar and heathen sacrifices must be duly offered by 
 the citizens. But nothing could force Israel to abandon her 
 ancestral worship. The terrible persecution served to fire the 
 devotion of many, and as a result we find the Jews rising in 
 rebellion under an aged but brave priest named Mattathias and 
 his sons. This Jewish War of Independence was led by Judas 
 Maccabaeus, a. son of Mattathias, and was so successful that 
 Israel became independent again (162 B. C), restored her 
 religious rites, and in spite of many attacks by the Syrians and 
 others and of many complications and difficulties preserved her 
 independence until Jerusalem was captured by the Roman gen- 
 eral Pompey in 63 B. C. 
 
 The Roman period (B. C. 63 and onward to the Edict of 
 Constantine 313 A. D.) sees the final overthrow of the Israel- 
 itish nation. Pompey besieged Jerusalem to put an end to the 
 growing anarchy in the country, captured the city, demolished 
 its walls, and is said even to have desecrated the Temple by 
 entering the Holy of Holies itself, while eight years later Cras- 
 sus again pillaged the Temple. There was much disturbance in 
 the land until Roman rule was at last securely established in 
 37 B. C. A time of peace and prosperity followed. But in the 
 second and third quarters of the first century A. D. discontent 
 spread rapidly among the people. A systematic campaign was 
 carried on to re-establish Roman power in Palestine. After 
 reconquering and subduing the northern part of the country the 
 city of Jerusalem was besieged by Titus, and fell after a siege 
 of 143 days, — perhaps the most terrible in its history. The city 
 was crowded by pilgrims attending the Passover while the 
 season intensified the sufferings of the besieged, the final fall 
 
1 6 The Revelation of John 
 
 of the city taking place in the hottest part of the year. Famine, 
 thirst, disease, deportation of many of the inhabitants, and the 
 crucifixion of fully 3 500 of the best citizens until wood for 
 crosses failed, completed the awful trials of the people of the 
 ill-fated city. Thus in blood and fire the Jewish political system 
 perished, while the Arch of Titus at Rome, adorned with the 
 table of shew bread, the golden candlestick and the silver trum- 
 pets from the Temple, commemorated the great Roman vic- 
 tory. 
 
 While this conquest of Palestine was going on in the east the 
 great persecution of the Christians was beginning further west. 
 The great fire in Rome in A. D. 64 was viewed as a token of 
 the displeasure of the gods who must be appeased while the 
 people clamoured loudly that the injury be avenged. Nero, the 
 emperor, soon decided on a persecution of the Christians as the 
 best means of doing this, and thus inaugurated the great per- 
 secution of the Christians that continued with varying severity 
 for nearly two hundred and fifty years. It became a crime to be 
 a Christian, and a crime punishable by death, often of the most 
 horrible character. Suspects were arrested and on convic- 
 tion were forced to pay for their fidelity to Christ with their 
 lives. In Rome under Nero they were clothed with skins of 
 wild beasts and worried to death by dogs, cast to the lions to 
 entertain the crowds at the theatres, or tied to posts, soaked with 
 oil and allowed to burn alive, to light the gardens of the em- 
 peror at night. The persecution later became general through- 
 out the empire and continued till liberty was given the Chris- 
 tians, to hold their meetings without molestation, by Constan- 
 tine in 313 A. D. 
 
 This brief survey of the long period which has been desig- 
 nated, "The Apocalyptic Age" shows it to have been a verv 
 remarkable and trying one for the people of Israel and the earlv 
 Christian church. For more than nine hundred years the chosen 
 race and its Christian offshoot were forced to face the most 
 powerful and continuous combination of disintegrating forces 
 that has ever been directed against any race of people, and from 
 a human point of view at least, the mitigating circumstances were 
 few. The country was overrun and conquered again and again ; 
 their capital city was laid in ruins several times ; their people were 
 reduced to slavery or put to death in the most cruel way ; stren- 
 uous efforts were made to crush their religion and put it out 
 
The Apocalyptic Age 17 
 
 of existence ; their temple was several times desecrated in ways 
 that were abhorrent to them; the influences of their Gentile 
 conquerors were brought to bear on them powerfully by the 
 Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans in succession; at- 
 tempts to force them to adopt the pagan religion of their con- 
 querors were made with death as the penalty for refusal; their 
 people were becoming more and more scattered over the world, 
 while the voice of authoritative prophecy was growing increas- 
 ingly faint, until in the Maccabean time or earlier, it ceased 
 entirely to speak in any way that Israel's people could recognize 
 as the message of God. It is true that the Persian period gave 
 them the opportunity of returning to Palestine and allowed 
 them some religious and political freedom and that the Macca- 
 bean revolt brought them temporary independence. But these 
 were of little permanent value to them because in the former they 
 were too weak to make much permanent advance, while in the 
 latter they were continually beset by influences so powerful that 
 they must ultimately be overwhelmed by them. 
 
 On four distinct occasions things reached a crisis for the 
 Jews — the overthrow and enslavement of Judah by the Baby- 
 lonians, the age of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Roman conquest, 
 and the final subjugation under the Romans, the climax com- 
 ing in the Roman period and especially with the conquest of 
 Jerusalem under Titus. Under the crushing rule of the Ro- 
 mans all earthly hope of national and religious restoration 
 disappeared. 
 
 As the hope of restoration to national and religious eminence 
 decreased, two things rapidly developed. First the Messianic 
 hope. It became increasingly clear to the devout and thought- 
 ful among the people that Israel's only hope was in God and 
 especially in the promised Deliverer. This hope was very 
 strong in the first century A. D. Although Christians rec- 
 ognize Jesus of Nazareth as its fulfilment, He has never been 
 recognized as such by the Jewish people as a whole and they 
 still look forward to the coming of the Anointed One of God. 
 Secondly the rise and development of the Apocalyptic Litera- 
 ture. But this brings us to the next section. 
 
II 
 
 THE APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE 
 
 Apocalyptic Literature naturally belongs to the period desig- 
 nated above as the Apocalyptic Age. Passing over the brief 
 apocalyptic passages in the older books we find the first dis- 
 tinctly apocalyptical book is Ezekiel though it is interspersed 
 here and there with historical and prophetic passages. Ezekiel 
 was a priest and one of a band of Hebrews who were transport- 
 ed to Babylonia. His book belongs to the earlier half of the 
 period of the captivity. The Book of Daniel also belongs to the 
 time of the Babylonian captivity if we accept the older view 
 of its date. 
 
 The golden age of Apocalyptic Literature however was 
 roughly speaking from about 200 B. C. to about 100 A. D. at 
 least so far as its influence on the Canonical Scriptures is con- 
 cerned. In this period we find the trying times of the Macca- 
 bees and the horrors of the two Roman conquests with the 
 opening decades of their terrible persecution of the Christians. 
 To the times of the Maccabees the Book of Daniel is now 
 generally assigned by scholars, while nearly a score of Jewish 
 extra canonical writings of the same class belong to the period 
 covered by the first and second centuries B. C. and the first 
 century A. D. The Book of Revelation which forms the close 
 of our New Testament, comes in the latter half of the first 
 century after Christ. There are many apocalyptic writings — 
 both Jewish and Christian, — which were composed after 100 
 A. D. but as they have no important bearing on the interpreta- 
 tion of the Apocalypse of John we need not pause to consider 
 them. 
 
 That we may have a better general idea of the nature of 
 apocalyptic writings of the period from 200 B. C. to 100 A. D. 
 let us look more in detail at the earlier extra-canonical Jewish 
 apocalypses. We may pass over the canonical books of Ezekiel 
 and Daniel for the present as every Bible student has them be- 
 fore him. 
 
 1. The Ethiopic Enoch will be first on our list. After an 
 introduction, in which the author announces his parable and 
 
 18 
 
The Apocalyptic Literature 19 
 
 appeals for attention (chapters 1-5), there are five. main sec- 
 tions or parts. The first section (chap. 6-36) tells of the fall 
 of two hundred angels who were enticed by the beauty of the 
 daughters of men to leave heaven and become their husbands. 
 From these unions came a race of giants three thousand cubits 
 high. The men were taught many secrets by the angels and so 
 led into all sin, after which the giants set upon them, consumed 
 their possessions and smote them till their cry went up to heaven 
 and God made the slaughter to cease, condemning the angels 
 to be enchained and imprisoned under the hills until the time 
 of final judgment when they shall be burned. Then all people 
 shall pray to God, the righteous shall flourish and live long 
 and the earth shall yield abundantly. The details of the 
 punishment are revealed to Enoch in a dream. The second 
 section (chap. 37-71) consists of a short introductory section 
 and three similitudes. In the first the Messiah, the Righteous 
 One, appears and puts an end to sinners on the earth while 
 Enoch, carried by the clouds to heaven, beholds the Kingdom 
 of God and the abode of the righteous and the angels, the 
 weighing of men's actions in the balances, the place of Wisdom 
 in heaven, and many physical mysteries such as lightnings, 
 thunderings, hail, mist, clouds, sun and moon. In the second 
 similitude Messiah's Judgment is the theme. Enoch sees the 
 Son of Man beside the Head of Days while an angel explains 
 the vision. The third similitude explains the blessedness of the 
 righteous in heaven and the judgment and punishment of 
 angels and men with a vision of Noah and the deluge, after 
 which Enoch is admitted to Heaven. The third section (chap. 
 72-82) contains a revelation given by the angel on all sorts of 
 geographical and astronomical matters such as the course of the 
 sun, moon and winds, untoward days, changes to come in the 
 last times and the return of Enoch to the earth. The fourth 
 section (chap. 83-90) is a forecast of the future in which the 
 deluge and the whole history of Israel from the creation of 
 man to the end of time are revealed to him in symbolic form 
 in visions. The fifth section is a series of exhortations (chap. 
 91-105) in which Enoch delivers an address on righteousness 
 designed to instruct the righteous of all ages to come, to which 
 are added final encouragements and messages of hope. The 
 conclusion of the book (chap. 106-108) dwells on the marvels 
 to accompany the birth of Noah and describes again the fiery 
 
20 The Revelation of John 
 
 tribulations that await the wicked and the blessings in store 
 for the righteous. 
 
 The Ethiopic Enoch, together with the Slavonic Enoch, are 
 fragments of an extensive Enoch literature. In Gen. v: 24 we 
 read that "Enoch walked with God." This was understood to 
 mean that he enjoyed superhuman privileges and received 
 special revelations from God. It was natural then, that in the 
 centuries when apocalyptic literature flourished a number of 
 writings should circulate under his name. The Ethiopic Enoch 
 as we have it now is believed by Dr. Charles and other students 
 to be a composite work, its different parts being the produc- 
 tions of different authors in the first and second centuries be- 
 fore Christ. 
 
 2. The Slavonic Enoch or as Dr. Charles designates it, 
 The Book of the Secrets of Enoch, is one of the most recent 
 additions to our collection of apocalyptic literature. Its date 
 is given as between 30 B. C. and 70 A. D. probably 1-50 
 A. D. and like the Ethiopic Enoch is regarded as of composite 
 authorship. 
 
 The Book tells how Enoch is taken up into the first heaven 
 by two angels where he sees two hundred angels guarding the 
 treasuries of the snow, dew, and oil. They convey him to the 
 second heaven where he sees and converses with the fallen 
 angels. In the third heaven, the paradise prepared for the 
 righteous, he is led to the northern region where he is shown 
 the place of torture. In the fourth heaven, the abode of the 
 sun and moon, he sees mysterious composite beings with heads 
 of crocodiles and bodies of serpents, hears their song and the 
 indescribable music of angels. He passes through the fifth and 
 sixth heavens to the seventh where he worships the Lord who is 
 seated on a throne, holds direct converse with Him, is anointed 
 and enrobed in suitable apparel. From the Lord and an arch- 
 angel he learns the secrets of creation, of the formation of angels 
 and human beings, of man's fall and judgment and of God's 
 purpose for the future. He writes many books and then 
 returns to earth for thirty days to impart the true knowledge of 
 God. On his return to earth Enoch tells of his impressions in 
 the heavens, of how he received his visions and wrote them 
 down, and instructs his hearers in the things that he says are 
 most pleasing to God. He enjoins them to give heed to and cir- 
 culate his writings, announcing at the same time that the hour 
 
The Apocalyptic Literature 21 
 
 for his ascension to heaven has come. After giving a further 
 series of instructions Enoch is mysteriously taken up into heaven 
 while a thick darkness covers the earth. 
 
 3. The Sibyline Oracles are a collection of poems in hexa- 
 meter verse from Jewish, Christian, heathen and neutral 
 sources. According to Ewald and Alexandre they extend over a 
 period of more than 400 years from 140 B. C. 
 
 The Oracles contain an account of human history from the 
 Creation to the dispersion of the Jews, the reign of the Romans 
 and the time of Christ. There are many predictions of wicked- 
 ness, plagues, woes, judgments of the wicked and righteous, and 
 the resurrection, as well as of impending calamities to fall on 
 various nations and peoples, the coming of God and the Mes- 
 sianic age. The Jews and Judaea are praised while other 
 peoples and countries are denounced. The teaching, miracles, 
 baptism, incarnation and pre-existence of the Son of God are 
 described. 
 
 4. The Assumption of Moses. This work was lost for sev- 
 eral centuries but an old Latin version of it was found in Milan 
 in 1 861. It was probably written during the earthly life of our 
 Lord, i. e. 1-30 A. D. 
 
 The book tells how Moses appoints Joshua as his successor 
 and gives him his writings to preserve carefully. He forecasts 
 the destinies of the tribes and how they will fall into idolatry 
 and then repent after a king from the east has burned their 
 colony and temple and made them captives; how on the prayers 
 of a certain one some would return but later their priests would 
 again become idolatrous through the influence of wicked, usurp- 
 ing, and tyrannous kings. Then there follow predictions of 
 awful persecutions, after which the Most High will appear, 
 establish His kingdom, bless and exalt Israel and punish the 
 Gentiles, while darkness covers the trembling earth and the sun 
 and moon refuse to shine. Moses again charges Joshua to keep 
 these words safe, declares that from his death to the Advent will 
 be two hundred and fifty times, places him in his own seat and 
 comforts him by reminding him of the providence of God. 
 
 5. Fourth Ezra contains a series of seven visions and in the 
 Latin version some extra chapters. In the first vision Ezra's 
 mind is disturbed by doubts as to the origin of sin and suffer- 
 ing in the world ; an angel answers that God's ways are in- 
 scrutable and the mind of man can comprehend little. But as 
 
22 The Revelation of John 
 
 Ezra pleads the pain of ignorance on such vital matters the 
 angel assures him of a change of aeon about to come and bids 
 him fast for seven days at the end of which he will receive 
 further revelations. In the second vision Ezra is informed that 
 God loves His people though He has given them into the hand 
 of the heathen for reasons beyond the comprehension of man, but 
 deliverance is drawing near. The third vision comes after anoth- 
 er seven days' fast, and in it Ezra is informed that the reason 
 why Israel does not possess her own land is that an evil age must 
 precede the good, that God's mercy is consistent with the suf- 
 ferings of those condemned, that the Son of God is coming in 
 judgment with terrible punishment for the evil-doers and much 
 joy for the righteous. The fourth vision pictures Zion's present 
 sorrow and coming glory, the fifth the world empire, and the 
 sixth the Son of God establishing the Messianic Age, while the 
 seventh contains the legend of Ezra's rewriting the lost Scrip- 
 tures. The book concludes with an account of Ezra's decease. 
 The book belongs to the last quarter of the first Christian cen- 
 tury. 
 
 6. The Apocalypse of Baruch is one of a number of books 
 ascribed by their authors to Baruch, the companion and assis- 
 tant of Jeremiah. The Apocalypse of Baruch in a Syriac text 
 was brought to light by Ceriani and later published by him. 
 Various opinions are held as to its authorship and date, Dr. 
 Charles, probably the best English authority on extra-canonical 
 apocalyptic literature, believes it to have been the product of 
 several independent works pieced together during the latter half 
 of the first Christian century. The resemblances of the book 
 to Fourth Esdras are so numerous and striking that they have 
 been called "the twin apocalypses." 
 
 In the book Baruch is represented as speaking in the first 
 person, of events that are represented as taking place in and 
 around Jerusalem about the time of its capture by the Chal- 
 deans. The book opens with an account of God's condemna- 
 tion of the wickedness of Judah and His determination to chas- 
 tise her for a time. The next day the Chaldeans encompass the 
 city after the angels have overthrown the walls and hidden the 
 sacred vessels. The people are taken captive by the Chaldeans 
 and the city is temporarily delivered to them. Jeremiah is 
 commanded to go with the captives to Babylon and Baruch to 
 remain in Jerusalem to receive disclosures of the future. Baruch 
 
The Apocalyptic Literature 23 
 
 fasts and gives way to utter despair. But in the revelations 
 from God he learns that he will endure to the end though there 
 will be troublous times with punishment for the wicked and 
 exaltation for the righteous. Baruch is then informed as to his 
 coming departure from the earth and is commanded to gather 
 together the people and instruct them, which he does. At the 
 request of the people Baruch writes letters to their brethren 
 across the Euphrates and in Babylon. 
 
 7. The Greek Baruch, another apocalyptic book bearing the 
 name of Baruch, was discovered and published in 1896 though 
 it was known to have existed in early times. It was written in 
 the second century A. D. apparently to fulfil a promise in the 
 Syriac Baruch that after forty days God would give Baruch 
 further revelations regarding the material world. 
 
 As Baruch prays and laments over the fall of Judah an angel 
 visits him and takes him up to heaven where he sees astounding 
 creatures, hybrids of oxen, sheep, goats, men, etc., under the 
 figures of which the mysteries of the natural world are ex- 
 plained to him as well as their relation to the righteous and 
 the wicked in the world. After all this the gate of heaven 
 closes and the angel returns to earth with Baruch. 
 
 8. The Psalter of Solomon is a name given to a collection 
 of eighteen independent psalms written by various authors be- 
 tween 70 and 40 B. C. from an early date ascribed to Solomon 
 by others, though the psalms nowhere claim him as their author. 
 
 Psalms 1, 2, and 8 deal with the sin and punishment of 
 Jerusalem and the fate of its besieger. Psalms 3, 13, 14 and 
 
 15 contrast the righteous and the wicked while Psalm 4 de- 
 scribes and denounces the "menpleasers." Ps. 5, 6 and 9 tell of 
 God's justice and mercy to the righteous. Ps. 12 describes 
 the deeds and punishment of the deceitful tongue. Ps. 7 and 
 
 16 are made up of prayers, confessions, and praise. Ps. 10 
 dwells on the benefits of suffering. Ps. n, 17 and 18 speak 
 of the overthrow of the Jews and their coming restoration under 
 the Messiah. 
 
 9. A number of writings based on the Book of Genesis 
 may be mentioned. 
 
 A. The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs represents 
 each of the twelve sons of Jacob in turn calling his children to 
 him just before his death and addressing them retrospectively 
 and prospectively much as Jacob does in Gen. 49, each however 
 
24 The Revelation of John 
 
 speaking on a different theme, each testament speaking of some 
 merit or defect prominent in his life. The Testaments are 
 thought to be originally the work of several Jewish writers in 
 the first and second centuries B. C. but during the first three 
 centuries of our era additions were made to them by several 
 Christian writers. 
 
 B. The Histories of Adam and Eve purport to be an 
 account of the life of the first pair from their expulsion from 
 the Garden of Eden to their death and burial. The date of 
 the book is quite uncertain. 
 
 C. The Apocalypse of Abraham tells how this patriarch 
 came to dislike the idolatry of his father, whereupon an angel 
 visited him, taught him to offer sacrifice and carried him on the 
 wings of a dove to heaven where he received many revelations. 
 
 D. The Book of Jubilees follows the general plan of the 
 Book of Genesis and the first fourteen chapters of Exodus, and 
 in its main points agrees with the canonical narrative but with 
 many additions and alterations. The book was sometimes called 
 "Little Genesis" and belongs to the period between, say, ioo 
 B. C. and ioo A. D. 
 
 10. The Ascension of Isaiah is one of several non-canonical 
 books bearing the name of Isaiah referred to by ancient writers 
 and so far apparently the only one discovered and identified. 
 The book is in two parts, Part I (the Martyrdom) was prob- 
 ably composed in the first century B. C. while Part II seems 
 to belong to the second century A. D. Later additions were 
 made, some of them by a Christian writer. 
 
 The first part deals with the martyrdom of Isaiah whom 
 Manasseh causes to be sawn asunder because he has prophesied 
 falsely and refuses to admit his error. The prophet calmly 
 bears death and derision conversing the while with the Holy 
 Spirit. The second part tells how Isaiah in the 20th year of 
 Hezekiah fell into a trance and saw a vision. An angel con- 
 veys him to the seven heavens, all of which he visits in suc- 
 cession, beholding the departed patriarchs and the righteous in 
 glory and even God Himself, and learning of the future coming 
 of Christ. On his return to earth he tells the vision to the king 
 and his council, after which he is put to death. 
 
 1 1 . Various other apocalyptic writings are known to have 
 existed but only a few fragments of them have been recovered. 
 Among these may be mentioned the Apocalypses of Elias and 
 
The Apocalyptic Literature 2$ 
 
 Zephaniah, the Prayer of Joseph, and the Book of Eldad and 
 Medad. 
 
 12. Of late Christian and Jewish apocalypses quite a num- 
 ber are known. The Ascension of Paul (Anabaticon Pauli) 
 and Revelations of Stephen and Thomas are ascribed to the 
 Gnostic period ; the Apocalypse of Peter to the second century ; 
 the Apocalypse of Paul to the fourth century. There were also 
 a spurious Apocalypse of John, an Apocalypse of Sedrach, and 
 an Apocalypse of the Virgin, all of which are late in date. All 
 these non-canonical books are very much inferior to the canon- 
 ical apocalypse, and do not concern us particularly. 
 
 We observe certain general characteristics in apocalyptic 
 writings. 
 
 i. The vision is very prominent. The authors assume the 
 part of seers and present to their readers vivid and striking 
 pictures, in many cases fantastic and unreal, of what they have 
 themselves observed in their assumed role. 
 
 2. The distinction between the world of sense and the world 
 of the unseen reality is always in the mind. The writers aim 
 at making the unseen real to the senses and mind of their 
 readers, and in a way to transcend this dualism. 
 
 3. The apocalypse is always a revelation as the name sig- 
 nifies, and may be either (A.) of the mechanism of the other 
 world as it affects its inhabitants and this world, or (B.) of the 
 purposes of God as expressed in the events of the past, or his 
 determined plans for the future. 
 
 4. Again the apocalypse abounds in symbolic figures often 
 of the most extraordinary kind. Symbolic numbers frequently 
 occur, seven and twelve being specially common. 
 
 5. Angels play a large part in the visions that go to make 
 up apocalyptic literature and often an angel is represented as 
 accompanying the seer and acting as a friendly guide and inter- 
 preter to him. 
 
 6. Pseudonymity is a noticeable characteristic of apocalyptic 
 writings, the authors showing a general and well marked pref- 
 erance for those who are mentioned in the Old Testament as 
 having enjoyed special communications with the spiritual world 
 or attained to exceptional holiness and nearness to God. 
 
 7. Apocalyptic literature as a class is designed to comfort 
 and encourage those who are suffering affliction or persecu- 
 tion. While fully recognizing the greatness of the evil from 
 
26 The Revelation of John 
 
 which the people suffer, it is yet filled with an unconquerable 
 optimism. It commonly represents the future as very hope- 
 ful because certain to bring suffering and destruction to the 
 persecutors and peace, deliverance, and exaltation to the afflict- 
 ed. 
 
 8. Perhaps more than any other class of writings the 
 Apocalypses show signs of having been edited and modified by 
 later hands, while many of them are evidently compilations. 
 
 9. Probably it ought to be added that there is no class of 
 literature that is so difficult to understand or about which there 
 is more general disagreement among students and scholars. 
 This is partly due to its nature and partly also to the fact 
 that until recent years it received little serious study. 
 
 Apocalyptic literature flourished at a time when prophecy 
 was believed to be in suspense. Apocalyptic and prophetic writ- 
 ings both claim to expound the character, will, and purposes 
 of God as well as the laws and nature of His kingdom. But 
 they differ chiefly because they minister to people in vastly 
 different circumstances; the latter ministered to people who 
 were transgressing or failing to conform to the known law 
 of God and therefore called them to repentance, etc. ; the 
 former addressed a people who believed themselves to be God's 
 people but could not understand why God in His righteousness 
 should permit them to suffer at the hands of heathen transgres- 
 sors. 
 
 The great aim of apocalyptic literature was to give comfort 
 and encouragement to God's suffering people by bringing them 
 some message from Him and some hope for the future. It 
 tried to answer the question "Why do the righteous suffer if 
 God is just?" by explaining that it was according to the Divine 
 plan that now the righteous should suffer and the wicked flour- 
 ish, but the future had in store a time of judgment and a 
 Messianic age; that in this judgment both the righteous and 
 the wicked would receive their just deserts, while in the Mes- 
 sianic age the righteous would be exalted and flourish, while 
 the wicked would be no more. 
 
 From what has been said we may readily draw some con- 
 clusions regarding the method of interpretation of apocalyptic 
 writings. As the apocalyptic writers had to do with the pres- 
 ent and immediate, and not with the distant future, the "futur- 
 ist" method of interpretation is excluded. Historical persons, 
 
The Apocalyptic Literature 2J 
 
 nations, or events are represented by figures that have been in- 
 vented for the purpose or freely adopted from the Old Testa- 
 ment, from tradition, or from other writings, in which case the 
 interpreter must distinguish between the author's use of the 
 figure and its original significance. The apocalyptic writers 
 drew freely on ancient material which they introduced entire 
 or modified more or less to suit their purpose. This necessi- 
 tates a wise use of literary criticism. Then we must bear in 
 mind the underlying religious faith and the immediate prac- 
 tical aim of the writer and ask how far his strange descrip- 
 tions of the unseen were literal and how far figurative even 
 to himself. Then there is the question of whether the vision 
 is merely a literary form or was the writer really describing 
 actual exstatic experiences. 
 
Ill 
 
 THE REVELATION OF JOHN AS AN APOCALYPSE 
 
 The Book of Revelation is an apocalypse and bears a close 
 relationship to apocalyptic literature in general as may be seen 
 by even a casual reader. The following points of likeness may 
 be mentioned : 
 
 1. The Book of Revelation is the crown of the golden age 
 of apocalyptic literature. Belonging as it does to the latter half 
 of the first Christian century it follows in the path of a long 
 line of notable Jewish apocalyptic writings all of which it much 
 surpasses in real excellence and marks the climax for them, 
 while after it nothing approaching its equal appears. 
 
 2. The book takes the form of a vision which begins at 
 i:io and continues to xxii:20. 
 
 3. There is always in the author's mind the distinction 
 between this world and the other world as he saw it in his 
 vision. In evidence of this it is enough to note that he speaks 
 from the point of view of one who is in this world, while his 
 narrative is a revelation of the other world. 
 
 4. It is a revelation of God's plans and purposes as in- 
 dicated in the opening verses. 
 
 5. Symbolic figures and numbers are very common, A. 
 Figures: candlesticks and stars i:i2, i:i6, i:20, living creatures 
 iv:6-8, horses vi:2, 4, 5, 8, locusts ix:3, the woman xiin, 
 dragon xii:3, the great beast xiiin, another beast xiii : 1 1 , the 
 woman and beast xvii:3, etc., B. Numbers: seven is very com- 
 mon i:20, v:i, 6, viiin, 6, etc., x:3, etc., three viii 113, four 
 iv:6, viin, twelve vii 15-8, xii:i, ten xiiin, xvii:3, etc., and 
 larger numbers which are mostly multiples of these, as twenty- 
 four, one hundred and forty-four thousand, etc. 
 
 6. Angels vii :i, viii:2, x:i, xiv:6, 8, 9, 15, 17, 18, xv:6, 
 etc. Angels accompany the seer and show him sights, and assist 
 him to understand them, iv:i, xixno, xxi:g, xxii:8, etc. 
 
 7. Its aim and purpose is plainly in accord with those of 
 apocalyptic literature generally, to encourage faith and endur- 
 ance in the midst of severe trial, i:i-3, ii:5-7, 10, 1 1, 16, 17, 
 25-29, iii:2, 3, 5, 9-13, 18-22, vi:9, 11, vii:4, 14-17, xiii:io, 
 xiv:i2, 13, xxn-3, xxi, xxii, etc. 
 
 In addition to these well defined points of relationship to 
 
 28 
 
The Revelation of John as an Apocalypse 29 
 
 Jewish apocalyptic literature there are some notable points of 
 unlikeness. 
 
 1. The book is not pseudonymous. The author plainly 
 designates himself at the beginning and end of the book (i:i, 4, 
 9, xxii:8). If this were a pseudonymous designation it is rea- 
 sonable to suppose that the writer would be careful to describe 
 himself as John the son of Zebedee, or in some such way. As 
 he does not do this, and as John was a very common name in 
 later Judaism, the New Testament, and the early church, we 
 conclude that he is giving his own name as that of the actual 
 author. Furthermore he calls his work a prophecy (i:3) and as 
 he is conscious of drawing his inspiration direct from Christ and 
 His angel he has no need to hide his identity behind the name of 
 any biblical saint. 
 
 2. This prophetic spirit finds particular expression in the 
 letters to the seven churches. While these occupy a distinctly 
 apocalyptic setting their spirit and purpose is distinctly proph- 
 etic. It is with actual conditions in the Christian communities 
 that they deal, and the praise, blame, encouragements, and 
 warnings which they convey are given with so much discern- 
 ment and earnestness, and the calls to repentance are so strong 
 that we feel the prophetic spirit in them all. 
 
 3. It is very difficult to determine the date and other cir- 
 cumstances connected with the issuance of the Jewish apocalyp- 
 ses. But our apocalypse plainly announces its author and des- 
 tination and its date is sufficiently clear to enable us to determine 
 it within two or three decades. 
 
 4. Our apocalypse differs from the Jewish apocalypses in 
 that it is distinctly Christian, though doubtless our author drew 
 heavily on Jewish sources. The Jewish apocalypse presents a 
 narrow sphere of Jewish national hopes and an uncertain and 
 unrealized idea of a Jewish Messiah but little or none of the 
 finer spirit of patient endurance. Our book, on the other hand, 
 exhibits a society whose sphere is the world and whose goal is 
 its conquest. For it, Jesus Christ is victorious, ascended, and 
 glorified ; and its religious spirit is one of patient suffering, 
 unflagging faith, love of the brethren, hatred of evil, and uncon- 
 querable hope. 
 
 From these considerations it is evident that our book stands 
 in a class by itself, and far excels in merit any other writing 
 of its kind. 
 
IV 
 
 THE HISTORICAL SETTING OF THE APOCALYPSE OF JOHN 
 
 Throughout the whole of the first Christian century the 
 Roman Empire held almost undisputed sway over the whole of 
 the civilized world as it was then known. All northern Africa, 
 all western Asia, and all southern and western Europe, includ- 
 ing Britain, was then included in its dominions. 
 
 In religious matters the Empire was from one point of view 
 very generous and from another exceedingly strict. On the one 
 hand the religion of Rome was paganism and each province kept 
 its own deities and its own system of worship. On the other 
 hand, as time went on Roman authorities came to see that one of 
 the strongest forces to hold together the various elements in the 
 Empire was religion. The ambitious nature of Augustus 
 (Octavianus) led him to be designated as "Pontifex Maximus" 
 and it required only another step to reach the stage when 
 emperors were considered divine and worshipped as gods. The 
 fundamental purpose of the Roman poet Virgil in his great 
 epic, "The Aeneid" was to show that the emperors were de- 
 scendants from the gods; therefore they were proper subjects 
 of worship, and as the Emperor was the official head and the vis- 
 ible expression of the Empire, loyalty to the Empire and worship 
 of the Emperor came to be closely related and in many cases 
 practically the same thing. 
 
 The attitude of the Empire to Christianity in the early 
 decades of its existence was on the whole generous. Christi- 
 anity seems to have been tolerated and protected as a Jewish sect, 
 though occasionally its leaders found themselves imprisoned (as 
 Paul on various occasions) or forced to defend themselves in 
 Roman courts or before Roman officials, and some even suffered 
 death. It is to be noted, however, that in this period these 
 difficulties and hardships were due, not to any settled policy of 
 opposition to Christianity on the part of the Empire, but to the 
 opposition of the Jews or others with whom the representatives 
 of Christianity came in contact. 
 
 In the reign of the Emperor Nero, however, the Empire as- 
 sumed a different attitude to Christianity; and as this atti- 
 
 30 
 
The Historical Setting of the Apocalypse of John 31 
 
 tude is due chiefly to Nero himself we must look for a moment 
 at him and his reign. 
 
 Nero was the son of Domitius and Agrippina and was born 
 in 37 A. D., both his parents belonging to the family of the 
 Caesars. Agrippina was a very ambitious woman and given 
 to the use of strategy. She first secured her own marriage to 
 her uncle, the Emperor Claudius, and then the betrothal of 
 Nero to Octavia, the daughter of Claudius, and later the 
 adoption of Nero as the son of Claudius and his successor on 
 the throne. On the death of Claudius in 54 A. D. through the 
 strategy of Agrippina Nero was allowed to take the throne. 
 During the early years of his reign his advisors were good 
 and his rule beneficent so that he won much personal favor, 
 though even then he exhibited qualities which were far from 
 commendable, being given to vanity, adulterous amours, and 
 nocturnal escapades in which he committed outrages on peace- 
 ful citizens. But in 58 A. D. he fell under the influence of 
 Poppaea, a Jewess, the wife of Otho (afterwards emperor) 
 who aspired to be empress herself and became the chief cause 
 of his complete demoralization and many crimes. The appoint- 
 ment of evil men to positions of influence, the removal and 
 murder of influential senators, the vile and shameless character 
 of imperial orgies, the divorce and banishment of Octavia 
 through the evidence of perjured witnesses and later her mur- 
 der, Nero's espousal of Poppaea and bestowal on her of the 
 title of Augusta, the unrestrained extravagance and consequent 
 financial embarrassment relieved by oppressive taxation and 
 confiscation of the property of wealthy citizens who were charg- 
 ed with treason, and the exhibition of Nero himself on the 
 stage, — all showed how corrupt his rule had become and how 
 vile his private life had grown. 
 
 As Nero was the Caesar to whom St. Paul appealed (Acts 
 xxvni) his relation with the Christians began early. It is 
 probable, though not certain, that St. Paul was tried by him in 
 person and the common view is that he was acquitted. But in 
 A. D. 64 the toleration of the Empire to the Christians ceased. 
 A great fire raged for nine days in July of that year totally 
 destroying three and partially destroying seven of the fourteen 
 districts of the city. Nero himself was commonly blamed as 
 the cause of the conflagration but whether guilty or not has 
 never been proven. Nero, however, blamed the Christians, 
 
32 The Revelation of John 
 
 many of whom were brought to trial and convicted not so much 
 of incendiarism as of hatred of the human race. The sentence 
 of conviction was most brutally executed, some were covered 
 with the skins of wild beasts and worried to death by dogs while 
 others were covered with pitch and set on fire at night to 
 illumine Nero's gardens. In this persecution under Nero we 
 recognize a step in the development of the Imperial policy 
 against the Christians from persecution for alleged particular 
 crimes to persecution because they were Christians, though 
 just when this stage was completed is a disputed point. 
 
 In A. D. 65 a conspiracy was organized to depose Nero, but 
 its existence was disclosed before its object was accomplished, 
 and its leaders were put to death. Then a reign of terror fol- 
 lowed. Almost every prominent citizen against whom any 
 pretext could be found was executed. The murderous frenzy 
 of the emperor was matched by the callousness of the public 
 and the servility of the senate which out did itself in voting 
 divine honors to Nero and to Poppaea. Amid all his vices 
 Nero continued to be a devotee of art. He played on the lyre, 
 sang, posed as an orator, wrote poetry and gave attention to 
 sculpture, acted on the public stage and was an accomplished 
 charioteer. A visit to Greece in A. D. 66 gave him fresh op- 
 portunity to exercise both his murderous frenzy and his de- 
 votion to art. While the slaughter continued in Rome many 
 eminent and wealthy citizens in Greece shared the same fate 
 at his bidding. At the Greek games which were crowded into 
 his visit he found opportunity to enjoy what appeared to be 
 even greater appreciation of his talents then he had received at 
 Rome, for every notable prize was awarded him so that he 
 attained the coveted distinction of universal victor. 
 
 On his return to Rome he found strong and organized op- 
 position, but it was then too late to stem the tide of insurrec- 
 tion. A conspiracy had been formed to put Galba governor of 
 Hither Spain on the throne. Nero fled in disguise from the 
 city to the suburban villa of a faithful friend where he com- 
 mitted suicide to avoid a more ignominious fate as emissaries 
 of the senate drew near. This was in A. D. 68. So obscure 
 was his death that it was commonly believed that he had not 
 really died but was in hiding or had fled to Parthia and would 
 appear again to claim the throne of the Empire. Indeed sev- 
 eral pretended Neros arose to take advantage of his supposed 
 
The Historical Setting of the Apocalypse of John 33 
 
 survival and several later writers refer to it. 
 
 This was the beginning of the great persecution of the 
 Christians by the state, a persecution which with more or less 
 interruption lasted for two hundred and fifty years until Con- 
 stantine by his famous edict issued in 313 A. D. brought re- 
 ligious freedom. 
 
 In general it may be said that during the latter half of the 
 first century A. D. the Empire was at the zenith of its power 
 and glory. Its conquest and rule had brought much benefit to 
 the different peoples in its wide dominions and made the advent 
 and progress of Christianity possible. But while at the acme 
 of its excellence internal decay and disintegration were well 
 advanced. Riches and luxury and vice were perhaps more 
 common than ever before among its people. Devotion to the 
 old religious ideals had waned and the only thing to take its 
 place was the worship of the Emperor. 
 
 In as much as the Apocalypse of John is addressed more 
 particularly to Christians in the Roman province of Asia, and 
 especially to those in seven cities definitely named we must 
 survey conditions more closely there. 
 
 The Roman province of Asia between 50 and 100 A. D. 
 included most of the western half of what is now known as the 
 peninsula of Asia Minor. It comprised Mysia, Lydia, Caria, 
 a large part of Phrygia, and a number of islands off the west 
 coast in the Aegean Sea. The province as thus formed was 
 bounded on the north by the Sea of Marmora and Bithynia, 
 on the east by Galatia, on the south by Lycia, and on the west 
 by the Aegean Sea. It reached inward a distance of some three 
 hundred English miles from the coast while its greatest breadth 
 north and south was about two hundred and sixty. It was 
 one of the wealthiest and most populous of the Roman prov- 
 inces as well as one of the most loyal to the Empire. Augustus 
 was deified as the Saviour of mankind and worshipped most 
 enthusiastically in public and in private as God incarnate. 
 The part of the province with which we are more particularly 
 concerned was watered by four rivers, the Caicus, Hermus, 
 Cayster, and Maeander, and broken by three ranges of hills, 
 Sipylus, Tmolus, and Messogis. Asia was remarkable for the 
 number and importance of her cities, Adramytium, Alabanda, 
 Apamea, Ephesus, Laodicea, Pergamum, Sardis, Smyrna, 
 Synnada ? Cyzicus, Philomelium, and Tralles were all import- 
 
34 The Revelation of John 
 
 ant, while many others were worthy of note such as Colossae, 
 Dorylaeum, Eumenia, Hierapolis, Magnesia, Miletus, Phila- 
 delphia, Priene and Thyatira. Among; the more important 
 towns there was a keen rivalry, several claiming the dignity 
 of a "metropolis," and the rank and title of "first of Asia." 
 
 The people of the province were among the most active 
 intellectually in the whole Empire. No people on the whole 
 continent of Asia were hetter educated, more highly civilized 
 or more completely Hellenized. In most of the western part 
 the native languages had disappeared and been replaced by 
 Greek. Religion also was outwardly Hellenized in the cities, 
 but only outwardly as the original ritual and character was 
 retained, and in the rural districts even the outward form. 
 There was much of unity in diversity and diversity in unity 
 among the people. Especially was there diversity in race, 
 language, customs, and religion, though the constant aim of 
 the Imperial rule was to make out of the many diverse ele- 
 ments a unified Graeco-Roman province. No attempt was 
 made to crush out the different languages, though Greek was 
 the only one recognized, nor to destroy the ancient religious 
 customs, though all must perform the required religious rites 
 to the Emperor. Ultimately the attempt at unification proved 
 unsuccessful. 
 
 The persecution of the Christians in the province was really 
 the attempt to enforce this unifying process in matters of re- 
 ligion. The Jews were an important element in the popula- 
 tion of the province and among them there was always a certain 
 unity of feeling. They were resident aliens who for purposes 
 of trade or otherwise remained often for long periods, and 
 Jews who had acquired the franchise and freedom of Roman 
 citizenship. But the Jewish religious scruples were always 
 respected, though this exception was a continued pain to the 
 Hellenic citizens. Then from the time of Paul's missionary 
 journeys there was an influential and growing body of Chris- 
 tians in all the chief centres and many of the more obscure 
 places and smaller towns of the province. Asia Minor after- 
 wards became the stronghold of Christianity. While sufficient- 
 ly numerous and influential to force recognition from their 
 pagan neighbors, the Christians were yet far from attaining the 
 ideal of excellence which they should have reached, as a study 
 of the seven letters in the Apocalypse will show. All the evi- 
 
The Historical Setting of the Apocalypse of John 35 
 
 dence we have goes to show that no exception was made for the 
 Christians as for the Jews in religious matters. Everywhere 
 in Asia the}' found themselves in conflict with a paganism which 
 entered every phase of the life of the people. Indeed their re- 
 fusal to comply with the outward legal forms of the state re- 
 ligion was the immediate cause of the persecutions they suffered. 
 Then there were the pagans, differing according to their race 
 and religious association and their contact with Greek and 
 Roman influences, and many degraded from practises loathsome 
 and vile in the extreme. These elements, pagan, Jewish, and 
 Christian entered into the life of the larger cities and more im- 
 portant towns. Those who made up the Christian churches 
 came invariably from one or more of these three classes. 1. 
 The children of Christian parents who were thus all their lives 
 Christians. There would be a few of these as early as A. D 
 70 and a considerable percentage of them in the Church by the 
 close of the century. 2. The Jews who had embraced Christ 
 and became Christians. These would be familiar with the 
 Synagogue and its services and in some ways were the best 
 prepared to be the strength and support of the Christian com- 
 munities. 3. Then there were the pagans that had received the 
 gospel. Everywhere in the province of Asia, Christianity found 
 itself opposed to the Jewish and pagan systems, both of which 
 were deeply rooted in the interests of their respective classes of 
 people and affected their entire spheres of life. 
 
 We can see how slowly but certainly things were shaping for 
 a great religious conflict in the province of Asia. As time went 
 on it was becoming continually more evident that the new 
 religion must measure itself with the old in a life and death 
 struggle. This conflict had emerged when the Apocalypse was 
 written. While the same thing in a general way took place 
 wherever the Gospel was preached and received, the province 
 of Asia was the great battle ground, because it was the meeting 
 place of east and west and the place where Christianity ob- 
 tained its first great foothold. 
 
 It was not merely a conflict between a new religion and an 
 old for supremacy but, as the writer of the Apocalypse and the 
 little Christian Church saw it, two empires that were engaged 
 in deadly conflict ; on the one hand there was the Kingdom of 
 Christ, of which the Christian Church was the earthly embodi- 
 ment and expression, and on the other there was the world 
 
36 The Revelation of John 
 
 power of Rome. The Empire stood behind paganism as its 
 strength and support and thus as the power and expression of 
 Satan in the world. The great conflict therefore appears as a 
 conflict between God and Satan, Christ and Anti-Christ; and 
 while the strife is a long one, the ultimate issue in the mind 
 of the seer is never in doubt. Christ will triumph over all 
 His enemies and come off more than conqueror. The Book 
 of Revelation is a vivid picture of the combatants and the con- 
 flict, as well as a prophecy of the outcome. 
 
ITS AUTHOR 
 
 The Apocalypse of John clearly indicates its author in chap- 
 ter i: I, 4, 9, and xxii: 8. This however merely informs us 
 that his name was John, but does not enable us certainly to 
 identify him with any one of the many persons of that name. 
 He does indeed call himself the servant of Jesus Christ and 
 says that he was in the isle which is called Patmos for the 
 word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. By this expres 
 sion he seems to mean that he was there because he had borne 
 testimony to Christ, and therefore had been a consistent active 
 Christian condemned to exile for a definite or indefinite period. 
 He also appears to claim the rank and authority of a prophet 
 (xxii: 9). John was a very common name in the first century' 
 of our era ; at least five different persons are thus designated in 
 the New Testament. From early times the prevailing opinion has 
 been that the author of the Apocalypse was the son of Zebedee 
 and one of the twelve apostles of our Lord, but the evidence 
 as it has come down to us is by no means conclusive. A sup- 
 posed "John the Elder" has from early times been recognized 
 as the author, but it has been as hard to determine who he is as 
 to identify the author of our book. Indeed the only safe con- 
 clusion is that to which most scholars have come, namely that 
 we cannot identify the author beyond his own statements at the 
 beginning and end of his book. A few scholars have taken the 
 position that the book is pseudonymous, but that view seems 
 hardly tenable as in that case it would seem only natural that 
 the writer would declare his identity with the apostle of the 
 same name as do the writers of the apocryphal apocalypses of 
 Paul and John. 
 
 37 
 
VI 
 
 ITS DATE 
 
 There is almost universal agreement that the Apocalypse was 
 written in the last third of the first Christian century, but 
 whether near the beginning of it or towards the close has been 
 a much disputed point. The consensus of opinion in the early 
 Christian Church was that it was written in the closing years 
 of the reign of the Emperor Domitian, say 90-96 A. D. while 
 some later, though still ancient, writers hold that it was writ- 
 ten during the reign of Claudius, Nero, or Trajan. The chief 
 arguments on which a conclusion must be based are the follow- 
 ing: (A.) The condition of the churches as indicated in the 
 epistles to the seven churches. (B.) The general historical 
 situation in the Empire and the province of Asia as indicated 
 or implied in the book. (C.) Some who assume the unity of 
 the book and believe that it was written by the same person as 
 the Fourth Gospel maintain that the Apocalypse is the earlier 
 because, as they say, less developed in style and thought than 
 the Gospel. (D.) The testimony of early Christian writers. 
 
 With regard to these points it may be said that they seem to 
 point clearly to the later date, though fresh evidence may be 
 discovered any time that will reverse this conclusion. The con- 
 dition of the churches in the province as indicated in the book 
 generally and in chapter ii — iii in particular appears to present 
 aspects that had not begun to emerge in the time of Paul's 
 missionary journeys nor even when he wrote his epistles to the 
 churches there. The general historical situation implied or 
 presented is one that our present knowledge does not enable us 
 to discover in that part of the Empire until the closing years of 
 the reign of Domitian. The testimony of early Christian 
 writers is almost unanimous for the later date while the uncer- 
 tainty regarding the authorship of the book makes it impossible 
 to compare it with the Fourth Gospel. 
 
 38 
 
VII 
 
 ITS UNITY 
 
 Is the Apocalypse of John as it lies before us a literary unity 
 or can we find in it distinct evidence of two or more different 
 authors? 
 
 For dual or multiple authorship it is argued; (A.) that as 
 prophetic books such as Isaiah and Zechariah and apocalypses 
 such as Enoch are of composite authorship, we may expect to 
 find the Book of Revelation composite also; (B) want of 
 formal and material connection showing itself in distinctive 
 breaks like these at iii: 22, vii: 17, xi: 19, xiii: 18, xiv: 20, xvi: 
 21 ; (C.) the repetitions of the same thing in different connec- 
 tions, e. g., the 144,000 in vii: 4ft and xiv: iff, the Beast in 
 xiii: iff and xvii, the New Jerusalem in xxi: 2 and xxii: 9, 
 the Lamb in v: 6 and xiv: 1, (D.) the Last Judgment appearing 
 at two widely separated points in the development of the book, 
 i. e., at xiv: 14 ff and xxii: nff; (E.) different conceptions 
 of Christ revealed in i: 13ft, v: 6, xiv: 14, etc., and of the 
 Church in xii: iff, xvii: 7, xxi: 2, etc.; (F.) the different dates 
 apparently implied in different parts of the book such as xi: 
 iff, xiii: 18, xvii: iof. 
 
 On the other hand the evidences of unity of authorship are 
 numerous and unmistakable. Among these are: (A.) The 
 beginning and end claims to be from the same author, i: 1, 4, 
 9, xxi: 2, xxii, while the same person seems to be indicated in 
 various other places through the book, e. g. i: 10, 12, 17, 19, 
 iv: 1, 2, 4, v: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 11, 13, vi: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 
 vii: 1, 2, 4, 9, i3^}4-, vi ";3 J 3, ix: 1, 13, 16, 17, x: 1, 4, 5, 8, 
 9, 10, 11, xi: 1, xii: 10, xiii: 1, 2, 3, 11, xiv: 1, 2, 6, 13, 14, xv: 
 1, 2, 5, xvi: 1, 5, 7, 13, xvii: 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 15, 18, xviii: 1, 4, xix: 
 1, 6, 9, 10, 11, 17, 19, xx : 1, 4, 11, 12, xxi: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, 
 15, 22, xxii: 1, 6, 9, 10. (B.) This is seen also in a similarity 
 of phraseology, e. g. i : 1 and iv : 1 and xxii : 6, i : 3 and xxii : 7, 
 i: 3 and xxii: 10, i: 8 and xxi: 6 and xxii: 12, i: 17 and xxii: 
 13, ii: 7 and xxii: 17, ii: 7, 11, 17, 26, iii: 5, 12, 21 and xxi: 7, 
 ii: 11 and xx: 6, 14 and xxi 8, ii: 28 and xxii: 16, iii: 11 and 
 xxii: 12, iii: 12 and xxi: 2, i: 10 and iv:2, iv: 6 and xv: 2, 
 
 39 
 
40 The Revelation of John 
 
 v: 5 and xxii: 16, v: 10 and i: 6, ix: I and xx: i, x: I and 
 i: I4f, xi: I and xxi: 15, xi: 7 and xvii: 8, xii: 9 and xx: 2, xiv: 
 13 and ii: 7 etc., xiv: 14 and i: 13, xv: 6 and i: 13, xvi: 15 and 
 iii: 3, xvii: 1 and xxi: 9, xix: 12 and i: 14. These instances, 
 with others that might be given, offer strong indication that the 
 same hand has been busy throughout the book, and that, it 
 would seem, can hardly be other than the person named as the 
 author in i: 1, 4, 9, xxi: 2 and xxii: 8. (C.) Certain unusual 
 words and forms occur and are frequently repeated, e. g., 
 aftvaaos in chapters ix, xi, xvii, xx, aStKdv to hurt in ii, vi, vii, 
 ix, xi, xxii, fiaaaviapjos in ix, xiv, xviii, SiaSrjpu in xii, xiii, xix, 
 SpdKojv in xii, xiii, xvi, xx, evayyzXL&iv in x, xiv, ®povo<; in i, ii, 
 iii, iv, v, vi, vii, viii, xi, xii, xiii, xiv, xvi, xix, xx, xxi, xxii, 
 Kadfxa in vii, xvi, k/w'otciAAos in iv, xxii, /aeyio-rav in vi, xviii, 
 fiecrovpdvrjfjia in viii, xiv, xix, fioXvveiv in iii, xiv, o'lKovfiAvr) in 
 iii, xii, xvi, iravTOKparup in i, iv, xi, xv, xvi, xix, xxi, ovvkolvu)V€lv 
 — vos in i, xviii, <r<£a£eu' in v, vi, xiii, xviii, </>ap/xa/aa, 4>dpfiaKov, 
 <t>appLaKo<; in ix, xviii, xxi, xxii, <f>idX.y) in v, xv, xvi, xxi, xapay//,a 
 in xiii, xiv, xvi, xix, xx. (D.) The number seven occurs 
 very frequently throughout the book, e. g., seven churches i: 4, 
 11, 20, ii: 1, iii: 22, seven stars i: 16, 20, seven lamps i: 12, 
 20, iv: 5, seven seals v: 1, seven horns and seven eyes v: 6, 
 seven spirits of God v: 6, seven angels and seven trumpets 
 viii: 2, seven thunders x: 3, seven heads xiii: 1, seven angels 
 having seven last plagues xv: 1, xvii: 1, xxi: 9, seven golden 
 bowls xv : 7, xvii: 1, seven heads xvii: 3, 9, seven kings xvii: 
 10. Similarly but to a less degree the numbers three, ten, and 
 twelve with their powers. (E.) There are many words and 
 phrases that indicate a continuity of thought, e. g. "Before 
 his throne" in i: 4 anticipates the vision in chap. iv. "After 
 this I looked," in iv: 1 connects what follows with what pre- 
 cedes; "him that sat on the throne" in v: 1 shows that he still 
 has in mind the throne and its occupant of chap, iv; similarly 
 "the Lamb opened one of the seals" connects chap, vi with v: 
 6, 12; the throne, the elders, and the Lamb are still before him 
 in vii: 9-17; in viii: 1 we find "the seventh seal" expanding 
 into "the seven trumpets" but when the seventh trumpet is 
 sounded in xi: 15 the twenty-four elders of iv: 4 are still prom- 
 inent (vs. 16) ; it seems reasonable to believe that the phrase 
 "in the heaven" of xii: 1 points to the same vision as the same 
 phrase in iv: 1, in xiv: 3 the figures of the throne, beasts, and 
 
Its Unity 4I % 
 
 elders of chap iv are still in plain view, thus showing that there 
 is yet no break in the scene although it has been changing con- 
 tinually; the beast of xv: 2 seems to be the same as that of 
 xiii : i ; the four beasts of xv : 7 are evidently the same as iv : 
 6; xvi: 2 and 10 shows that the features of xiii: 15-17 are still 
 present; xvii: 1 shows that what follows is connected with xv: 
 6 and xvi: 1; Babylon of xvii: 5 appears to be the same as 
 Babylon of xiv: 8 and xviii: 2 and xviii: 21 ; the beast of xix: 
 19 appears to be the same as that of xiii: iff and the false 
 prophet of xix: 20 the same as the second beast of xiii: I iff; 
 the dragon of xx: 2 appears to be the one of xii: 3ft; xx: 10 
 connects us with xix: 20; xxi: 5 and xxii: 3 show us that the 
 throne and its occupant of chap, iv are still in view; while 
 xxii: 16 links the last sentences of the book with the first in 
 i: 4. Many other points might be mentioned but these are 
 surely enough to show that the narrative of the book is such 
 as to stamp it as the work of one author. We may then say 
 that throughout the book claims to be the work of one author, 
 John, and that claim is strongly substantiated by the language 
 and trend of thought of the book. 
 
 In view of these facts what must be our conclusion? To 
 the mind of the present writer only one conclusion is reasonably 
 possible, — that the book throughout in its present form is the 
 work of one author. This does not exclude the probability 
 that the author drew largely on the Old Testament and Jewish 
 apocalypses for his material, nor the possibility of the book as we 
 have it being a revision by a later hand than that of the original 
 author, nor the possibility that some portions were written 
 earlier than others. As for the supposed indications of dual or 
 multiple authorship, they can be easily explained, though not 
 fully or satisfactorily until the interpretation of the book as a 
 unity has been reached. The fact that other prophetic and 
 apocalyptic books are known to be of composite authorship 
 would not be a reason for asserting positively that ours was of 
 the same character though it would be a good reason for sus- 
 picion in the matter. The so-called breaks in the narrative are 
 almost inevitable in a book of this sort and are to be explained, 
 not as indicating different authorship, but as marking a trans- 
 ference of the author's attention from one feature to another of 
 the continually changing scenes that he is describing. This 
 
42 The Revelation of John 
 
 will appear more clearly in the exposition and explain as well 
 the so-called repetitions. Surely the same author may view 
 Christ and the Church from different angles and refer to events 
 of different dates. It is hoped that careful reading of the ex- 
 position will convince the reader that this is the case. 
 
VIII 
 
 ITS DESTINATION AND PURPOSE 
 
 The destination of the Revelation of John is clearly indicated 
 in i : 4, 11 as the Christian churches in seven of the cities of the 
 Roman Province of Asia, viz. Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, 
 Thyatira, Sardis. Philadelphia, and Laodicea. But there are 
 some indications that the author had in mind a wider circle of 
 readers as well. The expressions, "to show to his servants" 
 in i: 1, "he that reads and they that hear" i: 3, "He who has 
 an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" ii : 7, 
 11, 17, 29, iii: 6, 13, 22, "to show to his servants" xxii: 6, "he 
 who keeps the words" xxii: 7, "they that wash their robes" 
 xxii: 14, "to testify to you these things for the churches" xxii: 
 16. "him that hears ... is thirsty . . . one that 
 will . . . everyone that hears," xxii: 17, 18, seem to point 
 in this direction and to indicate that while primarily the 
 churches named were the ones to which the book was addressed, 
 he thought it might reach Christians in the province generally 
 and even throughout the world. And this conclusion receives 
 some confirmation when we study the reason for the selection 
 of these particular seven churches. 
 
 Tlie purpose of the book is plainly indicated in i: 1-3, "to 
 show to his servants what must quickly come to pass." (Also 
 xxii: 6). We note that with the exception of the first three 
 verses the book is in the form of a letter, and really bears all the 
 characteristics of a letter as letters were written in those days, 
 indicating at the beginning who is the writer and to whom it is 
 written (i: 4). It consists wholly of visions and revelations 
 which he has seen and has been commanded (i: 11) with one 
 exception (x: 4) to write in a book and send. While it is an 
 apocalypse it is therefore an epistle also. In the first three chap- 
 ters special reference is made to the internal condition of the 
 churches in the seven cities mentioned, which were, no doubt, 
 similar to those of the province generally. From the beginning 
 of chap, iv to the end of the book it is the external circumstances 
 that the church as a whole has to meet that are continually in 
 view. When we consider these facts, and bear in mind the his- 
 
 43 
 
44 The Revelation of John 
 
 torical circumstances we see that the author's real purpose is to 
 strengthen the faith of the Christians and thus cheer them in 
 their great struggle with the pagan and Imperial forces. He 
 will let them know the real character of their opponents and 
 assure them that in spite of their apparently despotic sway their 
 downfall is certain, and right and truth and Christ will surely 
 prevail. He must, however, write in a way that his enemies 
 will not understand for if they did it would bring down more 
 terrible sufferings than even those which they were otherwise 
 called upon to endure. He therefore selects the apocalypse as 
 the literary form best suited to his purpose; but this makes the 
 work of the modern interpreter of the book especially difficult. 
 
IX 
 
 ITS SYMBOLISM 
 
 Like other apocalyptic writings the Apocalypse of John 
 abounds in imagery and numbers used in a symbolic way. 
 Throughout the Old Testament symbols are frequently used 
 and many of the symbols used by our author were evidently 
 suggested by the Old Testament, though some are original and 
 new. All departments of nature and life are drawn upon. 
 Sometimes the imagery is not symbolism at all but is intended 
 to give color to the scene ; often when it is symbolic its meaning 
 is so clear that it can scarcely be misunderstood, while in other 
 cases there is room for considerable difference of opinion and 
 the interpretation is uncertain. 
 
 Numbers occur very frequently in the book, 2, 3, 3^2, 4, 5, 
 6, 7, 10, 12, 24, 42, 144, 666 (6r perhaps 616), 1,000, 1,260, 
 1,600, 7,000, 12,000, 144,000, 100,000,000, 200,000,000. Of 
 these seven is by far the most frequent, then twelve, ten, and 
 four occur often, and many of the larger numbers are multiples 
 of them. The number seven to the Hebrew denoted comple- 
 tion, while ten is a round number, and three and a half is a 
 broken seven. While a Hebrew origin is claimed for the sym- 
 bolism of the Apocalypse we must also remember that pagan 
 religion, literature, and art in Proconsular Asia in John's time 
 were largely symbolic and that it may have been very desirable 
 to provide the Church with a counteracting symbolism. 
 
 45 
 
ITS CONTENTS AND PLAN 
 
 The Book of Revelation is really an apocalypse in the form 
 of a letter, introduced by a few sentences which explains its 
 origin and purpose in a way so striking that the reader's atten- 
 tion is at once arrested. In chap, i: 1-3 we have this introduc- 
 tion: while the remainder of the book is the letter. 
 
 In the letter we have the following well marked divisions. 
 Following the time, place, and other circumstances we have 
 an account of his first great vision, — a vision of Christ in the 
 midst of the churches. Christ Himself is here the prominent 
 figure, and He is represented as risen and glorified. The 
 vision is partly explained to John who is smitten prostrate by 
 its magnificence but is lifted up and told not to be afraid, but 
 to write what he sees and send it to the seven churches of Asia 
 which are named. A special message is sent to each church, 
 indicating an exact knowledge of its nature and circumstances 
 as well as a keen appreciation of its merits and defects coupled 
 with such warnings and promises as are needful, and the vision 
 passes. 
 
 At iv: 1 we have the beginning of the second great vision. He 
 sees a door opened in the heaven and hears a trumpet voice 
 summoning him to come up there and be shown things which 
 must be hereafter. Again he is "in the spirit" and looks upon 
 another matchless scene. The throne in heaven appears (chap, 
 iv), and in the hand of its occupant a sealed roll (v: iff) which 
 the Lamb undertakes to open (v: 5-14). The first six seals 
 are opened (chap, vi), but before the seventh is opened 144,000 
 from the tribes of Israel are sealed (vii: 1-8) and an hymn of 
 praise to God and the Lamb is sung (vii: 9-17) by a great mul- 
 titude before the throne. Then the seventh seal is opened and 
 the first four of seven trumpets sound (chap, viii: 1 - 1 3 ) ; the 
 fifth brings the first woe (ix: 1-11) and the sixth the second 
 woe (ix: 12-21), while the angel with the little book (x: 1-11), 
 the measuring of the temple, and the episode of the two wit- 
 nesses (chap, xi: I-14) precede the sounding of the seventh 
 trumpet or third woe (xi: 15-19), The narrative proceeds to 
 
 46 
 
Its Contents and Plan 47 
 
 recount the appearances of a woman and her child and the at- 
 tack of a great red dragon on her (xii), the two beasts (xiii), 
 the appearance of the 144,000 (xiv: 1-5), the flying angels 
 (xiv: 6-13) with the harvest and vintage scenes (xiv: 14-20). 
 Then follow the seven bowls (xv and xvi), Babylon seated on 
 the beast (xvii) and her doom (xviii), after which we have 
 the celebrations of triumph and praise of the people of God 
 (xix: 1-10). Then there are the descriptions of the crowned 
 warrior, a great battle, and the feast of the slain, (xix: 11-21). 
 In chap, xx we are told of the binding of Satan, the millennium, 
 the two resurrections, the final conflict and judgment (xx), 
 while in xxi and xxii we have the new heaven and the new 
 earth, the holy city, and the paradise of God (xxi: 1 — xxii: 5). 
 The book closes with an epilogue and benediction (xxii: 6-21). 
 This may be tabulated as follows: 
 
 I. The Preface; chap, i: 1-3. 
 
 II. The General Introduction; chap, i: 4-8. 
 
 III. The First Vision; chap, i: 9 — iii: 22. 
 
 1. Christ in the midst of the churches; chap, i: 9-20. 
 
 2. The messages to the seven churches; chap, ii: 1 — 
 
 iii: 22. 
 
 IV. The Second Vision; chap, iv: 1 — xxii: 5. 
 
 1. The throne in heaven; chap, iv: 1-11. 
 
 2. The sealed book and the Lamb; chap, v: 1-14. 
 
 3. The opening of the seals; chap, vi: 1 — viii: 1. 
 
 A. The opening of the first six seals; chap, vi: 1-1 7. 
 
 B. Sealing of 144,000; chap, vii: 1-17. 
 
 C. The opening of the seventh seal; chap, viii: 1. 
 
 4. The seven trumpets; chap, viii: 2 — xi: 19. 
 
 A. The first four trumpets; chap, viii: 2-13. 
 
 B. The fifth trumpet or first woe; chap, ix: 1-12. 
 
 C. The sixth trumpet or second woe; chap, ix: 13 — 
 
 xi: 14. 
 
 (1) The first stage of the woe; chap, ix: 13-21. 
 
 (2) The angel with the little book; chap, x: i-n. 
 
 (3) Measuring the temple; chap, xi: 1-3. 
 
 (4) The two witnesses; chap, xi: 4-13. 
 
 D. The seventh trumpet or third woe; chap, xi: 14-19. 
 
 5. The hideous monsters; chap, xii: 1 — xiii: 18. 
 A. The woman and the dragon; chap, xii: 1-17. 
 
48 The Revelation of John 
 
 B. The first beast from the sea; chap, xiii: 1-10. 
 
 C. The second beast from the land; chap, xiii: 11-18. 
 
 6. The great ingathering; chap, xiv: 1-20. 
 
 A. The Lamb and his company on Mount Zion ; 
 
 vs. 1-5. 
 
 B. The angel with the gospel; vs. 6 and 7. 
 
 C. Announcement of Babylon's fall; vs. 8-1 1. 
 
 D. Blessedness of the saints; vs. 12 and 13. 
 
 E. The reaper and his work; vs. 14-20. 
 
 7. The time of judgment; chap, xv: 1 — xx: 15. 
 
 A. The seven last plagues; chap, xv: 1 — xvi: 21. 
 
 B. The judgment of Babylon ; chap, xvii : 1 — xviii : 24. 
 
 C. The thanksgiving to God; chap, xix: 1-10. 
 
 D. The victor and the slain; chap, xix: 11-21. 
 
 E. Final conflicts and victories; chap, xx: 1-15. 
 
 8. The bliss at last; chap, xxi: 1 — xxii: 5. 
 
 A. The new Jerusalem; chap, xxi: 1-27. 
 
 B. The paradise of God; chap, xxii: 1-5. 
 
 V. The General Conclusion; chap, xxii: 6-20. 
 
 VI. Benediction; chap, xxii: 21. 
 
XI 
 
 ITS INTERPRETATION 
 
 The interpretation of the Book of Revelation has proved to 
 be a task of great difficulty. Almost from the first it has re- 
 ceived the attention of students of the New Testament, but the 
 results of the study given it by scholars have varied widely both 
 in detail and in principle. This section will indicate the view 
 taken by the writer and the lines which he believes should be 
 pursued in the detailed interpretation of the book. While no 
 one will dispute that all the established principles of New 
 Testament interpretation ought to be followed faithfully unless 
 good and sufficient reason can be shown for disregarding them, 
 yet in a book of the nature of the Apocalypse of John special 
 attention ought to be given to the following points because they 
 have been so often neglected: 
 
 i. Due consideration must be given to the literary charac- 
 ter of the book. We must always remember that it is an 
 apocalypse and therefore must be interpreted as an apocalypse, 
 in as much as it uses the language and symbols of apocalyptic 
 literature and possesses the same general characteristics. A 
 careful study of the non-canonical Christian and Jewish apo- 
 calypses of the period to which the author belongs, and especially 
 of the other apocalyptic portions of the Bible (of which the 
 Book of Daniel is the chief) will be of considerable assistance to 
 us and some attention has been given to them in an earlier sec- 
 tion of this Introduction. But we must at the same time dis- 
 tinguish between the real message of the book and the form 
 in which that message is conveyed, and remember that phrases 
 and imagery of the apocalyptic type may be no more than the 
 scenery of the picture conveying the real message. 
 
 2. Then we must always keep in mind the position and 
 purpose of the writer of the book and the circumstances of those 
 to whom it was written. The book arose in clearly defined 
 historical circumstances and it is surely as foolish to try to un- 
 derstand its meaning without a knowledge of those as it would 
 be to try to understand the words of Jesus or the Epistles of 
 Paul without a knowledge of the situation in which they arose, 
 
 49 
 
50 The Revelation of John 
 
 and no one tries to do this with parts of the Scripture which 
 arose in well known circumstances. Why then should it be 
 done with those parts the historical surroundings of the origin 
 of which we do not know? Surely it is better to assume that 
 they arose to meet a particular need, and that they can be rightly 
 understood in the first instance only in their relation to those 
 surroundings, than it is to assume that they had no bearing on 
 the circumstances of their time but were designed by their 
 authors to map out the distant future or supply the spiritual 
 needs of the people of some remote age. The Book of Revela- 
 tion is in the form of a letter to seven definite local churches in 
 Asia Minor, the conditions and circumstances of which it gives 
 with considerable detail in its opening chapters. We must con- 
 clude then, both on general principles and on the evidence in 
 this particular instance, that the book is an answer to the great 
 need of the Christian churches to which it is addressed. When 
 our author lifts the veil of the future, it is for the purpose of 
 arousing his readers to trust in God, be faithful to Christ, have 
 confidence in the ultimate triumph of righteousness, be patient 
 in their severe trials, and be hopeful in the prospect of death, 
 and not to predict the medieval and modern history of Europe. 
 
 3. It must be remembered, too, that in a book of this sort, 
 plainly so difficult, much weight should be given to every clear 
 indication which it contains as to its own meaning. In our 
 volume these indications are quite numerous. The writer claims 
 to be divinely commissioned to convey a revelation to the 
 churches (chap, i: 1-3, 11, 18). Its purpose is plainly indicated 
 (i: 1, 3, xxii; 16). The meaning of the seven stars and the 
 seven lamps is explained in i: 20; of those arrayed in white 
 robes in vii: 14; the number of the beast is explained as the 
 number of a man in xiii: 18; in xiv: 8 Babylon is called a great 
 city; in xvi: 13, 14, the three unclean spirits like frogs are de- 
 clared to be the spirits of devils; the mystery of the woman and 
 the beast that carries her is explained in xvii: 7ff; other ex- 
 planations or interpretations are given in iv: 5, v: 8, xx: 5, 14, 
 xxi: 8. 
 
 4. Nor must we overlook in this connection the importance 
 of a wise use of literary criticism. Such questions as the proper 
 determination of the correct text of the book, the source of the 
 author's material, (i. e., whether his own production or ob- 
 
Its Interpretation 51 
 
 tained in the Old Testament or elsewhere), and if not his own 
 production is his use of it the same as its original significance. 
 These and similar questions are not often considered in the fol- 
 lowing pages, but are discussed only when the occasion par- 
 ticularly requires it. In the case of the text reliance is chiefly 
 placed on the work of others, while in the case of the material, 
 it is often very difficult to determine its source, and even when 
 that can be determined it is of little value as our author ex- 
 hibits complete independence in its use. 
 
 5. Light and assistance from any and every source should be 
 welcomed. Here we are particularly indebted to the arch- 
 aeologist and the historical investigator for such help, Sir 
 Wm. Ramsay being entitled to special mention in this connec- 
 tion. 
 
 6. Believing then, that our author and his volume are what 
 they claim to be, and that the book before us must be in- 
 terpreted in the light of the circumstances and purpose of its 
 author as therein indicated, we have a clear indication of a 
 system of interpretation which in recent years has been growing 
 in favor with students of the Bible, and in the case of the 
 Apocalypse of John offers the only reasonable hope of a satis- 
 factory interpretation of the book. An interpretation conducted 
 on these lines will be distinct from all the chief systems of 
 apocalyptic interpretation though with each of them it will 
 have points of contact. 
 
 Bearing in mind, then, that the book is a letter in the form 
 of an apocalypse, written and sent by John who is in exile in 
 Patmos, to his fellow Christians in the Roman province of 
 Asia, and remembering that it is designed to encourage and 
 strengthen them to meet a great trial of faith, we proceed to 
 our task of considering it in detail. 
 
PART II 
 
EXPOSITION 
 
 Preface i: 1-3. 
 
 Here the following points are worthy of note : 
 
 1. The title of the book is "The Revelation of John." 
 ( > A7roKd\vif/L<s 'luavvov, or 'laxivov) , or using the transliterated 
 Greek word, "Apocalypse of John," occurring also in the open- 
 ing verse. The title thus indicates the nature of the book and 
 connects it with the class of literature to which it properly be- 
 longs. This title goes back to the second century, though not 
 belonging to the book in its earliest form; and although the 
 author calls it, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ," (i: 1) the 
 consensus of Christian sentiment after his day kept his name 
 in the title and as time passed two other epithets, "saint" and 
 "divine" were added until the title became as in our Authorized 
 Version "The Revelation of Saint John the Divine." 
 
 2. The source of the book is given clearly and in detail "The 
 Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him . . . 
 and he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John." 
 Here we learn: 
 
 A. The real and ultimate source of the book is God. 
 
 B. It is a revelation "of Jesus Christ." Does this mean that 
 Jesus Christ is the one who is revealed or the one to whom the 
 revelation is given? When we remember that the book exalts 
 and glorifies Jesus throughout, we are constrained to believe that 
 the words mean that He is the one who is revealed ; while the 
 next words, "which God gave to Him," certainly indicate that 
 He is the recipient of the revelation. Probably the truth is to 
 be found in a union of both views. A parallel case is found in 
 John xvii: 24 where Jesus refers to His glory as given Him by 
 God. It is as if God draws the veil and allows Christ Him- 
 self to appear. 
 
 C. The revelation is effected through the instrumentality of 
 an angel who is later mentioned, (xxii: 8). 
 
 D. But John is the human source through which it comes, 
 and humanly speaking is its author, bearing testimony to it in 
 the words, spoken in the third person, "who bore witness of the 
 
 55 
 
56 The Revelation of John 
 
 word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, of as many 
 things as he saw." In these words the phrases "word of God," 
 "testimony of Jesus Christ," and "as many things as he saw," 
 {ova clSey), may be understood either as different designations 
 of the revelation contained in his book generally, or more ex- 
 actly, as that revelation viewed as coming from God, Christ, 
 or himself. However, there are some interpreters, such as Dr. 
 Hort, who regard the words as referring to John's confession 
 of Jesus Christ before men and not to the visions of the Apo- 
 calypse. 
 
 3. The purpose of the book is indicated as well "To show 
 unto his servants what must quickly come to pass." The revela- 
 tion is for the benefit of the people of God, and concerns the 
 immediate, not the distant future. These words and similar 
 expressions in vs. 3 and xxii: 6, 7, 10, completely exclude all 
 interpretations of the book based on the idea that it primarily 
 refers to the distant future. 
 
 4. Emphasis is laid on the importance of close attention to 
 the information the book contains, on the part of its readers and 
 hearers, "Blessed is he that reads and they that hear the words 
 of the prophecy, and keep the things written therein, for the 
 time is at hand." The singular "he that reads," and the plural, 
 "they that hear," indicate that the author has not so much in 
 mind the private student, as one who reads aloud in the con- 
 gregation. Here too, the author indicates his own opinion of the 
 book. It is a "prophecy," and therefore worthy to be classed 
 with the works of the Hebrew prophets and as worthy of the 
 attention of the servants of God as they. 
 
II 
 
 General Introduction i: 4-8. 
 Here we have, 
 
 1. The customary form for beginning a letter. 
 
 A. The Apocalypse is from this point on really a letter. 
 
 B. Its author is John who here again mentions himself as 
 such. 
 
 C. Its destination is indicated, — the seven churches which 
 are in the Roman province of Asia: these are named in i: 1 1. 
 
 2. The address passes into a benediction. 
 
 A. Grace and peace are invoked on them. 
 
 B. This is from "him who was and is and is to come," which 
 can mean only God the Father as distinct from the Son and the 
 Spirit since both are mentioned separately in the same sentence. 
 This description of God would be acceptable to the ears of both 
 Greek and Jewish Christians. 
 
 C. The grace and peace are conveyed also "from the seven 
 spirits which are before his throne." These seven spirits are 
 again mentioned in iii: 1, iv: 5, and v: 6, and seem clearly to 
 be the Spirit of God, sevenfold because He operates in the seven 
 churches, as well as because the author has a fondness for this 
 number and because this will add to the apocalyptic coloring of 
 the book. 
 
 D. This benediction comes as well from Jesus Christ who 
 may be regarded as the source of the revelation by virtue of His 
 unity with the Father, and as the communicator of it to His 
 people because having received it from God. He is described 
 as the "faithful witness," the author no doubt having in mind 
 such representations of Him as we find in John iii: II, 32f, 
 viii: I4f, xviii: 37, 1 Tim. vi: 13. He is also the "first-born 
 of the dead," i. e., the first person to rise from the dead never to 
 die again (vs. 18). Because He has risen from the dead He is 
 "the prince of the kings of the earth." Here compare chap, 
 xix: 12, 16 and Rom. xiv: 9, Col. i: 18. 
 
 3. The benediction passes into a doxology, which is the first 
 of many doxologies in the book. 
 
 A. "To Him who loves us." At the beginning the author 
 
 57 
 
58 The Revelation of John 
 
 will assure his readers of Christ's personal affection for them 
 (see also iii: 9, 19). 
 
 B. "And loosed us from our sins by His blood." Here it is 
 doubtful whether we should have washed or loosed, as in the 
 original there is a difference of only one letter between them 
 (XovaavTi, washed; Awavrt, loosed). Either makes good sense 
 and seems to suit well, though probably loosed is on the whole 
 preferable as it has the better manuscript authority. 
 
 C. "And made us a kingdom, priests to God and his father." 
 Here the manuscripts favor "kingdom" followed by a comma, 
 rather than "kings" (cf. vs. 9). Our book is, from one point 
 of view, a protest against the Roman Empire especially in its 
 attitude toward the Church, and here at the outset we find the 
 author placing the Divine Kingdom in sharp contrast to the 
 political power. But while the members of the church in their 
 corporate capacity are a spiritual kingdom, in their individual 
 capacity they are priests unto God, and offer Him worship and 
 service. 
 
 D. "To him be the glory and the dominion for ever and 
 ever; amen." Here glory (8o£a) and dominion (k^ch-os) are 
 ascribed to Christ. Thus the doxology exalts Christ because of 
 the love, redeeming grace, and uplifting power, which He has 
 extended to the Church, ascribing to Him glory and dominion, 
 all of which it emphasizes by the addition of the word "Amen." 
 
 4. To the doxology is added the declaration of His speedy 
 coming doubly emphasized, vs. 7. He is coming, surrounded 
 by clouds; all shall see Him, even those who put Him to death, 
 (cf. Dan. vii: 13 and Zech. xii: 10). The Greek indicates 
 that by "they (oiTLves) who pierced him," is meant not so much 
 those who shared in the actual crucifixion of Christ as those who 
 in all ages are hostile to Him. "All the tribes of the earth shall 
 mourn over him" — doubtless the mourning of repentance rather 
 than of punishment on themselves as "every eye" and "all the 
 tribes" must include many who would welcome Him gladly 
 without fear. The declaration of His coming is doubly em- 
 phasized, "Even so, amen" (vat, apr/v), the former being Greek 
 in its origin and the latter Hebrew: the latter also has a re- 
 ligious character from its association which the former does 
 not possess. 
 
 5. In verse 8 we have a declaration of the Divine nature 
 
Exposition 59 
 
 given by Himself. He is; A. "Alpha and Omega." These 
 are respectively the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet 
 and thus express the infinitude of God, which embraces and 
 transcends all, for the first and the last include all between. 
 B. The One "who is and who was, and who is to come," i. e., 
 the eternal, and, C. "the Almighty," i. e., the omnipotent. 
 
Ill 
 
 Christ in the Midst of the Churches i: 9 — iii: 22. 
 
 We come now to consider the first of the two great visions 
 that chiefly make up our book, — Christ in the Midst of the 
 Churches i: 9 — iii: 22. This vision naturally falls into two 
 parts, A. the narrative, and B. the messages. 
 
 In the first part the following points are to be noted. 
 
 1. Vs. 9-1 1 give us more details regarding the author and 
 his circumstances when he received the revelations contained in 
 his book. 
 
 A. His name is John as he has already twice (vs. 1 and 4) 
 indicated ; but now it is mentioned in the first person instead of 
 in the third as before. 
 
 B. He claims to be one of themselves describing himself as 
 "your brother" and claiming to share with them in the suffer- 
 ing, kingdom, and patience of Jesus. Thus although honored 
 with a revelation from Christ and divinely appointed as the 
 messenger to convey it to his fellow-Christians he assumes no 
 exalted position but considers himself as one of them. 
 
 C. The revelation came to him in the island called Patmos. 
 This is a small island shaped roughly like a horse's head and 
 neck. It is about 10 miles long north and south and 6 wide at 
 the north end. It lies some 40 miles southwest by west from 
 Miletus. The island was once populous and prosperous but 
 under Turkish rule it has greatly decreased in importance. The 
 chief feature of the modern island is the monastery of St. John 
 built in 1088 A. D. near the southern end and a cave not far 
 from it which is pointed out as the exact spot where John re- 
 ceived his revelation. The hills on the island rise to a height 
 of about 800 feet and the natural scenery may have had some in- 
 fluence in determining the external features of John's visions. 
 
 D. The tense of the verb, "was" (lyevo/^v) apparently in- 
 dicates that the visions were committed to writing after John 
 had left Patmos and some time after they had come to him but 
 while they were still fresh in his memory. 
 
 E. He was there "for the word of God and the testimony of 
 Jesus." This may mean that he went there to preach the gospel, 
 
 60 
 
Exposition 6 1 
 
 but the whole tone and purpose of the book is against such a 
 view. It is more probable that it means that he was sent there 
 as an exile or prisoner because of his preaching; this view is the 
 more probable because (i) the same Greek preposition (8ta) is 
 used in the same way and certainly in this sense in vi: 9 and xx: 
 4; and because (2) the expression "in the tribulation" in vs. 
 9 indicates that John had suffered in a common trouble; while 
 (3) an almost unanimous tradition going back to the times of 
 Tertullian and Clement gives this as the reason why he was 
 there. 
 
 F. The vision came when he was "in the spirit," by which 
 he may mean an exstatic condition, as a prophet under the spell 
 of divine inspiration (cf. Acts xxii: 17, Ezek. iii: 12, 14 and 
 xxxvii : 1 ) , or a specially receptive spiritual mood ; the former 
 is more in accord with the extraordinary figures of the book but 
 less tenable if it is held that the apocalyptic form of the book is 
 simply the form the author has chosen to convey the prophetic 
 message to his fellow-sufferers. 
 
 G. The revelations came to him "on the Lord's day," (4v rij 
 KvpiaKrj rj/xepa) . Several views may be held as to the day actual- 
 ly meant here, ( 1 ) Easter, the great day annually observed in 
 commemoration of the Resurrection, (2) The seventh day of 
 the week, (3) The day of Judgment as in Joel i: 15 and iii: 
 14, (4) The first day of the week, the Christian Sabbath; and 
 although nowhere else in the New Testament is this phrase used 
 to designate that day yet we find the adjective used in exactly 
 the same way in 1 Cor. xi : 20 and later in the Didache and early 
 in the history of the Church the first day of the week came to be 
 called by this name. This is the most reasonable interpreta- 
 tion. There is little to commend the third and less to support 
 the first and second. 
 
 H. In these circumstances he suddenly hears behind him a 
 trumpet-toned voice commanding him to record what he sees 
 in a book and send it to the churches in seven cities that are 
 named. Thus the seer is charged with the responsibility of con- 
 veying the revelation to others as well as of profiting by it him- 
 self. ^ 
 
 2. The vision itself is recounted in verses 12-19. John turns 
 about to see who speaks to him, and a remarkable sight meets 
 his view. Seven golden lamps surround a person, in every way 
 extraordinary, whom he describes as "like a son of man." From 
 
62 The Revelation of John 
 
 his mouth a sharp sword proceeds and in his right hand he holds 
 seven stars. At the sight of him John falls prostrate, but the 
 personage lays his right hand on John and bids him not to fear, 
 tells him who he is himself, and repeats the command to write 
 not only what he sees, as before, but also the things that are, and 
 the things that shall come to pass. Many of the words and 
 phrases in these verses are closely akin to the Old Testament. 
 Regarding the seven golden lamps cf. i Kings vii: 49, Zech. 
 iv: 2, also 1 Mace, iv: 4gf and 2 Mace, i: 8 and x: 3. Regard- 
 ing the form "like a son of man" (also in xiv: 14) cf. Dan. vii: 
 Xa\Ko\i{3dvoi, translated "fine brass," is doubtful, as is also its 
 13, x: 6, Ezek. i: 7, xliii: 2. The exact meaning of the word 
 derivation, but a precious metal, or perhaps mixture of metals, 
 bright and flashing, best fills all the requirements and suits the 
 context well. The roar of the Aegean sea may have been in 
 John's ears when he compared the voice to the sound of many 
 waters. As to the sword proceeding from his mouth cf. Ps. 
 cxlix: 6, Isa. xi: 4, xlix: 2, and see Eph. vi: 17, Heb. iv: 12. 
 The shining countenance recalls the Transfiguration (Matt. 
 xvii: 2) ; there is also a parallel in Slav. Enoch i: 5 where we 
 read that "their faces shone as the sun." Regarding his falling 
 prostrate see Isa. vi: 5, Ezek. i: 28, Dan. viii: 17 and x: 8ff, 
 Luke v: 8. For "I am the first . . . ever," see Isa. xliv: 
 6 and xlviii: 12; frequently in both Old and New Testaments 
 God is spoken of as "living" especially in Deut. xxxii: 40, Dan. 
 xii: 7, John v: 26. Regarding "the keys of death and Hades," 
 Ps. ix: 13, cvii: 18, Isa. xxxviii: 10, Job xxxviii: 17, Matt, xvi: 
 19. In verse 19 the command of vs. 11 is repeated with some 
 additional details. 
 
 3. In vs. 20 we have a partial interpretation of this vision, 
 where two of the three objects that need interpretation are ex- 
 plained. 
 
 First. The seven lamps are declared to be the seven churches ; 
 that is the seven named in vs. 11 as is clear from ii : 5 also, 
 each apparently represents a particular church of the seven. 
 
 Second. The seven stars are declared to be the angels of the 
 seven churches, doubtless also each representing a particular 
 church of the seven. For the significance of "angel" in this 
 connection see the general note preceding the discussion of the 
 letters to the seven churches. 
 
 Third. Only one interpretation of the Personage of the 
 
Exposition 63 
 
 vision is possible. The world has seen but One who could 
 truthfully describe Himself as the first and the last, the living 
 One who was dead and is alive for ever, and that one is Christ. 
 This would be so plain to a Christian of that day that it would 
 hardly need to be stated, especially as the resurrection of Christ 
 was the great theme in the preaching of the early church. His 
 clothing, and especially His golden girdle around His breast, 
 suggests priestly and kingly excellence; (Ex. xxviii: 4ft, xxix: 
 5). His head and hair are suitable to a person of His rank, 
 the intelligence and penetration expressed in His face and eyes 
 are especially noticeable, the feet of brass indicate strength and 
 stability, while even His voice and words are powerful like the 
 waters and penetrating like the sword. As the short Roman 
 sword was tongue-like in shape the figure of the sword pro- 
 ceeding from His mouth is not so strange as would at first 
 appear; it may be taken with the rest of the description of Him 
 as indicating, in this passage, a great contrast to, and superiority 
 over the Roman power, having authority not only over life and 
 death, but over the realm beyond as well. 
 
 Thus we have a vision of Christ in the midst of the churches. 
 Why then should they fear. The One to whom they look is 
 among them and He is supreme and one with God. No evil 
 results of the past, no terrors of the present, no forebodings of 
 the future need alarm those who took Him for their King and 
 Lord. His power and authority are superior to those of Rome, 
 even to those of death itself. He speaks to them through John 
 bidding them not to be afraid even as in the days of His flesh 
 He had done, and as He speaks it is with the sympathy of one 
 who has experienced trials and hardships even greater than 
 theirs, for He was dead. Thus there is in the vision an indica- 
 tion of the power, majesty, and sympathy of Jesus who is now 
 glorified. 
 
IV 
 
 The Messages to the Seven Churches. 
 
 Before proceeding to discuss in detail the letters to the seven 
 churches some general questions regarding them, must be con- 
 sidered. 
 
 i. The Churches themselves. In i: n we have the note- 
 worthy words "What you see write in a book and send to the 
 seven churches, unto Ephesus, etc." The expression "the seven 
 churches," seems plainly to indicate that in John's mind the 
 churches in the cities mentioned formed a well-known and 
 clearly defined group which included these and no others. How 
 did this come to be so? It cannot be that only these seven 
 churches existed there. A decade, or even more before the 
 earliest date that has been suggested for the Apocalypse there 
 were churches in Colossae, Laodicea and Hierapolis (Col. iv: 
 13, 16), and Troas (2 Cor. ii: 12, Acts xx: 6ff). Even earlier 
 than that, the Gospel had spread so rapidly that it could be 
 said that "all they that dwelt in Asia heard the word" (Acts 
 xix: 10). Further, in the time of Ignatius (about 100 A. D.) 
 there were churches at Magnesia and Tralleis. Probably many 
 other places also had churches, e. g. Cyzicus, an important city 
 in the north. Thus we see that there must have been many 
 more than these seven churches in the province. How is it 
 that these seven only are mentioned, and mentioned in a way 
 that indicates that they formed a recognized group? It could 
 not have been that these were the most important cities of the 
 province as Thyatira and Philadelphia were insignificant in 
 comparison with some like. Cyzicus, Alabanda and Apameia, 
 which are not mentioned at all. Professor Sir Wm. Ramsay, 
 probably the most eminent living authority on early Chris- 
 tianity in Asia Minor, believes there were several reasons: 
 
 First, each of the seven came to be recognized as the centre 
 and representative church in a group, and he points to Col. 
 iv: 13 and 16 as indicating such a group so closely related that 
 a letter addressed to one could be used with advantage by the 
 others. Thus, Dr. Ramsay believes, seven groups arose of 
 which the seven churches mentioned were severally the leaders 
 and representatives. 
 
 64 
 
Exposition 65 
 
 Second, he points out that these seven were so situated that a 
 messenger could visit them all by pursuing the great roads of 
 the province and make a convenient circuit. A messenger from 
 Patmos would land at Ephesus from which he would journey 
 northward to Smyrna and thence to Pergamum along the great 
 road that traversed the country as far as Cyzicus on the Pro- 
 pontis. From Pergamum he would turn eastward along a 
 second great road that led into the interior of the country, and 
 following it in a southeasterly direction he would call at Thy- 
 atira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. From Ephesus another 
 great road led eastward along the valley of the Meander and 
 Lycus rivers to the distant parts of Phrygia, by which, journey- 
 ing westward from Laodicea the messenger would reach Ephe- 
 sus. Here the order in which the cities are mentioned indicates 
 the order in which the messenger would reach them and the 
 route he would follow. As the messenger reached each of the 
 seven cities he would leave a copy of the book, where provision 
 would be made for circulating it among the churches in the 
 vicinity. 
 
 Third, these churches were representative in two ways. Each 
 stood as the centre of a group of churches; and each had its 
 peculiar features and exhibited in a marked degree some 
 feature of all the churches of Asia Minor. Thus the epistles 
 to the seven churches all apply to all the churches of the whole 
 country but each letter has an especial value for the church 
 to which it is addressed. The messenger on his circular journey 
 would pass through Hierapolis, Tralleis, and Magnesia, at all 
 of which it is altogether probable there were churches, and these 
 cities were certainly more wealthy than Philadelphia and Thy- 
 atira. But the churches in these would be served by messengers 
 of secondary circuits having the seven cities mentioned in i: 
 4, 11 as their centres. Thus Dr. Ramsay thinks these seven 
 churches became representative of the whole church in the 
 province, and he further believes that the church in Asia is 
 representative of the Church in the world. Certainly the words 
 "to show to his servants" in i: 1 and xxii: 6, "he that reads and 
 they that hear . . . and keep" in i: 3, "what the spirit 
 says to the churches" in ii: 7, 11, 17, 29, iii: 6, 13, 22, "he who 
 keeps" in xxii: 7, "those who keep the words" in xxii: 9, "each 
 one" in xxii: 12, "they that wash their robes" in xxii: 14, "for 
 
66 ,, The Revelation of John 
 
 the churches" in xxii: 16, the remarkably broad invitation of 
 xxii: 17, "every one" "any one" in xxii: 18, 19, are sufficiently 
 inclusive to take in all the people of all the churches of Asia 
 and the world. 
 
 Fourth, this explanation by Dr. Ramsay is by far the most 
 reasonable that has ever been given on this point, and when we 
 add to it the fact that the book before us is an apocalypse and 
 that the writer manifestly desires to suggest both mystery and 
 completeness by the language, we have what appears to be suffi- 
 cient reason for the choice of these particular seven churches. 
 
 2. The Letters to the Seven Churches. While the Apo- 
 calypse as a whole from i: 4 onwards is in the form of a letter 
 yet we find the epistolary form specially used in chapters ii and 
 iii where we have the letters to the seven churches, written, as 
 John tells us in i: 4, 5, 1 1, at the express command of Christ 
 who is now risen and glorified. The letters are in some ways 
 very much alike, and in others quite different. 
 
 The letters are all built on the same plan. Each one begins 
 with the expression "To the angel of the church in . . . 
 write; These things says ..." followed by a partial de- 
 scription of the glorified Christ as pictured in the first chapter, 
 so that all the partial descriptions at the beginnings of the let- 
 ters make up with some additions (especially in the last two 
 letters) the complete description of Him previously given. The 
 letters are all very short ; each one deals with the condition and 
 circumstances of the particular church to which it is addressed, 
 and all close in the same way with a promise to the overcomer 
 and an appeal for attention. They are all written from a single 
 inspirational impulse, and although each is addressed to its 
 particular church and written as much for it as if the others did 
 not exist, it is evident from the direction given to John that all 
 the letters will go to all the churches, — "What you see write 
 in a book and send to the seven churches," — one book con- 
 taining all seven letters, to be sent to all seven churches and this 
 is confirmed by the plural, "churches," in the concluding appeal 
 in each letter. 
 
 But into this common framework, so skilfully and beautifully 
 fashioned, .John is able to put an individual message to each 
 church pre-eminently suited to its own particular case. Each 
 letter shows a very close knowledge on the part of its author 
 
Exposition 67 
 
 of the church to which it is written, and of the historical, geo- 
 graphical, political, and religious circumstances of the city to 
 which it belongs, and a remarkable facility in using this informa- 
 tion for the spiritual instruction of the church to which he 
 writes. This will be brought out more clearly as we study the 
 letters separately. Probably it is only the poverty of our 
 knowledge of these seven cities that prevents us from seeing even 
 more references to their individual circumstances than we have 
 been able so far to discover. It is chiefly to the painstaking 
 efforts of Sir Wm. Ramsay that interpreters of these chapters 
 are indebted for such knowledge of the seven cities as we pos- 
 sess and his splendid volume "The Letters to the Seven 
 Churches" will bring him the lasting gratitude of all students 
 of this portion of the Apocalypse. 
 
 3. The Angels of the Churches. What are we to under- 
 stand by these? The word ayyeAoi might be translated "mes- 
 sengers" equally as well as "angels;" (see Matt, xi: 10, Luke 
 vii: 24, Luke ix: 52-, Jas. ii: 25, where the same word is used 
 and certainly means human messengers). If this is the sense 
 here the "angels" would be messengers, possibly elders or bishops 
 of the Asian churches perhaps sent to John in Patmos. But this 
 is hardly allowable here as, A. no human ruler or messenger 
 could be so closely identified with a congregation as to merit 
 praise and blame for its condition to the extent of these angels 
 of the seven churches, and B., as Dr. H. B. Swete points out, 
 this is foreign to the use of the word elsewhere in our book 
 where it occurs more than sixty times exclusive of the times it 
 is followed by the phrase "of the church" (t?)s eK/cA^o-ias) or 
 "of the churches," (w eKKkqmuv) , and always means a super- 
 human being employed in the service of God or Satan. 
 
 Professor Ramsay thinks "the angel of the church" seems to 
 embody and gather together in a personification the powers, the 
 character, the history and life and unity of the church. The 
 angel represents the Divine presence and the Divine power in 
 the church ; he is the Divine guarantee of the vitality and effec- 
 tiveness of the church. When it is asked how the angel can be 
 so closely identified with the church as to be blamed for its 
 defects Dr. Ramsay answers, first, that John here inevitably 
 fails to carry out fully the symbolism, and second, that it is 
 "vain to attempt to give a rigidly accurate definition of the 
 
68 The Revelation of John 
 
 meaning which is attached to the term 'angel' in these chapters. 
 All that concerns the angels is vague, impalpable, elusive, defy- 
 ing analysis and scientific precision. You cannot tell where in 
 the Seven Letters taken one by one, the idea 'angel' drops and 
 the idea 'Church' takes its place." (Letters to the Seven 
 Churches, ch. vi). 
 
 For the purposes of practical interpretation we may regard 
 the angel of the church as simply an expression for the prevail- 
 ing spirit of the church, or a personification of the church, and 
 thus consider it as the church itself. 
 
The Letter to the Church in Ephesus, ii: 1-7. 
 
 Ephesus in the first century A. D. was one of the three most 
 important cities of the eastern Mediterranean region, (the 
 other two being Antioch in Syria and Alexandria in Egypt). 
 It was situated on the sea coast at the mouth of the river Cayster 
 and would be the first of the seven cities to be reached by the 
 messenger from Patmos. Its position commercially was one of 
 great importance as the great trade route from the east ter- 
 minated there. Also its political importance was great as the 
 governors of the province landed there on their arrival. It was 
 a "libera urbs" (free city) with its own fiovkr) (Council), 
 yepovala (Senate), and ex/cA^aia (Assembly), the head of a 
 Conventus (assize town), and a seat of proconsular government 
 (Acts xix: 38). Religiously it was a city of great importance. 
 Its chief deity was the goddess Diana, (or Artemis), whose 
 temple was unequalled in Asia for size and magnificence, and 
 to which people from all parts of Asia Minor came to worship, 
 bringing much trade and money to the city as many articles 
 used in the worship of Diana were made there and sold to them. 
 Nor was the Imperial religion neglected. A shrine and a great 
 altar of Augustus were placed in the temple of Diana in the 
 earlier years of his reign, and later provincial temples of the 
 Imperial religion were built, one under Claudius or Nero, a 
 second under Hadrian, and a third under Severus. The city 
 was proud of the honor as the "Warden" (veioKopos) of the 
 temples of Diana and of these three emperors and sometimes 
 even styled itself, "four times temple-warden." In Ephesus art, 
 philosophy, literature, and the theatre flourished. But accord- 
 ing to Dr. Ramsay the most outstanding characteristic of the 
 city was its continual change, as he says it experienced more 
 vicissitudes than any other city of Asia. Its harbor was steadily 
 filling up with the silt brought down by the river so that the city 
 seemed to be steadily moving inland, and thus even its natural 
 surroundings were in a state of transition. Its site was several 
 times changed and its political fortunes were much varied in 
 the passage of time. So much has it declined since the time of 
 Paul and John that it is now insignificant. 
 
 69 
 
70 The Revelation of John 
 
 The Apostle Paul visited Ephesus on his second missionary 
 journey but his visit was of very short duration, (Acts xviii : 
 191). Some time afterward, on the third missionary journey, 
 he again visited the city and remained two years or more there 
 (Acts xix: iff) and so rapidly did the gospel spread that "all 
 those dwelling in Asia heard the word of God." His work 
 there seems to have been carried on by Timothy after his de- 
 parture (1 Tim. i: 3). After Paul's death and Timothy's 
 departure the tradition of the second century declares that St. 
 John continued the work there. 
 
 1. The introduction to the letter is one which we readily 
 notice to be specially suitable to the Ephesian church. 
 
 A. The letter to it is placed first as the messenger from 
 Patmos would reach it first and because it was on the whole 
 the most important city of the province. 
 
 B. The Author is the one "who holds the seven stars in his 
 right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lamps." 
 This is specially suitable. It recognizes that as Ephesus is the 
 chief city it stands in a way for all the cities and the province 
 and thus the church there is addressed by Christ as He stands 
 in His relation to all the churches. If Ephesus is superior to, 
 and in a sense representative of all the cities of Asia, Christ is 
 superior to and over all the churches of Asia likewise, which 
 are as inferior to Him and as much subject to His power and 
 authority as the lamps and stars are to Him in the vision. 
 
 2. Christ recognizes in the church at Ephesus much that is 
 good and praiseworthy, (vs. 2, 3, 6). He knew their work 
 and labor and patience. No faithful effort on their part, for 
 the Master's sake, no hardship uncomplainingly endured, no 
 time of waiting cheerfully borne, escaped His watchful eye. 
 Their patient endurance and strenuous toil for Him are so very 
 plain to the One who moves in the midst of the seven golden 
 lamps that it is emphasized by the third verse, which is little 
 more than a repetition of what has been said in the former half 
 of the second. He also took note of and appreciated their ab- 
 horrence of evil, and their care in testing those who came to 
 them pretending to be apostles when they were really not so. 
 The young churches were continually visited by those who 
 claimed to be apostles and prophets of Christ, and they needed 
 to be always on their guard against the intrusion of false teach- 
 ers and false doctrine, and especially as there was yet no es- 
 
Exposition 71 
 
 tablfshed standard of Christian faith and practice. In the 
 epistle of Ignatius written to this church a few years later we 
 have strong testimony to their intolerance of evil, their faith- 
 fulness in avoiding it, and their high Christian grace. Their 
 hatred of evil was especially exercised toward the works of the 
 Nicolaitanes. Of this sect we know very little. As their doc- 
 trines are associated in vs. 14 and 15 with those of "Balaam, 
 who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children 
 of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit forni- 
 cation," we may conclude that they were an antinomian sect 
 who abused the doctrine of Gentile liberty from the Mosaic 
 Law taught by St. Paul. That such a sect really existed is 
 clearly established by many references to them in later writings. 
 Irenaeus (Adv. Haer. i: 26) says they lived "lives of unre- 
 strained indulgence," teaching that adultery and eating things 
 sacrificed to idols are matters of indifference. Clement of Alex- 
 andria, Tertullian, and Ignatius refer to them in language of 
 the same sort, showing that they sanctioned moral impurity. 
 In matters of doctrine they seem to have maintained well known- 
 Gnostic errors according to the writings of Irenaeus, Tertullian, 
 and Hippolytus. This sect is mentioned in the letter to the 
 church in Pergamum (ii: 15) and perhaps also in the letter 
 to the church in Thyatira (ii: aoff). This would suggest that 
 its doctrine was widely prevalent and dangerous to the faith. 
 
 3. Their estate, however is not one that merits unmixed 
 praise, for their pristine love for Christ has cooled (vs. 4). If 
 the loyalty and activity of the church have been well maintained 
 there has been a falling off in the greatest of Christian gifts. 
 The inner fire had burned low, and their intense enthusiasm in 
 the days of Paul had vanished (see Acts xix: 20, xx: 37). 
 
 4. A call to repentance is given them in vs. 5. Their first 
 duty is to remember from whence they have fallen, and recall 
 to their minds in a clear way their former and much better con- 
 dition. When this is done they must "repent" — adopt a com- 
 plete change of attitude, and begin over again, — "do the first 
 works," though they are not told to love with the same love. 
 A complete series of three stages is put before them, remember, 
 repent, do. 
 
 5. A warning is given them that they will lose their place 
 as a church if they fail to repent. Ephesus was a city of change, 
 
72 The Revelation of John 
 
 and in spite of its present greatness as a city its actual location 
 had several times been altered. Natural conditions also were 
 changing there. The river was slowly but steadily filling the 
 harbor so that soon the city became almost an inland town, and 
 its proud position waned. Christ would not tolerate indefinitely 
 a church that was steadily losing its devotion to Him. 
 
 6. This warning is strengthened by a ringing appeal for close 
 and attentive consideration extended in exactly the same words 
 to each one of the seven churches, "He who has an ear let him 
 hear what the Spirit says to the churches." 
 
 7. The letter closes with a promise to the overcomer, — "to 
 eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." While 
 all the seven letters have promises to the overcomer, no two are 
 the same. Trees had been worshipped from time immemorial 
 as the home of the divine nature and power, and the figure was 
 familiar both to Jew and Greek. On some sacred tree the 
 safety of a family or tribe or city was often thought to depend. 
 The people of Athens knew that the safety of their state was 
 assured when the sacred olive tree on the Acropolis put forth 
 a new shoot after the city had been burned by the Persians. In 
 the holy tree the divine life was thought to come close to man 
 and he who could eat of the fruit of the tree of life was re- 
 ceiving the strength of God's nature and power. As Diana 
 the Ephesian goddess was looked upon as the fruitful mother 
 of all vegetable, animal, and human life as well as the source 
 of their reproductive power, the personification of the principle 
 of vitality, the appropriateness of this promise to the overcomer 
 is evident. Gen. iii: 22-24 may also be in the mind of the seer. 
 
VI 
 
 The Letter to the Church in Smyrna, ii: 8-n. 
 
 Going northward from Ephesus along the great road for a 
 distance of about 35 miles the messenger from Patmos would 
 reach Smyrna. This was a city of great beauty and this feature, 
 with the eminence of the city in other ways, led to its calling 
 itself to rrj'i 'Aotas ayakjxa (the Pride of Asia). Its beauty con- 
 sisted in its natural surroundings, its fine paved streets, the 
 squares in which the city was laid out, and a fine hill at the 
 extreme end of its principal street, rising to some 460 feet in 
 height called "Pagos" and crowned with castles and towers. 
 This hill with its castle, battlements, and towers made a splen- 
 did acropolis for the city and was often referred to as its 
 "Crown." Commercially the city was almost the equal of Ephe- 
 sus. Not only had it the trade of the rich Hermus valley but 
 it was the terminus of a great road which led far inland, while 
 its situation at the head of a long gulf or inlet gave it prom- 
 inence as a shipping town. It had two harbors, the inner and 
 smaller of which is now filled up and has become the scene of its 
 bazaars. 
 
 Politically from the distant past Smyrna was loyal to Rome 
 and in this loyalty her citizens found much pride. In 195 
 B. C. Smyrna built a temple and instituted a worship of Rome. 
 A century later when a Roman army was suffering great distress 
 in the war against Mithradates the citizens of Smyrna stripped 
 off their own clothes to send to the shivering troops. In A. D. 
 23 permission was given to the Commune of Asia to erect a 
 temple to Tiberias and his mother Julia Augustus, and three 
 years later Smyrna was chosen as its location over all other cities 
 in the province because of the faithfulness and loyalty of the 
 city to her powerful ally. Thus the city secured the much 
 prized honor of being Temple-warden. 
 
 Smyrna above all else was a city of enduring and abounding 
 life. With a history going back to the remote past, a continuity 
 and a freedom from vicissitude secured chiefly by its relation- 
 ship to the Imperial power, it retained through the centuries 
 a remarkable vigor. The city has suffered much from earth- 
 quakes, but after each has arisen more beautiful than before. 
 
 73 
 
74 The Revelation of John 
 
 It is the only ancient city of Asia Minor that continues to this 
 day a place of importance. Its present population is given at 
 approximately 250,000 of which according to Dr. Ramsay, 
 three quarters are said to be Christians, a fact which no doubt 
 accounts for its continuous prosperity, and the name "Infidel 
 Smyrna" given it by the Turks. 
 
 Of the founding of the church in Smyrna we know nothing 
 beyond the vague allusion of Acts xix: 10, but as we learn from 
 the letter before us, it had an honorable history. The church 
 has continued strong there ever since. There Polycarp, the 
 disciple of St. John, suffered martyrdom about 155 A. D. In 
 the middle ages Smyrna was the last city of Asia Minor to fall 
 under the sway of the Turks. 
 
 1. Introduction. "These things says the first and the last, 
 who was dead and lived." Here again we find the letter be- 
 ginning with a description of Christ. Here was a city whose 
 people prided themselves on its antiquity. They thought, nc 
 doubt, that its origins were lost in the distant past and to then 
 probably its destruction seemed unthinkable. But this lettei 
 begins by holding up to the Christians in that city One who 
 can claim greater antiquity and longer life. However old 
 Smyrna was, it certainly was not the First and however long 
 it lasts it certainly will not be the Last. This is what Christ 
 claimed to be. The striking analogy to their city is further 
 carried out in the following clause, "was dead and lived." 
 Strabo tells us how, in the early years of the history of the city, 
 Smyrna was destroyed by the Lydians and for four hundred 
 years there was no "city" but merely a group of scattered vil- 
 lages. The city thus as a Greek city died, but continued to live 
 on as a village state, then was refounded and once more became 
 a Greek city. How suitable that the struggling Christians 
 there should be reminded of the One who lived on in spite of 
 death. In several striking ways the church in Smyrna con- 
 tradicted outward appearances. It seemed poor, and no doubt 
 was poor in all outward circumstances but because of its fidelity 
 to Christ was really rich in the realities of life. It was suffering 
 tribulation outwardly, but really was triumphant and earning 
 the crown of life. Its enemies were mere pretenders, claiming 
 to be the people of God but really the synagogue of Satan; it 
 was real. 
 
Exposition 75 
 
 2. Knowledge. Christ assures them that their condition has 
 not escaped Him. 
 
 A. He knows their tribulation. The Christians there had 
 much suffering to bear although there is no indication that 
 organized persecution had as yet broken out. 
 
 B. Their poverty was very noticeable in a great city where 
 wealth abounded, especially as they were poor because of their 
 fidelity to Christ and thus they were rich in another sense. 
 
 C. They had also to contend with some who pretended to 
 be Jews but in the truest sense were really not so. We may 
 get a slight hint as to the real character of these Jews from their 
 conduct at the martyrdom of Polycarp. Although his trial and 
 death took place on the Jewish Sabbath and in the Stadium 
 many Jews assisted in his execution by carrying and arranging 
 the wood for the fire by which he was burned, even surpassing 
 the heathen in their zeal to be rid of him. Truly such were 
 not true Jews but might fairly be described as blasphemers and 
 of the synagogue of Satan. 
 
 3. Exhortation. 
 
 A. "Fear not . . . ten days." There are worse things 
 coming than poverty. More "tribulation" is in store for them 
 and some of them will be called upon to endure imprisonment as 
 a test. This will be for a fairly short definite period, described 
 as "ten days." 
 
 B. They are urged to be faithful unto death. As Smyrna 
 had been characterized by unswerving faithfulness to Rome 
 so should they be to Christ. 
 
 C. The general appeal found in all the other six letters is 
 also here, "He who has an ear, etc." 
 
 4. The reward of fidelity is two fold. 
 
 A. The crown of life. This may refer to the hill with its 
 splendid buildings on top, often spoken of as the "Crown" of 
 the city, or it might refer to the wreath of flowers or laurel 
 leaves given to the winner in the games which were frequently 
 held there. Whichever the author has in mind it is eminently 
 suitable. 
 
 B. But it is a better crown than buildings made by hands or 
 leaves that will soon fade, it is a crown of life, which even the 
 second death cannot destroy. The second death is again men- 
 tioned in xx : 6, 14 and xxi: 8 where it is described as a lake 
 of fire and brimstone. The nature of the reward promised is 
 
76 The Revelation of John 
 
 clear. The one who is unfalteringly faithful to Christ shall 
 receive a reward from Christ far more excellent than anything 
 earth can give. 
 
 5. This letter to the church in Smyrna presents a marked 
 contrast to the letter to the church in Ephesus. The church in 
 Ephesus is exhorted to return to a former and more acceptable 
 frame of spirit while the one in Smyrna is urged to continue in 
 its present state. Complaint is made against the church in 
 Ephesus because it has left its first love, while no fault at all is 
 found with the church in Smyrna. The church in Ephesus 
 appeared to be alive and rich but really was dying and poor; 
 the church in Smyrna was apparently dying and poor but really 
 was living and rich. And lastly there is here the note of affec- 
 tion and entire approval while in the letter to the church at 
 Ephesus there is a clear note of disapproval, and little or no 
 indication of affection. 
 
VII 
 
 The Letter to the Church in Pergamum, ii: 12-17. 
 
 Following the great road northward from Smyrna for some 
 55 miles the apocalyptic messenger would reach the third of the 
 seven cities, Pergamos or Pergamum, situated on a large rocky 
 hill, fitly located to dominate the whole valley and large plain 
 of the river Caicus, and presenting the impression of permanence 
 and authority. 
 
 For about four centuries preceding the time of this letter 
 it had been the capital of a considerable territory, and when the 
 seven letters were written this state of affairs still existed. In 
 the latter half of the first Christian century it was the official 
 Roman capital of the province though it was losing that honor 
 as Ephesus was slowly coming to be recognized in popular 
 opinion as the capital. 
 
 Religiously Pergamum was important. Four leading deities 
 were worshipped, Zeus Soter, Athena Nikephoros, Dionysos 
 Kathegemon, and Asklepios Soter; the two former were Hel- 
 lenic and thus foreign, but they were glorified by the greatest 
 efforts of Art in Pergamum ; the two latter were Anatolian and 
 so native to the soil of Asia. Zeus Soter (Jupiter Saviour) 
 was king and father of the gods and men and supreme over all 
 nature; he had a great altar on the slope of the hill. Athena 
 Nikephoros (Minerva Bearer of Victory) had a magnificent 
 temple almost crowning the acropolis. Dionysos Kathegemon 
 (Dionysos the Leader) was the god of the royal family and the 
 kings claimed to be his descendants and embodiments on earth. 
 His worship was carried on in Imperial times by a religious 
 society called Boukoloi (Ox-herds). The god was apparently 
 of the animal type, probably a bull. The most important deity 
 in Pergamum was however Asklepios Soter (Aesculapius Sav- 
 iour). He was also of the animal type, being associated more 
 particularly with the serpent. Asklepios was associated with the 
 healing art, and a school of medicine was connected with his 
 temple, attracting many sufferers from all quarters. The city 
 was particularly devoted to the Imperial religion and the 
 worship of the emperors and as early as B. C. 29 had a temple 
 dedicated to Augustus, thus being the first of the Asian cities 
 
 77 
 
78 The Revelation of John 
 
 to attain to the high honor of Temple Warden of which the city 
 was very proud. The local priest of Jupiter proudly considered 
 himself priest of the Divine Augustus as well. 
 
 Because of its situation and its religious and political position 
 Pergamum stands out conspicuously as the city of authority, 
 the royal city. In trade it was far inferior to Ephesus and 
 Smyrna though surrounded by a rich valley. It did however 
 become famous for a particular kind of leather adapted to pur- 
 poses of writing called "parchment" to which it gave its name, 
 (Pergamena). 
 
 The letter to the church in Pergamum is one of very great 
 interest as none of the seven letters shows more careful adapta- 
 tion to the circumstances of the city in which the church to 
 which it is addressed is located. 
 
 i. Introduction, "These things . . . sword." Here we 
 find Christ using the words of one who wears the badge of 
 absolute authority when He addresses the church located in the 
 seat of authority, — Pergamum. The sword { l poix<patav) here 
 mentioned is not the oriental scimitar or the ordinary cutting 
 sword employed by many nations, especially the Greeks, but a 
 two-edged, sharp-pointed weapon used by the Romans. The 
 weapon, as also the name here given it, were originally of 
 Thracian origin and therefore "barbarian" either from the 
 point of view of Jew or Greek, to both of whom the Romans 
 were a barbarian race. In Roman estimation the sword was the 
 symbol of highest official authority possessed by the proconsul 
 of the province, and included the power of life and death. As 
 in the case of the other letters the description of Christ here is 
 part of the complete description given in the first chapter. Thus 
 the attention of the church in Pergamum is directed to One who 
 holds authority far superior to that of any temporal power. 
 
 2. Recognition. "I know . . . dwells." As in the 
 case of the other churches no merit or shortcoming escaped the 
 eye of Christ. 
 
 A. Their dwelling place. This is described as the place of 
 Satan's throne, and this was the chief element in determining 
 their condition. By "Satan" must here be meant the official 
 Imperial power that stood in opposition to the Church. Per- 
 gamum as the official capital of the province and by nature and 
 history marked out as the royal city, was also the provincial seat 
 
Exposition 79 
 
 of the Imperial religion. This religion was most obnoxious to 
 the Christians because it deified the emperors who were mere 
 human beings and worshipped them as divine, though in some 
 cases at least (e. g. Nero) they were notoriously wicked; also 
 because the Imperial power was forcing them to adopt it. 
 
 B. Their fidelity was most commendable. They had stoutly 
 refused to revile their Master by calling Caesar Lord and had 
 remained true to Christ even though to do so meant a severe 
 trial for them, Antipas, a faithful Christian had been put to 
 death there. This is the first indication in the seven letters of a 
 state persecution so severe that Christians were called upon to 
 surrender either their lives or their devotion to Christ. Of 
 Antipas we know no more than what is here told us. But 
 we must not conclude either that he was the only martyr among 
 the Pergamenian or Asian Christians; the woman drunk with 
 the blood of the saints mentioned subsequently indicates other- 
 wise ; nor are we to assume that he really belonged to Per- 
 gamum, as prisoners from other parts of the province were 
 frequently brought to the provincial capital for trial and execu- 
 tion. 
 
 3. Complaint. But the faithfulness of the church as a whole 
 was marred. There were in it two parties, whose teachings 
 were not according to the will of Christ. First. They had 
 among them some who held the teaching of Balaam who is here 
 described as having taught Balak to cast a stumbling block 
 before the Israelites so that they ate things offered to idols and 
 were guilty of fornication. The earliest narrative of Balaam 
 and Balak in Numbers xxii: 1 — xxiv: 25 contains no indica- 
 tion that Balaam was guilty of this offence. But a later refer- 
 ence to Balaam in Numbers xxxi: 16 makes him responsible 
 for the idolatry and fornication of the Israelites in the matter 
 of Baal-peor recorded in Numbers xxv. It is clear that there 
 were some in the Pergamenian church who supported these 
 practices. Second. They had among them some who held the 
 teaching of the Nicolaitanes which He hated (see ii: 6 and 
 comment on it above). 
 
 4. Appeal. 
 
 A. They are called upon to repent. 
 
 B. If the church fails to repent Christ will fight against the 
 Nicolaitanes (/xer avrwv) with the sword of His mouth. In 
 this book Christ is sometimes pictured as a conqueror or warrior 
 
80 The Revelation of John 
 
 (xix: i iff). We may conclude that the church as a whole had 
 tolerated the Nicolaitanes and that some of her people had 
 listened to their teaching but that the church as a whole had not 
 identified herself with them as it is clearly against them and not 
 against the church that Christ threatens to fight. 
 
 C. Then there is the appeal contained in all the letters, "He 
 who has an ear . . . churches." 
 
 5. Promise to the overcomer. "To him who overcomes 
 receives it." 
 
 A. The one who overcomes is promised the hidden manna. 
 Probably the writer has in mind the manna given in the wilder- 
 ness to the Israelites, a sample of which was preserved in a 
 golden pot in the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies 
 (Ex. xvi: 32, Heb. ix: 4), but the meaning is that in a spiritual, 
 and so hidden, way Christ will provide the real nourishment for 
 His followers. Indeed in the days of His flesh He declared that 
 He was the bread of life, (John vi: 48). There was therefore 
 no need of eating things offered to idols as Christ was prepared 
 to give them something far better. 
 
 B. The overcomer was also promised a white stone inscribed 
 with a mysterious name which only the recipient would under- 
 stand. The exact significance of the white stone is uncertain. 
 The word itself (^<^>o?) means a small stone or pebble, such 
 as was often used for voting. Many suggestions have been 
 offered of which a few are: The Jewish rabbis thought that 
 precious stones fell with the manna ; Ziilig followed by Trench 
 saw in it an allusion to the Urim (Ex. xxviii: 30) which was 
 thought to have been a diamond engraved with the Tetragram- 
 maton ; others again see in it a reference to voting in the courts 
 of justice, black pebbles being used to condemn and white to 
 acquit the accused ; the man on his acquittal was spoken of as 
 viKTjoras (i. e., having overcome) while the i/^</>os acquitting him 
 was called viKr/r-^tos (belonging to an overcomer) ; still others 
 think there is a reference to the use of counters in reckoning 
 (xiii: 18 ^r^io-rarw rov aptdfjiov let him count the number), or 
 to the tickets which were sometimes distributed entitling those 
 who held them to free entertainments, or to engraved stones 
 used in magic or secret religious rites. None of these seems 
 entirely satisfactory though perhaps the reference to magic or 
 to the court of justice is on the whole the most satisfactory. The 
 allusion in the expression "a new name" on the stone is equally 
 
Exposition 81 
 
 uncertain and difficult but it is altogether probable that it was 
 suggested by magic rites and popular religious superstitions. 
 Much emphasis was often laid on a name, which in popular 
 belief was closely connected with the nature both of a person 
 and of a god, guaranteeing, and even giving existence, reality, 
 and life. Sometimes the true name of a god was kept secret 
 lest strangers and enemies should gain influence over him. A 
 new name indicated an entrance on a new life. The person 
 who was admitted into the mysteries and received the new name 
 not merely entered upon a new life whose abundance had been 
 opened to him, but he learned the names of the god which would 
 open the way for him and enable him to overcome hostile spirits. 
 To know the name of a demon or god was thus to gain the 
 secret of his influence and power. This reference to religious 
 rites, (if such it were), was specially adapted to the church in 
 Pergamum. In B. C. 27 the emperor had been given the new 
 name or title of Augustus (Venerable) by the Roman Senate. 
 This was an old sacred word used only by the priests and never 
 before applied to any human being. But the emperor was 
 beginning to be looked upon by the public generally as a god 
 in human form. The Christians in Pergamum, "where the 
 throne of Satan is," would recognize in this new name an in- 
 dication that when they had triumphed their position would 
 be like that of Augustus only higher, each having as his own 
 secret inviolable possession the Name of God, which would set 
 them over the world, triumphing over the Emperor and defeat- 
 ing him by the very tribulation, suffering, and death, which he 
 inflicted upon them. Whatever may have been the particular 
 reference in these words we may be sure that it was clear to the 
 Christians in Pergamum. For us too the general sense at least 
 is fairly clear. The white stone with the mysterious new name 
 is the pledge and token of the Divine favor and intimate knowl- 
 edge of Christ and God as only the one who receives it can 
 adequately comprehend. We should note also that the word 
 here used is not veos, meaning, new, with respect to time or age, 
 but kcuvos, meaning, new, in respect to quality, i. e., fresh and 
 thus the suggestion is that of the eternal freshness of youth 
 which the gospel inspires. 
 
VIII 
 
 The Letter to the Church in Thyatira, ii: 18-29. 
 
 Thyatira was situated on slightly rising ground in the centre 
 of a long depression connecting the Caicus and Hermus valleys. 
 It was on an important road leading from Pergamum to Sardis 
 and Laodicea some 40 miles from Pergamum. Although from 
 early times there had been a settlement and heathen temple 
 there, it was not until about 300 B. C. that it was founded as a 
 Greek city. Its chief function was military though there was 
 little to give it the appearance of an important stronghold. It 
 lay in an open valley by gently sloping hills and had no proper 
 acropolis. The general impression which it gives is one of 
 weakness from a military point of view, and no one would think 
 of it as fitted to be a capital city ruling an empire. But its situ- 
 ation made it important as a garrison. Situated on an im- 
 portant road leading to the political capital Pergamum, it was 
 necessary that it should be made a strong military post. Every 
 invader must capture it before he could proceed, but as soon as 
 he had secured it he must refortify it for his own protection. 
 
 Commercially Thyatira was of small importance beside 
 Smyrna or Ephesus. It had a considerable local trade however. 
 The very conditions that made it feeble and therefore un- 
 fortunate in war, favored its prosperity in times of peace. In 
 the long peace of the Roman Empire it steadily increased in size 
 and wealth. While retaining the memory of its ancient days 
 it ceased to be a military city. And this long period of peaceful 
 progress was only well begun when the letter before us was 
 penned. In the days of its prosperity it possessed more trade- 
 guilds than any other Asian city, so far as known. On the 
 inscriptions we find wool-workers, linen workers, makers of 
 outer garments, dyers, leather-workers, tanners, potters, bakers, 
 slave-dealers, and bronze smiths, are all mentioned. These 
 trade guilds probably formed the most outstanding feature in 
 Thyatiran life when the letter before us was written. The 
 woman of Thyatira who was so hospitable to Paul and his 
 company (Acts xvi : 14, 15) may have been a member of one 
 of these guilds who had gone to Philippi to push the sale of her 
 goods. Religiously Thyatira was far inferior to Pergamum, 
 
 82 
 
Exposition 83 
 
 Smyrna, and Ephesus. It never attained to the honor of a 
 temple-wardenship, but it had a deity of which it boasted. This 
 god was called by the elaborate name of Helios Pythios Tyrim- 
 naios Apollon ("HAios Tlv6io<$ Tvpi/xvalo<i 'Atto'AAojv). He was 
 probably an ancient Lydian sun-god identified with the Greek 
 Apollo. He was patron of the city, (and so named ILpo7rdT0)p, 
 i. e., Patron of the city and ancestor of its people), in front of 
 which he had a temple or shrine, (and so called 7rpo7roAi<? i. e., 
 before the city). He seems to have been closely related to a 
 warrior-god represented on coins and pictured as going forth on 
 horseback with a battle-axe over his shoulder to conquer and 
 destroy his enemies. The many names and titles present a 
 strange mixture of Greek and barbarian religious sentiment, and 
 in Thyatira he was doubtless the embodiment of the military 
 spirit of the city. Games were held in honor of this deity. 
 Under the Roman empire his worship was united with the cult 
 of the emperors. The Greek goddess Artemis (or Diana) was 
 also worshipped in Thyatira and her priestess was the wife of 
 the priest of Apollo. Lastly, outside the city there was a shrine 
 of the oriental sibyl Sambathe. 
 
 The scantiness of our knowledge of this city, especially as it 
 was in the latter half of the first Christian century makes it 
 difficult to understand this letter before us. Probably if our 
 knowledge were sufficient we would find it one of the most 
 instructive of the seven letters. 
 
 1. Introduction. "These things says the Son of God . 
 brass." 
 
 A. Here for the first and only time in the Apocalypse Christ 
 is referred to as the Son of God. But in several passages the 
 same fact is indicated in other words, i: 6, ii: 27, iii: 5. 21, 
 xiv: 1. 
 
 B. The penetrating power of His vision, His righteous in- 
 dignation, and the keenness of His intellect are indicated in the 
 eyes that appear as flames of fire. 
 
 C. The feet of shining brass taken with the other two 
 phrases of this introduction suggest that He has an excellence 
 far greater than that achieved by any skilled worker in Thy- 
 atira, and that He has strength and power to stamp out the 
 enemies of the truth. 
 
 D. The majesty and exaltation of Christ described in these 
 words is far greater than that indicated in the introduction to 
 
84 The Revelation of John 
 
 any of the other letters. 
 
 E. In the case of the other letters the description of Christ 
 in the introduction is strikingly in harmony with all we know 
 of the cities in which these churches are located. But here He 
 holds Himself up as the most exalted, though addressing a 
 church belonging to a city that, so far as we know, was the 
 most insignificant of the seven. If, however, our knowledge of 
 the church and the city of Thyatira were greater we might 
 find the description of Christ here also in harmony with them. 
 
 2. Recognition. "I know . . . first." Here we have 
 a warm and hearty appreciation of the merits of the Thyatiran 
 church. It was a church that possessed in a marked degree a 
 number of important characteristics of a Christian congrega- 
 tion. The love and faith may have been shown toward God 
 or toward each other, but more probably toward both in greater 
 or less degree. The service is especially emphasized for we 
 find their "works" twice mentioned in this short sentence, and 
 their "service" as well, and also the expression, "and the last 
 more than the first," which shows that they were increasing in 
 this way, while in it all their patience is noted. 
 
 3. Complaint. "But I have . . . idols." 
 
 A. Who was this woman Jezebel? It is plain from the 
 accurate knowledge of the condition of the seven churches that 
 the author displays, and from the language of this letter that 
 she was a real person or party in the church but whether her 
 real name was Jezebel, or whether this name has been given her 
 by the author because of her resemblance to the wicked wife of 
 king Ahab (1 Kings xvi: 31, xviii: 13, xix: 2, etc.) we can only 
 guess. The apocalyptic nature of the book would tend to in- 
 dicate that this was not her real name. At any rate it is fairly 
 clear that she is a member of the Christian body and not a 
 heathen prophetess operating from without; it is not to any 
 kind of heathen worship that she invites the Christians but to a 
 loose form of Christian life, "To know the deep things of Satan" 
 (vs. 24) appears to have been their motto. This appears to 
 point to practices that were common in the early church but 
 contrary to the teachings of Paul (1 Cor. viii: iff, x: 19ft), 
 Peter (2 Pet. ii: 14ft), Jude, and the letters to the seven 
 churches. 
 
 B. The nature of her teaching we must gather from what 
 is here said as we have no further reference to the matter. The 
 
Exposition 85 
 
 very strong language used shows how obnoxious her doctrines 
 and methods were to the author. She calls herself a prophetess. 
 Notwithstanding the dictum of the apostle (1 Cor. xiv: 34 
 and 1 Tim. ii: 12) there were prophetesses in the early church 
 (Acts xxi: 9), and several are mentioned in the Old Testa- 
 ment, (see Ex. xv: 20, Jud. iv: 4, 2 Kings xxii: 14, Isa. viii: 
 3 and cf. Luke ii: 36). The prophets were a recognized class 
 in the Church in the time of the Apostles and we may be sure 
 their influence was great. If "Jezebel" then could secure rec- 
 ognition as a prophet she had gained great advantage in publish- 
 ing her doctrines. She is actually at work when the letter is 
 written (StSaoxci, -n-Aava), and with such success that real Chris- 
 tians are led by her to commit fornication and to eat things 
 offered to idols. By the decision of the Council of Jerusalem 
 (Acts xv: 28) these two things were absolutely forbidden and 
 this appears to be in the author's mind in vs. 24 when he uses 
 the words "I will cast upon you no other burden." In ii: 14, 
 15 we have the Nicolaitanes associated with Balaam and his 
 heresy, but here there is no such association of Jezebel. Pro- 
 fessor Ramsay (Letters p. 335ft) believes that she belonged to 
 the Nicolaitanes and was the principal exponent of their teach- 
 ings in the province (see note on ii: 6). When we reflect that 
 the Nicolaitanes have been associated in vs. 14 and 15 with 
 teachings that are closely akin to the results of Jezebel's work 
 here mentioned and all are particularly obnoxious to Christ in 
 all the three letters to which reference is made to them, it ap- 
 pears probable that all are of the same type and closely related. 
 C. Not only is Jezebel and her party included in the Thy- 
 atiran church but she is allowed by them (d<£ets) to teach and 
 seduce others in the church. This caused no diminution in 
 the church's increasing volume of good works. The praise 
 accorded them is for the whole church, including the Nicolait- 
 anes, who indeed may have cherished "love and faith and service 
 and patience," and at the same time continued active in the 
 practical work of the congregation. There is no indication of 
 any opposition to her in the congregation but rather of esteem 
 and approval. But her influence was decidedly unhealthy, and 
 any merits she may have had made her the more dangerous by 
 increasing her influence. And further, we know that connected 
 with her were some practises on which the early Christians 
 found it difficult to decide their proper course. In the matter of 
 
86 The Revelation of John 
 
 fornication there was a general sentiment against it and 
 although some members of the Christian communities were 
 guilty of the evil it was generally denounced ; but it was always 
 recognized as clearly inconsistent with Christian life, ( I Cor. 
 v: I, vi: 13, 18, 2 Cor. xii: 21, Eph. v: 3, 1 Thess. iv: 3, 2 
 Peter ii: 14ft, Jude 7). It was different however, in the case 
 of the eating of meats offered to idols. The problem was before 
 the Christians continually in all pagan communities and es- 
 pecially in the cities of Asia Minor, where trade and industry, 
 society, and political life were saturated with the principles and 
 practises of heathen religion. What attitude should Christians 
 take to these practises? The fact that we have such frequent 
 reference to the matter shows how persistent was the difficulty ; 
 (see Acts xv: 29, xxi: 25, 1 Cor. viii: iff, x: io,ff, 2 Pet. ii, 
 Jude 7ff). The matter was one of practical every day living. 
 In the matter of the eating of meats that had been offered in 
 sacrifice to idols a practical principle for their daily guidance 
 is laid down in (1 Cor. chaps, viii and x). So far as the meat 
 itself was concerned they might partake of it ; but in doing so 
 they must on the one hand be careful to avoid injury to weaker 
 brethren by their example, and on the other they must be un- 
 flinchingly faithful to Christ. They might ordinarily remain 
 passive and unprotesting and need not be inquisitive or critical 
 as they moved among their pagan associates, but they should 
 be willing to deny themselves that which, while right and 
 proper in itself and for them, would yet be injurious in its 
 influence on a weaker brother, or an act of unfaithfulness to 
 Christ. This principle, we may assume, came to be the one 
 adopted by the Christians, not merely in the matter of eating 
 meats offered to idols but in all their aspects of practical every 
 day religious life so far as it had to do with pagan religions. 
 But Jezebel, Nicolaitanes, and Balaam elements in the church 
 argued for a more liberal and generous attitude. They would 
 urge a fuller knowledge of "the deep things of Satan" (vs. 
 24). The issue thus came to be one of adapting Christianity to 
 the circumstances of the time and really denying Christ, or 
 holding fast to Christ and refusing compromise with practice 
 that was essentially opposed to Christian principles. To the 
 lasting credit of Paul, Peter, Jude, and the writer of the 
 Apocalypse let it be said that they chose the former. Any other 
 course would have meant the weakening and death of the 
 
Exposition 87 
 
 Church. Professor E. Schiirer in 1892 published an article 
 in which he argued that the Thyatiran Jezebel was the sibyl 
 of the Sambathian shrine in the Chaldean quarter outside of 
 Thyatira, and she was variously described as a Chaldean, Heb- 
 rew, Egyptian, Babylonian, or Persian soothsayer. Although 
 this view has attractive features it must be discarded because it 
 is impossible to believe that a church so highly praised for its 
 love, faith, patience, service, and works could admit so com- 
 pletely a distinct and well known heathen sibyl. Some ancient 
 manuscripts have the pronoun gov (thy) after the word ywawca. 
 If this reading is adopted the meaning is "thy woman," and the 
 close relationship between Jezebel and the church there is 
 further indicated. We are told that Grotius accepted this read- 
 ing and as he held that the angels of the churches were their 
 bishops he concluded that Jezebel was the wife of the bishop of 
 the church at Thyatira. 
 
 4. Judgment is pronounced on Jezebel and her party in vs. 
 21-23, "I gave her time . . . according to your works." 
 
 A. Opportunity to improve has been given to Jezebel and 
 her company but there is no sign of improvement; in the ex- 
 pressive language of the original, she does not wish to repent, 
 (ov 6i\zi /xeravorjaai) . The fact that she was given time to 
 repent would indicate that the evil had existed for some time, 
 not necessarily in Thyatira as prophets and teachers often moved 
 from place to place. 
 
 B. The judgment will be like the sin. She will be cast into a 
 bed and those with whom she has been guilty. Authorities are 
 inclined to prefer /3a'AAw (present, — cast) to /?aA<o (future — 
 will cast) regarding the event as imminent, but the future form 
 IxtTavo^Govutv (will repent) suggests that the future may be 
 correct here. The bed (kXU^v) may be the banquet couch on 
 which those partaking of the pagan feasts reclined, but it will 
 be one of great misery for her and her guilty associates. There 
 is however a chance of escape from this suffering even yet if 
 "they repent of her works." The adulteries were certainly 
 spiritual and may have been physical as well. 
 
 C. A second element in the judgment will be the death of 
 her children, i. e., her spiritual followers who fail to repent. 
 
 D. The result of this severe treatment would be that Christ 
 would be recognized in all the churches as One from whom no 
 evil or good could be hid. The reins (kidneys or loins) signi- 
 
88 The Revelation of John 
 
 fled the seat of inmost thoughts and purposes of the soul ; hearts, 
 the seat and centre of all physical and spiritual life, the soul 
 or mind as the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, de- 
 sires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors, — Thayer. Thus 
 His searching and penetrating power is emphasized (cf. Jer xi: 
 20 and xvii: 10). Though Thyatira was small and remote the 
 news would spread throughout the province to all the Christian 
 communities. 
 
 E. While the judgment may be in a sense collective, each 
 member of the church is to receive according to his works. The 
 innocent will not be punished for the guilty or the guilty es- 
 cape for the innocent, but each one according to his works, as 
 the works are in this case an expression of the inner life. 
 
 5. A promise of splendid reward is given to those who do not 
 yield to the allurements of "Jezebel." "But to the rest of you 
 . . . I come." 
 
 A. Lest there should be any mistake or confusion in the 
 matter great care is taken to indicate clearly those for whom 
 it is meant. They are "the rest in Thyatira," which does not 
 mean that they were necessarily in the minority. In ix: 20 the 
 rest is two-thirds of the whole, and in xix: 21 the rest is all but 
 two. They are "such as have not this teaching," i. e., of course, 
 the teaching of "Jezebel" the false prophetess. Still again they 
 are those who do not know the depths of Satan, as they say. 
 "To know the depths," was a common phrase of the heretical 
 sects of the second century and was used to signify the extent 
 of the knowledge to which they believed they had attained. The 
 phrase had come into use when the seven letters were written 
 and was a common one with the prophetess and her followers. 
 
 B. No other burden was put upon them. This appears to 
 carry us back to the Council of Jerusalem and its decision (Acts 
 xv : 28, 29). Only the abstinence from fornication and things 
 offered to idols, (and not abstinence from things strangled and 
 from blood) is reimposed. But they must bear this minimum 
 burden. This the followers of Jezebel would explain away or 
 teach them to avoid. But as it must stand they condemned 
 themselves. 
 
 C. They must, however, hold fast until He comes, what they 
 already possess. That the expression, "what you have" refers, 
 not to the burden but to the love, faith, patience, service, and 
 
Exposition 89 
 
 works of verse 19 (and especially the works), is plain from 
 verse 26. 
 
 D. The first reward given to these who faithfully pursue 
 the path of virtue to the end will be authority (k£ovma). Thy- 
 atira seemed to be the most poorly fitted of all the seven cities 
 to rule over the nations. But to the church there is given the 
 promise of universal power (cf. Ps. ii: 8f). He will rule over 
 them as a shepherd does over his flock (-n-otfjiavd) , his staff a rod 
 of iron, his power sufficient to crush them to pieces like pot- 
 ters' vessels. Every one of them who, like Christ, was faithful 
 unto the end, even though that end was death, received from 
 Christ a victory and a share with Him in the subjugation of 
 the world. Every seeming victory that the Imperial power 
 achieved over the followers of Christ was but a step toward its 
 own ultimate defeat and death. 
 
 E. The Christian who endures to the end will also receive 
 the morning star from Christ. This probably was suggested by 
 some circumstance in Thyatira well known to the members of 
 the church, but what it was we cannot even guess now. How- 
 ever in xxii : 16 Jesus declares Himself to be "the bright, 
 the morning star." We may understand that by this figure 
 Christ would indicate that the victorious disciple will not 
 merely receive power over the nations from Him, but will 
 receive Himself without the terrible character of the previous 
 verse, but with equal or even increased brilliance. 
 
 6. The letter closes with the same general appeal as is con- 
 tained in the closing portions of the other six letters. 
 
IX 
 
 The Letter to the Church in Sardis. iii: 1-6. 
 
 Sardis was situated at the juncture of the roads from Per- 
 gamum and Smyrna on a rocky cliff overlooking the Hermus 
 valley. It was about 30 miles southeast of Thyatira, and had 
 been the ancient capital of Lydia. It was looked upon by the 
 ancient Greeks as a very important city, but its importance had 
 greatly decreased when John penned the words of the letter 
 before us. 
 
 The city was not easy to reach. On the east, north, and west 
 the cliff was almost perpendicular and was regarded as inaces- 
 sible. The only approach to it was from the south by a steep 
 winding road that led across a narrow neck to the fortress some 
 1,500 feet above the level of the plain. It thus formed an ideal 
 location for a stronghold in primitive times. 
 
 The history of Sardis goes back to the distant past reaching 
 apparently to the beginning of the Lydian kingdom about 1200 
 B. C. From that time onward for many centuries it continued 
 to be the capital. But as time went on the lofty promotory be- 
 came too small for the capital and a new city was built around 
 the base of the perpendicular cliff, the old one forming for it a 
 splendid acropolis. Because of its strong military position the 
 fate of Lydia was bound up with the fate of Sardis, the great, 
 wealthy, and impregnable city which no one could capture. 
 
 Twice in its history, however, Sardis was captured, and both 
 times by strategy. The first time was in the middle of the sixth 
 century B. C. by the Persians. Croesus the Lydian king, fabled 
 for his great wealth, in preparing for his last war had taken, as 
 he thought, all precautions to secure victory. According to the 
 story Solon, the wise Greek law-giver, when on a visit to Sardis, 
 had warned Croesus to beware of self satisfaction and to call 
 no man happy until he was dead and thus beyond the danger of 
 defeat. The king desired to take the gods for his allies. He 
 consulted the oracle at Delphi as in it alone he had confidence, 
 for he had tried many others and found them wanting. With 
 regard to the war with Cyrus the oracle informed him that if he 
 
 90 
 
Exposition 91 
 
 crossed the Halys he would destroy a powerful empire. He 
 acted on the suggestion but was overwhelmingly defeated by 
 Cyrus whose army pursued him to Sardis where the wealthy 
 but defeated monarch took refuge, intending to raise a second 
 army and destroy his Persian opponent. But before he could 
 do this the victorious Persians had laid siege to his fortress. 
 However he expected that they would soon be destroyed by his 
 new army. Resting in that hope and confident that his strong- 
 hold could never be reached except by the one approach on the 
 south which was well guarded, he retired to rest one evening 
 as usual. But when he and his people awoke in the morning 
 they found the Persians in possession of their city and fortress. 
 The besiegers had discovered a crack or ledge on the steep rocky 
 side of the fortress unnoticed by the defenders. Up that they 
 climbed, and before their presence was known they had gained 
 the prize, and Sardis was lost. The fate of Croesus and his 
 garrison long afterward served to warn the Greeks against 
 overconfidence and careless security. The second occasion of 
 the capture of Sardis was in 218 B. C. when Lagoras a native 
 of Crete climbed the rocky face of the cliff and secured the 
 coveted fortress for Antiochus. It was the story of Croesus 
 repeated. The garrison guarded the one known approach and 
 left the rest of the circuit unprotected, in the belief that it 
 could not be scaled. 
 
 In 334 B. C. the city surrendered willingly to Alexander the 
 Great, who made it a self governing Greek city. But its for- 
 tunes varied as time passed. After the battle of Magnesia the 
 Romans incorporated it in the realm of Pergamum. In A. D. 
 17 with eleven other cities it was destroyed by a great earth- 
 quake, but the emperor Tiberius remitted all its taxes for five 
 years and in addition contributed ten million sesterces (about 
 $2,000,000) to help rebuild it, so that it again became a great 
 city. 
 
 The chief religious cult of Sardis was that of the goddess 
 Cybele who was patron deity of the city and of whose temple 
 two columns are still standing and visible. She was worshipped 
 under the form of a strange and uncouth idol. The Sardian 
 goddess was looked upon as the mother of her people. She 
 dwelt in nature, particularly in Mt. Tmolus, and by the sacred 
 lake of Koloe some miles north of the city across the Hermus 
 river beside which was the necropolis of Sardis, where, in the 
 
92 The Revelation of John 
 
 early days, its chiefs and rulers were laid to return to their 
 divine mother. The favorite animal and the symbol of the god- 
 dess was the lion. She was everywhere thought to have healing 
 power and even the ability to restore life to the dead. This 
 power seems to have been associated with certain hot springs 
 famous for their curative properties and situated close to the 
 city. Dionysius, Aphrodite, Athena, the Lydian Apollo, and 
 the local deities of Tmolus and Hermus, were also honored at 
 Sardis. As elsewhere in Asia the local worship became fused 
 with the Imperial religion. 
 
 But when the Apocalypse was written Sardis had passed the 
 zenith of its excellence and had become a city of the past, though 
 its people continued to remember and cherish the ancient glory 
 of their city. The greatness which it possessed was due to its 
 military importance, and under the peaceful reign of Rome 
 that could not continue. Thus it was steadily and continuously 
 decaying. Only in the long period of the Turkish wars in the 
 middle ages did it again become important. It has now al- 
 most entirely disappeared. 
 
 In none of the seven letters do we discern a closer or more 
 frequent reference to the history, character, and circumstances 
 of its city than in that of Sardis. This will appear as we con- 
 sider the letter in detail. 
 
 Then we notice the great similarity between this letter and 
 the one to the Ephesian church. The introductions are similar, 
 both churches were retrograding but the Sardian church had 
 advanced much further in this way than that at Ephesus; both 
 had begun enthusiastically and commendably but had cooled 
 down. The language in which both are reminded of their 
 shortcoming is similar, as is that in which they are warned of 
 the result of their failure. 
 
 i. Introduction. "These things says . . . stars." 
 
 A. The seven spirits of God. In ch. v: 6 the seven eyes of 
 the Lamb are declared to be "the seven spirits of God sent 
 forth into all the earth," and in iv: 5 they are "lamps of fire" 
 burning before the throne of God. In i: 4 they are not defined. 
 Probably therefore we should understand the expression to 
 imply that not only is Christ in the midst of the churches hold- 
 ing them in His hand (i: 16, 20) but also in their midst scru- 
 tinizing their inmost being and taking note of their merits and 
 defects. In the light of such an inquiry the church in Sardis 
 
Exposition 93 
 
 falls very far short. 
 
 B. The seven stars (cf. i: 16, 20, ii: 1 and notes). 
 
 2. Complaint. "I know . . . dead." Here the tone 
 and language become severe. The church, like the city in which 
 it was situated, was really dead while seeming and claiming to 
 be alive. The characteristic of the church in Smyrna was life 
 in apparent death ; but of Sardis it is just the opposite, — death 
 in apparent life. 
 
 3. The exhortation is urgent and suited to the character of 
 the church to which it is addressed, "Be watchful . 
 repent." 
 
 A. This exhortation begins with an appeal for watchfulness. 
 Doubtless the author has in mind the two occasions when Sardis 
 was captured because of its failure to exercise sufficient vigi- 
 lance ; so the church there must bestir itself. Amid the general 
 death Christ saw signs of life. 
 
 B. Like the city again the church was dying and it must 
 hasten to strengthen its position by establishing any graces of 
 faith, love, patience that were left, and by vigorous activity 
 in the service of Christ. 
 
 C. The character of their works is indicated. Their works 
 were incomplete in the sight of God. This indicates an in- 
 different and slothful spiritual condition on the part of the 
 church. Their works were few and of poor quality, lacking the 
 spirit of life that made them acceptable to God. 
 
 D. The thoughts of the church are turned to the earlier 
 days in order to stimulate her to recovery. She had heard the 
 gospel and received it but had not kept it. She must turn from 
 her present condition of indifference and neglect to a condition 
 of watchful care over the faith committed to her. 
 
 4. Warning. "If therefore . . . come upon you." 
 Could any words be more suited to the circumstances of the 
 church in Sardis than these words which would call to mind 
 the lack of watchful care resulting in the capture of the city 
 twice in the past when the soldiers of Cyrus and Antiochus came 
 upon the city "as a thief?" No city so carelessly guarded could 
 hope to escape, nor could a church so indifferent prevail. 
 
 5. Recognition. "But you . . . worthy." 
 
 A. Although the church as a whole was past hope there were 
 a few in it who had remained faithful to Christ. These had 
 kept themselves unspotted from the prevailing wickedness about 
 
94 The Revelation of John 
 
 them. The expression "did not defile their garments," may 
 doubtless be taken as indicating the source of the trouble with 
 the church in Sardis. It had suffered from too close contact 
 with heathen impurities and had insufficiently cared for its 
 relation to Christ. 
 
 B. These faithful ones would continue in their purity and in 
 their fellowship with Christ and indeed that purity and fellow- 
 ship would be increased. Whatever the color of their garments 
 may have been, they will be clothed in white, the symbol of 
 spotless purity. For their care in avoiding the evils surrounding 
 them they will be rewarded with perfect purity. And to that 
 purity will be added the closest fellowship with Christ. They 
 shall walk with Him. By this it is evidently meant that their 
 relationship to Him will be very close and personal. It is 
 impossible to miss, too, the note of personal affection to them 
 expressed in these words. 
 
 C. The reason for this is given very briefly, "They are 
 worthy," and these words are so plain that there is no possi- 
 bility of mistaking their meaning. 
 
 6. Promise. "He who thus overcomes . . . angels." 
 
 A. The overcomer is promised an attire of white, repeating 
 and applying to every member of the church in Sardis who 
 would comply with the condition the promise of vs. 4, though 
 it is not said that he will walk with Christ. The white gar- 
 ments doubtless were intended to typify purity received through 
 the cleansing power of Christ (cf. vii: 13). 
 
 B. "And I will not . . . life." In all Greek and Ro- 
 man cities a record of the citizens was kept according to their 
 class or tribe. In this record the names of new citizens were 
 entered and from it the names of those degraded were removed. 
 The record was one of living citizens. So Christ had His record 
 of His people. Those who overcome He enrolls as citizens of 
 His kingdom. This again is another way of expressing Christ's 
 recognition of His people who by His grace have overcome. 
 
 C. Those who overcome Christ will recognize as His own 
 before God. 
 
 7. The letter closes with the same general appeal as that 
 which concludes the other six. 
 
X 
 
 The Letter to the Church in Philadelphia, iii: 7-13. 
 
 Following the great road southeasterly from Sardis for some 
 30 miles the ancient messenger would reach Philadelphia, a 
 small city founded about the middle of the second century 
 B. C. and given its name in honor of Attalus II who was de- 
 scribed by this term because of his loyalty to his brother. While 
 the military interest was never wholly absent in important 
 eastern cities in New Testament times, it would appear that it 
 was of secondary importance in the case of Philadelphia, which 
 was founded chiefly to be a centre of Graeco-Asiatic civiliza- 
 tion, and thus to spread civilization in the territories east of and 
 beyond it. Thus from the beginning it is stamped as a mis- 
 sionary city, and so successful was it that before A. D. 19 Greek 
 had become the sole language of Lydia. 
 
 Philadelphia became famous chiefly because of the great 
 earthquake of A. D. 17 which destroyed, or greatly injured, 
 twelve cities of the Province, and like Sardis it received from 
 Tiberius the emperor generous help to rebuild. We learn from 
 Strabo (who wrote in A. D. 20) that earthquake shocks w^ere 
 then frequent and that the people were so much afraid of them 
 that many resided outside the city in booths and huts, while 
 those who remained took special precautions to support their 
 houses. The city is situated at the edge of a great plateau 
 where volcanic eruptions and earthquakes were common in 
 ancient times, and the black lava streams and heaps of cinders 
 are yet visible. In appreciation of the emperor's generosity 
 Philadelphia joined with the other stricken cities and built a 
 monument in his honor at Rome, also it took the new name of 
 Neokaisareia in his honor but the new name seems to have 
 fallen out of use later and the old one appears to have been 
 restored to popular favor. Again in the reign of Vespasian 
 A. D. 70-79, it took the new name of Flavia. 
 
 The chief deity of Philadelphia was Dionysos Kathegemon 
 whose worship, as in Pergamum became merged in the Im- 
 perial cult. 
 
 We may then sum up the distinctive features of Philadelphia 
 as four: — first, it was a missionary city; second, its people lived 
 
 95 
 
96 The Revelation of John 
 
 continually in fear of a disaster; third, many of its people went 
 outside the city to live; fourth, it took a new name on two 
 occasions. 
 
 The letter to the church in Philadelphia is to be classed with 
 the one to the church in Smyrna as against either the Head of 
 the church makes no complaint at all. But it differs from the 
 other six letters in the warmth of affection expressed to the 
 church as a whole. To none of the other churches does He say, 
 "I loved you." 
 
 The letters to the Smyrnaean and Philadelphian churches 
 form a class by themselves because in them there is no com- 
 plaint against these churches. Other' analogies are: — The 
 praise to both is far more hearty than that to any of the others ; 
 both had serious difficulties to meet, the church at Smyrna 
 poverty, the one at Philadelphia, weakness; both had to con- 
 tend with difficulties caused by the Jews; both may expect 
 suffering and trial, but both it is hoped, will bear it; in the case 
 of these only is a crown part of the reward ; and in these only 
 are difficulties created by the Jews mentioned, although there 
 must have been Jews in all the seven cities, and in many, and 
 perhaps all places where there were Christians they must have 
 been a source of trouble to their Christian neighbors. We may 
 also note that these two cities have been the strength and glory 
 of the country since it fell under Mohammedan rule, and they 
 are the two places which resisted Turkish capture the longest, 
 and where even in slavery the Christians preserved cohesion 
 among themselves and real influence among their Turkish con- 
 querors (Ramsay, Letters 402f). 
 
 i. Introduction. "These things says . . . opens." This 
 address differs from those to the other churches in that not one 
 of the points in the description of Christ is found in the com- 
 plete description of Him in i: .13-18. Still the description is 
 remarkably suited to the character of the church there. 
 
 A. Christ is referred to as "The Holy" (6 ayios) and above 
 all others the letter indicates that Philadelphia was the holy 
 city which He loved. To the holy city He is the One of abso- 
 lute holiness and truth. 
 
 B. Christ is also referred to as "The True" (6 aXydivos) cf. 
 iii: 14 and xix: 11. This designation of Him is also particularly 
 appropriate in addressing a church that has kept His word and. 
 
Exposition 97 
 
 has not denied His name while its enemies are those who falsely 
 claim to be Jews. 
 
 C. Christ is represented further as having the key of David, 
 and as possessing supreme power to open and shut (cf. Isa. 
 xxii: 22). This again is particularly suitable in the case of a 
 city that is active as a missionary centre and a church that was 
 of the same character. 
 
 2. Recognition. "I know your works . . . my name." 
 Here the works are such as meet with unqualified approval. 
 Not much is said of the detailed character of the works but we 
 may assume from the tone of the letter that there was much 
 love, faith, patience, and service, especially as there is before 
 this church the privilege of a great opportunity, and as He rep- 
 resents Himself to be Holy and True. 
 
 There is considerable doubt as to the exact relationship of 
 the clauses of this verse and different interpretations are possible. 
 First. To treat the expression, "Behold . . . shut" (ioov 
 . avrrjv) as a parenthesis and connect the conjunction 
 (on, that, because) of the following clause with the opening 
 words of the verse ol8a aov ra cpya. (I know your works). 
 On this view the meaning is that He knows their works, that 
 they have little strength but have kept His word and not denied 
 His name in spite of their weakness. The parenthesis would be 
 separated by dashes as in the text of Westcott and Hort (OlSa 
 
 <rov ra epya, — ioov avrrjv, — on ) 
 
 Thus the character of their works is clearly indicated with a 
 suggestion of the reason of the open door that He has given 
 them. This is the view taken in the Revised Version and by 
 Dr. H. B. Swete. Second. We might understand the clause 
 l&ov . . . avrrjv as not being parenthetical and the on 
 . fiov as connected with it explaining why He has set 
 before them the open door. Then we should have a semi- 
 colon or period after Ipya and a semicolon (or preferably a 
 comma) after avrrjv, and the meaning is that because of their 
 fidelity to Him in their weakness they are given a great work 
 to do. Thus the reason of the open door is clearly indicated 
 with a suggestion as to the character of the works. This view 
 is followed by the Authorized Version and Professors Scott and 
 Ramsay. 
 
 A. He had set before them an open door that none could 
 shut. The figure of the open door is common in the New 
 
98 The Revelation of John 
 
 Testament ; Acts xiv: 27, 1 Cor. xvi: 9, 2 Cor. ii: 12, Col. iv: 3, 
 are examples indicating the significance attached to the phrase 
 in the Apostolic Church. There can be little doubt that it 
 bears the same meaning here, and that meaning is an opportunity 
 for successful missionary activity, and not an entrance into 
 eternal life or into God's kingdom on earth. There was a large 
 territory north and east from Philadelphia waiting for and 
 needing the gospel, and the church there was the one to have the 
 honor of doing the work. 
 
 B. The city lay at the upper end of a broad depression ex- 
 tending from the coast, and at the edge of the great plateau of 
 Phrygia. One of the two chief arteries of travel and com- 
 merce passed through it from Smyrna eastward to the vast 
 country beyond, and a great route for trade and travel meant 
 also an opportunity for missionary effort. Thus Philadelphia 
 was at the portal of the vast territory of the Phrygian plateau. 
 The language is strong, and to no other of the seven churches 
 is anything like it said. The opportunity was a gift from Christ 
 and none would be able to take it from them. They had been 
 using the little strength they had keeping His word and not 
 denying His name, and "to him that hath shall be given." And 
 while we are not told that the church used the opportunity 
 thus given it, we may infer that to have been the case. We 
 may note also that here alone in the seven letters is there a 
 reference to what seems to be the reason why these particular 
 seven cities were marked out to be "the Seven Churches of 
 Asia." While all the churches in Asia, had their doors of op- 
 portunity, and all the seven to whom the Apocalypse is ad- 
 dressed had their subsidiary districts, the Philadelphian church 
 was marked out as the most conspicuous in this particular 
 feature. 
 
 C. The strength of the church was small, which doubtless 
 means either that it was composed of but a few people, or that 
 it had little influence, or perhaps both. But in spite of this 
 handicap it had faithfully kept His word and had not denied 
 His name. The city itself was weak, especially after the great 
 earthquake of A. D. 17, and because of the frequent recur- 
 rence of the shocks afterward it only slowly regained its 
 strength, most people being afraid to live in it, while those who 
 did dwell there had to devise special measures to support their 
 dwellings and buildings. The particular nature of the circum- 
 
Exposition 99 
 
 stances through which its fidelity had been conspicuous we are 
 not told ; but they may have been connected with the opposi- 
 tion of the Jews as mentioned in the following verse. 
 
 3. Encouragement. Here we have two great promises, the 
 first related to present trials, the second to a time of coming 
 hardship. There is also a third, a general one, like those of the 
 other letters, "to him who overcomes, etc." In the first two of 
 these especially, we see the very warm attitude of Christ toward 
 the Philadelphian church. 
 
 A. " Behold I give . . . loved you." The Jews were 
 an important class in the Asian cities and evidently were a 
 source of considerable trouble to the Christians as we learn from 
 various parts of the New Testament. There as in Smyrna 
 (ii: 9) they are Jews in name but far from being so in the 
 strictest sense. In all probability their chief characteristic there 
 as elsewhere in those days was their intense national spirit sup- 
 ported by their religious ideas. They believed themselves to be 
 the chosen of God whom He would exalt to be the rulers of 
 the world at the coming of Messiah. They thus despised those 
 of their number who became Christians, esteeming them as 
 traitors to their race and enemies to God, being without the 
 true spirit of love to God and to their fellow men (Lev. xix: 
 18, Deut. vi: 5). But there was to be a change. Christ would 
 force these same Jews to recognize His love for the Phila- 
 delphian church, and to bow in reverence before it, thus rec- 
 ognizing that not themselves but the church, is the true Israel 
 of God. 
 
 B. " Because you kept . . . world." They have been 
 faithful to Christ and Christ would not forsake them when 
 they needed Him most. A season of trial was near at hand but 
 its character is not definitely disclosed. To the Christians of 
 that day it would mean the troublous times that were thought 
 immediately to precede the return of Christ which was be- 
 lieved to be near at hand ; these troublous times they would 
 identify with the Imperial persecution then begun. The words 
 would recall to their hearers and readers the great earthquake, 
 which was still fresh in the minds of the people, and be an as- 
 surance to the little Philadelphian church of safety in any trial 
 that should come. The trial would fall upon the whole in- 
 habited world and would "try" or sift the people, separating as 
 it were, the wheat from the chaff. 
 
IOO The Revelation of John 
 
 4. Exhortation. "I . . . crown." 
 
 A. The time of Christ's return was not far distant. 
 
 B. The promises were conditional. If they were to receive 
 the homage of the Jews, and safe keeping in the hour of trial, 
 they must persevere in their fidelity to Christ. If they failed 
 in this way some other might capture the prize that was theirs. 
 
 5. A great promise is given. "He who overcomes . 
 name." 
 
 A. The overcomer would be made a pillar in the temple of 
 God, and he should go no more out. A pillar in a building 
 serves to strengthen and support the building which rests upon 
 it, while it is fixed firmly by the building. The victorious 
 Christian in Philadelphia would be upholding the honor of 
 Christ there and at the same time would be fixed himself so that 
 he would be shaken in no disaster, nor would be ever "go out" 
 from goodness as the residents of his city went out to live after 
 the great earthquake. 
 
 B. The conqueror is to receive a new name, indeed three 
 new names, though Prof. Ramsay believes it to be one name 
 with a three-fold significance (Letters p. 412) Christ will write 
 upon him. First. The new name of my God (cf. 2 Cor. iii: 
 3). This can only mean that their lives and characters will be 
 radiant with the Divine grace given through Christ, as they 
 honor and serve Him. Second. The name of the city of God, 
 New Jerusalem which descends out of heaven from God, (cf. 
 Gal. iv: 26 and Heb. xii: 22) ; to bear the name of the city of 
 God is to be included in the number of her citizens. New 
 (Kaivrj) refers to quality not time or age, and its heavenly 
 quality is indicated by its coming down out of heaven from 
 God. This is explained more fully in (xxi: 2-27). Third. The 
 new name of Christ is also to be given him. By this we are 
 probably to understand a symbol of the fuller glories of His 
 person and character. The new name of Christ is probably 
 one of the designations of Him found in the book and one that 
 had not been particularly applied to Him before. Of these there 
 are several, Lion of the tribe of Judah (v: 5), Root of David 
 (v: 5 and xxii: 16), a mysterious name (xix: 12), Word of 
 God (xix: 13), King of kings and Lord of lords (xvii: 14 
 and xix: 16), Offspring of David (xxii: 16), Bright and Morn- 
 ing Star (xxii: 16). Some of these might be described as char- 
 acterizations rather than names. But the names in v: 5 and 
 
Exposition 101 
 
 xix: 13, 16 appear to be names of Christ and the last two are 
 distinctly called names. These are applied to Him as a con- 
 queror and seem to be particularly suited to this passage, es- 
 pecially the latter. We are to understand that the overcomer 
 by receiving the new name of Christ is characterized as a king 
 and a victor with Him. 
 
 C. With Prof. Ramsay, (Letters p. 409ff) we may note 
 that the gift of the new names is another fine adaptation of the 
 message to the history of the city where the church addressed 
 was located. Philadelphia only of the seven cities abandoned 
 its old name and took a new name derived from the Imperial 
 religion, calling itself Neokaisareia in honor of the emperor 
 and building a temple for his worship as a mark of appreciation 
 of his generosity to them after the earthquake, and adding to 
 the temple a priest and a ritual. Such a name was considered 
 as very honorable, was taken only with the approval of the 
 Roman Senate, and was thought to bind the city closely to the 
 Imperial service. Thus Philadelphia took the name of the 
 Imperial god and designated itself as his city. If the new name 
 Neokaisareia, referred to Germanicus the emperor's son the 
 parallel would be all the more complete. On a second occasion 
 too, as we learned above, the city adopted a new name. But 
 not for long did it retain either of these, but reverted to its old 
 name some time before the Apocalypse was written ; and as 
 there is no mention of the worship of this temple after A. D. 
 50, and as the city later returned to its old name, perhaps we 
 may assume that the temple had fallen into disuse. This would 
 give John a fine opportunity to point out the superior gift of 
 Christ who will do far more for them than the emperor's 
 bounty ever could for the pagan city. 
 
 6. The letter concludes with the same appeal as the other six. 
 
 It is interesting to note that in the times when we can catch a 
 glimpse of Philadelphia it is living amid dangers. In ancient 
 times there were earthquakes, in more recent times there were 
 Turkish attacks. But above all others of the seven cities it has 
 been kept from the hour of trial, standing like a pillar, faithful 
 to the Name and patient to the last. 
 
XI 
 
 The Letter to the Church in Laodicea. iii: 14-22. 
 
 Laodicea the last of the seven cities, occupied an important 
 position in the valley of the Lycus river almost due east of 
 Ephesus. It was distant some 40 miles from Philadelphia and 
 located at the confluence of two great roads, one coming south- 
 east to it from Sardis and Philadelphia while the other connected 
 it with Ephesus. The united road extended far to the east- 
 ward, connecting it with the vast interior of the peninsula. It 
 was thus the gateway to the interior. The city was founded 
 by Antiochus II about the middle of the third century B. C. 
 and named after his wife. Its mission was to be a centre for 
 the spread of Greek civilization and language in barbarian 
 Phrygia but in this it failed so completely that Phrygia was the 
 least Hellenized part of the province though the reason of its 
 failure, when Philadelphia its neighbor succeeded in the same 
 work, we do not know. Of course every outpost of civilization 
 in those days was more or less military in its nature and Laodi- 
 cea was no exception. It was a strong fortress but it had one 
 serious weakness. So far as we can now judge it was entirely 
 dependent for its water supply on an aqueduct supplied from 
 springs some six miles to the south. This an enemy on the out- 
 side could easily cut off and render the city entirely helpless. 
 
 Laodicea was of considerable commercial importance. It was 
 only a small city before the Roman time but when the Ro- 
 mans kept peace in the country it grew rapidly. It was a 
 centre of trade and banking so that in 51 B. C. Cicero, the 
 Latin author, brought orders to be cashed there. It became 
 quite famous as a manufacturing centre where garments of 
 various sorts were made and was especially noted for a black 
 glossy wool produced in the valley. So prosperous was the 
 city that when it was smitten by a great earthquake in A. D. 
 60-1 it rose from its ruins without the assistance of an Im- 
 perial subsidy. 
 
 The chief god of the valley was Men Karou (Carian Men) 
 whose temple was situated about 13 miles west of Laodicea. 
 This temple was a centre of society, administration, intercourse, 
 and trade, (as well as of religion), for the district. A market 
 
 102 
 
Exposition 1 03 
 
 was held under its protection where the people met to trade 
 with strangers from a distance. In connection with the temple 
 there was a famous school of medicine, though the school seems 
 to have been located in the city and not at the temple. This 
 school had flourished for 150 or 200 years when the Apocalypse 
 was written. An ointment for strengthening the ears was made 
 at Laodicea and a powder or tabloid spoken of as Phrygian 
 and used for the eyes was probably produced there originally. 
 As Greek civilization and speech became common the people 
 still worshipped Men but they identified him with the Greek 
 god Zeus (Jupiter) who was commonly worshipped in that part 
 of the province. Laodicea was an important centre in the 
 Imperial religion and was honored with a temple wardenship 
 toward the close of the second century A. D. 
 
 Jews seem to have been quite numerous in Laodicea. In 
 62 B. C. the Roman governor Flaccus refused to allow them 
 to send their usual contribution to Jerusalem on the ground that 
 the loss of the coin might be dangerous. The amount was 
 twenty pounds weight of gold at Laodicea and a hundred 
 pounds at Apameia in Phrygia. As the annual tax was two 
 drachmae this would probably imply a population of some 7,500 
 adult Jewish freemen in Laodicea and vicinity, (to which we 
 must add women and children), and five times as many at 
 Apameia. But the population in Laodicea and the Lycus val- 
 ley generally was of a mixed character. 
 
 Of the beginnings of the Christian Church in Laodicea we 
 have some hints in the New T Testament. When Paul addressed 
 his letter to the church at Colosse he had not visited the district, 
 although there was a body of Christians there and at Laodicea 
 which was not far distant (Col. ii: 1). Of it he had some 
 detailed knowledge (id. iv: 15) and sent it a letter (id. iv: 16). 
 It may have been founded by Epaphras (Col. i: 7 and iv: I2ff) 
 and it appears to have continued almost to modern times as it 
 had a bishop in 1450 A. D. Sagaris its bishop died a martyr 
 in A. D. 166 and various other of its bishops and presbyters are 
 mentioned by early writers. It was the leading bishopric of 
 Phrygia throughout the Christian period. Laodicea as a city 
 was devoid of distinctive features and in this lies its peculiar 
 character. Easily able to adapt itself to the needs and wishes 
 of others it became pliable and accommodating, full of the spirit 
 of compromise. 
 
104 The Revelation of John 
 
 i. Introduction. "These things says . . . God." These 
 words stand in sharp contrast to the character of the church to. 
 which they are addressed. The description of Christ here, like 
 that in the Philadelphian letter, is outside the general descrip- 
 tion of Him in chapter i: 13-20. It is one, however, that re- 
 markably suits the church at Laodicea, though the very opposite 
 of the character of that church which was vacillating and un- 
 reliable. 
 
 A. He is the Amen. This word, originally derived from the 
 Hebrew contains the idea of firmness, truth, reliability, stead- 
 fastness. There may be a reference to Isa. lxv: 16 where the 
 word is used of God ("God of truth") or the frequent use of 
 the word by Christ may be in the writer's mind. 
 
 B. He is the faithful and true witness (compare i: 5, iii: 7). 
 He never fell short of perfect faithfulness and absolute truth 
 no matter what the cost to Him. 
 
 C. He is the beginning of the creation of God (17 apx>] t?;s 
 KTiVeoj? tov 6eov). We cannot translate "the first of the crea- 
 tion of God," as the whole tone of the Apocalypse represents 
 Him as Divine and is such as to forbid our considering Him a 
 created being, even though He were looked upon as the first 
 or supreme member of the whole number of created objects. Dr. 
 Swete (Apocalypse p. 59) understands the words to refer to 
 Him as the origin of the creation, the uncreated principle from 
 which it took its rise (cf. John i: 1, 3, 14). The word apxn 
 (beginning) will readily bear this sense. This is doubtless the 
 best way to take it at least until further light is thrown on its 
 meaning, especially as it is in accord with a description of Him 
 with which the church there was in all likelihood familiar 
 (Col. i: 15, 18 and iv: 15). 
 
 2. Recognition. "I know your works . . . mouth." 
 
 A. The condition. But as in the case of Sardis there is noth- 
 ing commendable to note. The Laodicean church seems to be 
 free from the evils that afflicted the churches in Ephesus, Per- 
 gamum, Thyatira, and Sardis, but on the other hand it has 
 none of their merits. It is lacking entirely in spiritual fervour, 
 and so is not "hot." It is also lacking in that complete indiffer- 
 ence which would characterize it as "cold." 
 
 B. The result. Tepid water is nauseating to the taste and 
 is expelled from the mouth, and such is lukewarmness to Christ. 
 There may be a reference to some hot springs located at Hiera- 
 
Exposition 105 
 
 polis six miles north of Laodicea, whose waters become luke- 
 warm as they traverse the plateau and in this state fall over the 
 cliff directly opposite Laodicea. This cliff is visible for a great 
 distance because of the white incrustations of lime that have 
 gathered on it. 
 
 3. Counsel. "Because you say . . . see." 
 
 A. The church in Laodicea was located in a wealthy city 
 and thought it had need of nothing. Not only was it luke- 
 warm but it was contented to continue so, and was evidently 
 greatly pleased and thoroughly satisfied with its condition, even 
 boasting of it. 
 
 B. In its abundant external wealth it failed to recognize its 
 own spiritual poverty. Wealth in this world's goods is not 
 wealth in God's sight (Luke xii: 21). The Laodicean church 
 had the former but not the latter. Because ignorant and self- 
 satisfied it was really the wretched one and miserable in spite of 
 its boasted abundance and freedom from need. It was really 
 poor because without that which made it rich toward God, blind 
 because unable to discern its true condition, and naked because 
 so completely without the clothing of Christ's righteousness. 
 
 C. They are counselled by Christ Himself and the counsel 
 is remarkably wise and helpful though direct and clear. That 
 counsel is cast in language that fits in well with their circum- 
 stances. They are not forbidden to continue in their mer- 
 cantile pursuits but they must devote attention to Christ, re- 
 ceiving from Him the real gold that was imperishable in con- 
 trast to that which was current among the Laodiceans for this 
 was the true riches, white garments that they might be clothed 
 in contrast to the garments of black glossy wool so common 
 there and so highly prized, and true medicine for the eyes in 
 contrast to the tabloids (or powder) furnished by their own 
 school of medicine. The meaning of all this is clear. They 
 must give their minds and hearts to the things of Christ. The 
 gold is doubtless faith, expressing itself in good works (Luke 
 xii: 21, Jas. ii: 5, 1 Pet. i, 1 Tim. vi: 18). This is described 
 as "refined from the fire" because of the severe trials attending 
 the process ( 1 Pet. i : 7 ) . The white raiment is no doubt a 
 life in Christ unspotted from the world (Gal. iii: 27, Jas. i: 
 27) which alone will be sufficient in the fierce light of the 
 Divine Presence (2 Cor. v: 10). The eye-salve is the Holy 
 Spirit which brings spiritual illumination (John xvi: 8ff). To 
 
106 The Revelation of John 
 
 buy these from Christ is to receive them from Him giving up 
 for that purpose all the selfish ease and worldly things that may 
 prevent their reception. 
 
 4. Exhortation. "I rebuke and chasten . . . repent." 
 The section from this point onward to the close of the chapter 
 Professor Ramsay considers an epilogue to the whole seven let- 
 ters and not a part of the letter to the church in Laodicea. The 
 reasons for this, however, do not appear to be sufficient, and it 
 seems better to consider it as a part of the letter. 
 
 A. In spite of the declared intention of Christ to spew them 
 out of his mouth these severe words are yet spoken in love and 
 His rebuke and chastisement must be considered as evidence of 
 His love, (cf. John xv: 2, Heb. xii: 6) ; rebuke (feAe'yxw) refers 
 more particularly to oral correction while chasten (iraiSevoi) 
 refers to more severe discipline such as a parent would give his 
 child. We hear nothing of this church having borne any trials 
 and its shortcomings may have been due to the lack of such. 
 But severe discipline of this sort came later when, as Eusebius 
 tells us (H. E. iv: 26, v: 24), Sagaris its bishop died in martyr- 
 dom. 
 
 B. Their defect was in enthusiasm ; therefore they are urged 
 to exhibit a whole-hearted devotion to the Master. They should 
 also repent and become fervent in spirit. 
 
 5. Promise. "Behold I stand ... his throne." 
 
 A. Here the speaker ceases to address the church as a whole 
 but turns to its members individually. He comes to each one 
 of them as a friend, and standing at the door knocks for ad- 
 mission. If He is admitted the tenderest and most intimate 
 fellowship is the result. The corporate life of the church has 
 ceased to be a means of true fellowship with Christ but Christ 
 still offers His fellowship to the individual. "Thus the most 
 gracious invitation and also the most glorious promise are ad- 
 dressed to those Christians for whom the conditions of spiritual 
 life are most difficult." 
 
 B. The promise. To the person who hears and responds to 
 His words He offers a share in His own exaltation, and points 
 to his own example as further encouragement. The writer of 
 the book has attained to that blessedness in some degree accord- 
 ing to his words in ch. i: 6. So far as we are able to see, the 
 promise here has no connection with the circumstances of the 
 church, though if we knew more of the historical situation we 
 
Exposition 107 
 
 might discern a real connection as in the case of the promises 
 in the other letters. 
 
 6. The letter like the others closes with a general appeal for 
 attention, "He who has an ear let him hear, etc." 
 
 7. This church is the only one which is absolutely and wholly 
 condemned. There is not even a faithful remnant as in Sardis. 
 Although counsel and promise are given there is no hope that 
 they will avail for the church as a whole though they may in 
 the case of a few of the individuals that compose the church. 
 
 Before passing from the seven letters it remains only to note 
 that two are condemned — Sardis and Laodicea. Sardis has a 
 remnant still faithful but even that is lacking in Laodicea, and 
 at the present day these two are entirely deserted and unin- 
 habited. Two churches, Smyrna and Philadelphia, are praised 
 in an unreserved and affectionate way, and these two cities had 
 the glory and honor of being the last to yield in the long wars 
 that led up to the Turkish conquest. To the remaining three 
 mingled praise and blame is given though on the whole the 
 praise exceeds the blame. Of these Pergamum and Thyatira 
 persist to this day as towns of some importance while Ephesus 
 alone, that should be moved out of its place if it did not repent, 
 is only an insignificant village moved some little distance from 
 the site of the ancient and important city. 
 
XII 
 
 The Throne in Heaven, iv: i-ii. 
 
 We now come to the second of the two great visions that 
 chiefly make up the Apocalypse of John, this one extending from 
 the beginning of ch. iv to ch. xxii: 5. In this section of the 
 book we find its main purpose although something of that pur- 
 pose may be discerned in the previous chapters. But in this 
 vision the seer draws the veil and gives his readers a glimpse of 
 the real nature of the forces which are at work in the world 
 about them. And first there comes the vision of the throne in 
 heaven given in this chapter. 
 
 1. Introduction. "After these things ... in the spirit." 
 
 A. "After these things," is a phrase that connects what fol- 
 lows with what has preceded but indicates a change of some 
 importance. It occurs again in ch. vii: 1, 9, xv: 5 and xviii: 1. 
 
 B. "A door opened in the heaven." Similar expressions are 
 found both in the Old and New Testaments (cf. Ezek. i: 1, 
 Mark i: 10, John i: 51) and in apocalyptic literature (Enoch 
 xiv: 13). Here it is a door of revelation and not a door of 
 opportunity as in iii : 8 or the door of the heart as in iii : 20. 
 
 C. He hears a voice which summons him to the angel speaker 
 (cf. xix: 10, xxii: 8), and promises to reveal the future to him. 
 In these words "what must come to pass hereafter," we have the 
 great purpose of this vision indicated. That purpose is to ex- 
 plain the future, and to this all else is subsidiary. 
 
 D. Just as the words are spoken he enters that state of 
 spiritual exaltation which he had experienced in the case of the 
 first vision (i: 10) but apparently much more intense. Then it 
 enabled him to see and hear, but now in addition to these 
 powers it summons him to the side of the angel. 
 
 2. The throne and its Occupant. "And behold 
 appearance." 
 
 A. The first object that he sees is an extraordinary Person 
 sitting on a throne (Opovos, seat). The rendering "a throne 
 was set" of the Authorized Version, while literally and gram- 
 matically correct is scarcely permissible here; the verb Ikuto 
 (was placed) is generally used intransitively, and simply means, 
 
 108 
 
Exposition 1 09 
 
 "was standing," or merely, "was" (cf. John xix: 29), while the 
 following clause indicates that the throne was occupied when 
 John saw it, and consequently the act of placing it had previous- 
 ly been completed. In the Old Testament the throne of God 
 is often spoken of as in heaven (e. g. Ps. xi: 4). While the 
 identity of the occupant of the throne may be guessed, it is not 
 until vs. 8 that it is clearly indicated. 
 
 B. The description of the Occupant of the throne is very 
 simple. It is said merely that He appeared like a jasper and 
 sardine stone and round about the throne was a rainbow like 
 an emerald. It is difficult to decide exactly what precious 
 stones as we know them, are meant here. But it is clear that 
 the throne was surrounded by a bright halo and an arch or 
 circle of different hue, both of which were splendid in ap- 
 pearance. John may have in mind Ezek. i: 28. Attempts 
 have been made to interpret the significance of these. Beyond 
 the impression of holiness and majesty all such attempts are 
 speculative and unreliable. 
 
 3. The elders. "And round the throne ... on their 
 heads." Around the haloed figure are twenty-four elders oc- 
 cupying each a throne (or seat, Bpovos). All are clad in white 
 garments and wear golden crowns. What these signify is not 
 plain and there has been great variety in the suggestion offered. 
 They appear to form a heavenly senate or presbytery. That 
 they form a symbol both in their character and number is clear, 
 but of what is uncertain. Some see in them a reference to the 
 elders of Israel (Ex. iii : 16, xix: 7, xxiv: 1, Num. xi: i6ff, 
 etc.), the twelve tribes, (24 = 2x12) the twelve patriarchs 
 (sons of Jacob, Gen. xlix), or the twenty-four priestly courses 
 (1 Chron. xxiv: 1-19). The only function in which they 
 engage is worship (iv: 10. v: 8). Probably the best explana- 
 tion is that they represent the twelve tribes of Israel completed 
 in the twelve apostles and thus the whole Israel of God, the 
 double representation signifying the Jewish and Gentile ele- 
 ments then present in the Church. To the Jewish reader or 
 hearer the suggestion would be the tribes, patriarchs, or the 
 priestly courses; to the Gentile, the twelve apostles of Christ 
 (cf. xxi: 14). Thus the 24 elders may be understood as rep- 
 resenting the Church in its totality, but idealized, and there- 
 fore robed in white, crowned, and enthroned in the presence of 
 God. 
 
I IO The Revelation of John 
 
 4. Other features of the throne. "And out of the throne 
 
 . crystal." As again the seer turns to the throne he 
 observes other features of it. 
 
 A. From the throne proceed lightnings and voices and thun- 
 ders (cf. viii: 5, xi : 19, xvi : 18). As the law was given to 
 Moses at Sinai there was a terrible storm (Ex. xix: 16) and 
 the thunder storm in Hebrew poetry is frequently used as a 
 concomitant of divine power and glory, (Ps. xviii: 6ff, xxix: 
 iff, 1 Sam. ii: 10, Job xxxvii: 4ft) . There seems to be no 
 special significance attached to these demonstrations other than 
 as expressions of Divine majesty. Possibly a great storm was 
 raging on Patmos when these visions came to John. 
 
 B. There were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne. 
 These are not the lamps (Av^viai) of i: 12 but torches 
 ( Aa/A7ra8e<? ) burning steadily before the throne. Their meaning 
 is indicated by saying that they are the seven spirits of God 
 (see i: 4 and iii: 1 ). These doubtless represent the Holy Spirit. 
 
 C. What appeared to be a sea of glass was before the throne. 
 John sees in front of the throne and its Occupant a vast glassy 
 pavement. It was clear as rock-crystal. Often the sea around 
 Patmos had appeared as smooth as glass on calm summer days. 
 When we remember the high cost of ancient glass and its semi- 
 opaque nature, this vast pavement of the clearest glass adds 
 much to the magnificence of the scene and consequently to the 
 majesty of its Central Figure. 
 
 5. The four living creatures. "And in the midst . 
 eyes before and behind." 
 
 A. Probably Ezekiel's vision (Ezek. i: 5ft) is in the author's 
 mind though its complexities are largely abandoned. 
 
 B. The exact position of the living creatures is not easy to 
 determine, whether inside or outside the circle of the twenty- 
 four elders, how distributed around the throne, whether mov- 
 ing in rapid gyrations or standing still, etc. Probably the 
 simplest and most reasonable view is that one is in front, an- 
 other behind, and one at each side of the throne. They were 
 probably standing comparatively still as nothing is said to in- 
 dicate that they were in motion, while in Ezekiel's vision (i: 14) 
 the motion is clearly indicated. A comparison of the expression 
 by which their position is indicated — "in the midst of the throne 
 and round about the throne," — with the words describing the 
 position of the elders, — "round the throne," — would appear to 
 
Exposition ill 
 
 indicate a position between the circle of the elders and the 
 throne, as it is not said that the elders were "in the midst of 
 the throne." 
 
 C. The living creatures are full of eyes before and behind, 
 round about and within (vs. 8). Each has six wings about 
 him, though their position and use is not indicated (cf. Isa. 
 vi: 2). 
 
 D. In the absence of any indication in the text as to the 
 significance of these four living creatures, we can only guess 
 at their meaning. Little help can be got from a comparison 
 with Ezekiel's vision as there are so many differences in detail, 
 though probably in the main they present the same ideas. Prob- 
 ably the most reasonable view is that suggested by Prof. C. An- 
 derson Scott (Revelation p. 158O that they are the personifica- 
 tion of the forces set in order by the will of God whereby His 
 throne is supported, His authority maintained. This view is 
 followed to some extent by Prof. H. B. Swete who thinks they 
 represent animate nature in its different phases, the lion sug- 
 gesting what is noblest, the calf or ox (/aoVxos, a young bull), 
 what is strongest, the man what is wisest, and the eagle what is 
 swiftest. They represent, so Dr. Swete thinks, Creation and 
 the Divine Immanence in nature. The eyes set forth the cease- 
 less vigilance of nature, or rather of the Divine Power working 
 through nature ; the wings represent its velocities. 
 
 6. Worship. "And day and night . . . and were creat- 
 ed." 
 
 A. These living creatures are continually worshipping God 
 thi whole twenty-four hours of each day and seven days a week. 
 Animate Nature is continually active and that activity is a 
 ceaseless tribute of praise. 
 
 B. Their song of praise is one which recognizes Him as holy, 
 all powerful, and eternal. The words have a close analogy to 
 those of Isaiah's vision (Isa. vi: 3) but they are not exactly the 
 same. 
 
 C. The living creatures are joined in their song of praise by 
 the twenty-four elders and the actions of the two are simultane- 
 ous, "Nature and the Church must ever unite in praise to 
 God." The future tenses of the verbs ( Sucrovaiv, Treaovvrat) are 
 difficult biit not inexplicable. They are in all probability the 
 correct readings. The words state the fact as if it were a law. 
 
 D. The tribute of praise offered by the living creatures and 
 
112 The Revelation of John 
 
 that given by the elders differ somewhat in detail, while alike 
 in spirit and general character. The words of the living crea- 
 tures praise Him as holy, omnipotent, and eternal, call Him 
 Lord and God, and are brief ; those of the elders are more 
 elaborate and praise Him as worthy to receive glory, honor, and 
 power, as the Creator of all things according to whose will they 
 exist and were created, and by the use of the word "our" 
 recognize a personal relationship to Him. As they do this they 
 rise from their seats, fall down (probably on their knees) and 
 prostrate themselves before the Occupant of the central throne 
 in expression of the fullest homage and reverence. This they 
 emphasize by casting their crowns before Him and thus pledg- 
 ing their fidelity to Him in the very strongest way. These 
 crowns were wreaths ( arec^avovi ) and indicated victory, joy, 
 festal gladness, etc., and not crowns signifying royalty (SidSrjfxa). 
 The living creatures ascribe glory, honor, and thanks to the 
 Occupant of the throne. Glory ( $6£av, Hebrew TDD ) refers 
 to the outward magnificence, honor (ti/a^v) to inherent ex- 
 cellence of God, while thanks (evxaptaTiav) has in mind His 
 gifts and mercy. 
 
 E. The Occupant of the central throne (vs. 4) is thus clearly 
 defined. He is worshipped as thrice holy, omnipotent, eternal 
 (both as the One who was and is and is to come, and the One 
 who lives unto the ages of the ages). He is the One to whom 
 glory, honor and power are ascribed and thanks given, the One 
 before whom the elders bow in worship and at whose feet they 
 lay their crowns of victory and joy, the One by whose will all 
 things exist and were created, the One whom the living crea- 
 tures recognize as Lord and God and whom the elders worship 
 as "our Lord and our God." Such a description as this can 
 suit only one Being in the universe and that One can be no 
 other than Jehovah, the Supreme God, Creator of heaven and 
 earth. 
 
 7. The general significance of this chapter is very plain 
 though there may be room for much difference of opinion re- 
 garding the meaning of many of the details. The churches 
 were grievously oppressed. How could they expect to win out 
 in their struggle with the Empire? To human minds it was 
 apparently impossible. But these verses show that the Supreme 
 Power is not in the earth but in Heaven. It is a glimpse of 
 the real Imperial Power which was in Heaven and not that 
 
Exposition 113 
 
 earthly caricature of it which the Empire presented. When the 
 veil is drawn and a true view of the real nature of the situation 
 can be gained, it is plain that the real Sovereign and Ruler is 
 God who has created all things and by whose will they exist. 
 He is the Person of matchless excellence and to Him heaven 
 and earth give fealty and praise. The picture is one of match- 
 less splendor. Some of the details, such as the sea of glass, ap- 
 pear to be added to give color to it and not to represent any- 
 thing in particular. The encouragement and hope which such 
 a revelation as this would inspire in the Asian churches, engaged 
 in a life and death struggle with the political power, and per- 
 secuted even unto the death, must have been great indeed. 
 
XIII 
 
 The Sealed Book and the Lamb. V: 1-14. 
 
 1. The sealed book. "And I saw . . . with seven seals." 
 
 A. In this chapter we have a continuation of the description 
 begun in the previous chapter. John again looks at the central 
 throne and its Occupant, and observes in His hand a book or 
 roll sealed down with seven seals, the contents of which were so 
 abundant that they not only filled the inside but overflowed to 
 the reverse. The roll is not offered to John to read, nor to 
 anyone else. 
 
 B. What is this sealed roll or book? The idea is apparently 
 based on Ezek. ii: 9. Various suggestions have been offered as 
 to its meaning. Several ancient expositors held it to be the Old 
 Testament, unsealed by the coming and teaching of Christ 
 or the allegorical interpretation of Scripture, but such a view is 
 inconsistent with the process of opening the seals given in ch. 
 vi and vii. There are several things that indicate its true 
 significance. First. There is the fact that it- is a sealed book, 
 sealed with seven seals, i. e. completely, which no one in heaven, 
 upon earth, or under the earth is able to open nor even to look 
 upon. Second. It is in the hand of God. Third. Christ is able 
 to open it (vs. 5ff and notes). Fourth. There is the purpose of 
 the Apocalypse, "to show to His servants what must quickly 
 come to pass" (i: 1) and "the things that shall be hereafter" 
 (i: 19). Fifth. The events that accompany the opening of the 
 seals are manifestly symbolic and their character is such that it 
 cannot be discerned until the events actually take place; Sixth. 
 To the Christians of the province of Asia there would be one 
 thing that could be considered as pre-eminently a sealed book 
 and that was the future. How they and the Church would fare 
 was to them the problem of greatest urgency, most intense in- 
 terest, and highest importance. These considerations would 
 appear to point to only one interpretation. The sealed book is 
 the book of the future, the Book of Destiny and a moment's 
 thought shows how well such a view meets the conditions. No 
 one in heaven or earth or under the earth could decipher the 
 future before hand for it is in the hand of God, and only the 
 
 114 
 
Exposition 115 
 
 one whom He equips for the purpose and appoints to the task 
 can discharge that duty, and Christ is such an one, par excellence. 
 The Apocalypse, claiming to be "The revelation of Jesus Christ, 
 which God gave to him, to show to His servants what must 
 quickly come to pass (i: 1)," is an authoritative and reliable 
 account of what the future has in store for the suffering Asian 
 churches and therefore able to meet its need at this time as noth- 
 ing else could. 
 
 2. The book unopened. "I saw a strong angel ... to 
 look on it." 
 
 A. The challenge is issued by a strong angel, and as the chal- 
 lenge is addressed to the whole universe a strong angel is needed. 
 It is worthiness (a£ios), not strength, that is required for the 
 task. 
 
 B. There is no response to the challenge. Nowhere is there 
 anyone who dares to attempt such a task. The reason is mani- 
 fest if the interpretation of the book given above is accepted. 
 No one is able to look on it. None could consider, much less 
 attempt to unfold the future. 
 
 C. John evidently perceives clearly the nature of the sealed 
 book. He weeps much as no one appears to open it. If it is 
 unopened he will have no message regarding the future to give 
 to his suffering fellow-Christians and the promise of the voice 
 that bade him "ascend hither" in iv: 1 will be unfulfilled. He 
 knew the times were troublous and the future uncertain and 
 terrible. In these awful days when political Conditions were 
 bad in the extreme, when religion and morals were vile and 
 every indication pointed to the extinction of the Christians, any 
 serious person might weep as he contemplated the future. No 
 wonder then that John weeps when no one is found able to 
 unfold the future and guide him and his suffering fellow-Chris- 
 tians through the evil time. 
 
 3.' One found able to open it. "And one of the elders 
 . throne." 
 
 A. John continues to weep profusely (ckXcllov 7roXv) until 
 he is bidden to refrain from doing so by one of the elders. Here 
 and in vii : 13 the fact that the elder speaks appears to have no 
 symbolic significance beyond enriching the color and details of 
 the picture. 
 
 B. The command to desist from his weeping is accompanied 
 by an explanation which shows it to be unnecessary. The Lion 
 
u6 The Revelation of John 
 
 of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David has overcome to open 
 the book and its seven seals. John looks and sees in the circle 
 of the throne, living creatures, and elders, though its position is 
 not more definitely indicated, not a lion but a lamb standing 
 as if slain, but apparently alive, and possessing seven horns and 
 seven eyes. He takes the book from the hand of Him who sat 
 on the throne. 
 
 C. Who is this creature? What could be described fairly 
 as at once the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David and 
 a lamb standing as if slaughtered. As we meditate upon the 
 picture it is plain that only One Person can meet its require- 
 ments and that One is Jesus Christ. First. He belonged to 
 the tribe of Judah (Luke iii: 33) which was spoken of as the 
 lion of the tribes in the Blessing of Jacob (Gen. xlix: 9), and 
 of all the noble sons of that tribe none were as noble and ex- 
 cellent as He and none therefore as worthy of the name. Second. 
 Jesus was also of the tribe and lineage of David (Luke iii: 31 ) ; 
 the words of the passage are evidently based on Isa. xi: 1. The 
 stump of the old Davidic tree has sent forth a new shoot, its 
 finest and best. Third. Jesus would be familiar to the Chris- 
 tians of that time also as a Lamb (John i: 29, 36, Acts viii: 32, 
 1 Pet. i: 19 and especially Isa. liii: 7 to which the Apocalyptist's 
 thought doubtless goes back). He had been slain and yet was 
 alive. Fourth. In verse 9 the Lamb is praised by the great 
 heavenly host not only because He was slain but because of His 
 redemptive work. This fourfold requirement Christ meets, and 
 we know of no other whose name would be familiar to the 
 Christians of the Seven Cities of Asia and the church in the 
 province generally who could meet them fairly in any sense, 
 a striking contrast, but it suggests the unique combination of 
 majesty and meekness that characterized Christ. This Lamb 
 though He has been slain has overcome. In spite of all the 
 features in the picture of Him that suggest weakness, submis- 
 sion, obedience, meekness, death, there is left on our minds the 
 suggestion of extraordinary strength. He is a Lion and a Root. 
 The Lamb has seven horns, the symbol of perfect strength and 
 the indication of the completeness of His strength as the Vic- 
 torious Christ (cf. Matt, xxviii: 18, John xvii: 2). The horn 
 is an old Hebrew figure for strength and is found frequently 
 with that sense in the earlier books of the Old Testament (e. 
 g. Deut. xxxiii: 17, 1 Sam. ii: 1, 10, 1 Kings xxii: 11, Ps. 
 
Exposition 117 
 
 xviii: 2, cxii: 9), but in the later books sometimes it signifies 
 political or military power (e. g. Zech. i: 21, Dan. vii: jfi, 
 viii: 3ft). The Lamb has also seven eyes which are interpreted 
 as the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. With 
 perfection of strength He also possesses perfection of vision 
 symbolized by the seven eyes. In ch. iv : 5 the spirit of God is 
 represented by the seven lamps; as lamps they are stationary, 
 while as eyes they have a mission in all the earth. The reference 
 is no doubt to Zech. iii: 9 and iv: 10. The penetrating power 
 of the eyes of Christ is indicated in ch. i: 14, ii : 18. 
 
 D. Here then we have Christ represented by an extraordinary 
 combination of symbols, which could be fairly used in combina- 
 tion of none other. Although the combination is one that ex- 
 hibits many varied aspects it yet leaves upon our mind the im- 
 pression of Him as a remarkable and extraordinary Being, re- 
 markable for strength and prowess which He achieves even 
 through meekness and death. Little wonder that the language, 
 even of an inspired man seems inadequate to describe such a 
 scene and such a Person. 
 
 4. The burst of praise. "And when he took the book 
 . for ever and ever." Vs. 8-13. 
 
 A. When Christ takes the book the representatives of the 
 animal world and of the universal Church fall before Him. 
 Each elder is now seen to have a harp and golden bowls. Prob- 
 ably the living creatures did not have any, for while the words 
 (Z£ovt€<; e/cao-Tos) might include them it is hardly befitting that 
 the living creatures should be connected with the prayers of 
 saints. The harp was the common instrument of praise in Old 
 Testament times (Ps. xxxiii: 2, xcviii: 5, cxlvii: 7, cl: 3, 2 
 Sam. vi: 5, 1 Chron. xxv: 3, etc.). The golden bowls were 
 full of incense, which is clearly indicated as symbolical by the 
 remark that it is the prayers of saints. Incense was an adjunct 
 of worship among the Jews in Old Testament times (Ex. 
 xxxvii: 29) and was therefore intimately connected with prayer 
 (Ps. cxli: 2). As the elders represent the Church it is fitting 
 that they should have the harps and offer the incense, thus 
 symbolizing the Church's tribute of praise and prayer to Christ 
 as indicated by the harps and incense respectively. 
 
 B. They sing a new song (cf. Isa. xlii: 10, Ps. xxxiii: 3, 
 xl : 3, xcvi: 1, xcviii: 1, etc.). "Originally denoting only a 
 fresh song of praise the phrase lent itself especially to songs 
 
u8 The Revelation of John 
 
 composed for great occasions. ... In the Apocalypse it is 
 appropriately used for the Church's praise of redemption" (cf. 
 xiv: 3) (Swete, Apocalypse p. 80, who says, further, that 
 it answers the new name of ii: 17 and iii : 12, the New Jerusa- 
 lem of iii: 12 and xxi: 2, the new heaven and new earth of xxi: 
 1 and all things new of xxi: 5, of the great Christian prophecy). 
 
 C. Christ is recognized by the elders as possessing that abso- 
 lute worthiness which qualifies Him to take the Book of Des- 
 tiny and open its seals. His worthiness is due, according to 
 their song, to His death and what He accomplished by it. He 
 was slain, and the word (eo-^ayr/?) is used of the death of 
 Christ only in this book (where it occurs in v: 6, 9, 12 and 
 xiii: 8), but it is interesting to find that it is used also by our 
 author of those who have been slain in martyrdom in the 
 churches of Asia (vi: 9, xviii: 24). The redemption is spoken 
 of as a purchase, a description of it that would be familiar from 
 the use of the term in 1 Cor. vi: 20, vii : 23, 2 Pet. ii: 1 and a 
 compound of it in Gal. iii: 13 and iv: 5. The purchase was 
 made by means of His blood, (or at the price of His blood) and 
 it was to God and was from every tribe without exception of 
 race, language, or people, elevating those redeemed individually 
 to be His priests, and as a body to be His Kingdom (cf. i: 6 
 and xx : 6), and already they reign on the earth. The tense of 
 the verb here (j3aaL\evovaiv) is doubtful, the most important 
 manuscripts fluctuating between the present and the future. 
 Here probably we should choose the present (and more difficult 
 reading) , as do Westcott and Hort as well as Swete, though we 
 have the future in xx: 6 and xxii: 5. Those whom He has 
 redeemed actually rule now on earth. 
 
 D. With vs. 11 a new feature of the vision appears. A vast 
 crowd of angels appears in the circle of the throne, living crea- 
 tures, and elders. Their vast number, — myriads of myriads and 
 thousands of thousands, — would seem to require a position out- 
 side the circle of the living creatures, and elders, though there 
 is nothing to indicate more exactly just where they are. Nor 
 are we told whether their words were spoken contemporane- 
 ously with those of the elders and the living creatures or other- 
 wise, though the fact that John hears them so distinctly and 
 mentions them after the others would suggest that their words 
 of praise were spoken after those of the elders. The numerical 
 description is apparently based on Dan. vii: 10 (cf. Deut. 
 
Exposition 119 
 
 Kxxiii: 2, Ps. lxviii: 17). The sound is a great voice ((jxovrj) 
 and is a shout rather than a song; the host of angels merely 
 acclaim the Lamb as worthy to receive power (8vra/uv), wealth 
 ( ttXovtov ) , wisdom (vocpiav) , strength (ivyyv) , honor (rtfj^v) , 
 glory (So£av), and praise (evkoytav) , referring to Him as "the 
 Lamb that was slain." The united praise of the living crea- 
 tures and elders is called a song and harps are mentioned. But 
 if it is only a shout of acclamation the attributes which it as- 
 cribes to Him form a complete heptad and thus suggest that 
 nothing is wanting. 
 
 E. Still other sounds he hears and recognizes clearly though 
 apparently he does not see the source from which they come. 
 Their source is the whole of creation — every creature in heaven, 
 earth, hades, and the sea, forming a gathering that is no longer 
 representative, but takes in everything, animate and inanimate, 
 in all departments of creation. Of the four attributes three 
 are the same as those of the angels acclaim in vs. 12, while the 
 fourth substitutes another word for strength (Kparos instead of 
 ur^u's) and in addition there is the intimation that this is not 
 merely for a time but forever. 
 
 5. The Amen. "And the four . . . worshipped." Vs. 
 [4. It would appear that this stage of the proceedings is con- 
 cluded with the word "Amen" from the four beasts who had 
 begun the series of utterances. But after their closing word is 
 a final act of homage on the part of the elders. 
 
 6. The general significance of this section is now very plain. 
 The book sealed with seven seals in the hand of God is the Book 
 of Destiny, the book of the future so completely closed that no 
 one can open it but Christ who alone is worthy, and whom all 
 creation acknowledges because He has redeemed the Church 
 by His death. To the Christians of Asia this would be again 
 a source of comfort and help. It was not to the emperor of 
 Rome or his power that they must look and trust for the future, 
 but to Christ who alone, as God's chosen, could enable them 
 to face it with confidence, and even though they might have 
 suffering and death to meet, yet with Him to lead them they 
 would be safe whatever came. 
 
XIV 
 
 The Unsealing of the Book. The Opening of the First Six 
 Seals. Vi: 1-17. 
 
 The Book of Destiny is now in the hand of Christ who pro- 
 ceeds to break the seals one by one, the opening of each being 
 followed by some remarkable and significant appearance. The 
 first four seal-openings form a series in themselves (vs. 1-8) ; 
 the opening of each is accompanied by the word "Come" uttered 
 in thunder tones by one of the living creatures, and this is 
 followed in each case by a horse and rider, the meaning of which 
 is suggested but not definitely given. This word "Come" 
 (epxov) has generally been understood as addressed to John, 
 and therefore some texts have added the words "and see" 
 (xai tSe) but if this were the case we would expect first, the 
 word Sevpo (hither, come) instead of epx ov an d second, some 
 indication that John changed his position, neither of which we 
 have. Probably also the seer bases his picture here on Zech. 
 vi: iff. 
 
 1. The opening of the first seal. "And I saw . . . con- 
 quer." 
 
 A. In the first seal the horse is white, his rider carries a bow 
 and has received a crown, (o-re<£avos, wreath of victory) ; it is 
 to be specially noted that he goes forth as a conqueror and with 
 the purpose of making further conquests {Xva viKr]ar] not to? 
 
 VLKYjCTCOV ) . 
 
 B. There has been a strong tendency among interpreters to 
 identify this rider with the one in ch. xix: 1 1 ff whose name is 
 called "The Word of God," but the two have so little in com- 
 mon that this is impossible, the color of the horse being the only 
 common feature. There we have a picture of the victorious 
 Christ, but it seems too soon to present Christ here as a con- 
 queror especially as He has been presented just before as a lamb 
 that had been slain. The bow, however, marks the distinctive 
 character of the symbol as Parthian. The Romans never adopt- 
 ed the bow as a weapon of war and it was not used except by a 
 few auxiliaries levied among tribes that used it as their weapon. 
 But it was the weapon of the Parthians who were such expert 
 
 120 
 
Exposition 121 
 
 horsemen that they could use it as well when they were re- 
 treating as when they were advancing. They were such a 
 terror in the east that their incursions were continually dreaded. 
 So much was this the case that in A. D. 115 the emperor 
 Trajan undertook a war against them. Another important 
 feature was the color. The Parthian conqueror rides a white 
 horse. White was the sacred color of the old Persians for 
 whom the Parthians stood in later times, and sacred white 
 horses always accompanied the Persian army. In the Roman 
 triumphal procession the victorious general did not ride a white 
 horse but was seated in a four horse car wearing, not the white 
 toga but the purple and gold embroidered robes of Jupiter. 
 Yet white was the color of victory and the horses that drew 
 the quadriga (4 horse car) were sometimes white. Swete, 
 Apoc. 86 and Ramsay, Letters 58). 
 
 C. It is clear then that the picture is one of a Parthian king 
 or warrior, but what does it signify? The whole picture sug- 
 gests invasion or conquest. The crown, bow, the spirit and 
 purpose of the rider, — conquering and to conquer, — all indicate 
 this, as well as the fact that the Parthians at this time were the 
 dreaded conquerors on the east. But there are still two ways 
 in which the picture may be understood; first, it may be a pic- 
 ture of the Empire outwardly victorious like the Parthian war- 
 riors, filled with the thirst for victory and with many victories 
 already achieved. Or second, it may be the Empire as a victim 
 of the spirit of conquest by the Parthians or others. The first 
 of these we may discard because the next three seal openings 
 do not fit it well and more especially because there is so little 
 in the symbol itself that appears to be distinctly Roman. If it 
 were desired to picture Rome as a conquering power the more 
 natural representation would be a triumphal »scene in Rome — 
 a victorious general clad in the robes of Jupiter, seated in the 
 four horse car drawn by white horses with perhaps some con- 
 quered kings chained to the chariot behind which they were 
 forced to walk. We are therefore left with the second as the 
 more likely interpretation. The symbol then pictures the Em- 
 pire as attacked by outside powers flushed by victories already 
 achieved against it and bent on further successes. And while 
 the conqueror is pictured as a Parthian it is not necessary to 
 think that they only are attacking the Empire. Indeed it may 
 be that the meaning intended is that the Empire is beset by 
 
122 The Revelation of John 
 
 outside tribes bent on conquest and that the Parthians are not 
 one of these. This however is not likely, the most reasonable 
 interpretation is that the Parthian warrior represents a con- 
 siderable array of outside military forces of which the Parthians 
 were the chief and most characteristic, successfully attacking the 
 Empire and bent on further conquest. The reason for viewing 
 the Empire as the object of attack will appear later. 
 
 2. The opening of the second seal. "And when . . 
 a great sword was given to him.'-' 
 
 A. As the first rider vanishes a second rider goes forth ; this 
 time his horse is blood red (irvppos). He possesses a great 
 sword and has power to plunge the earth into war. The sword 
 here mentioned (fxdxaipa) may be either a knife carried in a 
 sheath at the girdle (cf. John xviii: 10, n) or a sword for use 
 in war. The fact that this rider has power to take peace from 
 the earth and incite to slaughter indicates that his sword is of 
 the latter variety. 
 
 B. The significance of this picture is plain. It can reason- 
 ably be understood only as a picture of War and perhaps Civil 
 War. Victory and Conquest look very beautiful as they go 
 forth but they bear a different aspect when we view them from 
 the field of battle. The Empire was engaged in continuous war- 
 fare from the early days of its existence until long after the first 
 Christian century and only twice was it at peace in this long 
 period. First in the early days, and secondly when Christ was 
 born ; and these wars were of all classes. 
 
 3. The opening of the third seal. "And when he opened 
 . . . injure not." 
 
 A. With the opening of the third seal another horse goes 
 forth, this time black in color. The rider carries the beam of 
 a pair of scales. A voice is heard proclaiming "A measure of 
 wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; 
 and the oil and the wine injure not." The word measure 
 (xom£) here means a measure of about one and a half or two 
 pints, a slave's daily ration of corn, and enough for a day's pro- 
 vision for a man of moderate appetite. The penny (SrjvdpLov) 
 was a silver coin worth S J / 2 d. or 16 2-3 cts. of our money and 
 was an average wage for a day laborer. This means that food 
 was to be at famine prices. There were luxuries, oil and wine, 
 which were not to be touched, a fact which would make the 
 scarcity all the more severe. 
 
Exposition 123 
 
 B. The meaning of this also is so plain that no comment is 
 needed to decipher it. We have here a picture of famine that is 
 severe and intensified by aggravated conditions. 
 
 4. The opening of the fourth seal. "And when 
 beasts of the earth." 
 
 A. The fourth seal is opened and a fourth horse goes forth, 
 this time of a pale yellowish color, bearing a rider whose name 
 is Death. He is accompanied by Hades (6 aS??? the abode of 
 the dead, the grave), but we are not told whether on foot, on 
 the same horse, or on another horse. To these two is given 
 the power to visit a quarter of the earth with death in various 
 forms. Their power is much more extensive than that of any 
 of their predecessors ; their sphere of operations is large. 
 
 B. The significance of the symbol is easily seen. It pictures 
 the usual accompaniments of war and famine, in which Death 
 is busy in various forms and the grave receives a rich harvest. 
 These forms are indicated as four; the sword ( 'potato. ) , 
 famine (At/xw), death (®ai/arw, which here probably means 
 death by disease or plague), and by the wild beasts (®epuov). 
 These suggest the forms of depopulation that follow upon war, 
 famine, pestilence, and the encroachment of wild beasts, and 
 thus are specially suitable to the context. Possibly the writer 
 has in mind the four sore judgments of Ezek. xiv: 21. This 
 seal-opening may then be described as signifying plague or 
 pestilence. 
 
 5. The fifth seal is opened. "And when . . . com- 
 pleted." 
 
 A. An altar now for the first time appears in the scene and 
 under it the souls of those who have died by persecution on 
 account of their faith. Their suffering is aggravated by the 
 fact that God seems to let it pass unavenged. They are robed 
 in white and counselled to rest for a little time until the dark 
 hour is past. 
 
 B. The symbol of the altar and the souls beneath it appears 
 to be based on Levitical rites. The altar suggests sacrifice and 
 the victims are those who have been put to death because of their 
 faithfulness. Their souls are "under the altar;" in the Leviti- 
 cal rite the blood was looked upon as the life or soul (Lev. 
 xvii: 11, cf. Gen. ix: 4), and in the sacrifices the blood was 
 poured out at the foot of the altar (Lev. iv: 7). They had been 
 slain because of "the word of God and the witness which they 
 
124 The Revelation of John 
 
 had." This phrase occurs with slight variations in ch. i: 9, 
 xii: 11, 17, xix: 10, xx: 4. The repetition of the preposition 
 (Sta) would suggest a distinction between these phrases, and in 
 that case the former would indicate the God-ward side of their 
 faith and the latter the man-ward side, — on the one side faith 
 and loyalty to God, on the other activity in bearing testimony to 
 the world. Polycarp (Mart. 9) was required to meet a double 
 test; first, recognize Caesar; and second, curse Christ. The 
 sacrificed lives of the martyrs are a strong demand for avenge- 
 ment on the pagan world from God, whom they call Lord 
 (BeairoTT]^) , and address as holy and true. Of the present con- 
 dition of the martyrs it is to be noted; first, they have each in- 
 dividually ((E/cao-7a>) received a white robe, the symbol, appar- 
 ently, of purity and victory (cf. iii: 4f, iv: 4, vii: 9, I3f, xix: 
 14). Second, they are told to be at rest a little while until the 
 number of their fellowservants and brethren is complete. This 
 number is to include both their fellowservants, (i. e. their fel- 
 low-Christians generally), and the rest of the martyrs, who are 
 described here as their brethren. 
 
 C. The significance of this seal-opening is plainly Martyr- 
 dom, or Persecution further aggravated by the fact that there 
 seems to be no sign of interest in their sufferings on the part of 
 God. 
 
 6. The sixth seal is opened. "And I saw . . . able to 
 stand." Vs. 12-17. 
 
 A. As the sixth seal is opened John observes a series of up- 
 heavals in nature at which the people of the world are smitten 
 with terror. These words bear a striking analogy to those of 
 Jesus in (Mark xiii: 24, 25, cf. Matt, xxiv: 29). 
 
 B. Of phenomena in nature several are mentioned. A great 
 earthquake takes place. The people of Asia knew well the ter- 
 rors of such events and again and again they had suffered from 
 them. The darkening of the sun would be caused by an eclipse, 
 but the people of that day, entirely ignorant of scientific phe- 
 nomena, would look upon it as a direful omen. The discolora- 
 tion of the moon might be due to atmospheric conditions. The 
 falling of the stars was like a meteoric shower which, to ignor- 
 ant people of that day, would be an event inspiring terror in 
 its beholders. The heavens seemed to part and roll up. Under 
 some circumstances the sweeping of storm clouds over the sky 
 might produce an appearance of this sort. The moving of the 
 
Exposition 125 
 
 mountains and islands sometimes occurred. But while these 
 phenomena or what looked like them doubtless appeared fre- 
 quently in nature the words indicate a continuation of them 
 unparalleled in its severity, and such as had never before been 
 experienced. The result is that all classes of the earth's in- 
 habitants are smitten with fear beyond description. Seven 
 conditions of life are named covering the whole fabric of human 
 society, kings, magnates, chief captains, rich men, strong men, 
 slaves, and free men, all of whom flee to the mountains and 
 desire to be hidden by them from the wrath of God and Christ 
 because they know that the day of judgment has arrived. The 
 kings of the earth are the rulers of states inimical to Christ, 
 especially the Caesars. The magnates are those high in authority 
 generally in the world. The chief captains are those high in 
 authority in the army. These three classes are all classes of 
 people in authority. But their high position will not save them 
 from terror in the presence of God and His Son. Those who 
 possess wealth and physical strength will likewise find no im- 
 munity from fear. Also slaves and free men, those separated 
 by the deepest class distinction in ancient life, will huddle to- 
 gether in their efforts to escape the just judgments of God. 
 Pictures like this are common in apocalyptical descriptions of 
 the last day (e. g. Assumption of Moses x: 5f and cf. Joel 
 
 11:31). 
 
 C. How are we to understand this? A discussion of the 
 whole seven seal-openings is needed to show its exact meaning 
 and significance. But for the present let us bear in mind that 
 it is symbolic, and evidently indicates conditions or events that 
 inspire to great fear and to the conviction that a day of judg- 
 ment was at hand. There have been times in history when the 
 conscience of men led them to believe in the imminence of 
 approaching judgment. The significance of this seal-opening 
 is then. Portents of Judgment. 
 
 7. Before the book is entirely opened there is a stay in the 
 proceedings to permit the sealing of the servants of God. This 
 will be the subject of the next section. 
 
 8. The seventh seal is opened. Viii: 1, but as only an half- 
 hour's silence follows it we need not stop to discuss it further 
 at present. 
 
 9. The question that now presses for an answer is; what is 
 the significance of these seal openings, and to that we must give 
 
126 The Revelation of John 
 
 our attention. 
 
 A. We must remember in the first place that they cannot be 
 the contents of the Book of Destiny in the hand of the Lamb 
 as the book is written within and on the back side and cannot 
 be opened until the seven seals are all broken. 
 
 B. While it is plain that the seal openings and the phenomena 
 following them are symbolical we are not left entirely without 
 indications as to what they signify. The first of these that we 
 note is in vs. 4 "to take peace from the earth'' Then in vs. 8 
 "over the fourth of the earth to kill with sword and with 
 hunger and with death and by the wild beasts of the earth." 
 In vs. 9-1 1 the picture is one of persecution and martyrdom. 
 He sees the souls, "of those slain for the word of God and for 
 the witness which they had," and he hears them enquire "How 
 long . . . dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on 
 those that dwell on the earth?" It is plain then that those who 
 dwell on the earth are the persecutors and those persecuted 
 "for the word of God and for the witness which they had," 
 must be also "on the earth." This is confirmed by the words 
 of vs. 11 "until their fellow-servants and their brethren who 
 were to be killed as they also were, should be completed." 
 Furthermore, the phenomena described in verses 12 and 13 
 were such as individually were often seen in the world, while 
 the people mentioned in vs. 15 are all "of the earth." We 
 notice furthermore that while the whole scene is represented as 
 in heaven (iv: 1) yet the phenomena that appear as following 
 the seal openings are almost always such as were more or less 
 familiar to human beings, e. g. the rider and his bow (vs. 2), 
 and the rider with his sword (vs. 4), the rider with the weigh 
 beam (vs. 5), the accompanied rider (vs. 8), the wheat, barley, 
 oil, wine, and denarius (vs. 6), the sword, famine, death, and 
 beasts (vs. 8), the altar, the word of God, testimony, and mar- 
 tyrdom (vs. 9), impatience or anxiety and avengement (vs. 10), 
 the white robes, the intimation to wait, and the further reference 
 to martyrdom (vs. 11 ), the earthquake, sun and moon (vs. 12), 
 the stars (vs. 13), mountain, island, and sky (vs. 14), different 
 classes of people (vs. 15), and their terror (vs. 16), etc. 
 
 C. Of course there is much that is not familiar and natural, 
 such as the very figure of a sealed book given to a lamb ; the 
 beasts and their weird call "Come" four times repeated; the 
 four riders on different colored horses following one another, 
 
Exposition 127 
 
 and in some cases at least, the powers ascribed to them; souls 
 under the altar, and their cry, attire, etc. ; the awful combina- 
 tion of natural phenomena following the opening of the sixth 
 seal, etc. But we must remember that we are dealing with an 
 apocalypse and this is the ordinary style of such writings. We 
 may ascribe such extraordinary and unnatural pictures then to 
 the literary character of the book and look upon them as in some 
 degree at least the scenery and clothing in which the writer 
 presents his message. It is true they are apt to confuse the 
 modern interpreter but we may be sure that they did not ob- 
 scure the message to its readers and hearers in the first century. 
 They served two valuable purposes also, first, they effectively 
 obscured the writer's meaning from the enemies of the Church, 
 and second, they added much to the impressiveness of the mes- 
 sage to the Church. 
 
 D. There is one verse, however, that apparently points with 
 unmistakable clearness to the true interpretation, i. e. vs. 17, 
 "because the great day of their wrath has come and who is able 
 to stand?" In our endeavor to understand these words let us 
 remember that the book is not yet open for the seventh seal has 
 not yet been loosed but these words occur after the sixth seal is 
 opened. The words are plain and definite. They evidently 
 mean the day of divine judgment — that day, "has come, and 
 who is able to stand?" The reference must plainly be to the 
 events in the immediate future. But if the seals refer to the 
 Empire, — Babylon-^-her judgment is not depicted till we reach 
 chapter xvii : 1 , though in xiv : 8 her fall is announced. As the 
 Book of Destiny is yet unopened, and the judgment is not de- 
 scribed until a much later chapter; and further, as the whole 
 sequence of the book would be spoiled by bringing that judg- 
 ment in here we must conclude that the words of verse 17 are 
 an intimation that those who speak them are convinced that 
 the time of judgment is at hand though they have not yet entered 
 it, not even its first stages for the earth is not to be hurt until 
 the servants of God have been sealed (vii: 3 ) . But things have 
 come to a pass that forces the belief that the great day of the 
 wrath of God is at hand. 
 
 E. The way is now cleared so that we may see what the seals 
 do really signify. While the vision is in heaven it relates to 
 things on earth (iv: 1), — that shall be hereafter. God has been 
 shown as supreme in chapter iv and Christ as the One to whom 
 
128 The Revelation of John 
 
 the future is entrusted in the world in chapter v. Now in 
 chapter vi we begin to see things on the earth. The seals clearly 
 refer to contemporary circumstances and events. Invasion, war, 
 famine, plague, persecution, were happening every day in some 
 part of the Empire and could not be ignored. Those to whom 
 John wrote were very familiar with them. They knew of the 
 Parthian terror, and of the horrors of war, famine, pestilence, 
 and earthquakes, while they felt keenly the pains of persecution. 
 These things, with continually recurring convulsions of nature, 
 led to the common belief that the time of divine vengeance had 
 come. The Jews believed that the age would conclude with 
 terrible upheavals of nature, and Jesus prophesied that before 
 His coming there should appear extraordinary phenomena in 
 the heavens, while the book of Acts and the epistles of St. 
 Paul have much to say on the same subject. 
 
 F. The opening of the seals, then, is a revelation of the actual 
 condition of the Empire as it is unfolded to the seer in Patmos, 
 a condition which is really the very opposite of what it seemed 
 to be in that day. Outwardly the Empire seemed to be su- 
 preme, victorious, and able to maintain itself for the future 
 against any enemies that might arise, but really it was beset by 
 many disintegrating forces which were making heavy inroads on 
 its strength. Upon it is to come very soon the abundant wrath 
 and judgment of God. The Church, too, is really triumphant 
 and victorious though beset by such severe persecution that the 
 future seems to have little hope. The encouragement and 
 hope that this would inspire in the poor persecuted Christians 
 of Asia must have been great indeed. 
 
XV 
 
 Safety and Blessedness of the Servants of God. Chapter 
 vii: 1-17. 
 
 1. The sixth chapter closes with a picture of the inhabitants 
 of the world smitten with terror as they are forced to the con- 
 viction that the day of divine judgment is at hand. But the 
 question will naturally arise as to what is to be the fortune of 
 the people of God in that time. To this question the seventh 
 chapter gives the answer. 
 
 2. The first vision. "After this I saw . . . twelve 
 thousand were sealed." Vs. 1-8. 
 
 A. The earth is ripe for the blasts of judgment. It is re- 
 garded as quadrangular and an angel stands at each of its four 
 corners holding back the winds so that all outbreaks of their 
 fury may be prevented till the proper time. Another angel 
 ascends from the sunrising, i. e. the east, having the seal of the 
 living God, and he calls out to them to do no injury to the 
 earth until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. 
 This is done and John hears that 144,000 are sealed of all the 
 tribes of the Israelites. Strange to say the tribe of Dan is 
 omitted from this list, but the tribe of Manasseh (who is not 
 given as one of the sons of Jacob in the list in Gen. xxxv: 22ff) 
 is inserted so that we have twelve tribes still given. The most 
 probable reason for the omission is found in a Rabbinical tra- 
 dition that the Messiah was to arise out of the tribe of Judah 
 but the Anti-Messiah ("Antichrist") from the tribe of Dan, 
 and this opinion became so strong that some Rabbis denied this 
 tribe any share in Israel's future glories. The tribe of Dan was 
 associated in Rabbinical writings with idolatry and apostasy, 
 perhaps because of the narrative in Judges viii, or a misunder- 
 standing of Gen. xlix: 17, while there was a late Christian tra- 
 dition that the Antichrist should belong to this tribe. Probably, 
 however we should regard the variation as of no consequence in 
 view of the frequent variations in the lists of tribes. The names 
 and number of the tribes varies considerably in the different 
 lists as found in Gen. xxix — xxxv, xlvi, xlix, Ex. i, Num. i: 
 1-15, i: 2off, ii — x, xiii, xxvi, xxxiv, Deut. xxvii, xxxiii, Josh, 
 xiiiff, Judges v, Ezek. xlviii, 1 Chron. ii; 1-2, ii: 3 — viii, xii, 
 
 129 
 
130 The Revelation of John 
 
 xxvii, Rev. vii. Here we have twenty lists, all different. These 
 lists are all given in a tabulated form in Hasting's D. B. IV, 
 p. 811. The chief reason for putting Judah first in the list in 
 our text would seem to be that it was the tribe from which 
 Christ came. The insertion of Manasseh was necessary to make 
 up the twelve, and Manasseh was chosen apparently because 
 he was one of the two grandsons of Jacob that gave their names 
 to tribes. 
 
 B. The general significance of the passage is plain. It is, that 
 provision is made specially for the servants of God so that they 
 will be safe whatever may happen. The outpouring of Judg- 
 ment is not permitted until this is done. This idea of sealing 
 would be very suggestive to those familiar with the Old Testa- 
 ment who would recall how Cain was marked lest anyone meet- 
 ing him should kill him (Gen. iv: 15) and how in Ezekiel's 
 vision (ix: 1-11) those who were marked escaped. The idea 
 of a sealing doubtless was familiar to John's readers from its 
 frequent mention in the books of the New Testament (see 2 
 Cor. i: 22, Eph. i: 13, John vi: 27, 2 Tim. ii: 19). The mark 
 on their forehead became a guarantee of their safety in the day 
 of judgment. They possessed a life that the forces of judgment 
 could not destroy. There has been considerable discussion as to 
 whether the apocalyptist intends the 144,000 sealed Israelites 
 to include merely the elect of Israel, (cf. Rom. xi: 5), the 
 Jewish Christians (as Victorinus), or the whole number of the 
 faithful, (as Primasius and Bede). In verse 4 it is distinctlv 
 stated that the 144,000 sealed are from "every tribe of the chil- 
 dren of Israel," and the names of the tribes follow, while the 
 vision of vs. 9-17 mentions distinctly "a great crowd, which no 
 one could number, of every nation and all tribes and peoples 
 and tongues." We must remember however — first, that there 
 is a tendency in this book to regard the Church as the real 
 Israel (cf. e. g. ii: 9, iii: 9#) and second, that the same number 
 is used in ch. xiv: 1, 3, for those who follow the Lamb, and 
 nothing is said as to whether they are Jews or not, while third, 
 none are sealed but the 144,000 of Israel. If others were 
 sealed and • the writer wished to distinguish them from- the 
 Israelites he could easily have done so. These considerations 
 seem to make only one conclusion possible; the twelve tribes 
 of the children of Israel, and the 144,000 represent or symbolize 
 the whole body of Christ's people of that day. The two num- 
 
Exposition 131 
 
 bers, twelve and one hundred and forty-four thousand signify- 
 ing completeness. There has also been much discussion as to 
 what the sealing actually meant. It could not be preservation 
 from physical evil as many of the Christians suffer greatly in 
 the judgments that follow, (cf. xi: 7$, xiii: 15-17, xiv: 13, 
 Kvi: 6, xviii: 24). It seems plain that it did protect them from 
 spiritual evil, or any real harm in their inner nature and true 
 selves, either from the judgments of God on the evil world or 
 from the activities of Satanic agents. They however, must do 
 their part and remain faithful to Christ to continue to profit 
 from this protection (iii: 10). In ix: 4, 5, we find that the 
 swarm of locusts do not injure those sealed. It would seem 
 (cf. notes on ix: 4, 5) that the locusts are Satanic agencies at 
 work in the world whose king is Satan (ix: 11). 
 
 3. The great multitude. "After . . . tear from their 
 eyes." Vs. 9-17. 
 
 A. While only the elders, living creatures, and angels hither- 
 to have been seen in the presence of the Throne the seer now 
 observes a great polyglot multitude there worshipping and prais- 
 ing God. They have come out of the great tribulation and 
 have been redeemed by Christ. 
 
 B. The great multitude may be a reflection of the vast 
 crowds that followed Christ in the days of His flesh (Mark 
 iv: 1, v: 21, 24, Luke xii: 1, John vi: 2, xii: 9, 12) and there 
 may be also an allusion to Gen. xv: 5 and xxxii: 12 (cf. Heb. 
 xi: 12, and see also Gal. iii: 7, 8). The reference to all peoples 
 of the world is a common one in this book, (cf. v: 9, xi: 9, 
 xiii: 7, xiv: 6, xvii: 15). Palm branches were regarded as 
 suitable for any occasion of joy or triumph ; they were in evi- 
 dence in Jesus' triumphal entry (John xii: 13). This great 
 multitude, robed in white and bearing palm branches shouts its 
 praise to God. The key note of this is in the word salvation 
 (auTrjpla, cf. xii : io and xix: 1) and those who raise the song 
 have all experienced the great deliverance which they ascribe 
 to God and the Lamb (vs. 14). The cities of Asia frequently 
 gave the title of Saviour (^ojt^p) to the emperors but in the 
 opinion of the Christians only God and Christ were worthy of 
 the title (cf. 1 Tim. i: 1, ii: 3, Titus i: 3, 4, ii: 13, iii: 4, 6, 
 John iv: 22, Acts iv: 12). This acclaim is endorsed by the 
 angels who worship and add their doxology of praise as well 
 (vs. 11, 12). Their exact position is not stated, but they form 
 
132 The Revelation of John 
 
 a circle about the throne, and are probably identical with those 
 of chapter v: n. They address the Occupant of the throne 
 whom they call their God (vs. 12) as did the great multitude 
 (vs. 10). They do not include the Lamb however. They 
 ascribe a seven fold tribute to Him (and each feature is em- 
 phasized by the article as in v: 12), but although each of its 
 elements has occurred in previous doxologies the ascription as a 
 whole does not exactly agree with any of them. 
 
 C. Doubtless John is anxious to know the significance of 
 this great crowd but he makes no request for information. One 
 of the elders however (as in v: 5) proceeds to interpret it for 
 him. He begins by asking a question, which John doubtless 
 had in mind. John replies in words that are at once a con- 
 fession of ignorance and a request for information. The words 
 may be based on Zech. iv: 2, 5. The elder then explains whom 
 they are and whence they came. "These are the ones who come 
 out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes and 
 made them white with the blood of the Lamb." The expres- 
 sion "the great tribulation" at once so definite and so emphatic 
 must refer to a well-defined and anxious period in the minds of 
 all his readers. What this was is clear when we recall, — first, 
 the references to it here and elsewhere in the book (e. g. iii: 10, 
 vi: 9, etc.), second, the Church was then passing through a 
 period of supreme trial which might be expected to continue for 
 some time, (i: 9, ii: 9, 13, iii: 10, etc.), while third, as has 
 been shown "the great day of their wrath" is come (vi: 17) ; 
 we may then conclude that "the great tribulation" refers to the 
 judgment described in the succeeding chapters which is now at 
 hand. This of course is a picture of the time of severe trial and 
 stress upon which the Church had entered, and a prophecy of its 
 result. The expression "the great tribulation" no doubt is based 
 on Dan. xii: 1. The whiteness of the robes of the great multi- 
 tude is due to the blood of the Lamb in which they have been 
 washed. The act is ascribed to the saints themselves who are 
 not passive recipients of salvation but attain it by repentance 
 and faith, and secure it by vigilance and victory (cf. xii: 11). 
 Thus they have been fitted for the presence of God in which 
 they are continually, and to Him they give unceasing worship. 
 As their incentive and reward they have His perpetual presence, 
 and supply for all their needs. Vs. 16 and 17 may have been 
 suggested by Isa. xlix: 10 and xxv: 8 where the language is 
 
Exposition 133 
 
 very similar. We must conclude then that the great multitude 
 is the whole Christian Church of the time in its heavenly rela- 
 tionship. 
 
 D. The language of this section and particularly of the last 
 two verses is very comforting and amply sustains the influence 
 it has exerted on all readers since the day it was penned in 
 Patmos. The whole section (vs. 9-17) finds many parallels 
 in the last two chapters of the book. 
 
 4. The two sections of this chapter present a series of strik- 
 ing contrasts. In the first section we have imagery that is 
 strongly apocalyptic in character; in the second the imagery is 
 based more directly on the Old Testament and is far more 
 familiar. The first is more earthy, the second more heavenly 
 in its nature. In the first the number of the sealed is limited 
 though the number is symbolic and large, in the second it is so 
 great that no one can accurately determine it. In the first the 
 reference is to Israelites only; in the second to all peoples. In 
 the first those who are sealed are "the servants of our God," in 
 the second, the great multitude is made up of those "who come 
 out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes and 
 made them white with the blood of the Lamb." In the first the 
 concourse is being prepared for coming peril; in the second it is 
 victorious and safe. The first presents Divine mercy and care 
 as limited to a particular case and need ; the second as unlimited 
 and supplying all the need. The first makes no reference to 
 Christ, the second represents all the benefits as obtained through 
 Christ. But while there is striking contrast between the two 
 parts of this chapter they are complementary rather than con- 
 tradictory. The two parts describe the same body of people 
 but from different points of view. Whether the reader were a 
 Jewish Christian or a convert from heathenism the two sections 
 would do more to encourage him and strengthen his faith than 
 either could aione. 
 
 5. The meaning of the whole chapter is plain. The first 
 part assures the Christians that God will take care of His own 
 in the day of His judgment on the world; the second that full 
 provision is made for all their needs through Christ and that 
 they are in God's presence and continually render special service 
 to Him. It is very plain that such words as these would be most 
 powerful to inspire these poor persecuted Christians with 
 courage and faith. To the human eye there was nothing be- 
 
134 The Revelation of John 
 
 fore them but misery and death. But in the eye of Heaven 
 the severe trials through which they were passing not only would 
 be powerless to injure them in the sight of God but would be 
 the means of equipping them for rendering Him more worthy 
 service and would exalt them in His sight, while all their need 
 would be supplied. Thus what they suffer and most fear be- 
 comes the means by which they attain the greater exaltation and 
 glory through Christ. 
 
XVI 
 
 The First Four of the Seven Trumpets. Chapter viii: 1-13. 
 
 1. The opening of the seventh seal. "And when . . . 
 half an hour." Vs. 1. 
 
 A. The narrative interrupted by chapter vii is now resumed 
 by the Lamb opening the last of the seals. But all is still. No 
 elder, angel, or voice, offers any word of explanation. The 
 silence continues for half an hour, which, though ordinarily a 
 short time, would seem long in these circumstances. The 
 silence is of course in the apocalyptical display and does not 
 mean that the Divine activity had ceased on the earth. 
 
 B. Now that the seven seals are all opened, the book may 
 be unrolled and read ; strange to say we are not told that this 
 was done. The question then arises as to where the seal open- 
 ings end. Rev. J. T. Dean (Visions and Revelations, p. 96) 
 believes that the "seven trumpets" are a part of the seal-open- 
 ings. But there is even less to indicate their close at the blow- 
 ing of the seventh, trumpet than here. Nor are we told any- 
 where that the contents of the unsealed book are unfolded. But 
 several considerations point to the answer of our question. 
 First, the most natural time for the opening of the book is im- 
 mediately after the seals have been unloosed. Secondly, the half 
 hour's silence forms a very impressive break and the most 
 natural indication that what follows is of supreme importance. 
 Third, the purpose of this whole vision is to reveal the future 
 (iv: 1) and that revelation is contained in the Book of Destiny 
 (see chapter v: 1-5 notes) and its essential nature is judgment 
 (vi: 17) which is seen to be in progress from this point on- 
 ward (see especially chapter ix: 13 and xvi: 20, 21). The 
 most natural point then for the seals to close and the contents 
 of the book to begin is at this half-hour's silence. 
 
 2. "And I saw . . . them." Vs. 2. 
 
 Here we have the beginning of the vision of the seven trum- 
 pets. The article ("the" seven angels) seems to point to a well 
 known heptad of angels that stood in the Divine Presence. 
 Frequently in apocalyptical writings mention is made of such, 
 (compare Tobit xii: 15, Enoch xx: 7). Trumpets are as- 
 signed to angels in Matt, xxiv: 31,1 Cor. xv: 52, 1 Thess. iv: 
 
 135 
 
136 The Revelation of John 
 
 16, etc., and probably goes back to the giving of the Law at 
 Sinai (Ex. xix: i6ff, cf. also Jos. vi: 13 and Joel ii: 1). 
 
 3. The angel with the incense. ''And another angel . . . 
 earthquake." Vs. 3-5. Another angel, not one of the seven, 
 came forward and took his place at the altar where he assumes 
 the duty of the priest and offers abundant incense (cf. Luke 
 i: 11). His censer is a golden one and the altar is the Altar 
 of Incense rather than the Altar of Sacrifice (cf. vi: 9). In- 
 cense here and in v: 8 is plainly suggestive of prayer, and in- 
 dicates that God is mindful of the prayers of His suffering peo- 
 ple. But the angel puts the censer to a second use; it is filled 
 with fire and cast into the earth. It is now used not for 
 intercession but for judgment and no incense is added. The 
 prayers of the saints return to the earth in the form of judg- 
 ments which are signified by lightnings, thunderings, voices, 
 and an earthquake. This scene forms an introduction to the 
 seven trumpets which now get ready and begin to sound. 
 
 4. Preparation. "And the seven . . . sound." Vs. 6. 
 They take their positions and place the instruments to their 
 mouths. As in the case of the seal openings, so here the first 
 four trumpet blasts form a closely connected group as more 
 directly affecting inanimate nature, while the last three bring 
 direct judgments to men. In the first four the forces of nature 
 are set loose and great havoc is the result, while worse things 
 are to follow in the last three. The imagery may have been 
 suggested in part at least by the storms, eclipses, earthquakes, 
 and military movements of the first century. As in the case of 
 the seals, so here, we have a break between the sixth and seventh 
 trumpets when the welfare of the Church is considered. The 
 events accompanying the first four trumpet blasts bear striking 
 similarity to the Plagues of Egypt as recorded in the Book of 
 Exodus. 
 
 5. The first trumpet. "And the first . . . burned up." Vs. 
 7. The hail and fire mingled with blood recall Ex. ix: 23ft. 
 The picture is that of a storm of intense fury such as sometimes 
 occur in semi-tropical countries. A rain of mingled fire and 
 blood is mentioned in the Silyline Oracles (v: 377). A shower 
 of blood red rain is reported to have fallen in Italy and southern 
 Europe in the spring of 1901, due, it was supposed to the air 
 being full of fine red sand from the Sahara desert. The storm 
 fell upon the earth with such fury that all green vegetation 
 
Exposition 137 
 
 was consumed as also were a third of the trees and a third of 
 the earth's surface. This doubtless is not intended to be a 
 scientifically accurate proportion but indicates merely a partial 
 destruction. The trees are specially mentioned, as on them the 
 inhabitants of Palestine and Asia Minor depend largely (cf. 
 vii: 3). 
 
 6. The second trumpet. "And the second . . . wrecked." 
 Vs. 8 and 9. As at the blast of the first trumpet the land is 
 affected, now with the second it is the sea, when a huge mass 
 like a great burning mountain seems to fall into it. The result 
 is the death of a part of the creatures in the sea because of the 
 effect it has on the waters. Here again the effect is partial. The 
 picture may have been suggested by volcanic eruptions of which 
 several are on record as having taken place in that part of the 
 world before John wrote this book. Mount Vesuvius caused 
 great destruction around the Bay of Naples in August A. D. 79. 
 Strabo (i: 3, 16) tells of an eruption in B. C. 196 which re- 
 sulted in the formation of a new island in the Aegean known 
 afterwards as Palaea Kaumene. Or John may have obtained 
 the suggestion from Enoch xviii: 13 where we read of "seven 
 stars as a great burning mountain." In the first plague in 
 Egypt (Ex. vii: 2off) the fish died, but here there is the addi- 
 tional feature of the destruction of the boats due to the dis- 
 turbance of the water. 
 
 7. The third trumpet. "And the third angel . . . 
 bitter." Vs. 10 and 11. The fresh water supply is now visited 
 by a meteor which flies across the sky like a huge torch (\afnrd<;, 
 cf. iv: 5) and falls into the rivers and sources of water. Its 
 name is Wormwood and it changes a third of the water into 
 that substance so that many people die from drinking it. 
 
 8. The fourth trumpet. "And the fourth . . . like- 
 wise." Vs. 12. Mankind further surfers by a visitation on 
 the heavenly bodies, which reminds us of another of the Egyptian 
 plagues (Ex. x: 2 iff, cf. Amos viii: 9, Joel iii: 15). The 
 plague of darkness lasted for three days but this darkness has no 
 fixed duration though its extent is limited and its effect is 
 partial. The usual rendering of the words of vs. 12 is that of 
 the Authorized Version, "and the third part of the sun was 
 smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of 
 the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day 
 shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise." The 
 
138 The Revelation of John 
 
 result of this translation is the inconsistency that the cause men- 
 tioned will not produce the effect ascribed to it. Of course this 
 may be explained as a disregard for consistency on the part of 
 the author in his desire to emphasize the partial nature of the 
 calamity. But we might quite as well understand the words 
 to mean that the day was reduced a third in brightness, and the 
 night similarly, and consider the result of the darkening in day 
 and night a matter of degree rather than a matter of time. This 
 would avoid all inconsistency and be quite clear as well. 
 
 9. "And I saw . . . sound." Vs. 13. But worse things 
 are yet to come with the three succeeding trumpet blasts. The 
 seer observes an eagle flying in the midst of heaven and hears 
 it announce the coming woes. The inconsistency of an eagle 
 speaking intelligibly does not trouble him and it is permissible 
 in an apocalypse. The bird flies in mid-heaven so as to be 
 plainly seen and heard, which might not be the case if he flew 
 near the earth. 
 
XVII 
 
 The Fifth Trumpet or First Woe. Chapter ix: 1-12. 
 
 John sees a star that has fallen from heaven, which repre- 
 sents a person or rather an angel for the key of the abysmal 
 pit (<f>pearo<i T7/<? afivaaov) is given to him. Stars were often 
 personified (cf. Judges v: 20). The Enoch literature has much 
 to say of the "abyss" (Enoch xviii, xxi, xc, etc. Slavonic Enoch 
 xxviii 13). In this book the mouth of this pit is kept under lock 
 and key, an angel having charge of the key (cf. xx: 1 ) who has 
 power to open and shut the entrance at his pleasure, though this 
 power is exercised only by permission ("it was given to him" — 
 khodt] avrd). He opens the mouth of the pit and immediately 
 a great cloud of dense smoke issues forth, blackening the at- 
 mosphere and obscuring the sun (cf. Joel ii: 3of). A great 
 swarm of locusts issues from the cloud (cf. Ex. x: I3f, Joel i: 
 4ff ) but they differ from the ordinary locusts in that authority 
 was given them {k866rj avraU k^ovoia) not to injure vegetation 
 but the people who have not the seal of God on their foreheads 
 (vii: iff). They thus became like a tribe of scorpions whose 
 poisonous thrust is often referred to in the Bible (1 Kings xii: 
 11, Ezek. ii: 6, Luke xi: 12, etc.). These locusts must not kill 
 but only afflict for five months those whom they attack. These 
 locust-scorpions and the effects of their attack are described more 
 in detail in vs. 6-1 1. They are very extraordinary, appearing as 
 horses made ready for battle but as having gold-crowned heads, 
 women's hair, men's faces, lion's teeth, iron breastplates, scor- 
 pion's tails, and wings that make a sound like that of many 
 chariots drawn by horses rushing to battle, and they are mar- 
 shalled under a king who is called in Hebrew Abaddon and in 
 Greek Apollyon. The pain they inflict is so terrible that their 
 victims desire to die but cannot. The fact that they are to 
 afflict men for five months appears to point to the partial and 
 incomplete nature of the visitation. The scorpion is a small 
 animal resembling a lobster in shape but having a long tail at 
 the end of which there is a venomous sting. It seizes its prey 
 with its claws and kills it with its sting. Scorpions swarm 
 under stones and in chinks of walls and often hide under beds 
 and mats in houses. Their sting is very painful but seldom 
 causes death. At least a dozen varieties are found in Palestine 
 and Syria, the largest being about 6 inches long, and black. 
 
 139 
 
XVIII 
 
 The Sixth Trumpet or Second Woe. "And the sixth 
 . . . thefts." Vs. 13-21. 
 
 When the sixth trumpet sounds a solitary voice is heard in 
 reply. It seems to come from the four corners of the golden 
 altar (viii: 3) and may be that of the angel who held the golden 
 censer as he stood at it, or an answer to the prayers of the 
 saints (viii: 3) ; in either case the result is the same. The voice 
 orders the loosing of the four angels who are bound at the great 
 river Euphrates. This river was the eastern limit of the terri- 
 tory promised to Abraham (Gen. xv: 18) beyond which lay the 
 great powers of the east, Babylonia and Assyria by whom the 
 Israelites were reduced to captivity. The idea seems to be that 
 the heathen eastern powers are God's instruments of vengeance. 
 The Euphrates is again mentioned in connection with the Sixth 
 Bowl (xvi: 12). The four angels who had been made ready 
 for their work are now set free and at once enter on their mis- 
 sion of death, which again is partial, only one-third of the 
 people being marked for slaughter. The destruction however is 
 wrought, not by the angels themselves but by a vast army of 
 two hundred million horsemen which he sees in the vision and 
 the number of which he hears. Perhaps the idea is based on 
 Ps. lxviii: 17. The riders wore breastplates of fire, jacinth, and 
 brimstone, which probably we should understand as indicating 
 the color of the breastplates, namely yellow and blue, from the 
 color of the sulphurous flames that proceed from the horses' 
 mouths. The description suggests the overthrow of the cities 
 of the plain (Gen. xix: 24ft) . The horses have heads like 
 lions, and from their mouths fire, smoke, and brimstone pro- 
 ceed, and are the immediate instruments of destruction ; but they 
 inflict much injury also by their tails which are like serpents 
 with heads. It might have been expected that the other two- 
 thirds who were not killed would have taken warning at the 
 fate of their fellows and repented of their heathen worship 
 and shameful vices which were intimately associated with the 
 rites of heathen worship, (cf. Mark vii: 21, Gal. v: 19, 20, 
 Rev. xxi: 8, xxii: 15). But this they do not do. 
 
 140 
 
XIX 
 
 The Strong Angel and the Little Book. Chapter x: i-ii. 
 
 i. As in the case of the seals, the series of trumpets is in- 
 terrupted at the end of the sixth, while attention is directed to 
 the Church in the section x: i — xi: 13. 
 
 2. Still another angel now appears. He is enrobed in a 
 cloud, the vehicle whereby heavenly creatures ascend and de- 
 scend (cf. Ps. civ: 3, Dan. vii: 13, Acts i: 9 ff, 1 Thess iv: 
 17, etc.). He has the rainbow (Ipis) on his head. His face 
 and feet resemble those of the glorified Christ but he is not to 
 be identified with Him. He holds in his hand a little book al- 
 ready opened, — not sealed as was the one in v: 1. John prob- 
 ably has Ezek. ii: 1 — iii: 11 in mind throughout this whole 
 section. The posture of the angel is such as to show his great 
 size and is entirely in harmony with John's idea of his strength, 
 as is also his powerful voice. As he speaks the seven thunders 
 reply. The article here would indicate that these seven thun- 
 ders formed a well known group, but what it was we have no 
 means of judging. John seems to be taking notes of what he 
 sees and hears, but though he evidently understands the words 
 of the seven thunders he is forbidden to write them down ; why, 
 or what they were we do not know (cf. 2 Cor. xii: 4). This 
 is the one instance in which he is forbidden to write and com- 
 municate to the churches what he has seen and heard (i: 11, 
 19). This remarkable angel swears by the Eternal Creator 
 that there shall be no more delay but that with the sounding 
 of the seventh trumpet the mystery of God shall be clear. Then 
 John hears once more the voice that ordered him not to write 
 what the seven thunders uttered (vs. 4) commanding him to 
 take the book that lay open in the angel's hand. In his ecstasy 
 John now leaves the door ( iv : 1 ) and approaches the great 
 angel, asking at the same time for the book. He is told to take 
 it and eat it up which he does, finding it, as the angel had in- 
 formed him, sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach. Then 
 he is told that he must prophesy again before peoples, races, 
 tongues, and kings. 
 
 3. What is the meaning and significance of this section? 
 
 141 
 
142 The Revelation of John 
 
 A. The strong angel of vs. i. He bears striking resemblance 
 to the glorified Christ of chapter i: 138, the sun-like face and 
 his feet, but the differences are so obvious that we cannot iden- 
 tify them as the same. He comes down from heaven. He 
 stands with one foot on the sea and the other on the land, 
 showing that his authority and power extend to all the earth, 
 or probably we should say, to all the empire. His words in 
 vs. 6 and 7 show that he has inner knowledge of the plans and 
 purposes of God. These considerations lead us to conclude that 
 the strong angel of this chapter is a special representative of 
 God ; or to strip it of its apocalyptic form, God manifesting 
 Himself anew. 
 
 B. The little book open in his hand. The analogy of Ezek. 
 ii: iff on which this passage is so manifestly based and of the 
 Book of Destiny, v: iff, as well as the nature of the book itself, 
 — something that could be eaten up, — all tend to indicate that 
 the little book signifies a fragment of God's purpose now re- 
 vealed. 
 
 C. John, the seer is of course one of the creatures of earth, 
 one who is favored with an apocalyptic revelation from heaven. 
 He therefore represents the Church — God's people in the world, 
 to whom the revelation of God's purpose is given. John's 
 ready acceptance of the little book indicates the readiness with 
 which His people receive the revelation of His purpose, while 
 his eating it up indicates the completeness to which this recep- 
 tion is carried ; the sweetness from it in his mouth shows how 
 very pleasant they found it to be. while its bitterness afterwards 
 indicates its after effects, summoning its recipients to give up 
 much that they had held dear, calling on them to discharge their 
 difficult duties in the world, and revealing to them something 
 of the divine purpose which so far they had not understood. 
 
 4. The significance of this section is clear from vs. 6 and 7, 
 "And sware . . . to his servants the prophets." And vs. 
 11, "You must prophesy again, etc." 
 
 A. John stood here in the rank of a prophet (cf. i: 1 and 
 xxii: 9) and as a prophet he receives this revelation. A com- 
 parison of these words "To his servants the prophets," with 
 Amos iii: 7, Jer. vii: 25 and xxv: 4 and especially with Rev. i: 
 1, 3 and xi: 18 leaves no doubt regarding John's position as a 
 servant and prophet of God and a representative of the whole 
 body of Christians. Besides, a comparison of this passage wfth 
 
Exposition 143 
 
 these and also with Rev. vi: 10, 11, plainly indicates that the 
 mystery of God was the reason why, in the providence of God, 
 they were subjected to persecutions and hardships and not 
 earlier avenged. 
 
 B. The burden of the revelation is that the time is at hand 
 in the great display which is passing before him, when the 
 mystery of God should be explained. And as the purpose of the 
 vision was to reveal the forces at work in the present and their 
 issue (i: 1, iv: 1 ), and as the sixth trumpet has sounded and the 
 explanation is to come when the seventh begins to sound, of 
 course that will not be long (xi: 14). Thus the purpose of this 
 chapter is to assure Christ's faithful people who receive His 
 truth and serve Him that light is to be at once thrown on their 
 circumstances. The relation of the chapter to its context will 
 be considered more fully after the next section, xi: 1-13. 
 
XX 
 
 The Two Witnesses. Chapter xi: 1-13. 
 
 Here a number of points call for our consideration. 
 
 1. Measuring of the temple of God. Vs. 1-2. 
 
 A. A temple has already been mentioned in iii: 12 and vii: 
 15 and an altar in vi: 9, viii: 3 and ix: 13 ; but we are not told 
 that they are the same as those mentioned here. The temple 
 of the tent of the testimony is not opened until we reach xv: 
 5 and besides there is nothing to indicate that the temple here 
 is seen in the vision, but verse 2 would rather indicate that it is 
 on the earth as the description appears to fit the temple at 
 Jerusalem which was "the temple of God," had an outer court 
 given to the Gentiles, an altar, and worshippers, and is in "the 
 holy city." The temple is measured manifestly for its preserva- 
 tion. The "holy city" is to be trodden down by the Gentiles 
 and the outer court is given them. 
 
 B. The forty and two months is the same as the 1260 days 
 or 3^ years (42x30 = 1260). This is an indefinite and broken 
 period of considerable length indicating the time of superiority 
 of the heathen forces, which are here, the pagan people of the 
 Empire. The idea is based on Daniel vii: 25 and xii: 7 and 
 may have been the time of the sufferings of the Jews under 
 Antiochus whether we reckon from June 168 to Dec. 165 
 B. C. or from Dec. 168 to June 164 B. C. In Rev. xii: 6, 14 
 and xiii : 5 we have the same period mentioned in similar ways. 
 
 C. The temple with its altar and people we may conclude, 
 stands for the Church. The reasons for this will be clearer 
 after the various points in the remainder of the chapter have 
 been elucidated. 
 
 2. The two witnesses. Vs. 3ff. 
 
 A. The two witnesses are "mine," i. e. they belong to the 
 speaker who is not indicated but appears to be the same one 
 who gave the seer the reed (vs. 1) and is therefore one who 
 represents God. The length of time they prophesy is the same 
 as that during which the holy city is to be trodden under foot 
 by the Gentiles. As sackcloth is suggestive of grief and sorrow 
 their clothing as they prophesy suggests that they are in trouble. 
 But power to prophesy is promised them. 
 
 144 
 
Exposition 145 
 
 B. Who these two witnesses are it is difficult to determine. 
 No doubt the seer has in mind Zech. iv but this passage does not 
 explain the meaning of our text. These two witnesses cannot 
 be any pair of worthies of the past, as the promise is for the 
 future and they are to prophesy in the flesh through the period 
 of Gentile domination indicated as 1260 days. This excludes 
 Moses and Elijah, Elijah and Elisha, Enoch and Elijah, though 
 vs. 5 shows that Elijah, and vs. 6 that Moses are in John's 
 mind. The words that follow also appear to exclude such 
 allegorical interpretations as the Law and the Prophets, the 
 Law and the Gospel, the Old Testament and the New. The 
 best interpretation on the whole seems to be that the witnesses 
 represent the Church in her function as a witness-bearer for 
 Christ. This is confirmed by the words in vs. 7 that the beast 
 shall make war with the witnesses, as war is said to be made 
 against one or two persons only if they stand in a representative 
 or corporate capacity, e. g. kings. She is pictured by two wit- 
 nesses, partly because of the suggestion of various Old Testa- 
 ment passages (Deut. xix: 15, Zech. iv: 2ff), but chiefly no 
 doubt to symbolize her two elements, first Jewish, and second 
 Gentile. The Church in her two-fold aspect of Jewish and 
 Gentile, would bear witness through the whole time of Gentile 
 domination but in sorrow and self-humiliation (i. e. clothed in 
 sackcloth) because of the trials and hardships she would have 
 to meet in such circumstances. These might be described as 
 olive trees and lamps, especially as the seven churches have been 
 called lamps (Xvxvlol — ch. i: 12, 20) ; their witness would be 
 as a fire consuming their enemies to whom they would appear 
 to be as a scourge on the earth, and over whom they would 
 have great power even as Moses and Elijah had great powers 
 entrusted to them (vs. 5 and 6). The Church's enemies, how- 
 ever, would apparently overcome her and rejoice in her down- 
 fall, but her defeat and death would be only apparent as she 
 would come to life again and ascend to heaven in full view of 
 her enemies to their astonishment. 
 
 C. It is from God that the two witnesses receive their power. 
 "I will give to my two witnesses." This will enable them to 
 prophesy. 
 
 D. In the powers ascribed to the witnesses there is as usual 
 considerable modification of the details of the narratives that 
 John evidently has in mind (cf. 2 Kings i: ioff, Luke ix: 54, 
 
146 The Revelation of John 
 
 also 1 Kings xvii: 1 and Ex. vii: igf ) . Whereas in the case of 
 Elijah the fire came down from heaven here it proceeds from 
 the mouth of the witnesses. The power of the witnesses to 
 smite the earth with every plague as often as they wish, is much 
 greater than that given to Moses. 
 
 E. The immunity from danger which the witnesses enjoy 
 lasts only until their work is done as then the wild beast from 
 the abyss destroys them. 
 
 3. The beast that arose from the abyss. This is the first time 
 in the book such a beast (Orjplov a wild beast) has been men- 
 tioned, nor is there any further reference to such an one until we 
 reach chapter xiii: 1. Yet the definite article implies that the 
 figure is already familiar to the reader. This wild beast from 
 the abyss is clearly a power of considerable importance as other- 
 wise a beast would not be spoken of as making war, except per- 
 haps in a figurative sense. If the two witnesses are the Church 
 in its Jewish and Gentile aspects, the wild beast is most reason- 
 ably interpreted as the Imperial power that is represented as 
 attacking, overcoming, and destroying Christ's witnesses, the 
 Church. The picture may have been suggested by Dan. vii: 
 3ff but the sea is exchanged for the abyss. John perceives that 
 there will be a great struggle between the Imperial power and 
 the Church which will result in the apparent defeat of the 
 Church, so complete that even decent burial will be denied her, 
 but ultimately she will attain real victory. 
 
 4. The great city vs. 8. Though the expression "great city" 
 is used of Babylon (Rome) in xvi: 19, xvii: 18 and xviii: ioff 
 the words "where also their Lord was crucified," leave no 
 doubt that Jerusalem is here meant. But why should it be 
 called "Sodom and Egypt?" We may remember that the 
 prophets sometimes connected the name of Sodom with Judah 
 (Isa. i: 9, Ezek. xvi: 46, 55f). It would signify and suggest 
 moral degradation. Egypt "the house of bondage" (Ex. xx: 
 2) is plainly a symbol of oppression though nowhere else in the 
 Old Testament or the New applied to Jerusalem or Israel. We 
 must remember, too, that it is only from a spiritual point of 
 view (TrvcvfxaTLKU)*;) that this city is called "Sodom and Egypt." 
 In vs. 2 it is spoken of as "the holy city" but from another point 
 of view. To the devout Jew, Jerusalem was the holy city, par 
 excellence, because the centre of the religious life of Israel ; to 
 the Christian it was the holy city also because the centre of 
 
Exposition 147 
 
 Judaism and so intimately associated with Christianity and 
 Christ. Yet it could be considered from another point of view 
 as a city of wickedness and oppression, because of the extent 
 to which it had become Gentile and filled with Gentile wicked- 
 ness to which it is given up and from which only the sanctuary 
 is preserved, and it is the "holy city" only because of its re- 
 ligious associations to Jew and Christian. In the ultimate 
 meaning it therefore becomes a symbol of Rome the spiritual 
 Sodom and Egypt where Christ was again crucified in His 
 saints. 
 
 5. All kindreds, tongues, races, and peoples, (vs. 9) as also 
 those who dwell on the earth (vs. 10), are of course the heathen 
 people of the Empire which was then so universal in its scope. 
 They gaze at the sight which lasts as many days as the witnesses 
 had testified in years, and their delight at their victory over the 
 witnesses is great. Like fiends they will neither bury their 
 bodies nor permit others to do so, while childishly they celebrate 
 their victory by giving one another gifts. While their victory 
 is of short duration it is long enough to have the appearance of 
 permanence. The. witnesses had tortured the world by their 
 messages of conviction and the jubilation is more because of the 
 relief from this torment than because of the death of the wit- 
 nesses. 
 
 6. To the astonishment and dismay of the onlookers the 
 bodies suddenly come to life as the spirit of life from God enters 
 them and they ascend to heaven, in response to a call to do so. 
 This of course means that the Church, when apparently van- 
 quished by her enemies and dead is suddenly raised to new life 
 by divine power. 
 
 7. The earthquake and its accompaniments vs. 13. These 
 details are added, like so many others in this book, chiefly to 
 give color to the picture, and the numbers are conventional. 
 Earthquakes were very familiar in Asia Minor in the first cen- 
 tury and the destruction wrought by them was often much 
 more severe than that indicated here. The fear that falls upon 
 the rest of the people and the glory which they give to the God 
 of heaven are also conventional. While quite genuine as far as 
 they go they are very superficial and soon pass away as they 
 do not come from any real change of heart. 
 
 8. The significance of the passage is plain. The Church, as 
 the witness-bearer of God causes much trouble among the non- 
 
148 The Revelation of John 
 
 Christian peoples by her testimony and arouses their active op- 
 position, with the result that the Church is apparently ex- 
 terminated but really is not so but rises triumphant from the 
 experience to the amazement of her enemies. The relation of 
 this passage to the larger context will be considered in connec- 
 tion with the next section. 
 
 9. The bearing of this chapter on the date of the book has 
 received much attention. Dr. Johannes Weiss (die Offen- 
 barung des Johannes page 130) is of the opinion that this 
 chapter can be dated with certainty between May and August 
 of A. D. 70 and that a later date is impossible. But A. even 
 if this be the case it does not fix the date of the completion of the 
 book as a whole, and B. Jerusalem has suffered many calami- 
 ties from the Gentiles due more or less directly to religious 
 activity on the part of the Jews. C. The picture is not suffi- 
 ciently definite to enable us to identify it with any particular 
 catastrophe to Jerusalem, much less that of A. D. 70, and D. 
 if the passage does refer to that event it is more likely to be as 
 a past event than as a future probability. We must conclude 
 then that in our present state of knowledge the passage throws 
 little or no light on the date of the book. 
 
XXI 
 
 The Seventh Trumpet. Chapter xi: 14-19. 
 
 1. Connective, vs. 14. These two short sentences serve to 
 mark clearly the dividing line between the second and third 
 woe, the sixth and seventh trumpet. 
 
 2. The seventh trumpet sounds (vs. 15), and as in the case 
 of the other trumpets action at once begins. 
 
 A. There are great voices in the heavens (vs. 15). What 
 these are we are not told but possibly they are voices of the four 
 living creatures (iv: 6) as they represent the realm of nature, or 
 perhaps they are the voices of some angels specially appointed 
 to make the announcement, especially as the twenty-four elders 
 utter their thanksgiving in vs. 17 and 18. 
 
 B. The announcement is that the kingdoms of the world 
 have passed under the dominion of the Lord and His Christ. 
 The Lord is of course God, and His Christ is Jesus Christ. 
 The reign is one as the verb ("shall reign," /SaatXevaei) is 
 singular; and it is perennial and endless. 
 
 3. The four and twenty elders add their thanksgiving (vs. 
 16-18). These, as we saw, (chapter iv: 4ft) represent the 
 Church, and prostrate themselves as they add their worship (cf. 
 iv: 10, v: 8, 14, xix: 4). 
 
 B. Their words add considerable to the announcement of 
 vs. 15. Not only has the Lord God, almighty and eternal, 
 assumed the sovereignty of the world but the hour of His wrath 
 and judgment has arrived. In this judgment Ps. 2 is prom- 
 inently in the mind of the writer. The judgment is to include 
 all classes, living and dead, saints and sinners. While the living 
 are not specially mentioned they are included in the present 
 participles (fear <t>o(3ovfxevoi<; ; destroy hia<$>OdpovTa<s) . By "the 
 dead" are doubtless meant especially those who have died in the 
 persecutions that called forth the Apocalypse, while "the 
 prophets," "saints" and "those who fear thy name, the small 
 and the great," are the Christians of all classes; "those who de- 
 stroy the earth," are the Church's opponents, the supporters 
 of paganism and the Imperial religion ; all who helped to poison 
 society were to be destroyed. 
 
 149 
 
150 The Revelation of John 
 
 4. The temple opened in heaven, vs. 19. This is not the 
 temple of chapter xi: 1-2 which is on the earth. A heavenly 
 temple is mentioned in iii: 12, vii: 15, xv: 5rf, xxi: 22. The 
 view of the temple opened in heaven appears to be but momen- 
 tary, as it is opened again in xv: 5ft. But while it is open the 
 seer beholds the Ark of the Covenant in it and thus looks upon 
 a further pledge that the declaration will be fulfilled. 
 
 5. The lightnings, voices, thunderings, earthquake, and the 
 great hail again add color to the picture and greatly increase the 
 majesty and excellence of the scene. 
 
 6. The meaning of the section is plain. Manifestly we 
 must read it in the light of chapter vi: 10, 11 and x: 6, 7. This 
 would indicate that the mystery of God was the burning ques- 
 tion of how long the sufferings and persecutions of the Church 
 must continue. The mystery is now finished (or ended, or ex- 
 plained) by this declaration that God is now to be supreme 
 and the time of judgment has come. This is as yet a declaration 
 in heaven and there is no indication that it is announced in the 
 world to the Church. Although announced it is not to be 
 gained without the strong opposition of pagan forces. This 
 conflict and the result of it is pictured in the following chapters. 
 
XXII 
 
 General Significance of the Section. Chapter viii: I — xi: 19. 
 
 In the opening of the sealed book (chapter vi and vii) we 
 have seen a picture of the Empire as it appeared to the seer. 
 There were great calamities both present and impending, the 
 Church was suffering from a severe persecution and anxiously 
 asking how much longer it must suffer; the Empire too, was 
 suffering from many forms of evil and more were soon to come, 
 so much so that the day of the outpouring of the Divine wrath 
 in judgment was evidently at hand (vi: 17). But before it 
 comes special provision is made for the Church (chapter vii). 
 
 In chapter viii: 2 — xi: 19 we have the first stage in that 
 judgment, a stage and section of the book that may be called 
 "The Seven Trumpets." In the first two chapters of this sec- 
 tion we hcive pictures of a series of calamities gradually increas- 
 ing in severity until in the sixth a third part of the men are 
 killed, but so far as we are told no one of those sealed in chap- 
 ter vii is injured. They are specially exempted from the calam- 
 ity of the fifth trumpet (ix: 4) and in the sixth they are ap- 
 parently not injured either. As in the case of the seal-openings 
 we doubtless have here representations of events that were 
 actually taking place in the Empire and probably the same or 
 similar events. But while the seal-openings merely exhibit these 
 events and reveal a situation, the trumpet blasts show that these 
 events had a special significance and were intended to fulfil a 
 particular purpose. We have an indication of this significance 
 in chapter ix: 20, 21. This is that the judgments of the trum- 
 pet blasts are of the nature of an appeal to repentance. This is 
 confirmed by their similarity to the plagues of Moses and 
 Pharaoh in Egypt and by their place in relationship to the other 
 parts of the book. Judgment is announced as imminent in 
 the seals (vi: 17). It is partial and apparently remedial in its 
 intention in the trumpets (ix: 20, 21) and not complete until 
 we reach chapters xvii and xviii which are preceded by a de- 
 scription of a terrible conflict in which the powers of evil are 
 overthrown. All these things indicate that the calamities of 
 the trumpets are a warning and an appeal to the people who 
 were not Christians. They were a revelation of what God 
 was in power and holiness, that He was Lord of the realms of 
 
 151 
 
152 The Revelation of John 
 
 nature and men, and that they were opposed to Him in their 
 pursuit of vice and in their worship of idols and demons. The 
 terrible evils following the trumpet-blasts were a warning of 
 what would follow if they persisted in their present attitude. 
 And because a revelation and a warning they were also an 
 appeal — an appeal to depart from that position of danger and 
 rebellion against God, and to take up a new attitude of obedi- 
 ence to Him and devotion to His cause. All this they might 
 have learned much easier and more comfortably by hearing and 
 responding to the preaching of the gospel in their midst but they 
 would not. They were so entirely and completely attached to 
 their own ways that not only did they refuse to hear, but they 
 did their utmost to destroy those who preached and those who 
 heard it. If they were ignorant it was a blame-worthy ignor- 
 ance and they were quite as guilty. Still the divine goodness 
 goes out to them, and by the stern process of pain will bring 
 them to a sense of their position when they would not respond 
 to the gentler method of the gospel message. 
 
 The beneficient appeal of affliction as it comes in the calami- 
 ties of the trumpet blasts is in vain. They do not repent. This 
 leaves only one course open, their overthrow and destruction. 
 The first stage in this is indicated in the declaration of the 
 divine action following the seventh trumpet (xi: 15). His 
 dominion over the earthly kingdoms is declared. This will be 
 opposed to the bitter end by the powers of evil and a terrible 
 conflict will result. 
 
 But what of the Christians in view of this approaching con- 
 flict? In chapters x:i — xi: 13 the provision made for them is 
 described in three ways. A. The scene of chapter x shows that 
 the purpose of God is to be revealed to them without delay 
 (vs. 7). This revelation will be very acceptable to them but 
 will also bring its sorrows as they must continue their witness. 
 
 B. The measuring of the temple in xi: 1-2 shows that they are 
 to be preserved from the general coming destruction about them. 
 
 C. Chapter xi: 1-13 shows that in continuing to bear witness 
 for Christ they will stir up much suffering by awaking con- 
 science in their enemies, that in their anger and resentment they 
 will try to destroy the Christians and will seem to succeed, but 
 that they will come off more than conquerors in it all, rising 
 triumphant and glorious to the amazement of their enemies by 
 the blessing of God. 
 
XXIII 
 
 The Woman and the Dragon. Chapter xfi: 1-17. 
 
 1. Most commentators and students of the Apocalypse find 
 a great break in the book at the end of chapter xi. Indeed some 
 appear to consider it the most important dividing line in the 
 book. No doubt there is a great change as we pass from chap- 
 ter xi to chapter xii but the division is not as well-marked as 
 some would have us believe. Our study of the unity of the 
 book (Introduction, VII) has shown that the great break in 
 it is at the end of chapter iii where we have the dividing line 
 between the two visions. 
 
 2. A great sign appears in heaven. Vs. 1 and 2. The heav- 
 enly scene begun in chapter iv: 1 continues but new features 
 come into view. This is the first appearance of a female figure 
 in the Apocalypse. The sun forms her raiment (cf. Ps. civ: 2) 
 the moon her footstool, (cf. Ps. ex: 1 and Mark xii: 36, Ps. 
 viii: 6, Heb. ii: 8) while she wears on her head a wreath of 
 twelve stars, cf. Gen. xxxvii: 9). She is with child and so near 
 the time of her delivery that the birth pangs are already upon 
 her, which the writer sharply contrasts with the magnificence of 
 her clothing and adornment. Probably he has Isa. vii: 14 
 (cf. Matt, i: 23 and Luke i: 31) in mind. 
 
 The most reasonable interpretation of this is that the woman 
 represents the Jewish Church. She was glorious in the sight 
 of God, so glorious that it might be said that she alone He 
 knew (Amos iii: 2). The Jewish Church however finds her 
 completion and herself matured in the Christian Church. 
 Therefore we should not distinguish too closely between them 
 as they are not sharply separated in this book. This is par- 
 ticularly the case here as the words of vs. 13 show. The birth- 
 pangs would be the spiritual struggles through which the Jew- 
 ish Church passed at the time when Christ was born. 
 
 3. Vs. 3-4. Another great sign appears, a blood-red dragon 
 with seven diademed heads and ten horns ; his size and strength 
 are indicated by his tail catching the third part of the stars and 
 dragging them to the earth. He stands in front of the woman 
 waiting to devour her child as soon as born. 
 
 In our endeavor to understand the meaning of this sign we 
 
 153 
 
154 The Revelation of John 
 
 must note that the dragon can fight both in heaven and in 
 earth (vs. 7 and 17), has angels (vs. 7), and is particularly 
 designated as an "old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, who 
 deceives the whole world" (vs. 9), and again as a serpent (vs. 
 14 and 15). He makes and carries on war (vs. 7, 17), gives 
 his seat, power, and authority to a beast (ch. xiii: 2), and is 
 worshipped (chapter xiii: 4). In view of these considerations 
 the most likely interpretation of the meaning of this "sign" is 
 that the dragon is the supreme power of evil, — the devil and 
 Satan who acts through the force of the Empire, his heads and 
 his horns are the Imperial instruments by whom he carries 
 on his war and persecution (Ramsay, Letters, page 94). The 
 Empire of course had worked hardship on the Jewish people 
 in many ways and in the person of Herod was anxiously seek- 
 ing to destroy Christ. 
 
 4. Vs. 5 and 6. The child is born but Satan is foiled in his 
 desire to devour it. Evidently the writer has in mind here Ps. 
 ii: 9; but in ii: 27 and xix: 15 the words plainly refer to 
 Christ. This helps us to fix the interpretation of the Child as 
 Jesus, the Christ, and this view is confirmed by the further 
 statement that "her child was caught up to God and to his 
 throne," which surely is a fair picture of Christ's resurrection 
 and ascension. Though the dragon's antipathy is more against 
 the Child than the woman, yet she flees from his presence on 
 the ascension of her Child to God. The author may have in 
 mind the wanderings of Israel in the wilderness (Deut. viii: 
 2ff), or Elijah's two withdrawals from Ahab and Jezebel (1 
 Kings xvii: 2ff and xix: 3f), or the flight of many Jews in the 
 time of Antiochus (1 Mace, ii: 29O, or the flight of Joseph and 
 Mary with the young Child into Egypt (Matt, ii: 13). The 
 description is doubtless intended to indicate that in the good 
 providence of God the Church was provided for and kept so 
 that none of the attacks of her enemies were successful in 
 securing her destruction. Her support would come through 
 fellowship with the Father and Son by the Spirit. The length 
 of time which the woman remains hiding in the wilderness is 
 given as 1260 days or 3^ years, which is the same as that of the 
 prophesy of the two witnesses (xi: 3). Indeed the two are 
 representations of the Church in different aspects ; the two wit- 
 nesses as testifying for Christ in the world, the woman as the 
 body of people through whom Christ came and whom Satan 
 
Exposition 155 
 
 assails. 
 
 5. The conflict in heaven, vs. 7-12. The scene changes. 
 While the whole picture is in heaven (vs. 1) there is now the 
 representation of that which takes place in heaven as distinct 
 from the earth (vs. 9). Michael and his angels on the one hand 
 fight with the dragon and his angels on the other. The re- 
 sult of this conflict is that the dragon is beaten and besides ex- 
 pelled from heaven and with all his angels cast into the earth. 
 (The seer may have in mind Luke x: 18 and John xii: 31). 
 His overthrow is proclaimed in heaven by a great voice which 
 announces the victory, the means by which it was gained, and 
 its results (vs. 10-12). The source of the great voice is not 
 mentioned but the expression "our brethren" (vs. 10) would 
 suggest that it may have come from one of the elders. The 
 proclamation shows that the victory over the dragon and his 
 angels was complete; not only was he beaten but he was cast 
 out of heaven and his angels also. If this clears the way for the 
 free reign of Christ in heaven it brings dismay to the earth. 
 The victory was gained because of the blood of the Lamb and 
 the word of their witness, showing that the conflict was spiritual 
 rather than literal, which, doubtless, is in part the real signifi- 
 cance of its being represented as in heaven. The phrase further 
 indicates that the conflict was one between the spiritual forces 
 of good and evil, not only as these found expression in the body 
 of Christians and their persecutors, but between these forces in 
 themselves. The results of the victory are startling. On the 
 one hand it gives Christ free reign in heaven, i. e. mastery over 
 all the spiritual forces, while on the other it brings terror to the 
 inhabitants of the earth and sea, that is citizens of the Empire, 
 because Satan, beaten in heaven and cast into the earth, is filled 
 with wrath and determined to use what time and opportunity 
 remains to him to the utmost as he knows that it will not be 
 for long. 
 
 6. The persecution on earth, vs. 13-18. Cast into the earth 
 the dragon pursues the woman. In view of what has been said 
 this must mean that the seer considers the Empire as under the 
 sway of Satan in its persecution of the Church. But provision 
 is made for her and she is enabled to endure the storm of perse- 
 cution which continues to rage. Vs. 14-16 explain verse 6 
 while vs. 13 and 17 further explain the latter part of vs. 4. In- 
 deed vs. 7-17 may be regarded as explanatory of vs. 1-6. Un- 
 
156 The Revelation of John 
 
 able either to destroy the Christ or the Church he will attack 
 Christians who are designated as those who A. keep the com- 
 mandments of God, and B. have the witness of Jesus. But 
 as he is bent on this mission he suddenly pauses on the sand of 
 the sea, as the great beast of chapter xiii: 1-10 breaks upon 
 John's sight. 
 
 7. Here then we have another picture of that terrible con- 
 flict of the early Church. Behind it all is Satan, the arch- 
 enemy of man and God, working through the Empire and at- 
 temping to destroy first the Christ, and then the Church, and at 
 war even with the angel hosts in heaven, but unable to ac- 
 complish his purpose because of the Divine care of the Church ; 
 and entirely beaten in his conflict and cast into the earth he 
 attacks with renewed energy the remnant of the Church. 
 
 8. What encouragement such a picture must have brought to 
 the little band of Christ's people in those terrible days. The 
 assurance that Satan was doing his worst but unable to prevail 
 against God, that although the conflict was fierce and terrible 
 God Himself was caring for them, and that nothing, not even 
 the fiercest attacks of the enemy, could shake His dominion or 
 overthrow His power. 
 
XXIV 
 
 The Great Beast from the Sea. Chapter xiii: i-io. 
 
 Another great beast having seven heads and ten horns appears 
 rising up from the sea. His horns are crowned and he wears 
 the names of blasphemy. He appears like a leopard, has feet 
 as a bear, mouth like a lion, and the power, seat, and great 
 authority of the dragon. He receives a deadly wound in one 
 of his heads, but the wound heals. He is the object of the 
 world's wonder, and with the dragon the world's worship. His 
 mouth speaks great blasphemies. Great power is his, but his 
 end is sure. 
 
 When we consider the picture here given there can be little 
 doubt as to its significance. Doubtless the writer has in mind 
 the well-known pictures of the Book of Daniel, — chapter vii: 
 2fL But all the beasts there needed to be combined to form a 
 symbol sufficiently brutish and terrible for the -writer's purpose. 
 If the dragon of chapter xii was Satan expressing himself in the 
 Imperial power, this is the Imperial power as the expression and 
 instrument of Satan. The sea, on which John would often 
 look, presented a fit picture of that great agitated mass of un- 
 regenerated humanity out of which national and social move- 
 ments come. The monster rising out of the sea would be a 
 monster essentially foreign to western Asia. The many heads 
 and horns, as in the case of the dragon, add to the ugliness of 
 the picture, and if they represent anything it is the crowned 
 emperors and temples dedicated to the worship of human be- 
 ings, blasphemously called Gods. Rome was like a beast of 
 supreme power and ugliness in the eyes of the Christians. Its 
 power was chiefly brute force and its character and power 
 might be fairly pictured in this way as they were formed by 
 the gradual and continuous addition of many peoples of varied 
 race, language, and religion, many of whom were never thor- 
 oughly assimilated but added merely as additional excrescences; 
 it was like a leopard, agile, crafty, cruel; its strength and 
 power to crush could be fittingly shown in the feet of the bear ; 
 while the roar of the lion would aptly express its declarations, 
 blasphemous and haughty. If it is difficult for us to combine 
 
 157 
 
158 The Revelation of John 
 
 all these elements in a picture, it is not difficult to see that the 
 combination would be a fitting symbol of the Imperial power. 
 Nor would it be too much to assert that to an earnest Christian 
 it would appear to occupy the very throne of Satan and possess 
 his power. We must remember too, that the emperors claimed 
 to be divine and were universally worshipped. Surely it is not 
 too much to say that all such claims were blasphemies. When 
 we further recall the practically universal power and dominion 
 of Rome in those days and how all were required to observe the 
 Imperial religion, we have no difficulty in understanding the 
 words of vs. 7 and 8. The forty-two months is the period of 
 Roman supremacy equal to the time times and a half of chapter 
 xii: 14 and the 1260 days of xi: 3. The words of vs. 3 that 
 one of the heads of the beast was wounded to death, and the 
 deadly wound was healed fittingly express the well known story 
 of Nero redivivus (see Introduction IV). 
 
 But there is something certain to which the reader must 
 specially give attention. The one who is destined for captivity 
 goes into captivity, the one who kills with the sword must be 
 killed by the same. Rome is destined for captivity and into it 
 she shall go; she has killed with the sword and must herself 
 be killed in the same way. This is the fate that is before her. 
 Here is encouragement for the overburdened and persecuted 
 Christians. Let them bear patiently their hard lot for the time 
 will come when their persecutor will be no more. 
 
XXV 
 
 The Beast from the Land. Xiii: 11-18. 
 
 The seer observes a second beast rising from the land, which 
 would seem to indicate that he was a native of the country, — 
 an expression of the life of the people of Asia. This beast is 
 more natural than the first, but equally emphatic in his words. 
 He has the authority of the first beast, i. e. of the Imperial 
 power, and his business is to promote its worship. He performs 
 great signs such as making fire descend from heaven, and thereby 
 deceiving the people, as he commands them to make images to 
 the Imperial power and to these he pretends to give life, so that 
 they speak and order the death of any who refuse to worship 
 them. Also this beast requires all the people to receive a mark 
 in their right hand or forehead, forbidding to others the right 
 to buy or sell. 
 
 What can this represent? Verse 18 gives an interpretation 
 to which attention is specially called by the words "Here is 
 wisdom." But the. interpretation here given only adds to the 
 difficulty. When all is considered no explanation appears to the 
 writer to be as good as that of Prof. Ramsay (Letters, p. 97ft ) 
 which in brief is as follows. This beast symbolizes the province 
 of Asia, the two horns representing it in its double aspect of civil 
 and religious administration, — the Proconsul and the Commune. 
 The country was peaceful and no army was needed, so the beast 
 is like a lamb; but it spake as a dragon for Rome always ex- 
 pressed herself sternly and haughtily. The provincial admin- 
 istration exercised full Imperial authority which was delegated 
 to the Proconsul for his year of office so that this beast exercised 
 all the authority of the first beast in his sight. The provincial 
 administration organized the state religion of the emperors and 
 thus made the land, (or country, yfj, not earth), to worship the 
 first beast. This organization and administration included the 
 arranging of the ritual as well as superintending and directing 
 its performance, ordering the erection of temples and statues, 
 fixing holidays and festivals, etc., etc., by way of carrying out 
 the Imperial regulation that all loyal subjects must conform to 
 the state religion and take part in the Imperial ritual, — and 
 
 159 
 
160 The Revelation of John 
 
 thus saying to them that dwell in the land that they should make 
 an image to the beast. Any who would not perform an act of 
 worship to the Emperor as represented by his statue were put 
 to death, (as Pliny indicates in his letter to Trajan). And 
 as the other statements in vs. 13-16 are neither corroborated 
 nor contradicted by other evidence, and as they are quite in 
 accord with what we might expect in the case we must believe 
 that we have here a reliable contemporary account of the per- 
 secution, though in accordance with the nature of the book we 
 may well believe that to a considerable degree it is figurative 
 or symbolic. 
 
 While there is some difference of opinion among the best 
 recent interpreters as to the significance of some of the details 
 of this section, and while some slight difference of opinion ex- 
 ists as to the general meaning of the section, — Swete, for in- 
 stance, thinking that "the second beast represents the sorcery and 
 superstition of the age as engaged in a common attempt to im- 
 pose the Caesar cult upon the provinces, behind which there 
 lay the Satanic purpose of bringing ruin upon the rising Chris- 
 tian brotherhoods," and C. Anderson Scott thinking "that the 
 second monster stands for the priests of the Imperial cult, at- 
 tached to the Imperial temples," — it is reasonably clear that the 
 second beast is designated to represent the provincial means of 
 enforcing the claims of the Imperial government. 
 
 Many attempts have been made to explain vs. 18 but none 
 have been generally accepted. Perhaps the most widely accept- 
 ed is that the number 666 represents the total numerical value 
 of the words Nero Caesar written in Hebrew IDp JVU (i. e. 
 reading from right to left 50 + 200 + 6 + 50 4- loo 4- 60 
 4- 200 = 666) , but in this there are several difficulties and it 
 is by no means a satisfactory explanation. While we may be 
 sure that the interpretation would be perfectly clear to the 
 minds of the Asian Christians we have to admit that the key 
 to it was soon after lost and has never been found. 
 
XXVI 
 
 The Lamb on Mount Zion. Chapter xiv: 1-5. 
 
 1. It has been pointed out (Rev. J. T. Deane, M. A., Visions 
 and Revelations, p. i56f), that there is a striking contrast and 
 resemblance between this section and chapter xiii. He men- 
 tions the following, xiii: 1 "I saw a beast coming up out of the 
 sea." xiv: 1 "I saw, .... the Lamb standing on the mount 
 Zion." The followers of the beast had his name written on 
 their right hands and their foreheads; the 144,000 have their 
 Father's name written on their foreheads. The worshippers 
 of the beast say, "Who is like the beast! who can war with 
 him." The singers sing a new song before the throne. 
 
 2. The Lamb on Mount Zion. We have only to refer to the 
 other passages in this book where the Lamb is mentioned and 
 compare them with this to conclude that none but Christ is 
 here signified by the term. The Lamb is represented as stand- 
 ing on Mount Zion, the site of the Temple. This mountain 
 seems to have become a symbol of the security and strength 
 which belong to the people of God. (Cf. Ps. ii: 6, xlviii: iff, 
 lxxviii: 54, 68, lxxxvii: iff, cxxv: 1, Isa. xxviii: 16, lix: 20, 
 Mic. iv: 7, Obad. 17, 21). Thus the picture here is one of 
 security, strength and consequently peace in the fellowship of 
 Christ. 
 
 3. The company is one of 144,000. It is not exactly the same 
 as the twelve times twelve thousand of chapter vii: 4 as the 
 tribes are not in view. But the sum total is the same and the 
 descriptions are sufficiently alike to permit us to believe that 
 the same body of people is meant. In chapter vii they are sealed, 
 (which exempts them from spiritual harm), while here they 
 have the name of the Lamb and the name of His Father in their 
 foreheads. As Dr. Swete also points out, this suggests the two 
 fold aspect of a nature owned of God and a life consecrated to 
 His service. The parallel with the multitudes of chapter vii 
 as well as the description of them following, marks them as 
 again a representation of the Church whether it was made up 
 of Jewish or Gentile elements. They alone can learn the song; 
 they are virgins, — by which we must understand, not that they 
 
 161 
 
1 62 The Revelation of John 
 
 lived ascetic or celibate lives but that they were not contam- 
 inated with the pagan worship of the times as it was enforced 
 by the local forces; they are redeemed from the earth, follow 
 the Lamb wherever He goes, and are a first-fruit of redemption 
 to Him and to God, while they are guileless and faultless be- 
 fore His throne. All this could designate only the body of the 
 faithful to Christ of the day. 
 
 4. The voice and the song, vs. 2-3. The source of these is 
 not mentioned, but it is apparently not the 144,000. The words 
 by which the voice and song are described are so similar to those 
 that have occurred before as to call for no special comment 
 (see chapter i: 15, v: 8, 9). 
 
 5. In chapters xii-xiv there are many indications of the 
 security of the Christians amid the attacks of Satan, the Em- 
 pire, and the pagan religious forces. The security, of course, is 
 essentially spiritual. But to make assurance and encouragement 
 doubly sure, and to add confidence to hope, our attention here 
 is especially directed to the body of Christians. It is done in a 
 way that must have been most cheering to the suffering follow- 
 ers of Christ as they perused the words. It is a repetition of the 
 author's method in chapters vii and xi: 1-12. 
 
XXVII 
 
 Heavenly Appearances and Announcements. Chapter xiv: 
 6-20. 
 
 i. Before the final decisive conflict takes place there are a 
 number of angelic appearances each conveying an intimation 
 of coming events. If we include the voice of vs. 13 and assume 
 that it is that of an angel we find that the announcements are 
 sevenfold and all made by angels. These angels must be clearly 
 distinguished from those of chapter xv: iff and from the angels 
 of the seven trumpets, chapter viii: 1 — xi: 19. 
 
 2. Vs. 6-7. The first of these announcements is that of an 
 angel who flies in mid-heaven where he may be plainly seen 
 and heard. His message is the everlasting gospel and it is to be 
 proclaimed to all the various peoples that make up the Empire. 
 The gospel is eternal (alwiov, age-long) and is thus in direct 
 opposition to the promise of temporary indulgence given by the 
 Imperial powers. It is proclaimed with a voice as strong as any 
 that the forces of evil can use, while it comes from a loftier 
 source. 
 
 The message itself has a number of elements. It calls on all 
 A. to fear God, and B. to give glory to Him rather than to the 
 Imperial power. C. It announces that the time of His judg- 
 ment is come, and gives this as the reason why He should be 
 feared and glorified. The Imperial powers were compelling 
 people to fear and glorify the Emperor as a god. D. They are 
 to worship Him who is the Creator, while the Imperial forces 
 required the worship of the Imperial power (xiii: 12). While 
 this angel has the everlasting gospel to preach, this message is 
 not a proclamation of it. The fact that the angel has the gospel 
 to proclaim shows that repentance is still possible and this is 
 supported by the call to fear, glorify, and worship God. It is 
 a last opportunity offered before the storm of judgment breaks, 
 but few if any respond to it (xvi: 9, 11) even though the first 
 four angels have poured out their bowls. This angel's message 
 is also an intimation that the divine judgment is at hand and 
 therefore God ought to be feared and glorified as a matter of 
 prudence to escape the outpouring of His wrath, as* well as be- 
 
 163 
 
164 The Revelation of John 
 
 cause He is the Creator, and thus superior to the beast as an 
 object of worship. This proclamation would then be a source 
 of much joy to the suffering Christians as in the announcement 
 that the time of judgment is come they would understand that 
 the hour of their deliverance had arrived. Its salient nature, 
 however, is that of a warning and an appeal. 
 
 3. The second angel, vs. 8, follows the first in his flight in 
 the midst of heaven, while his message tells of the fall of Baby- 
 lon and the reason for it. Probably here the writer has in mind 
 Isa. xxi: 9. 
 
 What is Babylon? No doubt the churches of Asia well knew 
 what was meant by the word though it has not previously been 
 used in this book. The name is again found in xvi: 19, xvii: 5, 
 xviii: 2, 10, 21. We recall that Babylon was a great city and 
 a powerful empire that in John's time had long ceased to exist. 
 It was in its day the greatest of the world's political powers, 
 exceedingly rich and luxurious, yet easily destroyed (Dan. v: 
 I, 30). Of course the word here cannot be understood as liter- 
 ally signifying the ancient empire, because of the literary char- 
 acter of the book before us, and the practical purpose which 
 the author had in mind. But it would be the better as a symbol 
 because of its ancient connections and the more suggestive to the 
 Christian reader who would well understand the use made of 
 it, while it would also be the more confusing to the enemies of 
 the Church. From the words of the angel we learn that 
 Babylon is, A. great, and B. she has been grossly wicked and 
 her wickedness has been world wide in its extent. Turning now 
 to xvii: 5, we learn that this is the label or designation written 
 on the forehead of the woman who sits on the scarlet colored 
 beast. The consideration of chapter xvii which follows will 
 show that Rome the Imperial city is meant by this figure. This 
 city had extended her power until she had become mistress over 
 the kings of the earth, and because of her religious character, 
 universal sway, and opposition to the Christians, she would be 
 considered as exceedingly iniquitous in the eyes of our author. 
 Let it here be assumed that this is the correct interpretation, 
 pending the discussion of the subject in chapter xvii. 
 
 This angel's message must be looked upon as partly an- 
 ticipatory of the actual fall of Babylon announced as having 
 really taken place in xvi: 19, and partly as a declaration of the 
 attitude which God had taken to her, and so as a sentence of 
 
Exposition 165 
 
 condemnation. 
 
 4. The third angel, vs. 9-12. Here we have the third mem- 
 ber of this angelic succession issuing a counter proclamation to 
 the demands of the beast (xiii: 14 ff). Any who accede to 
 the demands of the second beast shall meet an even more terrible 
 fate than that which the beast would inflict, for in addition to 
 the marks and domination of the beast he shall be under the 
 wrath and curse of God. The punishment is by fire and brim- 
 stone without cessation for ever, and is aggravated by the pres- 
 ence of the saints and the Lamb (Christ) who had died for the 
 sins of mankind, and had been denied and rejected by those 
 undergoing punishment. As it is impossible on the one hand 
 for any human being in this world to endure fire and brimstone 
 for ever, and on the other for a spiritual (i. e. a non-material) 
 being to be affected by such material substances as heat and 
 sulphur fumes, the pfrrase cannot be taken literally, but must 
 be a figurative expression to indicate the intensity and terror of 
 the torment. Perhaps in this world there is nothing harder to 
 bear than fire, or more destructive to all forms of life than fumes 
 of sulphur. In these terrible days when obedience to the Em- 
 pire meant disobedience to Christ, and vice versa, they must 
 choose which they would serve. These circumstances, terrible 
 as they were, gave them an opportunity to prove their character. 
 The Christians who were genuine would be faithful to Christ, 
 come what may, and thus the trying times would reveal the 
 quiet confidence of Christ's followers and their faithfulness to 
 Him. 
 
 5. A voice from heaven, vs. 13. In contrast to the doom that 
 awaits the worshippers of the beast (vs. 9-12) here we have the 
 blessedness in store for the true worshipper of God. In many 
 cases, no doubt, the alternative to the worshipping of the beast 
 would be death, but whether that were the case or not those who 
 died in the Lord from now onward were blessed. This reward 
 to the faithful is made very emphatic by, first, the call of the 
 voice to the seer commanding him to write, and second, by the 
 response of the spirit who confirms, as it were, the words of the 
 voice giving the reason for the blessedness. This reason is like- 
 wise two-fold; from all their toils, weariness, and persecution 
 they would be free; and their works would go with them, i. e. 
 death would not mean a break in the continuity of their lives 
 nor a separation from the employments and interests of this 
 
1 66 The Revelation of John 
 
 life. They would continue to be worshippers and servants of 
 God. Here the issue is put before them with perfect clearness. 
 Their faithfulness may bring death, but whether it does or not 
 death will be a blessing. How rich in consolation would this 
 be to those called upon to suffer for the name of their Lord ; 
 even in death they would be blessed. 
 
 6. The harvest scene, vs. 14-16. A. White clouds were com- 
 mon in the Mediterranean and Aegean skies and the white cloud 
 here mentioned may have been suggested in that way. B. The 
 One sitting on the cloud is "like a son of man" and has a 
 golden crown on his head. The person is doubtless the 
 same as that described in chapter i: 13 (which see and also 
 notes), though here he wears a golden crown. That this per- 
 son is Christ is reasonably certain. C. He has in his hand a 
 sharp sickle. As this was the common harvesting tool of the 
 day, and as the angel proceeding from the temple, — presumably 
 the place where the throne of God was located (cf. xvi: 17) — 
 orders Him to cast it into the earth to reap because the harvest 
 of the earth is ripe, and as He does so and instantly the earth is 
 reaped, we have a clear indication of Christ's coming in judg- 
 ment, a judgment that is swift and opportune. Judgment is 
 always welcome to the faithful and terrible to the wrongdoer 
 in as much as it brings his merited rewards to each. This pic- 
 ture then would bring much encouragement to the faithful in 
 Christ as it would suggest that there would be an end to the 
 days of terrible suffering through which they were then passing 
 and that they would have their rewards, and their oppressors 
 their just deserts. 
 
 7. The vintage scene, vs. 17-20. A. Another angel also has 
 a sharp sickle and like the previous angel comes from the 
 temple. B. Still another angel and the last of this series, comes 
 from the altar of the temple. There is nothing to show whether 
 this is the altar of burnt offering or the altar of incense, both of 
 which are mentioned elsewhere, (cf. vi: 9, xi: 1, and viii: 3, 
 ix: 13). This angel brings to the angelic reaper a message 
 similar to that of vs. 15. C. The angel does as he is bidden and 
 more. Besides gathering the vine of the earth with her clus- 
 ters of fully ripe grapes, he puts them into the great winepress 
 of the wrath of God, and they are trodden out. But out of 
 them there comes not grape juice but blood bridle-deep on the 
 horses and extending sixteen hundred stadia, (furlongs). The 
 
Exposition 167 
 
 scene is laid without the city though there is nothing to indicate 
 what city. 
 
 What is the meaning of this vintage scene? It certainly is 
 figurative or symbolical. We note that it is the vine of the earth 
 that is gathered, that it is cast into the winepress of the wrath 
 of God, that it is blood, not grape juice, that comes out of the 
 winepress, and that its amount is very great reaching bridle high 
 on the horses and extending some two hundred miles. When 
 these points are borne in mind and the harvest scene of the 
 preceding verses is also remembered only one thing seems to be 
 signified by this picture, and that is that it is a picture again of 
 judgment like that immediately preceding it in vs. 14-16, but 
 more emphatic and complete, coming on the Imperial power 
 whose territory and domain covered practically all of the world 
 as it was then known. The two-fold picture in the harvest and 
 vintage will emphasize the certainty and thoroughness of the 
 coming judgment. 
 
 And the announcement is anticipatory just as the announce- 
 ment of the fall of Babylon (vs. 8) is anticipatory. The harvest 
 of the earth, according to appearances in the vision, or the prog- 
 ress of events in the world, has not yet been gathered, for the Im- 
 perial power still holds its sway in the world, but its downfall is 
 certain because of its present conduct and character and that 
 downfall will appear in due time. The particular form of antici- 
 pation here found may be well illustrated by the case of Saul. 
 Saul had disobeyed God and rejected His word and as a result 
 God rejected him from being king (1 Sam. xv: 23). But Saul 
 continued to be king until his death (1 Sam. xxxi: 4) though 
 the Lord had previously departed from him ( 1 Sam. xxviii: 15). 
 He was rejected and cast out by God long before his rejection 
 and downfall became generally apparent through his death and 
 removal from office. 
 
 8. The general character and significance of the section 
 (chapter xiv: 6-20) now becomes evident. The first angel 
 brings the gospel, calls upon all to fear and worship God, and 
 warns them of the impending judgment. The second announces 
 the fall of the Imperial power though that fall has not yet be- 
 come generally manifest. The third announces the results of 
 following the Imperial religion and the fourth (a voice), the 
 results of following the true religion. The remaining three 
 angels are messengers in a double picture of the judgment of the 
 
1 68 The Revelation of John 
 
 Imperial power, contained in vs. 14-20. All this is really ac- 
 complished in that it is determined by God, but the actual over- 
 throw of Rome has not yet taken place so far as removal from 
 her worldly position is concerned. Thus this section is closely 
 connected with the previous and following ones, and shows that 
 God not only provides for His people in the awful conflict 
 through which they are passing, but that He reveals to them 
 its nature and result as well as their own duty, (cf. Amos iii: 7). 
 The section thus becomes a summary for the whole Apocalypse 
 of John, has much instruction and encouragement for the Chris- 
 tians of the time, and adds considerable color and scenery to 
 the book. 
 
XXVIII 
 
 The Preparation for the Plagues. Chapter xv: 1-8. 
 
 1. Another great and marvellous sign appears to the seer's 
 view. It is another heptad of angels, but this time having the 
 seven last plagues which complete the wrath of God. Thus 
 (vs. i), we have the theme of the next section of the book 
 down to xvi: 20. 
 
 These are the seven last plagues, because they are the last 
 series of calamities recorded in the book, and because in them 
 God is represented as accomplishing the complete overthrow 
 of the Empire (xvi: 17-20), and because therefore God's wrath 
 is completed, there being no need for any further exhibition of it. 
 
 2. Vs. 2-4. After introducing the new scene in the first 
 verse, the writer turns aside to give his readers a glimpse of the 
 glorious estate of those who have suffered in their conflict with 
 the Imperial power. 
 
 A. They stand on a sea of glass mingled with fire. If this 
 is the same as the one mentioned in iv: 6 the element of fire is 
 added. The shining brightness of the sea of glass is tinged with 
 a fiery redness suggestive of the fiery persecution through which 
 the persons on it have passed, and of the fiery judgment of God 
 on their enemies. 
 
 B. On this glassy sea he notices those who have been in con- 
 flict with the Imperial power (beast) and have come off victori- 
 ous. To the ordinary citizen of the province of Asia it would 
 seem impossible to believe that anyone could be victorious in a 
 conflict with this beast. But here is the party of those who 
 have actually attained this distinction. References to the pas- 
 sages indicated and the interpretation of them show that they 
 are the Christians who have suffered. In xiii: 7 the beast makes 
 war with the saints and overcomes them. This is, of course, 
 the external side. The Imperial power does appear to have 
 overcome the Church, but it is only in an external and super- 
 ficial way that it has done so. In vs. 2 we learn that they do 
 not worship him. While apparently, — and indeed actually, 
 from an outward point of view, — beaten and overcome, and at 
 the mercy of those in power, they are really victorious. And 
 their victory is complete, including all the ways by which he 
 assailed them, the way of religious observance, i. e. over his 
 image, cf. xiii: 12-15, the way of trade, business, etc., i. e. over 
 
 169 
 
170 The Revelation of John 
 
 his mark, cf. xiii: 16, 17, and the way of political power as 
 centered in some official, cf. xiii: 18. 
 
 C. The throng is not only victorious but jubilant with praise. 
 They have harps which were among the most prominent instru- 
 ments of praise, and they sing a song of praise to God. Their 
 song is the song of Moses. There is a song of Moses recorded 
 in Ex. xv, and another in Deut. xxxii. The one recorded in 
 Exodus xv appears to be by far the more suitable and we there- 
 fore conclude that it is the one meant here. As Moses and the 
 Israelites had just gotten the victory over Pharaoh and the 
 Egyptians and celebrate it in an outburst of song, so the throng 
 on the sea of glass celebrate their victory. They sing also the 
 song of the Lamb, which, of course, is Christ (v: 6, vi: 1, etc.). 
 Thus St. John connects, without confusing them, the Old 
 Testament dispensation and the New. 
 
 D. The song is one of great interest. While not a verbatim 
 repetition of that of Moses the words here may be regarded as 
 a summary of it. It recognizes God as Lord, God, Almighty, 
 and King of Saints, characterizes His ways as just and true, and 
 His works as great and marvelous, declares that He alone is 
 holy, that His judgments are apparent, and expresses the convic- 
 tion that all shall fear and worship Him as well as glorify His 
 name. It is at first sight surprising that there is no direct ref- 
 erence in the song to the conflicts through which the singers 
 have themselves passed. Neither Moses nor Christ is men- 
 tioned in it. But such expressions as "great and marvellous are 
 thy works," and "thy righteous acts are made manifest," might 
 indicate that the singers have their own experiences as well as 
 Christ's victories in mind. 
 
 3. Vs. 5-8. The writer now returns to the consideration of 
 the seven angels introduced in vs. 1. 
 
 A. The first thing he notices is the opening of the heavenly 
 temple which he calls, "the temple of the tent of the witness" 
 (6 vao? T7)<; <TKr)vr)<; tov fxaprv piov) . The "tent of the witness," 
 was of course, the Hebrew tabernacle which contained the 
 fables of the law, the supreme witness or testimony of God. 
 The language here used is very similar to that found in the Old 
 Testament, e. g. Num. i: 50, ix: 15, 2 Chron. xxiv: 6. In 
 chapter xi: 19 the temple, which appears to be identical with 
 the one here mentioned, when opened exposed the ark of the 
 covenant; now it allows the seven angels to pass out. The 
 
Exposition 171 
 
 temple was filled with smoke proceeding from the glory of God 
 and His power. Smoke in great black clouds covered the top 
 of Mount Sinai when the law was given (Ex. xix: 18, cf. Isa. 
 vi: 4). From these and other references that might be given, 
 and more especially from the fact that the smoke here proceeds 
 from the glory and power of God, we may conclude that the 
 smoke here is indicative of the presence of God in glory and 
 strength. It also adds color to the picture and to the sense 
 of the presence and awful majesty of God. Entrance to the 
 temple was not possible until the series of plagues was past ; 
 compare the case of Moses,. Ex. xl: 35, and the priests, 1 
 Kings viii: 11. 
 
 B. Seven angels come forth from the temple. That is they 
 come forth from God and act as His agents or messengers. They 
 have each a plague, the nature of which is explained in the 
 following chapter ; they are thus messengers of God to dispense 
 His judgments. They are clothed in the pure and white linen 
 characteristic of heavenly beings. They wear about their 
 breasts golden girdles, indicative of their royal position and im- 
 portant function (cf. i: 13). 
 
 C. Each angel receives a bowl, not a vial but a wide shallow 
 cup or deep saucer that could be easily emptied, signifying the 
 reception of power to execute judgment ; the bowls are of gold 
 which again indicates the majesty and eminence of Him whose 
 mission they discharge. They receive the bowls from one of the 
 four beasts, the representatives of nature (cf. iv: 6ft, v: 14, 
 vi: if). Thus the powers of nature are placed at their dis- 
 posal to carry out the Divine purpose, a hint as to the nature of 
 the coming judgment. The bowls are filled with the wrath of 
 God. In xiv: 10 the wrath of God is represented by a cup 
 filled with wine which men must drink; here it is a bowl filled 
 with an unnamed substance representative of His wrath, which 
 is to be poured out (xvi: 1). The One whose anger is thus 
 displayed is not one like the emperor, or even like the empire, 
 living for a time and then passing away ; but one who lives for- 
 ever. 
 
 4. It need only be noted further in his connection, that in 
 this chapter we have a section of the book that might well have 
 been included in the following chapter. It is an introduction 
 to the seven last plagues described there and indicates the prep- 
 aration for their execution. 
 
XXIX 
 
 The Seven Last Plagues. Chapter xvi: I -2 1. 
 
 i. Vs. i. The general command is given to the seven angels 
 to proceed to the execution of their mission. As we have been 
 informed (xv: 8) that no one was able to enter the temple 
 while the seven plagues were in progress, we must conclude 
 that the voice comes from some other creature than a man. A 
 reference to vs. 17 where the voice again appears shows that it 
 is from the throne and therefore presumably from God Himself. 
 
 The seven plagues that follow have points of resemblance 
 both to the ten plagues of Egypt (Ex. vii — xii) and to the 
 visitations of the seven trumpets (described in chapter viii — xi). 
 Dr. Swete, (The Apocalypse of St. John, p. 200) thus sum- 
 marizes the relationship "The first, sixth, and ninth of the 
 Egyptian plagues, and the second, third, fifth, sixth, and sev- 
 enth of the Trumpet plagues are more or less distinctly in view 
 here. Yet the Last Plagues have features peculiar to them- 
 selves; the fourth is entirely new, the rest are more or less 
 freshly conceived. On the other hand the differences are deeper 
 and more suggestive. While no personal suffering is inflicted 
 on Man by the first five of the Egyptian plagues, or by the first 
 four of the Trumpet-visitations, he is attacked at the very out- 
 set of the present cycle. Again, while the first four Trumpet- 
 plagues affect only a third of the earth, the sea, the fresh water 
 supply, and the lights from heaven, no such limitation appears 
 in the account of the Seven Plagues now about to be described. 
 They are not tentative chastisements but punitive and final." 
 
 2. Vs. 2. The first angel goes forth and empties his bowl 
 upon the land. The result is grievous sores on the devotees 
 of the Caesar cult. The similarity of this plague to the sixth 
 Egyptian plague (Ex. ix: 10) is evident. The plague in Egypt 
 attacked the magicians also; and the parallel is the more com- 
 plete when we remember that the Caesar worshippers were con- 
 trolled by the magicians of the temples. 
 
 3. Vs. 3. The second angel empties his bowl on the sea 
 which immediately. becomes as the blood of a dead man so that 
 no living creature in it is able to survive. Here we have the first 
 Egyptian plague (Ex. vii: 14ft) and the second trumpet sug- 
 gested as probably in the writer's mind. But while in the case 
 
 172 
 
Exposition 173 
 
 of the Egyptian plague the fish in the river die, and in the case 
 of the second trumpet the destruction is partial, here it is com- 
 plete. 
 
 4. Vs. 4. The third angel pours out his bowl upon the 
 rivers and fountains from which they arise and they too be- 
 come blood. While in the case of the third trumpet the third 
 part only of the fresh water supply is turned to wormwood so 
 that many die, here it is all turned to blood and we are not told 
 the result. 
 
 5. The reason for the second and third plagues is given in 
 vs. 5-7. The angel of the waters does not resent the action of 
 God but rather declares that in this God is holy and just, for 
 they have spilled the blood of the saints and prophets. He also 
 recognizes God as the One who was and is, i. e. the eternal, and 
 declares that those who have to drink the bloody water are 
 getting only their deserts in view of what they have done. The 
 altar is personified and represented as replying that the judg- 
 ments of God who is omnipotent, are true and just. All this of 
 course adds color and impressiveness to the picture, while em- 
 phasizing the events narrated. 
 
 6. Vs. 8, 9. The fourth angel empties his bowl upon the sun, 
 but instead of being partly darkened as in the fourth trumpet 
 (viii: 12) a plague of extreme heat results. The result of this 
 is that God is blasphemed by men who recognize Him as the 
 cause of this calamity, and they do not repent of their evils or 
 give Him glory. 
 
 If we could determine the exact significance of the phrase, 
 "they repented not," here and in vs. 11 below we would have 
 gone a long way in the accurate interpretation of this book. 
 Does it mean to be A. merely a statement of the fact that they 
 did not repent, without any reference to the purpose of these 
 plagues or the possibilities of their position, or B. does it mean 
 that repentance was still possible for them and that they did 
 not avail themselves of the opportunity to make it and escape 
 from the wrath of God, or C. does it mean that these plagues 
 were designed to show the powers of God, and the follies and 
 evils of sin, and therefore to call evil-doers to repentance? A 
 careful study will show that it is more than a mere statement 
 of the fact that they did not repent. We saw that the design of 
 the calamities described in the seven trumpets was to call to 
 repentance, and we note that even after Babylon is declared to 
 
174 The Revelation of John 
 
 have fallen the people of God are summoned to come out of her 
 (xviii: 4), that they partake not of her sins and receive not of 
 her plagues. But when we remember that these are the seven 
 last plagues and that their nature is destructive and final we 
 conclude that the phrase implies that while repentance is yet 
 possible so far as individuals are concerned, yet it is no longer 
 possible so far as the Imperial power as a whole is concerned, 
 nor was it expected or intended. A life and death conflict is 
 going on and there is no hope that one of the two parties to it 
 will capitulate by repentance now though that may still be 
 possible to some extent and individuals here and there may do 
 so. They rather blaspheme God as the cause of their griefs, and 
 thus their hearts are hardened like that of Pharaoh. 
 
 7. Vs. 10, 11. The fifth angel empties his bowl upon the 
 throne of the beast. The result is a great darkness covering his 
 kingdom, and pain so fierce that they gnawed their tongues 
 because of it. The moral result was just the same as in the case 
 of the preceding angels, they not only do not repent but also 
 blaspheme God because of the pains, sores, and darkness from 
 which they continue to suffer. 
 
 By "the throne of the beast" we may understand the heart 
 and centre of the Empire itself as is indicated in the phrase 
 "his kingdom became darkened" though it is possible that Rome, 
 the capital city of the Empire may be in the writer's mind. We 
 are not told here what beast is meant, but if it is either of those 
 mentioned in chapter xiii as is altogether probable, the sig- 
 nificance is plain. On the whole the beast of xiii: iff seems 
 the most likely from the discussion of vs. 13, immediately fol- 
 lowing. 
 
 8. Vs. 12-16. The sixth angel empties his bowl upon the 
 river Euphrates, its waters drying up as a result; then unclean 
 spirits from the mouths of dragon, beast, and false prophet go 
 forth to collect all the kings of the whole world at Armageddon 
 for a great battle. A parenthesis (vs. 15) is inserted calling to 
 continuous vigilance. This passage abounds in interesting 
 points that call for consideration. 
 
 A. It is worthy of note that the sixth trumpet also referred 
 to the Euphrates but apart from this there is little similarity 
 between the sixth trumpet and this passage. In the trumpet four 
 angels bound in the river are released and a great host of horse- 
 men appears doing terrible damage; here the river bed is drain- 
 
Exposition 175 
 
 ed and a great host gathers for a terrible conflict. Possibly as 
 Dr. Swete suggests (id., p. 205) the drying of the Red Sea 
 (Ex. xiv: 21) or of the Jordan (Jos. iii: 17) is in mind, or he 
 may even be thinking of the story told by Herodotus (i: 191) 
 that Cyrus captured Babylon by marching into the city over 
 the drained bed of the Euphrates. 
 
 B. With the drying up of the Euphrates the way would be 
 clear for the kings of the east to assemble at Megiddo the great 
 battle-field. Who the kings of the east were we can only guess. 
 Dr. Swete thinks that the Parthians may have been in the mind 
 of the writer both here and in chapter ix: i^i. It seems quite 
 as likely, however, that the seer may have in mind in both cases 
 the ancient oppressors of Israel, particularly the Assyrians or 
 Babylonians. 
 
 C. The dragon is of course the hideous monster of chapter 
 xii: 3ff. The beast is the wild beast of xiii: iff. But the 
 identity of the false prophet requires some consideration to 
 determine. We observe that here and also in xix: 20 and xx: 
 10 he is associated with the beast, while in xix: 20 we read that 
 "the beast was captured and with him the false prophet that did 
 the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who re- 
 ceived the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his 
 image." These considerations make it reasonably certain that 
 the false prophet is the second beast of xiii: 11 -18. 
 
 D. From the mouth of each of the dragon, beast, and false 
 prophet St. John notices an unclean spirit like a frog come forth. 
 While it is literally impossible for a spirit to be in material form 
 like a frog, yet the figure is remarkably suitable, especially when 
 we recall 2 Thess. ii : 8, In the Apocalypse the mouth has great 
 power for good or ill as it is the organ of speech, cf. i: 16 
 (xix: 15, 21), xi: 5, xii: 15. The spirits are unclean to John 
 because they are, as he says, "the spirits of demons doing signs." 
 The evil spirits come to the kings of the whole inhabited earth 
 as it was known then, compelling them to assemble for a great 
 final struggle. 
 
 E. The war is that "of the great day of God the Almighty." 
 Its exact nature has been described by some as internecine, and 
 by others as a united battle of the forces of the world against 
 God. The expression "war of the great day of God the Al- 
 mighty" might mean either; but the fact that it is the unclean 
 spirits from the mouths of the dragon, beast, and false prophet 
 
176 The Revelation of John 
 
 that bring the world forces together, not surely to fight one 
 another but to fight Him whom the men blaspheme (vs. 9 and 
 11); and the further fact that the whole tendency of Roman 
 domination was to put down strife between petty rulers in her 
 dominions, (and when all the rulers of her world-wide do- 
 minion were marshalled it would not be to fight one another), 
 indicates that the warfare here is against God. Also the voice 
 from the throne vs. 17, the fall of Babylon in vs. 19, and her 
 receiving the cup of God's fierce wrath, vs. 19, would seem to 
 point in the same direction. 
 
 F. The battle field is Har Magedon to which the evil frog- 
 like spirits gather the kings with their forces for the great con- 
 flict. The name given is the Hebrew name but nowhere in that 
 ancient language as it has come down to us do we find the name 
 in this form. The name Megiddo, variously spelled, is common 
 and well known, but Har-Megiddo does not occur. The form 
 here may be a transliteration either of TttO *in or of VttD *\f 
 The first would mean Mountain of Megiddo ; the second, City 
 of Megiddo. Megiddo was a town or city on the south-western 
 side of the great plain of Esdraelon, and close to the range of 
 hills bounding the plain on that side. This plain from time 
 immemorial has been one of the world's great battle-fields. It 
 was the scene of many a conflict in Bible times, (Judges v: 19- 
 21, 2 Kings ix: 27, xxiii: 29, 30, 2 Chron. xxxv: 22), as well 
 as since, and is therefore a suitable figure to represent the con- 
 flict by which the evil forces of the world are overthrown. 
 
 G. The parenthesis is worthy of note in that it calls atten- 
 tion to the need of continuous vigilance, as God will descend 
 suddenly and unexpectedly like a thief. 
 
 H. Thus this plague is a picture of the marshalling of the 
 forces of evil in the world for the great final conflict. There 
 has been no repentance, but with every divine chastisement 
 there has been greater determination than ever before to conquer 
 the forces of righteousness and God. 
 
 9. Vs. 17-21. The seventh bowl is poured out in the air and 
 a voice out of the temple from the throne announces that the 
 long expected end of Babylon has come at last : and amid great 
 convulsions of nature it is seen that the world power is com- 
 pletely overthrown and the fierce wrath of God is being poured 
 out upon it, while men blaspheme God for the plague. 
 
 A. The voice comes from the throne and out of the temple 
 
Exposition 177 
 
 and therefore is the voice of God (iv: 2) and so is properly 
 called great, though the adjective may signify loud, or strong, 
 as well. It utters but one word, — "Done," signifying that the 
 object of the seven last plagues is accomplished. 
 
 B. But the one word is emphasized by many attending phe- 
 nomena of nature; there are voices, but their sources are not 
 mentioned ; the thunders and lightnings add impressiveness to 
 the scene. John is careful to indicate that this earthquake is the 
 greatest that ever visited the earth, a point specially noteworthy 
 in an age of great earthquakes such as the first century dis- 
 played. The hail adds to and completes these demonstrations 
 of nature, and this hail was exceedingly severe. The weight of 
 each stone being about that of a talent. It is impossible to de- 
 termine the exact weight of the talent as it varied in different 
 times and places ; roughly speaking, perhaps an hundred pounds 
 would be sufficiently definite and accurate in this case, as some 
 talents were of less and others of greater weight than even that. 
 An hail storm with stones of that weight would be a plague so 
 exceedingly severe that no living creatures would survive it, 
 unless protected by very substantial shelter. Even in the 
 Egyptian plague the hail killed the herdmen in the fields (Ex. 
 ix: 22ff). 
 
 C. The moral effect of these visitations is no better than be- 
 fore (vs. 9 and 11). Although it is the last plague in the last 
 series and brings certain destruction to Babylon, yet Babylon's 
 people, instead of repenting blaspheme God. 
 
 D. Amidst the terrible display of natural phenomena Baby- 
 lon disappears. The city, which is here Rome (as we saw xiv: 
 8) as the seat of the Imperial power, is now torn asunder so 
 that it is divided into three parts by the great earthquake which 
 also extends its destruction throughout and even beyond the Em- 
 pire, as the cities of the Gentiles fall. Every island and moun- 
 tain disappears also; here mountain and island are doubtless 
 expressions representing the power of Rome, so that in their dis- 
 appearance the different forms which the power of the Empire 
 may have assumed vanish also. Thus the overthrow is complete 
 and no portion or form of the Empire is left untouched. 
 
 10. We thus see that the section of the book comprised in 
 chapters xv and xvi is a section describing judgment, and en- 
 larging on the overthrow of Rome described in xiv: 14-20 and 
 previously announced in xiv: 8. But it is by no means the 
 
178 The Revelation of John 
 
 whole of the judgment story. Indeed it is only the first of it. 
 It is continued in the following chapters which we now pass on 
 to consider. 
 
XXX 
 
 Babylon Ready for Judgment. Chapter xvii: 1-18. 
 
 1. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls of the 
 wrath of God, comes to the seer in his vision, invites him to 
 follow him jthat he may show him the judgment of the wicked 
 woman who sits upon many waters and has done so much evil 
 in the world. John does as he is commanded and is led in the 
 spirit into the wilderness, where he sees an iniquitous woman 
 sitting on a scarlet colored beast having seven heads and ten 
 horns and full of the names of blasphemy. The woman is 
 gorgeously attired in the most expensive fabrics and jewels, and 
 holds in her hand a golden cup full of the abominations and 
 filthiness of her iniquities. Her name and character are in- 
 dicated by an inscription on her forehead. She is drunken, not 
 with wine but with the blood of the saints and Christian 
 martyrs. John marvels at the sight, but the angel proceeds to 
 explain the meaning of the picture, which, though not com- 
 plete is yet so clear that we can have no doubt as to its signifi- 
 cance. 
 
 2. The angel in his explanation of the picture begins with the 
 beast, and it will be most convenient to follow him in this. 
 
 A. The beast is described in vs. 3, and is exceedingly hideous. 
 His color is crimson or scarlet, kokkwos, i. e. of the color pro- 
 duced by kokkos, a parasite of the ilex coecifera much used for 
 dyeing textile materials ; his body is full of, i. e. completely cov- 
 ered with names of blasphemy, while he possesses seven heads 
 and ten horns; also on the beast the woman sits. 
 
 B. Before considering the interpretation we may notice the 
 resemblance between this beast and that of xiii: iff. Both have 
 seven heads and ten horns. The heads of the beast of xiii: iff 
 have the names of blasphemy while the whole body of this beast 
 is covered with them. One of the heads of the beast in xiii: iff 
 was wounded unto death but is healed; this beast is described 
 as the one that "was and is not and shall be present." In the 
 other descriptive details of the beast in xiii: iff we have many 
 points to which nothing corresponds in the description of this 
 beast, while in xiii: iff there is nothing to indicate that th« 
 beast has any rider as the one here has. 
 
 179 
 
180 The Revelation of John 
 
 C. In vs. 8-13 we have the interpretation of this figure, and 
 while many details are not clear yet the general significance is 
 plain. ( 1 ) The beast was, and is not, and yet is. This may be 
 understood as referring to Nero who had disappeared (and so 
 was not), but who had reappeared, not in his own person as 
 many expected he would, but in the person of Domitian who 
 was recognized as resembling him. Dr. Swete (Apoc, p. 221) 
 gives several quotations to show this, and points out that with 
 St. John living under Domitian, and unable therefore to refer 
 to him by name, Domitian would take Nero's place and style 
 just as John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of 
 Elijah, is called Elijah by our Lord (Matt, xi: 14, Mark ix: 
 13). (2) The beast's ascent from the abyss would indicate 
 his exceedingly evil origin, and his descent into perdition 
 (a-n-wXeLav) would indicate his fate in the mind of the seer, 
 while the wonder of the common crowd adds a touch of interest 
 to the prediction. (3) His seven heads (vs. 9) are seven moun- 
 tains on which the woman sits. This clearly indicates Rome, 
 not the city, but Imperial Rome of which the city was the capital 
 and centre, as geographically the city was built on seven hills be- 
 side the Tiber. (4) The seven heads are also seven kings, five 
 are fallen, one is, and the other has not yet appeared. Here we 
 reach perhaps the greatest difficulty in the interpretation of this 
 section and opinions of interpreters vary greatly. Where are 
 we to begin and whom are we to consider as kings in making 
 the enumeration? Probably the best course is that taken by Dr. 
 Swete (id., p. 220) and is substantially as follows: The Roman 
 emperors in the first century are Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiber- 
 ius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Ves- 
 pasian, Titus, Domitian, Nerva, and Trajan. Assuming that 
 by "kings" John means emperors, it is probable that Julius 
 Caesar would not be counted as he was a dictator rather than an 
 emperor though he claimed the title of emperor. Besides it is 
 hardly likely that he would reckon Galba, Otho and Vitellius 
 among the Augustan emperors as they all passed away in one 
 year and might never have been acknowledged in Asia Minor 
 by the people in general. This would leave Augustus, Tiberius, 
 Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, Nerva, 
 Trajan, and place the passage in the reign of Vespasian (A. D. 
 69-79), and probably as the expression "the other is not yet 
 come" suggests, towards its close when the accession of Titus 
 
Exposition 181 
 
 seemed imminent. As he reigned but two years he certainly 
 continued "a little time." The eighth then would be Domitian 
 who was of the same character as the seven and followed much 
 the same methods regarding the Christians as did they, and 
 especially Nero whom he resembled very closely as already- 
 stated. In this connection it may be pointed out that the ap- 
 parent contradiction between the tenth verse and the acceptance 
 of the time of Domitian as the date of the Apocalypse, may be 
 reconciled either by supposing, first, that the writer here in- 
 corporates an older apocalypse or re-edits his own work; or 
 second that he purposely transfers himself in thought to the 
 time of Vespasian, and thus interprets past events in a prophetic 
 way, — a method common with apocalyptic writers. (5) The 
 ten horns are kings (i. e. emperors) who have not yet reigned 
 but will reign for short periods, on the one hand supported by 
 the power of the Empire on the other agreeing in using their 
 strength and authority in her interests (vs. 12, 13). The num- 
 ber ten here must not be taken literally, but as the symbol of 
 completeness. The period of one hour is allotted to each, — that 
 is a brief time. Thus the full number of emperors determined 
 by God shall come and each have his little day and cease to be, 
 until the full number is complete. 
 
 3. The woman who sits upon the beast is described and in- 
 terpreted. 
 
 A. She is described as very iniquitous, having sinned with 
 the kings of the earth and made its inhabitants drunken with 
 the wine of her evils; she sits upon a scarlet colored beast (vs. 
 3) and many waters (vs. 1); she is attired in the most ex- 
 pensive and luxurious way ; she bears in her hand a golden cup 
 full of her iniquities, and on her head a name written indicat- 
 ing her character, while she is drunken with the blood of 
 Christ's saints and martyrs. 
 
 B. It does not take many words to explain the meaning of the 
 woman after what has been said about the beast. "The woman 
 that you saw is the great city which has dominion over the 
 kings of the earth," vs. 18. After what has been said about the 
 beast and its significance only one interpretation is possible for 
 this, — namely Rome, the city. She was a great city; she sat 
 upon the seven mountains, the seven heads of the beast; her 
 power had extended over practically all of the world as then 
 known; she was exceedingly vile, especially when viewed from 
 
1 82 The Revelation of John 
 
 a Christian standpoint, her evil character being conscious, open, 
 and flagrant, and thus fittingly represented as emblazoned on 
 the woman's forehead ; and she was mad with the passion to 
 exterminate the Christians, many of whom she had already put 
 to death. 
 
 4. The seer observes that the woman while sitting upon her 
 beast is also sitting upon many waters. These are not described 
 more minutely but are interpreted (vs. 15) as peoples, multi- 
 tudes, nations, and tongues, that is, of course, of the Empire. 
 
 5. But in all this picture there is an element of doom. The 
 beast ascends out of the abyss and goes into destruction (vs. 
 8 and 11). The ten horns shall be overcome by the Lamb (vs. 
 14). Even the emperors that shall arise over the destinies of 
 the Empire shall hate the great city of Rome, make her desolate 
 and naked, and burn her with fire. We know indeed that the 
 emperors were no true friends of Rome. They feared it, hated 
 it, reduced its liberties, took away its power, murdered its lead- 
 ing citizens wishing (like Caligula) that the whole Roman 
 people had a single neck so he could sever it at a stroke, and 
 (like Nero) laying the city in ashes. Thus the Imperial city 
 in her luxury and iniquity would be called upon to suffer the 
 just judgment of God, which would assail her both from within 
 and without. While the Lamb should overcome them even 
 their own emperors would be inspired to do the will of God 
 (vs. 17). What a source of comfort this must have been to 
 the oppressed Christians of Asia Minor as they were assured 
 that their great persecutor, in spite of her power, luxury, and 
 iniquity, must submit to the will and purposes of God who was 
 stronger and greater even than Rome. 
 
 6. In this chapter we have a picture of Rome as she appeared 
 to the seer and as she really was, — powerful, proud, rich, wick- 
 ed, the queen and mistress of the earth yet ready for destruction, 
 and subject to God who is supreme and will one day destroy 
 her for her wickedness. The following chapter tells of her 
 overthrow. 
 
XXXI 
 
 Babylon's Fall. Chapter xviii: 1-24. 
 
 1. Vs. 1-3. Still another angel descends from heaven. He 
 is very powerful and his glory is so great that the earth is 
 brightened thereby. He repeats the announcement of Baby- 
 lon's fall already given (xiv: 8). And not only has she fallen, 
 but demons, all foul spirits, and all unclean and hateful birds 
 dwell in her. Her fall is a moral and spiritual one and not a 
 military defeat by a more powerful foe. She has been cast down 
 by her own wickedness, which she has extended far and wide; 
 luxury and iniquity have been her overthrow. Every student 
 of Roman history knows that this is the real reason for the fall 
 of Imperial Rome. There is therefore no need to dwell on the 
 point further than to call attention to the clearness with which 
 the seer discerned its approach. 
 
 2. Vs. 4-20. A voice is now heard from heaven instructing 
 God's people to come out of Babylon lest they partake of her 
 sins and punishments. 
 
 A. The voice may be that of God, as the expression my peo- 
 ple (vs. 4) would suggest, or that of an angel of the Presence 
 as such expressions as "the Lord God" (vs. 8), and "God has 
 judged" (vs. 20) would indicate. 
 
 B. The instruction is to "Come forth, my people, out of her." 
 This, of course, cannot imply that they were to leave the Empire 
 and take up their abode in some remote region of the world. 
 But it calls upon them to practise disentanglement and aloof- 
 ness from the sins of the Empire. 
 
 C. The reason why this command should be obeyed is given, 
 — to avoid participation in her sins and plagues. This is ex- 
 plained at greater length to vs. 20, but may be summed up in 
 the words of the fifth verse, "Her sins have reached unto the 
 heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities." More spe- 
 cifically, because her sins are very great, and God remembers 
 them (vs. 5) and will give to her full punishment (vs. 6-8). 
 
 D. The command to punish her (vs. 6-8) must be understood 
 as addressed, not to God's people, but to some agency of de- 
 struction, possibly her own kings (xvii: i6ff). 
 
 E. The principle of the punishment as stated here must not 
 be considered as vindicative, but as the divine law of punishment 
 
 183 
 
184 The Revelation of John 
 
 in such cases. The lex talionis is common in the Old Testa- 
 ment, and sometimes the evildoer was required to pay double 
 as here (cf. Ex. xxii: 4, 7, 9, Isa. xl: 2, Jer. xvi: 18). 
 
 F. The certainty and measure of her punishment is guaran- 
 teed by the character of God. He is "strong" (vs. 8) and this 
 fact is emphasized by the position of the adjective in the sen- 
 tence. Thus the decreed penalty shall be inflicted and it shall 
 come with terrible severity and all the more certainly because 
 she did not expect it. 
 
 3. We have now a series of dirges over Babylon's fall, vs. 
 9-19, uttered apparently by the same voice as vs. 4-8. The 
 whole passage may have been suggested by Ezekiel's lamentation 
 over Tyre (Ezek. xxvii). 
 
 A. In vs. 9-10 we have the lament of the kings of the earth 
 over Babylon's (Rome's) fall. By the term kings here as in 
 xvii: 18 we may understand either (1) the subordinate and 
 allied princes, or (2) the wealthy and luxurious who were 
 (according to Ramsay) often so styled in the common speech 
 of that time. The kings of client-states in Asia Minor and 
 Syria also visited Rome as occasion required. Each and all of 
 these were, of course, more or less involved in the spirit and 
 evils of Rome. These are represented as lamenting for Rome, 
 but standing at a safe distance themselves to avoid danger. 
 They have shared in her iniquities and favors, but can do noth- 
 ing to help her in the day of her doom. 
 
 B. The merchants of the earth add their contribution to the 
 lament for Rome (vs. 11-16), while, like the kings, they stand 
 at a safe distance. What these chiefly regret is not Rome's 
 downfall so much as the loss of their market. An immense 
 trade from all parts centered in Rome which was the world's 
 great market in that day. The list of articles here given shows 
 the great length to which wealth and luxury had gone in that 
 city, especially as slaves and souls of men are not exempted. 
 
 C. A third class — the mariners — add their lament in vs. 
 17-19. Like the others they keep a safe distance but mourn the 
 passing of the one who made them rich and note the suddenness 
 of her downfall. 
 
 4. The Church is called upon to rejoice over her (vs. 20) 
 and we may believe, not in any vindicative way, but because 
 God's purposes have been accomplished and she is freed at last 
 from her scourge, by the just judgment of God. 
 
Exposition 185 
 
 5. As if all this were not enough to impress the certainty and 
 completeness of the fall of Rome on the reader a further pic- 
 ture is added in vs. 21-24. 
 
 A. An angel takes up a stone like a great mill-stone, casts it 
 into the sea, to show how Rome shall perish, i. e. violently, 
 quickly, completely. The violence is especially mentioned, and 
 the completeness is dwelt upon at length. 
 
 B. The reason for her overthrow is given also (vs. 23, 24). 
 It is her deception of all races of people by her wickedness, 
 and her murders of the Christians and even of all who were 
 put to death in the world, all of which was done through her 
 extensive commerce. 
 
 6. Here we have a picture of the coming downfall of Rome 
 as an outward organization or monstrous creature in the world. 
 Her overthrow as a religious and political force is later de- 
 scribed (chapter xix: 11-21). 
 
XXXII 
 
 The Thanksgiving to God. Chapter xix: i-io. 
 
 Here we have the great thanksgiving to God following the 
 overthrow of Babylon, and at the same time a glimpse of the 
 position of His followers. 
 
 i. The great crowd of people in heaven praise God, ascrib- 
 ing to Him glory, honour, and power, and recognizing the jus- 
 tice of His act in judging, condemning, and destroying Rome; 
 vs. 1-3. There is nothing to indicate clearly whether this is the 
 church on earth or an angelic host. 
 
 , 2. The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fall 
 down and worship God, adding their "Amen" and "Hallelu- 
 jah," representing of course, the Church and nature. 
 
 3. A voice from the throne, vs. 5, is probably that of an 
 angel of the Presence. The language precludes the idea of its 
 being that of God. The voice calls on all the servants of God 
 to praise Him, whatever their status. This probably includes 
 both the angelic hosts and the earthly church. There seems to 
 be no way to determine whether this crowd is the same as that 
 of vs. 1, or not. 
 
 4. Their answer is a mighty torrent of praise to God es- 
 pecially because A. He reigns, and B. the marriage of the 
 Lamb and His bride is at hand. It is interesting to note that 
 the crowd in vs. 1 praises Him for the judgment He has dis- 
 pensed, while here the reason is His sovereignty and the ap- 
 proaching marriage of the Lamb. Here we have another in- 
 stance of the same principle as we saw in xiv: 8. The mar- 
 riage is announced as at hand, and in one sense really had 
 come, though the conflicts of xix: 11 -21 and the thousand years 
 of xx : 2 as well as the other events of chapter xx, transpire 
 before the bride appears in xxi: 2. The attire of the bride is 
 mentioned as fine linen clean and white, which is understood 
 to signify righteousness. This contrasts sharply with that of the 
 wicked woman (xvii: 4, xviii: 16). 
 
 5. The angel (of xvii: 1) now addresses the seer and gives 
 him instructions to write that these who are summoned to this 
 marriage supper of the Lamb are blessed, and the angel adds 
 
 186 
 
Exposition 187 
 
 also that these words are God's true sayings. This solemn claim 
 to truthfulness does not, as Dr. Swete (id., p. 248) points out, 
 imply the literal fulfilment of all details, as we must remember 
 that we are dealing with an apocalypse, which must be in- 
 terpreted and understood differently from ordinary narrative. 
 
 6. The seer is so completely overborne by the greatness of 
 the revelation that has been given him that he prostrates him- 
 self in worship before the angel who has shown it to him. This 
 however he is forbidden to do, saying that he also is one of his 
 fellow servants and one of Christ's faithful followers: there- 
 fore the seer should not worship him but God. 
 
XXXIII 
 
 The Victor and the Slain. Chapter xix: 11-21. 
 
 The sky opens and John sees a warrior going forth with his 
 army. An angel invites the fowls of heaven to feed upon the 
 slain. The beast and the kings of the earth and their armies 
 assemble to join battle with the warrior. The battle is fought, 
 the warrior is victorious, his opponents are taken and destroyed, 
 and the birds are filled with their flesh. 
 
 Here a number of features call for our consideration. 
 
 1. The warrior is clearly and beautifully pictured, and the 
 different elements in the sketch must be noted. 
 
 A. He rides a white horse. This probably has no more 
 significance than to suggest the purity and victory of the war- 
 rior and to give color to the picture. The rider is not the same 
 as that in chapter vi: 2, although there is some outward sim- 
 ilarity. 
 
 B. The name of the warrior is "faithful and true." In iii: 
 14 we have the expression "the faithful and true witness" which 
 undoubtedly designates Christ. In i: 5 Christ is especially 
 designated as "the faithful witness." And while He is not here 
 called a "witness," but is given a military description, the pre- 
 sumption is that the name will here apply to Him, as no one 
 with whom the seer could be acquainted would be so well en- 
 titled to the name or designation. 
 
 C. In righteousness He judges and makes war. No doubt 
 the writer has in mind the prophecy of the Messiah in Isa. xi: 
 3, 4, where He is pictured as both a judge and a warrior. When 
 we also recall the corrupt methods of eastern courts and tri- 
 bunals and the injustice often meted out to the Christians we 
 have further evidence that this is meant to be a description of 
 Christ, as all earthly judges and military men were apt to be 
 unjust in their judgments and in the reasons for their military 
 campaigns. Furthermore in 1 Tim. vi: 15 Christ is designated 
 as a Potentate (SiWonys), and thus would have power both to 
 judge and make war, and in John v: 22 Christ Himself de- 
 clares that God has committed all judgment unto Him. 
 
 D. His eyes are as a flame of fire. A comparison of this 
 with i: 14 and ii: 18 where the designation is certainly applied 
 
 188 
 
Exposition 189 
 
 to Christ makes it reasonably clear that it is to be understood 
 as applying to Him here. 
 
 E. He wears many diadems on His head. This is a new des- 
 ignation, though the dragon (xii: 3) and the wild beast (xiii: 
 1 ) each wore diadems. It is impossible to think that they are 
 meant by the warrior here. While Christ has not before been 
 represented as wearing diadems yet it is eminently suitable that 
 he should be so represented, as He is more worthy than either 
 the dragon or the wild beast, and He had already achieved not- 
 able victories over temptation, death, etc., while none were as 
 worthy as He to rule. 
 
 F. He has a mystic name. This also has not been previously 
 mentioned of Christ, but it is quite in line with what we 
 might expect in such a description of Him as we have before us. 
 Besides, the faithful in Pergamum were to receive a new and 
 mysterious name (ii: 17), the 144,000 had their Father's name 
 written in their foreheads, and the iniquitous woman had a 
 similar designation (xvii: 1). While, therefore, we cannot find 
 in this an evidence that the warrior is Christ, yet we can see 
 in it nothing contrary to that view and something to support it 
 as He is thus represented as superior to, or at least the equal 
 of others in the things that clothe Him with awe. 
 
 G. He is clothed with a garment spattered with blood. There 
 is considerable uncertainty as to the exact text and its transla- 
 tion here, but in view of vs. 15, the rendering "spattered" seems 
 best. The garment spattered with blood has in it nothing that 
 distinctively marks its wearer as Jesus Christ, but it is in har- 
 mony with the other features of the picture of the victorious 
 warrior and if it is found that we have here a picture of Christ 
 this will not contradict it. 
 
 H. His name is called the Word of God. In view of John 
 i: iff and 1 John v: 7 the presumption is in favor of the view 
 that this name is a designation for Christ; and although the 
 Gospel and Epistle are probably later than the Apocalypse the 
 conception may have taken shape in the writer's mind. 
 
 I. He is followed by the armies of heaven clothed in fine 
 white linen and riding on white horses. The white horses and 
 fine linen again would suggest purity and victory. The armies 
 of heaven here must mean the angelic hosts and not the sun, 
 moon, stars, etc. The saints follow Christ as the Lamb (xvii: 
 14), but these seem not to be saints but angelic hosts. Again, 
 
190 The Revelation of John 
 
 while the evidence is not absolutely conclusive the presumption 
 is that the armies of heaven would follow only one who was 
 worthy. Michael fought with his angels (xii: 7) and Christ 
 could have more than twelve legions of angels if necessary 
 (Matt, xxvi: 53). The presumption here again then, is that 
 the warrior is Christ. 
 
 J. A sharp sword proceeds from His mouth. This marks 
 His warfare as unique and carried on by the power of evidence, 
 argument, truth, etc., rather than by physical prowess. The 
 similarity of the picture with that in i: 16 can not be overlooked. 
 As Christ's warfare is carried on not so much by physical 
 prowess as by testimony, evidence, and the power of truth, and 
 as i: 16 certainly refers to Christ, we conclude that here we have 
 a clear indication that the warrior is Christ. With this sword 
 he is to smite the nations. This seems rather severe treatment 
 to come from one who has often been referred to as the Lamb 
 in this book. But we must remember that it agrees with the 
 rest of the picture of a warrior riding out to battle, and also is 
 in accordance with the judgment that Christ brings into the 
 world (John iii: 19, 20). 
 
 K. He is to rule the nations with a rod of iron. This is a 
 promise to the overcomers (ii: 27) and to the woman's son 
 (xii: 5), who, if correctly interpreted, is Christ. Thus this 
 clause points to Christ as the warrior. 
 
 L. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God 
 the Almighty. The figure of the winepress is a familiar one in 
 this book (cf. xiv: 8, 10, 19, xvi: 19). We learned in con- 
 sidering chapter xiv: 17-20 that the winepress of the wrath of 
 God is a picture of judgment. Here we learn that it is the 
 warrior who is treading the winepress, and therefore executing 
 judgment. While it may seem again rather incongruous to 
 think of Christ as exercising judgment yet it is in accord with 
 the description in vs. 11 and 12, which we found pointed strong- 
 ly to Christ. This passage then means that He executes God's 
 judgments in the world. 
 
 M. The name written on His garment and on His thigh, — 
 King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, — leaves no doubt whatever 
 that Christ is meant, when we remember that He, as the Lamb, 
 is so designated in xvii: 14 and also in 1 Tim. vi: 15. 
 
 N. There can be no reasonable doubt on the whole, after 
 our consideration of the description clause by clause, that the 
 
Exposition 19 1 
 
 author wishes us to see in the warrior a picture of Jesus Christ. 
 There is really nothing in the description against this though 
 there are some features that at first glance might seem to be 
 against it. But there are so many points that are clear and 
 strong that we can have no doubt as to the meaning. 
 
 2. The angel standing in the sun can be little more than a 
 feature designed to give color to the scene, but in this it is very 
 effective. The readiness with which vultures and similar birds 
 flock to feed on dead bodies is well known. But the greatness 
 of the coming slaughter of the enemies of Christ and the Church 
 is shown by, A. the angel's standing in the sun, where he could 
 reach the greatest possible area; B. his calling to all the birds 
 flying in mid-heaven; C. the great voice with which he calls; 
 D. the different classes enumerated in vs. 18; and E. the fact 
 that it is called "the great supper of God." These features add 
 much to the impressiveness of the picture. 
 
 3. Vs. 19 tells of the assembled hosts of Christ's enemies. 
 
 A. The beast may be either the beast of chapter xiii: 1-10, 
 or the beast of chapter xvii on which the iniquitous woman sits. 
 But a careful examination will enable us to see that it is the 
 beast of chapter xiii, that is here meant, though that of xiii: 
 1 -10 and that of xvii are both representative of Imperial Rome, 
 as we have already seen. But it seems better to identify this 
 beast with that of xiii: 1-10 because of his association with the 
 false prophet in the following verse, — and we have already iden- 
 tified the false prophet with the beast of xiii: nff, (see dis- 
 cussion of xvi: 13) ; and because it suits better the plan of this 
 part of the book. In xiv: 8 we have the announcement of the 
 fall of Babylon; in xvi: i6ff Babylon is overthrown in the great 
 battle of Har Magedon; here (xix: 19-21) Babylon as rep- 
 resented in the beast and the false prophet is overthrown; 
 while in xx: iff Satan, the dragon of xii: 3ff is himself bound. 
 
 B. The kings of the earth. This may mean either the em- 
 perors, or rulers of provinces, etc., or persons eminent because 
 of their financial, social, political, military, or religious positions 
 and thus able to control the forces of the Empire. 
 
 C. Their armies, no doubt are the military, financial, social, 
 political, religious, and other forces of the Empire controlled 
 by those in positions of authority or leadership. 
 
 D. The false prophet is not mentioned in the list of forces 
 enumerated in vs. 19 but he is evidently there as we learn from 
 
192 The Revelation of John 
 
 vs. 20. 
 
 Thus all the forces of the Empire are represented as as- 
 sembled for the great conflict. 
 
 4. The conflict itself is not mentioned or described, though 
 its existence is implied clearly in vs. 20 and 21. 
 
 5. The result of it, however, is given. 
 
 A. The beast and the false prophet are taken and both cast 
 alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. In xxi: 8 
 we learn that the second death is not the lake burning with fire 
 and brimstone, but the portion of those cast into the lake. This 
 is clear from the original Greek. But in xx: 14 the second 
 death is clearly defined as the lake of fire itself. In xx: 10 we 
 learn, also from the original, that the beast and the false prophet 
 who had previously been cast into the lake of fire, are both, with 
 Satan, to be tormented forever. This is evident from the plural 
 form of the verb, "they shall be tormented." In xiv: 10 it is 
 clear that fire and brimstone are instruments of torment. We 
 conclude then, that the fate of the beast and false prophet here 
 mentioned is not annihilation but a condition in which they 
 would have unending torment and also, of course be shorn of 
 their power. 
 
 B. The rest, — that is the kings of the earth and their armies, 
 were slain with the sword of the warrior. This with the closing 
 words of the verse, that all the birds were filled with their 
 flesh, shows that in the case of the kings of the earth and their 
 armies the result of the conflict was complete destruction and so 
 different from the end of the beast and the false prophet. 
 
 C. All the fowls are filled with their flesh. This of course, 
 completes the figure of the great supper announced in vs. 17, 
 the chief function of which is to give color to the scene but 
 which also would help to confuse the enemies of the Church 
 and prevent their understanding of the book. 
 
 6. Here we have a description of the overthrow of Rome 
 as a political organization (the beast) and a religious system 
 (the false prophet). It now appears that Christ is the one by 
 whom she is conquered, and the one who dispenses to her the 
 righteous judgment that she so richly merits. This he does, 
 not in any outward or physical way, but by intellectual and 
 spiritual methods, — the word which proceeds out of his mouth. 
 The overthrow is complete and permanent and will be carried, 
 to the very instigator of the evil, Satan himself. 
 
XXXIV 
 
 Final Conflicts and Victories. Chapter xx: 1-15. 
 
 We come now to the last scenes in the picture of the over- 
 throw of the evil powers that for so long had afflicted the 
 Church and blasphemed God. 
 
 1. In vs. 1-3 we have the binding of Satan pictured. 
 
 The angel descending from heaven with the key of the abyss 
 and a great chain in his hand, laying hold of the dragon, bind- 
 ing him, and casting him into the pit, is of course just the 
 apocalyptic way of speaking of God's power in overthrowing 
 the dragon, which is here plainly declared to be Satan himself. 
 He is not yet slain or destroyed, but simply imprisoned for a 
 thousand years, i. e. not for a literal period of a thousand years, 
 but for a long definite period which is complete according to the 
 purposes of God. He had been cast out of heaven already 
 (xii: 9), now he is cast out of the earth to his own place the 
 entrance of which is closed and sealed. When the time of his 
 imprisonment is fulfilled he shall, however, be allowed to go 
 free. 
 
 2. The first resurrection. Vs. 4-6. 
 
 A. What can this be? Let us note that it is distinctly against 
 the principles of apocalyptic interpretation to assume that it is 
 a literal coming to life of those who were literally dead. We 
 may also observe that the Greek word here usually translated 
 "resurrection" is (Wo-rao-is and literally means a standing up, 
 or rising up, and is so used in Luke ii : 34. Also we should note 
 that this dvaoTaais, whatever it is, is confined to the martyrs 
 and confessors of Christ and the rest of the dead have no part 
 in it (vs. 4 and 5). Furthermore, although the Roman Em- 
 pire and its persecutions of the Christians have long since passed, 
 we have no historical record of any who, since the time of John 
 rose from the dead literally. Still again, the vision presents a 
 state in which Christ and His followers are in a position of 
 authority, living and reigning. And if we have been right in 
 our view that the previous nineteen chapters of the book deal 
 with human affairs, then it seems reasonable to conclude that 
 this one does also. The second death has no power on those who 
 have part in the first resurrection. The cry for vengeance on 
 those who dwell on the earth, of the souls under the altar in 
 
 193 
 
194 The Revelation of John 
 
 vi : 9 would not be satisfied by a mere return to life. 
 
 The question will come, is it possible to find any interpreta- 
 tion which will do full justice to all these points, and will also 
 be in line with the interpretation we have given the rest of the 
 book? The answer to such a question must be yes, — for if we 
 here understand avdaram* in its literal sense as a "rising up" 
 and take it to be a description of a reformation in the country 
 in which there was a reversal of the old order, we have a con- 
 ception which appears to meet all the conditions required. Chap- 
 ters xvi, xix tell us of the passing of Rome, and the old order ; 
 this passage, if this view is correct, tells us of the establishing 
 of a new one. It is the newer, fuller, and more exalted life of 
 the Church in union with Christ after her blasphemous op- 
 ponent and persecutor is destroyed. It is a picture of society in 
 which Christian sentiment rules and positions of authority and 
 influence are filled by Christians rather than by pagans and 
 persecutors as in the days of John. Perhaps the best word to 
 describe it is uprising though arising, awakening, or renaissance 
 would be almost as good. It is the constructive side of reforma- 
 tion in the country and age, — the destructive side, in which the 
 old is condemned and discarded, being described in this case 
 in the sixteenth to the nineteenth chapters. This view is strictly 
 in accord with the principles of apocalyptic interpretation, gives 
 a fair and reasonable meaning to the Greek word avdaraat^, is 
 in harmony with the interpretation adopted for all the proceed- 
 ing chapters, and is fully in accord with the answer given to the 
 martyred saints who cry for vengeance (chapter vi: gff). On 
 this view we have here a prophecy of a time to come when 
 political and social conditions would be the exact reverse of 
 what they were in John's day, — when Christ would reign in- 
 stead of Caesar, and Christians instead of their persecutors, when 
 justice would be meted out to all and the evil be overthrown. 
 
 The first resurrection is therefore the newer, fuller, and more 
 exalted life of the Church in union with Christ after her perse- 
 cutor and blasphemous opponent is destroyed. 
 
 B. The first resurrection is only for the faithful of Christ 
 (vs. 4) and they are both blessed and holy (vs. 6). Also judg- 
 ment is given to them. In view of verses 11-15 an d the general 
 sense of this passage the judgment must mean that they are the 
 recipients of judgment from a judge, justice now being done 
 them, and not that they are dispensers of judgment, sitting as 
 
Exposition 195 
 
 judges or a court of judgment. We may well believe that in 
 this verse the seer has before him the Church collectively, rather 
 than a number of particular individuals. 
 
 C. The first resurrection implies a death, especially in view 
 of vs. 4 and vs. 14. What is this death? It may be first the 
 death of the Christians referred to in vs. 4; or second the pass- 
 ing of the old order and especially of Rome as pictured in the 
 chapters immediately preceding; or third it may be the living 
 death of continual persecution that fell to the Church. Prob- 
 ably the correct view would include all of these. It is impos- 
 sible that it could be the death that ordinarily falls to human 
 beings as the normal and ordinary end of life for that is seldom 
 in view in the book and not at all in this passage. 
 
 D. The rest of the dead do not again live till the thousand 
 years are finished. The rest of the dead, on the view here 
 adopted must be those who were outside the Church, the great 
 heterogeneous mass of people that made up the Empire either 
 in their individual or corporate capacity. 
 
 E. We may find historical fulfillment of this in the new age 
 beginning with the conversion of Constantine and the Empire. 
 Probably however there is some approach to a chronological 
 order in the visions of this part of the book, in which case the 
 overthrow would precede the ascension of the Church to power 
 and prestige. For a long time before the conversion of Con- 
 stantine the power of the Empire was weakening and the new 
 era came as its climax and result. But even if the historical 
 sequence of events was in the author's mind as the great scenes 
 before us were penned, we must not press it too far. It is rather 
 the working out of great principles that he foresees, and while 
 these will follow an historical order in a general way, yet they 
 will be so interwoven that they cannot be entirely dissociated. 
 
 3. The last great conflict. Vs. 7-10. 
 
 A. At the end of the thousand years Satan is to be loosed 
 from his prison and is again to go forth to deceive the peoples 
 of the world. This of course is an apocalyptic picture of a new 
 issue in which the powers of the world are aroused by Satan, to 
 attack and overthrow the Church. The future tense is used, 
 for while the language and description is apocalyptic it is here 
 prophetic as well. The thousand years of the domination of 
 the Church is of course the same as the thousand years of the 
 imprisonment of Satan. 
 
196 The Revelation of John 
 
 B. The thousand years have made no change in Satan's 
 methods, for as soon as he is free once more he is again at his 
 old work of deception. His activity is world-wide and the 
 movement among all peoples is not directed by an imperial 
 policy but by a common impulse. 
 
 C. The nations or races of the world are called Gog and 
 Magog, and here the two are no doubt parallel. According to 
 Ezek. xxxviii, xxxix, Gog is the prince of Meshech and Tubal, 
 and Magog is his land. Scholars differ as to the tribes or races 
 intended originally but it seems reasonably clear that they are 
 here synonymous with the races of the world or the chief among 
 them or their rulers. 
 
 D. The number of the hosts is very great. This is indicated 
 by the statements that it is as the sand of the sea, and that 
 they go up on the breadth of the earth. 
 
 E. They encircle the camp of the saints and the beloved city. 
 These two expressions are apparently parallel, meaning the 
 Church, though the expression, the beloved city might be un- 
 derstood as referring to Jerusalem either as the historic centre 
 of the Hebrew and Christian religion, or as a reference to the 
 Hebrew element in the Church. 
 
 F. The progress of the battle is not given nor is it even stated 
 that there was a battle. The multitude is destroyed by fire from 
 heaven, which of course means, overthrown by the power of 
 God without any particular effort on the part of the Church. 
 
 G. The Devil who deceived them is cast into the lake of 
 fire, to be tormented day and night eternally with the beast and 
 the false prophet. 
 
 H. The whole passage (vs. 7-10) is of course a figurative or 
 apocalyptic description of what the seer regards as the last con- 
 flict between the world and the Church. Stripped of its 
 apocalyptic coloring it simply means that after the Church of 
 Christ has been in control for the divinely appointed time her 
 position would be challenged by the world and a universal at- 
 tempt would be made to overthrow her. This however would 
 end in failure, and the supremacy of the Church would be 
 finally established while the evil power in the world would be 
 finally overcome. We must remember that this conflict is on the 
 earth (vs. 8, 9), that it has no connection with the Roman 
 supremacy which has already passed (xix: 19-21) and that it 
 finally settles the power of Satan in the world. This makes 
 
Exposition 197 
 
 it refer to something that does not seem yet to have happened 
 in the world but to something which may happen and that, in 
 the not very distant future, — when the powers of evil will make 
 a last great struggle against righteousness, as expressed chiefly 
 in the Church though not necessarily confined to the outward 
 organization of that name, but rather to the Church as it is 
 sub specie eternitatis. In as much as Satan is not annihilated in 
 the lake of fire but is tormented continually, we may conclude 
 that when that time comes evil will not be unknown but will 
 be so thoroughly mastered and so vigorously opposed that it will 
 be able to accomplish little or nothing of its old devastation in 
 the world. When that time will come we cannot tell, but the 
 fact that the Christian Church is now alert and active as she 
 has probably not been for many centuries might indicate, that 
 before long it may appear. 
 
 4. The judgment. Vs. 11-15. 
 
 A. The great white throne and its occupant recalls iv: 2 
 where the vision began with a throne and its Occupant. Here, 
 as there, the name of the occupant is not given, but we have 
 little difficulty in determining that point from the statements 
 made regarding him. Heaven and earth flee before his face 
 (vs. 11) ; all the dead both great and small stand before the 
 throne (vs. 12) ; the whole picture leads us to believe that he sits 
 as a judge (vs. 12 and 13) although it is not actually said that 
 this is the case ; also frequently in this book God is looked upon 
 as a Judge, (cf. vi: 10, xvi: 7, xix: 2). In view of all these 
 points we must surely say that the throne is the throne of God 
 and that God Himself is its Occupant, sitting as a Great Judge. 
 
 B. The heavens and the earth flee before the face of the 
 Judge on the throne. What are these? In the light of the 
 meaning of the passage generally we may assume that they are 
 the old order, which is described as having lasted a thousand 
 years. This is confirmed by a reference to xxi: 1, the only other 
 passage in the book where the two words occur together and are 
 used in the same sense. 
 
 C. The dead, are the people of the past, the Christians as well 
 as the non-Christians. 
 
 D. The books that are opened are of course the records or 
 the recollections of what these people were in their lives, and 
 especially of their deeds. The other book, which is the book of 
 life, evidently contains a record of those who are righteous as 
 
1 98 The Revelation of John 
 
 we learn from iii : 5 and xiii : 8. This book of life is not a roll 
 of the elect who are living at the time of this judgment as it is 
 the dead that are judged and to whom reference is here mani- 
 festly made. 
 
 E. The dead are judged. The sentence is passed on them, 
 and the verdict is according to their works as these have been 
 recorded in the books. While God is evidently the occupier of 
 the throne it is not definitely said here that He is the one who 
 pronounces the sentence though the general sense of the words 
 would lead us to think so. It is not said, either, how the judg- 
 ment or sentence is expressed. The whole tenor of the passage, 
 when taken in connection with the whole of these two chapters 
 (xx and xxi) as we have been led to interpret them, would in- 
 dicate that the judgment is expressed by the aroused attitude of 
 the people of the time in which it takes place. We have here 
 the second "uprising" which, as we saw in the case of the first, 
 is an advance to new and higher life and a judgment on and 
 condemnation of the past. 
 
 F. The sea, death, and Hades, all give up their dead. That 
 is, all the people of the past are included, none left out. 
 
 G. Death, Hades, and all not found written in the book of 
 life are cast into the lake of fire to share the fate of the beast 
 and the false prophet in unending torment. 
 
 H. This lake of fire is the second death, and as we learned in 
 our study of xix: 20, a state of unending torment in which the 
 tormented are also shorn of their power. Into that state death 
 and Hades are now cast. Again keeping in mind the fact that 
 this book is an apocalypse, the aim and purpose which its author 
 had in mind, and the interpretation we have reached so far, as 
 well as the characteristics of this punishment (lake of fire) can 
 we find anything in human experience that corresponds to it, 
 or may be fairly signified by it? Yes we can. Every "up- 
 rising" of a people or a race is characterized, not only by the 
 destruction of the evil but also by a continuous verdict of con- 
 demnation pronounced on it by all future ages. We have not 
 yet ceased to condemn the evils of slavery, nor the evils of the 
 Spanish inquisition, nor the iniquities of the persecution of the 
 early Christian Church, nor will a people who have knowledge 
 of their previous history and an increasing sense of Christian 
 ideals ever cease to denounce them. This then, we conclude, 
 is the lake of fire which the seer here describes. This second 
 
Exposition 199 
 
 death of course has no power over those who steadfastly opposed 
 the evil in the days when it was supreme; such were blessed, 
 having part in "the first uprising." 
 
 I. The second death seems to imply a second uprising, even 
 as the first uprising implied a first death. This second uprising 
 is of course the advance to the newer and higher life gained by 
 the destruction of the evils which have been condemned and 
 destroyed. 
 
 5. In this chapter of the book we have a picture of the final 
 overthrow of the evils that assailed the Church. By the capture 
 and disposition of the beast, the false prophet, and Satan (xix: 
 20, xx : 3) the Church reaches such a position of freedom, au- 
 thority, and influence that the world is no more deceived by 
 them. This is the first great step in advance and it is held 
 for a long time described here as a thousand years. At the end 
 of this long period the powers of evil, which have been held in 
 subjection by the influence of the Church, will again attempt to 
 assert themselves and a great struggle will ensue, the result of 
 which will be an overthrow of the powers of evil so complete 
 that they never again will be able to assert themselves, but un- 
 broken peace and bliss shall prevail. This is described in xxi: 
 i-xxii: 5. 
 
 The question arises, has this stage been reached in the Chris- 
 tion dispensation and if so when? The answer is, that if we 
 accept the change that took place in the time of Constantine as 
 a fulfillment of the first resurrection, the second does not seem 
 yet to have been accomplished, but the time in which we now 
 are appears to be such that it may result in such an issue. The 
 vigor of the different branches of the Christian Church as ex- 
 pressed in world-wide missionary activity, opposition to the 
 liquor traffic, the application of the gospel to the removal of 
 all social, political, commercial, and other evils, and the promo- 
 tion of social righteousness of every sort; the rise of the peace 
 movement and the new sense of international justice, as 
 well as the continued emphasis on the necessity for personal and 
 individual purity, seems to show that the final conflict may be 
 at hand. Indeed it may be possible that one phase of it 
 has just come in the form of the great European war, 
 which is certainly the greatest since the time of Na- 
 poleon and probably the greatest in the world's history. It 
 seems certain that the Church is facing her duty as never before 
 
20O The Revelation of John 
 
 and is grappling with the evils in the world as never in the past. 
 If the present rate of progress can be maintained for a century 
 or two it looks as if the days pictured in the latter part of this 
 chapter will have come. 
 
XXXV 
 
 The New Heavens and the New Earth. Chapters xxi: i- 
 xxii: 5. 
 
 We now reach the last great section of the second vision, and 
 of the book, — a passage that must have been rich in comfort 
 and encouragement for those to whom it was originally written, 
 and which has been of inestimable benefit to all Christ's people 
 since. It contains an account of a new heaven and earth, the 
 most notable feature of which is a magnificent city. His ser- 
 vants serve Him and among them He dwells abundantly supply- 
 ing their every need. 
 
 1. Let us note, in the first place, that the description here 
 cannot possibly be ever literally realized in this world. No city 
 comes down from the skies as this one is represented as doing, 
 but is built up on the earth. The names on the gates and 
 foundations are improbable. It is beyond belief that the founda- 
 tions of the city wall should be of the precious stones named, or 
 that the streets should be pure gold, or that it should be a per- 
 fect cube, every edge of which is some 1,500 miles in length 
 (and especially is it beyond belief that a city should extend that 
 distance into the air). Much more improbable is it that a city 
 of that size should be made of pure gold. Then if it is in the 
 world it would have day and night, even though its artificial 
 illumination were so brilliant that night would scarcely be rec- 
 ognized. Indeed the more this description is studied the more 
 impossible does its actual literal fulfillment appear. And not 
 the least objection to such a view is the statement that each of 
 the twelve gates is of a single pearl — can pearls as large as this 
 ever be found? — and the difficulty of finding anywhere in the 
 world a suitable situation for such a city. 
 
 2. But the impossibility of any literal fulfillment of this in 
 the world taken in connection with, the general nature and pur- 
 pose of the book as we have found it so far, and the nature of 
 this description itself, make it an admirable picture of a bliss- 
 ful condition in the future in the literal world. 
 
 3. A. The new order. Vs. 1-8. The first verse taken in 
 connection with xx : 1 1 seems to mean that a new order appears 
 in the world, the old order having passed away. The sea, as 
 
 201 
 
202 The Revelation of John 
 
 in xiii: I would be a fit picture of that great agitated mass of 
 unregenerated humanity out of which national and social move- 
 ments come, and it has passed away. 
 
 B. This new order in the world is pictured more particularly 
 by a city, called the holy city, the new Jerusalem, which is 
 spoken of as coming doivn from God out of heaven. Jerusalem, 
 of course, was the centre of the Jewish religion, and also in a 
 very real sense, the centre and source of the Christian religion 
 since it was there that our Lord was crucified (xi: 8), but 
 spiritually it might be described as Sodom and Egypt and thus 
 would be a fair representation of the nature of the world in 
 John's day. To call the central feature in the new order the 
 new Jerusalem would therefore mark it as essentially religious 
 in the true sense of being itself pure. This is confirmed by its 
 coming down from God out of heaven, and beautifully adorned 
 like a bride for her husband. As this city is described more fully 
 in vs. 9-xxii: 5 we may defer its further consideration till we 
 come to that section. 
 
 C. In vs. 3 John hears a great voice out of heaven announc- 
 ing that God now dwelt with men. The voice is doubtless that 
 of an angel of the Presence (as in xvi: 17 and xix: 5) and not 
 that of God Himself. This surely makes it clear that the new 
 order is on the earth. The words of the verse in at least three 
 distinct phrases point this out, ( 1 ) "The tabernacle of God is 
 with men'' and not that the tabernacle of men is with God, 
 (2) and He shall dwell with them, not, they shall dwell with 
 Him, (3) and He shall he with them, not, they shall be with 
 him. Besides this the verse all through shows the closeness of 
 relationship between God and His people that will characterize 
 the new order. We may observe here a slight difference in the 
 significance of the word "heaven" in verses 2 and 3 where it 
 signifies the skies and stands for the invisible abode of God and 
 His angels from its meaning in vs. 1, where it indicates the 
 earthly order. 
 
 D. The closeness and richness of the relationship of God to 
 His people in the new order is further indicated in vs. 4, as 
 wiping all tears from their eyes. This would be especially con- 
 soling to the persecuted Christians to whom John wrote, as 
 their tears must have been abundant. And this consolation 
 would be much enriched by the words that follow, assuring 
 them that in that new order there shall be no more death, sor- 
 
Exposition 203 
 
 row, crying, or pain, all of which they were forced to bear con- 
 tinually. 
 
 E. The words of vs. 5 further confirm our conclusion that 
 a new order on the earth is meant. Here we read that the One 
 who sat on the throne (cf. iv: 2, xx: 11, 12, etc.) and of 
 course is God, said, "Behold I make all things new." The "all 
 things" as John and the Church would understand the ex- 
 pression, would particularly mean all things earthly. 
 
 F. Lest there should be any doubt as to the certainty of this 
 coming to pass, John adds in vs. 6-8 the assurance he received 
 that it would certainly happen. The Occupant of the throne, 
 — God Himself who is the First and the Last, and thus able to 
 carry out His promises, — speaks and declares He will do it 
 giving the thirsty to drink freely of the water of life and the 
 overcomer an inheritance in this blissful order but all evil-doers 
 their portion in the lake of fire. 
 
 4. In the remainder of this chapter and the first five verses 
 of the next, this city, the new Jerusalem is described more in 
 detail. One of the seven angels of xv: iff carries John away 
 in the spirit to a great and high mountain where he sees it. 
 
 A. As early in the book as iii: 12 this new Jerusalem was 
 mentioned. A holy city had been mentioned in the Old Testa- 
 ment (Dan. ix: 24) and Jerusalem was thus designated in the 
 time of Christ (Matt, iv: 5 and xxvii: 53) but it was in ruins 
 when this book was written. Paul and his school had in mind 
 a heavenly city similar to that which John here describes (Gal. 
 iv: 26, Phil, iii: 20, cf. Heb. xi: 10), and it may have been 
 from these passages or from non-canonical Jewish writings 
 which abound in the hope of an ideal Jerusalem, that the writer 
 got his suggestions for this passage. 
 
 B. The new city descends out of heaven from God (vs. 2 
 and 10) by which her divine character and purity are signified. 
 She is actually described as holy in vs. 10. 
 
 C. She is said to be prepared as a bride adorned for her hus- 
 band (vs. 2) which probably designates her beauty, especially 
 spiritual beauty. Also she is described as "the bride, the wife 
 of the Lamb." The Lamb of course is Christ as we have al- 
 ready seen (v: 6, xiii: 8, xiv: 1, etc.). The thought of a divine 
 marriage is common in the Old Testament (see Hos. ii: 19, Isa. 
 liv: 5f, Ezek. xvi: 8f). In the New Testament we find similar 
 thoughts regarding Christ and the Church (see Mark ii: 19, 
 
204 The Revelation of John 
 
 Matt, xxv : iff, Matt, xxii: 2ff, John iii: 29, 2 Cor. xi: 2, Eph. 
 v: 25, 32). John in this book makes use of these ideas as far 
 as they suit his purpose, and we find him speaking of the bride 
 and her attire, the marriage and the supper, (xix: 9, xxi: 2ff, 
 xxii: 17). That the redeemed and purified race of people form- 
 ing the new order is spoken of as the bride of Christ, must be 
 understood as indicating the closeness of their relationship to 
 Christ and their preciousness to Him as well as His care and 
 love of them. 
 
 D. The splendor and excellence of the new order and its 
 people are expressed by a lengthy description of the magnificence 
 of the city, its glory and light (vs. 11), wall (vs. 12, 14, 17-18), 
 the twelve gates (vs. 12, 13), its perfect symmetry (vs. 16), its. 
 richness (wall of jasper, — vs. 18; city of pure gold, — vs. 18; 
 foundations garnished with precious stones, — vs. 19, 20; the 
 gates each of a single pearl, — vs. 21 ; street of pure gold, — vs. 
 21). The things not needed in the city also show the splendor 
 and excellence of the new order; — no temple for God and the 
 Lamb are its temple (vs. 22), has no need of sun or moon, for 
 the glory of God and the Lamb supply it with light (vs. 23), 
 and it has no night (vs. 25). The peoples and their kings bring 
 their glory and honor into it, while its beneficient light falls on 
 the nations of the saved (vs. 24, 26). This elaborate descrip- 
 tion of the riches and grandeur of the city adds much to the 
 coloring of the scene and the impressiveness of the picture. 
 
 E. The new order includes all that is good. Again this is 
 graphically and impressively shown in this wonderful picture. 
 The names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel are 
 written on the gates (vs. 12), and the twelve apostles of Christ 
 on the foundations (vs. 14), God and the Lamb are in it (vs. 
 22, 23), the nations walk in its light (vs. 24), while they and 
 their kings bring their glory and honor into it (vs. 24, 26), the 
 throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it and His servants 
 serving Him (xxii: 3), seeing His face, and marked as His 
 (xxii: 4). Even the river of life and the tree of life are there 
 (xxii: 1, 2). Indeed all whom Christ recognizes as His are 
 there (xxi: 27). 
 
 F. The new order excludes all that is evil (xxi: 27). 
 There is no night there (xxi: 25), nor curse (xxii: 3), nor 
 death, sorrow, weeping, nor pain (xxi: 4), nor any evil-doer 
 (xxi: 8). 
 
Exposition 205 
 
 G. The people in that new order rule, and their rule is 
 eternal (xxii: 5). This would seem to mean that the govern- 
 ment is a form of democracy with God and Christ at its head. 
 
 H. The new order is catholic, the gates of the city standing 
 open always on all sides (xxi: 25). 
 
 I. Possibly the form of the city as a perfect cube (xxi: 16) 
 may suggest the solidity, stability, and permanence of the new 
 order. As a stadium was some 600 feet we have the city almost 
 1,500 miles to the side, a size unthinkable for any actual city 
 and fitting only for a symbol of greatness. 
 
 5. If the view here taken, that this section presents a picture 
 of an ideal condition to be realized in this world, is correct, it is 
 plain that up to the present it has not been fully realized, though 
 if the apparent rate of progress made during the past century in 
 the world by the Christian forces can be maintained for a few 
 more centuries, it may be approximated to some extent. But 
 we must remember that however much this is considered as an 
 ideal to be realized in the future, it is presented to the suffering 
 Christians to whom John writes as an ideal for their encourage- 
 ment and one in which they were to have a part; chapter xxi: 
 7, 8, shows this to be the case. Along the same line, though less 
 conclusive, are the words (of xxi: 24) "the kings of the earth 
 bring their glory into it." As we look at the picture we must 
 admit that much in it was fulfilled in the Christianity of those 
 days and in the ages that have since intervened. Perhaps the 
 words of Dr. Swete (Apocalypse of St. John, p. 302) best sum- 
 marize the matter, "The Holy City which passes before the 
 mind of St. John is the Ideal Church as conceived in the purpose 
 of God and to be realized in His own time. So far as this 
 conception is purely spiritual the powers by which it can be 
 converted into actuality have been in the possession of the 
 Church from the first, and the results are manifest in the moral 
 triumphs of Christianity. Already the many colors of the New 
 Jerusalem and the flashes of its crystal luminary may be seen 
 by those whose eyes are not closed against the heavenly vision; 
 men slake their thirst in the River, and nations find healing in 
 the leaves of the Tree. But as a whole the ideal is still far 
 above us, nor will it be reached till a new age is inaugurated by 
 the Lord's Return." To the extent in which the Christians 
 of John's day had come into living fellowship with Christ, 
 turned from evil, and faithfully did their Lord's will even in 
 
206 The Revelation of John 
 
 the face of hardship and death they had a part and share in it ; 
 and to the extent in which we do the same we have a share. But 
 although it has been in the world in some degree all these cen- 
 turies, blessing the world and doing it good, yet its full realiza- 
 tion in the world can not come until all the evils, now so plenti- 
 ful and arrogant, are forever banished and righteousness covers 
 the earth as the waters the sea. For that time we must wait, 
 but we will wait with confidence and hope, actively and earnest- 
 ly striving to do His will, and remembering that His word shall 
 not pass away and that the promise is certain and the reward 
 sure. 
 
XXXVI 
 
 The General Conclusion. Epilogue, xxii: 6-20. 
 
 1. "The end of the visions vouchsafed to John has come, the 
 splendid picture of the New Jerusalem forming their culmina- 
 tion. Only the closing words remain to be recorded, and this 
 is done in the portion of the book now before us. 
 
 2. The chief difficulty in this portion of the book is to de- 
 termine the speakers. Is it, for instance, the same person who 
 utters the words of vs. 6 and vs. 7, and again the words of vs. 
 9-1 1, and vs. i2f. Various views are possible. 
 
 A. It may be argued that the speakers are different and that 
 John is not careful to distinguish them, e. g., that the "he said" 
 at the beginning of vs. 6 refers to the angel of xxi: 9, 15 and 
 xxii: 1, while vs. 7 is the words of Christ. Similarly in vs. 
 9-1 1, and vs. I2f. Certainly in vs. 16 we have the words of 
 Christ. And it must be admitted that this would be in general 
 accord with the situation presented in the book. But it seems 
 impossible that the words of vs. 7 should be spoken by the angel 
 unless we are to understand them as referring to a coming for 
 him like that spoken of in the book so often as the coming of 
 Christ. Similarly with the words of vs. 9-1 1 and 12. But 
 when we come to vs. 13 and 16 it is impossible to believe the 
 angel could have used them of himself and they must be the 
 words of Christ either spoken directly or on His behalf by 
 another. 
 
 B. However, another view is possible. We must recall the 
 words with which the book opens (i: 1) "The Revelation of 
 Jesus Christ . . . and he sent and signified it by his angel," 
 also the words of xxii: 16, "I Jesus have sent my angel to testify 
 to you. . . ." These show that the revelation was given 
 through the mediation of an angel, and in xix: 10 and xxii: 8 
 John recognizes the presence and assistance of a mediating angel. 
 Also we must remember that the mediating angel in xxii: 9 
 claims to belong to the class of prophets, and various Old Testa- 
 ment prophets spoke for God in the first person without in- 
 dicating that the words were other than their own, e. g. Isa. 
 xli: 1-13 following Isa. xl: 28-31 is a passage of this class and 
 
 207 
 
208 The Revelation of John 
 
 it fs not till we reach xli: 14 that we learn that the words are 
 God's, spoken on His behalf in direct narration by the prophet. 
 
 C. Perhaps the best solution of the problem is by a combina- 
 tion of both of these views. In vs. 6 the "he said" at the begin- 
 ning seems clearly to refer to the angel as the speaker while in 
 vs. 7, the same angel continues to speak but on behalf of God, 
 using the first person for the sake of vividness. In vs. 8 John 
 is certainly speaking but the mediating angel is at hand, speak- 
 ing again in vs. 9, continuing to the end of vs. 1 1 but with vs. 
 12-15 again speaking on behalf of Jesus, though using the direct 
 narration once more. With vs. 16, Jesus Himself seems plainly 
 to be speaking directly. But who speaks the words of vs. 17, 
 18, 19, and 20, Jesus, the angel, the seer, or someone else? On 
 the whole the most reasonable and natural view seems to be 
 that we have the direct words of Jesus in vs. 16, that in vs. 
 17-19 the words are those of John reporting further what he 
 has also heard, while in vs. 20 we have the response of the seer. 
 If this view is correct it will help us to understand the sig- 
 nificance of the passage and its meaning. 
 
 3. Several points in this section call for comment. 
 
 A. The certification of the genuineness of the revelation is 
 noteworthy. First, the angel indorses the revelation, describing 
 the sayings as faithful and true. He further declares that it 
 originates with God, is given through His angel, and is for the 
 benefit of His servants that they may know what is soon to come 
 to pass (vs. 6, ioff). Second, the seer indorses it, declaring 
 that he saw and heard these things (vs. 8). Third, Jesus Him- 
 self indorses it (vs. i6flf) declaring that He has sent His angel 
 to bear this testimony to them and enhances His testimony by 
 adding some of His characteristics. All this certification would 
 increase the authority and interest of the book for those to whom 
 it was sent, — those in the churches (vs. 16). 
 
 B. The openness of the revelation is mentioned. It is not 
 to be sealed (vs. 10). This is in striking contrast to the in- 
 struction given to Daniel (viii: 26 and xii: 9). The circum- 
 stances are the very reverse of those in Daniel, however, for 
 there the time was far distant while here it is at hand. 
 
 C. The exhortation to read and study the contents of the 
 book is given and a blessing pronounced on those who do so 
 and keep what is there told them (vs. 7, 14). Thus the book 
 ends as it began ( i : 3 ) with blessing on its devout students. 
 
Exposition 209 
 
 D. The repeated assurance of the immediate fulfilment of 
 what is stated in the book. It was given to show to His servants 
 the things that must shortly come to pass (vs. 6). He comes 
 quickly (vs. 7, 12, 20). The time is at hand — indeed so near 
 at hand that change is impossible as the habits and attitude of 
 people are fixed now, and no further opportunity will be given 
 for repentance or apostacy (vs. ioff). Here again the book 
 ends as it began (i: 3). As this is the last thought in the book 
 but the final benediction, and as it is very emphatic because of 
 its frequent repetition, and as the value of the book both for 
 those to whom it was first addressed and for people of all time 
 afterwards, is greatly affected by the fulfilment of this declara- 
 tion, we should ask whether it has been fulfilled or not. Must 
 we say that still He has not come though more than eighteen 
 hundred years have passed since this repeated promise of His 
 speedy return was given? Perhaps it might even be said that 
 a large part of the Christian Church has ceased to look for His 
 coming. And if the Apocalypse fails on this point which seems 
 open to the test of history, what of the other matters of the book 
 that we cannot test? There can be no serious doubt that on this 
 point the words were intended by their author, and would be un- 
 derstood by their first readers in their natural, literal, obvious 
 sense, which certainly would not be eighteen hundred or two 
 thousand years in the future. If this is the coming of Christ 
 referred to in this book it is long since past, though He has not 
 yet come again in bodily form. Indeed none of the many as- 
 surances of His coming in the book say that He is to come in 
 bodily form. And if some of the scenes depicted seem to imply 
 that, let us remember that we are dealing with an apocalypse 
 which must be interpreted differently from ordinary narrative. 
 We have seen that the Christian Church of John's day and es- 
 pecially the Christians to whom he wrote this book, were in the 
 midst of a great crisis of such tremendous importance that. the 
 world's future depended on it. Paganism and Christianity were 
 in a life and death conflict and the issue was one that would in- 
 fluence ever} 7 age after it. In the light of the results of that 
 prolonged and terrible conflict surely it is not too much to say 
 that Christ was in it, — that He came and was coming when the 
 words of our author were penned, going forth conquering and 
 to conquer. In that conflict Christ and Christianity lay hold 
 on the world so that the Gospel triumphed. And all who fol- 
 
2IO The Revelation of John 
 
 lowed Christ and like Him endured the shame, the persecution, 
 and the cross reigned with Him. This could not have been if 
 Christ had not come in those awful years ; and surely it consti- 
 tutes a coming of Christ, quite as real and important as His 
 first coming in Palestine less than a century before. This is the 
 Coming of Christ and this the triumph of His Cause that John 
 prophesied throughout the book, and his ability to see and de- 
 clare it was what made him a prophet of God and his apocalypse 
 a real prophecy. 
 
 E. The penalty for adding or taking from the things that are 
 written in this book is strongly asserted (vs. 1 8, 19). It may 
 have been suggested by Moses' words in Deut. iv: 2. Writers 
 sometimes protected their works by adding a solemn warning to 
 the scribe to correct carefully his copy. If the words before us 
 are intended in this sense they have not been completely success- 
 ful as there are many manuscript variations in the text of the 
 Apocalypse. We may be sure, however, that the charge was 
 intended to go deeper than this and to include the deliberate 
 falsification or misrepresentation of the divine message. While 
 no honest copyist, translator, or interpreter would incur the 
 penalty because of unintentional errors, yet the warning should 
 restrain from all levity in handling the book. 
 
 F. Several characteristics of Christ are mentioned in the 
 passage (1) He is spoken of as the first and the last (vs. 13) 
 by which His infinitude is signified. In some passages of the 
 book the expression seems to be used of God as distinct from 
 Christ (e. g. xxi: 6 and perhaps also in i: 8), but in others (i: 
 17 and xxii: 13) Christ seems plainly to be meant. Either John 
 does not distinguish closely between the Father and the Son in 
 this book, or he identifies the Son with the Father as in John 
 x: 30. (2) He is the root and offspring of David (vs. 16, cf. 
 v: 5 and notes), another way doubtless of expressing His in- 
 finitude. He is the beginning and end of the whole Davidic 
 household and the great realization of its hopes. (3) He is the 
 bright, the morning star (vs. 16). Just as a star of exceptional 
 brightness precedes the sunrising and thus ushers in the day, so 
 He ushers in the new Day of God. We now see that the 
 promise of ii: 28 was that Christ would impart Himself to the 
 overcomer. (4) He brings His reward with Him (vs. 12, 17). 
 The magnificence of Christ loses nothing in the closing sentences 
 of the book. 
 
Exposition 21 1 
 
 G. The response to the announcement of the immediate com- 
 ing of Christ is general and hearty, (i) The spirit (vs. 17) 
 repeats it. By irvevfm (spirit) Jiere we should probably under- 
 stand, not the Holy Spirit in the strict or general sense, but 
 rather the Holy Spirit as expressing Himself in prophetic utter- 
 ances, the spirit that inspired to spiritual and prophetic discern- 
 ment. (2) The bride (vs. 17, cf. xix: 7, xxi: 2, 9) of course 
 is the body of Christ's people. (3) The seer himself (vs. 20). 
 (4) Besides all who hear and all in need are invited to come. 
 
 H. Those who keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book 
 (vs. 7) and those that wash their robes (vs. 14) are declared to 
 be blessed. Of course only real Christians could be of either 
 class. In vs. 14 two reasons are given, first, that they may have 
 the right to the tree of life, and second, that they may enter by 
 the gates into the city. The city is apparently that of xxi: 1 — 
 xxii: 5 and the tree of life that of xxii: 2. Here, too, we see 
 the meaning of the promise given to the overcomer (ii: 7). 
 Those not blessed are the evil doers of all sorts who are exclud- 
 ed and classed with the dogs (cf. Ps. lix: 6, 14). 
 
XXXVII 
 
 The Final Benediction, xxii: 21. 
 
 This remarkable and exceedingly interesting and instructive 
 book closes with the benediction. While this sort of ending was 
 unusual in apocalyptic writings it is particularly suitable here 
 since this book, as Swete remarks (id., p. 313), while an 
 apocalypse in inner character and a prophecy in purpose, is an 
 epistle in form. The saints are the people of holy and con- 
 secrated life both in the cities of Asia and throughout the world. 
 The source of their excellence and the guarantee of their future 
 is only the grace of Christ. Of this the benediction is a re- 
 minder, and a prayer that they may realize it. 
 
 212 
 
PART III 
 
THE CORRELATION OF THE INTERPRETATION 
 
 It only remains for us to correlate and summarize the results 
 of our interpretation of this splendid book. 
 
 Leaving out the introduction (i: 1-8) and the conclusion 
 (xxii: 6-21) we have found that the book is made up of two 
 great visions. In the record of these we have the things that 
 John saw and was instructed to write (i: 11, 19). Both visions 
 are visions of the things that are and of the things that shall be, 
 but in different ways. 
 
 The first vision is a vision of Christ in the midst of the 
 churches. In it He is revealed in all His magnificence as among 
 the churches to which the book is to be sent, while His mes- 
 sages to them reveal the closest knowledge of their several states 
 and the keenest appreciation both of their merits and defects. 
 These churches are, in part at least, the things that are (vs. 
 19) and their several fates, as revealed in these letters, also 
 are, in part, the things that shall be. 
 
 In the second vision (iv: 1 — xxii: 5) we have also an account 
 of the things that are and the things that shall be, but of a 
 different kind. While in the first vision attention was directed 
 to the churches in their relation to Christ, in this vision the 
 great theme is the state and destiny of the Church and the 
 Roman world. There is no detailed scrutiny of the Church as 
 in the first vision, but the Roman world is dealt with from 
 various points of view and its essential nature clearly set forth, 
 while the Church is considered as a whole. 
 
 The first scene in the vision is that of the throne of God who, 
 rather than Caesar, is shown to be supreme in the world (chap- 
 ter iv). In His hand He holds the Book of Destiny which no 
 one is able to open until Christ appears, and to Him it is en- 
 trusted (chapter v). He proceeds to open the seals one by one 
 until all are opened. These seal-openings, we found, revealed 
 the condition of the Roman world and the Church as it ap- 
 peared to the mind of John, — the first four showing the real 
 condition of the Empire, and the fifth that of the Church, both 
 being the very opposite of what they appeared to be to the out- 
 ward eye, the Empire suffering from various ills though seem- 
 ingly prosperous, the Church robed in white and blessed of God 
 
 215 
 
216 The Revelation of John 
 
 though apparently crushed to death. The sixth seal-opening 
 shows the general conviction that the time of Divine judgment 
 is at hand. Of course the first thought is of the fate of the 
 Church in such an event. The seventh chapter shows that pro- 
 vision is made for her so that she will not suffer at all, being 
 sealed against all spiritual evil and having all her needs supplied. 
 Then the seventh seal is loosed and the Book of Destiny is fully 
 open. 
 
 After an half-hour's silence, which adds emphasis to the com- 
 ing events, the out-pourings of Divine wrath begin and continue 
 throughout the series of the seven trumpets (viii: 2 — xi: 19). 
 These seven trumpets reveal events similar to those of the seal- 
 openings, but they are considered from a different angle. In- 
 deed they may be the very same events, but while there they 
 were merely considered as facts revealing a certain condition of 
 the Church and the Empire, here they are considered as Di- 
 vinely ordered and expressing a Divine purpose — a call to re- 
 pentance; but the people do not repent. Therefore the next 
 stage is that of judgment as expressed in the seventh trumpet, — 
 destruction for those that will not repent and reward to the 
 saints. In all this the Church receives the Divine revelation, 
 witnesses faithfully, and is triumphant and victorious in spite 
 of seeming defeat and destruction (x: 1 — xi: 14). 
 
 In the section xii: 1 — xx: 5 the judgment of the seventh 
 trumpet is enlarged, the different aspects of it given in detail, 
 and the whole embellished with much color. Rome is pictured 
 as the embodiment and expression of Satan (chapter xii), as a 
 hideous beast (xiii: 1-10), and as a monster with extraordinary 
 powers (xiii: 11-18), while the Church is assembled with Christ 
 (xiv: 1-5), and announcement is made that the time of judg- 
 ment is come and Rome has fallen (xiv: 6-13). This judg- 
 ment includes the harvest of the world (xiv: 14-20), the pour- 
 ing out of the wrath of God on the impenitent (xv: 1 — xvi: 
 21), and consequently the passing of Rome (xvii — xviii), all 
 of which are impressively pictured at length. The calamities 
 of the bowls are similar to those of the seals and trumpets, — - 
 perhaps the very same phenomena are represented by them, — 
 but their purpose is now punitive, and they are final. After the 
 overthrow of Rome there is a great thanksgiving to God, while 
 Christ completes the victory. The Church then advances to a 
 higher life, and after a long period of prosperity and a final 
 
The Correlation of the Interpretation 217 
 
 conflict with Satan sees the final overthrow of the powers of 
 evil (chapters xix, xx). 
 
 The vision closes with a vivid and beautiful picture of the 
 Church in her final estate of bliss and peace with God (xxi — 
 xxii: 5). 
 
 In the book of Revelation we have a remarkable combination 
 of characteristics. First. It is an epistle in outward form, hav- 
 ing at the beginning the name of the author and those to whom 
 it is sent (i: 4) ; the reason for this form is also given (i: 1 1, 
 xxii: 16). Second. It is an apocalypse in literary character and 
 so describes itself (i: 1, notes). Third. In its essential nature 
 it is a. prophecy, and even claims to be such (i: 3, xxii: 7, 10, 
 18, 19). It has all the directness and adaptation to the distinct 
 needs of those to whom it is written of the epistle, all the weird 
 mystery and extraordinary scenery of the apocalypse, all the 
 clear exposition of the Divine nature and of His will and pur- 
 poses for the world of the prophecy. It is therefore admirably 
 adapted to discharge its great purpose of inspiring the Christian 
 communities of Asia Minor, and particularly those of them to 
 which it was primarily sent, with hope and faith in their long 
 period of severe persecution. 
 
 This comfort and encouragement is chiefly based on the dis- 
 tinct teaching of the book on four great themes, viz. God, 
 Christ, the Roman Empire, and the Church. 
 
 I. God is the Giver of the revelation contained in the book. 
 He is very great and magnificent, eternal, omnipotent, thrice 
 holy, wise, glorious, true and just in His ways, and the King 
 of saints. He is declared to be worthy to receive glory, honour, 
 power and praise, while salvation is ascribed to Him. He is the 
 Creator of heaven and earth and all things in them, whose works 
 are great and marvellous, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 the Ruler of the nations who has taken to Himself His great 
 power and reigns. He dispenses judgment both to the evil and 
 the good and His judgments are true and righteous, so that all 
 get their just deserts. He is Lord and God who shall be 
 universally worshipped. Here is a remarkable and worthy pic- 
 ture of God, a picture that could not fail to inspire His suffer- 
 ing people in Asia Minor with courage and hope. That such 
 an one is infinitely superior to the Roman emperor in every 
 way, and especially as an object of worship, is self-evident. 
 
 II. Christ has a large place in the book. Indeed it is the 
 
21 8 The Revelation of John 
 
 revelation of Him. He is the faithful and true Witness, the 
 First-born of the dead who lives for ever and has the keys of 
 death, Hades, and David, so that He can open and no one can 
 shut and shut and no one can open. He is the Son of God, 
 magnificent and eternal, holy and true, the Beginning of the 
 creation of God, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, yet a Lamb that 
 is the Root and Offspring of David, the bright and morning 
 Star. His word is so keen and powerful that it is able even to 
 kill His enemies and smite the nations. He is worthy to receive 
 power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honour, glory, and praise. 
 Though coming in the clouds and the One whom all shall see, 
 over Him all tribes of the earth shall mourn. He is a glorious 
 Conqueror who is the Victor in every conflict with Satan or the 
 Empire, who wears many diadems on His head, and in righte- 
 ousness judges and makes war. He is a great Leader whom the 
 armies of heaven follow. Though very magnificent, with His 
 eyes like flames of fire, His countenance like the sun, and His 
 feet like pillars of fine brass, He yet loves the Church and her 
 people, has loosed many from sin and redeemed them by His 
 blood from all kindreds, tribes, tongues, and peoples, making 
 them a kingdom of rulers and priests to God who share the 
 government of the world and the priestly service of God with 
 Him who is the Prince of the kings of the earth and the One 
 to whom glory and dominion forever are ascribed. He is in the 
 midst of the churches and knows their condition and works, 
 appreciating their virtues and disapproving their vices. He 
 rebukes and chastens those whom He loves, assuring those who 
 overcome of great rewards and those who fail of severe punish- 
 ments. This was their Saviour, their Leader, and their King 
 before whom all the great ones of Rome sank to insignificance. 
 III. Rome and her people have a large place in the book. 
 Whether she is considered as a great city reigning over the 
 kings of the earth and with which they have heinously sinned; 
 or whether she is considered as an assemblage of peoples, na- 
 tions, and tongues ; or whether she is looked upon as a political 
 power or a religious organization worshipping the emperor as 
 her god ; she and her peoples are consistently represented as the 
 very opposite of what they should be according to the will of 
 God. Ugly and monstrous to an extraordinary degree, exceed- 
 ingly evil and forcing her evil character upon all the peoples 
 under her influence, having great power, and yet the wonder of 
 
The Correlation of the Interpretation 219 
 
 the world and the object of its worship, she is represented as the 
 very incarnation and instrument of Satan. She persecutes the 
 Church, resists the gospel, fails to repent of her evils even when 
 mercifully pressed to do so by the outpourings of Divine wrath, 
 and continues in her iniquities until she must be overthrown by 
 God. Yet she suffers much from various kinds of torment, such 
 as earthquake, drought, famine, pestilence, and war. Her peo- 
 ple are convinced that the time of Divine judgment is at hand, 
 and their apprehensions are well founded for she is overpowered 
 by the just judgment of God and falls in utter overthrow 
 never to rise again. She is greatly lamented,, but her smoke 
 rises up for ever and ever. Thus is described the character and 
 destiny of Rome. Indeed her complete destruction is already 
 determined by God, or rather she has herself determined it by 
 her own character and conduct. Although often in the vision 
 spoken of as having actually occurred, her fall was still an event 
 of the future for the Christians of John's day, though necessarily 
 determined and assured by her character and conduct then. 
 
 IV. The Church of the day and its people also have a large 
 place in the book. Those who hear and read the book and keep 
 the things written in it are declared to be blessed. It is to the 
 Church and its people that the book is sent. They are sum- 
 moned to leave the iniquities of the Empire, are redeemed from 
 the earth by the blood of Christ, are made a kingdom of ser- 
 vants, priests, and prophets of God and reign with Him. 
 Though suffering temporarily they are yet sealed and guaran- 
 teed against any real spiritual injury from demons or otherwise. 
 Though they have come out of great tribulation their bliss is 
 great, for they are attired in white, commune with Him, 
 and desire to know how long it will be before their blood 
 is avenged. They praise God in His temple and sing be- 
 fore His throne. They keep the commandments of God 
 and the faith of Jesus, and follow the Lamb wherever He 
 goes. They receive the revelation of Christ and witness 
 for Him in the world. Even in death they are blessed. 
 While collectively as the Church they are closely scrutinized by 
 Christ and their shortcomings faithfully indicated, He keenly 
 appreciates their virtues. The Church is glorious, the bride of 
 Christ, and when assembled on Mount Zion with Him is de- 
 clared to be without defect. Rome passes away but the Church 
 triumphs and dwells in the city of God, reigns for ever and 
 
220 The Revelation of John 
 
 ever, and enjoys eternal bliss with Christ her Lord. As the 
 condition of Rome was really the reverse of what it appeared 
 to be to the outward eye, so it is with the Church and the people 
 of God. She is apparently persecuted, crushed, and dead ; but 
 really she is the bride of Christ, living and reigning with Him 
 and gloriously triumphant, though it will be only in the future 
 that her triumph will be generally manifest. 
 
 What inspiration to faith and courage such teaching as this 
 would bring to the church of that day we can well surmise. 
 God the supreme and glorious Emperor of the universe and not 
 Caesar; Jesus Christ the ever-present Saviour who was dead 
 but always lives, the glorious Conqueror who reigns continually 
 with His people in the world; Rome, apparently mistress of the 
 world but even then fallen by her iniquities and doomed to 
 utter extinction; the Church, redeemed from the world, cleansed 
 from sin, robed in righteousness, communing with God, the 
 bride and companion of Christ, kept from all real harm and 
 triumphant then and at last, her people blessed even in death, 
 though persecuted and apparently done to death in the world ; — 
 can it be doubted for a moment that such teaching as this 
 must have exercised a powerful influence in enabling that same 
 Church to endure hardness, be faithful even unto death, and 
 conquer the proudest and most powerful empire the world had 
 ever seen after a conflict lasting nearly three centuries? With- 
 out the help of this book the battle might perhaps have been 
 won, but the church of that time would certainly have been 
 much weaker, the fight might have been longer, and the whole 
 Christian world then and since would have been poorer indeed. 
 
 And is not such teaching just what is needed to inspire the 
 Church of every age to courage and faith and enable it to tri- 
 umph over its foes? In every age it has its enemies to fight 
 and its conquests to make. Is it not always weakened by de- 
 fect and greatly in need of just such encouragement and help 
 as this book brought to the Christians of the latter half of the 
 first century? Seeing the meaning of the book in at least a 
 general way, we are in a position to apply it in our own case. 
 And what faithful follower of Jesus Christ but is helped by 
 the knowledge and cheered by the assurance that God is supreme 
 in the universe rather than Satan and sin; that Jesus Christ, 
 though He died in apparent disgrace on Calvary, ever lives, is 
 the world's Saviour, the sure Conqueror, and the eternal King ; 
 
The Correlation of the Interpretation 22 1 
 
 that the kingdoms of evil even though they may seem to be 
 world-wide and all-powerful, have even now fallen and are 
 doomed to pass away; and that the people of God, though few 
 in number, greatly despised, and continually called upon to 
 suffer greatly in the world, are really the world's heroes, tri- 
 umphant in their life and reigning with Christ. Inspired and 
 encouraged by the great truths of this book the Church of every 
 age will go on conquering and to conquer, strong in the knowl- 
 edge that her labor is not in vain, that the Lord God omni- 
 potent reigns, and that in His own good time the kingdoms of 
 this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
APPENDIX I 
 
TRANSLATION OF THE REVELATION OF JOHN 
 
 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, 
 to show to his servants what must quickly come to pass; 
 
 2 and he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John, who 
 bore witness of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus 
 
 3 Christ, of as many things as he saw. Blessed is he that reads 
 and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the 
 things written therein, for the time is at hand. 
 
 4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia; grace 
 to you and peace from him who was and is and is to come, and 
 
 5 from the seven spirits which are before his throne, and from 
 Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, 
 and the prince of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us 
 
 6 and loosed us from our sins by his blood, and made us a king- 
 dom, priests to God and his father, to him be the glory and 
 
 7 the dominion for ever and ever; amen. Behold he comes with 
 the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they who pierced 
 him, and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even 
 so, amen. 
 
 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord, the God, 
 who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. 
 
 9 I John, your brother and partner in the tribulation 
 and kingdom and patience of Jesus, was in the island called 
 
 io Patmos for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was 
 in the spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great 
 
 ii voice as of a trumpet saying, "What you see write in a book 
 and send to the seven churches, unto Ephesus and unto Smyrna 
 and unto Pergamum and unto Thyatira and unto Sardis and 
 
 12 unto Philadelphia and unto Laodicea." And I turned to see 
 the voice that spoke with me ; and when I turned I saw seven 
 
 13 golden lamps, and in the midst of the lamps one like a son of 
 man clothed with a garment down to the feet and girdled 
 
 14 around the breast with a golden girdle; his head and his hair 
 were white as wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were as a 
 
 15 flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass as if refined in a fur- 
 
 16 nace, and his voice as the voice of many waters; and he had in 
 his right hand seven stars, and a sharp two-edged sword pro- 
 ceeded from his mouth, and his face was as the sun shines in its 
 
 225 
 
226 The Revelation of John 
 
 17 strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead; and 
 he laid his right hand on me saying, "Fear not; I am the first 
 
 18 and the last and the living one, and I was dead and behold I am 
 living for ever and ever, and I have the keys of death and 
 
 19 Hades. Write, then, the things that you saw, and the things 
 
 20 that are, and the things that shall be hereafter. The mystery 
 of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven 
 golden lamps; the seven stars are the angels of the seven 
 churches, and the seven lamps are the seven churches. 
 
 2 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write; 
 
 "These things says he who holds the seven stars in his right 
 
 2 hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lamps; I 
 know your works, and your labour and your patience, and that 
 you cannot bear evil men, and you have tried those who call 
 
 3 themselves apostles, and are not, and found them false ; and you 
 have patience, and have borne for my name, and have not 
 
 4 grown weary. But I have against you that you have left your 
 
 5 first love. Remember then from whence you have fallen, and 
 repent and do the first works ; but if not, I come to you and will 
 
 6 move your lamp out of its place, unless you repent. But this 
 you have that you hate the works of the Nicolaitanes, which I 
 
 7 also hate. He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says 
 to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat of 
 the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. 
 
 8 "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write; 
 "These things says the first and the last, who was dead and 
 
 9 lived. I know your tribulation and poverty, but you are rich, 
 and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and are not, 
 
 10 but a synagogue of Satan. Fear not what you are to suffer. 
 Behold the devil will cast some of you into prison that you may 
 be tried, and you shall have tribulation ten days. Be faithful 
 
 11 unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has 
 an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He 
 who overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death. 
 
 12 "And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write; 
 "These things says he who has the sharp two-edged sword. 
 
 13 I know where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is, and you 
 hold fast my name and did not deny my faith, even in the days 
 of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was slain among 
 
 14 you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, 
 because you have there those who hold the teaching of Balaam, 
 
Translation of the Revelation of John 227 
 
 who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children 
 of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornica- 
 
 15 tion. Thus you have also those who hold the teaching of the 
 
 16 Nicolaitanes likewise. Repent then; or else I come unto you 
 quickly, and 1 will make war against them with the sword of 
 
 17 my mouth. He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit 
 says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give of the 
 hidden manna, and I will give to him a white stone, and upon 
 the stone a new name written that no one knows but he that 
 receives it. 
 
 18 "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write; 
 "These things says the Son of God, who has his eyes as a 
 
 19 flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass. I know your works 
 and your love and faith and service and patience, and that your 
 
 20 last works are more than the first. But I have against you that 
 you tolerate the woman Jezabel, who calls herself a prophetess, 
 and teaches and leads my servants to commit fornication and to 
 
 21 eat things offered to idols. And I gave her time to repent, and 
 
 22 she did not wish to repent of her fornication. Behold I cast 
 her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into 
 
 23 great tribulation unless they repent of her works; and her chil- 
 dren I will kill with death; and all the churches shall know 
 that I am the searcher of reins and hearts, and I will give to 
 
 24 you each according to your works. But I say to the rest of you 
 in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, who do not 
 know the deep things of Satan, as they say, I cast upon you no 
 
 25 other burden. But what you have hold fast till I come. He 
 
 26 who overcomes and he who keeps my works unto the end, I 
 
 27 will give to him authority over the nations, and he shall rule 
 them with a rod of iron, as potter's vessels they are broken, as I 
 
 28 also received of my Father, and I will give to him the morning 
 
 29 star. He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to 
 the churches. 
 
 3 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write; 
 
 "These things says he who has the seven spirits of God and 
 the seven stars. I know your works, that you have a name that 
 
 2 you live, and you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the 
 things that remain which are ready to die, for I have not found 
 
 3 your works completed before my God ; remember then how you 
 have received and heard, and keep and repent; if therefore you 
 shall not watch, I will come as a thief, and you shall not know 
 
228 The Revelation of John 
 
 4 what hour I will come upon you. But you have a few names 
 in Sardis that did not defile their garments, and they shall walk 
 
 5 with me in white, for they are worthy. He who thus overcomes 
 shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not at all blot 
 out his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name 
 
 6 before my father and before his angels. He who has an ear let 
 him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 
 
 7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; 
 "These things says he that is holy, he that is true, he that has 
 
 the key of David, he that opens and no one shall shut, and shuts 
 
 8 and no one opens. I know your works; behold I have set be- 
 fore you a door opened, which no one is able to shut; because 
 you have a little strength, and you have kept my word, and 
 
 9 have not denied my name. Behold I give of the synagogue of 
 Satan, of those who call themselves Jews, and are not but speak 
 falsely ; behold I will make them come and worship before your 
 
 io feet, and they shall know that I loved you. Because you kept 
 the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour 
 of trial which will come upon the whole world, to try those 
 
 1 1 who dwell upon the earth. I come quickly ; hold fast what you 
 
 12 have that no one take your crown. He who overcomes, I will 
 make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out 
 no more at all ; and I will write upon him the name of my God 
 and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which 
 comes down out of the heaven from my God, and my new name. 
 
 13 He who has an ear let him hear w r hat the Spirit says to the 
 churches. 
 
 14 "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write; 
 "These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, 
 
 15 the beginning of the creation of God. I know your works, that 
 you are neither cold nor hot. I would you were cold or hot. 
 
 16 So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will 
 
 17 spew you out of my mouth. Because you say 'I am rich and 
 have increased in goods and have need of nothing,' and do not 
 know that you are the afflicted one and miserable and poor and 
 
 18 blind and naked, I counsel you to buy of me gold refined from 
 the fire that you may be rich, and white garments that you may 
 clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness be not manifest, 
 
 19 and eyesalve to anoint your eyes that you may see. I rebuke 
 
 20 and chasten as many as I love ; be zealous then and repent. Be- 
 hold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hear my voice 
 
Translation of the Revelation of John 229 
 
 and open the door, I will come in to him and I will sup with 
 
 21 him and he with me. He who overcomes, I will give to him to 
 sit with me in my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with 
 
 22 my father in his throne. He who has an ear let him hear what 
 the Spirit says to the churches." 
 
 4 After these things I saw and behold a door opened in 
 the heaven, and the first voice which I heard was like that of 
 a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Ascend hither, and I will 
 
 2 show you what must come to pass hereafter." Immediately I 
 was in the spirit; and behold there was a throne in the heaven, 
 
 3 and one sitting upon the throne, and he that sat was like in ap- 
 pearance to a jasper and sardine stone, and a rainbow round the 
 
 4 throne was like an emerald in appearance. And round the 
 throne were twenty-four thrones, and upon the thrones twenty- 
 four elders sat clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on 
 
 5 their heads. And out of the throne lightnings and voices and 
 thunders proceed ; and seven lamps of fire were burning be- 
 
 6 fore the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. And be- 
 fore the throne as it were a glassy sea like crystal. And in the 
 midst of the throne and round about the throne were four liv- 
 
 7 ing creatures full of eyes before and behind ; the first creature 
 was like a lion, and the second creature was like a calf, and the 
 third creature had the face of a man, and the fourth creature 
 
 8 was like a flying eagle; and the four living creatures had each 
 six wings, while round about and within they were full of eyes ; 
 and day and night they have no rest saying, 
 
 "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, the God, the Almighty, 
 who was and is and is to come." 
 
 9 And whenever the living creatures shall give glory and 
 honour and thanks to him who sits upon the throne, who lives 
 
 10 for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders shall fall down before 
 the throne and shall worship him who lives for ever and ever, 
 and cast their crowns before the throne saying, 
 
 11 "Thou art worthy, our Lord and our God, to receive 
 the glory and the honour and the power, for thou hast cre- 
 ated all things, and for thy pleasure they exist and were 
 created." 
 
 5 And I saw upon the right hand of him that sat upon 
 the throne a book written within and on the back, close sealed 
 
 2 with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with 
 a great voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to loose its 
 
230 The Revelation of John 
 
 3 seals?" And no one in the heaven nor upon the earth nor under 
 
 4 the earth was able to open the book or to look on it. And I 
 wept much because no one was found worthy to open the book 
 
 5 or to look on it; and one of the elders says to me, "Weep not; 
 behold the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, 
 
 6 has overcome to open the book and its seven seals." And I 
 saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, 
 and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been 
 slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven 
 
 7 spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and 
 took it out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. 
 
 8 And when he took the book, the four living creatures and the 
 twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, having each a harp and 
 golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints ; 
 
 9 and they sing a new song saying, 
 
 "Thou art worthy to take the book and to open its 
 seals, because thou wast slain and hast bought to God by 
 io thy blood from every tribe and tongue and people and na- 
 tion, and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our 
 God, and they reign on the earth." 
 
 1 1 And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels in the 
 circle of the throne and of the living creatures and of the 
 elders, and the number of them was myriads of myriads and 
 
 1 2 thousands of thousands, saying with a great voice, 
 
 "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power 
 and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory 
 and praise." 
 
 13 And every creature in the heaven and upon the earth and un- 
 der the earth and on the sea and all in them, I heard saying, 
 
 "To him that sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be 
 the praise and the honour and the glory and the dominion 
 for ever and ever." 
 
 14 And the four living creatures said "Amen," and the elders fell 
 down and worshipped. 
 
 6 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven 
 seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with 
 
 2 a voice of thunder, "Come." And I saw, and behold a white 
 horse, and he that sat upon him had a bow, and a crown was 
 given to him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. 
 
 3 And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living 
 
 4 creature saying, "Come." And another horse, blood-red, went 
 
Translation of the Revelation of John 231 
 
 forth, and to the one sitting on him it was given to take peace 
 from the earth and that they should slay one another, and a 
 
 5 great sword was given to him. And when he opened the third 
 seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come." And 
 I saw, and behold a black horse, and he that sat upon him had 
 
 6 a weigh-beam in his hand. And I heard as it were a voice in the 
 midst of the four living creatures saying, "A measure of wheat 
 for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny ; and the 
 
 7 oil and the wine injure not." And when he opened the fourth 
 seal, I heard a voice of the fourth living creature saying, 
 
 8 "Come." And I saw, and behold a pale horse, and the one 
 sitting on him had Death for his name, and Hades followed 
 with him, and authority was given to them over the fourth of 
 the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with 
 
 9 death and by the wild beasts of the earth. And when he opened 
 the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those slain 
 
 10 for the word of God and for the witness which they had. And 
 they called out with a great voice saying, "How long, O Lord 
 holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on 
 
 11 those that dwell on the earth?" And a white robe was given 
 to each one of them, and it was said to them that they should 
 rest yet a little time until their fellow-servants and their 
 brethren who were to be killed as they also were, should be com- 
 
 12 pleted. And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there 
 was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth 
 
 13 of hair, and the moon altogether became as blood, and the stars 
 of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree casts her unripe figs when 
 
 14 shaken by a great wind, and the heaven was removed as a scroll 
 rolled up, and every mountain and island were removed from 
 
 15 their places. And the kings of the earth and the magnates and 
 the chief captains and the rich and the strong and every slave 
 and free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the 
 
 16 mountains, and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, 
 "Fall upon us and hide us from the face of him that sits upon 
 
 17 the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great 
 day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand ?" 
 
 7 After this I saw four angels standing on the four 
 corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that 
 no wind should blow on the earth nor on the sea nor on any 
 
 2 tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the sun-rising, 
 having the seal of the living God, and he called with a great 
 
232 The Revelation of John 
 
 voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth 
 
 3 and the sea, saying, "Hurt not the earth nor the sea nor the 
 trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their 
 
 4 foreheads." And I heard the number of the sealed, one hun- 
 dred and forty-four thousand, sealed from every tribe of the 
 children of Israel; 
 
 5 Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed, 
 Of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, 
 
 Of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, 
 
 6 Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, 
 Of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, 
 Of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, 
 
 7 Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, 
 Of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, 
 Of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 
 
 8 Of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, 
 Of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, 
 
 Of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed. 
 
 9 After these things I saw, and behold a great crowd, 
 which no one could number, of every nation and all tribes and 
 peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the 
 
 io Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands; and 
 they call out with a great voice, saying, 
 
 "Salvation to our God who sits upon the throne and to 
 the Lamb." 
 
 1 1 And all the angels stood around the throne and the eld- 
 ers and the four living creatures, and fell before the throne 
 
 12 on their faces and worshipped God, saying, 
 
 "Amen ; the praise and the glory and the wisdom and the 
 thanksgiving and the honour and the power and the 
 strength be unto our God for ever and ever; amen." 
 
 13 And one of the elders answered me saying, "Who are 
 these clothed in the white robes and whence came they?" 
 
 14 And I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, 
 "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and 
 they washed their robes and made them white with the blood 
 
 15 of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, 
 and they serve him day and night in his temple, and he who sits 
 
 16 upon the throne will spread his tabernacle over them. They 
 shall hunger no more nor thirst any more, neither shall the sun 
 
 17 fall on them nor any heat, for the Lamb in the midst of the 
 
Translation of the Revelation of John 233 
 
 throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them to foun- 
 tains of waters of life; and God shall wipe away every tear 
 from their eyes." 
 8 And when he opened the seventh seal, there was silence 
 
 2 in the heaven about half an hour. And I saw the seven 
 angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given 
 
 3 them. And another angel came and stood at the altar having 
 a golden censer, and much incense was given him to offer with 
 the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which is before 
 
 4 the throne. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of 
 the saints ascended before God from the hand of the angel. 
 
 5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with the fire of the 
 altar, and cast it into the earth; and there were thunders and 
 
 6 voices and lightnings and an earthquake. And the seven angels 
 who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 
 
 7 And the first sounded; and there was hail and fire min- 
 gled with blood, and it was cast into the earth; and the 
 third of the earth was burned up, and the third of trees was 
 
 8 burned up, and all green grass was burned up. And the second 
 angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with 
 fire was cast into the sea ; and the third of the sea became blood, 
 
 9 and the third of the creatures in the sea died, — those having life, 
 
 10 and the third of the boats were wrecked. And the third angel 
 sounded ; and a great star burning as a torch fell from the 
 heaven, and it fell upon the third of the rivers and upon the 
 
 11 fountains of the waters. And the name of the star is Worm- 
 wood. And the third of the waters became wormwood, and 
 many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. 
 
 12 And the fourth angel sounded; and the third of the sun was 
 smitten and the third of the moon and the third of the stars, 
 so that the third of them should be darkened and the day should 
 not shine for a third of it, and the night likewise. 
 
 13 And I saw, and I heard one eagle flying in mid-heaven 
 and saying with a great voice, "Woe, woe, woe for those 
 dwelling on the earth from the remaining voices of the trumpet 
 of the three angels yet to sound." 
 
 9 And the fifth angel sounded; and I saw a star from 
 the heaven fallen into the earth, and the key of the abysmal pit 
 
 2 was given him; and he opened the abysmal pit, and a smoke 
 ascended from the pit as the smoke of a great furnace, and the 
 
 3 sun and the air were darkened from the smoke of the pit. And 
 
234 The Revelation of John 
 
 locusts went forth out of the smoke to the earth, and power was 
 
 4 given them as the scorpions of the earth have power. And 
 they were told not to hurt the grass of the earth nor anything 
 green nor any tree, but only the men who had not the seal of 
 
 5 God on their forehead. And it was given them that they should 
 not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; 
 and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when it 
 
 6 strikes a man. And in those days men shall seek death and shall 
 not find it at all, and they shall desire to die and death flees 
 
 7 from them. And the likenesses of the locusts were similar to 
 horses prepared for war, and upon their heads as it were crowns 
 
 8 as of gold, and their faces were as the faces of men, and they 
 had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the 
 
 9 teeth of lions, and they had breastplates like breastplates of 
 iron, and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots 
 
 io of many horses rushing to war; and they have tails like scorpions 
 and stings, and in their tails is their power to hurt men five 
 
 1 1 months. They have over them as king the angel of the abyss ; 
 his name in the Hebrew is Abaddon and in the Greek he has 
 
 12 Apollyon as name. One woe has come: behold there come yet 
 two more woes. 
 
 1 3 And the sixth angel sounded ; and I heard one voice 
 
 14 from the horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the 
 sixth angel that had the trumpet, "Loose the four angels bound 
 
 15 at the great river Euphrates." And the four angels who had 
 been prepared for the hour and day and month and year were 
 
 16 loosed, to kill the third of men. And the number of the armies 
 of the horsemen was two myriads of myriads; I heard their 
 
 17 number. And thus I saw the horses in the vision and those 
 sitting on them, having breastplates fiery and hyacinthine and 
 sulphurous; and the heads of the horses were as the heads of 
 lions, and out of their mouths fire and smoke and sulphur pro- 
 
 18 ceed. By these three plagues the third of men was slain, by 
 the fire and the smoke and the sulphur proceeding out of their 
 
 19 mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouth and in 
 their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads, and 
 
 20 with them they hurt. And the rest of the men, who were not 
 killed by these plagues, repented not of the works of their hands, 
 that they should not worship the demons and the images of gold 
 and silver and brass and stone and wood, which can neither see 
 
 21 nor hear nor walk, and they repented not of their murders nor 
 
Translation of the Revelation of John 235 
 
 of their sorceries nor of their fornication nor of their thefts. 
 10 And I saw another strong angel descending from the 
 heaven, clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow on his head, 
 
 2 and his face as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire, and hav- 
 ing in his hand a little book opened up. And he set his right 
 
 3 foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth, and cried out with 
 a great voice as a lion roars. And when he cried out, the seven 
 
 4 thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders 
 spake, I was about to write. And I heard a voice out of the 
 heaven saying, "Seal up the things that the seven thunders 
 
 5 spake, and write them not." And the angel whom I saw stand- 
 ing upon the sea and upon the earth, raised his right hand unto 
 
 6 the heaven, and sware by him who lives forever and ever, who 
 created the heaven and the things in it and the earth and the 
 things in it and the sea and the things in it, that there should 
 
 7 be no longer delay; but in the days of the voice of the seventh 
 angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God is finished, 
 as he announced the glad tidings to his servants the prophets. 
 
 8 And the voice which I heard out of the heaven, again spake 
 with me and said, "Go take the book which is open in the hand 
 
 9 of the angel standing on the sea and on the earth." And I went 
 to the angel telling him to give me the little book. And he 
 says to me, "Take it and eat it up, and it will make your belly 
 
 10 bitter, but in your mouth it shall be sweet as honey." And I 
 took the little book from the hand of the angel and ate it up, 
 and it was in my mouth sweet as honey ; and when I ate it, my 
 
 11 belly was made bitter. And they say unto me, "You must 
 prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and 
 tongues and kings." 
 
 11 And a reed like a rod was given me, with the words, 
 "Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and the 
 
 2 worshippers in it. And the court outside the temple leave out 
 and measure it not, because it has been given to the nations, and 
 
 3 the holy city shall they tread down forty-two months. And 
 I will give to my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thou- 
 
 4 sand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." These 
 are the two olive trees and the two lamps standing before the 
 
 5 Lord of the earth. And if anyone will hurt them, fire proceeds 
 from their mouth and devours their enemies; and if anyone 
 
 6 would hurt them, thus he must be killed. These have the au- 
 thority to shut the heaven, that it rain not during the days of 
 
236 The Revelation of John 
 
 their prophecy, and they have authority over the waters to turn 
 them to blood and to smite the earth with every plague as often 
 
 7 as they shall wish. And when they have completed their wit- 
 ness, the beast that ascends from the abyss shall make war with 
 
 8 them and overcome them and kill them. And their dead body 
 shall be upon the street of the great city, which spiritually is 
 called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 
 
 9 And those of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations 
 look upon their dead body three days and a half, and permit 
 
 10 not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those dwelling 
 on the earth rejoice over them and make merry, and shall send 
 gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those 
 
 1 1 who dwell on the earth. And after the three days and a half 
 breath of life from God entered in them, and they stood upon 
 
 12 their feet, and great fear fell upon those who saw them. And 
 they heard a great voice from the heaven saying to them, "As- 
 cend here," and they ascended to the heaven in the cloud, and 
 
 13 their enemies saw them. And in that hour there was a great 
 earthquake, and the tenth of the city fell, and in the earthquake 
 seven thousand men were slain, and the rest were terrified and 
 
 14 gave glory to the God of the heaven. The second woe has 
 come; behold the third woe comes quickly. 
 
 15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great 
 voices in the heaven, saying, 
 
 "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of 
 our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever 
 and ever." 
 
 16 And the twenty-four elders that were sitting before God on 
 
 17 their thrones fell upon their faces and worshipped God, saying, 
 
 "We thank thee, O Lord, God, the Almighty, who is 
 and who was, because thou hast taken thy great power and 
 
 1 8 hast reigned ; and the nations were angry, and thy wrath is 
 come and the time of the dead to be judged, and to give the 
 reward to thy servants the prophets and to the saints and 
 to those who fear thy name, the small and the great, and to 
 destroy those who destroy the earth." 
 
 19 And the temple of God in the heaven was opened, and the 
 ark of his covenant was seen in his temple ; and there were light- 
 nings and voices and thunders and an earthquake and great 
 hail. 
 
 12 And a great sign was seen in the heaven, a woman 
 
Translation of the Revelation of John 237 
 
 clothed with the sun, and the moon beneath her feet, and on her 
 
 2 head a crown of twelve stars, and being with child she cried 
 
 3 out in travail and pain to bring forth. And another sign was 
 seen in the heaven, and behold a great blood-red dragoon, having 
 seven heads and ten horns and upon his heads seven diadems, 
 
 4 and his tail draws the third of the stars of the heaven and did 
 cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman 
 about to bring forth, to devour her child when she should bring 
 
 5 it forth. And she brought forth a son, a male child, who is 
 to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was 
 
 6 caught up to God and to his throne. And the woman fled to 
 the desert where she has a place prepared of God, that they 
 may there nourish her a thousand two hundred and sixty days. 
 
 7 And there was war in the heaven, Michael and his angels 
 fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels, 
 
 8 and prevailed not, nor was their place found any more in the 
 
 9 heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent, 
 called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; 
 he was cast into the earth and his angels were cast down with 
 
 10 him. And I heard a great voice in the heaven saying, 
 
 "Now there is the salvation and the power and the king- 
 dom of our God and the authority of his Christ, for the 
 accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accused them be- 
 
 1 1 fore our God day and night ; and they overcame him be- 
 cause of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of 
 their witness, and they loved not their life unto death. 
 
 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in 
 them; woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has 
 Come- down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he 
 has a little time." 
 
 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast into the earth, 
 he pursued the woman who brought forth the male child. 
 
 14 And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, 
 to fly to the desert to her place, where she is nourished for a 
 time and times and half a time from the face of the serpent. 
 
 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water 
 
 16 as a river, to carry her away in the stream. And the earth 
 helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank 
 
 17 down the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth; and 
 the dragon was angry at the woman, and went to make war 
 with the rest of her seed that keep the commands of God and 
 
238 The Revelation of John 
 
 18 have the witness of Jesus. And he stood upon the sand of the 
 
 sea. 
 13 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having 
 
 ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and 
 
 2 on his heads names of blasphemy. And the beast that I saw 
 was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and 
 his mouth as a mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his 
 
 3 power and his throne and great authority. And I saw one of 
 his heads as if it had been wounded unto death, and his death 
 stroke was healed. And the whole earth wondered after the 
 
 4 beast, and they worshipped the dragon because he gave the 
 authority unto the beast, and they worshipped the beast say- 
 
 5 ing, "Who is like the beast, and who can war with him?" And 
 there was given him a mouth speaking great things and blas- 
 phemies, and there was given him authority to continue forty- 
 
 6 two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against 
 God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, even those 
 
 7 dwelling in the heaven. And it was given him to make war 
 with the saints and to overcome them, and authority was given 
 
 8 him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. And 
 all who dwell on the earth shall worship him, every one whose 
 name is not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from 
 
 9 the foundation of the world. If any one has an ear let him 
 
 10 hear. If any one shall lead into captivity, into captivity he goes; 
 if anyone shall slay with the sword, he must be slain with the 
 sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 
 
 11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, 
 and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a 
 
 12 dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in 
 his presence. And he makes the earth and those dwelling in it 
 
 13 worship the first beast, whose death-stroke was healed. And 
 he does great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out 
 
 14 of the heaven to the earth before men. And he deceives those 
 who dwell on the earth by means of the signs which it is given 
 him to do before the beast, saying to those dwelling on the 
 earth that they should make an image to the beast that had the 
 
 15 wound of the sword and lived. And it was given him to give 
 breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast 
 should both speak and act so that as many as would not worship 
 
 16 the image of the beast should be killed. And he makes all, 
 the small and the great, both the rich and the poor, both the 
 
Translation of the Revelation of John 239 
 
 free and the bond, receive a mark on their right hand or their 
 
 17 forehead, and that no one could buy or sell but he who has the 
 
 18 mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here 
 is wisdom. Let him who has understanding count the number 
 of the beast, for it is a number of a man ; and his number is six 
 hundred and sixty-six. 
 
 14 And I saw, and behold the Lamb standing on the 
 mount Zion, and with him an hundred and forty-four thou- 
 sand having his name and the name of his father written on 
 
 2 their foreheads. And I heard a voice from the heaven like the 
 voice of many waters and like the voice of great thunder, and 
 the voice that I heard was like that of harpers harping with 
 
 3 their harps. And they sing as it were a new song before the 
 throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and 
 no one could learn the song but the hundred and forty-four 
 
 4 thousand, who were bought from the earth. These are those 
 who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins ; these 
 follow the Lamb wherever he goes; these were bought from 
 
 5 men to be a first fruit to God and to the Lamb, and in their 
 mouth no lie was found ; they are faultless. 
 
 6 And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, hav- 
 ing an eternal gospel to proclaim to those dwelling on the earth 
 
 7 and to every race and tribe and tongue and people, saying with 
 a great voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour 
 of his judgment is come, and worship him who made the heaven 
 
 8 and the earth and sea and fountains of waters." And another, a 
 second angel, followed saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the 
 great, that made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of 
 
 9 her harlotry." And another angel, a third, followed them say- 
 ing with a great voice, "If any one worship the beast and his 
 
 10 image, and receive a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he 
 shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God poured out 
 undiluted in the cup of his anger, and shall be tormented with 
 fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and in the 
 
 1 1 presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends 
 for ever and ever, and they have no rest day and night, who 
 worship the beast and his image, and anyone who may receive 
 
 12 the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints, who 
 
 13 keep the commands of God and the faith of Jesus." And I 
 heard a voice from the heaven saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the 
 dead who die in the Lord from now. Yea, says the Spirit, to 
 
240 The Revelation of John 
 
 rest from their labours, for their works go with them.' " 
 
 14 And I saw, and behold a white cloud, and upon the 
 cloud one sitting like a son of man, having on his head a golden 
 
 1 5 crown and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came 
 out of the temple, calling with a great voice to him who sat on 
 the cloud, "Send forth your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap 
 
 16 is come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe." And he that 
 sat on the cloud cast his sickle upon the earth, and the earth 
 
 17 was reaped. And another angel went out of the temple in the 
 
 18 heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel went 
 out from the altar, he having authority over the fire, and called 
 out with a great voice to the one that had the sharp sickle say- 
 ing, "Send forth your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of 
 
 19 the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe." And the 
 angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the 
 earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 
 
 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came 
 out of the winepress unto the bridles of the horses for one 
 thousand six hundred furlongs. 
 
 15 And I saw another sign in the heaven, great and mar- 
 vellous, seven angels having seven plagues, which are the 
 
 2 last, for in them the wrath of God is completed. And I saw 
 as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who come 
 victorious from the beast and from his image and from the 
 number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having the 
 
 3 harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of 
 God and the song of the Lamb, saying, 
 
 "Great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord, God, the 
 Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou king of the na- 
 
 4 tions; who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? 
 for thou alone art holy ; for all the nations shall come and 
 worship before thee, for thy righteous acts are made mani- 
 fest." 
 
 5 And after these things I saw, and the temple of the 
 
 6 tent of the witness was opened in the heaven, and the seven 
 angels having the seven plagues came out of the temple clothed 
 with linen, pure and bright, and girdled about their breasts with 
 
 7 golden girdles. And one of the four living creatures gave to 
 the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God 
 
 8 who lives for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with 
 smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one 
 
Translation of the Revelation of John 241 
 
 was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven 
 angels were complete. 
 16 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying 
 to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the seven bowls of the 
 
 2 wrath of God into the earth." And the first went and poured 
 out his bowl into the earth; and a noisome and grievous sore 
 fell upon the men who had the mark of the beast and who 
 
 3 worshipped his image. And the second poured out his bowl 
 into the sea ; and it became blood as of a dead man, and every 
 
 4 living soul died, — those in the sea. And the third poured out 
 his bowl into the rivers and the fountains of the waters; and 
 
 5 they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, 
 "Righteous art thou, who art and wast, thou Holy One, be- 
 
 6 cause thou hast judged thus; for they have shed bloody of saints 
 and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; they 
 
 7 are worthy." And I heard the altar saying, "Yea, Lord, God, 
 
 8 the Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments." And the 
 fourth poured out his bowl upon the sun; and it was given to 
 
 9 him to scorch the men with fire, and the men were scorched 
 with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who 
 has the authority over these plagues, and they repented not to 
 
 10 give him glory. And the fifth poured out his bowl upon the 
 throne of the beast ; and his kingdom became darkened, and they 
 
 1 1 gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of the 
 heaven because of their pains, and their sores, and repented not 
 
 12 of their works. And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the 
 great river Euphrates ; and its water was dried up, that the way 
 
 13 of the kings from the sunrising should be prepared. And I 
 saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of 
 the dragon and out of, the mouth of the beast and out of the 
 
 14 mouth of the false prophet; for they are the spirits of demons 
 doing signs, which go forth to the kings of the whole world, to 
 assemble them to the war of the great day of God the Al- 
 
 15 mighty. (Behold I come as a thief. Blessed is he who watches 
 and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his 
 
 16 shame). And they gathered them to the place called in Hebrew 
 
 17 Har Magedon. And the seventh poured out his bowl upon the 
 air ; and there went forth a great voice out of the temple from 
 
 18 the throne saying, "It is done." And there were lightnings and 
 voices and thunders, and a great earthquake, such as was not 
 since there were men on the earth, — an earthquake so very great. 
 
242 The Revelation of John 
 
 19 And the great city was broken into three parts, and the cities 
 of the nations fell ; and Babylon the great was remembered be- 
 fore God to give to her the cup of the wine of the wrath of 
 
 20 his anger; and every island fled away, and mountains were not 
 
 21 found. And a great hail with stones like talents for weight, 
 fell out of the heaven on the men ; and the men blasphemed God 
 for the plague of the hail, for the plague of it is very great. 
 
 17 And one of the seven angels having the seven bowls, came 
 and spake with me saying, "Come hither, I will show you 
 
 2 the judgment of the great harlot that sits on many waters, with 
 whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and those 
 dwelling on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her 
 
 3 fornication." And he bore me away in spirit into a wilderness. 
 And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet colored beast, full of 
 
 4 names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns; and 
 the woman was clothed with purple and scarlet, and decked 
 with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup 
 in her hand full of abominations and the unclean things of her 
 
 5 fornication, and upon her forehead a name written, "MYS- 
 TERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF 
 THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF 
 
 6 THE EARTH." And I saw the woman drunken with the 
 blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. 
 
 7 And when I saw her I wondered with great wonder; and the 
 angel said to me, "Why did you wonder? I will tell you the 
 mystery of the woman and of the beast carrying her, that has 
 
 8 the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw 
 was and is not, and is about to ascend out of the abyss and to go 
 into perdition ; and these dwelling on the earth shall wonder, 
 the name of whom has not been written in the book of life from 
 the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was 
 
 9 and is not and shall be present. Here is the mind that has 
 wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the 
 
 10 woman sits. And there are seven kings; the five have fallen, 
 the one is, the other is not yet come, and when he comes he 
 
 1 1 must remain a little time. And the beast that was and is not, is 
 himself also an eighth and is of the seven, and goes into perdi- 
 
 12 tion. And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who 
 have received no kingdom yet, but receive authority as kings one 
 
 13 hour with the beast. These have one mind, and give their 
 
 14 power and authority to the beast. These shall war with the 
 
Translation of the Revelation of John 243 
 
 Lamb., and the Lamb shall overcome them, because he is Lord 
 of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and 
 
 15 chosen and faithful." And he says to me, ''The waters which 
 you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and 
 
 16 nations and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw and 
 the beast, these shall hate the harlot, and make her desolate and 
 
 17 naked, and devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire; for God 
 put into their hearts to do his mind, and to come to one mind 
 and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God 
 
 18 shall be fulfilled. And the woman that you saw is the great 
 city which has dominion over the kings of the earth." 
 
 18 After these things I saw another angel coming down 
 out of the heaven having great authority, and the earth was 
 
 2 lightened with his glory. And he called with a powerful voice 
 saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a 
 dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit 
 
 3 and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird; for by the 
 wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations are fallen, 
 and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and 
 the merchants of the earth grew rich by the power of her 
 
 4 luxury." And 1 heard another voice out of the heaven saying, 
 "Come forth, my people, out of her, that you have no fellow- 
 
 5 ship with her sins, and receive not of her plagues; for her sins 
 have reached unto the heaven, and God has remembered her 
 
 6 iniquities. Give to her as also she gave and double the doubles 
 according to her works; in the cup which she mingled mingle to 
 
 7 her double ; as much as she glorified herself and grew luxurious, 
 so much torment and grief give her. Because in her heart she 
 says, 'I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no grief.' 
 
 8 Therefore in one day her plagues shall come, death and grief 
 and famine, and she shall be burned up with fire; for strong is 
 
 9 the Lord God who judges her. And the kings of the earth that 
 committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her shall 
 weep and lament, when they see the smoke of her burning, 
 
 10 standing far away for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, 
 the great city, Babylon, the strong city, for in one hour is your 
 
 11 judgment come.' And the merchants of the earth weep and 
 mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more, 
 
 12 merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls 
 and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and all thyine 
 wood and every vessel of ivory and every vessel of most precious 
 
244 The Revelation of John 
 
 13 wood and of brass and iron and marble, and cinnamon and 
 amomum and incense and ointment and frankincense and wine 
 and oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and 
 merchandise of horses and chariots and slaves, and souls of men. 
 
 14 And the fruits which your soul desired are gone from you, and 
 all dainty and sumptuous things are perished from you, and they 
 
 15 shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, 
 who grew rich by her, shall stand far off for the fear of her tor- 
 
 16 ment weeping and mourning, saying, 'Alas, alas, the great city, 
 attired in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and decked with 
 gold and precious stone and pearl, for in one hour so great 
 
 17 wealth is made desolate.' And every ship-master and every one 
 who sails any place, both sailors and such as toil on sea, stood 
 
 18 far off and called out as they saw the smoke of her burning 
 
 19 saying, 'What city is like the great city?' And they cast dust 
 upon their heads and called out as they wept and grieved, say- 
 ing, 'Alas, alas, the great city, in which all who had boats on 
 the sea became rich out of her costliness, for in one hour is she 
 
 20 made desolate.' Rejoice over her, O heaven, and the saints and 
 the apostles and the prophets, for God has judged your judg- 
 
 21 ment on her." And one strong angel took up a stone like a 
 great millstone, and cast it into the sea saying, "Thus with 
 impulse shall the great city Babylon be cast down, and shall 
 
 22 be found no more at all." And a voice of harpers and minstrels 
 and flute-players and trumpeteers shall be heard no more in 
 you at all, and every craftsman of whatever craft shall be 
 found no more in you at all, and a sound of a millstone shall 
 
 23 be heard no more in you at all, and a light of a lamp shall shine 
 no more in you at all, and a voice of a bridegroom and of a bride 
 shall be heard no more in you at all ; for your merchants were 
 the magnates of the earth, for with your sorcery all the nations 
 
 24 were deceived. And in her was found blood of prophets and 
 of saints and of all those that had been slain on the earth. 
 
 19 After these things I heard as it were a great voice of a vast 
 multitude in the heaven saying, 
 
 "Hallelujah ; the salvation and the glory and the power 
 
 2 are our God's, for true and righteous are his judgments; 
 for he has judged the great harlot that corrupted the earth 
 with her fornication, and has avenged the blood of his 
 servants at her hand." 
 
 3 And again they said "Hallelujah;" and her smoke ascends 
 
Translation of the Revelation of John 245 
 
 4 for ever and ever. And the twenty-four elders and the four 
 living creatures fell down and worshipped God who sits upon 
 
 5 the throne saying, "Amen, Hallelujah." And a voice went 
 forth from the throne saying, 
 
 "Praise our God, all you his servants and you who fear 
 him, the small and the great." 
 
 6 And I heard as it were a voice of a great multitude and 
 as a voice of many waters and as a voice of mighty thun- 
 ders, saying, 
 
 "Hallelujah, for the Lord, our God, the Almighty, 
 
 7 reigns. Let us rejoice and be very glad, and let us give the 
 glory to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his 
 
 8 wife has made herself ready ; and it was given her to be at- 
 tired in fine linen bright and pure, for the fine linen is the 
 righteous acts of the saints." 
 
 9 And he says to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are 
 bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' " And he says 
 
 10 to me, "These are true words of God." And I fell before his 
 feet to worship him. And he says to me, "See you do it not; 
 I am a fellow-servant of you and your brethren who have the 
 testimony of Jesus ; worship God ; for the testimony of Jesus 
 is the spirit of prophecy." 
 
 11 And I saw the heaven opened, and behold a white 
 horse, and he that sat on him was called faithful and true, 
 
 12 and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are as 
 a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, he has a 
 
 13 name written that no one knows but he himself, and he is 
 clothed with a garment spattered with blood, and his name is 
 
 14 called "The Word of God." And the armies which are in the 
 heaven followed him on white horses, dressed in line linen 
 
 15 white and pure. And a sharp sword proceeds from his mouth, 
 that with it he should smite the nations ; and he shall rule them 
 with a rod of iron ; and he treads the winepress of the fury of 
 
 16 the wrath of God the Almighty. And he has on his garment 
 and on his thigh a name written, "KING OF KINGS AND 
 LORD OF LORDS." 
 
 17 And I saw one angel standing in the sun, and he called 
 with a great voice saying to all the birds flying in mid- 
 18 heaven, "Come, be assembled to the great supper of God, that 
 
 ye may eat flesh of kings and flesh of chief captains and flesh of 
 strong men and flesh of horses and those sitting on them, and 
 
246 The Revelation of John 
 
 19 flesh of all both free men and slaves both small and great." And 
 I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies 
 gathered to make war with him who sat upon the horse and with 
 
 20 his army. And the beast was captured and with him the false 
 prophet that did the signs in his presence, by which he de- 
 ceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who 
 worshipped his image; they were both cast alive into the lake 
 
 21 of fire burning with sulphur. And the rest were slain by the 
 sword of him who sat on the horse, the sword that proceeds out 
 of his mouth, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. 
 
 20 And I saw an angel descending out of the heaven, having 
 
 2 the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And 
 he laid hold of the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil 
 
 3 and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and cast him 
 into the abyss, and shut and sealed it over him, that he should 
 deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were 
 
 4 finished ; after that he must be loosed for a little time. And I 
 saw thrones and their occupants, and judgment was given them; 
 and I saw the souls of those that had been beheaded for the 
 testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who 
 did not worship the beast nor his image and did not receive the 
 mark on their forehead and their hand ; and they lived and 
 
 5 reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest of the dead 
 did not live till the thousand years should be finished. This is 
 
 6 the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that has part in 
 the first resurrection; on these the second death has no power, 
 but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign 
 
 7 with him the thousand years. And when the thousand years 
 
 8 are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall 
 go forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners 
 of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the 
 
 9 war, the number of them being as the sand of the sea. And 
 they went up over the breadth of the earth, and encircled the 
 camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire descended 
 
 10 out of the heaven and devoured them; and the devil that de- 
 ceived them was cast into the lake of fire and sulphur, where 
 both the beast and the false prophet are, and they shall be tor- 
 mented day and night for ever and ever. 
 
 11 And I saw a great white throne and him that sat on 
 it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and no 
 
 1 2 place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and 
 
Translation of the Revelation of John 247 
 
 the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; 
 
 and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the 
 
 dead were judged out of the things written in the books accord- 
 [3 ing to their works. And the sea gave up the dead that were in 
 
 it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, 
 [4 and they were judged each one according to their works. And 
 
 death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the 
 [5 second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone was not found 
 
 written in the book of life he was cast into the lake of fire. 
 Jl And I saw a new heaven and a new earth ; for the first 
 
 heaven and the first earth were gone, and the sea is no more. 
 
 2 And I saw the holy city new Jerusalem coming down out of the 
 heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 
 
 3 And I heard a great voice from the throne saying, "Behold the 
 tabernacle of God is with men and he shall dwell with them, 
 and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with 
 
 4 them, and shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and 
 death shall be no more ; neither shall there be grief nor crying 
 
 5 nor pain any more. The first things have passed away." And 
 he who sits upon the throne said, "Behold I make all things 
 new." And he says "Write, for these words are faithful and 
 
 6 true." And he said to me, "They are accomplished. I am the 
 Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the 
 thirsty one I will give gratuitously of the fountain of the water 
 
 7 of life. He that overcomes shall inherit these things, and I 
 
 8 will be God to him and he shall be son to me. But for the 
 fearful and unfaithful and abominable and murderers and forni- 
 cators and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars their part shall be 
 in the lake burning with fire and sulphur, which is the second 
 death." 
 
 9 And one of the seven angels having the seven bowls full 
 of the seven last plagues came and spake with me saying, 
 "Come hither, I will show you the bride the wife of the Lamb." 
 
 And he bore me away in spirit to a mountain great and high, 
 and he showed me the holy city Jerusalem descending out of 
 
 : 1 the heaven from God, having the glory of God ; her light was 
 like a stone most precious, as it were a jasper stone 
 
 [2 clear as crystal; having a wall great and high, having 
 twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names in- 
 scribed on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of 
 
 :3 the children of Israel; on the east three gates, on the north three 
 
248 The Revelation of John 
 
 14 gates, on the south three gates, on the west three gates; and the 
 wall of the city had twelve foundations, and upon them twelve 
 
 15 names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that spoke 
 with me had a golden reed for a measure, to measure the city 
 
 16 and its gates and its wall. And the city lies four-square, and 
 the length of it is as great as the breadth. And he measured 
 the city with the reed twelve thousand furlongs ; the length and 
 
 17 the breadth and height of it are equal. And he measured the 
 wall of it an hundred and forty-four cubits, man's measure, 
 
 18 which is angel's. And the material of its wall was jasper, and 
 
 19 the city was pure gold like pure glass; the foundations of the 
 wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone; the 
 first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third 
 
 20 chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth 
 sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topas, 
 the tenth chrysophrase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth 
 
 21 amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one 
 of the several gates was of one pearl; and the street of the 
 
 22 city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw 
 no temple in it for the Lord, God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, 
 
 23 are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun nor of the 
 moon to shine on it, for the glory of God illumined it, and its 
 
 24 lamp is the Lamb. And the nations shall walk by its light ; and 
 
 25 the kings of the earth bring their glory into it; and its gates 
 shall not be closed at all by day, for there shall be no night 
 
 26 there ; and they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations 
 
 27 into it. And there shall not at all enter it anything 
 common, nor he who makes an abomination and a lie, 
 but those who are written in the book of life of the Lamb. 
 
 22 And he showed me a river of water of life bright as 
 crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 
 
 2 Between the street of it and the river, on this side and on that, 
 there was the tree of life bearing twelve fruits, yielding its 
 fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the heal- 
 
 3 ing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse. And the 
 throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants 
 
 4 shall serve him, and they shall see his face, and his name shall 
 
 5 be on their foreheads. And night shall be no more, and they 
 have no need of light of lamp and light of sun, because the Lord 
 God shall shine on them, and they shall reign for ever and ever. 
 
 6 And he said to me, "These words are faithful and 
 
Translation of the Revelation of John 249 
 
 true, and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has 
 sent his angel to show to his servants the things that must 
 
 7 shortly come to pass; and behold I come quickly; blessed is he 
 
 8 who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." And I 
 John am the one that heard and saw these things. And when 
 I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the 
 
 9 angel that showed me these things. And he says to me, "See 
 you do it not; I am a fellow-servant of you and of your 
 brethren the prophets and of those who keep the words of this 
 
 10 book; worship God." And he says to me, "Seal not the words 
 
 11 of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. Let the 
 wrong-doer do wrong still, let the filthy be made filthy still, let 
 the righteous do righteousness still, and let the holy be made 
 
 12 holy still. Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, 
 
 13 to give to each one as his work is. I am the Alpha and the 
 Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. 
 
 14 Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the 
 right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the 
 
 15 city. Without are the dogs and the sorcerers and the fornica- 
 tors and the murderers and the idolaters and every one that 
 loves and makes a lie." 
 
 16 "I Jesus have sent my angel to testify to you these things for 
 the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the 
 bright, the morning star." 
 
 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come;" and let him that 
 hears say, "Come;" and let him that is thirsty come, the one 
 that will let him take the water of life gratuitously. 
 
 18 I testify to everyone that hears the words of the pro- 
 phecy of this book; if any one shall add to them, God shall 
 
 19 add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if 
 any one shall take away from the words of the book of this 
 prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and 
 out of the holy city, which are written in this book. 
 
 20 He who testifies these things says, "Yea; I come quick- 
 ly." Amen; come, Lord Jesus. 
 
 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints. 
 
APPENDIX II 
 
EXPLANATIONS 
 
 A few technical and other terms and names used in the body 
 of this book are here explained for the benefit of such readers 
 as may not be familiar with them. 
 Antinomian. — Contrary to the moral law as received and held 
 
 at the time. 
 Bede or Beda. — The Venerable Bede, an English monk (673 
 
 — 735) who wrote an Ecclesiastical History of the English 
 
 Nation and other works. 
 Clement. — In Church History usually either, (a) Clement of 
 
 Rome, (bishop of Rome 92 — 100), who wrote several 
 
 epistles, or (b) Clement of Alexandria, a Christian writer 
 
 who lived about 150 — 220 A. D. 
 Didache. — A book called The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, 
 
 the oldest church manual, written about 112 A. D. 
 Eusebius, — Bishop of Caesarea, wrote an important history of 
 
 the Christian Church about 325 A. D. 
 Gnostic. — Connected with the Gnostics or Gnosticism, a phi- 
 losophical early Christian sect. 
 Heptad. — A group of seven. 
 Hippolytus. — A Christian writer of Rome in the early part of 
 
 the third century. 
 Ignatius. — A Christian writer born in Syria 67 A. D. and 
 
 martyred in Rome 107 A. D. 
 Irenaeus. — A Greek Christian writer who died as a martyr 
 
 262 A. D. 
 Lex talionis. — The law of retaliation. 
 Nero redivivus. — Nero returned to life. 
 Primasius. — A Catholic bishop of Hadrumetum in northern 
 
 Africa who wrote a work on the Revelation of John in the 
 
 early part of the sixth century. 
 Propontis. — The ancient name of the sea of Marmora. 
 Pseudonymous. — Issued under an assumed or false name. 
 Stadium. — (a) A Greek measure of length of 600 Greek or 
 
 606^4 English feet, (b) A race course, the one at Olympia 
 
 being exactly this length. 
 Strabo. — A Greek historian and geographer who lived about 
 
 the time of Christ. 
 
 253 
 
254 The Revelation of John 
 
 Sub specie aeternitatis. — Under the vision of eternity; as seen 
 by God; considered absolutely. 
 
 Tertullian. — A Latin Christian writer of the second and third 
 centuries. 
 
 Tetragrammaton. — The four consonantal letters T\W of the 
 Hebrew word Jehovah. 
 
 Victorinus. — Bishop of Pettau in Panonia, now in the south- 
 west of Austria, in the fourth century who wrote com- 
 mentaries on books of the Bible. 
 
INDEX 
 
 The larger departments of the book are indicated in the table of con- 
 tents. Many details of The Revelation as translated in Appendix I. 
 are treated in the exposition of the passages in which they occur. 
 
 The numbers refer to the pages. 
 
 Abaddon, 139 
 
 Abomination of desolation, 15 
 
 Abyss, wild beast from 146 
 
 Agrippina, 31 
 
 Alexander the Great, captures 
 Sardis, 91 
 
 Alexandre, 21 
 
 Altar, in fifth seal, 123; of in- 
 cense, 136; the golden, 140; re- 
 ply of, 173 
 
 Angels, in Revelation of John, 28, 
 118; seven, 135, 170; four, 140; 
 the strong, 141 ; angel in mid- 
 heaven, 163 ; a second, 164 ; a 
 third, 165; of the waters, 173; 
 still another, 183; not to be wor- 
 shipped, 187; in the sun, 191 
 
 Antiochus IV, 15 
 
 Antiochus, captures Sardis, 91 
 
 Antiochus II, founds Laodicea, 
 102 
 
 Apocalypse, of Baruch, 22; of 
 Abraham, 24; of Elias and Zep- 
 haniah, 24; late Christian and 
 Jewish, 25; of Peter, 25; of 
 Paul, 25 ; of Sedrach, 25 ; of the 
 Virgin, 25 ; spurious of John, 
 25 ; Revelation of John as, 28 
 
 Apocalyptic Age, 13 
 
 Apocalyptic Literature, 13, 18; 
 rise and development of, 17; 
 characteristics of, 25; aim of, 
 26 ; contrasted with prophecy, 
 26; interpretation of, 26. 
 
 Apollyon, 139 
 
 Armageddon, 174, 175 
 
 Asia, extent, 33 \ religion in, 33; 
 features of, 33; people of, 34; 
 loyalty of, 34; Christianity in, 
 34; Jews in, 34 
 
 Babylon, fall of, 164, 176, 183, 185, 
 191; ready for judgment, 179; 
 call to leave, 183 ; lamentations 
 over, 184 
 
 Babylonian captivity, 13; books of, 
 18 
 
 Balaam and Balak, 79, 85 
 
 Beast, the great, from the sea, 
 I 57, 175; from the land, 159; 
 fate of worshippers of, 165 ; 
 those victorious over, 169 ; 
 throne of, 174; carrying the wo- 
 man, 179; battle with the war- 
 rior, 188; overthrown, 191 
 
 Benediction, 212 
 
 Bible, translated into Greek, 15 
 
 Book, of Jubilees, 24; of Eldad 
 and Medad, 25 ; the little, 141 
 
 Bowls, of seven angels, 171 
 
 Ceriani, 22 
 
 Chaldeans, cruelty of, 14 
 Charles, Dr. R. H., 20, 22 
 Christ, in the midst of the 
 churches, 60 ; conqueror, 79 ; 
 bread of life, 80; son of God, 
 83 ; recognition of, 87 ; scrutiny 
 of, 87, 92; rewards of, 72, 75, 80. 
 87, 88, 93, 94, 99, 100, 106 ; meek- 
 ness and strength of, 116; 
 worthiness of, 118; coming of, 
 209; some characteristics of, 
 210 ; summary of teaching re- 
 garding, 217. 
 Church, churches, contrasted with 
 the Empire, 58, 112; Christ in 
 midst of, 60; messages to sev- 
 en, 64 ; representative character 
 of, 65; letters to seven, 66 ^an- 
 gels of, 67; condition of 128; 
 
 255 
 
256 
 
 Index 
 
 represented by John 142 ; and by 
 two witnesses, 145 ; conflict with 
 Empire, 146, 169 ; raised to life, 
 147; rejoicing over Babylon, 
 184 ; conflict with the world, 
 196; summary of teaching re- 
 garding, 219. See also Roman 
 Empire. 
 
 Cicero, visits Laodicea, 102. 
 
 City, the heavenly, 201 
 
 Claudius, 31 
 
 Clement of Alexandria, 61, 71 
 
 Conquest, 121 
 
 Constantine, edict of, 13, 15, 16, 33 
 
 Council of Jerusalem, 85, 88 
 
 Croesus, Lydian king, 90 
 
 Crown of life, 75 
 
 Cyrus, defeats Croesus, 91 ; cap- 
 tures Babylon, 175 
 
 Daniel, book of, 18 
 
 Days, one thousand two hundred 
 and sixty, 144, 145, 154 
 
 Dean, Rev. J. T., 135, 161 
 
 Death, in fourth seal, 123 ; bless- 
 edness of, 165 ; second, 193, 198 
 
 Delphi, oracle of, 90 
 
 Destiny, book of, 114; opened, 
 120 
 
 Destruction in sixth trumpet, 140 
 
 Didache, 61 
 
 Dispersion of Jews, 14 
 
 Domitian, 180 
 
 Domitius, 31 
 
 Dragon, 153, 175; bound, 191 
 
 Dwelling of God with men, 202 
 
 Eagle flying, 138 
 
 Earthquakes, in Sardis, 91 ; Phila- 
 delphia, 95 ; in sixth seal, 124, 
 147, 177 
 
 Eating meat offered to idols, 86 
 
 Egypt, Jews transported to, 14 
 
 Elders around the throne, 109, 149, 
 186 
 
 Elijah, 145; and John the Baptist, 
 180 
 
 Empire. See Roman Empire 
 
 Enoch, literature of, 20 
 
 Ephesus. 69; letter to church in, 
 69 
 
 Epilogue, 207 
 
 Ethiopic Enoch, 18 
 
 Euphrates, 140; dried up, 174, 175 
 
 Ewald, 21 
 
 Exile, 13 ; return from, 14 
 
 Explanations, 253 
 
 Ezekiel, book of, 18 
 
 Ezra, 14 
 
 Famine, 122 
 
 Fire, 136; lake of, 192, 196, 197, 
 
 198 
 Fornication, 85 
 Fourth Ezra, 21, 22 
 
 Galba, conspiracy to enthrone, 32 
 Genesis, writings based on, 23 
 Glass, sea of, 169 
 God, summary of teaching regard- 
 ing, 217 
 Gog and Magog, 196 
 Greek Baruch, 23 
 Greek period, 14 
 Grotius and Jezebel, 87 
 
 Hades, in fourth seal, 123 ; cast 
 
 into lake of fire, 198 
 Hail, and fire, 136; plague of, 177 
 Harvest scene, 166 
 Heaven, war in, 155 ; a voice from, 
 
 165 
 Heavenly bodies darkened, 137 
 Heavens, rolled up, 124; and earth 
 
 197 
 
 Herodotus, 175 
 Hippolytus, 71 
 Histories of Adam and Eve, 24 
 
 Ignatius, Epistle to the Ephesians, 
 
 7i 
 Imperial power, the real, 112 
 Incense, bowls of, 117; angel- with, 
 
 136; altar of, 136 
 Introduction. 11 
 Irenaeus, 71 
 
 Isaiah, non-canonical books ©f, 24 
 Israel, tribes of, 129 
 
 Jerusalem, captured by Babylon- 
 ians, 13, by Greeks, 15, by Ro- 
 mans. 15; rebuilt, 14; city of, 
 
Index 
 
 257 
 
 146; the new, 202 
 
 Jewish war of independence, 15 
 
 Jews, in Babylon, 13; in Persian 
 period, 14; in Greek period, 14; 
 crises of, 17; in Asia, 34, 99, 
 103 ; at martyrdom of Poly- 
 carp, 75 
 
 Jezebel, 84 
 
 John, in Patmos, 51, 60; com- 
 manded to write, 61 ; summoned 
 to heaven, 108; shown the judg- 
 ment of Babylon, 179; forbid- 
 den to write, 141 ; as a prophet, 
 142 
 
 Judah, conquest of, 13 
 
 Judas Maccabaeus, 15 
 
 Judgment, portents of, 125 ; ex- 
 pected, 127; at hand, 149, 163, 
 167, 171, 177; executed by Christ 
 190 ; given to the faithful, 194 ; 
 last, 197 
 
 Lagoras, climbs the cliff at Sar- 
 
 dis, 91 
 Land smitten, 172 
 Laodicea, city, 102; letter to 
 
 church in, 102 
 Law, destroyed, 15; given to 
 
 Moses, no 
 Living creatures, the four, no, 
 
 186 
 Locusts from the pit, 139 
 
 Manna, 80 
 
 Marriage of the Lamb, 186, 203 
 
 Martyrdom, 124 
 
 Mattathias, revolt under, 15 
 
 Megiddo, 175, 176 
 
 Messianic hope, 17, 129 
 
 Months, forty-two, 144, 158 
 
 Moon discolored, 124 
 
 Morning star, given by Christ, 89 
 
 Moses, 145 ; song of, 170; Assump- 
 tion of, 21 
 
 Mount Zion, Lamb and great com- 
 pany on, 161 
 
 Multitude, the great, 131 
 
 Name, new, 80 
 
 Nehemiah, 14 
 
 Nero, persecutes the Christians, 
 
 16, 30 ; parentage, 31 ; reign of, 
 31; reign of terror under, 32; 
 accomplishments of, 32 ; death 
 of 32 ; redivivus, 32, 158, 180 
 
 Nicolaitanes, 71, 79, 85 
 
 Nineveh captured, 13 
 
 Number, 28, 35, 45, 160 
 
 Octavia, 31 
 Octavianus, 30 
 Otho, 31 
 
 Parthians, 120, 175 
 
 Patmos, 60 
 
 Paul, imprisoned, 30; appealed to 
 
 Caesar, 31 ; ascension of, 25 ; 
 
 visits Ephesus, 70 
 Pergamum, city, 77; letter to 
 
 church in, 77 
 Persecution, in Greek period, 15; 
 
 of the Christians, 16, 31, 124 
 Persian period, 14 
 Persians capture Sardis, 90 
 Philadelphia, city, 95; letter to 
 
 church in, 95 
 Pit, the abysmal, 139 
 Plagues, the seven last, 169, 172; 
 
 of Egypt, 172 
 Pliny, letter to Trajan, 160 
 Polycarp, martyred, 74; tests of, 
 
 124 
 Pompey, captures Jerusalem, 15 
 Poppaea, 31, 32 
 Prayer of Joseph, 25 
 Prophecy, ceased, 17 
 Prophet, the false, 175; over- 
 thrown, 191 
 Psalter of Solomon, 23 
 
 Ramsay, Sir Wm., 51, 67, 121, 154, 
 159, 184; re. the seven churches, 
 64 
 
 Resurrection, the first, 193; a sec- 
 ond, 199 
 
 Revelation, book of, excellence of, 
 n, 28; as an apocalypse, 28; 
 characteristics of, 28, 49, 50, 56, 
 212, 217; aim and purpose of 28, 
 43. 56 ; prophecy in, 29 ; pseu- 
 donymity of, 29; historical set- 
 ting of, 30; date of, 18, 38, 148, 
 
258 
 
 Index 
 
 180; unity of 39; destination of, 
 43, 57 5 symbolism of, 45; con- 
 tents and plan of, 46; interpre- 
 tation of, 49, 56, 215; title of, 
 55 ; preface in, 55 ; sources of, 
 55; importance of close atten- 
 tion to, 56, 208; introduction in, 
 57; author of, 37, 57, 60; vi- 
 sions of, 46, 108; immediate ful- 
 filment of, 209; penalty for al- 
 tering, 210; inspiration of, 220; 
 practical value of, 220 
 
 Revelation, certified genuine, 208; 
 not to be sealed, 208 
 
 Revelations of Stephen and 
 Thomas, 25 
 
 Roman Empire, extent of, 30; at- 
 titude to religion, 30 ; to Jews, 
 154; to Christianity, 30, 156; in 
 first century A. D. 33 ; con- 
 trasted with God, 112; condition 
 of, 128; people of, 147; under 
 sway of Satan, 155, 180; fate of 
 158; overthrown, 183, 192; con- 
 quered by Christ, 192 
 
 Roman period, 15 
 
 Rome, great fire in, 16, 31 ; perse- 
 cution in, 16, 31 ; summary of 
 teaching regarding, 218 
 
 Sacrifices required, 15 
 
 Sagaris, martyr, 103 
 
 Sardis, city, 90; letter to church 
 in, 90 
 
 Satan, depths of, 88; in the Em- 
 pire, 155; bound, 193; loosed, 
 195 ; power finally settled, 196 ; 
 see Dragon 
 
 Schiirer, Prof. E. and Jezebel, 87 
 
 Scorpions, 139 
 
 Scott, Prof. C. Anderson, in, 160 
 
 Sea affected, 137, 172 
 
 Sealed book and the Lamb, 114; 
 opening of, 120; significance of, 
 125 
 
 Sealing of one hundred and forty- 
 four thousand, 129 
 
 Sibyline oracles, 21, 136 
 
 Silence of half an hour, 135 
 
 Slavonic Enoch, 20 
 
 Smoke, from the pit, 139; in the 
 
 temple, 171 
 Smyrna, city, 73; letter to church 
 
 in, 73 
 Solon, advises Croesus, 90 
 Spirits, unclean, 175 
 Stars, falling, 124, 139 
 Strabo, historian, 74 
 Sun darkened, 124; heat increased, 
 
 173 
 Supper, the great of God, 191 
 Swete, Dr. H. B., 67, 104, III, 118, 
 
 121, 160, 161, 172, 175, 187, 205, 
 
 212 
 Symbolic figures and numbers, 28 
 
 Temple, desecrated, 15; of God 
 measured, 144; opened in heav- 
 en, 150, 170 
 
 Tertullian, 61, 71 
 
 Testaments of Twelve Patriarchs, 
 
 Thanksgiving to God over Baby- 
 lon's fall, 186 
 
 Thousand years, 195 
 
 Throne in heaven, vision of 108; 
 occupant of, 108; other features 
 of, no; judgment of, 198 
 
 Thyatira, city, 82; letter to 
 church in, 82 
 
 Tiberias, emperor, assists Sardis, 
 91 ; and Philadelphia, 95 
 
 Translation, 225 
 
 Tree of Life, 72 
 
 Tribulation, the great, 132 
 
 Trumpets, the seven, 135; signifi- 
 cance of, 151 
 
 Victor and the slain, 188 
 Victories, final, 193 
 Vintage scene, 166 
 Virgil, Roman poet, 30 
 Voices in the heavens, 149 
 
 War, 122; in heaven, 155; the Eu- 
 ropean, 199 
 Warrior, victory of, 188 
 White stone, 80 
 Witnesses, the two, 144 
 
Index 259 
 
 Woes, the three, 139 „'37 . e ,. ... 
 
 Woman, clothed with the sun, 153; Worship, of elders and living 
 the iniquitous, 179 creatures, in ; of the beast, 165; 
 
 Wormwood, waters changed to, of God, 165, 186 
 
Date Due 
 
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