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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 16, 1900

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 77, No. 42.

Read the full edition

Reading Circle Study.

By S. N. H.

Revelation 2.

S. N. H.
The seven candlesticks represent the seven churches, whose light is to shine throughout the world. They embrace the people of God from the first to the second advent of Christ.
The ministers of Christ are represented by the angels of the churches. The words spoken by him who walketh in the midst of the golden candlesticks, to the church at Ephesus, are addressed to all true ministers of God’s people. Mal. 2:7. Christ becomes their protection, their strength, their support—their all. He holds them in his right hand.
The first century covered the apostolic age, the church of Ephesus, when the church went forth conquering and to conquer. The trials endured, the zeal manifested, for the glory of God, he honored in vindicating their testimony (Acts 5:34–42), and in separating the precious from the vile. Acts 5:1–16. As their zeal waned, it became a cause of reproof. God said that unless they repented, the light that had so freely shone upon them would be removed. This is true of every person who, having had great light, becomes careless or indifferent. In this early church the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes (the plurality of wives) was introduced. In the promise to the overcomer, the mind is carried forward to the time when the city of God will rest upon the earth, and the garden of Eden will be in the midst of it. The river of life will proceed from the throne of God, and on either side of it will be the tree of life. Rev. 22:1, 2. “After sin entered this world, the heavenly Husbandman transplanted the tree of life to the paradise above, but its branches hang over the wall to the lower world.”
The second period, or Smyrna, embraced about two hundred years, from the close of the first century to the reign of Constantine. This church was before God as sweet-smelling myrrh. They submitted themselves unreservedly into God’s hands, suffering uncomplainingly the afflictions that came upon them, believing it to be as much a gift of God to suffer and die as to believe on Christ. Phil. 1:29. They were burned at the stake, thrown to wild beasts, banished into desolate places, put to death in every way human demons could invent. The severest persecutions were during the reign of Diocletian, between the years 302 and 312, A. D. In this state of tribulation and worldly poverty, they were rich, and were exhorted not to fear any tribulation that Satan could bring upon them; for they would receive the crown of life (2 Tim. 4:8), and not be hurt of the second death.
Satan did not succeed in blotting out God’s people by persecution, so worldly favor was shown them. This was more dangerous to spirituality than persecution was. Earthly exaltation is the ruin of many souls. Through these snares, in the fourth century, Satan established his seat, his power, and his authority, under the guise of Christianity. It was during these days of trial that the spirit of compromise came into the church; and covetousness and wickedness of every kind laid the foundation for the full apostasy afterward developed. Idolatry was Christianized, pagan idols were named saints and apostles, and in this way the church was taught to commit fornication. God was displeased, and said that unless they quickly repented, he would begin a separation of the precious from the vile, and his light would be removed from them.
It is heart service that God regards. To those who possessed the work of grace in the heart he promised the hidden manna, and a white stone, a bond of purity that would exist between himself and those who were his people. The Lord knoweth his own. 2 Tim. 2:19. In this period, when worldly display and pomp were taking possession of the majority of professed Christians, God’s care was over those who in humility were serving him, hidden, perhaps, amid the display of others. He promised them the HIDDEN manna and the SECRET name.
When the church had so far apostatized that the man of sin was revealed, another period was entered upon. The name “Thyatira” means “sacrifice of contrition.” This period continued twelve hundred and sixty years, from 538–1798, A. D. God’s eye was upon his people. He knew their trials and their patience. Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, who brought iniquity and ruin to Israel, became an object lesson of the development of the iniquity that was practiced by the apostate church of that period. The fruits of such a course were that the children of all such churches would be finally destroyed. Hosea 5:6, 7. Those who humbly trusted God, and did not understand the depth of iniquity practiced by the teachers of this period, were commended. The Lord promised that if they would hold fast their experience until he came, he would make them ruler over the nations; and the hand that sustained them would break to pieces their oppressors, even as the vessels of a potter are broken to shivers (Ps. 2:7–9); and they would receive Christ as the morning star. Rev. 22:16.
To each church and to each individual are the following words addressed: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
IN the REVIEW of October 9, in the Reading Circle daily reading for Friday, it should read, “Article on Reading Circle Study in the REVIEW AND HERALD of Oct. 9, 1900,” instead of “Oct. 2, 1900.”
In the REVIEW of October 16 the date of the article for the Friday reading is October 16; that is, the reading is in the same paper as is the study itself.