THOUGHTS ON THE REVELATION.
We take the position that the messages to the seven churches of chapters ii and iii are prophetic, and are addressed to the Christians of the seven periods of the Christian age. The following are some of our reasons for taking this position, and dissenting from the popular view that these addresses are a simple narrative of facts as they existed in seven of the churches of Asia, in John's day. 1. The entire book of Revelation is addressed to the seven churches. "I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify these things in the churches." "What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches."—Chaps. i, 3, 11, 19; xxii, 16, 18, 19. 2. Most of the book prophesied of events then in the future, with which the Christians of John's day had no connection whatever. 3. The seven addresses in chapters ii and iii were no more applicable to the Christians in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, than to the other churches in Asia Minor, or those of any other country. 4. The book of Revelation is called a prophecy, chap. i, 3, hence chapters ii and iii are not a history of facts existing in John's day. Prophecy relates to the future; it is history in advance. History is the record of events which have transpired. 5. The grand design of the book of Revelation is to foretell future events, with which the church should be connected in the Christian age. "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass." Chap. i, 1. In a few instances past and present events are mentioned in this book, as in chap. xii, 1-5, but in all such cases the past and present are alluded to only to introduce future events, which in every case are the burden of the prophecy. 6. The seven addresses to the churches of chapters ii and iii, do have a fitness to seven periods of the Christian age, while the harmony of revelation and reason forbid the application of some portions of the seven addresses to the Christians of John's day. The view that the seven messages are prophetic, has prevailed extensively among biblical expositors of the past, but has evidently been crowded out by the modern doctrine of the temporal millennium, which makes the last state of the church the most glorious, and not properly described by the address to the church of the Laodiceans. We would, however, suggest that the message to the last church is in harmony with Paul's description of the last days. 2 Tim. iii, 1-9. Benson quotes bishop Newton as saying: "Many contend, and among them such learned men as More and Vitringa, that the seven epistles are prophetic of so many successive periods and states of the church, from the beginning to the conclusion of all. But there are in these epistles several innate characters, which are peculiar to the church of that age, and cannot be so well applied to the church of any other age. Besides other arguments, there is also this plain reason: the last state of the church is described in this very book as the most glorious of all, but in the last state in these epistles, that of Laodicea, the church is represented as wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." The Comprehensive Commentary says: "Many expositors have imagined that these epistles to the seven churches, were mystical prophecies of seven distinct periods, into which the whole term, from the apostles' days to the end of the world, would be divided. . . . It cannot be conceived, if the concluding part of this book itself be recollected, that the last period of the church will be worse than any that has gone before, as the Laodicean church was far more corrupt than any of the rest.">—Scott. "An opinion has been held by some commentators of note, which may be given in the words of Vitringa: 'That under this emblematical representation of the seven churches of Asia, the Holy Spirit has delineated seven different states of the Christian church, which would appear in succession, extending to the coming of our Lord, and the consummation of all things. That this is given in descriptions taken from the names, states, and conditions of these churches, so that they might behold themselves, and learn both their good qualities and their defects, and what admonitions and exhortations were suitable for them.' Vitringa has given a summary of the arguments which may be alleged in favor of this interpretation. Some of them are ingenious, but they are not now considered sufficient to support such a theory. Gill is one of the principal of the English commentators who adopt this view, that 'they are prophetical of the churches of Christ, in the several periods of time, until he appears again.'"—Henry. Verses 1-7. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil; and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars: and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolatians, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Ephesus signifies desirable, which well represents the first state of the church. Those first Christians had received the doctrine of Christ in its purity. They enjoyed the benefits and blessings of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They were noted for works, labor, and patience. In faithfulness to those pure principles taught by Jesus Christ, they could not bear those who were evil, and they tried false apostles, and searched out their true character. If the work of trying false apostles belonged to any one congregation of Christians, that at Jerusalem was the very one. Acts xv. Paul also writes to the Corinthians respecting false apostles. 2 Cor. xi, 13. We would here suggest that the angels, or messengers, of the churches, may represent Christ's true ministers, through which he speaks to his people during the several periods of the Christian age. It should be noticed that in each one of the seven messages it is stated—"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Each of these addresses seems important for the general benefit of the churches, instead of being applicable to only one church. Verses 8-11. And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive: I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, but thou art rich; and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Polycarp is pitched upon as the angel of the church of Smyrna, by those who adopt the popular view, that the seven messages were narrations of matters of fact as they existed with seven of the churches of Asia Minor in John's day. But some of these, at least, make bad work in respect to dates. Dr. Clarke says—"Unto the angel! This was probably the famous Polycarp." In commenting on verse 10, he adds—"He had much to suffer, and was at last burnt alive at Smyrna about the year of our Lord 166." But this was seventy years after John was commanded to write to the angel of the church in Smyrna. A long period, indeed, for one man to be in the ministry. But Fox's Book of Martyrs states that Polycarp was burnt at the stake in the eighty-seventh year of his age, and the twenty-seventh year of his ministry. According to these statements, he entered the ministry A. D., 139, forty-three years too late to have been the angel of the church in Smyrna, in A. D., 96, when John received the message. Smyrna signifies myrrh, denoting that the church in this age would be a sweet-smelling savor to God, while passing through the fiery ordeal of persecution which has always served to keep out pride, popularity, and self-dependence, the base of true faith, piety and devotion. This state reached down to Constantine, covering much of the period called the ten persecutions. See Buck's Theological Dictionary, pp. 332, 333. For want of room we can give here only his statement of the last. "The tenth began in the nineteenth year of Diocletian, 303. In this dreadful persecution, which lasted ten years, houses filled with Christians were set on fire, and whole droves were tied together with ropes and thrown into the sea. It is related that 17,000 were slain in one month's time: and that during the continuance of this persecution, in the province of Egypt alone, no less than 144,000 Christians died to the virulence of their persecutors; besides 700,000 that died through the fatigues of banishment, or the public works to which they were condemned." The tribulation of ten days, mentioned in the testimony to the Smyrna church, may well apply to the last of the ten persecutions, which continued ten years. This message being prophetic, the time connected with it we must regard as prophetic time, a day for a year. But if the message be not prophetic, the time is only ten literal days. And we should hardly look for so short a period of tribulation, on only one congregation of Christians, to be noted in prophecy. The continued scenes of martyrdom and dreadful cruelty continually before this church were sufficient to keep hypocrites and worldlings out of the church; and the constant expectation that some dreadful death would end their probation, led them to purity of life. Verses 12-17. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write: These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges: I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is; and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolatians, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. Pergamos signifies hight, elevation. This period reached from Constantine, about 318, down to the rise of antichrist, about 538. During this period the church became exalted, having her worldly policy, and, like the church of this day, attending to the ceremonies and forms of religion, and neglecting inward piety, the graces of the Spirit, and the life and power of the religion of Jesus. Here was the falling away mentioned by Paul. 2 Thess. ii, 3. In reference to Antipas, Wm. Miller says: "It is supposed that Antipas was not an individual, but a class of men who opposed the power of the bishops or popes in that day, being a combination of two words, anti, opposed, and Papas, father, or pope, and many of them suffered martyrdom, at that time, in Constantinople and Rome, where the bishops and popes began to exercise the power which soon after brought into subjection the kings of the earth, and trampled on the rights of the church of Christ. And for myself, I see no reason to reject this explanation of the word Antipas in this text, as the history of these times is perfectly silent respecting such an individual as is here named." Miller's Lectures, pp. 138, 139. The Religious Encyclopedia quotes Watson as saying that "ancient ecclesiastical history furnishes no account of this Antipas." 13"There is a work extant called the Acts of Antipas, which makes him bishop of Pergamos, and states that he was put to death by being enclosed in a burning brazen bull. But this story confutes itself, as the Romans under whose government Pergamos then was, never put any person to death in this way." The "Acts of Antipas," seems to be a very doubtful document, as commentators, and expositors, who make statements from it, doubtless to save their reputation, use the words, "probably," "is supposed," &c. Bloomfield, as quoted in the Comprehensive Commentary, says that "Antipas is supposed to have suffered in the persecution under Dioclesian." The Encyclopædia Americana states that Dioclesian was proclaimed emperor A. D. 284, and resigned A. D. 305. These testimonies place the supposed martyrdom of supposed Antipas at least one hundred and eighty-eight years after John received the message, which says, "in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr." No one will conclude from the expression, "where Satan dwelleth," that his Satanic majesty had taken up his local residence in the city of Pergamos. We must regard this as a prophetic declaration in reference to the work of Satan during the third period of the church in corrupting the doctrine of Christ, and leading the church into that apostasy which prepared the way for the full development of the Papacy. The doctrine of Balaam was an unlawful union between the children of Israel and the Moabites. Num. xxii-xxv. This clearly illustrates the spirit that ruled in this period of the church, and finally united the civil and ecclesiastical powers in the formation of the Papacy. The sacred Scriptures give no information in regard to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. The supposition has prevailed that they held to a plurality of wives, like the Mormons, and that Nicholas, one of the seven deacons, Acts vi, 5, was their leader. But rather than to thus eliminate this Christian deacon, with no Scripture authority for so doing, the supposition that there was more than one Nicholas, and that these were the followers of another person by this name, seems more liberal. The Comp. Com. quotes Ethan Smith as saying that "It is improbable that Nicholas, one of those seven deacons, said to have been full of the Holy Ghost, should have been their infamous leader;" also Scott, as saying that "many have supposed that this sect derived its name from Nicholas, one of the primitive deacons; and such a tradition prevailed early in the church. Yet the name was then so common, and might be given to the sect on so many other accounts, that there is no certainty in it. We read nothing of Nicholas in Scripture to warrant so unfavorable an opinion of him." In regard to the "hidden manna," the "white stone," and the "new name," we will express no opinion at present, only that they will be better understood by the overcomers in the immortal state, than they can be at present. The American Tract Society's Bible Dictionary says: "The allusion in Rev. ii, 17, may be to the practice at the Olympic games of giving the successful competitor a white stone, inscribed with his name, and the value of his prize." "Jacob, after his victory, gained the new name of Israel. Wouldst thou know what thy new name will be? The way to this is plain—overcome. Till then all thy inquiries are vain. Thou wilt then read it on the white stone."