2 THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL oo
isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testi-
mony of Jesus Christ.
“] was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me
a great voice, as of a trumpet.
“Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last; and,
What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven
churches which are in Asia, unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and
unto Pergamos, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Leodicea.
“And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And be-
ing turned, I saw seven golden candlestocks.
“And in the midst of the seven candlesticke one like unto the
Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt
about the paps with a golden girdle.
“His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as
snow and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
© “And his feet like unto fine brass as if they burned in a
furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
“And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his
mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as
the sunshineth in his strength.
“And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid
his right hand bn me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first
and the last:
“IT am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive
for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
“Write the thing's which thou hast seen, and the things which
are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
“The mystery: of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right
hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are
the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which
thou sawest are ‘the seven ¢hurches.,”—Rev. 1:1-20.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ Unto the Churches.
Revelation signifies something revealed. There-
fore the.book is not a secret. Neither something that
cannot be understood. It tells of things which are
shortly to come to pass. It says, “The things which
thou sawest write in a book and send it unto the
churches.” John says. “I turned to see the voice that
spake unto me and being turned I saw seven golden
candle sticks and one like unto the son of man walk-
ing among the candle sticks and he had in his hand
seven stars. and out of his mouth went a sharp two
edged sword.” Said Christ. “I am the light of the
world. no man can come unto the Father except I
draw him. I am the root of David. the bright and
morning star. I am the first and the last. I was
with the Father in the beginning. I am he that was
dead and am alive for ever more, I am the Alvha
and the Omega, the first and the last.” Thus it is
throunoh Christ alone that all gosnel truth centers.
He “is the resnrrection and the life.” He is “the
author and the finisher of our faith.” and without him
there is no savior. His messases are to the churches
and throvoh the church the licht is to shine to the
world. “He is in the midst of the church.” The
church is set on a hill to let its light shine. As the
moon borrows its: licht from the sun =o the church
gets ite light from the Son of God. The Son gets it
from the Father. Thus the book of Revelation is
direct to the church. written for the henefit of the
church. The book of Revelation is Christ’s last written
testimonv to the church. It tells the finished story
of the church, - When once understood with all the
other testimony of Christ written by Moses and the
provnbets, it is all the church will ever need to carry
them through to.thé end. The church needs snother
class of pronhets (teachers) in the church that the
church mav know what the testymonv of Christ has
That is all. it needs no
revealed in his word teaches.
visions or revelations from heaven to reveal anv other
inspired message. All any teacher can ever do is to
teach what is written and tbus declare the whole
counselnf God 2s revealed in his word. Remember
the testimonv of Jesus is all found in his word. No
new revelations reauired. No new prophets needed.
It will be seen that Christ’s testimony as. revealed in
his word to the seven churches completes the story
to the end.
a ataroe)
The Seven Churches and the Seven Candlesticks.
Revelation 1:20 says, “The seven stars are the
seven angels of the seven churches,” “and the seven
candlesticks are the seven churches.” Thus we have
God’s own explanation of the symbols of the stars, and
the candlesticks. An angel is a messenger whether it
be one sent from heaven or one chosen among men
on earth. This rule holds good wherever stars are
used in prophecy. So with the candlestick, it is ever
the representative of the church of the first born. In
the tabernacle service these seven lamps were used to
represent the division of time covering the entire
history of the church in the world for seven thousand
years, as that time was divided into seven periods of
one thousand years each. But as John was shown the
history of the seven periods of the church from his day
forward till Christ comes, the same rule was followed,
thus dividing the time into seven periods from the
first to the second advent of Christ. So any one hold-
ing the seven churches as to be prophetic they must
hold the candlesticks to be prophetic, for one is the
same as the other. The church is the light of the
world and through the true people of God the light
must come. In verse 13, chapter 1, John saw Jesus
walking in the midst of the seven candle sticks. This
shows that Christ is the head of the church and the
source of all light. It is his word that “lighteneth
every man that cometh into the world.” Verse 16
says that “out of his mouth went a sharp two edged
sword.” This sword is his word as taught by the
church. Thus the first chapter is an introduction to
the book of Revelation. showing things which must
shortly come to pass. We now follow this introduc-
tion as it applies to the seven churches. :
“Unto the aneel of the church of Ephesus write; These things °
saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his richt hand, who
walketh in the midst of the seven eolden candlesticks; «
“T know thy works, and thy labour. and thy patience, and how
thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tvied them
which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast 012d them
And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake
hast 1ahoured, and hast not fainted.
“Nevertheless IT have somewhat against thee, because thou
hast Toft thv 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 ont of his place, except thou repent.
“Rit this thon hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the
Nichnlaitanes, which I also hate.
© “He that bath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto
the chnrehes; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the
tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”—
Rev. 2:1-7,
We note some of the many points recorded as
pertaining to the church in the first division of time
beginning with the apostolic experience and lasting
till the close of the third century. From ancient times
names stood for certain thines so here the word .
Epbesus means desirable. Christ said of this church
he knew their works, their patience, and how they
hated them that were evil. It also says how they’
had “tried them that said thev were anostles and
had found them to be lisrs:” “they had labored for
the name of Christ and had not fainted.” Anvone who
read the epistles of Paul, Peter. James and John know ..
how the true laborer had all these thines to contend
with and of course it was true of the followers also.
Truly such =aints were “desirable” to God. Verse
four shows that there was a decline from that rich .
experience. ‘““Thev lost their first love.” Those who
[ater came to the faith never knew what the nioneers
of the faith passed throush to establish the work among
the Gentile believers. Hence they lost their first love.
God gives the only remedy in such a case where the ’
first love is lost. Namely, repent and do the first