"Blessed is he that readeth and they that, hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein."

      We have been agreeably surprised at the number of good letters received telling of gladness at our taking up this book. To all who enjoy the study the Lord will verify His is words above and will grant wisdom to understand and enjoy more and more. Revelation will not yield up its sweets to those who merely scan or carelessly read it. We must be like John when lie received the vision, that is, in the Spirit. And surely if John, a man of like passions with us, could be in the Spirit in spite of his banishment, we ought to be so around comfortable firesides. God grant that we may. By comparing Scripture with Scripture, the Spirit helping our infirmity, we shall be led into the glorious light as fast as our eyes can bear it. The plain literal sense of words should be taken unless the context forbids. "When the plain sense makes good sense seek no other sense." When symbols are used let us seek to find the Scripture key to them. The Revelation is for the servants of God. They have heard the gospel which also they have received, wherein they stand and by which also they are saved. John recognizes this and stresses our salvation by grace at the very outset. "Unto him that, loveth us and loosed us from our sins by His blood; and He made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and forever. Amen." This gospel truth is the foundation without which the apocalypse would be inexplainable. It was for this testimony, too, that John was an exile at the time of the vision, about A. D. 96.

      John was in the Spirit. He heard a voice. He turned to see. He saw. He was told: "Write what thou sawest." This requirement he fulfilled in verses 12-18 inclusive, which, with the introduction preceding and the explanation following, constitutes Part One of the book, as per the division given in verse 19.

      John saw one like unto a son of man, but so glorious, so holy, so terrible, that this "disciple whom Jesus loved." who had once leaned upon His bosom, "fell at His feet as one dead." Get the [12] picture. "Clothed with a garment down to the foot." This makes us think of the high priest, and our Great High Priest indeed He is. His girdle is about the breast instead of the loins and is all gold which makes us think of royalty, and He is indeed our King eternal, our Priest-King. His head and hair, white as white wool, white as snow, suggest to us the King in His beauty, and His wisdom as well. His countenance outshining the sun, His eyes like flaming fire and His feet like burnished brass impress us with His divinity and absolute holiness. He is God, the eternal One. "Out of his mouth a sharp two-edged sword." His word is quick and powerful. It is the sword of the Spirit. He decides, He renders verdicts, He separates; He is the Judge. It is not strange, then, that even the beloved John should fall down as dead before Him. How shall we feel when we see Him as He is? Who can be bold before Him?

      John saw Him walking in the midst of seven golden candlesticks, and holding seven stars in His right hand. Here we have symbols which we might misinterpret were they not explained. The seven candlesticks are the seven churches. The seven stars are their angels. The Lord in the midst of the congregations! The church is His. It cost Him dearly. He loves, He nourishes, He cherishes it. He cleanses and sanctifies, and will present it unto Himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. The Lord ever in our midst! Solemn thought!

      Yes, this is that same Jesus who was baptized in Jordan, who was tempted in the wilderness, who was transfigured in the holy mount. It is He who was once despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, who had not where to lay His head, whose own received Him not, who was delivered up, tried before Pilate, crucified, dead, buried. It is that same Jesus who rose from the dead and ascended to glory with the promise that He would return in like manner, So He laid His hand on John and said: "Fear not." How good those words! This vision of the Lord is the source from which all the various aspects presented of Him in the letters to the churches are borrowed. It is good to dwell upon it, to gaze and adore and worship.

      "The things which are" of 1:19 are the churches and the conditions within and affecting them. Asia was a province of Asia Minor under the Roman empire. Domitian was ruler at the time. [13] The seven churches are designated by the cities in which they were located. They were real churches. Ephesus was the metropolis and nearest to Patmos, a rugged island of the Aegean Sea. Smyrna was some forty miles north on the coast, the only city of the seven not now in ruins, but itself hardly worthy to be called a city. Pergamum was about the same distance north of Smyrna. Southeast of Pergamum was Thyatira, of which Lydia, whom Paul converted at Philippi, was a native. South of Thyatira was Sardis; still south was Philadelphia, and southeast of Philadelphia was Laodicea.

      No doubt all these churches and many others in Asia were established during Paul's three years' labors at Ephesus, perhaps fifty years before John wrote. The seven epistles would serve to encourage and strengthen what was good in the churches and to correct what was evil. The lessons are likewise applicable today. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches."

      Things commendable are found in every church except the last. All are subject to the Lord's reproof except Smyrna and Philadelphia. The Lord presents Himself to each according to its state. To Ephesus, whose love had waned, He is the, One holding the stars in His hand and walking in the midst of the candlesticks, still loving even though she had left her first love. To Smyrna in tribulation, persecuted even unto death, He is the One who once was dead but lives again. To Pergamum becoming contaminated with false doctrines He is the One who hath the sharp two-edged sword. To Thyatira where the deep dark things of Satan are held He is the Son of God, who hath eyes to penetrate the gross darkness and feet to tread down all enemies. To Sardis, nominally alive but really dead, He is the One who hath the seven-fold life-giving Spirit. To Philadelphia fit to enter He hath the key of David to open a door for her. To Laodicea who has lost her testimony He is the faithful and true witness.

      It is interesting to observe that in every epistle He says, "I know." He is in the midst of the congregations that He may know. If you have done good rest assured He knows it and will not forget. If you have done evil be equally assured His eyes were upon you. He knows. Be encouraged to go on doing good in His name even though you suffer, for great is your reward in heaven. Repent of every wrong thing, for we must stand before His judgment seat to give answer for the things done in the body. [14] He will bring every work into judgment together with every secret thing whether it be good or bad.

      "I will give unto each of you according to your works" (2:23). "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me to render to every man according as his work is" (22:12). This is the tenor of the whole Bible,--saved by grace and rewarded according to works. Paul shows some saved and rewarded and others losing their works and rewards and yet being saved (I Cor. 3:8-15). In these letters we have seven promises to overcomers, who, overcoming under different conditions, are rewarded accordingly. Take pencil and paper and write these seven promises together and you have as their sum the maximum of heavenly reward and something inspiring to dwell upon. "O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!"

      The "angels" of the churches may present some difficulty. Churches possibly have guardian angels, but since angelic beings are in the presence of God they would hardly need letters written by John. Some translators give us the word messengers instead of angels as the proper translation. They are interpreted by some to be certain men sent by these churches as messengers to inquire of John's state and to bring back any word he had for them. Others interpret them to be the ministers of the churches. Still others say the term applies to the active, responsible portion of the congregation, the message-bearing portion. You will note that the angels addressed are held responsible for existing conditions. This would not likely be true of men sent by the churches to inquire of John. Neither would the minister (had each church had one) have been held wholly responsible. You may have your choice of the interpretations stated above or discard them all. I favor the one that applies the term to the active, responsible inner circle of the church, considered as a unit, who give it its spiritual color and tone,--the "leading lights."

      The teaching of the Nicolaitans and of Balaam also present some difficulty. In vain have the pages of history been searched for a sect of people called Nicolaitans. It must be a symbolic term. Literally it means conquerors of the people, (Nico, to conquer; laos, the people), those who lord over and oppress the "laity." It was through Balaam that the children of Israel were seduced by the Moabites, to intermarry, commit fornication and become idolators with them. They ceased to be sojourners and became dwellers there. This led to their downfall. Pergamum [15] is seen dwelling in the world, where Satan's throne is, instead of continuing her pilgrimage through it. Her people (the laity) are being subjugated by a clergy class and are forming unholy alliances with the world.

      Jezebel is an Old Testament character, the wickedest to be found, a heathen woman, an idolator, married to a king of God's people, Israel, who killed the true prophets and harbored the prophets of Baal and so led all Israel astray. Her name, too, is here used as a symbol. A woman as a symbol represents a religious system true or false according to the character of the woman. Jezebel can represent nothing good.

      1. Reread chapters two and three.

      2. Examine the letters carefully with Brother Poe's suggestion in mind, viz., that the seven churches cover the whole church age, each representing a period of church history.

      3. Do you see in Ephesus such conditions as were general at the time John wrote?

      Do you see in Laodicea conditions that are prevalent today?

      5. A period of church history is known as the age of persecution and martyrdom. It lasted from apostolic times till the conversion (nominal) of Constantine, about 311 or 316. Do you see in Smyrna a type of this period?

      6. When persecution ceased and Christianity was made popular there arose a "clergy" class who subjugated the "laity" and lorded it over God's heritage. The priesthood arose and came into power. The church settled down no longer to sojourn but to dwell in the world (where Satan's throne is) and thus became worldly. Is this not well pictured in Pergamum? In spite of all this, there were true Christians left and some faithful who suffered martyrdom.

      "Deeds of the Nicolaitans" were detected at Ephesus, but they were not tolerated. Ephesus was able to control any tendency toward bringing her members under spiritual bondage. This was true in general in apostolic times. Paul warned the elders at Ephesus against this very thing (Acts 20:28-30). To the Thessalonians he wrote that the mystery of iniquity had already begun to work. John spoke of some who loved the pre-eminence. Peter warned against lording it over God's heritage. The Scriptures hold this as a vital point and so did the apostolic church. [16]

      The age of persecutions was very unfavorable to the Nicolaitans. Pre-eminent men in the church were the ones most likely to lose their lives, so these "lords of faith" did not raise their heads in Smyrna. But when persecutions abated the clergy class, the priesthood, came into power not only practicing Nicolaitanism but defending it in doctrine. Here the church indeed began to give up her pilgrimage and conceived the idea of making the earth a fit dwelling place. In her zeal to win the world she must please the world. To do this she must become worldly. This is spiritual fornication, and by her inter-relation with the world, idol worship was introduced into the church, which was also defended in doctrine,--the teaching of Balaam.

      Out of these conditions was developed a monstrous system,--the Papacy. The result of combining a Judaized Christianity with Balaamism and Nicolaitanism. From deed to creed and from creed to system, that is the order. Here came ecumenical councils, Universal Bishops, Popes, Union of Church and State, Prayers for the Dead, Invocations of Saints, Adoration of the Goddess Mary, the Sacrifice of the Mass, the Bowing down before Images, the Granting of Indulgences, and a hundred and one other things, all of which are contrary to God's word and seductive of God's servants.

      1. Could there be a more fitting symbol of this prostitute system than the wicked Jezebel?

      2. What was Thyatira's attitude toward her?

      3. Contrast with attitude of Ephesus toward Nicolaitans.

      4. What is to become of her children?

      5. Upon what condition may they escape?

      6. What, then, is God's opinion of Romanism?

      7. Were there any true Christians in Thyatira?

      8. For what are they commended?

      9. Were there any true Christians when the Papacy was in it zenith?

      10. Does Jesus mean that Thyatirian conditions will exist till He comes?

      The spiritual bondage to which the people were forced by priest and pope brought decay and death. Ignorant of the Bible, they became easy prey to corrupt doctrines and became subject [17] to every conceivable form of defilement. The Reformation dawned. Millions protested. But from the beginning Protestants have been divided and have been biting and devouring one another. Where divisions exist there is carnality. To the extent carnality thrives spirituality is dead.

      1. Are not these conditions pictured in Sardis?

      2. How, only, was Sardis alive?

      3. How many had not been defiled?

      4. Could you name a few of them?

      5. Can you without strain see in the imperfect works of Sardis the unfinished work of the Reformation?

      6. The Reformers did not restore the New Testament church, but restoration movements inaugurated and promoted by many in various quarters of christendom perfected the work of the Reformers and restored to us true churches of Christ. Can you learn the history of some of these restoration movements?

      7. What is the meaning of the word Philadelphia?

      8. For what are the Philadelphians commended?

      9. Who are their opposers and what is to be done for them?

      10. What is the door opened to Philadelphia?

      11. What good promise is made to Philadelphia?

      12. What churches can claim that promise to-day?

      13. Who are responsible for such churches?

      14. What does Jesus say as to His coming?

      15, Where is He in the Laodicean letter?

      16. Why is He on the outside of that church?

      17. Who does He expect will admit Him, the church or individuals?

      18. What is the trouble with Laodicea?

      19. What will be her fate?

      "The endeavor to study the Book of Revelation needs no apology; but, if one were needed, the present interest in prophetic truth is sufficient occasion to justify the attempt to give this book a new and fresh and fair study. For the present interest will be satisfied with something: if it cannot be met with truth, it will appease its appetite with the errors and foolish teachings of men which are offered on every hand. Both for our own benefit and for the help it may bring to others, it is up to us to take hold of God's truth in this portion of His word with more determined and adequate grip."--R. H. Boll, in Gospel Advocate.

["Studies in Revelation." Word and Work 8 (February 1915): 12-18.]

      The electronic version of Stanford Chambers' "Studies in Revelation" (Chapters 2-3. Lessons VII-IX.) has been produced from microfilm of Word and Work for 1915.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained; however, corrections have been offered for misspellings and other accidental corruptions. Emendations are as follows:

            Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 13:     who was tranfigured [ who was transfigured
 p. 14:     To Loadicea [ To Laodicea
 p. 15:     (20:12) [ (22:12)
            (I Cor. 3:8:15). [ (I Cor. 3:8-15).
            be t he ministers [ be the ministers
 p. 18:     as to His coming. [ as to His coming?
            foolish eachings [ foolish teachings
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 11 February 2002.
Updated 28 June 2003.