6. On the present occasion, we shall begin at its opening; and speak of the SEVEN EPISTLES and SEVEN SEALS.

Behold, He cometh

see Him; and they Jesus Christ is then

At the very commencement of the Revelation, the writer anticipates the end. with clouds, and every eye shall also which pierced Him'. represented as the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last2; and so, as will be seen, all the parts of the Revelation begin and end with Christ. He is displayed as the great High Priest. His hair is like that of the Ancient of Days. Out of His mouth goeth a sharp two-edged sword, which is the Word of God. He holds in His hand the seven Stars, which are the Angels, or Ministers, of the Churches". He walks in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks, which are the Churches. That is, according to His own promise, He is with His Church alway, even

1 Rev. i. 7.

3 Chap. i. 13.

5 Rev. i. 16.

Ps. cxlix. 6.

2 Rev. i. 8. ii. 8. xxi. 6. xxii. 13.
4 Rev. i. 14. Dan. vii. 9.

Isa. xi. 4. xlix. 1, 2.

Luke xiii. 3. Eph. vi. 17.

6 The following is a remarkable comment on this passage, dating from the end of the second century. Tertullian, contr. Marcion. iii. 14. Apostolus Joannes in Apocalypsi ensem describit ex ore DEI prodeuntem, bis-acutum, præacutum, quem intelligi oportet sermonem divinum, bis acutum Duobus Testamentis, Legis et Evangelii.— Berengaud. ad loc. Gladius duo acumina habere visus est, quia doctores duorum Testamentorum doctrinis eruditi, facile hostes devincunt; et quod de ore Domini procedere visus est, significat quod Ipse dixit, (Matt. x. 20,) Non enim vos estis qui loquimini, sed Spiritus Patris Vestri Qui loquitur in vobis.

7 Chap. i. 16. 20.

H

to the end of the world'. He has the keys of hell and of death2.

He commands St. John to write what he sees, and send it to the Seven Churches of Asia3. SEVEN EPISTLES are dictated to these seven Churches 4 and each of these seven Epistles commences with the words, I know thy works; each contains a promise from CHRIST to him that overcometh 5; and each ends with the words,-He that hath an ear, let him hear what the SPIRIT saith unto THE CHURCHES 6.

7

Let us observe here, that there were many more than seven Churches in Asia when St. John wrote; but that he addresses only seven. These seven Churches are represented as seven Candlesticks. The candlestick in the Temple consisted of seven branches, and, seven being the emblem of completeness, represented the Universal Church. Similarly each of these seven Candlesticks represents a Church; and, they not only have an historic reality, but taken together in their sevenfold unity, they typify the

Rev. i. 13. 20. Matth. xxviii. 20.

3 Rev. i. 11.

2 Rev. i. 18.

4 Rev. ii. iii.

5 Rev. ii. 7. 11. 17. 26. iii. 5. 12. 21. cp. xxi. 7, and 1 John v. 4, 5. See HARMONY, § 5-§ 11.

6 Rev. ii. 7. 11. 17. 29. iii. 6. 13. 22.

7 e. g. Hierapolis, Tralles, Magnesia, Colossæ.

8 It has been observed that St. Paul, as well as St. John, writes to Seven Churches; and in them to all Christians. See S. Cyprian. de exhort. martyr. c. 11, and note in next page.

9 Andreas ad loc. διὰ τοῦ ἑβδομαδικοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τὸ τῶν ἁπανταχοῦ 'Ekkλŋσiwv éońμave пλños. See S. Cyprian. adv. Jud. i. 20. Septenarius numerus (says Vitringa, p. 35) est numerus Universitatis.

Catholic Church, formed of all the particular Churches in all ages and countries of the world. And what is addressed to each of the seven Churches is said to be the Voice of the SPIRIT to the Churches; and St. John is commanded to send to them his Apocalypse, which reveals what would take place, long after these Asiatic Churches would have disappeared.

Hence it is rightly concluded that these Epistles to the seven Churches are not to be regarded as inscribed only to them, but that they are the Voice of the HOLY SPIRIT to all the Churches of Christendom, even to the end of time', and that all are bound to hear what the Spirit saith in them, and that Christ's all-seeing Eye knows and observes the works of every Church in every age, and that the faithful servant of Christ in every age is able to overcome.

1 Bede, Explan. Apocalyps. in cap. i. Et mitte septem Ecclesiis, &c. Non in his tantum locis fuit tunc Christi Ecclesia, sed in septenario numero omnis plenitudo consistit. Et Apostolus Paulus septem scribit ecclesiis ; non tamen iisdem quibus et Joannes. Et licet ista septem loca figura sint totius Ecclesiæ septiformis, tamen gesta sunt in his specialiter quæ increpat aut laudat.-The ancient Canon of the Roman Church (ap. Routh. R. S. iv. p. 2) well says: Joannes in Apocalypsi licet septem Ecclesiis scribat, tamen omnibus dicit. So Victorinus Petab.: Quod uni dicit, omnibus dicit. Berengaudus ad Rev. i. 4. Per septem Ecclesias una Ecclesia Catholica designatur; who rightly adds: Totus hic liber in septenario numero consistit, sicut sunt septem Ecclesiæ, septem candelabra, septem stellæ, septem lampades, septem cornua Agni, septem oculi, septem sigilla, septem Angeli tubis canentes, septem tonitrua, septem Angeli phialas habentes. On the origin of the use of the number Seven in the Patriarchal Church, see Bp. Horsley, Dissert. on Proph. conc. the Messiah, p. 86.

2

We must observe, also, that what was addressed to the Churches was addressed specially to the Angels or Ministers of the Churches; and as the Seven Churches represented all Churches, so the Seven Angels represent all Ministers of Churches; and that the Epistles of the Apocalypse are particularly directed to Bishops and Pastors of the Church'. Some Expositors, you may be aware, would carry this principle of extension still further. They regard the seven Epistles as prophetic descriptions of seven successive states of the Christian Church, in seven different consecutive periods of time, following in the order of the seven Epistles, from the Apostolic age to the consummation of all things.

It cannot be doubted that St. John wrote these Epistles for the edification of all Churches; and that every Church may see herself reflected, as in a mirror, in one or other of these Epistles. But it seems very questionable, whether the order of these Epistles is prophetical.

Their order appears rather to be ecclesiastical, civil, and geographical. First, Ephesus is addressed as the Asiatic Metropolis, and as the nearest Church

1 Berengaud. c. 1. Sicut per vii Ecclesias Ecclesia Catholica, ita et per vii Rectores vii Ecclesiarum omnes Rectores Ecclesiæ designantur.

2 For example, Vitringa, Anacrisis, p. 31 sqq., and Venema de Methodo Prophet. pp. 55—60. On the other hand, see Witsius Miscell. Sacr. p. 702.

3 Aquinas ad loc. Prima dirigitur Episcopo Ephesi, quæ erat Metropolis.

to Patmos, whence St. John wrote; then the other Churches on the western coast of Asia; then those in the interior. In fact, they are all addressed in the precise order in which they would occur to a person writing from Patmos.

These Epistles are impressed with what we may call the anticipatory character of the Apocalypse.

For example, in the Epistle to the Church of Pergamos,-To him who overcometh, I will give (says Christ) to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name', which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. And again I will write upon him the name of My God, and the city of My God, which is the New Jerusalem which cometh down out of heaven 3. And again: I will give Him the morning star*.

These expressions appear obscure at first, but they are cleared up in subsequent portions of the Apocalypse.

First, as to the hidden manna. In later parts of the Apocalypse, frequent references occur to the victories of Joshua. Now, when Joshua, and the people led by him, entered Canaan, it is expressly recorded that the manna, which had fed them in the wilderness, ceased; neither had they manna any more 5. It was hidden. In another sense, too, it was hidden. It was laid up in the ark in the Most

2 Rev. ii. 17.

• Rev. ii. 28.

5 Josh. v. 12.

1 Isa. lxii. 2. ovoμa tò kaivòv, LXX. 3 Rev. iii. 12.