OF THE APOSTLE JOHN: WITH NOTES, CRITICAL AND EXPOSITORY BY THE LATE JOHN TINDALL HARRIS. VOL. II. THE REVELATION. LONDON: HODDER AND STOUGHTON, S. HARRIS AND CO., 5, BISHOPSGATE STREET WITHOUT. 1889 [All Rights reserved.] Bi 68,66.889- KPF 2314 HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY ANDREW PRESTON PEABODY No07,1935 Cambridge PRINTED BY C. J. CLAY, M.A. AND SONS, AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. INTRODUCTORY NOTES TO THE REVELATION TO JOHN. "THE Revelation of Jesus Christ," Rev. i. I. These opening words constitute at once both the title and the subject of the Vision. The book is a prophetic vision in figure of things hidden in Christ, but about to be revealed when John wrote; the history in figure of the day of Christ-then instant. "The witness of Jesus is the spirit of the prophecy," ch. xix. 10. The dominant thought throughout the vision is the immediate advent in glory of the Lord Jesus, and the events which were to attend and follow His advent up to the time of the restoration of all things in the new heavens and the new earth. The imminent expectation of this advent of the Lord is indicated by the repeated announcements of it running through the whole vision from the first verse to the last. The book relates to:-" Things which must shortly come to pass," ch. i. I; "Which are about to be," ch. i. 19; "The time is at hand," ch. i. 3; "Behold, he cometh," ch. i. "I will come unto thee quickly," ch. ii. 5; I will come unto thee quickly," ch. ii. 16; “Hold fast till I come," ch. ii. 25; Behold, I come quickly," ch. iii. II; “Behold, I stand at the door," ch. iii. 20; "Behold, I come as a thief," ch. xvi. 15; "Things which must shortly come to pass," ch. xxii. 6; "Behold, I come quickly," ch. xxii. 7 (see notes there); "The time is at hand," ch. xxii. 10; “Behold, I come quickly," ch. xxii. 12; "Yea, I come quickly," ch. xxii. 20. 7; The impending advent of the Lord Jesus is the masterthought of the Book, the law under which the facts and events of the vision range themselves. The day of Christ was instant when John wrote, instant as to its inception, but having a duration such that a thousand years period, i.e. the millennial reign, ch. xx. 4, 5, is only one of its details. The vision opens with a few words by way of prelude, ch. i. 1-3, in which the title of the Book and the name of the writer are given. The words, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy" shew that the Apocalypse was intended to be read and understood and to be a blessing. At ch. i. 4 the preface passes into a salutation, "John to the seven churches," &c. At ch. i. 7 we have the announcement, "Behold, he cometh" (in ch. vi. we have the description of the advent of our Lord with the angels of His power). At ch. i. 9 John describes the circumstances under which the vision was revealed to him. It was "in the isle that is called Patmos1" that the Voice of Him who is the subject of the vision-the Son of God, our Lord-came to him as the sound of a trumpet, saying, “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 Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea." When John goes on to speak of the seven churches as seven golden lamps which he sees in vision, in the midst of which the Son of God, our Lord, stands, he lifts us in thought from the conception of mundane churches to the idea of the church universal in the heavens, with its sevenfold powers, of which the seven churches on earth are the representations. It may be said that, just as the one divine Spirit has its sevenfold manifestation on earth (comp. chaps. i. 4; iv. 5; v. 6), so has the church universal in the heavens, of which our Lord is the head and central power, its sevenfold manifestation also, represented in the vision by the seven churches of Asia. The seven churches as they are pictured in the Apocalypse not only illustrate the sevenfold manner of manifestation on earth of the church universal, but also in the several imperfections of the churches there are revealed to us the snares and dangers to which each of the seven manifestations is liable. Each church may be said to represent a certain character of soul, one of the 1 There is not a word about any imprisonment at Patmos. On this see Neander, Early Planting, 1. 399 n. 2 Throughout the vision the events recorded are represented as being transacted in part on earth and in part in the heavenly places. seven great spiritual divisions under which human souls are classified. Rev. ii. Souls of the Ephesian order are they who begin well, who labour patiently and faint not, careful in discipline and in organization, but like the Jews they worship the outward forms of righteousness, and forget the essence of it. Ephesian souls. are in danger of leaving their first love and investing themselves in systems (see ch. ii. I n.). The church in Smyrna represents those whose lot in this world is tribulation and poverty, but who, being rich in faith, shall receive the crown of life (see ch. ii. 8, n.). The church in Pergamum represents those who are strong in faith, who would even suffer death for their faith, but whose faith is one-sided. They are not willing to submit to that bloodless martyrdom in the crucifixion of the flesh and its uncleanness to which all the followers of the Lord are called (see ch. ii. I2, n.). Thyatira represents that order of the church universal on earth, made up of those who are exemplary in good works, in charity, in faith, in patience, but who are wanting in caution, apt to be led away into delusion, and the pretences of false teachers (see ch. ii. 20, n.). Sardis represents that order of souls who have fallen into spiritual apathy; they have a name to live, but they are dead. For want of waking and watchfulness they are losing the life they once had (see ch. iii. 3, n.). Philadelphia represents those blessed souls who are specially beloved. They have an open door of communion with the Lord which no man can shut. They are kept from the hour of trial which comes on all others, they have upon them the name of God, and the name of the city of God, and the new name of Christ (see ch. iii. 7-10, n.). Laodicea represents the lukewarm people who say they are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, not recognizing how wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked they are. They are so without life that they do not know how dead they are (see ch. iii. 14, n.). Now it is evident that these addresses to the churches in the Apocalypse were not intended only for the seven churches in |