The Books of the New Testament Part 29

The connection between the different parts is organic and internal.

Not only is the doctrinal standpoint the same throughout, but the whole book has an immense number of connecting thoughts and words. The letters to the seven Churches contain statements which are taken up in the visions which follow. Among such we may compare ii. 7 with xxii.

2; ii. 11 with xx. 6; ii. 26 with xii. 5, ii. 28 with xxii. 16; iii. 5 with xix. 8; iii. 12 with xxi. 2. The description of the glorified Redeemer in i. 10-18 is reflected in numerous pa.s.sages, and the strong a.s.sertion of the author's personality in i. 9 is again presented in xxii. 8. And the meaning of the book rapidly becomes clearer to the reader if he sees (a) that the notices of contemporary history in each of the seven parts of the book are arranged chronologically in reference to what is contained in that part; (b) that these seven parts are not related to one another in the order of temporal succession: each part is complete in itself, and is a full presentation of one aspect of the whole subject. This is exactly what we find in Isaiah, Amos, and Zechariah.

This leads us to another fact. Some writers have held that the Revelation is to be interpreted simply on _historical_ lines, as though it contained a list of events occurring through the whole of history since the time of St. John. Other writers {278} have held that little or no historical meaning can be found in the book, and that it is to be interpreted on _ideal_ lines, as teaching certain principles of religion. The truth seems to be that these two methods of interpretation are both partly true. Certain historical facts, such as the Ascension of our Lord, the destruction of Jerusalem, the persecution of the Church, the struggle between the Church and the Roman empire, are taken as a basis. Certain great principles of G.o.d's dealings with the world, and of the continued conflict between good and evil, are then ill.u.s.trated in connection with these facts, and the whole is knit together by the fixed expectation that Christ will come again to vanquish the wicked and rescue the good. While each division of the book thus possesses a real meaning, it seems hardly possible to attach a significance to each detail in the imagery which is employed.

Many items and even numbers appear to be introduced in order to make the scenes clear to the mind's eye rather than impart a knowledge of independent events. In after-ages Dante, like St. John, showed this care for minute imagery in the midst of verses of mystic vision. The book is the highest example of Christian imagination led and inspired by the Holy Spirit, and although at is written in prose it is of the nature of a poem.

The book contains seven revelations, which are preceded by a prologue concerning the divine Son of Man and the seven Churches of Asia. Of these seven revelations, the fourth is central both in place and meaning. It represents the kingdom of the world becoming the kingdom of Christ as the result of the coming of the Messiah, born of that glorious mother, the woman whose seed wars against the serpent (Gen.

iii. 15), and the maiden who bears Immanuel (Isa. vii. 14), and who also represents the Church banished to the wilderness.

On each side are three revelations, which correspond with one another like the petals of a mystical rose. The _third_, which deals with the divine judgment upon Jerusalem, corresponds with the _fifth_, which contains G.o.d's judgment upon {279} Rome. Here we see the triumph of G.o.d over corrupt religion and corrupt imperialism. The _second_, which describes the powers of divine judgment kept in check, and the seal of G.o.d imprinted on the saints of the new Israel, corresponds with the _sixth_, which describes the war of the Word of G.o.d with the Beast, and events which end with the universal judgment. The _first_, which describes the Lamb that was slain and the book of destiny which He alone could open, corresponds with the _seventh_, which describes the Bride of the Lamb, the New Jerusalem in heaven. Thus the final glory of the Church corresponds with the glory which the ascended Jesus already receives in heaven.

The whole closes with a short epilogue.

It will be observed that the book contains seven choric songs. The first revelation contains two such songs, one after each division. The second, third, and fifth revelation, each close with a song. The fourth and central revelation contains two songs; one is sung by the bodyguard of the Lamb before they go to war, the other is sung after the victory is gained. The seventh and last chorus celebrates the fall of Babylon (Rome), and ushers in the marriage of the Lamb. It comes at the end of the fifth revelation. Its form is double, and it sums up the remaining action of the book. Two more facts must be mentioned in this connection. The first is that the words of the song of the bodyguard of the Lamb (xiv. 3) are not told; it can only be learned by the redeemed. It begins with the voice of Christ, the voice "of many waters," and it is taken up by the "thunder" of the cherubim and the harps of the elders. The second is that there is no song between the sixth and seventh revelation. It is simply the voice out of the throne itself, the voice of the cherubim who uphold the throne of G.o.d (see iv.

6), which proclaims that the tabernacle of G.o.d is now with men, and that He shall wipe away every tear (xxi. 4). The exquisite art of this arrangement of the songs is manifest.

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a.n.a.lYSIS

t.i.tle and description (i. 1-3).

Prologue (i. 4-iii. 22).

The vision of the Son of Man (i. 4-20).

The message to each of the seven Churches of Asia (ii., iii.).

A general idea of conflict is present in this introduction. The Churches of Asia have special temptations against which they must fight, _e.g._ coldness at Ephesus, false prophecy at Thyatira, emperor wors.h.i.+p at Pergamum.

I. Revelation of the Book of Destiny: iv.-v.--The throne of G.o.d is manifested, surrounded by the elders and by the four living creatures who represent the created universe, _chorus of creation_ (iv.). The sealed book which none can open but the Lamb, _chorus of redemption_ (v.).

II. Revelation of the Seals: vi.-viii. 1.--The first four seals of the book are opened. Christ appears riding on a white horse, and is followed by four symbolic powers of evil: (a) Apollyon, who rides on a red horse; (b) the Steward, who rides on a black horse, and dispenses corn at a dear price, representing a perverted ministry of the Word, which nevertheless cannot hurt the unction given to the Christian nor the wine of Christ's Pa.s.sion; (c) Death on a pale horse; and (d) his companion h.e.l.l. When the fifth scene is opened, the martyrs who are under the altar which is before the throne cry in expectancy. With the sixth seal there is a warning of prophetic horrors. The day of G.o.d's wrath all but comes. But judgment is restrained for a season (vi.).

Chastis.e.m.e.nt is suspended until 144,000 of Israelites are sealed, then a mult.i.tude of all nations, _chorus of salvation_ (vii.). The seventh seal, which discloses a war against G.o.d, can now be opened; silence (viii. 1).

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III. Revelation of the Trumpets: viii. 2-xi. 18.--Seven angels receive trumpets, incense offered. With the sounding of each of the first four trumpets a chastis.e.m.e.nt is sent from above to rouse repentance (viii.).

With the fifth, chastis.e.m.e.nt ascends from the pit; with the sixth, angels and terrific hors.e.m.e.n come from the Euphrates; but men repent not (ix.). Before the seventh trumpet sounds, an angel tells the seer that when it has sounded the mystery of G.o.d as declared to the prophets will be finished (x.). Two prophets resembling Elijah and Moses appear as the symbols of Christian prophecy; they are slain in Jerusalem where our Lord was crucified, they ascend like Christ amid the wreck of a tenth of the city. The city confesses G.o.d. Then the seventh trumpet proclaims the subject of the next revelation: the kingdoms of the world becoming the kingdoms of Christ, _chorus of G.o.d reigning_ (xi. 1-18).

IV. Revelation of the Lamb's Redemption: xi. 19-xv. 4.--The ark itself is revealed to show that the coming revelation manifests what is most sacred and most profound. The conflict between Christ and evil is shown first as the conflict of the Child of the Woman against the dragon, then as the conflict of Michael and his angels against the dragon, then as the conflict of the dragon against the woman's seed (xii.). Next come the allies of the dragon, the beast out of the sea, which is imperial pagan Rome; and the beast out of the earth, which is the priesthood of Asia appointed to promote the wors.h.i.+p of the emperor (xiii.). Then there is seen on Mount Zion the Lamb with His bodyguard of 144,000, singing _the incommunicable chorus_. An angel proclaims the eternal gospel; another tells that Babylon, _i.e._ pagan Rome, has fallen; another proclaims the eternal punishment of those who wors.h.i.+p the beast. Then a voice from heaven announces the blessedness of the dead in Christ. The Son of Man is seen with a sickle; then comes the harvest of the good, and the vintage of those who {282} are to suffer in the winepress of G.o.d's wrath (xiv.). Seven angels appear, and the victors over the beast sing _the chorus Of Moses and the Lamb_ (xv.

1-4).

V. Revelation of the Bowls: xv. 5-xix. 10.--The heavenly temple opens, and the seven angels come to pour out the seven last punishments from the golden bowls (xv. 6-8). There is a plague, and the turning of the sea, and then of the rivers, into blood, then the sun's heat is intensified, then darkness is poured over Rome. Then, in conformity with Revelation III., we are shown the Euphrates. It is dried up that the kings of the East, probably conceived of as Parthians, may march to destroy Babylon. Other kings come to aid the beast. They muster at Har-Magedon. The seventh bowl is poured on the air. Babylon breaks into three parts. Storms (xvi.). Then an angel shows John Babylon riding triumphantly upon a beast as the mother of harlots, drunken with the blood of the martyrs, and he explains how she shall be destroyed by her subject kings (xvii.). There follows a solemn dirge on Babylon (xviii.). Then comes a _triumphant chorus_ for the judgment of the city (xix. 1-8). John is forbidden to wors.h.i.+p his angel-guide (xix.

10).

VI. Revelation of the Word of G.o.d and the universal Judgment: xix.

11-xx. 15.--It is now shown that judgment is the work of the Word of G.o.d Himself. As in Revelation II., He appears upon a white horse.

Brief sections display the complete overthrow of the great enemies of Christ, the beast, the false prophet, and the dragon. Then comes the millennium, when the martyrs of Jesus reign with Christ while Satan is bound. Satan is then loosed, and with Gog and Magog, who are leaders of nations hostile to G.o.d's people, he is finally vanquished. The final judgment takes place, and Death and h.e.l.l are cast into fire.

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VII. Revelation of the New Jerusalem: xxi. i-xxii. 5.--From a mountain-top is seen the Church, the holy city, New Jerusalem, the Bride prepared for Jesus. Its luminary and structure are described.

It rises on a vast rock of jewels. The throne of G.o.d is no longer remote from man, but in the midst of the city. From the throne pours the river of life through the very heart of the city. The river is shaded on both sides by the "tree" or wood of life, with its perpetual variety of fruit. This is in contrast with the one tree and its forbidden fruit which was the means of the Fall.

_Epilogue_ (xxii. 6-21).

The attestation of the angel, the watchword of Jesus, John again forbidden to wors.h.i.+p the angel. The book to remain unclosed. The watchword repeated. The attestation of Jesus to Himself and the angel, to His Bride, to the book, to His advent.

The response of John to the Lord Jesus.

Salutation.

[1] _H. E._ iii. 25, 39; vii. 25.

[2] The determination to deny that St. John could have believed in the Divinity of Christ made Zeller maintain that in the Revelation Christ is called the _Word of G.o.d_ as a mere honorary t.i.tle. Davidson interpreted it as meaning "the highest creature." Renan tried to extricate himself from the difficulty by saying that St. John did not write the Revelation, but, "having approved of it, saw it circulate under his name without displeasure" (_L'Antichrist_, p. xli.).

[3] Harnack, _Chronologie_, vol. i. pp. 245, 246, 679.

[4] Many of the supposed wrong constructions in the Revelation are capable of justification (Dr. Benson, _The Apocalypse_, p. 131 ff.).

[5] It is true that a different Greek word for Lamb is used in the Revelation from that in the Gospel, but the variation can be accounted for by the author's desire to use a word similar in form to the word used for the Beast, who is contrasted with the Lamb.

[6] The attempt to divide a supposed Judaizing element in the book from a more Catholic element has led to the a.s.sertion that vii. 1-8 is inconsistent with vii. 9-17. There is no more incongruity between these two pa.s.sages than in the statement of St. Paul in Rom. i. 16, that the gospel is a power unto salvation "to the Jew _first_, and also to the Greek."

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APPENDIX A

RATIONALIST CRITICISM ON ST. JOHN'S WRITINGS

The following table will ill.u.s.trate the points of agreement arrived at by the more prominent Rationalist critics of the last sixty years:--

THE GOSPEL. 1 JOHN. 2 AND 3 JOHN. REVELATION.

F. C. Baur, By a forger, By a By a By St.

1847. 170 A.D. second third John.

forger. forger.

Th. Keim, By the same forger, ---- Not by 1867. 100-117 A.D. St. John.

A. Hilgen- By a forger, All by a second forger, By St. John.

feld, 1875. 120-140 A.D. 130 A.D.