ITS INTERPRETATION the visions as predictions yet to be fulfilled and interpret them literalistically. The second group interpret the visions in the light of the conditions that obtained during the first Christian century and seek to find the underlying principles which they illustrate. The first group rarely agree in their detailed interpretations, for they ignore the historical background and are guided almost wholly by ingenious conjecture. Their followers are usually of the mystical, enigmatical type of mind that scorns scientific methods of research. The second group follow the only method that promises to give a true understanding of the thought and purpose of the original writer. The selection of seven churches is probably because seven is a part of the prevailing symbolism of the book. The churches mentioned first are situated in the three leading cities along the eastern Ægean. The order is from south to north: Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamum; then from north to south, including representative inland towns. Each of these churches had on the whole proved faithful. The allusion to "Satan's throne" is probably due to the fact that Pergamum was the old capital of the province of Asia and was therefore the traditional centre of the emperorworship. Since 29 B.C. it had also had a flourishing temple dedicated to Augustus or Rome. Chapters 4-6 contain the impressive introduction to the great world drama. In 5 the Almighty is pictured, seated on his throne, attended by angels and worshipped by the representatives of the church. In 5 the figure of the "Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Scion of David" looms up impressively. He proves to be none other than "the Lamb that seemed to have been slain.' This unique description of the Messiah is evidently taken from Isaiah 537 (“as a lamb that is led to the slaughter"). In 6 the agents of death appear. In these opening chapters the poet brings out with great dramatic effectiveness the tremendous contrast between the bitter conflict that was then raging and that was destined to rage between the church and the empire, and the peace and majesty in heaven above. Chapter 7, which represents a digression from the main theme, introduces another element of contrast, for it gives an anticipatory vision of the countless hosts of the servants of God. It is evidently introduced to give the reader an assurance of the ultimate outcome of the great conflict. The recurrence of the number seven gives a certain literary unity to the book. Not only are there seven letters to seven churches from the seven spirits before the divine throne, but the scroll which contains the record apparently of the sins of mankind is sealed by seven seals. At the breaking of each of these seals a new judgment is visited upon the earth. The breaking of the seventh seal (81-5) is the prelude to the blowing of seven trumpets that announce the world judgment. Each blast introduces one of the natural portents, which were associated in apocalyptic thought with the end of the world. The blowing of the sixth trumpet marked the destruction of Jerusalem (111-14). With the blowing of the seventh trumpet, the scene is transferred temporarily from earth to heaven. This last blast inaugurates the titanic struggle between the hosts of good and evil. Here the author weaves in many of the figures of the old mythology and it is difficult to be absolutely sure of his meaning at every point. Chapter 12 is the most difficult in the book. The people of promise, of whom the Christians are the lineal heirs, is apparently represented by the woman clad in the sun with the moon under her feet. The male child to whom she gives birth, who is to "shepherd all the nations with an iron flail and who was caught up to God and to his throne," is clearly the Messiah or Lamb whose victorious rôle is later described. The first of the two Beasts, which emerge in 13, represents Rome and the emperorworship; the second Beast her zealous provincial priesthood that had "every one put to death who would not worship the statue of the Beast and obliges all men low and high, rich and poor, freemen and slaves alike, to have a mark put upon their right hand or forehead so that no one can buy or sell unless he bears the mark, that is the name of the Beast." The cipher 666 is the total of the numerical values represented by the Hebrew letters of the name Cæsar Neron (k 100, S= 60, r = 200, n = 50, r = 200, w = 6, and n = 50; making 666). This identification is confirmed by the fact that in the old Latin version, where Nero is written without the final n (which equals 50), the number is 616, representing again the exact total of the Hebrew letters. Chapter 141-5 is another of those marvellous digressions which stir the imagination and hope of the reader and anticipate the final victory recorded in 21 and 22. In 146-20 the theme of judgment is again taken up, and in 14-20 the final judgment recorded in the succeeding chapters is anticipated. In 15-161 the scene is transferred again to earth. The seven angels with seven bowls represent the seven plagues which are poured out upon earth. Again the seventh is the culmination. This last bowl is emptied upon Rome, the woman with seven heads, which represented the seven hills on which she was seated and the seven kings who ruled over her (179, 10). The eighth head is apparently to be identified with Domitian. The ten horns = ITS INTERPRETATION possibly stand for the angelic being which will fight for her at the great final conflict. The vivid description of the overthrow of Rome in 18 was largely suggested by the II Isaiah's lament over fallen Babylon (Isaiah 47), and that of Ezekiel over Tyre (Ezek. 26, 27). Chapter 191-10 contains another of the wonderful anticipatory visions of the certain vindication of the faithful. It furnishes an effective contrast to the powerful description of the final overthrow of the Beast and of Satan in 1911-2015. The culminating scene of this tremendous drama (211-2217) is one of the most poetic and powerful passages in literature. Here all the noblest promises found in the Old Testament prophets are presented in one stupendous, concrete picture. The underlying thought is that after all the evil in the earth has been swept away by the purifying fires of judgment, God himself will come to dwell among his faithful people and to satisfy their every want. Jew and Gentile will share alike in the privileges of this ideal commonwealth in which "nothing unclean shall enter, nor any one who practises abomination or falsehood." Like Paul, the author of Revelation is endeavoring to portray objectively the ideal of the Kingdom of God, the community of the morally and socially redeemed, that Jesus held up before his followers. It is this picture of the perfect social state, as the final goal of creation, which gives to the book its perennial value for all generations. § CLXVIII. THE CHRISTIAN WISDOM OF THE EPISTLE OF JAMES James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to Greetthe twelve tribes in the dispersion, greeting. ing (James of (2-8) Count it as pure joy, my brothers, whenever you find i yourselves hedged about by various trials. Be sure that The the testing of your faith produces endurance; only let your testing endurance be a finished product that you may be perfect and faith complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God who giveth to all men liberally and without reproach, and it shall be given him. Only let him ask in faith, with never a doubt; for the man who doubts is like a surge of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. Let not that man think that from the Lord he will receive anything, double-minded that he is, unstable in all his ways. Let a brother of low position rejoice when he is raised up; The uncer tainty of riches (9-11) The real nature of temp but also let one who is rich rejoice in being brought low, for he will pass away like the flower of the grass, for the sun rises with the scorching wind and the grass withers, its flower drops off, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So shall the rich fade away in the midst of their undertakings. Happy is the man who endures under trial; for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which is promised to all who love God. Let no one say, when he is tation being tried by temptation, I am being tempted by God; for God is incapable of being tempted by evil and he tempts no one. Everyone is tempted as he is carried away and lured by his own desire; then desire conceives and bears sin and when sin is fully matured it gives birth to death. (12-15) God's gifts only good (16-18) The neces sity of selfcontrol (19-21) Of obedience (22-25) The My beloved brothers, do not be deceived: every gift is good and every endowment is perfect, coming down from above, from the Father who is the source of all love, with whom there is no variation nor shadow of change. In accordance with his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, in order that we might be a kind of firstfruits among his creatures. Know this, my beloved brothers. Therefore, let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to be angry; for human anger does not lead to what God regards as right. So ridding yourselves of all that is vile and of the evil that abounds, receive humbly the message implanted within you which is able to save your souls. Act on the word instead of merely hearing it and deluding yourselves. For, if any one hears but does not act, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror, for he looks at himself, goes off and at once forgets what he was like. But he who looks intently at the perfect law of freedom and continues looking, proving himself to be no forgetful hearer, but an active doer, will be blessed in his activity. If any one thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives himself, his religion is worthless. The religion that is pure and stainless in the sight of God the Father is this: to care personally for orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. My brothers, as you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, who THE DEMOCRACY democ is our glory, do not show favoritism. For suppose a man True comes into one of your meetings, wearing gold rings and racy handsome clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in (21-9) dirty clothes. If you attend to the one who wears handsome clothes and say, Sit here, this is a good place, and say to the poor man, Stand there, or Sit at my feet, are you not making distinctions among yourselves and judging people with wrong standards? Listen, my beloved brothers, hath not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the Kingdom which he has promised to those who love him? Yet you insult the poor man. Is it not the rich who lord it over you and themselves drag you into law courts? Is it not they who revile the noble name you bear? If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to scripture, which says, You must love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well; but if you show partiality you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as offenders. neces plete For whoever obeys the law as a whole, but makes a single The slip is guilty of everything. For he who said, Do not com- nor sity of mit adultery, also said, Do not kill. Now, if you do not comcommit adultery but do kill, you have transgressed the law. obediSpeak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom; for a merciless judgment will be meted out to him who shows no mercy; but mercy triumphs in the face of judgment. ence (10-13) out What use is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith The and yet has no works? Can his faith save him? Suppose of faith futility a brother or a sister is ill-clad or lacks daily food, and one withof you says to them, Depart in peace; be warmed and well works fed, but does not give them what their body needs, what (14-19) use is that? So faith without deeds is dead in itself. But some one will say, You have faith! Yes, and I have deeds as well. You show me your faith without works and I will show you by works what faith is! You believe in one God? You are quite right; evil spirits also believe and shudder. The neces con My brothers, let not many become teachers, for you know that we teachers shall be subjected to severe judgment. sity of We all make many slips; if any one does not make a slip trolling in speech that man is perfect; he is able to curb his whole the nature. In the case of horses we put the bridles into their (31-12) tongue |