SQLite format 3@ rL- ii!%%atableTopicsTopicsCREATE TABLE Topics (Title NVARCHAR(100), Notes TEXT)aY00-Title and Contents{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033\deflangfe1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 TimesNewRoman;}{\f1\froman\fcharset0 TimesNewRoman,Bold;}{\f2\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue255;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;\red128\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\qc\cf1\f0\fs48 THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA\par \cf2\b\f1\fs24 BY\par \par \cf3\b0\qpar\fi-360\li360\tx360\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\cf1\lang1033\f0\fs32 1.\tab INTRODUCTION\par \pard\nowidctlpar\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\tx10080\par \cf2\fs24 The first word in this book, as in the Old Testament books, gives its name: Greek,\par \i Apocalupsis; \i0 Latin, \i Revelatio; Eng\i0 lish, \i Revelation. \i0 They all mean literally an\par upveiling of that which is Christ never said anything about\par an invisible or universal church. His teaching is to the contrary; He does not say the\par church in Asia, but "the churches in Asia." He does not use the word church in any\par provincial sense, or state sense, or national sense, or denominational sense. This is a\par very convincing exhibit of the uses of the word, as coming from the lips of our Lord,\par rebuking the contention of many people of the present day who talk about a\par universal church here on ear \cf2\fs24\par This chapter on the analysis is the second revelation, chapters 2-3, an earth scene of\par "the things that are." It consists of the letters to the seven churches, and is a\par revelation of their condition in God's sight. Now, upon these seven letters I wish to\par make some general observations.\par \par My first is that you should find a map \f1\'be \f0 generally the last map in your Bible \f1\'be \f0 of\par the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. That will show you the province of Asia -\par the southwestern part of Asia Minor. And on that map you must locate the seven\par churches. Commence at the southwestern coast of Asia Minor \f1\'be \f0 there you will find\par the first church, Ephesus, a seaport, or used to be, situated on a little river that flows\par into the Aegean Sea. Follow the coast line north until you come to Smyrna, another\par seaport. Still going north you come to Pergamum, or Pergamos (either is correct).\par That is not a seaport, but is close to the sea. The first three churches, then, are found\par by following up the coast going north. The other four churches are inland, and you\par will find them by commencing a little north of where Pergamos is located, and by\par following a line south you come to the other churches in the order named: Thyatira,\par Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea. Now, look a little off that coast from the\par southwestern part of Asia Minor, and you will find a little island, barely discernible\par on the map, called Pat mos. That is where John was. So, my first observation is that\par the reader should locate on a map the province of Asia, the seven churches (noting\par which are seaports and which are inland) and Patmos.\par \par My next observation is based upon what we considered in the last chapter, that is,\par the key passage of the book (\cf1\ul Rev_1:12-16\cf2\ulnone ), representing Christ as the\par original light, the Sun of Righteousness, shining as the sun in its full strength, reflecting\par His light upon the churches, and through them here on earth His reflected light is to\par illuminate the world. The description of this glorified Christ shows Him in the garb of\par a high priest, and invested with kingly rule \f1\'be \f0 a royal priest. If that be the key\par passage, then the whole of this book up to \cf1\ul Rev_20:11\cf2\ulnone , where you strike the\par climax of the book - the whole of the book up to that point is what is called the\par Spirit's dispensation, or the dispensation of the c hurches, or the dispensation of the\par gospel preached. Everything up to \cf1\ul Rev_20:11\cf2\ulnone , where Christ comes to raise\par the dead and judge the world.\par \par Now take that key passage of Christ as the light of the world, and trace its\par connection through this section we are studying, chapters 2-3. In order that you may\par trace it, open your Bible and read the following verses \f1\'be \f0 the beginning of each letter\par to a church \f1\'be \cf1\ul\f0 Rev_2:1\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1 \ul Rev_2:8\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_2:12\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_2:18\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_3:1\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_3:7\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_3:14\cf2\ulnone . As you read these verses\par introducing what is said to each church, you will see that the titles or appellatives\par applying to Christ, through whom this light comes, are all citations or allusions to the\par first revelation. So all of this section shows that this key passage unlocks everything\par said to the churches. In the same way we may trace the key passages through the\par whole of the book unlocking the meaning of every vision. The connection, therefore,\par between this section and the first revelation is evident in these verses.\par \par To impress that on you perhaps you had better read these verses. Begin at chapter 2\par and read only the beginning of each letter to the churches: "To the angel of the\par church at Ephesus write, These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right\par hand, that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks." Now that is a\par quotation from chapter 1, where the key passage is given; Christ is seen walking in\par the midst of the candlesticks; Christ is holding the seven stars in His right hand.\par \par \cf3 Verse 8: "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, These things saith\par the first and the last, who was dead and liveth again."\par \par \cf2 By reading the first chapter you will find these allusions to Christ: "The first and the\par last, who was dead but liveth again to die no more."\par \par \cf3 Verse 12: "To the angel of the church at Pergamos write, These things saith\par he that hath the sharp two-edged sword."\par \par \cf2 In that first revelation a two-edged sword is represented as issuing from His mouth,\par standing for His word of judgment.\par \par \cf3 Verse 18: "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write, These things saith the\par Son of God, who hath eyes like a flame of fire and feet like unto burnished\par brass."\par \par \cf2 That is the description of His eyes and feet as seen in the first revelation.\par \par \cf3 Now \cf1\ul Rev_3:1\cf2\ulnone \cf3 : "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,\par These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars."\par \par \cf2 Evidently that is an allusion to the first revelation.\par \par \cf3 Verse 7: "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These things\par saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that\par openeth and none can shut, and he that shutteth and none can open."\par \par \cf2 These things are alluded to in the first revelation.\par \par \cf3 Verse 14: "And to the angel of the church of Laodicea write, These things\par saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of\par God."\par \par \cf2 My third general observation is based upon Christ's own uses of the word "church"\par as found in Matthew and Revelation. There are twenty-three instances of Christ's\par using the Greek word \i ecclesia \f2\'be \i0\f0 church. In \cf1\ul Mat_16:18\cf2\ulnone , He says, "I will\par build my church." In \cf1\ul Mat_18:17\cf2\ulnone , He says, "Tell it to the church." The\par references in Revelation where he uses the term church or churches are the following:\par \cf1\ul Rev_1:4\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_1:11\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_1:20\cf2\ulnone , and again \cf1\ul Rev_2:1\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_2:7-8\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_2:11-12\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_2:17-18\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_2:23\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_2:29\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_3:1\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_3:6-7\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_3:13-14\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_3:22\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_22:16\cf2\ulnone .\par \par Now here are twenty-three examples of the use of the word \i ecclesia - \i0 church - as\par spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself; and it is evident from a study of these\par twenty-three instances of the use of the word, that MMaY00-Title and Contents{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033\deflangfe1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 TimesNewRoman;}{\f1\froman\fcharset0 TimesNewRoman,Bold;}{\f2\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue25$ay00-Title and Contents{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab1134{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue255;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;\red128\green0\blue0; 1Ki=02-General Observations{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033\deflangfe1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 TimesNewRoman;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Symbol;}{\f2\froman\fcharset0 TimesN I]01-Introduction{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab1134{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Symbol;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green0\blue128;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlompanied by this sharp\par threat: "Repent, or I will come like a thief in the night and visit you with my\par judgment." This is a coming of the Lord, but not His final advent. It is like that\par coming in His other great prophecy, concerning the evil servant who said in his heart,\par "My lord tarrieth," and began to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with\par drunken, to whom in an unsuspected hour the lord came, cut him asunder and\par appointed a portion with hypocrites (\cf1\ul Mat --ome general observ/i02-General Observations{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab1134{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Symbol;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green0\blue128;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\tx10080\cf1\lang1033\f0\fs32 2. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS\par \par have not defiled their garments," but the church was absorbed in the acquisition of\par wealth and swallowed up in worldly mindedness. It is distinctly stated: "None of thy\par works are perfect." We have found heretofore something exceptionally good to\par commend \f1\'be \f0 especially in the case of Smyrna. But the church at Sardis had no\par excellence in any direction, whether in growth, fellowship, or mission work: "None of\par thy works is perfect," hence the exhortation to repent is accid, but we have the depths of a later and better knowledge." Our Lord\par admits the depths, but declares them "the depths of Satan."\par \par Sardis: This city is the capital of Croesus, said to be the richest man in the world in\par his day. You read how Cyrus captured him and destroyed his empire. Sardis, his\par capital, was always a city of great wealth. There is no commendation in this letter,\par except toward the last he says: "There are a few in Sardis" \f1\'be \f0 not many \f1\'be \f0 "who forgiveness, either in this world or in the next. There is such a boundary line and then\par no more space for repentance.\par \par There is reference in this letter to "the depths of Satan." It is a little difficult to\par translate the Greek so as to convey the right idea. It is quite probable that this is the\par thought: The Gnostic philosophers claimed that they had a new knowledge, later and\par better than any revelation, as if to say: "You know what Paul says, and you know\par what John sabe a prophetess, and that this prophetic spirit told her that open\par communion with heathenism had no harm in it. Now comes the great text for the\par preacher: "I gave her space to repent, and she repented not." As a young preacher,\par in every revival meeting I preached on "the space to repent," emphasizing the fact\par that beyond that allotted time there was no hope of salvation. This woman crossed\par the boundary line, she sinned against the Holy Spirit and her sin, therefore, had never\par omen undertake. I wish to assure you that Lydia, who is\par mentioned in Acts 16, as being a woman of Thyatira, is not the Jezebel who is\par mentioned here; it is a slander on Lydia. It is every way improbable that Lydia of\par A.D. 52 is the Jezebel of A.D. 96. I am more inclined to think she was the wife of\par the pastor. I do not know who the pastor was. You pastors, your wives will be\par mighty where you work \f1\'be \f0 mighty for good or mighty for evil. Anyhow, this Jezebel\par claimed to t." That demand in \cf1\ul 1Jn_4:1\cf2\ulnone to try\par them that say they are prophets and apostles was disregarded. In this case great\par trouble came to the church from a woman. When a woman is good she is better than\par a man, but when she is bad she is worse than a man. The woman has much to do\par with Christianity; she is for or against it, and the man who does not recognize the\par might of woman's influence is blind. That is why I rejoice to co-operate in every\par good work which the wesus Christ shall come upon them.\par The next church is Thyatira. This inland church is commended for the following\par things: love, faith, service, patience, and unlike the church at Ephesus, its last works\par were better than its first. In Ephesus the first works \i were \i0 the best, and the last works\par not up to the mark on account of having lost their love.\par \par What things are reprobated? They had not exercised discipline: "Thou hast that\par woman Jezebel, who claims to be a prophet was fear\par that prompted many of them, after the pastor was put to death, to say this: "I will\par submit to the government test, at least have open communion with the heathen; I will\par partake of their feasts and the things sacrificed to the idols." Some of them were\par following the doctrine of Nicholas, saying: "If you are a Christian it doesn't make any\par difference what you do." The exhortation calls on them to repent, or else judgment\par from the sword that issues from the mouth of Jthstanding the persecuting test,\par and do not deny Jesus Christ. Particularly was that so in the case of their illustrious\par pastor, Antipas, who is mentioned here. When the heathen authority demanded of\par him that he turn loose Christianity and avow the heathen religion, he held fast and did\par not deny, and suffered death.\par \par What is reprobated in this church? That it did not exercise gospel discipline; they\par retained in their members Balaamites and Nicolaitans. I doubt not that iion in this city was the dominant force of\par evil, the patron deity was the demigod Esculapius - that is, the physician god - but\par there were also temples in the city to Jupiter, Minerva, Apollo, Venus, and Bacchus.\par Hence "I know where thou dwellest, where Satan's throne is" \f1\'be \f0 that is to say, the\par heathen religion in the city of Pergamos was the religion of state, and enforced tests\par of allegiance on pain of death.\par \par What is commended here? That they hold fast, notwi apostles: "Fear not them who kill the body but\par are not able to kill the soul; rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and\par body in hell," and though they kill you in the body, which is the first death, I assure\par you, you will not be hurt by the second death.\par \par Pergamos: This is a city, at the present time, of about 30,000 inhabitants. One-tenth\par of them are professing Christians, either Greek Catholics, Roman Catholics, or\par Protestants of some kind. The heathen relig!n or Jewish, it is\par the devil who is the real author of the evil, and hence it says here that "Satan shall\par cast many of you into prison." Satan can work just as well, or maybe a little better,\par through one who claims to be religious and is not, than through an outsider.\par There is no censure on the church at Smyrna. There is an exhortation to be faithful\par unto death. "They will put you to death, but I will give you the crown of life." As it is\par expressed in Christ's address to the " not. That is, they claim to be Jews on account of fleshly descent from Abraham, but\par they are not the spiritual descendants of Abraham. So that the Jewish church existed\par there as the bitterest enemy of the Christian church. They are the people who\par accused Polycarp in A.D. 168, they brought the wood to burn him at the stake, and\par helped to pile the fagots on the fire as he was burning. You will notice that it makes\par no difference as to the mere form of organization, whether Christia# art rich" \f1\'be \f0 while in this world's goods the members of the church were\par poor, in spiritual things they were rich. We will find, when we come to Laodicea, the\par exact reverse: they were rich in this world's goods, but in the sight of God they were\par miserable, poor, blind, and naked.\par \par We notice in this letter to the church at Smyrna the attitude of the Jewish religion to\par Christianity \f1\'be \f0 "the synagogue of Satan" \f1\'be \f0 those who say they are Jews and are\par$f the apostle John,\par and if he was converted in A.D. 82 he would have been a Christian fourteen years\par when this letter was written. That is time enough for him to become pastor of the\par church. He was one of John's own converts. John went to Asia about A. D. 80, and\par in A. D. 82 Polycarp was converted, and when he became a preacher he was\par installed as pastor of the church at Smyrna.\par \par Now, what things are commended here? "I know thy tribulations and thy poverty,\par but thou%ule of\par Marcus. Aurelius, the Roman emperor. As he was about to be executed he said to\par the proconsul who governed the province: "I have been a Christian eighty-six years."\par Subtract 86 from 168, and you find that he was converted in A. D. 82. Now we\par know that he was a pastor in A.D. 108, for Ignatius in his writings says he visited\par Polycarp, the pastor at Smyrna, that year. Tertullian, Ireneus, Eusebius, all say that\par Polycarp was made pastor at Smyrna under the administration o&y \f1\'be\par \f0 it is a city now, as it has now a population of about 200,000, and three-fourths of the\par population today are nominally Christians: whether Greek Catholics, Roman\par Catholics, or Protestants. It is the seat of great commerce, situated as it is with such\par a splendid harbor on the Aegean Sea.\par \par "And to the angel of the church at Smyrna" \f1\'be \f0 who was that angel? I can tell you this\par time. In A.D. 168 a pastor of that church, Polycarp, was martyred under the r'teristically it remains with me, and many a time\par has even gone beyond what it was when I was first converted.\par \par Let us look then, at the exhortation to this church: "Repent and do thy first works"\par \f1\'be \f0 that is to say, in the spirit of the love as you did at first. The threat: "If you do not,\par I will come and remove thy candlestick." We do know that the Ephesus candlestick\par was removed.\par \par The church at Smyrna: Smyrna for more than two thousand years had been a cit(erted." Whoever has abated in\par the love that he had in his heart when God converted him, that one needs a revival.\par That is a condition of the Ephesus church. Sound in doctrine, sound in discipline, but\par they had not the love which characterized their conversion.\par \par How would that affect you, brothers and sisters? It hits me sometimes \f1\'be \f0 not all the\par time. I can never forget the love in my heart for God and man when God converted\par me. At times it has abated, but charac) will tell you which one when we come to it.\par The attitude of that church to the Nicolaitan doctrine we have just discussed is also\par commended: "Thou hatest the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which also I hate." So\par these are the things commended in that church.\par \par The thing reprobated was just one thing: "Thou hast left thy first love." That means:\par "You do not now possess that fervor of love which filled your hearts when you\par professed to be Christians, when you were first conv*\par find an overwhelming argument in favor of the late date of the book of Revelation. If\par you turn to \cf1\ul 1Jn_4:1\cf2\ulnone , which he wrote from Ephesus, between A.D. 82 and 85,\par he gives his commandment to try the spirits, whether they be of God. Now, later, he\par says that Ephesus had obeyed that injunction: "Ye have tried them that say they are\par prophets, or apostles, and are not, and condemned them." We will find one of the\par seven churches that did not try them \f1\'be \f0 I+evelation to a class in Greek, I would have much to say of the\par shades of meaning in the words employed. But confining myself to the English, I will\par say that the things commended are: "Thy works, thy toil of service, thy adherence to\par sound doctrine and the motive that prompted the work." All was done for Christ's\par sake. Another thing commended was the attitude of this church to false prophets.\par "Thou hast tried them that say they are apostles and are not" \f1\'be \f0 and just here we,hly improbable from the fact that Timothy was not a pastor at all, but an\par evangelist, an apostolic delegate, and even in the second letter to him Paul is calling\par him from Ephesus to come to Rome. It is not at all probable that Timothy remained\par at Ephesus as pastor from A.D. 68 to 96, when this book was written. So we will\par say we do not know who this pastor was at Ephesus.\par \par What things were commended in this letter to the church at Ephesus? If I was\par teaching the book of R-rld - the temple\par of Diana, whose religion, however, was not so much a Greek religion as Oriental,\par since the Diana of the Ephesians was represented by a wooden idol, a monstrous\par image that set forth the fruitfulness of nature \f1\'be \f0 a very different Diana from the Diana\par of the Greeks.\par \par "To the angel of the church at Ephesus." Who was he? Some claim that Timothy was\par the pastor at the time that John wrote this letter. There is no evidence of it, and it is\par very hig.. 80. While\par living at Ephesus he wrote his three letters, which we have considered. One of the\par fathers, Clement of Alexandria, expressly says that after the death of Domitian, John\par escaped from exile in Patmos, and returned to the city of Ephesus.\par Now we are ready to take up the churches in the order of their condition:\par First, Ephesus: this city was the metropolis of proconsular Asia, one of the greatest\par cities of ancient times, having in it one of the seven wonders of the wo/ and when the second time he was\par imprisoned at Rome and had been condemned to death he wrote the second letter to\par Timothy, still at Ephesus. So that up to A. D. 68, when Paul was martyred, all these\par churches were under his apostolic jurisdiction.\par \par My next general observation is to show John's connection with these seven\par churches. You may see from uniform tradition that John moved to Ephesus as a last\par surviving apostle and had charge of all these churches at least by A. D0rches in this\par section concerning the Gnostic philosophy. These letters are to the Colossians and\par the Ephesians. Then to Philemon, who lived in this section, he wrote concerning\par Christianity's attitude toward slavery. Then, still in the first Roman imprisonment, he\par wrote to its Christian Jews \f1\'be \f0 the letter to the Hebrews. After he escaped from that\par Roman imprisonment, he wrote the first letter to Timothy, who had charge under\par Paul's direction of the church at Ephesus,1y next general observation is to show Paul's connection with these seven churches\par of Asia. All of them were established either directly or indirectly by Paul. You will\par find the history in Acts 19, where he held his great meeting at Ephesus, in which all of\par the province of Asia heard the word of God. The next part of the history is in Acts\par 20, where Paul delivers his memorable address to the elders of the church at\par Ephesus. Then, during his first Roman imprisonment, he wrote to chu2ianism: If\par election be true, and you are saved by Christ and not by works, then it does not\par make any difference what sin you commit; you are all right. I have seen in Texas a\par preacher who was a Nicolaitan, who boldly taught in private that immorality\par committed by a Christian cannot possibly result in any harm to him, and based his\par seduction to evil upon that theory. But it is the doctrine of the devil, no matter if it be\par a preacher who holds it, or somebody else.\par \par M3r was ordained one of the seven deacons in the Jerusalem church, mentioned in Acts\par 6, afterward founded the doctrine here referred to, and hence those who adopted\par the doctrine were called "Nicolaitans." There is no particle of evidence to connect\par Nicholas in Acts 6 with these Nicolaitans. There was a Nicholas, doubtless, who did\par teach the doctrine that is here mentioned, but what you want to know is not who\par started the doctrine, but what was the doctrine. It was a form of Antinom4 feast with me." Paul had already said: "You cannot partake of the cup of the\par Lord and the cup of the devils; you cannot cat at the table of the Lord and at the\par table of devils." That was the teaching of Balaam as found in these churches - and\par very hurtful to several of them, as you will see in the exposition.\par \par My next general observation relates to the meaning of Nicolaitans, at least twice\par referred to in our letters to the churches. Some people suppose that Nicholas, who\pa5communion with the heathen religion resulted in the worst form\par of immorality and idolatry that brought about the alienation between Israel and\par Jehovah. Now there were two men and women living in these churches, or in these\par cities, who taught that doctrine. They preached open communion between the\par Christian religion and the heathen religion: "You come to my festival and I will go to\par your festival: I will partake of your Lord's Supper with you if you will partake of the\par heathen6to prophesy against Israel, by\par Balak, the king of the Moabites, and God would not let him. prophesy any evil, but\par he coveted the big pay that Balak offered him, and later suggested how Israel could\par be destroyed - by bringing about the alienation from God, telling Balak to introduce\par to the Israelites the most beautiful of the Moabitish women, and let them seduce the\par Israelites to partake of the festivals of the heathen religion as well as of the Jewish\par religion, and this open 7urches \f1\'be \f0 it means\par pastor who is the representative of the church. If I were to write a letter to the\par church at Austin, I would direct it to the pastor of the church, and through him as the\par representative it would be communicated to the church.\par \par My third general observation relates to the doctrine of Balaam, to which reference is\par made in the letters to two or three of the churches. You will remember the analogue\par in the Old Testament where Balaam was called upon 8 guardian angel. They fail to tell us how these guardian angels\par communicated these messages to the churches. There are quite a number of Greek\par words like "apostle," "deacon," "angel," that have both an etymological meaning and\par an official meaning. Officially, the term "angel" refers to these messengers from God\par \f1\'be \f0 from the upper world \f1\'be \f0 but the word means messengers or representatives, and\par in this book \f1\'be \f0 particularly in the cases of the angel in the ch9CHURCHES IN ASIA\par \cf2\fs24\par I will begin this chapter with some additional general observations.\par My first observation is that in each city of these seven churches there are three\par competing religions \f1\'be \f0 heathen, Jewish, Christian. In every part we see evidence of\par the conflict.\par \par My second general observation refers to the meaning of the term "angel" \f1\'be \f0 each\par letter commences: "to the angel." Some people have wrongly supposed that each\par church has a of purification \par (\cf1\ul Eze_36:25\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Heb_9:13-14\cf2\ulnone ). This is "the washing of regeneration" in \cf1\ul Tit_3:5\cf2\ulnone , referred to also in \cf1\ul 1Co_6:11\cf2\ulnone , "Such were some of you, but ye were\par washed." And, if you are able to bear it, this is the "born of water" in \cf1\ul Joh_3:5\cf2\ulnone ,\par which Nicodemus, a teacher in Israel, was rebuked for not understanding, so clearly\par was it taught in the Old Testament.\par \par In the same way w=x720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\tx10080\cf1\lang1033\f0\fs32 4. PROMISES TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES\par \cf2\fs24\par Let us recall again that the Lord adapts His titles, exhortations, threats, and promises\par to the varied conditions of the churches. In no two cases are they alike.\par This chapter is devoted to the promises. All these promises are connected with one\par word "overcometh" \f1\'be \f0 Greek "\i nikao.\i0 " The details of these prom>ises are given in\par seven distinguishing series in the second and third chapters, and the sum of them\par expressed in \cf1\ul Rev_21:7\cf2\ulnone , "He that overcometh shall inherit \i all \i0 things" \f1\'be \f0 or\par better, "These things" referring back to the things enumerated in \cf1\ul Rev_21:1-6\cf2\ulnone .\par \par Let us group into one sentence all the detailed and distinguishing promises of the\par seven series: "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is ?in\par the Paradise of God" \f1\'be \f0 and "He shall not be hurt of the second death" \f1\'be \f0 and I will\par give to him the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a\par new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it" \f1\'be \f0 and "I will give\par him authority over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the\par vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also have received of my Father: and\par I will give him the morni@ng star" \f1\'be \f0 and "he shall be arrayed in white garments, and I\par will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name\par before my Father and of my God, and he shall go out thence no more; and I will\par write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new\par Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new\par name" \f1\'be \f0 and "I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also\par overcame Aand sat down with my Father on his throne" (see \cf1\ul Rev_2:7\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_2:11\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_2:17\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_2:26-28\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_3:5\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_3:12\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_3:21\cf2\ulnone ).\par \par \b GENERAL REMARKS ON THE PROMISES\par \par \cf3 1. \cf2\b0 They are all clothed in the most sublime imagery.\par \cf3\b\par 2. \cf2\b0 Their character, multitude, and magnitude are overwhelming, outshining any galaxy\par in the naturBal skies. The mind is dazzled by their blended brilliance. The hand of\par apprehension looses its grip in trying to grasp them and comprehension must wait for\par understanding until the realization of postjudgment experience.\par \cf3\b\par 3. \cf2\b0 Yet even now unstaggering faith receives them, and hope lives in their radiance.\par They reverse gravitation because they draw upward; they pull toward heaven and\par uplift.\par \par They stimulate more than wine until one is intoxicated with theC Spirit. They awaken\par desire, develop strength, and inspire zeal.\par \cf3\b\par 4. \cf2\b0 Laying aside all dogmatism, comparing scripture with scripture in exceeding\par humility, praying fervently for spiritual guidance, let us attempt an interpretation.\par Inasmuch as all these promises are to him that "\i overcometh,\i0 " our first concern is to\par know the meaning and sweep of this word, and just what or whom must be\par overcome, and with what means we may overcome.\par \par EvidentlyD the word "overcometh" is not limited to one definite transaction, but has a\par continuous meaning \f1\'be \f0 a sweep beyond a single event. What are its terminals? When\par does the overcoming commence and where does it end? It commences with\par justification and ends at the death of the body with complete sanctification of the\par soul. "He that endureth unto the end shall be saved" \f1\'be \f0 "Be thou faithful unto death,\par and thou shalt receive a crown of life." John elsewhere supplies theE object of the\par verb. Twice he says: "Ye have overcome \i the wicked one\i0 " (\cf1\ul 1Jn_2:13-14\cf2\ulnone ).\par Three times he declares \i the world \i0 as the object to be overcome (\cf1\ul 1Jn_5:4-5\cf2\ulnone ).\par Only those "born of God overcome the world."\par \par The \i means of \i0 overcoming is "the blood of the Lamb"; the instrumentality is \i faith \f2\'be\par \i0\f0 "and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith" (\cf1\ul 1Jn_5:4\cf2\ulnone ).\par Satan,F his emissaries and the world that lieth in him, must be overcome. By faith the\par child of God goes on from victory to victory \f1\'be \f0 from grace to grace \f1\'be \f0 from strength\par to strength \f1\'be \f0 from glory to glory.\par \par Let us now look separately at the promises themselves:\par \par \cf3\b 1. \cf2\b0\i Access to the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God. \i0 (\cf1\ul Rev_2:7\cf2\ulnone ) Here,\par evidently, there is allusion to the Genesis story. The purpose of the tree of lGife in the\par original garden was to eliminate the mortality of the body. So that, in unfigurative\par terms, this promise is the glorification of the body to be experienced without death\par by all Christians living when our Lord comes, and by all Christians who have died,\par after their resurrection. We may count the glorification of the bodies of the two\par classes as practically simultaneous, since the righteous dead are raised before the\par righteous living are changed, and together they arHe caught up to the Lord \par (\cf1\ul 1Th_4:13-18\cf2\ulnone ).\par \par The promise means everything set forth in Paul's words (\cf1\ul 1Co_15:42-49\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul 1Co_15:51-58\cf2\ulnone ): \f1\'be \f0 incorruption, glory, power, a spiritual body in the image of the\par Second Adam; or in his other words, "Who shall fashion anew the body of our\par humiliation, that it may be like the body of his glory, according to the working\par whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself" I(\cf1\ul Php_3:21\cf2\ulnone ). Or\par as John elsewhere puts it: "We know that if he shall be manifested, we shall be like\par him" (\cf1\ul Joh_3:2\cf2\ulnone ). Hence the psalmist: "I shall be satisfied \i when I awake with thy\par likeness.\i0 " This title to access to the tree of life arises from cleansing by the blood of\par the Lamb, effected in us when in regeneration and sanctification the Spirit applies the\par blood. After Adam's fall he was expelled from the garden lest he eat of this fruJit and\par live forever in a body of sin (\cf1\ul Gen_3:22\cf2\ulnone ), but a throne of grace and mercy was\par established at the east of the garden where the sword flame, or Shekinah, dwelt\par between the Cherubim to keep open the way to the tree of life through vicarious\par sacrifices (\cf1\ul Gen_3:24\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Gen_4:4\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Heb_11:4\cf2\ulnone ).\par \cf3\b\par 2. \cf2\b0 "\i Shall not be hurt of the second death.\i0 " (\cf1\ul Rev_2:11\cf2\ulnone ) The meaning of\pKar the second death is the casting of both soul and risen body into the lake of fire\par (\cf1\ul Rev_20:14-15\cf2\ulnone ). It is the final decision of our Lord at the judgment, and\par fixes forever the status of the lost. The lake of fire is a metaphor, of course, but\par expresses a reality not less fearful than the figure. Into this torment the soul of a lost\par sinner goes immediately after the death of the body \f1\'be \f0 see the parable of Dives and\par Lazarus, Luke 16. But from this diseLmbodied state of torment the soul is called to\par the judgment, where it is united to its risen body \f1\'be \f0 "Death and Hades gave up the\par dead which were in them" (\cf1\ul Rev_20:13\cf2\ulnone ), i.e., the body came from the grave\par and the soul from its place in torment. Then on the sentence of the judge the lost\par man, soul and body, is cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death.\par While both memory and conscience will afflict the lost forever, the lake of fire is\par \i Mpunitive, \i0 and not the remorse of conscience, which is only consequential. That this\par final sentence is \i punitive \i0 appears from \cf1\ul Mat_25:41\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Mat_25:46\cf2\ulnone , and \par \cf1\ul 2Th_1:7-9\cf2\ulnone . It is further described by our Lord as a destruction of soul and\par body in Gehenna, and directly contrasted with the first death, or the death of the\par body: "And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:\par but rather fear Nhim who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Greek\par \i Gehenna).\par \i0\par This promise was specially precious to the church at Smyrna, at that time undergoing\par persecution unto death. The devil, through his agents, might kill their bodies, the first\par death, but these martyrs should not be hurt of the second death.\par \cf3\b\par 3. \cf2\b0 "\i I will give to him the hidden manna.\i0 " (\cf1\ul Rev_2:17\cf2\ulnone ) The "hidden\par manna" is an allusion to the memorial pot ofO manna hidden in the ark of the covenant.\par This represented Christ as the bread of life, sent from heaven \f1\'be \f0 see the great\par discussion, \cf1\ul Joh_6:27-59\cf2\ulnone . Whosoever by faith appropriates the body and blood\par of Christ has eaten food which nourishes unto eternal life. An eater of the manna in\par the desert did not escape death, but the believer in Jesus Christ, antitype of the\par memorial manna hidden in the ark of the covenant, shall never die.\par \par This promiseP is on a line with the preceding one, and particularly appropriate to\par Pergamos, whose heretics were eating the meat offered to idols, following Balaam,\par which was a food unto death, but whose faithful ones are promised the bread of life.\par \cf3\b\par 4. \cf2\b0 "\i 1 will give him a white stone \i0 and on the stone a new name written which no\par one knoweth but he that receiveth it." (\cf1\ul Rev_2:17\cf2\ulnone )\par Observe that this is the second promise to the church at Pergamos. To thQe same\par person is given both "the hidden manna" and "the stone," whose inscription is \i hidden\par \i0 to all but the recipient. There appears to be a connection of thought between the two\par promises which may be helpful toward an interpretation of the white stone. Let us\par follow up this clue.\par \par Satan's throne was at Pergamos. That is, he completely dominated the municipal\par government. This was a Greek city, subject to Greek method of judicial procedure.\par A test of loyalty toR the government would be a participation in the idolatrous feasts.\par We know from Paul's letter to the Greek city of Corinth that a Christian might not\par eat at both the Lord's table and the devil's table, nor drink of both the Lord's cup\par and the cup of devils. So refraining from the heathen idol feasts was a test of loyalty\par to Christ. And so the same Satan who inspired Balaam to spring this test on the\par Israelites inspired the later Balaamites to compromise on this open communion\par S between the two religions, and inspires the municipal government to demand like\par compromises of the other members of the church. Fear may have prompted the\par tempted to this compromise, and fear may have inspired the church to refrain from\par disciplining the heretical and immoral members, especially after their pastor, Antipas,\par was murdered for his fidelity.\par \par A Greek city expressed judgment on persons arraigned by a kind of ballot, using\par shells as at Athens, or pebbles here Twhose significance declared for acquittal or\par condemnation \f1\'be \f0 white for acquittal or black for guilty. Following this line of thought\par the promise would mean: If the devil-prompted city condemns your loyalty to Christ\par by a ballot of black pebbles, He will acquit you by the white stone of justification.\par This view gathers force from the title of our Lord when addressing the church:\par "These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword." (\cf1\ul Rev_2:12\cf2\ulnone ) In\Upar the vision, 1:16, this sword issues from His mouth, and hence represents His word of\par judgment. It is a judge symbol (\cf1\ul Heb_4:12-13\cf2\ulnone ). Moreover, the inscription on\par the white stone can be made to harmonize with this interpretation. It is a "new name"\par unknown to the heathen judges, but well known to the recipient. If this be our Lord's\par own \i new name \i0 as later revealed in the book (Revelation 12-13,16) it is intensely\par significant in the connection: "Word of VGod," "King of kings and Lord of lords," i.e.,\par the earthly judgment condemns, the divine judgment acquits, the condemnation is\par from earthly lords \f1\'be \f0 the justification from the Lord of lords. The expression "known\par only to him who receives it" means the assurance of divine acceptance, the witness\par of the Spirit, bearing witness with His own spirit, which, being entirely a matter of\par personal experience, cannot be known to any one except the recipient.\par \cf3\b\par 5. \cf2W\b0 "\i And I will give him authority over nations, and he shall rule them with a\par rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter are broken into shivers.\i0 " (\cf1\ul Rev_2:26-27\cf2\ulnone )\par \par More than any one of the other promises does this one need careful exposition. Its\par misinterpretation has been productive of monstrous evils in the Christian centuries,\par and the end is not yet. It is quoted to support the Romanist pretension that all nations\par are under the absolute jurisdiction Xof the Papal hierarchy, in the exercise of which\par continents have been bestowed upon favorite monarchs, kings have been dethroned,\par subjects absolved from allegiance, crusades preached, property confiscated, cruel\par persecutions waged, marriages annulled, family ties dissolved. The record of these\par evils constitutes the bloodiest volumes in the annals of time. Nor has its misuse been\par limited to the Romanists. The evils are not less evil when flowing from Protestant or\par Greek CatholYic misapplication. They have prevailed whenever and wherever\par religious sectaries of any name have usurped control over states. "The mad men of\par Munster," the Cameronians of Scotland, the Fifth Monarchy men of Cromwell's\par day, the Muggletonians and Mormons of this country, all belong to the same\par category.\par \par In order to correct interpretation we must first understand the terms employed and\par their biblical usage.\par \par \cf4\b (a) \cf2\b0 First of all, the promise, whateverZ it means, is not to any religious\par denomination or ecclesiastical organization, but only to the individual\par Christian who \i overcomes: \i0 "To him that overcometh I will give" \f1\'be \f0 it is not a\par grant of power to any one of the seven churches, nor to all of them\par combined. This is a capital, fundamental, crucial, vital fact, essential to\par correct interpretation.\par \cf4\b\par (b) \cf2\b0 The promise is not "power" \f1\'be \f0 Greek \i dunamis \f2\'be \i0\f0 but "authority" \[f1\'be\par \f0 Greek \i exousia.\par \cf4\b\i0\par (c) \cf2\b0 The verb "shall rule" is not \i basileuo, but poimaino, \i0 which means "to\par shepherd" \f1\'be \f0 "he shall shepherd them."\par \cf4\b\par (d) \cf2\b0 "The rod of iron," Greek \i rabdos \f2\'be \i0\f0 rod of correction \f1\'be \f0 is the\par shepherd's rod, iron-tipped at one end, and with a crook at the other end.\par See the Septuagint for the Shepherd Psalm: "Thy rod and thy staff they\par comfort me." The shepherd does not car\ry two things, one a rod, and the\par other a staff, but the same thing is either rod or staff according to its use. See\par the author's sermon on \cf1\ul Psa_23:4\cf2\ulnone .\par \cf4\b\par (e) \cf2\b0 The "breaking into shivers as a potter's vessel," is not necessarily for\par ultimate destruction, but may look to reconstruction (see \cf1\ul Jer_18:4-10\cf2\ulnone ). It becomes destructive only when impenitence becomes incorrigible\par (\cf1\ul Jer_19:1-11\cf2\ulnone ), and even then applies not] to all the nation but only to\par its hostile elements. In other words, we miss the mark if we construe all this\par rule as \i punitive. \i0 The primary intent looks to correction and salvation; as the\par shepherd goads the wandering sheep with the iron-tipped end of his staff into\par a safer path, or draws him back from a precipice with the crook at the other\par end, or sets up the staff as an ensign for rallying the flock together in time of\par danger, or with it counts them each morning and^ evening as they, one by\par one, "pass under the rod" in leaving the fold for pasturage or returning to it\par for shelter, or in using it as a weapon of offence against the enemies of the\par flock.\par \cf4\b\par (f) \cf2\b0 This rule, or shepherding, so far as exercised mediately \i in time \i0 by him\par that overcometh, is not executive, but instructive and declarative. When\par God, in time, "hews a nation by a prophet," the prophet simply declares, but\par does not execute the divine threa_t. As Jonah was sent, not to overturn\par Nineveh, but merely to declare "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be\par overthrown" (\cf1\ul Jon_3:4\cf2\ulnone ). And the case of Nineveh will show the merciful\par intent of Jeremiah's illustration of the potter's vessel: "At what instant I shall\par speak concerning a nation or kingdom to pluck up, and to break down, and\par to destroy it, if that nation concerning which I have spoken turn from their\par evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to d`o unto them" (\cf1\ul Jer_19:7-10\cf2\ulnone ).\par \par The overcoming Christian, like the ancient prophet, is God's mouthpiece to the\par nations:\par \par \cf4 "Behold! I have put my words into thy mouth: see this day I have put thee\par over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and\par to destroy, and to overthrow, to build and to plant" (\cf1\ul Jer_1:9-10\cf4\ulnone ).\par \par \cf2 Even in the prototype of our passage (\cf1\ul Psa_2:8-12\cf2\ulnone ), where the anations are given\par to our ascended Lord for an inheritance, and where it is said: "Thou shalt break them\par with an iron rod, and shalt dash them into pieces as a potter's vessel," the verses\par which follow show the merciful and instructive intent of the threat. Which passage\par naturally leads to our last thought in this connection:\par \par The authority promised is derivative and limited, and not inherent and absolute, and\par arises from the overcoming Christian's unity with Christ and Hbis representative\par function of acting mediately for Christ. This is evident from the modifying clause:\par "even as I have received from my Father" (\cf1\ul Rev_2:27\cf2\ulnone ).\par \par Here it is quite important to understand the meritorious ground of Christ's own\par authority, how received and to what end, since what He received is that which He\par imparts and certainly to the same end, and which so imparted must be exercised as\par He Himself used it. The authority in question does not rcise from His Sonship in\par eternity, but from His Sonship in the flesh. It is expressly said to be derived from the\par voluntary humiliation and vicarious expiation of sin in the flesh. See particularly\par \cf1\ul Php_2:6-11\cf2\ulnone . Hence, historically, He was invested with universal sovereignty\par after His resurrection. The author insists that you carefully study this proof: \cf1\ul Dan_7:13-14\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Psa_2:1-12\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Psa_110:1\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Act_2:33-36\cdf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Act_4:25-27\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_5:12-14\cf2\ulnone .\par In times antecedent to His actual historical sacrifice for sin, when sin is remitted to a\par penitent believer or rule exercised over a nation, it is by anticipation of that sacrifice,\par God accepting His promise to die for man as if already it had been done, so that as\par this book later puts it: "A Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."\par \par In His exalted and glorified humanity He was made "head over eall things to his\par church." It is to this He refers as the predicate of His Great Commission: "All\par authority in heaven and on earth is given unto me. Go ye, therefore, disciple all the\par nations" (\cf1\ul Mat_28:18\cf2\ulnone ). And from this passage we gather both the method and\par the end of "shepherding the nations." The method is not a carnal one, by fire and\par sword, as rule is enforced by worldly kingdoms, but spiritual. The primary end is not\par destruction, but salvation. The exfercise of this authority, whether by Himself \i directly,\par \i0 or \i mediately \i0 through His people, is to promote the interest of His spiritual kingdom.\par Hence the proximate result of its exercise is expressed in \cf1\ul Dan_2:44\cf2\ulnone ; \par \cf1\ul Psa_72:5-17\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_11:15\cf2\ulnone , and its ultimate result in \cf1\ul Rev_21:23-27\cf2\ulnone .\par \cf3\b\par 6. \cf2\b0 "\i And I will give him the morning star\i0 " (\cf1\ul Rev_2:28\cf2\ulnone )\i . \i0 This is the gsecond\par promise to the faithful in Thyatira. The meaning of this symbolism is obvious. As the\par morning star is the herald of the coming day, so to the faithful our Lord will give a\par premonition of the final glorious triumph. This, of course, is the inward assurance by\par the Spirit realized in personal experience, just as the white stone symbol of acquittal\par bears an inscription equal to internal assurance, known only to the recipient. As\par Peter expresses it, we have the surer word ohf prophecy shining as a lamp in the night:\par "until the day star arise in your hearts." Paul (\cf1\ul 1Th_5:3-4\cf2\ulnone ) declares that\par in the day of our Lord, which comes as a thief in the night, the destruction of the\par wicked is sudden, and adds by way of contrast: "But ye, brethren, are not in\par darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." There is no question that the\par final advent of our Lord to raise the dead and judge the world will be personal,\par visible, audibile, palpable, and that this advent is \i the great event \i0 of the future, as His\par first advent was until His incarnation. Nor is it questioned that this book, as others of\par the New Testament, clearly discusses it. But it is equally clear, in this and other New\par Testament books, that signal time events, as the coming of the Spirit, and particularly\par great judgments \f1\'be \f0 as the destruction of Jerusalem, or the removal of a candlestick,\par or death to an individual, are called "a cjoming of the Lord." In this sense He is\par always coming. He is only a tyro in biblical interpretation who insists that every\par scriptural reference to a coming of the Lord must be construed as an allusion to His\par final advent. The promise of the gift of the "morning star" applies as much to these\par time comings as to His final advent, e.g., He gave to His elect a premonitory sign\par which enabled them to escape the wrath of His coming in the destruction of\par Jerusalem.\par \par \cf3\b k7. \cf2\b0 "\i He shall be arrayed in white garments\i0 " (\cf1\ul Rev_3:5\cf2\ulnone ). This is the first\par promise to the overcoming few in Sardis who "had not defiled their garments." In\par order to a correct interpretation of this passage we must collate it with the following\par correlative passages: The "wedding garment" of \cf1\ul Mat_22:12\cf2\ulnone ; the "white robe"\par conferred on the souls of the martyrs, \cf1\ul Rev_7:9\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_7:13-14\cf2\ulnone ; the fine linen or\lpar wedding garment of the Bride at the marriage of the Lamb, \cf1\ul Rev_19:7-8\cf2\ulnone ;\par and the "washed robes" that entitle to the tree of life, \cf1\ul Rev_22:14\cf2\ulnone .\par Once in my early ministry, before preaching a sermon on the "Wedding Garment" of\par \cf1\ul Mat_22:12\cf2\ulnone , I read Dr. Broadus' comment on the passage interpreting the\par wedding garment to mean righteousness in character and life, adding: "But to bring in\par the Pauline conception of imputed righteousnmess, and understand the parable to\par teach that, we must put on the wedding garment of Christ's imputed righteousness, is\par altogether out of place." Then, I read Dr. Gill's comment, taking the opposite\par position, insisting that we must interpret the wedding garment to mean the imputed\par righteousness of Christ. Whereupon a lawyer of my congregation whispered to\par another lawyer: "When Broadus points one way and Gill another way this darky is\par gwine to take to the woods." The other repnlied: "Before taking to the woods, let's\par hear the pastor."\par \par So I say now, before taking to the woods on this promise, hear the author, for there\par is a middle road agreeing in part with both Broadus and Gill, and following neither\par altogether. Both are right in interpreting the wedding garment to mean righteousness,\par or holiness, rather, but this holiness is not limited, as Gill would have it, to\par justification, nor to character and life as Broadus has it. But Dr. Broadus is onearer\par right than Gill in this that the wedding garment righteousness refers not at all to the\par salvation done \i for us \f2\'be \i0\f0 that is to say, in its legal aspects as accomplished by\par redemption, justification, and adoption \f1\'be \f0 but altogether to the salvation wrought \i in\par us \i0 by both regeneration and sanctification. Every redeemed, justified, and adopted\par man is at the same time internally cleansed from the defilement of sin by the Spirit's\par application of Chprist's blood. This is the first and an essential part of regeneration.\par Regeneration consists of\par \par \cf4\b (1) \cf2\b0 cleansing from the defilement of sin by the Spirit's application of the\par blood of Christ, and\par \cf4\b\par (2) \cf2\b0 of \i renewing. \i0 Both of these integral parts of regeneration come at\par justification. Then the work of \i internal cleansing, \i0 begun in regeneration, is\par carried on through sanctification, which is completed at the death of the\par body,; so that of these disembodied saints we may say with \cf1\ul Heb_12:23\cf2\ulnone , "The spirits of just men (justified) made perfect," or with\par \cf1\ul Rev_6:11\cf2\ulnone , "And there was given them to each one a white robe" \f1\'be\par \f0 i.e., to the soul of each martyr underneath the altar, as revealed at the\par opening of the fifth seal.\par \par The cleansing part of regeneration was typified by the sprinkling with a bunch of\par hyssop, of the liquefied ashes of the red heifer, or water PPP5y03-Condition of the Seven Churches in Asia{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab1134{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Symbol;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;\red128\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\tx10080\cf1\lang1033\f0\fs32 3. CONDITION OF THE SEVEN :Kstuvwxyz{|}~0\fs32 4. PROMISES TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES \par \cf2\fs24 \par Let us recall again that the Lord adapts His titles, exhortations, threats, and promises \par to the varied conditions of the churches. In no two cases are they alike. \par This chapter is devoted to the promises. All these promises are connected with one \par word "overcometh" \f1\'be \f0 tGreek "\i\f2 nikao.\i0\f0 " The details of these promises are given in \par seven distinguishing series in the second and third chapters, and the sum of them \par expressed in Revelation 21:7, "He that overcometh shall inherit \i\f2 all \i0\f0 things" \f1\'be \f0 or \par better, "These things" referring back to the things enumerated in Revelation 21:1- \par 6. \par \par Let us group into one sentence all the detailed and distinguishing promises of the \par seven series: "To him that overcometh wilul I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in \par the Paradise of God" \f1\'be \f0 and "He shall not be hurt of the second death" \f1\'be \f0 and I will \par give to him the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a \par new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it" \f1\'be \f0 and "I will give \par him authority over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the \par vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also have receivved of my Father: and \par I will give him the morning star" \f1\'be \f0 and "he shall be arrayed in white garments, and I \par will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name \par before my Father and of my God, and he shall go out thence no more; and I will \par write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new \par Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new \par name" \f1\'be \f0 and "I will give to him two sit down with me on my throne, as I also \par overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne" (see Revelation \par 2:7,11,17,26-28; 3:5,12,21). \par \par \b\f3 GENERAL REMARKS ON THE PROMISES \par \par \cf3 1. \cf2\b0\f0 They are all clothed in the most sublime imagery. \par \cf3\b\f3 \par 2. \cf2\b0\f0 Their character, multitude, and magnitude are overwhelming, outshining any galaxy \par in the natural skies. The mind is dazzled by their blended brilliance. The hand of \par apprehensioxn looses its grip in trying to grasp them and comprehension must wait for \par understanding until the realization of postjudgment experience. \par \cf3\b\f3 \par 3. \cf2\b0\f0 Yet even now unstaggering faith receives them, and hope lives in their radiance. \par They reverse gravitation because they draw upward; they pull toward heaven and \par uplift. \par \par They stimulate more than wine until one is intoxicated with the Spirit. They awaken \par desire, develop strength, and inspire zeal. \ypar \cf3\b\f3 \par 4. \cf2\b0\f0 Laying aside all dogmatism, comparing scripture with scripture in exceeding \par humility, praying fervently for spiritual guidance, let us attempt an interpretation. \par Inasmuch as all these promises are to him that "\i\f2 overcometh,\i0\f0 " our first concern is to \par know the meaning and sweep of this word, and just what or whom must be \par overcome, and with what means we may overcome. \par \par Evidently the word "overcometh" is not limited to one definizte transaction, but has a \par continuous meaning \f1\'be \f0 a sweep beyond a single event. What are its terminals? When \par does the overcoming commence and where does it end? It commences with \par justification and ends at the death of the body with complete sanctification of the \par soul. "He that endureth unto the end shall be saved" \f1\'be \f0 "Be thou faithful unto death, \par and thou shalt receive a crown of life." John elsewhere supplies the object of the \par verb. Twice he says: "Ye {have overcome \i\f2 the wicked one\i0\f0 " (1 John 2:13-14). \par Three times he declares \i\f2 the world \i0\f0 as the object to be overcome (1 John 5:4-5). \par Only those "born of God overcome the world." \par \par The \i\f2 means of \i0\f0 overcoming is "the blood of the Lamb"; the instrumentality is \i\f2 faith \f4\'be \par \i0\f0 "and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4). \par Satan, his emissaries and the world that lieth in him, must be overcome. By| faith the \par child of God goes on from victory to victory \f1\'be \f0 from grace to grace \f1\'be \f0 from strength \par to strength \f1\'be \f0 from glory to glory. \par \par Let us now look separately at the promises themselves: \par \par \cf3\b\f3 1. \cf2\b0\i\f2 Access to the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God. \i0\f0 (Revelation 2:7) Here, \par evidently, there is allusion to the Genesis story. The purpose of the tree of life in the \par original garden was to eliminate the mortality of} the body. So that, in unfigurative \par terms, this promise is the glorification of the body to be experienced without death \par by all Christians living when our Lord comes, and by all Christians who have died, \par after their resurrection. We may count the glorification of the bodies of the two \par classes as practically simultaneous, since the righteous dead are raised before the \par righteous living are changed, and together they are caught up to the Lord \par (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). \~par \par The promise means everything set forth in Paul's words (1 Corinthians 15:42- \par 49,51-58): \f1\'be \f0 incorruption, glory, power, a spiritual body in the image of the \par Second Adam; or in his other words, "Who shall fashion anew the body of our \par humiliation, that it may be like the body of his glory, according to the working \par whereby he is able even to subject all things unto himself" (Philippians 3:21). Or \par as John elsewhere puts it: "We know that if he shall be manifested, we shall be like \par him" (John 3:2). Hence the psalmist: "I shall be satisfied \i\f2 when I awake with thy \par likeness.\i0\f0 " This title to access to the tree of life arises from cleansing by the blood of \par the Lamb, effected in us when in regeneration and sanctification the Spirit applies the \par blood. After Adam's fall he was expelled from the garden lest he eat of this fruit and \par live forever in a body of sin (Genesis 3:22), but a throne of grace and mercy was \par established at the east of the garden where the sword flame, or Shekinah, dwelt \par between the Cherubim to keep open the way to the tree of life through vicarious \par sacrifices (Genesis 3:24; 4:4; Hebrews 11:4). \par \cf3\b\f3 \par 2. \cf2\b0\f0 "\i\f2 Shall not be hurt of the second death.\i0\f0 " (Revelation 2:11) The meaning of \par the second death is the casting of both soul and risen body into the lake of fire \par (Revelation 20:14-15). It is the final decision of our Lord at the judgment, and \par fixes forever the status of the lost. The lake of fire is a metaphor, of course, but \par expresses a reality not less fearful than the figure. Into this torment the soul of a lost \par sinner goes immediately after the death of the body \f1\'be \f0 see the parable of Dives and \par Lazarus, Luke 16. But from this disembodied state of torment the soul is called to \par the judgment, where it is united to its risen body \f1\'be \f0 "Death and Hades gave up the \par dead which were in them" (Revelation 20:13), i.e., the body came from the grave \par and the soul from its place in torment. Then on the sentence of the judge the lost \par man, soul and body, is cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death. \par While both memory and conscience will afflict the lost forever, the lake of fire is \par \i\f2 punitive, \i0\f0 and not the remorse of conscience, which is only consequential. That this \par final sentence is \i\f2 punitive \i0\f0 appears from Matthew 25:41,46, and \par 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. It is further described by our Lord as a destruction of soul and \par body in Gehenna, and directly contrasted with the first death, or the death of the \par body: "And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: \par but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Greek \par \i\f2 Gehenna). \par \i0\f0 \par This promise was specially precious to the church at Smyrna, at that time undergoing \par persecution unto death. The devil, through his agents, might kill their bodies, the first \par death, but these martyrs should not be hurt of the second death. \par \cf3\b\f3 \par 3. \cf2\b0\f0 "\i\f2 I will give to him the hidden manna.\i0\f0 " (Revelation 2:17) The "hidden \par manna" is an allusion to the memorial pot of manna hidden in the ark of the covenant. \par This represented Christ as the bread of life, sent from heaven \f1\'be \f0 see the great \par discussion, John 6:27-59. Whosoever by faith appropriates the body and blood \par of Christ has eaten food which nourishes unto eternal life. An eater of the manna in \par the desert did not escape death, but the believer in Jesus Christ, antitype of the \par memorial manna hidden in the ark of the covenant, shall never die. \par \par This promise is on a line with the preceding one, and particularly appropriate to \par Pergamos, whose heretics were eating the meat offered to idols, following Balaam, \par which was a food unto death, but whose faithful ones are promised the bread of life. \par \cf3\b\f3 \par 4. \cf2\b0\f0 "\i\f2 1 will give him a white stone \i0\f0 and on the stone a new name written which no \par one knoweth but he that receiveth it." (Revelation 2:17) \par Observe that this is the second promise to the church at Pergamos. To the same \par person is given both "the hidden manna" and "the stone," whose inscription is \i\f2 hidden \par \i0\f0 to all but the recipient. There appears to be a connection of thought between the two \par promises which may be helpful toward an interpretation of the white stone. Let us \par follow up this clue. \par \par Satan's throne was at Pergamos. That is, he completely dominated the municipal \par government. This was a Greek city, subject to Greek method of judicial procedure. \par A test of loyalty to the government would be a participation in the idolatrous feasts. \par We know from Paul's letter to the Greek city of Corinth that a Christian might not \par eat at both the Lord's table and the devil's table, nor drink of both the Lord's cup \par and the cup of devils. So refraining from the heathen idol feasts was a test of loyalty \par to Christ. And so the same Satan who inspired Balaam to spring this test on the \par Israelites inspired the later Balaamites to compromise on this open communion \par between the two religions, and inspires the municipal government to demand like \par compromises of the other members of the church. Fear may have prompted the \par tempted to this compromise, and fear may have inspired the church to refrain from \par disciplining the heretical and immoral members, especially after their pastor, Antipas, \par was murdered for his fidelity. \par \par A Greek city expressed judgment on persons arraigned by a kind of ballot, using \par shells as at Athens, or pebbles here whose significance declared for acquittal or \par condemnation \f1\'be \f0 white for acquittal or black for guilty. Following this line of thought \par the promise would mean: If the devil-prompted city condemns your loyalty to Christ \par by a ballot of black pebbles, He will acquit you by the white stone of justification. \par This view gathers force from the title of our Lord when addressing the church: \par "These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword." (Revelation 2:12) In \par the vision, 1:16, this sword issues from His mouth, and hence represents His word of \par judgment. It is a judge symbol (Hebrews 4:12-13). Moreover, the inscription on \par the white stone can be made to harmonize with this interpretation. It is a "new name" \par unknown to the heathen judges, but well known to the recipient. If this be our Lord's \par own \i\f2 new name \i0\f0 as later revealed in the book (Revelation 12-13,16) it is intensely \par significant in the connection: "Word of God," "King of kings and Lord of lords," i.e., \par the earthly judgment condemns, the divine judgment acquits, the condemnation is \par from earthly lords \f1\'be \f0 the justification from the Lord of lords. The expression "known \par only to him who receives it" means the assurance of divine acceptance, the witness \par of the Spirit, bearing witness with His own spirit, which, being entirely a matter of \par personal experience, cannot be known to any one except the recipient. \par \cf3\b\f3 \par 5. \cf2\b0\f0 "\i\f2 And I will give him authority over nations, and he shall rule them with a \par rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter are broken into shivers.\i0\f0 " (Revelation \par 2:26-27) \par \par More than any one of the other promises does this one need careful exposition. Its \par misinterpretation has been productive of monstrous evils in the Christian centuries, \par and the end is not yet. It is quoted to support the Romanist pretension that all nations \par are under the absolute jurisdiction of the Papal hierarchy, in the exercise of which \par continents have been bestowed upon favorite monarchs, kings have been dethroned, \par subjects absolved from allegiance, crusades preached, property confiscated, cruel \par persecutions waged, marriages annulled, family ties dissolved. The record of these \par evils constitutes the bloodiest volumes in the annals of time. Nor has its misuse been \par limited to the Romanists. The evils are not less evil when flowing from Protestant or \par Greek Catholic misapplication. They have prevailed whenever and wherever \par religious sectaries of any name have usurped control over states. "The mad men of \par Munster," the Cameronians of Scotland, the Fifth Monarchy men of Cromwell's \par day, the Muggletonians and Mormons of this country, all belong to the same \par category. \par \par In order to correct interpretation we must first understand the terms employed and \par their biblical usage. \par \par \cf4\b\f3 (a) \cf2\b0\f0 First of all, the promise, whatever it means, is not to any religious \par denomination or ecclesiastical organization, but only to the individual \par Christian who \i\f2 overcomes: \i0\f0 "To him that overcometh I will give" \f1\'be \f0 it is not a \par grant of power to any one of the seven churches, nor to all of them \par combined. This is a capital, fundamental, crucial, vital fact, essential to \par correct interpretation. \par \cf4\b\f3 \par (b) \cf2\b0\f0 The promise is not "power" \f1\'be \f0 Greek \i\f2 dunamis \f4\'be \i0\f0 but "authority" \f1\'be \par \f0 Greek \i\f2 exousia. \par \cf4\b\i0\f3 \par (c) \cf2\b0\f0 The verb "shall rule" is not \i\f2 basileuo, but poimaino, \i0\f0 which means "to \par shepherd" \f1\'be \f0 "he shall shepherd them." \par \cf4\b\f3 \par (d) \cf2\b0\f0 "The rod of iron," Greek \i\f2 rabdos \f4\'be \i0\f0 rod of correction \f1\'be \f0 is the \par shepherd's rod, iron-tipped at one end, and with a crook at the other end. \par See the Septuagint for the Shepherd Psalm: "Thy rod and thy staff they \par comfort me." The shepherd does not carry two things, one a rod, and the \par other a staff, but the same thing is either rod or staff according to its use. See \par the author's sermon on Psalm 23:4. \par \cf4\b\f3 \par (e) \cf2\b0\f0 The "breaking into shivers as a potter's vessel," is not necessarily for \par ultimate destruction, but may look to reconstruction (see Jeremiah 18:4- \par 10). It becomes destructive only when impenitence becomes incorrigible \par (Jeremiah 19:1-11), and even then applies not to all the nation but only to \par its hostile elements. In other words, we miss the mark if we construe all this \par rule as \i\f2 punitive. \i0\f0 The primary intent looks to correction and salvation; as the \par shepherd goads the wandering sheep with the iron-tipped end of his staff into \par a safer path, or draws him back from a precipice with the crook at the other \par end, or sets up the staff as an ensign for rallying the flock together in time of \par danger, or with it counts them each morning and evening as they, one by \par one, "pass under the rod" in leaving the fold for pasturage or returning to it \par for shelter, or in using it as a weapon of offence against the enemies of the \par flock. \par \cf4\b\f3 \par (f) \cf2\b0\f0 This rule, or shepherding, so far as exercised mediately \i\f2 in time \i0\f0 by him \par that overcometh, is not executive, but instructive and declarative. When \par God, in time, "hews a nation by a prophet," the prophet simply declares, but \par does not execute the divine threat. As Jonah was sent, not to overturn \par Nineveh, but merely to declare "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be \par overthrown" (Jonah 3:4). And the case of Nineveh will show the merciful \par intent of Jeremiah's illustration of the potter's vessel: "At what instant I shall \par speak concerning a nation or kingdom to pluck up, and to break down, and \par to destroy it, if that nation concerning which I have spoken turn from their \par evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them" (Jeremiah \par 19:7-10). \par \par The overcoming Christian, like the ancient prophet, is God's mouthpiece to the \par nations: \par \par \cf4 "Behold! I have put my words into thy mouth: see this day I have put thee \par over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and \par to destroy, and to overthrow, to build and to plant" (Jeremiah 1:9-10). \par \par \cf2 Even in the prototype of our passage (Psalm 2:8-12), where the nations are given \par to our ascended Lord for an inheritance, and where it is said: "Thou shalt break them \par with an iron rod, and shalt dash them into pieces as a potter's vessel," the verses \par which follow show the merciful and instructive intent of the threat. Which passage \par naturally leads to our last thought in this connection: \par \par The authority promised is derivative and limited, and not inherent and absolute, and \par arises from the overcoming Christian's unity with Christ and His representative \par function of acting mediately for Christ. This is evident from the modifying clause: \par "even as I have received from my Father" (Revelation 2:27). \par \par Here it is quite important to understand the meritorious ground of Christ's own \par authority, how received and to what end, since what He received is that which He \par imparts and certainly to the same end, and which so imparted must be exercised as \par He Himself used it. The authority in question does not rise from His Sonship in \par eternity, but from His Sonship in the flesh. It is expressly said to be derived from the \par voluntary humiliation and vicarious expiation of sin in the flesh. See particularly \par Philippians 2:6-11. Hence, historically, He was invested with universal sovereignty \par after His resurrection. The author insists that you carefully study this proof: Daniel \par 7:13-14; Psalm 2:1-12; 110:1; Acts 2:33-36; 4:25-27; Revelation 5:12-14. \par In times antecedent to His actual historical sacrifice for sin, when sin is remitted to a \par penitent believer or rule exercised over a nation, it is by anticipation of that sacrifice, \par God accepting His promise to die for man as if already it had been done, so that as \par this book later puts it: "A Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." \par \par In His exalted and glorified humanity He was made "head over all things to his \par church." It is to this He refers as the predicate of His Great Commission: "All \par authority in heaven and on earth is given unto me. Go ye, therefore, disciple all the \par nations" (Matthew 28:18). And from this passage we gather both the method and \par the end of "shepherding the nations." The method is not a carnal one, by fire and \par sword, as rule is enforced by worldly kingdoms, but spiritual. The primary end is not \par destruction, but salvation. The exercise of this authority, whether by Himself \i\f2 directly, \par \i0\f0 or \i\f2 mediately \i0\f0 through His people, is to promote the interest of His spiritual kingdom. \par Hence the proximate result of its exercise is expressed in Daniel 2:44; \par Psalm 72:5-17; Revelation 11:15, and its ultimate result in Revelation 21:23-27. \par \cf3\b\f3 \par 6. \cf2\b0\f0 "\i\f2 And I will give him the morning star\i0\f0 " (Revelation 2:28)\i\f2 . \i0\f0 This is the second \par promise to the faithful in Thyatira. The meaning of this symbolism is obvious. As the \par morning star is the herald of the coming day, so to the faithful our Lord will give a \par premonition of the final glorious triumph. This, of course, is the inward assurance by \par the Spirit realized in personal experience, just as the white stone symbol of acquittal \par bears an inscription equal to internal assurance, known only to the recipient. As \par Peter expresses it, we have the surer word of prophecy shining as a lamp in the night: \par "until the day star arise in your hearts." Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:3-4) declares that \par in the day of our Lord, which comes as a thief in the night, the destruction of the \par wicked is sudden, and adds by way of contrast: "But ye, brethren, are not in \par darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." There is no question that the \par final advent of our Lord to raise the dead and judge the world will be personal, \par visible, audible, palpable, and that this advent is \i\f2 the great event \i0\f0 of the future, as His \par first advent was until His incarnation. Nor is it questioned that this book, as others of \par the New Testament, clearly discusses it. But it is equally clear, in this and other New \par Testament books, that signal time events, as the coming of the Spirit, and particularly \par great judgments \f1\'be \f0 as the destruction of Jerusalem, or the removal of a candlestick, \par or death to an individual, are called "a coming of the Lord." In this sense He is \par always coming. He is only a tyro in biblical interpretation who insists that every \par scriptural reference to a coming of the Lord must be construed as an allusion to His \par final advent. The promise of the gift of the "morning star" applies as much to these \par time comings as to His final advent, e.g., He gave to His elect a premonitory sign \par which enabled them to escape the wrath of His coming in the destruction of \par Jerusalem. \par \par \cf3\b\f3 7. \cf2\b0\f0 "\i\f2 He shall be arrayed in white garments\i0\f0 " (Revelation 3:5). This is the first \par promise to the overcoming few in Sardis who "had not defiled their garments." In \par order to a correct interpretation of this passage we must collate it with the following \par correlative passages: The "wedding garment" of Matthew 22:12; the "white robe" \par conferred on the souls of the martyrs, Revelation 7:9,13-14; the fine linen or \par wedding garment of the Bride at the marriage of the Lamb, Revelation 19:7-8; \par and the "washed robes" that entitle to the tree of life, Revelation 22:14. \par Once in my early ministry, before preaching a sermon on the "Wedding Garment" of \par Matthew 22:12, I read Dr. Broadus' comment on the passage interpreting the \par wedding garment to mean righteousness in character and life, adding: "But to bring in \par the Pauline conception of imputed righteousness, and understand the parable to \par teach that, we must put on the wedding garment of Christ's imputed righteousness, is \par altogether out of place." Then, I read Dr. Gill's comment, taking the opposite \par position, insisting that we must interpret the wedding garment to mean the imputed \par righteousness of Christ. Whereupon a lawyer of my congregation whispered to \par another lawyer: "When Broadus points one way and Gill another way this darky is \par gwine to take to the woods." The other replied: "Before taking to the woods, let's \par hear the pastor." \par \par So I say now, before taking to the woods on this promise, hear the author, for there \par is a middle road agreeing in part with both Broadus and Gill, and following neither \par altogether. Both are right in interpreting the wedding garment to mean righteousness, \par or holiness, rather, but this holiness is not limited, as Gill would have it, to \par justification, nor to character and life as Broadus has it. But Dr. Broadus is nearer \par right than Gill in this that the wedding garment righteousness refers not at all to the \par salvation done \i\f2 for us \f4\'be \i0\f0 that is to say, in its legal aspects as accomplished by \par redemption, justification, and adoption \f1\'be \f0 but altogether to the salvation wrought \i\f2 in \par us \i0\f0 by both regeneration and sanctification. Every redeemed, justified, and adopted \par man is at the same time internally cleansed from the defilement of sin by the Spirit's \par application of Christ's blood. This is the first and an essential part of regeneration. \par Regeneration consists of \par \par \cf4\b\f3 (1) \cf2\b0\f0 cleansing from the defilement of sin by the Spirit's application of the \par blood of Christ, and \par \cf4\b\f3 \par (2) \cf2\b0\f0 of \i\f2 renewing. \i0\f0 Both of these integral parts of regeneration come at \par justification. Then the work of \i\f2 internal cleansing, \i0\f0 begun in regeneration, is \par carried on through sanctification, which is completed at the death of the \par body, so that of these disembodied saints we may say with Hebrews \par 12:23, "The spirits of just men (justified) made perfect," or with \par Revelation 6:11, "And there was given them to each one a white robe" \f1\'be \par \f0 i.e., to the soul of each martyr underneath the altar, as revealed at the \par opening of the fifth seal. \par \par The cleansing part of regeneration was typified by the sprinkling with a bunch of \par hyssop, of the liquefied ashes of the red heifer, or water of purification \par (Ezekiel 36:25; Hebrews 9:13-14). This is "the washing of regeneration" in Titus 3:5, referred to also in 1 Corinthians 6:11, "Such were some of you, but ye were \par washed." And, if you are able to bear it, this is the "born of water" in John 3:5, \par which Nicodemus, a teacher in Israel, was rebuked for not understanding, so clearly \par was it taught in the Old Testament. \par \par In the same way was the cleansing of sanctification applied to the penitent backslider \par David (Psalm 51:2,7), "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me \par from my sin; purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be \par whiter than snow." And to the cleansing of both regeneration and sanctification does \par Paul refer in Ephesians 5:26-27, "That he might sanctify it, haying cleansed it by \par the washing of the water with the word, that he might present the church to himself a \par glorious church, not haying spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be \par holy and without blemish." The grace of this cleansing, whether in regeneration or \par sanctification, appears from its efficient cause, the blood of Christ: "And one of the \par elders answered saying unto me: These that are arrayed in the white robes, who are \par they, and whence come they? And I say unto him, My Lord, thou knowest. And he \par said to me, These are they that come out of great tribulation, and they washed their \par robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." "Blessed are they that wash \par their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life and may enter in \par by the gates into the city. \par \par Now, this internal cleansing, this perfecting in personal holiness, is symbolized by the \par white robe, or wedding garment: "And it was given unto the Lamb's wife that she \par should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure; for the fine linen is the \par righteousnesses of the saints." Note the plural "righteousnesses," which does not \par mean as the Revision puts it "the righteous acts of the saints." This would flatly \par contradict the regeneration part of this righteousness (see Titus 3:5). And so it \par would contradict the many cleansings of sanctification \f1\'be \f0 "Christ being made unto us \par sanctifications," every time as in David's case, the Spirit applies the same cleansing \par blood. \par \par It is true enough that the regenerated man, progressing in sanctification, acquires \par personal character, exhibited in life and good works. But this is not what is meant by \par the wedding garment of Matthew or the white robe of Revelation, which is the same \par thing. The white robe means holiness, as God is holy. The means of the cleansing is \par Christ's atoning blood. This is applied by the Spirit and apprehended by faith. The \par whole of it is God's work and is of grace from the first cleansing in regeneration to \par the last cleansing of sanctification. That it is not character on earth is evident from \par Revelation 6:2, where it is bestowed after death. So with the teaching of \par Revelation 7:13-14, and 19:7. The glorious result is expressed in Ephesians \par 5:27 \f1\'be \f0 "that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having \par spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." It \par will also be forever true that the elect are immune from any \i\f2 law charge \i0\f0 because \par wrapped in the righteousness of Christ imputed to us when by faith we are \i\f2 espoused \par \i0\f0 to Christ. And also forever true that the white robe of the \i\f2 marriage is \i0\f0 another thing, \par being \i\f2 personal \i0\f0 holiness wrought \i\f2 in us \i0\f0 by the Holy Spirit in regeneration and \par sanctification. It is therefore respectfully submitted that Dr. Gill is in error when he \par expounds the wedding garment to be Christ's righteousness imputed to us, or \par anything \i\f2 done for us \i0\f0 in the legal acts of redemption, justification, adoption, and \par equally so that Dr. Broadus is mistaken when he interprets it to mean our character \par or life as the embodiment of \i\f2 deeds done by us, \i0\f0 no matter how much they may have \par been the fruits of grace. But it means personal holiness \i\f2 wrought in us \i0\f0 by the Holy \par Spirit: \par \par \cf4\b\f3 (1) \cf2\b0\f0 By the cleansing of regeneration when the blood of Christ is applied by \par the Spirit. Ezekiel 36:25; Hebrews 9:14; first clause of 10:22; Titus 3:5, first clause; \par 1 Corinthians 6:11, first clause. \par \cf4\b\f3 \par (2) \cf2\b0\f0 By the continued cleansing of sanctification until holiness of spirit is \par perfected \f1\'be \f0 as in the cleansing of backslidden David (Psalm 2:2,7); in \par the continual changes into Christ's image (2 Corinthians 3:18). \par \par That both the cleansing in regeneration and the subsequent cleansing of sanctification \par are meant is evident from that one supreme proof text, Ephesians 5:26, compared \par with Revelation 6:11, first clause, and 7:13-14; 22:14. \par \par The plural "righteousnesses" in Revelation 19:8, refers therefore not to acts of the \par saints but to the Spirit's acts in the saints. \par \par \cf3\b\f3 8. \cf2\b0\f0 "\i\f2 1 will in no wise blot out his name out of the book of life\i0\f0 " \par (Revelation 3:5). This is the second promise to the faithful at Sardis. Two questions are: \par \par \pard{\pntext\f0 (1)\tab}{\*\pn\pnlvlbody\pnf0\pnindent360\pnstart1\pndec{\pntxtb(}{\pntxta)}} \fi-360\li360\tx360 What is the book of life, and \par \pard{\*\pn\pnlvlcont\pnf0\pnindent0\pnstart1\pndec } \par \pard{\pntext\f0 (2)\tab}{\*\pn\pnlvlbody\pnf0\pnindent360\pnstart1\pndec{\pntxtb(}{\pntxta)}} \fi-360\li360\tx360 the exact force of \i\f2 not blotting out \i0\f0 the name? \par \pard \par \i\f2 What, then, is the book of life? By \i0\f0 its very name it is a register of immortals. "He \par that believeth in me shall never die" \f1\'be \f0 shall never come into condemnation \f1\'be \f0 "but \par hath eternal life." The nature of this book may be considered from one of two views: \par \cf4\b\f3 \par (1) \cf2\b0\f0 A list of all His elect as God saw them before the foundation of the world. This \par would be the list of the original divine purpose. This view has been supported largely \par by an interpretation of Revelation 13:8; 17:8; but this interpretation is very \par doubtful, since it makes the phrase "from the foundation of the world" modify \par "written in the book" rather than the "Lamb slain." Your Standard Revision supports \par this view. \par \cf4\b\f3 \par (2) \cf2\b0\f0 A much safer view is that it is a register of judicial decisions, each name written \par when the owner is justified (Isaiah 4:3). It has this meaning in Revelation 20:15; \par Rev. 21:27, and Daniel 12:1. And because this judicial decision is irrevocable, it explains the ground of joy in our Savior's words to the seventy (Luke 10:20), and the fact that no indictment can be drawn against God's elect, since it is God that \i\f2 justifies \i0\f0 (Romans 8:33). See also Philippians 4:3, and Hebrews 12:23. \par On the meaning of this book and its use at the judgment (\cf3\fs12 <662015>\cf2\fs24 Revelation 20:15) is \par written this hymn: \par \par \cf4\b\i\f5\fs23 When thou, my righteous judge, shalt come \par To take thy ransomed people home, \par Shall I among them stand? \par Shall I, who sometimes am afraid to die, \par Be found at thy right hand? \par Oh, can I bear the piercing thought: \par What if my name shall be left out? \par \par \cf2\b0\f2\fs24 What then is the exact force of not blotting out the name? \i0\f0 In all Greek cities, \par and later at Rome, there was an enrollment of citizens as distinguished from the \par general population who had no rights of citizenship. Citizenship could be forfeited \par during life by adjudged infidelity to the city, decided by a vote of the unaccused \par citizens, followed by erasure of the name. Some of the best citizens were thus, by \par prejudice, ostracized, as Greek history shows. A Christian citizen of Sardis might \par thus lose citizenship on account of loyalty to Christ. Of course, death ended this \par earthly citizenship. It is the object of the promise to contrast the enrolled citizenship \par in the heavenly Jerusalem with the enrolled citizenship in Sardis. The point of contrast \par lies between two citizenships, the two enrollments, and particularly in the fact that \par heavenly citizenship, after once being enrolled, was never forfeited: "I will in no wise \par blot his name out of the book of life." Many commentaries miss the point in \par supposing that the heavenly enrollment is a probationary list, subject to erasure, and \par that this implication inheres in the promise as well as in the threat of Revelation \par 22:19. Your author is fully persuaded that this position is untenable. He not only \par admits, but contends, that citizenship was forfeitable not only in Greek cities and in \par Rome, but also in the Jewish state, but utterly denies it of the heavenly citizenship, \par and that this very fact is the essence of the promise. \par \par \cf3\b\f3 9. \cf2\b0\f0 "I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no \par more; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my \par God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and my \par own new name" (Revelation 3:12). \par \par Perhaps the most imposing, most ornamental, if not the most useful parts of a great \par edifice are its pillars. Only the wealth of a king could supply even one of the pillars of \par the temple of Diana at Ephesus. The surviving pillars in the ruins of ancient temples \par and cities yet challenge the admiration of the world as masterpieces of human skill \par and genius. It marked the prominence and importance of James, Cephas, and John \par to be "reputed as pillars" in the Jerusalem church (Galatians 2:29), and glorified \par the church when called "the pillar of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). To be made, \par therefore, an everlasting pillar in the heavenly temple is an expression of the highest \par honor. This honor is enhanced by the inscriptions on it by the divine architect Himself \par - the name of God, the name of the new Jerusalem, the new name of the architect \par Himself, to wit: "Faithful and True ... K\fs20 ING \fs24 O\fs20 F \fs24 K\fs20 INGS \fs24 A\fs20 ND \fs24 L\fs20 ORD \fs24 O\fs20 F \fs24 L\fs20 ORDS\fs24 " \par (Revelation 19:11,13,16). \par \par \cf3\b\f3 10. \cf2\b0\f0 "I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame and sat \par down with my Father in his throne" (Revelation 3:21). This is not the throne of \par \i\f2 ruling, \i0\f0 expressed in a previous promise, but the throne of final \i\f2 judgment. \i0\f0 On the \par last great day, earth's supreme assize, the faithful ones are placed at the Lord's right \par hand, i.e., on His judgment throne (Matthew 25:31,33), and shall participate with \par Him in passing judgment on wicked men and angels. Jesus had already promised to \par His apostles that in the world's regeneration \i\f2 (palingenesia, i.e., \i0\f0 the time of the \par restoration of all things), they should sit on the twelve thrones judging the twelve \par tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:29). And Paul had said: "Know ye not that the saints \par shall judge the world? Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" (1 Cor 6:23). What a reversal of earth condition when the Sanhedrin that tried Peter and \par John shall be judged by them! When Gallio, Festus, Agrippa, and Nero shall stand \par before Paul's tribunal. What poetic justice when job and Peter shall judge the devil.\cf0\f6\fs20 \par } 0Y04. PROMISES TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab1134{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset2 Symbol;}{\f2\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green128\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;\red128\green0\blue0;\red0\green0\blue128;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\t<} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\qc\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\tx10080\cf1\lang1033\f0\fs48 THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA\par \cf2\b\fs24 BY\par \par \cf3\b0\fs32 B. H. CARROLL\par \par TABLE OF CONTENTS\par \par \pard\nowidctlpar\fi-360\li360\qc\tx360\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 1.\tab\cf1\ul\fs24 INTRODUCTION\cf2\ulnone\fs20\par \pard\nowidctlpar\qc\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\tx10080\par \cf4\b\fs26 2. \cf1\ul GENERAL OBSERVATIONS\cf2\ulnone\b0\fs20\par \cf4\b\fs26\par 3. \cf1\ul CONDITION OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN ASIA\cf2\ulnone\b0\fs20\par \cf4\b\fs26\par 4. \cf1\ul PROMISES TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES\cf2\ulnone\b0\fs20\par \pard\nowidctlpar\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\tx10080\cf0\par \pard\nowidctlpar\par } hidden.\par \par The source of the revelation, as you see from the text, is God the Father. The\par medium of the revelation is Jesus Christ. The agent employed in signifying it is an\par interpreting angel. The revelation is made to John the apostle for the people of God.\par Notice that the word "signify" is appropriately used, since the revelation is to be\par made known by signs or symbols. The angel, who signifies it, is the author of the\par great voice as of a trumpet in verse 10. We hear his voice again at the beginning of\par chapter 4, and he reappears on the scene in the last chapters of the book. Verse 2\par tells \i us which John \i0 received this revelation in these words: "Who \i bare \i0 witness of\par the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw."\par It is quite important to know when John \i bare \i0 witness of the word of God. The tense\par is the "aorist" and usually, according to grammatical construction, refers to something\par in the completed past. Following this sense of the aorist we are bound to construe\par verse 2 as identifying the John to whom this revelation was made and the bearing\par witness would refer to the witness that he had already borne in his Gospel. This\par construction would conclusively establish the authorship of the book. It would prove\par that the author of the Gospel is also the author of this book, and that the Gospel was\par written first.\par \par The only escape from this conclusion is to make the witness bearing refer to what\par John now does concerning this revelation which he is receiving. Many great scholars\par insist on making this the meaning, and calling the tense the \i epistolary \i0 aorist. I see no\par necessity for adopting this latter construction. By reference to John's Gospel, and\par indeed to his first letter, we see that he there claims to have borne witness to the\par word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw and\par heard.\par \par In verse 3 we have the words: "\i Blessed is he \i0 that readeth and they that hear the\par words of this prophecy." We know that in later times the churches had readers who\par would read to them any communication received and explain the communication.\par The rest of the church would hear. We have already found that Paul gave directions\par that his letter to one church should be read to another church, and the letter to that\par church be also read to the first church named. So it is unnecessary to go to a later\par date to find the origin of a reader to the churches. The New Testament itself gives\par the origin.\par \par From \cf1\ul Rev_1:4-6\cf2\ulnone we have John's greeting \i to the seven churches of Asia.\par \i0 to whom the entire book is addressed. Not only all of chapters 2-3 are specifically\par devoted to special messages for the churches named, but at the end of the book,\par \cf1\ul Rev_22:16\cf2\ulnone , we have these words referring back to the whole book, "I,\par Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things for the churches."\par It is important to note in this connection our Lord's use of the word \i ecclesia. \i0 In\par Matthew 16, he says: "I will build my church," using the term to signify the institution.\par In Matthew 18, he says, "tell it to the church," referring to whatever particular\par congregation the decision of the case of discipline belongs. Many times in the book\par of Revelation he uses the word "church," and in every case the reference is to\par particular churches. Our Lord's usage of the word knows nothing of a now existing\par universal church, whether visible or invisible. He does not say to the church of Asia,\par but the seven churches of Asia. There is nothing in His use of the word to indicate\par the existence of church in any provincial, national, worldwide, or denominational\par sense. On the contrary, he seems to guard very carefully against such a use of the\par term. It is true that in chapter 12, without using the term "church," he does present\par the idea of the church as an institution under the symbol of the woman arrayed with\par the sun and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars,\par which woman later becomes, in chapter 19, the bride of Christ or the church in\par glory.\par \par We have a remarkable vision which is the key passage to the interpretation of the\par whole book of Revelation in verses 12-16. The elements of the vision are, first,\par seven golden candlesticks, and in the midst of the candlesticks a vision of Christ as\par the Sun of Righteousness. He holds in His right hand seven stars and out of His\par mouth proceeds a sharp two-edged sword. This vision He explains himself: The\par candlesticks represent the churches; the stars represent the messengers or pastors of\par the churches; the two-edged sword represents His word, or the gospel. The whole\par vision is one of light. The central light \f1\'be \f0 Christ, the Sun of Righteousness; the lower\par lights \f1\'be \f0 the churches and the preachers; the instrumentality of dispensing the light \f1\'be\par \f0 the Word of God.\par \par In the next chapter we see. that while Christ is in the midst of the churches, He is not\par there in person, but through the other Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, who is His "alter\par ego," His vicar here upon earth. John in his Gospel had previously represented\par Christ as the light of the world, but since He ascended into heaven this light is\par reflected in the churches and preachers through the Spirit and by the Word. The\par object of the vision is to show that the whole world will be illumined by the churches\par and the preachers in the dispensation of the gospel, which dispensation is the\par dispensation of the Holy Spirit, for when Christ speaks to the churches He says: "If\par any man hath ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit sayeth to the churches."\par The doctrine of this vision is of incalculable importance. It teaches that the Spirit\par dispensation, or Word dispensation through the churches and the preachers, is to\par accomplish the whole work of the application of the salvation achieved by our\par Lord's vicarious death. We will find in every subsequent revelation this ruling\par thought; the world to be illumined by these light-bearers. There is no hint of any other\par source or medium or instrumentality of light. There is no hint that the churches will fail\par on the earth and that some other divine interposition must take place to finish the\par mystery of the kingdom of God. This is in accord with the Great Commission in\par \cf1\ul Mat_28:19-20\cf2\ulnone\par \par \cf3 "Go ye into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in\par the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them\par to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo! I will be\par with you all the days, even unto the end of the world."\cf0\fs20\par \pard\nowidctlpar\par } th, whether visible or invisible \f1\'be \f0 the New Testament\par does not know anything about either one. It is true that in \cf1\ul Rev_12:1\cf2\ulnone under\par the symbol of a woman, also in \cf1\ul Rev_17:3\cf2\ulnone , under the symbol of another\par woman, He presents first the church as an institution and then the apostate church as\par an institution, and it is equally true that in \cf1\ul Rev_9:7-8\cf2\ulnone He presents the church\par in glory, under the symbol of a bride, and in \cf1\ul Rev_21:9\cf2\ulnone , under the symbol of\par the heavenly Jerusalem, a city. So that we may say that Christ used the word to\par describe the time church as an institution, and to name the concrete example of this\par institution particular churches, and to foreshadow the coming glory church \f1\'be\par \f0 something which does not yet exist.\par \par My fifth general observation is the significance of Christ walking amid the\par candlesticks, knowing, revealing, rebuking, threatening, promising. The body of each\par letter will show their condition: "I know thy works," or "where thou dwellest" - and\par the rest of the terms to the churches telling the condition of each church. He tells the\par things favorable, and the things unfavorable, He rebukes, exhorts to amendment, and\par closes each with a precious promise. This unseen presence, this exercise of actual\par omniscience, this authority to rebuke or remove, this diversity and wealth of promise,\par tend to produce extraordinary results: it encourages the faithful that He knows and\par will reward; it stimulates the backslidden to revival and amendment; it alarms the\par unworthy and terrifies with certain and speedy judgment.\par \par My next general observation is that this presence of Christ in the churches is not \i a\par personal \i0 presence \f1\'be \f0 He is up in heaven, but He is present through the Spirit, His\par \i alter ego, \i0 the one that came down according to His promise to be His vicar, His\par vicegerent here on earth. Now, as proof that this is the meaning, read \cf1\ul Rev_2:7\cf2\ulnone : "Hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches"; verse 11: "Hear what the Spirit\par saith unto the churches"; verse 17: "Hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches";\par verse 29: "Hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches"; \cf1\ul Rev_3:6\cf2\ulnone : "Hear\par what the Spirit saith unto the churches"; verse 13: "Hear what the Spirit saith unto\par the churches"; verse 22: "Hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." So that every\par time He says anything to any of these churches, He closed by calling it "what the\par Spirit saith unto the churches."\par \par That teaches that Christ is present with His people here on earth, not in a personal\par sense, but through the Holy Spirit, whom He sent after He ascended into heaven. So\par in the Great Commission, "I am with you all the days, even unto the end of the\par world." He is not with us in person: we cannot see Him, touch Him, feel Him, but He\par is present in the Spirit. That also shows that this whole book comes in the Spirit\par dispensation, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit all through the book, up to\par \cf1\ul Rev_20:11\cf2\ulnone . Christ stays up in heaven until the time of restoration of all\par things. While He stays up there the Spirit represents Him down here. When He\par comes (\cf1\ul Rev_20:11\cf2\ulnone ), the Spirit dispensation is ended, the gospel\par dispensation is ended, the gospel preaching is ended.\par \par My seventh general observation is that the condition of no two of these churches is\par exactly the same. Look and see that the deficiency of one is not the deficiency of\par another. Ephesus is sound in doctrine, but deficient in love. Smyrna was poor but\par rich. Laodicea rich but poor. Pergamos was faithful in persecution, but wanting in\par discipline. In Ephesus the first works were greater than the last, while Thyatira the\par last works were greater than the first, and in Sardis none of its works, first or last,\par was perfect in God's sight. Smyrna was attaining to a crown of life, while Thyatira,\par having a name to live, was dead. Philadelphia glowed with fervor while Laodicea\par was lukewarm. I ask you to note this diversity of condition in the seven churches,\par that you may apply it to any seven churches in Texas. The same examination of the\par First Church in Fort Worth, in Dallas, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Waxahachie,\par Galveston, or of the seven leading churches in any one city, would reveal similar\par diversity of conditions in God's sight. This application goes to confirm what is\par evident, namely, that these are real letters to seven contemporaneous churches.\par My eighth observation, that Christ's titles, and Christ's threats, and Christ's\par promises are adapted to meet the specific condition of each church as it comes up:\par He does not use the same threats, He does not use the same titles; He does not offer\par the same promises, but in every case there is an adaptation to the need, showing the\par infinite diversity in Christ so as to suit the diverse needs.\par \par My ninth observation is that you may gather up into one sentence the promises made\par to the faithful ones in all of the churches - make one sentence of it. A special\par succeeding chapter will expound these promises to you. Let us make up that\par sentence now (\cf1\ul Rev_2:7\cf2\ulnone ): "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the\par tree of life"; verse 11 (latter part): "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the\par second death"; verse 17: "To him that overcometh will I give of the hidden manna,\par and I will give him a white stone, and upon that stone a new name written which no\par one knoweth but he that receiveth it"; verse 26: "To him that overcometh and he that\par keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations, and he\par shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers;\par as I also received of my Father, and I will give him the morning star"; \cf1\ul Rev_3:5\cf2\ulnone : "He that overcometh shall be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no wise\par blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father\par and before his angels"; verse 12: "He that overcometh I will make a pillar in the\par temple of my God and he shall go out thence no more; and I will write upon him the\par name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is the new Jerusalem\par which cometh down out of the heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my\par new name"; verse 21: "To him that overcometh I will give to sit down with me in my\par throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father in his throne."\par Only by grouping all of these promises into one great sentence do we understand the\par riches of the heavenly reward to the faithful.\par \par My next observation is that a calm survey of the imperfect conditions of the churches\par and pastors makes it seem impossible that such instrumentality can bring about the\par glorious results set forth in \cf1\ul Rev_11:15\cf2\ulnone - "The kingdom of the world is\par become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ." There are, however, two\par elements of hope in the picture: Christ is walking in the midst of the churches, leading\par to repentance, and the Spirit is directing and enabling. I know the first time I very\par carefully studied the condition of the seven churches in Asia, and then applied the\par revelation to any seven churches around me, with their seven pastors, I found no\par perfect pastor and no perfect church. Every church had some fault or faults and\par every pastor had some weakness or faults. So I said in my heart: "How are\par preachers like these and churches like these to capture the world?" and I never got\par over that discouragement until I read chapters 4-5, when the heaven scene of the\par "things that are" revealed the throne of grace with agencies and activities helping the\par churches and preachers on earth.\par \par My next observation is: That the doctrine of this book of Revelation necessitates the\par perpetuity of the churches. The doctrine is just this: Christ will appoint no other\par instrumentality for the evangelization of the world; the world is to be lighted through\par these churches, and that when a candlestick is removed, another church is raised up,\par and that in every age of the world there will be some churches faithful to the Lord.\par That is the teaching of this book, and particularly do you find it when you come to\par that view of the church presented as an institution under the symbol of a woman, and\par the apostate church presented under the symbol of a woman. You will see the\par woman that represents the true church driven into the wilderness, where she is in\par hiding for a long time; just like Israel led out of Egypt wandered in the wilderness for\par thirty-eight years, and as historians would have a hard time tracing every day's steps\par of Israel in the wilderness, so a church historian now has a hard time in putting the\par surveyor's chain on the trace of the true churches in this wilderness period. There is\par no difficulty in tracing the New Testament history. Nor is there any difficulty from the\par Reformation period to the present. It is easy to prove that there are now churches\par similar in faith, doctrine, ordinances, officers, and purposes to the New Testament\par churches.\par \par My next general observation is, that a candlestick be removed \f1\'be \f0 that is, a particular\par church organization be dissolved \f1\'be \f0 has no bearing on the preservation of the true\par Christians who are members of that church. Sardis, as a church organizer, was\par declared to be "dead," but "thou hast a few names in Sardis that did not defile their\par garments: and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy." The church was\par blotted out, but "I will in no wise blot out their names from the book of life."\par My last general observation is this: Since Christ has appointed these churches for the\par evangelization and illumination of the world, what is the law on the preacher or the\par member that destroys one of these churches? Paul answers that question for us. He\par says to the church at Corinth: "Ye are God's building, ye are the temple of God, and\par him that destroys the temple of God will I destroy." And I tell you that is a very\par solemn thought for a preacher who so ministers that he destroys a church, or for any\par deacon, or deacons, who so act as to blot out a church of our Lord. The candlestick\par is indeed removed, but woe to him that causeth its removal. You would do a\par thousand times less harm to reach up and blot out the most brilliant planet in the sky\par than to blot out the feeblest little church here on earth which is trying to do good.\par Every pastor ought to bring this question up in his own heart: Is my ministry of this\par church building it or pulling it down; is it strengthening or destroying? What a solemn\par responsibility upon anybody who takes charge of a church. You may track some\par preachers by a trail of decayed, divided, or dissolved churches. You may track\par some other preachers by a trail of growing, illuminating churches - every one they\par labor with prospers.\par \par I put my hand on a man's shoulders, once, when he asked me to congratulate him on\par being called to a certain church. I said to him: "I will give you just six months to split\par it into shivers." He said, "What do you mean?" I said: "Is not that the result\par wherever, so far, you have preached? Go back over your ministry and name a\par church that you really built up." To my astonishment that man still thinks a great deal\par of me, and the last talk I had with him he promised that if he was ever a pastor again\par he would prove by his pastorate that he did not split things.\cf0\fs20\par \pard\nowidctlpar\par } _24:48-51\cf2\ulnone ); or like the rich fool\par who heard the summons: "This night shall thy soul be required of thee."\par \par The sixth church is Philadelphia. This was the smallest and weakest, and apparently\par the most insignificant of the churches. Philadelphia was only a village situated on the\par top of a volcanic range of mountains; earthquakes destroyed the place two or three\par times. An open door is set before it. The persecuting Jews were to fall down before\par it and know that the Lord loved it. There is a sweeping promise: "I will keep thee\par from the hour of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole world to try them."\par It is difficult, in the light of subsequent history, to define precisely this "hour of trial."\par It may refer in part to the great apostasy which developed into the Roman hierarchy\par discussed in this book (chapter 17). Or in part to the rise of Mohammedanism, A.\par D. 600, and which by A. D. 1392 had conquered all the territory in which these\par churches were located. At any rate, Dr. Justin A. Smith, at this point, quotes from\par the infidel historian, Edward Gibbon, \i Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,\par \i0 referring to this Turkish conquest: "in the loss of Ephesus the Christians deplored the\par fall of the first angel, the extinction of the first candlestick of the Revelation; the\par desolation is complete, and the Temple of Diana or the church of Mary will equally\par elude the search of the curious traveler. The circus and three stately theaters of\par Laodicea are now peopled with wolves and foxes; Sardis is reduced to a miserable\par village; the god of Mahomet, without a rival or a son, is invoked in the Mosques of\par Thyatira and Pergamos, and the populousness of Smyrna is supported by the foreign\par trade of the Franks and Armenians. Philadelphia alone has been saved by prophecy\par or by courage. At a distance from the sea, forgotten by the emperors, encompassed\par on all sides by the Turks, her valiant citizens defended their religion and freedom\par above fourscore years, and at length capitulated with the proudest of the Ottomans.\par Among the Greek colonies and churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect \f1\'be \f0 a\par column in the scene of ruins \f1\'be \f0 a pleasing example that the paths of honor and safety\par may sometimes be the same." So this church survived at least thirteen hundred years,\par long after the other six had passed away. Indeed, the "pillar" to which Gibbon refers\par still stands, as if to accentuate the promise in verse 12, "I will make him a pillar in the\par temple of my God" \f1\'be \f0 what a glorious thing for that weak church. Paul once wrote\par about Ephesus: "I will tarry at Ephesus until the Pentecost, for a great door is opened\par unto me, and there are many adversaries," but the Ephesus door had been shut a\par long time with the Philadelphia door still open. There on the mountaintop the faithful\par pastor and the faithful little village church were leading the people to Christ. The\par "open door" connects suitably with the words of our Lord in the first revelation: "I\par have the keys of death and Hades," and with the beginning of this letter: "I have the\par key of David."\par \par We may also compare \cf1\ul Mat_16:19\cf2\ulnone , "I will give unto you the keys of the\par kingdom of heaven." But the "keys" of the three passages are not the same; the ideas\par are different:\par \par \cf3\b 1. \cf2\b0\i The keys of the kingdom \i0 mean apostolic or church authority to declare the terms\par of entrance into or rejection from the kingdom of heaven, illustrated by the latter\par clause of \cf1\ul Mat_16:19\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Mat_18:18\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Joh_20:23\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Act_2:38\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Act_5:9\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Act_8:20-23\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Act_10:43\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Act_16:30-31\cf2\ulnone .\par \cf3\b\par 2. \cf2\b0\i The keys of death and Hades mean \i0 Christ's authority over the death of the\par body and to open the state or place of disembodies souls. As when He says: "The\par gates of Hades shall not prevail against the church," i.e., the death of disciples,\par sending their souls into the spirit world, shall never so prevail as to leave no surviving\par church on earth. Or when it is said: "Thou wilt not abandon my soul unto Hades"\par (\cf1\ul Act_2:27\cf2\ulnone ), i.e., my soul will not continue disembodied, for my body will be\par raised (\cf1\ul Act_2:31\cf2\ulnone ). The same authority over the dead would not permit Lazarus to\par return to the earth to warn the brothers of the rich man, nor permit the prayers of the\par lost rich man to relieve his own condition, nor to intervene for his kindred on earth\par (\cf1\ul Luk_16:23-31\cf2\ulnone ). This authority exempted Enoch and Elijah from death as it will\par exempt living Christians at His final advent (\cf1\ul 1Co_15:55-56\cf2\ulnone ), brings back\par with him the souls of the saints in heaven when He returns (\cf1\ul 1Th_4:14\cf2\ulnone ),\par and causes both the grave to give up its dead bodies and Hades to give up its\par disembodied souls at the judgment (\cf1\ul Rev_20:13\cf2\ulnone ).\par \cf3\b\par 3. \cf2\b0\i The key of David \i0 means Christ's authority to confer great opportunities for\par saving men, as here in our passage, and in \cf1\ul 1Co_16:8-9\cf2\ulnone , i.e., of admitting\par them to the saving presence of the Lord. Compare \cf1\ul Isa_22:22\cf2\ulnone .\par The seventh church is Laodicea. Smyrna was hot \f1\'be \f0 it flamed like fire in its zeal; its\par fidelity unto death glowed like an oven. Sardis got as cold as ice. But Laodicea was\par lukewarm, neither cold nor hot \f1\'be \f0 it did not come out strong and openly for\par anything. It was like the man in the canoe who once had lost his paddle in the stream,\par and prayed: "Good Lord, help me \f1\'be \f0 Good devil, help me." That is the weakest of\par all characters, and when the strong expression is here used: "I will spew thee out of\par my mouth," it is designed to show that this condition is nauseating to the Lord Jesus\par Christ. That was the Laodicean condition. And strange to say, they thought they\par were rich and needed nothing; whereas, as God saw them, they were miserable and\par poor and blind and naked.\par \par I have heard Laodicean letters read at associations: "Dear Brethren: This year's\par letter reports to you that we are at peace. Baptized \f1\'be \f0 none; received by letter \f1\'be\par \f0 none; excluded \f1\'be \f0 none; restored \f1\'be \f0 none; given to missions \f1\'be \f0 nothing." That is the\par peace of death. I again wish to repeat that in no age of the world have all of the\par churches been like Ephesus, or Smyrna, or Pergamos, or Thyatira, or Sardis, or\par Philadelphia, or Laodicea. And in every period of history there have been churches\par like all these types. What if next Sunday the recording angel should come down and\par write on the board of every church in Fort Worth some one of these seven names:\par Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, or Laodicea? Some of\par the brethren would stand out and read the inscription, and their knees would shake\par like Belshazzar's when the handwriting of the Lord appeared on the wall.\par \par We cannot in these chapters go into all the details of criticism like a commentary \f1\'be\par \f0 the salient points must suffice. But one verse concerning Laodicea must be noticed\par somewhat: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: If any man hear my voice and\par open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." It is a\par mistake to preach a sermon to sinners from this text. It is addressed exclusively to\par delinquent church members. In walking among the candlesticks our Lord knocks at\par the hearts of backslidden or hypocritical members, demanding admission and\par promising spiritual intercommunion to those who admit Him. In this way He often\par rings the spiritual doorbell at the houses of professing Christians whose ears are\par quick to hear the calls of fashion, pleasure, ambition, or business, but so stopped as\par never to hear the ringing of Him who comes often and patiently stands and keeps\par ringing. Sometimes He rings by sickness, sometimes by financial loss, sometimes by\par death in the house. The sickness, loss or death are realized, but they do not\par recognize them as the calling of the Lord.\par \fs20\par \pard\nowidctlpar\par } as the cleansing of sanctification applied to the penitent backslider\par David (\cf1\ul Psa_51:2\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Psa_51:7\cf2\ulnone ), "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me\par from my sin; purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be\par whiter than snow." And to the cleansing of both regeneration and sanctification does\par Paul refer in \cf1\ul Eph_5:26-27\cf2\ulnone , "That he might sanctify it, haying cleansed it by\par the washing of the water with the word, that he might present the church to himself a\par glorious church, not haying spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be\par holy and without blemish." The grace of this cleansing, whether in regeneration or\par sanctification, appears from its efficient cause, the blood of Christ: "And one of the\par elders answered saying unto me: These that are arrayed in the white robes, who are\par they, and whence come they? And I say unto him, My Lord, thou knowest. And he\par said to me, These are they that come out of great tribulation, and they washed their\par robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." "Blessed are they that wash\par their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life and may enter in\par by the gates into the city.\par \par Now, this internal cleansing, this perfecting in personal holiness, is symbolized by the\par white robe, or wedding garment: "And it was given unto the Lamb's wife that she\par should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure; for the fine linen is the\par righteousnesses of the saints." Note the plural "righteousnesses," which does not\par mean as the Revision puts it "the righteous acts of the saints." This would flatly\par contradict the regeneration part of this righteousness (see \cf1\ul Tit_3:5\cf2\ulnone ). And so it\par would contradict the many cleansings of sanctification \f1\'be \f0 "Christ being made unto us\par sanctifications," every time as in David's case, the Spirit applies the same cleansing\par blood.\par \par It is true enough that the regenerated man, progressing in sanctification, acquires\par personal character, exhibited in life and good works. But this is not what is meant by\par the wedding garment of Matthew or the white robe of Revelation, which is the same\par thing. The white robe means holiness, as God is holy. The means of the cleansing is\par Christ's atoning blood. This is applied by the Spirit and apprehended by faith. The\par whole of it is God's work and is of grace from the first cleansing in regeneration to\par the last cleansing of sanctification. That it is not character on earth is evident from\par \cf1\ul Rev_6:2\cf2\ulnone , where it is bestowed after death. So with the teaching of\par \cf1\ul Rev_7:13-14\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_19:7\cf2\ulnone . The glorious result is expressed in \cf1\ul Eph_5:27\cf2\ulnone \f1\'be \f0 "that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having\par spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." It\par will also be forever true that the elect are immune from any \i law charge \i0 because\par wrapped in the righteousness of Christ imputed to us when by faith we are \i espoused\par \i0 to Christ. And also forever true that the white robe of the \i marriage is \i0 another thing,\par being \i personal \i0 holiness wrought \i in us \i0 by the Holy Spirit in regeneration and\par sanctification. It is therefore respectfully submitted that Dr. Gill is in error when he\par expounds the wedding garment to be Christ's righteousness imputed to us, or\par anything \i done for us \i0 in the legal acts of redemption, justification, adoption, and\par equally so that Dr. Broadus is mistaken when he interprets it to mean our character\par or life as the embodiment of \i deeds done by us, \i0 no matter how much they may have\par been the fruits of grace. But it means personal holiness \i wrought in us \i0 by the Holy\par Spirit:\par \par \cf4\b (1) \cf2\b0 By the cleansing of regeneration when the blood of Christ is applied by\par the Spirit. \cf1\ul Eze_36:25\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Heb_9:14\cf2\ulnone ; first clause of 10:22; \cf1\ul Tit_3:5\cf2\ulnone , first clause; \par \cf1\ul 1Co_6:11\cf2\ulnone , first clause.\par \cf4\b\par (2) \cf2\b0 By the continued cleansing of sanctification until holiness of spirit is\par perfected \f1\'be \f0 as in the cleansing of backslidden David (\cf1\ul Psa_2:2\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Psa_2:7\cf2\ulnone ); in\par the continual changes into Christ's image (\cf1\ul 2Co_3:18\cf2\ulnone ).\par \par That both the cleansing in regeneration and the subsequent cleansing of sanctification\par are meant is evident from that one supreme proof text, \cf1\ul Eph_5:26\cf2\ulnone , compared\par with \cf1\ul Rev_6:11\cf2\ulnone , first clause, and 7:13-14; 22:14.\par \par The plural "righteousnesses" in \cf1\ul Rev_19:8\cf2\ulnone , refers therefore not to acts of the\par saints but to the Spirit's acts in the saints.\par \par \cf3\b 8. \cf2\b0 "\i 1 will in no wise blot out his name out of the book of life\i0 " \par (\cf1\ul Rev_3:5\cf2\ulnone ). This is the second promise to the faithful at Sardis. Two questions are:\par \par \pard\nowidctlpar\fi-360\li360\tx360\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 (1)\tab What is the book of life, and\par \pard\nowidctlpar\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\tx10080\par \pard\nowidctlpar\fi-360\li360\tx360\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360 (2)\tab the exact force of \i not blotting out \i0 the name?\par \pard\nowidctlpar\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\tx10080\par \i What, then, is the book of life? By \i0 its very name it is a register of immortals. "He\par that believeth in me shall never die" \f1\'be \f0 shall never come into condemnation \f1\'be \f0 "but\par hath eternal life." The nature of this book may be considered from one of two views:\par \cf4\b\par (1) \cf2\b0 A list of all His elect as God saw them before the foundation of the world. This\par would be the list of the original divine purpose. This view has been supported largely\par by an interpretation of \cf1\ul Rev_13:8\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_17:8\cf2\ulnone ; but this interpretation is very\par doubtful, since it makes the phrase "from the foundation of the world" modify\par "written in the book" rather than the "Lamb slain." Your Standard Revision supports\par this view.\par \cf4\b\par (2) \cf2\b0 A much safer view is that it is a register of judicial decisions, each name written\par when the owner is justified (\cf1\ul Isa_4:3\cf2\ulnone ). It has this meaning in \cf1\ul Rev_20:15\cf2\ulnone ; \par \cf1\ul Rev_21:27\cf2\ulnone , and \cf1\ul Dan_12:1\cf2\ulnone . And because this judicial decision is irrevocable, it explains the ground of joy in our Savior's words to the seventy (\cf1\ul Luk_10:20\cf2\ulnone ), and the fact that no indictment can be drawn against God's elect, since it is God that \i justifies \i0 (\cf1\ul Rom_8:33\cf2\ulnone ). See also \cf1\ul Php_4:3\cf2\ulnone , and \cf1\ul Heb_12:23\cf2\ulnone .\par On the meaning of this book and its use at the judgment (\cf3\fs12 <662015>\cf1\ul\fs24 Rev_20:15\cf2\ulnone ) is\par written this hymn:\par \par \cf4\b\i\fs23 When thou, my righteous judge, shalt come\par To take thy ransomed people home,\par Shall I among them stand?\par Shall I, who sometimes am afraid to die,\par Be found at thy right hand?\par Oh, can I bear the piercing thought:\par What if my name shall be left out?\par \par \cf2\b0\fs24 What then is the exact force of not blotting out the name? \i0 In all Greek cities,\par and later at Rome, there was an enrollment of citizens as distinguished from the\par general population who had no rights of citizenship. Citizenship could be forfeited\par during life by adjudged infidelity to the city, decided by a v ote of the unaccused\par citizens, followed by erasure of the name. Some of the best citizens were thus, by\par prejudice, ostracized, as Greek history shows. A Christian citizen of Sardis might\par thus lose citizenship on account of loyalty to Christ. Of course, death ended this\par earthly citizenship. It is the object of the promise to contrast the enrolled citizenship\par in the heavenly Jerusalem with the enrolled citizenship in Sardis. The point of contrast\par lies between two citizenships,  the two enrollments, and particularly in the fact that\par heavenly citizenship, after once being enrolled, was never forfeited: "I will in no wise\par blot his name out of the book of life." Many commentaries miss the point in\par supposing that the heavenly enrollment is a probationary list, subject to erasure, and\par that this implication inheres in the promise as well as in the threat of \cf1\ul Rev_22:19\cf2\ulnone . Your author is fully persuaded that this position is untenable. He not only\par admits, but contends, that citizenship was forfeitable not only in Greek cities and in\par Rome, but also in the Jewish state, but utterly denies it of the heavenly citizenship,\par and that this very fact is the essence of the promise.\par \par \cf3\b 9. \cf2\b0 "I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no\par more; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my\par God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my Go d, and my\par own new name" (\cf1\ul Rev_3:12\cf2\ulnone ).\par \par Perhaps the most imposing, most ornamental, if not the most useful parts of a great\par edifice are its pillars. Only the wealth of a king could supply even one of the pillars of\par the temple of Diana at Ephesus. The surviving pillars in the ruins of ancient temples\par and cities yet challenge the admiration of the world as masterpieces of human skill\par and genius. It marked the prominence and importance of James, Cephas, and John\par to be "reputed as pillars" in the Jerusalem church (\cf1\ul Gal_2:29\cf2\ulnone ), and glorified\par the church when called "the pillar of the truth" (\cf1\ul 1Ti_3:15\cf2\ulnone ). To be made,\par therefore, an everlasting pillar in the heavenly temple is an expression of the highest\par honor. This honor is enhanced by the inscriptions on it by the divine architect Himself\par - the name of God, the name of the new Jerusalem, the new name of the architect\par Himself, to wit: "Faithful and True ... K\fs20 ING \fs24 O\fs20 F \fs24 K\fs20 INGS \fs24 A\fs20 ND \fs24 L\fs20 ORD \fs24 O\fs20 F \fs24 L\fs20 ORDS\fs24 "\par (\cf1\ul Rev_19:11\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_19:13\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Rev_19:16\cf2\ulnone ).\par \par \cf3\b 10. \cf2\b0 "I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame and sat\par down with my Father in his throne" (\cf1\ul Rev_3:21\cf2\ulnone ). This is not the throne of\par \i ruling, \i0 expressed in a previous promise, but the throne of final \i judgment. \i0 On the\par last great day, earth's supreme assize, the faithful ones are placed at the Lord's right\par hand, i.e., on His judgment throne (\cf1\ul Mat_25:31\cf2\ulnone ; \cf1\ul Mat_25:33\cf2\ulnone ), and shall participate with\par Him in passing judgment on wicked men and angels. Jesus had already promised to\par His apostles that in the world's regeneration \i (palingenesia, i.e., \i0 the time of the\par restoration of all things), they should sit on the twelve thrones judging the twelve\par tribes of Israel (\cf1\ul Mat_19:29\cf2\ulnone ). And Paul had said: "Know ye not that the saints\par shall judge the world? Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" (\cf1\ul 1Co_6:23\cf2\ulnone ). What a reversal of earth condition when the Sanhedrin that tried Peter and\par John shall be judged by them! When Gallio, Festus, Agrippa, and Nero shall stand\par before Paul's tribunal. What poetic justice when job and Peter shall judge the devil.\cf0\fs20\par \pard\nowidctlpar\par }