The Bible Story Part 332

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SELECTIONS FROM THE APOCALYPSE OF JOHN

(This book is also called the Revelation.)

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which G.o.d gave him to shew unto his servants, even the things which must shortly come to pa.s.s: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John; who bare witness of the word of G.o.d, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him which is and which was and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood; and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his G.o.d and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they which pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.

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EPHESUS. VIEW OP THE RUINS OF THE AQUEDUCT.

CASTLE IN THE BACKGROUND.

From a photograph belonging to Miss Julia W. Snow and used by her kind permission.

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"I am the Alpha and the Omega," saith the Lord G.o.d, "which is and which was and which is to come, the Almighty."

I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of G.o.d and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet saying, "What thou seest, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea."

And I turned to see the voice which spake with me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the b.r.e.a.s.t.s with a golden girdle. And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto burnished bra.s.s, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters.

And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun s.h.i.+neth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead.

And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, "Fear not; I am the first and the last, and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Write {460} therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pa.s.s hereafter; the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches.

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write;

THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS

"These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, he that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks:

"I know thy works, and thy toil and patience, and that thou canst not bear evil men, and didst try them which call themselves apostles, and they are not, and didst find them false; and thou hast patience and didst bear for my name's sake, and hast not grown weary. But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of G.o.d.

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write;

THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA

"These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and lived again: I know thy tribulation, and thy {461} poverty (but thou art rich), and the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days.

Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write;

THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN PERGAMUM

"These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword: I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan's throne is: and thou holdest fast my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols. Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.

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"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write;

THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA

"These things saith the Son of G.o.d, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished bra.s.s: I know thy works, and thy love and faith and ministry and patience, and that thy last works are more than the first. But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants.

"But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, which know not the deep things of Satan, as they say; I cast upon you none other burden. Howbeit that which ye have, hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to s.h.i.+vers; as I also have received of my Father: and I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write;

THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS

"These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of G.o.d, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead. Be thou watchful, and stablish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine {463} fulfilled before my G.o.d. Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. But thou hast a few names in Sardis which did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy. He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write;

THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA

"These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and none shall shut, and that shutteth, and none openeth: I know thy works (behold, I have set before thee a door opened, which none can shut), that thou hast a little power, and didst keep my word, and didst not deny my name. Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them which say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and wors.h.i.+p before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown. He that overcometh, I will {464} make him a pillar in the temple of my G.o.d, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my G.o.d, and the name of the city of my G.o.d, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my G.o.d, and mine own new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.

"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write;

THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA

"These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of G.o.d: I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eye-salve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I reprove and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches."

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EPHESUS. THE TRADITIONAL TOMB OF ST. LUKE.

From a photograph belonging to Miss Julia W. Snow and used by her kind permission.

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After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard, a voice as of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying, "Come up hither, and I will shew thee the things which must come to pa.s.s hereafter."

Straightway I was in the Spirit: and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting upon the throne; and he that sat was to look upon like a jasper stone and a sardius: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon. And round about the throne were four and twenty thrones: and upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, arrayed in white garments; and on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceed lightnings and voices and thunders. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of G.o.d; and before the throne, as it were a gla.s.sy sea like unto crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind. And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.

And the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord G.o.d, the Almighty, which was and which is and which is to come."