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282   THE CONVENTION TEACHER

INTRODUCTION

The Revelation was a message to the Christians, who were in the midst of a terrible persecution. In the time of Domitian one who refused to worship the emperor was regarded as a traitor to Rome. The Christians "had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings, Yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheepskins and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented." In the midst of those great and terrible scenes (such as we read of daily in the newspapers and books, which tell us of the awful conditions of the World War), the Christians of that day could see on the earth the reality indicated by the symbolic visions-signs of famines, fire, scorpions, plagues, strange hosts, dungeons and bottomless pits. Then they were bidden to look up to heaven to the Morning Star, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Lamb that was slain. The Christians who had been faithful even unto death, who had suffered great tribulations for the cause of Christ on earth, were transferred from earth to heaven. Then their robes "were washed white in the blood of the Lamb," who went forth "conquering and to conquer." And they sang a new song of praise to Christ, who had redeemed them to God by His own blood out of every kindred and tongue, and people and nation. 

The Book of Revelation is the unveiling of the unseen spiritual world in order to give assurance and hope and faith to those who were being persecuted and martyred, by means of a vision of the souls of martyrs triumphant and living in heaven; and the ever-living Christ, their Lord and King.

EXPOSITION

I. THE ETERNAL THRONE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. (VV. 1-7.) (1) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. Here is a description of John's vision: a shadowing of the past judgment, eternal state of the blessed, the final glorification—heaven. a new heaven and a new earth—A new land beneath, a new sky above. The original heaven and earth first created are passed into oblivion. In his Epistle the Apostle Peter says that the earth will be purged by fire, thus symbolizing judgement. no more sea—Heaven, earth and sea departed together. Whether a new sea appeared is not stated. It is interpreted by some that the sea is here considered a barrier, and that no such condition will exist in the new order of things.

(2) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Of this new city the builder and maker is God. It is not the old city Jerusalem in Palestine, but it is a city coming down from heaven with the same name. It represents a bride. "One time in a women's life she has a right to be extravagant; one time she prepared herself with the greatest care and dressed as elegantly and beautifully and attractively as she can—the time of her marriage. As a bride adorns herself for her husband, so will God adorn and beautify this city for His loved ones."

(3) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. The description is dramatically taken up by a voice out of heaven. Out of this heavenly land the voice declares that God Himself is a present inhabitant. tabernacle of God—The reference is to the Mosaic tabernacle in the wilderness, where Jehovah dwelt by symbol. On this new earth He will dwell in person, shall be his people—His new, glorified eternal Israel, the heavenly Canaan, where all are one. The tribes and the nations are one; and all may, according to a divine order, enter into the twelve gates.
 
(4) And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. The presence of God makes all the happiness of heaven. It is he who will wipe away all tears. There will be no more death, sorrow, nor crying. These things exist in this present world, but God has a cure for them, "which is cleansing from sin, holiness of character, eternal life in Christ, heaven itself. The cause of these things will ultimately forever be put away, so that these terrible experiences cannot be known in glory." no pain—The healing leaves of the tree of life give perfect health.

(5) And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. The throne of revelation


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did not disappear with the old earth. The throne of judgment appeared simply as one of the visible phenomena, just like any other symbol in the vision. The seer was told to write the words of this apocalyptic revelation. This is a divine authentication of what he is bidden to write.

(6) And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. "Alpha and Omega" represent God as the Eternal One. Here he holds a dialogue with the seer, and says: It is done. That is, the great plan and work of redemption are completed. The divine speaker describes the past in terms of the future; that is, He places Himself at the origin, when the conditions of salvation were laid, utters them in the future tense, and thereby describes the fulfillment that has now and forever taken place.

(7) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall by my son. He that overcometh against Satan and the world shall inherit everlasting life. These verses show us God's eternity and man's eternity, whether spent in heaven or in torment. 

II. MAN'S LIFE IN PARADISE. (VV. 1-5.) (1) And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the last two chapters of the book of Revelation we are given a beautiful and "glorious picture in symbolic language of our heavenly home, properly placed here at the end of the Bible, as though from the spire with which the word of God culminates. We should be allowed to look into the future which God has prepared for those who love Him. The river of water of life is a beautiful symbol of life in its gladness, purity, activity, and fullness, ever-flowing through the heavenly city, showed me a pure river—The source of this stream, its course or channel, and its fertile banks are mentioned or implied in what follows. Eternity is the ocean in which the river is lost. "Water of life" is the same as living water, which means, in its literal sense, such water as is pure, flowing, clear, fresh and wholesome, not stagnant, or turbid, or salt. Hence it is the proper term for the water of a beautiful and fertilizing river. Water of life signifies water possessing life-giving powers, water which restores, refreshes, supports life, and is therefore compared with living water.  Taken in its spiritual sense, those who drink shall never thirst again; when it has once been received into the soul, it becomes a well of water springing up into everlasting life.  clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the lamb—We seldom use bright, as an epithet of water.  The source of the river was in the divine throne, the seat of the Triune God and the crucified Saviour.  All eternal life is derived from our heavenly Father by the Holy Spirit for the sake of the Redeemer.

(2)  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month:  and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  As the water of the river is called the water of life, so the tree here with its twelve fruits is called the tree of life, which, of course, reminds us again of the Garden of Eden.  We may see in this bountiful supply of the trees of life an image of the abundance of grace and life in store for the redeemed.  which bare twelve manner of fruits—The number "twelve" denotes completeness.  The fruit is yielded twelve times as often as ordinary fruit.  The meaning is that there is an ever-present supply.  The fruit is not of twelve different kinds; the tree of life bears but one kind.  "And by the tree by the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed; it shall bring forth new fruit according to its months.  and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nation—The nations are the multitude of the redeemed, gathered out of every nation.  The tree of life is put forward as the means by which the perpetual health and life and general well-being of the inhabitants are sustained.

(3)  And there shall be nor more curse:  But the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:  There shall be no accursed thing any more.  Nothing accursed exists in that city because there is no sing there.  But the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him.  God dwells in the city because all is holy.  The throne of God and of the Lamb is one.  God and the Lamb are one.

(4)  And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.  This is another consequence of there being no accursed thing, no sin.  All are pure in heart, and therefore, they see God.  What

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