of the Book of the Revelation. And now observe that the prophet was required to eat the roll of the book that was passed to him by a hand, and then go and speak the Lord's words to them. Therefore the things contained in this book are the things that the prophet was sent to speak to the house of Israel. The prophet did as he was commanded, and the things that he spake to them therefore are the things written in the Book of Ezekiel, which we now have in our hands and can read at our pleasure. So the things that were written in that little book, that contained so much that it was written within and without like the little book that John saw in the Father's right hand, are the things in the Book of Ezekiel, especially those parts which treat of the abominations and idolatries of the house of Israel and the house of Judah, and the sweeping desolations and judgments that will overtake them like a whirlwind in the day of their calamity, when they will be destroyed by the sword, by the famine, and the pestilence.

These things relate to the two houses, as the Lord said to Ezekiel when the destroying angels went through the city with their slaughter weapons in their hand, as it is written (9:8). The prophet speaks, saying, "And it came to pass while they were slaying them, I fell upon my face, and cried and said, Ah Lord God, wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel, in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem? Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness, for they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not. As for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head."

ISRAEL, THE THEME

Now the important lesson to be learned here is this, that the things contained in the scroll, or little book, that was handed to Ezekiel and that he was required to eat and digest, and then go and proclaim the things contained. therein to the rebellious house of Israel, are the same things that are contained in the little book that John saw in the right hand of him which sat upon the throne. Therefore as the things contained in the little book that Ezekiel was required to eat, related exclusively to the rebellious house of Israel and Judah, even so the little book that John saw refers exclusively to the same things and to the same people, the house of Israel and the house of Judah, and as both books were full, within and on the back side, and as in the one were written lamentations and mourning and woe, so in the other would be written the same, hence the three war trumpets, as it is written. in the Revelation (8:13), saying, " And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice: Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels which are yet to sound."

Moreover as the little book handed to Ezekiel contained the righteous judgments of God written therein, which were to be executed upon the rebellious house of Israel, consisting of the three principal elements of destruction which God employs to destroy the wicked; namely, the sword, the famine, and the pestilence; even so the little book that John saw in the Father's right hand is found to contain the same. For when the Lamb opens the first four

seals, the color of the horses on which the riders go forth, and the things that are read out of the little book as each seal is opened indicate to a certainty that the principal judgments to be executed under these four seals are by the sword, the famine, and the pestilence; but the name of the rebellious house of Israel upon which these judgments are to be inflicted, is purposely withheld in the Revelation, and can only be found out by the aid of the prophets, where these things are more plainly and openly spoken of than they are in this remarkable book of symbols and metaphors.

The angel spake to John of the Book of the Revelation, which is called "the testimony of Jesus," saying, "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." For this reason, a person must familiarize himself with the spirit of prophecy as it is contained in the writings of the prophets, or he never can decipher the mysteries of this book. Moreover, if a man thinks that the views herein presented are entirely too limited and circumscribed in attempting to apply the things set forth in these wonderful visions and revelations contained in the last book of the Bible chiefly to things which are to rise and be manifested in the latter days in the little kingdom of Israel, instead of seeking to find their fulfillment among the great events that have transpired, and that are now transpiring among the mighty nations of the earth, we say, Let such an one consider this, that the Lord did not choose as his people the great kingdoms and empires of antiquity, such as the Assyrian, the Babylonian, the MedoPersian, the Grecian, or the Roman, to be his people, nor did he choose the people of Israel because they were the greatest and mightiest nation upon earth. For Moses spake to Israel in the land of Moab, when he gave them the second law, saying, "For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people, for ye were the fewest of all people; but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he hath sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the land of Pharaoh king of Egypt."

Now concerning this fewest of all people in comparison with the mighty nations of the earth, the Lord spake to them by the hand of the prophet Amos, saying, "You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities." According to this word of the Lord, just in the ratio that he has honored Israel above all other nations, just in the same ratio will their punishment be over and above the punishments that will be inflicted upon the nations. Therefore the fiercest wrath of God will be reserved for them, in the day of judgment, for the Lord says of Jerusalem and her people (Ezek. 5:6), "She hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her, for they have refused my judgments, and my statutes; they have not walked in them."

Therefore the Book of the Revelation contains the judgments written against the rebellious house of Israel. The plagues proclaimed on the opening of the seals are judgments upon the rebellious house; the seven trumpets are trumpets of alarm against the rebellious house of Israel, and are not

trumpets of alarm against Gentile nations. The seven last plagues are plagues upon mystical Sodom and Egypt; the sinful nation of Israel, and the great wine-press of the wrath of God is an Israelitish wine-press in which is cast the vine of Sodom, as Moses speaks of them in the song of witness (Deut. 32: 32-33), "Their vine is the vine of Sodom, and the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter; their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps." And the Lord inquires, "Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up (with seven seals) among my treasures?

THE STRONG ANGEL'S PROCLAMATION (REV. 5:2-5)

"And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not, Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." When a person understands that this little book is the book of judgment, and when opened and read sets forth the rewards for the righteous and the rewards of the wicked, both of the living and the dead, then the significance of the question asked by the angel is manifest, when he cried with a loud voice, saying, "Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?" "There is one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ." Again, Jesus said, "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father which hath sent him." Peter said to Cornelius, that they were commanded to preach unto the people and to testify that it is he (Jesus) which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead; and Paul said (Rom. 14:9), "Christ both died and rose and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living."

Again, Paul says to the Philippians (2:8-11) of Jesus, "Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name (Jehovah) which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth (the dead) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (that is Jehovah) to the glory of God the Father."

Again, the Scriptures testify of him in the days of his flesh, saying (Ps. 45:7), "Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness, therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." This person, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book of judgment, and to loose the seven seals thereof, and to execute the righteous judgments written therein.

Therefore, the person that these Scriptures treat of, John saw in vision. on the day of the Lord when he was prepared to enter upon the work of judgment to judge his people, the rebellious house, to bring their strength to the earth, to judge the bloody city Jerusalem and her people, and to wash

away the filth of the daughters of Zion and to purge the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning,— the city of which it is said (Isa. 1:21), "How is the faithful city become an harlot; it was full of judgment, righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers."

Therefore, John describes his position and his appearance when he takes the book out of his Father's hand to enter upon his work, as follows (Rev. 5:6-10), saying, "And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth; and he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne." In this was manifested the fact that all men must honor the Son as they honor the Father; for when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints, and they sang a new song, saying, “Thou art worthy to take the book, and open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and hast made us unto our God, kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth."

These are the persons who constitute the seven horns and seven eyes of the Lamb, and are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth under the command and direction of the Lamb of God, who sends them forth to walk to and fro through the north and south country to quiet God's spirit in these quarters by the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and the beasts of the earth which are the instruments of death that God hath prepared for the wicked that repent not.

The angels of God also mingle with the saints in ascribing honor to the Lamb, as John continues, saying, " And I beheld, and heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying, with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever, and the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever."

وو

CHAPTER IV

THE OPENING OF THE SEALS

(Rev. 6-8)

A cruel king who does Second seal Civil war

seal - Famine - Fourth seal - Pes- Fifth seal -" Souls under altar"

Zechariah's vision of four chariots ·First seal according to his will"- Great red dragon Past judgments on Israel - Third tilence" Beasts - Nations instructed · - Tabernacle representing body of Christ - Sixth seal -"Heaven "— Fleeing to mountains- Content of sixth seal - Sealing of hundred forty and four thousand — Multitude which no man could number - Seventh seal-Summary of seals, and trumpets - Prayers offered through Christ, priest of Melchisedec order.

A COMPARISON WITH ZECHARIAH (REV. 6-8)

Before proceeding to interpret the things announced on the opening of the first four seals, we wish to call attention to this important fact, that Zechariah saw in vision the same things that John saw in part in this vision. The four beasts, or cherubims, that John and Ezekiel saw Zechariah saw under the symbol of four chariots coming forth from between two mountains of brass. The horses in Zechariah's vision were of the same colors as those that John saw, which indicates the same manner and the same judgments in both visions. The first horse that John saw go forth was white, and the red, black, and pale horses go after, but the first horse that Zechariah saw go forth was black, and the one that followed after was white. This would indicate that the order of their going forth is not a material point in the prophecy. The four grand divisions of the body of Christ represented by these various symbols will go forth together to execute upon the rebellious houses of Israel, the various forms of judgments that God has devised and spoken of by his servants the prophets, to bring to nothing the transgressors and to eradicate the old rebellious element from among the people of Israel.

The horses in these visions are not literal horses, but they are symbols of the spirit, for as a natural man rides upon a fleet horse to go forth in battle, so the immortal ride upon, or move by, the power of the Spirit of God. This is proved as follows: The strength and success of Israel's armies did not lie in the multitude of their fighting men, but in the power of the angel of the Lord who went before them and fought their battles and overthrew their enemies from before them by the power of the Spirit. Therefore in all cases where the children of Israel sought help from the nations, as they often did, the God of Israel was very angry with them for so doing, even as the Lord said to them by the Prophet Isaiah (31) saying, "Woe to them which go down to Egypt for help, and stay on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are strong. Yet he also is wise and will bring evil, and will not call back his words, but will arise