TEXT FOR PRAYER

This afternoon we shall begin reading on page 46 of Christs Object Lessons: -2TG12 20.2

He that received the seed into stony places the same is he that heareth the word and anon with joy receiveth it yet hath he not root in himself but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended. -2TG12 20.3

The seed sown upon stony ground finds little depth of soil. The plant springs up quickly but the root can not penetrate the rock to find nutriment to sustain its growth and it soon perishes. Many who make a profession of religion are stony-ground hearers. Like the rock underlying the layer of earth the selfishness of the natural heart underlies the soil of their good desires and aspirations. The love of self is not subdued. They have not seen the exceeding sinfulness of sin and the heart has not been humbled under a sense of its guilt. This class may be easily convinced and appear to be bright converts but they have only a superficial religion. -2TG12 20.4

There is a class of people who are very susceptible to Present Truth but who just as soon as persecution reproach inconvenience and trials arise immediately recant their positions. The Truth has no root in such and soon withers away from their minds and hearts. Let us now kneel and pray for depth of soil in our hearts that we may hold fast our faith our convictions under any circumstances. -2TG12 20.5

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To receive The Revelation the last book of the Bible John was twice taken in the Spirit. To see this we shall read Rev. 1:10, and 4:2. -2TG12 21.1

Rev 1:10 — I was in the Spirit on the Lords day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet. -2TG12 21.2

This is Johns first time in the Spirit and while in It he received Revelation chapters 1, 2, and 3. -2TG12 21.3

Rev 4:2 — And immediately I was in the Spirit: and behold a throne was set in heaven and One sat on the throne. -2TG12 21.4

This is Johns second time in the Spirit the time he received Revelation chapters 4 to 22. -2TG12 21.5

The first nine verses of chapter 1 contain Johns introduction to the book and is a brief summary of what he saw. The remaining verses of chapter 1 contain the Lords introduction to The Revelation after which in chapters 2 and 3 is given a special message to be delivered to the seven churches. This is all John saw while he was in the Spirit the first time. -2TG12 21.6

Now coming to Revelation chapters 4 and 5, we read what John saw his second time in the Spirit. -2TG12 21.7

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Rev 4 — After this I looked and behold a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me which said Come up hither and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the Spirit: and behold a throne was set in heaven and One sat on the throne. And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting clothed in white raiment and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne and round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. -2TG12 22.1

And the first beast was like a lion and the second beast like a calf and the third beast had a face as a man and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the throne Who liveth for ever and ever the four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. -2TG12 22.2

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Rev 5 — And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside sealed with seven seals. 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 saith unto me Weep not: behold the Lion of the tribe of Juda the Root of David hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof. -2TG12 23.1

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. And 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 odours which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain and 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. -2TG12 23.2

And I beheld and I 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 honour 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 honour and glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever. -2TG12 23.3

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Chapters 4 and 5, we see contain a scene of a special event which caused the Book to be unsealed. That which came out of the Book is in the fullest sense the Revelation of Jesus Christ of the One Who only was worthy to open the Book. -2TG12 24.1

Thus it is that The Revelation of Jesus Christ begins with the sixth chapter and ends with the last chapter of the Book the chapters in which are recorded the things which the breaking of the seven seals disclosed. Yes The Revelation consists of the things which were sealed with seven seals. -2TG12 24.2

It is clear now that It is The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him that is to Jesus God gave the Book. Jesus took it broke the seals with which it was sealed and laid open the things which no one could reveal but He. The Seven Seals therefore cover all The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him and consists of the things which came out of the Book. The Revelation moreover is in seven parts because each one of the seals disclosed a certain part of The Revelation: The first seal disclosed the things recorded in chapter six verse two the second seal disclosed the things of verse four the third seal disclosed the things of verses five and six the fourth seal disclosed the things of verses 7 and 8 the fifth seal disclosed the things of verses nine to eleven the sixth seal disclosed the things of verse twelve and down to the eighth chapter the seventh seal disclosed the things of chapters eight to twenty-two inclusive. That all these chapters are a continuation of the sixth chapter is seen by the fact that every chapter begins with the conjunction And. -2TG12 24.3

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The Revelation then is thus divided into seven parts. And so when we speak of the Seven Seals we are in reality speaking of The Revelation. -2TG12 25.1

The last of the seals the seventh is subdivided into still other seven divisions the Seven Trumpets which begin with the eighth chapter and apparently end with the eleventh chapter. -2TG12 25.2

The next thing to note is the event which caused the Book to be opened. For a ready comprehension I have reproduced a pen drawing of the event. And I may mention that I have been very careful to pen it exactly as John describes it. -2TG12 25.3

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For lack of space though the myriads of angels round about the throne are missing in the drawing. Here is the drawing: -2TG12 26.1

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What is the event which caused the Books seals to be broken? — To find the answer to this question we should first consider the members in the assembly. There we see One on the throne then the Lamb next the elders and the myriads of angels round about the throne also the beasts who themselves testify that they are a symbolical representation of the redeemed for they say for Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. Rev. 5:9. -2TG12 27.1

What else could such an assembly as this represent but a Judgment. There we see the Judge of Justice our great Advocate sitting on the throne then the Lamb and the jury of twenty-four also the angelic witnesses and the four beasts representing the redeemed. Moreover The Revelation itself most emphatically declares that the event prophetically is the Judgment in session for it says: Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters. Rev. 14:7. -2TG12 27.2

The prophet Daniel too whose book is a complement to The Revelation was given a glimpse of the Judgment. He saw the Ancient of Days sitting on the throne also the thrones upon which evidently sit the twenty-four elders. He also saw the myriads of angels and the One like unto the Son of man the Lamb brought near before the Ancient of Days. -2TG12 27.3

In juxtaposition the prophecy by Daniel with The Revelation by John stand as follows: -2TG12 27.4

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“text1”: “Daniels Vision (Daniel 7) “,

“text2”: “Johns Vision (The Revelation) “,

“text1”: “1. I beheld till the thrones were cast down. Dan. 7:9. Johns Vision (The Revelation) “,

“text2”: “1. And I saw thrones. Rev. 20:4 “,

“text1”: “2. And the Ancient of Days did sit. Dan. 7:9. “,

“text2”: “2. And One sat on the throne. Rev. 4:2. “,

“text1”: “3. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. Dan. 7:10. “,

“text2”: “3. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire. Rev. 15:2. “,

“text1”: “4. One like the Son of man came…to the Ancient of Days and they brought Him near before Him. Dan. 7:13. “,

“text2”: “4. In the midst of the throne and of the four beasts…stood a Lamb. Rev. 5:6. “,

“text1”: “5. The books were opened. Dan. 7:10. “,

“text2”: “5. And the books were opened. Rev. 20:12. “,

“text1”: “6. Thousand thousands ministered unto Him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. Dan. 7:10. “,

“text2”: “6. I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne…and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands. Rev. 5:11. “,

“text1”: “7. The judgment was set and the books were opened. Dan. 7:10. “,

“text2”: “7. The hour of His judgment is come. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Rev. 20:12 ,”,

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The only difference you see is that Daniel was shown the Judgment being set up whereas John saw it in full session. -2TG12 29.1

The Revelation moreover in the following verses again and again endeavors to make us see that the event there portrayed is the Judgment in session: -2TG12 29.2

Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment is come. -2TG12 29.3

And I saw thrones John declares and judgment was given unto them. Rev. 20:4. -2TG12 29.4

John truly penned it as a prophecy but when it actually takes place then Gods agency on earth the Spirit of Prophecy in the Church is to proclaim that the event has actually taken place. -2TG12 29.5

Since the records of both the dead and the living must be reviewed by the Judicial Tribunal the First Angels Message (Rev. 14:6) must be proclaimed in both periods in the period of the judgment of the dead and by a loud cry in the period of the judgment of the living. The direct application of the First Angels Message therefore also the call to come out of Babylon are actually made in the day the earth is lightened with the glory of the angel. (See Rev. 18:1-4). The Revelation therefore is to be more fully understood during the judgment of the living. -2TG12 29.6

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The light that now shines on our path is an unmistakable evidence that we are approaching the time of the judgment of the living the time when the Son of man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him then shall He sit up on the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. Matt. 25:31-33. -2TG12 30.1

Now since The Revelation unveils the Judicial proceedings of the whole human race and since it opened with the Book sealed with seven seals and also since The Revelation as shown before consists of the things which were in the sealed Book then it is logical that The Revelation contains a brief sketch of human history from the beginning of the world to the end. -2TG12 30.2

The contents of the Seven Seals therefore comprehends all mankind and must begin with Adam the first man on earth. This fact is again particularly noticeable from the fact that the things which the first five seals revealed are covered in one two or three verses respectively (whereas the last two seals which contain the things that pertain to the Judgment of the living to the people who must know that their cases are on trial) are quite long: The record of the things which the sixth seal reveals is 22 verses long and the seventh seal is 15 chapters long. -2TG12 30.3

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You see my friends that what we have in this study is not a theory not someones far-fetched and fanciful idea but Gods whole Truth. This is Bible indeed and what a lesson too -2TG12 31.1

How then can you and I afford to let our salvation slip from our grasp? How can we afford to be careless and indifferent to these most solemn words in all the history of man-kind? Shall we not prepare to meet our God in peace? Shall we not now as wise virgins fill our vessels with this light-giving oil so as to be able to refill our lamps? Or shall we as fools neglect our opportunity and thus be hindered from arriving at the door before it is closed against us? How terrible even the thought of hearing the Master from within say Depart from Me I never knew you. -2TG12 31.2

It is because we have come to just such a solemn time as this that these studies through great expense and through great sacrifice are scattered as the leaves of autumn throughout Laodicea. -2TG12 31.3

Why should anyone cheat himself of eternal life crowned with joy and happiness? God forbid that any of us should be found such as the parable presents the five foolish virgins to be. -2TG12 31.4

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