an evangelistic spirit, 22-23.

Conclusion, 24-25.

For Study and Discussion. (1) Make a list of all the words and phrases
occurring in threes, as mercy, love, peace, or Cain, Baalam, Korah.
(2) Make a list of all the different things taught about the evil
workers mentioned, 8-10, 12, 13. 16, 19. (3) What the apostles had
foretold concerning them.

* * * * *

Chapter XXXIX.

Revelation.

Author. John, the Apostle, while in exile on the Isle of Patmos, 1:1,
4, 9; 22:8.

Date. About 95 or 96 A. D.

The Book. (1) It is a book of symbols and imagery, and constantly
creates excitement and wonder. (2) It is a book of wars, but war
always ends in peace. The word war occurs seven times in Revelation,
and only seven times in all the rest of the New Testament. (3) It is a
book of thunder, but the thunder and earthquake die away and are
followed by liturgies and psalms. (4) It is a book of the rewards of
the righteous. This is seen in the letters to the seven churches, and
in the victories of the right in all conflicts and wars of the book.
(5) It is, therefore, a book of optimism. Everywhere God overcomes
Satan, the Lamb triumphs, Babylon falls, etc.

Its Interpretation. There are several classes of interpreters, as
follows (1) _The Praeterist_, who thinks it has been fulfilled in its
primary sense. He makes all the prophesies and visions refer to Jewish
history down to the fall of Jerusalem, and to the history of Pagan
Rome. (2) _The Futurist_, who interprets literally and thinks all the
events of the book are to come just before or just after the second
coming of Christ. (3) _The Historical or Continuous School_. These
think some have been fulfilled, some are now being fulfilled, and some
will be fulfilled in the future. (4) _The Spiritualist_, who objects
to the other three classes of interpreters because they make so much
of the time element. He lays stress upon the moral and spiritual
element of the book and reads the book "as a representation of ideas
rather than of events."

Value. The chief value of the book seems to lie in its testimony to
the faith and hope of persecuted Christians and in the comfort and
inspiration it has brought to sorrowing and oppressed souls of every
age. It points outthat there will be an end of conflict, that God and
the Lamb will triumph that the enemies of our souls will be punished
and that the followers of God will be rewarded with eternal reward.

Analysis.

Introd