a Church
book is taken up chiefly with a description of that future persecution.
It leads to the deep conviction that this book of the Revelation so
fitted to the need of the Church when spoken, and in every generation
since, will be found to be peculiarly fitted to that generation of the
Church that is to pass through this great coming persecution; that is,
to the Tribulation Church.

It will probably be the mainstay and comfort of those who will insist on
being true during those awful days, regardless of the suffering
involved. No book has been more slighted and ignored. It has been called
by some within the Church of our own generation "the joke of the Bible."
It will likely come to be the book most studied and loved for its light
and help in the terribly troublous times ahead. There will be an eager,
hungry searching for every scrap of information, and for any fresh ray
of light on its meaning.

The Seven-fold Message.

Now this seven-fold message lets us see things through Christ's eyes. He
is letting them and us see what He sees. The Scottish poet's thoughtful
lines might well be changed to get the yet better look: "Oh! wad some
power the giftie gie us, to see oursel's as" _God_ sees us. It would do
more than free us from blunders and notions. And we are needing more.

Each one of these seven messages begins by our Lord drawing their eyes
to Himself. This is the thing needed most. And this will give meaning
and force to the message. They are to be looking at Him as they listen.
Then He speaks of all the good things He sees. Then of the faulty, weak,
bad things, in a few simple but unmistakably plain words. No one could
doubt what He meant.

Then is the pleading call to repent, with the faithful warning of what
will surely happen if they don't. Then the earnest plea that His words
be listened to and taken to heart, and the wondrously gracious promise
held out to those who steadily set themselves against the evil, and who
get the victory.

Let us look for a moment at each of these Churches as seen by those
searching eyes of flame.

_Ephesus_ is the centre of the group, the natural leader, the largest
and most influential, perhaps the mother Church of the group, where Paul
and John had put in so much time and strength, and whence they reached
out to these others.

Christ reminds them of His presence in their midst and His control of
the angel messengers that minister to them. Then he speaks of their good