tables long enough to look thoughtfully into this old Patmos
looking-glass, has now and then made answer, in a few of its thoughtful
leaders, while the rank and file push on absorbed in their Ephesian or
Sardisian or Thyatiran way.

There's a striking companion bit to this in Ezekiel's vision.[66] That
messenger to the exiled colony by the Chebar had first of all the vision
of God that completely overwhelmed him. Then he is taken in spirit to
Jerusalem, and shown things as they were, through God's eyes. The
heathen idols were set up in the very temple of God, so actually
stimulating among the people the horribly gross, unnamable impurities
connected with their worship. This was done in the open, with no
pretence at concealment.

Then in the vision he digs "into the wall" to see the hidden things that
are being done. There he sees every sort of creeping, crawling, slimy,
repulsive animal pictured on the walls of this secret chamber, and the
leaders of the people burning incense and worshipping.

This he is told is a picture of the _inner hearts_ of the men who are
the leaders of the nation. For dramatic intensity it would be hard to
equal this. The imaginations of their hearts are as the unclean snakes
and beasts that are found only in the damp, unwholesome slime and ooze
of swamp and stagnant pond.

And this is God's light-bearing nation to all the earth. And these are
the leaders! But there's yet worse. The mothers and wives and daughters
of the nation, the real moulders of the nation's life and character, are
seen pouring out their very hearts over a heathen idol, with all the
horrible evil practices included in its worship. And then a group of men
are shown in the holy temple standing with their backs to God and His
temple and worshipping the sun.

Under these four items are pointed out the impurity and violence, the
injustice and oppression, that mark the people. It is the inner heart
life of the nation that is being pictured so vividly. But in the midst
of all this are those who are broken-hearted over these conditions. And
as the time of judgment comes in the vision these are marked and spared,
though they see the work of judgment on every hand.

Such is the tremendous scene depicted by Ezekiel. It will be seen at
once what a striking parallel it presents to the scene in this
Revelation book with the new light-bearer to the nations of the earth.
One would never dare make such an arraignment of his own acco