rd. It is
humbling and heart-breaking to the last degree simply to repeat what is
spoken here by our Lord Himself.

Clearly the Patmos picture is not only of the Church then, but ever
since, and now. And the simple law of momentum in sliding down hill will
make it an accurate picture of the Church at the end, the future Church.

The colouring changes at different times in different places, the black
getting intenser, pot black, and the light shining out more brightly by
contrast. But the picture remains essentially as painted on Patmos.

The warnings so faithfully given run a sliding scale outward and
downward in five degrees. If the Church continue as it is, it is told
here that it will be rejected as a light-holder. Its privilege and
opportunity as God's messenger will be taken away.[67]

Then Christ will fight against it as an enemy,[68] it will be given over
to a time of terrible tribulation,[69] it will be treated as prey to be
robbed and plundered,[70] and it will be rejected, spewed out of the
mouth, as personally disgusting.[71]

Yet in all this plain speech there is no bitterness, only grief, only
tender pleading. The plain bluntness is the language of love that yearns
to save even yet, and that waits with untold patience hoping for a
change.

Wooing Promises.

But it is noticeable that, while the warning is to the corporate Church,
the plea and promise that persists throughout is to the individual. He
that is _willing_ to, let him hear and heed and be controlled by the
Spirit's message.

There are two groups that have remained faithful. There are scattered
through the other five those who are faithful. And there are no doubt
many who feel the pull to be true but are yielding to the strong
undertow of the rising tide by which they are being carried.

The coupled promise and plea that call out so pleadingly to these at the
close of each message are, "to him that overcometh." This word
"overcometh" is very significant. It is one of the characteristic notes
of these messages and indeed of this entire book. It is one of that sort
of word that sums up a whole situation in itself.

There is opposition. There is conflict because some won't yield to the
opposition. And the result of the conflict varies. Some are overcome by
the evil; they go over to the enemy, body and soul. Some wabble. They
slip along the line of least resistance, secretly holding on to some few
ragged remnants of convictions, but not l