The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

eing sung before the throne, etc. The last thirty or more years has been the period
arranged in the Divine purpose for learning to sing the song. The present time is the one
arranged, in the same Divine purpose, to prove who have really and truly learned to sing
it. To many of those who have engaged in the work of proclaiming it, present conditions
are proving that they are not among the singers, that they do not belong to this heavenly
choir. The vision declares that no one was able to learn that song but those of the "elect"
class, the hundred and forty-four thousand. It is one thing to be engaged in its
proclamation; it is quite another thing to be able to sing it. We may truthfully say that it is
the bridal hymn. It is doubtless the same blessed truths portrayed by the symbolic "voice"
that is represented in the "song," but it must be kept in mind that a knowledge of these
Divine truths was given to enable the last members of the "elect" Bride company to
prepare themselves for the Marriage. This class, one by one, have been brought into the
antechamber of preparation, one by one have learned to sing the song, and one by one
have been and are in the present time passing beyond. In the language of the poet, it has
been with such:
"A little while to keep the oil from failing
A little while faith's flickering lamp to trim;
And then the Bridegroom's coming footsteps hailing,
We'll haste to meet Him with the bridal hymn."
These living saints upon the earth, who represent the hundred and forty-four thousand,
are said to be singing the new song before the throne, the four beasts, and the twenty-four
elders. Again let us keep in mind that this whole matter is a picture merely. Thus,
pictorially, those who sing the song are represented as seeing Jehovah as the great Ruler of
the Universe, as the Author of this marvelous program; they see in the Plan, the Lamb,
Christ, as the most important agent; then they see also the completed and glorified
Church, represented in the twenty-four elders, the Bride class, as destined to occupy
positions of close proximity to the throne; they see the activity of certain great qualities or
attributes (the living ones) and in consideration of all this view, this knowledge concerning
these details--that is to say, as one translation puts it, "in the presence of," "before," all of
these facts and sights represented in the throne vision, they sing; that is, being enlightened
by the Truth, they become active in its ministry, in announcing it, in bearing testimony to
it, in telling the Truth, in explaining it in various ways, and in making it known to others.
Thus, while in verses 1-3, the twenty-four elders, and those who sing the song, might
appear to represent two different classes, yet when viewed from the standpoint indicated
above, we believe they will be seen to be different symbols of one and the same class-presenting
this class from different standpoints. Just as the Bible clearly gives us pictures
of the Church in glory, as well as pictures of the Church in sacrifice and suffering; and just
as now, we, as members of the Church in sacrifice, speak to others and explain to them
respecting the Church in glory (as though we regarded it as a body of people in which we
had no part), while all the time hoping ourselves to be members of that Church in glory; so
when those who represent the hundred and forty-four thousand sing the song "in the
presence of the four and twenty elders," they are speaking and telling of the class of which