The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

ishops or pastors of the seven local Churches to whom they were sent. In view of the
foregoing we accept the rendering as given by nearly all translations: "To the angel . . .
write." The learned and devout Dr. Bengal recommended these epistles above everything
to the study of young ministers especially.
Having therefore clearly recognized that the things commanded by Christ to be written
were written by St. John over eighteen centuries ago, and that these writings have been
preserved for us, and are in our possession today, we would logically next examine what is
written, taking advantage of the help to be derived from the explanations of others to
whom these messages belonged, as much as they belong to us today. In doing so, we find
that as the history of the Church has unfolded, the light has increased, and therefore more
and more clearly do we see that these seven messages have been applicable to all of the
Church throughout its entire history. There can be no doubt of the fact that there is
contained in each and all of these messages very important matters that were intended by
Christ to apply to all of God's consecrated ones throughout the entire Gospel Age. This is
plainly implied, indeed, it is stated in the words of the Savior addressed to each Church:
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches." The vital
importance of this exhortation is emphasized by the fact that these words are repeated
seven times; and in each instance reference is made to all the Churches. (Rev. 2:7,11,17,29;
3:6,13,22.) Not to understand the matter thus would be to deprive the Church throughout
the Age of the most edifying exhortations and warnings to be found in all the volume of
Divine inspiration.
It would seem, therefore, that the exhortations, the warnings, the threatenings, the
encouragements, and the promises contained in the messages apply in the following
special ways:
1. To the seven particular Churches and their pastors mentioned by Christ as existing at
the time St. John wrote.
2. To all the churches and their pastors of St. John's day scattered over the Roman Empire.
3. To the individuals of all these churches.
4. To local churches existing in every generation since St. John's day. The words of Richard
Trench, an eminent Scripture writer of the middle of the nineteenth century, are very
pertinent on this point:
"The seven must be regarded as constituting a complex whole--as possessing an ideal
completeness. Christ, we feel sure, could not have placed Himself in the relation which He
does to them--as holding in His hand the seven stars, walking among the seven golden
candlesticks, these stars being the angels of the Churches, and the candlesticks, the
Churches themselves--unless they ideally represented and set forth, in some way or other,
the universal Church militant on earth."
Another of these older writers, Trotter, has spoken to good effect in this connection: