The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

interest, the joy of the waking thoughts and the sleeping dreams of all the children of
men."
"And its gates shall not be shut by day; for there shall be no night there."--Ver. 25.
The thought in these words is that access to the Kingdom and its blessings on the part of
earth's peoples will continue throughout the entire period of the Millennial Age of
restitution; that both the heavenly gates (the glorified saints with Christ), from which the
blessings come, and the earthly gates (the Ancient Worthies, the earthly mediums of
communication), through whom they flow, will always be open.
"And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh
abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."--Ver.
27.
From the fact that the "book of life of the Lamb" is here mentioned it is evident that these
words relate to the Church in the Gospel Age, and it is an entrance into the Church's
inheritance that is referred to. The Lamb's Book of Life can have in it the names of only
those who now successfully run for the prize of the Heavenly Calling, symbolized in the
vision as the New Jerusalem, the Bride, the Lamb's Wife.
"In consideration of the fact that this book of symbols, while relating to the future, is
addressed to God's consecrated elect Church in the present time, and in view of the fact
that this message would be communicated to and more or less understood by those who
would seek to make their calling and election sure to a part in the glorious City, the 27th
verse is added, declaring that 'In no wise shall there enter into it anything common, or he
that doeth abomination and falsehood--but only they who are written in the Lamb's book
of life.' The Lamb's book of life we must understand to include those, and only those, who
attain to position of joint-heirship with Christ, whose names are written in heaven during
this Age, and who are faithful to their covenant. What a glorious incentive we have here to
faithfulness! What a warning against the slightest sympathy with anything unclean,
untrue, or in anywise contrary to the Divine standard of holiness! If we appreciate the
glorious things of the Divine provision for the Church and for the world, these promises
and offers will have their influence upon us, and under their influence we are expected to
keep our garments unspotted from the world; to be without spot or wrinkle or any such
thing; to hate every contamination of the flesh upon our robe of righteousness; and to seek
immediately in prayer for the removal of any spot or wrinkle or any such thing from our
wedding garment--that thus we may abide in the Lord's love, and in the due time be 'meet
for the inheritance of the saints in light.'"
The river of the water of life
"And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding from the throne of
God and the Lamb. In the midst of its broad place, and of the river, on this side and on
that, was a wood of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding for each month its own fruit; and
the leaves of the wood were for the healing of the nations." --Rev. 22:1,2.