The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

come, Lord Jesus!" Ah, yes, "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in
heaven."
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."
Chapter 51
The Time Is at Hand
In the foregoing pages an earnest effort has been made to avoid mere hypothesis and
speculation; and the endeavor has been to the contrary, to build on the solid, Scriptural
foundation of history unveiling prophecy. Those who have carefully considered this
exposition cannot but have noted the fact that God has used many of His servants
throughout the Age to interpret the visions of the Revelation as history has gradually
disclosed their fulfillment. Quotations from numerous writers throughout the entire Age
have proved this. There is made manifest the obvious error, one that has seriously
interfered with the study of the Revelation, of supposing that God purposed at some time
to choose some one individual to unfold and apply all its visions. This error has caused
some of the Lord's people to refrain from even reading the book, much less studying and
making use of the helps that God in His providence has provided for its understanding.
Moreover, to those who have given due consideration to the foregoing exposition, it will
be apparent that the book of Revelation, the last of God's revelation to the Church, was not
given for the last members of the Church only, but for the whole Church of Christ who
have witnessed for Him throughout the Age. Of course it is perfectly reasonable to
suppose that the last members of the Church class would be privileged above those who
lived before, to obtain a better understanding of all its visions, because of the visions
becoming matters of past history, and also on account of the many superior providential
advantages to obtain a correct knowledge of the Divine Word of truth, which became
corrupted by the defiling influences of the great Apostasy of the Dark Ages.
Furthermore, it will have been noted that the Divine Plan of Salvation, now clearly
understood by some, is woven all through the symbolic visions; and particularly is this
found to be true concerning the closing visions, describing the judgments now falling on
Christendom and soon to result in its downfall. It will also be noted that the visions
relating to the new heavens and new earth and the New Jerusalem have now become very
clear to the understanding of those privileged to discern the Divine Plan for blessing all
mankind in due time, the Millennium. How plain it should be to such privileged ones that
the progressive unfolding of the Revelation visions, their gradual revealing, and the
greatly increased light on the same, is according to a Divine arrangement. In order that
this might be seen we have quoted profusely the writings of expositors who have lived in
the different generations of the Church's history from St. John's day down to the present
time.
This exposition has proved, we believe, that this most wonderful book has to a greater or
less extent been a source of Divine comfort and encouragement to thousands of God's