The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

paradise, we recall, is elsewhere referred to by the Apostles as 'the third heaven'--'a new
heavens and a new earth.'--2 Cor. 12:2; 2 Pet. 3:13."
Having considered this message of Christ to Ephesus as it related to the Church of that
name in St. John's day, we now view it from its representative standpoint, that is, as it
related to the period or epoch in history that seems to have been described by it. In regard
to this we will say that all expositors who apply these messages to seven periods of church
history are agreed that this Ephesian message described the condition of the Church as it
was in St. John's day, about 100 AD, at which time this period was nearing its close. We
find ourselves in agreement with one who gives us the following significant statement:
"The nature of the vision in which John received these epistles, assumes that not these
seven Churches alone, but in them the entire Church is to be contemplated. These seven
Churches, then, besides being literal historical churches, stand for the entire Christian
body, in all periods of its history. But how, or in what respects? In the first place, the seven
Churches represent seven phases or periods in the Church's history, stretching from the
time of the Apostles to the coming of Christ, the characteristics of which are set forth
partly in the names of these Churches, but more fully in the epistles addressed to them.
There has been an Ephesian period--a period of warmth and love and labor for Christ,
dating directly from the Apostles, in which defection began by the gradual cooling of the
love of some, the false professions of others, and the incoming of undue exaltations of the
clergy and church offices."
The further statement by Mr. Russell is in full harmony:
"The Church at Ephesus would represent the condition of the Church in the Apostle's day,
at the time of the writing of the messages."
Referring again to the "stars" in the right hand of the symbolic personage representing
Christ in the vision, we find that the Savior Himself makes the explanation that the stars
are the messengers of the Churches, and in the light of the general testimony of the Divine
Word we have seen that the symbolic stars may be applied variously:
1. To the bishops or pastors of the seven particular Churches addressed in the epistles.
2. To all the bishops or pastors over all the churches existing in St. John's day.
3. To all the bishops or pastors of all the churches existing in the different periods or
epochs of the Church's history. These who constitute the teaching or ministering class of
all the churches in the different periods or epochs may in a sense be considered as
symbolized by the stars in Christ's right hand, even as the particular seven addressed,
originally; and a reasonable exegesis will not admit of leaving them out.
While it is not to be doubted that at different periods--critical periods in the history of the
Church, Christ has called different men, special men, to declare or give emphasis to certain
neglected truths, or to bring forth from the Lord's storehouse truths long hidden, lost sight