Second advent library

128 ucruas ix.answer, In my humble opinion, they were. Because,first, the book of Revelation does evidently contain aprophecy of things which did not concern those seveniteral churches in Asia; for those churches haveiuce passed away longand become extinct; yet the book oRevelation contains prophecies which are daily fulfilling,and have been for eighteen centuries. It is alsosaid to be a revelation of things which must shortly cometo pass. "The revelation of Jesus Christ which Godgave unto him, toshow imto his servants things whichmust shortly come to pass." Not things that have been.Yet if Christ is only giving admonitory advice to thoseseven literal churches, then he is only relating their charactersasthey then were, and so far as these churcheswere concerned it would cease to be aprophecy, and thevery first verse in Revelation would be violated. Again,3d "verse, Blessed is he that readeth and they that hearthe words of this prophec and , keep those things whichare written therein; for the time is at hand." We eethat it is called a prophecy in this verse, and must alludeto the whole book; but who will pretend that thethree chapters in the beginning of Revelation are aprophecy, if we understand them as the characterof seven literal churches in Asia relatinlg o y? None,none.Again: the word seven is ohen used in the word ofGod as a mystical number, meaning the whole, as sevenspirits,seven stars, seven angels,sevencandlesticks,seven seals, seventrumpets, seven vials, seven thunders,seven plagues, seven mountains, seven heads, sevene es, seven horns, seven crowns, seven kings, and sevenc/iurdm. All these are used in Revelation and apply toor concerning the whole Gospel period. If; then, thenumber seven is used so often in this book in afigurativesense,meay we not suppose that it is so usedin the d ication ofreasonably this boo to the seven churches inAsia., and the history of those seven churches be prophetic?for no scripture is given for any private interpretation,and surely the instruction in the introductionof the book carries us down to the coming of Christ inthe clouds#-" Behold, he cometh with clouds ; and every