Rev. xvi. 47. it was restrained to "the third part of the rivers and fountains of waters." We may gather from the evils complained of in the Epistle, and the elevation of the Church by the Civil power into a fleshly or carnal standing, that there existed a predisposition among the baptized to receive the infusion of this heresy, the effects of which were manifested in the polity of the Church. To complete the history of this period there remains the judicial phase revealed in THE THIRD VIAL. 4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. 5 And I heard THE ANGEL of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O LORD, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because Thou hast judged thus. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. 7 And I heard another angel out of the altar say, Even so, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, true and righteous are Thy judgments. "The rivers and fountains of waters," upon which this vial of wrath is poured out, are the same as those described under the trumpet-phase, which were polluted by the Arian Wormwood. These became "blood." The judgment here expressed appears to be the infliction of spiritual death upon those who taught and advocated the Arian heresy. This was an awful visitation which the sins of these men brought down upon them. Surely there is nothing so awful as spiritual death. For it cuts men off from communion and fellowship with GOD, and from CHRIST, Who only hath immortality and eternal life. It delivers men over to the second death, even to the worm that never dieth, and to the fire which shall never be quenched. Terrible as was the infliction of this wrath of God, He is justified in the act : Gen. xlviii. 16. 38. (Heb.) iii. "And I heard the Angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O LORD, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because Thou hast judged thus." The Son of GOD -The Word which was in the beginning with GoD and was God, is often called by the name of Angel. The benediction of Israel on Joseph and his sons, was pronounced in this name "The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads." The angel which appeared to Moses in the bush, and spake to Acts vii. 30him on Mount Sinai, was JEHOVAH-the I AM. The prophet Malachi speaks of HIM as "THE ANGEL of Mal. l. 1. the covenant." He is here called "THE ANGEL of the waters," as the fountain and source of all life, and as the guardian and defender of the Word of life in the Church. This title of THE ANGEL of the waters, which unquestionably refers to the Son of GOD, as the Author and Giver of eternal life, and as being one with S. John v. the FATHER, from whom the Spirit of life proceeds, is peculiarly appropriate to this vial, for it is poured out upon a people who have denied His Name, and renounced their faith in His Divinity, inasmuch as they taught that He was not co-equal and co-eternal with the FATHER-not truly and properly GOD. And HE-THE ANGEL of the waters, and of the everlasting covenant, presiding over His Church, declares the righteousness of God in the judgment which the out-pouring of this vial inflicts, saying-" Thou art righteous, O LORD, which art, and wast, and shalt For they have be, because Thou hast judged thus. shed the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy." Here 21-27. is an allusion to a previous persecution of the saints of the same kind as mentioned in the Epistle, and which appears to mark a synchronism between the Epistle and Vial, in like manner as the synchronism between the Trumpet and Vial appears to be marked by the use of the same symbols. Those who advocated the heresy of Arius were such as held not fast the Name of CHRIST, and persecuted those that did; they had shed the blood of prophets, among whom was Antipas, the LORD's faithful martyr; they at least acquiesced in their deeds, professing and manifesting the same spirit of bloody persecution; and being instrumental in destroying the lives of the saints, and of spreading spiritual death by their heretical doctrine, this judgment came upon them, "GOD gave them blood to drink, because they were worthy." The symbol of "blood" appears to be here used both literally and in a spiritual sense, after the same manner as the word "dead," when the LORD said, "Let the dead bury the dead." "And I heard another angel out of the altar say, Even so, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, true and righteous are Thy judgments." In the midst of this wide-spread heresy, there still existed a number of the LORD's faithful servants, who ministered at the Altar, abiding stedfast in the faith of CHRIST, and who solemnly responded to His Word for having preserved their doctrines uncorrupt, they fully acquiesced, and rejoiced in the true and righteous judgments of the LORD upon their apostate brethren. : PART IX. THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA. THE FOURTH As we proceed in our interpretation, it appears more and more evident, that each series of this fourfold form of prophecy is designed to point out to us successive periods of the Christian age. And we have already seen that each Epistle not only reveals a new era, but serves is the key to the other forms of prophecy: the spiritual being the true source from whence the outward derives its motives and action; even as man's life and conduct in the world are the result of his spiritual condition, whether it be good or evil. For which reason we are first directed to the spiritual phase as revealed in THE FOURTH EPISTLE. 29. 18 And unto the angel of the Church in Thyatira write: These Rev. ii. 18things saith the Son of GOD, who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass : 19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. 20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication: and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the Churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. 24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. 25 But that which ye have already, hold fast till I come. 26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My FATHER. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches. Thyatira (OuάTeipa) signifies perfume, or sacrifice of labour. The name is remarkably descriptive of the condition of the Church at this period of her history here represented, which was particularly distinguished by that of works. Twice over does the Chief Shepherd commend His angel for his works. Those who had fallen into error, He commands to repent of their works, declaring that He will render unto every man according to his works. And finally, the promise of the LORD is made to him that overcometh and keepeth his works unto the end. "These things saith the Son of God, who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass." This title of our LORD in the Epistle to Thyatira, is no less instructive than the name of the Church to which it is addressed, and peculiarly applicable to its condition. It is the first and only place in this book, in which our LORD is designated "The SON of GOD." And it should seem to be introduced |