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Eureka

AN EXPOSITION OF THE APOCALYPSE
Sixth Edition, 1915
By Dr. John Thomas (first edition written 1861)

 

 

Chapter 7

Section 2

The Sealing Angel


 
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But, besides the four angel-powers standing at the four corners of the earth restraining the four winds thereof, John saw a fifth, or "another angel." Of this angel, he says, anabanta apo anatoles heliou, having ascended from sun’s rising. He did not see him, as the English version would lead us to suppose, in the act of ascending from sun’s rising; but having ascended at some previous epoch not indicated in this scene, he sees him at the expiration of the sixth seal, in possession of a certain seal, and about to make use of it in all the period the winds are restrained from blowing upon the arena of his operations. The word anabanta, rendered in the English Version ascending, as if it were the present participle, is really the second aorist participle; and signifies a past action, the effect of which, may or may not be in operation. Having once ascended, is the force of the tense or time of anabanta. When John saw him he was up. He was not down east, and about to set out on his ascent. John did not in this scene catch sight of him there, and then see him ascending westward; but he saw him in the west -- "having ascended from sun’s rising." His back was therefore towards the sun rising, and his face consequently westward. His ascending from east to west had been completed when John saw him in this scene. The phrase quoted shows this. The exact rendering of anabanta relieves us of a great difficulty. On the hypothesis of John seeing him start from the east, and beholding him travelling an ascending course until he had gained his highest altitude in the west, we must have sought for something in the history of the times immediately succeeding the expiry of the sixth seal answerable to the symbolization; but we should have sought in vain; for there is no testimony in history ecclesiastical or profane that gives anything analogous to it. There was nothing remarkable transpiring in the east connected with "a seal of the living Deity" in any part of the three score years and twelve succeeding the expiration of the sixth seal. The seal for sealing was inoperative there at that time, and has continued so even to this day. No symbolic angel was seen there commencing a sealing work, and ascending in that work until he had established himself and his labors in the west. We might seek for this, but we should not find it. Not so, however, our search for an ascended angel in the west. There we find one in activity who had already arrived from the east. We find him there, too, just at the right time -- the time the Woman turned her back upon the emperors and courts and fled into the western wilderness, where she had henceforth two wings of the Great Eagle -- a place which had been prepared of Deity, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days (xii. 6,14). We find him effecting her transition from imperial sunshine, and developing her as the Mother of the Servants of the Deity being sealed in their foreheads; and thus, by the sealing, constituting them "the remnant of Her seed, who keep the commandments of the Deity, and have the testimony of the Anointed Jesus" (xii. 17). In other words, the persecuted woman and the remnant of her seed, are identical in time, place, and persons, with the sealed ones, or 144,000.

But this sealing angel was not a single individual. He was neither, according to the Rev. Mr. Elliott’s notion, "The Angel of the Covenant, the Lord Jesus;" nor, according to the Rev. P. Allwood’s "evidently Constantine the Great." He was a symbolical personage representative of a class of agents engaged in the work of sealing. This is manifest from the terms of the proclamation put into his mouth by Him who invented the hieroglyphic. In his address to the four angels, he commands them not to injure any thing, "while that WE may seal the servants of OUR Deity in their foreheads." Here, the "we" and the "our" are indicative of a plurality associated in the sealing operation upon the foreheads of men. The agency divinely appointed for the carrying on of this work when the apostles and their inspired colaborers should have been withdrawn from the scene, was that enjoined by Paul in 2 Tim. ii. 2, where he says to his son in the faith, "The things which thou hast heard of me with many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also." Were there any faithful men competent to teach the faith once delivered to the saints, contemporary with the establishment of the "Holy Apostolic Catholic Church" as the religion of the Roman Dragon? Where were those "few names even in Sardis;" the "little strength" of the Philadelphian State? Were there none in the Laodicean state of Apostasy now fully developed, and firmly established, who had escaped the general lukewarmness; who heard the voice of Him standing at the door and knocking, and opened to him? To these inquiries we may confidently reply, that there was extant at this time a class of true believers, or Brethren of Christ, Christadelphians, who refused to identify themselves in fellowship with those "Fellowservants," who now styled themselves the "Holy Apostolic Catholic Church;" -- a class which included the "few names," the "little strength," and the "loved, convinced, and instructed," who still lived to witness the Jews after the flesh, and the heathen humiliated, and compelled to do homage to "the Galileans." Only twenty one years had elapsed since the beginning of the emblematic cry of the symbolic souls underneath the altar. In this sanguinary period, some of their number had been killed by the enemy; but he had not succeeded in exterminating them all. There were many survivors of the Christadelphian class, styled "the Brethren;" yet, compared with contemporary "Fellowservants," they were what would now be called "a contemptible few." But few and contemptible as they may have been in the judgment of "the Synagogue of the Satan who say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie," they were the enlightened few, beloved, convinced and instructed by the Lamb. They were those of the fourth century who had responded to the counsel of the Spirit in Apoc. iii. 18-20. They had bought of Him "gold tried in the fire," that they might be "rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom" promised in verse 21: they had bought of Him also, "white raiment that they might be clothed, and that the shame of their nakedness appear not;" and they had "anointed their eyes with eye salve, that they might see." The effort made in the Diocletian and Galerian persecution of the fifth seal period to destroy every copy of the Holy Scriptures that could be found, while it failed, served to endear these writings to the faithful, and to stir them up to a more diligent study of their contents. The Satan perceived, that "the truth as it is in Jesus" could not be extinguished so long as a single copy of the writings of the apostles and prophets remained in circulation. It has been the satanic policy, therefore, of all the ages and generations, either to suppress the scriptures, by destroying them, or forbidding people to read them; or to persuade readers of them, that their true meaning is too recondite and obscure to be "seen" by any, but a highly educated and learned few. This has been the policy of pagan, catholic, papist, and protestant; a policy, that has been circumvented by "the Brethren" by all means within their reach. They are devoted students of the scriptures themselves, and earnest in their endeavors to induce all within the sphere of their influence to study them also; and to enable them to understand them that they may believe and obey the truth; for they believe with full assurance of faith, the saying of Paul, that "Every scripture divinely inspired is also profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for the instruction in righteousness; that the man of the Deity may be perfect, completely fitted for every good work" (2 Tim. iii. 16).

There was, then, in this sealing period, a class of men "completely fitted" by scripture study, for the "good work" of sealing those of their contemporaries who were teachable. They were Paul’s "faithful men, able to teach others;" and who in this crisis of Laodiceanism, heard the voice of the Spirit, who had come into them, and supped with them, and they with Him (iii. 20). These repudiated the alliance of "Church and State" with indignation and disgust; and would have no fellowship with such an abomination. It could hardly be styled a fellowship of righteousness with unrighteousness; or a communion of light with darkness; or a concord of Christ with Belial; for the thing called "Church," that could ally itself with "the Powers that be," or accept their patronage and donatives, as do catholics, papists, protestants and dissenting sects, is already Belial, in utter darkness and unrighteousness. THE ECCLESIA of the Deity, in this sealing period, would have no fellowship with "THE CHURCH" of the Dragon; but protested against it as antichristian, and rejected all its institutions and traditions as mere will worship, after the commandments and doctrines of men (Col. ii. 8,18-23).

Now, in the apocalypse, THE ECCLESIA is symbolized by a persecuted woman; by the 144,000; by the temple of the Deity and the Holy City; and by the Lamb’s wife made ready (xii. 6; vii. 4; xi. 1,2; xix. 7): while "the Church" so-called, is styled "the Synagogue of the Satan;" "the Court of the Gentiles without the temple;" "the Great City, spiritually called Sodom and Egypt;" "a woman clothed with the Sun, and the Moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars;" "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth," and "Names of Blasphemy" (ii. 9; iii. 9; xi. 2,8; xii. 1; xvii. 3,5). Between these two institutions, there has been since their contemporary development irreconcileable "enmity." So long as the Brethren of the Ecclesia are faithful to the Word of the Deity, there can be nothing else; for they are "the Seed of the Woman," who "keep the commandments of the Deity, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Gen. iii. 15; Apoc. xii. 17): while "the Church" is "the Seed of the Serpent;" and between these two seeds, the Deity has put an "enmity," which can only cease by the destruction of one or the other party, or by apostasy from the truth.

The enmity between these hostile institutions is amply illustrated in the apocalypse. Thus, the Church, or Court of the Gentiles, treads under foot the Ecclesia, or Holy City, forty and two symbolical months; and the Church again, becomes "drunken with the blood of the Saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus." But though the Church prevails against the Ecclesia for a symbolic "time, times, and a half," this period has an end; and in that end, the Church is humbled in the dust at the feet of the Ecclesia; as it is written: "I will make them of the Synagogue of the Satan who say they are Jews (or christadelphians) and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee."

This state of things, however, in connection with the Body of Christ, did not obtain in the beginning. There were then no rival bodies, each claiming superiority over the other. "There is," says Paul, "one Body;" and that body he styles "the Ecclesia;" of which the Head is Jesus; and the foundation, the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself the chief corner (Eph. iv. 4; i. 22,23; ii. 20). In the beginning, the members of this body were brethren, the sons of the Deity; and consequently, the brethren of Jesus Christ. There were no sects, nor any Catholic or Protestant churches. But all the brethren were of one mind and disposition; or, in the words of Luke, "the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul;" an original unity to which the Brethren of the Ecclesia in all ages and generations, are earnestly exhorted, both by their Elder Brother and Lord, and his apostles. "Holy Father," said he, "keep through thine own name those (the apostles) whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are, sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. I pray for them also who shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us ... that they may be made perfect in one" (John xvii). And Paul says: "The Deity of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another after Jesus Christ; that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify the Deity" (Rom. xv. 5,6); and in 1 Cor. i. 10, he says; "I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment." Like passages might be also quoted, but these are enough to show the mind of Christ.

But, though things were thus in the beginning, the Spirit expressly predicted the development of division and factions among the professors of the faith; and that they would be originated by "grievous wolves" speaking perverse things in the very eldership of the body; and for the purpose of drawing away disciples after them. These "evil men and seducers" were those whom Jude declares, "crept in among them unawares;" and set up to be Clergy, and lords over "the flock." They were the founders of "the Church," or Kingdom of the Clergy; and by all of their communion, are styled and revered as "THE FATHERS." Hence, the Spirit through Jesus and the Apostles founded the Ecclesia; and "the Fathers," the Church. But a divinely formal separation between the two classes did not ensue until the Clerical Apostasy was consummated in its alliance with the Dragon power. The Spirit had forewarned them by John, that He would "spue them out of his mouth." This is a very remarkable and forcible expression. The word emeo, to spue, is used metaphorically by Eunapius in the fourth century, in the sense of to throw up a flood of bad words. Hence, in the metaphorical phrase above quoted, we are to understand the Spirit as threatening to "throw forth from his mouth words of evil against them." "Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spue thee, melto se emesai, out of my mouth." The time had now arrived for this work -- the vomiting forth a testimony against the Clerical Adulteress, in the sealing of the servants of the Deity in their foreheads.

As I have already remarked, there was a class of enlightened believers, who were able to discern the signs of their times, and who had in their understandings and affections, "the testimony of Jesus Christ." Armed with this, they were prepared as the Spirit’s Mouth, to fight against the clerical Nikolaitanes and children of Jezebel with his sword. By the possession of the testimony, they were completely fitted for the good work of unmasking the Laodicean Apostasy; and, having full assurance in what they understood, they were stirred up by the testimony, as a few are in our time, to "contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints." "Having the very spirit of the faith, as it has been written, ‘I believed, and therefore have I spoken;’ we also believe, and therefore speak." They had been sanctified by the truth, and they boldly stepped into the arena of the west, to do battle for it against the Apostasy, as in former times they had combated against paganism to the death.

In the symbolization before us, this intelligent and enterprising class of believers are dramatized by the "Angel who had ascended from sun’s rising." They had a seal of the living Deity, whom they claimed as "our Deity," and thereby, in effect, repudiating the right of their adversaries to any relationship with him. Having been themselves sealed, as are all the faithful in all ages and generations, they went forth in all the region of the "two wings of the Great Eagle." The third wing was not included in the scene of their labors. They had ascended from this, and, in the early years of the Seventh Seal, were engaged in organizing a community whose mission should be to witness for the truth against "the Church" that "worshipped demons, and images of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and wood" -- images of saints -- "which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk; and which repents not of its murders, nor of its sorceries, nor of its fornication, nor of its thefts" (Apoc. ix. 20). The apostasy in the third division of the Great Roman Eagle was abandoned to its own corruption. In this it was allowed to perish. John did not see the Angel sealing in the East. Syria and Egypt were beyond the limits of his mission. Empire, for many ages, was destined to proceed westward; and this would be the empire of the Apostasy. It was deemed necessary, therefore, in view of the end, to antagonize it with a living organized testimony. We can now see that such a testimony in the Asiatic provinces of the Dragon would have been for ages past of no use, Mohammedanism having there tormented it and then suppressed it. Hence, it was in the west that John saw him sealing -- an operation the effect of which is still felt by the populations of that section of the earth.

But, though John did not see these Angel-sealers in the East and ascending, their class had executed a like mission there, and had been ascending thence toward the Roman Metropolis and throne, during the previous period of nearly three hundred years. They commenced operations at "sun-rising," both in a doctrinal and natural sense. Doctrinally, they began the sealing when the Sun of Righteousness had risen from beneath the horizon of life. They could not begin it before, because it was indispensable that He should rise, that justification of life might be proclaimed through his resurrection -- "He was raised for our justification." They proclaimed the rising of a Sun, anatole heliou, whose rays would shed life and vigor, with endless glory, upon all who should be warmed by them. From this Sun’s rising they took their departure. No one could be sealed who did not believe that the Deity had raised him from the night of the invisible, and had placed him in the heavens to rule the day. The death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus are essential and indispensable elements of the faith that seals the intellects of men. Believe every thing else, but reject these facts and their doctrinal signification and no such professor can be saved -- he is unsealed with the seal from a sun’s rising. In a natural sense, these Angel-Sealers took their departure from the sun’s rising. They were commanded to "begin at Jerusalem," and from thence to proceed to the ends of the earth. This commission they had executed -- they had preached the gospel to every creature under heaven (Col. i. 23) -- and had therefore "ascended;" and now, in this scene, John, seeing them thus, also sees their class prepared for a new effort against a new enemy in the West -- against the self-styled "Holy Apostolic Catholic Church," the unholiest and least apostolical community that can be conceived.

In dismissing this part of the symbolization, it may be remarked that the phrase apo anatoles heliou is rendered in the translation as literally as our language will admit. It is destitute of articles and I have inserted none. From sun’s rising is a formula that leaves the subject of discourse to determine whether it be the natural sun or the Sun of Righteousness whose rising is intended. Although it is true that the apostolic sealers began in the geographical east, I believe that the symbolization has more especial reference to the rising of the Sun of Righteousness as the doctrinal point of departure; in other words, that the Angel-Sealers, in their new western enterprise against the Laodicean Apostasy, labored to bring back the minds of their contemporaries to "the Revelation of the Mystery," based on the rising of the Christ-Sun, as it was originally proclaimed by the apostles on the Day of Pentecost. They were, therefore, in every sense, Messengers from Sun’s rising.

But, in Apoc. xvi. 12, "the East" is again in the English Version made the substitute for a similar formula. There the phrase reads he hodos ton basileon ton apo anatolon heliou, literally, "the way of the kings which (are) from risings of sun." There is doubtless a good reason for anatolon here being substituted for anatoles, as it is in ch. vii. The one is genitive plural, the other is genitive singular. In ch. vii there is but one rising; but in ch. xvi. 12, we have a plurality -- as many risings, in fact, as there are kings. In other words, every king is an individual rising emanating from the Sun. The formula is the symbolization of the oracle in Mal. iv. 2 -- "Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do, saith Yahweh Tz’vaoth." Here this Sun is a rising and a healing to every one that fears his name. Symbolically, he is a sun’s rising, and where there are many they are sun’s risings.
 
 

 

 


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