once in possession of that which helps us to see that these epistles are not the

continuation of the teaching of the Old Testament, but they are a revelation of something

new, even as they themselves claim (see Eph. 3:).

What shall we say then when we find no less than 285 references to the Old Testament

in the book of the Revelation, or more than the references of Matthew and Hebrews put

together? surely this is a witness which must not be overlooked. Further, the visions, the

symbols, the general character of the language of the Revelation is similar to that of

Daniel, Zechariah, Joel, and the Old Testament prophets generally. If we approach the

Revelation with a mind stored with the teaching of the prophets of old, we shall not need

explanations of much that otherwise would mystify us, and shall be spared the utterly

vain attempt to find an explanation by ransacking the history of Europe to get something

approaching to an interpretation.

For some years past we have been forced to the belief that the Bible explains itself,

and that all necessary information is found within its pages. If the child of God must

possess a knowledge of the acts of Goths and Vandals, and of the tortuous intricacies of

European and Roman history before he can understand this book, then but a very few can

possibly hope to acquire sufficient data even to commence the study. This shuts us up to

the few whose opportunities for research have been more advantageous than the majority,

and finally calls us to rest upon the conflicting findings of these frail and erring teachers,

fallible as ourselves. No, this is not the case at all. The simplest believer who may never

have heard of Caligula, nor of Alaric, to whom such phrases as "political heavens" and

"ecclesiastical suns" may be utterly unintelligible, may nevertheless understand all the

mind of God as revealed in this book without one single additional outside or historic

allusion. Revelation studied in the light of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, Zechariah and

Malachi is luminous, and in turn reflects light on some otherwise difficult passages in

those prophecies.

As we read the O.T. prophecies written before the captivity, and those written during

and after the captivity, we shall find a marked change. Ezekiel's prophecy is full of

symbols, so also is Daniel's; Zechariah devotes six chapters to symbols. This change,

this important place given to symbols, is worthy of notice. During the time of Israel's

decline and failure symbolic prophecy is in the ascendant.  When we come to the

Revelation we find these symbols referred to as "mysteries," e.g., "the mystery of the

seven stars" (Rev. 1: 20). Mystery first appears on the page of Scripture in Matt. 13:,

when Christ, as Israel's King, had been rejected by the nation (see Matt. 12:). It was

because of this that He spoke in parables, and it is because Revelation deals with this

same people, their final trouble and restoration, that we have so many signs or symbols in

it. It is not until the seventh angel sounds his trumpets that:--