NOTES ON THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION: LESSONS FOR AMERICA’S SPIRITUAL CRISIS – EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE: AMERICA’S TWO CITIES, TWO LOVES

SCRIPTURE. ^“Behold, I am coming soon, and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (the Before all and the End of all).

Blessed (happy and to be envied) are those who cleanse their garments, that they may have the authority and right to [approach] the tree of life and to enter through the gates into the city. [But] without are the dogs and those who practice sorceries (magic arts) and impurity [the lewd, adulterers] and the murderers and idolaters and everyone who loves and deals in falsehood (untruth, error, deception, cheating).” – REVELATION 22:12-15, AMPC

QUOTATIONS

LINCOLN. “‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ I believe this Government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.” – ABRAHAM LINCOLN, “House Divided Speech,” Springfield, Illinois, June 16, 1858; edited

KASSEM. “Nobody can turn you into a slave unless you allow them. Nobody can make you afraid of anything, unless you allow them. Nobody can tell you to do something wrong, unless you allow them. God never created you to be a slave, man did. God never created division or set up any borders between brothers, man did. God never told you hurt or kill another, man did. So why is man your god, and not the Creator?” – SUZY KASSEM, ‘Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem,’ 2011; edited

DYLAN. “You may be an ambassador to England or France, You may like to gamble, you might like to dance; You may be the heavyweight champion of the world, You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls. But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed, You’re gonna have to serve somebody. Well, it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord, But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” – BOB DYLAN, “Gotta Serve Somebody,” ‘Ryder Music,’ 1979; edited

SLAVE. “A person who is wholly subject to the will of another; one who has no will of his own, but whose person and services are wholly under the control of another.” DK: ‘Every one of us is a slave to someone or something.’ – cf. NOAH WEBSTER, 1828

Selah.

FIRST THOUGHTS

That last quote from Bob Dylan’s epic, post-conversion ballad, still rings in my heart as an Anthem of sorts, a ‘Battle Cry’ frankly, perfectly suited for this last installment to our series, “Notes on the Seven Churches of Revelation: Lessons for America’s Spiritual Crisis.”

THE DOCTRINE. “For he who as a slave was summoned in [to union with] the Lord is a freedman of the Lord, just so he who was free when he was called is a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).” – 1 CORINTHIANS 7:22, AMPC

So we must all of us ‘Choose’ whom we shall serve, a form of ‘Worship’ – “You’re gonna have to serve somebody. It may be the Devil or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”

QUESTION: Whom do you truly serve, or Worship, Church – God or Man?

MATTHEW POOLE. “For the state of a servant to men no way prejudiceth a man as to his spiritual liberty; a servant and a free-man, considered with reference to Christ, are both one; a servant may be as near the Kingdom of Heaven as a free-man; and let a man be in never so good a state of civil liberty, yet, if he be a Christian, he is still a servant of Christ, and BOUND in all things to obey him. As to the New Man, ‘There is neither bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all.’” – ‘Commentary on the Holy Bible,’ 3 vols., 1853 edited

BERTRAND RUSSELL. “Brief and powerless is Man’s life; on him and all his race the slow, sure doom falls pitiless and dark. Blind to good and evil, reckless of destruction, omnipotent matter rolls on its relentless way; for Man, condemned to-day to lose his dearest, to-morrow himself to pass through the gate of darkness, it remains only to cherish, ere yet the blow falls, the lofty thoughts that ennoble his little day; disdaining the coward terrors of the Slave of Fate, to worship at the shrine that his own hands have built; undismayed by the empire of chance, to preserve a mind free from the wanton tyranny that rules his outward life; ‘Proudly Defiant’ of the irresistible forces that tolerate, for a moment, his knowledge and his condemnation, to sustain alone, a weary but unyielding Atlas, the world that his own ideals have fashioned despite the trampling march of unconscious power.” – “The Free Man’s Worship,” 1903; edited

DK’S TAKE. You will note the ‘Distinction’ between the Christian View of ‘Spiritual Slavery,’ followed by an Atheist’s view of it. Flip the concept a bit and what we are seeing here are ‘Two Definitions of Freedom.’ On this GRAND DIVIDE, therefore, we shall explore the fiercely Binary Nature of the Present Age.

TWO CITIES, TWO LOVES

Most of you know who read my work understand that I am no fan of AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO, the brilliant Christian theologian who contributed much to Church doctrine, and to its foes – but that part is for another essay.

Yet for the present occasion, I dare to draw from the rich work of DR. JAMES MONTGOMERY BOICE, reformed theologian and pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. His book, ‘Two Cities, Two Loves’ (1996) is a treatise on Augustine’s life work, ‘The City of God Against the Pagans,’ published around 426 A.D., after thirteen years of intensive labor.

“THE BARBARIANS ARE COMING.” With a proper hat tip to the earlier work, ‘Against the Night’ (1989), penned by the late CHARLES COLSON, Boice begins his analysis with a powerful first chapter with this title: “The Barbarians Are Coming.”

How appropriate to our times, though written 25 years ago. Borrowing from Colson, he writes of Barbarians in the ‘Parlor’ (Family), Barbarians in the ‘Classroom’ (Education), then TWO that are of a terrible importance to this present work:

Barbarians in ‘Power’ (Politics), and Barbarians in the ‘Pews’ (Church). You should note how these two dominions are at cross purposes with each other historically, and certainly today.

BARBARIANS. “[Latin ‘Barbarus’ – The sense is, foreign, wild, fierce.] A man in his rude, savage state; an uncivilized person. A cruel, savage, brutal man; one destitute of pity or humanity. Those unacquainted with law and civility.” – NOAH WEBSTER, 1828, edited

BARBARIANS IN POWER. “There is a deep and growing disillusionment with Politics, reflected in the steady decline of voter turnout even for presidential elections … [In the] February 13, 1995 issue of ‘Newsweek’ article, MEG GREENFIELD wrote an article entitled, ‘Right and Wrong: Why Do Our Officials Need Specialists to Tell the Difference?’ … Yet the problem is not just with the Government officials. True, it is strikingly visible among those with high profile positions. But the problem is with ‘the people who elect such leaders’ and then keep them in office because of promises to provide what they want even if someone else has to pay for it.” – pp. 26-27; edited

BARBARIANS IN THE PEWS. Now to the Cause of all the Mayhem. “Nearly half of all Americans go to Church or Synagogue regularly, but the differences between the moral behaviors and ways of life of these people and those who show no religious inclinations whatever are nearly unmeasurable. What is the explanation? Colson says, ‘The key to The Paradox is the fact that those who claim to be Christians are arriving at Faith ‘on their own terms’ – terms that make no demands on behavior … When the not-so-still small voice of SELF becomes the highest authority, religious belief requires commitment to no authority beyond oneself.” – p. 27; edited, emphasis my own

DK’S TAKE. Now here I had to literally restrain myself, since I just finished an engagement of those who are uniformly Anti-vax, Anti-mask, Anti-science, and Anti-law. Uniformly. As I have argued now for months, they have largely ‘Redefined’ the Faith and Freedom and Jesus Himself in their own image.

To My Point: What we might call, in the Latin: ‘Imago Hominis,’ as seditiously contrasted with the traditional, and doctrinally accurate depiction of the Holy Order: ‘Imago Dei.’

Blasphemy, by no other name, beloved.

THE TWO CITIES. Here we turn to the penetrating analysis and extension of Augustine’s theology in Boice’s Chapter 2.

“‘The Distinction between the City of God and the City of Man is based on the difference between what FRANCIS SCHAEFFER accurately called ‘The Two Humanities,’ the Origin of which is found in the third, fourth and fifth Chapters of Genesis … There are ‘Two Cities’ or Societies. The Early Society has as its highest expression the city cultures of ‘Babylon’ and, in what for Augustine more modern times, Rome. The Other is ‘The Church,’ composed of God’s Elect. The Former is destined to pass away. The Latter is blessed by God and is to last forever …

“The bottom line of what I have been arguing in this chapter is that ‘Christians are citizens of Two Kingdoms,’ the Kingdom of this World and the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and they have responsibilities in each. Those responsibilities are not on an equal plane. ‘Christians are citizens of God’s Kingdom first,’ which means that they will enter the Secular World as Christians and work for its good as Christians both should and can, but they should not enter the Christian World as unbelievers, attempting to modify the Church to accommodate the World’s concerns. Nevertheless, they will be part of the World in which God has placed them.” – p. 151; edited

Here Dr. Boice has sharply drawn the lines between the Two Sides of what I shall heretofore call, THE BINARY GOSPEL: The City of Man, versus the City of God. And I am convinced to my bones that God is presently calling The Church to ‘Choose’ which Kingdom he desires as his Sovereign.

You cannot have both!

“You cannot drink [both] the Lord’s cup and the cup of demons. You cannot share in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons [thereby becoming partners with them].” – 1 CORINTHIANS 10:21, AMP

THE AMERICAN CHURCH. Now to the point of this pointed critique by Dr. Boice: What does the Church of Today look like, in light of his warnings. I turn to TWO NARRATIVES purporting to be the View of God on our present condition.

THE FALSE NARRATIVE. “It is the eve of our next tent crusade and I hear God speaking. Not sermons for the tent. And not even prayer for miracles. He is saying, ‘Tell the American Church it is time to get back on the offensive.’ God is commanding the Church to ignore every outward sign of resistance and limitation. He is ordering the Church to get back on the attack. It is time to attack Satan’s stranglehold on America. Remember! America is a land of covenants. There are old wells of revival. Deep spiritual history. And, folks, God is rolling up His sleeves. He is fiercely warring to restore what America was before the poison of ‘Wokeness’ entered her veins. It is time to look back and realize what those freedom fighters faced. That group of people who crossed an ocean on pieces of wood that you and I wouldn’t dare step onto—let alone sail over an ocean—in order to have freedom to worship Christ.” – MARIO MURILLO, August 4, 2021; Author of , “Trump is About to Show Facebook What He Can Do, July 12, 2021; edited

THE TRUE NARRATIVE. “Something doesn’t smell right in Lynchburg, Virginia, home of Liberty University and its controversial president, JERRY FALWELL, JR. According to a September report in Politico: ‘Everybody is scared for their life. Everybody walks around in fear,’ said a current University employee who agreed to speak for this article only after purchasing a burner phone, fearing that Falwell was monitoring their communications … ‘Fear is probably his most powerful weapon,’ a former senior University official said. Politico also reported that many Falwell confidants are concerned that tuition money is going ‘into university-funded construction and real estate projects that enrich the Falwell family and their friends,’ going on to detail a number of examples. Days later, further glimpses of Falwell’s leadership character emerged when Reuters quoted leaked emails in which he called some students ‘social misfits,’ called the school’s police chief a ‘half-wit and easy to manipulate,’ and said students trying to avoid Liberty parking fees were egg-sucking ‘dogs’ … ‘Now the overseer [Christian leader] is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money…. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap’ (1 Tim. 3:2-3, 7). How uncanny that our Hall of Infamy displays vices that are the mirror opposite of these leadership virtues: lacking self-control, violent, quarrelsome, lovers of money.” – MARK GALLI, “The Cautionary Tale of Jerry Falwell, Jr.” ‘Christianity Today,’ October 21, 2019; edited

DK’S TAKE. Now then, a Second Question: How many of you heard a sustained outcry from the American Church over the Falwell Debacle, even after he was caught in the most sordid of sexual scandal in August 2020? There was none to speak of. A few disgruntled whimpers here and there, but otherwise:

Silence. Again.

Having apparently not listened to or heeded to any of the precious few warnings from folks like Mark Galli, Russell Moore, Beth Moore, Ben Sasse, and a paucity of others. In fact, you can pretty much count the loud voices on one hand.

God has been shouting His ‘Cautionary Tale’ to us for years now, but No Reply from the Church Leadership. None.

CAUTIONARY TALE. “A tale told in folklore ‘to warn its listener of a danger. ‘There are Three Essential Parts to a Cautionary Tale, though they can be introduced in a large variety of ways. First, a ‘Taboo’ or prohibition is stated: some act, location, or thing is said to be dangerous. Then, the ‘Narrative’ itself is told: Someone disregarded the warning and performed the forbidden act. Finally, the violator comes to an ‘Unpleasant Fate,’ which is frequently related in expansive and grisly detail.” – ‘Wikipedia,’ – June 8, 2021; edited

FIRST CANARY. I dislike interposing myself into these essays much, but sometimes it fits the narrative like a glove. When Mr. Falwell fired me in March 2016 for not writing in opposition of Donald Trump’s candidacy, the faculty and most students either didn’t know I had been released, nor the reason why. Or they knew, but were terrified to even offer consolation, as Mark Galli accurately observed. No phone calls of concern. No emails of course, potentially even more damning. And that holds true to this very day, five years later. My Point: To disparage those who remained silent? No. But clearly, unmistakably, to indict an entire ‘Church Gone Rogue.’ Lawless. Unprincipled. Timid. Saltless. Impotent. Cowardly. Submissive to Tyrants.

THE CHURCH’S CHOICE. Inarguably, since the ascent of Donald Trump and the New Trump Nationalism, the American Church has Chosen The City of Man over The City of God. They have preferred what I call,‘The Road of a False Assurance:’

“They have healed also the wound of the daughter of My people lightly and neglectfully, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.” – JEREMIAH 6:14, AMPC

Band-aids, rather than Major Surgery. Clichés rather than Sound Doctrine. Cowering rather than Confession. Whether for political gain, material wealth, increased Church attendance, approval of one’s peers, or sheer cowardice, the fact remains:

America has No Church today!

None, save for the ‘Minority Remnant’ that struggles against many forms of Church tyranny, ostracization, and persecution. That is the Truth, sworn this day before the entire Court of Heaven in full, public view, based on all that I have learned in the last five years.

So now what, beloved? We shall consider the answers in the final sections of this Commentary.

THE TEACHING

As always, straight to the KEY TERMS from this stunning passage we so rarely heard trumpeted from our timid Pulpits today.

COMING QUICKLY. From the Greek term, ‘Tachu’ [ταχύ], meaning: “Suddenly, speedily, readily; promptly; properly, swift (quick), without unnecessary delay; used of God’s promptness characterizing how He has ordered all physical scenes of life to happen on His perfect Timetable (Revelation 1:1, 22:6); before long, soon; with much haste or celerity; by implication, ‘like lightning.’” DK: Be at the ready!

WITH MY REWARDS. The Greek term used is, ‘Misthos’ [μισθός], or: “Wages or hire; pay, salary, reward; (Divine) recompense, or punishment that appropriately compensates a particular decision (action); dues paid for work; the payments which God bestows, or will bestow, upon good deeds and endeavors [or withholding same, dispensing punishments] for services rendered (or not rendered).” DK: Works matter!

BLESSED. From the word, ‘Makarios’ [μακάριος]: “Happy, to be envied; properly, as when God extends His benefits (the advantages He confers); Divinely blessed; describes a believer in enviable (‘fortunate’) position from receiving God’s provisions (favor) – which (literally) extend (‘make long, large’) His grace (benefits). This happens with receiving (obeying) the Lord’s inbirthings of Faith; possessing the character of deity; proper state of the true believer in Christ; those whom God makes fully satisfied; the one who is in the World but independent of the World.” DK: Obedience counts!

THOSE OUTSIDE. Here is the tragic Disqualifier for those who disobey His Commands. From the Greek, ‘Exó’ [ἔξω]: “Without, put away from; strange, estranged or stranger; put forth to the outer place [of darkness; Matthew 25;30]; outside the doors (to the Kingdom); those who do not belong to the true Church; who are not numbered [in the Book of Life]; outside the Vineyard of God; that which lies beyond safe inclosure.” DK: The risk is high!

COMMENTARY. “‘Blessed are they that do his commandments’ – That they may ‘have right’ – That they may be entitled to approach the Tree of Life; that this privilege may be granted to them. It is not a right in the sense that they have merited it, but in the sense that the privilege is conferred on them as one of the Rewards of God, and that, in virtue of the Divine Arrangements, they will be entitled to this honor. So the Word used here – ἐξουσία ‘exousia’ – means in John 1:12, rendered ‘power’ [or authority] … ‘[But] without are dogs’ – The wicked, the depraved, the vile: For of such characters the dogs, an unclean animal among the Jews, was regarded as a symbol, Deuteronomy 23:18 … The word ‘without’ means that they would not be admitted into the Heavenly City, the New Jerusalem, Revelation 21:8, Revelation 21:27. ‘And sorcerers’ … All these characters are specified in Revelation 21:8, as ‘excluded’ from Heaven. See the notes on that verse. The only change is, that those who ‘love and make a lie’ are added to the list; that is, who delight in lies, or what is false.” – ALBERT BARNES, ‘Notes on the Old and New Testaments,’ 1884; edited

Selah, beloved. No enhancement here, no need for further interpretation. Just the Text. The Words of God. More than sufficient for the average reader to grasp its full measure and existential warning.

‘The Binary Gospel’ strikes us one last time, in our Center.

LAST THOUGHTS

Given this unique occasion of the Conclusion to our Study of the Seven Churches of Revelation, I have chosen to list for you the several Scriptures I sensed were sent me during the preparation for the Series.

Some small comments from me at the end, but otherwise, just the Rich Red Meat of God’s Mind to enhance the True Church’s ability to face what is yet ahead. Offered in the Amplified Classic Edition (AMPC).

THE NINE SAYINGS. Hopefully this will encourage each of us toward being ‘Suited up’ for the Battle of the Ages.

PSALM 43:3. “O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling.” – August 18, 2021

PSALM 133:1. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” – August 19, 2021

PSALM 22:31. “They shall come and shall declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born—that He has done it [that it is finished]!” – August 21, 2021

1 CORINTHIANS 2:13. “And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].” – August 24, 2021

PSALM 119:1. “Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the way [of the revealed will of God], who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord (the whole of God’s revealed will).” – August 26, 2021

EPHESIANS 4:25. “Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another.” – August 31, 2021

EPHESIANS 4:15. “Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).” – September 3, 2021

PSALM 98:8-9. “Let the rivers clap their hands; together let the hills sing for joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge [and rule] the earth; with righteousness will He judge [and rule] the world, and the peoples with equity.” – September 4, 2021

PSALM 99:8. “You answered them, O Lord our God; You were a forgiving God to them, although avenging their evildoing and wicked practices.” – September 5, 2021

CODA. Those were, indeed, what I sensed He told me to share with you as Meditations and Instructions for the challenges that are before us all. For comfort. For wisdom. For strength. For courage. And for ‘sharing with others’ who have need of same, whether saved or not.

‘God’s Pearls’ are free to all who wish to know Him better. But not for those who want no part in it. Here is some Tough Talk from the Messiah about this. Listen up.

“Do not give that which is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, for they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces … Whoever does not welcome you, nor listen to your message, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust [of it] off your feet [in contempt, breaking all ties].” – MATTHEW 7:6, 10:16; AMPC

I didn’t write The Book. Jesus did. Heck, He is The Book!

ROSH HOSHANA. I pen these last lines on this very Special Day on the Jewish Calendar: Monday September 6, 2021. Dates are important to the Lord, and that is why I am recording them on this particular Commentary.

THE JEWISH VIEW. “The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah actually means ‘Head of the Year.’ Just like the head controls the body, our actions on Rosh Hashanah have a tremendous impact on the rest of the year. As we read in the Rosh Hashanah prayers, each year on this day ‘all inhabitants of the world pass before G‑d like a flock of sheep,’ and it is decreed in the Heavenly Court ‘who shall live, and who shall die … who shall be impoverished and who shall be enriched; who shall fall and who shall rise.’ It is a day of prayer, a time to ask the Almighty to grant us a year of peace, prosperity and blessing. But it is also a joyous day when we proclaim G‑d King of the Universe. The Kabbalists teach that the continued existence of the Universe depends on G‑d’s desire for a world, a desire that is renewed when we accept His Kingship anew each year on Rosh Hashanah.” – EDITORS, “What is Rosh Hashanah?” ‘Chabad,’ ret. September 6, 2021; edited

THE CHRISTIAN VIEW. “Beginning Monday, September 6, 2021, on the Gregorian calendar, Jews and some Christians will celebrate the feast day known as Rosh Hashanah. The day will be marked by the ‘Blowing of the Shofar’ a total of 100 times in synagogues all over Israel, New York, and other places around the globe. The Feast will conclude on sundown on September 8, 2021 … So the next Prophetic Event on God’s timeline associated with humankind is the Day of the Shofar Blast or Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashanah). Since Jesus died and arose at Passover to institute a new ‘holy nation or holy people,’ and He sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost for the Harvest, why should we not expect Him to come around the time of the Fall Feasts? I am not a date setter, but we must be aware of ‘The Season’ upon which He returns … The Day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles follow and will be fulfilled in the Age(s) to come. Live Loved, Live ready!” – JOSEPH FLOYD, “Should Christians Care That It Is Rosh Hashanah?” ‘Write it Plain,’ September 5, 2021; edited

DK’S CLOSE. So do I conclude ‘The Series on The Seven Churches’ these final thoughts – the first from a classic literary reflection on The Times; the second, from the counsel of Scripture about how to best prepare for what lies before us.

So first, in the words of CHARLES DICKENS’ ‘Tale of Two Cities,’ published in 1859, we learn of our Present Crisis by looking backward.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the Other Way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

So now we are drawn to the Wisdom of The Apostle’s words to a then-young Timothy, who history records was struggling under the weight of his most challenging commission.

2 TIMOTHY 4:5, AMP. “But as for you, be clear-headed in every situation [stay calm and cool and steady], endure every hardship [without flinching], do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [the duties of] your ministry.”

CHARLES ELLICOTT. “‘But do thou be watchful,’ continued St. Paul. The Greek word translated ‘watch thou,’ signifies literally, ‘Be sober.’ It has been well paraphrased, ‘Keep thy coolness and presence of mind, that thou be not entrapped into forgetfulness, but as one ever wakeful and ready, be on the watch.’ The word, as it were, sums up all those last directions of St. Paul, from 2Timothy 2:14, in which St. Paul charged Timothy to abstain from vain arguments and confine himself to the simple Word of Truth, to avoid discussions which would be likely to lead to strife, and to be patient and gentle with all—’to separate himself’ from merely Nominal Christians, and to keep steadily to the Old Paths in which the Apostles had walked. He was to be ever watchful in all these things.” – ‘An Old and New Testament Commentary for English Readers,’ 1878-1897; edited

BE THE CHURCH! Thus do I commit us all to strive to ‘Be like unto The Philadelphians,’ who had a little strength, who kept His Word, who did not deny His name, and who persevered to the end.

For ‘He Comes,’ beloved, with His Rewards in His noble, nail-scarred hands. I should want very much to be received by Him, bringing in the sheaves of our workmanship, He and I yoked so tightly together that not all the Gates of Hell would even dare try to prevail against us.

Ever your servant, DK

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