n going about like a raging lion seeking
whom he may devour. He gives to us some conception of the final
judgment, and the great white throne is lifted up before us; the dead,
small and great, stand before God, the books are opened and those whose
names are not found written in the book are cast away from his presence
forever; and then as a climax of the picture we have before us the new
heaven and the new earth. Again I say, there is nothing so wonderful
as Revelation if only we have the mind of the Spirit in its
interpretation.

In this text John is speaking of those who die in the Lord and the
whole verse reads as follows: "And I heard a voice from heaven saying
unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their
labors; and their works do follow them" (Revelation 14:13). Ordinarily
this text has been used only on funeral occasions, but literally
interpreted the text which stands as the heart of the verse may be read
as follows, "Amen, saith the Spirit." It would seem as if the Holy
Ghost were giving his assent to the truth which has been spoken.
"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." It is like an old time
antiphonal service, when choir answered choir in the house of God; or,
to put it in another way, it is one of those remarkable interruptions
several instances of which are found in the Scriptures.

One is in Hebrews the thirteenth chapter and the eighth verse, "Jesus
Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." According to the
revision this verse has an added word and reads as follows, "Jesus
Christ the same yesterday and to-day, _yea_ and forever." I call
special attention to the little word "yea." Somebody has said that it
is as if the Apostle were saying that Jesus is the same to-day that he
was yesterday, than which no thought could be more comforting. And it
would seem at the closing part of the verse as if the angels of God had
broken in upon his message to say, "Yea, and he is forever the same,"
which is certainly true. Could anything be more inspiring than to know
that we have the approval of the Holy Ghost of the things we say or
think?

There are many representations of the Spirit of God in the Bible. His
love is presented under the figure of the mother love, as in Genesis
the first chapter and the second verse; "And the earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.