QUIET TALKS ON THE CROWNED Christ of Revelation BY S. D. GORDON

Author of "Quiet Talks on Power", "Quiet Talks on Prayer", "Quiet Talks about Our Lord's Return"

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PREFACE

Crowning the Christ is an intensely practical thing, whether taken in the _personal_ sense or the _world_ sense. He has been crowned in the upper world. With wondrous patience and graciousness He pleads for the personal crowning in our lives. Some day--no one knows just when--He will begin to _act_ as the crowned Christ _in all the affairs of our earth_.

The initiative of all action to-day on the earth is in man's hands. Some day the initiative of _governing_ action on the earth will be in the hands of the crowned Christ, even while the personal initiative of each man's life will still be in his own hands.

God is intensely practical. Jesus was never concerned about speculation nor mere discussion; He was too intent on helping people. The Bible is wholly a practical book. It is concerned only with helping us. It does not tell us all the truth there is; we shall be constantly learning more in the future life. But it does tell us all we need to know now. And its purpose in telling us what it does is wholly practical,--to urge us to right choice, and to lives that square with the choice. This is the purpose that decided just what truth should be told in the Book.

There is one book of the sixty-six devoted wholly to this subject of the crowned Christ,--"The Revelation of John." Every one of these books touches Him at some angle, and finds its deepest meaning in what He was to do and did do, and yields up its secrets only under the touch of His hand. But this book, the closing and climax of all, the knot in the end of the inspired thread, this deals wholly with the action of the crowned Christ.

No book of the sixty-six has seemed so much like a riddle and set so many a-guessing. And without doubt much of its meaning will be clear only as events work themselves out. Events will prove the only expositor of much. But it is with the deep conviction that this is wholly a _practical book_, written wholly from a practical point of view, and concerned wholly with our practical daily lives, that I have ventured to take it up in this series of simple, wholly practical, Quiet Talks. And it is only this side of its teachings that will be dealt with here. The Book is a street leading into the true overcoming life the Master would woo us to.

It is only after many years' study of this Book of the Revelation, and a special study the past three years and a little more, that I have ventured to put these talks together. And now they are sent out with the earnest humble prayer that others may find some little practical help in prayerfully reading, as I have found much in prayerfully studying, under the Master's gracious faithful touch.

Table of contents (by pages)

• 1: Quiet Talks on the Crowned Christ of Revelation
• 2: 'Twas shepherds who saw their King in the straw
• 3: Was the gift of the crowned Christ
• 4: On the throne of the whole universe of globes crowned
• 5: The one anointed and empowered
• 6: What is the domain of the crowned Christ
• 7: But the fortifications are still there
• 8: That he may have fullest opportunity
• 9: The Husbandman waiteth He waiteth
• 10: And we shall find the crowned Christ a reigning Christ
• 11: Every woman knows the name of Brussels lace
• 12: He is counting on each of us being faithful to Him
• 13: Let angels prostrate fall Bring forth the royal diadem
• 14: And as Mary remained in Jerusalem at least some time
• 15: John probably worked out from Ephesus
• 16: But while the thought and imagery are Hebrew
• 17: Born and bred in a Hebrew home
• 18: The spirit of compromise seems seeping in at every crevice
• 19: Has gotten so subtly tangled and intense
• 20: 51 Here at the very outset is a plea
• 21: The missionary said gently that memorizing was not enough
• 22: Couldst thou in vision see Thyself the man God meant
• 23: He was transformed before men's eyes
• 24: This is the birthright gift of Elijah to Elisha
• 25: Ten times did the Jerusalem crowds attempt his life
• 26: The wheels whir busily and noisily
• 27: Behold He cometh with the clouds
• 28: Not disturbing nor obliterating
• 29: The fire reveals purity and makes pure
• 30: Purity and authority fastened on a cross
• 31: That plan centres in His followers
• 32: The net result is an irritating smokiness
• 33: The authority restrains the purity
• 34: The others describe the Ascension
• 35: Who handles freight out here at
• 36: And Patmos are inseparably linked
• 37: This Patmos word is about the messengers
• 38: One plea to hear seven times repeated
• 39: Intense zeal for the true faith
• 40: Thou sufferest the woman Jezebel
• 41: But indifferent to Jesus Himself
• 42: Are seen pouring out their very hearts over a heathen idol
• 43: This word overcometh is very significant
• 44: There's a wondrous promise to these
• 45: It is called the great tribulation
• 46: The fact of membership in the Church
• 47: The tenderest memories brood over us
• 48: But He sits on the throne above
• 49: There is a rainbow around the throne
• 50: Encircled in the emerald rainbow of perfect peace
• 51: These elders are clad in white garments
• 52: On terms of intimate fellowship
• 53: At Pentecost He is sent down on a new mission
• 54: And now this indescribable outburst of praise
• 55: Or in case of a dispute over ownership
• 56: The scholarly bishop helped the learned judge best
• 57: A CLEARING UP STORM IN THE REALM Revelation
• 58: The thoughtful Bible student comes to have a broad outlook
• 59: And much given to making forecasts of impending storms
• 60: The nations have had supremacy in the earth
• 61: It's only Isaiah talking to the people
• 62: It will come through that spared remnant
• 63: Victory for the coalition will seem assured
• 64: Great persecution and suffering
• 65: Especially about the tribulation
• 66: This is the tremendous fact to keep clear
• 67: There are two events in this parenthesis
• 68: Describes the characteristics of the tribulation on earth
• 69: This it is that makes the tribulation on its negative side
• 70: Which proves to be the third view of the tribulation
• 71: Except when Israel is an organized nation
• 72: Satan is cast down to the earth
• 73: Describing the steps by which this climax is reached
• 74: So closes this long remarkable view of the tribulation
• 75: Through which the tribulation comes
• 76: Babylon stands typically in these older pages
• 77: Hallelujah for the Lord our God
• 78: Against Jehovah and against His Anointed
• 79: Schauffler got out his piece of paper
• 80: 111 The book of Isaiah falls naturally into two parts
• 81: Here Enoch is spoken of as prophesying or preaching
• 82: THE CROWNED CHRIST REIGNING Revelation
• 83: Pentecost is merely a beginning of what is to be universal
• 84: Regardless of probabilities or improbabilities
• 85: That will be world wide evangelization in earnest
• 86: Then comes the second resurrection
• 87: And the winsome description goes on
• 88: No great intervening events to be worked out
• 89: WATCHING THE HORIZON Thy Kingdom Come
• 90: Such expectancy has steadied every leader for God
• 91: And this will make our footing steadier
• 92: And now the light is withdrawn
• 93: And begins a terrible persecution of them
• 94: As radical in the absolute spirit transformation
• 95: And the sway of the Antichrist
• 96: Its presence near sends the light far ahead
• 97: And it grows increasingly repugnant in whatever guise
• 98: As the Holy Spirit is allowed control increasingly