CHAPTER XIII.

Word Study--"Blesseds" of Revelation--"Believings" of John--"The Fear of the Lord" of Proverbs--Key Words.

ANOTHER way to study the Bible is to take one word and follow it up with the help of a concordance.

Or take just one word that runs through a book. Some time ago I was wonderfully blessed by taking the seven "_Blesseds_" of the Revelation. If God did not wish us to understand the book of Revelation, He would not have given it to us at all. A good many say it is so dark and mysterious that common readers cannot understand it. Let us only keep digging away at it, and it will unfold itself by and by. Some one says it is the only book in the Bible that tells about the devil being chained; and as the devil knows that, he goes up and down Christendom and says, "It is no use your reading Revelation, you can not understand the book; it is too hard for you." The fact is, he does not want you to understand about his own defeat. Just look at the _blessings_ the book contains:

1. "_Blessed is_ he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand."

2. "_Blessed_ are the dead which die in the Lord. . . . . Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors."

3. "_Blessed_ is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments."

4. "_Blessed_ are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb."

5. "_Blessed_ and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

6. "_Blessed_ is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."

7. "_Blessed_ are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

Or you may take the eight "_overcomes_" in Revelation; and you will be wonderfully blessed by them. They take you right up to the throne of heaven; you climb by them to the throne of God.

I have been greatly blessed by going through the "_believings_" of John. Every chapter but two speaks of believing. As I said before, he wrote his gospel that we might believe. All through it is "Believe! _Believe!_" If you want to persuade a man that Christ is the Son of God, John's gospel is the book for him.

Take the six "_precious_" things in Peter's Epistles. And the seven "_walks_" of the Epistle to the Ephesians. And the five "_much mores_" of Romans V. Or the two "_receiveds_" of John I. Or the seven "_hearts_" in Proverbs XXIII, and especially an eighth. Or "_the fear of the Lord_" in Proverbs:--

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.

The fear of the Lord prolongeth days.

In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of Life.

Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.

The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom.

By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

The fear of the Lord tendeth to life.

By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.

Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long."

KEY WORDS.

A friend gave me some key words recently. He said Peter wrote about _Hope:_ "When the Chief Shepherd shall appear." The keynote of Paul's writings seemed to be _Faith_, and that of John's, _Love_. "Faith, hope and charity," these were the characteristics of the three men, the key-notes to the whole of their teachings. James wrote of _Good Works_, and Jude of _Apostasy_.

In the general epistles of Paul some one suggested the phrase "_in Christ_." In the book of Romans we find justification by faith _in Christ_. Corinthians presents sanctification _in Christ_. The book of Galatians, adoption or liberty _in Christ_. Ephesians presents fulness _in Christ_. Philippians, consolation _in Christ_. In Colossians we have completeness _in Christ_. Thessalonians gives us hope _in Christ_.

Different systems of key words are published by Bible scholars, and it is a good thing for every one to know one system or other.