THE book of Revelation, being the great New Testament book of prophecy, gives a forecast as to the church on earth, the time of tribulation and judgment, after the true church has left this earthly scene, the coming of the Lord, the reign of Christ on earth and the consummation of all things when time merges into eternity. We look therefore not for any doctrines about the Holy Spirit in this book. He is mentioned in a number of passages.

Chapter 1:4; 3:l; 4:5. The seven spirits of which these three verses speak is the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity in His own completeness and diverse activities.

Chapter 1:10. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day." This statement has been perverted by some as meaning that John found himself transported by the Spirit to the day of the Lord, that is, the day of His visible manifestation. The Lord's day means here the first day of the week, and not the future day of His coming. On the first day of the week, the day which tells out the glory of Him who died for our sins, was buried and rose again, John enjoyed the special uplifting power of the Holy Spirit. And so may we also when we think of Him and remember Him.

Chapter 2 and 3. Seven times we read here "let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." The seven church messages are prophetic of the history of the church on earth and the message of the Spirit is found in each and is to be heeded.

Chapter 11:11. "And after three days and a half the Spirit of Life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them which saw them." The Spirit of life is the Holy Spirit active in resurrection.

Chapter 14:13. This is the message of the Spirit concerning the blessed dead who die in the Lord during the time of the great tribulation; they die the martyr's death to be sharers of the first resurrection.

Chapter 19:10. "The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy." In prophecy the Holy Spirit bears His testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1: 12).

Chapter 22:17. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

This is the last time the Spirit of God is mentioned in the Word of God. He utters a Come. This does not mean that He invites the sinner to come, but the "Come" is addressed to Him, who speaks in the previous verse: "I am in the root and offspring of David, the bright and -morning star," the Lord Jesus Christ. He desires His Coming again, to receive the Kingdom, the power and the glory. The bride is the church. The Spirit in her also calls, Come. Some blessed day the "Come" of the Spirit and the bride will be answered and He who promised to come again, come to take His Saints into the Father's house. And while we wait for Him we pray in the Spirit "Even so, come Lord Jesus."

The invitation for him who is athirst to come, and the final "whosoever" to come and take the water of life freely, is the last gospel invitation extended by the Spirit of God.