When Christian and Faithful had almost passed through the wilderness, we see them meeting up again with their good friend Evangelist.
Evangelist: Peace be with you, my dear friends, and peace be with all those who have helped you along the way.
Christian: Welcome, Evangelist! Seeing you again brings to mind all your past kindness and your faithful labor done for our eternal good.
Faithful: And a thousand times welcome. You have no idea how sweet and desirable your company is to poor pilgrims like us!
Evangelist: How has it gone with you, my friends, since the last time we parted? What have you met with, and how have you conducted yourselves?
[Apparently, being part of the body of Christ, means to recount our journey details to each other in an honest and healthy manner – to encourage and strengthen each other. “None of your business” may NOT actually be the way of a Christian. The growth of a Christian requires some transparency, honesty, and accountability. This makes Christians extremely vulnerable, sheep among wolves. I wonder how many of us keep our faith to ourselves because we seem to be surrounded by wolves. I wonder how many Christians are quiet around us because they can’t discern that we, too, are fellow sheep. 😔]
The pilgrims share their trials with Evangelist. “I am glad,” said Evangelist, “Not that you have met with trials, but that you have been victors and that you have been faithful despite your many weaknesses and troubles along the way.” [Kind of like the ‘Heroes’ chapter in Hebrews 11, Evangelist calls them ‘faithful victors’, NOW! It’s a subtle reminder that during the trials, when the spiritual attacks are active, the Christian doesn’t ‘feel’ very much like a faithful victor. When the stumbling occurs and the wolves call you a failure, Jesus calls us to persevere… He is with us… He controls the level of the trial… and He provides a way out. 1 Corinthians 10:13 It is through these trials and tests that He shapes and molds us.]
Evangelist reminds them to endure to the end for the crown is before them and it is incorruptible. They should run to obtain it. He adds: “Some who set out for this crown, even after they have gone quite a long way, allow others who come along to snatch their victory from them. So, hold fast to what you have, and let no man take away your crown. You are not yet out of reach of the gunshot of the Devil. You have not yet resisted unto death in your striving against sin. Let the Kingdom be always before you… Let nothing that is on this side of eternal life get inside you. Above all, take care of your own hearts… for your hearts ‘are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.’.
The pilgrims thanked him for his exhortation. Then Christian and Faithful asked him to speak of more, know thing he was a prophet. They hoped to hear things that would help them resist and overcome trials they were likely to encounter as the continued their journey. Evangelist consented to their request.
Evangelist: My sons, you have heard in the words of the gospel that you must go through many tribulations before you enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and also that in every city you enter, bonds and afflictions await you. Therefore, you cannot expect to travel too long on your pilgrimage without suffering tribulation. You are almost out of this wilderness and will very soon see the town you will enter next on your journey. In that town you will be set upon by enemies who will be determined to kill you and who will succeed. You can be sure that one or both of you must seal his testimony with blood. So be faithful unto death, and the King will give you a crown of life. The one who dies there, although his death will be unnatural and perhaps very painful, will be better off than his companion, not only because he will arrive at the Celestial City sooner, but also because he will escape many of the miseries that the other will meet with on the rest of his journey.
[Major Pause – How many of us when reading this remove ourselves from ever hearing the direct prophecy of this Evangelist? How many of us enjoy the story because we defensively imagine an actual physical journey and if we were on one of those… like those crazy missionaries going to dangerous parts of the world… we would simply not enter the next city, we avoid those trips! We can believe the Evangelist… hear that one or both of them will die… but few of us would pray that we be the one to meet such an end.]
Evangelist: So, when you come to the town and this happens to you, fulfilling what I have related, then remember me and the things that I have told you. Conduct yourselves like men and commit the keeping of your souls to your God as you struggle to do what is right. Remember that He is your faithful Creator.
When they left the wilderness, they saw a town named, Vanity, before them. In that town there is a year-round market called Vanity Fair. It bears its name because the town that hosts the fair is only concerned with things that are unimportant and vain. All that is bought and sold at the fair is likewise vain and worthless.
Almost five thousand years ago, there were pilgrims walking to the Celestial City, just as Christian and Faithful were doing. Beelzebub, Apollyon, and Legion, with their companions, seeing that the pilgrims’ path went right through the town of Vanity, conspired together to set up a fair in which all sorts of wain merchandise were sold all year long. This merchandise consisted of houses, lands, trades, places, honors, positions, titles, countries, kingdoms, lusts, pleasures, and delights of all sorts, such as whores, lewd entertainment, wives, husbands, children, masters, servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold, pearls, precious stones, and whatnot. Moreover, at this fair can always be seen juggling, cheats, games, plays, fools, apes, knaves, and rogues, and that of every kind. Also, to be seen, and at no charge, are thefts, murders, adulteries, and false witnesses who cause death with their lives.
[This is clearly the author’s view of the world and all the worthlessness it contains. He adds, “the way to the Celestial City lies just through this town where this lusty fair is kept. Anyone going to the Celestial City who will not go through this town must “go out of the world.” 1 Corinthians 5:10 ]
The Prince of princes Himself, when He was here, went through this town to His own country. Beelzebub, the chief lord of this fair, invited Him to buy some of his vanities. He even offered to make Him lord of the fair if only He would show him reverence as He went through the town. Because the Prince was such a person of honor, Beelzebub took Him from street to street and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in order to, if possible, allure the Blessed one to cheapen Himself and buy some of his vanities. But the Prince had no interest in the merchandise and left the town without spending so much as one penny on anything there. [Reminder #1: He is God and we are not. Reminder #2: Jesus understands the temptations and struggles we are going through, because He has walked through them too. Consequently, He is in the perfect position… at the right hand of the Father… and as our intercessor… when God sees our stumble and we confess and ask for forgiveness, Jesus can lean over and say, “Forgiven… that was I tough one.”]
When the two pilgrims entered the fair, they created a great commotion, and all the people in the fair turned their attention to the two pilgrims for several reasons: (1) The pilgrims were dressed differently, (2) their speech was judged even more strange than their dress, for they spoke the language of the promised Kingdom rather than the language of the world, which was the common language of the fair, and (3) these pilgrims put no value on the fair’s goods. They did not even enjoy looking at them.
One merchant, observing their strange behavior, mockingly asked, “What will you buy?” But they, looking sternly at him, answered, “We buy the truth.”
This caused great offense, and the merchants began to despise the pilgrims even more. Some mocked, some taunted, some spoke reproachfully, and some began to call out for others to strike them. Finally, the pilgrims created so much commotion that the natural order of the fair was disrupted. The two friends were detained and questioned. They were asked where they came from, where they were going, and why they dressed in such unusual garb. Their answers were honest and they included that the only thing they did that caused an offense was to tell the merchants that they would only buy the truth.
The men who were appointed to examine Christian and Faithful concluded that they were either mad vagabonds or else troublemakers who had come to create confusion at the fair. So, they took them, beat them, smeared them with dirt, and then put them into a cage to be a spectacle to all the men of the fair. There they stayed for some time, the objects of ridicule, malice, or revenge for any passerby who wished to abuse them, which caused the Great One of the fair to laugh viciously at their plight.
The pilgrims remained calm and patient. When men would come to yell and scream at them, they responded with kind words. When men came and cursed them, they in turn blessed them, returning good words for bad and kindness for injuries.
Some men who were more thoughtful and less prejudiced than the rest began to criticize and rebuke the more brutish men of the crowd for their continual abuse of the two pilgrims. This caused a heated reaction to the pilgrims’ would-be defenders who were called traitors and confederates of the caged men. Some in the mob said that those who defended the pilgrims should suffer their misfortune. [Does anybody else recognize this crowd mentality in current culture? If so, ask yourself, are you the Christian in the cage? Are you the brave ones defending the Christians in the cage? Are you, hating the disruption to your life, blaming the Christians for it and now wishing their defenders were also in the cage? Or are you just standing and hoping it all goes away on its own. ]
The more reasonable men replied that as far as they could see, the pilgrims were quiet and sober and intended nobody any harm. They also noted that many who traded in the fair were more worthy to be put into the cage than these two. After many angry words had passed on both sided, they began to fight among themselves, causing many injuries. While all this was happening, the two pilgrims conducted themselves with dignity and wisdom. But they were charged with inciting a riot.
The behavior of Christian and Faithful caused even greater rage from their enemies resulting in a call for their execution. The pilgrims remembered the words of their friend, Evangelist, and strengthened their resolved to bear all the abuse and await patiently the outcome of their situation. They reminded one another for their mutual comfort that whichever one of them suffered death, would have the best outcome.
Faithful was the first to be put on trial. He said in his own defense that he had only set himself against the enemy of Him who is higher than the highest. And, as for the disturbance, he made none, for he is a man of peace. A proclamation was made that those who wished to bring accusations against the prisoners should be brought forth to present their evidence.
Up steps Envy, Superstition, and Flattery.
Envy: In particular, I heard him with my own ears affirm that Christianity and the customs of our town of Vanity were diametrically opposed and cannot be reconciled. And by saying that, my lord, he condemns all the laudable things we do and us in the same breath.
Superstition: I can report that he is a very dangerous fellow. I heard him say that our religion was useless and unable to show man any way to please God. We all know that this is the same as saying that we worship in vain, have no forgiveness of our sins, and face damnation.
Flattery: He has reviled and scolded in the harshest terms our noble prince Beelzebub and has spoken contemptible of the prince’s honorable friends, whose names are the Lord Old Man, the Lord Carnal Delight, the Lord Luxurious, the Lord Desire of Vain-Glory, Lord Lechery, and Sir Greed.
Faithful is granted a chance to speak to his defense and addresses the charges made by Envy, Superstition, and Flattery. The judge instructs the jury to decide, but first he asks them to consider the law of their land as was followed by Pharaoh the Great against the Israelites… and Nebuchadnezzar when using the fiery furnace for the heretics… and Darius and the lions’ den when dealing with rebels.
The jurors brought their private verdict against Faithful and unanimously concluded to bring a guilty verdict against Faithful.
Mr. Blind-man: I see clearly that this man is a heretic. [🤣]
Mr. No-good: Away with such a fellow from the earth!
Mr. Malice: I agree, for I hate the very looks of him.
Mr. Love-lust: I could never stand the sight of him.
Mr. Live-loose: Nor I, for he would always be condemning me.
Mr. Hothead: Hang him, hang him!
Mr. High-mind: A sorry vermin.
Mr. Enmity: My heart rises against him.
Mr. Liar: He is a rogue.
Mr. Cruelty: Hanging is too good for him!
Mr. Hate-light: Let us hill him quickly and get him out of the way.
Mr. Implacable: Even if I were offered all the world to make peace with this man, I could not. Therefore, let us quickly bring in a guilty verdict and put him to death.
And so they did.
There was a chariot and couple of horses that stood behind this brutal multitude waiting for Faithful. So as soon as his adversaries had killed him, he was taken into it and was immediately carried up through the clouds, with the sound of trumpets, heading straightaway to the Celestial Gate.
Christian was given a temporary delay and was returned to prison. But He who overrules all things, brought about Christian’s escape from their evil plans. He did not escape Vanity Fair by himself, for there was with him a man named Hopeful – a name he was given as he watched how Christian and Faithful in their words and in their deeds conducted themselves during all their sufferings at the fair.
Hopeful had joined himself to Christian and entered into a brotherly covenant with him, promising him that he would be his companion for the rest of the journey.
So, one died to bear testimony to the truth, and another rose out of his ashes to be a companion with Christian in his pilgrimage. Hopeful also told Christian there were many more men in the fair who would in due course follow after them to the Celestial City.
Scripture: John 4:36 Galatians 6:9 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Revelation 3:11 Jeremiah 17:9 Ecclesiastes 1 Ecclesiastes 2:11 Ecclesiastes 17 Ecclesiastes 11:18 Isaiah 40:17 Matthew 4:8 Luke 4:5-7 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 Psalm 119:37 Philippians 3:19-20 Proverbs 23:23 Hebrews 11:13-16 Exodus 1 Daniel 3 Daniel 6
Final Note: Is it not a beautiful testimony to the Christian life that when the world puts everything it has into destroying the Faithful, it is the words and the behavior of those who are changed by the Gospel that produces the Hopeful. 💖
The last five years in this country, i.e. the post-truth years, should be a wake up call for all Christians. If you’re waiting for ‘unity’, it will not be. In Luke 12:51, Jesus says, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” We live in Vanity now… with the fair going on continuously around us and the prince of the fair is pretty happy when the people are so distracted by the shiny objects at the fair, that they don’t even realize they have lost all hope for their eternal lives.