Notes on the book of Revelations

Front matter

NOTES

ON THE

BOOK OF REVELATIONS;

Introduction

INTRODUCTION.

The following pages pretend to be nothing more whatsoever than what is presented in the title. There is no attempt at a general exposition of this most instructive and important book : and those who seek for an exciting application to surrounding and past events will not find it here. The writer has noted down in reading, what struck him in the text (often, he believes, overlooked in the framing of some general theory), and he has published what has struck his own mind for the purpose of drawing attention to the book itself. He has added some notes containing more the expression of the light thus elicited from the text; and in these and in the commencement, as he was writing really for the use of Christian brethren, he has not been afraid to communicate freely what thus struck him, desiring it to be as freely weighed, by this and other Scriptures, before the Lord. In teaching, he would feel it wrong to teach any thing which (however still fallible) he could not affirm was the Lord’s mind, without doubt in his own. Here, he has not exactly restricted himself to this, because he does not present himself as a teacher, but merely as seeking to help on others who are enquiring with him: at the same time he has stated nothing he believes unweighed; nor, where a difficulty presented itself connected with any statement, has he allowed the statement to stand without the difficulty being solved. Many very simple statements have, in this way been connected with much enquiry throughout Scripture; though neither the difficulty nor the solution appear, perhaps, in what follows: but he has found abundant instruction and enlargement of judgment in Scripture in the research occasioned by it. He believes that the book in the body of it, views the Church as either mystically, according to Eph. ii., or really according to 1Thess. iv. 17, in heavenly places, and that the want of observing this has much obscured the study of it. He conceives that the scriptural estimate of Eph. ii. has justified an application of it to past events; though on ground of which those who so applied the prophecy were, in the wisdom of God, scarcely conscious, an application which had its force in a period now nearly, though not quite, passed away; while the application of it, consequent on 1Thess. iv. 17., clearly has, as to the substance of it, to begin. I say, the substance of it, because, in tracing the evils to their sources, and developing the various subjects, there are many connecting links, with antecedent facts and events; and this not only in the more hidden sources, but, while the dispensation of judgment is quite distinct from the dispensation of patience, the tares which are judged in the one, are often to be spiritually discerned in the other: and hence it is that the book is given to the Church. The judgment of God in power, supplies force to the conduct and judgment of the Church in patience. It seems to me, then, that they are both alike practically wrong, who have slightingly rejected the one or the other, and thus respectively, deprived the Church of each.

A difficulty may perhaps present itself to some. It will be found, that many points, familiar to modern students of the prophetic words, are taken for granted; as, for example, the idea of a personal Anti-Christ is assumed to be just. The answer to such an objection, if these papers should be subjected to such, is that they are not written to demonstrate truths already elementary to those to whom they could be interesting. The writer is presenting what has occupied his own mind to those who, with him, stand on such points as admitted, and seek to make progress. It is possible some inconsistencies may be found. The writer has found his own mind grow clearer, and make progress in the research occasioned by the study of the book, and it is possible that some immature idea, assumed unconsciously, but not stated in the word, may be found; he is not aware, however, of any. He has found, disencumbering himself of his own or others’ assumptions, a main point of progress. Finally, he would say, that there are certain great outlines and truths of a definite character in the word of prophecy—safeguards in every research. If in any details, he has erred against these, he trusts any such idea may be at once rejected. He commends what he has written to the blessing of God, whose the Church is, and who loves it; and to the thoughts and enquiries of those brethren who are led by the Spirit of God, to search into and be instructed in these things.

Preliminary Remarks

NOTES

on

THE REVELATIONS.

We cannot, I think, interpret the Divine word in the book of Revelations, with the same confined sense that the ancient prophecies carry; because the Church has the mind of Christ, and is supposed not merely to have particular facts communicated to it, but to understand the thoughts of God about, or as manifested in, those facts.

To take an example: I read in Isaiah, “Behold I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered nor brought to mind. But rejoice ye for ever in that which I create; for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.” Now here, I find this vast and blessed expectation of the new heavens and the new earth brought down to a definite joy connected with earthly associations, and resulting from known though new enjoyments and blessings; coming indeed fresh from the hand of God, and therefore, real and divine blessings, but restricted to a given and earthly sphere, and to definite facts.

Could the Church confine itself to this sphere? or, are such its apprehensions created by the testimony of a new heavens and a new earth? Clearly not. The mind of God—the glory of Christ—the deliverance of the whole groaning creation of which (in the marvellous love of God, and the power of that worthiness which makes it due to Christ, according to the counsel of grace and glory which unites them to Him) the Church is a fellow-heir with Christ—the being like Him, and seeing Him as He is, displayed in the same love of the Father in which He is, that the world may know it—the savour of that love which can delight not only in its own blessing, but, by its Divine nature, in the blessing of others—and the filling of all things with the Divine glory, first mediatorially, and then directly—these are the thoughts (with the blessing of banished sin, perfected holiness, and the restoration of all things) which would occupy the mind of the Church as having the Spirit.

Whoever, then, would set about to present the contents of the Revelations with the same confinedness of interpretation as Old Testament prophecy, at once puts the Church out of her place as the full confidante of God and the wonderful counsellor, as having the mind of Christ, and narrows the glory and the counsel to the feebleness of that state with which the Church's position is expressly contrasted (1Cor. ii. 9, 10; see that whole passage). We may indeed know in part and prophesy in part, and so learn from time to time; but, in another sense, we have an unction from the Holy One, and we know all things, because we have the Spirit of God who formed, ordered, and reveals them. We are of one counsel with Him, and not merely the objects of that counsel, as they of old. Being children, the family interests are ours as well as His, though we may be but feeble in the detailed apprehension of them. Now the Revelations have particularly this character, because they were left for the Church (not a communication between living apostles and living men, but left for the Church), as having the Spirit, and dependent on the Spirit, and so, as having that Spirit, to use it in time to come; and so only.

Chapter 1

Consistently herewith, the address is not an address of personal relationship, but the presenting of that which is the subject of knowledge. The most blessed truths of redemption may shine forth throughout it, yet it is not the address simply of the

Father, by the Spirit, to the family, as to the things which concern them within the family. The Father is not spoken of in it, save in one place, as the Lamb's Father, or we, save as kings and priests to His Father; never as in intercourse with the children as His children. This difference, and the corresponding characters of the operation of the Spirit, I find constantly maintained in the Scriptures.

Accordingly we find (with much additional light, indeed, for the sphere is much wider, and the foundation of Divine conduct on a much fuller and more widely extended base) that the position and imagery of the Revelations are all Jewish in character, though not Jewish in place. Neglect of this last point has misled many whose views have been contracted, and who have not in this, I believe, been led by the Spirit of God.

It is not the Father we have here (at least not, in that character), but the temple and temple circumstances: He that was, and is, and He that comes. It is a throne, and not a family: but it is not, on the other hand, the temple on earth at all, but the mind of God acting there, on the throne, but in the perfection of that provident wisdom, in which the seven spirits are before the throne, Him that sat on the throne is the character and leading title of the Almighty in the Revelations; but that throne is not at Jerusalem, and has nothing to do with it immediately as the place of its establishment.

It is, in this sense, the Book of the Throne when the King had been rejected upon earth.

We have, in conformity to this idea, not the Son in the bosom of the Father, but a revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to him; and he sent and signified it by an angel to his servant John. All this is Jewish in its character. It is not the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost testifying, but God, Jesus Christ, and the ministration of angels to a servant: none of the other things, of course, ceased to be true; but it was not the character here developed. It is therefore the word of God, the testimony of Jesus Christ, and visions; and there is blessing on the reader. It is addressed to the church in its full privilege; but the subject presented is governance, and order, and control, not Sonship with the Father. God would instruct his servants.

The blessings to the churches are conformable to this; from one who bears the character of Ancient of Days, who shall come—who was, and is, and is to come: and we see the Spirit, not as on earth, the Comforter (come down here, and, in the sons, looking up there), but in his various and manifold sufficiency and perfection, in the presence of the throne, and as afterwards sent in power into the earth—providential protection and power—and from the Lord: not as the Son, one with his Father (see John xiv. 20), so that we are with Him there through the union of the Spirit, but, seen as in human character, as a faithful witness, the first begotten from the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth: glorious in all this, but human.

Still the Church is put in full confidence here; for the praise to this blessed One is praise in which this word of the Spirit “us,” is ever found: and, seeing Him in the glory, she breaks out, by the Spirit in the Apostle, into thanksgiving, for His praise cannot be passed by; for she is loved, washed, and will reign in nearness to God and his Father.

To the world, and to the Jews, His coming will be sorrow. Here, then, we find the place of all these parties at the outset. This is its form, then, ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν ἐρχόμενος—the perfection of fulness of the Spirit before the throne: Jesus known as faithful, risen, to reign, all on earth. The Church, meanwhile, knowing its own position in this, therefore says, not Our Father, but His—His God and Father: for so it is. The announcement of what the purport of Jesus’ coming is to the world follows thereon, completing what He is and was on earth, the Church’s portion thereby, and the world’s at His coming. In ver. 8 we have the announcement of his titles and character here, by “The Lord.” Upon his name thus developed, all the stability of purpose and government hung; and the Church had need to know this in all the circumstances which followed. Her place follows: as to the present, in the place of the instrument of this word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ (the word is God’s, the testimony Jesus’; in hearing Him we “set to our seal that God is true”); “your brother in tribulation, and partaker of the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.” This is the Church’s place through the recognition of Sonship, while the throne is above. But it is not in union and headship, but kingdom and patience. Still, in whatever form, the word she ministers is the word of God or the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Lordship in itself is not the highest title of Christ: “God hath made Him both Lord and Christ.” To us there is but one God, the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ. But in this word the Herald of God announces all the style of His ancient and future glory. Further, this book does not present to us the Holy Ghost received of the Father, sent down to produce a public testimony to the world. Nor is it a gift received as needful for the maintenance of the Church, and communicated “for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body: of Christ, till we all come,” &c. But it is a revelation given to Christ, and communicated when the Church had begun to decay, instead of growing; and had need, in its severed compartments, at very best to be reproved or encouraged, as so looked at apart—as these several candlesticks,—the Son of Man interfering as the high priest, but judicially—a revelation given (not the Spirit communicated) when all this darkness and (in principle) apostasy had come in. Each one of these seems another thing, and less immediate than the promise in John already referred to (xiv. 20), “In that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”

There is the Sonship of Christ with the Father, in respect of which the Holy Ghost dwells in us—the Spirit of adoption and union, the Comforter—and looks up and places us before the Father even as He the Son is.

There is Christ, the head of the body, the exalted man (the first-born among many brethren)—in which character He receives the promise of the Father, and imparts it, as power for testimony. And there is the Lordship of Christ over the world, which is communicated to the Church, who are kings and priests to His God and Father, by virtue of the previous parts of blessing. This last, after the judgment of the Churches in their present state, is the subject of the book of Revelations. This state of the Churches becomes thus very important and appropriately introductory.

After the heading, and four subsequent verses of introduction, including His work, our position (i.e. as kings and priests), and His coming again, we find the announcement, that, come what would, the Lord was the beginning and ending—the Almighty.

Then we have the revelation to one cast out into the wilderness, the depository of the sorrows of the Church, and so of the providence of God—but in the Spirit, on the day typical of the rest of glory which remains. He sees Christ in the midst of the seven candlesticks; not as a servant, with his loins girt, but in holy execution of judgment as Priest, the symbols of the Ancient of Days being withal upon Him. It is not Christ on high. It is not Christ the head of one body. It is not Christ in heaven: but he turns and sees Him governing, judging, and holding in his hand the destinies of the several churches. But while, with the symbols of the Ancient of Days upon Him, yet revealing Himself for the Church to the faithful disciple, as one that lived, was dead, and is alive for evermore, having power over the gates of his enemies, the keys of hell and of death. This the Apostle saw: such was the place Christ took now—a different place from being the communicating head of the body, however true that might also be. The seer was to write these things, and the things which are, and what should be after these things. In a word, we have the Almighty continuance which comprehends all things of the Lord, and the present position of the Son of man in the Churches, yet He that lived, was dead, and was alive, and had power over the power of death: these are the things that are. There is a close connection between the things that are and those that were seen; for, turning to see the voice that spake with him, he sees the Golden Candlesticks. So, often, as in the judgment of the woman, the chief part of the description is of the beast.

Chapter 2-3

The addresses to the Churches are not part of the things that are, properly; they come in by the by, and designedly so: “Unto the Angel, &c. write,” and “he that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches.” Yet the existence of the Churches themselves and the stars, constitute the things that are, and are of all importance, as shewing the transition from the state in which Christ, according to Eph. iv, was the head of the one body, making it grow by that which every joint supplied (in which its original state was connected with, and presented in, its theory and mystic perfectness—the results of which shall be. manifested in that day when it shall be manifested as one with him), to the state of ruin and apostasy into which it actually fell, so as to be cut off and spued out of his mouth: as a dispensation—a state of transition—in which He was not filling the one body with gifts, but correcting details in the several corporate bodies, in different places, and judging the evil inconsistent with the moral design of the Church, maintaining a character absolutely necessary to their recognition as His—as Churches at all.

Hence, they are moral addresses of the Spirit with promises and threatenings.

From this last recognised state, this place of transition, in which Christ can deal upon earth (but in a spiritual sense) judicially, we are necessarily caught up to the throne, on which all hangs subsisting always, but now the only resource; because the manifestation of acceptable grace, with which the Lord can manifestatively dwell in spiritual presence upon earth, had ceased. Hence this part is not properly prophetic, but connected with things that are; and the prophetic character that it has, is entirely by the moral designation of the testimony of the Spirit; and we come back to the throne, μετά ταύτα. If John was to describe the government of the world on the throne, the Church being lost, he must first trace the Church as subjected to this moral judgment. The picture of the word would not be complete, had we not, after the Epistles which regulated the Church, as subsisting among the Gentiles, not only the practical account of the Apostasy, as in Jude, 2 Peter, 2 Timothy, 2 Thessalonians, &c., but the moral judgment of the Church, as passing from the state noticed in the epistles,—evidences that Christ never lost sight of it, and that when it ceased to be a manifestative place of His presence—His Epistle—he takes His place and title in the throne, whence all things are governed—“the same yesterday, to day, and for ever;” “Him who was, and is, and is to come;” “the First and the Last,” comprehending and ruling all things. The things that are, then, are the seven candlesticks and the seven stars—mystic perfection and actual imperfection; the Church never losing its mystic perfection in the mind of God, but when it has to be addressed on earth—to be addressed as so many separate bodies, and often with reproofs and threatenings.

The things that are, then, involve both these points.

The things that shall be hereafter, or after these things, begin when Jesus begins to act in providence, not in recognised Church relationship—when the world (creation) is brought into view. It does not follow from this, that there may be no Saints or Christians, or that they may not be faithful and give a testimony, but that the Lord does not stand towards them in this particular character of relationship.

The things which are, and the addresses to the seven Churches, have, connected with this, to my mind, a double character, i.e. accordingly as we look at actually existing facts, or facts dispensatorily existing; an observation which has strictly the same application to the expression of the Lord to the Jewish economy, “This generation shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled:” the connection of which, indeed, with this subject is more strong than is at first sight apparent (for the fortunes of the Church and the Jews are more coincident than we suppose as to dispensation, though for the same reason opposite in principle: the root bears us; though the branches may be broken off that we may be graffed in), and has its light increased by, while it casts light on, the passage at the end of St. John’s Gospel, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee.” This was taken as if he in person would not die. But, says the inspired writer, that was not said by the Lord, but “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” The Lord, then, in that expression, left something for the Church’s wisdom and spirituality to discover. He did not say he should not die, but “If I will,” &c. Now it appears to me that we have very distinctly, in Peter, Paul, and John, the three representatives of the Jewish Church, as planted, its tabernacle shortly to be put off; the Gentile Church in its energy, as planted, and ministerially sustained of the Apostle (i.e. Paul); but, after his decease, the flock un- spared, and perverse men arising, and so that departing too—Ichabod on that. John, on the contrary, is here placed in contrast with the cutting off of the Jewish body, likened in the person of Peter to the Lord, and made to represent the extended protracted existence of the Church, as one hanging on the will of the Lord, having lost and forfeited its real character, to which faithfulness attached blessing and sustaining power, as due to the character of God, and just hanging now on his secret counsel. And accordingly we have John here, who was in the bosom of Jesus and received the communication of His mind and secret knowledge, hanging over the fallen and falling fortunes of the. Church—already fallen, if we compare them with their estate as planted—not now sustained by Paul’s Apostolic care and energy, but beset by wolves and perverse men, and falling, yet sustained by this word, “If I will that he tarry till I come.” Now I take it, that this suspended place had its form actually and externally at the destruction of Jerusalem. Then also “this generation” took its place externally: the earthly local centralisation of the Church was externally set aside (it was really from the time of Stephen’s death, when the first martyr left the world to go, as to his spirit, on high), and the Lord’s hand having set aside the earth as His place, all was in abeyance, till He personally took up the matter again—coming again in connection with a similar overturning: the fitting of which two events together is what constitutes the force of Matt. xxiv. 1—43. In the meanwhile, the throne was really set up in heaven—giving the evidence that every thing had failed on earth; but that nothing could fail in the purpose and throne of God. With this the book commences; and the protracted condition of the churches is brought in after the throne is set up, as incidental before the unfolding of the actings in the world, of the throne so set up in faithfulness. I hold therefore that the things that are, and this address to the churches, give this double character, as to period, to the Revelations. If we take the things that are, as that which actually existed in the time of St. John, then it closes with the actual existence and state of those churches, as addressed by St. John, or rather with the life of St. John himself, who addresses them under the warning of removal for their failure. The throne at Jerusalem being gone, there was still, by him who had been there with the Lord, a recognition of the churches as something upon earth: there was nothing sealed in this. But if we take the Apostle as the mystic representative of the dispensation in its condition after the departure of St. Peter and St. Paul, then it is the protraction of that state of things, till the Church, as a dispensation, is spued out of Christ’s mouth; and the things that shall be hereafter are the actual intervention of the throne of God afresh in the government of the world.

I believe the Holy Ghost has ordered it so as to leave ground for both these applications, as the Church knows the throne mystically now in the exaltation of her Head, and actually in its future judicial and open intervention in the affairs of the world.

Accordingly, the second and third chapters are addresses to the churches, but, on moral principles, extended to every one that had ears to hear; connecting the actually existing bodies with the condition in which the Church might find itself in after-ages. The things that are, are, more properly, what then was. The addresses to the churches, the exhibition of the protracted prolongation of the dispensation of the Church, mystically perfect, yet ruined; the throne being set up already, but its full manifestation, as for the world, not yet brought out. Within this

scene, the yet remaining attention of Christ to the churches, as to formal manifestation in the body on earth, was in warning and judgment, not headship. This being their state on earth, in heaven they were only expecting with Him a glory which could not fail.

It is not my object here to enter into the detail of instruction given to the churches, though it be most personally precious; turning attention here rather to the structure and prophetic character of the Apocalypse, and, as briefly as I may, add, therefore, here merely the order of the statements made to these churches, and their condition, that they may stand together before the mind of the reader of the Apocalypse.

First, declension from first love, and the Lord taking the place of examination and judgment.

Secondly, persecution: Christ the overcomer of death, a giver of a crown of life.

Thirdly, dwelling in the world, to wit, where Satan’s throne is (the prince of this world), yet Christ’s witness amongst them where Satan dwelleth, suffering faithfully: with this, the beginning of teaching error for reward, and allowance of evil and low practice. Christ would fight against them (to wit, as an adversary) if they did not repent.

Fourthly, a state of increased devotedness in patience, charity, and works; but Jezebel, teaching communion with an evil and idolatrous world; and suffered. Space had been given for her repentance, but she did not (note here, it is a woman, not some of them). Judgment would fall on her followers, but discriminating—to every one according to his works, and no further burden laid on the faithful. Here begins another distinction, that, whereas the reward promised was, previously, after the warning to hear, from this point it comes regularly before.

Fifthly, a name to live, but no reality; profession of being alive as something distinctive: but there were, however, things remaining and a few names. The Lord, if they did not repent, would come on them like a thief.

Sixthly, weakness, but an open door, marked, not by detailed works, but keeping the word of Christ, of his patience, and not denying his name. They would be kept from an hour of temptation, which was coming on all the world, to try the dwellers upon earth (comp. Is. xxiv).

Seventhly, the Church to be spued out of his mouth without proposal of repentance, because of what they had become, yet counsel given; and if any one remained within and heard when Christ knocked still at the door, that one would be with Him.

Such is the course presented by these churches in their moral character and condition.

These addresses, however, as we have remarked, come inincidentally. John was to write the things he saw. But this was not properly his vision, but came in afterwards, generally under the things that are, and that only as a consequence.