1
Collected
Writings of J.N.
Darby
Prophetic 2
By John Nelson Darby
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Collected Writings of J.N. Darby
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Contents
Notes on Revelation 1 .....................................................8
Notes on Revelation 2 and 3 .........................................17
Notes on Revelation 4-5 ................................................ 25
Notes on Revelation 6 ...................................................33
Notes on Revelation 7 ...................................................40
Notes on Revelation 8 ...................................................45
Notes on Revelation 9, 10, and 11:18 ............................49
Notes on Revelation 11:19 and 12 .................................59
Notes on Revelation 13 .................................................66
Notes on Revelation 14 .................................................73
Notes on Revelation 15 and 16 ......................................80
Notes on Revelation 17 .................................................91
Notes on Revelation 18 .................................................99
Notes on Revelation 19:1-9 ......................................... 110
Notes on Revelation 19:11-21 .....................................117
Notes on Revelation 20:5-6 ......................................... 129
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Notes on Revelation 20:7-15 ....................................... 135
Notes on Revelation 21:1-8 ......................................... 140
Notes on Revelation 21:9-27 and 22:1-5 .....................142
Notes on Revelation 22:6-21 ....................................... 153
Substance of a Lecture on Prophecy ............................157
Studies on the Book of Daniel ....................................179
Studies on Daniel 1-2 ..................................................181
Studies on Daniel 3-6 ..................................................188
Studies on Daniel 7 .....................................................202
Studies on Daniel 8 .....................................................218
Studies on Daniel 9:1-19 .............................................232
Studies on Daniel 9:20-27 ...........................................246
Studies on Daniel 10 ...................................................261
Studies on Daniel 11:36 and 12:1-2 ............................276
Studies on Daniel 12:2-13 ...........................................287
Remarks on a Part of Daniel .......................................304
Inquiry As to the Antichrist of Prophecy ....................310
Signs of Antichrist.......................................................324
Questions of Interest As to Prophecy ..........................327
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Outline of the Revelation ............................................335
Remarks on the Seven Churches ................................. 361
e Prophetical Addresses to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 1 ............................................................366
e Prophetical Addresses to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 2 ............................................................390
e Prophetical Addresses to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 3 ............................................................410
e Prophetical Addresses to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 4 ............................................................435
e Prophetical Addresses to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 5 ............................................................461
e Prophetical Addresses to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 6 ............................................................489
e Prophetical Addresses to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 7 ............................................................516
e Prophetical Addresses to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 7 Appendix ............................................ 541
e Principles Displayed in the Ways of God, Compared
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Notes on Revelation 1
Gleaned at Lectures in Geneva in 1842
CHAPTER 1
THE rst eight verses serve as an introduction to
the whole book. It is protable, and throws light on the
Apocalypse itself, to examine the peculiar character of the
book, and the manner in which Jesus reveals Himself in it.
ere is a special blessing attached to the reading of this
book (chap. 1: 3; 22: 7). It is a practical thing. “ Blessed is he
that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy,
and keep those things which are written therein.”
Nothing is of more importance. e prophecies of the
Old Testament strengthened the Jews in their relationship
with God, and attached them to His government. Although
God permits men to go their own way, led by their own
passions, yet He never did, nor ever will, entirely give up
the reins of government as to this world. is is what the
Apocalypse shows us. All things work together for the
glory of Jesus. We see in Heb. 11:7 the eects of prophecy
on faith. e faith of Abel recognizes the sacrice; Enoch
walks with God. e faith of Noah condemns the world;
it was not limited to the recognition of the ecacy of the
sacrice and walking with God; but Noah was warned of
God of things not seen as yet, and, separated in walk from
the world by this warning, became heir of the righteousness
which is by faith, and condemned the world. e world
put to death Jesus the heir. e church, warned of God of
what is about to come to pass, knows that man in rebellion
Notes on Revelation 1
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against God has no title to the inheritance of the world.
e church in its suering state does not possess it.
Christ is presented to us in the Apocalypse as the heir
of the world. e church, like Noah, condemns the world,
of which she is co-heir with Christ.
God is not presented as Father in the Apocalypse;
this gives the character of the book. When the glory of
the inheritance in the saints (Eph. 1:17, 18) is treated of,
Christ is presented as Man; and God, as the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ. In Eph. 3:14, where the communion of
the
Father and of the Son is in question, He is presented
as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Apocalypse,
God is presented as the God who governs the world;
whereas when it is the church that is in question, He is
called Father. Moreover, in the Apocalypse, the subject is
(not what relates to His connection with the church, but)
the world, and its connection with God as Governor of the
world.
In chapter 1Christ is presented as man, but in glory.
e communication is by an angel-not by the Spirit of
revelation and of communion, making the church to enjoy
the glory and fellowship with the Father and with the Son.
ere is a great dierence between what is communicated
to the church and what has the church for its subject. When
the church is addressed as to what concerns herself, she is
addressed according to the presence of the Spirit which
puts her in communion with the Father and the Son as
the church, as the family. God communicated to Abraham
what concerned Sodom, so to the church what concerns
the world.
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Verse 1. A revelation is made to Jesus, and He
communicates it to John by an angel.
1
It is prophecy, the
testimony of Jesus (i.e., that which He gives Himself), and
the word of God. e dierence between the testimony of
Jesus and the testimony to Jesus is of some importance in
this book. It is often said that the Spirit of prophecy is the
testimony of Jesus; so that those who should receive that
alone, and have nothing more, have the testimony of Jesus,
and the word of God. In this verse the learned agree to
read, not the testimony of Jesus Christ, “ and of all things
that he saw,” but “ the testimony of Jesus Christ [viz.]
all things that he saw “; that is to say, the visions in the
Apocalypse themselves form the testimony. is prophecy
is, rst, the word of God; secondly, the testimony of Jesus
Christ; thirdly, a vision-” all things he saw.”
Verse 3. “ For the time is at hand.” ose things are not
fullled. e thought of the return of Jesus was so present
that the disciples thought John would not die before His
coming. John closed revelation.
Malachi closed the Old Testament by the promise of.
Elijah. From that time all is apocryphal. ere is no new
revelation or communications made that would constitute
the proof of a recognized relationship. So the Apocalypse,
which closes the New Testament revelation, announces the
1 I speak only as to the mode of communication; the whole is of
course inspired.
Notes on Revelation 1
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coming of Jesus, and all is apocryphal until the Lord comes
to receive the church.
2
God does not, in the interval, give up His people; but
He makes no more revelations. erefore He says “the time
is at hand.” us the apostles speak of their time as being
the last days. All the interval until the return of Jesus is the
longsuering of God towards the world. e church is to
walk by faith, and by the revelation already given.
Verse 4. John addresses directly the seven churches.
e salutation agrees with the character of the book.
God presents Himself as the Eternal, as the One who reigns
and rules. e Spirit is presented in a manner exterior to
the relations of God with the church, as a spirit of wisdom
and of light. It is the Spirit in His attributes of power and
of perfection, the accomplisher of the divine will in the
world. Moreover, Jesus is not presented here as the Head of
the church in heaven, but as the faithful Witness, as risen,
and as Prince of the kings of the earth.
Verse 6. It is the church who receives the revelation
and who answers, “ Unto him that loved us, and washed us
from our sins in his own blood, and made us to God and
his Father kings and priests, to him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen.” e church cannot forget the
love of which she has been the object; and she expresses
her own relation to God in the scene which is about to
2 Nevertheless, although God the Father makes no more
communication to the church, according to the relation of the
Head of the body with the members of that body in its unity,
yet He leaves here communications of the judgment He forms
of the state of things which have the name of the church in
the world, whatever its position or state may be. e seven
churches are taken as a sample of the various states on which
He bears this judgment, and thus of warning to all.
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be disclosed. Jesus is placed last (v. 4, 5) because He is one
who communicates with the earth and whose of right it
all is.
God is on the throne, the Spirit is before the throne,
and Jesus is in connection with the earth. is is the object
of the book. It is not the church which is here in the
thoughts of God; she receives the communication of them.
Jesus has, in spite of Satan, title to the inheritance of the
world; and He lets the church into the knowledge of His
counsels before the thing takes place. God communicates
to Abraham what He is going to do to Sodom; and here, to
the church, what He is going to do to the world, in order
that the church may remain apart from all that system that
leads to judgment.
Verse 7. “ Behold, he cometh with clouds.” is verse
passes on to that which establishes His relation with the
world, the Jews included. at is the principal thought, the
great subject of revelation here. e present dispensation
is a dispensation of faith. e church has not seen Jesus
risen; she has only seen the witnesses of His resurrection,
and she must believe it on their testimony. “ Blessed are
they that have not seen, and yet have believed,” John 20:29.
Such is the principle on which the believer walks in the
present dispensation. “ Every eye shall see him “ (not those
only who believe); that is the character of the coming
dispensation.
Verse 8. God introduces Himself, after the manifestation
of Jesus to every eye, to close the testimony by the
revelation of Himself-the same that He had been in the
beginning, and the Almighty God; which was, and is, and
which is to come; unchanged through all the changes that
had taken place. But the title of Alpha and Omega, and
Notes on Revelation 1
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of the Eternal, which God takes here, is the same that is
given to Jesus (chap. 21: 6), where the prophecy is closed.
He is always the image of the invisible God, always God
Himself manifested in the esh; the One who is, who was,
and who is to come; the Almighty. Also, in comparing
1Tim. 6:14, 16, with Rev. 19 i6, we see the title of King
of kings and Lord of lords, which, in the rst of these
passages, is applied to Him “ who dwelleth in the light to
• which no one can approach,” and who shall show Jesus,
applied to Jesus in the second; and when Jesus is “ shown,”
He comes with the same titles which He bears who shows
Him. e name of Almighty is that by which God reveals
Himself to Abraham; Ex. 6:3. At the end of the verse He
reveals Himself as the one who will fulll to the Jews the
promises made to Abraham. e Almighty who had made
these promises is the Eternal (that is to say Jehovah, the
God of Israel.)
Verse 9. It is well to notice the position of John which
is connected with the character of the book. He does not
exactly present himself as a member of the body, though
he is so, of course; but in his actual position, viz., where
the delay of the coming of the Master places the faithful,
that is, in tribulation. His actual position was like that
of others in the tribulation of Christ as member of His
kingdom, and like Him awaiting the moment when the
accomplishment of the promises of the glory should take
place-” in the tribulation, the kingdom, and the patience of
Christ.” Such is the position of the church, which becomes
her while the king is hidden in God; John 21:22. e
word of God and the testimony of Jesus had placed him
there, and the testimony of Jesus was peculiarly that of the
kingdom. Again, observe here that the Lord’s day is Sunday.
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e meaning is not the day of the Lord. Nor is there any
doubt that the greater part of the visions apply to what
precedes that coming day. e rest of the chapter shows us
already the glory of Christ. Aection is inseparable from
testimony to the glory of Jesus.
Verses 12, 13. When John turns to look at the Almighty,
the Alpha and the Omega, he sees Jesus. He sees what
characterized the Ancient of days. Dan. 7:9,13. In Daniel,
the Son of man is led to the Ancient of days, and receives
the dominion. In Revelation 1:14, Jesus, the Son of man,
has the character of the Ancient of days.
Jesus cannot present Himself as Man without the
church and the Holy Ghost recognizing Him as God,
Eternal, and Almighty, as the One who has dominion
over the world. God gives us to understand His purposes
concerning the world, and shows to us Jesus, who suered,
supremely exalted as Man. We see, when the Son of man
is manifested in the glory (and so it was when sojourning
here below), God Himself, the eternal God, as well as the
man to whom all title to glory belongs. Jesus has the reward
of having humbled and made Himself of no reputation for
us. In Psalm 102, He says, “ He weakened my strength in
the way; He shortened my days.” e answer is, “ But thou
art the same, and thy years shall have no end.” John sees
also the seven churches (things that are), and Christ in the
midst of these churches, not as serving them. His garments
descend to His feet; His girdle of gold is divine glory in
judgment, not spiritually on oneself, but to be executed on
others-judicial rmness. His head reveals the Ancient of
days. His eyes were piercing like re in judgment. Glory
and majesty were discovered in Him, and He held the
Notes on Revelation 1
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representatives of the seven churches in the right hand of
His power.
Verse 16. He judges by the word of His mouth, a two-
edged sword. Glory supreme shines in His face.
Verse 17. We do not nd the spirit of adoption and
condence. It is man standing in the presence of the
glory of Him who rules. Speaking in this character, He
communicates the revelation of God to His servant John,
the prophet of the church.
Verse 18. Jesus, the Man once dead but now alive again,
conqueror of hell and of death, takes away fear from him
who nds death in the presence of His divine glory.
Verse 19. We see here the division of the Apocalypse
into three parts:
Firstly, e things seen, that is to say, the glory of Jesus
such as we have seen it described.
Secondly, e things that are, or the seven churches.
irdly, e things to come after them, or the prophecy;
chapter 4: I.
e order of the book presents thus the Person of Jesus,
Son of man in glory; the Eternal God; the churches, and
Jesus as a judge in the midst of them; and then revelations
concerning the world. Jesus is revealed here, not as the
Head of the church, but as judge and ruler in the churches;
not as the olive tree which gives the oil, or as the Head
that distributes gifts, but as the Head who makes use only
of threatenings and of rewards; not as servant or advocate,
or shepherd of the sheep; but in a long robe, in the dignity
of a judge, and like one who comes to see what light the
candlesticks give.
It is important to apprehend that the general object of
this book is the revelation of the relations of God, as ruler,
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with the world, viewed as introducing into it Jesus as heir.
It will be seen how much of diculty this removes. e
understanding of the book supposes a soul established in
its relations with the Father, and with the Son to whom
God will reveal His purposes towards the world, as God. It
would be grievous and shameful for us not to be suciently
of the family of God to feel interested in all His glory.
Notes on Revelation 2 and 3
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Notes on Revelation 2 and 3
I avoided in my lectures saying anything on the seven
churches as not being strictly part of the prophecy. For the
satisfaction of my readers I shall add thereon only a few
thoughts. ere were doubtless seven churches thus named;
but they were selected in order to present the thoughts of
God to the whole church. e number seven is expressive
of something spiritually complete. e seven churches are “
the things which are,” and “ the things which are “ end with
the history of the seven churches. “ What was to happen
after these “ (chap. 1: 19) cannot be considered as belonging
to the present time in the sense in which this expression
refers to the position in which John found himself. e
prophetic details were outside of that period. ey were
the things which were to happen after it; that is to say, the
prophetic details of this book were not comprised in “ the
things which are “ considered severally as the time present
of the churches.
But the seven churches may be viewed under a twofold
aspect. First, there were seven churches existing at that very
time. But, then, the glory of Christ, judging in the midst
of the churches, was certainly not conned to this; and
the number seven guides our thoughts towards something
which is complete. Are we then to think of all the churches
at that time, or of the general history of the church on the
earth? In the rst place, it is the moral condition of the
church, wherein that is to be found which is spoken of;
and the judgment pronounced is pronounced upon such a
condition, and is addressed to “ all that have ears to hear,”
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and would thus morally extend to all the churches existing
at that time. But, inasmuch as it describes states distinct,
diering one from the other, it is dicult to apply it to the
whole church at any given period; and the thoughts are
very naturally directed to periods in which the condition
of the professing church may have been characterized by
what is said concerning the churches placed in succession
before us.
e expression “ the things which are “ very naturally
adapts itself to this; for, as we have seen, it is dicult to
apply, at any given time, seven very dierent states to the
general condition of the church, and it is evident that the
expression “ the things which are “ comprises more than
what is understood by the seven churches in Asia. Now
the state of the professing church, until it is rejected as a
witness on the earth, is naturally described by “ the things
which are,” as contrasted with the intentions of God in
bringing in a new dispensation by the exercise of His power
into the world. And this it is which distinguishes these two
chapters from those which follow. e church is seen in a
state of declension until she is spued out of the mouth of
the Lord. en comes the history of the throne. We may
distinguish the seven churches of that time as presented to
us historically (which do not perfectly set forth all God’s
thoughts) from the history of the church in general until
the end: each of these things presents to us “ the things
which are.”
ere is here, with regard to the form of prophecy, an
important observation to be made. When the people of God
are more or less still recognized by Him, the prophecy is
addressed to the people. When they are no more recognized
of God, then the ways of God are communicated to the
Notes on Revelation 2 and 3
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prophet who declares His counsels concerning the world.
us the prophets of the Old Testament speak to the people,
while the people are recognized of God. Daniel, a captive
in Babylon, receives visions concerning their relations
with the nations, and the history of those nations: but
the prophecy is not addressed to the people. us also the
Apocalypse no longer recognizes the church upon earth in
the prophetic part of the book, and is not an address to the
church itself. “ e things which are,” and what John saw
of the glory of Christ, judging in the midst of the churches,
no doubt, is addressed to the churches. In the prophetic
part, the testimony is given to her- is deposited with her,
so to speak; but the word is not addressed to the church.
e Lord had said, speaking of John, “ but if I will that
he tarry till I come “; John, the last of the apostles, bears
personally to the churches the last testimony of Christ’s
relationship with them (according to their present state-a
state, it may be said, of transition, and where the churches
are seen quite in a new light). As a symbolical person, his
testimony lasts until the church is no more recognized at
all; and prophecy takes the place of communication made
direct to the church, and announces the introduction of
the Firstborn in judgment (judgment of the apostasy and
of the world), and the events which proceed from the
throne and precede His introduction. It was necessary that
the church should be put aside in order to speak of those
things. Otherwise everything would have been done with
a view to the church herself. e Lord is seen as the Lamb
in the throne at the very beginning of the prophecy, as the
One who has suered in His own Person on the earth, and
not as judging in the churches on the earth.
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It would be impossible here to enter in detail upon the
seven churches; it would be to write a book. e varied
promises, descriptive of the heavenly portion that is to
come, would deserve protracted study, as well as the peculiar
insignia by which Christ is designated, and the relation
between the two; and also the connection of the latter with
the state of the church in which they are severally found.
I shall only endeavor to give a general outline, according
to what we have seen. It is a state of transition. Christ
is represented as a Judge in this book, judging either the
churches or the world. He is no longer as the Head of the
church communicating, in grace, blessings and precepts, or
exhorting by the chosen members of the body, or girded
with a towel washing the feet. He is judging the state of
things and threatening them. At one time He threatens to
remove the candlestick, when a church is not faithful to
that which has been entrusted to her, as bearing testimony
before the world.
ere is another remark to be made here: God’s
candlestick. His government in the world was no longer
at Jerusalem. God will govern the world by His Firstborn,
and will prepare the way for Him by these judgments.
But judgment begins at the house of God. e light-the
candlestick of God-was there, and His name was upon them
in the sight of the world. And whatever be its unfaithfulness,
and however God may act in raising a testimony elsewhere
before the world, until such a system be judged, as a
system established of God, it bears its responsibility, and
God acts in judgment towards it. Jerusalem was the seat
of God’s testimony. His candlestick had been there. I
need not insist amongst Christians that the light and the
presence of God were spiritually dwelling in the midst of
Notes on Revelation 2 and 3
21
Christians. Nevertheless, Jerusalem’s responsibility and her
position before the world only ceased in her destruction
by the judgment of God. After this, God’s candlestick, in
a terrestrial sense, was in the professing church. Till then,
Christians had been, to the eye of the world, a sect of the
Jews. us we see Aquila and Priscilla at a distance from
Rome, because Claudius had commanded that every Jew
should depart from it. At Antioch, in the midst of the
Gentiles, which was the starting-point of the labors of
Paul, apostle of the Gentiles, the believers begin to have a
peculiar name. ey were rst called Christians at Antioch;
Acts 11: 26.
us God was preparing little by little, and especially by
the mission of Paul, another candlestick before the world.
Jerusalem, laboring under the weight of her sins and the
guilt of the blood of the Just One, by the judgments of
God upon her, disappears entirely from the scene, and the
professing church is the only witness for God remaining
before the world. e judgment of God upon the earth
consequently connects itself with the professing church.
e position of the church was perhaps more happy
before, when she had only to seek her blessings from house
to house, (Acts 2:46), and while the temple remained the
public place of the testimony of God; yet God is always
faithful to His own, and wise in His ways. It is, however,
under this new character that the church is considered in
the Apocalypse. Christ is there judging in the midst of the
candlesticks. In the prophetical part, the church is no more
seen on earth. e judgments concern the world, and the
events proceed from the throne on high, not from Christ
walking on earth in the midst of the candlesticks, which
shone very little perhaps, but which still were there.
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us the addresses to the seven churches, while applying
to the seven churches in Asia, and severally to any one, are
applicable to the professing church so long as she retains this
place manifestly on the earth. In detail it may be removed
from one place and carried to another, as has been the case.
We must remember also that the characteristic condition
of one church may begin, and that of another still continue.
Alas! the state of the church at Ephesus has continued to
the end, and the candlestick will be removed. Many more
sorrows have occurred in the meantime. One thing more is
to be remarked. e characters according to which Christ
acts in the midst of the churches until yatira are those
found in the revelation of His glory in what preceded; chap.
1. is is no longer the case from Sardis, save the fact that
He retains in His hand the authority over the churches; the
seven stars are still there. But the names He takes (that is to
say, the character according to which He acts, and which is
the object of intelligent faith in the church) must always be
looked for farther o in the knowledge of Christ. ey are
beyond that revelation of Himself which constitutes the
basis of His relationship with the churches in the normal
position which He takes towards them here.
In the church at Sardis then, the testimony of the
churches, in a certain sense, begins as it were anew, while
still remaining part of the whole. e Spirit repeats this
characteristic trait- Jesus holds the seven stars in His right
hand. But the position is less ecclesiastical, and has more
of what is essential in the nature of His relation with the
churches. ere is an exception to be made to what has
been said in the case of yatira. “ Son of God “ is not
part of the revelation of Christ in the preceding chapter.
But it seems to me that the apostasy in principle which
Notes on Revelation 2 and 3
23
characterizes the church in yatira (association with
idols, and this being tolerated)-this fact had its place when
a well-known ecclesiastical relation was coming to an end.
Christ is the Son of God; it is under this essential title
of the glory of His Person that He laid the basis of the
church, and was the object of her faith. us the claims
of the church, as being associated as co-heir with Him, in
contrast with the nations, come in entirely in their place,
when the professing church was abandoning her only
faith, and the hope which was hers as set apart to God. e
Morning Star, the dawn of a new day, shone in the heart
of him that overcame under such circumstances. (Compare
chap. 22: 16.)
ese seven churches, considered as a continued series
of the history of the church, would then present to us the
following epochs. Her rst declension already in the time
of John; the time of persecution; the professing church
established in the empire or in the world, and the germ
of the ecclesiastical apostasy; the time of this ecclesiastical
apostasy, when Jezebel is seducing and tolerated; Sardis,
the time of Protestantism as a system established in the
earth; the time when, deprived of strength, faithfulness
to the word of the patience of Christ characterizes those
who knew it; the time of saying We are rich, when, in true
riches, everything is wanting. is last is the nal state-the
lukewarmness which Christ spues out of His mouth.
Observe, that we must not look for energy producing
eects, but for the eect produced by that energy. is is
what God judges. He acts in energy. us the Reformation
was the energy of the Holy Ghost; the state of Protestantism
is a thing which He judges. e churches characterize the
state, the position of the Christian testimony which attracts
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24
the attention of the world-the candlestick which is there
to give light. If this is the case, it is evident that the study
of the specialty of these churches is of the utmost interest
to my reader. I earnestly entreat hire to make it his study-
so much the more, because the most precious traits of the
heavenly joy are found therein.
I shall only add a few words more in general on the
whole. e promises made to the rst two churches relate
to the general recompense, and are, of course, so to speak,
for every Christian. e promise made to the third relates
to a personal and individual knowledge of Jesus, which
supposes that strength for faithfulness of walk is already
found more in the faith and in the faithfulness of the
individual. Jesus is known alone, and also enjoyed alone.
ere is in the church of yatira, amidst the general
iniquity, a remarkable faithfulness and devotedness; and
the Spirit of God, while leaving to the body the character
of the candlestick, that is to say, the responsibility of
witnessing before the world, distinguishes entirely those
who had not taken part in this iniquity. Observe chapter 2:
24, where the lesson is still stronger, or at least more clear,
in all the critical editions.
We may observe that in the last three churches that
of Sardis is threatened with the judgment of the world.
(Compare ess. 5.) at of Philadelphia becomes of an
inestimable price for the faithful of this time. e coming
of Jesus is declared therein to sustain faith in a peculiar
manner. And, nally (showing at the same time His perfect
patience, if any of His abode there still), we see in the case
of Laodicea the professing church spued out of the Lord’s
mouth.
Notes on Revelation 4-5
25
62260
Notes on Revelation 4-5
CHAPTERS 4, 5
ese two chapters together form a whole, a sort
of preface, which introduces us into the scene where
the prophet was introduced, that is to say, heaven. e
prophecy, properly so called, begins only with chapter 6, at
the opening of the seals.
Chapter 4 begins with the things which must be hereafter;
3
that is to say, after the seven churches. e things that he saw
are the glory of Christ in the midst of the churches. e
things which are are the seven churches. e things which
must be hereafter begin when the churches are set aside;
chap. 3: 16; compare chap. 4: I: 19. e seven churches are
a moral prophecy, containing promises and threatenings,
founded on a certain conduct. e church, being judged
as it were, is put aside. ese letters may be applied to the
church in every state thus described. ey are the voice of
Jesus judging the state of the churches.
In chapter 4 we see the things which are to come afterward.
It is no more the things which are: these last so long as the
church remains. It is from that term “ which are “ that the
double interpretation of the Apocalypse proceeds. If the
seven churches are taken as a sketch of the history of the
church, Laodicea, the last one, receives this sentence-” I
3 e word “ hereafter “ misleads in the English translation. In
the French there is no diculty. e meaning is simply, after
the things related in the account of the seven churches. It is
simply “ after these things.” e whole phrase is this, “ e
things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the
things which are about to take place after these.”
Collected Writings of J.N. Darby
26
will spue thee out of my mouth.” Consequently, the church is
then no more recognized on earth; and what follows in the
Revelation is the history of the government of God, and
the chastisements sent on the earth from that time, until
Christ comes to establish His kingdom. If the churches are
taken in a literal sense, the types of the prophecy must be
applied to events which have for the greater part already
taken place; but in any case the church in the Revelation
is neither recognized nor presented on earth from chapter
4, from the time that the scene changes, and that John,
leaving “ the things which are,” is introduced into heaven
to see “ the things which are to come.”
e things which are being then put aside, chapter 4
begins. As long as those things are, nothing in chapter 4
has yet taken place. In this chapter the church is always
looked at as being in heaven, although she is not as yet
manifested (which only takes place in chapters 19 and 2o).
e subject of chapter 4 is creation, and the right of God
over creation.
e subject of chapter 5 is the rights of the Lamb as
Redeemer, Jesus’ right of redemption. e Holy Ghost is no
more presented in God’s relations with His children; it is
the relationship of God and of the world. Since Jesus has
rights over the world, He is presented here in the throne,
and God likewise is seen sitting on it. e right of God’s
throne in creation. e right of the Lamb in redemption. is
is, as a summary, the subject of these two chapters.
Chapter 4: 1. Come up hither. e earth is done with
(as his place); he leaves the earth. e time will come
when there shall be a throne on the earth. In the passage
before us God’s throne is in heaven. e throne of God
was once on the earth at Jerusalem. is will take place
Notes on Revelation 4-5
27
once more, as it is said in Jer. 3:17. e shekinah of glory
was in the temple; but from the time that Jerusalem was
taken by Nebuchadnezzar it entirely ceased. en began
the times of the Gentiles, and God gave the kingdom to
Nebuchadnezzar.
At the beginning of Ezekiel the same cherubim are
seen leaving the temple and the city; Ezek. 10:18; 11: 23.
4
Jehovah stands on the threshold of the house; Ezek. 9:3.
At last He forsakes the house and the city-the earthly
power was given to the Gentiles; Dan. 2:37. e people
having been unfaithful, God forsook His people, and from
that time He has not taken again His place in the earth.
e only thing God did was to present His Son as King,
and as having right to reign over the Jews; but the Son
was rejected. From that time God is gathering the church,
the co-heirs with Christ. Christ is sitting on the throne
with the Father, where He is interceding for us. When
the church, viewed as a dispensation on earth, has come
to an end, the throne of God becomes again the center of
relation with the earth, and God begins to intervene again
directly in the world, without having yet replaced His Son
on the earth. If we examine the throne (v. 2, 5, 6), we nd
everything ordered there according to the pattern of the
temple; but the subject is here government.
We nd here all the characters of God except that of
Father. e rainbow (v. 3) is God’s alliance with creation.
4 In the main, this is true; but it seems to me that the ordinary
interpretation (that God was seen as seated there at Jerusalem)
is not quite correct. God sitting on the cherubim comes to
judge the city. e glory of God comes from the north; it is
the judgment executed by the Chaldeans; Ezek. 1:4. is glory
stood in the plain; chap. 3: 23. Ezekiel, carried to Jerusalem,
nds again the glory there; chap. 8.
Collected Writings of J.N. Darby
28
ere was no government before Noah. After the deluge,
God makes a promise to bless the earth, and He sets man
in power with the sword to rule and to repress evil. When
the Jews were rejected, God transmitted the government to
the Gentiles, who retain it until this day.
Verse 4. e twenty-four elders correspond with the
twenty-four classes of priests in 1Chron. 24; but they are
crowned. e number twenty-four represents twice twelve.
One might perhaps see here the twelve patriarchs and the
twelve apostles-the saints in the two dispensations.
Verse 5. e lightnings, the thunderings, the voices, are
God’s power in judgment, and in ruling, as in Sinai. e
seven lamps of re are the manifestation of God in leading,
enlightening, and blessing; it is the guiding power of the
Holy Ghost with the elements of strength and wisdom. He
discerns with a power which acts amidst what He discerns.
e sea of glass
5
corresponds with the brazen sea of the
tabernacle and of the temple, where however no veil is here
seen. e sea of glass is a purity that has become solid,
having taken the character of a permanent state; it is no
more water, that is to say, a mere way of cleansing, as on the
earth in the brazen sea.
e four living creatures full of eyes are the supporters
of the throne. ey have signicative attributes. e lion
is expressive of strength, royal power. Jesus is the Lion of
Judah. e resemblance to a calf recalls rmness, the
solidity peculiar to the foot of the ox. e resemblance to a
man’s face sets forth intelligence. e ying eagle designates
rapidity in judgments. It is always God in the creation. It is
5 e glass clear as water presents holiness itself settled in an
unchangeable manner. e water puried that which was
deled according to this same holiness.
Notes on Revelation 4-5
29
an allusion to Ezek. 1; but in Ezekiel every living creature
had four faces, showing the power of providence which
sees all and acts on earth.
But here we see the stability and the rmness of God’s
throne in heaven. We see here God’s power and His claims
over creation, not the agents of this power. It has not been
suciently observed that principles of action are here spoken
of, and not agents. at is the reason why the four living
creatures have not been well understood.
Verse 8. We have here still all the names of God, save
the one in which the church is concerned-that of Father.
He is Lord God Almighty, Eternal. ese are the names by
which God has revealed Himself in every dispensation.
6
With the redeemed now He takes the name of Father. We
have all that God has been on the earth with His people,
and nothing else. ese living creatures acknowledge God
as the Holy One in all He does on earth, and they give
Him glory.
Verse 9. e twenty-four elders prostrate themselves
(it is positive worship), and do not, like the four living
creatures, give glory merely. e church (it might perhaps
be well to say the saints above; we must understand it as
the twenty-four elders, including probably the faithful
in the Old Testament) joins in the praises of the four
living creatures, and worships God as the Creator (v. II).
It is not according to the relation between God and the
church. e church here sees God as the Creator. It is
6 e church is not, properly so called, a dispensation. It is the
assembling together the co-heirs in unity, whilst the kingdom is
in mystery. When the law ends as a dispensation, the kingdom,
is not yet established in power, and all is in transition. Here the
saints are seen above, and the throne of God is in relation with
the earth.
Collected Writings of J.N. Darby
30
important to apprehend this character of government of
the things of this world. It is from this throne, as the center
of government, that everything in the Revelation comes.
is throne is about to intervene in the government of the
earth, and it is precisely because Christ comes to claim His
rights to the government of the earth, that Antichrist is
preparing to make war with Christ.
Chapter 5. We nd in this chapter another truth of
great moment; it is the right of the Lamb put to death,
to open the book and to set all these things in motion.
Verse 5. We have here the counsels of God in giving the
inheritance to His Son. is book, sealed with seven seals, is
the book of the inheritance (that is, of the investiture)-the
description of the means used by God in order to put Jesus
in possession- of His ways in judgment full of patience to
the end, of which the right of redemption which devolves
on Jesus forms the basis. (See Isa. 26:5-10 Jeremiah, in
chapter 32, tells us that the purchase of an inheritance was
subscribed on two books, one sealed, and the other open.
e sealed book is the contract of the inheritance that is to
be given to the Son. Who can unroll the events which will
invest Christ with the inheritance of the earth? No one but
Christ Himself. Who has a right to do it? He alone, the
Redeemer, who has purchased it, who by His blood and by
His power can claim and deliver everything as His own.
(Compare Eph. 1) Alas! there is no weeping now, because
no one is found worthy to read the book; because one
does not understand how the inheritance shall be given
to the Son of man. However, the “ Lion of the tribe of
Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book,
and to loose the seven seals thereof.” Adam had a right to
the inheritance, but he lost it. Christ had to redeem this
Notes on Revelation 4-5
31
right from Satan’s hands. He had to pay the price: and this
price was His own death, which He gave for it. He has
redeemed everything for Himself. All was created by Him
and for Him; but through Adam this lower creation fell
into Satan’s hands, who uses it to corrupt men and to keep
them at a distance from God.
Verses 6, 10. In the midst of the throne and of the elders
stood a Lamb as it had been slain. e Lamb had seven
horns. e horns are the emblem of power; seven is the
symbol of perfection. e seven horns are expressive of
perfection in power; the seven eyes are the perfection of
the Spirit who sees all. It is the active power of the perfect
wisdom of the Lamb who acts on the earth. e Lamb is
always seen as if it had been slain, and not as yet manifested
in glory. Boaz had to redeem Elimelech’s land, and Ruth
is a type of the redeemed. Jesus, the true Boaz, the alone
mighty One, redeems Ruth, His own people, and the land
of Elimelech, the earth. at which gives to the Lamb the
right to exercise all power is that He has paid the ransom
to God. God had, as it were, lost the inheritance. But the
Lamb has redeemed it to God.
Verse 10. e joy of those whom He has redeemed.
7
ey rejoice because they know they shall reign on earth,
according to the right of Jesus which they can claim. ey
see the Lamb having taken the book, and God beginning
to intervene, in order to give Christ the government of the
earth, and they see that they shall reign.
7 Most of the modern editions read here, after the authority of
the best MSS., “ has redeemed [us] … and they shall reign.”
In that case it would be the song of those that are already
above, who rejoice that their brethren, who are still here in the
persecution, shall be delivered and shall reign.
Collected Writings of J.N. Darby
32
Verses 11-14. e angels do not say that He has
redeemed them. He only preserved them. Creation has
again her voice to bless Him who redeemed her. God lives
forever and ever. Man having killed the Heir, it would
seem for a while that the inheritance is his. But God lives
forever and ever. e patience of God and His goodness
in the midst of evil will have been manifested. If there had
been no evil, the goodness of God would never have been
thus manifested. But God has overcome evil with good.
e church’s place is to be in the intimacy of God and
to understand Christ’s intentions and God’s thoughts.
ese things have been revealed unto us by His Spirit. It
is, in this sense, knowledge which distinguishes the church.
Hereafter, the church will enjoy all that Christ possesses
in power. ese two chapters are very important for the
understanding the glory of Christ and the Revelation. e
glory of Christ is that which is particularly brought out by
the Revelation. If the reading of this book makes the glory
of Christ precious to us, our enjoyment of it will be much
greater. May God shed abroad that love in our hearts and
give us to delight in the love of Jesus!
Notes on Revelation 6
33
62269
Notes on Revelation 6
CHAPTER 6
We have seen the character under which God is
presented to us in this book. e Revelation presents
God as the Most High God; we see therein the throne of
God Almighty in the world. e things connected with
providence are under this government.
We have seen, besides, that the Lamb has a right to the
inheritance. e great object of the book of the Revelation
is the Son of man invested with the inheritance which
He has redeemed, and of which He has taken away the
delement. All the creation of God has been deled. e
day of atonement furnishes us with a type of its redemption
by Jesus. We see in that type, rst, the blood on the mercy-
seat, by which alone God could enter into relation with any
one; secondly, the blood on the tabernacle deled by the
sins of the people; thirdly, the confession by the high priest
of the sins of the people on the head of the scape-goat. e
creation is redeemed as well as the church-the church, to
be co-heir with Christ; the creation, to be the inheritance.
e inheritance is given to the Son of man; such is the
grand subject here presented to us. He alone has the right
to open the book. Redemption has given Him this right.
e Lamb begins the opening of the seals. He does
not yet appear to take possession of the inheritance and
to execute the judgment. He is still the Lamb in the midst
of the throne, in heaven during the interval in which
God takes the government, without having yet given the
Collected Writings of J.N. Darby
34
throne to the Son. We see what passes before Jesus takes
possession of the inheritance.
Verse 1. “ One of the four living creatures [beasts],” it
is still providence which is in action here. ese symbols
are a surely dened language, as well as any other, when
you have once apprehended the proper meaning of each
of them according to the word of God. e application of
a symbol has often been mistaken for its meaning. us
Christ is called the Sun of Righteousness; but Sun does
not mean Christ. e sun is merely a symbol of glory and
supreme government. God made the sun to rule the day;
Gen. 1:16. One would err in leaving out the abstract idea,
and in taking the sun for Christ.
A horse represents that action of providence which
manifests itself in the government of the earth under
dierent forms, and more accurately the imperial power
considered as the eect of the work of God, or of the agents
He makes use of. It is a symbol which may be gurative of
Christ, or of an emperor, or of some one else. An allusion is
here made to Zech. 1, where the horses represent empires
which have exercised dominion over the Jews. e white
horse is victory and triumph. I do not see Christ here.
Christ is still the Lamb in the midst of the throne. We do
not yet see Christ here going forth to the victory and the
destruction of His enemies, which is symbolized by the
white horse in chapter 19. Here we have Christ, the Lamb,
still hidden in God, who begins to act. We have here the
providential preparations of the divine government for the
coming of Jesus.
Verse 2. e rst thing manifested is a great conqueror.
Verses 3, 4. e second step, in what precedes the coming
of Christ, is peace taken from the earth. Verses 5, 6.
Notes on Revelation 6
35
Famine. Verses 7, 8. e four judgments of God on earth;
Ezek. 14:21. ey are the four deadly plagues which God
sends to exercise His judgments. Here, it is something
which stamps God’s character on the state of things in the
prophetic earth, and shows that He is intervening. Men
should give heed to this; Matt. 24:5-8.
ese calamities are the beginning of sorrows. It is in
Judea that the closing scene is to take place. ese plagues
are in the same order here as in Matt. 24 Peace is taken from
the earth, famine, pestilence, and then come earthquakes,
as we shall see. In Matt. 24 the Lord is applying this to
the duty of His disciples in Judea. Although there has
been a partial fullling of this at the time when Jerusalem
was taken by Titus, yet it would be impossible to apply
the things which are said there to that ruin. ese things
evidently relate to a future event. According to Daniel, at
the end of twelve hundred and ninety days, after setting up
the abomination that makes desolate, happiness will come
again on the earth; Dan. 12:11. But this is not yet fullled,
nor has anything like it followed the ruin of Jerusalem.
Indeed, nothing concerning the ruin of Jerusalem, by
Titus certainly, answers to the details given in this part of
scripture. e four deadly plagues which God sends fall
on the earth, and precede the manifestation of the Son of
man.
Verses 9-11. e fth seal brings us to an important
point. All the scene passes as in the temple. ere are,
under the altar, the souls of those that were slain like burnt
oerings.
8
ey are dead as to this world, but not as to God.
God sees them and shows them alive. ere will be those
8 It appears to me that they are those who suered before the
last tyranny of Antichrist. (See Rev. 20:4.)
Collected Writings of J.N. Darby
36
who will be put to death, even from amongst those who
believe and bear witness that the earth belongs to God.
Our testimony at present is, that heaven and everything
belongs to God, and that our portion is with Jesus there.
ere will be quite a dierent testimony at the end, namely,
that the earth belongs to God, and has been redeemed by
Jesus. e two witnesses in chapter 11 stand in the presence
of the Lord of the earth. eir testimony would be quite
as complete if there were no heaven, save that the rightful
Heir is there. e question will then be this, Does the earth
belong to God? is is what the Antichrist and the men
of the earth will not admit. e testimony is that of Elias
and Moses (chap. 11: 6) as to the circumstances and signs
which conrm it. In the time of Elias the people were in
apostasy, and in the time of Moses they were in captivity.
Such will be the state of the earthly people then. ere will
be a testimony rendered to God’s claims on the earth. Our
testimony is the testimony of salvation and of the church;
it is not connected with earth, although we understand
what the word of God says concerning it.
e souls cry for vengeance; it is the character of the
Spirit of prophecy; it is not that of the church. She does
not say, “ How long dost thou not avenge our blood? “ is
characterizes the Psalms also. Deliverance is expected from
the destruction of her enemies, whilst the church’s rest is
by her removal from among them. e Spirit of Christ,
as the King and Judge of the earth, cries for vengeance to
God on the evil; Isa. 26:1, 9. e wicked has not the upper
hand with me now; if he kill me, death is mine, and he only
sends me where I desire to be.
“ ose that dwell on the earth “ is a particular expression
in the book of Revelation. ere are those who dwell in the
Notes on Revelation 6
37
heavens-it is the church.
9
e same is true of those who
are put to death during the reign of Antichrist, or who
shall have been beheaded for their testimony. “ We have
no abiding city here.” We are like the Levites and priests
without inheritance in Israel. e inhabitants of the earth
are the enemies of God, the race of Cain driven from the
presence of God, who settled in the earth. e world was
judged from the moment Christ was rejected. All those
who will settle in the earth share in the curse of Cain. Man
sinned against God, and the earth was cursed. But when
Cain had killed his brother, he was cursed from the earth,
and, driven out of God’s presence, he went and built a city
and settled in the earth. is is what the world does after
having put Jesus to death. ey that dwell on the earth are
those on whom the judgment shall fall.
e souls under the altar do not doubt their possession
of heaven. e expression “ How long? “ is a technical one,
signifying either that God is chastening, or that one is
enduring some evil; but also, inasmuch as it is on His own,
expressing condence that this chastisement will come to
an end. It is faith in the midst of chastisement or of suering,
which is looking to God for His intervention; Isa. 6:11. It
is those who are in heaven that cry for vengeance on the
9 We must add here the saints of the Old Testament, and, to
meet the full force of the expression, even others also; Dan. 11.
But at that time all will not be in heaven; v. 11. ere are those
who dwell on the earth. e church is a stranger and pilgrim
there, as well as all the saints who lived before the coming of
Jesus. (See Heb. 11)
Collected Writings of J.N. Darby
38
inhabitants of the earth.
10
It is altogether another position
from that of the church. e current of our thoughts is
altogether changed, because the government of God and
His taking possession of the earth is the whole matter in
question here. Verse i 1. Although the time is near when
all must be closed, nevertheless, there are still witnesses.
Verses 12-17. ere is still here an important preliminary,
the sixth seal. All these things are to precede the day of
Christ. But the terror of men is already so great, that
they believe the day has arrived. e earthquakes indicate
the breaking up of the arrangement of things on earth,
an overthrow of everything. e sun (that is to say, the
glory and the supreme government) loses its brightness.
Everything gives way and sinks under the hand of God-
even authorities established above the earth. In verse 14
it is said that every mountain was moved out of its place;
and in verse 15, that they hid themselves in the mountains.
One sees here that the symbols are not to be taken literally.
In Joel 2:30 we learn that these things take place before
the day of the Lord-before the execution of judgment.
ere are many things which precede that day, which
are not even events on earth, but preliminaries in the
government of God; Psa. 2:8, 12. Christ does not as yet
ask of God the world for His own; His requests now only
apply to the church. When He claims the earth, it is for
judgment.; but (v. 12) there are warnings for the kings of
the earth. ere the question is, not that of recognizing
10 I do not think that it is the church properly so called, as a
whole; but those who have lost their lives for their testimony,
and, as it seems to me, more particularly during the time when,
as a church recognized on earth, she is no more there. Indeed,
the church, as such, is not found again till the marriage of the
Lamb.
Notes on Revelation 6
39
the Son as the Savior, but as the King who has a right to
possess the earth. All who belong to Christ shall be with
Him, and shall have power over the nations; chap. 2: 26,
27. is power then is, not the assembling of the church
together, but the exercise of the power of Him who is on
the throne, and the warning in Psa. 2 is in order that the
kings may be rendered attentive and submissive. Christ has
not only the right of gathering souls for heaven, but also to
be put in possession of the earth.
Nothing is more proper than prophecy to move the
heart and to separate it from this present evil world. God
lays His hand on everything that is in this world. e scene
of the world is nothing, it only draws away from God, and
will be the object on which the judgment of the Son of
God shall fall when He comes again.
Collected Writings of J.N. Darby
40
62274
Notes on Revelation 7
CHAPTER 7
We have seen the manifestation of the throne and of
the power of God acting in government over the world;
the right of the Lamb to intervene on earth and to open
the seals; then the plagues of God preparatory to this
intervention.
Chapter 7 forms a parenthesis between the sixth and
the seventh seals, for God is going to intervene in a more
special and positive manner at the center of everything,
in Canaan; but He will not do anything before He has
separated His Jewish people and set His seal upon them.
God does not any longer conne Himself now to a
beginning of sorrows, and He seals His people on earth.
We see at the same time those that are sealed on earth and
those that are already in heaven.
Verse 2. From the east: Christ is the dayspring. e
angel ascends from the east, from whence the Sun of
Righteousness is to rise on earth. It is always the day for
those who are in the light. e day of the Lord is the day of
judgment for those who are on earth. e day of the Lord
and the coming of Jesus are two very distinct things. When
the scripture speaks of the coming of Jesus, it applies the
expression, not only to the day of the Lord, but also to
what precedes that day, that is, to the rapture of the church,
which goes to meet the Lord in the air; 1ess. 4:15,
17. e day for those who are of the day is the light, the
blessing, when the day of Christ shall dawn on earth. We
shall be like the rays of that sun; but for the wicked, that
Notes on Revelation 7
41
day will be their confusion. e living God is the God who
has life, and not the God of judgment. e life of God is
powerful, more powerful than death which Satan holds in
his hand.
Verse 5. We have here a principle which is very precious.
In all the overthrowings, in all the preparations for the
judgments of God, the power of the angel, who displays
God’s power in mercy, is greater than the power of the
angels who execute the judgments of God. e good is
more powerful than the evil. at angel who holds the seal
can cry with a loud voice, Do not hurt. is may be seen
also in the case of Lot, who is a type of the remnant that
escapes at the coming of the Son of man. e angels could
do nothing to Sodom until he had left it. ere is, therefore,
a precedence in the attributes of God, and His mercy
always goes before His justice. e rst thing the angel
does is to mark the servants of the Lord on their forehead,
that it may be manifested to the whole world. ose that
are marked are the remnant of Israel on earth; they are not
the children of God (that is, in the ordinary acceptation of
the word, the faithful in the present dispensation). In one
sense, we ought to have the seal on our forehead, that is
to say, an open confession of the name of the Lord Jesus;
but as for the Christian, the seal of God is in himself, that
he may have the enjoyment and the liberty of communion
with the Son and with the Father. Having this seal, we are
manifested in the sight of the powers in heavenly places.
But here we have a seal and a manifestation on earth.
Verses 5-8. e number twelve is symbolical; it is the
perfect number of those who escape of the remnant in
Israel. God alone can know the number of those He seals.
We have the unction of the Holy Ghost to understand all
Collected Writings of J.N. Darby
42
things; the seal of the Holy Spirit, in order to enjoy the
communion of God, as knowing that we are His, and are
assured of His favor; also the earnest of the Holy Spirit
in order to rejoice in the expectation of those things that
we know. is privilege is far above what we nd here.
Our portion is to be blessed with Him that blesses; Israel’s
portion is to be blessed on the earth.
Verses 9-12. As to the great multitude of all tongues,
and kindreds, and peoples, and nations, the language they
hold in verse 10 is not the expression of the enjoyment
of the children with the Father.
11
ey conne themselves
to acknowledge God as the God who saves. One may be
standing in the contemplation of the glory, or prostrate
oneself in adoration. is is the variety seen in heaven. It
is ever God and the Lamb that are spoken of here, not the
enjoyment of the children with the Father. ose that are
in the world do not see Him as He is. We see Him as He
is in the glory of the Father. Israel will see Him in His
own glory, and we shall be in that glory with Jesus, as Jesus
is in the glory of the Father. e multitude here worship
11 is description in chapter 7 appears to me the least precise
of any we have in the Revelation; but it is evident that what
is said here does not amount to the normal position of the
church. e elders speak of them as of a distinct class. e
multitude ascribes their salvation to God, as He is revealed in
the Revelation sitting on the throne. e whole chapter seems
a preparation for what is going to take place, and presents to us
beforehand the elect, who will be found in it, but whom God
will preserve through the tribulation of that hour, from which
those who keep the word of the patience of Christ shall be
kept. However, this multitude is connected with the elders, but
their joy is only that of consolation and of rest, and does not,
beforehand, and for others, enter into the intelligence of God’s
ways like those in chapter 5. Neither do they sing.
Notes on Revelation 7
43
standing before the throne, ascribing their salvation unto
God and unto the Lamb. e elders prostrate themselves
apart, celebrating the glory of God Himself. What we are
considering is not the sweetest thought of our relations
with God.
Verses 13, 14. It is one of the elders that speaks, and
not one of the four living beings: because it is the heavenly
joy that is spoken of here, and not God’s providence over
the earth. It is important to observe the variety of classes
and of blessings which are found at dierent times in
the Revelation. ose who have come out of the great
tribulation are a distinct class; they are those, it seems to me,
who will have gone through the events which follow, and
especially who will have come out of the great tribulation
foretold in Rev. 3:10.
e tribulation in Matt. 24:21 is more particularly
connected with what will take place in Judea, or rather at
Jerusalem, under Antichrist, and is applied to the Jews.
ose who have come out from the great tribulation (some
translate of “ great tribulation,” or of “ a great tribulation,”)
are not the church properly so called; for, as is seen in
Revelation 3:10, she will be kept out of it. I do not mean
either, that they are the same persons as those spoken of in
connection with the great tribulation mentioned in Matt.
24:15, 22, for in Matthew those persons are evidently Jews:
whereas, in the chapter before us, they that came out of the
great tribulation are Gentiles. “ A great multitude, which no
man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people,
and tongues.” ere is a certain vagueness, moreover, in
the expressions; and this, it seems to me, according to the
intention of the Holy Spirit. ey are specially recognized
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44
of the four elders; but they do not appear to be the church,
properly so called.
Verse 55. ese are Jewish ideas; the presence of God
in the midst of His people, serving God in His temple,
contemplating the exquisite beauty of His temple and of
His palace. We serve God, either in adoring Him, or in
working for Him. “ ey serve him day and night in his
temple.”
Verses 16, 17. God is a tabernacle over them,
12
as if to
solace them. e Lamb feeds and leads them. God would
dispel, in the souls of those that are His, the dread of His
Majesty, by the thoughts of His gentleness, His meekness.
A soul that is unconverted has no idea of a God tender,
gentle, who “ wipes away tears.” God will have us near
Him, as children near their father. He loves His children
enough to take notice of all their aictions, to comfort
them, and to wipe away their tears.
12 It is important to observe attentively the expression, as in
fact this multitude is distinct from the twenty-four elders.
No mention is made of heaven in a direct manner, save the
expressions, “temple,” and “before his throne.”
Notes on Revelation 8
45
62278
Notes on Revelation 8
CHAPTER 8
Verse 1. ere is silence, repose. Verse 2. God is
announcing Himself. He is going to intervene in a more
direct manner. He is announcing Himself by the trumpets.
Verses 3-5. ere were two altars in the temple. e temple
was divided in two by the veil, which separated the holy
place from the most holy. e altar of incense was in the
holy place outside the veil, and outside this latter was the
altar of burnt oering;
13
that is to say, in the world. It is in
the world that Christ suered, and that the saints suer
also. e altar of incense was in the sanctuary, and the
incense ascended up to the throne of God in the holiest:
the altar stood immediately before the throne. e saints
are still in sorrow; their cries and their supplications ascend
up before God, who begins to intervene. e cries of the
saints cause God to intervene with judgment. Jesus is the
angel here who presents the prayers of the saints. He does
13 is is true in one sense, but also it was before God as in
heaven. Morally speaking, no one could, as to the antitype,
enter there but as newborn, and Christ lifted up from the earth
was before God. e court was, in certain aspects, the court of
heaven, and not the world outside. It was a place of transition.
e brazen sea, for instance, which was in the court, is seen
here in heaven; the souls under the altar (burnt oerings) are
in heaven. Nor is there any veil here. “ be lifted up,” says Christ,
“ will draw all men unto me.” He was then rejected by the
earth, and (though not yet ascended into heaven) had ceased
to be a living man, Messiah on the earth-lifted up to God in
glorifying Him-He still was in view of man below, and thus
became the perfect and attractive meeting place.
Collected Writings of J.N. Darby
46
not present Himself as their Advocate with the Father,
which is what refers to our spiritual state, but as calling
down the judgments of God on those who oppressed them.
Verses 6-13. We see God intervening in a positive
manner, by His judgments. First trumpet. God’s judgment
falling on the prophetical earth; that is, on the four
monarchies. e trees gure that which is elevated, eminent,
lofty; the green herb is prosperity. Second trumpet. e sea,
the people that are not in the prophetic earth, the mass of
people.
ird trumpet. e rivers: this symbolical emblem is
dicult to understand easily. I have observed, I think, two
things in the use that scripture makes of it. First, the people,
the rivers have laid waste the land of Israel. Secondly, the
principles which govern those people. e rivers represent
the activity of the people under certain principles; Isa. 8:5-
8. e waters of the river (v. 7), are the king of Assyria
and all his glory. us, in Isa. 59:19, Psa. 93:3, 4, the rivers
are the people over which the Eternal has trampled, to
establish His kingdom which is recognized in this psalm.
“ And there fell a great star.” It is a power in a state of fall;
the bitter waters are the corruption of the principles of the
people.
e fourth trumpet. e sun is the supreme power and
glory. e moon and the stars are subaltern glories, of an
order inferior to that of the sun. e people of God are
in misery, their prayers are ascending up. God intervenes
and smites the earth, not yet the inhabitants thereof, but
their circumstances, their riches, the things in which they
delight. To-day, on the contrary, while it is yet called the
day of grace, God smites in order to convert and to chastise
Notes on Revelation 8
47
His children, while we often see the wicked prospering
greatly.
e three following trumpets concern the inhabitants
of the earth; but until the fourth trumpet has sounded the
judgments are only outward judgments. Even before these
outward woes can come, God is marking and sealing His
elect ones; these judgments do not hurt them; they fall on
those who aict them.
e heavenly people suer with Christ for the sake
of Jesus. is is something higher than suering for
conscience’ sake. e kingdom of God is for those who
suer for righteousness’ sake; but the reward of those who
suer for Jesus’ sake shall be great in heaven. Abraham and
Lot are a proof of this. Lot sees the plain of Jordan and
chooses the earth. He is in outward blessing; but he is in
the land of Sodom; He draws nearer and nearer to Sodom;
and at last we see him an inhabitant there. Abraham is far
from it; God apprises him of what He is going to do for
Sodom.
e church in peace, beloved of God, and separated
from the world, converses with God on what is going to
happen to the world. Israel would have the world; they said,
Let us kill the heir and the inheritance shall be ours. e
church says with omas, “ Let us go also, that we may die
with him,” John 11:16. Israel, therefore, will be in aiction,
as Lot was in Sodom; but will escape as through re. e
remnant of Israel will love righteousness; but, having loved
the world, suers the aiction and the anguish of a man
who nds himself where the judgments of God will fall on
the world; Abraham saw afar o the smoke ascending up
from the plain; but he was not there.
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48
ere are aictions brought on through faithfulness;
this is then suering with Christ. ere are others also
which proceed from unfaithfulness. It is well to remark that
there are blessings, through God’s mercy, connected with
faithfulness in a position which, by the weakness of our
faith, we have been led into; but these are not the blessings
attached to a simple faith. And they are accompanied
with suerings and sorrows which have more or less the
character of chastisements. What concerns the judgment
of the world is interesting to the church, because God
communicates to her, as to a friend, what will happen to
the world. Can a friend not feel interested in what his
friend communicates to him?
It is absolutely necessary that we should renounce
everything. We shall have to do so sooner or later, either
with joy by the Spirit of Christ, or with shame when the
judgments of God shall break every tie that is still keeping
us back. We must then leave everything, or else be burnt
up with Sodom. Prophecy has a special power to separate
us from this present evil world, which the patience of God
can bear, because He is taking His own out of it, but which
is judged already nevertheless.
Notes on Revelation 9, 10, and 11:18
49
62282
Notes on Revelation 9, 10,
and 11:18
CHAPTERS 9, 10, 11:18
ese present chapters carry us down to the close of the
book of Revelation in the general scope of the prophecy.
Chapter 11: 18 closes the general history. It is the conclusion
of the history of the government and of the judgment of
God on the earth. ere is something progressive in the
action of the providential government of God over men.
We see, rst, things of ordinary occurrence, such as famines,
pestilences. After this there are judgments more striking,
powers falling; then, in the rst four trumpets, men judged
in their circumstances. In the last three trumpets the
judgments fall on men themselves. After chapter 12 we
have the history of the apostasy.
Chapter 9. Fifth trumpet. e star falling on the earth is
a heavenly power fallen. e key of the bottomless pit was
given unto him. God permits Satan to act sometimes for
the good of His children, sometimes to let His judgments
fall on His enemies. Satan and his angels are rejoiced to
lay hold of an opportunity to do evil. God is coming here
to chastise the wickedness of men. ere are already on
earth elect ones of the twelve tribes in Israel who have the
seal of God marked on their foreheads. ey were sealed of
God before they knew it themselves. e progress of their
knowledge is not our subject here; but Daniel II, 12, and
the Psalms may be consulted.
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50
Verse 2. Here is a diabolical inuence which obscures
the government of the earth. e smoke darkens the air
and the sun (that is, the ordinary state of the earth, with
regard to its government and the general inuences which
act on men).
Verse 4. is diabolical power not only obscures that
which gives light to men, but it torments them and exercises
a deadly inuence over them. Wholesome inuences
are poisoned by it, and this power which rises from the
bottomless pit penetrates everywhere.
Verse 3. God’s purpose is not yet to kill men. Satan,
whatever his power and his malice, cannot do anything
but what is in the purpose of God. It is a moral diabolical
power over men who have not the mark of God on their
forehead. is power has no inuence on the grass, on
the verdure (on circumstances), but only on those who
are not recognized of God.
14
Satan has power to torment
the enemies of God with judgments, which aect them
rst in their circumstances, and then in their own persons,
and torment them because the rst judgments had not
produced their due eect.
Verses 5, 6. e anguish is such that men desire to die.
Verse 7. It is a people raised up to act in judgment over
others. It is the form Satan’s power takes. Crowns like gold
have an appearance of royal justice, pretending perhaps to
be divine. Verse 8. eir power of destruction is seen. Verse
9. eir power to hurt is in their tail. e tail is the image of
the false prophets. Compare Isa. 9:14. Verse 1 1. ey have
a king who rules the satanical darkness, which can act upon
14 It appears to me that this is more immediately connected
with, and conned to, the Jews (but they are identied with
the Gentiles who are in the land. e same is seen in Isa. 66)-to
speak more exactly, to Palestine.
Notes on Revelation 9, 10, and 11:18
51
the earth. He is the destroyer, Apollyon. us God acts in
a much more direct way on men, not now merely on their
circumstances only. is is the rst woe.
Sixth trumpet (v. 13-21). e angel sounds on the
summons of Christ. e Lord is still hidden; but He is
already occupied with the earth, where He has a people for
whom He is interceding. (Compare Isaiah 3o: i 8.) A voice
is heard from the four horns of the golden altar, or the altar
of incense (Exodus40: 26, 27), from the altar of intercession.
e voice gives an order to the angel who sounded the
sixth trumpet. e intercession does not apply to the moral
condition or to the spiritual conicts of those who prot by
them, but to the manifestation of the judgments of God,
which will in time operate the deliverance of an earthly
people.
Verse 15. Men are not only tormented now, but their
life is attacked. Verse 17. Fire and sulfur are the power of
judgment, of death and hell, in the hands of Satan, over
men. Verse 19. ere is further here the power of the
prophet of lies; at the same time, as a special satanical
power, that of the ancient serpent. Verses 20, 21. All these
previous judgments do not alter men, who are poisoned
by the tails of the horses (which, like unto serpents, have
power with their heads to hurt men). ey have been given
up to Satan, and strong delusion has been sent unto them
that they should believe a lie; 2ess. 2:11. e same had
happened to the Pagans, who were given up to a spirit of
darkness and of unbelief
(Rom. 1:28), and to the Jews also, whose heart was
made fat.
God did send them the word of truth, but they preferred
a lie, and God gave them up to their own desire-a lie, and
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52
a lie that works ecaciously. It is an awful judgment. ose
who will not receive the word of truth may prosper in their
outward circumstances; but this prosperity precedes their
ruin. is is what the world has to expect.
Chapter 10. is chapter forms a parenthesis, an episode.
ere is a system of great moment, which is to develop itself,
the apostasy. It is what we have most minutely described in
the Apocalypse. Before closing what is connected with the
government of God on earth, it is necessary to introduce
the subject of this apostasy. is is done here. e scene
passes in Judea. e nations have gathered round Jerusalem
like unto sheaves ready for the judgments of God to pass
on them. Till this time the immediate intervention of God
had not taken place on the earth.
e rst book had seals. Here, it is a book open, where
every one may read, which, while applying to the earth,
is also applicable to an open and public testimony to His
name and the walk or profession which accompanies it,
not to the hidden things of God in providence. Verse i. e
rainbow designates God’s alliance with creation, and His
faithfulness towards creation; the sun, supreme power; the
pillars of re, rmness of judgment. Verse 2. is revelation
is given by Christ Himself, as having dominion over the
earth, and as going to take possession of it in judgment.
ere is no more mystery, for the book is open. We do not
see here Christ as the Lion of Juda, but the rights which
belong to Christ. He sets one foot on the earth, the other
on the sea; that is to say, on the prophetic earth and on
things standing outside, particularly the world. Verse 3.
e seven thunders. All God’s rights over the earth, and
His voice, which makes those rights be heard. e manner
in which this takes place is not revealed.
Notes on Revelation 9, 10, and 11:18
53
Verses 5-10. Judgment is still suspended until the
seventh trumpet should have sounded. ere would,
however, no longer be delay, but the mystery of God would
be accomplished, as He had announced to the prophets.
ere will be a special object of the last judgment, the beast
which comes up from the bottomless pit. e object of that
judgment must appear, before the judgment can take place.
e revelation of God that was given to John was very
sweet to him. But when he meditates on the contents of
the prophecy for his people, his soul is lled with bitterness.
Verse 11. e nations and the kings must appear again
at the end to be the object of the last judgment. God has
never lost sight of them. ose nations, those tongues,
which are the result of the confusion of Babel (that is to
say, all the nations spoken of in Gen. 10 and 11) reappear
either in Daniel, or Ezekiel, or elsewhere, as in Psa. 83, in
order to be the objects of judgment.
Chapter 11:1-18. ere are worshippers and prophets,
that is to say, a testimony. e Gentiles do their own will,
and tread the holy city under their feet. God has a remnant
which is sealed, and He communicates with them. Verses
r, 3. We see here the altar of holocausts; the temple and
the worshippers found therein are distinguished. e rest
is trodden under foot.
Verse 2. Forty-two months. ere is one week
remaining out of the weeks of Daniel: seven weeks and
sixty-two weeks to the time of the Messiah. e events of
the last week are irrespective of what concerns the church.
It is of this last week, as it is of the sixty-nine others; they
were “ determined “ on the people of Israel and on the
holy city; Dan. 9:24. “ Seventy weeks are determined upon
thy people and upon thy holy city.” Sixty-nine weeks were
Collected Writings of J.N. Darby
54
elapsed up to the Messiah, but He was cut o; Dan. 9:26.
e church is a heavenly system, not providential, which
has nothing in common with earthly things, or with the
temple at Jerusalem.
15
e remaining week remains still to
be fullled. We have here the history of this last week.
16
At that time, God will resume with the Jews His laws, His
judgments, and His terrestrial government.
As to Daniel, Christ was cut o and took nothing (see
margin-the real sense-did not take the kingdom then),
after sixty and two weeks, that is sixty-nine. Now we learn
from the gospels His ministry was as nearly as possible
three years and a half, so that for intelligent faith there
is only half a week left, and, in fact, only that of the great
tribulation. For unbelief-the beast and the apostate Jews-
there is a week; and they enter into covenant for this time,
but he breaks it when half through, takes away the sacrice,
and the great tribulation begins-that which is spoken of in
Matt. 24, after verse 15, and in Mark 13-and this only in the
Revelation.-Letter, February, 1881.
See also in Prophetic Volume 4, “ Are there two half-
weeks in the Apocalypse? “)
We now have something precise in statement-Jerusalem;
a people at Jerusalem; the city trodden under foot by the
Gentiles. ese are Israel’s relations with God. Israel would
15 is gives the Psalms a character worthy of remark.
Deliverance is eected through the execution of judgments,
which are therefore demanded. e church, on the contrary,
will come out of all by ascending up into heaven. e Psalms
are evidently connected with the Jewish remnant alone in the
latter days, and with the consequences proceeding from it, as
to the world; also with the work and the sympathies of Christ,
which form the basis of it.
16 e writer wrote later as follows:-
Notes on Revelation 9, 10, and 11:18
55
not submit to Christ; they will submit to Antichrist. ere
is a small remnant who will not recognize Antichrist; but
the mass of the people will recognize him. God is watching
over this remnant whom He has sealed. I do not mean to
say, however, that the sealed remnant is conned to these,
for there are others of the twelve tribes that are sealed also.
ere is a testimony of God against men by prophets.
Verse 3. e two witnesses are prophets in aiction.
Verse 4. God is Lord over the earth. He will not permit
the times of the Gentiles to last any longer, nor that they
should tread under their feet what they cannot devour. is
is nished. God is going to show Himself as Lord over the
earth. He had given the earth to the Gentiles; Dan. 2:37.
His throne had judged and left Jerusalem; Ezekiel chaps.
1 to 11- particularly chap. 10:18 and chap. 11:22. And He
gives the dominion over the earth to Nebuchadnezzar, to
the Gentiles; Dan. 2:37, 38. And until the times of the
Gentiles are expired, Jerusalem shall be trodden under their
feet; Luke 21:24. But God will resume again His place as
Lord over the earth. e two witnesses render testimony to
this lordship, to the Lord over the earth, not to the Father,
or to the heavenly glory, to the Lord of heaven.
In Zech. 4 we see a candlestick. All is in order, and
everything in its place. Christ’s royalty and priesthood
sustain and nourish the Jewish people, and all is in its place.
But here all is in confusion. ere are two candlesticks,
two olive trees, but one does not know where to put them.
Nothing is as yet settled; but there is a testimony rendered
to these things, to their future fulllment.
Verses 5-8. Such is the fate of the two witnesses, because
the beast, the wicked one, assumes his empire, according
to Satan’s power. e witnesses give testimony to God’s
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56
right over the earth. ere is an allusion to the character
of Moses and Elias. Egypt was visited with plagues under
Moses; God’s people were then in captivity under the
dominion of the Gentiles. Moses displayed God’s power
against Pharaoh, in a way preparatory to the judgment that
was to come on him. Elias shut heaven, and made re come
down thence. Elias came at the time of the apostasy of
Israel. e last condition of Israel is worse than the rst.
e spirit of idolatry, the demon of Israel, shall take with
him seven other spirits worse than himself, and shall enter
again into Israel. e service of the two witnesses is that
of Moses against Pharaoh, and that of Elias in the midst
of an apostate people. But the beast comes up out of the
bottomless pit and kills the two witnesses. is is all that
takes place before the sounding of the last trumpet. e
particulars about Antichrist are revealed in the subsequent
part of the Apocalypse.
It is a serious thing to see the end of the age, and the
judgment coming, not on the dead, but on the nations;
to see how men are despising all the judgments of God,
and how everything concentrates itself in two witnesses,
and a little remnant at Jerusalem. It is written that the
publicans believed, having received the baptism of John.
But the Pharisees reject this baptism and do not believe in
Jesus, and they harden their hearts against the Holy Ghost;
while the publicans, having received the rst testimony,
receive also Jesus and then the Holy Ghost. It is important
to apprehend the least warning, to listen to the smallest
whisper of God’s voice, and to obey quickly His warning.
ere are always warnings that we have neglected previous
to chastisements.
Notes on Revelation 9, 10, and 11:18
57
Verse 14. Two woes are passed, and the third woe,
which ends with the judgment of Antichrist, comes
quickly. Verses 15-18. Seventh trumpet. e particulars of
this woe are not given here; they are given a little farther
on; but the seventh seal is the signal for the intervention
of God. (See chap. ro: 7.) When the sound of this trumpet
is heard, the intervention is celebrated in heaven with all
its consequences. It is the result that is celebrated. e
course of what is judged is reserved for what follows. is
intervention
17
begins with the judgment of Antichrist and
that of the nations which are angry; but if it is with regard
to them the moment when they are moved to anger, it
is with regard to God’s servants and His saints and His
prophets the time when God is pleased, in His faithfulness
and His love, to give them their reward. Great voices are
heard in heaven praising God and rejoicing, because the
kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of
17 Some believe that the judgment itself of Antichrist is the third
woe. I was made to say so in the rst edition of these notes,
but I doubt it. I cannot believe that the description given at
the beginning of the chapter is that of the last days of the man
of sin. e worship of the faithful and the temple of God are
preserved intact, and the strong testimony rendered by the two
witnesses secured against all attack, those who hurt them being
killed. Now, if this be so, this would be the rst half week,
the other half remains yet to be fullled. (Compare Matt. 24
I nd it also dicult to believe that it is just at the time of
the two witnesses being killed that all terminates. Now, it is
at the end of the twelve hundred and sixty days. In chapter 12
we have twelve hundred and sixty days, of which it is said, “
woe,” etc., which resemble much more Matt. 24 Neither does
it seem to me right to call the judgment of God a woe. We
must remember also that the dominion of the beast lasts twelve
hundred and sixty days, and that the two witnesses live during
the like period. Are they synchronical? I do not think so.
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58
our Lord and of His Christ. e four and twenty elders
give thanks and worship God, because the Lord God
Almighty has taken His great power and has entered upon
His reign. ere is great joy in heaven, because the reign
of iniquity and of the prince of this world has come to an
end; because creation, which from the time of Adam was
made subject to vanity and to the bondage of corruption
(Rom. 8:19-22), is come into blessing again, and, by the
presence of the Last Adam, by the exercise of His blessed
royalty and the manifestation of the children of God, and
particularly because Jesus reigns-Jesus, hated by the world,
Jesus despised and rejected of men, but Jesus, the beloved
Son of the Father, the glorious Bridegroom of the gloried
church!
Notes on Revelation 11:19 and 12
59
62288
Notes on Revelation 11:19
and 12
CHAPTERS 11: 19; and 12
What precedes verse 19 of chapter 11 brings the general
history of the ways of God to a termination. And before
entering upon the judgments peculiar to the apostasy, the
Apocalypse reveals to us more in detail what is to take place
on earth. Verse 18 had brought us to the end-to the seventh
trumpet. Verse 19 resumes the history from a higher point.
We have in what follows, rst, the causes of evil, and
what proceeds from those causes; secondly, the development
of Satan’s power and of the moving springs of evil in the
instruments he uses, and which manifests itself under a
very decided form; and thirdly, what God does in order to
destroy the evil.
Chapter 11: 19. e temple of God is seen open in
heaven, and the ark of the covenant is seen in the temple.
Before the evil is manifested, we have the joy that nothing
can touch the ark, and that everything concerning the
people of God is rmly settled and secured in heaven. In
treating with His people God is binding Himself. is is
the ark of His covenant. e power of God and His holiness
must be manifested towards His people, and displayed in
their favor. is is precious, for man’s heart will fail him at
the sight of evil. But before God lets the evil be seen, He
manifests to the eye of faith His temple and the ark of His
covenant, where everything is stable, where nothing can
be touched. e thunders can fall on the earth, but they
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60
cannot fall on God’s temple. It is no more the throne; it is
the place for worship, the place where God is adored. e
lightnings, the voices, the thunders, and the hail, are the
action of God on the atmosphere of the earth, on what
envelopes it. e terrors of God are acting on the world.
e Apocalypse after this shows us the sources of evil, and
the judgment of God on them.
Chapters 12, 13, 14 form a whole. Chapter 12 presents
to us, in their great characters, the sources and the results;
chapter 13 the development of evil on the earth, through
Satan’s instruments; chapter 14 God’s relation with His
people and with the world for good, and His judgment on
Satan’s instruments which chapter 13 had made known to
us.
Chapter 12 is divided into three parts; the rst,
beginning with verse 1 down to verse 6; the second, from
verse 7 down to verse 12; the third, from verse 13 down to
verse 17. First part. Verses 1-6 place before us the actors
in this scene, viz., a woman with child of Him who is the
object of all the counsels of God, and the vessel of His
power on earth, while herself weak (she is, according to
His counsels, clothed with supreme glory); a child mighty,
but who does not yet act in His might, but is hidden and
withdrawn into heaven, while the woman ees into the
wilderness; a great red dragon, Satan, who would devour
the child, and who hates the woman and persecutes her.
e woman is clothed with the sun, with the glory of God,
with all supreme authority. e moon is under her feet; all
subordinate and derivative authority is under her feet. She
Notes on Revelation 11:19 and 12
61
has upon her head a crown of twelve stars-power in man
displayed to perfection.
18
e second sign in heaven is a child, the heir of strength.
e woman is not the church. ere is a great red dragon
who is against the woman; it is Satan who resists the
manifestation of the glory of the child and of the woman.
His power is perfect in its kind; he has seven heads, with
crowns, and ten horns. e tail is designative of the bad
inuence of error in doctrine. e dragon draws after him
the third part of the stars of heaven, the authorities. Satan
would devour the child. e child is Christ; it is also the
church, as associated with Christ. Like Christ she is to
govern the nations; Psa. 2 and Rev. 2:26, 27. e church
receives this power from her being associated with Christ;
she will, notwithstanding, be also active in heaven. When
the Lord Jesus comes again, it will be in the display of His
authority, for He shall rule all nations with a rod of iron,
and the church will be with Him; Psa. 2:6-9; Rev. 2:27.
It is what Christ will do when He has taken possession
of the inheritance of the nations. Now, He looks for the
church; John 17:9. Later, He will look for the world; Psa.
2:7. He makes the church to be partaker with Him in the
possession of the world; Rev. 2:27.
e male child then is Christ, the Head of the church
which is His body. e Man complete is Christ and the
church. Christ imparts to the church all He has; but the
power of Christ is not yet displayed. Christ and the church
are hidden in God. e woman, on the contrary, who was
clothed with the sun, remains on the earth, and is in the
18 It will be found that the number seven is gurative of spiritual
perfection, either in good or evil; and twelve, of perfection in
man, such as the twelve patriarchs, the twelve apostles.
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desert. As soon as we are obliged to seek the woman on
earth, it can be none else but the Jews. e church is only in
heavenly places, she is not known on earth. Jerusalem is the
center where God recognizes His people. It is the people of
God, in relation with God, which becomes the woman on
earth when the male child is in heaven. If we seek for the
instruments on earth, we shall nd that Christ was born
of the Jews. In Zion it shall be said “ is man was born
there,” Psa. 87 We have the thought of God in the woman
and the glory. We have, besides, the result of this thought,
which is Christ. It is to the woman that Satan bears an ill-
will; he hates her; but he cannot touch the child who is in
heaven.
Second part, verses 7-12. We are told here the
circumstances which force the woman to ee. Satan and
his angels are in heaven; Eph. 6:12. Satan has access to the
heavens which God created, where His throne is placed.
It is there he was the accuser of Job; but Satan has no
entrance into the light, which cannot be approached. Jesus
says, speaking of the miracles of His disciples, “ I saw Satan
like lightning fall from heaven.” From a feeble sample of
the power of His name He sees all the power of Satan
cast out from heaven. A war takes place now in heaven.
Michael and his angels ght against the dragon and his
angels. Michael is called the archangel in Jude 9. e
word of God speaks of only one archangel. e immediate
result of this war is that Satan is cast out from heaven into
the earth. He has no more power in heaven. It is a great
mistake to believe that Satan is in the lake of re. He is
with the angels in heavenly places. Men will be found
in the lake of re burning with brimstone before Satan
is there; chap. 19:20. He shall be cast out of heaven into
Notes on Revelation 11:19 and 12
63
the earth, where he will still act and deceive the nations.
He is already worshipped amongst the pagans. As soon as
the event here anticipatively announced by prophecy takes
place, the heavens are forever cleansed from the delement
and presence of Satan. He was overcome by those on earth,
as accuser, by the blood of the Lamb. Satan’s accusations
only draw out the manifestation of God’s favor towards
His children. Cast out from heaven, Satan shall come again
on the earth to gather the nations from the four quarters of
the earth to battle, and to make war against heaven.
ird part, verses 13-17. Instead of seeing, as in verse the
woman in heaven, having the sun for a crown (that is to say,
agreeably to the thought and the counsels of God, a vessel
without strength, but clothed with supreme authority), we
nd her in the earth. Christ issued from the woman, the
Jews. e church is in nowise the mother of Christ; she is
His bride. When Satan is cast out from heaven, he begins
to make war with the seed of the woman, the Jews, the only
testimony of God remaining then on earth.
Two wings of a great eagle are given to the woman.
e strong man of God,
19
Christ, does not yet exercise His
power. e woman has nothing else to do but to ee for
three years and a half, during which time Satan exercises
his power on earth with great fury. e only resource of
the woman is to ee. Jesus foretold this in Matt. 24:16. As
soon as the abomination that makes desolate shall stand
in the holy place (Matt. 24:15; Dan. 11), three years and a
half will elapse until the deliverance. At the beginning of
these three years and a half the disciples are to ee to the
mountains; Matt. 24:16. e woman ed to the desert. It
is the last end of the -indignation (Dan. 8:19) and of the
19 Psalm 80: 17.
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vengeance; Isa. 34:8; ch. 60: 2; Jer. 50:15, 28; ch. 51: 6, 22,
etc.
20
One cannot apply to the Roman eagles what is said of
the abomination of desolation. Nothing, from the time
Jerusalem was taken by Titus, coincides with the twelve
hundred and ninety days in Dan. 12:11, even calculating,
as some would do, twelve hundred and ninety years instead
of twelve hundred and ninety days.
e serpent does all he can to kill the woman, even
when she ees. ere remaineth (v. 17) a remnant of the
seed of the woman, with whom Satan shall make war.
ose who keep the commandments of God, and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ,
21
are those who have the Spirit
of prophecy, who are attached to Jesus (that is to say, to
the testimony of the Spirit of prophecy, which is God’s
testimony to God’s promise, and not to Antichrist). e
ood which the dragon casts out of his mouth is a mass
of people; Isa. 8:7, 8. When the king of Assyria and all his
glory come to lay waste through Judea, they are presented
under the image of a ood and of waters strong and many.
e earth swallows the ood which the dragon casts out
after the woman. God, in His providence, prevents these
nations from devouring and destroying Israel.
We have here the end of the last week in Daniel. What
remains of the week is connected with the things of the
earth. It still remains to be fullled. After the way which
we nd mentioned here, Satan will never regain heaven.
After having been cast into the bottomless pit and bound
there for a thousand years, he shall regain the earth and
20 See footnote on page 32.
21 It appears to me certain, that the testimony of Jesus Christ is
the testimony that He has rendered Himself, not the testimony
that is rendered unto Him.
Notes on Revelation 11:19 and 12
65
seduce the nations (chap. 20: 8), but he will never regain
heaven.
e inhabiters of the earth are never the church. ey
are those who are attached to the system of this world
in the prophetic earth of the latter days, and who abide
there. e inhabiters of the sea are the nations outside the
prophetic earth. ose who thus inhabit the earth, without
being righteous, have against them Satan in all his fury.
22
22 e order here is to be remarked, viz., the rapture of the male
child-the war in heaven-the persecution (through Satan who
is cast out of it) of the woman in the earth.
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62291
Notes on Revelation 13
CHAPTER 13
In chapter 12 we were taught, in the great sign that
appears in heaven, what the sources of evil are. In chapter
13 we see the wicked instruments Satan makes use of for
the fulllment of all that iniquity and evil of which he
is himself the source. e dragon imitates God, who has
given all authority to His Son, and the Holy Ghost acting
in His power in the presence of the Son. us Satan gives
his power to a beast, and another beast exercises that power
in his presence. One of the beasts comes from the sea, the
other from the earth. We have in these instruments the full
display of evil working in the earth. e rst beast has also
his deadly wound healed, as Christ rose from the deadly
wound of death.
First beast, verses 1-10. e sea represents a mass of
people without form. When there is order, when population
takes a denite shape, this is the earth. e sea represents
the mass of people previous to its taking a denite form;
chap. 17: 15. Babylon is sitting on the seas, that is, on the
people, the nations, and tongues. e lion, the leopard,
the bear, in Dan. 7, are the symbols of three of the four
monarchies. When God’s throne was no more at Jerusalem,
God gave all power into the hands of the Gentiles. We
see, to the end, four empires represented by four beasts.
No mention is made here of the rst three beasts, because
Notes on Revelation 13
67
they had already ceased at the time of the apostle.
23
In the
meantime, Jesus is hidden in God, and sitting at His right
hand, according to Psa. 110; Acts 2:30; Isa. 9:5, 6, etc.
e Roman empire has become guilty of having
rejected Him who alone had the right of dominion over
the whole earth. is it is which gives a character to this
beast. Nor is it all. is beast makes war with the saints that
are on earth, at all times and under all circumstances, and
persecutes in them the Lord Jesus. e Roman empire bears
the character of the rst three beasts, and combines their
qualities in its body. e fourth beast shall be destroyed
(Dan. 7:26), and the lordship shall be given to the Son
of man by the Ancient of days; Dan. 7:11-14. is beast
receives power from the dragon (chap. 13: 2) and becomes
Satan’s immediate instrument.
As the Father has given all power to the Son, who acts
in this power through the Holy Ghost, likewise the dragon
gives his power to the beast, who exercises this power
through another beast.
e rst beast has seven heads and ten horns. Each
horn represents a kingdom. Each kingdom is crowned. All
these kingdoms agree in giving their power to the beast,
in whom is an active principle of blasphemy. e Roman
empire is to be divided into ten kingdoms, which give
23 Only they are recognized in the form of the beast in verse
4. Prophecy could only belong to the fourth beast now, the
Roman empire. It is the most important beast, the one which
had to do with the Lord Jesus. e Roman empire has been
proved by God through the presence of the Lord Jesus. Jesus
was presented to the fourth beast, and condemned by Pilate,
as King of the Jews. He was born King of the Jews, and the
throne of God on earth belongs to Him. He was rejected of
men: nevertheless, the throne belongs to Him, and shall be
restored unto Him.
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their power to the beast. is has not yet taken place. e
Roman empire has fallen once, and has been divided, it is
true, but this does not fulll the prophecy. ere has never
been the union of the beast with the ten horns. When the
barbarous nations of the fourth century were brought upon
the scene, they destroyed the unity of the Roman empire.
e co-existence of this unity with the ten horns has never
taken place. Instead of giving their power to the beast, we
must consider the barbarous nations, which are looked at
as the ten horns which give their power to the beast, as
its destroyer. is proves to us that it would be useless to
look in the time past for the fulllment of those things
which the Apocalypse reveals to us here, and as to which
Dan. 7 and Rev. 17:12-14 instruct us also. e fulllment
of these things is yet to come. ey are prophetical things,
not historical. We may omit the consideration of ve heads
as already fallen at the time of the apostle. ere is one
head contemporary with the apostle, and another to come.
One of the heads is marked by a deadly wound, but it is
to be healed, or, as it were, rise again. It is in everything an
imitation of what God does, and of the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus. All the kingdoms from the west shall unite to
give their power to the Roman empire. All the earth, in
admiration at the restoration of the Roman empire, shall
follow after the beast. is has never happened yet. We
have in Napoleon an image of this. It is like a prelude to the
fulllment of prophecy. ere will be such an admiration,
equal to adoration and worship, at the resurrection of this
empire.
Besides what thus externally characterizes it, there is (v.
5) a moral aspect, a mouth uttering blasphemies; Dan. 7:
8. is dreadful time of the blasphemies of the beast shall
Notes on Revelation 13
69
last forty-two months. It displays its anger towards those
who dwell in heaven. It is already thus in principle. If a
Christian will walk as an inhabitant of heaven, the world
cannot bear him. at will be still more dreadful then. A
distinction must be made here between those who inhabit
the earth, that is, the prophetic earth (whose hopes are upon
the earth, and who are not dwelling there as pilgrims and
strangers), and the nations, tribes, and tongues, by whom
must be understood men in general. ose who inhabit
the earth shall worship the beast, which is not said of the
tongues, tribes, and nations.
e fate of those who inhabit the earth will be to
worship the beast. e tongues, the kindreds, the people,
and the nations, shall be under its authority; but they do not
follow nor worship it; 2ess. 2:9-12. ere is the coming
of Antichrist, as there is also the coming of Christ. Strong
delusion shall be sent to those who have not received the
love of the truth, but who take pleasure in unrighteousness,
that they should believe a lie. ey are those who inhabit
the earth, the professing church, and not the heathen, to
whom the truth never was set forth. e terms “ power,
wonders, miracles,” are the same which Peter uses (Acts
2:22), to show forth unto the Jews the power of Jesus. e
same things will be displayed by Satan in evil, in order to
accredit evil. It is an awful thing to see the world, rejecting
the truth, have strong delusion sent unto them, so that
they should believe a lie, and worship the beast to whom
the dragon has given his power, because they refused to
worship Christ to whom God had given His power.
What we read in verse to is a principle for Christians.
e character of the patience and of the faith of the saints
is not to resist at all. is is true at all times. If any one will
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use the arms of the esh, he shall be made subject to them.
Whosoever draws the sword shall perish by the sword.
Second beast, verses 11-13. It rises out of the prophetic
earth, out of the nations who have a form. It bears the
appearance of the power of Christ; its form is, as to its
horns, like unto a lamb, but what it says is the voice of
Satan. It has put on the form of the lamb, as to power,
and yet its doctrine is that of the dragon. e second
beast exercises all the power of the rst in its presence. It
performs wonders, like Elias, who made re come down
from heaven. It acts so as to appear to cause the judgments
of God to come down upon men.
e form of a beast is not the last form that the second
beast takes. It will appear at the end as a false prophet. We
have here the rst manifestations of it only. e rst beast
here is seen as a whole; but the end of the second beast is in
the latter part of chapter 19, where the beast and the false
prophet are taken; in which we can recognize evidently
the two beasts mentioned in chapter 13. e second beast
does not always retain the character of its terrestrial and
secular power. It teaches a doctrine, and, when it loses its
power, it gives its inuence; it falls as a beast and not as a
false prophet.
24
It is a person who exercises all his inuence
through his doctrine.
He has lost his rst character and his rst power; no
mention is made how he lost them. e power of the second
beast was in his miraculous signs. e same inuence is
seen in the false prophet. e beast is recognized in him. It
24 In its nal destruction, it is characterized as “ the false
prophet.” It is perhaps uncertain whether its destruction, as
false prophet, presents anything else but what characterizes the
beast, the only character it retains in its last relations with the
rst beast.
Notes on Revelation 13
71
is a seducing inuence, in order to deceive the inhabitants
of the earth, and cause them to submit to the rst beast,
to the Roman empire, who is the immediate depositary of
Satan’s power.
It is the end of the inhabitants of the earth. If we are
Christians, we are of heaven, and not of the Roman empire.
Man thinks that if he could get rid of religion, the march
of intellect would be more rapid, and he would be happier.
Yes, there would be more activity of mind, but not one tittle
of conscience. e mouth will be lled with blasphemies.
Some think that Christianity will have the upper hand. No
I unbelievers will have their desire, which is the object of
their expectation. Man’s faculties will produce wonderful
things, but they will produce neither conscience nor
happiness, nor eternal life; and man is only exalting himself
to receive a more terrible blow, a more fearful judgment!
is is what is written in the word of God. ough the
great whore shall be indeed destroyed (Rev. 17:16, 17), the
result of her destruction will not be the conversion of those
who shall have destroyed her, for the ten kings give their
authority to the beast. ese things must come to pass in
order that the judgment of God may take place. Conscience
even may throw us into Satan’s arms, if we are not kept
by the power of Jesus. In order that none may escape the
rst beast, the second is there to deceive men and to make
them believe a lie. We are told of those things that we may
avoid the least details of that system of corruption which
as yet has the appearance of Christianity, but which has the
speech of the dragon. e image of the beast, in verse x5, is
the image of the chief of the Roman empire, Antichrist.
25
25 See footnote on page 78 and the paper re: “ Antichrist.”
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Verses 17, 18. I confess my ignorance as to the number
six hundred and sixty-six. I cannot present you with
anything satisfactory to myself. We nd, answering to the
number six hundred and sixty-six, the words ‘ apostasy
‘ and ‘ tradition ‘; but I cannot say anything positive on
the point. Without saying greater spirituality might not
discern it now, my impression is that it is a mark graciously
given to assure the discernment of those exercised by it at
the time.
May God give us to see and to mark the course
which this world is running, and enable us to avoid all its
inuences! When one knows what will be the end of a
thing, one avoids that which would lead to it. e end of
Christendom is awful. God makes us acquainted with it in
order that we may avoid it. e more I see what is taking
place,
26
the more I discover that things are hastening on,
that evil may have the upper hand and be judged, that God
may judge it and purify the earth. e iniquity must be full
before God strikes; Gen. 15:16. We are in the last days in
this respect. Men believe that there is great progress taking
place, yet they feel great uneasiness in the expectation of
what is going to happen. Christians must keep apart, living
according to the principles of their heavenly calling.
26 ese notes were taken in 1842
Notes on Revelation 14
73
62292
Notes on Revelation 14
CHAPTER 14
e preceding chapter gives the description and history
of the great instruments of evil on the earth. is (which
is the last of the three chapters, 12-14, which, taken as a
whole, form, so to speak, a book) gives us the history of the
ways of God on the earth, during the period of the beast up
to the end of the judgments. We nd ourselves here (not in
heaven, as in chapter 12; not on the earth with the beast,
but) on Mount Sion. God still acts in grace, not now with
the view of gathering the church, but towards the remnant
on the earth.
Verses 1-5. ere are redeemed ones from amongst
those of the earth; they are rst-fruits unto God and unto
the Lamb. Before the harvest is completely ripe, some of
the rst-fruits are presented to God. We are the heavenly
rst-fruits of the whole creation, to be with Christ, who
is Head of the creation in a heavenly manner. But God’s
purpose is that there should be a bond between heaven and
earth. Jesus is to unite all things in heaven and on earth.
Sin has brought everything into confusion and rent the
tie. Jesus came; and He was, while on earth, a link between
heaven and earth. e Holy Ghost came down upon Him.
Heaven was open, because Jesus (the only one heaven could
recognize) was on the earth. In John 1:51 the angels are
seen descending on Him as the Son of man, which will be
entirely fullled in the time of the glory of Jesus. Stephen
saw heaven opened; but Jesus, who is the object of God’s
delight, was in heaven, where man is entered in Christ, and
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where man can nd a place with Christ. When the Jews
rejected the gospel, heaven was opened that the church, full
of the Holy Ghost, might contemplate the glory of God.
When Jesus was on the earth, heaven looked on the earth;
now that Jesus is in heaven, the church on earth looks on
high. In a yet fuller revelation, as at the conversion of Paul,
it is owned as one with Jesus, who is there.
Jesus has not given up His rights over the earth. e
church is chosen by Him to be with Him in heaven and to
share with Him His rights over the earth. Jesus is to reign
and to unite the heavens and the earth. e beginning of
this takes place here. e hundred forty and four thousand
are on Mount Sion, and learn the song of heaven. In Sinai
God required obedience from the earth. Mount Sion, on
the contrary, represents kingly grace upon earth. After
Israel had failed under Moses, under the judges, and under
Saul, David became the king chosen of God to reign over
His people. Jesus is to sit on David’s throne. David carried
the ark to Mount Sion in the city of David; 2Sam. 6:12-19.
It is written in Heb. 12:22, “ But ye are come unto Mount
Sion,” that is to say, not to heaven, but to the mount of
royal grace [in opposition to Sinai], to the mountain where
the ark of the covenant was, before the temple was built;
Psa. 78:67-72. After Israel had been unfaithful, God made
choice of David to feed His people. Mount Sion is the seat
of that authority. e passage quoted above in the epistle
to the Hebrews shows all the glory that will surround the
Lord Jesus when He mounts the throne of David; and the
epistle to the Hebrews tells us that we do not belong to the
system of Sinai, where man fails, but to the system of grace.
John sees the Lamb on Mount Sion. We cannot enjoy
God’s favor but through the Lamb; and the suering Lamb
Notes on Revelation 14
75
was the true Messiah and heir of David. Heaven is raising
a song of joy, because the blessing of the earth is beginning
to appear. ose that are redeemed from the earth learn
this song. It is a peculiar work and blessing before the
general harvest. ey are the ears of ripe corn, the rst-
fruits chosen and presented to God before the others. e
hundred forty and four thousand are the only ones that
can learn that song. eir ear is more quick to understand
the things of heaven, and to be a link between heaven and
earth.
In the Revelation “ the earth “ is always distinct from
the world. e earth, where the light has already shone, is
what is called the prophetic earth. Before God judges the
nations, kindreds, people, and tongues (which are outside
the earth), as well as those who inhabit the earth, there
shall be given a new testimony-that of the angel who
announces the judgments of God which are going to fall
on the world (v. 6, 7). It is not here the gospel that gathers
the church; it is the everlasting gospel. e testimony of the
angel is, “ Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of
his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven,
and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” is
testimony bears on the judgment of God, and is an appeal
to the idolatrous nations to ee from this judgment. ere
is no question here of the message of salvation which God
is now addressing to men by the preaching of the name of
Jesus. To apply this passage to the present missions is to
close the mouth of the angel who says “ e hour of his
judgment is come.” God, on the contrary, allows us time
still to announce and to proclaim His grace towards poor
sinners, and to preach the gospel to every creature. e
time for this message is that of which the Holy Spirit says,
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“ Behold, now is the day of salvation.” e gospel we have
to preach gathers the church for heaven; that of the angel
announces the judgment to the earth. God always sends
a special testimony before the judgment. He sent Noah
before the deluge; He will act in the same manner before
the judgment of the earth.
Verse 8 shows us the downfall of Babylon. is is not
yet the fall of the beast. Babylon is the city of corruption,
where everything has become merchandise, even the souls
of men. e particulars of this judgment are seen a little
farther on.
Verses 9-11. A third angel announces the chastisement
of the inhabitants of the earth, who worship the beast.
Men must choose between the wrath of God or that of the
beast. e great proof of faith at that time will be in not
worshipping the beast.
Verse 12. “ Here is the patience of the saints.” ere
are times when one can walk quietly. An entire separation
from the world, then, is that in which faithfulness would
consist;
but peace renders this dicult, because, the respective
boundaries being easily forgotten, worldliness comes in.
In times of persecution faithfulness consists in bearing
testimony, and in not denying the Lord, nor His testimony,
in order to escape the wrath of man and of the enemy.
Verse 13. “ Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord
from henceforth.” e question of dying for Jesus is settled
in the happiness of those who die, in their glory and their
return with Christ.
Verses 14-16 show us the harvest of the earth. e
harvest includes both good and evil. It is the end of the age.
It concerns here only the earth. Two shall be found in one
Notes on Revelation 14
77
bed; one shall be taken for judgment, the other left, as it
happened at the deluge and in Sodom. e world is judged
and separated from those that are faithful.
Verses 17-20. Fire always gures the judgment of God.
Every one shall be salted with re. e work of every one
shall pass through the re. e angel coming from the altar
has power over the re, over God’s judgment.
ere are three things to be remarked in what Scripture
says of the vine. “ e house of Israel is the vine of the Lord
of hosts, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant,” Isa. 5:7.
But this vine of Israel produced but sour grapes. John 15
presents to us Jesus as being Himself the vine on earth,
the true vine; but He is rejected. It is because this vine is
on the earth, that every branch which beareth not fruit is
taken away. e question there is not concerning the elect
for heaven, as such. A Jew might conform himself to the
law, and yet produce no fruit. e question now is about
bearing fruit. What we have in the Revelation presented to
us here is a vine on earth, the form of the people of God in
the earth; but each cluster is the object of the judgment and
of the wrath of God. It is not a harvest in which you have
to separate the good corn from the bad. ere is nothing
but what is bad in that vine, and there is an awful judgment
of God “ without the city,” near Jerusalem, and in Edom;
Isa. 63:1-6. One does not understand how this passage
could be applied to the work of Jesus on the cross. He is
clothed with glorious apparel. He is in all the greatness of
His strength. He treads the winepress, and tramples down
the people in His anger. His garments are sprinkled with
their blood, not theirs with His. It is then He redeems the
Jews. At the cross His arm did not save Him.
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e vine, the form of religion in the earth, will be the
object of judgment. is contains an allusion to what took
place amongst the Jews. In Lev. 23 the feasts are presented
to us in the following order:
Firstly. e Passover: Christ is our Passover. Secondly.
Pentecost: the coming of the Holy Ghost has given us the
reality of that feast; the Holy Ghost gathers the church as
the rst-fruits of creation. irdly. e feast of Tabernacles:
this feast has not yet had its antitype. Several months of
interval elapsed without feasts after Pentecost. In the
seventh month which begins with the feast of trumpets, on
the tenth day the people were to aict their souls. On the
fteenth day began the feast of tabernacles, during which
Israel lived in tents, in remembrance and as a testimony
that Israel had been a stranger and a pilgrim in the desert-
he who now was living in peace in the land of promise. e
feast of tabernacles was celebrated after the harvest and the
vintage were over, after the produce of the earth had been
gathered. is harvest and this vintage are yet to come, and
the true feast of tabernacles has not yet taken place.
To sum up things, Rev. 14 presents to us an elect people;
grace acting, and a testimony rendered; the downfall of
Babylon; a warning to those who shall worship the beast;
the blessedness of those who die in the Lord; the harvest;
and the vintage of the earth.
It is very instructive for us to see where all this leads,
and what the end of it will be. All that which is of the esh
shall fall under God’s judgment. It is there that all men’s
prospects and hopes end. ere is also the consolation of
being able to rise above these things, of seeing heaven
open. e more death is our condition on earth, the more
also we shall see of heaven. If the power of the Holy Ghost
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79
carries us to bear a testimony that would lead us to death,
we shall be a thousand times more happy, and we shall see
heaven open for us. e principles of the corruption of the
earth are all in activity. Faithfulness consists in eeing from
those principles whose fruits are clusters for the vintage of
the earth.
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Notes on Revelation 15 and
16
CHAPTERS 15, 16
ese two chapters contain one and the same subject:
namely, the vengeance of God. e seven vials are the vials
of the wrath of God. ey are still things preparatory. It is
the wrath of God, and not yet that of the Lamb and His
judgment. Chapter 17 is an episode on Babylon. Chapter
18 is the judgment of Babylon.
Chapter 15. e things presented to us in this chapter
do not form a continuation of those contained in chapter
14. We have another sign. It is the description of the
last plagues by which God will consummate His wrath
against the inhabitants of the earth. ey are preparatory
judgments, which invite men to repent, but which, after all,
only provoke anger. We do not yet see the Lamb here; it is
not the manifestation of Jesus in Person.
roughout the Apocalypse, we nd the faithfulness
of God towards His people before the execution of His
judgments. No, it is impossible one hair should be lost,
even if the faithful be killed. Satan can for a while kill
the body, but all his power ends there. Verses 2 and 3 set
before our eyes the symbols of things very aecting. e
circumstances of the scene allude to the service of the
temple. e sea of glass recalls to mind the brazen sea in
the temple. We have seen souls under the altar of burnt
oerings. We are led here a little farther to the laver, the
brazen sea, where the consecrated priests washed their feet,
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81
as Jesus washes the feet of those whom He has consecrated
priests, after having been made a burnt-oering for them.
is brazen sea represents purity. e sea here is lled with
glass (that is, as transparent as the water was in the brazen
laver) but it is solid. It is purity, but not now employed
as an instrument of purication; it is rm, unalterable, on
which they stand. (Compare chap. 21: 18.) In our contact
with the world we are always deled. Our feet are on the
earth. We are washed; but we walk on the earth that is
deled, and Jesus washes our feet. In the heavenly city we
shall walk on purity itself. e whole city is purity. at is
the nature of heavenly things. ose that are in the city are
in contact with the perfection of the purity of God. ere
is therefore no longer delement nor purication. at is
in the main what is seen in the elect (v. 2); they stood on
the sea of glass. ere is, moreover, the re, because they
had gone through the judgments of God. ey had come
out of tribulation under Antichrist. (See chap. 13: 13-16).
ey had conquered-conquered even unto death. ey had
also shown their faithfulness, and had not worshipped the
beast. e faithful spoken of here form a distinct class.
ey are on a sea, as it were, of re. In principle, this is the
character of our tribulations. Water will not always suce
for the hardness of our hearts. Fire, chastisement, trial,
become necessary; but trial would be of none eect if there
were not the action of the Holy Spirit through the word. If
I correct my child and he submits, the punishment ceases;
if not, it continues. erefore it is that we often see trials
and chastisements continue. We must then ask and accept
that the inward work be perfected, and then the trial will
be removed.
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In chastisements the hand of God is applied to the soul
exactly according to the state in which it really is. Abraham,
being more faithful than Lot, escapes the suerings of Lot.
Lot’s position was more trying. Unfaithfulness may be the
occasion for God to manifest His ways, although he that is
more faithful will be more blessed at all events. Faithfulness
(although displayed in circumstances from which more
faithfulness would have kept us) does not fail to have its
reward; but it takes place in the midst of more suerings.
Verse 3. ere are two subjects for praise. We may sing
the wonders of God, His works, as this was the case in
Israel; or else we may sing the ways of God, as it is the case
with the church. e church has not known the plagues of
Egypt, the Red Sea, Sinai, as events happening to herself;
these things are written for her instruction. She has the
knowledge of the ways and of the thoughts of God. In the
Jewish state, when under tutors and governors (Gal. 4:1-3),
those things happened to them, but they were written for
us; they were as children, they had need of palpable things.
e Red Sea was not divided for us; but when Paul says “
they were all baptized to Moses in the sea,” I understand
better than Israel what the Red Sea means, and I have
in the event the knowledge of the intention and of the
thought of God, which is evidently a much greater favor.
e faithful sing the song of Moses and that of the
Lamb- the visible power of God over the Red Sea and in
Sinai; and the glory of God in the Lamb, His faith and His
obedience unto death, having been made subject for a while
to the power of the wicked. ey sing the love of God, the
ways of God, the glory of God-things manifested by His
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83
judgments, but concentrated in the cross of Jesus.
27
“ How
marvelous are all thy works! y ways are ways of justice
and of truth! “ e saints have here these two things before
their eyes: the works of God, the manifested deliverance of
His people, His judgments over the wicked-this is the song
of Moses; the purpose and the counsels of God towards
His people-this is the song of the Lamb; Psalm 103: 7. “
God has made known his ways unto Moses; His acts unto
the children of Israel.” Moses had seen on the mount the
pattern of the things of God, the pattern of the tabernacle.
e names given to God in verse 3 are those of Jehovah, a
name revealed to Israel; and of Almighty, a name revealed
to Abraham. It is the works of God that these names recall.
We see in verse 4 how the nations will be brought to God,
namely, because His judgments will be fully manifested.
Isa. 26:9, zo displays the same principle, a principle which
is essential to the understanding of the ways of God in
this respect. “ Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will
he not learn righteousness.” is is what we have set forth
to us in the gospel; but when the judgments of God are
27 I have some doubt whether the song of the Lamb does not
refer here rather to the exaltation of the Lamb in royal power
and preferment in the latter day, than to His perfect work on
the cross. e Lamb had been slain; but in the Revelation
it is ever rather the place He who had been slain takes than
His death that is in question. It is that suering Person that
is brought forward. So here. Mercy and truth will then be
met together; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Truth shall ourish out of the earth, and righteousness shall
look down from heaven. ese are God’s ways. No doubt this
was morally accomplished on the cross; but that Psalm speaks
of its manifestation in result on earth, and so here. It is the
manifestation on earth of these things rather that is sung, not
that in which they are known to faith.
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upon the earth, the inhabitants of this world will “ learn
righteousness.” Judgment will devour the wicked, and the
earth will be instructed thereby. e eect of the gospel
will not be to render the inhabitants of the earth subject
to God: the gospel is to gather the church for the heavenly
glory. It is because the judgments are made manifest that
the nations come and prostrate themselves before God.
Verses 5-8 open to us a new scene. e seven angels
are clothed in pure and white linen; it is personal holiness.
ey have their breasts girded with golden girdles. Gold is
the emblem of the perfect righteousness, of the justice, of
God.
e girdle is the sign of activity in service, or of that
government and of that power over ourselves which would
render us t to act, and by its very character to execute this
righteousness. Christ also is girded with a golden girdle.
Here, it is not grace that is in activity; it is the wrath and
vengeance of God.
Jesus had said, “ In your patience possess ye your souls “
(Luke 21:19)-a position of faithfulness while the testimony
lasts. ere will be a time when God alone will testify of
Himself, without any man’s testimony rendered to Him; it
will be a testimony of vengeance, because His power and
His righteousness have been despised by man.
e vials are given by the four living creatures. e
smoke from the glory of God is a testimony of power and
majesty; but it obscures and hinders any relations with
God, and no one at that time can draw near Him. God
does not appear there, either in the ark or in Christ, where
He is reconciling man to Himself, and dwells in Israel. It is
a time of majesty and not of grace.
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85
In chapter 16 the vials are poured out. e prophetic
earth is here the object of judgment-the earth, where God
made Himself known, and where He has been rejected.
e vials of His wrath are to be poured out upon the
impenitent inhabitants of that earth. When God alone
can render a testimony to Himself, because every other
testimony has been rejected, all the world must undergo
the vengeance of God.
Chapter 16. You will recollect that we have been
particularly occupied with those that are on the sea of
glass, who escape the judgment, and are singing the song
of Moses and of the Lamb. ey had expressed in their
song that the judgments of God were fully manifested. e
angels come out of the temple for the execution of these
judgments. We have distinguished between the wrath
of God which falls on the earth, without Christ being
manifested, and the judgment and the wrath of the Lamb
manifested in person. e manifestation of the Lord Jesus
and of His judgment is something quite distinct from the
wrath of God; and when God has acted in His wrath, all
is not over. God manifests solely His glory through the
instruments He has chosen, and it is not then the time
to enter into the temple. e wrath of the Lamb, which
is subsequent to these events, falls on the beast, who is
brought on the scene in a peculiar way after this.
Verses 1, 2. e scene is altered. Before, it was the beast
who persecuted those who had not its image: now, God is
acting, and smites those that had persecuted and such as
had submitted themselves to the power of the beast. e
sun here is only the supreme authority over the earth-that
which shines on the earth and on this prophetic scene of
judgments. e inhabitants of the earth had worshipped
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the beast and persecuted the saints and the prophets.
When the vial of the wrath of God is poured out upon the
earth, it strikes those who had worshipped the beast and
received its mark. An allusion is here made to what took
place in Egypt. A malignant and dangerous ulcer, misery
and anguish reach those who would not bow down to the
Lord Jesus, who preferred ease upon the earth and the lie
of Satan. us it is that men blind themselves, and then
God sends judicial blindness. He hardened Pharaoh’s heart
and made fat the heart of Israel.
God will do likewise to the world which calls itself
Christian, and which is rejecting His warnings and
despising His judgments. God gives them up to a lie,
and then sends His judgments upon them. e end of
the Christianized world is seen in the remaining part of
the book. e more I read those passages, the more I am
astonished how those who read them can do so without
learning from them that all we see around us is coming to
an end, and an end in condemnation.
Verses 3-7. e second angel pours out his vial on the
sea, on the nations which are outside the prophetic earth.
e earth is the theater where things of a moral character
in the creation are resolved. Indels have often made
a comparison between the importance of this earth and
that of other stars; but in this they have only shown the
folly of their wisdom. It is in man and in this earth that all
moral questions of God’s justice, and of His wisdom, and
of His love, are resolved. e importance of the battle does
not proceed from the place where it is fought, but from
the principles which it decides. Here it is that all which
manifests the dominion of God and the power of evil is
brought into evidence by the death and resurrection of
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87
Jesus. During the time of the Jewish dispensation, Judea
is the scene of the manifestation of God’s ways; it is then
called “ the earth.” Now, “ the earth “ is Christendom, where
God’s ways were also displayed. “ e sea “ is the mass of
the nations dispersed outside this prophetic earth. ere
is a universal judgment upon those nations. e rivers
represent people made distinct the one from the other, as
under the inuence of certain principles. us it is said, the
fountain of Jacob.
e blood out of the body is death. Death is the
character of the judgment which falls on those nations.
Moses changed the water into blood. With regard to those
mentioned here, the principle of their life and of their being
before God is death. ey are given death to drink. ey
shed the blood of the saints, of the righteous, and God
gives them up to death (v. 6, 7). e voice comes out of the
altar, because it is there, so to speak, that the souls that have
been persecuted, and of whom God is taking vengeance,
were (so to speak) oered to Him. e expression “ as the
blood of a dead man “ gives the most awful idea of death.
In the body is the blood, is the life. at which ought to
sustain life becomes the expression of death. Verses 8, 9.
e sun, the power which rules over the earth, becomes
intolerable, and scorches men as with re.
Verse 10. When judgment comes alone, it does not
produce repentance. God has had patience with the world,
and this patience has delayed the return of Jesus. e
apostles had been taught by God to wait for the return of
the Lord Jesus. Man nds that the Lord delays His coming;
but, when the church holds this language, she begins to do
her own will, and to enter into fellowship with the world.
From the moment the servant says within his heart, “ My
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Lord delayeth his coming,” he beats his fellow-servants,
and begins to eat and to drink with the drunken; he
becomes unfaithful and worldly. It is true the Bridegroom
does delay His return; nevertheless, we must wait; and
those who are like men waiting for their master shall reap
according to their expectation. If we give up waiting for
Him, we prepare ourselves a part with the hypocrites.
e waiting for Jesus was that which at the beginning
detached the heart from the world, and rendered faithful.
e Christian religion has made its way into the world, in
consequence of this faithfulness, and of this detachment
from it. If we wish to act with power over a mass of men,
we must be above their range of character. e church is
not to adopt the principles of men-she is to manifest God.
e looking for the Lord is what distinguished the earlier
Christians, and separated them from the world. Who will
have the better part, those who have acted thus, or such
as have said, My Lord delayeth His coming? As soon as
such language is held to us, a principle is proposed which
falsies our position as Christians. And although He does
in fact delay His coming, yet those who are waiting for
Him are fullling His intention, and those who do not
wait for Him shall be made ashamed.
God has patience towards the world, and waits, because
He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. But the
judgment comes sooner or later. I see evidently that men
oppose the doctrine of the coming of Jesus, or at least
that they would wish to persuade themselves that He is
not coming so very quickly. is is the principle of the
unfaithful servant, and this principle leads the Christian
to mix with the world; whereas the looking for the coming
of Jesus separates the Christian from the world. God has
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89
had patience. He has given warnings; and, when these
judgments strike men, men blaspheme. When the will
is not subdued, the heart is always made bitter through
chastisements.
Verses 11, 12. e fth angel smites the seat of the beast,
not the beast itself. e irritation of man’s heart against
God has become excessive, and men gnaw their tongues
in their frenzy. e kingdom of the beast, which had made
such ne promises, is lled with anguish. It is even so now
with God’s enemies, their conscience is gnawing them.
Verse 12. e sixth angel pours out his vial upon the
great river Euphrates. We see evidently that the beast is
not destroyed, although its empire is rendered miserable.
ere is an interval here, as after the sixth seal and the
sixth trumpet. e river Euphrates, which is the barrier of
the prophetic earth on the side of the east, is dried up. e
barrier falls, and the kings from the east can enter.
Verse 13 presents to us the direct power of Satan, the
dragon, the direct enemy to Jesus, the Christ; the power of
the beast, the Roman empire in its state of revolt against
God; the power of the false prophet. Unclean spirits
proceed from them and go to the kings of the earth. All that
which governs and directs in the earth will be gathered by
these three unclean spirits. It is not then Christianity that
will embrace the world by its inuence; on the contrary, it
is the diabolical inuences which gather the inhabitants
and the powers of the earth. It is very evident that unclean
spirits are not the gospel; and there is not a greater illusion
than to believe that the Christian religion will extend
to, and embrace, the world. It is undoubtedly through
judgments that the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
(not the knowledge of His grace) shall cover the earth;
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Hab. 2:14. It is easy for men to say, We shall ll: but this
is not said. It is written “ For the earth shall be lled with
the glory of the Lord.” is does not mean that the gospel
is not to be preached. If I believe that the judgment will
come quickly and fall on Christendom, this will urge me
to bear testimony according to the mind of God, and not
according to the illusions of men. See the judgment that
is coming, and seek with all your might to draw sinners
away from the wrath to come. When we see indelity more
and more openly manifested, and a testimony designed to
rescue men from the ways of wickedness, it is a proof that
judgment is drawing nigh. If three thousand souls were
converted in one day, it was because Jerusalem was going
to be given up.
Verse 15 contains another warning. I do not know
anything satisfactory as to the word Armageddon
mentioned in verse 16. Compare Judg. 5:19 and 2Kings
23:29; but the rst passage rather. We see from verse
17 to verse 21 the great upsetting and confusion of the
nations. All that which seems strongest and most elevated
(mountains) is overthrown. A direct judgment from God
falls upon man. All the foundations of the earth, as a
system half moral and half civil, are thrown down. What a
blessing for the Christian to have assured peace, to know
that, having kept the word of the patience of Christ, he
shall also be kept from the hour of temptation; and the
more the storm is raging outside, the more there is calm
and tranquility in the house of God! We have on our side
the immutability of the throne itself, from whence proceed
these judgments, and these judgments do not touch us.
is is the joy of the child of God. e peace of God keeps
him in the midst of the awful time coming on the world.
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Notes on Revelation 17
CHAPTER 17
We have now entered on the scenes of the last judgments,
which God is to fulll in order to introduce the glory of
Jesus. e seven vials have accomplished the wrath of God.
e Spirit of prophecy gives with more detail the two
forms of evil developed at the end-Babylon and the beast.
ings are more simple and more easy to understand than
at the beginning of the Apocalypse. When evil becomes
openly manifest, the thing is more evident; for the winding
up of the scene of this world interests more particularly the
church.
Verse 1. In speaking of heavenly things, one speaks of
things that are not yet as though they were, for God has
foreseen and judged everything. Heaven is familiar with
evil as judged, as with that which is good to enjoy it. God
has taken notice of everything beforehand; and all is found
on the path to His glory. e angel is familiarly acquainted
with all that relates to the great whore. To us this is not
clear and must be explained. All that happens to us is
foreknown and pre-arranged of God, in order that His
child may stand in the midst of diculties. All I have to do
is to say-God is perfectly acquainted with the position I am
in, and He knows the way He has prepared to extricate me
out of diculties if I remain faithful. In all things present
your requests to God, knowing that He cares for you. John
could not so much as even imagine such a thing as this
great whore; she has the double character of corruption
and inuence over the nations.
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Two things are contained in this chapter: Babylon and
the beast; corruption and the power of evil in violence.
Man’s will manifests itself in two ways-corruption and
violence: this was the world’s state at the time of the
deluge. Satan is a liar and a murderer. e Lord Jesus is
the truth and the life, instead of being a liar and a violent
man. Antichrist does his own will. Jesus does the will of
Him that sent Him. Here is corruption, violence, self-will,
and murder. Babylon is corruption in all its depth; and
the beast is self-will, revolting even against God Himself.
ese two principles, which have been from the beginning,
are embodied, and act.
Verse 2. e kings of the earth are the powers where
light has shined, the powers of the last prophetical scene
of monarchies. Verse 3. Babylon is center of commerce, of
riches, the capital of the vanities of the world, the mother
of idolatries; but as to the Spirit of God, it is a desert (v.
3). He nds nothing in the world that can satisfy the holy
desires of a renewed heart. What the esh or the natural
man loves, the Spirit hates. What is desirable to the natural
heart is only a desert and corruption to the Spirit.
e beast, having seven heads and ten horns, is the
Roman empire. e woman is here seated on the beast,
and rules it. is is the relationship between the moral
corruption of this world and the civil powers. Later these
relations are changed. In the Old Testament Babylon
poisons the nations. Here also she is the center to which
the nations are attracted, the center of the corruption, the
luxury, and the glory of this world. It is also the center of
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93
religious idolatry; Dan. 3.
28
is system of corruption at
the beginning rides the beast, and rules it. e kings of
the earth nd it protable for themselves to sustain this
relationship with the woman; corruption governs.
e names of blasphemy are varied characters of self-
will and of rebellion in the beast which opposes God.
Verse 5. We see in Babylon the spring of all corruption.
She is the cause that all the relationships that ought to
subsist with God, are sustained with the world. She leads
men to abandon the true God; they may give themselves
up to idols.
Verse 6. e secular power puts the saints actually to
death; but it is Babylon who is guilty. She is drunken with
the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs,
the witnesses of Jesus. As it was once Jerusalem that was
guilty of the blood of prophets, so it is now in Babylon that
the blood of the saints is to be found. It is here we nd
the principle of that religion which is connected with the
world, and has its resources there. It is the most hateful
thing in the sight of God.
Verse 7. John is marveling that that which had the form
of godliness and the name of religion should be guilty of
the blood of the martyrs. It must have been no less amazing
to a Jew that God should require of Jerusalem the blood of
the prophets. In the sight of God one generation inherits of
the preceding generations all the iniquity which they have
completed. eir conscience ought to be warned by this
iniquity. “ Ye be witnesses unto yourselves that ye are the
children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then
28 e idolatry is that by which God characterizes its real Satanic
evil; its luxury, and pleasure, and gain, that by which man is
attracted to it.
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the measure of your fathers,” says the Lord. If Christians
are not entirely separated from Babylon, they inherit the
iniquity of the preceding times, because they join themselves
with it, their conscience not gathering any instruction from
it. When man has exhausted one principle, God presents
him with another to work upon his conscience: and, if he
rejects it, he is so much the more guilty. In Abel nature
is violated; afterward, the traditional knowledge of God;
Rom. 1:18-23. Afterward it is the law; and then it is -Jesus
Himself who comes to put the heart to the proof. When
the knowledge of the Father and of the Son is introduced,
the Jews then seek to show their faithfulness to God by
killing those who introduce this knowledge. Man glories in
a truth that costs him nothing inasmuch as it is generally
received, and takes advantage of it to oppose the admission
of more light which would demand faith. e Jews insist
on the unity of God in order to deny the Son. When we
appeal to a truth that was blessed to us at one time, in
order to refuse another sent now, it is rejecting the means
by which God will act now. It was the bigoted Jews, not the
heathen, that opposed themselves most to the introduction
of Christianity.
Sincerity alone will not do. e new light must be
admitted. ey will kill you, “ because they have not known
the Father nor me,” John 17:3. us it is that the most
precious light becomes the instrument of evil in the hands
of indelity. is principle is very important for those who
are acting in the kingdom of God. From verse 8 the angel
leaves the woman, to give us the history of the beast.
e contents of verse 8 had already been announced
in a less clear manner before. When the Roman empire is
spoken of, it is said that it exists no more. Here we nd this
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95
diculty foreseen, pointed out, and explained. Here is the
key to the enigma, with the certainty that He who gave it
invented the enigma also.
e Roman empire is to come out of the bottomless pit,
from the region of darkness, and act with power for evil. It is
a very serious matter to see at the end the power, which has
dominion over the earth, come up out of the bottomless pit
itself. e inhabitants of the earth shall marvel at this kind
of resurrection of the Roman empire, and then it is that
the world shall follow after the beast; chap. 13: 3. It will be
seduced when the beast shall have taken the character of
the resurrection of the Roman empire destroyed centuries
ago.
Verses 9, 10. ere is a certain likeness between
the woman and the beast. A woman, a city built on the
perfection of power, on seven mountains, represents the
center of corruption. e beast has seven heads also. e
heads are kings, or powers of government. Five are fallen-
ve kings, or ve forms of government. e particular
facts which have accomplished parts of this are of little
importance. History is not necessary in order to understand
prophecy. It is even oftentimes an obstacle, because what
is often important to man is not so to God, for God has
Christ in view.
Although history fullls prophecy, yet it never explains
it; whereas prophecy explains history. e faithful are called
to believe in the prophecy before it is fullled. e way
to understand the word is to have the mind of God, and
to apprehend His purposes with respect to Christ. At the
time of the apostle ve kings had already fallen. e sixth
was there. A seventh was to come for a short time.
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Verse ii. e eighth head of the beast is the beast itself,
the whole power of the beast concentrated in the person
of the chief. It is the Roman empire brought to life again
through Satan, with a diabolic character, but which shall
be destroyed. ere will be a restoration hereafter of the
Roman empire, and this restored empire shall be destroyed
by the power of God. In 2ess. 2:3 the man of sin is
called the son of perdition.
Verse 12. e ten horns have their power the same
time with the beast. e kingdoms that arose out of the
destruction of the Roman empire through the barbarians
were not the prophetic horns. e trouble men have taken
on this subject has been to no purpose. e barbarian
kings destroyed the Roman empire instead of exercising
their power at the same time with it. ere will be a kind
of confederation of kings with a center, that is, a head
exercising power in the midst of them.
Verse 14. ese kings will make war with the Lamb; but
the Lamb, who is the King of kings, shall overcome them.
e church shall accompany Him. e called, the elect, and
the faithful, these are they who shall be with Him.
Verse 16. e horns.
29
ey shall hate the whore, and
shall eat her esh, and make her desolate and naked.
ey are tired of her, and cannot endure her any longer.
Man thinks that, if he could get rid of this outward and
corrupted form of Christianity, he would be blessed. It is
the contrary. When the ten kings have made the whore
29 e best manuscripts add, “ and the beast,” which would
modify what is said here. us, in following the will of the
beast in the destruction of the woman, it would seem that it is
not at the time when her destruction takes place that they give
rst their power to the beast. It is a proof of their subjection,
but not its commencement.
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97
desolate and naked, they give their kingdom to the beast.
e kings of the earth will not give their power to Christ:
quite the contrary; they will give it to the beast, and will
make war with the Lamb. It is inconceivable how those
who read the word of God can entertain the thought that
the kings of the earth shall give their power to the Lamb.
If one could succeed in destroying the whore, there would
be no other result than to make war with the Lamb. It
is important the church of God should not be deceived
in this respect. God is warning us, in order that we may
escape the way that leads to perdition.
is chapter is divided into three essential parts: the
woman, who becomes the center of corruption, and who
exercises her inuence over the mass of people; the beast,
which has ascended out of the bottomless pit; the ten kings,
who
30
persecute the woman, give their power to the beast,
and fall in making war with the Lamb.
A distinction is to be made between the expressions
the woman and the whore. at Rome has been the center,
this I do not doubt. e woman is the city; but the whore
embraces a whole system of corruption that has varied
forms, and of which the spirit of worldliness, long covered
over under the form of religion, is the over-ruling principle.
In this chapter the whore is more particularly shown to us
under her religious form.
31
Her esh is eaten, and she is
30 With the beast. See the preceding note.
31 ere is no doubt but that the abominations presented here,
as that which characterize the great whore, are idolatries;
religious corruption characterizes her. Worldliness and luxury
serve as occasions to dazzle the eyes, and to blind and take hold
of the heart. All these latter things fall into ruin, but the cause
for the judgment is the religious evil. (See the note, page 60).
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no more seated on the beast, because the kings give their
power to the beast, and the beast itself rules.
It is important to avoid these principles and forms that
lead to perdition. e chosen, the called, and the faithful are
with the Lamb when He destroys the beast and the kings.
is is exceedingly precious, and separates from the spirit
of this world. A heathen is not in Babylon. He cannot be
there. A Christian may be found there. Whatever connects
the world with religion is the principle of Babylon. e
spirit of Babylon, the spirit of worldliness, is very slippery
ground. erefore it is that we are warned of God. May
God keep us!
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Notes on Revelation 18
CHAPTER 18
We have seen that at all times there is lying and violence,
Babylon and the beast. Satan was from the beginning a
liar and a murderer. From the beginning of chapter 17 to
chapter 19: to we see the contrast between Babylon and
the New Jerusalem. In order to show us the judgment of
the whore, the Spirit has presented to us, in chapter 17, the
woman and the beast in their relations one with the other.
Here, in chapter 18, Babylon is shown to us standing alone,
that the judgment on her may be revealed.
e great principle seen in Babylon is worldliness, but
worldliness as a position of captivity for the people of
God, in connection with the prostitution of man’s natural
aections. In the Old Testament fornication is applied to
trade, not to trade with an eye to provide for wants, but to
the spirit of trade to make a gain of it. Tire is a proof of
this. Idolatry was, properly speaking, the sin of adultery
32
for Jerusalem, because the Eternal was her husband. In the
church it is called prostitution, because the marriage of
the Lamb has not yet taken place; but there is more moral
connection than one thinks, because the heart is at a distance
from God, and conscience likewise, by the allurement of
gain and covetousness, which is idolatry; Eph. 5:5 (see also
Phil. 3:13-20). e most abominable form of worldliness
is that of those who call themselves Christians, separated
unto God by the blood of the Lamb, and are living in
worldliness, after the principles of the world who rejected
32 As a general term, fornication is used for idolatry, as the Greek
is indeed for adultery.
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the Lord Jesus. We are speaking of moral analogies. We
have already seen how idolatry characterizes Babylon, the
abominations meaning idolatry.
e Revelation is almost entirely borrowed from the
Old Testament; so that we derive much light from the Old
Testament for the understanding the book of Revelation.
Babylon is the enemy of Jerusalem. Israel came out from
Egypt. Egypt is the world in its natural state; this is not so
with Babylon.
33
Babylon was, from the beginning, the spirit
of worldliness, presenting the allurements of this world to
the heart come out of Egypt. It was a goodly Babylonish
garment which attracted the heart of Achan; Josh. 7:21.
When the king of Babylon sent unto Hezekiah, because he
had heard that he had been sick and was recovered (2Kings
20:12; Isa. 39:1), Hezekiah showed all that was found in
his treasures to the men that the king of Babylon had sent
him. But Isaiah said unto him, “ All that which thy fathers
have laid up in store shall be carried to Babylon.” As soon
as the church will extol herself before the world through
things pertaining to it, she will, as is besides always the
case, fall under the inuence and under the power of the
world. Later Babylon is presented in her power, and the
people of Israel captive under it. ere is the idolatry, the
golden statue, and all kinds of riches. Babylon is the center
of idolatry, and of the power of the world. She fell by the
power of Cyrus, and the people of God were delivered
to a certain extent. Such are, in the Old Testament, the
features of Babylon. Babylon is the power of this world,
which makes a trac of everything of the world, which has
been exalted because of the iniquity of the people of God,
33 A pagan is in Egypt. Satan is his prince. Israel came out of
Egypt-never returned there, but was in captivity in Babylon.
Notes on Revelation 18
101
and where the people of God have been found in captivity.
When the church becomes worldly, the world has always
the advantage over her.
What we nd in Rev. 18 is not Babylon in her glory,
but in her downfall. It is the judgment of Babylon; v. 2,
3. She has for a season enjoyed the pleasures of the earth.
After her downfall she becomes a habitation of demons;
and, at the same time, it is said to the people of God (v. 4),
“ Come out of her, my people.” Israel has been, through
the judgment of God, captive in Babylon. When Babylon
fell, Israel came out of her. If I discern Babylon, I am called
to come out of her. Verse 8. e people of God are called
upon to reward her, even as she rewarded them, and to
double unto her double according to her works. And the
church in heaven is called to rejoice over her, because the
Lord God has judged her (v. 2o).
Why does the Spirit of God enumerate all these articles
of luxury and commerce? (v. 11-13). It is in order to describe
unto us what is the occupation of the children of Babylon.
All was merchandise to her. She was the center of all those
things which the inhabitants of the earth enjoy. And if
the bodies and the souls of men could help in any way to
this enjoyment, they also would be made a trac of. All is
made then a matter of gain, of pleasure, and of commerce
of this world. is spirit is seen already, although all these
details are not yet visible. To trac and to become rich,
there is the spring of all the actual politics of the world;
and if the trac of souls can serve to that end, it matters
not, provided the aim be attained to make much gain and
to embellish this world, of which Satan is the prince. e
more facilities increase to satiate this thirst after gain and
luxury, the more the souls of men will be devoured with
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the lust after them. e world must be everything, and
the prince of this world must rule without obstacle, and
everything must yield to this. Nothing is more melancholy
than to see that everything is to be made a matter of selling
and of buying, that this is the end of everything in this
world, and that everything yields when the question is a
matter of gain. is annihilation of all principle through
the spirit of gain leaves an open eld to the ascendancy
Satan has over the hearts of men to enslave them under his
dominion. It is to be feared that the hearts of Christians
may be carried away by these principles; for the principles
of the world take possession, to a certain point, of Christian
hearts. ey glory even in them.
ere was not only positive hatred and murder in Cain’s
heart, but also the character of the prince of this world. He
built a city and embellished the world; Gen. 4:16. Satan
rules over the hearts of men through these means, and thus
becomes the prince of this world through means of all the
pleasures of life, which the world calls innocent pleasures.
ey say, Why, what harm is there in riches, in music, in
drawing, and in so many other things? Why, that Satan,
by their means, rules the world and enslaves the hearts
of men for eternity. is is the character of Babylon. It is
an abominable thing when a Christian can put up with
Babylon’s principles, and conform his taste to them.
is corruption and this system of pleasure are
especially evil for us, inasmuch as all these things are
done when man, having been driven from the presence of
God, and gone out from before the face of the Lord, has
done his best in arranging the world, in forming a polite
society, in cultivating arts, and creating pleasures, etc. God
has presented to the world His own Son as Heir of all
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103
things, and the world has rejected Him. But the Father
receives the rejected Son, and the world is found in direct
opposition to God. After having killed his brother, and
being cast out of the presence of God, Cain embellishes
the world. e -world had already been sinning against
God; but, like Cain, it added to this the murder of Him
who, in grace became man. Jesus is not of the world, but of
the Father. “ 0 righteous Father, the world hath not known
thee,” John 17:25. What characterizes the disciples is, that
they follow the Son to heaven, are heavenly minded, and
not of the world. “ All that is in the world, the lust of the
esh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, is not
of the Father, but is of the world,” 1John 2:16. e Father
is opposed to the world, the Son to Satan, the Spirit to
the esh. So far as the Christian enters into the ways of
the world, it is a complete prostitution. When the world
is in the place of the church and holds the church in
captivity, the full character of Babylon is then unfolded,
although she was already Babylon before she did it and in
order to do it. Whatever makes the world happy in spite
of God is in the spirit and course of Babylon, and for the
Christian to be there is to be in Babylon. e world may
get rich without our having anything to do with it; but
when a goodly Babylonish garment is found in the tent of
Achan, then the whole camp is corrupted, and God judges
it. When friendly associations begin to take place between
Babylon and the people of God, it is an indication that
all Hezekiah’s riches are going to be transported there.
When Hezekiah is rich enough to make a display of his
treasures, the principles of the world are working in him,
and judgment begins already. When Babylon becomes
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guilty of carrying Israel away captive, the people of God
are already without power.
Verse 4. e misfortune of the people of God is to have
any part in the sin of Babylon; and the only way to avoid
having any part in it is to come out-to come out of her, not
to be made partaker of her sins, and so not to receive of her
plagues in consequence. We come out of her because of
her sins and not to be partakers in them, not because her
plagues have arrived. It is evident that true Christians, the
church, have become worldly. God has had long patience.
Babylon falls when Belshazzar is boasting, not merely
of having the people of God captive, but also of having
prevailed over God. When Babylon fell, the people of God
were there; this is what will take place again, though the
rapture of the church is to take place rst.
e spirit of worldliness opposes itself to the testimony
of God, and is guilty of the death of those who have borne
testimony to Jesus. e more religion there is in the world,
the more obstinately it is set on putting to death those who
bear testimony to Jesus. When Nebuchadnezzar made the
golden statue, he threw the Hebrews into the furnace.
When Jesus Christ is preached, it is the Jews who go from
one city to another urging the heathen to persecute the
Christians. It is they who pursue to that end the apostles
from town to town. at which least bears the light of God
is what assumes to be the religion of God without being
so. If Jesus be the Son of God in heaven, what have the
Jews done? Babylon is the spirit of worldliness cast out
far away from God, as guilty of the death of Christ, and
which nevertheless gives itself up to embellish the world.
us the Christ, as the light, is extinguished by the spirit of
worldliness. Babylon slays the prophets and the saints. Not
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105
being the true God, and there being no possibility of her
being of Him (otherwise she would no more be Babylon),
she makes use of idolatry, enforcing it as a means to
establish unity: that is what Nebuchadnezzar did. Such are
the great principles of Babylon; and those who do not act
from conscience must undergo the yoke of this prosperous
worldliness, which tracs even in the souls of men. e
testimony remains with us that the world is not of the
Father, that Christ is not of the world, and that the world
will be judged (v. 8).
Until the judgment of God falls upon the world
the world will prosper more and more. is is not yet
fully accomplished. But we are warned that we may ee
from all those Babylonish principles by which society is
embellishing and arranging itself without God, and which
leads it even to make a merchandise of conscience.
May God keep our hearts from being made partakers
of her sins, that we may not also receive of her plagues!
All those Babylonish principles, all that your eyes may lust
after for your drawing-rooms and for your pleasures, all
those things separate you from heaven. All that is of the
world which rejected Christ. Would you perhaps like to
be of Babylon on a small scale? As the Spirit is opposed to
the esh, the Son to Satan, so is the Father likewise to the
world. It is the power of heavenly aections which takes
away the desire after these carnal things.
ere are still in Babylon other principles which I
have not yet brought under notice. Genesis to and II
give us the enumeration of all the families of the earth,
and their divisions. We nd therein two great principles
which characterize the natural energy of the human
heart in doing its own will, viz., the spirit of despotism,
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and the spirit of association. Nimrod, the rst example of
individual supremacy, begins to be mighty in the earth;
Genesis to: 8. Nebuchadnezzar, the rst chief among the
four monarchies, exercises by a strong will dominion over
his fellow men. On the other hand man does not like to be
governed, and he associates himself with others in order
to make himself entirely independent of God. Associated
with others, he thinks himself capable of everything. “
Union,” he says, “ is strength.” And this is true until God
intervenes. Men associate together to make themselves
a name upon earth; that is the spirit of association. But,
when God had scattered men, Nimrod took possession of
all they had done. e beginning of his kingdom was Babel;
Gen. 10:10. God recognizes (Gen. 11:6) the power of the
principle of association; but this is the proper principle of
Babylon. Man will associate, and, by his own will united to
that of others, get some reputation. is spirit of union has
no other object than man’s glory.
For the church there is true unity-” one Spirit and one
body.” is unity has the Holy Spirit as the power of life,
and Christ as the center of all. Christianity alone could
give great force to individuality and to conscience, and at
the same time unite men under the direction of Christ
towards one center, which is Christ. is could only be
possible by the Holy Spirit, which takes away selshness,
while it gives power to the conscience; giving, by faith, an
object to the heart outside of itself-an object which acts
on the individual conscience, and unites us all through one
predominant aection to one center of aection, by one
life, and one only power of the Spirit.
e unity of Babylon is of quite another nature. It tends
to the glory of man, who desires to gather men around
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107
one system, which the wisdom and the prudence of man
have invented. Babylon will always have a chief. After God
had scattered Babel, one man took into his own possession
all those scattered wills, united them under his own will,
and made them obey. Under the two forms of association
and of despotism, it is man who will make himself a name.
Conscience is not exercised; there is neither root nor fruit.
Conscience does not admit of anything between God and
itself. All that man can do, as an instrument, is to put the
conscience or the heart in relationship with God. During
a long period the spirit of this false Babylonish unity has
been outwardly religious; it is none the less for all that the
spirit of Babylon.
e spirit of association is very powerful in these
times. Commercial association governs everything, and
a desire for union is everywhere proclaimed. Man will
succeed in a wonderful manner; but all this will only end
in the confusion of the will of man, and in his submission
to Antichrist, as the last chief. e remedy to all this is
conscience. e Holy Spirit acts as the spirit of union in
the children of God: but conscience cannot be in society
and reject its own individual responsibility. It is individual:
otherwise God could not be the Master of conscience. e
Holy Spirit directs it towards Jesus. If we will avoid the
principles of evil, it must be through conscience; there is no
other way. rough it we are rendered wise concerning that
which is good and simple concerning evil. e Christian
who acts from conscience will avoid a thousand snares of
which he is not at all aware.
is Babylon, of which we have seen the glory, will be
the object of the judgment of God. When this takes place,
every enemy will not yet be destroyed. e eighth head of
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the beast still remains. God still exercises the patience of His
children. Babylon is a harlot, not an adulteress. Israel was an
adulteress, when unfaithful; but the church corrupted is a
harlot, because the marriage of the Lamb has not yet taken
place. Jehovah was the Husband of Israel. His presence was
there, and earthly blessings owed from it. However, man’s
folly threw him into idolatry. e bride of the Lamb is not
yet formed in its heavenly completeness. e assembling of
the universality of the church is not yet completed, neither
is it yet risen. e church has still to be in a waiting posture.
And as it is not agreeable to wait without possessing, the
church would have, like Judaism, some enjoyments in the
earth. But the more there is of the Spirit, the more on the
contrary there will be suering, and the more we shall be
put in front of the battle. e church, having ceased to
look for the return of the Bridegroom, would have pleasure
and enjoyment in the world, and has corrupted herself.
It is because the system of earthly blessing has failed in
Israel that the church has been introduced. e church
has only the earnest of her future possessions. Hers is a
waiting position. Satan has confounded all this, and has
lowered the thought of devotedness in the church. In the
beginning no one said that what he had belonged to him.
Later one sees, through the epistles, warnings given to the
rich; 1Tim. 6:17-19. Afterward the church would be rich.
e wise virgins slumbered. Satan came in, and the prince
of this world has become a prince in the church, even her
true members being almost all lost in the corruption. And
it is in this corrupted church that Satan is found, and that
souls of men even have been sold. At last the kings will not
have anything more to do with the harlot.
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109
e beast itself having put away the harlot, and she
herself being destroyed, the beast will itself make war with
the Lamb. It is the Roman empire brought to life again, the
eighth head of the beast, which makes war openly with the
Lamb. It is no more simply corruption; it is violence. Isa.
14:12-17 shows us the king of Babylon taking all the titles
and the characters of Christ. He would seat himself on the
mount of the congregation (at Jerusalem) in the palace of
the great king on the sides of the north. He claims all that
belongs to Jesus, and assumes to be made like Jesus. He will
raise his throne above the stars, ascend above the clouds, be
like the Most High. is is a recapitulation of the titles of
Jesus, and the boldest form of the pride of the earth. In one
sense it is a blessing that this happens, because then God
must judge it and destroy it. But the church must before
this be united to Jesus, in order to enter into this glory; and
we are introduced to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
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Notes on Revelation 19:1-9
CHAPTER 19:1-9
Glory belongs to God and to the Lamb. If the church is
looking for its advantages on the earth, it falls into Babylon.
Jesus wills that she should have the glory that belongs to
Him, and that she should with Him wait until He enters
into His glory to enjoy it with Him. If she is looking for
an earthly glory, she becomes unfaithful to her heavenly
Bridegroom; and this is the greatest unfaithfulness. We
ought not to have any of the things which the price of this
world gives, but receive the heavenly things from the hand
of God, and expect them from Himself. e church ought
to be on the earth the manifestation of that thorough
detachment from the earth.
She ought to be entirely independent of everything else,
and in absolute dependence on God. is is the trial and
proof of faith — to refuse the possession of things before
God gives them. It was the sin of Saul to have sacriced
before Samuel had come. It is innitely better to wait for
the enjoyment of everything with Christ. “All things are
yours, and ye are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1Cor. 3:22-
23). And if this link is broken, the relationship between
God and the creature is broken also. e church must wait
for the epoch of her glory, until the judgment of God be
executed. Satan always tries to deceive the church in this
respect. He even endeavors to unite Christians in a spirit
of human association to arrive at a spiritual millennium
which is not promised, and which would exalt man and
the means he has in his hand. Nothing will make the bride
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111
happy but the presence of the Bridegroom. On the other
hand, God will not exercise His power in the government
of the world without Christ. ose who endeavor to
produce a spiritual millennium want to use the resources
of men. And as they must have money, they rest on what
man can give. It is a Babel, notwithstanding the excellence
of the intentions; and Christians who expect the blessing
before the judgment always rest on the energy of man.
Rev. 19:3-4. e church praises the Lord because of the
judgment of Babylon. e Lamb is not yet manifested. God
judges corruption. e Lamb judges the beast, because it
rises up against the King of kings.
Rev. 19:5-6. God begins to take possession of His
kingdom. When God acts as king, He executes judgment.
If He were now acting as a king, every soul here would
be cut o; but now He is acting in patience and in grace
during the priesthood of Jesus.
Rev. 19:7 is the expression of our joy. It is impossible
that Christ can take possession of His kingdom before
the church has made herself ready, and is manifested in
the glory, and, that having been through resurrection,
introduced into the glory for the marriage of the Lamb.
Jesus will have us united to Him in the glory. When Christ
shall manifest His glory, He wills that the world which has
despised us should know that we are loved even as Christ
Himself was loved. e marriage of the Lamb will be to
us the manifestation of that love. Babylon being judged,
the Lord celebrates the marriage-supper of the Lamb. We
see the contrast between Babylon, the glory of the world,
and the church of God, which has suered with Christ,
which has been persecuted in the world, but which is now
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gloried with Jesus. We see here the entirely heavenly
character of the church.
e suerings of the church are absolutely necessary
to her. As soon as she ceases to suer, she begins to lose
her true character, and her testimony in the world ceases.
Awakenings have always been accompanied with diculties
and persecutions, because Satan is not yet bound. A man
who cannot use arms to defend himself must suer. It is
also very trying to live with persons around us without
having one thought in common with them; and the more
the natural aections are alive the more the heart will suer.
e Holy Spirit quickens sensibility; but He gives strength
to bear the suering. At the same time, sensibility being
more tender, it is wounded on every side without meeting
with any sympathy. God tries Christians thus in order to
manifest Christ in them. He cannot alter this until He has
executed the judgment. As long as the heart yields itself to
the testimony God sends, it is yet the time during which
God will leave His children in suering. e power of the
Holy Spirit is not of the world: it enters into the world; but
it cannot accustom itself to the world, neither nd there its
contentment. If we consider the mission of the Holy Spirit,
the position of the Bridegroom in heaven, all concurs to
decide us to suer with Christ and for His name.
Is it anything extraordinary that the Holy Spirit should
attach us to heaven, and detach us from the earth? Jesus
had the taste of heaven in everything He did, and the world
cannot bear this. Whatever binds the church to the world
loosens her from Christ. Jesus cannot recognize anything
in the world, for there is nothing in the world that has
not, according to its power, contributed to reject Him. It
is impossible for a wife to attach herself to two husbands.
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113
It is not only forbidden, but it is quite impossible. As a
bride, the church belongs to Christ; and we are dead to
everything except to Christ risen. Christ for the church
can only be a heavenly Bridegroom. As a temporal and
Jewish Saviour of Israel, Jesus forbids His disciples to
go into the way of the Gentiles; He was a Jew and He
could only acknowledge those that were Jews: “I am not
sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt.
15:24). e church, in order to have a Christ, must have
a risen Christ. e world having rejected Christ, Christ
owns no fellowship with the world. e cross has put an
everlasting barrier between the world, as such, and Jesus.
“e world seeth me no more” (John 14:19), except as a
Judge. Jesus saves a soul in separating it from the world,
and communicates to that soul a life capable of enjoying
the world to come where Jesus is gloried and loved.
e testimony rendered to Jesus can only operate in
taking a soul morally out of the world, and in causing it to
enter into the church. Could one have a risen Bridegroom
in heaven, and an earthly bride in the earth? is is not
possible. Having the life of Christ in a body that is still of
the world, the Christian suers, and sees himself fettered
by this body of death. It is Christ alone, Christ risen,
Christ gloried, who is the Bridegroom of the church;
and a church of the world, a religion of the world, is
impossible. To secure the church Christ must die; and the
church cannot possess a living Christ, unless He be a risen
Christ. We suer here, because we have a risen soul in a
body that is not risen, and this is in a world at enmity with
God. To wish to prepare a church here on earth for the
coming of Christ is to understand neither Christ nor the
church. It is when the Lord God Almighty has taken to
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Him great power to reign, when the marriage of the Lamb
is come, and His bride hath made herself ready, that the
church knows joy. To say that Jehovah reigns now, is, in
one sense, a sort of blasphemy. God does not exercise His
power in direct government. Do you think that He permits
sin to prosper, indelity to lift up a high head, and that
He allows that war should exercise its depredations under
His own government? Does not all this prove that Satan
is the prince of this world? e Lord only enters upon the
exercise of His kingly power down here when the downfall
of Babylon takes place.
To apply the Psalms to the present time, when they say,
“e Lord reigneth,” is to produce confusion. ese Psalms
express righteous judgment, and the desire to wash one’s
feet in the blood of the enemies. What connection is there
in this with the spirit of the Christian? is relates to a
dispensation of judgment and of righteousness, and not of
grace. Grace is acting now to draw the heart, and to make
it cleave to heavenly things. In the reign of Christ God will
reign in righteousness; and the Spirit of Christ in the Psalms
calls for justice in the time of His reign. e principles of
the relations of God with men are quite dierent. e
reign of Christ will be for the earth a time of joy; but that
joy will proceed from the presence of righteousness acting
upon the earth; Psa. 96; 97; 98; 99 When Jehovah takes
to Him His power and reigns, He will execute justice and
judgment in the earth. Do you believe that if He were
actually exercising judgment, things would go on in the
earth as they do now? e Lord is acting in grace now,
and when He executes justice, the wicked will be cut o,
and the righteous will then be able to live in peace, for he
will be sustained and lled with joy. When Christians have
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chosen to sing the Psalms as belonging to the church, the
relationship of Jehovah with Israel and those of the Father
with the church have been confounded, and the church
is thrown into darkness and worldliness. When all this is
confounded, Jehovah is not found just, and the Father does
not sanctify His people. In the Revelation we do not nd
the relationship of the Father with the church. So long as
the church is on earth, God has not assumed the power of
His kingdom.
In Revelation 19:7 the primary object of the love of God
is to unite the church to Christ. is must take place in
order that Christ may appear in glory and judge the beast.
e church is not yet the wife — she is only betrothed to
Christ. e Holy Spirit can never produce the glory of the
church, nor celebrate the marriage supper of the Lamb,
because He cannot be the Bridegroom of the church. And
to wish for the joy of the millennium through the Holy
Spirit only, is to wish for the joy of the bride without the
Bridegroom, which is a folly. ere must be the personal
manifestation of Jesus. e church must be risen to be with
her risen Spouse.
What is actually the eect of testimony in the world? It
is to raise persecution according to the power of the Holy
Spirit which is put forth. If one would have it otherwise,
the Lord must reign and execute justice. To wish for a
millennium by the Holy Spirit is also to wish for the most
violent persecution. e more the Holy Spirit acts, the
hotter the persecution is.
In paradise, when God builded the woman, He
presented her to Adam: this is what will happen concerning
the church; Eph. 5:27. e love of Jesus for the church
is something much more intimate, much higher, than
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116
the love of God for the world. He has given His life for
her; He washes her by His word; He will present her to
Himself glorious with the same glory that He is Himself
in as risen and gloried. is will be the marriage-supper
of the Lamb. e church is the bride united to Jesus in
glory. She is justied, puried, and gloried. A bride in a
vile body is not t for a Bridegroom in a glorious body.
e Almighty taking to Him His power and reigning
is still a thing to come. God only reigns now through
His hidden providence. In His kingdom all shall be set
in order; but He cannot make the earth and the creation
happy, before that which is most precious to Christ be
there for the enjoyment of it with Him. e rst thing
necessary to the full accomplishment of the counsels of the
Father and of the love of Jesus is the resurrection of the
church, and the marriage of the Lamb. Our portion is to
be with Christ, and to have the enjoyment with Him of all
that He inherits, and of all that He enjoys. e principle
of faithfulness in the church is not to recognize nor to take
anything before her heavenly Bridegroom comes. She is to
live as a virgin, waiting for the return of Him to whom she
is betrothed, and to keep herself in His absence from all
that is unworthy of Him.
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Notes on Revelation 19:11-21
CHAPTER 19:11-21
In the marriage of the Lamb we see what Christ is to
the church; in the judgment of the beast, what Christ is as
a Judge. e violence which rises against the power of the
Lamb is the object of judgment. Before this there must be
the glory of Jesus with the church, and the marriage of the
Lamb.
“ All was created by him and for him,” Col. 1:16.
Everything was created for His glory; but men of the
world do not think of this. Every knee shall bow before
Him; He is the center of all the thoughts and of the justice
of God. Jesus made Himself of no reputation; Jesus shall
be gloried. Man makes use of the humiliation of Jesus
order to despise Him; but God shall glorify Him even
there where He made Himself of no reputation, and in
that very form which He took, and He shall glorify Him
through those for whom He did thus make Himself of no
reputation.
To philosophy God is only a means man uses to extol
himself; but God has been pleased to bring low the
wisdom and the intelligence of man by saving, through the
foolishness of preaching, all those who believe. ere where
the Son of man has been humbled He shall be gloried;
and man must bow the knee before the Last Adam. God
will have the Lord Jesus as the Lord of glory; and He
will be gloried in Jesus, in rendering men submissive to
Jesus as Lord. Jesus must be recognized such as God has
presented Him, according to the foolishness of preaching,
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or one must recognize Him, without hope of mercy, when
His glory shall be manifested. If one will not have a Savior,
one must have a Judge. ere is no one that will not have
to bow the knee to Jesus. If one does not do it now, it is
ingratitude and baseness.
e second thought of God in His counsels is the church.
As He associated Eve with Adam, so He has associated the
church with Christ. We have spoken of the marriage of
the Lamb, and of the church risen and gloried, united
to Christ risen and gloried. It is a thing quite dierent
from the good-will of God towards His creatures. It is an
intimate relationship between the children and the Father,
between the bride and the Bridegroom. e church is
reckoned as being not of the world but of heaven. Her
origin is from above. Besides this there are the relations
of God with the world- the government of God. Man will
not have Christ to govern the world; he wishes to govern
it himself and exclude God out of it: “ is is the heir [not
the Bridegroom], come, let us kill him, and let us seize on
his inheritance,” Matt. 21:38.
As long as it is the accepted time, the time of salvation,
man gives himself up to iniquity without restraint. He will
have his own way in spite of God, and be like God. In
this sense every man has the spirit of Antichrist, whom the
Holy Spirit characterizes by these words, “ And the king
shall do according to his will,” Dan. 11:36. is cannot last.
Man must at last be judged of Him whom he has rejected.
Is heaven to govern the earth? Yes; but man says, It is I who
shall govern the world, and not God.
On four dierent occasions God has spoken solemnly,
or will, with man. God spoke with man for the rst time
in the garden of Eden. All relation with God had already
Notes on Revelation 19:11-21
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ceased then, for man never spoke with God that he was
not already condemned before God had spoken to him.
e second time was on Mount Sinai. Israel, in dismay,
said, “ Let not God speak with us “ (Ex. 20:19), for the
glory of God had inspired terror in the heart of man. e
third time was in Jesus, God manifested in the esh. Man
would not have God in love: hence, it became necessary to
be either a Christian or an anti-Christian. e fourth time
is when Jesus will come again to execute the judgment on
all those who will not bow to Him as Lord. Man will be
found either for Him or against Him. All those who have
not received the love of the truth will be condemned.
Christ and the church appear in glory, and only in
judgment. Heaven opens for their glorious manifestation.
Man being a sinner, heaven cannot open itself to him.
When Jesus was on the earth, heaven opened itself; Jesus
was recognized as Son of God, and the Holy Ghost came
down upon Him. rough the Holy Spirit Stephen sees
heaven open; Acts 7:35. But the case is reversed. He looks
into heaven and nds his portion there with Jesus, being,
as He was, rejected from the earth, but identied with
the glory of God. is also is the position of the whole
church. At the end heaven will be opened to manifest the
Son of man; and when it opens thus, it is that the Lord
Jesus should come Himself and execute judgment on earth.
Only when the evil forces God to notice it, does God smite
it: until iniquity has come to the full (Gen. 15:16), God has
long patience.
e last beast, the Roman empire revived, comes up
out of the bottomless pit and goes to perdition. is is
what we have brought before us. Men’s passions will be
inspired and excited by Satan, “ whose coming,” we read,
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“ is after the working of Satan,” 2ess. 2:9. Judas is an
example of this. We do not only see in him covetousness,
and the temptation of Satan presented to covetousness; but
Satan taking possession of the heart, and hardening all the
natural aections of a disciple towards Jesus. At that time
also Satan shall harden the hearts of those of whom he
shall have taken possession, even against the manifestation
of all the glory of Jesus. Some natural feelings are found
remaining, until Satan has taken possession of the heart;
but after this man is capable of doing anything. us the
chief priests would have killed Lazarus (John 12: to),
because Jesus had raised him to life again, and because of
this many of the Jews believed in Jesus, and left them; and
they determined to put Jesus to death, because He had
raised Lazarus from the dead; John 11:47-57.
e man of the earth lifts his head even up to heaven.
Like Adam, he wishes to be as God Himself: he wishes to
be so under the character of Christ, and he is Antichrist.
He wants to possess the earth and make war with heaven;
Isa. 14:13, 14. Endowed with all the power of Satan, all
man’s faculties in exercise, inspired by Satan’s energy, he
assumes authority over all, and would seat himself at
Jerusalem as king of all the earth, and extol himself like
unto the Most High. It is then that the Son of man, who
has humbled Himself, and whom God has exalted, shall
come down from heaven, and the man of the earth who
has exalted himself shall he abased. e question is now,
and this is all the question, Whether the man of the earth
is to prevail over the Man of heaven. e last beast, having
seized upon the earth, and being followed by the kings of
the earth, makes war with Christ. We must know whether
God will be the stronger, not only in the conscience, but in
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121
the world and in glory. Jerusalem is already becoming the
center of man’s thoughts in the earth, because it is there
the nations are to be gathered for judgment; Zech. 12:1-3.
e nations appear to be beginning to burden themselves
with Jerusalem. ey do so without acknowledging the
rights of Christ, who is alone the true King of Jerusalem;
but God shall make good the claims of Christ. e nations
are laboring in the re for very vanity (Isa. 50:11), in order
that He that has been despised may be gloried.
Verses 12, 13. Jesus appears. He has His essential glory, a
name known to Him alone. All He does is the manifestation
of what God has revealed. He will be the Word of God
in judgment, and the executor of the revelation of God
against sin. Now, the word is judging morally; then, it will
be in reality. e white horse is a sign of victory. e sharp
sword is already seen; Rev. 1:16.
Verse 15 is in allusion to Psa. 2:8, 9: “ Ask of me, and I
shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the
uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. ou shalt
break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in
pieces like a potter’s vessel.” is is what Jesus shall execute
at His glorious appearing. To break the nations with a rod
of iron is quite another thing from the gospel. He has the
nations, not as His bride, but as His inheritance. e little
stone (Dan. 2:34, 35) becomes a great mountain, lling the
whole earth. e church (Rev. 2:26, 27) is made a partaker
with Him in His power over the nations. Jesus has received
power of His Father, not merely to secure the church, but
also to break the nations, and the church shall be with
Jesus. Jesus has not yet asked for the inheritance; but is
praying that His own may be kept. He is the sovereign
High Priest, not of the world, but of the church. We have
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a High Priest; Heb. 4:14, 15; chap. 8: 1. e rebellious Jews
shall be judged. e judgment of the world is by Jesus-such
is the use of the rod of iron which He wields.
It is important to see the distinction between the
inheritance of the nation, and the position of the church.
In Isa. 63:1-6 Christ is revealed to us treading alone the
winepress of His wrath. e blood (Revelation 14: 18-20)
came out even unto the horse-bridles. It is thus that this
awful judgment of God is depicted unto us.
Verse 16 informs us that Jesus does not take His title
of King of kings before the kingdom of the world, on the
sound of the seventh trumpet being heard, becomes the
kingdom of the Lord and of His Christ. When political
attention is attracted to Jerusalem, when things are
preparing rapidly for the judgment of Christ in the earth,
when this judgment is going to be executed, it is just then
that the nations reject Christ and harden themselves against
Him. Jesus shall appear as the Faithful, the True, the King
of kings, the Lord of lords, being already the Bridegroom
of the church gloried.
It is after this that the judgment of the beast will
take place. is beast
34
is the wicked one announced to
the essalonians, the Antichrist of Daniel. e false
prophet is here found identied with the second beast. e
34 I leave this in the text as it is, but I have made some researches
in the word, which make me hesitate a little as to this phrase,
as regards the special relationships of the two beasts in Rev.
13, and their connection with other passages. However that
may be, the two beasts perish together, and the second beast
supports the rst. What I am doubtful of is, whether some
passages which, in general, are applied to the rst beast, would
not rather apply to the second. See paper in this Volume, “
Inquiry into the Antichrist of Prophecy.”
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123
distinction between the church gloried and the world
judged is very evident in the chapter before us. Antichrist
extols himself, and Christ comes only to judge him. e
things which God will separate in judgment are already
separated in His mind, and they are as much so now as
when they will be seen, the one in the lake of re, and the
other in heaven. e judgment shall merely manifest this
to the world. ere are three characters of the beast and of
Satan’s power.
Firstly, the Roman empire in its eighth head, the chief
of the last form of the beast at the time of the Gentiles.
Secondly. is chief does his own will, and will establish his
throne at Jerusalem. irdly. He is the wicked one; iniquity
has reached to the full. e false prophet is the second beast
in chapter 13, which had horns like the lamb and spoke
like the dragon. Babylon has disappeared from the scene.
Verse 17. e supper of the great God is a very strong
gure of the destruction of kings, captains, powers, of horses
and their riders, of freemen, slaves, of small and great, and
of all those, in short, whose bodies are given to the birds of
prey. e angel, standing in the sun, acts in the power and
supreme authority of God, in judgment against him who
stands in opposition to God. Dan. 7:7, 8 shows to us the
fourth beast, the fourth monarchy, as a blasphemous power,
which God judges and totally destroys. e description of
this destruction is given to us in the Revelation.
Dan. 7:17, 18. e saints of the Most High not only take
the place of authority, instead of the beast which uttered
great things against God, but also that of the four beasts.
In verse 21 the horn which uttered great things makes war
with the saints. But, if God permits the beast to overcome
the saints, it is until Christ, the Ancient of days, comes,
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124
until judgment be given to the saints of the Most High,
and until they obtain the kingdom. What puts an end to
the authority of the beast is the coming of the Ancient
of days, and not the preaching of the gospel. is is the
character of the beast and its end.
In the Revelation and in Daniel there are ten
kingdoms.
35
e beast has a mortal wound, but comes out
of the bottomless pit. e ten kings give their power to it,
and the dragon his throne; but it goes into perdition. e
kings associate themselves with it, and this satanical power,
which at all times has overcome the saints, and which has
been set up again, goes to perdition. It is the apostasy and
antagonism of power against God. e eighth head is the
beast. All its power is concentrated in the head, in the chief
of the Roman empire. is is not yet manifested. Antichrist,
who is the chief of the iniquity of the human heart, lls up
the measure of the rebellion of the Gentiles, to whom God
had entrusted power when He removed His throne from
Jerusalem, at the time of the Babylonish captivity. Instead
of glorifying God in His kingdom, man rejects Jesus, and
in the end is found making war against Jesus.
2 ess. 2:1-12. In verse 3 Antichrist is the son of
perdition. He goes to perdition. Antichrist, the wicked
one, has brought the iniquity of man to its height. To have
sinned against God, violated the law, and rejected Jesus,
although nothing morally was wanting to the sin of man-
all this was not yet the height of iniquity. e mystery of
iniquity is that evil which acts in a hidden manner in the
bosom of the church, as a germ destined to grow until the
35 But in Daniel we have the details of the history, and,
consequently, three horns fall before the little one. Whereas in
the Revelation this is omitted, for there we have rather what
characterizes the beasts, than their history on the earth.
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125
revolt-a revolt which will pursue its course till it rises up
openly against Christ manifested in glory. While men were
slumbering, the enemy has sown the tares. e mystery
of iniquity, which had already begun at the time of the
apostle, ends in the revolt of Christianity, the professing
church. God does not judge what is only yet in a state
of mystery. e mystery is that which is known only by
its revelation, and without this it remains hidden to all
human intelligence. It is the same also with the mystery
of godliness, God manifested in the esh, and with the
mystery of the union of Christ and the church. What a
mystery of iniquity it is, that the church should have been
made the nest where Satan has begun and brought forth
the fullness of the iniquity of man! Jude wished to write
of the salvation common to them, but he could not. e
evil had begun, and he urges them to contend earnestly for
what they had. e evil had begun. He warns them, “ for
certain men have crept in among you unawares, who have
turned the grace of God into lasciviousness,” and who end
in denying the Lord Jesus. ose were the same of whom
Enoch had prophesied. It is to deny the Savior recognized
according to the testimony given by the Holy Ghost, and
to revolt against Him:
36
this will be the fullness of iniquity;
after that comes the judgment.
36 e nal apostasy, or the revolt, will at the same time go
still farther; it will be the denial of the Lord thus known (as
outward profession); the denial of the Messiah by the Jews,
who will give themselves up to Antichrist; and of God by man,
who will extol himself in pride against Him. It will be the full
result of the work of Satan, the corruption of the church, or the
substitution of his works to the church, in borrowing her name,
and his master-piece in subtlety and artice.
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126
To the essalonians Paul explains the progress of the
mystery of iniquity, until that which is now an obstacle to
it be taken away. When this is taken out of the way, then
shall the wicked by revealed. He is the representative of
the iniquity, and he will be manifested when that which
restrains iniquity shall be taken away. His character is to
be without law, to do his own will, man’s will. e word
rendered by “ the wicked one “ signies “ he that is without
law.” Christ, the Man of God, says, “ Lo, I come, O God,
to do thy will,” Psa. 40:7, 8; Heb. to. He has been a servant
in everything. He gives the kingdom to those for whom
the Father has prepared it. His only will was to do the will
of God. “ Not my will, but thy will.” “ By the obedience of
one many are made righteous,” Rom. 5:19. He has not in
anything done His own will.
What characterizes this age, and what this age is
boasting of, is the right of doing its own will. It is also what
characterized the sin of Adam, before evil concupiscences
came into the world. e character of Christ, the elect King
of God, is obedience. “ But that the world may know that I
love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment,
even so I do,” John 14:31. Jesus was obedient unto death.
e power of God was thus acting in Him, to render Him,
notwithstanding the diculties, so obedient as to make
Himself of no reputation in the sight of God, and to do all
things for God. e character of the wicked is to be without
law, to do his own will. en comes the contest between
the Man of God and the man of the earth, to know who is
to succeed. e principle of evil is to have a will. For a long
time God restrains and connes the evil. When He takes
away that which now letteth, then shall the wicked, who
does his own will, manifest and exalt himself even against
Notes on Revelation 19:11-21
127
the manifestation of the glory, as he did exalt himself in
the mystery of iniquity; so now against the manifestation
of grace, as well as when Jesus was here below. ere is
no independence for man; he must be either subject to
God, or subject to Satan. He alone is independent who can
secure himself from death.
God permits Satan to act with ecacy. ey would do
their own will. ey will work signs, wonders, and miracles
of falsehood. e wicked one will be the expression of the
iniquity of man without restraint, who will have no law.
He will put himself under the inuence and bondage of
Satan, who will give him all his power. It is in its full power
the principle of the rst Adam, but with a decided will,
knowing it and wishing it, and acting after the thoughts
and according to the power which Satan inspires him with.
e question is, Who is to succeed, the Man of God, or the
man of the earth who will do his own will?
Dan. 11:36, 45, shows to us that Antichrist, the king,
shall do according to his will. As king, he will reign over
the Jews at Jerusalem. He shall exalt and magnify himself
above every god; he shall speak marvelous things, and
shall prosper till the indignation against the Jews be
accomplished. He will be king at Jerusalem, the chief or
the head
37
of the beast; in him iniquity has come to its full.
Afterward, he is destroyed. is is the end of the times of
the Gentiles. e beast and the false prophet are, before all
the others, thrown into the lake of re and of brimstone. It
is, at least as to them, the judgment of the living. e beast,
37 [Rather, in league with the beast or imperial power of Rome
in that day.-Ed.] See footnote page 78.
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128
as Antichrist,
38
denies the Father and the Son; 1John 2:22.
He denies Jesus Christ come in the esh, and he denies that
Jesus is the Messiah. It will be through this last means that
he will attach to himself the indel Jews. He denies Christ
come in the esh, and he gives himself for the Christ [i.e.,
presents himself as Messiah].
e false prophet (v. 20) is the second beast of chapter
13: 12. He has the form of the power of Christ, and the
voice of Satan. He performs prodigies. (Compare chap. 19:
20 with chap. 13: 12-14.) ese passages show the identity
of the second beast with the false prophet.
is character of the beast is that of an empire. In losing
its character of beast, it ceases to be a secular power, and
becomes a power only through its doctrine. It exercises the
power of the beast, and causes it to be adored. It is judged
as a false prophet. We see in this false Christianity,
39
which,
after having lost its worldly and terrestrial dominion, has
retained the power of its doctrinal inuence. e temporal
power of popery (or rather of hierarchy, including the
pope) is, to a certain extent, destroyed; but it subsists as
false prophet, and it always is more evidently this and with
more inuence.
38 While associated together in their work, some question would
arise in my own mind here as to the repartition of the work
between the two beasts. See note page 78.
39 I do not alter anything here, because I do not doubt of its
being true; but the relations of the second beast with the state
of Palestine in the last days are not mentioned here.
Notes on Revelation 20:5-6
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Notes on Revelation 20:5-6
CHAPTER 20: 5, 6
From verses 4-10 we have the whole of the thousand
years. It is the reign of Christ with His saints, who govern,
and Satan is bound. e whole state of the world depends
on these two things, the reign of Christ, and the prison of
Satan.
Now, on the contrary, Christ is hidden, and Satan is
acting unbound. e reign spoken of here is so distinct
and so positive, that those who are in heaven say “ And we
shall reign on the earth,”
40
Rev. 5: to. eir power is from
heaven; they shall reign over the earth according to that
power. e glory of Jesus is the object of the counsels of
God. Everything in the word and in the ways of God is
directed towards that end; without this we cannot get the
intelligence of the word. Christ is the great object of God.
God would have that His whole being should be evidently
manifested, and this manifestation is seen in Jesus.
41
No
one has seen God; the Son has revealed Him to us. God
manifested in the esh has made Himself known to us.
God is only “ seen of angels “ through the manifestation
of God in the Person of Christ. e knowledge of God in
Jesus gives intelligence to the most simple Christian. God
40 It appears that the best MSS read here, “ they shall reign “; but
this does not make any alteration in the argument of the text.
41 Not only did God manifest Himself in Christ, but Jesus gave
Himself even unto death, in order that all that God is should
be manifested in all God did with regard to Him, and for us
through Him, and that all the glory of God, all the truth of His
character, should be vindicated and established by that which
came upon Jesus.
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130
did manifest Himself to man as He is, and placed Himself
at his level. e simple can apprehend and understand God.
He hides these things from the wise and prudent. Jesus is
the object and the thought of all the counsels of God.
is glory, which God has given to Christ, God has
manifested in Jesus as man. Already, in the creation, the
divine glory of the Son has been manifested, and His
right of possessing all things established. Jesus created
everything. He has title over creation, which can only be
blessed under Him, and during His reign. God has willed
that everything should be made subject to man. Adam was
the head of the creation; he failed, and all failed in him and
with him. Satan having gained the victory over Adam, all
has fallen under the dominion of Satan, who lls the world
with evil, and rules over it through the passions of men.
e question is not merely about salvation in God’s
counsels, but of the restoration of all things. God re-
establishes everything, and man too, in introducing into
the world Jesus, the Last Adam. e sons of men are not
forsaken in this. God unites the church with the Last
Adam. All the creation fell in the person of the rst Adam,
and it is the Last
who becomes the object of the counsels of God. God
does not restore the rst Adam; He introduces a second,
the spring of life to all those who are redeemed. e word
was made esh. God became a man, in order that all things
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131
might be made subject to man, and this man is Jesus;
42
Heb. 2; Psa. 8; 1Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1. e Man Jesus is set
over everything.
e rst Adam and the Last Adam cannot subsist
together. It is impossible that Christ and Satan can be both
at the same time the princes of this world. Christ is not yet
seated on His throne; He is on His Father’s throne; Rev.
3:21. Now, it is the presence of the Spirit of Christ within,
that renders the heart faithful. In order that Christ may
reign as the Last Adam, Satan must be bound.
e question is not to know whether Christ’s reign is
a spiritual or a personal reign; for the Holy Ghost does
not leave us, and therefore the reign is spiritual as well
as personal. But to say that Christ will not be there is to
deny the reign of Christ. e Holy Ghost has not been
made man, and He is not the Bridegroom of the church,
and the church desires the Bridegroom. e Spirit and the
bride say “ Come.” e Spirit does not say this to Himself;
He says it to Christ. A reign of Christ without Christ is a
42 It is interesting to see in Psa. 1 and 2 the rights of Jesus as the
righteous man according to the government of God, and His
rights according to the counsels of God, as the Anointed, the
Christ. In the following Psalms one sees clearly that nothing
of all this is yet accomplished, as is well known. But, Christ
having suered, we have in Psa. 8 the great result on the earth
of His position as Son of man explained in Heb. 2Compare
Eph. 1:20-23; 4:9, 10; and see Luke 9, where He forbids His
disciples to announce Him as the Christ, substituting for this
title the suerings and the glory of the Son of man-the portion
of the church. Compare also John 11 and 12, where His rights
as Son of God and Son of David are set in evidence; and as
soon as His right as Son of man begins to dawn, the suerings
present themselves to the Lord, and our participation in those
suerings.
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132
reign without a king. It is limiting the church to the desire
of what she has already, that is, the Holy Ghost. It is to
confound everything in the relations of Christ as King of
the earth and as Bridegroom of the church.
Acts 3:19-21. at of which the prophets spoke is the
glory at the end, the restoration of all things. e heaven
must receive Jesus (not the Holy Ghost, who had already
come down), until the times of the restitution of all things,
and until the times of refreshing. It is Christ who, as Man,
is to reign. God has willed to subject all things to man (not
to Christ, who does not come, but) to Christ, who shall
be sent from heaven, and who is now preached. It must
be the man Jesus manifested in glory. Jesus is moreover
invested with the judgment. He judges, because He is the
Son of man; John 5:27. e Holy Ghost is not the Son of
man. Besides, the judgment precedes the millennium, and
cannot be conceived before a millennium brought by the
Holy Ghost, and by the preaching of the gospel.
e promises made to the Last Adam, the hopes of
the Bridegroom, the judgment, all is personal to the Son
of man. Jesus is coming in Person. All this is connected
with the glory of Christ. One cannot be in the truth if
one rambles from the Person of the Son of man. e Holy
Ghost acts but to magnify and glorify the Lord Jesus.
e reign of a thousand years is a reward. Men may say
sometimes, that they are principles which shall reign, that
it is a question about a resurrection of principles. But it is
written “they shall reign” (Rev. 5:10; 20:6); and I cannot
thus confound principles and persons. If we suer, we
shall reign. We are not principles. When we suer, is it in
order that the principles may reign? It would be a singular
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133
reward for me when I suer to say that it is in order that
my principles may reign a thousand years.
e apostle speaks of the rst resurrection, as if all knew
that there are two resurrections. In the word of God, two
resurrections are always spoken of, and never one general
resurrection, of which one nds neither the expression
nor the idea. God does not thus confound the just and
the unjust: and nothing will separate them more than the
resurrection. Now, they are mixed and confounded in the
world; but the resurrection shall separate them. ere is a
resurrection from amongst the dead; therefore, there are
some dead that do not rise in that resurrection, whereas
others do rise.
How can principles be priests? It is nonsense. ose
who will reign will be priests. He has loved us, and has
washed us, and made us kings and priests. One can neither
wash principles nor make them priests. If the Person of
the Lord Jesus and the persons of the saints be taken away
from the glory, the root of every aection is cut o, and one
has a millennium without Christ and without aection.
e rst and the second resurrection manifest the
glory of Christ in two very dierent ways. e church
glories the Lord in being with Him and serving Him.
Jesus shall be gloried in the judgment of the wicked,
who shall acknowledge, in spite of themselves, that He
is Lord. And for this reason, the resurrection of the just
completes their life and their glory. e power of the life of
Christ is applied to their bodies, whereas the resurrection
of the wicked is a resurrection of judgment, and not of
life. e resurrection of life does not in any wise belong
to the wicked. He “shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his Spirit that dwelleth in you,” Rom. 8:1; 1e life
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134
of Christ and the Spirit of Christ are not in the wicked;
therefore, the cause of the resurrection of the just is not
in the wicked. By the resurrection the just are conformed
to the image of Jesus Christ; John 5:25. In Luke 14:14
the Lord Jesus says “ ese shall be recompensed at the
resurrection of the just.” If all rise together, one could not
hold such language, nor that of Jesus in Luke 20:35, where
He speaks of those who shall be counted worthy to obtain
“ that age, and the resurrection of the dead “; for if all rise
together, some cannot be distinctively counted worthy of
the resurrection. us far as to the resurrection of the just:
the resurrection of the wicked is for the judgment. It is not
contemporary with that of the just. In order that the just
may reign, they must be risen. ey shall bear the image of
the heavenly. “ We shall be like him, for we shall see him as
he is,” 1John 3:2.
We read in 1Cor. 15:23, “ But every one in his own
order: Christ, the rstfruits; afterward, they that are Christ’s
at his coming.” e thought of a general resurrection is
traditional, and comes from having lost sight of the perfect
salvation of the church. ose who have believed are already
justied, and have part in the resurrection of the just,
which accomplishes their glory and their happiness. e
dead in Christ shall rise rst, and those that are alive shall
be changed; 1ess. 4:13-17. ere is an innite happiness
in the thought that we shall be conformed to the image of
Jesus, and that we shall have the same portion with Him.
If we were not kept of God, even the sight of the glory of
Christ could not prevent us from falling into the hands of
Satan. May this encourage us and keep us humble!
Notes on Revelation 20:7-15
135
62300
Notes on Revelation 20:7-15
CHAPTER 20: 7-15
Verses 7, 8 contain a very important and humiliating
principle. It is impossible, in whatever position man may
be, that he should not fall if he is left to himself, and if he
has not communicated to him from God a life of which
the grace of God is the strength. Jesus manifested in glory
does not change the heart. is change is a work of grace.
As soon as those even who have seen the glory are no
more kept from temptation by the power of God Himself,
where they are subjected to temptation, they fall and Satan
makes them at once his slaves. Satan, being loosed, comes
up out of the bottomless pit, upon the earth, not into
heaven, where he re-enters no more. When at last banished
from the earth, Satan will be cast into the lake of re and
brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are since
the beginning of the millennium, and shall never come out
of it. is is a proof that the judgment of the wicked [dead]
does not take place at the coming of Christ. When the
great white throne is there, the earth ees away; and this is
not the return of Jesus.
In the present dispensation, God visits the Gentiles
to take out of them a people for His name; Acts 15:14.
Satan is opposed to this people in whom the Holy Ghost
dwells, and who have the foretaste of the glory and the joy
that belong to the people of God. e consequence is, that
they are a separate people, who fail in rendering testimony
if they enter, however little, into the ways of the world.
Already, in Abraham, God takes out of the world a people
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to Himself, whom He leaves in the world. Israel was, as a
nation, separated from the world. An Israelite could not
espouse a Gentile. is separation was according to the
esh, not the result of faith.
In the church, it is individual faith which causes this
separation. All the precepts of the gospel suppose a state
of persecution; Matt. 5:38-48; 20:16. Everything supposes
opposition; Luke 14:25-32. If there were a Christian world,
the precepts of the gospel would not have any application.
During the thousand years, on the contrary, Jesus
shall be the Prince of this world, of which Satan is now
the prince. Now, all those who will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suer persecution; 2Tim. 3:12. We are called to
suer; and if the world were really christianized, we should
be called to run with the tide instead of contending against
it.
When Satan shall be bound, all that will be changed,
and this opposition of the world will cease. e Lord Jesus
shall reign in righteousness; there will be no temptation,
and the mass of people will be really governed by Him. If
this took place in the present dispensation, all the precepts
of the gospel would become useless and out of place. Under
the reign of Christ, the church, which has already suered,
will be seen gloried, and the world blessed, without Satan’s
temptations, living in peace and under the government of
the Son of man. It does not follow that every soul on earth
shall be converted.
If the reign of a thousand years were a spiritual
millennium, it would not be possible that Satan could
be loosed to seduce all those who would have the life of
Christ in them. Instead of that, it is a government without
temptations; and when Satan is loosed, he carries man
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137
away with him in spite of the sight of the glory of Jesus;
and this is the nal trial which displays how impossible it
is for God to trust in the creature; John 2:24. We are called
to trust the faithfulness of God, because we have learned
that God cannot trust us.
It would be extraordinary in a dispensation for man not
to be subject to trial and temptation in the ways of God.
ose of the millennium are to be tempted like others.
e consequence of it is the same-man falls. Even the
presence of Christ does not prevent it; and the heart is so
irremediably wicked and evil, that in the presence of Jesus
it will yield to its passions and lusts, and please himself
instead of pleasing Jesus. Innocent man fell-still more does
he when he is no more innocent.
During the manifestation of the glory of Christ, the
revolt cannot be hidden. Man may see the glory of Christ,
be convinced of it, and oppose himself to it! Lazarus being
risen, the Jews wish to put him to death with Jesus, because
of the testimony rendered to the power of Christ. If the
heart of man is not converted, renewed, and kept of God,
it is capable of anything. Verses 9, 10. ey will make war
with the saints and with the city beloved of God.
At that time the whole world shall be the sphere of the
judgments of the prophecy. With the Jews the promises and
the ways of God are circumscribed in the land of Canaan,
which is simply also called the earth. Later this sphere
extends itself, and the four monarchies, then Christendom,
become the prophetic earth. Jesus shall reign over the whole
inhabited earth, and prophecy shall then extend over all its
surface. If, when Christ is manifested in glory, the world
oppose the people of God, it is not surprising that the same
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138
thing should happen now that Christ is hidden. To think
otherwise is to be in illusion.
To understand the glory of Christ in the church, the
church must be separate from the world. When the church
is mixed up with the world, this only spoils the church
and Christians. e world never draws towards Christians,
and it cannot do so, for its own nature cannot allow it;
but Christians may to their own loss draw near the world,
because the old man is still in them.
Verse 10. e beast and the false prophet are in the lake
burning with re and brimstone since the judgment of the
earth. Satan is not there. He reigns in a public-house, in
balls, in the opera, in the theater, in concerts, etc., and he
rules in the hearts of men by presenting to them things
pleasant to their lusts. When Satan shall be in the lake
burning with re, he will not reign there; he will be there
as the most miserable being. At the beginning of the
millennium the beast and the false prophet will be thrown
there alive. Satan is only bound in the bottomless pit, from
whence he shall come out again to tempt men.
As long as Satan is in heaven, he is the prince of this
world. ere are idolaters, a Babylon, and that secret
inuence which deceives the heart of man, so as to make
him look at a piece of wood as a god. ese are the eects of
the deceits of the enemy. What has become of the greatest
part of the human race? ey are plunged in idolatry.
Civilization does not draw man out of it; the people of
antiquity, whose civilization has been transmitted to us,
did not through it come out of idolatry; and the most
enlightened men submit themselves to things which their
own reason rejects, because they are under the inuence of
Satan. When Satan has come out of the bottomless pit, he
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139
can no more exercise this inuence, because he cannot go
up into heaven again and give himself out for a god before
men. He can only excite them to open revolt.
Verses 11-15. Satan being set aside, here is the judgment
of the dead. e judgment of the great white throne only
applies to the dead. en it is that the resurrection of
judgment takes place; the resurrection of life is for those
only who shall reign. e eect of judgment is that “ in thy
sight shall no man living be justied,” Psa. 143:2. It is only
those who have the life of Christ in themselves that will
escape from the lake burning with re and brimstone. To
be judged according to our own works is to be condemned.
One thing that will prove that the question here is not
concerning the coming of Christ is, that the place of the
great white throne is not mentioned; whereas Acts 1:11
announces the return of the Lord Jesus to the earth, and
Zech. 14:4 shows Him to us on the Mount of Olives. It is
from that mountain that He was taken up from the midst
of His disciples, and it is on that mountain that He will
again set His feet. It is not at all the great white throne.
When this appears, heaven and earth ee away from before
His face. is is not the coming again on the earth. e
dead appear before Him. For the judgment of the living
He must come again where the living are to be found. In
the other case, it is all over with the heaven and present
earth.
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62301
Notes on Revelation 21:1-8
CHAPTER 21: 1-8
An event of all gravity is here mentioned: Jesus gives
up the kingdom to the Father; 1Cor. 15:24. He has taken
the kingdom as a man. He who became a man and made
Himself of no reputation has been highly exalted. e
question is about His humanity, not about His divinity,
properly speaking.
Jesus, as a man, intercedes now for us; as a man He
shall reign also. is is innitely precious to us. Jesus is not
an unknown God, but a man sitting at the right hand of
God. As a man He shall deliver up the kingdom to God
the Father, which as a man He received; 1Cor. 15:22-28.
As a man the Son shall be subject to God and shall no
more reign, although as God He shall reign eternally. ere
is no more intercession when all the saints are happy, nor
any government when all the wicked have disappeared and
God shall be all in all.
Justice shall not reign then; it shall dwell; 2Peter 3.
Perfection will not exist until God has made all things
new. ere is here no distinction made of a people of God
amongst men.
“ e tabernacle of God is with men.” All is peace. God
is all in all. All those who remain after the judgment are
blessed together. But we have to consider whether what is
called the church now shall not also be a special blessing,
whether it will not be the tabernacle of God amongst men.
(See Eph. 3:21.)
Notes on Revelation 21:1-8
141
Jesus is here the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and
the end of the counsels of God. He is God Himself. When
all shall be accomplished and made subject to God, then
there shall be an eternal blessing. Since the fall of Adam
until this day it is the manifestation of the grace and of the
patience of God.
We have in one sense come to the end of the book of
the Revelation. Here it is that events of the prophecy are
closed. What follows is a description of the holy Jerusalem,
of the joy of the saints during the thousand years, and of
the relations of the heavenly Jerusalem with the earth.
Everything is centered in Christ. e smallest, the meanest,
of those who attach themselves to Christ, who love Christ,
shall shine in the glory of Christ, and that one shall be
found wise even by the wicked who despise him now. May
God render us faithful to the glory of Christ, while the
world is despising this glory, and we shall be made partakers
of it when it shall be manifested!
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62302
Notes on Revelation 21:9-27
and 22:1-5
CHAPTERS 21:9-27; 22:1-5
In comparing verse 9 with chapter 17:1, you will nd
this likeness, that it is one of the seven angels who have the
seven vials that gives the description of Babylon, and that
it is one of them also who describes the bride of the Lamb,
the holy city, with the whole of the prophecy from verse 9.
e historical unfolding of the mediatorial service of the
Lamb is already contained in this book.
What is found in chapters 21: 9-27 and 22: 1-5 does
not form a continuation, either historical or prophetic, of
what precedes. It is a description of the holy Jerusalem, and
there are many circumstances which precede what is in the
beginning of the chapter. e angel, in the same manner,
describes Babylon after having given her history.
Verses 9-13. It is in heaven, in the glory only, that the
bride, the Lamb’s wife, is spoken of in the accomplishment
of
Notes on Revelation 21:9-27 and 22:1-5
143
God’s ways concerning her.
43
e present dispensation
is only the assembling the living stones of this city,
the assembling of the saints, the church. rough the
resurrection, we shall all be placed without sound (see
1Kings 6:7) in the glory prepared for us. is is the bride
of the Lamb, not of the King, as in the Old Testament. e
church has part in the suerings, as well as in the glory of
Christ; and to her Jesus is the Lamb, and not the King;
the manifestation of the heavenly, and not of the earthly,
righteousness of God (for in the last case Christ ought
not to have died). is heavenly righteousness is hidden
in God, unknown to the world, but known of faith. Before
the world, the death of Christ is the greatest injustice of
man. e Lamb is also the manifestation of the patience
and of the goodness of God. But, as to the accomplishment
of righteousness with regard to His death, no true estimate
could be made of its value, except in heaven. No reward on
earth could have been worthy of what Jesus has suered.
e manner in which Jesus gloried the Father could not
be worthily recompensed but in placing the Son at the
right hand of the Father. To suer for having done well,
and to submit to all-this is the part of a Christian. It is
43 I hardly need say here, that this does not mean that there has
not been a church on the earth during the ages which have
elapsed since Pentecost. I have insisted enough upon this in
other writings. ere certainly was a church, and in the relation
of a bride with Christ through faith. But the marriage was
not come, and it is equally evident that the whole of it is not
formed before she is in the glory. Her characteristic place is
in heaven. She belongs there. What else is here is only the
general principle of what God will accomplish in the glory.
God wills that man should manifest this before the world, in
the power of the Holy Ghost, until Jesus return; and she is
here, consequently, the habitation of God through the Spirit.
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144
better to keep Christ’s character than one’s cloak. e church
has part in all this. She has the fellowship of the suerings
of Christ and of His resurrection. She becomes the Lamb’s
wife in His glory, as in His rejection: she has part in His
suerings. We cannot have a portion with Christ above
without having it with Him here on earth. Christ is one
whole.
e spouse of the King is the spouse on earth. e bride
of the Lamb is the church in glory. She has the enjoyment
of the ripe fruits of the tree of life, whose leaves are for
the healing of the nations. Even in the glory grace is the
portion of the church. Government in justice characterizes
Jerusalem on earth. e city comes down from heaven. e
city which comes from the earth is Babylon. Here it is the
holy Jerusalem. She comes from heaven. She is not found
on the earth; there is no thought even of her there. It may
be manifested to the earth; but in its origin it is a heavenly
thing, also in its character, in its nature altogether.
What comes from God is holy. Jesus, the only man who
really came forth from God, was perfectly holy. He was
not of the earth. It is impossible that anything could stain
the origin of the nature of what comes from heaven. “ He
cannot sin, because he is born of God,” 1John 3:9. Our
risen body is a house of heaven: it is a glory reserved in
heaven. What is truly of God abides in God and cannot
fade. In its nature life, essentially divine, is not only pure,
but it cannot fade nor become corrupt.
ere is still something more-” the glory of God.” en
the city has the form and the beauty of what God manifests
in the glory. God is gloried there: all shines with His glory;
all relates to it, bears witness to it, and is clothed with it. “
We rejoice in hope of the glory of God,” Rom. 5:2. Christ
Notes on Revelation 21:9-27 and 22:1-5
145
shall come to be gloried in the saints, and the church is
clothed with the glory of God Himself. It is precious to
have always God’s true object in view, which cannot stop
on this side His glory. If one would get at the bottom of the
counsels of God, one must look to His glory. What makes
me, in traveling, pass through such and such a place, is not
the desire of seeing that place, but of getting to an end
beyond. e sight of the glory sancties truly, and gives an
object far above all that could be prepared to stop us here
on earth. We shall never walk well here below, even in the
smallest details, if the great end is not constantly before
our eyes. If I have any object on this side the glory, even the
welfare of the church in detail, my soul will suer from it.
In this consists that which elevates all the Christian does-if
in everything he has the glory of God in view.
e Father, we have seen, is never mentioned in the
Revelation; nor have we here the children of the Father,
but the bride of the Lamb. is book speaks of government
and glory; and God, in this book, takes all His titles save
that of Father. e apostles of the Lamb (v. 14), not the
twelve tribes of Israel, are the foundations of the city. e
prophets knew that these things were not for themselves,
but for us; 1Peter 1:12.
ere is a perfect order. e golden reed (v. 15), the
exact righteousness of God, measures all and judges all. e
result of the work of God is perfect. Nothing is wanting;
nothing is too long; nothing is too short. All is perfectly
regulated. Not a stroke of the hammer remains to be given.
All is perfect-God is the Architect.
Verse 18. God’s glory is the building of the wall; this
jasper represents God. Christ is girded with pure gold,
and it is said, “ Righteousness is the girdle of his loins.”
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146
It is the divine righteousness accomplished in Jesus, not
the earthly. Verse 21. ere is also purity, transparent glass,
the perfect purity of God, which can no longer be deled;
chap. 15: 2. e purity is no more of water, but of glass; it
is consolidated, and rendered rm. e church, one with
Christ, is seen there, having the righteousness of God, His
purity, His holiness. e justice of man does not become a
Christian. One cannot mix together with grace the earthly
justice, which says “ Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.” e
righteousness of heaven can ally itself with grace, and the
only righteousness that becomes a Christian is a heavenly
righteousness. It gives, and no longer exacts. God having
communicated His nature to the Christian, he is raised
above sin, and is made partaker of God’s holiness; 2Peter
1; Heb. 12. e true character of the Christian is that of
divine righteousness and holiness, and that of grace-what
becomes God, when He is manifested as man. We want
faith to lose our fortune and to forgive; but if it is coming
out of the society of man, it is entering into that of God.
What a portion for us, and how it does elevate our souls!
is righteousness, this holiness of God, cannot be fully
manifested until the church is seen in glory.
e dierence of the stones (v. 19, 2o) contains details
which are above my knowledge. It is said of Satan, that
before his fall he walked up and down in the midst of the
stones of re-that every precious stone was his covering;
Ezek. 28:14. e precious stones were on the breastplate
of the high priest. ese stones are not pure light, but the
reection of the divine glory, where the most elevated
creature walked before its fall. It is in that position that
Christ places the church on His heart, as high priest, and in
the full manifestation of which He places her in the glory.
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147
e church is in that glory. It is what is nearest to God
when the question is about the glory. It is the radiancy of
divine glory reected, and manifested in its varied beauty
in the creature, and this in its most immediate relationship
with God, a radiancy of divine light on and through the
creature. In Ezekiel, this is the case in creation; on the
breastplate of Jesus, in grace; here, in glory. In the rst
case the creature could not maintain itself there. Christ
maintains the church there in its weakness. He places her
there in the strength He has Himself in the glory. e point
here is the right of the sovereignty of God, who places the
church in this glory; and not the aection of the Father to
His children.
Verse 21. e twelve gates are twelve pearls-that is, what
is beautiful, the perfection of moral grace in the church, a
pearl of great price (Matt. 13:46): it was what Christ had
looked for. e street of the city is of pure gold, as it were
transparent glass; no delement is any longer possible.
Jesus will no more have to wash our feet in order that we
may enter into the presence of God for our worship. In the
glory we shall be standing on purity. e more we walk
there, the more we shall get into purity, without having the
need of conscience to be on our guard. e more we then
let go our aections, the more we shall praise God. is is
great rest to him who loves holiness. e precious stones
express the solid basis of our glory, and we shall walk on
purity. is is heavenly rest.
Verses 22-27. ere is no more temple-that is to say,
nothing that contains and hides the glory of God. God
is the temple. He receives and encloses His people. If
one came out of the temple, one found the world. en
we shall be shut up in God. He is the intimate center of
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148
everything, as also the circumference of our happiness. If
we would come out of purity, we must come out of God,
who is innite. All God’s names in this dispensation, save
that of Father, are here. e Lamb, He who has suered,
and in whom our aections are concentrated, is also the
temple. God shall be the Sun of the city (v. 23) and we shall
know as we have been known. is has consequences. e
nations upon the earth, spread in the judgment, walk in
its light, the light of the city. Jesus saith, “ e glory which
thou hast given me, I have given them, that the world may
know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me,”
John 17:22-26. ere will be a world which shall know it
and see it, in the manifestation of that glory. e aection
of the bride delights in the glory that belongs to the Lamb,
and the bride is manifested in that glory.
e church, which is the manifestation of the goodness
and of the glory of God, shall be the light of the world. It is
in our glory that the world shall understand what a Savior
we have had. What joy for us, in whom will be seen, in
the ages to come, the exceeding riches of His grace in His
kindness towards us in Christ Jesus! (Eph. 2:7). When the
world shall see us there, it will then understand that God
has loved us as He has loved Jesus. Everything corresponds
with our portion here below. e earthly Jerusalem will
take vengeance (shall execute the vengeance) on God’s
enemies. We are here on earth the instruments of the grace
and of the glory of God. Sinners may speak of it from the
heart. is will continue in heaven. e church shall be in
the glory, the testimony rendered to grace; and the earthly
Jerusalem shall exercise the severity of justice against sin.
God is now rejected and despised in us; He shall then be
gloried in us.
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149
Isa. 60 shows that the earthly Jerusalem has the earthly
government and the rights of the justice of God. “ e
nation that will not serve her shall perish,” v. 12. As to the
heavenly Jerusalem, the nations of those who arc saved
shall walk in her light. All that God shall perfect in the
glory ought to be manifested through the Holy Ghost
here on earth. By anticipation the Holy Ghost gives us the
foretaste of this glory. And the knowledge of that glory is a
principle of action which the world can never understand;
but it can see the fruits of it. e selshness of the world
understands the grace that is in the Christian, which can
forgive; but, in principle, that grace is foolishness to him.
Yet, although the world does not understand our motives,
it sees the faithfulness, which is a testimony rendered to
grace. May God be sanctied in us by the sight of that
glory!
e beginning of chapter 22 shows us the relations of
the heavenly city with the earth and the world. e world
will see that we have been loved, and will know how much
we have been loved, when at the appearing of Jesus we shall
appear also with Him in glory. When He appears, it must
be before some one. His appearing is the manifestation of
His glory in the world where He has been rejected, but
which God made the theater of all that He manifested
of Himself. It is there that sin entered; that Satan reigns;
that man has lived in open revolt against God; that angels
have served; that Jesus has suered; that He has conquered
hades, death, and the prince of this world. Nothing is more
simple than God’s manifesting the glory of Jesus and that
of Christians in this world, where they were despised. We
shall now see the great principles of that glory.
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e earthly Jerusalem has almost all the characters of the
celestial one. Yet there is an essential dierence. It is in the
heavenly Jerusalem that the glory is, and it is from thence
that it shines upon the earthly Jerusalem. Our Christian
discipline here in the earth enables us to manifest this
glory. e earthly Jerusalem is upon the earth, the seat of
the government of God in justice. e glory requires that
all the nations should be brought low; Zech. 1:21; 2:8-13;
8:22, 23, etc. Under Israel we see the patience of God in
government, with the incapacity of Israel to prot by it.
Under the government of the New Jerusalem the law will
be put in their heart (Ezek. 36:27), and will enable them to
answer to this government of God, and God will manifest
His glory there, “ and my people shall be all righteous.”
In the heavenly Jerusalem there is a display more
complete and more intimate of the resources that are in
God to bless, if there are any miseries, and not obedience.
In heaven are the fruits thereof continually presented in
all their richness and in all their variety. At the same time
there are also on the tree of life the leaves destined for the
healing of the Gentiles. In Eden, man’s innocence was put
to the test. ere were the two trees, the tree of life, and the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil. e life, without
which man can do nothing, and responsibility-such are the
principles of all religion.
As to responsibility, man found himself in two positions-
in innocence and in sin;
44
that is, in Eden and under the
law. e law requires obedience after the knowledge of
good and evil is entered; and if there is evil, the only eect
of the presence of God is to make us haste away as fast as
possible. e law acts on the responsibility of man who has
44 In either case, made subject to a law.
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151
the knowledge of good and evil, and brings it to bear on
him, but does not give life.
Christ has taken up man when hopeless on the ground
of his own responsibility. He took the responsibility on
Himself, and has given life. He becomes thus everything to
man. He comes as expiation and as mediation, puts Himself
under the responsibility according to all the requirement of
God, gives full satisfaction, takes upon Himself all the result
of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and takes the
place of the other tree, and imparts life. Man ate, not of the
tree of life, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil. When man places himself under responsibility, he is
surely lost. To recognize that Christ is the source of life, and
yet to keep the responsibility of one’s own salvation, is to be
in confusion and in fear. Christ must answer as Mediator,
and be the source of life. us it is that pure grace is the
only way in which we can have to do with God. We shall
even see traces of these things in the heavenly Jerusalem.
Everything concerning ourselves is accomplished. Life and
responsibility being united, it is a joy for us, as well as for
the angels, to do the will of God. May God enable us to
understand and to apprehend well these two principles,
life and responsibility! If we take the responsibility upon
ourselves. it is all over with us-we are undone.
Life is represented here under two gures: (1) A river
of living water. We have not only the life in us, but we
are drinking forever of that life which proceeds from the
throne of God, and ows in abundance through the city. (2)
A tree of life. One might have eaten in Eden of the tree of
life, but in that tree there was no principle of healing. Here
this is not the case. e leaves of the tree are for the healing
of the Gentiles. is tree of life is more blessed. ose that
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are in the city nd food in its fruit, and from its leaves
proceed the resources of life for those who are still on the
earth. ere is the joy of communion. We drink of the river
of living water. Although this is the highest joy, yet it is a
joy also, even for God, to do good to those who are in want.
It is grace, it is goodness. We are made partakers of that joy
in the holy city; we shall enjoy there the grace which heals,
as well as the grace of drinking in His holiness. ere is joy
in heaven for one sinner that repents.
us in the heavenly Jerusalem, there is neither
innocence without grace, nor responsibility and the law
without life.
Verses 3, 4. ere is the center of all authority — the
throne of God and of the Lamb. e rest there shall not
be a rest of idleness. His servants shall serve Him. Nothing
shall separate us from God, and we shall see His face; and
in our foreheads (v. 4) nothing will be seen that is not the
expression of God. All that God is, His name, shall be
in our foreheads (that is to say, manifested in us in the
most visible manner). Slaves had the name of their masters
marked in their foreheads. We shall see the face of God.
e pure in heart shall see God. e whole world shall see
that we are the servants of God. All this is even before the
world a plain manifestation of what God is. Verse 5. All
that is here is an eternal state for the church.
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Notes on Revelation 22:6-21
CHAPTER 22: 6-21
Verses 6, 7. Here terminates this description. When the
Last Adam shall have exercised His power to re-establish
all the things mentioned by the prophets, then shall be
the end. He shall be Priest after the order of Melchisedec,
Priest seated on His own throne, to praise God and to bless
the world. is rebellious world shall then be made subject
to Him. is is the form that the mediation will take at
that time-not hidden, as it is now, but with His people.
Verse to. ere is here a remarkable expression. God had
told Daniel to seal the prophecy (chap. 12: 4); here, on the
contrary, for the church, He says not to seal the prophecy.
It is not denied that Jesus is coming again, nor do men
intend to deny the coming dispensation; but its power over
the conscience is avoided by saying “ My Lord delayeth
his coming.” But Jesus says “ Behold, I come quickly,” and
He delays not, but is patient, willing that all should repent.
erefore it is that God would not that the Revelation
should be sealed. He says, “ I come quickly.” In principle,
nothing between the present moment and the coming of
the Lord prevents the believer’s laying hold of His coming.
God will have the coming of Jesus to be a thought dear to
my heart and nigh; therefore He will not seal anything.
God will not have anything in the heart of the believer
which separates between the time when the prophecy was
given and the coming of Jesus.
At the epoch of the Reformation it was the explanation
of this book (see Luther’s work, entitled “ e Captivity
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of Babylon “) that gave power to come out of the iniquity
and the corruption of the professing church. And if it was
not the accomplishment of the thing itself in full, yet the
principle was apprehended, and its application to what was
displayed in his time.
Verse 16. In the beginning of the Revelation Jesus is set
forth as the Root of David. Here He calls Himself the Root
and Ospring of David, because He has taken His place
of King, as Son of David. Here it is that the church on the
earth comes again on the scene, as vessel of the testimony
(that is to say, the prophecy is ended). In the prophetic part,
the church is not seen unless it be in heaven prophetically.
But He, who has borne the testimony, presents Himself
here in Person. is awakens the aections of the spouse,
and the church’s desire is that He would come.
We may see also how the coming of Jesus is addressed to
all classes of persons. First (v. 7), “ Behold, I come quickly.
Blessed is he who keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of
this book.” I have no doubt but that this is a warning to
us, and to anyone else; for the church is instructed in this
book of all that is going to happen, and of the fruits and
principles of the world, and of the world which calls itself
Christian. But this exhortation applies to those that shall be
found here when the church is gone, in the circumstances
of which the book treats (v. 12). e coming of Jesus is
addressed and presented to all, as bringing with itself the
consequences of their works; and then, prophecy being at
an end, Jesus presents Himself personally, “ I Jesus, I am,”
etc. is is that which awakens the desires of the church,
which is His already, and which knows Him; and upon this
He declares in answer, “ He which testieth these things
saith, Surely, I come quickly.”
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155
Verse 17. is verse gives the normal position of the
church while waiting for Jesus. It is not the bride only who
calls for the Bridegroom; it is the Spirit and the bride. is
desire of the bride is authorized and sanctioned by the
Spirit Himself. It is not anything from the Spirit that one
expects. It is the Spirit which desires, and He cannot desire
the Spirit. e bride desires, and she desires the Bridegroom
and not the Spirit. “ Come quickly, Lord Jesus! “ If I desire
a millennium without Christ, it is not saying “ Come
quickly,” but it is saying Delay at least a thousand years.
e church says naturally “ Come,” if she has apprehended
her privileges. ere are souls who have not apprehended
these privileges of the church; therefore He says, “ Let him
that heareth say, Come.” e church has already the river of
life; and so she says to him that is athirst, “ let him come,”
for I have the river of life: “ and whosoever will, let him
take of the living water freely “ (for I have it); let him take
of it freely. e church presents grace while waiting for the
Bridegroom: it is her duty and her privilege to invite those
who are athirst to take of the water of life that she possesses.
Having the Holy Ghost, the church invites to drink of this
living water. Come and drink! e betrothed of Jesus, she
says to the Bridegroom, “ Come.” How desirable is her
position here! As for herself, her aections are xed above
on Christ, whom she is expecting, and whom she desires.
Meanwhile she is depositary and witness in grace of the
grace she enjoys. She does not say, If any one is Athirst,
let him come to me, as Jesus could say; but it is her place,
through grace, to say “ Come and drink.” Nothing urges
more to the plainest and most faithful evangelization, than
the thought that Jesus is coming quickly. On the other
hand, if you are wishing for money, or seeking to make
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provision for placing your children in the world, or if you
have any plans for the future, you cannot wish for the Lord
Jesus to come; and if you cannot, then your hearts are not
right with Jesus. For Christians, it is a melancholy state.
And if any one does not own the Lord, nothing is more
awful than the coming of Jesus: it is judgment for such
a one. May God purify our hearts, in order that we may
desire that Jesus would come quickly! Amen.
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Substance of a Lecture on
Prophecy
45
e following are the points touched upon in the
ensuing pages:-
I. Introduction:-e believer, knowing his acceptance in
Christ, is put into a position, and has the gift of the Holy
Ghost, whereby he may survey all God’s future operations.
1. e purpose of God is to put all things under Christ in
glory, and in this the church is associated with Him.
2. e right of Christ to inherit all things is founded upon
three titles, viz., the Creator, the Son, and the Man
of Psa. 8
3. e taking of the inheritance will be at His coming, and
as a kingdom. e church, being raised then, reigns
with Him.
4. Meanwhile, in this present time, the church is being
gathered into life by the operation of the Spirit on
the preached word.
5. e life so given issues in a resurrection apart from the
wicked.
6. Statement of the rst resurrection.
7. e hope and calling of the church is to wait for the
coming of the Lord-the practical inuence of this
doctrine.
8. e loss of it has been the church’s ruin considered in its
relations here below; an arousing has partially taken
place; neither the one, nor the other, unnoticed in the
prophetic word.
45 Delivered at Sidmouth, 1843.
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9. Character of the Lord’s return to the earth, and earthly
blessings which follow.
II. e bearing of the coming of Christ upon the world
at large.
1. e world is divided into three great classes, viz., the
Jews, the Gentiles, and the church. With each of
these God has had dealings; and they have all failed:
but God is faithful.
2. Sketch of the failure of the Jews, under the law. But they
have unconditional promises still remaining to them-
they will be restored to their land.
3. Events in this restoration dierent from any of God’s
previous dealings with them.
4. e Gentile power, as such, is to end in rebellion against
God. Its system will be destroyed by the little stone
cut out of the mountain without hands.
5. e end of the professing church, as such, is apostasy;
and the judgment of God, executed by Christ, will
also overtake it.
6. Subsequent blessing of the earth under the Messiah,
Jerusalem being the metropolis.
7. Conclusion.
“ And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after
this the judgment; so Christ was once oered to bear the
sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he
appear the second time without sin unto salvation,” Heb.
9:27, 28.
ese two verses teach us two very important facts: rst,
that death is the natural portion for man, and after that the
judgment; but, secondly, that to believers this death and
judgment have been met by Christ, and, consequently, they
expect with joy His second appearing; they look for Him.
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Here is the distinction between the saints and the world.
e reception, through grace, or refusal of the love of God,
creates the contrast, so far as man is concerned, and not any
eorts of his own, for he has no power of his own to meet
that which he is already in-namely, death! But the believer
nds that death and judgment have been met by Christ on
his behalf; he consequently loves Him in remembrance of
His work; and to such Christ will appear the second time
without sin. No doubt He was so personally the rst time;
but then He came into all the circumstances of sin, He
was made sin for us. But, as regards believers, He has, at
His second coining, nothing more to do with sin: it will be
unto salvation, to put them into possession of the results
of His rst coming. Salvation will be the consummation of
what we at present believe. Seeing Him at the right hand
of God, we look for a completion of bliss at His second
appearing; and this belief being in the heart, the results are
seen in the life-the church’s position is that of resting on
the eects of His rst coming, and it looks for all its results
in the second.
is is brought out in Eph. 1. Believers, we are told (v.
7), “ have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins.” en follows the statement of the consequence of our
present condition, as “ accepted in the beloved.” It is this,
that we are admitted to the knowledge of the counsels and
intentions of God, and are told that in the dispensation
of the fullness of times He will gather together in one all
things in Christ (v. o). In the meanwhile, until the glory
come, we have been sealed by His Holy Spirit, “ which
is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of
the purchased possession,” v. 14. us, then, the church
has redemption in Christ, and is expecting all things to
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be gathered together in Him. Meanwhile, it has the Holy
Ghost.
e Lord Jesus is Himself the center of all God’s
purposes; and I shall endeavor to show that whatever may
regard the church, the Jews, or the Gentiles, is merely the
unfolding of His glory. But, more than this, we shall see that
the church of God is brought out, not only as enjoying the
present blessing of communion, but also as joint-heir with
Christ of His coming inheritance. In looking at the glory
of Christ, believers are looking at their own glory, as being
“ heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,” Rom. 8:17. We
have a type or gure of this in Eve. Eve was not a part of
the creation, nor was she lord of it as Adam was; but she
was associated with him in all his portion of inheritance.
And so we shall nd the church to be joined with Christ,
when He takes His rightful inheritance.
As to the purpose of God in Christ-His title to inherit
all things is made out in three ways from Scripture; while
He Himself makes all of them good by redemption; John
12:32.
First, He has created all things (Col. 1:16), and as He
created them, so they are “ for Him.” “ All things were
created by him and for him.” He is the great heir, and He
must have possession of them all; by Him all things are
to be reconciled, Col. 1:20. e whole universe will by-
and-by be reduced into subjection under Him. e second
ground of His title is found in Heb. 1:2. ere it is said,
the Son is “ appointed heir of all things.” e third ground,
which stands in the counsels of God is, that man is to be
set over all things. is we learn from Psa. 8, which psalm
the apostle Paul uses three times, showing some points of
special importance at each, and always insisting that the
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Lord Jesus is the man there spoken of. He quotes it in Heb.
2:6, etc.: “ What is man that thou art mindful of him? or
the son of Man, that thou visitest him? ou madest him a
little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory
and honor, and didst set him over the works of thine hands:
thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet.” Paul
argues that it leaves “ nothing that is not put under him “ “
But now,” says he, “ we see not yet all things put under him;
but we see Jesus crowned with glory and honor.” e half
of the prophecy has been accomplished, because the one
who is to reign is crowned, and His being at the right hand
of God is the pledge that it all will come to pass. We only
see what is already accomplished in Jesus. e putting of all
things under Him is not yet come to pass; it is neither done
nor doing. He has not yet “ taken to Himself His great
power and reigned “ (Rev. 1 I: 17); but He sits hid in God,
so far as this fact is concerned, till the time comes when,
according to Psalm He: 1, God shall make His enemies to
be His footstool.
46
Psa. 8 is again brought forward in Eph.
1:22, and here in its connection with the church’s sharing
His portion. Previously the apostle had been praying that
they might know the same power, as in actual exercise
towards them, which God wrought in Christ when He
raised Him from the dead; and then He shows (v. 22, 23)
the church as being in very deed His body, “ the fullness of
him that lleth all in all,” and thus necessarily the sharer
with Him of His future glory. He will then be manifestly
heir of all things, and Head and Bridegroom to the church.
46 He says (Heb. 2:5), “ Unto the angels hath he not put in
subjection the world to come “ (literally “ the coming habitable
world “). “ e world to come “ is not heaven, but this earth,
which is to be subjected under the dominion of man, and that
man-Christ.
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Psa. 8 is again quoted in 1Cor. 15. ere it is in connection
with a kingdom
47
, and also with resurrection: 1Cor. 15:23-
25, “ Every man in his own order; Christ the rst fruits;
afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. en cometh
the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom f to
God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule
and all authority and power; for he must reign till he hath
put all enemies under his feet “: then the psalm in question
is introduced, verse 27, “ For he hath put all things under
his feet.” Everything now in disorder is to be put under
this Man’s feet, and when all is brought completely into
subjection by Him, then the kingdom is to be delivered up.
If we refer to 2Tim. 4 i, we shall nd the kingdom
connected with His appearing-as being then set up.
Further it is plain that Christ’s appearing is not at the end
(as is supposed), but at the beginning of the kingdom; for
at the end of that period the kingdom is to be delivered
up. us the apostle speaks: “ I charge thee before God,
and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and
the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.” is passage,
too, clearly shows that the common opinion of a day-a
twenty-four hours- of judgment, is erroneous, because it
is quoted here as lasting a certain time. His appearance is
at the beginning of His kingdom, and then there will be
a judgment on the living wicked of the nations. On some
God’s wrath will specially fall for rejecting His gospel; but
this judgment (greater or less in its exercise) will also run
47 We learn that there is to be a kingdom in existence, from
the fact of its being delivered up at the end. Christ has not
yet taken His kingdom, but at the end He is to deliver it up.
It is plain the kingdom must begin when He comes, and be
delivered up at a certain period not mentioned here.
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163
on
48
during the period of His kingdom; whilst at the nal
close of it, be the length what it may, the wicked dead will
be judged; and if His appearing be at the beginning of His
kingdom, it is clear that the church must be raised and
with Him when He takes it; for she is to appear with Him.
Christ, as we saw, is the rst Man raised, He is the “ rst
fruits of them that slept “; “ afterward they that are Christ’s
at his coining “ (1Cor. 15:23; 1ess. 4:15-17); and then
begins that kingdom which at the end (that is, at the end
of a dened period not spoken of in this chapter)
49
He will
deliver up to the One who gave it to Him, that is, to God,
even the Father, “ that God may be all in all,” 1Cor. 15:28.
Christ’s title to inherit all things having been stated,
and also the church’s title to heirship with Him, it was
nevertheless said, that this, as yet, is but in purpose; for that
it is neither done nor doing, but that Christ is sitting at the
right hand of the Father, and “ expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool,” Heb. 10:13. If the question be asked,
What is doing? e answer is, that during this waiting
time, His joint-heirs are being gathered by the operation
of the Spirit through the preached word. It may be well
briey to notice how the church is brought out into this
blessed connection with Him, now by faith, and hereafter
in manifestation: it is by the quickening power of the Last
Adam; 1Cor. 15:45-47. rough this quickening power
we are children, sons of God, and brought into the likeness
of our Head, as by our natural birth we are in the likeness
of the rst Adam; so that we are heirs of His glory, just as
we are heirs of all the miseries into which we have been
48 See Isa. 65:12, 20; Jer. 31:29, 30 Zech. 14:17, 18, 19.
49 Rev. 20 denes the time of His kingdom as lasting a thousand
years.
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introduced by the fall of the rst Adam. is is treated of
by the apostle Paul in the way of comparison, in the latter
part of Rom. 5 e life so given puts us in spirit where
Jesus is: “ we are risen with him, through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead,”
Col. 2:12. It is not a something to be sought for, but we
have got the life which, connecting us with our Head,
makes us enjoy holiness down here; and we are waiting for
the glory, which shall make us actual sharers of what our
Head Himself enjoys.
It is necessary to see that as this eternal life, which
believers have at present in Christ, has nothing in common
with the world around; so the issue of it will be in a
resurrection of the body at a distinct time, and on a dierent
principle from that of the wicked: a rst resurrection (Rev.
20:5), in consequence of a life previously given. e saints
are raised because they are one with Him who is risen;
they are raised as the result of union with the Lord Jesus;
whereas the wicked are raised to be judged by Him, and
not at the same time. In Rom. 8 I I, we nd the principle:
it is because the Spirit of God already dwells in believers.
“ If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead
dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall
also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth
in you.”
ere is no such thing in Scripture as a common
resurrection. e prevailing opinion is that, at a certain
day, all men, whether good or bad, shall stand before God,
and then receive their nal doom; but Scripture does not
speak in this way. It constantly distinguishes between the
resurrection of the just and of the unjust. One passage,
indeed, might to a careless reader seem to give a color to
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such an opinion. In John 6, the Lord speaks of raising up
some at the last day; but He speaks solely of “ those whom
the Father hath given him “; those who “ believed on him
“; those who came to Him drawn by the Father, and who “
ate his esh and drank his blood “-terms for believers. He
is here speaking of a last day alone to the righteous; there
is no allusion to the wicked. e Lord impresses the truth,
that, whatever blessing comes, it must be in connection
with resurrection. e last day must here have reference
to something familiar to Jewish thoughts, as when the
disciples, who were Jews by birth, asked Him, “ What shall
be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world [age]?
“ (Matt. 24:3). In every other passage the scripture plainly
distinguishes the two resurrections. In Luke 14:14, it is
said, “ ou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the
just.” Again, Luke 20: 35, “ ey which shall he accounted
worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from
the dead.” Here is a remarkable distinction- worthiness
is attributed to those who obtain this resurrection- it is a
distinct class. Again, in 1Cor. 15:23, “ Every man in his
own order: Christ the rstfruits, afterward they that are
Christ’s at his coming.” Nothing can be plainer than this.
Again, in 1ess. 4, “ e dead in Christ shall rise rst,
then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds.”
50
Again, Phil. 3:11, “
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of
the dead.” Paul could not be anxious to attain to what the
wicked had in common with him, indeed the word means
rather from among the dead. (See Peter 1: 3.)
50 is scripture is not used as relying on the word “ rst,” which
only means before the living are changed, but as showing that,
raised or changed, they are dealt with apart from the wicked.
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A passage in John 5:25-29, is often quoted as settling
against the question of a rst resurrection-” e hour is
coming when all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
and shall come forth, they that have done good, unto the
resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the
resurrection of damnation [literally, judgment].” But just
before (chap. 5: 25), the Lord has said, “ e hour is coming,
and now is, when the dead [those dead in trespasses and sins,
Eph. 2: I] shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they
that hear shall live.” is hour has lasted through Christ’s
life, and eighteen hundred years since. It is the hour, or
time, of quickening of souls. ere is a period during which
souls are quickened, and a period when bodies are raised.
e hour of John 5:27-29 will be at the time, the beginning
of which there will be to the righteous a resurrection of life;
and at the end (be the length what it may) to the wicked a
resurrection of judgment. Christ will have no need to judge
the children, to cause them to give Him honor, for having
given us life (chap. 5: 25) we honor Him now. But as “ the
Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment
unto the Son “; as, “ at the name of Jesus every knee shall
bow “ (Phil. 2: IO); so the wicked will be forced to honor
Him in spite of themselves, and to them accordingly there
will be a resurrection of judgment-a summons to judgment
because they have no part in Him; whilst to the righteous,
their resurrection will be but the accomplishment, as to
their bodies, of a life previously given. Nor will the’ period
of the one be at the same time with that of the other. e
raising of the church, or the resurrection of the righteous,
will take place when Christ comes; but the raising of the
wicked dead not until after, or at the close of Christ’s reign.
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“ e rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand
years were nished,” Rev. 20:5.
7. e hope, then, of the church is the coming of Christ.
You cannot read the epistles of Paul without seeing
that this was a grand truth to be kept as a present
thing before the soul. is event has often been
confounded with death. We are sometimes told that
the coming of Christ is that which happens to every
man at his death; but it is something quite dierent.
You cannot apply the passages which speak of it to
death; and for this reason, that it will be an event
which shall nd the living in ease and luxury. “ en
shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall
see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven,
with power and great glory,” Matt. 24:30.
In the mind of the apostle this doctrine, and not death,
was linked with every motive to duty, and to a holy walk;
and with comfort in every kind of aiction.
51
For instance,
as a motive to holiness (1John 3:2, 3): “ We know that
when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is; and every man that hath this hope in
him purieth himself, even as he is pure.” Again, with
comfort in sorrow. e apostolic consolation, when saints
were mourning over the loss of their brethren who had
died, was, not that they were to go to the place where
those who had departed were, but that God would bring
those who had departed back again. (See 1ess. 4:13-
18.) With a motive to patience (James 5:7, 8), “ Be patient,
therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.” “ Be
51 Death is not the Bridegroom, and, though its sting be taken
away, cannot be the object of our aections, though we
may joy in that which is beyond it; nor is it the time of the
accomplishment of our hopes, nor of Christ’s and the church’s
glory.
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ye also patient, stablish your hearts, for the coming of the
Lord draweth nigh.” Again, with comfort in persecution
(2ess. 1), “ To you who are troubled rest with us, when
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed.” e coming of one who
was gone, who was the object of their aections and hopes,
though now they saw Him not, was that which the Holy
Ghost presented to animate their courage and comfort
their hearts. is hope was to act on their consciences in a
sanctifying way, by taking their aections out of the world,
and giving them patience in the trials they were in through
faith. And lastly, I may ask: What was the inducement to
a zealous preaching of the gospel by Paul, and to a careful
tending of the ock, a picture of which is represented to
us in 1ess. 2? It was this, “ What is our hope, or joy, or
crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our
Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? “ (1ess. 2:9).
52
8. e putting o this blessed event brought in all kinds
of evil; yea, we may say the loss of it was the ruin
of the church, considered in its earthly relations here
below. For what is the sign of the evil servant? He
saith, “ My lord delayeth his coming,” Matt. 24:48.
It was this that brought him “ to smite his fellow
servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken,” v.
49. e church has been unfaithful to her calling, but
of this the word of God warns. In Matt. 25, we have
the parable of the ten virgins: they are introduced to
52 See also the following scriptures Corinthians 1:7; Col. 3:4
ess. 3:13; 5:2, 4, 23 ess. 1:7; 2:1; 1 Tim. 6:14; Titus
2:13Peter 1:16, etc. ese passages, when examined, will be
found not alone to prove the doctrine, but to be knit up with
the thoughts, hopes, aections, motives, and every element of
daily life in the Christian-not to mention many texts in which
the Lord Jesus presents it as characterizing the saint. “ And ye
yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord,” Luke 12:36.
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us as taking their lamps, and going forth to meet the
Bridegroom. e Bridegroom is not the Holy Ghost.
We are converted “ to wait for his Son from heaven
“ (1ess. 1:9), and not for the Holy Ghost whom
(with reverence be it spoken) we possess already; John
14:26; 15:26; 16:13. “ While the Bridegroom tarried,
they all slumbered and slept,” v. 5. We know that the
Lord has tarried for eighteen hundred years, and the
whole church has been slumbering and sleeping.
What is it that arouses them? What is it that puts them
in their proper position of waiting? Why, the midnight
cry (v. 6): “ At midnight there was a cry made, Behold
the Bridegroom cometh.” is, I trust, has in some little
measure gone forth of late years, bringing the church back
again to its real hope. All had forgotten it, and all awoke
when the midnight cry was made. e real dierence
between the wise and foolish virgins was this, that one class
had oil in their lamps- oil being a type of the grace of the
Holy Spirit, the hidden grace-and the others had not. It is
not here individual watchfulness, denoting a saint, which is
set forth (for all together slept, and all together awoke); but
it is the forgetfulness of the church, as a body, of its hope,
and its consequent slothfulness.
9. With regard to the character or manner of the coming,
we learn it from Acts 1: Io, I I: “ And while they looked
steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two
men stood by them in white apparel; which also
said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into
heaven? is same Jesus, which is taken up from you
into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have
seen him go into heaven.” Now this is quite another
thing from Christ’s judging at the end of all things;
for then (Rev. 20: II) will be the judgment of the
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great white throne, the heaven and the earth shall
ee away from before His face, and no place shall
be found for them. Whereas Christ is to come back
as He went away. Further, this coming, as we learn
from Acts 3:19-22, is a time, not of the earth, and
heaven eeing away, but of restitution of all things:
viz., “ that the times of refreshing may come from
the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus
Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom
the heaven must receive until the times of restitution
of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth
of all his holy prophets since the world began.” e
prophets do not speak of things in heaven, but of the
happiness and blessing that is to be on the earth; they
speak of “ the earth being lled with the knowledge
of the Lord as the waters cover the sea “ (Isa. 11:9;
Hab. 2:14), and of the face of the covering being
taken o all people, and of. the day when death shall
be swallowed up in victory (compare Isa. 25:7, 8; and
1Cor. 15:54). But for these things “ he shall send
Jesus,” Acts 3:20.
II. But it is time to turn to another part of this subject.
If the church is taken away at the coming of the Lord
Jesus, what bearing will this coming have upon the world
at large (that is, upon Jews and Gentiles)? We have seen
that towards the church, viz., believers, its aspect is nothing
but blessing. It will be the end of their suering state, and
the beginning of their gloried one. But what will it be to
the world? is brings me to a division of the subject.
1. ere have been three great things, or systems, set
under God in the world, which have all failed; viz.,
the Jews, the Gentiles, and the church of God (as to
the testimony committed to it); and a short history
of their failure, and of God’s future intentions to
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them, is needful. When God pronounced “ Loammi
“ (not my people) on the Jews, He delivered power
into the hands of the Gentiles, in the person of
Nebuchadnezzar and his successors; and it has
continued ever since. When the Jews or Gentiles (the
fourth monarchy, or Roman empire, at that moment
appearing in universal dominion) agreed in rejecting
the Messiah, God brought in the church-a heavenly
people-not to take to itself earthly dominion, but
down here to be a witness to Christ, as set at the right
hand of God. Now the scripture represents all these
as failing-Jews, Gentiles, and Christendom as such.
2. With regard to the Jews (at present Lo-ammi, or not
my people), it is necessary to see that their failure
arose from their disobedience to a law which they had
promised to observe, and which they consummated
in the rejection of Messiah; but they will be restored
to the land of Canaan, owing to the free mercy of
God, on account of His promises to Abraham,
notwithstanding their failure, for which they have
been and will yet have to be punished. In Gen. 13:15,
we nd the land of Canaan given to Abraham and to
his seed forever; and in Gen. 15:13, 14, the prophetic
announcement of the captivity of Egypt, and of the
recovery thence, and the gift of the land is again
made to his seed by an unconditional covenant of
God. See also Gen. 17:8. We know that the former
part of this took place; that is, the children of Israel
were delivered from Egypt, and brought to Mount
Sinai, where the law was given. God’s dealings with
them up to that point had been simply in grace. en it was
(Ex. 19:8) that they put themselves of their own will under
the law. “ All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” But
they failed under this law, as the sin of the golden calf (Ex.
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32) witnessed. is, however, did not touch the promises
to Abraham. e intercession of Moses (v. 13) is grounded
on these promises, and on the oath of God; and it was
owing to these that they came into the land at all: so in all
God’s after dealings with them. ough He chastised them
whilst in the land, owing to their broken engagements, and
at length cast them out, yet the promises made to Abraham
still remain certain to them. See Lev. 26; Mic. 7:20.
ere are two great principles connected with their nal
restoration, which seem to distinguish it from all previous
dealings, however gracious, with them. First, they will be
planted in the land, under the new covenant; Jer. 31:31-40.
Secondly, they will have the presence of the Messiah; Ezek.
34:23, 24; chap. 37: 21-28; chap. 43: 7; Jer. 33:14, 26. When
Messiah rst came, they rejected Him; but even that, while
it lled up the measure of their guilt, did not touch the
promises given without condition. Many of those in Isaiah,
that in 2Sam. 7, and those in Amos 9: 11-15, remain still
unaccomplished.
With regard to the Gentile power, it was not only to
end in sin, but in open rebellion against God: but in this
the professing Christian world was to have a large and
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leading share.
53
It had, as was before stated, its origin
in Nebuchadnezzar; it was afterward continued in the
Persian, Grecian, and Roman monarchies. e latter was
in existence at the time of Christ, and, instigated by the
Jews, used the power originally given by God in putting
to death His own Son; Acts 4:25, 26, 27. is power will
continue, until “ the stone, cut out of the mountain without
hands, shall break in pieces and consume these kingdoms
“ in their last form, viz., under the ten kings who give their
power to the beast; Dan. 2:40-44; Rev. 17:11-14.
And here I must stop to remark upon a great error
which prevails, viz., that the little stone was the setting
up of Christ’s kingdom at the day of Pentecost, and that
it has been growing into a great mountain ever since; or,
in other words, that the preaching of the gospel, in the
present dispensation, is that which is to convert the world.
Now, let it be observed that the stone does not begin to
53 Much care is needful to distinguish between the civil and
ecclesiastical form of the so-called Christian world. Both, will
suer under God’s hand: the powers of the world, because they
will deny God in the abstract, and give their kingdoms to the
beast; and the so-called professing church, for its departure
from the truth of God. But while Scripture distinguishes the
two, they are in fact one and the same. e diculty arises
from this, that the church of God, instead of keeping its
heavenly conversation or citizenship (Phil. 3:20), has leagued
itself with the powers of the world, so that they are become
one and the same thing to all appearance. Let it be borne in
mind, then, that the powers of the world mentioned in this
lecture are not heathen powers, but those bearing the name of
Christ. A prayerful study of the middle portion of the book of
Revelation, where the beast and the false prophet are treated
of, must be resorted to by those who wish for clear views on
this point of the subject, where they will see the issue of this
combination.
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grow until it has broken in pieces the great image. After
this, it becomes a great mountain and lls the whole earth.
It is not a diusive principle which insinuates itself into
the system of the image, and changes its moral character
and condition; but its operation is destructive of the
whole system of the image, which becomes as the cha
of the summer threshing-oor, before the stone begins
to grow into a mountain. e scripture does not speak of
the universal prevalence of Christianity while the image
subsists: it says that the stone must destroy the whole being
of their empires by the destruction of the last, and then
become itself the center of a new system. e little stone
is really typical of Christ coming to judgment, and His
kingdom will be established after this, when, indeed, “ the
earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the
waters cover the sea,” Isa. 11:9.
But again, in Rev. 16, we are told, that three unclean
spirits are to go forth, as the spirits of devils, working
miracles, “ unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole
world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God
Almighty.” Is this the gospel bringing the whole world
under subjection to Christ? Whatever interpretation of
this passage we may give as to details, it is manifestly the
wide extended exercise of Satan’s corrupting and malignant
inuence to gather together the powers of this world, in
the last times, to conict with, and consequent judgment
by, Almighty God; Zeph. 3:8, 9.
5. But what of the professing church? Scripture is not
silent here. e end is failure and ruin, as everything
has been that has ever been entrusted to man. First,
there is a positive revelation in Matt. 13 of tares in
the eld, where the Son of man had sowed. is was
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not common heathenism, nor unconverted sinners,
as men; but evil entering into the place where good
was sown. e question was asked whether they were
to be rooted up; and the answer was, No. It is not the
work of the present dispensation to root out, but to
sow. We may preach the gospel, but the evil must go
on where the good seed was sown, till the harvest of
judgment. But, secondly, the days of the Son of man
(Luke 17) are likened to the days of Noah and Lot. “
Even thus,” is the portentous conclusion, “ shall it be
when the Son of man is revealed.”
Again, so far from blessed days coming, Scripture
reveals that “ in the last days perilous times shall come.”
2Tim. 3:1. And then follows, almost word for word, the
same character of the professing church, as is given of
the heathen, as under the sentence of a reprobate mind.
(Compare 2Tim. 3:2-5, with Rom. 1:28-32.) Yes! the
revealed end of the professing church is that of iniquity,
like the heathen; at the same time a form of godliness,
something, it may be, very beautiful to attract the eye, but
rottenness and dead men’s bones within. Again, the mark
of the close of the church is revealed in
John 2:18: “ Little children, it is the last time; and as
ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are
there many Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the
last time.” is was the characteristic of the last time-not
incoming and out owing blessings, but Antichrists who
sprang from the church, precursors of the Antichrist (whom
Christ is to destroy), and not of general blessing before the
judgment.
Again, in 2ess. 2, we have evil traced through its
course from the apostle’s time to Christ’s appearing, leaving
no room for intervening universal blessing. “ e mystery
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of iniquity doth already work [says Paul]: only he who
now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way, and
then shall that Wicked [one] be revealed, whom the Lord
shall consume,” etc. It had begun in the apostle’s time, and
would go on until Christ came.
But in Jude, the declension and falling away is still more
palpable: he gave all diligence [v. 31 to write unto them
of the common salvation, that is, it was his wish to have
enlarged on this common blessing, but he was hindered,
and was obliged to exhort them to contend earnestly for
the faith once delivered to the saints. So far from there
being an extension of good, he found the time already
come to contend against evil; evil men having crept in
unawares, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into
lasciviousness, denying the only Lord God, and our Lord
Jesus Christ.” at is, they specially denied the lordship of
Christ-rst, morally, and then in open rebellion. Here is
the character of Antichrist: he denies the Father and the
Son, he denies that Jesus is the Christ (1John 2:22), and
he denies Jesus Christ come in the esh; 1John 4:3; 2John
7. But did Jude contemplate a bettering of such a state?
No. His words are, “ Enoch prophesied of thee, saying,
Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
to execute judgment upon all,” etc. (v. 14, 15). ese very
men that had crept in, forced him to say, ese are the men
that have been already prophesied about. He refers them,
in verse it, into three classes, a kind of triple character of
the apostasy, showing also the progress which the evil
in man’s nature makes. Firstly, Cain: natural evil, hatred.
Secondly, Balaam: ecclesiastical corruption, preaching for
reward. irdly, Core: independence against God, standing
up against His supremacy, denying Christ in His Lordship
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and Priesthood.
54
And in this open rebellion, or gainsaying,
they perish.
6. e judgment being thus shown, the inquiry may be
made, How, and through what agency, is the earth,
and especially the land of the Jews, hereafter
55
to
be blessed, according to what has been previously
insisted upon? e reply is, that the judgment is not
absolute and universal; and though it will fall very
heavily upon Jerusalem (Zech. 13:8, 9), and indeed
upon all the nations (Isa. 66:16; Jer. 25:31), yet “ a
remnant shall return,” Isa. 1:9, chap. 10: 21, 22;
chap. 66: 18, 19. e Jewish remnant who escape the
great trouble of the latter day (Jer. 30:7), will be the
seed or nucleus of the future nation and their city,
Jerusalem, the metropolis of the world. “ e word
that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah
and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last
days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house … shall
be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall ow
unto it; … for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem,” Isa. 2 I, 2.
When “ her light is come, and the glory of the Lord
is risen upon her,” “ Gentiles shall come to her light,
and kings to the brightness of her rising,” Isaiah 6o:
I-3. Or, as it is expressed in another passage, “ Israel
shall blossom and bud, and ll the face of the world
with fruit,” Isa. 27:6. After the judgment (greater or
less in extent, according to greater or less light, Luke
12:47, 48) on the living, we have abundant testimony
54 e sin of Korah was his denying the order of priesthood
appointed by God. God’s order is now dierent; for all His
children are priests (see 1Peter 2:5), and all have “ boldness to
enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” See Heb. 10:19.
55 In the blessing of the earth, it is not meant to include those
whose nal doom has been previously sealed.
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from Scripture of the Gentiles being brought under
the gracious yet truthful sway of the Lord Jesus, the
center of His actings being Jerusalem. (See, among
other passages, Zeph. 3:8, 9; Psa. 71; Zech. 8:20-23;
Rom. 11.)
7. is is not the same as the blessing of the church.
It is in the heavenly places that we are blessed, having
anticipated the day when Israel “ shall look on him whom
they have pierced,” Zech. 12: IO. We have our portion even
now in “ heavenly places “ (Eph. 1:3); much more, then, at
the time when He is manifested. Nor need we be downcast
by the evil around. Having oil in our lamps-the grace of
the Spirit in our hearts-let the night be as dark as it may,
the believer will be able to say, “ Even so come, Lord Jesus.”
Having redemption through the precious blood, and being
quickened by the Spirit, let our aections be so sanctied
as to desire nothing else. Let us separate ourselves from
everything that He will judge at His coming, and so shall
we not be ashamed.
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62261
Studies on the Book of
Daniel
56
PREFACE
THE meditations herewith oered to Christians
pretend in no way to give a complete explanation of the
book of Daniel. e following is the account of them. ey
were delivered before a small company, whose minds had
been already occupied about prophecy, and who had desired
to have some help as to this book. e author imparted to
them, in a course of lectures, the light which he possessed.
Notes were taken at the time, and, the manuscript having
fallen into the hands of a third person, he (supposing that
the notes would be valuable to others) began to print them.
e author oered no hindrance, except the doubt whether
they were worth the trouble, and in yielding he did what
was needful for the publication, though at some distance
from the place where it was undertaken. It will be seen,
that a certain basis of interpretation is supposed as being
already recognized in the mind of the reader. In the study
of the prophecies especially we must expect to go through a
certain exercise of mind. But if it is not worth while to take
thus much pains, neither is it to read these lectures nor the
book they treat of.
e author’s condence is in God, who, if He approve
this feeble eort to help the weak ones, will extend His
all-powerful aid in giving them understanding, for wisdom
56 It is suggested that before reading these Studies in Daniel the
paper “ Inquiry as to the Antichrist of Prophecy,” appearing
later in this volume, should be read.-ED.
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comes from God. It is to Him and to His grace, dear reader,
that the author recommends you, asking your prayers for
him, in case you get the least prot from this little book.
Studies on Daniel 1-2
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62262
Studies on Daniel 1-2
LECTURE 1
CHAPTERS 1 AND 2
e book of Daniel has reference to the time during
which Israel, the people of God, are under subjection to the
Gentiles. At its opening we discover an accomplishment of
the threat made to Hezekiah; Isa. 39:6, 7. e throne of
God has been taken from Jerusalem; the power and the
kingdom have been transferred to the Gentiles; and Israel,
as to its actual state (being no longer, by the judgment
of God, His people) is kept in captivity. But God does
not abandon them: only He administers His blessings
according to their actual necessity. e things most needful
for them to know, under their existing trials, were the
history of this dominion of the Gentiles, to which they
were subjected, and also the eect of these changes upon
the promises which belonged to them. And as the glory
of God was to be considered in this great transference of
power, it was important to know how the Gentiles would
use it, or what their conduct would be, whether towards
God or themselves (the Jews), under this responsibility
conferred on them.
e book, then, embraces two principal subjects: Firstly,
the character and conduct of the four monarchies, which
occupy the period called “ the times of the Gentiles “ (Luke
21:24), namely, from the time that God had retired from
Jerusalem (His throne being no longer there), and had
transferred imperial power over the world to the Gentiles,
until the time of the re-establishment of His throne.
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And, secondly, the relationship of these nations with
Israel His people, during the period in which the supremacy
that had been conded to them was in exercise. And all this
is of practical importance. For the Christian is informed of
the result of the politics of this world, and, being “ warned
of things not seen as yet,” he separates himself, whether in
heart or in action, from all that of which the result will be
so sad. Besides, an acquaintance beforehand with all that
is to take place keeps him tranquil and composed. ere is
no need that he should give his heart to the world which
surrounds him, for he knows by the written revelation of
God both its course and its end. But further, such prophetic
intimation is precious to us, not alone because it refers to
Christ, and to the people beloved of God, but also because,
in every communication which God makes to us, there is
a sensible joy in the very fact that He speaks to us. Are not
our souls happy in communion with Him? Now this is the
case in the prophecies, as in every other part of the word;
we feel our nearness to Him and His goodness to us. us
our faith in Him is strengthened, and the sanctication of
our souls increased and established.
is book accordingly is divided into two parts,
suciently distinct, according to the two great subjects
which it contains: six chapters occupy the rst, and
six others the second part. e rst six contain, not the
communications made to Daniel, except to interpret
them, but the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar, or the things
which befell the heads of the empire. We have the great
general principles of the Gentile monarchies given to us,
or their public history in the world announced to their
rulers or manifested in their conduct. e last six chapters
are communications made to the prophet himself, and
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183
reveal not only the history of these empires, but what
they are in the eyes of God; they also furnish details of
their (the Gentiles’) relationship with the Jews, and of the
worship still maintained by the Jewish people. is last was
important to Daniel, who, as a prophet, had the people and
glory of God at heart, as well as the general history of these
empires.
It is instructive to mark the character of the man
who became the depositary of the intentions of God in
this time of distress and captivity of His people. First, he
refuses to dele his soul in partaking of the delicate food
of this world. God, who prepares and orders everything for
the well-being of those who walk faithfully, in whatever
circumstances they are placed, disposed the heart of the
chief of the eunuchs in favor of Daniel and his three
companions: this eunuch, under whose charge they were,
conceived a great regard for them. Moreover, God answers
the prayers of Daniel, who “ became fairer and fatter in
esh,” than any of those who had given themselves over to
the ways and nourishment of this world. In a word, Daniel
is faithful in all that constitutes a complete separation
from the world, according to the Jewish rites, in refusing
to eat of meats from the table of a pagan monarch; and
this conduct of faith, which was in appearance blamable,
meets the approval of God. e personal behavior of
Daniel is the basis of and introduction to the revelation
of the whole book. It is the same with us. Separation from
the world- a decided refusal to have our portion in that
which it furnishes- puts us into a position to receive those
communications from God, which, whilst their fullness
is contained in the written word, we never receive but
through the direct teaching of God (that is, for it to be the
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teaching of faith), whatever be the instrument which God
may make use of to impart such communications to us.
God soon nds an occasion in which Daniel is to
serve Him as a witness, after having, through His grace,
disposed him for the undertaking. He often acts by ways
which leave the world completely at fault. He permits
Nebuchadnezzar’s memory to fail him, in order to force
him into dependence upon the prophet whom God had
chosen to show forth His divine wisdom.
Notwithstanding, at the actual moment, Daniel knew
no more than others how to resolve the diculty. God
made him feel his dependence; but he had faith, and faith
and dependence are identied. At the instance of Daniel,
he and his companions seek the God of heaven in prayer;
57
God answers them, making use of all the diculties of
the case to identify Himself with the poor remnant of His
people.
Hereupon Daniel’s rst act is, not to hasten to the king
to inform him of the discovery of the secret, and to rejoice
in the deliverance, but he turns with thanksgiving to the
God who had heard him. He attributes to Him all that
could give comfort to the remnant during the supremacy
of these ungodly and rebellious Gentile powers (chap. 2:
21).
Daniel, when introduced into the presence of the king,
is not elated; he conceals himself, so to speak, behind the
glory of God. It is when we understand how to humble
ourselves thoroughly, that we are truly exalted. If Daniel
disappears, God Himself is manifested in him. Oh that we
57 It is under this character of “ God of heaven “ that Daniel
knew Him. He will be found afterward God of the earth in
fact, as He is always in right.
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might have wisdom and spiritual power to hide ourselves
thus behind Jesus, in order that He might be put into the
foreground! Every such act is a great and precious triumph.
As to the interpretation of the dream, a few words
will suce, as the light upon this is almost universal. All
acknowledge the dream to speak of the four great monarchies,
viz., the Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman. In verses
37, 38 dominion is given to Nebuchadnezzar by the God
of heaven- a universal dominion-absolute in its character
over the earth, though not over the seas. ere is no
information given how far this dominion has been realized,
but the gift was bestowed; and it is the rst monarchy
which, it appears, possessed this power in the most pure
and absolute way. It was in the person of its chief “ the
head of gold.” e fourth was to break everything in pieces
by its power; but at the end it was to be divided, and in
this condition it was to be both strong and weak; a result
of the union of the empire and of the original principle
of its existence with heterogeneous elements (that is, in
my judgment, of barbarians with that which was, properly
speaking, Roman).
At the end, the God of heaven, will establish the
kingdom of Christ, who will put aside all these monarchies
by an act of judgment. We must bear in mind that the
kingdom of Christ in this place is His kingdom established
in power in the world, and not the blessed inuence of the
gospel of His grace. e rst act of the little stone, before it
grows and becomes a great mountain which lls the whole
earth, is to fall upon the statue, so that it becomes as the
cha of the summer threshing oor. e stone does not
become a mountain until after that. In other words, when
Christ shall have executed a judgment which shall break
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in pieces and destroy the power of the Gentiles, then His
kingdom (an earthly kingdom, and one still of judgment)
shall ll the earth.
In chapter 2 the moral history of these monarchies is not
touched upon nor their conduct signalized. ese will have
their place in the four following chapters. I shall only here
point out the marks which are given to us as characterizing
them, as we shall return to them in another lecture.
e rst is idolatry, or the civil power endeavoring to
make the people submit to a law of unity in worship, the
object being a statue set up by the civil power. e second
is that the heads of the empire become beasts. at is,
they lose the consciousness of being set in relationship
with God; and, instead of being in dependence upon Him
according to the light given from above, which is the only
and true glory of man, they, having lost this light, descend
to the rank of beasts. e third is impiety, seen in the
conduct of the imperial power towards the Jews, and the
God of the Jews, whose name, and all that had reference to
His worship, it dishonors. e fourth is self-exaltation. e
head of the empire makes himself God, and forbids prayer
to be addressed to any other than himself.
In all these events the history ends by the exaltation
of the true God. In the rst, the Gentile acknowledges
the God of those who had preferred the ery furnace to
idolatry. In the second, it is the Gentiles themselves who
confess the God of heaven, who humbled them when they
walked in pride-a pride of which Babylon was the center.
In the third, it is judgment executed against the “ wicked
king.” In the fourth, it is not alone the God of heaven who
is proclaimed, but His power is established with authority,
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and His kingdom is acknowledged as that which shall
endure forever.
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62263
Studies on Daniel 3-6
LECTURE 2
CHAPTERS 3-6
You will remember that chapter 2 gave a general
history of the period taken up by the whole of Daniel.
is was revealed in a dream which Daniel recalled to
Nebuchadnezzar, and of which he gave the interpretation.
It is the history of the times of the Gentiles. e four
monarchies are brought before us, and their nal dispersion,
by the judgment which the little stone (the kingdom of
Christ-Christ Himself) will execute against the whole
power of the Gentiles.
I would press again upon your attention that, after
having destroyed the image, and not until then, the little
stone became a great mountain, which lled the whole
earth. We stated that the four following chapters (that is,
to the end of chapter 6) gave the character and conduct of
these empires; and that, instead of existing in dependence
upon God, they are found in rebellion against Him,
persecute His people, and exalt themselves against Him.
e consequence is judgment.
In chapter 3 we observe the rst and principal sin,
namely, idolatry, as marking Gentile power, or the power
which reigns during the times of the Gentiles. In the
succeeding chapter, we observe that these empires, instead
of being subject to God, become beasts, that is, they lose
their proper understanding, and act as beasts-as wild beasts,
who cease to be in subjection (all men, in their true place,
acknowledging their subjection to God), and who lose their
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understanding. In chapter 5 there is open impiety; and in
chapter 6 the head of the empire exalts himself as God.
en follow details and circumstances of these empires,
and their special relationship with the people of God.
e principles are given us in the rst six chapters,
and the details in the remaining six. e rst thing
which the civil power sets up is idolatry, with the object
of establishing a religious unity, but always in separating
the people from the true God, and in putting something
in His place. is circumstance serves as an occasion for
trying the faithfulness of God’s people and the manner
of it. Nebuchadnezzar commands the people, yea, even
all the nations (for there were many under his dominion)
to worship a statue. is is idolatry. (Consult Dan. 3:4-7
for the words of the proclamation.) is is not an unusual
way with Satan; he excites in the civil power the desire
of unity; and there is no more powerful motive for the
mass than the inuence of religion.
58
Satan impels the civil
powers to establish unity, in order that everything under
their authority should be well ordered and regulated. It
was thus with Nebuchadnezzar: he sets up this image in
the province of Babylon, and demands the assent of all the
governors to its reception and worship.
I repeat, that such a religious act is a powerful means of
inuencing the mass, and of holding them in submission,
united in one community, and bound to the civil power,
which is the center of such religion, or at all events supports
it, and is identied with it. But whenever this is the case,
there must be persecution-it may be more or less violent-
but persecution there will be. We see it in the present case.
58 I am not speaking of the truth which allies the conscience to
God Himself, and therefore gives Him His proper supremacy.
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Nebuchadnezzar’s alternative is, “ Whoso falleth not down
and worshippeth, shall be cast into the midst of a burning
ery furnace.”
But there is yet another important consequence as
characteristic of Gentile power; I mean impiety. Impiety
not only refuses to respect the conscience, but, what is worse,
disallows the rights of God. Respect for the conscience is
necessary enough, but the rights of God are innitely more
so. Observe the words of the king: “ Who is that God that
shall deliver you out of my hand? “ (v. 15). is is impiety-
that principle of blasphemy which characterizes the beast
under all times and circumstances. His thought is of the
power which he (the beast) possesses and holds. May we
remember that it is God who has given it, and who overrules
it! (Compare Hab. 1 II, 15-17.) Impiety, in forgetting the
source of power, would arrogate to itself all its rights in spite
of God Himself. Now, if unity be maintained, when God’s
own rights are set aside, it immediately becomes idolatry;
for we fall into the hands of the enemy when we are at
a distance from the true God. And when the civil power
endeavors to establish this unity, it puts aside not only the
rights of conscience, but the rights of God Himself. is
applies in an especial manner to the word of God.
It is not only that man has a right to the word of God,
as between him and his neighbor, but there is a more sacred
right which is interfered with, if we deprive him of it: it is
that God has the right to address what He will to the souls
of men, and, having addressed the word to them, those
who would deprive men of it, derogate from the rights
and despise the authority of God, who has seen good to
send it to them. Suppose that I have servants, dependents,
to whom I send orders, evidently, if any one hinder the
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servants from receiving these orders, he interferes, not
only with their rights, but with mine; and this is the great
question: God no doubt will make inquisition for all this.
It is bad enough to violate the conscience of another man
to satisfy one’s own wickedness; but here Nebuchadnezzar
entirely set aside the prerogative of the true God. And
this is the principle of blasphemy which attaches to the
Gentiles from the beginning. is was the rst act of the
head of gold; and such is the commencement of the power
of the Gentiles as presented to us in this chapter.
On the other hand we have a touching picture in
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. ey are not at all in
alarm or disquietude. “ We are not careful to answer thee
in this matter “ (v. 16) is their answer to the king. Does
this condence issue in their escape from the threatened
penalty? By no means; they do not escape. God allows
them to be put to the proof; He does not manifest Himself
beforehand, but permits Nebuchadnezzar to fulll his
threats. ey are cast into the furnace of re, as Daniel was
afterward into the den of lions. Whilst they would not obey
the will of Nebuchadnezzar in violating their conscience,
they oered no resistance to the persecution, but, as to
their bodies, they submit entirely to his commands; and
what is the consequence? ey are loosed by the re, and
nothing is burnt but the chains with which the world
had bound them; moreover, they have the Son of God as
their companion in the furnace. e consequence of this
interference of God in behalf of His poor servants was
that a confession was forced from the civil power that
their God was a God who delivered His people, and who
condescended to attach His name to theirs. “ Blessed,” said
the king, “ be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-
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nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants
that trusted in him.” is is the position of a believer; he
yields up his body to death, in order to serve none other
than the true God. And more than this, dear friends, these
men quit the furnace as witnesses to the power of God-
their God-in the sight of all the world. It will be the same
with the faithful Jews at the end; they will be in a furnace
of re, but, at the same time, God will manifest Himself
as their God. Christians have a higher hope: even if we
are left to suer death, our hope is the hope of the glory
of Him who has saved us, which we shall enjoy with Him
in the place where He is. But as to the Jews, they will be
delivered from death by the power of God, and the true
God will be acknowledged as their God.
Chapter 4. e dream of the king concerning that great
tree which overshadowed all the earth is related in this
chapter. ese are his words, “ us were the visions of
mine head in my bed: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst
of the earth, and the height thereof was great,” (v. 10). A
great tree is always the symbol of a man of vast power on
the earth: one tree in this instance suced, because, in fact,
Nebuchadnezzar ruled over all the civilized or prophetic
earth. ere was, as it were, only one tree: “ e beasts of
the eld had shelter under it, and the fowls of the heaven
dwelt in the boughs thereof.”
But what becomes of this delegated power? It is used
as an occasion of self-exaltation. God had conded this
power to Nebuchadnezzar; He had blessed the king beyond
measure in temporal things. As a consequence pride takes
possession of him, and that in spite of the warning given in
the interpretation of the dream, and the express prediction
of what was to come; for the heart gets blinded by the
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things which it sees. Here then we have no longer unity in
religious externals, and a deliverance by the hand of God,
but another character of Gentile power. It is this-that if
God, in His providence, elevate man, as a consequence
man elevates himself. All is then lost. e case is this: the
throne of God had been taken from the Jews, and God
puts the Gentiles into the place of power in the person of
Nebuchadnezzar; but man being guilty, and thus unable
to observe any law, power cannot be committed to him
without his lifting himself up against God who gave it. “
Is not this great Babylon which I have built? “ He makes
himself the center instead of God. He becomes a beast and
loses his reason entirely. A beast may be powerful, large,
stronger than man, show much sagacity in his ways, but its
look is downward; there is no exercise of conscience, and,
as a consequence, no real relationship to God.
e only ennobling principle in man is submission-
that is, submission to God; it supposes a capacity to
understand the will of God. Man bows to this will, and
does homage to God, as to One who is superior to himself.
From the moment that he says “ I have built,” he loses his
moral relationship to God. All true elevation is lost, and
he becomes in this like one of the brute creation; for, I
repeat it, a capacity to maintain a relationship with God is
man’s true superiority; but in this God must be God, and
man must be in submission. Whenever this connection is
lost, we descend to objects below ourselves, to which our
aections attach themselves. Nebuchadnezzar became the
companion of beasts-he had lost his proper understanding.
e eect of all this is given at the close of the chapter;
for when he nds himself out, he uses such language as is
ever heard in such a case. “ At the same time, my reason
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returned unto me,” etc. (v. 36, 37). Behold the eect of
God’s judgments upon Gentile power. It is now no longer
His interposition in behalf of a poor remnant of His people,
as in the case of Shadrach, etc., but He brings down the
pride of earthly power. Man exalts himself against God,
but exactly where his greatest strength is put forth, the
Lord is above him; Ex. 18: H. e great principle then of
chapter 4 is the evil conduct of Gentile power. It exalts itself
against God, becomes brutish in its understanding, and is
judged.
59
Seven times pass over it, and at last it confesses
God. In other words, the sovereign power of the Gentiles is
deprived of all real understanding during the entire period
of its imperial existence, after which it confesses God.
Chapter 5. In this chapter we have further detail. King
Belshazzar makes a feast, and commands “ to bring the
golden and silver vessels, which his father had taken out
of the temple at Jerusalem, that the king and his princes,
his wives and his concubines, might drink therein “ (v. 2).
Here is a fresh aspect of Gentile failure. It is a thorough
impiety, and pro-. yokes the immediate destruction of the
Babylonian power. is third form of impiety is still in
connection with the Jews; for God, in relation to them,
is always the God of the earth who is seen exercising a
government below. It is not a question of the heavenly hopes
of the church. God has delivered the Jews as captives into
Gentile hands; He has delivered His altar, His sanctuary
(Lam. 2:7), all the exterior signs of His presence and glory,
into the hands of the Gentiles.
e head of the Gentiles vaunts himself, and, because
God has thus delivered up the Jews, he glories his false
59 Compare Habakkuk, whose prophecy is a kind of commentary
on these two chapters.
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gods, exalts them, and dishonors God. It will be the same
with the king of Babylon at the end-open blasphemy. It
will not be the principle of idolatry only, neither will it
be alone that pride of heart which says “ I have built.”
ese things will assuredly characterize him, for he is
man; but it will be an immediate outrageous act which
will dishonor the true God-that God who delivers His
people into the hands of the wicked for their chastisement.
It will be an act against the God of the Jews. e instant
he does this, “ there came forth ngers of a man’s hand
and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of
the wall “ these words, “ Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin “:
the king seeing the part of the hand which wrote, and his
countenance being changed … then Daniel answered and
said before the king … o thou king, the most High God
gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty,
and glory, and honor … And thou his son, O Belshazzar,
hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all
this; but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven;
and they have brought the vessels of his house before
thee,” etc. Judgment falls on Belshazzar, and his kingdom
is destroyed. Verse 30: “ In that night was Belshazzar the
king of the Chaldeans slain, and Darius the Median took
the kingdom.”
Chapter 6. In this chapter we nd the fourth principle
of evil which existed among the Gentiles, and which
completes the whole. It is not only an impiety which
dishonors God, but it is man who exalts himself; he puts
himself in the place of God Himself. e satraps go to the
king and say (v. 6, 7) “ King Darius, live forever. All the
presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes,
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etc., have consulted together, to establish a royal statute,
and to make a rm decree, that whosoever,” etc.
It is proposed, in short, that no one should be confessed
as God, and no request made to any but to Darius himself.
It will be thus with the wicked one, “ who opposeth
and exalteth himself against all that is called God or is
worshipped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God,
showing himself that he is God,” 2ess. 2:4. Again, it is
said of him, Dan. 11:36, 37, “ e king shall do according
to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself
above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against
the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be
accomplished; for that that is determined shall be done.
Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the
desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify
himself above all.”
It is then that he is destroyed. is is the utmost limit
of wickedness, an exalting of himself against God, a desire
to supplant Him on the earth. Notwithstanding, in every
case, where the faithful have been put to the proof (whether
by Nebuchadnezzar or Darius) the result has been the
humiliation of the power of the Gentiles, which, having
beforetime opposed, now confesses God.
It is thus with Darius, “ I make a decree, that in every
dominion of my kingdom, men tremble and fear before the
God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast forever;
and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his
dominion shall be even unto the end “ (v. 26). ere is a
dierence of expression to be noticed here. e confession
of Nebuchadnezzar is to this eect, that the God of heaven
is the God of the Jews; that is, of Shadrach, etc., and that
no god can deliver like Him. Here also we have the God
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of Daniel, and, therefore, of the Jews; but He is also “ the
living God, and steadfast forever; and his kingdom that
which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be
even unto the end “: all of which will be ushered in at the
revelation of Jesus Christ, and the establishment of His
kingdom, which will have no end.
Again, Darius says “ he delivereth and rescueth, and he
worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who
hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” It is
the deliverance of the Jews, that is, of a remnant, which
is the public manifestation on the earth, and which gives
occasion to the confession of the Gentiles, that God is the
true God. ey will say, as Jethro said to Moses, “ Now I
know that the Lord is greater than all gods,” Ex. 18: x 1.
e true God is, then, acknowledged by the judgments
which He executes on those who exalt themselves against
Him, and by the deliverance of His people the Jews. e
rst of these judgments, for it is one, is that the chief of
the Gentiles loses all understanding as to the ways of God;
and the second is the entire destruction of this king of
Babylon, on the very night in which he dishonors God.
is Gentile history is sad, though glorious in its result by
the manifestation of God for His people. In chapter 3 we
see idolatry-the establishment of unity in idolatry by the
arm of the civil power, which is mistress to all appearance,
whilst really it is the slave of Satan. Chapter 4 is the history
of man’s exaltation of himself. Chapter 5 is open impiety
against the Eternal; and nally, chapter 6 is the head of the
Gentiles putting himself in the place of God.
In all these cases we nd the people of God entirely
submissive to the temporal power of these kings; for their
power came from God. is is the principle of a Christian;
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he submits. e use which these established powers make
of the authority which God has given them does not alter
the source of the power. Jesus acknowledged that the power
of Pontius Pilate, by which that governor condemned Him,
came from God: when His hour was come, He submitted
Himself to that which the authority, ordained of God,
commanded. It is evident, from the use which the Gentiles
make of their power in turning it against God, that they
are under the direction of Satan; while holding their power
from the one, they make use of it for the other.
What course does the child of God pursue? He does
not maintain himself by leaning upon the civil power; he
acts according to his conscience, and seeks only the will of
God; at the same time he submits, and in so doing yields
up his body; for his conscience is submissive to no one but
the Lord: he cannot serve two masters. Shadrach and his
friends undergo their punishment, but they refuse to do
what the king, in the exercise of his power, wishes them to
do. ey do not seek to turn away the king from his plans;
they are threatened and punished by Nebuchadnezzar, but
they are faithful to their God, and He delivers them. ey
leave their case with Him. “ He will deliver us out of thine
hand, O king; but if not, be it known unto thee, O king,
that we will not serve thy gods,” chap. 3: 17, 18. ere is
yet another remark; it is, that even when man is unfaithful
(as were the Jews), God never loses his rights. He may
confer power on the Gentiles for a time, but He never
loses His rights, and, as a consequence, He never abandons
His people; as He said unto Pharaoh, “ Let my people go.”
e people of Israel were a subject of controversy between
Pharaoh and God. Christians have other hopes, but the
principle is always true. Daniel, who had faith, spoke as
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faith always does; for it sees as God sees. It is true that
God had said, “ It is no longer my people “; but Daniel
speaks always of Israel as the people of God, because faith
confesses all the rights of God. If a Jew had faith in the
heart, God recognized him in spite of his circumstances;
and this is very precious.
It is impossible, in spite of all Satan can do in the
church of God, that he could put us into a position where
God cannot recognize faith: otherwise God would lose
His rights. In the ensuing lecture it will be needful to enter
into details. An acquaintance with the leading features of
Gentile power, from Nebuchadnezzar to the end, is of the
utmost importance for understanding the things of God.
For although we, as Christians, have another hope, even a
heavenly one, yet we are in the times of the Gentiles; and the
nearer we approach the end, the more Israel will come into
prominence, and it is easy to see, by their present condition,
that events are leading rapidly to a termination; and the
more Israel becomes important, the more it behooves us to
understand the thoughts of God concerning that people.
We have seen now in its general traits the history of
the Gentile power from Nebuchadnezzar (that is from the
ruin of Jerusalem) till the time the Lord shall come and
destroy the impious and apostate power; for what we have
read shows us the establishment of the kingdom of God
on the ruins of the folly and impiety of man. In the next
lecture, dear friends, we shall have nothing more of the
dreams of Nebuchadnezzar, etc., but we shall be occupied
with the revelations made to Daniel himself. It is he who
represented the faithful remnant of the Jews, and it is he
who interprets that which others received and to whom
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are conded the details of those things which relate to the
people of God.
ere is yet another remark to make before concluding
this preface: it is, that these communications from God
should have the eect of separating us entirely from this
world, by making us understand that, as to this world, God
sees none else, so to speak, than Jews or these apostate
Gentiles. I am not speaking of Christians (He sees them
after another manner), but of external power. When it is a
question of Christians, then the circumstances are beyond
this world. Jesus Christ says, “ Ye are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world.” It should be thus in the purposes
of daily Christian activity into which the energy of love
leads • us. As to those within, we train each other, not for
Jewish hopes, but for the place which Jesus occupies, and
for those mansions in His Father’s house which He went to
prepare for us. As for our hope, the end which we propose
to ourselves, until God shall execute His judgments, it is
not a hope that the world can be improved; for we see from
the word that, until this judgment falls, the course of the
world runs on in impiety and exaltation of man, which very
wickedness brings down the judgment of God.
Such is the world in which we live, according to God’s
description of it; but He has revealed to us also the things
of heaven. He has revealed to us Him whom the world
rejected, and who is gone into heaven, so that we have an
object and motives which ought to govern us entirely and
direct our walk; in order that, by these motives presented
to the heart, and with which the new man occupies
himself, we should live and walk by the Spirit in a world to
ourselves-” the world to come, whereof we speak “: whilst,
on the other hand, by the warnings which God has given
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us here, by the details with which He has furnished us, He
would detach us, and that with an enlightened mind, from
the world in which we sojourn as pilgrims and strangers. It
is sad with what ease the world attaches itself to our hearts.
I do not say that our hearts attach themselves to the world
now, although that may follow soon as a consequence, but
that the world attaches itself to our hearts.
Dear friends, if a man is covetous, this is the world. If
a man is over diligent in aairs, he is occupied with the
world, he lives in it, so to speak. It is extremely dicult
for us to keep clear of the general principles of the world.
It varies in its forms: in one, it is avarice; in another, it is
a good position in society; in another, it is an active mind,
which engages itself in politics. But this world below, dear
friends, is not our world; we have another, of which Christ
will be the chief, the center, and the joy-” the world to come,
whereof we speak,” says the apostle. And may God grant
that in all the details of life, in our everyday circumstances,
this separation may be realized and manifested, and that
we may be able to say, “ Our life is hid with Christ in God.”
e treasure, the life, and the joy of all those souls who
have understood what happiness it is to be with Him, is
there where He is.
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Studies on Daniel 7
LECTURE 3
CHAPTER 7
In this second part of the book we have no longer the
interpretation of dreams made to Nebuchadnezzar, etc.,
but the communications made to Daniel himself. You
remember also, that the subject of which the book of Daniel
treats is the Jews. God’s ancient people were in captivity,
and had been replaced, as to the throne of the world (at
least as to the rights of this throne), by the Gentiles. God
had had until lately His throne at Jerusalem. He was now
no longer there, as He had once been literally there. Before
the captivity God had placed
His glory in the temple. He exercised the functions
of government, punishing the wicked at times by instant
judgments. He was in immediate relationship with the
people. It was a pure theocracy, though connected with
the monarchy of the house of David at the close; but all
that was entirely gone. e Jews, instead of conducting
themselves as those under the government of God ought
to do, had become thoroughly unfaithful; they had made
their children pass through the re to Moloch, and had
worshipped idols. e consequence of such conduct was,
that God could no longer identify Himself with the nation.
He rejected them, took away His throne from Jerusalem,
and conded the dominion and empire of the world to
the Gentiles. (See chap. 2: 38.) Upon this Nebuchadnezzar
takes Jerusalem, and the times of the Gentiles begin.
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ere are two aspects to this part of the subject: on one
side, the responsibility of the Gentiles, and on the other, the
circumstances of the Jews in those times, and in particular
of the faithful remnant-the special object of God’s care.
We have already seen the general characters of the Gentile
kings.
But now we come to more intimate details of these
beasts in their relationship with the Jewish people, and
with the remnant who had their expectation from God.
ese beasts, as we have seen, had lost their knowledge of
God, and had persecuted His people; and thus, in order to
bring out more perfectly the circumstances of the Jews, we
are given a more minute history of some of these beasts,
together with some account of the remnant under their
power, and also many circumstances, as we shall presently
see, which will have their accomplishment in the holy
people.
We must note a feature in this book, as also in the
prophetic part of the Apocalypse, that there is nothing
addressed to the people of God. In the other prophets, for
instance Isaiah and Jeremiah, there are many particulars
concerning these same things, but the prophet always
addressed the people of God, because they were still
acknowledged. But when this is no longer the case, God
may give to a prophet, to Daniel, to a remnant, revelations
having reference to the people; but the prophet no longer
addresses himself to the people. us Daniel is full of joy
at these communications, but he does not say a word of
them to the Jews directly. God was with the remnant, even
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Daniel.
60
He had nothing more to do with His people in
the government of the world, but He had a remnant, and
He communicated to the faithful whom He had chosen
His intention concerning this remnant, and the events
which were to take place. It is thus in the Apocalypse in
its prophetic part. Certain things are told to John: it is not
John speaking to Christians.
Such prophecies are a kind of depot of certain truths,
which is for the blessing of the church at all times, and for
the Jews whenever they believe. As to the people of God
not being acknowledged, I believe this ought to have its
weight in studying the Apocalypse, and you will do well to
consider it. We are now going to enter into the second part
of the book, wherein the conduct of the beasts and of the
dierent powers of the Gentiles is given in detail; as well as
the circumstances of the saints during their (the Gentile)
dominion, and the judgment of God which comes down
at the end.
Chapter 7 is an introduction, and contains three visions.
ere is the rst general fact that there would be these
four beasts, but the fourth was of the most importance; for
although the others had been wicked enough, whether in
acting against God or His people, it was under the fourth
that the open revolt was to take place, whether of Jews or
of Christianity, against God-a revolt which should result
in the entire destruction of the beast, because of its lifting
itself up against the authority and glory of God.
e rst vision gives the description, however, only of
the three earlier beasts, whose dominion was successively
60 Daniel is, in many ways, a type of Christ, as having the Spirit
of Christ in his sympathies with the remnant, and as being
their representative before God.
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taken away from them, but whose lives were prolonged; that
is, they were not entirely destroyed. e second vision (v. 7)
is the circumstantial history of the fourth beast previously
mentioned. e third vision (v. 13) is the opposition of
all this, viz., the dominion given to the Son of man. e
explanation follows.
First vision. “ Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision
by night, and, behold, the four winds of heaven strove upon
the great sea “ (v. 2). e great sea, in prophetic language,
constantly signies masses of people; thus Babylon (Rev.
17:15; Jer. 51) is described as dwelling (v. 13) “ upon many
waters “; that is, people not yet at the time of the vision
formed into kingdoms, empires, and as such acknowledged
by God as prophetic objects. ese last are rather called
the earth.
“ And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one
from another “ (v. 3). You will nd the distinction between
the sea and the earth in Rev. 13, where the rst beast comes
out of the sea, whereas the second comes from the earth,
because the rst beast was the empire which arose amidst
the confusion of nations, whilst the second beast appears
when the rst was already upon the earth and his empire
established.
“ e rst was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld
till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up
from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man,
and a man’s heart was given to it “ (v. 4). is was the
Babylonish monarchy, the rst, which carried everything
before it. Pharaoh desired to do so, but his fate was sealed
at Carchemish near the Euphrates; Jer. 46. is lion with
wings was Nebuchadnezzar; his empire had lasted only
seventy years. Darius the Mede took the kingdom, and
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Babylon remained a great city after its dominion was taken
away. ere was a subsequent judgment upon it, for it was
besieged and taken a second time, and then it stood upon
its feet as a man, submissive, and no more ravaging the
nations; it became a province, and was no longer mistress
of the world.
Second beast. “ And behold, another beast, a second,
like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had
three ribs in the mouth of it, between the teeth of it: and
they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much esh “ (v. 5). is
is the Persian empire. I will not discuss this, because all
who have studied the prophecies are agreed about it.
ird beast. “ After this, I beheld, and lo, another, like a
leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl;
the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it
“ (v. 6). is is without doubt the empire of Alexander. e
beast is described, more under the features which it took
after the death of that prince, when his empire was divided
into four parts, than under those which it had when united
under his power. is is important, because in fact two of
the parts into which it was divided have had much more
to do with the Jews, than the empire had in the time of
Alexander himself. Two of these are afterward called (chap.
11) the king of the north and the king of the south.
Daniel said in a general manner that there were four
beasts, but the fourth is reserved for a special vision. “
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth
beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it
had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and
stamped the residue with the feet of it; and it was diverse
from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns
“ (v. 7). at which particularly marks this beast was that
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it had ten horns (ten kings). “ I considered the horns, and
behold, there came up among them another little horn,
before whom there were three of the rst horns plucked
up by the roots; and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the
eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things “ (v. 8).
is description is not simply that of a power hurried
into action under the inuence of his passions, nor of a
conqueror who goes about ravaging everywhere; but there
was something more in the ways of this little horn, viz.,
exceeding arrogance, intelligence, design, counsel, reection,
etc.-he had eyes as the eyes of a man. It is said of the Lamb,
in the Apocalypse, that it had seven eyes-an expression
for the perfection of foresight and understanding. Here it
is not perfection, but at least intelligence, reection, and
design: all these are represented by the eyes; “ and a mouth
speaking great things,” namely, prodigious boasting; and
this characterizes particularly this horn. It is on account
of the words which this horn spake that the beast was
destroyed. He is the one who causes -the judgment of the
fourth beast. e little horn is he who morally inuences the
beast. “ I beheld till the thrones were cast down (placed),
61
and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white
as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool … the
judgment was set and the books were opened “ (v. 9).
is is an assize. e thrones are not overthrown, but
placed. e Ancient of days sits in judgment; myriads of
myriads are there before Him. e books are opened. But
as yet the Son of man does not appear, but only the Ancient
of days. In another sense Christ is Himself the Ancient
61 ere is no doubt, I believe, that “ placed “ or “ set “ is the true,
the only true sense.
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of days, but here, a little farther on in the chapter, He is
presented to Him (the Ancient of days) as the Son of man.
In the Apocalypse, when John sees (chap. i) the Son of
man, it is with all the attributes of the Ancient of days. But
here the Ancient of days is seen Himself apart in vision,
because Christ, in this book, is always considered as the
Messiah, or as the Son of man, in His own separate and
proper character as such, as the Anointed One (and thus
also as man), because it was under this character that He
was known to the Jews, or as inheriting the rights of man
on the part of God in this world.
Herein we have the distinction in the expressions
Messiah and Son of man, and this dierence may be
particularly traced in the gospel by Matthew. In His
quality of the Anointed One, He appeared as king down
here. When He came thus as Messiah, He was rejected:
the Messiah, we are told, was cut o, and had nothing;
Dan. 9:26 (margin). But when God at a future period shall
set up His throne (we are not speaking of His heavenly
glory, for that is already accomplished), it will not be only
as the Messiah. It is not the way of God to re-establish
that which has been spoiled. Such a procedure would be
unworthy of God: if Satan spoils God’s work, He is not
satised with simply mending it. Whenever the folly of
man and the malice of Satan have perverted any passing
blessing which God has given to man, God establishes
something innitely superior. We have a striking instance
of this in Jesus Christ Himself. Man was placed in
innocence upon the earth. is state of things was soon
altered by the folly of man tempted by the devil. Does God
re-establish again an innocent man on the earth? No. He
sets up His own Son, a gloried man in heaven and earth.
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us God, in allowing the things which He has presented
or conded to man to be corrupted, afterward Himself
establishes something innitely superior according to His
own purpose.
In this manner the Messiah was oered as king of the
Jews. Faith, indeed, confessed Him as the Son of God; but
as the Son of David, if He had been received, He would
have possessed the throne of David. Man, being a sinner,
would not receive Him; but when He returns, it will not
be as Messiah, or as the Son of David only. He is gone
to receive a kingdom from the hands of His Father, an
inheritance over all things, not only as Messiah, but as the
Son of man; for God has decreed, that “ all things shall be
subdued unto him,” 1Cor. 15. It is for this reason that He
is seen coming with the clouds of heaven as Son of man.
When Christ presented Himself to the Jews as
Messiah, and even to the Gentiles under Pontius Pilate,
He was rejected; after which God does not establish Him
as Messiah alone, but as Heir of all things. Is this done by
the will of man? By no means. Christ has been presented
to the good-will of man, but He was received with hatred
and disdain. ey crucied Him. He will be established by
the decree of God.
Now when this little horn speaks great things-when
all its insolent pride is manifested-when it has come to
its height, then the thrones are placed, and God begins to
exercise His power. When power, as conded to man, is
turned into rebellion against God, it is time for God to act,
and for the thrones of judgment to be placed, for the books
to be opened, and for man to give account to God.
e result of this judgment on the part of the Ancient
of days is to give the kingdom to the Son of man. It is a
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question here of this power-these rights of the Ancient of
days. It is the demonstration that He who had possessed
the rights from the beginning to the end, although He had
been concealed, was He who gave the power to the one and
to the other.
God had been hidden, so to speak, during the time of
the other beasts, nevertheless His providence acted. e
Babylonians were replaced by the Persians, and these last
by the Greeks. All this was done, as things are done even
now, by the arrangement of that providence which governs
the world, because the Ancient of days (whose rights,
notwithstanding, cannot be annihilated) was not yet sitting
to execute judgment on account of the acts which had been
committed against Him. But it will not be thus at the end.
As yet the open revolt had not taken place. e fourth beast
had not yet said, Isa. 47:8, “ I am, and none else beside me.”
Compare what is said to the prince of Tire, “ Wilt thou yet
say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? “ (Ezek. 28:9).
e judgment of this fourth beast will be as against man in
a state of open rebellion against God.
Now the attention of Daniel (v. 11) is entirely taken up
with the little horn. “ I beheld, then, because of the voice
of the great words which the horn spake; I beheld even
till the beast was slain; and his body destroyed and given
to the burning ame.” He is amazed to hear there, in the
very presence of God, this horn speaking blasphemous
things. He wondered that God should permit it; but he
saw the beast slain. is was the result. en he says, “ As
concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion
taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and
time “; that is, after the dominion had been taken from
Babylon, it continued to subsist for some time, as did the
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Persian likewise; but the destruction of the fourth beast
shall be entire. To the others a prolongation of life had been
granted after the fall of the empire; but here the judgment
and the destruction go together.
Consequent upon all this is a third vision (v. 13, 14).
It is the Son of man presented to the Ancient of days. “
Behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds
of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they
brought him near before him.” “ And there was given him
dominion, and glory … that all people … should serve him:
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,” etc., etc. (v. 14).
is is the kingdom which will be conded to Him, and
which He will administer for the subjection of all things to
God Himself.
Now we come to the explanation given to the prophet
(v. 15-17). “ e visions of my head,” says Daniel, “ troubled
me. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked
him the truth of all this. So he told me,” etc. “ ese
great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall
arise out of the earth.” But he adds a fact not before
mentioned: “ e saints of the most high shall take the
kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever “ (v. 18). It is
not alone the history of something which takes place by
the interposition of providence, or by the judgment of
God; but the interpretation is occupied with the people of
God-the saints of the most high. We always nd, whether
in prophecy or in parable, that the explanation goes beyond
that which the original statement itself contains. ere is
always some new fact. So here, the truth is added, that
the saints of the most High are to obtain and to keep the
kingdom. e general thesis of the chapter is, that four
great beasts would rise on the earth, and be nally judged
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by God. e truth added in the explanation is, that the
saints of the most High would receive the kingdom, the
beasts being set aside.
“ en I would know the truth of the fourth beast..
which brake in pieces and stamped the residue with his
feet “ (v. 19). is violence and cruelty has always marked
the conduct of the fourth beast; it is Europe, at all events,
in the west. “ And of the ten horns that were in his head,
and of the other which came up … even of that horn that
had eyes … ” (v. 20). e horn had intelligence and designs.
ree of the horns (kingdoms) fell before this horn, which,
little at the beginning, becomes in appearance more stout
than his fellows, and, at last, rules in the midst of the horns.
And you will see, as we proceed, that this horn usurps all
the power of the beast, or, at least, stamps the whole with
its character. e horn gets the power. As it is the conduct
of this little horn, which determines that of the beast, so
also is the horn the cause of the beast’s destruction.
“ I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints,
and prevailed against them “ … (v. 21) “ until the Ancient
of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the
most High; and the time came that the saints possessed
the kingdom “ (v. 22). Afterward the explanation is given,
verses 23-25, and the little horn is more fully mentioned.
is horn is not to be an ordinary kingdom, but a special
power which raises itself up in the midst of the others.
e fourth beast is to do three things: rst, it speaks
great things against the God who is on high, ruler of
heaven and earth; secondly, it wears out the saints of the
most High (those, namely, who own God in the high
or heavenly places); also it makes war with the faithful
Jews who have returned to their land. irdly, it not only
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destroys the saints, but it thinks to change the times (that
is, solemn days-certain days which return from year to
year, and which mark certain epochs among the Jews, as
Pentecost, the feast of Tabernacles, etc.), and the law itself.
ey shall be delivered into his hands, that is, these times
and laws, until a certain period; it will not be forever. e
beast, then, apostatizes against God, makes war against the
saints who confess Him, and, lastly, completely sets aside
the Jewish ordinances. is is the nal character which the
beast takes.
We shall still have to consider this beast, and,
consequently, we must follow with care this part of the
book, because of the important place which the little
horn occupies in the revelations of God. Meanwhile let us
remember that, whilst the prophetic part of this chapter,
as contrasted with the explanatory part, treats of the beast
being destroyed and delivered to the re; in the latter part,
the Spirit of God is almost entirely occupied with the
actings of this little horn. e judgment is to sit, and the
dominion to be taken away (that is, of the little horn), verse
26. We shall see that the ten horns give their power to the
beast; but this little horn rules the beast, morally speaking,
and so all the others, by its intelligence and inuence. us
the Spirit of God can speak of the little horn as being
everything.
Notwithstanding it was still the beast, for the little
horn possessed all the power of the beast, and its (the little
horn’s) conduct characterized the beast; for as it was the
horn which blasphemed, persecuted, and changed the law,
so it is its dominion which is taken away.
At the same time bear in mind that, although the little
horn was principally before the eyes of the prophet, the
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others had not ceased to exist. ere yet remained seven
horns after three had been swallowed up, so that we do not
see, in the little horn, all the empire of the fourth beast,
considered geographically. e little horn is morally, but
not geographically, the beast. Seven of the horns which
existed previously will still subsist. e features of the beast,
then, are, that we have one particular horn which is very
dierent from the others, small in appearance when it rose,
but whose looks and words were stouter than the others,
three of whom fell before it. It is this horn that persecutes
and changes the times, and represents completely the beast
before God as to the judgment; but at the same time, as to
physical and material power, there are seven other horns in
other places, but within the limits of the Roman empire;
and who are thus the instruments of the moral evil of the
little horn. One horn is the great worker of evil, whilst
the mass of the empire, divided into seven parts, gives the
power to that one.
Napoleon may serve to give us an idea of this state of
things. Spain, Belgium, Westphalia, etc., followed him,
they were his auxiliaries; but he personally stamped his
character on the whole course of events. And so with these
seven: their authority may exist within their own limits,
but their power will be given to him, who will exalt himself
against God and His saints.
Rev. 13 and 17, also bring this beast before us. In chapter
13 he is shown as seated upon the throne, and wielding the
power of Satan, by means of another beast who helped to
glorify the rst on the throne. In chapter 17 he is shown
more in his relationships with Babylon; whilst here in
Dan. 7 he is represented to us as making war against God
Himself, in his relationship also with the saints of the most
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High, and with the Jews. In Dan. 11:36-39, where we have
again this king, or little horn, we learn more particularly
his actings in the east-in the Jewish or glorious land. It is
the special place where the evil works. In Zech. 2 we have
details of an idol shepherd, who shall be found in Judea and
shall oppress the people, and who, I think, is the same as
the second beast of Rev. 13, which I shall not now examine.
In 2ess. 2 he is seen in quite another aspect (viz.,
in connection with apostate Christendom); just as in Dan.
11:36 he is considered with respect to his evil conduct as
king in Palestine; whilst here, he is seen rising from among
the Gentiles, acting against the saints of the most High, and
the faithful Jews. I do not make any allusion in this place
to chapter 8 because it is my conviction that the little horn
of that chapter is not the same as this one. Some who have
studied the subject are not of this opinion, but for myself,
it is my belief that it is another power which will be found
there, in special connection with the Jews, invading those
eastern countries, but which is not the little horn of chapter
7. ere is still another passage to be referred to in regard to
this little horn. It is the latter part of Dan. 9 in connection
with the desolation of Jerusalem. I mention it only that
the chain of passages may be complete. In examining this
book, I have no pretension to give a complete exposition,
but only to notice some leading points which may assist
you, and myself also, in further inquiry. One of the most
remarkable facts in this chapter is the open revolt of man
against God; it is that which so astonished Daniel. In the
end man will arrogate to himself power, as if it were found
in himself, instead of derived from God, just as it was the
religion of man among the Jews which dared to reject and
crucify the Messiah.
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But this power of man, complete in apostasy, given up
to Satan, is the instrument of the war which Satan wages
against God and His Anointed. It is not iniquity alone,
and the commission of sin, but the open revolt of sin as a
principle. Under whatever form man is found in connection
with God, this beast will give himself the trouble, so to
speak, to unite in himself all these characters in opposition
to God. Is it a question of God Himself? he derides Him
and sets himself up against Him. Is it a question of the
saints? he persecutes and destroys them. His object is to
overturn everything for the setting up of himself. It is the
king who does according to his own will. Satan gives him
his throne after he has been driven out of heaven, three
years and a half before the judgment: when, having but
a short time, he acts in great wrath, establishing thus the
wicked one upon his throne on earth, inspiring man, and
putting him forward, as the head of everything here below,
and destroying all relationship with God. us in 2ess.
2 we nd that the rebellion against God, as known in
Christianity, is based upon the apostasy; and then the man
of sin rises and shows himself as God in the temple of God
(all those who have not received the truth in the love of it
having been deceived by the lying wonders of the power of
the enemy).
en the events of Rev. 13 will be realized; that Satan
gives his throne to the beast, and at that time, I judge,
the horrible character of open revolt in all its bearings
will be publicly manifested. e evil works beforehand in
principles, in mysteries; but when the throne of Satan is
set up down here, after he has been driven from heaven
(at least three years and a half before the end), and in
consequence, is no longer able to deceive, after a religious
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sort, in making himself god on high; and the saints, as a
result, having no combat to sustain in the heavenly places,
then he gives his throne to the beast; and open rebellion
will follow-rebellion against God; for the beast becomes
the wicked one in specialty: “ that wicked one shall be
revealed, whom the Lord shall destroy.” en the throne
will be given to the Son of man.
It is very important, through God’s grace, to see where
the course of this world will end; and be assured that it is
not necessary that man should be outwardly degraded in
habits in order to serve Satan, or that these events should
take place; for the little horn had the eyes of a man, all
the intelligence of man, his capacity, and clear-sightedness.
ese faculties distinguish him. Nevertheless, he will reject
God; his conscience will not be in exercise; he will have no
sense of his responsibility towards Him; whilst the desire
of self-elevation and aggrandizement will choke every trace
of love: just as Adam, who wished to be as God, and put
God aside. But the judgment will come in, and Christ will
be manifested in all His glory, and it is this for which we
wait, as regards the improvement of things here below. But,
thanks be to God, we have, as Christians, a better portion,
even a heavenly, which consists in being like Christ and
with Him forever.
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Studies on Daniel 8
LECTURE 4
CHAPTER 8
I reserve some further remarks on chapter 7 till we
come to the end of chapter 9 and I proceed to chapter 8. In
it the Spirit of God takes two empires, namely, the second
and third of the four beasts previously seen, to give a more
detailed history of them.
“ In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a
vision appeared unto me “ (v. 1). “ And I saw in a vision;
and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan, in
the palace, which is in the province of Elam “ (v. 2). is
land of Elam, or Persia, was the body of the second beast.
e bear of chapter 7 is now the ram. “ e ram which
thou sawest, having two horns, are the kings of Media and
Persia “ (v. 2o). ese two kingdoms were united into one.
In chapter 7 this kingdom is told to “ arise and devour
much esh,” whilst here the ram is said “ to push westward,
and northward, and southward.” e he-goat of verse 5,
who attacks the ram, is the empire of the Greeks, which
commenced under Alexander. is “ notable horn,” having
united the Greeks, led them into Asia against the empire
of the Persians. In three years he overthrew it: it crumbled
into nothing before his energy, which earned for him,
among men, the name of Great. We know from history,
that he died, whilst yet young, of a fever, the consequence
of his excesses.
“ When he [the he-goat] was strong, the great horn
was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward
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the four winds of heaven “ (v. 8). Alexander traversed the
greater part of Asia, and penetrated as far as India, proving
his capacity not only as a general, but as the founder of a
solid empire. But God laid His hand upon him, and “ for
it came up four notable ones.” e same truth is presented,
chapter 7: 6, under the gure of a leopard with four wings
and four heads. After Alexander’s death his kingdom was
divided into four distinct monarchies, with two of which
we have principally to do, because two of them came into
connection with the Jews; just as lately the Turks and
Egyptians were at war about this same Holy Land.
We must remember, if we would understand this
prophecy, that even the geography of Scripture is always
considered according to the position of the Holy Land. If
we have a king of the south, it is a king to the south of
Palestine; for Palestine is the center of all God’s thoughts
as to the government of this world. Jerusalem is His chosen
city. “ For the Lord hath chosen Zion,” it is said, “ He hath
desired it for his habitation. is is my rest forever,” Psa.
132:13, 14. From one of the kingdoms designed under the
four horns (it is not said from which, but distinctively from
one) comes a little horn, whose acts form the important
part of this chapter.
“ And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which
waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the
east, and toward the pleasant land “ (v. 9), viz., the Holy
Land. In considering Scripture, it is needful to place
oneself, so to speak, in the point of view from which God
looks. He says, in Deut. 10:12, and 1Kings 9:3, that He
will never take His eyes o Palestine. Now the activity of
faith always hangs upon this point of view of God. And
this knowledge of God’s thoughts is the power of service in
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the church. God keeps His sheep always; that is to say, He
always loves them. If I see one of these sheep wander, it is
very sorrowful; and looking at it with man’s judgment only,
one might be inclined to abandon it; but remembering that
it is a sheep, I act towards it as God thinks of it: that is,
faith takes up the thoughts of God as to the objects of His
love.
As far as the world is concerned, Jerusalem is nothing;
it is a city trodden down, with neither commerce nor
riches nor aught else. Superstition is established there
on the sepulcher of the Lord. It is true, indeed, that the
kings of the earth are beginning to look that way, because
providence is leading in that direction; but as for God, He
ever thinks of it; it is always His house, His city. His eyes
and His heart are there continually. Now faith understands
this.
And what was Daniel’s position? He was a captive
among the Chaldeans at Babylon; but Palestine was for
him the pleasant land. His captivity takes o nothing from
its interest. It was a very small province of an immense
empire, almost unknown in the empire, so small was it in
comparison. But to God it was everything. His purposes
were ever towards it.
“ e little horn waxed exceeding great towards … the
pleasant land.” We shall never understand the Old
Testament prophecies, if we do not see two things. First, the
thoughts of God are upon the glory of Christ, who, on His
re-appearance, will reign over the earth. If this thought be
not kept in view, whilst considering the details and events
of Scripture, nothing will be understood: for God will and
does make all the events of the world work together to
that end. Secondly, we shall equally fail in understanding
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prophecy if we forget that the Jews are the habitual object
of the thoughts of God; for, although He cannot recognize
them for the moment, as being under His chastening hand,
they are nevertheless still His people; for “ the gifts and
calling of God are without repentance “ (Rom. 2:29); and,
however we may apply this assertion to the church-for
it is true of every one who is possessor of divine life-yet
the context shows that the Jews are meant, who, although
supplanted during their judicial blindness by the church
62
on earth (the Gentile dispensation), yet will by and by be
re-established in all their privileges.
When we have once laid hold on these two thoughts-
that Christ is the aim and end of all the counsels of God,
and that the Jews are the object of His counsels here
below — there are a multitude of expressions that become
easy of apprehension. For example, “ the pleasant land “ is
the land of the Jews nothing ennobles before God but His
gifts and vocation. And who are the people and land which
He has chosen? No other than the land and the people
which He promised to Abraham (Gen. 15), and which
Christ, as the Seed of Abraham, will inherit, together with
Israel, who are the people whom God has chosen.
“ And it [the little horn] waxed great, even to the host
of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the
stars to the ground, and stamped upon them “ (v. to). ere
is an alteration in the next verse, to which I must here
draw your attention, as it relates to a matter of no little
importance, viz., the complete destruction of the worship
of God at Jerusalem. If we were meditating on doctrines
connected with salvation, I would not trouble you with
questions of criticism; but I venture to do so here, as we are
62 I use the word “ church “ here in a popular and improper sense.
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occupied with the intelligence of Scripture, and much is, in
this instance, dependent on a just translation of verse 11,
the main correction of which is aorded by the margin of
the English translation. I give what I believe to be correct. “
And he
63
magnied himself even to the prince of the host,
and from him (the prince of the host) the daily sacrice
was taken away, and the place
64
of his sanctuary was cast
down, and a certain time
65
of distress was appointed to the
daily sacrice by reason of transgression.”
All this I should, moreover, put in parenthesis. e
material change is that the taking away the daily sacrice
is not attributed to this little horn. e actings of the little
horn are resumed after the word “ transgression.” “ And it
cast down the truth to the ground,” etc.
In the actings, then, of the little horn it is not a question
of uttering blasphemy and exalting itself against God, but
of something very denite and precise: “ it waxed great
even to the host of heaven.” It attacks those who, in those
days, are there-the Jews who have a place around their
chief (that is, those who in the moral heaven surround
the throne of God); I judge it to mean the priests and
heads among the Jews at Jerusalem, or such as God owns
there. Observe God’s estimate of things. He attaches more
importance to the priests and governors among this poor
63 e change from “ it “ to “ he “ is to be noted here. It does not
agree immediately with the little horn.
64 is word in the original gives the idea of something solid,
permanent, established; and comes from a word meaning “ to
establish.”
65 Where, in verse 12, it is said, “ an host was given him,” I take
the word in the sense in which it is used in Job 7: I; 14: 14; and
perhaps chap. to: 17-an appointed time of distress, a miserable
condition which is ordained to any one.
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people, than to anything else which the beast has been
doing in the world. He lifted himself up “ even to the host
of heaven.” It is innitely more dangerous to meddle with
things that belong to God, and things upon which God
looks-to endeavor to eace His glory, all tarnished though
it may be in our hands, than to overturn or to found
empires, or to achieve the greatest victories (although God
in His providence may superintend these events). e little
horn might overthrow nations; but to say there should be
no worship of God was an event far more serious: it was
to destroy the only link which made it possible for God to
recognize the state of things on the earth.
Such, then, is the special conduct of this little horn.
It magnies itself even to the host of heaven, and casts
down a part of the host and of the stars to the ground, and
stamps on them. At the end, he who lls the antitypical
place of this little horn exalts himself even so as to rise up
against the prince of the host. He aims even at Him who
is the true head of all things. ose who were at Jerusalem
in such a place represented God, whilst Christ will soon
be manifested as the true prince of the host. God further
permits that the daily sacrice should be taken away from
this prince. We see therefore who is this Prince. It is the
Lord. e sacrice is taken away from Him, and the place
of His sanctuary cast down, in this time of terror.
God calls His house at Jerusalem the place of His
sanctuary, the sanctuary of Christ. He was and is always
the God of the Jews. It is not a simple treading down of
the people by the permission of God, as chastisement on
account of their sins; but that it should be so, the temple
is allowed to be cast down, as indeed it was at the time of
the captivity of Babylon; and this must be the case, in order
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that God may show that He has completely abandoned
His people to the fruit of their ways. While He owns His
honor there, He must stand up in their defense, though He
chastise; but if that be destroyed, and their city prostrate,
then He leaves them indeed to the matured fruit of their
sins, though He may still have the intention of bringing
them back.
One might have supposed it impossible that His xed
habitation should be cast down; but the Spirit of God puts
these facts in contrast, that we may see that the things
which God Himself had established and preserved for
centuries, He abandons, whilst still calling them His own.
“ e gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
But He overturns everything that He has set as a witness,
in the place which He has chosen for His dwelling, and
breaks His bonds with the people, whilst still saying (Lam.
2:6, 7), that they are His tabernacle, His place of assembly,
His altar, and His sanctuary. Because of the unfaithfulness
of the people, God no longer allows the worship which
should have been oered to Him, and by permitting the
daily sacrice to be taken away, the visible and exterior link
between Himself and the people is broken, and all that
manifests His favor in the world-His house and worship-is
set aside.
Verse 13. “ en I heard one saint speaking, and another
saint said to that certain saint which spake, How long
shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrice, and the
transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and
the host to be trodden under foot? “ e question is about
the length of the time of aiction. e thoughts of the
inquirer are not upon the exploits of the little horn, but
about the desolation of the Jewish worship and temple.
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is distinction is important. I do not say that such
desolations do not announce the last days; only these two
things are distinct, viz., the conduct of the little horn, and
the desolation of the temple. In the explanation given
in the course of the chapter concerning the end of the
indignation, there is nothing on the subject of worship;
it refers only to circumstances concerning the king of
erce countenance, understanding dark sentences, without
speaking of the temple. And lastly, there is not a word said
that it is this little horn who takes away the daily sacrice.
is answer precedes and is distinct from the
interpretation given to Daniel of the little horn. It is
possible that in the history, the little horn may have done
all these things (allowing Antiochus Epiphanes to have
been the type), but the Holy Spirit does not use them all
66
when He speaks of what is to ll up the picture of the end.
Verse 14. “ And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and
three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”
We shall be helped in the consideration of these verses by
recurring to verse to. “ It waxed great … it cast down some
of the host … and stamped upon them “; and in verse 12
we again nd the expression, “ It cast down the truth to
the ground.” Now between these two expressions all is in
parenthesis, that is, the whole of verse 11 and a part of
verse 12. “ It cast down the truth to the ground “ is the
conduct of this horn in the last days, of which we have an
explanation at the end. “ So he [Gabriel] came near where
I stood “ (v. 17). “ And he said, Behold, I will make thee
know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for
66 I would remark here in passing, that we must not conclude
that all the circumstances connected with the occasion of a
prophecy apply to the events which accomplish it at the end of
the age.
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at the time appointed the end shall be “ (v. 19). e word
“ indignation “ is often found in the prophecies, and is
particularly mentioned in Isaiah 1o. Iniquity had ripened,
and its chastisement had begun in the days of the faithless
successor of David, Ahaz. It went on increasing. e Jews
would not repent, and the hand of the Lord was heavier
upon them; and will continue (see Isaiah io: 5, 8, then 12,
17, 21, 25) until the people shall return to Him who smote
them.
It began comparatively lightly with the attacks of the
Syrians, and the loss of the provinces; to these succeeded
the conquests of the Babylonians; after that, the captivity;
but the Jews would not repent at these judgments.
Afterward God sent them His Son; you know how they
treated Him. When they shall be again in their land,
they will give themselves over to idolatry, and will receive
Antichrist instead of Christ. At last, the abomination of
desolation will be set up, until Christ Himself shall destroy
the enemies of the people, and then the indignation will
be accomplished. is time of indignation consists in the
people being abandoned by God to the power of their
enemies more or less; but that which is specially called
“ the indignation “ is the attacks to which the Jews, on
account of their sins, are subjected in the last days-the
days of Antichrist. I do not say that Antichrist is the
indignation; but the Jews are delivered to the instruments
of the indignation of God on account of their relationship
with him. God has determined its duration beforehand.
(Compare Isa. 10:5-25.)
Dan. 8:2o-23. “ And in the latter time of their kingdom,
when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of erce
countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand
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up.” I have no doubt, dear friends, that the type was the
king of the Syrians-the king of the race of the Seleucidæ;
but it is quite certain that this was not the end of the
indignation; and, in the explanation which Daniel gives, he
connes himself to what the antitype will do at the time of
the end (v. i7)-the end of the indignation against the Jews
(v. 19). We must put the church altogether on one side in
this case: it is a question of the Jews in the latter days, at
the end of the indignation.
“ In the latter time [v. 23] of their kingdom [namely, of
the kings who divided the Greek empire] … a king of erce
countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall
stand up.” ese kingdoms, then, must be re-established;
there will again be the king of the south and the king of
the north. Turkey in Asia, at this moment, embraces the
territory of the king of the north, and Egypt that of the
king of the south.
ey must reappear as two kingdoms. We must apply
this prophecy to that which is called “ the end,” “ the time
of the end “; that is, the end of the ways of God towards
the Jews” the end of the age,” as a general term. Egypt will
then be on the scene, but particularly the king of the north,
whoever may then possess that dignity.
An important fact in the accomplishment of prophecy
in the latter day is, not only the return of the Jews to their
land, but that, being found there, their wickedness will still
increase. ose words of the Savior will be accomplished in
them, “ If another shall come in his own name, him ye will
receive,” John 5:43. And again, “ when the unclean spirit is
gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking
rest, and ndeth none. en he saith, I will return into my
house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he
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ndeth it empty, swept, and garnished. en goeth he, and
taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than
himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last
state of that man is worse than the rst. Even so shall it be
also unto this wicked generation,” Matt. 12:43-45. at is,
the Jews having returned to their land, the wicked spirit,
the spirit of idolatry which had left them (for there was no
idolatry at the time of Jesus Christ), enters into his house,
empty, swept, and prepared, and brings with him seven
other impure spirits, and the last state of the nation shall
be innitely worse than the rst. is may be true of others,
but the Savior applies the passage to the Jews; “ Even so
shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” us “ the
transgressors will have come to the full,” the transgression
of the Jews against Jehovah will be at its height. It will
be, speaking generally, the end of the age, and particularly
the end of those four monarchies of the divided empire
of Alexander; the Jews having become absolutely apostate,
and in rebellion against God-not only as seen in their
present condition, but much worse, having also returned
to their land. And this scene will be in Palestine, and with
a king out of one of the Greek monarchies, of whom the
king of Syria, Antiochus Epiphanes, has certainly been a
type.
Verse 23. “ And … a king of erce countenance, and
understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.” He will not
only have force of arms, but also a spirit of wisdom, so as
to be able to explain or interpret enigmas, a sort of prophet
(though not, of course, in a good sense), who expounds
profound and mysterious things. He acts by a deceitful and
penetrating spirit, and in this way, upon the Jewish nation,
as much as by his arms.
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Verse 24. “ His power shall be mighty, but not by his
own power.” He will be a king in dependence upon some
other potentate-strong, but not entirely by his own force.
“ And he shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.”
Notwithstanding their state of perdy and rebellion
collectively, the Jews are, to the prophet, the holy people.
67
Verse 25. “ And through his policy also he shall cause
craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself
in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many.” at is, it
will not be by force of arms, but he will deal with the Jews
in the way of peace; and by penetration and subtlety, as
a kind of rabbi, he will exercise much inuence over the
Jewish nation.
Finally, “ He shall also stand up against the Prince of
princes; but he shall be broken without hand.” Christ is the
Prince of princes-” the prince of the host.” is king, then,
will not only overthrow many Jews, but, at the same time,
will obtain immense inuence over the nation; and, setting
himself against the Prince of princes, he will be destroyed
without hand.
You will observe that in this explanation of the conduct
of the little horn, the daily sacrice is not mentioned, its
taking away is not attributed to him; and thus we perceive
the importance of the correction of verse 11. He oppresses
the Jews, and triumphs over them by the subtility of his
spirit; he will destroy many by peace and prosperity. is
is the account of a power which emanates from the Greek
monarchy in the east, one who will act in the midst of the
Jewish people, and who will be destroyed because he exalts
himself against Christ at the end. So much for his locality,
his conduct, and his end. e only mention that Daniel
67 Or people of the saints. (Compare chapter 7: 27.)
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makes of the daily sacrice and of the sanctuary, is in the
last two verses. “ And the vision of the evening and the
morning which was told is true.”
A single remark will suce concerning the calculations
of dates that have been made; I have made them myself,
and I have taken all possible pains to resolve that of the
“ two thousand three hundred days “ (v. 14), so that I do
not mean it as condemning others, when I avow that I do
not think they can be counted as years, and I am inclined
to believe that these days were accomplished of old. But,
in any case, if dates are to be assigned, we must remember
that the subject is the Jews and Jerusalem, and these dates
must therefore be applied to the Jews and Jerusalem, and
not to the aairs of Christendom.
ere may be analogous circumstances in Christendom,
because the mystery of iniquity has already set in, for
although the wicked one has not yet been revealed, his
principles and his pride are found in its developments, etc.;
but if we are to speak with exactness, and to ask if these
things have been precisely accomplished, then we must
apply these passages to Jerusalem and the Jews, namely,
to what is to occur at the end of the indignation. Now
certainly the end of the indignation has not yet happened.
In conclusion, the subject of this lecture is one with
which we may appear to have but little concern. e other
little horn has more connection with us, because it belongs
to the last beast; and we have to do with it, as living in
those countries which will come under its dominion, as
France, England, etc. (which formed a part of the Roman
empire); and also, as being where Christianity has been
developed, during the existence of this last beast; whereas
we are not in the territory of the little horn spoken of in
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this lecture. But if it is important on the one hand to avoid
the evil which is about to appear in the west, in the very
midst of the circumstances in which we are placed; on the
other hand, the necessity of doing so tends to pervert our
judgment; for we are liable to attach a great importance to
ourselves, and to suppose that we possess the whole scope
of Scripture, whereas God, as far as regards the possession
and promises of this world, has given the Jew a much larger
place than ourselves. Nevertheless, we perceive at the close
that our history again enters into what so much interests
us, namely, the counsels of God as to His Christ; for the
last thing which we see, in the great events which are to
take place, is this little horn lifting up himself against the
Lord of lords; and before this world can be blessed, it is
necessary that the Lord should break this little horn, in
order that under His own rule the blessings of peace may
come upon all.
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62266
Studies on Daniel 9:1-19
LECTURE 5
CHAPTER 9: 1-19
In chapter 7 we traced the history of the four beasts in
general, specially of the little horn who spoke great things,
who blasphemed against God, who was the enemy of the
saints, who represented the beast-that is, who acted as he
chose, according to the power of this beast; and in chapter
8 we have the history of the horn who will be raised up
from one of the four Greek monarchies, and who at the
end will lift himself up against the Lord of lords, and will
be destroyed without hand. e prophet now directs his
thoughts and heart towards a subject, dierent from that
in the midst of which he stood, namely, to the desolations
of Jerusalem. Such is the theme of this chapter. And how
was he led into this train of thought? Simply because
those words were on his heart; How long, O Lord! It is
a mark of faith thus to cry, when judgments are weighing
heavily upon the people of God: for faith views the people
according to the promises which God has made to them. A
person who has laid hold of the mind of God, whose faith is
in exercise, and whose heart responds, however imperfectly,
to the heart of God, must desire that they should enjoy
their proper blessings-the blessed consequences of their
relationship with God, as it is said, “ ine eyes shall see
Jerusalem a quiet habitation,” Isa. 33:20.
us when aiction weighs heavily upon the people
of God, and they are not enjoying all the privileges which
faith realizes as belonging to them, faith says, “ How long,
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O Lord! “ On the one hand, such a one cannot rest satised
with the misfortunes under which the people of God are
laboring; and upon the other, he knows that it is impossible
for God to abandon His people. Faith says, is state of
suering will have an end; the wicked, it is true, will not
be relieved, but the people of God must be. Hence the
frequency of such expressions in the Psalms and Prophets
as “ How long, O Lord! “ and “ ere is none to say, How
long! “-there is no one who knows how to count on the
faithfulness of God. When under chastening, there is no
faith to use this expression, a worse one is used, “ I have
loved strangers, and after them will I go “; and the people
abandon themselves to wickedness; Jer. 2:25.
Now Daniel is here acting in faith. He had, moreover,
the consolation of knowing, that when God pronounced
the judgment of captivity upon His people, He had also
declared its limit. Jeremiah had predicted that it should
last seventy years, and that afterward God would judge
Babylon by the hand of Cyrus. Hereupon, wrapped up
in the interests of the people of God, his thoughts are
occupied with this promised deliverance.
But the faith which comprehends the goodness of God,
and sighs for the time when the people shall enjoy their
privileges, always confesses the sin which has obliged God
to deprive His people for a time of these privileges. Faith
never becomes discouraged, as if God were unfaithful; on
the contrary, it insists upon the blame being with the people,
and that God has only acted faithfully in thus dealing with
them. Our chapter begins in this way. e interest which
Daniel felt in his people led him to the consideration of
the prophet Jeremiah, and then he entreats the Lord to
conrm this blessing which He had promised by Jeremiah,
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that is, that He would accomplish the deliverance of His
people from captivity.
Another important fact which we remark here, and
which was manifested in the Lord Jesus in perfection, is, that
faith always thoroughly identies itself with the aiction
in which the people are found; and more even, with all
the sins of the people of God. is is the distinguishing
mark of the Spirit of Christ. Christ, indeed, went much
further, inasmuch as He was able to make atonement for
those sins, with which He identied Himself; but faith,
according to its measure, always does so. e faith may
be very feeble, but if there be any sense of the privileges
of the people of God, and of the glory of God in His
people, faith must have reference to this glory. But if it
considers the glory, it considers also the sins which have
been the occasion of the chastisement. Faith identies
itself with the state of the people, and by placing itself in
their condition, perceives the cause of the judgment; for
faith identies the glory of God with His people, and itself
with both; and the state of the people before God becomes
the principle which animates the heart; and the more faith
there is, according to the measure of its intelligence, the
more does it enter into the depths into which the oenders
have fallen, pass their sins in review, and confess them in
identication with them; and if faith did not do this, there
could be no presenting of these sins in confession, in order
to their being pardoned. e Spirit which is in us (and yet
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more fully than the spirit of prophecy)
68
necessarily looks
at the thing morally. My distress at the condition of the
saints is in every sense incomplete, unless the cause of that
condition in God’s sight is taken notice of-just as the high
priest confessed all the sins of the people upon the scape
goat.
It is fully admitted, that there may be imperfection
in the act; but according to the principles of faith, there
must be identication-a full confession before God. If I
thought to get remission of sins (in the sense of removing
chastenings) by partial confession, or without having felt
their enormity, it is evident I should be mocking the just
government of God; so that it is absolutely necessary, if I
wish to suer with Christ, for His church (and the case of
the Jews serves morally for us), if I am led by His Spirit in
love and care for His sheep, that I should humble myself,
recognizing the fallen condition of the
Verses 2-4. “ In the rst year of his [Darius’] reign, I
Daniel understood by books the number of the years,
whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the
prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the
desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord
God … and I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my
confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God,
keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him,
and to them that keep his commandments.”
68 When I speak of this spirit of prophecy, I mean, not a
revelation, but the intelligence of the thoughts of God as to
His people, and interest of heart in their blessing, as in God’s
behalf-the heart being the depository of these interests. is
spirit is in the body. (Compare, too, Gen. 20:7.) saints, and
confess all their sins. Just this did Daniel.
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Daniel has the prophecy of Jeremiah present before his
mind.
When I speak of the spirit of prophecy, I do not speak
of a revelation made to the prophet-it is not a question
of the answer which God makes to a prophet when he
presents the wants of His people. Daniel was a prophet,
but there is, in this instance, no special revelation made to
him. Hence we are told, that he had understood by books.
He was simply one of the faithful studying prophecy.
God afterward gives him a direct revelation. But in the
present instance, faith alone was acting, and he was only
made to understand what God had already spoken about
His people. All is revealed in the Bible, and in searching it
we can, like Daniel, know and understand what God has
already written about His people.
ere are many questions which we cannot resolve,
because we are not spiritual enough. e teaching of God
is as necessary for the understanding, as for the revelation
of His thoughts. It is interesting to remark this. Daniel had
understood by books that the captivity was to last seventy
years. As a faithful man he interests himself in the people
of God, and searches, by the spiritual intelligence which is
given to those who walk with God, what are His thoughts
and ways.
I do not say that we have the same faith and intelligence,
but we are upon the same ground. Daniel represents the
faithful remnant, who have their hearts full of desires for
His grace towards His people, and who, to this end, study
the word of God. As a consequence, the Spirit of God leads
him into supplications; for whatever be the intentions of
God, there is always in His acts of government a recognition
of the moral road which He has ever traced out for His
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people-certain moral principles by which He leads them.
“ I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to
do it for them; I will increase them with men like a ock,”
Ezek. 36:37.
Faith does not lead us into mere speculative knowledge-
the head may be full of dates, etc., things, in a certain
degree, useful-but when the Spirit of God really acts, we
turn to the Lord with prayer and supplication, and with
humbleness of soul, recognizing the actual condition of
His people. It was thus with Daniel. “ I set my face,” says
he, “ unto the Lord.”
Daniel had been led captive when very young, and he
had taken no part in the actual iniquity of Israel. ere
was, therefore, no ground for self-accusation. But the fact
is, there is no such thing as a Christian separated from the
interests of his brethren. is could not be. e Spirit of
Christ, which, in a certain sense, is more powerful in us
than among the faithful in the time of Daniel, is nothing
else than the Spirit of Christ in Christ; that is to say, the
principle on which He acts is the same. Christ has done,
He alone, that which no other could have done; we know
this well. But the tendency, the feelings, the aections, of
the Spirit of Christ in us cannot be other than the Spirit of
Christ in Christ. If, then, Christ identies Himself with all
that the people have done from the beginning, Daniel also
can say, “ We have sinned,” (v. 5-7). He identies himself
with all, in the unity of the same people, though he had
not been partaker of any of these sins: “ O Lord, to us
belongeth confusion of face, to our kings,” etc. (v. 8). ese
kings were no longer in existence, but he saw the whole
thing together; “ we have not hearkened to the voice of thy
servants the prophets.” e prophets had not prophesied to
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him, and had a deaf ear turned to their words. Behold then
the whole mass of Israel in this confusion of face-behold
the justice which belongs to God. But there is another
thing which the Spirit of Christ confesses: “ To the Lord
our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have
rebelled against him “ (v. 9). is is a singular reason; but
he had such a conviction of the goodness of God, that he
says, It is not only the justice which punishes that is found
in God, but, though we have sinned, there is mercy: as
David says, “ 0 Lord my God, pardon my iniquity, for it
is great.” As if to say, Nothing will do for me, or meet my
case, but mercy; I cannot oer sacrices like the Jews, I
must have recourse to ee-I must have mercy and pardon.
e prophet draws this as a consequence-there is sin; well
then, this can be met by mercy alone.
All have transgressed the law. It does not do to say,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, have not done so;
Josiah had done much that was good; David was a man
after God’s own heart; but this or that instance is lost in
the idea of a broken law. If the people of God are no longer
in the enjoyment of their privileges, it is because they have
sinned, and that sin is punished. Certain alterations for
the better may have retarded the judgment, but judgment
having once come in, the way of the Spirit is to say, that all
have sinned. Besides all this, there is a government in detail,
as we see in the case of Hezekiah, where chastisement was
announced, and afterward postponed. ey were to go to
Babylon, but not in his time. As to further matter of detail
of government, consult the case of Josiah; he fell by the
hand of Pharaoh-Necho, although it was said, “ ou shalt
be gathered into thy grave in peace,” 2Kings 22:20. But
he was taken from the evil to come. e circumstances
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were aicting, for it would appear that he should have
listened to Pharaoh. Josiah was chastened individually, but
he did not see, like Daniel, all that came upon Jerusalem:
what a sparing from sorrow was that! “ e righteous man
dieth … and none considereth that the righteous is taken
away from the judgment to come.”
“ Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law “ (v. 1). “ Yet
made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we
might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth “
(v. 13); that is, not only have we transgressed, but when the
chastening came we did not turn to the Lord with a true
heart, to turn us from our iniquities. Here sin reached its
height. “ erefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil
and brought it upon us “ (v. 14), as He watched upon the
good to bless. How terrible, when the government of God
watches upon the evil to make it come upon His people!
“ And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy
people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand,
and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned,
we have done wickedly “ (v. 15). “ 0 Lord, according to
all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and
thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy
mountain “ (v. 16). e words of Daniel are quite touching.
He deeply felt that it was the sin of the people that had
brought down all the evil. Nevertheless, he reiterates, It is
a question of y name; he says nothing about the name
of the people. He had truly felt their wretchedness and sin;
moreover, he was humbled for it, but he insists upon this
point, that Jerusalem is the city of God, and so he says “
Let thine anger be turned away from thy city Jerusalem.”
In confessing the sins of his fathers, he could not bear the
idea of the city of God being in desolation; but these sins
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being the cause, they must be forgiven before the city can
be restored. It was called by God’s name, and in the eyes of
Daniel, his people were, so to speak, the name of God in
the earth, as it is said, “ is is the generation of them that
seek him, that seek thy face, 0 Jacob,” Psa. 24:6.
is, then, was the pleading of Daniel; he confesses all
the sins of Israel. us, “ for our sins, and for the iniquities
of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a
reproach,” etc., etc. (v. 16). “ O my God, incline thine ear
and hear … for we do not present our supplications before
thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies “ (v.
18). “ Defer not, for thine own sake, O my God, for thy city
and thy people are called by thy name “ (v. 19). God Himself
is made the motive. at faith which perceives the sins of
the people, by reason of the glory of God which identies
itself with such people, can claim deliverance from the
results of these sins; because this very glory necessitates the
forgiveness, God having identied Himself in goodness
with the people: and so much the more, inasmuch as it is
this glory on which faith feeds and with which it is pre-
occupied, and which, as before said, causes the extent of sin
and failure to be felt. But if God is to act for His name, He
must deliver Jerusalem, for there was no other place on the
earth which bore His name.
If the same spirit animated us, as Christians, we should
be saying, It is for the sins of the church that we are
suering, and that we are held in contempt by all the world.
Something remains to be said, dear friends, as to the
place which Daniel takes prophetically. It has struck me, in
reading the chapter, that he does not take the position in
which the promises made to Abraham would have placed
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him. e full blessing of the Jews will be grounded on
another truth than that which Daniel pleads here.
e blessings of the Jews, such as they are yet to enjoy,
are based upon the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, without condition. ese are not touched upon here
by Daniel. ey have never possessed the land under the
law, properly speaking; but they have had it, according to
the promises made to Moses in favor of the people, at the
time of the mediation at Sinai. e land has never been
possessed on the principle of obedience to the law, for
immediately after it was given, the apostasy of the golden
calf came in. Moreover, they have never yet enjoyed the land
in quality of Messiah’s people. In order to enjoy the land
according to the promises, they must enjoy it according to
the new covenant; but as yet, neither the Messiah nor the
new covenant has introduced the people into it. e new
covenant is not yet established with the Jews. e promises
cannot yet have been accomplished, because Christ is the
true seed of Abraham. e Jews have been rejected, and the
accomplishment has never yet taken place. ese, viz., the
Messiah and the new covenant, are two great elements of
the future blessing of this people.
e fact is, that God, after the idolatry of the golden
calf, placed His people Israel (consult Ex. 32; 33; 34),
under a government, founded, half upon law, and half upon
grace, for when Moses ascended the mount of Sinai, God
declared His name (Ex. 34:6) as “ the Lord God, merciful
and gracious, longsuering, and abundant in goodness and
truth.” is was grace, whilst at the same time He gave
him the law of the ten commandments, so that the people
were placed under a condition of obedience. is was the
condition under which Israel was placed from the time
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that Moses ascended Sinai the second time. Although
he had previously confessed the sins of Israel, and, by his
intercession, obtained the pardon, through grace, of the
people, yet God, notwithstanding, replaces them under a
condition of obedience to the law.
In all that there was no question of Jerusalem, but only
of the great principles which were the groundwork of the
relationship between God and His people. Later, as in
Lev. 26, we have threats made to the people should they
fail in their conduct. It is a long chapter, where blessings
are promised in the event of obedience. He engages even
to place His tabernacle in their midst, and every earthly
blessing was promised them (v. 3-13), “ but if ye will not
hearken to me,” (v. 14) they are menaced with the heaviest
judgments and at last are to be cast out of their land (v. 31-
39). is was precisely what befell them, when they were
carried captive to Babylon (compare 2Chron. 36:21, with
Lev. 26:34), and the land enjoyed her Sabbaths, during
the time of the desolation of Jerusalem. Once every seven
years there was to be a year of rest, but the people had not
faith in God to observe it; and the consequence of their not
believing God in not allowing the sabbatic years was, that
God found this means of enforcing obedience to His law.
A promise succeeds this threat, “ If they shall confess their
iniquity … then I will remember my covenant with Jacob,”
etc., etc. (v. 40-42), that is, they would be brought back.
e same principle is presented in Deut. 28; 29 We have
conditional blessings and cursings, and subsequently (chap.
3o) promises; that is, grace for those who repent in the land
whither they have been carried captive.
It was this special case that Daniel had to do with-the
case, namely, foreseen in the threatenings. I would call your
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attention also to 1Kings 9, for there God shows, in answer
to Solomon, what He would do in case of indelity, and
He identies His name with the city of Jerusalem, and
particularly with the temple; 1Kings 8:29. In his prayer he
does not ask for the accomplishment of the promises made
to Abraham, but only of those made to Moses, which place
the people under the condition of obedience when in their
land (v. 56). It was this prayer which was answered.
We have seen what passed with Moses. And when
Solomon dedicates the temple to God, he asks Him
to acknowledge it always according to His principles of
government as revealed to Moses. Now, the people having
sinned, Jeremiah had prophesied that there should be a
special chastisement for seventy years, and Daniel takes
this up. He does not go back to the promises made to
Abraham, but only as far as the words of Solomon and
Moses; Dan. 9:11.
Verse 16. “ Let thine anger and thy fury be turned
away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain.” God
had, according to Solomon’s prayer, chosen Jerusalem.
We will not now enter into the answer which God gives,
except to say that He declares all that should happen to
Jerusalem; but in taking as His occasion the return to that
city of the captives, He goes on much farther, even to the
circumstances of that city to the very end. He does it, as it
were, under a Mosaic point of view, and not in revealing its
nal state of blessedness, as being an answer to the prayer
respecting the judgments which had befallen the holy city,
on account of the violation of the law of Moses; the result
of which was, that the city was placed under the judgments
which Moses had threatened.
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It may be well to point to two or three passages, as to this
choice of Jerusalem: for instance, Psa. 78:68; 87 and 132.
is last opens with a description of nding and bringing
back the ark, and giving it a place. en Jehovah speaks, “
If thy children will keep my covenant … For the Lord hath
chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. is is
my rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it,” (v.
12-14). Nothing can be more striking than the goodness
of God throughout this Psalm. God goes beyond all that
is asked of Him. e prayer is, “ Let thy priests be clothed
with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy “ (v.
9). But the answer is, “ I will also clothe her priests with
salvation; and her saints shall shout aloud for joy “ (v. 16).
Again, the prayer had been, “ Arise, 0 Lord, into thy rest,
thou and the ark of thy strength “ (v. 8-1o). And the reply
is, as we have seen, “ e Lord hath chosen Zion: this is
my rest forever,” etc. Again the prayer is, “ For thy servant
David’s sake, turn not away the face of thine anointed “
(v. 1o): to which God answers, “ ere will I make the
horn of David to bud.” In every case the answer largely
surpasses the request. ere is yet a passage (Zech. 2: II)
which shows the exceeding joy which Christ will feel over
Jerusalem in the last days. “ And many nations shall be
joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people: and
I will dwell in the midst of thee; and thou shalt know that
the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the Lord
shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall
choose Jerusalem again.”
69
ese blessings follow upon all
the trying and humbling circumstances of which Daniel
treats, for it must be remembered that in Zechariah it is “
after the glory “ (v. 8), that is, beyond the period included
69 See also Zeph. 3:17.
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in Daniel’s prophecy. Again, in Zech. 12:2, “ Behold, I will
make Jerusalem a cup of trembling to all the people round
about.” It is an elect city, just as Israel is an elect people, or
the church an elect bride.
Let it be again observed, that whilst Daniel is personally
concerned with the return of Israel from Babylon under
the circumstances predicted by Moses, the Spirit of God
uses this thought to continue the history of the people, or
rather of the city (introducing the chief events of the rst
coming of Christ), as far, but only as far, as the point where
nal blessing commences; for the matter of Zechariah and
the Psalms, just now touched upon, is not entered into.
e essential point, however, is the spirit in which Daniel
identies himself with the people of God, confessing all
their sin as his own before God.
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62267
Studies on Daniel 9:20-27
LECTURE 6
CHAPTER 9: 20-27
ese verses relate the answer to the confession and
prayer of Daniel. e faithfulness of God is in full action,
exactly as promised in Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and in the
answer to the prayer of Solomon. He had promised that
if they were led into captivity, and should, in the midst of
their enemies, turn to Him with all their heart (He never
said, if they kept the law to the letter, for this would not
have been possible to them) He would bring them back.
Verse 21. “ Whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man
Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning,
being caused to y swiftly, touched me about the time of
the evening oblation.” He repeats twice, “ whiles I was
speaking “; he had not nished before Gabriel appeared
and arrested it by the delivery of the prophecy following.
It is not, we may say in passing, always so. On another
occasion, Daniel spent three weeks in fasting and prayer,
for God was trying his faith. e angel was to accomplish
the purpose of God before communicating it; the Lord
permitted that the prince of Persia should hinder its
accomplishment for three weeks. It was a question of
deciding something at the court of Persia, and those there,
who were opposed to an edict for favoring the Jews, could
put obstacles to its promulgation. When the angel of God
had prevailed in these counsels, he came and said so. is
is very instructive to us, for God always governs the world.
Whilst the throne of God was at Jerusalem, He governed
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the world immediately (not only Israel but the world, and
this according to the good or bad conduct of Israel); whilst
after that, although He did not cease to govern everywhere,
already (even in this book-Israel being in captivity) He is
seen acting by the secret springs of His providence, and not
by the immediate action of the revealed rule of His law, as
in the midst of His people.
70
Although the child of God is able to conde entirely
in Him, for “ the very hairs of our head are numbered,” it
is happy to see the government of God manifested openly
in the world. It will be the case in the millennium; the
government will be immediate and direct, so that the
justice of God will be seen by men, whilst now, all goes on
secretly. His ways are often a labyrinth to us now, for our
normal position, as being saints, is quite dierent. God is
perfecting us for heaven, and has no object in manifesting
in us His righteousness upon earth. e heavenly thing is
much better and more precious. He makes us pass through
all kinds of earthly trial with this object in view. A Christian
is often astonished at what he suers individually for
righteousness’ sake-it is a general case. But for the Jews
God will appear, according to His promise, the moment
they turn with humility and confession to Him. us does
He answer Daniel. We have already observed, that faith
never forgets that Jerusalem is the city of God’s holiness,
and that His eyes are there continually. Even when the
Israelites have failed, and when God is obliged to abandon
70 e book of Esther is a striking instance of the secret
government of God, at a time when He could not recognize
His people publicly; and I judge this to be the reason why God
does not permit His name to appear throughout the book. If
He had been named, He would not, so to speak, have permitted
Esther to remain the wife of Ahasuerus.
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them for the time, to faith it ceases not to be the holy city
of God.
Verse 21. “ About the time of the evening oblation.”
is expression makes us feel the Jewish atmosphere we are
in, for of course there was no evening sacrice at Babylon.
Jerusalem was burnt, but faith remained. It was the time
of the evening sacrice-the Jewish scene lls his thoughts.
Verse 22. “ And he informed me and talked with me
and said, 0 Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill
and understanding.” Verses 23, 24. “ For thou art greatly
beloved: therefore understand the matter and consider
the vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people
and upon thy holy city “-observe how the angel accredits
the faith of Daniel, making him the representative both
of Jerusalem and the people-” to nish the transgression
and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for
iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to
seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the holy of
holies.”
Many Christians nd great diculty in this entire
passage, from their not seeing that whilst it has already
had an accomplishment (as far as is needed for the
establishment of its truth), on the other hand, it has not
been fullled at all. If we do not see this, it is impossible
to understand the events that are still future. All that was
necessary on the part of God, in order that the events
announced in the verse we have been reading should take
place, has been accomplished, and even proposed to the
Jewish people; but still nothing has taken place as to the
actual accomplishment of them, the train of circumstances
having been interrupted, and the church (the heavenly
people) having been introduced in the interval, until the
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time decreed of God, when these events shall be taken up
again with the Jewish people, when the due time comes,
whether by the apostasy which exists in Christendom or
by the ripe state of the Jewish people in a bad sense and in
a good one.
Let us consider, for example, the new covenant. It will
be established with Israel and Judah; Jer. 31. is is not
yet accomplished. e Jews are dispersed towards the four
winds of heaven. Now a covenant must be established by
the blood of a victim; and so the blood of the new covenant
has been shed, and therefore all that is necessary for the
bringing in of this covenant with the Jews has been done
on the part of God. But actually nothing as to this nation
receiving it has taken place; for they rejected the Messiah
both personally and under the preaching of the apostles.
Meanwhile the counsels of God as to the church have
occupied and do occupy the interval, this heavenly people
having nothing in common, as to their position, with that
which God did and will do for the Jews.
is point being ascertained, beloved friends, the verse
becomes comparatively easy; indeed, we may say, that the
special diculty disappears, for we perceive that as to fact
God has completed everything. He has sent the Messiah,
He has presented Him to the people, the blood of the
covenant has been shed, and propitiation made. But if it be
asked, whether these blessings have been ecacious with
regard to the Jews as a nation, it must be answered, that
nothing has been done; and this is our present question.
We must not here, then, consider a satisfaction apart from
its application, but rather its ecacy as regards the Jewish
nation; and thus we shall be led to consider whether the
nation is in those circumstances which should precede the
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time when the application of this blood shall be made to
them. “ He [Christ] died not for that nation only, but that
he should gather together in one the children of God that
are scattered abroad,” John 11:51, 52. Now in Daniel we
have to consider the application of this blood to the Jewish
people, and in the explanation of all the prophecies, we
must take this fact into consideration. It is clear that the
death of the Messiah is, in a certain sense, a fulllment of
this prophecy, for His death is a propitiation made for sin.
But what is here said of it, taking into account the object
of the passage, is in nowise accomplished. Having prefaced
with these remarks, let us examine what is the result of all
this for the people.
“ Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people.”
ere is no reference here to us Christians; the verse refers
to the people of Daniel, and to the holy city of Daniel. e
seventy weeks are only applicable to them. ere may be,
in this portion, many events which will also aect us, the
Antichrist for example, for both Jews and Gentiles have
had to do with that wicked one and still more have they
to do with the cutting o of the Messiah. But the aim of
the prophecy is “thy people and thy holy city “ (that is,
the Jews and Jerusalem). Once put aside this people and
city as objects of the thoughts of God here below, and
there is no longer applicability in the prophecy; so that we
must set aside Christianity for the moment, as not being
the object here. And why? Because Christianity has, in
its position before God, nothing to do with either Jew or
Gentile. London has as much to do with Christianity as
Jerusalem. Jerusalem is, to a Christian, no more holy than
any other city. ere may be deeply interesting associations
connected with it; but it is in no sense whatever our “ holy
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city.” “ Seventy weeks,” then, “ are determined upon thy
[Daniel’s] people.”
Now for the details. Verse 25, “ Know therefore and
understand, that from the going forth of the commandment
to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the
Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks.”
In the rst period, the space of seven weeks, Jerusalem was
to be rebuilt, and that, in troublous times. is has been
accomplished, as we nd from Ezra and Nehemiah.
Verse 26. “ And after threescore and two weeks shall
Messiah be cut o, but not
71
for himself.” We know that
this has likewise been accomplished. As the Head of the
Jewish people, He has been on earth, and been rejected.
As to His inheritance, as to the holy city, particularly as
Messiah, He has had nothing at all. He was cut o; He
has had nothing as the Messiah except spittings and death.
And as the Son of David, He has had absolutely nothing.
He is now at the right hand of the Father, but in His title of
King of the Jews, He has not yet been owned. He entered
Jerusalem as king, riding upon an ass, and was rejected.
Verse 26. “ And the people of the prince that shall come.”
is is some new person, not the Messiah; otherwise how
could it be said of this person, “ he shall come? “ According
to this prophecy, Messiah had already come, and had been
cut o. Besides, it is not the people of Christ who is cut
o, that “ shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.” is
happened according to the saying of the chief priests and
Pharisees; John 11:48. “ e Romans will come and take
away both our place and nation.” Neither is it the prince
himself who thus acts. It is the people of the future prince
71 I read, “ and shall have nothing,” i.e., shall have nothing of His
dominion as Messiah.
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who do this- of the prince that shall come-the chief of the
empire (Roman), of the last beast. e fourth monarchy,
viz., the Roman, destroyed the city and the sanctuary, as it
is the body of which he, as prince, will be the head:
Verse 26. “ And the end thereof shall be with a ood, and
unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” Verse
27. “ And he shall conrm the [“ a,” margin] covenant.” If
it had been said the covenant, one might suppose it of some
covenant already existing, whereas there is no such thought
in the expression. “ He shall conrm covenant “-that is,
establish it, not with many, but with “ the “ many, or the
mass. As Christ had but a very small remnant, whilst the
mass of the Jews rejected Him, the prince who shall come
shall establish a covenant with the mass. A remnant will
undoubtedly escape, but the covenant which this prince
shall conrm will be with the mass of the people.
“ And he shall conrm a covenant with the
72
many
for one week.” is is the week which still remains, for
Christ was cut o, it is said, after the sixty-nine weeks.
After this period, we are told of “ the people of the prince
“ (the Romans under Titus), who destroy the city, and then
we have the prince himself conrming a covenant for one
week, which is the last or seventieth week. We are to leave
o counting from the time the Messiah was cut o, viz.,
at the end of the sixty-nine weeks. After this period, time,
so to speak, does not go on: God does not take count of it;
it is indenite. But the seventieth week still remains to be
fullled. [See footnote page 32.]
“ And in the midst of the week, he shall cause the
sacrice and the oblation to cease “ (v. 27). It is evident
that at this time the Jews are re-established with their
72 e Hebrew has the article.
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sacrices and oblations. e “ prince that shall come “ will
establish an alliance with the Jews during one week. But
at the expiration of the half; he will completely change his
conduct, and will cause their sacrices to cease. He thinks,
as before explained, to change the times (Jewish festal
days) and the laws; they are delivered into his hands, and
he eaces them. is is the history as far as facts go.
73
We, as believers, comprehend that the Lord Jesus made
the (Jewish) sacrice cease to those who believed on Him,
just as to them, that is, to faith, John the baptist was Elias,
according to those words, “ If ye can receive it, this is Elias
which was to come.” In like manner to faith, Christ was
the Messiah, the Son of man, to His disciples looked at as
believing Jews. Nevertheless, He adds, “ ye shall not have
gone through the cities of Israel, before the Son of man
shall come.”
74
But as to the Jewish people itself, the Spirit
omits entirely all that we Christians enjoy, because in fact
they rejected Jesus.
If interpreters insist that Jesus Himself labored during
the rst half of the seventieth week, and that account is
taken of it (the half week), for those who believed, but that
as to the nation this half week has been lost, on account
of their unbelief; and that they will receive the Antichrist,
who will present himself in a like manner, I am far from
73 Properly speaking, Matt. 24 and Mark 13 only take account of
the last half of this week; for the rst half is a time of testimony
and belongs to the period of the beginning of sorrows and of
testimony in general, and of the labors mentioned previously to
Matt. 24
74 He supposes the continuation of their testimony (which will
be stopped, at least at Jerusalem, when “ the abomination of
desolation “ shall be set up there), omitting the whole period
and the testimony properly called Christian.
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objecting. He certainly did establish divine relationships
with the little remnant of His disciples, whether one
hundred and twenty, or ve hundred, and in consequence,
as to their labors, He speaks but of the last half of the
seventieth or last week. At the beginning of this last half
their labors are interrupted; the other half is lost in the
general history of their previous labors. For the Jews the
whole week is yet to come, because they have not received
Christ at all. All that can be said as concerning them is,
that the Messiah has been cut o and has had nothing.
For (whatever computation we may incline to, as to the
disciples), it is said, there shall be sixty and two weeks
(besides the previous seven), unto Messiah the prince, and
after sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut o. e Holy
Spirit leaves the matter in the shade, because He counts
with reference to the nation, for whom the last week has
been null and void, and it is the false prince
75
(Antichrist),
in whom the thread of the narrative is resumed, as if it were
at the end of the sixty-ninth week; although, as we know,
the church, the heavenly people, have meanwhile been
introduced and already occupied a period, considered as to
earth, of more than eighteen hundred years. us a place is
left for faith, whilst as to the history, it is one of unbelief.
(Compare Isa. 61 I-3, Luke 4:19.) Christ the Prince has
never yet been Prince, nevertheless He was so to faith in
His disciples. A question for the consideration of those
who examine this most interesting detail of prophecy,
is, whether the Lord presented Himself ocially to the
Jews as Prince or King, before His entry into Jerusalem,
75 I would reserve here, as before, a question arising in my mind
as to the rst and second beasts of the Revelation, as well as the
willful king of chapter II of this book. See pages 215-224.
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according to Zech. 9:9. Upon that, we know, He was cut
o.
e seventieth week is, then, still to have its
accomplishment under Antichrist. e Jews at rst, with
fair appearances before them, acknowledge him as their
chief; as Jesus Christ said, John 5:43, “ If another shall
come in his own name, him ye will receive.” us Antichrist
oers himself, and the Jews receive him. For the rst half
of the week
76
all goes on well, but then he turns in anger
against them, destroys their system, and exalts himself
against God.
at which Jesus did on the part of God, Antichrist
counterfeits, according to the word just quoted: “ I am
come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not; if another
shall come,” etc. erefore I allow, in a certain sense, that
to faith this cessation of sacrice (alluded to previously, “
he shall cause the sacrice to cease “) has taken place. For
the little remnant did own Christ to be there; but for the
entire nation there has been as yet no accomplishment of
any part of the week.
Scripture is not silent concerning this covenant of the
Jews with Antichrist, and their consequent judgment., In
Isa. 28:14, we read, “ Wherefore hear the word of the Lord,
ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
•..” “ Your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your
agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overowing
scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down
by it “ (v. 18). ese are the threats, as to the moral position
in which they shall be found in that day.
76 You will nd this same date of twelve hundred and sixty days
repeated several times: as with regard to the little horn (chap.
7), also to the beast of the Apocalypse (Rev. 13), and in Dan.
12 with thirty days added, as to the abomination of desolation.
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It is the last half of the week which occupies the mind
of the Spirit of God as to these terrible events at the end.
us the little horn is to continue “ a time, times, and half
a time “ (viz., three years and a half, or the half of a week).
Power is given to him for this time. So in Rev. 13:5, “ ere
was given unto him a mouth speaking great things, and
blasphemies, and power was given unto him to continue
forty and two months.”
I do not cite here the similar period of the two witnesses,
because I believe that their time of prophesying is during
the rst half week.
77
It is a time of testimony in order that
the remnant may withdraw themselves from the inuence
of Antichrist; and during that time God preserves those
who bear testimony, as well as the sanctuary and the altar,
and those who worship there.
I have said that the sacrice and oblation would be
restored. is is noticed in prophecy, although at the same
time their re-establishment will be utterly rejected by God.
It is written in Isa. 66, “ e heaven is my throne, and the
earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto
me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things
hath mine hand made “-an intimation of the restoration of
the temple, but then-” to this man will I look, even to him
that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my
word “ (viz., the remnant).
e sacrices are oered but rejected: read Isa. 66:3-6.
Again, Dan. 1 I: 31, “ And [they] shall take away the daily
sacrice,” etc. Again, in Dan. 12, “ And from the time that
the daily sacrice shall be taken away, and the abomination
77 [ere are various statements here which the author would
now modify, chiey as to the distinction of the Antichrist
from the Roman imperial chief, and as to the time of the two
witnesses. See pages 215-224 and footnote page 32.-ED.]
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that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two
hundred and ninety days.” is is thirty days over. It will
take thirty days more for purication, and yet forty-ve
more for complete peace; verse 12, “ Blessed is he that
waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and
ve and thirty days.” is latter half week is still referred
to, in which, the daily sacrice being taken away, Antichrist
will be there, and the abomination of desolation set up in
the holy place. (Compare chap. 8: II.)
In Matt. 24 we nd this same circumstance exactly.
e Lord, having alluded to wars and rumors of wars,
becomes more precise. He had spoken until verse 14 in
quite a general way, and, like Daniel, declared that the city
and temple should be destroyed, and also the people. But
as He goes on to speak of the labors of His disciples, He
enters more fully into the general history. “ Many shall be
oended,” etc.; and He counsels His disciples as to their
conduct, as witnesses of the truth, and tells them that
before the end came “ this gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness.”
All this was to happen, not at a given time during the
seventy weeks, but, generally speaking, before the end,
but of course after the discourse and departure (death) of
Jesus. Afterward He says, “ When ye therefore shall see
the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him
understand) “ (v. 15). Here is the abomination of desolation
placed at Jerusalem, the testimony is over, and the disciples
have only to ee: “ then let them which be in Judea ee
into the mountains.” Jerusalem is then delivered over to the
judgment which awaits it.
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ere is yet another important and interesting
circumstance, as to this last half week. We nd it in Rev.
12 We shall see that this date of the abomination ts in
exactly with the time of Satan being driven out of heaven.
e woman ees into the wilderness (v. 6), where she is fed
one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Verse 7. “ ere
was war in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against
the dragon “; read to the end of verse 12, “ knowing that
he [Satan] hath but a short time.” Now it is exactly during
this half week that the abomination of desolation is set up
in the holy place. is is given more in detail in chapter 11.
Further, “ He shall cause the sacrice and the oblation
to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall
make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that
determined, shall be poured upon the desolate.” at is, by
means (or on account) of the abominable wings, or literally,
“ on account of the wing of abominations.” e word “
abomination “ is always in the Old Testament simply “ an
idol.” For example: the abomination of the Moabites was
the idol of the Moabites. Solomon put the abomination of
the Ammonites upon the mount of Olives, that is, the idol.
e word “ wing “ always gives the idea of “ protection.” “
Under his wings shalt thou trust,” Psa. 91:4.
“ On account of the wing of abominations,” means as
it appears to me, on account of the protection of idols.
ey take refuge in idolatry for a protection; and this is the
nishing stroke of their wickedness, and the consequence
is, the desolation which descends upon the desolated one,
until the end of these seventy weeks-a desolation always
increasing, for it is not alone the destruction of the city,
but also Antichrist who deceives the people, who makes
a covenant with them, and, as it were, holds them in his
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grip. God is set aside and denied; Antichrist even makes
himself God; the sanctuary, if not destroyed, is at least
profaned, and degraded in every way. e abomination is
put into the holy place, and thus idolatry is introduced.
At last Antichrist sits there as God, he allows or confesses
nothing at all but himself, until God is no longer able to
endure him, or those who are subject to him.
ere is no account of this in our present chapter. But
there is in Dan. 7; and in the New Testament the Lord
thus speaks of the Jewish generation, “ When the unclean
spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places,”
etc. (Matt. 12:43). Consult the whole passage. ey enter
in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse
than the rst. “ Even so shall it be also with this wicked
generation.” is is the history of the Jews. I do not say
there may not be other applications of the passage. What
was this wicked spirit? It was idolatry. After the Babylonish
captivity there had been no more idol worship; the unclean
spirit had gone out, and the house was empty, though there
was every kind of profession. en the spirit of idolatry
which found no rest returns to the house at the end. It will
be the case with the Jews, and then there will be an open
rebellion against God; they will be joined with Antichrist,
who makes war upon their Messiah. And it will be then on
account of the protection of these abominations, that “ the
desolation shall be poured out upon the desolate one.” See
Isa. 54:1; Lam. 1:13 and 3:11.
Compare Dan. 10, 11 and 12. In the last chapter we
have the complete deliverance, and he adds in this last,
thirty days, and forty-ve days, to the half week. en
all will be happy and blessed. ere will be a certain time
necessary after the destruction of Antichrist to re-establish
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everything in order. e whole of this chapter is in anity
with the end of Dan. 7, and with Rev. 13 and 17. We shall
have to consider it again in connection with chapter 11.
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62268
Studies on Daniel 10
LECTURE 7
CHAPTER 10
I shall take a few verses of this chapter to mark the
position of Daniel when he received this answer, and the
circumstances by which this reply was introduced. We
shall nd, dear friends, some instructive circumstances at
the commencement, in the position of Daniel and in the
state of his soul. God also notices this, for the man clothed
in linen says to him, “ Fear not, Daniel,” etc. (v. 12). e
position of Daniel was that of aiction in the presence of
his God.
e date of the third year of Cyrus (v. 1-3) is important,
because the Jews (the remnant at least) had returned to
their land, from the rst year of the reign of this prince; so
that it could not be the captivity of Babylon which occupied
Daniel’s heart at the moment. He had remained at Babylon
after the departure of a great number of these Jews for the
land of Canaan; but the people were not at all in the state
which the prophetical Spirit in Daniel could recognize as
the fulllment of blessings; and the consequence of this
is, that the prophetical Spirit of Christ in Daniel is still
occupied with the state of this people, and can in nowise
content itself, even although there was, a certain degree of
blessing with them. Cyrus had done much, as we may learn
from 2Chron. 36:22 and Ezra 1e decree to rebuild had
already been given in the rst year of his reign. But the
Spirit of God had caused Daniel to range over the whole
period of the Gentiles, and he well understood, though
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there had been a kind of deliverance- some relief through
the goodness of God, a little refreshment from above-that
nothing was really accomplished of the divine promises.
It was impossible that the prophetic Spirit of Christ in
Daniel’s person should remain tranquil while awaiting the
accomplishment of the intentions of God’s love to His
people; so that Daniel was then, as if the captivity were not
over, bowing down his soul before God.
ere had been, on the occasion of rebuilding the
temple, features of sorrow in another quarter; Ezra 3. e
elders of the people, who had seen the old temple, wept;
and at the same time, the younger, who had not known
it, uttered cries of joy. And this sorrow is often felt in like
circumstances by those who have apprehended the divine
counsels, either as to what God had set up at the beginning,
or what He will yet set up. Like Daniel, they weep in the
midst of the blessings, in which consists the joy of those
who only think of the present moment. e cries of joy
prevailed without, for it is said, these cries were heard afar
o; but amongst the people present they knew not which
to distinguish. But at Jerusalem, as well as at Babylon, he
who had a sense, however imperfect, of what the state of
the people of God ought to be, would not fail to recognize
their wretched condition in the midst of these joyful
exclamations. “ Behold, we are servants this day, and for the
land … behold, we are servants in it: and it yieldeth much
increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us,” Neh.
9:36,.37. And yet these Persian kings to whom Nehemiah
alludes were altogether favorable. It is true there was cause
of anguish; at one time the counsels of God prevailed, and
at another those of Satan in hindering the rebuilding; but,
generally speaking, the kings of Persia were favorable to the
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Jews. But so long as the Gentiles were holding dominion
over the people of God, it was impossible that the Spirit
of God in the prophet could allow that the designs of God
regarding His people had been accomplished. He could
bless Him for all the good that existed, but even when the
decree had gone forth, the elders wept. Nehemiah said, “
We are servants,” etc.; and Daniel continued to aict his
soul before God.
We often nd in Scripture some apparently little
circumstance which is an index to us of the thoughts
of the Spirit of God. us the date of the third year of
Cyrus opens a eld of interesting thought, for the position
in which Daniel was found enabled God, so to speak, to
continue to reveal to him His intentions about the people.
Evidently God had separated Daniel from the things
which were doing for the momentary resettling of the
people, that He might lead his heart still onward to the “
end of the indignation “ which really still subsisted.
ere is also another subject of instruction here, which I
would not omit. I allude to the actings of God by means of
angels, and how there were demons who sought to hinder
the ministry of the providence of God, as to His people.
“ Fear not,” says the angel to Daniel, “ for from the rst
day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to
chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and
I am come for thy words “ (v. 12). Nevertheless, the answer
of God by the angel did not arrive until three weeks after.
en the angel relates to Daniel how this happened, and
the diculties he had to encounter at the court of Persia,
by the opposition of the prince of the kingdom against the
Jews, and that Michael, one of the chief princes, had come
to help him. Daniel had known nothing of all this. God,
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in this way, exercises the obedience of His angels, and at
the same time puts the faith of His servants to the test.
us, then, is Daniel pre-occupied with his people, and
with the glory of God in their midst; he cannot content
himself with anything short of the accomplishment of the
promises, and therefore he humbles and identies. himself
with the misery and aiction of the people, according to
the Spirit of Him who said, “ In all their aiction He was
aicted.” en God, who has given His servant grace thus
to behave, acts from on high to reveal all His purpose to
him, putting at the same time his patience to the proof,
whilst the angel is combating at the court of Persia. I have
no doubt it is the same for us; God also puts our faith
to the trial. It is not that He does not hear and answer
(He knows perfectly beforehand what the end will be); but
He wishes to see if faith goes to the end of the diculty,
and then He answers. Faith, which is much more precious
than gold which perishes, is thus put through its trial, and
“ found unto praise … at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
In another view we see the exercise of the angels in the
government of God.
Verse 14. “ Now I am come to make thee understand
what shall befall thy people in the latter days.” Here is the
answer to the aiction of Daniel, but an answer not yet
to be accomplished. ere are two ways of judging of the
thoughts of God as to His people. e rst is to consider
the condition in which God had placed them in the
beginning-how He had formed and fashioned them of old:
the second is to consider (in what state the church will be
found, or, to express it in reference to the case of Daniel),
in what condition the people of God will be found at the
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end, when God shall have accomplished His counsels
concerning them.
us, when Daniel considered the actual condition of
his people, they might be found to possess many blessings
from God and chastisements also; but the thoughts of
the prophet, or spiritual man, would be either toward the
state in which God had placed them in the beginning or
toward that in which they will be found at the end. e
same may be said of man in the abstract. If I think of my
actual condition, I may either revert back to Adam without
sin, or I may look forward to the resurrection state, in
which I shall be hereafter, and realize in spirit either the
one or the other; and compare my present state with the
state of Adam in innocence, or of Christ in glory. So with
the church and the Jew. If I consider the latter, when rst
established in his privileges, or at the end in the glory of the
Messiah, both the one and the other evidences the state of
imperfection which existed at the time of their return from
the Babylonish captivity. Again, if I consider the church at
the beginning, I see the eect of the power of the Spirit
of God; but I can also, by examining the promises of God,
view the church when she will be in glory with Christ; and
in either case her present weakness is apparent. Daniel did
these two things. In his confession, in chapter 9, he had
considered much more the past condition of the people,
whilst here it is much more their future, such as will ensue
at the conclusion of the trials of chapter 12.
e introduction of Michael, the great prince, who
stands for the people of God, necessarily leads us on to the
occurrences at the end according to the counsels of which
he assures the accomplishment. e actual circumstances
they were in give the leading idea. He begins from that
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time, and goes on until the time when the counsels of God
should be brought to pass. We only need touch upon the
historical part. e Persian and Grecian empires form the
framework of the historical narrative; but the object of the
prophecy, as may be seen, verse 14, is what was to take
place in the latter days.
Verse 20. “ en said he, Knowest thou wherefore I
come unto thee? and now will I return to ght with the
prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince
of Grecia shall come.” ese two empires are viewed in
relation to the people of God. ey were, as we know, the
second and third monarchies. e rst part of the history
of the third or Grecian is given us in chapter 11: 1-4 (these
verses giving the connecting link of this monarchy with
that of Persia).
After its (the Grecian’s) establishment under the rst
powerful king, it was divided into four parts. We have
already had some notices of it. e two principal kings were
those of the north and south-principal, not alone in regard
to their power, but because either the one or the other had
always possession of the land of Canaan. is is why they
are introduced here; the history of the holy land and of
the people of God, after the establishment of the Greek
or third monarchy, occupies the mind of the Spirit. Every
one is agreed that as to these kings, it is a history of the
Ptolemies and Seleucidæ, and the history is so exact, that
unbelievers have sometimes said that Daniel was written
after the events.
At verse 20 we come to the history of the last of these
kings. I do not say that what is here related of him will be
accomplished at the end; but at all events he is the type of
that which will take place at the end. It is not my object
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to enter into all the details of the historical part; he makes
an expedition against the king of the south, then a second;
chap. 11: 29. I pass by the details also of these two kings.
“ At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward
the south; but it shall not be as the former [expedition] or
as the latter.” “ For the ships of Chittim shall come against
him; therefore he shall be grieved and shall return “ (v. 30).
Here the power of the west (Chittim) is introduced
into this history of the two monarchies. e people of God
were situated between the kings of the north and south,
exactly as lately the Holy Land became an object of contest
between Mahomet Ali and the Sultan.
Now, on the occasion of the last expedition here
noticed (chap. I t), these ships of Chittim arrive on the
scene. A power from the west mixes itself up with these
two eastern powers (viz., the king of the north and the
king of the south)-some power from the other coast of
the Mediterranean, whether Italy or Greece. But further,
we also nd apostates from the holy covenant. us there
are, rst, Jews, allowed to be the objects of the covenant
of God, and those who are apostates to it; secondly, those
from the west, north of the Mediterranean, who enter into
the previous quarrel; and by these new elements the scene
is completely changed. en in verse 31 we have the last of
these kings, viz., of the kings of the north, brought before
us. “ And arms shall stand on his part,” or more literally “
forces [arms] shall rise from [out of] him.” e expression
“ shall rise from him,” or “ shall come from him,” may be
used in two senses: a king’s lieutenant, one who takes his
place as commandant; or one who succeeds him in the
government. “ Arms shall rise from him, and they [the
arms] shall pollute the sanctuary of strength [or, which is
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the fortress], and shall take away the daily sacrice, and
shall place the abomination which maketh desolate.”
is verse is of the highest importance, as giving us the
date of the last indignation. e Lord Jesus has drawn our
particular attention to this date in Matt. 24 and at chapter
12: II of this prophecy, the calculation which serves to mark
the time of blessing sets out from this event. “ And from
the time that the daily sacrice shall be taken away, and the
abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a
thousand two hundred and ninety days,” etc., etc.
But to return to chapter I I: 31, as to the “ forces which
shall rise,” it will be some one who will come on the part
of the king of the north (I do not say who will be the king
of the north). Some one will come on the part of him
who will be the king of the north in these times, who will
introduce his forces-his arms-into the holy place, who will
dele the sanctuary, and who will place “ the abomination
that maketh desolate.”
As to history, this is evidently what did take place. It
was the generals of Antiochus Epiphanes who deled
the sanctuary. is was by no means the accomplishment:
otherwise the Lord would not have spoken of the event as
future. A long time after the reign of this king, the Lord
Jesus came into the world and spoke of this prophecy as yet
to be. But we have another proof of the time when these
things will take place-a proof which is connected with the
Lord’s word in Matt. 24 In Dan. 12 I we read, “ And there
shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was
a nation,” etc.; and the Lord Himself speaks exactly thus
concerning the same time: and then the people of God are
to be delivered-an event which had not taken place in the
time of Jesus, nor has it yet.
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It is clear we must put aside any Christian circumstances,
because it is plainly stated that the trouble shall happen to
the people of Daniel in the last days. Now we are not the
people of Daniel, and these last days have not yet occurred
to them. e verse speaks of arms-forces-which come from
this king, and which dele the sanctuary, take away the
daily sacrice, and place the abomination which causes
desolation.
It would appear,
78
if we consider the forces as sent by
him, that the king of the north of those times would be
in possession of the promised land: at least, that certain
attempts upon it, on his part, had succeeded. But after this
paranthetic verse (viz. 31) the prophet proceeds with the
general history. Verses 32, 33, “ And such as do wickedly
against covenant shall he corrupt by atteries.”
We are able now in some sort to understand the state
of the people of God before the end. is wicked one (I
do not say who it is) will be, at that time, in the land of
Canaan, and in the possession of the territory of the king
of the north, and “ will corrupt those who do wickedly
against [or as to] the covenant,” viz., those Jews who are
not true to Jewish hopes. He will incite them to apostasy-
for this is the force of the word rendered by ‘ he will corrupt
‘; “ but the people that do know their God shall he strong
and do exploits.” Here we have a division of Jews into true
and false, and the development of good and evil. But we
must note that they that understand among the people and
instruct many (v. 33) are the same as those spoken of in
chapter 12: 3, 1o, and also in chapter II: 35. ey are the
78 If “ shall rise or come from him “ be interpreted as of a power
who shall take his (the king of the north’s) place, this would no
longer be the case.
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Maskilim, or persons instructed in the mind of God, and
are a class of persons apart. us there will be a remnant of
Jews, not only those who are spared in general, but persons
instructed in the mind of God; and we nd the same
specially distinguished in Isa. 65 and 66, besides those who
will escape the judgment executed against the wicked ones.
ese understanding ones among the people (v. 33) shall
teach the multitude (the masses); or will give instruction
to them. I translate the Hebrew word by ‘ the multitude
‘ because the word ‘ many ‘ of the text has the article in
Hebrew, as if one said ‘ the many ‘; and the article, in my
judgment, throughout these chapters is special.
79
“ Yet they shall fall by the sword and by ame, by
captivity and by spoil, many days.” Such is the condition of
the people, unless you choose to apply this passage to the
Maskilim. My own opinion is, that it applies to the people,
because of verse 35:
80
“ Now when they shall fall, they shall
be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them
with atteries. And some of them of understanding shall
fall, to try them, and to purge and to make them white,
even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time
appointed.” e trial of faith will be through them, for as
faithful Jews one should have supposed that such as these
might surely count on the help of God; for they have been
encouraging others to “ trust in the Lord.” Nevertheless,
some of these are to fall, and then, unless faith is very
strong, the others will say “ Where is their God? “ as in Psa.
42 and 43, which express, in the language of the Spirit of
Christ, the anguish of the remnant, of whom their enemies
79 e passages found with the article are chapters 9: 27; 11: 33,
39; 12: 3. In chapters is: 34, 44 and 12: 4, 10, it is not so.
80 De Wette, a good German translator, applies it to the
Maskilim.
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say, “ Where is their God? “ And when these understanding
ones fall who had hope in Him, the unbelievers will say,
there is no intervention of God in their behalf: but these
judgments being appointed, the people are left (speaking
generally) throughout the period to go through them, and
to undergo the consequence of their position.
Now Christ, in Matt. 24, speaks of these times in general
-of the things (taking, as an occasion, His announcement
of the destruction of the temple) which were to take place
after His death. He takes these times, and speaks of the
same circumstances, and so He gives the same starting
point, where one is given, viz., the moment when the times
and the laws are delivered into the hand of the little horn-of
the king who, during twelve hundred and sixty days, does “
his own will “; the moment, namely, when the abomination
of desolation is set up in the holy place, which event marks
the nal desolation of Jerusalem.
After this general history of the state of the Jews, the
idolatrous and wicked king is introduced in verse 36: “
And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall
exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god,” etc.
Verse 37: “ Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,
nor the desire of women “ (that is, the Messiah who had
been promised), “ nor regard any God: for he shall magnify
himself above all.” is is the wicked one. Verse 38: “ But
in his estate shall he honor the God of forces “; viz., in
the place of the true God he shall honor Mahuzzim for
God-some idolatry; for Mahuzzim signies fortresses or
high places fortied. ere is probably some connection
between this and the forces of war upon which the king
reckoned. “ And a god whom his fathers knew not shall
he honor with gold,” etc. It is to some invention of a god
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that he does this. Verse 39: “ us shall he do in the most
strong holds [Mahuzzim] with a strange god, whom he
shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall
cause them to rule over many [the many,] and shall divide
the land for gain.”
A diculty here presents itself: “ he shall cause them
to rule over the many “ Who are they whom he shall cause
to rule? It appears that he will establish certain powers in
connection with these false gods, and he will be there with
these Mahuzzim in these fortresses, and then it will be the
instruments of his power, who will join themselves to him.
He will make them (the instruments) rule over the mass of
Jews, and he will divide their land into lots as a recompense.
is seems to be so far the history of this king.
It is remarkable how he is introduced quite suddenly.
We must ever remember that when the prophet is occupied
with the purposes of God towards His people at “ the end
of the indignation,” it is in connection with the kings of the
north and south, and with the land of Palestine, His own
land, which lies between them; and that in the latter day,
when the people will be under the divine judgments in that
very land, there will be a small faithful remnant, who hold
fast by the holy covenant, when the great mass are ready
to apostatize. is is the subject which the Spirit brings
forward, and inasmuch as the wicked one, this king, will
be found in these countries,
81
he is introduced as mixed up
with these kings of the north and south.
In the New Testament, the sources of wickedness are
quite dierent; for the Spirit of God there considers the
81 We remarked on chapter 11: 31, that in taking the Hebrew
words “ minunenu yamedu,” in the sense of forces sent on his
part, this king will actually be at this time in the territory noted
as that of the king of the north.
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moral condition of Christendom, where this apostasy
arises, and in consequence, the wicked one is portrayed as a
public apostate; but evidently it is the same person.
In chapter 7
82
we saw him in yet another point of
view, viz., head of the last monarchy-the little horn of the
fourth beast, whilst here he is seen as a king who has to do
geographically with the eastern countries, and is among
the Jewish people. I shall quote two other passages, where
this idea of the king is found. Observe, he is not called
the king of the north, though occupying geographically his
territory; he is called “ the king,” because in the eyes of the
prophet he holds that position. He it is who exalts himself,
and pretends to be the king and the pastor of the people of
God-a pretender, and a bad one, to these two oces; but as
such he will present himself, and he is so called in Isaiah 3o:
33: “ Yea, for the king it is prepared.” Consult also Isa. 57:9:
“ ou wentest to the king with ointment.” is passage
speaks of the condition of the Jews, and of the accusations
of God against them. Both these portions touch upon the
history of the Antichrist after he has become king.
ere is one more observation needed, that we may
be able to link this remarkable parenthesis (in which
“ the king “ is introduced on account of his connection
with the kings of the north and south) with the rest of the
chapter: it is, that from verse 21 to the end of verse 35 the
prophet is always speaking of the same person, whilst from
verse 36 to the end of verse 39 we have the history of this
extraordinary king himself. ese last verses designate the
Antichrist properly, and my opinion is, that from verse 21
to the end of verse 31, it is rather the king of the north, but
82 e question relative to the two beasts of Rev. 13, would again
recur here.
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who is also the type of Antichrist. I mention this, because
many persons who have studied the chapter nd great
diculty in deciding whether the history of the Antichrist
begins at verse 2 I or at verse 36. It is the same person from
verse 21 to verse 35; and he was a type of Antichrist, even
Antiochus Epiphanes.
e Spirit of God makes no mention of those who
followed him; it was he who furnished the typical
circumstances, and which necessarily therefore partially
answered to the prophecy. But in verse 36 the Spirit speaks
of the Antichrist himself, “ the king shall do according to
his will.” Before this, I judge, they are typical circumstances
which apply to Antichrist.
I hope we understand, that although we are a part of
the fourth monarchy (materially, not spiritually), these
prophecies relate immediately and simply to the Jewish
people-the people of Daniel in the latter days. e
Antichrist is the link, between this history and ours; for it
is the spirit of apostasy described in 2essalonians, which
is the eective source of the conduct of this last king, here
presented to us in his connection with the Jews in the
east; but who, morally speaking, is allied with those who
have abandoned Christianity, or the light now existing.
Elsewhere he is found allied to the Jews at the beginning
of his connection with them; afterward he will deny them
and set up himself as God.
May God preserve us from all trace or appearance
of that spirit which will show itself in these days in
opposition, whether against the Almighty and Most High
God, or against the Lord Jesus, the Prince of princes. May
He keep us in humility of heart, giving our aections to
the Lord Jesus! So shall we be safe. If we arc content to be
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nothing and Jesus everything, we shall be guarded by Him,
for Him, and forever.
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62270
Studies on Daniel 11:36 and
12:1-2
LECTURE 8
CHAPTERS 11: 36; 12: 1, 2
We have already said something in general upon this
king; we have spoken of him in connection with what went
before; but independent of circumstances, as a personage,
he is of importance sucient that we should notice him
more fully. It is generally admitted, that it is the same as
is called Antichrist, the wicked one, but under a special
character, as I mentioned towards the close of the last
lecture (that is, in connection with the Jews, and in the
land, which is an object of dispute between the king of
the north, and the king of the south). And in fact, this
wicked one will unite in his own person every feature of
iniquity. He will be a blasphemer against the true God-a
persecutor of the saints-the head of the apostasy; and he
will encourage idolatry. In ne, it is “ the king who shall do
according to his will.”
It is impossible to mistake the character of the person
mentioned in 2ess. 2, “ showing himself that he is God.”
And it would be well if we referred to a few passages,
which mention the dierent characters attributed to
him, beginning with this chapter of Daniel. e rst trait
is, that he is in Palestine, in the land of the heirs of the
holy covenant, and exalts himself, and magnies himself
above every god, whether false or true. In spite of this
he is to prosper “ till the indignation be accomplished “:
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God permits it, because it is the time of His indignation
against the Jews; chap. 8: 19. is indignation is the period
spoken of in Isa. 10:5, 24, 25: “ For yet a very little while
and the indignation shall cease.” ere is an indignation
with a certain limit. It is not said that the time of this king
is the period of the indignation, but it is a time during
which God does not interfere to deliver Israel. He allows
the trial to go on, and Israel to suer the eects of it; and so
Antichrist prospers until the indignation is accomplished.
It is not said that when the indignation is over, Israel will
be re-established in the enjoyment of their promises; but
Christ can then act for Israel instead of leaving them under
the indignation. He will yet have to subject the nations to
the exercise of His royal power, in the midst of His earthly
people.
Verse 37. “ Neither shall he regard the god of his
fathers … for he shall magnify himself above all.” is is a
strong feature of the pride of man; “ he magnies himself
above all.” He would eace every idea of the true God;
he is indierent whether about the real religion of the
heart, or the religion of his fathers; he dislikes even the
name of Christ (called here “ the desire of women “); he is
even against religious customs, and religious nationality;
he has no respect for any god. But, arrived at this point,
it is necessary to keep the people in restraint, and he
needs instruments for this, as well as his gods, mahuzzim
(fortresses)-some species of idolatry, which he introduces
when he has denied every god. is idolatry will be
connected with the interests of those who govern. He will
cause them to rule over many (the many, the mass), viz.,
the people of Israel, and the country will be divided among
his chiefs. So far the royal and Judaic history of this king.
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We proceed with passages which represent him under
other points of view. In chapter 7 he is seen as a little horn,
not as king in Palestine, but as a particular horn of the
fourth beast, and in the same chapter
83
we also have the
period determined for the end of the persecution of the
saints, “ until the Ancient of days came “ (v. 22), as distinct
from the time when He sat upon the throne (v. 9). us
Christ comes, and “ the judgment is given to the saints of
the most high,” or “ of the high places,” and “ the time came
that the saints possessed the kingdom.” ese passages
determine the general end of the war which the little horn
wages against the saints. In the last it is not said “ the saints
of the high places.” In fact three things are marked: viz., the
coming of the Ancient of days; the judgment given to the
saints of the high places; and the time when the saints shall
take the kingdom.
We turn now to certain portions in the New Testament,
which speak of this period and of the little horn under still
other aspects, just as we may behold Christ under dierent
aspects. In the epistle to the essalonians he is described
as a chief, the result of the apostasy which shall invade
Christendom; “ Now we beseech you, brethren, that ye be
not soon shaken … except there come a falling away rst,”
2ess. 2:1-3.
e rst thing is the apostasy, not of the Jews (this
we have seen in Daniel), but of Christendom, and it will
necessarily happen before the execution of the judgment-
before the day of Christ; as must also the appearance of
the “ man of sin,” who is clearly not the apostasy itself,
but, I judge, follows and winds it up. e apostle marks the
83 I have before noticed the question which arises to my mind
here.
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two events before the judgment: viz., the coming in of the
apostasy, and the revelation of the man of sin-the son of
perdition (an expression which signies that he possesses
this name, by his nature, his character, and his acts) “ who
opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God, or
is worshipped.” Read to verse to.
is is his character in connection with Christendom,
and Christendom in connection with him. First of all, there
was a mystery of iniquity, which was commencing in the
time of the apostles, which was to continue for a certain
time, afterward an apostasy would follow, and then the
revelation of the wicked one.
84
e Lord will destroy him
“ with the brightness of his coming “ (the manifestation
of His presence). But there is something else. e New
Testament gives us the moral features of the appearance
of this wicked one, viz., that it is according to the power of
Satan; and what makes these verses remarkable is, that the
same words which are used to describe the manifestations
of this power of Satan are employed in speaking of the
proof of the mission of Jesus Christ as Messiah; Acts 2:22.
ere are two remarkable circumstances; viz., that the
coming of Antichrist is spoken of just as the coming of
Christ, one, a mystery of iniquity; the other, a mystery of
godliness. As the Son of man is to come, so also will the
Antichrist come; and his coming will be after the power
of Satan; he will perform lying miracles. It will not be
merely a set of principles at work; the eect will be mighty
in seducing those who perish. A positive power of error
comes in, because men “ received not the love of the truth.”
84 ere is much mention made of this wicked one in the Psalms,
principally in his relation to the Jews.
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“ God shall send them strong delusion … ” for they “ had
pleasure in unrighteousness.” It is a judicial blinding.
It is said also in Isaiah, “ Make the heart of this people
fat.” After a period of longsuering on the part of God,
blindness happened to the Jews, when they rejected the
Messiah: and when patience has had its perfect work,
they will yet be delivered over to a spirit of idolatry-that
spirit which shall, meanwhile, have sought out seven
spirits more wicked than himself, and the last state of that
people shall be worse than the rst. And so when those
who call themselves Christians have obstinately refused to
receive the truth, although it has been proposed to them, a
positive and special blindness shall come upon them from
God, “ that they all might be damned who believed not the
truth.”
85
.
We continue our history of this king from Rev. 12ere
the dragon is seen (who is the devil or Satan, and seduces
the whole world) cast out of heaven, v. 1o, 12. is malicious
power no longer occupies the heavenly places,
86
but when
this occurs, it will be a time of fearful woe to the earth. It
is the beginning of his “ great wrath, because he knoweth
that he hath but a short time.”
After this we have a vision of the woman, who “ is
nourished for a time, times, and half a time.” In other words,
as soon as Satan is cast out of heaven, a period of three
and a half years will elapse before he is judged on earth.
Accordingly, in chapter 13 we nd that the dragon gives
the beast his power, throne, and great authority-this beast,
of whom we read in the same chapter that “ power was
85 Man under the light of creation (Rom. 1), the Jews (Isa. 6),
and Christendom (2ess. 2), arrive at the same end.
86 is power in heavenly places (Eph. 6), against which we now
wrestle, is consequently no longer there.
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given him to continue forty and two months.” He is found
with the same characteristics as those before mentioned,
only under more detailed historical circumstances. “ And
there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things
and blasphemies,” v. 5. “ And he opened his mouth in
blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his
tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.” Satan could no
longer himself meddle with heaven, and therefore he sets
on the beast against those who dwell there. Also “ it was
given unto him to make war with the saints (on the earth),
and to overcome them; and power was given him over all
kindreds and tongues and nations “ (v. 6, 7).
ere is a fact here worth observing-it is a kind of
imitation of the ways of God. As the Father has given all
power to the risen Son, and the Holy Spirit exercises all the
power of Christ before Him; so Satan imitates the same
thing in evil. e dragon will give his throne to the beast;
and remark what is said of the character under which he
will be worshipped, “ And I saw one of his heads, as it were,
wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed.” It
is when this wound is healed, when there shall be a kind
of resurrection (not personal, but the power of the beast
raised up again), that all the world will wonder after the
beast, and the second beast will exercise all the power of
the rst beast before him.
Rev. 13:11. “ And I beheld another beast coming up out
of the earth “ … which “ causeth the earth and them which
dwell therein, to worship the rst beast whose deadly
wound was healed.” We have here a power which pretends
to be that of Christ (I do not say the heavenly power), but
which pretends to be like Christ on the earth; but, in fact,
an ear which could hear would discover it to be that of the
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dragon himself. As Pharaoh said to Joseph, “ Only in the
throne will I be greater than thou,” so this second beast
will exercise all the power of the rst beast before him-this
second beast, which speaks like a dragon, whilst it has horns
like a lamb. Verses 13, 14: “ And he doeth great wonders,
so that he maketh re come down from heaven … and
deceiveth them that dwell on the earth.” ese verses
speak of what is done before (in the presence of) and in
sustaining this power of the rst beast; the second beast
causes him to be worshipped, and an image to be made to
him, and he seduces them that dwell on the earth.
is second beast is again mentioned in Rev. 19, under
the designation of the false prophet. Here again, as the
Spirit of the Father, speaking in the disciples, acted for
the glory of Christ; so this beast, here called “ the false
prophet,” speaks the language of the dragon, and supports
the glory of the last beast. It will be a spirit zealous for
idolatry, and who will even execute judgment on the earth,
as the prophets ere now have done.
In the Revelation we nd the connection of the beast
with Babylon, which is yet another thing. In chapter 17:
1, 3, it is said, “ I will show thee the judgment of the great
whore.” “ And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored
beast … having seven heads and ten horns.” “ e beast
which thou sawest was, and is not … yet is “ (v. 8). is is a
kind of death and resurrection. When it appears for the last
time, it has a devilish character, it comes out of the pit, and
then is destroyed. “ And they that dwell on the earth shall
wonder … when they behold the beast that was and is not,
and yet is “ (or rather, “ and shall be there “). It is a coming
87
87 All the best editions of the Greek Testament employ here the
word elsewhere used for the “ coming “ of Christ.
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of this beast. When the world beholds this appearance of
the beast, it is astonished. ere is another circumstance,
“ And the beast that was and is not, even he is the eighth
[king] and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And
the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have
received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one
hour with the beast “ (v. 11, 12). It is an event which has
not yet occurred.
We perceive that these kings will exist at the same time
with the beast. ree of them will fall (see Dan. 7), but
the seven others will continue. e beast rules and unites
in a single body the power of these kings, but the kings
exist; it will be a kind of confederation, in which each horn
acts royally in his own sphere, but gives his power to the
beast, who blasphemes against God. “ For God hath put in
their hearts to fulll his will, and to agree, and give their
kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be
fullled,” Rev. 17:17.
Another feature in his character is, “ that the ten
horns … shall hate the whore “ (v. 16), who for a long while
ruled the beast. We remember in Dan. 7 that among the
ten horns another arose, who got all the power of the beast,
who in fact morally becomes the beast, and causes three of
the horns to fall before him. is one in the eyes of Daniel,
and in fact in his conduct, will be the beast. is horn will
control and give its tone to everything. Having touched
upon the passages which refer to this same personage,
we must still remember that it is in Palestine, and viewed
personally, that we have to do with him here.
But to continue with Daniel 11. “ And at the time of
the end shall the king of the south push at him … he shall
enter also into the glorious land “ (v. 40, 41). is is the
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moment when God begins to act. Both the kings of the
north and south, in their same geographical position, are
at war with this king. “ And the king of the north shall
come against him like a whirlwind.” is king of the north
seems to be a very prominent power, which possesses the
territory of the ancient kings of Syria. My judgment is, that
the rest of the chapter applies to him, although formerly I
thought it applied to the king. Daniel now continues the
thread of this history (which had been interrupted by the
notices concerning the king); that is, he resumes that of the
Jews in connection with the kings of the north and south.
And there is a fact which conrms me in the opinion of
this invasion (v. 41) being that of the king of the north;
namely, “ he shall enter into the glorious land.” Now if it is
a question of “ the king,” he is already there.
Verse 41. “ And many countries shall be overthrown:
but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and
Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.” is is a
circumstance not to be omitted, because it demonstrates
the exactitude of the written word. For in Isa. 2:14 you
will nd that these three powers which escape the king
of the north, are in existence still later: “ Ephraim shall
not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim, but they
shall y upon the shoulders of the Philistines towards the
west … they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab,
and the children of Ammon shall obey them.” Verse 42.
“ He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries;
and the land of Egypt shall not escape “-an announcement
that the king of the south loses his kingdom. See Isa. 11:15.
Verses 43, 44. “ But he shall have power over the
treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things
of Egypt … But tidings out of the east and out of the north
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shall trouble him, therefore he shall go forth with great
fury … yet he shall come to his end and none shall help
him.” is is the end of the king of the north.
I add a general idea of chapter 12 to show the connection.
Verse I. “ And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great
prince which standeth for the children of thy people.” Here
is special reference to the Jews, in whom Daniel was so
much interested, and on whose account he had fasted and
mourned for three full weeks. After having described the
events pertaining to the kings of the north and south, the
angel says, notwithstanding all these desolating scenes,
Michael shall stand up for the children of thy people.
Nevertheless, “ there shall be a time of trouble, such as
never was since there was a nation.” is is exactly what is
announced in Matt. 24 as to take place in Judea. “ When ye
therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of
by Daniel the prophet “ etc. (v. 15-21). It is clear that this
cannot happen twice. It is the time of Israel’s deliverance “
and at that time, thy people shall be delivered “: only it is
conned to “ every one that is found written in the book.”
One could not fail to remark, while reading the chapters
of which I have given the abridgment in the two preceding
lectures, the character of this terrible personage of the last
days. e king of the north is fearful enough as a conqueror
and pillaging invader; but this king is spoken of as making
war against God. It is not merely a desire of conquest,
but of open opposition to God and the Lamb. It is the
eectual power of Satan and of a lie; it is blasphemy; it is
persecution. One feels it to be everything the most terrible
in human hatred, animated by the power of Satan fallen
from heaven, and who establishes his throne upon earth
against the God of heaven and the Lamb. e appearing
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of this wicked one is the most important point in these
chapters, whether as the expression of the iniquity of the
Jews and Christendom, or as that of the pride of man.
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Studies on Daniel 12:2-13
LECTURE 9
CHAPTER 12: 2-13
In reading this chapter, one is struck with the particular
character of the book, and more especially with the care
which God evinces to comfort, or rather to show the
most entire sympathy with, the remnant in the aicting
circumstances in which they are found. It is certain that
Daniel still remained in captivity at Babylon (which, indeed,
it appears he never left) when the remnant had returned
to Jerusalem. So that typically he far more represents the
state of the people in captivity under the Gentiles, than
the prophet of the people when God was acknowledging
them.
88
It is quite true that the remnant will escape at last, but
this Daniel saw afar o. He represents specially the suering
remnant, and the sympathies of God with them. We nd
in other prophets, as Isaiah and Zechariah, magnicent
promises for this remnant, to whom the Lord will reveal
Himself, when Christ has appeared. He shall make “ the
house of Judah as his goodly horse in the battle,” and “ he
that is feeble among them shall be as David,” Zechariah
To: 3; chap. 12: 8. ere we see the power of God in
manifestation among the people at Jerusalem; but it is not
so in Daniel. e last thing we see here relative to Jerusalem
is that the king of the north “ plants his tabernacles in the
88 It is worthy of remark that, in the prophets of the rst captivity,
God by the Spirit never calls Israel “ my people.” He declares
they shall be, and the Spirit remains among them as when they
came up out of Egypt; but “ Lo-anuni “ remains unrecalled.
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glorious holy mountain.” ere is no detail in this book
of the subsequent full and remarkable deliverance; but it
is rather occupied with the Jewish remnant in the land,
beaten by the tempest of the Gentile monarchies. On the
other hand, there is still the sympathy of God with them,
but He is not with His people after an evident manner (for
they are still in captivity); and it is rather an intervention
of Providence in a hidden way which delivers and secures
in the midst of trials and diculties. Compare Psa. 44:10,
11, where this state of things is described.
Dan. 12:1. “ And at that time shall Michael stand
up,” etc. He appears to be the prince of the angels, or the
archangel. It is a custom to speak of archangels, but the word
of God mentions only one, the chief of the angels. I am
silent as to who it is, because the Scripture is; but however
this may be, the intervention is a providential angelic one.
Michael is there in relationship with the people of Israel.
By this passage we learn who it is that will stand for the
children of Daniel’s people, as well as the excellency of this
angelic power which God in His providence employs-”
who standeth for the children of thy people.” It is a time of
trouble, as we have seen, and herein consists the dierence
of God’s acting, as I have just considered it. ere is now
a providence of God which is a concealed government;
but hereafter there will be a manifest and public rule by
Christ, when everything will appear-a government direct
from God. ere is now a government of arrangement,
by which all things are made to “ work together for good
to them that love God,” and for the accomplishment of
His purposes; but this action is usually a concealed one. In
Esther we have a remarkable instance. e name of God is
not found in the book; the Spirit has wished to show that,
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whilst the Jews were in captivity, God had His eyes upon
them, but that He acted in a hidden manner and would not
name Himself in their midst.
In the time of Michael it will be a time of distress. is
is the second thought in the chapter, and it is the same in
Jeremiah 3o: 7. ere could be but one such time-none is
to be like it: “ For the day of the Lord is great and very
terrible; and who can abide it? “ Joel 2: I I. Nevertheless
it is the day of deliverance for Israel: “ Strangers shall no
more serve themselves of him: but they shall serve the Lord
their God, and David their king [Christ] … but I will not
leave thee altogether unpunished,” Jer. 30:8, 9, 11. ese
promises have evidently never yet had their fulllment, for
it will be a nal deliverance.
e same time is alluded to in Matt. 24:21. “ For there
shall be great tribulation … and except those days should
be shortened, there should no esh be saved,” etc. is is
the terrible distress which is to come upon Israel at the last.
Consult also Mark 13:19 for the same account.
It all occurs at Jerusalem, where the abomination of
desolation will be set up, or in its vicinity. In Luke 21:22,
24, there is a certain dierence, as we shall see presently.
Dan. 12 I. “ At that time thy people shall be delivered,
every one that shall be found written in the book.” ese
are the elect. e days are shortened on their account,
otherwise no esh would be saved. Jerusalem would have
been as Sodom or as Gomorrah, except the Lord had left
a very small remnant; Isa. 1; Rom. 9. Verse 2. “ And many
of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting
contempt.” e angel, as it appears to me, speaks in this
place of the deliverance of the people brought back from
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among the Gentiles. “ Many of them,” etc.; it is only a
question of the people of Daniel.
89
No doubt judgments
will fall upon the Gentiles, but in speaking of those with
whom God is more immediately occupied as the object
of His thoughts, the people of Daniel only are intended.
I recall to your minds Daniel to: 14, “ Now I am come to
make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the
latter days.” e fulllment of this declaration is taken up in
chapters 10, 11, 12. “ Many of them which sleep “ (namely,
a multitude of Jews in general, but not all) will appear on
the scene; as for some, it will be “ to everlasting life,” and as
to others, “ to shame and everlasting contempt.”
e expression “ dust of the earth “ is common in the
writings of the prophets, when a person is in captivity and
overwhelmed, as in Isa. 26:14. In pronouncing judgment
upon the nations, the prophet says, “ ey are dead [those
who despised the Jews, “ other lords besides thee have
had dominion over us “], they are deceased … therefore
hast thou visited and destroyed them and made all their
memory to perish.” But in verse 19, speaking of the Jews,
“thy dead men shall live; [together with] my dead body
shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for
thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out
89 It seems to me that these words are added to complete the
picture; for the principal part of the prophecy is occupied with
the details of that part of the people who are found in the land
when the wicked one shall be in the exercise of his terrible and
malicious power. But in this verse the lot of those who had
been lost, and were to be gathered from among the nations, is
given to us. ese only enter as accessory into the scheme of
the prophecy (this portion of the people having been without
the limits of the prophecy, not having entered into the land to
gure as the Jewish people). It is for this reason that they are
represented as “ sleeping in the dust of the earth.”
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her dead.” Here is the resurrection of the Jews. “ Come, my
people, enter into thy chambers … hide thyself as it were
for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.”
is same indignation of which we have been speaking in
verse 21. “ For behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to
punish the inhabitants of the earth.”
God had been, so to speak, concealed; He had allowed
the evil to go on: but, dear friends, what a thought! ink
of God coming out of His place! When we consider our
inability to make head against wickedness-how Christians
tremble at the sight of the increase of evil, hardly knowing
what to do; while they see, on the one hand, the proud
self-will of man, and on the other, this unexpected and
inexplicable tendency to superstition-the powers of
darkness under this form having invaded even countries
which were delivered from it, and who are trembling at
it; I say, then, it is precious in face of all this to know that
God will come out of His place. True, it will be in anger
for the moment-in anger against the wickedness, and to
put it away; but also that good may be before His face,
and before our eyes who are fatigued with what we behold.
On this account we can bear the idea of judgment, and
even cry “ How long! “ And 0 how happy to think of an
indignation which will change active evil into rest, blessing,
peace, liberty, and freedom from the yoke of sin, as soon as
the Lord Jesus shall have executed His judgment! We are
not now speaking of the church (although this is the most
precious part) but of the poor world laboring under the
yoke of Satan. For even when good has been eected, evil
gains ground on all sides.
e apostle could well say “ e whole creation
groaneth,” etc. We understand-we who know the secret
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of the goodness of God-that it groans. “ Ourselves also
which have the rstfruits of the Spirit “ must “ groan
within ourselves,” unless we should withdraw ourselves
from the love of God, and from the groanings of the Spirit
within us. And the more we observe the progress of evil,
the more we shall feel the need of this indignation of God
that His power may be felt in executing judgment in this
world. And if faith is strong in our hearts, it will engage
us in helping out, by the activity of love, all those we can,
from this necessary judgment, whether this fearful act
is likely to fall on them owing to the natural energy of
sin in their hearts, or from the superstitions and errors to
which they are attached by education; for it will fall upon
whatever seduces the heart, as it is said, “ Come out of
her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins,” etc.
(Rev. 18). We see then that it is judgment which will take
away the power of evil, and for this it is that the appeal is
made to the saints, etc., in the Apocalypse, to rejoice in the
destruction of Babylon. It will be a terrible judgment; but
until it happens, a poison or venom corrupts everything,
even when one’s own self is withdrawn from it.
I have been led into this digression, on the subject of
the judgment of God, on account of the ending of Isa.
26, which I quoted, and to explain the application of the
resurrection to the Jewish people. I will mention another
passage in Ezek. 37-that of the dry bones-which • will help
you to understand this point. It is often quoted as having
reference to souls; and morally, no doubt, the same eect
happens to those who are quickened of God; but the only
subject of the chapter is the nation of Israel, and not at
all souls. “ Son of man (v. 11), these bones are the whole
house of Israel. Behold, they say [in captivity], Our bones
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are dried.” is is not what dead souls say; “ therefore (v.
12) prophesy … thus saith the Lord God, Behold, O my
people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up
out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.”
e Israelites, when they return, are treated as if they had
been buried among the nations. “ en shall ye know that I
am the Lord.” It would be sad to remain there in the land,
if it were a literal resurrection; for the hope of those who
are literally raised is far higher.
e prophet continues with the history of the two
sticks, Judah and Israel, which are to become one, when “
one king shall be king to them all,” Ezek. 37:22. Nothing
can be clearer than that the subject of the chapter is the
deliverance and blessing of Israel by Jesus Christ. Dan. 12
also treats of Israel coming out of the graves-buried among
the Gentiles; but it omits the nal result under Christ.
Many, it says, shall awake (not all), and of these some shall
be for everlasting contempt, as some will be for eternal
life. is part is added, as I said before, because the main
concern of the prophecy was with the holy land and the
Jews residing there. Other Jews will be manifested in the
actual times before the nal deliverance of Israel; and the
Spirit of God, consequently, speaks of those latter in this
passage.
e contents of these rst verses apply in their results
to the Jewish remnant, whose deliverance terminates that
time of distress during which Michael stood for it, and
delineates all that takes place during that period. It is the
deliverance of the remnant and that of the people-all those
written in the book.
But besides, among those who are delivered will be some
who will be in the front of the battle, as being occupied with
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the things of God, and who will discern the times. us, “
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the
rmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as
the stars forever and ever.” If you have paid attention to
the preceding chapter, you will recognize these wise ones:
they are a remnant who have been often mentioned; as in
chapter I I: 35, “ and some of them of understanding,” etc.:
verse 33 also, “ they that understand,” Maskilim. It will
be an enlightened remnant-persons who will discern the
times, and who will occupy themselves with the welfare
of the mass of the people, and that faithfully, according
to the light they will possess. “ And they that turn [the]
many to righteousness “ [or rather, “ instructed the many
in righteousness,” this was the object of their labors].
ere is no thought about evangelizing, nor of those who
are blessed through evangelizing. e prophet is speaking
solely of those Jews who shall be engaged in the instruction
of the mass of the people, with a view of withdrawing them
from the deceitful ways of Antichrist, and from all the evil
which he will carry on. ose who have thus labored among
the many will “ shine as the stars forever and ever.” is
special remnant is mentioned, as before said, in Isa. 65, and
66.
90
ese are the closing circumstances of the remnant:
viz., this time of distress; the people delivered, that is, the
remnant; many who were buried, as it were, among the
nations, who shall awake, whether for good or evil; and the
special lot of the understanding ones. ere is still, at the
end of the chapter, the reply to the question of Daniel as to
the duration of these things, of which the solution, for the
Jews, was concealed until the time of the end.
90 Some little doubt has been thrown on my mind as to this.
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We are in the time of the end, for it is to be hoped
that all will soon nish; but, in another sense, the church is
always in the time of the end, because the church does not
belong to ‘the present age, as it is said, 1John 2:18 “ As ye
have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there
many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.”
Now, seeing this, “ they that be wise “ will apply morally
to the church, so far as she preserves the place which the
word of God gives her, although she is not the direct object
of the prophecy. e church is supposed to know that the
last days are arrived, and that the prophetic warnings are
important, in order that that day overtake us not as a thief;
for to be overtaken is not the proper portion of the church.
(Compare 1ess. 5:4, etc., and Rev. 3:3.) And hence also
in the Revelation (feeble as we are in the comprehension
of it) it is written, “ Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of
this book, for the time is at hand.” What is said to Daniel
is exactly the reverse of the position of the church, which,
having an unction from the Holy One, knows all things;
but in Daniel it is said, “ shut up the words and seal the
book till the time of the end.”
Verses 7, 9, to, “ And when he shall have accomplished
to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things
shall be nished. And I heard, but I understood not … And
he said … the words are closed up and sealed until the time
of the end … but the wise shall understand.” Now, so to
speak, the church is the faithful remnant; for the church
commenced with the understanding remnant of the Jews;
such was its beginning. us in the Revelation one is
encouraged to hear and to keep the words of the book,
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and intelligence
91
is supposed among Christians. Verse I1:
“ And from the time that the daily sacrice shall be taken
away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up,
there shall be twelve hundred and ninety days. Blessed is
he that waiteth and cometh to the thirteen hundred and
thirty ve days.” ere is something striking in this answer
as concerns the Jews. e Lord Jesus uses the same date,
omitting these days added at the end; otherwise He gives
the same point of departure. e date does not begin until
the last half-week; because until then there is no event to
furnish an epoch from which one can commence counting,
the position being then also denite and decided. I judge
that in the Revelation there is a previous half-week, during
which there will be a peculiar testimony at Jerusalem; but
that which notably xes the time of distress to the Jews
(and this is the subject before us) is the abomination of
desolation set up in the holy place at Jerusalem; and this
is at the beginning of the last half-week. See note page 32.
is being the principal thing, I doubt whether there
is any date whatever in the word as to the general course
of the prophecy, or for the time which elapses between
the rejection of Jesus and His return. at there may have
been events adapted to the prophetic facts-analogous in
principle-during the interval, I do not doubt; and events
most important to recognize in their moral features. Many
eminent Christians have sought to calculate these dates,
but my conviction is that all these will be found wrong in
the fact. Some have indicated 1844, and some 1847; I have
made them myself in my time. It is not, then, to blame
91 We must distinguish between the intelligence, and the
application to oneself of these prophecies, whatever the
application may be. What was revealed to Abraham concerned
Lot.
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others, that I say I do not think there is any basis for a true
calculation; and I doubt whether the Lord has xed any
other date, than that of the half-week of Daniel, when the
abomination of desolation is set up.
e prophecy speaks of seventy weeks, but almost
all Christians allow that these have passed, except the
seventieth one, and that at the end of the sixty-ninth the
Lord was upon earth. Moreover the date, of a time, times,
and half a time, has reference entirely to Jerusalem; and
it is not a period of years at all, but simply of days. For
this date is given us at the end of the chapter, after the
sacrice has been taken away, and after the setting up of
the abomination. Now the words of the Lord Himself
aord a complete proof that it has no reference to centuries
any more than to Christendom: for He speaks of a special
time-of certain persons in peculiar circumstances interested
in and occupied with what occurs at Jerusalem-of women
with child-of the time which it takes to ee to the
mountains-of the season of the year suiting that ight-and
of the sabbath-day. Neither could we suppose that there
would be signs in the sun, etc., etc., during centuries. It is of
these things that Matt. 24 speaks, as being identied with
“ the twelve hundred and sixty days,” and “ a time, times,
and half a time.”
I will just recall to your memories my previous division
of Matt. 24 We must keep in mind the occasion of the
reply of our Lord to His disciples. He had passed judgment
on the Jewish people at the end of chapter 23. “ Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, etc … for I say
unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say,
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Here
is a positive judgment passed, and upon the nation as such.
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ere is no question of individuals, for He does not say to
individuals “ ye shall not see me.” And so it must be the
nation, or a remnant of it at least, and at a time yet to come,
who will say to Jesus, “ Blessed is he that cometh in the
name of the Lord.” e high priests themselves have never
said it; on the contrary, their language was, “ Away with
him, crucify him.” e Lord had previously pronounced
their judgment; but it is of the nation that He says, “ Ye
shall not see me henceforth until,” etc. It is a quotation
from Psa. 118 remarkable for its prophetic announcement
of the rejection of Him who was to be acknowledged at a
later time.
en Matt. 24:1, etc., “ And Jesus went out and departed
from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show
him the buildings of the temple “, for they were yet imbued
with a Jewish feeling. Verse 3: “ And the disciples came
unto him privately, saying, Tell us when shall these things
be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the
end of the world “ (age)? ey supposed that what the
Lord had said about the temple would take place when the
Messiah should return; and they asked when these things
should happen. Observe the expression “ end of the age.”
When the Lord uses it, He does not speak of Christianity,
which was not then established. When His disciples said
“ the age,” they had no thought about Christianity; they
spoke about the Jewish age, in which the Messiah was
expected; the age of the law until the Messiah should come
for the Jews. eir question was, When shall the end of
that age be?
Now from verses 4-14 Jesus tells them the circumstances
which should take place: these are warnings. And He
adds some circumstances which should happen before “
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the end of the age.” at is to say, He closes the account
of the Jewish remnant which should endure to the end.
At verse 14 Jesus details another event: “ And this gospel
of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world … and
then shall the end come “; that is, not only certain things
should happen to His disciples, but also, there should be
the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom, throughout
the habitable world, and then should the end come.
en He commences His particular instructions to His
disciples who should be at Jerusalem at “ the end of the age.”
As He had spoken of the Jewish nation, so here He speaks
to His disciples, addressing, in their persons, the remnant
which should be found at the end. “ When ye, therefore,
shall see the abomination … stand in the holy place, then let
them which be in Judea ee into the mountains.” Nothing
can be more evident than that the Lord speaks of a precise
time, and not of something which happens morally, and
which may be distributed, so to speak, over centuries. us,
“ neither let him which is in the eld “ … “ woe to them
that are with child, and to them that give suck,” etc. “ Pray
that your ight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath
day.” It is impossible not to perceive that the last allusion is
to Jews who would not venture to go further than a certain
distance on the sabbath-day.
Verse 21. “ For then shall be great tribulation, such as
was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no,
nor ever shall be.” We are here absolutely in the time of
distress (predicted in Dan. 12 and Jer. 30:7) at Jerusalem,
to be followed by the deliverance of the people of Daniel,
at least of the remnant, and by the establishment of the
Jews in Palestine with David (Christ) as their king. But
before this unequaled period of tribulation there will be
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“ the beginning of sorrows,” Matt. 24:8. And whenever
the abomination is placed, there will be twelve hundred
and ninety days, with forty-ve added, before there is a
complete deliverance at Jerusalem. e forty-ve days
added will introduce all that the faithful remnant could
desire in order to their happiness. Mark agrees with all
this. ey both pursue the history until the manifestation
of Jesus. “ en if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is
Christ; or, lo, there, believe it not,
92
for there shall arise
false Christs … For as the lightning [v. 27] cometh out of
the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be; for wheresoever the carcass
is, there will the eagles be gathered together.”
ere where the dead body of the Jewish people is, the
visitation of God will come.
“ What shall be the sign of thy coming? “ e nation
will have no sign for its instruction, although fearful signs
will be there. is is the answer to the nation: Christ shall
come as the lightning. In heaven only there will be a sign;
I do not say what the sign is, but there will be one there
when He comes. “ ey shall see the Son of man coming
in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory,” Matt.
24:30.
I will add a few remarks as to Luke 21. ere is a
dierence, for Luke does not occupy himself in the same
manner with Jewish details. It is not the gospel of the
Jewish kingdom. e only question of the disciples is, “
When shall these things be? “ It is not about the “ end of
92 is, to me, is a convincing proof that the passage does not
apply, properly speaking, to the church; because our expectation
is to be caught up into the air to meet Jesus. To tell us He is in
the desert would itself prove an impostor; for we are to be in
the air with Him before He can be there.
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the age”. It applies only to that which should happen at
the destruction of Jerusalem. When Titus took it, more or
less of those fearful events took place, similar to what will
happen at the end; but it is not the same thing as the time
“ such as never was.” ere will be great earthquakes, etc.
Read down to verse to.
In Luke’s gospel there is more reference to evangelizing
in a direct manner, although the result as to testimony is
the same: “ ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.”
“ In your patience possess ye your souls.” But there is not
a word about the abomination of desolation. “ When ye
shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that
the desolation thereof is nigh.” And this was accomplished
in the siege of Jerusalem, which has already taken place,
as history testies. Possibly there may be similar features
when the nations shall surround Jerusalem; but no mention
is made of a time of distress such as never was. All that is
said is, “ ere shall be great distress in the land, and wrath
upon this people “; and they “ shall be led away captive into
all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down until the
times of the Gentiles shall be fullled.” is is altogether
another matter. ere is no account of any deliverance of
the Jews. It is not said “ Blessed is he … that cometh to
the thirteen hundred and thirty-ve days “; but on the
contrary, Jerusalem is trodden down until the times of
the Gentiles are fullled. ings are left in this state by
the recital, the events in it being applicable down to the
end, but accomplished in the desolation of Jerusalem by
Titus. Verse 25: “ And there shall be signs in the sun and
in the moon.” Generally speaking, Luke does not answer
to the exact accomplishment of the prophecies of Daniel,
but principally to those whose fulllment is now passed,
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and which Jesus set forth to His disciples to inuence their
conduct according to their particular question (v. 7); and
the signs which he gives (v. 24, 25) are applicable rather to
the Gentiles, than to Jerusalem and the Jews.
But to conclude with Dan. 12:7. “ It shall be for a time,
times, and a half; and when he shall have accomplished to
scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall
be nished.” is is another proof that the date relates to
the end, for it is evident that he has not accomplished to
scatter the power of the holy people. “ And I heard, but I
understood not.”
We are not to conceive of the “ end of the indignation,”
as if it were the complete and entire re-establishment of
the Jews in all their privileges. When the indignation is
over, then the Christ-God-and Christ in the name of
God, takes Israel as His people to begin to establish them
fully. e Jews having again become the people of God,
He begins to put them into the enjoyment of all their
privileges; and Christ begins to appropriate Himself His
rights as Messiah.
“ None of the wicked shall understand “ (v. 10). It will
be the same in the Christian apostasy. “ God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” “ But
the wise shall understand.” “ And from the time that the
daily sacrice shall be taken away … there shall be twelve
hundred and ninety days.” I have no knowledge why
there should be the addition of these thirty days to twelve
hundred and sixty days, unless it be an indication that after
the end of the half-week, during which the Antichrist
prospers, there will yet be needed thirty days before the
nal blessing to the Jews comes in. “ Blessed is he that
waiteth and cometh to the thirteen hundred and thirty-
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ve days “-for then the people will evidently be in a state of
blessing. But, as I before said, Daniel gives no explanation
or detail of this happiness; because the aim of the book is to
show the care which God takes of the remnant during the
time of its sojourn (and this was Daniel’s case) among the
Gentiles. Other prophecies speak of their happy position
after their re-settlement; but Daniel limits himself to the
expression that they shall be blessed.
“ But go thou thy way … and thou shalt stand in thy lot
at the end of the days.” ou shalt enjoy all this blessedness,
be not troubled; God will take care of this, thou shalt have
thy part in it all. We know that it is at the rst resurrection-
the resurrection of the saints-that Daniel will partake of
this in company with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all
those who have been faithful in every epoch. We have now
arrived at the conclusion of this remarkable book. I have
not pretended to give you anything more than its great
features, such as God has up to this shown to me. By their
help you may be enabled to proceed farther for yourselves.
May God bless His word.
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62272
Remarks on a Part of Daniel
93
My dear brother,
I send you some remarks on an interesting part of
prophecy, including some principles long ago remarked,
and recalled by recent study of some parts of Dan. 1
shall be short, my object being to throw out the grounds
of judgment rather than to reason on them. It has been
long my conviction that there are two very distinct parties
engaged in the trials of Jerusalem in the latter day. e
aance of Jerusalem with the one is the chief occasion
of the desolation brought on by the other. is other is
habitually termed the Assyrian in Isa. 1 now proceed to
give you the elements of certain passages which seem to
me to throw light on these points, and to facilitate the
understanding of Daniel.
First, the indignation, see Isa. 10 we have the revelation
that the rod in the hand of the Assyrian is the Lord’s
indignation. is indignation is to cease in the destruction
of the Assyrian. e characteristic term for this closing
period is the indignation of Jehovah against the nation.
We nd, in Dan. 8:19, the expositor, who tells Daniel
that he will make him know what is in the last end of the
indignation, for at the time appointed the end shall be.
e willful king prospers till this indignation is lled up.
When the overowing scourge (Isa. 28), which is a ood
and a treading down (compare Dan. 9:27 and 8: 13), comes
93 [Here follow a number of pieces on prophetic subjects
somewhat later than several discussions of great length and
of a more controversial character which will form a volume of
themselves.-ED.]
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305
through Ephraim (that is from the north), the scornful men
which dwell at Jerusalem have made a covenant with death
and are at agreement with hell, and hence hope to escape
the overowing scourge. But, as there is a foundation-stone
for faith, so judgment is laid to the line, and the overowing
scourge passes through and they are trodden down by
it. We have then the period of the indignation and the
special instrument of it (this attack of the Assyrian being
repeatedly referred to in Isaiah, compare Psa. 83). We have
also the fact, that, when the scourge of desolation passes
through, the rulers at Jerusalem had made an agreement
with death and hell to avoid it; but the overowing scourge
sweeps on.
e distinction we have at the close of Isaiah 30, where
it seems to me the king is a distinct personage (Heb. gam
hoo lammelek), “Topheth is prepared of old, for the king
also it is prepared.” ese passages lead me to another
expression of importance in this respect, and which also
links together Daniel and these passages in Isaiah (Heb.
chalah veneheratsah) the consumption decreed. You will
nd this in Isaiah to: 23 (and something like it in verse
22) in connection with the indignation, and the Assyrian,
and a very small remnant left of Israel from the judgment,
but a determined one of God. In Isa. 28 the judgment is
clearly on Israel. Coming, as I have said, as to its progress
through Ephraim, it nds the rulers of Jerusalem in league
with death; and they are warned (v. 22) not to be mockers,
because (Heb. chalah veneheratsah) a consumption is
determined on the whole earth (land).
In Dan. 9:27, we nd the same expression translated
“ the consummation,” and that determined. I apprehend
the force is “ for the overspreading of abominations [the
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306
protection of idols, which makes the great charge against
the Jews of the latter day a desolator (m’shomehm)] there shall
be a desolator, until the consumption decreed be poured on
the desolate “; that is, the “ overspreading of abominations
“ (al c’maph shikkutsim), whatever that may be taken to be,
is the cause why the consumption decreed is poured on
the desolate. Some take it as a fact, or prefer the margin.
As I take the sense of the English translation to be just,
I venture on Hebrew ground, but only to put questions.
I suppose the Hebrew may mean “ because,” or “ for,” as
in English. Next, is it not certain, according to the points,
and the regular Hebrew construction, both from letters
and accents, that it is because of the protection of idols;
and that the idols of the desolator is not the connection in
the Hebrew? e best translation I have access to concurs
in this. If so, the sense, as it seems to me to be, is clear,
namely, “ because of the protection of idols [there shall be]
a desolator, until the consumption decreed “-this appointed
measure of wrath (against Israel).
I think the reading of the passages quoted, in Isaiah, shows
plainly that the decreed consuming or accomplishment of
judgment applies to Israel, and such a statement accords
with the whole testimony of God’s word on the subject.
is conrms the English translation “ on the desolate.”
And here again I appeal to my Hebrew friends. e usual
sense of the Hebrew words (shamehm and shomehm) is, I
apprehend, “ to be desolate.” e word used here (shomehm)
is several times used for Jerusalem desolate, by Jeremiah
in Lamentations, and in other parts of Scripture, as to it
and other subjects.
94
No case of the active use is alleged
by Gesenius, but this passage, which proves of course
94 See Isa. 54:1; Lam. 1:13 and 3:11
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307
nothing, and Dan. 12:11, which rests on a similar basis,
and chapter 8: 13, all involve the question to be decided.
For either of the last two cases, “ desolate “ or “ desolating
“ gives a sense according to truth; but would in any case
(shomehm) be “ causing others to desolate “? However, of
this in a moment. e use of an unusual form (Ezek. 36:3)
is the only other authority. Bagster’s Lexicon does not give
this sense. However this may be, there is no doubt that the
common use of the word elsewhere is “ desolate,” and that
the other expressions are usually applied to Jerusalem. e
consumption decreed is poured upon the desolate. Until
then there will be a desolator. us we should have the
declaration that he (the prince to come) conrms covenant
with the many (the body of the Jews) one week; and in
the midst of the week he will cause sacrice and oering
to cease; and because of the overspreading or protection
of idols there will be a desolator, until the consumption
decreed be poured on the desolate-until God has lled up
his judgment.
Now a few words on the question of the desolate; chap.
11: 31. It is a dierent word, the abomination of desolation
(m’shomehm) the word translated (chap. 9: 27) “ he shall
make it desolate “-rather a desolator; they shall plant the
abomination of the desolator. is seems admitted by the
common authorities I have recourse to. It inclines me much
to think that this passage refers much more distinctly to
Antiochus than to the latter days (v. 32). “ Do exploits
“ does not seem to me to characterize that epoch. As to
chapter 8: 13, I leave this question, whether it is not the
transgression of the desolate; when the transgressors are
come to the full, transgressions against the daily sacrice.
It is clear in either case, that this causes desolation, so that
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308
I have nothing to oppose; but I would arrive at the force of
the word. It is not, at any rate, an active desolator, I should
think, in a positive way-as m’shomehm.
e existence of the latter word in chapter 11: 31 makes
chapter 12: II more interesting. ere, and there alone,
we have “ the abomination that desolates “ (Heb. shikkuts
shomehm); and to that, I apprehend, the Lord’s solemn
words specially refer as to the last days. I can hardly think
that the Spirit uses in chapter 9: 27 the two words as He
does to mean the same thing. If the dierence in chapter
11: 31 and chapter 12:11 be just, it throws vast light on
the interpretation of the whole passage. Whatever may be
the result as to the critical point, the connection of the two
chapters of Isaiah (and others bear on it, particularly all
from chapter 28 to the end of chapter 35) throws much
light on the solemn scenes of the history of Israel and the
world in the last days.
I just add here, that besides the evident division at the
end of Dan. 6, between the historic scenes or dreams of
others interpreted by Daniel, and the communications
made to Daniel himself, there is a distinction to be made
between chapters 7 and 8 (which have a common character)
and chapter 9 to the end.
Chapters 7 and 8 are communications made to Daniel
of certain events during the power of evil (the Jews being
in no way delivered) and give us the two horns and their
bearing on the history of those beloved of God, whatever
their condition. But all this is seen as a picture, though a
picture explained- a picture of the power of evil.
In the last four chapters, which date subsequent to the
overthrow of Babylon, Daniel, according to the mind of
God, is brought forward as intercessionally interested in
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309
Israel, and he pleads for guilty Israel, as Moses of old-
dierently as to tone, but presenting, by faith in God’s own
thoughts, the people, as His people, whatever their state
may have been (and that is the character of faith, while
fully, for the very same reason, owning and confessing
the sin). e result is remarkably analogous as to this. e
angel who speaks on the Lord’s behalf calls Israel Daniel’s
people, and the city his city, as the Lord did to Moses.
Daniel sees no vision here of historical wonders, but of
the person interested in Israel, who communicates to him
Israel’s history in reply to his faith in God and love to
Israel, as the man greatly beloved. Chapter 9 seems to me
to refer rather to chapter 7 and chapters 1o, II, and 12 to
chapter 8; the former to the western, and the latter to the
eastern, subjects of prophecy. I believe these considerations
will assist in the intelligence of the book, the latter remarks
opening considerably the bearing of the two subdivisions.
e explanation of chapter 7 is not in terms conned to
the end of the indignation, as that of chapter 8 (though
the special actings of the little horn are identied with the
periods of chapter 12).
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62273
Inquiry As to the Antichrist
of Prophecy
January, 1849.
My dear brother,,
I beg to send you a series of remarks, which have
gradually been assuming importance in my mind for now
three or four years, though I still present them only in the
shape of inquiry, and shall be glad and thankful to receive
the communication of any remarks, or the suggestion of
any diculties (many having presented themselves to
myself in the period I speak of).
All who look for a personal Antichrist have been
accustomed to assume that he is the head of the Roman
empire, in whose hand imperial power will be and the
throne of the world. Of this I much doubt. I have no doubt
there will be this blasphemous power, the object of universal
admiration. e Scriptures seem to me to contain a plain
revelation of this. e belief of it, therefore, remains of
course unshaken in my mind. e question is, Is this power
the Antichrist? e outline of the state of things, I would
remark therefore, remains unaltered; and I am glad to add
this, because it is important that, while open to correction
on account of our imperfection, ascertained truth should
maintain its weight and authority: as a moral state of the
soul this is important. I have often seen “ the putting always
everything in question “ presented as sincerity and the love
of truth. Whereas it is merely the haughtiest pretension
of the human mind, which would hold its unshackled
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311
despotism to displace everything at pleasure, and make
its own thoughts creatures of its will; while love of truth
is seen in holding and being subject to known truth, in
which we are taught of God, and, as subject to it, not
departing from it. But, of course, even where known, we
may be imperfect in our apprehension of it. I repeat, then,
I see nothing to change in general, though doubtless much
to learn, in the belief of this blasphemous imperial power
which will act under or have the throne of Satan in the last
days. e question with me is, if the saints have not lost
sight of another power, of which the Scriptures speak more
even than of the great public blasphemous government;
and that the consideration of this power is necessary to
the lling up of the scene according to Scripture. And I
further question whether this power be not properly the
Antichrist, though there may have been many morally.
I proceed to consider the passages, and present the
thoughts which have occurred to me. Antichrist is not
spoken of nominally, that I am aware of, elsewhere than in
the epistle of John. ere, it is needless to say, his character
is wholly religious-an heretical and apostate activity against
the person and glory of Christ and the essential doctrines
of truth as connected with Him, and of which Christianity
is formed. “ ey went out from us,” thus manifested “
that they were not all of us.” e apostle then directed the
attention of the younger saints who had heard that there
would be an Antichrist to this, as giving his character
and marking the last times. Further, he denies the Father
and the Son-the revelation proper to and constituting
Christianity. He does not confess Jesus Christ come in
esh-the other great cardinal basis of the truth. We may
add, not as in contrast with Christianity, but as generally
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312
characteristic, “ Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus
is the Christ? “ is would be the rst point to which godly
Jews would be brought, without speaking of the doctrines
of Christianity. When this was really owned, a man could
be recognized as born of God. When the Christ formed
the subject of religious belief and expectation, to own Jesus
to be it implied a proper work of God. An apostate and
heretical character is given then as the mark of Antichrist,
and, further, as of Satan (“ who is a liar? “). He does not
own (which seems to me more Jewish connection and
evil) Jesus to be the Christ. Who was the Christ, not what
He was, is the subject of interest, and that is an answer
to Jewish expectation, and the test of Jewish incredulity-(“
If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins “),
and he who is a liar denies that the blessed Jesus is. It is
evident that the presenting Himself as the Son made the
Jews reject Him as the Christ, because thus they were,
man was, morally put to the test; and it must have been so
to be according to truth, and also in order not to present
an object to human passions in a religious form, but the
truth and glory and Son of God- God himself morally,
and the manifestations of the Father in grace to the heart
and conscience of men. (See John 8:14-24). Still the two
things are distinct, though impossible to separate, as both
are united in His Person.
I may add here that the translation, “ this is that [spirit]
of Antichrist,” is hardly warranted, that is, the insertion of
the word “ spirit,” but I do not feel need to say more. In
general, it is evident that what the Spirit of God designates
as characterizing this Antichrist are religious qualities or
energies of evil. He is occupied with religious subjects,
and characterized by that occupation, and in connection
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313
with Christianity and Judaism. is is not, perhaps, all
his character; but it is characteristic: this is the “ of the
Antichrist.” is is evidently of great importance. ere is
an energizing spirit of this character.
We have then the fact as to the history of the latter
day, that there are two beasts or manifestations of power
united in their operations, but at the same time very
distinct; each of them amazingly important in the place
it holds, though one be distinctively on the throne of the
prince of this world, the other not. Whatever title they may
hold, those are the two. I speak of this, because, in some
passages, and in our minds in reecting on the spirit of the
age, the general character may be presented, and we readily
forget that there are certainly historically two vessels of
evil power: one having the public authority and a certain
character; the other, in whom is the energy which acts and
produces the eect on men, in subservience to the throne
and public power.
I shall consider rst this second beast in whom the
energy of seduction is found. It will hardly be questioned
that the Antichrist, whatever system of interpretation is
adopted, is found in one or other of these two vessels of
evil power. First, then, the second is a beast. at is, there
is an analogy in the nature of their existence. Now beasts
are a well known gure; and I am not aware of any case in
which they are not a temporal power; so that we have here
a temporal power subsisting along with the great general
power who had Satan’s throne. is is nothing surprising,
as we know horns or kings will so subsist who give their
power to the beast. is is dierent, it is true, but it is a
temporal power. It had two horns lamb-like. e Lamb is
not Christianity but Christ. is beast, then (Rev. 13) in
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the form of its power resembled Christ, but its language
was the full character and pretension of Satan, its speech
dragon-like. is is evidently a remarkable character, a
form of power like Christ, a language like Satan, not in
deceit merely but in public pretension. It is not as a serpent,
but a dragon-a royal Christ-like power with Satan-like
language. But the power of this beast is exceeding great,
though that of Satan. He exercises all the power of the
rst beast before him; he does not take it away at all from
the former, far from it; but he exercises it all-the essential
energy of evil is in him, though the other may be clothed
with it. He makes the earth and its inhabitants worship
him who was publicly on Satan’s throne, whose deadly
wound was healed. But his energy of evil was not only in
the exercise or administration of another’s power-he acts in
intrinsic power as a prophet.
We shall see another character of this power in a
moment; but I conne myself to this passage now. e
character of the display of this power is frightful. What
the prophets of Baal could not do, and what Elias did, as
a contrasting proof that Jehovah alone was the true God,
this beast does, at least in the eyes of men, besides other
great signs. He seduces and deceives the inhabitants of the
earth through the signs he was given to do before the beast.
e beast would be content enough to have such an energy
to sustain and support his throne, and exalt and adorn his
authority in the eyes of men-authority which rested only in
deceit and delusion of mind, or persecution. is seducing
prophet and power leads them on to idolatry also, and gives
breath to the image of the beast, so as to speak and have
those killed who did not worship it. us, while sustaining
the throne of Satan in the world, this second beast, while
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315
Satanic in his language, speaking like the dragon, has
the form of royalty and prophecy established by signs,
and such signs to the eyes of men as had erst suced to
establish Jehovah’s sole name and authority in the mind
of Israel, to the destruction of an incapable Baal. e aim,
however, of all is the recognition of Satan’s authority in
him whom he has placed on his throne; but the energy
which produces the eect on the minds of men is in the
second beast. While exercising power and bearing its form
(a beast with horns), still religious seduction, and properly
such as connects itself with ancient Jehovah-testimony, is
what characterizes this second beast: he is spoken of in
Rev. 19 as the false prophet.
e rst beast is evidently the great imperial Gentile
power, to whom the empire is given in the accustomed
terms of Scripture; but with its healed head, in its last
blasphemous state, admired and owned by all not kept of
God in sovereign grace, and hating and blaspheming them
who had their tabernacle, in heaven. His rise, as that of
other beasts had been, is out of the general mass of men-
the Gentile world at large- out of the sea, as it is expressed.
Besides this, we have inhabiters of heaven. What then
is earth, out of which the second beast rises? ere is no
longer any pretension to heavenly association: all that is
blasphemed. is religioso-prophetic inuence will have
its character and origin within the system and order of
what subsists where Satan is and yet rules, this earth; but
such position and relationship, when assuming a religious
character, however blasphemous or seditious, is Jewish. It
is the religion of the earth, and, viewed as rejecting Christ,
must be false. Such, I apprehend, is the character of the
seduction of the second beast-heavenly neither in reality
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nor pretension, but an exhibition of present power here in
the sphere to which Satan is now limited. He is the proper
present energy of Satan to lead the world to recognize
the throne which he has been able to set up here in the
rst beast, which had its origin providentially in the world
like other previous beasts. e second beast is earthy and
Jewish in its character. But it is by present power, signs, and
delusions (not, as is evident, by the law and the testimony),
that he acts.
I would now turn to another passage, where the last
form of evil is spoken of, and see what is its character there;
2ess. 2. Here we can hardly doubt, on reading verse
9, that there is a connection with the false prophet. But
the question may arise, if it is not merely to characterize
the time and reign of the beast, or if “ whose coming “
means that he himself is known by these signs. at is, is it
generally characteristic, the rst beast or the second?
But let us examine the passage. ere is a falling away
down here, as there is, on the other hand, a gathering
together of the saints to Christ in heaven. e heavenly
church takes its own place as gathered up to its Head; and
the falling away or apostasy takes place upon earth. e
result is the manifestation of the man of sin, the son of
perdition. e removal of the church, and the apostasy
give room to this. In this chapter it cannot be questioned,
that a religious character also is displayed, however
wicked and audacious. Secular power is not spoken of,
but rst its impious and then its seductive character. He is
characterized as the man of sin, and the wicked one, whom
a mystery of iniquity has preceded. It does not appear
to me that verse 4 gives another idea, or that of secular
power; it is moral opposition to God and insult to Him. It
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317
is true that the beast of Rev. 17 goes into perdition; but this
does not alter the character here given: the two (Rev. 19)
perish together. e falling away, it is evident, refers to that
which had the name of Christianity, though it goes much
farther than its mere rejection. ere is an active energizing
personage bearing the title of Judas, who resists, opposes,
and exalts himself against all called God or which is an
object of veneration. He is an ardent antagonist of divine
authority, and sets up as Adam to be God, and, more, he
wills our ruin.
I think I see, then, in verses 3, 4, the moral character
of this wicked power acting upon others, and showing the
energy of his will in hostility, and setting aside of God,
rather than the object of deference or honor on the throne.
He is what lls the scene morally when the apostasy takes
place-the active energy which works in man. It is the man
of sin-man against God, and pretending to be, or showing
himself as though he were God upon earth: the contrast
of Christ, who was so, but was the man of obedience,
righteousness, and humiliation, submitting to everything
when it was not disobedience to God His Father. e
man of sin was a thing to be revealed. Meanwhile a
certain mystery of iniquity was at work-the principles of
lawlessness-of the independence of man, and the acting of
his will, but in mystery only. ere was a restrainer until He
should be taken out of the way, and then the lawless one
would be revealed. But if he was the lawless self-exaltation
of man’s will, that was not all. His presence or coming was
according to the energy of Satan; and if we have found
in the second beast the terrible analogy with the case of
Elias, but in deception, here we have perhaps the yet more
frightful one with Christ. e terms by which are expressed
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what he does in falsehood are the same as those by which,
in the Acts, Christ has been shown a man approved of God
(Acts 2:22); and as Christ was in truth of righteousness to
such as should be saved, so he in deceit of unrighteousness
to those who were given up to be lost, 2Cor. 2:15. e true
Christ will come from heaven, a heavenly Man: this an
earthly man, with all the pretensions which could belong
to, and the proofs, to those given up to judgment, which
would demonstrate his title to glory, but in an entirely
earthly way and self-exaltation. God sends an energy of
error that they should believe a lie.
It is evident that the point of departure is Christendom,
naturally so as writing to Christians, but the manifestation
not connected with it; because, though no date is given
for that, the saints are viewed as gathered up, the rest as
apostate. is (though the character be blasphemous
man) would throw it, in its deceptions most especially,
among the Jews, though it is here as man, and as to men
who have not received the love of the truth when it was
there, but have had pleasure in iniquity. Whatever partial
moral accomplishment (for there were even early many
Antichrists) this may have had in Christendom, taking
the apostasy in its full sense, the temple of God acquires a
character quite evident.
We may now turn to other passages. Let us consider
Dan. 11: “ e king shall do according to his will.” We
nd a king in the land (uninformed whence he came; for,
though it is a continuation of the history of the king of
the north as being found in that territory, yet the previous
verses had carried us on to the time of the end), lawless,
self-exalting, magnifying himself above every god; yet this
(which might seem to have put a contrast between the
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319
characters of 2essalonians and the second beast) does
not hinder after all his setting up idolatry-that unclean
spirit now gone out of the Jews, but to enter in with
seven others worse. “ e God of his fathers “ -as strong
a claim on nature as we know, and owned in Judaism, “
nor the desire of women “-that posterity naturally wished
for, but of which Christ was the center of hope among
the Jews (for in this verse it evidently refers to religioso-
traditional objects and inuence), none of these things
have any inuence over him: he uses idolatry only for his
convenience and divides the land as recompense, causing
them (his followers, I suppose) to rule over the mass of
the Jewish people. Here we have, then, a royal power in
Palestine doing as he pleases there, having, as to self-
exaltation and blasphemy, fully the character of 2ess.
2:3, 4, and disposing of the Jewish people, while rejecting
his traditional God, and blaspheming the God of gods (the
dragon-voice and character, I judge).
I may say here, that the anti-Christian power will not
be imitation of Christ, save as being king and prophet, but
opposition to Christ; for to a Jew, having a form of Jewish
holiness, blasphemies could not recommend. But they are
given up to delusion, and the dragon-language is taken
with the rest, as is idolatry, which will clearly take place.
e Lord characterizes it as one coming in his own name.
is is the Jewish part of his history in connection with the
territorial limits of the Grecian empire. You may nd “ the
king “ again Isa. 57:9, and 30: 33, where read “ for the king
also it is prepared.”
I now turn to another passage where we have a
power clearly distinguished from the beast, and which
nevertheless stamps it with his character, and is, at the
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320
same time, peculiarly connected at the end with the
Jewish people, though hating what was heavenly. I refer
to Dan. 7, where a distinct horn rises after all the others,
dierent from them, subduing three-a horn always as such
distinct from the beast, but which brings judgment on it,
and whose actings at the end make it morally the grand
aair. Here we have many characteristics of the rst beast’s
actings, attributed to him in Rev. 13 We see the horn to
be the active agent here, for the horn is looked at as part
of the beast here, his generally secular or Gentile totality
being the point of view in which it is considered. Still the
little horn is evidently a distinct agent. If it be thought
that the horn is really, though locally only, possessing the
territory of three, the virtual head of the whole empire as
a chief, besides his own territory, and hence that he would
correspond rather to the rst beast of Rev. 13 where the
general character of the beast itself only is given, I should
have nothing that I am aware of to object. e other point
would remain untouched. e moral points of union are
evident: the two beasts play into each other’s hands; one, as
we have seen, holding the public authority and throne, the
other exercising the energy of Satan. It had even occurred
to me that 2ess. 2:3, 4, and 8, might distinctively denote
them; but I pursue the study of the passage. is horn had
the intelligence and foresight of thought and purpose,
which was more than power and conquest, design and
consideration, place and haughty pretensions avowed: he
brings judgment on the beast. ree things are attributed
to him • “ speaking great words against the Most High “
(this is more than the Ancient of days; it is the supremacy
of God as above all); he wears out the saints of the high
places; and he thinks to change times and laws (Jewish
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321
order and ordinances) and they are delivered into his hand,
So that we nd atheistical pretensions, a persecution of any
saints who are connected with heaven, and a perversion
of the order of Jewish polity as outward ordinances. is
lasts for three years and a half. He is directly, therefore, in
connection with the Jewish order of things. If there are
saints who look to higher blessings, he wears them out. at
there will be those there who shall have a heavenly position
in the reign, Rev. 15 and 20 assure us. His dominion is
taken away in connection with the nal judgment on
earth. It is the horn who is here considered, who wields it
in Palestine (though the beast be destroyed, as is noted in
the general history before the explanations), Here then is
a distinct power acting in Palestine and subverting Jewish
order and ordinances, the beast being distinct yet judged
because of what this power spoke. e pretensions of Isa.
14:12-14 have this same character. Reigning in Zion is
here one of his pretensions.
I would now turn to the rst beast. e rst thing I
would remark is, that it is characterized by the royalty
of the ten horns; they are crowned. is is characteristic
historically. ree fall, but it is, as far as unity subsists, a
federate power. e beast implies corporate unity in some
measure, as the Roman empire was (whatever its state),
a certain known thing, whatever its head or form of
government; and this corporate existence is the meaning
of a beast-a bond which enables it to be spoken of as one in
relation to those outside it. ere is a wounded and healed
head, but it is not in any prominence here, save that it is
after this that the wondering takes place. It is the beast
which is in prominence, and in its general corporate state is
characterized by its blasphemy and war with the saints. It
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322
is well to remember that the devil is cast out of heaven, and
that the heavens and the dwellers upon earth, and earth
itself, are the scene of his power. e healing of the head
is all that is noticed; it is the beast itself which is in the
scene. Satan, as god of this world, gives him his throne
and his power; and its man is thus set up, while he turns to
act, as we have seen, in sustaining it in the second beast. A
woman may ride this beast, but it is the kings who commit
fornication with her. But I suppose, whether from chapter
13 or 17 there will be some uniting form of government;
but it is the corporate or common existence which gives
its life and character to the beast. e kings make war; the
kings hate the whore, and the beast-not any head. If the
comparison of Dan. 7 and the light thrown on that passage
show that the little horn is the same as the head, of which I
should feel doubtful, I have nothing to object. It is not my
subject at this moment. What I question is the civil head
of empire being Antichrist, which seems to me to have
a much more religious character-a consideration which
has much importance in the study of Scripture. ere are
several diculties and questions which present themselves
in connection with this; as, for example, the placing or
displacing of the inuence of Babylon in chapter 17 and
the second beast of chapter 13 which I leave for further
inquiry.
But I cannot doubt that there will be a civil-religious
power in Palestine, having the energy of Satan, and
exercising the power of the beast, to whom Satan has given
his authority, and this, I suspect, is much more properly
the Antichrist, though there be many. But I present this,
specially and avowedly, as a subject of inquiry for the
saints and those content to learn and follow any increasing
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323
light our God in His goodness may see good to give; and
certainly He will give all that may be truly protable to His
church.
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62275
Signs of Antichrist
ough the thoughts I send you be very brief, I do not
hesitate to communicate them, as I judge they aid in the
estimate of one of the principal objects which ll the scene
in the last days. And I apprehend that it is not merely
in the arrangement of a complete system (for which our
knowledge is often too imperfect) that we make progress
in the mind of God on this, or indeed on any subject in
Scripture, but quite as much in any light which gives a
more distinct and denite character to any of the elements
which compose the whole, if indeed we can say that
prophetic subjects are revealed as a whole. Our sphere of
vision, our capacity of embracing the entire scene as God
does, necessitates in His communication of the truth the
presenting of the parts which compose it: and it is in the
attempt to combine them that we often nd the greatest
diculty. at they do combine we cannot doubt, and that
the points of combination exist since each part is perfect;
but the combination itself not being always given, we have
to wait much and patiently upon divine enlargement of
view to be able to do it justly. e geographer can easily
put together the dissected map, but the child (and we are
children) must learn the geography in a slower process
of putting it together. I suspect we have made them less,
while some elements are very certain, than we are disposed
to think. But every progress in distinct knowledge of the
elements facilitates the apprehension of the whole.
I proceed to notice two characteristics of the evil power
in the latter days which may aid in this-very simple, but
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325
which have much struck me. One has been noticed some
years back. In 2ess. 2:9 we have the statement that the
presence of the wicked [one] will be with all power, and
signs, and lying wonders; that is, “ in all power and signs
and wonders of falsehood.” If we compare this with Acts
2:22, we nd that the blessed Lord is described as a man
approved of God, i.e., proved to be of Him, His mission
and truth proved by miracles (powers), wonders, and signs.
at is, we have three things which were proofs of the
truth and mission of the Lord Jesus, attesting to the eyes
of men the title of the wicked one: in this case, falsehood
is of course added, “ lying “ or of falsehood; but this does
not, as to the terribleness of the case or its character, alter
it, because men are given up then to believe falsehood, or
what is lying; 2ess. 2:11. In their state, it is a complete
presenting of the proofs of Christ. If we turn to Rev. 13 we
have a circumstance analogous to this, which completes the
horror of it (v. 13). “ And he doeth great wonders [signs]
so that he maketh re come down from heaven on earth in
the sight of men.” Now, reference to 1Kings 18 shows us
that this was the grand and sovereign test of the prophet
and messenger of Jehovah. Priests of Baal in vain essayed
to produce this proof proposed by Elijah, to make known
who was the true God in the solemn declaration to the
people, “ If Jehovah be God, follow him; but if Baal, then
follow him “; and to preclude any further halting between
two opinions, it was decided that the God that answered
by re, He was to be God; and Elijah thereon prays that it
might be evident also that he was Jehovah’s prophet, and
that he had done all this at His word. And eectively at
the sight of the re descended from heaven, the people cry
out “ Jehovah, he is God; Jehovah, he is God.” But in these
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terrible days that are to come, this proof also is given by the
false prophet, the beast with two horns as a lamb.
95
at is,
the very thing which was the absolute and well-known test
of Jehovah’s power and the mission of His messenger now
accredits the false prophet.
It is in the sight of men, no doubt, but that is sucient
for its object. We have, then, that which bore witness to
Christ’s mission as of God, as Messiah on earth; that
which witnessed and tested Elijah’s message as coming
and sent by Jehovah- both accrediting the pretensions of
the wicked one and of the false prophet. It is a frightful
picture and testimony to the way in which they that dwell
on the earth are given up to blindness in that day. I leave
to be weighed by your readers the extent to which these
circumstances give a Jewish character to the instruments
and power of evil referred to in these passages (1John
2:18), excluding any necessity to restrict it absolutely to
such an accomplishment, supposing it is admitted.
95 Perhaps better rendered “ lamb-like.” At any rate, the allusion
is evident; and note here, it is Christ in Person who is the
Lamb.
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62276
Questions of Interest As to
Prophecy
1-e Antichrist Properly So Called
I am still inquiring as to Antichrist, but I had not
overlooked the diculties. It has been taken for granted
among those who expect a personal Antichrist, that he is the
civil head of the Roman empire. is I question. Without
doubting in the least that there will be such a blasphemous
Gentile power, it seems to me that the Antichrist is another
power, of which the Scriptures are even more full-the
vessel of evil religious energy, rather than that of evil public
government. At least, two such manifestations of power we
nd in Rev. 13, for the second is a beast, as well as the rst.
at is, there is a second temporal power coexistent with
the public imperial power, which has the throne of Satan.
e rst beast had risen, like previous beasts, out of the sea
(i.e., out of the tumultuous oating mass of population-
the Gentile world). But the second beast came out of the
earth; i.e., out of the formed arrangement of God’s moral
providence-the sphere where the dragon and the beast were
worshipped, and all heavenly association was blasphemed.
In form of power, this second beast was like the Lamb;
but his speech was like the dragon, or great hostile power
of Satan-a religious though blasphemous character of
evil at work within the sphere where Satan rules. Such a
relationship will be found to be Jewish. It is the religion of
the earth, not of the dwellers in heaven, and is Jewish in
character-a power in the earth ostensibly connected with
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divine things, falsely, and veried in the sight of men by the
exhibition of judicial power as of God. Rev. 19 speaks of
the second beast as the false prophet.
e Antichrist is not spoken of by name, save in the
Epistles of John, where his character is religious, not secular-
apostate and heretical activity against the Person and glory
of Christ and the essential doctrines of Christianity. He
denies the Father and the Son. He does not confess Jesus
Christ come in esh. He denies that Jesus is the Christ,
which seems rather Jewish in its connection and evil,
more than the denial of the revelation which constitutes
Christianity. Antichrist, in a word, is characterized by
religious energies of evil in connection with Christianity
and Judaism.
In 2ess. 2 it is a wicked religious, and not a mere
secular, power which is spoken of-its impious, then its
seductive, character. Verse 4 is moral opposition and insult
to God, rather than the object of deference, who was
publicly on Satan’s throne. It is the active personage, with
Judas’ title, who opposes all divine authority-the man of
sin showing himself as though he were God; the contrast
of Christ, who was God, and yet was the man of obedience.
His presence, too, is according to the energy of Satan; and
as Christ in truth of righteousness to such as should be
saved, so he in deceit of unrighteousness to such as should
be lost.
In Dan. 11:36, etc., is the king, and he shall exalt himself
and magnify himself above every god, etc. at is, we have
the same qualities and acts; and yet he honors the God
of forces, and honors and increases with glory a strange
god. So that it would seem that the haughty rejection of
the true God and self-exaltation is not inconsistent with
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329
being servant of a false one, really slave to the enemy-an
old lesson learned all through human nature, and never
learned. Self-exaltation is not supremacy. I apprehend,
or am inclined to think, that this self-exaltation will be,
specially in result, in Judea against God; but my diculty
just lies there, because in Dan. 7 the little horn seeks to
change times and laws (i.e., I apprehend, the Jewish order)
and this looks like the power of the Antichrist, while the
little horn there is uncommonly like the rst beast (i.e., its
last head). e diculty is in apportioning the parts where
both work together. e process seems natural, painful to
say. e apostasy is denying the Father and the Son and that
Jesus is the Christ. is throws them on Judaism (which
was always the mystery of iniquity in principle) and thus on
Antichrist, who at last throws o all in self-exaltation, and
makes them, during the last half-week, worship a strange
God; and the tribulation takes place. It seems to me that
the deepest troubles in the • Psalms (I do not speak of the
cross) come from a Jewish character, not an open enemy,
but a companion or familiar friend-ungodliness and strife
in the city. e self-exaltation is moral character, not public
power, unless in his own sphere. is self-exaltation would
be his own apostate setting up in Judea; but, nding it
convenient for himself, and it being the work of Satan, he
forces all to recognize the Roman emperor, which for the
Jews is apostasy. It would be the old Josephus question,
save that saints who ee or bow take the place of sicarii.
96
It
96 Sicarii:-A band of Jews who refused to serve any authority or
bow to any power save to God Himself, and accepted death
rather than such submission-to the Roman power in their
case-and even slew those who accepted servitude. Loyalty
and devotion given in return for protection is the essence of
suzerainty. [Ed.]
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is a kind of suzerainty. is false Christ in the east making
head in the interest of the western emperor against all, and
deceiving the Jews by Satanic power in the east, he wields
all the power of the empire; he joins the recognition of the
western emperor to the Satanic deception of the Jews, his
own people probably. e little horn of Dan. 7 certainly
seems the more general power, which, while local (like
Bonaparte, a France), governs the whole beast.
2-THE FORCE OF “ THE LAST DAY “ IN John 6
As regards John 6, the Lord is, to me, evidently
substituting a blessing in resurrection to any royal Jewish
blessing. Owned the prophet, and refusing to be king
carnally, He goes up alone on high, and the disciples are sent
away alone, toiling on the sea (a Jewish remnant strictly),
and arrive as soon as He rejoins them; but He is fed upon
in humiliation and death in the interval, and hence to such
the blessing comes in resurrection; he (i.e., the believer)
will be raised up in the last day. Jesus will not bless him as
come down here before giving him his portion where He
is gone up in the power of everlasting life. e last day is
in contrast with their present blessing under a king; it is
never the day of the Lord, save in the vague sense that it
embraces all the closing period, which is its true force. He
does not come and set up the Jews, but the Father draws,
and a man comes to Him; and the way He blesses him is in
the power of eternal life, raising him up when the close of
all this busy and rebellious scene arrives. at shall be his
portion in that day-not Messianic security now.
3-THE ALLUSION IN “ THE LAST TRUMP “
CORINTHIANS 15: 52
After all the grave and wise speculations on “ the
last trump,” I strongly suspect it is merely an allusion
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331
to military matters. Somewhere in Josephus’ Wars, and
perhaps in other books, we have the order of a breaking
up of a Roman camp, and at the last trump they all break
up and march forward. Now, I acknowledge that scripture
interpretation is not to be borrowed from without; but I
have seen only tortured linkings with other passages within.
I am content to take the general idea of the last public
call of God relating to the church, and leave it there; but
what suggested the image, I suspect, was what I say; just
as the Greek for “ assembling shout “ in 1ess. 4, beyond
controversy, is a similar military term used to a similar
purpose. Matt. 24:31 (“ And he shall send his angels with a
great sound of a trumpet “), I have not the smallest shadow
of a doubt, applies to the assembling of the Jews (elect, as
in Isa. 65) after Christ is come.
4-Luke 21 COMPARED WITH Matt. 24
As to Luke 21 it is much more historical, because it
opens out, as revealing the Son of man, the period in which
Israel is set aside and not counted in its history, or what
concerns the Gentiles. Hence the Spirit records no inquiry
of “ the sign of thy coming and of the end of the age,”
but the general history in connection with the destruction
of Jerusalem. us, from verse 9 to verse 19 inclusive we
have the state of things from after the Lord’s death until
the encircling of Jerusalem by the-Roman armies, and
no mention made of the abomination of desolation, and
verse 20 gives the reply to the question of verse 7, founded
on verse 6. e statement accordingly says nothing of the
tribulation such as never was; but that vengeance then comes
on the people and city, that all may be accomplished. is
still continues and will continue, Jerusalem being trodden
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down, till the times of the Gentiles are fullled, in the close
of the Gentile dominion begun in Nebuchadnezzar.
en the fact is revealed of the of things at the close of
the dominion of Gentile power-signs in sun, moon, and
stars; on earth, distress of nations with perplexity; the sea
and the waves roaring (the last expression showing, I think,
that the words are employed guratively, though there may
be possibly portents also); men’s hearts failing them for
fear, and for looking after those things which are coming
on the earth; for the powers of heaven (the sources of the
earthly state of things) shall be shaken. And then shall they
(not “ ye,” but they, these proud, rebellious Gentiles
97
) see
the Son of man coming in a cloud.
Such is the prophetical revelation which presents,
it seems to me, little diculty. e exhortation which
follows may suggest more; at the same time, it oers
some remarkable helps as to the use of expressions. For
example, “ this generation shall not pass away till all be
fullled “ (v. 32) proves, necessarily, either that “ generation
“ must be taken in an extended sense, as in Deut. 27:5, 20,
and as in other passages; or, that “ all “ could only apply
to the establishment of the state of things at the setting
aside judicially of the Jewish people, because we have the
treading down of Jerusalem for a long continuous period
revealed. Hence we have to seek the guidance of the Spirit
for the application of the passage, there being an incipient
97 In Matthew is given the full development of Jewish
dispensation, and this so much so, that I could not apply any of
the statements in Matt. 24 or the like, to Gentile circumstances;
whereas Luke explicitly opens the door, and brings them into
the scene, as may be seen in the close of chapter 21. Whence
also, I believe, he introduces “ all the trees,” the g-tree being
the specic emblem of the Jewish corporate nationality.
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333
accomplishment at the destruction or treading down of
Jerusalem, its desolation, vengeance, etc., which subsists
still, and a far fuller one at the close preceding the coming
of the Son of man. Hence the Holy Ghost records here an
expression which may apply to both: “ Know ye that the
kingdom of God is nigh at hand.” I do not doubt that this
had a certain accomplishment in the absolute suppression
of the Jewish order, but no fulllment; and that the
kingdom of God will be established by the coming of the
Son of man after the signs of verses 25, 26. Note also that
this passage precludes the possibility of the application of
“ the coming of the Son of man “ to the destruction of
Jerusalem, because we have already had the long treading
down, consequent on the encompassing with armies. e
full natural application of verses 28-31, then, is to the close
when, these signs having taken place, the full deliverance of
the Jewish faithful will take place. So verse 35 has a limited
application to Judea or Palestine; but it is evident to me
that there is the larger application of the coming of the day
of the Lord on the whole earth. It is the day that is spoken
of. Verse 36 seems to me also to refer absolutely to the
character of a Jewish remnant (though in a still better sense
it will be true of the church); but in its proper application
it is the escape of judgments then, and standing before the
Son of man when He takes the kingdom.
In Matt. 24 the Lord passes over all the times of the
Gentiles unnoticed, and speaks only of Jerusalem, as
though under judgment recognized of God, so far as to
be the object of His thoughts and dealings. Verse 14 only
takes the broad fact that the gospel of the kingdom should
be preached to all nations (a thing not yet accomplished
to the letter), and then the end should come. I judge then
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334
that while the whole reply will have an accomplishment at
the close, there was sucient in the early part to guide the
saints between the Lord’s ascension and the destruction
of Jerusalem; but that its fulllment will yet take place, to
the end of verse 14 being general, and from verse 15 being
absolutely and exclusively the last half-week of Jewish
tribulation.
ere is a point which I think has not been duly
borne in mind; it is that the unfaithful servant will, for
the judgment, pass over into the time of the Son of man’s
judgment, so that what is called the church may go on,
in whatever apostasy of condition, into the state of things
which takes place when the church of the faithful is gone.
Laodicea is threatened with being vomited out of the Lord’s
mouth, but when it is vomited is not said, if it be taken for
literal judgment. I am disposed to think Judaism will play
an active part in connection with the apostate church, and
that there will be an astonishing amalgam; though, besides
that, the church form may continue until destroyed by the
horns and the beast.
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335
62277
Outline of the Revelation
IT is important to remark, rst of all, that the Revelation
is a book of judgment-judgment on the earth (in the
interval between the church and an owned state on earth,
the secret springs being shown in heaven, where alone the
earthly acts could be understood) rst, of the professing
church as a system on the earth, where it is responsible to
maintain the truth and testimony of God, and then, of the
world. In the latter case, the church is no longer at all in
question. e only places in which the church is seen in its
Christian aections and position is in the beginning and at
the end of the book, before the subject of it is opened and
after it is closed. In the rst case it is seen in its members,
in the last as a whole (I refer to chap. 1: 6 and chap 22: 17).
Further, it is important to remark, that the character in
which Christ reveals Himself in the opening of the book,
is wholly earthly-heaven is excluded. He is the faithful
Witness, the First-begotten from the dead, and the Prince
of the kings of the earth. e church knows Him in all
these characters, and is associated with the last two. She
ought to have replaced the rst; but she is never seen
here in that position. John does not even set himself on
the ground of the church’s witness and heavenly place; he
is in the tribulation, kingdom, and patient expectation of
Christ. e rst time the church is addressed, it is with
warnings and threatenings, as being already fallen. If seen
in her own character, it is only to look for Jesus.
Christ judges divinely, though as Son of man (a name
of judgment and government), also in the midst of the
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church seen on earth and responsible to bear light there.
He is eternal, searching in judgment and consuming, in
rmness of power, having in His own hand the symbolical
representatives of the churches or states of the professing
church which He addresses. e word of sharp judgment
proceeded out of His mouth. Sovereign authority shone in
His visage. However, He had the power of life (and that out
of death) to him that bowed to Him; and John therefore
was to write what he saw-not merely to be confounded by
it, but to make known this character of judgment to the
churches-” the things that are “ (for that was now the real
relationship of Christ to the body here below, standing in
the position of testimony) and “ the things that were to
happen after them “; for only after these Christ and the
church would take their place in manifestation of glory and
testimony. Hence the rapture of the church, unless it be in
mystery, is not known here, because this is testimony on
the earth or that which governs the earth both secretly and
publicly (and so judgments there); and the church’s taking
up to heaven forms no part of this. at is its portion in
its own relationship to Christ of privilege and aection.
We see testimony looked for in its earthly state at the
beginning, and what is needed for its public manifestation
at the end. In the rst it had already failed but the second
(blessed be God!) cannot; for it is accomplished by divine
power. e former rst presents itself, there is no promise
of inward grace, no supply of strength. Motives, promises,
encouragements, warnings, threatenings, and judgments
announced … all these the Son of man holds out; but never
an inward supply of grace, never one word such as “ my
grace is sucient for thee,” “ my strength is made perfect
in weakness.” He was dealing with the responsibility of
Outline of the Revelation
337
the church as a profession in the earth-as a position to be
maintained, not in His aection for His beloved saints, nor
for His bride the church.
is, it is evident, gives a very important character to
these addresses and is easily veried by the reader; we are on
earth with a Judge, not in heaven, nor in communion with a
Savior. It is not a mere judge-that is for the world-but One
who rebukes and chastens because He loves (still that is in a
certain sense judicial)-One who is patient, gracious, pains-
taking, vigilant to warn and show the failure, and the path
to follow, the sentiments that become the state of those He
addresses Himself to; but who can spue out of His mouth
that which, after all the pains taken, does not answer what
He has a right to and must expect and require. is is not
the church of His elect, though they may be there. It is
the body which has a public responsibility to maintain its
testimony in the earth. e churches then present Christ’s
judgment on, and dealings with, the professing body, or
at least those who have ears to hear when their rst decay
attracts His vigilant and bounden care, till they are utterly
rejected as a witness on the earth: patient but judicial in its
character, and failing in no one warning which, if listened
to, might have led to the avoidance of the judgment, and
adding every promise which could encourage and sustain
faith. It is not the Spirit in the church acting for the
preservation of the body, by maintaining in the conscience
and in the heart the testimony of, and dependence on,
Christ, putting away the evil and drawing down the good,
but the Spirit from without addressing itself to the churches
or professing body in its various states, and informing it of
Christ’s judgment of that state-an entirely dierent thing.
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To the world, as we shall see, all is simple judgment;
till the time of glory, graduated judgment, but only
judgment, though a remnant may be preserved through
it. What we have previously enlarged upon constitutes “
the things that arc “the characteristic state of the church,
with Christ’s judgment upon it while it continues a public-
the public-witness on Christ’s behalf in the world. Various
and even contemporaneous elements may enter into this;
but together they prove the judicial history of what the
church has been as a professing witness from beginning
to end. I may perhaps enter into some details further on.
ese “ things which are “ close, however: God no longer
recognizes the professing church as a public witness, even
a blamable one. e moment is not stated nor the manner.
He ceases to speak (for His words are the warning of, not
the execution of, judgment), when He said, “ I am about
to spue thee out of my mouth.” It may continue to the
eyes of man, when, every saint of the true church being
gone, it is no longer in any way the object of Christ’s care,
even judicial, and may be left to Satan to make any use he
pleases of it. Perhaps some awhile drag on in self-delusion
their association with its existence. I say this, not to lead
to speculation on what may be, but to arrest conclusions
as to what is not, that is, the accomplishment of the act of
cutting o. ere is no candlestick which God owns, nor
light at all. e carcass may be there which hindered and
corrupted; the soul is ed.
After these things another order of events begins. ere
is nothing which God owns in the earth as a corporate
testimony. God, dealing with the earth itself, begins His
government of it. And the prophet sees a door open above;
and the voice like a trumpet, which had previously led
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339
him to turn round and see the candlesticks on the earth,
now calls him up to heaven, where he sees the scene and
throne of power which is to begin to act on the earth-a
God manifested as Jehovah the creator on the throne, in
characteristics in general in which He had carried on the
government of the earth, and more particularly among the
Jews upon the earth. e covenant with them (which, if
it had failed on earth on their part, was maintained intact
in nature and purpose in heaven) was not yet referred to,
but would be further on. But the sovereign pledge which
secured the blessings of creation till the earth should be no
more, was plainly seen; of this the rainbow was the sign;
and, further on, the cherubic throne, the temple, and the
ark of the covenant were the expressions of the one; and the
well-known rainbow was the assurance of the infallibility
of the other. But the features with which John saw the
throne surrounded require more special mention; for none
of those attached to the covenant with the Jews (unless we
consider the cherubim such) were the rst associations of
it. It is only at the close of chapter II (i.e. of the whole of
the rst series of visions, and of the succession of events to
the end, viewed in their general history), or more properly
at the beginning of chapter 12, that the temple and the ark
of the covenant are introduced. We nd typical parts of
the temple used as being in heaven with the scene suitably
attached to them, and the multitude worship in this temple;
but the temple itself is not brought into view. e idea is a
throne in heaven, center and source of the government of
the world, and One who was there, whatever man might
think, to exercise it. ere was a sitter on it. at is, we
have, rst, the state of the professing church, or what God
noticed as the specially responsible and characterizing part
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340
of it; secondly (after that, when that was out of view, God
having no longer anything to say to it on earth) we have
the throne of government in heaven, and God declaring
or recalling His pledge of the blessing and security of
creation, whatever chastenings and judgments there might
be. It was still a mystery of God; for to none but faith was
it known that all the terrible things which were coming
in were the direct and detailed eect of a government of
God, which was not yet manifested, though it acted on
the earth. is continues to the end of chapter II except
the little open book. irdly, we have then the signs of the
covenant and government of Israel on earth again brought
to view, not in public acknowledged result, but that God
held it good in heaven, though He could not yet publicly
give it place on earth; but there was with Him an object of
covenant on earth, an object on earth in respect of which,
not merely on which, He acted.
What were the features which characterized the
throne? First, divine glory-the manifestation of the divine
character.
98
After this (which was His intrinsic character
and manifestation) we have the bright and early sign of
His covenant with creation;
99
but the Lord had associated
other thrones with His. is was the third feature. I say
associated thrones, for there was nothing which entered
into connection with the rst throne itself; but it was
equally remarkable that there were other thrones besides the
central one. ey have a position given to them apart from,
though associated with, the throne of the Lord, endowed
with wisdom from, and experience of, the ways of God for
98 e jasper is used in the city which had the glory of God, as
light, strength, and security. Sardius was the last (the omega) of
the foundations, as the jasper was the rst (the alpha).
99 It also had the precious stone character.
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government according to their knowledge of Christ and
God’s thoughts and ways in Him. ey were clothed in the
raiment of righteousness as personally worthy, or clothed
with Christ in their knowledge of righteousness; and the
crown of righteousness, made good through conict, was
upon their head. God had placed them there. Such was
their character, intelligent, holy, conded authority: but the
manifestation of the terror of God’s power owed forth
from the throne itself.
In presence of it was the manifestation of the various
and searching, yea, consuming perfections of the Eternal
Spirit, through which it could be reached, if man could.
And who could abide them? Established purity, unalterable
in character, was there. It was not that which washed lth,
but which implied its absence; and the standing there was
where there was none. is was what characterized the
throne in the way up to it. In ne, we have this heavenly
throne thus doubly characterized.
It was a manifestation of the invisible God-there was a
sitter on it, God in manifestation and government; next it
was in the manifestation of that glory which, though fully
divine, is communicable. e city had the glory of God, as
we rejoice in hope of the glory of God; but this was, in its
light-its wall-its rst foundations, jasper. at is what He
who here sat on the throne was in manifestation, together
with the last of the foundations, as we have seen, completing
what the city was founded on. It was the millennial glory-
the manifestation of God in power, evil being put away,
or in that moral character which resulted from, or was
displayed in, its being put away, after all manner of moral
exercise, displayed while it existed, whether in the patience
of power, or the forming a character intelligent of God,
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thus displayed. Next, it was the security of the blessing of
creation on that day. And further, there were the associated
thrones of conferred power in the maturity of intelligence,
and an administration, not of mere sovereign royalty,
though thrones they were, but of interest, intelligent
interest, and care over, as associated with, on God’s behalf,
those whom the Lord would bless. But then, besides this,
the present character of the throne, not as connected with
the elders, was Sinai-terror and power. e consuming
power of the perfections of the Spirit, and the immitigable
requirement of unchangeable purity. is is not a throne of
grace. And connected with this were four living creatures,
not on conferred thrones; but entering so to speak into
the composition of the throne itself, the power, rmness,
intelligent nature, and rapidity of action necessary in the
judgments of Him who governed in a world which had
ceased to heed Him, and where what He could recognize
in testimony, in grace, so as to deal with it in patient moral
display of what He was, subsisted no longer. ese ways of
God in judgment were swift and rapid in their power, and
saw, not in outward appearance, but with the perfections of
internal discernment; and glorify-not as Jesus, the Father,
but-the Lord God Almighty, Jehovah Elohim Shaddai.
When the Eternal God is thus gloried, the four-and-
twenty elders worship Him they know on the throne, and
recognize the Eternal in Him, the God of providence and
creation; for they have understanding in the character and
reasons why glory can be given to God, and to suit their
praises to the character in which He is manifested. e
others manifest His attributes. ese know Him that has
them, what His rights and worthiness are-His sovereign
title to dispose of the creation, the creature of His will.
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ere is intelligent adoring of Him who has associated
them with His glory.
Such is the power in exercise here: we have now the
knowledge of that in which it was to be exercised-the book
fully written out, but as yet absolutely sealed. God’s ways
with the church are ways of revelation, full gracious holy
communications to act morally on those intelligent by the
new nature and the Spirit. Now we have the unrolling, as
an object of intelligence, of His judicial dealings with that
with which He was not in this relationship, communicated
to the church prophetically, not in communion about itself.
Who could do this? Of these purposes of God there was
no moral intelligence founded on principle merely. He who
could wield the title and power of judgment, who, having
suered perfectly for God’s glory and gained the title to
the inheritance, when tried to the uttermost-God’s power
in holiness and judgment being in exercise-He could, and
this the elders understood; for intelligence is theirs. e
Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, had prevailed
to open the book. He who was to wield divine power in the
house chosen of God on earth, to sit on the throne of the
Lord, as is said of Solomon; He who was even the source
of all this power and promise-He had prevailed to open it;
but it was by perfectly glorifying God in suering, it was
redemption-glory. Also, He has hence much wider than
Judaic or David glory even, as the strength and source of it;
for there is a double character of the Lamb, as there was of
the throne. e millennial glory on earth should be His in
the title of His Person: but, having His place in the power
of divine government, encircled by the glory, invested with
the power, and characterized by it, which belonged to the
present power of the throne and the intelligence of God’s
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ways in conferred glory, the result of the moral ways and
dealings of God in the midst of the throne, the beasts, and
the elders, a Lamb standing as slain, with full perfect power
and intelligence in all their forms, and that in the exercise
of them in God’s ways
100
upon earth in government. “ And
he came and took the book.” So that we have the two-
fold character of the Lamb also, what He will be in the
millennium, what He is in the present character of His
power-this last connected with His suerings and death.
On His taking the book, a new song begins; joy belongs
to the whole, beasts and elders, and another element
discloses itself. ere are yet saints on the earth in whom
heaven is interested; a new song is sung in heaven, based
on redemption-not merely power and holy title to glory,
but all the dealings of God in power, in creation, as well as
the joint-heirs of glory, are interested in this; all things in
heaven and earth are the subjects of reconciliation, as well
as the church.
Hence, though I doubt not that the elders are particularly
in question here, still all could sing “ us.” e dierence of
“ us “ and “ them “ is not a diculty here, because as the
singers recognize their being subjects of redemption as all
the rest, so the assurance that the suering saints whose
prayers they presented would reign and be a kingdom of
kings and priests was of the highest interest and utmost
propriety-just what was important to be brought out
here, the grand point to result, after Christ’s glory, from
all the scenes of this book, for the church scene we have
100 In general, the eyes are seen in providential government
(2Chron. 16:9), subsequently established in the foundation of
the Lord’s scat in the temple of Jerusalem in the millennium
(Zech. 3:9; 4:10), and here exercised by the Lamb, as having
the fullness of the Spirit in this character.
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seen closed; but there were saints in connection with
the government and providence of God with the eyes of
the Lamb running through the earth, in the scene of the
judgments on a heedless world, which this book was to
unfold, whose lot it was all-important to point out.
Round the throne and the beasts, and elders, who gave
it its character, the heavenly host praise Him that sits
on the throne and the Lamb, and all creation echoes it,
with the “ Amen “ of the living creatures. is embraces
the subjects of chapters I and 2: and the four-and-twenty
elders worship.
e living creatures do not worship. ey render
testimony to the glory of Him on the throne, and to the
redemption by the Lamb, but they do not worship. is
belongs to the elders-precious privilege!
We now enter on the scene in which those saints are
placed who had learned to look up to heaven, according
to the character of God here displayed; not the church, as
we have seen, but yet heavenly in the source of their hopes.
It is precious to know that, whatever may be the terrible
progress of the divine judgments, not only are we of the
church hid in the hollow of His hand, and, if we keep the
word of His patience, kept from the hour of temptation,
and an open door meanwhile (what grace for such!) set
before us; but it is the Lamb who opens the course of
judgments to which men themselves are exposed, so that
for the saints found there is a sure warrant of guardian care
through the trial. I do not enter into details of the rst four
seals; they are the historic progress of God’s dealings with
the world which has not known Him in grace. Favor shown
to the wicked has been of no avail. Will the lifting up of
God’s hand produce any eect? But all this seems nothing
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more than the ordinary course of events; only that the
hand of God waxes heavier and heavier in judgment-war
of conquest, mutual destruction, famine and sword, famine
and pestilence and the beasts of the earth, God’s four sore
providential plagues. (See Ezek. 14:21.) Hence we nd that
the four living creatures with the voice of God’s power call
the prophet to come and see. ese temporal providential
judgments are thus complete. And this is the subject of
the book. But we have seen suggested the existence of
recognized saints, but in no formally recognized place as
regards the church; because the known things were the
saints reigning in heaven, and the world judged on earth,
because we have left the church as a witness on earth. And
here we nd there have been some of them put to death,
101
oered up as burnt oerings to God; and the cry proceeds
from under the altar, which demands the execution of the
judgment directly on the inhabitants of the earth. is is
not the church’s cry, but of those that are in relationship
with judgment and the throne, and have their thoughts
associated with it-a necessary consequence of their
position; for it is their only refuge. “ Despot (Master)! holy
and true,” is the title they appeal to. ey are clothed with
the fruits of their sorrow and faithfulness; but for judgment
they must wait, till another body of suerers have lled up
the number which requires the judgment of God. But this
forms a moral epoch, and the demand is followed by an
utter convulsion of all existing institutions and ordinances,
so that the kings of the earth, rich and poor, great and small,
think that the day of judgment is come, though it be not
really so. And thus things were ripened up for what was
101 Compare Matt. 24 ough it is probable that part of it may be
more general, at any rate it is the same thing.
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more truly nal; for the previous judgments had been but a
beginning of throes. Hitherto it was more like the ordinary
circumstances of trial, though with increasing aggravation,
and till the cry for judgment arose against a persecuting
and un-repenting world.
But the more direct judgments of God were soon now
to begin to blow upon the earth, and those owned of God
must be sealed. And immediately on this Israel reappears
on the scene as the object of God’s sure and unceasing care.
“ Say that they are Jews, and are not,” is all that could be
said of Judaism while the church was on the scene: now
they are noted and numbered, as the people of God, not
delivered indeed, but marked. He who saw from heaven
could see it as the mission of the four horses, though in
earth nothing of it appeared. is closed this portion of
the vision. But a new scene bursts on the prophet’s sight, a
vast multitude in a position as yet unseen. is crowd had
no place in the scene in the beginning. It is now rst and
in special manner introduced in the scene; but the chapter
itself, it is to be remarked, is not the course of historical
events, but an interruption, to let us into certain purposes
of the divine counsel. e former part seals in the earth the
election of the earthly people. In this we have a present
assemblage of a multitude from among the Gentiles who
stand before the throne and the Lamb as victors brought
into the fruits of their toil. e God that they knew of, to
whom they ascribe salvation along with the Lamb, is God
as we see Him displayed in this book, not as He was known
to the church, the Father and the Son in communion by the
Spirit, but One who, on the throne, had been their Savior.
Historically the church had only seen Him exercising
His righteous judgments in the earth, because He could
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own nothing at this period in the earth. Still here there
is found a vast multitude who had been saved through
and out of all this, and who were found and owned before
the throne that had saved them. ey were not indeed in
such a position as sitting on thrones crowned, nor did they
celebrate the merits and title to glory of the Lamb that
they knew, but they could speak of a salvation which had
been granted them, ascribing it to God and the Lamb,
accomplished in the midst of the re. Note, the beasts and
elders are excluded here: these saved ones could not stand
around them and ascribe salvation (though the angels may
be in this position, when it is only a question of place and
honor). But the elder interests himself in them, and would
have John to know, and draws his attention to them. John
refers back to him, for the elders are ever they that have
understanding. “ ese are they who have come out of the
great
102
tribulation.” Now I do not believe that it is the
time of trouble of Matt. 24 which applies more particularly
to Judea and the Jews-the time of Jacob’s trouble. is is
far more extensive in its sphere, and precedes it in time;
for that takes place on the setting up the abomination of
desolation in the holy place, that is the last three years
and a half. But there is a time of temptation which is
to come upon all the world to try them which dwell on
earth, from which the true church had been preserved,
and from which these had not. is is, I apprehend, “ the
great tribulation,” from the midst of which these have been
saved. yatira had been threatened that Jezebel should be
102 Some persons lay great stress on the adjectives coming after
the substantives, “ the tribulation, the great,” without reason, I
judge. e adjective is more emphatic, in my judgment, when
it comes before than when it follows, which is very natural, the
strong expression coming rst still, I judge, it is the great.
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cast into great tribulation. It is very likely this also is the
same. I judge that it refers rather to what follows than to
what precedes, up to the time of the rising of the beast
out of the bottomless pit when the scene changes, and we
have another set of subjects. ey have proted fully by
the purifying ecacy of the blood of Christ, so as to stand
before God. ey worship in His temple. ey are relieved
by His presence from every sorrow and suerance, but they
are not with Him and the Lamb in intelligent glory as the
crowned elders on the thrones. ey are the subject of their
interest, and their explanations-touching witnesses of His
tenderness, and patience, but not of intelligent association
in His glory, as far as that may be to creatures.
ese once set in their place as manifesting the securing
power of God’s love, the history is resumed. is will not
require here much detail. e last seal is opened; and after a
short delay in the action of heaven, the seven angels prepare
to sound. e rst four give rise to the smiting the earth
in the four great sources of its riches. e earth (properly
speaking), the sea, the rivers, and the sun, moon, and stars.
is was not by apparently natural causes, as the famines
and the wars of the earliest judgments, but by what made
them evidently judgments or plagues: only we have to
remark here that these judgments broke forth as the result
of oering up the prayers of saints. e censer, in which
the great High Priest had oered up his incense, was lled
with re from the altar-God’s consuming judgment, and
then cast on the earth.
But these plagues in the earth cease, only to give way to
bitterer woes on the inhabitants of this hardened world. e
rst is the letting loose the locusts which came out of the
smoke of the bottomless pit, a Satanic darkening of human
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understanding, the taking away the light of the natural path
of man, the shutting out divine and heavenly inuence.
Out of this darkness go forth those whose business and
power is to pass through, pervade, and destroy, not now
mere prosperity, but all peace and rest of spirit-to torment
men so that they should desire death. It is not an outward
plague which touches prosperity, the means of enjoyment-
nor life, the loss of which, if it closes pleasure, makes pain
cease as to this world. e springs of joy were poisoned in
the heart, in the life left there, by this Satanic mischief;
but it was the portion of those _only not marked by God.
e next plague is more outward chastisement-the killing
by the power of the Euphratean horsemen. Still Satanic
power goes forth out of their mouth, and in their tails lies
and poison were found. But men repented not, neither
of their sins nor of their idolatry; such, thus far were the
eects of the sounding these terrible trumpets. Diabolical
principles and human energy, imbued however with what
was Satanic, succeed each other in the desolation of those
who have chosen this earth as their portion.
But now a new publication of the last importance comes
forth from heaven. e messenger of God’s power, clothed
with a cloud (the sign of His presence of old among His
people), the rainbow (pledge to the creation) on His head,
and His feet in consuming judgment, having an open book
in His hand, puts His feet, one on the sea, the other on
the land, thus claiming all the earth in judgment. When
He cried, the whole utterance of divine power gave forth
its voice; but the details were not revealed. However, there
was to be no longer any delay, but in the days of the seventh
trumpet when it should just now sound, the mystery of
God would be complete; afterward it would be open
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351
manifest government or revealed glory. e prophecy was
to re-commence. e book here is open, it was the dealing
and ways of God Himself with a known object, and on
known and revealed principles for a short period also, and
on a conned scale.
Accordingly we nd ourselves evidently at once on
Jewish ground, and direct reference to the historical records
of their conduct. Another immense dierence appears, too,
here; the whole character of the scene changes. It is no longer
mysterious agents inicting on carnal men the judgments
of God, the question of witness in the world being entirely
withdrawn. On the contrary, we are on the earth with
witnesses to the God of the earth; and, on the other hand,
plain denitely characterized wickedness, rising up to
destroy the true witnesses whom God avowedly owns, and
up to a certain time maintains untouched by their enemies.
e nature of the scene is thus wholly changed; the book is
eectually an open one. First, we had the church on earth;
then, dealing in judgment by providential power, and
nothing measured by God; now, we have renewed objects
of His dealings on earth. He resumes His ways with the
Jews
103
during forty-two months; then the city and outward
court of the temple are given up to the Gentiles. But there
are true worshippers in the temple and at the altar of God-
103 e Jews are not necessarily a publicly redeemed people,
because God deals with them emphatically. ey may be in
captivity as in Egypt, and in apostasy with a remnant as in
Elias’ case, and yet God, in a certain sense, owns and deals
with them. And this is just the case here. Still it is an immense
change to begin thus again with the Jews. It is just introduced
to connect it with its place in the general history before the
nal actings of the seventh trumpet; in what follows it is the
grand scene and subject of these latter. See note page 32.
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worshippers on a Jewish ground of hope by faith, not, I
judge, marked merely literally by the temple and altar, but
those who really understood approach to God, as priests
might who were within, while the general mass were given
up to be trodden down, with everything holy in the nation,
by the Gentiles. But, besides the priests’ reserved worship,
there was the power of prophecy, guarded by such power
as Moses had and Elias; and with reason, for they had the
diculties of both, the hostility of Gentiles to whom the
people were captive, and the apostasy of the people given
up to idolatry who had sold themselves to them. But with
the forty-two months, the time of their mission closed;
and the beast, ascending out of the bottomless pit, kills
them, and their bodies remain unburied in the great street
of the city called Sodom and Egypt where their Lord was
crucied-in principle, and probably in physical reality,
Jerusalem. But, revived by the spirit of life from God, they
stand up and go up in a cloud in the sight of their enemies.
Judgment and convulsion accompanied this; and a full class
of men were killed, for seven thousand is a complete set
destined to that. e city may be still naturally supposed
Jerusalem; but if taken in a wider sense I do not object,
as “ the city “ is so used. is part gives a denite place to
these prophecies. I have no doubt this was the rst half
week. is is necessarily introduced to give it its place in
the general history and connects the two.
We have then the second woe closing with the closing
of the rst half-week; it would appear probable (I am
inclined to suppose) beginning also within it, but this I
leave. e seventh trumpet is the signal of closing all, as
had been said, but the events are not related under it, no
more than on the opening of the seventh seal; all in which
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God would, on to the end, display His power, is celebrated
as now to take place.
And now, before the history is continued, the thoughts
of God in the denouement of it all, (Rev. 7) and Satan’s
opposition, are brought into view, and then the history as
the way towards it. Still all ows now on intelligible Jewish
ground of interpretation. e blessing is not yet manifested
on earth, but it is secured in heaven. Hence the temple is
opened in heaven; and the prophet seeks the ark of the
covenant, God’s sign of unchangeable purpose of blessing,
and the voice of His power in judgment accompanies the
vision. e counsels of God then appear themselves in
connection with the Jewish people. ey are to be clothed
with supreme glory to bring forth Messiah to reign over
the nations in power. In God’s view, the old covenant
glory, or mere Mosaic estate, is to be under their feet;
and, clothed with the supreme authority, the perfection of
human administrative authority crowns their head. But in
the bringing forth of the reigning strong man, there was
(if not as to the fact, at least as to the accomplishments
of the purpose) an interruption. Satan in direct hostile
power (his form the Roman government) seeks to destroy
this Jewish king of iron scepter. He is caught up to God
and His throne, hidden for the time; and Israel’s place is
of God in the desert, seen and acted on in the remnant
according to God in the latter day. Meanwhile, as I doubt
not, the church is associated with the male child (compare
the promise of yatira). ere is war in heaven; Satan is
cast out, and then persecutes the Jews as objects of promise,
and the woman ees into the desert where God takes care
of her. is casting out of Satan is the beginning of the
active energy of Christ’s kingdom and God’s power in it.
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Heaven was forever freed from the accuser, to the joy of
those who dwelt there and rejoiced in the deliverance thus
accomplished of their brethren who had been in conict.
eir combat is now closed-they have overcome. Blessed
those who dwell in heaven! but woe to earth and sea,
because of the wrath of him who knows that his remaining
time is short! is important event, the casting down
forever of Satan from heaven, where he shall no longer be
the adversary of the saints, introduces the last three years
and a half, the peculiar character of which is his power,
and working, and rage upon earth in consequence. Not
merely the saints of the church long since out of view, but
the saints in conict in the immediately preceding epoch
are out of his reach. ey have overcome, suered, and
their victory is celebrated; but if God had not shortened
the days, no esh would be saved of those subject to his
violence on earth. e woman (the Jews as objects of God’s
purpose) and her seed are the great object of his malice; but
the woman is secured, and he makes war with the remnant
of her seed, characterized as having the commandments of
God and the testimony of Jesus (that is, as being faithful
in obedience, of which the commandment of God, the law,
was the measure, and walking by the light and spirit of
prophecy); for the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of
Jesus.
Satan’s plans in that terrible time are then unfolded; a
beast rises, as to its providential existence, out of the mass
and confusion of the nations; its form was that of ten
kingdoms, distinct governments, yet a corporate body which
had had itself seven forms of government, and embraced
the qualities of power of all the previous empires, and to
which Satan gives his throne and power. He blasphemes
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against God, his tabernacle (I suppose his heavenly one in
the church), and against those that dwell in heaven. It is
an essentially earthly beast exalting man and what is seen,
and lled with hatred of all that was above him and that
was heaven. Save the elect, he has empire given him; and
those who have their portion on earth worship him. He
had one of his forms of existence wounded to death, but
this was healed; it was a Satanic imperial power and body,
formed however of the union of several kingdoms. But
there was yet another instrument of the enemy’s; if he set
up the rst beast on the throne in power as an object, he
wrought in another as an agent. e second beast arises
out of the earth. It is in the already formed and ordered
system. He is a power, and the form of his power is Christ’s
(not Christianity but Christ’s); but his voice was Satan’s.
He does ample signs also to prove himself the prophet sent
of God, doing that which Elijah did as the test between
Jehovah and Baal. He has the claims in form of Christ’s
royalty, and works peculiar signs as a prophet; but all this in
the service of the beast, all whose power he exercises in its
presence, and causes man to make an image to it, and forces
his adoration, or at least submission to it. It is Satan’s power
in full energy, in the form of a false Christ and prophet, but
who maintains the authority of the throne Satan has set
up. I do not doubt the center of the false prophet’s work
is in Judah. I do not say exclusively. Such are the formal
instruments of evil.
Next, we have God’s workings in the midst of all this.
First, the faithful remnant of Judah, who have known how
to suer like the Lamb during the power of him who had
His appearance. It is not yet Solomon glory, but David on
Zion between Shiloh and the temple, as in Chronicles, and
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those who have suered with him there. Hence they have
not their name, as children, but His Father’s name who had
been faithful to Him in His life, so suering; and counted
on His name in their measure, as Christ had. ese were not
in heaven, but associated as an anticipative remnant with
all Christ’s glory when He takes it, like David’s worthies,
not entering into it when it is taken, but with Him into
it in its fullest display on earth, with Him the Lamb in
His earthly royal state wherever He goes; and this being
sovereign grace, they can catch the heavenly air they are so
near to, though they are not in heaven. ese rst secured
in their place as ever, the gospel of God’s creation-glory
and swift-coming judgment is sent forth-a last message,
that man may escape, as Psa. 96 en the fall of Babylon
is announced; then the nal solemn warning against the
beast: and then it is announced that it is closed, and the
dying in the Lord are thenceforth happy. None are now to
be thus put to death, for all is now turned. And the harvest
or distinctive judgment, where the good are spared, and the
vintage, where it is all destruction of the apostate Judaism,
take place. Much of this last may have even had the form of
Christianity (for aught I know it is probable); but it is now
idolatrous apostate Judaism.
is wholly closes this part of the scene. e proper
judgments of God in the earth, which ll up His wrath,
are given as a description apart. Chapters 11-14, were all
in connection with Jerusalem and the Jews, though there
were agents whose actings perhaps extended beyond it; but
the subject of the chapters, the guiding key of intelligence,
is their connection with God’s purposes as to the Jews and
Jerusalem.
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357
ese chapters are not so. We return to the present
judgments of God in the earth on the general state of an
apostate world, with its particular results and features.
Hence we have no longer the ark of the covenant, but
the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony. e throne
exercises its power according to the righteous testimony
of God; but there is no question of covenant. e typical
features are used of the temple. ose who would not
worship the beast are seen on a sea of glass mingled with re.
ey had been puried with the moral power of the word,
but accompanied by tribulations-they had passed through
the re. Now they were seen triumphant on unchangeable
purity before God. It is well to remark, that chapter 15 is
in no way the historic continuance of chapter 14 which
had closed with the winepress judgment. It returns back
to recount the judgments that fall on the Gentile part of
the wickedness, beginning as ever by setting the saints
in resulting triumph, so as to assure their hearts through
it all. ey sing somewhat as Israel at the Red Sea. e
judgment is made manifest; but also how true these ways
of judgment are of Him whom they characteristically own
here as the King of nations! It will be found, as before in
the trumpets, that the four great symbols and indeed real
sources of prosperity are smitten (only in a much severer
way, and with especial application to the kingdom of the
beast)- the earth; sea, rivers, and sun. It was the wrath and
vengeance of God Almighty. e fth comes closer. e
vial is poured on the throne of the beast; and darkness and
anguish seize on his kingdom, but without repentance; and
nal judgment is prepared. On the sixth vial being poured
out, the Euphrates is dried up. e barrier of the beast’s
empire is destroyed; but I am not prepared to say who the
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kings, from the rising of the sun, are, if it be more than
laying open the empire to the inroads of the powers beyond.
After this, three unclean spirits (Satan’s direct blasphemous
rebellious power, that of the empire raised up in the latter
day, and the false prophet of Judaism) assemble the kings
of the prophetic world to the battle of the great day of God
Almighty. Armageddon alludes, I suppose, to Judg. 5:19,
20. e Lord now, too, as a warning recalls to those that
have ears to hear His thief-like coming on the world. e
seventh angel pours out his vial in the air (the universally
pervading inuence that men inhale and live by), the signs
of God’s terrible power break forth, and such convulsion of
all established on earth as never had been known. e great
Gentile city is divided into three parts. e city embraces,
I apprehend, the whole organized civil relationship of the
western Gentile world. Elsewhere this, as independently
constituted, came to nothing; and Babylon, the Roman
system and inuences and order, came up before God for
wrath, for hitherto it had subsisted. Judgment severe and
terrible fell on men from God; but they only blasphemed
the more.
ereupon, we have the description and judgment of
Babylon. All this is the judgment of God, not of the Lamb,
and precedes His manifestation on earth. Rome had long
carried on her idolatrous intercourse on earth, and exercised
her inuence over the nations, and had her dalliance with
the kings of the earth. Every adulterous departure from God
in associating the church with the world, was her daughter.
Her system had been sustained by and ministered to every
luxury, and the sale of everything; but what characterized
her was spiritual fornication and idolatry. “ e beast
which was and is not,” I take to be a characteristic name,
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359
not designating any given epoch. “ e beast that was, is
not, and shall be present “ is the revived Roman empire;
but in this last character it is entirely from beneath; and we
recognize the one that slew the witnesses at the beginning
of the three years and a half, the same as the rst beast of
chapter 13, but there as the established power of Satan on
the earth, here in association with corrupt Babylon. us,
here accordingly we have the ten kingdoms who received
their power during the same period with the beast, as there
they were crowned during his existence. But at last they all
hate Babylon, and burn her with re; the corrupt idolatrous
system is insupportable.
Note, the false prophet subsists in the same period with
Babylon-a remarkable fact as to the state of things at that
time. But the false prophet subsists after Babylon is totally
destroyed-a strong evidence, be it said, in passing, that it is
a dierent order of things. e city is, I doubt not, Rome.
All the rest now ows easily on. After the judgment of
the great whore, long falsely calling herself the church, left
to the rage of those she had long imposed on, room was
made for the manifestation of the true. e marriage of
the Lamb takes place, not the rapture, but the full union
of Christ and the church, at the same time that the reign
of the Lord God Almighty is celebrated. ose called to
assist at the festival of the Lamb’s marriage-supper are
noted as blessed: I suppose rather a dierent class from
the wife-what, I am not prepared to say; but it is a time
of blessedness, and blesses all who are near it, or under
its inuence. Subsequently to this heaven is opened (for
the church’s place with Christ was within); and the Lord
comes forth on the white horse of victory, and the saints
with Him, and the judgment is executed on the beast, and
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the false prophet, and on their armies. e two are cast alive
into the lake of re-terrible counterpart of the Enochs and
Elijahs of old, and plainer even its result.
e next step is the binding of Satan in the bottomless
pit; this closes all that part of judgment. Verse 4 begins
that of another character, and not following the order of
time-the judgment of the throne, not as making war, but
as ruling. In principle this continues till the great white
throne has pronounced its at. But here on these millennial
thrones the saints are associated. It is not precisely here the
royal priests surrounding the throne, and worshipping, but
thrones of judgment, such as Dan. 7 alludes to. We have, in
general, the thrones; and as it might have been supposed
that the beheaded, whom we have seen under the altar, and
the persecuted of the beast, had lost their share, they are
specically named as found alive, though the body might
have been killed; and they live and reign with Christ. Satan
is let loose, that the inhabitants of the millennial earth may
be put to the test, and alas! found to be men; and then the
close in Christ’s nal judgment of the dead, and all things
new.
From verse 9 (chap. 21), we have the connection of the
heavenly Jerusalem with the earth during the millennium,
including its own blessedness from which the blessing
owed; and the book is closed by warnings of Christ’s
coming to those concerned in the prophecy, “ to every man,”
and then by the revelation of Himself to the church, which
awakens her desire that He come, with her possession of
the living water of grace meanwhile; to which He answers
with the assurance, that He comes quickly, and the prophet
adds his “ Amen.”
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361
62279
Remarks on the Seven
Churches
I have a few remarks to make on the churches. e
object in view being their judgment, it is not the power
which produced blessing that is presented to us; but the
state in which the church is found when the blessing
produced has been left in men’s hands, as an eect-the state
after the spiritual energy has been at work. Another thing
it is well to remember-that a previously described state
does not necessarily cease to exist because a new one is
introduced. e church has lost its rst love, though much
else has come in since. Jezebel has not ceased to exercise
her pernicious inuence because Sardis has a name to live
and is dead.
e next thing I would remark is, that when judgment is
to happen to one of the churches (and so is pronounced on
the state which that church represents), in the execution of
it, the saints, where they are distinguished, are necessarily
to be considered apart from the threatened evil-doers,
and the time of the punishment of the latter is not in the
period pointed out in the address to the church as such.
ese remain for the execution of the judgment after the
encouraged saints are gone, and may be a carcass carrying
its former name, but a mere carcass with no life at all. us,
in yatira certain are reserved for great tribulation, and
certain to be killed by the retributive justice of God; but
under what circumstances is not stated. e saints will
be gone before the execution of this judgment: so that
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it is not in the mixed body to which the Lord’s given
judgment applies. is modies extremely the historical
accomplishment of the results spoken of in the threatenings
pronounced. is remark, however, I think, does not
properly apply to the rst three churches: their corporate
state is recognized, not as being what it ought to be perhaps,
but as existing-as a recognized corporate object. Hence the
church, as such, is threatened with the Lord’s visitation,
and “ he that overcometh “ is placed after the “ he that
hath ears.” But in yatira the faithful are distinguished
as “ the rest in yatira.” e church, as a professing body,
had lost its corporate witness. Hence the Lord’s coming
is now put forward as a hope and time of expectation to
the faithful, to whom the church was no longer a stay and
consolation; and the saints are particularly referred to that.
“ Hold fast till I come.” is is very remarkable, as giving
now a hope and stay out of the church to the faithful. e
change of “ the overcomer “ to a place before the warning
to hear (that is the comparative individualization of the
latter) accompanies this also, beginning with the church of
yatira. With yatira closes also the application of the
characters of Christ found in the things John had seen.
In Sardis, the title of Christ in the church, as holding
the seven stars in His right hand, is recognized-that could
not be questioned. But after this all the titles are new,
to be understood by a distinctive faith, which is the stay
and gives its character to the delity of the saints who
know His name, but which was not what John had seen
displayed of Christ as in the midst of the churches. Sardis
and Philadelphia both participate in the announcement
of the Lord’s coming; which, when the church was
thoroughly corrupted as at yatira, so that the residue
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363
were distinguished from the body, is held out to sustain the
faith, and relieve the spirit of those oppressed by the evil.
But then in Sardis the coming is presented in a very
dierent way, from what it is in Philadelphia. Sardis,
whose reputation was great, but who was dead in relation
with Him who had all the perfections of the Spirit, has
her works judged as not perfect before God; and she is
threatened with the world’s judgment. (Compare 1ess.
4; Luke 21:35.) Here we have again to remark, that the
judgment of Sardis will be, when all real pretension to be
a church had ceased, if even the form be preserved. e
few worthy will be in white with Jesus; and, after their
taking away, those who had formed part of the body will
be judged with the world. In what form they subsist is not
said: only we may in general say that it will be as unfaithful
in the place they stood in, not as not being in it. (See Matt.
24:50, 51, and chap. 25: 30.) In Philadelphia, the church is
become a remnant, and the remnant is the church in God’s
sight. All is encouragement: and though strength be very
little, still an open door is there. ey will be kept from the
hour of temptation which will come on the world; and they
are comforted with the assurance that the Lord is coming
quickly. It is to them, as waiting for Him, a comfort and
a joy. It is the faithful, the feeble awakened remnant at
the close, who, entering into the patience of Christ, are
comforted by the assurance of their entire separation from
the world’s lot, not merely in judgment, but in the terrible
tribulation coming. ey would be entirely out of the time
even in which it would be. But Christ is not yet come.
In the Laodicean church, Christ alone takes the
character of “ Amen “ to promise, and “ faithful and true
“-promise, and the name in which He is to be Head of all
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things new, soon to be manifested, “ the beginning of the
creation of God.” (Compare His own titles, Col. 1) e
church has lost the sense of what Christ is and hence has a
good opinion of her own state. And here again the principle
previously spoken of applies. e execution of judgment
on the persons guilty does not come within the limits of
the real existence of that addressed as “ the church.” I say
this of Laodicea; and it is here the question becomes really
important, because the Lord addresses it yet as “ church.”
e overcomers have yet a place at least in the throne
with Christ. e body had, when addressed, yet the name
of a place before God, and was judged by Him as such;
but its real state was nauseous to God, and it would be
spued out of the Lord’s mouth, utterly rejected as such.
is is rather its rejection as in a church-standing than the
execution of judgment on those guilty. And this was, in the
knowledge of God, its certain portion. Still counsel and
warning were addressed to it, till its rejection took place.
But the Lord distinguishes the possible remnant that may
still linger within, in the patience of His mercy (always
unwearied while mercy is possible).
But I judge that it is not the resulting judgment on
those who refuse the warning and are cast out, but the
entire rejection, as disgusting to Christ, from the position
in which they stood as a body. A faithful witness could no
longer bear such a thing.
is supposes, that after the Sardis state is formed, a
Philadelphian body arises, through grace, which is to
escape the time of tribulation. e forming of this body,
I apprehend, induces a result-the Laodicean state of the
public body, which is what Christ will reject, as having
to do with the church, leaving aside the judgment of the
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365
guilty after their works. e historical execution of the
threatening is not given, any more than the rapture of
the faithful, because the message is addressed to the body
while it has, as a present thing, the character in which it
is addressed, with the consequences of certain conduct:
only here the declaration of rejection is unconditional,
because already the body was what required that rejection.
But I apprehend that the term “ after these” supposes the
execution of the judgment of spuing out of the mouth, so
that nothing is any longer recognized as holding, in any
sense, a church-standing before God, when the prophetic
declarations as to the judgment of the world begin to take
eect. e judgment which the individuals who composed
the rejected body will undergo (though, I doubt not, having
respect to their previous position; for those who have not
professed cannot, for example, be apostate,) depends on
the position which they are found in, which is not the
proper subject of the judgment of the churches, though
the declarations made to yatira and Sardis (generally
considered, whether great Romish and Protestant bodies)
intimate, in some respects, the ulterior consequences of
indelity in those positions respectively.
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62280
e Prophetical Addresses
to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 1
Delivered in London, 1852.
LECTURE 1
BEFORE entering into the detail of the addresses to the
seven churches, of which it is my purpose to speak, it would
be well to say a few words as to the general character of the
book in which they are found. It is exceedingly important
that we should get a right and distinct apprehension of
certain great principles which run through the whole book
of Revelation, or we shall not understand what God is
spoken of in it as doing. And here, remember that it is
from Scripture alone that we gather what the purpose of
God is, and what God is about in doing what He does, and
in doing it as He does.
e rst chapter introduces the whole book. It is a
revelation given to Jesus Christ to show unto His servants
things which must come to pass preparatory to the
appearing of Christ. It is a wonderful thought that God
should make such communications, as is also the way in
which He does it. For God cannot write as man does,
merely to recount what interests or aects the passions
of men. But when God writes, it is in order to bring out
something by which to test our souls, and bring them into
fellowship with Himself. Take the gospels for instance.
ey are not written merely to give an historical account of
Christ when down here, but to unfold to our souls God’s
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purposes and ways of grace, in the work and Person of His
Son. And it is only as we thus learn what God’s thoughts
and ways are, that we are able to understand what God is
doing in any part of His ways.
e book of Revelation is a book of judgment all
through. God is revealed in the book, as one about to
execute judgment. is applies to the church itself, as
seen in chapters 2 and 3. It is seen on the earth-subject to
judgment. e prophecy may speak of the things which
are under judgment, and of the means by which judgment
may be averted; but still it is all through judicial, if we
except the description of the glorious state of the church
as the heavenly Jerusalem. But, even so, it is the case even
as regards the church, when active, as she appears on
white horses in chapter 19. Until we get hold of this truth
clearly in our minds, the intention of the book can never
be understood.
en, again, we do not nd the name of Father in this
book in connection with the saints. e Father is spoken
of in connection with Christ (chap. 2: 27; chap. 3: 5, 21),
but this only conrms the remark in the text. It is used
also in chapter 14: 1, where the name of the Lamb’s Father
is written on the foreheads of the hundred and forty-four
thousand, and even then it is His Father, though His name
be on their foreheads; neither is there the relationship of
the bride, the Lamb’s wife, until the marriage of the Lamb
is spoken of as taking place. e system and relationships in
the book of Revelation are of another character altogether.
It is God dealing with what is on the earth, according to
the responsibility. is simple thought prevents very many
mistakes. And further, it is not only judicial in its character,
but judgment connected with the earth-that is, that men
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368
are responsible upon earth for that which is committed to
their trust. So that, if even the church is spoken of in this
book as being on the earth, its responsibility is the subject
spoken of, and as such it comes under judgment. us you
get the earth as its subject.
e next important remark is, that the whole character
of the book is prophetic. “ Blessed is he that readeth, and
they that hear, the words of this prophecy.” And even when
the seven churches are addressed, the language is prophetic.
It is not so in the various epistles in the previous part of
the New Testament. ey are communications addressed
to the churches or saints, directing their present conduct in
the relationship in which God in grace had set them with
Himself and the Lord Christ.
I say these addresses are prophetic; that is, they are the
announcement of results and consequences which would
come upon those to whom they apply, as forming a public
body, in the way of judgment-not the ministration of grace
and direction in a sure and subsisting relationship as to
which no change is suered. It is not a present blessing
intended for the speaker, and those who would receive it at
the time as having ears to hear. We see this same dierence
in the Old Testament prophets and in the prophetic
passages scattered through the epistles. If you look into
1Peter 1:11, 12, you will see what I mean. “ Unto whom
it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they
did minister the things.” is is the proper character of
prophecy. It is addressed to one and intended for others. It
does not say, as the Holy Ghost in the epistles-” us”; it is
a revelation of things future. A prophet did not prophesy
about himself. e Spirit of Christ reveals to the prophet
things about others, and not about Himself. e dierence
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afterward is, that these same things were reported to the
saints by them that had preached the gospel with the Holy
Ghost sent down from heaven. When the Holy Ghost is
speaking in the saints, He reveals the things of which He
speaks as belonging to themselves; and therefore it is that
when the Holy Ghost speaks in the saints, He constantly
says “ us.” We do not nd this little word “ us “ in the same
connection anywhere in the Old Testament. “ He hath
loved us and washed us “-” to the glory of God by us “-”
who hath blessed us “-” according as he hath chosen us “- “
having predestinated us “-” who hath delivered us “- “ and
hath raised us up together, and hath made us sit together in
heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” It is not merely showing
things to come. When the Holy Ghost shows any of the
things of Christ, He includes all saints-” that we may be
able to comprehend with all saints.” In a word, the Holy
Ghost, thus speaking takes in all saints, as now associated
in the blessing, and appropriates all that God has given us
“ in Christ Jesus.” Only it is not all enjoyed yet, so that we
have still to hope to the end “ for the grace that is to be
brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
We have here three steps: rst, the Spirit of prophecy
in times past ministering in the prophets not unto
themselves; secondly, the Holy Ghost sent down to
announce the salvation; thirdly, He becomes the seal, the
earnest, the anointing, by which our portion is known and
enjoyed, as the Spirit of expectancy, because while here in
the body we have not actually got that we shall have. We
have the earnest, but we wait for the adoption, to wit, “
the redemption of the body.” Still, the Spirit of God, as
dwelling in the church, in His proper church character,
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370
gives the consciousness of the present enjoyment of what
He reveals in those two emphatic words “ us “ and “ we.”
We saw very lately, in speaking on Heb. 9, that at the
end of the age Christ was taken up into heaven, and while
He is up there, before He returns to this earth again, a work
is going on by the Holy Ghost, a body is being gathered
and associated with Him-the Head in heaven at God’s
right hand, as in Psalm 110. “ Sit thou at my right hand,
until I make thy foes thy footstool.” In virtue of the Head
being thus exalted to the right hand of God, He sends
down the Holy Ghost to gather a body to be identied
with Him in glory, to have the same glory as Himself, to
be members of His esh and of His bones. Here is the
proper church character of the Spirit; not prophecy, not the
communication of what is to happen on earth to others, but
the seal, earnest, and assurance of blessings which are our
own, testifying how God hath blessed us-not somebody
else-and abiding with us till Christ come. en, blessed
be God, there is not a particle of the precious dust of His
redeemed that will be left behind; for “ he that is joined
to the Lord is one spirit,” and Christ will take the whole
man, spirit, soul, and body, to the fullest enjoyment with
Himself forever.
When the Spirit of God comes to be a prophetic Spirit,
it is quite a dierent thing. His testimony must be applied
to an earthly thing. He never prophesies about heaven. If
the Holy Ghost comes and says, All the glory in heaven
is yours, this is not a prophecy of some event — i.e., a
revelation. In one sense we are there. We realize our
fellowship in heavenly places, while waiting down here for
the accomplishment of all to take place, waiting for the
redemption of the body.
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But when I come down to the earth to think of the
earth, even if I have to deal with the church, however sure
its everlasting privileges viewed in its true character, it is
before me as a responsible body on the earth-” the things
which are “ responsible according to the measure of the
privileges in which it is left down here.
And it is of the last importance to keep fast hold of
this truth, or we shall not understand the actings of God.
e Holy Ghost dwelling in the church associates me
with Christ. If righteousness is the question, I am the
righteousness of God in Him; if life, He is my life; if
glory, He says, “ the glory which thou gavest me I have
given them.” All that He has is ours, save and except His
Godhead, in which there is no need of course to say that
He is, as regards us, alone.
104
All that Christ has belongs
to me, for “ he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit.”
Prophecy could not deal with this, for it was a mystery, hid
from ages and generations, hid in God; but by the Holy
Ghost it has now been told out that the living church is in
living union at this present time with Christ, at God’s right
hand in heaven-Christ, the Head, in heaven-the church,
the members, on the earth. e Old Testament saints could
not talk about a man in heaven having members on the
earth. Members on the earth would have had no meaning
for them; and Christ must have been rejected from the
earth before I could talk of His being as the Head in
heaven, having members on the earth. When I get down to
prophecy, then I get the church let into the knowledge of
what God is going to do on the earth.
104 Morally, however, we are made partakers of the divine nature,
that we may fully delight in God.
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When the churches are addressed in Rev. 2 and 3, the
Spirit never speaks of grace owing down from the Head
to the members of the body; and even when we see the
saints on high, they are presented, not as one body, but as
separate worshippers, having an object in heaven to worship,
kings and priests to God. Indeed, the Spirit does not speak
of the church as the body of Christ in these addresses, but
of certain companies in certain circumstances, and not as
members of a body, nor of the living power of grace working
down here to produce blessing; but of the conduct of those
who have enjoyed the advantages of this grace when they
had been set in this place of blessing. It does not speak of
what the church is, but of what the church has done. It is
not the church’s condition as set in grace by the power of
the Holy Ghost (for the Holy Ghost which had put them
there is not spoken of as working, or dwelling in them); it is
the church’s responsibility. You will not nd all through, as
I said before, the Father’s love to the children, nor yet the
Holy Ghost, as the soul (so to speak) of the body, linking it
to the Head, nor the power of grace, of which the marriage
of the Lamb is the grand result. But it is the church in a
given condition on the earth, subject to judgment. ere is
nothing here about union with Christ. But we nd this-the
testimony of what Christ is to each state of things spoken
of-His present judgment of which He reveals. is makes it
very simple and easy of apprehension, and also full of prot
to our souls in the way of warning; while the privileges in
which we are set are the spring of all blessing, which makes
it so true that “ the joy of the Lord is our strength.”
But what we do get in Rev. 1:1 is very precious and full
of instruction. “ e Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God
gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which
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must shortly come to pass.” Now this, evidently, is not
Christ as the Head of the body in heaven, the Holy Ghost
working in the members, to edify that body. In the epistles
that relationship and position are clearly brought out. But
here it is the revelation which God gave to Christ to show
(not to the sons, but) to His servants things which must
shortly come to pass. Again, this is not the Holy Ghost, as
in the epistle to the Ephesians, bringing down instruction
to the children and the bride, and showing them their
relationships to the Father and the Bridegroom, but it is
a revelation to servants of things that are coming to pass
on the earth, “ and he sent and signied it by an angel.”
e ministration of angels thus comes in, showing the
prophetic character of this passage. Observe, further, that
this is not the unfolding of the riches of Christ Himself
by the Holy Ghost, but a message by an angel. Verse 2, “
Who bare record “-not of fellowship in Christ, or of the
fullness of Christ-but “ of the word of God, and of the
testimony of Jesus Christ.” e testimony of Jesus Christ
is not His fullness, but His witness borne to something
else. And mark here how we have now got down to events
on the earth (and these are never the fullness of Christ in
heaven); we must get our minds clear on this point. Verse 3.
en there is the promised blessing to those that read and
hear this prophecy.
Verse 4. “ Grace be unto you, and peace, from him
which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from
the seven Spirits which are before his throne.” e grace
and peace here are not from the Father and the Son, but
from Jehovah. e salutation, especially as regards the
Holy Ghost, is not the same thing as in 2Cor. 13:14,
although, no doubt, the seven Spirits allude to the Holy
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374
Ghost, the number seven being the symbol of perfection in
its diversied power. e title here given to the Spirit is in
connection with the display of the power and intelligence
with which the earth is governed. (Compare chap. 5: 6.)
Verse 5. “ And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful
witness, and the rst begotten of the dead, and the prince
of the kings of the earth.” “ And from Jesus Christ “-Christ
is the last mentioned of the three, as showing how entirely
He is brought out here in connection with the government
of the earth. “ e faithful witness “-the one who infallibly
showed out what God is, and indeed all truth, when He
was on the earth. “ e rst begotten from the dead “-this
is the power of the resurrection “ from the dead “ down
here. “ e Prince of the kings of the earth “-His place in
power over all dominion here below, a place He has yet
to take as to actual possession of it. He is not here called
“ the Son of the Father,” nor yet spoken of as the Head of
the body, the church; nor yet as the Lamb in the midst of
the throne, but as the Prince of the kings of the earth, thus
showing that it is simply His connection with the earth
that is taken up here.
But then, mark, the moment Christ is mentioned, how
the heart of the church goes out with the joy of its own
proper and personal relationship with that Christ: “ unto
him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own
blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and
his Father.” is never fails; when Christ is spoken of,
no matter what the subject is, He is still our Christ, with
whom we are livingly associated, so that it is impossible to
hear His name only without its drawing forth the response
of the soul, and the acknowledgment of what Christ is
to it. If I think of the judgment even, and of Him as the
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Judge, I say, “ I am associated with Him “; in all things He
is my Christ. If in this life the wife of some eminent man
saw him coming, she would naturally say, ere comes my
husband, because her own relationship is in her thoughts,
and rst in them. So of the church with Christ, whatever
character He is revealed in. So it is at the end of the
book, when the prophetic part is closed, we nd another
response of the same kind; the moment He says, “ I am
the bright and morning star,” instantly the church responds
according to her hope in Him, and says, Come. “ e Spirit
and the bride say, Come.” And so should it ever be with
us: Christ Himself should be lling up every thought and
aection of the heart. It is just this that gives its value to
every character of testimony to Christ, to every part of His
glory. at which concerns Christ concerns me, whatever
the immediate subject may be. If my heart is occupied
with Himself who possesses the coming glory, unless I
nd Him in the glory, the glory itself would be nothing
to me. I always want something that concerns Christ; and
because it concerns Christ, it must necessarily concern
me. It is perfectly true that some subjects, even connected
with our Lord, are more interesting than others, and that
in proportion as they bring us into closer connection with
Himself.
e crown of Jesus in that day will be composed of
many diadems, and each one, though worn in respect of
others than the church, will form part of our joy, because
part of His glory, for we should be unhappy if we thought
He could lose any part of His crown and glory. Our joy
does not only consist in the knowledge of individual
salvation, as our individual salvation is not the end of our
joy. Although, blessed be God, it is the beginning to us,
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there is not one thing, however apparently disconnected
with it, that can ever lose its value in the eyes of a saint,
viewed in its connection with the glory of Christ. We may
see this carried out at the deathbed of a Christian; if Christ
Himself has been his joy, all that belongs to Him will be
precious. If the soul has been merely occupied with the
work of Christ, in bringing salvation to itself, there will
be peace, because it knows salvation; but if the Person of
Christ has become the object of aection and the soul is
occupied with Himself, such a one has a constant spring
within of joy, as well as settled peace; for when Christ is
the personal object to the soul, it possesses a joy which the
mere fact of knowing we are saved (blessed as it may be)
will not continuously give. If Christ ll the heart, it will
not be merely that I am happy because I am saved, but the
thought of Him to whom I am going will ll my soul with
joy. It is true that I am going to heaven, but the thought
that makes heaven a heaven to my soul is, that Christ
Himself is there; there is some one to go to. e Person I
have loved on earth, I am going to be with in heaven. And
thus it is always expressed in Scripture. For the spirit, it is
departing and being with Christ.
From the very beginning of the book the church is put
in a separate place; her priestly place is in heaven (outside
the sphere of the action of this book, or rather inside, within
the veil) above, in the place from whence the book came.
Such, then, as speaking on earth in verse 5, are the church’s
thoughts” unto him that loved us.” ere is no question
of judgment: He “ hath loved us “; no uncertainty as to
condition: He hath “ washed us from our sins in his own
blood.” e believer’s place is no longer a question when the
prophetic witness of the book begins. Christ hath died and
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is risen again, “ and hath made us kings and priests,” which
titles we get without our responsibility bringing them into
question. Responsibilities we have, but Jesus hath washed
us, and we are conscious of the place in which we are set,
having the answer of the heart in which the Holy Ghost
dwells.
e place of the church is unquestionably settled before
anything else is unfolded. is same principle is more
elaborately brought out in Eph. 1e church is rst of
all placed in the very same acceptance that the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself is, before it is shown the “ mystery of his
will.” is is not prophecy, but the church being placed, as
Christ Himself, to be the reection of His glory. First, thus
“ accepted in the beloved,” God then, in the aboundings
of His grace in wisdom and prudence towards her, lets her
into the secret of His thoughts and purposes as to the glory
of Christ, in gathering together in one all things in Him.
e Spirit closes it all with an Amen, and now begins
with the earth, and speaks of the eect of Christ’s coming
on the inhabitants of it.
Verse 7. “ Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every
eye shall see him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him.” Not so the church. I am not going to wail
when I see Christ. Ah! how my face will brighten when I
rst get a glimpse of Him; though, alas! if our aections
are not right, it cannot be a present joy to think of being
caught up to meet Him. And here I would ask, Is there
anything allowed that would make you wish the Lord’s
coming delayed, any mere natural aection even that
comes in, turning the eye and the heart away? If the heart
is wrapped up in Christ, and we feel what it is to be in such
a world, not of toil merely, but of sin, what a thought to
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be with Christ out of it! Surely there is not a chord in the
heart of the saint that does not vibrate exactly contrary to
the feelings of those whose eyes shall see Him and wail!
And yet the positive hope, the joy of seeing and being with
Himself, is a yet fuller and more abiding source of joy than
deliverance itself. When I say, “ Every eye shall see him,”
then it is wailing with the poor world; but when I say, “ My
eye shall see him,” then every feeling of my soul will bound
up with joy-the very opposite of wailing. Am I looking
even only to be spared? Did not Christ say, “ I go to prepare
a place for you, and I will come again and receive you unto
myself? “ which was really saying, “ is world is not good
enough for you; I cannot stay with you here, where sin and
sorrow are stamped on all around; but when the place is
prepared, I will come and take you to be with me where I
am.” What an entire dierence between the two aspects of
the coming of the Lord!
Verse 8. After seeing His glory and dominion we get
the glory of His Person, “ e Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the ending “-the Almighty. It is not the
Father here. What a dierence between looking for what
the Almighty One will do upon the earth, and being taken
up to my Father’s house and talking of what my Father is
for us there!
ere are three great names in which God reveals
Himself to man. Firstly, to Abraham, in Gen. 17 “ I am the
Almighty God [El Shaddai], walk before me and be thou
perfect.” It was like saying, I am the Almighty: therefore do
thou trust in me. What is called perfection is a response to
the character in which God is revealed to us. “ He suered
no man to do them harm, and reproved even kings for their
sakes,” Psa. 105:14.
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Secondly, when He comes to Israel He takes another
name. In Exodus we nd Him revealing Himself to them
as Jehovah, the ever-existing One, going on to accomplish
all His promises.
irdly, to the saints now, it is as Father. ey are taken
into connection with the Almighty and Eternal Jehovah,
in the relationship of children to a father, in the enjoyment
of eternal life imparted to them. “ I will be a Father unto
you … saith the Lord Almighty.” Hence we cannot answer
to this revelation but by the spirit of adoption, and being
really children, and possessing the nature and Spirit of Him
who is our Father. Hence it is not said, as in the case of the
titles, Almighty and Jehovah, “ Be ye perfect with “; but
when the Father’s name is revealed, which Christ has done,
“ Be ye perfect as.” We do not trust Him as strangers; we
walk with and like Him as children. So that it is as Father
that we know Him, who is Almighty; and Christ says, it is
eternal life to know the Father and Himself. Again, “ He
that hath seen me hath seen the Father “; and again, “ He
that killeth you will think that he doeth God service; and
this they will do, because they have not known the Father
nor me.” ey think they are serving God when they are
killing God’s children; but the Father and the Son they do
not know. We have seen that this title of “ Father “ is not
that in which God is revealed in the Revelation; He is in
those of Almighty and Jehovah.
Verses 9-13. “ I John … was in the isle that is called
Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of
Jesus Christ.” Mark again, here, the character that Christ
takes in connection with the seven churches, as well as with
the world. It is not as the Head of the body, as the source
of grace to His members below, but as one walking in the
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midst of something outside Himself, and pronouncing His
judgment on their external state. Verse 13. We see, though
Christ here is revealed as the Son of man, He is also
Jehovah, and bears all the characteristics of the Ancient
of days in Dan. 7 “ His head and his hairs were white like
wool.” In Daniel, the Son of man is brought to the Ancient
of days. In Revelation
105
I: 14, He is shown as Himself the
Ancient of days, “ His eyes were as a ame of re “ to pierce
into the heart in judgment. “ God is a consuming re.”
“ And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword
“-thus holding all authority with the sword of judgment.
Verses 17, 18. “ And when I saw him, I fell at his feet
as dead. He saith unto me, Fear not, I am the rst and the
last; I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold I am
alive for evermore.” It is wondrously encouraging to the
soul to think that He that is divine, the Alpha and Omega,
the rst and the last, besides whom there is no God, is
the very One who went down under the power of death
for my sins, and then, by rising again without them, has
not only forever put away every sin, but has delivered me
from him who had (and justly too) the power of death, that
is, the devil, and brought me up into the very presence of
God. He “ once suered for sins, the just for the unjust,
that he might bring us to God.” It is this which gives such
settled peace to the soul; for if I have come to God, I have
nothing more to seek. “ He that hath seen me hath seen the
Father.” If my soul has seen Christ dying on the cross for
its sins, I have met God there also in the solemn question
of judgment; and then I have come to God through a dead
and living Christ; and having come to God Himself, I
105 Indeed in Daniel, too, we see that the Son of man is Himself
the Ancient of days. (See Dan. 7:22.)
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have got all that earth below or heaven above can give me.
For this meekest, this lowliest One, who was brought as
a lamb to the slaughter, is the very God to whom I have
been brought, and that now without the least spot of sin
which could make me ashamed in His presence, so that I
am with Him in perfect love, all cause of fear being forever
removed; and He lives to reveal Himself to us in the power
of an endless life.
Verse 19. To return to the prophetic part-we get here
what is very important: the three great parts of the Book
of the Revelation very distinctly stated. First, “ the things
which thou hast seen “-that is, Christ walking among the
candlesticks. Secondly, “ the things which are “-the time
condition, or external state of the churches, or professing
church on earth; not the eternal state and unchangeable
privileges of the church, as the body of Christ. irdly, “ the
things which shall be hereafter “
106
— the prophetic things,
the closing events in dealing with the world.
Chapter 4 shows the church in heaven. In speaking of
the things that are, I do not (because Scripture does not)
in any way allude to the eternal state of the church in
its union with Christ, as its Head in grace, but to a time
condition, an external state, of the church considered as
responsible here below during a given period; and this time
condition, this external state, judged in the seven churches.
Again, I repeat, it is not our “ spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ “ that are spoken of here, but that in the
midst of which Christ is walking, outside Himself on the
earth. On earth He needs a candlestick-a light; not so in
heaven, there is no need of a candlestick there-no candle
there to give light, “ for the glory of God doth lighten it,
106 Rather, “ after these,” that is, after the things that are.
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and the Lamb is the light thereof.” But on earth He needs
light-bearers, and therefore the character of candlesticks is
given to the seven churches-to be the “light of the world.”
ey are lighted from heaven, to give light on the earth, in
the dark places below-to bear testimony to Christ, while
He is away in heaven, hid in God. And it is to test these
light-bearers, that Christ walks as the Son of man amidst
the candlesticks. It is true that our life is hid with Christ
in God; but while walking on the earth, we are to shine
as lights in the world, the displayers of what heaven can
produce-to be living in heaven while walking on the earth;
as Jesus spoke of Himself when on the earth, “ the Son of
man which is in heaven.”
Verse 20. “ e mystery of the seven stars “ gives the
thought of power-subordinate power, and the angels
107
are
the symbolical representatives of the churches. Spiritual
power, as representing Christ on earth, was what the church
might have displayed. roughout Scripture, superior
power is symbolized by the sun, and subordinate power by
the stars. e angel of anything means the representative
of that which was not itself in presence there, as even the
angel of Jehovah. So when Peter knocked at the door, it
was said “ is is his angel “; and of children, “ their angels.”
107 Note here, it has been supposed that this word is used in
reference to the angel of the synagogue, and hence means the
bishop or chief elder. But the angel of the synagogue was not
the ruler of the synagogue at all; he was a reader, a kind of clerk.
e ruler of the synagogue was quite another person. It may be
that at the time the Apocalypse was written, the eldest or most
eminent among the elders had a kind of precedence; but if it
were even so in fact so as to render him responsible, the fact
that he is called angel here is a proof, that if the responsibility
was maintained, no such ecclesiastical title would be owned in
Scripture by the Lord.
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For an illustration of what I mean, when Jacob had met
the angel at Peniel, it is said, he wrestled with the angel
and prevailed, but he called the place “ the face of God.” So
Moses was with the angel in the bush. And in this way we
have the angels of the seven churches.
Let us now take up the general idea. We have seen that
we have not the church looked at here, as in union with
Christ its Head; nor seen in its proper heavenly character
(although that should be manifested by it), but in its time
state, as under the eye of the Lord for judgment. Instead
of Christ as the Head of the body, what is set forth here
are the responsibilities attaching to the body in its time
state, and certain conduct expected for privileges received.
Nor is it the giving of these privileges, but the use we have
made of these privileges which is treated of. Let us look at
particular times of blessing to the church in illustration of
this. e Reformation, for instance, was a work of God’s
Spirit; and God comes, as it were, looking to see what man
has done with this His working-how men have used the
blessing they then got through the revival of His truth,
judging what use they are making of privileges then given
them. What comes out of the three hundred years elapsed
since the Spirit of God worked so mightily? e work of
His own Son, the gospel of His grace, justication by faith,
was, we know, that which then came out to light. What has
this resulted in in the professing church? It is as though
He had said, “ What more could be done? I sowed good
seed, I planted a choice vine, and now I have come for fruit;
and where is it? “ None of the seven churches consequently
is viewed as the work of God in itself. What takes place
is a judicial investigation, and God is not judging His
own work (I need scarcely say), but man, on the ground
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of responsibility, according to that which he has received
through that work.
I see in Scripture a complete and very denite distinction
in speaking of the church of God. e suerings of Christ,
and the glory that should follow, was the testimony of the
prophets before the Holy Ghost was sent down. Christ
said, “ On this rock I will build my church “; it was not
yet formed. We do not get Christ as the Head in heaven,
until redemption is an accomplished thing; I am not here
speaking of individual salvation, but of the body of Christ.
In Stephen we get another step: a man on earth, lled with
the Holy Ghost, sees heaven opened, and the Son of man
at the right hand of God. In Paul, again, is a yet further
point-that is, union with Christ. Christians are members
of Himself, and this is not merely by participation in His
nature, partakers of the divine nature, but by the power in
which He was raised, union by the Holy Ghost to Himself
the Head: “ Why persecutest thou me? “ If my hand is hurt,
I say I am hurt, for my hand is a part of me. But then there
is another character which this body consequently has, it
is “ builded together for an habitation of God through the
Spirit.” Now the church being the place where God dwells,
and set on the earth for the manifestation of God’s glory,
God then comes to judge what the fruit of these privileges
has been when put into man’s hand. It is not the fact of the
Holy Ghost dwelling in the church that is spoken of here,
but the use that men have made of it.
ere are two principles on which God always judges
His people: rst, their original state, the point from
whence there has been departure, the blessing He began
with; secondly, that point to which His ways are tending-
the hope set before His people-the tness for the blessing
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with which He is going to meet them at the close, on the
manifestation of His presence.
We may take Israel, by way of example, as showing out
the principle. In Isa. 5 God says, “ What could have been
done more for my vineyard that I have not done in it? “
And then in chapter 6, where the glory of the Lord is seen,
its manifestation proved, not only that the state of Israel
did not answer to the blessing conferred upon them at
starting (for Isaiah says, “ I dwell in the midst of a people
of unclean lips “), but that their state was not suited to the
glory to which the Lord had taught them to look forward.
e remnant according to grace are always preserved, while
the rest are judged.
But to return to the condition of the church: the Lord
rst shows the privilege He has given, and then asks if the
walk has been according to it; as He says to the Ephesian
Church, Have you left your rst love? Yes, you have. “
Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen.” “ I have
loved you, and given myself for you,” was the just measure
of the love to Him, in which they should have walked, as “
the church of God, which he has purchased with the blood
of his own”-put under the guardianship of the blood as
to all holy conversation, as seen in type in the priests. e
blood was put on the hand, the foot, and the ear, both of the
leper to be cleansed and of the priest at his consecration,
so that nothing dishonoring such a guardianship was
to be allowed. en comes the question, Have we acted
according to the blood that has been put upon us? has
nothing passed in mind, act, or walk, but what has been
according to God? e Lord always exercises judgment in
a church, though He has long patience with it. He showed
His long-suering toward Israel for more than seven
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hundred years after He had pronounced judgment by the
mouth of Isaiah, and God never lowers the standard of
the claims of His rst blessing, though He may be patient
when His people fail.
To Sardis He says, “ I have not found thy works perfect
before God “; yet how low was it fallen! We may bow
ourselves before the Lord under failure, but though we
always nd that grace which lifts us up again, still God
never lowers the standard of what ought to be produced,
nor could we even desire that God should. No true saint
could desire that He should lower the standard of His
holiness in order to let us into heaven.
I could not accept (through grace) anything short of the
picture of the church as God rst gave it. Take even man
as man: alas! I have lost innocence; but can I accept any
standard lower than the total absence of sin? Nor is this
all; for God now raises up a more excellent object of desire
before my heart, in which He replaces what is lost by the
full revelation of Himself, His own glory in His people.
Hence the saint has to judge his state, not by that from
which Adam fell, nor even by the rst state of the church
only, but by the Christ he has to meet.
ere are thus two ways in which God is judging: the
departure from the rst condition of blessing; and then
how far the fullness of the blessing to which God is calling
us is met. us it is by our past blessing and our future
blessing that God judges us. As we see in all the addresses
to the churches their departure from original blessings, and
the inquiry how far their present condition corresponds
with the blessing to which they are called, and which is
spoken of in promise. Paul could say, “ is one thing I do,
forgetting the things which are behind, I press toward the
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mark “: when a man can say this, then his conscience is
good and happy with God in view of the glory before him.
But this I would desire to press on all your souls-that your
standard is wrong, and your aections are wrong, if you are
doing anything but following the Christ of glory presented
to the eye of your heart. You know well the church has not
kept its rst love. O remember that though He is patient,
He cannot lower the standard, and therefore “ repent.”
ere is abundant grace to lift up and to restore; but my
conscience could not be happy if God lowered the picture
He has given me of the church.
Man has lost innocency; but blessing has come in by the
cross, and though I have not attained the glorious result
of that redemption manifested in the glory of Him that
accomplished it, “ I press toward the mark “; my conscience
could not be happy otherwise. Suppose the thought of the
Lord’s coming to receive us to glory were very present to
us, how many things would disappear! How many objects
that we now cling to, how many sorrows and cares that
burden us, would be nothing, were the hope of His coming
steadily before our eyes! “ He that hath this hope in him
purieth himself, even as he is pure.”
But the church has lost her rst love, and has also lost
her expectation. e hope of the Lord’s coming makes
Him very present to our souls, so as to judge the condition
in which we are. You are called to meet Jesus; are you in
such a position as would make you ashamed before Him
at His coming?
ere is also, I may add, another principle which is a
motive to holiness in the church, the presence of the Holy
Ghost. It is said, “ Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.” Do
not do anything inconsistent with His presence any more
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than with the glory to which you are going, of which He is
the witness. In the rst three churches there is no reference
to the Lord’s coming; but after that time, when failure had
completely set in, then the Lord’s coming is the thought
presented. It is our joy and our hope, to sustain us when
all else fails.
I would just recapitulate what I have said. e character
of the book of Revelation is prophetic. We do not at all see
the church here, as indwelt by the Holy Ghost, giving the
knowledge of Christ as the Head of the body, or fellowship
with the Father and the Son. All is judicial. Christ is
distinctly the Judge, rst, of the church, and then of the
world- of the church looked at in its earthly condition, of
course, not in its heavenly. e whole book is divided into
three parts- the things seen, the things that are, and the
things that shall be after them. And, as we have seen, God
has two great ways of judging. He sees if we are proting
by the blessings already given, and if we are walking in a
way suited to the promised glory.
ere is a return in grace expected according to privileges
bestowed, and an answer of the heart to the glory He is
calling us to. Having blessed us, He expects the response,
“ Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” He looks for fruit from His
grace towards us, and I am to see unto what I am called by
it. Not that I have attained, but I press forward in the power
of a new life, “ forgetting the things that are behind.” God
has set His heart upon blessing us in a certain manner; and
what He looks for is that our hearts should respond to this
knowledge of the heavenly calling.
May we taste now what God has called us to in
fellowship with His Son. May it get such hold on our
aections that we may be enabled honestly to say, “ is
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one thing I do.” e Lord open and ll our eyes with the
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, and cause us to walk in the
power of that hope-of seeing Him as He is and being with
Him and like Him forever.
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62281
e Prophetical Addresses
to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 2
Lecture 2
I was referring, the last time we were speaking, briey, to
the distinctive character of the church of God; and to the
character of this book, as being one of judgment, whether
as regards the church or the world.
It is important to distinguish between the view of the
church of God as a responsible body on the earth, and
therefore subject to judgment, and that view of it which
looks at it as the body of Christ, and as enjoying her proper
place before God, and her privileges as such. We must keep
these two truths distinctly and denitely before our minds,
or we shall get into confusion.
We saw the last time, that God has given Christ to be “
Head over all things to the church, which is his body, the
fullness of him that lleth all in all.” God’s thought and
purpose about the church is, that it should be the body
of Christ when He takes dominion over all things. God
has exalted Christ far above all principality and power and
might and dominion, and has put all things under His feet,
and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church,
which is His body, and, therefore, called “ the fullness of
him that lleth all in all.” All the fullness of the Godhead
dwelt in Christ; but this is quite another thing. We are His
fullness, that is, we complete the mystic man, Christ being
the Head. For the church is that which completes and
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displays Christ’s glory in the world to come; and then there
will be not only Christ in heaven, known to the believer,
but Christ ruler over the earth, over all things. It is a
blessed thought, that it is not merely God as God who lls
all things, but that Christ in redemption and mediatorial
fullness in grace and righteousness lls all things. “ He that
descended is the same also that ascended up far above all
heavens, that he might ll all things.” Everything from the
dust of the earth up to the throne of God has been the
scene of the accomplishment of, and witness to, Christ’s
glory. But when He does actually thus “ ll all things,”
and it is not merely known to faith, it will not be alone,
but as the Head of the body which is now being formed,
taking the church to share in His dominion and glory. All
things will be subject to Him in that day; but the church
will be associated with Him. Just as it was in the garden:
Adam, the image of Him that was to come, was lord over
all the creation; Eve was neither a part of the creation over
which Adam reigned, nor yet had she any title of her own
over it, but she was associated with him in the dominion.
e passage in Eph. 5 takes up this formation of Eve, and
applies it to the church” this is a great mystery, but I speak
concerning Christ and the church.”
Christ has every title to this dominion over all things.
(See Col. 1.) As God, all things were created by Him and
for Him. And remark, that in the passage He has a double
primacy -Head of creation when, as Son, He takes His
place in it, for He is Creator; and also Head of the church,
for “he is the head of the body the church, who is the
beginning, the rstborn from the dead, that in all things he
might have the pre-eminence.”
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A second title to headship is, that He is “the Son “-not
merely as Creator (as we have seen in Col. 1, “ hath translated
us into the kingdom of his dear Son “), but by inheritance
also. In Heb. 1 we nd this counsel and intention of God
as regards His Son: “ whom he hath appointed heir of all
things,” etc. Here Messiah is in contemplation.
A third title to headship is, that He is man. Psa. 8,
which celebrates millennial glory, is quoted and applied by
the Holy Ghost to Christ in Heb. 2:6-9, “ We see Jesus,
who was made a little lower than the angels, crowned with
glory and honor,” and all things put under his feet. (See
also Ephesians 1: 22; 1Cor. 15:27.) us we see His title
to dominion: rst, as Creator, “ for by him were all things
created “; secondly, as the Son, “ whom he hath appointed
heir of all things “; thirdly, as Man, under whose feet in
the counsels of God all things are put. en, we may add,
He cannot take the inheritance as a deled thing, and,
therefore, He has a fourth claim in the way of redemption.
His title is to a redeemed and puried inheritance, “ the
heavenly things themselves with better sacrices than
these.” With us, who were under sin, alienated in mind
by wicked works, it is not merely purifying: guilt also is
removed. en He takes and makes us His body; as it is
written, “ We are members of his body, of his esh, and of
his bones.” e Holy Ghost comes down and consecrates
us to be the body of Christ in living power; and in unity,
because baptized with the Holy Ghost into one body. Not
only is each soul quickened and sealed by the Spirit, but
believers are “ baptized into one body by one Spirit.” is
began at the day of Pentecost, and since then this baptism
has been the portion of every believer. It is a great and
blessed truth that, however we may have grieved the Spirit,
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still, individually, the Holy Ghost abides with the believer
and reproves him. And it is also most blessed as regards
the church, that the Holy Ghost is not, like the Lord Jesus,
only here a little time with His people, and then going
away. “ He shall give you another Comforter, that he may
abide with you forever.” And mark this that the abiding
presence of the Holy Ghost in the church is in virtue of the
redemption which Christ has wrought, and not dependent
on our use of the privileges given (though when present His
action is according to the use or abuse of these privileges).
e church of God, united to the Lord Jesus Christ,
has its place, rst, by virtue of Christ’s Person; secondly,
in redemption by Christ; thirdly, by the presence of the
Holy Ghost. is is not a question of prophecy, but it is
the power of divine living grace, putting the church in
divine glory. e moment the Holy Ghost thus formed
the church, it is treated down here as the body of Christ,
“ from which all the body, by joints and bands, having
nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with
the increase of God.” Just as, in the growth of a child, the
body is there, and each member is in its place, and it grows
up into its full stature.
ere are two distinct aspects of the church, however,
presented to us in Eph. 1 and 2-the body of Christ is in
heaven, and the habitation of God by the Spirit on earth.
is second character of the church is a deeply important
one. e church of God, being formed by the Holy Ghost
on the earth, necessarily involves the responsibility of the
church to manifest upon the earth the glory of Him that
set her thus. Responsibility never changes God’s grace. But
while the church remains upon the earth, she is responsible
for the glory of her absent Head down here-not as under
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law, of course; but the church is responsible to represent
the glory of Him who has redeemed it, and put it here. It
is to be a light in the midst of darkness-” in the midst of
a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye shine
as lights in the world “; “ showing forth the praises of him
who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous
light.” And, as Paul says in 2Cor. 3, “ Ye are manifestly
declared to be the epistle of Christ, known and read of all
men.” e word is “ epistle,” and not “ epistles,” of Christ.
It is one body-one transcript of Christ. e church was
set as Christ’s epistle of commendation to all men, that
in it men might read and see the power of redemption,
and the character of Him who is out of sight, through the
Holy Ghost dwelling in it, and forming it to be the visible
witness of its invisible Head. Jesus says, in John 17, “ that
they all may be one.” And to what end? “ at the world
may believe [not yet “ know “-that is the fruit of the glory]
that thou hast sent me.” is should have been the eect
of this oneness in reference to the present time. When the
church is in manifested glory with Christ, and as Christ, the
world must of necessity know that the Father sent the Son;
and not only so, but will know that the Father has loved
us as He loved Jesus, seeing us in the same glory as Jesus.
It must, therefore, be previous to that time, that the world
should see the church as one, in order to believe-should
see the church in this place of responsibility as this epistle
of Christ. Its responsibility is, that the life of the Head in
heaven should be manifested on the earth in power. us
we see what a responsible place it is to be under grace, for
it is through our being under such free grace as we are,
that our proper responsibility comes in. When we come
on this ground of a responsible body on the earth, we nd
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the Lord, of course, taking cognizance of the actings of the
church under this responsibility.
us in these two chapters (Rev. 2 and 3) we have the
Lord, not as the Head of the body, not as the One from
whom grace is owing down to the members of the body,
but walking amidst the candlesticks in the character of
a Judge, to see if they are acting according to the grace
received. is principle of judgment runs through them all:
I will give unto every one of you according to the use he has
made of the privileges and grace in which the church was
at rst set.’ is is a solemn word for us, just in proportion
to our estimation of grace. It is not condemnation as by the
law; but the more I understand the love, of which I have
failed to testify, the more my heart will be grieved when I
do not give a true answer to that grace, for it connects sin,
as it were, with God’s name, which I bear. e eect of
Israel’s wickedness did not only prove man to be a sinner,
but, God having placed His name there, it connected the
sin with the name of God. On this ground it was that
the Lord rebuked Israel when He said, “ e name of the
Lord is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you.” e
testimony of His name was placed in their keeping, and
it ought to have been guarded by them. God will know
how fully to vindicate His holy name, in the end, on the
earth. Still more is this the case in respect of the church
of the living God. e world ought to see practically
perfect holiness and perfect love in the church: for we are
made partakers of God’s holiness, and we are the objects
of His innite and perfect love. e church ought to have
but one constant position and service on the earth, that
of manifesting to the world what it draws from its living
Head in heaven. e church never knew Christ after the
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esh; the only Christ the church knows is the Christ that
the world rejected, and is now in heaven; and therefore
the church should be in such entire abstraction from the
world, as to manifest what its Head is. And thus the church
should be Christ’s epistle of commendation. And note the
force of the word “ epistle “ here. e world ought to see
what Christ is in you, as the law was seen written on the
tables of stone (2Cor. 3), a living epistle, “ known and read
of all men.” And the character of our walk will be greatly
deepened, according to the extent we are realizing what
His grace has done for us, and has called us to. us we see
the Lord never gives up this in principle. He never departs
from that into which the church is called in testimony and
witness, though He bears with it in patience.
But now we will turn to another point: the use that is to
be made of these addresses to the churches. ere are two
things on the face of the matter. First, it is an historical
fact, that there were churches on the earth in the condition
here spoken of; then, secondly, that the moral instruction
is available to every individual saint-applicable to every
person who has an ear to hear and an understanding heart
to know the Lord’s mind. is is very simple.
But if we go on farther, we shall nd that there is
signicance in the number of the churches that are
addressed. e number seven, being the symbol of
perfection, is the number often used in this book-seven
seals, seven trumpets, seven vials. us the choice of this
number marks the complete circle of God’s thoughts about
the church, as responsible on the earth according to the
grace in which it has been set there. It is not that there
were only seven churches or assemblies on the earth at the
time these addresses were given, as we know, for instance,
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of Colosse and essalonica, and so many others; but these
and all the others were left out, because they did not furnish
the moral elements which were needed by the Holy Ghost
for this complete picture.
When thinking of the unity of the body with the Head,
we get into privilege, and not responsibility-the life of
Christ and the glory of Christ as the measure and the end.
But these chapters present the actual and diversied state
of the church. e next point is, that these seven churches
are taken up distinctively in connection with responsibility;
and then, further, they cannot all apply to the whole body
at large at one time, because we nd such dierent states
among them, and therefore we cannot apply what is said
in one of them indistinctively to another, as there are
distinctive charges and distinctive promises. We shall nd,
however, on entering into details, that dierent parts of the
professing church with distinctive characters are spoken of
as partially subsisting at the same time. So that we get this:
each description does apply, in one sense, to the church
at large, yet all do not to the whole church at one and the
same time. And therefore you get in these churches, either
a successional picture of the condition of the church upon
earth, as responsible to God from the beginning to the end
of this dispensation, in a prophetical way, or a particular
state of a part necessary to complete the whole picture-the
dierent aspects that it has presented in the world until the
Lord spues it out of His mouth.
en, you will say, “ How can the church be spued out
of Christ’s mouth, when the church is the body of Christ,
and must be with Him in the glory? “ at is true, if you
speak of the body of Christ, but the church as an external
body on earth never loses its responsibility, whatever
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its characteristics may be. Looked at as on earth, it is
responsible for its conduct. If the unworthy servant did not
do his master’s will, he was to be treated, not as being not
a servant at all, but as a hypocrite according to the position
in which he was found, though not as being really such,
for servant he was none really. It was not said to him, “
You are no servant “; but, “ Cast ye the unprotable servant
into outer darkness … and appoint him his portion with
the hypocrites.” us he was taken up and condemned on
the ground of his profession.
So it was with Israel. ey were formed by God to bear
His name before the world; they failed; they were dealt
with as responsible, and were set aside, as looked at under
the old covenant. e word to the barren g-tree was, “ No
man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever.” e g-tree might
bear leaves, but when the Lord came seeking fruit, nding
none, He said, “ Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward
and forever … and presently it withered away.” us Israel,
as a vessel to bear God’s name unto the world, was set aside;
but this did not touch the question of God’s faithfulness.
He will restore Israel in the last days, and till then grace
still ows on, taking up the remnant from among them
as the true seed of Abraham, only in better privileges; for
if Israel as a whole be set aside, then God sets up the new
thing, and out of the Jew and Gentile “ the Lord added to
the church daily such as should be saved.” e question
here is not as to the certainty of individual salvation, but
about the vessel God is using to bear His name before the
world. Individuals who believe will go to heaven, but the
vessel of testimony, having failed, must be broken. God has
long patience with it; but if, after all that has been done, it
only brings forth wild grapes, it must be cut o. Doubtless
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there is a faithful remnant taken to heaven, but the vessel is
cast o as a visible public testimony on the earth.
In Rom. 11 we see how God puts what He has formed
at present on the earth to bear His name, in the position
of a public visible system on the earth, as He did Israel. “
Behold the goodness and severity of God; on them which
fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in
his goodness: otherwise thou shalt be cut o.” God can cast
o the professing church in perfect consistency with what
He has revealed Himself to be, because it is not a question
of His grace and goodness, or of individual salvation, but
simply and only of responsibility. And this it is which
makes His dealings with these churches a deep and
positive warning to us, as the very same principle applies
to Gentile as to Jewish testimony. God will accomplish to
the very word every promise He has made to Israel. Yet
we all know as a plain fact that God has cast o Israel
as visible witnesses to bear His name to the world. And
He will, in the same way, cast o the church, if it fails
in its responsibility on the earth. us we see how God
maintains His government in respect to the testimony
which His people ought to bear under every dispensation,
and that, while individual salvation is forever secured to
individuals in Israel and the church, both will be set aside
as to their public visible testimony. us we get not only
responsibility, but the results of failure.
We will now take up the positive example and warning
that God gives us in the word to Ephesus. It is of course a
great means of strengthening the soul-its being instructed
in the ways and actings of God in the Scriptures; but it is a
source of joy to myself to get the immediate application of
truth to my own soul. General principles of Scripture are
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very blessed, but the individual application of truth to the
heart and conscience is still more happy.
In these addresses to the churches we have, rst, the
character of Christ which is always adapted to the state of
the particular church. us, in the rst, to the Ephesians, as
a matter of general application we have, “ He that holdeth
the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst
of the seven golden candlesticks “-that is, Christ revealed
in the particular character in which He exercises judgment.
Secondly, in each church we see the special character of the
trials of the faithful. And, thirdly, a special promise is given
to sustain the faith of those under the trial. us it is all
suited grace and mercy to meet the special circumstances.
And then, fourthly, looking forward to the time of fullest
blessing, we see the portion given “ to him that overcometh,”
when Christ has taken the saints to Himself.
e churches are divided into two portions; three
churches in the rst division, and four in the second. is
is a point of great interest. e church generally seems to
be addressed as such in the rst three churches. at is,
saints, though having to overcome, are looked at as in the
body at large; the little remnant more distinctively apart
in the latter four. us, through this division also, we get
distinctive characteristic parts of the professing church. In
the addresses to the rst three churches, the exhortation: “
He that hath an ear let him hear “-precedes the promises
to the faithful overcomers. In the latter four it follows the
promises. In the rst three the hearing ear is spoken of
in connection with the general testimony to the church
before singling out the faithful remnant who overcome. In
the last four, the exhortation follows the overcoming. In
the rst three, also, the coming of the Lord is not spoken
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of, but for the same reason as for the greater distinction of
the remnant. With the fourth, attention is directed to the
coming of Christ. is was now the remnant’s hope, not
the return to primitive order. e public professing body
was utterly corrupt.
In the former three, the thoughts of the church are, as it
were, called back to the original condition and standing-a
condition which was held out as one to which it was possible
it might be restored if repentant. We were remarking, in
the last lecture, that God had two standards of judgment
in dealing with a people placed in responsibility: either
the grace which has placed them there, and, therefore, the
thought of restoration because of this grace, and according
to the standard it has given; or the glory to which they are
called. In the rst three churches we nd the former of
these. But in yatira another thing comes in. e church
as a whole has proved to be in a hopeless condition (I speak
of the church in testimony here as a visible body in the
world), and then the individual hope is always given, and
the address of the Spirit is specially to those that overcome,
and, as may be seen, the coming glory at Christ’s return
held out as the encouragement. And therefore in yatira
we get this distinctive hope held out to the remnant, “ that
which ye have, hold fast till I come.”
With these general truths I would also remark that in
the address to the rst church, Ephesus, we see the general
character of Christ as exercising judgment, “ holding the
seven stars in his right hand “ (that is, holding all the
authority and all the power), “ walking in the midst of
the seven candlesticks,” the churches-going round to see
whether the lights were burning brightly, giving out that
true light which He had lit up.
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We see, consequently, in every one of them the peculiar
stamp of responsibility. en, observe how He commences
this Ephesian address, by touching upon every point that
He can in any way approve of, before He brings out the
opposite side of the picture. “ I know thy works, thy labor,
and thy patience.” What a blessing that He does know all
about us, even “ the thoughts and intents of the heart! “
“ Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because
thou hast left thy rst love.” Now mark another important
principle. What must Christ necessarily be jealous about
but His love to the church, which was stronger than death?
It is utterly impossible that He can forget His love to
the church, and therefore just as impossible that He can
be satised without the return of her love to Him; for,
remember, that it is only love that can satisfy love. e very
reproach He makes brings out the strength of His love to
the church, which cannot rest till it gets the same from
her; for He cannot cool down to be satised with a feeble
return of His love, however much the church may have
cooled down in her thoughts about Christ’s love to her.
ere may be still much outward fruit in “ works, and labor,
and patience “; but let the toil and labor be what it may, the
spring of it all is gone-You have left your rst love; there is
the great mischief. It is no matter how much you toil and
labor, if love to Christ be not the motive of all your service,
it will only be, as the apostle says, “ like sounding brass or a
tinkling cymbal,” which dies with the sound thereof.
Here, then, in Ephesus, we get the rst great principle
of failure, and therefore the great general judgment which
came upon the whole church. “ Remember therefore
from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the rst
works [see how He brings them back to the point of their
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departure], or else I will come unto thee quickly, and
will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou
repent.” He cannot allow that to remain in the world which
fails to show forth the great love wherewith He loved the
church; for if He did, He would not be “ the faithful and
true witness.” is principle of tender, faithful reproach is
the blessed proof that His love never grows cold, however
much ours may fail.
In this respect the Lord’s way of dealing with individual
souls is exactly the same as with the church. He takes notice
of all departure from Him, but the door is always open for
“ repentance,” and when the sin is judged, and seen in the
light in which God sees it, then there is nothing to hinder
immediate restoration. e moment the conscience bows
under the sin, and confesses it, then it gets into an upright
position; an uprightness of soul, where evil has been, is
shown in the consciousness of evil, and power to confess
it; and therefore the church of God, or an individual soul,
must get into this state of uprightness before God, in order
for Him to restore it; Job 33:23-26. Get sin judged in the
conscience, and then there is the revelation of the unfailing
love of God to meet the need. It is thus in the daily details
of Christian life. Judgments may pass upon His people, but
His chastening love is seen in it all.
And thus is learned the reason why the Lord reproaches
the church for leaving her rst love. ere is in it the
revelation of His perfect and unchanged love shining
through the condemnation of their state. And do we not
see this dawn in the natural relationships of life? Take
husband and wife. A wife may take care of the house and
fulll all her duties so as to leave nothing undone for which
her husband could nd fault; but if her love for him has
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diminished, will all her service satisfy him if his love to
her be the same as at the rst? No. Well, then, if it will
not do for him, it will not do for Christ: He must have
the reection of His love. He says, I am not blind to your
good qualities, but I want yourself. Love, which was once
the spring of every action, is gone; and therefore the service
is valueless. If love is wanting, the rest is as nothing. It is
true that our love cannot answer worthily, but still it may
answer truly; for at least Christ looks for un-dividedness
of object, though there be not adequateness of aection.
ere must be a dividedness of heart if there is instability
of aection. is was the secret of all the failure at
Ephesus. Un-dividedness of heart as regarded the object
of aection had been lost, singleness of eye was gone, and
the perfect reection of that love which had laid hold of
the church for Himself was gone. Still, while Christ says,
“ I have somewhat against thee,” He marks everything
that is good. “ou hast borne, and hast patience, and for
my name’s sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.” Well,
then, it might be said, What can the Lord want more? He
says, I want herself. Remember this as regards the church.
en He says, “ Remember, therefore, from whence thou
art fallen, and repent, and do the rst works.” To me this is
a very solemn but touching word to us, for we have gone
much farther from our rst love than they; still the heart
of him that is faithful nds a certain refuge in Christ, for
his soul nds in the very reproach an infallible proof of His
unchanged love.
What does He take notice of as excellent here? “ Works,
and labor, and patience.” Nothing positive is named that
marks the decline, but the works that were done were not
linked with the rst love. And here let us observe, that the
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church has a positive service very distinct from what the
Jews ever had. God was not looking for the Jews to go out
in love, but the church, having received grace, is to go forth
in grace to call poor sinners in. e Jew had the law as a
wall to keep righteousness in, but no open door for love to
ow out.
Take the essalonians, who, in this, are in direct contrast
to these Ephesian saints, and who were in the freshness
of their “ rst love,” and what is noticed in them? “ eir
work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in
our Lord Jesus Christ “-just the very same things that are
commended in Ephesus. What was the dierence, then?
Not that they had no works, but that the true spring of
them was gone; while in the essalonians the spring of it
all was in full play. e three great principles of Christianity,
faith, hope, and love were all at essalonica (that is, the
full link of the heart with the source of power). e faith
which characterized their “ work “ kept them walking in
communion with God. e love which characterized their
“ labor “ linked them with the source of power. And in
the “ hope “ which characterized their patience we get the
coming of the Lord, as the object before their souls, for
their patient waiting in service. us, in the essalonians
you get spiritual power, Christ Himself as the object, and
love characterizing it all. Suppose I go laboring, and the
spirit of love is in my work, what a dierence there will
be when the whole service is stamped with the character
of this love! If it is only in preaching the gospel, how fully
shall I set forth God’s love to a lost world, if the love of
Christ is freshly springing up in my own soul! But alas!
how often have we to reproach ourselves with going on in
a round of Christian duty, faithful in general intention, but
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not owing from the fresh realization of the love of Christ
to our souls.
But righteousness and true holiness, and the aspect of
the church in connection with these characters of God, have
their place as well as the love which is His nature. “ ou
canst not bear them that are evil.” e natural, the normal
state of the church, is the full power of good in the midst
of evil, giving a bright testimony through divine power. e
church ought not to be the place where good and evil are in
conict within, but in such a state as to be the manifestation
of good in the midst of evil. But suppose a decline, then
there is a question of evil within. “ Out of his belly shall ow
rivers of living water “ is the only right state of the church.
is is its primary and only absolutely owned state. Next
comes power to remove the evil and make it an occasion of
blessing when it does arise. (See Acts.) But if it ceases to be
thus, then a question of evil within it arises, as here: “ ou
canst not bear them that are evil.” Now evil had come in,
or this would not have been said. ere was no longer this
overowing stream of goodness, but, the stream having got
low, it was a painful process to navigate it in safety and
blessing. e banks were broken down, and evil had come
in, or there could not have been this question as to evil.
Take the case of Ananias and Sapphira. ey wanted to
get the character of devotedness, for such the church had,
but without the cost of it. us hypocrisy had come into
the church, but the power of good was there to expose the
evil which sought the character of good for credit’s sake.
Love of money really governed them, modied by the love
of church reputation. And the Holy Ghost’s presence must
be manifested in judgment. is was a sad beginning, when
the good has to be characterized by the conict with evil,
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instead of the good being manifested by keeping evil out.
en as to doctrine, it is the same thing: “ is thou hast
that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also
hate.” Patience had to be exercised. We see at once that it is
not the rst state (joy over that which is good) but a work
of patience which was needed; and we have specially to
look at this characteristic in our walk as Christians. at
which characterizes power individually is patience when
the time of conict with evil begins.
But then we get another principle. ere are cases in
which Christ approves hatred. “ ou hatest “ that “ which
I also hate.” e doctrine of the Nicolaitanes brought in a
license to evil with the character of grace, thus putting into
association Christ and evil. And this is a terrible thing-the
bringing in that which associates God with evil; for Satan
would imitate or counterfeit grace, and thus associate God
with evil, the very thing that God says-” my soul hateth.” We
have seen that the character in which Christ is presented
is connected with judgment. He is walking amidst the
candlesticks. And here, being the general and introductory
church, the judgment also is the general resulting judgment.
e warning therefore is, that the church will be removed.
In sum, we get the three points, responsibility, failure, and
consequent judgment. en, with respect to the promise, “
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life,
which is in the midst of the paradise of God,” the paradise
which He has made for Himself. It is not the paradise in
which God visited man to see what he was doing, as He
came to Adam, and if doing well, He was to allow him to
remain, but if evil, to turn him out; but it is God taking
man into His own paradise. What a dierence between the
paradise of man, into which God came and found sin there,
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and so cast man out, and the paradise of God, into which
man is taken as the result of redemption, to go no more out.
ere are no two trees here; there is no tree of the knowledge
of good and evil here-we have had plenty of it in our own
responsibility. We shall possess it there according to the
holiness of God; indeed, in nature we do so already, being
renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him that
created us in righteousness and true holiness. But there
is but one tree, and this the tree of life, the one unfailing
perfect source of life in God; and one partaking of it-the
result, not of responsibility, but of redemption and life-
giving power, and a redemption according to God’s own
counsels and thoughts-responsibility not being dispensed
with, but fullled according to Christ’s own love. “ To him
that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life.” Grace
had sustained the individual that overcame; and when the
church had failed, instead of sailing on with the stream of
failure (the heart of the individual saint having spiritual
energy to form an estimate of the failure within, and judge
it in the sight of God, instead of being discouraged and
sinking when others were letting go their rst love) they
themselves overcame. But then it is well to see that grace
did it all. “ My grace is sucient for thee.” And the result
was, that they had their place in God’s paradise, feeding on
all the ripe fruit the tree of life could produce.
In applying all this as a general principle we nd the
secret testimony of grace to the hearts of the faithful to be
the source of strength. If “ to me to live is Christ,” it is the
testimony of unfailing grace that carries me through all
trials and diculties; nay, the greater the trial and failure,
the more it brings out what God is to my soul, so that I
know God in a way that I never knew Him before (like
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Abraham, who, “ when he was tried, oered up Isaac “; and
then he learned God as a “ God of resurrection,” which he
had never thus known before). What a comfort it is to nd
Christ so much the more enjoyed the more we are in the
midst of hindrances, and, seeing the failure, look to Him
who never fails! “ e secret of the Lord is with them that
fear him, and he will show them his covenant.”
In Ephesus, then, we nd, that we begin with the church’s
failure. Such is the witness of the Judge, and the eect of
failure will be the removal of her candlestick, unless she
repent; and, as to this, she is called back to the rst works,
or else she will cease to be a witness on the earth.
e failure was not in public acting, not in righteousness,
refuting false teachers, but in intimacy of communion
with Christ in her love. Her works had not diminished in
quantity or zeal; their character was deteriorated: Christ
knew when there was not the same love to Him in them.
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62284
e Prophetical Addresses
to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 3
LECTURE 3
We saw in our last lecture that the character of judgment
runs through the whole of the book of Revelation-rst of
all among the churches, and then in the world. So that we
have the Lord walking in the midst of the candlesticks,
exercising judgment, taking notice of all that is going on,
and saying, “ I will give unto every one of you according
to your works.” And we also saw the importance of
remembering the distinction between the church as seen
in Christ in heaven, and seen on the earth, as representing
Christ. We are partakers of His life, and united to Him in
heaven; but it is equally true that He has set the church as
a vessel to bear His name before the world, “ the epistle of
Christ known and read of all men.” We also remarked, that
the responsibility of the church down here does not touch
the question of salvation in any wise; and also that God’s
faithfulness to individuals does not touch the judgment of
the corporate body bearing His name. God had promised
in His faithfulness to carry them on to the fullness of His
glory; but, at the same time, He must judge them for failure
in the responsibility in which He has placed them down
here. We must not confound His judgment of the vessel
set in testimony on the earth, and His faithfulness to the
church- the bride, united by the Holy Ghost to Christ in
heaven. But, moreover, God judges His saints individually
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for their good by exercising their hearts and consciences
in warnings; and bowing under His judgments, they are
blessed, while “ the simple pass on and are punished “ (Prov.
22:3), and at length, as a body, are spued out of His mouth,
while all the trials, discipline, and chastenings turn to the
prot of the church as to its heavenly calling. In the address
to each church there is a peculiar revelation of Christ
made, with which the peculiar judgment corresponds; and
also special promises, suited to their special need, meeting
the exercise of the heart in order to sustain it, and pledges
given to the faithful.
We have seen that the very rst thing that characterized
the church, looked at in its responsibility as pictured by
Ephesus, was, that it had departed from the power of its
original standing, “ left its rst love.” Nor is the subject now
the supply of grace from the Head; it is no longer “ that
which every joint supplieth,” but the giving of reproofs,
warnings, and promises, to act on the hearts and consciences
of individual saints in their responsibility down here.
Another thing which it is well to remember here is,
that we shall never nd the object of the address to be
the power of the Holy Ghost actively at work to form
and gather. If it is judgment which is spoken of, it clearly
cannot be, for Christ can never be said to judge the work
of the Holy Ghost. It is power working in grace, if the
Holy Ghost works. Christ, in exercising His judgment, is
showing forth His estimate of the practical use which has
been made of the work of the Spirit after it has been given.
e rst great truth is, that the Lord looks at the church
as responsible for all the love of which it is the object, and
expects a return; and if He nds it not, but nds departure
from the rst love, which is only the sad commencement
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of greater failure, then He says, “ Repent, or I will remove
thy candlestick out of its place.”
en, again, mark another thing. It is not individuals who
are judged here, but churches (although individuals may
hear and prot by the warnings). us the Spirit speaks to
the churches; but there being no response from the church,
no repenting, no doing the rst works, no returning to the
rst love, the candlestick is to be removed. And then the
address comes individually to him “ that hath an ear-let
him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
But although as a church it has failed, and the
candlestick must be removed, still there is such a thing as
individual energy to overcome. And mark here that it is
overcoming in the condition in which the church found
itself. e responsibility of individuals is that of overcoming
where they were. is was very dierent from the state of
things when the fullness of blessing was poured in by the
Holy Ghost. ere was now that within the church which
was to be overcome, not in the world merely. “ is is the
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” He will
revive the heart of the faithful one by promises to sustain it
against the snare of Satan in the world; but when decay has
come in, then the conscience necessarily becomes exercised
as to maintenance of their standing where they were.
Snares, diculties, and dangers had come in; for we must
remember, that the church had fallen from its rst love,
when Smyrna was addressed; and the moment the church
is addressed by the Spirit, as a fallen church, it ceases to be
in itself the place of security for the saint; he cannot take
for granted, that, in walking with it, he walks according to
the power and will of God. A fallen church cannot secure
me from error; being itself under judgment, it cannot be a
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guarantee for anything. In truth it never was, but apostolic
power and energy, which sustained and watched over it,
while the apostles lived. (See Acts 20:28, 29, and 2Peter
1:15.)
en individuals are singled out, for the church can no
longer warrant me in this or that. e church may be right
in this or that, but I have to make good my security against,
or at any rate independent of, the church by the word
of God; for I must discern what I can follow, and what
I cannot, by the word of God applied by the Spirit. But
then this state of things by no means supposes that there
was no blessing, that there was nothing excellent left in the
church; for we nd the Lord recognizing and commending
many things. But surely I need scarcely say, how amazingly
important is this principle, that a failing church ceases to
be a guarantee; and, therefore, I have to judge in individual
responsibility what I am to receive and what I am to reject.
e church has been, as set up of God, a place of blessing as
regards individuals, a guardian for Christ of the state they
were in, as being the vessel and expression of the power
of the Holy Ghost, the proper result of His working; but
it is not so at all now that it has left its rst estate; and, as
we have remarked, the apostles alone ever maintained it in
it practically, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, the
church of Corinth, etc. Our responsibility, however, never
changes; nor can Christ fail in needed grace for the state in
which the church is.
I would here take the opportunity of making a remark
on the word “ development,” which Satan has brought in
as a very favorite word. Now there is perfect and entire
indelity involved in this thought of development in the
church of the living God. ere is nothing in God to be
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developed; He is the perfect unchangeable source of all.
Now what God has called us to is a perfect revelation of
Himself in Christ, as we saw int John 1 I, 2. ere was
the manifestation of that eternal life which was with the
Father; and it is clear that there can be no development
of that which has been manifested unless we can get
something beyond the perfection of Christ, in whom all
fullness dwells. God is light; Christ was the true light; and
this shone out fully in the revelation of the glory of His
Person, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And can we get
anything better or fuller than this “ Light “? Can we add
to this revelation of “ Truth “? ere is much to be learned
about Him; but it is a Person that is here presented, and
not a doctrine. If it were a doctrine, merely, we might get
something added-another doctrine; but it is not a question
of doctrine merely, but a living Person that has been
revealed. Well, then, if it is Christ Himself, what more can
be revealed? We cannot add to what God has wrought.
Alas! man may decline from it, as was the case at Ephesus.
ey had left their rst love; they had left something: there
is no development in that. Of course we may ever learn,
and should ever be learning, more about that which was
revealed at the rst; but God ever brings out each thing
perfect in the beginning. For God cannot set up anything
but what is perfect, anything that is inferior, or contrary to
His mind.
us man in innocence was set up perfect in that
innocence, and Adam fell. e priesthood of Aaron was
perfect in its kind, but there was failure in Nadab and
Abihu. Whatever God has planted, He has planted wholly
a right seed according to His mind. Whatever comes from
God must be perfect, and cannot be made more perfect by
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any other operation whatever. is is a very simple truth;
but it is one which cuts up by the roots and overturns a
whole system of thoughts and feelings which would put
something between our souls and Christ. It is not that
God cannot reveal in the creature more than He has yet
revealed, and accomplish what is better than what went
before. He does so: the Second Adam is clearly innitely
more excellent than the rst. But the thing that He sets
up is absolutely perfect, as the expression of His mind in
that thing. Man cannot improve or add to it. e thing set
up for us is the perfect manifestation of God in Christ;
hence the notion of development is rejection of the true
object, or blasphemy. So John says, “ that which was from
the beginning,” when he would keep the saints secure.
But even as to glory, as in man’s responsibility, that
passes away. God had “ planted thee a noble vine; how then
art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine
unto me? “ From this cause-that, directly a thing is put into
a man’s hand, there is departure.
en we get another principle. is departure having
come in, God uses Satan’s power, acting through the
world’s hostility, for two ends: rst, to exercise the divine
life in a saint; secondly, to hinder a further departure from
the Lord. is is the “ tribulation “ they were to have;
and, therefore, when we come to Smyrna, we hear of
persecutions. If you take the history of the life of Christ, it
was an exercise of trial and suering until He reached the
cross; it was not that He needed it to deliver Him from any
existing evil; it only brought out His perfectness more fully,
that He might be made perfect in the just result, in glory
as man, of what He was morally. “ ough he were a Son,
yet learned he obedience by the things that he suered.”
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416
e manifestation of all that was in Him was brought out
through opposition and slighting. His path became darker
and darker down to the cross. He had to overcome Satan,
and says for others, “ to him that overcometh will I grant
to sit with me on my throne, even as I also overcame, and
am set down with my Father on his throne.”
e second end to which God uses Satan’s power, in
persecutions and trials to the saints, is to hinder a further
departure from Himself. ere is a constant tendency in the
heart of the saints to take rest in prosperous circumstances,
because the esh naturally turns to that which is agreeable
in the world for rest, the result of which is a decay of vitality
within; but this will not do. erefore God says, “ Arise and
depart, for this is not your rest, it is polluted.” Persecution
is the natural portion of the church of God, while down
here, in a world of sin. And when the church began to take
rest at the beginning, God was obliged very soon to bring
in persecution amongst them.
In Matthew’s gospel, the Lord beautifully unfolds the
spirit and character of the kingdom in the sermon on the
mount: “ Blessed are the poor in spirit “; “ Blessed are the
meek “; “ Blessed are the pure in heart,” etc., etc. Blessing
is the character in which He introduces the witness He
was bearing. God was showing what was blessed in His
sight. en the grace of Christ was just beginning to be
manifested, showing the natural consequences of the
principles and moral character of His kingdom. e
miracles which He had already performed had attracted
the attention of crowds from all the surrounding country,
and He thereupon explains to those who heard the true
spirit and character of the kingdom, which they, indeed,
thought of quite otherwise, and tells who are the blessed;
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but at the end of the gospel in chapter 23, it is “ Woe! woe!
woe! “ instead of blessing. “ Your house is left unto you
desolate; for I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth
till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the
Lord.” It was because the opposition of man had been fully
brought out by the perfect manifestation of what Christ
was. e beginning of Matthew’s gospel was the blessed
outow of what was in His heart, while the course of His
life brings out what was in their hearts, and hence the word,
“ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,” etc.
To return-God sends us tribulation, opposition from
without, to bring out grace and to hinder the constant
tendency to decay; with Christ it was always and only to
bring out grace. us God uses Satan as an instrument
to work out blessing even for the church. Take Job, for
instance. How wondrously was Satan used of God for
blessing in Job’s case! It is God who begins the conversation
with Satan, and He knew perfectly well all He was doing
in attracting Satan’s attention to Job, and says, “ Hast thou
considered my servant Job? “ Satan’s malice was quite ready
to plague and persecute him; but this malice of Satan was
used by God to bring Job to that which was necessary for
his blessing — the knowledge of the evil that was in his
heart, which he could not have so learned any other way.
en, again, take Paul. He was taken up into the third
heaven, there to get such a sense of the power of God as
would t him for his peculiar service to the church and the
world, and such a revelation of the glory of Jesus as was
proper to sustain him under all the trials he must inevitably
pass through. And what is the use the esh would make of
this? Why it would pu up, and say, “ Now, Paul, you have
been into the third heaven, and nobody has been there but
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you.” So there was given to him a thorn in the esh, the
messenger of Satan to buet him; and for this he besought
the Lord thrice that it might depart from him; but no,
it cannot be removed, lest Paul should be exalted above
measure. But he gets this assurance-” my grace is sucient
for thee.” at which became strength to Paul, as far as
himself was concerned, was that by which he learned his
own weakness-the “ thorn in the esh, the messenger to
buet him “; for it then became a question of Christ’s grace
and strength, and not Paul’s. And now Paul can say, “ Most
gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my inrmities, that
the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
It seems astonishing that God should use Satan as
an instrument to try the saints with, and not interfere to
deliver: but so He does, as we see here; for He says, not “ I
will cast you into prison,” but “ the devil will cast some of
you into prison “; but could not the Lord have hindered it?
Of course He could; but as the trial was needed, had He
hindered the devil from so acting, He would have hindered
them from the blessings which would result from such a
trial. Take, again, the case of Peter. e Lord said, “ Satan
hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat; but
I have prayed for thee.” What? that Peter should not be
sifted? No, not a bit; for Peter needed sifting, because he
had condence in the esh. But the Lord prayed that his “
faith might not fail “; that is, that Peter might be sustained
under his trial- his heart not lose its hold on Christ, but be
assured of His love, and get the intended blessing. And to
such trials of faith Peter alludes, when he says, “ at the
trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold
that perisheth, though it be tried with re, might be found
unto praise, and honor, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus
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Christ.” And when Satan had sifted the cha from the
wheat, then the Lord would use him as He said: “ When
thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
When the church had fallen-had left its rst love, she has
to be put in the furnace, to keep the world, its allurements,
and its evil, from acting on her own evil tendencies, while
remaining in a body of sin and death. While she was
walking in the freshness of her “ rst love,” the world had
no power over her. Christ was too vividly the object before
her for her to sink into other aections which leave the
heart open to the reasoning of unbelief. But when the “
rst love “ was departed from, then the church became the
prey of her own evil esh, acted on by the evils around,
therefore she must be put into the furnace, the place where
Satan persecuted, to prevent her getting into the far more
dangerous place where Satan dwells, that is, the world.
Verse 9. “ I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty,
but thou art rich.” Christians were poor and despicable
in appearance, when the church was rst set up. Leaving
their rst love, they were in danger of falling in with the
current of the world’s reasonings; and the Lord lets loose
the prince of it against them, makes them nd their sorrow
where they were in danger of nding a false ease and joy,
but the true character of enmity of the world, instead of
its false allurements, which draw them into it, and away
from the Father’s love; and they sink into the insignicance
and poverty which the world’s opposition sets the saints
in. “ But thou art rich,” says the Lord. ese poor despised
few possessed divine and exhaustless riches. ey had got
multiplied in the world and enlarged, and then there was
a tendency to rest in the eects produced and not on the
Lord; and the Lord, loving them too much to suer this,
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must put them into the furnace to make them lean on
Himself. For He will cast the church on its own proper
portion altogether, and therefore He uses the hostility of
the world to drive it back into its own proper hopes and
privileges. But for this it would seem strange that the Lord
should leave them to be tried “ ten days,” were it not to teach
them that heaven is their portion and not the earth; that
they are not to remain on the earth, but to pass through it
as pilgrims and strangers, to glorify Him who, when down
here, was a stranger, and who now in glory is a stranger
to the world, as the world. But then this shows also that
the trial is measured. God may use Satan as a rod, but he
cannot touch a hair of our head beyond what is allowed.
But the church must be brought to the deep
consciousness of the state from whence she has so deeply
fallen. Hence, Christ not only suered the devil to cast
some of them into prison, but says also, “ Be thou faithful
unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” ey may
be martyred, and what then? Jesus gives them a crown of
life. e church had slipped into the world; still, where
living faith was in exercise, the eect was to give Christ
His true place, and to strengthen all. When once it came
to the question of giving up Christ, there were martyrs,
perhaps even amongst the worldliest. is is often seen.
Just so it is now, in the day in which we live. Christians
are largely seeking just what the world seek, wealth, power,
and inuence: these three things are just what the Lord
had not. And can I be said to be a stranger where I have
power and inuence? Certainly not; and if the Lord turns
the current against them, then they must pass through the
furnace. e church must give up a heavenly Christ and a
crucied Christ, if it take the world up in any sense as its
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portion. e church of God cannot associate the world and
religion without losing its true character.
e object of Judaism was to associate religion with
this world, with the earth: and thus God proved whether
man could be attracted to God Himself through earthly
things being associated with Him. To this end God gave
them a magnicent temple, gorgeous dresses, splendid
ceremonies, music and singing, that He might mingle the
tastes and feelings of nature with Himself. But all this,
mark, needed a priesthood between them and God; for
it was not the presence of God, as light, in heaven, and
peaceful communion with Himself. ese earthly things
do but keep the soul at a distance from God. For, wherever
the world is connected with religion, priesthood must
come in, because, the moment you get man as he is, he
cannot stand before God; he cannot stand in the light and
therefore needs a priest.
But we now are brought nigh; we can stand in the light
as God is in the light: we are priests; and as to our standing
in God’s presence, there is no need of a priesthood between
God and us. Christ suered without the gate; and the
moment the blood of Christ, wherewith we are sanctied,
is taken into the holy place into the presence of God, our
association is with heavenly places, and no longer with an
earthly city (for there is no holy city now); and we are taken
outside the world altogether (and the world, as religionized
in a eshly way, for that, for us, is the camp. “ Let us go out
therefore unto him without the camp “) and inside the veil
with Him. It was exactly what the apostle was teaching
the Hebrews. ey could not go on with religion with a
worldly character, with Judaism, which was God’s earthly
religion. Hence, too, it is the apostle says, if he had known
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422
Christ after the esh, he knew him no more. He was only
a heavenly Christ to him.
Carnal ordinances connected man with God under
Judaism; but, Christ being rejected, His followers have His
place of acceptance in heaven, and rejection on the earth.
e cross or heaven. Now there is no middle thing-Christ
is wholly heavenly; and we are raised up to sit in heavenly
places in Him. e moment the church loses the sense of its
heavenly place in Christ, the Lord in His faithful love lets
loose the power of Satan upon us, just that we may learn
that the very world that we are seeking to religionize is
the place of Satan’s throne. Of course in such case we shall
be sure to have the world and its thoughts about religion
entirely opposed to us; but then we shall have Christ and
His thoughts with us, who says, “ Fear none of those things
which thou shalt suer,” for “ I am the rst and the last,
which was dead and is alive.”
e character of Christ in the address to this church is
as “ dead and alive.” Christ is not merely divine-God-but
He is also the One who was dead and is alive again for
evermore. Looked at as man He has been rejected and cast
out; so that, like Mary Magdalene, we must get either an
empty tomb (for that is all the world is, if we seek Christ)
or a risen Jesus. If your heart is xed on Christ, all you will
nd in this world is the tomb of Jesus, and nothing in it.
en we have nothing to do with this world, for if we are
in spirit with our Head in heaven, we have all our blessings
there. But then it is a constant diculty, in a world like
this, to get and to keep the heart and soul up to this; but
it must be done. For otherwise, if we do not cleave to the
world, the world of itself will cleave to us; and if decay
comes in, and the rst love is left, then “ tribulation “ must
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come, that we “ be not conformed to the world.” is was
the case with the church here. ey had left their rst love,
therefore they had to be put through this course of trial,
to keep them in remembrance that they were not of the
world. Judaism crept in-development, etc., etc.-” intruding
into those things which they have not seen, vainly pued
up by their eshly mind,” instead of being a despised few, a
little ock. eir numbers increased amazingly, so that they
made a fair show in the esh. In fact, you nd the whole
thing rapidly conformed to the likeness of the Jewish
hierarchy. en persecution comes in and blows upon it
all; and if there was persecution even unto death, where
there was a living faith in a living Lord, though such a
one may die here, he shall not be hurt of the second death.
e history of these times proves that the living power and
truth in the church was not in its doctors, but in its martyrs.
Pergamos. “ I know thy works and where thou dwellest,
even where Satan’s seat [throne] is.” Here we get another
and more subtle character of evil. e Lord gives credit for
all He can. e church had gone through persecution, and
had been faithful. “ ou holdest fast my name, and hast
not denied my faith,” when Antipas, my faithful martyr,
was slain. But now it was not merely worldly persecution
without (that assailed but puried the church), but doctrinal
corruption within. e church of God has its place of
responsibility in the world where Satan’s throne is. If this
ceases to be a persecuting world, because the church has
ceased to be a heavenly witnessing church, still the church
is living there; that is the place where, as to its external
forms, it still is, and has been ever since the epoch here
referred to. It is not a question here of individual conduct,
but of the corporate position of the church.
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People have a notion that Satan ceased to be the
prince of this world when Christ was crucied. Now, I
would just say, that it was at the cross of Christ that Satan
emphatically became the prince of this world. He was it
always, really, as to man’s heart. But till Christ was rejected,
it might have been hoped that some means might nd, or
cause to spring up, some good in man; but the cross proved
and determined the subjection of man’s heart to Satan,
so as that naught could deliver it as such. Of course the
cross was virtually the destruction of his power, for there
Christ destroyed him that had the power of death, that is,
the devil. en, in a sense, as to the accomplishment of the
work which was to eect this, as to righteousness before
God, his power ceased, his head was bruised, though the
fruit of this accomplished work is not yet brought in by
power. Man had been tried in every way, and, lastly, in
the Jewish system, had been put under responsibility by
law, and tested on the ground of obedience. ere he had
failed, but he is ready to think that, if he could do all he
liked, he would set all right. He was put to the test in this,
by the committal of power into his hand, in the person
of Nebuchadnezzar. In both ways he failed, that is, in the
Jews, and in the representative of the imperial power. Christ
came. Satan risked everything in getting rid of Christ, but
it only ended in his own defeat; still he is for a time left to
lead the world out of which Christ has been cast, which, in
its universal and varied forms, is the instrument of Satan
(as we see at the
Lord’s crucixion). Satan, the prince of this world,
came and found nothing in Christ; but the chief priests,
Pharisees, Pontius Pilate, Jews, and Gentile power were
all led of him. And even His own disciples forsook Him,
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through their dread of Satan’s power manifested in the
world. In a word, the whole world was led by Satan to reject
Christ, and from that moment Satan is the manifested
prince of this world: for until Christ was rejected by the
world, Satan could not be displayed as the world’s prince.
And the Lord owned him such, calling him “ the prince of
this world, saying, Now is the judgment of this world; now
shall the prince of this world be cast out.” “ e prince of
this world cometh and hath nothing in me.”
e church of God has been taken entirely out of
the world to be associated with God’s Prince in heaven;
therefore Christians have no business to be dwelling, as
their place of abode, their home, where Satan’s throne is,
living in the world and as the world. But, alas! the church
has practically slipped o from “ holding the Head,” and
has taken an earthly character. If “ to me to live is Christ,”
it is not Christ to be standing in worldly religion; for
man in the esh must have something between him and
the Head. e dierence between the Christian and the
religion of the world is of the most absolute character. “ If
ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world,
why, as though living [that is, alive] in the world, are ye
subject to ordinances? “ A man in the world must have
ordinances. How can he get on religiously without them?
But ordinances are not Christ; they have been nailed to
His cross. ere is no possibility of escaping the religion
of the world, ordinances, and the like, but by knowing and
walking in the power of a dead and risen Christ. Man in
the esh must have a religion of ordinances between him
and God; but if united to the Head in heaven, nothing can
be wanting to bring him nearer, for he is one with Christ;
and if he is not one with the Head, then he is separated
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from Christ. Put anything whatever between Christ and
the soul, and all is gone. e position then becomes a
totally dierent one.
is corrupt tendency to association with the world
brought in persecution, but with it the suited promise, “
Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown
of life.” It is quite true that the Lord causes trial, but never
do you nd that there is with Him any moral acquiescence
in evil. He cannot tempt by evil doctrine. e Lord had
taught them the evil of this corrupting association with the
world, by turning it into a persecuting world; but He could
not send Balaam’s evil teaching; for it would be impossible
to talk of Christ’s sending moral temptation as a rod for
the correction of the saints. He may permit it in His holy
wisdom. e eort of the enemy in Pergamos would not
like the tribulation spoken of in Smyrna. Balaam would
associate them religiously with the world-a sadder evil
than Satan’s openly persecuting power.
In Ephesus, we had the rst point of departure, leaving
their “ rst love.” In Smyrna they were put into the furnace.
Persecution had not attained Satan’s ends-faithfulness even
unto death had crowned the suerers with a martyr’s honor:
but here a new danger arises. ey were dwelling where
Satan’s throne is. e world is the place of Satan’s throne;
and now corruption, pleasing to the esh, associating the
church with the world, is taught. e enemy is working
within. “ ou hast them that hold the doctrine of Balaam.”
us there is an amazing and most instructive dierence
between the persecution of Smyrna and the seduction of
Pergamos. In Smyrna the Lord says, “ e devil shall cast
some of you into prison that you may be tried. Be thou
faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.” “ I
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have died for you, and now do you be faithful unto death
for me.” In Smyrna the Lord would not step in to hinder
the consequences of the position they were in, but turned
them to the maintaining the declining church in its own
true character, giving the assurance of the everlasting and
heavenly promise, a crown to the faithful. But in Pergamos,
the fact of their dwelling in the place where Satan’s throne
was shows itself in another way. And the Lord could not,
without judging the world itself, remove the snare by acting
on the world itself. You have got satanic subtlety acting in
concert with the world, and by its spirit in the church-a
false prophet leading it into association with the place of
Satan’s throne where it dwelt-the world that had ceased to
be a persecutor. You have got Balaam there; not Jezebel yet.
A most terrible and frightful character is that of Balaam.
e question had been already raised on the ground of
Israel’s failure, whether God would bring them into the
land-whether Satan, through his instruments, Balak and
Balaam, could hinder Israel’s entrance into Canaan. e
eort was to get Jehovah to curse Israel, but they could
not. For, as between Him and the accuser, “ God saw no
perverseness in Israel,” neither was there any possibility of
using Satan’s power against the people of God, as Balaam
said, “ ere is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is
there any divination against Israel.” God held Balaam’s lips
and forced him to speak blessings instead of cursings, in
spite of himself. “ Resist the devil, and he will ee from you.”
When the devil comes as an adversary, he has no power;
the secret of his power lies in coming in as a tempter and
seducer. When Satan could not prevail in getting Jehovah
to curse Israel, he seduced them into wickedness, leading
them “ to eat things sacriced unto idols, and to commit
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fornication “; and then how could the holy God bring them
in? (See Num. 25)
In Pergamos, Satan comes within the church as a
seducing Satan; while in Smyrna, Satan keeps outside the
church as the persecuting Satan. erefore in Smyrna they
are exhorted, “ Fear none of those things which thou shalt
suer.” Weakness is in “ fear “; the danger is in fear. When
the saint is out of the persecution, he often trembles as he
looks at it and becomes frightened; but when once he is
thoroughly in it, if he has faith, he looks out of it up to God
and nds he never was so happy. us he is separated from
the world and made to feel what his own proper portion is.
But as the church of God is dwelling on Satan’s territory,
if he has not this persecuting character, then he gives her
as much of the world as he can (for, as Satan says, “ all that
is delivered unto me,’ and to whomsoever I will I give it
“); and if it can be said of the world, that “ thou hast made
the church rich,” then the world will have the heart of the
church, instead of her risen Head, “for where your treasure
is, there also will your heart be.” Balaam was a prophet,
though a false one, and could use the name of Jehovah,
and declare he must speak by His word only; and we nd
his spirit here coming within the church to make it at ease
in the world. e wicked servant (who said in his heart, “
My lord delayeth his coming, and began to eat and drink
with the drunken “) was treated as a servant still, though a
wicked one. If Satan can only make a Christian comfortable
in the world, his end is gained. en they might go and eat
in the idol temple, etc.
In Nicolaitanism we have the esh acting in the church
of God; and in Balaam it is the spirit of the world, brought
in by the false prophet, coining in, and in a seducing way,
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to bring the church into league with the world, to make
the church quiet and comfortable in the world that killed
Christ.
We get, a teacher here, a kind of religious instructor;
as it says, “ them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who
taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children
of Israel.” “ So also hast thou them that hold the doctrine
of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.” In the former case,
in Ephesus, it was “ the deeds of the Nicolaitanes “; but
here it is a doctrine allowing of evil deeds-antinomianism
and worse-that which was not against the law only, but
against Christ, internal corruption connected with, and
helped on by, association with the world without. It
is very sad (and our hearts ought to bear the burden of
what passes within the church) to see how the church still
declined, after tribulation had brightened it up for God
after its commencing failure at Ephesus (for the root of
evil was there), and returning ease made it content to dwell
where Satan’s throne was, and then, of course, the door
was opened for evil doctrine, false teaching, connecting
eshliness with spirituality, which is antinomianism. Satan
did not desire to persecute where he could corrupt; for
Satan’s persecutions only brighten the soul up for God,
while the seducing corruptions of Satan imperceptibly
separate the soul from God. ere was not yet the full
ripeness of wickedness as in Jezebel’s time, but only the
teaching the doctrine which allowed these evil deeds; but
in the next church we see there are children born of this
evil, the evil being their moral birth-place.
We see the Lord’s eye and heart had followed them to
where they dwelt, even to Satan’s throne, as He said, “ I
know where thou dwellest “; and from thence (that is, from
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the spirit of association with it) He would call them with
this word of warning, “ Repent, or else I will come unto
thee quickly, and will ght against them with the sword
of my mouth.” Here the word is spoken of judicially as a
sword out of Christ’s mouth. In such a state of things the
word of God is the source to which the saint is drawn.
e promises now become much more individual: “ To him
that overcometh, will I give to eat of the hidden manna.” It
was hidden faithfulness which was to be sustained by the
promise of this hidden manna (seen indeed in one sense,
because the fruits would be manifested to all around). e
church as a body was dwelling in the world; then, as a
necessary consequence, comes the secret life of the heart
of the faithful soul with God in the power of the word.
It is the inward link with that which never changes in
its character, sustaining secret delity to God. And what
a dierence is this from the judicial use of the word-the
being fought against by the sword of Christ’s mouth (the
living members being associated with the Christ who
suered on earth, but is now in heaven)!
e manna signies the Son of God become incarnate
to give life to our souls, His entering in humiliation into all
our circumstances, and is the provision for the daily walk
through the wilderness: for we nd the manna spoken of in
connection with Jesus as the living bread sent down from
heaven. “ is is the true bread which cometh down from
heaven,” John 6. But what then is the hidden manna? e
manna for Israel was spread around the camp; and they
were to gather it daily for their food. And so likewise is
Christ to be the daily provision of the soul while in this
wilderness world; but this is not the hidden manna. ere
was to be a golden pot of manna laid up before God,
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and when the Israelites had got into the land, they were
to have the memorial of what they had enjoyed in the
wilderness. is hidden manna is the remembrance of a
suering Christ down here-the memory of what Christ
has been in the wilderness, as a man, an humbled, suering
man, and who is God’s eternal delight in heaven; and in
our eternal state, he that has overcome, he that has been
faithful in separation with Christ from the world, will have
the everlasting enjoyment of fellowship with God in His
delight in a once humbled Christ-the same kind of delight,
although in a dierent measure. If we are walking faithfully
with a rejected Christ, instead of letting Balaam into our
hearts, we shall enjoy Christ thus down here in spirit; but
we cannot enjoy Christ in our souls, if we are mixed up
with ungodliness in the world: if we pretend to it, then it
becomes Nicolaitanism. But in proportion as we get and
apprehend the secret of what Christ was in the world, in
our souls, shall we feed upon Him; but this cannot be, if we
are walking in the spirit of the world. Even the presentation
of Christ in the gospels we cannot enjoy, unless it is as food
for the soul. A man may say that truth is very beautiful; but
if it only feeds the imagination, it does him no good. God
did not give His Son to suer down here, and then to be
played with, but to feed upon.
e “ white stone “ gives the general idea of a vote in
favor of any one; it is the secret mark of approbation from
one to another. ere are public joys in heaven common
to all, thousands and thousands of voices in communion
and praise, echoing the song of praise. And there are joys
we share in Christ together here; but He must have our
individual aections as well as our common aections. My
own peculiar joy in Christ you can never know, neither can
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I ever taste yours; and this is true of the highest aections. “
A new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that
receiveth it.” at name would have no meaning for anybody
else but him to whom it is given. Christ reveals Himself to
the soul in such sort that a stranger intermeddleth not with
its joy. Individual joy, personal communion, is distinct from,
though it enhances, the universal joy; and that individual
joy which we know down here will never be interrupted.
is promise, as do all those to the churches, relates to the
future time of heavenly blessing; but it is also the source of
joy and strength now. e Spirit of God makes us anticipate
the day. We may have now in spirit this “ white stone “ from
Christ, this secret expression of His grace and love, which
others cannot have for me, neither can I have it for them.
How this makes this “ white stone “ worth everything else!
What a secret source of strength it is, even though all the
world think me wrong, if I have the white stone of Christ’s
approbation, acquired in following the word, but known
in the heart! But, I say again, I must judge all by the word,
that sword of His mouth that disarms and purges all the
workings of Balaam. en I do not mind-let the world talk
about things as it pleases, Christ has talked to me, and in
the coming day of glory will own all He has said to me.
It is sorrowful enough what a Balaam is teaching in the
church; but then, mark, there cannot be any trouble among
the saints that does not bring out the faithfulness of Him
who waits to bless the “ overcomer,” and thus bring the
soul into communion with Christ in a way that nothing
else could. For nothing gives the blessed consciousness
of Christ’s approbation as between the soul and Himself,
like faithfulness where evil begins to corrupt. If it is false
teaching within, the word (as in persecution, and with all
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else) is “ Overcome.” He that has an ear to hear what the
Spirit saith to the churches is to be overcoming that evil
whatever it be that besets the church.
yatira. e hour forbids my doing more than just
looking for a moment at yatira. You get this dierence
when Jezebel comes in; it is a prophetess still, but she
herself becomes the mother of children; a whole class of
persons are born of this corruption. Of persons who were
dallying with this corruption and evil (as well as souls
simply led astray) He says, “ ese will I punish except
they repent.” But those whose moral existence is derived
from this corruption, I will kill them-as He says, “ I will
kill her children with death.” But the moment you get this
condition of the church, as the begetter of corruption, then
comes in the judgment of the nations: “ as the vessels of a
potter shall they be broken to shivers “; and the heart of the
believer is led to the coming of the Lord, “ I will give him
the morning star.”
I am glad to close with this promise, it is full of blessing.
Meanwhile the Lord Himself becomes to us the hidden
manna. May He give to us and all His saints to avoid
everything like Balaam’s spirit and teaching. We are one
with Jesus, members of His body; we are of His esh, and
of His bones, and nothing but this union with Christ will
abide; as the knowledge of our union with Christ, and the
realization of it in our souls, is the only safeguard against
the seducing spirit of the day in which we live. e Lord
give us to be faithful to this blessed truth of being one
with Him who is at God’s right hand. en people may try
to get between me and God by their ordinances or their
priesthood; but I can say, “ No; I am brought too near to
God for you to come between us; and also too near to God
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for you to bring me nearer. ere is where grace has set me;
and all else is but pitiable nonsense.”
We are called upon to judge evil in the church, for God
cannot accept Balaam and Jezebel, if we can. erefore,
may the Lord give us to remember that failure within the
church is to be judged. We are called specially to take heed
to this in the day in which we live, that the church, being
itself under judgment, cannot be a guarantee for faith or
anything else whatever.
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62285
e Prophetical Addresses
to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 4
LECTURE 4
I alluded in a few words the last evening to the church
of yatira on account of the connection of Balaam and
Jezebel: Balaam being a prophet acting among the saints to
seduce them; and Jezebel, a prophetess, established within,
being a farther advance in evil-not merely a seducer, as
Balaam, but a mother of children there, as Jezebel, having
children of this corruption.
And now we get (in this part of the chapter) into what
we may call new ground. Two things mark this. e Spirit
of God, who rises far above all our failure, directs the eye of
the faithful remnant to the coming of the Lord Jesus. And
the expression, “ he that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith to the churches,” is no longer in connection
with the address to the church in general, but after the
promises to them that “ overcome.” And this marks out the
remnant as separate from the body in general. e position
of the remnant is specially marked out as being no longer
in connection with the general body of the church, but with
the place in which those stand to whom the promise is sent,
as “ to him that overcometh.” In the address to this church,
and to the three following churches, the exhortation to
hear is placed after the special promise.
e distinguishing element which we found brought
into the last church (Pergamos) is, that the world is the
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place of Satan’s throne. erefore the church must be in
either of these two positions-a persecuted suering church
in the world because of faithfulness, or lose that character
and be brought to acquiesce and go on in the world.
We saw in Ephesus decline marking its state-” thou hast
left thy rst love.” In Smyrna, persecution comes in, “ the
devil shall cast some of you into prison,” thus brightening
them up for God. And afterward, in Pergamos, corrupting
instructions go on within; and all these, not with respect
to individual failure, but to the corporate state of the
church, it being that which was characterizing the church
at certain periods of time in this dispensation. In the
address to Pergamos, we nd the seductive teaching going
on to corrupt what was within, but not as yet established
and settled within, so that what characterized the within
should be productive of evil. e motherhood of evil was
now in the church.
Salaam the false prophet was seducing, and joining
the church to the world. “ ou hast them that hold the
doctrine of Balaam “; and to the “ overcomer,” the individual
promise and blessing of the hidden manna and the white
stone are given. But now there is something farther-” thou
suerest that woman Jezebel.” Here the evil was allowed.
We saw that, when Balaam failed in getting God to curse
Israel, he then tried to bring them into trouble through
association in evil with the people of the adversary. is has
now succeeded in the professing church.
In yatira, therefore, we have a still more terrible
state of things than in Pergamos. ere was not only the
evil teaching -those who “ hold the doctrine of Balaam,”
but a person established within, having children of this
seduction; not merely seducing God’s children into it,
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but Jezebel was, so to speak, so much at home there, that
children were born, nding their home and birthplace in
the evil, yea, springing from the very corruption itself. But
then mark that, in this increased evil and wickedness, we
nd also increased energy on the part of the faithful ones;
for God had a remnant in the midst of the evil, whose
faithfulness shone out the brighter by reason of the dense
darkness around. We see this exemplied in Israel’s history.
In the midst of idolatry, worshipping the golden calf, or
under a persecuting Jezebel, men of power, like Elijah and
Elisha, were raised up in a special power of testimony for
God, thus manifesting that God was and is ever sucient
for His people’s need.
When evil is at such a height as to make it impossible
for the faithful ones to go along with it, then they get into a
more advanced state of knowledge and power in separation
from it (although it may be one of much more trial) than
they had when the church was in a more prosperous
condition. In the times of Elijah God preserved His name
in a most special way. e whole nation of Israel had got so
dreadfully bad, that God would be obliged to cut them o;
but the time had not yet come. But in the time of Elijah
they had nothing rightly in order; there was neither temple,
nor sacrice, nor priesthood at Mount Carmel; nevertheless
God was there for the faithful few, in a way that the people
at Jerusalem had not the knowledge and enjoyment of; for
the mighty power of God was there to give testimony to
the word of His prophet. And so again with Moses, he
went on faithfully with the Lord while Israel was failing
all around him. It was not when Israel was going on well
that Moses was the nearest to God, but when they had all
gone wrong. When the golden calf was made, then “ Moses
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took the tabernacle and pitched it without the camp, afar
o from the camp “; and then he went to meet with God,
and there “ the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a
man speaketh unto his friend.” And we nd God referring
to this in Num. 12 as gloriously distinguishing Moses.
When Aaron and Miriam spake against Moses, and not
on Moses’s going up to God on Mount Sinai, God says, “
Were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses, who
is faithful in all mine house? With him will I speak mouth
to mouth.”
When Moses met God in the tabernacle outside the
camp, he was more excellent, so to speak, than when God
called him to the top of Mount Sinai. Indeed, we nd it a
constant principle in Scripture that, where there is most
manifest and universal failure, there God brings out in His
faithful ones far greater testimony and power than had
been known in the body as a whole, thus showing, as Jethro
says, “ In the thing wherein they dealt proudly [by their sin
and rebellion against God] God was above them “ in grace
and power. It was so in the time of the Lord Jesus, who
was a most blessed and glorious example of this principle;
being the Lord Himself, who brought out the fullest and
most blessed testimony of grace and righteousness to bear
upon the ways of the world, and of His own people, at the
moment of Israel’s and the world’s darkest and deepest sin
of crucifying God’s Son. For at the very time that Israel’s
heart was made fat-when they were in a condition to
receive seven other spirits more wicked than him that had
of old possessed them, ready to merge into that last state
which was worse than the rst, then God, who had before
spoken to them in divers manners by sacrice and type and
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prophets, spoke to them by His Son, in the Person of the
meek and lowly Jesus.
is is the case when Jezebel is come in here at yatira.
“ I know thy works, and the last to be more than the rst.”
e eect of the condition of the professing church was
to drive saints into a kind of energy they had not before
known. So indeed has it ever been in the history of the
church in what has been called “ the dark ages.” We nd
the most faithful testimony, such a measure of devotedness
(which I am sure I should be glad to see now in any way)
unknown at other times, men hazarding their lives to
witness for God; but how little of this in our day of ease
and slothfulness!
“ I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith,
and thy patience, and works, and the last to be more than
the rst.” Here we get the love and the faith working,
which were wanting in Ephesus; and now the Lord says,
I will encourage them with “ hope,” so that we get faith,
hope, and charity, the three great principles of Christianity.
Although not produced in their own happy order, as in
essalonians, still they are all here in a way. And mark
how quick-sighted God always is, to take notice of the
good things, and that before He speaks of the evil things.
We get this character of judgment in Christ here. “
ese things saith the Son of God, whose eyes are like a
ame of re, and his feet like unto ne brass.” Fire is a
symbol of unfailing judgment; this penetrated everywhere,
as the eye of God. But what does He rst see? He sees
at once, no doubt, through this terrible evil; but He
notices rst what delights His heart in these poor saints
that nobody cared anything about. He sees that which is
delightsome to Himself in the despised few; and while His
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feet, like unto ne brass, mark the unchangeable character
of that righteousness which God (in His spiritual dealings
with and claims upon man) manifests down here, and
which sustains His pure and infallible judgment. Hence
the altar of sacrice in the tabernacle was of brass, and
which in man was divinely accomplished in Christ, and
characterized His Person; yet the eye of God rests upon the
very least spark of faithfulness in the midst of evil. ere
is not one throb of the heart that beats true to Himself,
in the midst of abounding iniquity, that passes unheeded
by him; and this is what sustains the heart in the midst of
untoward circumstances. And happy it is for us to know (in
the simplicity of faith) and realize in power in our souls,
the full meaning of those two little words, “ I know,” thus
walking in the happy consciousness that the eye of God is
upon our walk and ways.
Verse 20. “ I have a few things against thee, because
thou suerest that woman Jezebel,” etc. Now the church,
taken as a whole, is characterized by suering the evil; it is
not now as before, “ thou canst not bear them that are evil
“; there was now the full public allowance of this spirit of
evil which was in the church. is was going much farther
down the scale than merely having the evil teaching among
them: thou suerest that woman Jezebel, which calleth
herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants.”
ey suered a woman, having a professed character in
the church, “ who calleth herself a prophetess “-a false one
surely, yet one who professed to hold and teach the word
of God in the church. “ I gave her space to repent, and she
repented not.” us we see God does not all at once deal
in judgment with her, but gives her time for repentance;
He has patience with her, but she does not repent. He was
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not dealing with the heathen here: to them He preaches
the gospel, that their souls may be won to Christ. But here
was one who called herself a prophetess in the church,
teaching God’s servants to “ commit fornication, and to
eat things sacriced unto idols,” and God deals with her
on this ground of her profession. He “ gave her space to
repent of her fornication, and she repented not “: therefore
He must execute judgment.
And mark, that there is no mention made here of a
candlestick. He gave her space to repent; but it is not said
here, “ I will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except
thou repent “-for Jezebel is not indeed acknowledged as a
candlestick. ere are two characters of judgment, for they
were not all the children of Jezebel. To commit adultery
is a common gure in Scripture for tampering with evil,
particularly idolatrous evil, because it was God’s people
giving themselves to others than Him. First, “ Behold, I
will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery
with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their
deeds.” Secondly, “ And I will kill her children with death.”
ere are those that are not her children, but people who
have to say to her, who are content to associate and have
fellowship with the evil. em I will punish, they shall eat
the fruit of their ways: “ and all the churches shall know
that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts.” I will
see who are content to oat down the stream with the evil,
or who make a stand in faithfulness to me. em that have
committed adultery with her, that have tampered with this
spirit of false prophecy, “ I will cast into great tribulation,
except they repent “; but those who are her children, who
have got their Christian place and name in virtue of this
false doctrine, they shall have full judgment, “ I will kill her
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children with death.” It is not merely tribulation for them,
for they are objects of full and complete judgment: time
having been given them for repentance, those that are born
of her shall be visited with immediate judgment, “ I will
kill them with death.”
How sad it is, how very sad, to see Christians, as we
often do, tampering with such evil. Take, for instance, the
Galatians: there were saints there who were tampering
with Judaism, who wanted to bring in the law; it is not that
they were not Christians, but they were mixed up with that
which was utterly hateful to God. Paul, therefore, says to
them, “ I stand in doubt of you,” though afterward his faith
links them with their risen Head, and in virtue of Christ’s
unfailing grace, aid their completeness in Him, he says, “ I
have condence in you through the Lord.” It requires great
watchfulness, for the soul is ever in danger of being mixed
up with principles which God utterly hates. In Colossians
they were not holding the head; they were putting
something between the head and the members. e apostle
Paul is in an agony when he sees anything coming in to
separate the saint from his immediate, proper, and personal
connection with Christ. If it be a true Christian that is
thus tampering with evil, he must be put into tribulation
to be brightened up for God; and if he be not converted,
then there is nothing before him but judgment. So all
who in the public Christian world of the day tamper with
the corruption of Christianity, represented by Jezebel in
yatira, will be cast into desperate distress, if they repent
not of their deeds. It is a very solemn thought, but a true
one, that God having taught the saints that they are one
with Christ, he who puts anything whatever between them
and the Head, virtually denies Christianity. It was the great
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truth given to the apostle Paul to unfold; it was what he
received specially from the Lord: “ I am Jesus whom thou
persecutest.” erefore it was that it puts Paul’s mind into
an agony, whatever it might be, whether works of the law,
priesthood, or anything else, which, coming in between the
soul and Christ, denied the great truth he had learned, the
very truth that he was converted to, that the church was
one with Christ, members of His body, of His esh, and
of His bones.
is blessed truth, held in the simplicity of faith, gives
power to the soul, and sweeps everything else away; and
it also sweeps through the whole course of the Christian’s
daily life, if he has anything between his soul and Christ.
If I were a Jew I should want something on the earth, and
some one between me and the God whom I obscurely
know; but I am a Christian, and therefore all I want is
in heaven. But again, if I am a Christian, I am united to
Christ, I am one with Him; if therefore united to Him, one
with Him, nothing whatever can come between us, so that
in attempting to bring in anything between us, it is actually
setting aside Christianity altogether. Many Christians
would be dreadfully frightened did they know how many
things they are putting between themselves and Christ,
thus virtually denying their oneness with Christ in heaven.
If you would bring a priest on earth between me and God,
any other than Christ in heaven, you at once destroy my
privilege, for if Christ be a priest and I am one with Him,
I must be a priest also; but is this priesthood carried on on
the earth? No; the place of His priesthood is in heaven.
An earthly priesthood doubly denies Christianity. It
makes the system and standing earthly, and it denies our
association with Christ. If I were a Jew I should go to an
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earthly temple, and rightly so; but being a Christian, when
I go to God, it must be in heaven. Being one with Christ,
I can have no place of worship on the earth, though my
b)dy may be there. Christ Himself being cast out of it, I
am in heaven, and if I am to use any priest on the earth, I
must leave heaven to come down here to use it there. e
priesthood is exercised in the place to which it belongs. An
earthly priesthood was suitable where God was between
the cherubim behind the veil on earth. A heavenly one has
its place of exercise in heaven. Yes, dear friends, if our souls
are washed in Christ’s blood, everything we can possibly
want is in heaven. “ Our life is hid with Christ in God
“; and then, necessarily, such “ a High Priest became us
who is holy, harmless, undeled, separate from sinners, and
made higher than the heavens.” e good Lord only give
His own blessed truth more power in our souls, and then
all the questionings of earthly priesthood, ordinances, and
the like, would soon vanish. I must have a true priest in
heaven or not have a true Christ for my soul.
Now mark the character God takes: “ I am he that
searcheth the hearts and the reins.” You shall not escape
me; and however plausible the evil may be, and however
you may put the name of the Lord upon it (as Israel put
Jehovah’s to the golden calf when they said, “ ese be thy
gods, O Israel … tomorrow is a feast to Jehovah,” Ex. 32:4,
5), still it will meet with full judgment, because you have
put my saints lower than I have put them in Christ, and
have idolatrously corrupted the truth of God.
Verse 24. From this verse and onward the Lord is taking
up the faithful remnant, and therefore we nd Him taking
another way of dealing. “ But unto you I say [and to],
the rest in yatira, as many as have not this doctrine [in
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committing fornication, and eating things sacriced unto
idols], and which have not known the depths of Satan,
I will put upon you none other burden.” is abstaining
from the evil, though very blessed, still is not the soul
growing up from strength to strength into its full portion
in Christ; “ but that which ye have hold fast.” I am going
to “ kill her children with death, but that which ye have
hold fast till I come.” is is what He now directs their
faith, the eye of their souls, to-His coming. He does not
expect them to get back to the point from whence the
church departed, but directs them onward to His coming.
I am going to execute judgment. “ I will kill her children
with death.” erefore you must not expect Jezebel to get
right, or to be in the condition of a candlestick. No, your
eye must rest upon another thing; and here comes in the
hope. Still it is not presented in the form of the bright and
blessed hope they got at the rst, like the essalonians,
where they “ turned to God from idols to serve the living
and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven.” It
now has a dierent character, being presented as a refuge
to the faithful, because “ in the place where righteousness
should have been, behold iniquity was there.” is is the
comfort held out in the midst of the wreck of everything,
“ till I come.” e Lord does own the “ works, and charity,
and service, and faith, and patience,” that do exist. You have
only got this little now, ‘ but that which ye have hold fast
till I come.” It is one thing to have the coming of the Lord
presented as a relief to a faithful few, in the midst of the
evil and corruptions of the Jezebel state of the church, and
another and very dierent thing to have it as the bright
and blessed hope of the church to sustain it and to lift it
out of the corruptions of the world. But it is not merely the
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fact of His coming: the brightness of Himself who comes
can alone satisfy the heart’s desire.
Verse 26-28. Now He opens out the consequences of
His coming to the nations and to the church. “ To him
will I give power over the nations.” is is a remarkable
expression, and we do not nd any such when the church
was in full prosperity. But now, when the professing church
has got into the position of being the greatest possible trial to
the saints, and its association with the world has made that
which bears its name the mother of children of corruption,
the faithful ones in the midst of it all have special promises
on which to stay their souls. We know from history, how
in the darkest times men of faith have had to wend their
way through evil in the church, and fearing detection by
those who called themselves by that name, and under
bitter persecution from the ruling power in the earth. e
nominal church being really Satan’s power by corruption
exercised through the nations. And so it is here; the saints,
having faith and patience, go on persevering through every
diculty, if it be Jezebel and her children with the name
of the church on the one side, and persecution of the
nations on the other. e promise is association with Jesus
Himself, the bright and morning star; and where there has
been faith in this, there shall be power over the nations.
e world that, under Satan’s power, has been the trial of
saints, shall be subjected to them. “ He that overcometh
and keepeth my works unto the end [in the midst of that
corruption which has still the name and responsibility of
a church], to him will I give power over the nations.” (In
Matt. 24 we get the same thing as to principle, though not
as applying to the same point of time: “ He that endureth
to the end, the same shall be saved.”) “ And I will give
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him the morning star.” us He is giving to the faithful
remnant, while in this condition, the special consciousness
of union with Himself. e diculty of the position in
which they found themselves was, that all around them
were turning to Jezebel and her corruption, to eat things
sacriced unto idols and to commit fornication. And then
they cry, “ What am I to do? “ to which the Lord replies,
“ Follow me-keep my works unto the end,” and then you
shall have my portion at the end, “ even as I received of my
Father.”
We see here, in the promise made to the faithful, two
characters of the coming of the Lord pointed out. e rst
regards their position as to the world-it is as “ power over
the nations “; then, secondly, their own proper blessing, the
morning star. With regard to the rst, there is a reference
to it in Psa. 2:9. e church of the living God in its walk on
this earth ought to have judged the world; but now, having
committed fornication with the world, it has no power to
judge it: therefore the Lord says, “ I must “; for the church,
having failed in the holiness and separateness of its walk to
condemn the world, the Lord must give testimony to what
the world is in judgment. (See Psa. 2) If the persecuted
ones bowed to the authority of the world, as ordained of
God, still morally they were separated from it.. And from
the corruption of Jezebel they stood wholly aloof with
horror, let Jezebel’s inuence be what it might. ey were
honored by being martyred. e powers of the world at the
close will be associated against God’s anointed, but in spite
of all He will take His power over the nations. And what is
the church’s place and portion there? Christ is now sitting
on the right hand of God, and the Holy Ghost is come
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down to gather the church; and after the saints are taken
to the Lord, then He will come forth and judge the world.
“ Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion “- “
I will declare the decree “-” ou art my Son, this day have
I begotten thee.” Son is not used here in the character of
eternal Son of the Father, but, as born in the world, the
man set up in glory to rule over the earth. “ Ask of me, and
I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance.” Christ
is not doing this now; He is not now praying for the world.
e moment He asks God in respect of it, judgment on
the world must ensue. “ ou shalt break them with a rod
of iron.” In John 17 Christ says, “ I pray not for the world,
but for them which thou hast given me.” He leaves it out of
His requests. He is not now breaking the nations in pieces,
but is sending forth His blessed gospel to gather souls out
of the world; and the Holy Ghost is sent down to join
them to Himself, thus forming the church. But when He
asks for the nations, it will be to dash them to pieces like a
potter’s vessel. is will be the judgment of the living. And
hence the word of warning at the close of Psa. 2, “ Be wise
now therefore, 0 ye kings,” etc. “ Kiss the Son, lest he be
angry “; for if you do not bow to this summons, thus giving
you in patience, opportunity to repent, you must bow to
the wrath of the Lamb. “ To me every knee shall bow.”
And mark here what the church’s portion is as one with
Christ: “ To him that overcometh will I give power over the
nations,” etc., as I have received of my Father. And of Christ
it is said, “ He shall rule them with a rod of iron.” e world
must be set right and He will execute judgment upon it,
and when He comes to do it, the church will be associated
with Him in it; but now she is dwelling where Satan’s seat
is, with evil on every side, and cannot touch it by way of
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setting it right. And, therefore, it is, as if Christ should say
to His faithful remnant, “ Do not you be afraid, do not
you be uneasy on account of persecutions, nor yet about
the corruptions of Jezebel: only ‘ keep my works unto the
end.’ “ is is the time of patience and lowly faithfulness.
Do you walk through the world as I walked through Israel,
“ and I will give you power over the nations,” “ even as
I have received of My Father.” e power shall be yours
when I take Mine and reign. is is the special character of
association with Christ in power.
But meanwhile what are we to do as regards setting
the world right? Nothing, and this the esh cannot
understand. We are not to meddle with the raging of the
heathen, nor yet to concern ourselves with the alliances of
nations (while still remembering that we have to submit to
the powers that be, as ordained of God, and obey them),
nor yet to dele ourselves by touching the evils of Jezebel,
but to wait on God. “ Keep my works unto the end “ and
wait patiently; for when Christ shall have the upper hand,
so shall we. Our interests are His and His are ours; they are
so enwrapped together that they cannot be sundered. e
force of that expression in Colossians: “ If ye be dead with
Christ from the rudiments of the world, why as though
living in the world are ye subject to ordinances? “-is just
this: He is hid in God and so am I (that is the reasoning);
His life is ours. “ Ye are dead, and your life is hid with
Christ in God.” He so refers our state to His, that, if He
is hid in God, we are hidden too. And if His appearing is
spoken of, “ when he shall appear, we shall appear with him
in glory.” us, being entirely one with Christ while He is
waiting on the Father’s throne, we are called to wait with
Him in spirit down here.
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I might notice by the way, that in Psalm Ito there
may be some explanation of the expression, “ of that day
knoweth no man, neither the Son.” e Son is sitting at the
right hand of God and is looked at prophetically as waiting
there, as Jehovah said unto Him, “ Sit thou at my right hand
until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” erefore, in this
sense the Son-as prophetic minister of revealed truth, and
as such He spoke in Israel (see Heb. 1)-may be said not to
know the day nor the hour; for, as Paul says, in Heb. 10, He
is “ from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool,” when they will be made ours also. Wherefore in
the address to Philadelphia, we are called upon to keep the
word of His patience, and if He is waiting, it is no wonder
that we have to wait also; and it is Himself that is the very
best part of what we wait for.
is is the proper and peculiar portion of the church-
association with Him; the other, that is the power over the
nations, is merely the fruit and consequence of it. He must
judge, but to you He is the “ morning star.” Judgment is
His “ strange work.” He is slow to wrath, but He must
execute judgment, because He cannot allow iniquity to
go on forever; for He is going to take possession of His
own throne, and He cannot have a throne in connection
with Satan and his evil, and therefore He must put the evil
down, for He cannot allow it; so that antichristian power
in the world must be cast down, as He cannot set up His
own throne and let that exist. As it is said in Psa. 94:20, “
Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee? “
It could not be. erefore He must do His strange work:
but His proper work, so to speak, is to shine in His own
heavenly brightness- our proper place to be associated with
Him there.
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“ I will give him the morning star.” And who is it that
sees the morning star? He who watches while it is night.
All see the sun in its brightness; but those only who are not
of the night, yet knowing that morally it is night and are
looking for the morning star-those, and those only, see the
morning star and get it as their portion. ey are children,
not of the night, but of the day; and, therefore, look they
for the day. When the star rose that hailed Jesus, who was
born King of the Jews, there were Annas and Simeons
waiting for the consolation of Israel. And who were Anna’s
friends in that day of darkness? Simply those who were
looking for redemption in Israel, and to them she spake
of Him. In them was made good that word in Malachi-”
ey that feared the Lord spake often one to another.” We
see they knew each other, and they enjoyed the comfort in
spirit by. the truth of Jesus of what follows in the prophet:
“ To you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness
arise with healing in his wings.” ese were a poor despised
few who were but little known and less cared for; but they
were “ waiting “ for redemption in Israel, sensible of the
ruin and of the evil, because alive to God’s glory and to the
privilege of being His people. In them, feeble as they were,
we nd a much brighter mark of faith than we do in Elijah
when he was calling down re from heaven. ey were
not setting the temple right, but were speaking together
of God’s thoughts. Elijah was setting outward things to
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rights, but had not faith for inside things.
108
In God’s
unfailing grace to the remnant he had no just condence.
Law was the measure of his apprehension; but the Annas
and Simeons had the secret of God in their souls (“ the
secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will
show them his covenant “), and were walking in the narrow
and silent path of faith, not setting the temple right, but
speaking to all that were waiting for consolation in Israel.
But were they content with the state of things? No; but
in separation from evil, they waited for the consolation
of Israel, which could alone set the evil right. And just so
it is in our day. e Christian cannot change Jezebel, nor
can he be mixed up with the mere temple-worshippers,
the so-called religious systems of the day. He walks, while
leaving them to the judgment of the Lord, far from violent
attacks upon them, in quiet separation from all the evil,
patiently waiting and watching during the long dark night
of sorrow for the morning star of the day of glory. “ To
him that overcometh will I give the morning star “; and
this morning star is Christ Himself. And He is in this way
known to those, who, though in the night, yet are not of
the night, being children of the day. e morning star is
gone before the world sees the sun, before the sun rises,
108 Note the character of Christ here. Perfect under the law
Himself, He, by the unfailing patience of His grace, bearing all
things, makes good the bringing of the voice of the shepherd to
every sheep in the fold. Poor Elijah, devoted as he was, brings
down re on the disobedient, but does not reach the seven
thousand that God knew. Christ refuses to bring down re. He
bears the judgment, while He kept the law, and at all cost made
Jehovah’s voice reach the poorest, most guilty, most hidden of
the ock. e consequence is-as indeed the cause- the sheep of
the ock are His, and all power of judgment is given to Him
over all.
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before the day appears. But before the sun rises, there is
the morning star for those who are watching in the night.
e world will see the sun; but the morning star is gone,
as far as the world is concerned, before the sun rises. So we
shall be gone to be with the morning star before the day of
Christ appears to the world; and when Christ shall appear,
then shall we also appear with Him in glory.
ere are three passages which refer to this morning
star, to which it is important to refer you. In 2Peter 1 he
says, “ We have also a more sure (that is, conrmed) word
of prophecy, whereunto ye do well to take heed, as unto
a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn
and the daystar arise in your hearts.” Israel’s prophets had
prophesied the full day of blessing on the earth, saying, “
Arise, shine, for thy light is come.” “ A King shall reign in
righteousness.” And their testimony was conrmed to the
disciples by the vision on the holy mount. ey prophesied,
too, of events coming on the world which marked out its
judgment in all its forms of rebellious will and power-of
Nineveh and Babylon, and the beasts which should arise
upon the earth-of Jerusalem and its portion as departed
from God: and judgment was thus pointed out, so that there
was a warning light, which in the midst of the darkness of
this world itself gave a light which recalled him that gave
heed to it to avoid the crime of human will which led on
to divine judgment. And this they did well to take heed to,
until the day-star arose in their hearts, because it was the
light in a dark place. But the day-star itself was something
yet more excellent.
e prophecies, indeed, are plain, their warning clear;
they guard me from being mixed up with the spirit of the
world, whose judgment is announced. In Rev. 1 read of
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unclean spirits like frogs, going forth unto the kings of the
earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle
of that great day of God Almighty. If I do not even exactly
understand who and what the frogs mean, still the grand
import of the prophecy is evident. ey are not the power
of good; they lead the kings of the earth to the battle of the
great day of God Almighty. It is thus a light shining in a
dark place, the night of this world’s history on the absence
of Christ. But the morning star is Christ Himself, as we see
in Rev. 22 He is the bright and morning star. He will be the
Sun of Righteousness to the world when He appears; but
then there will be judgment. e wicked shall be as ashes
under the soles of the feet-as, stubble-and the day of the
Lord as re. But the star appears to them that watch, before
the sun appears to the world; for, as I can understand by
the prophetical warning that this dark place is going to be
judged, that “ the night is far spent, and the day is at hand
“; yet so night it is now, whatever people may think. And
I want the morning star in my heart (the hope of Christ
before the day, coming to receive the church to Himself-
for the morning star is given to them that overcome) to
cheer my soul through the long and dreary night, which is
yet darker now than it was then, but still far spent, as the
darkness of the night always thickens till again the dawn
of another day rise beyond on the other side of heaven and
the morning star appear to x the eye of the watchful and
waiting soul, and cheer the heart with a sure and certain
hope. And what, then, do we want of the things of this
dark place, which is now under judgment for having nailed
God’s Son on the cross? Do not you, therefore, be seeking
the riches, the honors, the power of this world, on which
Christ is coming to execute judgment. One ray of the
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glory of Christ will at once wither up all the glory of this
deled world like an autumn leaf. Do not you, therefore,
go on mixing yourself up with the world and heaping up
riches. What will you do with them when Christ comes?
Remember the Lord is at hand. But do I keep separate
from this world merely because it is going to be judged?
Certainly not. My whole portion for time and eternity is in
Christ; the day-star has arisen in my heart. I am separated
from the world by aection, and not by fear.
We have the coming of Christ as the morning star as
a distinct thing from the sun-rise; for, when the sun rises
upon the world, it will be for judgment. (See Isa. 2 and Mal.
4:1-3.) But beside and before all this, we have our portion
in Christ; we are not of this world, we are redeemed out of
it, and belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, and shall join Him
on high before He is manifested for the judgment of this
world; and therefore the thunders of judgment cannot touch
us, because we are seated with Him in heaven, from whence
the judgments come. In Rev. 4 we have a most blessed and
comforting picture of the position of the church. ere are
the twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones, round about
the throne, from whence the thunders, the lightnings, and
the voices come: and they continue perfectly unmoved.
But was this insensibility? Certainly not: for, when God
Himself in His holy character is mentioned, immediately
they fall down and cast their crowns before Him. Neither
is this holiness the cause of any fear, when the living
creatures proclaim the threefold holiness of Him who sits
upon the throne; it is their worship breaks forth, and they
fall down, and cast their crowns before Him in the full
sense of the blessedness of Him who sits alone upon the
throne. Christ, then, is this Morning Star, and if the day
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has dawned, and the day-star has arisen in our hearts, we
know our association with Christ Himself, as within that
place from which the judgment proceeds.
At the end of the Revelation we have the place of the
Star again; chap. 22: 16. e Lord brings us back from the
prophetic testimony to Himself-” I Jesus have sent mine
angel “-” I am the root and the ospring of David [this is
in connection with His being the source of promise and
heir of it, as King of Zion-` Rule thou in the midst of
thine enemies ‘], and the bright and morning star.” But the
moment He presents Himself as the bright and Morning
Star, “ the Spirit and the bride say, Come “; the Holy
Ghost in the church says, “ Come.” is response is what is
connected with Himself. e mention of Himself attracts
and awakens the answer of the Spirit. is is the character
in which the church herself has to say to His coming. God,
in the love of His own heart, has associated the church
with Jesus, and the very mention of His name awakens
the cry, “ Come! “ for it touches a chord which gives an
immediate response; and therefore He does not say here,
“ Behold, I come quickly.” e question here is, not when
He will come, but that it is Himself that is coming. He
does not speak of His coming, blessed though that thought
is, but He reveals Himself; and this it is that awakens the
response of the heart by the power of the Holy Ghost. We
are for Himself, and shall be with Himself: it cannot be
anything short of this, for He calls us “ his body.” What a
glorious place this is! Not merely wonderful, but glorious-
identication with the Christ of God. No explanation
of prophetic scripture (however nice and true it may be-
however useful as a solemn warning as regards this world)
can ever take the place, in the soul that is taught of God,
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of knowing its living union with a coming Jesus, and of
the present waiting for Himself. No mere explanation of
His coming as a doctrine is the proper hope of the saint.
at hope is not prophecy; it is the real and blessed and
sanctifying expectancy of a soul that knows Jesus, and waits
to see and to be with Himself.
e bride alone hears the voice of the Bridegroom,
which at once calls out the expression of her desire of His
coming. To this He responds, assuring her of it; and then
the Revelation closes, leaving this as her own expectation,
whatever He may have previously communicated to her
concerning the judgment of this world, to which she does
not belong. e Lord Jesus is represented as departing
Himself, and coming and taking His bride to be with Him.
en, when the world is saying “ Peace and safety,” sudden
destruction cometh upon them, and they shall not escape.
Paul closes 1ess. 4 with these words, “ So shall we
ever be with the Lord.” And is that all? Yes, that is all; for
to the heart which has learned to love Him he can say
no more. en he adds,
109
“ Of the times and seasons ye
have no need that I write unto you.” Ye are the children
of the day, you wait for that. No explanation of this, as
a doctrine, can ever reach the heart. You cannot make a
person understand a relationship: to understand it he must
himself be in it. An unquickened soul may understand in
a manner what prophecy means; but nothing short of the
sense and taste of being connected with Christ Himself
can give the desire of His own personal coming. And why?
Because for this the relationship must be known. In Rev.
109 I have no doubt that the direct connection of chapter 5 is with
verse 14 of chapter 4, verse 15 to the end of chapter 4 being a
parenthesis.
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22:16 the relationship is known, aection is awakened, and
there is the immediate response.
Take a case: a woman is expecting her husband; he
knocks at the door. Not a word is uttered out of his mouth;
but his wife knows already who it is at the door, for it is he
whom she loves that is there, and thus the natural feelings
and aections proper for a wife are awakened, when the
chord is touched by that which acts on them. But then the
link must be in the heart; the aection must be there to
produce the response; the chord which vibrates with this
blessed truth must be there to be awakened by it. ere
is such a consciousness of union with Jesus, through the
power of God’s Spirit, that the very moment He is spoken
of in this character, the chord is touched, and the instinctive
cry is, “ Come.” No amount of intelligence, merely, will
produce this. And what a dierence between expecting the
Lord Jesus, because He has made me and His saints a part
of Himself and His bride, and looking for His coining to
judge poor sinners! Now mark the practical eect of this
looking for Jesus: it takes us clean out of the world up to
heaven. If my heart is right in its aections for Him, I am
looking too straight up on high to take notice of the things
around me. Plenty of things there are around in the world,
plenty of bustle and turmoil; but it does not disturb the
blessed calm of my soul; because nothing can alter our
indissoluble relationship with a coming Jesus, as nothing
should divide us in hope.
To see the coming of the Lord Jesus for the church
changes the character of a thousand scriptures. Take the
Psalms for instance-those which speak about judgments
on the ungodly, such as “ the righteous washing their feet
in the blood of the wicked.” We are not the persons who
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say this. It is the language of Jews, and of godly Jews too,
who will be delivered through the rod of power smiting
their enemies, when all the tribes of the earth will wail
because of Him. But do I want my enemies to be destroyed
to get to Christ? Certainly not. I shall leave them to be
with Him. It is a sorrowful thought indeed, though we
recognize the just judgment of God, that such judgment
will be accomplished upon those who despise Him and
His grace. But as for me, I am going straight up to Christ
in heaven. My place is in Him, while He is hid in God, in
the nearest and most intimate union. I belong to the bride,
a member of His body, of His esh, and of His bones.
When we have hold of this blessed center, Christ, and with
Him, therefore, of God Himself, then every scripture falls
into its proper place; and we get a spiritual understanding
by the Holy Ghost of things in heaven and our connection
with them, and things on earth and our separateness from
them; and, above all, our hearts get into their proper place,
for, being set on Jesus Himself, we are waiting for Him.
When He shall appear, we shall appear with Him in glory,
but we shall be forever with the Lord.
May the Lord give us such an apprehension of
redemption and of our position in Him as may so x our
hearts on Himself that we may be daily walking down here
like unto men that wait for their Lord, who has promised
to come and take us to Himself, watching in the midst of
a night of darkness, aware, that it is the night, although we
are not of the night, but watching and waiting for the day,
having the morning star arisen in our hearts! May the Lord
keep us from idols; and above all from aught that savors of
Jezebel, that we may be in dread, for fear of grieving Him
in any of those things which have come in to spoil and
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corrupt that which He once planted so beautiful, to be for
the manifestation of His glory in this dark and evil world.
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62286
e Prophetical Addresses
to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 5
LECTURE 5
I feel, beloved brethren, that the very commencement
of this chapter comforts one in a particular manner in
connection with the exceeding solemnity of the address to
the church of Sardis. I know of nothing more solemn than
the point of view from which the Spirit of God, in this
address to Sardis, regards the professing church, as to its
name, its character, and its responsibility in the world; for,
while the address is to the church, the point of view from
whence it is looked at is what the Son of God is in His
own fullness of blessing; since it ought to be, in the power
of divine grace, the expression of His nature and power,
from whom its life ows; and it is necessarily addressed to
the professing church, according to the professed position
it has taken. I feel ever a little diculty in speaking on the
subject, because of the sense of responsibility that presses
on me; and I pray the Lord may communicate to you the
sense I have (nay, and a much greater sense than I have) of
the responsibility connected with it. e church of Sardis
was, indeed, in a most solemn condition. Still there is a
comfort in the fullness and perfectness of Christ here
given for the need of the church; and, when all else might
seem to fail, so much the more does Christ bring out that
unchangeable fullness which is always there in Him to be
depended on.
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e Lord’s character (which, as I have before said, is
usual in these addresses) is adapted to the state of those
whom He is addressing-” these things saith he that hath
the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars.” It is not said
here, as it is in the address to Ephesus, “ He that holdeth in
his right hand the seven stars “; but “ he that hath the seven
stars.” And, mark, that no word in Scripture is omitted or
changed without full meaning. e stars (the angels
110
) of
the seven churches are symbolical representatives of the
churches, but considered in those who have a character
of authority under Him, who is the head of government.
In the address to Ephesus, Christ holds all the authority
in His hand (the stars, as I have just remarked, being the
symbolical representatives of the whole system of authority-
of that active energy which characterizes the churches to
Christ’s eye, which acts in His name in the midst of the
seven golden candlesticks), judging the state of the church,
and holding the representatives in His right hand.
But here in Sardis, failure, and even spiritual death, had
come in, and characterized the state of the church-” I know
thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest and art
dead.” We have seen how failure and decay had already
previously got into the church; but Sardis was, in one point
of view, in a worse state than even any before her, having
a name to live while she was dead. It was decay of vital
power-not the power of evil working, but a morally worn
110 ough such points are not my object here, I may remark (as
much stress has been laid on it), in explanation, that the angel
of the synagogue was in no way the ruler of the synagogue:
they were rather the clerks of the synagogue. e angels may
excel in strength, but are ministering spirits. e star is what
gives the ideal of authority (though of subordinate authority)
as a symbol, not the word “ angel.”
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out thing; and consequently the Lord presented Himself
to Sardis as having for faith all the fullness
111
of the Holy
Ghost at His disposal” He that hath the seven Spirits of
God “; and the seven stars, all power in the church, were at
His disposal also (seven being the symbol of perfection.)
Whatever the failure of the church may be, however it
may have coalesced with the world, this remains always
true, that the full, divine competency of the Holy Ghost
in His various attributes, is its portion, under Him who is
the Head of the church and cares for it, and loves it, and
watches over it; so that the church is without excuse, on one
hand, and the believing saint has a resource on the other.
But now that the whole thing had completely failed, that
not only God’s saints were seduced by the false doctrine of
Balaam, and that Jezebel had found a home there, having
children born there (as of Zion it shall be said, “ is and
that man were born in her,” so here there were those who
had their Christian name and birth-place in the very evil
itself): another scene presents itself here after the evil has
fully developed itself-a deathful state, though all spiritual
energy and authoritative power is there in Christ Himself,
with whom they have to do. And much as the fact of all this
being still and ever in Christ may condemn the professing
church, the precious truth of all power in connection with
the Holy Ghost being then, as ever, assuredly in Christ is
brought out for the comfort and blessing of the faithful “
overcomer.” It is his stay in the midst of abounding evil.
Whatever may be the form in which corruption has
come in, be it Jezebel or be it Balaam, the Lord says, “ I
know it all.” If death is stamped on the professing church,
still Christ says, “ I have the seven Spirits of God, and
111 But this I think in the activity of its ministrations.
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nothing can touch this “; and, therefore, while all is going
wrong, we nd that He has still all that is needed for the
full blessing of the church-” hath the seven Spirits of God.”
is is not altered a bit, either by the failure of man or by
the wickedness of Satan.
In Rev. 4:5, and chap. 5: 6, we have likewise mention of
the seven Spirits of God-seven lamps of re burning; seven
horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God,
expressive of multiform power and manifold wisdom; so
that it is as if the Lord had said, “ Here is everything that
can produce good, and secure good, and I have it all in My
keeping.” In yatira He had been obliged to teach them to
look out for His coming as the only refuge in the midst of
evil; and this hope is brought in as the bright and morning
star, to light up the soul in the midst of surrounding
darkness. en, in the church of Sardis, where they had a
name to live when they were dead, He further comforts the
faithful ones with the assurance, that, as to the real source
of all strength, there is not any failure. If all outward supply
is gone, He is still the same, and now He will make this
known to the church as the power to sustain and support
the faithful few; but He does not work a miracle for their
deliverance. So likewise, we may observe, when Israel set
up the golden calf, there was no miracle wrought to meet
that failure, but there was spiritual power in Moses, when
he put the tabernacle outside the camp.
e prophets in Judah prophesied, but they wrought
no miracles, except when the sun-dial of Ahaz returned
ten degrees backward as a special sign given to Hezekiah.
ey testied in order to bring man back to publicly
acknowledged truth in a divinely established system, and
comfort the hearts of the faithful. But when the whole
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nation of Israel had openly departed from God under
Jeroboam, and at length Baal was set up and worshipped,
then God worked miracles by the hands of His servants
Elijah and Elisha. So that while in mercy and grace God
was always sending testimony after testimony to Judah, but
no miracle when open failure came in, His power must be
shown to prove that He was Jehovah, in contrast with Baal,
which Judah did not deny. Power with corrupt holders of
truth would corrupt them more; power as testimony to
those gone away is the patient’ goodness of God. is is a
great principle in the ways of God, and it is of this great
principle that I am speaking, rather than of there being
miracles.
112
e great practical principle is established, that
we may always reckon upon God, whatever the failure may
be. It is true that we cannot but be sensible of failure, and a
deep sense we ought to have of it, while, at the same time,
we must never suer the utter sense of man’s failure to dim
the eye of faith to the consciousness of Christ’s power; it
should rather turn more denitely and distinctly to that
which can never fail. us we can look with calmness on
the church’s failure, because we look at it from our dwelling
in that love which can never fail; but still we must care for
it, and deeply feel it, as being dishonoring to the Lord.
Take for instance, the apostle Paul; how entirely he got
above the position of the failing Corinthians and Galatians
when he got up to the spring of condence in the Lord.
See how shockingly the Corinthians had been going on
when Paul wrote to them. ere was “ such fornication as is
not so much as named among the Gentiles.” erefore he
112 Moses wrought them as a proof of his mission, as nothing was
then divinely established in Israel. But this is not our subject
here. It is the same principle. e Jewish prophets appealed to
what was established.
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had to reprove them, but he looked above their actual state
to the source of their life and hope; and, therefore, before
he touches upon their evil, he can speak to them of their
being “ conrmed unto the end, that ye may be blameless
in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ “; for “ God is faithful
by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son
Jesus Christ our Lord.” So also to the Galatians. When
Paul wrote to them he said, “ I stand in doubt of you “; for
they had got under the law, and, therefore, Paul asks, must
he change his voice-wants to know how he should speak to
them; for they were o the Christian ground of grace, and,
accordingly, he turns to speak to them according to the
law. But when he gets up to Christ, then his heart gets to
the spring of condence-not condence in them, but about
them-and then he could say, “ I have condence in you
through the Lord that you will be none otherwise minded.”
e right state of our souls is to have a just value for, and
apprehension of, all that is in Christ, and consequently
of all that the church ought to be for Christ, in order to
have a deeper sense of its failure, according to that which
we see in Christ, of whom it ought to be the faithful and
fruit-bearing witness; and then the sense of the failure will
augment, and not diminish, our condence in the Lord
Jesus. And this it is that will keep the saint steady and quiet
through it all, because our condence is not in what the
church ought to be for Christ, but in what Christ is for it.
Mark, then, the graciousness of the Lord, in the way in
which He opens this address to Sardis. Before He touches
on their terrible state, He rst of all presents Himself as still
possessing the plenary power of the Spirit, for the resource
of faith; so that, notwithstanding all the failure and evil
that had come in, the power and prevalency of the Spirit
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still remained the same, because it depended not upon the
walk of the saint down here, but upon the value of Christ’s
work above. Just as God spake to Israel of old when they
had failed, by the mouth of Haggai the prophet, saying, “
According to the word which I covenanted with you when
ye came out of Egypt, so my Spirit remaineth among you;
fear ye not.” And so it is here-” ese things saith he that
hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars.” en
He goes on to take up the state of the church-” I know thy
works that thou hast a name, that thou livest and art dead.”
What a terrible condition is this! It completely portrays
what we see all around us-I do not mean only at the present
day, but what has actually been the state of the church for
the last century and more.
In Sardis, it is not the church as having left her rst love,
as in Ephesus (although that has been the origin of all that
has since followed). Nor is it as Smyrna, suering under
persecution from Satan, who has the power of the world.
Nor is it as Pergamos, dwelling in that same world where
his throne is, having such as hold the doctrine of Balaam
and the Nicolaitanes, a doctrine allowing evil deeds. Nor
is it as yatira, suering the prophetess Jezebel to teach
and seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat
things sacriced unto idols. Nor has it yet arrived at the
state of Laodicea, just ready to be spued out; nor is it like
Israel, as the open and positive worshippers of Baal. Grace
has still some work to do, and therefore we nd it acting
here and there. e church of Sardis, as we have seen, had
got away from evil doctrine and the actual teaching of
corruption; the evil of Sardis was more negative-a dead
form without any living power. It has a great name to live,
certainly. It is not Jezebel here, nor eating things oered
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to idols, neither is it yet spued out of Christ’s mouth. ey
had got outward truth, but it was dead, having no living
power; they had a certain outward and avowed profession
and appearance of Christianity; but, alas! if there was the
name to live, there was no power of life. ey held the
name and doctrine of Christianity; but alas! Christ was
not there. Take orthodoxy as it now is and has been for
some time past, and is it not just this? Saved from Jezebel, a
dead form has come in. And here let us bear in mind what
we have before remarked, that, in these addresses to the
churches, nothing of that which is put under judgment has
any reference to the energy of the Holy Ghost working.
e thing that is judged is the use made of these graces and
gifts of the Spirit of God.
Take the work of the Reformation as an illustration
of this. As to the energy that produced it there was an
undoubted work of God’s Spirit; and we nd with joy what
God was doing, and not what He is judging. It is from not
seeing this distinction that people get into diculty. Now,
it may be asked, where is the fruit which should have been
produced by the privileges brought in at the Reformation,
and now so long enjoyed? God lights a candle, not to put it
under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to
all who are in the house; then God looks to see if it gives
forth the light which He has put into it. In the churches,
we nd a good or a bad state spoken of, but never is the
good state named in connection with the Holy Ghost as
producing it
“ I have not found thy works perfect before God.” It
was set up complete in all the perfectness that there was in
Christ for it; and therefore He looks for that which should
answer to it, the perfectness in which it was originally set.
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us the Lord presents Himself as the One having all this
perfectness in spiritual power and energy, and is looking for
that which answers to it. We might say, “ Is it not strange
to say their works were not perfect, when we are told they
are dead? “
No, for the Lord never can descend below His own
measure in dealing with evil, whether in the church or with
an individual. If He gives a standard, it is that by which He
must judge. e church must be judged according to the
resources it has at its disposal. God never goes below this in
looking for an answer to what He has done. erefore we
have to ask ourselves whether, as individuals, we are showing
to the world the holiness that we are made partakers of,
and the love we are the objects of. ere are very many who
profess Christ, while there are few comparatively who live
Christ. ere is no charge here of Balaam and his corrupt
doctrine, eating things sacriced to idols, or of Jezebel; but
the Lord is looking for life. He looks for works complete,
lled up according to the measure of grace with which He
has connected the church. If we look at ourselves, dear
friends, what can we say? e question is not whether we
are producing any fruit at all, but whether the fruits that
are produced are fruits meet for Him for whom the ground
is dressed. If I till a eld and sow it with wheat, and it does
not bring forth according to my labors bestowed upon it, I
must give it up, and I do not sow it with wheat any more.
I am not here talking about the salvation of a soul, but of
the Lord’s judgment of the results in the saints, in souls
already saved.
It is true that God will produce the fruits of every
principle of His grace in perfection, when Christ takes
His power; but before this He commits it to man. He gave
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the law to Israel, and they utterly failed respecting it. But
Christ says, “ y law have I hid in my heart.” So also of
Israel, God will, in the latter days, write the law in their
hearts. Now Israel has become “ a proverb and a bye-word
among all nations,” as having been unfaithful; but in the
day of Christ’s power, when God will produce fruit in
perfection and fullness, then “ Israel shall blossom and bud
and ll the face of the whole world with fruit.”
en take government that was put into man’s hand.
Nebuchadnezzar was entrusted with power, and we know
what became of it. But government will be set up in
perfection when “ the kingdoms of this world are become
the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.” So also the
church of God was set up on the earth complete in Christ,
to manifest the glory of her absent Head in heaven, and
the power of the Holy Ghost conferred upon her. She was
the habitation of God through the Spirit. But alas! how
miserably has she failed, and what God is looking for are
the fruits of grace as a testimony and witness to His grace
received. But when Christ “ shall come to be gloried in
his saints and admired in all them that believe,” then the
church shall be manifested in glory, and the world shall
learn that the church has been loved with the same love
wherewith Christ was loved. But now it is a matter of
responsibility, and this for each individual if the church
fails. It will come to this, as to the professing church, that it
will be spued out of His mouth. But, remember, this is not
a question of salvation, but of profession before the world.
Take the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost was
given to produce certain eects. ere the adequate fruits
were produced. As to the present time, then the inquiry
of course is, Is the church of God producing for God
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fruits which answer to the power of testimony entrusted
to it? No, the church as a body is not. en comes out
the individuality-” He that hath an ear to hear, let him
hear,” and this brings the question home to each one of
us, “ How far are we individually producing a testimony to
God’s grace? “-a testimony, I mean, not in accordance with
the rst fullness of public power manifested in the church,
but lling up the measure of what we have individually
received, and the spiritual service of a saint, according to
Christ’s power now; for so God in practice deals with the
church, and the grace in Christ is always sucient for
that. When this is the question between the soul and God,
surely we shall have to own that this individual measure of
grace is not attained to. We may indeed zealously contend
for a name; but the question before God is as to power and
full fruits of grace in the measure of that which has been
received; and if the soul does not come up to that, it is a
dreadful thing for it to be resting on a religious reputation,
while the works are not perfect before God.
Oh! may the Lord keep us all from resting upon a
religious reputation; for of all the terrible things that
can befall a saint of God, one of the worst is, trusting to
a religious reputation-especially for one who is engaged
in ministering, I am sure. Alas! how often we have seen
such a person laboring devotedly, diligently, blessed in his
labors, gathering others really in truth to Christ, but thus
gathering a circle round himself. Self is there, and thus he
gets “ a name to live,” becoming satised with the circle he
has made, and resting in the fruits produced, and not in
Him who is alone the power of life. us his usefulness is
gone, and he himself stops short of the end. Look now at
the direct contrast of this, in the Lord’s earthly path. He lost
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credit, every step He took, with those around Him, because
He went on walking with His Father, shining brighter and
brighter; till at last men could not bear its brightness, and, as
far as they were concerned, put it out on the cross, because
those around Him knew not His measure of communion,
and could not at all get up to it. Even His very disciples
could not come up to the discipleship involved; they also
dropped o, as He said, “ Ye shall be scattered every man to
his own, and shall leave me alone; and yet I am not alone,
because the Father is with me.” us we see the blessed
Lord in man’s estimation got lower and lower till they put
Him to death, “ even the death of the cross.”
en there was Paul. What spiritual energy of faith
there was in him! He walked with God in power; but we
see that those about him could not attain to the point he
had reached; and, therefore, as Paul was advancing, he must
necessarily leave them behind him. His path became more
and more lonely, and at the end of his course he had to
say, “ all they which are in Asia be turned away from me.”
Again, “ all men forsook me, notwithstanding the Lord
stood by me.” Paul, out of all he had gathered, had only
one person to visit him in prison. Full energy was kept up
in Paul, in the power of which he walked with God, while
others slipped back; as he says, they were “ the enemies of
the cross of Christ,” “ who mind earthly things.” And even
those who were not this were not keeping up to the point
of faith; they lost sight of their heavenly citizenship; they
sought their own more than the things of Jesus Christ.
Just in proportion as there is this secret measure of
communion in our walk with God, in that which is hourly
passing between the soul and God, will be the degree of our
isolation. What we have most specially to look to is that all
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our works be perfect before God, that all our doings be
measured with immediate reference to God; and this must
necessarily produce a certain degree of isolation. It was
thus with Christ: He was always lowly and He was already
lonely, yet full of love to all, perfect in aability with every
needy soul as with His disciples. It is no matter how we
sink in the estimation of others, it will be the necessary
consequence of faithfulness; and the reverse of all this is
with a great show before the world-just this, “ that thou
hast a name that thou livest, and art dead,” “ for I have
not found thy works perfect before God.” e works are
done in reference to man, and not to God. At the same
time it is quite a right thing to walk with the saints and
to keep and cultivate their aections, although the more
faithful individual walk is, the greater the isolation must
be, because the fewer there will be who understand it. And
yet the nearer to Christ, the greater, of course, will be the
grace towards others, as He says, “ as I have loved you, that
ye also should love one another.” us in a close walking
with God, there will be an abiding sense of His secret
favor; but then this personal dependence upon God must
lead to isolation. Our path will be a lonely one as Christ’s
ever was. With all His grace and lowliness, to listen to all,
and to serve all, yea even to the washing of our feet, yet He
was left alone, though not left of God, as He said, “ He that
sent me is with me,” “ the Father hath not left me alone, for
I do always those things which please him.”
Now see the consequences of the works not being perfect
before God; and this is what I feel to be so solemn in the
warning here given: “ Remember, therefore, how thou hast
received and heard, and hold fast, and repent.” Mark the
two points here, “ received and heard.” Firstly, the grace
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which it has received, and in which it has been set; and,
secondly, the revealed word of God as their rule and guide.
Grace has been received, and the word communicated.
It is not that which we have not received, but that which
we have received, that we are called to consider. e Lord
presents the measure of responsibility in these two points,
that which the church has received, and in which it has
been set, and that which it has heard (the word of God
being the alone measure of revealed guidance). God gives
us His word to guide us, and grace to walk according to it.
“ If, therefore, thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee
as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come
upon thee.” Now it is a very wearying and tiring thing
to watch; for one has to watch oneself too, or we are apt
to fall asleep. e heart grows tired of being constantly
awake to all that is going on. It is impossible to watch if
we do not keep close to Christ-if we have not the sense of
His watching us, and taking notice of us. We need great
watchfulness in active service. Indeed, our every service
ought to be connected with God as a matter of individual
faith. We may be tried in it. e bush may be very thick,
but the object on the other side should be clear. ere is
a constant tendency to slip away from that clearness of
judgment about a thing, which we should have if close to
Christ. When judging of a trial in the presence of Christ,
the way out of it seems easy; but when we have got into
the trial, we do not always see it so clearly. When we are
rst descending into a valley, the object on the other side,
and the direction to be taken, are seen clearly enough; but
when we have got into the thicket of the valley, it is not so
easy to discern the pathway through the details of the way.
We are apt, when we get into the weariness and distraction
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of the circumstances of the trial, to lose the clearness of
apprehension which we had in judging of it in Christ’s
presence. We all nd there is much practical diculty in
seeing as clearly when in the thicket of the valley, as when
on the heights with Christ. Our eye must be single to do
God’s will; and the more humble we are, the more simple
we shall be, and thus be guided through by the wisdom
of His own will, who sees the end from the beginning,
and guides us by His word and Spirit. e largest mind
of man that was ever heard of could never discern God’s
ways, while the “ little child “ who looks to God has God’s
wisdom. Every step we take should be marked with the
sense of God’s approbation. “ For the meek will he guide in
judgment, and the meek will he teach his way.”
“ If, therefore, thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee
as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come
on thee.” If there is not this watchfulness in the professing
church, how solemn is the result! “ I will come on thee as
a thief.” What a fearful thing when the professing church,
with its great name, is reduced, in God’s estimation and
judgment, to the level of the world, when it does not
come up in its works to the expectation of God! He had
not found their works perfect before God, because not
according to the privileges given by God. God here says
to them, If there be not the answer to what I have given,
if there is not watchfulness, I must treat you as the world
will be treated. In 1ess. 5:2, with regard to the world it
is said, “ the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the
night.” But to the saints it is said, “ but ye, brethren, are not
in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief; ye
are all the children of light and the children of the day.”
And when He comes who brings in the day, the children
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of the day will come with Him. ey will be, in fact, as the
rays of the Sun of Righteousness. “ When Christ, who is
our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in
glory “; “ when he shall come to be gloried in his saints
and to be admired in all them that believe.” And, again, “
e glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that
the world may know that thou hast loved them as thou
hast loved me.”
In 1ess. 5 the Spirit of God contrasts the world with
the church of God; while here in Sardis the Lord contrasts
the professing church with the true saints of God, and
announces to it the world’s portion. erefore Sardis is
addressed as the world; it is not denounced as Jezebel, but
as receiving the judgment of what it is in spirit, the world;
for if the professing church is not coming up to the measure
of what it has “ received and heard,” this is its portion. If
it be not found watching, it is courting in its measure the
same judgment as the world. Of course we are not saying
that the church of God, which is one with Christ in glory,
and whose life is hid with Christ in God, could ever be so
treated; but it is an exceedingly solemn thought that the
great professing body, with its “ great name to live “ and a
“ fair show in the esh,” is waiting for the same judgment
as the world. It is the world itself in fact. en arises this
question, How far have your souls realized that all that is
going on around us bearing the name of God, while it is
not of God-the nominal church, or Christendom as it is
called, which is in truth the world, but having this name
and position-will be treated as what it really is-the world?
Well, then, dear friends, what a solemn fact is this, that
we are, in this day in which we live, walking through a
scene which must thus be visited, because God has said it,
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and alas! we know not how soon. I know of nothing more
solemn than the identication of the professing church
with the world in judgment which is here found.
“ ou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have
not deled their garments, and they shall walk with me
in white, for they are worthy.” Here we shall have another
important point opened out; for here we shall nd the
characteristics of what is called the “ invisible church.” “
ou hast a few names even in Sardis.” ese “ names “
here signify “ individuals “ whom the Lord had counted
up and known each one of them by name. “ ese are they
which have not deled their garments “; they had not gone
on with the world, now the professing church had deled
their garments. Sardis is not charged with the seductions of
Balaam, or the corruptions of Jezebel, it may be; but she is
“ minding earthly things “ and is “ glorying in her shame.”
Sardis has not kept her garments unspotted by the world,
and, therefore, her spot is not “ the spot of His children.”
As Paul said, “ even weeping, they are the enemies of the
cross of Christ, who mind earthly things.” It is the spirit of
the world lling the heart as an accepted object, and hence
conformity to it in order to walk with it, which is here
spoken of. But those who have held by the cross of Christ
with undeled garments “ shall walk with me in white, for
they are worthy.”
e character of the blessing always answers to the
diculty. ey had kept their garments unspotted by the
world when down here. erefore they shall walk with
Him in white up there, “ and I will not blot his name out
of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my
Father, and before his angels.” Mark how individual this
is-” his name,” so constantly recurring.
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e force of the expression, “ the book of life,” is
evidently that of a general registry of profession, taken
from the custom of corporations of cities, where a name
may be enrolled, the title to which may prove false, giving
at the rst blush a prima facie title to something, though
on investigation it will have to be erased. ose who were
written in this book had a profession, “ a name to live.” is
was very dierent from “ being written in the book of life
before the foundation of the world “; because God, in that
case, had written them there: it was thus the book of the
counsels and purposes of God.
“ I will confess his name.” e Lord will distinguish
each one that is His. And in these individuals we see that
the invisible church exists amid the wreck of all, and when
the visible body is judged, they will escape, and not merely
escape, for they will be taken to the Lord before this. So
that, when the Lord comes to judge the world, they will
come with Him; and the visible church, not answering to
the grace, will be treated as the world. ere is, therefore, an
invisible church, I doubt not; but mark that when the true
church is invisible, then the visible church is treated like the
world. ese churches were called candlesticks, and God
had put light in them, not to be put under a bushel, but
to be put in a candlestick; to give light to all around. Well,
then, is light invisible? If it is, what is invisible light worth?
It only merits condemnation. What has been said by men
for the last three hundred years is quite true, that there is
an invisible church, but then this is the condemnation of
that which is visible. Looked at with respect to its public
collective testimony for God, does it bear out the precepts
of Christ in its conduct and life? No; and, therefore, there
has not been in the church the visible testimony Io all the
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grace, and truth, and blessedness, which is the church’s
portion in Christ.
We would here point out what very dierent aspects
of the Lord’s coming we have presented to us in these
addresses. In yatira, in the Jezebel state of the church,
He turns away the eye from all hope of its restoration as a
whole, and turns it to the Morning Star for the comfort of
those who, though not of the night, yet feeling that it is the
night, are watching for the Morning Star; thus presenting
the hope of His coming as a refuge to the faithful overcomer
in the midst of abounding evil. Here in Sardis His coming
has the character of judgment -” I will come on thee as a
thief, and thou shalt not know at what hour I will come
on thee.” Sardis, being in a decayed dead state, necessarily
brings a judgment on itself; for if the professing church be
got into a state like the dead, then it must be treated like
the dead. But in Philadelphia, it is quite a dierent thing;
there He addresses a poor, feeble remnant in the midst of
apostasy, with the blessed and encouraging hope of His
coming quickly-” Behold, I come quickly.”
Philadelphia. We have seen the general course of the
rst of these churches to be declension; then the being
drawn away by Satan; then warnings. Here a remnant are
comforted. What characterizes the faithful here is, that
while they had no strength, they are yet in close connection
with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. What characterizes
the father in Christ, in John’s rst epistle, is the knowledge
of Him that is from the beginning. So here in Philadelphia,
we get a little strength, it is true; but there is no denial
of His name. e address to the church, the foundation
of the declaration made to it, is connected with Christ, is
Himself; it is not a question of power. But when all is going
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wrong, as in John’s epistle, where there were the many
Antichrists, still there were those who had that by which
they could detect the false one; “ for he that is born of God
keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.”
Feeling it now to be a kind of hopeless thing to look for
any restoration of the church, as far as regards apparent
power, the keeping of the word of Christ’s patience is what
characterizes the church of Philadelphia; and the name of
“ him that is holy and him that is true “ is stamped upon
it in a peculiar way. In the way Christ is presented here
there is no question of power. as in Sardis, but the unfailing
certainty of what He was in His character, and what He
has said-” He that is holy, and he that is true.” With these
two we can judge everything. When all was going wrong
around, they were to keep to the simplicity that was
in Christ; as in John’s epistle-” is is the true God and
eternal life.” “ Little children, _keep yourselves from idols.”
ey had got eternal life in their souls, and having touched
Him and handled Him, and seen Him by faith, they could
say who this true One was; and could also say, “ this is the
Holy One,” for He is not only the One who has power, but
He is the Holy One.
Remark, too, that the characters of Christ presented
here form no part of the original glory of Christ, spoken
of in chapter 1, but refer to His moral character, discerned
by the saint exercised in faith at the epoch to which the
church refers. But the saints here had “ kept the word of
Christ’s patience “; and when the word of God is valued
as such, then the character of Christ Himself governs
the soul. His precepts become our authority, and Christ
Himself personally rules the aections of the heart, and
with a single eye the body is full of light. So it was with
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Mary, when the departure of the Lord drew nigh. e
word of God links the soul with Christ as He was, and is;
it just gives one a written Christ. See in Matt. 5 “ Blessed
are the poor in spirit “; and who so poor in spirit as Christ?
“ Blessed are the pure in heart “; and who so pure as He? “
Blessed are the meek “; and who so meek as He? “ Blessed
are the peace-makers “: He was the great peacemaker, the
very Prince of peace.
e rst thing, of course, is to have Him as the living
Christ for the salvation of the soul; and then, through the
written word, we get the spiritual perception of what this
Christ is. It is the simple expression of Christ Himself, of
Him who was the express image of God; who “ was made
esh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth.” And when we thus get the Spirit’s testimony to
Christ, the heart clings to Him as the “ holy “ and the “ true.”
us the Christ found in the word governs the aections,
for we dare not and would not be without, or depart from,
this written Christ. is living link to a living Christ is the
only safeguard against them that would seduce us. A holy
Christ in whom we have the truth is the blessed, strong,
moral assurance of the soul, when a mixed and lifeless
Christianity is powerless against delusion; and when the
same causes make the professing church incapable of
discerning a plain path, when there is not faith enough to
do without the world, and mixture is everywhere, then a
holy and true Christ is the assuring guide and stay of the
soul.
To Timothy Paul said, “ From a child thou hast known
the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus,” and
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482
surely there can be no better knowledge to be got than
the knowledge of Christ. is was the point in the Epistle
of John. e father in Christ “ knew him that is from the
beginning “; he could tell what the true Christ was; he
knew “ him that was holy, him that was true.” It is not
development that is needed, but merely the getting back
to the simplicity that is in Christ-to know Him truly that
was at rst revealed, Him that was from the beginning.
erefore, if my soul is attached to the Christ of the written
word, the Christ that I have loved here is the same Christ
that I am waiting for to come and take me up there.
e blessed picture that we get here of the Lord Jesus is
not like that given in chapter i, with “ his eyes as a ame of
re, and his feet like unto ne brass, as if they burned in a
furnace “-rm, unchanging, a consuming re in judgment,
and now so revealed, and according to what was revealed
by the Holy Ghost. But the picture here given of Him is in
connection with the moral character given of Him in the
written word-” he that is holy and he that is true.”
“ He that hath the key of David; he that openeth and no
man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth.” Christ
is not looking for strength in His saints: He enters into
His own personal and peculiar service and holds the “ key “
Himself; and this is our condence. If raging billows rise in
countries around us, and the preaching of the gospel seem
to be forbidden, well, it is all in His hand. I might desire
that the gospel might be preached in a certain land, and
the hindrances may seem to be too many and too great;
but my comfort is to know that Christ has the key, and
all the divine power of God at His disposal; and it is as
in John 1o, “ To him the porter openeth,” so that when
Jesus presented Himself (as in the gospels) none could shut
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out His testimony. All the powers of earth-the Pharisees,
the lawyers, the chief priests, the governors, the Pilates,
and the Herods (those foxes)-could not hinder one poor
sheep from hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd in
the days of His esh; and so it is now, for Christ is “ the
same yesterday, to-day, and forever.” is is our condence
in preaching the gospel; for, with all the liberty with which
we are blessed in this highly-favored country, I could not
count upon a single year more, but for this simple promise,
“ I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut
it “; and I could go fearlessly into any country, whatever
might be the outward circumstances, if I saw that the Lord
had set before me an open door.
Of course we must wait the Lord’s time to have the door
opened; as we see in the case of Paul, he was forbidden to
speak in Asia, at one time, and then we nd him there for
three years afterward, the Lord owning his labors there, so
that all Asia (of which Ephesus, where he was gathering a
church, was the capital) heard the word of God. Of course
we shall have to be content to lean in faith on the arm of
Him who holds the key, and in our patience we shall have to
possess our souls; for there will always be circumstances to
exercise our faith, and God will allow these circumstances
to arise, to prove to us that we cannot do without Him.
For then it is we nd that we have no strength, and that
God answers our weakness according to His own strength;
because He cannot fail to answer the faith He has given. “ I
have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.”
is word has often given me great condence-” no man
can shut it.” is is such a blessed comfort that if Christ
has opened a door, no man, devil, or wicked spirit, can shut
it; and although we have not strength even to push the
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door open, it is open for us. e whole church is weak, as
weak as can be, and that in a bad sense, for what faith have
we? We hear of a little faith. God shows us His power, as
we have heard of in Madagascar. But where is the strength
and energy of faith to be heard of amongst us?
“ Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also
will keep thee from the hour of temptation.” is stamps
our safety and our power. It is Christ’s own patience, for
He is also waiting for the kingdom, expecting till His
enemies be made His footstool. We wait as and with Him;
but here it is by the word. It is that which is our warrant
and our security- the word by which He guides us into the
same mind and spirit in which He waits, separated from
the world and knit to Him in the same hopes, and joys,
and delight, not nding rest till He nds His-the guidance
of our mind, by the communicating His, into the thoughts
and expectations which He has Himself. Only let us keep
fast hold of the word of Christ’s patience in these last
perilous times. It is our power against the adversary- in the
knowledge of Christ Himself, not in ecclesiastical power,
but as holy and true, waiting apart from the world, as He
is, and keeping His word, and belonging to Him, so that
He takes us out of the hour of temptation that hangs over
the world, and the open door of service is ours meanwhile
in spite of all.
For, thus associated with Him, we have His own portion.
Not being in spirit dwellers upon earth, but waiting with
Him, He does not make us pass through that hour of
temptation which is to sift out those who have their home
here, confounding by the power of the enemy and the
tribulation of God the men of this world, and making the
world, clung to by any of His, too great a torment to cling
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to any longer. All this the Philadelphian saint escapes; he
can look straight up to the heaven and heavenly Christ he
belongs to; and the heart associated with Him knows that
He will not fail his heart, but as soon as He rises up to
take His place and power towards the world, will take him
to be with Him, according to the hope He has given him.
Only let us keep simply to the written word of God, then
we may defy all the power of our adversaries (not that we
would be adversaries to them, God forbid!) Only let there
be in the heart the consciousness of Christ’s approbation,
and that closeness of heart to God, which takes God’s
word for a guide because it is His, and then there will be
the power of Christ, the strength of Christ made perfect in
our weakness. at which characterizes the true saints at
this present time is the written word of God, as bringing
Christ’s character and name as truth and holiness into the
heart; and thus walking, in fellowship and communion
with “ Him that is holy and him that is true,” they will be
safe.
“ Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan
which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold,
I will make them to come and worship before thy feet,
and to know that I have loved thee.” Here we get those
who have an opposite character; and the Lord speaks
very plainly, He does not spare them a bit. ey are the
synagogue of Satan. What did these Jews pretend to? All
that which externally gave them a religious title to govern,
to command, in the truth: — antiquity, and ordinances
established of God, as they really had been in the case of
the Jews, and the proof that they were the true and only
people of God, the priesthood instituted of God. ey had
the pretension to be God’s competent administrators of
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486
His blessings, which none else were; they had zeal for God,
possession of His oracles. All else but themselves were
without these distinctive privileges. Where else was eternal
life to be found? When Christ’s authority is owned in the
heart, then this word comes in, “ We write unto you that
believe, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, that ye
may believe on the name of the Son of God.” If God has
given us eternal life in Christ, we do not want those who
pretend to be the exclusive administrators of it; and we
cannot let anything come in and separate between us and
Him; we cannot go away from Christ, and we have got the
true Christ in the word, and we cannot but speak of the
things which we have seen and heard. Him who would
lead me elsewhere I can easily detect as of the synagogue
of Satan. ey may prosper now: I will wait with Christ,
keeping that word which teaches me from Him and with
Him to wait till He comes and sets up the blessing and the
glory.
But if God has given you eternal life, then do not you
dispute with these of Satan’s synagogue, as if they had any
title from God (they have none); but judge ye whether
ye are to obey them or God. We have “ Him that is holy
and him that is true “-” and the secret of the Lord is
with them that fear him.” ey were not to contend with
this synagogue of Satan, and though they had but little
strength and were of no reputation, yet in patience they
were to possess their souls, because Christ will yet manifest
His love to them before their adversaries. e synagogue of
Satan was a religion of the esh, which rested in outward
things-in all that nature could claim as religious-works,
ordinances, and the like, assuming and occupying the place
of the Jews in Paul’s time; and it is spiritually the same
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now. But “ I will make them know that I have loved thee “:
the Greek marks with emphasis the “ I “ and “ thee.” en
the question resolves itself into this, Is Christ sucient for
me? Is Christ’s approbation sucient motive to govern my
conduct? If Christ’s approbation be not sucient to satisfy
a soul, that soul can never walk aright.
“ Behold, I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast
“ (that is, “the word of my patience”). I am waiting, and you
must wait; Christ is expecting till His foes be made His
footstool. Instead of taking our ease, we must be waiting
till He come in, just as He always waited till His Father
came in, and as He does now till His Father makes His
foes His footstool. I would mark here how emphatically
the word “ My “ comes in throughout this address. It is
the practical identication of the saint with “ him that is
holy and him that is true.” Waiting with Him in rejection
from the hands of those who had all the ordinances, and
antiquity for them, we shall be sharers with Him in glory.
e word
“ My “ is especially connected with everything in the
glory. You have been weak in testimony down here, but
you have kept the word of My patience, and you shall
be a “ pillar “ of strength in the temple of My God, I will
write on you the name of My God, the name of the city
of My God … which comes down out of heaven from My
God, and My new name. is identication with Christ in
patience, and Him in everything, is of the deepest interest
and instruction.
e Lord give us to walk in the power of the Spirit
with our hearts xed on Christ as revealed as the holy and
the true, keeping the word of His patience, that so His
approbation may be our everlasting reward. May He keep
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488
us separate from the world upon which He is coming in
judgment!
How great the contrast between expecting that which
is hanging as a terror over a person’s head, and knowing
Christ in such a way, having Him so completely the whole
object of our desires and aections that when He says,
“ Surely I come quickly,” the immediate response of our
hearts may be, “ Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
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62287
e Prophetical Addresses
to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 6
LECTURE 6
We only touched a little upon the general features of the
church of Philadelphia last evening, just so much as was
needful to connect it with the preceding church of Sardis.
We will, therefore, now turn again, the Lord helping us,
to consider more particularly the details of the church of
Philadelphia; and in so doing, we would notice, in the rst
place, that the most prominent feature in this church of
Philadelphia is, that it is one of special blessing to meet a
special need. For, after all the display of terrible evil through
which we have had to pass, in the previous condition of the
churches, now that we have reached Philadelphia, we nd
it to be all mercy and blessing.
It is very blessed to observe, that however poor and
feeble God’s people may be, even though the faithful ones
be reduced to a remnant of individuals, He never forgets
them. His eye is ever upon them to give them out of His
own resources, according to what they need and when they
need, at the time that surrounding things are darkest. When
both the church and the world have arrived at a state of felt
darkness, then the few who are faithful have the most “
light in the Lord.” For the life of faith is always nourished
and sustained by the faithful grace of Christ, according to
the power of that which draws upon it-according to the
diculties through which it has to pass.
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It is another question whether the Lord’s people are to
be used in testimony by Him in time of failure; this will be
according to His wisdom. We see this exemplied (as we
have before remarked) in Israel; the failure of the golden
calf was met by inward spiritual power in Moses putting
the tabernacle outside the camp. And when the open
and avowed worship of Baal prevailed, then God raised
up Elijah and Elisha with great outward manifestation
of power; but then the seven thousand faithful ones were
hidden of God. e Lord may not choose to put the
outward honor of testimony upon that which has failed.
Still He gives the needed grace and inward power of life to
sustain the individual soul; and this, as regards the saints
now, owing from the Head in glory for the nourishment
of the body on the earth, can never fail. us, as regards
gifts in the church, for instance, those which were for signs
(“ sign-gifts “ as they are sometimes called, and a testimony
to the world, signs being for those which believe not, as “
tongues,” “ gifts of healing,” etc.), these may be all gone; but
never can those gifts be removed which ow down from
the Head to sustain the members of the body; for “ no man
ever yet hated his own esh, but nourisheth and cherisheth
it even as the Lord the church.”
In the epistle to the Ephesians, where the church is so
specially brought out as the body Of Christ, we nd the
gifts for the church spoken of as being “ for the perfecting
of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ.” Here we have not a word about the
sign-gifts, while in Corinthians we have “ gifts of healing,”
divers kind of tongues,” “ interpretation of tongues,” etc.
us we see in Scripture two characters of gifts distinctly
marked out: rst, the sign-gifts, as in Corinthians, which
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were public signs attached to the church for outward
testimony, whereby to attract an unbelieving world;
secondly, those gifts which ow from the Head for the
nourishment of the body. is nourishment must ever
remain. It may come in the way of outward testimony,
or direct from Christ Himself in the way of grace; but
there must always be this supply from the Head. is is
just what we get brought out in the Philadelphian church;
for that which characterized it was weakness-only a little
power, but a much greater nearness to Him who is power,
a greater degree of aection to the Lord, more intimacy of
communion with Him, and in the promises made to it a
much more denite identication with Himself.
Weakness is that which characterized the church of
Philadelphia, but then it was without reproach from the
Lord. And we must ever remember this, that though God
may give an outward display of power, such as gifts of
healing, tongues, and the like, as a testimony to the world,
or these may all have come to an end, yet at all times, either
with or without this outward manifestation of power, the
sense of weakness is competent strength if mixed with
faith. ere may be trouble of heart along with this sense
of weakness without unbelief. ere was this sense of the
surrounding sorrow in the Lord Jesus. “ Now is my soul
troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this
hour.” But thus we see the sorrow was the very thing which
immediately linked Him with His Father.
But, alas! in us there is too often such a getting into
communion with the sorrow itself, such a turning of our
souls to the thoughts of sorrow, as to lead to the distrusting
God’s competency to meet it. For, instead of saying, “ In
the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts
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492
delight my soul,” we are turning about in the multitude
of our thoughts to think what is to be done, and thus
looking at and occupying ourselves about circumstances, or
what we nd within us, so as to keep God out altogether;
but this was never the case with the Lord Jesus. For the
moment the hour of sorrow appeared before His soul, the
immediate cry was, “ Father, save me from this hour.” But
if we are thinking about our own weakness in any other
way than to lead us to immediate dependence upon the
strength of God, God with us and God for us, it is unbelief.
It is not, moreover, a sense of the greatness of God’s
gifts and revelations to us in which our strength lies. For
signs and miracles do not give inward strength; they may
conrm His word to us in times of trial, but can never
impart inward strength; and it is of importance clearly to
understand this. Take, for instance, the case of Paul, who
was caught up into the third heaven, and heard there things
which it was not possible for him to utter. An amazing thing
this, and doubtless it was a kind of back-ground for Paul’s
soul to rest upon in his trials, his having been in the third
heaven. But it did not give him inward strength. On the
contrary, the esh, without God’s overruling care, would
have been pued up, and this is not strength; but when he
got something that made him sensible of his own weakness,
then strength from God could come in. And so it is with
us: our hearts are so treacherous, and our esh so wicked,
that if not watched against, we should abuse everything
that the Lord makes known to us. We need not stop here
to inquire what Paul’s “ thorn in the esh “ was, although
it is often made the subject of much fruitless inquiry, out
of mere curiosity; but this we would remark, that each one
of us will have a dierent thorn according to the danger
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we are in. us much we know from Gal. 4:13, 14, that it
was something which tended to make him despicable in
the esh, thus producing sensible weakness in his ministry.
And, therefore, Paul cried thrice to the Lord to remove it;
to which the Lord replied, “ My grace is sucient for thee;
for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul must
realize this sense of weakness in order to learn where real
strength lies; and then he can glory in his inrmities, that
the power of Christ may rest upon him; as he says, “ When
I am weak, then am I strong.”
ere is always strength in looking to God; but if the
mind rest upon the weakness otherwise than to cast it upon
God, it becomes unbelief. Diculties may come in. God
may allow many things to arise to prove our weakness; but
the simple path of faith is to go on, not looking beforehand
at what we have to do, but reckoning upon the help that
we shall need, and nd when the time arrives. e sense
that we are nothing makes us glad to forget ourselves, and
then it is that Christ becomes everything to the soul. ere
is real strength in pursuing the simple path of obedience
in what we may have to do, whatever the trial may be. So
it was with David when he had to ght. “ e Lord, that
delivered me out of the paw of the bear, and out of the
paw of the lion, will deliver me out of the hand of this
Philistine.” It was no matter to David whether it was the
lion, the bear, or this giant of the Philistines; it was all the
same to him, for in himself he was as weak in the presence
of one as the other; but he went on quietly doing his duty,
taking it for granted that God would be with him. is is
faith. Mark the contrast with this in the unbelief of the
spies sent by Moses to spy out the land. ey trembled
and said they were but as grasshoppers in the sight of their
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enemies, thus quite forgetting what God was for them, and
making it a question between themselves and the Anakims,
instead of between the Anakims and God. But where there
is a simple reference to the Lord, then “ I can do all things
through Christ strengthening me.” When trouble comes
in, we must not be looking at ourselves, but, knowing that
we are nothing but weakness, simply look to the Lord as
everything in the way of strength for us.
e case of Philadelphia was one of decided weakness,
but faithfulness; there may be great apparent power and yet
weakness itself. As the Holy Ghost says in 1Corinthians,
there may be the speaking with the tongues of men
and angels, the understanding of all mysteries, and all
knowledge, and yet there may be, at the same time, the
most perfect weakness, because all this was not done in
communion with God. ere is nothing more dangerous
than to have the outward manifestation of power going
beyond the inward association and communion of soul
with God; the life within must be equal to the outward
display of power. We have lately alluded to this in the case
of Elijah.
“ ese things saith he that is holy, he that is true.” Here
in Philadelphia we have the Lord in His moral character,
and not in the character of personal power as the Son of
God, but as the “ holy and the true,” presenting Himself as
a standard of judgment as to everything inconsistent with
Himself, and suiting Himself in grace to the condition and
need of His faithful ones, and by His truth giving a means
of judgment, and security of heart and condence to the
saints. And we also nd Him disposing of means in favor
of the church, in such a way that, if He opens a door, none
can shut it, or if He shuts a door, none can open it. us
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there are the two things: He is the holy and the true, to
those who trust in Him; and He has also, not here indeed
the display of power, but the key of power (as Jehovah said
of Eliakim to Shebna in Isa. 22:22: “ e key of the house
of David will I lay upon his shoulder, so he shall open and
none shall shut, and he shall shut and none shall open “).
So that, where there is this weakness, He encourages the
church to look to Himself as the holy and the true, and
trust Him; and where there is this resting on His title to
open and shut, and this trust in His Person, and conformity
to His character, the church is perfectly secure, no matter
what may happen. Let all the power of man or Satan do
their worst, if I am resting in Christ, who is perfectly true,
and He has opened a door, neither man nor devil can shut
it.
How analogous is this position of the Philadelphian
church to that of Christ when He was on the earth!
Everybody sought to shut the door against Him; Pilate,
Herod, Scribes, Pharisees, and the whole nation of the
Jews were all trying to shut the door against Christ. Christ,
like the Philadelphian church, was in the midst of an order
of things which God had once instituted, but which had
entirely failed; for in Christ’s time there was no ark, no Urim
and ummim, no Shekinah (the glory of God’s presence
in the temple). All that had really constituted the sensible
display of power and testimony was gone, and, instead of
Jehovah having a throne in Jerusalem, they themselves
had fallen under Gentile power and were slaves to man’s
throne. And hence arose the exceeding subtlety of the
question the Jews put to our Lord. “ What thinkest thou?
Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar or not? “ If the Lord
had answered No, it would have been the denial of God’s
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chastisement for their sins; and if He had said Yes, then it
went to the denial of His title as Messiah. But (the Lord
perceiving their wickedness), His reply to them amounted
to this, “ You have brought yourselves under this dominion
because of your sins, and therefore now you must submit to
its authority.” Not only “ the powers that be are ordained of
God,” and as such we submit to them; but in Israel’s case it
would have been denying God’s chastisement upon them
for their sins (as it is said, “ we are slaves this day because
of our sins “).
So the Lord Himself submitted to paying the
temple tribute. But though Israel, as a body, failed in
their faithfulness to God, yet God could not fail in His
faithfulness to them, for His Spirit remained among them,
as we learn in Haggai; and therefore we nd there was a
little remnant in the Annas and Simeons, who were waiting
for redemption in Israel (as it is said in Malachi, “ ey that
feared the Lord spake often one to another “). us we
see it was a condition of thorough darkness, and when He
who was the Light comes in, He is at once rejected. Well,
what then? Was the door shut to Him? No: “ to him the
porter openeth.” Christ came in at the door, not, like all the
pretenders that came before Him, climbing up some other
way; but while working in divine power Christ came in by
God’s own appointed way, and no man could shut it. He is
become God’s appointed way to us; He said of Himself, “ I
am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.”
Whatever links our position with Christ, as an example
and pattern, is in truth a blessing to us; for was there
ever one that went through all with such unfailing, lowly
faithfulness to God as He did? Note the contrast of His
lowly path with that of Elijah’s; and what do we see?
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Elijah was going on ministering with great outward power,
bringing down re from heaven to destroy the prophets of
Baal, and thinking himself to be the only one that was left
that was true to God; whereas God had seven thousand
that had not bowed the knee to Baal, whom Elijah had
not found out. Christ was content to be nothing in a world
where man was everything and God was shut out. He
was content to be treated as the very oscouring of the
earth; and yet, at the same time, there was not a single lost
sheep of the house of Israel that His voice did not reach as
the voice of the good Shepherd (let them be the vilest of
sinners, a woman of Samaria, an adulteress, or a publican),
that His eye did not discover. us, in virtue of His very
humiliation, He puts those who now have but this “ little
strength” into the very same place which He Himself took,
and then, as the porter did for Him, He opens the door for
them, which none can shut.
We are waiting for the glory: “ the glory thou hast given
me I have given them “; and while thus waiting we have to
pass through that which has “ Ichabod “ written on it (the
glory hath departed). e testimony of this dispensation in
its public power is gone, never to be recovered. What the
Lord is pressing upon them is, that they are not to suppose
that the evil, such as that of yatira and Sardis, can be put
in order; but He says, “ Behold, I come quickly! hold that
fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown “; that
is, keep the word of My patience till I come. us we nd
ourselves in circumstances analogous to Christ; for when
the Lord says, “ Behold, I come quickly,” it is to the end that
we may get into greater likeness to Christ’s position, and
although trying and humbling, yet one of blessing, nding
ourselves just in the same position which Jesus took, with
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the same promise-an open door which none can shut. is
is present faith; it is not much strength that we want: the
thing most needed is greater conformity to the position of
Christ.
Observe another thing peculiar to this church of
Philadelphia. e Lord does not set about canvassing
their works, but leaves the heart of these poor weak ones
satised with the consciousness that He knows them. To
the other churches it was not so; He notices the character
of their works. To Sardis He said, “ I have not found thy
works perfect before God.” But it is sucient for us that
He knows our works. 0 what a comfort it is, for if we had
to look for perfection, as in Sardis, we should nd it very
troublesome to give in the account. e mixture of things,
the little faith, would dismay us. In fact, none of our works
have answered to the grace received. ere is plenty of
activity, there is much that man may approve, but taking
the general character of service, how dicult to nd that
which God can approve! en again, if we get occupied
with the state of things in the world around us, and in the
church of God itself, our hearts would sink within us, did
we not fall back on this most blessed truth, that Christ
knows all about it.
But then does He say that they have nothing? No; He
says, “ou hast kept my word.” at which characterized
Christ must be the characteristic of the church of God.
Christ could say, “ y word have I hid in my heart “; and
this is especially the characteristic of faithfulness in the last
days. Paul in writing to Timothy says, “ In the last days
perilous times shall come,” and there would be a terrible
form of godliness without power; for even then the mystery
of iniquity had come in, “ and evil men and seducers shall
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wax worse and worse.” But the safeguard is, “ but continue
thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been
assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and
from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures “-the
plain written word, what we call the Bible, read from
his youth. Security would not be in the manifestation
of outward power, nor yet in miracles, but simply in the
written word. is was the instrument of blessing; this the
recognized authority with Timothy. Of course the grace
of God was needed for his conversion. I refer to this now,
as the keeping close to the word is the special security of
these latter days (namely, the special authority of the word
of God itself, just what Timothy, as a child, found in the
Scriptures); and added to this, of course with Timothy,
was that which he had learned from the apostles, equally
inspired, and which was thus a known immediately-divine
authority in a person “ of whom,” says the apostle, “ you
have learned it,” and which since has become the written
word to us. e written word of God is where all our
security lies through grace.
e Lord does not say “ You have strength,” but “ You
have kept my word “; and then further He does not say “
You have known me in this or that character,” but “ You
have not denied my name.” e Lord’s name means always
the revelation of what He is; as if He be called Christ,
He is the Anointed One. e Lord is here saying, that as
you have stuck fast to Me as revealed, now I will make
them which have a false name and pretenses “ to come and
worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.”
Here we get the two characters contrasted; and also mark
the emphasis on the word “ My “: it is Christ’s word upon
which I am called to rest; “ My word” -the word of Christ
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Himself, to come in personal communion with Christ
Himself-not even the church’s word. Suppose, for instance,
I take the church’s word, that is, to assume that the church
has authority; but if I take Christ’s word, then I have the
authority of Christ Himself; and it is by the word of Christ
that I must judge everything about the church itself. And
the word of Christ connects us with Christ, His name and
Person; and these are the two things which are especially
essential for us to have, to enable us to walk contrary to the
seductions which we know are peculiar to the last days. It
is seductive power which characterizes these times, “ evil
men and seducers shall wax worse and worse.” “ ese things
have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.”
In speaking in a general way of the character of the
times, we look for seductive power. ere will be a distinct
and denite Antichrist, who will show it in another way,
but “ even now there are many Antichrists “; therefore we
have “ earnestly to contend for the faith once delivered to
the saints.” If he, whose coming is after the power of Satan,
with signs and lying wonders, shall prevail against those
who “ receive not the love of the truth that they might be
saved,” we have need to hold fast that which will guard us
against him who will come in as an angel of light; but it is
those who have not received the love of the truth who fall
into his snares. And this safeguard we have in the word
of Christ Himself- keeping the word of His patience, and
not denying His name. It must be an individual thing, for
seductive power, having come in, marks the times in which
we live to be “ perilous times,” not by open persecution and
the like; but as the serpent beguiled Eve by his subtlety,
so our minds are in danger of being corrupted from the
simplicity which is in Christ. And what have we to deliver
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us from this? Is it the outward manifestation of power,
miracles, etc.? No, we have no outward power wherewith
to meet Satan, we are weakness itself” thou hast a little
strength “; but our safeguard is in this, each soul individually
for itself, holding fast the written word of Christ, and not
denying His name.
It seems not much to say of them, “ ou hast kept my
word and hast not denied my name,” for there was not
much done by them. But, dear friends, when the seductive
power of evil was there it was saying everything of them;
when all that was going on was to the setting aside of the
written word, they kept it; and when everything went to
the denial of Christ’s name, they did not deny His name.
at which is a great thing in God’s sight is, not the calling
down re from heaven as Elijah did, but the being faithful
amidst surrounding unfaithfulness. So likewise it did not
seem to be saying much for the seven thousand who did
not conform to the gross act of worshipping Baal, merely
to say that they had “ not bowed the knee to Baal,” but
it was, in truth, saying everything for them, because they
were surrounded by all those who did bow the knee to Baal.
So likewise the church of God was at rst set up in power,
but tares were plentifully sown among the wheat, and that
which marks out the faithful ones is simply this, that when
the seductive power of evil comes in, they are not seduced
and led away by it. It is not in the manifestation of outward
power, but simple faithfulness in walking with God in the
midst of evil. us in the church of Philadelphia there
was faithfulness of walk which gave them inward power,
although no outward display of power.
“ Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan,
which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie.” Here we
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nd this individual faithfulness in a secret walk with God,
contrasted with those who cling to something established,
where there was abundance of form, a fair show in the
esh, boasting themselves to be Jews, and attempting to set
up again that which used to be the outward characteristic
of the people of God, not seeing that “ new “ thing which
God had now set up, and which now puts the heart to the
test. ey do not reject the. word of God (the Jews did
not either); but it is not God’s word that governs them.
e Jews received the Scriptures, but they rejected Christ,
and killed Him; as Jesus Himself said, “ ey will put you
out of the synagogue.” Nor was it without the notion that
they were serving God in doing so: “ e time cometh that
he that killeth you will think that he doeth God service.”
But this was pure rejection of the light God sent: “ And
these things will they do, because they have not known the
Father nor me.” Any old truth which has gained credit in
the world so as to be accounted orthodox, fails to put the
heart to the test. It accredits nature: one is esteemed for it.
If I can take religion and accredit myself with it, instead
of having the heart put to the test by it in the exercise
of faith, I may be quite sure that it is not the religion of
God. ough it may be the truth as far as it goes, it is not
faith in God. at is what this synagogue of the Jews were
doing. ey were setting aside Christ’s name and Christ’s
word, for that which could be rested upon where there was
no heart for Christ. Tradition, ordinances, ancestry, etc.,
were the things they loved, and not the word of Christ for
themselves. It is quite true that the Jews had been God’s
people; but they had rejected and trampled under feet the
name of Christ. And this is what makes all the dierence;
for now that Christ has been manifested what God is
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looking for is faithful obedience to His Son. Faithful
adherence to Christ now is everything.
“ I will make them to come and worship before thy feet,
and to know that I have loved thee.” God did not own
these pretenders to religious antiquity as His people. All
they would get was just to know that Christ had loved this
poor despised remnant: “ To know that I have loved thee!
“ See now what the heart has to be satised with-not the
present acknowledgment from those who profess to know
God, while in works they deny Him, but the calm, settled
condence that Christ loves it. is it is which puts the
heart to the test. If you want present enjoyment, bright
pictures set before the mind, taste gratied, imagination
fed, men gained, something of “ reverend antiquity “; Christ
is not in any of these things. “ He is the same yesterday, to-
day, and forever “; and He Himself is the Truth-” holy and
true.” And if we have the love of Jesus as a present thing in
our souls, we have all we want in Him.
ere are plenty of people asking, What is truth? With
such these pretensions may have weight. e synagogue
of Satan may be religion, ancient, and reverend, full of
gorgeous attractions, and what has authority over the esh
(and accepted for us by those who, like Pilate, asked What
is truth? and then crucied Jesus, who is the Truth, to please
the priests of the day). e character of these last days is
just this, that men are always seeking, and never coming to
the knowledge of the truth. I have no need to be asking,
what is truth, if I have it; what a man seeks he has not got.
A man that is always hunting after truth acknowledges by
his actions that he has not got it. Christ said, I am the
truth; He is the center of all truth, and is the ground of
everything that connects us with God. An indel will raise
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doubts about everything, but establishes nothing; but we
want something that is certain. e moment we have the
Person of Christ, we have the Truth: “ no man hath seen
God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the
bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” Do I want to
know what God is? what man is? I get in Christ a perfect
picture of what God is to man, and what He is as a man
to God. It is all in Christ: of course we have to advance
in the knowledge of it. e heart that has Christ wants
not the synagogue of Satan; the heart that has received
His testimony has set to his seal that God is true. e soul
knowing this is in the simplest way kept from evil. I have
got grace too as well as truth-” Grace and truth came by
Jesus Christ.”
When I was living in a lie, it was grace that brought
the truth to my mind; and what can a soul want more? It
has sorrow indeed, by reason of the deled place through
which it is now passing; but there is no more uncertainty
about its portion, it has got all in Christ. ere is nothing
wanting to add to the secret blessing. “ I will make them to
come and worship before thy feet “ (that is, in the sense of
doing homage) “ and to know that I have loved thee.” We
know it now, not as deserving it indeed, for it is all of grace;
but we have the present enjoyment of it through Christ’s
presence. We know that love of Christ which passes
knowledge indeed, and the Father’s love too; as He says, “ I
have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that
the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and
I in them.” e world does not know it now, but in that day
the world shall know that the Father loved us as He loved
His Son. When the heart gets hold of this love of Christ
to it, it rests there; it is satised with the present enjoyment
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of Christ’s love, although those around know nothing of
the approbation it conveys to the heart. e Lord is now in
various ways weaning our hearts from everything around
us, in order that we may nd, in the testimony of His
personal love to us, that which strengthens our faith, settles
the conscience, and guides the heart. Christ says, “ I am
the door,” and that is the warrant for the sheep following
Him out. In the time of Christ there was the Jewish order
of things which God had set up; and there was no warrant
for getting out of this Jewish system until Christ went
out; but the heart, drawn and attached to Christ, had the
special warrant of going after Him outside the established
system-” following the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.”
In this church of Philadelphia we have the promise
which met the hope which the faithful had of being with
Christ in glory. Identication with Him in His position
connects them with Himself, and with the word of His
patience. ey had not all the professing church of one
mind with them; and they were not yet enjoying the full
result of His love (not having Christ personally and fully
present with them, I mean); and if Christ’s love is to be the
guide of my conduct, what the heart wants is, that Christ
should be with it, for if we love a person we surely want
to be with him But having Christ in our hearts, we are
keeping the word of His patience. Such is a trying, sifting,
purging, exercising time, no doubt, but we must wait.
And mark, further, how this blessed identication and
connection with Himself is kept up all through, as it is not
simply the word of patience, but “ My patience.” And why
“ My patience “? Because Christ is still waiting (see Psalm
He); and it is this which determines all our conduct, for if
Christ is waiting we must wait also. Christ has to wait in a
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state of expectancy, so to speak, in the exercise of patience,
for the Father’s time; and it is in this sense, I doubt not,
that He is said not to know the time which the Father
hath put in His own power. Christ has done all that was
needed for His friends to present them to God, and is set
down at the right hand of God, “ expecting till his foes be
made his footstool.” Christ is waiting until He gathers in
all His friends before He does, as He says, His “ strange
work “ on the earth, in dealing with His foes. And hence
this word of “ My patience “ is just what is needed, for we
are waiting for that day of which Christ tells us (John 14),
“ I will come again and receive you unto myself.”
We see all creation groaning around us, waiting for
that day; and we too groan within ourselves, waiting for
the redemption of the body; but all is in disorder till then.
Where are the Jews, “ still beloved for the fathers’ sake “?
ey are as vagabonds and wanderers upon the face of the
whole earth, without priest, without teraphim, without
anything, as a teil tree and an oak when it has cast its
leaves, though the Lord is working among them. If I look
at the world all is sin and misery. If I look at every created
thing it is groaning. Look at what calls itself the church:
the universal cry is, “ Who will show us any good “-who
is satised with anything? I do not speak thus in the bad
sense of dissatisfaction; but there is nothing on which the
soul can rest. It is no matter: take whatever system you will.
e general feeling is, that all the foundations of the world
are out of course. e raven indeed may go and light upon
some dead oating carcass; but the dove can nd no rest
for the sole of her foot, save in the ark. And what have we
in the midst of the dense darkness of the night on which
to rest our souls? Nothing but the certain expectation of
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the coming of the bright and morning Star. How long will
Christ be waiting till He can deal in judgment, and when
can He do this? When He has got His friends with Him,
then He begins to act in the character of Judge, not indeed
that He will at once cut them all o, but then it is that He
will take to Himself His great power. What He is specially
waiting for is, that those who have His portion should be
with Himself and as Himself. We are predestinated to be
conformed to His image. “ He shall see of the travail of his
soul, and shall be satised,” when He gets His bride with
Himself and as Himself. If the mighty man, the mystic
man, the man-child of Rev. 12 is to act, He must rst be
complete (of course He is so, essentially so, in Himself, but
as Head over all things to the church which is His body).
e head and the body must be united before He can act
as having this title before the world; because the mystic
man as a whole cannot take it until the church is. taken
up to Him. For not until then-until the church, the body,
is united to the Head, Christ, in heaven-is the mystic man
in that sense complete; and therefore, the church must be
taken up before Christ can come in judgment.
What is the great hindrance to the full blessing of the
church now? All from the beginning have failed: Adam,
man before the ood, Noah, man under law. en take
Christianity- how have the tares been sown among the
wheat! Priesthood, through the inuence of Satan, taking
the place of Christ, and our union with Him. After this-
summed up in the nal apostasy, the acting of judicial power
to set aside the evil begins. e rst act of power, when the
mystic man is complete, will be to cast Satan and his angels
down (Rev. 12:9), to cast them out of heaven; and they are
never seen there any more at all, but they are cast down
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into the earth; and then the devil has great wrath, because
he knows that he has but a short time; and, in his great
rage, he stirs up all things in his full character of adversary
against the Lord Jesus Christ. en the Lord will come
with His saints to execute judgment upon the earth. He
must set things to rights by removing the evil. And as soon
as His enemies are made His footstool, then He brings in
the fullness of blessing. But we must keep in mind that the
judgment is consequent upon the association of the church
with Christ. e mystic man must be complete, in that
sense of it, before He can execute judgment. en Christ
takes an entirely dierent character. Until He takes us up
into the glory, He is presented as a Savior (and even then,
there will be doubtless-after the church’s removal-a saved
remnant). But then the acceptable time is ended; and then
in “ righteousness he doth judge and make war.” And when
He comes forth thus, we shall fully understand why it is the
word of His patience now; for till then, till He take unto
Him His great power and reign, we are linked with Him
in heart and mind in the word of His patience; and the
blessing of this to us is our association with Christ Himself,
the perfect linking up with Christ in all things. As a Man
(not at all touching the divine glory of His Person, but as
taking the ocial character of a servant) Christ has to wait
until God in His good pleasure puts all things under His
feet; and this, I doubt not, as I have said, is the meaning
of the words-” of that day knoweth no man, neither the
Son, but the Father.” But thus linked up with Christ, and
having His present love as the satisfying portion of the
soul, we had rather wait and have it with Him, that have
it before Him. orough association with Christ Himself
is the proper character of the church of God; for it is not
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merely that it is blest, but that it is associated with Him
who blesses. We are His bride: this is our proper place; and
whenever we descend from this, we get away from the full
power of God’s thoughts of love about us and about what
He has made Christ to be for us.
Whatever is said of Christ in the day of glory, we
nd the church is associated with Him in it all-in His
Melchisedec character, for instance, the highest place in
authority as King, and the nearest in worship as Priest: we
also are made kings and priests. Eve was associated with
Adam in the dominion; but there was nothing in the whole
creation which could have had this place. As it is written,
“ for Adam there was not a help-meet found for him “;
but when Eve, as the bone of his bone and esh of his
esh, was brought to him he could say, “ is is now [now,
this time, for that is the force of the original], bone of my
bones, and esh of my esh.” ere was a help meet found
for him. is is equally true of the Lord and the church,
for He can say, “ now this is bone of my bones, and esh of
my esh,” and can rejoice and delight in the production of
His own love.
e Lord forbid that we should sink down from this
our true place; and may He give unto us a deep and abiding
sense of our being thus linked up in full blessed association
with Himself; for the heart of Christ could not be satised
without it, and neither should ours. It is not a question
of our worthiness (for in ourselves, as in esh, we are vile
sinners), but of Christ’s aection. True humbleness is not
to think evil of ourselves, but not to think about ourselves
at all. But, mark, it is a much harder thing to forget self,
than even to have evil thoughts about self. If we are not
humble, we must be humbled.
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“ Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also
will keep thee,” etc. e Lord says, If I own you as keeping
“ the word of my patience,” and not as having any strength,
but as in connection with myself, then “ I will keep thee,”
etc. us He connects us with Himself, a poor feeble folk
though we be, like the conies who were but a feeble folk,
yet made their nest in the rock. “ I also will keep thee from
the hour of temptation which shall come on all the world,
to try them that dwell upon the earth.” Now as regards the
consequences, what a comfort is here! It was not a question
of strength at all, but of being kept from a terrible time that
was coming, “ to try them that dwell upon the earth.” ese
last words describe the moral condition of a class.
Do you suppose that God takes pleasure in aicting
His His people? No, in truth He does not want to put
you into temptation; but if you have got into a position in
which you are mixed up with these dwellers on the earth,
upon whom the hour of temptation is coming, you must be
dealt with to be delivered from that on which that dreadful
hour is coming. e gospel is preached now, and is taking
out souls from the world; and the whole thoughts, feelings,
desires, and aections of the saints should be looking out
for the day of glory. And if they have got into Christ’s place
of patience, they do not want sifting as the world does; but
if they are mixed up with the world, they must be sharers
in the troubles of the hour of temptation which is coming
to try those who dwell upon the earth, or practically sifted
before to be rescued from it. A time is coming when the
beast will blaspheme those that dwell in heaven, but he
cannot touch them. When we know our heavenly character,
it makes us strangers and pilgrims upon the earth, instead of
dwelling here, and seeking our portion here; but those who
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are dwellers here must come into this hour of temptation
which is coming to try those who dwell on the earth. And
mark here, that this is a distinct thing from the tribulation
spoken of in Matt. 24 at time of trouble is conned to
Jerusalem; as it is said in Jeremiah, “ it is even the time of
Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” But here,
this is a time of trouble, “ which shall come upon all the
world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” ose who
have kept the word of Christ’s patience now, He will keep
from that time. If the Lord is now getting fruit from them
in a way which this temptation is intended to produce,
then there will be no need for them to be tried by it.
But now, see how He encourages them: “ Behold, I come
quickly,” as if He should say, “ You must go on “ bearing My
lot in patience, and in the cross too, if you will share My lot
and glory; but “ I come quickly.” It is not His coming, as
presented to Sardis, as a thief in the night; but what Christ
would press upon the church now is, that His return is a
speedy thing. He does not tell them the moment, but puts
His coming before them as their comfort, joy, and hope,
and thus xes the heart upon Himself; as it is not so much
that He is coming quickly, but that it is Himself that is
coming, “ I, Jesus,” etc. etc. Oh! if the heart has tasted God’s
love, what comfort it is after all to rest in Himself, as at
the close of this book. After Christ has led the mind of
the church through those things which He is going to do
on earth, then He brings back the heart of the church to
Himself-” I, Jesus.”
at which characterizes the church of Philadelphia
is its immediate connection with Himself; it is Christ
Himself who is coming. It is neither knowledge nor
prophecy that can satisfy the heart; but the thought that
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512
Jesus is coming to take me to Himself is the blessed hope
of one who is attached to Him by grace. Prophecy concerns
Christ’s coming to the earth; but my going to Christ is the
proper and blessed hope of one united to Christ by faith.
I solemnly respect and reverence God’s warning about
coming judgment, etc.; but it is not a matter of aection.
God’s purposes about Jerusalem, Babylon, etc., of which
prophecy speaks, are most important and instructive to
the mind; but the aections are not drawn out by knowing
about the doom of Babylon, and Antichrist. I love Christ;
therefore I long to see Him. But prophecies of coming
judgment do not connect the spirit and heart with the
Person of the Lord Jesus.
en we have this warning: “ Hold that fast which
thou hast, that no man take thy crown?’ Oh! may the Lord
give us to keep His word, and to be looking for Him as
a present thing. If the devil could take away the hope of
the Lord’s coming as a present thing, this would be taking
away our hope and crown. No man or devil can take away
anything from us, if we have but that clear sense of faith
which connects us with the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ as a present thing. To lose this is to lose spiritual
power; and anything that robs us of spiritual power in our
association with Christ, is to rob us of present blessing, and
of that which is the path towards our crown. And, beloved
brethren, we are now going through every kind of thing
that is likely to rob us of our crown- everything which puts
faith in a coming Jesus to the test, and calls it in question.
In the case of the ten virgins, they all slumbered and
slept; the wise were as fast asleep as the foolish, and at
midnight, when the cry was made, “ Behold, the Bridegroom
cometh “ they all rose and trimmed their lamps. ere was
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no dierence in this respect; but the one had the oil of the
Spirit, the other not; and between the cry going forth and
the actual coming of the Bridegroom, there was plenty of
time for the lamps to be going out if not supplied with oil;
and hence the manifest dierence between the virgins was
in the supply of oil which they had. If the rst thought in
the hearts of the foolish virgins had been the Bridegroom
Himself, they would have been thinking of the light that
He would want when He came; but they were occupied
with other things, satised with merely keeping company
with the virgins. e dress, and the lamps without the oil,
would suce to place them among the company; but alas!
without the oil they could not keep their lamps burning for
their Lord till He came. Still, there were those who were
tted to receive Him, “ and when the Bridegroom came,
they that were ready went in with him to the wedding, and
the door was shut.” And so it is with us. e cry has gone
forth, and between this and His actual coming the Lord is
testing us whether our hearts are set upon Him or not.
We have now only time left to consider the promise: “
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of
my God,” etc. Here we see how denitely all the promises
are connected with the time of glory-the “ new Jerusalem
“-here the heart is lifted up into its own proper dwelling-
place. Are we taking the position of heavenly dwellers while
walking this earth? Remark in how thorough a manner
the saints are connected with the heavenly Jerusalem, the
eternal dwelling-place of him that overcometh. He shall be
in God’s temple, in contrast with the synagogue of Satan,
in the full enjoyment of the things of God (every purpose
of His love fully brought out). “ Him will I make a pillar.”
He who was a faithful but weak one in the earth, when the
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professing church was great but not fullling the purpose
of God as the “ pillar and ground of the truth,” shall then
be the very pillar of strength, and that the very strength of
God, because there had been rmness against the power of
seduction.
It is always “ my God.” roughout Christ keeps up this
connection with Himself. He was once in appearance the
weak one on the earth; He says, “ I have been rejected and
you have taken the place of rejection with Me, and I know
you have been faithful to Me; I go to My Father and your
Father, to My God and your God.” He is the patient One
who waits the Father’s time for the glory which is due to
Him, and we have part in His patience.
“ I will write upon him the name of my God,” the way
in which Christ as a man knows God: “ You shall have that
name publicly set upon you, as you have not denied My
name down here-’ the city of my God,’ waited for in faith;
this is your place.” Abraham looked for a city, whose builder
and maker was God. It was a heavenly city they wanted
for themselves on the earth, even when the esh had built
one here. is heavenly citizenship shall then be stamped
upon the faithful, in the city of the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the stranger on the earth. If men are looking for
an ecclesiastical stability, a present establishment of things,
they can have it now; but then it is not according to God’s
word: if content to walk simply with Christ now, waiting
until God owns a city as His (“ the city of my God “), they
shall have it then: it comes down out of heaven from God.
When Charles II was away from his country, those who
were attached to his person felt themselves strangers in the
land while their master was absent. And so it is with the
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Christian now; he belongs to Christ; he is a child of the
day, waiting for Christ and the day of His appearing.
“ My new name.” It is not the old name of Messiah, but
His wondrous new name, taken as the result of a heavenly
redemption. We shall have what is stable then, though we
have it not now in one sense.
May the Lord give us to know what it is to be really
associated with Christ Himself, and to know this blessed
thought of God about us, “ that in the ages to come he
might show the exceeding riches of his grace,” etc. He has
associated us with the object of all His innite delight-His
eternal delight; for we are members of His body, of His
esh, and of His bones, and therefore have the privilege
and portion of Jesus Himself. May God keep our hearts
untainted by this present evil world and in freshness
of aection to Himself. is can only be by keeping in
communion with Christ Himself. To know our portion in
Him, to know the value of His name, gives courage and
strength to keep His word and not deny His name.
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62289
e Prophetical Addresses
to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 7
LECTURE 7
I had thought and hoped to have closed our consideration
of this portion of scripture last evening; but I am not sorry
now that time then forbade it, as I feel very strongly the
importance of this last address to Laodicea. And it will give
me the opportunity of taking up more generally what we
have been going through in connection with the testimony
of the word of God to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We see in this address to the church of Laodicea, that it is
threatened with nal and complete judgment, without any
possibility of escape whatever. It is not indeed that it has yet
arrived at the full consummation of evil; for if it had, where
would be the use of warning it? is church of Laodicea, as
all the other six churches before, is addressed as having the
character of the church of God (that is, as holding before
God the position of acknowledged testimony of Him for
the world); and as such it is threatened with rejection. is
is important in connection with other parts of scripture.
It is not the history of that which has been accomplished,
but the warning and threat of that which is coming. Hence
its character is prophetical. And as the whole book of
Revelation is judgment, so likewise, in these addresses
to the churches, we get the judgment of the professing
church, standing under God’s eye, as holding this position.
And I would here recall to your memory what I have said
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before, and what it is important to remember, that what
is before us in all these churches is not the work of God’s
grace in itself; for these addresses to the churches would
have no place if it were-nor yet Christ the Head of the
body, as the source of grace to the members-nor yet is it
the work of the Spirit of God, as that of course is never the
subject of judgment; as also the grace which ows down
from the Head to the members can never fail. is can
never be the subject either of warnings or threatenings. It is
the condition and state of the church which is here shown
forth, as holding the place of responsibility under the eye
of God, and the consequent dealings of Christ with it, in
the expectation of fruit.
Further, these addresses are not to individuals, but to
churches; still there is a great deal to be gathered from
these addresses by individuals who have an ear, through
the instruction of the Holy Ghost: I trust that we even now
have gathered a little of such instruction. e promises also
are to individuals, “ to him that overcometh “ in the midst
of evil circumstances, but the dealing is with the body.
It is not then the supply of the Spirit of grace from
the Head, nor yet the directions through the Spirit of the
Father’s love dealing with the children within, because that
supposes the church to be in an accepted and healthy state,
and gives them directions suited to that state, and answering
to the purpose for which it was called into church position.
In Laodicea there is that which cannot apply to individuals;
you may give warning to individuals in the church of God,
“ while the simple pass on and are punished.” But this is not
mere warning; excision is announced, and that can never
apply to a saint of God. “ Because thou art lukewarm, and
neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
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518
It is the excision of the external professing body, which
bears the name of the church, as such. is leads us to see
the important truth of the responsibility of the professing
church of God on the earth; therefore it is I am so glad of
this opportunity of going over again the general principles
connected with this.
“ Unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans
write, ese things, saith the Amen, the faithful and
true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.” e
character of Christ given here is remarkable. In the last
three churches we have seen that Christ leaves, so to speak,
the characteristics given of Him in chapter 1 (that is, He is
not presented in any part of the character that He takes in
chapter I); but we nd a new special revelation of Himself
according to the circumstances of the church addressed. It
is not the same traits of character given of Him as those
John had seen in the vision; it does not connect itself thus
with the things “ seen,” but with “ the things that are,”
in a new and distinct condition from that in which they
had stood in their original relationship with Christ; and
therefore, a fresh revelation of Christ is made for the need
and occasion of the church.
In Philadelphia, Christ was not known in the same
character in which He was known in yatira, as “ Son
over his own house,” but fresh traits of His character were
to be seized by the church for its particular need. From
the same period of time, and even before, that is, from the
time of the complete corruption of its original standing,
the coming of the Lord is held out to the church. e
saint could no longer occupy himself with the hope of
the restoration of the church as a professing whole, and
therefore the coming of the Lord is placed before it as its
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only resource, that the faithful remnant might look out for
Him, nding in Christ that which they could lean upon
and trust in, when the outward ground was slipping from
under their feet. ose who had special faith in Jesus could
not oat on with the common stream of the thoughts of
the church; for if they did, they would nd themselves
with Jezebel, or with Sardis, having a name to live and yet
dead. Faith has need to be sustained in a peculiar manner,
in order to keep me from the seductions of the “ synagogue
of Satan.” Common grace will do when the church itself
is in its place, but uncommon grace is needed to sustain the
faithful when the church is not keeping its place. If Jezebel
be there, I cannot go on with common faith; Christ and
falsehood cannot go on together. If it be a name to live,
being dead, I must have something special to sustain the
life in me. erefore, whether it be Jezebel seducing,
113
or
Babylon corrupting, or Laodicea going to be spued out,
I could not go on content with the moral state of things.
erefore I should need special grace suited to it, discerned
by spiritual-mindedness alone, not being the natural
relationship between Christ and the church as such. Of
course we at all times need the sustaining grace of God, we
cannot get on without it, as everyone knows; I need it-you
need it-we all need it. But when that which bears the name
of the church of God is nigh unto cursing, is going to be
spued out, then a double measure and peculiar character of
grace is needed to sustain the faithful ones in the narrow
and often lonely path in which they will be called to walk.
And mark here, when they had got into the Philadelphian
state of things, with its little strength, and keeping Christ’s
113 Jezebel is the source of mischief within; Babylon corrupts the
world; Laodicea is itself cast out as worthless.
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520
word, and not denying His name, the coming of the Lord
is brought in for the comfort of the faithful ones; and then
the subject is dropped.
Now here, though the professing church still subsists
in form, yet it is utterly rejected, and it is unconditionally
declared that Christ will spue it out of His mouth. e
judgment is not accomplished, but it is certain and
assumed as such. And the reason why the coming of the
Lord is dropped after Philadelphia is, that, the whole thing
being morally gone and the subject of judgment, the Lord
presents Himself as outside in Laodicea, “ Behold, I stand
at the door and knock.” If there are still saints within, the
testimony to them is as from without the scene of which
they make a part. In Philadelphia, all dealing with the saints
as maintaining them in a place of testimony is closed; for
the professing church had then become either Jezebel in
corruption, or Sardis in death, so that it should be judged as
the world; and the remnant had the testimony as keeping
the word of Christ’s patience, and are comforted by the
assurance that Christ will come quickly. Now they were to
be content with the assurance that then the synagogue of
Satan would know that Christ had loved them.
In the church of Philadelphia, the character of Christ’s
coming was put in its true and proper place. Looked at
by the church, Christ’s coming is for itself. Christ says, “
It is for you I am coming,” and the church’s hope is to see
Himself. It is “ you “ and “ myself,” He says, that must be
together, constituting the proper church character of hope
and accomplished joy. Hence in chapter 22, after the Lord
has gone through the whole prophecy, He says, “ I, Jesus,
have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things, in
the churches”” I am the bright and morning star “; and the
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presentation of Himself awakens the cry to Him to come.
He does not say, when warning men, “ Behold, I come
quickly.” e Spirit and the bride say, “ Come,” and then, in
heart-assuring reply, He says, “ Surely, I come quickly “; to
which the church responds, “ Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
us it is very evident that the coming of the Lord to
take the church unto Himself, must be something entirely
between Himself and the church alone. But it will not be
so with the remnant of Israel, for them the execution of
the judgment will be needed, in order to their taking their
place in the earth. In fact, the Lord’s coming to the earth
itself must be attended with the execution of judgment,
gathering out of His “ kingdom all things that oend,
and them which do iniquity.” And it is evident that the
deliverance of the remnant of Israel connects the coming
of the Lord with the execution of judgment upon what
despises Him before Israel can possibly get their blessing.
And this accounts for the strong cry of vengeance we nd
throughout the Psalms; take Psa. 94 for instance, “ O Lord
God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself.” Now
we do not want vengeance in order to be with Christ in
blessing. God has given us grace as our portion in every
way, and we have to deal entirely with grace. I am not
looking for the Lord to come and avenge me on my
enemies, for I am expecting to be caught up to meet Him
in the air. And, that it may be clearly understood, I would
again remark, that throughout the whole Scriptures this
cry, in connection with the Lord’s coming to the earth, is
the language of the remnant of Israel, and not the language
of the church of God.
Take Psa. 68:23, “ that thy foot may be dipped in the
blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the
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522
same.” ese are not the thoughts that occupy my soul in
the contemplation of meeting Jesus in the air. If, through
grace, I have bowed to the grace of the Lamb, then I have
no connection whatever with that which will come under
the wrath of the Lamb. It is Himself that I am expecting
for the sake of what is in Himself apart from anything else.
So also in the description of the future Jewish times of
blessing in Isaiah 6o: 12, “ e nation and kingdom that will
not serve thee shall perish “; while of the New Jerusalem
it is said, “ e leaves of the tree shall be for the healing
of the nations.” Israel is the scene of God’s righteous
judgments; the church is the scene of God’s sovereign
grace; and it never gets out of this. For the church, as such,
never calls for vengeance; it will see the righteousness of
the vengeance when God shall avenge the blood of those
who have suered, and rejoice that corruption is destroyed;
but its own portion is to be with Christ. e earth will be
delivered through judgment; but our portion is to meet the
Lord in the air, and to be forever with Him.
e church of Philadelphia having its proper portion,
the coming of the Lord, the subject of this blessed hope
closes. In Laodicea, therefore, there is nothing about the
coming of the Lord, although it remains true of course,
but still it is not put before it. It is another thing which is
in hand; and here the prophet character comes in, because
the Lord is here speaking of that which was about to
happen in judgment. He is going to judge the church itself.
It is always the professing church He speaks of (we must
remember), that which takes the place of the church of
God, as the testimony for God in the world. And mark
now the peculiar character Christ takes here; if the church,
this vessel of testimony for God, this witness, is set aside
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by the Lord in disgust, then the Lord comes in Himself as
the “ Amen, the faithful and true witness,” not so much in
the dignity of His Person, as shown in chapter r, but as the
faithful and true witness-” the beginning of the creation
of God,” as going to take the place of that which had so
entirely failed as God’s witness on the earth.
In James we see the purpose of God is, “ that we [the
church] should be a kind of rstfruits of his creatures,” and
the church will have that place in the fullness of restored
creation. But even now the church is called to have its
own peculiar place, as having the rstfruits of the Spirit;
but looked at as in a position of testimony, the church has
utterly failed, not holding, in the power of the Holy Ghost,
this place of rstfruits of His creatures. For what are the
fruits which mark that power? Are they not “ love, joy,
peace, longsuering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance “? Do you see them in the professing church?
No; and therefore it is, we say, that the professing church
has failed to be this “ kind of rstfruits of God’s creatures
“; for the professing church does not hold a place above
the present state of creation or the world around it. Were
a man to come to London from China, would he see these
fruits of the Spirit in the professing church? or would he
nd the same covetousness, the same love of the world
here in every way as in his own country? “ O,” he might say,
“ I could do all this in China. What Christians are doing
in London (and true Christians too), I can do throughout
China; though there may be a better and more rened
way of carrying them out in London than in China.” But
in China there are the same results; for what professed
Christians are doing in London is also done in China,
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524
though it may be not so comfortably carried out as to the
esh, but quite as thoroughly as to the heart.
I do not believe that the professing church is yet fully
ripened up into the nal condition of Laodicea; if it were,
there would be no use in warning it. God is holding
the bridle, and does not yet allow the evil to be so fully
developed. It was just as true in principle in Ephesus, the
moment the church departed from her rst love; but we do
not nd it developed till the Laodicean state, when Christ
spues the whole thing out of His mouth. And remember
it is the professing church that is thus spued out, and not
the church of the living God, the body and bride of Christ.
Nor is this excision a mere removal of the candlestick; for
when it cannot be said of the professing church, “ Ye are not
of the world, as I am not of the world,” then, instead of its
being the object of Christ’s delight, it becomes (terrible to
say) a disgust to Him: “ I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
Nothing can be more solemn than the position
the professing church will arrive at, to call forth such a
statement on the part of the Lord. We nd also in this
another remarkable testimony to the successional character
of these churches. In its general character, notwithstanding
the special working of grace in detail, the professing
church gets worse and worse, till it comes to that condition
that it has to be spued out of Christ’s mouth; and then “
a door is opened in heaven,” and John is caught up there;
Rev. 4. en the judgment of the world commences, and
the introduction of the Only Begotten to His earthly
inheritance.
God has done with the church as a testimony, the
moment Laodicea is spued out. And when the church has
come to this entire state of failure, then Christ supplants
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it as the “ faithful and true witness “ of God. What the
church should have done, Christ presents Himself as doing.
Christ is the Great Amen of all God’s promises; the church
should have shown how all the promises of God were Yea
and Amen in Christ Jesus; but the church has not been able
to do this; it has failed to put its amen to God’s promises.
Amen means “ rm verity and truth.” (See Isa. 7:9.) “ If
ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established,” that
is, “ if you wilt not believe [or amen, for it is the same word],
ye shall not be established [amened].” e meaning is, if you
will not conrm my promises, you shall not be conrmed.
Of course there is not a thought of the possibility of God’s
failing in His purposes in Christ, and therefore the church,
the body of Christ, will be in glory with its Head: but if
it is a question of testimony on the earth, then truly the
church has not practically put its amen to the promises of
God in Christ. For the church was called to manifest the
power of its heavenly calling while walking on the earth;
but it has not in its walk given the answer to that which
God has armed. For we do not see the church giving the
heavenly witness through the Holy Ghost, answering to
the Lord Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God; and,
therefore, as God cannot leave Himself without a witness,
Christ immediately presents Himself as the “ Amen, the
faithful and true witness,” the Person who is going to seal
up all the promises and prophecies, the One who puts the
great amen to everything as the “ faithful and true witness,
the beginning of the creation of God.” e professing
church has failed; it contains within its pale a great mass
of people that were never converted, bearing the name of
Christ without possessing the life of Christ. But the failure
commenced with the true church; it was through them that
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corruption crept in; “ they left their rst love,” and then,
consequently, the world came in; as God says, “ I looked in
the place of righteousness, and behold, iniquity was there.”
As is often said, “ the corruption of the best thing is the
worst of corruptions “; so there is really nothing on the
face of the whole earth so diametrically opposed to God,
as professing Christianity.
“ e beginning of the creation of God.” Christ comes
in here as the blessed witness that God will yet set up
creation according to His own will, Christ Himself being
the chief and center of it all. (See Prov. 8) It is not the
promise pf Christ coming to take the church to Himself, as
to Philadelphia, but Christ Himself taking the place of full
and perfect testimony for God, and as the accomplisher
of all God’s promises, of which the church should have
been the manifestation. In this character, Christ, as it were,
supplants the church in the manifestation of the purposes
and promises of God, which cannot fail. If the church be
irrevocably gone, the witness remains, and that will be the
stay of the faithful. Here it is that faith is sustained, even
where evil is rising up like a ood; here is solid ground that
nothing can touch, the strength on which the soul can stay
supposing the church to be gone, for the stay of every soul
is trusting in Him.
I would now refer to the general testimony in the word
of God, as to the complete failure and consequent setting
aside of that which ought to have borne testimony to Him,
so that the honor, the power, and the glory shall redound to
Christ and Christ alone. Man, as man, failed in that which
was committed to him, and then we see Christ, the true
Man, set up in the purposes of God; Psa. 8 e declaration
of God is, that there will be the entire setting aside of all
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that has borne the name, title, and authority of God in the
earth.
Take power, for instance, which was ordained of God
to be in the hands of man, and who was thus in a certain
sense the representative of God; so that, as Christians, we
ought to own the powers that be, and submit to them as “
ordained of God.” “ ey were called gods unto whom the
word of God came.” “ But they shall die like men, and fall
like one of the princes.” Now when God judges among
the gods, what does this show? ey have utterly failed-it
is the immediate judgment of God which is executed. As
to power then in the hands of man, the little stone, cut out
without hands, smites the image of Gentile power, which
becomes as cha of the summer threshing-oor, and the
wind carries it away, and no more place is found for it.
Christ then, according to the purpose of God, takes the
full power of the kingdom.
Mark what patience God is exercising during the
progress of evil denoted in this image of Daniel. ere are
three distinct characters of the abuse of power in Babylon,
seen in the three successional steps of evil-idolatry,
profaneness, and self-exalting apostasy. First, there was
idolatry in Nebuchadnezzar setting up the statue of gold
in the plains of Dura; setting up idolatry to have unity in
a common religious inuence. Secondly, profaneness in
Belshazzar, who brings out the vessels of God’s captive
temple. irdly, apostasy in Darius, who set himself up to
be God. God has long patience with all this, till at last, when
power is headed up in positive and open rebellion against
Christ, then God, rising up in the power of the stone cut
without hands, dashes the whole thing to pieces, like a
potter’s vessel. en the stone becomes a great mountain,
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lling the whole earth. us we see that the power that
was at rst given to man to be used for the glory of God,
becoming corrupt in man’s hand, is at the end used against
God. And here Gentile power ceases in order to make way
for Christ the great vessel of power and honor to God.
Take Israel under the law. Not only do they fail, fall
on the stone and are broken, but the evil spirit of idolatry
which had gone out of them, will take to himself seven
other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in
subjects them to this perfection of wickedness, and their
last state will be worse than the rst. at is, they will go
on ripening in evil, till at last, when they openly join in
idolatry and apostate wickedness, God will give them up
as a nation, though a remnant will be spared. ere is the
same failure in the house of David.
As regards the church of God, there is much more
diculty in believing that there will be the utter and nal
rejection of it, although of course it is only of the professing
church that this will be true. It is a solemn truth, when
evil comes in at the beginning, that it goes on increasing
and ripening until judgment comes; and mark, also, that
judgment is not executed upon it until it is fully ripe-”
e iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” is principle
is fully and plainly set forth in the parable of the tares.
e tares were sown at the beginning, but were not to be
rooted up at once. Both the tares and the wheat were to
grow together until the harvest. us the Lord declares
positively that the mischief came in at the beginning, and
would go on ripening till the execution of judgment. It is
not a question of individuals, or whether the wheat will be
all gathered into the garner (that of course it will be), but
that the public testimony is spoiled. e crop was spoiled
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in the eld; and that could not be remedied by man, for,
looked at as a crop in the eld, man is not competent to
remedy it, for man is not competent to judge it. Besides,
our business is grace and not the rooting up of tares.
Take 2 essalonians: the mystery of iniquity was
working in the days of the apostles, but something hindered
its full manifestation. And the very same iniquity is still
working, even in this our day, “ only he who now letteth
will let until he be taken out of the way “; but the evil will
still continue working until open and apostate rebellion
will terminate in the full execution of judgment.
Take the Book of Revelation. Without entering into
the detail, there is a broad, plain evident testimony to
what would be the end of the whole dispensation: “ I saw
three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of
the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out
of the mouth of the false prophet,” chap. 16: 13. Persons
may discuss what these frogs may be, but one thing is quite
clear, that they are some power of evil going forth to the
kings of the earth to gather them to the battle of that great
day of God Almighty, to ght against God. us things
are ripening up to the fullest manifestation of evil; and
when iniquity has arrived at the full, then a great voice
from the throne will say, “ It is done,” and judgment then
immediately follows. We get something that comes more
home to ourselves, although it is applied to the professing
church directly.
Before the introduction of that perfect state of good
connected with the power and reign of Christ, we see
all the dierent threads of evil drawing together for one
common judgment.
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530
Man, in his character of open rebellion, setting up to be
God Himself, must be judged.
en Israel is in association with the apostate power,
returning to idolatry, from which Abraham their father had
been called out, identifying themselves with the apostate
Gentiles, and saying, “ We will have no king but Caesar.”
erefore, having by their sins sold themselves to Caesar,
they must go back to Caesar again, and associate in evil
with the Gentiles, and nally be judged with them, while
an election inherits the blessing. As to the Jewish nation
itself, we read in Isa. 66 of its thorough departure-” eating
swine’s esh.”
en there is the Babylonish corruption of Christianity;
for the character of Babylon is that of idolatrous corruption,
and it will be destroyed in the same way. All the evil will
then be arrived at its height. e woman that rides the
scarlet-colored beast, the mother of harlots, the full results
of Jezebel’s seduction; the beast, which is power; the
false prophet; man in rebellion; Christianity in apostasy;
the word of God set aside; the law departed from; grace
despised: all these varied forms of evil are found drawing
together and coalescing, and will be in the end the one
common object of judgment (the evil being thus altogether
set aside that there may be nothing left but good).
Is the professing church exempt from all this judgment?
Certainly not. Although the wheat will all be safely gathered
into the garner, yet, if we take the word of God as our guide,
we cannot for one moment suppose that the professing
church can be exempt from this general judgment. Take
Jude, who in writing to the saints, says, it was needful that
he should exhort them to contend earnestly for the faith
which was once delivered to them; and why? Because
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“ there are certain men crept in unawares; ungodly men,
turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, and denying
the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” “ And
Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these,
saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his
saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all
that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds.”
But where were these false brethren found? In the church
of God, as Jude says, “ ese are spots in your feasts of
charity when they feast with you.” ey were not found
among the Jews, nor yet among the heathen, but in the
church of God, corrupting it, “ feeding themselves without
fear.” God has most graciously allowed that there should
be a distinct manifestation of every spring and form of
evil that could ever possibly arise before the canon of
Scripture was closed; that we might have the judgment of
the written word of God on every evil as it arises. And
without this we should not be able to detect the exceeding
subtlety of the mystery of iniquity which is still working
on, but, having the written word as our guide, as God’s
children we are called on to judge everything by that alone.
Again in 2Tim. 3, “ In the last days perilous times shall
come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous,
boasters, proud, blasphemers,” etc., their false piety being
made manifest by being “ lovers of pleasure more than
lovers of God,” and also “ having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof.” And mark that it is not mere
Judaism that is meant here, although the spirit of Judaism
be at work. And it is also added, “ that evil men and
seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being
deceived.” en the apostle (having taken up the varied
characteristics of those false brethren who “ have crept in
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532
unawares,” which characteristics also serve as a guide to us)
winds up the whole by saying to Timothy, “ But continue
thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been
assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and
that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures,
which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through
faith which is in Christ Jesus “; for “ all Scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is protable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished
unto all good works.” us we learn, in Paul’s instructions
to Timothy, that the only sure and safe standing-place of
the man of God, in this day of increasing iniquity, is the
holy Scriptures; and that, in the plain godly use of them,
as he and his mother and grandmother, pious women, had
studied them-the very same holy Scriptures he had read
from his youth. It is not authority or power (not even the
power of the Spirit of God) that the saint can trust to for
guidance, apart from the simple written word of God.
We learn, then, from these scriptures to which we have
been referring, that the immediate occasion, object, and
inner spring of all the terrible judgment which is coming,
is the professing church itself. It ought to have been God’s
witness on the earth, Christ’s epistle known and read of
all men; but, having become corrupt, it is this professing
church that primarily and denitely brings down the wrath
of God. Oh! beloved friends, there cannot be a more solemn
subject than this, that not only will Israel and the beast fall
under judgment, but, according to God’s own word, the
professing church will come under the same condemnation.
I apply the word ‘ church’ here to Christendom, that which
professes to bear the name of Christ. ere is the same
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testimony in John’s epistle, “ Even now are there many
Antichrists.” I have no doubt but that the Antichrist will
arise among the Jews, and he will be a full manifestation of
that spirit of Antichrist which even now denies the Father
and the Son, and also denies that Jesus is the Christ. It
is indeed most fearful to think of that apostasy bearing
a religious character as it does; that which characterizes
the many Antichrists is the denial of Christian truth,
and though there will be a full apostasy, still it will be an
apostasy from the doctrines of Christianity. How soon did
the spirit of it come in! how very soon was there cause to
say, that “ all men seek their own, and not the things of
Jesus Christ! “ May the Lord graciously open the eyes of
His saints, to see the tone and real character of these last
evil days, and to remember, that though He has had long
patience while He is gathering out souls for salvation, and
in this sense to “ account that the long-suering of our
Lord is salvation “-that His judgment, though delayed is
not changed; for the word is gone forth out of His mouth,
and the only remedy for the present evil is in judgment.
From the very beginning we see the principles of
corruption coming in. e testimony for God failed. e
tares were sown, thus the crop was spoiled in the eld;
the mystery of iniquity was working. In the address to
Laodicea we nd the Lord showing the evil principles
which came in at the beginning producing the double
character found in Laodicea. e object for which the seed
had been sown in the eld was spoiled. Instead of being
witness for God, the church says, “ I am rich and increased
in goods, and have need of nothing.” us we nd there
are two points of special importance as characterizing this
church of Laodicea-great pretension to spiritual riches
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534
in itself, and neither hot nor cold as regards Christ. First,
there is great pretension to spiritual riches; but then as to
life, they had the form of it, but not the power” thou art
neither cold nor hot.” It is not positive hatred to Christ, but
it is not positive zeal for Christ. It is the church going on
in outward comfort and worldliness, and at the same time
making great pretensions to spiritual riches, which is a sure
sign of poverty; for, whenever we see such great profession
to possess within itself the riches of God, we shall be sure
to nd poverty. And why? Because those riches can only
be found in Christ. When the church says, “ I am rich
and increased in goods [making itself the vessel of grace
instead of Christ] and have need of nothing,” it boasts of
riches within itself. us in so doing, it neither puts its “
amen “ to the promises of God in Christ Jesus, nor is it the
true and faithful witness for God. e church ceases to be
this, directly it looks away from Christ as the only source;
and when it takes itself to be the vessel of riches, it then
necessarily becomes a false witness instead of a true one.
For the moment I say the church is all this or that, or the
church is what I am looking at and not Christ, the eye is
completely taken o Christ to the church; I am looking
to IT instead of to Him, however much I may pretend to
honor Him. e faithfulness of God is not the question
here, but our failure. is is of the last importance as
guarding against deception.
In Philadelphia they were not possessing all that they
were endowed with in Christ: they had but a little strength,
and all that the Lord could say of them was, that they nad
kept His word, and had not denied His name. While there
was felt poverty in the church, Christ was delighting in
them, and could say, I am for you, and I am coming for
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you. “ I will make them of the synagogue of Satan to know
that I have loved thee.” But directly there is the pretension
to riches in itself, when the church is taking riches and
accrediting itself with them, instead of Christ’s delighting
in it, there is an expression of positive disgust-” I will spue
thee out of my mouth.” And if we look at the professing
church at the present day, we shall see how it is getting
into this state, rich in itself. When I nd but very little
strength, while the word is kept and His name not denied,
then I can say, “ Cheer up; the Lord is coming soon.” For
acknowledging I am poor and have but little strength is not
necessarily unbelief in Christ; it is not necessarily denying
what we have in Him for our use, when we lean upon Him
for strength because we have none. It is the body drawing
the fullness from the Head. But when I nd in a church
this thought of fullness and riches in itself, then I say, You
are going on towards Laodicea, whose end is to be spued
out of Christ’s mouth. e church of Laodicea, having
the thought of fullness and riches within herself, was
perfectly ignorant of her state before God-” Because thou
sayest, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need
of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched and
miserable and poor and blind and naked.” erefore, says
the Lord, “ I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the
re, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment, that thou
mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do
not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou
mayest see.”
e church was not looking to the Lord for these, and,
therefore, was wanting in every one of them. Gold is divine
righteousness-the great contrast to human righteousness-
and is that which characterizes the standing and riches and
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foundation of the saints. “ e white raiment “ is the works
of the saints, which are the fruits of believing in divine
righteousness. ey are consequent upon the possession
of divine righteousness. Human righteousness is quite
a distinct thing from the righteousness of saints; for the
righteousness of saints ows from hearts set at liberty by
divine righteousness. If we look at the Faquir in India, or
the Dervish in Turkey, we nd plenty of works, but never
anything that is founded on redemption. e works of the
Spirit ow out from the Spirit which has been the seal of
divine righteousness to the soul; these saintly works are the
fruits of the Holy Ghost in us. Here, then, is the “ white
raiment,” which those at Laodicea were lacking. erefore,
they had not got even the righteousness of saints, for, being
without divine righteousness, they could have no practical
spiritual righteousness, no saintly works; as it is said that
the “ ne linen is the righteousness of the saints.” ey
were also wanting in “ eye-salve “; for they were as blind as
nature could be to the things of God, and without spiritual
discernment in anything, and yet they were saying, “ We see
“: therefore their sin remained. us, having neither divine
righteousness nor the consequent fruits of the Spirit, and
still remaining in the blindness of nature, Laodicea wanted
everything. ere was abundance of pretension, while all
that was real before God was wanting, and all that was
ctitious was there.
But the Lord does not yet give up all dealing with them;
but here in Laodicea the Lord takes an outside character;
for when the nominal church has got practically into a
Jewish position, then the Lord takes His stand outside, and
calls to individual souls that are within: “ Behold, I stand at
the door and knock, if any man hear my voice.” e Lord
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desires to gain attention; He wants to be admitted. He
warns the church of what is coming upon it-of positive
judgment; but until that judgment is executed, He goes on
necessarily in the exercise of His own blessed grace. But its
objects are individual, for the church is given up. “ If any
man will open the door, I will come in to him, and I will
sup with him, and he with me “; he will have his portion at
my table. “ To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with
me on my throne.”
Now, mark, this is apparently a great promise; but to
me it seems the very least, as it is merely a place in the
heavenly glory. ey are told of no special association with
Christ, such as we nd in the promise to Pergamos, or
even to the faithful in Sardis or in yatira. Nor is any
thought of individual nearness, exclusively the portion of
the bride, revealed as a motive. Reigning with Christ is
merely the public display of reward and glory, which is a
very dierent thing from the secret intimacy of the “ hidden
manna,” and the “ white stone.” e knock was heard, and
through grace obeyed; and they go up to heavenly glory.
ey have overcome, and, therefore, surely they must have
their reward, “ to sit with me on my throne.” ese also
have their part in the “ rst resurrection,” and, as such, they
reign with Christ. But as much might be said of the two
witnesses. ey went up, “ and their enemies beheld them.”
ey sit on thrones; they have their reward, but the reward
just amounts to the fact, that they have got their place in
the glory. But there is not the same intimacy, there is not
the special delight, there is not the Philadelphian joy of
Christ having the church for the sake of herself, and the
church having Christ for the sake of Himself. Still they get
their place in the glory.
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538
e solemn testimony of the Lord is, that the professing
church is to be spued out of His mouth; and this ought
to come home with more sorrow in our hearts than the
judgment of the world, having a much more terrible
character to the heart than the judgment of Antichrist
himself, because it is something that disgusts Christ-that
is nauseous to Him-from its having had a kind of outward
connection with Himself. And hence the importance of
this, if we think of that in the midst of which we are. And
in speaking of the professing church in the day in which we
live, I mean what is commonly called Christendom, bearing
the name of Christ, but in works denying Him. We nd
Christ’s heart, thoughts, and nature, utterly rejecting that
as disgusting which had been professing to be standing in
connection with Himself.
ere will be at the close much more connection between
Judaism and nominal Christianity than people generally
suppose. e lamb with two horns, the false prophet of
Revelation, assuming the character of the Messiah, will
play into the hands of the Roman emperor. From the
very beginning the corruption in the church has had this
double character, of idolatry, worshipping of angels, etc.,
and Judaism. Take the Colossians: “ Beware lest any man
spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,” or “ judge
you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of
the new moon, or of the sabbath days “; and again, “ Let
no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility
and worshipping of angels.” en take the Galatians: by
Jewish suggestion they were observing days, months,
times, and years. e tendency has ever been to mix up
Christianity with Judaism; and when Judaism is set aside
by God, it is nothing better than heathenism. (See Gal.
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4:8-1o.) Carnal religion, the Gentilism of worshipping
angels, philosophy and vain deceit, on the one hand, and
the Judaism of keeping days, months, and years, on the
other, had entered the church at the rst, and were the
occasion of Paul’s warning against the going back to the
beggarly elements, and that Jewish bondage from which
they had been set free.
As he says, “ After that ye have known God, how turn ye
again to the weak and beggarly elements whereby ye desire
to be in bondage? “ God had taken up the esh in Israel,
to prove that there was nothing good in it; He had allowed
the Jew to follow the tendency of man’s religion, in giving
them the law, and ordinances, and sumptuous apparel, and
gorgeous buildings, with the sound of trumpets and the
like. But now Christ is come; and He is “ the end of the law
for righteousness,” by which the Galatians were delivered
from all their heathen ignorance and false gods. But then
they go back, and, by embracing Judaism, they really got
back again, as if still alive in esh’s life, in this world, into
the old heathenism, the spirit of which is the religion of
the esh. As gures, God may have used these things to try
man till the promised Seed was come. But now it has its
own character, as before in heathenism, without God in any
way-the righteousness of the esh, which will take up with
anything which will give a form of fair covering. erefore
the tide of corruption which set in at the beginning-this
turning back to beggarly elements- religiousness in the
esh, that will settle itself in ordinances, seeking anything
but eye-salve-will go on increasing till the end, being all
one principle; and thus coalesce with what is formally
Judaism, and Judaism with it in a full idolatrous character.
e deception of the present day is Judaism; it is that which
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540
is satised with anything which takes the form without the
power of godliness.
It is that principle of Babylonish idolatry which will
ultimately govern through the beast. e spirit of indelity
will accept anything but the claim of the truth; it will accept
Judaism as such, and it will accept the Babylonish system
as such. And the consequence will be, that the unbelieving
Jews will be seduced by the Babylonish power, taking the
form of Judaism in the East, while in the West it will be
open Babylonish idolatry. And most solemn it is to think
that this world, through which we are walking, is to be the
scene of all these things. And however much the professing
church may now be the pride and boast of man, at the end
it will as such be spued out of Christ’s mouth, with every
pretension even to the full power of the Holy Ghost, but
with nothing that gives Christ His value, but attributing all
the value to itself, accrediting itself with it.
May the Lord keep us in the Philadelphian condition-it
may be with but very little strength-yet keeping the word
of His patience, and in the sensible enjoyment of perfect
association with Himself, who has set before us an open
door, and will keep it open until He comes and takes us to
Himself.
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to the Seven Churches:
Lecture 7 Appendix
APPENDIX
e preceding notes of lectures, whose object was the
practical edication of the saints of God, leave room for
expressing with more precision what I believe to be the
successive states of the church, to which the moral condition
unfolded in each of the church respectively applies.
e reader of the “ Lectures “ will remember, that he is
not to expect in any case to nd the active energy of the
Spirit of God which produces the blessing of the church,
but the form or condition of the professing church after
that energy has been in operation and man’s responsibility
comes into play. ere may be a measure of blessing, or
great culpability. But the energy of the Holy Ghost cannot
be the object of judgment.
e rst church indeed shows the decline of the saints
from the rst condition of blessing, produced by the power
of the Holy Ghost. is suciently indicates the epoch
to which it refers, while it characterizes, in a general way,
the result for the whole professing church, as a system
established by God in this world, as a light in the world
(and as such the church is considered here); not in its safety
as the true living body of Christ, according to the power of
redemption secured by the unfailing power of Christ.
It had left its rst love. is was the point which
marked that man had failed under the blessing of God.
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542
If the church as seen in the world, did not return to do
its rst works, it would be removed. is was already its
state in apostolic days, immediately after its rst planting;
for such is man. Responsibility under the gift of the Holy
Ghost, failure, threat of removal if there was not a return
to its rst state-such is the word to Ephesus. She is called
back to the work of the Holy Ghost, in practical result at
the beginning. ere was much that was yet good, among
other things maintaining the bonds of natural relationship
as moral ties, and the judgment of those pretending to
authoritative teaching. But there was practical departure of
heart from Christ.
is soon paved the way for putting the church into
tribulation (for a limited time, however). e poor of
the ock, the faithful ones, would be subject to injurious
accusations from those professing to have established
claims to be God’s people, and persecution from without.
is characterized the church. is state lasted from Nero
to Diocletian.
After this, another state of things characterized the
church. It had gone through persecution, and there had
been faithful martyrs. e world, where its earthly dwelling
was, had been its enemy. Now doctrines, or rather teaching,
came in, which led it into association with the world-to
commit fornication, and eat things sacriced to idols; so,
when he could not curse and destroy as an enemy, Balaam
had not done with Israel; he counseled corruption as a
friend. ere were also doctrines that led to evil deeds,
that sanctioned the breach of direct moral ties. Personal
faithfulness was called from the midst of the evil. is
went on from Constantine-was creeping in before, but
now characterized the church, and continued to do so till
e Prophetical Addresses to the Seven Churches: Lecture 7 Appendix
543
it became an established system; and popery, as such, was
the mother of children in the professing church.
Such is yatira. Jezebel is not simply a prophetess
to seduce God’s servants, as those who held the doctrine
of Balaam; she is the mother of children. ose that
associated with her would be in great tribulation-her
children under utter judgment. Here already the call to
hear is after separating the remnant. In the rst three
churches, it was still in connection with the whole body;
and, further, all repenting and restoration of the body at
large is dropped, and Christ’s coming held out and the
entire change of dispensation as the hope of the saints. is
closes, I apprehend, the general prophetic history of the
whole body at large.
We have next protestantism (I do not say the
Reformation, as a work of God’s active power in the
Holy Ghost, but), the great public result among men in
professing Christendom. Christ is seen therefore afresh
with all in His hand for the church. As to the church itself,
it has a name to live, but is dead. It is not Jezebel producing
children of corruption, and whoredom, and idolatry; but
there is no answer to what has been received and heard.
It would be visited as the world in judgment at Christ’s
coming. (Compare 1ess. 5.) It may be remarked that
the general characteristic states go down to the end, as
Ephesus, yatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and, of course,
Laodicea, though some may begin late.
But all was not to be left in this state. ere was not
to be restoration of strength. If I may so speak, the seven
Spirits and seven stars were useless in Christ’s hand, if it
was not to condemn. But there would be a company true to
Christ, keeping His word, not denying His name, having
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544
only a little strength, but the door open before it. Christ’s
character, not His power, is put forward; and consistency,
obedience, dependence, and owning Christ, are marked
by the Holy Ghost as characterizing those whom Christ
would show He had loved. ey were comforted with the
thought that He was coming quickly.
e result remained, apart from these despised ones-
the result to the general professing body. It was not Jezebel
corruption, but lukewarmness, having a high idea of what
it had, but without divine righteousness, without spiritual
discernment, without the fruits of a spiritual character.
It was spued out of Christ’s mouth. Such was the end of
the professing world as distinct from Jezebel. us the
whole characteristic history of the professing church is
given from the apostles’ days, till it is utterly rejected, or
judged by the judgment of God: a warning given already to
Ephesus, but executed, after marvelous patience, in Jezebel
and Laodicea, Christ then, as in His title in the address to
Laodicea, taking the place of witness, which the church
had not been able to maintain. e Lord give us now a true
Philadelphian character.
The Principles Displayed in the Ways of God, Compared With His Ultimate Dealings
545
62283
e Principles Displayed
in the Ways of God,
Compared With His
Ultimate Dealings
It seems to me that the examination of the great
principles which God has brought out in His ways, in the
history given us in the Bible, would facilitate the intelligence
of His ultimate dealings with men and the understanding
their prophetic announcements, the accomplishment of
which will be the establishment in power of the principles
which God has already displayed and taught historically
in His dealings of old. I send you therefore some thoughts
upon the progressive development of these principles.
In the very outset of creation we have one of the last
importance, and which gives in gure the ultimate results
of God’s ways in His dispensations towards men, a kind of
exhibition that what begins in thought is to be the end in
action.
Adam was created in the image of God, and was set
to rule over the works of God’s hands, the center of a vast
system subordinate to him, and over which he had universal
dominion. He was, says the apostle, the image of Him that
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546
was to come; and the same apostle takes Psa. 8,
114
which,
in the letter of its application there, would be limited to
the rst Adam, and applies the universality of its terms to
the full dominion of the second. No doubt the dominion
of the Second Adam is far more extensive than that of the
rst, because, having Himself created all things, He is to
inherit all He has created; but it is not the less true that
the rst Adam, as image of God, as center of the system in
which he was placed, as having dominion over the creation
by which he was surrounded, was the image or type of
the Lord Jesus, Son of man, Head over all things. Other
accessories enlarge this resemblance. Eve, partaking of a
lordship to which she had no right of her own, but which
she enjoyed as one with Adam, is the liveliest picture of the
church, and so used beautifully by the apostle in Eph. 5 We
have also, according to Rom. 5, in Adam fallen, the head
of a race involved in his sin and all its consequences, as in
the Second Adam, when righteousness was accomplished,
the Head of a brotherhood or family which participates in
all that He is, as the Head of it in the presence and sight
of God.
I pass over the time before the ood, whose general
character oers a sad contrast to the time when
righteousness dwells in the new heavens and the new
earth, without a government to maintain it and make it
good against the opposition of an adverse nation or the
114 It is very interesting to observe the righteous man under law
and Messiah the king, in Psa. 1 and 2; and then (after being
rejected with them that were His, and in trouble) the far larger
glory of the Son of man resulting in Psa. 8, which closes and
crowns the series; as we nd in the Gospels also the transition
from His un-admitted Messiah title to the fuller one of Son of
man, suering and gloried. (See Luke 9:20 and following.)
The Principles Displayed in the Ways of God, Compared With His Ultimate Dealings
547
weakness of a failing one. Neither one nor the other can
properly be called dispensation. ey are both another
world from that in which we live.
With Noah we begin the course of dispensations, or
of the manifestations of the ways of God for the nal
bringing out the full glory of Christ. ese ways regard the
earth, and are founded, so far as they are conferred blessing,
on the sacrice of Christ. Enoch indeed had been taken
out of the midst of a corrupt world and had a heavenly
portion, while he testied of the judgment of the world,
out of which he was called, by the coming of the Lord with
His saints-a very remarkable anticipation of our portion
in Christ. But Noah was preserved through the deluge, to
begin a new world, of which he was the head and chief.
e name Noah is expressive of the rest of the earth,
comfort concerning the work of men’s hands, because of the
ground which the Lord had cursed. ree especial features
accompany and characterize this position: the sacrice
which turned aside the curse, the restraint of evil, and the
pledge of secured blessing to creation while earth lasted.
But, as regards dispensation, Noah was the head of a new
system, where evil was, but where evil was to be restrained,
and the curse relieved under which the earth groaned.
e next important principle brought out is calling and
election. e earth was not only now corrupt and violent-it
had departed from God. It had not liked to retain God in
its knowledge, and served other gods. God, in sovereign
election, calls Abram to follow Him apart from the world;
and separation from the world for the enjoyment of
promise by faith becomes the divine principle of blessing.
Abraham is the father of all them that believe. He has to
quit all on the supreme claim of the Lord-country, kindred,
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548
and father’s house-for a land only in promise, which God
would show him. Brought there, he has still to walk by
faith in patience, not yet inheriting the promises. When in
possession of them in pledge, in Isaac he has to give them
all up, as held in the present life of Isaac, in unquestioning
condence in God, to receive them in the power of One
who raises the dead.
We have election, call, promises, by which the believer
is a stranger in a world departed from God. To this we may
add the distinct principle of receiving the promises by the
power of God in resurrection. is special position made of
Abraham in a peculiar manner the father of the faithful-
of all them that believe-the father of many nations before
God in whom he believed, the heir of the world. e detail
of the promises (whether of the blessings of the nations,
only given in Gen. 12, and conrmed to Isaac in Gen. 22,
or of a numerous seed according to the esh, and of the
land of Canaan)
115
are not properly our subject here.
e latter leads, however, to the next important step
in the ways of God, the formation and deliverance of a
people from the power of their enemies by judgments and
an outstretched arm, by which they were set apart as a
people of dilection to God on the earth. Israel’s coming
up out of Egypt is, I need not say, the event in which this
115 e cases of Lot and Abraham furnish, on the one hand,
the deep moral lesson of the impossibility of walking to the
end in the presence of temptation by accompanying another’s
faith-our own, sooner or later, will be put to the test; and on
the other, a new and interesting type of the privilege of the
heavenly-minded church to enjoy communion with God and
the knowledge of His thoughts concerning others, far from
the trial and judgment; while Israel, attached to the earth; are
saved out of them, and so as by re, and perhaps others besides
Israel, though for heaven, as those found on the sea of glass.
The Principles Displayed in the Ways of God, Compared With His Ultimate Dealings
549
was pregured. Long subject to hostile arid oppressive
Gentiles, and particularly at the close, when God was
about to deliver them, His arm, who had already given the
blood of the Lamb as the safeguard against His righteous
judgment, delivered the people with a power which none
could dispute, executing judgment on the proud enemies
who oppressed them and deed His majesty.
Joseph and his Egyptian wife had given meanwhile
the remarkable type of a rejected Christ exalted on high
and His Gentile bride, who had made him to forget all his
aiction and his father’s house.
But the deliverance of Israel gave occasion to the
introduction of an entirely new principle, not the preguring
the ways of God, but the putting of man to the proof on the
revealed principles of what he ought to be, and that, when
thus delivered and brought near to God, as a favored people
guarded of Him with every motive and means for walking
before Him who had thus borne him on eagles’ wings,
and brought him to Himself. In a word, the law came in.
Immediately broken, Israel is anew, through intercession,
placed under it as a condition, with the added revelation of
all the graciousness and goodness of the character of Him
under whose government he was placed, and who would
act in that government on the principles thus revealed.
Still he was placed under law, and held the blessings under
the condition of his own obedience. is, as the apostle
states, came in by the by-added because of transgression,
till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made.
e law in itself could do nothing but convict man of his
incompetency. But it gave in general the principle of a rule
of God’s will, to be written afterward in the heart of His
earthly people; in obedience to which, maintained in their
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550
hearts by God, they would enjoy the blessing conferred by
Him on His people on the earth. But on the principles of
government declared by God to Moses, and announced in
Exodus, the people were placed on the mediation of the
priesthood, under the immediate government of God. e
priesthood was there to maintain the blessing if there was
failure, where it was not departure from God, or sinning
with a high hand; and Israel, in obedience, would have had
their peace ow like a river.
But Israel (incapable of walking by faith and trusting
God, even when the blessings were immediately consequent
on obedience) prefers being like the nations, and demands
a king, when God was their King. However, this gave
occasion to the revelation of another principle of God’s ways
with men, the establishment of royalty in Zion, a royalty
whose sway should extend much farther, and in which the
Gentiles should trust. However royalty is established, and
in Zion, and that by grace, after the failure and ruin of the
people through disobedience to God, under His immediate
government. e priesthood itself loses its place, and the
faithful priest is to stand before God’s Anointed. e king
is now the anointed of God, e principle of this royalty
is on one side the throne of the Lord (Solomon is said
to sit on the throne of the Lord), and on the other, it is
strength out of weakness. See Hannah’s song. It is the re-
establishment of Israel in blessing when hopelessly ruined,
by the means of the rejected but God-fearing king, who
delivers them from their enemies and subdues the heathen.
is re-establishment by royalty has a double bearing-the
blessing of the people after their ruin, by the deliverance
wrought, and then re-established in accepted worship after
the guilt (the temple after Shiloh, and that in a peculiar
The Principles Displayed in the Ways of God, Compared With His Ultimate Dealings
551
manner in grace, after the numbering the people). ere
were three stages to this royalty: when rejected entirely
in Israel; when the ark was placed by David on Mount
Zion: the energy of victory in connection with the assured
covenant, but not yet the blessing of peace-this was the
third state, which was Solomon’s. Christ, I doubt not, has
lled up, or will ll up, all these-the rejected, the victorious,
and the powerful King. In general, we have the important
additional principle of a human ordained king, in a royalty
established by God over His people, said to be seated too
on the Lord’s throne.
is, as we know, in man’s hands failed like all the rest,
and gave rise to another and large modication of the
principle of royalty, the conding the power of universal
dominion, wherever the children of men dwell, to man on
the earth. is was sovereignly conferred beyond the limits
of Jewish promise and dominion, acquired by no faithful
service in suering, but divinely bestowed by the God
of heaven. is also fell, and more than fell. Substituted
for the Jewish royalty, it united with the Jews and their
ecclesiastical rulers in the rejection of the Son of God
and King of the Jews; one of which titles,
116
in its lowest
acceptation, is the character in which (above all descent
from David, though that be at the same time true) Christ is
to have the heathen for His inheritance and the uttermost
parts of the earth for His possession; and the other of
116 I am quite aware that the Jews rejected Him religiously as Son
of God; and Pilate politically as King of the Jews: but I speak
of the real import and value of these titles as to the government
of the earth. Psa. 2 does not, I believe, refer to the character of
Son, as given in the gospel of John and elsewhere, though this
higher sense may be the necessary introduction to the lower;
but Psa. 2 speaks of the Lord as in time.
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552
which expresses evidently His title among the Jews as the
Anointed, the Son of David. We have thus far all these
features:-
Adam, center of the earthly system under God.
Noah, head of the earth blessed after the curse,
restraining evil.
Abraham, called by election out of the world, to which
promise is annexed.
A people redeemed and formed as such, as belonging to
God on the earth.
e law, the rule of the people so formed, and the path
of blessing as the will of God.
e royalty of Israel in the family of David, the anointed
king; and the royalty of the Gentile world, sovereignly
conferred by the God of heaven.
All these will be made good in Christ, in Person, or
for His people. He is the second Adam; the head of the
earth, restraining evil after the curse; the chosen one
separate from the world, in whom all the promises are
yea and amen; the head and uniter of redeemed Israel, the
true vine, the son called out of Egypt, the one in whom
the law was magnied (these two facts will also have
their accomplishment hereafter in His people); the Son
of David; and the head of the Gentile world established
such by the sovereignty of God. Hence all this progress of
development closed with the rejection of Him in whom all
was to be accomplished.
e testimony of the Holy Ghost in patience called to
repentance them who had put Him to death, but the call
was unheeded and the guilt remained upon them. And
thus closed all God’s dealings with the earth, as presenting
means of blessing, to their acceptance, and Christ the Lord,
The Principles Displayed in the Ways of God, Compared With His Ultimate Dealings
553
the Son of man, must return, sent by the Ancient of days,
before the principles of blessing held out, and the revealed
means of relationship with God, could be made good in
power and available in blessing.
In all this, it will be evident that the church of God
does not at all enter. e scene had for the time
117
closed in
which these various principles were developed on earth, to
be resumed in power when Christ returns there to whom
all the title and blessing belongs. Meanwhile He is hid in
heaven, and unites to Himself a heavenly people outside
all these ministrations, to be associated with Himself
as a better Eve, when He shall take the inheritance and
accomplish all that God has held out to man. Yet in one
point there is connection (that is, in Abraham). Although
there be higher principles of blessing which never formed
the subject of promise (such as being united to the Christ,
members of His body, of His esh, and of His bones), yet
Christians do come in under Abraham as heirs of promise,
as strangers and pilgrims on the earth, walking by faith,
117 I say for the time, because it is evident that the age in which
Christ was upon earth (though suspended, so to speak, to let in
the heavenly body, the bride the church) is not closed, and will
be resumed in the dealings of God with the Jews and the kings
of the earth, who stand up against the Lord and His anointed,
and, as is evident to me, before the manifestation of the Son of
man. Meanwhile, the apostasy of professing Christendom will
have taken place; and it is the putting this and the Jewish state
of things in their place which creates the chief diculty of
interpretation, because it is the developing, in point of time, of
two dierent systems, which unite, however, in their rejection
of God and His Christ. Patient waiting upon God will clear
up this, as all else revealed in the word. e death of Stephen
and calling of Paul, and the rapture of the church, arc the
boundaries of the time of full light in standing before God. I
do not speak of man’s proting by the light, but of his position.
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554
called out of the world. us they ll up the gap during
the power of the Gentiles, guilty of rejecting the Lord, and
the setting aside of the Jews for their despisal of Messiah,
until called to take their place in the heavens with the
Lord. In Christ we are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according
to promise, though God has reserved some better thing
for us. But as the church, she is entirely outside all this,
unknown and a mystery, till the time Israel was set aside,
and there was nothing but what unknown and sovereign
counsels might introduce, until God too keep Israel again
for repentance and blessing.
is very plainly shows the distinction of the church
from all earthly position and promise, though manifested
there until God shall again begin to act from the throne
on the nations, and take up again His questions with the
earth then in judgment, as heretofore in grace-judgment,
to which men will be callous, as they have been to grace,
till it assumes a character which there is no escaping, and
when despair will be as complete as revolt and self-will
were before. It does not enter into the subject of this
paper to treat of the details of that day. e judgments on
the Gentiles are the subject of the Revelation; the state
of the Jews, of the Old Testament prophecies chiey.
After a moral preparation in the hearts of the Jews, the
presence of the Lord Jesus will at once bring, not only in
the accomplishment of promises made to them, but the
concentration in His Person and kingdom in the power
conferred on Him, of all the scattered elements of the
divine ways previously revealed.
It may be remarked, that I have left prophecy out of the
list I have given of manifestations of divine intervention.
e omission was not forgetfulness. A prophet was one
The Principles Displayed in the Ways of God, Compared With His Ultimate Dealings
555
by whom God sovereignly maintained His relationship
and connection with Israel, and even in a measure with the
world, when there was entire failure. It took place in every
dispensation, and was not properly one, but ran through
all, though God wrought by it in emergencies. It revealed
God and foretold Christ, but evidently was to cease when
the things it spoke of were accomplished, for then it had no
place. Its character was the sovereign intervention of God,
not the development of His ways. Hence it was in exercise
at all times, when, as regards those ways, man had failed. It
showed and reproved the failure, and encouraged the faith
of the Jew, faithful among the faithless, in the enduring
delity of the Lord, pointing out with an increasing fullness
the intervention of God in power, when the faith that
made its way through the power of evil would be no longer
needed, because that evil would be set aside by power.
Hence we nd it in Enoch before the ood, in Noah, in
the patriarchs, and, in a particular manner, in Samuel when
Israel had failed under the theocracy, and in Israel departed
from God, and in Judah become unfaithful in her kings.
I do not touch here on the character of prophecy in the
church, as spoken of in the epistles. e church was based,
as we have seen, on the failure of everything; and to it, and
in it, the mind of God was specially communicated. To that
which takes a denitely prophetic form the above remarks,
however, fully apply in principle. Only the church, counted
faithful, is made the depositary. We have prophecies in
essalonians, Timothy, Jude, and Revelation. In the latter
case, the part fully and properly prophetic treats of the world
and the apostasy, or of the Jews; so that it takes a distinctly
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556
prophetic character, and returns to the principles
118
stated
above. e prophetic character was accomplished in the
Lord at His rst coming, as far as regards His Person.
e priesthood does not enter either in its Aaronic
character into the ways of God with man. It was the means
of approach of man to God, and subsisted in connection
with the existence of His people without a king and under
the kings. It supposed an accepted earthly people, so far as
it was in daily exercise, though there might be particular
failure. So far as the acceptance of the people was in
question, it was hidden within the veil. In this character
it is Christ’s present position with regard to Israel, for we
know the acceptance, the veil being rent. It existed under
118 ere are two kinds of prophecy in the Old Testament:
prophecy addressed to the conscience of God’s people while
owned, or at least subsisting as such; prophecy revealing
God’s ways when He no longer owned His people. Daniel
is the example of the latter. His prophecy is not addressed
to Israel. e former kind of prophecy does not occur in the
New Testament in the church, because the occasion of it had
ceased. e church was united to Christ in heaven, and the
character of communication was to the members of His body
enjoying unity with Him by the Holy Ghost; it calls for what
suited that; and the coming of Christ was the object of highest
aection where there was no failure, but He was possessed, not
prophesied of. e second character of prophecy, conded to
the church but not addressing it, is found in the Revelation,
and depicts a time in which God would deal with the world
of which the church was not. Israel has its place in the sum
of prophecy which is necessarily the earth, and hence was
addressed in it; the church has not. Hence the character of the
Lord’s prophecies. ey address the disciples in this condition,
and, though more simple and intimate in their nature, as we
might suppose, partake of the character just spoken of in
reference to prophetic addresses to Israel.
The Principles Displayed in the Ways of God, Compared With His Ultimate Dealings
557
dierent dealings of God to maintain individuals in their
position, and was not positively itself one.
