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Revelation chapter one.
Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass.
And he sent and signified it by his Angel unto his servant John, who bear a record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Blessed is hated, reader, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, or the time is at hand.
John to the seven churches which are in Asia, 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, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead.
And the Prince of the kings of the Earth.
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. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so. Amen.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord. Which is and which was and which is to come, the Almighty.
I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the aisle that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet saying I am Alpha and Omega.
The 1St and the last and what thou seest write in the book.
And send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia, unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me, and being turned, I saw 7 golden candlesticks.
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps, where the golden girdle his head. And his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in the furnace.
And his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars.
And out of his mouth went as sharp 2 edged sword, And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead, and he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me.
Fear not, I am the 1St and the last, I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.
And have the keys of Helen of Death write the things which thou hast seen.
And the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.
The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
Brother welcome about the.
Title of this book is it as we have it in the King James Version.
First words of the that are written in the book of the title correctly, do they not?
The revelation of Jesus Christ.
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Not the revelation of Saint John the Divine, is it?
This is something that came from the Lord Himself.
And if it came from the Lord himself, it has.
A special claim upon us.
Parade it.
To meditate upon.
To seek the Prophet by.
Does this have any relation, do you think, to what we get in the end of John's Gospel here?
21St of John's Gospel.
And the 22nd verse. And Jesus said unto him.
That's under Peter.
If I will let he tarry that he is John.
Till I come, What is that to thee? Follow thou me.
Then went this thing abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die. Yet Jesus said not unto them, He shall not die. But if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?
You think there's some connection there with were you thinking that John's ministry goes on to the Lord's coming?
That is certainly true, isn't it?
And John's ministry takes us right on down to the eternal state, really, in this book.
It goes on down till time is no more.
How about verse 24? Because it says this is the disciple which testifieth of these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Well, the matter of his writing comes in here too.
Although I suppose that's referring to the Gospel of John, yet the very fact that John's writings are brought in here would also indicate that it refers to the officials and the Book of Revelation.
Yeah, John outlived all the other apostles.
They the nearest we can come to ascertaining It would seem that this book was written about the year 96.
Tradition has it that John lived to be 100 years old.
We might notice.
That the source.
Of the book.
Is from God in our verse one.
Also that this book is a gift.
From God to His Son.
The revelation of Jesus Christ Which God?
Gave unto him.
There are several steps here, aren't there, in this revelation.
God gave this.
To Jesus Christ.
And he gave it.
To his servants.
And.
They pass it on to us, so it it came down in that way.
John in the Book of Revelation is not leaning on the Lords breast.
He's not in that position at all.
So that we see further down.
In the chapter just to anticipate a moment 17th verse when I saw him, I fell at his feet is dead.
Well, that's certainly, morally speaking, not the John that you have with his head on the Lord's breast, that the.
At the supper.
And then verse 13.
Has a bearing on that thought.
That he was girt about the paths. He was girt about the breast with a golden girdle.
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Gold, I suppose, Speaking of God's righteousness.
But the affections.
Were restrained. They were there. They were there, but they were restrained under this particular character as his being a judge.
Would you say that means the scene is 3 characters and the book of Revelations is the 1St and then in the midst of the throne and then coming out riding on a White Horse?
Connection with its expression, the revelation of Jesus Christ. Could we connect it with the 19th chapter and the I think it's the 10th verse where it says the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. For it's very important when we consider prophecy to remember that God is not simply occupying us with intellectual facts.
Which we might like to know, because there's a a desire in every man to know the future.
But God is occupying us with the glory of His beloved Son and the place that He is going to occupy as the center of this whole scene that is to be brought in. So how lovely it is doesn't say the revelation of future events. It doesn't say the revelation of the church's history as a Candlestick in the earth, but the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Because God occupies us with that blessed One.
Who is now the faithful and true witness and in a future day will be the bridegroom, the bride associated with him as the center of the whole scene that is to be brought in. Well, it seems to me it gives a beautiful character to the book, even though it's a book of judgment that the Spirit of God points us to the person who is going to carry it all out and who is going to bring in something beyond the judgment that.
Hearts with praise.
I suppose that the expression, the revelation in verse one would embrace the entire book with all it contains, and that would include all you've said.
That's the title.
Has to do with all that he's written.
It's it's God.
Giving it to him.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him.
It's his revelation, but God gave it to him.
And it's in the singular, is it not? It's not the plural.
Convention that John here is not in the leaning over in the bosom of the Lord, where he could whisper and say who is it or he couldn't say what is it, but there's angelic ministry in between. It was.
Signified it by his Angel under his servant John. There is a distance in between because of his judgment.
Now it says in Hebrew, it doesn't in the 10th chapter, Sit down on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. And so and we think of the Lorde place of preeminence by think of the little hymn that says God's just and righteous answer to grace that came to die. And so this is God's just and righteous answer.
There is going to be such blessing brought in.
But he is going to also execute judgment, solemn judgment, upon all those who refuse and will yet refuse that wondrous grace that alone can bring salvation.
And this second verse to bear record of the Word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ. Now further down in the chapter, the ninth verse, I John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.
Was in the aisle that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus.
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I believe that Christ is omitted in the better reading.
For the testimony of Jesus.
And then our brother, he always called our attention to the 19th chapter.
And the tenth verse.
I fell at his feet to worship him, and he said unto me, See thou doest not.
I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren, and have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
If we keep that before us, but the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
We get profit from it, otherwise it becomes a dry intellectual affair and we can get so taken up with the details of prophecy that we can wither in our souls.
As grave danger of just getting a crowd together to hear what's going to happen, well, that isn't the reason the Book of Revelation was given to us.
We're taken into the secrets.
Of the future in this wonderful book.
And it's all connected with the person of our Lord Jesus Christ from start to finish.
We get him in connection with the seven churches.
In the first three chapters here and then later on we having we have him in various aspects of judgment until everything is subdued under him.
It's it's Christ, it's his person that's before us. And that was what put John in prison in that ninth verse that's anticipating a little.
I was thinking of this expression too, in connection with signifying it by his Angel.
When Paul received the truth in connection with the church, he received it from Christ in glory. But here, when it's in connection with the judgment, why it speaks about signifying it by his Angel, And even in the addresses to the churches, why it's the Lord himself that addresses them and in the end of the book.
Where we have about the Lord's coming, it's behold, I come quickly.
But when it's speaking about judgment, why then it mentions the the Angel making these things known? Isn't it lovely, the intimacy with which the Lord delights to make himself known to his people? But when it's judgment there isn't. There's a sort of distance in the thought of the Angel. Well, the Lord would have us to enjoy this precious intimacy when He makes himself known, when he.
To tell us the truth of the church, He he caught his servant up. He didn't tell that through an Angel.
And made it known to him personally. And I say again, I believe he speaks to the churches here in person.
Well, he would have us to enjoy this precious intimate. They wouldn't be.
We would never know what the church really is if we didn't have Paul's ministry.
So you say, brother, Hey. Oh, he was.
Paul was the one that was chosen of God as the depository of that marvelous truth.
And in connection with it, we were reading I think Tuesday night in Colossians.
An expression there that is very significant.
We want to get too far off our subject, but.
This comes before 1.
In the first chapter of Colossians.
The end of verse 23 whereof I Paul and made a minister.
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind.
Of the afflictions or sufferings of Christ.
In my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the Church.
Whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill or better complete complete the word of God. Now that doesn't mean that Paul was going to write the last epistle or the last word in the Bible. That's that's not the bearing of it.
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But his ministry was to fill out the whole scope.
Of revealed truth to complete the Word of God, even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his Saints, to whom God would make known. What is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles? Which is Christ in you the hope of glory?
Well, that's that's where we get the truth of the church. We'd never find out what the church is. We just had John.
How about Ephesians chapter one and especially verse 10? Maybe 9-10 and part of 11?
I.
Ephesians 1.
Verse 9.
Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times.
He might gather together in one.
All things in Christ, both which are in heaven.
And which are on Earth even in him.
In whom also we have obtained and inherited.
There we have the.
Object.
That God has.
In leading up to this particular dispensation.
The dispensation of times.
Which will be the last and the Kingdom.
Period.
When you head up all things, both are those that are in heaven.
And those that are on earth and in verse 11.
Also we have obtained an inheritance.
I take it that this is the culmination.
Of God's ways in time. Notice that.
It's the culmination of God's ways in time. In Genesis we see the beginnings of God's ways in time, but in Revelation we see the culmination of it.
That tenth verse, Brother Brown, the church is not in that tenth verse, is it? No, that is the the whole scene. And then the church is brought in the in the 11Th verse, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance.
Well, we get something similar, do we not, in the 15th of First Corinthians where it speaks about when.
The Son also shall be subject unto him that God may be All in all that takes us down to the very end to, but he doesn't give us the details that we get in revelation.
Rather, Edmond, since you quoted that, would you give us a word on?
On that the Son himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be All in all. Would you give us a word on that?
Well, I have thought there that God may be All in all. It is, so to speak, the Trinity, God the Father and God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. The God may be All in all. It doesn't mean that the sun is not included there, but he is included. I would take it.
That's your thought? Yes, that's that's the point that one would make clear that it isn't as though the Sun has resigned his place in the Godhead or that he's taking an inferior position. It's not that at all. It's just that he has.
When all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also be subject unto him, that is, as the Son of man in glory.
He takes that subject place, but not for a moment does he vacate his place in the Trinity or any of the dignity that belonged to him. There's no priority of the Father over the Son or over the Spirit.
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There's not that thought.
We speak of the first, second, and third persons of the Godhead. Not that we're arranging them in order of priority or superiority or inferiority, but just a convenient way to distinguish them. Is that right, brother Airsman? Yes, that's the way I would take it.
That they give up all rule as planned in order that God might reign.
He forever.
Identifies himself in that verse with those that have been the subject of his.
Of his mighty work.
He he identifies him with himself, and now he in that position takes his place as subject.
Himself be subject unto him that put all things on him.
In that position, as Son of Man associated with his redeemed in the glory.
He submits himself to the one that put all things under him, that is God. But on the other hand, he didn't vacate his position in the deity or in the Godhead.
When we say that actually in the eternal state there is nothing to be reigned over.
That when the Lord Jesus delivers up the Kingdom, why it isn't that another Kingdom follows there? There is no other Kingdom. Everything is now suited to the mind and character of God. But the Lord Jesus remains a man forever in this way, associating himself with his bride and with his redeemed people. Isn't that all the thought in connection with his being subject? That is, he remains a man forever.
But he, as our brother, has remarked in the surely most important He still that same blessed, eternal person in the Godhead who always was and always will be.
Hey, that word.
That word God had, the real word for Godhead is only used once.
I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, in the Scripture and there it's applied to Christ and there it's especially emphatic that it's in connection with Christ in, in humanity, in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead. I believe that's the only time that that word is used.
In Him that's in Christ, well, all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, that is, in his Incarnate state.
That's Colossians 29.
Blessed is he that readeth.
Remember that.
You couldn't find a scene like this?
In Bible days.
You never saw Saints of God sitting around with their Bible in their laps.
They didn't have them. It would be fortunate if they had a role of Isaiah or.
Perhaps a copy of the Pentateuch?
So they were dependent on public readers.
That's what's meant when Paul says to Timothy give attention to reading the public reading of the scriptures.
So blessed is he that readeth.
Now somebody is listening while he reads.
Bless her to those that hear the words of this prophecy.
Infimity. There is a purge that I would like to explain to some of the help, and then the last chapter of Personality is perhaps receiving the Book of Revelation.
14 First a First Timothy last chapter.
I'll keep his commandments without the thought I'm refusal until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which in his time shall show who is the blessed and only focusing the King of kings. The Lord is Lord who only has immortality, dwelling in the life that no man's kind of protest, and no man has seen no fancy.
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Between the honor and power of everlasting. Amen. I will ask in the 19th of Revelation I made this describe.
Through the Lord Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord Lord.
Well, do we not find many times, Brother London?
Where there is such a I'll use Mr. Kelly's word, such a a mixing of the persons of the Godhead that is difficult to distinguish them, Mr. Kelly uses that expression.
Now, as you've read the verses.
Which in his times he will show.
Who is the blessed and only quoting tape? That's God. It's God in the 15th verse. It's God in the 16th verse.
Right down to the end.
It's not Christ, but it's what God is showing. That's right, isn't it?
Now if we turn to the last chapter of I, John.
And almost the last verse, 20th verse.
We know the Son of God has come.
And have given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true and we are in Him that is true even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
That's the last chapter of John. First John.
20 and 20 is verse.
Well, now it's practically impossible.
To distinguish, is it not in that verse the persons?
This is the true God and eternal life or who is? Who is the true God in eternal life?
Well.
You can. One says it reverently, I trust. Take your choice. It's stated in such a way that it applies either to God the Father or God the Son.
17th of John is the Father, that's the true God. Yes, yes it is. And in the 17th of the chapter of the Book of Revelation, verse 14, we see where it is, specifically the land, which is Christ.
17 verse 14.
Of these shall make war with the Lamb.
And the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of Lords, that's universal, and King of kings.
Well, that ought to trouble us too much when we know the glory of His person.
Well, we have those.
Reading and those hearing the words of the prophecy and now.
Now we have something very practical.
What shall we say about this and those that keep those things that are written therein? How do we keep the things that are written therein?
When Mary when Mary heard the things spoken of her of Christ, she kept all those things and pondered them in her heart.
When we think of this.
Book as setting forth to a great extent judgment, judgments coming on this world.
Well, I suppose one way to keep the sayings of the book is to remember.
But this whole scene is going to be judged, and to keep those things would be to hold to these things lightly, not to make them the God of our lives, not to abuse the use of these things.
About having food and raiment therewith to be content.
And keeping the Lord himself before us, the one who is set forth in this book.
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Remembering that Christ will remain, heaven and earth shall pass away, but he says, my word shall not pass away. And we know the blessed Lord himself as the Word is the eternal One. And to keep the words of this book is to keep our eyes fixed on him and hold lightly, loosely to these things down here.
I was thinking too that even though John is not seen in that position.
As the affections flowing out, doing here more as a servant still, one who wants to take up the subject of revelation with all the awful judgment, must have a sense in their soul what it is to be leaning on his breast. So John was one who did lean on his breath.
And he was given these revelations.
Think of the awful judgment of the fall of our Christians. Well, John now should have the Lord sake of him. Fear not.
The Lord wouldn't say that to those who run with the judgment that they lived with John.
This makes me think of a little incident, Mr. Heaney told me. I know some of you have heard me rehearse this before, but I always enjoyed it. Someone was taking a brother around to show him.
The sites in the city.
And he did a good third job of it.
And when they got through their trip?
He turned and he said to this brother, well, what do you think of it?
Well, he said. Brother, I, I think, I think it was wonderful if it were not for one thing that I saw written across everything you showed me.
Why? You said I didn't see anything? What did you see? He said. Everything you showed me had written across it, reserved under judgment.
He said. I couldn't get very enthusiastic.
Well, brethren, isn't that true? As we pass through this world, all that man is boasting in all his marvelous achievements, his wonderful monuments.
All is reserved unto judgment. Is that right, brethren?
But the flesh doesn't like that.
The.
Term revelation means.
To uncover.
And this book exposes Christendom.
Like nothing else, and intentionally so for your mind and mind.
To enter into God's thoughts as to what Christendom is worth.
Is there another aspect to keeping?
These truths, these things that are written.
I suppose no book in the God's Word has been more the subject of misuse.
By so-called.
Of prophetic teachers.
And it's important for the believer to have this admonition here. It's very specific. Keep those things which are written therein.
The fancy and the imagination of man, when he explores this book seems to have no bounds.
And a believer is apartment to be caught up in some of this if he exposes himself to it. We have seen this sometimes even among our own number. And then the seeking to transmit what they have garnered outside.
To the Saints.
In general, we recognize it's a difficult book. Who of us can grasp all of it? But if we stay on the principle that this verse gives us?
That which is written therein, not that which is written by Doctor so and so, but what is written here and the Spirit of God ministering it to us. I merely inject that as a word of warning because every one of us is exposed to some degree to the false teachings of prophecy and the overemphasizing of prophecy where it's actually the soul's need that should be put out often.
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There.
Thought here also that the Saints are encouraged.
To give attention to this particular book.
Now verse three says, Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.
Now in the last chapter.
After 22, verse 6.
Revelation 22/6.
These sayings are words.
Are faithful and true.
And the end of the verse.
Under the servants the things which must shortly.
Come to pass, it should read verse 7.
Behold, I come quickly, bless. It is he that keepeth the read it words of the prophecy of this book. And in verse eight, it's these things at the beginning of the verse and the end of the verse and at the end of verse 9.
To keep the words of this book and in verse 10 to seal.
Not the words of the prophecy of this book.
Now in verse 16, to testify unto you these things.
It is to the churches twice in chapter one, verse four, and I think verse 11. It is to the churches that includes you and me.
Uh, then in verse 18, the middle of verse.
The words of the prophecy of this book, and then at the end of the verse written in this book, and in verse 19, the words of the book of this prophecy, and the end of verse 19, the things which are written in this book. Now I read these things in order to bring out the particular emphasis that the Holy Spirit has made.
On the importance of giving attention to this book.
I certainly approve that everything that's been said about the danger of going at it head first and.
With man's reckless mind that is to be abhorred, but we need our hearts.
Attracted to take heed to what the word of God says here.
Our tendency is to neglect it.
I heard of a man in one of the systems.
That said that the Book of Revelation was not to be the subject of a Bible study because it couldn't be understood.
Well, there might be many reasons behind a thing like that, a statement like that.
But I believe Satan does not want us to read this book. He doesn't want the words of this book to be heard and he doesn't want the words of this book to be kept.
Well, in this book we find a three fold doom of Satan himself. Perhaps that's one reason he doesn't want us to read it.
And of course, we find the Lord Jesus Christ several times put on the throne. There's another reason that he wouldn't want it to be read and to be meditated upon. Well, in the 12Th chapter of this book, there's Satan cast out of heaven. In the 20th chapter we have him bound in the boundless pit and then later on cast into the lake of fire.
Well, Satan doesn't want us to learn about these things. Have this before us.
But he is a very real enemy and that's why we need to have the Lord Jesus Christ before us and as her brother was spring before us, that the word revelation really means uncovering or unveiling.
It seems to me that we have, especially here, unveiled the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and what a precious thing it is to have Him brought before us.
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Remember one time in a meeting something like this, it was mentioned that a certain prominent teacher in Christendom said, well, he could never get anything out of the Book of Revelation, and was remarked, I think was by our brother Heaney, that he had never been in the position that John was in, in that night. First in the Isle of Patmos for the.
Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
Well, we have to know something of that rejection that the apostle John experienced there, that the word of God and the testimony of Jesus placed him into that position. We have to know something of that or we won't get anything out of it. Well then in connection with that third verse and the blessings to he that readeth and they that.
Hear the words of this prophecy, and they that keep it.
It reminds one of what the Lord said in the about the coming of the Holy Spirit in the 14th of John. He says he shall bring all things under your remembrance, which I've said unto you. Well, we know the disciples never seem to enter into what the Lord was teaching. They just didn't seem to grasp it at all.
What the Spirit of God was coming, and He was going to bring those things into their remembrance.
Well, the Spirit of God is here, and how little we take in in meetings less kind where there is the ministry of the Word.
But the Spirit of God, if there's the reverence for him and His word, why He can bring those things to our remembrance, well then in the 16th of John where he speaks about.
Again, of the Spirit of God coming, why He will show you the things to come. So we have that office of the Spirit of God to enable us to hear these things and to keep them. Is that the significance of.
Revelation 310.
Is it referring particularly to this particular book Because thou has kept the word of my patience? I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation.
Well, I would think perhaps it took in more than this Book of Revelation.
The word of his patience.
And waiting all these years.
The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
Let's let's turn to that verse. Brother Wilson is quoted Thessalonians.
2nd 3/5.
2nd Thessalonians, 3/5.
And you notice that he.
Made a little change in the translation here.
The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
Would you repeat, Brother Wilson, what you said?
Well, the Lord is patiently waiting, He was told, sitting at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. And so Christ is now sitting at God's right hand, and as he sit there, he sits there. He's waiting in patience for the day when all will be his. And now we're not to be impatient. We're to share in that patience while he waits.
He waits there, we wait here. We're not to be impatient about the Lord. Direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
Would you say that was it? Yes, I believe that's it. And what a sweet and precious thought it is.
It's uh.
Is it like what we get? Behold, the camels are coming.
I don't suppose we realize to any great extent.
What it will mean for the Lord himself to have the place that was denied him when he came the first time. He's going to have his rightful place in this scene where he was rejected.
And certainly his patience takes in that, as well as his patience in waiting to have us with himself. I suppose very often we forget that sight, his side of things. We're thinking about our side even in the matter of thinking about being with himself.
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We are more or less selfish. Perhaps it's good for us to exercise ourselves in the matter of thinking on his side of things.
And I believe as we're thinking about his side of things, it will make us more and more happy.
Thought of. It's often been remarked that we have the book divided into three parts. 1St, the Lord presented in the character of the Judge, then the history of the Church is a Candlestick in the earth, and then the judgment of the world saw that all would be brought into order under Christ.
Well, isn't that what is important too about keeping because.
First of all, we need to see the Lord Jesus before us, that blessed person, the one who laid his right hand upon John and said fear not, I am the 1St and the last. Then we need to have an intelligent understanding of what is taking place in this church. Period. It's not understanding. This has led to so much confusion and Christendom.
But if we understand those letters to the churches.
We can see the time in which our lot is cast and can act intelligently instead of being carried away with all the great movements to build a better world or bring in a new social order. We see that we're in the very end, and the important thing is keeping His word and not denying His name. And as far as the world and all its progress and all the great religious system that seems to be advancing so much.
That is about us has to do why we see that God's judgment is going to fall. And so keeping the word of his patience is that we can look out intelligently as taught of God upon all this, and not get mixed up in the great movements to try and check the course of evil or to try and bring in something better, but rather to see.
That it's all doomed. The Lord is waiting patiently, brethren.
As it's been remarked for that time when he'll have his church with himself and we're to wait patiently.
And this is what really gives peace in the soul. We know how many dear Christians who don't have this intelligent outlook, and their minds are all confused and upset, telling us what the Church is supposed to be doing and what it's not doing and so on. But how thankful we should be that we have been brought to see this and not only to read it.
But to embrace, seek to keep His word and not deny his name.
This is our portion now, and this is what is going to keep us through this confused state of things that we see in the Church of God and in the world as a whole.
If a ship was sinking at sea.
We wouldn't be.
Occupied with painting the ship as it was going down.
I think that what you brought before us, brother. Hey ho.
Is practically the same line of things that Brother Harrison was Speaking of about that ninth verse.
This book gives us the proper attitude.
John was in a special, peculiar position when he got this revelation.
He said I'm your brother and companion in Tribulation.
He wasn't your brother and companion in the pompous ecumenical movement. Something is going to.
Change the whole religious world.
He was an outcast, your brother and companion in Tribulation.
And in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, as you've just been emphasizing.
Well, he was in that island of Patmos, a poor, rocky, wretched, deserted, desolate place. You couldn't find a more lonely place than that old rocky island of Patmos. What put him there? Two things. The word of God.
And the testimony of Jesus.
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Well, in a certain sense, if the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
Is dear to our hearts. It's going to give us a taste of patents.
Given a weekly 2.
The awful judgment that.
Overtake this world. There's only one deliverer in the whole thing after Jesus Christ.
So it should impart some measure of peace to our own souls when we think of the patience of Christ.
Seeing this world going on as it is and.
Keeping up wickedness. And he waits.
One writer said. And while he sits in God's right hand, we have a rebel, we have a told us what he's thinking about.
From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstep.
That's what he's waiting.
Book A Passenger Why everyone thought that the king was asleep in the city of Shushan was all in the darkness of night, but the King was not asleep, was he? The king was looking in the book of the Records of the Chronicles, and thinking of the one who was despised and who was soon to be exalted. So it seems to us sometimes, as we see things getting worse in the progress of evil.
As though God were asleep. But brethren, he's not asleep.
He is, He is thinking of the honor and glory of his beloved Son. And if you and I are in harmony with the thoughts of God, that's what we'll be thinking about. Not the exaltation of Haman, which is who is an Amalekite, a picture of Satan's power upon the flesh and how the flash likes to be advanced. But he was occupied with another person altogether.
One who was cast out and despised. Well, how blessed it is for us that we don't need to be upset and worried by all the advancement of man that seems to be going on, but we can face it all peacefully. God is thinking of the glory of His Son. Brethren, if you and I are in harmony with His thoughts, we'll be occupied with Him too.
Don't you think that that Book of Remembrance is spoken of in Malachi 316 at the Book of Remembrance?
Written that that work is still carried on to this day. Count of things up there being kept of those that fear his name and think upon him. There was no book of remembrance written in the days of Salah.
And things went on outwardly well.
Wasn't written then, but in the last days, in the days of ruin.
The days of weakness.
Just a few left that thought upon his name.
That God saw them and he listened. He listened to their conversation.
And he kept a record of it.
And so God is today.
May we turn to that verse that our brother calls our attention to.
Malachi 316.
Then they that feared the Lord now notice it does not say. Then they that love the Lord.
It's they that feared the Lord.
It wasn't.
A mere matter of affection.
But they felt that they should walk.
Before him in obedience they that feared the Lord spake often one to another. Now this was in a a terrible day, this day of Malachi.
And Jehovah hearkened and heard it in a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
One reads that 18th verse with this in mind, brethren.
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That if you and I are going to have discernment and divine things, not be carried away by the confusion around us, if we're going to be possessed of the discernment, we must be in the good of that 16th and 17th verse, they that feared the Lord.
They were occupied with him, with his person, with his interests, and it gave them discernment.
I believe that's an important principle.
Brother Wilson, not too disparaging comments, but how would we look at the eighth verse of Psalms 56?
Now tell us my wanderings. Put thou my tears into thy bottle. Are they not in thy book?
Is that a different thought than Malachi?
Well, of course, strictly speaking, you get the persecuted Jewish remnant in these psalms.
And they suffer much, and they're not forgotten.
And God will remember all their sufferings too.
Made a record of well, it's another, it's another class of people suffering for another purpose. But God will always be interested in his people who suffer for him and do not go with the current that's prevalent in the world, don't you think?
Yes, now I have a little note here. May I read it?
Really, this Psalm is the lament of the godly.
While driven out of Jerusalem during Antichrist.
So.
It pinpoints itself to a certain situation in the history of the Jewish remnant.
Well, then it really looks forward. Yes, yes.
There is a comfort for every day for the remedy now in the Book of Revelation in the third chapter.
In the Smyrna, the Tree of Life is set before them, but later on.
At the end we have.
Laodicea simply the throne. We don't have the tree of life. We don't have the the Whitestone.
They don't have other things were mentioned before, but there is a reward may not be the same as the other. There might be a lower state, but there is a special blessing for the overcomers. But in the sense I believe and so we have just the justice control problems at the end.
Well, the only reason I raised the question was that.
We are assured the brother Wilson has reminded us that God has ever been mindful of the tears of His people and their faithfulness from the days of Abel on, hasn't he? And these things will have their declaration in the coming day. Well, that's not Revelation 19.
Where we have the bride brought before us, and speaks of her being arrayed in fine linen. Fine linen.
Fine linen is the righteousnesses of the Saints that shows that there's been a record kept up there of all the churches passed through in our history here in this world.
Yes, with the Book of Remembrance.
The things that she was given grace to do.
There as the righteousnesses of the Saints.
She couldn't have done them without done them without his putting it into her heart and giving her the grace to do it.
But then she gets she will get a reward.
They haven't.
Said anything? Have we on the?
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The intervening verses here we've been talking about.
Verse 9 but.
What about versus?
4-5 and six.
Isn't it remarkable in that fifth verse?
Jesus Christ, the faithful witness.
That when he's brought forward.
There's a song raise.
You can't be, you can't be occupied with him without it. Some Thanksgiving.
The thought changed.
Unto him that loves.
I believe it should read lows. I should, yes.
Isn't that he once did.
He did and he does, and he always will.
You thought of you thought of his faithfulness as connected with our unfaithfulness. Why? We would never think of what we have here, would we? We think of how sadly the Church has failed, but how beautiful it is when it brings forth His faithfulness. And then we find what follows. The Church is an unfaithful Candlestick in the earth.
It's blessed to see these thoughts introduced, isn't it?
Unto Him that loves us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, in spite of all the churches failure and our failure as individuals, nothing has changed His love toward His own, and nothing has made him, shall I say, regret the tremendous cost by which we have been redeemed, nor has it made Him.
Withdraw the purposes that we shall be brought into such a place of nearness.
Priests, kings, priests and kings already, but in a future day to be associated with Him, the place of nearness and reigning with him, that is not going to be changed in spite of all the churches unfaithfulness. Well this is grace brethren, that's surely stirs our hearts and it comes in as we always find in God's ways.
Before the introduction of human failure, just as we have in the Old Testament so often.
God's purposes in grace set before us, and then the failure, whether it be of the priesthood or whatever we may take in the Old Testament, we see God's faithfulness and his grace first set before us, then the failure coming in afterwards. That doesn't alter those purposes that will be carried out. So to me it's touching here to see this brought in before anything of the church's failure is.
Because God knew it all beforehand, and that love is unchanged in spite of it, although he may be grieved.
He shall see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied.
Unto him that that loves us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
Brethren, I do not believe we can over emphasize the importance of the blood.
We're living in days when there's a tendency to discount that phase of our redemption, the blood of Christ.
We cannot overemphasize it will be singing about it for all eternity.
This expression the first begotten from the dead.
To is connected with the thought of a harvest also being brought in, isn't it? The sheaf of first fruits was waived before the Lord in the 23rd of Leviticus, and then the whole harvest could be gathered in. And so how lovely it is to think that the the Lord Jesus, the first begotten from the dead, the first fruits, is already there.
And because of that we can be sure that all the fruit of His work will also be gathered in. Nothing will hinder the gathering in of all that God is purposed, because He is already there. Whether the Forerunner is for us entered even Jesus made in High priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
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What characterizes his resurrection is it was an out from among the dead resurrection. And that's what characterizes our resurrection too. When we're raised, we'll be raised out from among the dead. There'll be thousands, millions of dead left in their graves when we're raised and caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
Oh, that should rejoice our hearts.
To know that our resurrection partakes of the same character as his.
If we turn to the third of Philippians.
We see the expression there that our brother is using.
Philippians 3.
And in order to get the connection, we'll read the 10th verse.
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death.
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection, that out from among the dead.
Now.
If the verse stands just as we have it here in the King James Version, it might be said, Well, what is there about that? If by any means I might attain under the resurrection of the dead, everybody's going to be raised from the dead.
There would really be no point to the verse.
But the meaning of the verse is, if by any means I might attain under that special resurrection, that out resurrection that from among the dead, that's what Paul wanted, and he's going to have it too.
And have made us kings and priests. Are is the other version the Kingdom of priests? Is that it?
That heart reads.
Made us a Kingdom of priests unto God and his Father.
So every believer.
As a priest.
He has a right to go directly into the presence of God.
To Him who loves us and has washed us from our sins in his blood and made us a Kingdom priests to his God and Father.
We can't go to someone and say now you have an access to God that I don't have, so will you pray for me?
There's no such thing as that.
It's all right to ask prayer one of another, but as far as any privilege is concerned, there's no one of us more privileged than another to go right into the presence of God.
The Father himself loveth you.
That doesn't have to be produced, does no.
Would you say in connection with made us Kingdom and preach unto God and his Father, that we have the title of kings now, but we haven't yet entered into the.
Possession, so to speak. It might be. Could it be said, something like the president-elect? He hasn't yet taken that authority in power.
To an Abraham comes back from the slaughter of the kings that Melchizedek comes forth with the bread and wine building up. There we have the picture back from Genesis, but that our brother male would just bring before us next with Melchizedek.
And that day when the battle was over, he will come for it. But it'll be with the bread and the wine, the rain, But there'll be as a priest on the throne of God.
5th grade called the president of the king of the year. That doesn't mean that he.
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I believe it's a contrast that is the the the world is trying to bring about peace itself by its own efforts. Well, there's one who is the Prince of the kings of the earth, the one who we've been Speaking of who is yet going to be manifested as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
And when he takes that place, his blood bought people will be associated with him.
Not only reigning with him, but also priests to enjoy a nearness to him and approach into his very presence.
So we find in the Corinthians Paul had to say to them, Ye have reigned as kings without us.
They were trying to take their place as kings before the time came, but the time is coming when the Lord will have His place. Then we'll be associated with Him. Enjoying this in the soul keeps us in peace and also leads out our hearts to praise. That's why we have when these thoughts are brought before us here. It says unto him, be glory and dominion, forever and ever. Amen.
Well, it leads the heart out to praise and Thanksgiving. It delivers us from restlessness, where as it was remarked by our brother, like the president-elect, they we've obtained the inheritance. It's already ours. We already have an approach into his presence by faith.
Soon it will be a blessed reality to always see the same ones who are spoken of in the company. In the 5th chapter of Revelation, around the throne, faith changed to sight. Perfect approach, perfect worship. Here it's anticipated and in praise. In the 5th chapter, it's enjoyed in reality, isn't it?
Yeah, well, the sense there of the Prince, the kings of the earth, does not mean inferiority.
But he is above them all.
Is that the thought in Ezekiel 44?
Regarding in the third verse.
Speaks about the gate of the Prince. It is for the Prince, the Prince, he shall sit in it to be spread before the Lord. Is that the king of the earth?
That is the advice. Pardon me, go ahead.
The vice gerant of Christ.
During the Millennium, the one that.
Carries on in a special way.
On the earth? Yes, On the Earth.