The prophetic part of the book of Revelation ends at the 5th verse of Chapter 22 From the 6th verse to the end is a little closing word which the Lord has for the Church personally, after He has revealed to her all the purposes and counsels of God which had gone before, up to this point, most of which do not personally concern herself, although she is told about them. This is a very touching proof of confidence on the Lord’s part. May his people’s hearts not be indifferent to this. It was a touching proof of the confiding love of the Lord to Abraham in Gen. 15:33And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. (Genesis 15:3). When on his way to the destruction of the cities of the plain, He turned aside to tell his friend Abraham what He was about to do, although it had no immediate reference to him. What He told Abraham concerned the cities of the plain. And so, when passing on to the judgment of the world, He turns aside, as it were, to confide in His people as His friends, and in this precious relationship He makes known all things unto them: “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends: for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”
The closing portion of the Book of Revelation is a word addressed personally to the Church, and in it the coming of the Lord is referred to three times, each mention having a special point in view. In verse 7 the Lord says:— “Behold, I come quickly; blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” In verse 12 He says:-”And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be.” And in verse 20 He says: — “Surely I come quickly;” and this, having presented Himself to the church as “the bright and the morning star,” drawing forth the cry of the Spirit in the Bride, “Come,” He responds to the invitation, “Surely I come quickly;” to which the heart, taught of the Spirit responds again— “Even so; come, Lord Jesus.” In these three ways the Lord refers to His coming.
1St. With reference to keeping the sayings of the prophecy of the Book of Revelation.
2nd. With reference to the result of that coming to all; that it puts its solemn seal upon the state in which each is found.
3rd. His response to the inviting “Come” of the Bride in whom the Spirit dwells, and leads thus to express the desires which He has formed.
In the opening of the Book of Revelation there is a blessing promised on him that reads, they that hear, and they who keep the things which are written in the book of the prophecy (Chapter 1:3). And then at the close the blessing is repeated (verse 7) for him that keeps the sayings of the prophecy of the book. This is striking, and worthy of our attention, because to no other Scripture do we find such special promises attached.
A simple Christian mind would naturally say, “I don’t understand the scope of the Book of Revelation at all; it is difficult of interpretation, and I must needs understand the meaning of the seals and trumpets and vials, and the various symbols contained in it, before I should know how to walk in order to have the promised blessing.” Now, I desire to give a key, in a few simple words, to the general bearing of the book, so that the simple mind may not be discouraged, but rather helped, in seeking for the blessing, in framing his path and ways with reference to it.
In Chapter 1:19, we read— “Write the things which thou hast seen.” Now, it is plain that this refers to the vision of Christ, in His judicial character, walking amongst the candlesticks in the previous part of Chapter 1.
Again we read— “Write ... the things which are.” This refers to the state of things described in chaps. 2 and 3. This gives a complete sevenfold successive history of the church, her departure from her first love (Chapter 2:4), then her gradual declension and sinking down into this world, where Satan’s seat is (Chapter 2:13); corruption, deadness, and lukewarmness, till the threat is pronounced to Laodicea (Chapter 3:16), that the Lord would spew her out of His mouth, as something false and nauseous to Him.
Again, in same verse (Chapter 1:19), we read— “Write.... the things which shall be hereafter;” or, more properly, “after these things;” i.e., after the two previous divisions of the book which the 19th verse marks out. We must turn to Chapter 4:1 to find the commencement of this third division of the book. “After this (or these things), I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven; and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show the things which must be hereafter;” or rather, “after these things;” i.e., the two divisions which had gone before, chaps. 1, 2 and 3.
Now, once we see that the book is divided thus, into three great divisions, we should desire to ascertain the leading characteristics of each division.
In the first division Christ is represented as one whose eyes were “as firm as a flame of fire and his feet like unto brass,” &c. Here the Lord is represented as in His intensely judicial character, taking note of everything, while scrutinizing the light He had set up and committed to the church. One with whom the faintest flicker of the light of a candlestick which burned with a dimmer light than that which was to be His own reflection, met His solemn and searching gaze. It is not here a question of grace in salvation, but of light-bearing and testimony in the world—a city set on a hill which should not be hid. If I am enabled to see Him thus walking with solemn judicial step amongst the candlesticks, I seek to frame my course accordingly; and although the light is very unlike that which He at one time set up, still I feel my little responsibility has never changed, and that He never lowers the standard; and thus, through the supply of His grace, I become one who keeps the things which are written in the prophecy, and thus one who seeks to have the promised blessing.
In the second division of the book I learn that the Church, in her responsible place as a lamp for Christ in the midst of the world, has so failed and drifted away from her first love, that she has become of the world, and the very source and origin of corruption. I find that when she has become so corrupt as to leave no hope of return or improvement, and that the Lord’s coming is now alone to be looked for to set things to right (Chapter 2:25;3:3-11), and that this departure becomes more developed till the whole is rejected. Well, this truth sanctifies me, i.e., it separates me in the midst of the corruption. I see that the Lord will not be with me while I am identified with what is evil, and I learn to “overcome.” I shape my course accordingly, and keep my garments unspotted from the evil around, having in view what I gather of the Lord’s mind in this division of Revelations; and thus, through His grace, I get the blessing promised to him that keeps the sayings of the prophecy.
And in the third division I learn one grand truth amongst the rest, which is, that the world, with its powers and energies, and march of intellect, and boasted advance, is rushing on to judgment. That as soon as “the things that are,” i.e., those belonging to the history of the church in responsibility are ended, that a throne is set to judge the world in righteousness—a throne to judge the quick or living. I learn that all that is around me ends in judgment, ere the Lord Jesus, the rightful heir, possesses His kingdom. That when He comes, He “purges out of His kingdom all things which offend, and them which do iniquity,” thus taking possession of it by judgment. Well, if the world is to be judged thus and her boast of advancement is only a token of its near approach—when she is saying “Peace and safety,” and “sudden destruction” at her doors. And saying this at a time when “men’s hearts are failing them for fear,” and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. Conscious of this, I withdraw myself from the whole scene, and stand aside from the world. I bow to the powers that be, obeying every ordinance of man for my Lord’s sake, while at the same time, not of them. I am conscious how all is ordered from the beginning, and forewarned how all will end, I am calm and tranquil. I frame my pathway according to the Wisdom of Him who has given me a light for every step of the way, in a scene of which He has instructed me how all will end, and where its energies are tending. Thus I get the blessing through His goodness, promised to him who keeps the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
“Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.”