A good introduction to the Apocalypse would be to take up those characteristic passages in the New Testament where prophetic truth is looked at, not in every detail, but the great leading passages—such as Matt. 13;24;25 the Epistles to the Thessalonians, etc. But before beginning, we will have a meditation introductory to prophecy itself, because we ought to enter on it with our consciences and our sympathies rather than with our intellects. So it is well, before entering on it, to put our souls somewhat into right order.
The word of prophecy treats us, not as sinners, nor merely as saints, but, as friends (cf. Gen. 18:17, and John 15:15). The word of the gospel treats us as sinners, and proposes relief; and the preceptive parts educate us as saints. But the moment we come into prophecy we forget our character as sinners—it is disposed of—and we listen to that which addresses us as friends of Christ. A special dignity thus attaches to us the moment we come to listen to prophecy. I am an intruder upon prophecy if I do not enter upon it as one entitled to call God my Father, and I am open to the Lord's rebuke to Nicodemus—" Go and make yourself your object." When I can read my title clear as a sunbeam, then I can come to Christ as a friend. And this clothes the mind of the saint with great moral dignity. It is another kind of relationship from that of the sinner or of the saint.
Then, prophecy comes in on corruption. There would have been no prophetic voice heard in Israel if the priesthood had not corrupted itself. It broke in on Israel in a day of corruption. And the prophetic voice is the introduction of the Holy Ghost. Aaron might have discharged his office, and the daily services of the temple might have been discharged by a title of flesh, without the Holy Ghost. But the moment Aaron and the sons of Levi had corrupted themselves, the Holy Ghost comes forth, and fills a vessel with a new thing altogether. So in prophetic ministry I am in company with the Holy Ghost at once. This shows that God always has a remedy for our mischief.
In these ways we must read the prophetic office, and these thoughts are very seasonable before entering on the prophetic details themselves.
There is a way in which you may use, and a way in which you may abuse, the prophetic words: and these two ways you will find in Matt. 2, which I propose to consider now as a sort of introduction to our subject. We have gathered how it was that the prophetic voice was awakened in the story of Israel—that corruption was the parent, or rather the occasion of it; and you will not have really entered on the prophetic dispensation if you do not see in it God bringing forth His resources when man has destroyed himself. Now, when you come to listen to the prophetic voice you have to inquire, How am I to use it? and, How might I abuse it? Both are illustrated in the passage before us.
The Evangelist himself shows the first use of prophecy. We are to have it so stored up in our minds, that nothing may be a surprise to us. The Lord Himself rebukes the Pharisees for not knowing the signs of the times. When the hand of God comes to realize what the Spirit of God has already announced, that is " the signs of the times," and we should be able to identify the voice of God with the hand of God, as the Evangelist does here. When the manner of the birth of the Child was announced, he says, " Oh yes, that fulfills Isa. 8" Here was the greatest wonder that had ever transpired in the story of human nature; but Matthew is prepared for it by Isa. 8 This is to be a real friend of Christ. He has prepared me that I may not be surprised with what takes place. So, again, when the Child is taken down into Egypt, Hosea comes to the mind of Matthew, and he now links Hos. 11, with the Child's coming forth out of Egypt. He is able again to identify the voice of God with the hand of God. Is not that " walking in the light of the Lord " (Isa. 2:5.)?—enjoying fellowship with Christ? All He hears of His Father He makes known to us (John 15:15).
So, when the terrific fact of the destruction of the children takes place, the Evangelist is prepared for it. He may be shocked at Herod; but he is not amazed. And again, when the Child is carried up to Nazareth, the Evangelist is able intelligently to gather up all the minds of the prophets that attached to the moment that began His humiliation. When He was turned away to Nazareth, the Christ of God began His humiliation in this world. He ought to have been the royal Bethlehemite—He becomes the despised Nazarene; He ought to have been King of Kings and Lord of Lords—He becomes a nothing and a nobody; and the Evangelist is prepared for it. So you and I should be able to interpret the events of the times by inspired interpretation; nothing baffles the Evangelist.
This is the first use of Prophecy.
Then, another use, and the highest use of it, is illustrated in the action of the wise men of the East. These men were ignorant, if you please; they knew nothing of the-first use we have been speaking of, but their hearts traveled far beyond the speed of their heads. And what do they show me? They show me this: that they treated the prophetic word as a reality—as a thing worthy of all their thoughts. When the star of Bethlehem shone, they did not delay a moment. As Abraham, at the call of the God of glory, went out, not knowing whither he went, just so these men, the moment the star appeared, gave witness that everything was secondary to the leadings of the God of glory. This is not the same thing as the Evangelist being prepared to interpret events. That is beautiful; but here I find an honest-hearted people that act on the prophetic word—treat it as a reality. They set themselves on the way to Jerusalem. I could with much pleasure go through their journey. They come to Jerusalem and inquire, saying, " Where is He that is born King of the Jews? " They keep their gold, frankincense and myrrh treasured up; they do not spend it on Herod. Their eye was very single; they were not fascinated by the magnificence of that king. They came to inquire after the star of their prophet Balaam. And when they are traveling from Jerusalem to Bethlehem the star reappears. That was the consolation of faith. Nothing is so entitled to the consolations of the Spirit as the victories of faith. They had conquered the fascinations of Herod, and the star greets them. It had left them to themselves on the road to Jerusalem. That is the trial of faith. Does not God sometimes seem to leave you alone? But let faith get a victory and God will reappear.
When they got to the poor, mean manger, then there was something to draw out their gold, frankincense, and myrrh; whereas, not a grain of their frankincense is given to Herod—all that they have is laid at the feet of the rejected, neglected Child! They saw things invisible, and the degradation was only a dark ground to set off the brightness of the glory of Him who lay there.
Now, what use did the chief priests and scribes make of prophecy? They abused it; they treated it with an unbelieving understanding and an infidel heart. Do we ever treat Scripture so? If we had not infidel hearts, what manner of persons we should be! The scribes read out most accurately their warrant from Micah; but they did not take a single step with the wise men. We must change our hearts to learn their lesson, as well as our heads. I see the wise men acting on their lesson; I see the scribes intelligent of the prophetic word and indifferent to it.
We have now just introduced ourselves to the prophetic Scriptures. When I look at prophecy, am I in company with that with which God began? No, indeed I am not. He put the priesthood and the kingly office into the hands of man, to see if he could hold the blessing. When man proved unfaithful, then God must maintain a line of prophets to show that all the good that is done on earth must be done by Himself: " The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved. I bear up the pillars of it."
Matthew 12,13.
What we are proposing now to do, is to go through those passages in the New Testament that have a prophetic character, and I want first to review one thought we have already looked at. When we meditate on prophecy, we ought to seek the temper of friends of Christ, entitled to know His secrets. Because prophecy becomes the speculations of intellect, if it is not the communications of friendship. Therefore, it is a very holy thing to read prophecy. It recognizes us in the deepest and most intimate relationship we can fill. We are pardoned sinners—we are adopted children; but more-we are friends of Christ, entitled, to listen to His secrets.
Now I turn to Matt. 12 and 13., beginning at chap. 12:38. Chapter 13 gives us the parables of the sower, the tares and wheat, the mustard seed, the leaven, the treasure hid in a field, the merchantman seeking goodly pearls, and the net. This is our material.
In all this Scripture the Lord is anticipating two great scenes. The first is corruption in Israel, the second is corruption in Christendom, and we shall see how these are connected together.
In ver. 38 of chap, 12., He is asked by the Pharisees to give them a sign. This was the full expression of the infidel principle, to ask for a sign in the presence of the substance of all signs. The Lord at once (because He was quick to discern the bearing of such a question) apprehends the total moral downfall of Israel, and what does He say? " There shall no sign be given you but the sign of a cast-out people. You will now put me to death—you will lose me." Yes, when Israel crucified Christ they lost Him. So that that was a beautiful moral answer to their question. The Lord answered according to the moral of their question. He never answered an inquiry, but the moral condition of the inquirer. The men of Ninevah had repented at the preaching of Jonas; the queen of the south had gone from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, yet here was the great Divine Prophet in their midst, and they were challenging Him for a sign! Then in the unclean spirit He shows their total downfall. This is not yet accomplished. There is no unclean spirit there now. The house is empty, swept and garnished. By-and-bye, He will return and find it more ready for His use and occupation than ever. So we find in the prophet Daniel. The idols shall be on the walls of Jerusalem. And again, in the Apocalypse we find how an image is made to the beast, and all the world worships it. The unclean spirit comes in, in more terrific form than ever. The day is coming, in which the last state of that house shall be worse than the first. " Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation." " Generation " here means Israel. In Matthew (chap. 12.) the Lord limits the application of this to Israel. In Luke the Lord goes through the same thoughts, and does not say, " So shall it be," etc., because there He is saying it morally, in connection with Christendom as well as Israel. For I have no doubt that the Reformation was the sweeping out of the house in the case of Christendom, and now the unclean spirit (Popery) is looking carefully into the swept and garnished house (Protestantism).
Then the Lord, having thus anticipated the moral ruin of Israel,—having looked out through the great vista of ages to the apostacy, when the desolator shall come in,— then His mother and His brethren come, desiring to speak with Him. But He answers, " Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? " He is here disclaiming everything in the flesh. Israel, that was connected with Him in the flesh, now stood out in apostacy before His spirit, and He begins to disclaim all connection with flesh. He looks to the new creation, of which there was a little pledge and earnest in those now gathering around Him. Do not let these beautiful touches of the mind of Christ escape you; I stand in admiration of this moment. The Lord, having anticipated the full downfall of Israel, being challenged by His kindred in the flesh says, " No,—flesh has disappointed me, and I do not own it any longer. Who is my mother and who are my brethren? Those who sit and hear my words." " Of His own will begat He us, by the word of truth." Are we, you and I, gathered there? Do we know that we are new creatures, children of the word of God? Not children of the loins of Abraham, but the product of the sowing of the word by the Holy Ghost.
Then in chap. 13., He unfolds that very thing. He shows Himself not as one who had come to gather fruit. He had looked for fruit in the old creation, and had found none. Then He becomes a sower and is the husbandman who begins the work of the new creation. He is a laborer who has gone forth by commission (not from the throne of God but) from the bosom of the Father. Sometimes He dates His commission from the throne. When He comes to publish grace it is from the bosom of the Father. So now He comes to prepare fruit for Himself, and He will never gather any fruit that He has not prepared Himself. In this parable we find the seed was the same in every case. But it had this property, that it tested the soil. So now the gospel is preached to all, but it tests the heart of all.
Now why does the Lord link Satan with the way-side hearer? Because if Satan can bear away the seed from the heart, all his work is done. If it finds admittance to the heart, then he tries to corrupt it. Then comes the stony ground hearer. We hear the word, and something awakens a tasteful emotion of mind. There is nothing in the stony ground hearer that intimates a work in the conscience, and nothing is done if the conscience is not reached, because the conscience has revolted from God; and, till that breach is repaired, nothing is done. The stony ground hearers never deal with the word as sinners.
Then the thorny ground hearers are those that treat it with great gravity. They acknowledge the importance of eternity, but then they own time to be a serious thing also; they own the weighty importance of their place in the world, and they have no manner of mind to sacrifice the one to the other. And thus the two kingdoms go on together in their hearts, and no fruit is borne. Oh, with what divine skilfulness He unfolds and exposes the heart!
Then, the fourth case is what He calls " good ground." What made it good? Was it by any refinement of flesh? No, it was the Spirit of God. Satan corrupts the highway hearer; nature makes the stony ground unfruitful; the world destroys the thorny ground hearer; the Holy Ghost is the husbandman in every piece of tillage that brings forth fruit to the Lord Jesus. Oh, how fruitful in moral warning all this is! Do not let us, you and me, refuse to be exposed. It is good for us. Now, in that parable, the Lord is not giving the likeness of the kingdom of heaven, but the tares and the wheat begin the parables of the kingdom.
Now, we are getting into the story of Christendom. "The kingdom of heaven," here, is the Christendom that surrounds us every day. And has not the Lord anticipated it truly? How did this field become a mingled field? " An enemy hath done this." And how are we to deal with it? We are not to attempt to cure it; and the moment the church begins to purify the world, she has mistaken her business. They were servants, but mistaken servants. This stares me in the face, every hour. I see saints occupied with that which Christ has never set them to do. The church's business is not to purify the world. Let the church busy herself in calling out sinners; not in purifying the world. The Lord here sweetly owns they may be servants; but they are mistaken servants, and they will not prosper in their work. Now, I want to pause and ask are we listening to these things, as friends of Christ? I do dread entering on prophetic truth in a spirit of intellectual speculation. If I have not faith to take the place of a friend, I must let the prophets and myself part company for the present. If I want my conscience or my heart regulated, I must go to the Gospels or the Epistles; and after that, let me come and sit at the feet of the prophets, and learn divine secrets. That is "walking in the light of the Lord." Did He want to wait for the nineteenth century to tell what the tare-field of Christendom would be? And here He invites the disciples of that day to walk according to the light the word of God affords. Every attempt of the church to regulate the world is one which has been taken up in ignorance of the mind of Christ.
Then He gives two parables in which He is pursuing the story of the tares; and in the next two, He is pursuing the story of the wheat. He is giving the story of the tares, in the parable of the mustard seed; and He shows that the sowing of the wicked one, was to grow to be a most important thing in the world. Then the leaven working is varied doctrinal corruption. The one is external, political corruption; the other is internal, doctrinal corruption. And has not all that taken place.? What is Christendom? A great thing, more important than heathenism, or any other thing you can name. The mustard seed is there, and the leaven is there,—political and doctrinal corruption.
Then He comes to two sweet little parables, in which He is pursuing the story of the wheat, and under what figures does He present it? First, as the treasure hid in a field. Are the tares hidden? No, they stare me in face on every side. But when I look after the children of the kingdom, do they stare me in the face? When I look abroad, do I see some reflection of Christ everywhere? The tares occupy the wide-spread moral scene before me. I have to look for the wheat. Could anything be more accurate than these anticipations of Christ? And the pearl in the same way. He seeks it. But that is not all. If the mustard tree be occupied by the unclean birds, the treasure and the pearl are unspeakably dear to the heart of the Lord Jesus. You see an unrenewed man there, and a saint of God here. How little do we realize the immense moral distance between these two! One is the representative of the thing which the unclean birds delight in; the other is nearer to the heart of Christ than anything in His whole creation. How little do we apprehend these things! The treasure was a treasure to Christ The pearl was a pearl in Christ's eye. Oh, how beautiful these things are! And, yet, I say, here is Christ, not as the Savior of sinners, or as the Teacher of saints, but as a Prophet in the light, asking you to walk in the light of Him who knew the end from the beginning. He is my Savior, my Master, my Lord; and He is a Friend who invites me to sit by His side and listen to what He, and He only, knows—the bosom counsels of God.
Then in the close, we get the parable of the drag-net. That anticipates a moment that we do not yet see. We have seen the public apostacy abroad. We have seen the heart of God hanging over His hidden thing in this world, but we have not yet seen the drag-net, because that represents the close of Christendom; the fullness of the dispensation. We have not yet seen it brought to its appointed end, and the good gathered into vessels-the bad cast away.
And now, I just ask: are we behaving ourselves as those nearest to the heart of the Lord Jesus, or as the thing in which the unclean birds find delight? Are we savoring of the spirit of the world, or the spirit of the church of God!
(To be continued, D. V.)