MY DEAR BROTHER,
GOD, in the manifested declaration of His purpose and grace, exhibits not only the perfectness that is in Himself, as standing in inherent excellence, but also as so standing in opposition to manifested failure on the part of man. However small may be our power of apprehending the counsels of God, we ought by no means to imagine that from the manner of their development there is nothing for us to learn. The revelations of God are exhibitions of Himself, and thus they bear His impress; so that although the whole of His truth and of His mind may be that in which the saints, when glorified, will be forever learning, without the possibility of exhausting their fullness, (because of their infinity,) yet even now we may learn the most profitable lessons of truth from these very things, of whose magnitude we can have neither idea nor conception; even as we can find blessing in knowing that we are (individually) cared for by a heavenly Father, although we cannot, by any powers that we possess, comprehend. Him, or in any way take cognizance of Him as the providential ruler of all things—the part that is revealed to us brings blessing, although we do not and cannot comprehend the whole.
In the revelation of the grace of God it is not only the matter but also the manner that exhibits Him. It was His purpose that the Church should be the heirs of glory; this was the counsel of His will before the foundation of the world. But how was this blessed purpose of grace carried into effect? God might, if it had consisted with His infinite will, have called the Church into being, (even as it already was in His purpose,) “holy, and without blame before Him in love,” (Eph. 1:44According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:4).) “a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but holy, and without blemish.” (v. 27.) The Church might, if God had so willed it, have been thus set in original purity; but no!—there were other things which God would manifest in bringing the Church unto glory.
Not only would He exhibit the grace of His purpose, but He would do it, as acting against and superior to evil; thus showing how, in spite of failure from the weakness of the creature, in spite of opposition from the energetic power of Satan, He could deliver those who were “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,” “chosen in Christ before the world was,” “written in the Lamb’s book of life from the foundation of the world,” from all those things which to appearance would forever have hindered Him from carrying into effect His purpose of blessing.
The Church, the bride of Christ, being thus bound down by the power of Satan, God was pleased to make the most marvelous display of His love—a display for which He would otherwise have lacked opportunity—even the gift of His Son; a gift which was such as it could not have entered into the heart of man to conceive. Jesus was sent “to gather together the children of God who were scattered abroad.” He came to do this by dying for them; by shedding His blood to vindicate the righteousness of God in delivering the Church chosen in Jesus from that wrath which lay on them, and thus to sanctify by this precious blood, those who were already “sanctified (i.e. set apart) by God the Father” (Jude 11Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: (Jude 1).) in His eternal purpose, Jesus died as the representative of His Church; the full penalty of their transgressions passed upon Him; He rose from the dead, the witness of their full justification, and thus they were delivered from the bond by which they had been held, and were raised up in Christ to be that in which in God’s purpose they had been from the beginning. They are united to Christ; His standing therefore is their standing—if He hath life eternal so have they; if He is justified so are they; if He stands accepted before God so do they; they are exalted to that to which it seemed impossible to any, save “God who raiseth the dead and calleth things that are not as though they were,” that they could ever have been brought, although it was to this that they were predestinated from the beginning. Thus it is that the Christian can say, rejoicingly, “the Son of God loved me, and gave Himself for me,” and he can, in some feeble measure, comprehend the riches of that grace which has acted superior to all failure, even as it was purposed. that it should; according to the word, “chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.”
There is one aspect wherein the gift of Christ is shown in its especial manifestation of grace—I mean as it regards the world; “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son:”—in result I know that none, save the elect people of God, are saved thereby; but how much does this magnify God’s grace, that He should have given Jesus even for those who, as He knew, would in blind unbelief reject the marvelous mercy, “that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish.” It is profitable to see the wide aspect of God’s grace in the infinite gift of Jesus, co-extensive with the race of Adam; as well as the peculiar love shown unto the Church, whose sins only are said to have been borne by Christ.
To understand or measure these things is far beyond our powers; but we should not on that account reject them; if we were to wait until we could understand even the most common things of life (such for instance as how life is sustained by food) we should never be benefitted by things the most obviously needful; and so it is with regard to the Lord’s revealed purposes; we can and do find blessing in the manner of their development, although we do not understand the whole of what is exhibited therein.
But this one thing is clear, that if God had not exhibited Himself as the God of Holiness acting superior to evil—as the God of power acting superior to weakness—as the God of grace acting superior to rebellion and ingratitude—we should have failed to see, with all the power that contrast gives, the greatness of the riches of his love, and of His wisdom and grace.
Now I assuredly believe that in all God’s dealings with man, from the day when He first placed him in the garden of Eden until that day when all things shall be gathered together in Christ, He has been exhibiting Himself as the God of, grace, bringing in every blessing which He had before purposed. in His counsel at such a time and in such a manner as should show that He can and does act as one who contrasts the vastness of His own wisdom and love with the failure and ingratitude of man—every failure has been used by God thus to exhibit Himself the more fully, the sending of Jesus being the center of the whole, and the exposition of what had otherwise been inexplicable.
it is not only in the glorification of His Church that God thus develops Himself, but also with regard to His other purposes of blessing. It was the mind of God that the world which He had formed should be subjected to righteous rule, and the gift of POWER was therefore bestowed upon man, Adam stood at the head of creation; but we know that Adam failed, and all that, at the head of which he had been placed, and the blessing of which had been given to him to sustain, was involved in his fall; as it is written, (Rom, viii.) “the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected it;” and also it was declared by God, “Cursed is the ground for thy sake.” (Gen. 3)
Of the dealings of God with man from the fall to the flood but little has been recorded for us by the Holy Ghost; but in that little evil was abundantly manifested, so as to show the justice with which God acted in the judgment of the flood; “the earth was filled with violence;” but immediately after the flood God declares His mind as to the exercise of righteous rule in the restraint of evil: “And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it; and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man: whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made He man.” (Gen. 9:55And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. (Genesis 9:5).) Here God meets man on the acknowledged ground of the existence of evil, and commits to him power, as remedial and retributive.
Power thus deposited in man’s hand has been tried by God in almost every variety of circumstance; in the nation of Israel there was a government accredited by God, the statutes given forth by Him, but instead of righteous exercise we find failure; “Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards; they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.” (Isa. 50:23.) These few words exhibit the failure of power, even under the most favored circumstances, to produce that righteous rule which should. meet the Lord’s purpose of blessing. God’s gift was only used as an instrument of evil; fulfilling the contrast to His purpose of grace.
I do not now enter into the question of Gentile power, either as to principles or working, previous to the failure of God’s city, Jerusalem. Until this was fully developed the Gentiles scarcely come into view, save as used by God for the corrective chastisement of his chosen people.
But the time came when power should be taken from those who thus hail failed; as it is written, “Remove the diadem, take of the crown perverted, perverted, perverted will I make it, and it shall be no more until He come whose right it is, and I will give it Him.” (Ezek. 21:2626Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. (Ezekiel 21:26).) In the meanwhile, from the time when power had failed in Israel, until the King, who should rule in righteousness, should take that which is His right, another field of exercise was tried; God gave power into the hand of the Gentiles in the person of Nebuchadnezzar; as it is written, “I will put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon;” (Ezek. 3026And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the countries; and they shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 30:26)) and again, “Thou, O king, art a king of kings; for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory: and whithersoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field, and the fowl of the heaven hath He given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.” (Dan. 2:3737Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. (Daniel 2:37).) These words plainly tell us God’s committal of power to Nebuchadnezzar, “the head of gold” of the Gentile image. This gift thus committed has never been withdrawn; it has gone on successively from the gold to the silver, the brass, the iron, until in a tenfold division it shall exhibit the mixture of “iron, and miry clay.” The visions in Daniel form “the book of Gentile dominion;” we have no need to go farther than these to see the entireness of the manifested failure. The privilege conferred by God was a thing which might be used for good or for evil, for blessing or for curse; it implied necessarily a responsibility, and that a weighty one. This responsibility was not acknowledged by those who received the trust; such was the evil of man’s heart that righteous rule was a thing most hateful unto it. This was shown in the conduct of the presidents of the princes towards Daniel. (chap. 6) “They sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom.” Gentile power then had not been thoroughly developed as to its evil; and indeed till the rejection of our Lord both by Jew and Gentile, the utter hopelessness of man’s using power in the earth for God, had not been exhibited. When the Lord Jesus Christ came, His title to power was not acknowledged; as “the Son of David” He was entitled to dominion over His own people, but they and their rulers delivered Him unto the power of the Gentiles, to be put to death; it was on the cross, when He was “lifted up from the earth,” that His title was exhibited “King of the Jews.” Here was the manifestation (the full development is yet future) of the utter contrariety of man’s use of power to the mind of God. Daniel could, therefore, before this be righteously the recipient of authority, and the exerciser of rule derived from the powers of the earth. The case now is different; those who are Christ’s are raised up with Him unto another glory, even a heavenly, and their time of power will he when their Master shall receive and exercise His—when God shall set forth His purpose of blessing in spite of man’s failure. In the Church, Christ the Head is the source of power, but this is a species of authority of which the world can take no cognizance.
But although Gentile power, from the manner of its exercise, is a thing with which the saints of God cannot interfere, yet the entrusted gift has not been taken away; it is still to be acknowledged as God’s ordinance, “The powers that be are ordained of God; whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God;” (Rom. 13:11Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. (Romans 13:1)) thus fully does the New Testament recognize subjection to authority, as being incumbent on the saints; its exercise by them in this dispensation is not once hinted at, but the principles which are laid down as those of rule are just the very things with which the child of God may not interfere; thus it is written, “He beareth not the sword in vain; for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” Let it be observed that this and what I have before quoted on subjection from Rom. 131Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. (Romans 13:1) is thus prefaced. in the preceding chapter, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves; but give place unto wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord; therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head: be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” This is plainly perceptive, and I would put it to the conscience of any Christian whose mind is in subjection to the written word, Whether the same person could carry these commands into effect in the exercise of the office of him “who beareth not the sword in vain,” and is “a revenger, to execute wrath.” Submission is taught, but not how to use the power of the world; the Christian must act in grace, the power in retributive justice.
Submission indeed is taught, but not acquiescence in evil; obedience to God is a paramount claim, but in other cases the powers of the world are to be obeyed.
I would say a few words as to power in the Church—this (it is evident) is a field entirely distinct; not derived from God’s original grant, but from an entirely new thing brought in, even the headship of Christ over His body the Church, and this new authority not flowing down as a thing descending from one to another, (as Gentile power did in the image) but being distributed by the Holy Ghost, who, in the absence of Christ, has been sent by Him to administer the affairs of His Church. The qualification given by Him is the only one which can confer authority in the Church; this was the way distinctly appointed by our Lord, “Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you;” (Acts 1:88But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8).) this is the qualification, which it is manifest can neither be given by successional derivation, nor yet by the powers of the earth.
Successional derivation implies an actual ability to bestow whatever is thus delivered; with the power of the world this can be done, and has been done from the commencement of Gentile dominion unto this day. But in the Church the case is altogether different; we do not read of any provision made by Christ for raising a succession of rulers in the Church, each deriving his authority from his predecessor; so far from it, it is written that the Holy Ghost “divideth to every man severally as He will.” The true Church is not composed of those who have their standing therein by natural descent, but of those who have been quickened by the Holy Ghost to believe on Jesus, “who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” As is the Church such surely are those who rule in it, and no principle of successional derivation has secured this.
The Romish, Greek, Syriac, and other Churches may show this succession, but in this they evidence their own utter failure, and the Holy Ghost has not been recognized as the appointer, and thus all has been wrong.
Power in the Church derived from that of the world is a yet more untenable ground to assume; and did we not know the blinding devices of Satan it would have been an astonishing circumstance that such a mistake could possibly have been made as to imagine that official authority in the Church of God could be conferred (like power in earthly things) by the will of those who rule in this world. We know that when our Lord was crucified, that “none of the princes of this world knew” the true wisdom, then they could have nothing to do with the Church. Since that time God has made no new committal of power to the Gentiles, and nothing less than this could authorize or qualify them to appoint those who should rule in the Church of God. The powers of this world either do or do not, in their interference with the Church, acknowledge the administrative authority of the Holy Ghost; if they do acknowledge this, they only show that they will try to make Him act only in the way in which they please; but if (as is the fact) they do not acknowledge this, it shows that they must be acting on principles entirely contrary to those which God has given for the directory of His Church. I fully admit (as I have before said) that the powers of this world are to be recognized as amply, as is enjoined by the Apostles of our Lord, “exhort that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for kings, and all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty:” (1 Tim. 2:11I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; (1 Timothy 2:1).) in their own sphere the due honor is to be shown to them and to their appointments; but when they overstep their true limit, when they take that power into their own bands which pertains solely to the Holy Ghost, even that of appointing rulers in the Church of God, acquiescence is no longer the duty of the Christian; for were he to acknowledge the official authority thus conferred, he would acknowledge the right to interfere in holy things to belong to those to whom the Lord has given no such commission.
But if those who really possess earthly power as God’s gift, have no authority thereby to confer power in the Church, much less can any body of men in any way constitute themselves to be the appointers of those who shall exercise this rule; they cannot confer gifts so as to ensure the spirituality and competency of those appointed by them, and thus, whatever may be their claims, the principle is entirely discordant with the administrative power of the Holy Ghost. In saying this I purpose to speak only of the power of conferring authority, and I will not enter upon another field which contains much for profitable inquiry—viz, the recognition of gifts whether of rule or of ministry, already conferred by the Holy Ghost; this, if we have the Spirit of God ourselves, we shall desire to do, but it is of the bestowal and not the recognition of gifts that I am speaking.
Apostasy is the departure from a certain standing wherein that of which it is spoken has once been placed; thus the Church possessed a standing in which the Lord set it; in this it possessed certain privileges and of course correlative responsibilities. When the world became avowedly and manifestly recognized by the Church, as though it had been possible for that “which lieth in the wicked one” to be united with (nay rather to be) that which the Lord set as separate from the world, in the world but not of the world, then the full principle of Apostasy had taken its effect upon the Church; no such word could now be used as had been when evil was partially tolerated, “Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent, else I will come quickly and remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent.” There was nothing now left that the Lord could recognize, unless (upon the ground of profession) in judgment. But in this apostate condition of the professing Church, the fullest expression of its evil was its denial of the administrative power of the Holy Ghost, acknowledging official authority to be rightfully held by those who are devoid of spiritual qualification, allowing the power of this world to appoint those who rule therein, whether it were done through the false plea of successional power, or by direct usurpation of the authority which pertains to the Holy Ghost. Thus has the professing Church, whilst in word acknowledging the headship of Christ, in fact denied it, by refusing to submit to its exercise through His appointed channel—viz. the administrative power of the Holy Ghost.
It was early that the principles of Apostasy began to manifest themselves in the Church; in the three commencing chapters of the book of Revelation—the especial testimony of Jesus Christ—their workings are made the subjects of warning: but now the candlesticks have been removed out of their place, and the position of those who are faithful to their Master is only that of a remnant gathered from out of an apostate body.
Grievous has been the failure of the Church; set as a witness it has not been such; in the world it has not shown forth the Lord’s mind, it has not manifested what His grace towards it has been in giving unto it a heavenly standing; dissevering is the sentence on the professing body; whilst in those who are indeed His, the Lord will show what His purpose and grace has been in their being united to their Lord at His return; heavenly blessing was His purpose for His Church, and though the professing body has fully manifested failure, yet in the elect remnant will be made the superabundant exhibition of His grace; even as in Israel—God’s constituted type—His grace and faithfulness to the remnant who “shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit” will be only the more wondrously shown from its standing in contrast to His judgment on the Apostate body.
But the failure with which I have now to do, is that of power in the hands of the Gentiles. When first this important gift was bestowed on them, its failure in man’s hand was revealed to the Prophet Daniel, but that which was shown to him briefly, and as it were in outline, was detailed copiously, and the lines were exhibited as filled up amply with evil in the Revelation, signified unto John by the Angel sent by Jesus Christ. The incorrigible evil of man, and especially of man in the exercise of power, is again and again detailed in the Revelation; in every instance the full development of enmity to God, and the non-recognition of the trust conferred by Him being shown; the nations, the powers of the earth give their glory to one, who in God’s estimate is called “The Beast:” they are gathered together in blind opposition to Him who has been already rejected from the earth, but who shall yet come to claim that which is His right, even the kingdom under the whole heaven, but who shall find that which in His crucifixion had been developed in principle now at length developed in fullness of evil. God does not judge hastily, but even His long-suffering will have an end, and those who have misused His gift of power (a gift which in God’s mind ought to have been used righteously for the blessing of the earth) will at length have strong delusion sent unto them that they should believe a lie! They are gathered, by the power of Satan, under their last head Antichrist, in such manifested opposition to the Lord as has not yet been seen.
But not only does God display in the prophecy of Daniel, and in “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” the utter failure and fearful judgment on the Gentile nations, but in each He brings into view His own super-abounding purpose of grace; when the beast is destroyed and given to the burning flame, one like to the Son of Man receives His kingdom; when the beast is taken by Him who sat on the horse, the blessing of the earth begins, the saints reign with Christ: this is God’s purpose of bringing the exercise of power in righteous rule on the earth; it was a gift which He purposed bestowing; in man’s hand it had failed, but when He comes “whose right it is,” it will be shown that the counsel of God’s will finds its effect in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ—He being capable of receiving, sustaining, and exercising this authority righteously.
Those who are by Him privileged to administer His authority are those who have acknowledged Him during His rejection, who came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, “who overcame the accuser of our brethren, by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
Christ is not now the source of this world’s power, but it is one of those things which God had conferred before the manifestation of His Son, and thus its headship is simply pertaining to God in His providential rule—a thing conferred on man, and which might be misused by man, even as the energy used “by wicked hands” in the crucifixion of our Lord, was a power given by God, but whose misuse had not been prevented, and thus it became energized by and for Satan.
But when “the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ,” (Rev. 11) then there will be power brought to bear upon the earth exercised and upheld in righteousness.
The time chosen by God for bringing in this blessing will exhibit His grace; for it is when the enmity against Himself from those who rule in the earth will be fully developed, when the principles of evil which have long been at work, will (from Satan’s power being no longer restrained) act with unhindered energy, when evil in Jew and in Gentile shall be shown in fullness of curse—THEN shall God act superior to all the manifested failure, by bringing in His own blessing in His own way. Thus in the Old Testament Prophets, and in an especial manner in the book of Revelation, fearful evil and consequent judgment immediately precedes the bringing in of God’s blessing by rule in holiness and righteousness.
This was the blessing foreordained by God; this, the blessing, foretold by the Prophets, declared by Angels, (Luke 1:32; 2:1432He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: (Luke 1:32)
14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:14).) expected by the Apostles, (Acts 1:66When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (Acts 1:6).) promised by the Lord, (Matt. 19:2828And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28).) this has sustained the faith of the Church of God, even in the deepest suffering; (2 Tim. 2:1212If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: (2 Timothy 2:12).) and this will manifest the victory of Christ, (fulfilling the promise made in Eden) delivering from the power of Satan that over which he has so long ruled; this will vindicate the glory of Jesus even here where He has been rejected; this will manifest the truth and goodness of God in His bringing in His purposed blessing where even the enemy had seemed to frustrate His counsel.
Then shall the earth rejoice before the Lord when He cometh: “with righteousness shall He judge the world, and the people with His truth.” Then shall the full ascription of praise be heard, “We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned.” “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.”—Amen.
Chapter 15:2.—And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire.
Ezek. 1:22.—And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creatures was as the color of the terrible crystal.
Ver. 3, &c.—Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord, God Almighty; just and true are thy ways; thou King of nations; who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and magnify thy name for thou only art holy, for all nations shall come; and worship before thee, for thy judgments have been manifested.
Ex. 15:11.—Fearful (LXX ϑαυμαστος marvelous) in praises, doing wonders.
Deut. 32:4.—His work is perfect: (LXX true;) for all His ways are judgment.
Jer. 10:6.—Thy name is great in might; who would not fear thee, O King of nations?
Psa. 86:9.—All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, and shall glorify thy name; for thou art great, and doest wondrous things, thou art God alone.
Psa. 97:8.—The daughters of Judah rejoiced, because of thy judgments, O Lord.
Those who, having overcome, stand upon the sea of glass, ascribe glory to God, on account not only of the greatness of His name, and the holiness of His person, but because of the manifestation of His judgments. Moses and Israel (Ex. 15) glorified the Lord when they beheld His judgment on those who were in direct opposition to them, and therefore (as they were God’s people) to Him also: so it is with the saints; the Lord Christ is yet dishonored. in the earth, His name is as yet unvindicated in the sight of angels and of men, and until the time shall come when God shall make His enemies His footstool—until the time shall arrive when Jesus shall be no longer an expectant, (for such He still is Heb. 10:1313From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. (Hebrews 10:13).) those who are His (whether still in the body or not) must be expectants also. But when the hour shall come for His judgments to be made manifest, they shall rejoice with their Master and glorify His name; as it is written of His earthly people, (Ps. 98) “O sing unto the Lord a new song. . . His righteousness hath He openly shewed in the sight of the nations.”
It is not in the Lord’s mind a light thing that the glory of His holy child Jesus should be thus (in clue time) declared. The Son has glorified the Father in His perfect and holy obedience; the reward of this service shall yet be seen when, in the sight of Angels and of men, His name shall be vindicated—when “one like unto the Son of Man” shall receive from the Ancient of Days an unending kingdom and glory—when He shall come in the clouds to the joy of His saints who shall meet Him in the air, and to the confusion of His and of their enemies—“How long, O Lord?”
Ver. 6.—Seven angels. . . clothed with pure and white linen.
Ver. 7.—And one of the four living creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials, full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever.
Ez. 9:2.—One man among them was clothed with linen.
Ez. 44:17.—When the priests enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments.
Ez. 10:7.—One cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim unto the fire that was between the cherubim, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen.
The cherubim in Ezekiel, and the living creatures in this book (whatever they may be, or may symbolize) are, I believe, God’s agents in acting towards the earth, whether their place be round the throne, (as here,) or still in a more immediate relation to the earth, (as being placed below the firmament of crystal) as in Ezekiel. Who or what these agents may themselves be, is another point, but it seems pretty manifest that this is what they characteristically represent.
In Ezekiel the cherub gives the burning coals to the man clothed. with linen, which he scatters over Jerusalem—here the seven angels clothed with linen receive the vials of the wrath of God, which they pour out upon the earth from one of the living creatures—these actings appear perfectly analogous.
Ver. 8.—And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, &c.
Ez. 10:4.—The house was filled with the cloud.
Isa. 6:4.—And the house was filled with smoke.
Chapter 16:1.—And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God. upon the earth.
Ex. 10:2.—He spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand. with coals of the from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.
The chastisements which come upon the earth in consequence of the out-pouring of the vials strongly resemble (like those which follow the sounding of the angels, chap. 8 & 9) the plagues of Egypt; they are described in terms so similar that there seems to have been an evident typifying in those of “the seven last plagues.” The resemblance of these also to the plagues with which the “two witnesses” have power to smite the earth, is to be noticed.
Ver. 2.—And the first went and poured out his vial upon the earth, and there fell a noisome and grievous sore (ἑλκος). upon the men who had the mark of the beast, &c.
Ex. 9:10.—And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood. before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil (LXX, ἑλκη, sores), breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast. The boil was upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians.
Ver. 3, &c.—And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead. man; and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers, and the fountains of waters; and they became blood.
Ex. 7:20. He lifted up the rod and smote the waters that were in the river in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants, and all the waters that were in the river were turned into blood.
Ver. 19.—Stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood.
Ver. 5, &c.—Thou art righteous, O Lord, who art (ὁ ων) and wast and [art] the Holy One (ὁ οσιος) because thou hast judged thus; for they have shed the blood of saints and Prophets; and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy!
Psa. 145:17.—The Lord. is righteous in all His ways, and holy (LXX ὁσιος) in all His works.
Psa. 79:3.—Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem.
Ex. 7:21.—The Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
Ez. 16:38—I will judge thee as women that. . . . shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood.
Ver. 7.—True and righteous are thy judgments. (κρισεις)
Deut. 32:4.—(LXX.) His works are true, and all His ways judgments. (κρισεις).
Ver. 10.—And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness.
Ex. 10:22.—And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt.
Ver. 12, &c.—And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings who [come] from the east might be prepared.
And 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; for they are the spirits of devils working miracles, which go forth to the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty ... And he gathered them together in a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Jer. 50:38.—A drought is upon her [i.e. Babylon’s] waters, and they shall be dried up. 51:36.—I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry.
2 Chron. 18:19.—And the Lord said, Who will entice Ahab, king of Israel, that he may go up and fail at Ramoth Gilead?. . . Then there came forth a spirit and stood before the Lord, and said, I will entice him; and the Lord. said unto him, Wherewith? and he said I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets; and the Lord said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt prevail; go out and do even so.
Psa. 2.—The kings of the earth themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed.
Zeph. 3:8.—My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them my indignation.
Joel 3:2.—I will gather all nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat, &c.
Ver. 11.—Assemble yourselves and come, all ye nations.
Ver. 14.—Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision.
Zech. 14:2.—I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations.
This future history is one of fearful importance to us; the end of Gentile power and dominion is brought before our view—gathered by Satanic agency to Armageddon; the vials which had been previously poured out failed in causing men to turn from their evil deeds; “they blasphemed the God of heaven;” “they repented not.” “Strong delusion” (2 Thess. 2:1111And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (2 Thessalonians 2:11).) is now sent unto them, so that they are gathered together to receive the righteous judgment of God
The drying up of the Euphrates, “that the way of the kings of (properly from απο) the east might be prepared,” has been supposed to refer to the restoration of the Jewish people; but it seems to me merely to belong to the same gathering of the kings as is spoken of in the next verse.
Surely the mind of the Lord is here declared plainly enough to us; “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear:”—not a word is said of progressive blessing being brought upon the earth through human agency or through the preaching of the gospel—not one word is said to give a ground to Christians for being mixed up with the polities of this world, in the hope that thus they may ameliorate the condition of their race: No—Armageddon is the close of the whole.
“Behold I come as a thief; blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”
The Lord give unto us and to all His children to enter into His mind concerning these things; that we may use His word as a light unto our path, and being thus instructed in righteousness, we may know and realize our place of separateness.
Ver. 18.—And there were voices, and thunders and lightnings, and there was a great earthquake, &c.
Psa. 77:18.—The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven; the lightnings lightened the world, the earth trembled and shook.
Ver. 19.—Great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.
Isa. 51:17.—O Jerusalem, which hast drank at the hand of the Lord the cup of His fury; thou hast drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling and wrung them out.
Ver. 22.—Behold I have taken out of thy hand the cup of trembling. . . thou shalt no more drink it again, but will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee.
Ver. 21—And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent, and men blasphemed God &c.
Ex. 9:24.—So there was hail and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous; such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation; and the hail smote. . . both man and beast.
Ver. 34.—And Pharaoh. . . sinned yet more and hardened his heart, he and his servants.
Chap. 17:1—That sitteth upon many waters.
Jer. 51:13—O thou that dwellest upon many waters.
Ver. 2.—The inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Jer. 51:7—Babylon. . .made all the earth drunken; the nations have drunken of her wine, therefore the nations are mad.
Ver. 3.—A scarlet colored beast full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Dan. 7:7,8.—A fourth beast, dreadful and terrible; . . . and it had ten horns. . . and behold there came
up among them another little horn before whom three of the first horns were plucked up.
Ver. 25.—He shall speak great words against the Most High.
Ver. 4.—A woman ... having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations, and filthiness of her fornication.
Jer. 51:7.—Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand.
Ver. 8.—The beast that thou sawest. . .shall go into perdition.
Dan. 7:11.—I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame.
Ver. 12.—The ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet.
Dan. 7:24.—The ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise.
Ver. 14.—These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Dan. 8:25—He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken without hand.
2:44.—In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom. . . it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms.
Ps. 110:5.—The Lord at thy right hand [i.e. the Lord Jesus] shall pierce through kings in the day of His wrath.
Zech. 14:5.—The Lord my God shall come and all His saints with thee.
Ver. 15.—The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Jer. 51:13.—O [Babylon] thou that sittest upon many waters.
Psa. 65:7.—God stilleth the noise of the sea, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.
Ver. 16.—The ten horns shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her with fire.
Ezek. 16:39.—I will give thee into their hand, and they shall leave thee naked and bare.
Lev. 21:9.—And the daughter of any priest if she profane herself by playing the whore, she shall be burned with fire.
However unable we may be to explain the detail of this 17th chapter, and however mystically worded the prophecy is concerning “the beast that was, and is not, and yet is,” yet this one thing cannot be mistaken, unless we close our eyes, and willfully refuse to see what God has evidently shown unto us—namely, that the kings of the earth shall give their power unto one who shall unite them to make war with the Lamb! Thus shall be manifested the power of human wickedness when the uncontrolled energy of Satan is let loose upon the earth the horns (i.e. the kings of the earth) shall hate the woman (whatever she typifies,) and shall give their kingdom unto the beast, to him of whom (I surely think) it is written that his coming “is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved; and for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thess. 2:1212That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:12).)
The following chapter, (the 18th) gives to us God’s detail of the things of Babylon, of “that great city” which hath rule over the kings of the earth. Almost all the details are such as the world sees nothing in, that it can estimate as evil; but here the testimony of God’s word is given unto us, and by this we see that in the things of Babylon (though in themselves in other circumstances innocent,) there is that in which the Christian can have no fellowship, because God is not there acknowledged, and they are used against Him. The nature of a thing is not to be recognized by us apart from the circumstances in which it is placed; the spoil of Jericho was all devoted to utter destruction Achan; found among the spoil a Babylonish garment (garment of Shinar,) he might have taken it had it been in any other city, but the circumstance of the case brought in the sin against the Lord.
Achan’s transgression with the garment of Shinar occurred during that long period when Babylon is not mentioned in the page of God’s history; the things of Babylon might tempt even when Babylon (so far as manifested connection goes) was not itself existent as the ensnarer. Shall not we reap a lesson from this? Whatever or wherever Babylon may itself be, there is danger in intermeddling in the things of Babylon—to be safe we must be free from all connection with them, as well as with it.
Chapter 18:2.—Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen; and is become the habitation of devils, (δαιμονων) and the hold of every foul spirit; and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Isa. 21:9.—Babylon is fallen, is fallen!
xiii. 21 But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs (שׂעירים LXX δαιμονια) shall dance there; &c.
Jer. 51:7—The nations have drunken of her wine.
Ver. 3.—For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication; and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her; and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Ez. 27:33.—[To Tire] When thy waves went from out of the seas, thou filledst many people; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches, and of thy merchandise.
Ver. 4.—Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues; for her sins have reached unto heaven.
Jer. 50:8—Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans.
6.—Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his own soul; be not cut of in her iniquity. (see ver. 45.)
9.—Her judgment reacheth unto heaven.
Ver. 6.—Reward her even as she rewarded you; and double unto her double according to her works; in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Psa. 137:8.—O daughter of Babylon, Who art to be destroyed, happy shall he be who rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. [LXX who shall recompense (ἀνταποδωσει) thee thy recompense, which thou didst recompense to us]
Jer. 50:15.—Take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her. (see ver. 29.)
51:24—I will render unto Babylon. . . all their evil that they have done in Zion.
Is. 51:22.—[To Jerusalem] Behold I have taken out of thy hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee.
Jer. 25:15.—Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations to whom I send thee to drink it—And the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. (ver 26.)
Ver. 7.—She saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow; therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning and famine, and she shall be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Isa. 47:7, &c.—Thou saidst, I shall be a lady forever. . . I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children; but these two things shall come to thee in a moment, in one day, the loss of children and widowhood.
Jer. 51:25.—I will make thee [Babylon.] a burnt mountain.
Ver. 58—Her high gates shall be utterly burned with fire.
Jer. 50:34.—Their Redeemer is strong. . .that He may. . .disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.
Ver. 9, &c—And the kings of the earth who have committed fornication, and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning; standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas! alas!! that great city Babylon, that mighty city, for in one hour is thy judgment come! And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more; the merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls (ψυχας) of men.
Ezek. 26:16.—[Concerning Tire.] Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments, they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit on the ground, and shall tremble every moment, and be astonished at thee: and they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say unto thee, How art thou destroyed, &c . . . the renowned city, &c.
Ezek. 27:36.—The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee. (ver. 27.) The occupiers of thy merchandise shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin.
Ezek. 27.—Gold, (ver. 22.) Silver, (verb 12.) Precious Stones, (ver. 22.) Fine Linen, (ver. 16 & 7.) Purple, (ver. 16.) Purple and Scarlet, ver. 7) margin.) Ebony, (ver. 15.) Ivory, (ver. 15.) Vessels of Brass, (ver.13.) Iron, (ver. 12.) Cassia and Calamus, (ver. 19.) Spices, (ver. 22.) Wine, (ver. 18,) Oil, (ver.
Wheat, (ver. 17.) Lambs and Rams, and Goats, (ver. 21.) Horses, (ver. 14.) Persons (נפשׁ LXX ψυχαιςof men. (ver. 13.)
Ver. 15, &c.—The merchants of these things who were made rich by her shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas! that great city for in one hour is so great riches come to naught: and every ship master and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, and cried, when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried weeping and wailing, saying, Alas! alas! that great city! wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea, by reason of her costliness.
Ezek. 27:29, &c.—All that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of the sea, shall come down from their ships, they shall stand upon the land, and shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, [Tire] and shall cast dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes, and they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing; and in their wailing shall they take up a lamentation for thee, and lament over thee, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea? When thy waves went forth out of the seas thou filledst many people, thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise.
Ver. 20.—Rejoice over her, O heaven, and ye holy Apostles and Prophets, for God hath avenged you on her.
Deut. 32:43—LXX. [Rejoice ye heavens with Him]. . . for He avengeth the blood of His sons. [Heb. servants.]
Ver. 21.—And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence shall that great city, Babylon, be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.”
Jer. 51:63.—When thou hast made an end of reading this book, thou shalt bind a stone to it and cast into the midst of Euphrates; and thou shalt say, “Thus shall Babylon sink, and not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her.”
Dan. 2:35—No place was found for them, and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, &c.
Ver. 22.—And the voice of harpers and musicians, and of pipers, and of trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee, and the sound of the millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee, and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee, and the voice of the bride groom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee; for thy merchants were the great men of the earth.
Isa. 24:8.—The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth;......the city of confusion is broken down.
Jer. 25:10.—Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.
Isa. 23:8.—Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth.
Ver. 24.—And in her was found the blood of Prophets and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
Jer. 51:49.—At Babylon have fallen (נפלו) the slain of all the earth.
With regard to all this on which God’s righteous judgment is to be poured forth, the warning to the saints of God is, “Come out of her, my people;” even as the Holy Ghost saith by the Apostle Paul, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God, as God hath said; I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore COME OUT from among them, and be ye separate (saith the Lord) and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you; and—I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty; having therefore these promises, clearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Cor. 6) It is not as an idle tale that we are told this; it is not as something wherein we have no concern; but if we be of the number of those who are children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, we have here stated what is the path of blessing. God’s glory is concerned in the walk of His children, that they show forth His mind in all things—their present peace and comfort is also dependent on their obedience and separateness, for if they would be blessed, it is needful that they should stand in such circumstances as the Lord can bless them in—and further, since we read of some being “saved yet so as by fire,” and of “being ashamed before the Lord at His coming,” and (on the other hand) of others who “have an entrance ministered abundantly into the everlasting kingdom,” it behooves us to know the import of the words
“Come out.” Wheresoever evil is, there is that from which we must be separate; whether it be in the world, or (nominally) in the Church. Many have, it is true, (and some of these, alas! holy men) defended connection with evil, on the ground of its being that from which we cannot escape; and this too in the Church: neglecting what our Lord said, “the field is the WORLD;” the parable of the tares has been, from the days of Cyprian (against Novatian) to this hour, rested on to uphold the toleration of evil in the Church. We must not confound the things that differ: Christians “in the world” are to be as Christ, “not of the world.” (John 17) While in the Church; the word. is express; “put away from among you that wicked person”— “withdraw from every brother that walketh disorderly.” The first three chapters of the Revelation exhibit the requirement of Christ that evil should be purged from the Church; the subsequent portion plainly states what separation from the world is and ought to be.
Chapter 19:2.—True and righteous are His judgments; for He...hath avenged the blood of His servants.
Deut. 32:4.—(LXX.) His works are true, and all His ways judgments.
Ver. 43.—He will avenge the blood of His servants.
Ver. 3—And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
Is. 34:10—The smoke thereof shall go up for ever.
Ver. 5.—Praise our God all ye His servants, and all ye that fear Him both small and great.
Ver. 6.—And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth; let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her it was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Psa. 135:1.—Praise ye the Lord,.....O ye servants of the Lord.
Ver. 20.—Ye that fear the Lord bless, the Lord.
Psa. 115:13.—He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.
Ez. 1:24.—I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of a host.
Psa. 97:1.—The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice.
45:6.—Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.
Isa. 62:5.—As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee [Jerusalem.]
Psa. 45:14.—She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needle-work.
Isa. 61:10.—He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation; He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness.
It is to be noticed that the quotations given above from the Old Testament, pertain to the blessing of God’s earthly people—Israel, in whom the sureness of His electing love is yet to be manifested, as it is written, “For verely the gyftes and callynge of God are soche, that it cannot repent hym of them, for loke, as ye in tyme passed have not beloved God, yet have nowe obtained mercy thorow their vnbelefe: even so nowe have they nott beloved the mercy which is happened unto you, That they also may obtayne mercy.” (Rom. 11)
In the blessing there are four parties spoken of in the cited passages from this book and the Old Testament: 1.—The Lord Jesus Christ, no longer an expectant; 2.—The Church blessed in her union with her Lord; 3.—Jerusalem blessed in the earth; and 4.—The Earth, which shall rejoice before the Lord when He cornett); (Psa. 96) as also it is written, in another place, that “the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Rom. 8) Thus, in Gods purpose, is the chain of blessing combined—the whole is centered in Christ; the Church shall be with Him; and He and they shall unitedly (in His marvelous grace) rule the things below. In the blessing of Israel the earth will be blessed, as it is written, (Isa. 27) “Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.” This is our hope, and our joy, “I come quickly:” Amen, even so come, Lord Jesus!
Ver. 11, &c.—Behold, a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness doth He judge and make war; His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written that no man knew but Himself; and He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood:....and out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations, and He shall rule them with a rod of iron, and He treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Ps. 45:4.—In thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth and meekness, and righteousness.
Psa. 72:2, &c.—He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor
with judgment. . .. He shall judge the poor of the people. . . . and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
98:9.—The Lord cometh to judge the earth, with righteousness will He judge the world.
Dan. 10:6.—His eyes were as lamps of fire,
Ez. 21:26.—Remove the diadem, and take off the crown. . . exalt Him that is low, and abase him that is high; perverted, perverted, perverted will I make it; and it shall be no more until He come whose right it is, and I will give it Him.
Is. 9:6.—His name shall be called Wonderful. (פלא)
Isa. 63:1.—Who is this that cometh. . . with dyed garments?
Isa. 11:4.—With righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked.
Psa. 2:9.—(LXX) Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron.
Isa. 63:3.—I have trodden the wine ... press alone I will trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments.
Ver. 17, &c.—And he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come, and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the Great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty Men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse and against His army; And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet these both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Ezek. 39:17, &c.—Speak unto every feathered fowl.... Assemble yourselves and come, gather yourselves together on every side to my sacrifice [slaughter] that I do sacrifice [slay] for you; even a great sacrifice [slaughter] upon the mountains of Israel; that ye may eat flesh and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth. . . Thus shall ye be filled at my table with horses and chariots, [riders] with mighty men and all men of war, saith the Lord God.
Psa. 2:2.—The kings of the earth set
themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His anointed.
Dan. 8:25.—He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
Dan. 7:11.—I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flames.
In this book we have many parallel narrations, all tending to one point, and there breaking off—even to the manifestation of the wrath of the Lamb: the events which precede the making of Christ’s enemies His footstool are detailed in various aspects, until in this passage the many threads are combined in the detail of the manifestation of the Lord Christ in His power and glory, as had been stated in the very commencement of the book (1:7). Awful as is this history unto those who (being gathered by the power of Satan) are found in exhibited opposition to the Lord, to the saints of God it is full of comfort; their place is with their Lord; when He takes “the rod of iron” they will share His power and authority, whether it be in the administration of vengeance, or the dispensing of blessing, True spirituality is to enter into the mind of God in our estimate of things; now we are called to suffer, for Christ our Lord is yet rejected; then He will reign, and we shall reign with Him, as is told us in the following chapter, as well as in many other scriptures.
Chap. 20:1, &c.— And I saw an angel come down from heaven. . . and he laid hold on (τον δρακοντα τον οϕιν) the dragon, that old serpent which is the devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years; and cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up.
Isa. 26:21, &c.—Behold the Lord cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth, . . . in that day the Lord with His sore and great and strong sword, shall punish Leviathan (LXX τον δρακοντα οϕιν) the piercing serpent, even Leviathan the crooked serpent.
Gen. 3:15.—It (the seed of the woman) shall bruise thy head.
By the sin of Adam, creation fell under the power of Satan, although God in His grace hindered the full operation of his power by interposing the promise of the Deliverer, Him who suffered death, “that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil.” In the binding of Satan this power so obtained is to be brought into exercise. The sentence on the serpent had been “Dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life;” (Gen. 3:1414And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: (Genesis 3:14).) and in the prophecy of Isaiah, the Holy Ghost when describing the time of the earth’s blessing, and exhibiting a living and characteristic type, adds “and dust shall be the serpent’s meat,” thus showing how and when the time would be when the sentence declared ages before would be manifestly put into execution, even at that time when “the wolf shall lie down with the lamb,” when “creation shall be freed from the bondage of corruption,” when “the sons of God shall be manifested,” which will be (as it is written 1 John 3:22Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2).) when Christ shall be manifested. These blessings are consistently connected in scripture.
Ver. 4.—I saw thrones, and they sat upon them; and judgment was given unto them; and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God; and those who had not worshipped the beast.. .and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years; but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
Dan. 7:9.—I beheld till the thrones were set up (רמיו Chal.) and the Ancient of days did sit.
Ver. 22.—Judgment was given to the saints of the heavenlies, and the time came that the saints should possess the kingdom.
Ver. 18.—But the saints of the heavenlies shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.
12:2.—And many of the sleepers in the dust of the earth shall awake; these [shall be] unto eternal life; but those [i.e. the rest of the sleepers] as shameful ones [shall be] unto eternal contempt.
Ver. 9.—And they went up on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Isa. 54:15.—Behold they shall surely gather together, but not by me; whosoever shall gather together against thee, shall fall for thy sake.
I place these passages in juxtaposition, because in the one I find a gathering together “but not by me,” against the nation of Israel when restored and blessed, and those who so gather shall fall for the sake of the Jews—in the other passage I find a gathering together by Satan, after the time of blessing, against “the beloved city,” and those gathered are destroyed by fire from heaven; if there be not in these things identity, there is at least far more than a casual resemblance.
Chapter 21:1.—And saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven, and the first earth were passed away.
Ver. 5.—And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold I make all things new.
Isa. 65:17.—Behold I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind; but be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create, for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
Of these quotations the one belongs to the commencement of the Millennial blessedness, the other to a post Millennial state. The blessing of Jerusalem is the earnest of the blessing of the earth when it shall be altogether renovated, even as the Holy Ghost given unto and dwelling in those who believe, is the earnest of the blessing which shall be theirs when their vile bodies shall have been changed at the appearing of Jesus. God often exhibits a purpose of grace, first in principle and afterward in fullness.
Ver. 3.—Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall he with them, and be their God; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, &c.
Ezek. 37:26.—I will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore; my tabernacle also shall be with them; yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Lev. 26:11.—I will set my tabernacle among you;.... and I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.
Isa. 25:8.—The Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces. He will swallow up death in victory.
65:19.—The voice of weeping shall be heard no more in her, [Jerusalem] nor the voice of crying.
The Apostle Paul, after prophesying of the resurrection of the saints, adds, Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Cor. 15:5454So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (1 Corinthians 15:54).) The victory obtained by our Lord over death will then be manifested in the persons of his saints, as it has been in the resurrection of Himself the first fruits.
But it is not this that willfully show His triumph; “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death,” and this will not be till the end of Christ’s yet uncommenced reign. The blessing of Jerusalem (as before noticed) is here again shown as the Old Testament earnest of the greater and ulterior blessing.
Ver. 6.—I will give to every one that is athirst, of the fountain of the hath no money water of life freely,
Isa. 55:1.—Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that come ye buy and eat.
Ver. 10.—He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city the holy Jerusalem.
Ezek. 40:2.—in the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set, me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.
Ver. 12.—And [the New Jerusalem] had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; on the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
Ezek. 48:23.—And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel; three gates northward;. . . and on the. . .east side. . .three gates;. . .at the south side...... three gates;. . .at the west side. . . three gates.
Ver. 15.—And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof and the wall thereof.
Zech. 2:1.—Behold a man with.... a measuring line in his hand. . . To measure Jerusalem to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.
Ver. 23.—And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it; for the glory of the Lord did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Ver 24.—And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor εις unto it; and the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there: and they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations εις into it; and there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination.
Isa. 60:19.—The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee, but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
Isa. 60:3.—And Gentiles shalt come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
Ver. 11.—Thy gates shall be open continually, they shall not be shut day nor night, that they may bring unto thee the riches of the Gentiles.
Isa. 52:1.—Henceforth there shall no more come unto thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
Ez. xliv. 9.—No stranger uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my sanctuary of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.
Chap. 21:1—And he shewed me a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb; in the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Ver. 3.—And there shall be no more curse.
Ver. 5.—And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light.
Zech. 14:8—And it shall be in that day that living waters (waters of life) shall go forth from Jerusalem.
Ez. 47:1.—Waters issued from under the threshold of the house eastward.
Ver. 7.—Behold at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side, and on the other.
Ver. 12.—And by the river upon the bank thereof, and on this side, and on that side shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed; it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof shall be for meat; and the leaf thereof for medicine.
Zech. 14:11.—And there shall be no more utter destruction (חרם “curse.”)
Is. 24:23.—Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
60:19.—The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
The simple juxtaposition of these portions of the word of God is sufficient to show how minute is the analogy between the earthly glory of the earthly Jerusalem and the heavenly glory of the heavenly city; so minute that the Holy Ghost could apply His own words written of the one in order to describe the other. Each of them has its place in the chain of blessing: in the heavenly Jerusalem “the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations,” and thus it must be connected with those who need such healing. Jerusalem will be the earthly type of the higher glory, a shadowing forth of the things above, being that which God will glorify in the earth so as to manifest the blessedness of that people whose God is the Lord, and the greatness of His faithfulness to that which in His grace He has promised.
Ver. 10.—Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.
Dan. 8:26.—Shut thou up the vision, for it shall be for many days. [I place these passages together by way of contrast.]
We are (I believe) but little accustomed to prize the great and peculiar privilege given by God to His Church, a privilege not possessed by the Old Testament saints, I mean having the prophetic word. for our portion. Unto them “it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things;” so that we have had that given unto us which they had not—but however much less they may have possessed of light in the day when prophecy was sealed (which it is not to us) they searched into the testimony of the Spirit of Christ; let us not then neglect the greater light vouchsafed unto us, but use it and prize it as a precious gift bestowed by God’s free grace in Jesus.
Ver. 12.—Behold come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.
Isa. 40:10.—Behold the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward. is with Him, and His work before Him.
Ver. 16.—I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Isa. 11:10.—There shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people.
Num. 24:17.—There shall come a star out of Jacob.
Ver. 18.—If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add un to him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, &c.
Deut. 4:2.—Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God.
12:32.—Thou shalt not add thereto, or diminish from it.
Ver. 20.—He who testifieth these things saith, surely I come quickly.
Hab. 2:3.—(LXX) “He who cometh will come, and will not tarry.”
“The Lord cometh!” This is a word of blessing to the saints, to those who are truly watching as their Lord commanded—it is a word. of warning to those who are wearied and faint in their minds, who are feeling lax in the work of the Lord—it is a word of rebuke to those who, although they have learned the grace that is in Christ the Lord, are still entangled by the power of this world, its desires, pursuits, or systems—it is a word of encouragement to those who are cast down in soul from feeling the power of evil in them and around them—this is a word of joy to those who, in the fear of the Lord, have sought to follow Jesus without the camp bearing His reproach; the more they have felt themselves to be strangers here in this present evil world, the greater must be their joy of soul (joy felt even in the midst of deep trouble of spirit) in resting on this promise, “I come quickly.”
But oh! how little will all that is dainty and goodly in man’s estimate be able to meet that day! then shall the veil whereby Satan has so long blinded the children of this world (yea, and alas! too much the children of God also) be rent, and those things which have excluded Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. Galilean, will then be seen in their true worthlessness.
How little prized will the earth’s glory then be! how vain will all its pomp be deemed by those whose treasure and whose hearts have been set in those things which will not abide the day of Christ’s appearing.
Especially then it behooves us, seeing that we are not “in darkness that that day should overtake us as a thief,” since we are “children of the light, and children of the day; we are not of the night nor of darkness,” that we should “not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” If we who know these things do not evidence the reality of our belief in them, how can we expect the truth that the Lord has in great grace taught us to commend itself through us to the consciences of those that are without.
The Lord grant unto us grace in “the little while, how little, how little” (μικρὸν, οσον οσον Heb. 10:3737For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. (Hebrews 10:37)) to do His will as wise servants, as those who desire their Master’s glory, and can trust for all things else unto His abounding grace; surely there is need that the Church of God be aroused to know where she now is, and where the Lord. would have her to be, and whether she be waiting for her Lord’s returning.
In concluding this collection of Connected Passages, I earnestly desire that the Lord may grant that they may afford materials of some assistance to others in the understanding of His revealed counsels; trust that it has not been without teaching to my own soul thus:, to have been engaged, for I believe that whatever tends to bring home the Scripture with force to the soul, will, through the Lord’s blessing, be found abundantly profitable.
There are a few remarks which I wish to make to you on the real value of portions of Scripture thus connected; we must ever remember that it is one mind which is displayed in the Scripture; be the writers who they may, it is not the word of Moses, of Daniel, of Paul—or of John that we read, but the word of God; the writers were but the instruments, and the Scripture is as thoroughly the word of God as were the ten commandments written on tables of stone “by the finger of God.”
Seeing then that it is the mind of the Spirit of the Lord, and not the minds of many men in various ages that we have in the Scripture, we may be sure of its unity, that it contains nothing accidental, but that all is given even as God purposed that it ought to be. Thus the resemblance between various portions is not to regarded as fortuitous; it is not accidentally that the Lord has spoken on various occasions in the same terms; we may (from our little power of spiritual apprehension) be unable to see wherein the analogy consists, but we cannot through this our inability or want of discernment deny its existence. Whenever two things can have many identical circumstances predicated of each, it would be reasonable to suppose that the resemblance between them must be very minute; when in the circumstances so predicated there is a consistent variation—i.e. when in one respect in the one case there is a difference from the other, and this difference is answered by an adequate variation all through as in two objects alike in matter and form but varying in their size—then we may very plainly see wherein the analogous correspondence consists and how far it extends. Now it is just thus with Scripture, what God has revealed in any one portion is, at it were, a model of His dealings, and thus we have in the various parts of the word many of these models, all bearing a certain analogy to one another; and in all of them it is to be seen bow altered circumstances change in various instances, and how in all these the Lord’s mind becomes manifested in its oneness of acting.
Now I trust that some of these collocated passages may evidence this; it has been my desire to let the Scripture speak for itself; whatever opinions I may have advanced I wish only to be looked upon as true in so far as they accord with the Scripture.
I believe that in many respects this collection of texts will be found defective; that it may be useful is what I desire, I have not so much wished to press results as to give to others a few materials.
I have attempted no exposition of the Revelation; a few principles which I believe to be true I have stated, and though we may be ever seeking more fully to be taught by the Spirit of the Lord as to things in their detail, yet I believe that every principle fully seen will bring blessing.
Whatever I have written according to the truth of God, may He bless; and forgive all that is not so, for the sake of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
I remain,
Your brother and servant in the Lord,
S. P. T.
London, Aug. 7, 1836.