Chapter 21
Verse 22. “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” How high the privilege! How near the relationship! How deep the enjoyment! How sweet the communion! No temple; nothing to intervene; nothing to separate! No need of sun, or moon, or creature helps: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Its influence on the world, too, is very re mark able. “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 into it.” This shows clearly that this is the heavenly church during the millennium, oh, how blessed; never shall defilement enter there. Nothing abominable or false can ever enter; but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. What will it be to be there!
The false church has polluted the nations like a stream or river of poison. What a contrast!
Chapter 22.
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Is it not most blessed to contemplate the church glorified in incorruptibility, and purity, and the channel of blessing to the nations, like a river of life? One with Christ, it stands the tree of life for the healing of the nations, with its fruit ever fresh. Oh, blessed scene! and so near! But even now should it not answer to all this?
Jesus said to the Father, “And the glory that thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” Words seem to fail to describe that glory, and hence these marvelous figures: every one of which is in direct contrast with the great city of iniquity, Babylon the great. The one is the harlot of the kings of the earth; the other the bride, the Lamb’s wife. The one proceeds from the polluted city of Rome; the other is holy, descending out of heaven from God. The one ever seeks the glory of this world; the other is seen having the glory of God. The one spreads darkness over the nations like a black cloud; the other has her light like unto a stone most precious. The one has spread wars and devastation on earth; the other dwells in heavenly security, with her walls great and high.
The one has drenched the earth with the blood of the saints; from the other proceeds righteous administration to every part of the earth. The gate in scripture was the place of administration. She had twelve gates: three looking every way. The one was the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit; the other is divine purity—pure gold like unto glass—perfect purity, everlasting righteousness. She is adorned with the precious stones like the stones on the breastplate of Aaron—the Urim and Thummim that sparkled in the radiance of the presence and glory of God.
The sins of Babylon, the harlot—apostate Christendom—had reached up to heaven. But in the heavenly city, the bride of the Lamb, “every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.” Every act of government is pure and righteous, and all her intercourse absolute righteousness for evermore, No stain of sin, no spot of defilement. Babylon had her temples, and her so-called saints and intercessors, to hide God from man. But in the heavenly city “I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” Yes, God will have His delights with the sons of men. The Lamb will have His unhindered delight with His bride, the church.
On earth the harlot seeks the light and help of the supreme government of the world, and, like the moon, all that reflects it. Not so the heavenly: “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” The great harlot did corrupt the earth: “The waters which thou sawest where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” But the nations that are saved shall walk in the light of the heavenly city. And instead of a black stream of corruption, “He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
If the tyranny of Rome has been the curse of the nations, the very leaves of the tree shall then be for the healing of the nations; and there shall be no more curse. No, the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. Oh, blessed reign of God and the Lamb! And His servants shall serve Him; they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. No more night of darkness or obscurity; the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for the ages of ages.
Now the true church, the bride of the Lamb, will not only be the blessed contrast of the false church, or great harlot, but there is also another deeply interesting inquiry: Should not the true church of God, all the holy building built by Christ, have answered even now to what she will shortly be as here revealed? And, further, if the church has utterly failed in this, her heavenly character, ought not then each believer to seek to answer to this heavenly character, in contrast to all that is worldly and carnal around? Is it not the desire of Christ that we should not be of the world even as He is not of this world? If we are found in Babylon, and mixed up with her ways, how can we expect to be found in the holy city having the glory of God? Is it not true that, if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him?
It may be asked, Are these things really facts, or are they the mere opinions of men; things that may never come to pass, or if they do, at some far distant period of time, that will not affect us? “And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be clone.” Let it be noticed that both in the introduction and closing remarks of this book the revelation of God is limited to His servants. It would appear then that none will understand these sayings but those who are His servants. Thus we may ask ourselves the solemn question, Am I seeking my own interest, or am I truly seeking to serve Him? Is it then to be wondered at, that if those who are not His servants seek to interpret or understand this book, all will be, as it is, contradiction and confusion?
Verse 7. Do not say these are far distant events. Jesus says by His angel, “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” Three times in these concluding verses does He repeat those three words, “I come quickly.” Do we believe Him? Are we really looking for Him? Then this book will be intensely interesting to us. “When God spoke to Daniel he was to seal up the prophecy unto the time of the end—that time of three years and a half, which is so fully brought before us in this book. But to John He saith, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.” May we read these things with this conviction, that the time is at hand! Yes, Jesus is coming quickly. Do you say, How can this be; we have been led to expect a great change for the better before He comes? When He comes will there be such unrighteousness in trade, such prevailing sin and iniquity as there is now? Hear the solemn answer of the Lord: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Do not say, If that is the case it seems to be all in vain to make any effort. Why should we seek to serve Him by winning souls to Him.? Hear what He says, “And, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me,” &c. Thus speaks the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Surely this is a most solemn moment in which we live! Is it a small privilege to have washed our robes in the blood of the Lamb, and thus have right to the tree of life? And is it a small matter to any who may read these lines to be shut out with dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie?
How solemn the warning of this last sentence. How many spend their lives and talents in writing fiction, or a lie; and how many more love to read them! Oh, let such not forget this last warning! Satan is a liar, and fiction is one of his most deadly instruments in the last day in leading souls to destruction.
A few months ago a preacher was holding children’s services on the shore of a watering place. Some two thousand souls were listening great numbers of these had been, devouring fiction until the very time he began. They sang a hymn, in which the readers of fiction or lies joined. One line they sang was, “I am following Jesus all the way,” and how many might have added, “with a novel on my knees!” It was an awful sight; no sooner had the speaker closed, than the novels were again devoured. The Gospel had been earnestly proclaimed, but there was no wonder that the preacher was discouraged, and said he should probably not be there next year.
Let us, then, not forget that the loving and making a lie is classed with the greatest crimes. Softly mingled the sighs of the sea and the sweet strains of that hymn, but what was it all in the sight of the Lord? We were sorry the preacher did not lift up a warning voice; perhaps he thought if he did hundreds of his hearers would come no more. Thus is drifting the hollow profession of these last clays. Surely—each one may say, “Hold thou me up and I shall be safe.” He alone can keep us by His mighty power, through faith unto salvation at the coming of the Lord.
We have still the closing words of Jesus Lord, grant that our ears may be open to hear.