Chapter 22.
Verse 16. “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and] the bright and morning star.” Yes, fellow believer, it is our Jesus, who has sent His messenger to testify these things to us. Surely this will give an interest in these things to which the world must be a stranger. If we think of Him as the Messiah, He presents Himself as both the root and offspring of David. But to us He is the bright and morning star. Yes, it is His own Person that has shone so brightly at the end of this loner dark night.
For long dark centuries it was the church, the church, but for half a century it has been Christ as the morning star. Oh, may He shine so intensely bright that compared with Him all else be dim! What has been the effect of this? The eye of the bride has been lifted up to “Behold the Bridegroom.”
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.” Yes, again it is known that we have not to pray for the Spirit. He is here on earth. He has awakened the heart of the bride, and touched her inmost affections. Her eye is lifted up; like Rebecca, it is the heavenly Isaac—the bridegroom, not the judge; and, as if with one voice, “the Spirit and the bride say, Come.” Oh, what a moment is this. The Spirit on earth, who knows the mind of God, now says to the Bridegroom of the church, Come. Do you hear this? “And let him in that heareth say, Come.” Yes, if God has now opened your ears to hear, then lift up your heart and cry, Come.
Do you say, I am only just awaking: a desire has sprung up in my soul to know Jesus, and His coming again; I can only say, I thirst! Oh, precious words of Jesus to you: “And let him that is athirst come.” Yes, you say, but I am the most guilty and unworthy. But Jesus says, “And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Oh, how God delights in mercy—mercy to the last. Whosoever, whosoever, let him take the water of life freely. This verse 17 marks the testimony of Jesus in these very last days. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” Yes, just at the last, the coming of Christ, and the full free gospel of the grace of God is fully declared. How great and blessed our privileges.
It is, however, true that no part of the holy scriptures have been, and are being, more perverted than this precious book, the Revelation of Jesus Christ. We have therefore the solemn warnings of verses 18, 19. Yes, those highly esteemed amongst men, who are adding to or perverting the prophecy of this book—such as deny the love of Christ to His church, and the certainty that He will keep His saints from the plagues of this book—such may indeed literally be left to pass through these tribulations. Yes, though their names may now be written as Christians, then it may indeed at last be found that they have no part in the book of life or the holy city. It is no light thing for the mere human mind, or the human mind led on by Satan, to meddle with the things of this book.
But now He which testifies these things speaks the closing word. “Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Now it is evident that if all these things we have seen in this book—the judgment of the seals; the plagues of the trumpets and vials; the restoration of the Roman empire; the destruction of apostate Christendom, &c.—if all these have to take place before the coming of the Lord Jesus, then there would be no meaning in the words of Jesus, “Surely I come quickly.” And this is the object of Satan, whoever he may use as the writer. His object is to make the words of Jesus to His saints to have no meaning. Jesus says, “Surely I come quickly.” Let then the reply from the depths of our hearts be, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Yes, quick as the flash of lightning, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, He will come quickly. Our blessed certain future is, “Forever with the Lord.” All is now ready. May we go out to meet Him.
The uniform teaching of the New Testament is that He will come quickly, and unexpectedly. His coming first to take the church makes all simple: without this, the harmony of scripture would be destroyed. At first the virgins went out to meet Him. (Matt, 25.) How could this possibly be, if all the judgments and plagues of this book had to be fulfilled first? Yet from the day when the church was seen going out to meet the Lord, there has not been a single event unfulfilled so as to have hindered the coming of the Lord to take His church. No, it has been the long suffering of God, the patience of Christ with a lost and rejecting world. God had His own to gather out by the preached gospel. But as to all matters of prophecy, absolutely nothing had to be fulfilled before Jesus might come to take them to Himself according to His promise in John 14:1, 21Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:1‑2).
The construction of this book is most wonderful in reference to this matter. It is quite true, as we have seen in chapter 1:19, the book is divided into three parts. Things which John had seen in chapter 1., then the things which are, as described in chapters 2, 3; then, the things that should be after these—all the things that should take place after the “things that are” have come to a close. The “things that are” then include the whole history of Christendom up to its close.
Now God chose seven assemblies then existing, in the state thus described. And the addresses are so sent to them that Jesus might have come at once. And yet those addresses were so given, that they describe the seven successive stages of church history, full of deepest instruction to us in these last days. And further, it is only within the last sixty years that this successive application has been fully opened to us. Indeed, this has opened up the whole Revelation.—
We now in this Revelation read the divine order of events from the day God was pleased to give this Revelation to the eternal state.
It is also very remarkable, whether we look at the churches as seen on earth, or at the state of Europe and the world, everything answers to this wondrous prophecy. There is in popery that which answers to Jezebel in Thyatira, running on to the end. There is in Protestantism that which answers to Sardis. There is also that in souls being drawn to the Person of Christ which answers, however feebly, to Philadelphia. And can we for a moment doubt that in the general state of Christendom there is that which answers to Laodicea?
Then as to the state of the world and its politics, can any one deny, that the signs of the times indicate the very state described in this book, after the things that are; that is, after the close and rejection of lifeless profession? The very education of the world is preparing it for these last scenes of human wickedness, when society and government shall be broken and shattered to pieces, like an earthquake. Superstition and infidelity are preparing the world for deeds of unparalleled wickedness. Yes, all is now in readiness like a train of gunpowder laid to a mine, God still waits in mercy, and the world waits until the church is gone, and God no longer “lets” or hinders by His providence or governments: and then when the church is gone, the desolating scenes of this book shall begin.
He who led Jew and Gentile to put to death the Christ of God—Satan—is now drilling armies for these terrible scenes we have seen described in this book. The sun or supreme government is beginning already to be darkened with the black clouds of diabolical anarchy, out of the bottomless abyss, preparing the way for the Roman empire again to arise.
May the Holy Ghost then lead us to meditate on all these things as about shortly to come to pass. Fellow Christians, how soon we shall be forever with the Lord. He who is worthy shall then open the seals of the Book. Then we shall know as we are known. Let us not lose heart now the Lord is so near. Conflicts with the powers of darkness may be very sharp. Oh, unspeakable privilege to be found faithful at the end. No doubt the state described in the address to Laodicea is the peculiar danger of this last hour of these last days. Let us then each beware of the sin of indifference to the interests of Christ. Vast numbers may give up Christ, and in His place seek satisfaction in sports, and service of song, or, as extremes meet, in unbelieving ritual: others in cold, infidel, soul-destroying speculations. Are all to be in earnest except the Christian? The Lord awake His own redeemed people, so that whilst following Him in lowliness of heart, we may be earnest and devoted as those who truly believe “The things which are written in this book.” Blessed Jesus, thy words are “Surely I come quickly. Amen.” Ever may ours be, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” C. S.