Who Is Worthy to Judge? February 2018

1. The Worthy Judge

2. Thou Art Worthy

3. At the Name of Jesus

4. Christ Among the Candlesticks — Revelation 1-3

5. The Humiliation and Exaltation of Joseph

6. The Revelation

7. The Lamb in the Midst of the Throne

8. The Ruin of the Church

9. The Storms Keep Getting Stronger

10. The Father's Only Son

The Worthy Judge

We don’t like to be judged. “Who are you to judge me?” is a common response when someone judges actions of another person. When things go his way, man often ignores God. When things go bad, then he judges God: “Why did a supposedly loving God allow that to happen?” Before the flood there were no judges among men, and as a result the earth was filled with violence and corruption. After the flood God instituted government with its judges to restrain the evil. But every act of every man who has ever lived is judged by God, who is holy. The Word declares, “The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether” (Psa. 19:9). As believers our sins were judged by God and paid for by our Savior at the cross. Still “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:10-11). Of those who die in their sins, the Word declares, “I saw a great white throne [of judgment], and Him that sat on it....and the dead were judged ... according to their works” (Rev. 20:11-12). Men fail as judges for multiple reasons, but the most serious is that the judgments of a man do not rise above his own moral character and state. So who can righteously judge a man, when the consequences of his judgments are eternal? In this issue we rejoice to see the character and qualifications of the one and only man who is worthy to be the final judge of all men and all their works.

Thou Art Worthy

In the early chapters of the Book of Revelation, as well as in other parts of the New Testament, we read of the Lord Jesus in His character as judge. Even in the Old Testament we have references to that same judgment-character, as, for example, in Psalm 67:4: “Thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.” Here, however, the antecedent in verse 3 is “God” (Elohim—God in plural), as the full revelation of God was not given in the Old Testament. From our vantage point in the full light of Christianity, we know that every action of God is in trinity, whether it is creation, redemption, judgment, or any other act. God the Father is the originator of the thoughts and purposes, God the Son is the One who carries them out, and God the Holy Spirit is the power by which they are carried out.

This is certainly one of the reasons why the Lord Jesus is the judge of all and why He will be the One to undertake the judgment of this world. However, there are several others reasons, some of which we would like to speak about.

The Son

First of all, we read in John 5:22-23, “The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.” Since the Lord Jesus walked in this world as a man, there has been a tendency for many in this world, and particularly the Jewish nation, to denigrate him and to deny His deity. God the Father will have Him to be honoured as God, even as the Father is honoured. For this reason all judgment has been committed to Him. In that sense He does not Himself take the place of judge, although entitled to do so as part of the Godhead; rather, He takes it because the Father has given it to Him.

The Creator

When we get to Revelation 4, we see the throne of judgment set up, with all that speaks of perfect knowledge, righteousness and power. But then the twenty-four elders fall down and worship and exclaim, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:11). As the one who has created all things, the Lord Jesus has the right to judge those whom He created. They were created for His pleasure; man has not given God that pleasure, but rather the opposite. But when the Lord Jesus was born into this world, the angels could say, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good pleasure in men” (Luke 2:14 JND). For the first time since sin entered this world, God’s eye could rest with pleasure on an object in this world. Now, as Creator, He has the right to judge that which has failed to give Him pleasure.

The Son of Man

But there is another title given to the Lord Jesus, and one on which we need to remark a little, for it is another reason why He is the judge. We read in John 5:26-27, “The Father ... hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man.” In John 5:25, we read that “the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” He is the Son of God from all eternity, and it is as Son of God that He raises the dead, but His title as Son of Man dates from His incarnation—since He became man. It is a name which speaks of His humiliation and subsequent glory, and it is under this name that He exercises judgment. Another has explained it well, that “the Son of Man is, according to the Word, the heir of all that the counsels of God destined for man as his portion in glory—all that God would bestow on man according to those counsels (see Dan. 7:13-14 and Psa. 8:5-6). But in order to be the heir of all that God destined for man, He must be a man. The Son of Man was truly of the race of man: precious and comforting truth! Born of a woman, really and truly a man, and partaking of flesh and blood, made like unto His brethren” (G.V.W.).

Man in Adam was given the place of head of creation and failed miserably in that sphere of authority. But God will be honoured “in man” in this world, through His beloved Son. The One who has come in humility will one day judge all that is contrary to God and will rule in righteousness.

Christ Exonerated

Connected with His title as Son of Man is another reason why the Lord Jesus must be the judge of all—that is, that Christ must be exonerated in the world that cast Him out. God’s holy nature must be vindicated in a world of sin—a world that has rejected God’s final messenger, His beloved Son. The judgments that precede the setting up of the millennium, the whole of the millennial day, and the judgments at the end of that glorious 1000-year reign all comprise what Scripture calls the day of the Lord. It is the day when the Lordship of Christ will be owned, in contrast to the present time, when His claims are largely disallowed. For this reason we get the expression in 2 Corinthians 15:25, “He must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.” He must be the executor of judgment, in keeping with God’s righteous dealings with this world.

The Redeemer’s Right and Power

Finally, and most precious, we come to Revelation 5, where we find the most exalted reason for the worthiness of the Lord Jesus to be the judge. Here the book of judgment is produced, and a strong angel proclaims with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?” (Rev. 5:2). But “no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book” (vs. 3). None have the authority or power to undertake judgment, until “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” (v. 5) comes forward. However, when He appears, it is as “a Lamb as it had been slain” (vs. 6). If man has failed and God must judge him, God’s character in love is displayed in providing a way of escape, and that through His beloved Son. It is God’s love and His glory in redemption that magnify the sin of man, while also magnifying the grace of God. Thus He is “worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof,” for He is the One that was slain and has “redeemed to God ... out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (vs. 9).

There are many glories of God, and of the Lord Jesus too, but God’s glory in redemption was never seen before the cross. It is only since the cross that we see, by faith, “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6), and it is God’s glory in redemption that is in view here. But Satan will not have this, if he can help it, and as “the god of this world” he has “blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving, so that the radiancy of the glad tidings of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine forth for them” (2 Cor. 4:4 JND). If the crowning glory of God—His glory in redemption—is spurned and despised, it is fitting that the One by whom this redemption was accomplished should be their judge.

Thus we see that God has been glorified through His beloved Son, and as a result He will glorify that same beloved Son, “whom he hath appointed heir of all things” (Heb. 1:2). He must be the judge of all, to undo all that Satan and man have done to stain the glory of God and to bring in a new creation, “wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).

W. J. Prost

At the Name of Jesus

God has given Christ the place of universal and absolute supremacy. Hence it says, “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11). By this is meant that it is God’s will that every creature in the universe shall sooner or later acknowledge the supremacy and lordship of the exalted and glorified Jesus. If the confession of the mouth proceeds from a living faith in Christ, it will be salvation for all who make it (see Rom. 10:8-13). But all outside of this blessed class—all unrepentant men, all the angels who have been preserved in their created perfection, all the angels who have fallen, and all demons and infernal beings—will own or be compelled by power to own the authority and lordship of the glorified Jesus. God will not suffer a single sentient creature to be outwardly rebellious toward His beloved Son. They may hate Him in their hearts, but they will be made to bow the knee to the once humbled and now glorified Jesus. Their lips will have to confess that He, Jesus Christ, is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Every Knee Shall Bow

Let us then examine the actual words of this scripture. It says, “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.” Things in heaven will include all celestial existences—all the heavenly hosts, and things on earth will plainly indicate men. The only difficulty lies in the phrase “under the earth.” The word itself (for it is one word in Greek) points admittedly to that which is subterranean. But in classical usage, it went further and comprised evil spirits, and when it is recalled that, during the sojourn of our blessed Lord in this world, demons were compelled to own His authority and even to confess His name and that, as James teaches, they “believe, and tremble,” there is a strong assurance that they are in view in this scripture. There is another scripture which, though apparently of the same significance, is yet quite different. In Revelation 5:13 we read, “Every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.” The term “under the earth” here is not the same as in Philippians; it means every animate thing under the surface of the earth. It thus looks onward to the fulfillment of the last verse of Psalm 150, “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord,” and anticipates the praise of the whole creation.

But when will this universal acknowledgment of the authority of Christ, together with the confession of His lordship, take place? It is not a question here of His deity, although this is never to be forgotten, but rather of the place which God has accorded to Him as the Man who became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Together with His exaltation in this character, the decree has been issued that all created intelligences must bow to and own His sovereignty. In seeking to answer the question, we may take the three circles of beings in their order.

Things in Heaven

First, let us consider things in heaven. In Hebrews 1:6 we read, “Let all the angels of God worship Him”; this is in connection with the introduction of the first-begotten into the world. In Revelation 5:12 we are permitted to hear ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels “saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” Their acknowledgment of His supremacy will be constant and perpetual; commencing with the moment of His exaltation, it will go on forever.

Things on Earth

The submission of the second circle—that of things on earth—will be more gradual. It began on the day of Pentecost, for Peter’s testimony on that day was that God had made that same Jesus, whom the Jews had crucified, both Lord and Christ. Everyone who, through grace, received this testimony did, in effect, bow the knee to Christ. So with everyone converted since that day, right on until the close of the day of grace. After the church has been removed, there will still be a mighty work of grace (Rev. 7), and during the millennium the glorious prediction of Psalm 72:11 will be fulfilled: “Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him.” During this reign of righteousness, man will not dare, whatever the thoughts of their hearts, to rebel against the sovereign rule of Christ, except at the cost of instant destruction. Outwardly, therefore, all will be in professed submission to His government. And is it not a delight to contemplate this prospect, when the once humbled and rejected Christ will be universally exalted, even upon this earth? The scene that once witnessed His shame and ignominy will then behold His exaltation and glory, and from millions of hearts will go up the glad confession that it is His rightful due, as they sing, “Blessed be His glorious name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory; Amen, and Amen” (Psa. 72:19).

Things Under the Earth

In regard to the last circle, we have fewer positive scriptures to guide us, although the fact is stated over and over again, that no being in the universe will be exempt from subjugation to His authority. (See, for example, Ephesians 1:20-22 and 1 Corinthians 15:24-28.) The time when “the angels which kept not their first estate” will be dealt with is distinctly stated to be at “the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6). And we learn from Revelation 20 that the devil himself will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, immediately before the great white throne, where all the dead, small and great, will receive their everlasting reward. Demons are not here mentioned, but there can be no doubt that they are included in the judgment of their leader and chief. The final judgment, therefore, whether of the fallen angels, of Satan himself, or of the multitudes of the unconverted dead, will take place at the close of all God’s dealings with this world.

Before this last session of judgment commences, the earth and the heaven will have fled away from the face of Him who will sit upon the great white throne, for this final scene of the establishment of God’s holy claims is preparatory to the introduction of the new heavens and the new earth, where righteousness will dwell. God’s purposes concerning the glory of His beloved Son will then have been accomplished.

Even the exaltation and glory of Christ has an object. It is, as we read, “to the glory of God the Father.” If His eternal counsels concerning Christ and His redeemed have flowed forth from His own heart, they will in their accomplishment redound to His own displayed glory before the eyes of the whole universe. It is for the believer to anticipate this, and surely the contemplation of this glorious end of all God’s ways will so fill his heart with adoration that he will exclaim in the inspired words of the apostle, “Of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36).

E. Dennett (adapted)

Christ Among the Candlesticks — Revelation 1-3

I would like to look at the first three chapters of Revelation to observe the attitude in which Christ is seen in the midst of the churches in Revelation, as presented by John. Paul could not be the vessel to reveal this aspect of Christ among those assemblies, for Paul unfolds the Son of God as a heavenly Christ, whether as Head of His body the assembly or as High Priest. John, on the contrary, speaks of God come down—a Christ walking upon earth, whether manifested there in grace, as in his Gospel, or in His judicial dealings, by which He substantiates His claims here on earth. Paul is “heavenly” in his testimony; with him it is man gone up on high. John is “divine,” and with him it is more God come down and His manifestation on earth.

Hence John is the instrument taken up to show us Christ in this judicial attitude towards the external body which bears His name. We must carefully distinguish Him as Head of His body, ministering nourishment by joints and bands to His own, and His scrutinizing and judging the external church as a corporate witness on earth. John is here watching over that which Paul had set up and telling us what Christ will do with it.

Sent into exile by the Roman emperor, he was, nevertheless, in the full enjoyment of his Christian privilege—“in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” We must bear in mind that the Book of Revelation has especially in view Christ’s claims upon the earth, and thus John’s face is with the mind of the Spirit towards the introduction of the kingdom. But before the Spirit gives the visions which point to this end, John is recalled by a voice behind him, and he turns about to see the vision. He sees the Lord in this character and learns what He was about to do with the responsible body here below.

The Character of the Lord

“I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned I saw seven golden candlesticks.” They are described as of gold, because set up from a divine source at the first. “In the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” (Rev. 1:12-18).

Here you find Christ’s aspect toward the assemblies as John presents Him—His personal and judicial character, as Son of Man, and yet Ancient of Days—judging and discriminating among the candlesticks. You do not find His relative characters, such as High Priest or Head of His body, the assembly; that is more the Pauline way of presenting Him.

The Son of Man

As “Son of Man,” He is judge of all, and as such you find Him here. “He hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man” (John 5:27). He is “clothed with a garment down to the foot” (not “laid aside” as for His gracious service of love and washing His people’s feet; John 13) and “girt about the paps with a golden girdle.” His heart and affections are not seen flowing out to His church—His bride—but girded up with a garment of righteousness, not grace.

In Daniel 7, the “Ancient of Days” is described as Christ is here, so the Son of Man is the Ancient of Days as we know from that prophecy (Dan. 7:9,13-14,22). “His eyes as a flame of fire”; this is His intense personal scrutiny which reaches the soul. When Christ’s eye is turned upon us and our conscience is not at rest, we cannot stand His gaze. He holds all subordinate power—the stars—in His right hand of power. His voice is heard in majesty, and He judges by the Word of God—the sharp, two-edged sword—while His countenance is as the sun shines in its strength, the symbol of supreme authority. I pass over the details, desiring only to present the general thought as to the aspect in which He is here seen.

Jesus as Judge

When John saw Him, he “fell at his feet as dead.” It was the same disciple whom Jesus loved and who leaned on His breast at supper in his own familiar place, accepted in the grace of the Lord.Here all is changed. This terrible aspect of Jesus as judge causes him to fall at His feet as dead. He is reassured by those words, “Fear not”; He was the living One who had died, and He held in His own hand the keys of death and of hades; He had never given them up. “Hades gates” could not prevail against the Son of the living God; Christ had the keys of all! He had never given them to Peter, nor to any. He gave “the keys of the kingdom of the heavens” to Peter, never the keys of death and hades.

Now He sends seven messages to seven assemblies in Asia through John. There were many others in those provinces, but these are chosen as presenting, in their state at that time, what will serve the Spirit of God to give us, as in a lengthened out picture, the history of the profession of Christ’s name on earth and its responsibility, with His thoughts and judgment of it from the start to the finish.

F. G. Patterson (adapted)

The Humiliation and Exaltation of Joseph

The well-known and favorite story of the life of Joseph in Genesis illustrates the worthiness of the Lord Jesus to be Ruler and Judge. Because of what Joseph went through in the first 30 years of his life, he truly deserved to be made ruler. No one could compare with Joseph or claim the place given him by Pharaoh. The story is really a picture of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us look at the three parts of Joseph’s life which qualified him to be ruler. In each part Joseph proved himself faithful at a great cost to himself. First, he was faithful to his Father as a son, in spite of the envy of his brethren. Second, in Potiphar’s house he was faithful as a servant, and third, finally, in prison, he looked after the welfare of his fellow-prisoners, though forgotten by them. Upon Joseph’s exaltation, we never read of anyone bringing a charge against him or that he was unworthy of his exaltation. None of his brethren were envious. One would wonder how Potiphar and his wife would have feared Joseph. The Butler, conscious of his fault of advocating for Joseph before Pharaoh, remembers Joseph and his ability to interpret dreams.

Faithful As a Son

The story of Joseph starts with the declaration of how his father loved him because he was the son of his old age. This was written by Moses long afterward, but illustrates how God knows the future and can choose and love His children beforehand. Joseph’s brethren had not yet learned their own hearts and envied Joseph, rather than seeking to be faithful sons. It is like the story of Cain and Abel. Even James and John together with their mother would seek a place of favor with the Lord in His exaltation, but they did not understand at what cost this would be. The Lord graciously answers them showing how it is obtained—to be baptized with the baptism that was before Him—a life of self-denial and obedience unto death.

The dreams of Joseph come next in the story and further develop the truth that God had a plan He would communicate to that family, a plan which was necessary to believe and follow. The dreams must have been a key to Joseph’s ability to carry on for so long, in spite of circumstances (Psa. 105:17-19). But his brethren hated him more than ever because of the dreams. Every act of Joseph’s obedience was to his brethren testimony to their own failure. But Joseph honored his father and told his father when the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah wanted to do something evil in the family. He was faithful in the family relationship.

“Thou Shalt Be Over My House”

When the time came for Joseph to be exalted, Pharaoh says to him, “Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou” (Gen. 41:40). The obedience of Joseph, starting in his own father’s house, followed Joseph through each sphere of responsibility; his obedience prepared him for the place that Pharaoh gave him. Joseph proved he could be trusted to do the right thing in every circumstance. The vestures of fine linen that Pharaoh gave him were a witness of his righteous conduct. The record of his life was clean; Joseph always did what was right, even if he had to suffer for it. Faithfulness is a proof of one’s ability to rule well. A kingdom is established by doing the right thing without compromise. We may be very thankful that our Lord Jesus Christ has proven Himself to be the One who will reign in righteousness.

Faithful as a Servant

Joseph was sold as a slave, and in that role he continued to serve well. Potiphar noted that the Lord was with him and that Joseph was the means of blessing to his house. Joseph lived before the eye of God and gained favor with his master. Over a period of time, with his master’s confidence, everything was put into his hands. He gained the complete trust of Potiphar. When Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him, Joseph, in abhorrence of moral sin, fled from her. She bitterly turned against him and blamed him for her wrong. But Joseph’s actions were totally faithful to his master and to God and kept him from committing immorality. Furthermore, he dutifully bore in silence the severe penalty put on him, though he was innocent. He was sent to prison, yet said nothing in self-defense. What an example of faithfulness! Is not this the person who is needed to stand up for God’s principles regarding right and wrong? Would not each one of us desire such a person to judge the moral circumstances around us? With reason Pharaoh could say unto his servants, “Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?. . . Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art” (Gen. 41:38-39).Then “Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had” (vss. 42-43).

Faithful As a Prisoner

The story of Joseph continues with the hard years of prison, but the Lord was with him and showed him mercy. The keeper of the prison observed the qualities of Joseph and put him in charge of all the prisoners. Humble and difficult circumstances did not stop him from serving. When the chief butler and the chief baker were sad, Joseph noticed it and inquired about it. He was not looking for favor from them but was occupied with serving. He was able to tell them that the interpretation of dreams come from God. He believed in God and was still waiting for God to fulfill his own dreams. The three double series of dreams—Joseph’s, the butler’s and baker’s, and Pharaoh’s—coalesce to one final day when Joseph’s dream would be a reality and he would reign. It was of God, and Joseph’s obedience to God enabled the interpretation of the dreams. Despite Joseph’s kindness to the butler, his plea to the butler was forgotten for two whole years. True service cannot be based on the appreciation and reward from those served. But God is faithful, He rewards faithfulness of service, and the time came when God raised up Joseph to the highest place of service.

Joseph’s exaltation to the second place in the kingdom did not modify his heart of service. There he served during the seven years of plenty followed by the years of famine when he was united with his brethren and his father. Joseph, who at the request of his father, had wandered in the field saying, “I seek my brethren,” could then say to his brothers that God had sent him into Egypt to preserve life. “So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt” (Gen. 45:8).

So our Lord Jesus Christ, having proved Himself as a faithful servant on earth, even unto death, is now exalted into heaven. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11).

D. C. Buchanan

The Revelation

We cannot but feel how fitting it is that the Revelation is the last book in the Bible, for in it we are allowed to see the fully developed result of the lawlessness of all the ages. We see all the evil of the professing church, Israel, and the nations working to the terrible climax of rebellion and apostasy and receiving its final doom in overwhelming judgment. We see the power of the devil forever broken and death and hades cast into the lake of fire. Moreover, we are permitted to look beyond the final judgment of all evil and see all the purposes of God’s heart fulfilled, the glory of Christ brought into display and the eternal blessing of His people secured. The coming of Christ as the Judge, to deal with all the evil and introduce His kingdom, will establish the great truth that God is the first and the last, the eternal One, the Almighty.

We learn then from these introductory verses that in spite of all the breakdown of man in responsibility—whether the Jew, the Gentile, or the church—with the resulting rebellion against God and violence and corruption that fills the world, God is on the throne, the Spirit is before the throne, and Christ is coming to deal with the evil and establish His glory and dominion forever and ever. Moreover, believers are presented as separated from a world under judgment by the blood that has washed them from their sins and fitted them to share in the glory and blessings of the coming kingdom of Christ. Seeing we look for such things, we may surely say with the Apostle Peter, “What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness” (2 Peter 3:11).

The Son of Man

Turning to see the One that speaks, John has a vision of the Son of Man, who is presented in the character of the Ancient of Days described by Daniel (Dan. 7:9-13). It is no longer the Son of Man in humiliation, scorned and rejected by men, but the Son of Man in glory, about to act as the Judge. It is no longer with garments laid aside and girded for the service of the saints, but with judicial robes. The affections are held in by righteousness, set forth in the golden girdle. The intense holiness of His judgments may be set forth by “His head and hairs white like wool, as white as snow.” The searching character of His judgments are surely brought before us by “His eyes as a flame of fire” from which nothing is hid. His feet “like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace,” may speak of an infinitely holy walk that stands the testing of God “as a consuming fire.” His voice as the sound of many waters overwhelms every opposing voice. In His hand He held seven stars, which we learn, a little later, set forth the seven representatives of the churches, showing that all is held in His power. Out of His mouth went a sharp, two-edged sword, speaking of the Word which pierces “even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength, speaking of the light that exposes the darkness of this world.

The Character of Judge

Every symbol displays the Lord in the character of the Judge. This was overwhelming to John, who had known the Lord in His infinite grace and love. The result is that the disciple who had once sat in the presence of the Lord with his head leaning on Jesus’ breast now “fell at His feet as dead.” Nevertheless, for one who is “a brother and fellow-partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and patience, in Jesus” (Rev. 1:9 JND), there is nothing to fear. The One who is about to judge lays His hand on the believer and says, “Fear not.” The glory of His Person and the greatness of His work remove our fear. He is the eternally existing One, but He became flesh and died, and He is risen to live forevermore. For the unbeliever He is the Son of Man to whom all judgment is committed. For the believer He is also the Son of Man who has broken the power of death and the grave.

The Seven Churches

The first chapter has presented to us the vision of Christ, the Son of Man, in His character as Judge, forming the first division of the Revelation, spoken of in verse 19 as “the things which thou hast seen.” In the second and third chapters there passes before us “the things which are.” It is plain, from Revelation 1:4,11,20, that the Revelation was addressed to seven churches existing in the days of the apostles in a province of Asia Minor. But it can hardly be questioned that these particular churches were selected in order to present pictures of the moral conditions that would successively develop in the Christian profession from the days of the apostles until the close of the church period. Thus, “the things which are” prophetically present the whole period of the church’s history on earth. Moreover, these seven churches are seen under the symbol of seven candlesticks. This surely indicates that these addresses view the church in its responsibility to be a light for Christ in the time of His absence.

The Judge Walking Among the Churches

Further, we see that the Lord is presented as walking in the midst of the churches as the Judge to discover how far the church has answered to its responsibility to shine for Christ. From these addresses we learn that the church, as with all others, would utterly break down in responsibility. We see the root of all the failure exposed, its progress traced through the ages, and its end foretold when the professing church will be utterly rejected as nauseous to Christ. Nevertheless, in the midst of all the failure we learn there is that which the Lord approves and that it is possible for the individual to overcome that which the Lord condemns, and to such there are special promises of blessing.

How encouraging that, in the closing days of Christendom, we are not left to form our own judgment of the evils of Christendom, nor of that which has the approval of the Lord in the midst of failure. In these addresses we have the mind of the Lord. In each address we have the exhortation, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” How deeply important then that we should listen to the Lord’s words, recorded by the Spirit, and thus learn the Lord’s mind for the individual in a day of ruin. If, however, we speak of the ruin of the church, let us ever remember, as it has been said, that, “as regards the purpose of God, the church cannot be ruined, but as regards its actual present condition as a testimony for God on earth, it is in ruin.”

Indifference

Further, if we own the ruin of the church in responsibility, let us beware of being content with the knowledge that as believers our salvation is sure, and remain listlessly indifferent to the Lord’s mind for us in the midst of the ruin. Let us beware of thinking, as one has said, “that the power of the Lord is enfeebled when there is actual present ruin.” Rather, what we want is real practical faith in the application of the resources of God to meet present circumstances. Living faith sees not only the need but also the thoughts and mind of the Lord about that need, and it counts on the present love of the Lord. With the desire to know His mind, may we consider the addresses to the seven churches and thus refuse all that the Lord condemns while seeking to answer to that which has His approval.

H. Smith (adapted)

The Lamb in the Midst of the Throne

I hesitate to say anything about the scene in Revelation 4 and 5, lest I should detract from its glory, and hinder our own joy in contemplating it. Our link with this scene is nothing less than He who is the central object of it all—the One around whom we are gathered. In reading Revelation 4 we feel all the glory of it, but wonderful as it is, there is a lack—something wanting to fix the heart. This lack is more than filled up in chapter 5, when we get for the first time the center of all these circles of glory. “In the midst of the throne, and of the four living creatures and of the elders, stood a Lamb” (Rev. 5:6). The elder said to John, “Behold the Lion” (vs. 5), and he looked and beheld a Lamb! Yes, and a Lamb as slain. John recognizes in Him the very One he had known and loved on earth. His first sight of Him in heaven is in the same character, too, as that which had first attracted him away from all else, to follow Jesus on earth.

The Lamb of God

It was at the testimony of the John the Baptist, “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:36) that his two disciples dropped off from him, and followed Jesus. Peter’s brother Andrew we know was one of them, and I have no doubt the nameless one was John himself, for he avoids mentioning himself in writing the gospel. Jesus hears the question “Master, where dwellest thou?” and replied “Come and see.” They came and saw where He dwelt and abode with Him that day. This was a precious unity with the heart of God that found all its delight in that lowly One on earth. And now John sees this same Lamb in heaven, as slain. That linked him with the scene, and us too, beloved.

It is true we have in these chapters our own place, and I need hardly say that we are not there yet; but the Lamb in the midst of it all is the sum and substance of all our blessing. He has redeemed us by His blood. All in heaven fall down before Him and worship; but we lead the song. We are able to say as angels cannot, “Thou art worthy, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood” (Rev. 5:9).

The Object of Delight

Around His table we have the same object before us, and the same occupation—worship. In John 3:34-36, we find how this brings us into communion with the Father. “The Father loveth the Son.” All His delight is in the Son, and in this we have common thoughts with Him, for He has become the object of our delight too. All the Father’s counsels are for Him. When once He is put forth, everything is decided in reference to Him. This is the connection of verse 36, “He that believeth,” etc. Those who honor the Son by believing on Him, the Father will bless; those who do not, the wrath of God abides on them. Thus we see He was the Father’s object upon earth, as Revelation 5 we find He is in heaven.

John 12:32 gives us a new center of attraction, yet the same Jesus. “I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” It is the cross; there He was lifted up between the earth and heaven, to be the center to which everything that is of God on earth must flow. But further, He is exalted to the Father’s right hand. It is there that we know Him, for He who was “made a little lower than the angels” is now “crowned with glory and honour” (Heb. 2:9). The day is coming when all things shall be put in subjection under Him. “We see not yet all things put under Him,” but as we gaze into the open heaven, “we see Jesus.”

Espesians 1 connects us with Him there. He is Head over all things to His church, which is His body. When He ascended, the Holy Spirit came down to earth. Had the object of the Father’s interest changed? Had the Holy Spirit come down to take the place of Christ on earth, or to be a new center for our hearts? Oh, no, beloved! The Holy Spirit is here to associate us with Him there, to lead up our hearts into constant occupation with Him, and to unfold all His perfections to us, that we may love Him better and count Him to be the One alone worthy of our adoration, in heaven or on earth.

Go Forth Unto Him

Now we are prepared for such a word as Hebrews 13:13 — “Let us go forth unto him without the camp.” The camp was the earthly system of religion, once ordained by God, but now set aside; we are to go forth to Him, and that will necessarily lead us outside all that is recognized among men as religion — all accredited systems. For as truly as He is the center and gathering point in heaven, so truly is He the only divine center and gathering point on earth.To follow Him must take us outside all that is owned by men.

2 Thessalonians 2:1 is deeply interesting from this point of view—“We beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him.” Impossible that He should come, and we not be gathered to Him! His place always decides ours. If He is “outside the camp,” we must go forth unto Him. If He comes, we must be gathered to Him. When He moves, we move. When He moves from the throne on which He sits, to the air, we move from the earth to the air — our new gathering point, where He is coming to take us back with Him to the Father’s house. Think what the Father’s house will be! The home of such a heart as Christ’s, where all His divine affections flow out, and are fully answered! That is where He is going to take us—where He is at home! Oh, beloved, truly our blessing and joy will be full then!

It is the same people who are now gathered round the Lamb on earth—their object the same, their occupation the same. The difference is, that then the worship will be unrestrained, unhindered by the flesh, in the full energy of the Spirit of God. Now we have so often to mourn over failure — to grieve that our hearts are so slow to lay hold of what is before us. Then, blessed be God, there will be no failure to mourn over—nothing to turn us aside from absorbing occupation with Christ.

J. A. Trench (adapted)

The Ruin of the Church

Revelation chapter 1 teaches us the solemn lesson that the church had already become, in John’s day, the object of Christ’s judgment. The church is not looked at in this chapter as the body of Christ; it is the professing church, figured by the seven assemblies of Asia, who represent there the complete figure of the professing church of God in John’s day.

As a building the church may be looked at as Christ’s building which He builds (Matt. 16:16-18), but it may also be looked at as handed over to the responsibility of man, as we read in 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 where Paul laid the foundation, but other builders built it up, some with good material, others with bad. But whether the walls were built in of living stones or bad material, the Holy Spirit had come down from heaven and taken up His abode in the midst of these believers as the house of God.

Christ As Judge Among the Churches

In whatever way he has been tested, man has failed, and the church is no exception. In 2 Timothy all they of Asia had departed from Paul. In 1 Peter 4 the time was come when judgment must begin at the house of God. But not till Revelation 1 do we find the church actually becoming the object of judgment itself. There we have the awful picture of the seven lampstands figuring the complete church of God on earth, with the Son of Man in their midst in the aspect of Judge.The church, set up as a light-bearer in this world, had totally failed in its responsibility to God in John’s last days. The Son of Man stood in its midst as a Judge, finally coming to the point that He would spue it out of His mouth as a loathsome thing.

In Revelation 1:12-13, the Son of Man is seen in the midst of the seven candlesticks; He is seen on earth, not in heaven. In Revelation 5, after the earthly history of the church is over, we see Him as the Lamb in the midst of the throne with the heavenly saints in heaven. But here He is seen on earth, in spirit of course, and as the Son of Man. And is not this what the professing church has lost— the sense of His actual presence there?

The Ancient of Days

At one time He appeared in the midst of the disciples in the upper room and proclaimed “peace be unto you” (John 20:19). But now all was changed; the Son of Man is there still, but no longer joyful and singing praises; He is the Ancient of days of Dan. 7:9-10, 22, to whom judgment is committed. So fearful was the sight that John fell at His feet as dead. But the Lord lays His hand upon John, and says, “Fear not; I am the first and the last” (Rev. 1:17). John’s eye was raised to Him who had risen as man over the whole power of the enemy. He was the Eternal Life in heaven who had been into this scene of ruin, had met the whole power of the enemy, and had overcome. If the church has so departed from its standing that it has become the object of judgment, blessed be God, the Eternal Life remains. The foundation of God stands sure, and every believer that is held by Him stands firm with Christ as partaker of His victory.

The Key of David

Christ is the true Eliakim of Isaiah 22:20-25, who has the key of David, type of the administration of David’s house, the unlocker of all his treasures, and so makes known to the church what belongs to Israel, as distinct from what belongs to the church. He opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens. He is the One who presents Himself to the church at this present time, and sets before it an open door which no man can shut. May you and I understand today how the blessed Lord is presenting Himself, so that you and I, hearing His voice, and being obedient to His word, may be found in these last days in this circle of blessing, and waiting patiently for His coming.

A. P. Cecil (adapted)

The Storms Keep Getting Stronger

The title of this article is also the partial title of an article in a recent issue of Time, following the devastation caused by hurricane Irma in late August and early September 2017, which affected the southern U.S.A. and many islands in the Caribbean. What is disconcerting, however, is that this partial title is in smaller print, while underneath is a further addition in much larger and much bolder print: “And so do we.” The import of the article is that even if the storms are getting stronger, man is learning how better to cope with them. The authors themselves explain that “a lot of smart people did a lot of things right to prevent a historic hurricane from doing historic damage.” Since hurricane Irma, two other hurricanes and two reasonably strong earthquakes have affected the North American continent, wreaking further havoc. In fact, the damage caused in Puerto Rico by hurricane Maria is so great that current predictions are that it may take six months for electrical power to be restored.

It is a fact that the storms are getting stronger. It is true that very strong hurricanes have occurred before, but they were generally few and far between. In the last few years, and especially in 2017, there have been more storms, stronger storms, and closer together. Other events too, such as earthquakes, massive amounts of rainfall with flooding, severe droughts, and tsunamis, have been more frequent in the last few years.

Doubtless the damage done not only reflects the severity and frequency of the storms, but also the increasing population of the world. Areas that were formerly somewhat sparsely populated are now heavily inhabited, and the infrastructure consequently more susceptible to damage.

Experience

It is true that man does learn from experience. The disastrous effects of hurricane Katrina back in 2005 did teach some valuable lessons, and the responses to later storms have been proportionately better. More people have been evacuated, better emergency measures have been introduced, and faster responses have resulted in better damage control.

Having said all this, however, it remains that man is no match for the power of God in creation, and with all his bravado, he realizes deep down that he can be brought to his knees rather easily. The modern world lives on two basic commodities—electricity and oil. Without electricity, computers, cash registers, cell phones, and the Internet do not work. Since modern business is controlled and transacted by these entities, without electricity it grinds to a halt. It is true that electricity can be generated by coal, oil, or nuclear power, but if these are not available, once again business and the normal activities of life cannot carry on. Flooding and other natural disasters can and do easily damage nuclear power stations, coal-fired electrical plants, and oil refineries.

God’s Warning of Judgment

What does all this mean for the world and for the believer? It means two things. First of all, God is warning this world of more severe judgments, after the believer is called home. Man may blame some of these disasters on climate change and its effects, but in the end result, there are no second causes with God. He is in control, and the storms are allowed by His hand. He is seeking to get man’s attention and to draw souls to Christ while there is still time. Our responsibility as believers is to press this on lost souls and to point out to them that all these things are portents of coming judgment on this world.

We know that after the church is called home, these natural disasters will increase during the first half of the tribulation period, as God takes down the vast commercial system that has developed in this world. At first only poorer people will be affected, but eventually all will feel it. Finally, during the great tribulation, God’s direct hand will be felt in far more severe judgments that men will readily recognize as coming from a God of judgment. All of man’s pride will be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

The Lord’s Coming

But for the believer today, all these things also say to us, “The coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:8). While He was here on earth, our Lord Jesus could warn the people that in a coming day there would be “famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” (Matt. 24:7), while in another discourse He could warn of “signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity” (Luke 21:25). We know that the complete fulfillment of all this awaits the first half of the tribulation period, after the church is called home, but already we can see God setting the stage for all this. We are entitled to “see the day approaching” (Heb. 10:25), and the day referred to is surely the day of judgment. Knowing that the Lord’s coming for us precedes the judgment, we can go peacefully on our way, knowing that our “redemption draweth nigh.” At the same time, we should have that sense of urgency that comes from a realization that “the time is short.” If Christ has given us light, we are to “walk circumspectly ... redeeming the time” (Eph. 5:14-16). The eternal rest in glory will more than make up for our efforts down here.

W. J. Prost

The Father's Only Son

Thou art the everlasting Word,

The Father’s only Son;

God manifest, God seen and heard,

The heaven’s beloved One;