The Revelation of Jesus Christ—that is to be the object of our occupation at this time. And while it will come to us through the book which bears that name, it is not the book as such that we are to study, but that central, inclusive, underlying thing: the revelation of Jesus Christ.
A subtitle might be: The Nature, the Battle, and the Victory of the Inheritance of Jesus Christ.
The one great triumphant cry which arises at a certain point in the procedure recorded here is, “Now is come the kingdom.” And in that phrase, everything that is in this book is gathered: His inheritance, His kingdom, His reign, His rights, His everything.
That is the governing thing in the whole. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ in that sense.
We hardly begin to read the book without the consciousness breaking upon us that we are moving into battle—a terrific thing, battle with many aspects. Yet, with all the aspects of the battle, there is one issue: His kingdom.
We are not, let me say here, going to try to go through this book. I think, at most, we shall be occupied, and that quite imperfectly, with the first chapters. But I do want to indicate, inasmuch as those chapters particularly concern the people of God, the church, at this time, that this is one phase of this great question: His inheritance, His kingdom.
We shall have to say some things about the book in general before we can come to the particular message which I feel the Lord has given for this time together.
Of course, it is a most bewildering book. Because it is so bewildering, many have given it up and, after perhaps testifying that they cannot find their way any further, have left it. It is not, therefore, a book with which a great many of the Lord’s people are familiar. It may be necessary to qualify that statement, but I repeat: it is certainly a bewildering book.
Someone said—I know, and I agree with him—“If you are not mad before you start reading it, you will be when you get to the end.” That is only a way of saying that it is not an easy book to understand. And there are reasons for that.
But I want you to remember, right at the commencement, that it is stated that there is a particular blessing attached to this book. Indeed, this is the only book in the Bible where it is so stated that there is a blessing. I do not mean that it is the only book that has a blessing, but that it definitely says there is a blessing to those who read and those who keep what is written therein.
This is a blessing that is promised to the servants of the Lord. May the Lord give us that blessing, bring that blessing to us, as we dwell in it.
Now, there are two main reasons for the difficulty found in reading and studying this book. The difficulty is due to two main things. First of all, its method—that is, its symbolism.
There are books in the Bible which have a great deal of symbolism in them, but there is no book to compare with it. It is one vast system of symbols.
If you want to do some close study, you can go through from beginning to end and see how many symbols you can find. What you will find is that everything in this created universe is taken hold of in some way or another symbolically, and used to symbolize other things—spiritual things: heaven, earth, sea, all parts and departments of the creation, every phenomenon.
It is far too vast to comprehend in a few sentences: a book full of symbols. It is not always easy to understand the symbolism, and I need not even refer to some of them.
The numbers themselves, if we should touch any one symbolic aspect, are tremendously significant and comprehensive: from one, through many particular numbers, until you get to two hundred million—ten thousand times ten thousand. All is symbolic and significant.
We figure out that the number seven occurs fifty-four times. That must mean something. You see what I mean? But all that constitutes a difficulty.
You wonder why that was necessary. Well, one or two reasons may be given. For this particular reason, it was a necessity in a time of persecution.
You notice that when hostile world rulers were in the ascendant over the people of God, symbolism was a particular feature of ministry. Take Ezekiel, and there you are crammed with symbolism—nothing to compare with this.
So here you have this time of unspeakable suffering for the people of God, in which this book was written. And because it was so dangerous to speak in plain language that the enemy could recognize and understand, symbolism was resorted to, and only the instructed would understand.
That is significant in itself. You see, Rome was the great hostile power. The people of God were suffering at this time as they had never suffered before at the hands of Rome. But you do not find the word Rome mentioned. Rome has to be covered up with another name: Babylon.
It was necessary to speak amongst themselves in a way in which they would understand and the world would not. And that should bring a sympathetic note into our approach to the Word: a language amongst the Lord’s people which only they understand—but they do understand. The world does not understand.
But then another difficulty, which has arisen since then and is with us today in relation to this book, is the many schools of interpretation.
There are at least six different schools of interpretation of this book. I am not even going to name them. I could only confuse many of you, and it would not be at all helpful at this time. But there they are: at least six separate schools of interpretation, and very few of them agreeing with each other on more than a point or two.
Volumes upon volumes have been written, saying, “This is the meaning,” or, “This is the meaning,” all in conflict with one another. We find ourselves these days in the midst of that kind of thing, and it is exceedingly bewildering.
You might well give it up, as Martin Luther did. He said, “This book is all rubbish, nonsense. No one will ever be able to understand it.” Well, all right—throw the blessing away. That was a blessing. However, that is one of the difficulties in taking up this book and pursuing it.
You will not imagine that I am going to adopt any one of the six. And I do trust you will not think for a moment that I am going to give you an improvement upon them all, or think that I can.
You will have to go on patiently with me and see whether the way in which we approach it is a way of blessing, a way of spiritual helpfulness. And I would ask you this one thing: believe that I am not seeking to give some private interpretation, but seeking to get right through all this to the real blessing that is in this book.
If we can come out at the end with that, then we shall have been justified in tackling it.
Well now, what about the nature and the purpose of the whole book? It is quite clear that this book contains, or presents, the consummation of all the ages and the consummation of this age.
I use that word carefully: the consummation of the ages and the consummation of this age. This book comprehends the whole Bible and bounds all history. It comprehends creation, redemption, and perdition. It embraces God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
It embraces man and his history, and the purpose of his being. It embraces the history and the doom of Satan.
It will impress you, I am sure, when I tell you that there are no less than four hundred allusions to the Old Testament in this book. A little bit of study for you. I mention it in order to bear out what I have said: this is a consummation, a gathering up of everything unto the end.
But when we have said all such things and recognized that they are all true, one question arises: Is there one thing that interprets and explains everything in this book?
And the answer is yes. There is one all-inclusive issue running from beginning to end. It is the purpose of God as to the eternal government of this universe, and this earth in particular—the issue and question of the government of God’s creation through eternal ages.
That explains everything that is here. You have to read backward, of course, from the end of the book, but all has moved toward that. Steady movement through every phase and aspect until, at the end:
I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven.
Here you have the metropolis, a centre of government. That is the end: the government of everything established again, in symbolic representation, in the holy city. For that implies government.
I say everything in the book moves toward that. You have to read everything from the beginning onward in the light of that final, wonderful issue. Who is going to govern God’s created universe through all ages of eternity? How is that government going to be reached? And what is the nature of that government? Those are the questions answered in this book.
How great it is! But when you come to the city—that is, the realization of this great divine object, government of all things as from heaven—you find that government is just as much a matter of character or nature as it is of power.
That is a very important thing to remember. It is not only an issue of authority established at last—an iron-hand government and control. It is the government of a certain kind of nature.
A city is the embodiment not only of strength, but of character, of nature—everything that is precious in the sight of God. And those two things are brought together, and they run through this whole book.
Those two things are implicit in the first chapters, as we shall see in the presentation of the Son of Man Himself, and then in the messages to the churches. So they go on: it is reaching the place of ascendancy by conformity to a certain nature.
A tremendous thing: to come to that nature, to that character. There is no less question at issue in the nature of things than the government of this universe. What kind of thing will it be that comes at last? That is the big question.
So page after page is dealing with that—page after page, page after page. It is not just the crashing of something and the mastery of a thing. It is the getting rid of a certain character and nature and kind, to put in its place another kind.
Remember, it is a law always: the power is Thy character, and not Thy office. So it is here. It is a tremendous question, this matter of ascendancy, and therefore of government and dominion.
I say again, it governs everything through this book. In a word, it is the nature of God’s Son as Son of Man standing over everything: He in Person and divinely appointed destiny, but He particularly in character. That brings everything under it.
Now, this great issue of government—is it necessary for me to say here that if ever there was a time in the history of this cosmos when the conflict, the battle, for the government of this universe was raging, that time is now?
We are all very conscious of the work to get control of this world and all that has to do with it—a tremendous battle raging as to who, and what, is going to have the dominion here. That only needs to be said to draw out a response and an assent of recognition. It is on.
And the point of concentration of this conflict is the church, the people of God.
In some parts, from without, in an outward way, they are in it. But if it is not by outward persecution, spiritual people are conscious of tremendous spiritual pressure and conflict in these days, which is increasing. Yes, it is heightened. This is the issue.
What is going to emerge on top at last? What kind of a thing will it be? That is the question. But this issue, take up the whole book again, is shown to be related to five things.
First of all, it is related to the very purpose of God in creation: that there should be something answering to His heart and to His mind, to His heart for His full satisfaction in the works of His hands.
Revelation 4 takes up, as you know, that creational aspect of the great song in heaven which bursts forth in that connection:
Thou didst create all things;
And because of Thy will they were, and were created.
The song of a redeemed creation shows that it is all centred in the throne now. That chapter brings you right up into heaven. Everything is up there, and the throne is set, and everything is around that throne. The song, in the first instance, is the song of a redeemed creation centred in the throne.
The meaning of the creation is a creation absolutely united, with the throne at its centre. That is the purpose of creation.
And then the book moves to show that this issue, this great issue of government, is God’s purpose in redemption. Of course, Revelation 5 carries the thing further. It is still the scene in heaven, but here the emphasis is upon redemption.
The second great song is, “Thou hast redeemed.” The throne is at the centre of redemption. Redemption has brought the throne to its place—government by redemption. More to say about this as we go on.
In the third place, this great purpose of world and universal government is shown to be God’s purpose concerning His Son. The place that He occupies throughout is supreme. Everything is working toward that end, where He is Lord of all and in all things has the pre-eminence.
The book sees Him riding forth in majesty, ruling, as we shall see, in a way that indicates universal Lordship: God’s purpose concerning His Son, the government of this world and of this universe.
In the fourth place, this great purpose of dominion is shown to be God’s purpose in choosing and raising up Israel as a nation: that in an earthly way Israel should set forth the principles of heavenly government, all focused in God’s Son.
That is why Israel was raised up, and that is touched upon here. But Israel put the Son out, and Israel in turn was put out. The place that Israel occupies today, most tragically, simply is that they failed in the purpose of God concerning His Son—His absolute kingship and Lordship.
And then, in the fifth connection, the book shows that this great issue of dominion is bound up with the church—the church. The church comes in here. It is not Christ in solitary isolation; it is the church with Him in government eventually.
Well, you see how comprehensive the issue is, this book gathering all that up. Here is the final recovery of God’s eternal intentions, and it shows that it will be.
The large place given to prophecy in this book, as you know, is gathered up right at the end in this way:
The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show unto His servants the things which must shortly come to pass.
Then there is this: the keeping of the prophecy of this book. And most of you know that prophetic ministry always had one thing in view: recovery of God’s thought—recovery.
And inasmuch as this book has so much of the prophetic aspect in it, it indicates that that is what is in view. It is recovering. Something has been lost. Something has been lost, and that is going to be recovered.
Something of divine purpose and intention has been lost, and God, in this book, is seen as set and giving Himself to the recovery of that which has been lost of His intention and will concerning this creation and the church.
Some mighty, mighty issue is being fought out, shall we say, through the pages of this book.
Just to take a few minutes on that point alone, we will leave it for the morning. A revelation had been given by God in the old dispensation, in the Old Testament.
It does not need anyone to be very well instructed to see that, as you read the Old Testament from the beginning of Genesis right to the last chapter of Malachi, one thing involved in the whole story is this question of government—dominion, rulership, sovereignty, control of this world.
Everybody knows that there is one continuous battle raging: ups and downs, fluctuations. Sometimes one power is in the ascendant, sometimes another. Sometimes the Lord’s people are in their right place of dominion; at other times they are in subjugation.
Sometimes the Lord’s people are in their right place of dominion. At other times, they are in subjugation, and antagonistic powers are in the ascendant. But this runs and ranges through all those Old Testament generations.
God had left no one in doubt as to what His mind about it was and His purpose. It was all there. A revelation had been given.
It had been given in the New Testament. Mark you, when we come to the book of Revelation, we are at the end of the first Christian century. In all probability, it was written in the nineties of the first century. And the revelation had been given in the New Testament: a revelation of God’s intentions, God’s purpose, God’s thought for the government of this world.
And that revelation had been, in a particular and peculiar way, concentrated in the ministry of the Apostle Paul. It had come through Paul in fullness and, shall we say, in consummation.
If you want to know about the ages of the ages, and God’s thought concerning Jesus Christ therein, and the church, it is to Paul you go. It has been given. It has been given.
And, significantly enough, it was given in the main to the churches in Asia—to the churches in Asia. We have Ephesians, Colossians. It had been given.
It had been lost. It had been let go. “All they which are in Asia turned away from me.” It had been let go.
God has given the deposit of a full revelation of His intention from eternity concerning His Son, concerning the church, and concerning the ultimate government of this universe. That has been let go.
Now the book of Revelation comes in to show God’s reaction to that—to recover. And, significantly enough, He will begin with the churches in Asia.
Where the greatest responsibility rests, where the greatest light has been given, where the knowledge of God’s will has been most fully revealed, there God will begin. He always does. He always does begin there, at the point of the greatest responsibility: to recover, to recover.
And while I anticipate a little, let me point out to you at this point that He is going to have that which does represent His recovery. In the churches, He may not find a full, complete response by all the people of God, but He will have that which does answer to “him that overcometh.”
What God may not have in the whole, He will have in a part.
I was reading a book by a New Testament scholar this week—not one we would call a spiritually minded person, but one of profound knowledge in things as to the Bible—and I came upon this. I think it is worth reading at this point.
He says, “We have made reference to the thought of a remnant.” He is speaking about the faith of Israel, the history of Israel.
The community as a whole could be narrowed down to a part which could represent the whole and continue its inheritance. This idea of a remnant is found throughout the whole Bible. It is not confined to the prophets, though they say much about it.
In the story of the flood, Noah and his family constitute a remnant in whom the divine creative purpose is concentrated and preserved. The blessing promised to Abraham and his seed was limited to one of his sons, Isaac.
In the time of Elijah, we read about a righteous remnant of seven thousand which had not bowed the knee to Baal. This idea is found in Isaiah, in Jeremiah, in Ezekiel, in Amos, in Micah.
Sometimes the remnant is thought of as bringing about the sparing of the whole community.
Is not that tremendous? If God could have found ten righteous in Sodom, the whole community would have been safe.
Sometimes the remnant itself is spared to convey to a future generation the knowledge of God’s will. It is always thought of as a corporate body and not just so many individuals. Wherever it appears, the remnant is for that moment the people of God, heirs of the promises and heirs of the revelation of God’s purpose.
Do you think that is magnificent? Carry that over here. See it gathered into the overcomers at the end.
See, on one side, what a responsibility rests upon them; what a need the Lord has for such; what a tremendous thing is bound up with them. No less an issue than God’s eternal intention concerning His Son, concerning the church, and the government of this universe.
It seems perhaps presumptuous to think that we here, a little company, insignificant people in this world, might, as a part of others in the larger and deeper line of divine progress—it might be, dear friends, I put it this way—it might be that that is why we are here at this very time.
If we were to speak of the conflict that has preceded this time, the raging of the forces of evil, and all the determination to make the continuance of this testimony and ministry possible, we are driven to ask one question: What can it mean? What can it mean? What are we? What do we amount to?
The answer must be this: Has God abandoned His intention? And if not, He still seeks to have those who know what that is and who come into line with it.
And forgive me—and I know I shall need a lot of forgiveness in some realms for saying it—but it is just possible that a gathering, just a handful here these days, has no less a significance in it than God’s desire to make known to His people that He has not given up His original purpose concerning His Son and the church.
If I should be right, may the Lord give to us a due sense of the tremendous significance of any time like this, when He chooses to speak to us again about this matter of supreme paramount importance: His inheritance in His Son, the kingdom of His Son, His Son’s place in this universe for all eternal ages, and an instrument to His hand for the expression of His government and the administering of His kingdom.
No, I have not said, and I am not thinking of saying, that we are the people for that. But that is the Lord’s thought for as many of the church universal as will give Him the response that He seeks when He says:
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
I venture to say to you, dear friends, that we are gathered in no small matter. May the Lord give us eyes to see, as we go on, how this is to be, how He works it out, and on what ground: in the revelation of Jesus Christ.