Introduction
It should not be forgotten, that when God gave this “Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:11The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: (Revelation 1:1)) to His servant John, the substance of this book was new; supplementary to all the revelations of Jesus which had gone before. It will be found of the first importance to bear this in mind in all our meditations on this blessed book: and, while the study of this book requires acquaintance with the whole Word of God, yet we must not confound this with the revelations which had gone before. Even the introduction is new, and different from any other book. This blessed revelation of Jesus is given of God to the servants of Jesus Christ. How marked this is! It is not to the saints in Christ Jesus, as in some of the precious epistles, but “unto his servants” (Rev. 1:11The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: (Revelation 1:1)). As the Holy Spirit has made this distinction, let us meditate a little upon it. A person may be saved, and if saved certainly a saint, forever perfected in Christ Jesus: “For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Heb. 10:1414For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)). To be thus saved is the portion of every true believer in Christ. But how few can say with Paul, “a servant of Jesus Christ; separated unto the gospel of God” (Rom. 1:11Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Romans 1:1)). Very few walked in this path with the devoted Paul. With sorrow he had to say, when speaking of many saints, “For all seek their own, and not the things which are Jesus Christ’s” (Phil. 2:2121For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. (Philippians 2:21)). What a searching word for both the writer and the reader! How far are we separated to the service of Jesus Christ?
I was going to ask you a question as to this, but before I do so, let us read Revelation 1:55And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5). You will observe this text tests you. If this is the language of your heart; if you can say to Jesus, “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood”, then surely you are saved. This is the language of none but the saved; and it is the language of all the saved. It is not unto Him and unto me. Now can you look up into heaven, and say, “There is the blessed One, who loved me and washed me from my sins in His own blood”? O how simple and how certain! I do not say, I hope He will, but it is done. If you are thus saved, then I will ask you this question, Are you a servant of Jesus Christ, apart from everything, and every human interest, and every human sect and party? What have you ever done for Jesus Christ alone? This is the question.
I was struck with a remark from a Christian lately. Speaking of a gentleman — I trust a Christian too — who gives large sums of money for sectarian uses, my friend, who knows him well, said, “I never knew him give one shilling to Christ”; or, strictly speaking, for the service of Jesus Christ alone. You may build a church, or a chapel; give largely to this interest or that; and you may never have given a cup of cold water to a disciple solely because he belongs to Christ. Is there any wonder then, since this book is a revelation of Jesus Christ to His servants — and we are all seeking our own instead of the things of Jesus Christ — I say, Can there be any wonder that this blessed book should be so little understood?
Then there is another thing of very great moment. In looking at a picture is it not important to get the right standpoint? Now what was the standpoint of the beloved John, when God gave this revelation of Jesus Christ to him? Are we companions of this servant John, “who bore record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:22Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. (Revelation 1:2))? This servant “in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus
Just in proportion as we are companions with this servant John, for the word of God — not for the theories of men, but the testimony of Jesus Christ — in that same proportion we must be shut out with him at Patmos. Is this our standpoint? Is our platform the Patmos platform? Do you say, “I do not understand the Revelation a bit?" The reason may be simply this — you live too far from Patmos. It can only be understood by the servants of Jesus Christ who live at Patmos. Are you living in that Babel world, from which the testimony of Jesus Christ must separate? Then is there any wonder that your eyesight is too dim to see the revelation of Jesus Christ? It must follow that since the great bulk of Christians in our day live in the world, and are one with it in spirit, this book must remain to them, as they say, a sealed book. Oh how sad! A young Oxford man said to me a few days ago, “I always lay aside the book of Revelation as a book not to be understood.” Think of this, always laying aside the Revelation of Jesus Christ! Then, this servant John was not only shut out of man’s world, at Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ; but he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day (Rev. 1:1010I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, (Revelation 1:10)). Now this again is all important. The human mind, however cultivated, is utterly incapable of seeing or understanding the person of Jesus Christ. The light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not. Without the Holy Spirit man never could, or can, see Jesus, and thus know the Father. My reader, let us ponder this well: it is only as you, and I, are in the Spirit, that we shall understand this blessed Revelation. Now may the Holy Spirit open your ears to hear, and give you eyes to see, this revelation of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s command to His servant John in Revelation 1:1919Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; (Revelation 1:19), is of great value, as it enables us to understand the proper division of this book. Write the things which thou hast seen. This is the first part: the things which he had seen — Jesus as Judge in the midst of the seven candlesticks, which are the seven churches. “And the things that are.” This we shall find will occupy Revelation 2 and 3. The things that are during the whole history of the present period of the Church. “And the things which shall be after, or after these” (Rev. 1:1919Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; (Revelation 1:19)). The things that shall take place after the close of Christianity, or the period of the Church, “the things that are.” This will occupy us from Revelation 4 to the end of the book. The things that are about to take place in heaven, and on earth, after the close of Christianity. Do not hasten over this verse Revelation 1:1919Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; (Revelation 1:19), for a clear understanding of these three divisions of the book will greatly help you in the study of all that follows. It is the Lord that thus divides the book.