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)