This epistle sets out the truth of justification by faith.
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1TIMOTHY 3:1-15
THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY CHAPTER 3, VERSES 1 TO 7:
3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
3:7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
SURVEY OF THE CHAPTER
Verses 1-13 of this chapter form the third charge that Timothy was to pass on to the assembly at Ephesus. In verse 1-7 there is instruction concerning elders, and in verses 8-13 instructions concerning deacons. Paul had told the elders of the assembly at Ephesus that there were problems ahead for them, and men would rise up speaking perverse things. Because of this they were to be watchful. See Acts 20:31. This came to pass, hence the need for the instructions given here, only five years later.
Verses 14-16 form the third charge to Timothy himself, as is seen from the words, “these things write I unto thee”, (bearing in mind “thee” is singular). Timothy was to be encouraged by the charge to him, and then pass on the instruction to the assembly at Ephesus where he was in fellowship.
The whole of the epistle is about behaviour in the house of God, verse 15. Since Paul was writing to Timothy in the context of the needs in the assembly at Ephesus, the house of God in this context is the local church.
STRUCTURE OF THE CHAPTER
| (a) | Verses 1-7 | Qualifications of true elders. |
| (b) | Verses 8-13 | Qualifications of true deacons. |
| (c) | Verses 14,15 | Third charge to Timothy. |
| (d) | Verse 16 | Truth about Christ to be declared and defended. |
God requires that His house be orderly, and elders are responsible to Him for this. They should remember that they must give account at the Judgement Seat of Christ, Hebrews 13:17.
Various words are used for elders in the New Testament:
(a) Elder: Here the emphasis is on spiritual maturity, even if younger in years. Age is not specified in the qualifications, although we should bear in mind the word literally means “an old man”, but some are more mature at a younger age than others. A believer may be physically old, but not be an elder, either because he has not long been saved; or he has not matured, even though saved quite a while; or he is disqualified because he cannot meet the requirements this passage lays down.
(b) Pastor: Here the emphasis is on shepherd-care and teaching. Paul had exhorted the Ephesian elders to “feed the flock of God”, Acts 20:28. The Lord Jesus exhorted Peter to “feed My sheep”, John 21:16.
(c) Bishop, or overseer: Here the emphasis is on watchfulness and supervision. The Greek word is “epi-skopos”, to look over. Paul exhorted the Ephesian elders to watch, for there were enemies of the flock at hand. It is significant that the blind man was given his sight in John 9, and then the Lord Jesus spoke of Himself as the Good Shepherd in chapter 10. The once-blind man was potentially a watchful shepherd. He had showed great courage in confronting the Pharisees in chapter 9, and these were the wolves that would not spare the flock, see John 10:12; Acts 20:28-31. True shepherds do not avoid issues, but confront them.
Reasons for the list of qualifications:
(a) The apostles would soon be gone, (symbolised by Paul saying goodbye to the elders, saying he would not see them again, Acts 20: 38). There needs to be written instruction in their absence. It is not true that because there are no apostles today we cannot have elders. The apostles did not produce elders, or even authorise them, for these are Divine operations. This list is from the Lord through the apostles, and guides us now that they are gone.
(b) Paul had warned of men speaking perverse things, so we may use this list of features found in true shepherds to expose these “hirelings”, John 10:12.
(c) It sets out goals for younger men, showing plainly the high standard which is required of those who lead the people of God. The features mentioned in these verses are not developed overnight.
(d) It prepares young sisters for the possibility that they will marry a brother who will one day be an elder. The work of an elder will demand time and effort, and the elder’s wife must be aware of that and be sympathetic to it.
(d) It is a constant reminder to current elders. Serious lapses will have to be rebuked, 5:20, so elders need to “take heed therefore unto yourselves”, as Paul said to the Ephesian elders. They are to be “examples to the flock”, 1 Peter 5:3, so their character and conduct should be without blame.
In New Testament times, there was a plurality of elders in one assembly, as will be seen from Acts 20:17; Titus 1:5. It was only at a later date, when Scripture was departed from, that men asserted themselves so as to be the sole leader of a church. A further departure was to have one bishop over several churches. Then came the concept of an archbishop, which certainly has no sanction in the Word of God. It is only those who think lightly of God’s word that will go along with this idea. We need to continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship; for that is God’s standard for us.
The following are quotations from well-known writers and historians of the English “Established Church”:
Dean Alford: “The bishops of the New Testament have officially nothing to do with our bishops”.
Dr J. B. Lightfoot: “In the apostolic writings “bishop” and “presbyter”, (that is, overseer and elder), are only different designations of one and the same office”.
Dr Ellicott spoke of “the undoubted historical fact of the development of what we call the episcopate in the early part of the second century”.
Dr Handley Moule: “the title “bishop” in the New Testament does not denote a minister ruling over other ministers; this is generally admitted: he is the bishop not of the shepherds but of the flock. One local church might have several bishops”
“By the close of the second century a definite episcopacy in the latter sense of the word appears”.
Dean Stanley: “nothing like modern episcopacy existed before the close of the first century”.
Dr Hatch: “the diocesan system, as it now exists, is the effect of a series of historical circumstances. It is impossible to defend every part of it as being primitive”.
In view of these quotations, the Church of England is self-condemned, and should be separated from.
How we meet is important, for our God is the God of order, for “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints”, 1 Corinthians 14:33. So all churches should be ordered the same; they will be if they are guided only by Scripture. “One-man-ministry” and “clergy and laity” are left-overs from the Old Testament temple system. That has vanished away, as Hebrews 8:13 makes clear. All who continue with it are not in the good of what God has introduced in Christ.
It might be asked, how are elders appointed?
Consider the following:
1. The apostle addressed the elders of the assembly at Ephesus as those “over the which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers”, Acts 20:28.
2. The Spirit indicated who were elders through the apostles at first, for they “ordained them elders in every church”, Acts 14:23. The word “them” refers to the believers, not the apostles. It was the believers who needed elders, so the apostles pointed out what was there already.
3. Then through Timothy and Titus with apostolic authority, Titus 1:5. (Note elders, plural, in every church).
4. Now through this passage, and also Titus 1:6-9 and 1 Peter 5:1-4.
So there is no room for self-appointment, for that would make a man “he that climbeth up some other way”, John 10:1. Nor is it appointment by existing elders, although they should be alert for the signs of a true elder as they manifest themselves in younger men. It is certainly not a successional system, with sons taking over from fathers.
The assembly should recognise the evidence of the Spirit’s work in a man. If he matches verses1-7, and desires the work, he is an elder- even if some do not acknowledge him as such. If he does not have the qualifications, then he is not an elder, even if some do acknowledge him as such, and he meets with those who are elders. Believers are to obey true elders, but they have no obligation to obey those who clearly have not the qualifications. In such a situation, the true elders should rise to the occasion and deal with the matter.
With these things in mind, we come to the teaching of the apostle on this important matter:
(a) Verses 1-7 Qualifications of true elders.
3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
3:1 This is a true saying- that is, is in line with “the faith” that is to be declared and defended by the local assembly. A true saying will correspond to the standard represented by “the faith”, that is, the whole body of apostolic doctrine.
If a man desire- so it is not forced upon him. As the apostle Peter put it, “not by constraint, but willingly”, 1 Peter 5:2. Those who are unwilling will soon tire of the work, or will give up when difficult decisions have to be made.
The office of a bishop- this is all one word, meaning overseership. The word office suggests work, which it is, first and foremost. The word bishop is in the singular here because verses 1-7 describe a particular sort of man. These are not qualifications that are distributed amongst the elders, for each individual must have them all.
He desireth a good work- so it is not a rank but a work. Good work needs good men to do it, hence the personal qualities required are listed next in verses 2-7.
3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3:2 A bishop then must be blameless- because it is a good work, it must not be spoiled. An elder leads by example, just as in Bible times a shepherd went ahead of the flock. The sheep keep their eye on him and are safe. The Lord acted as shepherd to David, and led him in the paths of righteousness, Psalm 23:3. The word blameless means not open to just censure. An elder should not be held to ransom by those who make base-less charges. All believers ought to be blameless, but the elders must be.
Sober- that is, not given to excesses of any kind. We are all exhorted to “gird up the loins of your mind, be sober”, 1 Peter 1:13, and this is especially true of elders.
Of good behaviour- as noticed, the true shepherd walks in front of flock, and leads by good example. The elders should not do what the flock should not do.
Given to hospitality- this is literally “love of strangers”, for public inns were often not suitable for believers in those times, as indeed today. It is increasingly difficult for believers to find suitable accommodation and food, so Christian travellers should be helped, even if they are unknown. “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers”, is the word in Hebrews 13:2. And the possibility is held out that the unknown believer given food and shelter might indeed be an angel in disguise. Just because the word literally means “love of strangers”, we should not think the help in view should be limited to those we do not know. Is it consistent to entertain strangers, but not the believers you know?
Apt to teach- coming, as it does, in between “entertain” and “not given to wine”, this can include teaching given at home, as well as in the assembly. This is in private conversation. An example of this is found in Aquila and Priscilla, who taught Apollos the way of God more perfectly in their home, for we read that having heard Apollos preach in the synagogue, they “took him unto them”. This does not lend support to the idea of the assembly splitting up into house groups, which often is just an excuse to escape from assembly order. It is the norm for all the believers to come together into one place, 1 Corinthians 14:23.
Elders are expected to know the truth and teach it. The good elder/shepherd will cause the flock to “lie down in green pastures”. He will be a one to “feed you with knowledge and understanding”, Jeremiah 3:15, as a good pastor. An assembly should not need to import teachers from elsewhere all the time, although teachers are given to the whole church, so have their place, Ephesians 4:11.
3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
3:3 Not given to wine- wine-drinking is not prohibited, for Paul counsels it in 5:23 for Timothy where he advises him, (no doubt informed on the matter by Luke, the beloved physician), to “use a little wine”, for medicinal purposes. The Lord Jesus supplied wine at His first miracle in John 2 and manifested His glory thereby. So wine in itself is not evil, but it is the excessive drinking of it that is wrong.
We should remember that in ancient times the water supply was not always very safe, hence wine filled a need. The water supply is safe in the developed world, so we do not need to drink wine out of necessity Wine is not needed by those who are filled with the Spirit, Ephesians 5:18, for their satisfaction comes from spiritual things, and these cannot be produced by winedrinking.
No striker- violent behaviour is not becoming to those who follow the one who did no violence, Isaiah 53:9. Those with moral authority have no need to use force anyway. The true shepherd has a rod and a staff, to comfort the sheep, not to terrify them. The ancient shepherds used their rod to beat off those who would attack the sheep. In this way the sheep would be comforted by the courage of their shepherd, knowing he would defend them at all times. Paul warned the Ephesian elders that grievous wolves would come, and they must be alert to this possibility.
Not greedy of filthy lucre- this is base gain of any sort, not just financial. A man might be greedy for fame, influence, or money. If he is like that in character, he will have no time for caring for flock; he will be too busy with other things.
But patient- he must be this with all men personally, lest the world arrive at a false view of Christ. He must be patient, too, with saints when teaching them, for some are slow to learn. We see this illustrated in the “Good Shepherd” chapter, John 10. Having introduced the subject of the true shepherd of the sheep, the Pharisees did not understand. So we read, “Then said Jesus unto them again”, verse 7. He did not walk away because they did not grasp his meaning the first time.
Not a brawler- this would mean not just being aggressive physically, but with words. The true elder will be able to make truth known without being forceful.
Not covetous- covetousness not only breaks the tenth commandment, but it is contrary to the spirit of Christianity. So much so that Paul exhorts later in the epistle that we withdraw ourselves from those who suggest that gain is godliness, as it was in the law-age, 6:5. Then, wealth was a sign of God’s blessing. Christ “became poor”, and thereby gave character to the gospel-age, which is marked by God giving “His unspeakable gift”.
3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
3:4 One that ruleth well his own house- this is the training ground for those who have a desire to care for the flock of God. An elder’s household should be orderly, as he superintends with kindly authority. Even a Persian king knew that “every man should bear rule in his own house”, Esther 1:22. The husband is to rule the house, and his wife is to “guide the house”, 5:14. They thus complement one another.
Having his children in subjection with all gravity- children should be controlled, not running wild. It is not in their best interests to be undisciplined and lawless, apart from the stain on the testimony.
3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
3:5 For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?- this is irresistible logic. If a comparable but lesser task is not done well, the greater task will not be given. Note the change from “rule” to “take care”. The Christian father has authority from God to command his children, but he has not that sort of authority over the saints of God. He is to “command and teach” the word of God, 4:11, but the command is from the Lord, not from him.
3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
3:6 Not a novice- this is one who is inexperienced, one to whom Christian things are new. This may be because he is newly saved, or because he has not advanced in the things of God very far. This does not mean that a person must have had every experience before he can function as an elder, for Scripture gives us experiences of others, and the other elders may have gone through that experience and so may pass on their wisdom about it.
Lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil- if the one “full of wisdom”, Lucifer himself, could fall, the novice certainly can. See Luke 18:14. The condemnation of the Devil is the judgement the Devil received because he exalted himself in pride. He was cast out of heaven.
3:7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
3:7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without- his conduct must not attract just criticism. Of course, unbelievers are quick to find fault, but they must not be able to rightly do so. We should be “blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among ye shine as lights in the world”, Philippians 2:15.
Lest he fall into the reproach and snare of the devil- in verse 6 it is what Devil received because of pride, now we are warned as to what an elder falls into if he is not without reproach. Satan fell from his place, the elder can fall from his. The reproach is the consequence in the eyes of others, and God, of failure in testimony towards unbelievers, or as the apostle describes them here, “them that are without”, that is, outside the assembly. The snare of the Devil is the trap the Devil lays, into which the elder falls. How important it is that an elder should “take heed” to himself, as well as to the flock, Acts 20:28.
THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY CHAPTER 3, VERSES 8 TO 13:
3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
3:9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
3:10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
3:11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
3:13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
(b) Verses 8-13 Qualifications of true deacons.
Godly order in the Father’s household is further maintained by deacons. The word deacon used here is “diakonos”, having the idea of a servant with emphasis on his work. Paul used this word in Romans 15:8 when he wrote, “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God”. So even though the deacon is a worker, he has a dignity about him, because the work he does is from God, as Christ’s was. The usual word for those who serve God is “doulos”, and all believers are this. We should not confuse these two ideas, and call ministers of the word, for instance, the “Servants of God”, as if that was a use of the word “doulos”, and in that way suggest that other believers do not serve God.
A deacon is a person formally appointed to perform a specific task. Some deacons are appointed by God, but others are appointed by believers, hence we need a list of qualifications to guide us.
Deacons in the New Testament churches of two sorts, as indicated in Acts 6.
(a) Those who “serve tables”, Acts 6:2, meaning, in this context, those who were administering help for needy widows. This is called in verse 1 “the daily ministration”. Those who provide the resources should be involved in the choice of this sort of deacon, as we read happened in Acts 6:3. There is other deacon service, of course, such as having dealing with the gifts the saints have given. We see this in 1 Corinthians 16:3, where there were those who were appointed to journey to the apostle with a gift for needy saints. The same sort of thing is referred to in 2 Corinthians 8:19.
The deacons chosen were all men, but Phoebe is called a deacon in Romans 16:1,2. Phoebe was a deaconess in the assembly at Cenchrea. The apostle commends her for her work of being a succourer of many. The word “succourer” has legal connections. It was a word used in Athens of those seeking the welfare of aliens who were without civic rights. And it was used amongst the Jews of wealthy patronesses, those who provide resources for the destitute. This was her work as a deaconess, and she discharged her responsibilities well, hence the commendation of the apostle.
(b) Those who minister the word. The reference in Acts 6:4 is to the apostles, for they ministered the word, and the word is “diaconia”, the work of a deacon. Those who minister the word are appointed by Christ Himself, for it is the Word of God that is dispensed. In this case, the qualifications enable the saints to recognise false teachers, for false teaching always manifests itself in false behaviour. “By their fruits ye shall know them”, see Matthew 7:15-20.
It is interesting to notice that the same qualifications are needed for a minister of material things as are needed for a minister of spiritual things. This indicates the high standards the Lord expects of those who serve him. Just because a believer is “only serving tables”, that is no excuse for laxity of character.
3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave- as with elders, these are things the deacon must be. They must not be casual about their work for the Lord, but take it seriously.
Not double-tongued- it is vital that those who minister the word of God are consistent. They should not say one thing on the platform and another privately. Or one thing in one assembly and another thing elsewhere.
Not given to much wine- the work of God demands clear thinking. The same remarks as were made about verse 3 are applicable here.
Not greedy of filthy lucre- those who are deacons must not expect monetary reward. If they are entrusted with the saints’ money they must have no tendency to dishonesty.
3:9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
3:9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience- this must be true of both sorts of deacon, as is seen in Stephen. Those who hold error in their hearts will sooner or later fail, to the harm of the testimony.
3:10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
3:10 And let these also first be proved- that is, let their character be tested against the requirements listed here, before they are entrusted with the task. It is not a question of being given a probation period to see whether they are able to do the work. Those Divinely enabled will not need this, although of course they will get better as they continue to serve.
Then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless- the testing has found no cause for concern. Blameless is the description of those who have no disqualifying features that make them unfit for the task.
3:11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
3:11 Even so must their wives- the plural pronoun might include the wife of an elder as well.
Be grave- serious-minded, like their husbands, verse 2.
Not slanderers- speaking evil of others, when the husband is trying to speak well of the Lord. The two do not go together.
Sober- a different word to that used in verse 2. This word means to be vigilant, alert to anything in their lives which spoils Christian testimony.
Faithful in all things- loyal to the Lord, and loyal to their husbands. Their character must not undermine the work of their husbands.
3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well- the same requirements as for elders, showing the high standard required of all. This shows the high value God puts on godly Christian households.
3:13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
3:13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well- they value the opportunity of serving the Lord and His people, and discharge their responsibilities faithfully.
Purchase to themselves a good degree- acquire a reputation for faithfulness and integrity. Needless to say “purchase” does not mean buy with money, for we learn from Acts 8:18-24 that spiritual things cannot be bought. The idea is of gaining a firm hold of something. A carpenter may have difficulty removing a rusty screw because he cannot get any purchase on it, meaning his screwdriver will not grip it. A good degree is a high level of beneficial influence in the assembly, which the deacon obtains because of the strong grasp of the truths of the faith he has acquired.
And great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus- because they have the confidence of God’s people, true deacons have moral authority to uphold Divine principles. This word is used of Peter and John when they appeared before the Jewish authorities in Acts 4:1-14. They perceived that “they had been with Jesus”, meaning they were recognised as the two disciples that had been in the Palace of the High Priest the night the Lord Jesus was arrested, John 18:15. Peter had not been bold then, but was afraid before the accusation of a servant-maid. But he was anything but afraid when he is confronted with the hierarchy of Israel, and this is what surprised them. The secret of their boldness was the fact that their faith was under-girded by the resurrection of Christ; this gave them certainty and assurance.
THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY CHAPTER 3, VERSES 14 AND 15:
3:14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
(c) Verses 14,15 Third charge to Timothy.
His behaviour in the House of God.
3:14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
3:14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly- so the epistle is a personal word to Timothy in the first instance, to encourage and authorise him in the assembly in Ephesus. The epistle sets out what Paul would say if present. This is a great blessing to us now, for we have no excuse for ignorance as to the mind of God.
3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself- this is guidance for Timothy as he acts for the apostle. This shows the importance the apostle attached to the things about which he writes. They are not a matter of indifference, to be lightly cast aside. Nor are they matters which may be delayed in their application. Some wish to translate the phrase “how thou oughtest to behave”, as “how one ought to behave”, making it more general, but the Authorised Version, as ever, is correct. We may learn from this charge to Timothy, but it is directed to him, as is seen from the use of the singular pronoun “thee” in the previous verse. Making it general obscures the sense. In any case the matters dealt with in the epistle are not comprehensive, (there is no mention of the Lord’s Supper, for instance), but consist of matters in connection with which the believers at Ephesus needed adjustment. So whilst the epistle is valuable to us, it is first of all an epistle to Timothy, and we learn from it when seen in that light.
In the house of God- Timothy was directed to remain with the assembly at Ephesus, 1:3, so this is what is referred to here. The first mention of a house is in Genesis 7:1, where God says to Noah, “come thou and thy house into the ark”, so by the “law of first mention” we learn that “house” means the people in the household. Here the reference is to the house of God, so those who are born again, and therefore have the life of God in their souls, make up the house or household of God.
We may say the following things about the House of God:
(a) It consists of those in the family of God, being born again. “As living stones, are built up a spiritual house”, 1 Peter 2:5.
(b) It is the place where God’s presence is known. When Jacob was on his journey to Padan-Aram, he came to a place he afterwards called “Bethel”, meaning “House of God”, for he came to realise because of the dream he had, that “surely the Lord is in this place…this is none other but the house of God”, Genesis 28:16,17.
(c) It is where heavenly things can be reached, for Jacob said, “this is the gate of heaven”.
(d) It is where God’s Son administers as Firstborn, “but Christ as a Son over His (God’s) house, whose house are we”, Hebrews 3:6.
(e) It is ideally the place where the Father’s will is carried out, as is suggested by the words, “how thou oughtest to behave”. As the Father of the house, God has every right to order and discipline His house, so that it functions for His honour.
Every true believer is in the good of these things, but it is God’s desire that believers should gather together as an assembly, so that the teaching of the apostles may be applied to their conduct. The believers at Ephesus were gathered as an assembly, and Timothy was to serve God amongst them. This is God’s ideal.
Which is the church of the living God- this is a further aspect of the house of God, the local assembly. If “house” speaks of relationship, with the implication that those in the house have the life of the Father, then “church of the Living God” speaks of their responsibility to express that life. If He is the living God, then He can be relied upon to support and strengthen His people to maintain something for Him in a locality.
The Greek word rendered church is made up of two parts, the first meaning “out of”, the second meaning “a calling”. The two together indicate a called out company of people, separated from men in general and called together for specific purposes. The gospel calls out from the world. Christ calls together to Himself.
The use of the word “church”
The word is used in four main senses in the New Testament, but not always in connection with Christians. A brief look, however, at the way the word is used in other senses will help us to see why the Holy Spirit took it up to use in relation to believers.
The word is used in the following ways:
1. By Stephen, Acts 7:38, of the nation of Israel when they were in the wilderness.
2. By the town-clerk of Ephesus, Acts19:39, of a company of unbelievers.
3. By the Lord Jesus and His apostles of all the Christians of this present age, Matthew 16:18, Colossians 1:18.
4. By the Lord Jesus and His apostles of the Christians who meet together in a particular locality, Matthew 18:17, 1 Corinthians 1:2.
The first two uses of the word will help us to understand the last use, which is our present subject. A reading of the passages mentioned above will clearly show that the word church is never used of a material building. It is also clear from 1 Corinthians 5:2,13, that it is possible to be a true believer, and therefore in the church which is Christ’s body, and yet not be in a local church, either because one has been put away from it, or has never joined.
Stephen’s use of the word church
Stephen uses the word church of the nation of Israel because they were a called-out company. They had been redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb, as described in Exodus 12; “baptised” in the Red Sea, Exodus 14:21,22; 1 Corinthians 10:1,2; and brought to the foot of Mount Sinai to listen to God’s word, Exodus 19:17, 20:1. As such they give to us an illustration of those in this age who have been called out of the world by the Gospel; redeemed by the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God; baptised in water to signify, amongst other things, allegiance to Him; and gathered together as a church in a locality to bow to the authority of the word of God. This illustration should not be pressed too far, however, or else we shall arrive at the unscriptural notion that since infants crossed the Red Sea, then infant baptism is in order. The Scriptures are crystal clear that this is not the case.
The use of the word by the town clerk.
The town clerk of Ephesus used the word in its secular sense in Acts 19:39, when he spoke of a “lawful assembly”. The townsfolk would understand that he meant by this a gathering of those possessing civic rights in a free Greek city, who were called together for the carrying out of public affairs. Strangers, and those deprived of citizenship, could not be part of such a called out company.
Characteristics of the members of a local church.
When we put these two uses of the word together, and apply them to a local church, we can say it has the following characteristics:
Only believers. It is composed only of those who have responded to the call of God in the Gospel, and have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, just as a civic assembly did not include strangers.
Only those sound in doctrine and morals. It is composed only of those who have not forfeited their rights because of moral or doctrinal evil, just as a civic assembly did not consist of those who had been deprived of the rights of citizenship through misconduct.
Only those baptised. It is composed only of those who have been baptised by immersion in water after they were saved, just as all the people of Israel went through the Red Sea to get to the wilderness.
Only those subject to God’s Word. It is composed only of those who are prepared to submit to the authority of the Word of God, just as Israel gathered at the foot of Mount Sinai to hear God speaking to them, and then said “all that the Lord hath spoken we will do”, Exodus 19:8. Moses called that day “The day of the assembly”, Deuteronomy 9:10.
Only those who have joined. It is composed only of those who have been exercised in heart to join, just as the Israelites had been exercised in heart to sprinkle the blood, cross the sea, and gather at Sinai. When Paul went to Jerusalem, he “assayed to join himself to the disciples”, Acts 9:26. The word for join means to cement, or glue, and therefore indicates an act of commitment, not the start of a casual relationship.
Returning to our passage in 1 Timothy 3, we may draw some contrasts between the worshippers of the goddess Dian at Ephesus, and the worshippers of God.
The Ephesian idolators worshipped a meteorite, a lifeless stone, as an image of Diana sent down from Jupiter, Acts 19:35. Believers worship the Living God, who sent His Son down from heaven to express the life of God.
Their temple was erected on a raft of brushwood, to protect from earthquakes. The local assembly is built on the firm foundation of Christ Himself, 1 Corinthians 3:11.
The temple of Diana was a museum, to preserve the things of this world. The assembly preserves truth, that which pertains to the world above.
It also acted as a bank, where the treasures of earth were stored. The assembly has access to the one “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”, Colossians 2:3.
Again, the temple was a school for instruction in Satanic mysteries. The believers in the assembly are instructed in the “mystery of godliness”, verse 16.
The pillar and ground of the truth- a pillar is erected in testimony. Jacob had used a stone on which to place his pillow as he slept at Bethel. Having had a revelation from God, he erected that stone as a pillar, to mark the exact spot where the revelation was given. The assembly should give clear testimony that the truth of God is to be found there. The assembly itself is the pillar, to bear testimony to Divine truth in its entirety, even what the apostle called “the whole counsel of God”, Acts 20:27. The temple to Diana had 127 huge pillars, engraved with the names of the great men who had donated them. The assembly bears testimony to just one great man, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is in fact greater than any man could be, being the Son of God in flesh.
The ground of the truth means that the assembly should support and defend the truth of God. A local church exists to testify to the truth and to defend it. It is not an entertainment centre, or a debating society, but the place where God may make His presence felt, and where His interests are promoted.
The apostle could write to the Philippians and say, “I am set (“posted as a soldier”) for the defence of the gospel”, Philippians 1:17. And he exhorted them to “Stand fast in one spirit, striving together for the faith of the gospel”, 1:27.
PREACHING NOTES: COLOSSIANS
| Colossians 3 Part 1 | Colossians 4 Part 1 |
| Colossians 3 Part 2 | Colossians 4 Part 2 |
| Colossians 3 Part 3 | |
| Colossians 3 Part 4 | |
PERSON OF CHRIST: His burial
THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE PROPHECY OF ISAIAH CHAPTER 53, VERSE 9:
53:9 And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.
And He made His grave with the wicked- verses 7 and 8 of Isaiah 53 foretold the way men would treat the Lord Jesus. They oppressed and afflicted Him, sought to destroy His character, and at last took Him and slaughtered Him on a cross. In all this it seemed as if they were in control, and that He was the helpless victim of circumstances, but this verse tells us it was not so. The apostle Peter emphasised this on the day of Pentecost when he declared that the nation of Israel had by means of the wicked hands of the Gentiles crucified Him, and allowed that crucifixion process to continue until He was slain, Acts 2:23; they callously allowed Him to suffer, and only planned to curtail His sufferings because the feast day was near. There was another dimension to this, however, as Peter points out at the same time. The fact is that He was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. Men were only allowed to do what they did because it was part of God’s plan. Indeed, the basis of God’s plan.
Now Isaiah 53:10 tells us that the pleasure of the Lord prospers in the hand of the Lord Jesus. As God’s Firstborn Son, as well as His Only begotten Son, He was charged with the task of administering God’s affairs. Not in any dispassionate way, but personally, and a major part of those affairs involved Him in suffering of different sorts. He suffered in life, as earlier verses of the chapter have told us; He suffered in the three hours of darkness, as verse 5 has told us; He suffered injustice and cruelty at the hands of men, as verses 7 and 8 clearly show. But He not only suffered in these ways, as He carried out the will of His Father, He was in control as He did so. So, for instance, we find verses 7-9 alternate between passive and active. He was oppressed…He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth. Passive in oppression and affliction, but active in not opening His mouth. He is brought…He is dumb. Men bring Him, and He passively allows this, but He actively remained as dumb. So also in verse 8. He is taken…He was cut off…stricken. But then the active, He made. Each time the active is the answer to the passive. So when He made His grave with the wicked, He was responding to something that He had passively allowed, but during which He was totally in control.
The question is, of course, in what way was He in control so that He made His grave with the wicked? And if He was in control in this matter, why did it not happen? And how can He make His grave with the wicked and with the rich at the same time? So tightly interwoven is this prophecy that it can be fulfilled in the experience of only one man.
We need to notice that the word wicked is in the plural, and the word rich is in the singular. So there are wicked men, and there is a rich man. The word for wicked used here is an actively bad person. We know that all have sinned, but not all set out to be actively bad. We are told in verse 12 that the Lord Jesus was “numbered with the transgressors”, and the word transgressors means persons who have broken away in revolt against just authority. The words are quoted by Mark when he describes the Lord Jesus being crucified between two thieves. So we begin to see a picture building up of Christ in some way making His grave with wicked men by being crucified. He submitted Himself to arrest, trial and execution, knowing that normally the end result of that process was to be flung unceremoniously, (and in company with the others crucified with Him), into a pit dug at the foot of the cross. But even though it is true that He submitted Himself to the process of arrest and all that followed, nonetheless He was in complete control of the situation. He did not call for the legions of angels that were at His disposal, Matthew 26:53. He did not allow His followers to try to prevent His arrest, and rebuked Peter for attempting it, and remedied the damage he had done with his sword. He could have any moment passed through the midst of them and gone His way, as He had done several times during His ministry when the crowds were hostile. He did none of these things. And by thus not resisting He ensured that His grave would be with the others crucified with Him, even though this was a distasteful prospect, and normally to be avoided at all costs.
It is interesting to notice that the words “He was numbered with the transgressors” are quoted twice in the gospel records. Once by Mark as he records the crucifixion, as we have noted, but prior to that by the Lord Jesus as He is about to leave the Upper Room and make His way to Gethsemane, Luke 22:37. So these words bracket together the whole series of events from the arrest in Gethsemane, to the crucifixion at Golgotha.
There is a big problem, however, with this situation, and it is this. It is vitally important that the Lord Jesus be put in an easily identified and publicly-known grave, and, moreover, is put there on His own. If He is buried at the foot of the cross with the two thieves, who is to know whether He has risen from the dead? In theory those near of kin to the thieves could even come to the place, remove the body of their relative, and claim he had risen from the dead! And even if this is unlikely to be attempted, the followers of the Lord could be accused of doing the same, and pretending that He had risen.
There is also the consideration that the psalmist prophesied by the Spirit that God would not suffer His Holy One, meaning the Messiah, to see corruption, Psalm 16:10. There would certainly be corruption in a grave at the foot of the cross, with the remains of many criminals mingling together there. Now of course whilst the whole of creation is in the bondage of corruption, nonetheless only humans are morally corrupt. So the requirement is that the Lord Jesus must be buried in a marked grave, which has had no-one else in it before, and has no-one else in it whilst He is there. Only in this way can it be sure that the One who was put into it is the One who came out.
How is this situation going to come about? It will be necessary for this grave to be more than a marked grave in the ground. It will need to be secure and unused. This involves expense, and the Lord Jesus had not the material resources to arrange for this to happen. Yet our passage says “He made His grave…with the rich in His death.” It is certainly not that He had influential friends who could rise to the occasion in this matter. His followers were poor, as He was. And yet in a real sense He does arrange this matter, for our passage says “He made His grave…with the rich”.
In the event, the rich individual pinpointed in this passage was Joseph of Arimathea. He was not a prominent member of the disciples that followed the Lord. In fact, he was only a disciple secretly, because he feared the Jews, and what they would think of him. For he was a counsellor, meaning that he was a member of the Sanhedrim, and as such was one of those spoken of in John 12:42,43, which reads, “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God”. Luke records that “the same had not consented to the counsel and the deed of them”, Luke 23:51. The “them” referring to his fellow-members of the Sanhedrim.
He was assisted by a Pharisee, Nicodemus, who also was a secret disciple, and who is designated by John as “he that came to Jesus by night”, reminding us of his conversation with the Lord Jesus in John 3. He presumably was a member of the Sanhedrim since he is described as a ruler of the Jews, John 3:1. He seems to have had great influence amongst them as we see from John 7:45-53. The chief priests and Pharisees had sent officers to arrest the Lord Jesus, no doubt on the pretence that He had interrupted the temple services by crying out, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink”, verse 37. The officers returned without Him, and when the Pharisees protested at this, Nicodemus said, “Doth our law judge any man, before it hear Him, and know what he doeth? Thus he showed himself to be prepared to defend the interests of Christ in a small way, and to appeal for justice to be done. Things have changed, now, however, for he has to make a decision. He cannot be neutral about Christ any longer, and something makes him side with Christ publicly, like Joseph of Arimathea.
We might well ask ourselves what it is that convinced them of the genuineness of Christ’s claims. Remember, our answer must be in line with what the prophet said, which was, “He made His grave…with the rich in His death. We notice that the words “in His death” are only applicable to His grave with the rich. The prophet did not say “He made His grave with the wicked in His death”. So to all intents and purposes He was destined for a grave with the wicked; but in the event, and by His own ordering, His grave was actually with the rich in His death.
We are told several things about the character of Joseph. First, that he was a good man, the direct opposite of the wicked men between whom the Lord Jesus was crucified. Second, that he was just man, meaning he was diligent in trying to keep the law, in direct contrast to the transgressors, who rebelled against all law. Third, he waited for the kingdom of God, showing that he had a longing for the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. Fourth, he was a rich man, so is a candidate for the role marked out in Isaiah 53. Fifth, he was an honourable counsellor, which implies that, (as indeed was the case), there were members of the Sanhedrim who were not honourable. Sixth, he was prepared to make sacrifices, for he gave up his own tomb in favour of the carpenter from Nazareth. And seventh, he came from secret discipleship to open and bold discipleship at last.
It is the first three qualities that we need to focus on. Now a reading of the gospel records will show that the whole council, meaning the Sanhedrin, of which Joseph was a member, were present at the first trial before Caiaphas. Matthew 26:59 reads, “Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put Him to death”. Here is the first test for Joseph. He is a just man, and he must ask himself whether justice is being done here. He is a good man, and must ask himself if the prisoner is being treated respectfully.
The following rules governed the arrest of prisoners, and Joseph must know that already those rules have been broken:
1. The arrest should have been done voluntarily by those who were witnesses to the crime. It was illegal for the temple guard acting for the High Priest to make the arrest.
2. The arrest should not have been at night, and constituted an act of violence. This is why the disciples were preparing to prevent it. Malchus was probably one of those foremost in the arrest. If Peter had been preventing a legal arrest, he should have been arrested. The fact he was not, showed the authorities knew they were in the wrong.
3. The prisoner was bound, which was unnecessary violence, since he was surrounded by only a few men, and the arrest party consisted of many.
4. The prisoner was taken to Annas first, but he was not the proper magistrate.
5. He was interrogated at night, which was prohibited by law.
6. He was detained in a private house.
7. He was struck gratuitously before any charges had been brought, John 18:22.
And now the first trial before Caiaphas is taking place, and Joseph has further questions to answer, for he is a member of the body that is conducting this trial. Consider the following:
1. The trial was conducted at night, which was illegal. All proceedings of law were prohibited at night.
2. No trial was allowed on a feast day, under penalty of being null and void.
3. He was ill-treated in a private house, (Matthew 26:67,68), with Caiaphas not preventing it, and before a proper hearing had taken place. This was against Jewish law.
4. The trial was conducted by Caiaphas, who was prejudiced, because he had already said that it was expedient for one man (meaning Christ), to die for the nation, John 11:49-52.
5. Caiaphas acted as judge and accuser.
6. He allowed the prisoner to be ill-treated, even though no sentence had been passed, Luke 22:63-65.
And then, the morning comes, and Mark tells us “the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council”. So Joseph must be present at this meeting also. Now further rules are broken, as follows:
1. Witnesses should come forward voluntarily, but these were “sought”, after the attempt to find honest witnesses against Christ was unsuccessful, Matthew 26:59,60.
2. Witnesses who did not speak the truth were to be stoned to death.
3. If witnesses did not agree, the case was to be dismissed immediately. (This was to ensure no frivolous accusations were made). This did not happen.
4. To put a prisoner on oath, and therefore, in effect, to force him to incriminate himself, was illegal.
5. The confession of an individual against himself should not decide a condemnation.
6. If accused wished to speak, he was to be given the most profound attention.
Now at some time during these proceedings Joseph made a stand. We read that he “had not consented to the counsel and deed of them”, Luke 23:51, the “them” meaning the other members of the Sanhedrim. Their deliberations, and what they had done, both by sins of omission and by commission, he disagreed with strongly. But there was more than the breaking of rules involved here. The prisoner is special, and is making dramatic claims. There was something about the way those claims were made that convinced Joseph. What that was is told us in the next phrases in Isaiah 53:9. “He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth”. The reason why Joseph came forward to offer his tomb, is because there was no violence with Christ, and because he came to believe that when He testified as to His person, there was no deceit in His mouth.
Peter tells us that “when He was reviled, He reviled not again; when He suffered He threatened not”, 1 Peter 2:23. There was something about the way Christ presented Himself, His poise, His calm, His answers, and His restraint under the most intense provocation that so impressed Joseph, that he was resolved to distance himself from the decision of the Sanhedrim. It is too late to resign membership, but he can “bring forth works unto repentance” by honouring Christ in His death, in contrast to the dishonour done to Him in His life.
The testimony of the Lord Jesus revolved around His claim to be the Son of God, and the Messiah, and the Son of Man. Joseph comes to believe that His claims were true, and resolves to act accordingly. His mind is made up, he must absolve himself from complicity in the crime of murdering the Son of God, by repentance and faith in Him, as Peter exhorted the rest of the nation to do at Pentecost, six weeks later.
Now this is very powerful testimony from within the council-chamber itself, and from one who was present as a member of that council. It is also a powerful rebuke for those who remained steadfast in their hostility towards Christ after His resurrection.
So it is that after the Lord Jesus had died Joseph steps boldly forward. Each of the steps in the burial of the Lord Jesus are carefully documented, and there is no room for doubt to any fair-minded person that He who was put, dead, in Joseph’s tomb, was He who rose the third day.
Consider these steps:
1. The Jewish authorities demanded that the victims be taken down before the Sabbath began at 6 o’clock in the evening. Neither Jew nor Gentile authority had any interest in taking down anything other than dead bodies. The Gentiles because their government and power was involved, and the Jews because they wanted above all else to see Christ dead. So it is that the soldiers hasten the death of two thieves, but find Christ is dead already. He must be sure however, so what stops him breaking Christ’s legs? The answer is given to us by the apostle John, who was there as a witness. It is because the Scripture had said that as the true Passover lamb His bones must not be broken. But still the soldier must be satisfied, and so must the centurion, for he is soon going to be asked by Pilate if the Lord Jesus is dead. So it is that the side of Christ is pierced, and the evidence that death has recently taken place is seen in the issuing forth of blood and water, no doubt meaning the watery fluid that surrounds the heart. So it is that there is a unique body in Jerusalem, a crucifixion victim without broken legs, and with a pierced side. The other two victims have broken legs and un-pierced sides.
2. Joseph now goes to Pilate, and begs the body of Jesus. We now have the remarkable sight of a rich man begging, and his request is granted. As a rich man, Joseph had longed to be able to gain many things; now his only desire is to be associated with a dead body, for he is a changed man, and the things of earth that money can buy have now lost their attraction.
3. Pilate is surprised that the victim is dead. It is more than his position is worth for him to allow a body to be taken down from the cross when it is not dead. The victim may recover, and thus escape justice. Pilate may even have faced the death penalty himself if this should happen.
4. He therefore summons the centurion to him, and verifies it from him as the man in charge of the crucifixion, who, as a professional executioner, will certainly know whether a person is dead or not. He does not simply ask the centurion to send a message, but has a face to face conversation with him. There is no possibility of a note being forged and passed off as a message from the centurion, or later, a note passed off as a message from Pilate. This also ensures that the centurion knows who Joseph is, for both are now before Pilate at the same time.
5. Pilate is now in a position to grant the body to Joseph, but why should he do so? It was customary to allow close relatives of the deceased victims to take the body if they wished, but Joseph is not one of these. So why does Pilate allow it? Of course, one reason is that the Scripture says that Christ will be with the rich in his death; but Pilate has no interest in furthering the fulfilment of Scripture. Is it because he has a guilty conscience? His last conversation with Christ had been on the fact that He was Son of God. Superstitious Pilate was no doubt fearful lest he had killed a “son of the gods”, and would receive Divine vengeance. Perhaps this is his feeble attempt to repair the damage his clumsy and cowardly dealing during the trial had resulted in. In any event, he grants the body to Joseph, in effect signing Christ’s death certificate, and thus proclaiming with all the authority of the world-empire of Rome that Jesus of Nazareth was really dead. Those who suggest otherwise, (Moslems, for instance,) must produce their valid reasons for contradicting this. This they have not done.
6. Not only does Pilate give Joseph leave to have the body, but he also commands the centurion to put this into effect. So the jurisdiction of Rome still controls the body until the moment Joseph takes it down from the cross. Every stage of the proceedings depends on the one before.
7. So it is that well-known man, with the authority of the centurion and through him of Pilate, takes a body certified as dead down from the cross. This is possibly the only legal act that has been done in Jerusalem that day. He does this in full view of everyone, for the place of execution was near a highway, xxx. He does it in full view of the Roman authorities, and also, no doubt, of the Jewish authorities also, who are anxious to ensure that the bodies are taken down before 6 o’clock that evening, when the Sabbath day will start. They also are commanded to not allow hanged bodies to remain after nightfall, but to ensure they are buried the day they died, Deuteronomy 21:22,23.
So it is also that He is not taken down by one of His long-time followers, who could be said to have an interest in trying to get Scripture fulfilled. A new convert, who has not spoken to Christ at all as far as the record goes, is now the centre of the action.
8. The body is buried in the Jewish manner, which means that strips of linen cloth are wound round the body, with fragrant spices between the layers. Even if the Lord Jesus were still alive, it would be impossible for Him to extricate Himself from these grave clothes.
9. All this is done outside the sepulchre, for it is not until the process is finished that the body is placed within, as both Matthew 27:59,60, and Mark 15:46, 47 show. John seems to go further, for he alone tells us the position of the tomb in relation to the place of crucifixion, but mentions the wrapping in linen before saying where the tomb was, thus suggesting that the wrapping was done near the cross, and then the body was taken to the tomb. In any event, all is under the watchful eye of unbelieving men. There is no possibility of bodies being switched in transit, with a disciple substituted for Christ, and disappearing from the tomb, with Christ’s dead body buried in a secret location. All is open and transparent.
10. Joseph is of Arimathea, a city of the Jews, as Luke carefully tells us. (Arimathea was in Samaria in Old Testament times, but with boundary changes it was classed in New Testament times as a city in Judea). Luke is a world-class historian, and wants us to have the facts in our minds. He draws attention to this relatively obscure matter so that we realise he is competent. We can trust Luke even in apparently inconsequential matters like boundary changes, so we can trust him also in the vital matters also. Yet Joseph’s tomb is not in Arimathea, but Jerusalem. This shows his strength of commitment to the things of God, for he wishes to be buried near the centre of Messiah’s kingdom, for which he waited, and yet it is ordered of God so that his tomb is near the place of crucifixion for the burying of Christ.
11. It is not only important that the body of the Lord Jesus should be immediately identifiable, (which was ensured by the fact that He is the only one of the three persons crucified that day who had unbroken legs and a pierced side), but He must be placed in a readily identifiable tomb. A tomb, moreover, which has no dead bodies in it before Christ’s dead body is placed there, and no dead body in it until He has come forth. Moses’ burying place is unknown, no doubt lest it be turned into a shrine. The tomb of Christ must be known, and yet it was not turned into a shrine. As we read the Acts of the Apostles we look in vain for any reference to the sepulchre, apart from when the resurrection of Christ is preached.
12. So it is that, assisted by Nicodemus, Joseph carries the body and lays it in the sepulchre, and then rolls the stone to the entrance. This was no doubt a stone like a millstone, in a stone channel which sloped towards the entrance, so it was comparatively easy to roll it down, but more difficult to roll it up and away.
13. Joseph departs, Matthew 27:60, his task completed. But the authorities are not satisfied. The chief priests and Pharisees go to Pilate to make a request. They do so on the Sabbath day, so the urgency of the matter makes them endanger the sanctity of the day. They had refused to go in to Pilate because it was the Passover, John 18:28, but they are willing to go to a Gentile’s residence on a day of unleavened bread, even though it may contain leaven. They have a conscience about Christ even when He is dead. They even command Pilate to act, and he, also with a guilty conscience, agrees to do as they say, even though at other times he would loathe them. Pilate’s words are “Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can”. So they had already organised a watch of the tomb, but now have permission to tamper with a private sepulchre.
14. They went with Pilate’s authority, and seal the stone, and set a watch. We may be sure that under no circumstances will they seal the tomb without assuring themselves that the body is still there. They will also be very careful to examine the tomb to make sure that the earthquake that occurred when Christ died, Matthew 27:51,52, and which rent the rocks in the area, has not damaged the rock-hewn tomb of Joseph, thus providing a means of access for disciples without the watch knowing. (Notice that Matthew is not afraid to tell us about the rending of rocks and the earthquake, which caused graves to be opened. He is confident that the truth about Christ’s burial and resurrection will not be compromised by those facts). Having satisfied themselves on these matters, they fasten the stone to the rock-face and place a seal in such a way that any movement of the stone will break the seal.
15. Despite all these precautions, sometime between 6 o’clock on the Sabbath evening, and 4 o’clock on the first day of the week, (the hour at which it begins to get light in Palestine in April), Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God and Israel’s Messiah, rose triumphantly from among the dead, to die no more. Death could not hold Him any longer, for He is God’s Holy One.
As He Himself said,
“Fear not; I am the first, and the last:
I am He that liveth, and was dead;
and behold I am alive for evermore, Amen,
and have the keys of hell and of death”.
Revelation 1:17,18.
BOOK OF REVELATION Part 7
SIXTH REVELATION: CHRIST’S WRATH WITHOUT MERCY
Chapter 15:5 to 19:10.
Christ reveals Himself as vindicator of the Old Testament prophets.
God had spoken through the prophets in Old Testament times, and they had announced the following things:
1. The judgement of men in the Day of the Lord because of their rebellion. This is the subject of Revelation 16.
2. The judgement and destruction of Babylon. This is described in chapters 17 and 18.
3. The coming of Christ in glory to destroy His enemies and set up His kingdom. This is the subject of chapter 19.
So the events of these chapters vindicate the prophets, despite the passage of many centuries since they spoke the words.
THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION CHAPTER 15, VERSES 6 TO 8
15:5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
15:6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
15:5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
ANGELS PREPARE TO INFLICT THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES
We come now to the beginning of the sixth and final part-revelation of Christ before He comes in person. It tells of unrelieved and unparalleled judgement of the most severe kind, constituting the “great and notable day of the Lord”, one day the prophets marked out as being especially terrible. Yet even in such a time, the promise is, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”, Joel 2:32. A promise reaffirmed in the New Testament in Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13.
In chapter 11:19, the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament. This is immediately prior to the details chapter 12 about Israel’s preservation in the wilderness, and the rule of the beast in chapter 12. There is the assurance that God’s rule is still operative, and He will be faithful to the nation with which He has entered into covenant.
At the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem, Solomon “brought up the ark of the Lord, and the tabernacles of the congregation…and the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place…” 1 Kings 8:4,6. At this point in Israel’s history, the tabernacle, (the moveable wilderness structure), recedes, and the ark remains. At the captivity, the ark recedes too, for all the vessels of House of God were taken to Babylon, 2 Chronicles 36:18. With the government of the earth now in the hands of Gentiles, and with God as the God of heaven, Daniel 2:44, it is appropriate that the symbol of the Divine Presence and rule should not be mentioned amongst the vessels that were carried away.
Here in verse 5 there is no mention of the ark, for the emphasis is on testimony. The tables of stone were called the testimony, and instead of the assertion of God’s faithfulness to His covenant with Israel, (appropriate in chapter 11 as it leads into chapter 12), there is the assertion of the abiding character of the commandments He gave in testimony to men. They flout His laws at their peril, as they are about to find out. The heavenly temple is called the tabernacle of the testimony, thus linking the idea of the wilderness tabernacle with the kingdom temple. But the point is that in each building there was the same ark- God’s testimony as unchanged. And so it is in the days of the seven angels.
15:6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
The seven angels are the ones already mentioned in verse 1. Both there, and here, they are said to have the seven plagues, yet they are not given the bowls containing these plagues until the next verse. Perhaps the thought is that they have the plagues as far as the purpose of God is concerned, but are not actually authorised to execute the judgement until handed the bowls by the living creature.
As befits those who act for God, they have pure and white linen robes, for God’s judgements are always righteous, and free from any impure motive. They are princely and dignified in their demeanour, too, for their breasts are girded with a golden girdle. They are not girded around the waist as if for menial tasks, but act confidently and unhurriedly, (for if running was in view, they would gird up their loins), carrying out the will of God in judgement.
15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
As the bowls of wrath are especially to execute severe judgements on the earth and heavens, it is fitting that a representative of these hands the angels the bowls, thus indicating that those close to the throne know this to be the will of God- it is not a maverick action on the part of those out of line with His will.
The fact that God liveth for ever and ever is specially mentioned here.
15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
The glory and power of God are now combining to execute fearful judgements upon the earth. None could enter His presence to plead with Him to restrain His judgements, but they are poured out without pity upon the godless world of men, as they range themselves against Him is wilful and calculated rebellion. The climax of six thousand years of earth’s history has arrived, and the God’s patience has finally been exhausted.
The word fulfilled reminds us that the time of full judgement has arrived. The seven last plagues fill up the wrath of God, as verse 1 says, and not until they have been poured out will His anger be satisfied. This consists first of all of seven angels bearing the seven last plagues in their bowls or vials of wrath. These are summoned by the seventh trumpet blower. Again the seven are divided, four, affecting the earth, and three, affecting the spirit world. Again, there is a parenthesis between numbers six and seven, albeit a short one.
THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION CHAPTER 16, VERSES 1 TO 12
16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
16:2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
16:3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
16:4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
16:5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because Thou hast judged thus.
16:6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
16:7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgements.
16:8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give Him glory.
16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
16:11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
The first plague is on the earth, and men who have worshipped the beast and have his mark in recognition of his claims, are afflicted with a grievous sore.
The second is more general, for it results in the sea becoming like the blood of a dead man, and every sea-creature, being unable to breathe, dies. In the first trumpet judgement all the grass had been burnt up. Perhaps men had turned to harvesting the sea as a result. Now this is denied them, and they begin to starve.
The third plague turns the waters of rivers and fountains to blood, so extreme thirst will overcome men, especially bearing in mind the next plague. The waters become blood as just recompense for shedding the blood of God’s saints.
The fourth plague afflicts men with sunstroke, with all its accompanying pain. They blasphemed God’s name still further, however, and refused to repent.
The fifth plague is more spiritual in character, being directed at the antichrist’s seat of government, showing what God’s thoughts about him setting up Babylon as a rival centre to Jerusalem. They now gnaw their tongues with pain because of the accumulated torments inflicted upon them.
The sixth plague has to do with the drying up of the Euphrates so that the kings of the east may be gathered together for Armageddon.
DEMON FORCES PREPARE THE WORLD TO REBEL AGAINST CHRIST, AND THE SEVENTH PLAGUE IS INFLICTED
Between the sixth and seventh plague there is a most solemn parenthesis. Three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the three evil personages opposing God at this time. They work miracles, and gather men to the great battle of Armageddon, for their destruction. The other two parenthetical passages concerned God’s messengers, whether the 144,000 or the two witnesses, showing that in the midst of wrath He shows mercy. These messengers, however, come from the devil to deceive. Is this the strong delusion the apostle Paul wrote of in 2 Thessalonians 2:11?
THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION CHAPTER 16, VERSES 14 TO 21
16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
The seventh plague was poured out on the air, the means of man’s life. How terrible to be judged by God with suffocation! Belshazzar was accused of not glorifying the God in whose hand his breath was, so his breath was withdrawn that night, Daniel 5:23,30. These are God’s final acts of wrath, and He announces the fact in the words “It is done”. There follows a great earthquake, Jerusalem was divided into three parts, the cities of the nations fell, and Babylon came into remembrance before God.
THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION CHAPTER 17, VERSES 1 TO 18
17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.
17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
17:7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
THE JUDGEMENT OF RELIGIOUS BABYLON
It is clear from a comparison between Jeremiah’s prophecy about the downfall of Babylon in chapters 50 and 51, with Revelation 17 and 18, that a literal city is in view. Jeremiah is speaking about the city of his day that was responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem, but this prefigures a more solemn day when God takes account of the fact that all of earth’s ills since the flood have stemmed from that city. The words of God are “Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the earth drunken”, Jeremiah 51:7. Revelation 17:2 is an obvious reference to this, speaking of “being drunk with the wine of her fornication”. Fornication in this setting meaning unfaithfulness to God expressed in idolatry. That idolatry is founded on the concept of the Mother and the Child. The child being, in Babylonian mythology, the Husband of the Mother. So the child become the expression of the father, for he is the father reincarnated. This is a blasphemous imitation of the truth that the Son of God has come by way of incarnation to express the Father. He could say in truth, “He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father”, John 14:9. This system is represented most clearly in our day by the Catholic System, but as these chapters indicate, she has daughters, and it is striking how that the Popes in recent times have reached out to the religions of the world. She is the mother of harlots.
In the last days Antichrist will set up his throne there as King of Babylon, and thus it will be the place where opposition to God is concentrated. Before He can rightfully set up His kingdom centred at Jerusalem, the Lord must deal with the rival city, which has been Satan’s headquarters from the beginning. It should be noticed that the woman in the vision does not ride on the beast, as if she is in control, but simply sits on it, as one who is prepared to be taken along by it. (In 1825 Pope Leo XII struck a medal bearing his image on one side, and on the other a woman holding a cross in her left hand, a cup in her right hand, and the inscription “Sedet super universum”, meaning, “The whole world is her seat”). This suits the purpose of the beast for a time, for he knows that superstitious religion has a hold upon men. But when the moment comes for him to reveal himself as the sole object of worship, (as Nebuchadnezzar did before him, Daniel 3), then he will no longer need the religion of Babylon in that way, and will destroy it. When he does this he unwittingly will be serving the Lord’s interests.
THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION CHAPTER 18, VERSES 1 TO 24
18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
18:6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
18:11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
18:12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
18:13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
18:14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
18:15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
18:16 And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18:18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
18:20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
18:22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
THE JUDGEMENT OF FINANCIAL BABYLON
Whereas in chapter 17 there is the emphasis on the alliance between politics and religion in opposition to God, in chapter 18 we are clearly shown that there is a commercial element to this rebellion. Those who mourn the destruction of Babylon are the merchants and shipmasters who by that time will control world trade. Thus God destroys the whole world system that is opposed to Him, and which has produced the Antichrist.
THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION CHAPTERS 1 AND 20
19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
19:2 For true and righteous are His judgments: for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand.
19:3 And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
19:5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great.
19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.
19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.
19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.
19:13 And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.
19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
19:15 And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
19:16 And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army.
19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
THE RETURN OF CHRIST TO JUDGE AND TO REIGN
Chapter 19:1-10 records events immediately prior to the coming of Christ as King of Kings. In verses 1-4 there is great joy expressed in heaven because of the judgement of the religious system that for so many centuries had deceived the people of the world.
In verses 5-8 we read of the preparation for the bride of the Lamb for the marriage of the Lamb.
In verse 9 John is assured that to be invited to the marriage supper is a blessed thing, and also that the things he had been guided to write were “the true sayings of God”, despite the awesome matters revealed in his book.
In verse 10 the apostle is so over-awed at the matters brought before him, that he fell at the feet of the angel who spoke to him. There was an immediate rebuke from the angel, as he disclaimed any glory for what had been revealed to John. This part of the prophetic writing ends appropriately with the truth that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”. In other words, the spirit or essence of the prophetic writings is that Jesus, the despised Nazarene, is at the centre of them, and that God will bring to pass all His purpose through Him.
REVELATION CHAPTER 6
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THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION CHAPTER 6, VERSES 1 TO 17
6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
6:3 And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
6:4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
6:5 And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
6:7 And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
6:9 And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
6:12 And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
6:17 For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
SURVEY OF CHAPTER 6:1 TO 7:17.
In chapter 6:1 to chapter 7:17 Christ reveals Himself as one who in the midst of wrath remembers mercy, see Habakkuk 3:2.
The Lamb, having been seen to have taken the scroll from the hand of God in chapter 5, now proceeds to unseal it, and so disclose what is written on successive sections of it. The first six seals are broken, and then there is a parenthesis, as we shall see, before the seventh seal is broken. The first four judgements will be introduced by one of the four living creatures, who summon the horses and their riders, for the judgements concern events upon the earth, and come under the jurisdiction of these heavenly representatives of earth’s affairs. Seals five to seven are not put in operation by the living creatures, for they concern matters of a spiritual nature. The seals, trumpets and vials are all grouped in this way, four then three, with a parenthesis of some sort between the sixth and the seventh.
The parenthesis between seals six and seven consists of three things. First, the appointment of 144,000 preachers from amongst Israel, who will go forth to preach the gospel of the kingdom. This is recorded in chapter 7:1-8. Then, second, in verses 9 and 10, the results of their preaching, as a great multitude stand before the throne and ascribe the salvation they have to God’s power alone. Third,verses 11 and 12, the angels which stood about the throne give praise to God. They had been appointed as ministers to those who were heirs of salvation, Hebrews 1:14, and now their task is done, and they disclaim any credit for themselves, but give all the glory to God. Clearly, since the white-robed multitude had come out of the great tribulation, verse 14, this second revelation of Christ is now completed, for the vision has taken John to the end of the tribulation period
6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals- now begins the process of judgement which the Lamb has shown Himself competent to carry out, and which He has been authorised to perform.
And I heard, as it were the noise of thunder- the storm of Divine judgement is about to break upon the earth, and the thunder-claps announce its approach.
One of the four beasts saying, Come and see- because the first four judgements affect material things upon the earth, the living creatures who represent the affairs of the physical earth before God are commissioned to instigate the judgements. We are not told which beast is in view in each case, they are simply named first, second, etc. perhaps the order is that of their mention in 4:7, where they are called “first…second…third… fourth”.
6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
It is interesting to notice the correspondence between the prophecy of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24, and what we have in this chapter. Noticing this will give us help in interpreting Revelation 6, for there is very little detail given of the seals, probably because the Lord Jesus had already spoken of the times to which they relate. These are His words:
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many”, Matthew 24:4,5.
And I saw, and behold a white horse- the first seal being broken, a length of scroll is unrolled which tells of the riding forth of a personage on a white horse. In Zechariah 1:8 we are told of a man riding on a red horse, yet in verse 11 he is described as the angel of the Lord. The prophet is being assured that God has the interests of His people Israel at heart, despite the opposition of their enemies. It is the same in Zechariah 6:1-8, where there are red, black, white and grisled and bay horses which go forth towards the four quarters of the earth, to ensure that God’s interests are furthered in the earth. Now we know from Daniel 8 that evil angels seek to counteract the influence of God’s angels, and it is the same here.
The rider is on a white horse, which speaks of righteousness. This might seem to indicate that he comes in righteousness, until we remember that the apostle Paul described the ministers of Satan coming as false apostles and deceitful workers, pretending to be ministers of righteousness, 2 Corinthians 11:13,14. This personage surely represents that spirit of antichrist that the apostle John referred to in 1 John 4:2,3. He is coming to deceive, in order that men’s hearts may be prepared to receive the Antichrist when he comes into public view, and claims universal homage.
And he that sat on him had a bow- he has a bow, but no arrow is mentioned. There is the vague threat represented by the bow, but that threat is not yet put into effect, and men are being lulled into a false sense of security; a tactic often employed by the Devil, but here it is allowed by God as a judgement upon men.
And a crown was given unto him- in the final analysis men only rule because the Most High allows it, (“For there is no power but of God”, Romans 13:1), and whilst this personage is preparing the way for the rule of Antichrist, nonetheless God is still in control. He is allowing the Devil to over-reach himself, so that he may be finally and utterly destroyed. “The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth over it the basest of men”, Daniel 4:17. Antichrist will certainly come into the category of “basest of men”.
And he went forth conquering, and to conquer- he is allowed to go forth to conquer by peaceful means, and to succeed in doing so. This is the influence of spirit beings who influence the minds of men so as to prepare the way for the reception of the Antichrist, and their activity takes place during the first phase of his rise to power during the first half of Daniel’s 70thweek. We know this because the Lord Jesus referred to the middle of the seven-year period further on in His prophecy, so it has not yet come when the first seal is broken.
6:3 And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
The words of the Lord Jesus about this are as follows:
“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:” Matthew 24:6,7.
6:4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
And there went out another horse that was red- the second seal is broken, and a further part of the scroll is unrolled and read. The peaceful conditions that had initially been brought about by the rider on the white horse are now ruined. This no doubt is part of the Devil’s plan, so that Antichrist may assert himself as being the only answer to earth’s troubles. Notice power is given to him, so all is completely under the control of heaven.
And that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword- we now know why the horse is the colour of blood, for much blood will be shed at this time as nations and kingdoms rise against one another in a time of unprecedented carnage. The great sword is being used, not to execute justice, (for God has given governments the sword of justice to maintain order, Romans 13:4), but to wage war.
6:5 And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see- the words of the Lord Jesus about this are:
“and there shall be famines”, Matthew 24:7.
And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand- black is the colour of the skin of those who are starving to death. Jeremiah described the conditions that prevailed during the siege of Jerusalem, and he said, “Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine”, Lamentations 5:10; see also 4:7-10, where mothers were so desperate for food that they cooked their own children, as God had warned they would if they went over to idolatry, Deuteronomy 28:49-57. We shall see in the next verse that the balances are not used to weigh out the meagre food that the poor will be allowed, for the ration is given as a volume, not a weight. The balances are the symbol of commerce, and would indicate that the food supply will be firmly in the hands of the business leaders, and they will control who gets the food. Catherine Bertuo, the Executive Director of UN food distribution, in a speech at the United Nations in September 14th, 1997, said, “Food is power; we use it to control behaviour…we do not apologise”. If this is true now, what will conditions be like when God judges the earth, and allows sin to have full rein?
6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny- the wage of a labourer in John’s day was a penny, as we see from Matthew 20:1,2. A measure is a volume of about one and a half pints. This is approximately the flour needed to make a loaf of bread. A poor man will need to work the whole day to earn enough to feed Himself and his family just with bread. All this is the consequence of crucifying the Man who could feed thousands with a few loaves.
And see thou hurt not the oil and the wine- whilst famine conditions prevail for the poor, the rich are safeguarded from hardship. In this way the turmoil and unrest on the earth will be aggravated, for the poor will be desperate for food, yet the rich have luxuries. The chaos of the French Revolution, when the oppressed poor rose up against the aristocracy, will be repeated on a world-wide scale.
6:7 And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
The corresponding passage in Matthew 24:7 is:
“and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows”.
6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him- this pale horse is pale green, (the Greek word gives us the word chlorine, a green gas). This is the colour of gangrenous, rotting flesh. We are given the name of the rider this time, and it is death, and he has a companion, hell, for death and hell always go together for the unbeliever.
And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth- note again that all is under the control of God, for power is given unto him; Satan has not wrested power from God. Either the wrath comes upon a quarter of the earth’s area, or, as is more likely, over a quarter of the earth’s population. Death is allowed to come to those who are the victims of war, (sword); or famine, (hunger); and with death, (as a result of the disease and pestilences that will inevitably break out at that desperate time). But then another horror, for the decimation of the population and the upheavals of those times will result in wild animals roaming about uncontrolled, with the consequent terror that will bring, to say nothing of the awful of death many will suffer as a consequence.
The second group of seals, now comes before us. Whereas the first four had to do with natural calamities, the fifth and the sixth have to do with spiritual matters, and the last seal opens up the whole of the remaining judgements.
6:9 And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
The corresponding words of the Lord Jesus were:
“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another”, Matthew 24:9,10.
And when He had opened the fifth seal- the Lamb is the one who superintends this event by Himself. The first four seals involved the intervention of the living creatures, concerned as they are with life on earth. Here the matter is beyond them, having to do with the souls of believers.
I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain- the altar in tabernacle days had a network halfway up, on which the sacrifices were laid and exposed to the fire, and when the process was over, the ashes fell through the grating to the area below. These worthies have suffered in the fires of persecution, and they loved not their lives unto death. Yet this is not the end for them; the Lamb takes note of their situation.
For the word of God, and for the testimony which they held-they have not died as a result of the calamities spoken of under the first four seals. They are martyrs who held fast to the word of God, and maintained a testimony in the face of the opposition of Satan. They did this for the sake of the name of the Lord Jesus, the true Messiah.
6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And they cried with a loud voice- like Abel’s blood, which called from the ground for vengeance upon Cain, Genesis 4:10, these also cry to be avenged. The Lord Jesus spoke of the persecutions of saints of old time using the illustration of Abel and Zecharias, Matthew 23:34-36. Abels blood cried for vengeance, and Zecharias called on the Lord to look upon his death and require it at the hands of his slayers, 2 Chronicles 24:20-22. These are the first and last martyrs of the Old Testament. Yet when Stephen, the first martyr of the New Testament died, he said, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge”, Acts 7:60. He had captured the spirit of this current age of grace, and called for mercy for his murderers, just as the Lord Jesus prayed on the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”, Luke 23:34.
Saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true- they address God in Old Testament terms as Jehovah, a further indication that these are not church saints. They ascribe holiness to God amidst all the blaspheming of God’s name that is going on around them; they ascribe truth to Him despite all the lies that the supporters of the Antichrist are propagating.
Dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? They are confident that if God judges, it will be to vindicate them and avenge them of their enemies. They have learnt the truth of the Imprecatory Psalms, which call down vengeance upon the enemies of God and His Messiah, and being in an age other than the age of grace, they cry to God to ask for vengeance on those who have killed them. See Psalm 74;9,10; 79:5; 89:46; 94:3,4. The duty of the kinsman in Israel was not only to redeem his brother, but also if necessary to avenge the wrong done to him. See Deuteronomy 19:1-6; Joshua 20:1-6.
This call for vengeance is not appropriate action for those of this age killed for their faith, but it will be in the tribulation period. John had requested that fire should come from heaven to consume the Samaritans who refused to welcome the Lord Jesus. The Lord rebuked him with the words, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them”, Luke 9:35,36. This shows just one of the marked differences between the present age and the one to come. These martyrs label the men of earth as “those that dwell on the earth”. This does not simply mean their physical location, but also their moral position. They were settling down on the earth, rejecting all thought of heaven, and waiting for the utopia that antichrist was promising them.
6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
And white robes were given unto every one of them- they had toiled hard for God in a righteous way, stripping off their garments, so to speak, for earnest labour, so it is appropriate that robes should now be given to them, for their work is over. They had furthered the cause of righteousness in a day when unrighteousness reigned, so the white robe that signifies practical righteous is given to them. They were reckoned righteous by faith, as all believers of every age are, and now each one is personally robed righteously, to honour the character of their testimony for God.
And it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season- their time for reigning with Christ was not yet come, so they must rest after their labours, and do so in the disembodied state. It would only be a little season; in fact not much more than two and a half years.
Until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled- so God’s reply to their call for vengeance is that they should wait for a little season until their brethren would be killed, and then vengeance would be executed. So there are two groups mentioned here. Linking this with the fact that after the mention of pestilences in Matthew 24:7, (which corresponds to the fourth seal), there is the setting up of the abomination of desolation in the temple, we are able to say that the first group of martyrs is connected with the first half of Daniel’s seventieth week, (“the beginning of sorrows”, Matthew 24:8), whereas the second group are those who are killed during the great tribulation proper, the second half of the seven year end-time period.
These are referred to as fellow-servants, for they will labour in the same way “for the word of God and the testimony which they held”. They are brethren, too, for they share the life of their heavenly Father. They are those the Lord Jesus refers to as His brethren in Matthew 25:40. Men’s reaction to these testimony-bearers will show their reaction to Him. To hate them is to hate Him, to feed and clothe them is to do the same to Him.
Notice that their brethren are going to be fulfilled. This either means that their number will be filled up, or their testimony will be completed, or they will be given a sense of fulfilment when their task is done.
6:12 And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
The words of the Lord Jesus regarding this were these:
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”, Matthew 24:29,30.
And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal- like the other five previews John was given of the future revelation of Christ, this one reaches on to the end. It tells of the coming of the Son of Man to judge the inhabitants of the earth, prior to the setting up of His kingdom.
And, lo, there was a great earthquake- not only does John behold, he wants us to take note also, hence the word “lo”. God said through Haggai the prophet that in the Day of the Lord He would “shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land”, Haggai 2:6.
The sixth seal tells of the reaction of men to the return of Christ to earth, as they face the wrath of the Lamb. This corresponds to Matthew 24:30, where Christ prophesies His return to the earth:
“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”.
By issuing these prophecies He put Himself under test, for a prophet whose predictions did not come to pass was to be stoned to death, such is the seriousness of the offence, see Deuteronomy 18:20-22. If prophets cannot be trusted, the concept of Divine prophecy is undermined, and God rests His reputation on fulfilled prophecy. In Isaiah 41:21-24 He challenges the forces of evil to foretell the future, but if He cannot either the challenge is pointless. As events unfold in the times we are thinking of, the nation of Israel will come to realise He spoke the truth after all. In this way they will be prepared to receive Him, either before He comes or when He does so.
And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair-sackcloth was the garment of mourning, and even the sun laments the wickedness of men that calls forth the wrath of Christ as He comes. Isaiah 50:3 reads, “I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering”. God is able to display in the heavens these warnings to men. Not only does heaven mourn over earth’s sin, but men are called to repent in dust and ashes, and make sackcloth their covering in repentance.
And the moon became as blood- this is quite often the colour of the moon during an eclipse, but this is no eclipse, but the Creator showing His displeasure with the inhabitants of the earth by making the moon blood-coloured, the symbol of death.
6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth- some scientists believe that the stars are moving away from the earth at present. Yet imagine their consternation at the coming of Christ when their instruments say that the stars are now moving towards the earth! Just as God confounded the astronomers of Daniel’s day, so He will do so again. Only the Creator can manipulate the stars in this way; but then, He created them and sustains them.
Even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind- fig trees often produce figs in the winter, which, when shaken by strong winds, all fall down at once. They are not proper fruits, but untimely, or unripe. The fig tree is used in Scripture as a figure of mere profession, but the men of earth have not even professed to believe. They produce nothing that will come to harvest. The fig tree is pollinated by the fig-wasp, which lives inside male figs known as caprifigs, which are produced several times a year.
There is such a thing as solar wind, the streams of energy that emanate from the stars. Now it appears that not only are the stars travelling in the opposite way to normal, but so is the solar wind, thus shaking the stars with the very energy they had emitted.
6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together-just as when a scroll is rolled up, the writing appears to be distorted and out-of-place, so with the stars. The familiar constellations disappear as the stars alter their positions relative to one another. The night-sky as men know it is departed, and it is the hand of God that has done it. Perhaps this is a rebuke to those who superstitiously believe that the constellations govern their lives. God is showing clearly that it is He that controls the affairs of men.
And every mountain and island were moved out of their places- not only are heavenly objects affected as Christ shakes the heavens, but Haggai had prophesied that the earth would be shaken too. Mighty underground forces are unleashed which cause mountains and islands, (many of which are the tops of mountains anyway), to move out of position, causing widespread disruption and terror.
6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man- the inhabitants of the earth, of whatever class, are moved with fear as these events take place. They have become used to scientists explaining everything, but now they are confounded. The ruling classes, the kings and great men; the business community, the rich men; the military, whether captains or foot-soldiers; slaves and freemen, employed and self-employed, are affected.
Hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains- the political classes have ensured their safety from nuclear attack by building nuclear bunkers, and now they flee to these “dens”, like frightened wild animals. Those less provided for had to make do with natural caves in the rocks.
6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
And said to the mountains and rocks- they will find that their hiding-places are not enough to shield them from the sight of Christ coming, for “every eye shall see Him”, 1:7. They will wish the very places in which they are hiding would crash down upon them, if only they can avoid His wrath.
Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne- “the face of the Lord is against them that do evil”, 1 Peter 3:12, and they find that His countenance is angry.
And from the wrath of the Lamb- this is one of the most startling descriptions of Christ in Scripture. He who bled and died upon the cross in deepest compassion for men, is now angry with them. They have spurned His grace, and insulted God in doing so. This wrath is not spite, but righteous anger against sin and sinners.
6:17 For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
For the great day of His wrath is come- as is the case with all the vision-revelations John is given, the end of the period is alluded to in some way. Here there is reference to the great and notable day of the Lord that Joel spoke of, Joel 2:30,31. God’s words through the prophet were, “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come”. The one who has waited patiently for men to repent and come to Him for salvation, is now sent forth to judge the earth. Man’s day is over, and as Isaiah said twice over, “the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day”, Isaiah 2:11,17.
And who shall be able to stand? Well might the question be asked, for these men have no standing in grace before God, and they are totally unable to stand up under the fierceness of the wrath of God. So in one sense the answer to the question is “None”. But in another sense the answer is “Some”, for the next chapter will tell of those who pass through the time of tribulation, and at the end of it is said of them that they “stood before the throne, and before the Lamb”, 7:9. They do this because they have come to know the salvation He died to obtain.
REVELATION CHAPTER 5
THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION CHAPTER 5, VERSES 1 TO 13
5:1 And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
5:3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
5:4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
5:7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne.
5:8 And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
5:13 And 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 honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
SURVEY OF CHAPTER 5
Whilst chapter 5 continues to describe the throne room of heaven and events that will take place there, the theme is different. It is the Lamb of God that is prominent, telling us the subject is redemption. But not only does redemption apply to those who believe, but also is relevant to this world, and one day the “redemption of the purchased possession” will take place, Ephesians 1:14, and Christ will come to claim what He purchased at Calvary. In the language of the parable, He bought the field for the treasure that was in it, Matthew 13:44, and “the field is the world”, Matthew 13:38. He is able to deliver creation from its bondage, and proves this ability by delivering from the greater bondage of sin. Redemption is also relevant to Israel, and the nation will be delivered from the dispersion, and brought back to the Land of Promise to enjoy the glorious conditions of the millenial reign of Christ.
5:1 And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book- this chapter centres upon the taking of a book from the hand of God. As becomes evident when the book is opened, this is a book of judgement. In fact the words that Ezekiel used of another book might well be applied to it, “lamentations and mourning and woe”, Ezekiel 2:10. This book is literally “on” the hand of God, not so much “in” it as if He is grasping hold of it. It rests on the hand of God, freely available to anyone who is competent to reach out and take it. Of course, those who guard the throne of God, the elders surrounding it, (the “gate-keepers”, see comments on 4:4), will not allow any to take it whom they know, in their wisdom, are not qualified to do so.
Written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals- this book of judgement is a scroll, a rolled-up length of writing material; of which sort we are not told. The emphasis is on what it says, and the seals that keep it from being unrolled. The book is completely filled with writing, so there is no room left for any more judgements to be included. When this scroll has been unsealed and unrolled, and its contents made known, God will say “It is done”, 16:17, for His wrath will have been satisfied. The other noticeable feature of this scroll is that it is sealed with, not one, but no less than seven seals. The contents of this scroll are so important, that it must not be read until in the hands of the right person.
5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice- note that the angel is strong, and his voice is loud, for he has the authority of heaven behind him. His voice can reach into all parts of the universe, as the next verse will show, and his strength is enough to repel any who dare to advance upon the book without being qualified to do so. He reaches all potential candidates, and he repels all unqualified candidates.
Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?- it is interesting to notice that opening the book is mentioned before loosing the seals, whereas of course the seals must be loosed before the book can be opened. The great question is who is competent to open the book, for only one capable of judging the world in righteousness can do this. Yet God has already stated that He has appointed the one who will judge the world, and He marked Him out by raising Him from among the dead, Acts 17:30,31. Here, however, the question is asked so that all who resent Christ’s position may be silenced. It is the same at the Great White Throne judgement. All who stand as sinners before God that fearful day are clearly not registered in the Book of Life, for it is the dead that stand before God then. But nonetheless the book of life is opened so that no complaint can be entertained, and justice can be seen to be done.
5:3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
No saint in heaven, (remembering that by the time these events take place the church saints will be in heaven), living men on earth, or dead Old Testament saints in sheol, was able to open the book. All are excluded by these words. Nor can any look thereon, for the judgements are so fearful that there is only one great enough to read them.
5:4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
We might think that John would be pleased that such a terrible book, full of judgement as it was, would remain unopened. He had the interests of God too much to heart to think that, however. He knew that only by judgement could God deal adequately with the sins of men. His grace through Christ had been spurned too long for Him to ignore the rebellion of earth any longer. Men could have escaped the wrath to come if they had been minded to, but now God’s patience is exhausted. John is only in heaven in spirit, so his weeping does not spoil the joy of heaven, although it is noticed by the occupants of heaven.
5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not- the fact that one of the elders can speak to John on his own shows that the 24 elders do not represent a group. They are individual beings. Ones, moreover, who are able to disclose their insight to John.
Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David- it is interesting that the one who takes the book is described in terms relevant to Israel, thus confirming that the elders have a special relationship with that nation. Long before, Jacob had prophesied that Judah would be like a lion, not only stooping, but going up from the prey, and couching as a lion, with none able to rouse him from his triumphant position, Genesis 49:9. From him the sceptre would not depart. Yet the Judah who heard these words had not prevailed when the test came; neither did he retain the sceptre, for he gave his staff to Tamar, Genesis 38:12-26. There must be another who will fulfil these words. The clue is found in the mention of the Root of David, the one through whom David derives his throne. The Lord Jesus confounded the experts of His day when He asked them how it is that the Messiah can be David’s Son, but also David’s Lord, Matthew 22:41-46. The answer is only known when we take account of His Deity.
Hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof- the one who has prevailed over sin and Satan in His life when tempted, and at the cross when crucified, has the authority to take the book. David prevailed over Goliath the Philistine, 1 Samuel 17:50,51; the Root of David has prevailed over a greater foe, the Devil himself.
Clearly there was no dispute over the fact that Christ was of Judah in the days of the apostles, for the writer to the Hebrews can say “It is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah”, Hebrews 7:14. He is, more specifically, of David’s line, (as demonstrated by Matthew in the first chapter of his gospel), and therefore is of David, yet as the Root of David, David is of Him.
Again the loosing of the seals is mentioned after the opening of the book, although in practical terms the order would have to be the reverse. Notice that He is worthy to loose the seven seals, for He will complete that task once it is begun, such is His competence.
5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
And I beheld, and, lo- John not only saw for himself, “behold”, but draws our attention to the sight as well, “lo”.
In the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders- it is no coincidence that this one is central to the throne, and is in the midst of the creatures that surround the throne also. He is central to God’s purpose, just as He was central upon the cross. There He was numbered with the transgressors, now He is numbered with the heavenly worshippers.
Stood a Lamb as it had been slain- no longer hanging upon the cross, as if laid on an altar, but standing in resurrection life and power. God has said to Him, “Sit on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool”, Hebrews 1:13. His position is a moral one, just as Queen Elizabeth is said to be on the throne of England, although she in fact rarely sits upon it physically. This position is reserved for Him until a certain time. The particular word for “until” used in Hebrews 1:13 means “up to the time when”. This verse does not imply that He cannot come for the church before the defeat of His enemies at His coming to earth, because even 1000 years after that event He will still have enemies that need to be subdued, see Revelation 20:7-9. (See 1 Corinthians 15:25, with its different word for until, meaning “whenever it may be”). The fact that He is seen standing indicates that the time approaches for Him to assert Himself, for God is about to make His foes His footstool. The footstool, that is, of His own throne as He reigns on earth, Matthew 25:31; Revelation 3:21.
No doubt John expected to see a lion, but in fact saw a lamb. This illustrates the point that Christ did not triumph over evil by mere force, but dealt with it in a morally satisfactory way. That way was the way of sacrifice, as is indicated by the concept of the lamb, the weak and defenceless one that triumphs through sacrifice and resurrection. We see the principle illustrated in the sons of Jacob. Reuben, the first son, forfeited his right to be the firstborn in Jacob’s household through sin, Genesis 49:4. Judah was given the right to rule, but because he fell in a similar way to Reuben, Genesis 38, the firstborn’s right was given to Joseph, who triumphed where the only two succumbed, see Genesis 39, 1 Chronicles 5:1,2. So it is that the two characteristics are combined in Christ- the lion, as Judah, and the lamb, as Joseph. He combines official and moral right in His person. David lamented the fact that his house was not competent to rule because they had sinned, and “He that ruleth over men must be just”, 2 Samuel 23:3,5. In a day to come, when Messiah arrives, the family of the House of David will mourn, no doubt for this very reason, Zechariah 12:12.
Matthew had begun his gospel with the idea of Christ being son of Abraham, (the True Isaac), and son of David, (the True Solomon). Isaac was the youth on the altar like a young lamb, whereas Solomon was the king on the throne.
Having seven horns- this shows that He has sufficient power to execute the judgements that are about to be inflicted on the earth.
And seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth- He has seven eyes, for He will judge with perfect discernment, by the power of the Spirit of God. As the psalmist said, “He ruleth by His power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah”, Psalm 66:7. But He also has perfect regard for His earthly people, and will redeem them from the hand of the enemy in His good time. “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him”, 2 Chronicles 13:9. “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry”, Psalm 34:15.
5:7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne.
Just as He had sat Himself down on the throne of God after He had ascended, Hebrews 1:3, so now, with perfect confidence, and without any possibility of challenge, He advances to the throne and takes the book. He thus establishes His intention to take control of the judgements of the earth written in the book. God’s right hand is the hand that elevated Him to the place of highest honour, Acts 2:33, and now the same hand lets go of the book and allows Him to take it.
The Lord Jesus has authority to judge for the following reasons:
- He is sinless, and therefore is the only one who can judge the sins of others. As He Himself said, “He that is without sin among you, let him cast first a stone at her”, John 8:7.
- He is Only begotten Son of God, and as such has the same right as the Father to judge, being equal with Him, and due equal honour, John 5:22,23.
- He is Firstborn Son of God, and as such has had allotted to Him all administration, John 3:3, and judgement is part of that administration.
- He is Son of Man, and as such has had given to Him the task of judging men, John 5:27. He stands in relation to all men, and has been here as a man amongst them so that they could have opportunity to come into relationship with Him.
- He was slain, and thus showed His utter determination to deal with the root cause of what invites God’s judgement. Only one who has the complete answer to sin has the right to judge that sin. The heavenly host recognise this, so they say “Thou art worthy to take the book for Thou wast slain”, verse 9.
- As a result of Calvary, the “prince of this world shall be cast out”, John 12:31, and the judgements initiated by Christ will ensure this.
- He is risen from the dead, and “God hath appointed the day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead”, Acts 17:31.
5:8 And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb- these who have a deep interest in the affairs of earth, who know the ravages sin has wrought since the day that Adam fell, greatly rejoice when at last one steps forward to remedy the situation. The heavenly host had rejoiced at His first coming, and now they rejoice again, for “He cometh to judge the earth”, Psalm 98:9. All the angels of God shall worship Him when He comes, and these angelic representatives anticipate that glorious time. Note that they do not hesitate to fall down before the Lamb, even though they are in the presence of the one who sits upon the throne. The Father has decreed that all should honour the Son as they honour him, the Father, John 5:23.
Having every one of them harps- as the heavenly counterparts of the temple choir and musicians they are ready to praise God at this intervention by the Lamb. There were those in the temple who “prophesied with a harp”, 1 Chronicles 25:3, by their singing unfolding the mind of God and thus prophesying, and these do the same.
It is worth noting that those who sing should say something by their singing. The words of the song should have meaningful content, so that the truth of God is made known in some way. The emphasis should always be on the words, and not the tune, although the tune can enhance the words, if carefully chosen.
And golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints- no doubt these prayers are for God’s intervention in the earth, uttered perhaps centuries ago, but yet to be answered in God’s good time.
5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
And they sung a new song- it may be objected at this point that the twenty four elders cannot be angelic beings because it is said that the latter never sing. That may or may not be so in the past, but this is a new song because of a new situation. Is it not feasible that when the work of Christ is in view, praise is elevated to a higher level, so instead of simply saying, they sing? There is a reference to singing at the founding of the earth in Job 38:7, “Or who laid the corner stone thereof; when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy”. It could well be that the morning stars are angels, for Lucifer was a “son of the morning” before his fall, Isaiah 14:12, and Lucifer means “morning star”.
Saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation- these are representative beings, and they sing on behalf of Israel, just as the choir in the temple sang on behalf of the nation. These sing in anticipation of Israel singing for itself. It is true they sing of being redeemed, and reigning on the earth, but they do so representatively, and anticipatively.
In the New Testament the Lord Jesus and the apostles spoke of redemption as deliverance from sin. Illustrations of this are as follows:
“For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many”, Mark 10:45.
“Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity”, Titus 2:14.
“In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”, Ephesians 1:7.
“There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time”, 1 Timothy 2:5,6.
The Scriptures quoted above show how the idea of redemption, the setting free of the slave on payment of a price, was applied in the New Testament to sinners enslaved by sin, but released through the price Christ paid in blood. In the Old Testament, however, the main idea is of deliverance from a place, whether geographical, as Egypt, or financial, as bankruptcy, as in the case of Naomi and Ruth. Hence we read as follows: “Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burden of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgements:” Exodus 6:7. And the prophets linked this event with a future return of the nation, “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away”, Isaiah 35:10. And, “Art Thou not It which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away”, Isaiah 51:10,11.
The word redeemed is used twice more in the book of Revelation. In chapter 14:3 we read of 144,000 who have been “redeemed from the earth”, and in verse 4 we learn they have been “redeemed from among men”. Now these are men sealed in chapter 7 from each of the tribes of Israel, yet they are said to be redeemed from among men. So this latter phrase has to do with where they were rescued from, not of which nation they were of. They were sent forth as sheep amongst wolves to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom among all nations, Matthew 24:14, but they were safely brought back by God, and are found before Him in chapter 15. Now the full complement of them is in heaven, redeemed from their place of danger. So it is that the twenty four elders anticipate a time when all Israel shall be redeemed from all the places they have been scattered, and brought to Zion.
This scattering is not just that which pertains now, but that which shall be in the future, for they shall be taken into captivity among all nations when Jerusalem is destroyed at the start of the Great Tribulation. Daniel was told that “the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary”, Daniel 9:26. Zechariah prophesied that God would “gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken…and half of the city shall go forth into captivity”, Zechariah 14:2. The Lord Jesus spoke of this when He prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem, “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation is nigh…for these be the days of vengeance that all things that are written may be fulfilled…there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled”, Luke 21:20-24. The time-scale of this treading down of Jerusalem is given in Revelation 11:2 as 42 months, the three and a half years of the Great Tribulation.
It is from this captivity that Israel shall be redeemed by the Lord Jesus, for “the Redeemer shall come to Zion”, Isaiah 59:20. From captivity in “all nations”, they are rescued by the power of God. And this the twenty four elders celebrate.
5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Not only will Israel be redeemed from things, but to things as well. The original intention of the covenant of the law was that they should be “a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation”, Exodus 19:6. They forfeited this privilege, however, by making and worshipping the golden calf. They degenerated further into idolatry until they had to be sent into captivity to judge them. Under the terms of the new covenant, however, they shall all be equal in their knowledge of God, Jeremiah 31:34. Isaiah 61:6 reads, “But ye shall be named the priests of the Lord: men shall call you the ministers of our God”. We know from Ezekiel’s prophecy that priests of the Levitical order shall function in the temple of the kingdom age, offering commemorative sacrifices. But Christ shall be priest upon His throne, Zechariah 6:13, a King-Priest after the order of Melchizedek. The writer to the Hebrews makes an interesting addition to the words of Psalm 110 about this. Instead of quoting “priest after the order of Melchizedek, he writes, “High priest after the order of Melchizedek”, Hebrews 6:20. By this he leaves open the possibility that others would share in that priesthood, for “high priest” supposes people for Him to be high over. Now the priesthood of Christ is founded upon the fact that His life is endless, Hebrews 7:16. Those who have eternal life are therefore qualified to function as priests with Him. This privilege will be known by Israel, for they shall be under the terms of the New Covenant which involves knowing the Lord, a sign of the possession of eternal life, Jeremiah 31:34; John 17:3. As such they shall reign on the earth with Christ, but they will reign as priests, as Revelation 20:6 indicates. Those of Israel who have part in the first resurrection will reign on earth, whereas the church will reign with Him, but not necessarily on earth.
In Daniel 7:18 we read of the saints of the Most High who take and possess the kingdom. Everywhere else in the book of Daniel the saints are angelic beings, and there is no reason to think this is not an exception. They take the kingdom of earth from Gentile rulers, and give it to Christ. In verse 27, however, we read of the people (in the singular) of the saints of the Most High, who are given the kingdom. This would refer to the nation of Israel. So there is a connection between angelic beings and Israel in both Daniel 7, and Revelation 5.
5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders- John’s attention is now directed to the massed ranks of the angels. There are one hundred million of them, and more, yet they speak with one voice. There is not a dissenter amongst them as they ascribe honour to the Lamb. This is a reminder of the words of the writer to the Hebrews that “unto the angels hath He not put into subjection the world to come whereof we speak”, Hebrews 2:5. The world to come is the habitable earth which is the subject of chapter 1:6-14, and it is a man who shall administer that. The only one capable of ruling for God is currently at the right hand of God’s throne in heaven, but soon He shall be installed on His own throne of glory upon the earth.
And the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands- when the law was given we learn from Moses himself that “He came with ten thousands of His saints: from His right hand went a fiery law for them”, Deuteronomy 33:2. But as Hebrews 12:26 says, “Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven”. The angels stand ready to come with Him again, this time to judge the earth, for “the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him”, Matthew 25:31. Enoch foresaw this and declared, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgement upon all…” Jude 14,15.
5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Saying with a loud voice- not only are they united, they are also enthusiastic as they speak with loud voice. The fact that there are myriads of them does not prevent them from heartily expressing their individual appreciation of the Lamb.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain- they, like the twenty four elders, see the worthiness of the Lamb as being because He was slain. The horror of what earth had done to Him centuries before had not left them. “This is the heir; come let us kill Him!” was the attitude of men, Matthew 21:38, and the angels who looked on, and whose help was not requested, even though it was available, Matthew 26:53,54, have not forgotten.
To receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing- they ascribe seven things to Him. When they say He is worthy to receive, they mean “worthy to receive the credit for”.
First, power; this is the dynamite needed to shake the earth to its foundations, in order that a kingdom that cannot be shaken may be established, Hebrews 12:26-29.
Second, riches: the angels know that the Divine resources needed to judge the earth are resident in the Lamb, for to Him all administrative rights are given.
Third, wisdom: the earth’s rulers have been marked by folly. The ultimate expression of this being the crucifixion of the Lord of glory because they were ignorant of Him, 1 Corinthians 2:8. The greater than Solomon in all His wisdom stands ready to rule the world.
Fourth, strength: the glory of this might, this ability to prevail, will be manifested when Christ comes to earth, 2 Thessalonians 1:9.
Fifth, honour: the value placed upon one by those competent to judge. When He came to Israel, they “esteemed Him not”, Isaiah 53:3, or, in other words, valued Him at nothing. They certainly did not think Him to be worthy of the throne of David. God’s verdict is otherwise, and the angels agree.
Sixth, glory: the outshining of inner excellence is pre-eminently His, and the angels are not afraid to express this in the presence of God. Those who glorify Christ in no wise detract from the glory of the Father. He said in the Old Testament, “I am the Lord: that is My name: and My glory I will not give to another, neither My praise to graven images”, Isaiah 42:8. In John 17:5 however, the Lord Jesus prayed thus, “And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was”. That prayer has been answered, and that place of acknowledged glory has been given back to the Son of God. When down here this glory was withheld from Him, as men largely refused His claims, but in heaven He is glorified as He should be. The angels are happy to recognise this.
Seventh, blessing: on earth Christ was cursed and blasphemed by men, but the psalmist had predicted that He would “receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of His salvation”, Psalm 24:5. And so it has come to pass in heaven, and soon on earth as well. Injustice and cursing has been exchanged for righteousness and blessing.
5:13 And 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 honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
And 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- the praise of the Lamb now extends universally, as John hears every creature recognising God and the Lamb. This is not to say that all are believers, but all are constrained to admit that God and the Lamb are worthy of recognition. Psalm 148 calls upon all to acknowledge the Lord, and this is the response to that call. All the angel hosts, of whatever rank; all men on earth; all the dead in the grave; all that are sailing on the sea, (for when men are on board ship they often feel as if they are released from the constraints of civilised life), are united in recognising God and the Lamb.
“All that is in them” is literally “And all the things in them”, so it is not a question of wholehearted response, but universal response without exception.
All recognise that blessing comes from the throne of God. After long centuries of blaming God for evil, they at last realise it was not true. When God was manifest in flesh, He came to bless, not curse. They are forced to admit that the ones who seemed to be so important, as the Antichrist and his false prophet dominated the earth, are but tools of the Devil, and have received their due recompense. At last glory will be given to the God of heaven and His Son. Glory which they refused Christ when He was here, and refused God when He was judging the earth in the tribulation, Revelation 16:9, “they repented not to give Him glory”.
There will be universal admission in that day that God is the God of power, for His judgements will have demonstrated that convincingly.
5:14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever.
The representatives of the earth say Amen to these words, for they have an interest in the name of God and the Lamb being celebrated by all creatures. The worship of the hosts of heaven now gives way to the woes on earth.
REVELATION CHAPTER 4
We saw when considering chapter 1 that certain features from the vision of the Son of Man were used to describe Him as He spoke to the seven churches. Several features were not used there, however, so we may think of them as appropriate to the way in which Christ reveals Himself to the world in judgement before He actually comes. The features not used in chapters 2 and 3 are:
- “One like unto the Son of Man”. HIS OFFICIAL AND UNIVERSAL AUTHORITY.
- “Clothed with a garment down to the foot” HIS KINGLY DIGNITY
- “His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow”. HIS FULNESS OF WISDOM
- “His countenance as the sun shineth in his strength”. HIS STERN WRATH
- “Have the keys of hell and of death”. HIS FULL AUTHORITY
Coming to the main body of the revelation as it relates to Christ re-appearing to the world, which consists of chapters 4-19, we can divide it into six sections, which each culminate in the appearance of the Lord Jesus to the world again. As far as the actual revelation is concerned, this occurs in chapter 19. As far as the book is concerned, there are a series of records of events that reveal Christ’s character in some way. So there is a full revelation to John in vision in chapter 1; six partial revelations to the churches in chapters 2 and 3; six partial revelations to the world in chapters 4-18; and then the full revelation in person to the world in chapter 19.
Chapter 1
Revelation of Christ in vision to John
Chapters 2 and 3
Six revelations of Christ to the churches
Chapters 4 to 18
Six revelations of Christ to the world in vision to John.
Chapter 19
Revelation of Christ to the world in person.
That chapters 4 to 19 are not in chronological order is seen from the fact that there are references to the end of the tribulation period and the start of the reign of Christ throughout, as follows:
Chapter 5:13 “Every creature…heard I saying”. This will not happen until the Lord sets up His kingdom.
Chapter 7:17 “These are they that come out of great tribulation”. This is not tribulation in general, but the specific “tribulation, the great one”, the last three and a half years before Christ comes.
Chapter 11:15 “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our God, and of His Christ”. This happens when Christ comes to reign.
Chapter 14:5 Those sent out to preach in chapter 7 are now safely in heaven before the throne of God, their work over.
Chapter 15:2 Those who have gained the victory over the beast are seen before God.
Chapter 19:10 “The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth”. A celebration of the glorious reign of Christ over the earth.
We need not be surprised if the various revelations overlap. In the biography of a great man there may be a chapter about him as a man, his character as shown throughout his life. Then his life as a prominent politician perhaps, which will overlap with the first chapter. Again, there may be a chapter about his domestic life, and again the record may go over ground touched on before. So it is with the revelations given in the Book of Revelation. Various future events are detailed, in order that a particular aspect of the person of Christ may be revealed.
So in chapters 4 and 5 of the Book of the Revelation we have the first revelation that is given to us prior to His personal revelation at His coming to earth. In this revelation, His supreme worthiness is brought before us.
THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION CHAPTER 4, VERSES 1 TO 11
4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
4:3 And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
4:7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
4:9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
4:11 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.
INTRODUCTION
We need to be aware of the point of chapters 4 and 5. They give to us a sight of the heavenly throne-room, and transactions conducted there. God is about to start His long-predicted judgements, it is fitting therefore that we should be shown the seat of government. Important also, to know through whom that judgement will be executed. The Lord Jesus taught when He was here below that “the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father”, John 5:22,23. And again, the Father hath “given Him authority to execute judgement also, because He is the Son of Man”, John 5:27. So we are told the object of giving the Son of God the task of judging, namely that He may receive equal honour with the Father. Most acknowledge that only one who is God is qualified to judge men, and so the Father has allotted this task to His Son to declare yet again His Deity. We are also told two of the grounds upon which He has been given the task. First, that He is Son of Man, and as such He has relevance to all men. Second,that as Son of Man He has been amongst them in His ministry, and they have had opportunity to either respond to Him directly when they came into contact with Him, or indirectly when He was preached to them, or they read the gospel records of His life.
4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven- the scene changes at this point in the book. John had been told that he was to write “the things thou hast seen, (the vision of the Son of Man in chapter 1), the things that are, (the condition of the seven churches in Asia at that time), and the things which shall be hereafter”. The latter phrase does not mean after death as the world uses the phrase “the hereafter”, but “after these things”; in other words after the current things concerning the churches. And now that word “hereafter” occurs again, indicating to us that the third section of the book is about to begin, and matters relative to the future are about to be unfolded. Or as chapter 1:1 put it, “to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass”. God’s servants need to have an awareness of what is to happen in the future, so that they may serve Him intelligently in the present. In chapters 2 and 3 the scene is earth, with seven churches bearing testimony in their respective locations in Asia Minor, but now the scene changes to heaven. Solomon’s temple had doors for access to the oracle, or speaking-place, where God spoke to His people, 1 Kings 6:31. Now John is ushered through a door into the temple of which Solomon’s was but a pattern, see 1 Chronicles 28:11-13.
And the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither- the first voice John heard invited him to come into the presence of God. The fact that the voice sounded like a trumpet reminds us of the words of 1 Corinthians 15:52, “the last trump”, or 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “the trump of God”. We have here a rehearsal of what will happen when Christ comes for His church saints, and they shall be caught up to be for ever with the Lord in heaven.
And I will show thee things which must be hereafter- the church saints shall be caught up to be with the Lord in heaven, but here John anticipates that, and is also given a preview of what will take place after the Lord Jesus has come into the air for the church.
4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
And immediately I was in the spirit- see chapter 1:10 for comments about the expression “in the spirit”. The fact that John was not in the spirit before tells us that this is not a reference to the position in the Spirit that is true of all believers all the time, but simply means that he is transported into the realm that the body cannot go to at present, although when the resurrection body is received, it will be otherwise. The doors in Solomon’s temple were made of olive tree wood, and olive oil is a symbol of the Spirit of God in Scripture. Note the immediate response of John to this invitation to enter heaven’s courts. We might well ask ourselves whether heaven’s affairs have this sort of attraction for us. As the apostle Paul wrote, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God”, Colossians 3:2,3.
And, behold, a throne was set in heaven- it is good to know that despite the rebellion of angels and men during the last 6000 years, there is still a throne set in heaven. Nothing has happened to make that throne unstable, let alone remove it. More than this, the throne, the seat of power and government, is occupied.
And one sat on the throne- the Divine Throne-Sitter is there in all His solitary grandeur. God has not abdicated His throne, nor will He do so.
4:3 And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone- it is noticeable how sparse is the description John gives us of the Throne-Sitter. He is content to tell us simply that He looked like two precious stones, and that He had a book in His right hand. In chapter 4 we are introduced to the Judge of all the earth, Genesis 18:25, in His capacity as the Creator-God. It is fitting, then, that He should be described in terms of the precious things He had hidden in the earth. This reminds us that the earth is precious to God. Of all the places in the universe, this is His favourite; not least because on this planet His Son was crucified. The earth may or may not be the physical centre of the universe, but that event on earth is certainly the moral centre.
And there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald- as the judgements of God unfold in the following chapters, it becomes clear that many of them are inflicted on men using physical things, such as scorching sun, water made bitter, rivers dried up, hail and fire from heaven, earthquakes, and so on. It is good to see, therefore, that there is a rainbow round God’s throne, for this is His token in the heavens that He will never again flood the earth as He did in Noah’s time. He made a covenant with the earth, and the rainbow is the sign of that covenant. His words were these:
“And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish My covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth”, Genesis 9:8-17.
So the rainbow is the token of God’s faithfulness to His covenant. Yet instead of being multi-coloured, this rainbow is emerald-green, the central colour of the rainbow as we see it. Colours have different effects upon us, and green is the one most likely to calm and quieten. Despite the upheavals that are about to occur upon the earth, heaven is calm and unruffled. The rainbow derives its colours from the fact that light is split into its colours by droplets of water acting as prisms. There is no water in this rainbow, however, for otherwise it would not be only green. It is a powerful testimony to the fact that God is remembering His covenant with the earth even whilst He is judging the men on the earth.
Furthermore, this bow encircles the throne; it is not a part-circle as with us as we look up from the earth, but a complete circle. God’s purpose for the earth will be fully accomplished, and the rainbow tells us it shall be so. The reason why God’s purpose shall be fully realised is because the administration of all things is entrusted to His Son, and He cannot fail.
4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
And round about the throne were four and twenty seats- we are now introduced to one of three groups of beings John saw in connection with the throne. There are twenty four seats, or thrones, (the word is the same as the throne on which God sits, but no doubt the translators were anxious to distinguish between the two, and hence called them seats. The word throne comes from the verb “to sit”). We mentioned earlier that Solomon’s temple was modelled on the heavenly temple. So also, the administration of that temple was ordered in accordance with David’s arrangements. There were twenty four courses of priests, 1 Chronicles 24;18; of Levites, verses 20-30; of singers, 25:31, (288, or 12 x 24, altogether, verse 7); of gate-keepers, 26:17; 12 captains of a host of 24 thousand, plus 12 princes of the tribes of Israel, 27:1-22. It was these latter persons who gave willingly so that the temple could be built, 28:1; 29:6-9. Clearly David is organising the temple around the number 24, and hence it is no surprise that there are 24 beings sitting in administration in heaven’s throne-room, which is also heaven’s temple, for justice and holiness co-exist in heaven. Solomon’s throne of judgement was at the entrance to the temple, 1 Kings 7:7, and thus the temple was central to the government of Israel.
And upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting- we find that these personages are combining the various functions that the officers in the temple carried out. In 4:4 they are round about the throne, guarding the presence of God like the gatekeepers in the temple courts. In 4:10 they worship like the priests. In 5:5 one of the elders explains the situation to John, as the Levites taught the people. In 5:9 they play the harp and sing like the musician-singers in the temple choir.
We know from the book of Daniel that there is a correspondence between angelic beings, whether good or evil, and administration upon earth. In chapter 10:13,20,21, Daniel learns that Gabriel had been withstood by the angel-prince of Persia, an evil angel allotted by the Devil to defend his wicked interests in the kingdom of Persia. Gabriel had been helped, however, by the archangel Michael, who stands to defend the interests of God in Israel. Couple this with the fact that there is a class of angels called “thrones”, Colossians 1:16, and we are ready to see in these 24 elders those angelic beings who are given special wisdom, (hence they are called elders), to administer for God, and no doubt in particular in connection with His spiritual interests in the earth, centred in the future rebuilt temple at Jerusalem.
Clothed in white raiment- in chapter 1:9 the word for clothed means to have put on clothing, (with the emphasis on the “put on”, since there is no word for garment in the original passage, it is contained within the verb), for the Son of Man as He prepares to judge is assuming a different role, and a different garment is appropriate. Here, however, the word “clothed” means that which is thrown around, like a mantle. Perhaps the thought is that whereas the garment of Christ in the vision represents that which He is in Himself, these have been invested with authority from God. Their garments are white, for they represent the righteousness of God as they administer.
And they had on their heads crowns of gold- of this word crown W.E Vine says it denotes “public honour for distinguished service, especially at the arrival of kings”. The king is about to make His presence felt on earth, and these elders are appropriately crowned for that momentous occasion. They wear victor’s crowns, such as were worn by those who had distinguished themselves as citizens of a city. These had been faithful to God in the past, and this had been recognised. In verse 10 they cast their crowns before the throne, willingly giving up their role in favour of Christ.
There are those who believe that the four living creatures and the 24 elders are symbols of the church. The following things should be borne in mind:
- They address God in a different way to that appropriate for church believers.
- John, a member of the church, is separate from them.
- Individual elders and living creatures are spoken of, so they are not symbolic groupings.
- The elders know something the apostle does not, 5:5; 7:13.
- John does not join in their praise. He weeps, but does not sing.
4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices- something of the impending storm of Divine judgement is indicated to us here with the mention of lightnings and thunderings from the throne of God itself. When James and John, surnamed “sons of thunder” by the Lord Jesus, Mark 3:27, were angry with the Samaritans on one occasion, they asked to call down fire from heaven on them. Christ rebuked them, however, for they were out of harmony with the character of His mission. “The Son of Man came not destroy men’s lives, but to save them”, Luke 9:51-56. The character of God’s dealings with men has changed by the time this scene is enacted in heaven, and the thunders and lightnings of Divine wrath are heard and seen. When Ezekiel saw the throne of heaven, the fire issuing forth from God was infolding itself, not streaming forth as far as men, but turning back on itself before it reached them, Ezekiel 1:4. Now all is different.
There are voices, too, for the demands of God’s throne are about to be met. As far as believers are concerned, the demands of God’s throne were met at Calvary by their Saviour, but men generally spurned that work, and are now about to reap the consequences.
And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God- in chapter 1:4 John sent greetings from the seven Spirits which are before God’s throne, and the Lord Jesus presented Himself to the church of Sardis as having the seven Spirits of God. The lampstand in the tabernacle had seven branches, and each branch a bowl for oil, and a lamp burning. Sardis needed to be restored to burning with a light produced by the Spirit of God, and not the mere light of profession which was liable to go out, Matthew 25:8. Here, however, the light is of fire, not of testimony. God is about to judge men, and His anger is about to burn against them in all its fulness, hence the seven lamps of fire, (the Hebrew word for “seven” meaning “complete, full, satisfied”). Isaiah 4:4 indicates that God intends to purge the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof “by the spirit of judgement, and by the spirit of burning”.
4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal- again we are introduced to temple imagery, for in Solomon’s temple there were not only lavers at which the priests washed the sacrifices, but also a brazen sea, so called because of the large volume of water it contained. This was for the priests to wash in. In heaven, however, there is no need of cleansing, for all who reach there must have been cleansed from sin on earth. This sea not only emphasises that point, but also will serve in a later chapter to form the platform upon which the redeemed stand before God, 15:2. The storms of their earthly experience will be over, and they will stand calmly before God on the crystal sea. The sea is like glass, reflecting the purity of those who will eventually stand upon it, and the glass is like crystal, for water is not needed. Crystal has the ability to reflect light beautifully, and the glories of heaven are reflected even in the floor of the throne-room. Both glass and crystal are enough like water to serve as a reminder of God’s grace which cleansed from defilement on earth.
And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind- they are said to be in the midst of the throne as to their position, and round about the throne as to their function. In 1 Samuel 4:4 we learn that God dwelleth between the cherubim, as symbolised by the ark of the covenant. In Ezekiel 1:26 we discover that the cherubim formed a chariot upon which Jehovah sat. Here we find that the living creatures are in the midst of the throne and also around it in some way. They are central to the outworking of God’s purposes, and protect His interests. In order to do this they are full of eyes, for they need to be ever vigilant. Those eyes are before and behind, for the danger to God’s throne may come from the least expected quarter. We must always remember that it was an anointed cherub that covered and protected the throne of God, Lucifer, who rebelled against God, Ezekiel 28:14.
4:7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
Just as the number of elders reminds us of the arrangements for the temple, and thus has relevance to God’s spiritual interests in the earth, so these, four in number, link to the earth itself and God’s interests in the material world. He is asserting His creator rights in this chapter, and is beginning to remedy the harm that man has done to the earth, so that it may, as to its natural state, be reconciled to Him again, see Colossians 1:20, and delivered from the bondage of corruption, Romans 8:21. He is also going to use upsets in the natural world to judge men, and therefore assures us that He is not intent on destroying the earth, but of restoring it eventually. It is those who destroy the earth who shall be destroyed, 11:18.
These creatures are described as beasts, but we should notice that the word used of them is not the same as is used of the two beasts of Revelation 13. There the word used emphasises that they are wild animals, whereas here the word used emphasises that they are living, as befits those who surround the throne of the living God. After all, only one of the living creatures is a wild animal. But as living creatures they represent the four major classes of creatures on the earth. The lion is the king of the forest; the calf is the king of the field; the man is king of the earth’s fulness, whereas the eagle is the king of the firmament.These four, that head up life on earth, are represented in heaven by the living creatures. The flood had destroyed these classes of living thing on the earth, but the combination of the living creatures and the rainbow round the throne guarantees that no flood will ever engulf the earth again.
It is interesting to notice that the third living creature is only said to have the face of a man, whereas the other creatures were completely like those they represent. Thus is preserved the distinctiveness of man among the works of God. The face often stands for the person, as in the expression “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”, 2 Corinthians 4:6. This reminds us that the personality of man is one of his distinctive features, and is the sign that he alone has been made in the image and likeness of God. “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds”, 1 Corinthians 15:39.
4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him- we are not told the function of the wings of these creatures as we are of the seraphim in Isaiah 6. Perhaps the emphasis is upon their protection of the throne of God, just as the cherubim overshadowed the mercy-seat with their wings.
And they were full of eyes within- their alertness, as they safeguarded the created world was sourced in the very core of their being. Theirs was not a casual guardianship, but one to which they were totally committed.
And they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy- they ascribe thrice-holiness to God, and do so unceasingly. Of course there is no day and night in heaven, but from the standpoint of earth they continue without ceasing. John is very conscious of conditions on earth, (just as Daniel was when, in Babylon, he prayed to God as if the temple rituals were still going on, Daniel 9:21). He is strengthened by the thought that heaven’s worship ceases not, whatever the conditions on earth may be.
God is holy in a threefold way. First, He is holy in the sense that He is totally separate and distinct from matter. He is Spirit, and as such is beyond all the limitation that physical things have. Second, He is holy in the sense that He is creator even of non-material spirit-beings like angels. Third,He is holy in the sense that the state creation has degenerated into is not to be blamed on Him. When He subjected creation to vanity and the bondage of corruption, it was of necessity, since it was not suitable that Adam, a fallen head of creation, should be over an unfallen world, see Romans 8:20. These creatures know these three things, and hence ascribe thrice-holiness to God.
Lord God Almighty– they not only speak of holiness three times, but speak of God’s name in a three-fold way. He is Lord, God, and Almighty. As Lord He can be relied upon to keep His covenant with the earth, for Jehovah is His covenant-keeping name. As God He is the creator of all things, and should be recognised as such. As Almighty He is competent to maintain what He created. These three ideas go against the current thinking of men. There are those who do not believe that God has any interest in this world, but is aloof and distant. There are those who do not believe that He even exists as the one who created the world. Others do not believe that it is being maintained by Almighty God, but is in a state of random chaos.
Which was, and is, and is to come- this is the relationship of God to time. He was, for in the beginning He made all things. His power and Godhead are eternal, Romans 1:20, but He chose the moment for time to begin. He is, for He has not abdicated His position as Creator, despite the evolutionary theories of men. He is to come,for He is about to restore the earth to a state suitable for Christ to reign over.
4:9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the throne- not only is the expression of praise of the living creatures structured around the number three, but the effect of their praise is three-fold. They give glory to God, recognising Him to be the great originator of all the things they represent. They honour Him as Creator, and not for one moment dishonour Him by suggesting He is the author of the evil that has blighted the world. They give thanks to Him for their own existence and preservation, and that of creation generally. He lives for ever and ever, and manifested His eternal power and Godhead in the creation of all things at the beginning, Romans 1:20.
4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever- the worship of the living creatures as they who praise God as creator prompts the twenty four elders to worship God also. Not only is God the one who dominates time, for He was and is, and is to come, but He is the God of eternity too. He not only exists for all eternity, but lives; this is the condition of His existence.
And cast their crowns before the throne, saying- they do this in willing recognition that God is the only one worthy to be honoured with a crown. In recognition also that there is one about to be invested with universal dominion, so they defer to Him, even Christ, who is about to be introduced in chapter 5.
4:11 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.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power- the elders repeat the glory and honour that the living creatures have ascribed to God, but substitute “power” for “thanks”. The word for power they use gives us the English word dynamite; it is power that accomplishes things. The elders concentrate on the actual making of all things, rather than God’s relationship to them as suggested by the praise of the living creatures, hence the mention of power. God is the creator of all things, whether they are visible or not, and He did it by the exercise of His eternal power.
For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created– the reason these things were created is now stated, (for the elders always give a reason for their worship). He has made a universe of order, complexity, beauty, and usefulness, simply because He loves to have it so. The universe is not therefore the chance coming together of atoms in random fashion, but the orderly production of an intelligent Creator, who takes pleasure in the things He has created. They are for His pleasure now, and they were when He created them. Of course, we know that through the fall of man the creation that God pronounced to be “very good”, has been spoiled. But He can see the end from the beginning, and knows that one day creation shall be released from its bondage, and brought into glorious liberty, and this the elders celebrate.
Miracles
Many today claim to be able to work miracles of one sort or another, and many more claim to be endowed with the sign-gifts that believers had in apostolic days. These claims often cause doubts and anxieties to arise in the minds of believers who do not possess such abilities. In the light of this, we do well to turn to the Scriptures of truth, so that we may be given guidance on these important and pressing issues.
DEFINITION OF MIRACLES
Miracles have been defined as “works of a supernatural origin and character, such as could not be produced by natural agents and means”. W.E.Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament words. They are exceptions to normal events, which occur due to the intervention of a power beyond natural power.
We must beware of devaluing the word miracle by using it of happenings which are simply out of the ordinary, or merely coincidences, or take place at a particularly opportune moment. We must also beware of labelling as miraculous, events which would have occurred anyway. An example of this would be illnesses that are known to go into remission naturally. An event does not become a miracle because it is an answer to prayer.
WONDERS
The apostle Peter coupled three words together in the phrase “miracles and wonders and signs”, Acts 2:22. The second of these words expresses the effect the miracle had upon those involved. At best, in the case of miracles wrought by Christ and the apostles, those around would be constrained to believe on the Lord Jesus. As He said in John 14:11 “Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works’ sake”. (Note that belief in Himself is the goal in each case; it is not “believe Me or else believe the works”). At worst, there were those who responded to Christ’s miracles by wanting to make Him king simply because He could multiply loaves. He withdrew from such, John 6:15.
SIGNS
This word reminds us that the miracles had a lesson to teach, they had sign-ificance. They were not simply acts of mercy and compassion, but doctrine made visible in vivid ways. We see this especially in John 6, where the Lord’s long discourse on the Bread of Life is based on His miracle of feeding the five thousand.
Summarising, we may say that a miracle is an event beyond the normal, with an effect beyond the usual, giving expression to things beyond the natural.
SATAN’S COUNTERFEIT
We must always remember that Satan is able to imitate God’s work to a certain extent, as Moses and Aaron discovered in Exodus 7:11,12,22. See also 2 Timothy 3:8,9. This will come to a climax at the end times, when the Lawless One is revealed “whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders….” 2 Thessalonians 2:8,9. Note that in this case the wonders are lying wonders, for they do not further the truth of God, but rather, the Devil’s lie.
A WORD OF WARNING
The current obsession in charismatic circles with happenings which are out-of-the-ordinary is conditioning professing Christians to look for exhilarating experiences, instead of being built up by the exposition of the Word of God. It is part of Satan’s New Age strategy to influence the minds of men so that they give themselves over to spirit forces, and so further his end. His object is to draw believers away from the written revelation of the Word of God, and attract them to “spiritual” experiences.
THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST
Christ’s miracles were a witness to His own person. Those performed by the apostles witnessed to His person, too. They were certainly not performed to bear witness to themselves. See Acts 3:12; 14:8-18. They also were one of the ways in which God confirmed certain vitally important truths, as we shall see.
(I) THE WITNESS TO HIS PERSON AS THE SON OF GOD
John chapter 5 contains Christ’s first public discourse as far as John’s record goes. Significantly, it concerns His Deity, and is preceded by the healing of the impotent man on the Sabbath day. The Lord Jesus establishes His authority for healing on the day of rest by saying “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work”, verse 17. The Jews understood very well what He was claiming by this statement, even “That God was His (own) Father, making Himself equal with God”, verse 18.
Later, in John 5:31-39, the Lord Jesus spoke of four witnesses to His person, these being John the Baptist, verse 33; the works which the Father had given Him to finish, verse 36; the Father, who bore witness at His baptism, verse 37; and finally the witness of the Old Testament Scriptures, verse 39.
So the works which the Father had given to Christ to do were a testimony to the genuineness of His person, that He was indeed the Son of God. Hence John appeals to them in John 20:31 as the reason why men should believe.
The apostle Peter also appealed to the miracles and wonders and signs performed by Christ, but his purpose was to show that He was approved of God, Acts 2:22. So whether it is a question of His person or His character, the matter is settled when the testimony of the miracles is received.
(2) THE WITNESS TO HIS PERSON AS THE CHRIST, OR MESSIAH OF ISRAEL
Not only did John record the miracles of Christ that we might believe that He is the Son of God, but also that we might know He is the long-promised Christ, or Messiah, John 20:31. The prophets had told of the Messiah as one who would come to bring in what the Jews called “the age to come”, when He would reign over them from Jerusalem. Hebrews 6:5 describes the miracles of Christ as the “powers of the world (age) to come”. Isaiah had written that in the time of the kingdom, “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as the hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing, Isaiah 35:5,6. The fact that these things did indeed happen when Christ was here, is proof positive that He is the Messiah.
So the miracles Christ did were not only expressions of compassion, but powerful and indisputable witness as to who He was. So confident is the apostle John of this witness, that, guided by the Spirit of God, he bases on it his appeal to his readers to believe that Jesus is the Christ, that no less a gift than eternal life may be theirs.
THE MIRACLES OF THE APOSTLES AND OTHER SIGN-GIFTS
(I) CONFIRMATION OF CHRIST’S PRESENCE IN HEAVEN
The resurrection and exaltation of Christ was confirmed by things that could be seen and heard, Acts 2:32,33. The seen things were the tongues of fire that sat upon each of the apostles. The heard things were the spoken tongues or languages which the apostles were miraculously able to use when speaking to the foreign Jews who had gathered at Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost.
Note that Peter quotes from Joel 2 in his address on that occasion, not because all the events that passage mentions were coming to pass then, but because Joel spoke of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and also the opportunity to call upon the name of the Lord for salvation. Those two things, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, and the salvation of some in Israel, were what were relevant at that time. Note also that Peter does not quote from the Old Testament passage which expressly speaks of tongues, namely Isaiah 28:11, because that was not so appropriate at that time.
(2) CONFIRMATION OF THE PREACHING OF THE APOSTLES
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus in Mark 16:17,18, was that certain signs would follow them that believe. What had been foretold indeed came to pass, for when Mark summarises the book of the Acts for us in verses 19 and 20, he writes in the past tense, and then ends with the words “confirming the word with (by means of) signs following”. So the signs manifested in apostolic days were a confirmation from the Lord in heaven that what was preached was indeed God’s word.
With this agree the words of Hebrews 2:1-4, where the writer identifies three lines of testimony. First, that of the Lord Himself when here, as He spoke of “so great salvation”. Second, when those who heard Him confirmed to others what they had been taught, and third, when God bore witness to both these testimonies by enabling signs and wonders to be performed, giving added proof that what the apostles preached was of God.
(3) CONFIRMATION THAT NON- JEWS HAVE RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT
Apart from the initial pouring out of the Spirit on Jews only in Acts 2, there were certain groups that were dealt with separately by God, because they were special cases.
The Samaritans. These were potentially a cause of friction amongst the believers, if they allowed the enmity between themselves and the Jews to spill over into their new life in Christ. “The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans”, John 4:9. Hence in Acts 8:14-17, Peter and John are sent to Samaria to personally and directly lay hands on those who had believed from amongst the Samaritan nation, that they might receive the Holy Spirit after a delay. That delay was not normal, since the moment a person believes and receives the gospel the Holy Spirit is given. We know this from Galatians 3:2, where the apostle indicates that the Spirit is given when a person hears in faith. (The indwelling of the Spirit of God is never presented to us in the New Testament. as something that can be earned, but rather the gracious gift of God the moment true faith is exercised). But the Samaritan situation was not normal, given the bad relations between the two nations, so an unusual procedure was followed. And because the apostles themselves laid hands on the Samaritan believers that they might receive the Holy Spirit, they did not need confirmation of the fact, and therefore we do not read that the Samaritan believers responded by speaking in tongues. They may have done so, but we are not expressly told.
The Gentiles. Peter had needed a vision from the Lord to convince him that it was indeed the Lord’s purpose to call Gentiles to faith. He had taken certain believers with him on his visit to Cornelius in order that they might be fellow-witnesses of what took place. This was a wise precaution, for afterwards Peter was criticized for his actions. These fellow-believers who companied with Peter were astonished that upon the Gentiles the Holy Spirit had been poured out, Acts 10:45. But how did they know this? Verse 46 begins with “for”, they knew they had received the Spirit “for they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God”. Hence, again, the speaking in tongues is audible proof of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The disciples of John. In Acts 19, the apostle Paul came across disciples of John the Baptist, who did not know that the Holy Spirit had been given at Pentecost. Having heard of the Lord Jesus from Paul, they believed and were baptized. Having received the Holy Spirit by the laying on of his hands, they spoke with tongues and prophesied. No doubt this was a great encouragement to them, confirming that they had been right to cross over from allegiance to John to faith in Christ, a step John would have encouraged, see John 1:35-37; 3:25-30.
We see then that various special groups are dealt with by God in ways that are not regular. Since they are special cases, they do not provide precedents for today. Believers today receive the Holy Spirit the moment they believe, and do not need any to lay hands on them before this can happen. Nor is the supposed speaking in tongues of some today, any evidence that they possess the Spirit of God. After all, the devil-worshipping “Whirling Dervishes” of the Middle East utter sounds indistinguishable from modern tongues-speaking!
(4) CONFIRMATION OF JUDGEMENT UPON UNBELIEF
God had warned Israel of the penalty of unbelief, namely that a foreign power would carry them away, and they would hear strange languages spoken by their captors, Deuteronomy 28:45-51. He warned the people of the same danger in Isaiah 28:11. The judgement fell when the Assyrians took the ten tribes into captivity. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 14:21,22, used these Scriptures to show that tongues-speaking was a sign from God to those who believe not, just as the “tongues-speaking” of the Assyrians had been to unbelieving, idol-worshipping Israel in Isaiah’s day.
SUMMARY
Clearly the things that are confirmed by the gift of tongues were new at the time. The gospel of a crucified and risen Christ; His ascension to heaven; the pouring out of the Spirit on the Gentiles; the particularly grave sin of rejecting a Saviour who had been received back into heaven, these were all fresh and different matters, and God graciously confirmed their reality by the exhibition of miracles. Once this confirmation has been done, it does not need to be repeated, or else doubt is cast upon the original confirmation, and upon the Scriptures which record it.
It is an historical fact that sign-gifts did cease. Chrysostom, the well-known “church father”, was unable to find them practised in his day. The onus is upon those who claim to perform miracles and speak in tongues today, to prove from Scripture that their return at the end of the age is to be expected. They should also offer evidence that what they do is identical in character to the signs of the apostolic age, and is accompanied by a strict adherence to apostolic doctrine and practice.
THE NATURE OF THE SIGN GIFTS Miracles and other signs did have an important role to play in the days when the record of the New Testament was not complete. They are listed for us in three passages. In Mark 16:17,18, we read of the casting out of demons, speaking with new tongues, taking up of serpents, drinking of deadly things without harm, and the laying of hands on the sick, so that they recovered. Further on, in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, we find mention of the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, divers kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. A further two, namely helps and governments, are found in 1 Corinthians 12:28.
God never wastes time or energy on mere entertainment. Each of these gifts had great usefulness. A brief notice of each will make this clear. The gifts of Mark 16:17,18 are mentioned in connection with the command of the Lord Jesus to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. It is no surprise, then, to find that they are especially of use in pioneer evangelism.
(I) GIFTS OF USE IN EVANGELISM
When God embarks upon a new phase in His dealings with men, Satan is always ready with his opposition, which often takes the form of demon activity. This, however, was no problem to an evangelist penetrating a new area with the gospel, for he could cast out demons, being gifted to do so. He had no language problem, either, for he could speak with new tongues. By ” new” is meant “unaccustomed”; that is, the one speaking was not used to the language, it was not his native dialect. It does not mean new in the sense of newly-invented.
Hacking his way through the jungle, he inadvertently disturbs a sleeping cobra. But this is no problem, either, for he can handle serpents! Thirsty and hungry from his exertions, he drinks contaminated water, and eats the fruit of a poisonous tree, yet comes to no harm. He finds himself in a clearing, where malaria-ridden natives huddle in their mud huts. Imagine the effect upon these poor souls as he touches the untouchable, and they instantly recover. What an introduction for the evangelist as he brings to them the gospel!
Notice that this man does not need to learn a language, or take a course in a school of tropical medicine, or learn botany, to prepare him for his mission, for he had been gifted by God. But where is the missionary today who is so fitted? He does not exist, for the simple reason that these gifts have been withdrawn in the wisdom of God.
(2) GIFTS OF USE IN THE ASSEMBLY
The gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 are useful too, but most of them in connection with the gatherings of God’s people, as again we might expect given the context in which they are found.
THE GIFTS OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE
How valuable a word of wisdom would have been in those early days when so many new things were happening, and before the scriptures of the New Testament were written. Of course there was the written wisdom of the Old Testament, but it was not always relevant to the new conditions prevailing at that time. So, too, the word of knowledge, insight directly from God on a particular, and perhaps strictly local problem.
THE GIFT OF FAITH
The tremendous challenges of those days would need to be met by men with the gift of faith, who could “move mountains” so that the work of God could go forward. Needless to say, this faith is not saving faith, which is the common possession of all the people of God.
THE GIFTS OF HEALING AND MIRACLES
There were those with the gift of healing, (but with no mention of the laying on of hands), who like Paul in Acts 19:11,12, could heal from a distance. This gift is distinguished from that of working of miracles, for whereas healing was a beneficial thing, sometimes miracles of judgement were necessary to preserve the testimony, as in Acts 5:5-11 and Acts 13:8-12. The raising of the dead would also be classed as a miracle, rather than an act of healing.
THE GIFT OF PROPHECY
The gift of prophecy, or the forth-telling of the mind of God, was vitally necessary if the saints were to be built up in Christian doctrine. The believers could not open their Bibles and find, say, Ephesians 3, for it had not yet been written. Nor could the apostles be everywhere at once to personally teach the saints. Hence the man gifted with insight into the mind of God filled a very real need.
THE GIFT OF DISCERNING OF SPIRITS
In those days there was no lack of imposters, and in order that the companies of the Lord’s people be not infiltrated by these, this gift was very necessary, so that the fraudulent might be kept out.
THE GIFTS OF TONGUES AND INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES
In the pioneer situation envisaged above in connection with Mark 16, the interpretation of tongues was not needed, for those addressed would all be of the same tongue. The same would be the case on the Day of Pentecost, for each nationality could gather round the particular apostle that was miraculously speaking their language.
In the assembly gatherings at Corinth, however, there might be several languages represented in the one company, especially as Corinth was a cosmopolitan city, and near to the sea-port of Cenchrea. If a brother began to speak the truth of God in the language of one of these groups, the fact that that group could testify to hearing their own language spoken accurately, (even though the speaker did not know the language), was in itself part of the object of that gift; it was a sign that God was at work. But all things, according to 1 Corinthians 14:26, must be unto edifying, and so far only the minority that knows the tongue has been edified. There needs to be, then, the interpretation of that particular tongue, for the benefit of the rest.
THE GIFT OF HELPS AND GOVERNMENTS
As time went by, there would arise administrative needs such as distribution to the poor, so it was very necessary for some to be gifted with practical and organisational skills to enable this to be done without the work of preaching being held up.
THE EXERCISE OF THE GIFTS
A reading of 1 Corinthians 14 will show clearly that the gifts, particularly of prophecy and tongues, were to be exercised with dignity and restraint. For instance, the maximum number allowed to speak in tongues during a meeting was three, verse 27, and that by course, or one after the other. The spectacle of large numbers of people all speaking with tongues at the same time, would raise questions as to their sanity, verse 23.
The situation was similar with regard to the gift of prophecy. Verses 32 and 33 make it clear that those who were gifted in this way did not abandon self-control, (which after all is a fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:23), but in an orderly and becoming way they edified the gathered saints. If a revelation was given to a prophet sitting alongside the current speaker, then the latter was well able to hold his peace and defer to the other.
“Let all things be done decently and in order”, is the final word of the apostle in chapter 14, for “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints”, verse 33. It is sadly true that many gatherings of those who claim to possess these gifts today, have not been notable for orderliness or dignity. This raises serious doubts as to the validity of what they claim.
“THE TORONTO BLESSING”
The current obsession with this phenomenon is a very grave matter. Far from being a repeat of apostolic practice, there is every indication that earnest, unsuspecting souls are being subjected to hypnosis in the name of Christ. If this is what is happening, then it is outrageous, because the unbelieving public looks on, and finds that what they think of as Christianity, is represented by those who seem intent on making fools of themselves, instead of preaching Christ.
It is said that 90% of the population can be hypnotised without much difficulty. Any run-of-the-mill secular hypnotist can induce feelings of being washed clean, of peace, of tingling sensations, of feelings of energy passing through the body, of seeing bright lights and so on. He can make people lay down, go stiff, laugh uncontrollably, and also heal minor ailments like migraine and back pain. And all this without the power of the Holy Spirit at all! Just unbelievers hypnotising unbelievers!
The methods by which these things are done in the world are in principle the same as are used in charismatic meetings. The persuasive voice of the leader; the mind-numbing use of repetitive music; the exhortations to relax and give way; the encouragement to look for an experience which the leader assures everyone is about to come; the testimonies of those who have had the experience before; all these things combine together to produce a situation where almost everything can happen under the control, and touch, of the plausible master of ceremonies. And all in the Name of the Lord!
THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY….MIND
It is highly dangerous for believers to abandon reason in favour of feelings. The service of God is to be “reasonable service”, Romans 12:1, intelligent action as a result of a careful understanding of what God requires, as detailed in His Word.
We are NEVER called upon to abandon rational thought-processes, and give ourselves over to the influences abroad in the world. Satan is determined to control the minds of men, so that they willingly do his bidding. His strategy is to alter the state of a person’s consciousness, so that he may introduce a new set of perceptions, and cause the old values to be rejected, paving the way for the ultimate deception, the lie that the Antichrist is Christ.
Any supposedly Christian activity, therefore, which displays so many of the classic features of hypnotism, and which encourages the abandonment of reason, is highly suspect.
THE ALTERNATIVE
What alternative is there then, to the practices of the signs and wonders movement? The answer is simple- the Scriptural alternative. The apostle Paul makes clear in 1 Corinthians 13 that whereas prophecies, tongues and knowledge come to an end, faith, hope and love do not. This is true whatever the phrase “that which is perfect” means. The cultivation by the believer of these three cardinal Christian virtues will result in steady growth in Christ-likeness, which surely must be the main aim.
The apostle also makes clear in Ephesians 4 that the ascended Christ has given gifts to His people, which will ensure that they all “come…unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”, Ephesians 4:13. The gifts Christ has given are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Through their ministry the end-result God is looking for, even likeness to His Son, is certain to be achieved.
May the Lord revive His people, so that they once again have a love for His Word, and an earnest desire to put it into practice, to His glory alone.
ROMANS 5:12-21-an overview
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This passage is critical to a true understand of the chapters that follow it. It is, however, a complicated section, and these remarks are offered with a view to unfolding its meaning.
It is well-known that the first eight chapters of the epistle to the Romans may be divided into two parts. The first, 1:1-5:11, deals with sins, the practices of men. The second, 5:12-8:39, deals with sin, the principle in men. By sin in this context is not meant one particular sin, but sin as a working principle in men, the force that enables them to commit individual sins. Sin dwells within men, 7:17, and works in men, 7:13. So the first section emphasises crimes, whereas the second section the criminal himself.
It is important that both of these matters be dealt with, for after a person has believed the gospel, 3:26, been justified, 4:5, and had his sins forgiven, 4:7, it may come as a shock to him to find that he is still able to sin. Indeed, the fact that Christians, sadly, sin, is often cited by unbelievers as reason to not believe, “because Christianity doesn’t work”, or “I wouldn’t be able to keep it up”. In connection with those objections we should always remember that in the final analysis it is Christ who represents Christianity, for “Christ is all”, Colossians 3:11, but that does not absolve us from the solemn responsibility of being “epistles of Christ, known and read of all men”, 2 Corinthians 3:3.
At the point where the epistle divides, the apostle sums up his foregoing argument in 5:8,9, where he writes of actions, whether it be of God commending His love, or Christ both dying for us, and also saving us from wrath, or our actions as sinners. He also anticipates his future argument in 5:10 by emphasis on what state we were in, namely enmity, or what state we have been brought to, reconciliation, and also what state Christ was brought to by our folly, even that of being in death.
Coming to our passage, it may help to set out the main content as follows:
| Verse 12 | Initial doctrinal statement. |
| Verses 13,14 | Proof that death is the result of the sin-principle within. |
| Verse 15 | Contrast and comparison- offence or gift. |
| Verse 16 | Contrast and comparison- condemnation or justification. |
| Verse 17 | Death reigning or believers reigning in life. |
| Verse 18 | The penalty upon all, and the opportunity for all. |
| Verse 19 | The state of many as sinners, and the state of many as righteous. |
| Verse 20 | The law cannot deal with the sin-principle. |
| Verse 21 | Final doctrinal summary. |
Verse 12 Initial doctrinal statement.
5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
The apostle immediately traces the origin of the sin principle right back to Adam, and then shows that “Him that was to come”, verse 14, is God’s answer. The Last Adam alone is able to deal with that which the first man Adam brought in. When he fell, Adam became a sinner by nature and practice, and when he begat a son it was in his image and likeness, to represent him as a sinner, Genesis 5:3. Thus sin entered into the world. Like a poison being put into the spring that gives rise to a river, so the river of humanity has been poisoned at source. Hence the apostle’s use of the words “all men”, and “world”. Not that sin originated with Adam, for Lucifer was the first to sin, Ezekiel 28:15, but he used Adam as the door through which sin might enter into the human race.
The consequence of the sin of Adam was that its penalty, death, passed on all. If any question whether this is the case, then the apostle has the answer. All have sinned, and thus is proved the fact that all have a sin principle within inciting them to sin. But since that sin principle inevitably results in death, then both sin and death have indeed passed upon all men.
Verses 13,14 Proof that death is the result of the sin-principle within.
5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
It is important for the apostle to confirm that death is the result of sin within, and not, in general, as a result of particular sins committed. He does this by referring to the period of time before the law was given at Sinai through Moses. Before the law-age the principle of sin rested in the hearts of the descendants of Adam the sinner. But when they sinned, that sin was not put to their account as demanding an immediate penalty. They did not physically die the moment they sinned. (The word “reckoned” is not the same as is used in previous passages such as 4:3,4, where it means that God takes account of a person in a certain way. Here, it means to put a sin to someone’s account for immediate payment by death. This does not mean that sins committed during the pre-law period are ignored by God, for “God shall bring every secret work into judgement”, Ecclesiastes xxx). Nevertheless, men still died in the period between Adam and the giving of the law at Sinai, which proves that they did so because of the sin-principle within them, and not because they had transgressed against a known law.
The consequence of this is very far-reaching, for it shows that even if an unbeliever managed to never sin, (a hypothetical situation, of course), he would still be liable to death because of what he is by nature. So the gospel is not just about having one’s sins forgiven, but is also about being a new creation, so that there is no obligation to sin.
Verse 15 Contrast and comparison- offence or gift.
5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
By describing Christ as “Him that was to come”, (immediately following Adam’s sin, God announced the coming deliverer), the apostle has prepared the way to revert back to his consideration of Adam’s fall, after the parenthesis of verses 13 and 14. He does this by presenting both a contrast, “not as”, and a comparison, “so also”. The comparison is seen in the fact that both Adam and Christ, each being head over those linked to them, affect deeply their respective companies.
The contrast is between Adam’s offence, and the grace of God. Further, that offence resulted in the “gift” of death to the many who have died one by one throughout the history of men, whereas the grace of God results in many being given a different sort of gift. What that gift is we are not yet told. We are told that what God does through Christ has a “much more” character to it, which is seen in that the gift has abounded. The seemingly insurmountable problem of Adam’s sin has been overcome by God in Christ. He has not solved the problem by introducing a stronger judgement than that meted out to Adam, but by acting in grace. The condemnation of sinners is a righteous necessity with God, but He is under no obligation to bless them, but chooses to do so because of His grace.
Note that in verses 13-17, and also in verse 19, we read of “many”, indicating the greatness of the problem to be addressed, and also the far reaching consequences of the actions of the two men who are in view in the passage. In verses 12 and 18, (which are linked together), we read of “all”, for there the universality of the problem Adam introduced, and the universality of the provision God has made in response is brought out.
Verse 16 Contrast and comparison- condemnation or justification.
5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
This verse continues the idea of contrast, (“not as”), and comparison, (“so is”), but whereas verse 15 concentrated on the one offence of Adam, his act of taking a false step, and the fact that God’s act of giving in grace is through one man, Jesus Christ, here the emphasis is on the many offences which result from Adam’s fall, and the way each man relates to those offences. This is the comparison, for each man has been the means of affecting either adversely (judgement), or for good, (the gift), those involved in each case.
There is also a contrast, for Adam brought in judgement and condemnation, but Christ brings in justification. That judgement took the form of condemnation. God’s verdict, (judgement), went against Adam when he sinned, and he was pronounced guilty, with the implication that there was a sentencing process to follow. We read of that process in Genesis 3:17-19. Christ, however, brings in justification, and this despite the many offences committed during the history of men, and the many offences individual sinners commit during their lifetime.
The condemnation brought in by Adam resulted in men being subject to death, whereas the justification Christ brings in for those who believe not only clears their record, (this is the “Romans 3” side of justification), but also delivers them from obligation to sin in the present, and liability to death in the future. So it is that the apostle can write in 6:7 that “he that is dead is freed from sin”. That is, those who by faith are associated with Christ crucified, are no longer under any obligation to sin. They are not liable to die physically either, for Christ risen has secured their position in resurrection. Those who are alive when Christ comes will be proof of this, for they shall know resurrection without dying.
Verse 17 Death reigning or believers reigning in life.
5:17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
In verse 16 the emphasis is on sins, but in this verse, on death. Going right back to the beginning again, the apostle repeats what he wrote in verse 12, that the offence of one man resulted in death. Now he enlarges on this and declares that death has not only passed upon all men, but has set up its throne in their hearts, and like a wicked tyrant rules their lives. The abundant grace of God, however, ensures that those who receive the gift of righteousness not only are delivered from the tyranny of death, and receive life, but reign in life. It is they who are in control. This is only possible, however, by the agency and strength of Jesus Christ- they have no strength of their own.
Verse 18 The penalty upon all, and the opportunity for all.
5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
The apostle is now able to take his argument forward from verse 12, having built up a body of background information in verses 13-17 which will enable his readers to follow his line of thought. He first of all reiterates the truth of verse 12, and reminds us that the offence of Adam has resulted in the condemnation of death upon all men. He then contrasts the offence of Adam with the righteousness of another man, Jesus Christ. By righteousness here is meant the act of righteousness carried out by Christ in death, when He set out to reverse the consequences of Adam’s sin, and also bring in rich benefits besides. Just as the penalty through Adam’s unrighteous act of sinning brought results towards all men, so the blessing through Christ’s righteous act of dying for sin brings results to all men as well. The word “upon” has the meaning of “towards”, for the penalty came towards all, and so does the gift.
Not only is the one who believes justified in the sense of “reckoned righteous”, but the legal obligation to death is removed, so justification is “justification of life”. The ground of resurrection is taken up, so that the believer is clear of the consequences of Adam’s fall.
Verse 19 The state of many as sinners, and the state of many as righteous.
5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Not only is the condition of man dealt with by Christ, but the nature as well. By Adam’s disobedience to the plain command of God, man was made or constituted a sinner. It is not, of course, that God made men to sin, but that by their link with Adam they have become, sinners by nature. On the other hand, Christ obeyed His Father, even to the extent of death, and those who believe in Him are reckoned righteous by God- that is how He sees them now.
Verse 20 The law cannot deal with the sin-principle.
5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
The apostle now deals with a possible objection from Jewish readers. Can the law not remedy this situation? The answer is that it cannot, for when the law came in, it resulted in the situation becoming worse, not better, for it showed up sins as never before, and offered no remedy for the nature that produced those sins. It dealt with the symptoms but not the disease.
The only answer to man’s nature as a sinner is the grace of God in the gospel, which alone has the power to overcome the obstacles represented by sin, death, and the law, and set up its rule in the hearts of men on a righteous basis. That righteous basis being the death of Christ at Calvary, not the supposed good works of men.
Verse 21 Final doctrinal summary.
5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
So it is that the sad truth of verse 12, expressed here as “sin hath reigned unto death”, can be exchanged for “even so might grace reign”. Grace so dominates the scene that it sweeps sin off its throne in the heart, and robs death of its power over those who believe. And all this happens on a righteous basis, even the death of Christ, and leaves the way clear for the possession and enjoyment of eternal life in all its fulness. The apostle is careful at the close of the passage to attribute all this to Jesus Christ, who has shown Himself to be worthy of the title Lord. He has overcome every dominating principle, and shows Himself superior to them by His death and resurrection.