BONDMANSHIP IN TESTIMONY AND IN GLORY

BONDMANSHIP IN TESTIMONY AND IN GLORY

Revelation 1: 1 - 11; Revelation 22: 1 - 5

I have in mind to speak about bondmen or servants, as referred to in these passages, and also to draw attention to the way in which the Lord has in mind the whole position linked with our localities. We are here from many parts, from many localities, but the Lord knows everyone, He knows all the local positions, and He has the local positions especially in mind in this book. He had sent His angel to testify the things that are in this book to John, and to the assemblies, and in the beginning of the book where we have read, each of the local positions is carefully mentioned. As you will notice in the last verse we read it refers to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamos and to Thyatira, and so on. So that what we have to say, dear brethren, will bear on the local positions, and it is important that we should understand this thought of bondmen; not only in a general way but in relation to the places which we fill in testimony wherever we are set according to sovereign and divine disposition of us. One of the great features of bondmanship is subjection, as we know, and how important it is that there should be this great feature with us, young and old.

The prosperity of the truth in our local gatherings largely lies in relation to a state of subjection amongst us. As to ourselves individually, the more subject we are the more we shall get on in the truth. Our difficulties in getting on in a prosperous way, spiritually in our souls, can often be traced to insubjection. It is a prime feature in the divine outlook. I need not say that as in other things, this prime feature has been blessedly set out in Christ. The final end, when the end comes, is that the Son Himself will be placed in subjection. What a reference that is to the Person whom we know and love, and it says of Him in the epistle to the Hebrews, where heavenly light is being brought in to attract the hearts and minds of the Jewish believers out of that wherein they were held, “though he were Son, he learned obedience ...”, Hebrews 5: 8. What marvellous statements these are, dear brethren! How we need to repair to the gospels to see subjection and obedience in Jesus! What a study for our minds and our hearts, by the help of the Spirit, what a contemplation the gospels afford in regard to manhood in all its holy perfection as seen in His pathway here!

If we are to arrive at manhood, we need to understand the gospels. The epistles set us up basically through the glad tidings and the light which comes to us in the glad tidings, as to God and His righteousness, and in relation to our collective relations with one another in our localities, and in relation to our leaving things here and passing over to the spiritual and heavenly side of things, and in relation to our part and our place in association with the blessed Son of God, and in union with the exalted Man in the glorious sphere into which He has entered, and where He would have us with Himself, as we have been going over it in the letter which has been before us. But the gospels help as to the completing of matters with us. We have perfection set out in the gospels - we have perfection in the epistles too, for Christianity involves perfection; we have to do with a perfect state of things in Christianity. But the gospels bring us to the blessedness of perfection as seen in Jesus in manhood here, of which obedience and subjection are prime features, and it enters into this matter of bondmanship, this matter of the servants alluded to in this book - a book where the will of man rises to its height in defiance of God and His Christ, in the usurping of all that rightly belongs to God; human will rises to its height in this book, but it is met by the power of God, and yet in this book we have these references to bondmen, the bondmen of Christ, and to the servants of God and the Lamb. How we want to be amongst these bondmen! It is not only a question of those who minister, having part in the ministry, although that enters into it, but we are all to have part in this matter of bondmen, in the light in which it is referred to here. The bondmen are coming in for the secrets as to the truth, what God has in mind and what Christ has in mind, conveyed to the bondmen. What a happy position for us to be in, wholly committed to the divine will in the spirit of the bondman, and the servants, as in this book! Faithfulness marks bondmen: think of how the Lord could speak of His bondman John! What a faithful bondman he was! In the gospel he is drawn attention to as leaning on the breast of Jesus, lying in His bosom. What a place John was in, the place of love! What nearness to Christ he knew! What nearness to Christ do we know, dear brethren? John had that special place when Jesus was here. But it only serves to show us the possibilities which are open to us in keeping near to Christ; and if we keep near to Christ we shall get His mind, and we need His mind all the time. This book keeps before us the importance of the mind of Christ - the mind of God, too - and faithfulness is a great feature.

You will remember it is said of the Lord Jesus Himself that He “emptied himself, taking a bondman’s form”, Philippians 2: 7. He has set out this feature that we should understand it. Oh, the mystery of it, that He who subsists in the form of God should empty Himself, taking a bondman’s form! How it should affect our hearts! What a lead, what an example He has set out for us in regard to this great feature! We think of how He was held in that path of holy servitude and love to the will of God, and we are to be the same. The will of God is to be paramount, it is to be supreme with us; not our own will. Think of the Lord Jesus in that pressure in the garden, how He could speak of “not my will, but thine ...”. How we are to be marked by what was seen in Him in regard to subjection and obedience, and in regard to faithfulness! And John, the one who is writing here, how faithful he was! It says, “sending by his angel, to his bondman John, who testified the word of God”. Think of it, “testified the word of God”! There is need for faithfulness in testifying the word of God! John had to suffer on account of it. We are to learn from such as John. What a servant John was, what a bondman he was, “his bondman John”! “The disciple whom Jesus loved” as he is referred to in the gospels, but here, “his bondman John”. How the Lord has delight in referring to John, suffering as he is in the testimony on account of his faithfulness in regard to his position in bondmanship, testifying to the word of God. Think of how Paul did not count his life dear to him on account of what came into his ministry. How we are challenged as to our localities which are in mind in this book, and as to faithfulness in them, as to the spirit of the bondman in them - brothers and sisters alike we are all to come into this; testifying the word of God, bringing in the word of God, not the word of man. There is plenty of the word of man around us. We want to bring in the word of God, bring it into our localities, bring it into the preaching, bring it into the ministry, testifying the word of God. Not testifying to the word of God, but”testifying the word of God”. What an asset it is to have someone who can bring in the word of God, who can testify the word of God!

“His bondman John” - not His apostle John, but His bondman John - committed to the truth, committed to the Person whose bondman he was, and committed to the truth and bringing in the word of God. The word of God is needed; how it is needed! Oh, the importance of the word of God. How the Lord Jesus has asserted it in the gospels; how he asserted it in the trials and temptations in the wilderness, when He had to do with the enemy, how He brought the word of God in. How He brought the word of God in in His teaching! In Luke, as we read, Simon was affected! The Lord was teaching in Luke 5, the word of God is mentioned. The word of God is needed, so quick and powerful as it is, exposing all that is unsuited to it, but bringing in God, the mind of God, bringing in the truth. It is needed in our localities; we need not be afraid of the truth, we want to bring in the truth, we want to bring in the word of God. Think of the authority linked with the word of God; it carries its own authority: “the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword”, Hebrews 4: 12. But you will recall how in Hebrews, after the word of God is mentioned, that the priesthood of Christ, as has been referred to by beloved J.N.D., is brought right in behind it. If we are exposed by the word of God, the priesthood of Christ comes in to sustain us in the acceptance of the exposure, for God has in mind to make us better men and woman, better brothers and sisters in our localities, and as the exposure through the word of God comes in, the priesthood of Christ comes in, to help us in accepting whatever may be needed, through the incoming of the word of God.

So it says of John, “testifying the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ”. The Spirit of that Man would be seen in John - Jesus Christ! “Other foundation can no man lay besides that which is laid which is Jesus Christ”, Paul says; 1 Corinthians 3: 11. Paul brought Jesus Christ and the testimony of Jesus Christ into Corinth, where partisanship existed, where parties were present, where men were set up, leaders of schools of opinion and schools of thought. Paul comes in with the ministry of Jesus Christ, having determined in his mind that he would know nothing among them “save Jesus Christ, and him crucified”. What a resolve, dear brethren. He was not resolved that he would bring out all that he knew to impress the brethren in Corinth. What a word this is to those of us who serve, who have any part in ministry; we do not minister platitudes, it is a question of bringing in what is needed, and especially as we move around and move into localities, as it may be, as Paul moved into Corinth; he brought in what was needed; he did not minister what was not needed; he brought in what was needed, think of his resolve of heart to know nothing, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Oh, the stigma of it publicly!

What a test to the Corinthians and their pride and independence and the principles of the world among them, as he brings in the truth of the cross to cut athwart all that was present in that locality. We need to take account of what is needed in our localities. We do not want to ignore what is needed. Paul writes to Corinth, and in his ministry he takes account of what is needed. He had been there and served; he had served before and as a faithful bondman he says, “ourselves your bondmen for Jesus’ sake”. As a faithful bondman he brought in what was needed with resolve of mind and of heart. How important it is that our minds should be controlled and regulated so that we should measure what is needed among the saints and bring in what is needed in our localities. John testified the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. The spirit of that Man would be seen in John, His bondman! How like his Master he would be; how like his Master, Paul was. He says, “I fill up that which is behind of the tribulations of Christ in my flesh, for his body”. What resolve of mind and of heart! One who loved the assembly so; the assembly was so much to him. As to himself he thought nothing of himself; as one has referred to him already today, “less than the least of all saints”. He realised his responsibility to protect the assembly and serve the assembly, and what a minister he was. How important it is, dear brethren, that we should be faithful, faithful in our localities, for this book has that in mind.

It says of John in verse 4, “John to the seven assemblies which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is, and who was, and who is to come”. Think of this, dear brethren, the greatness of what John refers to here, the sense, you see, that there are supplies divinely flowing to meet the saints where they are in the sphere of contrariety and opposition. Grace and peace are coming in to build us up, not to overthrow us. Paul said to the brethren at Corinth, that the authority he had was not for overthrowing but for building up; that is the end of all ministry, not to overthrow but to build up. The ministry may involve exposure, it may involve the bringing to light of certain things that the word of God calls for being dealt with. Things are being dealt with and met and faced, unholy links, unholy associations. Testifying the word of God may involve much that is searching, much that may be hard to face, but in the local position there is grace and peace divinely flowing, and John is in the intelligence of it, and he can speak with that in mind. John is in full accord with the mind of heaven in regard to the local assemblies, and we should all be on this line, as it says, “Grace to you and peace from him who is”. What an impression John had of God in this way. You may notice the reference in the margin to this first reference to God: “who is”, it says, ‘essential being is put first’. Oh! this book would remind us of God in His greatness, and John is reminding us of His greatness here, “grace to you and peace from him who is”. Think of the greatness of God in this light. Then he says, “and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness”. We have not time to go into all the detail, but I want to come down to what he says in verse 9, “I John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation, and kingdom and patience, in Jesus, was in the island called Patmos, for the word of God”. He is keeping before us the word of God. The word of God had brought him there. It brings me back to his faithfulness in relation to the word of God: what a servant John was, what a bondman! Think of Moses, as he is referred to in this book, too, “the bondman of God”. It says of him in Hebrews 3 that he “was faithful in all God’s house, as a ministering servant”. I love that touch, “as a ministering servant”; he was faithful in all God’s house as a ministering servant. How he ministered, how he served, how faithful he was; how he was spoken against, how he was charged with pretension, how he was charged with asserting himself! But still on and on he goes, continuing, enduring, persevering as seeing Him who is invisible. What an example we have in Moses, dear brethren, as he journeyed with the saints; what light he had in his soul as to God and the thoughts of God, as to the thoughts of His love - how Moses companied with them all through the wilderness - Joshua and Caleb, too; but it is said of Moses that he was faithful in all God’s house, not in certain departments of it but in all God’s house. The thought of manhood stands out in Moses in relation to this great feature of bondmanship, faithful as a ministering servant, as Hebrews 3 says. John here is now “in the island called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus”. The world does not care for the word of God or the testimony of Jesus, they would put us out altogether; man after the flesh does not care for the word of God or the testimony of Jesus. But what a place to be in! Suffering on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus, divinely marked off, heaven taking account of it, and the Lord coming in to commit to John the precious features of life that this book contains.

It says, “I became in the Spirit on the Lord’s day”. Think of a man like this, think of how he knew how to use the Spirit, speaking reverently; the very way that it is referred to here, and also referred to later, shows that John was accustomed to making room for the Spirit. We have been referring to the days of the Acts; we want to go back to the beginning and see how the brethren were marked by making room for the Spirit, and making use of the Spirit and doing things by the Spirit. Think of the power that came out in that book of the Acts in those who did things by the Spirit, who had ability to speak by the Spirit and who did things by the Spirit. Think of the dynamic power, as has been referred to, that came out in their ability to speak by the Spirit and do things by the Spirit; and we are all to learn how to make use of the Spirit. Now John says, “I became in the Spirit on the Lord’s day”, the dominical day, the lordly day, and John becomes in the Spirit. The Spirit is available to us to help us so that whatever the circumstances may be that we are in, testing and trying though they may be, there is an outlet for us, as John says, “I became in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a great voice”. The principle here is that as we learn how to move in the Spirit and live in the Spirit and to live by the Spirit we shall come into the gain of divine communications. I know it is apostolic here, but there is the principle in it that the more we learn to make use of the Spirit and to make room for the Spirit, we shall come in for the gain of light as to the testimony and as to the assembly and the phases of the assembly which are contemplated in this book. So it says, “what thou seest write in a book” - not ‘what thou hearest’ but “what thou seest”.

So we are challenged as to what we see. What do we see? We are challenged in these days as we are together, coming from all different parts, in this wonderful environment where the Spirit of God is and where the great feature of the temple of God is seen: what do we see, dear brethren? Not only what we hear - hearing is important - but then, what do we see? The Lord has a word for everyone of us as to what we see; and He says, “what thou seest write in a book”. You remember how in the ministry of the prophets they are challenged as to what they see. Jehovah said to Jeremiah, “Jeremiah, what seest thou?” in chapter 1 as he begins his ministry, and Jeremiah answers and says, “I see a rod of an almond-tree. And Jehovah said unto me, Thou hast well seen; for I am watchful over my word to perform it”. We want to be challenged as to what we see in a gathering like this; not only what we hear but what we see in regard to the truth, what we see in regard to divine operations, how great they are! What is under the divine hand at this time, what do we see? Faith and the Spirit are essential to see rightly; and all that is open to us as we make room for faith actively, as we make room for faith subjectively - we need to understand faith subjectively. We generally speak of faith as objective, in an objective way, but we want to understand the importance of faith subjectively as it is said in Hebrews of certain to whom the word of God came, “the word of the report did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard”, Hebrews 4: 2. We have been hearing these things as to the truth, and how have we been hearing? Has it been mixed with faith? The subjective bearing of this great matter of faith as coming under the authority of the word of God. How important it is that we should go back, dear brethren, to our gatherings as having heard the word and mixing it with faith, mixing it, you see, so that we are going to work it out in practical reality. We are not just going to carry it back as a story in a book which is to be admired, but the word of God as it is borne in upon us is to be mixed with faith. So that as we go back, we are going to work it out in faith and by the help of the Spirit; and the word is, “what thou seest write in a book, and send to the seven assemblies”. That is, the whole position is in mind.

So, dear brethren, we might say in the principle of it now in this gathering the whole position is in mind; the Lord is thinking of every gathering. He wants us unified in regard to the truth, unified in regard to procedure and unified in regard to customs. So that as the holy city comes down with her gates of pearl-like beauty, there should be some answer in the assembly now in the local gathering. If issue is taken with the wireless in other parts of the world and in regard to our houses and our cars, we are no different in this part of the world or in other parts of the world; we are to be unified in these matters, and if issue is taken in other parts of the world with membership in manufacturers’ associations and the like, we are not to be any different in this part of the world. Oh, the essential need of seeing the importance of keeping the assembly clear; the exalted vessel of praise; it is to be kept clear of what is defiling, what would encroach in the way of defilement; and all this is involved with what we have in this book. The seven assemblies are in mind, unity amongst them.. The Lord has things to say to them and He has to say to us in our local gatherings. We all know well what is to be faced, but grace and peace are flowing to help us in accepting the word; divine supplies are richly flowing in to help us as we accept the word of God and in the spirit of bondmanship. By faith and by the Spirit we seek to make room for the truth and work it out as in all the localities suggested in the seven assemblies here.

Now I just want to refer to the last chapter. In the first passage we have servants, bondmen, in relation to responsibility and testimony. I want now to just say a word as to the servant in privilege and glory. You will notice how the chapter opens; it says, “he showed me a river of water of life”. Why is it that this particular feature should have a definite showing? It is not said of the foundations in the same way specifically that they are shown; they are included in the great thought of the city that was shown, as it says in verse 10 that “he carried me away in the Spirit, and set me on a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, having the glory of God”. The city is shown in a general way, but now we come to this opening word, and the specific feature of showing enters into it. “And he showed me ...”, after he had referred in verse 27 of the previous chapter to “nothing common, nor that maketh an abomination and a lie, shall at all enter into it”. We have been referring to the importance of keeping the assembly clear, dear brethren; there is a need of all unholy associations being judged that nothing common might enter in there; and it says, “nor that maketh an abomination and a lie, shall at all enter into it; but those only who are written in the book of life of the Lamb”. Then it says, “and he showed me a river of water of life” - another blessed suggestion of the Spirit of God, but a suggestion of it as shown, as if it is something that we need to be shown, our attention is to be drawn to it, and what a privilege it is to be drawn into these showings, as it were, to be given to see what is linked with this river of water of life - the blessedness, as Mr. Darby has said,

“Drink of life’s perennial river,
Feed on life’s perennial food” (206:4).

The first thing is, “he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal” - life, you see, and transparency. The whole city is characterised by transparency, and we need to be transparent, dear brethren; there is no need for being clandestine in our conversations or manner of doing; as we are in the light of the assembly and the holy city we shall not be opaque, we shall be transparent and open. What need, dear brethren, there is for this, so that confidence is maintained amongst us, and love flowing between us in a real, practical and concrete way. The more we are transparent and open the more love will be free to flow as in this wonderful environment that is suggested in this city here. So it says, “bright as crystal, going out of the throne of God and of the Lamb”. Think of the authority entering into this flow, this holy channel of refreshment, a type of what exists in the Spirit of God in His presence in the assembly. Then it says, “in the midst of its street, and of the river, on this side and on that side, the tree of life, producing twelve fruits, in each month yielding its fruit”. Think of the glory of this environment of the tree of life, Christ according to the purpose of God, the great Source of life. We are introduced into primary and final thoughts here, dear brethren; we have primary thoughts in the book of Genesis and we get them moved on to our view here. The tree of life is a primary thought, the river is a primary thought, and God is bringing it on to our view now in conditions of finality; as someone has said, God has waited long to bring us into what is distinctive and final, and that is what He is bringing us into now, on the very eve of translation - what is distinctive and final. And oh, what finality we have here, dear brethren! Think of the authority of God in it, the authority of the Lamb; and then this tree of life, and there is food to sustain us in this wonderful environment, food proper to the environment, the food of celestials, the food of the inhabitants of the city, and then the leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations. Healing is not lost sight of. Ruptures may come in as they have come in among the nations, but think of the administration of grace in this wondrous vessel of divine rule and government in that day and the leaves of the tree, the food of which is for the celestial inhabitants, but the leaves, as it were, being used in the administration of grace for the healing of the nations. How this would help us, dear brethren, constitutionally, help us in our outlook in the great administration of grace! Things are being committed to us, in having part in the great things of God in the assembly in relation to the administration of grace, and this is all to help us. While it bears on a future day, we are to see the dignity which marks the assembly, and we are components of the assembly, we belong to it, this great vessel of divine administration.

Then it says, “no curse shall be any more; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face”. Oh, the blessedness of this environment of the holy city, in the assembly where the servants now come to light as serving Him, serving God. What a position it is! They are serving Him; not now in testing surroundings but in surroundings which speak of the complacency of divine love. What a scene it is, so near to God. We never go out of the mediatorial position, but it would almost seem as if the mediatorial position is receding here - not that it does - but we are impressed with the nearness of God to us here. They shall see His face! Where shall we see it, dear brethren? Where do they see it? We shall see it in Jesus, that blessed Man throughout the eternal day. We shall see the face of God, we shall see Jesus, there shall we dwell with Jesus. There shall we dwell with God. We shall see his face; “and his name is on their foreheads”. How their intelligence is governed by that wondrous name which is upon their foreheads. It says, “night shall not be any more”. The darkness is past, dear brethren; how we can rejoice in that! We think of what night meant to Jesus, what Calvary, what the cross meant, that we might be here in these glorious surroundings of unending day in this wonderful environment: “night shall not be any more”. There will no more be seasons of difficulty and testing. Think of the night through which Christ has waited to receive us to Himself! Think of the night we have waited in to see Him face to face! But “night shall not be any more”. What a scene it will be! We are to know it now, dear brethren, we are to understand this now.

Then it says, “and no need of a lamp, and light of the sun, for the Lord God shall shine upon them”. Think of that! - Jehovah Elohim! We begin primarily in Genesis with Jehovah Elohim in chapter 2, and now we end with Jehovah Elohim; Elohim, God, that Being in supremacy, the One to be worshipped and adored in the place of supremacy. Jehovah, the name of constant Being, but in relationship with the creature; God shining upon us in His fulness, shining, as it says, upon them. Think of it! How pleased God is with the whole position, and these things are to be testified in the local assemblies. I believe we should depart tonight, brethren, with a sense that God is shining upon us - the Lord, Jehovah Elohim, shining upon us. It involves what He is, it involves His effulgence, you see, and it is shining not to us but shining upon us, as if God would say, ‘I am pleased with you in these surroundings, serving Me, and delighting in the thoughts of love as they are before you in this environment’. God says, ‘I am pleased with the whole position in this light’, and He shines upon them. Oh, to be marked by features of bondmanship in responsibility and testimony so that we might better know the blessedness of a servant; the position of servants and bondmen, in privilege and glory, as in this passage we have read, having the sense of God shining upon us, involving what He is, shining upon us. His desire is that we should know Him and that we should be near Him - not for a day, not for a week, but for ever! Oh, the wonderful character of that scene supernal,

“Where God shall shine in light divine,
In glory never fading” (475:1).

May we have a sense of His shining upon us even now!