REVELATION 3 (NOTES OF A READING)
[p. 443] REVELATION 3 (NOTES OF A READING)
CAC I have thought that the epistle to Philadelphia answers, in a way, to David blessing his house. I refer to 1 Chronicles 16: 43. David had spread a tent for the ark and brought it in, and had established praise and testimony in connection with it, and then he returned to bless his house. I think his house speaks of his kindred, and of a circle in accord with him, and the Lord addresses Philadelphia very much in that character — as being in accord with Himself. He speaks as having the key of David, and I think it is our privilege to be in the position of David’s house at the present moment.
David came in when all the order of the dispensation, as set up at the beginning, had broken down. The tabernacle was still in existence in the high place at Gibeon, but there was no ark there. For the sin of His people, God had forsaken the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent which He placed among men (Psalm 78: 60). The tabernacle represented the official system as set up at the beginning, and it was much in the same position as christendom today. God’s lovingkindness is not withdrawn from it yet, just as before the tabernacle there was still the witness that “his lovingkindness endureth for ever”, but Christ has not His place there. The present moment is thus peculiar, and it answers very much to the time of David. Christianity as set up in this world has lost its glory, it no longer gives Christ His place, and the time to build the temple, the world to come, has not yet arrived. Now David does a peculiar thing; he does not restore the ark to its place in the tabernacle, but he spreads a tent for it in the city of David. Zion speaks of sovereign mercy. I think that is very much what God is doing in these days — spreading a tent for the ark.
Rem Forming a company who [p. 444] appreciate Christ.
CAC Yes. There was nothing pretentious about the tent that David spread. It had not the official place either of the tabernacle or the temple; its only glory was that the ark was there. Now God is working in sovereign mercy that there may be a company appreciating Christ and giving Him His place.
Everything that is precious centres in Christ. He is the Ark of God, and the Ark of the covenant of Jehovah. An ark is for the security and preservation of what it contains: Noah was preserved in an ark and so was Moses. Christ is the Ark of God; everything that is precious to God, and for God’s glory in man, is preserved inviolate in Him. Then He is also the Ark of the covenant of Jehovah: all God’s thoughts of grace — all that in which God has engaged Himself to man in the way of blessing — are established and preserved in Him. Now the character of God’s work today is very much in keeping with David spreading a tent for the ark; He is gathering His saints together in the appreciation of Christ, so that there may be a place for Christ in their affections.
David appointed singers and priests with trumpets before the ark — there was praise and testimony — but everything very different from the official order at Gibeon. It was just a simple tent that he spread. The work of God today is that people may appreciate Christ and be formed in accord with Christ, and with such there will be singing and sound of trumpet — praise and testimony.
David blessing his house changes the figure; it suggests a circle in accord with David, and I think in Philadelphia we have in view a company that is in accord with Christ.
Ques Is not the key of David the treasurer’s key?
Rem I thought so in Isaiah 22.
CAC It is the key of the house of David. It opens up the place where all the blessing of God is found (1 Chronicles 17: 27). In that sense it is the key of God’s treasury.
Isaiah 22: 15 - 25 is a most interesting scripture in connection with Philadelphia. There is a man (Shebna) who is the shame of his lord’s house. That is man in the flesh. God rolls him up like a ball and throws him away — a most striking figure — and then brings in Eliakim, type of Christ, and everything hangs upon Him. All the glory of His Father’s house hangs upon Him. We have often been told that the Bible gives the history of two men — one is the man of sin and shame, and the other the One who is holy and true. It is a question for each one of us, whether we are going on with the man who is a shame to his lord’s house, or with the One who sustains all the glory of God’s house and who gives access to the treasury of God. All blessing is established in Christ, and is known and enjoyed in the circle that is in accord with Christ. The glory of His Father’s house is connected with “vessels” filled and sustained by Christ. Every vessel of divine blessing is filled out of the fulness of Christ and sustained by Him. There are small vessels and large, but all sustained by Him and filled with Him.
Rem It is very exclusive of everything but Christ, and it gives the character of true testimony — the mind of Christ formed in saints and expressed by them.
CAC We were all once on the line of Shebna. Whatever influence you bring to bear on man in the flesh, however you instruct him, he remains a shame to his lord’s house.
Rem He is making a sepulchre.
CAC Yes, that is all he can do; he is under death, and he must go. “Rolling thee up completely, he will roll thee as a ball into a wide country; there shalt thou die, and there shall be the chariots of thy glory, O shame of thy lord’s house!” Then Eliakim comes in, and all that is blessed comes with him and hangs on him. In Philadelphia, it seems to me, we get a condition of things sustained by Christ, a company in accord with Him. I cannot think of anything more blessed than to be daily learning more of the perfections of Christ and delighting in Him, and thus being formed for His testimony here. In that testimony, everything takes character from Christ, from Him who is the holy, the true. Under His [p. 446] influence we escape from the domination of sin, and get away from all that is false so we come to what is holy and genuine. I wish we all had more desire for it.
Rem It is most important to learn Christ. “Ye have not thus learnt the Christ” (Ephesians 4: 20). There is a great lack of learning Christ today. We learn a great deal from men and adopt their thoughts and ways. A great part of our lives has been spent in adopting the views of men — we get caught by the inventions, fashions and opinions of men — but when you begin to learn Christ you have to unlearn all that, and to see that a great part of your life has been a failure. God means us to consider His Christ, those of us who are young as well as the old. God giving Christ was the greatest favour He could show to the world. He brought an entirely new and unknown principle of life amongst men. In men there is inherent selfishness but Christ is the greatest possible contrast to that. Now the Spirit is given to make us like Christ.
Christ was either the greatest mistake that ever was in the world or quite the reverse. Now we have to learn Christ; to copy other men, and adopt their thoughts, is the greatest mistake of our lives.
CAC How blessed to have become the subjects of a divine work that has given us to appreciate Him! “Thou hast a little power”, means that they had been strengthened in their affections to appreciate Christ.
Rem To appreciate holiness and truth as seen in Him.
CAC There is a certain void in every heart that has not found holiness and truth. Man has a [p. 447] spirit which came from God, and which cannot really be satisfied with material things, but, as fallen, he has come under the power of many lusts. But when God works, the desire for what is holy and true is awakened, and the answer to that desire is found in Christ.
Ques Would the spirit of a natural man be according to God?
CAC No, because he is a fallen creature; but he has a spirit which came from God, and which has constituted him such a creature that he cannot be really happy without God. If he is not in right relation with God, he is like a wandering star; he has a spirit and a conscience, and he cannot really do without God.
Rem Men may try hard to be self-sufficient, but they cannot succeed.
Rem The new man is after God created in righteousness and holiness of the truth, and can appreciate what is in Christ.
CAC Take the moral qualities of Christ which come out here: holiness, truth, patience, love! What blessed qualities! And everything perfectly genuine — nothing spurious or unreal — He is true! It is a wonderful thing to be in accord with Christ; people who are so are in the testimony.
Rem Michal was not in accord with David; she despised him in her heart.
CAC She represents those who are outwardly in relation to Christ without being at all in spiritual accord with Him.
Rem Michal could not bear the thought that on this great day, David should not appear in his royal robes. The glory of man has often a great place with us, but all that is according to man’s thoughts has to be displaced if we are to come into accord with Christ.
CAC There is an opened door — a wonderful opportunity — before us; I think we ought to be greatly encouraged.
Ques An opened door into what?
CAC It was said that the key was the treasurer’s key; it gives access to God’s treasured store of spiritual wealth and blessedness. The door has been opened in all the value of redemption; it is the One who wrought redemption and revealed the love of God who has opened the door for us to enter into the wealth which God has prepared for those who love Him. Are we not encouraged to avail ourselves of that [p. 448] opened door? We have the most magnificent opportunity ever set before a creature. David returned to bless his house — to put them in accord with himself. Christ would have us in complete accord with Himself, this will set us up in divine riches so that we shall be competent for testimony. You must be spiritually wealthy before you can build your tower of testimony (Luke 14: 28).
Rem You may have access to all the wealth of God. People may try to shut the door, but they cannot. Poor humble folk are getting a knowledge of Christ that surprises everybody around them. The clerical system is angry; they would like that all access to the treasury should be through them.
CAC That is Shebna — the man God throws away — it is he who acts in the synagogue of Satan.
Rem There must be intensely individual exercise. It is as you gather up Christ in your affections there is a living link formed with Him; then the individuals are drawn together. We cannot be drawn to Christ without being also drawn to one another. “Thou ... hast kept my word”, suggests guarding what is infinitely precious. The word of Christ is precious, and it is guarded by those who love Him.
CAC Doorkeepers were appointed for the ark. Great care is needed, for there are many ready to creep in unawares and throw some blot of dishonour upon the Ark. It is only sanctified men who can keep the Ark. Eleazar had been sanctified to keep the ark, but his brother Uzzah had not, and he put out his hand, with solemn results. If we are not sanctified we may do something like that.
His word and His name cover a great deal. I thought that His word would cover everything on the revelation side, while His name would cover all that was found of perfect response to the revelation in a blessed anointed Man. He came out to make God known, and all that could be revealed has been revealed. But then, on the other side there has been a perfect answer to it all in a Man. You keep the revelation in your affections, and you do not deny His name - [p. 449] you have to be true to all that He was on man’s side. If He were here in Person we should not have to speak of His name, but in His absence His name takes the place of His Person. His name is here — found here in testimony in those who do not deny it.
His new name refers to what is connected with Him in resurrection. The nail in a sure place has been removed — even Christ after the flesh has gone in death. The Shepherd was smitten and the sheep scattered. All that was of God in Israel was gathered to Christ and hung upon Him, but His rejection and death came in, and as after the flesh everything fell to the ground. It was a terrible experience for the disciples, but it was necessary that they might learn His new name — that everything might be gathered up in a new way and on a new ground, where it might be eternally secured for God. The nail in a sure place removed is Christ after the flesh. It is one of the most striking testimonies given in the Old Testament to the fact that Christ must suffer and die. Everything connected even with Christ after the flesh must break down that all might be taken up in connection with Him risen and glorified: the same blessed Person but in a new condition.
Rem The disciples realised it.
CAC Yes, they felt it much. It was a terrible day for them when Christ died, but how blessed when they saw Him again in resurrection, and found Him alive for evermore to sustain everything for God without any possibility of breakdown.
Ques Are we in danger of hanging upon Christ on the wrong side of death?
CAC There is no such Person now as Christ after the flesh, but if people connect Christ with the world as it is, and think to improve the world, and there is a good deal of that kind of thing, they will find that everything on that line breaks down. The testimony of God is not on that line. The moment Christ was risen, everything was on a new footing.
[p. 450] The overcomer is set up morally now as a pillar so that he stands firmly in testimony for Christ amid all the pretensions of a religious world that is full of the name and activities of the wrong man.
Ques Why is there a word to the overcomer?
CAC The word to the overcomer gives it all a bearing on the individual conscience. We must never allow our personal exercises to diminish even though we might be surrounded by most devoted and spiritual Christians.
Philadelphia is a beautiful name — it suggests a company bound together in brotherly love. If you get a company in accord with Christ because Christ is formed in them, that company must be bound together in love. Brethren do not divide; it is because people are not truly brethren that they divide; there is something else at work rather than divine love. If brethren could not agree about some matter of truth or discipline, they would say, ‘We do not see alike on this matter, but we must see alike, and we will pray until we do see alike’.
Everything for God hangs upon Christ, and if nothing had place with us but His word and His name, we should be wonderfully bound together. If our coming together today has the effect of bringing us in that direction it will be a blessed thing.