READING ON REVELATION 16
READING ON REVELATION 16
JT In Revelation 15: 1 John says, “I saw another sign in the heaven, great and wonderful: seven angels having seven plagues, the last; for in them the fury of God is completed”, that is preliminary to chapter 16. These seven plagues are said to be “the last”, as if they would finish the judgments of the earth. After this, in chapter 17, we have the judgment of Babylon, the great whore, which is completed in chapter 18. Then chapter 19 is the Lamb’s wife and the chapter proceeds to tell us about the Lord coming out of heaven riding on a white horse. We have the completion of the judgments of God pretty much in these chapters. In chapter 15 we see those who had gained the victory over the beast and its image standing on the sea of glass “having harps of God”. Now, however, it is a question of the direct judgment of God, so that the judgment is executed on those who have the mark of the beast. The history of the beast is given to us in chapter 13, but here it is on men who had the mark of the beast that the judgment is poured out.
Ques What is the import of the fact that the temple from which the voice speaks is filled with smoke from the glory of God and His power, according to chapter 15: 8?
JT In that chapter the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple clothed in pure bright linen and girded about the breasts with golden girdles. Then we are told, “And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls, full of the fury of God, who lives to the ages of ages. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power: and no one could enter into the temple until the seven [p. 451] plagues of the seven angels were completed”. So the service of God on the earth would be stayed until these bowls of fury were poured out. We as christians now belonging to the assembly have entrance into the temple of God — we are it indeed — “Do ye not know that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3: 16); so at the present time we are to understand and have part in the service of God in His temple. But here there is no service till the fury is poured out. It is not the present period that is in mind, but the future. In the meantime the service of God proceeds, not in the sense of an earthly service, but a heavenly service. The assembly is the temple of God now; she grows to a holy temple in the Lord, that is in view of the millennium. In chapter 15 it is stated as to the temple in the heaven that “the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power: and no one could enter into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed”. The temple service in mind there in verse 8 is still future. The seven angels are seen pouring out their bowls, the fury of God, on the earth. It is really a future matter, because this book contemplates the future; after chapter 4, it is a question of “the things that are about to be after these”.
TJM Is the instruction for us today that, if the service of God is to proceed, that which calls for judgment, as in this chapter, is to come under judgment in our souls now?
JT That would be the idea. We learn things anticipatively; God is working things out in the assembly in the most superior sense. The angels now are looking on at what God is doing in the assembly; the most supreme services are carried on there. The assembly’s service is heavenly, though it may be literally on earth at the moment; whereas the future earthly service, as in chapter 15, is stayed until the [p. 452] fury of God is poured out and the earth is cleansed. It is a question here of those who come under the mark of the beast and worship its image.
Ques What would be the significance of the evil and grievous sore that characterises the judgment?
JT It would probably be some moral matter, something that would affect men in a moral sense. “The second poured out his bowl on the sea; and it became blood, as of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea”. This idea of the blood of a dead man is a gruesome thing literally, but it refers to apostasy in which there is no recovery. Christendom is doomed for non-recovery; there are no more relations with God when these things happen.
ESH In spite of judgments they will blaspheme God.
JT Quite so; it shows how terrible the things are that are depicted here.
Ques Does the beast represent power?
JT Yes, imperial power. We have to keep before us that it is the beast; it is a system properly, an imperial system but wholly under the control of the devil.
Ques Would there be some analogy between this and the sores in the plague of boils in Exodus?
JT Those things may be alluded to, but this matter of the blood in verse 3 is to be noted. This blood as of a dead man is an awful thing literally, but we have to inquire as to what it is morally and how men are affected by it, that is, it is moral death, men thoroughly influenced by wickedness issuing from the beast. The words “as of a dead man” denote a terrible thing; there is no possibility of hope when this happens, the whole thing has become apostate. We have to inquire as to the import of this; pathologically it is perhaps impossible that anything could be made out of the blood of a dead man, but it is to show how terrible things are to be [p. 453] when these things happen. There is no possibility of reviving the man, there is no thought of life, it is just moral death; and Europe is in mind, I believe, in all these things. It is for us to seek to understand what is meant by the blood of a dead man. There is no idea of gospel in it. The everlasting gospel is spoken of, but that is for the east, but here it is the western world where the great light of christianity has been.
ESH Satan brought death to bear on the Lord and we have all the results in grace of His precious blood. I suppose these have refused the gospel and now Satan with all his power comes in in apostasy and we have the blood of a dead man.
JT Instead of the blood of Christ in which there is redemption, this is the blood of another man, not of Christ; it is the blood of a man dead morally, people made dead in that sense as having rejected the testimony of the gospel.
Ques Jude, in speaking of the terrible state of things that will come in, speaks of those who are twice dead; would that have any bearing?
JT It would; it undoubtedly means apostasy.
Ques Does what follows emphasise it, that “every living soul” is referred to, confirming what you said as to the hopelessness of the position?
JT The sea would be, I suppose, just humanity in these circumstances; it becomes blood “and every living soul died in the sea”.
Ques Does Hebrews 12 stand out in sharp contrast, as to what we have come to?
JT Quite so — “speaking better things ...”. This speaks simply of judgment, there is no hope at all.
ESH It is striking how even ministers of religion today have been and are speaking against the blood of Christ and its cleansing virtue.
JT “And the third poured out his bowl on the rivers, and on the fountains of waters; and they [p. 454] became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Thou art righteous, who art and wart, the holy one, that thou hast judged so; for they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; they are worthy”. So now we are dealing with blood, the blood of saints and prophets and these persecutors are given blood to drink. It is still the idea of the darkness of apostasy, yet this is said to be on the rivers and on the fountains of water; that is to say, the sources of refreshment and light ordinarily are now dealt with in this way. So we have in verses 5 and 6 the announcement of God’s righteousness in dealing thus, “they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets”; this is a different blood; the blood of righteous men.
Rem The harlot, who has her seat on the great waters, is spoken of as being drunk with the blood of the saints.
Ques Taking a broad view of the chapter, it seems as if the elements are referred to, the earth, the sea, the sun and the air; would it be in contrast to the vast resources God has in the earth which at the moment He employs in the creation for the good of the assembly?
JT Well, we have to examine each case. We have now the waters in verse 4, the rivers and the fountains of water became blood. These are good in themselves but judgment is poured out, and they become blood; and then we have the record of the angel of the waters saying, “Thou art righteous”. So He is turning what would be in itself profitable and useful to man to this kind of judgment, and it is called blood. Then we have the fourth angel who poured out his bowl on the sun, “and it was given to it to burn men with fire. And the men were burnt with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues, and did not repent to give him glory”. So that the sun, which, according to Genesis 1, was made to rule the day and which was linked up with the lesser light to rule the night, itself becomes a terrible element of suffering for man. “It was given to it to burn men with fire”. That must be also something in a moral sense which carries heat and suffering to men; not that they are burnt up, but what ought to be a mercy from God is turned into judgment. It is a question of men; what ought to be in favour of men is now against them in the most terrible way, showing how government may change over from being beneficial to men, as it was intended to be, and become persecuting.
Ques Is this an answer to the feelings of Christ as made known in the Psalms? God is faithful to the death of His Son; it calls for judgment. I believe it has been said that the judgment of God is a necessity on account of the death of Christ.
JT The extreme judgment of God, of course, is the lake of fire, but these are governmental things we are dealing with in this chapter. The lake of fire is limited, but it is fire; but this is what was intended to be beneficial to men has now become the cause of their greatest suffering. Government, which should be for men, may turn into a very severe condition of things. So we have to watch where we are as to those who are elected in government. “The powers that be are ordained of God”, but these very men may become the burning heat that we cannot stand.
Rem They are made, in verse 9, to recognise that it is God who is executing the judgment.
JT Just so. The men are not at all affected in the sense of repentance.
Rem They “blasphemed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues”.
JT Yes. You can see what is ahead. We cannot just say when the assembly will be taken away and [p. 456] the Spirit of God, too, but we see here what will happen in this nation where we are. It is most solemn to think of.
Rem It speaks in verse 10 of the throne of the beast. That would be that organised government will be overthrown, but the beast will be left to be dealt with by the Lord Himself.
JT Just so; he is dealt with at the end of the book, the beast and the false prophet. So it speaks of the throne of the beast which literally in the early days of christianity would be Rome. In the address to Pergamos we read of Antipas being put to death there. But now God is taking the matter up, and they “blasphemed the God of the heaven for their distresses and their sores, and did not repent of their works”. There is no evidence of repentance; and it is a very solemn thing if the government of the day is not recognising God. What can we expect?
Ques Does this chapter deal more with the civil world and the next chapter with the ecclesiastical?
JT Yes. But here, instead of God being presented as in the gospel, as so loving the world, He is seen as a God of judgment, and there is no alleviation of it. “The sixth poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates”. It is not the west exactly, but rather the separation of the east from the west.
“And its water was dried up”. It is a large river, of course, but it is a question here of something happening so that “the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared”, as if God is about to call in the eastern nations, to use them as a means of judgment on the western nations.
Rem Judgment on those who refuse the glad tidings.
JT Just so; that is at the back of all these things, the refusal of the gospel, the refusal of what God is in Christ. The time has come for judgment, the governmental action of God against the western [p. 457] nations, even using the eastern nations, to whom the everlasting gospel is to be preached, to cause suffering on the western nations. So it says “that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared”. Then we have a terrible thought — “I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as frogs; for they are the spirits of demons, doing signs; which go out to the kings of the whole habitable world to gather them together to the war of that great day of God the Almighty”. Then there is a parenthesis, “(Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments, that he may not walk naked, and that they may not see his shame.)” Then the parenthesis ends, and it goes on to say, “And he gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armagedon”. That is to say, that some tremendous number of armies or persons in military array are to attack them. Armagedon is in mind.
Ques Would this be the same as chapter 9: 13 - 16?
JT That is something of the same kind, but having a different matter in mind. It is a question of woes. The Euphrates is in mind, but the voice is from the golden altar, the place of prayer. “Loose the four angels which are bound at the great river Euphrates”. Now this is something to understand — the angels who are bound; we have to look into history for that. For undoubtedly the influence of the Euphrates would refer to the Turkish empire for many centuries, but now it is not that the water of the river is dried up, as in our chapter; it says, “I heard a voice ... saying ... Loose the four angels which are bound at the great river Euphrates”. We shall have to look into history for that, as to what influence had been holding back the barrier between the east and the west; and historically it would be the Turkish empire.
[p. 458] Ques Would the drying of the river suggest it is no longer a boundary?
JT Yes, the barrier would be removed for the Japanese or the Indians or whoever God may use. The west is still in mind here, for these are western powers that are alluded to, showing that God is using the east to damage the west. The waters of the Euphrates being dried up, the way is clear for them. God is telling us what is there in the east and what He will do in the future; but we are in the west and God has the west in mind for judgment.
Ques What is the bearing of all this on ourselves now? Is it not only a warning, but to exercise and stimulate us to be more urgent in gospel activity for men?
JT It is a question of having a right judgment of things, and then of being active in the gospel, for we are living in the gospel day and these things are imminent.
Ques May I ask what altar is referred to in chapter 16: 7?
JT It is not the golden altar, but the idea of suffering, I think, rather than of prayer.
Rem It would have a bearing on what you have said in regard to judging things.
JT Quite so. We are in the presence of all these things — how are we feeling about it? Are we solemnised about it and turning to God, not only for our brethren but for men? The question is whether there is anything in Russia, for instance, that is in any way answering to God’s testimony.
Ques Is this to affect us that we might be found morally like those who have the victory over the beast in the previous chapter?
JT Quite so; what is said there is very beautiful — “I saw as a glass sea, mingled with fire, and those that had gained the victory over the beast, and over its image, and over the number of its name,
[p. 459] standing upon the glass sea, having harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses bondman of God, and the song of the Lamb”, and so forth. That is the thing to have in our minds.
Ques What is meant by “Blessed is he that watches”, in verse 15?
JT It is a voice, I think, to ourselves tonight — to be very simple and practical, for the Lord is saying to us, “Behold, I come as a thief” — ‘I may come any moment’, and then, “Blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments, that he may not walk naked, and that they may not see his shame”. That is a voice to every one of us and to every christian, too, who is willing to hear it.
Rem It reminds one of the Lord’s word as to watching in Mark 13, “Watch therefore, for ye do not know when the master of the house comes evening, or midnight, or cock-crow, or morning; lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. But what I say to you, I say to all, Watch”.
JT I have often thought of that. It is the chapter that speaks of all being in the hands of God.
Ques Would you say God is watching the present developments on the earth?
JT He certainly is. He is watching what happens amongst the governments and amongst the people, and then what is going on amongst His own people.
Ques What is the force of keeping his garments? In the last chapter it speaks of those who wash their robes.
JT We are supposed to have garments; to be clothed as priests unto God, and we want to be in that attitude. “The priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and at his mouth they seek the law”, Malachi 2: 7. Then as to our garments, do we keep them clean or are they defiled by the circumstances we are in?
[p. 460] Your garments are washed as a believer, but you want to keep them.
Ques Would this have peculiar application to Sardis where the Lord says the same thing, “I will come upon thee as a thief”, Revelation 3: 3?
JT Yes, and you have an allusion there to garments. “Thou hast a few names in Sardis which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, because they are worthy”, Revelation 3: 4.
One is comforted that those who are walking in the truth are of this class, and there are a good many, thank God; they keep their garments.
Rem The condition of things around us today is such as will, if we are not careful, engulf us, and this comes in to show us what the end will be so that we should keep clear of it.
JT Yes, and thank God there are many brethren who are keeping clear and carrying on the service of God, and God is with His people. The thing is to keep our garments that they may not see our shame, that is to say, we are not to be exposed by any carelessness and are to keep our garments clean so that we can go on with the service of God.
Ques Would it carry the thought of binding on our garments so that nothing is loose? I am thinking of the young man in Mark 14.
JT Quite so, but there is a balance to the man that fled in the man in the last chapter, who is clothed in white and who is at the right side.
Ques Would Jude’s exhortation fit in there — the thought of hating the garment spotted by the flesh?
JT Yes. The brethren will all notice that throughout this chapter we have before us there is so much stress laid on men. People glory in being men and having power, and so on; men are in mind in all this, and God’s judgment is overtaking them, so it is a question of how all this is to be met. Man is giving up christianity and taking on something [p. 461] else, he does not know what, and governments are not helping him.
Ques What do you mean by ‘a question of how all this is to be met’?
JT Whether we are judging things rightly: it is a question of how we are meeting all these things.
“Blessed is he ...”. The west has great advantages; it is the part of the earth that was occupied by Japheth, that is the area which God has taken up to give the gospel to and to take the assembly out of; but it is going into apostasy fast, not only America, but this country too and most of the European countries.
Rem When Paul came to these parts there was the spirit of Python there.
JT Yes. We have had to do with the east and certain persons from there, and how much they tell us about the power of demons and so on, but God is going to use the east in a punitive way for the west. But He has in reserve the everlasting gospel for the east; that is a great cheer to think of, but the west is about to be given up by God.
Ques Who will be the nations who will walk in the light of the city?
JT I would say the eastern, the nations that are blessed, beginning with the Jews, those that are saved through the everlasting gospel.
Ques Is it not remarkable that the first movement as to the birth of Christ came from the east?
JT Yes.