LIFE IN THE FACE OF APOSTASY (2)

^[p. 11] LIFE IN THE FACE OF APOSTASY (2)

Revelation 4: 6 - 11; Revelation 5: 6 - 10

JT We see in this book a remarkable presentation of the deity and of the manhood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is very important to keep before us very distinctly the dual thought of His deity and of His manhood, in face of the teaching which leads to the coming of the antichrist.

The deity of the Lord must be viewed in its absolute character, as before and outside of creation. Then we must consider His Person relatively to the creation; and from that point of view we have different names. All the names that we have of the Persons of the Godhead in the Scriptures, are relative to the creation; we cannot regard them as applying before creation, for then they would have no force as connected only with the Persons of the Godhead. For example, the name of God, which appears from the first verse of the Bible, is a relative name. The Hebrew word is Elohim, which means the Supreme Being, the One who is to be worshipped. None of the Persons of the Godhead appears to be supreme with regard to another; none could be worshipped by another. A careful consideration of all these names confirms this fact. The name of God to which we are baptised is that of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; Matthew 28: 19. But this order could not be applied in absolute deity. It indicates simply that two of the Persons have taken a relatively inferior position in view of revelation.

HD'AC And we have not the right to reverse the order and say: The Spirit, the Son and the Father.

JT It is evident that we could not do that. In the New Testament the Son takes a position of inferiority, for example when He says: “I cannot do anything of myself”, John 5: ^[p. 12] 30.

ThD He also speaks of Himself as sent, which indicates a subordinate place.

JT Although He has taken, in His grace, a place of inferiority in manhood, nevertheless Scripture combines in a marvellous way His deity and His manhood, so that He who sits upon the throne in chapter 4 is the same as He whom we see in chapter 5 as slain. It speaks of Him when He was on earth in these terms: “The Son of man who is in heaven” John 3:13. We are always in the presence of that which is inscrutable.

We commenced our subject this morning with considering the Living One who became dead and who is living to the ages of ages; we noted that He laid His right hand upon John, an action which gave character to John’s ministry. We also noticed with profit that John had to turn back to see the voice which spoke with him. We have to turn back to get the gain of any new aspect which the Lord would present to us of Himself, and John had to change his position several times in the course of this book. In the first verse of chapter 4, it is said to him: “Come up here, and I will shew thee the things which must take place after these things”. He says: “Immediately I became in the Spirit”. This book presents to us very specially the ability to move so as to take up a suitable standpoint in relation to the situation.

Rem In chapter 6 of Isaiah the seraphim covered their faces with two of their wings; but here ^[p. 14] the living creatures are full of eyes to see the things.

JT We remarked already this morning that eyes and ears are to be open. John heard the voice and turned to see it. It is one thing to hear; it is another thing to see.

OT John is a contemplator; he says: “We have contemplated his glory” John 1:14.

Rem That is the end of Job’s experience: “I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee” Job 42:5.

JT It is indispensable to hear and to see in order to make progress in the truth.

^[p. 13] Ques Is there something more than hearing and seeing?

JT It is a question of understanding with the heart.

Rem It says in Isaiah 6: 10: “... lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and healed”.

JT And in Ezekiel 40: 4: “Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thy heart upon all that I shall show thee; for in order that it might be shown unto thee art thou brought hither”.

Rem He can say: “Declare to the house of Israel all that thou seest”.

JT We also considered “the tree of life which is in the paradise of God” as being the portion of the overcomer in the first assembly. Then, the overcomer in Smyrna will receive the crown of life. The overcomer in Sardis has his name preserved in the book of life. Thus life is prominent with regard to the overcomer.

Now, in chapter 4, we have living creatures. They are four, representing universal features, as the twenty-four elders typify administration. In resuming His ways with the earth God testifies that He is in sympathy with the creation. The fact that the elders are twenty-four in number points to the two dispensations, and shows that they enter intelligently into His thoughts. Headship is suggested in the twenty-four elders, arising from David’s ministry: David calls Jehovah Head. The four living creatures would rather represent John’s ministry. We must not only have intelligence, but there must be among us living affections and sympathy. We may have an intelligent explanation of the Scriptures; but it is also a question of our having sympathetic affections. Each brother and each sister has part among the living creatures who bring about joy in our meetings. It says: “In the midst of the throne, and around the throne, four living creatures, full of eyes, before and behind”. The persons have discernment as well as affection, that is to say they do not receive blindly all that is said.

The living creatures are “full of eyes, before and behind” (verse 6), and further on (verse 8), “round and within they are full of eyes”. Thus the power of discernment is seen within, without, before, behind, all around. When the apostle Paul preached at Berea, the believers searched the Scriptures daily if these things were so. Sometimes we have more light than love, or more love than light. What we have here indicates that love, light and life are in perfect accord. Have you found that in the meetings in your travels, Mr. C?

HD'AC In some measure. May the Lord be pleased to increase it!

JT Brethren recall that the question of life was enquired into in 1890. However, christianity consists in what is living. So the epistle of John is not only light, but it is a word of life.

Rem Light without life will not suffice for a meeting; there must also be love.

Rem “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren”, 1 John 3: 14. Love is the expression of life.

Ques Would you say a few words as to the crown of life and the book of life?

JT The thought of having a crown ought to be cherished by us. The crown of life means that one cherishes the idea of life. In the ten days of persecution spoken of to Smyrna, there were those who thought to save their life by denying the Lord; but others died for the truth, and the Lord will give them the crown of life. Like the saints of the Old Testament, they awaited a better resurrection. The book of life is brought in with relation to the overcomer in Sardis, which points to a period when there was very little life among professing christians, and the names of many who had the reputation of being christians will not be found in the book of life.

ThD Why does it say; “I will not blot ... out”, as if they might be blotted ^[p. 15] out?

JT It is only a matter of what is negative. You cannot base a positive on a negative. In chapter 20, all those whose names were not found in the book of life were cast into the lake of fire. The book of life is a final book; it is the book of the living.

OT Abigail said to David: “The soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living” 1 Samuel 25:29.

JT The question of life finds its solution in the epistle to the Romans, but it is not on such a high level as the heavenly position, of which the epistle to the Ephesians treats: “God ... has made us sit down together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:6, having “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ” Ephesians 1:3. Many have the forgiveness of their sins without truly enjoying their heavenly portion. The Lord said in Luke, chapter 10: “I beheld Satan as lightning falling out of heaven”. In the second chapter of Luke, the angels say “on earth peace”; but in chapter 19 it is “peace in heaven”. That points to the present period, the period of the assembly.

I hope we all understand that in chapter 4 of Revelation we have, in the four living creatures, a universal idea of life in view of the administration of the twenty-four elders. John sees Him that was sitting “like in appearance to a stone of jasper and a sardius, and a rainbow round the throne like in appearance to an emerald”; that is to say that God goes back to His covenant with Noah. God is going to take up creation and administer it by means of the twenty-four elders, who have had experience with God. Noah in the ark represented intelligence, and around him were found the beasts of the earth. These two thoughts are found here: the thought of God in headship, and at the same time evidences of life. We have first the thought conveyed by the eyes before, behind, all round and within; then comes praise: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come”. It is a remarkable presentation of life in a universal way in relation to God. “When the living creatures shall give glory and honour and thanksgiving to him that sits upon the throne, who lives to the ages of ages, the twenty-four elders shall fall before him that sits upon the throne, and do homage to him that lives to the ages of ages; and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy will they were and they have been created”. The elders can give account of things. Not only is life expressed, but the elders can say “thou hast created” and “for thy will”. Thus, the first epistle of John finishes with these words: “we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding that we should know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life”. 1 John 5:20 We can see the evidences of life with the youngest believer, for as soon as we love we are living, and the development of life is seen in understanding. We pray with the spirit and we pray with the understanding; we sing with the spirit and we sing with the understanding.

ThD In chapter 4, they say; in chapter 5, they sing.

JT Singing is connected with redemption. Chapter 4 presents worship in relation to creation; in chapter 5, it is redemption.

Ques What are the elders’ crowns?

JT In general, crowns denote what we cherish, that which has already sustained us. The two prayers given in the epistle to the Ephesians would explain these crowns. The first prayer (chapter 1: 15 - 20) has in view that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him; the second (chapter 3: 14 - 19) is that God may give us “to be strengthened with power by his Spirit in the inner man” that we may be “fully able to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height; and to ^[p. 17] know the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge”. There is intelligence according to God. The last verse of chapter 4 of Revelation would help us to understand what the creation is to God: “thou hast created all things, and for thy will they were, and they have been created”. In chapter 5 the living creatures and elders are seen together; but the living creatures are mentioned before the elders. That shows in a practical way that, at certain moments, the elder brethren should take the second place; when the service demands special energy young ones are needed: “I have written to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one” 1 John 2:14.

Rem The elders fall, do homage and cast their crowns. What a comely attitude!

JT The understanding that is given to us is not in view of our own exaltation, but for the glory of God. All the understanding we have comes from God: “Of him, and through him, and for him are all things”.

Rem “For thy will”.

JT Yes, that is developed in the epistle to the Ephesians: the good pleasure of His will, the counsel of His will and the mystery of His will. The better we know God, the more ready we are to recognise His will. These two chapters make an appeal to youthfulness among the brethren. It is not merely that the young should hear the things that are said, but that they should discern and prove them, that they may know that it is the truth. Thus the living creatures are first in chapter 5.

Rem If I have understood aright, the four living creatures would represent the great company marked by life, and the twenty-four elders the intelligence of the company.

JT So that in the light of redemption we have here a new song: “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open its seals; because thou hast been slain, and hast redeemed to God, by thy blood, out of every tribe,

^[p. 18] and tongue, and people, and nation, and made them to our God kings and priests; and they shall reign over the earth”. It is very beautiful, this song which is sung by the living creatures and the elders together.

Ques Do we find something analogous at the end of the book of Psalms, where there is nothing but praise?

JT There is indeed an interesting parallel. The psalms entitled “Instruction” are in view of leading the young into all that relates to the knowledge of God. The first of these psalms is the 32nd; and the results of all that teaching is seen in the last psalms in praise.

Rem In verse 7 of chapter 4, the four living creatures have each a different character from the others.

JT There is first courage: the lion does not flee in conflict. The calf gives the idea of firmness, surefootedness. The face of a man is an allusion to intelligence, with the thought of the representation of God (among the saints, the man does not cover his head: he represents God). The flying eagle indicates that what has to be done is done immediately, whereas things often remain uncompleted. The brethren’s care meetings are very useful in connection with what we have to do, what is to be adjusted, and all the Lord’s matters.

Rem The flying eagle would be on the alert to see whether there was something to bring in, or something to set aside which is not according to Christ.

JT The care meetings are necessary for the health of the assembly, so that things, instead of dragging on and remaining uncompleted, may be adjusted immediately.

Ques What is to be understood by “the prayers of the saints”?

JT The combination of the harps and the golden bowls is very beautiful: praise and prayer.

Ques. Who are the saints?

JT You know. “The prayers of the saints” is a characteristic expression. In chapter 8 you have the prayers “of all saints” presented at the golden altar by the Lord Himself. “The prayers of the saints” is characteristic: it is a question of those who are saints, a beautiful expression which is applied to the people of God from old time.

Rem They are in agreement in saying: “Holy, holy, holy”.