SCRIPTURAL CIRCUMSTANCES GROUPED
[p. 443] SCRIPTURAL CIRCUMSTANCES GROUPED
These verses represent a certain group of circumstances into which Christ and the assembly enter. As loving Christ we are ever ready to make way for Him and His bride. The great lover of Christ wrote, “I speak as to Christ, and as to the assembly”, Ephesians 5: 32. No doubt Paul would always wax warm and eloquent in dealing with this great theme.
John the baptist heard the Bridegroom’s voice and rejoiced. Paul heard the Bridegroom’s voice and also the voice of the bride, and doubtless rejoiced more. The baptist is not on the same level as Paul. He is on the same level as the greatest of those born of women, which implies another dispensation, not the present one; the latter has the greatest place.
It is said as to John, “He who is a little one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he”, Matthew 11: 11. Paul was not the least in the kingdom, although he spoke of himself as “less than the least of all saints”. That he could say that is remarkable, but heaven would say he is the greatest. He would, we may be sure, stimulate his hearers as speaking of Christ and the assembly.
Now these verses treat of a group of circumstances, and as loving God and His truth we are ready to align ourselves with circumstances in which God would place us. The book of Revelation extends beyond the assembly, and it has a certain way of grouping circumstances. We are living in the midst of extraordinary developments, and we must group them in our minds so that we may have a clear perspective. We are to see how that which is of God enters into them. Luke has a way of grouping persons. It is peculiarly pleasing to see persons who [p. 444] are all lovable grouped together, lovable severally and more lovable as together, for lovable companionship enhances our lovableness. But the book of Revelation groups circumstances, and among these great circumstances we find Christ and the assembly, and that is our present theme.
In regard to our dear young couple here, we cannot honour them more than to link them with Christ and the assembly, and the Lord is willing to be linked with them. As they are worthy, He would be the first amongst us to lay His hands on them and identify Himself with them. Engagements and marriages “in the Lord” are of first-rate importance in heaven, as they enter into the present testimony. At the present time the Spirit is stressing the household. The devil regards it importantly, too; he wishes to destroy the very thought of it. One of his chief successes is the destruction of households, whereas the Spirit of God would fortify and consolidate these holy matrimonial relations, stabilise them, and make them what God intends them to be, adjuncts to the testimony.
And so the Lord would lay His hands on a newly married pair as they are worthy, and of course, worthiness is historical, not theoretic. And no doubt those of us who know our sister would give testimony, as to her historical worthiness, and those who know our brother are ready too, if necessary, to give testimony to his historical worthiness; for the Lord has given him a place among his local brethren. So that we may be sure that the Lord is with us in that in which we are engaged.
In the passage read, Christ and the assembly are linked with a set of circumstances, and it is in our minds that we may link very definitely Christ and the assembly with the circumstances we are in today, that is the union in marital bonds of our brother and sister. On an occasion like this we can bring forward Christ and the assembly in a peculiar way. It need [p. 445] scarcely be said that the presence of the Lord as related to the assembly glorifies the moment.
He graced such an occasion at Cana, but not with the same link of feelings in which He graces an occasion that pertains to those of the assembly. We cannot name those who were married on that day at Cana, but we do know the pair that are here: we know them, and heaven knows them. If the Spirit of God were recording this occasion, He would mention their names; their names are written in heaven, and they are worthy of being recorded at such a time.
This meeting has in view that Christ and the assembly should have a greater place in their hearts, and in all our hearts, than hitherto. The Spirit would so impress them at this moment that Christ and the assembly should never be lost sight of in their hearts and in their house.
As you will observe, the first circumstance in the scripture before us is the destruction of the great corruptress of the earth. It is a great matter at such a time as this that the idea of corruption should be thoroughly judged in our hearts. This institution, for that is what it is, a great system viewed in a feminine way, had had the historically terrible reputation of being the corruptress of the earth. It is of first-rate importance that we should have in mind that all corrupting elements, especially those liable to affect the household, should be dealt with unsparingly. The devil is corrupting households: the youth in them are being corrupted.
What is celebrated here first of all is that God has judged the great harlot which corrupted the earth, and the note of praise is, “Hallelujah”. “After these things I heard as a loud voice of a great multitude in the heaven, saying, Hallelujah”. How refreshing this is as regards what is going on currently! In public means of information there is nothing about heaven, but here much people in heaven are engaged with the [p. 446] salvation and power and glory of God, expressed in judgment: He is being praised by a great multitude in heaven.
And the next thing is, what they are praising Him about. “True and righteous are his judgments; for he has judged the great harlot which corrupted the earth with her fornication, and has avenged the blood of his bondmen at her hand”. As already noted, the thought of corruption has to be dealt with, and destroyed so far as we have power to do it. The Spirit of God enables us to do it, to destroy elements of corruption in our households. Here it is a celebration, and we are told that God has “avenged the blood of his bondmen at her hand”. What blood has been shed by that awful system during many centuries!
God is bound to deal with it! Note: “And a second time they said, Hallelujah. And her smoke goes up to the ages of ages”. That is a settled matter, and a most intelligent feeling celebrates it: and we may say that all the universe joins in: “And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and did homage to God who sits upon the throne, saying, Amen, Hallelujah”. And then verse 5 brings in something else: “And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his bondmen, and ye that fear him, small and great”, for God must be praised in every circumstance.
“And I heard as a voice of a great crowd, and as a voice of many waters, and as a voice of strong thunders, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord our God the Almighty has taken to himself kingly power”. This must be the sequel of everything: God must reign! And surely it must enter into the household now being formed: that, as it is formed, God must reign there, and our young couple would surely have in mind that He will reign in their household. As He reigns in a household, the saints will not fail to join in with their “Hallelujah”! Let us learn to use the [p. 447] word! In the passage before us it is used four times. It is not to be slighted at all, a word denoting “Praise ye Jah”, for God is praised as He reigns.
How refreshing is the thought of divine reign in a household! The household in which God reigns will contribute to the assembly in which His rule also prevails.