SPOIL (10)
SPOIL (10)
AFM The proposal for tonight’s reading is Revelation 3, the address to Philadelphia.
PL I gather that the thought is to dwell upon the peculiar spoil for Christ accruing from the revival of assembly affection for Him.
AFM I think so; it is very interesting to observe in this section how much the thought of the assembly comes in, as introduced in a known and understood relationship, and also that the enemy, Satan, the adversary, is mentioned, and the hour of trial. The Lord who speaks has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars; all is indicative, I judge, of the character of the present moment, and what has marked the assembly; especially towards the end of its course here. Would you say that?
PL Quite so. The thought of “Philadelphia” meaning “brotherly love” would challenge our relations as brethren locally and generally in regard to the truth, so as to afford spoil for Christ of an assembly character. How long He has waited for this, bearing in patience all down the ages, with so much that has caused Him grief. His issue with the five earlier assemblies, but making the assembly revival of these last days the more grateful to His heart.
AFM Would the key suggest that the power of entry was David’s? There was no hindrance to his going anywhere in relation to God’s will.
PL With it He opens up the divine treasures, securing also right of way in our hearts, in the moral solution of assembly issues as they arise.
CAM That is very interesting. Would it be right to say that in Matthew’s gospel, after the treasured remnant comes to light in chapter 11, the Lord [p. 437] opens up things to them — the next chapter bringing in judgment? The Pharisee and all related to him has to give way.
Ques Is not the key of David used now in relation to the assembly? The Lord, addressing this assembly, says, “He who opens and no one shall shut, and shuts and no one shall open” (verse 7).
PL And how skilfully He uses it!
AR Does the reference to David fit in with the name of Philadelphia — “brotherly love”? He is the beloved, the key is in the hand of such an one as Christ; would that give colour to this assembly He addresses?
FNW Did the Lord use the key with Lydia?
PL Whose heart the Lord opened.
RWS This door, specified in verse 8, is said to be opened, meaning that it had been closed. I wondered whether all David’s spoil now goes through this opened door.
PL Quite so. His pledge as to the opened door has peculiar force amidst the universal political turmoil; and as having opened it, is it not to secure those spiritual activities which He so cherishes from a remnant in the light of the assembly?
JTJr Does not our brother’s remark help in that Lydia really makes way for Paul’s ministry, which comes out in this section, not denying His name, but keeping His word? Making way for Paul’s ministry affords the great basis for the spoil that is recovered today.
AFM We may notice that practically all through the Acts no one is able to shut the door which the Lord opens. There is great value in such a word, especially at the present time.
Ques Is it not kept open in spite of the state of things seen in Jezebel which goes right on to [p. 438] the end?
PL This but emphasises the Lord’s activities in love. There is no official assembly recognition by Him after the break with Thyatira.
Rem To be in the state marking Philadelphia is all the more testing in view of the ecclesiastical opposition around.
PL Hence the need of the word of His patience. As the Holy and the True, did not Christ carry out all to divine completion? He was the true Light, the true Vine, and so on.
Rem Would Obadiah in 1 Kings represent those whose works are not complete? He did not go the full way, whereas Elijah does. There is such a tendency with us not to go on to completion, to finish things in connection with the rights and interests of God.
PL There is Elijah’s word, “make me a cake”, suggesting completeness, every assembly activity bearing the features of one whole thought. All is to be rounded off in spiritual skill — a good piece of workmanship which the enemy cannot overthrow.
AR In order that Philadelphia may go on to completion, the Lord presents Himself as superior to everything that may oppose. He says, “These things saith the holy, the true; ... he who opens and no one shall shut, and shuts and no one shall open”. That refers to His power, as against opposition generally. Then He says, “Behold, I have set before thee an opened door” (verse 8). That is specific, He has done it. The general thought is, He opens and no one shall shut, and we count upon that continually.
PL That but puts upon any who are thus available to the Lord, the greater obligation to bring every assembly exercise to spiritual completion and fruition.
AFM To the other assemblies, especially Thyatira, mention is made of the works. Here the Lord says briefly, “I know thy works”.
PL [p. 439] His lack of comment upon them in detail indicates His satisfaction in their pursuit to completeness. They would be all of a piece, so to speak, like the virtuous woman works in Proverbs 31, bringing all to completeness, so that he for whom they are pursued is known in the gates.
ANW It is sufficient for her that he knows them. She is content with that.
P L. What a contrast to the spirit of self-advertisement!
Rem Everything in the way of works is tested by His knowledge of them, so He appraises them in the different assemblies. Here He says, ‘I know them’; they evidently pass His scrutiny.
CAM Otherwise, I suppose, we could not have verse 9, the principle of this being seen in the opening of the Acts.
PL Whilst having also a future bearing, the Lord’s delight in those who bear His reproach is testified to in this ninth verse. Paul’s ministry is peculiarly linked up with the reproach of Christ. The feet of the saints here mentioned in verse 9 might not only allude to the completeness of the final victory, but to the way love for Christ in a remnant in assembly character has stood for His rights in the face of every challenge, and has also gone forward in the current of His mind.
AR We are not waiting for the millennium to find out that the Lord loves us. They “shall know that I have loved thee”; but we are not waiting for that.
PL The present comfort of such a word is to help us to be content with outward smallness, and yet to see that all that is done assembly-wise has a character proper to the whole.
JS Philadelphia is set over against the public profession, as seen in Sardis and [p. 440] Laodicea.
PL So that the very reproach inflicted by the great profession around makes for the protection of such a remnant in obscurity, making the Lord’s present approbation and promise for the future but the more valued by such hearts.
ANW What saints have done is simply to avail themselves of the opened door that He has set before them.
Rem The end of verse 7 would make room for the preaching of the gospel in the rooms and other places, such as the street. The One who has led captivity captive is the One who keeps this door open. He keeps it open for those who keep His word and do not deny His name.
PL Quite so. The synagogue of Satan referred to here suggests the peculiar opposition of these last days: how the foe is entrenched in orthodoxy and generally accredited religion, using in terms truth that has been given in an earlier day to discredit that which is distinctive to the moment in the Spirit’s present voice.
ANW Paul proved the truth of the open door. He said, “A great door is opened to me and an effectual one, and the adversaries many”, 1 Corinthians 16: 9. He is conscious of the open door, while the adversary is there.
PL What spoil is thus assured to Christ in assembly revival in remnant conditions, both in universal and local settings according to Paul’s ministry, and all secured in that atmosphere of holy love which John proved, as in the bosom of Jesus!
AFM So that in verse 10: “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee out of the hour of trial, which is about to come upon the whole habitable world, to try them that dwell upon the earth”. They have been faithful to Him here, and He would be faithful to them when the trial comes upon [p. 441] the world.
PL So that at the rapture the whole assembly is taken according to the principles and features which have governed the remnant. As such they represent the assembly under the eye of the Lord, thus warranting His finally taking to Himself the assembly as a whole.
AR Samuel puts David’s mighty men at the end of his history (2 Samuel 23); but in Chronicles they are placed at the beginning. Does that correspond with Philadelphia coming in at the end?
PL Samuel bearing on the historical side would fit in with the scripture before us, the three “mighties”, surpassing all others in their devotion to David in relation to the peculiar desire of his heart; this for Christ being the assembly.
JTJr They catch the spirit of David in breaking through the Philistines. He had himself introduced the great idea of breaking through.
Ques What about the hour of trial? The brethren are suffering from the forerunner of this in the trade unions.
PL Such movements are at times marked by ruthless opposition to those who stand apart from them in the recognition of what is due to God. They are but the forerunner of the persecution awaiting the godly remnant in a coming day. How the Lord helps those who stand true! The opened door, promised of the Lord, assures the remnant a way through to the end of this dispensation for all that pertains to Christ and the assembly. This provision of grace, however, is bound up with the assembly features in a remnant which are pleasing to Christ; and which thus furnish Him with a moral warrant for the continuation of the opened door.
AR What you have said helps to explain many current happenings. The Lord will keep His promise to the end to those to whom it applies in this scripture.
Rem The interests of the Lord’s name are to be paramount. If we are not prepared to hold what is in keeping with that name, in our localities, though we may be nominally meeting together, the Lord may close that door to us at some time of testing.
PL As we survey the political horizon, we can see how easily but for the Lord the door might be shut as regards even our public gatherings. How intimately bound up in the mind of the Lord is the open door He furnishes, with the maintenance on the responsible side of all that is truly Philadelphian in character, in those available to Him.
AFM The position of the saints is now in reproach and we are tested as to faithfulness to Him, which would result in the overcomer of the later verses.
PL “He that overcomes, him will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more at all out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven, from my God, and my new name”.
The expression “my God” coming in there indicates amongst other thoughts the ultimate end of this great assembly revival; all is to return to God. Himself the source of all that He has so blessedly revived. The Lord’s allusion to “my God” testifies to His regard for this holy relationship into which He has entered as Man with His God, the precious light as to His sonship so recently recovered to the assembly after a lapse of many centuries bearing on the unique character of this relationship. How worthy He is of the richest spoil from those thus secured in divine mercy as in the light of the assembly. To such the light as to His sonship takes on ever-increasing lustre; all calculated of God to afford the best available to Christ here in view of God’s [p. 443] service and testimony. What stability will such take on as spiritually constituted pillars!
Ques Do you think that the need today, in local assemblies, is for pillars of this kind? They seem to set out the whole position in Philadelphia.
PL Pillars in the temple of Christ’s God, these thoughts finding in an anticipative way their expression in such as Simeon and Anna in the temple of old; still more with the apostles and those immediately after them; and the man of God in these last days. Is it not a question of standing thus for the truth of the assembly as a whole, thus embracing every feature of the truth, all being stood for definitely and devotedly by the overcomers in local and universal assembly settings? The overcoming is essentially bound up with the maintenance of what is heavenly.
CAM Speaking about a pillar, it seems to be connected with standing, suggesting men who can stand; balanced and true, I suppose.
PL Yes. Whilst the public manifestation of such awaits a coming day, what gain is afforded to the saints where there is grace to recognise such and hold them in spiritual esteem as set there by the Lord Himself. To those who are spiritual, the ever fresh-recurring crises in the testimony will but confirm that the Lord has established such pillars. The day to come will afford occasion for the manifestation of what has morally come under the eye of Christ here, and has so proved His support, the Lord, we suppose, having in mind the two pillars in Solomon’s temple, whose names mean “He will establish” and “In Him is strength”. How the Lord would love to adorn such with His glorious writing! But it is as pillars that they afford Him the opportunity for such unique and precious writing.
[p. 444] Rem God is not ashamed to identify His great name with these people because they are spiritually in keeping with it.
PL How delightful to the Lord must such a service be both to His God whom He so loves to serve and to those who as overcomes invite Him so to do.
EEH It is not just the temple, but the temple of my God and the city of my God. Is that the spoil you have in mind?
PL Yes, the overcomer being thus spoil accruing to Christ, such as He delights to assure to God, both in His service and testimony, having His own part and joy in such spoil both as the Minister of the sanctuary and as the Defender of the testimony.
Ques Is it your thought that this twelfth verse goes through into eternity?
PL The portion of the overcomer being characteristically heavenly, all surely goes through into the realm to which it belongs.
Rem The final thought — the great eternal end — will be, God dwelling with men; and I was wondering whether that will be by way of the saints. Christ writing thus assuring that God will in a representative way be seen in the saints mediatorially throughout eternity.
PL The thought of God’s tabernacle being with men would indicate the assembly’s part in a mediatorial relation under Christ in the setting forth of God as He is to be known eternally among men.
Rem The name would indicate that there is something peculiarly precious attaching to each position, that is the name of my God, the name of the city of my God, and my new name. It is for each to inquire as to what that means.
PL Quite so; and what grace and power attach to the expression “my God” as apprehended in the soul of the overcomer, so that as a pillar written thus upon by Christ we can maintain in assembly character [p. 445] to the end these holy features. What stability would all this afford to the administrative side of things, for instance, as supported by pillars on whom Christ has written the name of the city of His God. Every feature of the service and testimony of God being entered upon from this elevated setting of “my God”, the provisional side of things will be adorned and filled out by the light and love of the eternal.
CAM Your reference to the eternal is impressive. We have but little said as to what will fill eternity, but the overcomer seems to be promised a great deal of the most wonderful things.
PL And how furthering would all this be to the completion of assembly exercises on hand, without undue delay.
JTJr So it is what comes down in the care meeting; it should not come up from the natural side, but down from heaven.
PL That is the only way; the heavenly city comes down having the glory of God; and those moving assembly-wise in that character afford a lead to their brethren in spiritual power and influence.
AFM Would you say that verse 11 and the end of verse 12 are somewhat parallel?
PL The assembly’s crown is Christ Himself in the way He is ever to be known and loved by the assembly. How graciously has the Lord recovered to us in this remnant day the light of His sonship — lost to the assembly since the close of the apostolic era. What spoil could compare with this? All to the end that the service of God may be more intelligently entered upon under One so great as the Minister of the sanctuary, and the testimony taken on in ever-increasing devotedness in the appreciation of Him whose testimony it is, even the testimony of our Lord.
AR Does the writing of “the name of my God”, “the name of the city of my God”, and “my new name” suggest that the saints will be a full representation of these three features?
PL Yes, as overcoming. How precious is this word new, as a set-off against the boastful claims to antiquity in accredited religion, accompanied by such an absence of what is fresh and new. This new name would bring in the freshness in which we are to serve God, in a right understanding of the Lord’s Person as in manhood. So that we move in the perennial freshness of all that He is to God, and thus in spirit already enter into what is eternal.
CAM That is remarkable; we touch eternity, all things new and of God.
PL Yes. The peculiar testings in suffering, through which what is Philadelphian is reached and maintained in overcoming, have great place with the Lord, not only as affording present qualification for the testimony and service of God, but also for the coming day of glory; capacity and spiritual formation for what is eternal thus being also promoted and already entered upon in assembly privilege.
ABP Do you connect “my God” of Psalm 22 with this?
PL We see in that psalm how the whole system of divine praise is engaging the Lord in that dire hour of His abandonment. Israel’s praises were there found with Him alone; but where would He not go to assure God a dwelling in the praises of His redeemed people? All this and more being already secured in that great vessel of praise, the assembly.
AR Does this suggest that even in the days of reproach the overcomer is representing Christ’s God, then the new Jerusalem, and then Christ Himself in a new way — my new name? All these things are represented among [p. 447] the saints.
PL The very best in the presence of the very worst.
WB-w What did you say the crown of the assembly was?
PL Would it not be Christ Himself as apprehended according to the truth of His Person in manhood?
ABP Taking David as a type of Christ, would you say that Hushai, Zadok, and others such would represent Philadelphian characteristics and feelings in the absence of Christ, having Him personally before them in His glory?
PL As such they formed part of an invisible, subtle, spiritual organisation, all flowing from the appreciation of David. They were considering for him alone and thus contributing to the confusion of his foes and to the recovery of his people.
Ques Is verse 13 the test as to who is really going to enter into what we are speaking of?
PL Yes. The Spirit, while ever moving in relation to what has been revealed, is Himself in possession of all the vast wealth that resides in Christ. Our Lord said of the Comforter that “he shall receive of mine and shall announce it to you”, John 16: 14. The Spirit is thus ever opening up these great treasures. We have an allusion in Acts 20 to the Lord’s own words, which are not mentioned in the gospels: “The words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive”. Does this not suggest that where Paul’s distinctive ministry is maintained the Spirit will be free in the assembly to operate through vessels He has in hand in this great service? Everything that the Lord Jesus was as here, and ever will be in manhood, is surely part of the assembly’s wealth, and the Spirit would love now through vessels corresponding to Christ to enlarge upon this in the assembly. How often has this been proved in this [p. 448] remnant day! — all of course being according to the law and the testimony. The Spirit loves to have vessels into whom He can pour the blessedness of Christ, as God would have the saints to know Him.
WB-w I was wondering whether spoil for the Lord was cumulative in the seven assemblies, inasmuch as there are overcomers in each one.
PL Hence the word “upon whom the ends of the ages are come”, 1 Corinthians 10: 11. Such are to be possessed of the accumulated wealth of all the spoil, gathered for Christ throughout the dispensation; but one can see how Philadelphia stands for the unique and crowning spoil of Christ, in enabling Him in holy love to resume assembly relations with a remnant.
JS The latter glory will be greater than the former.
AFM In the end of each assembly address it says, “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies”, as if all through the Spirit’s speaking, as well as in the Lord’s speaking, there would be results culminating positively in Philadelphia.
PL Everything is gathered up there. As valuing the love of Christ, we would not assume to be Philadelphia, but we are tested by these features and searched as to how far each of us answers to them. But this word of the Spirit suggests that He has great liberty as to Christ in an atmosphere where He is supremely loved.
JS The expression, “I come quickly”, (verse 11), only appears in this assembly. What is the peculiar value of it to us?
PL The Lord knows what such a promise means to a Philadelphian overcomer, as the closing service of Christ in relation to the vessel He so loves.