COMPLETION
MEETINGS IN WERMELSKIRCHEN
5th-7th JUNE 1954
(SATURDAY TO MONDAY)
Reading 1—Saturday afternoon
A.J.G. I thought we could consider in these four readings which we have now, the beginning and the end of Revelation. This afternoon we are going to read the first chapter.
The book of Revelation is connected with what the Lord says about the assembly in Matthew 16: 18: “on this rock I will build my assembly, and hades’ gates shall not prevail against it”. The assembly is not seen here in her heavenly privileges (this must of course underlie every position she fills out in testimony) but rather in the midst of the development of the greatest possible evil down here, but down here as acknowledged by the Lord, and assured that every thought of God will be brought through to the end. That is why we have the local assemblies in Revelation. It is addressed to seven assemblies. At the end of Revelation, the Lord says. “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify these things to you in the assemblies”, chap 22: 16. It is our local setting that is before us. We see in the first chapter how the Lord takes account of the real conditions. He walks in the midst of the assemblies in His judicial character. He has no desire to judge, but rather He speaks in His faithfulness of what is not pleasing to Him, although He does not fail to refer to what is pleasing to Him. The larger part of Revelation is occupied with the time in which the assembly has been taken up, and yet it is addressed to all the assemblies. The Lord’s desire is that every assembly should be awakened to see their local responsibility, so that the service of God and the truth of God should be maintained until the end. The book also shows that the families after the rapture must go through much more severe tribulations than us. Yet God will bring them through. There are three things in this chapter beside other things that must be taken into consideration. Firstly, we have the thought of bondmanship, and this thought runs through the whole book.
A.W. It says that His servants shall serve Him and shall see His face (Rev 22: 3, 4), as they will in glory later on.
A.J.G. The angel who had made all this known to John says to him, “I am thy fellow-bondman … of thy brethren”, Rev 22: 9. It shows that everyone who has a commission from God is engaged as a bondman. Being a bondman means that we are totally dedicated to the things of God.
A.W. Is this the reason why we understand Revelation so little, because we appreciate the thought of the servant so little?
A.J.G. It is quite significant that the thought of a bondman is brought in so early. It says that He will show His bondmen the things that must soon take place. That is why He sent His angel, in view of showing this to His bondman John. So John, who was used in a special way to disclose the book of Revelation, is expressly named as a bondman.
J.A.H. Is bondmanship based on love?
A.J.G. Yes, that is so. John was one that knew love in a special way. He is the only one of whom it was said that he lay on the breast of Jesus. That is why the knowledge of our inward love should make us bondmen the more in the testimony outwardly.
Rem. Bondmen would involve dependence.
A.J.G. That is true, but it goes even further. A bondman is completely his Lord’s property.
Rem. The Lord says, “I love my master”, Exod 21: 5.
A.J.G. The Lord presents Himself thus in an outstanding way. It says in Philippians 2: 7 that He “emptied himself, taking a bondman’s form”, and the reference that has been made to the Hebrew bondman shows that He loves His Lord in His bondmanship.
Ques. Was the apostle Paul a real bondman in this respect?
A.J.G. Paul presents himself as a bondman in Philippians, and Peter does so as well in his second epistle; Jude does the same in his letter, and James in his also. This shows that all that were inspired to write letters showed themselves being bondmen in Jesus Christ.
Ques. Is a bondman that serves one that has no will of his own?
A.J.G. Yes, and he never has any free time.
Rem. It is always good to know whose bondmen we are.
A.J.G. We find with the Lord that He represents the thought of the bondman towards God. It says in Zechariah 13: 5, “for man acquired me as bondman from my youth”. So He did not only become a bondman in respect of God, but also He served man faithfully as a bondman.
M.v.R. As the Lord Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, He said: “The bondman is not greater than his lord”, John 13: 16. Would that maybe indicate something in this connection?
A.J.G. That is most touching, the Lord regarded no service as too lowly.
Rem. Paul calls himself a prisoner in Christ Jesus, Philem 23. Does this have anything to do with what a bondman is according to these words?
A.J.G. That was the result of his bondmanship. While he was completely devoted to the truth, he had become a prisoner. That shows what this chapter indicates. It shows that the testimony goes on based on suffering. Another matter that is important in this chapter is the place the Holy Spirit has. John presents the Holy Spirit in his writings like no one else. He names Him as the Comforter in his gospel, as Advocate. Before that he refers to Him as the wind or as water, living water. In this book, he mentions the Spirit, the seven Spirits that stand before His throne. It is a unique presentation of the Holy Spirit. It seems to be preserved for the last days, the Advocate in the gospel and the seven Spirits of God in Revelation.
Ques. What is your thought of the seven Spirits of God, what would they mean?
A.J.G. It is a complete power for everything that might arise at the present time. The fact that the book is directed to seven assemblies, and that the Holy Spirit is presented as the seven Spirits, would also involve that the Holy Spirit is available in every local assembly.
J.A.H. Does this mean that the Holy Spirit is able to meet any desire in every place?
A.J.G. That is right, He is before the throne of God. He has placed Himself in this position; this does not view Him as in heaven. Obviously, we cannot say that the Spirit of God is not in heaven, we cannot limit Him as God. But the place He has taken is here on earth to maintain the rights of the throne of God.
Ques. Would He be presented here as the almighty hand of God?
A.J.G. He is God Himself. The Lord speaks of Him in another place as the finger of God, Luke 11: 20. It is very important to consider in general the movements of God through the Spirit, and yet that the Spirit is God in Himself. It is a great encouragement for every local assembly, however small it might be outwardly, that God Himself is with us in Spirit, not only visiting us, as the Lord visits us, but rather He is constantly with us.
Ques. Does the Spirit present Himself here in a seven-fold way so that the testimony was the highest value to heaven?
A.J.G. This book presents the greatest evil activities against the truth by Satan himself, who is behind it all. It is very comforting and stimulating for us that God Himself is behind the position and also comes into every local assembly in which the truth is maintained.
Rem. Seven means perfection, which God has in mind.
A.J.G. Seven involves the complete power there is against all evil or whatever it could be, to act and meet every need.
Ques. Does this involve that the Spirit presents Himself as the seven Spirits at the throne of God, and the seven assemblies being referred to, that the Spirit is accessible in every local assembly?
A.J.G. Yes, that is the bearing of it; when Paul wrote to the Corinthians, opening up the truth to the local assemblies, he says: “Do ye not know that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”, 1 Cor 3: 16. That is to say that we can always get light for all matters.
A.L.B. The power and authority of the throne must be acknowledged in every place.
A.J.G. That must be seen in persons, and be established even in us. To begin with, we must be bondmen. When we answer to being bondmen, then we will also receive the support of a bondman.
G.S. Do we have a reference to this in Zechariah 4: 10?
A.J.G. Yes, it is a very encouraging Scripture. It relates to the days of recovery, where everything is small, and the word of God is not by power or might, but rather by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts, even those seven shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. That means that his work of building goes on, the plummet was in his hand in view of completion. Then it says: “the eyes of Jehovah, which run to and fro in the whole earth”. We must always consider that the eyes of Jehovah see everything, what goes on in every place. He notices if we are really building up, and if the rights of the throne are being maintained.
E.E.P. You indicated that the seven Spirits are linked with the testimony down here. Eliezer, the bondman in Genesis 24, took ten camels of the camels his master had. Could there be a link between the seven Spirits and the ten camels?
A.J.G. The camels show the power that brought Rebecca to Isaac. That is not really the testimony, but rather that we enter into union with Christ as His bride. The number ten undoubtedly has a link with our responsibility in going in for the truth. The number seven indicates spiritual completion. It also has special application to the power of the Spirit against the present opposition.
F.R. It says therefore in 1 Peter 4: 14, “If ye are reproached in the name of Christ, blessed are ye; for the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God rests upon you”.
A.J.G. Yes, that is a very encouraging scripture. It shows that the reproach of Christ bestows dignity on a believer.
E.Z. Rebecca proceeded in the obedience of faith.
A.W. The Spirit in Genesis 24 is referred to as a bondman. Does He thereby identify Himself with us?
A.J.G. Yes, although in Revelation 1 the word means slave, the Spirit is not that, He is not as low as that. He will always be the one that rules over Abraham's house.
F.Sh. Is Revelation 3: 14 of any help where it says, in connection with the testimony, “the faithful and true witness”? The Lord Jesus is named this way.
A.J.G. Yes, He is first referred to as the true witness. This shows that believers must be true as martyrs. The Lord has gone before us in this. The faithfulness of this testimony included His death. The testimony is carried through the Revelation in sufferings. He is referred to here as “the faithful witness” and “the prince of the kings of the earth”. It is remarkable that the Spirit is mentioned before the Lord. However, that does not mean that the Spirit has precedence over the Person of Christ. But when we maintain the truth of God, then we first have God in Spirit, that comes to our conditions, and then in Christ the example for faithfulness. This includes sufferings even until death.
Rem. The Lord calls Himself as “the first and the last”. He can thus also be the last One.
A.J.G. That refers to His deity: “the first and the last”. It says in verse 17; “I am the first and the last, and the living one”.
F.Sh. Is there encouragement in that He is “the prince of the kings of the earth”? It is the kings of the earth that the enemy has used so much to work against the testimony.
A.J.G. The light of the kingdom is brought in here, and the Lord Jesus is the excellent One in this, the Prince. It is most important that, before John speaks about the vision of the Son of Man, he says, “To him who loves us, and has washed us from our sins in his blood”, and so on. So he calls upon us to worship and praise the Lord.
A.B. Can we at this time consider John as well? The fact he is looked upon as a bondman, then he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, then he turned back to see the voice which spoke with him. Turning round is thus so important, which we should practise and learn. We should turn away from the earth and the world and our flesh, and then the grace of God gives us features of the precious treasures that He relates. We will then be linked with heaven.
A.J.G. We will come to that during consideration in our readings. We should now consider what we have in verse 5 and 6, if they have any weight with us. We should not go back to our earlier sins. What happened in the past is a past matter, as we are washed from our sins in His blood. This is most important for us, so that we may be true bondmen. It also says that He has made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father. This means that He has the service of God in mind. The service of worship of God in holy conditions, and therefore He has washed us from our sins. Each one of us should have part in this. If every brother and sister would realise that they have part in this, it would be a great preservation for us.
W.R. Does this scripture in the beginning of the book show the greatness of the book itself?
A.J.G. We have the privilege of giving glory to the Lord. Other scriptures relate to the glory that we can render God. But this is a heart matter.
E.B. Could you say something about “made us a kingdom, priests’?
A.J.G. He has made us a kingdom, which means that we are under His protection, and all His support is available to us; because He has so much in His heart that this priestly mind should be maintained.
W.Sch. John presents here what He has done, that He has washed us, and has made us; then He also says He loves us. This is in the present tense.
A.J.G. It says, He loves us—surely, He still does that. But then, that He has washed us from our sins and made us His kingdom—that belongs to what He has done in the past, but it still goes on presently.
E.E.P. Does the continuation link with mutual love?
A.J.G. I believe that “has made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father” is very important. Whatever our position in the testimony might be, it is all marked by what we are as priests.
Rem. It is our present position before God, to be kings and priests.
A.J.G. We are not yet kings. It does not say He has made us kings; that is said later. Here it says plainly “made us a kingdom”. We being kings is a future thought. Now we are in the kingdom, and we are now under His protection and under His power.
J.A.H. It says of Israel as He brought them to Horeb, that He made them to be a people for a possession and a kingdom of priests, Exod 19: 6. Would the same even be applied to us?
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. The Lord sees how opposition develops against the truth. That is why He brings in the thought of a kingdom. In the kingdom we have a powerful support in what is right, then we are fully able to devote ourselves as bondmen to the service of God. This might bring a number of tests, for example our associations, when we should be priests practically, which means holy in our approach to God. The Lord is determined to support us in power.
J.A.H. We can always count upon His support in practical matters we go through.
A.J.G. It is very important and helpful for us to see how the service of God was in the Lord’s heart. That is why this should not be just a formal matter, when we come together Lord’s day morning. But rather the privilege and responsibility should rest upon us, that we are going to serve God. It should be in our thoughts throughout the whole week, that we are redeemed from our past and now priests to His God and Father.
Ques. Is it important that we should be faithful subjects in this kingdom?
A.J.G. Yes, this is put before us.
M.v.R. The priests were taken out of the people of Israel: would this show we are also taken out?
A.J.G. As we have received the Holy Spirit, we are made priests, and as a matter of fact we are actually of the order of Christ.
E.B. Maybe we could underline again that verse 6 has special bearing on worship on Lord’s day morning.
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. It comes especially into expression on Lord’s day morning, but of course not just then, but also at our prayer meeting and our private approach to God. When we think of the tabernacle system, we find that sacrifices were brought all the time. There was the brazen altar, the table of shewbread and the altar of incense. The pattern of course lacked the greatest privilege in Christianity, as there was no entrance into the holy of holies. Only Aaron was allowed to go in once a year.
P.v.d.B. Is “his God and Father” here linked with John 20 where the Lord says, “my Father” and “my God”? The Lord brings us on to His side.
A.J.G. Yes, that is right; all this emphasises His jealousy, how the Lord watches over us that we should maintain the service of God in a priestly way. Another matter you can notice in this chapter is the way in which the Spirit avails Himself to John. It says, “I became in the Spirit on the Lord’s day”. We must realise this more.
A.L.B. You referred earlier to three different things. Is this the third thing you had in mind?
A.J.G. I had in mind to begin with the great thought of a bondman, then the seven Spirits that are before His throne, and then the manner in which the testimony is based on the sufferings of Christ, that He is the faithful and true Witness. These are the three things, because it says in chapter 1: 2 that John had testified the word of God but also the testimony of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the faithful One, His faithfulness cost Him His life. On top of this something else was added, as John says; “I became in the Spirit on the Lord’s day”.
K.H. Why are verses 7 and 8 included?
A.J.G. It is all encouraging and confirming. It may be that the testimony at present is in weakness and sufferings, but the coming of the Lord in power is the answer to all these sufferings. Verse 8 presents the personal glory of Christ. In reality, He is God; He is “the Lord God, he who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty”.
A.L.B. When it is Jehovah God that speaks in these verses, we still link it with the Lord Jesus.
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. In chapter 22: 12-13 “I” is especially emphasised, “I am”.
E.E.P. Is there a special thought with the two Amens in verse 6 and 7?
A.J.G. It shows we are feelingly in this position. When divine things are presented to us and we are feelingly with them, then we all say Amen.
E.E.P. Is this the true feature of a bondman?
P.v.d.B. In Revelation, you have the word Amen seven times. Does that also show that there should be an answer to the seven Spirits of God and the seven assemblies?
A.J.G. What our brother has said is of great help. It is linked with us as bondmen, we should answer to divine things when they are presented to us.
E.E.P. In verse 6, the Amen concerns what is present. The Amen in verse 7 is a future thought. We all say Amen to what is present and future.
A.J.G. The first Amen means that we totally surrender to the service of God in a priestly way. The second Amen means we love His appearing.
F.Sh. Everything written here shows for example that we are bondmen, that we say Amen to everything, that we are in the Spirit on Lord’s day. Does this show the elevated character of the testimony of the Lord’s day?
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. It is important that the service of God is referred to early here, as it is not the general subject of the book. The general subject of the book is the public testimony. The power that underlies the testimony, is characteristically priestly in our approach to God.
J.A.H. Could you please say something of what it is to be “in the Spirit”?
A.J.G. It is very important. I believe we should seek the Lord’s help in order that we might learn more of this. We must also seek help from the Holy Spirit. I believe it shows that the heart and spirit of John were under the guidance of the Spirit. He was to a certain extent possessed by the Spirit, so that he would be able to accomplish all, being a vessel available for the Spirit. If I am occupied with all sorts of things when I come to the meeting on Lord’s day morning, then the Spirit is hindered. But when I am prepared to dismiss all my own thoughts and only have before me the service and worship to God, the Spirit is free. It is presented here as if John had the power to do it himself, to be in the Spirit. It says here; “I became in the Spirit on the Lord’s day”. We read the same in chapter 4: 1-2. It shows that John had learned to be able to dismiss different things in order to be completely “in the Spirit”.
Ques. Would “be filled with the Spirit”, according to Ephesians 5, be generally true of us, or is it something special to be “in the Spirit”?
A.J.G. It is something special. I believe we all feel how little we know of this practically. It is quite clear that the first believers were marked by being filled with the Spirit. We are exhorted in Ephesians to be filled by the Spirit. But what we have here is something special: “I became in the Spirit”. He made himself free from everything that engaged him.
A.d.M. Is to be “in the Spirit” more than “to be filled” with Him?
A.J.G. To be “in the Spirit” involves that you can be apart from all to be fully in Spirit. We have to fulfil our responsible pathway, our affairs and household obligations, but the Spirit helps us even in these matters. We read in Luke’s gospel that the Lord was led by the Spirit in the wilderness. But “in the Spirit” means you are also able to walk away from it all, so that you can be occupied with what the Spirit desires you to be engaged in. This is most important in view of the service of God Lord’s day morning.
M.v.R. Do we have the same thought in John 20; where the doors were shut through fear of the Jews?
A.J.G. Yes, that is a similar thought.
H.R. John was also in the island of Patmos, “for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus”. I think he was not engaged with business matters.
A.J.G. Yes, he was in these limited circumstances. His faithfulness had put him outwardly into great limitations, he was on Patmos. He could not have any fellowship. Yet there are no limitations in the Holy Spirit.
K.H. Does Luke 11: 13 show we can also ask for the Holy Spirit?
A.J.G. Yes, the Lord says, the Father gives the Holy Spirit to them that ask. When we have received the Holy Spirit, we do not need to ask for Him again. We can very easily hinder or grieve Him. To be in Spirit would mean that we would allow the Spirit to provide all that He has in mind.
G.S. Do we see with Paul and Silas in Philippi that they were in Spirit in singing in spite of their bonds?
A.J.G. It shows in that moment they were fully in Spirit.
Rem. This state is available for us all. We can all be in Spirit on the Lord’s day and then also follow the Spirit.
A.J.G. That is very important. John is the only one who calls the first day of the week “the Lord’s day”. We can say this is the language of a bondman. A bondman would say, this day is the day of my Lord. I would desire to be in Spirit on this day. This day should not be treated as other days.
Rem. That is why it is not unusual that a bondman would be in Spirit on the Lord’s day.
A.J.G. On this day a bondman would present himself altogether at the Spirit’s disposal.
F.Sh. I would like to ask if the two Amens that precede this must be realised if we would be in Spirit on the Lord’s day.
A.J.G. I believe there is a connection. Please say more about this.
F.Sh. I thought of the meaning of Amen, when we all give our approval aloud which we cannot take back.
A.J.G. When we take this attitude, the Spirit is free to lead us further on. We must always bear in mind we are surrounded by what is called the service of God. But it is entirely formal. It is part of the testimony that the Spirit should be free to bring us further on, in order that the service of God should go on in liberty and power. That is why it is so important to be in Spirit.
E.E.P. To be in Spirit is the same as having fellowship with the Spirit? Does this mean having a close connection with Him?
A.J.G. It is a very intimate connection that we have with the Spirit, and that is the reason why the Spirit has been made prominent in recent years.
Rem. Rebecca said, “I will go” with this man.
A.J.G. Quite right, she went with him. We find the same at the end of this book. The Spirit and the bride say: “Come”, this means the bride at the end is seen in correspondence with the Spirit. I believe the ministry over the last years has been marked by this that we may understand what it is to move along with the Spirit.
Ques. It says of Simeon in Luke 2: 25 that the Spirit was upon him, is that a difference?
A.J.G. But it also says; “he came in the Spirit into the temple”, 27. It is almost the same thing that we have here.
E.E.P. Was what Simeon expressed because he was in Spirit?
A.J.G. The impression is not given that Simeon had the same thoughts as John here. He was only allowed to see the Lord’s Christ. That brought him to giving praise to God, while John was even shown the Son of man, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lamps. This is a very serious incident. It was so serious for John that he fell at His feet as dead. I doubt (speaking for myself) whether we consider enough that the Lord walked like this. We must be aware that a lot has been allowed by us (I speak not only of Germany but also of England) that the Lord sees with His eyes as a flame of fire. His eyes were flames of fire directed towards this.
A.L.B. John turned round to hear the voice. What follows when we hear the voice is it that we turn around.
A.J.G. John wanted to be occupied with the spiritual privileges on the Lord’s day. But the Lord spoke from behind, so he had to turn around. For the moment he had to turn aside from the spiritual privileges and consider the assembly responsibilities. The appearance of the Lord was so frightening that John fell at His feet as dead. The Lord laid His right hand on him and said: “Fear not”.
A.d.M. Does this show that he was totally free from himself?
A.J.G. It shows he was fully identified with the fallen state of the assemblies. Here he is like Daniel, that was a man greatly beloved, what marked him personally. But when he made himself one with Israel, the lost people, then he had a similar exercise to John here.
J.A.H. If we see a fallen state such as comes come to light here, we must see it from the Lord’s standpoint.
A.J.G. Yes, that is right.
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