Reading 3—Monday morning
Revelation 19: 6-10; 20: 4-6, 11-15; 21: 1-8
A.J.G. We considered yesterday the last three assemblies; and noticed how the Lord seeks to bring us to completion. The verses we have read this morning show how God brings everything through to completion. It is a very remarkable feature of the book of Revelation. We see in chapter 18 the fallen Babylon, then in the verses we read in chapter 19, the public vindication of the Lamb. The assembly is brought in there as His wife, in order to glorify the occasion. Then at the end of chapter 19 comes the fall of the beast and the false prophet. In verses 4-6 of chapter 20 we have the public vindication of the saints. In verses 11-15 of the same chapter, we find the condemnation of evil, which will finally be cast completely into the lake of fire. That is the abiding testimony to everlasting judgment of evil. It says: “we have come to God, judge of all”, Heb 12: 23. It is right that there should be a public presentation of man’s responsibility given to God just as there is a complete judgement of God over evil. When every moral question is in a way solved, then eternity is laid out in the beginning of chapter 21. God Himself is the great Centre of everything. I believe the verses we have read show that God will bring all to completion, not in an arbitrary way or only by His power, but rather in a moral and righteous way. All good will be publicly vindicated and all evil will be publicly judged. Then God is all in all. The second part of chapter 21, which we will consider if the Lord will this afternoon, is a type of appendix, where the Spirit of God specially brings our attention to the heavenly city, which in a way is the full and total expression of divine activity. But the way that God brings all to completion ends in verse 8.
F.Sh. Do you think that verse 7 of chapter 19, where it says, “his wife has made herself ready”, might have a connection with Revelation 1 that we have just considered?
A.J.G. Yes, there is a link. The Lamb in Revelation presents the Lord Jesus down here as One who has suffered for the rights of God. It is morally important that His wife is in accordance with Him. That is why it is necessary to take on sufferings in righteousness. Because it is only if we suffer on account of righteousness, that we can take on features that belong to the Lamb’s wife.
A.d.M. Is this before or after the millennium?
A.J.G. It is just before the millennium. The thought of the marriage of the Lamb is not so much our union with Christ, our marriage with Him, but it is a public celebration at which the Lamb is the centre. In Matthew 22, the Lord gives a parable about a great king who makes a feast for his son. When we read through this parable, we see that his wife is not even mentioned. This shows that the marriage in this passage does not represent union and affection, but rather setting forth a public feast, in which the man, the son, is the centre. And that is also here: it says: “the marriage of the Lamb is come”. The time has come when the Lamb is presented rightly and publicly. The Lamb’s wife is brought in here to glorify the supper.
A.L.B. Is she able to contribute in the same way as she has suffered with Christ down here?
A.J.G. Yes, that is right: it says here; “And it was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and pure”. The fine linen would be the righteousnesses of the saints. Every righteous action done in this time by the saints, especially done by suffering saints as they swim against the stream, will be seen and celebrated by the marriage of the Lamb as it goes forward.
P.Sch. Could you say something about what it says, that it was given to her?
A.J.G. That is the way it is put, He has granted us grace.
J.A.H. Do we, when we prepare ourselves, look ahead with understanding to the imminent marriage?
A.J.G. It is important to see, when the believer stands for righteousness, and then suffers, that this should always be in view of the public vindication of the One who suffered so much.
P.v.d.B. In the same way as we have suffered with Him, will we then stand as justified with Him?
A.J.G. Yes, we will contribute to it. It does not really deal with the fact that believers are justified, but rather that the Lord Jesus, the Lamb in this incident, is being justified; we are attracted and contribute to it. That makes suffering with Him very attractive.
A.L.B. It speaks in 1 Peter 1 of suffering with Him and says that at His manifestation we will be given honour and glory. Is that a similar thought?
A.J.G. Yes, Jesus Christ is the Man that was found in faithfulness to God in difficult circumstances and sufferings. And the revelation of Jesus Christ is what we speak of here, it is the manifestation of Him who has proven to be faithful down here. Thus it speaks in 1 Peter 1, the scripture that was referred to, of the proving of our faith by the manifestation of Jesus Christ, much more precious than of gold which perishes. The proving of our faith comes to light in the circumstances we go through.
K.W. Does this come to light in the woman that went into the house of the Pharisee in opening the alabaster box and pouring it over Him? The Lord was thus vindicated.
A.J.G. Yes, that is good. She justified the Lord in the presence of hostility. It is important to see what the Lord adds after the woman had poured out the alabaster box over Him: “Wheresoever these glad tidings maybe preached in the whole world that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of for memorial of her”, Matt 26: 13.
E.E.P. Do we see the result of this in the woman of worth in Proverbs 31, in connection with the present application, when it says here, “his wife has made herself ready”?
A.J.G. Yes, the last chapter in Proverbs gives us a nice description of the Lamb’s wife. The feminine features come out in her faithfulness to her husband in his absence.
Rem. We could not think that the Lamb’s wife would go on with anything evil. Then we must take to heart the total judgment of evil pronounced.
A.J.G. That is why it says about the woman of worth that “she doeth him good, and not evil, all the days of her life”. It is remarkable that the Spirit of God has put this down. It is not only “doeth him good”, but the Spirit adds as well, “not evil”. She is marked by resolute rejection of all evil.
E.E.P. In connection with the woman of worth so much activity is found, that evil practically will not find entrance.
A.J.G. I am glad you have referred to the last chapter of Proverbs, because this chapter is full of different kinds of activities. We considered yesterday how the Lord wrote to Sardis. “I have not found thy works complete before my God”. That chapter 31 gives us the completion of the works.
P.v.d.B. Does the fact that in Proverbs 31 the word always is “she” show that it concerns our responsibility? The righteous actions of the saints are manifested, and she is clothed in the righteousnesses of the saints.
A.J.G. Yes, it corresponds with the works that are always referred to in Revelation 2 and 3. The Lord writes to Sardis. “I have not found thy works complete before my God”, and to Philadelphia He writes: “I know thy works”. And He leaves it at that, it means He gives no undue priority to the works. He emphasises to Philadelphia that “thou hast kept my word and hast not denied my Name”, because “thou hast kept the word of my patience”. I believe it means when we keep this, then the works will come.
E.E.P. The expression “of worth” is maybe to be looked upon as her spiritual state that causes her to do these works.
A.J.G. Yes, that is most important, she is a woman of worth, it means a real treasure marks the woman. Babylon the harlot is also marked by much works and activities, but her heart is exposed when she says: “I sit a queen and am no widow”, while the heart of the wife in Proverbs 31 remains faithful, as it says, “The heart of her husband confideth in her”.
H.P. Can we connect this with the beginning of Psalm 45?
A.J.G. What is in your mind?
H.P. We have there how the bridegroom praises the bride.
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. I am not completely sure if in Psalm 45 the bride is at all referred to speaking to the bridegroom. As a matter of principle, it is correct, it is love that speaks. The king’s daughter is referred to. She contributes to the occasion. It says in verse 13 of the king's daughter within, that “her clothing is of wrought gold”. Then, “She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of embroidery”. That is why we can say that the wife is brought in here to enrich and adorn the occasion. What is of wrought gold speaks of the work of God in us. The raiment of embroidery speaks of our own works.
F.Sh. Would the righteousnesses in Revelation 19 be seen in connection with separating from everything Babylonian, from all that will perish?
A.J.G. Yes, it is surely all included. “pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace”, 2 Tim 2: 22.
H.R. The Lord says to Laodicea, “Be zealous”. Is that connected with works of righteousness?
A.J.G. Yes, that would be worked out in righteous deeds.
F.Sh. Would this include separation from individual associations?
A.J.G. It is important to emphasise what we have in 2 Timothy 2: “pursue righteousness”; it has its bearing on every aspect of righteousness. It says pursue righteousness, that would be what is right in God’s eye. This gives us authority to leave all that is religious and other things that are not right. But it is also a principle which should lead us in every situation in which we may come, in our domestic responsibilities, in our business affairs, and in our assembly responsibilities.
A.L.B. If we publicly withdraw from unrighteousness, but are unrighteous in our actions, are we then just like the Pharisees?
A.J.G. Surely that is the case.
K.W. Then the Lord cannot trust or confide in us.
A.J.G. No, it says in Proverbs 31 that “The heart of her husband confideth in her”.
Ques. Is the assembly the great area where these things of which we have spoken are worked out?
A.J.G. I believe it is important to see that. In Matthew 13, several parables are referred to. One of them is the parable of the darnel, in which we find that both the good and evil should grow together to the end. That is the public position. But at the end of the chapter, there is another parable that is worked out in the assembly. That is the parable of the seine that is cast into the sea, and when they have drawn it up on the shore, they sat down. They gathered the good into vessels and cast the worthless out. While both the good and bad remain side by side publicly under the forbearance of God; in the assembly, however, this separation is marked and there should be the rejection of all this that is bad.
Ques. Would we not be helped in the assembly, when we can see both sides?
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. By all means we must see that we come in connection with the Lamb. The Lamb stands in the foreground. He has never tolerated evil and always done good. It says: “The ruler of the world comes, and he hath nothing in me” (John 14: 30), and the believer should be brought in correspondence with this, in view of having part in the public justification of the Lamb.
Rem. After the suffering we have in verse 9 the expression “blessed”. Is that an encouragement to each one of us? It says, “blessed are they who are called”.
A.J.G. Yes, all who have part in this marriage are blessed.
Ques. Is this the fulfilment of all the blessings in Matthew 5?
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. “Blessed they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled”.
A.d.M. Is this the full thought of the sufferings of Christ?
A.J.G. The Lamb connected with sufferings is in a special way. In Revelation, His atoning sufferings are not in the foreground; in chapter 5 they are referred to—“hast redeemed to God, by thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue … and nation”. But the important thought of the Lamb in Revelation is not so much the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world, but rather the Lamb being brought to slaughter, that means a little lamb. It is a diminutive thought; it really is called a little lamb. It shows that outwardly the Lord was completely defenceless, but He suffered for the rights of God.
Ques. Does this speak of the lowly mindedness of Christ?
A.J.G. It speaks of outward smallness and defencelessness, though it shows His unshakeable faithfulness towards God.
E.E.P. Would the Lord have this character in mind as He often made a lot of a little child?
A.J.G. Well, maybe you can say that. God works now in conditions that outwardly seem small. He annuls the things that are by the things that are not, 1 Cor 1: 28.
A.Sch. Does chapter 19 show the crown that is referred to in chapter 3?
A.J.G. Yes, the public glory of the Lamb and the Lamb’s wife. When we now go over the verses we have read in chapter 20, in verse 4-6, where we have the public vindication of the believer. Believers will be sitting on thrones and the judgment will be given to them. It says, “and they lived and reigned with the Christ a thousand years”: the first resurrection and the glory, what follows is our vindication.
F.Sh. Does verse 6 have a personal meaning as it says: “Blessed and holy he who has part in the first resurrection”?
A.J.G. Yes, it is most personal, the resurrection is a personal matter, even if we all are raised up together. There will be some that will be beheaded for the testimony of Jesus who had not worshipped the beast. They will be raised after our resurrection and they still have part in the first resurrection. But the first resurrection is the justification of those that are worthy of it. In Luke 20 the Lord says: “but they who are counted worthy to have part in that world, and the resurrection from among the dead”. It is most important that the first resurrection is the justification of those who are morally worthy of it. When I say this, I include all believers that belong to Christ.
Rem. God has a special pleasure in this resurrection. It says in chapter 18: 20 about the believer in connection with Babylon: “for God has judged your judgment upon her”. That is our judgment.
A.J.G. God loves to take account of what the saints judge. That is also the reason why the Lord leaves us so long in the world with evil, that we should be developed in ability to judge spiritually. We have the Spirit of God in us who enables us to be in a position to do this. So we develop spiritual discernment when we start to judge ourselves. That helps us to judge all that comes before us. That is most important, as later on we are going to sit on thrones and judgment is given to us.
A.d.M. It is important to see the difference, in that we will sit on thrones while unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire.
A.J.G. It is most important to see that God will bring everything to completion. His own work in the believer will be vindicated there, as all the works of evil will have their end in the lake of fire.
E.B. Could you please say something about “those who had not done homage to the beast nor to his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and hand”, Rev 20: 4?
A.J.G. There will be some, after the assembly is taken up, who will be tested by the beast. That means after the main part of the first resurrection has taken place, yet there will be believers on the earth who will reject worshipping the beast or his image. Some of these will be killed, they will become martyrs. Some will be beheaded. But God will give them a part in the first resurrection. This will take place after the first resurrection, that is, after the largest part of believers have risen. But they will also be allowed to rise in view of reigning with Christ. In chapter 11 for instance, the two witnesses are referred to that were killed by the beast. “And after the three days and a half the spirit of life from God came into them, and they stood upon their feet”. Then it says, “and they went up to the heaven in the cloud”. That shows that God in grace works in those that are faithful to Him.
F.Sh. Do we get another view of this in chapter 15; “those that had gained the victory over the beast, and over its image, and over the number of its name”, v 2?
A.J.G. They stand before God and have a position before God.
A.d.M. What do you think about these two witnesses, are they from heaven or are they from the earth?
A.J.G. They are of the earth and they come from the earth. They are two witnesses that God will install on earth. They are compared with the two olive trees, and trees grow on the earth.
W.T. Is the picture of the two witnesses, who were first killed and then made alive, not a picture of the testimony which will be maintained until the end and cannot be extinguished?
A.J.G. Yes, it is a very comforting sign in Revelation, that God maintains His testimony in the midst of the greatest resistance. The book of Revelation gives us a great impression, as we can see how God brings all to completion. It should be a great incentive to us to keep going, because God will complete all that we have.
Rem. God will always have a testimony that goes through to the end.
A.J.G. Yes. But He does not act simply according to His arbitrary will or power, but He acts on the basis of what is morally right. I believe this is important to see. He brings everything into judgment, so that everything that is public is marked by what is morally right.
E.E.P. Do you emphasise what is morally right, because this is available and possible for us?
A.J.G. Yes definitely. God Himself is the end of all, so that in eternity God will be all in all. We are brought to God in order to accomplish everything according to God. God is of course known in Christ. God is on the one hand fully expressed in Christ; and on the other hand, we have Christ as Man, the full answer to the revelation of God in Christ. In Ephesians we see all that concerns God. God is the standard and pattern for everything, whereas in Colossians Christ is the standard for everything. There is no moral difference between the two epistles, but rather a different aspect.
E.E.P. That is why we see that at the end we have the same God as we had at the beginning. It says, “and God divided between the light and the darkness”, Gen 1: 4.
A.J.G. Yes. He named the light Day and the darkness Night. He named them with definite names.
E.E.P. So we have the thought of completion already from the beginning.
A.J.G. Yes.
F.Sh. Has God not shown us that the great principle is that evil should be overcome by what is good? That should spur us to overcome evil by good.
A.J.G. Yes, that is right.
P.v.d.B. Does the fact that the city has the glory of God show that she is in accordance with what God is in all eternity?
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. We must see that the expression that the city has the glory of God is only linked with the assembly in the millennium and not in eternity. In saying that I do not mean to say that the holy city in eternity no longer has the glory of God, but it is not presented in that way in scripture.
F.Sh. Do you not think that the great white throne in verse 11 shows that we should be stimulated to walk consistently; the believer should walk in consistency with it.
A.J.G. Yes, it is most important that this should be the case with us. Of course, we have the standard of the judgment of evil at the cross.
A.d.M. The colour white is referred to a few times in Revelation.
A.J.G. Yes, that is right, it speaks of total purity.
A.Sch. In this way the believers in their completeness will be seen in heaven.
A.J.G. It says that they sit on thrones. Further on it says, they are priests of God and of Christ. It is most important that the thought of service in worship to God will mark us through the whole millennium. When believers stand there publicly vindicated and sitting on thrones, they would still be occupied with the service of God; it means they are not any more occupied with their own justification.
P.v.d.B. Is the priestly side inward, and the royal side what is outward?
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. Now there is something else in chapter 21. The eternal state is really only described in verses 1-4. What marks the city, the new Jerusalem, is that she comes down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; it means she is marked by eternal freshness and beauty. A bride adorned for her husband is the very best. She is marked by the best kind of refinement.
J.A.H. Would that be adornment from the divine side? Does it speak of the adornment that the servant of Abraham provided for Rebecca in Genesis 24?
A.J.G. I have wondered if the adornment is prepared by her or from God. I am inclined to say it is both. She is surely the very best of divine workmanship. But God works also in intelligent affection in the hearts of the believer. God has no pleasure in it that it goes on without our participation.
A.L.B. That is why new creation is already active now in the believer.
A.J.G. Yes, the work of God is active in us. But He works in us through things that correspond to Christ.
W.R. Why do we have in chapter 21 the thought of the bride and in chapter 19 the thought of the wife?
A.J.G. The wife represents that the believer is faithful to His interests during the absence of Christ. What clearly underlies it is the well-known position that we have in the affections, in the heart of Christ. The bride is specially adorned, that means the assembly shows her best.
Rem. I remember Mr James Taylor once saying the bride presents what the wife stands for, she is the best for Christ and will not give it up.
A.J.G. We clearly see how the bride is the climax reached in divine workmanship.
A.L.B. Will “adorned for her husband” be expressed in everything that comes out of our hearts?
A.J.G. She is for His eye and His heart, she is not occupied with her own adornment, but rather what is precious for the heart of Christ.
W.M. Do we see this in the Songs of Songs?
A.J.G. Do you have a special scripture in mind?
W.M. I thought of chapter 1: 10, “Thy cheeks are comely with bead-rows. Thy neck with ornamental chains”, she is adorned.
A.J.G. We have the thought of adornment with the bride as well. It presents the beginning again.
J.A.H. Would not this adornment refer to the heavenly origin of the bride; the assembly comes down from heaven?
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. She comes down out of heaven from God. This is not just a geographical thought, but rather a characteristic matter.
J.M. Does this mean that the assembly coming down from God, all is completed and God is all in all?
A.J.G. Yes, we have here the assembly as the dwelling of God, the holy city. She is the city here but also named as the tabernacle. She is a great vessel of influence. It is not so much the greatness of the temple that is seen, but it refers rather more to the original conditions of the tabernacle system, specifically simplicity. It is said God will dwell in a tabernacle, it means in simple conditions with men.
A.L.B. Would you say that the great thought of the sanctuary is that God will dwell with men?
A.J.G. Yes, but the conditions in which God will dwell there are not in greatness and elevation and majesty, but it is really as being at home, as in a tent or tabernacle. When the Word became flesh, He dwelt among us. That is, He tabernacled among us. There was no reluctance or inaccessibility with Christ when He dwelt among men.
W.R. Does the word “their God” give the thought of completion?
A.J.G. Yes, that is right. It is God with men, those that acknowledge Him as “their God”.
Ques. Is God’s wisdom expressed in all this, in the fact that we are able to understand this?
A.J.G. Yes, the great thought of God was always to dwell with men. It came into expression in reality the first time in the incarnation. Then we have a vessel in the city, that is the fulness of Christ as His body. That seems to be an enlargement of Christ in the mediatorial system. God links on with men in a Man, in Christ. But then the mediatorial thought is further extended in the body of Christ. That is why the city will be called the tabernacle of God with men.
P.v.d.B. Does this show that the assembly in eternal conditions is closest to God?
A.J.G. That is right. The truth of the body of Christ underlies it all, which is seen in the assembly. That is why we are nearest to Christ and to God in nearness and confidence. Therefore the proximity we have with God is as we are in Christ and with Him.
J.A.H. Could you say something of the expression, “God himself shall be with them, their God”? Would that indicate the presence of the Spirit in the assembly?
A.J.G. In the present time we come to this in all its fulness. I believe the Lord brings these thoughts in in John 14: 23. He speaks of the Comforter, the Advocate, who will be with us in eternity. In connection with the presence of the Comforter, He says. “If anyone love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him”. Consequently, we have the Father and the Son dwelling with such as keep the word of Christ. The Spirit is already with us. Thus we have God Himself with us, when we keep the word of Christ and keep His commandments.
E.E.P. Can this be worked out practically when we take up the position as a bondman?
A.J.G. Yes, that is important.
A.W. “God himself” would be the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
A.J.G. Yes. I believe the verse in John 14 is most interesting and important, that we should think it over. The Lord indicates there that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, is with us, thus everything is possible. The Lord speaks in the singular, of “any one”. He has evidently the truth of the assembly in mind. But it comes down to the smallest and weakest conditions, wherever these conditions may be found. It is not only the commandments of Christ that are to be kept, but also His word is treasured and regarded. Then He goes on to say: “my Father will love him and we”—that is the Father and the Son—“will come and make our abode with him”. Thus we have dwelling conditions for the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit being already present. It is now, as it will be later, that God Himself is with us, our God.
Rem. What is true in the assembly now will be true later generally with men.
A.J.G. Do you not think that this requires that we believe and have the necessary spiritual conditions? We are often hindered, on account of looking at the weaknesses with us and in us, so maybe we are not able to see all that is available to us as we have the Holy Spirit.
Ques. Do you not think that our hearts should be more established in what is available to us now?
A.J.G. Yes, that is right, we can see from these passages what God will reach in eternity. Everything will be in His glory, in completion, as it includes every family. Everything is of God; everything is of new creation. Everything else is forever taken away. We may already now in the Spirit have a certain right or a certain foretaste and knowledge of this, that God will be all in all.
M.v.R. It says in verse 3: “And I heard a loud voice out of the heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men”. Does God make known publicly that all His desires and counsels are all fulfilled?
A.J.G. Yes, that is a public announcement.
F.M. May we refer to Ephesians 1: 9, “having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself for the administration of the fulness of times”; does this fit in here?
A.J.G. The mystery of His will is more linked with the millennium and not with eternity, because it says, “the administration of the fulness of times”. That is, as far I understand it, more linked with the millennium.
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