An Exposition of Revelation .pdf

after the church closes its history on earth, during a brief crisis of exceptional judgments.
Hence the comprehensive term is clearly employed with divine wisdom, "to show to his
bondmen the things which must shortly come to pass" Remark that it is not "the things which are
about to come to pass," which is exactly right in ver. 19, where, after the past vision, the present and
the future are distinguished. Here it is to show His bondmen "the things which must come to pass
shortly." If Jonah was sent with a warning of minatory character to arouse Nineveh to repent and thus
escape their threatened ruin, John was to show the things which, as the guilt was intolerable, must
(δεῖ) come to pass shortly. The apostasy of Christendom entails not conditional threats, but necessary
and inevitable judgments. The critical facts are disclosed in which we see the church condition set
aside because of its final and utter failure to shed the light of the sanctuary, till its last phase becomes
so nauseous that the. Lord spues it out of His mouth. Then follow judgments on the world with strokes
of ever-increasing severity, in which God was about to maintain the glory of the firstborn, whom He at
length introduces personally into the world to reign.
"And he sent and signified (it) through his angel to his bondman John." Sons of God are not
contemplated as such, but bondmen of Jesus. Again, "angel" is not without the best reason named with
the revelation which God here gives. In the Gospel we read of eternal life in the Son, and this by the
grace of God given to the believer; as the Holy Ghost was the only One competent to minister and
effectuate such grace according to the counsels of God, and in the ordering of His love. The judicial
character of the Revelation calls for a quite different style of communication, and reserve replaces the
intimacy of grace. The intervention of "His angel" is therefore to be thus accounted for, as in itself it
was fitting.
Here we have visions in display of God's judicial ways, visions of judgment which He would
inflict on the ever-growing iniquity of man when ripe. In the Gospel John may speak, but he speaks as
one who had seen, and above all heard, the Lord — one who could bear his own testimony for
whatever he utters. He may speak but seldom of himself, and efface himself otherwise so effectually,
that there are not wanting those who question whether after all the writer could be "the disciple whom
Jesus loved." The doubt is quite unfounded certainly; but none can charge John with putting himself
forward by the manner in which he writes. So too in his Epistles, which contemplate the Christian
company, or a family, or a friend, the one aim is to place the children of God in immediate
communion with the Father and the Son. The inspired apostle wrote them all, no doubt, and the
various members of God's family, as well as the servants of the Lord, are owned in their place. But
therein He who is God our Father manifestly instructs, comforts, and admonishes His own.
But here we meet intervention on every side. God gives a revelation of Jesus to show to His
bondmen the things which must shortly come to pass; and Jesus passes it on through His angel to His
bondman John; and John testifies accordingly. Thus we have all sorts of links in the chain, and we
may ask why. For it is novel, especially in the New Testament. How comes this remarkable
introduction of the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to Him, and from Him through an angel
to one bondman to show the future to His other bondmen? How is it that we here miss the direct
dealing with us, the immediateness of address which is our portion elsewhere? The reason, as solemn
as it is instructive, is implied indeed in the analogy of the Old Testament; for God did not always
address His people there. Yet habitually God's messengers were sent to Israel, even when prophets
were raised up. At first all addressed the people in His name. The word of Jehovah was sent to
Jehovah's people. But what an affecting change took place when the message became indirect? See the
book of Daniel as the fullest proof of it. And no doubt it was really meant for the people; but God
gave it to Daniel, and only so.
4