Things Which Must Come To Pass Hereafter (Iv)

by J. Miller, Ayr | Category: Things Which Must Come To Pass Hereafter (Iv) | Jul 1967

After the terrible events recorded in chapters 12 and 13 of Revelation, we read in chapter 14 of a scene in heaven, of joy, of music and song, the very opposite of what is occurring on earth and the regions beneath. The Lamb is seen standing on the heavenly mount Zion (Hebrews 12.22), and with Him 144,000, who have His name, and the name of His Father written on their foreheads (see 3.12). Though these have the Lord's name and the name of His Father written upon their foreheads, it would be too much to say that they are the same as the overcomers of this dispensation of grace, unless we had other proof. John heard a great voice of harpers, as the voice of thunder, and these sing a new song before the throne, before the living creatures and the elders, and no one could learn the song save the 144,000. All these are male virgins, and they follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. They seem to be His companions, and may be the same as those that are called and chosen and faithful, of 17.14, but here again it is well to be careful what we say, as we are not told who they are. All we are told is, that they are purchased out of the earth and from among men to be firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb. In their mouth was found no lie and they are without blemish. These are high qualities and imply closeness to the Lord, but to say more than the Holy Spirit has told us is ever a dangerous form of exposition.

Verse 6 refers to a wondrous sight, an angel flying through mid heaven proclaiming an eternal gospel to them that dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue and people, with a great voice. The terms of the message are, "Fear God, and give Him glory; for the hour of His judgement is come: and worship Him that made the heaven and the earth and the sea and the fountains of waters This is a gospel which proclaims what is due to the Creator of all things. The time had come when all men on earth must appear before Him for judgement.

This angel is followed by another angel, and his message is the same as that of 18.2: "Fallen is Babylon the great, which hath made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication". A terrible wine it will be.

Then a third angel follows them, and his message is concerning them that worship the beast and his image, and receive a mark on their forehead or their hand; they also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of His anger. There will be no repentance for those that worship the beast and his image. They "shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

and the smoke of their torment goeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, they that worship the beast and his image and whoso receiveth the mark of his name". What a blessed thing for earth's inhabitants to get such a warning! It may well be that many will heed the angelic announcement of judgement at a time when it will be fashionable and commendable to worship the beast and receive his mark. God is merciful in all His ways. At such a time, when the world is well-nigh driven mad by the deceptions of the false prophet, and the world-wide power of the beast, the patience of the saints is seen in their refusal to be involved in the wickedness of those days. They continue to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. But so terrible will be the slaughter of the saints, that the Lord Himself asks the question in Luke 18.8, "Howbeit when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find [the] faith on the earth?", not faith, but the faith.

John hears another voice from heaven saying, "Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works follow with them". In this dispensation we read of saints "which are fallen asleep in Christ" (1 Corinthians 15.18), and of "the dead in Christ" (I Thessalonians 4.16), but here we have saints of that future time who die "in the Lord". Every believer in this dispensation is a new creation, "Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature" (2 Corinthians 5.17); "For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature" (Galatians 6.15); "We are His (God's) workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2.10). These Scriptures refer to God's work in creating us anew in Christ Jesus, a work which He will never repudiate. Our work He may despise and consume.

Those in Revelation 14.13 wh6 "die in the Lord" are seen in association with their works. What does "in the Lord" mean? It signifies those that are subject to the Lord, obedient to His word, and engaged in His work. Paul wrote to the saints in the church of God in Thessalonica, "We beseech you, brethren, to know them that labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them exceeding highly in love for their work's sake" (1 Thessalonians 5.12). This shows the overseers of a church of God in their position over the saints and their labour among them, and the esteem due to overseers. Saints who marry are to marry "only in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 7.39). Wives are to be in subjection to their own husbands, as is fitting "in the Lord" (Colossians 3.18). "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right" (Ephesians 6.1; Colossians 3.20). Saints are encouraged to be abounding in the work of the Lord, "forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15.58) "Salute Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute Persis the beloved, which laboured much in the Lord" (Romans 16.12). In sending back Epaphroditus to Philippi Paul wrote, "Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy; and hold such in honour" (Philippians 2.29). And in commending Phoebe to the church of God in Rome, Paul said, "I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church that is at Cenchrae: that ye receive her in the Lord, worthily of the saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever matter she may have need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of mine own self" (Romans 16.1,2). Paul wrote to the church of God in Corinth, "Neither is the woman without the man, nor the man without the woman, in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 11.11). This does not mean that every man and every woman must be married. This part of the chapter deals with men and women together in assembly life, the women with long hair and with the head covered, and the men with short hair and their head uncovered. There are no sex distinctions between those that are created anew in Christ Jesus, as Paul writes, "There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3.28). We need not add other scriptures on this subject of being "in the Lord" to show the difference of being in Christ or in Christ Jesus, and of being in the Lord. Blessed or happy will those be, who during their lifetime have "in the Lord" been subject to His will and wrought their works according to His

word, in that savage time in which they lived. Whether they die naturally or in martyrdom, they will be of the dead that die in the Lord. They rest from their labours, and their works follow with them. It is ever a fact, that the worker and his works stand together.

Now we come to the reaping of the earth (14.14-20). First we suggest, in verses 14-16, we have the reaping of the righteous, then in verses 17-20 we have the reaping of the wicked. It is evident that what is said here in Revelation does not place these events in order of sequence. We have already pointed out that the book of Revelation is not chronological. Actually the reaping of the fruit (the human beings) of the earth does not take place until the Lord's coming back to earth. See the parable of the tares (Matthew 13.24-30, 36-43). The one who sits on the white cloud, and has a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand, and is like a son of man, is not the Lord, the Son of Man. We gather that he is an angel from the words of verse 15, "And another angel came out from the temple". There are multitudes of angels mentioned in Revelation, but "another angel" suggests that the one who sat on the white cloud was also an angel. This one calls on the one with the sickle to send forth his sickle, for the hour to reap had come, for the harvest of the earth is over-ripe or dried up. So he cast his sickle upon the earth and the earth was reaped.

Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Still another angel, who has power over fire, cries to this one with the sharp sickle to send forth his sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth which are fully ripe. The angel cast his sickle into the earth and gathers the vintage of the earth which is cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God, and the winepress was trodden without the city. I take it the city is Jerusalem. There came out blood from the winepress even to the bridles of the horses, as far as 1,600 furlongs, probably about 200 miles. As to the winepress, see Isaiah 63.3; Revelation 19.15.

In addition to the signs in heaven of chapter 14, John says in chapter 15 that he saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous. This sign was that of seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is finished, that is, the wrath of God upon the earth at that time (see 16.1).

Then John tells us of as it were a glassy sea and those that stood upon it (15.2-4). This glassy sea was mingled with fire, and those that came victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name were standing on it, having harps of God. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb. The song of Moses must be the song that Israel sang beside the Red Sea, not the song which Moses spake in the ears of the assembly of Israel in which there is so much of disobedience and defeat (Deuteronomy 32). In this song that the victors sing on the glassy sea are words of great majesty and beauty:

"Great and marvellous are Thy works, 0 Lord God, the Almighty: righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the ages (or nations). Who shall not fear,

0 Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou art holy; for all the nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy righteous acts have been made manifest"

(15.3.)

After these things John saw the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven opened. In the tabernacle that Moses made in the wilderness, the testimony was the two tables of stone on which the ten commandments of the law were written with the finger of God. These were put in the ark of the testimony (Exodus 25.21,22). The ark with its contents was placed in the temple (naos, shrine or holies) of the tabernacle of the testimony (Exodus 38.21). In Revelation 11.19 we read, "And there was opened the temple (naos) of God that is in heaven; and there was seen in His temple the ark of His covenant". Here we see the parallel between the true temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven and the copy which Moses made in the wilderness.

Then we read of the seven angels that came out of the temple who had the seven plagues. They are "arrayed with precious stone, pure and bright, and girt about the breasts with golden girdles". "One of the four living creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the temple (naos) was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power; and none was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels should be finished." About such things we can make little comment, but chapter 16 will show how God will give the men on earth, in the coming day, according as these men have treated His saints and rejected Himself. Man is the creature God made and He has a perfect right to treat men as they treat others. His just law was "eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be rendered unto him" (Leviticus 24.19-21).

J. Miller, Ayr | Jul 1967
Things Which Must Come To Pass Hereafter (Iv)