Notes on the book of Revelations/Chapter 2-3

by John Nelson Darby

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The addresses to the Churches are not part of the things that are, properly; they come in by the by, and designedly so: “Unto the Angel, &c. write,” and “he that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches.” Yet the existence of the Churches themselves and the stars, constitute the things that are, and are of all importance, as shewing the transition from the state in which Christ, according to Eph. iv, was the head of the one body, making it grow by that which every joint supplied (in which its original state was connected with, and presented in, its theory and mystic perfectness—the results of which shall be. manifested in that day when it shall be manifested as one with him), to the state of ruin and apostasy into which it actually fell, so as to be cut off and spued out of his mouth: as a dispensation—a state of transition—in which He was not filling the one body with gifts, but correcting details in the several corporate bodies, in different places, and judging the evil inconsistent with the moral design of the Church, maintaining a character absolutely necessary to their recognition as His—as Churches at all. Hence, they are moral addresses of the Spirit with promises and threatenings.

From this last recognised state, this place of transition, in which Christ can deal upon earth (but in a spiritual sense) judicially, we are necessarily caught up to the throne, on which all hangs subsisting always, but now the only resource; because the manifestation of acceptable grace, with which the Lord can manifestatively dwell in spiritual presence upon earth, had ceased. Hence this part is not properly prophetic, but connected with things that are; and the prophetic character that it has, is entirely by the moral designation of the testimony of the Spirit; and we come back to the throne, μετά ταύτα. If John was to describe the government of the world on the throne, the Church being lost, he must first trace the Church as subjected to this moral judgment. The picture of the word would not be complete, had we not, after the Epistles which regulated the Church, as subsisting among the Gentiles, not only the practical account of the Apostasy, as in Jude, 2 Peter, 2 Timothy, 2 Thessalonians, &c., but the moral judgment of the Church, as passing from the state noticed in the epistles,—evidences that Christ never lost sight of it, and that when it ceased to be a manifestative place of His presence—His Epistle—he takes His place and title in the throne, whence all things are governed—“the same yesterday, to day, and for ever;” “Him who was, and is, and is to come;” “the First and the Last,” comprehending and ruling all things. The things that are, then, are the seven candlesticks and the seven stars—mystic perfection and actual imperfection; the Church never losing its mystic perfection in the mind of God, but when it has to be addressed on earth—to be addressed as so many separate bodies, and often with reproofs and threatenings.

The things that are, then, involve both these points.

The things that shall be hereafter, or after these things, begin when Jesus begins to act in providence, not in recognised Church relationship—when the world (creation) is brought into view. It does not follow from this, that there may be no Saints or Christians, or that they may not be faithful and give a testimony, but that the Lord does not stand towards them in this particular character of relationship.

The things which are, and the addresses to the seven Churches, have, connected with this, to my mind, a double character, i.e. accordingly as we look at actually existing facts, or facts dispensatorily existing; an observation which has strictly the same application to the expression of the Lord to the Jewish economy, “This generation shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled:” the connection of which, indeed, with this subject is more strong than is at first sight apparent (for the fortunes^[1] of the Church and the Jews are more coincident than we suppose as to dispensation, though for the same reason opposite in principle: the root bears us; though the branches may be broken off that we may be graffed in), and has its light increased by, while it casts light on, the passage at the end of St. John’s Gospel, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee.” This was taken as if he in person would not die. But, says the inspired writer, that was not said by the Lord, but “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” The Lord, then, in that expression, left something for the Church’s wisdom and spirituality to discover. He did not say he should not die, but “If I will,” &c. Now it appears to me that we have very distinctly, in Peter, Paul, and John, the three representatives of the Jewish Church, as planted, its tabernacle shortly to be put off; the Gentile Church in its energy, as planted, and ministerially sustained of the Apostle (i.e. Paul); but, after his decease, the flock un- spared, and perverse men arising, and so that departing too—Ichabod on that. John, on the contrary, is here placed in contrast with the cutting off of the Jewish body, likened in the person of Peter to the Lord, and made to represent the extended protracted existence of the Church, as one hanging on the will of the Lord, having lost and forfeited its real character, to which faithfulness attached blessing and sustaining power, as due to the character of God, and just hanging now on his secret counsel. And accordingly we have John here, who was in the bosom of Jesus and received the communication of His mind and secret knowledge, hanging over the fallen and falling fortunes of the. Church—already fallen, if we compare them with their estate as planted—not now sustained by Paul’s Apostolic care and energy, but beset by wolves and perverse men, and falling, yet sustained by this word, “If I will that he tarry till I come.” Now I take it, that this suspended place had its form actually and externally at the destruction of Jerusalem. Then also “this generation” took its place externally: the earthly local centralisation of the Church was externally set aside (it was really from the time of Stephen’s death, when the first martyr left the world to go, as to his spirit, on high), and the Lord’s hand having set aside the earth as His place, all was in abeyance, till He personally took up the matter again—coming again in connection with a similar overturning: the fitting of which two events together is what constitutes the force of Matt. xxiv. 1—43. In the meanwhile, the throne was really set up in heaven—giving the evidence that every thing had failed on earth; but that nothing could fail in the purpose and throne of God. With this the book commences; and the protracted condition of the churches is brought in after the throne is set up, as incidental before the unfolding of the actings in the world, of the throne so set up in faithfulness. I hold therefore that the things that are, and this address to the churches, give this double character, as to period, to the Revelations. If we take the things that are, as that which actually existed in the time of St. John, then it closes with the actual existence and state of those churches, as addressed by St. John, or rather with the life of St. John himself, who addresses them under the warning of removal for their failure. The throne at Jerusalem being gone, there was still, by him who had been there with the Lord, a recognition of the churches as something upon earth: there was nothing sealed in this. But if we take the Apostle as the mystic representative of the dispensation in its condition after the departure of St. Peter and St. Paul,^[2] then it is the protraction of that state of things, till the Church, as a dispensation, is spued out of Christ’s mouth; and the things that shall be hereafter are the actual intervention of the throne of God afresh in the government of the world.

I believe the Holy Ghost has ordered it so as to leave ground for both these applications, as the Church knows the throne mystically now in the exaltation of her Head, and actually in its future judicial and open intervention in the affairs of the world.

Accordingly, the second and third chapters are addresses to the churches, but, on moral principles, extended to every one that had ears to hear; connecting the actually existing bodies with the condition in which the Church might find itself in after-ages. The things that are, are, more properly, what then was. The addresses to the churches, the exhibition of the protracted prolongation of the dispensation of the Church, mystically perfect, yet ruined; the throne being set up already, but its full manifestation, as for the world, not yet brought out. Within this scene, the yet remaining attention of Christ to the churches, as to formal manifestation in the body on earth, was in warning and judgment, not headship. This being their state on earth, in heaven they were only expecting with Him a glory which could not fail.

It is not my object here to enter into the detail of instruction given to the churches, though it be most personally precious; turning attention here rather to the structure and prophetic character of the Apocalypse, and, as briefly as I may, add, therefore, here merely the order of the statements made to these churches, and their condition, that they may stand together before the mind of the reader of the Apocalypse.

First, declension from first love, and the Lord taking the place of examination and judgment.

Secondly, persecution: Christ the overcomer of death, a giver of a crown of life.

Thirdly, dwelling in the world, to wit, where Satan’s throne is (the prince of this world), yet Christ’s witness amongst them where Satan dwelleth, suffering faithfully: with this, the beginning of teaching error for reward, and allowance of evil and low practice. Christ would fight against them (to wit, as an adversary) if they did not repent.

Fourthly, a state of increased devotedness in patience, charity, and works; but Jezebel, teaching communion with an evil and idolatrous world; and suffered. Space had been given for her repentance, but she did not (note here, it is a woman, not some of them). Judgment would fall on her followers, but discriminating—to every one according to his works, and no further burden laid on the faithful. Here begins another distinction, that, whereas the reward promised was, previously, after the warning to hear, from this point it comes regularly before.

Fifthly, a name to live, but no reality; profession of being alive as something distinctive: but there were, however, things remaining and a few names. The Lord, if they did not repent, would come on them like a thief.

Sixthly, weakness, but an open door, marked, not by detailed works, but keeping the word of Christ, of his patience, and not denying his name. They would be kept from an hour of temptation, which was coming on all the world, to try the dwellers upon earth (comp. Is. xxiv).

Seventhly, the Church to be spued out of his mouth without proposal of repentance, because of what they had become, yet counsel given; and if any one remained within and heard when Christ knocked still at the door, that one would be with Him.

Such is the course presented by these churches in their moral character and condition.

These addresses, however, as we have remarked, come inincidentally. John was to write the things he saw. But this was not properly his vision, but came in afterwards, generally under the things that are, and that only as a consequence.

1. That is, the Church dispensation on earth, taking, as to time, the place of the broken-off Jewish branches, and therefore, in many respects, connected in dates, is for that reason just opposite in principle; for it is another and a heavenly thing instead of a failed earthly thing.
2. If we trace the actual order of Church history in the Acts, we shall find the breaking up and scattering of the central and only church of Jerusalem by the death of Stephen, gone to Jesus—and then the church on earth scattered—thereon Saul called for an entirely new instrument to Gentiles, rulers, and the people of Israel—and thereon the union of the Church with Jesus in heaven for the first time mentioned, “Why persecutest thou me?”—but after this (though the principle of Paul’s mission and the union of the Church with Jesus was established), the patience of God continuing to work by the ministration of Peter. Æneas and Tabitha are the witnesses of his power; and the calling of the Gentiles is by his mouth, that the witness of the Jewish stock might still be preserved in grace, whatever the righteous justice of the dispensation might do in judgment (and so in dispensation the faithful partake of the ruin of the unfaithful, as Caleb and Joshua must wander in the wilderness)—and thereon extraordinary intervention might effect, besides, in one born out of due time, the witness of prerogative grace in the disorder of the dispensation, as to man. We find the lingering traces of habitual evil in the Saints, for they objected to Peter his having gone to the Gentiles—yet this was the final sin of the Jews. Such was the patience of God, that they were not, historically, then shut up, till Paul’s intercourse with them at Rome (Acts xxviii); and even so, it was blindness in part, not stumbling to fall; and there was a remnant according to the election of grace.