His Revelation

(Helpful to Sunday School Lesson of March 14, 1920, Revelation 1)

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ,”—not Revelations, but the REVELATION of that which God told the devil in the garden of Eden, “The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head.” This is the record of the “bruising,” the record of the ascendancy of Jesus Christ and His Body, called “the church,” over all the works of the devil and over all the kingdoms of the earth.

There are many things out of place, and the Revelation of Jesus Christ shows how these things are to get back into place. The devil is in the heavenlies when he should be in hell; the church is on Earth when she should be in the heavenlies; the Jews are the least of races when they should be the head of all the races and governments; Jesus Christ is in the heavenlies when He should be seated on the throne of this Earth, ruling this world with “a rod and iron” and bringing “peace on Earth, good will to men”; sin is rampant in the earth and selfishness is king when it should be banished. All these disjointed things will be put into place according to the Revelation of Jesus Christ given in this book called “The Revelation.”

Many of these things that are to happen are shown by signs, and the word “signify” can nicely be understood by saying that it is “sign-ify.” He “signified” the things that were to happen, to His servant, John.

“And hath made us kings and priests.” We, the church, the Body of Jesus Christ, are to be raised from the earth and seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenlies far above every principality and every power and every name that is named. When we are seated the devil comes down to Earth, and we, with Jesus Christ, become joint heirs, to functionate in power with Him.

“I am Alpha and Omega.” God does not wobble or change. Jesus Christ as the slain Lamb of God is not an after-thought of God, He is “the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world,” and we see Him in the Revelation on the throne as “the tender Lamb,” called “The tender lamb,” and hear the crowd around the throne shouting the praises of God, a crowd washed in the blood of the Lamb. It is this Lamb who is to have glory and honor, praise and dominion and power.

What He was in the beginning He is in the end. “All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.” “In Him all things consist,” and the Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New. He said to Moses, “I am hath sent you,” and His answer to those who came out to take Him with staves was, “I AM.”

“The Lord’s day.” This is the name given to the Millennium when Christ shall exhibit His glories and His power, His peace and His good will to men. We, as Christians, are looking for the return of the Lord to midair to catch us away to be with Himself. The next great event of which the world will be conscious is the awful tribulation. At the end of this Tribulation, Jesus comes in power and glory and dominion, “with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgment upon all,” and to sit and rule in peace and bring in the Lord’s Day.

“Unto the seven churches.” These seven churches, which existed in Asia, were types also of coming states of the church. The first state of the church is as they were gathered in power at Pentecost, and then dispersed through persecution, on down to the last stage of the church which is Laodicea, when the Lord spues a spurious, apostate church out of His mouth.

Notice that Jesus is walking among these churches, as the sign has Him walking among the candlesticks. Notice His eyes. His hair is white, for He is wonderfully and beautifully old. He has been forever and will be forever. He says, “I am He that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.” Notice His feet of judgment brass, burnished as in fire, and as He walks this Earth there will be the cleansing, fiery judgment.

He is even now at the door. Let us walk softly, “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”