The Coming Age

“Saith the Lord. . .which is to come.” —Revelation 1:8

In the first chapter of Revelation, we see with John a vision of the Christ Who was and is. It is the Christ that was Who washed us in His own blood. It is the Christ that is Who with His head of wisdom, His searching eyes of flame and His feet of burning brass, walks now among the golden candlesticks, which are the seven churches, and holds in His hand the seven stars, which are the messengers, the pastors of the seven churches.

In the second and third chapters, we see this ever-present Christ in the midst of His churches and we see the relations that they bear to Him. It is a very imperfect state of affairs, and in some respects grows worse and worse to the end.

Christ Enthroned

In the fourth and fifth chapters, we get a glimpse into heaven and behold ideal conditions, such as will exist in heaven and on Earth during the millennial reign. We see the Christ that is to come, the “same yesterday, today, and forever,” revealing Himself more fully as the ages go by. John says “a door was opened in heaven” and he was invited to enter. There he heard and saw things which shall be hereafter. First of all, he saw a throne and on it a being whose glorious appearance was like a jasper and a sardine stone. The jasper, as we know it in geology today, is of an opaque green color, but we are told in another chapter that what is meant by the jasper in Revelation was “clear as crystal.” The sardine stone is of a fiery red color. The two together give us a symbol of God’s holiness and righteousness. Holiness means what He is and righteousness means what he does. In character, He is clear as crystal and in His dealings with all beings in heaven, Earth, and hell, His righteousness is like the red sardine stone, which glows in its fiery purity against all sin.

But round about the throne is a rainbow of emerald green. The rainbow is the symbol of promise. After the flood it was a token that God would no more destroy the world with water. And here it is a token that the crystal clearness of God’s holiness and the fiery splendor of His righteousness are encircled by His benevolence. Emerald green is the mild, soft, restful, kind color of nature. A gentleman told me last week that since his eyes became weak and irritated, he had many times thanked God that He made so many things green, for he could scarcely bear any other color.

We have here the picture of God enthroned as Creator in the material world, as is plain from the last verse in the chapter: “For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” God in nature is holy in Himself and righteous in His dealings, while He is also benevolent and gracious. His laws are inexorable, but His heart is loving and kind. Sin has come into this natural world and brought with it disorder, suffering, and death. But God is benevolent, loving, and kind in the midst of all the wrecks sin has made; and in the ideal coming age, He will destroy or subdue all sin, so that the glory of His holiness and righteousness encircled by His love will fill us with praise and never with dread.

Saints Enthroned

Second, in this coming ideal age, those who worship the enthroned God will be themselves enthroned, robed and crowned. “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats [thrones]: and upon the seats [thrones] I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.” It is thought that these four and twenty elders are the twelve patriarchs of the Old Dispensation and the twelve apostles of the New, who really represent all the glorified saints. They are reigning with God. All defeats are in the past. Perpetual victory is their experience now. They kneel upon their thrones and worship God upon His throne. Indeed, all who truly worship God enthroned will be themselves enthroned. God gives power to those who worship Him. Men become like the object of their worship, and in all pagan lands, their idols are only the projection of their own evil selves. Their worship is largely self-worship and, therefore, develops their selfhood which is essentially selfish. But those who worship God enthroned in holiness and benevolence will become kingly in their holiness and benevolence. To worship the majestic King of the universe is to become majestically regal in character.

Christ Reigning In Righteousness

The third feature of this coming ideal age will be that God will reign in judgment, power, and peace. “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices.” On Sinai when the moral law was given, were thunderings and lightnings. Sinai is one of the mountains of the millennium and of heaven. This moral law is founded in the very nature of things and will remain through time and eternity. Grace does not abrogate the moral law, but rather confirms it. If the law did not continue in force, there would be no need of grace. For one to violate the moral law in heaven would be sin. Calvary has silenced the thunderings and quenched the lightnings of Sinai for all who have accepted Jesus Christ, because He has met the demands of the law for them and given them an inner life which loves the law and obeys it. Love is the fulfilling of the law and makes no provision for its violation. Sinai in Earth, heaven, and hell thunders and lightnings against the violation of every jot and tittle of the moral law. With a universally violated moral law there could be no heaven. It would all be hell.

Christ Reigning In Light

The fourth feature of the coming ideal age will be that God will reign in the power of the Holy Spirit. “There were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” Seven stands everywhere for completeness and perfection. The Holy Spirit in the unhindered perfection of His attributes will work. The burning lamp stands for light, and seven lamps mean perfect light. A thousand things which are dark now will be clear then. And the perfect light shines before the throne. Perfect understanding will be linked with infinite power. Omniscience and omnipotence will work together. No one will be too weak to do what he knows he ought to do and no one will misuse power for the lack of wisdom.

Christ Reigning In Peace

The fifth feature of this coming ideal age will be its perfect calm. “Before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal.” The sea is the symbol of stormy unrest, and in that sense, there was no more sea. But when God is enthroned in righteousness and the Holy Spirit reigns supreme, the once troubled sea becomes a sea of glass. There is perpetual calm. We realize this to some extent even in nature.

Mr. Spurgeon said he loved to go out into a storm of thunder and lightning, though the rain might drench him, that he might listen to the voice of his God speaking to him in the tempest. Happy the man who can hear the thunderings and see the lightnings of judgment against sin while his heart remains calm as the sea of glass, because he realizes that, in Christ, mercy rejoices against judgment and that now all thunderings and lightnings are on his side, messengers of the enthroned King he worships and serves.

Christ Reigning With Man

The sixth feature of the coming ideal age will be that the divine and human will be united in wise, courageous, patient, intelligent, and aspiring service. “In the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.” “The first living one was like a lion, the second was like a young ox, the third had the face of a man and the fourth was like a flying eagle.” The eyes symbolize wisdom; the lion, courage; the ox, patience; the face of the man, intelligence; and the flying eagle, aspiration that goes with activity. These living ones had six wings, and the wing everywhere in the poetical portions of the Bible symbolizes deity. “Under the shadow of thy wings” occurs more than once. These peculiar creatures with their six wings and many eyes, their appearance of lion, ox, man, and eagle beautifully symbolize the union of the divine with the human in wisdom, courage, patience, intelligence, and aspiration. In the coming age, God and man will work together in wisdom, courage, patience, intelligence, and aspiration. There will be no great enterprise demanding wisdom, courage, patience, intelligence, and aspiration that does not link itself with God. There will be no godless education or science. No godless civilization. All wisdom, courage, patience, intelligence, and ambition will be in the served of God. Lord, hasten the day.