This he is told is a picture of the _inner hearts_ of the men who are the leaders of the nation. For dramatic intensity it would be hard to equal this. The imaginations of their hearts are as the unclean snakes and beasts that are found only in the damp, unwholesome slime and ooze of swamp and stagnant pond.
And this is G.o.d"s light-bearing nation to all the earth. And these are the leaders! But there"s yet worse. The mothers and wives and daughters of the nation, the real moulders of the nation"s life and character, are seen pouring out their very hearts over a heathen idol, with all the horrible evil practices included in its worship. And then a group of men are shown in the holy temple standing with their backs to G.o.d and His temple and worshipping the sun.
Under these four items are pointed out the impurity and violence, the injustice and oppression, that mark the people. It is the inner heart life of the nation that is being pictured so vividly. But in the midst of all this are those who are broken-hearted over these conditions. And as the time of judgment comes in the vision these are marked and spared, though they see the work of judgment on every hand.
Such is the tremendous scene depicted by Ezekiel. It will be seen at once what a striking parallel it presents to the scene in this Revelation book with the new light-bearer to the nations of the earth.
One would never dare make such an arraignment of his own accord. It is humbling and heart-breaking to the last degree simply to repeat what is spoken here by our Lord Himself.
Clearly the Patmos picture is not only of the Church then, but ever since, and now. And the simple law of momentum in sliding down hill will make it an accurate picture of the Church at the end, the future Church.
The colouring changes at different times in different places, the black getting intenser, pot black, and the light shining out more brightly by contrast. But the picture remains essentially as painted on Patmos.
The warnings so faithfully given run a sliding scale outward and downward in five degrees. If the Church continue as it is, it is told here that it will be rejected as a light-holder. Its privilege and opportunity as G.o.d"s messenger will be taken away.[67]
Then Christ will fight against it as an enemy,[68] it will be given over to a time of terrible tribulation,[69] it will be treated as prey to be robbed and plundered,[70] and it will be rejected, spewed out of the mouth, as personally disgusting.[71]
Yet in all this plain speech there is no bitterness, only grief, only tender pleading. The plain bluntness is the language of love that yearns to save even yet, and that waits with untold patience hoping for a change.
Wooing Promises.
But it is noticeable that, while the warning is to the corporate Church, the plea and promise that persists throughout is to the individual. He that is _willing_ to, let him hear and heed and be controlled by the Spirit"s message.
There are two groups that have remained faithful. There are scattered through the other five those who are faithful. And there are no doubt many who feel the pull to be true but are yielding to the strong undertow of the rising tide by which they are being carried.
The coupled promise and plea that call out so pleadingly to these at the close of each message are, "to him that overcometh." This word "overcometh" is very significant. It is one of the characteristic notes of these messages and indeed of this entire book. It is one of that sort of word that sums up a whole situation in itself.
There is opposition. There is conflict because some won"t yield to the opposition. And the result of the conflict varies. Some are overcome by the evil; they go over to the enemy, body and soul. Some wabble. They slip along the line of least resistance, secretly holding on to some few ragged remnants of convictions, but not letting these affect their standing or comfort or particularly their profits.
Some overcome evil. There is struggle tense and continued, quickened breath, moist brow, tightened nerves, the stain of blood, a scar here and there, and heart-breaking experiences. But they fight on, and victory comes. And the evil is less, weakened in its hold on this companion and that neighbour. They get the victory over evil.
There"s a wondrous promise to these. It is as though the treasure box is placed at their disposal. It is a seven-fold promise. Every overcomer will receive all that is contained in these seven promises. Note this seven-fold promise: He that overcometh will have everlasting life,[72]
and this is emphasized by the reverse statement, "will not be hurt of the second death."[73]
He will be admitted into the sweets of intimate fellowship with his Lord, hidden from all save those in this inner circle. And will receive a new name, the family name, that is an inheritance in the family of G.o.d, joint heir with Jesus Christ.[74] He will have the privilege of serving with the King in the blessed Kingdom time coming.
And with this goes the word, "I will give him _the morning star_."[75]
Jesus calls Himself "the bright, the morning star."[76] The morning star rises in the dark of night after midnight and ushers in the new day. He who is in touch of heart with Jesus as the night deepens to the dawn will (probably) have an intimation in his inner spirit of the glad coming of the Morning Star that ushers in earth"s new day.
The overcomer will be made perfect in character, and find his name not only in the family book, but mentioned by Christ personally to His Father before the angels.[77] He will be admitted into the innermost circle of the King and be reckoned among the dependables.[78] And he will have closest fellowship with Christ in the administration of the wondrous kingdom.[79]
It will be seen that these promises overlap, the same thing being put now positively, now negatively, and being repeated in differing words to different groups. Each promise touches the characteristic trait of the group spoken of. The Ephesians, who had many things but lacked the vital thing, are wooed with the promise of life itself, which is only through touch with Jesus Himself.
Smyrna in its suffering is cheered with the prospect of suffering no more. The Pergamum overcomer is wooed away from intimacy of friendship with evil to intimacy of friendship with the coming King. They who resist the evil Jezebel rule in Thyatira will have the privilege of ruling with the King. Those in Sardis who hunger and thirst after a pure heart will have the longing fully satisfied.
Those who have proven dependable in the trying days in Philadelphia will have the exquisite pleasure of being depended upon in the inner circle as wholly trustworthy. Those in Laodicea who resist the current and insist on letting the knocking pilgrim in for heart fellowship[80] will find themselves in fellowship with Him on the throne.
It should be noticed that these promises are one promise, and that that is the promise of everlasting life, of a purified perfected character, and of the privilege of closest fellowship with the King Himself in the coming Kingdom time.
These promises do not take up the matter of rewards for faithfulness in service, such as our Lord speaks of in the twin parables of the pounds and talents. The things promised here are the results of being saved by the blood of Christ. The privilege of fellowship with the King during the Kingdom time is included in salvation. All the redeemed will reign over the earth.[81]
This is significant. Overcoming would seem to be the decisive evidence of faith in Jesus Christ, the faith that receives everlasting life. It takes opposition to let you know whether you are willing to accept Christ. A man does not know whether he really believes Christ until he is opposed in his believing, and opposed to the real hurting point. He has just as much faith in Christ as he is willing to declare, and stand by, and insist upon, _when he is under fire_. Opposition is the fire test. Faith isn"t faith unless it can stand the fire test.
The Decisive Trait of Faith.
The plain inference here is that he who doesn"t overcome shows that he really doesn"t believe in his heart. And the natural result is that he does not receive these things promised. That is, he is not saved because he won"t accept the Lord Jesus as his Saviour _when it comes to the fire test_.
There are without doubt thousands in the Church who will be left behind on the earth when our Lord Jesus catches up His own. This does not mean necessarily that they will be lost. There will be another opportunity of being saved for those living on the earth at that time. The Kingdom will be a wonderful time of salvation. There will be a continuous revival of the realest sort going on everywhere all the time.
But these would not have the blessed privilege of fellowship with the King in the Kingdom, nor the blessedness of fuller resurrection life _at this time_. That is reserved for those who by grace have believed on the Lord Jesus, during His absence and continued rejection, in spite of the fire of opposition.
It is notable that the Thyatiran message speaks of _great tribulation_ coming to that Church if it continue unchanged. And that the Philadelphia Church is to be kept through "the hour of trial, that which is to come upon the whole earth." Throughout the Scriptures mention is made of a time of persecution coming at the end. The common term for it is tribulation. It is called _the great tribulation_. There will be more to be said about this again.
It is possible that it will be found that this Patmos message will have special significance during that trying time at the end. But it should be noted that it fits into the _spirit of opposition_ that is _always_ found where there is true, faithful witnessing.
The tribulation itself will be the time of intensest opposition carried to the extreme of violent persecution. It will be the climax of conditions always present, wherever there is faithful witnessing.
Faithfulness to Christ always arouses opposition.
The test of whether we really accept Christ and believe Him is not in anything we say. It is not even in what we are in our lives when all goes smoothly. It is in what we are in our lives _when opposed_, when it costs criticism, ostracism, petty persecution, or more outright persecution. This is our Lord"s test of acceptance of Himself.
We have had many definitions of what it means to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And these have been helpful in clearing the air and helping us to a simple acceptance of Him. These definitions have touched chiefly the _inner_ part of faith, the part we are conscious of.
Here is another definition. Here is the last word on the subject, the authoritative word, from our Lord Jesus Himself. It tells what faith is in its outward working, the part the _crowd_ sees. The faith that accepts Jesus as Saviour accepts Him also as Lord.
That faith naturally rings true to Him under all circ.u.mstances. It rings truest and clearest whenever opposition to Him is aroused, whether the opposition of indifference, of criticism and sneer, or of persecution.
There are certain commonly accepted things that are in themselves only good, but which are not _conclusive_ evidence that we really have saving faith in the Saviour. The act of coming into Church membership whether by confirmation, by an a.s.sent to questions regarding one"s personal faith, or by being baptized, the fact of membership in the Church, the partaking of the Lord"s supper, serving as an official of the Church in pulpit or pew, faithful attendance, liberal support,--these things are only good.
But they do not furnish conclusive evidence of one"s acceptance of Christ. It is quite possible to be carried along on the common current in such things. There is clear evidence that many are. The decisive thing, the test thing is this: _how we stand opposition_, the polite, sneering sort, the more aggressive sort, or--if it come to that--the violent sort. The _fire_ reveals every man"s faith if there be any there.
There are two fire tests. One is of our faith in Christ, as revealed in the frictional fires of opposition. Whoever stands that test is caught up into His presence when He comes, or goes at once into His presence if our going precede His coming.
The second is of the love-spirit, how far it has been the very breath of our life as revealed by the fire of His presence. For the love-spirit means personal loyalty to Jesus, purity of heart, holiness of life, steadiness of purpose, and the exquisite gentleness of patience in our conduct toward all others.
These words of our Lord Jesus are very searching. This Patmos message must have been a painful one for Him to give John, and painful for John to repeat. It is painful for any one to repeat when its meaning is understood. It should send one off into some quiet corner alone on his knees with that great "search me" prayer of the Psalmist.[82]
Recently I was told a simple incident of one of the truly great Christian men of our generation. He was at the head of one of the largest concerns of our country employing thousands of men, but never knowing any labor troubles. I remember the impression made on me a few years ago at the time of his death, by the remark made to me by two different men of this man"s city, men that I think did not know each other, or maybe very slightly. As I spoke of him each man said in a subdued voice, "Oh, everybody in ---- loved Mr. ----!"
This incident was told by his son. The two were on a train together. The father rose and went forward to another part of the train. As he went out a man sitting opposite came over and spoke to the son. His flashy manner of dress and the fact that he seemed to have been drinking suggested the sort of man he was. He said to the son:
"Wasn"t that Mr. So-and-so?"
"Yes," the son replied.
"Well," the man said, as though talking half to himself, "if there were more men like him, there"d be fewer like me."
And he turned to his seat and sat as though absorbed in his thought. The son, in speaking of it after his father"s death, said it was one of the tenderest memories he had of his father.