Commentary on Revelation, Lecture 8
LECTURE VIII.
Vers. 17.
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead: and he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the first and the last.
18.
I am he that liveth, and was dead: and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen,—
YE have heard of this Vision, which Iohn saw: the Lord beginneth with it at the entry of this task of writing this Book of the Revelation, to imprint on him a stamp and impression of His own excellencie, as a preparation and fitting of him for the Work; even as He began with Isaiah, chap. 6. and with Ezekiel chap. 1. Bearing out, by these Visions, a representation of His Glory and Majesty, thereb… to fit and qualifie them for their duty: for, they are fittest to bear Gods message, and to describe Him to others, that are thus prepared, and qualified, and have some reverence and awe of God imprinted on their own hearts.
From the 17. vers. and forward to the end, we have some consequents, that followed this Vision, or, some circumstances for the edification of the Church, for clearing of the Vision before mentioned, and for making way for Iohn's writing of what he saw. And they are four in number. 1. The effect, which the Vision had on Iohn, in the beginning of vers. 17. for as stately and lovingly as Jesus Christ represented Himself, he could not bear it; but faints when he sees Him, and he falls at His feet as dead. 2. A consolation proposed by our Lord to Iohn, which hath severall steps, in the latter part of vers. 17. and 18. wherein as Iohn kythed weaknesse, so Christ kythed much love, tendernesse, and skilfulnesse in applying an effectuall remedy, for curing the distemper Iohn was into. 3. A repetition of Iohn's Commission and Warrand to write, vers. 19. And 4. An explication of that part of the Vision, concerning the meaning of the seven golden Candlesticks, and the Stars, vers. 20.
1. And when I saw him, I fell down at his feet as dead, This is the first consequent or effect of the Vision. I fell down as dead: that is, I was benummed (as it were) and dammished with the sight of the excellent Majesty and Glory that I saw in Him, and I was put out of capacity to act the acts of body or mind, as if I had been dead; I could no more exercise, or act the acts of a living man, than a dead man can, as Daniel, Chap. 10.8.9. And it hath been often seen in the best of Gods Children, when more than ordinary representations of God have been let forth, they have become as dead men, unfit for action. And it proceeds from two grounds. 1. From the exceeding great distance that is betwixt the infinite Majesty of God, and finite creatures: the brightnesse of the Glory, Excellency, and Majesty of God the Creator, burdeneth and over-burdeneth the weaknesse and infirmity of the best of creatures: for, if the eyes of creatures be that weak, that they cannot look on the Sun, what wonder that flesh and bloud is not able to look on the Sun of Righteousnesse. This new wine, is too strong for our old bottles. 2. From the fear of a begun quarrell, and grounds of a continued quarrell then apprehended, making not only a disproportion, through infirmity, betwixt the Majesty of God and the creature, which is so many wayes defective to comprehend Him; but also making a disconformity through sin, and so a fear to appear before Him: which makes the creature fear undoing, as in Isa. 6. Wo is me, I am undone; for I am a man of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the Lord of hosts: For, though before the Fall, when God and Adam were friends, he could have endured God to speak to him; yet, after the Fall, the appearance of God is terrible unto Him: when he hears His voice, he is afraid, and runs and hides himself. And there is some thing of this fear, that sticketh to the best; a fear that riseth from the sight of sin, which nearnesse to God doth discover. And it's like that some thing of both these grounds were in Iohn, as may be gathered from our Lords application of the remedy, and the grounds whereupon He goes in comforting him, He layeth his hand on him, and strengthens him, and and saith, fear not, &c. whereby it seemeth. 1. Iohn conceived, from a distemper of mind, Christ would reckon with him, and with Peter, Luk. 5.8. fears (as a sinfull and profain person in his own account) his being so near such a Glorious and Holy Majesty. And 2. This distemper of mind kyths, and hath influence on his body, and maketh him fall down at His feet: not out of reverence, to worship Him; but being overswayed with the excessivenesse of fear, that mastered and overcame him, he cannot stand up, but falleth down as dead.
1. This sets out to us the great disproportion, that is betwixt creatures and the Majesty of God: the beloved Disciple Iohn, cannot stand before Him when he kyths; but falleth down as dead. Isa. 40.15, 17. and 41.11, 12, 24. All Nations are as nothing before Him, or as the dust in the ballance; a little nearnesse to God, should leave a stamp of humility, and an impression of the Majesty and excellency of God upon us. This is one of the fountain Graces, humility, and a holy awe of the Majesty of God: and this is the way to come to it, to get a right sight of that excellent Majesty that is in Him. 2. Reverence and admire Gods wise and well ordered governing of this World, especially these things that concern His Church and People. Wonder that God hath carved out such a way in the works of Creation and Providence, and in the dispensation of the Gospel, and mysteries of Salvation sutable to our weaknesse; and so as there may be communion kept with Him, Iob. 26.9. It is made one of the stately steps of His power, that He boldeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it: He draweth the vail of the firmament before His Throne, to keep His Glory from breaking forth, and eating up men: And in the dispensation of the Gospel, He hath chosen the Ministery of weak men, to reveal His mind by them to us: and speaketh not immediately Himself; because we could not endure it: if ye heard Him once speak, as He did on mount Sinai, ye would say as Israel did, L… not God speak to us l…st we die. And this way of revealing Himself, should be so far from making us cast at it, that it should make us wonder at His condescendency in hedging up of Himself (as it were) for our good. 3. It lets us see how much we are in His reverence, that deals so tenderly with us, when a little glimpse of His Glory, a looking of His eye, a drawing by of the vail, would kill us, and make us as if we had never been. 4. It sheweth us also, that humility and reverence even in the best of Gods People, is often ready to degenerate into servile fear and discouragement. The worshipping of Jesus Christ in humble reverence, was a duty called for from Iohn; yet this distemper of excessive fear was not called for: such is our weaknesse, and the slipperines…e of our walking that hardly can we keep the right path; but deviat to one side or other: our faith is ready to degenerate into presumption; and our humility to fainting and despondency of spirit; and our fear, to discouragement, heartlesnesse, and distrust; our corruption is ready to abuse any thing: for though there be no excesse in these graces; Yet there may be in us excesse in the exercise thereof, by reason of the corruption which is in us.
The 2. thing, is Christs tender care of Iohn under this fit: When he falls at his feet as dead, He comforts him: and this is set down in three steps. 1. He laid his right hand upon him, as a sign of His kindlinesse, for his encouragement. 2. Giveth him a generall word of exhortation, for his comfort, fear not. 3. He giveth him three generall grounds why he should not fear, to support his faith. Observe, in generall, Our Lord Jesus His exceeding tendernesse of folks, especially in their fits of fainting and discouragement, which ariseth through their mistaking, or wrong uptaking of Him. First, It points at the exceeding tendernesse and effectualnesse of His care, that on the back of this fit, layeth on His hand, and saith, fear not; that taketh him at this nick of his distemper, and raiseth him. Secondly, what is the great ground of consolation that is proposed, it is a holding forth of Himself, I am the first and the last. And it lets us see when folks scares at Christ, and discourages and faints through their mistaking of Him, there is no such way of curing that distemper and mistake, as by a right uptaking of Him. The Note hath these two branches. 1. That the great ground of our mistaking of Christ, is our ignorance of Him, in His Offices and worth. 2. That the right curing of that mistake, is the right knowledge and uptaking of Him. 3. It sayes this, that when souls are fainted and discouraged, Christ is both the Cure and the Curer: He must lay on His hand, and speak the word; He is the Cure that is applyed, and the Physician that applyeth it; He toucheth, and speaketh, and the Cure followeth. This also sheweth. 1. That there are some kind of bodily exercises, that arise from a distemper of the mind, that so faints and weakeneth the body, that none can cure but Christ: and this of discouragement and fainting, is one. 2. It sheweth to Believers their necessity of having the word out of Christs mouth for their encouragement, erre they can shake off discouragement: He hath gotten the tongue of the Learned, to speak a word in season to the weary soul: if He were more waited on in Ordinances; and if the word were taken as from His mouth, we should come better speed than we do, and profit more by the Ordinances. 3. More particularly, His right hand is His Power: and His laying it on Iohn, is not any personall touch; but an inward strengthening and up-stirring, as Daniel, Dan. 10.10. Behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees, that is, some power for my strengthening and comfortable up-stirring. And Psal. 138.3. David saith, In the day when I cryed, thou answeredst me: and strengthnedst me with strength in my soul, which is the communicating of inward strength, to keep him unsinking under the sad condition he was in. 1. It points out what our need is: our weaknesse and discouragement is often such, that we have need not only of comfort, but of strength. 2. It points at Christs way of dealing with souls, that will sometimes strengthen, ere He comfort; first lay on His hand, and then let the word of comfort, fear not, come behind; He seeth this meet, and its a main evidence of Christs tendernesse, faithfulnesse and wisdom, that takes this way with His People.
The second step of Christs care, is, His saying, fear not: a word that is often used and repeated in the Prophets, especially, Isa. 41.43.44. and 56. Chapters. Obs. 1. There is an excessive fear that God alloweth not in His People: every thing that passeth for fear and humility, should not be admitted. Christ saith to Iohn, fear not: which hath three marks from his experience. 1. It's a degenerating fear that breeds mistakes of Christ, and scares them at Him; that weakens and faints them in their fellowship with Him. Christ alloweth not Iohn's fear to the marring of that. 2. It maketh folks uncapable of hearing or receiving a message from Christ: so that when He speaketh, they are benummed, senselesse and dead, having ears, but hear not: and it locketh them so up, that no word taketh hold of them. Christ alloweth not this in Iohn. 3. It disables, obstructs and marreth in the discharge of that duty that Christ calls to. When Iohn is called to write the Vision, he falleth as dead: therefore, Christ saith, fear not; but rise up and write: thou art called to reverence and fear me; but to such a fear as may stand well with thy duty, and further thee, and doth not hinder thee in it. And we would learn not to fear, in so far as it works any of these effects. Obs. 2. When fear exceeds, degenerates, and groweth excessive in these three spoken of, our Lord alloweth it no more than He doth proud security: only Jesus Christ, is much more tender of souls under the one, nor He is under the other; yet, let us not please our selves in these excessive fits, as if we were in no hazard. Obs. 3. It faith that folks would be tender in dealing with souls under such distempers, knowing there is a great difference betwixt these, who are under carnall presumption, and others, under fainting.
The third step of Christs care, is, in giving Iohn grounds of consolation to warrand his faith: and they are three. The first, is from His own God-head, I am the first and the last: I am God that speaks to thee; I was before the world, and will continue when the world shall be ended, the eternall God, a singular property of God, and a demonstration of Christs God-head: therefore would He say, thou needest not fear, Iohn: I am not an enemy, nor a stranger, or terrible spirit; but God: and that may sustain one in friendship with God: and it is also a proof, that the Vision before, was a Vision of Christ, as God.
2. The second ground, is, the union of His God-head and Man-head, in one Person; and His suffering in His Man-head, united to His God-head, I am he that liveth, and was dead: and behold I am alive for evermore. In the Originall, it is otherwise, and better for the understanding of the words, I am the living, and I was made dead, and behold, I live for evermore. I am the living, that is, I am the living God, who had life from all Eternity of my self, and gave life to all creatures that have life, as it is, Ioh. 5.26. As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself: and I that was, and is this living God, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, was made dead, that is, I became Man, was made of a Woman, made under the Law, Gal. 4. pointing out the true Mediator (God-Man in one Person) His taking on the nature of man; and satisfiing the Justice of God, in undergoing the wrath of His Father; and in subjecting Himself to the death of the Crosse, for the sins of His own Elect: both Natures are joyned in one Person; yet, it was not as God that he died, though the Person that was God, died. And behold, I live for evermore, Amen: in as far, as I was once dead, as Man, now I am alive, and shall live for evermore. And this last expression, hath two words put to it, to point out its excellency. 1. Behold, I live: pointing at His Resurrection, and the consolation that flowes from it to Believers; I have overcome death, and live; and so I live, as I shall live for ever, for the benefit of Believers in me. That is of speciall consolation to us, our life being linked to Christs life, who is God Man and our Mediator: because He lives, we shall live also, Ioh. 14.19. His life is a pledge and pawn of ours. 2. Amen, or Verily: an asseveration to confirm the truth of His Resurrection, and to put all the world out of doubt of His living, not only as God, but as God and Man in one Person. Be assured ye have a living Christ.
The third ground, is, And I have the keyes of hell and death: to point out His absolute soveraignity, as Mediator in the state of Humiliation, and Exaltation: therefore fear not, Iohn: for I have the keys of hell, and ordereth even what concerns them. The keys, are the sign of Government, Isa. 22.21. It's spoken of Eliakim, a type of Christ, I will commit the Government into his hand: and then followes, the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder. The meaning is, I have absolute soveraignity and dominion over heaven and hell; I deliver and carry to heaven whom I please, none go there, but those whom I take in: and hell prevaileth not, at its own will; but is under my dominion: for, I have supreme power over hell and death: Not that Christs dominion is limited to these; but, because hell and death are the two things that Believers most fear. He tells that they need not fear them: for they are both His Vassals: the devil bears not the keys; but He bears them Himself. These are the grounds of consolation, that are given to Iohn: and they are strengthening grounds of faith and salvation to all Believers.
Observe, 1. Our Lord Jesus, is God; the first and the last; He that was born of the Virgin Marie: and so a true Man, is God; He that was crucified, dead and buried, is God. This is one of the Articles of our Faith: and this place of Scripture, is to be looked on, as a proof of it, against all the most cavilling enemies of our Lords Deitie: He that died, was, and is, the first and the last; and the incommunicable Attributes of the Godhead agree to Him.
2. This is proposed, as a ground of consolation to Iohn and all Believers. And it hath a world of consolation in it, as 1. Not only that there is a God; but that our Lord Jesus Christ, is God; and that, notwithstanding His being God, yet He hath loved sinners so well, that He took on mans nature; and in that nature, died for them; and that He, who wooes sinners, and offers to marry them, is God, and yet is very tender to them and of them: which is no small consolation. And it sheweth also, that He is faithful and powerfull to perform His promise to Believers: so there is not a design of enemies laid from the beginning to this day; but He hath a hand beyond it. 2. That folks may expect good of God: seing Christ is God, can Believers look for hard dealing from Him? He is absolute in His soveraignty and dominion, yet swaying it for the good of Believers. What would folks have more for a ground of consolation in times of confusion, than this? let the world go as it will, our Lord Jesus, is God, and wisely orders all. 3. It saith this, that folks when their discouragements prevail, as they are ready to mistake Christ, so they are ready to reflect on His Godhead, as if He were not faithful, or powerful, or wise, or tender enough. 4. The solid cure of fear and fainting, is, to be acquainted with Christ as God: the ignorance of Christ is the ground of their being anxious, impatient, and dammished with faithlesse fears, 1 Ioh. 5.4, 5.
From the second ground, I am living and was dead, Observe, 1, That this Eternall Son of God became Man, else He could not have died; He that was God, was also true Man: and this is another ground of our Faith, or, a confirmation of an Article of it. 2. That Jesus Christ, in His Man-head, satisfied Justice: for, He was dead, He laid down His life, and that willingly: No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down, and take it up again. 3. That Jesus Christ is God and Man, having two distinct Natures in one Person; for, in the one Nature, He is living; and in the other Nature, He that was living became dead; yet it's but one Person, that was both living and dead: some things (as is ordinary) are attributed to the Person, that agree but to one of the Natures, as (Acts 20. 28.) God is said to have purchased His Church with His own Blood: not that the Godhead could suffer, but He that was God, suffered: so of the Man Christ, it may be said, that He is Omnipotent, yet not as man, but the Person that was, and is Man, is Omnipotent: so the Person that is God, died, though not as God, but in respect of His humane nature, and as He was Man. These phrases from Christs own mouth, do both clear and confirm our Faith.
And behold I am alive for evermore. Then 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who died once, shall die no more. 2. He who died out of love to His people, is risen and exalted to heavenly glory and dignity, and bears the Office of Mediator, for the consolation of His people for evermore. 3. His exaltation maketh Him no lesse mindfull, nor lesse affectionate, and tender of Believers in Him: for, Iohn might have thought, that now there was a distance and drinesse come in between Christ and Him, especially considered as God; but He tells Iohn, He liveth for his comfort: and that he may expect, that He who gave life to all, and laid down His life for him, and other Believers, would be tender of Him and of His life.
Which letteth us see, 1. That the price of Believers Redemption, is paid. 2. That it is paid by a Brother, that had a humane nature, and was like us in all things except sin. 3. That Christ, who is God, is also Man; and that, to put us in a capacity of living. 4. See here Christs Resurrection and victory over death; so that the bargain is compleated and finished: and consequently, that Believers shall rise and live for ever through Him. Every word here, is bigg with consolation to us, if we know, how to suck at it.