“which God gave Him, to show His servants”

We’ll start with one last quote from the 1930’s:

“Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him, to show to His bondmen…Note carefully the first words. The book is not simply in- spired, as is all Scripture, but it is a direct revelation. This is a most important distinction—‘All Scripture is given by inspiration of God;’ but all Scripture is not a revelation from God.  When poor Job moans his awful perplexities, we get no word of revelation; quite the contrary, we see how sad is man’s case until a gracious God intervenes. So when the wisest man that ever lived utters his groan of “Vanity,” he expresses the utter inadequacy of the highest unaided wisdom apart from revelation. But all is inspired. All is under the control of the Spirit of God. And he is dull indeed who does not adore the tender, thoughtful love that has permitted man in his best, and in his wisest, to tell out fearlessly those profound questions to which God alone can ever provide an answer. Inspiration here shows the need of revelation. We are now to listen to Revelation itself, God telling us what could be known in no other way.”

I think that this is the best quote on inspiration vs revelation I’ve read.

“But mark it is a ‘Revelation of Jesus Christ,’ that is, a revelation belonging to Jesus Christ. Although He is the Centre of all, the Lord Jesus is not in this passage the Object of the revelation, but the Owner of it, for God has given it to Him. Wonderful, startling words! Let earlier scriptures throw their light upon them.”

As I’ve said before, I think that Jesus Christ is both the Object and the Owner of the revelation.The phrase “Let earlier scriptures throw their light upon them” is an implication of just how tied into the rest of the whole Bible Revelation is.

“Did He not say, when once before in a smaller sphere He was about to judge: ‘Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do?’ (Gen. 18: 17). If not from His ‘friend,’ how much less from His Servant Jesus?  And again, ‘Surely, the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth it to His servants, the prophets.’ So surely now to this one perfect ‘Servant, the Prophet,’ Jesus, God is going to reveal what He is about to do.”

I did a search and found that while Paul and Isaiah refer to Christ as the “Servant of God,” Jesus Himself did not. He spoke about His role as “Servant” in several places and in different ways, but especially here:

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.   (Mark 10:45; NASB)  

Yet, to me, this is not the same as being called the Servant of God. He called Himself the Son of God and the Son of Man, as He was both. And as both, He was perfect and co-equal with God. This made Him higher than Moses in authority because Moses, though a servant of God, was still just a sinful man. I’ve seen Jesus referred to as the Servant Son, which would be a more appropriate title than Servant, but I really prefer Son of God. As a Son He was radically obedient and played the role of Servant to both God and Man (thus the importance of being both God and Man Himself), but as we shall see later in Revelation, the role of Servant is a role only, and not His essential nature.

“Oh, that we knew Him better! For beautiful is He in whatever light we see Him, whether with veiled face and unshod feet we adoringly bow before His incomprehensible Divinity; or whether we draw closer to Him, in the loving reverential intimacy of His holy Humanity with its self-assumed limitations. It is most clearly in this latter aspect that He is seen here; and the light of another scripture must again throw its holy ray on these words that we may enter into their significance a little, for here is the first key of the book. 

“You remember that strange word in that Gospel of the perfect Servant (Mark 13: 32): ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, NEITHER THE SON, but the Father.’ Do we not then see here something on which this perfect Servant (for in this character is He presented to us in Mark’s Gospel) needed a revelation? What was this? It was the hour of the Father’s counsels as to the earth being brought into effect and its rule being put into His own hands. 

“Perfect Man! He will put away from Himself here all divine prescience, and in absolute submission, and self-imposed limitation, await in patience God’s time for receiving that kingdom His own have denied Him—on this He now receives a revelation.”

The author is going to go on here about this, but I must break in and register my complaint. I agree totally that Jesus, in taking on humanity, left certain knowledge beyond His human-limited ability to know. But I also agree totally with earlier authors who have pointed out that upon His ascension He took up that knowledge again, just as He took up His part of the Godhead. The implication of this is that Jesus did not receivethe revelation as a ‘new piece of knowledge,’ but was basically given permission through mutual consent of the Godhead to reveal what was given originally by God. I do not agree that the revelation was given to Christ in His role as Man and I think that will be clearer as we go further into Revelation.

I also want to comment on this: “Do we not then see here something on which this perfect Servant…needed a revelation? What was this? It was the hour of the Father’s counsels as to the earth being brought into effect and its rule being put into His own hands.” This, again, implies that Jesus Christ, as part of the Godhead, had no foreknowledge of God’s plans for the earth.  I’m not clear here if the author is saying that these “counsels” were actually the time of the “rule being put into His own hands.” If so, then I have to disagree: Christ clearly takes ownership at the time of His Second Coming.

“This is so important a point that I desire to emphasize it a little by repetition. It is well for us thankfully to recognize that, as with every book in the Bible, our gracious God here hangs up the key to all its treasure-rooms at its very entrance, so to speak, in the first few verses; and this should save us from some very common mistakes. For instance, in view of these words, ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him,’ we may be quite sure that the Church is not the main subject of the book. That ‘mystery’ had, at this time, been made known by revelation (Eph. 3: 3) many years before to another servant, Paul, who, in proclaiming it, had ‘filled full the Word of God’ (Col. 1: 25), 

³How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words…⁶That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel   (Ephesians 3:3,6; KJV)

²⁵Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God; ²⁶Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: ²⁷To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory    (Colossians 1:25-27; KJV)

“by which I understand that there is nothing of the ‘exceeding riches of His grace,’ and of the ‘manifold wisdom of God’ that is not fully told out by that wondrous mystery, the Church. And yet God’s ways in time needed further light thrown on them. Paul’s ministry left much as to the government of the earth unrevealed; and as to this, the scroll of God’s counsels had yet to be opened, and His purposes brought into effect; and this could not be, as long as He was calling out a people to share His beloved Son’s place in the heavens.”

I really don’t think that the scroll of the seven seals is “the scroll of God’s counsels.”  Maybe the scroll of God’s wrath, but truly I agree, so far, with those who see this scroll as the book that Daniel sealed…but we will delve into that much later.

“It is quite true, too, that we may expect to see the Church, as having the very closest place to her Lord, in the wide sphere of His government; and, as being His House, in responsibility on the earth, to find that government first exercised there in the earlier chapters (cf. 1 Pet. 4:17), 

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?    (1 Peter 4:17; KJV)

“whilst, at the close, our eyes may be cheered by a sight of the Bride, The Lamb’s Wife, still clothed with all the fresh beauties of her bridal attractions, and so, as the unfaded and unfading object of Divine delight, entering Eternity. But whilst the spouse of the King has a place in the kingdom, and a most important and exalted one, we must not confound that place with the kingdom itself. Our book gives a revelation as to this larger sphere.”

In this falling-apart world, I rarely think about the Beautiful Bride; I usually think about the Embattled Bride. I also do not understand someone thinking about acting ‘humble’ and ‘lowly’ just so they can dwell in their minds on how exalted they will be in the Kingdom of God. I don’t believe that someone who is truly ‘humble’ turns his or her mind to their expected exalted position in the Kingdom in their quiet moments.

“It is the Kingdom, then, that we have before us; the government of God over this earth that has revolted from Him; and which here we shall see brought back. It is a theme that in some circles of Christians hardly has its due place. They are so entranced with the beauties of grace to themselves, so delighted with their own place and portion, that they fail to enter into the thoughts of God. There is, however, a sublime drama of the ages being played out with its good and evil forces in awful strife; and this book sees and reveals the last comprehensive acts in this drama, and closes with a New Creation—earth and heaven so close together as to be one, and that one tied with cords of willing subjection to the Throne of a well-known, and—we may say, blessed be His name—a well-loved God. 

“Jesus, as the Servant of God, is alone the Mediator through whom this can be. God will now tell His Servant what He is about to do through Him; and He, the blessed Lover of our race, will not keep the revelation to Himself, but at once send it to His servants, by the hand of His servant John (note how everything is on the lower level of service instead of sonship) in order that they may serve with clear intelligence as to the future; with no baseless hopes on the one hand, and with no baseless depression on the other. So that whilst they may see the storm-clouds of judgment rapidly gathering, they may not be discouraged, but look beyond to a day of a thousand years of ‘clear  shining after rain’ (1 Sam. 23:21). 

And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me.    (1 Samuel 23:21; KJV)

And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.   (2 Samuel 23:4; KJV)

“And if this blessed millennial day, too, closes again in still more furious storms, and more awful judgments, still further may the servant’s eye pierce, to that still brighter day that is never to be darkened with cloud, nor even shadowed by any falling twilight, but is the eternal sabbath of God.”   [from STUDIES IN REVELATION, by Frederick Jennings, 1937]

Yet again, I don’t think the Christ was just hearing about God’s plans for the first time. And, I don’t agree that “everything is on the lower level of service instead of sonship.” I think that when we look further into Revelation we will not being thinking about ‘service,’ but rather: the Son as the King.

Also, notice that the quote 1 Samuel 23:21 does not include the line that Jennings was quoting: it’s actually from 2 Samuel 23:4. I’m not sure what that’s about…

Let’s head into the 1940’s:

“Notice the various links in the chain of origin and communi­cation. First, there is God. We read: ‘which God gave to him’. It was God who highly exalted the Mediator and committed to Him the government of the world in the interest of the Church (1 Cor. 15: 24-28; Phil. 2:9). God also gave the Mediator the plan for the history of the world and the Church (Rev. 5:1,7). 

²⁴then comes the end, when He stands over the kingdom to our God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet…²⁸When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.   (1 Corinthians 15:24-28; ASV)

Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name    (Philippians 2:9; ASV)

And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back, close sealed with seven seals…An he came, and he taketh it out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne.   (Revelation 5:1,7; ASV)

Again, we have the idea that the seven-sealed scroll is the plan for the world and the Church. I still don’t agree.

“God gave Him this plan in order that He should make it known, in its general principles, to His servants. This plan pertains to things which must soon occur. They begin to happen at once.”

We have a suggestion of preterism here with “They begin to happen at once.” Jesus warned us that we would be under attack if we followed Him, so this type of thing should not surprise us, and indeed has been happening throughout history since Christ’s crucifixion. Revelation talks about persecution as almost an aside. As for the destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of the Roman Empire, a person from 1940 should be well aware that these things did not involve the whole world.

“Secondly, there is Jesus Christ. This is not the Revelation of John. It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. He both reveals this plan to His Church, and as Mediator enthroned in glory causes it to be realized in history. He reigns on high.”    [from MORE THAN CONQUERORS: AN INTERPRETATION OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION, by William Hendriksen, 1940]

I still can’t see Revelation as “a plan” for the Church, or anything else. Saying what will happen is not a plan.

The next quote:

“We read again that it is something ‘which God gave him to show unto his servants.’ Its origin lies, therefore, even further back than Jesus Christ. It comes as a gift from the Triune God, handed on to us by Jesus Christ as the Mediator between God and man. The Lord Jesus Christ has the three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. In this first verse, it is in the capacity of prophet that He presents Himself. This book is therefore a step in advance in Christ’s revelation of God and the truth of God. We may expect it to contain something additional, something not previously sufficiently and clearly set forth. It is also the final utterance of the greatest of all prophets, in His exalted and heavenly state. It is no wonder that the church, receiving such a book, placed it at the end of the inspired volume, as the capstone of all inspirations; and has ever since steadfastly refused to believe that anything further can be added.”   [from STUDIES IN THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN, by Albertus Pieters, 1943]

Not a bad quote. I like the reminder of the three offices of Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King. I think we will see all three offices represented in Revelation. 

I like: “We may expect it to contain something additional, something not previously sufficiently and clearly set forth.” It’s very clear in the Gospels that Jesus was trying to say more to the Apostles that they were just not ready to hear. Jesus certainly introduced some of the topics of Revelation, but there was still so much to say. This book may represent some of that information.

“The word translated SERVANT, here as elsewhere in the New Testament is the same as the one for slave; the Christian is at the same time the slave of Christ and God’s free man.”   [from THE REVELATION OF SAINT JOHN THE DIVINE, by Ronald H. Preston, 1949]

An interesting take on “servant” and “slave.” Clearly, neither word describes the relationship exactly.

Very little verse-by-verse commentary in the early to mid-50’s, but it picks up again towards the end of the decade:

“This section gives us a concise account of how revelation comes to men.

“(i) Revelation begins with God, the fountain of all truth. Every truth which men discover is two things — a discovery of the human mind and a gift of God. But it must always be remembered that men never create the truth; they receive it from God. We must also remember that that reception comes in two ways. It comes from earnest seeking. God gave men minds and it is often through our minds that he speaks to us. Certainly he does not grant his truth to the man who is too lazy to think. It comes from reverent waiting. God sends his truth to the man who not only thinks strenuously, but waits quietly in prayer and in devotion. But it must be remembered that prayer and devotion are not simply passive things. They are the dedicated listening for the voice of God.”

I like this! I especially like the part about earnest seeking and reverent waiting. The two cannot be done simultaneously. Earnest seeking involves reading, discussion and heavy thinking. Reverent waiting is the listening for the answers. The more you listen, the easier it is to hear. Sometimes the truth is so deep that it sinks into the body like a stone in water and it overwhelms thought.

“(ii) God gives this revelation to Jesus Christ. The Bible never, as it were, makes a second God of Jesus; rather it stresses his utter dependence on God. ‘My teaching,’ said Jesus, ‘is not mine, but his who sent me’ (John 7:16). ‘I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me’ (John 8:28)…It is God’s truth that Jesus brings to men; and that is precisely why his teaching is unique and final…”

I really like this as well. The Christ is never a stand-alone God, but a part of the Godhead: “dependent on God.” This does make His teachings “unique and final.” He is so much more than a Prophet or Priest.

“(iv) Finally, the revelation is given to John. It is most uplifting to remember the part men play in the coming of God’s revelation. God must find a man to whom he can entrust his truth and whom he can use as his mouthpiece…”

Ok, so it couldn’t last I guess. The statement “It is most uplifting to remember the part men play in the coming of God’s revelation” is confusing and, frankly, bizarre. Thinking ahead to the “part(s) men play” in Revelation I’m recalling men hiding under rocks, suffering boils and other skin diseases, refusing to believe in Christ, and worshipping idols. Yes, there are some that do believe and are beheaded; and in the Millennium there is talk of being co-rulers, but only after we are in our Eternal bodies, not as earthly humans. Uplifting isn’t the word I’d use.

“Twice the word servant appears in this passage…In Greek the word is doulos and in Hebrew ebedh. Both are difficult fully to translate. The normal translation of doulos is slave. The real servant of God is, in fact, his slave. A servant can leave his service when he likes; he has stated hours of work and stated hours of freedom; he works for a wage; he has a mind of his own and can bargain as to when and for what he will give his labor. A slave can do none of these things; he is the absolute possession of his owner, with neither time nor will of his own. Doulos and ebedh bring out how absolutely we must surrender to God.”   [from THE REVELATION OF JOHN, VOL 1, by William Barclay, 1959]

Barclay’s point about “how absolutely we must surrender to God” is well taken. To describe us as ‘sheep’ is probably more fitting than as ‘servant’ or ‘slave,’ and probably also describes our behavior better too.

Last quote, from the same year:

“This book, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, is a special gift from God through Christ to the church. The matter of His second coming was very dear to Jesus. ‘When the Son of man shall come in his glory’ was His favorite topic of conversation. Nearly all the parables were told to illustrate some phase of this event. Now it is possible for Him to give His servants the complete story of those wonderful times leading up to and following His return.”   [from THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING REVELATION, by Arthur E. Bloomfield, 1959]

The First Coming required Christ to appear as the Suffering Servant, which, as I said earlier, was not His natural role. Did He do the role justice? Yes, of course He did. Was the concept foreign to Him? No, of course it wasn’t, but it was truly Suffering Servant overlaying Lord of Lords and Prince of Peace. We mentioned His 3 offices earlier: Prophet, Priest, and King: none of these comport exactly with Suffering Servant. They all line up with His appearance in Revelation. So, if “His second coming was very dear to Jesus,” it would be understandable: He gets to reveal His true self to those He loves.

One last thing…I’m not sure why Bloomfield would call the times leading up to His return as “wonderful.”  “Awesome” might work if you focus on the “Awe” from “Shock and Awe.” While we are all looking forward to joining Christ, I wouldn’t say we are having a great time.

That’s all for now. We’ll start into the 1960’s next time.