The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 55

Vers. 17, 18.-0hrist's ministry on -,h, and his existence in. 'heaven. "And he laid his right hand upon'.me, saying unto me, Feat not; 1 am the First and the Last: I · am he that. livetb, and was dead; and, behold, I arfi alive for 'evermore, Amen; and · have the keys of hell and of death." These y'eril'.es lead us t:.o coruiider two subjects- the ministry of Christ on ell.rth, and his existence in heaven. J;',CmusT's mNISTIIY ON EARTH, "And he laid his right h1md npon me, sa,-ing unto me, Fear not." John's vision of Christ struck him to the ground with fear. The remarks of Trench on these words·cannot be overlooked: "The unholy, and ali flesh is such'that it cannot endure immediate contact with tile holy, the human with the Divine. Heathen legend, so far as its testimony may be accepted, consents here with Christian truth. Samele mllllt perish if Jupiter reveals himself t:.o her in hia g:0ry, being consumed in the brightness of that glory. 'Thou can'St not see my face: for Jhere shall no man see me, and live' (Ex.od. x.xx.iii. 20). For· every miw it is a dreadful thing to stand face to face with God. The beloved disciple who had handled the Word of life, lain in his Lord's bosom in the days of his flesh, can as little as· any other endure the revelation of his majesty, or do without that• Fear Iiot' witb which the Lord:reassures him here.. 'l'his same• Fear not •· is uttered on similar oocasions 1io Isaiah (vi 7), to Daniel {x..12), to Peter(Luke v. 1), to the three at the Transtigara- tion,-ofwbom'.John himself was one (Matt. xvii. 7). Nor is this reassure.nee confined to words only ; the Lord at the same time lays his band upon him-ilOillethlag parallel to which goes aiong with the • Fear not' of three among the instances j111t ' rererred 'to; and from the t:.ouch of that hand the seer receives strength again, aud is mit, •no doubt', upon: bis feet i>llce more (Ezek. i 28; ii. 1, 2). The ~ right band' being •-enr contemplated in Scripture as the hand of power alike for God (Deut. xnill. i; }Sil, :dviii. 13; Acti, vii, 55) and for 1J1an (Gen, x.lviii. 14; Zoc}l. iii. 1; ·)latt. v. 30),  it is oiyzi (i,t tl!a,t ~ith. tlj.e right han.d, qf the Lord he should be t41¥1 st~engthened &ll.d i'evWC!W' ,,~fe- j)d~t "litite t_o be ibseryecUs ~t •<Jhnlf,.ih?~~t't~ tfn, ~th is f<> ~'fear. . Ohtt the. pas'1-o;ns that ~e posse~on of tne soul ~.ere 11,re 711o_11e .IXioJ'8 up;vitt~ .fn n~tw:e "1ld pernicious in influeri.c~ 'tliim f«}&r, . :It 'izp.~\i~lt(f, ~); or ~~li,Bt i.1;1•~~.i,,t,sonal,, I~g care of the ~eat F~:he.r. · itia~ost~le to llHhef?!-5pi.~~d :~4rlll ~obility ot stJtiL ~ow, ()hnst!a ministry)s ·to 'rlimove this. .a:e !It:!'.~ µian, "itw; IS, ;c;. ~- ,n9t 1/.afpud," (1), He removes f'~~r of povert9. By unfo~o1:qg .t:he 'Fat4erly ~d~n~ Qf <3M.. (2)i:Ie removes fear of ~nis!u~ent. · By proclain4n~ t:\1e fotgive- :o,esii of'f!itis:'·. '(3) He r~ove,f{ear of dea't'k. By unveiling 'a hea.v·e11 beyond'the grave. "hi ~:t',#,at~~s po~ are ma.ny mansions." . . . , · · · · : · ll;; ~ 8 '.BXJS~OE, IN BEAVEN. . ''. I am the F"irst, 81],Q the Last : la~ he tb!lt ~a. n~e.t!i·~thf ~Wing ~11e1 Was d.ead ~aiid I was, dead] ; and, ~Ji.old, I, a!)l.&lY~ f?r if.i:nn 1' ..~e~i 1/il:.J-}ulve the keys of h~ll (d6!lth]and of.de!!otli [Hlld'l61" One ~ig:\i,t a.\e·\hought tpat, after <Jhqst,had te~11iyedJ1uch 1t1a,liguant treatment on"this ~~; ):i~ depart\ire ltom' ,it: wohld oe. of an· eveHi,ls~ing· terml.nati.-On iill hl&, cpi;i;iiiiii~ica- it~pii ,wJ~h it; 'th:at liis last wo'rd on !ia,rth to men would lie IH) ~t .word fu .them until W,e d~i, o~ do?ni ; .~,t on his. !15Cension to heaven _he _would '.'f,\t~cl4w limself with a ng~.~W• 1Dd1gnat18n from this corrupt planet;- turn away froout, and apea.k only to in~igences whQ would devoutly hail his every utterance.. ~o{ so; however. .Here, i!-(wt f!, f11w years of personal absence from thjs 11ar~h. with .'unabated love for our ~ei!, ~e,, he breaks the silence of etel'llity, and makes such communications to John, §f1, t,b~ i131e !'.f Pat!Ilos; as '\Vould pe {or the· good of all comillg ge.n~tiotis. . Tiiq wi:ifds leti'a:~,to.~nsider '!1-.?W. hi(e.J".iilteiic_~ w..· heaven. . Not'ice.·:J.)l~ lµe,iy.peaye.pJ~ a ZVtl~f ~ ~ ej:lf'<for.<1inpny ~h. " 1 ai;n he. ~t livf!~b : ~ W/1,1! ~ ' . : _Life !'~er.d!!flh 1.s. ~ .~.-~ .m . _, 1taelf..~ruly w.o~d~r.fn.L . ~n9h a lit~ :we~/v~ 1pever 8811n'., '.~.ut ihe li(~, of Christ. ~n heaven is a life, succeep.!J!.g .a death that ·tjas .uo_ pu:allel l!l ,the :or hisiory th'e UlliYerae. There &f8 at .least. ~hre~ .circunistanceji .tha~ XD~fk off hia d~h ~Ji. ~ infinite ¾ta.nee from that of 11,ny other 'being Quit ever' died. -(1) ..Absolute *'#71~.FiJ,; '._N·o_ ~i-n'g. e.fer di~ but Christ who. h&4_.thii feeling.- .that.he. n1¥1_,_d never ~ijtatd,eath'coiild,be for.ever escaped, ~ri~thad 1t. "H13 ~J>ower to lay down ,bi~.- Ii~~_ .(2) · Eff·F,·irtJ r.elati.·1/ime88.. Every, Qth.er. JPan .tba ...~. ever ,di~ di!j\li?f.himself, ~;P8:G!I:~ )ie,\f.JlSJl._sip..ner,a.nd the.seed of death_'\'lfa&.60~ iµJiis 1,1ature. Not 10 witli'tJ'fir1st; he aied for,~thlff'.s. (3) 0-,nilJ!l'l:fff{ itifl~. T;h~ ,dea,tl;i. of ~e mo8t important man that ever lived has an influence of a comparatively limited degree. h ,J1ieR:4a,but OYer. a oontr~ oi.J:cie. Qnly a.Je7« of t~e,age f~ i~; foture ages feel it n~t i. TI, is notltil\g to the universe._ ,- B.ut Chtis.t's death ~ aµ., 1:nfluellce, that,admita of no !'.ll~ment.. I't .e~tended ov~r alJ ,the ~st _of humanity. It was ~.great event antjcl~~ by thll,ages ~.qa~ preceded 1.t. .This 1s the great.,ovent that w1ij be looked back to by ill coming mel/-- It thp.lls ~!3, hcavelli! of Gpu, ~• Worthy is ~h• Lamb that~ slain.,." isJhe song of eternity. J}f:Jris(~ death ~ell Qri tJi,e umve_r.,w as, the pebble , ,oq tl;i.e 1,eµt;i;e of a lake, w;idening in circles of mtl1i,,enoo .on to •~ utmost bf>u~~Y:• ~- Hiii l\fo.in heaven is a life of en.dlus µw-at-ion. _"Jain ~v,e f~ ever- m!)re, ,,, (1) Etis_eD,~ess,duration is a nec,e~ity of.hia nat~e•. f'.I_~ he that liveth." .');'~re:~re mo~al ,~lligeIJces, we among11t.:them, thiµ;, may; live f9r ~v!3r; _but iiot ~Y ~ t y . of .i;iatiµ-i,. , Vv e ltve b~Cll:W!8· .the ~fi.µ.i.te .lj'uppgrts ~ ; _let, ,lµ,m }Ylthdrnw hia ~w.,~nmg,agsnpy, ,and w~ (\ease t,o l!reaths.. No~ aw. _wi,th C:lirist. .• ~ li~ ~,,-bsolutely ~Q4e_pe~~~t, pf .the ~iyel',!18, ,, ,He is ~l),!l "~. ,.+-lf.-::, (2) His .<l~dlesa ~ur;i,tiop. is the g!m-;r;,9(. ~II. gpod. ;· ,, Amen.'! .Wh,en Chrjst :S&.YS, ~ ! -8.I!l Jili!!l_ for! even:p.ore," ,the WlifaUeni Jl!ll,d .re~~ed univeJ.138 .may .welte:g:clajm, "Amen/! , _,Wffl!.~)!'lll" ;Other tri~s W.fl. -1,hJJr grl:lat FriAAii, Ji.vfl(! 9n" ~-. J:iiB li(e, in heav~n if! a li/tJ ~~,;~ d(!!'Jin~_,pu, ~.~~ <!,[ wmi.. , ~• l have thp, Jays !Of he).l [!leaith] anp., ~q.l!aj,p._{&des].~ He - _q~ou over .th_11 bodi81J and -sotils qf men as :,'!•ll wh~ ,.1jl:iey .l\1"8 eepiu.-ated fr.Qlll-, ~4 other as pr~17¥1,W1 to their dlssolution. "He ~ thJJ Lord, of the dead.~ of t4~ ij.v.jp.g/.'_ from his 11,mioJute; d o ~ JOVet the destmi111:,qf men .four things, may ~ -inierfflt., (1) .T.l\iir11,is ~ping· aooi4@qi.l ip- hw;na11,hl.story• .H~ Ji~ ~,.key qf,a;Ql.., No g~ve is opened but. :by:A.is b,anq. .. :(2)1Depe,rtei:l Dl!'ll lqe !!till .in e~~,--ll(I has-the ~BJ gf_Hades (the world of 1MIP!'ta~ 119\IW)."' .w~ !'a qf the ~Vil.-·, 'l!hey li.ye therefore•. (3) Death is not the jntroductwn t0 a new ~ral , ~ o m , rhe 1111,Qlfl Lord is h.ere as there. What is right here, therefore, is right there, and OH. L 1-20.] THE :BEVELATION OF ST. ,JOHN TH,g. DIVIN~... 55