p. 3435. The Reward Promised
While the Jezebel, or clerical party, which had obtained a footing in the Thyatiran ecclesia, was denounced by the Spirit, and threatened with great tribulation and death; “the Rest in Thyatira” were encouraged to perseverance in their opposition to the clergy by exceeding great and precious promises. “I will cast upon you,” saith the Spirit, “no other burden.” The “great tribulation” that would come upon the ecclesia, and “the death,” which were to fall with pain upon the head of the wicked clergy, would more or less be cause of affliction to the whole body; but with this exception, “the rest among the Thyatirans,” who protest against all “the depths,” and “hold fast to the time that I may have come,” shall be rewarded. The words in italics show that the Spirit who uttered them considered that there would be a class of people concurrently existing with the Jezebel and her children until the coming of Jesus Anointed, who would answer to “the rest among the Thyatirans”—“the Remnant which keep the commandments of the Deity, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ”—Rev. xii. 17. “The time” of his appearance is not quite yet. “The depths of the Satan as they (the clergy) speak” are still in the ascendant; and all the world hears, or gives heed to them, because they are of the world—1 Jno. iv. 5. But we also see that there exists a remnant in this Thyatiran “Christendom,” which “does not hold this teaching,” and repudiates “the depths.” This remnant was to exist as a standing protest against the clergy, or “Sin-spirituals of the wickedness in the heavenlies,” until the Lord come. It does exist, and will exist till then; and at that time, now not far remote, will have the great and glorious satisfaction of witnessing and assisting in the overthrow of Jezebel, and the everlasting discomfiture of “her children” in the face of all the nations they have deceived.
We, then, who are of this remnant, are exhorted by the Spirit to “hold fast what we have till he come.” This exhortation presupposes that we have “the truth”—“the things concerning the Kingdom of the Deity and of the Name of the Anointed Jesus”—Acts viii. 12. We are to hold fast these things “till he may have come,” be that in what age or generation it might; and are informed that the reward shall be great. This, in addition to what is promised in the writings addressed to the Star-Elderships of the ecclesias in Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos, is dominion and government over the nations, delivered from the power of the sin-spirituals and world rulers; and the possession of omnipotence. This great promise is expressed in the words of the Spirit, saying, p. 344 “He that overcometh and keepeth my appointments until an end, I will give to him DOMINION OVER THE NATIONS; and he shall govern them with an iron sceptre (as the potter’s clay vessels it is breaking to pieces) as also I have received from my Father. And I will give to him the MORNING STAR.” This is promised to the faithful and obedient remnant—to them who overcome the seductions of the world by faith, and keep the appointments of the Spirit; or those things appointed for faith and practice as delivered by the apostles—Mat. xxviii. 20; x. 20.
These appointments are to be observed αχρι τελους “until an end”—not until “the end,” but “until an end.” These two “ends” are a thousand years apart. Alluding to the one, Paul says, “all in the Christ shall be made alive at his appearing;” and to the other, says, “afterwards the end.” The appearing to make alive, is at the end of “the times of the Gentiles;” but the end afterwards το τελος he characterizes by “the delivering up the Kingdom” of the Millennial Period to the Father when he shall have put down all enemies, and destroyed death, which is the last of them. Hence, between “an end” and “the end” there is an important distinction; the former marks the beginning of the restoration of the Kingdom; and the latter, of its surrender to the Father, with a long interval of time between the two epochs.
The appointments to be observed are “until an end” indicated by the words of Jesus and Paul, saying, “This do in remembrance of me till I come.” Faith, hope, baptism, and the Lord’s supper, are appointments to be observed till he come. When he comes, those will be superseded by other appointments more suitable to the altered condition of the world. The new dispensation will bring with it new appointments; sacrifice will take the place of the Lord’s supper; and the feast of tabernacles, the sowing in tears by the side of all waters. “Come,” shall many people then say, “and let us go up to the mountain of YAHWEH, to the house of the ELOHIM of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of YAHWEH from Jerusalem.” “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship THE KING, Yahweh of armies, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles: and they shall sacrifice”—Isai. ii. 3; Zech. xiv. 16, 21. The apostolic appointments will not be modified or repealed till then. Jezebel and her children have in effect abolished them all. As Daniel predicted they would, they have “thought to change times and laws;” they have substituted their own Catholic and Protestant clericalism for p. 345 the precepts and institutions of the apostles; but it will be found to have been all to no purpose; for there is no salvation for any kind of pietists, however approved by their spiritual conscience-keepers, save by an intelligent and affectionate belief of the gospel of the Kingdom, and immersion into and for the Divine Name—“He that believes the gospel and is baptized shall be saved; and he that believes not shall be condemned;” these are the wholesome words of the Lord Jesus; and every one that consents not to them, Paul says, is foggy, knowing nothing. Let the clergy think of this.
And who of these “reverend gentlemen,” if he were sent for by the dying to give them what he calls “the consolations of religion,” would talk to his “penitents” in the words of the promise before us? If unrepentant, would he exhort them to repent that they might have “dominion over the nations;” and therefore, over Britain, France, Spain, Italy, and so forth, when Jesus Christ should come to raise them from the dead? On the contrary, do not the clergy regard such doctrine as the ravings of the insane? Yet what else can a rational man make of the words before us? The Eternal Spirit declares, that the class he defines shall have “dominion over the nations; and shall govern them with an iron sceptre.” The clergy and their peoples do not believe this. They deny it, and call it madness; and tell their deluded worshippers that there is no reward for them in the earth, which is to be burned up with all the nations upon it; that the reward is in a heaven beyond the realms of time and space, where their souls will be for ever with the Lord. Unquestionably the clergy are infidels and blasphemers. When they open their mouths it is “in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in the heaven”—Rev. xiii. 6. This is affirmed of them who constitute “the Mouth” of the peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues, symbolized in their spiritual and temporal organizations, by the Beast of the Sea “full of Names of blasphemy.” It is objected, that they are very learned, respectable, pious, and sincere gentlemen. We admit all this under certain modifications; but we have nothing to do with their learning, respectability, piety, and sincerity; our argument is, that they do not speak the words of truth as any man, not an idiot or a fool, can read them in the scriptures. They speak one thing, and the Eternal Spirit another; and what they speak is a point-blank contradiction and denial of the words of God; so that, if a man believe their dogmas, he must of necessity make God a liar, which is to blaspheme him, his truth, and all who heartily believe it. They scoff at the idea of some poor shoemaker, or mechanic, who may be a true believer, taking a position over the nations after the lapse of a few years, to govern them for God in p. 346 place of Queen Victoria, and the Kings of the earth, who now possess the dominion. They assume the posture of “laughter holding both his sides,” at the very statement of so preposterous a conceit. No wonder they discourage and discountenance the study of the Apocalypse; and if any of them should venture upon an exposition of it, that they should invariably give these letters to the Seven Ecclesias the go-bye. The promises appended to each are anticlerical, and find no counterpart in their systems. If it were reported that a certain clergyman had consoled a dying penitent with the hope of Christ’s speedy advent to raise him from the dust; and to give him dominion with himself over the strong and powerful nations of christendom, which he should govern with omnipotence and heaven-descended wisdom; a shout of derision would be yelled forth from the throats of his “brethren in the ministry” and their people, (or they would feel like so-doing,) that would cause him, as reported of the pastor of “the Holy Apostolic Catholic Church” in Sixteenth Street, to suppress the doctrine, and to fall back into the ways of orthodoxy, for very shame; but specially for fear of the consequences to his stipend, his position, and his fame.
But, scoff as the learned, respectable, and pious gentlemen of “the cloth” may, it is the doctrine of the Eternal Spirit, that “the poor in this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him,” and who show their love by doing whatsoever he commands them, shall have “dominion over the nations and govern them” with almighty power. This remnant that overcomes will have the honor of breaking up and abolishing forever the kingdom of the clergy with all its ignorance, superstitions, and blasphemies; for “the nations of those who are being saved shall walk in the light,” which they, as the New Jerusalem, shall shed upon them—Rev. xxi. 24. Where the nations to be governed with an iron sceptre are, there is the dominion of the Saints; who in their resurrection-state, sing a new song saying to the Lamb, “Thou wast slain, and hast purchased us for God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation; and hast made us for our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth;” “with thee a thousand years”—Rev. v. 9, 10; xx. 4, 6. This promise to “the rest among the Thyatirans” is that in Daniel apocalyptically reproduced; that “the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High Ones,” whom all nations and rulers shall serve and obey—Dan. vii. 18, 27.
They are to be ruled, the Spirit saith, “with a rod of iron.” Iron is p. 347 the symbol of subduing power; and a rod, or sceptre, of regal authority. The word here rendered rule or govern is ποιμανει to feed, tend, direct, and so forth; which occurs also in Rev. xix. 15. In this text, Christ is said literally to “feed the nations with a rod of iron” with the power of a royal conqueror. The position this sentence occupies shows, that thus to feed or rule them is to smite them, and to tread them in the winepress of almighty wrath and indignation. Thus it is written there, “Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he might smite the nations; and he shall govern them with an iron sceptre; and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of the all powerful Deity.” This is what is to be done by the King of kings and Lord of lords in his victorious career. Now the Spirit saith to the Thyatiran remnant, that he will give to them “even as I received of my Father.” Chap. xix. 15 and Psal. ii. 8, 9, show how the Spirit made flesh hath received of the Father-Spirit. Hence, for the remnant to feed, or rule, the nations with an iron sceptre, is for them, in concert with the Christ, to smite and conquer them, and so to inaugurate their royal authority over them.
This appears also from chap. ii. 27. Here is a parenthesis after “rod of iron,” which indicates what is transpiring while the remnant is receiving dominion over the nations. In the original the parenthesis reads, “As the clay vessels of a potter it is breaking to pieces.” This differs from the English Version, which translates the word συντριβεται by “shall they be broken to pieces.” This is incorrect, for the verb is in the third person singular of the present indicative passive, and not in the future plural. The version of the American Bible Union corrects the tense but not the person of the verb. It follows the old version, and persists in giving a plural nominative to a singular verb. It renders the parenthesis by the words “as the vessels of the potter are shivered.” This, though good English, is an ungrammatical rendering of the Greek. The revisers err in looking for an expressed nominative of the verb. The sentence does not contain one. The nominative to συντριβεται must be supplied from Dan. ii. 34, 35, 44, 45. The verb signifies “it is breaking to pieces;” and the prophetic answer to the question, “What is breaking to pieces?”—is the nominative to the verb, “It,” the Image of Nebuchadnezzar, “is breaking to pieces as the clay vessels of a potter. This breaking to pieces of the gold, the silver, the brass, the iron, and the clay together, is consequent upon its being smitten by the STONE-POWER upon its clayey feet—its clay-vessels, or ten Horn-kingdoms confederated with the Eighth Head in the hour of their breaking in pieces, and becoming the kingdoms of Yahweh and of his Christ. The remnant among the Thyatirans, and the Pergamean p. 348 Antipas, and the Smyrnean “rich” in faith, and Ephesian laborers for the Spirit’s Name, and the few names in Sardis, and the Philadelphian keepers of the word of his patience—these all, with Christ at the head of them, are the New Testament constituents of the Stone-Power. Authority will be given to them to break in pieces the political fabric of the world of nations as established in church and state. The operation is a conjoint one. It is to be effected, not by Jesus alone, nor by his joint-heirs in his absence; but by all in concert. They follow him whithersoever he goeth—ch. xiv. 4; and therefore accompany him in all his wars of “the Great Day of the almighty Deity”—ch. xvi. 14: so that, when he encounters the Ten Horns, they are with him as “the called, and chosen, and faithful”—ch. xvii. 14; and when the worshippers of the Beast are tormented, it is in their presence as “the holy messengers” with the Lamb—ch. xiv. 10; and when he judges the Italian Harlot they reward her as she rewarded them, and double unto her double according to her works—ch. xviii. 8, 6; and when he goes forth to smite the nations, they follow him as the war-clouds of the heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, which is representative of their righteousness in him—ch. xix. 14, 8.
The New Version renders the passage before us thus: “I will give him authority over the nations; and he shall tend them with an iron rod, as the vessels of the potter are shivered.” This gives utterance to the idea I have expressed above—that the tending, feeding, or ruling of this text consists in breaking them to pieces. This is an improvement upon the old version; but still defective in the particular already noted.
6. The Morning Star
The Morning Star is also promised to him that overcomes,—“I will give to him the Morning Star,” saith the Spirit. To appreciate the importance and value of this great promise we must know what is signified by the phrase.
The Morning Star, τον αστερα τον πρώινον, is the star belonging to the morning. This morning is alluded to in Gen. xlix. 27, where it is written concerning the tribe of Benjamin, styled “a wolf,” “he shall tear in pieces; in the morning he shall devour the prey; and at the evening he shall divide the spoil.” In these words of Jacob’s prophecy of “what shall happen with Israel in the last of the days,” we are instructed to look for a period in which Benjamin will devour his enemies instead of being himself devoured, as for the last eighteen hundred years. This is styled “the morning”—an era of triumph and conquest p. 349 for Israel, as indicated by their devouring “the prey” and dividing “the spoil.”
Now, the morning is the beginning of the day, or the time of the sun’s rising. This is true whether the sun be the “Day Star” of the material or political heavens. The morning referred to by Jacob in his prophecy, is manifestly the time of the rising of a sun in the political heavens; because he is treating of a great political revolution in the affairs of Benjamin and the rest of the tribes. Israel can not now “devour the prey” and “divide the spoil” among the people; because, as Moses says in Deut. xxxii. 36, “Yahweh sees that power hath departed, and none retained or left.” It is this perfect powerlessness of the tribes before their enemies, that excites the indignation and compassion of Yahweh. The scattering of their power having attained its climax, (Dan. xii.,) the morning of their deliverance arrives; “for Yahweh will plead for his people, and show pity upon his servants, when he shall see that power is departed, and none retained or left.”
But the tribes of Jacob are not the sun, or Day Star, of this morning of their glory. In the antitype as in the type, “in the morning they shall see the glory of Yahweh appearing in a cloud”—Exod. xvi. 7, 10; and they who behold are different from the thing beheld: this is the Sun who in his rising makes it morning time. He will then give them bread to the full; and his dew will lay round about the host. The life and power of Israel is not in their own prowess; but in the Eternal Spirit, YAHWEH, manifested in Messiah and his brethren,—the one Yahweh Elohim of Israel. It is he that makes “their latter end” glorious; and turns the weeping of their long and dreary night into the joy that cometh in the morning.
This Eternal Spirit in his multitudinous manifestation is the Sun, belonging to the morning of that great day in which the world shall be ruled in righteousness; and Yahweh’s glory shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. The Spirit in David contemplating this εκ πολλων εις, and vice versa, the One-in-Many, the future ruling body upon earth, says, “There shall be a Ruler over mankind, a Just One, ruling in the righteous precepts of Elohim. And as brightness of morning, He shall rise the Sun of an unclouded dawn shining forth after rain upon tender grass out of the earth”—2 Sam. xxiii. 4.
This One Ruling Body, the mystical Christ, is the Shiloh, to whom shall be the gathering of the peoples, as the Sceptre of Judah. This is the King that shall be higher than Agag, and whose kingdom shall be exalted,—the Star out of Jacob, and the sceptre or rod of iron, that shall smite the princes of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. Jesus of Nazareth is the Head of this “One Body;” and the Head of p. 350 Jesus is the Eternal Power, whence is effused the anointing of all”—1 Cor. xi. 3.
Now the Eternal Wisdom is the revealer of the Apocalypse. He gave it to Jesus, “whom he anointed both Lord and Christ.” Hence, when the anointed Jesus speaks in the apocalypse, it is the Eternal who speaks. For this reason it is, that at the end of each epistle the hearer is reminded that it is the Spirit speaking to the ecclesias. Thus we see the same rule maintained in the Apocalypse as in the Testimony of John. There, in ch. vii. 16, Jesus saith, “My doctrine,” or teaching, “is not mine, but HIS that sent me. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of Deity, or I speak of my self.” And in ch. xii. 49, “I have not spoken of myself, but the Father who sent me; He gave me a commandment what I should say, and what I should speak.” The rule of the apocalypse is the same—the Eternal Wisdom speaking through Jesus, himself become spirit in being begotten and born of the Spirit from among the dead.
It is the Eternal Spirit, then, who, through Jesus, says in Apoc. xxii. 16, “I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright and MORNING STAR.” The Spirit, apart from Jesus, could not say this. The Spirit is the Root of David, because David and all mankind sprung from the Spirit who created them; but apart from flesh and blood, He was not “the Offspring” of David. It was necessary for the Spirit to become flesh of Judah and David’s line, as John teaches in ch. i. 14, to become “the offspring of David.” When he raised up the dead body named Jesus, he transformed it into spirit-body. This became the Bright Star—the bright particular star—of that galaxy of stars pertaining to that morning when “Israel shall do valiantly;” and the wolf, Benjamin, shall devour the prey; and the Beloved of Yahweh shall dwell in safety by him, shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders—Deut. xxxiii. 12.
The Bright and the Morning Star, then, the Eternal Spirit glorified in Jesus, promises to give the morning star to him that overcomes. In other words, that he shall become a glorified constituent of the “One Body,” when it is adopted at the manifestation of the Sons of Deity—Rom. viii. 19-24. He will, then, be a star pertaining to the Millennial Dawn—a morning star; for “they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars לעולם ועד le-olahm wah-ed, IN THE OLAHM AND BEYOND;” or, as Jesus said, “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun IN THE KINGDOM OF THEIR FATHER;” which belongs to “the Olahm and beyond”—Dan. xii. 4; Matt. xiii. 43. The redeemed will then be, in the aggregate, a Cloud of Morning Stars, “equal to the angels,” p. 351 themselves “the Morning Stars that sang together, and the Sons of Deity that shouted for joy,” when the corner-stone of earth’s foundation was laid by the Eternal—Job. xxxviii. 7. We look for the Bright and Morning Star from heaven, that he may “change our vile body, and fashion it like unto his glorious body”—Phil. iii. 21; and we know that “we are now the Sons of Deity, and that when he shall appear we shall be like him”—1 John iii. 2. This is equivalent to saying we shall be Morning Stars—stars that come forth as dew from the womb of the morning, shining in all the glory of the resurrection state—1 Cor. xv. 41; Ps. cx. 3.
Of all the Stars of the New Heavens, Jesus will be the brightest; for in all things it is the Father’s will and pleasure, not only that all the fulness shall dwell in him, but that he also shall have the pre-ëminence. “There is one glory of the Sun,” and that is his; and “there is another glory of the Stars,” and that is the glory of his brethren individually; and “there is another glory of the Moon,” and that is the glory of his companions collectively. As his Bride, they “look forth as the morning, fair as the Moon, clear as the Sun, and terrible as an army with banners”—Cant. vi. 10. He that overcomes, to him it shall be given to be one of these—a splendid one sparkling in the glory of the great and fearful Name of YAHWEH ELOHIM.