office. All true enlightenment comes from Him. As truly as Christ is the
personality, His vital agency, His divine and manifold fullness. Seven times over are these words made to fall upon our ears: 'He that hath ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches,' as if the words of this book were His as truly as they are those of Christ. We have much to do with the Holy Spirit; for what would the Bible be without Him? What should we know of Christ without Him? A religion without the Spirit is wholly vain and unprofitable; like a sapless tree, a well without water, a vessel without oil. Let us mark the characteristics, as given us in the Revelation, in connection with the emblems. 1. Light.—The lamps of fire are emblems of His illuminating character and office. All true enlightenment comes from Him. As truly as Christ is the light of the world, so is the Spirit,—the former more outward, the latter more inward. When fire is mentioned, it is generally in connection with the shekinahglory; and, as was the fiery pillar of Israel, so are these lamps of fire to the Church. The saint needs light; the Church needs light; the world needs light. From the Spirit comes the light. It is sanctuary light, temple light, light from the seven-branched lamp, or seven lamps which give light to the holy place. II. Power.—The seven horns represent Him. Power is with Him; divine power; omnipotence. It is power for defense, for attack, for victory over enemies. He is the spirit of power. As such He does His works in us, and enables us to do the work of God. In our conflicts, labours, sufferings, 'fightings without,' and 'fears within,' we have the Almighty Spirit on our side, helping our infirmities. III. Wisdom.—The seven eyes are the emblem of His omniscience. His eyes are everywhere; He sees us through and through. And He comes in to us as the Spirit of wisdom. The four living ones are represented as full of eyes before and behind, implying the fullness of the all-seeing Spirit, as if they were thus 'partakers of the divine nature.' As the Spirit of wisdom
rested on Christ, so does it on us; for out of His fullness we receive. It comes to us, not directly, but from and through Him. We were blind, now we see; we see afar off, within the veil, the things which eye hath not seen. Spirituality.—They are called spirits: invisible, yet real; not corporeal, yet real; something which may dwell in us, and influence us, unseen, unheard, unfelt. Spirits, yet not shadows; spirits, yet infinitely personal and real. Completeness.—Seven is the perfect number in Scripture (seven days, seven years, etc.). It is the complete and perfect Spirit that has represented; without defect or weakness; altogether full; full in light, and wisdom, and power. That fullness is divine, not human or finite; the fullness of God; fullness without measure or end; fullness which was completely realized only in Christ, but in us according to our measure. VI. Variety.—This is also indicated by seven. Not mere fullness; but fullness in variety,—variety in fullness. Not the uniform fullness of the unvaried sea, but the fullness of the varied earth and sky; all different parts connected together, and making up that wondrous perfection which mere unvarying infinity could not exhibit. The Spirit, with His manifold gifts and graces, is thus represented,—the varied perfection of his gifts, as well as the varied glory of His person; a glory like that of light, whose perfection of whiteness is the result of variety in color. These seven Spirits are what we need, to meet the varying cases and characters of the saints. VII. Universality.—These lamps of fire burn before the throne. As (when the veil was rent) the seven-branched candlestick would appear to be standing before the mercy-seat, so these lamps of fire are seen burning before the throne of God and of the Lamb. They are thus connected with the throne, yet they shed their light far and near over creation. The seven Spirits of God are sent forth into all the earth. They go out beyond the temple, beyond Israel's land; into all the earth; to the nations afar off, —'every nation and kindred.' They are sent forth from the throne as royal messengers, to do the work of Him who sits upon the throne, as Christ
speaks of the Spirit; 'the Comforter whom the Father shall send in my name.' As Christ was the sent of the Father, and also of the Spirit, so the Spirit is sent of the Father and of Christ. He is connected with 'the throne,' and He is connected with 'the Lamb.' He goes forth to testify of Him, to glorify Him, to reveal Him to the sons of men. This is the work which He is doing now, in a measure, and which, in the coming age, He will do more largely, filling the whole earth with the light of the glory of Immanuel. Into all the earth He goes, far as 'the gospel' itself, revealing to men that 'gospel,' and revealing that cross of which it brings the 'good news.' For all the Spirit's work gathers round the Lord Jesus, unfolding the divine testimony to His blood, and overcoming the resistance of the sinner's heart, that he may believe that testimony, and be saved. Into all the earth he goes, raising the dead, illuminating the dark, guiding the perplexed, leading back the wanderer to the fold. To the very ends of the earth these seven lamps are shining. Through them the darkness of the earth has been preserved from being total; through them, here and there bright lights kindled, in some measure dispelling the thick gloom that covers the human race. It is this Spirit that men are quenching. And when He is quenched, and the one Light departs, what will the darkness of the human spirit be! He will not always strive. He may even now be near departing. The long ages of His love may be near an end. O world! Thy day of darkness is coming; darkness that may be felt; prelude of the blackness of darkness forever. O Church of God! Grieve not this Spirit; quench not these lamps of fire. Bid Him welcome with all His gifts, to make thee in these last days what thou wert when first He came down in His divine fullness, and wrought a work in thee, and through thee, such as amazed, and terrified, and enraged a world, till men in every city rose up, and with weapons of persecution sought to extinguish the new-kindled flame, as too bright for them to bear.
XVIII. The Key Of David
"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith He that is Holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and no man openeth."—
Revelation 3:7.
Here is another of Christ's names, or designations, or 'styles,' given Himself. There are seven in all, and this is the sixth. Let us consider this sixth. I. He that is holy.—Christ's name here is that of 'the high and lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy.' He is the holy One of God; hating sin, loving righteousness. Thus, while He is the holy One, He deals in love with the feeble, and makes their enemies to 'know that He loveth' (verse 9). With all Christ's infinite tenderness and pity there is holiness conjoined, and He says, 'Be ye holy, for I am holy. II. He that is true.—This is frequently said of Christ: He is 'faithful and true;' the 'true light;' 'the true bread;' the 'true vine;' the 'true witness;' the 'true God.' He is the reality, the truth, the substance, the wisdom, the filling up of all promises, and of all symbols. All the promises in Him are yea, and in Him Amen. His words are true, His works are true, His ways are true, His invitations are true, His love is true. III. He that hath the key of David.—Both as David's Son and David's Lord He had a right to all that David had. Of David's crown, and throne, and land, He was the rightful heir. But it is only of David's key that He is here spoken of as the possessor. He had the key,—the right and the power of opening the gate, and admitting those who had the right of entrance. He could open and no man could shut,—this was grace; He could shut and none could open,—this was sovereignty. This combined grace and