TESTIFIER

How solemn, and yet how precious, that in the verses we have read today the Saviour Himself sets His seal upon all that has been revealed of Himself in the book of Revelation. We must ever keep in mind that the book is not the revelation of a divine programme, but the revelation of a divine Person, our Lord Jesus Christ. His glory, His triumph, consequent upon His suffering and shame, are the blessed themes of this book, and so dramatic are the ways and events by which God brings His purpose in redemption to fruition, that some might discount the whole revelation as nothing but the demented vision of an old man. Uniquely, for no other book in the Bible (though all are equally inspired and authorative) bears such a closing seal, the Lord Himself testifies as to its accuracy and totality.

How thrilling to the believing soul that the Testifier identifies Himself as ‘I Jesus’! What precious depths there are in such a brief expression! The one so-called because ‘he shall save his people from their sins’, Matt. 1. 21. He, with inexpressible love, gave His life at Calvary, whom God raised from the dead and set at His own right hand. ‘This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven’, Acts 1.11. We have His personal promise, His solemn seal, ‘I testify’. He testifies that the subject matter (the prophecy of this book, v. 18) and the completeness (the book of this prophecy, v. 19) of the Revelation are totally authorized by Himself, and woe to any who would add to, or subtract from it in any way.

‘He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly’, v. 20. Dear saint of God, these are the last personal words in Scripture of the Man in the glory, and they are addressed to you and to me. What a promise with which to close another year in this vale of tears! What a prospect for the year about to begin! ‘I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also’, John 14. 3. Surely the only response that can come from every believing, grateful, longing heart to such a precious promise is that of the aged apostle John, ‘Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus’.