Notes on the book of Revelations/Chapter 6

by John Nelson Darby

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There is a very distinct break, in the course of the book, at the close of the eleventh chapter, which, in the sum of its contents, closes the whole book. The time was come that those that destroyed or corrupted the earth should be destroyed. But in chapter xii. it resumes from the origin, to bring in the radical character and developement of the last form of evil, and, as this will be shewn in fact at the end, as to the fact, it may be taken in continuance. But there is another important division within the eleven first chapters: at the beginning of the eighth chapter, the last seal is opened by the Lamb: now of course this closes the book; and though that which follows may come under it, yet is it a distinct course and character of events. The Lamb is not spoken of during the course of the trumpets—all is angelic; after the twelfth, we have the Lamb again: of that we can speak there. The Lamb is in opposition to man and the world; that is, they have rejected Him; and the suffering Church, at least, is rejected by the world : and what concerns it, is what answers to Christ in that character. This, then, is what we have under the seals: in a certain sense this is always true, for all “that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution;” but it is not dispensatorily true, i.e. as to the condition of the Church. We have then, looking at it as progressive history, three great divisions—the Church under the Lamb—the Church under the ministration of angelic providences—and the Church under and during the last great apostasy, traced from Satan’s power at the outset. The world meanwhile, not the Church, is the subject of the statements contained in these portions.^[1]

Upon this earthquake, great terror manifests itself; but it is not the expression of God’s revealed judgment, but of their terror. I do not say this may not have an application afterwards, and that the kings of the earth may have terror then; but this is not the kings joined to the beast making war with the Lamb, and slain with the sword of him that sat on the horse; it is terror on an earthquake, which they ascribe to the wrath of the Lamb, as if His day was come. It is after this all the trumpets sound. On the ground on which I am at present interpreting, it would be the upsetting of that heathen empire, with its rulers, which had hitherto been in existence, with the consequent terror and dismay of the Lamb’s enemies. The idea of an application to such a period is often unjustly combated, and the name of Constantine introduced to shew that what he did in the Church was of no consequence, or evil instead of good. But this anxiety proceeds on a false supposition that this is the history of the Church; whereas, it is the history of the Lamb’s government of the world in providence. And in this respect we should remember there never was such an event since Babel, and its consummation in the image at Babylon, as the setting aside the direct worship of Satan in the imperial nation: and this is what took place then.

The recognition of the Church, in spite of all, then comes in: by the bye, first the full complement of the elect Jews, and then the multitude of the Gentiles with their portion. Nothing was allowed to be done till these were reckoned up or owned in their place.

The first tumult and storm of nations was arrested till this was distinctly done. Such had been the power of God in the Spirit during this period, in spite of all the persecution and oppositions of ungodly men. The fifth and sixth seals shew the different result of the actually persecuted or rather killed, and the powers that had persecuted them;^[2] the seventh, the great result, in spite of the persecution: the word of God had not been bound.

1. As regards the crisis at the close, this would develop itself in the period of trials and persecution of the Saints; compare Matt. xxiv. Secondly, the preparatory or providential judgments on the despisers of the Lord; the wrath being simply announced, and not described, in the seventh trumpet: and lastly, a full account of the character, doings, and rise of the beast, with the final judgment of all that belongs to him.
2. It would seem, from the fifth seal, just when the heavens are going to be changed, that, after the Church who have suffered, are publicly owned and put in white robes, they are to rest a little season, because there are brethren and fellow-servants to be killed yet. Though thus owned, therefore, vengeance could not be taken for this little space, till this was done. But then the heavens were changed to prepare for this vengeance. In the trumpets, note, that there is no evil on the saints, or any saints, but judgment on the earth or its inhabiters. The last suffering, i.e. as to death, of these “brethren,” seems a transition point, the act of the beast in its last state, as coming out of the bottomless pit, getting rid of them in that power, to the comfort of the inhabiters of the earth whom they tormented. They stood before the God of the earth.
   Some would account this the time of the catching up of the Church; but this appears to me a mistake : it is the time, rather, of their public owning before the throne, consequent upon the change in the heavens previously spoken of, and previous to the commencement of the judgments. The hundred and forty-four thousand are, in that case, the Jewish remnant, then owned upon earth. Looked at as the Church, in its own portion, it is looked at, I apprehend, as in the heavens, from the end of the third chapter. It is quite done with on earth there.