Revelation Chapter 3

VERSE 20 continued “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me.”

We continue with our look at this verse as explained in (The Keys of Revelation)

A famous contemporary artist has dramatically portrayed a portion of this lesson. In the painting Jesus is standing outside a home; he has already knocked on the door and is expectantly waiting for the invitation to enter. Through the use of skillful perspective, the artist heightens the intensity of the lesson by subtly drawing attention to the door, to the very spot where—alas! —the handle of the outside door lock is missing.

At first the viewer is dismayed, thinking the artist blundered in this detail of a work of art otherwise so beautifully executed. However, the viewer soon realizes that, far from being an accidental oversight, this omission is an intended lesson; namely, it is not the Master but the individual who opens the door of the heart. Although, condescendingly, the Master does reveal himself through the window of the intellect (that is, he enables the fortunate ones to hear his knock), the individual himself must open the heart door—FROM WITHIN—and welcome in the Master in order to receive the rich blessings (Song of Sol. 5:4, 5). These fundamental truths are both old truths (long-forgotten biblical doctrines now restored to their pristine glory) and new truths (special dispensational lessons now due).

There is a definite significance to the expression “hear MY VOICE.” At his First Advent, Jesus was introduced to the Jewish nation, his professed people, by means of a human instrumentality: primarily John the Baptist and secondarily John’s sympathetic followers. It is important to note that John was Jehovah’s initial and personal honored agent at the end of the Jewish dispensation.

John’s role was to identify the then present and unrecognized Messiah; to prepare as many as were willing, to receive him; and to announce a coming judgment on the nominal mass for their rejection of him. The Scriptures specifically forecast the role of John as “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord!’” (Isa. 40:3; Matt. 3:3). In essence his message was:

Behold the [present] Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)

There stands one among you [present, in your midst], whom ye know not. (John 1:26)

Now also the axe [in preparation] is laid [aimed] unto the root of the trees. (Matt. 3:10)

He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost [Spirit], and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his [threshing] floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire [irrevocable destruction of Jewish polity in A.D. 69–73]. (Matt. 3:11,12)

Similarly, at the end of the Gospel Age, the Lord has used a human agent as his instrumentality, as “his voice,” to awaken those who have “an ear to hear” and alert them to the secret thief like presence of the Master in their midst. Just as John the Baptist upon the nation, so in this Laodicean era an individual, Charles Russell (and, secondarily, those associated with his work), announced Messiah’s invisible presence commencing in 1874 and the day of trouble coming upon Christendom and the world, ushering in the Kingdom.

The very title of the religious journal Russell edited is meaningful: Watch Tower and Herald of CHRIST’S PRESENCE. The title is indeed unique, for all previous reformers announced Christ as the coming one, not as “Behold, the bridegroom [already present!]” (Matt. 25:6).

Also significant is the fact that if any man opens the door upon hearing the knock, the Master will come in personally, and not through the medium of a priesthood. In much the same way, believers at the First Advent had their attention directed to Jesus as the Messiah; and as they accepted his role and leadings in their lives, they were proportionately blessed. As a class, the scribes and Pharisees did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, nor did they assist others to believe upon him.

The Scribes and Pharisees of OUR DAY (the various biblical commentators, writers and prominent church leaders) have likewise felled to recognize the present Lord, not having properly understood the MANNER in which our Lord’s second presence would take place, viz. that it would be an invisible thief-like presence, and as such they like their predecessors before have felled in “the day of their visitation”, felled to call attention to this the most wonderful of news, the Second Advent. 

That conditions at this end of the age are similar is implied by the nature of the Master’s promise to come in privately and personally—to “sup”—with individuals responsive to his call. Although a “knock” is not mentioned, Song of Solomon 3:1–4 describes the endearing characteristics of those the Master will specially enlighten with deep spiritual truths in this harvest period.”

We will move on to Verse 21 and 22 in the next post.