Scripture Reading: Rev. 1:1-2, 9, 11, 13-16; 5:5-6; 19:10; 22:16a
Ⅰ
The entire book of Revelation presents the revealed Christ and the testi-fying church—1:1-2; 22:16a.
Ⅱ
The whole Bible reveals Christ; the book of Revelation, as the conclusion, completion, and consummation of the Bible, is "the revelation of Jesus Christ"—1:1:
A
The term the revelation of Jesus Christ indicates that Revelation is an unveiling of Christ Himself; this book is a picture, a depiction, of Christ—a revelation that unveils Christ to us—vv. 13-16; 5:5-6.
B
In Revelation certain aspects concerning Christ are unveiled in a unique way:
１
We see the vision of Christ as the High Priest in the midst of the churches, caring for them in love yet with a judging attitude—1:13-16.
２
We see the vision of Christ as the Lion-Lamb in the midst of God's throne, of the four living creatures, and of the twenty-four elders of the universe, opening the seven seals of God's universal administration—5:1—6:1.
３
We see the vision of Christ as "another Angel," a special Angel sent by God, offering incense with the prayers of the saints and coming down out of heaven to take possession of the earth—8:3-5; 10:1-8; 18:1.
C
In the book of Revelation, the revelation of Jesus Christ is unique and ultimate:
１
Christ is revealed in His ascension as the Lion-Lamb, the worthy One who is worshipped by all the angels and all other creatures—5:3-6, 8-14.
２
Christ is revealed in His administration among the churches and in the heavens; as the Administrator in the heavens, Christ is the One adminis-trating all things for the fulfillment of God's economy—v. 7.
３
Christ is revealed in His coming back with its two aspects—the secret aspect and the public aspect—1:7; 3:3b; 14:14; 16:15.
４
Christ is revealed in His judgment on the church, on all the world, on the great Babylon, on Antichrist, the false prophet, Satan, and their followers, and on the dead—6:12-17; 8:1-2, 12; 11:14-15; 15:1, 7-8; 16—18; 19:11—20:3, 7-15.
５
Christ is revealed in His possession of the earth—10:1-7; 18:1.
６
Christ is revealed in His reigning in the kingdom—2:26-27; 20:4.
７
Christ is revealed in His centrality and universality in eternity—21:9-10, 23; 22:1-2.
D
In the book of Revelation, Christ the Son is revealed as the all-inclusive One— the excellent, marvelous, mysterious, and wonderful One who is the focus of God's New Testament economy—5:5-6:
１
The Son is Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth—1:5; 3:14.
２
The Son is the Son of God and the Son of Man—2:18; 1:13.
３
The Son is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, and the Alpha and the Omega—v. 17; 2:8; 22:13.
４
The Son is the living One, the Holy One, the true One, the faithful One, the Amen, and the origination of the creation of God—1:18; 3:7, 14; 19:11.
５
The Son is the Root and the Offspring of David, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and the Lamb—5:5-6; 22:16.
６
The Son is the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Word of God, the morning star, the lamp, the Husband, and another Angel—18:1; 19:13, 16; 21:2, 23; 22:16.
Ⅲ
The book of Revelation unveils the testimony of Jesus—1:2, 9; 12:17:
A
The revelation of Jesus Christ is Christ Himself; the testimony of Jesus Christ refers to the church—1:1-2, 9; 12:17; 20:4.
B
Christ is the Witness of God, the testimony and expression of God, and the church is the testimony and expression of Christ; as such, the church is the repro-duction of the testimony and expression of God in Christ—1:5, 9:
１
Witness refers to the person; testimony refers to what the person bears, to his work and doing—Acts 1:8; 4:33.
２
The Witness is Christ Himself; the testimony is the church—Rev. 1:5, 9:
ａ
The Lord Jesus was God's faithful Witness, who testified God to produce the church, which is His testimony—v. 2.
ｂ
Jesus was the Witness, and what came out of Him was the church as His testimony—vv. 4-5, 11.
C
The testimony of Jesus is the enlarged Christ—vv. 2, 9; 1 Cor. 12:12:
１
The living person of Jesus is the expression and testimony of God; the church is the testimony of Jesus, the corporate expression of Christ—v. 12.
２
Our destiny as believers is that we would express the Triune God in a cor-porate way as the testimony of Jesus—Rev. 21:2, 9-11.
D
"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of the prophecy"—19:10:
１
The spirit of the prophecy is the reality, substance, disposition, and charac-teristic of the prophecy of the book of Revelation—1:3.
２
Since the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of the prophecy, the testimony of Jesus is the reality, substance, disposition, and characteristic of the prophecy of this book—19:10.
E
The testimony of Jesus is the present revelation of Jesus Christ—1:2, 9; 12:17:
１
In Revelation Christ is revealed, and the church is testifying the revealed Christ; this testified Christ is actually the revealed Christ—1:1; 22:16a.
２
Our experience and enjoyment of Christ become His living testimony, and this testimony is the present revelation of Jesus Christ—Eph. 3:3-6, 8-9.
３
Christ is revealed, we experience and enjoy Him and become His testimony, and our testimony becomes His present revelation—Rev. 1:1-2:
ａ
In our experience of Christ as a testimony to Him, Christ is revealed as the all-inclusive, excellent, marvelous, mysterious, and wonderful One.
ｂ
We need to experience the all-inclusive Christ in a detailed way so that our experience of Him becomes not only His testimony but also His present revelation—Eph. 3:16-17a, 19b, 21; Rev. 1:9, 11; 22:16a.