Life Study of Revelation message 3

Message Title: THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS - PARTICULAR AND CONSUMMATE

this book is concerned with Christ and the church. In Revelation, Christ and the church are revealed in a unique and particular way. the church, as the testimony of Jesus, is unfolded in a particular way in the book of Revelation.

1. the lampstands

Revelation 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me; and when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, 

as the lampstands, the church shines in the darkness. the church is the lampstand, not the lamp. the stand does not shine itself, but the stand holds the lamp, which is shining. as the testimony of Jesus, the church is the lampstand and Christ is shining as the lamp. without Christ, the church is vain and meaningless. Christ must be the content of the church, and Christ must shine out forth through the church. 

2. the great multitude

Revelation 7: 9 After these things I saw, and behold, there was a great multitude which no one could number, out of every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes and palm branches in their hands. 

here, the Body of Christ, all the dear believers are portrayed as the great multitude, bought by the Lamb from all nations, all tribes and all peoples, coming out of great tribulation victoriously. this pictures is our final destiny, and is really such a great comfort and encouragement to all of us, the believers. we may go through trouble, hardship, or even persecution, tribulation. but all these things will pass away. we more than conquer, through Him who loves us. We will come out from these things victoriously and stand before God and the Lamb.

3. the woman with the man-child

Revelation 12:1 And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon underneath her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;
Revelation 12:2 And she was with child, and she cried out, travailing in birth and being in pain to bring forth.
in chapter 12, this book shows us this great sign, a woman with her man-child. this woman represents all God's people. throughout all the ages, God's people have been always facing the persecution from Satan, God's enemy, the great red dragon. among God's people, there is a stronger part, the overcoming saints as this man-child. Satan has been waiting to devour the man-child, but the man-child will be caught up to the throne of God, after which, the war will begin in the heaven, and the dragon will be cast out of the heaven, to the earth. from this, we can see that the rapture is not mainly for us, but for the accomplishment of the execution of God's judgement on Satan. 

4. the firstfruits and the harvest

Revelation 14: 4 These are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are they who follow the Lamb wherever He may go. These were purchased from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 

Revelation 14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, Send forth Your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come because the harvest of the earth is ripe.

Revelation 14:16 And He who sat on the cloud thrust His sickle upon the earth, and the earth was reaped.

the firstfruits will be raptured to the heavenly Zion, as the fresh enjoyment of God. this again shows us that our rapture is not mainly for us, but for God's enjoyment. The rapture is for defeating the enemy and for satisfying God. We must not only be today’s lampstands but also today’s man-child to fight against God’s enemy and today’s firstfruits to satisfy God’s desire. 

the harvest of the majority of the believers will be near the end of the great tribulation. the great tribulation is the intensified process to help all the crops to ripe, to be ready for harvest. so every believer will eventually get mature and be raptured, sooner or later!! if sooner or later, then why not sooner? if we cannot get ourselves ready for rapture before the great tribulation, we will still be made mature by passing through the tribulations. then why do we not redeem the time now, and desire to be the firstfruits for God's satisfaction. 

5. the overcomer over the beast

Revelation 15:2 And I saw as it were a glassy sea mingled with fire and those who come away victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name standing on the glassy sea, having harps of God.

Revelation 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses, the slave of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and wonderful are Your works, Lord God the Almighty! Righteous and true are Your ways, O King of the nations!

Revelation 15:4 Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; for all the nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous judgments have been manifested.

These are they who overcome the beast, his image, and the worship of the idol of the Antichrist. 

6. the bride

Revelation 19:7 Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. 

in Revelation 19 we see how intimate is the church as the Bride. In this portion of the Word we see that the Bride will wear bright raiment, being clothed with bright and pure righteousness, and will be invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb. To God’s enemy, we must be the man-child; for God’s satisfaction, we must be the firstfruits; and for Christ, we must be the Bride. When we are eager to be the Bride, Christ will receive His satisfaction. 

7. the army

Revelation 17:14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and they who are with Him, the called and chosen and faithful, will also overcome them. 

Christ’s heavenly army will be composed of all the overcomers, those who have been called and chosen. 

8. the New Jerusalem

the New Jerusalem, will be a living composition of all of God’s redeemed ones, the ultimate consummation of God’s building of His people. In and for eternity, the New Jerusalem will express God in the Lamb with the flow of the Spirit.