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Scripture Reading: Rev. 4:5; 5:6b-10; 7:2-8; 8:3-5; 10:1-5; 18:1; 11:15; 19:7-9, 11-21; 1:9b; 22:1-2
Prayer: Lord, we worship You for Your New Testament economy. How we thank You for the book of Revelation that conveys to us the picture of Your economy. Lord, we also thank You that You have opened Your Word to us. Thank You that You are speaking among us. Thank You that You do have an oracle here on earth for You to speak Your word into all our hearts. Lord, we trust in Your cleansing blood that we may enjoy You and that we may enjoy Your anointing. Grant us the abundant and rich anointing. Anoint our mouth and our ears. Anoint our speaking and our listening. Lord, we are looking to You that You would move on and on among us in Your recovery until You reach Your goal. Lord, do cover us with Your prevailing blood against all the attacks, the frustrations, and the disturbances from the evil one. Lord, in these days of fighting, destroy the power of darkness. We claim Your victory that You have gained on the cross over the enemy. We pray that You would shame Your enemy. May we all be filled with Yourself, filled with Your glory, filled with Your anointing, and filled with Your rich grace to meet every need. We bring every need to You. Lord, speak a particular word to meet every need. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Amen.
The book of Revelation is very complicated. It covers many fields and many aspects. Unless you have a thorough study of this book, it will be hard for you to have a bird’s-eye view. In this chapter I would like to present a very simple and brief picture or view of the book of Revelation. You may have picked up many points in your reading of this book, yet I would ask you, at least temporarily, to drop all the impressions that you have received in order to receive a fresh, clear view of this book.
First, Revelation is a book revealing Christ as the all-inclusive One, and this all-inclusive One is the focus of God’s New Testament economy in this book. This book of consummation is focused on Christ as the all-inclusive, excellent, marvelous, mysterious, and wonderful One. We also must see, on the other hand, that this book not only presents us with a focus but also with a view. A view is different from a focus. The focus is the central point of a view. In the past three chapters we mainly covered the focus of the book of Revelation, and the focus is a person. We need to see the view that has this wonderful person as its focus.
The book of Revelation presents us a view of God’s universal administration. In this view there is a center. The center is not the focus. The focus is a person, but the center is the throne. The throne in this book is a great item. The first three chapters in the book of Revelation are on the churches. Immediately after this section on the churches, John saw a throne at the beginning of chapter 4. John was in his spirit, and he saw a view in the heavens concerning the earth. The heavens were opened to him, and he saw that there is a throne in the heavens. This throne is the throne of God for His administration and is the center of God’s universal administration. Revelation 4:2 says, “Immediately I was in spirit; and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne there was One sitting.” Of course, the One sitting on the throne is God, “and He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance” (v. 3). Remember that the view John had is a heavenly view, but it is concerning the earth.
In the center of such a view there is a throne with One sitting on the throne. There are also seven lamps of fire burning before the throne (v. 5). The seven lamps of fire burning before the throne are burning horizontally. These seven lamps are the seven Spirits of God. They are sent forth into all the earth (5:6) to carry out God’s administration by their burning. In the Bible fire first implies judging. The fire came down upon Sodom to judge it (Gen. 19:24). Also, fire implies purifying and refining. There are many oil refineries in Texas to burn out the dross of the oil. Finally, the burning of fire also implies bringing forth.
The seven Spirits of God burning before God’s throne as a flame of fire are judging the entire world, both the believers and the unbelievers. According to 1 Peter 4:17, this judgment begins from the house of God and will spread to the unbelievers, the entire earth. The seven Spirits are sent forth into all the earth to judge the earth, to purify the earth, to refine the earth, and to bring forth the pure golden lampstands, shining in this dark age as the testimony of Jesus. The seven Spirits do not burn without a goal. There is an intent, a purpose, for the burning of the seven Spirits, that is, to bring forth the golden lampstands, the churches. If we are shortsighted and do not have the foresight, we will be very much disappointed by today’s world situation. Today’s world is full of darkness, corruption, and immorality. Thank the Lord, however, that His word is like a lamp shining in a dark place (2 Pet. 1:19), and His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psa. 119:105). Because we have the foresight, we are not disappointed. Many Christians and all the people of the world do not know what is going on behind the scenes in today’s world situation. We realize, however, according to His enlightening word, that the seven Spirits today are burning to judge, to purify, and to refine with a purpose. The burning of the seven Spirits of God before God’s administrative throne has a purpose to bring forth the golden lampstands, the churches, for the fulfillment of God’s New Testament economy.
Thus far, we have seen three items: the throne, the One sitting on the throne, and the seven Spirits of God burning as a flame before the throne. The fourth item is “a Lamb standing” (Rev. 5:6). Around the throne are the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures. The twenty-four elders represent the angels. In God’s creation angels are the most ancient ones. The four living creatures represent all other living creatures. Among these are the lampstands, and the Lamb is the focus. The throne is the center, and the Lamb is the focus. The Lamb is not only in the scene but in the center of the scene. He becomes the role at the center as the focus, and the seven lamps burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits before the throne (1:4), are His seven eyes (5:6). Therefore, their location must be His face. The seven Spirits have also been sent forth into all the earth, running “to and fro on the whole earth” (Zech. 4:10). This gives us a heavenly view concerning the earth with the churches.
Some believers consider the book of Revelation even as a fairy tale, so they put this book aside. We, however, should consider the book of Revelation in a serious way, since it concerns our destiny. Furthermore, to add something to the book of Revelation or to take away something is also quite serious. If anyone adds to the words of Revelation, “God will add to him the plagues which are written in this scroll” (22:18). Also, if you cut off any of the words of this book, you will be cut off from the tree of life and from the New Jerusalem (v. 19). The view that I have presented is something that we need to see, since this concerns our eternal destiny. We have seen the Father sitting on the throne, God the Spirit burning before the throne, and God the Son as the slain Lamb standing there. We have also seen that the seven lamps burning before the throne of God, which are the seven Spirits of God, are actually the seven eyes of the Lamb.
This view is economical because this is not a matter of the Triune God’s existence but something related to His move. Economically speaking, the seven Spirits are the eyes of the Son. Essentially speaking, the Father is the Father, the Son is the Son, and the Spirit is the Spirit for existence. Functionally speaking, however, the essential Spirit becomes the functional eyes of the Son. The key to define the Divine Trinity is to see both the essential and the economical Trinity. Revelation touches God’s administration, and the entire divine administration is a matter of God’s economy. Therefore, whatever this book reveals to us concerning the Divine Trinity is economical, not essential. The traditional teaching of the Divine Trinity stresses that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are three separate persons. The last book of the Bible, however, shows that the Spirit has become the eyes of the Son. We cannot say that the eyes of a person are another person. This shows that the traditional teaching of the Divine Trinity is short of the adequate and full knowledge of the Bible. Economically speaking, the Spirit of God in God’s administration is the eyes of the administrating Son. This is for function, not for existence. In order for us to do anything, we need our eyes. This shows that, in the divine administration, Christ needs the Spirit to be His eyes.
The view that we have seen shows how God is going to carry out His universal administration. In order to carry out His administration God needs an executor, and this Executor is this wonderful person, the slain Lamb. The all-inclusive, excellent, marvelous, mysterious, and wonderful One is the Executor of God’s administration. John saw the view that in the entire universe no one was qualified or worthy to carry out God’s administration except this One (5:4-6). Because He is qualified and worthy, the seven seals were handed over to Him. This One is qualified to open the seven seals, to carry out God’s economy. The way He carries out God’s economy is by the seven Spirits as His eyes. Without the seven Spirits, Christ does not have the eyes. Christ is the very focal Executor of God’s economy, yet He needs the seven Spirits as His eyes to carry out God’s economy. This view leads us eventually to the focus and to the eyes of the focus, Christ and the Spirit.
Many of us have a “dictionary” concerning Christ that is quite small. Christ, however, needs a universally great dictionary to define and describe Him. The entire sixty-six books of the Bible are needed to describe and define such a Christ. This is also true concerning the Spirit. In some people’s dictionary the Spirit is merely the “Holy Ghost.” The full revelation of the Holy Scriptures, however, reveals that the Spirit is the all-inclusive, compound, processed, life-giving, indwelling, sevenfold Spirit. I must testify that every time I speak concerning the Triune God, Christ, and the church, I have the sense that there is always something more to speak. My “dictionary” concerning these items has been getting bigger and bigger throughout the years.
Christ and the Spirit are revealed in Revelation to carry out God’s economy. First, this carrying out of God’s economy involves administrating the entire situation in this universe and mainly administrating the world situation. All the international affairs are neither in the hands of the diplomats nor in the hands of the United Nations. The deciding place is on the throne. Everything in today’s situation is decided on the throne. By my reading and studying of the world situation over the past sixty years, I fully realize that the throne of God in the heavens is the deciding factor of the world situation. Neither Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, nor any of the world governments were the deciding factors of the world situation. They all failed. The deciding factor is the throne of God. All the world leaders are under the flaming of the seven Spirits. The seven Spirits are burning on this earth today for the carrying out of God’s administration. Christ carries out His mission as the Ruler of the kings of the earth by the seven burning Spirits. We must realize that today the seven Spirits of God are burning not only concerning the churches but also concerning the world situation for the churches. The entire world situation is under the flame of the burning of the seven Spirits. The seven Spirits today are carrying out God’s administration on this earth. The world situation, the international affairs, is all under the direction of this flame. I have seen the flame of the seven burning Spirits before the throne of God sovereignly controlling the world situation. When Hitler took over Belgium in World War II, it would have been possible for him to go straight into England. England was unprepared to face that situation and was ready to be taken over by Hitler, but Hitler made the decision to turn to attack Russia. The flame of the seven Spirits turned him away from England at that time. History tells us that this was a great mistake made by Hitler, and this was under the sovereign control of the seven burning Spirits before the throne of God.
The purpose of the burning flame in carrying out God’s economy is to bring forth the golden lampstands, the churches. Burning implies judging, purifying, refining, and producing. Never be disappointed by the rottenness, corruption, and immorality of today’s human society. Do not be disappointed or so concerned for the world situation. Also, do not be disappointed by the weakness of the local churches. I do not believe in the seemingly disappointing condition in the world or in the churches. I believe in the flame of the burning seven Spirits that control and direct the world and that also judge, purify, and refine the church to produce a pure golden lampstand. We are here endeavoring to afford the Lord an opportunity and an entrance to judge us, purify us, and refine us to produce a pure golden lampstand. We are open wide to the flaming of the seven Spirits of God. We all need to pray, “Dear divine Flame, come! Come and judge! Come and purify! Come and refine that You may produce the golden lampstand.” Nearly all the doors are closed to Christ in today’s situation. By His mercy, though, we are open to Him. Every day, every morning, and every evening, we need to pray, “Lord, come; we are open to You! We open every avenue of our being to You.” I do not know how much you pray or how you pray, but I can testify that nearly every day I pray, “Lord, enlighten me; search me within and expose me, Lord. I like to be enlightened by You and exposed in Your light.” Are you like this, or do you shut yourself up and hide something from Him? We all need to pray, “Lord, we are open. Come and shine upon us and shine from within us and enlighten every avenue and every corner of our being. We like to be exposed, purged, and purified.” Then the Lord has a way to produce a pure golden lampstand. The burning is going on not only in the entire world situation but also in the churches. The more I read the newspapers, the more I get confirmed that the flaming Spirits direct the world situation, and also this flaming purifies the church to produce the golden lampstands.
The seven Spirits, who are out from the eternal One and of the redeeming One, are the seven lamps of fire burning before God’s throne, executing God’s economy in the universe, and the seven eyes of the slain Lamb, searching and infusing the churches (Rev. 4:5; 5:6b). The twofold mission of the seven Spirits is to carry out God’s administration and to search and infuse the churches. The seven Spirits search out our sinfulness and infuse us with the riches of Christ. While a person is speaking to you, his two eyes are also infusing you with his burden. In like manner, the seven Spirits of God as the eyes of the Lamb infuse us with this wonderful One’s burden and essence.
Furthermore, in Revelation the redeeming Lamb becomes the Executor of God’s New Testament economy (5:7-10).
As another Angel, He cares for God’s chosen people, the Israelites, executes the prayer of the saints concerning God’s economy, possesses the earth in the future, and appears in glory to make the whole earth the kingdom of God (7:2-8; 8:3-5; 10:1-5; 18:1; 11:15). The all-inclusive One has another title — another Angel. The book of Revelation mentions this Angel four times. Revelation 7:2-8 indicates that this Angel takes care of God’s chosen people, Israel. On this earth God has two peoples — the chosen people of Israel and the redeemed people, the saints, the church. In Revelation 8:3-5 Christ is mentioned again as another Angel to present the prayers of the church to God and to carry out the answers to these prayers. God is taking care of His two peoples, Israel and the church. Israel has been and still is under persecution. The entire world has been trying to diminish Israel, so Israel needs special care in order to be preserved. The little nation of Israel is surrounded by many Arab countries, yet it still survives. This is because another Angel is taking care of Israel.
God also has another people, the church. The church’s function is mainly to pray, call on the Lord’s name, and cry out to the throne; then the other Angel offers all the church’s prayer to God and brings down the answer to these prayers (vv. 3-5). His way to bring down the answer is to scatter the answer upon the earth. Christ offers the prayer to God; He adds Himself as the incense; then He receives the answer and pours the answer out upon the earth. Today the entire earth is under the answers of the saints’ prayers.
The third time the book of Revelation mentions Christ as another Angel is in 10:1-5. As the strong Angel coming down out of heaven, Christ, the universal person, places His right foot on the sea and His left foot on the land. To place His feet on the sea and on the land is to tread upon them, and to tread upon them is to take possession of them (Deut. 11:24; Josh. 1:3; Psa. 8:6). This indicates that Christ is coming down to take possession of the earth. Only He is worthy to open the scroll of God’s economy, and only He is qualified to possess the earth. Eventually, all the peoples of the earth who are fighting in order to claim more territory will discover that they have done this in vain. The earth is the Lord’s (Psa. 24:1), and by the time of Revelation 10 He will come to take possession of it. All the waters and the lands will be under the feet of Christ. He will be the universal One coming to tread on the sea and the land. The land and the sea are His, not the rulers’ of this earth. All the nations that are seeking to possess and dominate other countries are working in vain.
Finally, Revelation 18:1 shows that as another Angel, the Lord appears in glory to make the whole earth the kingdom of God (11:15). He comes to take over the entire earth and make it His kingdom and God’s kingdom. The kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of Christ at His coming back after His judgment upon the nations (Dan. 7:13-14; 2:44-45). This is the wonderful One to be the Executor of God’s administration to take care of His people, to present His people’s prayer to God, and to possess the earth to make the earth His kingdom.
Also, the redeeming Lamb as the Executor of God’s New Testament economy marries the bride (19:7-9) and as the Word of God judges and wars against Antichrist and his armies (vv. 11-21). The church eventually will be the bride for the Lamb to marry, and the worldly people will consummate in Antichrist with his army against God. This wonderful Executor as the Lamb of God will marry the positive people, the bride. Then as the Word of God, He will slay the negative ones. To us He is the Lamb of God. To the worldly people who are in rebellion against Him, He is the Word of God. The Bible tells us that God judges, condemns, and puts people to death by His Word (2 Thes. 2:8). The totality of God’s Word is Christ. The Christ in John 1:1 and 14 is the Word for incarnation and redeeming, but in Revelation 19 Christ as the Word is for judging. Both the Lamb and the Word are aspects of this wonderful Executor. As the Executor of God’s New Testament economy, He is another Angel, the Lamb of God, and the Word of God.
The seven eyes of the Lamb as the Executor of God’s New Testament economy are the seven lamps upheld by the seven lampstands, the seven churches, shining and enlightening as the testimony of Jesus (vv. 9b, 11-12). This burning, judging, purifying, refining, and producing Spirit is the lamps upheld by the lampstands, the churches. This means that the churches shine through the lamps, and these lamps are the Spirit, the real testimony. We have stressed very much that the seven Spirits today are judging, purifying, refining, and bringing forth the churches. We must realize, though, that the extent to which the seven Spirits refine is the extent to which they shine. If we do not allow the seven Spirits to refine us, the seven Spirits have no way to shine, and there is no testimony. The shining of the seven Spirits is the testimony. The more we let the Spirit purify us and refine us, the more He shines through us, and this shining is the testimony of the churches. This is why we have to open ourselves every day to welcome Him to enter into our being to refine, to judge, to purge, and to purify us. Then He will shine through us, and this shining is the very testimony of the church, the testimony of Jesus. The testimony of Jesus is the shining of the seven Spirits from within all the believers in the churches.
The seven Spirits, who are the lamps of fire in this age executing God’s New Testament economy (4:5), will become the river of water, saturating the holy city of God, the New Jerusalem (22:1-2). First, the seven Spirits are the lamps of fire, and eventually, the seven Spirits will be the river of water. Fire and water both refer to the same Spirit. Fire is to purge, refine, and produce, and water is to saturate and supply. The Spirit is the refining fire in this age, and the Spirit is also the saturating, supplying water, first in this age and then in the coming age and eternity. The refining fire produces the lampstands, the churches, in this age with the saturating water, which will consummate in the New Jerusalem. Both the lampstand and the New Jerusalem are the full expression of God and the testimony of Jesus in this age and in eternity.
