Search
Scripture Reading: Matt. 16:18; Acts 4:11; Rev. 1:1-2, 9-13, 20; 19:7; 21:2, 10
The Bible contains three great matters: God’s creation, God’s redemption, and God’s building. Concerning God’s building, the New Testament contains the ministries of Peter, Paul, and John. The Lord first mentioned the building of the church in Matthew 16:18. When Peter recognized that the Lord was the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus immediately said, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church.” The name Peter means “stone.” From that day on, Peter was deeply impressed with the matter of building, and he became the first person after the Lord Jesus to speak about the building. Soon after the day of Pentecost, Peter preached that Christ was not only the Savior but also the cornerstone for God’s building (Acts 4:11). Christ is the Stone-Savior, the Savior for salvation and the stone for God’s building.
God’s salvation is for God’s building. In Christianity today people preach Christ mainly as the Savior, not as the stone, because most people have seen the matter of salvation but have missed God’s building. In the past centuries Christians have seen much concerning God’s salvation. From the time of Martin Luther until the present, salvation has been made very clear to God’s people. However, not many know about God’s building. Salvation is not God’s goal; God’s building is His goal, and salvation is the process to accomplish the goal. The New Testament is a book of Christ, and it begins with Christ, but once people come to know Christ, He turns them to the building of the church. When Peter said, “You are the Christ,” the Lord Jesus told him that he was a stone and that He would build His church.
After the four Gospels is Acts, in which Christ is enlarged to be the builded church, and at the end of the New Testament there is a built-up city. In the first three chapters of Revelation there are the seven golden lampstands, which are the churches, and at the end of Revelation there is a city, New Jerusalem, as the consummation of the churches (1:12, 20; 21:2, 10). This is according to the writings of John. In between Peter’s speaking and John’s writings is the ministry of Paul, which is mainly for the building up of the church as the Body of Christ (Eph. 1:22b-23a; 4:12, 16). By this summary we can see that the revelation of the New Testament is a matter of God’s building.
The building of the church began with Peter’s ministry, and it ended with Paul’s. Why then do we need John’s ministry? It is because after Paul’s time the building was damaged. Therefore, we need the mending ministry of John. When John was called by the Lord, he was mending nets (Matt. 4:21). Many years later, his ministry became a mending ministry to mend the divine net. The way he mended the damaged net was with life. John brings us back to the beginning, to life, because according to history, the church was damaged by the religious doctrines, knowledge, and teaching of the Jews and the philosophy of the Greeks. Because both religion and philosophy are matters of knowledge, the mending ministry of John was to bring people back from mere knowledge, doctrines, teachings, and philosophy to life. John 1:1 and 4 say, “In the beginning was the Word...In Him was life.” Knowledge damages and divides; only life mends and unites.
Revelation 1:1 begins, “The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to Him to show to His slaves the things that must quickly take place; and He made it known by signs, sending it by His angel to His slave John.” The revelation of Jesus Christ is not merely an objective record revealed by Him; it is a subjective revelation. Objectively speaking, this book is the word of Christ, but subjectively, the entire book is a picture of Jesus Christ. The twenty-two chapters of this book are a single portrait. Verse 5 of chapter 5 says that Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. A painting of a lion may portray its life, history, and many other supporting characters. However, to speak of all the small characters is to miss the mark of the painting, since the painting as a whole is simply a portrait of the lion. Revelation with its twenty-two chapters is a “painting” of Jesus, portraying and depicting Him. However, if a painting portrays only the main subject without a background or environment, we would think that the artist is not very skillful. A good painter creates a picture full of meaning. Parts of the painting can cause us to weep, and other parts can cause us to rejoice. If a painting causes us to respond in this way, it is the work of the best artist. Revelation is this kind of “painting.” The twenty-two chapters of this book are a good painting of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, but they also show an environment. Besides the Lion, there are beasts with horns and even a dragon (13:1-2, 11; 12:3). When John saw the situation in heaven, he wept, but when the Lion of the tribe of Judah came, there was great rejoicing (5:3-4, 8-14). Eventually, the Lion as the Lamb marries a bride, the bride becomes a square city, and the Lamb sits on the throne with God (19:7; 21:16; 22:1). Then out of this throne flows a river of water of life, bright as crystal, and in the river the tree of life is growing. What a picture this is! This is the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:1 says that God gave this revelation to show to His slaves the things that must quickly take place. If we know the revelation of Christ, we will realize that this is not merely a prophecy of events that will transpire in the future. Rather, these are all matters related to Christ, the divine Lion, and His many doings. Verse 2 says of John, “Who testified the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, even all that he saw.” Then verse 9 says, “I John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and endurance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” Since I first came to the United States, I have considered speaking about the testimony of Jesus, but the time was not ripe to speak in this way. At this time, though, I am burdened to release this point of the truth. The testimony of Jesus is the enlarged Christ. A testimony of a person is something that gives us a clear picture of him. If someone looks at a picture of me, they will know the kind of person I am; this is my “testimony.” In this universe there is a wonderful, mysterious person by the name of Jesus, but where is He today? He is in our city, but how can people see Him? No doubt, the local church, the church in each locality, is the testimony of Jesus today.
The testimony of Jesus is the practical church, not the church “in the air” or the church to come. A church yet to come cannot show Jesus to people, and a church “in the heavens” may show Jesus to the angels, but it cannot show Jesus to people on the earth. To show Jesus to the people in our locality, there is the need of a church in our locality that testifies who Jesus is. If someone in a locality wants to see Jesus, he must come to the church in that locality. Therefore, we need to consider whether we truly bear the image of Jesus. If we show someone an unclear picture of a person, it will not be a proper testimony of him with his image and appearance. We may see something in the picture, but it will not be the person we claim to show. The church in our locality must bear the image, expression, appearance, and virtues of Christ.
As an elderly man, I do not like to criticize or offend anyone. I prefer to love people and to be kind to them. However, when I contact God, I am burdened to speak concerning the situation in Christianity today. Christianity has mostly missed God’s mark. Where is there a church today that truly bears the testimony of Jesus? Christianity mainly cares for people’s salvation, joy, peace, and welfare—present and future. Because of this, if someone gives a message from the pulpit on the testimony of Jesus, he may be cast out. Many pastors, out of fear for their job, do not dare to speak concerning this. Due to this situation, fifty years ago the Lord was forced to go to the Far East, a heathen place, to find some young ones who did not care for their life but were charged with boldness to speak the truth to people.
This is not the age merely for people’s salvation, peace, joy, and welfare. This is the age for the testimony of Jesus Christ. The more we are only for salvation and joy, the less we will enjoy them, and if we are only for peace, peace will not come. Even some pastors fight with their wives, and their children are rebellious. Where is the genuine peace? Because people are only for themselves, they lose everything. True salvation comes when we are for His testimony. There is no need to focus on our salvation. If we care for the testimony of Jesus, we will certainly enjoy salvation. People could martyr Peter and Paul, but they could never take away the apostles’ enjoyment of salvation. Their enjoyment of salvation was secured by the testimony of Jesus.
We need to have a turn from our interest, salvation, peace, joy, and welfare. People in America may have better homes and cars than others have, but they do not have more peace, joy, salvation, or spiritual welfare. Today the Lord Jesus is seeking some people who will be for Him, some who will be bold and willing to say, “Lord Jesus, I do not care merely for my salvation from the lake of fire. I love You, and I want to be Your testimony.” Anyone who says this will certainly be saved from eternal perdition. Likewise, whoever says, “Lord Jesus, I care not for my joy but for Your testimony” will be the most joyful person. The most joyful people are those who are for the testimony of Jesus. If we are not for Jesus’ testimony, what kind of future can we have? Our future will only be one of getting old and weak and eventually being buried. There is no peace, joy, or welfare in this. We are not here for these things. We must be here for His testimony. We should say, “Lord Jesus, I do not care for my peace, my joy, my welfare, or my future. Lord, I care only for Your testimony here today.” This testimony of Jesus is the local church, the church in our locality.
Whenever we touch the local church, we truly have joy, peace, and everything. After I came to the United States from China, I told my relatives and friends in China, “America is a good country, but it is good only for us to have the church life. If you are not for the church life, do not come here. It will be a terrible place to you.” This country is the most sinful place, full of fornication, homosexuality, nightclubs, and many sinful things. There may be more evil here than in Sodom and Gomorrah. However, this is still the best place to have the church life. Here are all the modern conveniences, and people can make good wages simply by working in a trade. Many young Americans in the church life work only five days a week for eight hours a day, and then every evening they can come together to sing and praise the Lord. Some spend their entire Saturday and Lord’s Day “churching” in the church life. To them, being in America is wonderful. One hundred years ago, to sail from the west coast of America to China took six months, but today we can fly to Taiwan in one day and come back the next day. We can also talk to brothers throughout the country and even throughout the world by a long-distance telephone call. Likewise, all the highways and freeways are for the church life. However, if the young people in such a top, rich nation are not for the church life, they will miss the blessing and fall into the “flood” of television, dancing, nightclubs, skiing, and surfing in this country. Like Noah and his family, we are here in the “ark” enjoying the presence of the Lord. This is the church life.
However, we should not care merely for our own enjoyment in the church life. If we do, we are fallen. We are here not for our own enjoyment but for the testimony of Jesus. As long as we are for His testimony, He will be our joy, but if we are for our own joy, we will have no joy. The Lord’s testimony is our joy. Recently, when I saw the young ones in a certain locality, I became very excited. They were so dear to me. I rejoiced so loudly that I had trouble with my voice afterward. Once, when I was invited to speak to another small group, I spoke in a sad way, because everyone there was for himself; not one was for the Lord Jesus. That truly grieved my heart. On the contrary, I am very joyful to be with the churches in many localities. Sometimes my family cautions me to take care of my rest, but I cannot help myself. When I see the churches, I become excited. The church life is truly glorious because Jesus is testified here. The present revelation of God is not a mission or a work of preaching. It is to gain the testimony of Jesus in the church life.
The first vision in Revelation is that of the seven lampstands, which are the seven local churches. The most impressive feature is that Christ is walking in the midst of the lampstands (1:13; 2:1). As a sign, this indicates that the place in which Christ can walk is the churches. If there were no churches on the earth, there would be no place for Christ to walk. To walk implies to appear to people. The place where John saw Jesus was in the midst of the churches. Many of us can testify that before we came into the churches, we knew of Jesus, but we did not see much of Him. In the church life, though, Jesus is here day by day. When we go to the church in each locality, there is Jesus. Jesus is everywhere in the local churches. In the churches we not only know of Jesus or hear of Him, but we see Him and meet with Him. What the Lord truly desires to gain is the local churches. Many Christians today are interested in knowing the prophecies. When we consider the situation in the Middle East with Israel and the Arab countries, we can realize that these are the closing days of this age. We are very close to the end. However, the book of Revelation is not mainly a book of prophecies of the events to come. It is a book concerning the churches as the testimony of Jesus.
As we saw, the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 16 that He will build His church, but where is He building His church today? He cannot build His church in a practical way in the Roman Catholic Church amidst the masses, the burning of incense, and the confessions to the priests. Likewise, there is no way for the Lord Jesus to build His church in the large denominations. It is certainly possible for people to be saved there. Even in the Catholic Church many people have been saved. To some extent, those places are good for people to be saved, but we cannot honestly say that they are good for the Lord Jesus to build His church. What about the free groups or home Bible studies, that are composed of five to ten people who love the Lord and come together to pray and study? These are good for the sake of fellowship, but there is little opportunity for the Lord to build up His church in these groups. They do not intend to serve this purpose. If we go to them to try to speak something about the church, they may say, “Please, do not talk about this. You will only create trouble.” There is also the so-called charismatic movement, even within the Catholic Church. In some Catholic churches we can find the “charismatic” things, the mass, and the worship of Mary all mixed together. Again, there is no way for the Lord to build His church in this situation. If we stand apart and objectively look at the situation, we will be clear that there is no way for the Lord to build up His church in the Catholic Church, the denominations, the free groups, or the charismatic movement. Where then can the Lord build up His church?
Over fifty years ago, in 1922, the Lord gained a young man, Watchman Nee, and burdened him concerning the church, and we all received the same vision through him. When I was under the good Brethren teachers, I learned the Bible according to the letter, but I did not receive much revelation. At the same time Brother Nee was used by God to raise up the churches. Eventually, I saw the vision of the church through his testimony, and I came out of the denominations. We were very clear about the church life. Once you see something, you can never say that you have not seen it. From our youth we fought for the matter of the church because we saw a vision of it. For the Lord’s coming back, there is the need for the local churches so that the Lord may build His church. John 3:29 says, “He who has the bride is the bridegroom.” We know that the bride is the church, but where in today’s situation is the bride? Without the local churches there is no possibility to have the bride.
As we have seen, the book of Revelation is not merely a book of prophecy concerning the beasts and the ten horns. It is a book of the church. In chapter 1 there are the local churches, and in chapters 2 and 3 there is more concerning the local churches. Of course, a good painting always has its background, so after the first three chapters there is something further concerning the world situation. Then in chapter 7 there is the great multitude of redeemed ones who constitute the church; in chapter 12 there is the man-child, the overcomers produced within the church; and in chapter 14 there are the one hundred forty-four thousand firstfruits and the crop, the harvest. In chapter 19 there is the bride who has made herself ready as the issue of the proper churches indicated in all the foregoing chapters; the bride in chapter 19 comes out of the churches in chapter 1. Finally, there is the New Jerusalem in chapter 21. Revelation begins with the seven churches and ends with the New Jerusalem, which is the consummation of the churches. All this is the testimony of Jesus.
If we truly mean business to follow the Lord, love Him, and be for His testimony, we all need to be clear that what the Lord needs today is the local churches. We do not criticize the other works that some do, but we realize that the central testimony that the Lord desires is the local churches. The local churches are all-inclusive. In the churches there are gospel preaching, outreach, increase, fruit-bearing, edification, the ministry of life, the growth of life, and the building up of the Body. The local churches are not a mission, work, denomination, or organization to maintain certain teachings and doctrines. The local churches are the expression of the all-inclusive Christ. Therefore, they are the testimony of Jesus. This will produce the bride, and this will issue and consummate in the New Jerusalem, which will be the full testimony of Jesus. In order to realize the testimony of Jesus, we must build up the local churches and then enter into them, just as Noah first built the ark and then entered into it. This is our salvation and testimony today, which is the testimony of Jesus. Here people can see Christ, and here Christ can walk, appear to people, visit people, and meet with people. This is the practical and living need for the Lord’s testimony today. We must all see this, and we must all enter into it.
