Revelation 1:4 speaks of the grace which is given to the local churches in the dark age of the church’s degradation for the believers who seek to answer the Lord’s calling to be His overcomers over the self (Matt. 16:24), the devil (Heb. 2:14), sin (Rom. 5:21a), the cosmos of Satan (John 12:31), satanic Judaism (Rev. 3:9), demonic Catholicism (Rev. 2:20, 24), and Christless Protestantism (Rev. 3:1b, 20) for the closing of all the ages and for the bringing in of the New Jerusalem. This indicates that grace reigns unto eternal life (Rom. 5:21b). Because sin reigns, we also must reign by grace. To reign by grace is to overcome.
We need to overcome today’s Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism by the grace of Christ. The Protestant churches are Christless, because Revelation tells us that Christ is outside the door of the Protestant churches. In Laodicea Christ was knocking on the door (Rev. 3:20). Because Christ was outside the so-called church, it does not have Christ. It is Christless.
We have to overcome all these negative things for the closing of all the ages and for the bringing in of the New Jerusalem. Grace reigns over all the enemies to bring in the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is the fulfillment of the word in Romans 5:21 that grace reigns unto eternal life. It will be a strong testimony of the consummation of the divine life carried out by grace. Grace reigning unto eternal life means that grace reigns to bring in the New Jerusalem.
Revelation 1:4 and 5 say, “Grace to you...from Him who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth.” The beginning of the book of Revelation indicates that grace will come to us for all the things covered in the following chapters. How can we have the lampstands? By grace. How can we overcome the degradation of the church? By grace. How can we suffer the persecution and opposition from Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism? By grace. How can we be the overcomers? By grace. How can we fight down Satan? By grace. How can we fight down our self? By grace. In every chapter of the book of Revelation, whatever is done positively is all by grace.
The grace is with us at the beginning of the book of Revelation, and this same grace is mentioned at the end of this book. Thus, grace is not only the end of the book of Revelation but also the end of the entire Bible. Revelation 22:21 says, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.” The saints include all of us who have believed into Christ. This is the closing, the ending, of the entire Bible.
Many Bible readers know and can recite the first sentence of the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (ASV). But not many know the concluding word of the Bible. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth is objective to us. But the grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints is subjective to us. We have to pray-read this concluding verse of the Bible. The grace of the Lord must be with each one of us in every aspect of our daily life because we are saints. This grace consummates in the New Jerusalem as the consummation of God’s good pleasure in joining and mingling Himself with man for His glorious enlargement and eternal expression.