In these epistles to the seven churches we also see Balaam (2:14) and Jezebel (2:20) and their consummation. Seemingly, these two are not related to life, to Christ, to the Spirit, or to the church. What they did, however, had very much to do, negatively, with the churches. Balaam did many things to distract God’s people (Deut. 23:4; Num. 31:16; cf. 25:1-3) and Jezebel did many things to lead God’s people astray (1 Kings 16:31; 19:2; 21:23, 25-26; 2 Kings 9:7). Throughout the centuries there have been many Balaams who distracted God’s people and many Jezebels who mislead God’s people.
In Revelation 2:17 we also see the hidden manna, which again is only for a restricted number of people—the overcomers. In John 6 the Lord Jesus referred to manna: “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die” (vv. 48-50). In Revelation 2 the manna is applied again in a restricted way. This is the hidden manna in the ark of the testimony within the Holy of Holies. We can see again that there is nearly nothing new in the book of Revelation. All the items are in their consummation.
The “Star out of Jacob” (Num. 24:17) and the star appearing at the Lord’s birth (Matt. 2:7, 9-10) consummates in the morning star in Revelation 2:28. No star is as bright as the morning star. At His second appearing, Christ will be the morning star to His overcomers who watch for His coming. To all the others, He will appear only as the sun (Mal. 4:2).
In the seven epistles we also see the pillar in the temple (3:12). For us to realize the significance of the pillar in Revelation 3 we need to study 1 Kings 7:13-23. In the temple in the Old Testament there were two pillars. One was named Jachin and the other was named Boaz (v. 21). We also need to study the pillars in the church in Galatians 2:9 and the church being the pillar of the truth in 1 Timothy 3:15. The pillar mentioned in Revelation 3 is a consummation of the pillars in all these portions of the Word.
Then to the church in Laodicea the promise to the overcomers is a feast (3:20). Based upon this thought of a feast, it is necessary to go back and study all the feasts in the Old Testament. There were three major feasts a year in the Old Testament (Deut. 16:16)—the feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:4-8), the feast of weeks (Deut. 16:10), which was also called the feast of Harvest (Exo. 23:16) or Pentecost (Lev. 23:15-22), and the feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:33-44). This shows us that the thought of a feast is not new in the book of Revelation. This thought was in the Old Testament already.
In Revelation 4 we see the throne in its consummation (vv. 2-3). Ezekiel also saw the throne (Ezek. 1:26; 10:1). The throne of God revealed in Revelation is nearly the same as the portrait of the throne of God in Ezekiel. Daniel also saw the throne (Dan. 7:9). He saw a little concerning the throne and Ezekiel saw more, but neither of them saw as much as John did in Revelation. The throne in Revelation is not new, but it is a consummation of the throne. Seventeen chapters in the book of Revelation give us a record of this throne, from chapter four through chapter twenty. Out of this throne come the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls.
Then in the book of Revelation we see the Lamb. This is also a consummation. The Lamb is implied in the firstlings of the flock offered by Abel in Genesis 4:4. The Lamb was revealed in Genesis 22 with Abraham (vv. 7-8, 13). The ram offered by Abraham as a substitutionary sacrifice for Isaac points to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world in John’s writings. To understand the Lamb and its consummation in Revelation, it is necessary to go back to all the books of the Bible to see the Lamb. The Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5), undoubtedly, is the consummation of the Lion in Genesis 49:9. The redeeming Lamb (5:6) and the overcoming Lion are consummations. In redeeming, Christ has overcome all the negative things, especially the main enemy, Satan. He is the Lion-Lamb, accomplishing redemption by overcoming all the negative things. This is the consummation in chapter five. The ultimate consummation of the Lamb, though, is in chapter twenty-one. There we see the Lamb as the one who holds God within Him as light because the Lamb is the lamp and God is the light in the lamp (21:23). This indicates that Christ as the overcoming Redeemer holds God within Him. This is the ultimate consummation of the Lamb.
When the fifth seal is opened in Revelation 6:9, we see the altar. Underneath the altar are the souls of the martyred saints who cry out to God from Paradise for vengeance. This altar is not the altar within the tabernacle, the incense altar, but the altar in the outer court, the altar of burnt offering, where people offer things for God’s satisfaction. The souls of the martyrs underneath the altar indicate that they were sacrifices offered to God on the altar for God’s satisfaction.
Another item in the book of Revelation is the seven seals (5:1). The seal was also an item that was in the Old Testament (Dan. 9:24; 12:4). Something that is sealed means that it is kept secret and confidential. In the New Testament, in Revelation, is the consummation of the seals. These seals are the secrets of the entire universal administration of God.
In the book of Revelation we also see the seven trumpets, which are the execution of God’s economy (8:6-11:19). The trumpet is another item that was in the Old Testament. A trumpet was always used to indicate the move of God’s people (Num. 10:2), especially the move in war (Josh. 6:5). Actually, the seven trumpets are soundings to the church to move on, to fight God’s battle. Even the trumpets in Revelation are a consummation.
In Revelation 8 we see Christ as the Priest burning the incense with the fire from the altar of burnt offering (vv. 3-5). Christ came and stood at the altar of burnt offering (Exo. 27:1-8) to get the fire. Then He burned the incense and offered it at the incense altar. These two altars are consummations. We must see that these are not the altars in type, but these are the real altars. The burnt offering altar surely cannot be in the heavens, but must be something on this earth. Also, Christ stood by this altar. As we have seen, the incense altar, undoubtedly, was in the heavenly tabernacle, but where is the altar on this earth? This shows us that to interpret the Bible is not an easy task. Actually, the earthly altar is a sign of the cross. The cross was not something accomplished in the heavens, but on earth. Therefore, when Christ stood by the altar of the offerings, this indicates Christ stood by His cross to get the fire from the cross to burn the incense to offer to God on the incense altar in the heavens.
All of these items need our study and need many messages to develop. In the next chapter we will continue to see more of the book of Revelation as a consummation of all the items related to Christ, life, the Spirit, and the church.