We want to stress again that our fellowship is concerning God’s New Testament economy. This is God’s divine arrangement, divine family plan, or divine household administration. In the divine life, God has a family and this family is unique, universal, and eternal. This great, divine family is called in the New Testament the household of God (Eph. 2:19). In this household of God there is a divine arrangement, administration, or dispensation. God’s family arrangement, God’s household administration or dispensation, is to dispense, to distribute, and to impart Himself into His chosen and redeemed people. The Greek word for dispensation is oikonomia, composed of oikos meaning house and nomos meaning law. God chose His people in eternity and redeemed His people in time for the purpose of dispensing Himself into them. We have seen that God’s economy is fully revealed and developed in the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, and this economy is focused on one all-inclusive Person who is excellent, marvelous, mysterious, and wonderful. This is why Isaiah 9:6 tells us that His name is called Wonderful Counselor.
The book of Revelation is the conclusion of the revelation concerning Jesus Christ in the Bible. In this book of twenty-two chapters is vision after vision concerning Christ. The first vision concerning Christ shows us Christ as the High Priest walking in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. In this vision Christ is revealed and described in a very extraordinary way. In this vision Christ does not have merely two eyes but seven eyes (5:6). The disciples in the four Gospels never saw a Christ with seven eyes. John did not see such a Christ in the four Gospels but in Revelation he did.
The Christ in Revelation is a “different” Christ from that in the four Gospels. I do not believe in another Christ, but I do believe in a “different” Christ. The Christ in the four Gospels had only two eyes, but the Christ in Revelation has seven eyes. Logically speaking, this Christ in Revelation is different from the one in the Gospels. In addition, Revelation 1:16 tells us that “out of His mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword.” In the four Gospels words of grace are proceeding out of His mouth (Luke 4:22), but in Revelation a sharp two-edged sword is proceeding out of His mouth. This is His discerning, judging, and slaying word (Heb. 4:12; Eph. 6:17) for His dealing with negative persons and things. Again, this shows us that the Christ in Revelation is different from the One revealed in the four Gospels. In the four Gospels, John was reclining on Jesus’ bosom (John 13:23). In the book of Revelation, however, when John saw such a Christ he fell at His feet as dead; he was full of fear (1:17). Christ as the High Priest in Revelation 1 also holds seven stars in His right hand (v. 20) and His feet are like “shining brass, as having been fired in a furnace” (v. 15). Revelation 1:14 also tells us that “His head and hair were white as white wool, as snow.” Probably in our past none of us ever heard a sermon that Christ, our Redeemer, has seven eyes and His eyes are as a flame of fire (1:14). We always heard messages telling us that Jesus is very loving, but we must realize that this One also has seven eyes for Him to observe and search for His judging by enlightening. We all need to see the vision concerning Christ in Revelation 1.
In the book of Revelation we still have the old revelation of Christ. In John 1:29 John the Baptist declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” In Revelation, the Lamb is also mentioned many times. The revelation concerning Jesus Christ in this book is all-inclusive; it has new and old aspects. If we put all these aspects together we will have a clear view of this all-inclusive revelation of Jesus Christ (1:1), new and old, as a conclusion of the entire Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16).
Also, the divine Trinity in this last book of the New Testament has a new sequence (1:4-7; cf. Matt. 28:19). Matthew 28:19 refers us to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The sequence of the Trinity in Revelation 1, however, is not only changed, but also very complicated. Revelation 1:4-7 says, “Grace to you and peace 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. To Him who loves us and has loosed us from our sins by His blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be the glory and the might forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He comes with the clouds, and every eye shall see Him, those also who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the lands shall wail over Him. Yes, amen.”