In our previous messages we have seen that Christ is now exercising His rulership for the spread of the gospel, that His people might be brought in; He is exercising His headship to cause us to grow and function, that His Body might be built up; He is exercising His priesthood to intercede for us; He is executing the new testament for us; and He is ministering the life supply to us. We are well taken care of. As far as we are concerned, there is no shortage. But how about the universe? How about God’s whole purpose? For this, we need to consider one further aspect of the Lord’s ministry in the heavens.
This final aspect, of Christ’s universal administration in the heavens, is unfolded for us in the book of Revelation. The whole universe, both the heavens and the earth, is under His authority. He is the universal Administrator.
In Revelation we first see that Christ, God’s anointed One, is now caring for His church. He is caring for it in an administrative way. The churches are God’s lampstands shining forth His testimony. They need Christ’s administration. Sometimes troubles and difficulties arise, requiring His administrative attention. In the ancient time the high priest took care of the lampstand, seeing that all the lamps were trimmed so they would keep shining brightly. Our High Priest today is doing this very same work as He walks in the midst of the lampstands (Rev. 1:11-13).
He is further caring for the churches by holding all the responsible ones in His hand. The leading ones in the churches are likened to stars, shining in the heavens during the darkness of the night (Rev. 1:16, 20). We who are the serving ones need to be aware that we are not in our own hands, but His. He administrates the lampstands and holds the stars. The view given us in Revelation 1 shows us how the local churches in this age can go on. The situation among Christians is surely disappointing and discouraging. We must turn away from the earthly view and look to Christ! He is the First and the Last! He is the living One, even living forever! He is able! He it is who is now holding “the seven stars in His right hand” and walking “in the midst of the seven golden lampstands” (2:1). He “opens and no one shall shut, and shuts and no one shall open” (3:7). By looking away to Him we shall be encouraged. The local churches will never fail because of this Administrator walking among us, holding the leading ones!
Such is Christ’s administration in the churches.
The book of Revelation also tells us that Christ is the Administrator taking care of all peoples. There are the Jews, God’s elect; the heathen, the nations; and those in Christendom. We need to be aware that even Christendom and how it will progress are under Christ’s administration. When all these categories of people have been dealt with according to Christ’s rule, there will be the millennium, the kingdom of God on this earth. Afterwards there will be a new age, eternity, with the New Jerusalem and the new heaven and the new earth. Of these peoples and ages Christ is the Administrator.
This is what is unfolded to us, beginning with Revelation 4. The scene changes from Christ’s tending of the lampstands (chapters one to three) to “a door opened in heaven,” and we are shown “what must take place after these things” (4:1). Christ is presented as the redeeming Lamb who is the Victor, qualified to take up the new testament, open it, and execute it. Such is the meaning of the sealed scroll in the right hand of the One on the throne (5:1). When a strong angel calls out, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” (5:2), only this worthy Lion-Lamb is able to come and take the scroll (5:5-7). He is qualified to take the new testament, open it, and execute it.
The new testament in the Epistles of Paul is mainly for our enjoyment of the riches of Christ which have been bequeathed to us. There is, however, another aspect to the new testament. God deals with the universe according to His testament. How He deals with the Jews, the nations, and Christendom will all be according to His testament. In this testament are bequests for us as believers to enjoy. In this testament are also the matters of God’s dealing with different peoples and even with the heavens and the earth. This new testament the Redeemer of the whole universe is qualified to take, open, and execute.
Eventually everything in the universe will be headed up in Christ. The Jews, the heathen nations, and Christendom will all be dealt with, and God’s kingdom ushered in on this earth. When all things are headed up in Christ, there will be the fullness of the times. The heavens will be new. So will the earth and everything in it. The whole universe will be in order. There will be no more division, confusion, darkness, death, night, nor tears.
When people ask us how we are, we usually reply “fine.” Actually, everything is not fine. Things are mixed up, confused, dark, and under death. There is reason to shed tears. Even the men should shed tears for the pitiful state of things. To say that we are fine or that things are fine is not true. No one is fine. No family is fine. No society is fine.
A day will come, however, when there will be a new heaven and a new earth. All things will be headed up in Christ. Everything will be in order. Then everything will be fine. Who is worthy to administrate this new heaven and new earth with the New Jerusalem? Only Christ. He is the One who died to redeem the whole universe. He is the One who conquered Satan through His death. He is the One who consummated the covenant with His redeeming blood. He is the One who bequeathed the new testament to us.
How qualified He is! He is worthy to take up the scroll of the new testament, open it up, execute all that is written therein, provide us with every bequest, carry out every item contained in it, and bring everything in the universe into order. This is Christ’s ultimate heavenly ministry, the carrying out of all that God designed.