The focus of John’s writings is the mysteries of the divine life. In his Gospel the focus is the mystery of the manifestation of the divine life in the Person of Jesus. Life is invisible. Nevertheless, according to the Gospel of John, the divine life was manifested solidly, bodily, in the Person of Jesus. This is a mystery.
In John’s Epistles, especially in the first one, the focus is the mystery of the fellowship of the manifested divine life among the believers with God and with one another. This fellowship is mysterious. Although we are of different races, colors, and nationalities, we enjoy the one fellowship in the manifested divine life. We have a wonderful oneness among us. This is the mystery of the fellowship of the divine life.
In the book of Revelation the focus is on Christ being the life supply to God’s children for His expression, and the center of the universal administration of the Triune God. In chapter two of Revelation we see that we may eat of Christ as the tree of life in God’s paradise and also as the hidden manna (vv. 7, 17). Furthermore, in Revelation 3:20 we see that we may feast with Him. The tree of life, the hidden manna, and the feasting with the Lord all indicate that Christ is our life supply. However, many Christians do not realize that Christ is our tree of life, our hidden manna, and our feast. But we have seen this revelation. We have seen in the book of Revelation that Christ is our life supply and that we may feed on Him as the hidden manna and as the tree of life and enjoy Him as our feast.
The purpose of enjoying Christ as our life supply is that we may be a lampstand shining Him forth. We in the churches are a lampstand constituted of the life supply of the Lord Jesus as the tree of life, the hidden manna, and the feast. This is mysterious, and it causes us to be mysterious.
Another mystery in the book of Revelation is that of Christ as the center of the universal administration of the Triune God. The people of the world may think that the world is under the rule of kings, presidents, and prime ministers. Actually, Christ is the King of kings, and the entire universe is under His administration. He is the real Administrator, and all earthly administrators are under His rule. The destiny of the world does not depend on human rulers. The world’s destiny is in the hands of Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
John’s writings cover an immense span reaching from eternity past to eternity future with the new heaven and the new earth and the New Jerusalem. In the first verse of his Gospel, John writes concerning eternity past, and in the last chapter of Revelation he speaks of the new heaven and the new earth, referring to eternity future. By this we see that John’s writings cover the span from eternity past to eternity future. At present we are on the bridge of time leading us toward our eternal destiny. This also is divine and mysterious.
I hope that in the coming messages we all shall have a clear vision concerning the extraordinary matter of eternal life. Not even the Gospel of John gives us as thorough a view of eternal life as does the Epistle of 1 John.
First John 1:1 and 2 say, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we beheld, and our hands handled concerning the Word of life; and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and report to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us.” Here we have a clear word regarding eternal life. The following chapters of this Epistle define what this eternal life is. As we shall see, 5:20 says, “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding that we might know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” When we consider this verse in detail, we shall see that “this” refers to the true God and Jesus Christ in whom we are. This word includes the fact that we are in this One, the true One. This implies that, in a practical sense, eternal life is the very God in whom we are in our experience. This surely is an experiential matter, not a matter of doctrine or theology.
In between 1:1-2 and 5:20 we have the fellowship of the divine life, the teaching of the anointing concerning the Triune God, and the divine birth with the divine seed that brings in all the divine virtues. We all need to see clearly that eternal life is the Triune God whom we experience in the fellowship of the divine life, according to the anointing, and by the virtues of the divine birth with the divine seed. I am burdened that we all see this vision. If we do not have this basic and central view, we may see many other things in the Epistles of John, but we shall nevertheless miss the mark. Therefore, it is crucial that in these messages we see from the Epistles of John what eternal life really is.