Now we come to the contents of Revelation. Do not think that the contents of this book are frogs, scorpions, locusts, horns, serpents, and horses. We should not even say that the contents are merely the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls. No, this book is not mainly concerned with these things. Revelation is firstly a book of Christ, secondly a book of the church, and thirdly a book of God’s economy.
The whole Bible reveals Christ. As the conclusion, completion, and consummation of the Bible, the book of Revelation especially is “the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1). Although this book also reveals many other things, the focus of its revelation is Christ. Several aspects of Christ, such as the vision of Him as the High Priest in the midst of the churches, caring for them in love yet with a judging attitude (1:13-16), the vision of Him as the Lion-Lamb in the midst of God’s throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the twenty-four elders of the universe, opening the seven seals of God’s universal administration (5:1—6:1), and the vision of Him as Another Mighty Angel coming down from heaven to take possession of the earth (10:1-8; 18:1) have never been unveiled as they are in the book of Revelation. In this book, the revelation of Christ is unique and ultimate. In the Gospels, Acts, and Epistles we do not see that Christ has seven eyes, but this is revealed in the book of Revelation (5:6). Christ, our Savior, has seven eyes. How terrifying! This revelation of Christ is unique. In Luke 4:22 we are told that “words of grace” proceeded out of Christ’s mouth, but in Revelation 1:16 a sharp two-edged sword proceeds out of His mouth. Moreover, in his Gospel, John says, “Behold, the Lamb of God” (1:29), but in Revelation one of the elders says, “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah” (5:5). Hence, the revelation of Christ in this book is unique. In no other book is Christ unveiled as He is in Revelation. The first item of the contents of Revelation is this unique Christ.
On one hand, this book gives us “the revelation of Christ,” and on the other hand, it shows us “the testimony of Jesus,” which is particular and consummate (1:2, 9; 12:17; 19:10; 20:4). The testimony of Jesus is the church. Revelation presents the revealed Christ and the testifying church. In this book we have a particular and consummate record of the church. In no other book are the churches revealed as they are in the book of Revelation. The lampstands in chapter one, the great multitude of the redeemed in chapter seven, the bright woman with her man-child in chapter twelve, the harvest with its firstfruits in chapter fourteen, the overcomers on the sea of glass in chapter fifteen, the Bride ready for marriage and the fighting army of Christ in chapter nineteen, and the New Jerusalem in chapters twenty-one and twenty-two are all the testimony of Jesus. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit—the substance, the disposition, and the characteristic—of the prophecy (19:10). Christ is the Witness (1:5), the testimony, the expression of God, and the church is the testimony, the expression of Christ. As such, the church is the reproduction of the testimony, the expression of God in Christ. The particular revelation of the church in this book is very crucial, and we all must see it.