The four Gospels, which constitute the first section of the New Testament, show us the Lord Jesus in the flesh.
To be in the Holy Spirit is to be in resurrection. Christ in the flesh involves Christ’s incarnation as a man. Christ in the Spirit involves Christ’s death and resurrection. This is the scene at the end of the four Gospels and the beginning of the book of Acts. He was first in the flesh and later in the Spirit.
Christ is in both the believers and the church as seen in the Epistles. The Epistles show us the matter of Christ being in the individual believers. They also show us the matter of Christ being in the church. If we want to know Him, we must know of His being in the flesh, of His being in the Spirit, of His being in the individual believers, and of His being in the church.
In the universe God’s government involves mainly His judgment; the book of Revelation shows us God’s judgment. God judges the church, the Jews, and the Gentiles; He judges the living and the dead. All of these judgments are in the hand of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus is the One established by God as the Lord, and He is appointed by God as the One who judges the living and the dead (1 Pet. 4:5). God not only wants Him to be the Savior Lord and the Lord of all, God also wants Him to be the Lord of judgment.
Revelation is a book on judgment. In the first three chapters we see a sharp two-edged sword proceeding out of the mouth of the Lord Jesus, and His eyes are like a flame of fire for judging the churches. Later, we see the Lord Jesus coming to judge the world; both the Jews and the Gentiles will be under His judgment. One day He will judge both the living and the dead, as they stand before His great white throne. In the end He will judge Satan and death. These judgments are God’s government. The Lord Jesus has a particular position in God’s governmental judgment.
In order to know our Lord, we need to see that He was so meek, lowly, approachable, considerate, capable of performing miracles, and able to speak words of wisdom in His flesh in the Gospels. We also need to know that He died on the cross for us and in resurrection became the Spirit, surpassing all limitations of space and time, having form yet being without form, that is, as being without a form yet still having a form. He is seemingly intangible yet very tangible, that is, being seemingly tangible yet still being intangible. We also need to know that He came to be life in the individual believers, dwelling in them, and that He is the content and reality of the church. We also need to know that in God’s government He rules over all and executes judgment on the church, the Jews, the Gentiles, the living, the dead, Satan, death, and Hades.
Judgment is Christ’s clearing up of all the negative things and also His recovering. Whatever He judges, He clears up; whatever He judges, He recovers. After clearing up and recovering, His kingdom comes. At this time, the entire universe will have only one authority instead of two. The authority of God Himself will be carried out freely in the universe and come to the earth, causing the whole earth to become the kingdom of God. This will be the coming of the millennial kingdom. In this kingdom our Lord Jesus will be the Leader and the King; moreover, He will be everything in the kingdom.
When the millennial kingdom is complete, eternity will come. In eternity, in the new heaven and the new earth, Christ will be the Lamb on the throne, and God will be in Him. Christ will be the lamp, and God will be the light within Him. Out from His throne the living water of life will flow, in which will grow the tree of life. Christ will be the central character in the New Jerusalem, and the living city of the New Jerusalem will be His expression. He will gain the highest glory among all peoples and nations. He will be the One glorified and expressed in the center, at the height, and on the throne.
In summary, there are six ins in the New Testament: (1) in the flesh, (2) in the Spirit, (3) in the believers and the church, (4) in God’s governmental judgment, (5) in God’s kingdom, and (6) in eternity, in the new heaven and the new earth. There are thirteen ins in the Old Testament: (1) in God’s creation, (2) in the redemption promised by God, (3) in the fellowship between man and God, (4) in God’s saving way for man, (5) in the covenant of grace promised by God, (6) in God’s salvation to man, (7) in the journey of God’s people, (8) in the service of God’s people, (9) in the fighting of God’s people, (10) in the inheritance of God’s people, (11) in the kingdom of God, (12) in the sentiments of the experiences of the saints, and (13) in the prophecies of the prophets. Together there are nineteen ins in the Old Testament and the New Testament. If we read through all nineteen ins we will have a thorough understanding of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Christ is the line that runs from Genesis through to the end of Revelation. We see Him in eternity past, in God’s creation, in God’s redemption, and even in eternity future. He is truly a glorious One!