The first vision in Revelation is that of the seven lampstands, which are the seven local churches. The most impressive feature is that Christ is walking in the midst of the lampstands (1:13; 2:1). As a sign, this indicates that the place in which Christ can walk is the churches. If there were no churches on the earth, there would be no place for Christ to walk. To walk implies to appear to people. The place where John saw Jesus was in the midst of the churches. Many of us can testify that before we came into the churches, we knew of Jesus, but we did not see much of Him. In the church life, though, Jesus is here day by day. When we go to the church in each locality, there is Jesus. Jesus is everywhere in the local churches. In the churches we not only know of Jesus or hear of Him, but we see Him and meet with Him. What the Lord truly desires to gain is the local churches. Many Christians today are interested in knowing the prophecies. When we consider the situation in the Middle East, with Israel and the Arab countries, we can realize that these are the closing days of this age. We are very close to the end. However, the book of Revelation is not mainly a book of prophecies of the events to come. It is a book concerning the churches as the testimony of Jesus.
As we saw, the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 16 that He will build His church, but where is He building His church today? He cannot build His church in a practical way in the Roman Catholic Church, amidst the masses, the burning of incense, and the confessions to the priests. Likewise, there is no way for the Lord Jesus to build His church in the large denominations. It is certainly possible for people to be saved there. Even in the Catholic Church many people have been saved. To some extent, those places are good for people to be saved, but we cannot honestly say that they are good for the Lord Jesus to build His church. What about the free groups or home Bible studies, that are composed of five to ten people who love the Lord and come together to pray and study? These are good for the sake of fellowship, but there is little opportunity for the Lord to build up His church in these groups. They do not intend to serve this purpose. If we go to them to try to speak something about the church, they may say, “Please, do not talk about this. You will only create trouble.” There is also the so-called charismatic movement, even within the Catholic Church. In some Catholic churches we can find the “charismatic” things, the mass, and the worship of Mary all mixed together. Again, there is no way for the Lord to build His church in this situation. If we stand apart and objectively look at the situation, we will be clear that there is no way for the Lord to build up His church in the Catholic Church, the denominations, the free groups, or the charismatic movement. Where then can the Lord build up His church?
Over fifty years ago, in 1922, the Lord gained a young man, Watchman Nee, and burdened him concerning the church, and we all received the same vision through him. When I was under the good teachers of the Brethren assembly, I learned the Bible according to the letter, but I did not receive much revelation. At the same time, Brother Nee was used by God to raise up the churches. Eventually, I saw the vision of the church through his testimony, and I came out of the denominations. We were very clear about the church life. Once you see something, you can never say you have not seen it. From our youth we fought for the matter of the church, because we saw a vision of it. For the Lord’s coming back, there is the need for the local churches so that the Lord may build His church. John 3:29 says, “He who has the bride is the bridegroom.” We know that the bride is the church, but where in today’s situation is the bride? Without the local churches, there is no possibility to have the bride.
As we have seen, the book of Revelation is not merely a book of prophecy concerning the beasts and the ten horns. It is a book of the church. In chapter 1 there are the local churches, and in chapters 2 and 3 there is more concerning the local churches. Of course, a good painting always has its background, so after the first three chapters there is something further concerning the world situation. Then in chapter 7 there is the great multitude of redeemed ones who constitute the church, in chapter 12 there is the man-child, the overcomers produced within the church, and in chapter 14 there are the one hundred forty-four thousand firstfruits and the crop, the harvest. In chapter 19 there is the bride who has made herself ready as the issue of the proper churches indicated in all the foregoing chapters; the bride in chapter 19 comes out of the churches in chapter 1. Finally, there is the New Jerusalem in chapter 21. Revelation begins with the seven churches and ends with the New Jerusalem, which is the consummation of the churches. All this is the testimony of Jesus.
If we truly mean business to follow the Lord, love Him, and be for His testimony, we all need to be clear that what the Lord needs today is the local churches. We do not criticize the other works that some do, but we realize that the central testimony that the Lord desires is the local churches. The local churches are all-inclusive. In the churches there are gospel preaching, outreach, increase, fruit-bearing, edification, the ministry of life, the growth of life, and the building up of the Body. The local churches are not a mission, work, denomination, or organization to maintain certain teachings and doctrines. The local churches are the expression of the all-inclusive Christ. Therefore, they are the testimony of Jesus. This will produce the bride, and this will issue and consummate in the New Jerusalem, which will be the full testimony of Jesus. In order to realize the testimony of Jesus, we must build up the local churches and then enter into them, just as Noah first built the ark and then entered into it. This is our salvation and testimony today, which is the testimony of Jesus. Here people can see Christ, and here Christ can walk, appear to people, visit people, and meet with people. This is the practical and living need for the Lord’s testimony today. We must all see this, and we must all enter into it.