Why is the order of life and light reversed in the Gospel of John? In God’s creation, light is first and life follows. But in God’s regeneration, life comes first and light follows. In the old creation light comes before life. But in God’s new creation, life comes first, followed by light. This is because in God’s old creation, God did not enter into His creatures. Therefore, God sent light in an objective way to shine over the darkness that life may be produced. However, in God’s new creation, God comes into His creature. He comes into us as our life, and this life is the light of men.
When we came into the church, we did not see light first. We did not have eyes to see the spiritual reality. The butterfly was there, but we only saw the cocoon. We could not see the spirit, we could only see the flesh. This simply means that our eyes were blind to the real things.
Before we were saved, we never saw anything. Then one day we opened to the Lord Jesus and called on His name. Soon the light began to shine, and we could see all the sinful things we had done. Eventually we said, “O Lord Jesus, forgive me!” Then we sensed heavenly peace, and the burden of our sins fell off. The tears of joy began to flow. This is life. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” From that time we were delivered out of darkness and brought into His wonderful light. This light comes from the life within. Once Jesus gets into us, the light begins to shine. I believe we have all had this kind of experience. When we were without Christ and in darkness, we could not see our sinfulness, our wickedness. But when the Lord Jesus came into us, His life became the light. Then He began to enlighten and expose us. In one sense, it is terrifying, but in another sense, it is really wonderful. What a release, and what a cleansing!
Now we must see something more in the book of Revelation. In Revelation 1, there are many items related to light concerning the Son of Man: “And His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength” (Rev. 1:14b-15a, 16b). Here the Lord’s face is like the shining sun. This is light. His eyes are like flaming fire. Flaming fire not only burns; it also gives light. His feet were like fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace. They were also shining.
Look at this wonderful Person! His eyes are flaming, His face is shining, and His feet are burning. When we approach Him, we simply approach light. When He comes, He comes with light. In all the social clubs of this world, everything is in darkness. But if the church is genuine in the Lord’s recovery, Jesus is there with a face like the shining sun, with flaming eyes, and with burning brass feet. Some may argue concerning who is the church. If we are the genuine church, Christ is here shining.
Eventually, because of His glory, the whole earth will be lightened. One day, all the earth will be under the lightening of the church. In the new heaven and new earth, all the nations will walk in the light of the New Jerusalem. “And the nations shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it” (Rev. 21:24, Gk.). The New Jerusalem will not only be full of light, but even the nations around the New Jerusalem will walk in the light of the city. The city will enlighten the whole earth. This should be a picture of the church today. The church today should enlighten the earth.
Jesus said in the Gospel of John that He is the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5). This is just a little seed. When we come to the book of Revelation, there is the harvest of this seed. We have already seen that His face is like the shining of the sun. In chapter eighteen, His glory enlightens the whole earth. “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory” (Rev. 18:1). Here we see the harvest. In the Gospel of John, we only have the seed of Christ being the light, but in Revelation there is the harvest. In this book Christ is not only the light, but also the shining sun full of glory, enlightening the whole world.