CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Scripture Reading: Rev. 1—3; 22:7, 18-19

The apostle John’s writings, whether his Epistles or his Gospel, were always the last in each category. Revelation, of course, was the last of all the books written in the Bible. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written regarding the behavior of the Lord Jesus on this earth, while the Gospel of John speaks of “He who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven” (3:13). John wrote at the time when the Gnostics were confusing the Word of God; his writings bring men to heaven to see God’s eternal fact in heaven. John brings us out of the realm of man to wholly receive the Son of God. What John wrote has the special feature of bringing us back to the beginning. The Gospel of John tells us that Christ was in the beginning; the Epistles of John speak of the Word of life which was from the beginning; and Revelation brings us to eternity in the future. The Gospel of John shows us the Son of God who was in the flesh—He was in the midst of us, but men mistook Him, thinking that He was only Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, John showed us that this Jesus who was in the flesh was in the beginning. This is the fact behind the scene. The Epistles of John do likewise. His person is the Son of God, and His office is Christ. But men did not know the Son of God; neither did they know the Christ. So the Epistles of John specially speak of these two points, bringing us back to the fact behind the scene in the beginning. At the time John wrote Revelation, the world was in great confusion, and Caesar of Rome was at his worst. So John brought us into the condition behind the scenes of the future to let us know how God regards the situation of this world. However, in Revelation we see not only the condition of the world, but also the condition of the church. Revelation also shows us what pleases the Lord, what the Lord condemns, and what the Lord’s way is for the church, when the outward appearance of the church is extremely confusing. The church in her appearance has many manifestations in history, but what way, what condition, is the Lord’s desire? This desire behind the scenes is shown by John.

In the Bible there are two groups of seven epistles. God used Paul to write the first group—Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians—and God used John to write the second group. The first seven Epistles speak of the church in a time of normality; the latter speak of the churches in a time of abnormality. The three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are normal, helping men to know God, but the Gospel of John is God’s reaction to man’s unclearness; that is why it frequently speaks of truth and grace. John’s Epistles were also God’s reaction to abnormality; that is why they speak of light and love more often. Revelation 2 and 3 are God’s dealings with the abnormal conditions of the churches. The first seven Epistles of Paul deal with the normal behavior of the church. Later, the church was not normal; therefore, John wrote the last seven epistles in Revelation. The first seven Epistles contain the truth the church must know; the last seven epistles show the way the church must take. Today if a man really wants to walk in the Lord’s way, he must read Revelation 2 and 3. Today the church has problems; therefore, Revelation tells us what to do. If you do not seek the way in Revelation, I do not know how you can be a Christian.

Furthermore, the first seven Epistles were written before the last hour, while the last seven epistles were written either during or after the last hour. First John 2:18 indicates another time, the last hour. “Young children, it is the last hour; and even as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come; whereby we know that it is the last hour.” If Christians only see the light in the first Epistles, they do not know the will of God in the last hour.

In the Bible there were three persons with outstanding ministries: Peter, John, and Paul. Second Peter was the last book written by Peter. In this Epistle, Peter brought up the matter of apostasy. Second Timothy was the last book written by Paul. Verse 2 of chapter two says, “And the things which you have heard from me through many witnesses, these commit to faithful men, who will be competent to teach others also.” First Timothy 3:15 tells us that the church is the house of God, the pillar and base of the truth, but in 2 Timothy 2:20, Paul says, “But in a great house there are not only gold and silver vessels but also wooden and earthen.” The problem is whether a man will cleanse himself from the vessels of dishonor to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (vv. 21-22). The Epistles of John were written by John as his last books. He said that the antichrists had already come and that we must keep the Word of God (1 John 2:18, 24; 4:3). I feel burdened to make this matter clear. Generally speaking, the time from the beginning of the church until now is one age—the age of the church. But the problem is not that simple. The normal and the abnormal must be separated. Today the outward appearance of the church is desolate—if we have not seen this fact, there is no need for us to read Revelation. The first seven Epistles (i.e., those written by Paul) deal with the normal. But now the situation is abnormal. What then should we do?