In the Midst of His Church

The Son of God is at the right hand of His Father, but He also walks in the midst of His church. One of the BibleÂ’s grandest mysteries is the omnipresence of God. These great truths are better believed than explained. We must be careful lest our effort to describe them only serve to cheapen them. John the Revelator was invited into the realm of these mysteries to write for all of us the Book of Revelation. The only possible beginning point for Apostle John was within the realm of the Holy Spirit. He informed us, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.” (Revelation 1:10)

From this breathtaking moment, John entered into a realm in which few men have entered. While every book of the Bible is pure truth, this book is both pure truth and a chronological closure for all truth. It is the order of the end that the Father gave to Jesus Christ to give to the church. The book begins with the following statement, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.” (Revelation 1:1)

From Genesis to Jude, great prophets have written of God’s redemptive order. Nuggets of truth dot these great prophecies, but it pleased the Father to give Jesus Christ the harmony of all these prophetic dots and to empower John by the Spirit to put them to a scroll for His espoused Bride. The church was clearly warned and promised, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” (Revelation 1:3)

Jesus Christ is the future Bridegroom and until that blessed moment He is the Lord, the Landlord of the church, keeping constant watch over His flock. Apostle John saw Him in the glory of His resurrection and His exalted position at the FatherÂ’s right hand. But, John does not see the throne of God at this point; he only sees it after the Rapture of the church in chapters four and five. The vision of Christ throughout Revelation is always of His office at the given moment in which the revelation is depicting.

The first three chapters relate perfectly to Jesus Christ and the present church age. The Son of God is all glorious and exalted, but dressed and revealed as the High Priest of His New Testament temple, the Spirit-filled church. The very moment this revelation begins to unfold, John sees the Lord walking “in the midst of the seven (golden) candlesticks.” (Revelation 1:12-13) The Lord was careful to tell John what these seven golden candlesticks represent. “… and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” (Revelation 1:20) It’s grand to see this revelation unfold out of this opening scene. Every word and verse of this great Book of Revelation must be revealed to us with the reality of our Lord walking in our midst and living in fellowship with His saints. He is not an absentee landlord of His spiritual vineyard. We are His espoused Bride and He is jealous to preserve us for Himself.

While John carries us forward from chapter four into the realm of future mysteries, he never forgets that he is writing this for the church where the Lord is walking among the saints. We must also study and devour this book with our head in the mysteries, but our feet on the ground. Great revelation of God were never meant to create such mental ecstasy that we forget that we live by faith not fantasy. The new world of religious humanism and new revelations has created a world of esoteric nonsense where men glory in themselves and their own mental foolishness. The New Testament saints must never forget that our earthly house is a house of clay that is soon to be dissolved. The only life we have as we enjoy His presence in our midst is the life that comes by death to self.

Paul warns us that our treasure such as these great mysteries of this last great book of the Bible is held in earthen vessels. The church has suffered many grandiose schemes as we see in the religious world today. His true church has never existed except in the humble heart of the separated saints. The shepherds were His first worshippers. When John saw Him in the opening prologue of this great revelation, He said, “…I fell at His feet as dead.” (Revelation 1:17)

The Lord will come to His temple just as soon as He is welcome. When He comes He will be the only glory in the house. As long as flesh is the glory, His presence is unwelcome. The Spirit said, “For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” (II Corinthians 4:11-12) Find yourself an altar and remain until there is only a corpse. Out of death comes revival and harvest time. Seek His presence and very soon His presence will seek you. It is His pleasure to dwell “in the midst of His church.”