(Rev. 19:10)
The word "spirit" as used in this statement relates to what is the vital feature, the essential characteristic of Prophecy, that without which, as James says of the body without the spirit, it would be dead. So that which gives Prophecy vitality, so to speak, which makes it living, as does the spirit inhabiting the human body, is what is here called "the testimony of Jesus." This expression means the testimony borne to Jesus-a testimony rendered by the Holy Spirit, speaking and writing through chosen vessels as, for example, the holy men of old of whom Peter speaks (2 Pet. 1:21). This testimony is the substance and essence of Prophecy, its spirit, its breath of life.
The Holy Spirit who communicated prophecy to those used to speak or write it as now found in the Holy Scriptures, is spoken of as the Spirit of Christ in the prophets of old, who thus testified before of the sufferings of Christ, and the glories after these (1 Pet. 1:11, New Trans.).
Now because this testimony proceeds directly from God, in fact, He first spoke prophetically of Jesus (Gen. 3:IS), homage is to be rendered to God alone, and not even to an angel, though used as in John's case to communicate in vision "the true words of God" (Rev. 19:9).
Briefly, then, let us outline the way this testimony of Jesus is essential to the whole of Prophecy.
Heaven and earth are the two great spheres with which the purposes of God are concerned. In relation to these spheres, and in them, Christ is to be manifested in absolute preeminence-Head over all things. The mystery of God's will is that of heading up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth (Eph. 1:10). Christ is the established Heir of all things (Heb. 1:2).
Speaking in a general way the things of these two spheres occupy the two major parts of Scripture. The Old Testament treats of the earth and God's plans regarding it. Hence Israel is the prominent subject of its history and prophecy. The New Testament, while amply showing that the purposes and promises of God revealed in the Old Testament are to be literally fulfilled, introduces us to heaven into which the world-rejected Christ has entered, sitting on His Father's throne until His enemies are made the footstool of His feet and He takes His own throne. In His heavenly relations and the kingdom-glory, Christ is to have a body of redeemed people in most intimate association with Himself. This body is called "the fulness of Him who fills all in all" (Eph. 1:23). It is the Church now being formed by the operations of the Holy Spirit, commenced at Pentecost. This mystery of Christ and the Church is the great feature of Paul's ministry. Hence the prominent subject in the New Testament is the Church, the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head in heaven. Its calling, testimony, relations, and destiny are all heavenly in character. Those of Israel are all earthly.
The book of Revelation unfolds the glorious supremacy of Christ in both of these spheres in which all things are to be headed up in Him as God's anointed Man-the Seed of the woman, the Seed of Abraham, the Seed of David, the King of Psalm 2, the Son of Man of Ps. 8, the Branch, the Chief Corner Stone, the Judge of Israel, and the Sun of Righteousness; the Child born and the Son given upon whose shoulder the government shall rest, whose name is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace; Head over all principality and power, all being made subject to Him in both the heavenly and earthly spheres.
The Father has delivered all things into His hands, He possesses all power in heaven and on earth.
He is the Firstborn from among the dead, Second Man and Last Adam, Head of the New Creation which ever abides according to the perfection of its glorious Head, all the things of which, when finally established, shall be found new, even in fullest agreement with His character and glory.
He is Firstborn among many brethren (the whole redeemed company), and He is Head of the Body, the Church, He has the first place in all things.
He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, of all divine revelation, of all divine purpose, and of all glory.
He is presented to us from beginning to end of the Holy Scriptures, so that He bears immediate relation to both the earthly and heavenly things revealed in them.
Let us now consider some of the leading features of this revelation. God's purpose stands disclosed to us first of all in the promise of the woman's Seed (Gen. 3). He is to bruise the head of the serpent. This means the complete overthrow of all Satan's plans and works. It involves the judgment of the whole world-system of which he is god and prince, in both its natural and spiritual aspects. Both wicked men and wicked spirits are involved. It means the deliverance of creation from the bondage of corruption with which it has been enthralled by Satan as a serpent coils around its prey. Creation will be brought into the liberty of the glory of the children of God (Rom. 8:21). Toward this consummation God's plans and works have ever moved forward through all the changeful centuries of human history.
In due time with this object in view after the utter ruin of fallen man had been manifested in his development both before the flood and after, and when idolatry, back of which is spiritual wickedness (1 Cor. 10:20), had engulfed the race, God called Abram out of all his associations in this world to be the depository of unconditional promises of blessing which would come to fulfilment in his Seed. These promises have to do with all nations, with his own descendants who are to be a great nation, with the land of Canaan given to him and his seed in solemn covenant. His seed is to be as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore and shall be completely victorious, possessing the enemy's gate, while in that Seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Paul tells us that Seed is Christ (Gal. 3:16) while we know that the great nation out of Abraham's loins is Israel, "of whom, as according to flesh is the Christ" (Rom. 9:5). So Christ is the Seed of Abraham (Matt. 1:1). Here we can see that the promises embrace those two great spheres first mentioned-heaven and earth, and also victory over that great enemy who operates in both. That enemy hates Abraham's Seed, who is the same as the Seed of the woman, and opposes Him by every conceivable means. Satan also fights against his seed as found in Israel the great nation of earthly destiny, and also against that larger company of heavenly calling in which there is a present fulfilment of the promise of blessing to all nations through the gospel of grace (Gal. 3:8,9). The time is still future when on earth and through Abrahams great nation all other nations shall be blessed, in the kingdom of the Son of Man. He, being Abraham s Seed to whom the promises were confirmed, will bring m me reign of righteousness, peace, and prosperity of which Old Testament prophets and psalmists so often preach and sing.
Plainly all depends upon the Seed, first promised to Adam and Eve; then announced as coming through the family of Abraham, and pointed out as his Son, also David's Son, the Lion of Judah, the Son of Man, Heir of all things, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. God's purposes and promises as to the earth, Israel, and the land will be accomplished by Him.