And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as one dead.
And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last,
and the Living One; and I became dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore,
and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
This time, the matter we are considering together before the Lord is testimony and witness. We know that the testimony of God is of central importance in His Word. The testimony of God is the most important thing on this earth, because God Himself has testified concerning Himself.
When He created heaven and earth, through His creation He testified concerning Himself. Romans 1 tells us that the things of God have been manifested to man. Through the heavens and the earth that He created, we can know the power and deity of God. Through His creation, we see that our God is a mighty God.
In His creation, we can also see something of His character, because deity speaks of His character. Therefore, man cannot deny God, because He has testified concerning Himself in His creation.
But because of the foolishness of man, men are not able to know the testimony of God in His creation. For this reason, God gave His testimony to the Israelites.
This testimony in His law surpasses His testimony in creation, because He gives more revelation in His law. There we see that He is the only God. He is Spirit, and when we worship Him, we must worship Him in spirit and truth.
We also see that our God is a jealous God, because He is unique. You cannot put any man or matter on the same footing as Him. Only our God is worthy of our worship and service. God does not allow us to worship or serve anything other than Himself, because all these things are idols and detestable in His eyes.
Our God is righteous. He is holy. He is faithful. He is full of grace, and He is also full of mercy. Because our God is such a God, He wants us, the created ones, to be like Him. Thus, the Ten Commandments, which are the law, reveal the testimony of God more fully to the Israelites.
God revealed Himself to Israel and entrusted His law to the Israelites. On the one hand, this was a great honor, because through this law God separated the Israelites from the nations. But on the other hand, this was a great responsibility, because God entrusted His own testimony to Israel.
Israel became a vessel of His testimony. If they did not testify properly for God, the name of the Lord would be dishonored, and they themselves would also be dishonored. But if they testified to God properly, not only would the name of God be exalted among the nations, but the Israelites would also be greatly blessed before God.
This is what we covered yesterday. This morning we will go one step further.
We see that God not only gave the law to the Israelites. In the Old Testament, the testimony of God is the law of God. To God, it is testimony; in the hands of man, it is law.
When we come to the New Testament, we see that the revelation of God is full. Our Lord Jesus says in Matthew 5:17:
Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets:
I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.
To fulfil is to fill and make overflow—as though originally it was not full, and now it is full. The law is something that is not full. Although we know that the law is spiritual and holy, and the commandments are righteous and holy, we know that the law is not complete.
The law can tell us something of the character of God, and it gives us more revelation than creation. But the law has only limited revelation concerning the testimony of God. When our Lord Jesus came to this earth, He did not come to abolish the law and the prophets. He came to fill this law, which was not full, so that the testimony of God might have its full expression.
If we read Matthew 5, we see that our Lord used many examples. He said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill.” That is what the law says. But the Lord said, “I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment.”
He also said, “Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery.” But the Lord said that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already in his heart. Again, the Lord said that when you speak, let your yes be yes and your no be no. The rabbis had added that one should hate his enemy, but our Lord taught us to turn the other cheek.
Here we see that when our Lord came to this earth, He was filling the law so that the testimony of God could be fully expressed.
The Bible says that because of the weakness of man, the law cannot be fulfilled. Although the law is holy and spiritual, because of the weakness of our flesh, we are not able to observe it.
Not only can the law not justify us, but it can only let us know that we are sinners. Hebrews tells us that the law cannot accomplish anything, because the law is a shadow. The image and true substance are our Lord Jesus.
The law came through Moses; grace and truth came through our Lord Jesus. In the New Testament, the testimony of God is a complete testimony, because through His own Son God can testify concerning Himself fully.
What is the testimony of God in this time? It is not the law. The testimony of God is the testimony of Jesus Christ. In other words, the Lord Jesus Himself is the testimony of God, because in our Lord Jesus, God has completely testified concerning Himself.
In the New Testament, there are three books in which the word testimony is especially prominent: the Gospel of John, Acts, and Revelation. In these three books, the testimony of Jesus is revealed to us.
The first chapter of the Gospel of John tells us that God sent a man to be the forerunner of our Lord Jesus. His name was John. John was sent; he was not the light, but he testified concerning the light.
John wanted to testify for the Lord Jesus. What did he say? “He that cometh after me is become before me.” That is to say, the One who came after John was greater than John, because He was before John in eternity past. He was before all time, and He is in eternity future.
John testified again concerning the Lord Jesus. He said that the One who came after him was so great and majestic that he was not worthy even to loosen His sandal. We know that loosening a shoe was very lowly work, yet John said, “I am not worthy to loosen the shoelace of my Lord,” because He is God, the Son of God.
John testified again:
Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!
The One who came to earth is the Lamb of God. He takes away the sins of all men. Today, perhaps this word is not so impressive or touching to us, but in the ears of the Jews at that time it was a tremendous statement.
The Jews had continually offered lambs in order to atone for their sins. Yet although thousands of lambs had been offered and much blood had been shed, they were only symbols. They could not take away sin. In the Old Testament, when they offered a sacrifice, their sin was covered, but it was not cleansed. It was only covered until the Lamb of God came. He takes away the sins of the world.
John testified again, “I baptize with water, but He that cometh after me shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit.” John baptized with water so that men might repent, but our Lord Jesus baptizes men in the Holy Spirit.
Through this baptism, we are baptized into one body. All of us who believe and trust in the Lamb are baptized by the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks, in one Spirit we have been baptized into one body. Now we are members of the Body, fitted together. This is a tremendously glorious testimony.
John not only testified in this way. In John 3, some thought it was unfair to John because more people were coming to the Lord Jesus than to John to be baptized. But John said:
He that hath the bride is the bridegroom:
but the friend of the bridegroom, that standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice:
this my joy therefore is made full.
He must increase, but I must decrease.
What is John’s testimony concerning our Lord Jesus Christ? This Son of God came to be the Lamb of God. He baptizes us with the Holy Spirit so that we may become His Body. Then, one day, when the Body is full-grown, He shall take this Body to be His bride, so that we may be one with Him forever. Brothers and sisters, this is John’s testimony to our Lord Jesus.
We see that John’s testimony was a clear testimony, a complete testimony. Yet when we read the Gospel of John, we remember that our Lord Jesus said that John was a burning and shining lamp, and that the people were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But there was another testimony, greater than John’s: the works which the Father had given Him to accomplish testified concerning Him, and the Father Himself testified concerning Him.
Aside from John the Baptist, who testified for the Lord, the heavenly Father also testifies concerning the Lord Jesus. The Father’s testimony has two aspects.
On the one hand, the Father entrusted works to His Son to do—works that no one except His own Son could accomplish, because only His Son can represent Him. There is only one Mediator between God and man: the man Christ Jesus. When He came to earth, He gave His own life as a ransom for all.
Brothers and sisters, in the whole universe there is no man who can do this work. This work of redemption cannot be done by an angel, nor can it be done by any man. But there is One in the universe to whom God entrusted this work. Through the work of redemption, God testified concerning Him, so that we might see Who He is.
God also used His own words to testify concerning Him. In the Bible, God spoke three times from heaven. The first time was when our Lord Jesus came up from His baptism. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and a voice came from heaven:
This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
In Matthew 17, the Lord Jesus took three disciples up the mountain. The voice from heaven said:
This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.
Peter, do not speak any more. You must listen to My Son.
When our Lord Jesus spoke of a grain of wheat falling into the ground and dying in order to bear much fruit, He said, “Father, glorify Thy name.” The voice from heaven answered:
I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
Thus, our heavenly Father testified that the Lord Jesus is His beloved Son. Our Lord is Lord, and we must listen to Him.
Not only did our heavenly Father testify for Him, but the words of Scripture also testify concerning Him. The Lord said, “Ye search the Scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of Me. And ye will not come to Me, that ye may have life.”
After our Lord was resurrected, He opened the minds of His disciples and told them the things concerning Himself from the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. Therefore, we know that the whole Bible testifies concerning our Lord Jesus.
The Bible has only one purpose. Although there are sixty-six books in the Bible and they speak about many things, the testimony in the Bible is only one: it testifies concerning the Lord Jesus. If we find our Lord in the Bible, then we understand it. If we see many things in the Bible but do not see the Lord Jesus, then we do not understand it.
Another very remarkable thing is that Christ testifies concerning Himself. We know that if an ordinary man testifies concerning himself, his testimony is not reliable. Why? First, we do not know ourselves. Second, we always love ourselves. Therefore, our own testimony is not reliable.
But the testimony of our Lord is reliable. Once the Pharisees said to Him, “Thou bearest witness of Thyself; Thy witness is not true.” What did our Lord say in reply?
He said, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go.” We do not know where we came from or where we are going, but He knows where He came from and where He is going.
The Bible says that if there is testimony of two, every word is established. The Lord said that He bore witness of Himself, and the Father who sent Him bore witness of Him. Therefore, the testimony of two is true.
When our Lord speaks, the Father speaks with Him. When our Lord works, the Father works also. Our Lord said, “My Father worketh even until now, and I work.”
Throughout the Gospel of John, the Lord testifies concerning Himself. When Nathanael came to Him, He said:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye shall see the heaven opened,
and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
This refers to Jacob’s ladder, because our Lord Jesus is that ladder to heaven. He brings God to man and brings man to God.
In John 2, the Lord said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He spoke concerning His own Body. In John 3, He said that as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.
This kind of word fills the Gospel of John:
I am the bread of life.
I am the light of the world.
I am the good shepherd.
I am the resurrection and the life.
I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
We know that the words “I am” are the name by which God revealed Himself. Thus, the Lord was telling us Who He is. If we read the Gospel of John, we truly see what kind of Lord Jesus He is.
In Old Testament times, when God testified concerning Himself, that testimony became law among the Israelites, and the law was to be observed. But because of the weakness of man, we cannot observe the law, and the law exposes our iniquity. Thus, the law is like a teacher that brings us to Christ.
But, brothers and sisters, in the New Testament, when the testimony of God comes to us in Jesus Christ, what does it become in our hands? It is no longer law, but grace.
In this time, the testimony of God is the testimony of Jesus Christ. The testimony of the Lord Jesus in us is the grace of God. What is grace? Grace is freely given. It comes completely from Him. The Son has prepared all things for us; we only need to receive them in faith. All this belongs to us.
Therefore, in the New Testament, the testimony of God is the grace of God in us.
The second New Testament book concerning testimony is Acts. In Acts 1, when our Lord Jesus was about to ascend to heaven, He told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received power from on high, the Holy Spirit. Then they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
No one has ever seen God; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared Him. The Lord said, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” He completely expressed and testified concerning God.
Now our Lord had accomplished redemption, had risen from the dead, and was about to ascend to heaven. At that time, He entrusted His own testimony to His church. Originally, He Himself was the vessel of God’s testimony and gave a beautiful testimony for God. Now that He had ascended to heaven, He entrusted the testimony to His church.
The church then became the vessel of the testimony of the Lord Jesus. On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down, the history of the church began. That was the first day on which the church received the testimony of Jesus.
We see how the church at that time testified concerning Jesus. Many people gathered, and Peter stood up with the eleven disciples. Their testimony was this: “This Jesus, whom ye crucified, God hath raised to the highest place and established Him as both Lord and Christ.”
This is the testimony of the church concerning Christ. This resurrected Lord is at the right hand of God. God has anointed Him as Lord. He is the King of kings, and He is also the Christ, the Anointed One of God.
When Peter and the others gave this testimony, the Holy Spirit testified with them. Those who heard were pricked in their hearts, because they were the ones who had crucified Jesus. Yet God testified that this One whom they crucified is Lord. On that day, three thousand were saved.
Peter and John went to the temple to pray, and there was a lame man sitting at the gate, asking for alms. Peter and John said:
Silver and gold have I none;
but what I have, that give I thee.
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.
The lame man sprang up and followed them into the temple, praising God. Brothers and sisters, we see that the name of Jesus became the inheritance of the church. We have no gold or silver, but we have one thing: the name of our Lord Jesus.
This name is above all names. By this name every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Because of this name, this lame man could stand up and leap. This was the testimony of the church at that time concerning the Lord.
Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin, along with other disciples. They said, “We cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard.” They asked, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to hearken unto you rather than unto God, judge ye.”
They testified that the Lord of life, whom the people had killed, God had raised to be Savior. God would also give the Holy Spirit to all those who believe in Him.
If we read Acts from beginning to end, we see how the church testified concerning the Lord Jesus. Paul testified three times according to what he had seen and heard. He had seen that Jesus is the resurrected Lord, the Head of the church, and the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.
Throughout the book of Acts, the church testifies that the Lord Jesus is the Savior, that He is Lord, that He has been raised up and ascended to the right hand of God, and that one day He will return to judge the living and the dead.
Because of their testimony, many people returned to God. In a short period of about thirty years, the gospel spread throughout the world of that time. Their testimony was clear and powerful.
The third book is Revelation. In Revelation, we see a special expression: “the testimony of Jesus Christ.” This is a special revelation in the book of Revelation.
The testimony of Jesus Christ appears six or seven times in Revelation, according to different ways of counting. The first occurrence is Revelation 1:2:
Who bare witness of the word of God,
and of the testimony of Jesus Christ,
even of all things that he saw.
Revelation 1:1 says:
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him
to show unto His servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass.
God gave this revelation to our Lord Jesus, and through an angel it came to John. John bore witness of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw.
Here we see that the testimony of Jesus Christ is particularly expressed in the book of Revelation. God gave this revelation to our Lord Jesus because God wanted to testify concerning His Son. The whole book of Revelation is God’s testimony concerning His Son.
What John saw was the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Thus, the whole book of Revelation is the word of God, and the whole book of Revelation is the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Those who read, hear, and keep the words of this prophecy are blessed, because the time is at hand. Dear brothers and sisters, this book of Revelation is the testimony of Jesus Christ. This testimony is to be heard by us, seen by us, and kept by us. If so, we shall be blessed before God, because the day of the Lord is near.
The second occurrence is Revelation 1:9:
I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus,
was in the isle that is called Patmos,
for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
Here again we see the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. The testimony of Jesus is not limited to the book of Revelation, because John was exiled to Patmos for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus before he had seen this revelation.
Therefore, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus encompass the whole Bible. Everything God has said is the testimony of Jesus. Hebrews 1 tells us that in times past God spoke to the fathers through the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us in His Son.
Now the word of God is complete. God has spoken to us in His Son—the most complete and final word. All this word is the testimony of Jesus.
The word of God and the testimony of Jesus are not merely doctrine. They are not just for us to speak and hear. If we have truly heard the word of God and truly seen the testimony of Jesus, this testimony will transform us completely. It will grasp us individually.
For this testimony, one is willing to give his life. When John was exiled to Patmos, it was for the testimony of Jesus. He was willing to be in exile; he could not deny this testimony. The testimony of Jesus is such a powerful testimony.
Brothers and sisters, we have heard the word of God and have known something of the testimony of Jesus. But how much influence do the word of God and the testimony of Jesus have in us? Can we say that the testimony of Jesus and our life are one thing? Is the testimony of Jesus more important than our own life?
John was willing to be exiled to Patmos for the testimony of Jesus. This is the power of testimony in a man.
A third occurrence is Revelation 6:9:
And when He opened the fifth seal,
I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain
for the word of God,
and for the testimony which they held.
Some say that these souls refer to people in Old Testament times. Personally, I feel that this word encompasses all who have died for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. In Old Testament times there was no such term as “the testimony of Jesus,” but there was the testimony of God.
Therefore, I personally feel that this includes all who were martyred throughout the ages and in every place for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. In fact, it may refer more particularly to those in New Testament times who were martyred.
There are slight differences in interpretation here. If you disagree with me, you may keep your own interpretation, because the Bible is the word of God, but interpretation is the understanding of man. This is simply my own understanding.
Revelation 5 describes the condition of the Lord’s ascension. When our Lord was raised to heaven, He appeared as a Lamb slain, yet He had overcome. Therefore, He was qualified to receive the scroll from God.
This scroll is the title deed of the earth. The earth belongs to God, and the deed is in the hand of God. Although Satan temporarily controls the earth, he is a usurper. The earth does not belong to him; the earth belongs to God.
Who is qualified to receive the scroll, the title deed, from God in order to execute His will and return the earth to God? No one is worthy in heaven, on earth, or under the earth. Only the slain Lamb is worthy.
When our Lord was raised to heaven, He received this deed from God, because God had given Him all power and authority in heaven and on earth. Psalm 2 says, “Ask of Me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance.”
I believe that Revelation 5 speaks of the condition of the Lord Jesus at His ascension. This is the basis of redemption. When our Lord has this deed in His hand, in Revelation 6 the seals are opened, and He begins to do the will of God.
Personally, I do not believe that our Lord received the scroll and then waited two thousand years before opening the seals. I believe that when He received the scroll, He began opening it. Yet I personally believe that only the first four seals have been opened. We do not have time to go into the details.
I do not believe the fifth seal has been opened yet. When the fifth seal is opened, the souls of those who have been slain for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus cry out in prayer.
The nature of their prayer differs from the prayer of the church today. The prayer of the church today follows the prayer of our Lord Jesus on the cross:
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
When Stephen was being stoned to death, he said, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” The prayer of the church is a prayer of forgiveness, because this is the age of grace.
But when we come to the fifth seal, the prayer of the martyrs is a prayer for God to judge. We see that the age is changing. The present age is the age of grace, but the time of grace will end at a certain point.
Whenever God is about to do something turning and decisive, He reveals His mind and heart to those who belong to Him so that they may pray to Him. God hears their prayer and executes His judgment.
These martyrs know the will of God and have received the heart of God. They know that God is going to change the age, so they pray to God that He will judge. They pray in one accord with God.
When we come to the sixth seal, the wrath of the Lamb arises. That is to say, the prayer of the martyrs has been answered. Personally, I believe the fifth seal has not yet been opened. This is the mercy of God to us. We pray that everyone may repent, but one day this age will be changed.
Those who know the heart and mind of God are those who have the testimony of Jesus. Because they are martyred for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus, they understand something of God. Because of their prayer, the age is changed.
The next occurrence is Revelation 12:17:
And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman,
and went away to make war with the rest of her seed,
that keep the commandments of God,
and hold the testimony of Jesus.
Before this verse, we see that a woman is in birth pains and delivers a man-child. The man-child is caught up to the throne. We understand that this man-child represents the overcomers in the end time. This is a corporate Body, not an individual.
In the end time, there will be a group of brothers and sisters who overcome the accuser by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and because they do not love their lives unto death.
These people are not perfect people, but we thank the Lord that they know the blood of the Lord Jesus. Through the blood of the Lord, they overcome the enemy. They can open their mouths and give testimony.
What is their testimony? Their testimony is that Jesus is Lord. No matter what they see in this world, and no matter how pompous the enemy appears to be, they testify that Jesus is Lord.
They are in the most adverse conditions. If you look at the practical situation, it seems that everything opposes them. But they do not compromise. They testify that Jesus is Lord, and their testimony is powerful because there is a living reality behind it. Jesus truly is Lord.
When they speak, the enemy retreats. They would rather lose their own lives than give up this testimony. These are the overcomers of the end time. They will be caught up to the throne, and Satan will be cast down to the earth. This is the beginning of the great tribulation.
The dragon is Satan. He is not able to devour the man-child, so God hides the woman in the wilderness. Then the dragon persecutes the other children of the woman.
Who are these other children? They keep the commandments of God, and they are those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Personally, I believe this passage includes two groups.
Those who keep the commandments of God represent godly Jews in the time of tribulation. They are those described in Revelation 7, who have seals on their foreheads—one hundred forty-four thousand of them. The godly Jews will be severely persecuted during the tribulation because they are not willing to pay homage to the beast.
There is another group: the remaining Christians. They have the testimony of Jesus, but the testimony of Jesus is weak in them. They are like the foolish virgins. They have not prayed and watched, and they are not prepared.
Therefore, they cannot be caught up to the throne. They must remain and pass through the tribulation. But we thank and praise the Lord that, although they go through tribulation, God gives them a second chance.
Because of the difficulties they endure, the testimony of Jesus within them is stirred. They are not willing to worship the beast, and they are not willing to receive the mark of the beast.
Revelation 14 says:
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth:
yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors;
for their works follow with them.
Some of these people are martyred for the Lord. They are not willing to worship the image of the beast.
In Revelation 20:4, we read:
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them:
and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus,
and for the word of God,
and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image,
and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand;
and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Here we see those who are not willing to pay homage to the beast. They cannot live in the ordinary sense, because without the mark on their hand or forehead they cannot buy or sell. But they are willing to die for the Lord, and they will reign with the Lord on the throne.
There are two more occurrences. Revelation 19:10 says:
And I fell down before his feet to worship him.
And he saith unto me, See thou do it not:
I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren that hold the testimony of Jesus:
worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
What John saw from the angel was so glorious that unconsciously he fell down before the angel. But the angel said, “No, not to me.” The angels and those who have the testimony of Jesus are fellow-servants of God. Worship God.
Dear brothers and sisters, we who have the testimony of Jesus are fellow-servants of God. We who have the testimony of Jesus are servants of God. We are among those who worship God.
The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. The whole book of Revelation is a prophecy, and this prophecy speaks about many things to come. Yet, brothers and sisters, these prophesied things are outward things.
What is the essence of prophecy? All these things that are going to happen testify concerning Jesus. They testify what kind of Jesus He is: He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
If we summarize the testimony of Jesus, it is found in the scriptures with which we began. He says:
I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end.
He is the beginning. All things start from Him. Whatever is not from Him does not count. This is the testimony of Jesus, brothers and sisters.