The true church images God on earth. As kings, the church imitates Christ by spiritually ruling over the world by becoming physically overcome by it (e.g., Revelation 2:7; 5:5; 11:7; 12:11). As priests, the church is depicted as a lampstand that enjoys God’s glory and radiates it to a hostile world (Revelation 2:1, 5; cf. 11:4). And as prophets, the church bears witness to God’s truth at all costs, just as Christ bore witness (Revelation 1:2, 5, 9; 6:9; 11:3; 12:11).
