Our Heavenly Father, we do praise and thank Thee that we can gather again in the name of Thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We do desire to give Him all the glory, and the power, and the dominion, and the love and admiration of our hearts.
Our Heavenly Father, we do desire that Christ may be exalted in our midst, may be glorified among His own people, even tonight. How we praise and thank Thee, O Lord, that Thou dost love Thy church and gavest Thyself for it. Thou dost say, “I will build My church upon this rock, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” O Lord, how we praise and worship Thee.
We do pray that tonight, as we gather in Thy presence, that once again Thou wilt open Thy Word to us, and open our hearts to Thy Word, that it may not be just something to be heard and to be told, but may be something wrought into our very being, our very life.
O Lord, we do desire to see Thy reflection in Thy church, in the life of Thy people together. We commit this time into Thy hands. Thou dost know that without Thee we can do nothing, but with Thee all things are possible. We ask in Thy precious name. Amen.
The book of Revelation is a picture book.
I do not know if we ever reach a time when we do not enjoy picture books. So far as I am concerned, I always like to read picture books. And the book of Revelation is a book of pictures.
We have seen, in the past few evenings, beautiful pictures, one after another. And God willing, tonight we would like to see some more. Will you please turn together to Revelation 14?
This is a very rich chapter, full of pictures. But for tonight, we will limit ourselves to just two pictures.
And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having His name, and the name of His Father, written on their foreheads.
And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and the voice which I heard was as the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
and they sing as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders: and no man could learn the song save the hundred and forty and four thousand, even they that had been purchased out of the earth.
These are they that were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were purchased from among men, to be the firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb.
And in their mouth was found no lie: they are without blemish.
And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud I saw One sitting like unto a son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand sharp sickle.
And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a great voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Send forth Thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
And He that sat on the cloud cast His sickle upon the earth; and the earth was reaped.
We find in these two passages two beautiful pictures. The first picture is the Lamb on Mount Zion, with one hundred and forty-four thousand gathered around Him, all with the name of the Father and the name of the Lamb upon their foreheads. And they sing a new song.
Then, from Revelation 14:14, we find another beautiful picture. We find One like unto the Son of Man sitting on a white cloud, with a sharp sickle in His hand. And a voice came from heaven saying that the time is ripe. He casts down the sickle and reaps the harvest.
I suppose we will not mix up this one hundred and forty-four thousand with that one hundred and forty-four thousand in Revelation 7. We know that in the book of Revelation this number is mentioned in two places.
In Revelation 7, we find one hundred and forty-four thousand being sealed. Here, we find another one hundred and forty-four thousand having the name of the Father and of the Lamb on their foreheads. Now, these are not the same.
You have to excuse me again for my little interpretation. Again, I will say, I hope that by the end of this hour you will forget all the interpretations and get into the reality of it. So do not quarrel with me over interpretation. This is tension. What is important is reality. If we can get to the reality, you can interpret in any way you like afterwards. So bear with me with a little interpretation.
As you read carefully Revelation 7 and Revelation 14, concerning these two groups of one hundred and forty-four thousand, you will find enough differences to convince us that they are not one group, but two different groups.
For instance, the one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed in Revelation 7 are sealed out of the twelve tribes of Israel. In other words, they are the faithful remnant of the nation of Israel.
Whereas here in Revelation 14, you find those that are sealed are gathered out of the earth. In other words, they are gathered out of mankind in general—not Israel, but mankind in general.
Those that are sealed in Revelation 7 are sealed with the seal of the living God. The Lamb is not mentioned. But here you find, on the foreheads of this one hundred and forty-four thousand, the name of the Father and the name of the Lamb.
Immediately, you notice the difference. One is the seal of the living God, the Creator. The other is the Father and the Lamb.
The first group of one hundred and forty-four thousand are sealed on earth, because the four winds are being held back. Before the winds begin to blow and bring destruction to the earth, these one hundred and forty-four thousand are being sealed that they may be protected from hurt and harm.
But there, in Revelation 14, you find those who are sealed are on Mount Zion. I think by now we ought to know what Mount Zion represents.
Those that are sealed in Revelation 7 are sealed before trouble begins, that they may be kept through the trouble. But in Revelation 14, those that are sealed have already gone through the trouble. They are on the other end already.
Those that are sealed in Revelation 7 are found between the sixth and the seventh seals. But here, you find those sealed on Mount Zion already there. So by comparing these two places, you find sufficient differences to show that there are two entirely different groups.
Now let us turn our attention to this second group of one hundred and forty-four thousand. In the first place, they are on Mount Zion.
Of course, we know Mount Zion here does not mean Mount Zion literally, that is, in Jerusalem, because you find those who are on Mount Zion, when they begin to sing, the voice comes out of heaven.
In other words, this is a heavenly Mount Zion, as our brother has been telling us these mornings: Mount Zion, heaven itself; the seat of authority; the fullness of Christ.
Now, dear brothers and sisters, you find these one hundred and forty-four thousand have entered into the fullness of Christ. Is this not what God has in mind for His own church?
Ephesians 1 says, “The church, which is the body of Christ, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.” It is the will of God that His church should be filled with the fullness of Christ. The church is the fullness of Christ because it has experienced Christ in all His fullness. That is Mount Zion.
But here you find the one hundred and forty-four thousand have already arrived on Mount Zion. They are there. They are there in the fullness of Christ.
Number two: they have upon their foreheads the name of the Father and the name of the Lamb.
If you put a name upon your forehead, everybody will notice it. That is a most prominent place.
Of course, we know it may carry different meanings. But I think at least there is one meaning here: these one hundred and forty-four thousand, with the name of the Father and the name of the Lamb upon their foreheads, mean one thing.
Because they have confessed the Lord while on earth, in spite of all troubles and difficulties, therefore they are perfectly acknowledged by the Father and by our Lord Jesus.
There you find they are being recognized by the Father. The Lord said, “If you confess Me before men, My Father will confess you before the holy angels.” Here you find this one hundred and forty-four thousand publicly claimed. God says, “Look at these people. They are Mine. I acknowledge them as Mine.”
God is not ashamed of them. God publicly recognizes these people. You know, the prayer of Paul is that I may not be ashamed—that the Lord will not be ashamed of me. There is one passion in his heart.
Here you find the Lord is not ashamed to acknowledge these people as His, as belonging to Him.
Number three: they are there playing with harps and singing a new song. None can understand, none can learn, these songs except these one hundred and forty-four thousand.
You know, a harp is a heart instrument. When you play upon the harp, it is as if you are striking the chord of your heart.
In playing a trumpet or playing another instrument, you may just play it. But in playing a harp, your heart must be involved. In other words, it is a heart instrument. The music that comes out of the harp is the music of your heart.
As they are playing on the harp, they are singing a new song. And the peculiar nature of this new song is that none can learn it except these one hundred and forty-four thousand.
If we are musical, we think we can learn any composition. Even though some composition may be very difficult, if we have a musical ear and musical talent, certainly we can learn it.
But here you find a song that none can learn but those who have gone through it. Actually, this is the real meaning of a song. It must come from the heart. It must be the product of our heart experience.
These one hundred and forty-four thousand are not shallow believers. They have gone through a lot. And as they go through with the Lord Jesus, they come out with a new song. This is how the heavenly song is always composed. They sing a new song.
Number four: they have been purchased out of the earth. Out of every tribe, and tongue, and nation, and people, God has purchased them for Himself.
Number five: “These are they that were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.”
I do not know how you interpret this. Personally, I do not think you can take this verse literally, because if you do, then celibacy really becomes a virtue before God. It does not seem to fit in with all the other spiritual qualifications.
So, personally, I will interpret it as having a spiritual significance. As our brother mentioned one morning, you remember in 2 Corinthians 11, Paul said, “I am jealous over you with a jealousy of God: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.”
And Paul said that he was fearful lest, as the serpent deceived Eve, anyone might be beguiled and led away from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Now, we know that as we believe in the Lord Jesus, we are all as virgins espoused to Christ. One day He will return, and this is the day of that marriage. But so far as now is concerned, all believers are considered as virgin people before God.
These one hundred and forty-four thousand remain chaste before God. They have not been defiled. They have not been beguiled. They have not been deceived from that simplicity which is in Christ Jesus.
Dear brothers and sisters, we are living at a time that is just full of deceptions of all kinds. And all these deceptions have only one purpose: to lead us away from the simplicity of Christ.
We are getting more and more complicated. We are getting more and more mysterious. There is a lack of that simplicity to Christ, that singleness of heart, that right relationship with the Lord.
We are not to be led away by many thoughts and imaginations and strongholds. As our brother said, you know the serpent throws forth a thought: “Is it true that God does not allow you to eat of any of the fruit?”
How often we are all beguiled by many thoughts and imaginations, and these lead us away from that simplicity toward Christ. We are easily defiled by many things.
But these one hundred and forty-four thousand are as virgins. They have not been defiled. They have been espoused to the Lord. They do not listen to many voices. They hold on to the simplicity that is in Christ.
Then He says, “These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.”
I like this phrase very much: “They follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.” Do we follow the Lamb? Do we follow the Lamb wherever He goes?
Do you know where He goes? He goes the way of the cross. This is where He goes. And you find the one hundred and forty-four thousand follow the Lamb whithersoever He goes.
They do not follow the Lord and choose their direction and choose their way. This is not following the Lamb. They follow the Lamb by letting the Lamb lead the way. And we find invariably it will be the way of the cross.
It is a way that means the denying of self, the taking up of our cross daily, and following Him. It means not only taking up the cross, but being crucified on the cross—done away with.
Whithersoever He goes. You know, it is very easy to say this: “I will follow the Lamb whithersoever He goes.” Then you find He goes to unexpected places.
Immediately we say, “Lord, we did not expect You would go there, or go that far.”
But here you find the one hundred and forty-four thousand are completely committed to the Lamb. No matter where the Lamb goes, there they go. They follow Him.
“These were purchased from among men, to be the firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb.” We will leave that for a time. We will come back to it.
“And in their mouth was found no lie.” We know that Satan is a liar, and he is the father of all lies. The whole world lies under a big lie. How he twists the truth. How he deceives with lies.
In contrast, you find in the one hundred and forty-four thousand, in their mouth there can be found no lies.
You may think that having no lie in your mouth is a small thing as compared with the others. They follow the Lamb whithersoever He goes—now, that is something. But no lie is found in their mouth. What significance is that? It seems to be a small thing.
But when you look into your own life, your heart, your mouth—a curse. The opposite of lie is truth, and truth is reality.
Out of their mouth there was found no lie. In other words, they are faithful and true witnesses of God and of His Christ. They speak what they have seen and heard and experienced. They speak the truth in love.
They do not try to say one thing and mean another thing. They do not try to remain men-pleasers. They speak the truth in love. In other words, they are real. They are real, real even in their speech.
You know, it is very difficult to find a real man on this earth. The whole world is a lie. The whole system is a lie, and we are living in that system.
The older we grow, the cleverer we become. And, to put it another way, we know how to pretend. We know how to cover up. We know how to maneuver. We know how to be diplomatic—say one thing and mean another thing, or say a lot of words and mean nothing.
We become very clever. And you know, in the whole world, in society, this is what it is. You cannot afford to be real. If you become real, you are a fool. It is very difficult to meet a real person.
But, you know, before God, this is a very important character. Unless we are real, we cannot be spiritual. And to be real in your mouth is the consummation of realness.
So here you find the one hundred and forty-four thousand. They are very real. They do not live in falsehood, in pretension. They are very real people, and they become real and true witnesses of Christ.
And then He says they are without blemish. Who is without blemish? Our Lord Jesus.
You remember Hebrews 9. It says that He offered Himself through the eternal Spirit, a sacrifice without blemish. He is the One who has no blemish, nothing to be blamed—perfect, a perfect sacrifice.
One morning you heard our brother say, “This is perfect—wonderful.” But here you find the one hundred and forty-four thousand are proclaimed by God as without blemish.
This is the will of God. You read Ephesians 1:4, and you find, “Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before Him in love.”
God has chosen us before the foundation of the world. In other words, this is His purpose: that we should be holy and without blemish before Him. No blame, no spot, no wrinkle, nor any such thing, but without blemish before Him.
How can we be without blemish before God? And you notice the little phrase: “in love.” In love, we will be presented before God as holy and without blemish. It is love that covers many things. It is love that makes us holy and without blemish.
Then you find Ephesians 5. The Lord Jesus also loved the church and gave Himself up for it, that He might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the Word; that He might present the church to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
How can we be without blemish? It all begins and ends with His love. He loved the church and gave Himself up for it. He washes us with the washing of water with the Word.
In other words, you find His life being breathed out is like the water that washes us together with the Word of God. We are being washed daily, daily, until we are considered as holy and without blemish before Him.
It is like a sacrifice without blemish. Then it can be sacrificed to God.
Now, having seen all these descriptions of the one hundred and forty-four thousand, we wonder who they are. They are such a wonderful people, so privileged. Now, who are they?
I do not pretend to know who they are. I can only say this.
In Revelation 7, we find a countless crowd standing before the throne and before the Lamb. We say this represents the overcomers of the church throughout the twenty centuries.
Now you find, coming to the very consummation, as if God has taken out of all the countless crowd a special group to be the specimen of all the overcomers.
You know, I wonder if this represents the elite of the overcomers. Even among the overcomers there are degrees. Some may rule ten cities and some five cities. The glory of this star is different from the glory of that star.
I wonder—I am just wondering aloud—whether this one hundred and forty-four thousand represents the full thought of God concerning the overcomers of the church.
One hundred and forty-four thousand—whether they mean the exact number literally, or whether they just give a round number to show the multiples of twelve—I do not know.
I only know that the Lord seems to pick out a number of people and show us that which answers fully to Himself.
As you read these descriptions of the one hundred and forty-four thousand, you find that they answer fully unto Christ. They stand with the Lamb. They are one with the Lamb. They go wherever the Lamb goes.
They are joined to the Lamb as one. The Lamb’s character characterizes them. And here, brothers and sisters, you know this is what the overcomer means: the full thought of God concerning the overcomers.
Let us hurry on, because I really do not know.
Here you find a description: they are to be firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb. Who are these one hundred and forty-four thousand? The firstfruits of the church. Firstfruits—does that give us some ideas?
You remember Exodus 23:19. It says, “The first of the firstfruits of thy ground thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God.”
If you turn to Leviticus 23, you find the same thing. God told Moses to tell the people that after they had entered into the land and began to have harvest, they must bring the firstfruits, a sheaf of the firstfruits, to the house, to the priest, to be presented to God before they could eat any of the produce of the land, that they may be accepted by God.
Oh, you know, if you read Deuteronomy 26, you find that when they present the firstfruits to God, it is a very touching scene. Probably it will help us to just read it.
And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein,
that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in from thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee; and thou shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, to cause His name to dwell there.
And thou shalt come unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the land which the Lord sware unto our fathers to give us.
And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God.
And thou shalt answer and say before the Lord thy God, A wandering Aramean was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous.
And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:
and we cried unto the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression;
and the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terror, and with signs, and with wonders;
and He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which Thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it down before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God:
and thou shalt rejoice in all the good which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thy house, thou, and the Levite, and the sojourner that is in the midst of thee.
It is a very, very touching scene. As the Israelites brought their firstfruits to God, they prayed, “Our father was a Syrian, sojourning in Egypt, almost perishing. But God has brought us out of our bondage and has brought us into this promised land.”
“Here is the produce. We acknowledge that it is given to us by God, and now we give it back to God.” And there they worship God. This is the meaning of the firstfruits.
If we know anything about agriculture, you know that when you cultivate a field—say, a field of wheat—usually you will find, in this field, a patch of wheat ripening first.
Somehow, this little portion seems to be able to absorb more sunshine, more nutrition. They are ripe before the rest of the wheat. They dry out first. They are loosened from the earth first. This is the firstfruit of the field.
Usually, the firstfruits are the best. But the Israelites do not eat the firstfruit. When they get the firstfruit, they bring it to God and offer it to God: “Lord, this is Yours.”
Dear brothers and sisters, here you find the overcomers of the church as the firstfruits in the church. The church is like a field of wheat.
All children of God are born from above. There is no difference in the life that each has possessed. The difference is only in the difference of ripening. Those that ripen first are the best—not a difference of kind, only a difference of degree.
So here you find the firstfruits. Who are the overcomers? The overcomers, in one sense, are no different from the rest of the children of God. The life which they receive is the same life that the others receive. They share the same life. They are in the same field.
But some ripen first. They dry up first. They get yellow first. They are taken up first.
Well, you may interpret it in different ways. You may say the sun represents the Sun of righteousness, our Lord Jesus. Somehow they receive more grace—not that God is partial, but somehow they receive more grace. They get yellow first.
Or you may say the sun represents the tribulation of this world, just like this virgin in the Song of Solomon: “Do not look down upon me because I am black; the sun hath scorched me.” Maybe from tribulations, I do not know.
But somehow you find some in the church—whether they go through tribulation or whether they enjoy, somehow, more of the grace of Christ—anyway, you find they are ready first. They are ripened first. They are loosened first.
You know, when wheat is ripe, the root very lightly touches the soil. You just lift it and you harvest it. It is ready.
In other words, you find that they are in the world and yet not of the world. They just barely touch it, and they are dried, ripe. But they are all ripened people.
The firstfruits are the best. But do you think that the best is to be enjoyed by yourself? No. The best is to be presented to God in the temple. It is for God.
Dear brothers and sisters, probably we have a natural concept concerning overcomers. Maybe our concept is, “If I am an overcomer, then there will be great enjoyment for me.”
Well, it is true. The overcomer comes into the joy of the Lord. That is true, that is true. But basically, to be an overcomer is not to enjoy yourself. To be an overcomer is to let God enjoy you. That is the meaning of an overcomer.
To go through all these tribulations, to follow the Lamb in the way of the cross, to be strictly disciplined by the Spirit of God—do you think that you endure these things because one day you will have great enjoyment? You will, but this is not the motive.
The motive behind an overcomer is that I may be a sacrifice and an offering to God.
No sacrifice can be offered if there is any blemish. But here you find they are without blemish. For what purpose? That they may stand there and say, “Look how perfect I am”? No.
That they may be offered on the altar, burned and consumed and disappeared. Are you willing to be an overcomer? There is not much for you, but there is much for God. This is the meaning of overcomers.
Do not have a mercenary and bargaining spirit when you come to this matter of overcomers. I know it, because it is in me.
I know sometimes there is a bargaining spirit, just like Peter said, “What will we have? We have given up everything for You. Now what will we have?”
The Lord said, “Yes, you will have a hundredfold, with persecutions, and life eternal in the age to come.” There is a bargaining spirit. There is not the right spirit of an overcomer.
The right spirit of an overcomer is that we may be for God, for His satisfaction and for His enjoyment. If we are consumed and disappeared, thank God, if He is satisfied. Nothing for ourselves; it is for Him.
You know, the firstfruits guarantee the coming of the harvest. If you do not have the firstfruits, you will never have a harvest. That is for sure.
But when a farmer gathers the firstfruit, he knows for sure that a harvest will come. It guarantees the harvest.
What is the function of the overcomers? The function of the overcomers is that, because they are matured, they bring the church into maturity.
Many years ago, I was puzzled by Ephesians 4. I do not know if you are puzzled by it or not.
Here in Ephesians 4, it says:
Till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;
but speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him, who is the head, even Christ.
In other words, I was puzzled for a long time. How can the church ever arrive at this place? How can the church of God ever come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ? How can the church ever come to that?
The more I looked at the conditions of the church around me, the more I looked into myself, the more I was disappointed. I was reduced to despair. I said, “It can never, never arrive.”
As if the closer the return of the Lord, the farther away the church seems to be from that maturity. I do not understand. I do not understand how this can ever be fulfilled.
If the return of the Bridegroom waits for the maturity of the bride, He will never return. The bride never matures—an old baby.
I do not know if you have the same problem.
Until one day, I thank the Lord for our brother Watchman Nee. He explained it to me. I am satisfied. I do not know if you will be satisfied, but I am satisfied with that.
He began to explain to me. He said, “Brother, this arriving at the fullness of Christ is to be accomplished in the overcomers of the church.”
“When the overcomers of the church have reached that maturity, as the man-child is born, God considers the whole church as having arrived.”
I do not know if you agree, but I am satisfied. The Lord seems to accomplish it in this way. When you have the firstfruits, then the harvest is assured.
The work of the overcomers is not for themselves. The overcomers are for the whole church.
Do not think that we are overcomers and leave the church behind. We are overcomers so that we may enjoy the Lord—not so, not so.
The very maturing of the overcomers is for the maturity of the whole church. It guarantees the harvest.
For, dear brothers and sisters, this is the first picture—the first picture.
Then you find, in the latter part of this chapter, the harvest comes. The harvest. The Apostle John saw another vision, and he saw the Son of Man sitting on a white cloud.
Not on Mount Zion, but on a white cloud, with a golden crown on His head. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and in His hand a sharp sickle.
But He waits. Then another angel comes out from the temple and cries, “Now the time is ready. Cast forth the sickle and harvest the harvest.”
The Lord Jesus said no one knows the time but the Father. When the Father says the time is ripe, the sickle is cast upon the earth, and the harvest is harvested.
You remember in Acts 1, the Lord Jesus led His disciples to the Mount of Ascension. After He had spoken to them, He was taken up.
They were all looking at Him. He was taken up, and then a cloud received Him. But they were still looking. And two men in white appeared and said, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye beheld Him going into heaven.”
When the Lord was taken up, you find it was in two parts. The first part, from the earth up to the clouds, He could be seen—visible. Then He was taken away by the clouds up to heaven—unseen, invisible.
In like manner, He shall come back. He shall come back first from the throne to the clouds, invisible. Then He shall come from the clouds to the earth, seen by everyone.
The Lamb on Mount Zion is now the Son of Man sitting on a white cloud, waiting to harvest His harvest. And you know what that harvest is? That is the whole church.
In 1 Thessalonians 4, the Lord shall descend in the clouds, and with an assembling voice, with a shout of the archangel, with the last trumpet, all who are dead in Christ shall rise. And all those who live and remain shall be caught up into the air to meet the Lord in the air. And they shall be with the Lord forever. Let this be used to comfort one another.
Dear brothers and sisters, we are looking forward to the return of our Lord. But in His return, you find He must have His firstfruits, and He must have His harvest.
When the Israelites harvested, you know they enjoyed the harvest themselves. Whether you want to be the firstfruit for God’s satisfaction and enjoyment, or whether you want to be in the harvest for your own satisfaction and enjoyment.
But here you are in this chapter: the firstfruits, the overcomers, and the church—they all are one. And they shall be the bride of the Lamb.
Our Heavenly Father, Thou art looking for the firstfruits to secure the harvest.
All our hearts do go out to Thee and Christ, that Thou mayest have the firstfruits. We confess that our fathers were all as Syrians, ready to perish, sojourning in Egypt under bondage and affliction.
But Thou hast brought us out into the promised land, and we do desire to offer the firstfruits unto Thee. We acknowledge that this belongs to Thee. Thou shalt be satisfied.
O Lord, we ask Thee to fill our hearts with this desire, that we may worship Thee, bring the firstfruits, and lay it at Thy feet. We ask in the precious name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.