At this late hour, He still gives us opportunity to hear His Word and to be prepared for His imminent return.
We are looking to the Lord that this will not be just a time of hearing some good messages, but that this will be a time when spiritual reality becomes our portion.
We do realize that we can do nothing in the spiritual realm. He has to do everything, and we trust Him to do it for His own glory.
So it is our earnest prayer that this time will be a time of revelation, a time of enlightenment, a time of heart-searching, a time of humbling ourselves before the Lord, and a time in which our Lord is able to work out His glory in each and every one of us.
The theme verse of this conference is Revelation 12:11:
And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb,
and because of the word of their testimony;
and they loved not their life even unto death.
“And they” refers to the overcomers of the church. “Him” refers to the accuser—Satan, the adversary, the enemy of God.
How do they overcome? By reason of the blood of the Lamb. This is the foundation. And by reason of the word of their testimony. And they loved not their lives even unto death.
Our dear brother Dana was given the assignment of speaking on “by reason of the blood of the Lamb.” I was assigned to speak on “the word of their testimony.” And dear brother Lance will speak on “they loved not their lives even unto death.”
Last night, our dear brother Dana gave us an outline, as it were, of that great vision given to John, and through him to us. He showed us that behind the sign is the spiritual principle, the spiritual reality. We are given an account of the spiritual reality involved in that great vision.
Now, this morning, by the grace of God, I would like to apply that great spiritual principle to our days and to ourselves. I hope that you will allow me to go back, as it were, to that vision. But my purpose is for the practical side of that vision—to us, to ourselves.
I am not on interpretation. As our brother already mentioned, there are so many interpretations, and oftentimes interpretations divide. But reality unites.
So I would like to apply the spiritual principle that can be universally applied, and just focus on how it applies to us today.
I believe every brother and sister realizes that we are living at the end of the end.
We are living at a very thrilling time, even though it is a most difficult time, as it were. It is also a most exciting time because, if the Lord wills, we have the opportunity to be raptured alive into heaven. What a thrill!
It is a time of great importance to our spiritual lives. This vision in Revelation 12 is an amazing vision. It is a vision of the end time, a vision of the coming of our Lord Jesus, and a vision for hastening the coming of our Lord.
In that vision, we see a woman. I believe that woman represents the woman of the ages. Scripture often uses woman to represent spiritual experience.
This woman is represented by Eve at the time of the creation of man. She is represented by Israel at the time when God called Israel to Himself. And this woman represents the church in this age.
This woman is the same woman that we find in Revelation 21:2: the New Jerusalem, the wife of the Lamb. So, when we put it in the context of the end days, she represents the church in the end days.
We know that the church has a glorious calling. If we read of how the church began on earth, it had a wonderful testimony. It was certainly a glorious church that gave much glory to our blessed Lord.
But unfortunately, we find that even toward the end of the first century, in the Book of Revelation, when we read Revelation 2 and Revelation 3 concerning the seven churches in Asia, a declension had already come into the church.
Prophetically speaking, the church in Laodicea represents the church at the end time. The church has declined so much. It has become lukewarm, neither cold nor hot.
It boasts itself of its riches, but actually, in the sight of God, it is wretched, poor, and blind. It is as if the Lord is now standing outside the door and knocking.
Is it not true in our days? When you look at the church—the glorious church—we do not see glory there. We see declension, departure, apostasy, corruption, and false teaching. Yet the church is not conscious of it, aware of it, or repentant of it.
This woman, with such glorious ordination and adornment, should be the envy, the hatred, and the target of the archenemy of God. But unfortunately, you find in this vision that the red dragon, the serpent, the accuser—Satan—had no interest, as it were, in that woman.
Why is it so? It is because the church has no effect upon him. The church is entrusted with the testimony of Jesus, and with that testimony it will finish Satan and his kingdom.
But now the church is asleep—almost comatose. It means nothing to the enemy. He is no longer interested in the church because it is already in his hand. It cannot interfere with his wiles; it has fallen under him.
But thank God, we find that the woman was travailing. She was going through difficulties and tribulations.
This travailing is not just suffering for no reason, with no outcome. The woman is travailing in God’s providence. God allows the church to go through tribulations and sufferings.
Just as we see in Matthew 24, the Lord said there will be wars and rumors of wars; there will be pestilence and earthquakes—all these tribulations. But He calls them birth pains.
So far as God is concerned, these tribulations are not negative at all. These tribulations that God allows to come upon the world and upon the church are so that, through these tribulations, there will be birth pains. There will be bringing forth unto birth.
This is the purpose of God. When the church fails, God never fails. So His reaction is that He calls for overcomers.
We find that in Revelation 2 and Revelation 3. To every church there is a call to overcome.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
He who hears—that is, hears the voice of the Spirit to the churches—is an overcomer. We can almost say that the last call of God to the church is the call to overcome.
To overcome the accuser, to overcome Satan, to overcome all the wiles of the enemy, to overthrow him by the grace of God and the power of God, and to bring in the coming of our Lord Jesus.
So we find that the dragon, the enemy of God, is not interested in the church anymore. But he is interested in the womb of the church.
He knows better. He knows that the woman will not affect him in any way, but that which will be born out of that woman will become his end.
Therefore, you find in this vision that the dragon is there before the woman, waiting for the man child to be born. He wants to swallow up that man child after he is born.
In the great spiritual conflict that has been going on for thousands of years, since the creation of man, between God and the enemy, we find that it has not let up in any way. But as we approach the end, it will become more intense, more fierce.
Because the enemy knows that if the man child is born, his days are numbered.
Now, who is that man child? That is the question of the centuries. As our brother says, there are so many different interpretations. We are not interested in interpretations. We are not qualified.
But we are interested in its actual application. Does it have anything to do with us? How can we be among those in the man child? That should be our interest.
Personally, I believe that since this is a vision of the end time, this man child must have everything to do with the end time.
This man child that is to be born is to be the beginning of the downfall of Satan, the beginning of the glorious triumph and return of our Lord Jesus. And we are living at this hour.
I believe, brothers and sisters, we all have that understanding, or even that consciousness, that our Lord’s coming is imminent. Something tremendous will happen soon. But how does it happen?
Here you find that when the man child is born, he is immediately taken up to the throne of God. The dragon will not be able to swallow him up.
He is able to go through the headquarters of the enemy, which is the air, and go right into the throne of God.
As soon as this has happened, the vision tells us that Michael and the angels fight with Satan and his angels. We all know that the air, the first heaven, is where Satan’s headquarters is.
But now Michael and his angels fight against Satan and his followers, and there is no place in the air for Satan. He will be thrown down from the air to the earth.
Why is this? Because we know that when our Lord Jesus returns, He will come back in two stages, just as the way He went to heaven.
In Acts 1, we are told that our Lord Jesus, when He was on Mount Olivet with His disciples, was taken up to heaven. From Mount Olivet, He gradually, as it were, ascended. The disciples looked up at Him and saw Him going up. Then a cloud took Him, and they could see Him no more.
But they were still looking up. Then two men in white appeared to them 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.
In other words, the way He goes will be the way He comes. He goes in two stages: from the mountaintop to the air, visibly; and then from the air to the throne, invisibly.
How do we know He has arrived? We know it because on the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up and said that the One whom they had crucified had risen, had ascended, and had been anointed to be King, Lord, and Christ. So we know He has arrived.
Also, in Revelation 5, you see a Lamb newly slain standing before God. Because He has overcome, the scroll—the title deed of the universe—is given to Him to execute the will of God and to bring the whole universe back to the feet of God. So we know He has arrived.
When our Lord Jesus comes back, He will come back in like manner. I think there is much confusion about the coming of the Lord, even in the hymns that we sing.
When some hymns speak of the coming of the Lord—when the trumpet calls and we shall be gathered with Him—brothers and sisters, it is a little bit too late.
If you know the Scripture, you will find that when He comes, His parousia, His presence, means a period of time including a series of events. That is what His coming shall be.
He will come from the throne to the air, invisibly. He will come as a thief. Now, will a thief blow a trumpet and say, “I’m coming”? Never.
He comes quietly, secretly, without your knowing. And why would he steal away your garbage? If he does, I want him to come every night.
Strangely, he seems to know where your treasure is. He goes right to it and takes it away.
So, brothers and sisters, we find that when this man child is born—completed—the man child is in the process of being completed today. That includes you and me.
That is what God is doing in each and every one of us after we are saved. He is trying to complete us. When the overcomers are completed, then there will be rapture.
The Lord said that the days of His coming are like the days of Noah. In the days of Noah, everything goes on as usual.
But two are grinding the meal—that is morning. Two are working in the field—that is daytime. And two are sleeping—that is night. Suddenly, one is taken and one is left.
Because He will come as a thief, and He will steal away His treasure. Brothers and sisters, the earth is round. In one place it is morning; at the same time, in another place it is noontime, and in other places it is night.
The two represent Christians, believers, who are living at the time of the coming of the Lord.
We do realize that even in the first century, those who loved the Lord were waiting for the coming of the Lord. Were they wrong? No, they were right. They had the right spirit.
In the second and third centuries, when the church was going through ten great tribulations from the Roman Empire, the way they greeted one another was, “The Lord is coming.” Were they wrong? No, they were right. Their spirit was right.
The Lord can come at any time, but He has His timing. And His timing is: Has His bride been made ready?
So, brothers and sisters, this man child, to me, represents the overcomers at the coming of the Lord.
At the coming of the Lord, we find that the church in general has fallen. It has become lukewarm. Christ is outside the door, and yet the church is still boasting of its riches. But the Lord knows better.
But thank God, in spite of that situation, God is working. God is raising up brothers and sisters who are absolute to the Lord, who have the testimony of Jesus, who are faithful and loyal to the Lord. The Lord knows who they are.
When the man child is born, he is raptured to the throne where Christ Jesus is. This is the prelude to the coming of the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, we are not here waiting to see the Antichrist come. We are here waiting for Christ to come. And He is coming. Are we ready?
You know, as soon as the man child is raptured to the throne, something happens in the air. On the basis of the victory of Christ and of His church, Satan will be thrown down to earth.
When Satan is on earth with the Antichrist and the false prophet—the trio of evil—what happens on earth? The great tribulation, of course: 1,260 days, three and a half years.
The great tribulation: hell on earth. But happy are those who are already in heaven.
Is this not the promise we find in Revelation 3, God’s promise to the church in Philadelphia? Because they are faithful to the Lord, He will deliver them out of the hour of trial that will come upon the whole earth.
In other words, when the trial comes, when that hour comes, they are already gone. Blessed are they, brothers and sisters. This is what we must be waiting for.
Because the overcomers not only prepare the way for the return of our Lord; they even hasten His return. How blessed it will be if, by the grace of God, we are counted among them.
Now, brothers and sisters, who are these overcomers? In what respect do they overcome? It is true that they are those who overcome Satan, the enemy of God.
But we could put it another way. I believe that these overcomers overcome because they have and keep the testimony of Jesus.
Dear brothers and sisters, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. In Revelation 19:10, it says:
The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Not only do prophecies testify of who Jesus is, what kind of Jesus He is, and what He has accomplished; we know that the whole Bible is the testimony of Jesus.
The whole Bible testifies to us who Jesus is, what He is, and what He has done—what glorious work He has accomplished.
So, if we want to know the testimony of Jesus, we need to read the whole Bible, to know, in a sense, what the testimony of Jesus is.
Now, what is testimony? What is the relationship between testimony and witness?
Briefly speaking, testimony is a fact—something that has actually happened, something that you have experienced, something that you have seen and heard firsthand.
When this is spoken out, it becomes a testimony. And the witness is the one who bears this testimony.
You know, the word witness in Greek is translated into martyr in English. So, in other words, they testify even unto death. That is what testimony really is.
So the whole Bible actually gives us the testimony of Jesus—what Jesus we have.
This is the issue between God and the enemy. The enemy attacks the testimony of Jesus because he knows that when the testimony of Jesus is fulfilled, he is finished.
Brothers and sisters, it is not a small thing. It is easy for us who believe in the Lord Jesus to ask, “Do we have the testimony of Jesus?” How do we know?
You read the Book of Revelation, and you will find that this is a special term, as it were, in the Book of Revelation. Throughout the book, you find mention of the testimony of Jesus.
They have the testimony. They are martyred for the testimony. It is all through the Book of Revelation because those who have the testimony of Jesus are the overcomers. They are the ones who overcome Satan, the accuser, the deceiver, the adversary of God.
So, brothers and sisters, I feel that we need to review, as it were. But I think it is more than just a review. I think we need to receive a fresh revelation of what the testimony of Jesus is.
If we want to know it, even with limited knowledge, probably we have to be gathered for our whole lifetime. But thank God, I believe the testimony of Jesus seems to be all concluded, summed up, in Revelation 1:17-18.
In Revelation 1, we find there is a vision of our Lord Jesus to the apostle John. It is the vision of the risen Lord, who is in heaven as the great High Priest looking after His churches on earth.
When our Lord Jesus was on earth, He was the Apostle of our confession. He cleared the way. He prepared a way of salvation. He accomplished what God had sent Him for.
But after He had shouted, “It is finished,” on Calvary’s cross, He ascended up on high. The Bible says that He sits at the right hand of God. Now, you do not sit until the work is done.
The work of salvation is done. Therefore, our Lord Jesus, so far as that work is concerned, sits down.
But it does not mean that He just sits down and dozes. He has plenty to do while He sits at the right hand of the Father, because He has become the High Priest of our confession.
He ever lives, making intercession for us, that He may save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him.
Brothers and sisters, we often apply the high priesthood of our Lord Jesus individually and personally. Thank God for that, because without that, how can we live a Christian life?
We can be saved, but after being saved, how can we live a Christian life? We cannot. It is all because He is our High Priest. He succors us, He supplies us, He supports us, He comes alongside us, and He brings us to the end.
But His high priesthood is more than individual. His high priesthood is toward the church. So here you find that He is busily engaged in ministry to His church on earth.
He reveals Himself afresh to His church. He keeps examining the church. He sees what is wrong, what is missing, what is lacking, and He applies the oil.
He will cut off the smoking flax so that it may shine. He will put more oil in it so that it will be bright and shining. He is looking after His church.
Put it another way: He is trying to find Himself in the church.
I remember the story of A. J. Gordon. When he was pastor in a big church in Boston, he was greatly used by the Lord.
They had a tremendous building, a pipe organ, a wonderful choir, and a great congregation. Everything was good.
But one day he dreamed a dream. He saw that when he was going to the pulpit to preach, the place was packed. Then he saw a stranger come in, looking for a place to sit.
The stranger was brought to a seat and sat down there. Somehow, the stranger attracted him. While he was speaking, he continually looked at that stranger.
He wondered whether the stranger approved of his sermon, whether the stranger agreed with what was going on there—the great choir, the wonderful music, and all the surroundings.
So he decided in his heart, “After I finish speaking, I have to see the stranger.” You know, the pastor usually has the habit of going to the front door after speaking to greet everybody. So that was what he was going to do.
But unfortunately, when he went to the front door to meet the people, the stranger was already gone.
So he asked the usher, “Who is that stranger?” And the usher said, “Don’t you know? He is Christ.”
Christ had come to the church. When A. J. Gordon heard about that, he was searched in his heart.
Would Christ be happy with our pipe organ? Would Christ be happy with our great choir? Would Christ approve my sermon?
Under the searching of the Spirit, he repented. Things began to change, and God used this brother mightily.
Brothers and sisters, if our Lord should visit us this morning—thank God, He is not just visiting; He is present. He makes His home with us—will He feel comfortable with us?
Will He approve of everything, anything, that we are proud of? Or will He be seeking to see Himself in us, individually and corporately?
Where is the testimony of Jesus? Do we really testify of Him? Or do we testify of ourselves, show off ourselves, and hide our Lord Jesus in ourselves?
Brothers and sisters, this is very real, very living, very true.
When He is not able to see Himself in the church, He calls for overcomers.
The overcomers are not super-Christians at all. The overcomers are normal Christians. That is what we ought to be. That is what the church ought to be.
We ought to have the testimony of Jesus—not just as a teaching, as a doctrine, as something objective—but we must have the testimony of Jesus. Have it. Experience it. Practice it. Live it. Live it out. That is what is needed.
Brothers and sisters, John the apostle was closest to the Lord when our Lord was on earth. He knew the Lord so well—if I may say, more than anybody else.
But when he saw that vision, he fell down as dead.
Do you think a vision will raise you up to the third heaven? Eventually, it will. But when you see the vision of the Lord, it brings you down to the dust, to repent in dust and ashes.
As Job said:
I abhor myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.
What is the testimony of Jesus that is so glorious and yet so terrible? Let us hear what the Lord said of Himself.
Revelation 1:17-18 says:
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 sums up the testimony of Jesus. He testifies of Himself, and His testimony is true, because He knows where He comes from and where He is going.
Our testimony may not be true because we do not know ourselves. But His testimony is true.
He said, “I am the first and the last.” That speaks of His deity.
You remember Revelation 1:8. The Lord God, the Almighty, said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” This is what the eternal God is.
As the Father is, so is the Son. So our Lord Jesus, He is the first and He is the last.
He is the first of all things, the beginning of all things, the Initiator of all things. Without Him, nothing will begin.
All things come out of Him, and He is the last. All things will return to Him. He is the end of all things.
He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega. He is all and in all. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily, and we are complete in Him.
Then He said, “I am the Living One.” It means that He is life itself.
In Him is life, and the life is the light of men. He is the Originator of life. There is no life apart from Him.
Thank God, He gave His eternal life to each and every one of those who believe in Him. What a gift!
He said, “I became dead.” That speaks of His humanity.
The Word became flesh and tabernacled among men, full of grace and truth.
He who is life itself, strangely, became dead. That is not what He is, but that is what He was willing to come to become.
He said, “Nobody takes My life away. I give My life away, and I can take it back.”
What love! What humility! What obedience to the Father, even unto death! And what accomplishment: “It is finished.”
“The Living One, and I became dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and have the keys of death and of Hades.” That speaks of His resurrection and ascension.
Our Lord Jesus was crucified on Calvary’s cross. He was dead. The soldier thrust his spear into His side, and out of His heart came blood and water.
He was buried for three days. But thank God, He swallowed up death, and He rose up in glory.
He is living unto the ages of ages. Death is swallowed up. Satan, who has the power of death, is defeated.
He has the keys of death and of Hades. He said:
I will build My church upon this rock;
and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
What a promise! So, brothers and sisters, this is the testimony of Jesus.
Thank God, this testimony of Jesus has been entrusted to us.
Those who have the testimony of Jesus, in spite of tribulation and suffering—or, to put it another way, because of tribulations and suffering—have the testimony of Jesus.
Those who have the testimony of Jesus are the overcomers at the end time. They are the welcoming party for the coming of our Lord Jesus. They are the ones who hasten the Lord’s return.
So may it be true of each and every one of us, brothers and sisters.
This is not just a saying. This is serious. This is life and death to us. Take it seriously. Go to the Lord. Open your heart to Him. Let Him examine your heart and see whether the testimony of Jesus is there.
Our prayer is that the man child may be born, that it will start the whole process of the coming of the Lord.
Dear Lord, we do wonder at the greatness of Thy love, the greatness of Thy grace, the greatness of Thy purpose, even toward us who are but dust and ashes.
But at the same time, Lord, we do tremble at how precious Thou art, lest we fail. Forgive us for our failure.
We confess. We repent. We look away from ourselves. We look to Thee, because Thou art our Comforter, God, our High Priest.
Thou dost ever live, interceding for us, even me, Lord, and to save us to the uttermost, to the praise of Thy glory.
In Thy precious name we pray. Amen.