Please turn to the last book of the Bible, Revelation—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.
Dear Lord, our hearts are full of thanksgiving. We thank You that You have invited us to Your table. We remember what love You have bestowed upon us. We who were dead in sins and transgressions are now, by Your grace, Your children.
We thank You for the privilege of partaking of the table. Lord, You have bought us with such a price. How can we live for ourselves any longer? We are here by Your grace and for Your glory.
We thank You for being with us these few days. We continue to give ourselves to You and pray that whatever You have more to say to us, speak. We are listening.
This time is Yours. Please continue to bless this time, that we may hear Your voice and surrender ourselves even more to You. You are forever worthy. We worship You in Your precious name. Amen.
I always hesitate to speak after the Lord’s table. We have been brought to the Lord, to His presence. What more do we want?
But, to obey, my brethren, I try to share something more. We mentioned how God, in His great love, sent His only begotten Son into this world. We, created by Him, failed Him; and yet His love would not let us go.
He sent His only begotten Son into this world to be a man, in order to save us—and save us to the uttermost—that we may be men after His mind and that we may be used by Him as His witness and testimony.
What mercy and grace He has given us! Our Lord Jesus came into this world full of grace and truth. Yet, after He had worked for over three years, people did not understand Him. They even rejected Him.
So we find that our Lord Jesus retreated to a Gentile city. While He was there, He asked His disciples a question: “Whom do men say that I am?”
Of course, we know how the world misunderstood Him and said many bad things about Him. But the disciples did not tell the Lord all the bad things people said. They wanted to please Him.
They reported, “Some say You are John the Baptist, come to life. Others say You are Elijah, the greatest prophet Israel ever had. Others say You are Jeremiah, because You weep much. Some others say You are one of the prophets.”
Brothers and sisters, was our Lord satisfied? If someone said to you, “You are Confucius come to life,” what would be your reaction? You might say, “Oh, I am not worthy,” because it is too good.
But when they reported all these good things about our Lord Jesus, He was not satisfied. So He asked the disciples, “You have been with Me for three years. Whom do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
What a confession! Christ—that is His work. He was sent by God to accomplish a special work: the work of redemption. “You are the Son of God”—that is His person.
Our Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are you, because this is not something that human beings could tell you. It is My heavenly Father who has revealed Me to you.”
“You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
Some people misunderstand these words. When our Lord said, “You are Peter,” Peter means a stone, a small stone. “I will build My church upon this rock.” A rock is a huge rock.
Yet some people misunderstand. They say that because Christ said it, the church is built upon Peter. What a misunderstanding!
What our Lord Jesus really said was this: “You are a small stone. Formerly, you were just clay, but now, because you have believed in Me, there is a change of inner character. You have become a piece of the rock.”
“I am the Rock. The church is built upon Me, and you are being built upon Me.”
Because the church is to be built, the gates of Hades will all be opened to try to destroy the church. But the Lord said, “The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the one hundred and twenty, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. That was the beginning of the church. The church had a glorious beginning, and it was to bear the testimony of Jesus.
When you look at the beginning of the church, you see how glorious it was. On that very day, through the preaching of Peter and the eleven disciples, three thousand came to the Lord, and they were all baptized. They continued in the Word of God.
Brothers and sisters, what a powerful church it was! They were able to bear the testimony of Jesus. Many turned to the Lord.
The church had a glorious beginning. But, of course, God’s enemy was very unhappy, so he tried his best to attack the church. He caused problems in the church.
But thank God, the church was able to solve its problems. Problems are not problems if they can be rightly solved; instead, they become blessings.
Thus, in the early church, we find a victorious church. It was able to bear the testimony of Jesus and give a good witness to Christ Jesus.
Unfortunately, Satan tried to defeat the church. In the beginning, he tried to threaten it. When that did not work, he tried to welcome it.
When we came to the fourth century, after Constantine accepted Christianity, Christianity became popular. Brothers and sisters, do you think popularity is a good thing? Actually, it is a great temptation.
Because Constantine accepted Christianity, he encouraged his soldiers and his people to believe in Christianity. They accepted Christianity because they would be rewarded with clothes and money. Who would not do that?
Christianity became something welcome. Humanly speaking, it became prosperous, but Christianity began to go down. Many joined Christianity, but they were not saved.
For this reason, they had to train a special group to take care of the church. That is where the special priesthood came forth.
Open the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. In the beginning, you find that John was exiled to the island of Patmos.
John was the last of the twelve who was living. At that time, he was working in Asia, that is, Asia Minor. But because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus, he was exiled to the island of Patmos. He was put into hard labor.
But one day, on the Lord’s Day, he seemed to be free from labor. We can imagine how he sat on the rock, looking at the sea. On a clear day, from the island of Patmos, you can faintly see the coast of Asia Minor.
Naturally, John would think about the churches there. But while he was thinking about that, he heard a loud voice behind him. He turned to look at the voice, and he saw what we call the Patmos vision.
He saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands, One like the Son of Man. The seven golden lampstands were explained to be the seven churches in Asia Minor.
Now, brothers and sisters, at that time there were more than these seven churches. For instance, Colossae was not there. But the Spirit of God purposely chose seven churches because these seven churches represent the conditions of all the churches during the end of the first century.
In Revelation 1, God gives us a vision of the One like the Son of Man. Oftentimes our emphasis is on the golden lampstands, but actually the emphasis God wants us to know is the One like the Son of Man.
For the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus.
I remember when I was first saved. I was fifteen years old, and one day I heard a brother speaking. He was Mr. Geoffrey. He spoke on the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw, and I was so attracted by this word of prophecy.
So I began to be interested in prophecy. I tried to know more about prophecy. In studying prophecy, the most difficult thing is to know the timing: how will these prophetic things happen, and how can you arrange all the words of prophecy in their time sequence?
Unfortunately, I spent more time trying to put all these prophecies in order. I almost became an expert, and yet I missed the whole point, because I lost sight of Jesus Christ.
Dear brothers and sisters, when we study Revelation and prophecy, it is not all these prophetic words that are important. They are important because they testify of our Lord Jesus.
If you see all these words of prophecy and do not see Christ, you miss the whole point.
I remember when Brother Watchman asked me to join with him. I was twenty years old and had just graduated from college. What did I know? I knew very little.
But I worked and traveled in many parts of China. Wherever I went, we had gospel campaigns from city to city. We preached the gospel, and after people were saved, we did four things.
These were the four things I did for years, until I became tired. Is that all?
Thank God, because of the Second World War, I was in Singapore, and at the last minute God brought me out. He brought me to India.
I never thought of going to India. Even when people suggested it to me, I put it aside. But thank God, He led me to India.
While I was in India, I had time. I spent that time meditating before the Lord, and I began to read Mr. Sparks’s books. There the Lord opened my eyes.
He began to show me that it is Christ. If you look for Christ, there is no end. If you look for something else, there will be a limit.
Brothers and sisters, by His mercy and grace, He showed me that Christ is unlimited. Then, when we met, I had something to talk about. This has continued until now.
The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. God’s purpose is for us to see Jesus. This is God’s will.
When you look at the book of Revelation, you find seven churches in chapters 2 and 3. These represent the churches at the end of the first century. What happened to them?
Aside from the church in Philadelphia, which was filled with praise and had no blame, you find that a number of the churches had fallen. Because the church had fallen, the Lord began to call for overcomers.
The last call to the church is the call to overcome. During the end of the first century, in every church, there was the call to overcome. This call has continued to come to the church throughout the centuries.
If you read carefully through the book of Revelation, you will find in chapters 2 and 3 the call to overcome. All those who overcome will receive reward in the millennial age.
Then, when you come to Revelation 7, you find a numberless multitude. Thank God for that numberless multitude. They were all clothed with white robes and had palm branches in their hands. They praised God.
Who are these people? We believe that these are overcomers through the ages. No matter what the history of the church may be, thank God, there will be those who overcome.
A numberless multitude is there, worshiping God, and the Lord takes care of them.
But what about us? We are now in the twenty-first century. Is there anything in Revelation for us? I believe that when you come to Revelation 12, there is something that relates to us.
Of course, when you read the book of Revelation, there are many different interpretations. I remember in the 1960s that I went to Peru because I was invited to visit an American couple.
Some older ones may remember that five missionaries were killed by the Auca Indians. The husband of the couple I visited was one of the brethren who was martyred.
They loved the Lord and went to Peru. They lived in a place where you had to fly in and then travel by river. For half a year they lived in a small boat, traveled on the Amazon River, visited villages, and preached the gospel.
During the other half of the year, they lived in a truck and went through the high mountains, visiting villages. I went there to visit them, and they took me in their boat and in their truck to different villages.
The first thing the brother did when he arrived at a certain place was pull teeth. After he pulled their teeth, he began to speak to them.
Before I was leaving, they had a conference. About two thousand natives came out of the jungle, though there was no road. They gathered together for a conference.
Because I was leaving the next day, they asked me to speak that night. But before the meeting, another missionary, an Englishman, came from a neighboring village.
I had heard of his background. He was a strict brother, so I tried to avoid anything that might not please him. But he kept questioning me, and finally he asked, “How do you think of rapture?”
The strict brethren believed that there would be only one rapture, before the great tribulation. Unfortunately, my interpretation was different.
I tried to avoid the question, but he kept coming closer and closer until he asked directly, “How do you think of rapture?” I said, “The whole church will be raptured.”
He was not satisfied, so he asked, “How many times?” I knew that he believed in one rapture before the great tribulation, but I had to be honest. I said, “I believe in rapture, but my understanding is that there is more than one rapture.”
He said, “You do not believe the Bible.” I said, “Brother, I believe the Bible just as you do, but unfortunately our interpretations are different. If the Lord should show me the way that you think, I am willing to change.”
But he insisted that I did not believe the Bible. After supper, we walked to the meeting place, and he walked by my side. He said to me, “If you speak, I will not speak.”
Now, if it were you, what would you do? He was from the neighborhood; I was only visiting and was leaving. So, of course, I said, “I will not speak.” I told the brother that I would not be speaking, and the next day I flew away.
The natives came to our brother and wanted to know why I did not speak.
Brothers and sisters, oftentimes, because of differences in interpretation, we become separated. We believe the same Bible. If we continue to fellowship, gradually we will come to one mind.
Do not be separated because of different interpretations. As long as we believe the Bible is the Word of God and continue to fellowship, we may share what we believe the Lord has shown us. Then we will come to one mind. How good that will be.
I am going to speak on Revelation 12. I hope you will not mind if you have a different interpretation. I do not mind, as long as it will profit us.
In Revelation 12, John saw a great vision: a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. Being with child, she cried, travailing in birth and in pain to bring forth.
Brothers and sisters, if you read the Bible, you will find that sometimes the Bible uses a woman to represent the church. This woman represents the church during the time of the second coming of our Lord.
We are very close to the second coming of the Lord. How close is it? He may come now. All the prophecies concerning the second coming of the Lord that must be fulfilled before He comes have been fulfilled.
There are still prophecies to be fulfilled, but these concern the coming of the Lord and what follows afterward. Do not look for another prophecy to be fulfilled before the Lord can return.
May I warn you, brethren: the Lord can come at any time. He can come today or next year. We do not know.
But here you find a woman who represents the church at this time. She has the sun upon her because she is related to Christ, the Sun. She has the moon under her feet because she is related to the law. She has a crown of twelve stars because she is also related to the patriarchal age.
Thus, she is a woman of the ages. She represents the church, and she is in travail.
When you read Matthew 24, the Lord Jesus said that there will be wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, and all kinds of trouble. But these are the beginning of birth pains.
When a woman is about to give birth, she goes through a period of travail, and the pains increase until the birth takes place. This is where the church is today. The church is in travail. She wants to give birth to a man child.
There is another vision: the vision of the red dragon. Without going into detail, that dragon represents Satan. The woman, the church, is the target of Satan.
But here you find that Satan is not focused upon the woman, because the woman is already in his hand. What he notices is the womb. The man child that shall be born will be his end.
He is waiting there for the child to be born because he wants to swallow him.
Some people may think the man child is Christ. But we know that after Christ was born, He was not raptured to heaven right away. He lived on earth for thirty-three years. Therefore, the man child cannot represent Christ.
This man child, as soon as he is born, is raptured to the third heaven. Who is the man child?
The man child is a collective term. It is not just one person; it represents a group of people. Who are these people? They are the overcomers at the last day.
As soon as they are born, they will be raptured to the third heaven. The air above us is the headquarters of Satan, but this man child is able to penetrate through the headquarters of Satan and reach the throne room.
In other words, they have overcome Satan. They are the overcomers at the time of the coming of the Lord, and they represent us. If we are overcomers, we will be represented by that man child.
Who are they? They will be the welcoming party for the return of the Lord. After they are raptured to the third heaven, there will be war in the air.
Michael and his angels will fight against Satan and his followers. There will be no more place for Satan in the air. He will be thrown down to the earth.
Brothers and sisters, the air will be cleared. Why? Because Christ is going to descend from the throne to the air.
When Satan is thrown to the earth, this will be the time of the great tribulation, because Satan is on earth.
These are the overcomers at the last stage. How do they overcome?
In Revelation 12:11, they overcome him because of the blood of the Lamb. This shows us that they are not perfect.
We often think that only the perfect will be raptured. But aside from the Lord Jesus, there is no one who is perfect. We have sinned.
But thank God, we know the preciousness of the blood of our Lord Jesus. Whenever we feel that we have done something against God, immediately we come to the Lord for the cleansing of the blood.
I think you have probably heard what happened to Martin Luther. Martin Luther was used by God as a reformer of the church. One day he dreamed that Satan came to him and showed him a scroll. On the scroll were written, “The sins of Martin Luther.”
It was written inside and outside. Satan laughed and said, “How dare you do the work of reformation?”
Do you know what Martin Luther did? He took a red pen and wrote over the scroll, “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin.” Satan left.
How we treasure the blood of our Lord Jesus! We cannot live without His precious blood. Some people say that even the tears of repentance need to be cleansed. But by the blood of the Lord Jesus, we are cleansed.
Dear brothers and sisters, we often look for someone perfect. You will not find one. But however imperfect we are, if we trust the blood of the Lord Jesus and remain under His blood, then we will be cleansed.
The second means of overcoming is the word of their testimony. They have a testimony that Jesus is Lord.
Because they have this testimony, when they speak the word, that word is powerful.
You remember in the book of Acts, when Paul went to Ephesus and God greatly used him. There were seven sons of a Jewish chief priest who tried to drive out demons.
When they saw that demons were driven out through Paul in the name of Jesus, they tried to use the same formula. They said, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.”
The evil spirit answered, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?” They fled naked, and this was known throughout Ephesus.
Unless we really have the testimony that Jesus is Lord, it is only a word. The lordship of Jesus must be true in our lives. Then, when we speak the word, there is power behind it.
The third means of overcoming is this: they loved not their lives even unto death. The life here is our self-life. They do not love their self-life.
They are literally willing to give up their self-life so that Christ may be their life. Because of this, they overcome.
Dear brothers and sisters, may this be true of us who are here this morning. If we have this testimony, when Christ comes, we will be the welcoming party to welcome our Lord Jesus.
After the air is cleared, the Lord will descend from the throne to the earth. On the earth there will be the great tribulation.
But thank God, even the great tribulation is for us, because God will use it to wake up those Christians who are asleep. Out of the great tribulation, overcomers will come forth.
That is what you find in Revelation 15 and in 1 Thessalonians 4. The trumpet will sound, and there will be the shout of the archangel. Those who are dead in Christ will be raised in resurrection, and those who are still present will be changed.
But where will they be raptured? They are not raptured to the third heaven; they are raptured to the air, because there will be the judgment seat of Christ.
While the judgment seat of Christ is taking place, the wrath of God, represented by the seven bowls, will be poured out upon the earth.
At the judgment seat of Christ, those who overcome will be rewarded with the millennial kingdom. They will rule with Christ for a thousand years.
Those who do not overcome will be cast into outer darkness. People are curious and ask, “What is outer darkness?” I am not going to say.
But even in outer darkness, during the millennium, they will be gnashing their teeth and repenting. After they have repented, in eternity they will also reign with Christ.
This is the plan of God. The testimony of Jesus must be declared. May the Lord have mercy upon every one of us. Amen.
Dear Lord, as we read Your Word, we thank You that You are so merciful and gracious. It is in Your heart that we all will be overcomers.
You want us to rule and reign with You, and You want to prepare us for that day. We thank You for gathering us at this time.
As we, by Your grace, go to our different places, may we all be vessels of Your testimony. May we all be those who overcome. It is the cry of our hearts: Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.