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Scripture Reading: Rev. 1:4b-6; 5:9-10; 4:2-5; 5:6; 1:14; Matt. 12:28; Luke 17:20-21
Revelation 1 and 5 reveal that the Lord has purchased us by His blood to make us His kingdom. The word kingdom in 1:6 and 5:10 is rendered “citizens” in the Chinese Union Version. But the Greek word in these two verses means “kingdom,” which also implies the meaning of “king.” In Greek, as in English, king and kingdom have the same root. Whether the word is king or kingdom, it denotes royal authority, or sovereignty.
In the previous chapter we saw that the goal of the gospel of God is the kingdom of God. The reason God saves us through the gospel is to bring us into His kingdom. In this chapter we will go on to see from the book of Revelation that in saving us through the blood of Jesus, God desires not only to transfer us into His kingdom but also to make us His kingdom. In other words, in God’s eyes, we saved ones are not only saved into His kingdom but also constituted to be His kingdom. God purchased us by the blood of Jesus for the purpose of making us His kingdom.
How can we become God’s kingdom? God’s ruling cannot be seen in or among fallen mankind. In this fallen world many people say, “Where is God? Why should He control my life? If I want to do good, I will do good; if I want to do evil, I will do evil. This is my own sovereign right.” This is the attitude of the world toward God; the majority of people have this attitude. Although some may not have this attitude, neither are they under God’s ruling. All fallen human beings reject God’s authority and do whatever they want. They think that as long as they do not break national laws or violate human regulations, they can do whatever they want according to their own will. This exposes the fact that God’s authority has absolutely no ground in fallen man. It seems that God’s authority can be carried out in heaven but not on earth, for there is no one on earth who is willing to submit to God’s authority.
The first sentence God spoke in the New Testament through John the Baptist, and the sentence He later repeated through the Lord Jesus, was, “The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near” (Matt. 3:2; 4:17). The Greek word for kingdom here may also be rendered “sovereignty.” Hence, that the kingdom of the heavens had drawn near means that the sovereignty of the heavens had drawn near. This indicates that an authority was coming to the earth, and this authority was not an ordinary authority but the royal authority of the heavens. The Greek word for kingdom also denotes royal authority, and royal authority implies a kingdom. In heaven there is an authority, not an ordinary authority but the authority of the Head of the universe. The authority of the Head of the universe is a royal authority. In such an authority and under such an authority, there is naturally a kingdom; this authority forms a kingdom.
In the Old Testament age it seems that God was content to keep His authority in heaven, but in the New Testament age God’s intention is to bring His authority from heaven to the earth. His desire is to rule on earth and exercise His heavenly authority in a group of people. However, these people are sinful (Rom. 3:23), corrupt in their nature to the uttermost (Jer. 17:9), and dead in their offenses and sins (Eph. 2:1). Because sin and death reign in them (Rom. 5:14; 6:12), they are not able to accept God’s authority. Nevertheless, God desires to exercise His heavenly authority on earth and in man. In order for God to do this, He must first deal with man’s problems of sin and death.
On the cross the Lord Jesus bore the sins of fallen mankind; He cleansed away their sins through His death and the shedding of His blood (1 Pet. 2:24). In this way He dealt with the problem of their sin (John 1:29; Heb. 9:22). Then on the third day He was raised from the dead, and in His resurrection He released His life into the cleansed ones so that their deadened spirits might be enlivened and so that they might be regenerated (John 12:24; 3:6; Eph. 2:5-6; John 10:10b). In this way He dealt with their problem of death (cf. 1 Cor. 15:55). Hence, the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross deals with our sin, and His resurrection deals with our death (Rom. 4:24-25).
Now we are the cleansed and regenerated ones whose spirits have been enlivened. Because we have been cleansed and made alive, it is now possible for God to gain the ground and have the way in us to bring the authority of heaven to the earth. In other words, it is now possible for God to exercise His heavenly authority, His heavenly kingdom, over us.
After being saved, we all sense One within us who is directing us. Brother Nee once told a story of something that occurred when he went up to a mountain for a time of rest. On the mountain he took his meals in the home of a mechanic. This man had never gone to school; he was illiterate. Also, this man liked to drink wine. His habit was to drink wine before meals. His wife knew this habit and therefore always served him wine before meals. Brother Nee eventually preached the gospel to him, led him to be saved, read the Bible to him every day, and explained the truth to him. After receiving the Lord Jesus, the mechanic gradually learned to read a little of the Bible. One day at meal time his wife placed wine on the table as usual, but when he bowed his head to give thanks for the meal, he could not utter a word and felt very uncomfortable inwardly. Therefore, he went to search the Word of God, desiring to learn what God says about drinking wine. However, he could not find this matter in the Bible. He wanted to ask Brother Nee, but Brother Nee had already left and would not be back for a few months. His wife said, “Just drink for now. We will ask Brother Nee about this matter when we see him later.” After a little consideration, because he believed that his wife was right and that God would not mind such a small matter, he decided to go ahead and drink. Strangely, however, he could not drink; he simply could not take in the wine. Eventually, he told his wife, “Take the wine away.” It was not until the wine was removed that they were able to joyfully ask for the Lord’s blessing and take the meal together.
The Lord Jesus did not tell this brother not to drink, a preacher did not tell him not to drink, and he himself could not find a verse in the Bible telling him not to drink. Why then did he not drink the wine? When asked by Brother Nee about this matter, using a familiar term in Chinese, he answered, “I have a ‘Resident Boss’ in me. He would not allow me to drink.” Brother Nee then said, “Very good, brother. You must continue to listen to this ‘Resident Boss’ in you.” The “Resident Boss” is the One who rules in us.
Every saved one has a similar experience. Once we are saved and have received the Lord as our Savior, we immediately sense that there is a Boss in us, that there is One in us who is directing us. In the past someone might have overseen us outwardly, but as long as he could not see us, we did whatever we wanted. However, from the day of our salvation there is One who directs us inwardly. At times someone outside of us may not be controlling us, but the One inside us is. This control is the royal authority, the heavenly authority, the ruling of the heavens in us, and the kingdom’s coming to us. As a result, we not only are saved into the kingdom, but we also become part of the kingdom.
If all of us saved ones submit to the kingdom’s ruling, we will be the kingdom, and the kingdom of God will be us. God will make us His kingdom. We will not only be saved by God into His kingdom, but we will also become His kingdom. People will see that heaven is reigning in us. We will not be under the ruling of the law of man; rather, we will be under the ruling of something higher, the ruling of the heavenly authority.
We have all known a newly saved one whose colleagues, neighbors, and relatives ask, “What is wrong with this person? Who can make him like this? He neither intrudes on others’ rights nor picks up the bad habits of society. We have never seen such a person. He is truly a saint. He is righteous, and he does not fight with people or seek his own interests.” They do not know what has happened to him, but we know that the heavenly authority has entered into him.
There was a brother who was very capable and humorous. Before being saved, he was the center of attention at all the dinner parties among his colleagues; any party without him was boring and no fun. Moreover, besides being clever and skillful, he was tall and striking in appearance, and he was thus very popular among his colleagues. One day he heard the gospel and was saved. Within a year or two of his salvation, his entire being had completely changed.
He continued to do his job as he had normally done. When his colleagues gathered together, he would still join them, but something had changed. When his colleagues joked, at most he would smile without joining in. No matter how much they tried to tease him, he would not joke as he did before. Sometimes they were angry and tried to provoke him, but he would still not have any response. He still attended some of the dinner parties hosted by his colleagues, but usually he simply sat there quietly. Others drank, but he did not; they smoked, but he did not. No matter how noisy they were, he simply sat there calmly. In the beginning everyone teased him and could not believe that what they saw was real. They said, “You know how to act, and now you are playing a trick, pretending to be one who believes in Jesus. Do you think we have not seen people who believe in Jesus? We have never seen one like you. You look very real. You are truly the top believer of Jesus in the world.” He again smiled and did not answer. He was not pretending; a change had taken place in him.
After a period of time many of his colleagues testified that he had truly believed in Jesus and that if any of them were to believe in Jesus, they would follow him. Another group of his colleagues, however, opposed him severely, because now it was not as convenient for them to engage in dishonest practices for their personal gain while working with him. Formerly, he took the lead in such practices. Now that he had stopped, there spontaneously arose opposition from these colleagues. Nevertheless, people still saw that he was different and were puzzled, not knowing why he had become strange. He was truly changed.
One day we went to his hometown to preach the gospel. He was very joyful and invited us to his house for a love feast and fellowship. When his wife heard of his desire to invite us over, she said, “Very good.” However, when we arrived, she served us leftovers. When the brother ate with us, there were tears in his eyes. He said, “I am very sorry.” Nevertheless, we genuinely thanked and praised the Lord because our brother was truly changed. Eventually, his wife also observed the wonderful change in her husband. Formerly, her husband had been very hot tempered, and his wife had been afraid of him. Now he would not lose his temper even if she threw things at him; rather, he would withdraw to his room, kneel down, and pray. This greatly touched his wife, and eventually, she also was saved and changed.
Eventually, many people were saved because of this brother’s testimony. Many of his colleagues along with their wives were saved. How could this brother have experienced such a change? When we asked him about this, he said, “Brothers, the Lord is living, and He lives in me. When I am about to become angry, He will not allow me. I still have my flesh, but every time I become angry, He rules over me and forbids me. Previously, my wife’s behavior made me angry, but now the Lord in me is my living Boss. He forbids me and will not allow me to lose my temper.”
This was the ruling of the heavens, the kingdom, coming to him. The kingdom had come into him. The authority of the kingdom was in him, and he was in the kingdom. Furthermore, because the authority of the kingdom was in him, he became part of the kingdom. God’s salvation had made him part of the kingdom. When we met him, we could clearly sense that there was an authority in him. This authority was not the law of a nation on earth but was the law of heaven, a heavenly law, a heavenly authority, a heavenly ruling, coming upon and entering into him. Hence, he was truly part of the kingdom.
In the same way, every saved person has a measure of the kingdom within him. Some have a greater measure, and others have a smaller measure. Every saved person has the kingdom within. If a person does not have the ruling of the kingdom within, that person’s salvation is doubtful. The Lord’s salvation brings not only the Lord’s life but also the heavenly rule into us. We know that every saved one has the Holy Spirit within. This Holy Spirit is not only life and power but is connected to the throne in heaven.
The Holy Spirit in Revelation 4 and 5 is the seven Spirits before God’s throne (4:5; 5:6), showing that the Holy Spirit is connected to the throne. The Holy Spirit brings not only God’s life but also God’s throne into us. On the one hand, He is the Spirit of power; on the other hand, He is the reigning Spirit, bringing God’s throne into our spirit. He is the Spirit who causes God’s throne to rule in our spirit within us. Unless we are unsaved, the Holy Spirit is in us; moreover, the Holy Spirit in us is not only the Spirit of life and the Spirit of power but also the reigning Spirit.
Many people speak of the Holy Spirit’s pouring out of the love of God into us, but they do not realize that the Holy Spirit not only pours out the love of God into us but also brings God’s throne and authority into us and sets up God’s throne in us. Some may ask what the throne of God is. God’s throne is the source of God’s authority. In the universe all God’s authority converges at God’s throne; God’s throne is God’s authority. Concerning God’s coming to judge the world, the first vision that John saw in Revelation was the throne (4:2). There is a throne in heaven, and the One who sits on the throne is God. He is the One who rules the universe; He has all authority. He is the ruling God, the Lord of lords, and the King of kings. He is the Sovereign, the great King, sitting on the throne, and all authority is in His hand.
Fallen people do not submit to the authority of God’s throne; rather, they rebel against this authority. In 1936 when I lived in Tientsin in northern China, one day I read something spoken by Mussolini, who was then the prime minister of Italy. He boasted that if the eternal Father were to speak to him, he would punch Him with his fist. At the time I read this, Mussolini considered himself to be unrivaled in the world and thus had initiated a war to annex Ethiopia in East Africa. He boasted that the Mediterranean Sea would become an inland lake of Italy. At that time many considered him to be a great hero of Europe; historians today acknowledge this. However, when I read his boast, I said to the co-worker brothers, “This word of Mussolini’s is terrible; he is too bold.”
There is a throne in heaven, but Mussolini did not submit to the authority of the throne in heaven; he did not even acknowledge that authority. In his boast he was basically saying, “I do not care about the God in heaven or the eternal Father. If He were to speak to me and interfere with me, I would punch Him with my fist.” He did not submit at all to God’s authority; he did not even recognize this authority. However, he was not able to resist God’s authority for long. The fact is that whether or not we submit to it, the authority of the throne cannot be shaken. History tells us that Mussolini’s end was shameful and pathetic. Mussolini is dead, but the authority of God’s throne remains.
Hitler, a contemporary of Mussolini, was also one who rebelled against God. When Hitler was at his peak, a brother who loved the Lord came back to Beijing from Germany. One day this brother told me, “It was terrible. In Germany no one dared to speak about the Lord Jesus openly. When they wished to talk about the Lord Jesus, they had to shut all their doors and windows. People on the outside loudly shouted the name of Hitler, as if he were God and Christ.” Did Hitler submit to God’s authority? Not at all. However, was he able to resist God’s authority for long? History tells us that like Mussolini, Hitler’s end was a tragic death. Hitler died, but the authority of God’s throne remains.
Many today, however, still do not submit to the authority of God’s throne; they are truly pitiful and foolish. We all need to ask ourselves, “Have we not repented? Have we not been saved? Have we not been enlightened? Are we not full of light? Do we not have the life of God and the Holy Spirit? Would we also not submit to God’s authority today?” God’s throne is not objective to us but subjective; it is not merely in heaven but has been connected to us inwardly. This can be compared to the electricity from a power plant. The electricity does not stay in the power plant but flows into the house and the lamp.
When we are saved, God gives us the Holy Spirit. With this Spirit the authority of God’s throne is brought into us. From this perspective, every saved person has God’s throne, God’s reign, and God’s authority within. Some may ask, “What is this authority?” This authority is the Holy Spirit who indwells us. The seven Spirits before God’s throne have been sent forth to enter into us. Today the Holy Spirit in us is the Spirit of life and the Spirit of power; moreover, He is the Spirit of authority. He is in us not only to be our life and our power but also to be our Lord, our King, the reign of God in us, and the authority of God in us. Hence, since the Holy Spirit is in us, we have God’s throne in us.
After we are saved, if we sense a restriction in us prohibiting us from acting loosely and carelessly, this sense is not produced by any ordinances of Christianity or any teachings of the church. Rather, it is altogether the operation of the Holy Spirit within us. When the Holy Spirit indwells us, the kingdom of God is in us; that is, the kingdom of God has come upon us (cf. Matt. 12:28). Where the Holy Spirit is, God’s kingdom, God’s throne, and God’s authority are also. Today, since the Holy Spirit is in us, God’s throne and God’s authority are in us. Everything hinges on our realization of this.
It is disheartening that today’s Christianity has been deformed and that even the gospel has been twisted out of shape. Much of the gospel preached by Christianity is concerning heaven, the “heavenly mansion,” as if the gospel were heaven. This causes Catholics and Christians to have the concept of heaven in their mind, making them disciples of heaven. The thought of heaven, the concept of a heavenly mansion, however, has no position in the Bible. What the Bible shows emphatically is the kingdom of heaven, that is, the kingdom. Please recall that the word kingdom in Greek denotes sovereignty. Hence, this word can be rendered as “kingdom” or as “sovereignty.”
The purpose of the gospel is not to save us into a heavenly mansion, for no such mansion exists. Rather, the gospel is to save us into God’s kingdom and authority, the heavenly authority. As saved ones, we should not spend every day wishing to go to heaven. God never said that the goal of His gospel is to save man into heaven. However, His Word clearly indicates that the goal of His gospel is to save man into His heavenly authority, His heavenly kingdom.
There is a throne of God in the universe. God is the Sovereign in the universe, the great King, and the Ruler of the universe. He rules not only over the angels in heaven but also over the descendants of Adam on earth. He rules not only over the living things in heaven but also over the living creatures on earth. Yet the people on earth rebel against Him, following His enemy Satan to rebel against His authority. Just as Satan does not submit to God’s authority, people on earth also do not submit to God’s authority. Men such as Mussolini and Hitler best represent the people on earth who are filled with a spirit of rebellion and boastfully say, “Who is God? If He comes to intervene, I will use my fist to deal with Him.” What a blasphemy this is! Although many people treat God this way, God’s throne remains forever. When those people reach the end of their life, they will have to acknowledge the authority of God’s ruling. Lavrenty Beria, a secret police chief of the Communist party in Russia, once said, “What is God? Where is God?” But it is said that when he was about to be executed, he requested that someone read the Bible to him.
This is the situation of fallen men—they reject God’s throne. The Bible says, “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near” (Matt. 3:2; 4:17). It also says, “Who [the Father] delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1:13). In other words, God has saved us into the authority of the Son of His love. Therefore, we saved ones are not lawless and godless people. We truly have the law of heaven and are under the ruling of the authority in heaven. When we repent, we turn back to God, receive Him as our Lord, allow Him to put His life in us, and simultaneously allow His Spirit to enter into us, bringing His throne and authority into us.
In the Lord’s table meeting we often hear the saints offer praises, praying, “Lord, we thank and praise You for putting Your life in us.” However, I have never heard a brother or a sister say, “Lord, we thank and praise You for bringing Your throne into our being.” If we have a proper feeling regarding our salvation and see the kingdom clearly, we will say to the Lord, “Lord, we thank and praise You because not only have You given Your life to us, but You have also brought Your throne into our being.” I believe that after offering such praise at the table meeting, our entire being will be changed because the throne will rule over us within. If we are about to tell a joke, the throne will rule over us. If we are about to criticize, judge, or expose the weaknesses of others, the throne will rule over us within. If we are about to lose our temper toward our parents or children, as we begin to lose our temper, the throne will rule over us.
It is terrible that Christians today seem to fear everyone except God. If Christians today would fear God in the way that they fear the police, they would all be proper Christians. I have seen many Christians who are genuinely saved and are even quite zealous but who do not fear God. They fear the police more than God.
When the Japanese invaded China and occupied my hometown of Chefoo, one day a Japanese military policeman informed us that we were required to attend a meeting the next day at 8:00 A.M. The next day no one dared to be late. In fact, everyone arrived at 7:30 A.M. and attended the meeting in an orderly manner. The way they attended that meeting was much better than the way we attend our meetings today. Why is this? It is because everyone was afraid of the Japanese military police. In our meetings, however, it seems that God can easily be ignored. This is the reason that our situation is different. Although the responsible brothers always announce that we should come to the meetings early, the saints often come late. The closer they live to the meeting hall, the later they arrive.
If one day some Japanese military police came to notify us that we all had to gather at 5:00 A.M. the next morning, do you think that anyone would dare to be late? But after we tell the saints, “You must rise up early to pray and read the Lord’s Word,” they may say, “I did not go to sleep until 11:00 P.M. I really cannot rise up in the morning.” Others may say, “I have not been feeling very well lately; I really cannot rise up early.” However, if some Japanese military police came to their home, as soon as they heard the footsteps, they would not dare give any excuses. If they were told to gather at 5:00 A.M., they probably would arrive at 4:30 A.M. I would like to ask, “Is this kind of Christian proper?”
When we do not submit or yield to God and are not restricted by God, do we have peace within? Are we joyful Christians? This is why we are afraid to pray with others. When it is time to pray, you want me to pray, and I want you to pray. Neither of us can open our mouths. This is also why we are afraid that the brothers and sisters will come to visit us. It is because when they come, we will have to pray with them. Why are we afraid of praying? It is because we feel that we do not want to face God. We know that we have hurt Him and opposed Him. He often commands us, demands things of us, and even works in us, but we do not respond to Him and are unwilling to submit to Him. We oppose Him and are not submissive to Him, whether in great things or in small things. Hence, our spirit within is a crushed spirit, a grieving spirit. There is no peace or joy in us, and we can neither praise God nor give thanks to Him.
In our daily living, if we are willing to submit to the heavenly authority in great things and small things and allow the throne in heaven to reign in us, whenever we pray, our spirit will be joyful and our mouth will be filled with praises. At the same time, we will give thanks to God at every opportunity. Our spirit will be full of joy because we have allowed God to reign in us. We will be persons who are in the kingdom and have a part in the kingdom, and the heavenly authority of the kingdom will be in us.
We must see that every saved one has not only God’s life but also God’s authority, God’s throne, within. In other words, the kingdom is in us. The kingdom is Christ as well as the Holy Spirit. He is the reigning authority. He is Christ, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Where He is, there the throne is also. Where He is, there the authority is also. Where He is, there the kingdom is also. Have you been saved and received God? Do you not have God’s life in you? Is the Holy Spirit not in you? Is Christ not in you? This is sufficient. This is the throne, this is the authority, this is the kingdom of the heavens, and this is the kingdom.
Now the question is, will we submit to the Lord? I believe that none of us will say, “I will not submit.” However, in our actual condition we are often loose and self-willed. If someone says that we have never submitted to God or been ruled by the throne within, we will feel that we have been wrongly spoken of. After all, we can testify that in certain matters we dare not be loose because there is an authority, a throne, a ruling, in us, and we submit to it. However, in many more matters we lay the throne aside.
For example, many brothers and sisters are careless in losing their temper, in becoming angry, in criticizing others, in envying others, in hating others, and in the way they do things. These situations show that we are not under the ruling and restriction of heaven; thus, we nullify the heavenly authority in us. After a period of time, however, the Holy Spirit comes again. He is the authority—the seven Spirits before the throne—and He desires to reestablish the throne in us. As long as we give Him a little opportunity, we will realize that the throne, the ruling, the authority, and the kingdom are still in us. From the day of our salvation, the kingdom and the authority are always in us. The question is whether or not we submit.
The Bible reveals that the first meaning of the kingdom is the ruling of the heavens, the heavenly authority, entering into us and ruling us so that we may live a heavenly life, a restricted life, in practicality. In our speech, attitude, walk, action, and even expression and countenance, we must be restricted by the kingdom. In our daily living, even in our apparel and appearance, we must be under the restriction of the kingdom. In all things, such as our dealing with people, our handling of situations, our handling of material riches, and our managing of our household, we must be restricted by the throne.
This restriction is higher than the laws of a nation, higher than human ethics, and higher than the requirements of society. This restriction is the heavenly authority brought into us. The authority that has been brought into us is the seven Spirits who are before the throne. The sevenfold Spirit of God has entered into us with God’s throne and is ruling and reigning within us. If we submit to Him, we will be blessed, for the kingdom will be ours. We will be part of the kingdom.
When we submit to the throne today, we are in the kingdom. In the future the second meaning of the kingdom, the aspect of the sphere of the kingdom, will be manifested on the earth. At that time the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (Rev. 11:15). When this kingdom is manifested on the earth, we will enter into it.
The aspect of the sphere of the kingdom is a matter of prophecy; we will enter into it in the future. However, the aspect of the authority of the kingdom is not a matter of prophecy or something in the future. Rather, it is something practical, something we can experience today, because it is a living under the ruling of the kingdom in actuality. From the day we are saved, the Holy Spirit is in us, bringing God’s throne, the heavenly authority, and the authority of the kingdom into us. If we learn to be under the inward ruling and restriction and practically have this kind of living, we will be in the kingdom. Then one day when the sphere of the kingdom is fully manifested, we will be able to enter into it and rule and reign with the Lord.
Strictly speaking, those who will enter into the kingdom will not be citizens but will be kings. We have not attained to the stage of being kings today, but we are princes. Therefore, we need to be trained. We are in the kingdom today, not mainly as citizens but as princes who are receiving the training of the ruling, the throne, and the authority. One day we will be enthroned to reign with the Lord.
Only those who receive the training to be under this heavenly authority today will be able to exercise this heavenly authority in the future. Today on the earth, on one hand, we are living as the kingdom people under the authority of the kingdom, and on the other hand, we are living as princes, God’s children, the children of the great King, to be trained to reign in God’s kingdom. Therefore, we must seriously learn to be restricted, ruled, and trained under the authority of the kingdom. If today we learn to be under God’s authority, reigning, and ruling, one day He will cause us to rule and reign with His beloved Son. Although this is a matter in the future, it should encourage us to live under the authority of the heavens today.
