“Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few.” – Deuteronomy 33:6

Why Reuben Matters

Moses proclaims prophetic blessing over the twelve tribes of Israel in Deuteronomy 33. These blessings are not sentimental farewells. They are spiritual verdicts, prayers, and revelations that expose both human failure and divine mercy.

Each tribe carries a distinct story. Each reveals a different way humanity falls, and a different way God saves. Together, the twelve tribes form a complete testimony of redemption — how sinners are confronted, judged, humbled, and ultimately restored by grace.

Today, we turn to Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

Reuben is not often preached as a hero. His story is uncomfortable and forces us to look honestly at pride, self-deception, and the devastating cost of unchecked desire. But it also reveals something powerful: God’s refusal to abandon a fallen son.

Many believers may see themselves in Reuben. We fail in the same ways time and time again. But let us turn to the story and look into the light of hope found there.

Knowing God’s Nature, Not Just His Acts

Before we examine Reuben’s failure, we must understand a foundational principle of this study: Knowing God’s nature is essential to spiritual stability.

Many believers know what God does, but do not truly know who God is. They know His miracles, His commandments, His blessings — but not His heart.

Many believers know what God does, but far fewer know who God is.

When we only know God’s actions, faith easily becomes rule-following. Religion and practice replace relationship and love. Obedience becomes external rather than internal. This is how idol worship begins, even inside the church.

Knowing God’s nature protects us from falling and reveals His principles. It guards us from pride and from falling into religious legalism. When we know Him in this way, we gain a deeper and fuller understanding of how God views sin, repentance, judgment, and grace.

Without that knowing, even sincere believers can slip into religious legalism or idol worship. We may think we are serving God, while actually serving our own pride, our own standards, or our own image of righteousness.

This is why Scripture consistently calls God’s people not just to obey, but to know Him.

Knowing ourselves and our sinful nature is the next big thing. We must understand our fallen human nature. Knowing God and knowing ourselves are the keys to understand the prophetic word toward the twelve tribes by Jacob and Moses. In both of their prophecies, Jacob and Moses pinpoint the goodness of God and individual characteristics, even failures of each tribe. But their fates do not stop there. These prophetic words also point to their redemption of their future. There are three pillars to understand the prophecies regarding the twelve tribes of Israel: God’s goodness, our fallen nature, and God’s redemption. Only through these lenses, can we understand their prophetic futures.

A Warning from the Pharisees

Consider this familiar scene from the Gospels that illustrates the danger of legalism.

When a sinful woman washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, the Pharisees were offended. According to the law, she was unclean. According to their religious standards, she should have been rejected. The Pharisees knew the law. They knew the rules. From their perspective, this woman was unworthy. Their judgment was based on external behavior and religious standards.

Jesus, however, revealed the heart of God. He did not excuse sin, but He recognized repentance, humility, and love. Where the Pharisees saw a violation, Jesus saw a transformed heart. This moment exposes a dangerous truth: You can follow religious rules and still be completely blind to grace.

It is possible to defend religious correctness while actively resisting God’s grace. Without knowing God’s heart, even sincere believers can oppose the very work God is doing. In the case of the Pharisees, they missed the heart of God, and they did not know their own fallen nature. Hence they also missed the prophetic future of this woman. When an amateur sees a gold mine, he only sees dirt. When a professional miner sees it, he discovers gold.

When the Pharisees saw only a sinful woman, Jesus saw the prophetic future of a beautiful member of the body of Christ. The Pharisees only saw the dirt, but Jesus saw the gold. Jesus saw a bride without any wrinkle and a royal priesthood. Our perspectives about God’s heart, our fallen nature, and God’s redemption plan determine if we understand any prophecies. Prophecy is about the future; it may require us to see through the dirt of the past (and even the present) to find the gold of the future.

Pride: The Veil Over the Heart

At the root of Reuben’s story is pride. Pride convinces us that we see clearly when we do not. It places a veil over the heart, making us think that self-examination is unnecessary. Pride is what causes us to feel offended rather than repentant when we are corrected. We consistently think that we are really “not that bad” and devise all kinds of excuses to ignore the seriousness of the harm we cause because of our bad choices and selfish sin.

Pride blinds us to God’s heart and His principles of righteousness and truth. When pride governs the heart:

• We excuse our sin • We underestimate its consequences • We resist accountability • We confuse confidence with righteousness

Pride does not merely lead to failure. It hardens the heart against repentance. This is the spiritual environment in which Reuben fell.

Pride is a false identity; it cannot handle negligence and humiliation. Thus pride leads to hatred. Reuben’s story and my homeland’s story of pride are similar. China was proud. The Chinese name for China literally means “Central Kingdom” and Japan was always associated with the word “small” in the Chinese history. China proudly called herself “Big China” and called Japan “Small Japan.” This concept lingers even today. My Japanese student in China told me a story. She did not recognize a huge Chinese spring onion as spring onion, so she asked a Chinese chef “What is this?” The Chinese chef proudly said, “This is BIG SPRINGONION, you don’t have this big spring onion in your small Japan, do you?”

Pride is a way China tries to disguise the humiliation of almost being conquered by this small Japan. Pride is what lingers today, with the blessing of yesterday.

Why was Reuben full of pride? Because he was the first born? Or because he was the son of the first wife of his father? He may have thought he was entitled to everything. Maybe the pride, negligence, and humiliation from Jacob and Rachel toward Leah, Reuben, and his brothers caused them to harbor inner hatred in their hearts. He may have been resentful to his father.

Bilhah, the maid of Rachel was also neglected by Jacob. Her two sons were taken away by Rachel. Satan utilized their hatred to commit the sins against Jacob. On the surface it was lust that caused their sin, but in their hearts it was hatred due to negligence and humiliation.

Pride is a façade; it is a false identity. Our real identity should be in the Son of God. I believe ancient China worshipped the one true God, but she has fallen to idol worship. This is why God allows humiliation to come upon her.

Humiliation can lead to hatred, but it also leads to humbling. China still uses national pride to control and mobilize Chinese people. Whenever there is a crisis for the government, they utilize Japan as a threat and pass humiliation. They claim that only their leadership united the Chinese people to defeat Japan. But this narrative of "defeating Japan" under Communist Party guidance is built on a false foundation — a false identity.

China must turn to find God and become a Christian nation—a nation with a true identity.

Pride is not unique to a specific group of people. It is a human sin in its nature. It does not only happen in countries without knowledge of the Gospel like China, it also happens to countries that have historically had Christian roots. Today the greatest danger for the Christian West is pride. This is a false identity. We linger in the pride of yesterday’s familiarity with God, but we forget the intimacy with God that we need today. Our true identity in Christ will make us humble before God and become more closely united with him. This will protect us from falling away from any entitlement as Reuben who lost his birthright even though he was the firstborn.

Reuben the Firstborn

Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn son. By birthright, he stood first in authority, inheritance, and responsibility. The firstborn was meant to carry a spiritual symbol of leadership and priestly authority.

Yet Reuben committed a grave sin. He defiled his father’s bed (Genesis 49:4, 1 Chronicles 5:1 ESV), violating covenant order and moral boundaries. This was not a private mistake. It was a spiritual rebellion.

As a result, Reuben lost what could not be recovered by human effort:

• His birthright • His authority • His inheritance • His place in the lineage of Jesus Christ

Jacob’s words in Genesis 49 over Reuben are severe. Scripture does not minimize the cost of sin.

“Sinning” is synonymous with “being lost in identity.” We sin when we forget our identity as children of God. The moment that the prodigal son in Luke 15 lost his identity, he sinned. The moment he realized he was the son of his father and that his father was rich, he stopped sinning.

Sinning is a coping mechanism for those who have lost their identity. Just like using drugs, alcohol, and being addicted to pornography is a coping mechanism to ease pain, sinning is a temporary coping mechanism for those who are lost. Reuben lost his identity! Losing his birthright is just a picture of the fact that he lost his identity.

There is no sin in the first three chapters of the Bible in Genesis or in the last three chapters of the Bible in Revelation. Sin is only temporary in time and there is no sin in eternity. We are on a journey where sin is present with us. But just because sin is temporary does not mean it does not have consequences, even huge consequences.

Consequences Written into History

Reuben’s failure echoed through generations: His tribe became small. His influence diminished. His legacy was marked by instability.

Most significantly, Reuben lost the heavenly blessing of becoming part of Christ’s genealogy. The firstborn position passed to his brother, Joseph. “His birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, so that he could not be enrolled as the oldest son” (1 Chronicles 5:1b ESV).

This is a sobering reminder: Grace does not eliminate consequences. God forgives, but sin still causes irreversible damage. Yet the damage is not the end of the story.

“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 ESV). It is true for us today and it was true for Reuben then.

Moses’ Prayer: Let Reuben Live

When Moses blesses the tribes in Deuteronomy 33:6 (ESV), he speaks a short but powerful prayer: “Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few.”

This prayer reveals the heart of God beyond the judgment of the law. Reuben deserved total annihilation, but Moses asks that God, in His mercy, would let him live and limit his punishment.

Notice that the consequence remains. Moses does not ask God to restore Reuben’s birthright. He does not reverse history. Instead, he intercedes for mercy on Reuben’s behalf.

Generations later, something remarkable happens. Reuben’s descendants do not remain passive. They search their hearts. They repent. They rise up to fight alongside the other tribes for God’s kingdom. And their story shifts from failure to faithfulness.

In the final vision we find in Scripture, Reuben is not missing. His name is included on the pearly gates of New Jerusalem. “And on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed” (Revelation 21:12 ESV).

How can humiliation bring forth real humility? How does a curse become blessing? It takes time to realize and it requires God’s illumination. God not only works through words, but also through circumstances. That is called the discipline of the Holy Spirit. God will allow you to go through troubles until you come to repentance. It takes time and it also takes another life. It is the life of Christ, and it is the life of a pearl.

From Sinful Son to Pearly Gate

A pearl is formed through irritation and injury. What begins as a damaging wound becomes something beautiful through patience and transformation. Reuben’s story follows this pattern.

What began as disgrace becomes an entrance into glory.

This reveals a deep truth about salvation: God does not merely forgive sinners. He transforms them into gateways of grace for others.

Imagine Reuben talking with his brothers on the pearly gates of New Jerusalem. Reuben says, “I thought I was the firstborn and that I should receive all the attention. But both me and my mom were neglected. Negligence caused me to harbor hate toward my father and my aunt Rachel. I defiled the bed of my father with Bihah. I lost my earthly blessing, and I missed the opportunity to become an ancestor of Christ. God would not have deprived me of this blessing if I had not sinned.” Simeon says, “My heart was full of hatred toward Joseph, and I thought the way to solve my problem was to go rid of Joseph. I lost that blessing too.” Levi says, “I blindly followed Simeon, I killed many people. I lost the blessing too.” Judah says, “I also lost my identity by leaving the land of Judah. I got lost in the land of Moab and my wife and two sons died. It is God’s chastisement to me. I would’ve never made it into the genealogy of Christ without Tamar. She is more righteous than I.” Reuben says finally, “Brothers, thank God! We are all here now and our names are all written on the pearl gates of New Jerusalem. God is good. What Satan meant for evil, God used for good. He used our pain to transform us while Satan tried to use it to demonize us. Finally, God has won! We are transformed to the living stone of God’s temple. Praise God!”

Failure Does Not Define You

Reuben’s story speaks directly to believers who carry shame: Failure is not your identity. Sin is serious. Consequences are real. But repentance and grace open a future that the law and judgment alone would close. Salvation is not determined by human theology or religious reputation. It is judged by God, who sees the heart. Through Christ, sinners become sons. Broken stories become testimonies. Loss becomes purpose.

I am a living illustration of this truth. When I came to London to study, I encountered the Gospel on the street. I heard people were mimicking the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in a play and the word of the Gospel pierced my heart. I realized I was a total failure. I was broke and had no money to finish my schooling. I was sinful to betray those who loved me. An English sister, Emma, told me about Jesus and asked me to receive him. She prayed for me, “I pray a group of loving Christians will surround you in America.” I came to America and almost became homeless. But God answered Emma’s prayer to send a group of Christians to help me.

I was saved through the Gospel because others acted as pearl gates in my life — believers who carried the message of salvation and opened a way for grace to enter. I testified to my parents, and they were baptized in the name of Jesus. I became the pearl gate to bring them into New Jerusalem.

This is the calling of the church. This is also the calling of the Jews in the end time as God says in the time of restoration, all the Gentles will grab the clothes of Jews to beg them to bring them to worship God in Zion (Zechariah 8:22-23). We are not saved merely for ourselves. We are shaped to become entrances through which others may encounter Christ.

A Call to Share the Word

If this message has touched your heart, I invite you to partner in spreading the gospel.

Please consider leaving a Google review for Jarius Bible Word Ministry. Like, comment, forward, and share this message so that it may reach others.

The platform may be small. Language may feel limited. But the Holy Spirit is not limited.

Let all those like Rueben, all who have fallen into the snare of sin and death, rise again through the grace of God to live anew for truth and righteousness through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let us be the gates through which others are led into the heavenly kingdom.

Devotional Reflection

Reuben confronts us with uncomfortable honesty. Pride blinds. Sin destroys. You will face consequences. This is a truth that applies to all of us, no matter the sin. Pride is a presumption of who we are not, and it is a false identity. Sin is a coping mechanism and an acronym for losing your identity.

Yet grace persists. Jesus Christ is the oyster and we are the pearls. Though his wounds and ours, we will become the gate of God’s city. Sinners can come in if they repent and the king of the earth will bring forth the glory to the city (Revelation 21:24).

If you are carrying regret, ask the Holy Spirit what He may be redeeming through it. Loss is not always the end. Sometimes it is the beginning of transformation.

Reflection Questions

1. Where might pride be preventing honest self-examination in your life?
2. What consequences of past choices are you still carrying?
3. How does Moses’ prayer for Reuben reshape your understanding of grace?
4. In what ways could God be transforming your failure into a doorway for others?
5. What would it mean for you to live as a “pearl gate” of salvation today?

You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns. You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets, for he is poor and counts on it, lest he cry against you to the LORD, and you be guilty of sin.

Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.

You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow’s garment in pledge, but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. Therefore I command you to do this.”

Deuteronomy 24:10–18 ESV

Today’s passage discusses justice for the fatherless, the widow, the poor, and the immigrant. Before we dive into this topic, I want to connect this passage to the current situation in America.

Today, the American church is deeply divided in their attitude toward immigrants. Some Christians quote this passage and others to show that we should be loving towards immigrants and other neighbors. This is clearly taught in the Bible. But other Christians argue that Satan can use our false sympathy to welcome many immigrants whose beliefs are not in line with Christian values. These Christians argue that if we are not aware of Satan’s schemes, our nation may eventually become like Europe, heavily influenced by Islam. This division among Christians contributes to the political and cultural division in society at large.

As Christians, how should we interpret this passage in Deuteronomy? I am hoping to interpret it from the perspective of the three pillars of the Bible: Priesthood, Law and Prophets. I pray that this understanding will help us to maneuver the difficult situation in the world today.

Some years ago, a survey revealed that many people do not read the Bible simply because they do not understand it. This statement is supported by a common Chinese saying: “Those who have the privilege of reading the Old Testament often never make it past Exodus, and those who read the New Testament rarely go beyond Romans.” After Exodus, readers encounter laws, rituals, and regulations that feel dense and difficult. Similarly, in the New Testament, after Romans, the depth of doctrine can appear overwhelming and complex.

If Chinese Christians, who are some of the most hardworking Bible readers in the world, still struggle with these passages, how much more do many Americans struggle! This is understandable. The Bible is not a book that can be rightly understood without the help of the Holy Spirit and proper instruction. As you read this article, I pray that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, will teach you all things (see John 14:26).

To help us understand this passage in Deuteronomy, I want to share three pillars that are essential for understanding the Old Testament and, by extension, the whole Bible.

If you asked me to summarize the entire Old Testament, I would say three things: Priesthood, Law, and Prophets.

1. The largest portion of the Old Testament describes the priests and the temple they served. The priests not only took care of the temple of God and maintained the dwelling place for the presence of God, but also helped the poor, the weak, and the sojourners. In the New Testament, Peter says that we as believers are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).
2. Another large portion of the Old Testament describes the law given by Moses. The law reflected the nature of God, who cares deeply for those who are weak and deprived. In the New Testament, Paul says that the law has been written on our hearts as the law of spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2).
3. Another significant portion of the Old Testament contains the writings and stories of prophets. The ministry of the prophets was to help the people of God find His will in each unique situation. God specifically said that he would decide each case individually, not allowing a child to die for the sins of their fathers or vice versa. The prophets helped bring this individualized, situational wisdom to the people. Like the prophets of old, New Testament believers are anointed by the Holy Spirit, who guides us (1 John 2:27).

Understanding these three pillars will help us understand the Old Testament, specifically the passages we are reading today. When we encounter a passage, it is very helpful to ask three questions to better understand it.

• Priests: How can we fulfill our priestly duty by helping this person with their needs and bringing them closer to him?
• Law: How is God’s nature shown by this passage? How can we help this person understand the nature of God?
• Prophets: What is the unique situation here and how is God leading the person?

We will examine the Deuteronomy passage using these three aspects. Understanding our present-day priestly ministry, awareness of God’s nature, and attentiveness to God’s leading will help us to not only grasp the meaning of this passage but also apply it to our everyday experience.

Note: You may wonder why we are not including the kings in this summary. Please understand that the kingship was set up when the Israelites failed to function as priests to God. The book of 1 Peter uses the words “royal priesthood,” indicating that priesthood and kingship have been reunited as one in the New Testament (1 Peter 2:9). So we are treating them as one entity.

First, we must understand the important role of priests. One of the roles of the priests in the Old Testament was to take care of the temple, perform the sacrifices, and assist with worship. They maintained the house of God, the dwelling place for God’s presence. Today, the body of Christ, the church, is also the temple of God on earth (Ephesians 2:21-22). Our individual bodies are also described as the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Bible says that sinning against our body is sinning against the Lord, since our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, if we are joined with a prostitute, we are one body with the prostitute, but if we are joined with the Lord, we are one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17). Our holiness and unity are important. We must take care of the unity of Christ’s body and the purity of our individual bodies.

In order to remain holy, and tend to the presence of God among us, we must fulfill our priestly duty to deal with sin. In the Old Testament, sin was atoned for through the blood of animals, which covered their sin. In the New Testament, the blood of Jesus cleanses us of all sin. However, we must also confess and turn from our sin and live holy lives so we can be a pure dwelling place for God’s Spirit. We must first be clean and holy ourselves so we can become mediators on behalf of others. 

However, many Christians in America today are not fulfilling their priestly duties. They are living in sinful habits and are unaware of the presence of God. They not only experience personal moral failures, but also mistreat the weak, the poor, the widow, and the sojourner, which is considered sin in the eyes of God. When individual Christians neglect their priestly duty to confess their personal sins and experience the presence of God in their personal lives, it will be difficult for the church at large or the body of Christ as a whole to experience a strong sense of God’s presence.

Taking care of our personal holiness and tending to the presence of God in our lives is only one aspect of the duty of the priesthood. We must also take care of others and intercede for them. It is commonly known that Old Testament priests had to help their fellow Israelites prepare their sacrifices. It is hard to imagine a good priest refusing to help an Israelite offer their sacrifice to the Lord. But it’s less commonly known that priests were also required to take care of widows, orphans, poor people, and foreigners. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus denounced the priest who refused to help the man who was beaten almost to death by a thief (Luke 10:31).

Similarly, as a holy priesthood, we must take care of people’s physical needs so that they can get closer to God. One Chinese preacher stated that the love and care we show to unbelievers helps prepare them to receive the gospel. Just like a Chinese cook must warm the pot before adding the oil and the other ingredients, we must love people to prepare them to receive Christ’s truth. Showing love and care is like warming the pot.

We can draw several other analogies from this metaphor. On the one hand, if we don’t love people, it is like throwing ingredients and oil into a cold pot. The pot will not be pre-warmed and the food will not cook correctly. The person will not be receptive to the gospel. On the other hand, if we love people with purely human sympathy without sharing the Word of God through the Holy Spirit, it is like adding ingredients to a burning-hot pot with no oil in it. The ingredients will scorch and will not cook properly.

However, when we warm our listeners with the true love of Christ, their hearts will be prepared to receive God’s word. For example, when we preach to Chinese students on U.S. campuses, we first warm their hearts by loving on them. Then we preach the gospel to them from God’s word. As a result, many receive Jesus Christ into their hearts. This model is followed by many Christians around the world and by Jesus Christ Himself. He first walked beside the disciples on the road to Emmaus for eleven miles, listening to their grief and warming their hearts, before he explained God’s word and helped them understand the meaning of his death and resurrection. Similarly, in the book of Acts, the apostles appointed godly men to provide food for the widows who were being neglected. After this event, the book of Acts reports that many priests believed in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 6:7). I do not believe this is a coincidence. I believe the priests’ hearts were warmed by this demonstration of love to the poor and needy. Since priests were commissioned to serve both God and man, they were touched by the apostles’ and evangelists’ acts. As the priests saw the Christians caring for the poor, the priests’ hearts turned to Jesus.

If we want to understand the Word of God, we must view it through the lens of priesthood. As good priests, God wants us to serve both God and man. We must strike a good balance between loving people and maintaining the holiness of God. Loving people without maintaining the holiness of God’s temple will lead to corruption. American churches who demonstrate love and kindness without maintaining a high standard of morality will eventually become woke. On the other hand, churches who focus only on God’s standards may run the risk of disobeying God’s command to love the poor, the immigrant, and the needy.

Second, we must understand God’s nature as revealed in these laws. God revealed his standards in the Old Testament law, including this passage. But God’s intention is not to just reveal who he is. He also desires that we become partakers of his holiness. God wanted the nation of Israel to be "a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6). Jesus taught us to be perfect as our heavenly father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). If we only stop at knowing who God is, we will fall short. God not only desires that we know who he is, but also that we become like him.

Understanding the law of God means not only knowing his nature but also imitating his nature. If we study the law of God but ignore the compassion of God, like the Pharisees did, we will totally miss the mark. However, if we emphasize only God’s love without balancing it with his justice, we will also miss God’s heart. In order to love immigrants in a balanced way, we need to understand God’s heart and become like him.

One time a Vietnamese Christian brother told me, “My daughter does not like immigrants, even though she is the daughter of an immigrant. Many second- and third-generation immigrants do not welcome new immigrants because they think these immigrants will take up their resources.”

I replied, “Through God’s mercy, we were allowed to come to the United States as immigrants. Apart from this opportunity, we may never have had the chance to get saved or to gain a Christian education which has enabled us to serve God and his church in such a powerful way. Furthermore, our kids would not have had the opportunity to be born in this wonderful country.”

So when we come to some passages like this, we should seek the heart of God as revealed in these laws. If we don’t understand the heart of God, we may end up becoming legalistic. Even if we can recite the verses word for word, we may not grasp the true meaning. Just like the Pharisees, we may need Jesus’ corrective words: “I desire compassion [for those in distress] and not [animal] sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13 AMPL).

Now that we understand the heart of God and the holiness of God, we must ask ourselves, “How can we become holy as he is?” To answer this question, we need the ministry of the prophet. The prophet provides guidance in each unique situation with the goal of helping us partake in the holiness of God.

God loves justice and will not pardon sin, but God also wants his judgement to be carried out according to his leading in each individual instance. His word says, “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin” (Deuteronomy 24:16). In other words, we do not legalistically judge people without looking at the unique situation.

When we forget God’s instructions in this area, we “judge the book by its cover,” or judge the son by the father. I was certainly a victim of this. My father began his career as a peasant laborer in a brick factory, was later put in charge of the storage units in this factory, and was later promoted to the level of accountant in this factory. He took some college-level classes and later got a job as an auditor in the local county government. He got the job through pure luck and with the help of some relatives. But he soon discovered that his training and education was not enough for this new job. Since he was not good at his job, he was ridiculed and bullied, and his colleagues pointed fingers at me behind my back. I was very hurt and humiliated by that. If I was deeply hurt by being ridiculed for my father’s incompetence on the job, imagine how much humiliation a son would receive if his father had actually committed crimes. That is why God’s word instructs his people to deal with each situation individually and not to make broad, sweeping conclusions.

A story I heard from a Latino-American pastor illustrates this point perfectly. This pastor said that after his father came to the U.S. illegally, he was captured by a patrol officer. The officer asked him why he had come here illegally. He said he had been called by God to come to America to preach the gospel to many Latinos. The officer happened to be a Christian as well. To test if the man was telling the truth, the officer asked him to recite Psalm 23. He recited it perfectly and the officer let him go. This is a perfect example of God’s leading in this unique situation.

Immigration is a controversy that has torn apart the fabric of American society and of the world as a whole. But understanding the law and the individual leading of God in this chapter will help guide us today.

God commands justice, but He also commands compassion. He protects the poor, the worker, the widow, the orphan, and the sojourner. A father is not punished for the sin of a son, and a son is not punished for the sin of a father. This teaches balance.

We must hate sin, but we must love people. We cannot hate immigrants. But we also should keep our sovereignty. During my one-year stay in London, I observed the strong influence of Islam. This showed me that Satan may be attempting to destroy Christian civilization in America through mass immigration. So we need a balance. Each situation must be handled with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

If individual Christians neglect their priesthood, we fail to warm unbelievers’ hearts in preparation for the gospel. Revival does not start with numbers. It starts with the presence of God in individual lives. If we fail to take care of individuals, the church becomes weak. If the church becomes weak, society falls into darkness. We must take care of our priesthood.

Second, we must learn the law of God and allow it to transform us. If we don’t know God’s nature through the law, we will fail. But if we become legalistic and lose the compassionate heart of God, we will also fail.

Third, we must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit without resisting Him. We should be open to the prophetic voice through the leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit and the sure word of prophecy in the Bible (2 Peter 2:19). Regarding the immigrants, we must have the heart of God toward the sojourners but also be aware of Satan’s strategy to destroy our Christian heritage through mass immigration.

The three pillars of the Old Testament (priesthood, law, and prophets) can provide guidelines for our Christian lives today. We must take care of God’s presence and take care of others, we must know the holiness of God and demonstrate the compassion of God, and we must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit at all times. If we apply these three principles, we will not only understand the Bible better, but we will also live out the heart of God.

1. What is the function of priesthood in the Old Testament? What does it mean for believers today?

1. How can we understand the holiness of God expressed in law without losing God’s compassion, like the Pharisees did?
2. How can we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in each situation without becoming legalistic?
3. How do the ministry of priest, law, and prophet function in today’s church?

(Deuteronomy 32:48–52 ESV)

Moses’s Death Reviews the Nature and the Leading of God

Deuteronomy 32:48–52 records one of the most sobering moments in Scripture: Moses is called to ascend Mount Nebo, to see the Promised Land from a distance, and to die without entering it. This moment is not merely about judgment; it is a revelation of something deeper — the distinction between the nature of God and the leading of God.

Moses knew God. Scripture affirms this. He knew God’s ways, His holiness, His righteousness, and His standards. Yet in this final act of his ministry, Moses missed something crucial: not only the nature of God, but the leading of God for that specific moment.

This tension forms the heart of this message.

The death of Moses sits within a larger redemptive context. The first generation of Israelites was promised entry into Canaan, yet they died in the wilderness. Scripture is clear that this was not because God failed to keep His word but because the people hardened their hearts in unbelief.

God remained faithful and unchanged. He is immutable, constant in His nature and purpose. Humanity however is mutable, living in time and subject to change. God who stands both within and beyond time relates to humanity progressively, which often makes His dealings appear unpredictable to finite minds.

To assume we can fully comprehend the ways of an infinite God is itself a form of pride. His nature is revealed, but His leading must continually be discerned.

Understanding God’s nature guards us from rebellion. Understanding God’s leading guards us from presumption.

God’s attributes do not change. His holiness, faithfulness, mercy, and justice remain constant. Yet the way He leads His people may differ across seasons and generations. If we assume that God must move tomorrow exactly as He did yesterday, we risk resisting His present work.

At the same time, assuming we can always predict or interpret God’s leading apart from humility is equally dangerous. The balance is found in continual dependence on the Spirit of God.

The background is familiar. In the wilderness of Zin, Israel lacked water. The first time this occurred, God commanded Moses to strike the rock. Moses obeyed. Water flowed.

This act was deeply symbolic. The rock represented Christ, the spiritual Rock who was struck once to bear God’s righteous judgment on behalf of sinful humanity. The anger was not released upon the people, but upon the Rock. This prefigured the cross.

Years later, the same situation arose. Another generation. Another moment of thirst. But this time, God’s command was different. Moses was instructed to speak to the rock, not strike it.

Instead, Moses struck the rock again.

This was not merely disobedience. It was a failure to discern that God’s leading had changed, even though His nature had not.

God’s rebuke of Moses was severe because Moses was not merely an individual. He was a representative. His actions shaped Israel’s understanding of who God was.

At Meribah, Moses struck the rock in anger when God had commanded him to speak to it. That act mattered not only because of disobedience but because it misrepresented God’s holiness before the people.

Scripture later reveals the typological meaning of the rock.

“For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”

(1 Corinthians 10:4)

The rock was struck once. It was not to be struck again. Moses’ second strike disrupted the divine picture God was communicating. Christ would suffer once, not repeatedly.

Moses’ Plea and the Larger Redemptive Picture

Moses pleaded with the Lord to enter the Promised Land, but God refused. This refusal was not rooted in cruelty but in revelation.

Moses functioned as the mediator of the Law. The Law reveals God’s holy standard and exposes human inability, but it does not grant inheritance. Scripture later makes this distinction clear.

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

(John 1:17)

Entrance into God’s promise is ultimately by grace, not works.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

(Ephesians 2:8–9)

Moses was allowed to see the land, but Joshua led the people into it. Joshua’s name shares the same Hebrew root as Jesus and functions as a typological pointer. The Law reveals. Grace brings in.

Joshua’s name means “Jehovah becomes our salvation.” The purpose of Moses’s ministry was to prepare for the ministry of Joshua. The purpose of the law was to set up God’s standard and reveal His nature. The ten commandments reveal who God is in His holiness and how God wants people to interact with Him and their fellow human beings. He gives us a standard regarding our dealings with God and people. Another function of law is to point to Jesus Christ, who is “the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4).

To understand this, we must distinguish between the two generations of Israelites.

The first generation represented the old man — rebellious, unbelieving, and unable to enter God’s rest. God’s leading toward them was severe because the purpose was death to the flesh. That generation had to die in the wilderness.

The second generation represented something different. They still complained. They still struggled. But they represented the weakness of the flesh in the regenerated man. God’s leading toward them was not to destroy, but to sustain, nurture, and bring them into the Promised Land by grace.

Moses treated the second generation the same way God treated the first. That was the mistake.

He understood God’s nature, but he missed God’s leading. We can see the same thing happening in the modern church. When I was a new believer, the more mature believers in the church were very patient with me and showed me a lot of grace. I was zealous to serve God but also lived according to my fleshly nature. But these believers understood that transformation takes time, and they gave me space to grow. Likewise, God understood that it would take time for the second generation of Israelites to be transformed. On the outside, they often acted the same as their fathers had. But inwardly, they had already experienced circumcision of the heart. This is similar to the experience of New Testament believers. Our sin has been dealt with on the cross, but it takes time to overcome the habit of living in sin.

This distinction can be illustrated with the image of a locomotive.

When a train’s engine is shut off, the train does not stop immediately. It continues to move because of momentum. In the same way, when a believer is crucified with Christ, sin is dealt with positionally. Yet habits, patterns, and practices may continue for a time.

Spiritually, the believer is dead to sin. Practically, the flesh still needs to be put to death through the Spirit. This is why Scripture teaches that believers must walk by the Spirit, even though they already live by the Spirit. Paul mentions that we need to put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit (Romans 6:13). In other words, sin has lost its power in the spiritual realm because Jesus Christ already took care of it on the cross. But in our everyday lives, the deeds of the body and the habits of the flesh are still strong. The locomotive’s engine has already shut off, but it will take a while for it to come to a complete stop.

This is why God’s leading for a believer is different from His leading for a nonbeliever. But Moses failed to recognize this distinction.

God dealt with sin by putting it on the cross, where Jesus bore the wrath of God in our place. There is no room for negotiation. This is why God told Moses to strike the rock. Paul clearly states that the spiritual rock accompanying the Israelites was Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4).

But God’s approach toward the second generation of Israelites—and toward believers who have found new life in Christ—is much gentler. He asks Moses to speak to the Rock, which symbolizes applying Christ’s work on the cross to our lives. It takes time and repetition. It requires the patience of a father or a nursing mother. When I had my child, a seasoned parent from my Bible study shared some parenting advice with me. He said, “Children won’t absorb your advice or instructions the first time you tell them. They will forget what you say, and you will have to keep reminding them. But don’t get upset. Just keep repeating yourself. Eventually, they will internalize what you are saying.” This is so true. God knows that our flesh is strong, but He is willing to patiently guide us into the abundant life of Jesus Christ.

The Sabbath perfectly illustrates the principle of God’s nature and leading.

The Sabbath reveals the nature of God — God rests. God is peace. Humanity needs rest because God Himself rested. Yet the Sabbath also reveals the leading of God. In the Old Testament, Sabbath observance preserved Israel from worldliness and idolatry. In the New Testament, Jesus declared Himself Lord of the Sabbath. He healed on the Sabbath. He placed mercy above ritual.

The nature of God did not change. But the leading of God did. Those who clung rigidly to the rule missed the movement of God. How can we understand the balance between the nature of God and the leading of God in regards to the Sabbath? When the people of Israel were totally focused on the world and on idol worship, God asked them to keep the Sabbath. The purpose of the Sabbath was to distinguish Israel from the surrounding nations full of idol worshipers and to separate them from the busy lifestyle of the world. Sabbath required them to stop working one day a week to seek God and worship Him only. This ritual helped the Israelites become a holy people dedicated to God so that God could use them to bring the Savior into the world. God’s heart was to save mankind through Jesus Christ, who would be born from the nation of Israel.

But in the New Testament, God’s leading regarding the Sabbath was different. Because the Pharisees were completely focused on outward conformity and religiosity, Jesus challenged their mindset by breaking the Sabbath. He realized that they no longer cared about other people. They only cared about making sure people followed their rules. They didn’t care about the woman who was bound by Satan for eighteen years. They only cared about making sure Jesus didn’t break the law by healing that woman on the Sabbath. Jesus rebuked them by saying, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” (Luke 14:5 NIV) He also said, “Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?” (Luke 13:15 NIV) Jesus called them hypocrites. He also called himself the Lord of Sabbath (Matthew 12:8).

The Sabbath laws reveal the nature of God. He is compassionate and wants to save humanity. That is His nature. Even though His leading was different in each historical period, it always served the same purpose: to bring this compassion to mankind. God strictly required the Jews to keep the Sabbath so they could be a holy nation and bring Jesus Christ, the seed of holiness, into the world. But after Jesus Christ came to earth, God’s leading was no longer bound by the rituals of the Sabbath. Instead, his compassionate desire to save humankind allowed people to bring healing and compassion to others on the Sabbath. The nature of God had not changed, but His leading had. And the Pharisees totally missed it.

Moses also likely missed the fact that God’s leading had changed. He may not have realized that the ministry of Joshua represented a new phase of God’s leading. God had used Moses to prepare for the ministry of Joshua, but now it was time for Moses to step down. He would die physically, but the Promised Land would endure. Similarly, the Law came to an end, but Jesus Christ lasts forever. The Sabbath was temporary and could now be broken, but compassion and love will never go away.

An apple tree will always produce apples. It cannot produce pearls. That is its nature.

Yet an apple tree can be prevented from bearing fruit — deprived of sunlight, water, nourishment, or choked by stones and thorns.

In the same way:

• You cannot change the nature of God
• You cannot change the life God has placed within a believer
• But you can hinder its growth through disobedience, presumption, or pride

Sin may not cost a believer eternal life, but it can cost manifested presence, spiritual vitality, and anointing.

Presumption always costs something. Once you are born, your biological relationship to your father can never be reversed. Even if you rebel against your father, you cannot change the fact you are his son. But you can definitely lose your experience of fellowship with your father. People debate whether Christians will go to hell if they sin after becoming a Christian. I tend to believe they will not lose their salvation, since Jesus said clearly that no one can snatch believers out of His hand (John 10:28). But this does not mean there is no discipline in heaven. And if we sin, we may lose our experience of fellowship with God here on earth. Moses’s rebellion may not have cost him eternal life or his reward in heaven, but it certainly cost him his earthly life, his ministry, and his anointing. When a Christian sins, they may not lose eternal life, but they will lose their experience of God’s presence in their life.

The story of Moses has an important lesson to teach all Christian leaders today. We can never change the fact that we are children of God, just like we cannot change the nature of an apple tree. But our lack of obedience can hinder our growth. We must cooperate with God, the experienced gardener, and allow him to remove all the hindrances to bearing fruit. Just like an apple tree needs sunshine, fertilizer, water and pruning, we need God to prune us.

God’s leading often involves a pruning process. The Israelites’ forty-year wilderness journey was a pruning process. When God told Moses he could not enter the promised land, God was pruning him so that one day he could appear with Elijah to talk with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. The household of Israel is currently going through a pruning process so that one day, the whole house of Israel can be saved when the number of the Gentiles is fulfilled.

True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.

Moses’s failure was not rooted in immorality, but in assumption; assuming that what worked before must work again. This is the danger of spiritual maturity without continued dependence. The Bible tells us that Moses knew God’s way and His nature, but this did not mean that Moses would get it right every time. In this situation, I believe he failed to understand God’s leading.

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humility is what keeps a servant sensitive to God’s current leading.

As Watchman Nee famously said, we are not working for God; we are God’s work. We are His masterpiece.

I was born in a poor Chinese farmer’s family. My wife always said: “Who will listen to you preach in English?” I had low self-esteem. I couldn’t overcome it because of my background. When God called me to preach internationally in English, I struggled: “God, I’m just a little Chinese potato [an average, insignificant person]. How can I do this?”

But God continued to patiently lead me, transform me, and empower me. Today I am confident—not because of me, but because of Jesus Christ who empowers me. In the same way, God led the second generation of Israelites (and new believers in our current age) with grace and empowerment. God gives grace to the humble and empowers us to do the mighty things we cannot do on our own. God is looking for humble vessels. We need to humble ourselves so God can give us strength.

God is raising up men and women of God from third world countries to do His work. These countries used to receive spiritual help from the West. But now, God has shown me that a massive movement from China will transform the world. The revival will not only spread to nearby countries like Japan and North Korea, but it will also bring transformation to Muslim countries and even Israel. The Chinese revival will bring the fire back to Europe and America and help revitalize their faith. Do not despise what God is doing in this present time, and do not miss the new movement of the Holy Spirit today.

God identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — not because He led them the same way, but because He led them differently.

• Abraham was called to leave the idol worshipping land
• Isaac was called to stay in the promised land
• Jacob was led through brokenness and transformation by going down to the land of idol worshippers again

Same God. Different leadings.

God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. A living God leads living people in living ways. That is why Jesus says that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the God of the living (Matthew 22:32). God leads each person differently. Abraham prayed for God to spare Sodom and God was willing to negotiate with him about it. In the end, however, Sodom could not be saved because it was violating God’s nature of holiness. But Lot could be saved because God was willing to lead Lot to salvation. Moses’s pleas to enter the good land were not granted, but God was willing to bring him back after a season of pruning. God may have said no to you yesterday, but He may say yes to you today. The times and seasons are shifting, so don’t lose heart. Simply ask God again for what you desire.

I met a Korean prophet in 2018 and asked him what about the leading of God for my translation business. He said, “You should not put too much time into it.” But recently, God raised up Christian marketing firms to help me in this regard. I asked the Lord, “Are these new firms from You?” I realized God’s leading had changed. Since I needed more resources to support my ministry, God was willing for me to spend some time developing my business. Even if God said no to you once, don’t conclude God will always continue to say no to you on this matter. You must discern the changing seasons and the new ways God may be leading you.

In the New Jerusalem, the main street is made of gold. It represents the unchanging nature of God’s holiness, righteousness, and truth.

But flowing through the city is a river, ever moving, ever fresh. This represents the leading of the Holy Spirit. The golden street is a boundary, like the law. The river flowed down the middle of the main street. It flowed within the boundaries of the street of gold.

Just like the river could not leave the street of gold, we cannot leave the guidance of the unchanging nature of God. But within these boundaries, the Spirit leads each believer uniquely.

On the top of the mountain is the throne of the Father and the Lamb. Out of this throne flows the river of the water of life. If you follow the golden street or the river, both will bring you to the throne of God. The nature of God and the leading of God is essentially one and the same.

God’s new movements throughout history have often been resisted by the very people who were most confident they already knew His will. The Pharisees defended the Law yet missed Christ. Reformers were opposed by institutional religion. Spirit-birthed renewal movements were frequently condemned before later being understood.

The issue is not tradition. The issue is confidence without discernment.

To assume we know God exhaustively is itself a form of pride.

History shows that when God moves, those who rely solely on structure, tradition, or past revelation often resist Him.

The Pharisees knew Scripture yet rejected Christ.

The early church wrestled with Spirit led expansions that challenged Jewish boundaries.

Reformers were condemned before being understood.

Spirit-birthed renewal movements were dismissed as error before bearing fruit.

The danger is not reverence for truth.

The danger is confidence without discernment.

To assume we know God exhaustively is not maturity. It is pride.

This passage is not asking whether we know correct doctrine. It is asking whether we remain leadable.

Moses knew God. Israel knew God’s power. The Pharisees knew God’s Law. Yet each, at different moments, resisted God’s present leading.

The Spirit was given so we would not repeat that pattern.

Moses saw the land but could not enter. Not because God was unfaithful, but because Moses applied yesterday’s leading to today’s situation.

The danger for every generation is not immorality alone, but spiritual presumption — assuming we know how God must move next.

To walk with God faithfully, we must hold tightly to His nature while remaining deeply sensitive to His leading.

Take time to sit with this passage and allow the Spirit to search your heart.

Moses’ life reminds us that long obedience does not make us immune to momentary presumption. Leadership does not remove the need for dependence. Experience does not replace listening.

God remains faithful, holy, and purposeful, even when His ways confront our expectations. He invites His people not merely to know Him, but to follow Him.

Reflection Questions

1. In what ways can familiarity with God’s past dealings create assumptions about His present instructions?
2. How can emotional pressure or frustration cause even mature believers to misrepresent God’s character?
3. What practices help you remain attentive to God’s present leading rather than relying solely on past experience?
4. How does understanding the finality of Christ’s finished work shape your approach to obedience and repentance?
5. Are there areas where your position in Christ is secure, but your daily practice still needs greater yielding to the Spirit?
6. For those in leadership or influence, how can private intimacy with God be matched by public faithfulness in representing Him?
7. What does sensitivity to the Spirit look like in ordinary decisions, not only in moments labeled spiritual?

1 This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death.

2 He said,

“The Lord came from Sinai

    and dawned from Seir upon us;

    he shone forth from Mount Paran;

he came from the ten thousands of holy ones,

    with flaming fire at his right hand.

3 Yes, he loved his people,

    all his holy ones were in his hand;

so they followed in your steps,

    receiving direction from you,

4 when Moses commanded us a law,

    as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.

5 Thus the Lord became king in Jeshurun,

    when the heads of the people were gathered,

all the tribes of Israel together.

Deuteronomy 33:1–5 ESV

Moses begins his final blessing not by speaking about Israel, but by revealing the nature of God Himself. He describes who God is before he speaks about what God has done. This is intentional. Moses speaks this way because Moses knows God.

Unlike the Israelites, who often knew only the acts of God, Moses had encountered the person of God. He had seen God’s glory and stood in His presence. And so, when Moses speaks, he speaks from revelation of God’s personal presence, not merely from experience of God’s acts.

This contrast exposes a recurring problem among God’s people. There is a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. Many of the Israelites could recount miracles, deliverance, and provision, yet their hearts remained distant. They knew what God could do, but not who God was.

This pattern is not unique to them. It mirrors the condition of many believers today. We may have heard about God, experienced His acts, or benefited from His mercy, yet still lack a true understanding of His intrinsic nature.

True faith is not formed by information alone. It is formed by revelation. To know God is far more than being aware of what He does. It is to encounter who He is.

That is why Psalm 103:7 says, “He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.” Moses knows God’s ways and God’s character from personal experience. So when he introduces us to who God is, we’d better pay attention.

I once heard a wise saying from a successful businessman who is also a Chinese Christian church elder. He said, “A bald man will never be able to convince someone to buy hair growth supplements.” What he meant was that if we have not personally experienced something, it will be very hard for us to convince others about it.

But the opposite could also be true. We could hear someone talking from personal experiential knowledge, and yet we may not have ears to hear. Just like Jesus told his disciples, “I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?” (John 3:12) This is what happened with Moses. Even though he spoke about God’s character from an intimate, experiential knowledge and personal relationship with the Lord Jehovah, the Israelites did not believe his words. Instead, they rebelled against his commands, even when Moses was still alive.

It’s important not to judge the Israelites, because we could easily make the same mistake. We often let God’s words slip right past us. Instead, we must learn to come to God with the same intimacy as Moses did.

Moses often waited for God to speak. He waited on Mount Sinai, Mount Seir, and Mount Paran. Can you relate to Moses? Can you imagine what he might have been feeling? Have you ever waited on God for a long time, hoping to hear from Him? Have you prayed and fasted and hoped to receive an answer to your prayer? Have you begged God earnestly for years to give you the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Have you trusted the Lord for something He promised would come to fruition in your life? Have you experienced the gracious appearance of God after waiting on Him?

If you have, then you know how it feels to wait on God. You may have felt anxiety as you doubted whether He would show up for you. You likely felt excitement when he came and spoke to you.

We often hear people say, “God is never late, but he is never early. God is right on time.” I don’t think God was already there waiting for Moses when he arrived on Mount Sinai, Mount Seir, or Mount Paran. It was the opposite. It was Moses who had to wait upon the Lord—sometimes for many days and nights!

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalms 27:14)

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” (Psalm 37:7)

“…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.” (Lamentations 3:25)

There are so many verses in the Bible about waiting on the Lord. “Waiting on the Lord” is the lost art of worshipping God with intimacy. It is especially scarce in today’s world, where people’s attention is often consumed by social media and other digital distractions.

Imagine you were Moses waiting on the Lord. I can picture Moses waiting for hours and hours, day after day on Mount Sinai, Mount Seir, and Mount Paran. Then suddenly, the Lord appeared!

Our passage of scripture compares God’s appearance to a sunrise. If you have ever gotten up early to see the sun rising, you can understand Moses’ excitement. You waited in the cold, dark night, watching expectantly for the dawn. You kept your eyes on the horizon, wondering when the sun would appear. Then suddenly, the sun jumped out from behind the horizon or out of the sea! Can you feel the excitement? If you can picture that excitement, then you can easily picture the excitement Moses felt when God appeared to him.

“The Lord came from Sinai

    and dawned from Seir upon us;

    he shone forth from Mount Paran;

he came from the ten thousands of holy ones,

with flaming fire at his right hand.”

Just like the sun jumped out from behind the horizon, God appeared to Moses with splendor! Not only did God appear to him, but also tens of thousands of holy ones. Just like an entourage of fans and bodyguards always follows a celebrity wherever they go, God always has an entourage. The cherubim are always surrounding him. He never appears to us alone!

This passage talks about the joy of waiting on God and experiencing His appearance. God says in 2 Timothy 4:8 that he rewards those who love his appearance. If you have never waited on the Lord or experienced His appearance, you are missing out on one of the most exciting experiences in the world! Don’t let Moses’ words slip past you. Pay attention and seek the personal presence of God!

In Deuteronomy 33:1 -5, Moses presents God as the One who comes in glory and fire, surrounded by holy ones, yet who lovingly holds His people in His hand. This God is both majestic and intimate, holy and loving, powerful and faithful.

Moses does not present God merely as a miracle worker, but as a covenant-keeping King who reigns among His gathered people. Because Moses had encountered God personally, he could reveal God accurately.

Those who know only the acts of God often follow Him for benefits. Those who know God Himself follow Him out of love, surrender, and trust. Knowing God transforms the heart. Knowing about God can leave the heart unchanged.

The Bible tells us that Jacob saw a vision of two camps[1]: one camp of angels in heaven, and another camp of Israel on earth. Jacob knew what this vision meant. It meant that heaven was open for him and that God and the angelic armies were with him. Jacob was not the only one trying to get back to God’s promised land. It was God who had been leading him this whole time and who continued to lead him. And not only God was with him, but also His angels. God is the Lord of Hosts—the Lord of Angel Armies. He has a big entourage!

Moses saw the same vision, so he said,

Yes, he loved his people,

    all his holy ones were in his hand;

so they followed in your steps,

    receiving direction from you,

 when Moses commanded us a law,

    as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.

 Thus the Lord became king in Jeshurun,

    when the heads of the people were gathered,

    all the tribes of Israel together.

The Lord is the Lord of the heavenly hosts, and he is also the King in Jeshurun. He is the King in heaven, and he is also the King on earth! He has two camps! Heaven is his throne and the earth is his footstool (Isaiah 66:1). Nothing in heaven or earth is hidden from God’s sight (Hebrews 4:13). But the problem is that heaven is closed for some of us. But it should not be that way. Heaven can be open for us if we wait on the Lord! Moses waited upon the Lord on Mount Sinai, Mount Seir, and Mount Paran, he saw heaven open and the Lord appear.

In these five verses, Moses was simply recounting his experiences of seeing the Lord’s appearance after waiting upon the Lord. I have waited upon the Lord many times and seen his appearance in the spirit. I know what I am talking about and I know what Moses was experiencing here.

Scripture does not flatter the human heart. Jeremiah declares that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick. This means that without divine revelation, people can engage in religious activity and still misunderstand God completely.

The Law was never given as a means of earning righteousness. It was given to reveal the holiness of God and expose the true condition of man. Before the Law shows us what is wrong with us, it reveals who God is.

The law also shows us our sinfulness. The Hebrews described our inward pull toward sin as the Yetzer Hara, the bent of the fallen heart. Left to ourselves, we do not naturally choose God. We are not morally neutral. We are fallen.

Paul affirms this reality when he says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. None is righteous. None seeks after God by their own strength. When this truth is ignored, people begin to believe they are good simply because they are religious.

This was the error of Israel, and it remains a danger for believers today.

The reason we only know God’s acts instead of his ways is because we have a veil over our hearts. In 2 Corinthians 3:14-17, Paul explains that when the Israelites read the Old Testament, a veil lies over their hearts. But whenever they turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (ESV).

In order to remove the veil from our hearts and find intimacy with the Lord, we need to behold the Lord. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (ESV).

The law is meant to give us a vision of the coming Savior and of heaven. But we don’t always see this vision clearly. Paul says that the law is like a guardian or teacher who takes care of school-aged children. Sometimes a parent tries to help their children grasp the parent’s true heart and vision, but the child has a hard time grasping it. For example, I send my daughter to Chinese classes and encourage her to learn Chinese well. But she resists my instructions and complains about it. “Why do I have to learn Chinese since I live in America?” she asks. I reply, “God promised me that there will be a great future revival in China. I will be given a huge responsibility during this revival. I want to be able to pass the baton on to you one day.” But she does not care, and she just goofs off in the Chinese class. To her, it is a waste of time. She is still young, but I hope she will eventually understand my calling. I need to wait patiently for her to grow up. In the same way, the law is a schoolmaster that waited patiently as Israel grew to maturity.

Right now, we are still waiting. All creation is eagerly waiting for the “revealing of the sons of God” and the time when “creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:19, 21). Many saints in heaven are waiting for us to finish the spiritual race so that they too can receive their rewards (see Hebrews 11:39-40). When we don’t realize this, we are just children with veils over our hearts. When we have a veil over our heart, we do not know God’s ways and we lack a vision of heaven. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” KJV). The purpose of the law is to give us a vision of heaven.

When the Law is misunderstood, it becomes a tool for self-justification rather than revelation. We imagine that obedience earns sanctification or that moral effort secures right standing with God. In doing so, we misunderstand both the Law and ourselves.

This deception explains why many believers remain trapped in cycles of sin and confusion. We admire God’s power but resist His nature. We know His acts but not His ways.

Israel wanted deliverance without transformation. They wanted freedom from Egypt, yet their hearts longed to return there. God, in His love, refused to leave them unchanged. He revealed Himself not only to rescue them, but to re-form them.

True maturity in the faith begins when the believer moves beyond surface knowledge and into a deep, reverent understanding of who God is.

How can we move from head knowledge into heart knowledge? Simply by spending time with the Lord and waiting on Him. The Lord will illuminate our hearts and help us remove the veil and transform us into the image of God in Jesus Christ. We will experience one degree of glory after another. Moses had to cover his face so the glory wouldn’t fade away. But the glory that shines on us in the face of Jesus Christ will never fade away!

We need to spend time with the Lord! We need to wait upon the Lord! I don’t think Moses would have known God so intimately if he had not waited upon the Lord. He waited, waited, and waited on this mountain or that mountain. He waited until the Lord appeared!

During my ten years of infertility, I prayed daily during my lunch hour in a park near my workplace in Washington, DC. I would pray to God, “When I walk to that big tree, appear to me there!” When I walked to that tree, the Lord did not appear there. I then told the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, “I will say ‘Father, I love you’ one hundred times, ‘Jesus, I love you’ one hundred times, and ‘Holy Spirit, I love you” one hundred times. Please appear to me there.” Nothing happened. In a prophetic conference in 2016, a woman from England came to me and said, “I don’t know you and I don’t know why, but I feel that God is telling me to give you this message: There was a moment of time when you prayed to God and poured out your heart to him. Those prayers were so raw and so genuine, he heard all of them. He just wanted me to tell you he was very delighted with it.” It immediately brought back my memories of those days and those prayers, those times of waiting upon the Lord! In this case, God did not speak to me face to face, like He did to Moses, but he spoke to me indirectly through this lady. Either way, God rewarded me for seeking His face.

When God’s nature is misunderstood, grace itself becomes distorted. Some see grace as permission to sin rather than power to be transformed. But a heart that treats grace lightly has not yet encountered God deeply.

Grace does not minimize sin. It reveals its weight and then supplies the mercy that leads to repentance.

Jesus illustrates this clearly in the account of the woman with the alabaster box. As she wept at His feet, the religious leaders judged her. But Jesus, perceiving their hearts, declared that the one who is forgiven much loves much.

This was not a statement about forgiveness being measured in portions. It was a revelation of the human heart. When a person understands the depth of sin and the reality of their fallen nature, true repentance is born. Conviction deepens. Love intensifies. Worship becomes sincere.

Those who believe they possess their own righteousness often remain hardened. But those who know they have none are drawn into genuine dependence on God. Paul later confessed that he once persecuted the Church in the name of God. He had religious zeal, but he did not yet truly know God.

Knowing God is not optional for the Christian life. It is essential. It is only through knowing God that believers learn to walk in the Spirit rather than in the flesh. Galatians teaches that the flesh and the Spirit are in opposition.

Israel failed not because God was unclear, but because their hearts remained untransformed. They held tightly to God’s acts while resisting His nature. Yet God, in His mercy, continued to reveal Himself, desiring not just obedience, but relationship.

To know God is to be changed by Him. The story of the twelve tribes of Israel is the story of being transformed from sinners to saints who are worthy of having their names written on the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem. To understand the prophecies given by Moses to the twelve tribes, we must understand God’s nature and our own hearts. These are the two fundamental principles that help us understand Moses’s prophecies. Moses knew the nature of God and he also knew the character and personality of each tribe, just as Jacob knew each of his sons. Jacob’s prophecies for his twelve sons were based on his observations of their hearts, their character, and their behaviors. His prophecies were the seed that led to the eventual destiny of each of the twelve tribes. Similarly, Moses’s prophecies were the development of the prophetic calling or destiny of each tribe given by the Lord.

A Closing Prayer

Father,

We confess that we often settle for knowledge about You rather than true knowledge of You. Reveal Yourself to us. Expose the deceitfulness of our hearts and lead us into repentance that produces life. Teach us to see Your grace not as a license to sin, but as power to be transformed. Draw us beyond familiarity into reverence, beyond information into intimacy. We desire to know You, not merely what You do.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection Questions

• Have I settled for knowing about God rather than knowing Him personally?
• Do I view grace as transformation or permission?
• Has my understanding of sin produced repentance or self-justification?
• Have you waited upon the Lord and experienced his personal presence? Has he appeared to you or spoken to you?
• Ask the Lord to reveal His nature to you, not just His works.

[1] “Mahanaim” means two camps

Deuteronomy 33:

23 And of Naphtali he said,

“O Naphtali, sated with favor,

    and full of the blessing of the Lord,

    possess the lake and the south.”

Some of the twelve sons of Israel receive more attention than others. For example, preachers and teachers frequently mention Joseph and Judah, Rueben and Benjamin, and even lesser-known sons such as Dan. These sons receive attention because of the prophecies made about them by Jacob or Moses. But we rarely hear much about Naphtali, even though he is also a son of Jacob whose name will one day appear on one of the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem. Like the other sons of Israel, Naphtali went from being a sinner to being worthy of having his name written on one of the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem. So let’s learn a bit more about him. Naphtali deliberately chose to get rid of hatred, forgive others, and saturate himself with the favor and blessing of the Lord. When Moses blessed Naphtali in Deuteronomy 33:23, he said, “he shall take possession of the sea and the south” (BSB). This refers to an enlargement of his kingdom’s influence. “The sea” is often used to refer to the Gentiles, and “the south” usually refers to Jerusalem. (Naphtali’s land is in the north.) When Jacob blessed Naphtali in Genesis 49:21, he said that Naphtali was like “doe set free that bears beautiful fawns” (NIV). In other translations, it says, “He uses beautiful words” (NKJV). This beautiful imagery reminds us of someone who receives the joy of forgiveness and becomes a happy preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we dive into the story of Naphtali, we will see how he suffered from abandonment, how he watched others become dehumanized with hatred, how he chose to forgive and take a different path, and how he eventually became a person full of joy because of the salvation power of the Lord. The story of the transformation of the twelve tribes of Israel is still a work in progress, and their ultimate destiny will be fulfilled when they finally become pearly gates in the New Jerusalem. Similarly, the story of the tribe of Naphtali is not yet complete, but his territory will eventually expand to the sea and the south. He will bring the glad tidings to the Gentiles, leading to the salvation of the whole house of Israel.

One of the great truths that Scripture teaches is that God reveals Himself progressively. He does not reveal everything at once, but unfolds His purposes over time.

At one point, God spoke through Jacob, a dying father blessing his sons in Genesis 49. Later, God spoke again through Moses, a covenant mediator standing at the edge of the Promised Land in Deuteronomy 33. These were not disconnected moments. Moses’ words were not a contradiction of Jacob’s prophecy. They were a continuation.

This reveals something profound. God’s redemptive story unfolds in stages, across generations, according to His eternal purposes.

Hebrews 1:1 reminds us that long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.

God was not finished with the twelve tribes when Jacob spoke. He was not finished when Moses spoke. And as Paul explains in Romans chapters 9 through 11, God is still at work even when His people experience seasons of hardening, discipline, or divine restraint.

Jacob spoke as a father shaped by relationship and observation. Moses spoke as a prophet shaped by covenant and destiny. Together, their words form a single redemptive thread. The prophecies of Jacob toward his sons are seeds and based on his observations of the unique personality and character of each of his sons. Moses’ prophecies are his prophetic declaration of the future of the twelve tribes of Israel. Some of these may only be fulfilled at the end of the age. This teaches us that God does not discard previous revelation. He builds upon it.

The story of the twelve tribes is not static. It is transformative. It is still moving toward redemption.

Some may ask why the Old Testament matters when we live under the New Covenant. The answer is simple. Scripture is not divided in intention. It is one unified revelation inspired by the all-wise God. What was concealed in the Old Testament is revealed in the New, and what is revealed in the New was already present in seed form in the Old.

Jacob describes Dan with chilling imagery in Genesis 49:17. He calls him a serpent by the way, a viper by the path.

This is prophetic language. A serpent does not confront openly. It hides. It waits. It strikes from concealment. Venom is not loud. It is stored.

Scripture does not explicitly explain how Dan became this way. What follows is inference, not doctrine, but it is inference guided by the symbolic language Scripture itself employs.

Dan, just like his brother Naphtali, was born into a fractured household. His biological mother was Bilhah, a maid. His legal mother was Rachel. His identity was complex and likely contested. In a home marked by rivalry, favoritism, and emotional displacement, identity easily becomes a battlefield.

I can imagine words spoken carelessly. “You are not really Rachel’s.” “Your mother is a maid.” I can imagine affection shifting when Joseph was born—Rachel’s biological son, the beloved child of promise described in Genesis 37:3. I can imagine comparison slowly fermenting into resentment.

Hatred rarely arrives fully formed. It is nursed. It is fed by silence, neglect, and unresolved wounds.

The image of the serpent fits a heart that learned to survive by suspicion. A heart that chose to strike before being struck. A heart that internalized pain until it became poison.

To be honest, I have felt this myself. After being wounded deeply by a relative, I sensed bitterness creeping into my heart like a serpent. Quiet. Patient. Waiting. Wanting revenge. My own experience helps me understand Dan not as a villain, but as a warning.

Again, this is inference, but it is an inference consistent with biblical symbolism.

Jacob never intended to have four wives. His desire was to marry Rachel alone, as seen in Genesis 29. Yet deception, cultural practices, and human weakness led to a fragmented household. Scripture does not endorse this structure. It records it honestly.

This story teaches an important lesson. We live in a fallen world and fallen things happen, even when we never intended them to.

Neither Dan nor Naphtali would have wanted to be born in such situations, nor did their father imagine having children in such disordered circumstances.

In situations like this, it is important that we trust the Lord to make the best out of our mess. He has the power to make us into people with great impact according to his will if we yield our free will to him.

Back to our thought process.

From this disorder came rivalry, competition for affection, identity confusion, and moral failure.

Reuben’s sin with Bilhah in Genesis 35:22 reveals the moral disintegration that can occur when boundaries collapse. Scripture does not excuse his sin, but it does show us the environment in which it occurred.

Dan and Naphtali shared the same origin, the same mother, and the same broken system. Yet their responses diverged. They were both taken away from their mother Bilhah and raised by Rachel. Both of them may have experienced the shock of finding out they were not biological children of Rachel, but her maid. They likely watched as Joseph took their place as the most beloved. They all had to deal with the fact their older brother Reuben slept with their mother. What a sense of shame, negligence, and abandonment they must have felt when they found that out! According to Genesis 49:17, Dan became like a snake, full of hatred. Perhaps he was demonized with hatred. On the other hand, I imagine that Naphtali said to himself, “I am not going to be like Dan. I know that what happened is not fair. But I choose to be released from the bondage of hatred. I choose the freedom of forgiveness.”

Dan became associated with deception and idolatry, as seen in Genesis 49:17 and Judges 18. Naphtali, however, was described as a deer let loose (Genesis 49:21) and later as “abounding with favor” and “full of blessing” (Deuteronomy 33:23)

Same environment. Same pain. Different responses.

This teaches us a sobering truth. Circumstances may shape us, but they do not define us.

Naphtali was called “doe set free that bears beautiful fawns” (NIV). In other translations, it says, “He uses beautiful words” (NKJV). I was like Dan before I was saved. I felt the snake was biting my heart and released the venom through me to intend to hurt others who hurt me. I was full of hatred. After I was saved, I released my forgiveness toward this relative and received the joy of God’s salvation and forgiveness. I became full of peace, abounding with the favor of God, just like Naphtali was.

God uses a beautiful picture to describe those who receive the joy of salvation through God’s forgiveness of them and their forgiveness of others. He says they are like a deer who jumps for joy, surrounded by many fawns, giving forth the beautiful words of the gospel. There is no better way to describe the blessedness of forgiveness!

Joseph’s life shows us that suffering can either harden the heart or purify it. Betrayed by his brothers, imprisoned unjustly, and forgotten by men, Joseph nevertheless chose forgiveness. In Genesis 50:20, he declared that what others meant for evil, God meant for good.

In the same way, we can be confident that through our pain, God is building something remarkable for His glory. The Bible shows us time and time again how God uses difficult things to bring out the best in us. I know it is easier said than done, but we can trust God to do the same for us.

Peter says we are refined like gold in the fire, burning at intense heat. But we aren’t consumed, we are refined.

Paul clearly says in Romans 5 that hard times produce endurance, a kind of faith that is long lasting and beyond this world.

We should learn to trust the Lord with our pain and difficulties, allowing him to use them to make us and mold us. He is the potter, and we are the clay.

In the lives of Dan and Naphtali, pain became a refining fire. But what emerged from that furnace depended on each man’s heart.

Naphtali chose freedom. Dan chose concealment.

In the same way, our response to our pain will determine the outcome. We can choose to respond like Naphtali, submitting our pain to the Lord and not choosing to conceal it or seek vengeance. Vengeance is of the Lord! Hallelujah.

Paul teaches in Romans 11 that Israel experienced a hardening—not because God failed, but because God was working. The story pauses, but it does not end. Discipline serves as a tool of restoration.

The Old Testament does not conclude without hope. It finds fulfillment in Christ. What was concealed is now revealed.

God is patient with people. He is patient with processes. He is patient with hearts still learning how to respond rightly.

As a matter of fact, God is still completing his work of uniting the Jews and the Church, building them together into the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is not yet present here on earth. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel are not yet written on the twelve pearly gates. Metaphorically speaking, the pearls are still being formed inside the oyster of suffering. The redemptive story of Naphtali is not complete; it is a work in progress.

Where is the tribe of Naphtali today? Based on the Biblical record, only two tribes survived when the Northern kingdom disappeared. Those tribes were Judah and Benjamin. Currently, the other ten tribes of Israel are spread out throughout the world, and some of them are in the land of Israel today. But God will eventually call them back and mark them as members of the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 7. Naphtali is among those who are marked, but Dan is not there. Dan was lost as a tribe, but his name eventually made it onto one of the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21. Dan went through many trials and tribulations between Revelation 7 and Revelation 21.

We are in the end times, but we are not yet seeing the great disasters described in the end of Revelation 6 regarding the sixth seal. This passage says, “There was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place” (Revelation 6: 12-14).

In order to become a pearly gate in the New Jerusalem, Dan went through many trials. Naphtali was spared from these trials. This reveals a simple truth. We can either repent now, like Naphtali, or repent later after going through hell and back, like Dan. I choose to be like Naphtali: to forgive all those who hurt me. To let it go. To acknowledge that they meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. Going through trials, pain, and refining fire is unavoidable in this life. But it is the way God chooses to refine us so we can eventually become pearls and precious stones in the New Jerusalem.

Moses declares in Deuteronomy 33:23,

“O Naphtali, sated with favor,

    and full of the blessing of the Lord,

    possess the lake and the south.”

This blessing is striking not because it is loud or dramatic, but because it is quietly redemptive. Moses does not describe Naphtali as dominant, feared, or forceful. He describes him as satisfied.

This is not the language of struggle. It is the language of rest. Naphtali is not striving for blessing. He is resting in it.

Yet this satisfaction was not born from ease. It was forged in a broken household and within a fallen world.

To my knowledge, the Bible never says anything bad about the tribe of Naphtali. They do not commit terrible mistakes or horrible acts. The Bible does use negative imagery to describe Dan, calling him a snake. This is because Dan later worshipped the golden calf. As a result, Dan’s name was cut off from those who were marked in Revelation 7. Similarly, Benjamin was almost cut off from the twelve tribes because of the tribe’s sinful acts, as recorded in the book of Judges. But the imagery Jacob used for Naphtali is positive. He describes him as a deer. Similarly, Moses blesses Naphtali as someone sated with the favor of God and full of the blessings of the Lord. Even the Lord has nothing bad to say about him.

Together with the land of Zebulun, Naphtali forms part of the land of Galilee. In Isaiah 9:1, God said that even though this land was formerly disgraced, a great light would shine forth from it. Matthew quoted this prophecy as a way to confirm the ministry of Jesus and the ministry of Peter, which both began in Galilee. Naphtali was a seaport that was heavily used for fishing, and now it would become a port for bringing people into the Kingdom of God. Peter became a “fisher of men” in the land of Galilee.

Moses blesses Naphtali by saying he will inherit the lake (or sea in some translations) and the south. We know that Naphtali’s land is in the north, yet his destiny is to possess the sea and the south. The sea may represent the Gentile people who will come into the kingdom at the end of time. The south may refer to Jerusalem, which is in the south. It also may refer to the Jewish nation as a whole. When Naphtali experiences God’s salvation and the joy of His forgiveness, this tribe may spread God’s glad tidings to the sea, to the Gentile nations, to the south, to Jerusalem, and to all the Jews.

God promises that one day the whole house of Israel will be saved, after the number of the Gentiles who will be saved is complete. Perhaps this future salvation of Jews will begin with the tribe of Naphtali and then spread among the nations to bring the Gospel back to the Jews. You never know. God promises that one day he will gather all Jews from all corners of the earth and bring them back to the Holy Land. As the recipient of God’s favor and blessing, Naphtali surely will be a part of this prophetic future. They will surely bring glad tidings via the sea to the world, and bring the Gospel to the south, which is Jerusalem.

Devotional Reflection

Lord,

Search my heart.

Expose the places where pain has taught me to hide.

Heal the places where wounds have taught me to strike.

Teach me to run free like Naphtali.

Teach me to rest in favor rather than fight for validation.

I give You my history.

I surrender my reactions.

I choose Your process over my defenses.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

• Where have I allowed pain to coil inside my heart rather than releasing it to God?
• Do I respond like the serpent or like the deer when I am wounded?
• Am I hiding, striking, or learning to trust?
• What would it mean for me to be sated with favor rather than driven by resentment?

The Journey of Benjamin: From Wolf to Dwelling Place of God

The Prophecy of Benjamin

Let us explore the story of Benjamin through the prophecies spoken over him. Moses declared that Benjamin was “the beloved of the Lord,” one who dwelt in safety, surrounded by God all day long, with God dwelling between his shoulders (Deuteronomy 33:12 ESV).

This is prophetic and poetic language. It points to Benjamin as a person and to his inheritance and calling in the Promised Land.

Canaan, which later became Israel, was divided into twelve portions and given to Jacob’s sons: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, along with Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Levi, rather than receiving land, was set apart for the priestly line.

Geographically, the land of Benjamin sat between Judah and Ephraim. Jerusalem itself lay within Benjamin’s territory. Zion, the dwelling place of God, and later the tabernacle and temple, were all located there.

Benjamin’s calling was bound up with worship. His tribe was associated with the place where God and humanity would meet. The physical geography reflects a spiritual truth: Benjamin’s destiny was to be a carrier of God’s presence.

Yet this destiny did not emerge from an easy beginning.

Difficult Beginnings

Benjamin’s beginning was marked by sorrow. He was born on the road, during Jacob’s return to the land of promise. His mother Rachel died in childbirth. With her final breath, she named him Ben-Oni, “son of sorrow.”

Jacob immediately intervened. He renamed the child Benjamin, “son of the right hand.”

This moment reveals two perspectives. Rachel named her son based on her experience of grief, loss, and death. Doubtless, Jacob felt these things too. But he did not move downward into despair; he moved upward toward the land God had promised. Benjamin’s renaming was Jacob’s refusal to allow sorrow to define his son’s future.

 And so Benjamin entered the world at the intersection of grief and hope. And throughout his life, he carried both.

Jacob’s Prophecy

Near the end of his life, Jacob gathered his sons and spoke prophetic words over them. Some of these words were expansive and filled with promise, others, not so much.

His words over Benjamin in Genisis 49:27 are brief:

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, and at evening he divides the spoil.”

This is far from a gentle blessing. In biblical imagery, the wolf often represents cunning, selfishness, and predatory instinct. It is not a flattering picture. Wolves are strong, intelligent, persistent, and driven by appetite. They survive and take what they can.

Jacob was naming a real character issue in his son. Benjamin was strong-willed, stubborn, and self-focused. Jacob did not offer a blessing or messianic prophecy. He named what he saw.

This begs the question: Why would Jacob see Benjamin this way?

Backstory

Benjamin was the youngest son. By the time he was born, Jacob had already endured betrayal, exile, rivalry, and reconciliation. He had loved deeply and lost painfully. When Joseph disappeared years later, Benjamin became the last remaining son of Rachel, the wife Jacob loved most.

Scripture makes clear that Jacob favored Rachel’s sons. That favoritism shaped the family profoundly. When Joseph was gone, Benjamin became the center of Jacob’s fear and affection. Jacob guarded him intensely. When famine forced the family to consider sending Benjamin to Egypt, Jacob resisted, fearful of losing him as he had lost Joseph.

This kind of protection shapes a person.

Being the youngest often means growing up shielded. Older siblings carry responsibility earlier. Younger ones are guarded by both their parents and their siblings. This does not make a person morally inferior, but it does affect formation.

Jacob’s fear-driven protection likely produced both security and limitation in Benjamin. Overprotection often delays maturity and favoritism can foster self-orientation. These are human patterns observed across cultures and families.

These fear-led oversights that allowed self-centeredness and immaturity in Benjamin to thrive may have been the ultimate cause of the wolfish characteristics Jacob saw in Benjamin.

From Individual to Tribe

Biblical prophecy often unfolds beyond the individual and into the life of a people. Jacob’s words over his sons were not merely personal assessments; they were seeds planted into future generations.

When we later encounter the tribe of Benjamin in the book of Judges, we see troubling patterns. The tribe demonstrates fierce loyalty, stubborn resistance, and violent refusal to repent even in the face of national collapse. The tribe is not weak. It is strong. But its strength lacks surrender.

This shows a continuity of traits—intensity, persistence, resistance to correction—that echo Jacob’s imagery.

The wolf survives. But survival without humility leads to destruction.

Understanding Character Through the Sons of Jacob

Each of Jacob’s sons carried a unique character shaped by love, neglect, trauma, and family dynamics. We will explore a few of them:

• Reuben, the firstborn, struggled with lust rooted in resentment and emotional neglect. Yet because he had experienced some of his father’s love, he was not fully hardened. He tried to protect Joseph.
• Simeon, however, became deeply demonized. His hatred toward Joseph did not begin with the colorful coat. It grew slowly from childhood favoritism and unchecked jealousy.
• Levi, influenced by Simeon, committed violence, but later chose God decisively. He represents the will transformed. Through obedience, he received blessing.
• Judah failed but repented. He became a mediator, a foreshadowing of Christ, willing to sacrifice himself to restore relationship between father and son.

Each failure became a pathway for transformation. Hatred never solves the problem. Killing the perceived enemy never brings healing. Jesus taught us to love our enemies, because the real problem is never another person, but a heart disconnected from God.

Parallel Gates

God does not discard broken people. He transforms them into what might be called parallel gates.

A parallel gate is a life God uses to bring others into reconciliation, freedom, and worship. No two gates are the same. Each reflects a unique mixture of personality, failure, and redemption.

I shared my own experience as the first Christian in my family. Through my testimony, my parents were brought toward the kingdom. If I had not received the gospel, they would not have had that access. Likewise, someone else was a gate for me.

We are all called to become such gates.

Transformation Into Living Stones

Through the Spirit’s work, we are not only made into parallel gates, but living stones. Each stone is different in color, composition, and brilliance. When refined by fire, it retains its uniqueness while revealing God’s glory.

Jacob’s twelve sons were different and unique. The twelve apostles were also different and unique. God does not erase personality. He redeems it. And Benjamin’s story must be understood in this light.

Worship Requires Inner Freedom

Before Jacob could return to worship freely, he had to experience transformation through Joseph.

Joseph’s life shows a stark dichotomy of ruling while in captivity. He ruled outwardly in Egypt, but inwardly his life was the continuation of Jacob’s spiritual journey. When Jacob matured spiritually, Joseph was born, and through Joseph, Jacob himself reigned.

Freedom must first exist in the heart. Without inner freedom, outer freedom leads to corruption.

This pattern is visible throughout history. Where the gospel and truth spread, freedom increases. Where they are absent, oppression grows.

Jacob’s journey was upward, toward Jerusalem, toward worship. Rachel (his wife), representing the flesh, was going downward. She named Benjamin Ben-Oni, “son of sorrow,” but Jacob renamed him Benjamin, “son of the right hand.”

This renaming declared Jacob’s spiritual direction: upward, toward worship, freedom, and God’s presence.

Joseph represents freedom in the heart. Benjamin represents freedom of worship.

You cannot worship freely without inner freedom.

The Spoiled Son

After Joseph disappeared, Benjamin became Jacob’s emotional anchor. Scripture records Jacob’s reluctance to let him go, fearing loss above all else.

Spoiling does not arise from cruelty. It arises from fear. But fear-based protection often produces self-centeredness and stubbornness.

But spoiling breeds self-centeredness. In my own life as the youngest child, I saw how favoritism shaped selfishness and stubbornness. Benjamin likely developed similar traits.

By the end of Jacob’s life, he saw clearly. His final word over Benjamin named this reality: a wolf, driven by appetite, unchanged from morning to evening.

Hope Within the Wolf

Yet Jacob’s prophecy is not the end of the story. Moses’ later blessing reveals God’s final word. The wolf would become the dwelling place of God.

This is grace.

Benjamin’s stubbornness, selfishness, and strength were not erased. They were transformed. The same shoulders that once carried self-interest would carry the presence of God.

Benjamin’s story reminds us that our destiny is not determined by our beginnings. God transforms character, not by removal, but by redemption.

The wolf becomes beloved. The spoiled son becomes sanctuary. The stubborn heart becomes a dwelling place for God.

This is the journey of Benjamin. And in many ways, it is our own.

A Closing Devotion

Benjamin’s story reminds us that God does not wait for perfection before calling a place or person His dwelling. He does not demand the removal of our sinful traits before He moves in. Instead, He enters what already exists and begins the work of transformation from within.

The wolf was not erased. He was redeemed.

This is how grace works. God does not bypass our history. He redeems it. He does not discard the parts of us that are rough, excessive, or ill-fitted. He reshapes them into something holy.

Benjamin teaches us that worship is not born from flawless character, but from inner freedom. And inner freedom comes when we allow God to dwell where we once guarded ourselves most closely.

The sin that once defined us does not have to imprison us. In God’s hands, we can become his sanctuary.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life have you felt labeled or defined by your worst traits rather than your potential for transformation?
2. What part of your character feels most “wolf-like” right now—stubbornness, self-protection, independence, or appetite?
3. Have you ever tried to change yourself by removing traits, rather than offering them to God for redemption?
4. In what ways might God be inviting you to experience freedom in your heart before seeking freedom in your circumstances?
5. Where do you sense God asking to dwell more deeply in your life—not after you change, but as you are?

Why Zebulun Matters

We are continuing our study of Deuteronomy 33. It is Moses’ blessing to the twelve tribes of Israel. Each tribe carries a distinct story, a distinct failure, and a distinct expression of God’s salvation. None of them are interchangeable. Together, they form a complete testimony of how God transforms sinners into sons, and sons into living stones in His eternal dwelling.

Today, we turn our attention to Zebulun, the last son of Leah.

Zebulun is a tribe many believers know almost nothing about. Judah is familiar. Issachar is often celebrated for discernment. Joseph’s suffering and exaltation are widely preached. Benjamin is remembered for strength and warfare.

But Zebulun? Most Christians struggle to describe his calling at all.

That lack of familiarity is itself revealing. Zebulun’s story is not obvious. It does not announce itself. It requires careful listening, patient interpretation, and spiritual insight. And yet Scripture preserves three separate prophetic witnesses concerning Zebulun: from Jacob, from Moses, and from Isaiah. When Scripture speaks about something three times, it signals an invitation for us to pay attention.

Zebulun’s calling is especially important for believers who have experienced humiliation, obscurity, or contempt, because his destiny is forged precisely through those conditions.

A Map of Salvation

To understand Zebulun, we must first understand the role of the twelve tribes as a whole.

The twelve tribes are not merely ethnic divisions. They are prophetic stories of salvation. Each tribe represents a different human failure and a different aspect of God’s redemptive work. Taken together, they reveal the full arc of salvation history.

The apostle Paul makes this clear in Romans. Whether Jew or Gentile, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:9–23 ESV). Yet salvation does not end at forgiveness. It moves toward transformation, maturity, and glory. Scripture uses different Greek words to describe this progression: children of God, heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ, mature sons.

Romans 8 tells us that creation itself is waiting for the revealing of these sons. When they enter into glory, creation will be liberated from corruption.

This story reaches its climax in the New Jerusalem.

In John’s vision, the city has twelve gates, and each gate bears the name of one of the tribes of Israel. Each gate is made of a single pearl. No one enters the city except through these gates.

This tells us something crucial: God’s work with Israel is not bypassed in the New Testament. It is fulfilled. Jews and Gentiles are joined together into one new humanity, built upon Christ the cornerstone.

The pearl itself explains the process. A pearl is formed through injury. When an oyster is wounded by a foreign irritant, it does not reject it violently. Instead, it releases life, layer upon layer, transforming pain into beauty.

Israel wounded Christ. Christ responded with life. From that wound came a gate of salvation.

Zebulun must be understood within this framework.

Zebulun as a Dwelling Place

Zebulun was the last son born to Leah.

Leah lived with rejection. Jacob loved Rachel but merely tolerated Leah. Her sons were born into a household filled with rivalry, neglect, and emotional imbalance. Zebulun did not enter a peaceful family story. He entered a painful one.

His name means “to dwell” or “to honor.” After giving birth to Zebulun, Leah declared that now her husband would dwell with and honor her (Genesis 30:19–20 ESV).

This is not accidental language.

Later, Scripture uses marriage to describe something far greater than human romance. Paul explains that marriage is a mystery pointing to Christ and the church, the union between God and humanity. Zebulun’s very name carries the idea of divine dwelling, of God making His home with people.

Zebulun was born with a purpose already inscribed into his identity. He was destined to be associated with God’s dwelling, even though his beginnings were marked by rejection and obscurity.

Calling does not erase pain. In fact, calling often grows out of it.

Jacob’s Prophecy: Life at the Shore

Jacob’s blessing over Zebulun is brief:

“Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon.” (Genesis 49:13 ESV)

At first glance, this sounds unimpressive. No royal authority, overflowing abundance, or promises of dominance.

But Jacob is not speaking in one-dimensional terms.

Zebulun is placed at the edge. At the border. At the sea.

A harbor is not a throne room. It is exposed and vulnerable. It is often looked down upon by those who live inland. Harbors are messy places where people come and go, cultures mix, and stability feels fragile.

Yet harbors are essential.

Jacob reveals Zebulun’s destiny as a gateway tribe. He is positioned where Israel meets the nations. Sheep find refuge there. Ships launch from there.

Zebulun is not called to rule from the center. He is called to send from the edge.

Moses’ Prophecy: Call the Peoples

Then Moses clarifies Zebulun’s calling in Deuteronomy 3:18–19:

“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out… They shall call peoples to the mountain; there they shall offer right sacrifices. For they draw from the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand.”

Here, Zebulun’s mission becomes explicit.

His joy is found in going out and calling the peoples, not just Israel. His inheritance comes from both sea and sand.

In biblical imagery, the sea often represents the Gentile nations. The sand recalls God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand on the shore.

Zebulun is called to gather both.

This aligns perfectly with Paul’s teaching in Romans 9–11: The salvation of the Gentiles and the salvation of Israel are not competing stories. They are interwoven. God uses one to provoke the other, until both are brought into fullness.

Zebulun stands at that intersection.

Isaiah’s Prophecy: From Contempt to Light

Isaiah reveals the cost of this calling:

“In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” (Isaiah 9:1b–2a ESV)

Before glory comes humiliation.

Zebulun’s land becomes Galilee, a region despised by religious elites. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth [located in Galilee]?” (John 1:46 ESV) was not an idle question. It was a cultural judgment.

Yet Isaiah declares that this very place would see the great light first.

And Matthew tells us plainly that this prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus began His ministry in Galilee, in the region of Zebulun. From there, He preached repentance and called fishermen like Peter and Andrew. From there, the kingdom of God began to spread.

God hid His greatest revelation in the most despised place.

Zebulun Fulfilled in Christ

Jesus embodied Zebulun’s calling.

He lived by the sea, gathered fishermen, called the nations, and revealed divine light even in the confines of human humility.

Zebulun’s destiny was never about prestige. It was about mission.

Pattern for the Church

Zebulun’s story continues in the church today.

God repeatedly chooses people and places marked by humiliation to initiate revival. He strips away pride. He dismantles false strength. He prepares vessels that will go out with joy, not domination. And often his vessels are found in the most unlikely and humble places.

Growing up in rural China, I experienced much humiliation. Even after coming to the United States, I often felt shame and embarrassment. My wife and I saw couples in the church having children, one after another, but we could not. I perceived this as humiliation. I went to a Korean minister to ask for prayer. He told me, “God has a plan to use you in the future. You are going through the same trials as Hannah, Rachel, Rebecca, and Sarah went through in the Bible. God has a plan for you.” This was confirmed to me when God spoke to me in January 2016. He told me that I would have a child that year and that my ministry would be initiated by Him. He also promised me that he would use me greatly if I humbled myself before him.

Sometimes I discuss with my wife, if we could do it all again, whether we would choose to avoid the pain and humiliation or if we would choose the hard path. We agree that we would not have achieved the spiritual maturity we have today without experiencing those sufferings. Some people told us that God was not giving us children as a punishment. But it was actually God’s work in us to help us grow and become vessels that he could send.

This pattern of humiliation and preparation is visible across history and across cultures. And Zebulun is another reminder of this truth.

A Modern Zebulun

There are people and nations in our world today who are deeply despised. China is one of them.

As a Chinese person living in the United States, I sometimes feel that the Chinese people are among the most despised groups in the world. Some second-generation Chinese Americans even feel ashamed to acknowledge that they are Chinese. Koreans, and even people from Taiwan or Hong Kong, sometimes distance themselves from being identified as Chinese.

This attitude exists partly because China is a communist country, but also because of China’s history of defeat in wars against Western imperial powers and Japan. In the past, China took great pride in being the strongest power in the East. Over the past few hundred years, however, she has lost that sense of dignity and honor.

Is there a purpose behind this history of humiliation? I believe there is. God has revealed to me that He has a great plan for China. God allowed contempt and suffering to humble the nation, and through this humbling, He is preparing to build His church in China. God is preparing China for a great spiritual revival.

When this revival happens, God will send out millions of missionaries from China to Japan, Muslim countries, Israel, Europe, America, and many other parts of the world to help bring renewal and revival.

During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, a Chinese believer named Ye prayed to God, asking whether the Chinese church had a future and why God allowed such severe persecution against it. God sent an angel to tell him that He had a wonderful plan for the Chinese church, which would unfold in three steps.

The first step was to dismantle the existing structures of the church. The second step was to rebuild. Then, when a new generation within the Chinese church was ready, God would pour out His Holy Spirit upon them, and revival would come to China. The third step would be to send Chinese Christians to preach the gospel in regions where it has lost momentum, especially in Europe and America.

God has a great plan for China, and China can be seen as a modern example of Zebulun. God has allowed, and continues to allow, persecution in China as part of this purpose.

Persecution has purified the church. Suffering has created resilience. God is raising a people who will go out with rejoicing, not from pride, but from humility.

Just as Galilee was once dismissed, God is again raising voices from unexpected places to call the nations back to worship.

Zebulun is not the tribe of kingship or prosperity. It is the tribe of sending.

Rejoice in Your Going Out

Zebulun’s call still stands.

To those shaped by humiliation. To those placed on the edge. To those sent rather than celebrated.

Rejoice in your going out.

God’s dwelling place is still being built. His gates are still being formed. And His light still rises from unexpected shores.

Devotional Reflection

Zebulun speaks gently but firmly to those who feel unseen. God often chooses the shoreline, not the center. The edge is where movement begins. The harbor is where God prepares people to go.

If your life has felt like “former contempt,” ask the Holy Spirit what He may be preparing through it. Humiliation is not disqualification. It is training.

Zebulun’s command is not merely to go, but to rejoice in going.

Joy is simply an agreement with God’s purpose.

Reflection Questions

1. Where do you feel most on the margins right now?
2. What experiences of humiliation may have shaped you for mission rather than disqualified you?
3. What “shoreline” has God placed you on that could be a launching point?
4. Who might God be calling you to gather from the sea or the sand?
5. What would it look like to rejoice in your going out?

The Journey of Benjamin: From Wolf to Dwelling Place of God

The Prophecy of Benjamin

Let us explore the story of Benjamin through the prophecies spoken over him. Moses declared that Benjamin was “the beloved of the Lord,” one who dwelt in safety, surrounded by God all day long, with God dwelling between his shoulders (Deuteronomy 33:12 ESV).

This is prophetic and poetic language. It points to Benjamin as a person and to his inheritance and calling in the Promised Land.

Canaan, which later became Israel, was divided into twelve portions and given to Jacob’s sons: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, along with Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Levi, rather than receiving land, was set apart for the priestly line.

Geographically, the land of Benjamin sat between Judah and Ephraim. Jerusalem itself lay within Benjamin’s territory. Zion, the dwelling place of God, and later the tabernacle and temple, were all located there.

Benjamin’s calling was bound up with worship. His tribe was associated with the place where God and humanity would meet. The physical geography reflects a spiritual truth: Benjamin’s destiny was to be a carrier of God’s presence.

Yet this destiny did not emerge from an easy beginning.

Difficult Beginnings

Benjamin’s beginning was marked by sorrow. He was born on the road, during Jacob’s return to the land of promise. His mother Rachel died in childbirth. With her final breath, she named him Ben-Oni, “son of sorrow.”

Jacob immediately intervened. He renamed the child Benjamin, “son of the right hand.”

This moment reveals two perspectives. Rachel named her son based on her experience of grief, loss, and death. Doubtless, Jacob felt these things too. But he did not move downward into despair; he moved upward toward the land God had promised. Benjamin’s renaming was Jacob’s refusal to allow sorrow to define his son’s future.

 And so Benjamin entered the world at the intersection of grief and hope. And throughout his life, he carried both.

Jacob’s Prophecy

Near the end of his life, Jacob gathered his sons and spoke prophetic words over them. Some of these words were expansive and filled with promise, others, not so much.

His words over Benjamin in Genisis 49:27 are brief:

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, and at evening he divides the spoil.”

This is far from a gentle blessing. In biblical imagery, the wolf often represents cunning, selfishness, and predatory instinct. It is not a flattering picture. Wolves are strong, intelligent, persistent, and driven by appetite. They survive and take what they can.

Jacob was naming a real character issue in his son. Benjamin was strong-willed, stubborn, and self-focused. Jacob did not offer a blessing or messianic prophecy. He named what he saw.

This begs the question: Why would Jacob see Benjamin this way?

Backstory

Benjamin was the youngest son. By the time he was born, Jacob had already endured betrayal, exile, rivalry, and reconciliation. He had loved deeply and lost painfully. When Joseph disappeared years later, Benjamin became the last remaining son of Rachel, the wife Jacob loved most.

Scripture makes clear that Jacob favored Rachel’s sons. That favoritism shaped the family profoundly. When Joseph was gone, Benjamin became the center of Jacob’s fear and affection. Jacob guarded him intensely. When famine forced the family to consider sending Benjamin to Egypt, Jacob resisted, fearful of losing him as he had lost Joseph.

This kind of protection shapes a person.

Being the youngest often means growing up shielded. Older siblings carry responsibility earlier. Younger ones are guarded by both their parents and their siblings. This does not make a person morally inferior, but it does affect formation.

Jacob’s fear-driven protection likely produced both security and limitation in Benjamin. Overprotection often delays maturity and favoritism can foster self-orientation. These are human patterns observed across cultures and families.

These fear-led oversights that allowed self-centeredness and immaturity in Benjamin to thrive may have been the ultimate cause of the wolfish characteristics Jacob saw in Benjamin.

From Individual to Tribe

Biblical prophecy often unfolds beyond the individual and into the life of a people. Jacob’s words over his sons were not merely personal assessments; they were seeds planted into future generations.

When we later encounter the tribe of Benjamin in the book of Judges, we see troubling patterns. The tribe demonstrates fierce loyalty, stubborn resistance, and violent refusal to repent even in the face of national collapse. The tribe is not weak. It is strong. But its strength lacks surrender.

This shows a continuity of traits—intensity, persistence, resistance to correction—that echo Jacob’s imagery.

The wolf survives. But survival without humility leads to destruction.

Understanding Character Through the Sons of Jacob

Each of Jacob’s sons carried a unique character shaped by love, neglect, trauma, and family dynamics. We will explore a few of them:

• Reuben, the firstborn, struggled with lust rooted in resentment and emotional neglect. Yet because he had experienced some of his father’s love, he was not fully hardened. He tried to protect Joseph.
• Simeon, however, became deeply demonized. His hatred toward Joseph did not begin with the colorful coat. It grew slowly from childhood favoritism and unchecked jealousy.
• Levi, influenced by Simeon, committed violence, but later chose God decisively. He represents the will transformed. Through obedience, he received blessing.
• Judah failed but repented. He became a mediator, a foreshadowing of Christ, willing to sacrifice himself to restore relationship between father and son.

Each failure became a pathway for transformation. Hatred never solves the problem. Killing the perceived enemy never brings healing. Jesus taught us to love our enemies, because the real problem is never another person, but a heart disconnected from God.

Parallel Gates

God does not discard broken people. He transforms them into what might be called parallel gates.

A parallel gate is a life God uses to bring others into reconciliation, freedom, and worship. No two gates are the same. Each reflects a unique mixture of personality, failure, and redemption.

I shared my own experience as the first Christian in my family. Through my testimony, my parents were brought toward the kingdom. If I had not received the gospel, they would not have had that access. Likewise, someone else was a gate for me.

We are all called to become such gates.

Transformation Into Living Stones

Through the Spirit’s work, we are not only made into parallel gates, but living stones. Each stone is different in color, composition, and brilliance. When refined by fire, it retains its uniqueness while revealing God’s glory.

Jacob’s twelve sons were different and unique. The twelve apostles were also different and unique. God does not erase personality. He redeems it. And Benjamin’s story must be understood in this light.

Worship Requires Inner Freedom

Before Jacob could return to worship freely, he had to experience transformation through Joseph.

Joseph’s life shows a stark dichotomy of ruling while in captivity. He ruled outwardly in Egypt, but inwardly his life was the continuation of Jacob’s spiritual journey. When Jacob matured spiritually, Joseph was born, and through Joseph, Jacob himself reigned.

Freedom must first exist in the heart. Without inner freedom, outer freedom leads to corruption.

This pattern is visible throughout history. Where the gospel and truth spread, freedom increases. Where they are absent, oppression grows.

Jacob’s journey was upward, toward Jerusalem, toward worship. Rachel (his wife), representing the flesh, was going downward. She named Benjamin Ben-Oni, “son of sorrow,” but Jacob renamed him Benjamin, “son of the right hand.”

This renaming declared Jacob’s spiritual direction: upward, toward worship, freedom, and God’s presence.

Joseph represents freedom in the heart. Benjamin represents freedom of worship.

You cannot worship freely without inner freedom.

The Spoiled Son

After Joseph disappeared, Benjamin became Jacob’s emotional anchor. Scripture records Jacob’s reluctance to let him go, fearing loss above all else.

Spoiling does not arise from cruelty. It arises from fear. But fear-based protection often produces self-centeredness and stubbornness.

But spoiling breeds self-centeredness. In my own life as the youngest child, I saw how favoritism shaped selfishness and stubbornness. Benjamin likely developed similar traits.

By the end of Jacob’s life, he saw clearly. His final word over Benjamin named this reality: a wolf, driven by appetite, unchanged from morning to evening.

Hope Within the Wolf

Yet Jacob’s prophecy is not the end of the story. Moses’ later blessing reveals God’s final word. The wolf would become the dwelling place of God.

This is grace.

Benjamin’s stubbornness, selfishness, and strength were not erased. They were transformed. The same shoulders that once carried self-interest would carry the presence of God.

Benjamin’s story reminds us that our destiny is not determined by our beginnings. God transforms character, not by removal, but by redemption.

The wolf becomes beloved. The spoiled son becomes sanctuary. The stubborn heart becomes a dwelling place for God.

This is the journey of Benjamin. And in many ways, it is our own.

A Closing Devotion

Benjamin’s story reminds us that God does not wait for perfection before calling a place or person His dwelling. He does not demand the removal of our sinful traits before He moves in. Instead, He enters what already exists and begins the work of transformation from within.

The wolf was not erased. He was redeemed.

This is how grace works. God does not bypass our history. He redeems it. He does not discard the parts of us that are rough, excessive, or ill-fitted. He reshapes them into something holy.

Benjamin teaches us that worship is not born from flawless character, but from inner freedom. And inner freedom comes when we allow God to dwell where we once guarded ourselves most closely.

The sin that once defined us does not have to imprison us. In God’s hands, we can become his sanctuary.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life have you felt labeled or defined by your worst traits rather than your potential for transformation?
2. What part of your character feels most “wolf-like” right now—stubbornness, self-protection, independence, or appetite?
3. Have you ever tried to change yourself by removing traits, rather than offering them to God for redemption?
4. In what ways might God be inviting you to experience freedom in your heart before seeking freedom in your circumstances?
5. Where do you sense God asking to dwell more deeply in your life—not after you change, but as you are?

God often uses my former Chinese college in my prophetic dreams. One night, in another dream, I was dropped through the chimney of my former school’s kitchen. There is no chimney in my college, so I think this chimney might have represented the preaching of the gospel. My appearance represents believers in Christ. Just like Santa came through a chimney with gifts, the gospel will be preached to China as Jesus’ best gift of eternal life. Unfortunately, the people who were in the kitchen were so shocked by my sudden ‘dropping by’ that they strongly resisted me. I was pushed back.

In the next scene, I found a big tree near the roof. I slid it down to the ground. When I reached the ground, fierce battles started, and I was tossed back and forth. Eventually, the victory was won, and I found myself lying in a reclining chair conversing in peace with two friends. One friend was a coworker of mine in China who is currently a communist party member. The other is the alumni Christian workmate I mentioned earlier. This scene is prophetic to me as it shows that one day Chinese society will receive reconciliation among different people. Is that enough though? Does God want more for China? I believe so.

Chinese Dissidents: Thank you for Preaching the Gospel

There was another prophetic dream that God used to start shaking my understanding regarding the political arena. In that dream I was riding a bicycle, and some Chinese dissidents were chasing after me on bikes. It includes a Christian dissident that I know through my work to cover the Chinese dissidents. He is a Christian, but he is also a very active Chinese dissident. I did not know what they wanted to do to me, so I rode faster. I felt fear in the dream and my intention was to stay away from them. Eventually, they reached me and stopped me. The leader of this group of people said to me, “Thank you for your preaching and the books you wrote. These really helped us to succeed in our pursuit of a Chinese democracy.”

I looked at them with astonishment. They were in their mid-fifties, and I was in my midforties when I had this dream. Puzzled, I said to them, “How could I have helped you since I am younger than you?” In the next scene, we were in the Christian Brother House I used to live in near the University of Southern California. It was there that I was baptized to be a Christian. Although the leader’s face in my dream resembled only one democratic leader of real life, I know this person was meant to represent the whole Chinese democratic movement. He also represents the future leader of China who may be a Christian in God’s mind. The group of them were chatting with us in a Christian atmosphere. I felt that the love of brothers was among us while we were fellowshipping in the hallway. Later, I realized this was a prophetic dream meant to remind me that God is calling me to preach the gospel to these groups of people and be part of this democratic process in China. I represent believers in Christ in this dream. This real person I saw in the dream is a Christian and a Chinese dissident. I am not saying he will be the future leader of China, but God may choose a Christian to be the leader of the New China. This is a prophetic message.

In March 2020, I was taken into a vision. This was the most vivid 3D-type vision I have had thus far. In it, I saw a great revival happening in China. It was bursting out all over! People were dancing, celebrating, and worshiping God all over the streets of China. In the next scene, I was brought into a heavenly meeting where many saints in glory, including Chinese and Westerners, were meeting. There was a Chinese lady who gave me a tour of the place and she specifically told me that this revival was something she had never seen when she was on Earth. In the end, angels had bound an evil political spirit, and I saw that a great political change would come to China after this great revival. I was so surprised to see the evil political spirit bound. I asked the angel in great surprise, “Is this the CCP?” The angel told me, “Yes.” I saw that China becomes a democratic nation, and they will worship God.

Chuck Pierce also writes about the ‘Third Church’ that arose after the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. He talks about ‘Three Self Churches,’ and ‘House Churches’ to describe the other two churches in China. The Three Self Churches are government authorized churches under the principle of self-governance, self-support, and self-propagation. The “House churches” are underground churches that refuse to join the Three Self Churches. Pierce records his prophecies about the Third Church in China as follows:

“For I have chosen you for such a time as this. The leaders of the Third Church will be like the Mordecai’s at the gates of city after city. You will begin to hear the plots of the enemy that are working in entire cities. I have caused the Third Church to arise because this is the third day. You will be ushered into political arenas to open the gates of My glory to come in. You will understand My times and seasons. I am going to remove the trauma of your birth. For the trauma in the Third Church in its birth will now become the foundation of its destiny to change the political course of this nation. Fear not, for those enemies of your past will become an entryway to your future. It is the resources structure of your influence of this church that will redirect the course of the Middle East. This will be the church leadership that forms a path through  hostile nations and paves the way back to My city, Jerusalem. Today I am putting the anointing of David upon you. Stake your claim for the future!”

Chuck Pierce, God's Unfolding Battle Plan: A Field Manual For Advancing the Kingdom of God, Chosen Books (Bloomington, Minnesota), 2014, page 213 of 231, Kindle.

Although I have no idea how this great revival of China will happen, on the last day of 2017, I was taken into heaven in a prophetic dream. An old Chinese lady, whom I did  not initially recognize as the Lord, appeared to me. We flew for quite a while together. Then we entered the skies above China. I was able to see houses of many Chinese people living there, but the houses had no ceiling. As we flew, I could see multitudes of people living in these houses. Then I was brought into heaven near a window. Through that window, I could see a multitude of people entering heaven by elevator. Just at that moment, a cherub flew over me and I saw the Chinese lady as the Lord. He showed me a few people and they looked like generals of the Church, probably from the past. He then asked me, “Do you want to be like one of them?” Shocked, I said, “Yes, I’m willing, but my flesh is weak.” Immediately, I started sobbing. During this encounter with the Lord, I heard a company of Chinese people singing a very beautiful Chinese hymn to us.

This encounter gave me a sense of urgency to prepare myself as I know something big is coming soon. Not only I knew it was God who led me on the journey to get trained in both gifts of the Holy Spirit and formal theological training but God is still challenging me to deal with my flesh and earthly drives to be a better person so God can use me. I knew I was weak in some of my flesh, so I sobbed uncontrollably before Jesus saying, “I am willing in spirit but my flesh is weak.” Jesus did not rebuke me or encourage me further, but he allowed I heard the singing of the Chinese saints! Those Chinese saints in glory long far this revival and it was proved to me in another prophetic encounters in March 2020. A Chinese saint who led me to tour of one of the heavenly gatherings regarding the revival of China told me this revival is the greatest revival so far and it exceeds any revivals she saw when she was on earth. The saints in the glory are waiting, the saints in the glory (both Chinese and the Wester Missionaries to China) are actively participating God’s plan to usher in this great revival, I felt the baton has passed on to me and I need to run my race.

Brother Ye grabbed my hand and said to me, “Child, God told me that the Chinese church will have a bright future.” Brother Ye continued to say, after many prayers, God told him the purpose of the trials over these several decades in China was three threefold. The first step was to demolish; the second step to restructure and rectify; and the third step was/is to reverse the preaching of the Gospel from China to the places where the Gospel and the Word of God have been degraded, which is Europe; and to places where the Gospel lost her original essence, which is America.

In the process of restructuring and rectifying, God will raise a group of new people. If the new people are not prepared, the new date will not arrive. Then brother Ye ended this by giving me a Chinese poem, “The new year and new date must arrive, those who are faithful do not need to worry; the great revival is coming now, Hallelujah the glory is great and mighty.”

This poem was told by an angel to Ye. Brother Ye often cried for the Chinese church and often prayed for the future of the Chinese church. One day an angel appeared to him and told him these words. The angel mentioned that the new date is prepared for the new man. The new date will not arrive if the new man is not ready, so the restructuring and rectifying period is crucial. God is using all kinds of ways to select those who belong to Him. If the new men are full for the number, God will use these new men to revive the Word of God. Those who self-proclaim as spiritual and lovers of the Lord, or are prideful, will be abandoned to the side.

All who receive God’s favor are not those who think themselves righteous, but whom God deems as righteous. At that time. God will empower them with the power of the Holy Spirit. They will always remain meek and humble no matter how greatly God uses them. They just consider themselves useless servants and thus are the proper vessels for God.

Just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ When God spoke from Mount Horeb, the mountain shook and the Israelites were afraid. So the people told Moses, “We don’t want to hear God directly.

We want you to stand in for God and tell us what He says.” Why? Because God is holy and his voice requires us to be holy as well. This is not just an Old Testament story; it is still true today. Many Christians do not want to hear from God directly because they know it would cost them something. They would need to get right with God or get rid of sins or hindrances in their hearts. So instead, they say, “I will go to church and listen to the pastor. I will even tithe or volunteer my time. But DON’T touch ME.”

They feel that their church involvement fulfills their obligations as Christians, but they don’t want to be involved in anything that might threaten their favorite sins. This is a sign of immaturity, and it is the same problem the Israelites had. Paul says that the Israelites were spiritual babies who needed the law as their schoolteacher and guardian. For the same reason, the American church is NOT as powerful as it was supposed to be. Many believers are happy to listen to a substitute for God so they can remain babies in their spiritual walks. If we want to have a greater impact for the Kingdom of God, we must grow toward maturity.

And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, on Mount Ebal…

God asked the Israelites to announce the curses on Mount Ebal and blessings on Mount Gerizim. But have you ever wondered why Moses asked the Israelites to set up the stone tablets of the law on Mount Ebal instead of Mount Gerizim? Why was the law associated with curses and not with blessings? The answer becomes clear when we look at the teaching of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. Paul mentioned that the purpose of the law was to condemn, but the purpose of the New Testament was to fulfill the law. If the law had not forbidden covetousness, Paul would not have known he was covetous (Romans 7:7). In other words, Paul felt the law condemned him because he could not follow the law. But he also said that if we live in the Spirit and bear His fruit, there is no law against us. Wow! Even Moses understood that his ministry was to condemn. This is why he commanded the Israelites to set up the stone tablet of the law on Mount Ebal. He understood that there would be another prophet who would rise up and his ministry would fulfill the law. Whenever we fail to follow the law, it motivates us to cry, “I need a Savior who can save me from sin!” Just as Paul said, the ultimate fulfillment of the law is Christ. We must pray for all the Jewish people who still follow the law, that they would realize that they need a Savior.

You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother.

When I first came to America from China, I was pleasantly surprised at how kind Americans are toward strangers. If my car broke down or I was lost (before the days of GPS), warm-hearted strangers helped me find my destination. On the other hand, when I ran into similar situations in China, people deliberately gave me inaccurate directions. I am not saying that everyone in China will mislead you, but it is common. Why? Because many people are twisted in their minds and want to hurt other strangers. Why are they twisted to such a degree? Why do they want to do these evil things? Because of the godless culture in China. They lack the Law of God and the Word of God, which transforms hearts, minds, and cultures. Imagine how dark the culture would be if you had not had the Law of God or the Word of God for thousands of years!

The relatively high level of morality in America today is due to hundreds of years of the Word of God transforming society. America not only has a 249-year old history of trying to follow biblical principles, but their European ancestors were also influenced by the Gospel for thousands of years before the United States became a nation.

In this verse, God instructs the Israelites to be kind to strangers and return their lost ox or sheep. This law’s impact on the culture cannot be underestimated. America, please value what you have today. If you continue to ignore the Word of God, the culture will grow darker and darker. The descent into darkness may be quicker than you would ever imagine.

If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.

Since most people today don’t practice polygamy, what principles can we learn from this passage? God is righteous and just, and he has sympathy toward the wounded and downtrodden. Jacob had two wives, and he favored Rachel and disliked Leah. Jacob also favored Joseph, and eventually Joseph got a double portion of the birthright. But it was not Jacob who took the birthright away from Reuben and gave it to Joseph. It was Reuben who defiled his father’s bed and lost his right of the firstborn. God promised that Christ would come as the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But only later in the Bible does it mention that Christ would come as the lion of the tribe of Judah. Did Reuben ever have a chance to become the ancestor of Christ? I think it is possible. But he and his two other brothers all sinned, so they missed the chance. Judah and his two sons also sinned, but Tamar helped Judah fulfill this prophecy.

I believe that God would not have taken away Reuben’s birthright if he had not sinned. God would not have allowed those who hated the unloved wives to take away the firstborn son’s birthright. But Reuben sinned and lost his own birthright. He slept with Rachel’s maid. Why? Because the negligence of his father Jacob produced hatred in Reuben’s heart. This hatred, plus his lust, caused him to sin, and he lost out on one of the greatest blessings on earth: being in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Reuben missed out on so much blessing!

Today, we may think we are the sons of Leah who are not loved by people. Will we allow our hatred to twist our hearts so that we lose out on our blessings as the sons of God? Will we receive double loss, like Reuben, or double blessing, like Joseph?

...and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife,

Why did God ask the Israelites to kill all the people in the seven tribes of Canaan, but then allowed them to take other captive women as wives?

We must understand that the Old Testament deals with two different kinds of enemies. First, the seven tribes of Canaanites represent evil spirits and those who give themselves completely to the possession of evil spirits. They are the enemies of God. These people were to be totally extinguished.

Other groups of people, including the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Edomites, and the Midianites, were all instigated by Satan to fight against Israel. God clearly asked the Israelites to take a detour to avoid fighting with the Moabites and the Ammonites, since God gave these lands to the descendants of Lot. But they attacked Israel anyway, so God eventually punished them.

Today we also have two different types of spiritual enemies. First, we have evil spirits, which we must resist. The Bible says that if we resist Satan, he will flee from us. There is no negotiation in this area. We must conquer them.

Second, we have our flesh. We must deal with the flesh through Christ’s work on the cross. Sometimes, it takes time and detours to deal with the flesh.

We must remember this difference when we confront conflicts in today’s church. If we hate our brothers who are behaving in a fleshly way and try to “kill” them, we are in trouble. We must have patience and grace in dealing with the flesh when it shows up in our lives and in others’ lives.

If in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess someone is found slain, lying in the open country, and it is not known who killed him, then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure the distance to the surrounding cities.

In the Old Testament, the way to deal with unsolved murder cases was to find the closest city and bring a heifer to sacrifice in the upper stream near this city. We know that the Old Testament is a picture of the New Testament reality. So how can we apply this passage to our spiritual lives today? God gave Israel these instructions because he knew that an unsolved murder cause would cause ongoing strife, assumptions, and accusations between cities and tribes. In the same way, Christians today often speculate, doubt, and judge each other. There are many unsolved issues in our lives, even though they are not as serious as murder. We are often quick to judge and thus lose the peace and unity among Christians. We should always remember to apply the blood of Christ to our conflicts. Like the heifer who died near the stream, Christ bore our sins on the cross. He is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). He has removed the hatred between Jews and Gentiles, as well as the strife and disunity between different denominations and groups in the body of Christ. Revival is coming, and we must maintain the unity of the body of Christ in order to usher in and steward this great revival (Ephesians 4:3). When someone does something that seems hurtful, we should not make assumptions and judge them. We don’t know the full story behind every act. We should forgive and apply the blood of Christ to solve all the conflicts in our lives.

“When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”

Many Christians do not realize that they are in a spiritual war. Every day, our enemy is like a lion who waits to devour us. The business of life will wear out the saints of God (see Daniel 7:25). To win the spiritual war, we must remember that God is with us, as Jesus said. Jesus promises he will be with us until the end of the age. He also promises us that when two or three of us gather, he will be among us. We have to constantly remind ourselves that God is with us and the victory belongs to the Lord. 

But the omnipresence of God won’t guarantee the real, manifested presence of God in our lives. Even though God promised the Israelites that He would be with them, He also clearly told them He would not go with them to battle because they were disobeying Him. We must rid ourselves of any sins or hindrances that keep us from experiencing God’s presence.

Deuteronomy 20:2-9 encourages the Israelites not to fear their enemies. Fear hinders our faith in God and thus our spiritual battles. All fear, including fear of the enemy and fear of man, is not from God. Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:7 that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of courage, love and a sober mind. The Apostle John also says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).  The presence of God and faith in God will bring victory over our spiritual enemies and our circumstances.

21 Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

This verse gives instructions on dealing with false witnesses in the Old Testament. These individuals wanted to hurt their brothers by making false accusations, so God told Moses to punish the false witnesses to the same degree and in the same way that they wanted to hurt their fellow Israelites.

This verse illustrates the difference between the principle of God and the leading of God. Some of the instructions in the Bible are universal principles of God. For example, the Ten Commandments and other Old Testament laws reveal eternal principles: do not kill, do not murder, do not bear false witness, etc. However, some of God’s words through the prophets are not universal principles. Instead, they are His leading to people in different times, places, and situations. Differentiating between God’s principles and leading will help us understand the Word of God better. On the one hand, we should not stray from the principles of God.

On the other hand, we should not become too rigid in adhering to the leading of God that applies to past situations. Unfortunately, we often make both mistakes. Sometimes we abandon the principles of God and fall into sin. Other times we are too rigid in following the leading of God, and we fall into legalism. Even when following a universal principle of God, we still need to discern the leading of God in each unique situation. When the Pharisees legalized God’s laws and lost the essence of his instructions, which is to love God and man, they received a rebuke from Jesus.

Also, when they tried to test Jesus’ adherence to the law by asking Him if they should stone the woman caught in adultery, Jesus still used wisdom and nuance to deal with this situation. The religious leaders wanted to follow the law, which said to stone the woman. But they had lost the essence of law, which says that mercy triumphs over judgement (James 2:13).

And if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land that he promised to give to your fathers— provided you are careful to keep all this commandment, which I command you today, by loving the Lord your God and by walking ever in his ways— then you shall add three other cities to these three,

Have you ever wondered why so many prominent Christian leaders fail? Similarly, why do so many Christians stop growing in their spiritual lives and lose their influence? I believe these verses have something very important to teach us.

God commanded the Israelites to build cities of refuge. The more they expanded their territory, the more cities of refuge they needed to build. Otherwise, they risked being too far away from the city when they committed an accidental sin.

Cities of refuge represent taking refuge in Christ. As fallen human beings, we often sin because of our flesh and the influence of the world. Most of the time, our sins are not intentional choices to live in the indulgence of sin. Instead, they are committed accidentally. Since Christ bore our sins on the cross once for all, our sins can be forgiven if we flee to him for refuge (Hebrews 6:18). When we flee to him for safety from the lust of the world, God will bless us and give us greater influence.

However, as God enlarges our territory through ministry success, we must not forget to build more cities of refuge. The more we expand our influence, the more we need to take refuge in Christ. If we fail to run to Him for protection by pursuing deeper fellowship with Him, we will be taken over by the enemy when we commit accidental sins. Just like Noah covered the ark with pitch to protect it from leaking and rotting, we must run to Christ for protection. Otherwise, the invasion of worldly corruption will sink our boat.

When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

False prophecies have a negative impact on the reputation of modern prophecy. When many charismatic prophets inaccurately predicted that Trump would win in 2020, it was a slap in the face for the modern prophetic movement. Many people began to accuse this movement of hype and inaccuracy. This kept many people from embracing the modern prophetic movement. In addition, famous prophets said that Los Angeles would sink into the Pacific Ocean, and that never came to pass, either.

I still believe that the modern prophetic movement is from God and that God is reintroducing the gift of prophecy to the modern church. But I do agree that we need to examine the movement by the accuracy or inaccuracy of their prophet words. The accuracy of the prophecies given by Brandon Biggs about Trump’s assassination stirred many believers and non-believers alike to listen to his prophecies. Many believers who formerly did not believe in the gift of prophecy became convinced. We need to strive to grow both in our spiritual lives and in the accuracy of our prophetic gifts so we can help the modern prophetic movement gain credence. In this way, we may usher in the great prophets mentioned in the book of Revelation. I don’t believe these prophets will just drop from heaven; they will grow to maturity as the church nurtures their prophetic gifts.

“There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead.”

These practices are not common in the United States, since the gospel has been rooted in society for many years. However, they are widely practiced in idol-worshiping countries such as China, India, and many African and Latin American countries. In either case, there is a universal principle behind this command. We should seek God as the source of our prophetic revelation and guidance instead of seeking evil spirits. Saul, the King of Israel, used divination to speak with the deceased Samuel because the Lord was no longer speaking to him through dreams, prophets, or the Urim.

However, Samuel rebuked Saul and told him that “rebellion is like the sin of divination” (1 Samuel 15:23, BSB). Before Saul sinned by seeking evil spirits, he had already broken God’s law in other ways. Today, many Christians may not practice divination outwardly, but they may violate the principle inwardly. If they are disobedient to God in any way, it is as sinful as divination. It shows we have idols in our hearts and are not allowing Christ to rule as King in our hearts. We must learn to be obedient to the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit, so we can hear from God and follow His prophetic guidance in our lives.

“And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them,  that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.”

Long before God used Samuel to select the first king for Israel, God gave Moses the following rules for the kings (Deuteronomy 17). As future rulers in Christ’s kingdom, we can apply these principles to our hearts with the following application questions.

1. The king must be “one of your brothers” from Israel (vs. 15). Jesus is our brother, and he should be our king. Is it true that Jesus is ruling in your heart, or is the world ruling your heart?
2. The king must not go back to Egypt to acquire more horses for himself (vs. 16). Do you feel the pull of the world to go back to your past life instead of allowing your mind to be transformed through your wilderness experiences?
3. The king should not have many wives (vs. 17). Solomon had many wives and that led him to drift away from God and start worshiping idols with his many wives. Do you have idols in your heart?
4. The king should not gather excessive silver and gold (vs. 17). This does not mean we need to have a poverty mindset; it simply means we must not be greedy. We should use our money to make friends for the Kingdom.
5. The king must copy the book of the Law and read it every day so he will continue following God’s commandments and stay humble. How many Christians have a habit of reading God’s word every day?

If we apply these five requirements in our daily lives, we will rule and reign with Christ. We may not be literal kings right now, but we will have a sphere of influence. We can rule our own lives and influence our families. How we behave as kings will impact our children and many others around us.

“If any case arises requiring a decision between one kind of homicide and another, one kind of legal right and another, or one kind of assault and another, any case within your towns that is too difficult for you, then you shall arise and go up to the place that the Lord your God will choose. And you shall come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall consult them, and they shall declare to you the decision.

In the Old Testament, people went to the Levitical priests and the judges to seek answers and guidance in their lives. Today, we have laws and courts that help us make decisions in matters of justice. But who can help us make decisions in other areas of our lives? Here are some principles that will help us understand God’s guidance.

1. Does it violate a basic moral standard? If not, we can proceed to the next point.
2. What does our conscience say? God’s word that God is greater than our conscience. If our conscience does not condemn us, God will not condemn us either (1 John 3:20). For this reason, we should not ignore our conscience.
3. Tune in to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle John says we don't need others to lead us; the anointing of the indwelling Holy Spirit will teach us (1 John 2:27).
4. If we don't have clear guidance from the Holy Spirit, we must check our decision against God’s word and the principles that show the character of God.
5. We can check if we have bad feelings, or “desolations,” in our hearts. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will give us bad feelings to warn us about a certain action. We should never ignore them.
6. If we have no bad feelings, we should check with family, friends and the body of Christ. If they are all against our plan, we'd better think twice. This often means God is trying to speak to us through the body of Christ to bring balance to our lives.
7. Are there obstacles in the environment? God often uses our circumstances to lead us or stop us from doing things.

If we have taken the above precautions, we will avoid most mistakes. We must remember that the Holy Spirit leads, and Satan pushes. We should not make rushed decisions. Instead, we should always wait on the Lord to give us answers. We must have faith that if we have followed the principles above, the peace of the Lord will eventually guide us on the right path.

Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”

In this chapter, the prophet Elisha had fallen sick and was about to die. The King of Israel was crying, since he knew he was about to lose the best weapon that Israel had. Elisha asked the King to shoot an arrow out the window. “This is the Lord’s arrow of victory,” Elisha said. After he shot an arrow, Elisha told him to strike the ground with the remaining arrows. Elisha did not tell the king how many times to strike the ground. He stopped at three. Elisha was angry with him not striking the ground five or six times. If he had, he would have completely defeated Syria. But now, he would only strike them three times.

Let’s apply this story to our everyday lives. Imagine you are facing a difficulty, like the king faced the Syrian army. You heard the voice of God, just like the king heard the voice of the prophet. When the Holy Spirit prompts you to do something, you quit when you don’t see a result. Why did the king quit before the prophet asked him to stop? For the same reasons we often give up on the things God asks us to do. Of course, we should make sure that God is really calling us to do something before we start it. But if God has initiated something and he has not asked us to stop, we SHOULD NOT STOP. Sometimes I become discouraged when I do not see immediate results in the ministry God has asked me to do. This verse encourages me to NOT STOP what God has asked me to do. If God has not asked me to stop, I SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP!

And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the Lord! Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”

In 2 Kings 6, Elisha saved the king’s life several times by giving him intelligence about the King of Syria. When the Syrian army ambushed Elisha because of his Spirit-directed spy activity, God struck them with blindness. This gave the king of Israel an unexpected opportunity to kill the army of his enemies. However, Elisha asked the king of Israel to spare the Syrian army. Instead of killing them, Elisha prepared a feast for them and allowed them to go home.

Later, Syria came back to attack Israel after a period of peace. The Assyrian king besieged the city, causing a famine in Samaria. The famine was so severe that the people began eating their own children. This greatly angered the king, and he sent a messenger to kill Elisha. Why was he so angry with Elisha? Why did he accuse the Lord of causing this? Perhaps because God did not allow him to kill the Syrian army in the first place. The king thought that if he had killed the Syrians earlier, he could have avoided the current situation.

In the next chapter, God did a miracle. He chased away the Syrian armies, and the Israelites plundered their abandoned camps, solving the problem of famine. However, since the King of Israel did not show genuine repentance, Elisha soon announced a seven-year famine after this rescue.

What can we learn from this story? We can learn from the king’s response. The king’s first reaction to tragedy was to blame the Lord. He said, “This trouble is from the Lord! Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?” This statement contains a half-truth. God really was using the Syrians as a tool to chastise Israel. However, the king’s focus was off. He should have said, “How have I sinned against the Lord so that he sent the enemy again?”

When we face trouble, we should examine our hearts. Will we blame God? Will we accuse the Lord? Or will we humbly ask God what he wants to teach us? Our reaction to the trouble shows our heart.

The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

At first glance, this Old Testament law seems cruel. But I believe it has an important lesson for us today. Many times, we as New Testament believers need to be stricter in dealing with sin in our lives.

Many Christian leaders have fallen into sin in the prime of their influence and at the peak of their ministry. If the church was willing to deal with these sins in their early stages, instead of harboring these leaders’ sins, it would save these influential leaders from falling. If Christian leaders were tougher on themselves and dealt with their sins instead of hiding them, it would cause less damage to the people around them.

We need to be ruthless in dealing with sins. Even if it is difficult, we need to be “cruel” toward the sins that violate our conscience, the law, or the Word of God. If we are ruthless in eliminating sin from our lives, we will have more  victory and influence in this world. We will face less problems down the road, and we will have a greater impact on the world for the glory of God.

This passage does not give us permission to point fingers at someone else. Instead, it encourages us to be ruthless in dealing with our own hidden sins. It also motivates us to compassionately help our fellow brothers and sisters overcome their sins and weaknesses.

The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.

When the twelve tribes of Israel set up their campsite in the wilderness, God told them to “camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.” When I first read this passage, I assumed the purpose of this formation was to protect the tent from enemy attack. By surrounding the tent on every side, they would be better informed of enemy strategies and better positioned to defend the tent from attack. In this scenario, it would make sense to camp facing outward in order to be alert to enemy activity.

However, the Bible does not tell us this. Instead, it says the tribes were to camp facing inward, toward the tabernacle. The tent of meeting represented the presence of God. It contained the ark of the covenant, where God spoke to Moses from above the Mercy Seat. Furthermore, it was the place where the priests and Levites brought offerings to God and brought the presence and guidance of God to the people. When the people positioned themselves toward the tabernacle, they could focus on God and receive His guidance.

Instead of facing outward, so they would be prepared to react to threats, they were supposed to focus on the presence of God.

This is a great picture of the Christian life. So many times, we focus on issues, ministry needs, and enemy attacks instead of focusing on the presence of God and His guidance. If we are reactive to the problems around us, we will lose focus and will not win the battle. But as we focus on the presence of God and His word, we will gain victory over our enemies.

God is a God of faithfulness and truth. Although American culture values honesty and truth, many cultures do not. Presenting God as a God of truth may mean very little to cultures who do not value honesty. For example, in the Chinese culture I grew up in, lies and deceitfulness are common business practices. It is the only way to succeed in the business world. How can you do business if you cannot lie? Even after immigrating to the USA, I continued to receive spam messages from Chinese people trying to cheat me. I am not saying that everyone in China is a liar, as there are many good and honest people in China. But deceitfulness is certainly common in this godless culture. In this type of culture, honesty is viewed as a weakness instead of a truth.

On the other hand, honesty is valued in American society. Honesty is rewarded more in America than it is in other countries. People in America often trust you initially but will never trust you again if they find out you are lying to them. America values honesty, which is why it attracts talented people from around the world. These people may not have been successful in their own countries, but they can succeed in America’s honesty-based culture. For example, a hard-working creative artist cannot succeed in China because their art or digital property may be stolen overnight. But they can succeed in America because America protects their creativity and intellectual property.

As a God of truth, God cannot lie. Who do you think has more power: God, who cannot lie, or Satan, who has lied from the beginning? Many people may think that Satan’s lies have more power than God’s truth. After all, he deceived one third of the angels and tricked our ancestors, Adam and Eve. In addition, when we look at the society we live in, we may think that Satan’s lies are very powerful. After all, he has trapped quite a few people in lies. But in the end, when Satan is cast into the lake of fire, we will realize that the God of truth has all power over the god of all lies.

Often, we struggle to overcome our sin and failure because we cannot break free from the strongholds the enemy has created through the lies we believe and practice. The more we understand God’s nature as a truthful and honest God, the more our lies will be dismantled, and the more we will be delivered from the bondage of the enemy.

Moses said that God’s work is perfect! Can you say the same thing from the bottom of your heart?

Many people struggle with this idea. For example, people who believe the lie of transgenderism think they are trapped in the wrong body or that God made a mistake in creating them as a man or woman. They would struggle to say that God’s work is perfect.

But they are not the only ones. Many believers who have experienced hardship, neglect, abuse, or betrayal would also find it difficult to say God’s work is perfect.

So how could Moses say this? Because he had an easy life? Definitely not. He faced the difficult task of leading a rebellious, doubting people who often revolted against him. He even faced rejection from his own brother and sister! Yet he could say that God’s work was perfect.

Why did the Israelites struggle to believe this? Because of their corrupted view of God. In Deuteronomy 32:5, God called the Israelites a “crooked and twisted generation” (ESV). Since I grew up in a godless country like China, I can relate to this. Many people in China are twisted and crooked in their minds. They do not value human lives at all. When I was growing up, the older generation told stories of killing their newborn girls in their chamber pots. Although infanticide is longer allowed in modern China, there are still massive amounts of abortions and human trafficking. The people’s minds are so twisted that they do not value every human life as created in the image of God. They cannot say God’s work is perfect.

After 400 years of slavery in Egypt, it is not surprising that Israelites had a slave mindset. When the ten evil spies reported that there were giants in the Promised Land, the Israelites wanted to stone Moses and choose new leaders to take them back to Egypt. They could not say God’s work and guidance were perfect! Instead, they wanted to return to Egyptian slavery!

The journey in the wilderness served the purpose of making their crooked minds straight. As we allow God to transform our minds, we can finally say “His work is perfect.” Perhaps in Deuteronomy, when they were about ready to enter the Promised Land, they could finally believe these words. Perhaps this is why Moses told them this message at the end of his life. Perhaps they finally had ears to hear and minds to believe that God’s work is perfect.

The Rock, this work is perfect, for all his ways are perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

What does it mean that God is our rock? For many of us, when we speak of God as our rack, we are simply repeating what we have heard others saying. However, it is a completely different thing to experience this for ourselves in our own lives. Let me illustrate by sharing an experience from my life. When I was saved in 2002, I began to witness to my parents and share the gospel with them. But my mom was very committed to Buddhism and idol worship, and my father was a strong atheist. In our country, it is not easy to witness to family members. In fact, many people are even persecuted for sharing the gospel. Even in America, a so-called Christian country, it is not easy to bring back a prodigal son or daughter.

For ten years, my wife and I struggled with infertility. This made things worse. My mom told me she would not believe in Jesus, since she had not seen God answering our prayer to bless us with a baby. I didn’t know what to say, but I just kept trusting in the verse that says, “the one who believes in him will never be put to shame” (Romans 9:33). This verse is quoting Isaiah 28:16, which says, “whoever relies on it [the precious cornerstone] will never be stricken with panic” (NIV). I simply told my mom that I would continue to trust my God.

In 2016, God told me I would have a baby that year. I told my mom about this promise, but she did not believe it. When the promise was fulfilled, my mom was shocked. She was so amazed by this miracle that she decided to believe in Jesus’ name and get baptized. Because of my experience, I can say from experience that God is my rock. He is the rock of my salvation.

Why and how can Moses say that God is a rock? What was his experience with God being a rock? The Bible tells us that Moses told his father-in-law, Jethro, about the mighty acts of God. However, this did not happen right away. When Moses originally left his father-in-law to go back to Egypt, he took his wife and son with him. But later, they went back to be with Jethro. Perhaps Moses’ wife, sons, and father-in-law doubted God’s power to deliver them from Egypt. If not, why would his wife and sons have gone back to be with their family instead of going with Moses to Egypt?

However, after God successfully delivered the Israelites from Egypt, Jethro brought Moses’ wife and sons to meet him. Then Moses told his father-in-law what God had done to miraculously free them from Egypt. At that point, Jethro believed in Jehovah and offered sacrifices to God.

Do you think it was easy for Moses to witness to his father-in-law, a Midianite priest who worshiped a foreign God? Was it easy for Jethro to accept Jehovah as the real God, the Rock? No. Even Moses’s own brother and sister despised him. However, God’s mighty acts performed through Moses helped his family believe.

The promise of God always starts from a tiny seed. But this seed will grow into a miracle if we keep believing God’s promise and steward it well. As a result, we will have a powerful testimony of God being our rock.

Not only did Jethro place his trust in Jehovah, but an entire group of Midianites also went on the journey of faith to the Promised Land. One of their descendants is Jael, who later killed Sisera. Witnessing to your family members and bringing back the prodigals is not easy. But if you keep trusting him, you will be able to testify that God is your Rock. He who trusts in him WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME!

For I will proclaim the name of the Lord;   ascribe greatness to our God!

We trust that when we call, others will answer.

• If we call our mom, we will get food, comfort, and love.
• If we call our teacher, we will get help with math and reading.
• If we call 911, we will get assistance from first responders.
• If we call our dog, he will come running and wag his tail.
• If we call a person’s name, we will get the person himself.

We have confidence that we will get a response when we call the names of many different people and even animals. But we often neglect the fact that when we call on the name of the Lord, we will get the reality of the Lord’s presence.

In Genesis, we see that in the third generation of human existence, during the lifetime of Enosh, people began to call on the name of the LORD (Genesis 4:26). The name “Jesus” means “God is our salvation.” If we call on the name of Jesus, we will get the salvation of God.

Moses knows this fact from personal experience. He also expects the Israelites to have a proper response to the name of God. For example, if a herald announced that a great king was approaching, people would kneel and give them honor. In the same way, Moses expects that when he proclaims the name of the Lord, the Israelites will respond by “ascribing greatness to our God.” When we proclaim the name of the Lord, we will bring God’s greatness into our awareness.

As humans, we experience the personal presence of God through his acts. If we have never experienced the miraculous acts of God, it is difficult to associate the name of the Lord with the greatness of God. When Abraham first built an altar between Bethel and Ai and called on the name of God, he did not fully understand God’s greatness. He immediately went down to Egypt and almost sold his wife. God was faithful to save Abraham from the Egyptians, even though Abraham was not faithful. Then Abraham returned to the same altar, offered sacrifices, and once again called on the name of God. His experience of God’s power in Egypt deepened His understanding of God’s faithfulness. It helped him understand what it truly meant to call on the name of God. This is why he again called on the name of the Lord to ascribe greatness to his God.

This is one reason that God revealed Himself to Moses as “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” God gave Moses similar experiences that helped him understand God’s greatness in the same way as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did. Before Moses went to Egypt, he did not tell his father-in-law what he was about to do in Egypt. Moses only told him about God’s greatness after God rescued His people from Egypt and brought them through the Red Sea. When Moses declared God’s mighty deeds and his awesome wonders to Jethro, he ascribed greatness to the Lord. He accepted Jehovah as his God and offered sacrifices to God right on the spot. This is another example of Moses declaring the name of the Lord and others ascribing greatness to Him.

Many Christians today cannot connect the name of God with the greatness of God. If we proclaim the name of the Lord, they don’t react by ascribing greatness to the Lord. Why? Because they need to experience God through his acts and deeds. Why don’t we have these experiences? Because we haven’t asked for them. The Bible says, “Ask, it shall be given to you.” Why don’t we ask for these experiences? Because experiencing God’s power may cost us something, so we often avoid it.

May my teaching drop as the rain,     my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass,     and like showers upon the herb.

To help you understand this verse, I want you to close your eyes and imagine the four pictures that Moses points in this verse. He likens his words to rain, dews, raindrops, and showers to water the plants and provide for human life on earth.

First, please imagine you are watching rain drizzling against a windowpane, falling from the sky, and gently dropping to the ground. Second, please imagine drops of dew on the grass when you walk out of your house in the morning. Thirdly please imagine raindrops on a bush or plant. You can see the drops that still linger on the tip of a blade of grass or on the leaves of a water lily. Fourth, please imagine gentle showers falling on your garden so you don’t need to water them.

In this verse, Moses painted a picture of the law as a nourishing dew or a gentle, life-giving shower. He did not liken his words to storms, floods, typhoons, or tsunamis.  But in the later portion of this chapter, Moses warned the Israelites about the chastisement that would come upon them if they didn’t heed his gentle words. If they rejected the gentle rainfall of his word, they would experience the flood of condemnation. The law brings life, but if you disobey the law, it becomes a curse and a source of condemnation.

The Law first teaches and admonishes before correcting and disciplining. A good parent will speak gently at first, but will later discipline the child if they don’t obey. In the same way, the law protects and teaches us when we are spiritually immature (Galatians 3:24). Paul made it clear the law is good, but the person who cannot follow the law is the problem. Is the mother wrong to discipline her child? Most of the time, it is the children who are in the wrong.

Ultimately, Moses reminded the Israelites that God would one day have compassion on His people. After their time of discipline was over, God would again have compassion on them. No punishment or chastisement or anything else can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus (see Romans 8:38-39).  Moses did not mention Jesus’s name in this passage, but he alludes to the coming Savior. The Apostle John said, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17 ESV).

“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak,   and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.”

We often say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” In Deuteronomy 32, God gives the people of Israel a poem filled with pictorial language. Understanding pictorial language will help us grasp the prophetic and poetic language of the Bible. Since many of God’s truths are from the spiritual realm, a picture or metaphor can help us understand them. For example, the imagery of the heavens and earth listening to Moses’ words gives us a powerful picture that helps us understand God’s hidden plan.

Deuteronomy 32 is a poem God gave through Moses to remind the Israelites of three important truths:

• God’s faithfulness to them
• The consequences if they rebelled against God
• God’s promise to restore them after their future punishment was complete.

Why is God punishing the Israelites, the nation he calls his “firstborn son”? First, the Bible tells us that God the father disciplines his sons and daughters, just like earthly fathers discipline their children out of love (Hebrews 12:6-7).

But why did Moses command the heaven and earth to listen to his warnings to the Israelites?  Because this poem was not just for the Israelites. God had a hidden plan to redeem all of creation. One day, His son would come to earth as an Israelite. He would accomplish redemption through His death on the cross and resurrection. In this way, he would “bring many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10). God’s plan is clearly revealed by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8. All of creation is eagerly waiting for God’s sons to receive freedom and glory so the creation can also be set free from corruption (Romans 8:18-25).

But the Israelites didn’t know God’s hidden plan to redeem all of creation. As spiritual infants, they were prone to worship idols, like a sheep who is prone to wander from its shepherd. The Israelites needed to be disciplined so they would remain holy, set apart to God until the promised Messiah would be born through the tribe of Israel. This plan was about the Jew—but it was not only about the Jew. It was about bringing many sons to glory through Jesus Christ so that all creation could be freed from bondage. That is why Moses called heaven and earth to hear this poem addressed to the Israelites. The whole creation was longing for the birth of Jesus Christ to redeem them! Is it too much to say Moses was pointing to Jesus Christ in this chapter? Not at all! Jesus made it clear to the disciples on the road to Emmaus that all the writings of Moses, the Psalms and the Prophets point to His death and resurrection!

In Revelation, 20, we see that only a small group of believers has the privilege of reigning with the Lord for a thousand years. Among believers, there are those who overcome and those who do not. The believers who overcome share in the first resurrection and are rewarded by reigning with the Lord for a thousand years in the millennial kingdom. After they overcome, the second death has no power over them (20:6).

We are all children of God, but not every child can overcome and become a king. Though all people are created equal by God, yet we are born into unequal circumstances because we grow up in different countries and families. For instance, I was born into a poor farming family in China, and my daughter was born into a middle-class family in America. Both of us are equal in God’s eyes, because we were made in His image. However, our starting points in life are not the same. She started her life journey much farther ahead than I did. Similarly, according to the truth of the Bible, there is no hierarchy among believers, yet there are differences in the degree of life to which they can attain. I believe that those who started out behind have a more difficult time overcoming spiritually.

What will happen to believers who do not overcome? Will they have another opportunity to overcome in the future? The Bible does not explicitly answer this question. Personally, I believe they will have this opportunity. However, one thing is certain: those who do not share in the first resurrection may still be subject to the second death.

Sister Lai Wangxiulan has written several books and testimonies about her visions. She shares that God told her that disobedient Christians are held in certain valleys, where they study the Bible and are urged to repent. If they repent, they will proceed to Paradise; if not, they will be sent to the Lake of Fire. If this revelation is true, then both sinning Christians and those who have not accepted the Lord may have the opportunity to learn about God and repent. If they choose to repent, they can avoid the second death. This second death is eternal death in “the lake of fire” (20:14).

In Matthew 25, Jesus discusses the judgment of the sheep and goats. The Lord said that the people who treated believers kindly (sheep) would enter the kingdom prepared for them by the Father from the foundation of the world. Meanwhile, the people who treated God’s children poorly (goats) would be cast into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:33-41). We are uncertain whether this judgment of the nations takes place during the millennial kingdom or at the Great White Throne. My personal understanding is that it occurs at the Great White Throne judgment. If this judgment took place during the millennial kingdom, then it would be impossible to have a rebellion at the end of the thousand years. Therefore, it must take place at the Great White Throne judgment.

So, how can a person avoid the second death? I believe there are three possible ways to avoid eternal punishment.

• Being an overcoming Christian in this life.
• Being a Christian who does not overcome in this life, but continuing to repent and overcome in the afterlife. This is possible because the Bible mentions the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, which seems to be different from the Lake of Fire (Matthew 25:30).
• Treating God’s children kindly and being included in the “nations” who are judged by God in Matthew 25. These people will enter God’s eternal kingdom and be free from the harm of the second death.

Christians Who Overcome Today Will Reign with the Lord in the Millennial Kingdom

Who are the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 14:1? Are they merely Jews who have been chosen and sealed with the seal of the living God (Revelation 7:4)? My understanding is that the 144,000 sealed from the twelve tribes are those whom God has chosen to be saved and to be spared from certain disasters. This term may also refer to those who overcome.

In Revelation 14, God specifically states that the 144,000 are “redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb” (Revelation 14:4). If they are the firstfruits, then they may represent the first group of overcomers. If there are firstfruits, then there are also later fruits, which suggests that other believers may have an opportunity to overcome later on.

It is also possible that this term refers to the saints who appear in glory with the Lord Jesus at His return. They will reign with Christ for a thousand years and will not be harmed by the second death.  The Book of Jude says, "It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, 'Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him'" (Jude 1:14-15). This reveals that those who come with the Lord will execute judgment with Him upon sinners. This aligns with the scene described in Revelation regarding the coming of the millennial kingdom.

Revelation 20:4 says, "Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed.  Also, I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." Note that several groups of people are mentioned here. The first group consists of those to whom the authority to judge was given. This group is not explicitly described as martyrs, so it may include believers who have overcome throughout the ages. The structure of the verse, in which the first and second parts of the verse begin with the words, "I saw," indicates that John is seeing different groups of people. These individuals, as overcomers, will receive the future reward of reigning with the Lord in the millennial kingdom for a thousand years and will not be harmed by the second death.

To those of us who are still facing the daily pressures and temptations of present life, these promises may sound like fairy tales. They may seem like a distant and unrealistic dream. However, if God opens our spiritual eyes, we will realize how glorious these promises truly are. Moreover, this passage reminds us that our current life is our only opportunity—or at least our best opportunity—to overcome. The suffering and trials we experience in this life are excellent opportunities for us to achieve victory. Suffering is often grace in disguise. If we can embrace the hardships and trials of this life, break free from the corruption caused by worldly desires, and partake more and more in the divine nature, we will be filled with the life of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4). In doing so, we will escape the second death, become the firstfruits of God’s redemption, and potentially have the opportunity to reign with the Lord for a thousand years in the future. May God open the eyes of each and every one of us.

Christians Who Do Not Overcome on Earth May Have the Opportunity to Repent in the Afterlife, But They Will Endure Much Suffering

Will some people have the opportunity to repent in the afterlife? Will Christians continue to grow, mature, and learn? Will there be an intermediary period after death in which people’s final fate is still undecided? These have always been controversial questions. This controversy is illustrated in the multiple interpretations of the parable of the ten virgins. In this parable, five virgins run out of oil and are excluded from the wedding feast. Some denominations teach that these five virgins were never saved, while others believe they were Christians who lacked spiritual oil. In other words, they were saved but not overcomers. In this view, Christians can still repent after death. In the afterlife, immature Christians are disciplined in darkness until they repent.

I believe that both the Catholic and Protestant traditions have embraced extreme positions on this issue. On the one hand, the Catholic Church teaches the doctrine of purgatory, which led to the sale of indulgences. On the other hand, Protestantism rejects the existence of Purgatory and denies the possibility of post-death discipline for believers. Both extremes have led to erroneous teachings. The teachings of the Catholic church led believers to purchase indulgences to get their loved ones out of Purgatory. Protestants were concerned that corrupt clergy were charging excessive amounts for indulgences, so they overcorrected by denying Purgatory altogether. However, this led Protestants to believe that they will automatically go to heaven through faith in Christ. As a result, they sometimes see no need for spiritual growth, learning, and repentance in this life. Both extremes can lead to unhelpful distortions of the truth.

I believe that after believers enter eternity, they will have the opportunity to continue learning and repenting. If there is sin that was not dealt with while alive, it will not be simply erased upon entering eternity. Instead, they must continue to repent and be filled with Christ’s life.

The blood of Christ has cleansed us from sin once and for all; this is an indisputable fact. However, we need to continually apply the blood of Jesus Christ and His salvation to our experiences. The former frees us from the second death, which is the Lake of Fire; the latter helps us grow in holiness. When we believe in Jesus and accept His cleansing blood as payment for our sins, we are saved. We become God’s children, and no one can snatch us out of God’s hand. Even when we occasionally give in to sin and transgressions, we do not lose our salvation or need to be saved again. The common teaching that we can lose our salvation has instilled fear in many believers throughout history, but I believe this view is incorrect.

However, if a believer willfully sins after receiving the knowledge of salvation, I believe this is a totally different situation. We cannot bind God by our understanding of His word. He is alive, and His word is alive. We cannot decide who goes to hell and who does not based on our own human interpretation of God’s word. Instead, the living God will decide each person’s eternal destiny based on His own just character. Hebrews 6:4-6 says, “It is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt” (6:6). And in verse 8, it says, "but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned." From these scriptures, we see that God will punish people who have tasted His words yet refuse to repent from their deliberate sin and rebellion. When these people allow thorns and thistles to grow in their lives, they will be burned. We cannot take salvation lightly or ignore God's sanctification.

I believe that some people who do not overcome in this life will receive discipline and come to repentance in the afterlife. However, this will not be an easy process. The Bible says these people must pass through much suffering. Suffering and discipline will be the means of repentance that frees them from the harm of the second death.

It is delusional to believe that we can indulge in the pleasures of sin in this life and yet escape all suffering in the life to come. The Bible says that our works will be tested by fire, and “if anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Corinthians 3:15). People who live an irresponsible life on earth will experience suffering in the life to come.

Consistently Show Kindness to God's Children: Care for Even the Least of His Followers

Although God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4), the reality is that not everyone has the opportunity to hear the gospel and be saved. Unfortunately, some people will never hear the gospel. But as Paul stated, their conscience acts as their guide. Paul said, “To those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life” (Romans 2:7). The Israelites, living under the law, will be judged according to the law (Romans 2:12). However, the situation is different for Gentiles who do not know the law (let alone the gospel). Paul says, “When Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them” (Romans 2:14-15). From this passage, as well as the passage about the sheep and goats in Matthew 25, it seems that some people may be granted eternal life because they follow the guidance of their conscience in how they live. However, if people do evil (which not only includes mistreating Christians, but also harming God's creation), they may not enter God's Kingdom. Paul says, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). These are clearly people who do not follow their conscience or the law of the spirit. They cannot inherit the Kingdom of God—unless they believe in Christ and repent. Revelation 21:8 more explicitly states, "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." Revelation 21:27 also mentions, "But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life." These are the people outside the city mentioned in Revelation 22:15: "Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." This is likely referring to the Lake of Fire. In the Old Testament, the last chapter of Isaiah also describes a similar scenario regarding the end times. Isaiah 66:22-24 says, "For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord. And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh." Not only will the Lake of Fire still exist in the new heavens and the new earth, but believers will periodically go out to view the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against God and who are suffering in the Lake of Fire. I do not know what my feelings will be at that time, but this passage says that all flesh will abhor them. We may end up loving what God loves and hating what God hates.

It is evident that those who follow their conscience and treat others kindly will ultimately receive God's reward and escape the second death. On the other hand, those who live in sin without repentance will face the consequences of the second death. The Bible does not give a definitive answer about whether people will have a chance to repent after death. Personally, I have had some prophetic dreams in which my unsaved relatives were given an opportunity to hear the Gospel and study the Scriptures in the afterlife. I believe it’s possible that God did not immediately cast them into the Lake of Fire. Even if such a possibility exists, I believe it is reserved for those who did not have a chance to hear the Gospel and repent in this life. However, no one should allow this possibility to create apathy in this life. We should not ignore the importance of repentance in this life by assuming there will be another chance to repent in the afterlife. Instead, we should embrace the possibility that God’s grace for our loved ones may extend beyond this life.

Conclusion

The second death is the ultimate and final type of death, characterized by eternal suffering in the Lake of Fire. In His justice and love, God gives different people opportunities to receive eternal life. Those who hear the Gospel and accept it will not only be saved but will also have the opportunity to overcome and be victorious. After their victory, they will not only escape the second death but may also have the chance to reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom for a thousand years. Because of God's justice, people who have not heard the Gospel may still have a chance to hear it in the afterlife. God will judge them according to their conscience. I believe that people who treat God's elect and His creation with kindness will be allowed to enter the eternal kingdom.

Everyone has the opportunity for salvation, and everyone has the chance for victory. Our salvation is freely given, as long as we accept the cleansing of Jesus Christ’s blood by faith. However, victory requires spiritual growth and the willingness to pay a cost. If we are willing to pay that cost, our reward will far exceed anything we can imagine. I hope that all people will seize the opportunity in this life not only to believe in the Lord but also to overcome. For those who are less fortunate, including relatives who have passed away without hearing the Gospel, do not lose hope. God's justice will not allow a good soul to enter hell. Not only have I personally seen in prophetic dreams that deceased relatives can continue to hear the Gospel and read the Bible in the afterlife, but the same idea is confirmed by the testimonies of many prophets. There are also many scriptures which suggest that individuals will be judged by their conscience, indicating that these individuals may still have a chance. However, we do not teach or encourage people to reject the Gospel in this life or to indulge in sin based on the assumption that there will be another chance. We can never be sure that we will have another chance—especially for those who hear the Gospel in this life and still reject it. So we should take every opportunity we have to trust in Christ and apply His resurrection power to our lives.

Why do I think the Lord's return is not imminent? In this first reflection, I will share my understanding of God's end times plans. I believe God has a heart for worldwide revival, but it will take longer than we thought. We are living the last days, but we don't know when Jesus will return. Is it possible that it is still several hundred years away?

In 2004, two years after trusting Christ as Savior, I had an encounter with Jesus in a revival meeting. The leaders of the revival meeting were encouraging believers to dedicate their lives to God, but I was not willing. I did not believe Jesus’ second coming was true. But finally, I knelt down to pray, “Jesus, if you reveal yourself to me and help me understand your second coming, I will dedicate my life to you.” That very night, I had a dream. In the dream, two people were fighting for access to my heart. I believe it was the Lord fighting against Satan. One of them was stronger and he took my heart. I physically felt the pain of this person grabbing my heart. The next day, I no longer struggled to dedicate myself to the Lord. Instead, I did it willingly. During the meeting, I suddenly saw the heavens open. I saw Jesus and heard him saying, “When the body of Christ, the New Jerusalem, is built up, I will come back.”

So many people are talking about the Lord’s imminent return, but my argument is that it is not as imminent as some think. The Lord is longing for the maturity of the Body of Christ so that he can marry a mature bride. But we are far from maturity. It is not we who are waiting for the Lord’s return, but it is the Lord who is waiting for our maturity.

The Gemstones of the New Jerusalem Symbolize our Horizontal Fellowship with the Saints, While Israel's Pearls Symbolize our Vertical Fellowship with God

What is the New Jerusalem made of? The walls are made of jasper, the city is made of pure gold, and the twelve gates are made of twelve pearls. Furthermore, the foundations of the city’s walls are adorned with twelve kinds of gemstones (Revelation 21:18-21). Jasper, gold, gemstones, and pearls are the four building materials used in the construction of the New Jerusalem. Since jasper is a type of gemstone, there are essentially three materials: gold, gemstones, and pearls.

Gold symbolizes the nature of God. In the Old Testament, gold was used in the construction of the temple and in the making of the Ark of the Covenant. These examples show that gold represents God’s uncreated nature. The streets of the New Jerusalem are also made of pure gold. I believe that gold represents God’s heavenly purity, which is contrasted with human earthiness. We were created from the dust of the ground, and clay cannot transform into gold. Even though Peter said that our faith, which is tested by fire, will become more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7), we will always be created beings. We can never become as majestic, pure, and powerful as God is. Even when our lives are refined in fire to separate the gold from the rock, we cannot rival God’s holiness. God is pure and holy, like gold. Part of the New Jerusalem is made out of gold, which means that God Himself is an integral part of the city. The throne of God and the Lamb is at the center of the New Jerusalem. The presence of gold in the New Jerusalem reminds us that God is our tabernacle.

The walls and gates of the New Jerusalem are made of various gemstones and pearls. Pearls symbolize our vertical fellowship with God, which is made possible through the wounds of Christ. Like an oyster that secretes a pearly liquid when it is wounded by the piece of sand inside its shell, we are transformed by the suffering of Christ. The pearls represent the twelve tribes of Israel, which reminds us of our vertical fellowship with God and the transformation we undergo after experiencing His salvation.

The gemstones represent the apostles who provide the foundation for our growth in Christ. As we build each other up in the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:11), we are built together as living stones that form a part of Christ’s temple (1 Peter 2:5). Christ is the cornerstone that connects both Jews and Gentiles in one holy temple. In the same way, the cross of Christ unites believers with each other and reconciles God and man (Ephesians 2:14-17).

While we have never seen clay turn into gold, we have seen clay transformed into gemstones under high pressure, and we have seen sand turn into pearls after the oyster is wounded. When we personally experience God’s life-saving grace and salvation, we are transformed into individual pearls. And when we are built together with other believers in Christ, we become different kinds of gemstones. Since each believer has undergone a different kind of suffering and transformation, we manifest as different kinds of gemstones. This is why the foundation of the city wall has so many different colors on display.

The New Jerusalem, as God’s dwelling place, is made up of both human and divine building materials. It contains gold, which represents God’s uncreated nature. It also contains gemstones and pearls, which represent the created, yet transformed, human nature. The New Jerusalem is the mutual dwelling place of God and man. It represents Immanuel, God with us.

The Literal and Symbolic Meaning of Eternal Dwellings

The descriptions of the New Jerusalem can be confusing at first glance. Is the New Jerusalem a literal city with literal houses? Or is it a completely metaphorical place that represents our bodies, our relationships, or other types of spiritual realities? I believe it is both.

The New Jerusalem is both material and physical, literal and metaphorical. Both aspects are equally real and valid. Today, the spiritual world is invisible to us. As a result, it seems less real. People often think that the visible, material world is the real one, and the unseen spiritual world is false. This is because their spiritual eyes have not been opened. The Bible tells us that the visible world is not the true reality; it is just a shadow. The invisible spiritual world is the true reality (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Let’s look at an example of how the New Jerusalem is both literal and metaphorical. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul tells us that we will one day lay aside our earthly tents and receive a house from God. This house is not made by human hands, but is eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1). In this passage, Paul is clearly talking about laying aside our physical bodies and receiving spiritual resurrected bodies. Paul says, “For indeed in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened, not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5:2-4). Paul is saying that we long to be free from the limitations of the flesh and to put on the dwelling from heaven, which likely includes a spiritual body. In this passage, the word “house” means “resurrection body.”

However, God will also give us literal houses, or dwelling places, in heaven. Jesus mentions that His Father’s house has many rooms, and he is preparing a place for us (John 14:2). I believe that this is also true. In addition to having individual resurrected bodies and garments, we will also have houses to live in, and a city in which to reside—the New Jerusalem. This New Jerusalem is our eternal dwelling which descends from God out of heaven. It is our house not made by human hands, eternal in the heavens. In the past, I was taught to doubt the existence of material houses in heaven. However, in a vision, God showed me the house of a saint in heaven. Now, I believe that when people go to heaven, they will have material houses. However, the material things in heaven surpass our current understanding of material things. For example, after the Lord’s resurrection, He could not only pass through walls but also eat fish, demonstrating that His resurrected body transcends our comprehension.

Furthermore, the idea of clothing is also used in several ways. Revelation 21:2 says, “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” Since we know that the church is the bride of Christ, the Lamb’s wife, we can conclude that the New Jerusalem represents believers. The New Jerusalem is our collective dwelling place, and it is also adorned with spiritual clothing. Here on earth, we may think we are clothed, but we are actually naked and exposed before God. The Bible tells us, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). In heaven, we will put on heavenly clothing and be fully prepared as Christ’s bride. In this passage, the idea of clothing is used metaphorically to describe the beauty of the city and the adornment of Christ’s bride. However, the idea of clothing is also used in a literal way as God describes the clothing of individual believers (Revelation 7:9).

The New Jerusalem is not only a spiritual building but also a material one. Revelation 21 clearly reveals that the city and streets of the New Jerusalem are made of pure gold. The walls are made of jasper, the gates are made of pearls, and the foundation of the city walls is made of various precious stones. These beautiful materials should not be seen merely as metaphors but as real, tangible materials. However, these tangible materials may also be alive in a sense that we do not currently understand. Therefore, the construction of the New Jerusalem may be an organic unity of both physical and spiritual building materials.

The Pearly Gates Symbolize Our Vertical, Personal Experience of God’s Salvation

According to Revelation 21:12, the twelve gates of the city are inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. I believe that the twelve gates not only represent Israel, but by extension, Jesus Christ. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). Salvation came through Jesus Christ, a descendent of Israel. The Israelite Torah points forward to the coming of Christ, and Christ is the fulfillment of the law and prophets (Romans 10:4). As a result, the twelve pearly gates certainly symbolize Christ. Salvation is only found in Christ, but God chose to bring his salvation through the twelve tribes of Israel.

Salvation comes from the Israelites. Salvation was made possible through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, who became an Israelite. Without the Israelites, there would be no Jesus, and without Jesus, there would be no salvation. Therefore, the twelve gates, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, symbolize the collective human connection with God in a vertical sense.

Let me share another metaphor that helps me understand the relationship between Israel and our salvation to Christ. The Israelites are like the physical cables that bring internet signals into your home. The signal is then decoded in a modem and router. They turn the signal into a wireless connection. Finally, the signal is received by hardware on the phone or computer that interprets the signal. Without any of these elements, it would be impossible to connect to the internet.

In a similar way, Israel is like the cable that brings the signal into the home. Christ is like the router and modem that translates the Israelite heritage into a form that all of us can accept. But we need personal faith (like the hardware and software on a device) to receive the signal Christ brings. Through the connection of faith, we can connect with Christ, and through Christ, we connect with God.

Without the Israelites, it would be impossible to connect with Christ and God, just like it would be impossible to connect to the internet without a physical cable. This is what Paul is referring to when he talks about the blessing of Abraham: “So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:14). Today, as Gentiles, we receive the blessing of Abraham through faith in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.

In the construction of the New Jerusalem, God continues to remind us that the history and heritage of Israel were necessary for our salvation. They are the gate, or portal, into the presence of God. The twelve pearly gates of the New Jerusalem, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel, are the way we enter God's holy city.

The Pearly Gates and Gemstones Symbolize Transformation

The twelve gates are twelve pearls (21:21). Pearls are formed when a piece of sand becomes stuck inside an oyster shell. The oyster is wounded by the sand and begins to secrete a substance called mother-of-pearl that coats the sand and transforms it into a pearl. Similarly, when the Lord Jesus was wounded on the cross, he secreted life-giving fluids that not only provided forgiveness for our sins but also opened the way for transformation. Through his death, we can be transformed into something brand-new, like pearls.

The Bible reminds us that Jesus was literally pierced for our salvation. Quoting an Old Testament passage, the Apostle John says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced” (John 19:37, cf. Zechariah 12:10, 13:6). Christ was pierced by His own countrymen, and one day those who pierced Him will look upon Him with sadness and grief. But there will be some who will look on Him with faith, just as the Israelites looked upon the bronze serpent lifted by Moses to receive salvation (John 3:14).

The Israelites were not the only ones responsible for piercing Jesus. Every person is responsible for nailing Christ to the cross. Our sins caused His wounds. However, His precious blood flowed forth from His wounded body, cleansing us from our sins and transforming us into pearls. Pearls represent the transformation of sinners into saints.

The twelve tribes of the Old Testament will eventually be transformed into individual pearls. We, as individual sinners, will be transformed into pearls after undergoing personal salvation and spiritual renewal. Even though there is a collective sense to this renewal, it is also a very personal story between God and the individual. No one else can write our story for us. Each of us must come to God personally through Christ, our mediator.

Similarly, gemstones are also the result of transformation. Under specific conditions, certain types of minerals can be transformed into gemstones. For example, clay can be transformed into garnet through intense heat and pressure. Similarly, we humans, who are made of dust (1 Corinthians 15:47-57), can be transformed into gemstones through intense pressure and fiery trials. The difficulties, sufferings and trials we face will ultimately change us into gemstones for the new Jerusalem, God's building.

Gemstones Also Symbolize Our Fellowship with Other Saints in Christ

Not only are we transformed on a personal level, but we are also built together collectively as living stones in God’s holy temple (1 Peter 2:4-5). We need to join with other believers to become the large gemstones that will form the foundation of the city walls. We are built upon the Lord Jesus, who is the cornerstone (Psalm 118:22), the foundation stone (Isaiah 28:16), and the top stone (Zechariah 4:7-9). He connects Gentiles and Jews—all believers—and builds them into a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. In addition to experiencing personal salvation, we must also allow God to build us together into the New Jerusalem.

God's will for us is not merely for individuals to be saved, but for us to be built together to become a holy city that displays His wisdom, greatness, and glory to the universe. The New Jerusalem is God's ultimate expression of these qualities. God’s life not only saves us, but it also transforms us into various types of gemstones. These gemstones include jasper, sapphire, chalcedony emerald, onyx, carnelian, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth and amethyst—twelve types of gemstones in total. As we experience God’s many-colored grace (1 Peter 4:10), we join with other believers to become a beautiful spectrum of gemstones in the walls of the New Jerusalem.

Fellowship with God and with Saints is the Most Important Aspect of Eternity

What will we do for all of eternity? Aside from enjoying the various blessings that God has prepared for us, we will spend a great deal of time drawing closer to God and having more fellowship with Him. Jesus said, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). How can we be perfect as the Father is perfect? It will require an eternity of continuously drawing near to the Lord, being filled with God's holy nature, and being perfectly transformed into His image.

In addition to fellowship with God, we will also spend time in fellowship with the saints. We will continue building one another up for all of eternity! Even here on earth, we are richly blessed when we gather with other believers for fellowship and mutual encouragement. As we learn from each other’s stories and testimonies, experience each other’s love, and build each other up, we gain a richer experience of God’s many-colored work in their individual lives, which is a very beautiful thing. The fellowship we experience here on earth will be even richer when we reach the New Jerusalem.

Conclusion: We Must Strive to Experience Salvation and Edification

Today, every Christian must strive to experience God's salvation and edification. The word edification comes from a Latin word that means “to build.” We must not only seek to experience personal salvation (a vertical relationship with God), but we must also seek to be built together with other believers (horizontal relationships with other believers). In this way, we will be built together into the New Jerusalem. Only when we continuously experience vertical fellowship with God and horizontal edification with the saints can we “be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16-19). This is the ultimate goal of the New Jerusalem—being filled with all the fullness of God.

What Preparations Do We Need to Make to Enter the New Jerusalem?

What preparations do we need to make to enter the New Jerusalem? First, we must be filled with the life of Christ internally, and second, we must manifest the righteous deeds of Christ externally.

In Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem descends from heaven. This is only possible because the bride is prepared for her Heavenly Husband. The Bible clearly states that the New Jerusalem is the bride of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9). The Bible also says that the bride must be spotless (Ephesians 5:27). To prepare for her Bridegroom, the bride is clothed in fine linen, which represents the righteous deeds of the saints (Revelation 19:8). When this happens, the New Jerusalem (the bride) can descend from heaven.

The New Jerusalem does not need the light of the sun or the moon, for it is illuminated by the glory of God, and the Lamb is its lamp (Revelation 21:23). God’s life dwells within the city, and his light radiates outward, just like our inward purity manifests in outward righteousness. When we are saved by faith, we become the external manifestation of God's righteousness. Jesus Christ redeems our hearts at the moment of salvation, forgiving our sins because of His righteousness. As He continues to sanctify us, we begin to manifest His righteousness outwardly. What is true on the inside becomes visible on the outside. Not only are we justified positionally, but we are also filled with God’s righteousness dispositionally. Like the New Jerusalem, we manifest God’s glory outwardly. The New Jerusalem is absolutely not just a city descending from heaven; it is also a picture of the mature bride of Christ, whose righteousness is visible externally and not only internally. If it is true that the New Jerusalem cannot descend from heaven until the body of Christ becomes mature, we must seize every opportunity to mature spiritually to hasten the coming of the New Jerusalem.

Our Outer Lives Must Match Our Inner Lives: Justification by Faith and Clothed in Fine Linen

We often say, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” This saying reminds us that what is inside the book is more important than the cover. Similarly, we often say that we should avoid judging people by external appearance—height, weight, clothing, etc. We are told that these external differences are not essential to the inner life. Instead, what matters is character and inner qualities.

However, I believe we do need to pay attention to appearance and image. When buying a book, customers will judge a book by its cover. And as humans, our external appearance has a big impact on the way we are perceived. As the Chinese saying goes, “Clothes make the man, and saddles make the horse.” This means that an individual’s clothing does have an impact. A well-groomed appearance not only improves a person’s outward image and presentation, but it also reflects the person’s internal character. A person with a sloppy appearance is probably irresponsible on the inside, while a person who takes good care of their physical appearance is probably well-mannered and diligent on the inside, too.

Similarly, the bride of Christ will be clothed in pure white linen. This linen is not only her literal clothing, but it also represents the righteous deeds of the saints. The white linen is the outward manifestation of God's righteousness in the lives of the saints. In addition, the old heaven and old earth can be compared to a dirty garment that is taken off and cast aside (Hebrews 1:12). Following this train of thought, the new heaven and new earth are like a beautiful, new garment for the bride of Christ. Peter says that righteousness will dwell in the new heaven and new earth (2 Peter 3:13). This righteousness is seen in the bride of Christ, the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is an elegant bride, beautifully dressed for her husband. She is filled with the righteousness of God and Christ on the inside and outwardly expresses His righteousness for all to see.

When we are invited to a formal event like a wedding, we should not wear casual jeans and flip flops. If we do, we will feel extremely awkward and wish we could disappear into the ground. In the same way, we cannot enter the marriage feast of Christ without a formal wedding garment. Even if we force our way in, we will be cast out for being dressed inappropriately. This is clearly explained in Jesus' parable in Matthew 22:11-13.

Just like a person’s external image and presentation reflects their internal qualities, the bride of Christ needs to have an external righteousness that matches her internal justification. External defilement is a manifestation of internal impurity, as Jesus stated in Matthew 15:11-20. Those whose spiritual garments are defiled cannot be part of the New Jerusalem.

If God has chosen us to be part of the New Jerusalem, our personal immaturity as Christians will delay the maturity of the body of Christ, thereby delaying the descent of the New Jerusalem from heaven. If the bride of Christ (synonymous with the Church, the body of Christ, and the New Jerusalem) is not filled with God’s light within and God’s righteousness without, then the New Heaven and New Earth will not descend from heaven, and this age will not come to an end. Every saved Christian is a part of the bride of Christ. We each need to manifest God’s righteousness in our lives so that we are prepared to meet our heavenly Bridegroom.

After Salvation, Victory Is Still Needed to Be Fully Prepared to Enter the New Jerusalem

When will the New Jerusalem be fully prepared for her heavenly husband? Is it when the number of Christians reaches a certain number of completion? Let’s look at some passages that seem to point in this direction.

• Paul said that when the number of Gentiles is complete, God's salvation will come to all of Israel and they will be saved (Romans 11:25-26).
• When speaking to the souls of the martyrs under the altar, God says that judgment will not come until the number of martyrs is completed (Revelation 6:11).
• The Lord Jesus told us that the gospel of the kingdom must be preached to the whole world before the end will come (Matthew 24:14).

Clearly, completed numbers are important to God. However, these completed numbers do not necessarily mean that everyone gets to be in the New Jerusalem, just like not every football player gets to be a part of professional football teams. However, a large number of Christians is required in order to produce a smaller number of highly-qualified Christian overcomers, just like a large number of football fans is required to produce a smaller number of excellent players. In the United States, a large base of football fans creates widespread interest in the sport. As a result, many students practice, train, and compete, and champions are produced. The wide base of football fans produces a great number of candidates for the team, but only a few excellent players are chosen. In the same way, I believe that the total number of Christians must reach a certain number in order to create enough high-quality overcomers to form the foundational group for the New Jerusalem. When this number is reached, there will be enough overcomers to create the New Jerusalem.

I believe that the believers who enter the New Jerusalem are the firstfruits, those who reached maturity and victory most quickly. Perhaps there will be other believers who will dwell in darkness, in a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:13). Revelation 21:24 clearly makes a distinction between people who live in the city and those who visit: “By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” This indicates that some people, including the kings of the earth, do not dwell in the New Jerusalem. However, they will walk by its light and “bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations” (21:26). Since these kings are allowed to enter the city, they must be considered good, because “nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false” (21:27).

This absolutely does not mean there is a class distinction among God's chosen people—not at all. Every person has an equal opportunity to enter the New Jerusalem, but not every Christian takes hold of these opportunities or achieves victory in their spiritual life. In the letters to the seven churches, Jesus pointed out the trials each church would face, and described the rewards they would receive if they overcame the challenges. The churches each faced unique trials and were promised unique rewards. However, there was a common theme in all these promises: those who overcame would become part of the New Jerusalem.

One reason for the degeneration of the churches in Europe and America is the overemphasis on evangelism and neglect of discipleship. This leads to an increase in the number of Christians, but a lack of adequate teaching and maturity. Many Western churches do not emphasize the importance of suffering, overcoming trials, and the discipline of the Holy Spirit. These teachings are not well-received in the Western world, but they are indispensable to spiritual growth. In order to experience deep revival, build up the church, and prepare for the New Jerusalem, the church must reach spiritual maturity through the discipline of the Holy Spirit and suffering.

The New Jerusalem, Abraham, and the Great Cloud of Witnesses Are Waiting for Our Maturity to Enter the City

In Revelation 21, we learn that the New Jerusalem not only includes New Testament believers represented by the apostles whose names are written on the foundation, but also Old Testament saints represented by the names of the twelve tribes written on the gates of the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is a city made up of saints from both the Old and New Testaments. They are witnesses of faith and vessels of God's glory, displaying God's glory, authority, and power in the world and throughout the universe.

However, these believers are waiting for today’s believers to mature so that they can all become part of the city at the same time. In Hebrews 11, God says that Old Testament saints are like runners in a relay race, continuously setting an example of faith for those who follow them. These Old Testament overcomers “all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). The passage mentions that Abraham chose to live in tents “because he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Apart from this verse, the Bible does not tell us anything about Abraham’s vision of this future city. However, I believe this city is the New Jerusalem.

The New Jerusalem includes saints of all ages, including the overcomers of both the Old and New Testament. Since this city includes the overcomers of all ages, they cannot receive what they hope for without the addition of the overcomers of today. “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:39-40). What is the “better thing” that God has prepared for us? It must be the New Jerusalem. When today’s believers mature to the point that they can become a part of the New Jerusalem, then all those who have died in faith throughout history will also become part of this city.

Conclusion: We Urgently Need the Growth of Life and the Manifestation of Righteous Deeds

In the letter to the church in Laodicea, God makes the following promise to the overcomers: “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name” (Revelation 3:12). This is the Lord’s promise to individual overcomers. When a person experiences this type of victory, the name of the New Jerusalem is written on him or her and they become a part of the manifestation of the New Jerusalem.

By the time we reach Revelation 21, the church as a whole has overcome, or at least a group of overcomers has emerged. The bride is now prepared to meet her husband, Jesus. The preparation of these overcomers brings about the descent of the New Jerusalem. As each believer is filled with the life of Jesus Christ and God on the inside, they will manifest the righteousness of God on the outside. Only then will they become victorious overcomers who manifest God’s purpose in Christ for the universe.

The New Jerusalem: An Ever-Expanding Dwelling Place of God

Throughout the Bible, God dwells with His people in a tabernacle or temple that mirrors a heavenly reality. In the Old Testament, God asked Moses to build the tabernacle according to the pattern God showed him on the mountain (Hebrews 8:5). Similarly, when David gave his son Solomon instructions for building the temple, he told him, “Every part of this plan was given to me in writing from the hand of the LORD.” (1 Chronicles 28:19, NLT). The word “tabernacle” is also found in some translations of the book of John, describing how Jesus Christ became human and lived among us, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). The concept of God dwelling with man finds its ultimate fulfillment in the New Jerusalem, a place where God and humanity dwell with one another.

The entire New Jerusalem is essentially an expanded version of the Old Testament tabernacle and temple. Its glory surpasses even the grandeur of Solomon’s temple. The Apostle John, when describing the New Jerusalem, said, “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22). Just like the priests could enter the tabernacle and approach God’s presence, we can now approach the Father through Jesus Christ, the Lamb.

In the Old Testament, only Moses and the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and only the High Priest could enter the Holy Place. The priesthood was limited to the descendants of Aaron, and God’s intimate presence was reserved for the select few. However, most Israelites could enter the outer court. I believe the same concept applies to the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is the ultimate Holy of Holies, where God dwells with humanity. Therefore, I believe that the New Jerusalem is made up of overcomers, mature believers who have attained a level of intimacy with God that matches the Most Holy Place.

However, other believers may not have reached this level of spiritual growth, and they will remain in the Holy Place or the Outer Court. These believers have a lower level of maturity. I believe that if these individuals continue to learn and grow, they can still become a part of the New Jerusalem. Those in the Outer Court and the Holy Place will still have the opportunity to attain a higher level of spiritual maturity so they can enter the Most Holy Place.

For this reason, I believe that the size of the New Jerusalem (described in Revelation 21) is not fixed. Instead, it will continually expand in size as new believers join the city as living stones. When the angel measured the city, its length, width, and height were each twelve thousand stadia, and the width of its walls was one hundred forty-four cubits. These dimensions are not only literal, but also represent spiritual dimensions.

When we read and interpret this description of the New Jerusalem, we are often limited by our natural and physical understanding. However, if we can relate the New Jerusalem to the idea of God’s dwelling place (the tabernacle and the temple), it will help us gain a deeper understanding of it. The tabernacle built by Moses in the Old Testament was smaller than the temple built by Solomon, and the temple was smaller than the New Jerusalem. The dimensions of God’s dwelling place were constantly expanding. In the same way, I believe the New Jerusalem will expand as more and more believers join it.

The New Jerusalem is the bride of Christ and the wife of the Lamb; wouldn't its dimensions continue to grow throughout eternity? Would God deprive those who lack maturity—who are not yet spiritually mature enough to enter the Most Holy Place—from continuing to mature so they can enter the Most Holy Place? I personally believe this does not align with God's nature. God longs for our continual spiritual maturity. We need an eternity to be conformed to the image of Christ and be perfected like our Heavenly Father. Therefore, I believe that the dimensions of the New Jerusalem may not be fixed. Perhaps God continues to measure the New Jerusalem repeatedly. Each time he measures it, He will find that the dimensions of the New Jerusalem have changed as more and more mature believers have been added to the city.

The New Jerusalem is the Tabernacle Where God Dwells with Humanity

Both the tabernacle and the temple contained the Most Holy Place, the Holy Place, and the Outer Court. These three areas symbolize the different levels of intimacy between man and God. In the Outer Court, members of the Israelite community could come and offer sacrifices on the bronze altar with the help of the priests. In the New Testament, the bronze altar reminds us of the precious blood of Christ that removes our sins. However, many Christians who have been cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus have not yet experienced deep sanctification of the soul or renewal of the mind (Romans 12:1). In the same way, many Old Testament Israelites could not enter the Holy Place, despite offering their sacrifices in the outer court.

Only the descendants of Aaron were allowed to serve as priests and enter the Holy Place. The descendants of Kohath were initially allowed to carry and tend to the furnishings of the tabernacle in the Holy Place, but they could not serve as priests. The Kohathites were jealous of the other Levites who had the privilege of priesthood. Because of their greed and envy, the Kohathites faced severe punishment. Why did God forbid them from entering the Holy Place? Because they were not holy enough. God did occasionally make exceptions to the rules for those who were holy enough. For example, even though Ephraimites were not allowed to serve as priests, Samuel (a descendant of Ephraim) was able to approach God as a priest because of his Nazarite vow. In the New Testament, all Christians are allowed to be part of God’s royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). I believe that if the Kohathites had lived a life of holiness and contentment, God may have allowed them to serve as priests as well.

Let us briefly review the furnishings in the Holy Place:

• The table of the bread of the Presence, symbolizing God's provision of sustenance and the supply of His Word
• The golden lampstand, symbolizing the illumination of the Holy Spirit
• The golden altar of incense, symbolizing the prayers of the saints. Note: In the book of Hebrews, the golden altar of incense is considered part of the Most Holy Place (Hebrews 9:4).
• The veil that once separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn on the cross, opening the way between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. This represents the body of Christ being torn so we could enter God’s presence.

Within the Most Holy Place, there was:

• The ark of the covenant (with the two tablets of the covenant)
• The golden urn holding the manna
• Aaron’s staff that budded (Hebrews 9:4).

These elements symbolize deeper fellowship and relationship with God. We will not elaborate on these symbols here any further, but you can refer to my other articles on the Old Testament for more details.

Since the Bible clearly states that both Moses' tabernacle and Solomon's temple were built according to the heavenly pattern, and both the tabernacle and the temple include the Most Holy Place, Holy Place, and Outer Court, it logically follows that the heavenly tabernacle must also have these divisions. Revelation 21:22-23 makes it clear that the New Jerusalem represents the Most Holy Place because there is no temple in the city; God and the Lamb are its temple. Moreover, the city does not need the sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. These words remind us of the Most Holy Place. In the tabernacle, the Most Holy Place had no natural light. It was illuminated by the light of the golden lampstand from the Holy Place. In heaven, the Lamb is the lamp of the city. This can remind us of the lamplight entering the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place. It can also remind us of how the golden altar of incense could be included either in the Holy Place or Most Holy Place.

The Holy Place represents our soul, and the Most Holy Place represents our spirit. When our soul is fully immersed in God's Spirit, it becomes like the Most Holy Place. However, our bodies still need to be glorified. The New Jerusalem reminds us of the glorified body, since it represents the body of Christ and the bride of the Lamb  and displays God's glory throughout the universe. I believe the New Jerusalem may be the dwelling place of God and of people whose souls, spirits, and bodies are completely sanctified.

However, there are still walls separating the New Jerusalem from the outer realms. Outside the city are the nations that will walk by the light of the city, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it (Revelation 21:24). From this verse, it appears that the nations live outside the city, and only the kings can enter. The verse does not mention that all the people of the nations can enter the city. While verse 26 mentions, "they will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations," there is no explicit indication that all the people of the nations can enter. Nevertheless, this realm in which the nations are illuminated by God’s glory and bring their offerings into the city may represent the Holy Place.

So, is there an Outer Court? Surely there must be. Verse 27 says, "Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false." Isaiah 66:24 says that in the New Heavens and New Earth, worshipers will go out of the city to witness the corpses of those who have rebelled against God and are experiencing the torment of unquenchable fire and undying worms (Isaiah 66:24). This, of course, includes those in the Lake of Fire who cannot enter the city. But does the Outer Court also include those who are in darkness, weeping and gnashing their teeth (Matthew 8:12)? I believe it does. Many sinful Christians, even those allowed into God's kingdom after the Great White Throne Judgment, may not have entirely rid themselves of sin in their spiritual lives. Therefore, they may still need to learn the lessons of the Outer Court and experience repentance and cleansing through the blood of Jesus Christ. Revelation 22:2 says that the leaves of the Tree of Life are for the healing of the nations. These nations still need healing, and perhaps they represent those living in the Outer Court.

From our study of these scriptures, we see that the New Heaven and New Earth still seemingly have three parts: the Most Holy Place, the Holy Place, and the Outer Court. The New Jerusalem, which I believe represents the Most Holy Place, is only one part of the New Heaven and New Earth. Outside of the New Jerusalem are other realms that represent the Holy Place and the Outer Court.

God’s Measurements and Counting in the Bible Are Constantly Changing, Symbolizing the Spiritual Condition of People

Several times throughout the Bible, God counts His people or measures His temple. For example, when Jacob and his family first entered Egypt, God reported that there were 70 individuals who left Canaan. Later, when God commanded Moses to take another census during the Exodus, he counted 600,000 Israelite men. Including women and children, the number of Israelites may have been close to 3 million. After enduring four hundred years of suffering, the Israelites had increased in number and in spiritual stature, becoming a great army of God.

When God counts His people, it is a way to show His faithfulness in taking care of His people. However, when David conducted a census of the people, God punished him. Why? Because only God is allowed to count and measure our spiritual stature. David’s action was driven by pride and self-glory, and God saw it as a great evil.

In the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, God sent an angel to measure the temple. Ezekiel 40 mentions that the angel’s appearance was like bronze, and he held a linen cord and measuring rod to measure the temple of God. There are many details here that we cannot cover in full. However, it’s important to understand that these measurements were a symbolic way to assess the spiritual condition of the Israelites. Through the measurements, God exposed the Israelites’ idol worship. The purpose of this measurement was to help the Israelites see and be ashamed of their spiritual condition. It also provided them with a pattern for building the temple of God. God told Ezekiel, "Son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities, and they shall measure the plan. And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple and its arrangement…." (Ezekiel 43:10-11).

Similarly, in Revelation, the Apostle John was instructed to measure the temple. He was given a measuring rod and asked to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worshiped in the temple (Revelation 11:1). He was not allowed to measure the outer court, since it had been given to the Gentiles to be trampled. In Revelation 21, the angel speaking to John took a golden measuring rod and measured the city, its gates, and its walls. The Bible then provides the dimensions of the city and the walls.

I believe that by measuring the temple, God was evaluating the worshipers and the extent of their spiritual growth. Ephesians 2:21 says that in Jesus, “the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” I believe that in this passage, the angel is measuring the growth of the spiritual temple. These dimensions symbolize the level of maturity of the spiritual temple and the spiritual stature of believers. In the next section, we will discuss in more detail why I believe that the dimensions of the New Jerusalem (the spiritual temple) are not fixed.

The Dimensions of the New Jerusalem May Not Be Fixed

Why do I say that the dimensions of the New Jerusalem may not be fixed? If the dimensions of the New Jerusalem (symbolizing the level of maturity of the body of Christ and the bride of Christ) were fixed, it would mean that God would no longer allow the New Jerusalem to grow and change. This would mean that no additional saints could enter or become part of the New Jerusalem.

I've shared the story of Ni Yongfa before, and I'll use it once again. When Hudson Taylor came to China to preach the gospel, a Chinese man named Ni Yongfa was very excited to learn about Christ and trust in Him for salvation. However, he later became very discouraged. He asked Hudson Taylor, "How long have you British known Jesus Christ?" Hudson Taylor replied, "For over 1,400 years." Ni Yongfa became angry and said, "My father spent his entire life searching many religions, including Buddhism and Taoism, hoping to find eternal life. But he never found it and died with regret. You’ve known about Jesus Christ for 1,400 years, and only now are coming to tell us?" I believe that people like Ni Yongfa’s father will continue to enter the New Jerusalem if they enter eternal life through God’s grace and then pursue God with all their strength. My guess is that people may still have a chance to receive the gospel after death. The Bible does not explicitly say this, but some prophetic revelations show that people can still learn about the Bible and receive the gospel after death. In my view, it's hard to imagine that God would discriminate against those saints who didn’t have the opportunity to trust in Christ during their lives on earth, whether they were born in Old Testament times or simply never heard the gospel during New Testament times.

When the New Jerusalem reaches a certain stage, God’s work for this stage will be complete. This completion will usher in the coming of eternity. However, this does not mean that the dimensions will never change in eternity, or that God will no longer measure the dimensions of the New Jerusalem. The size of the New Jerusalem (twelve thousand stadia) is approximately the distance from Los Angeles to Dallas, and this size does not even fill the whole Earth, let alone the entire Universe! God's ultimate goal is that His glory will fill the Earth, as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). Perhaps one day the entire Earth will become the New Jerusalem. Maybe the Earth will not simply be destroyed but renewed. One day, the old heavens and the old earth will be rolled up like a garment (Hebrews 1:12), but the New Heaven and the New Earth will be unfurled like a new garment.

The New Jerusalem, Living Stones, and the Mutual Indwelling of God and His People

We are God's tabernacle, and God is also our tabernacle. We are a royal priesthood, and we are also living stones being built up into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). As living stones, we will become the precious stones in the walls of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:11, 18-20). We will also be built into a spiritual house—the New Jerusalem—a dwelling place for God (Ephesians 2:22). God is our tabernacle (Revelation 21:22); our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19); and we are living stones in the New Jerusalem, the tabernacle of God. In the New Jerusalem, God and man will mutually indwell one another. We are God’s tabernacle, and He is our tabernacle. Through Jesus Christ, we can enter into intimate fellowship with God. As Ephesians 2:18 says, "For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father."

Sets of Three in the Book of Revelation: The Work of the Trinity, Three Types of Judgments and Rewards, and Three Times That God Says “It is Finished”

In this devotional, we will look at several sets of three revealed in Revelation and the Bible as a whole. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each have a threefold work: the Father created the world and planned redemption, Jesus Christ finished the work of redemption, and the Holy Spirit completed the work of preparing the bride. By the time we reach Revelation 21, the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has been accomplished. As Christians, we must experience a threefold salvation of our spirit, soul, and body, and humanity will also face three different outcomes.

First, we will look at the Trinity’s three statements that “It is done.” Revelation 21:5-6 says, “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.’” Who is speaking here? My understanding is that it is God the Father. In fact, God says “It is finished” at three key points throughout the Bible.

• After completing the work of creation, God the Father said, “It is very good” (Genesis 1:31), and He rested (Genesis 2:2). The Father’s work of creation was finished.
• After Jesus completed the work of redemption on the cross, He also said, “It is finished,” and gave up His spirit (John 19:30). The Lord’s work of redemption was completed.
• In Revelation 21, God again says, “It is done.” The Holy Spirit is finished preparing the Church to be a spotless bride for Christ and God. God now renews everything and declares, “It is finished!”

At this point, the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has been accomplished.

In addition, the book of Revelation describes three outcomes for three different types of people.

• Overcomers will receive the inheritance and rewards.
• Those who do not overcome will undergo continued discipline.
• Those who reject and disobey God will be thrown into the lake of fire.

These are the three final outcomes for humanity as revealed in Revelation 21. The one who overcomes will inherit all things (Revelation 21:7), including all the blessings of the New Jerusalem and the privilege of drinking from the river of the water of life (21:6).

Where there are overcomers, there must also be those who do not overcome. Although this passage does not specify what will happen to those who do not overcome, we can make some inferences. The Bible clearly states that only the overcomers will inherit all things, implying that those who do not overcome will not have this heritage. I believe some people are saved but do not overcome.

The third group consists of those who have not been saved at all. These people reject God, and they will be thrown into the lake of fire. “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (21:8). May all people see God's threefold work and the threefold salvation we need, so that we may all enter eternity and be victorious.

The Words of Revelation 21:6 Might Have Been Spoken by the Father

The New Testament contains very few words spoken directly by God the Father. This has puzzled many Christians. Why does the Father speak so much in the Old Testament, yet He seems so sparing with His words in the New Testament? Hebrews 1 offers an explanation: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). Much of what Jesus Christ said and did was based on what He saw the Father say and do (John 12:49). However, Revelation 21:5-7 says, “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.’” My personal understanding is that these are the words of the Father. He speaks in praise for the completion of the work of the Holy Spirit and declares that the overcomers will become sons of God. Jesus Christ is the firstborn Son of God and our elder brother; we are all sons of God. Therefore, I believe these are the words of the Father, affirming that the work of redemption, deliverance, and maturity has been accomplished, and that we are now able to become His sons.

The Father concludes by saying, “Behold, I am making all things new!” He then says, “It is finished.” Revelation contains this same phrase at least twice, and this may be the final instance. “It is finished” signifies the completion of God's economy and His plan. Then God says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.”

The relationship between the Father and Son will help us understand the Father’s role in the New Testament. The Father is the planner and designer of everything. Hebrews mentions that God is not only the designer and builder of the heavenly city, but of all things (Hebrews 3:4, 11:10).

So what is the role of Jesus Christ? Just like an executive team carries out the will of the board of directors, the Lord Jesus carries out the will of the Father. When the Lord Jesus came to earth, He said, “I have come to do the will of my Father. Whatever I see the Father doing, I do likewise. I do not act according to my own will, nor do I speak on my own authority.” While many people do not accurately perceive the Father's will or hear his words, Jesus understood the Father’s will perfectly. In this verse, Jesus was essentially saying, "I have come to fulfill the Father’s will. Whatever the Father says, I say; whatever the Father does not say, I do not say."  This verse helps explain the scarcity of direct communication from the Father in the New Testament. While we seldom hear the Father speaking directly, this does not mean that He is not communicating. In fact, Jesus heard his voice clearly.

The Father also spoke to other disciples. For example, Peter heard the Father speaking and revealing Christ’s identity. In Matthew 16:13-20, Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say I am?” The disciples replied that many people thought he was Elijah, John the Baptist, or one of the prophets. However, Peter declared, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus told Peter, “This was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 16:17 BSB). The Father revealed this important insight to Peter, and he can reveal his nature to us as well. Jesus said many times that no one knows the Father except the Son, and no one knows the Son except the Father. The Father reveals to us the Son’s true nature and leads people to believe in the Son.

The Father, who works behind the scenes to design His eternal plans, then holds meetings with the Son and discusses how to execute them. The Bible mentions several such meetings. In Isaiah, we see the members of the Trinity having a meeting and asking, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And Isaiah responded, “Here I am. Send me” (Isaiah 6:8). In Genesis, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit met together and conferred about creation: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). The Father created His plan, the Trinity met together to discuss it, and Jesus executed the plan.

What kind of plan is this? In eternity past, God made a plan to extend the eternal fellowship of the Trinity to mankind. In John 17:21, Jesus desires that humans join him in the unity that he already shared with his father: “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” (NIV). God already had perfect fellowship within the Trinity, but he desired a larger family. He wanted humans to belong to him as his children and as his bride. This is God's great plan. It was hidden within creation but was not revealed for many years.

Most likely, God created angels before he created humans. There may have been quite a bit of time that elapsed between the creation of angels and mankind. However, when God created humans and revealed his plan to include mankind in the fellowship of the trinity, this must have made Satan jealous. Even though God created humans a little lower than angels, He allowed humans to share in God's life and enter into intimate fellowship with God. Though not equal to God, humans could approach God personally. This is something the angels, as ministering spirits, could never do. I believe Satan was shocked and jealous when he learned of God's plan, so he came up with a plan to ruin humankind. Satan turned his back on God and tried to ruin God’s plan by tempting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. When humans sinned, they could no longer enjoy intimate fellowship with a holy God, and God's plan was temporarily ruined. However, God is sovereign, and He did not allow Satan to have the final word. He had a greater plan that included a plan to redeem mankind. God foresaw the fall of humanity, so He planned that the Son, Jesus Christ, would become flesh and remove our sins on the cross, bringing us back to God. This is the work that Jesus Christ completed. After Jesus Christ completed this work, He ascended to heaven, and the plan of redemption was finished.

When the Lord Jesus was crucified, He said, "It is finished," meaning that the work the Father entrusted to Him was complete. After the completion of the work the Father gave Him, He sat down on the throne, in the place of highest authority, and received the name which is above every name in heaven, on earth, and even under the earth. When Jesus ascended to His throne, the Father sent the Holy Spirit in the name of the Lord Jesus to prepare a bride for the King.

In the Old Testament, Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac. In the book of Esther, the eunuch anointed Esther with oil and prepared her to meet the king. In a similar way, the Holy Spirit anoints us with the words of the Lord Jesus. These words renew, regenerate, and transform us. The Holy Spirit applies the completed work of the Lord Jesus to our individual lives. Just as the eunuch anointed Esther with oil, we need to be filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit from the inside out. We need to be cleansed by the water of the Word so we can become a spotless virgin prepared to meet our Bridegroom. This is the work of the Holy Spirit today.

The famous South African pastor, Andrew Murray, said that the work of the Holy Spirit is to apply the completed work of the Lord Jesus on the cross to the life of every believer. He said that when we pray, the indwelling Christ prays to the Christ in heaven. The work of the Holy Spirit in the church today is to sanctify us, make us holy, and transform us so we can become part of the New Jerusalem.

The Holy Spirit Will Certainly Accomplish His Sanctifying Work in the Church

In this passage, the Father is praising the finished work of the Holy Spirit. He had already praised the work of the Son. When Jesus was baptized, the Father spoke, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The Father does not speak much in the New Testament, but at that moment, He approved of the entire life work of Jesus Christ. When the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, He said, “It is finished.” Although the Bible does not explicitly record the Father saying "It is finished," it is implied by what happened after the crucifixion and resurrection. God the Father exalted Jesus to the highest place, seated Him at His right hand, and gave Him a name which is above every name. These actions demonstrate that God the Father approved of Christ’s work.

Now, the process of sanctifying the church is the work of the Holy Spirit. First, the Holy Spirit applies the word of the Lord Jesus to our hearts so we can be saved. Then, the Holy Spirit sanctifies and renews us, transforming us into part of the New Jerusalem. When the work of the Holy Spirit is complete, the Father says, “It is finished.” At that moment, God's plan has been accomplished through the cooperative work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

At this moment in history, the Father’s work of creation has been completed. In addition, the Father has completed his work of planning and preparing for our redemption. Jesus completed the work of redemption on the cross, and after that, the Father sent the Holy Spirit in Jesus' name. The work of the Holy Spirit is to sanctify the church and make it a spotless bride. Today, the Holy Spirit is in the process of finishing this task.

However, in recent times, many people have seen the corruption and weakness of the church and have lost hope, believing that the church has no future. Rather than hoping for the church’s maturity, they simply hope that Jesus comes quickly, rescues the faithful few, and destroys the rest of the world. Many hold to this escapist theology. They believe the church cannot be sanctified, so they simply wait for Jesus to intervene at the end of time.

This is a completely erroneous understanding of the Bible’s teaching and reflects a lack of faith in the Holy Spirit. If this view were true, it would mean that the Father designed the plan of redemption, Jesus completed it on the cross, but now the Holy Spirit is failing in His role. However, the Bible says that the church will ultimately triumph. The Holy Spirit will certainly complete his work of sanctifying, consecrating, and filling us, making us part of the New Jerusalem.

We cannot destroy God’s plan, but we can delay it. The Holy Spirit’s work will not be complete until the church is victorious. If the church does not mature, it will continue to delay the completion of the Holy Spirit’s work. If believers continue to believe the erroneous escapist theology, it will have a significant impact on the church.

For example, believers who have an escapist theology focus only on praying a prayer of salvation and then waiting to go to heaven. They ignore the importance of cooperating with the Holy Spirit in the work of sanctification. This leads to spiritual immaturity and a lack of influence as the church fails to be salt and light in the world. The American church today is a case in point. Although 65% of the population claims to be Christians, the church has had very little impact on society at large. One would expect that if the majority of the population were Christians, these believers would have a positive impact on the media, entertainment, and educational platforms. But instead, we see increasing corruption in those areas. As a result, children in the U.S. are growing up without reverence for God. Has God’s word lost its power in American society and in the church? No. The state of American society does not mean that God’s word has lost its power, but that the church in America has stopped focusing on sanctification.

A simple example is divorce. We recognize that there are many reasons for divorce, and that God allows divorce in cases of adultery and domestic violence. However, many divorces happen because individuals are unwilling to accept the difficulty and spiritual growth involved in marriage. Furthermore, many divorces are due to adultery, which is a sin and a reflection of the lack of sanctification among believers. God’s word clearly states that what God has joined together, no man should separate (Matthew 19:6). However, many churches do not teach sanctification to believers. If the church continues to believe that these things don’t matter—that all that matters is praying the sinner’s prayer and going to heaven—it will continue to lose its influence in society.

I believe that this escapist mentality is a grave misunderstanding. In heaven, there will likely be continued discipline that will help us escape from the corruption that comes from lust so we can partake in God’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). The lack of teaching on such truths in the American church has led to a general tendency toward sin among believers.

Conclusion: We Must Continually Pursue Holiness to Overcome

The book of Hebrews says, "Without holiness, no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). This shows that holiness is of great importance. Certainly, we experience a degree of holiness when we believe in Jesus for salvation. But we must also attain a greater level of holiness so we can become a part of the bride who is clothed in fine linen, bright and pure. If the bride is not prepared and does not wear fine linen, bright and pure, then Jesus Christ will not return and will not marry the bride.

The work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will be completed, and the Holy Spirit will finish the work of sanctification in His bride, the church. The work of the Holy Spirit is to bring individuals to repentance, cleanse us, sanctify our souls, and renew our minds. One day, He will also give life to our mortal bodies. On the collective side, the Holy Spirit will transform us from sinners into children of God, and ultimately into the bride of Christ. We will then become part of God’s holy temple, built together as living stones in the New Jerusalem.

The triune work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit corresponds with the threefold salvation of the spirit, soul, and body. We not only need to be filled with God's righteousness on the inside (soul and spirit), but also manifest God's righteous deeds externally (body). These righteous deeds are symbolized by fine linen. When we reach maturity, we will become part of the New Jerusalem and live as Christ’s bride for all of eternity.

As we study the judgments in Revelation 20, we will focus on two key themes. First, we will learn about the structural patterns of God's judgment. Second, we will emphasize the importance of spiritual maturity in Christ’s body.

God judges the world in a certain order, which resembles chopping down a tree in reverse. God begins by judging Babylon the Great, which ensnares God's chosen people, much like branches and leaves. Next, God judges the beast and the false prophet, who ensnare the kings of the earth and their armies, akin to the trunk of a tree. Lastly, God judges Satan and the nations he incites to rebel, which can be seen as the root of the tree.

God also judges the world in a specific pattern. He always judges both evil spirits and wicked people at the same time. While dealing with Babylon the Great, the beast, the false prophet, and Satan, He simultaneously deals with the elect who were formerly ensnared by Babylon the Great. While wicked people and defiled objects are burned, evil spirits are simultaneously judged. The kings of the earth and their armies are slain by the sword that comes from the mouth of the one who sits on the white horse, and the armies of the rebellious nations are consumed by fire from heaven. Why do these two evil forces need to be exterminated at the same time? It is logical to conclude that if there were no people strengthening the forces of evil spirits by worshiping idols and offering sacrifices to them, the evil spirits would have no authority to deceive and enslave humanity. Therefore, in judging Babylon the Great, the beast, the false prophet, and Satan, God must also judge the "fuel" behind them, which is human worship. God and Satan are both competing for human worship. So, before God judges Satan, it is necessary to expose and do away with humanity's worship of Satan. This is one reason why God temporarily releases Satan—to expose and judge those whom Satan has deceived. Of course, this includes those who refuse to repent.

In Revelation 20, when Satan is released from the pit, he deceives Gog and Magog and tempts them to fight against Jesus. I’ve been taught that Gog and Magog refer to Russia. This teaching may come from Ezekiel 39:1, which says: "And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal." The next verse mentions that they come from "the uttermost parts of the north." Some interpret this to mean that "Rosh" refers to Russia and "Meshech" to Moscow. However, I have not been able to verify this. Revelation 20:8 specifically mentions "the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog," which suggests that Gog and Magog might not only refer to Russia but also include other nations as well. Of course, we cannot be certain, because the Bible does not explicitly identify Gog and Magog. No matter what this term refers to, we know that God is judging the last remaining elements of Satan-worship that still exist in earthly kingdoms.

We see the same pattern in God’s simultaneous judgment of sinners, evil spirits, the beast, the false prophets, and Satan. Before God judges Babylon the Great, He first calls His elect out of the city. Then He judges the material objects and evil spirits that Babylon the Great used to bind people. Finally, he burns Babylon the Great. Similarly, before God judges the beast and the false prophet and throws them into the Lake of Fire, Christ slays the kings of the earth and their armies with the sword that comes out of His mouth. In the same way, before throwing Satan into the Lake of Fire where the beast and the false prophet are, God will destroy the rebellious nations surrounding the camp of the saints.

After God judges Satan, the Great White Throne judgment takes place. This judgment will determine the fate of many people. Sinners will be thrown into eternal torment in the Lake of Fire, which is the second death. God is righteous, and the wicked, especially those who cooperate with evil spirits, will first undergo judgment through the first death. Then, after God judges all kinds of evil spirits, He will condemn many sinners to the second death, which is eternal torment in the Lake of Fire.

Each stage of judgment will only arrive when a certain quota of overcomers is reached. When Christ’s bride is ready and the body of Christ is mature, God’s judgment will begin. This is because the maturity of the church and the individuals within the church is the tool through which God judges evil spirits and Satan.

God's Judgment of Satan and the Rebellious Nations Reveals That God's Cleansing of Us Is a Continual Refining Process

Before God's final judgment of Satan, He successively judges Babylon the Great, the beast, and the false prophet. Before the fall of Babylon, the beast was using Babylon for his purposes. Babylon the Great had ensnared many believers and was described as a prostitute. However, after the fall of Babylon, the beast uses the false prophet and the kings of the earth instead. He possesses them and uses them to engage in a great battle against Christ and His bride at Armageddon, only to be defeated.

The successive judgement of these individuals and spiritual forces can remind us of the way God progressively sanctifies us in our personal lives. God cleanses us through an ongoing refining process. Our salvation through faith in Christ is only the first step. Paul says, "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life" (Romans 5:10). What does it mean to be "saved by His life"? It means not only that our spirits are reborn and our souls are spared from judgment in the Lake of Fire, but also that we will experience continual renewal and transformation of our minds (Romans 12:1). Ultimately, this leads to the redemption of our bodies, where we will receive glorified bodies.

Our salvation is a threefold salvation: spirit, soul, and body. When sin entered us, it first killed our spirit, then defiled our soul, and ultimately caused our body to become sick and eventually die. God’s salvation involves the reversal of this process. God regenerates our spirit, renews our soul, and ultimately heals our body. We as believers have been filled with the “Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead,” who “will also give life to [our] mortal bodies” (Romans 8:11); yet our bodies still become sick and ultimately die. Why is this? Because healing is a gradual process. While there are times when our physical illnesses are healed by God, our ultimate and final healing lies in receiving a resurrected body. Similarly, our spiritual growth and the transformation of our souls are also gradual processes. In particular, the impurities in our soul must be cleansed through a continual refining process. Just like gold is refined through repeated exposure to fire to cleanse away impurities, we must experience repeated tests and trials in order to produce a faith as precious as gold. When gold is exposed to intense heat, the dross rises to the top, is exposed, and is removed.

In the same way, trials help expose our sin and bring it to the surface so it can be dealt with. God continually refines us through trials to help us break free from the corruption that comes through lust, so we can partake more and more in God’s divine nature. Peter makes this point very clear in his epistles. How can we escape the corruption brought by lust? The first step is often to truly grasp the depth of our sin. Our sins must be exposed so we can see them clearly and break free from them.

In many ways, the same principle is true of the church as a whole and of humanity as a whole. We can view these final tests and trials—the judgment of Babylon the Great against those it ensnared, the defeat of kings and armies in the battle with the beast and the false prophet, and the burning of the rebellious nations in the final battle with Satan—as a refining process that deals with the uncleanness of humanity. Through various trials, these impurities are exposed and dealt with. The sins of those deceived by the evil spirits of Babylon the Great, the beast, the false prophet, and Satan are revealed and removed. Once these sins are dealt with, humanity becomes purer. At this point, those who oppose God are exposed and condemned, while those chosen by God and those who have chosen God are allowed to enter eternity. God is just. If someone suffers the second death in the Lake of Fire and complains that God is unjust, God will show them the opportunities He gave them in the past, as well as how they chose to reject and oppose Him during the trials. They will have no grounds for complaint. God is a just God. He selects every person worthy of eternal life to enter eternity, while those unworthy of eternal life make their own choice. From this perspective, it is necessary to give everyone the opportunity to make a choice, as well as the chance to go through trials to prove their choice.

How God Uses the Judgment of Babylon the Great to Bring About the Preparation of Christ’s Bride

Every act of God’s judgment exposes both the sins of evil spirits and humanity, and each exposure brings about God’s judgment and cleansing. When the work of evil spirits is revealed, they lose their control over people. Evil spirits thrive in darkness. They manipulate people in secret. But when the Spirit of God comes upon the people they controlled and drives out the demons through His power, that is when the kingdom of God comes upon us—just as Jesus said in Matthew 12:29.

Babylon the Great is like a vast and complex spiderweb. Satan and evil spirits weave this web of lies and deceit. The web includes systems of sin and wickedness. Sinners not only contribute to weaving this web through their sinful choices, but they are also ensnared in it. Even many of God’s chosen people have been trapped in it due to their sins. Therefore, before judging Babylon the Great, God specifically calls His chosen ones to come out of her. God then judges Babylon’s treasures—material objects that once dominated His people in many ways. By stripping away these enslaving elements, God frees His chosen ones from this web of captivity.

Let me share a modern-day example of being trapped in Satan’s web. In today’s world, many individuals who from Christian families have drifted away from God because of the hectic pace of working on Wall Street. In addition, many children are negatively influenced by the content produced in Wall Street. If God were to remove Wall Street, it would help free these individuals from the snares of Wall Street’s influence. This does not mean that Wall Street has no good aspects. Like the golden cup full of abominations (Revelation 17:4), it has some beautiful and shiny aspects. However, its net influence is negative.

God's judgment of Babylon is a judgment against the harlot, against the adulterous woman. Through this judgment, some of God's elect are delivered from the great harlot and become part of the Bride of Christ, the body of Christ. Through suffering, they reach maturity and ultimately become a bride prepared for her husband, as mentioned in Revelation 19. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us so we are prepared to meet our bridegroom, Jesus. Jesus sanctifies us and presents us to Himself a spotless virgin (Ephesians 5:25-27). This passage reminds me of Abraham's servant bringing Rebekah to Isaac to become his bride. It also reminds me of the process Esther went through to prepare to meet the king. The eunuchs gave her beauty treatments and then presented her to the king. In the same way, the Holy Spirit will prepare the church to meet her heavenly Bridegroom.

How God Judges the Beast and the Kings to Bring About the Millennial Kingdom

Once the Holy Spirit completes His work of preparing the bride, the marriage supper of the Lamb may begin. At this supper, Jesus Christ and His bride celebrate their union. This union must take place before the battle at Armageddon, where the Lord and His bride (the heavenly army) confront the beast, its kings, and their armies. This great battle occurs after the destruction of Babylon the Great, after God's elect have been rescued from the snare of Babylon the Great. At this time in history, the kings aligned with the beast and the false prophet are likely in opposition to God. The Lord uses the sword from His mouth to slay the kings and their armies, and the birds of heaven feast on their flesh.

There are two groups of believers in Babylon the Great. The first group consists of those who refused to compromise with the great prostitute and who were martyred for their faith. These believers are the overcomers. The second group consists of the believers who were deceived by Babylon the Great and then rescued by God's mercy from her snare. They may not necessarily be overcomers, but because they are elect, they might enter eternity with the overcomers.

Similarly, at this moment in history when humanity is tested by the beast and the false prophet, it exposes the heart of humankind and separates them into two different groups of people. The first group is those who refused to worship the beast and its image, and who did not accept the mark of the beast. These people are also overcomers. They will also be part of the first resurrection of the Millennial Kingdom, along with all the previous overcomers, and will reign with the Lord for a thousand years. All those who worship the beast and its image and accept the mark of the beast will share the same fate as the beast and the false prophet, being cast into the Lake of Fire. Thus, God once again separates those who are worthy to partake in the first resurrection and reign with Christ from those who are not. In other words, when humanity is tested by the beast and the false prophet, this trial refines one more final group of overcomers so they can receive their reward in the Millennial Kingdom. They will then reign with Christ for a thousand years, ushering in the coming of the Millennial Kingdom.

How God's Judgment of Satan and the Rebellious Nations Brings About the Arrival of Eternity

The Millennial Kingdom will not begin until Christ’s bride is prepared, Christ and His bride have won the victory over the beast and the false prophet, and the angel has bound Satan for a thousand years. This thousand-year period serves as further preparation for the arrival of eternity. Our destiny is to reign with Christ for all eternity. In comparison, this thousand-year reign with the Lord is a brief period of training. I believe those who reign with the Lord are the overcomers, and they will be the first to be resurrected and be free from the second death. Their mission is to continue leading more people to Christ and bringing them to maturity.

Trials help bring people to maturity, and they also expose which people truly believe in Christ and which do not. A person may appear godly on the outside but not truly believe in Him on the inside. However, trials help expose our true selves. Someone who seems devout on the outside may deny the Lord when trials come, just as Peter did. This is why trials are essential, even during the Millennium Kingdom.

I don't understand why some people will still turn against Christ during the Millennium Kingdom, after seeing the Lord reign on earth. But we also don't know why Satan and a third of God’s angels rebelled, despite knowing being with God face to face. This shows how cunning and deceitful Satan is. It shows that seeing the Lord is not necessarily the same thing as believing in Him. Even when Jesus came to earth in the flesh, many saw Him but still did not believe in Him.

To help us further understand how people can turn against Jesus’ leadership after a thousand years of peace, let us look at some examples from history. Both the United States and Israel experienced long periods of peace followed by a sudden descent into destruction. As long as our sin natures remain, we are at risk of falling into sin. In Deuteronomy, Moses warned the Israelites that after entering the Promised Land, they would gradually forget God. He said, “When you father children and children's children and have grown old in the land, if you act corruptly by making a carved image in the form of anything, and by doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, so as to provoke him to anger” (Deuteronomy 4:25). Just as Moses prophesied, the Israelites, after settling in the land, grew weak and fell away from God. The same thing happened in the United States. At one point, America began walking down a path of decline. Many people abandoned God and began worshiping idols. These idols included money, entertainment, evil spirits, and so on. Therefore, God's discipline came upon the United States. However, countless Christians prayed for repentance, and I believe circumstances are changing and a revival is coming. Both the history of Israel and the history of America (a Christian nation) demonstrate that nations can deteriorate after long periods of prosperity. In the same way, during the Millennial Kingdom, many people will grow weak and falter after living in peace for so long.

After the thousand-year period is over, Satan must be temporarily released. The trials he brings will demonstrate which people are worthy of eternal life and which people are not. After this separation takes place, eternity will begin. The Bible does not tell us whether new overcomers will emerge during this time, but I certainly hope that there are. I believe that anyone who seeks God will receive His reward. However, one thing seems clear: the people who participate in the rebellion will be consumed by fire from heaven. The Bible does not say that these people are thrown into the Lake of Fire. After this judgment, the Great White Throne judgment will occur, and anyone whose name is not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire.

Conclusion

The Bible contains many things that we cannot know for sure, such as the exact identity of Gog and Magog. Many speculate that they refer to Russia, but we cannot determine if this interpretation is correct. These names may simply refer to the nations who participate in the rebellion at the end of the millennial kingdom and receive God’s judgment. We will only know for sure who Gog and Magog are when God reveals their identity at the end of the millennial kingdom. However, their identity is ultimately not important or relevant to our spiritual growth.

When reading Revelation, many people focus on speculating about who is who, what will happen when, and other details. But this is a waste of time. When we read Revelation, we must focus on the roadmap that God gives to the church for how the church will grow and mature. We must learn how to build up the body of Christ and prepare the bride for her future Husband. Only then will she be ready for the marriage feast of Christ and His bride, the battle of Christ and His army against the beast and the false prophet, and God’s ultimate judgment against them in the Lake of Fire. The bride’s maturity and preparedness will ultimately usher in the millennial kingdom and the eternal state.

The body of Christ is not just an abstract concept; it is made up of individuals like you and me. Every member of the body is important. The degree to which you and I, as members of the body, mature in our spiritual lives will ultimately determine the degree to which the body of Christ matures. We must seize every opportunity to grow spiritually. This includes embracing trials, which are God’s tools to help us mature. If we are not spiritually mature, we can never progress to the next stage of God’s eternal plan. This is why speculations and fantasies are a waste of time compared to the ongoing work of sanctification and preparation for eternity.

How Can Christians Overcome Satan's Temptations and Avoid Wandering in the Wilderness

Revelation 20:1-3 tells us that the ancient serpent who deceived the nations was bound by an angel and imprisoned for a thousand years. Before this, the church endured numerous trials before she entered the Millennial Kingdom. After the Millennial Kingdom, Satan will be temporarily released to continue testing people.

The Israelites' time in the wilderness was a period of testing. God’s people needed to overcome Satan’s temptations and learn the lessons God was teaching them so they could enter the Promised Land. Otherwise, they would continue aimlessly wandering in the wilderness. Similarly, God’s chosen people today (Christians) need to overcome Satan’s temptations and avoid wandering endlessly in the wilderness.

From studying Revelation 20, we can make the following observations about Satan’s tests and temptations.

• First, Satan’s testing will last a long time. Though many believe Jesus will come soon, this might be an unrealistic expectation. We need to be prepared to endure long-lasting hardships and trials.
• Second, many people give too much weight to their hardships, attributing too much power to Satan. They fear Satan as if he is omnipotent, while failing to recognize God’s ultimate power and sovereignty. Many people seem to fear Satan even more than they revere God. This is a grave error.
• Third, trials and tests are permitted by God. Satan's testing cannot exceed the limits allowed by God. God only allows us to be tested according to what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:15) and according to His will.
• Fourth, trials help us grow. We must understand God's will, obey it, grow, and overcome each trial. This is the way to overcome Satan and avoid wandering in the wilderness.

Many Christians fail to learn the lessons God is trying to teach them through trials. As a result, their spiritual lives stagnate and they continue wandering in the wilderness. If individual Christians do not mature in their spiritual lives, then the church (the body of Christ) cannot reach the level of maturity God desires. Just as Israel could not enter the Promised Land until she reached a certain level of maturity and faith, the church will not enter the Millennial Kingdom and the eternal state until she learns the lessons God is trying to teach her through trials. Difficult circumstances, including Satan’s temptations, help bring us to spiritual maturity. When Christ’s body reaches maturity, her maturity will be manifested in the Millennial Kingdom.

Many Christians enjoy discussing end times and trying to determine when key events will take place. However, they neglect the lessons of spiritual maturity that God is trying to teach them through their circumstances and trials. Since the coming of the Kingdom is contingent on the maturity of Christ’s bride, the church, these believers are putting the cart before the horse. In other words, the return of Jesus and the coming of the Millennial Kingdom are not as near as many imagine because His bride is not yet prepared, and our spiritual lives have not yet reached the level of maturity God desires.

Satan's Temptations Will Last for a Long Time

At the end of the book of Revelation, God's method of dealing with evil is like chopping down a tree—starting with the branches, then the trunk, and finally the roots.

• Satan is the root of all the evil in the world. He is dealt with last. Satan, the ancient serpent who deceived humankind, will be locked in the bottomless pit for a thousand years (Revelation 20). After that, he will be temporarily released to deceive the nations. His final destination is the lake of fire and sulfur (Revelation 20:7-10). When God sends Satan to the Lake of Fire, God is metaphorically chopping at the root of the tree, completely removing the source of all sin, which is Satan.
• The beast and the false prophet are like the trunk of the tree. They are thrown alive into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20). There, they join the beast and the false prophet who fought against Christ and His bride's army, as well as the kings of the earth and their armies. This happens after the bride has made herself ready (Revelation 19:7). This is like removing the trunk of the tree.
• Babylon the Great is like the branches and leaves of a flourishing tree. Babylon is the dwelling place of demons, the haunt of every unclean spirit, and the nest of every unclean and detestable bird (Revelation 18:2). Babylon the Great is a collective entity formed by demons, evil spirits, and sinners, and she deceived the nations (Revelation 18:3). God's judgment in the end times begins with chopping down the branches and leaves of this flourishing tree. Revelation 17 also describes the punishment of the great prostitute, and Revelation 16 records the seven bowl judgments. These judgments, along with the previous ones, prepare the way for the final judgment of Babylon the Great, the beast, the false prophet, and Satan.

I am narrating this process in reverse, hoping to give you a clear vision of where we stand today and where we are in God’s redemptive timetable. We have not yet experienced the scenarios described in Revelation 18-20. Satan has not been bound in the bottomless pit. The bride of Christ is not yet prepared, and she has not yet joined with Christ to defeat the beast, the false prophets, and the kings’ armies (Revelation 19). And Babylon the Great has not yet fallen (Revelation 18:2).

How do we know that Babylon the Great has not yet fallen? Because the judgment of Babylon in Revelation 17 happens after the seven bowl judgments recorded in Revelation 16. To evaluate whether Babylon has fallen yet, we must ask ourselves whether we have experienced the disasters of the seven bowls. The first bowl judgment is poured out on those who have the mark of the beast and worship its image. While there is much discussion about the possibility of the COVID-19 vaccine and microchips being the mark of the beast, there is no conclusion yet, and personally, I don’t believe that they are. Therefore, it is unlikely that we have experienced the scenario described in Revelation 16.

In Revelation 13-15, two beasts appear and wage war with the saints. The overcoming saints sing praise to God on the sea of glass (15:2). Have any of these events already taken place? Can we say with certainty that the beast has appeared in the world today? Even though the spirit of the antichrist is already at work on earth, no one can assert with confidence that the beast has appeared. So, we have not yet experienced the scenarios described in Revelation 13-15.

Going back even further on God’s redemptive timetable, Revelation 12 records the battle between the woman and the dragon and the birth of the male child. I believe the male child represents the victorious members of the body of Christ, who will rule the nations with a rod of iron (12:5). There are no clear signs to suggest that this event has already happened. Does the church today—whether in other countries or in Christian nations like the United States—have the ability to rule the nations? Far from it. So, we have not yet experienced the events of Revelation 12. Similarly, Revelation 11:15 declares, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.” This has not happened yet, either.

The disasters mentioned in Revelation 6-10 (the seven seals and seven trumpets) are still far from fulfillment. Similarly, the events of Revelation 4-5, where heaven is opened and we see God at work on His throne, are still a mystery to many. As the body of Christ, we have not yet experienced heaven opened. We have not yet clearly seen God’s throne or His kingly reign.

Therefore, we can conclude that the church is still in the era described in the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 1-3. These letters not only describe the work of Satan in each congregation, but also the promises of victory that Jesus gives.

From this discussion, it becomes clear that we are nowhere near the return of Christ. The process of defeating Satan and his minions (including the beast, the false prophet, various evil spirits, demons, and sinners who make up Babylon the Great) is a long-term process that is nowhere near completion. Many people are discussing the imminent return of Jesus, but I believe this is an unrealistic expectation. Of course, I long for the return of Jesus, but according to this timetable, we are still many steps away from His return to reign.

When the Lord appeared to me in 2004, He clearly stated that once the body of Christ, the bride, and the New Jerusalem are completed, He will return. We are still far from the bride being ready, the body of Christ maturing, and the New Jerusalem being built. When we gain a clear understanding of the reality, we can focus our discussion on growing in maturity rather than on Christ’s imminent return. We can learn how we can participate with God in our spiritual growth, including the growth that comes through Satan’s trials and tests.

In Trials, We Must See That God is Far Greater Than Satan

In Revelation 20:1-3, an angel comes down from heaven, holding a great chain and the key to the bottomless pit. He binds the dragon (also called the ancient serpent, the devil, and Satan) for a thousand years and casts him into the abyss, shutting it and sealing it so that he can no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years are completed. Afterward, he must be released for a little while.

What can we learn from these verses? We can learn that Satan is not nearly as powerful as we often imagine. In this passage, we see that one angel by himself can bind and subdue Satan. Of course, the angel is doing these things by God's command and authority, but he is still doing them by himself. In the modern church, Satan is often portrayed as extremely powerful—sometimes to the extent that it seems he is greater than God. When a Christian is bound by a spirit of fear in their personal life, they may feel that Satan is greater than God. We may even begin to believe that Satan is all-powerful. As a result, many people fear Satan more than God. However, this passage teaches that Satan is finite and can be bound by a single angle.

Let’s look at a few more examples of Christians attributing too much power to Satan. When I was pursuing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, I often heard the following objection: “Don't pursue the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. If you seek the Holy Spirit, what if you end up receiving an evil spirit instead?" Such thoughts are widespread in many evangelical churches. However, Luke 11 clearly teaches that if we ask our Heavenly Father, He will certainly give us the Holy Spirit, not an evil spirit (11:13).

Additionally, even though the Bible teaches us to speak out for righteousness, many Christians are afraid to speak out in the face of evil because they fear the reactions of evil people. Fearing evil people is essentially the same as fearing Satan, because Satan is behind their sinful actions. This fear of Satan is a mindset that permeates the world and even the church. In many instances, Christians fear Satan more than they fear God. They think Satan is powerful, dark, and hopeless, while their concept of God is weak and limited. In everyday life, they do not demonstrate a faith in God’s omnipotence. But their actions show a strong belief in Satan’s power. This passage provides a much-needed reminder that Satan is not all-powerful and can be subdued by a single angel.

Who is this angel that binds Satan? The Bible does not specify whether it is Gabriel or another archangel; it simply says that an angel is given authority by God to bind Satan, and Satan is bound for a thousand years. Even after being temporarily released, he is still under God’s sovereignty. When darkness seems to have dominion, God is still seated on His throne, controlling all things. We must remember God’s sovereignty and his ability to work all things together for the good of those who love God.

The entire book of Revelation is structured around God's provision, sovereignty, and His kingly plan, even during times of trial. After describing the trials that the seven churches will face, the book of Revelation describes the throne room of God (Revelation 4-5). John sees heaven opened, and he realizes that God is still at work on His throne, promising rewards to His victorious saints. Similarly, the next several chapters include many difficult seal judgments, but in between the sixth and seventh seal, God pauses the judgment to show John a vision of 144,000 conquering believers. They had come out of the great tribulation and were serving God before His throne (Revelation 7:15). These people are likely martyrs who were killed during the great tribulation. They were willing to pay the ultimate price for their faith, but now they are being richly rewarded: "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (7:16-17). Before the sixth seal, there was much suffering, and after the seventh seal and the seven trumpets, there was even more suffering. But God does not forget to comfort the apostle John (and all suffering believers) through these visions of hope amidst suffering. There are also encouraging visions between the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments, just as between the sixth and seventh seal judgments. The messages of hope include the message of the seven thunders (10:3), the invitation to eat the little scroll (10:10), the command to measure the temple (11:1), and the story about the two witnesses (11:3-12). These visions encourage suffering believers to see God's sovereignty and His will in the midst of pain.

The principles revealed in Revelation are the same as the principles we experience in our lives today. God is in control of all things, and even in the midst of suffering, He continues to provide. God works all things together for His good purposes, even trials and trouble. However, the trials described in Revelation are much greater than the trials we face on a daily basis. If we cannot trust God’s purpose and provision in our everyday lives, how will we have strength to overcome these apocalyptic disasters described in Revelation? God will not suddenly give us supernatural strength that we have not already cultivated in our everyday lives. If we cannot obey God in the small trials of life, we should not imagine that we will somehow have the strength to resist the mark of the beast. This is fantasy and self-deception. We need to be victorious in the various small trials of life today so that we can face the greater trials that are coming in the future.

As we have mentioned before, Revelation 12 is the turning point of the book of Revelation. After the vision of the woman (12:3) and the birth of the male child (12:5), the battle becomes fiercer. Satan is cast down from heaven to earth (12:4, 9). In his fury, he intensifies his persecution of the woman and her remaining children (12:17). Afterward, the two beasts emerge, one after the other, and they escalate the persecution of those who refuse to receive the mark of the beast. However, amid this harsh persecution, the Holy Spirit graciously provides another vision in chapter 14, showing the 144,000 standing victorious on Mount Zion.

The next trial is the fall of Babylon the Great (14:8), God’s continued judgment of the world, and the world’s continued persecution of believers. During this time, many more believers are martyred. However, in chapter 15, God continues His pattern of encouraging and warning believers by giving a vision of the overcomers standing victorious on the sea of glass. This is followed by the seven bowl judgments (chapter 15), but in the midst of these severe judgments—between the sixth and seventh bowl judgment—the Lord again reminds believers to stay alert, because He is coming soon, like a thief (16:16). This leads into the judgment of Babylon the Great, the beast, the false prophet, and the ultimate judgment of Satan.

These trials and judgments become more and more severe as the book progresses. Yet in the midst of these harsh judgments, God continues to provide visions to encourage believers. Today, we face trials that are much less severe than the ones revealed in Revelation. If we cannot learn to experience God's provision and see His purpose in the smaller trials, it will be difficult for us to do so in the bigger ones. Let me give an example to illustrate. Since my daughter grew up in the United States, she is not accustomed to facing hardship. My wife and I often think about the greater hardships that we faced in China growing up. When our daughter complains about everyday situations, like cold water in the swimming pool, we tell her, “You need to learn to endure hardship. Your mother and I grew up in China under much more difficult situations. If you cannot tolerate small trials, how will you be able to tolerate the greater difficulties you will eventually face in life?” However, no matter how much we said, we found that she still could not endure hardship as we once could. Many children raised in the United States have not experienced very much hardship compared to children who grew up in third-world countries. As a result, their ability to handle setbacks and pressure is limited. Although their mindset is healthier, children from the United States have less survival ability than those who have experienced hardship.

Similarly, when God called Hudson Taylor to China to spread the gospel, he intentionally moved to a poor area in East London to undergo what he called “hardship training.” There, he survived on bread and water. Through these difficulties, he tried to prepare himself for what was ahead. However, even with this training, he was still not prepared for the hardship he would face when he arrived in China. Since the Chinese people were resistant to foreigners, no one would rent him a house. He had to live in an idol’s temple. He could not sleep at night because every time he closed his eyes, beggars would steal his luggage. Because Hudson Taylor had trained himself to endure hardship for many years, he was able to overcome the difficult circumstances he encountered in China. As a result, he had the resilience and fortitude he needed to spread the gospel to countless Chinese people.

These examples show that if we do not learn to endure hardship in small situations, we will not be prepared for bigger ones. If we as Christ’s body do not learn obedience through everyday difficulties, we will not be prepared for greater suffering (such as those described in Revelation. We must learn to understand God's will in hardship, while also learning what God wants to teach us through it.

God's Trials for Us Will Not Exceed What We Can Bear

In order to learn the lessons God wants to teach us through our suffering, we must understand the nature of suffering. First, we must understand that Satan does not attack us because of our past sins and failures. We all have sinned, and we all have weaknesses. But if we sinned before we came to know Christ, or if we sinned as a believer and then repented, we are cleansed and forgiven by Christ’s precious blood. If we still think that our past failures and sins are causing Satan’s attacks, this perspective is rooted in fear. Once we truly repent and God forgives us, Satan has no right to attack, because the blood of the Lord overcomes him. No one, including Satan, can bypass the cleansing of the Lord's blood in order to attack you.

If this is true, then why do we often experience various attacks from Satan in our lives? Because even though we know about the Lord's redemption and the power of His precious blood, we fail to apply them or repent, thus giving Satan a foothold to attack us through fear and other means. If we live in sin despite our faith in Christ and knowledge of the truth, we give Satan a foothold, which often leads to attacks.

We must recognize that it is impossible for Satan to attack us without God's permission. Satan is under God's control, and Satan is not greater than God. He can only attack us within the limits that God sets. As we see in the Book of Job, Satan must first ask for God's permission before he can attack a person. God sets limits on Satan’s attacks, as we see in Job 1:12. God said, "You may attack his family, but you may not harm him.” Later, God allowed Satan to attack Job's body as long as he did not take his life. Again, God established His authority over Satan. Since God is the one who determines whether Satan can attack us and to what extent, we must seek His will during times of suffering and spiritual attack. Every attack has a purpose in God's plan. If we are in sin, God may want to use suffering to deal with areas of uncleanness in our lives. Even if we are blameless like Job, he can use suffering to help us grow in our knowledge of God and experience Him more fully (Job 42:5). When we experience suffering and spiritual attacks, we must seek God’s will and ask Him how he wants to use this suffering to help us mature and make us holy. Unfortunately, many Christians fail to seek God’s guidance when facing hardships and spiritual attacks. Sadly, they miss the opportunity to receive help from God.

Two people can face the same type of suffering with very different outcomes. One person may allow God to use the difficult circumstance to make them more like Him. This person grows in maturity and makes spiritual progress. Meanwhile, another person may fail to understand God’s purpose in suffering. They are unwilling to seek God’s will and submit to Him, and they fail to deal with sin and uncleanness in their lives. As a result, they continue wandering in the spiritual wilderness. Like the Israelites of the Old Testament, they fail to enter the promised land of God's blessing.

We Must Allow God to Remove our Sins and Uncleanness Through Suffering

Nothing happens to us by chance; every event is a part of God’s good purpose. Watchman Nee from the Inner Life Movement, Mrs. Jessie Penn-Lewis from the British Inner Life movement, and Madame Jeanne Guyon from the Catholic church all teach that God works through suffering—even the attacks of Satan. When we encounter suffering, we need to seek God through prayer so we can enter His presence, understand His purpose, and obey His will. As we do, we can learn God’s intentions to work all things together for good, and we can grow in obedience and prayer. If we fail to do this, we will waste the opportunity to learn what God wants to teach us through our circumstances.

If we fail to learn the lessons God is teaching us, we will continue to go in circles, facing the same tests over and over for years or even decades—just like the Israelites, who went in circles in the wilderness for forty years. Ironically, we will continue to face tests whether we learn the lessons or not. But if we don’t learn the lessons God wants to teach us, we will continue to repeat the lessons at the same level rather than progressing to the next level. Let me use the example of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test to illustrate this point. When grad students take the GRE for admission to grad school, all students answer the same number of questions. If the student answers the questions correctly, they are given increasingly harder questions to answer. If they continue answering the harder questions correctly, the test continues to increase in difficulty. Their final score may be in the top 5% or 10%. However, if the student answers incorrectly, the computer continues to give them questions on the same level. They do not advance, and they get a score in the 40-50% range. Like the Israelites wandering in the wilderness, they make no progress.

In the same way, the individuals who make up the body of Christ (referenced in Revelation 20) need to continue making progress and growing in maturity. When facing the same daily circumstances, some Christians continue on an upward trajectory, growing through the hardships God sends. They keep advancing in their spiritual journey. However, other Christians face the same struggles over and over without learning what God wants to teach them. They continue to struggle with relationships, conflicts, or circumstances without growing or maturing. After decades, they are still facing the same difficulties. Their personality has not changed for the better, and they are still wandering in the metaphorical wilderness.

Today, Satan disguises himself within our fleshly desires, difficult circumstances, or conflicts with our loved ones. He uses these circumstances to attack us. Why does God allow Satan to attack us through the people around us? Because He is testing us to see if we can conquer our bad habits, overcome our sins, and turn to Him in the midst of difficulties. If so, we can move to a deeper level of spiritual maturity.

So, while Revelation reveals the difficult circumstances that the entire body of Christ faces in end times, as well as the level of maturity the church as a whole reaches, some individual Christians will not share in this level of victory. Throughout history, there have always been victorious saints. I believe the 144,000, the firstfruits, are examples of overcomers. It is likely that these overcomers include not only victorious Christians across generations but also all the victorious saints from the Old Testament. For example, Hebrews 11 lists numerous examples of faithful saints from Adam onward. I believe they are part of these firstfruits as well.

Even though there have been many victorious individual believers throughout the ages, these overcomers did not receive what was promised because they were waiting for the remaining members of the body of Christ to mature (Hebrews 11:39). Verse 40 says, "Since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect." In the book of Revelation, God uses these various circumstances, especially these increasingly difficult trials, to bring more members of the body of Christ to maturity. This allows them to enter into the freedom and glory of God's children, which ultimately leads to the liberation of all creation from its bondage to corruption so it can join God’s children in freedom and glory (Romans 8:21).

Conclusion:

I believe that the entire body of Christ must reach maturity in order for the New Jerusalem to be fully complete. The number of chosen overcomers must reach 144,000, and the bride (the body of Christ) must become mature in order for the Lord Jesus to return. Even the martyrs, who cry out in Revelation 6:10 for God to judge those who dwell on the earth and avenge their blood, are told that they must wait until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who are to be martyred like they were is complete. Not only is there a specific number of people who must be martyred, but there is also a set number of people who must reach spiritual maturity.

Therefore, when we read Revelation, we should not focus solely on speculating about when Jesus will come back or identifying who the beast and false prophet are. Instead, we must read Revelation from the perspective of spiritual growth. We need to pray for all members of Christ’s body to recognize the necessity of progressing toward spiritual maturity. However, since every individual has free will and can decide how to live their lives, not everyone will choose the path of maturity. Those who submit to God and seek His will in the midst of life’s trials will mature more quickly and may even become part of the 144,000.

The first three verses of Revelation 20 are connected to the verse that follows. Revelation 20:4 says, “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed.” I believe the word "those” does not refer to the Lord. Instead, the word refers to people who have attained spiritual maturity and as a result have been granted this authority. This group may include the twelve apostles, since the Lord promised them, “You who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” As we grow spiritually through the trials of life and the attacks of Satan, we are led to the thrones God has prepared for us. This does not mean we are exalting ourselves, but rather that when our spiritual lives reach that level, God bestows upon us the authority to judge. The ability to judge others is not about taking an aggressive or vocal stance, but about being filled with the life of God. It is God’s life within us that judges the world, judges people, judges evil spirits, and judges Satan. The more God’s life and His presence are expressed in us, and the more we are sanctified, set apart, and conformed to the glorious image of the Son of God, the more authority we receive to judge. This is a matter of spiritual maturity, not merely a matter of position. When we are saved in Christ, we receive the authority to judge the world, Satan, and evil spirits. Paul explicitly states this regarding our position in Christ: “Do you not know that we are to judge angels?” However, if our spiritual life has not matured to that level, we will be unsuccessful in exercising this authority, just like the seven sons of Sceva were when they attempted to cast out a demon in Acts 19. When they rebuked the demon, the demon did not obey them. Instead, it replied, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15) If your level of spiritual maturity has not reached the necessary level, you will lack the authority to reign from the "throne of life" and judge others.

Therefore, as the end of the book of Revelation approaches, it emphasizes the collective maturity of Christ’s body. When we read the conclusion of Revelation, we must understand it in the context of the full maturity of Christ’s body. At this point, only one or two chapters remain before the entire old creation comes to an end. At that point, Christians will be revealed in glory with Christ, victorious. If Christ’s body has not yet matured to the extent that some believers can sit on thrones—or that the collective body of Christ can do so—how can we judge Satan and the old creation or bring God’s eternal purpose to completion? It would be impossible. Therefore, these events show that the body of Christ—Christ’s bride which is also a victorious army—has reached a certain level of spiritual growth. The maturity of the body of Christ and the maturity of individual believers is achieved through trials, attacks from Satan, and challenging circumstances. These difficulties enable us to grow and mature so we can overcome, gain the fullness and abundance of God's life, and eventually gain the authority to rule over the universe and Satan and to trample on serpents and scorpions. The final judgment in Revelation is intimately connected with the maturity of Christ’s body. When the body of Christ matures, believers can sit on thrones with Him. Without this maturity, which leads to reigning together with the Lord on the throne, the final judgment in Revelation would be impossible.

Revelation 21 (part 2)

Why Is There No Sea in the New Heaven and the New Earth?

Revelation 21:1 says, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." Why does it say here that the sea was no more? Does this mean that in the new heaven and new earth there will be no large bodies of water where water gathers? Not necessarily. Revelation 22:1 mentions the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Because this water flows endlessly, it could eventually form a sea. Though we can’t know for sure, I believe that this verse does not refer to literal bodies of water, but to the symbolic meaning of the sea in the ancient world.

To many ancient authors and thinkers, the sea represented chaos and unrest. It was a holding place for the souls of the dead and for evil spirits. We can see this idea in several passages in Scripture. The Lord Jesus permitted the unclean spirits to enter the herd of pigs, which then rushed into the sea and drowned (Luke 8:26–39). This suggests that there are unclean spirits in the sea. In the books of Daniel and Revelation, we see many dragons, beasts, and evil powers rising out of the sea with Satanic power and authority (Revelation 13:1–2, Daniel 7:3). These verses indicate that the sea contains beasts and evil spirits.

Additionally, the sea was seen as a holding place for the spirits of the dead. Revelation 20:13 says that when death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, the sea also gave up the dead who were in it. This passage equates the sea, death, and Hades as dwelling places for the dead. Verse 14 further states that death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. These passages indicate that the sea is a holding place for the dead.

The Bible does not provide many details about the sea as a holding place for the dead. We do not know how the souls in the sea differ from the souls held in death and Hades. However, the Bible does clearly state that these three places will give up their dead. This indicates that they are distinct from each other. In addition to the fact that death and Hades are ultimately thrown into the Lake of Fire, this chapter also mentions that in the New Heaven and New Earth, “the sea was no more.” This likely does not mean there will no longer be any bodies of water in the New Heaven and New Earth, but rather that certain functions of the sea in the old heaven and old earth will no longer exist.

I believe that the sea contains the bottomless pit, which confines various evil spirits, including the beast and Satan, and also holds the spirits of those who perished in Noah’s flood (1 Peter 3:19–20). Revelation 11:7 explicitly states that the beast came out of the bottomless pit. Revelation 9 mentions that locusts came out of the bottomless pit. Apart from being the place where the beast and evil spirits are confined, the bottomless pit is also described in Revelation 20:1 as the location where Satan is bound for a thousand years. Once Satan is released from the bottomless pit and thrown into the Lake of Fire, the bottomless pit and the sea will no longer be necessary.

When all the dead are resurrected and judged before the Great White Throne, some will enter eternal life, and others will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Evil spirits, the beast, the false prophet, and Satan will all be thrown into the Lake of Fire to be punished forever. Therefore, the sea will no longer be needed as a holding place for evil spirits, the beast, the false prophet, Satan, and the souls of certain people.

The sea, as it existed in the old heaven and old earth, served a specific function in the old creation. But when the old creation is rolled up like a garment (Hebrews 1:10–12), the sea's purpose will be rendered obsolete. We will examine this idea in detail in the next section.

The Old Heavens and the Old Earth Will Be Rolled Up Like a Garment

Hebrews 1:10-12 says, "And you, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end." This scripture is deeply significant and will greatly help us understand the disappearance of the old heavens, old earth, and sea in the book of Revelation. In this passage, the old heavens and earth are likened to an old garment that will one day be rolled up and removed.

When my daughter was younger, other families at church used to give her hand-me-downs that their children had outgrown. The clothes no longer fit their children, but they fit my daughter perfectly. Many of the clothes were beautiful and in good condition, and my daughter enjoyed wearing them. In the same way, we used to pass along clothes that our daughter had outgrown. They were not torn or unwearable; they simply did not fit her anymore because she had grown.

In the same way, as Christ’s body grows in stature to become more and more like Christ (Ephesians 4:13), she will outgrow her former garments. I believe the old heavens and earth will be laid aside because the church has outgrown them. As Christ’s body, the bride, grows in maturity, she will no longer need her old garments. As God's sons enter into God's glory, they will no longer need the old earth. Instead, they will put on the New Heaven and New Earth as their new garment.

When the bride of Christ is fully mature, she will wear fine linen, bright and pure (Revelation 19:8). She will “grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). Her life will be full of Christ’s life and she will be filled with all the fullness of God. “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:23). When the fullness of God fills the church, and through His body fills the universe, a new heaven and earth must come. The New Heaven and Earth are the new clothes that God has made for Christ’s bride.

The New Earth is also a new living and activity space for the bride, and it is full of righteousness. Peter explained, “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). Before this, Peter also mentioned that the day of the Lord will come like a thief. At that time, “the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn” (2 Peter 3:10-12).

Peter said that God’s righteousness will dwell in the New Heaven and New Earth. God is righteous, Christ is righteous, and the bride of Christ is wearing fine linen which represents the righteous deeds of the saints (Revelation 19:8). Daniel 12:3 says, "And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." This indicates that the righteousness of the saints will shine like the stars for eternity. If these righteous individuals fill the New Heaven and New Earth, then we can indeed say that righteousness dwells in the New Heaven and New Earth. For the body of Christ is made up of righteous people, and they will inhabit the New Heaven and New Earth.

The New Heaven and New Earth are undoubtedly our dwelling place, but they can also be seen as our garment. As believers grow in maturity and the righteousness of God fills them, the old heaven and old earth will metaphorically burst at the seams. Like old wineskins mentioned in Mark 2:22, the old earth will no longer be able to contain the spiritual growth and expansion of Christ’s body, the church.  At this time, the old heaven and old earth will be removed and will be rolled up like an outgrown garment (Hebrews 1:10-12).

In addition, Peter says that the old heaven and old earth will be burned and the elements will melt with fervent heat. When these elements are melted, will they be refined like gold, or will they be destroyed in the Lake of Fire? Will they be purified of impurities and made even more precious? Or will they be annihilated? Personally, I believe that the elements of the old heavens and old earth will be refined and purified of impurities so they can become part of the New Heaven and New Earth.

As people of the old creation, we are also part of the old heavens and old earth. Yet inside us is an element of newness that will one day fill our entire being. Paul says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Revelation 21:5 states, "And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'" Once we have received the life of Christ, we begin the process of becoming a new creation, a process that will ultimately transform us into a bride filled with righteousness. The old heavens and old earth will then be transformed to match our level of growth, maturity, and newness. At this time, the old heavens and old earth will no longer be suitable as our dwelling place because they are filled with impurity. Just like we will one day receive glorious bodies, we will also receive a glorious new place to live.

As We Grow Spiritually, We Must Shed our Old Garments

Let’s look at some analogies that help us understand that the old heavens and the old earth are like old garments that need to be left behind as we grow. The first analogy is a snake that sheds its skin. As a snake grows, its skin can no longer accommodate its size. Perhaps its skin is only five inches long, but its body inside has grown to six inches long. The five-inch skin can no longer accommodate its growth and has become a hindrance to further growth. At this time, the snake must shed its skin to continue growing.

At every stage of spiritual growth, there must be an outward renewal to match our inward growth. When I was 4 feet tall, I wore clothes that fit my height. But when I grew to 5 feet, my 4-foot clothes no longer fit and had to be replaced. This doesn’t mean the 4-foot clothes disappeared; they simply were too small for me. In the same way, why must the old heavens and the old earth be rolled up like a garment? Why will the sea no longer exist? Because the life of God’s Son within us has grown to such a degree that the old heavens and the old earth—like old garments—can no longer contain the new spiritual life we now possess.

May God grant us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to understand this spiritual truth. Paul said, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). Our outer self—our physical body—is temporary, like a garment, while our inner self—our spiritual life—is permanent. As our inner self is renewed and grows day by day, our outer self wastes away. This experience is like the transformation of a dragonfly nymph into a full-grown dragonfly. Each time it sheds its skin, it is more mature and closer to being a full-grown dragonfly. Similarly, as we leave behind our old self, we gain a renewed spiritual life. This is a continuous process. Paul explains, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18). We must continually put off the old self, like an old garment, and put on the new self, like a new garment. One day, when we enter into glory and receive our glorified bodies, the transformation from nymph to dragonfly will be complete.

Jesus said to His disciples, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains” (Matthew 24:7–8). In this passage, who or what is being born? I believe new life is being birthed into the world in several ways. First, the male child is being born (cf. Revelation 12:5). Second, Christ’s bride is preparing to enter eternal glory (Revelation 19:7 and Romans 8). And finally, the New Earth and New Heavens are coming into being. When the sons of God enter into God’s glory, the New Jerusalem will descend from heaven, and the birth pains will come to an end. At that time, the New Heaven and New Earth will be filled with righteousness.

The present suffering we experience—wars, famines, and earthquakes—are birth pains that bring forth the new creation. They are part of the process by which the old heaven and old earth are left behind, much like a snake shedding its skin. In Romans 8, Paul mentions that all things work together for the good of those who love God. Certainly, this includes even the negative things. The old heavens and earth contain many bad things, such as war, famine, earthquakes, and the sea, which may contain negative elements. However, God is using these negative elements to promote the ultimate birth of the new creation.

The purpose of the old creation is to bring forth the new creation. Once the new creation is fully revealed, the old creation will no longer be needed. For example, an eggshell is crucial for preserving the life of the developing chick, but once the chick hatches, the shell is no longer needed. Similarly, when the New Heaven and New Earth are revealed, the old heaven, old earth, and sea will no longer be needed. Like an eggshell, they will be discarded after the new life has emerged.

However, the converse is also true. Before the new life emerges, the eggshell is crucial for the survival of the growing chick. In the same way, the old heavens and earth are essential for the growth and maturity of the body of Christ. Just as our old bodies are crucial for our survival until we receive our resurrected bodies, the old creation is necessary until we receive new creation. Right now, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Eventually, the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to our mortal bodies. When we finally enter God’s glory, He will give us resurrection bodies. But before the new creation arrives, we must preserve the old creation, because the new creation comes from the old creation.

The Sea is a Temporary Symbol of Judgment

As we have seen, the sea is a symbol of evil and contains evil spirits, beasts, souls of the dead, and Satanic elements. The sea may also contain the bottomless pit, which holds all kinds of evil. The sea functions like a prison where certain souls and evil spirits are confined as part of God's judgment.

1 Peter 3:19-20 says that Jesus “went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.” The prison mentioned here is Tartarus, the deep, dark pit. The same concept is also mentioned in 2 Peter 2:4: “God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.” Clearly, this gloomy pit contains evil spirits and the souls of sinners—likely the ones who rejected Noah's invitation to board the ark. This passage says that Jesus went to this place of judgment to proclaim the gospel. If, in God's mercy, these souls eventually repent, then some of them may enter eternal life at the Great White Throne judgment.

God also mentions the angels that live in this place of judgment. Jude 1:6 says, “And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day.” When these spirits are judged at the Great White Throne, they will no longer need a temporary holding place. The gloomy pit and the sea will no longer be needed. Even Hades and Death will be thrown into the Lake of Fire.

When the sons of God enter God's glory, all creation will be liberated and set free. The entire old creation will pass away. Today, the old creation is gradually passing away. It is decaying day by day, just like our bodies. But the new creation is being renewed day by day. When one day the new creation is fully developed, the old creation will pass away.

Conclusion: We Must Experience Continuous Transformation and Growth

When the new creation arrives, the old creation will pass away. The new creation grows from within the old creation, and the old creation serves as a protective shell for the new creation, which is developing within it. Just like a snake needs its skin or a growing chick needs its shell, we need the old creation while we are growing and developing. But when we reach full maturity and enter God’s glory, the old creation will pass away.

Currently, the evil elements of the old creation are being used by God for his good purposes. They are the suffering that creates our maturity, and the birth pains that bring forth new life. One day, we will be set free from the old creation which has held us in bondage.

The process of growth and renewal is not only being experienced by the church as a whole, but also by individual Christians. Our outer self is decaying day by day, while our inner self is being renewed day by day.

We have seen that the sea is a temporary place for holding souls who will be judged. We must remember that judgment is merely a means to an end. God’s end goal is for people to repent, be saved, and mature in eternal life. This is the purpose of our loving God, whose thoughts toward us are thoughts of peace, not of disaster (Jeremiah 29:11). These words were originally spoken to the Israelites while they were in exile for their rebellion. Yet even then, God assured them of his good plans for their lives. In a similar way, we are now under the rule of Satan because of human sin and rebellion. However, God’s thoughts toward us are still good. Our difficult circumstances, hardships, and pain will ultimately help us grow and mature. When our new life is fully mature, we will shed the old life and enter into the new creation.

Why Is Satan Released After the Millennial Kingdom?

In the second half of Revelation 20 (verses 5–15), we learn about the Millennial Kingdom, the release of Satan, the rebellion of the nations, and the Great White Throne judgment. This passage raises several interesting questions.

• After the thousand-year reign of Christ, during which time Satan is bound in the bottomless pit, why is Satan released to test the nations? Wouldn’t it be better if he remained in the pit?
• After experiencing the personal reign of Christ on earth, why do the nations still rebel?
• Why can’t the Millennial Kingdom transition directly into eternity?

These questions were raised by one of the members of the Bible study I teach, and they are perplexing questions for many. In this article, I will attempt to provide an explanation from the perspective of spiritual growth.

The temple worship of the Old Testament is a helpful metaphor that helps us understand this passage. In the Old Testament, God’s people approached Him in three stages. First, they entered the outer court, where they could worship God but not see Him face to face. Then, they entered the Holy Place, where they were only separated from Him by a veil. Finally, they entered the Most Holy Place, where the priests could experience face-to-face fellowship with Him. This progression from the outer court to the Holy Place and Most Holy Place represents a gradual process of drawing closer to God, partaking of His holy nature, and escaping the corruption in the world caused by sinful desires (2 Peter 1:4).

Although Christ's death has opened the way for all people to approach the Most Holy Place, only a small number of believers throughout history have attained this level of spiritual maturity. Few believers know how to draw near to God in the Most Holy Place. Those who reach this level of spiritual maturity are the overcomers, and when their number is complete, the Millennial Kingdom will begin.

The Millennial Kingdom is the result of the small-scale victory of a few overcomers. However, God desires to replicate this victory on a larger scale. During the Millennial Kingdom, the overcomers will help even more believers mature in their spiritual lives under Christ’s leadership.

At the end of the Millennial Kingdom, God releases Satan to test and deceive the nations. The release of Satan represents humanity's final trial, in which all people are given the opportunity to choose Christ and defeat Satan. The release of Satan will again separate these individuals with mature spiritual lives from those who rebel.

At this time, the majority of people on earth achieve spiritual victory. These individuals, along with original overcomers, will become part of the holy city, the New Jerusalem, and the prepared, spotless bride that descends from heaven as described in Revelation 21:2. Those who fail this final test, who join Satan in making war against the saints, will face ultimate destruction by fire (Revelation 20:9). After this, Satan will also be cast into the lake of fire and sulfur.

Without this final trial, there would be no widespread victory to usher in the new heaven, new earth, and the New Jerusalem. Suffering and trials are indispensable parts of the path toward spiritual maturity. Only those who have undergone and overcome trials are worthy of eternal life and of entering the new heaven, new earth, and the New Jerusalem. I believe that even in eternity, these mature believers will have the opportunity to perfect and assist others who have entered eternity but whose spiritual lives remain immature, including those allowed into eternity after the Great White Throne judgment. In the new heaven and new earth, people’s spiritual lives will still exist on a continuum between the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. People will continue to have the opportunity in eternity to allow their spiritual lives to grow and mature further.

The Relationship Between Personal Spiritual Struggles and the Release of Satan

I have mentioned many times that there are many similarities between God's methods of dealing with the collective church and His methods of guiding our personal spiritual growth. When we see God’s work in our individual lives to lead us through suffering and trials toward spiritual maturity, we will have a deeper understanding of how He leads the church as Christ's bride toward maturity. In our personal spiritual journey, our usual attitude toward difficulties is to pray for God to remove them. However, God's solution is often not to remove the difficulty but to increase His grace. Paul once prayed three times for God to remove the thorn in his flesh. Regardless of what that thorn was, it must have been a significant difficulty in Paul's spiritual life. But the Lord's response to him was, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Watchman Nee shared a similar story about a difficult situation he was facing in his life. No matter how much he prayed, the difficulty was not removed. One day, while he was on a boat trip, he saw the small boat stranded among various reefs. While he was concerned about how the boat would get out, the tide suddenly rose, and the boat smoothly floated away from the reefs. He immediately received the revelation that God's way of dealing with his difficulty was not to remove the rocks (the trouble), but to increase the grace (the rising tide).

This insight can help us understand why God released Satan to test the people on earth. Just like we find it difficult to understand why God does not remove our personal trials in answer to our prayers, we also struggle to understand why God released Satan after the Millennial Kingdom.

Jesus has already gained victory over Satan through His death and resurrection. However, each individual believer (as well as the collective church) must apply Christ’s victory to their personal lives. If Satan were bound without the saints achieving victory, our problem would not be ultimately solved. The difficulties we face are key to our maturity. When Satan is released after the Millennial Kingdom, he tests the nations and provides an opportunity for people to grow in maturity.

When Satan is released, God’s people will be victorious. As Jesus said, Satan has no hold on Jesus and no power over him (John 14:30). Therefore, whether Satan is released or not is not the key; the key is whether or not we gain the victory.

Some people believe that Satan is released to test the generation of people who were born during the Millennial Kingdom. According to this belief, these children born during the Millennial period do not yet know Jesus. However, this view raises some questions.

• If people continue to be born during the Millennial Kingdom, would any of them reach the end of their normal human lifespan and die without learning to know God?
• If Jesus is publicly reigning as King, how could there still be people who do not know God?

We cannot answer these questions for sure, but we do know that many people still oppose God after the Millennial Kingdom. Satan convinces them to rebel against God and attack the camp of the saints, which indicates that they do not know God. Despite having seen God and Christ personally reigning on earth, these people still rebel against them.

I believe these people’s final fate is similar to Satan’s. Revelation 19 mentions that these people are killed by the sword from Jesus' mouth, but there is no mention of their eternal end. However, the Great White Throne judgment will certainly reveal their final outcome.

Satan’s Final Deception and Humanity's Ultimate Rebellion Usher in the Great White Throne Judgment

God is the judge of the living and the dead. As Peter said, God's judgment begins with the household of God (1 Peter 4:17), those who are currently alive. The judgment we experience while we are alive is an opportunity for our spiritual growth.  

The dead will also eventually face judgment as an expression of God's justice. Many who have died may not have had the opportunity to hear the gospel, but perhaps they will hear it in the afterlife. Perhaps God's judgment of them will be based on their conscience and the record of their deeds. Those not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:12-15). Perhaps the dead will still have the opportunity to receive the gospel’s teachings in the afterlife. While this is not explicitly taught in the Bible, some prophetic writings mention similar ideas. For example, author Lai Wangxiulan mentions that the Lord told her that some people in the valley of the dead were receiving teachings from the Bible. Those who repented would enter paradise, while those who did not repent would go to hell. These accounts may refer to the judgment the dead will face in the future.

If these accounts are true, they help us better understand the passages in this chapter. If the dead still have an opportunity to repent in the future, then those who have died and faced judgment throughout history may not necessarily suffer the second death. It is important to clarify here that not everyone will have the chance to hear the gospel and repent after death. Only those who did not hear the gospel while alive, and are awaiting judgment at the Great White Throne, may have this opportunity. In addition, I believe the gospel will be preached to other people who were not immediately condemned to hell but who are awaiting judgment at the Great White Throne.

Ultimately, the fate of these individuals is God’s decision. At the Great White Throne, God will give the final verdict regarding the ultimate fate of the dead. Before this judgment, trials and sufferings may have provided people with the opportunity to decide whether to gain the victory and enter eternity. Those who are victorious are certainly those who have chosen Jesus Christ as their life and have entered eternity, but not all who have chosen Jesus Christ as their life are necessarily overcomers.

Understanding the Millennial Kingdom from this perspective might help us better grasp why Satan is released. First, what is the spiritual condition of the people alive during the Millennial Kingdom? If some are not yet saved, then the final trial by Satan is significant—it separates the wheat from the tares. One issue within Western Christianity is that many believers equate Biblical knowledge with a true relationship with God. If a person is familiar with Biblical terms, they assume they are close to God. If individuals alive during the Millennial Kingdom make the same mistake, this trial by Satan will expose their hearts.

Some people will be killed by the sword proceeding from the Lord’s mouth, but the Bible does not explicitly say they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. God’s word says that he will burn the tares. Because of this, I believe that if these individuals sincerely repent after death (before the judgment at the Great White Throne takes place), they may still have the opportunity to enter eternal life.

When I was sharing the gospel with Chinese students on an American campus, I encountered a recent immigrant student who needed help. I provided him with a lot of assistance, but he did not accept the Lord. However, we became friends. Even though we are no longer in the same city, I still remember him in my prayers, hoping that one day circumstances will come into his life to help him ultimately accept Jesus Christ. He is my little lamb, and I care for him deeply. Similarly, I believe that God cares for and shepherds the people born during the Millennial Kingdom—even those who rebel. The trials that arise from Satan's temporary release after the Millennial Kingdom may cause some to stumble, but they may lead others to repentance. As I have mentioned before, suffering and trials are merely the means to an end. The ultimate goal is repentance and blessing of eternal life with God. God's mercy and wisdom are beyond what we can imagine.

David: I Will Make Your Enemies a Footstool for Your Feet

Finally, let’s talk about the importance of victory. One day, God will turn Satan’s trials into a stepping stool for us, helping us ascend to the victorious throne. As David said in the Psalms, "God has prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies" (Psalm 23:5).  This means that even when we face attacks from our enemies—just as David experienced countless attacks from Satan—God sets a table before us in the presence of our enemies. The question is, will we focus on the enemy's attacks, or will we focus on the table set before us by God?

The Bible says that the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20). Why? Because it is God's will and pleasure to give you the victory. And how do you crush Satan under your feet? You must overcome the trials, suffering, persecution, and stumbling blocks in your path, and you must also recognize the table that God has set before you in the midst of your suffering. When you live in the peace of God, you are lifted up to the third heaven to sit with the Lord on His throne. As a result, the God of peace crushes Satan under your feet, and you realize that the difficulties that once hindered you have become your footstool. David said: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'I will make your enemies your footstool.'" One day, Satan will become your footstool. He will become a stepping stool to help you ascend to the throne of God. God will make everything work together for your good, and you will see how great and beautiful God's will is.

With each small difficulty we overcome, we conquer Satan in one more way. Each trial becomes a stepping stool that allows us to ascend to the crown of life and the throne.

The Church’s Maturity Will Pave the Way for the Final Judgment and the Millennial Kingdom

In Acts 19, we read about the seven sons of Sceva who attempted to cast out some demons. But they were not successful. Instead, the demons overpowered and harmed the men. The evil spirits even mocked them, saying, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15).

The inability to cast out demons is not limited to the seven sons of Sceva; it is a common experience for many Christians today. Demons and evil spirits are often at work in the lives of individuals and congregations, yet we are unable to identify and cast out these evil spirits. Not only can individual Christians be possessed by demons, but churches can also become a dwelling place for Satan when they accept the teachings of demons. The reason for this is a lack of spiritual maturity. Only when we reach the level of spiritual maturity of Paul or of Christ will we be able to successfully cast out demons from our lives and the church.

The final chapters of Revelation, including the latter part of chapter 19, describe the casting out of evil spirits on a cosmic scale. The Lord Jesus and His bride defeat the beast, the false prophet, and their kings at Armageddon. They then cast these evil forces out of the world. This passage not only describes the victorious Christ, but it also describes the bride’s pure white garments. I believe these garments represent purity and maturity. Even though the Lord Jesus has already won the victory on the cross, the beast and his followers cannot be judged until the bride reaches a place of victorious maturity.

This principle not only applies to the end times, but also to our present-day spiritual lives. Difficulty and oppression from evil spirits are tools that God uses to bring us to maturity. As we mature spiritually, we will be victorious over the evil spirits that are affecting a certain area of our lives.

Let's take a detailed look at the latter part of this chapter, which includes descriptions of Christ, His bride, and their victory over the beast, the false prophet, and the kings. This passage not only contains future prophecy, but also wise principles that we can apply to the church and the world today.

In Revelation 2:26, Jesus promised the church in Thyatira that the one who overcomes will be given authority to rule the nations with a rod of iron. We often think that this victorious authority will happen automatically once we go to heaven. As a result, we often overlook the process of suffering that is necessary to reach this victorious state. We forget that we need to apply Christ’s victory to our lives today so we can gain victory over sin and struggle. Only then will we have the maturity to rule over the nations with authority. If we merely hope for the arrival of the Millennial Kingdom so we can reign with Christ, we overlook the process and jump directly to the end. It is impossible to attain victory without going through the process of suffering. As Paul encouraged the disciples, “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Suffering is an indispensable path to growing in spiritual maturity, attaining a victorious life, and entering God's kingdom.

What is true of the individual believer is also true of the collective church. The maturity of the bride and the victory of the church, as recorded in Revelation 19, are the result of countless individual believers gaining maturity through suffering. Without the victory and maturity of individual believers, there is no collective maturity of the church as the bride and body of Christ.

Many Christians do not pursue personal spiritual growth and victory, but only long for the New Jerusalem to descend from heaven or for the sudden return of the Lord Jesus. This is irresponsible and childish behavior, akin to spiritual infancy. Without suffering, there can be no spiritual maturity, and many Christians who are unwilling to learn and grow from suffering are destined to fail to reach spiritual maturity.

The Fullness of Life Within and the Manifestation of Righteousness Without

In Revelation 19, the victorious bride is wearing fine linen which represents the righteous acts of the saints. On the surface, it may seem like this verse is encouraging us to do righteous deeds. However, if we are not filled with God's life within, we cannot produce righteous deeds (fine linen) outwardly.

Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil” (Matthew 12:34-35). What fills our hearts will inevitably be revealed externally. Jesus' brother, James, also said, “Can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water” (James 3:12). Only when we are filled with the life of Jesus Christ and God can his life be manifested in the righteous acts of the body of Christ, which is the bride.

We must first experience the filling of the Holy Spirit and the life of Jesus Christ in our spirits, and then we can experience the outward renewal and transformation of our souls and offer our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). When we are filled with God's life, we will live out the righteous deeds of Christ, manifesting the fine linen.

Jesus Christ is the fullness of God, and the body of Christ is the fullness of Christ. Therefore, together with Christ the Head, we become the fullness of God, manifested throughout the universe, filling all things. Without the inward fullness of Christ, we cannot accomplish external acts, such as casting out evil spirits. Only when the church is full of Christ will the final judgment take place. The church’s maturity brings about the judgment of all things, including the beast, the false prophet, the kings, and even Satan.

In the letters from Jesus to the seven churches, we see that God intends for the church to receive the fullness of God's life within. In the letter to the church in Thyatira, overcoming believers receive authority to rule the nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:26). As we’ve discussed in other lessons, we can only receive this rod of iron by overcoming “the deep things of Satan” (2:24), which means exposing and removing the work of Satan and evil spirits from our lives. How can we remove evil spirits from our lives? This can only happen when Christ’s life fills us. The more we are filled with the life of Christ, the less room there is for Satan and evil spirits to work within us. Jesus was so filled with the Holy Spirit that he could say about Satan, “He has no claim on me” (John 14:30). As we are filled with Jesus Christ, we can conquer Satan and produce the righteous deeds that are mentioned in the next letter, the letter to Sardis.

After the letter to Thyatira lays the foundation of being filled with Christ’s life internally, the letter to the church in Sardis explains how the church can manifest outward righteousness. Jesus promises that those who overcome in Sardis will be dressed in white garments and will walk with Him in white (Revelation 3:4-5).

The message to these two individual churches reflects the experience of the universal church in Revelation 19. In other words, the authority to rule the nations with a rod of iron (which results from being filled with Jesus’ life) and the promise of being clothed with white garments (messages to Thyatira and Sardis in Revelation chapters 2-3), is fully expanded and manifested in Revelation 19. The latter part of Revelation 19 describes how Christ’s victory and the church’s victory give them the authority to rule the nations with a rod of iron and to defeat the beast, the false prophet, and the armies of the kings. It also shows the bride, clothed in white, walking with the Lord. The bride, as the victorious body of Christ, joins the Lord in judging the nations and the evil spirits behind them.

This principle is not only applicable to the end times described in Revelation, but can also be applied to our personal spiritual lives today. If we are filled with the life of Jesus Christ, we can overcome the deep things of Satan and defeat the enemy's work in us. Then we will be able to walk with the Lord in white garments, displaying Christ's righteous deeds in our lives. Through his victory, we can be included in the 144,000.

The Crown on Christ's Head and the Robes Dipped in Blood

How do we experience being filled with God’s life today? By looking to Christ and imitating Him, as Paul said, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). How do we imitate Christ? By having a true knowledge and revelation of Him. When Jesus came to the earth, many did not recognize Him, and some even mistook Him for Elijah or John the Baptist. However, when He asked His disciples who they thought He was, Peter declared that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter received this revelation from God the Father Himself. As a result, Jesus called Peter the rock, and said the church would be built upon this rock, and the gates of hell would not be able to overcome it.

The degree to which we are filled with God's life depends on how deeply we comprehend the revelation of Jesus Christ. As we gaze upon and look to the Lord Jesus, we experience transformation. Just as a mirror, we reflect the glory of the Lord, and are transformed into His glorious image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:16). The truth revealed by Paul is the key to understanding the victory of the churches of Thyatira and Sardis in Revelation 2-3. Our understanding of Jesus, particularly through revelation, will ultimately allow us to transform into his image.

In Revelation 19, Jesus reveals a vision of his traits and characteristics that can help His people reach maturity. Revelation 19:11 tells us that “the heavens were opened.” This is reminiscent of what happened in Revelation chapters 4-5, when John sees “a door standing open in heaven,” and hears the sound of a trumpet. He is then taken in the Spirit to heaven, where he sees God’s throne and God’s work on the throne. Therefore, John sees that “the heavens were opened” here, and then begins to unveil a series of characteristics and descriptions of Christ.

The characteristics of Christ described in Revelation 19 are the key to the church’s transformation and victory. By knowing Christ personally and understanding the traits of Jesus Christ revealed in Revelation 19:11-16, the church is built up to maturity. The depiction of Christ in this passage is inseparable from the subsequent description of the church wearing white garments and judging the beast, false prophet, and the kings with the Lord. The more we understand and absorb the revelation of Christ, the more we understand our identity and position in Christ, and the more authority we gain to govern the universe and tread on serpents and scorpions.

The descriptions of Christ in Revelation 19 are deliberate and significant, emphasizing His role as the ultimate judge coming to judge the whole world and to avenge the martyrs. In Revelation 6, John saw the saints under the altar, crying out for justice (6:10). In that passage, God told them that the number of those to be martyred was not yet completed. By the time we reach Revelation 19, the number is complete and the time has come for justice.

The cry for justice from the saints, which is a request to judge Babylon the Great, has already been recorded in detail in the first half of Revelation 19. The second half of the chapter describes Christ as the great Judge who judges the Beast, the False Prophet, and the kings of the earth. Verse 11 reveals Jesus sitting on a white horse. He is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. Verse 12 describes Jesus’ eyes as being like a flame of fire, which symbolizes judgment. On His head are many diadems, symbolizing His victory. The verse also says He has a name written on him that only He Himself knows, which indicates His complete victory in every aspect. He is clothed in a garment dipped in blood, referring to the work of His precious blood, which has permeated His robe. This symbolizes that His body (the church) has been cleansed by His blood. These saints have been purified by the blood of Jesus and have been martyred for His testimony. The fine linen worn by the saints has also been purified by His blood. The righteousness of Jesus Christ fills both Christ and His body, the church. The more we understand Christ, who is the head of His body, the more we experience the purity of His cleansing blood in our lives (represented by the fine linen worn by the saints).

Revelation 19 describes Christ’s body, the church, as a heavenly army. They are riding on white horses like He is, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, following Him. This confirms what I said earlier, that the body of Christ, the church, is cleansed by Christ's precious blood, righteousness, and holiness.

As the description of Jesus continues, we learn that He has a sword coming out of His mouth, which can strike down the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron (19:15). This further confirms that Revelation 19 depicts the victory of both Christ and believers. Like the believers in the church of Thyatira, all victorious believers will rule the nations with a rod of iron.

The letters written by Jesus to the seven churches are secrets to victory for both individual Christians and the church as a whole. While the letters to the churches teach the principles to individual churches, Revelation 19 reveals the victory that happens when the collective church applies the principles. The principles revealed in both passages are the same, and understanding these principles will help us better comprehend the book of Revelation. The former is a prototype, the latter is its fulfillment.

Revelation 19:15 tells us that Jesus Christ will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty, bringing about the final judgment on the beast, the false prophet, the kings, and Satan. In verse 16, we learn that on His robe and thigh, He has a name written: King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. He is the Lord who judges all.

The Relationship Between the Help of the Heavenly Army and the Maturity of Our Lives

In Revelation 19:17, an angel summons the flying birds to gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings and of nations. The flying birds are a part of God's creation, and they help Him execute judgment upon the rebellious kings and people. This demonstrates that even angels and birds can help execute God's judgment, when He commands it.

The false prophet, evil beasts, and kings whom God is judging are part of a greater system that ironically helps God’s chosen people grow and mature. They are like scaffolding that remain in place until the construction is complete. What is God building? He is building the New Jerusalem. The evil kings are like scaffolding, which remain in place until construction is finished.

Another image that helps us understand the role of the kings of the earth is the image that King Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream in Daniel 2. A stone that is not cut by human hands will strike the feet of the great image, crushing it. The stone will then fill the earth, at which point the whole earth will become the kingdom of our Lord and Christ.

The beast, the false prophet, and others are merely branches attached to the great tree (Daniel 4). When it is cut down, the stump of Jesse will remain (Isaiah 11:1). Then new branches will grow from the stump. The great tree of Christ and His new bride will grow.

Revelation 19:19-21 records how the beast and the kings of the earth, along with their armies, fight against the one riding the white horse and are defeated. The beast and the false prophets who worship its image are captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. The rest are slain by the sword that comes from the mouth of Him who sits on the white horse, and all the birds are gorged with their flesh. Jesus Christ judges the beast, the false prophet, and the rebellious kings and civilians. Those who worship the image of the beast will receive a double punishment. Their souls will be tormented eternally in the lake of fire, and their flesh will be eaten by flying birds. This is a symbolic image, paralleling the cutting down of the branches of Nebuchadnezzar's great tree.

Conclusion: We Must Eagerly Long for Spiritual Maturity

Many people read the book of Revelation from the perspective of the end times. They focus on understanding its signs so they can identify the Antichrist and the beast in the present-day world. While it is important for us to be alert and recognize the signs of the end times and the characteristics of the Antichrist so we can be watchful in prayer, our main focus in reading the book of Revelation should be on spiritual growth. Without spiritual maturity in our individual Christian lives, it is impossible to gain the victory over Satan in our own personal lives. Before we can even speak of ruling the nations, we must overcome Satan in our own lives and in the lives of our families. It is unfortunate that many Christians look forward to ruling the nations when they cannot even rule their own lives. As a result, Satan is gaining a foothold in their lives and the lives of their families. They are not making use of the tools Jesus has provided, which will give us victory and authority over Satan in our personal lives. Only when we rule over Satan with a rod of iron in our own lives will we be able to use our God-given authority to rule the nations with a rod of iron.

Similarly, when Christ’s church reaches maturity, we will receive a rod of iron to rule the nations and bring judgment on the rebellious nations, the false prophet, and the beast, ushering in the millennial kingdom. I hope that all Christians will deeply meditate on the seven letters Jesus wrote to the churches, as they lay the foundation for the judgments depicted at the end of Revelation. Without the collective maturity of Christ’s body, the church, the millennial kingdom cannot come. The millennial kingdom is not merely something that descends from heaven; it is the fruit of our spiritual maturity.

Our job is not simply to wait for the return of the Lord Jesus. He declared, “I am coming soon,” over two thousand years ago, yet He has not yet returned. He is waiting for us to mature spiritually so that we can become His pure bride and His powerful army, ready to marry Him and defeat His enemies. May we all pray in this way: “Lord, I long for Your return, but I desire even more to mature quickly.”

God's Salvation Approaches Its Completion

In Revelation 19:7, the Biblical story of salvation reaches a turning point of great significance. This verse says, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready” (NIV). The bride’s preparation is a source of great joy. Why is this such an important turning point?

Romans 8:21 reveals an important link between the salvation of God’s people and the restoration of all creation. One day, God will release His creation “from its bondage to decay” and bring it into “the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Romans 8:21, NIV). This will only take place when God’s sons are revealed (Romans 8:19, NIV). God will ultimately restore all of creation to its original perfection—but only when God’s children are also set free and revealed.

God says: “all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). But his purpose links together creation and his children. All creation longs to be set free. It waits with eager longing for the sons of God to enter into glory. Only then can it be set free from bondage (Romans 8:21). This passage reveals God's method of salvation.

The story of God’s plan to restore this broken world can be traced back to Genesis. After He created the universe, God declared that his creation was good. But when He created humanity, He called mankind “very good.” This was before humanity’s fall.

Before the fall, everything was good, and God’s design for his creation remained intact. However, after Satan’s rebellion, both the heavens and the earth were defiled. One-third of the angels were cast out of heaven, and after humanity succumbed to Satan's deception and rebellion, all of creation fell under a curse. As a result of this disrupted order, lions became predators and venomous serpents began to harm humans. All these were consequences of creation being subjected to bondage.

Yet, Isaiah speaks of a future restoration when all things will be renewed: “The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain” (Isaiah 65:25). Even serpents suffer under this bondage. Because Satan used a snake for his evil purposes, all serpents were cursed by God. However, when all things are restored, even snakes will no longer harm anyone.

So, how can all of creation be restored? What is the overarching theme of God's plan of salvation? God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus, through His sacrifice on the cross, became our redemption, taking away our sins so that we might return to the Father. God accomplished this work through Christ and now offers salvation to all who believe. But not everyone will accept his salvation and enter into the glory of the sons of God. The difference between those who accept His gift and those who do not is a central theme of the Scripture.

Jesus Christ is the firstborn Son of God, and all who believe are also sons. We are predestined to enter into God’s glory. However, we go through stages of growth and maturity as we grow into our full glory as sons of God. After being born again, we start out like little children. Then we grow and mature to become full-grown sons. Finally, we become heirs of God through Christ. These stages represent the continual process of transformation. As we mature and ultimately enter into the glory of God's sons, God promises that creation will be set free from its bondage.

In Revelation 19, God's plan of salvation is near completion. The bride represents the mature sons of God as they enter His glory. At the same time, the judgment of the great harlot symbolizes God's judgment on Satan and the evil spirits, who have subjected creation to bondage. During the Battle of Armageddon, Christ and His bride defeat the beast and his great harlot. After this battle, the creation will be set free from its bondage.

From Children to Heirs: A Spiritual Progression

The Bible reveals a process of maturation for God’s children, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. God’s sons must move from infancy to childhood and then to mature sons ready to become heirs. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were like infants, needing the law as a guardian to discipline and guide them (Galatians 3:23-25). However, when Jesus Christ came, He became the fulfillment of the law, so that everyone who believes in Him would be justified by faith (Romans 10:4). The Israelites had to transition from being led by the law as their guardian to accepting the personal leadership of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As we trust in Him and grow spiritually, we become mature sons, ready to inherit His glory.

When the Apostle Paul speaks of God’s children, he uses two distinct Greek words to describe the progression from children to heirs. In Romans 8:16, the word "children" in Greek is teknon ("The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God"). However, in verse 17, it says, "and if children, then heirs." In this verse, the word for children is “huios,” which refers to a mature son. This is the word used when the Father says of Jesus, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).

The entire Biblical story, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, describes a process of growth in the lives of God’s children. But many Israelites rejected this growth, and as a result, many failed to recognize Jesus when he appeared.

When the disciples asked Jesus which prophet was the greatest, Jesus said that John was greater than all Old Testament prophets; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven was greater than John (Matthew 11:11). Why? Because no OT prophet had Jesus or the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. But even the least in the kingdom of heaven has Jesus and the Holy Spirit living within them. Since Jesus is greater than Solomon and the temple (Matthew 12:6), those in the kingdom of heaven who have Jesus and the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, are naturally greater than John. But since many Israelites rejected this process of growth and maturity, they were unwilling to accept the justification that Jesus brought.

In 1 John 2:12-14, the Apostle John mentions three stages of spiritual growth that mirror the stages of natural development. Believers start out less mature, like little children. They then grow in maturity, like young men. Finally, they reach the stage of a spiritual father. I believe the American church is in the young man stage. On the other hand, countries like China are in the first stage of maturity. These countries have not yet been evangelized, and the percentage of believers is still very small. For example, in China, there are only about 6% Christians. Although the spiritual life of each individual Christian can vary greatly, the spiritual life of China as a nation is often very immature. The influence of Christian culture within society is also quite limited. In contrast, the United States is in the young man stage because 65% of the population identifies as Christian, and Christian culture has permeated society. Although there is still much corruption in the United States, it is still stronger than countries like China, which are in a pre-gospel state. As the Chinese saying goes, “The sickly camel is still bigger than the horse.”

That is not to say that American Christians have no room for growth. Many American Christians refuse to grow spiritually, and teenagers are in rebellion. This creates many issues in society. If the American Christians would continue to grow spiritually, they would not only be able to address the political and social issues in the United States, but they could also bring a greater and more positive influence to the world.

What does maturity look like in a child of God? On an individual level, maturity refers to a victorious life, reigning with the Lord on the throne (Revelation 3:21). On a collective level, it refers to entering into the glory of God's sons, reigning with Jesus Christ. At that time, we become the mature heirs of God as his bride. This is the scene described in Revelation 19:7-9.

The three main sections of the Bible also mirror the three stages of growth and maturity in the life of God’s people.

1. The first stage includes the entire Old Testament and the Gospels. During this period, the Israelites are like spiritual children. In the Gospels, the Lord Jesus told His disciples that there were many things they did not understand and could not yet bear, and that they would only understand them when the Holy Spirit came.
2. The book of Acts and the epistles address the church’s spiritual growth pains. In one of Paul's letters, he mentions that the Corinthians should have grown to the point of eating solid food, but instead, they were still spiritual infants, only able to drink milk.
3. In John’s letters, some believers have reached the stage of spiritual “fathers.” The Book of Revelation highlights various trials that have helped believers mature. Although there have been victorious saints throughout the ages, the collective process of spiritual growth began in Genesis and ended in revelation.

The Bride’s Fine Linen Represents the Manifestation of God’s Glory

Another metaphor that God uses to describe His people is the Bride. What does the term "Bride" mean? It means we are filled with the life of Jesus Christ to the extent that His life is manifested through us, and we become His replica. We do not shine on our own, but we are clothed with bright, clean, fine linen, allowing God's light to shine through us. The fine linen represents the righteous deeds of the saints. When we are justified by faith in Christ, we are filled with the life of God. This life makes us pure and bright, like a bright inner light. This light shines out through the semi-transparent fine linen we are wearing. The linen represents our righteous acts, which demonstrate the life of God within us.

The Bride of Christ, a replica of Christ, signifies the completion of God’s will. In addition, this metaphor describes a pairing. Those chosen by God as His bride become the New Jerusalem, which is described in the next chapter as the Lamb's wife (see Revelation 21). These three metaphors all describe the experience of God’s people. We are the sons of God waiting to be glorified; we are the bride of the Lamb; and we are the New Jerusalem.

After we are transformed by God's redemption and united with the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, all things will enter into God's glory. This is what is spoken of in the beginning of Colossians 3, where Paul says, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Like a carnation flower hidden within its seed, our lives are hidden with Christ in God. When He is revealed, we will also be “revealed with Him in glory.” One day, Jesus Christ will be revealed as described in Revelation 19, and we will also be revealed with Him and will enter into the glory of God's sons. Right now, we are like the seed of a carnation—not very impressive or beautiful. But when Christ’s life is revealed, the beauty of our lives will unfurl like a flower.

At that time, the scene described in Revelation 19 will take place. We will praise God, and He will judge the great harlot. Before we reach this level of maturity, however, all creation will be ruled by the great harlot, Babylon the Great. This is why Revelation 19:1-6 records the judgment of Babylon the Great.

The Harlot, Babylon the Great, Creates Suffering and Growth

In Revelation 19, the great city of Babylon (the harlot) is mentioned for the last time. After that, it is burned. In Revelation 18, it is important to note that God crushes Babylon the Great rather than simply burning it. This is because Babylon the Great has imprisoned many believers. During a process of purification, God saves the lost sheep trapped in Babylon the Great. Only then does he begin to burn Babylon (18:9). In this chapter, God tells us once again that “the smoke from her burning goes up forever and ever” (19:3).

In Romans, Paul says that believers will one day enter into the glory of the children of God. After our victory, when the scene described in Revelation 19 takes place, all things will be restored. We as believers will be freed from the oppression of the enemy, and creation will be set free from bondage. All of creation will be renewed, just as Isaiah foretold.

Babylon the Great is evil, but her influence is a double-edged sword. As Paul says in the book of Romans, all things work together for good for those who love God. Babylon’s oppression is bad, but it will be used by God to create good. The sufferings Babylon creates help push people toward spiritual maturity. On one hand, she oppresses us, but on the other hand, these sufferings force us to mature. The intense sufferings described in Revelation are part of God’s plan to create intense maturity.

In Revelation 19:1, a great multitude in heaven praises God, shouting “Hallelujah.” They praise God's judgment as true and just and glorify God for avenging the blood of His servants (19:2). This corresponds to the prayer of the saints under the altar in Revelation 6, who cried out for vengeance but were told to wait a little while until the number of those who would be killed like them was complete. I believe that in Revelation 19, the number of martyrs who would be slain by Babylon the Great has reached its full number. This is why God judges Babylon the Great. In 19:3, the saints once again say, “Hallelujah.”

I also noticed that the saints say, that “the smoke of her [Babylon’s] burning goes up forever and ever.” Although it doesn't mention Babylon being thrown into the lake of fire in this passage, the reference to “burning forever” points indirectly to the judgment of the great harlot in the lake of fire. This is the first time I have noticed this.

The next passage describes the 24 elders who are praising God because His work has been completed. All they can say in response is, “Amen, Hallelujah.” These 24 elders are mentioned three times in Revelation, each time in the context of worship—particularly when God accomplishes a great work. At those magnificent moments, the 24 elders, along with the four living creatures, worship the One who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen! Hallelujah!” Here, the 24 elders have nothing else to say but “Amen” and “Halleluiah,” because God has finished His great work.

In the Bible, there are three significant places where the completion of God’s great work is mentioned. After the Heavenly Father completed the work of creation in the Old Testament, the Bible says “the heavens and the earth were completed” (Genesis 2:1). After the completion of His work of creation, God rested. Similarly, when the Lord Jesus was crucified, He also declared, "It is finished." His death on the cross marked the fulfillment of Christ's work of redemption. However, in the book of Revelation (10:7, 16:17, 21:6), the term "It is done" refers to the bride being fully mature and prepared for her husband, Christ (Revelation 21:6). This indicates that the work of the Holy Spirit was finished. He had transformed Christ's body, the church, into a spotless bride presented to God. After all creation is restored, and God's work is fully completed, then God says, "It is done." Heaven then bursts into joyous celebration and praises God. Following the praise of the 24 elders, a voice from the throne resounds, calling all creation to worship God. I believe this signifies Christ on the throne, leading all creation in worship of God. Subsequently, the heavenly multitude, which is the Body of Christ, responds to Christ’s leadership and begins to praise God.

Conclusion:

The vision presented in Revelation 19:1-10 portrays a heavenly scene in which God's salvation nears completion.

The first half of Revelation 19 reveals three topics:

• The judgment of Babylon the Great
• The preparation of the bride
• Christ leading the bride (and all creation) in to praise God.

The latter half of the chapter unveils Christ's body (the bride) engaging in battle under Christ’s leadership. In the Battle of Armageddon, the church and Christ battle the beast, the false prophet, and the kings who are allied with them. Ultimately, they are defeated, and the beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire.

What event precipitates the final judgment? The maturity of Christ’s bride. When she is fully prepared and mature, and the sons of God enter into glory, all these events begin to unfold. God will not judge Babylon the Great until the bride is mature and the number of martyrs is complete. But when the bride is ready, God judges and burns Babylon.

At the same time, the bride attends the marriage supper of the Lamb, and Christ takes her as His own. Christ then leads His bride (and all creation) in a magnificent song of praise to God, who sits on the throne. The 24 elders also bow down to worship and praise God.

Finally, the words of Paul are fulfilled: All things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will be united in worship of God through Christ, fully manifesting God’s wisdom to all creation. Paul writes that his goal is “to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 3:9-10). Perhaps this is why the 24 elders are so awestruck. When all things are restored, and all of creation worships God under the leadership of Christ and His bride, they marvel at God’s wisdom and offer heartfelt praise.

As Christ’s bride enters the glory of the sons of God, all creation is released from its bondage, and we as believers begin to share in Christ’s glory. After Christ is united with His bride, they confront the beast, the false prophet, and their kings before finally defeating Satan, the ancient serpent.

Today’s church is far from mature. We are not yet ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb. This is why I do not believe we are in the end times. Christ’s return cannot be imminent because His bride is not yet mature. We must set aside our speculations about the last days and instead learn the lessons of maturity that God wants to teach us through suffering in this present age. Only then will we be prepared to become Christ’s mature bride.

God Judges Babylon the Great by Taking Away Her Power

Revelation 17 presents a spiritual picture of the punishment of Babylon the Great, the great prostitute. This prostitute sits on many waters, which represent various nations and peoples (17:1, 15). This woman is “the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth” (17:18). This verse refers to the spiritual domination of evil forces over the nations. In the book of Daniel, the evil prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood an angel and kept him from delivering a message to Daniel. In the same way, there are various evil spirits exerting influence over many nations. This creates a network of spiritual traps, woven by evil spirits, which dominates people and leads them into sin. Babylon the Great represents this web of evil, and it leads kings and nations to commit sexual immorality (18:9). Today, this web of evil is seen in the entertainment industry. It is well known that some Hollywood actors engage in Satanism, thus participating in spiritual adultery. In this way, they cooperate with the evil spirits that hover over Hollywood and participate in the evil of Babylon the Great. 

The prostitute not only exercises dominion over the kings of the earth, but she also rides on a beast with seven heads and ten horns. The seven heads represent seven kings (17:10) and the ten horns also represent ten kings (17:12). God has put it into the hearts of these kings to turn against the prostitute and to make war with her, “to make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire” (17:16-17). What does this mean? It signifies that God causes Babylon and the beast to turn against each other. Why do they turn against each other? Because Satan’s kingdom does not have a firm foundation. It is built on sand, not on the solid rock.

God’s final judgment uses a strategy the Chinese refer to as “removing the firewood from under the cauldron.” In other words, God has removed her chief assets, or “stolen her thunder.” He has attacked her indirectly. He has removed her ability to fight.[i] In the end, God judges Satan (chapter 20); but before that, He judges the beast and the false prophet (chapter 19); prior to that, He defeats Babylon the Great (chapters 17-18); and even earlier, He judges those who worshiped the beast’s image on earth (chapters 14-16).

God destroys Satan’s forces incrementally, as if cutting down a great tree. Those who worship the beast are the leaves, Babylon the Great is the branches, the beast and the false prophet are the trunk, and Satan is the root. God deals with them step by step. Satan’s regime was fueled by the worship of the men who bowed to the beast. The evil spirits gained power from people’s worship, which they then offered to the false prophet and the beast, and they in turn offered to Satan. By removing the worshipers, God stripped Satan’s kingdom of its power.

This strategy reveals the spiritual structure of Satan’s kingdom.  All of Satan’s power comes from human worship, which he gains by deception. If God removes the faithful believers from Babylon—those who would rather be martyred than worship the beast—and then judges those who bear the mark of the beast, then Babylon will have no foundation. God has given the earth to humanity, and if people no longer hand over their power to evil spirits through worship, Babylon the Great will lose its strength. Ultimately, this will lead to its collapse.

This is why God incites the kings to attack Babylon the Great. If the beast and the false prophet cannot receive worship from Babylon, they will turn against her. This is the reason for their infighting: God has cut off their source of power. After Babylon the Great falls, God will throw the beast and the false prophet into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19). When Satan loses his backing and support base, his day of reckoning will come (Revelation 20). God will thoroughly judge those who worship the beast, Babylon, the false prophet, and Satan by "removing the firewood from under the cauldron."

This chapter reminds us we must strike sin at its root. In the Book of Daniel, God gives Daniel a vision of a statue whose feet of iron and clay are crushed by a stone cut out without hands. The mixture of iron and clay symbolizes the mingling of sinners and evil spirits. God’s final judgment takes place when the angel hurls the great stone down and pronounces the destruction of Babylon (Revelation 18:21). Once these foundations are torn down, the entire kingdom of Satan will collapse. As Christians, we must work against spiritual adultery, which gives power to evil spirits. We must oppose the worship of Satan which forms the foundation of his kingdom. We must shatter this foundation in order to defeat the kingdom of Satan.

The Great Prostitute Sitting on Many Waters

God’s judgment of Babylon the Great is built on the foundation of His past achievements. God says that all things work together for good to those who love God, including negative things such as evil spirits and the great prostitute Babylon (Romans 8:28). God uses suffering and persecution to mature the body of Christ (His Bride). These sufferings serve as scaffolding, and once God’s construction is completed, they will be dismantled. With these thoughts in mind, let us examine some details in Chapter 16.

Before God judges Babylon, a loud voice comes from the throne of God, saying, “It is done” (16:17). God remembers Babylon’s sin and judges the earth with a great earthquake (16:18). Babylon’s time has run out; the “measure of her sin” is full, and judgment is inevitable (1 Thessalonians 2:16). A similar thing happened to the Amorites in the time of the conquest of Canaan. In Genesis 15, the Lord revealed to Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved in Egypt for four hundred years because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet complete. For the next four centuries, God gave the Amorites a chance to repent, but they did not do so. At that time, judgment was inevitable.

There is another parallel between the conquest of Canaan and the final judgment of Babylon. While God was waiting for the Amorites to repent, the Israelite nation was growing from seventy people into a multitude of millions. When God’s chosen people had gained enough strength, He used them to judge the Amorites. In a similar way, God is giving the world time to repent. Meanwhile, the bride of Christ is growing in maturity. When God’s people are fully mature, God will use the body of Christ to execute his great judgment against Babylon.

When the body of Christ has matured and those who refuse to worship the beast are taken to God’s heavenly throne room, God will begin to judge the earth and those who worship the image of the beast. These people are in alliance with the Great Prostitute.

This chapter explains that the Great Prostitute, Babylon the Great, sits on many waters (17:1) which represent many "peoples and multitudes and nations and languages" (17:15). In other words, humanity collectively engages in sexual immorality with Babylon the Great by worshipping idols. When people worship idols, they abandon the God who created them and worship evil spirits and Satan. Verse 2 explicitly states, "And the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the dwellers on earth have become drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality." Humans are created by God, yet they are tempted by Satan and evil spirits to worship idols.

Verses 4-5 describes the Great Prostitute: "The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: ‘Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.’” This description shows that Babylon the Great, instead of worshiping God, is actually engaging in idol worship.

The Great Prostitute (Babylon) not only worships idols, but also kills those who genuinely worship God: "And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly” (vs. 6). Idol-worshipers use various systems to persecute those who worship God. For instance, King Herod was an idolater who killed John’s brother James in order to please the Jews. The evil system of Babylon killed James through the religious spirit of Judaism and through the evil political leader Herod.

This story helps us explain the spiritual imagery in this chapter. The religious spirit of Judaism and the evil Jewish political system are part of Babylon the Great. Babylon encompasses all fallen religious and political systems in the world. Herod is an example of one of the many kings who was in collusion with Babylon.

The Great Prostitute Rides on a Beast With Seven Heads and Ten Horns

In response to human idolatry, a beast arises. This beast is the Antichrist. He is both a man and a conduit for evil, Satanic spirits. Revelation 17:3 states, “And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.” Just as Christ became flesh to identify with human beings, Satan and his evil forces manifested themselves as a human being in order to identify with sinners. The beast (who is a human being) shares many characteristics with Satan. Both are represented by red or scarlet animals, and both have blasphemous names. Satan has been a liar, a murderer, and a blasphemer since the beginning, and these traits are also characteristics of the beast.

The beast’s seven heads represent seven kings, as well as the seven mountains on which the woman sits. Some traditional teachings associate the beast with Roman Catholicism, since Rome was built on seven mountains. While this interpretation is possible, I believe that Babylon the Great is much larger than one denomination. It also encompasses the evil elements of fallen Protestantism, Judaism, and other fallen religious systems. (The beast does not represent true believers, but only the fallen religious institutions.) It also encompasses various secular worldly systems. Babylon the Great is an immense snare.

The angel says to John, "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come" (17:8). We know from Revelation 20 that Satan will be imprisoned for 1,000 years, released briefly to deceive the nations, and then finally cast into the Lake of Fire. This beast will share a similar fate.

Perhaps the beast is one of the evil beings that Peter refers to in 2 Peter 2:4. Peter writes, “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment...” (2 Peter 2:4). These "chains of gloomy darkness" could be detaining many rebellious angels. Perhaps some are even detained in the second heaven. It is possible that the beast was active in the past but was then imprisoned by God in the bottomless pit. Perhaps at some point, this angel (the beast) will be temporarily released to deceive people.

Regardless of how we interpret the exact identity of the beast, we know he represents a union of evil spirits (including fallen angels) and sinful humans. This passage clearly states that “the seven heads are seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he does come, he must remain only a little while” (17:10). Verse 11 continues, “As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction” (17:11). Thus, it is clear that the beast is the eighth king. This king is human, but he is not an ordinary person. He is possessed by the beast from the bottomless pit, making him a fusion of a human spirit and a demonic spirit. Just like true believers are a union between God’s spirit and the human spirit, the beast is a union between Satan, evil spirits, and sinful humanity.

This reality should be a challenge to all of us. While true believers will grow increasingly holy, those who are sinful will grow increasingly depraved. We as Christians will be united more and more closely with the Lord so we can eventually sit on his throne and reign with him. However, sinners will grow more and more united with evil spirits and will end up sitting on an evil throne with Satan. However, this so-called throne is only an illusion, and it will not be able to withstand God’s final judgment.

Revelation 17:12 says, “And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.” These ten kings do not yet possess their kingdoms, but they will rule with the beast for a short time. In a sense, they will share Satan’s "throne," as stated earlier.

Revelation 17:13 says, "They are of one mind and hand over their power and authority to the beast." Why do humans have the authority to hand over authority to this evil being? In Genesis, God created humans and gave them the responsibility of governing the earth. Therefore, humans have the authority to determine who holds power. Adam’s initial sin transferred authority to Satan, but Jesus reclaimed it through His crucifixion. However, if sinners refuse Christ’s salvation and instead unite with Satan, they temporarily empower Satan to rule over this world.

After the authority has temporarily been transferred to Satan, these evil forces “will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful” (17:14). Christ defeated Satan at the cross, but we as Christ's followers will play a role in Satan’s ultimate defeat. This is the significance of the final battle on the Last Day.

The Ten Horns and the Beast Will Hate the Prostitute

In Revelation 17:16, the angel tells John that “The ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire” (Revelation 17:16). Why will the ten horns and the beast hate the prostitute? The reason is quite simple. The beast originally deceived people through the Great Prostitute in order to take their worship away from God. The Great Prostitute and Babylon the Great had included many true believers who had been deceived. Satan had used the errors of these misguided believers to persecute other believers.

However, by this time, God has exposed and judged the Great Prostitute and called His chosen ones to come out of Babylon the Great (Revelation 18:4). When God judged Babylon the Great and called out all true believers, Babylon’s mask was ripped off. Without the subtle deception of misguided believers within it, the city no longer had any value left for deception and manipulation. This is why the beast becomes very angry.

Satan responds in several ways to the fall of Babylon the Great. On the one hand, he hates the prostitute and attacks her. On the other hand, he leaves behind its indirect approach (using Babylon as a mediator) and begins directly possessing people—namely, the last ten kings. The alliance of the ten horns and the beast indicates that Satan no longer deceives people through the Babylonian system but instead directly unites with humanity. Therefore, in the final battle of the end times, Babylon no longer plays a part. Satan and his armies fight directly with the Lamb and His army.

John describes this final battle in chapter 19, saying, “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.” As you can see, those who are fighting against the Lamb and His army do not include Babylon or the prostitute; only the beast, the false prophet, and the kings of the earth with their armies are present. The beast and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire, and the rest are slain by the sword that comes from the mouth of the one sitting on the horse (Revelation 19:20-21).

Conclusion

God's judgment against Babylon the Great includes the dismantling of the snare that Satan and the evil spirits have set for humanity—Babylon the Great. God rescues groups of true believers from this snare and thoroughly cleanses it. As someone has said, Babylon the Great is like a spider's web that ensnares many true believers. But God's judgment acts like a broom that breaks apart Babylon's web so that true believers can be saved. The true believers who are set free from Babylon may then join God’s army and engage in the final battle against the beast, the false prophet, and the kings of the earth.

After winning an ultimate victory, God will judge the beast and the false prophet, throwing them into the lake of fire, thus laying the foundation for the final judgment of Satan (Chapter 20). By the time we get to chapters 21-22, the conclusion of Revelation is imminent. The New Heaven and the New Earth will be created and the New Jerusalem (the Bride and the Lamb's wife, as referenced in 21:1 and 21:9) will descend from heaven. At that time, all pain, sorrow, sin, and betrayal will be wiped away forever.

[i] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty-Six_Stratagems

God Strips Away the Desires of Babylon

Beginning in Revelation 16, God deals with the sins of Babylon (16:19). This continues until chapter 19, where the saints praise God for judging Babylon, the great prostitute (19:2-3). Chapter 14 also discusses God's judgment on Babylon.

As we have mentioned multiple times, the great prostitute is the opposite of the Bride of Christ. While the Bride of Christ represents people who love Christ, Babylon represents people who have surrendered to evil spirits and the worldly system. Babylon is full of evil spirits and sinners.

How did these individuals become such a great prostitute? We cannot help but recall the Apostle John's definition of the world: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

We can also say that the world is Babylon, and Babylon is the world. This world is a system established by Satan and his evil spirits to entrap people. Satan uses the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life to take away people’s love for the Father and worship of Him.

Therefore, God's judgment on Babylon deals with these three elements by taking away the things people longed for. Each person longed for different items, including gold, gems, spices, food, expensive building materials and cloth, and other technology and produce (12-13). In the process of judging Babylon, God deprived people of the various things they were previously infatuated with, which included the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Revelation 18:14 says, “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!” The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are the ripe fruits that the Babylonian people’s soul longed for.

The principle of God dealing with Babylon not only applies to the collective judgment of Babylon but also to the lives of individual believers. One significant factor hindering our spiritual maturity as believers is our love for the world. On a smaller scale, God deals with our love for the world the same way he dealt with Babylon. When God takes away things we love, He is actually saving us from the world's domination.

Satan’s Resistance to the Threefold Work of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

When we pursue victory in our individual spiritual lives, the primary hindrances to our growth are sin, the world, and the flesh. The Triune God is responsible for dealing with these three hindrances:

• Jesus Christ deals with sin through his precious blood. We must continually deepen our awareness of his sacrifice, as well as our commitment to repentance. In this way, we lessen the influence of sin and apply the cleansing power of the Lord's blood. The Lord Jesus appeared to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8), and it is his job to help us rid our lives of sin.
• The Holy Spirit overcomes the flesh. Our flesh is where Satan resides due to original sin. As a result, the flesh resists the Spirit, and the Spirit resists the flesh (Galatians 5:17). But by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can continually put to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13). As we do, we receive life for our mortal bodies through the Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead and grants us new life (Romans 8:11). After the Holy Spirit regenerates us, our bodies become the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). If we are united with the Lord, we become one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). The work of the Holy Spirit is to transform us into the spotless bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:27). As we are collectively sanctified as the body of Christ, we are made into a spiritual temple in the New Jerusalem, dedicated to God. In short, resisting the flesh is the work of the Holy Spirit.
• The Father judges the world. The world resists the Father. If we love the world, the love of the Father is not in us.

Because God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are involved in our sanctification, Satan opposes all three through the world, sin, and the flesh.

The Father will ultimately judge the world, which is represented by the great prostitute. His method of judgment is to strip away the “fruits that our souls longed for.” When the things we love are taken away, we may feel sad and weep (Revelation 18:15). However, the ultimate outcome will be that the chosen ones who accept God’s discipline will be released from the grip of the city of Babylon (Revelation 18:4).

The Bible tells us that each member of the Trinity will complete their work.

• On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished” to show that his work of redemption was complete (John 19:13).
• In Revelation, the Holy Spirit says, “It is done'”(Revelation 16:17). In this case, he is not signifying the completion of the work of redemption that was already accomplished by Jesus on the cross, but the complete preparation of the bride by the Holy Spirit. Only after the Holy Spirit's work is complete does God begin to judge the sins of Babylon (Revelation 16:19).
• The Father says “It is done” once again when he is finished judging the world (Revelation 21:6). The work of the Trinity is now complete.

Though we still live in the world, Jesus teaches us not to live for the world or allow it to dominate our lives. He tells us that we do not belong to this world (John 17:16). Therefore, it is foolish to try to gain the whole world at the cost of our souls (Matthew 16:26). Our task today is to live in the world but not live for the world.

When we are dominated by the world and do not live for the Lord, the Holy Spirit will intercede for us with groans that cannot be expressed in words (Romans 8). In answer to his prayers, the Heavenly Father may choose to rearrange our circumstances to discipline us. This may include taking away the things we enjoy the most. When this happens, we should not think that God does not love us. As stated in God’s word, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ; all things work together for the good of those who love God (Romans 8). God’s discipline is a sign of his love (Hebrews 12:6). The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work together to help us break free from the world so we can live for God.

God’s ultimate goal is to grant us the glorious freedom of God's children and to liberate all creation from its bondage to corruption (Romans 8:21). These truths from Romans are mirrored in the book of Revelation. When Christ’s body is mature and becomes the Lamb’s wife (the New Jerusalem), God’s children will obtain glorious freedom. After God's children obtain His glorious freedom, God will judge all evil spirits, cleanse the entire universe, and bring about the restoration of all things.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are working diligently to bring about God’s ultimate goal for His people and for the entire world. However, Satan is also working diligently to hinder the body of Christ from becoming the mature New Jerusalem. To do so, he uses the world, sin, and the flesh to resist the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In this article, we will not delve deeper into the concepts of sin and the flesh. Instead, we will study the relationship between the world and Babylon.

Babylon the Great is Like a Spider Web

In John 17:14-16, Jesus prays to the Father, saying, "I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” We as God's chosen people do not belong to this world. The world is a system established by Satan, and the entire world lies under the sway of the evil one (1 John 5:19). The worldly system refers not only to the material world but also to the spiritual world. The world encompasses both spiritual and material aspects, and is filled with various idols set up by Satan's evil spirits and people ensnared by him.

The worldly system of Babylon is like a spider web, and Satan and his evil spirits are like the spiders who are lying in wait for their prey. Humanity is caught in the web when sinners follow their sinful way or God’s chosen ones are deceived. The web of evil includes not only evil spirits, but also fallen human systems such as politics, religion, society, and other aspects. This treacherous web is woven by sinners with the assistance of evil spirits. Babylon is an all-encompassing giant spider web, a comprehensive world system comprised of evil spirits, sinners, and a fallen world.

When we love this world, anything in the world has the potential to entangle us in the spider web set up by Satan. These things are clearly listed in Revelation 18:12-13, such as gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and slaves. This list comprises twenty-nine tradable goods, but it is by no means exhaustive. This list simply gives examples of material things our souls crave. When we love these things more than we love the Lord, we fall into the snare. The mention of "slaves" also indicates that our affection for people can also be part of the worldly temptation. Jesus even warns, "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" (Matthew 10:37). If we love anyone or anything more than God's word, then these people, things, or objects have become idols in our hearts, taking over and dominating us.

However, God called his chosen ones to come out of the Babylonian spider web: "Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues.’" (Revelation 18:4) He gives the same call to us today.

A Woman and A City

In the Bible, God refers to the Bride of Christ as a woman and also as a city, the New Jerusalem. Babylon is also referred to as a woman and a city, Babylon the Great. Why does God use these two images to refer to both Babylon and the Bride of Christ?

First, let's talk about the Bride of Christ. When God uses the image of a woman’s relationship to her husband, he is reminding us of our loving relationship with God. After creating Adam, God removed one of his ribs and used it to create Eve as a wife. God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone.” He then created the institution of marriage, in which “a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Paul discusses the same verse in the book of Ephesians, stating that the union of a husband and wife is a great mystery that points to the relationship between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32). As the bride of Christ, we are God's counterpart, the wife of the Lamb. In the Old Testament, Israel is also compared to the wife of the Lord. In the New Testament, Christ is the Bridegroom and the Church is the Bride. We are created to love and worship God, and the concept of a bride reminds us of our loving relationship with God.

On the other hand, the image of a "city" reminds us of our relationship with God and our role as vessels. God is all-encompassing and desires to fill all things. We are vessels created by God to be filled with His glory. When God dwells within us, our life with God is manifested as a city that contains the presence of God. The body of Christ, as a spiritual temple, is the work and building of God. We are built together with God through the Spirit. The New Jerusalem is the result of us being filled with God.

Similarly, Babylon is described as a woman to remind us that she is the harlot of Satan. When people love the world and the things in it, they demonstrate their love for Satan, which is spiritual adultery. James 4:4 says, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (NIV). When we are snared by worldly things which are under the control of the evil one, we essentially demonstrate our love for Satan. The heart of the struggle between God and Satan is a battle for the love and worship of humanity. If people choose to love God, they become the Bride. If they choose to love Satan, they become the harlot. The Apostle John agrees with this truth by stating that if we love the world, the love of the Father is not in us. By loving the world, we choose to love Satan instead of God. When Satan tempted Jesus, he offered Him all the splendor and glory of the world if He would bow down and worship him. However, Jesus responded, "You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve" (Matthew 4:10). Even though Jesus used the word “worship,” he could have substituted the word “love,” since Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Babylon is also described as a city because it is an evil temple of Satan. It is the outworking of people who are filled by Satan. Just like New Jerusalem is the temple of God in the Spirit, Babylon is the temple of Satan.

Babylon, the great harlot, is full of jealousy towards the Bride’s loving relationship with God. Throughout the ages, the harlot has killed many of God's children out of jealousy. These martyrs cry out for God's judgment from beneath the altar. God comforts them and asks them to be patient for a little while, until the number of martyrs is complete (Revelation 6:9-11). Finally, when the number is complete, they stand by the sea of glass praising God (Revelation 15). Thus, this vision initiates the domino effect of God's final judgment. The harlot and city of Babylon are a part of God’s sovereign work that eventually leads to the maturity of God’s Bride (Romans 8). Once the Bride of God is mature, God will destroy the harlot and the city of Babylon.

Conclusion: The Great Cost of Our Love for the World

When we love the world, we are in essence building the city of Babylon, which represents the world and is built on a sandy foundation. However, when we love Christ and cherish the word of God, we are building on the rock, which is destined to endure forever.

Many Christians and people of the world do not resist the temptations of the world and Satan. They love the present world like Demas did (2 Timothy 4:10), or like Lot's wife who became a pillar of salt. If we are unwilling to let go of the world, we will lose many valuable things, as the Babylonians did. Paul teaches that even if we are saved, we will be saved “so as through fire.” Our works (represented by hay, sticks, and straw) will be burned up (1 Corinthians 3:15). When God burns down the city of Babylon, He will destroy the useless works of those who loved the world, and countless people will mourn because their works are consumed (Revelation 18:15, 19). Just like God dismantled the Tower of Babel, which was built by sinful and deceived people among God's chosen ones, God will dismantle the works of his people who choose to live for the world.

However, if we are willing to consecrate ourselves and forsake the world, we will become part of the Bride of Christ. We will dwell with God in eternity as Christ’s beloved bride, and we will also be the eternal temple of God, the New Jerusalem.

May we not only detach ourselves from the city of Babylon but also refrain from participating in its building. Those who persist in unrepentance will face the ultimate fate of being thrown into the lake of fire with the beast and the false prophet (Revelation 14:10, 19:20-21).

Acts 10 (Part 2)

The Story of Peter and Cornelius:

A Faith Leader and a Political Leader Collaborate to Bring the Gospel to the World

Should Christians be involved in politics? And how does that question relate to the story of Cornelius and Peter? That is what we will learn in this devotional.

I have been taught in church for many years that Christians should not get involved in politics. However, more and more American Christians have begun to realize the dangers of not participating in politics. They’ve seen how ungodly people are seizing power, Christian and conservative groups are being persecuted, and America is in danger of losing its religious freedom. All this has led many American Christians, including Chinese Christians in the United States, to actively participate in politics and strive to change the society.

What does the Bible say about politics? Many Christians have begun to realize that the Bible never teaches believers to avoid politics. As king, David surely participated in politics. As we will see, the resistance to political involvement may stem from a misunderstanding of the teaching of submission to authority mentioned by Paul in Romans 13.

There’s no doubt that participating in politics will be controversial, but the price of not participating in politics is also high. If the church avoids politics, Satan will use the spirit of religion and evil political forces to persecute the church. For example, he used the religious forces of Judaism in Jerusalem, combined with the evil political forces of Herod, to kill James and capture Peter in Acts 12.

However, God can also use the cooperation of godly church leaders and godly political leaders to combat the schemes of Satan. In Acts 10, we see how Peter, a representative of true faith, and Cornelius, a godly Gentile political leader, worked together to expand the reach of the gospel from the small circle of Jerusalem to a vast number of Gentiles. Their collaboration had extremely far-reaching significance and removed the limitations that the religious spirit was attempting to place on the gospel.

If godly faith and upright politics do not work together, the religious spirit (false beliefs) will combine with evil politics, causing great harm to society and limiting the influence of the truth. We must reflect on God’s teaching in Genesis 1:26, in which God commands us humans to rule the earth. The church represents God’s authority in the world, and political avoidance may not necessarily be in line with biblical teachings. Christians should be salt and light in the world. Though we should not jump into political battles purely for our own benefit, we should learn from Peter's example and influence politicians to spread the gospel and the kingdom of God.

What Does the Bible Say About Christians in Politics?

Let’s examine the origins of the belief that Christians should not participate in politics. First, Christians point to the fact that we must pursue a spiritual kingdom, not a worldly kingdom. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, the disciples hoped that He would free the earthly kingdom of Israel from the oppression of the Romans, but the Lord told them, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (John 18:36) It was not God’s will for the disciples to fight Christ’s captor, because he had to be crucified to fulfill God’s plan of redemption. But this does not mean that we should avoid our responsibilities in the world. Elsewhere, Jesus taught us to be salt and light and to influence the entire world. He also taught us to make disciples of all nations. Naturally, this includes winning politicians to Christ through participation in politics. Our partial and one-sided understanding of some of the teachings of the Bible has led us to a faulty theology, which in turn led us to pursue a heavenly kingdom to the exclusion of positively impacting the world.

Second, some wrong theological ideas promoted in the United States in the 1970s taught that Jesus could come back at any time, so there was no need for children to go to college or to actively participate in society or politics. At the time, books about Jesus’ return were very popular, and many Christians dressed in white and waited on the mountains for the Lord to rapture them. But nothing happened. Now, it is 2024, and the Lord has still not returned. These erroneous teachings create obsessions with the Lord’s return while leading Christians to neglect their participation in everyday society. Because of these fallacious teachings, American Christians have gradually lost their influence in the realm of education. Since the 1950s, American public schools have gradually stopped allowing the teaching of the Bible and prayer. Little by little, children have been influenced by leftist ideas, resulting in generations of children who have been brainwashed by the far left. In addition to this, homosexuality has become rampant and has even begun to affect children in primary schools. Christians in the United States are gradually awakening to this phenomenon. They realize they have lost influence in schools, school boards, media, entertainment, and politics at the local and national levels. Some Christians are even facing small amounts of persecution. Not only are anti-God voices filling schools, media, and entertainment, but many Christians are being persecuted for praying and adhering to biblical values. As a result, many Christians have begun to reflect on their role in politics. They have not only returned to their faith, but also reconsidered the teaching that political involvement is wrong. As a result, many Christians have started influencing society by actively participating in politics and being salt and light in the spheres of media and entertainment.

Third, a one-sided understanding of Paul’s teaching on submitting to authority in Romans 13 has caused Christians to be too passive. Total submission to those in power is very popular among Chinese Christians. Because of the severity of persecution, they did not dare say no to evil politics, so they used Romans 13 to cover up their cowardice. However, this teaching is not in line with God’s teachings. Of course, Paul did teach that we as Christians should submit to government authorities because they were ordained by God to administer justice. However, the Bible also says many times (often through the mouth of Peter) that we should obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). In the past, I was deeply influenced by the idea of total submission, but God showed me through dreams and visions that Christians should participate in China’s political movements to uphold social justice and promote the spread of the gospel.

Cornelius Needed Visions to Help Him Recognize and Accept Peter's Message

God not only guides Christians, but he also guides people who do not know Him to guide them toward salvation. Acts 10 describes how Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian cohort, was a god-fearing man who prayed often. As a result, God gave him a vision and asked him to go to Peter to preach to them the gospel.

The same thing happened to me. Looking back, I can see that God was subtly guiding me, even when I did not yet know him. In recent times, I have heard many testimonies of Muslims in the Middle East who converted to Christ after God gave them dreams and visions. In the dream, Jesus appeared to them and asked them to read a certain passage in the Bible, leading to their salvation. This shows that God can come in person to directly preach the gospel to people. So why did God choose to send an angel of God to ask Cornelius to invite Peter to preach the gospel to him? Because God wanted Cornelius and Peter to collaborate, as we mentioned at the beginning of this lesson. Even though God or an angel could have preached the gospel to Cornelius directly and saved him and his family, God wanted the righteous political forces represented by Cornelius to join hands with the godly religious forces represented by Peter so that God’s gospel could extend beyond the small religious circles in Jerusalem to the entire Gentile world. This shows the magnificence of God’s great plan.

God revealed to me that the “Chinese Whistleblower Movement” that started in 2017 was from Him. The purpose was to provide a platform for Christians to preach the gospel. In turn, when the gospel is preached, it will change the hearts of the Chinese people and provide a solid foundation for democracy to take root in China. I will share more of these revelations in my upcoming content. For now, I will share that when I followed God's guidance to join this movement and publicly stated what I believed to be God's plan, I received a lot of opposition from the Buddhist and atheist members and founders of this group. They could not accept the idea of Christianity taking the lead in their movement. I quickly realized that these politicians needed God’s supernatural revelation through dreams and visions so they could humble themselves and recognize the importance of the gospel. After they resisted my attempt to join them, I saw God gradually begin to guide them through circumstances so they could learn the lesson of humility and learn to recognize God's will. I pray that like Cornelius, they can understand God’s will and humbly accept the guidance of God’s gospel.

Peter Needed Visions To Break Through His Narrow Religious Ideas

Likewise, Peter needed a vision from God to overcome his rigid religious ideology. First, God needed to break down the idea that Jews and Gentiles could not have contact. In the Old Testament, God restricted contact and intermarriage between Jews and Gentiles, mainly to protect the Israelites from worshiping idols as the Gentiles did. He wanted to preserve the purity of the Jewish line through whom Christ would come. After Jesus Christ accomplished redemption on the cross, the Jews no longer needed these dietary and social restrictions. Jesus made all things and people clean again. But as a Jew, Peter continued to follow the Old Testament way of thinking. Therefore, when God gave him a vision of different types of unclean animals and asked him to “kill and eat,” he said that he had never eaten anything common or unclean. But God said, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” The same vision was given to him three times in a row.

Visions and dreams convey God’s message through pictorial language. The various animals represented the Gentiles. They were originally unclean, but God had now cleansed them. God was telling Peter to boldly throw off the shackles of religion and preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

When the Lord Jesus was on earth, he did indeed teach his disciples to preach the gospel only to the Jews. However, after his crucifixion and resurrection, the Lord Jesus taught his disciples to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Times had changed, and so had God’s guidance. The redemption accomplished by the Lord Jesus on the cross changed everything.

Paul spoke extensively on this topic. He said that Jews and Gentiles were originally separated, but because Jesus destroyed this hostility on the cross, Jews and Gentiles have now been reconciled. We are now members of one body (Ephesians 2:11-17 ). "For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesians 2:18). Though these truths were later revealed through Paul, Peter did not have access to this revelation at the time he met Cornelius. That is why God had to reveal this truth to him through visions.

The Jewish people were God’s greenhouse, where his redemption was planted and nurtured. However, the purpose of a greenhouse is to eventually transplant the seedlings into larger vegetable gardens. Although God’s plan of redemption came through the Jews, God does not want to limit the gospel to one small people group. But because the Jews were unwilling to give up their sense of superiority, they rejected God's will and did not allow the gospel to be preached to the Gentiles. This was due to human jealousy and narrow-mindedness.

After Jesus Christ was resurrected, he told his disciples to make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But the minds of the Jewish Christians were restricted by the laws of the Old Testament and they were unable to embrace God's guidance for the new era. As a result, they limited the gospel to Jerusalem. Even Peter originally embraced this narrow-minded ideology.  

In addition, the religious forces of Judaism and the evil political forces represented by Herod were working together to confine the gospel of God to Jerusalem and keep it within the sheepfold of Judaism. Therefore, God urgently needed to enlighten Peter through visions so that he could break away from these narrow religious concepts and bring the gospel to the Gentiles. As Peter and Cornelius started working together, the gospel of God began to advance, and the Holy Spirit’s power reached the Gentiles. It was the beginning of a new era in Christian history.

The Collaboration of Faith Leaders and Political Leaders Continues Today

The examples recorded in the Bible not only reveal God’s guidance for that era, but also reveal a divine principle for later generations. The story of Peter and Cornelius’s collaboration is not only for the people of that time. The same story has also been replicated repeatedly throughout the ages.

For example, American Christians are working with political forces to influence the society of America. For many years, American Christians have prayed for the United States, repenting of the sin of massacring Indians, selling slaves, and killing babies. They have prayed for God’s care, healing, and forgiveness for America. As a result, faith has returned and many Christians have been revived. These same Christians actively participate in politics and support candidates who promote Christian values in order to restore America's conservative values. The people in these movements are not perfect, and many have shallow beliefs, but they represent a force of church revival. I believe this collaboration between people of faith and people of power will bring about the return of American Christian values. The recent election of Congressman Mike Johnson, a devout Christian, as Speaker of the House is a positive result of the convergence of conservative beliefs and political justice in the United States.

This is not only happening in the United States, but God has also revealed to me that it will soon happen in China. Previously, I had only planned to serve God in Christian circles and had never thought of participating in any political movement. I not only believed that Christians should not be involved in politics, but I was also afraid. I knew that Christians would have to pay a high price to participate in politics, especially in the face of evil political oppression. Although I am in the United States and do not have to pay a huge price personally, I am still worried that it will cause trouble to my family. But God revealed to me through a series of dreams that His will for me was to participate in the political democratic movement He initiated. As the gospel is preached to those who participate in the democratic movement, it will help the country of China come to know God. God revealed to me that I will play an important role and hold an important position in this movement in the future.

One night, I had a strange dream. I was riding a bicycle down the street as a group of democrats on bicycles chased me. The more they chased me, the faster I rode. This action depicts my fear very well. But these democrats finally caught up with me and said to me, “Thank you for your books and gospel messages. You helped our democratic movement to win.” This is just one of the dreams I have had. God has revealed to me through many other dreams that the preaching of the gospel by us Christians will help many Chinese political figures learn to know Christ. As these leaders begin to pursue justice and faith, they will bring great change to China. May God's will be done.

Revelation 18 (Part 4)

Sorting Good from Bad: The Judgment of Babylon Is Like Cleaning Out a Dusty Attic

Revelation 18 talks about God cleansing Babylon. God's cleansing of Babylon is not about simply destroying it, but about meticulous separation and sorting. It reminds me of cleaning out Grandma’s dusty treasure chest in the attic. Inside this treasure chest, there is dust, trash, and treasures. It requires careful work to sort through the items in the chest. To use another metaphor archaeologists carefully clean artifacts at a dig site, separating the precious cultural relics from the rock. In the same way, God carefully preserves the good in Babylon while throwing away the bad.

Because God treasures every soul caught in Babylon's web, he smashes the city but does not completely annihilate it. The Bible says God sends His angels to cast it down like a great millstone rather than directly burning it to ashes. Wouldn't it be easier to just throw Babylon the Great into the lake of fire and burn it? Yet God smashes the city to pieces rather than burning it. Just like we crack a walnut shell while preserving the nut inside, God smashes Babylon’s idols and impurities but saves those caught in its web.

The Complex Work of Separating Good From Bad

The Chinese metaphor, "投鼠忌器" (Tou Shu Ji Qi), refers to the dilemma of a homeowner who wants to kill mice that are hiding behind valuable porcelain. The owner wants to rid the house of mice but is afraid of smashing the valuable pottery. This is an excellent picture of God’s cleansing of Babylon the Great. Since many of God’s people have been snared in the worldly web of Babylon, God faces a dilemma as he prepares to judge it. Babylon, which resembles a spider's web created by Satan and evil spirits, has captured many of God's people in its web of lust, pride, and worldliness (see 1 John 2:16). As God’s work of judgment nears completion, He intends to cleanse Babylon of its evil. How will God accomplish this cleansing? Is it by burning? No. God overturns the city but does not mention burning it, because many of God's chosen people are trapped within its snare. If God would leave ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness to look for one lost sheep, God would not forsake any of the lost sheep captured in Babylon the Great. Thus, in judging Babylon the Great, God faces a situation akin to the metaphor "Tou Shu Ji Qi."

However, God's wisdom surpasses human wisdom and God’s ways are higher than human ways. While humans may inadvertently damage the china while trying to catch the mouse, God finds a way to punish the evil while preserving the good. Second Peter 2:9 says, “The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment.” (ESV) God sends an angel to cast a mighty stone, the size of a great millstone, into the sea. The angel says, ““So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more” (Revelation 18:21). God intends to carefully separate Babylon from His chosen people. How? Through His word. God's word says, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her plagues" (Revelation 18:4). God calls to His chosen ones through His word, commanding them to separate themselves from the city of Babylon the Great. God’s word has the power to decide between good and evil. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." God’s word can distinguish between Babylon and God’s chosen people who are ensnared by Babylon.

But this act of casting down the stone (Babylon) requires skill. For example, cracking a walnut without destroying the nut meat requires skill. It takes practice to learn how hard to hit the shell with a hammer or a nutcracker. If you are skilled, you may be able to strike the shell once and instantly separate the shell from the meat. Even though the walnut shell shatters, the kernel remains intact. The same is true of Babylon. When Babylon the Great is thrown down like a stone, the system of the world that does not belong to God will be smashed to pieces, but God’s chosen people will escape. Thus, God's judgment of Babylon separates good from evil, just like a nutcracker separates the shell from the kernel.

God calls upon His people to depart from Babylon the Great, warning them of impending judgment. Yet once they have been ensnared by the world, they are like flies caught in a spider’s web—unable to free themselves. Only external force, like a broom, can break the web and set the flies free. In the same way, Babylon's ensnaring web needs to be broken so God's chosen people trapped within it can be set free. Perhaps the only way for God’s people to be set free is for the stone (Babylon) to be thrown down and broken. This is a work of separation, and this is God’s plan.

The reason Babylon was able to snare people was that it contained some good things mixed in with the bad. In Revelation 18:22, we learn how God removes the shiny, tempting fishhooks that lured and deceived us: "The sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more" (Revelation 18:22). God removes some of the good things in the city, like a homeowner sorting through an attic filled with trash and treasures. In God’s love and mercy, he does not rashly burn the entire city. Instead, he sorts the good from the bad. God calls his chosen people out and saves them. After rescuing them, the rest of Babylon will be shattered to pieces.

The text goes on to say, "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth" (Revelation 18:24). What else is in this spider web? Within this web, there are remnants of prophets, saints, and others who have been killed. This indicates that believers have been ensnared in this web, and some martyrs have been killed by it. Why were these prophets and saints killed? Because the harlot, Babylon, is jealous of the Bride of Christ. Throughout history, idolaters have been jealous of those who worshiped the true God without fear.

In Revelation 6, the saints under the altar cried out for justice and prayed that God would avenge their blood and judge Babylon the Great. God comforted them and asked them to wait for a while until the number of people who would be killed like them was complete (Revelation 6:9- 11). In Revelation 18, God answers the prayers of the saints under the altar. God judges Babylon the Great and avenges the blood of the prophets and saints killed by Babylon the Great.

An Old Testament Reference to the Fall of Babylon

In Jeremiah 51, God predicts the judgment of Babylon. At the time, Babylon had captured the Israelites, but God promised that at the appointed time, seventy years later, God's chosen people would leave Babylon. Verse 45 says, “Go out of the midst of her, my people! Let every one save his life from the fierce anger of the Lord!” This verse is very similar to Revelation 18. God allowed the Israelites to be taken captive by Babylon, but He also called His chosen people to come out of Babylon.

God also revealed to Jeremiah that He would one day execute final judgment on Babylon. Verse 52 says, "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will execute judgment upon her images, and through all her land the wounded shall groan" (Jeremiah 51:52).   This is the same picture God paints in Revelation.

Jeremiah 51:61-64 says, "And Jeremiah said to Seraiah: “When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words, and say, ‘O Lord, you have said concerning this place that you will cut it off, so that nothing shall dwell in it, neither man nor beast, and it shall be desolate forever.’When you finish reading this book, tie a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates and say, ‘Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disaster that I am bringing upon her, and they shall become exhausted.’” Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.'" Jeremiah instructed Seraiah to tie a stone to the book containing the prophecy against Babylon and cast it into the Euphrates River. In the same way that the book sank, Babylon the Great would one day sink. In the same way, in Revelation 18, an angel throws a stone into the sea to symbolize the sinking of Babylon the Great.

In Jeremiah 51:63, we find a beautiful picture. Just as Jeremiah asked Seraiah to bind a stone to God's words and cast it into the Euphrates, God's judgment always includes his words. In Revelation, we find that God’s words are bound up in his judgments. As he judges Babylon, he also says, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues" (Revelation 18:4).

Let’s look at some verses that will help us understand the relationship between God’s word and God’s judgment.

God's word is Christ, and Christ is God's word.

• "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).
• “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14).

Christ is the Rock.

• “For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10:4 ESV)

Jesus is the judge.

• "The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22).
• "If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day." (John 12:47-48).

Jesus is the word, Jesus is the judge, and Jesus is the rock. God’s word, preached by Jesus, judges people. This word judges people, separates good and evil, and smashes Babylon the Great. Angels are the agents of God's judgment on people, but Jesus is the true Judge.

Our Souls Are a Mixed Bag: "A Golden Cup Filled With Abominations”

When we trust in Christ as our Savior, our spirits are instantly born again. If we believe, we are saved, and God promises to glorify our bodies and raise us from the dead to eternal life. Salvation is accomplished in one second. However, here on earth, our soul still struggles with sin. Many Christians, although saved, lack the sanctification of our souls and the renewal of our minds. It is as if we are trapped in Babylon the Great. We need the sanctification and healing from God.

Just like Babylon is described as "a golden cup full of abominations" (Revelation 17:4), filled with impurities, our souls today are filled with impurities mixed with goodness. Our souls are extremely precious; Jesus Christ shed His precious blood to save our souls. Yet many of us also have too much filth in our souls. Our souls are a mixed bag. We are full of good things given to us by God, but we are also filled by webs of deception and sin that Satan has woven in our hearts.

Our souls are a mess. If there were a special X-ray machine that could discern all the thoughts and ideas in a person's soul, you would see that a person's soul is similar to Babylon the Great, full of goodness mixed with adulterous thoughts. But there is hope! As the Bible says, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12). God's word can distinguish between good and evil. He can discern all the thoughts and intents of the heart, and he can separate the good motives from the bad.

In the future judgment, God will require us to give account for every word we have spoken (Matthew 12:36). Every thought and every motive will be judged by God. God will carefully separate good from bad and distinguish between corrupt and pure motives. No human is wise enough to accomplish this delicate work, but God can. Just like it is difficult for humans to kill mice while preserving porcelain dishes, it is very difficult for humans to sort out what is right and what is wrong. But God can accurately separate His chosen people from their enemies who ensnare them. God’s word says, “No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:13). God can accurately see each created being, even Satan and evil spirits.

God will one day judge us with his word, but we need His word every day. We need God's word and God's Spirit to cleanse us. We need God's word to discern the thoughts and intentions of our hearts and souls and to carefully separate the good from our bad (Hebrews 4:12). God’s word sanctifies our souls, frees them from the corruption of the world's desires, and helps us partake in God's divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). God’s word fills us with God's Spirit so we can experience the sanctification of our souls, the renewal of our minds, and the transformation of our hearts (Romans 12:1). The word of God will separate good from evil and save us from Babylon the Great.

Conclusion: God’s Sanctifying Word Can Separate Soul and Spirit

Not only is today’s world like Babylon the Great, but so are our souls. Our minds are full of good things from God but also of confusion and deception from Satan. Our emotions love God but also adore the world. Our wills confront the enemy but also sometimes confront God. Each of us is at a different level of sanctification. As God continues to cleanse the evil of Babylon from our hearts, we will gradually abandon the corruption that comes from the world's desires and become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). In this way, we gradually escape from Babylon’s snares so we will not receive its judgment.

The New Jerusalem Is the Wife of the Lamb and Her Beautiful Display

The New Jerusalem is a beautiful heavenly dwelling place for believing Israelites and New Testament saints. God is at the center, and the Father is transcendent, permeating everything. The New Jerusalem is the wife of the Lamb, adorned with extreme beauty. Her finest adornments are not gold and silver, but the inner adornments of imperishable virtues more lovely than fine jewelry (1 Peter 3:3-4). Her testimony, dedication, and love for God throughout the ages will be the building materials that God uses to create the beautiful New Jerusalem. These virtues will make the Lamb’s wife exceedingly beautiful on the day of the wedding feast with the Lamb.

In a dream, I saw a heavenly house being literally constructed with virtues. In the vision, I saw a Christian’s sister’s house in heaven, which was constructed using the lady’s virtues and spiritual gifts. The courtyard wall of her house was fused with grapevines full of grapes, which represented spiritual fruit. Another wall was full of music boxes that could play music, which represented her talents. I believe that the New Jerusalem is a dwelling place constructed by the collective virtues and talents of all the believers in heaven.

The New Jerusalem is a part of the new heaven and the new earth, but not its entirety, just like Los Angeles is only one part of the United States. There is more to heaven than the New Jerusalem, and there is more to our heavenly experiences than the scenes described in the New Jerusalem. The Bible only describes part of the heavenly history because it would take an eternity to describe everything we will do in heaven. The New Jerusalem is only one part of the new heaven and new earth, but there is also much more beauty and glory to discover in the new earth.

Will The Vastness of Heaven and The New Jerusalem Continue To Expand?

Heaven is immensely vast. Revelation 21:1-2 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” These verses tell us that John first saw a new heaven and a new earth and then saw the holy city, The New Jerusalem, descending from heaven. Later, God tells us the dimensions of the New Jerusalem: “The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal” (Revelation 21:16). One stadion is approximately 600 feet, so 12,000 stadia is about 1364 miles, roughly the distance from Los Angeles to Dallas. This helps us imagine the size of this city. It doesn’t come close to covering the earth’s surface, and certainly doesn’t fill the vast universe or heaven itself. So what is the New Jerusalem? It is the Holy of Holies in heaven. Revelation 21:22 records, “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.” Does the city represent the entire temple or only the Holy of Holies? I believe the New Jerusalem may be a larger version of the Holy of Holies, and the entire earth is the Holy Place. Beyond that is the Outer Court. Mature believers have entered the Holy of Holies and have entered God’s presence. The New Jerusalem is the wife of the Lamb, the Holy of Holies where believers join together with God.

Why do I mention that there is also a Holy Place and an Outer Court? Because even after the New Heaven and the New Earth are born, and the New Jerusalem descends from heaven, the Bible still mentions that outside the city “are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” Outside are unclean people who do what is detestable or false (see Revelation 21:27). They can never enter into the city; only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life can enter the city (Revelation 21:27).

This verse raises a question. If unbelievers have already been thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15), why does this verse say that the unclean are outside the city? Why are there still detestable things in the new heaven and new earth? How can we understand this? Is there a possibility that the lake of fire is outside the New Jerusalem? This could be possible. In the Old Testament, the book of Isaiah mentions that in the last days, God will choose the Israelites as priests to lead the nations to worship God in Jerusalem (Isaiah 66:20). Moreover, Isaiah 66:22-24 says, “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord. And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” According to this scripture, those who come to worship God will have the opportunity to see the punishment of those who rebelled against God, including their dead bodies. Similarly, at the end of Revelation, God mentions unclean people who are outside the city. Perhaps they are in the lake of fire outside the city. In addition to the lake of fire, I believe there may be a Holy Place and an Outer Court as well.

Revelation also mentions that the leaves of the Tree of Life are for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2). This verse is also difficult to understand. If our resurrected bodies no longer get sick and our spirits are perfected in heaven, why would we still need to be healed? I believe it’s possible that the New Jerusalem is a place of intimate connection to God that not all people will immediately access. Like the Holy of Holies, not all are granted access. Perhaps some people escape hell but still need healing, discipline, growth, and sanctification in order to enter the city. If the New Jerusalem represents the Holy of Holies, it would make sense that there would also be a Holy Place and an Outer Courtyard outside of it.

Although the New Jerusalem is the center of the new heaven and the new earth, it is not the whole thing. In my dreams and visions, I saw the souls of some Chinese people living in a valley. They were in darkness but not in hell. I believe these souls might still have the chance to continue learning and getting to know the Lord. Then they may be allowed to enter the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:26 and 22:14).

But will they live in the New Jerusalem, and will the New Jerusalem continue to expand eternally? Is the size of the New Jerusalem described in Revelation fixed, or could it continually expand until it fills the infinite universe? As more people are sanctified, will they be able to enter the Holy of Holies, and will the Holy of Holies expand to accommodate them? The answers to these questions are unclear. If the New Jerusalem does not continue to expand, we should seize every opportunity to spiritually mature so we can enter the city of God.

The New Jerusalem Is the Manifestation of Our Resurrected Bodies

Revelation tells us that the New Jerusalem is the Lamb's wife, and that the church is the bride of Christ and the body of Christ. Are we the body of Christ in a spiritual sense only, or does this depiction also have a physical side? There is certainly a spiritual aspect, in which both men and women can be a part of Christ’s bride. The New Jerusalem is described as the Lamb’s wife, but it is also described as a physical city built with precious stones (Revelation 21) We as believers are also said to be living stones, being built up as a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). We as believers are the building blocks of the city.

What does this mean? What are living stones? To understand this concept, we must break free from our materialistic concepts. Heaven exists in a different dimension, and some say that even the grass in heaven can speak. We need to leave behind our preconceptions as we grasp this metaphorical language.

This brings me back to my dream about the Christian sister’s heavenly house. In the dream, the walls of her house were alive and were built of her spiritual gifts and talents. Grapevines were growing within the walls, as a part of the wall, bearing abundant fruits. This points to the fact that this sister has the gift of evangelism and has brought forth abundant fruit as she has led people to salvation. Not only were the walls alive, but the door was also alive, made of something resembling bricks that were full of life. The door had a music box that could play music. This sister loves music, and after hearing my testimony, she said that she never thought God loved her so much that he would place a music box on the door of her heavenly house!

As Christians, we trust that not only our spirits will be renewed in eternity, but also our bodies. What will our bodies be like after the resurrection? We can only speculate based on the appearance of the Lord’s resurrection body. When Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, they thought He was a spirit or some type of ghost without a body. However, Jesus told them that a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as He did. He specifically stated that he had a body, bones, and flesh that could be touched. He even ate a piece of fish in front of them to demonstrate the physical nature of his body (Luke 24:36-43). He had a physical body in the resurrection, and so will we. Yet our bodies will be nothing like our current bodies (1 Corinthians 15:35-45).

An example from nature will help us understand this. A caterpillar transforms into a chrysalis and finally into a butterfly. If we hadn’t seen such a transformation with our own eyes, it would be hard to believe that such a thing could happen. In the same way, the transformation and resurrection of human beings will be marvelous. One day we will be like caterpillars, the next we will go through the cocoon stage, and after the resurrection, we will obtain another form, just like butterflies. It will be truly incredible. I believe the New Jerusalem is a manifestation of our resurrected bodies. We will still be individual beings, but we will also be part of something bigger. It’s clear from Scripture that we will still be individuals; Jesus said that after the resurrection, we will be like angels, neither marrying nor being given in marriage (Matthew 22:30). This statement assures us that we'll remain individuals; we won't lose ourselves. But we will also be living stones that are being built together. How? Will we be literally linked together arm to arm, standing on someone else's shoulders? No, God builds us together through the life of God within us, linking us together. He is over all, through all, and in all (Ephesians 4:6).

A few examples from nature may help us understand these spiritual realities. A coral polyp is an individual, yet it builds and spreads and creates a network of dead coral polyps that turn into reefs. Slime mold creates an even better illustration of this concept since slime mold is alive. This type of mold not only grows as individual mold organisms, but also communicates and cooperates with other single-celled organisms to create efficient systems for the distribution of nutrients. A group of Japanese and British researchers strategically placed food in a pattern that mimicked Japanese subway stations. In response, the slime mold units worked together to create a pattern of tunnels that was remarkably similar to the pattern of the efficient Japanese subway systems. Several slime mold organisms connected and grew together as one network. In this example, each slime single-celled mold organism was an individual with life, yet they grew together to form a larger organism, exhibiting various shapes, structures, and forms. This is truly a wonderful thing, and it is an illustration of how we will remain individuals and yet will grow together into a dwelling place of God in the spirit.

In the New Jerusalem, we will live inside the city, yet we will also be a part of the city. We will live in God’s building/tabernacle, yet we will also be the living stones that it is built of. This is a profound mystery that cannot be fully described in words. Yet the story of the house built of grapevines and music boxes gives an image of this reality. The grapevines and the walls were one, forming a living unity. These walls were part of the house, but they were also a part of this Christian sister, since they represented the spiritual fruit of her preaching and were inextricably tied to her identity. This grapevine was also rooted in God and was also a part of God's building. This concept is truly marvelous. I believe that the New Jerusalem is a wonderful manifestation of our resurrected bodies.

The New Jerusalem Is the Glorious Wife of the Lamb

This city is full of the glory of God (21:11) because God’s people are filled with God’s glory and the New Jerusalem is the Lamb's wife, the church. Believers are created to be filled with God’s glory, vessels of His glory, manifesting His glory within them. Therefore, when the church is built into the New Jerusalem, it will naturally be filled with the glory of God.

We are not only living stones, but also precious stones (21:11). This means we have undergone a transformation, just like rock undergoes high pressure and change to become precious stones. The gates are made of pearls (21:21), which reminds us that pearls are formed when oysters experience irritation from a grain of sand and secrete a special coating to create the gem. This also speaks of transformation.

The city’s twelve gates have the names of the twelve tribes of Israel inscribed on them (21:12). The city’s twelve foundations contain the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (21:14). This shows how Israel and the New Testament church are joined together through Christ, the cornerstone. In Him, both grow together into a temple in the Lord (Ephesians 2:20-21). This is the beautiful display of the unity of Christ’s new bride, but who will view this display? If we showcase something but have no audience, then the display loses its meaning. Who is the audience for this display? It's all of God's creation, including everything in heaven, on earth, and beneath the earth. This is why I believe that there is certainly a Holy Place and an Outer Court apart from the Holy of Holies (the New Jerusalem). The church has an audience that stands in awe of what Christ has done in unifying Jews and Greeks in his body. Outside the Outer Court is the lake of fire.

This city does not need the sun or the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God gives it light (21:23). The present world needs the light of the sun and moon, but the future world will only need the light of the New Jerusalem, because God's light brings all the life, warmth, and nourishment we will ever need. In a way, we will become part of this “sun.” No wonder Proverbs 4:18 says, "But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day."

Revelation 21:25-27 says, "and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life." This verse indicates that there are nations that live outside the city. Perhaps these are the nations referred to in Revelation 22:2 who live in the Outer Court or Holy Place but continue to mature until they are admitted into the Holy of Holies. They do not necessarily live inside the city, but they bring their glory into it. Those dwelling in the city are those whose lives are mature enough to enter the Holy of Holies. Those in the lake of fire outside the city cannot enter it. This is confirmed again in Revelation 22: "Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." (22:14-15) Those who wash their robes are redeemed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus, but they are not mature enough to wear the bride’s “fine linen.” Clearly, they do not live in the city; if they did, there would be no need to talk about gaining the right to enter the city. There are difficult levels of spiritual life and maturity, and we must seize every opportunity to love and sacrifice for the Lord on earth today, so we can enter the Holy City one day. Let’s make the most of every opportunity during our precious time on earth so we can enjoy the full blessings of the life to come.

Why Did the 144,000 Offer Heartfelt Praise?

Revelation 14 opens with these words:

Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

Why are these heavenly visions placed at the beginning of the chapter? These heavenly visions are not only meant to encourage people in heaven, but also to encourage people who are still suffering on earth. As we saw in the last chapter, many people were facing severe persecution for not worshiping the beast. They were risking their lives to bear witness to the testimony of Jesus. According to Revelation 19:10, “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Because of their suffering, God gave John a vision of this heavenly scene and the great reward awaiting those who suffer. This message was intended to comfort those undergoing trials. This perspective helps us understand why God gave John this vision. Heavenly visions can be a great source of strength for those who are suffering.

Let’s learn a bit more about the 144,000 and their song of praise to God.

Who Are the 144,000?

This group likely contains people who were martyred for refusing to worship the beast, as mentioned in Revelation 13. There may have been others in the group as well, and not all who refused to worship the beast were martyred immediately. However, there were likely some martyrs in the group. In addition, the passage specifically states that the 144,000 have not been defiled with women. What does this statement mean? Should we take it literally? Does this group include only men who have never been close to women, excluding men who were married (like Peter), as well as single women? In this case, perhaps Paul would be included in this group.

If we interpret this statement spiritually instead of literally, we can imagine that it refers to people who are spiritually pure. This interpretation may be more appealing to those who are married. However, the passage may have been intended to be taken literally. It is possible that the 144,000 were literally men who had never been close to women.

Some people believe the 144,000 are the members of the twelve tribes of Israel who were sealed by the angel in Revelation 7:4. But this does not account for the fact that these 144,000 have not been defiled by women.

So who are they? We don’t know for sure. But it seems clear that at least some of them are martyrs. These devoted believers would rather be killed than worship the beast, and they have made great sacrifices for the testimony of Jesus. The rewards and glory they receive in heaven should greatly encourage those currently suffering.

The New Song Sung by the 144,000

Why do these 144,000 people sing a new song? Because each person's salvation story is an individual masterpiece of God. God is the same, but each person's experience of God's salvation is unique. When we overcome the trials in our individual lives, we each compose a new song of praise to God. Only after trials and hardships can we exude such sincere praise. Though we may not see God’s grand plan right now while we are on earth, once we reach heaven we won’t be able to hold back our praise. Once we see how God worked everything together for good, we will offer a unique song of heartfelt praise for God's salvation.

Everyone's suffering is unique. As a result, their experience of salvation is unique, and the praise they offer is also unique. For example, a drug addict who has experienced the pain of drug addiction and the power of Jesus' redemption will have a unique song of praise that non-drug-users cannot share. Similarly, someone who has been sexually assaulted experiences Jesus' salvation and comfort in a unique way. As a result, this person’s new song will be different from the song of someone who has not had the same experience. Each person has a unique way of experiencing God’s salvation, so each person will have a unique psalm of praise for God’s goodness.

I shared this concept with some Christians who are involved in a political movement to eliminate the Chinese Communist Party. I explained, “Because we have responded to God's call to participate in the cause of eradicating the Communist Party, we experience suffering and persecution that are incomprehensible to both American and Chinese Christians who do not participate in this movement. However, in the future, when we welcome a new democratic and free China, the praise we offer to God will be something others cannot comprehend.” We will sing a new song of praise to God that is unique to us.

In the same way, the experience of American Christians is something that Chinese believers cannot fully participate in. Even though the United States is a Christian country, religious freedom has been under attack in recent years. There is a danger of losing the country's values, which are based on Christianity. Many American Christians have prayed for America and tried to revive its Christian values, and this experience is something Chinese Christians cannot fully understand. Meanwhile, Chinese Christians who are still on the mainland are holding onto their faith despite years of persecution. As a Chinese Christian living overseas, I cannot fully relate to their experience. Each believer will sing a new song of praise to God that will not fully resonate with people who have had different experiences.

In the same way, these 144,000 individuals had a unique song of praise to God. By giving up relations with women, they made sacrifices that married people with wives and children cannot fully comprehend. I heard the testimony of a modern-day Christian brother who dedicates himself to God and lives in celibacy. He said that he did not care about sexual relationships between men and women but longed very much to have children. When he sees others with children, he feels very lonely. He had made a very great sacrifice with his decision to live in celibacy.

When these 144,000 childless individuals see that God has not forgotten them and has richly rewarded them, they will sing a song of praise that is unique to their experience. The Bible specifically promises that celibate people who keep God's law will receive more beautiful blessings than those who have children (Isaiah 56:5). Those without children will receive special blessings from God.

God does not forget any small sacrifice we make for Him. He will reward us beyond our imagination. Jesus promises that if we forsake our biological family connections to follow Him, we will not only receive a hundredfold in this world but also eternal life in the world to come (Matthew 19:29).

The vision in Revelation 14 is just a glimpse into the ways God works. It shows that God does not ignore the sacrifices we make for him. He even remembers the small sacrifices we make. Jesus says that anyone who gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is His disciple will not lose their reward (Matthew 10:42). God will remember our service and dedication, and he will greatly reward us. This vision is just a small example of the rewards God will bestow, but the principle it reveals will encourage countless people who are bearing witness to God amidst suffering.

Seamless Transition between Heavenly Perspective and Earthly Perspective

An expert videographer smoothly transitions between close-up shots and distant perspectives. Sometimes, the lens focuses on the foreground, making the background blurry. Other times, the focus shifts to the background, and the foreground becomes blurred. However, a good camera lens can transition seamlessly, and a skilled director will use this transition to express the intended meaning.

The Holy Spirit often employs the same technique when inspiring the writing of the Bible. For example, David often begins his psalms by focusing on the details of his life in the foreground. He complains and pours out his distress about his enemies and their persecution. As the psalm progresses, he shifts his focus to a bigger perspective. He focuses on the greatness of God in creating the heavens and the earth, caring for humanity, and appointing them to manage the universe (Psalm 8).

The same transition happens between Revelation 13 and 14. Revelation 13 shows people on earth being persecuted for refusing to worship the beast, while Revelation 14 shows people in heaven receiving great rewards from God. The passage smoothly transitions from talking about earthly matters to talking about heavenly matters, and from material concerns to spiritual concerns. The Holy Spirit transitions smoothly and naturally between foreground and background and between earth and heaven.

We need to do the same in our spiritual lives. If we only focus on earthly matters and ignore what is happening in the spiritual realm, we may feel discouraged by the difficulties in our everyday lives. When we think about heavenly visions, we will be encouraged. At the same time, since we are living on Earth, we must also pay attention to what is happening on Earth so we can be prepared for hardships and have the right mindset to face challenging circumstances.

We must smoothly transition between seeing things from a spiritual perspective and seeing things from a practical perspective. We are still living in the world, and we still face difficulties. We need to focus on heavenly visions and earthly realities so we can be prepared to handle all the challenges we will face.

Martin Luther: The Suffering of Life is Like the Reversed Lead Type in Printing

It is said that Martin Luther, a pioneer of the Reformation, once said that suffering is like the movable type in the old printing presses. When a printer looked at the movable type, it was difficult to read because the letters were reversed and did not form sentences. However, when the newspaper was printed, these isolated and reversed letters suddenly became a beautiful piece of writing.[1]

In the same way, when we look at our suffering with our limited earthly perspectives, we cannot see God’s good intentions. But when we reach heaven and receive His rewards, we will see that all our present sufferings were permitted by God to fulfill His good will in us. At that time, when we see God's good intentions, we won’t be able to hold back our heartfelt praise. I believe that the 144,000 have gone through many hardships on earth. While on earth, they likely did not understand the meaning of these hardships, but when they stand before God's throne singing a new song, they finally understand God's good intentions. Therefore, they offer a new song that only they can sing. Every person who suffers for the sake of God's will will one day sing a new song to God.

A Warning Before the Great Harvest

At the end of the chapter, an angel warns that those who worship the beast will suffer in sulfur and fire forever (Revelation 14:9-11). The vision at the beginning of this chapter and the warning at the end of the chapter relate to the warnings and calls of the two angels that follow. God always gives warnings in advance. The Old Testament prophet Amos says, “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). Throughout the Bible, God always reveals His character and principles through His prophets and apostles. He warns people about the consequences of their behavior. He tells them what he is about to do so that people can choose to either follow or ignore Him. God gives people free will, so the ultimate result depends on people’s free will. He allows them to make a choice, even about significant matters such as salvation, eternal life, and eternal death.

A Call to the Saints

Revelation 14:12 says, “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” During trials, God gives us visions to strengthen our faith so that we can be gathered like grain into his barn. Revelation 13:10 also says, “If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain.” The passage addresses the appearance of the beast and how it will overcome the saints. Everyone whose name is not recorded in the Book of Life will worship the beast (Revelation 13:7-8). God wants to encourage those who are going through trials and tribulations, once again proving that the theme of Revelation is the testimony of Jesus. When we suffer for the testimony of Jesus, God not only encourages us through His prophetic words but also promises us great rewards in the future. This is the principle taught in the story of the 144,000 standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, and it is something that every person experiencing persecution and difficult circumstances needs to understand.

As I have mentioned many times, suffering by itself is not enough to bring maturity. Suffering is an external circumstance, and it can’t bring maturity on its own. Only when we see God's will in suffering can we be preserved through suffering. As we live in the will of God, experience the visions he gives, and dedicate ourselves to prayer, we will see for ourselves that God works all things together for good.

[1] I read this quote in Chinese but could not find it in English. I apologize for not having a source.

John the Baptist’s lifestyle Illustrates God’s New Wineskins

When John the Baptist arrives on the scene in Matthew 3, he is wearing camel skin clothing and eating locusts and wild honey. What does his odd lifestyle signify? It depicts the beginning of a new spiritual movement started by John. This movement is not rooted in the temple and priestly system, even though John is a descendant of the priestly line. It is a brand new spiritual revival that John is launching in the wilderness.

The starting point of this movement is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). In addition, the movement emphasizes the baptism of repentance. The salvation brought by Jesus Christ must begin with repentance. Since this movement is new, like new wine, it requires new wineskins (outer religious structures). John severs himself completely from the priestly traditions and the temple. Instead of wearing priestly garments, he wears camel skin. As he preaches in the wilderness, he doesn't base his new spiritual movement on his priestly ancestry, on the temple, or on Israel’s Old Testament worship system. He rejects the material provisions of the priesthood and eats locusts and wild honey, symbolizing his complete faith in God’s provision. When one cannot sever material ties with religious systems, it is difficult to avoid being spiritually bound by the old religious system. Hence, whenever a new movement of God arises, we often see people who love the Lord faithfully (including pastors) leaving the financial support of their original religious systems to pursue the Holy Spirit's work in a new era. For instance, during the 1970s in the United States, when many pastors involved in the charismatic movement received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, many of them lost their positions as pastors of traditional churches. As Jesus said, “No one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins” (Luke 5:37-38).

When John the Baptist arrives on the scene, Judaism has become deeply bound by the evil spirits of religion and legalism, and can no longer contain God's work in the new era. This is why God has sent John the Baptist into the wilderness to announce the coming of the ministry of the Lord Jesus. The work of this new era must start from scratch and be rebuilt from a new foundation, which is Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is the new wine and the new wineskin. The new wine signifies new content, while the new wineskin represents a new structure, form, and vessel. Thus, John's arrival and actions in the wilderness highlight God's work in the new era. John wearing camel skin clothing and eating locusts and wild honey illustrate that God's work in the new age starts from a completely new foundation.

John's Arrival Is The "Voice of One Crying in The Wilderness"

Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament. After the last Old Testament book was written, there were about four hundred years of divine silence. During this time, we have no record of any prophetic words from God. This is highly unusual. The book of Hebrews says, "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world" (1:1-2). This verse reminds us that God spoke frequently to the Israelites through many prophets and in many ways. Prophets were an important part of Israel’s history. Even during the reign of the worst kings like Ahab, there were great prophets like Elijah. So it was extremely unusual for the Israelites to go 400 years without a prophetic word from God.

God is a speaking God, so why this silence? Perhaps it helps to remember that to God, a thousand earthly years are like one day (2 Peter 3:8). As the book of Malachi closed the Old Testament canon, God had plans to send Jesus just 400 years later. These 400 years seemed like just a moment to God—less than a day. In the book of Revelation, when the Lamb opens the seventh seal, there is silence in heaven for about half an hour (Revelation 8:1). In the same way, the 400 years of silence must have seemed like a moment of silence to God. Why this silence? The entire universe was holding its breath, anticipating the imminent birth of Jesus Christ. Just like the silence in Revelation before the seventh seal was to usher in the seventh trumpet and bring God’s judgment and the repentance of many people, the four hundred years of silence would usher in the coming of the Lord Jesus.

After 400 years of silence, John's arrival is like the appearance of the morning star in the darkness, announcing the coming of dawn (Christ). For this reason, Malachi specifically mentioned at the end of the book, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction." (Malachi 4:5-6). These are the last two verses of the Old Testament. This passage may refer to the end times and the return of the prophet Elijah. However, Jesus explicitly told His disciples that John was Elijah who was to come, but people did not recognize him (Mark 11:14, Matthew 9:13). When the angel announced to Zechariah that his son John would be born, he also said, "and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared" (Luke 1:17).

In addition to the prophecies in the Book of Malachi, Isaiah also prophesies that John would be the voice of one crying out in the wilderness. Isaiah 40 states, "A voice cries, ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain’" (Isaiah 40:3-4). In Matthew chapter 3, the Holy Spirit confirmed through Matthew’s pen, "For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’" (Matthew 3:3).

The wilderness is a place of trial and transformation. The Israelites faced trials in the wilderness as they traveled through it to the Promised Land. Moses once spent forty years in the wilderness, and Jesus also spent forty days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil. After experiencing the trials of the wilderness, these individuals received the power of the Holy Spirit. After Jesus underwent trials in the wilderness, He received the power of the Holy Spirit and returned to Galilee. The Bible does not tell us exactly when John arrived in the wilderness, but we believe John endured a prolonged period of trials in the wilderness. After the trials in the wilderness were over, he received the power of Elijah so he could proclaim the coming of Jesus Christ and turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.

The Bible seems to imply that John the Baptist had not met Jesus before his baptism (except when he met him in the womb in Luke 1:41). In John 1:31, John says, "I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." Again, in verse 33, John says, "I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’" This interesting verse seems to imply that John couldn't recognize the Lord in the flesh but had to see and know the Lord in the Spirit. In addition, Luke 1:80 says of John, "And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel." It seems that God hid John for a while, then revealed him to the world at the appropriate time. This reveals a principle of God’s work in the new era. When God chooses to perfect and prepare people for his service, he often hides them in the wilderness until their time comes.

In 2016, God revealed to me that there would be a great revival in China in the future and that he was calling me to be a part of this revival. In 2018, a Korean prophet prophesied to me about my role and responsibility in this coming revival. However, he also reminded me, “You are still placed by God in the wilderness. You need to learn more about surrendering to God. You must wait for God’s appointed time.” In 2013, the Lord gave me a vision of revival spreading like a tornado across the whole earth, slowly growing in size. I believe that my personal experience is characteristic of the way God often works. He hides people in the wilderness to prepare them for his service. When his time comes, He will use them to announce the beginning of a new spiritual movement.

John's Rebuke of the Pharisees and Sadducees – “Bear Fruit Befitting Repentance”

At the beginning of a new spiritual era, people often exhibit several different attitudes. The first is resistance and contempt. Most likely, many traditional Jews expressed contempt toward John. They may have believed that John's camel skin clothing was unclean. In the same way, people despised Jesus for coming from Galilee. “No prophet comes from Galilee,” they said.

Secondly, at the start of a new spiritual movement, we often see people attempting to infiltrate and disrupt this new movement. This is what the Pharisees and Sadducees attempted here. God initiated a new spiritual work through John: a baptism of repentance. However, the Pharisees and Sadducees did not repent. They attempted to infiltrate the new spiritual work by undergoing baptism, but they did not have good motives. John severely criticized the religious leaders: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 3:7-10).

The Pharisees and Sadducees felt superior to others, believing that the Israelites were God’s chosen people who were guaranteed salvation. This sense of superiority might have become a veil in the hearts of the Pharisees and Sadducees. John rebuked them for their smug attitude. He told them that it was not enough to rely on being descendants of Abraham, because God could even raise up children for Abraham from stones!

Though Paul speaks of the salvation of all Israel in the end times (Romans 11:26), I don’t believe it means that every Israelite in history will be saved. This question is controversial, but I believe that some Israelites will be eternally lost. In the Book of Daniel, when speaking about Israel’s future, the angel said, "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." (Daniel 12:2). Being a Jew does not necessarily mean you are automatically saved.

Paul also states elsewhere, "But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’" (Romans 9:6-7). In Galatians 3:7, Paul says, "Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham."

These Pharisees and Sadducees were bound by the spirit of religion and legalism. Their concern wasn’t the redemption of Jesus Christ or the path of repentance and baptism offered by John; they were concerned about their own interests and doctrines. Hence, when they attempted to be baptized, John sternly reminded them that they must bear fruit in line with repentance.

The Pharisees and Sadducees represented the old wineskins centered around the temple and the priesthood. It is true that in the past, God chose the physical temple as His dwelling place. However, God's work in the new era is not about constructing an external temple, but a spiritual one (1 Peter 2:5). Jesus said he was greater than the temple (Matthew 12:6) and greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42). Moreover, Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). After saying this, John explains, "But he was speaking about the temple of his body" (John 2:20-21). Jesus was inaugurating a new spiritual era; He was constructing a spiritual temple. This temple far surpasses the former temple of the Old Testament era; it also surpasses the temple built by Solomon. Hence, God's work in the new era, the new spiritual work, must be entirely established on a new foundation—Jesus Christ. And John the Baptist was proclaiming the arrival of Jesus Christ.

This present era marks a dividing point where God starts a new spiritual era and new spiritual work. Faced with the arrival of a new era, will we recognize the work of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, or will we be hindered by old religious concepts? Throughout history, many believers have been unable to recognize God's work in a new era; instead, they have resisted God's new guidance. This is something we should be vigilant about.

Jesus Baptizes People in the Holy Spirit and Fire

John's message is crystal clear. First, Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). This is the message of repentance that he preached. Second, Jesus is the One who baptizes people with the Holy Spirit and fire. Over the ages, some churches have accepted the fact that we can be baptized in water , but ignored the fact that Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and fire. In the book of Acts, they only knew about the baptism of John. The people he preached to were unaware of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Later, Paul came and laid his hands on them, and they received the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Sadly, even today many Christians have not fully accepted or experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion:

Every new spiritual era requires a renewal and transformation of our minds, as well as the outpouring and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. John experienced trials in the wilderness. He received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and his mind was renewed. Only then could he usher in a new era of spiritual work.

As we face a new spiritual era, we must be open to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the renewal of our minds. Even if we have already received the indwelling Holy Spirit, we still need a greater outpouring of the Spirit. Everyone needs a fresh outpouring of God’s power. God’s work is always fresh and new. We must undergo a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit so we can receive power for the spiritual work of the new era. We must continually renew our minds and be transformed into new wineskins that can contain the new wine that God is producing in the new spiritual era.

The Fall of Babylon and the Symbol of An Olive Press

Revelation 16 depicts the fall of Babylon the Great. The Holy Spirit showed me that Babylon the Great is a symbol of evil, like a nest full of evil spirits and impure birds. They not only resist God but also ensnare and deceive believers.

Therefore, God's judgment on Babylon the Great involves placing it in the winepress of His wrath. God calls His people to leave Babylon the Great before the city structure collapses.

Babylon the Great is an Olive Press

In this world, there are three spiritual realms. We humans live in the first spiritual realm; Satan and his evil spirits live in the second spiritual realm; and God dwells in the third spiritual realm. I sometimes call these three spiritual realms the three heavens.

Babylon the Great is the dwelling place of Satan and evil spirits in the middle spiritual realm between heaven and earth. Christ (who lives in the heavenly realm) and humans (who live in the earthly realm) yearn to be connected through marriage. Thus they collectively press against the middle realm as they try to unite. This pressing or mutual attraction will ultimately crush and overthrow Babylon the Great.

In the same way, the indwelling Christ and the Holy Spirit long to fill the Church and all things; the body of Christ longs for the Holy Spirit’s filling; and all of creation yearns to be liberated from its bondage to corruption. These forces attract each other, just as a bride and groom are drawn to each other, ultimately leading to the marriage feast depicted in Revelation 19. Eventually, heaven will invade earth, and heaven and earth will merge, crushing Babylon the Great which lies between them.

The structure of these three realms mirrors the three areas of the tabernacle, which contained the Holy of Holies, the Holy Place, and the Outer Court. It also mirrors our human existence, in which we have the spirit, soul, and body. In our personal lives, the spirit and the body cooperate to sanctify the soul. Our spirit has been born again and has become God’s dwelling place, like the Holy of Holies. The Holy Spirit desires to fill the Holy of Holies (our spirit) with his presence and gradually expand outward. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and they long to be freed from the bondage of corruption and receive the glorious freedom of sons of God. Like earth and heaven attract each other, so do the body (God’s temple) and the spirit (God’s home). But in between is the soul, which is sometimes adulterous. However, the body and spirit attract each other, ultimately leading to the renewal of our minds and the sanctification of our souls (Romans 12:1). This force purifies our adulterous souls.

Babylon the Great is a mixture of several spiritual substances, like a golden cup full of both good oil and dregs. The cup is full of abominations (Revelation 17:4). When God poured out Babylon the Great, it was like placing olives in an olive press. The olive oil is pressed out while the dregs are thrown into the fire and burned.

Just as oil comes out when olives are pressed, and the sediment is thrown into the fire and burned, God will destroy the evil in Babylon the Great. When God’s glory descends from the third heaven (Revelation 18:1), and believers continue to pray for God’s judgment and salvation (prayer under the altar, Revelation 6:10), God accomplishes his final judgment against Babylon the Great. The blood of countless saints was shed in Babylon the Great, and many believers were ensnared. As God judges Babylon the Great, he calls to the ensnared believers and dismantles the lair of evil spirits and burns it. From this, we can see that Babylon the Great is symbolized by an olive press.

Babylon The Great Exists in the Middle Spiritual Realm

As mentioned previously, there are three spiritual realms. All things in heaven and earth belong to God, and all of the world should be filled with God’s glory. However, Satan defiled heaven, the dwelling place of God (also known as the third heaven). After being cast down to earth, the devil took up residence in the middle realm (also known as the second heaven). By occupying this middle realm, he blocks God’s will from being done on earth.

On the cross, Jesus Christ not only completed the work of redemption so that humans can be reconciled to God, but He also cleansed the heavens once and for all (Hebrews 9:23). God not only cleansed the heavenly realm (represented by the Holy of Holies), but is also cleansing the earthly realm so His will can be done on earth as it is in heaven (represented by the Outer Court). The middle realm (second heaven) is occupied by Satan and the evil spirits, who have ensnared and deceived many believers. Therefore, God must also purify the second heaven. This is God’s mode of operation.

God not only purifies the three heavens, but also our personal spiritual lives. In the process of salvation and sanctification, God first renewed our spirit (represented by the Holy of Holies). His presence then expands outwards and fills our body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Spiritual growth is a result of human initiative and God’s initiative. It is not solely God’s work or man’s work. Rather, God’s work from the throne and man’s prayers from the altar collectively propel God’s work forward. As we long for more of the Holy Spirit’s filling, God responds by working in our lives. Our prayers and spiritual desires can be compared to digging a tunnel in a mountain. We dig on one side of the mountain, and God on the other side, and eventually we break through. In this way, God cooperates with man.

However, Satan’s mode of operation is to resist God in the soul, body, and spirit. First, He resists God through the sins of our flesh. Since the Lord Jesus crucified our flesh when he completed the work of redemption on the cross, Satan’s next spiritual battlefield is our soul. Our souls dwell between the body and the spirit, and they must choose to either listen to the spirit or to the wrong choices of the flesh (body). If our souls (and minds) make the right choices by choosing the spirit, it leads to life and peace; if our souls make the wrong choices by choosing the flesh, it leads to death. This is the truth revealed by Paul in Romans 8.

Satan has already been thrown out of the heavenly realm (third heaven), which is why he now lives in the middle realm (second heaven). At the same time, the battle between God and Satan continues in the earthly realm. These battles on earth are directly impacted by the battles taking place in the middle realm, the realm of the angels and demons. On the one hand, Satan constantly opposes God’s will in the middle realm, just like the demonic prince of Persia resisted the angel God sent to convey messages to Daniel (Daniel 10:13). On the other hand, Satan constantly deceives and ensnares believers on earth by influencing them from the middle spiritual realm.

This is why many believers have been deceived and have fallen into the net of Babylon the Great, which is in the middle realm. This net contains a mixture of deceived believers, sinners, and evil spirits. So how should God judge this mixed bag? Just like in the image of the olive press, God will separate the sediment from the wine, the wheat from the chaff, and the evildoers from the believers. mentioned earlier. When God puts Babylon the Great into the winepress or oil press, He will extract the oil from the olives and the wine from the grapes. When the wheat is harvested by God into His barn, the chaff (including evildoers and evil spirits) will be severely judged by God. These people will be thrown into the fire by God and burned.

"Heaven Invades Earth" and "The New Jerusalem Descends from Heaven"

I recently learned that our solar system is traveling northward at a speed of 20 miles per second. Moreover, the Bible reveals that the third heaven, where God dwells, is in the extreme north (Psalm 48:2). Therefore some speculate that earth is constantly moving closer and closer to God’s dwelling place, making it plausible for the New Jerusalem to descend from heaven on a physical plane. I am uncertain if this aligns with science, but it certainly does spiritually.

The Bible reveals to us that the New Jerusalem will descend from heaven, and it is explicitly stated that the New Jerusalem is a bride prepared for her husband (21:2). This leads to two complementary spiritual truths. First, God’s glory will descend from the third heaven, as verse 1 of this chapter says, “After this, I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory.” Revelation 21:2 says that God will come down to his people: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” (NIV) On the other hand, we as believers will also ascend to God as we grow and mature in Him. Ephesians 4:15 tells us that we, his bride, must continue to mature so that we can grow up into Christ, who is the Head (Ephesians 4:15).

We cannot merely anticipate the descent of God’s holy city from heaven; we must also ascend to him as we mature. Our spiritual lives should be like balloons, which float upwards until we sit with Christ on his heavenly throne (Revelation 3:21). When we are burdened by too many earthly and physical entanglements, it is like tying stones to the balloon, hindering it from floating upwards.

In my visions and spiritual experiences, I have been carried by God to heaven. I have also flown independently to heaven. This shows that a person’s spirit can ascend to God. With God’s help, our spirits can sour to heaven. In some of these experiences, my spirit has been attacked by adversaries and evil spirits as it went through the middle realm, or second heaven.

These stories and experiences show that the Body of Christ, His bride, is constantly ascending to the third heaven. The bride includes the martyred believers throughout the ages who have been massacred by Babylon the Great for their testimony for God. In Revelation 6:10, they incessantly pray from heaven that God would judge their murderers and bring them. Perhaps they say, “God, may the believers on earth continue to mature. We have finished our race, but they have not yet completed theirs. As a result, we cannot yet receive our reward (Hebrews 11). So please help them mature as soon as possible so that you may judge Babylon the Great who shed our blood.” Perhaps God also responds in a similar way, telling them to endure for a while longer until the number of martyrs is complete. Once this number is complete, God's judgment will be poured out on Babylon the Great.

In the passage we are studying today, that number is finally complete. God’s judgment comes upon Babylon the Great. However, even in the midst of such judgment, God hasn’t forgotten to save His chosen people who were ensnared by Babylon the Great. John records, “Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues’” (Revelation 18:4). From this passage, we can see that God’s judgment on Babylon the Great includes the deliverance of those believers who have been ensnared and deceived.

In the next chapter, Revelation tells us that the Bride of the Lamb has made herself ready and is fully prepared for her wedding feast (Revelation 19:7). In the very next chapter, the Lamb and the Bride are ready to be married. The Bridegroom in heaven, Jesus Christ, and the Bride on earth have been drawn toward each other. They have constantly pursued one another, ready for a grand embrace. This embrace will crush and overcome Babylon the Great, the harlot, who has vehemently sought to prevent this embrace.

We see a similar picture of desire in the story of Isaac marrying Rebekah. Isaac needed comfort after his mother’s death, so his father Abraham (representing the Heavenly Father) sent his servant (representing the Holy Spirit) to his homeland to bring Rebekah. When Rebekah arrived on a camel, Isaac was waiting outside the tent, eagerly anticipating her arrival. Upon seeing Rebekah, he received her as his bride, brought her into the tent, and was comforted. This is a beautiful picture. Isaac represents Christ, who is eagerly anticipating the arrival of his bride. Rebekah represents the bride, who was willing to undergo a strenuous journey (symbolized by riding the camel) to get to her Bridegroom.

In the book of Revelation, the bride is finally ready to meet her Bridegroom, and the New Jerusalem descends from heaven. Before the wedding feast, God judges Babylon the Great, the harlot, because this harlot has stolen people’s worship and ensnared God’s chosen people. Babylon the Great is the counterfeit bride and she must be judged.

The Fall of Babylon the Great and the Haunt of Unclean and Detestable Birds

Revelation 18:2 records, “And he [the mighty angel] cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.’” NASB Did Babylon the Great fall first and then later become a dwelling place for unclean and detestable birds, or was Babylon the Great the haunt of unclean and detestable birds before it fell? What does it mean to be a haunt of unclean and detestable birds? The answer lies in 18:3: “For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.” The word “for” shows that this verse is building on the content of the previous verse. Revelation 18:4-5 says, “Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.’” God is addressing His chosen people who are trapped in Babylon the Great, calling them to come out of Babylon the Great to avoid being judged by God in the same way.

Just like Babylon contains a mixture of saints and sinners, our soul often contains mixed allegiances. In our soul, we can either choose the spirit and obtain life and peace, or we can set our minds on the flesh and obtain death. God’s judgment on Babylon the Great purifies believers’ souls and renews their minds. Our soul should be like God’s temple, a place of prayer. However, just like the money changers who turned God’s house of prayer into a place of buying and selling, we often compromise the purity of God’s dwelling place. Jesus was angry and drove out the people who were exchanging money and selling cattle and sheep. God intended the temple to be a place where people could come offer sacrifices to Him. But people had turned His worship into a system of empty religious rituals, and for their convenience, they were buying and selling doves, cattle and sheep in the temple. When we lose the true meaning of worship, which is worshiping the Father in spirit and in truth, the house of God becomes a place of merchandise. Just like Jesus cleansed the temple, God is now judging Babylon the Great. Evil spirits in Babylon the Great wanted to rob people of their ability to authentically worship God. As a result, Babylon contained a mixture of true worship and false human worship.

I believe that before the fall of Babylon the Great, evil spirits had already taken residence in the city, but these haunts were further exposed after the fall of the city.

Our Prayer

During our Bible study, a new believer heard me sharing about Babylon and uttered this prayer: “May the glory of our Heavenly Father continue to fill us, drawing us closer to His Son, Jesus Christ. May we continue to grow spiritually until we become a mature and glorious bride. May we soar higher and embrace Jesus Christ as our heavenly Bridegroom. May the glory of God continually descend from heaven, filling the entire earth. Let us ascend from earth toward Him. Let God’s passion for us (in the heavenly realm) and our passion for him (in the earthly realm) press against Babylon the Great (in the middle realm). Just as olives are pressed for oil, let the chosen people of God caught in Babylon the Great’s snare transform into oil through hardships and pressing, and be gathered into God’s barn. May this pressing and judgment also squeeze out the dregs completely, judge them, and cast them into the lake of fire. Lord Jesus, we long for your return!”

Revelation 14 (part 2)

Two High-speed Trains and the Harvest of Two Kinds of Angels

Two opposing storylines run through the entire Biblical narrative. I like to visualize them as two high-speed trains that reach their ultimate destinations in the Book of Revelation. One train originated with God and is filled with all the righteous people from all ages (from Adam, Seth, and Noah to Moses, David, and the New Testament saints). The other train originated with Satan and carries the sinners from all ages (Cain, Lamech, and all who refuse to repent). The former represents the tree of life, and the latter represents the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

These two trains will intersect at the Battle of Armageddon, when the people on the two trains will engage in a final battle. After the battle, those belonging to God will achieve victory; their train will continue its journey and arrive at its destination, eternal life. However, the other train, filled with sinners, will arrive at the lake of fire, where its passengers will face eternal judgment.

These two trains have been continuously loading new passengers since the beginning of humanity. The former continuously loads repentant people to become the army of the new bride, while the latter continuously loads unrepentant people to become the army of the "kings from the east" (Revelation 16:12, see also Revelation 19:19). The ultimate fate of these unrepentant people is grim. The beast and the false prophet will be thrown “alive into the lake of fire" (19:20). The remaining warriors will be “slain by the sword that came out from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse" (19:21). Remember, the apocalyptic final battle involves not only the people on Earth but also sinners and saints from all ages.

In the Old Testament, Jacob saw two camps of soldiers in a vision (Genesis 32:2). The angels and the heavenly hosts are involved in this battle against the powers of evil. The antagonists, the beast, and the false prophet, are either evil spirits or people possessed by evil spirits, indicating that evil spirits are also involved in this final battle. Both armies are continuously recruiting soldiers and preparing for the final confrontation. God's army continually transforms sinners into God's children through the Gospel, forming the army of the new bride. The enemy's army continually ensnares sinners, making them captives of the enemy, and finally engages in a war against God and God's servants.

Jesus compares the kingdom of God to sowing seeds. As God sows the seeds of the Gospel, the enemy also sows weeds. Jesus tells us that we should not pull up the weeds, lest the wheat be pulled up too. When they both mature, the angels will come to harvest, burning the weeds and gathering the wheat into the barn (Matthew 13:24-30). In this parable, Jesus clearly states, "The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels" (13:39). So the scene in Revelation 14 is the reality that Jesus’ parable was pointing to (Matthew 13). In Revelation 14, angels are harvesting the good wheat into the barn (the 144,000 standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, see Revelation 14:1-5) and gathering the weeds into the winepress of God's fierce wrath (14:19). The harvest of these two angels prepares the world for the final battle between the two armies, as well as for the fall of Babylon (14:8).

Who are the 144,000 on Mount Zion?

Since Revelation 13:15 says that "those who would not worship the image of the beast” were “slain,” some speculate that the 144,000 are the ones who were killed for not worshiping the beast. However, this understanding is incorrect. Firstly, those killed for not worshiping the beast would likely have exceeded this number. Secondly, the events described in Revelation 13, such as the beast having the authority to kill those who do not worship him, have not yet happened at this point. When we enter Chapter 14, we find an angel proclaiming the eternal gospel to all nations on earth (14:6), announcing the fall of Babylon (14:7), warning of the eternal damnation of those who worship the beast, and applauding the perseverance of the saints (14:8). From this proclamation, it appears that there is a process taking place, and this process takes time. Verse 13 says, "And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.’” At this point, many people are unwilling to worship the beast and therefore are killed. Since not worshiping the beast leads to death, there are only two options for those who live on earth. The first option is not worshiping the beast and being gathered by God into his barn (14-16); the second option is worshiping the beast, leading to being gathered by the angels and thrown into the winepress of God’s wrath (17-20).

Then who are the 144,000 people whom John sees on Mount Zion at the beginning of chapter 14? We can relate this passage to Revelation 7:4, which says, "And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel."

Let’s dive deeper and uncover the process that is slowly unfolding in these chapters. In Chapter 7, the angels sealed these 144,000 people, but their actual salvation came after Chapter 14. The seven trumpets played a crucial role in this process. While these seven trumpets brought calamity, they also served to summon God’s elect. Jesus refers to the end times in Matthew 24: "And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:31). Calamity and God’s call were one and the same.

Calamity and God’s call are often two aspects of the same event. For example, during World War II, Jews faced the Holocaust under Hitler; yet after the war, the modern state of Israel was established. Due to the suffering they had endured, many Jews who may not have been willing to leave their homeland became more willing to return to Israel. This illustrates the paradox of suffering and calling.

Certainly, there are various interpretations regarding who the 144,000 people are. Still, based on Revelation 7, when the angels sealed them and the trumpet call gathered them, I believe the reference to the 144,000 alludes to the process of calling the people of Israel back home. Perhaps they will gather on Mount Zion on earth, or maybe some will be martyred and gathered on Mount Zion in heaven.

Near my home in Maryland, not far from a hotel, an annual gathering of Jewish Christians takes place. In 2023, I attended their meeting and heard about the severity of the persecution that Jewish Christians face when preaching the gospel to Jews. An American Jewish Christian sister told us about how she was kind to a Jewish neighbor, but when the neighbor discovered that they were Jesus’ followers, she reported them to the authorities, leading to significant persecution. Recent news reports confirm that some Jewish extremists have been persecuting Jewish Christians during prayer meetings. As the end times arrive, the spiritual opposition to the gospel among the religious Jews in Israel will only increase. As a result, preaching the gospel in Israel or turning to Christ may lead to martyrdom. The 144,000 martyrs may refer to the small number of firstfruits that result from a revival in Israel during the end times.

After the angels seal these servants in Chapter 7, the passage continues, "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes, and peoples and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands" (7:9). This clearly refers to the salvation of the Gentiles. If we consider Paul’s teaching that all Israel will be saved once the full number of the Gentiles has been saved (Romans 11:25), it's not hard to see what is happening here. This may be the turning point when the full number of Gentiles has come in and God is now saving all of Israel in a great revival. However, this event will undoubtedly provoke fierce opposition from Satan. As a result, the subsequent battles will be centered around Israel.

What is the Eternal Gospel?

Building on the concepts we have explored above, it will be easier to understand the eternal gospel mentioned in Revelation 14:6. First, let’s look at the history of the past few thousand years. Even though Romans teaches that God temporarily turned away from Israel to work among the Gentiles, many Gentiles have still had a burden for the Jews and have shared the gospel with them. There have also been movements of Messianic Jewish Christians in the United States, and some Jews have come to faith. Still, the overall number of Jewish believers remains small. At the Jewish conference I attended, I heard that the number of believing Jews is less than 1% in the US and much less in Israel. I've interacted with many ministries focused on sharing the gospel with Jewish people, and I've observed that the impact is limited.

Perhaps this is why in the end times, God will specifically raise up angels to proclaim the eternal gospel. Although this gospel shows God’s compassion for the Jews, it is not exclusive to them. In this chapter, it states, "Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth—to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, 'Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and the earth, the sea and the springs of water'" (14:6-7). While this eternal gospel is proclaimed to all nations, it seems connected to the promise of the salvation of all Israel during the end times. Perhaps because God’s appointed time has come, and the hardening of Israel's heart has run its course, God will raise up angels to proclaim the gospel, enabling God’s chosen people to believe in their Messiah.

Considering the current challenges in sharing the gospel with the Jewish people, it seems necessary for angels to directly proclaim the gospel to them. It's possible that the entire house of Israel can be saved through this angelic proclamation alone.

Announcing the Fall of Babylon

The fall of Babylon is discussed in more detail in subsequent chapters, but in this chapter the second angel announces the fall of Babylon and calls on the Jews and Christians in Babylon to leave the city. Babylon represents various snares created by evil spirits and evildoers, including religious, political, economic, and other snares. Many unrighteous Jews control the world's wealth, and it’s logical to conclude that these people are part of the snare. Many Christians also participate in these snares, so God calls His people (perhaps including Jews and Gentile Christians) to abandon this snare, lest they face the same punishment (18:4). God's judgment on Babylon is a gradual process, beginning with this announcement. Subsequently, Babylon will be judged step by step.

The Separation of Babylon and the Warning of Worshiping the Beast

Since God's people are still present in Babylon, God's judgment on Babylon involves a power struggle between God and Satan. They are fighting over the people of God who are still within the city. When God announces the fall of Babylon, some of His people will undoubtedly leave. But Satan and the beast will do their best to oppose this by intensifying their threats. No one will be able to do business without worshiping the beast. As God's warning intensifies, the beast’s persecution also increases. God’s people are the epicenter of the conflict. God's people have two choices: either leave Babylon, choosing martyrdom over worshiping the beast, or stay and face persecution. The beast wants God’s people, who are attempting to leave Babylon, to worship him instead. Facing such persecution, God gives a serious warning that worshipping the beast will lead to eternal suffering in the lake of fire.

A Watershed Moment

At this point, God's train is moving forward, boarding all the remaining people who are chosen by God. To save these chosen ones, God has sent out three angels. They declare the eternal gospel, announce the fall of Babylon the Great, and warn of the outcome for those who worship the beast. God continues to call these people to break free from Babylon the Great and board God's train that is headed for eternal life. However, those who refuse to repent and those who worship the beast will face severe punishment from God.

The appearance of the beast is a watershed moment. When the two angels arrive, the earth is harvested. Those who choose not to worship the beast are harvested by the angel and gathered into God’s barn like grain. In contrast, those who worship the beast are harvested by the angel and disposed of like weeds.

Are the Reapers Angels?

Revelation 14:14 says, "Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand." Who is this harvester who looks like the Son of Man? Is he the Lord? Some may take this view, since the term “son of man” is used here. However, in Matthew 13:39, Jesus says, "And the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels." If this reaper in Revelation is the Lord, it makes it difficult to explain Revelation 14:15, where another angel gives a command to the one sitting on the cloud: "Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour of reaping has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” If the man on the cloud were the Lord, it would seem strange for another angel to give him a command. Therefore, we can guess that this harvester is not the Lord, but another angel. It seems that a pair of angels was harvesting. One angel was specifically responsible for harvesting, while the other was responsible for receiving and relaying God’s command to begin the harvest.

We can observe the same pattern in the harvesting of the wicked. The first angel wields a sickle, and the second angel comes out from the altar, having authority over the fire. He instructs the first angel when to reap. Only then does the first angel cast down the sickle. From this perspective, it appears to be a corresponding pair of angels. From this similar pair of harvesters, we can conclude that the son of man was likely not the Lord, but an angel.

Conclusion

There are only two opposing forces in this world: God and Satan. People must choose either God or Satan; there is no middle ground. Two spiritual "trains" run in the world, one headed to eternal life and one headed toward eternal destruction. Human free will and choice determine which train we board. Daily life is filled with decisions that shape the direction of our lives. Trials test how we make choices. In Revelation 14, people were forced to choose when the beast appeared and persecution broke out for those who did not worship the beast. At this point, Babylon still contained some of God’s chosen people trapped within. However, the appearance of the beast completely separated God's people from those marked by the beast. God's people were harvested into the barn, symbolizing heaven, while those with the mark of the beast were gathered into the lake of fire to face eternal torment. May we all make the right choice and board the train to heaven.

The Beast and God’s Final Harvest

In Revelation 13, we learn about an evil trinity composed of the dragon, the first beast, and the second beast. This chapter lies between the account of the birth of the man-child (chapter 12) and the account of the 144,000 who stood with the Lamb on Mount Zion (chapter 14). These accounts represent the two great harvests of God. As we mentioned earlier, the Book of Revelation is structured around alternating judgments and harvests. Judgments lead to spiritual harvests.

In Revelation 13, anyone "whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain" begins to worship the beast (13:8). When God “gives them up” to worship the beast, this is actually another form of judgment on the world. The Book of Romans depicts this type of judgment:

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (1:21) God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts. (1:24; 26) God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. (1:28)

When God allows people to sin, it means that he has rejected them. This is the most serious form of judgment. The beast and those who worship him will be judged by God in the future. Perhaps they are so full of sin that God will no longer give them a chance to repent anymore. If so, this indicates a transition from the age of grace to an age of judgment.

Revelation 14 tells us that after this transition, God will begin to incrementally cleanse the former creation. First, the "eternal gospel" will be proclaimed (14:6) and Babylon the Great will fall (14:8). Babylon the Great is a counterfeit Body of Christ. She is a great whore instead of a bride, and she is drunk with the blood of the saints (17:6). The Lamb will then fight against the beast and conquer him (17:14), and the beast and the false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire and sulfur (19:20). In the end, Satan will be bound for a thousand years (20:3) and finally cast into the lake of fire and sulfur (20:10). At this point, God will begin the Great White Throne judgment, and those who are not in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire (20:15). Then the New Heaven and New Earth, the New Jerusalem, will be created (21-22).

Throughout every stage of judgment, God is constantly bringing in a harvest of souls. Even during the final judgment before the Great White Throne judgment, some people will be ushered into eternal life. God's continuing harvest brings many true believers into eternal life. In the end, all who seek and long for God will enter heaven and become a part of the Bride of Christ. Martyred believers who refused to worship the beast will take part in God’s final harvest. This is why at the beginning of Revelation 14, we see those 144,000 believers standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion.

Satan Hides Behind the Beast

The false Trinity is composed of Satan, the first beast (the Antichrist), and the second beast (the false prophet, 19:20). Revelation 12 ends with the dragon standing on the sands of the sea (12:17). Why is the dragon standing there?

This dragon is Satan. Because Satan has been cast to the earth, he must find an agent to help him deceive humankind. Just as Satan used the snake to deceive Eve in the Garden of Eden, he must find a new agent of deceit so he can continue to pursue his purposes. If for a moment he does not use deceit, he will fail to win the admiration and worship of mankind. If people realize that he is a big red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, few will want to worship him. Since Christ has already conquered Satan on the cross, his only tool is deception. He attempts to confuse and deceive those who do not know about Christ's victory.

The Bible mentions that Satan often disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). He tries not to show his true colors. Because of his propensity for deception, I conclude that the first beast he summons up from the bottomless pit may not appear as vicious as God knows him to be. He may be trying to deceive people. On the other hand, God's revelations of judgment allow people to see Satan’s true colors and the true nature beast.

The Picture of the Beast Depicts the Worship of Diverse False Gods

Revelation 12:3 declares that the dragon has “seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.” Revelation 13:1 tells us that the beast rising out of the sea has “ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.” God reveals that the beast and the dragon have the same nature. Through spiritual eyes, we can see that Satan is behind many events and people in this world. But if our spiritual eyes are not open, we run the risk of being deceived by outward appearances.

The beast’s multiple heads and horns remind us that the beast manifests itself in multiple ways. It has something for everyone. If you do not want God, you can likely find a beast or a dragon that fits you perfectly. The beast does not have just one manifestation; he has many different evil manifestations to deceive a variety of people. This is why some countries have fallen into the control of the Evil Spirit of Communism; other countries fallen into the control of Islamic Extremism; and yet other countries have fallen into the control of homosexuals and extreme leftists. The beast hides behind all kinds of beautiful things. For instance, the homosexual movement is disguised as seeking respect for minorities, and the religious pluralism movement is disguised as accommodating all religions. They all have beautiful slogans, but what they are doing is against God.

The beast has a leopard’s body but a lion’s mouth. This may indicate that it is a counterfeit of Christ, the lion of the tribe of Judah. His feet are like the feet of a bear, meaning he is merciless in hurting people. We see echoes of the beast in many systems of thoughts and anti-God movements in this world. Behind the beast is the dragon, that is, Satan.

Why was the dragon standing by the sea? Why did he call the beast up from the bottomless pit? Perhaps the dragon was trying to disguise itself after its partial exposure. The angel had defeated the dragon, so perhaps its true nature had been partly exposed. Now, it wants to hide itself by using the beast to deceive people.

Why is there a second beast after the first beast? For the same reason: the first beast has been partially exposed. Its head has been wounded with a knife, and one of its heads has died (13:3). Although the beast has been healed (13:3), its nature has been exposed to a certain extent. Therefore, a second beast is needed to continue to confuse people with its shapeshifting. The second beast will continue to entice people to worship the first beast and the dragon.

Whether the dragon, the first beast, or the second beast, their goal is to confuse and deceive people. The job of God, the angels, and the church is to continue to expose what they are doing. When the works of Satan and the evil spirits have been fully exposed, they will finally be defeated. As we mentioned earlier, Christ's work on the cross stripped Satan of all his power when was accomplished. His only tool is to deceive. Once that tool is removed, he will be utterly destroyed.

God's Purpose Is Still Harvest

As we have seen, Revelation is structured around recurring judgments and recurring harvests. After God’s judgment, there is always a harvest. God will gather the grain and put it into the barn (representing the harvest of true believers, and he will also harvest the weeds (false believers) and throw them into the great winepress of the wrath of God (14:19). If you've ever seen a harvester at work, then you can imagine the work of the beast in Revelation 13. The beast has one most important purpose: to separate the grain from the weeds. The beast is allowed to fight against the saints and to conquer them (13:7), resulting in many martyrs. All who are not written in the book of life will worship the beast and receive his mark.

The harvest in Revelation 14 has a different purpose. This chapter opens with a vision of one hundred and forty-four thousand people standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion. Perhaps this number represents those who did not worship the beast and were martyred in Revelation 13. God is now gathering the grain into his barn, which is heaven.

In the Revelation 14, the angel proclaims the eternal gospel to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people (14:6). What is the "eternal gospel"? The interpretation of this passage is controversial. I was taught that that the proclamation of the eternal gospel represents the end of the Age of Grace. Perhaps at this time, people will no longer have the opportunity to be saved by hearing the gospel from fellow humans. Instead, the gospel will be preached directly by angels. Whether or not this interpretation is correct, this verse definitely represents the end of an era. Perhaps the window of God's grace will partially close as humanity enters a new phase.

As Revelation 14 continues, God continues to harvest the earth. An angel swings a sickle across the earth to reap the earth (14:15-16). The angel puts the grain (symbolizing believers) into the barn (14:16). Another angel swings a sickle across the earth to gather the grape harvest. The grapes (symbolizing unbelievers) will be thrown into the great winepress of the wrath of God (14:18). This continues the judgment + harvest structure. But soon God's harvest will come to an end, and God's final judgment and final war will begin.

The rest of the book of Revelation tells us about:

• The seven plagues that complete God’s wrath (15:1).
• The seven bowls of God’s wrath which are poured out on the earth (Chapter 16).
• The judgment of Babylon the Great (Chapter 17-18)
• The wedding feast of the Lamb and the battle of Armageddon (Chapter 19)
• Satan's imprisonment for 1,000 years, the thousand-year Millennium and Satan's judgment (Chapter 20).
• The Great White Throne Judgment (Chapter 20).
• Satan and his followers, death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire (Chapter 20).
• The New Heaven and New Earth, New Jerusalem (Chapter 21).
• The Throne of God and of the Lamb and the Tree of Life (Chapter 22).

These events take place in a completely different era, the era of final judgment and wrath. During this time, God cleanses the old creation, defeats Satan’s rebellion, and brings in the New Heaven the New Earth, and the New Jerusalem to complete God’s ultimate plan for the universe. Therefore, the beast in Revelation 13 prompts people to make their “final selection.” Their decisions regarding this beast will determine their final fate. This is God's last harvest, and it is mankind’s last chance to repent.

The Meaning of The Number 666

If you drive along Highway 295 and Highway 95 from Washington DC, you will see a sign for Highway 895 before you get to Baltimore. The sign reads, “Passage leading to Strait, no turning back.” Once you enter this tunnel, there is no exit until you go through the tunnel and get to Baltimore. When driving for work, I often need to exit before Baltimore City to run errands. So I know I shouldn’t take the tunnel road. But a few times, I have missed the sign and entered this tunnel. It was a point of no return. Not only did I have to pay, but I also had to go back to my business by another route after arriving in Baltimore. Later, the number 895 became a sign to me. As soon as I see 895, I remember that if I ignore this sign, I will have to spend a lot of time and money and end up delaying my work.

The same is true for the number of the beast in Revelation 13, which is 666. Six is the day when man was created, and seven is the day that God rested. So 666 is the limit that all created things can struggle. The role of the beast, as I have shared before, is to completely separate the wheat from the weeds for better harvesting. When the number 666 appears it is the final chance for people to “exit” for eternal life. After the beast’s name and number appear in Revelation 13, the concept of repentance or salvation are never again mentioned, with only one exception: “And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands.” (15:2) Perhaps at this point, God has closed the window of salvation. The structure of "judgment + repentance" in the Book of Revelation has come to an end, and the structure is now "judgment + war". No matter how many times God judged humans with disaster, those who worshiped the beast did not repent. Instead, they fought against the Lamb and his bride until the great battle of Armageddon, where they were finally defeated and thrown into the lake of fire.

Regarding the number of the beast, the Holy Spirit says: “This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.” The Holy Spirit says that we must pay special attention with wisdom and understanding. In other words, we must remember that once we see the number 666, we must be vigilant and make the right choice. It is our final opportunity to decide to follow God. If we make the wrong choice, we will enter a tunnel leading directly to hell, with no exit and no way back. Going back to my analogy, If I take exit 895 and enter the tunnel, I will drive directly to the center of Baltimore, a city filled with crimes and drug trafficking. In the same way, those who do not take God’s offer of salvation will end up in hell.

Each Hebrew character can also signify a number, and the number of the word Lucifer + hell (Satan + hell) in Hebrew is also 666. Throughout the ages, many people have associated 666 with people who seemed to be Antichrists, such as Caesar, Nero, Napoleon, and Hitler. These people have all passed away, and the number of the beast has not been fulfilled. But we do not rule out the possibility that the Antichrist will be associated with the number 666. However, we should note that the number 666 may be a warning signal to an individual or to all humans in general. God has provided us with many warning signals in this world. When there is a problem with our bodies, pain is our warning signal. When we drive across the line on the interstate, the rumble strips are our warning signal. Similarly, when human beings are facing a critical moment of choosing between life and death, God will give people a clear warning signal: 666. But we must make sure that we are not distracted, or we will miss the signal.

We who seek God will see this warning signal and make the right choice. But unrepentant people who are filled with evil spirits may miss this signal. Just as I ended up in Baltimore because I was distracted and didn't pay attention to the road signs, we must be careful not to be distracted and unrepentant. We don't need to guess what the number 666 means. But we need to be vigilant about distraction so we do not miss God's warnings.

Conclusion

Many people enjoy speculating about who the false prophet and the Antichrist are. Some people say that the current Pope, Francis, is the false prophet, and the French leader Macron is the Antichrist. I don't think Christians need to speculate about this. Instead, our great mission is to spread the gospel, bring people to repentance, and show people the way of salvation as soon as possible. We want people to have a chance to be saved before the last harvest of God so they can go to heaven. If you have accepted Christ, it does not matter who the false prophet and antichrist are. As long as you are confident that you would rather be martyred than worship the beast, that is enough. Perhaps some weak Christians will worship the beast, but mostly unbelievers will fall of his traps. Because of this, we must stop worrying about who the Antichrist is and start spreading the gospel and helping sinners find salvation. In these urgent times, this is the most important response.

Peter Caught a Fish with a Shekel in Its Mouth

Holding on to the Lord’s Promise in the Darkness

In recent studies, we’ve discussed Peter’s reflections on experiencing the Lord Jesus’ Transfiguration on the Mount, how Christians should grow their spiritual life, and the road map for entering the eternal kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In his letters to the churches, Peter often reflects on the blessings he received from the Lord. One of these occurred when the Lord Jesus instructed Peter to go fishing. The first fish Peter caught had a coin in its mouth, which he then used to pay the temple tax for both himself and the Lord Jesus. What did Peter learn from this experience?

Peter learned the importance of asking Jesus for help before saying or doing something rash. Fishing is never easy, and it is even more difficult to catch a fish with a coin in its mouth. However, Peter persevered because of the Lord’s promise to provide for the temple tax.

2 Peter 1:19 reads, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” Peter was speaking, not only of how the prophetic writers of the Bible were prompted by God (2 Peter 1:20-21), but also from his own personal experience. I was deeply touched to realize that perhaps, when Peter was fishing, he was able to persevere because he had the words of Jesus Christ as a promise. This teaches us to hold on to the Lord’s promised and prophetic words, walk through dark moments, and welcome the morning star that appears in our hearts. We all make mistakes—speak foolishly or get stuck in dark situations—but we must hold on to God’s promises to help us get through dark and difficult times.

I have gone through some dark trials in my life. My wife and I experienced infertility for 10 years. In 2016, I heard the Holy Spirit say, "You will have a child this year." I held on to this promise, even when it wasn’t fulfilled right away. Eventually, God gave us the baby of promise. Though we may not all receive such personal promises, the Bible gives many promises to those who are descendants of Abraham's faith (Romans 4:24). When we experience life’s difficulties, we must trust these promises that are “prophetic word more fully confirmed” and that shine like “a lamp in a dark place. As we do, we will be able to walk through the darkness and “welcome the morning star” (2 Peter 1:19).

Did the Lord Jesus Need to Pay Temple Tax?

When the tax collectors asked Peter, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” He said, “Yes.” But did the Lord Jesus need to pay the temple tax? Perhaps Peter answered as he did because he didn’t want to give the collectors an excuse to accuse his teacher of wrongdoing. Or he may have responded out of fear of the Jews. But here is how the Lord Jesus responded: “And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, ‘What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?’ And when he said, ‘From others,’ Jesus said to him, ‘Then the sons are free’” (Matthew 17:25-26).

Judging from this passage, I personally think that the Lord Jesus meant that as a king and the Son of God, he did not need to pay the temple tax. Jesus goes on to say, “‘However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself’” (Matthew 17:27).

The Bible does not record what Peter was thinking as he carried out the Lord Jesus’ instructions, but I imagine Peter had mixed emotions. We don’t know how long it took Peter to catch the fish, but I believe he had some time to reflect while he was fishing. He may have regretted responding to the tax collectors before asking the Lord and thus receiving a rebuke from the Lord. Or maybe Peter was thinking about the Lord’s words, gaining a better understanding of the Lord’s divinity and how he was truly the Son of God. The insights Peter gained while fishing were later written down in his letters to the churches.

There were many dark moments in Peter's life, including when he denied him three times. The darkest of these was between the Lord’s death and resurrection. At that time, Peter may have remembered the words of the Lord Jesus, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:1-3). These words of promise from the Lord Jesus are the “prophetic word more fully confirmed.” Jesus originally spoke these words right after predicting that Peter would deny him three times.

At the time, the disciples did not understand what the Lord Jesus meant. “Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him’” (John 14:5-7). It’s interesting to note the timing of when the Lord Jesus spoke these words. In fact, these words were His response to Peter’s question, “‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.’ Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you’” (John 13:36-37, emphasis added). The Lord Jesus responded by telling Peter that he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed.

After Jesus’ death, when Peter reflected in the darkness, he may have remembered the Lord’s words of promise, “but you will follow afterward.” When the Lord said these words, He was telling his disciples that He was going to the Father. However, sin was still preventing humanity from approaching our Heavenly Father God. The only way to the Father was not opened until after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. That which we are unable to do in our fleshly weakness, we can one day do because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. Peter hoped to lay down his life for the Lord, but he couldn’t. However, after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Peter did sacrifice his life and die as a martyr for the Lord. The Lord Jesus spoke to Peter of this, “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.’ (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, ‘Follow me’” (John 21:18-19).

Paul says the same thing in Romans 7–8. What he cannot do in the flesh, he can do through the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ. Likewise, Peter also grew spiritually and was able to fulfill the prophetic words of Jesus Christ in his life, "But you will follow afterward." These words may have encouraged Peter in the darkest moments of his life. The resurrected Christ not only appeared to Peter and the other disciples, but also appeared to Him alone. The Bible does not record the details of this incident, but we can imagine that it must have been very intimate.

My Testimony of Holding on to the Lord’s Word of Promise in the Darkness

My wife and I struggled with infertility and prayed to have a child for 10 years. Those years held a lot of pain and trials. We experienced six unsuccessful attempts at IVF, quarreling, sleepless nights, and the oppressive attacks of evil spirits. We both walked “through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4a). But I have always believed in God’s promises and in the Scripture: “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:11). Even before I received the Lord’s personal promise to me, I believed that the Bible’s promises were true for every descendant of Abraham. God promised Abraham that he would multiply His descendants. God blessed him with descendants and gave back Isaac, as if back from the dead. I prayed, “God, if you could do this for Abraham, I believe that you can do this for me.”

At the time, I worked in Washington DC. Every day during my lunch break, I went to the park and prayed, “God of Abraham, God who raised the dead, God who spoke the world into being from nothing—Where are you? Please appear to me." I continued praying, repenting of my sins, and recommitting myself to God. I repeated these words of promise in the Bible over and over again.

Many Bible verses speak of God’s promises for children; they were God’s personal promises to me. A pastor was teaching from Scripture, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the childrenof one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate” (Psalm 127:3-5). As he was preaching, the pastor said something very moving and encouraging to me: “Your quiver is full of arrows. God will bless you with children.”

I left the Local Church Movement where I was saved and began attending a small charismatic church to seek healing and the Word of God. My wife and I traveled all over the United States seeking help and prayers, attending many crusades of healing evangelists. Although God did not choose to heal us through them, He used this time to grow me in knowing Him and His promises better.

In January 2016, I was at a conference when I heard God speak, telling me that we would have a child that year. The following month, I returned to China to visit my family and told them about God’s prophecy. But they didn't believe me. They thought there was something wrong with my brain. After returning to the United States, I experienced a great deal of spiritual warfare. By May, I was exhausted. One day I asked the Holy Spirit, “When is this going to happen?” That night, I had a dream. I saw the Holy Spirit, dressed as a woman, pointing at the back of a man (Jesus Christ’s image). The Holy Spirit said, “Didn’t He tell you that you will have a child next month?” I told my wife and friends about the dream and they found it unbelievable. But by the end of May, my wife was pregnant. It was a miracle. A healthy daughter was born in 2017.

Paul encourages us, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory” (2 Corinthians 1:20). God did not heal my wife and me through prayer, but He ultimately healed us through the words of His personal promises. Even before I received God’s clear words and personal promise to me, I believed the promises in the Bible. As I repeated and believed these promises, I came to know God’s character more profoundly. I know, from my own experience, that anyone who trusts God will never be ashamed. When I trusted the confirmed, prophetic words of the Bible, I finally received the Lord’s promise as my own prophetic word. The black and white words of the Bible (Logos) became God’s personal words to me (Rhema)

You Cannot Follow Me Now, But You Will Follow Afterward

The Lord Jesus is the Captain and Pioneer of our salvation. Hebrews 2:10 claims, “For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering” (emphasis added). This is why Jesus told his disciples, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward” (John 13:36). Jesus was going to the Father, but Peter and the others couldn’t go yet. After the Lord Jesus accomplished redemption, the road was paved for them to go to the Father. Jesus paved the way for our salvation and for the obedience He learned through suffering.

When the Lord Jesus told Peter, "You cannot follow me now," and when Peter was waiting to catch the fish: these are like us, waiting, in our current time. We have not yet found the coin; we have not yet joined Jesus in his Father’s house. But as we go through this life (even in times of darkness), we must hold to the word of God's promises, like a lamp on a dark night. What we cannot do, in the weakness of our flesh, Jesus Christ will empower us to do by his salvation and grace.

When I recognized my inability to overcome my flesh, I prayed and asked God to give me strength. That night, I had a dream that I was flying in the air, an Earth-like ball under my feet, covered with dust. As I stamped my feet to shake off the dust I shouted: "With the strength of the Lord, I will definitely overcome the gravity of the Earth!" This vision of the Holy Spirit, revealed in my dream, told me that God will strengthen me so I can break away from the flesh and soar in the Spirit. God has led me through a series of disciplines, helping me to mature and overcome some weaknesses of the flesh. Sanctified by His life, I have become a vessel, able to be used by God.

Conclusion

Suffering itself does not make a person mature. But praying throughout times of suffering can grow a person’s spiritual life. If we do not hold on to God’s promises during difficult times, there will be no lamp in the darkness nor light that leads others to the morning star. Many people experience darkness in life, but if they do not know the confirmed, prophetic words of God, they are unable to pass through the darkness into the light. We need to help others know the Bible’s words of promise that by knowing them, they can escape the corruption that comes from the lusts of the world and become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Peter experienced this perfection in the Lord and in 2 Peter, he shared his own spiritual experience with us.

The Jerusalem Church Is Controlled by A Religious Spirit and God’s Work Turns to The Gentiles in Antioch

A religious spirit is an evil, demonic force that tries to “replace a genuine relationship with God with works and traditions.”[i] In Acts 11, a religious spirit was gradually gaining more influence in the church in Jerusalem. To conquer this spirit, God sovereignly allowed persecution to scatter the believers in Jerusalem. The scattered believers began spreading the gospel to the Jews who lived among the Gentiles, and later to the Gentiles themselves, giving birth to the Gentile church in Antioch. Sometimes, the only way to break free from legalism is to leave the location where the religious spirit has gained a stronghold.

In Acts 11, The members of the circumcision party, who were bound by the religious spirit, argued with Peter in Jerusalem (verses 1-18); it seemed that they were concerned that the scattered believers were preaching the gospel to the Gentiles (verse 22). Some disciples from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching the gospel to the Greeks as well as to the Jews (verse 20). In response, the Jerusalem church sent Barnabas, also from Cyprus, to see how the church in Antioch was doing (verse 20). When he arrived, Barnabas saw evidence of God’s grace in the church in Antioch (verse 23), and he led many more people to faith in Christ (verse 24). Then Barnabas, likely inspired by the Holy Spirit, went to Tarsus to find Saul and brought him to the church in Antioch. Saul was called by God to be an apostle to the Gentiles, so he stayed there for a year. Throughout this passage, we see the religious spirit being defeated, only to resurface in another place regarding another issue.

The Religious Spirit Turns Principles into Rules

One thing that religious spirits often do is to turn the founder’s teachings into law, refusing to accept new guidance from the Holy Spirit. This suppresses the new work of the Holy Spirit and the freedom of believers. For example, while Brother Witness Lee was alive, he was very opposed to the spirit of religion. He vigorously promoted innovative group exercises to attempt to break the power of the religious spirit in the Local Church, which he founded. However, by the time I was saved in The Local Church, Brother Witness Lee had been in heaven for several years. In his absence, a religious spirit was invading The Local Church.

The Methodist pastors in my seminary classes said that current-day Methodists did the same thing. They turned John Wesley’s teachings into dogma and distort his original words. For example, some Methodist churches are opposed to the filling and outpouring of the Holy Spirit, even though John Wesley himself attached great importance to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In the same way, the members of the Jerusalem church clung to Moses’ teachings about circumcision and used this teaching to restrict others and require them to comply. The Jews in Jerusalem turned Moses' teachings on circumcision into religious rules, just like many denominations rigidly follow their founders’ guidelines.

The Religious Spirit Raises Concerns about Cornelius

The religious spirit is pervasive in the church, especially among second- and third-generation Christians. The first generation of believers often has enough authority to resist the religious spirit. For example, Peter, who was a first-generation Christian, tried his best to resist the religious spirit. In today’s devotional, we will learn about Peter’s bravery in resisting the religious spirit.

Let’s read the account in the first three verses: “Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, ‘You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.’” In the previous chapter (Acts 10), Peter followed divine guidance, went to visit Cornelius, and preached the gospel to the Gentiles. When they believed, the Holy Spirit was poured out on them and they were baptized with water. But in Acts 11, the circumcision party members did not care that these Gentiles had been eternally saved, nor that they were baptized with water, nor that God poured out manifestations of his Spirit such as tongues (verse 10:46). The only thing they cared about was that their rules were being broken. They accused Peter of eating with uncircumcised Gentiles, which their law did not approve of. The spirit of religion can distort people’s thinking to such an extent that they no longer care about other people’s well-being or God’s will, but only about their own dogma. The only thing they care about is whether you follow their doctrine and rules. They do not care about you as a person.

The circumcised party did not care how much it cost Peter to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit to preach to the Gentiles. They did not applaud the courage he showed or comfort him because of the pressure he was under. They did not care about the souls that were saved, and they were not concerned about God’s guidance for a new era. They only cared about one thing: whether or not you were circumcised. In today’s world, the issue they were concerned about seems irrelevant and silly. Why would someone get worked up about that? But today, the religious spirit chooses things that are just as irrelevant and makes them into huge issues in the church. People fight about whether or not to speak in tongues, whether or not to use rock music in worship, whether or not women can preach, and other topics.

In response to their concerns, Peter told the story of how the Holy Spirit had guided him through visions to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. After he finished speaking, he said, “‘If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?’ When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life’” (verses 17-18). Peter successfully resisted and restrained the religious spirit. It seemed like everything would be fine from then on. But the religious spirit is sneaky, and it never stays silent for long.

The Power of the Religious Spirit in Jerusalem

The religious spirit was very powerful in Jerusalem. The religious spirit in Jerusalem had crucified Christ and Stephen, and the Holy Spirit did not have much freedom in this city.

On the surface, the Jews appeared to be protecting religious teachings through their strict adherence to the Mosaic law. But in essence, they were cooperating with Satan to prevent God’s message of grace from spreading—especially the message given through Paul.

When Barnabas invited Saul (Paul) to minister in Antioch, Paul began his public ministry. After a long period of private training in the wilderness, God finally brought Saul (Paul) to center stage at the church in Antioch. Though Paul had likely not yet written the book of Galatians at the time, he had probably received its content from the Holy Spirit while in the wilderness. He was ready to share the truths of Galatians 5:6: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” This was the message that the religious spirit did not want to spread.

The religious leaders in Jerusalem strongly resisted this message of grace. After Paul was saved, Jesus clearly told him that his testimony for the Lord would not be accepted by the residents of Jerusalem. Because of this, God sent Paul far away to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21). It was not that God was unwilling to work in Jerusalem, but that He knew how strong the religious spirit was in that city. The religious spirit in Jerusalem not only crucified the Lord but would also refuse the testimony Paul would give.

The religious spirit likes to tie people to a specific building, sect, or religious system, or to a specific set of religious rituals, procedures, or established culture. God’s Spirit often wants to set aside these human patterns and procedures so people can be free to follow where He leads. But instead, believers become fixated on these structures and can’t accept breaking them. For example, many churches in the United States have committees that vote on church proceedings rather than giving the Holy Spirit free reign. Perhaps the inventor of the church committee model wanted to enhance cooperation between believers; however, over time, this tradition became a rigid rule that hindered the movement of the Holy Spirit.

Satan’s influence was widespread in Jerusalem. He tried to use the religious spirit in Jerusalem to restrict the influence of the disciples in Jerusalem and to stop God’s work among the Gentiles. Thankfully, the power of the Holy Spirit is unstoppable. Even though people resist his work, He continues to flow through those who obey His guidance.

However, sometimes people have to leave the physical location in order to break free from the power of legalism. God sovereignly allowed persecution to arise in Jerusalem so the disciples would scatter and leave Jerusalem. Freed from the control of Jerusalem legalism, they could follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

After they left Jerusalem because of persecution, some disciples continued to teach only the Jews. Perhaps they were still holding onto Jesus’ teaching about not entering the homes of the Gentiles. They went all the way to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the gospel only to the Jews. But some other men from Cyprus and Cyrene came to Antioch and spoke to the Hellenists as well (19-20). When the Gentiles believed their message and the Holy Spirit fell on them, the Holy Spirit confirmed that he approved of preaching to the Gentiles. Verse 21 goes on to say, “And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.”

As soon as the believers got out from under the power of the religious spirit in Jerusalem, they broke the tradition of preaching only to the Jews. Perhaps they thought, “No matter what, we need to preach to the Gentiles. Out here, the rules and regulations of the religious spirit will not be accepted. The Gentiles need to know the gospel, and we can no longer deal with so many restrictions.” It takes tremendous courage to break through and tear down the restrictions of religious spirits, and sometimes it requires a physical change of location.

Similarly, Brother Witness Lee strongly recommended small group meetings in homes because they were less easily influenced by the religious spirit and more open to the Holy Spirit. Within the church halls, people feel restricted by dogma, rules, and procedures. People feel constrained by the church's laws and unwritten rules. But in homes, believers are free to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Once they left the church halls, they could follow God’s leading with freedom.

The Religious Spirit Raises Concerns about Antioch

Even though the believers were free from the religious spirit in Jerusalem and were preaching to the Gentiles, the religious spirit did not give up. Verse 22 goes on to say, “The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.” This is very interesting. Why was it a problem that they were preaching the gospel to the Gentiles? When Peter explained the circumstances of Cornelius’s salvation, everyone fell silent and acknowledged that God had given grace to the Gentiles. So why were they suddenly concerned about it again?

This story shows that the religious spirit had not been defeated by Peter’s testimony, but only temporarily silenced. It continued looking for other opportunities to restrict the work of the Holy Spirit, who was spreading the gospel to the Gentiles. After the Jerusalem believers heard Peter’s testimony and accepted the fact that God wanted to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, the circumcision faction must have gained the upper hand once again.

Barnabas was sent to investigate, perhaps because he was from nearby Cyprus and was familiar with the culture. Or perhaps Barnabas was an acceptable go-between for both parties. Who were the two parties? First, the Jerusalem believers who advocated for circumcision; and second, those who supported preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, including Peter. Perhaps Barnabas was someone that both parties could accept.

God used Barnabas to bring Saul (Paul) to Antioch to serve the Gentile church. Barnabas helped Paul step onto center stage and begin his public work. God’s Holy Spirit was at work through each of his apostles.

This is not the last time we hear from the religious spirit. Much later, even Barnabas would be trapped by legalism. In Galatians 2, we learn that Peter frequently ate with Gentiles before certain brothers arrived from James. But when they arrived, Peter no longer ate with the Gentiles, and even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. This time, Paul had to stand up to Peter. Clearly, the religious spirit had become more and more powerful, even trapping Peter and Barnabas.

The Religious Spirit Resists the Prophets

I believe that the religious spirit also restricts the flow of prophecy. At the end of Acts 11, we learn that Agabus and several other prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch to prophesy that there would be a great famine over all the world. I believe it is no accident that the prophets came to Antioch to deliver these words of prophecy. The religious spirit had pervaded the church in Jerusalem. When religious spirits gain strength, the movement of the Holy Spirit is restricted. When the movement of the Holy Spirit is restricted, there are usually fewer prophetic words. And even when there are prophetic words, people often don’t have ears to hear them. I believe that the Jerusalem believers were unable or unwilling to accept the prophetic warnings due to the power of the religious spirit.

If the Jerusalem believers had accepted the warnings, why would the prophets have needed to come from Jerusalem to Antioch? I believe the Christians in Antioch were open to the Holy Spirit, and they accepted the words of these prophets and actively prepared for the famine by storing food that could later be sent to the believers in Judea. Through the arrival of the prophets, the Holy Spirit laid the groundwork for Paul and Barnabas to go to Jerusalem to provide for the brothers.

Agabus and the other prophets who came to Antioch were following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When there is movement of the Holy Spirit, there is also movement of the prophetic gifts. Prophets are a group of people who are very sensitive to the movement of the Holy Spirit, so the prophets coming to Antioch may have been them following the movement of the flow of the Holy Spirit.

In some churches, the movement of the Holy Spirit is restricted. While I attended The Local Church, I had no idea that the gift of prophecy was still active today. Only when I attended some Charismatic gatherings did I see the power of the Holy Spirit through prophetic gifts and words. I saw the power of the Holy Spirit, and my eyes were open. If we rarely see such prophecies taking place in our churches, it shows that the influence of the Holy Spirit is not very strong in the church.

The gospel flourished in the church in Antioch, and Saul and Barnabas worked together to get God's work in the Gentile churches off to a good start. They were open to prophetic words and took action. They not only took care of their own church family but also actively provided for the church in Jerusalem. Although the religious spirit in the Jerusalem church attempted to persecute the Antioch church, they lovingly cared for the Jerusalem church. The church in Antioch sets a wonderful example for us to follow.

[i] https://www.curtlandry.com/what-is-a-religious-spirit/

The Sea of ​​Glass is a Picture of the Church being Sanctified through Trial, Approaching the Throne of God, and Advancing God’s Work of Judgment.

The Sea of Glass in Revelation 15 is a fascinating image that has captivated Christians and hymn-writers. But what does this image mean? Why do the conquering saints stand beside the sea, praising God, right before the seven plagues begin? That is what we will explore in this devotional.

The sea of glass is in front of the throne of God, and it is surrounded by saints praising God. This is a powerful representation of the mature body of Christ approaching God’s throne in prayer and praise. Our praise can advance the royal work of God, including judgment on the world and evil spirits.

The sea of glass reminds us that Jesus Christ is with his people as they sing the song of Moses and the Lamb, just as he was with Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace. The three friends chose to be burned in the furnace rather than worship Nebuchadnezzar’s great image, but Jesus was with them in the midst of the consuming fire.

The sea of ​​glass signifies the sanctifying fire. Only pure gold that has passed through the fire can approach God’s throne. Suffering and martyrdom is like a fire, but God’s presence is with us in our suffering. Only those who have endured the refining fire can be sanctified and stand on the sea of ​​glass before the throne of God, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. They are singing a song of victory. Their victory and praise are the important driving forces behind God’s judgment on the world and evil spirits.

What is the Sea of Glass and Who is Standing Beside it?

Who are the people standing beside the sea of glass praising God? Verse 2 says, “And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands.” These people have conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. I don’t believe all people who enter heaven will stand before the sea of glass, but only the overcomers, including the martyred saints who refused to worship the beast as mentioned in Chapter 14.

As mentioned previously, when the beast appears and begins to demand that people worship him and accept the mark of the beast, people face a critical choice. The first option is to surrender and worship the beast and receive his mark. The Bible states that all those who receive the mark of the beast will suffer eternal punishment (14:11). After that, the Bible does not mention people repenting and accepting Jesus Christ anymore. Consequently, it is plausible to assume that the beast’s appearance marks the last opportunity for people to choose salvation. Making the wrong choice will lead to eternal destruction. This moment may be the last harvest. Those who prefer martyrdom over worshiping the beast will enter eternal life. They may be God’s final harvest. Their entry into heaven begins a series of God’s final judgments.

It is crucial to remember that God desires all whom He has chosen to have eternal life and enter His heavenly home. He intends the church, as His bride, to mature and grow into Christ, the Head.

The symbolism of the sea of glass is very meaningful. It stands near the throne of God. Spiritually speaking, these victorious martyrs were standing on the sea of glass, signifying their presence before the throne of God and their role of advancing the work and judgment of God’s reign.

In chapter 6, we saw the martyrs calling out to God from under the altar, pleading for vengeance and justice. God told them to wait for a little while longer until the number of their fellow servants, who were to be killed as they themselves had been, was complete (6:9-11). Now, in chapter 15, those who were martyred for not worshiping the beast have completed that number. Therefore, God’s final judgment can now take place.

We know that the tabernacle was divided into three parts: the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. The altar was set up in the outer court, and the ark, symbolizing the throne of God, was set up in the Holy of Holies. We can see the progression of God’s people, closer and closer to his throne:

• In chapter 6, the saints were praying from under the altar, which is in the outer court.
• In chapter 11, “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail" (11:19)
• In chapter 15, the sanctuary is opened. “After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened” (15:5).

This illustrates the movement from the outer court to the Holy Place then the Holy of Holies. These three steps represent the three different stages of Christian growth and maturity: individual faith, joining the church body (the bride of Christ), and finally reaching spiritual maturity.

Hebrews 4:16 instructs us, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” “The throne of grace” is God’s throne, which we have access to because of the blood of Jesus Christ and His role as our heavenly High Priest and Advocate. In Old Testament times, the throne was symbolized by the Holy of Holies, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Mercy Seat where God met and spoke with Moses in glory (Numbers 7:89). In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross, and the veil dividing the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom. His crucifixion typifies the redemption completed by Jesus Christ, allowing us to pass through the veil that separates the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies and approach the throne of God with confidence. We know that the Old Testament tabernacle mirrors the heavenly one, so we conclude that the heavenly tabernacle also includes an outer court, a Holy Place, and a Holy of Holies. Therefore, when this chapter records that John sees "the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened," he is painting the same picture of approaching God’s throne with confidence through Jesus’ completed work of redemption.

Though Christ’s work is complete, the Holy Spirit continues to bring his work to completion in our individual lives. The destiny of the church is to mature and grow into Christ, the Head, and to join him on the throne of God (Ephesians 4:15, Revelation 3:21). We are the body of Christ, who sits on the throne, and we will sit with Him on the throne and appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4).

The image of the crowd standing on the sea of glass not only indicates that they were the last to be saved, but also represents the maturity that has allowed these people to approach the throne of God. In only a few chapters, God’s work will be completed and the Bride of Christ will be mature enough to approach God’s throne. Otherwise, how could the bride be “prepared for her husband” as described in chapter 19?

Between chapters 15 and 19, God executes judgment on various evil spirits, beasts, and Babylon. The mature bride, portrayed in chapter 19, will fight alongside the bridegroom. They will be victorious in battle against the beast (that is, the Antichrist), the false prophet, and their armies. The beast and the false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire. In chapter 20, after binding Satan for a thousand years, Christ defeats Satan once and for all. Satan, death, and Hades are thrown into the Lake of Frie. Chapters 21-22 describe the new heaven and new earth, as well as the New Jerusalem. At this point, God's divine work will be complete.

If we understand these spiritual illustrations, we will realize that the events in Revelation represent the spiritual growth of the church. Although we should certainly pay attention to the activities in heaven, including the work of evil spirits, the situation of the church, and the judgment of God, we should not forget the main theme: God is orchestrating all things to bring the church to maturity as his bride. When the bride is mature and ready, the groom will come to marry her. The new heaven, new earth, and New Jerusalem will be created.

In 2004, shortly after becoming a believer, I attended a conference. At the time, I was uncertain about the truth of Jesus’ second coming. Yet, the Lord spoke to me during this conference. He appeared to me and assured me that his return would happen after he had built his body, the bride, and the New Jerusalem. This spiritual experience left a deep impression on me and helped me understand how important the church’s maturity is to God!

Jesus’ Presence in the Fiery Furnace

Romans 8 reminds us that God works all things together for good for those who love him (8:28). The phrase “all things” includes the good and the bad, including Satan, evil spirits, beasts, false prophets, and evil people. All these things will work together to accomplish God’s will—including evil king Nebuchadnezzar. Let’s see how God accomplished good things through a difficult situation in the Old Testament.

God revealed to Jeremiah that He had put all countries into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 27:6). As a result, King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Israel, taking the Israelites captive to Babylon. He erected a towering image, decreeing that failure to worship it would result in death. Daniel's three friends refused to worship the image or serve the false god of King Nebuchadnezzar. Full of faith in God’s redemption, they stated that even if God allowed them to die, they still would not choose idolatry (Daniel 3:27-18). This story reminds us of the New Testament believers who would rather die than worship the beast. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar cast the three friends into a fiery furnace, which was so hot that it killed the men who threw them into the furnace. However, the Son of Man stood with the three men and protected them from the fire. They were saved, and the fire did not touch them. The presence of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, enabled them to overcome the burning fire and the persecution of Satan and the enemy.

In the same way, those who refused the image of the beast can stand beside the sea of glass—not through their strength alone but through the presence of Jesus. The sea of glass is also a sea of fire, representing God’s judgment and holiness. Hebrews 12:29 says, “Our God is a consuming fire.” If a believer has passed through the fire of God's holiness and been refined as pure gold, he can stand on the sea of glass, like Daniel's three friends. Those who overcame the image of the beast are the churches, or “congregation,” as mentioned in Hebrews 2:12: “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” The believers who overcame the image of the beast praised God beside the sea of glass, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. When the church praises God, Jesus Christ leads them in praise to God the Father. This profound verse highlights Jesus’ presence, as the Head of the church, whenever the church praises God the Father.

God allows trials—including the fiery furnace of King Nebuchadnezzar, the persecution of the beast, and our current-day trials—to accomplish his wonderful will. We must learn from Daniel’s three friends, as well as the martyrs in Revelation who preferred death over idolatry. Like them, we can learn to pay any price rather than deny the testimony of God and Jesus Christ. I believe Revelation 19:10 expresses the essence of the book of Revelation: “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

The furnace of affliction can help accomplish God's will for us. It is part of the “all things” that work together for good. When God achieves his goal to bring his bride to maturity, all evil will be destroyed in the lake of fire. Just like scaffolding is only here for a time and later removed, God allows suffering to refine us for a time while he is building his church. But later, it will be destroyed. Satan, the beast, the false prophet, Hades, and death, will be torn down like scaffolding and burned up. Only the new heaven, new earth, New Jerusalem will remain.

The symbolism of the sea of glass portrays this truth. Just as the Lord Jesus walked on the sea, and Daniel's three friends stood in the furnace unharmed, the believers who triumph over the beast will stand on the sea of glass, full of holy fire, because they have been refined into pure gold.

God’s Temple is Almost Finished and Will Be Filled with His Glory

Throughout the Bible, we read accounts of God’s glory filling the temple. In Exodus 40, after Moses finished the construction of the tabernacle, he was unable to enter the tabernacle because of the glory of God. "Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34-35). Similarly, after Solomon finished the construction of the temple, the priests could not stand to minister, because the glory of the Lord filled the temple (2 Chronicles 5:14). Revelation 15:8 says, “The sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary…" Is it just a coincidence that God’s glory filled the temple three times in God’s word? No. All of these temples—the tabernacle, the temple in the Old Testament, the heavenly temple, and the church as God's dwelling place (and our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit, see 1 Corinthians 6:19), all serve as vessels of God's glory.

The vision in Revelation 15 shows God’s glory coming down and filling the temple, which demonstrates that God’s vessel is prepared. I do not deny the existence of the heavenly temple, but I also recognize that we believers are God’s temple. Peter reinforces the same truth: “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood…" (1 Peter 2:5). Revelation 21:2 emphasizes that the holy city, New Jerusalem, is the Bride of Christ. The voice from the throne says, "The dwelling place of God is with man" (21:3). John also mentions, “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb"(21:22). This is so fascinating. We are the city (New Jerusalem), and God and the Lamb are the temple. The glory of God fills the temple, which means the glory of God fills us and is demonstrated through us. This is a future reality, but it is also a present-day reality. May we all be filled with the glory of God.

We Must Open God’s Temple through Prayers and Praise

As mentioned previously, the saints’ prayers and praise influence God’s work. The saints’ prayers can advance the work of judgment that God executes from his throne. The believers’ praises from the sea of ​​glass are powerful weapons to promote God’s work and open the temple. Hebrews 13:15 urges, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” Our praises, especially the praises we offer amidst difficult circumstances, have transformative power.

Our suffering may not seem to make sense, like the moveable type on early printing presses, which appears in reverse. Only in eternity will we see how our sufferings created a beautiful poem. Trials and suffering give birth to sincere praise. As the overcomers finally see God’s good intentions and how he used their suffering for good, they cannot help but praise God on the sea of glass.

Revelation 16, part 2

Seven Bowls of the Wrath of God

The judgment in the book of Revelation begins with the judgment of the church, then proceeds to the judgment of the world and the judgment of evil spirits. God's judgment begins with the house of God (1 Peter 4:17), which is why the book begins with the seven letters to the churches. These letters to the churches not only contain words of encouragement, but also pronounce judgment on the churches. Judgment leads to repentance, and repentance leads to forgiveness. However, refusal to repent results in more severe judgment. This is a fundamental principle: judgment should lead to repentance and increased holiness and maturity.

The judgment of the church and its resulting growth leads to the next stage of judgment: judgment of the world. The seven seals and seven trumpets represent God’s judgment of the world, including the judgment of believers. This judgment helps believers detach from the world and offers unbelievers the chance to be saved. As the judgment intensifies with the bowl judgments, God begins his judgment of evil spirits. Our destiny as believers is to judge angels and evil spirits (1 Corinthians 6:3), and only a mature church can judge angels and evil spirits.

The bowl judgments not only serve to execute vengeance on angels and evil spirits, but also to demonstrate the maturity of the church's spiritual life. When understanding the Book of Revelation, many focus on the timing of the miraculous events, but this is not the central theme. The focus of Revelation is the maturity of the church. The Bible says that believers are called to bear witness to Jesus and testify together about Him. "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10). Rather than just focusing on God's judgment or the astonishing details of a particular vision, we should focus on the extent to which the church and the body of Christ are growing spiritually. The church, as the Bride of Christ, is continually sanctifying itself. When the church sanctifies itself, the world is judged. You can see the truth of this in your individual life. When you reject an invitation to engage in sinful or worldly activities because of your Christian values, you are actually passing judgment on the friends who invited you. They may feel convicted and repent because of your judgment. If they follow the Holy Spirit’s call, they may grow in sanctification. However, if they refuse to repent, they may resent you and continue on the path of sin.

While this is an example from the life of an individual believer, the principle holds true for the collective destiny of humanity portrayed in the Book of Revelation. In the Book of Revelation, the church continually sanctifies itself, while the sinful and unrepentant persist in impurity. Ultimately, the righteous enter eternal life and the presence of God, while the unrepentant face judgment in the lake of fire. The central theme of Revelation is the increasing maturity of the church. When the church matures, she is ready to become Christ’s bride and celebrate the marriage feast of the Lamb. Only then will the New Jerusalem, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, come down from heaven. If we ignore the theme of the maturing bride of Christ, the entire Book of Revelation is pointless. When reading Revelation, we should focus less on the disasters and beasts and more on our own personal growth and maturity.

The Significance of the Seven Bowls from the Perspective of the Spiritual Growth of the Body of Christ

In our last devotional, we learned that the body of Christ must mature to a point where it can move from the outer court to the Holy Place and eventually the Holy of Holies, so the "sanctuary of the tent of witness" can be opened (Revelation 15:5). After the completion of His redemptive work on the cross, Jesus, the High Priest, tore the veil in the earthly temple from top to bottom. When he opened the veil that separated the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, this symbolized that we have access to God through the redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ on the cross. We can now boldly enter the Holy of Holies through the precious blood of Jesus (Hebrews 4:16).

However, just because Jesus opened the way to God does not mean that everyone has entered the Holy of Holies. To enter the Holy of Holies, we must first accept the redemption of Jesus Christ. Secondly, we must live in holiness, for without holiness no one can see God (Hebrews 12:14). God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).

After the heavenly sanctuary was opened, the seven angels who would administer the seven plagues came out of the temple (Revelation 15:6). They were dressed in clean, bright linen (like a bride), with golden sashes around their chests (like the Lord wore). One of the four living creatures handed the seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God to the seven angels (Revelation 15:7).

The four living creatures are either angels or some other type of created being that live near God's throne. Revelation 4:6 says, "Around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures." The book of Ezekiel also describes the four living creatures (Ezekiel 1:5-25) that Ezekiel saw in his vision of God (Ezekiel 1:1). Evidently, the four living creatures serve God around His throne, which is located inside the heavenly Holy of Holies. In Revelation 4, John saw a vision of God's throne and the four living creatures. In that vision, John saw that the One seated on the throne held a scroll that no one could open (Revelation 5:1-4). John wept because no one was found worthy to open the scroll, but the elders told him that the Lamb of God could open the scroll. Only Jesus Christ could open God's scroll.

And only the bride of Jesus Christ, the mature Church, could unveil God's final judgment on angels and evil spirits. Paul told the Corinthian believers that our destiny was to judge angels. Revelation 5 discusses the "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (Revelation 5:8). While the victory of Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of power for the events in Revelation, the prayers of the saints play a significant role in the unfolding of the judgments on the church, the world, and evil spirits. These events come from God’s authority and reign, but the prayers of the saints facilitate and expedite the progress of God’s work. When reading Revelation, it is essential to understand not only God’s authoritative work from the throne, but also the power of the prayers of Jesus’ witnesses.

The Glory of God and Its Relationship To Deliverance Ministry

In 2015, I attended a special meeting seeking the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in my life. During that gathering, I personally experienced the filling of the Holy Spirit. Along with two other brothers, I was praying that when the Holy Spirit was poured upon me, I would not be able to stand. When we experienced the Holy Spirit’s power, we staggered backward and fell on the chairs behind us. The filling of the Holy Spirit and God's glory, whether in individual experiences or in tents, temples, and heavenly places, typically leads to the same result – people being unable to stand as they enter the presence of God (15:8). In this particular meeting, before the two brothers and I were filled with the Holy Spirit, we prayed for an African American sister. I witnessed the Holy Spirit being continuously poured out upon her, and she began coughing as an evil spirit was being cast out. Then, the Holy Spirit continued to fill her until she could no longer stand. She collapsed on the ground. Wow! This was the first time I had witnessed firsthand a person being delivered from an evil spirit and simultaneously being filled with the Holy Spirit!

The image described at the end of Revelation 15 is similar to what I witnessed with this sister. It involves casting out demons from a person and inviting the Holy Spirit to fill them. The difference is that what I saw in this sister was a small-scale deliverance ministry, while in Revelation 15 and 16, we read of a large-scale, cosmic deliverance ministry. All evil spirits and demons will be cast out of their hiding places in people, animals, and other created beings and things. This is because when God's bride matures, the glory of God's sons will be revealed. At that time, all created things will be liberated from the bondage of corruption and enjoy the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Romans 8:21). In this verse, Paul says that not only humanity has been corrupted by Satan's betrayal and Adam's sin; all created beings have been corrupted. They are all waiting for God’s sons to be revealed in glory. When believers become the bride of the Lord, after the wedding feast is over and the bride is sitting on the throne with the Lord, all things will be released from corruption.

The seven disasters of the seven bowls recorded in Revelation 16 represent a cosmic-scale deliverance ministry. This is closely connected to the end of Revelation 15, where God's glory fills the temple. Only God's glory can expose and cast out demons. The seven bowls achieve this objective by judging and exposing the evil spirits that have dominated and corrupted all things. After this final cleansing, God's glory will fill the heavens and the earth; the old heavens and earth will pass away, and the new heavens and earth will come.

The Evil Spirits Are Cast Out in the Seven Bowl Judgments

When God sent the ten plagues upon Egypt, he not only judged the Egyptians and the natural elements like the Nile River, but also the evil spirits behind them. Similarly, the seven bowl judgments will not only judge certain elements of the natural world but also the evil spirits lurking behind these elements. Understanding this principle helps us comprehend why God pours out His seven bowls of wrath. These evil spirits have corrupted all things, killing countless people. They are covered in the blood of saints, and many created beings have been harmed at their hands. Let's examine each of the seven bowls and the evil spirits they are designed to judge.

The first angel pours out the first bowl judgment on the earth to judge the ground which is contaminated by Satan and evil spirits. The earth is filled with human beings, so the judgment affects them as well. When the first bowl is poured out, “harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image” (16:2). Although this judgment is directed at the earth, the people on the earth are affected as well, especially those who worship the beast. Are there evil spirits on the earth? Definitely. Evil spirits live on Earth as well as in the bottomless pit below. It is likely that the people on earth, especially those who worship the beast, are indwelt by evil spirits.

As I mentioned before, after the harvest in Revelation 14 and the victory on the sea of glass in Revelation 15, there is no record of anyone repenting. Instead, Revelation 15 says that the people did not repent, even when they were scorched with intense heat or had to bite their tongues for pain. Instead of repenting, they blasphemed God of heaven (16:9-10). Perhaps there are no righteous people left on earth because those who did not worship the beast were already martyred as described in chapters 14 and 15. Perhaps the survivors were all worshipers of the beast.

At this point, God no longer had mercy on the earth but executed severe judgment. God told Abraham that if there were ten righteous people in Sodom, He would not destroy the city for their sake. In Matthew 24, Jesus tells us, "And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short" (Matthew 24:22). Revelation 7 describes four angels with the authority to harm the earth and sea, but another angel stops them, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads" (Revelation 7:3). These servants are the 144,000, who are mostly the same group of people mentioned in Revelation 15. A process is involved as God seals them, calls them, and takes them to heaven. The angel’s intervention shows that God was shortening the days they would have to suffer. God's servants were saved, and God’s mercy towards the earth has been replaced by severe judgment.

The second bowl is poured into the sea, turning it into blood like that of a corpse, and every living creature in the sea dies (16:3). There may be many evil spirits in the sea. The Old Testament mentions the sea monster Rahab (Job 9:13), a dragon standing on the shore of the sea (Revelation 12:18), and a beast rising out of the sea (13:1). Daniel also saw in a vision of four great beasts coming up from the sea (Daniel 7:2). Jesus allowed a legion of demons to enter a herd of pigs, which then drowned in the sea (Matthew 8:32). Moreover, in the parable of Jesus, unclean spirits fail to seek rest in waterless places (Matthew 12:43). These accounts clearly indicate that many evil spirits dwell in the sea and water.

The third bowl is poured into the rivers and springs of water, and the water turns into blood. This judgment is perhaps similar to the second bowl judgment. After this judgment, the angel in charge of the waters declares that God's judgment is just because they have shed the blood of the saints and prophets (16:4-5). Since there are no people in the water, it is plausible to conclude that God's judgment on the water is a judgment against evil spirits.

In that moment, a voice comes from the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments" (16:7). This echoes the words of the conquerors beside the sea of glass, and satisfies the plea of the saints under the altar mentioned in the fifth seal in Revelation 15.

The fourth bowl is poured upon the sun, which scorches people with intense fire. This is a judgment on the sun and also on people. I do not know if there are evil spirits in the sun, but people still refuse to repent; instead, they blaspheme God.

The fifth bowl is poured on the throne of the beast, definitely a judgment on the evil spirits because the beast is an evil spirit. This bowl also judges unrepentant people. They refuse to repent, even as they gnaw their tongues because of the painful sores.

The sixth bowl is poured on the great river Euphrates, and its waters dry up to prepare the way for the kings from the east. I believe this is still a judgment on evil spirits because three unclean spirits come out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophets to deceive the kings of the earth, gathering them for the great battle on the day of God Almighty (14). Jesus says he is coming like a thief (vs. 15). Jesus can now return because the bride is mature and ready to get married. The bride, who is also the Lord’s army, will defeat all evil spirits and kings on the earth on that great day. This judgment helps lure the enemies into a strategic position.

The seventh bowl is poured into the air, and a voice comes from the throne, saying, "It is done!" (16:17). What is done? When Jesus was crucified, He said, "It is finished" because He accomplished God's plan of redemption. But what is finished here? It is God’s plan that is completed, which is to say that all things work together, God's sons enter into His glory, and the bride of Christ matures.

At that time, a great earthquake will occur, greater than any that has happened before. God also judges Babylon for being a harlot, a counterfeit of the bride, and the spouse of Satan. Therefore, in God's final judgment, He starts with Babylon, then the beast and the false prophets, and finishes with Satan. This is like cutting down a tree, starting with branches and leaves, then the trunk, and finishing with the roots. We will delve into this insight further in the study of Revelation 18.

Acts 10 (Part 2)

The Story of Peter and Cornelius:

A Faith Leader and a Political Leader Collaborate to Bring the Gospel to the World

Should Christians be involved in politics? And how does that question relate to the story of Cornelius and Peter? That is what we will learn in this devotional.

I have been taught in church for many years that Christians should not get involved in politics. However, more and more American Christians have begun to realize the dangers of not participating in politics. They’ve seen how ungodly people are seizing power, Christian and conservative groups are being persecuted, and America is in danger of losing its religious freedom. All this has led many American Christians, including Chinese Christians in the United States, to actively participate in politics and strive to change the society.

What does the Bible say about politics? Many Christians have begun to realize that the Bible never teaches believers to avoid politics. As king, David surely participated in politics. As we will see, the resistance to political involvement may stem from a misunderstanding of the teaching of submission to authority mentioned by Paul in Romans 13.

There’s no doubt that participating in politics will be controversial, but the price of not participating in politics is also high. If the church avoids politics, Satan will use the spirit of religion and evil political forces to persecute the church. For example, he used the religious forces of Judaism in Jerusalem, combined with the evil political forces of Herod, to kill James and capture Peter in Acts 12.

However, God can also use the cooperation of godly church leaders and godly political leaders to combat the schemes of Satan. In Acts 10, we see how Peter, a representative of true faith, and Cornelius, a godly Gentile political leader, worked together to expand the reach of the gospel from the small circle of Jerusalem to a vast number of Gentiles. Their collaboration had extremely far-reaching significance and removed the limitations that the religious spirit was attempting to place on the gospel.

If godly faith and upright politics do not work together, the religious spirit (false beliefs) will combine with evil politics, causing great harm to society and limiting the influence of the truth. We must reflect on God’s teaching in Genesis 1:26, in which God commands us humans to rule the earth. The church represents God’s authority in the world, and political avoidance may not necessarily be in line with biblical teachings. Christians should be salt and light in the world. Though we should not jump into political battles purely for our own benefit, we should learn from Peter's example and influence politicians to spread the gospel and the kingdom of God.

What Does the Bible Say About Christians in Politics?

Let’s examine the origins of the belief that Christians should not participate in politics. First, Christians point to the fact that we must pursue a spiritual kingdom, not a worldly kingdom. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, the disciples hoped that He would free the earthly kingdom of Israel from the oppression of the Romans, but the Lord told them, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (John 18:36) It was not God’s will for the disciples to fight Christ’s captor, because he had to be crucified to fulfill God’s plan of redemption. But this does not mean that we should avoid our responsibilities in the world. Elsewhere, Jesus taught us to be salt and light and to influence the entire world. He also taught us to make disciples of all nations. Naturally, this includes winning politicians to Christ through participation in politics. Our partial and one-sided understanding of some of the teachings of the Bible has led us to a faulty theology, which in turn led us to pursue a heavenly kingdom to the exclusion of positively impacting the world.

Second, some wrong theological ideas promoted in the United States in the 1970s taught that Jesus could come back at any time, so there was no need for children to go to college or to actively participate in society or politics. At the time, books about Jesus’ return were very popular, and many Christians dressed in white and waited on the mountains for the Lord to rapture them. But nothing happened. Now, it is 2024, and the Lord has still not returned. These erroneous teachings create obsessions with the Lord’s return while leading Christians to neglect their participation in everyday society. Because of these fallacious teachings, American Christians have gradually lost their influence in the realm of education. Since the 1950s, American public schools have gradually stopped allowing the teaching of the Bible and prayer. Little by little, children have been influenced by leftist ideas, resulting in generations of children who have been brainwashed by the far left. In addition to this, homosexuality has become rampant and has even begun to affect children in primary schools. Christians in the United States are gradually awakening to this phenomenon. They realize they have lost influence in schools, school boards, media, entertainment, and politics at the local and national levels. Some Christians are even facing small amounts of persecution. Not only are anti-God voices filling schools, media, and entertainment, but many Christians are being persecuted for praying and adhering to biblical values. As a result, many Christians have begun to reflect on their role in politics. They have not only returned to their faith, but also reconsidered the teaching that political involvement is wrong. As a result, many Christians have started influencing society by actively participating in politics and being salt and light in the spheres of media and entertainment.

Third, a one-sided understanding of Paul’s teaching on submitting to authority in Romans 13 has caused Christians to be too passive. Total submission to those in power is very popular among Chinese Christians. Because of the severity of persecution, they did not dare say no to evil politics, so they used Romans 13 to cover up their cowardice. However, this teaching is not in line with God’s teachings. Of course, Paul did teach that we as Christians should submit to government authorities because they were ordained by God to administer justice. However, the Bible also says many times (often through the mouth of Peter) that we should obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). In the past, I was deeply influenced by the idea of total submission, but God showed me through dreams and visions that Christians should participate in China’s political movements to uphold social justice and promote the spread of the gospel.

Cornelius Needed Visions to Help Him Recognize and Accept Peter's Message

God not only guides Christians, but he also guides people who do not know Him to guide them toward salvation. Acts 10 describes how Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian cohort, was a god-fearing man who prayed often. As a result, God gave him a vision and asked him to go to Peter to preach to them the gospel.

The same thing happened to me. Looking back, I can see that God was subtly guiding me, even when I did not yet know him. In recent times, I have heard many testimonies of Muslims in the Middle East who converted to Christ after God gave them dreams and visions. In the dream, Jesus appeared to them and asked them to read a certain passage in the Bible, leading to their salvation. This shows that God can come in person to directly preach the gospel to people. So why did God choose to send an angel of God to ask Cornelius to invite Peter to preach the gospel to him? Because God wanted Cornelius and Peter to collaborate, as we mentioned at the beginning of this lesson. Even though God or an angel could have preached the gospel to Cornelius directly and saved him and his family, God wanted the righteous political forces represented by Cornelius to join hands with the godly religious forces represented by Peter so that God’s gospel could extend beyond the small religious circles in Jerusalem to the entire Gentile world. This shows the magnificence of God’s great plan.

God revealed to me that the “Chinese Whistleblower Movement” that started in 2017 was from Him. The purpose was to provide a platform for Christians to preach the gospel. In turn, when the gospel is preached, it will change the hearts of the Chinese people and provide a solid foundation for democracy to take root in China. I will share more of these revelations in my upcoming content. For now, I will share that when I followed God's guidance to join this movement and publicly stated what I believed to be God's plan, I received a lot of opposition from the Buddhist and atheist members and founders of this group. They could not accept the idea of Christianity taking the lead in their movement. I quickly realized that these politicians needed God’s supernatural revelation through dreams and visions so they could humble themselves and recognize the importance of the gospel. After they resisted my attempt to join them, I saw God gradually begin to guide them through circumstances so they could learn the lesson of humility and learn to recognize God's will. I pray that like Cornelius, they can understand God’s will and humbly accept the guidance of God’s gospel.

Peter Needed Visions To Break Through His Narrow Religious Ideas

Likewise, Peter needed a vision from God to overcome his rigid religious ideology. First, God needed to break down the idea that Jews and Gentiles could not have contact. In the Old Testament, God restricted contact and intermarriage between Jews and Gentiles, mainly to protect the Israelites from worshiping idols as the Gentiles did. He wanted to preserve the purity of the Jewish line through whom Christ would come. After Jesus Christ accomplished redemption on the cross, the Jews no longer needed these dietary and social restrictions. Jesus made all things and people clean again. But as a Jew, Peter continued to follow the Old Testament way of thinking. Therefore, when God gave him a vision of different types of unclean animals and asked him to “kill and eat,” he said that he had never eaten anything common or unclean. But God said, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” The same vision was given to him three times in a row.

Visions and dreams convey God’s message through pictorial language. The various animals represented the Gentiles. They were originally unclean, but God had now cleansed them. God was telling Peter to boldly throw off the shackles of religion and preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

When the Lord Jesus was on earth, he did indeed teach his disciples to preach the gospel only to the Jews. However, after his crucifixion and resurrection, the Lord Jesus taught his disciples to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Times had changed, and so had God’s guidance. The redemption accomplished by the Lord Jesus on the cross changed everything.

Paul spoke extensively on this topic. He said that Jews and Gentiles were originally separated, but because Jesus destroyed this hostility on the cross, Jews and Gentiles have now been reconciled. We are now members of one body (Ephesians 2:11-17 ). "For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesians 2:18). Though these truths were later revealed through Paul, Peter did not have access to this revelation at the time he met Cornelius. That is why God had to reveal this truth to him through visions.

The Jewish people were God’s greenhouse, where his redemption was planted and nurtured. However, the purpose of a greenhouse is to eventually transplant the seedlings into larger vegetable gardens. Although God’s plan of redemption came through the Jews, God does not want to limit the gospel to one small people group. But because the Jews were unwilling to give up their sense of superiority, they rejected God's will and did not allow the gospel to be preached to the Gentiles. This was due to human jealousy and narrow-mindedness.

After Jesus Christ was resurrected, he told his disciples to make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But the minds of the Jewish Christians were restricted by the laws of the Old Testament and they were unable to embrace God's guidance for the new era. As a result, they limited the gospel to Jerusalem. Even Peter originally embraced this narrow-minded ideology.  

In addition, the religious forces of Judaism and the evil political forces represented by Herod were working together to confine the gospel of God to Jerusalem and keep it within the sheepfold of Judaism. Therefore, God urgently needed to enlighten Peter through visions so that he could break away from these narrow religious concepts and bring the gospel to the Gentiles. As Peter and Cornelius started working together, the gospel of God began to advance, and the Holy Spirit’s power reached the Gentiles. It was the beginning of a new era in Christian history.

The Collaboration of Faith Leaders and Political Leaders Continues Today

The examples recorded in the Bible not only reveal God’s guidance for that era, but also reveal a divine principle for later generations. The story of Peter and Cornelius’s collaboration is not only for the people of that time. The same story has also been replicated repeatedly throughout the ages.

For example, American Christians are working with political forces to influence the society of America. For many years, American Christians have prayed for the United States, repenting of the sin of massacring Indians, selling slaves, and killing babies. They have prayed for God’s care, healing, and forgiveness for America. As a result, faith has returned and many Christians have been revived. These same Christians actively participate in politics and support candidates who promote Christian values in order to restore America's conservative values. The people in these movements are not perfect, and many have shallow beliefs, but they represent a force of church revival. I believe this collaboration between people of faith and people of power will bring about the return of American Christian values. The recent election of Congressman Mike Johnson, a devout Christian, as Speaker of the House is a positive result of the convergence of conservative beliefs and political justice in the United States.

This is not only happening in the United States, but God has also revealed to me that it will soon happen in China. Previously, I had only planned to serve God in Christian circles and had never thought of participating in any political movement. I not only believed that Christians should not be involved in politics, but I was also afraid. I knew that Christians would have to pay a high price to participate in politics, especially in the face of evil political oppression. Although I am in the United States and do not have to pay a huge price personally, I am still worried that it will cause trouble to my family. But God revealed to me through a series of dreams that His will for me was to participate in the political democratic movement He initiated. As the gospel is preached to those who participate in the democratic movement, it will help the country of China come to know God. God revealed to me that I will play an important role and hold an important position in this movement in the future.

One night, I had a strange dream. I was riding a bicycle down the street as a group of democrats on bicycles chased me. The more they chased me, the faster I rode. This action depicts my fear very well. But these democrats finally caught up with me and said to me, “Thank you for your books and gospel messages. You helped our democratic movement to win.” This is just one of the dreams I have had. God has revealed to me through many other dreams that the preaching of the gospel by us Christians will help many Chinese political figures learn to know Christ. As these leaders begin to pursue justice and faith, they will bring great change to China. May God's will be done.

From Sinners to Pearly Gates: The Stories of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi

We often say that the Old Testament is a picture, and the New Testament is the spiritual reality that the picture points to. For example, the crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites is a beautiful picture that foreshadows the believer’s journey from the kingdom of darkness to God’s kingdom of light. Similarly, the experiences of the twelve sons of Israel are beautiful pictures that point to the spiritual reality in the New Testament.

As we will see, Reuben's immorality deprived him of God's blessing and his privileges as the firstborn son. Similarly, Simeon and Levi lost the blessing of being Christ’s ancestors because of their brutality and murder. Judah almost forfeited the same blessing because of his sin. However, despite their sin, their names are listed on the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem in heaven. These stories foreshadow a spiritual reality: God can transform sinners into saints through his grace and mercy!

First, we need to look at the sins of these sons of Jacob. In the New Testament, Paul lists many types of sin and provides a detailed commentary on the human condition. Paul said, "God gave them up to dishonorable passions" (Romans: 1:26), and men were "filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness.... ” (Romans 1:29). As the saying goes, "The work of sinners is to sin, and that is all they do.” Even though sinners are sinful in every way, this is not the ultimate outcome God desires for us. Though the book of Romans begins with sin (Romans 1-3), it also talks about "justification through faith" (Romans 4-5), "union with Christ" (Romans 6), "the struggles of the flesh" (Romans 7), "victory in Christ" (Romans 8), "God's election of the Jews" (Romans 9-11), "experiencing the renewal of the mind,” “surrendering the body as a living sacrifice" (Romans 12), "submitting to one another" (Romans 13) in the church and "loving one another" (Romans 14), and "preaching the gospel and bearing witness to the Gentiles" (Romans 15-16). In other words, Paul's book of Romans reveals that although we begin as sinners, it is not our ultimate identity. Those who trust in Christ will become members of the Church of God, which will eventually be built into the New Jerusalem. We will not remain sinners forever; this is not God's will for us. God's will for us is to transform us from sinners into sons of God! This is what the story of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi foreshadows. They began as sinners and ended up as gates in the walls of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:12). The names of the twelve tribes of Israel are written on the twelve gates. Each gate is a pearl (Revelation 21:21). Pearls speak of transformation through pain. Only after an oyster is wounded does it secrete a pearly fluid to produce pearls. Its pearly fluid covers the piece of foreign material or sand that was irritating the oyster’s tender body. In the same way, we were like a piece of sand that wounded Christ. But when Christ was wounded on the cross, He produced resurrection life and turned us into pearls one by one!

Jacob's Prophecy to Simeon and Levi

Jacob’s prophecies about his sons are only one piece of the progressive revelation of God. Moses’s prophecies about the twelve tribes reveal even more about God’s plans for the tribes (Deuteronomy 33). Other later records in the Old Testament reveal even more. The New Testament, especially the book of Revelation, describes the ultimate outcome of the twelve tribes of Israel. We will discuss more about Moses’s prophecies later on. Here, we will focus on Jacob's prophecies.

Jacob's prophecy concerning Simeon and Levi says, "Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel" (Genesis 49:3-7). Simeon and Levi were the brothers of Dinah, who was the only daughter in Jacob's family. Genesis 34 tells us that Dinah was defiled by a man in a neighboring tribe named Shechem. Simeon and Levi tricked the clan of Shechem into getting circumcised, then killed all the males while they were weak and in pain. They also took away all their children, women, and belongings.

The entire incident was part of a satanic attack. Satan wanted to use Shechem against the sons of Israel so he could disqualify two more sons from carrying on the genealogy of Christ. Dinah was also a victim of this satanic attack. Satan also wanted to infuriate Shechem’s entire family so they would attack Jacob’s entire family and wipe out every potential ancestor of Christ. When Dinah was first violated, Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You’ve brought trouble on me, making me a stench among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am but a few men—they’ll gather against me and strike me—then I’ll be destroyed, my household and I” (Genesis 34:30).

Jacob was sobered by this incident. The Bible does not record Jacob's reaction to Dinah’s violation, but we can easily imagine Jacob's grief. His heart was hurt, but he had no idea what Simeon and Levi were planning. If he had known in advance that Simeon and Levi were going to slaughter Shechem's family, he would have stopped it. Jacob knew that his people were few and they had to preserve their strength so that Israel could prosper and thrive and eventually fulfill God's will. We should note that Simeon and Levi did these things without Jacob's knowledge and permission; they did it on their own. This is why Jacob said, "Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company.”

But Simeon and Levi said, "Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?" When we are attacked and misunderstood by others, we must decide whether to respond in the flesh or in the spirit. When we do things in the flesh, we often do not follow the feelings of our spirit nor the leading of the Holy Spirit in our spirit; this is a spiritual experience New Testament Christians can relate to. One pastor testified that a sister came to him and said, "You only became a pastor for the money.” He was so angry that he fought back and attacked the sister. Similar situations continued to happen to the pastor, so he prayed about it. The Holy Spirit told him that these critical words were the discipline of the Holy Spirit. These situations would keep happening until the pastor learned to deal with criticism with a meek and humble spirit. As a result, the pastor humbled himself and surrendered to learning the lesson of meekness. Only then was he freed from God's discipline.

When others hurt us with curses and discrimination, we can choose to respond in the flesh, or we can choose to respond with the spirit. I personally have had many such experiences. When I react in the flesh, not only do I ignore the feeling in my spirit, but I also ignore the counsel of my wife and those close to me. In fact, I don’t let my close family and friends know what I intend to do. I only want to go my own way! If we would communicate with our trusted friends before reacting to a situation, we could avoid many of these fleshly reactions and the negative results they bring. And of course, we should let the Lord know and listen to His leading in our spirit! But Levi and Simeon did not do this, so Jacob prophesied that they would be scattered among the people of Israel. Their descendants would be disbursed among their fellow Israelites so that their evil tendencies would be balanced out and restrained by the rest of the tribes.

Reuben's Twist of Fate

Reuben sinned, but he did one thing well. When his brothers hurt Joseph, he was the only one who opposed it. His brothers followed Reuben’s plan to throw Joseph into a pit instead of killing him. Later, Judah came up with the idea to sell Joseph and not kill him. The brothers listened to Judah. In doing so, Judah may have saved Joseph by accident (Genesis 37:27).

Eventually, Reuben lost his birthright and authority, and this tribe even faced the danger of going extinct. Moses said of him, “Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few" (Deuteronomy 33:6). How many years this situation lasted, we do not know. But we do know that the prophetess Deborah praised the tribe of Reuben in the book of Judges: "For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart" (Judges 5:15) and "For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart" (Judges 5:16). At that time, God had handed Israel over to Jabin, King of Canaan, because of Israel’s rampant idolatry. However, God raised up the prophetess Deborah and the prophet Barak to defeat Jabin’s army commander, Sisera. At that time, some people in Reuben’s family began to have “great thoughts and searchings of heart,” which may have won God’s favor.

This story shows that no matter how late our repentance is, we can please the Lord when we search for the Lord with all our hearts. If we repent, God will not only forgive us but also use us greatly. I never dreamed that I would become a Christian, let alone serve the Lord. Yet if we search for God with all our hearts, he can change our destiny. One day when I was in high school, I suddenly felt that I was going to do something big in my life, so I made up my mind to study hard and get into the university. I kept pursuing this goal, but I did not know what big thing I would do in my life. Even after believing in the Lord, I didn't understand God's plans for my future—until the last day of 2017, when the Lord gave me a vision of heaven. That day, He told me His plan for me was for me to participate in the coming revival in China and help bring countless souls to heaven. Among these people, there will be countless people like Reuben. After they repent and believe in the Lord, they will finally be transformed into living stones in the New Jerusalem.

Simeon's Twist of Fate

Simeon was the one who took the lead in killing Shechem's family. He may have also been the one who took the lead in the plan to kill Joseph. When Joseph was prime minister of Egypt, Simeon was the one Joseph imprisoned while the rest of his brothers went back to Canaan to get Benjamin and bring him back to Egypt (Genesis 42:24). This may indicate that Simeon was the chief culprit who took the lead in harming Joseph. Jacob prophesied that Simeon would be scattered among his brethren. This prophecy was fulfilled when Simeon later dwelt among the tribes of Judah (Joshua 19:1). Moses does not mention Simeon in his prophecy in Deuteronomy 33.

How was Simeon saved when Joseph imprisoned him? Simeon was saved through Benjamin’s arrival. Simeon was released when Judah and his brothers brought Benjamin to Egypt. This is a typological picture. Benjamin is a type of Christ and of the New Jerusalem. When the New Jerusalem is built, Simeon will also be saved and become a pearly gate.

Even today, many of us can learn from Simeon’s story. Even if we have not killed someone physically, we have killed or hurt someone emotionally. When we hate someone, we often have sinful, murderous thoughts. Jesus said that hatred is the same as murder. We know for sure that we took part in the murder of one person—Jesus Christ. Even the robber who was crucified with the Lord went to Paradise on the same day as Jesus Christ because of his repentance and redemption by Jesus Christ.

Levi's Twist of Fate

I personally believe that Simeon may have been the main culprit in the massacre of Shechem’s family and that Levi was just along for the ride. But we also know that Levi had a very cruel temper. Jacob prophesied that the Levites would also be scattered among the Israelites. Later, the Levites received God’s blessings because the Levites refused to worship the golden calf. The Levites obeyed Moses' order to kill those who worshiped idols, so God chose this tribe to become his priests. Moses said in Deuteronomy 33, "And of Levi he said, ‘Give to Levi your Thummim, and your Urim to your godly one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah; who said of his father and mother, “I regard them not” he disowned his brothers and ignored his children For they observed your word and kept your covenant. They shall teach Jacob your rules and Israel your law; they shall put incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar. Bless, O Lord, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; crush the loins of his adversaries, of those who hate him, that they rise not again’" (33:8-11).

This verse is very clear. The Levites were willing to kill their idolatrous parents, brothers, and even their children in order to keep God’s word. Their ferocious temperament turned into zealous and absolute loyalty to God, so they were blessed by God. Nonetheless, as Jacob prophesied, they were scattered among the Israelites.

The Greatness of God's Salvation

I believe that Reuben, Simeon, and Levi all had the opportunity to become ancestors of Jesus Christ. They all lost this privilege because of their moral failure. Yet Jesus Christ is the Lord and the Redeemer who gives us redemption when we fail. Through Him, we can receive God's blessings again in Jesus Christ. We may lose some earthly blessings, but we will gain heavenly blessings in Jesus Christ.

The twelve sons of Israel show the continual advancement of God’s work, one wave after another. Judah sinned like his brothers, but he became the ancestor of Christ with the help of Tamar. Through Christ, their descendent, all nations were blessed. Even Reuben, Simeon, and Levi were redeemed through Jesus. Each of the twelve sons of Israel was a sinner, but in the end, they were all transformed into pearly gates. They each have a special calling and gift from God. As sinners, they each sinned. Yet as God’s chosen people, they each received an aspect of God’s grace and a part to play in the advancement of  God’s work.

We can each see ourselves in the story of Reuben. Like Reuben, we were all born in sin. We are born with an adulterous nature. This cruel nature has dwelt in us since the time of Adam’s sin. Just like Adam's firstborn son Cain killed Abel, we have murderous tendencies like Simeon and Levi. But our repentance leads to salvation. In Psalm 51, David confessed that he was not only born in sin but that he had also murdered Uriah and committed adultery with Bathsheba. When David repented of his immorality and murder, his broken spirit and contrite heart became a pleasing sacrifice to God. “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:16-17). In the same way, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi were saved when they repented, and Levi was put in charge of the sacrifices and priesthood. These acceptable sacrifices were the result of God’s salvation described in Psalm 51.

2 Peter 1 (Part 9)

Brotherly Love: Breaking Away from Self

and Entering the Eternal Kingdom of Christ

One of the biggest problems in the church is self. Many Christians have had a degree of success in living out the fruit of the Spirit and the virtues of Christ. But overcoming self is a different story. Overcoming selfishness is a very difficult spiritual task, yet it is an indispensable step to reaching maturity in our spiritual lives. Only when we break away from   self can we begin to show brotherly love. Only then can we live out the highest spiritual virtue of Christians, divine love (Agape).

How can we be free from self? How is this possible? Is this asking for too much? No. This is God’s destiny for us. Jesus said, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Likewise, we as Christians must move beyond personal godliness to unity with one another in order to attain the highest form of godliness. We, the body of Christ, must together become the complete fullness of God. As the Bible says, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is, when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1) What our Heavenly Father wants most is for His children to love one another, yet we as the church fall far short of our Heavenly Father’s expectations.

The Lord Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). If Christians in America loved one another perfectly, all unbelievers in America would be eager to come to Christ. If Christians all over the world loved one another perfectly, all Muslims, Buddhists, and others who don’t know Christ would recognize us as His disciples. It is a pity that we do not live out the life of love that Jesus commanded. If our church could achieve unity, it could grow to the full stature of Christ, the head.

But unity cannot be achieved without love. Paul spoke of attaining “to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). He also said, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16). God’s will is for the body of Christ to grow and be built up in love.

The original word for "love" here is Agape, which is divine love. It is God's will that we be built up in divine love, so we can be set free from individualism and the self and be joined together as the body of Christ. When we love one another as brothers, we allow divine love to be manifested in us.

Excessive Individualism Is a Big Problem For Western Christians

As a Chinese believer who moved to the West, I have seen the difference between Eastern collectivism and Western individualism. The denomination I was saved in originated in China and spread to the West. The Local Church Movement founded by Watchman Nee is the only Christian denomination that originated in China and spread to the West and other parts of the world. Although The Local Church is a very small denomination, there are hundreds of churches in the West, and there are also many churches in Asia, Europe, Africa, and other places. Unlike most Chinese churches whose members are mainly Chinese, these churches have attracted not only Chinese people but also many local people. The Local Church places great emphasis on the Body of Christ and multi-ethnic church members, as well as attracting Chinese Christians. I was saved in a Local Church in the United States, and I observed that there were many Americans and many Chinese in these churches. Therefore, Chinese Christians who come from a relatively strong collectivistic tradition and American Christians who come from a relatively strong individualistic tradition have many conflicts in church culture and views.

Some elements of Eastern authoritarianism sometimes permeate the church life of the Local Churches. Western Christians focus on equality and personal freedom and find this type of authoritarianism unthinkable. An American brother once told me that Chinese culture has penetrated the Local Churches. Much of the church culture is not Christian culture, but Chinese culture. This brother said that this prevents Christians from experiencing Christ. On the other hand, a Chinese brother told me after participating in a training that some of the young Americans participating in the training were completely selfish and did not consider others at all. Moreover, the Americans felt that this was a natural and right thing to do. He said this because Chinese people prefer collectivism and like to help one another, but he found that Westerners are more impersonal than Easterners and tend to focus on personal independence and following rules. As people from authoritarian Eastern countries, we must learn the values of freedom, democracy, and respect from individuals from the West. Eastern countries have been learning these values from the West for hundreds of years, and they need to continue to do so. However, the West can also learn from the East.

In this article, I am not refuting the respect for individual value that comes from the Bible’s revelation of human value. Instead, I am talking about the extreme individualism that many Westerners practice. In urbanized societies, it is difficult to find close social relationships between communities and neighbors, such as those that exist in rural areas of the West or in third-world countries. People have become so accustomed to an individualistic lifestyle that they don’t even know who their neighbors are. Sometimes when a neighbor dies, they don’t even know. People in the West greatly value their privacy. The expansion of individualism is not only greater in the United States than it is in third-world countries, but it is also greater than it was in the USA a few decades ago. Will these rampant individualistic tendencies invade the church and affect Christians’ ability to build each other up in love? Most definitely.

The Bottleneck That Western Christianity Is Currently Facing

The Bible reveals that God created man in His image. This gives humans inherent value, and this value has become a cornerstone of personal development in Western Christian civilization. The United States’ respect for the value of human life has created a society based on freedom and democracy. The USA has become a beacon to the world. But why is the United States gradually degenerating? There are many reasons for this. First, many of God's children worship idols and make the same mistakes that Israel and other Christian nations have made throughout the ages. Second, this truth about individual value has been taken to an extreme. American Christians have focused on the value of the individual to the exclusion of the value of the community. They have forgotten the importance of building up the church. This has led to extreme individualism. Therefore, although there were a vast number of individual Christians in the USA, the church as a community was not strong enough to withstand the attacks of the enemy. The Lord Jesus said, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The Lord Jesus said that only a well-built church can overcome the gates of hell.

The East values collectivism and family values. These values are especially strong in China. Unfortunately, over the past few centuries, this emphasis on the value of a collective identity has been taken advantage of by dictators. It has become a means of controlling the society, to the point that China even fell to the extremes of communism. However, I believe that these Eastern cultures that focus on collectivism are from God. The East is going through a big reformation and is about to be released from the authoritarian system. Through the preaching of the gospel, many Eastern people will be freed from slavery. Through the gospel, they can be transformed from darkness into light. Through the understanding of the Bible's respect for individual value, they can rediscover their individual value. But God wants them to retain their collective culture that focuses on building the community. They need to not only recognize their individual value, but also the value of the Body of Christ. This is one of the reasons why God wants to raise up the Eastern Church in this era. God has revealed to me many times that China will experience a great revival, after which the Chinese Church will have a great influence on the West.

How can the Chinese church profoundly influence the Western church if much of the richness of Christianity lies in the European tradition? When I was in seminary in the United States, I discovered that the English-speaking world had preserved many of the books of the Christian tradition from thousands of years ago. But in the Chinese-speaking world, the amount of Christian literature was still very limited. However, God can still use the Chinese to impact the West. I believe God will use the Chinese to combine respect for individual people with an emphasis on a collective church identity. This will create a new model that not only emphasizes the salvation and spiritual progress of individual Christians but also builds up the body of Christ. Many American Christian leaders say that although there have been many great revivals in American history and many people have been saved, the work of bringing these disciples to maturity has not been successful. As a result, these revivals have not had a profound impact on American society as a whole. I agree with this statement. But I think this lack of influence can be traced to another source as well. Although there are many Christians and many churches in the United States, there has not been an emphasis on building up the collective Body of Christ. Therefore the church cannot withstand the winds and the floods. Just as the Lord Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27).

The Collective Building of The Church Comes From The Spiritual Growth Of Individual Believers

What does Peter mean by “adding brotherly affection to godliness”? He means that Christians must break away from personal spirituality and build each other up in the Body of Christ. These are two sides of the same coin. If Christians only focus on personal spiritual growth, without loving one another and building up the Body of Christ, they will not be able to meet God’s expectations and requirements for the church. By the same token, if Christians only pursue unity and building of the church but neglect the individual spiritual life of each believer, it will be difficult to build the church. Therefore, both aspects need to be developed.

The first aspect is the pursuit of godliness. Many Christians are lacking in this area. They live in the world and fail to pursue godliness in their personal lives. Godliness is like the leaves of an oak tree. The leaves supply oxygen and other nutrients to the tree through photosynthesis. They also manifest the life of the tree. When a tree dies, all its leaves fall. Conversely, it is difficult for a tree to survive without its leaves during the growing season. If all the leaves of a tree are removed, the tree's survival will also be affected. When we live out godliness in our personal lives, we will be like a beautiful tree full of leaves. We will show that we are spiritually alive.

The second aspect is collective godliness. In the Body of Christ, the highest form of godliness is love. Our love for one another is like a blossoming tree. The tree’s flowers are a precursor to bearing fruit. In the same way, the last virtue mentioned is love. It is the fruit that the tree has been working toward throughout its growth cycles.

The Goal: Entering the Eternal Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ

Peter sums up the picture of mutual supply by saying, “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8). In other words, Peter knows that if we continually add virtue to the seeds of faith, knowledge to virtue, temperance to knowledge, patience to temperance, godliness to patience, brotherly love to godliness, and divine love (Agape) to brotherly love, we will be conformed to the image of Christ. He goes on to say, “For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins” (1:9). Isn’t this an apt description of many Christians today? Many Christians lack these qualities. As a result, they do not live out the full reality of the Christian life. They are like spiritual babies. Peter continued to encourage his readers by saying, “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (1:10-11).

Only then did Peter talk about his experience of seeing the transfigured Lord Jesus on the Holy Mountain. He said, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’, we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain” (1:16-18). At the beginning of the study of 2 Peter, I talked about my belief that the entire letter of Peter is Peter’s extended reflection on his experience of the Transfiguration. Here again, Peter demonstrates that he is describing spiritual growth in light of his experience on the Holy Mountain.

Conclusion:

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus transcended the limitations of time and flesh and fully manifested the kingdom of Christ contained within Him. Since we are in Christ and Christ is in us, the kingdom of Christ has taken root in our hearts through faith. But it needs to grow like a tree. In order for this tree to grow, we need to continually supply the virtues of Christ to the seeds of faith. We must add knowledge of Christ to virtue, and then supply temperance to knowledge, and patience to temperance, godliness to patience, brotherly love to godliness, and love to brotherly love. In this way, you can grow your spiritual life step by step and build up the spiritual temple. This spiritual temple is the eternal kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the New Jerusalem we hope for. In this eternal kingdom, there will be no more tears, no sorrow, no competition, and no jealousy—only brotherly love between brothers and divine love that flows between us. This is the reality of the Kingdom of Christ and the Transfiguration. I hope that the body of Christ matures as soon as possible so that we can enter the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Supplement Patience with Godliness: Living Out Christ’s Virtues

Every Christian is destined to live out the virtues of Christ. The Bible teaches us, "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers" (Romans 8:29). Since we are children of God, we must look and act like children of God. But if it’s difficult to even act like well-behaved human beings, how can we act like children of God? That’s why we need Jesus Christ, the firstborn Son of God, as our example. More importantly, He is our substitute and our very life. He lived the perfect life and he now lives his life through us.

A Chinese Christian once told me that very few Chinese churches talk about growing in the Christian life and living Christ out. When an African American sister thanked me for introducing Witness Lee's teachings and books on "living in Christ," she told me that she had heard of Watchman Nee, but not Witness Lee. She had been saved and attended a charismatic church in Baltimore for decades, but no one taught her about "living out her Christianity.”

I believe this phenomenon is not unique to these two believers. Many churches and pastors focus on the importance of evangelizing and saving souls. But they do not teach enough about growing in Christ. Although some churches may teach about living out Christ in our lives, my observation tells me that many Christians are superficial in their spiritual lives. Even though I have met many Christians in the United States, I rarely hear any of them talking about "living out their Christianity." I was fortunate enough to be saved in the Local Church Movement, where I received a lot of teaching and practical help with "living in Christ.” Although I still have a long way to go in learning to “live out my Christianity,” I have realized that this teaching and practical help can help solve common problems in Christians’ lives.

For example, the divorce rate among Christians in the United States is very high. Although there are many different reasons that a family may experience this misfortune, one common reason for divorce is a lack of patience. The husband and wife do not have enough patience with each other. Many couples choose to separate rather than learn to live out Christ’s life in the midst of their marriage struggles. I'm not saying that couples must stay married despite adultery or domestic violence. But I am saying that couples who are struggling with fleshly responses should not choose the easy way out. Instead, they should choose spiritual growth and maturity as they “live out Christ” in their marriage. In this message, we will share how to live out our Christianity through patience or steadfastness.

The Big Leap from Patience to Godliness

Watchman Nee once said, “You must allow God to give you time to suffer beyond measure; then your capacity will be enlarged.” It may be easy to accept small suffering, but we don’t have the capacity for greater suffering. For instance, we could accept the loss of five dollars, but could never endure the loss of five thousand dollars. We could forgive someone two or three times, but the fifth time would make us tremble with anger. We must allow God to take us through the slow process of maturing, like a slowly ripening fruit.

When we see a ripe papaya or mango, we can tell it is ripe by feeling, smelling, and tasting it. Unripe fruit tastes sour and bitter and is tough and hard, but ripe fruit tastes sweet and fragrant. When we find a ripe piece of fruit, we enjoy it. But we often don’t think of the slow process of ripening that it went through to get to this point.

When we see a mature believer, we are often impressed by their godliness. For example, Madame Guyon was a mature Christian. She was a teacher of the elderly and a friend to children. However, what we do not see is the slow and incremental process of maturing. Day by day, year after year, the individual went through a process of “ripening.” Often the path toward maturity is paved with suffering and the discipline of the Holy Spirit. [1]

Commercial fruit producers have learned to artificially ripen fruit, but there is no such thing as artificial ripening in the spiritual life. If you have the Spirit, you will naturally mature without artificial cultivation. If you do not have the Spirit, there is no way to truly mature. Lilies bloom and birds grow feathers quite spontaneously. There is no need for them to cultivate these features. In the same way, we must allow our spiritual lives to mature naturally.

Artificial spiritual cultivation can produce a self-righteous, rules-following “saint” (according to the world's concept), but it cannot produce a real Christian. The cross is enough for our sanctification. We cannot bear fruit through our own effort. Striving only delays our spiritual growth; it cannot speed it up. Instead of striving on our own, we must accept God’s means for maturity: the discipline of the Holy Spirit. If we do not cooperate with the discipline of the Holy Spirit, we will lose a chance to increase our spiritual capacity. This will only prolong the time required to reach maturity. We may even have to repeat the lessons we missed.

Watchman Nee said, "A believer can never be the same after passing through suffering. Either he will have his capacity enlarged or he will become more hardened.” This is why it is so important to accept suffering as the path to maturity. One of the most effective tools for maturity is marriage. It is a long-lasting lesson in getting along with others, and it often involves hardship. It is not easy to live out our Christianity while suffering in the marriage relationship. Often, instead of allowing God to increase our capacity and maturity through suffering, we let our hearts become hardened. Although we may not choose divorce or separation, we put up a wall and harden our hearts. Outwardly, we may act patient, but we don’t allow our faith to grow or allow God to perfect us through suffering.

The author of Hebrews writes, "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11). Then he encourages believers who have gone through suffering to seek healing and peace (12-13). He says, "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (14). "Peace with everyone" means steadfastness or patience. But we can't stop there. We must also "strive for holiness" so we can grow spiritually. If we want our spiritual lives to grow so we are conformed to the image of Christ, we must make good use of suffering. Although suffering is painful, it is also the means to maturity. When we allow suffering to grow and mature us, we will bear the fruit of righteousness one day. Even Jesus Christ allowed suffering to mature him. The writer of Hebrews says, "Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 5:8-10). We cannot become the source of others' salvation, like Jesus could, but we can allow God to use our difficulties to bring others to Him. As our patience leads to godliness, and we learn to live out the virtues of Christ through suffering, our lives will demonstrate the love of Christ so that others can be saved. Brother Witness Lee tells the story of a Chinese man who had a skin disease. The only person who was willing to give him a skin graft was a Western missionary lady. The man was so touched by her sacrifice that he put his trust in Christ. As this Western missionary lived out Christ’s virtues in times of suffering, another individual came to Christ.

Godliness Will Only be Achieved through Prayer

Not only is there a relationship between suffering and godliness, as we have seen in the book of Hebrews, but there is also a relationship between suffering and prayer. James, the natural brother of Jesus, discusses true godliness, prayer, and suffering. James notes that those who are suffering must be patient, because patience leads to godliness and maturity. He says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (1:2-4). Then he continues, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.” He then defines true godliness (or true religion): "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world" (James 1:27). This is a well-known verse that is often quoted by Christian ministries. Organizations that help the underprivileged often use this verse to encourage people to donate. However, James is saying that suffering produces patience, and patience produces godliness. Only then will we have a heart for widows and orphans.

James speaks of patience again near the end of his book: "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord” (James 5:7-10). In verse 13, he says, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise." James goes on to say if someone needs physical healing, they should call for the elders to pray over them and anoint them with oil. The prayer of faith will heal the sick. These verses give practical advice for three specific situations. People who are cheerful should sing songs; people who are sick should be anointed with oil. And what should we do when we are suffering? We should pray. Prayer is the most important prescription for suffering. Only through prayer can we experience spiritual growth in times of pain and hardship.

In my own life, I have spent a lot of time praying during times of suffering. Through these prayers, I have experienced the presence and grace of God. As a result, these times of suffering became a blessing. They helped me break free from areas where my flesh was hindering the Holy Spirit’s work. I also experienced a great filling of the Holy Spirit.

Suffering alone does not make people mature. It can either increase our capacity or harden our hearts. But if we seek God’s empowerment and help through prayer, the Holy Spirit can bring a breakthrough. He can help us be filled with the life of Christ so our lives are a fuller expression of God’s character. Our own attempts at patience can never reflect Christ’s life. But when we add prayer to our patience, our spiritual lives are elevated so we can live out the life of Christ.

Suffering Produces Endurance and Endurance Produces Character

Paul calls, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5). I have often pondered and prayed over these verses. Although I can act patient outwardly, I often struggle to live out of true love. I was very confused by this, but Romans 5 helps bring clarity.

First, the passage teaches us that while we were still God’s enemies, Jesus Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8). This is what God’s love means. God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. However, we may not be able to access the power of His love. For example, your house’s electrical wiring may be perfectly functional. But if you trip the breaker, you still cannot access its power. In the same way, God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, but if something is blocking His love, it cannot flow through our hearts. Without the flow of God’s love, our faith is also hindered, since "faith works through love" (Galatians 5:6). We know that faith is essential to the spiritual life, and the operation of faith requires love, and this love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

Once we accept the Holy Spirit into our hearts and allow Jesus Christ to regenerate us, our spiritual “seed” contains both faith and love. But if the shell of the seed is too hard, it will not germinate. The most difficult seed I've ever planted is the Sichuan pepper tree, which has a shell as hard as a rock. I bought a Sichuan pepper bush on the Internet, and it produced seeds. I was hoping to grow some new saplings with them. I scattered the seeds on the ground, but none of them came up. Why? Because the seed coat was tough, as hard as a stone. I decided to watch some videos on how to germinate Sichuan pepper seeds, and I learned that it was necessary to pry open the seeds with a brick or a pliers, then soak them in water to soften the shell. The life of the pepper tree is contained in the seed, but the tough seed shell hinders its germination and growth.

In the same way, the works of the flesh can hinder our spiritual growth. God uses suffering and the discipline of the Holy Spirit to break the shell of our flesh so that the life and power of the seed can be released. No one wants to go through suffering, but it is necessary to break the walls around our hearts. As Watchman Nee says, suffering does not necessarily destroy us. It can also make us stronger. It's our choice. If we choose not to cooperate with God, we may become hardened. But if we cooperate with the suffering he allows, we release the power of His Spirit as He softens our hardened hearts. This process of softening takes a long time and requires much patience. Patience is a process that allows God's divine life to permeate us so that Christ's divine power and human virtues can be released in our lives.

Suffering produces patience, and this process is not easy. But as our maturity increases, we will become more faithful to God. After we grow in our endurance, we will develop character as Christ's divine power and human virtues are manifested in us. The more we grow in character, the more we grow in hope as we trust in Christ's resurrected life and our ultimate redemption. This hope keeps us from shame because we know that we will one day be like Christ in all his glory (Colossians 3:4).

This is why Watchman Nee tells us that patience is Christ. Not only is patience a quality of Christ’s character and a human virtue, but patience is also a process through which the character and life of Christ are manifested in us. Patience produces character, and patience produces godliness, for godliness is the character of Jesus Christ manifested in us. So we see that Paul’s teaching is consistent with Peter's teaching.

Conclusion

Patience is the mutual tolerance and connection between members of the Body of Christ, and godliness is the love that we have for one another. If the body of Christ is compared to a tree, then patience is like the branches and godliness is like the innumerable leaves of the tree. As we will see in future lessons, brotherly love is like a flower that blooms, and God's love (Agape) is the fruit that it bears.

In our personal lives, patience is not only tolerance for others but also the effect of suffering. When we choose to obey God while suffering, we allow the life of Christ to break through our hard hearts, setting free the power of Christ’s life in our lives. The process is not easy, but as we grow in patience and godliness, we will undergo the transformation that many Christians so desperately need.

[1] The editor edited this for reviewer to better understand this and the original quote is, Time is needed for life to mature. Other than having a big head, young people cannot really be matured. Maturity is a matter of the enlargement of capacity. You must allow God to give you time to suffer beyond measure; then your capacity will be enlarged. Some could suffer the loss of five dollars, but could never suffer the loss of five thousand dollars. Some could forgive others two or three times, but the fifth time would make their hands tremble. One discovers by eating whether a fruit is raw or ripe. Raw fruit tastes sour and bitter and is tough and hard. Only ripe fruit tastes sweet and fragrant. Madame Guyon had the flavor of ripeness. She was a teacher to the elderly and a friend to children. The Christian life grows in a natural way. It is not a matter of being artificially ripened like the ripening of a banana with mild heat. The Son of Man came eating and drinking. With some people, their eating and drinking exposes their true condition. Life does not come as a result of spiritual cultivation. If you have the Spirit, there is no need of cultivation; if you [144] do not have the Spirit, there is no way to cultivate. Lilies blossom and birds grow feathers quite spontaneously. There is no need for them to cultivate these features. Cultivation can only produce a “saint” according to the world’s concept; it cannot produce a real Christian. It is sufficient to have the seal of the cross on the negative side. There is no need to strive to bear fruit. Striving only delays the growth of life; it cannot speed it up. It is important for us to receive God’s arrangement in the circumstances. This arrangement is the discipline of the Holy Spirit. To escape God’s arrangement just one time is to lose an opportunity to have our capacity enlarged. This will prolong the time required for life to mature in us and will even require us to make up this lesson in order to reach maturity. A believer can never be the same after passing through suffering. Either he will have his capacity enlarged or he will become more hardened. For this reason, when believers are passing through suffering, they must pay attention and they must realize that maturity in life is the sum total of receiving the discipline of the Holy Spirit. People may see a person who has matured in life, but they cannot see the accumulated discipline of the Holy Spirit which that person has received secretly day by day throughout the years.

Watchman Nee--A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, Witness Lee,  https://bibleread.online/all-books-by-Watchman-Nee-and-Witness-Lee/book-watchman-neea-seer-of-the-divine-revelation-in-the-present-age-Witness-Lee-read-online/19/.

Acts 12 (Part 2)

Why Did God Save Peter and Let Worms Kill Herod?

During my recent reading of Acts 12, I received new inspiration about why Herod wanted to arrest Peter, why God wanted to save Peter, and why God allowed worms to eat Herod. The Holy Spirit showed me that Herod was a tool of Satan, trying to hinder Peter’s efforts to spread Christ’s gospel to the Gentiles, and trying to cut off the flow of the Holy Spirit so that the Gospel could not be spread among the Gentiles. This story is almost the last time Peter is mentioned in the book of Acts. The last mention of Peter in Acts is his testimony at the Jerusalem council. At that time, as Paul and Barnabas were preaching the gospel among the Gentiles, some men came down from Judea and taught the believers that unless they were circumcised according to the custom of Moses, they could not be saved (Acts 15:1). As a result, there was a disagreement among the believers. Finally, Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and the elders and discuss this matter. During this meeting, Peter testified, confirming that God had chosen the Gentiles. This shows that Satan was also using a legalistic spirit in Jerusalem to attempt to hinder the spread of the gospel among the Gentiles. This is the last mention of Peter in Acts.

In other words, Herod, as a tool of Satan, wanted to not kill only Peter, but also to extinguish the flow of the Holy Spirit that brought the gospel to the Gentiles which Peter represented. Peter ran the last leg of his race and successfully handed the baton to Paul. From then on, Paul became the primary leader of God’s work among the Gentiles in the new era.

Peter walked in God's will and thus experienced God's protection. We must know God’s will and live in God’s will in order to experience God's protection. Peter was delivered by God, and in the end fulfilled his responsibility of spreading the gospel to the Gentiles. His role in the new era was to support Paul, who had not yet been fully accepted by the believers, and to help prove that it was God's will for the gospel to be spread to the Gentiles. Peter’s testimony laid the foundation for Paul to step to the forefront and become the representative of God’s new generation of apostles. Therefore, after chapter 15, Peter was not mentioned again in Acts.

Read The Spiritual Warfare Behind the Words

The Bible reveals the goodness of God, the value of man, and the tricks of Satan. When we read the Bible, we must understand these three things, and even more so when we read the Acts of the Apostles. We must realize that the essence of the Acts of the Apostles is the Acts of the Holy Spirit. In this book, we see human activity in the foreground. But behind each of them is the presence and empowerment of either God or Satan. Man either stands on God’s side and walks in God's will or stands on Satan’s side and becomes a tool in Satan's hands. There are no other options. Therefore, when we read about people’s actions in the Bible, we must perceive the invisible battle between God and Satan. This will help us better understand the actions and behaviors of these individuals.

At the beginning of Acts 12, we read that Herod persecuted several people in the church and killed James, the brother of John, with a sword. Why did God choose to save Peter, while allowing James to be martyred? James’ race was over. He testified for Christ through his death and entered into his heavenly ministry. It was not his job to continue the work of the Holy Spirit on earth. That was Peter’s job, and Peter was soon to hand the baton to Paul.

The first part of Acts records the work of the first generation of apostles led by Peter; the latter part of Acts records the work of the second generation of apostles led by Paul. Peter represents the acts of the apostles during and shortly after Christ’s earthly ministry; Paul represents the acts of the apostles sustained by Christ’s heavenly ministry. These two very important segments of Acts are distinct, yet connected. The work of God and the flow of the Holy Spirit were passed from one era to the next through men like Peter and Paul. So behind Herod’s desire to kill Peter was Satan’s desire to break the continuity of God’s work. Satan was trying to cut off the flow of the Holy Spirit between Peter’s ministry to the Jews and Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles. Though he was primarily an apostle to the Jews, Peter did preach to some Gentiles according to the will of God. But the work that Peter began was about to be passed on to Paul to finish. He was going to successfully hand over the baton to Paul. Satan wanted to use Herod to kill Peter to prevent Peter from successfully passing the baton to Paul. It was as if Peter was approaching Paul in a relay race, preparing to hand off the baton, when Satan sent a sniper to shoot Peter. Satan wanted to hinder the flow of the Holy Spirit and prevent the gospel from spreading from the Jews to the Gentiles.

The first thing Satan did was to use the religious power of Judaism to persecute the church. Judaism and legalism were extremely strong in Jerusalem. The Jews rejected Christ and were pleased when Herod persecuted several people in the church and killed James. This is why the Bible says of Herod, “When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread” (12:3). Satan used Judaism, legalism, and evil political forces to persecute believers.

Not only did Jews persecute Christians, but many legalistic, Judaism-focused Christians also opposed the grace of Christ. These believers were trying to force Gentile Christians to be circumcised, telling them it was the only way they could be saved. Perhaps there were also Jewish Christians who were opposed to preaching the gospel among the Gentiles, since Jesus had taught his disciples to preach only to Israelites, not Gentiles (Matthew 10:5). At first, in the previous era, Jesus sent his word only to the Jews. But he later included the Gentiles as well. Jesus’ command for the new age was to spread the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Satan often uses people's fixed concepts and religious bigotry to hinder God's work. Jerusalem had degenerated into a cesspool of fixed ideas and religious bigotry which was hindering believers from preaching the gospel of God to the Gentiles. God allowed persecution so that the disciples would break out of their territorial religious concepts based in Jerusalem and preach the gospel to the Gentiles. To escape persecution, the disciples scattered to different places and spread the gospel more widely. Persecution helped the believers break out of their fixed religious mindsets and preach the gospel in Gentile lands such as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. Instead of staying in a tight-knit circle of believers in Jerusalem, they would now bring the gospel to the big stage of the Gentile world.

But the forces of legalistic Judaism not only wanted to control Jerusalem but also extend their control to the Gentile believers. Legalistic Jewish believers came down from Judea to teach the Gentile believers that they must be circumcised to be saved (Acts 15). Paul and Barnabas opposed this teaching, but because Paul had not yet risen to a position of authority in the church, the dispute was eventually taken to the apostles in Jerusalem. During the meeting in Jerusalem, Peter played an active role in defending the Gentile believers. He testified that it was indeed God's will for the gospel to be spread to the Gentiles. James also spoke up in agreement, saying that God had chosen the Gentiles.

There was a reason that Satan targeted Peter. If Peter had been killed by Herod, there would have been no one to back up Paul and Barnabus and defend the Gentile believers. Furthermore, if Peter had caved to legalism (as he did in the book of Galatians, when he and Barnabas stopped eating with the Gentiles because of the strong influence of the legalistic believers who came to Galatia), James might not have been convinced to support salvation through faith. In this case, the religious Jews in Judaism might even have had Paul and Barnabas arrested. Satan wanted to use the Jewish religious forces to prevent Paul from becoming a representative of the apostles of God's new age and the foreman of God's construction. But God saved Peter’s life so he could support Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles, so that Paul could successfully take up the mantle as the leader of the second generation of apostles.

Herod’s Death Broke the Power of Jewish Religious Leaders and Evil Political Leaders

Satan not only used Jewish religious forces to attempt to destroy Peter’s influence, but he also tried to use evil political forces like Herod to unite with the Jewish religious forces. Herod had killed James and persecuted several other believers, and Herod saw that what he did “pleased the Jews.” He wanted to please the Jews for the sake of his rule, so he went on to arrest Peter (verse 3). Peter understood that the Jewish religious powers were collaborating with Herod. After the angel rescued him from prison, Peter said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting” (Acts 12:11). Peter specifically mentions that God saved him not only from Herod, but also from “all that the Jewish people were expecting.” The Jewish people clearly supported the persecution of Christians. When the evil forces of empty religion and politics are combined, they will bring greater harm to the church.

The Bible says that after arresting Peter, Herod waited until after the Passover to bring him out to the people (12:4). If Peter had been handed over to the people, Peter might have been killed, and Satan likely would not have stopped with Peter’s death. He might have continued to use the evil religious power of the Jews combined with the evil political power of Herod to continue to persecute, arrest, and even kill people in the church. The next victim might have been Paul. Satan's plans were not limited to killing Peter; he also may have attempted to kill Paul and Barnabas. This would have completely defeated God's plan to spread the gospel from Judea to the Gentiles through the apostles. Satan is very insidious! God had to intervene, so He sent worms to kill Herod, thereby defeating Satan's plot.

God struck Herod down in order to break the powerful collaboration between the evil forces of religion and the evil forces of politics. If God had not intervened, the evil forces of religion and politics would have united to kill Peter and thwart God's plan to spread the gospel from the Jews to the Gentiles through Peter.

Many evildoers throughout the ages were not treated like Herod, who was directly judged by God. God is merciful and often gives people the opportunity to repent. But if a person is like Herod and is being used by Satan to try to hinder God’s work and will, he will be severely judged by God. Herod was eaten by worms and died.

Herod's death by worms was not the first time God had attempted to break the collaboration between evil political forces and evil religious forces. After Peter was saved by an angel, “Herod searched for him and did not find him.” He then “examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there” (verse 19). The angel’s rescue ruined Herod’s efforts to unite with the evil religious forces in Jerusalem. He had failed, so he left Judea and went down to Caesarea to live. This event set the foundation for Herod losing his life. God did not allow Herod to join forces with the evil religious forces. He would not allow Herod to continue to be a tool of Satan, preventing Peter from fulfilling God's will.

God’s Word Is Spreading

God’s will is for His word to spread to more and more people. He wanted the disciples not only to preach Jesus Christ as the Savior among the Jews, but also among the Gentiles. Therefore, after Herod was struck with worms and died, the Bible immediately goes on to say, “But the word of God increased and multiplied” (verse 24). This verse confirms that Herod’s death was God’s will. When people walk in God's will, the Holy Spirit will confirm that they are on the right path. So when God’s word spreads to more people, God confirms that his will is being done.

God’s will today is the same: to spread his word to more people. This never changes. We cannot hinder God's will. The safest and most protected place is in the center of God’s will. We must know God’s will and live in God’s will.

Paul and Barnabas Leave Jerusalem

At this time, after Paul and Barnabas finished providing financial relief to the believers in the church in Jerusalem, they left and returned to Gentile areas to continue to preach the gospel. This event is recorded at the end of chapter 11. Paul and Barnabas are hardly mentioned in this chapter, but the last verse mentions that they left Jerusalem and took John, who was called Mark, with them (verse 25). This is definitely not an accident, but a clever arrangement by the Holy Spirit.

Spiritual Pride

How did the Jews, who were God’s people to whom he revealed the entire Old Testament, become a tool of Satan to hinder the spread of the gospel? Why did the Jewish people support persecution and encourage the murder of Christ’s apostles? Why could a political figure like Herod become a tool in the hands of Satan to hinder the work of God? One of the reasons is none other than human pride. The pride of the Jews made them want to control the interpretation of the Bible and God; Herod's pride made him compare himself to God. Just as Satan fell because of pride, when we are proud we open the door to Satan and become his tools.

Conclusion

In this chapter, we see that God and Satan are engaged in a spiritual war over the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to the Gentiles. Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and others are the tools used by God to accomplish God’s will. Herod, the people of Judea, and the Jewish religion became tools in the hands of Satan to attempt to persecute the servants of God and hinder or extinguish the spread of the gospel. When God killed Herod, he broke Satan's attempt to combine evil political forces with Jewish religious forces. This not only saved the lives of Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and others, but also allowed the Holy Spirit to reach the Gentiles.

Adding Patience to Temperance: Loving God and Your Neighbor

As I mentioned in our last lesson, a life of patience is needed when dealing with others. We need to be patient with each other before we can develop into the mature Body of Christ. But in order to cultivate patience with one another (the branches), we need to strengthen the trunk (temperance). Before we can pursue unity within the body of Christ, we need to strengthen the trunk of temperance. Only then will we produce leaves (godliness), flowers (brotherly love), and fruit (agape love). Many efforts to unify the body of Christ have failed because the trunk (temperance) is still undeveloped.

Although the body of Christ as a whole is still at the initial stage of developing the trunk, we as individual Christians or individual churches may be ready to progress to the next stage of spiritual growth: developing the branches. We as believers are the individual branches of the same vine. This is what Peter is referring to when he speaks of "adding patience to temperance.” Temperance refers to our vertical relationship with God. Through temperance, we gain the strength we need to grow in our relationship with God above. Spiritual disciplines help us develop a personal relationship with the Lord, allowing the power of the life of Christ to develop within us. To add temperance to our knowledge is to love God. When we stop loving the world and abandon the lusts of the flesh, we share in God’s nature. This is the essence of temperance.

Knowledge without temperance does not help us grow. If we know facts about God and the principles of his word, yet we do not love God or have an intimate connection with him, we cannot progress further in our spiritual life. But when we add temperance to our knowledge, we develop the trunk of our spiritual tree. And if we love God, we will love others. The Apostle John said, "Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him, there is no cause for stumbling" (1 John 2:9-10). The Lord Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

When we develop love for God through temperance, we will automatically love our neighbors as ourselves and be patient with others. Loving others with patience is like developing the branches of the tree. Many Christians cannot tolerate Christians of other denominations, and they also fail to love sinners. This is because they have not developed temperance or love for God.

When we constantly add temperance to our knowledge, we will not only leave behind our worldly “truth,” but we will also be set free by God’s truth. Then we will love God even more and abandon the world even more. Then we will naturally progress to the next stage of spiritual growth: building one another up with mutual patience in the body of Christ. Temperance is necessary for a vertical relationship with God, and patience is necessary for a horizontal relationship with other believers.

Patience Is Christ

When I left the Local Church Movement to study in other churches, I attended a Charismatic Church Conference. A pastor said that he once fasted and prayed for forty days, hoping to become more holy, but he still didn't attain the holiness he hoped for. Later, a preacher told him that holiness is a person, that is, Christ. It is not enough to just fast and pray. We must allow the person of Christ to live his life through us. What this preacher said was very helpful to him, so the pastor gave special thanks to him during this conference.

This reminds me of another story. One day, Watchman Nee, the founder of The Local Church Movement, was rocking in a rocking chair. He asked a question of Witness Lee, who was interning with him. "What is patience?" asked Watchman Nee. Witness Lee tried to answer his question many times, but Watchman Nee said all his answers were wrong. Finally, Watchman Nee said, "Patience is Christ." In other words, patience is a person, as the pastor learned in the first story above. If you live in Christ, live out Christ’s life in your words and actions, and allow Christ to replace your old man and live through you, you will be able to live out patience. Otherwise, no matter how much you try to have patience, you will not be able to generate patience through your own effort. This story is very thought-provoking.

Adding patience to temperance is not just about being able to love others because of our fellowship with God. This is certainly true. But even more, it is a picture of Christ living his life through us. Jesus loved God, so He was willing to sacrifice himself to save the people God loved. Of course, Jesus also loved people, and He was willing to give his life for the lost sheep.

Not only can we say that patience is Christ, but temperance is also Christ. An intemperate person cannot truly love God. Whether a person is intemperate in eating too much, in consuming worldly entertainment, in failing to read their Bible and pray, or in some other way, that person is showing they love the flesh and the world more than they love God. The Apostle John said, "For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:16-17). As we exercise temperance and patience in our lives, we live out the virtues of Christ. In other words, Christ’s life is manifested in our lives.

From Knowledge to Temperance to Patience: Developing Love For God and People within the Framework of the Law and the Prophets

The Old Testament Israelites followed laws and principles which revealed basic facts about God. As they learned and obeyed these laws, they would have life. However, the New Testament Pharisees went to an extreme in obeying the law. They overdeveloped their knowledge of the law and underdeveloped their love for God and man. They even felt that if they had given a tithe to God, they no longer needed to obey His command to honor their parents. Jesus criticized the Pharisees severely for this, saying that they had put the cart before the horse. Jesus said, " ‘…he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God" (Matthew 15:6). There was even a Pharisee, a teacher of the law, who tested Jesus and asked him, “Which commandment of the law is the greatest?” (Matthew 22:35) Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment” (37-38). This is the definition of temperance. It is very difficult to love a person, event, or thing with all our hearts, and it is also very difficult to love God with all our hearts. That is why we need temperance.

Then Jesus said, "And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets" (39-40). What Jesus meant was that after loving God, you should love others. You should love your neighbor as yourself. These two commands form the basis for all the principles and teachings in the Old Testament. As I have mentioned in previous lessons, the law reveals God’s nature, as does the ministry of the apostles. They help us understand God’s nature and principles by teaching God’s words (including the laws of the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament). The ministry of the prophets helps people recognize God’s leading and guidance so they can demonstrate love for God and people in every unique circumstance. So all the teachings of the law and the prophets are based on these two commands: loving God and loving your neighbor.

The Apostle Paul explained that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). Paul deeply understood the teachings of Jesus about the Great Commandments. Paul knew that these two commands—“love God and love people”—sum up the law and the prophets. These two commands communicate the essence of the teachings of the apostles (laws) and prophets. Love for God and people is fully expressed in Jesus, which is why He is the cornerstone. Jesus not only connects us with God, but also connects the Jews with the Gentiles, “and [reconciles] us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:17-19). “…Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (2:21).

These verses teach the same truth that Peter teaches about building the spiritual temple. We are a spiritual temple where the Holy Spirit lives. As living stones, we must grow and be built up so we can become a spiritual temple. The finished temple is beautiful like the New Jerusalem, with the throne of God and the Lamb in the highest position, surrounded by streets of pure gold and the river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God. We as believers are the New Jerusalem, a tabernacle in which God dwells. But God is also a tabernacle, and as we abide in the Trinity, we become a spiritual temple connected with the Trinity and with all saints. We, the branches, must abide in Christ, the Vine. The Father is the vinedresser. As we become one with Christ, we are also one with other members of His body.

In order to grow into a mature temple in the Lord, or to grow into a mature vine, we must develop temperance and patience. Temperance connects us to the trunk as we grow closer to God, while patience connects us to our fellow branches as we grow closer to other believers. These two are connected. That’s why Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”(John 13:35). Love is the natural expression of our spiritual life.

Before my mother came to Christ, she was deeply impressed by the love that Christians had for one another. In her village, there were some people who believed in Jesus. Unlike the rest of the farmers, the Christian farmers helped each other with their wheat harvest. My mother, who was a Buddhist, noticed that the Christians loved one another, and this left a deep impression on her. The Christian farmers were so filled with love that my mother recognized them as disciples of Jesus.

Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself Is Harder Than “Loving God”

In the church, we often see Christian brothers and sisters who love the Lord but have difficulties in their family lives. Perhaps the wife loves the Lord very much, reads the Bible, prays every day, and attends many church meetings, but her husband is spiritually indifferent. In fact, he notices that she seems to care more about God than she does about her family. “You go to church every day,” he says to her, “but you never spend time with us.”

Later, through the Lord’s conviction, the wife realizes she needs to spend more time at home with her husband and family. When the husband feels his wife’s love, his attitude toward spiritual things begins to change. His cold heart begins to soften.

This story shows that a Christian can be very devoted to God and still come across as unloving to the people around them. Why is this? Because it is more difficult to “love your neighbor as yourself” than it is to “love God.” It requires more maturity to communicate and cooperate with the people around us than to hide in a monastery or cave seeking intimacy with God. It also requires more patience.

I have seen some single people who love the Lord very much and have dedicated their lives to God, but I feel that their spiritual lives lack maturity. When I see the spiritual struggles they are going through, I often think that these weaknesses could have been dealt with if they had a spouse to correct them. Marriage is often God's tool to deal with us spiritually.

God uses relationships in our lives to train us in patience and holiness. During my spiritual journey, I have experienced many stages of growth. I believed in the Lord in 2002, then experienced a spiritual revival in 2004. I was crazily in love with the Lord. After that, I grew closer to God through reading the Bible, praying, and other spiritual disciplines. Jesus appeared to me many times during that period. Yet despite my intimacy with God, I still was not good at loving people. I was often unable to love the people around me, let alone my enemies. I felt distressed and powerless. I later realized that God allowed these relationship struggles in order to train me to truly love others.

If we want to love our neighbor as ourselves, we need to grow in patience. It seems easy for us to “love God” because God is great and can tolerate many of our shortcomings. But humans are limited, and many people are often not as tolerant as God is to us. So human relationships expose our quirks, weaknesses, and personality flaws more quickly. It is easy to “love God alone,” but it is more difficult to love God and others.

How Do We Add Patience to Temperance?

When we are with our spiritual mentors or discipleship leaders, we can just be recipients and accept what they give us spiritually. But when we are shepherding younger believers or less mature members, it is not that simple. We need to be constantly rooted in the Lord and connected to the vine so we can receive His abundant supply of mercy and love. Only then can we supply God’s love to these members. He can give us the patience to deal with the complex situations that arrive.

For example, in the church, our goal is to grow to maturity. However, it is often easier to do things ourselves than to teach others how to do them. It takes way more time to teach someone a skill than to do it ourselves. Therefore, many pastors or spiritually responsible people often take care of everything themselves. Younger believers do not have the opportunity to practice. And when the pastor retires, many believers are still spiritual babies. Instead, we need to slow down, teach others, and have patience with them as they learn and grow. We need God’s grace and provision as we help others grow in maturity.

It is difficult to grow in maturity, but it is even more difficult to help someone else grow in maturity. Those of us who are parents or have helped young Christians grow spiritually know this dilemma. Just like children, new Christians often make mistakes as they serve God. We need to be tolerant of their mistakes and be patient as we help them grow and mature.

When I was first saved, my church taught us that in order to be fruitful people, we needed to try to convert one person every year. But I found that I often went years without bringing even one person to Christ. I often prayed about this, seeking the Lord's help and guidance. When we serve the Lord, we often fail to see results, so we become discouraged. But Paul said, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Many people do good deeds, but because they don’t see results at first, they slowly lose faith. It takes time for our spiritual life to grow and for our service to become effective. Sometimes it takes a long time, so we must also learn to be patient.

In my personal ministry, patience is important. I studied for many years to prepare to serve the Lord, and the Lord promised that my ministry would lead many people into the kingdom and help them grow spiritually. However, I find that I often run into obstacles when trying to promote my ministry, and few people listen to my sermons. This doesn’t mean that God’s promises to me are false. It only means that I need to learn patience in this process. The process of experiencing patience is also the process of experiencing Christ. In this process, Christ is not only revealed in our lives, but our character is also strengthened. Only through longsuffering can the farmer obtain the yield he hopes for.

In order to be a fruitful person, we need to be rooted in the Lord. When we are rooted in Christ, we will develop lush branches and leaves, and we will naturally bear fruit. In addition to the patience we need in our dealings with others, we also need patience as we grow in the Lord. Just like trees do not bear fruit in the first year, it takes years for us to mature spiritually enough to bear fruit.

The Power of Temperance and the Importance of Focus

In past lessons, we have learned how to nurture the seed of faith so that we can grow in our spiritual lives. First, we must water the seed of faith with virtue. This helps us grow a taproot that roots us deeply in our foundation, Christ Himself. Next, we must supply the seed with the knowledge of every saving truth of Jesus Christ. Every time we recognize a truth, we must apply that truth in our lives. The reality and nutrition contained in these truths can then be released and become our life supply. In this way, one truth at a time, we absorb the nutrition we need for our spiritual growth, just like the fibrous roots absorb one mineral at a time from the soil. These truths help sustain our spiritual growth while the taproot is not yet firmly established in the soil.

As our roots grow strong, and our branches multiply, we must learn the lesson of temperance. Temperance is very important for the growth of a tree. A Chinese saying emphasizes the importance of pruning: "Small trees will not grow if they are not pruned.” Unpruned saplings will send out dozens of shoots from the roots, and they will develop into shrubs instead of trees. But if these extra branches are pruned early, a thick central trunk will develop, and the sapling can grow into a towering tree. This is why Peter speaks of the need to add temperance (self-control) to your knowledge (2 Peter 1:6). While it is true that Christians should acquire plenty of knowledge about the Bible and spiritual truths, it is also true that too much knowledge can get out of hand, just like an unpruned sapling. Rather than focusing on the central truth of God’s word (God’s love and grace incarnated in Jesus Christ), some Christians focus on dozens of individual principles to the point of legalism. Their lives are like unpruned shrubs. They grow hundreds of branches (rules, principles), but there is no central focus and they do not grow into a towering tree. Why? Because they lack temperance. They may have a lot of biblical knowledge, but they use it to condemn others, just like the Pharisees.

The Pharisees had a lot of knowledge about the Bible and spirituality, but they did not grow into towering spiritual trees. Instead, they lived as stunted shrubs. Many modern-day Christians are living like Pharisees. Their knowledge of the Bible and spiritual truths are no longer serving as an essential life supply. Instead, their knowledge has become a hindrance to their spiritual growth. 1 Corinthians 8:1 ESV says, “‘Knowledge’ puffs up, but love builds up.” Just like an unpruned sapling that produces dozens of branches and plenty of visible growth without any real growth in height, knowledge puffs us up without any actual growth.

Furthermore, pruning takes place in the area of our gifts. God wants us to realize God’s central call on our lives and the unique gifts He has given us. When we do, we can prune away the excess activities in our lives that don’t relate to our calling. If we don’t focus on our gifts, we will live an unfocused life, our energy and ability will be limited, and our calling and gifts from God will be stunted. We waste time and delay our spiritual growth. We must prune excess branches and allow the trunk to grow in order to realize the infinite potential of our life and our gifts. Some Christians desperately need temperance and disciplined spiritual exercises to promote further growth in their spiritual life.

Why Do We Need to Add Temperance to our Knowledge?

Temperance builds on knowledge. Knowledge of God’s truth is very important for the early growth of our spiritual lives. Hudson Taylor’s salvation story illustrates this point. Since his father was a pastor, Hudson Taylor had heard God’s word since he was five years old. He had heard many bits of truth about Christ, or tiny bits of knowledge that provided nutrition to his growing understanding of Christ. But these truths had not “clicked” or turned into a personal revelation as the Holy Spirit enlightened his heart and mind. His mother and sister had been praying for him for some time, but he still hadn’t fully repented.

One day, Hudson saw a leaflet in his study with the words, "The finished work of Christ.” These words caught his attention and made him feel sad. The leaflet in his study was just one more small piece of knowledge, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this "knowledge" became a personal "revelation,” which released God’s truth in his heart and brought him to salvation. He later learned that his mother had been praying for him at the very moment he had been enlightened, and that the Holy Spirit had revealed to her that her prayers had been answered. When Hudson Taylor told his mother about his repentance, his mother said, "I know, my boy. I have been rejoicing for a fortnight in the glad tidings you have to tell me.”

Later, Hudson Taylor saw a vision that countless Chinese people were going to hell. He knew that God was calling him to go to China to preach the gospel, so he moved to a poor area in East London to train himself with self-discipline and temperance. For a long time, he ate only bread and water to prepare himself for the hardships he would face in China. After preparing himself for many years, he finally arrived in China, established the China Inland Mission, and brought a tremendous breakthrough for the spread of the gospel in China. His story is a good example of spiritual growth. His roots grew deep in Christ (virtue) as he constantly learned nuggets of truth (knowledge) and then disciplined himself for the mission field (temperance). Without knowledge, there can be no real growth. Without temperance, we will encounter setbacks in our spiritual progress. But with all these ingredients in place, Hudson Taylor grew into a spiritual giant.

Hudson Taylor encountered many difficulties in China, and his temperance was critical to his success. China was a very difficult place to live at the time. No one would give Hudson a place to live, so he had to live in the Chinese idol temple that served as a shelter for homeless people. Even in the shelter, Hudson Taylor could hardly sleep at night because other homeless people would steal his clothes and belongings. He had to stay alert at all times and got very little sleep. If he had not spent time in East London, getting accustomed to living in difficult circumstances, he would not have been able to fulfill God's call to spread the gospel in China.

God’s Holy Spirit showers his anointing and his calling on our lives, like showers of refreshing rain. But our character must be strong and leak-free in order to receive it. If we lack temperance and other virtues, the water of God’s anointing and calling will leak out. Taylor was born into a wealthy family, but he understood that God's call was for him to preach the gospel in poor China, so he began to exercise his character with temperance. He learned to endure hardship so he would not miss the opportunity to fulfill God’s calling.

Temperance Is One of The Important Fruits of The Holy Spirit

Paul said, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23). Both Paul and Peter knew that temperance is one of the fruits of the Spirit. When the Holy Spirit produces Christ’s virtues in our lives, the result is the fruit of the Spirit. Just like the king's eunuchs anointed Esther's body with various ointments, the Holy Spirit instills in us the virtues of Christ. Just like the ointments produced a fragrant scent, the virtue of Christ produces a spiritual fragrance as we live them out in our everyday lives. When we truly understand these words of Paul (“knowledge”), the Holy Spirit enlightens us with revelation so we can grow in virtue. This virtue and knowledge supply us with abundant spiritual resources so we can grow.

Although I had read this passage in Galatians many times, God recently gave me a new revelation. I noticed a phrase that I hadn't paid attention to before: "Against such there is no law.” This phrase helped me see the light. When I produce the fruit of the Spirit, there is no law against it. But when I do not, there are many laws against me. For instance, when we fail to live with temperance (one of the fruits of the Spirit), the Holy Spirit often uses circumstances to "prune" us. We are chastened by many natural “laws.” For example, if we eat too much and lack temperance, our bodies will become obese, which will lead to various diseases. This is the natural law of God's creation.

If we had lived with temperance, we would not have needed this pruning. When we control our food intake, and even fast and pray, our bodies will be healed. There will no longer be any law against us.

Other laws may come against us as well if we do not produce the fruit of the Spirit. These include human regulations, social customs, and even church traditions which keep us in check. God often uses these "laws" to discipline us, but we often fail to see the hand of God at work in these circumstances.

Christian Intemperance Is Common

In addition to being intemperate with food intake, many Christians are intemperate with entertainment. Watching TV is not a sin, but it is not wise to become addicted to movies and TV, which are filled with sinful and worldly content. When we frequently consume this content, we will eventually become polluted by filth and worldliness, and our spiritual life will be damaged.

Many Christians in the United States have been learning biblical truths since childhood. They have acquired a vast amount of biblical knowledge So why can't these Christians go deeper spiritually and have a greater impact on society? Because they are lacking temperance. Christians need to stop indulging in sinful and worldly entertainment and start reading the Bible, praying, and practicing godliness. Many Christians know they ought to practice these spiritual disciplines, but do not follow through with consistency. Why? Because they lack temperance and willpower. In other words, the biggest spiritual problem among American Christians is the lack of spiritual discipline and temperance.

In ancient China, there was a military genius named Sun Tzu who wrote a book called The Art of War. His book claimed to contain all the secrets of military prowess, but the emperor was unsure whether his tactics really worked. So he asked Sun Tzu to try to train his concubines as a test run. The emperor promised to meet any conditions Sun Tzu needed during his training.

Sun Tzu began to train the women, but it was very difficult to work with them. When he asked them to perform a drill, the concubines laughed and talked and refused to obey the rules. It was impossible to train them. The emperor began to doubt the validity of Sun Tzu’s methods and abilities. As a result, Sun Tzu decided to behead the two concubines who were most disrespectful. They happened to be the emperor's two favorite concubines. Despite the emperor’s protests, the two women were publicly beheaded for everyone to see. Immediately, the other concubines became very disciplined, and they obeyed Sun Tzu and did all he asked them to do. In a short time, Sun Tzu created a very effective army of concubines. Sun Tzu proved to the emperor that he was not only a military theorist but also a practical fighter. This true story shows the value of discipline.

Many American Christians would object by saying that only Easterners are disciplined like this. This is incorrect. Hudson Taylor was from the West, but he was also very temperate. Many Western Christian missionaries have been very self-disciplined. However, modern-day Americans have been living a very comfortable life for a long time. Just like the emperor’s concubines, they have never received harsh training, so they have no temperance.

The reason Hudson Taylor developed self-discipline was because he had a vision. He realized that tens of thousands of Chinese people were going to hell every day. This vision prompted him to move to the East End of London, stop relying on the support of his wealthy parents, and voluntarily choose to suffer hardship in order to train himself. The Bible says, "Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint.” Western Christians have been at ease from their youth, and they have never suffered much hardship, so they have not developed self-discipline. Jeremiah the prophet said the same thing of Moab: "Moab has been at ease from his youth, and has settled on his dregs; he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into exile; so his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed” (Jeremiah 48:11). When wine is brewed, the dregs are often filtered out by pouring the wine from vessel to vessel. However, Moab had been at ease for a long time, so the dregs had not been removed.

American Christians need temperance to prune their knowledge. What Western Christians lack is not the knowledge of the Bible, but the spiritual discipline to apply this knowledge to their lives. I believe God will create an environment in which American Christians can learn temperance. These circumstances may include enemy attacks, social turmoil, or economic collapse. Before the pandemic, I had a strange dream about an angel reaching down from heaven and stirring the sea with a huge stick. Many storms and waves arose, many houses were submerged, and people ran for their lives. In the same dream, I swam desperately and reached the shore. God had been telling me that a great revival was coming, and when the pandemic began, I knew the prelude to this great revival had begun.

I had the same dream after the pandemic. I believe that suffering will come to many people to help them learn obedience and self-control. Many Christians will be forced to grow spiritually. Just like God wanted to discipline Moab by pouring out the wine and removing the dregs, I believe God will discipline America in the same way. God still loves America, and America will eventually be saved. But that doesn't mean it won't experience suffering and discipline. Many Americans are not psychologically or practically prepared for this discipline. But he who has ears to hear should heed such warnings.

Similarly, I believe that God will allow storms to come to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other places where there has been peace for a long time. In these places, idolatry is rampant. He will send turmoil, wars, and storms in many parts of the world. God wants to shake everything that can be shaken, so that people can enter the unshakable kingdom of God. The shaking in the world today is the prelude to the great revival.

The Importance of Temperance

Temperance prunes the tree of our spiritual life so we can grow straight and tall and not become an undisciplined and unfocused shrub. Without God's pruning through affliction, we would indulge ourselves and fail to grow. Our roots would not grow deep in the soil and our trunk would not grow straight and tall. Our spiritual backbone would not develop. In a forest, a tree that does not develop a central trunk cannot grow tall enough to get sunshine. It might die as a result. If we add temperance to our knowledge, we can metabolize our knowledge about the Bible. Through spiritual discipline, our knowledge becomes a life force that helps the trunk of the tree grow tall and strong.

Adding Patience to Temperance

In our next lesson, we will learn why we should add patience to our temperance. We will briefly preview this topic here. A life of patience is needed when dealing with others. If temperance is the trunk, then patience is the branches. We are members of the Body of Christ, just like the branches of the vine live in the vine. We need to accept and be patient with each other in love before we can develop into the mature Body of Christ. But before that, we have to develop our trunk.

Many Christian groups have tried to pursue the unity of the Body of Christ, and unity between denominations, but they have not succeeded. Why? Because they are still in the stage of developing the trunk. Only when the trunk is truly developed will God bring all denominations together. Only then will the spiritual tree proceed to the next step of growth: producing leaves (godliness), flowers (brotherly love), and fruit (agape love). This metaphor not only applies to the body of Christ as a whole but also to our individual Christian lives. We must add temperance to knowledge so that our knowledge about Christ is lived out as the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

Supplement Virtue with Knowledge: Nourishing our Life of Faith

As we learned in a past lesson, Christ’s virtue is the water that nourishes the seed of our faith so the “tree” of spiritual life can take root in Christ. Today, we will extend that metaphor even further by thinking about a tree’s root system. A tree has a large, central taproot and many branching, fibrous roots. These fibrous roots absorb nutrients, water, and various elements that a tree needs to grow. These nutrients not only help the tree grow taller but also help the taproot grow deeper. Furthermore, the fibrous roots play an important role in supplementing the growth of the leaves and branches when the taproot is not strong enough.

Some time ago, I purchased some evergreen Thuja Green Giant seedlings and transplanted them from five-gallon pots into the ground. To help them grow as quickly as possible, I put some fertilizer around the roots. But I didn't realize these fertilizers would burn the roots. Soon, I noticed that many branches and leaves were turning yellow and withering. I realized I had made a mistake and that over-fertilizing was destroying the fibrous roots. Since these young saplings did not yet have a deep taproot, they relied primarily on the fibrous roots to supply their leaves with nutrients. However, when I gave the same amount of fertilizer to older trees that had already taken root, I encountered no problems since they were already deeply rooted in the soil. I quickly learned from my mistake. I now know that overfertilization can kill a tree if it has not yet taken root in the soil.

In the same way that fertilizer can burn the roots of a new sapling, excessive rules can burn the spiritual growth of an immature Christian. When young Christians are overly restricted by rules in the church when they are young, they may turn away from their faith and from their parents when they grow up. Why? Because their parents did not carefully cultivate and protect the “fibrous roots” of their faith. Instead of burning them with excessive rules that are not deeply supported by a personal knowledge of Christ, parents should help these young Christians absorb the knowledge of Christ through their “fibrous roots.” As they begin to take root and rely on the continuous supply of Christ’s love, the “leaves and branches” of their Christian life will begin to grow. Their “taproot” will become deeply rooted in Christ. Only then will they begin to live out the principles of the Christian life without stumbling.

This is what Peter means when he says, "supplement virtue with knowledge" (2 Peter 1:5). When we “water” the “seed of faith” with Christ’s virtue, the Christian life will begin to take root. As we root ourselves incrementally in Christ, we gain one piece of knowledge after another, and this knowledge comes to life in our hearts. Just like the fibrous roots provide water gradually to the plant, we must absorb the truth about Jesus and his salvation bit by bit. In this way, we will eventually achieve our goal of being rooted in Christ.

Practically speaking, how do we do this? Many Christians only have grand visions for success, but they don't know how to achieve their goals step by step, so they fall short. This is the great dilemma faced by many American Christian parents today. We need a great strategic goal and the tactical means to accomplish it.

The Role of the Taproot

Most trees have both a taproot and fibrous roots. The taproot helps the tree withstand the wind and rain by being deeply rooted in the soil. While the taproot provides long-term stability, it also takes a long time to grow. Meanwhile, the countless small fibrous roots provide the nutrients and water the tree needs in order to grow upwards toward the light and downwards into the soil.

Near my house, workers were planting a new forest. When the workers planted the saplings, they inserted wooden stakes beside them to stabilize the young trees and prevent them from falling over. However, some stakes eventually broke. Since no one took care of them, some of the saplings fell over. Gradually, other trees grew taller and blocked the sunlight. As a result, these young saplings died.

The role of the taproot is not only to help saplings absorb nutrients but also to help them grow vertically. This is a beautiful picture of the Christian life. When we are not rooted in Christ, we will be tempted by the things of the earth and lose our ability to receive provision from above.

How can we root ourselves deeply in Christ? It will take a long time to develop a deep taproot. This is why it’s so important to continuously develop our fibrous roots as well. One insight at a time, we can learn about God and salvation. Through Bible reading, prayer, and spiritual disciplines, our spirits can be nourished continually, the branches and leaves of our spiritual life can continue to grow, and our taproot can take root in the virtue of Christ.

Two years after I put my faith in Jesus for salvation, I heard Jesus speaking to me at a conference, asking me to dedicate myself to Him. This spiritual experience changed my life, and I developed a crazy love for the Lord. I started the habit of reading the Bible and praying every day, and never let anything interrupt it. My wife saw me reading the Bible every day, but didn’t see any changes in my life. She saw me leading a Bible study, but I didn’t know how to speak for the Lord or receive his illumination.

One time, she said to me, "You are like a monk chanting Scriptures with only the mouth but no heart." What she meant was that my spiritual practices were doing no good.

“I am establishing a habit,” I responded. “Although this habit may not change my life immediately, I know it will change my life and my character if I continue to persevere. If I create a habit, I will benefit from reading the Bible.”

Even though the leaves and branches of my spiritual “tree” did not start growing right away when I began reading my Bible and praying every day, the fibrous roots were constantly absorbing the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Slowly, this knowledge began bringing me insight and revelation through prayer. This spiritual understanding helped me draw on the virtue of Christ so that my taproot would continue to take root in Christ. Once my taproot was firmly rooted in Christ, and as the fibrous roots continued to supply daily insights to my spirit, the branches and leaves of my life began to flourish.

A few years after I began leading a weekly Bible study, the Holy Spirit began to use me. He would give me inspiration while reading and sharing God’s word. My wife was astonished and curious about what was happening to me. My wife started to see changes in my life and noticed that I was receiving inspiration from my devotions. But these outward changes took place years after I began secretly rooting myself in the Lord.

In this chapter, Peter tells us to make every effort to supplement our faith with virtue and virtue with knowledge. Diligence is one of the best qualities of a Christian, and it is also one of the spiritual qualities that American Christians lack the most. Many American Christians are spiritually idle.

In China, there is a type of bamboo that grows only one inch per year in the first five years. But once it reaches its sixth year, it can grow a few feet every day! In no time, it becomes a towering stand of bamboo. How can it grow so quickly all of a sudden? Because during the first five years, its roots grew dozens of feet per year. In the same way, we as Christians need to root ourselves deeply in the life of God. We need to diligently root ourselves in Christ’s virtue. We need to develop the knowledge of Christ’s salvation, applying his salvation to our hearts through prayer and with the help of the Holy Spirit. In this way, we will begin to grow and bear fruit as our fibrous roots connect to the foundation of Christ’s virtue.

The Spleen Nourishes the Body

Years ago, I had frequent diarrhea and fatigue. I had diarrhea immediately after drinking ice water or eating watermelon. Since restaurants in the USA rarely give people lukewarm water, I went through a lot of embarrassing and awkward situations.

When I went to the doctor, their tests were inconclusive. So I went to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the kidney is the foundation of a person’s level of health inherited from their parents. Meanwhile, the spleen is the foundation of the level of health you can acquire by healthy eating and supplements. I was born weak because of a congenital kidney deficiency or qi deficiency. The spleen was failing to strengthen the kidney or qi through nutrient absorption. I also had symptoms of spleen deficiency, which in turn worsened my kidney deficiency. The spleen deficiency was causing the diarrhea, and the kidney deficiency was causing the fatigue. The traditional Chinese doctor told me that some Chinese medicine would invigorate the spleen, thus reducing the symptoms of diarrhea and fatigue.

I began to take traditional Chinese medicine and my body improved a lot. My spleen deficiency improved, and I no longer had diarrhea. When my spleen was deficient, I couldn’t absorb the nutrients from food. As a result, the nutrients could not be delivered to my kidney, which was why I constantly felt tired. When I took traditional Chinese medicine to treat the spleen deficiency, the nutrients from the food I ate could be supplied to my kidney, and I no longer felt tired. There are many mysteries in God's creation of the human body, and God revealed them to ancient Chinese doctors. I am very grateful to God for healing my body through Chinese medicine.

This example reminds me of the example of the taproot. The kidney is the innate root received from parents. Just like the power of God is contained in the seed, life is contained in the kidney. We know that the kidney is related to reproduction, so this does make sense. If our spleen is deficient, it will affect our growth. When the spleen works properly, our food is absorbed into our body and supplied to the kidney so we continue to gain the power of life. The digestion and absorption of our food is a complex process. Of course, we need teeth to chew, a stomach to digest, and intestines to absorb, and these are all essential. But only Chinese medicine points out that the function of the spleen is to refine the digested food into life energy and supply it to the kidney. This is rarely mentioned in Western medicine, and it is difficult for Americans to understand. The work of the spleen is similar to the work of the fibrous roots, continuously supplying nutrients to the tree.

We can also illustrate this concept with cars. In order to drive, a car needs gasoline. The combustion of gasoline is a complicated process. The gasoline is ignited and begins to burn. Through a complex process, it is turned into the power that runs the car. This process reminds me of the role of the spleen in the human body. The mouth, teeth, stomach, and intestines break down food so that it can be "burned" and energy (qi) can be created. The spleen then turns the qi into the driving force of life. The spleen and kidney interact with one another just like the taproot and fibrous root do.

Many Christians have the symptoms of spiritual "spleen deficiency.” They have a lot of knowledge about the Bible and Jesus Christ, but their knowledge has not been broken down by the spiritual mouth, teeth, stomach, and intestines, and it has not been processed by the spleen to provide power to the spiritual life. They lack the necessary dynamics that provide the conditions that ultimately lead to a flourishing life that is deeply rooted in God. It takes a complex process for food to become energy, and it also requires a complicated process for us to turn spiritual manna (God’s word) into a life force. Many people ignore this complicated process, and without these previous steps, they cannot experience the vitality of God's word.

Bible Reading, Prayer, and the Holy Spirit Help us Absorb God’s Life

We have talked about the process of turning food into energy and gasoline into power and our knowledge of God’s word to go through a similar process. We must first absorb God’s word into our minds. Then through prayer and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, we must turn the words on a page (logos) into living words (rhema). This process is inseparable from constant Bible reading and prayer. It may take a while before we see results, as it did for me. That’s why we must persevere with “effort” and “diligence,” as Peter said. No farmer plants a seed and immediately reaps fruit from it. He must water, fertilize, weed, and wait patiently in faith before he can finally reap the fruit of life.

There is a Chinese idiom, “pulling seedlings to encourage growth,” which refers to a farmer who pulls up his seedlings to see if they are growing. Of course, this causes them to die. Instead of worrying, we must persevere and wait for our spiritual growth. It takes a long time for life to mature. Many Christians lack the long-suffering necessary to see a noticeable change. They give up on their efforts prematurely.

Many Christians cannot metabolize nutrients into energy, because they don’t even have the nutrients in the first place. They don’t have much knowledge about God and Jesus Christ because they are not familiar with the Bible. They can’t change the gasoline into power because there is no gasoline in the tank!

Other Christians have a lot of biblical knowledge but lack a life of prayer, like a car with a full gas tank but no ignition to start the process. In order to move forward, Christians must read the Bible (refuel the car), and they must also pray (turn the ignition). Only when these two steps are carried out at the same time will power be produced.

In the same way, the Holy Spirit cannot illuminate God’s word if we do not know God’s word. If we do not know and store God's word, the Holy Spirit will have nowhere to enlighten us. At the same time, if we read God’s word but do not pray for the Holy Spirit to illuminate us, the Scripture will remain words on a page. Neither produces true spiritual “kinetic energy” to help us move forward.

Conclusion

We must diligently persevere in reading God’s word and praying so we can absorb God’s life and store it in our hearts. Through prayer and the Holy Spirit’s illumination, we can ignite the truth we have learned so God’s word can provide us with spiritual sustenance. In this way, each truth about Christ will begin to nourish us. As the roots supply us with nutrients, the leaves and branches will begin to grow. Our taproot will sink more deeply into Christ’s virtue so we can grow strong and tall, avoid earthly temptation, and drink in the sunshine and rain. This is what Peter means when he says, “Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge.”

In the next lesson, we will discuss the meaning of supplementing our faith with "knowledge with self-control.” We will learn to eliminate false teachings and character defects from our lives so we can continue to grow spiritually.

Supplement Faith with Virtue: Diligence is an Important Virtue

Let's continue to explore how 2 Peter 1 explains the steps of spiritual growth. As we have studied before, our faith can be compared to a seed. As Peter discusses at the beginning of the chapter, we already possess God’s power, just like a seed already possesses all the potential to grow from an acorn into a full-grown oak tree. The seed of faith already contains all the power of the glory of God, as well as all the excellence of Christ (or virtue of Christ—these two words were used interchangeably). Yet even though we already have God’s power, we need to develop this power through faith. We are called to take hold of the glory and excellence of Christ. Because he has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, as well as great and precious promises, we can progressively break free from the corruption that is in the lustful world and eventually become partakers in God's nature.

We have also mentioned that the Bible not only reveals God’s character but also his guidance. The former reminds us of the apostles’ ministry, since the apostles explained God’s character as revealed in his word, while the latter reminds us of the prophets’ ministry, since the prophets help us understand the guidance of the Holy Spirit in different situations.

Peter teaches the importance of diligence. The Apostle Paul compares Christian workers to farmers, soldiers, and athletes, three careers that require diligence. Peter acknowledges the same thing. Paul writes that a soldier should not get entangled in civilian pursuits; an athlete must compete according to the rules; and a farmer should work hard (2 Timothy 2:4-6). In the same way, Christians must devote themselves to God’s pursuits, unencumbered by civilian pursuits; they must compete according to the rules; and they must be hardworking like a farmer. In the same way, Peter recognizes that believers must be diligent in order to grow in the divine life. Second Peter 1:5 begins with the words, “Make every effort.” This indicates diligence. We are to be diligent to supplement faith with virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and love (1:5-7). In this way, we avoid being "ineffective and unfruitful" (1:8).

In addition, Peter says, "Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent" not to fall, so you can enter the eternal kingdom of the Lord Christ (1:10-11). Our goal is the glory of the "eternal kingdom of the Lord Christ,” and we must continuously grow in virtue, knowledge, and other character qualities that are mentioned in progressive stages. If the eternal kingdom of Christ is that towering oak tree, then virtue, knowledge, love, and the other qualities would be the root, trunk, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit of the oak tree. Each stage of development requires God's glory and virtue to be “richly provided” to us (1:11) so we can achieve the glory of God (revealed in the Transfiguration). To obtain these supplies and grow spiritually in every stage of life, we need diligence and hard work.

Faith is important, but so is diligence. God speaks against laziness in Proverbs 10:4: "A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich" (Proverbs 10:4). The same truth applies to the spiritual life. The problem of many American Christians is spiritual laziness. A spiritually lazy person cannot make progress in life. In this message, we will explore the importance of diligence and how to obtain an abundant supply of God’s glory at each stage of life. If the spiritual life can be compared to a growing tree, it makes sense that Christian workers need to work hard to make the tree keep growing. Like a farmer, the Christian must work hard to tend the tree and make sure it has what it needs to grow.

Faith is the Root

Some time ago, the grass in some parts of my lawn was washed away by rain. I sprinkled some grass seed on the law, assuming that the grass was hardy and would grow on its own. What I didn't realize was that it would take weeks for grass seeds to germinate. Since I didn't have time to water the grass seed every day, none of it grew. The same often happens when I try to grow Chinese vegetables. Gourds have seeds with thick hulls and take a long time to germinate. Often, they don’t germinate at all.

One day, I watched a video that demonstrates how to germinate gourd seeds. You should nick the hulls with nail clippers and soak them overnight. Then they will germinate quickly. I tried this method, and it worked. But after germination, my job wasn’t finished. I needed to provide good soil, fertilizer, and constant watering so that the gourd would take root. This is true not only for vegetables, but for any plant. For a seed to grow into a tree, it needs the right conditions in order to germinate and the right supply of sunlight, soil, and water in order to take root.

What about the seed of faith? The same truth applies. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus speaks of seeds that were sown in suboptimal conditions, such as hard-packed soil, rocky soil, or weedy soil (Matthew 13:4-7). These are difficult places for seeds to germinate. The Lord Jesus specifically talks about the seeds that fall on the shallow rocky ground: "Where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away” (Matthew 13:5-6). In the same way, Peter knows that we Christians should be like hardworking farmers so we can take good care of the spiritual “tree.” He understands that the conditions must be right for the spiritual “seed” to take root.

This is what Peter teaches in 2 Peter 1:5: "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue..." What is virtue? Peter tells us clearly in 2 Peter 1:3. Virtue is the virtue of Jesus, revealed in his humanity. And the glory of Jesus Christ mentioned in verse 3 refers to His divinity. Jesus Christ is both God and man.

The seed of faith is an incorruptible seed, as Peter clearly states. He says in 1 Peter 1:23, "You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God." Just like grass seeds and gourd seeds could never germinate without the life force contained in the seeds, our spiritual lives could never germinate without the power of God. The seed of faith contains God’s power for regeneration, but in order for this seed to take root, it requires a constant supply of virtue. Without soil, water, fertilizer, and other external conditions, this potential for life could never be released.

Believers already have the seeds of the divine life in them, so why has their spiritual life not taken root and grown into a big, fruit-bearing tree? Because they lacked these optimal external conditions. In order for the divine life to grow inside us, we need the virtue of Jesus, the Son of Man. We must supply the seed of faith with an ample supply of the virtues of Christ. This is necessary for our faith to take root. We must constantly apply Christ’s finished work to our life. His character is our example to learn from. We need to be rooted in Christ throughout our entire life journey.

For example, one virtue that Christ demonstrates is obedience through suffering. Though Jesus was and is the Son of God, he still learned obedience through suffering (Hebrews 5:8). Obedience is an important part of virtue, and it is a quality that we must possess if we want to be used by God. God emphasizes this when he talks to King Saul. When King Saul disobeyed God’s command, Samuel told him, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king" (1 Samuel 15:22-23). Samuel had told King Saul to wait for him before offering the sacrifice, but when Samuel came late, Saul offered the sacrifice without him. God had a serious rebuke for him. Yet many Christians disobey God in similar ways today. Disobedience and rebellion hinder many believers’ growth.

If we continually disobey God, we may become less sensitive to His Spirit’s promptings. For example, when a Jesus-follower watches an obscene video that the Holy Spirit has asked him not to watch, he does not obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit. As time goes by, his conscience becomes less and less sensitive, and the Holy Spirit eventually lets him do as he wishes. Many Christians disobey God in small matters, and eventually, these small sins develop into major spiritual problems.

Obedience is a very important spiritual lesson, but it can be hard to learn. Just as the Israelites learned the lessons of faith and obedience in the wilderness, so must Christians today. Often the lesson of obedience is harder than the lesson of faith. Teenagers often struggle with disobedience and rebellion, and many adult Christians act just like teenagers. I mentioned this while speaking to a group of Christian teenagers in the United States. Though there are many Christians in the United States, they are often immature. Compared to other countries that have fewer Christians, American Christians have underdeveloped spiritual lives. The biggest problem they face is rebellion. Many other under-evangelized countries are full of people who do not know God’s law or believe in God (as Paul mentions in Romans 2). But the problem with American Christians is that they do know God’s law and are even acquainted with God Himself; yet they don’t obey Him (see Romans 2). In a country like China, which has yet to be evangelized, it is necessary to spread the gospel so that more Chinese people come to know God. Meanwhile, if you tell an American about Jesus Christ, he may say that he has known about Jesus since he was five years old. He may know more about the Bible than you do! Yet the large population of Christians in the United States is making very little positive impact on society. Why? Mainly because of their disobedience. Therefore, American Christians urgently need to develop the character quality of obedience so that they can take root in Christ and allow the great tree of the kingdom to grow more luxuriously in their lives.

I was born into an idol-worshiping family in China. Our family worshiped false gods, which is a serious sin. However, according to Samuel’s rebuke in 1 Samuel 15, American Christians who know God and the Bible yet disregard God’s teaching and guidance, are doing the equivalent of worshiping idols. Many American Christians don't seem to think about this serious sin. They don’t believe idolatry exists in the United States. But disobedience to God is, in fact, a form of idolatry. There is a lot of idolatry in the lives of American Christians. When we remain unaware or unconcerned about such serious spiritual problems, God’s discipline will catch us by surprise. God may hand us over to our enemies, just like he handed the Israelites over to their enemies when they fell into idolatry. Why are American Christians being handed over to their enemies? Why are they helpless in front of repeated attacks from the Left? I believe the root of this problem is idolatry, stemming from disobedience to God.

Some American Christians have awakened to this fact and are actively participating in politics, hoping to change the political status quo and impact the rampant leftism in the United States. This is certainly a very important endeavor, and I believe it will bring positive outcomes. But we should not forget that the root of this spiritual problem is the individual Christian’s disobedience to God’s word. The root is idolatry. Many American Christians are not rooted deep enough in Christ. Thus, when trials come, they dry up and become fruitless. This is just one example of disobedience that helps us understand Peter’s warning. We must provide the seed of faith with an ample supply of virtue and obedience so we can take root in the life of Christ and grow into a flourishing spiritual tree.

Diligence Supplements the Virtue of Christ

I once saw a photo of a tree growing by a cliff. Since there was no place for it to take root, it kept extending its roots downward until they reached the soil at the bottom of the valley. There was a long section of tree roots suspended in the air. Many trees, especially pine trees, possess a tenacious vitality and can take root on rocks. Similarly, grass and some small shrubs can actually grow in the cracks in the middle of highways, which demonstrates their tenacious vitality. It's amazing how diligent these plants are in seeking soil, nutrients, sunlight, and rain. However, the colloquialism “couch potato” indicates the exact opposite of diligence. This term refers to lounging on the couch, watching TV and doing nothing. Many Christians are spiritual “couch potatoes.” They may have a Bible, but it just sits on a shelf collecting dust. It has been years since these Christians were saved, yet they have never read the Bible from cover to cover. They also fail to pray. They don’t have a habit of communicating with Christ. They live their entire life in the realm of the mind and rarely enter the realm of the spirit. As a result, they cannot draw on the power, life and virtue of Christ or become rooted in God.

The power of God has given us all that pertains to life and godliness, through our full knowledge of the glory and virtue of Christ, (that is, His divinity and humanity). Through the glory and virtue of Jesus Christ, He has given us great and precious promises, so that we may escape the corruption that is in the lustful world. Through these promises, we may become partakers of the divine nature. These are the words of 2 Peter 1:3-4, and we have heard these truths many times.

The power of God is contained in the seed of faith, but this seed needs proper external conditions in order to germinate. It needs water, sunlight, and proper care. Without these conditions, the seed cannot germinate or will die shortly after germination. After the seeds begin to grow, they need to grow and take root. Only after taking root can they grow into a big tree, which represents the kingdom of God. That's why Paul teaches, "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving" (Colossians 2:6-7). Once we accept Christ, we must continue to follow the teachings of the apostles in order to be strengthened in our faith. In this way, we will be rooted and built up in Christ. We must live like Jesus did and acquire his virtue.

Peter understands the same truth: "As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.'" (1 Peter 2:4-6). Peter acknowledges that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. He unifies Jews and Gentiles and lays the foundation for our faith (Matthew 21:42, Acts 4:11, Isaiah 28:16). We are living stones that are built on this “spiritual rock” and grow into a living temple (1 Corinthians 10:4). Peter’s metaphor of a spiritual temple mirrors the metaphor of a growing plant. We must take root in Christ, the foundation, so we can grow into a spiritual temple.

Conclusion

Next time, we will discuss how to "supplement virtue with knowledge” (2 Peter 1:5), and what it means for Christians to grow spiritually. The word “virtue” refers to all the excellence of Christ's humanity, and the word “knowledge” refers to knowing about Jesus Christ through God's revelation. We must recognize and apply these truths so we can be rooted in the virtue of Christ.

God’s Glory and Virtue Come from the Divinity and Humanity of Christ

As we have seen in the last few studies, 2 Peter 1 is Peter’s reflection on his experience of Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain. Peter shares his experiences in hopes that readers will be encouraged, challenged, matured, and perfected in their spiritual lives, just like he was through the original experience. In John 21, the Lord Jesus had charged Peter three times to tend His sheep. So he shares his experiences in order to nurture other believers.

During the transfiguration, Peter was shocked to see Jesus transcend time and manifest his eternal glory. Through this experience, Peter realized that believers share the same destiny: to manifest the kingdom and glory of God on earth. To achieve this goal, believers must grow spiritually. Just like the potential for a towering oak tree lies within the acorn, the potential for God’s power and glory lies within the seed of our faith. But going from a seed to a big tree requires a growth process. During this process, believers need to constantly know God’s disposition and constantly accept God’s guidance. The work of the apostles is to help us know God’s disposition through His word. The role of the prophets is to provide guidance for specific situations, showing us how to break free from the sinful desires of the world so we can focus on God’s character and disposition. In this way, we will be continually transformed into the image of Jesus, so we can attain the glorious purpose of partaking in God’s divine nature. This is the main theme of 2 Peter 1:3-4 and the rest of the chapter.

Today, we will focus only on 2 Peter 1:3-4, which describes the seed of faith in our hearts. God’s life and glory are present in our spirits, like seeds, but we need to let those seeds develop and grow in order to reach our glorious purpose. Jesus Christ also contained God’s full glory, but it was hidden in his heart like a seed. But the moment He was transfigured on the mountain, the glory of Jesus, God incarnate, was fully revealed. This is our destiny as well as His. Currently, our life is “hidden in Christ.” But when Jesus appears in glory, “we will also appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). Peter's mission is to help believers enter this divine glory. The Epistles of Peter, especially the three short chapters of 2 Peter, teach us how to grow spiritually so we can enter God’s glory.

The Parable of the Seed and the Salmon

As we have learned in a past lesson, a seed contains powerful potential for life and growth. When 2 Peter 1:3 talks about "the power of God,” it is referencing both the power of God and the power of God’s life. This power is like a seed. This spiritual seed contains not only the power of God’s life, but also the “genetic material” that produces God's glory, which includes "glory"; "virtue,” "all things that pertain to life and godliness,” "precious and very great promises,” and "the divine nature" mentioned in 2 Peter 1:3-4. In other words, God's glory, virtue, life, godliness, promises, and divine nature are contained in the seed of faith that God has given us. But whether or not that seed can grow depends on many external factors. Just like a seed needs sunlight, water, soil, fertilizer, and other factors, we need to nurture the seed of faith God has given us. The same concept is illustrated by salmon going upstream to spawn. They have the instinct to go upstream, but they must overcome many obstacles to do so. Similarly, although we have God’s “divine power” in the seed of our faith, we still need God’s guidance and help in every situation so we can overcome the obstacles in our path and obtain the blessing of abundant life.

By nature, salmon return to the headwaters of the river to spawn every year. They go upstream until they find the source of the river. This instinct was present when God created the salmon. However, because artificial dams have been set up, the salmons’ ability to go upriver to spawn has been obstructed. To solve this problem, ecologists have introduced several initiatives to change water levels so that salmon can go back upstream to spawn. This parable can help us understand the spiritual life. A salmon’s ability to swim upstream is like the believer’s ability to be “in the world but not of the world.” God has given us the ability to "escape from the corruption of sinful desire in the world" (2 Peter 1:4) and to be salt and light as a good testimony to the world. But just as the dam keeps the salmon from going upstream, the sin and pollution of the world often hinder our ability to "partake of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). Therefore, just as ecologists use modern technology to help adjust the water level in the reservoirs so that salmon can break free from the obstruction of the dam and go back upstream, the Holy Spirit guides believers in each specific situation, helping them draw on God’s power and salvation so they are encouraged and comforted by God’s divine power, glory, virtue, and promises. He gives them "all things that pertain to life and godliness" so that the power of God's life can come into play in their situation. God's promises come from God's character and the redemption accomplished in Jesus Christ, but we need the help of the Holy Spirit to live out these promises in our lives.

As I have emphasized on several occasions, there is a difference between “God’s disposition” and “God’s guidance.” Some Bible passages contain a revelation of God’s disposition while others contain God’s guidance for specific situations. Although there is some overlap between the two, there are also distinctions. God’s disposition (God’s character) never changes, but God’s guidance can vary for different people in different places at different times.

In the same way, the office of apostle and of prophet overlap but have distinct differences. Apostles help believers understand God's disposition, while prophets help believers follow God's guidance. Some apostles are also prophets, holding both offices at the same time. These people should help believers know God’s character and also help them understand and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit in specific situations.

A survey showed that 70% of American Christians were addicted to pornographic videos. We know that God does not want us to partake in this kind of filth, but we also know that it is very difficult to break free from addictions such as alcohol, drugs, and porn. Many Christians who are addicted to pornographic videos have tried to overcome this addiction on their own. They make up their minds not to watch them anymore. They have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. What can they do?

Christians have the divine power of God to help them overcome their weaknesses and lives as children of light. If a Christian finds himself in a similar situation, he can rely on the Holy Spirit or His human under-shepherds to help him access and experience God’s “divine power” so he can overcome the sins he could not overcome on his own. These are battles we can only fight through faith.

Salvation and sanctification are obtained by faith, not through the effort and struggle of the flesh. Even Paul said he could not overcome the evil of the flesh on his own (Romans 7). Instead, he found that "the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ set him free" (Romans 8). United to the saving grace of Jesus Christ by faith, he was enabled to set his "mind on the spirit, which is life and peace, but to set the mind on the flesh is death" (Romans 8:6). Even Paul could not overcome through physical struggle, let alone us!

Similarly, we need God’s power to forgive. Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother, and the Lord said "seventy times seven" times (Matthew 18:21-22). In his gospel, Luke records the disciples’ response: When Jesus said, “If he sins against you seven times in the day and turns to you seven times saying, ‘I repent’ you must forgive him,” the apostles replied, “Increase our faith!’" (Luke 17:4-5). I personally believe that the word "apostle" here refers to the disciples, including Peter and the other apostles who were praying for more faith to forgive. Peter realized that Jesus commanded him to forgive his brother, but he couldn't do it on his own. He understood that forgiveness, salvation, and victory do not depend on human efforts and struggles, but on faith. Jesus Christ has provided salvation for all, and we obtain it through faith. So Peter and the other disciples asked the Lord to increase their faith.

Believers need to be taught how to grow in their faith. God's divine power is released in our lives when we are united with God through faith. If you are willing to break free from your bondage to pornography or other vices, I have a prayer that will help you break free from these. Pray along with me:

“Lord, your word says, 'He who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him' (1 Corinthians 6:17). I know that I am joined to you in one spirit. When I look at pornography, you are watching with me because you are one spirit with me. I invite you to come and watch it with me now. If you do not want to, please remove my desire.”

If you pray like this, The Holy Spirit will remove your desires, because the Holy Spirit does not like to watch pornography. This prayer may seem disrespectful, but I can assure you it is not. In fact, it is disrespectful not to pray like this. When you continue setting your mind on the flesh and don’t invite God in, you are defiling God’s presence in you and quenching the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). However, when you pray like this, you are inviting the holy God to remove your filth, because the precious blood of Jesus is stronger than your filth. All you need to do is invite God in, unite with Him in faith, and He will surely take away your sins. If you pray like this every day, you can overcome all addictions and weaknesses! Believe me, I speak from my own victorious experience.

Many American believers have never been taught these faith exercises, so they sin and struggle with the flesh. Desiring to do right cannot help us succeed. It is our union with God through faith that gives us victory. This is the “divine power” of God spoken of by Peter.

Peter learned this lesson personally when Jesus taught him about forgiveness. Peter may have thought it was impossible to forgive people who offended him, such as James and John. But Jesus commanded him to always forgive. He had to recognize it was not through his own effort, but through faith united to the promised word of God. This is why Peter and the other apostles prayed to God to increase their faith.

Who says that Paul was the only one who knew about the principles of justification and sanctification through faith? Peter also had a high level of spiritual experience and maturity, and he knew that faith was the only way he could claim God’s divine power to forgive his brothers who offended him. He also knew that the power of God contained in the seed of our faith cannot be released except by faith.

That’s why he begins the first chapter of 2 Peter by talking about faith, as we mentioned in the first article on 2 Peter 1. Let's emphasize it again here. 2 Peter 1:1 says, "Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ." Every Israelite who entered the Promised Land received their own piece of land. Their pieces of land were different sizes, but they were each equally precious because they were part of God’s Promised Land. Similarly, although we each have different gifts and a different measure of faith, the nature of this faith is equally precious. This faith is the foundation of everything. It is the seed given to us by God, and it contains the "divine power" of God (2 Peter 1:3).

Glory and Virtue Are Supplied by the Divinity and Humanity of Christ

God’s "divine power" is contained in the seed of faith and released by the exercise of faith. How do we exercise our faith to release God’s power? We need to know God’s disposition and God’s promises. The "glory" of Jesus Christ is His divine nature expressed in all the powerful characteristics of his oneness with God. God has destined us to share in God’s glory, or divine nature, which was manifested during the Transfiguration. The "virtue" of Jesus Christ refers to his human qualities and virtues. God wants us to share in these virtues and abilities that God has prepared for us to help us overcome trials. For example, when we are unable to obey, we need to know that Jesus Christ, "although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). Since Jesus Christ lives in our hearts, His obedience can become our obedience. Because Jesus Christ is both God and man, we can partake of His divine life while also appropriating His human virtues to help us when we are weak. The Bible says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:15-16).

With this understanding, let us look once more at 2 Peter 1:3: "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue." We are invited to enter his glory (divine nature) and virtue (human virtues). Through His glory and virtue, we have truly been given “all things that pertain unto life and godliness." Once we believe in the Lord, we are “a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). God’s power and virtue allow us to live like the new creation we are!

If Christians are a new creation in Christ, why can they be so addicted to sin that they cannot overcome it? Is he no longer a new creation? No, it is not that he’s no longer a new creation, but that he has not realized he is a new creation, and has not allowed the Holy Spirit to apply God's truth to his heart. He does not realize that Christ’s divine power and human virtues have given him all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:17 are still true in this person’s life; however, he does not know the truth of what Paul and Peter said. He does not understand these spiritual truths and is not united to these realities by faith. Instead, he lives in a state of deception. He mistakenly thinks that he still belongs to the old creation, unable to overcome these weaknesses. So he succumbs to the pressure of the flesh and Satan once again. He forgets what Paul said: "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). James also said, "Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).

How blessed we are to have access to Christ’s glory and virtue! Yet how foolishly we often live! We try to find comfort in pornography, hoping to relieve the inner pressure we feel from the difficulties of life and the pain of broken relationships. But we don’t realize that we are drinking poison to quench our thirst. It will not help at all. Instead, we should realize that God has provided everything we need through Christ. He has saved us through his blood. But we need to access this salvation through faith and persistence. Unfortunately, faith seems to be difficult and out of reach for many people, while sinful indulgence seems to be within easy reach. What a painful struggle!

Escaping the Corruption That Is in The World Through Sinful Desires

How can we escape from the pain and struggle mentioned above? We need to know the promises of God, through which we can partake of the divine nature. 2 Peter 1:4 says, "By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” This means that through his divine power and human virtues, Christ has given us countless promises—too many to mention. One such promise is that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). The word "salvation" here is SOZO in Greek, which includes eternal salvation from hell, healing of the body, and release from Satan’s bondage. It includes the salvation of the human spirit, soul, and body.

God has given us many other precious promises as well. God promises that a day is coming when our bodies will be redeemed (Romans 8:23). God promises, "Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth" (Revelation 3:10). God's says, "By his stripes you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24). God's promises are too many to list.

Paul said, "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Peter deeply understood the same truth. In 2 Peter, Peter shared God has called us through glory and virtue, he has granted us all things we needed through his divine power, and he has given us great promises through his glory and virtue. These promises are yes to us in Christ, and they are also amen to God. At any moment, God is willing to make good on His promises to us in Christ. He is always available to help us through the redemption accomplished by Christ. As long as we ask and act in faith, God is ready to help us escape all the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desires and make us partakers of the divine nature.

God has prepared everything that we need. All it takes on our part is faith as small as a grain of mustard seed. God values our faith, initiative, and choices—even if they are very small and weak. When we choose to believe God's promises and set our minds on the Spirit, God gives us life. But when we choose to set our minds on the flesh, we experience death. It's all about our hearts and the choices we make! We are beings of free will. God never forces us to trust him. If we choose to believe God's promises, we will receive God's salvation and constant growth and sanctification in our lives! It all depends on the choices we make!

Conclusion

From 2 Peter 1:3-4, we can see that Peter’s spiritual maturity and understanding were just as advanced as Paul's. In our next episode, we will look at 2 Peter 1:5, which will help believers make the right choice so they can exercise their faith and make it stronger and stronger. Peter teaches us step by step how to know God’s disposition and follow God’s guidance so we can incrementally escape from the corruption in the world and partake in God’s divine nature.

We will compare God’s glory to the throne of God in Revelation 22:1. To reach it, we must partake in God’s divine nature (walk on the streets of gold) and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit (which reminds us of the water of the river, the tree of life on both sides of the river, and it’s twelve kinds of fruits Revelation 22:2). Like the streets of gold, the divine nature defines our boundaries, and this is the only way to the New Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit guides us like the river of life, providing the water of life and the fruits of the tree of life (the virtues of Jesus Christ) to provide us with continuous supply and support. This enables us to swim upstream like a salmon and reach The Throne of God and of The Lamb on top of the New Jerusalem. The glory John saw in the Book of Revelation mirrors the glory that Peter saw when Jesus was transfigured. Our goal (God’s glory) is hidden within the seed of faith, and as we grow in our knowledge of God’s disposition and guidance, we can grow into full-grown trees and reach our goal. We can access the throne of God and of the Lamb. Remember, we are already seated with Him on the Throne in Christ (Revelation 3:21, Ephesians 2:6, John 12:26)! This is also God's promise!

The Difference Between God's Disposition and God's Guidance

In part one of our study of 2 Peter 1, I emphasized that the church needs the gifts of the apostles and prophets. The gifts of the apostles help believers understand God’s disposition and laws, while the gifts of prophets help believers understand God’s guidance. God's disposition and God's guidance are two different things, though they sometimes overlap. I hope this message will help us understand the difference between the two.

Before we dive into the difference between God’s disposition and God’s guidance, let’s look at an example that shows the importance of the apostles and prophets. A few years ago, I planted a specific variety of tomato that grows indefinitely as long as the weather is suitable. It will continue producing tomatoes as long as the climate is conducive. When I first started growing this type of tomato, I thought I could just turn it loose to grow. I didn’t know it needed pruning, so I let it grow wild. It grew a lot of branches and very little fruit. A lot of nutrients were wasted in growing leaves.

Later, I realized the importance of staking the tomato plants so they did not fall over, as well as pruning them in order to ventilate the bushes and protect them from disease.

This illustration shows the role of the apostles and prophets. We as Christians possess God’s divine nature within us (2 Peter 1:3). God’s power is infinite, and it gives us an infinite possibility for growth if we allow God to change us. God’s power can bring us into the fullness of infinite life.

Yet few Christians have entered the fullness of God’s infinite life. Just like the tomato has infinite potential but still needs pruning, Christians need the help of the apostles and prophets in order to grow. We need the support of the apostles to know God’s disposition and laws. And we need the help of the prophets to know God’s guidance.

Both the apostles and the prophets were commissioned by Jesus Christ, and they reflect the unity of the Trinity. Let’s look at Genesis 1:26 and Revelation 22:1 to help us understand these concepts. Then we will return to 2 Peter 1:3-4 and explore how God’s disposition and God’s guidance work together in the roles of the apostles and prophets, leading the church toward God’s glory. Peter's spiritual experience was deep and rich and his epistles deserve careful study.

What is the Difference Between God's Disposition and God's Guidance?

God’s biblical revelation is composed of two main types of revelation: revelation of God’s disposition and revelation of God’s guidance. God’s disposition refers to his unchanging nature. By nature, God is immutable and eternal (Malachi 3:6). He is always characterized by love, light, holiness, and righteousness.

God’s guidance refers to God’s changing guidance. God is also “new every morning” and expresses himself in new ways. God’s guidance can change depending on the situation, and the way he manifests himself can also change.

These two realities shed light on the entire Bible. Some parts of Scripture focus on revealing God’s unchanging laws and disposition, while others do not. It’s crucial to understand the difference. Some parts of the Bible reveal God’s unchanging disposition; for instance, God has always been holy and will always be holy. Other parts of the Bible reveal God’s situational guidance.

I believe that Paul’s injunction against women in leadership may have been one of these cases. When the Apostle Paul forbade women from preaching, I don’t believe he was revealing God’s unchanging prejudice against women. In other instances in the Bible, God gave special protection to women. In the Book of Numbers, God allowed the daughters of Zelophehad to inherit land alongside the men, even though women did not typically inherit land. God created a new law just for them that stipulated that land could be inherited by women if there were no male heirs. Because of this, I believe Paul’s prohibition against women preachers was God’s specific guidance to the Corinthian church. (To learn more, see the study of the Book of Numbers and the Book of Corinthians.)

However, many people do not understand the difference between God’s disposition and God’s guidance. They often treat God’s time-specific words of guidance as absolute for all times. This leads to many problems. Rigid Christians persecute and condemn their fellow believers who are simply following God’s new, time-specific guidance. How easy it is to label fellow Christians as heretics or even kill them—simply for following God’s new guidance. How often religious authorities have condemned others for their so-called violation of God’s unchanging disposition, rather than understanding God’s changing guidance!

How do we distinguish between God’s disposition and God’s guidance? If your actions compromise God’s glory, love, light, holiness, and righteousness, then this is a violation of God’s disposition. For example, whether you live in Tokyo or Washington DC, it is wrong to murder. Killing people violates the disposition of God. However, if your action simply offends the tradition of a local body of believers but doesn’t compromise God’s glory, then this is a matter of God’s guidance.

Often, believers must boldly choose to break through the limitations of tradition and religion in order to follow God’s guidance. Often, they will pay a heavy price for this. In so doing, they follow not only God’s guidance, but they also obey God’s disposition and laws.

The God we worship is the only true God. This statement expresses God’s unchanging disposition and principles. But the exact way we worship him varies from church to church, and this is an issue of God’s guidance. The Catholic Church has formal liturgy, the Protestant Church focuses on preaching, the Pentecostal Church emphasizes worship, and the Orthodox Church stands while worshiping. Some churches use pianos or organs, while others use guitars. Everyone has different forms. This is not a matter of principle, but a matter of how God leads each believer.