Ⅳ
God needs the man-child for His greatest dispensational move—12:1-5, 7-12:
A
The man-child refers to the overcomers in the church, to the portion of the people of God who are overcomers—2:26-27; 12:5.
B
The overcomers are the instrument that enables God to achieve His purpose; the man-child enables God to move—vv. 10-11:
１
The man-child consists of the overcomers who stand on behalf of the church, take the position that the whole church should take, and do the work for the church—2:7b, 11b, 17b, 26-28; 3:5, 12, 21; 12:5, 11.
２
When God gains these overcomers, His purpose will be attained, and He will be satisfied.
C
The universal bright woman represents the totality of God's people, and the man-child is the stronger part within the woman—Gen. 3:15; Rev. 12:1-2, 5:
１
In the Bible the stronger ones among God's people are considered a collective unit fighting the battle for God and bringing God's kingdom down to earth—vv. 5, 10-11.
２
God will use the man-child to fulfill His economy and to accomplish His purpose—1 Tim. 1:4; 2 Tim. 1:9; Eph. 1:9, 11; 3:11:
ａ
God needs the man-child to defeat His enemy and to bring in His kingdom so that His eternal purpose might be accomplished—Rev. 12:10.
ｂ
The Lord's recovery is the practicality of God's economy today, and His economy can be carried out only by the man-child—v. 5.
D
The man-child is related to God's most important dispensational move—Matt. 6:9-10; Rev. 12:10; 11:15:
１
God wants to end this age and bring in the age of the kingdom, and for this He must have the man-child as His dispensational instrument.
２
The rapture of the man-child brings an end to the church age and introduces the age of the kingdom—12:5, 10.
３
The rapture of the man-child to heaven, the casting of Satan to earth, and the declaration in heaven signify that the man-child will bring the kingdom to earth; this is God's greatest dispensational move—vv. 5, 9-10; 11:15.
Morning Nourishment
Rev. 12:5 And she brought forth a son, a man-child, who is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. 10-11 …Now has come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ, for the accuser of our brothers has been cast down….And they overcame him because of the blood…and…the word of their testimony…The seed of the woman in Genesis 3 primarily refers to the Lord Jesus, but the overcomers also have a part in this seed. The seed of the woman includes the church, especially the overcomers. Even though the Lord bruised Satan’s head, he is still at work. The fulfillment of the seed of the woman bruising Satan can be seen in the man-child in Revelation 12. The only Overcomer includes all the overcomers (vv. 10-11).
When God changes His attitude toward a certain matter, He makes a dispensational move. Every dispensational move brings in God’s new way. His most important dispensational move is in Revelation 12. He wants to end this age and bring in the age of the kingdom. His purpose is not general and ordinary. How can He bring this age to a close and bring in another? He must have His dispensational instrument. (CWWN, vol. 34, “The Glorious Church,” p. 153)
Today’s Reading
The rapture of the man-child brings an end to the church age and introduces the kingdom age. The man-child enables God to move. If there is not a man-child and a rapture, God cannot make a dispensational move. We should never forget that God can be limited. He waits for man in all of His moves. God’s binding in heaven is based on our binding on earth; God’s loosing in heaven is based on our loosing on earth. Everything depends on the church.It is God’s desire that created beings would deal with fallen created beings. According to His purpose, the whole church should deal with Satan; however, the church has failed. Therefore, there is the need for the overcomers to rise up. God’s purpose is fulfilled in the overcomers because they work with Him. We can see the principle of the overcomers throughout the Word of God. God always lays hold of a group of overcomers to make a dispensational move.
In church history the first special move was the Reformation. God used Luther in this dispensational move. The Brethren were also used…. After the Welsh revival, a new move of God began. Both Evan Roberts and Mrs. Penn-Lewis knew about spiritual warfare; they knew how to deal with Satan….When Evan Roberts was seen after an absence of ten years, he said, “I have been praying kingdom prayers.” Every time God wants to make a dispensational move, He must obtain His instrument.
Are we at the end of the age? If we are, the kingdom will soon begin. If a dispensational move is near, then God needs an instrument. General work is no longer adequate. The children of God lack a vision; they do not see the seriousness and intensity of the situation. Now is a matter of dispensation. Just being a good servant of the Lord is no longer good enough; this is not of great use to God. Please note that we are not saying that it is of no use. What are we doing to close this dispensation? What are we doing to bring in the next age? This is a special time, so there is the need of special Christians to do a special work.
Today God is waiting for the man-child. Only the rapture can precipitate the events in Revelation 12:10. God has an order, and He works according to that order. His eyes have left the church; they are now on the kingdom.
Of all the dispensational moves, the man-child is the greatest because it removes man’s power and the devil’s power, and it brings in the kingdom. (CWWN, vol. 34, “The Glorious Church,” pp. 153-154, 156-157)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1975-1976, vol. 1, “The Building of the Church,” ch. 2; CWWL, 1963, vol. 2, “The Living That Fulfills God’s Eternal Purpose,” ch. 4