Ⅰ
We have to realize what the Lord's recovery is; the Lord's recovery is to build up Zion, which typifies the overcomers as the reality of the Body of Christ to consummate the holy city, the New Jerusalem:
A
Zion was the city of King David (2 Sam. 5:7), the center of the city of Jerusalem, where the temple as God's dwelling place on earth was built (Psa. 48:2; 9:11; 74:2; 76:2b; 135:21; Isa. 8:18).
B
In the Old Testament there was the city of Jerusalem with Zion as the center; in typology the church life is today's Jerusalem; within the church life there must be a group of overcomers, who are the perfected and matured God-men, and these overcomers are today's Zion—cf. Rev. 14:1-5.
C
As the highlight and beauty of the holy city Jerusalem (Psa. 48:2; 50:2), Zion typifies the overcomers as the high peak, the center, the uplifting, the strengthening, the enriching, the beauty, and the reality of the church (48:2, 11-12; 20:2; 53:6a; 87:2).
D
The characteristics, the life, the blessing, and the establishment of Jerusalem come from Zion—1 Kings 8:1; Psa. 51:18; 102:21; 128:5; 135:21; Isa. 41:27; Joel 3:17.
E
The overcomers as Zion are the reality of the Body of Christ and consummate the building up of the Body in the local churches to bring in the consummated holy city, New Jerusalem, the ultimate Holy of Holies as God's dwelling place in eternity (Rev. 21:16; cf. Exo. 26:2-8; 1 Kings 6:20); in the new heaven and new earth the entire New Jerusalem will become Zion, with all the believers as the overcomers (Rev. 21:1-3, 7, 16, 22).
F
In the book of Revelation what the Lord wants and what the Lord will build up is Zion, the overcomers; this is the intrinsic reality of the spiritual revelation in the holy Word of God; we surely need to be desperate to pray at any cost and to pay the cost just as the apostle Paul did—Eph. 6:17-18; Col. 4:2; Phil. 3:8-14.
G
Our response to the Lord's calling of the overcomers in this age is for us to be vitalized; to be vital is to be living and active in oneness with our living and acting God; God's move on the earth for the accomplishment of His eternal economy is ultimately through the overcomers.
H
On this usurped earth there is the mountain of Jehovah, Mount Zion, which is absolutely open to the Lord and absolutely possessed by Him; the overcomers, who are typified by Zion, are the beachhead through which the Lord as the King of glory will return to possess the whole earth as His kingdom—Psa. 24:1-3, 7-10; Dan. 2:34-35; 7:13-14; Joel 3:11; Rev. 11:15; 19:13-14.
I
There is no other way to reach the high peak of God's eternal economy, the reality of the Body of Christ, except by praying; our becoming the overcomers as the reality of the Body of Christ to be the bride of Christ will close this age, the age of the church, and will bring Christ as the King of glory back to take, possess, and rule over this earth with His overcomers in the kingdom age—vv. 7-9; 20:4-6; Psa. 24:7-10.
Morning Nourishment
Psa. 48:2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion,…the city of the great King.50:2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
Rev. 14:1 And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.
In the Old Testament there was the city of Jerusalem with Zion as the center. Jerusalem was built on a mountain range. Mount Zion was one of the mountains on which Jerusalem was built…. The church life is today’s Jerusalem; within the church life there must be a group of overcomers, and these overcomers are today’s Zion. According to Revelation 14, the overcomers are standing on Mount Zion with the Lord (vv. 1-5). Actually, in typology the overcomers are today’s Zion…. Without Zion (the overcomers), Jerusalem (the church life) cannot be kept and maintained. (CWWL, 1993, vol. 2, “The Training and the Practice of the Vital Groups,” p. 274)
Today’s Reading
Zion is the high peak, the center, the uplifting, the strengthening, the enriching, and the reality of the church, the holy city…. A local church must have some overcomers, and these overcomers are the peak and the center of that local church. They are the uplifting, the strengthening, the enriching, and the reality of that local church….The overcomers as Zion are the highlight, the center, and the reality of the church.The overcomers as today’s Zion are for the consummation of the holy city (the church). They are to consummate, to finish, the building up of the local church and to bring in the consummated New Jerusalem in eternity (Rev. 21:1-2). In order to complete the building up of the Body, the Lord needs the overcomers, and the building up of the Body consummates in the New Jerusalem. This is why at the end of the Bible, in the last book, there is the calling for the overcomers. Today the way to become vitalized is to answer the Lord’s call to be an overcomer. (CWWL, 1993, vol. 2, “The Training and the Practice of the Vital Groups,” pp. 274-275)
Jerusalem is large, while Zion is small. The stronghold of Jerusalem is Zion. Whenever there is something that has to do with God’s heart desire, Zion is mentioned…. Every time the Old Testament speaks of the relationship between Zion and Jerusalem, it shows us that the characteristics, the life, the blessing, and the establishment of Jerusalem come from Zion. In 1 Kings 8:1, the elders were in Jerusalem, and the Ark of the Covenant was in Zion. Psalm 51:18 says that God did good to Zion and built the walls of Jerusalem. Psalm 102:21 says that the name of the Lord was in Zion and that His praise was in Jerusalem. Psalm 128:5 says that the Lord blessed out of Zion and that the good was seen in Jerusalem. Psalm 135:21 says that the Lord dwelt at Jerusalem but that the Lord was to be blessed out of Zion. In Isaiah 41:27 the word was first announced to Zion and then preached to Jerusalem. Joel 3:17 says that when God dwelt in Zion, Jerusalem would be holy.
Today God is looking for the one hundred and forty-four thousand amidst the defeated church, who will stand on Mount Zion (Rev. 14)…. As the Lord has done once before, so these overcomers have to pour out their blood before life can flow out to others. On behalf of the church, the overcomers take the stand of victory and also suffer tribulation and despising.
The overcomers of God…have to pay the price and allow the cross to cut off all the old creation and deal with the gates of Hades (Matt. 16:18).
Are you willing to endure heartache to gain the heart of God? Are you willing to let yourself be defeated so that the Lord can be the Victor? When your obedience is fulfilled, God will deal with all disobedience (2 Cor. 10:6). (CWWN, vol. 11, pp. 762-763)
Further Reading: The Training and the Practice of the Vital Groups, intro., ch. 1; CWWN, vol. 11, pp. 760-766