Ⅱ
Revelation, the last book of the Bible, is a book concerning the overcomers; in chapters 2 and 3, the Lord gives a sevenfold call to us, His believers, the spiritual descendants of our great father Abraham to be His overcomers (2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21), those who conquer all the satanic chaos (cf. Col. 1:17b, 18b, 10) and triumph in the divine economy (Rom. 8:37; 2 Cor. 2:14):
A
From God’s viewpoint there are four major races of people: the race of Adam, the race of Abraham according to the flesh (Gen. 13:16), the race of Abraham according to the Spirit (15:5; Gal. 3:7, 29), and the race of the overcomers; we should declare by exercising our spirit of faith that we belong to the race of the overcomers (2 Cor. 4:13).
B
The book of Revelation shows us that without the overcomers Christ has no way to come back; we know that Christ is our way (John 14:6a), but from deep within His heart, Christ would tell the overcomers that they are His way; the overcomers are the very way for Christ to come back (Rev. 19:7-9; Psa. 45:13-14).
C
Let God bless you to make you an overcomer today, living a life that is the life to reign; this unique blessing is the eternal blessing of the Triune God dispensing Himself into us for our enjoyment—Num. 6:22-27; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 1:3; Gal. 3:14.
Morning Nourishment
Rev. 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.19:7 Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
The Bible is a book concerning God with man. In between God and man there is a third party, Satan. Satan always makes trouble, and all the trouble is the chaos. The Lord needs a [particular] group of people, the overcomers, who will be one with Him to conquer all the destructive chaos and triumph in His unique constructive economy. (CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 3, “The Satanic Chaos in the Old Creation and the Divine Economy for the New Creation,” p. 245)
Today’s Reading
In the first ten and a half chapters of Genesis, God was dealing with man as the Adamic race. But after these chapters of the Bible, God shifted to another group of people... composed of the descendants of one father, Abraham. God shifted from the Adamic race to the Abrahamic race... The Old Testament covers the race of Adam and the physical descendants of Abraham.In the New Testament economy, God had a serious, vital shift to another group of people. He shifted from Abraham’s descendants according to the flesh to Abraham’s descendants according to the Spirit... All the believers in Christ, regardless of their race, are the spiritual descendants of Abraham (Gal. 3:7, 29). Regretfully, however, most of the spiritual descendants of Abraham also fail God. Then to whom can God go in order to carry out His purpose?
At the beginning of the last book of the Bible, the Lord Jesus as the High Priest walking among the golden lampstands gives a call to another group of people, the overcomers,... “to him who overcomes”... (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). This is a sevenfold call to us, His believers, the spiritual descendants of our great father, Abraham... The overcomers are the fourth race.
The New Testament age is approaching two thousand years of history... There have been two thousand years for the Adamic race, two thousand years for the Abrahamic race according to the flesh, and almost two thousand years for the Abrahamic race according to the Spirit. What the Lord needs is the race of overcomers to conquer all the satanic chaos and triumph in the divine economy.
The book of Revelation is a book on the overcomers... The overcoming race brings in the success to God for His economy. We need to consider where we are today... We may say that we are in the New Testament, but this in itself is not adequate. We must be in the last nineteen chapters of the Bible, from Revelation 4 through 22, from the throne to the New Jerusalem,... those who belong to the overcoming race.
According to God’s economy, there are only four races on this earth—the race of Adam, the race of Abraham according to the flesh, the race of Abraham according to the Spirit, and the race of the overcomers. We should declare by faith that we belong to the race of the overcomers.
The book of Revelation shows us that without the overcomers Christ has no way to come back. We know that Christ is our way (John 14:6a). But from deep within His heart, Christ would tell us that the overcomers are His way. Without Christ we do not have a way, but today without the overcomers Christ has no way. The overcomers are the very way for Christ to come back. (CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 3, “The Satanic Chaos in the Old Creation and the Divine Economy for the New Creation,” pp. 245-247, 254)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1990, vol. 2, “Salvation in Life in the Book of Romans,” ch. 7; CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 4, “The Overcomers,” chs. 1, 6