Scripture Reading: S. S. 6:4, 10; Rev. 19:7-9, 11-16
Ⅰ
When the overcoming lover of Christ becomes one with God to be God's dwelling place, in the eyes of God she is as beautiful as Tirzah and as lovely as Jerusalem; however, to the enemy she is as terrible as an army with banners—S. S. 6:4, 10:
A
The lover of Christ is beautiful and comely before the Lord, as solid as the heavenly city and as serene as the sanctuary; at the same time, she displays the glory of her victory before the enemy and the world—v. 4:
１
Weapons are the most important thing to an army in battle, but unfurled banners, signifying the glory of victory, are the most important thing in victory—Exo. 17:15.
２
Banners indicate a readiness to fight and are also a sign that the victory has been won—Isa. 59:19.
B
A life within the veil is not only a life before the Lord but also a life before the enemy—S. S. 6:4; Heb. 10:19; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 6:10-12:
１
God has no intention that the lovers of Christ possess the heavenly beauty without possessing a warring nature—2 Cor. 11:2; 10:4-6.
２
The overcoming lover of Christ not only has a future that is full of hope and a life that is absolutely heavenly, but she is also a victor who constantly triumphs in her victory—S. S. 3:7-8.
C
The lovers of Christ should be lovable and terrible at the same time; however, many believers have lost their loveliness before the Lord and their terribleness before the enemy—6:4, 10.
D
The building of God is always an army; when we become a city to the Lord, we are an army to the enemy—v. 4:
１
Building cannot be separated from spiritual warfare; wherever the building is, there is the battle—Neh. 4:1-23.
２
Fighting always accompanies the building, and the building always brings in victory in battle—Matt. 16:18-19.
３
This is the consummation of the Christian life; the uttermost completion that the seeking lover of Christ can attain is to be a city as an army.
E
A terrible army signifies that the Lord's overcomers terrify God's enemy, Satan— S. S. 6:4, 10:
１
Satan is afraid of only one kind of people—those who do not love their soul-life—Rev. 12:11.
２
The enemy is terrified of Bethel, the house of God—Gen. 35:1-5.
３
The enemy is frightened by the church which is built up as the city of God—Neh. 6:15-16; Psa. 102:12-16.
４
The demons and the evil angels are terrified of the one new man created by Christ on the cross—Eph. 2:15-16; Col. 2:14-15.
５
Satan is not afraid of individualistic Christians, even if they number in the thousands, but is terrified of the church as the Body of Christ, the corporate warrior fighting against him and his kingdom—Eph. 6:10-20.
Ⅱ
On the day of His wedding, Christ will marry those who have been fighting the battle against God's enemy for years; that is, Christ will marry the overcomers, who have already overcome the evil one—Rev. 19:7-9, 11-16:
A
When Christ comes to fight against Antichrist and his army, He will come as the Son of Man, and as the Son of Man, He will need a counterpart to match Him and complete Him; this counterpart will be His bride—14:14; 19:7-9:
１
Eventually, the overcomers will be a bride collectively to marry Christ; after their wedding, this bride will become an army to fight alongside Christ, her Husband, to defeat Antichrist and his followers—vv. 11-16.
２
In addition to being transformed, we need to be built up together so that we may be the Body of Christ and also the bride of Christ, His counter-part—Rom. 12:2, 4-5; Eph. 4:16.
３
When Christ, the Bridegroom, sees that we have reached maturity, He will marry the bride and then come with her to defeat Antichrist and his army and to terminate human government—Dan. 2:34-35, 44-45.
B
The overcomers who constitute the bride of Christ fight the battle against all the enemies of God and defeat them—Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21:
１
The overcomers fight against the self—the inward adversary and the most difficult foe—slaying it by the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God—Eph. 6:17-18.
２
The overcomers resist and defeat the principle of antichrist and the charac-teristics of antichrist—1 John 2:18, 22; 2 John 7; 2 Thes. 2:3-12.
３
The overcomers war the good warfare against the differing teachings and to carry out God's economy—1 Tim. 1:3-4; 6:3-5, 12, 20-21; 2 Tim. 2:3-4.
４
The overcomers engage in the warfare of life against death and reign in life over death—Matt. 16:18; John 5:24; 1 Tim. 6:19; 2 Tim. 1:10; 1 John 3:14; Rom. 5:17, 21.
５
The overcomers conquer the destructive satanic chaos and triumph in the constructive divine economy; instead of being delivered out of the present chaos, they conquer the chaos by the processed and consummated Triune God as the all-sufficient grace—2 Tim. 1:9, 15; 2:1, 17-18; 4:22.