THE FOURTH PART: THE PATHWAY OF THE LORD’S RECOVERY
The Course of the Church
Message Fifteen—The Lord’s Ultimate Recovery Bringing In a New Revival
Scripture Reading Acts. 17:26; Rom. 12:4-5; Rev. 19:7; Hab. 3:2a; Joel. 3:16-21
I. The carrying out of God’s economy has much to do with the world situation—Acts 17:26; Dan. 2:31-45:
A. Because the church comes out of mankind, in order to have the church life, we need to know the world situation.
B. Since God has a purpose to accomplish with mankind on earth, He surely has the sovereign authority to manage the situation in human history—Acts 17:26.
C. All the major events of human history have been arranged by God for His move on earth; therefore, these major events match God’s move.
D. The world situation has always been an indicator of the Lord’s move on earth:
1. For the spread of the gospel, God prepared the Roman Empire; for the return to the Bible, God prepared Germany; and for the recovery of the gospel, the teaching of the Bible, and the proper meetings, God used Great Britain.
2. For the spreading of His recovery and for the final stage of His recovery—the building up of the Body as the preparation of the bride—God has sovereignly prepared, preserved, and blessed the United States—Rom. 12:4-5; Rev. 19:7.
E. Regarding the world situation, the Bible covers four things—God’s chastisement of Israel, God’s punishment of the nations, the manifestation of Christ, and the restoration—Joel 1:4; 2:28-29; 3:16-21:
1. Because man has taken his own way and has become sinful and corrupt, God comes in to chastise Israel and to punish the nations.
2. God’s chastisement of Israel and His punishment of the nations afford a way for Christ to be manifested in the Lord’s recovery—1 Tim. 3:15-16:
a. We are in the line in which Christ is being manifested; the line of the manifestation of Christ will bring us into the fuller manifestation of Christ in the millennium, the age of restoration—Isa. 11:6-10.
b. As members of the Body of Christ, our goal should be to enlarge the manifestation of Christ intrinsically—Eph. 1:22-23; 3:16-21.
3. The manifestation of Christ has a goal—the restoration of the fallen universe—Rom. 8:19-22; Joel 3:16-21; Isa. 2:2-5; Zeph. 3:9.
II. The Lord’s ultimate recovery is the carrying out of His eternal intention to have a number of His seekers live Christ, be the lampstand in their locality, and be built up in the Body that He may prepare His bride—Rev. 1:12, 20; 19:7:
A. The Lord’s recovery began with Romans and will end with Revelation—Rom. 1:17; Rev. 1:12; 19:7.
B. God’s desire is for us to live Christ, to have Christ as our living, and to have Christ as the reality of the church life, making every local church a golden lampstand—Phil. 1:21a; Rev. 1:20.
C. God wants us to have Christ as our life, flowing in us, saturating and permeating us, transforming us, conforming us, and making us fit to be built up into His Body for His expression—Rom. 5:10; 12:2, 4-5:
1. Christ must be our life, and we must live Him—Col. 3:4.
2. We need to be filled, saturated, and permeated with Christ, having Christ constituted into us—Eph. 3:16-17a.
3. For the preparation of the bride, we need to grow in life and be built up in the Body of Christ; this is what the Lord wants today—Eph. 4:15-16.
D. In His ultimate recovery, the Lord intends to recover Christ, the mystery of God, becoming the life-giving Spirit to dispense the processed and con-summated Triune God into our tripartite being, making us the members of His Body for His expression—Col. 2:2; 1 Cor. 15:45b; Rom. 8:6, 10-11; 12:4-5.
E. In the Lord’s ultimate recovery, our ultimate responsibility is to live Christ and to meet together in our locality in such a way that we may be the Body, the new man, the lampstand, and the bride—1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 4:24; Rev. 1:20; 19:7.
III. We need to pray that the Lord will give us a new revival—a revival that has never been recorded in history—Hab. 3:2a:
A. Among God’s elect there has always been an aspiration to be revived—the aspiration to come to the third day, which signifies the pneumatic Christ in resurrection—Hosea 6:2.
B. If we would be revived, we need to enjoy Christ:
1. We may enjoy Christ as the desire of God’s elect—Mal. 3:1b; Hag. 2:7a.
2. We may enjoy Christ as the Angel of the covenant, dispensing the riches of the covenanted Triune God into us—Mal. 3:1b; Matt. 26:26-29; Heb. 7:22.
3. We may enjoy Christ as the Sun of righteousness with healing in His wings—Mal. 4:2.
C. Since the fall of man, there has been in all of creation a universal aspiration for revival—Rom. 8:19-22.
D. The way to have the revival that we need is to contact the pneumatic Christ and come to the third day—the resurrected Christ with the reality of revival.
Ministry Excerpts:
A HISTORICAL FACT—
THE WORLD SITUATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN
THE INDICATOR OF THE LORD’S MOVE ON EARTH
There have been many great and recent changes in the world. It is a historical fact that the world situation has always been the indicator of the Lord’s move on earth. Some have said that the Bible is a history of the Jews. This understanding, however, is not entirely correct. It is correct to say that the history in the Bible is centered around Israel, but the Bible is not just a history of the Jews. The Bible is a history of God’s economy. Israel has been the center of the carrying out of God’s economy on earth. God is not interested merely in the history of the Jews. His interest is in His economy which is being carried out by Him on earth. The carrying out of His economy has much to do with the world situation.
THE WHEEL WITHIN THE WHEEL—
THE LORD’S MOVE IN OUR MOVE
The greatest revelation in Ezekiel 1 is the wheel within the wheel (vv. 15-16). The book we have published entitled The Visions of Ezekiel covers this revelation (see chapter six). A wheel is something for moving. The Lord’s move and our move are both signified by a wheel. The wheel within the wheel is the Lord’s move in our move. When God’s people move, God moves. If God’s people do not move, God has no way to move. (The World Situation and the Direction of the Lord’s Move, ch. 1)
FOUR MAJOR EVENTS OF HISTORY
Human history spans almost six thousand years—four thousand years before Christ and two thousand years after Christ. In the last two thousand years there have been four great events. To accomplish His purpose on this earth, God needs to direct the political situation. The entire political situation on this earth is under God’s sovereignty.
The Establishment of the Roman Empire
The first major event of history in the last two thousand years was the founding and establishment of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was established by Caesar Augustus around 31 B.C., a little over thirty years before Christ was born. This came into being for the spreading, the propagation, of the gospel. Before Christ was born, the Roman Empire was founded to prepare the way for the gospel to be spread to all the peoples under heaven. Before the establishment of the Roman Empire, the peoples around the Mediterranean were fully divided. It was the Roman Empire that made the Greek language the international language of all the peoples around the Mediterranean Sea. When the time came that the gospel should be preached, all the peoples around the Mediterranean were prepared to understand one language. One language, Greek, was sufficient for the preaching of the gospel. Wherever the apostles went, there was no problem of language because the Roman Empire had done this wonderful thing for the preaching of the gospel.
The Reformation and the Discovery
of the New World Liberating Man’s Mentality
After the church was brought forth, it began to decline and degrade, eventually reaching the dark ages. At this time Martin Luther was raised up to recover the truth concerning justification by faith. It was sovereign of God that also around that time Columbus discovered America. The reformation of the church and the discovery of the new land liberated man’s mentality which had been imprisoned under Catholicism. Since that time also science was improved and industry was increased. Through science and industry “isms” such as capitalism, socialism, and, eventually due to overproduction, imperialism came into being. All these isms are wrong things, but we must realize that they were sovereignly used by God to open the doors of the divided and closed people. This was the second major item of history—the liberation of the imprisoned mentality under Catholicism through the Reformation under Martin Luther and the discovery of the new world. History tells us that these events brought in a great change in man’s thinking.
Britain’s Defeat of Spain
The third great item of history was the defeat of Spain by Britain. After Columbus’s discovery of the new land, Spain became the dominant power of the whole world. For this reason Central America and South America are Spanish speaking. The so-called Latin Americas are actually the Spanish Americas. Since Spain was fully for Catholicism, God raised up Britain to defeat Spain. Merely by a short battle on the sea, Spain was defeated. From that time on, Britain became the major power over the whole world. It was said that the sun never set on the British Empire. Britain became such a wide-spread power over the world, and this was used by God to spread His gospel, not by Catholicism, but by the Protestant missionaries. It was through this third major item of history that the gospel was brought to every corner of all the continents, especially to Asia, Africa, and Australasia. Catholicism is not so prevailing on these continents. This was God’s sovereign doing to bring the gospel to all the nations. (The One New Man, ch, 2)
The Raising Up of the United States
Today the Lord needs the truths of His recovery to be spread to the whole earth. America, the last great territory on earth, discovered by Columbus, is being used by the Lord for His recovery. This was also under the Lord’s sovereignty for the carrying out of His New Testament economy. In order to see more details concerning the relationship between the world situation and the direction of the Lord’s move, I would recommend that you read the book entitled The World Situation and God’s Move. In this book I mentioned that the Lord’s recovery is the Lord’s ultimate move and that the United States will be the ultimate power on earth used by the Lord to carry out His move. (The World Situation and the Direction of the Lord’s Move, ch. 1)
THE LAST STEP—
THE BRIDE WILL BE PREPARED FOR HIM TO COME BACK
There must be a good number, not just a few, who truly know how wonderful a Person Christ is. He must be our life, and we must live Him. We must be filled and permeated and saturated with Him. Our entire being must be infused with His feelings, His thoughts, and whatever He is. We must grow in life by being transformed little by little by His flowing life within us. Then we can be built up with our fellow-believers. In our locality there will be a lampstand. The bride will be prepared for Him to come back. It is this that the Lord is after today. I call it the fourth step.
For the first step, the spread of the gospel, God prepared the Roman Empire. For the second step, the return to the Bible, God prepared Germany. For the third step, the recovery of the gospel, the teaching of the Bible, and the proper meetings—God in the last two centuries used Great Britain. Finally, for the fourth step God has prepared the United States. All of the big points of human history match God’s move on the earth. Actually, all the major events of human history were prepared by God for His move on this earth. (The World Situation and the Direction of the Lord’s Move, ch. 4)
RUSSIA
Russia in territory and population was the largest country in Europe. While the other European nations were striving to gain world markets for their goods, however, Russia was still backward. Their ways were Oriental, not Western. During the reign of Peter the Great, Russia became a great power. It adopted western ways and gained access to the sea. The Bible speaks of Russia as Gog and Magog (see Ezek. 38; 39; Rev. 20) and says that this people will be rebellious against God till the end of the thousand years. The territory assigned to them is in the frozen north.
The czars tried again and again to gain a warm water outlet to the sea. They tried to get a port on the Black Sea so that they could go through the Aegean Sea, between Greece and Turkey, into the Mediterranean and out through Gibraltar into the Atlantic Ocean. Britain prevented this by persuading the Turks to watch over the Aegean and by using Malta and Gibraltar to guard the Mediterranean. When the Suez Canal was built in Egypt, the British also controlled this, again preventing the Russians from gaining an outlet to the sea. The czars then tried to get through the Persian Gulf into the Indian Ocean, but once again the British thwarted their efforts by influencing Persia.
Still with the aim of getting a warm water port, the czars had begun work in 1891 on the Trans-Siberian railroad. It began operating in 1901, though the last section was not completed till 1916. It extended from Moscow to Vladivostok on the Sea of Japan, was some five thousand miles in length, and cost millions of dollars to build. The czars were also able to gain eastern Siberia from China because the foolish emperor considered such a frozen land was not worth keeping. The Siberian railroad extended through this area also. Then the czars again got the emperor to agree to allow Russia to build the Chinese Eastern Railway across Manchuria and partially to control the province. In 1898 Russia leased the Liaotung Peninsula from China; the railroad was extended into that area. At the tip of the peninsula the Russians built the commercial port of Dairen and the naval base of Port Arthur. This meant the Russian navy had ships at Port Arthur. This was just across the sea from my home town of Chefoo.
When Britain saw that Russia had gained ports in the Far East, she influenced Japan to fight Russia. This agreed with Japanese interests, since Japan wanted the areas of China that Russia was controlling. Japan made an alliance with Great Britain in 1902, and war broke out in 1904. Japan defeated Russia and thus gained control of Korea. Russian troops had to withdraw from Manchuria. Japan was given Port Arthur and Dairen and took over the Russian rights in Manchuria.
The Japanese presence on the mainland led in 1931 to its invasion of Manchuria and eventually to the war in the Pacific. In 1932 the United States under President Hoover and Secretary of State Stimson declared it would not recognize Japan’s territorial gains in Manchuria. In 1937 President Roosevelt also condemned Japanese aggression against China. In the fall of 1943 Roosevelt, Churchill, and Chiang Kai-shek met at Cairo for a conference to discuss the war and the postwar problems. When Roosevelt proposed getting rid of the Japanese emperor, Chiang Kai-shek advised against this, pointing out that the emperor was needed as a figurehead in order to keep the Japanese people under control. At the secret Yalta agreements in 1945 Roosevelt agreed to give Stalin Russia’s former rights in Manchuria, which Japan had taken over. These agreements were made without China’s knowledge.
Two months after the Yalta agreements, Roosevelt died. When Truman came into the Presidency, he was deeply concerned about bringing an end to the war. To hasten the end, he gave instructions that the atomic bomb be dropped on Japan. The emperor wanted to surrender immediately, but the generals held off. After the second bomb was dropped, the emperor unconditionally surrendered. On August 8, two days before Japan’s offer became public, Russia declared war on Japan and sent its army into Manchuria, not to defeat the Japanese but to take the surrender. Gradually with the help of Russia, China became a Communist country. The United States withdrew.
The two Communist countries, Russia and China, should have been friendly toward each other, but six or seven years after the Communist takeover of China they had a dispute over the territory of Siberia. This led to a break and an end to their friendship. This was the Lord’s sovereignty! If these two big Communist countries became one, it would be a menace to the entire world.
To be a significant power in the world today a nation must have a big territory and a big population. This is demonstrated by Japan’s attempt to take over China. Japan was a real power, with a navy, air force, and army. Even before they invaded, their learned ones warned them that it would be an impossible task. Japan was like a small snake; it could not swallow such a big prey! If they attempted it, their stomach would burst and they would die. Their statesmen urged them to be friendly toward China, rather than attack it. These wise words went unheeded. Japan first invaded North China, then Shanghai, then Nanking. In spite of all their forces, their bombings, their brutality toward the women, they were utterly unable to subdue so many millions of people.
Besides a large territory and a big population, natural resources and skills are also needed in order for a country to be powerful today. Only three nations have these four things: the United States, China, and Russia. Although China is backward in skills, it is making progress. Their nuclear science industry is developing. Their resources are rich, but underdeveloped. For this reason they need the United States. They need American money and skill to develop their iron, copper, silver, and coal mines. They need technology for working their oil fields.
The United States, Russia, and China are a strange triangle. Though two are Communist, they cannot work together. Russia is always opposed to the United States. In this three-angle struggle, Russia and the United States are competing. Who will gain the support of the third country? The United States will win China. The United States needs China to balance Russia; China needs the support of the United States to build the country.
Who can deal with this northern bear? Who can deal with Gog and Magog? God has been restricting this people who oppose Him. First He used Britain. Now He is using the present situation to restrict Russia.
THE MIDDLE EAST
The situation in the Middle East is also under God’s sovereignty. Among the Arab countries which are against Israel, only two are significant. One is a military power, Egypt; the other is a financial power, Saudi Arabia. Egypt is favorable to the United States. Saudi Arabia, which has become wealthy because of its oil, is not favorable toward Israel, but it is friendly toward Egypt. The other Arab countries proved in the 1967 war that they lacked the strength to fight. Thus the Middle East situation is favorable for Israel.
Today we can see the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, Israel’s forefather: “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee” (Gen. 12:3). Russia is cursing Israel and is under God’s curse. The United States is blessing Israel and is under God’s blessing. The billions of dollars in financial aid that the United States has sent to Israel has brought God’s blessing to the United States.
THE UNITED STATES
Today the world is under the leadership of the United States. God has preserved this country and blessed her with riches. He has sovereignly prepared her for the carrying out of the final stage of His recovery. Because there is freedom of speech, we are free to spread the light we have seen in the Word.
The situation of this country is also good for the practice of the church life. It is peaceful, comfortable, and prosperous. Unfortunately, this very situation also makes it easy for evil to flourish. American society can ruin the young people if they are not in the church life. To find a good job with good pay is fairly easy. After the eight hours of work a day, however, there is time, money, and opportunity to engage in many evil things. Not all Americans are bad, of course. Many are good; this can be seen when it is time to vote. But still the evil influence is there. In any case, the United States is the best place for us to meet together to have the church life.
The United States is also the center when it comes to travel. From any part of the world one can reach this country by plane within eighteen hours. Even far-off Australia and New Zealand are no farther away than this. The international airports like those in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas are busy. The skies are full of planes transporting people to and from the United States.
American English is known by educated peoples worldwide. College graduates in any country can read the publications that come from the United States. Don’t think that all these things happened accidentally. Don’t forget Acts 17:26 which says that the times have been appointed by our God; the boundaries have been drawn by Him. He prepared the Roman Empire; He prepared Germany five hundred years ago; He prepared Great Britain. And today He has prepared the U.S.A., not just for the preaching of the gospel, nor just for the teaching of the truth, nor just for scriptural meetings, but for the preparation of the bride.
However, although all these help, they still cannot satisfy God’s desire. What is His desire? It is for us to live Christ, to have Christ as our living, to have Christ as the reality, the real contents of the church life, making every local church a golden lampstand. The Body life will reach the reality of Romans 12 and this will be the spontaneous preparation of the bride for His coming back. From the very beginning, even from eternity, this is what the Lord has desired. This is the goal of the Lord’s recovery. This has been missed and neglected today, so it is toward this that the Lord is working.
The situation among Christians has been built up for nearly two thousand years until it has become like a pyramid full of garlic. So many are still living in this pyramid, so drugged that they do not recognize the garlic smell! They need to get out and into the fresh air! The fresh air is the Spirit, the Spirit that gives life, the life-giving Spirit. It is the indwelling Spirit, who is really the resurrected Christ, the One who died on the cross for us. This is the air we need to breathe! This is the Lord’s recovery today.
Brothers and sisters, open your eyes! Look at the entire globe, and get into the world situation. Look at the situation among Christians. Now you can understand the world situation in relation to His move. We should not be satisfied with only gospel preaching, Bible teaching, and scriptural meetings. We must be for the Apostle Paul’s completing ministry, the central vision of God’s economy. We must take Christ as our living. He must be the contents of the church life. Then He will gain His purpose. The churches will be golden lampstands, and the bride will be prepared.
It surely does not seem that there is time for God to raise up another country and take another step after this. I believe this is the last opportunity for God to prepare the bride. May we all see the seriousness of this time and realize our responsibility. (The World Situation and the Direction of the Lord’s Move, ch. 3)