THE SECOND PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
Revelation
Message Two
The Lord’s Need for the Overcomers
Scripture Reading: Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 12:11; 6:9-11; 12:5; 14:1-5; 15:2-4; 19:7-9
I. The Christian life plus the church life is altogether an overcoming life—1 John 5:4-5; Rev. 21:7; 12:11: (1999 ST, msg. 7)
A. Overcoming as portrayed in Song of Songs—1:2-4; 2:8-9; 4:8: (1999 ST, msg. 7)
1. The lover of Christ overcomes the world by being attracted by Christ—1:2-4. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
2. The lover of Christ overcomes the self by being one with the cross of Christ—2:8-9, 14. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
3. The lover of Christ overcomes the old creation by living in ascension—4:8. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
4. The lover of Christ overcomes the flesh, the natural man, the old man, by living within the veil—6:4a. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
B. Overcoming as presented in 1 John—5:4-5; 2:13-14; 4:3-4: (1999 ST, msg. 7)
1. The believers overcome the world through faith in the Son of God—5:4-5. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
2. The strong believers overcome the evil one by being nourished, strengthened, and sustained by the word of God—2:13-14. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
3. The believers overcome the antichrists through the indwelling Christ—4:3-4. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
C. Overcoming as unveiled in Revelation—21:7; 2:7, 11, 17; 3:5, 12: (1999 ST, msg. 7)
1. The overcoming in 21:7 qualifies all believers for participation in the New Jerusalem with all its enjoyment as a common portion of God’s eternal salvation. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
2. The overcoming in chapters two and three qualifies the overcoming believers for participation in the enjoyment of the millennial kingdom as a particular reward in God’s dispensational administration—2:7, 11, 17, 3:5, 12. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
II. The book of Revelation is a book on the overcomers—1:3; 22:18-19; 12:11: (1999 ST, msg. 7)
A. Although Revelation is a book on prophecy, the central purpose of this book is concerned not with prophecy but with the overcomers—1:3; 22:18-19; 12:11. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
B. Revelation shows us the overcomers in five categories—6:9-11; 12:5; 14:1-5; 15:2-4; 19:7-9: (1999 ST, msg. 7)
1. The first category consists of the martyrs of the Old Testament and the New Testament up to the time before the great tribulation— 6:9-11. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
2. The second category is the man-child caught up to God and to His throne—12:5. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
3. The third category is the firstfruits—14:1-5. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
4. The fourth category is composed of those standing on the glassy sea, the overcomers who are killed under the persecution of Antichrist— 15:2-4. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
5. These four categories constitute the fifth category—the prepared bride—19:7-9. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
C. The New Jerusalem is the totality of the overcomers—2:7; 3:12; 21:7: (1999 ST, msg. 7)
1. The overcomers will be the New Jerusalem in the coming age, the age of the millennial kingdom, as the precursor of the New Jerusalem— 2:7; 3:12. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
2. In the New Jerusalem in eternity, all the believers will be overcomers—21:7. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
D. In the book of Revelation what the Lord wants and what the Lord will build up is Zion, the overcomers—14:1. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
III. The Lord needs the overcomers to conquer the destructive satanic chaos and to triumph in the unique constructive divine economy—1 Tim. 1:4; Rev. 12:4: (1999 ST, msg. 7)
A. Alongside God’s economy, there has been the satanic chaos, which has resulted in three accumulations: Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism—a threefold chaos—2:9; 3:9; 2:20; 3:1-2: (1999 ST, msg. 7)
1. In the eyes of the Lord, these three “isms” are more evil than sin, the world, and the self—2:9; 3:9; 2:20; 3:1-2. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
2. The overcomers conquer everything of Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism—2:14-15, 20, 24; 3:1-2, 9. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
B. The Lord needs the overcomers to carry out the divine economy to have the Body and to destroy His enemy—1 Tim. 1:4; Eph. 1:10; 3:9; Rev. 12:11: (1999 ST, msg. 7)
1. The overcomers are for the building up of the Body of Christ to consummate the New Jerusalem— Eph. 4:16; Rev. 21:2, 10. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
2. The overcomers see the Body, know the Body, care for the Body, and honor the Body—Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12, 18, 24b-27. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
3. The overcomers care for God’s interests above everything, including their necessities—Matt. 6:33; Col. 1:24. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
IV. In Revelation 2 and 3 the Lord has a sevenfold calling for overcomers—2:4-6, 10, 12-15, 20, 24, 3:1, 11, 15-20: (1999 ST, msg. 7)
A. In the epistle to the church in Ephesus, to overcome is to recover the first love toward the Lord and to hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans—2:4-6. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
B. In the epistle to the church in Smyrna, to overcome is to overcome persecution by being faithful unto death—v. 10. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
C. In the epistle to Pergamos, to overcome is to overcome the church’s union with the world, the teaching of idolatry and fornication, and the teaching of hierarchy—vv. 12-15. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
D. In the epistle to Thyatira, to overcome is to overcome Roman Catholicism—vv. 20, 24. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
E. In the epistle to Sardis, to overcome is to overcome dead Protestantism—3:1. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
F. In the epistle to Philadelphia, to overcome is to hold fast what we have in the recovered church—v. 11. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
G. In the epistle to Laodicea, to overcome is to overcome the lukewarmness and pride of the degraded recovered church, to pay the price to buy the needed items, and to open the door so that the Lord can come in—vv. 15-20. (1999 ST, msg. 7)
V. The overcomers are produced through the intensification of God’s organic salvation by the sevenfold intensified Spirit, that is, by Christ in the stage of His intensification—1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6. (1999 ST, msg. 7)