witness lee - what the kingdom is to the believers

7/28/2019 Witness Lee - What the Kingdom is to the Believers

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Witness Lee - What the Kingdom Is to the Believers

CONTENTS

1. What the Kingdom Is to the Believers (1)Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in theHoly Spirit

2. What the Kingdom Is to the Believers (2)Submitting to the Ruling of the Heavens

3. What the Kingdom Is to the Believers (3)Gods Kingdom, Ruling, and Glory

4. What the Kingdom Is to the Believers (4)Submitting to Gods Ruling by the DivineLife

5. What the Kingdom Is to the Believers (5)the Kingdom and the Overcomers

6. What the Kingdom Is to the Believers (6)Allowing Christ to Rule as Our King

7. What the Kingdom Is to the Believers (7)Submitting to the Authority of God toDeal with Satan

8. What the Kingdom Is to the Believers (8)the Work of God Being according to HisAdministration

9. The Appearance and the Manifestation of the Kingdom (1)

10. The Appearance and the Manifestation of the Kingdom (2)

This book is a collection of messages given by Brother Witness Lee in Taipei in 1957. Itcontains eight chapters on the various aspects of the kingdom in relation to the believersand two chapters on the appearance and the manifestation of the kingdom.

CHAPTER ONE

WHAT THE KINGDOM IS TO THE

BELIEVERS(1)

RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOYIN THE HOLY SPIRIT

Scripture Reading: Matt. 3:1-2; 4:17; 5:3, 10, 19-20; 9:35; 24:14; Mark 1:14;Luke 4:43; 17:20-21; John 3:3, 5; Acts 1:3; 8:12; 14:22; 20:24-25; 28:31;

Rom. 14:17; Eph. 5:5; Col. 1:13; 2 Thes. 1:5; 2 Tim. 4:18; 2 Pet. 1:11; Rev. 1:9;11:15; 20:4b, 6b; 22:5b


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In this book we will consider the matter of the kingdom of God in a specific and systematicway. All the above verses concern the kingdom. The kingdom is the center of the gospel.The New Testament even says that the kingdom is the gospel. In Luke 4:43 the Lord Jesussaid, I must announce the gospel of the kingdom of God. The sense in the Greek here isthat to announce the gospel is to announce the kingdom of God. Hence, this phrase may berendered announce the kingdom of God as the gospel. The kingdom of God is the gospelof God. In the Gospel of Matthew the kingdom of God is called the kingdom of theheavens; elsewhere it is called the heavenly kingdom (2 Tim. 4:18).

THE GOSPEL OF GOD TAKING THE KINGDOM

AS ITS CENTRAL GOAL

Regrettably, the gospel preached in Christianity today rarely mentions the kingdom ofGod. When it does mention the kingdom of God, it mentions only the name withoutexplaining what the kingdom of God actually is. For this reason many people know thekingdom of God in name but not in its realitythey do not know what the kingdom of Godtruly is. Today when many people preach the gospel, they preach the heavenly mansionas the central and most important matter. This is truly ridiculous.

A careful reading of the New Testament from the first book to the last will reveal not even asingle verse that says that the goal of the gospel is for people to go to heaven. Rather,almost every book in the New Testament speaks of the kingdom of God and says clearlythat the central goal of the gospel is the kingdom of God. Gods intention with the gospel isnot to save people into heaven but to save them into the kingdom, that is, into the kingdomof the heavens.

The gospel is not a matter of a heavenly mansion but a matter of the kingdom. Moreover,the Bible does not speak of a heavenly mansion but of the New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:2says, I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared

as a bride adorned for her husband. I must say emphatically that what the Bible showsregarding the gospel and salvation is absolutely not aimed at a heavenly mansion but at thekingdom. The goal of the gospel of God is not to save people into a mansion but into akingdom. There is a great difference between a kingdom and a mansion. A mansion ismerely a place; however, a kingdom involves not only a place but also many other matters.

I hope that this opening word will give you a deep impression that the aim of the gospel ofGod is to save us into His kingdom. Perhaps you have never heard such a word or had suchan impression. Although you may have heard the gospel, been saved, become a believer,and even met with believers for a number of years, you may have never had the impressionthat the goal of Gods gospel is to save you into a kingdom. You may know that through the

gospel of God you have obtained forgiveness of sins, peace through the forgiveness of sins,and reconciliation to God. You may also know that through the gospel of God you havereceived Gods life to become Gods child and a member of Gods household. Perhaps youknow that through the gospel of God you have received the Holy Spirit of God and all kindsof spiritual gifts and blessings. I believe that all the brothers and sisters know thesecontents of the gospel. However, in addition to all these good things, the central matterrevealed in the Bible concerning the gospel of God is that its goal is to save us into thekingdom of God.

THE GOSPEL IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

BEING RELATED TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

In the New Testament age, the age of the gospel, the first sentence God spoke to man wasRepent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near (Matt. 3:2). He spoke this wordthrough John the Baptist. When the Lord Jesus came out to preach, His first sentence was


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also Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near (4:17). Why is there a needfor repentance? It is because the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near. Repentance is to

bring people into the kingdom of the heavens. It not only causes people to be forgiven oftheir sins, receive life, be saved, and be regenerated, but it also brings them into akingdom. Later, the Lord Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in thesynagogues and preaching not merely the gospel of forgiveness and of life, but the gospel ofthe kingdom (9:35).

When the Lord Jesus was about to depart from the earth, He told His disciples, Thisgospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to allthe nations, and then the end will come (24:14). This word implies a great deal. Itindicates mainly that the kingdom must be preached in the whole inhabited earth until allthe nations know this kingdom, and then the end will come.

Acts reveals that after His resurrection the Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples particularlyconcerning the kingdom of God for a period of forty days (1:3). Then at Pentecost thedisciples announced the gospel in Jerusalem and throughout the land (2:1-41; 8:1-4). Actsalso says that the gospel they announced was the gospel of the kingdom of God (v. 12;14:22). Even Paul himself said that his testifying of the gospel of the grace of God was his

proclaiming of the kingdom; therefore, the kingdom of God is the content of the gospel ofGod (20:24-25). The last verse in the book of Acts says that the apostle Paul wasproclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ

with all boldness (28:31).

When we come to the Epistles, the apostle Paul says in the book of Romans, The kingdomof God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit(14:17). In 1 Corinthians, Galatians, and Ephesians he indicated that the unrestrained ones,the filthy ones, and the evil ones have no inheritance in the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10;Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:5). In Colossians 1:13 he wrote that Gods salvation is to deliver us outof the authority of darkness and transfer us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. From

Gods perspective we were formerly in Satans kingdom, which is the authority of darkness,but God has delivered us out of the kingdom of the authority of darkness and transferredus into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

The apostle Paul is not the only one who mentions in his Epistles that the gospel is thekingdom of God; James also refers to this matter in his Epistle. He says, Did not Godchoose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which Hepromised to those who love Him? (2:5). Peter refers to the kingdom of God in his Epistlesalso. He says, In this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ will be richly and bountifully supplied to you (2 Pet. 1:11). Even the apostleJohn, who ministered primarily on life, mentions the kingdom of God. He indicates that

regeneration is for the kingdom of God, writing that unless one is born anew, he cannotenter into the kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5). In writing the book of Revelation, he began bysaying, I John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom andendurance in Jesus (1:9). Halfway through the book he said, The kingdom of the worldhas become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (11:15). At the end he said that allthe overcomers will be resurrected and will reign with Christ for a thousand years (20:4,6). Finally, he said that all the saved ones will reign forever and ever in eternity (22:5b).

THE GOAL OF GODS SALVATION BEING THE KINGDOM

After reading these words in the New Testament, we can clearly see that the goal of Godsgospel and Gods salvation is to save us into the kingdom. The goal of the gospel of God isnot the forgiveness of sins or life but the kingdom. The gospel of God saves us not merelyinto the forgiveness of sins or into life but also into the kingdom.


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Regrettably, in Christianity today this light has been annulled and buried. Even manyamong us who have been saved for years do not have any impression or sense regardingthe kingdom. They do not have the sense that the gospel of God is to save them into akingdom. However, the Bible repeatedly reveals that the central, primary, and mostimportant goal of the gospel of God is the kingdom of God. The reason God saves us is to

bring us into this kingdom. The reason God forgives us of our sins is to bring us into thiskingdom. The reason He gives us life and the Holy Spirit is for us to be regenerated and tolive in this kingdom (John 3:3, 5). We must receive the life of this kingdom in order to live

in this kingdom and to live the life that corresponds to this kingdom. In summary, the goalof the gospel of God is the kingdom of God, that is, to save people into this kingdom thatthey may live in this kingdom.

Therefore, all the riches of salvation given to us by God are for one thingto bring us intoHis kingdom that we may live in this kingdom. Hence, we must see that neither theforgiveness of sins nor life is the goal of the gospel of God; the goal of the gospel of God isthe kingdom. The reason that God forgives us of our sins, cleanses us, gives us life, sendsHis Spirit into us, and makes us cleansed and enlivened persons is to save us into Hiskingdom, to place us in His kingdom, that we may live in this kingdom. Only this kingdomis His goal.

Regrettably, many saved ones today have not seen the importance of the kingdom. Weprobably have seen the forgiveness of sins, life, and various gifts and blessings, but we maynot have seen the kingdom. Gods focus is the very thing that we neglect; Gods emphasis isthe very thing that we ignore. For this reason, I have a heavy burden to release thismessage to the saints.

THE HISTORY OF THE LORDS RECOVERY

We deeply believe that in the last days the Lord will recover particularly the truth and lightof the kingdom. Hence, we will briefly describe the process of Gods recovery in the pastgenerations.

Those who know God realize that all spiritual matters were revealed in the Gospels and theEpistles in the age of the apostles. However, not long after the departure of the apostles thechurch gradually lost these matters. By the time of the death of the last apostles around

A.D. 100, the church was on a path of losing these spiritual matters. Day after day thechurch was proceeding on this path. Many precious things of the church were lost one afteranother. On the one hand, the church lost many precious things that she should have had;on the other hand, the church brought in many things that she should not have had.

This situation reached its worst in A.D. 1500; almost all the precious things of the churchwere gone. This was the darkest time, the time when the Roman Catholic Church was atthe height of its power. The Catholic Church lost the precious things and brought in manyother things to produce a mixture. In such a situation, because almost all the preciousthings in the church had been lost, God raised up Martin Luther to take the way ofrecovery.

The first item God moved to recover in the church was the truth of justification by faith. Ifwe carefully study church history in the last five hundred years, we will clearly see the stepsof Gods recovery. Beginning with Luther, God first recovered the truth of justification byfaith. Then step by step He recovered the precious things in the Bible that had been lost by

the church. After justification by faith God recovered the truth of Christ being our life.Some time later He recovered the truth of the cross as the way to solve all the problems inthe universe and accomplish all Gods work. At that point the truths of justification byfaith, Christ as our life, and the cross accomplishing Gods work were almost fullyrecovered.


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Based on the light we have seen, however, there are not only these three great matters inthe New Testamentjustification by faith, Christ as our life, and the crossthere are alsoat least two other great truthsthe church and the kingdom.

We can say that the general subject of the New Testament is Christ; the entire NewTestament concerns Christ. From Christ three great items are produced: the cross, thechurch, and the kingdom. Hence, the cross, the church, and the kingdom are the threegreat items in the New Testament. Christ accomplished the work of the cross, the cross

produced the church, and the church brought in the kingdom. In the full manifestation ofthe kingdom, the will of God will have been done in the universe and His name will havebeen sanctified on earth (Matt. 6:9-10). At that time all Gods plan will have been fulfilled.

Now we have clearly seen that the New Testament comprises four great matters: Christ,the cross, the church, and the kingdom. Concerning Christ as life, there has been adequaterecovery in the past years. Furthermore, concerning the truth of the work of the cross ofChrist, there has been adequate recovery in the past. However, concerning the truths of thechurch and the kingdom, until today many of Gods children still do not have an adequateunderstanding. What exactly is the church? What is the kingdom? Gods children knowthese two things merely as terms but lack an adequate understanding of what they actually

are. Hence, what God must recover in this age are these two things.

In these end times the few brothers who went before us spent much time studying theBible, and what they saw was either the matter of the church or the matter of the kingdom.Hence, in recent years we have had a heavy burden within us to speak on the truthsconcerning the church and the kingdom, because we deeply believe that in this final ageGod must recover these two things. Perhaps these two things are what God desires torecover last. God has been doing His recovery work for nearly five hundred years, andmany truths have been recovered, but these two important truths of the church and thekingdom have not yet been fully recovered.

THE DEFINITION OF THE KINGDOM

What is the kingdom in its reality? After His resurrection the Lord Jesus spent forty daysspeaking to His disciples the things concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). In thechurch life the saints sometimes complain that our conferences are too long because theyalways last seven or eight days and because each meeting is more than an hour long. Theysay that it would be best if each conference lasted only three or four days and each meeting

were no longer than twenty or thirty minutes. However, when the Lord spoke to Hisdisciples concerning the kingdom of God, He spent five consecutive eight-day periods, theequivalent of five consecutive conferences, speaking to them concerning the kingdom of

God day after day. From this we see that the things concerning the kingdom of God cannotbe fully covered in only a few days.

What the Lord Jesus spoke concerning the kingdom of God in those forty days is notclearly stated in the Bible. Usually, the things God wants us to know are clearly revealed inthe Bible, but sometimes it seems that God wants to give us a difficult time. Unlike theoutlines of our messages, which always give us several main points, in Acts 1:3 the Biblesimply refers to the things concerning the kingdom of God. When I was young, everytime I read this portion, I would ask myself, What exactly did He speak about? The LordJesus spoke the things concerning the kingdom of God, but what are those things? At thattime I was always puzzled. I did not know what the things concerning the kingdom of God

were. Even today I still dare not say that I know very much. I can only fellowship with youaccording to what I know.

The Bible clearly says that unless one is born anew, he cannot enter into the kingdom ofGod (John 3:3, 5). What is the kingdom of God, and what things are involved in thekingdom of God? We should not regard this matter as something insignificant. In the


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beginning of the New Testament the Lord Jesus proclaimed the gospel by saying, Repent,for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near (Matt. 4:17). Later, when He was teachingthe disciples, He began by saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdomof the heavens (5:3). From this we see that the gospel we have heard is the gospel of thekingdom. The gospel we believe in is not only the gospel of salvation but also the gospel ofthe kingdom. The goal of this gospel is the kingdom; this gospel is to save us into thekingdom. As for what this kingdom actually is, I am afraid that few are able to answer thisquestion.

THE KINGDOM BEING THE RULING OF GOD

We pointed out at the beginning of this message that the kingdom is not merely a matter ofplace. For example, the Philippines is not only a place but also a country. A kingdom, acountry, is not merely a place; it also includes some special items. I must point out two ofthese important items. Today there are generally three requirements for being a country.First, there must be citizens. Second, there must be the land, the territory. Third, theremust be the sovereignty. Only when there are citizens, territory, and sovereignty can there

be a country or nation. In this chapter we will pay attention to only two items: the matterof authority, that is, sovereignty, and the matter of place, or territory. However, regarding

territory, what we will pay attention to is not a physical land but a realm, or a sphere.

What is the kingdom of God? Spiritually, the first characteristic of the kingdom of God isGods sovereign authority. The kingdom of God is where God reigns, where God exercisesHis authority. For example, the Philippines is not merely a place but also a country, for inthat place there is the authority of the Filipino government. Hence, when we go to thePhilippines, we cannot enter the land freely. If the Philippines were not a country butmerely a deserted island, it would be an ordinary place where people could freely enter andleave. However, the Philippines is a country, having the authority and sovereignty of theFilipino government. Hence, we cannot enter the country freely but must obtainpermission from the government. Even after permission is obtained, we still cannot actfreely but must be under the restriction of the law of the government there.

When I was in the Philippines, I frequently traveled by jeep. The brothers who drove thejeep often scared me because most of them were young people with a quick disposition.They drove the jeep at high speeds. One evening a brother was driving very fast. After wecrossed a bridge, I reminded him, Do not drive too fast, or the police will stop us. As soonas I finished speaking, we saw a policeman. If anyone drives too fast, he may be stopped bythe police. This is because the Philippines is a country with its independent authority, itssovereignty, based upon which laws were written, including traffic regulations. For those

who drive in this country, there are many traffic signs along the way to regulate andrestrict them. Why is this? It is because the Philippines is a country, not a vacant land or adeserted island, nor merely a place or a space. This country has its authority, its dominion,and its laws.

Hence, the kingdom of God is Gods sovereign rule, Gods authority. The kingdom of God isGods dominion, Gods reign. Before we repented, believed in the Lord, and were saved, wedid not have Gods authority in us and were therefore not under Gods ruling. Godsauthority had no ground in us. In these past six thousand years there has not been theauthority of God, the kingdom of God, in millions of Adams descendants on earth. Thus,the kingdom of God has had to remain in heaven; there God can rule and reign only overthe angels. God has no authority on earth; He cannot rule over man or exercise His

authority on earth.

Before we were saved, was the sovereignty of God in us? No. Young people would surely dowrong things if they could hide it from their parents. Citizens of a country would mostlikely do many evil things if there were no police stations or law courts. Students wouldsurely misbehave if there were no teachers, principals, or offices of academic affairs. Before


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we were saved, we knew only the laws of the nation, the rules in our family, and theregulations of the school. If we worked in a company, we also knew the rules andregulations in the company. We did not have the authority of God in us. As long as we didnot violate the laws of the nation, break the schools regulations, or violate any rules, or aslong as we were not caught by our parents, husbands, or wives, we could have our way anddo whatever we wanted to do. We were not concerned, afraid, restricted, or restrained.This was the situation before our salvation. We did not have the authority of God, theruling of God, in us, and we never allowed God to rule in us. We were altogether outside

Gods kingdom.

Gods purpose, Gods plan, and Gods eternal goal are to bring His created ones, one byone, under His authority and ruling so that He may establish His kingdom in them. Hence,He came to preach the gospel to people, telling them to repent. The way for us to repent isto turn and submit ourselves to Gods authority. Thus, the gospel in the New Testament

begins with the words, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near (Matt.3:2; 4:17). The kingdom of the heavens is coming to rule, which means that God is comingto rule. The ruling of God has drawn near. As soon as we repent, we come under Godsauthority, Gods ruling. This is Gods kingdom.

Therefore, the main point concerning the kingdom of God is not its physical form or itslocation. In Luke 17:20-21 the Lord Jesus said, The kingdom of God does not come withobservation; nor will they say, Behold, here it is! or, There! For behold, the kingdom of Godis in the midst of you. This shows that the kingdom of God is not earthly or physical butheavenly and spiritual. Because this kingdom is heavenly, it is called the kingdom of theheavens. In other words, it is the ruling of Gods kingdom among men.

THE KINGDOM BEING

RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY

IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

This kingdomthe kingdom of the heavens and the kingdom of Godis not eating anddrinking but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). These threemattersrighteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spiritspeak of how we should deal

with ourselves and with others and of our proper relationship with God under thekingdoms ruling.

Being Righteous toward Ourselves

In the kingdom we must be absolutely righteous toward ourselves. We must not allow

ourselves to become lax. Rather, we must be strict toward ourselves. We must notparticipate in anything unrighteous. Some may ask, What exactly is righteousness?Righteousness is difficult to comprehend with the human mind or to express in human

words. To illustrate, suppose there are eight children in a family. When they eat, they sitaround a square table, two on each side, each occupying exactly half of one side. However,a naughty one may occupy two-thirds of one side when he sits down; as a result, when a

younger brother comes, he is forced to sit at the corner. The behavior of the naughty childshows that he is not righteous, because he exceeds his rightful limit. He should occupy onlyhalf of one side of the table, but he takes up more than half and occupies the space ofanother. To be beyond our limit is to be unrighteous.

Sometimes when we come to a meeting, we are unrighteous in the way we sit by taking upextra space, thus forcing others to sit uncomfortably. At other times, although we may do itunintentionally, we take home the Bibles and hymnals that are available for public use. If

we do not return them promptly, we are unrighteous. Therefore, the meaning ofrighteousness is staying within ones limit based on Gods standard.


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I once read the following story in a book. The author formerly did not know what it meantto be unrighteous. One day, however, he went to a meeting and saw someone come in withan umbrella. After this person sat down, he stepped on the dress of the lady sitting in frontof him, causing some damage to the dress. However, he did not apologize to her. Thosearound him saw it and said, This person is very unrighteous. When he came in, he satdown loosely and carelessly stepped on someones dress, damaging it, but then hepretended that nothing had happened. The author of the book was thus enlightened andcame to understand what unrighteousness means.

The kingdom of God is absolutely righteousness. To be righteous is to maintain onesintegrity and not let oneself become loose. A righteous person is one who acceptsrestriction, one who is not without ruling. He is not a person who does whatever he wants

when no one is present. If we step on a ladys dress, dirtying it or damaging it in some way,yet we feel that nothing is wrong because no one is looking, we are unrighteous. To stealsomething when no one is looking and think that it does not matter, as if we can do

whatever we want as long as no one sees us doing it, also is to be unrighteous.

Having Peace toward Others

The kingdom of God is not only righteousness but also peace. This means that although weneed to be strict with ourselves by being righteous, we need to deal with others in peace.Gods kingdom requires us to have peace toward others. Our dealings and interactions withothers must be in peace. If we Christians do not have peace toward others but rather havemany problems with others, this shows that we have not allowed God to rule in us. If weallow God to rule, our relationship with others will be peaceful, and there will be noquarrels or arguments with others, nor will there be opinions. We must be ruled by Godand have peace toward others.

When some young saints are at home, they do not speak with their younger siblings ortheir older siblings. Likewise, some saints who coordinate together in the church do notspeak much with one another. Two brothers may have morning watch together, but onlyfifteen minutes later they may quarrel over a small matter and therefore stop speaking toone another. I am afraid that this is our situation. When we live with the brothers andsisters, we may be righteous toward ourselves, not taking advantage of the brothers andsisters, but we may not speak with them because we do not have peace with them. Even

when we come to the Lords table meeting and break the bread together, we still may notspeak, because we have no peace with one another. If this is the case, the kingdom of Goddoes not have much rule and ground in us. If the kingdom of God is ruling us within andhas ground in us, we will have peace in our dealings with others.

Having Joy in the Holy Spirit toward God

The kingdom of God is also joy in the Holy Spirit. This refers particularly to ourrelationship with God. Are you always joyful before God? When I see you, if you wear a sadexpression, I will know that you must have come out of the kingdom of God and that God isnot ruling in you. If God is ruling in you, since He is joyful, you also will be a joyful person

before Him.

RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

BEING THE ISSUE OF GODS RULE

Please remember that when you are not strict and righteous toward yourself, have no peacetoward others, and have no joy before God, you are not living in Gods kingdom. If youallow God to reign, to be the Lord, to rule, and to have the ground in you, you will be


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absolutely strict toward yourself; you will not be loose at all but will be altogetherrighteous.

If you allow God to rule in you, your dealings with others will be peaceful and harmonious,and you will not quarrel with anyone. You will be forbearing and forgiving. No matter howpeople offend you, you will forgive them. You will always bear with others. As the Lordforgives you, you will forgive others (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13). As God does not blame you, you

will not blame others. The kingdom of God will be ruling in you, not allowing you to blame,

condemn, or be in discord with others. If you allow God to rule in you and have ground inyou, you will be joyful in your spirit and in the Holy Spirit.

SALVATION BEING A TRANSFER

INTO THE KINGDOM OF THE SON OF GODS LOVE

The first aspect of the significance of the kingdom of God is its sovereignty, authority,ruling, and restriction, all of which are heavenly and spiritual. Every believer is saved notinto heaven but into the kingdom, that is, into the sovereignty, authority, ruling, andrestriction of the kingdom of God. Our being saved is not like entering a public place

casually; rather, our being saved is our entering into the kingdom of God with itsrestrictions, authority, sovereignty, and laws. In this kingdom we cannot be loose; rather,we must abide by all the laws and regulations of the kingdom. This may be likened todrivers in any country on the earth being required to abide by all the traffic rules.

However, few Christians today truly know what the kingdom of God is. Like the children ofIsrael in the age of the judges, who had no king among them (Judg. 17:6; 21:25), todaysChristians have no kingdom among them. In other words, there is no authority or restraintamong them; each one does things according to his or her own will. They are not righteoustoward themselves, they have no peace toward others, and they have no joy before God.They can laugh loudly when they tell jokes, but when it is time for them to pray in the

prayer meeting or the Lords table meeting, they wear a sad expression and cannot bejoyful in spirit. What is the reason for this? The reason is that they have not allowed God torule and reign in them.

One who is ruled by God and submits to Gods authority can be joyful even in his sufferingsand difficult situations. He is able to say, Although my heart is broken, my spirit stillpraises God. Although I feel pain, my spirit is still joyful. This is because I allow my God toreign in me, and I submit to His authority. I am a person under Gods restriction and rule

because I am saved and have been delivered by God from Satans authority and kingdom ofdarkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

Today the kingdom of the world is the authority of Satan (1 John 5:19); it is a loose andcarefree kingdom. God has delivered us from such a kingdom and transferred us into thekingdom of the Son of His love (Col. 1:13). When the Son of Gods love was on the earth,His living and walk were under the authority of God. He once said, My time has not yetcome, but your time is always ready (John 7:6). This was the Lords answer to those who

wanted Him to go up to Jerusalem for the feast. Essentially, He was saying to them, Youcan go up to Jerusalem for the feast anytime you desire, but the time is not right for Me.My time is not in My hands but in My Fathers hands. I am restricted by Him. I submit toHis authority and am under His ruling. When we are saved, we are transferred into thekingdom of the Son of Gods love, in which we are restricted and ruled by Him in the same

way that He was restricted and ruled by His Father.

Hence, we must be clear that when we are saved, our sins are forgiven, our spirit isregenerated, and we have Gods love; thus, we can be qualified to live in Gods kingdom,submit to Gods authority, and be ruled by God. In this way we will be able to live a life that


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is righteous toward ourselves, peaceful with others, and joyful in the Holy Spirit beforeGod.

CHAPTER TWO

WHAT THE KINGDOM IS TO THE

BELIEVERS(2)

SUBMITTING TO THE RULING OFTHE HEAVENS

Scripture Reading: Rev. 1:4b-6; 5:9-10; 4:2-5; 5:6; 1:14; Matt. 12:28; Luke

17:20-21

THE BELIEVERS BEING THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Revelation 1 and 5 reveal that the Lord has purchased us by His blood to make us Hiskingdom. The word kingdom in 1:6 and 5:10 is rendered citizens in the Chinese Union

Version. But the Greek word in these two verses means kingdom, which also implies themeaning of king. In Greek, as in English, king and kingdom have the same root. Whetherthe word is king or kingdom, it denotes royal authority, or sovereignty.

In the previous chapter we saw that the goal of the gospel of God is the kingdom of God.The reason God saves us through the gospel is to bring us into His kingdom. In thischapter we will go on to see from the book of Revelation that in saving us through the

blood of Jesus, God desires not only to transfer us into His kingdom but also to make usHis kingdom. In other words, in Gods eyes, we saved ones are not only saved into Hiskingdom but also constituted to be His kingdom. God purchased us by the blood of Jesusfor the purpose of making us His kingdom.

How can we become Gods kingdom? Gods ruling cannot be seen in or among fallenmankind. In this fallen world many people say, Where is God? Why should He control mylife? If I want to do good, I will do good; if I want to do evil, I will do evil. This is my own

sovereign right. This is the attitude of the world toward God; the majority of people havethis attitude. Although some may not have this attitude, neither are they under Godsruling. All fallen human beings reject Gods authority and do whatever they want. Theythink that as long as they do not break national laws or violate human regulations, they cando whatever they want according to their own will. This exposes the fact that Godsauthority has absolutely no ground in fallen man. It seems that Gods authority can becarried out in heaven but not on earth, for there is no one on earth who is willing to submitto Gods authority.

The first sentence God spoke in the New Testament through John the Baptist, and one Helater repeated through the Lord Jesus, was, The kingdom of the heavens has drawn near

(Matt. 3:2; 4:17). The Greek word for kingdom here may also be rendered sovereignty.Hence, that the kingdom of the heavens had drawn near means that the sovereignty of theheavens had drawn near. This indicates that an authority was coming to the earth, and thisauthority was not an ordinary authority but the royal authority of the heavens. The Greek

word for kingdom also denotes royal authority, and royal authority implies a kingdom. In


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heaven there is an authority, not an ordinary authority but the authority of the Head of theuniverse. The authority of the Head of the universe is a royal authority. In such anauthority and under such an authority, there is naturally a kingdom; this authority forms akingdom.

THE PROCESS THROUGH WHICH

GOD OBTAINS A KINGDOM ON THE EARTH

In the Old Testament age it seems that God was content to keep His authority in heaven,but in the New Testament age Gods intention is to bring His authority from heaven to theearth. His desire is to rule on earth and exercise His heavenly authority in a group ofpeople. However, these people are sinful (Rom. 3:23), corrupt in their nature to theuttermost (Jer. 17:9), and dead in their offenses and sins (Eph. 2:1). Because sin and deathreign in them (Rom. 5:14; 6:12), they are not able to accept Gods authority. Nevertheless,God desires to exercise His heavenly authority on earth and in man. In order for God to dothis, He must first deal with mans problems of sin and death.

On the cross the Lord Jesus bore the sins of fallen mankind; He cleansed away their sins

through His death and the shedding of His blood (1 Pet. 2:24). In this way He dealt withthe problem of their sin (John 1:29; Heb. 9:22). Then on the third day He was raised fromthe dead, and in His resurrection He released His life into the cleansed ones so that theirdeadened spirits might be enlivened and so that they might be regenerated (John 12:24;3:6; Eph. 2:5-6; John 10:10b). In this way He dealt with their problem of death (cf. 1 Cor.15:55). Hence, the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross deals with our sin, and Hisresurrection deals with our death (Rom. 4:24-25).

Now we are the cleansed and regenerated ones whose spirits have been enlivened. Becausewe have been cleansed and made alive, it is now possible for God to gain the ground andhave the way in us to bring the authority of heaven to the earth. In other words, it is now

possible for God to exercise His heavenly authority, His heavenly kingdom, over us.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD BEING

HIS RULING IN THE BELIEVERS

After being saved, we all sense One within us who is directing us. Brother Nee once told astory of something that occurred when he went up to a mountain for a time of rest. On themountain he took his meals in the home of a mechanic. This man had never gone toschool; he was illiterate. Also, this man liked to drink wine. His habit was to drink wine

before meals. His wife knew this habit and therefore always served him wine before meals.

Brother Nee eventually preached the gospel to him, led him to be saved, read the Bible tohim every day, and explained the truth to him. After receiving the Lord Jesus, themechanic gradually learned to read a little of the Bible. One day at meal time his wifeplaced wine on the table as usual, but when he bowed his head to give thanks for the meal,he could not utter a word and felt very uncomfortable inwardly. Therefore, he went tosearch the Word of God, desiring to learn what God says about drinking wine. However, hecould not find this matter in the Bible. He wanted to ask Brother Nee, but Brother Nee hadalready left and would not be back for a few months. His wife said, Just drink for now. We

will ask Brother Nee about this matter when we see him later. After a little consideration,because he believed that his wife was right and that God should not mind such a smallmatter, he decided to go ahead and drink. Strangely, however, he could not drink; he

simply could not take in the wine. Eventually, he told his wife, Take the wine away. It wasnot until the wine was removed that they were able to joyfully ask for the Lords blessingand take the meal together.


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The Lord Jesus did not tell this brother not to drink, a preacher did not tell him not todrink, and he himself could not find a verse in the Bible telling him not to drink. Why thendid he not drink the wine? When asked by Brother Nee about this matter, using a familiarterm in Chinese, he answered, I have a Resident Boss in me. He would not allow me todrink. Brother Nee then said, Very good, brother. You must continue to listen to thisResident Boss in you. The Resident Boss is the One who rules in us.

THE RULING OF THE HEAVENS CONSTITUTING

THE HEAVENLY PEOPLE INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Every saved one has a similar experience. Once we are saved and have received the Lord asour Savior, we immediately sense that there is a Boss in us, that there is One in us who isdirecting us. In the past someone might have overseen us outwardly, but as long as hecould not see us, we did whatever we wanted. However, from the day of our salvation thereis One who directs us inwardly. At times someone outside us may not be controlling us, butthe One inside us is. This control is the royal authority, the heavenly authority, the rulingof the heavens in us, and the kingdoms coming to us. As a result, we not only are savedinto the kingdom, but we also become part of the kingdom.

If all of us saved ones submit to the kingdoms ruling, we will be the kingdom, and thekingdom of God will be us. God will make us His kingdom. We will not only be saved byGod into His kingdom, but we will also become His kingdom. People will see that heaven isreigning in us. We will not be under the ruling of the law of man; rather, we will be underthe ruling of something higher, the ruling of the heavenly authority.

We have all known a newly saved one whose colleagues, neighbors, and relatives ask,What is wrong with this person? Who can make him like this? He neither intrudes onothers rights nor picks up the bad habits of society. We have never seen such a person. Heis truly a saint. He is righteous, and he does not fight with people or seek his own

interests. They do not know what has happened to him, but we know that the heavenlyauthority has entered into him.

There was a brother who was very capable and humorous. Before being saved, he was thecenter of attention at all the dinner parties among his colleagues; any party without him

was boring and no fun. Moreover, besides being clever and skillful, he was tall and strikingin appearance, and he was thus very popular among his colleagues. One day he heard thegospel and was saved. Within a year or two of his salvation, his entire being had completelychanged.

He continued to do his job as he had normally done. When his colleagues gathered

together, he would still join them, but something had changed. When his colleagues joked,at most he would smile without joining in. No matter how much they tried to tease him, he

would not joke as he did before. Sometimes they were angry and tried to provoke him, buthe would still not have any response. He still attended some of the dinner parties hosted byhis colleagues, but usually he simply sat there quietly. Others drank, but he did not; theysmoked, but he did not. No matter how noisy they were, he simply sat there calmly. In the

beginning everyone teased him and could not believe that what they saw was real. Theysaid, You know how to act, and now you are playing a trick, pretending to be one who

believes in Jesus. Do you think we have not seen people who believe in Jesus? We havenever seen one like you. You look very real. You are truly the top believer of Jesus in the

world. He again smiled and did not answer. He was not pretending; a change had taken

place in him.

After a period of time many of his colleagues testified that he had truly believed in Jesusand that if any of them were to believe in Jesus, they would follow him. Another group ofhis colleagues, however, opposed him severely, because now it was not as convenient for


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them to engage in dishonest practices for their personal gain while working with him.Formerly, he took the lead in such practices. Now that he had stopped, therespontaneously arose opposition from these colleagues. Nevertheless, people still saw thathe was different and were puzzled, not knowing why he had become strange. He was trulychanged.

One day we went to his hometown to preach the gospel. He was very joyful and invited usto his house for a love feast and fellowship. When his wife heard of his desire to invite us

over, she said, Very good. However, when we arrived, she served us leftovers. When thebrother ate with us, there were tears in his eyes. He said, I am very sorry. Nevertheless,we genuinely thanked and praised the Lord because our brother was truly changed.Eventually, his wife also observed the wonderful change in her husband. Formerly, herhusband had been very hot tempered, and his wife had been afraid of him. Now he wouldnot lose his temper even if she threw things at him; rather, he would withdraw to his room,kneel down, and pray. This greatly touched his wife, and eventually she also was saved andchanged.

Eventually, many people were saved because of this brothers testimony. Many of hiscolleagues along with their wives were saved. How could this brother have experienced

such a change? When we asked him about this, he said, Brothers, the Lord is living, andHe lives in me. When I am about to become angry, He will not allow me. I still have myflesh, but every time I become angry, He rules over me and forbids me. Previously, my

wifes behavior made me angry, but now the Lord in me is my living Boss. He forbids meand will not allow me to lose my temper.

This was the ruling of the heavens, the kingdom, coming to him. The kingdom had comeinto him. The authority of the kingdom was in him, and he was in the kingdom.Furthermore, because the authority of the kingdom was in him, he became part of thekingdom. Gods salvation had made him part of the kingdom. When we met him, we couldclearly sense that there was an authority in him. This authority was not the law of a nation

on earth but was the law of heaven, a heavenly law, a heavenly authority, a heavenly ruling,coming upon and entering into him. Hence, he was truly part of the kingdom.

THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US BEING JOINED

TO THE THRONE IN HEAVEN

In the same way, every saved person has a measure of the kingdom within him. Some havea greater measure, and others have a smaller measure. Every saved person has thekingdom within. If a person does not have the ruling of the kingdom within, that personssalvation is doubtful. The Lords salvation brings not only the Lords life but also the

heavenly rule into us. We know that every saved one has the Holy Spirit within. This HolySpirit is not only life and power but is connected to the throne in heaven.

The Holy Spirit in Revelation 4 and 5 is the seven Spirits before Gods throne (4:5; 5:6),showing that the Holy Spirit is connected to the throne. The Holy Spirit brings not onlyGods life but also Gods throne into us. On the one hand, He is the Spirit of power; on theother hand, He is the reigning Spirit, bringing Gods throne into our spirit. He is the Spirit

who causes Gods throne to rule in our spirit within us. Unless we are unsaved, the HolySpirit is in us; moreover, the Holy Spirit in us is not only the Spirit of life and the Spirit ofpower but also the reigning Spirit.

Many people speak of the Holy Spirits pouring out of the love of God into us, but they donot realize that the Holy Spirit not only pours out the love of God into us but also bringsGods throne and authority into us and sets up Gods throne in us. Some may ask what thethrone of God is. Gods throne is the source of Gods authority. In the universe all Godsauthority converges at Gods throne; Gods throne is Gods authority. Concerning Gods


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coming to judge the world, the first vision that John saw in Revelation was the throne(4:2). There is a throne in heaven, and the One who sits on the throne is God. He is theOne who rules the universe; He has all authority. He is the ruling God, the Lord of lords,the King of kings. He is the Sovereign, the great King, sitting on the throne, and allauthority is in His hand.

TO BE FALLEN BEING NOT TO SUBMIT

TO THE AUTHORITY OF GODS THRONE

Fallen people do not submit to the authority of Gods throne; rather, they rebel against thisauthority. In 1936 when I lived in Tientsin in northern China, one day I read somethingspoken by Mussolini, who was then the prime minister of Italy. He boasted that if theeternal Father were to speak to him, he would punch Him with his fist. At the time I readthis, Mussolini considered himself to be unrivaled in the world and thus had initiated a warto annex Ethiopia in East Africa. He boasted that the Mediterranean Sea would become aninland lake of Italy. At that time many considered him to be a great hero of Europe;historians today acknowledge this. However, when I read his boast, I said to the co-worker

brothers, This word of Mussolinis is terrible; he is too bold.

There is a throne in heaven, but Mussolini did not submit to the authority of the throne inheaven; he did not even acknowledge that authority. In his boast he was basically saying, Ido not care about the God in heaven or the eternal Father. If He were to speak to me andinterfere with me, I would punch Him with my fist. He did not submit at all to Godsauthority; he did not even recognize this authority. However, he was not able to resistGods authority for long. The fact is that whether or not we submit to it, the authority of thethrone cannot be shaken. History tells us that Mussolinis end was shameful and pathetic.Mussolini is dead, but the authority of Gods throne remains.

Hitler, a contemporary of Mussolini, was also one who rebelled against God. When Hitler

was at his peak, a brother who loved the Lord came back to Peiping from Germany. Oneday this brother told me, It was terrible. In Germany no one dared to speak about theLord Jesus openly. When they wished to talk about the Lord Jesus, they had to shut alltheir doors and windows. People on the outside loudly shouted the name of Hitler, as if he

were God and Christ. Did Hitler submit to Gods authority? Not at all. However, was heable to resist Gods authority for long? History tells us that like Mussolini, Hitlers end wasa tragic death. Hitler died, but the authority of Gods throne remains.

THE GOSPEL OF GOD BEING TO SAVE MAN

INTO THE AUTHORITY OF THE KINGDOM

Many today, however, still do not submit to the authority of Gods throne; they are trulypitiful and foolish. We all need to ask ourselves, Have we not repented? Have we not beensaved? Have we not been enlightened? Are we not full of light? Do we not have the life ofGod and the Holy Spirit? Would we also not submit to Gods authority today? Godsthrone is not objective to us but subjective; it is not merely in heaven but has beenconnected to us inwardly. This can be compared to the electricity from a power plant. Theelectricity does not stay in the power plant but flows into the house and the lamp.

When we are saved, God gives us the Holy Spirit. With this Spirit the authority of Godsthrone is brought into us. From this perspective, every saved person has Gods throne,

Gods reign, and Gods authority within. Some may ask, What is this authority? Thisauthority is the Holy Spirit who indwells us. The seven Spirits before Gods throne havebeen sent forth to enter into us. Today the Holy Spirit in us is the Spirit of life and theSpirit of power; moreover, He is the Spirit of authority. He is in us not only to be our life


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and our power but also to be our Lord, our King, the reign of God in us, and the authorityof God in us. Hence, since the Holy Spirit is in us, we have Gods throne in us.

After we are saved, if we sense a restriction in us prohibiting us from acting loosely andcarelessly, this sense is not produced by any ordinances of Christianity or any teachings ofthe church. Rather, it is altogether the operation of the Holy Spirit within us. When theHoly Spirit indwells us, the kingdom of God is in us; that is, the kingdom of God has comeupon us (cf. Matt. 12:28). Where the Holy Spirit is, Gods kingdom, Gods throne, and

Gods authority are also. Today, since the Holy Spirit is in us, Gods throne and Godsauthority are in us. Everything hinges on our realization of this.

It is disheartening that todays Christianity has been deformed and that even the gospelhas been twisted out of shape. Much of the gospel preached by Christianity is concerningheaven, the heavenly mansion, as if the gospel were heaven. This causes Catholics andChristians to have the concept of heaven in their mind, making them disciples of heaven.The thought of heaven, the concept of a heavenly mansion, however, has no position in theBible. What the Bible shows emphatically is the kingdom of heaven, that is, the kingdom.Please recall that the word kingdom in Greek denotes sovereignty. Hence, this word can berendered as kingdom or as sovereignty.

The purpose of the gospel is not to save us into a heavenly mansion, for no such mansionexists. Rather, the gospel is to save us into Gods kingdom and authority, the heavenlyauthority. As saved ones, we should not spend every day wishing to go to heaven. Godnever says that the goal of His gospel is to save man into heaven. However, His Wordclearly indicates that the goal of His gospel is to save man into His heavenly authority, Hisheavenly kingdom.

There is a throne of God in the universe. God is the Sovereign in the universe, the greatKing, and the Ruler of the universe. He rules not only over the angels in heaven but alsoover the descendants of Adam on earth. He rules not only over the living things in heaven

but also over the living creatures on earth. Yet the people on earth rebel against Him,following His enemy Satan to rebel against His authority. Just as Satan does not submit toGods authority, people on earth also do not submit to Gods authority. Men such asMussolini and Hitler best represent the people on earth who are filled with a spirit ofrebellion and boastfully say, Who is God? If He comes to intervene, I will use my fist todeal with Him. What a blasphemy this is! Although many people treat God this way, Godsthrone remains forever. When those people reach the end of their life, they will have toacknowledge the authority of Gods ruling. Lavrenty Beria, a secret police chief of theCommunist party in Russia, once said, What is God? Where is God? But it is said that

when he was about to be executed, he requested that someone read the Bible to him.

This is the situation of fallen menthey reject Gods throne. The Bible says, Repent, forthe kingdom of the heavens has drawn near (Matt. 3:2; 4:17). It also says, Who [theFather] delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdomof the Son of His love (Col. 1:13). In other words, God has saved us into the authority ofthe Son of His love. Therefore, we saved ones are not lawless and godless people. We trulyhave the law of heaven and are under the ruling of the authority in heaven. When werepent, we turn back to God, receive Him as our Lord, allow Him to put His life in us, andsimultaneously allow His Spirit to enter into us, bringing His throne and authority into us.

CHRISTIANS NEEDING TO SUBMIT

TO THE HEAVENLY RULING

In the Lords table meeting we often hear the saints offer praises, praying, Lord, we thankand praise You for putting Your life in us. However, I have never heard a brother or asister say, Lord, we thank and praise You for bringing Your throne into our being. If we


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have a proper feeling regarding our salvation and see the kingdom clearly, we will say tothe Lord, Lord, we thank and praise You because not only have You given Your life to us,

but You have also brought Your throne into our being. I believe that after offering suchpraise at the table meeting, our entire being will be changed because the throne will ruleover us within. If we are about to tell a joke, the throne will rule over us. If we are about tocriticize, judge, or expose the weaknesses of others, the throne will rule over us within. If

we are about to lose our temper toward our parents or children, as we begin to lose ourtemper, the throne will rule over us.

It is terrible that Christians today seem to fear everyone except God. If Christians todaywould fear God in the way that they fear the police, they would all be proper Christians. Ihave seen many Christians who are genuinely saved and are even quite zealous but who donot fear God. They fear the police more than God.

When the Japanese invaded China and occupied my hometown of Chefoo, one day aJapanese military policeman informed us that we were required to attend a meeting thenext day at 8:00 A.M. The next day no one dared to be late. In fact, everyone arrived at7:30 A.M. and attended the meeting in an orderly manner. The way they attended thatmeeting was much better than the way we attend our meetings today. Why is this? It is

because everyone was afraid of the Japanese military police. In our meetings, however, itseems that God can easily be ignored. This is the reason that our situation is different.

Although the responsible brothers always announce that we should come to the meetingsearly, the saints often come late. The closer they live to the meeting hall, the later theyarrive.

If one day some Japanese military police came to notify us that we all had to gather at 5:00A.M. the next morning, do you think that anyone would dare to be late? But after we tellthe saints, You must rise up early to pray and read the Lords Word, they may say, I didnot go to sleep until 11:00 P.M. I really cannot rise up in the morning. Others may say, Ihave not been feeling very well lately; I really cannot rise up early. However, if some

Japanese military police came to their home, as soon as they heard the footsteps, theywould not dare give any excuses. If they were told to gather at 5:00 A.M., they probablywould arrive at 4:30 A.M. I would like to ask, Is this kind of Christian proper?

When we do not submit or yield to God and are not restricted by God, do we have peacewithin? Are we joyful Christians? This is why we are afraid to pray with others. When it istime to pray, you want me to pray, and I want you to pray. Neither of us can open ourmouths. This is also why we are afraid that the brothers and sisters will come to visit us. Itis because when they come, we will have to pray with them. Why are we afraid of praying?It is because we feel that we do not want to face God. We know that we have hurt Him andopposed Him. He often commands us, demands things of us, and even works in us, but we

do not respond to Him and are unwilling to submit to Him. We oppose Him and are notsubmissive to Him, whether in great things or in small things. Hence, our spirit within is acrushed spirit, a grieving spirit. There is no peace or joy in us, and we can neither praiseGod nor give thanks to Him.

In our daily living, if we are willing to submit to the heavenly authority in great things andsmall things and allow the throne in heaven to reign in us, whenever we pray, our spirit

will be joyful and our mouth will be filled with praises. At the same time, we will givethanks to God at every opportunity. Our spirit will be full of joy because we have allowedGod to reign in us. We will be persons who are in the kingdom and have a part in thekingdom, and the heavenly authority of the kingdom will be in us.

We must see that every saved one has not only Gods life but also Gods authority, Godsthrone, within. In other words, the kingdom is in us. The kingdom is Christ as well as theHoly Spirit. He is the reigning authority. He is Christ, the Lord of lords and the King ofkings. Where He is, there the throne is also. Where He is, there the authority is also. Where


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He is, there the kingdom is also. Have you been saved and received God? Do you not haveGods life in you? Is the Holy Spirit not in you? Is Christ not in you? This is sufficient. Thisis the throne, this is the authority, this is the kingdom of the heavens, and this is thekingdom.

Now the question is, will we submit to the Lord? I believe that none of us will say, I willnot submit. However, in our actual condition we are often loose and self-willed. Ifsomeone says that we have never submitted to God or been ruled by the throne within, we

will feel that we have been wrongly spoken of. After all, we can testify that in certainmatters we dare not be loose because there is an authority, a throne, a ruling, in us, and wesubmit to it. However, in many more matters we lay the throne aside.

For example, many brothers and sisters are careless in losing their temper, in becomingangry, in criticizing others, in envying others, in hating others, and in the way they dothings. These situations show that we are not under the ruling and restriction of heaven;thus, we nullify the heavenly authority in us. After a period of time, however, the HolySpirit comes again. He is the authoritythe seven Spirits before the throneand Hedesires to reestablish the throne in us. As long as we give Him a little opportunity, we willrealize that the throne, the ruling, the authority, and the kingdom are still in us. From the

day of our salvation, the kingdom and the authority are always in us. The question iswhether or not we submit.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE KINGDOM BEING

THE RULING OF THE HEAVENS

The Bible reveals that the first meaning of the kingdom is the ruling of the heavens, theheavenly authority, entering into us and ruling us that we may live a heavenly life, arestricted life, in practicality. In our speech, attitude, walk, action, and even expression andcountenance, we must be restricted by the kingdom. In our daily living, even in our apparel

and appearance, we must be under the restriction of the kingdom. In all things, such as ourdealing with people, our handling of situations, our handling of material riches, and ourmanaging of our household, we must be restricted by the throne.

This restriction is higher than the laws of a nation, higher than human ethics, and higherthan the requirements of society. This restriction is the heavenly authority brought into us.The authority that has been brought into us is the seven Spirits who are before the throne.The sevenfold Spirit of God has entered into us with Gods throne and is ruling andreigning within us. If we submit to Him, we will be blessed, for the kingdom will be ours.

We will be part of the kingdom.

THE EXERCISE OF THE KINGDOM AUTHORITYBRINGING IN THE REIGNING WITH CHRIST

IN THE MANIFESTATION OF THE KINGDOM

When we submit to the throne today, we are in the kingdom. In the future the secondmeaning of the kingdom, the aspect of the sphere of the kingdom, will be manifested onthe earth. At that time the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of our Lord andof His Christ (Rev. 11:15). When this kingdom is manifested on the earth, we will enter intoit.

The aspect of the sphere of the kingdom is a matter of prophecy; we will enter into it in thefuture. However, the aspect of the authority of the kingdom is not a matter of prophecy orsomething in the future. Rather, it is something practical, something we can experiencetoday, because it is a living under the ruling of the kingdom in actuality. From the day weare saved, the Holy Spirit is in us, bringing Gods throne, the heavenly authority, and the


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authority of the kingdom into us. If we learn to be under the inward ruling and restrictionand practically have this kind of living, we will be in the kingdom. Then one day when thesphere of the kingdom is fully manifested, we will be able to enter into it and rule and reign

with the Lord.

Strictly speaking, those who will enter into the kingdom will not be citizens but will bekings. We have not attained to the stage of being kings today, but we are princes.Therefore, we need to be trained. We are in the kingdom today, not mainly as citizens but

as princes who are receiving the training of the ruling, the throne, and the authority. Oneday we will be enthroned to reign with the Lord.

Only those who receive the training to be under this heavenly authority today will be ableto exercise this heavenly authority in the future. Today on the earth, on one hand, we areliving as the kingdom people under the authority of the kingdom, and on the other hand,

we are living as princes, Gods children, the children of the great King, to be trained toreign in Gods kingdom. Therefore, we must seriously learn to be restricted, ruled, andtrained under the authority of the kingdom. If today we learn to be under Gods authority,reigning, and ruling, one day He will cause us to rule and reign with His beloved Son.

Although this is a matter in the future, it should encourage us to live under the authority of

the heavens today.

CHAPTER THREE

WHAT THE KINGDOM IS TO THEBELIEVERS

(3)

GODS KINGDOM, RULING, ANDGLORY

Scripture Reading: Luke 19:11-13, 15; Psa. 2:6-7; Dan. 7:13-14; Acts 2:33, 36;John 16:13-15; Rev. 22:1-2

The kingdom is a crucial truth in the Bible. If we truly know the Bible, we will realize thatthe entire story of God in the universe is a story of ruling, that is, a story of obtaining a

kingdom. It is easy to see that for a great person to fulfill his desire and manifest his glory,he must possess authority and acquire a kingdom. If he cannot acquire a kingdom andexercise his authority in it, he will have no way to carry out his plans and show forth hisglory.

Whenever the kingdom is mentioned in the Bible, it is usually associated with authorityand glory. Consider, for example, the Lords prayer in Matthew 6. At the end of this prayerthree items are mentioned together. The Lord prayed, Yours is the kingdom and thepower and the glory (v. 13). Daniel 7:14 also puts these three items together, saying thatthe Son of Man was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom from God. Without a kingdom,God has no way to exercise His authority; without the exercise of His authority, God has no

way to fulfill His desire; and without the fulfillment of His desire, God has no way toexpress His honor and glory.

In verses 9 and 10 of His prayer in Matthew 6, the Lord mentioned three things. First, theLord prayed, Your name be sanctified (v. 9). This is a matter of glory. For Gods name to


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be sanctified on earth is a matter of Gods being glorified. The Lord continued, Yourkingdom come (v. 10a), and then went on to pray, Your will be done, as in heaven, so alsoon earth (v. 10b). This shows that the carrying out of Gods will is a matter of the exerciseof His authority. If the sovereignty of a nation cannot be exercised in a certain place, thelaws of that nation cannot be executed there. In order to execute a law and accomplish apurpose, a nation must be able to exercise its sovereignty. Laws are related to the will. Inorder to carry out His will on earth, God must extend His authority to the earth, and inorder to extend His authority to the earth, He must obtain a kingdom on the earth. Once

He acquires a kingdom, He will be able to exercise His authority, carry out His will, causeHis name to be sanctified, and receive glory.

Thus, we see that these great mattersthe will of God, the glory of God, and thesanctification of Gods namedepend on Gods kingdom. Once God has His kingdom, His

will will be done, His name will be sanctified, and He will be glorified. The key to thesematters is whether or not God can obtain His kingdom. The foundation of Gods kingdomis the throne of Gods rule.

SATAN AND MAN HAVING REBELLED

AGAINST GODS AUTHORITY

The Bible clearly shows that the only thing Satan wants to do in the universe is tooverthrow Gods throne. Isaiah 14 reveals that Satan wanted to exalt his throne to be equal

with God (v. 13). This means that Satan intends to violate Gods sovereignty, usurp Godsauthority, and overthrow Gods throne; he intends to establish his own kingdom in theuniverse. In Matthew 12 the Lord Jesus spoke of two kingdoms, the kingdom of God andthe kingdom of Satan. He said, If I, by the Spirit of God, cast out the demons, then thekingdom of God has come upon you (v. 28). He also said, If Satan casts out Satan...howthen will his kingdom stand? (v. 26). This shows that there are two kingdoms in theuniverse. One is Gods kingdom, and the other is Satans kingdom. One is Gods exercise of

His authority, and the other is Satans usurpation of Gods authority. One is Godsestablishing of His throne for the exercise of His authority, and the other is Satansoverthrowing of Gods throne for the setting up of his own authority.

The matter of authority is mentioned in the very beginning of the Bible. Genesis 1 showsthat God gave man the authority to have dominion over all the living things in the sea, inthe air, and on the earth (v. 26). The way Satan stole man away from God was to seduceman to rebel against God, to usurp Gods authority. When man sinned, he did not merely

violate a rule; even more, he revolted against God, rebelled against God, and put Godsauthority aside, denying Gods authority and rejecting Gods rule. Just as Satan rebelledagainst God, man also rebelled against God. The first creatures God created were the

angels, among whom the archangel led many to rebel. Later, God created man, who alsorebelled. One can say that man and Satan acted as a team to rebel against God.

GOD GIVING THE AUTHORITY, THE KINGDOM,

AND THE THRONE TO THE LORD JESUS

After man and Satan rebelled together against God, God determined to become a man; Hebecame a man in the Son. This is a great matter. God became a man in the Son andentrusted all His authority to the Son. Therefore, all Gods glory is in the Son. We can saythat the Son is the embodiment of Gods authority. When the Lord Jesus stood as a man

among the Jews and was questioned by some of them as to when the kingdom of God wascoming, He answered, The kingdom of God is in the midst of you (Luke 17:20-21).

When the Lord Jesus spoke this word, He meant that He Himself was the kingdom of GodHis being in the midst of the Jews was Gods kingdom being in their midst. He did not


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want the Jews to think that the kingdom of God was here or there; actually, thekingdom of God was in their midst (v. 21). He Himself was the kingdom of God. All Godsauthority was with Him, and Gods throne also was with Him. Apart from Christ mancannot find the kingdom of God, apart from Him man cannot touch the authority of God,and apart from Him there is no throne of God. All Gods authority is with Him; He is Godsauthority. Hence, He is the effulgence of Gods glory. The expression of Gods glory is inGods authority, and all Gods authority is with Christ. Therefore, He is Gods authority andGods kingdom, and Gods glory rests with Him.

I hope that all Gods children can see that the kingdom of God is not something only in thefuture. We should not study it as an objective and prophetic matter. Actually, Godskingdom is Christ, the Son of God. All Gods authority is with the Lord Jesus. When we

believed in the Lord, we received the Lord Jesus as our Savior and prayed, Lord, I receiveYou into my being. However, we did not know that the Lord whom we received is not onlythe Savior and the One who is life but also the King. He is the kingdom, and He is theauthority. Once we receive Him into us, we have not only the Savior and the One who is life

but also the Lord and the King. There is an authority, a kingdom, in us. This kingdom isChrist Himself. Today Gods kingdom is not only outside of us but also within us. Thiskingdom is Christ, our Savior, who is the authority in us, having set up His throne in us

and been enthroned in us.

When the Lord Jesus was about to depart from the world, He revealed that He wouldreceive for Himself a kingdom and return (Luke 19:12). In fact, Gods kingdom andauthority had long been with Him, but God had a particular procedure and way of doingthings. In eternity past God gave His authority and kingdom to His Son; these items hadlong been with the Son. Yet the Lord Jesus said that He was going to receive a kingdom. In

what way did He go? He went by death. The way by which the Lord received His kingdomwas death and resurrection. When the Lord was raised from the dead, He ascended toheaven, and God exalted Him to His right hand, making Him both Lord and Christ. Thisofficially demonstrated to the entire universe that God had given His kingdom to the Son.

In Psalm 2 God declared, I have installed My King / Upon Zion, My holy mountain (v. 6).When did God say this? He said this when He raised the Lord Jesus from the dead. At thattime the Lord Jesus heard God say to Him, You are My Son; / Today I have begotten You(v. 7). This is the word God spoke to His Son in His resurrection. After the Lord Jesus wasresurrected, God told Him that He had begotten Him and that He had also made HimKing. Thus, in Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up and said, Let all the house ofIsrael know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom youhave crucified (v. 36). The authority, the kingdom, and the throne have been given to theLord; He has been enthroned, and everything pertaining to the kingdom rests with Him.

Perhaps someone would ask Peter, How do you know that God has made Jesus both Lordand Christ? Have you been to heaven? How do you know that Christ has ascended toheaven and has been enthroned? Peter could answer, Have you not seen that the HolySpirit has descended? On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended. The fact that theHoly Spirit descended proves that Jesus was made by God both Lord and Christ. BecauseHe was exalted, enthroned, and made both Lord and Christ, God gave Him the Holy Spirit,

who was then poured out. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit confirms and declares to usthe authority that God has given to the Lord Jesus.

When the Lord Jesus was about to depart from the world, He told His disciples that theHoly Spirit, whom the Father was about to send, would declare to them all that the Fatherhad given Him; the Holy Spirit would come from the Lord Jesus and would declare to thedisciples all that the Lord had received (John 14:26; 16:13-15). What did the Lord receive?The Lord received Gods throne and Gods authority, and He was made by God both Lordand Christ. After the Holy Spirit had entered into the disciples and had been poured out


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upon them, He testified in them and led them to know that the Lord was on the throne,that Gods kingdom was with Him, and that Gods authority was in His hands.

On the one hand, the Lord was on the throne, having obtained the authority, the throne,and the kingdom. On the other hand, those in the world did not know Him; they did notknow that the Lord Jesus was on the throne, that He had the authority, and that He hadreceived the kingdom. Although the world was ignorant, rejecting Christ as the King withHis ruling, His kingdom, and His throne, God did something special: He poured out the

Holy Spirit. On whom did He pour out the Holy Spirit? He poured out the Holy Spirit onthose who believed in Jesus. God caused the Holy Spirit to enter into those who believed inJesus, and He also poured out the Holy Spirit upon them. Although the world rejectsChrist as King, God nevertheless desires that the gospel would be preached everywhere.This gospel is the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 24:14).

No matter where this gospel is preached, as soon as someone prays to Jesus, saying, LordJesus, I am a sinner. I repent and receive You as my Savior, the Holy Spirit will enter intohim and come upon him. This is an earthshaking experience. Perhaps some do not realizehow great this matter is because they do not know what the Holy Spirit will do after Hecomes into them and upon them. We need to remember that the Holy Spirit entering into

us and being poured out upon us is not only to give us peace through the forgiveness ofsins and not only for Gods life to come into us, but also it is the Lord Himself entering intous.

Who is this Lord who comes into us when the Spirit comes into us? We may know that Heis the Lord who died for us on the cross. However, when we receive Him as our Savior and

when He enters into us as the Spirit, He is not the Lord on the cross but the Lord on thethrone. The One whom we receive is the Lord who was nailed to the cross; however, todayHe is no longer on the cross but on the throne.

The Lord whom we receive is the Lord on the throne. He was crucified, but then He passed

through the tomb, resurrected, and ascended to the heights. God exalted Him to His righthand, enthroned Him, and gave Him all authority in heaven and on earth (28:18). Godmade Him Lord and King; He is the King on the throne. Before we were saved, the HolySpirit came to us, moving us and telling us that we were sinners and that we needed torepent, receive the Lord, and believe in Jesus. As a result, we were touched and prayed, OLord, I am a sinner. You died for me, and I receive You as my Savior. We should neverconsider this to be a small matter. As we prayed, our sins were forgiven. As we prayed, weobtained peace. As we prayed, the Lord entered into us. This is a great matter, somethingmarvelous, because through this the enthroned Jesus entered into us.

This Jesus is a marvelous One. We must see that He is not only the crucified Jesus but also

the One who is on the throne. When we receive Him, He comes into us not from the crossbut from the throne. Moreover, He comes into us not only from the throne but also withthe throne.

Hence, when we are saved, we receive the Savior and also the King of kings and the Lord oflords. Many gospel hymns depict a scene similar to what is portrayed in the following lines:I prostrated myself before the cross, before the pierced feet of the Lord Jesus. I saw thenail marks on His hands. I saw His pierced side. I saw the stripes on His back. I saw thethorny crown on His head. I saw the thorns piercing into His head; His blood flowed outdrop by drop. I then knelt down before the crucified Jesus, receiving this man on the crossas my Savior. Many hymns are similar to this in utterance and expression. We must know,however, that this is a prayer uttered by those whose eyes have not been opened and whohave not seen the vision on the mountain. What they see is the Jerusalem on earth and thehill called Golgotha, which was outside the city of Jerusalem and on which was a cross

where the crucified Jesus was hung. The light they have received enables them to seemerely the things on earth and not the scene in heaven.


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We need to see that the Lord is no longer on the cross or in the tomb. On the morning ofHis resurrection, when those who loved Him came to look for Him in the tomb, it wasempty. The angels said to them, He is not here, for He has been raised, even as He said(v. 6). Furthermore, on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended from heaven uponPeter. At that time Peter became crazy, or he must have at least been trembling as he wasspeaking, for people thought that he was drunk. Peter told the people that it was not thetime to be drunk, for it was nine oclock in the morning, and no one drinks at that time(Acts 2:15). However, people supposed that Peter was a drunkard; this shows that the Holy

Spirit had truly descended upon him. When the Holy Spirit came upon Peter, he becamebeside himself.

Peter was formerly a fisherman of Galilee; he did not have much learning. However, on theday of Pentecost he was bold, powerful, and eloquent, fearing neither heaven nor earth. Hedid not fear the Roman Empire, the Jewish religion, the high priest, the Pharisees, or theelders; he preached Jesus the Nazarene as Lord. People there thought that he was insane,

but he told them, Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him bothLord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified (v. 36). When the Israelites heardthis, they were pricked in their heart. Then Peter charged them to repent and receive thegift of the Holy Spirit (vv. 37-38).

When we are willing to receive and gain this Holy Spirit, He will enter into us, give uspeace through the forgiveness of sins, and give us eternal life. Moreover, when the HolySpirit enters into us, the Lord Jesus enters into us. The Jesus who enters into us is theJesus on the throne, the exalted One, the One who was made both Lord and Christ. WhatHe brings into us is not merely the cross but the throne. The Lord on the throne comes intous with His throne; He comes not only to be our life but also to be our authority. He is notonly our Savior but also the kingdom. He is Gods kingdom, Gods authority, and Hedesires to set up His throne in us. He is on the throne as the King in us. We need toremember that this is what it means to be a Christian.

The experience of a Christian is not merely an experience of life and peace but also anexperience of the kingdom, of the throne, of the authority, and of the King of kings. TheOne in us is not only the lowly Jesus but also the glorified Christ. He is not only the Jesusrejected by man but also the Christ exalted by God, and all authority in heaven and onearth has been given to Him.

THE SAVED ONES HAVING A KINGDOM,

A GOVERNMENT, WITHIN THEM

There is no way for us to receive the Lord and yet set aside His authority. We should not

say to the Lord, I am too small to contain You, Lord, much less to contain Your throne.Neither should we tell Him, Lord, I want only life and peace; I do not want the kingdomand authority. If we speak to the Lord in this way, the Lord will answer, If you want lifeand peace, you must also receive the kingdom and authority. If you want the Savior, youmust also receive the King. I am the Savior as well as the King. I was not only crucified butalso enthroned. I passed through the cross, and now I am sitting on the throne. I come into

you not from the cross but from the throne. As the Lord of lords and King of kings, I amcoming into you with My throne. What is this? This is an experience of the kingdom.

Although our outward being is small, our inward being is truly great, for within us there isa kingdom. We have a kingdom, a throne, and the King of kingsChrist, the Ruler of the

kings of the earthwithin us. This is our inward experience. I hope that all Gods childrencan see this.

We should never consider salvation to be a small matter. Some who have seen thatsalvation is not a small matter often pray, I have been regenerated; I have Gods life and


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have become Gods child. This is a great matter! We need to see, however, that the fact isactually greater than this. We must see that Gods kingdom, Gods throne, Gods King, andthe King of kings are all in us.

The people on earth forsook the Lord Jesus, but the heavens welcomed Him. Furthermore,after the people on earth rejected Him, He as the Spirit descended from heaven. The Spiritcame with the gospel, and this gospel is the gospel of the kingdom. When we hear thegospel and repent, we receive this Savior; this Spirit comes into us. What kind of Spirit is

He? He is the Spirit flowing from the throne, the seven Spirits before the throne (Rev. 4:5).Once He comes into us, He gives us peace through the forgiveness of sins, and He gives uslife as well. He also brings the throne into us; that is, He brings the Lord on the throne intoour being. In this way our being becomes the heavenly kingdom; we have the authority, thethrone, the King, the reigning, and the ruling within. Using a secular term, we may say that

we have a government in us.

There is a kingdom in every saved one. What a gospel this is! Perhaps some do not acceptthis word. We may accept the fact that when we believe in Jesus, we have eternal life, but itis difficult to accept the fact that when we believe in Jesus, we have the kingdom in us. Wemay feel that it is wonderful to know that we have obtained eternal life, but we may not like

to hear that the kingdom, the laws of the kingdom, and the King of the kingdom also are inus. Although some may not believe this word, it is based on the Bible. It may be that someinitially agree with this word, but after seeing themselves still watching movies andquarreling with their family members, they simply cannot believe that the kingdom, thethrone, and the King of kings are in them. This is truly difficult for man to believe.

I would ask you only one thing: Are you saved? As long as you are a saved one, there islife in you. Moreover, Christ is in you, the authority is in you, the King of kings is in you,and the kingdom is in you also. The One whom we have received is exceedingly great.

THE SAVIOR ON THE THRONE

BEING THE KING OF KINGS

We should know that the greater a person is, the more forgiving and meek he will be. Theexperienced ones know that little children are easily offended. Whenever I visit a family, Iam afraid of the children. I am not afraid that they will hit me, but I am afraid that I willoffend them. Sometimes I tease them playfully, and they begin to cry. It is very easy forchildren to be offended; they are very young and are therefore narrow-minded. Theparents, being adults, are different. They are not easily offended. For example, if I ask foranother bowl of soup or break a glass, they will not have much of a reaction, nor will theymake me feel embarrassed. Children, however, are different. If I take a piece of candy from

a child, he will surely cry. Even if I return the candy to him, I may still not be able to calmhim down and stop him from crying, because he is a child and is small-minded. We need torealize that our Lord is the King of kings; as such, He is a great person. It does not matter if

we offend Him, but I say this not to encourage you to do so. If you say to Him, I stronglydesire to go to the movies, He may say, Go ahead. He does not want you to go, but if yougreatly desire to go, He will allow you to go. He is a very great person.

You may sometimes lose your temper, and although He does not like it, He allows it.However, it is certain that after you are saved and become a Christian, when you do thingsthat are displeasing to Him, although He may allow you to do those things, you will nothave peace within. If you are genuinely saved and are thus a genuine Christian, every time

you do certain things, you will sense no peace within; rather, you will sense that you arerebellious and are doing things contrary to the Lord. You will sense that you are adisobedient and rebellious one. Perhaps you may console yourself by saying, I did notsteal or rob from others; I merely lost my temper a little. Besides, everyone has a temper.Strangely, no matter how you try to convince yourself, you still will not have peace; He is


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still not responding in you. He is not like an earthly government, which would ask thepolice to st

witness lee - what the kingdom is to the believers

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