The Believers (1)
Message Eleven
Stars, the Man-child, the Firstfruits, the Harvest, and Jasper and Other Precious Stones
THE EXTRACT OF THE OUTLINES
Scripture reading:
Rev. 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw upon My right hand and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches…
I. In the time of the degradation of the church, the faithful believers are the shining stars, bearing the living testimony of Jesus—Rev. 1:20: (Monday)
A. The heavenly Christ is the Star out of Jacob and the morning star as a reward to the overcoming believers; the faithful followers of Christ are the shining, living stars—Num. 24:17; Rev. 2:28; Matt. 2:2-12.
B. The living stars are those who praise God and bless God’s people; those who speak positively concerning the church receive the blessing—Num. 24:9; Eph. 1:3.
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C. Wandering stars are those who are not stably established in the unchanging truths of the heavenly revelation; for us to be stable stars, we must beware of the seven kinds of people who damage the church—Jude 12-13, 19. (Tuesday)
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II. The man-child signifies the overcomers who cooperate with Christ to withstand His enemy and bring in the kingdom of God—Rev. 12:1-11: (Wednesday)
A. The way for us to become the man-child is to be strengthened into the inner man so that we may be empowered, and to become strong by putting on the armor of God through pray-reading the killing word—Eph. 3:16, 18; 6:17-18.
B. The brothers overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they loved not their soul-life even unto death—Rev. 12:11.
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C. Abigail typifies the church fighting for God’s kingdom in the midst of hardship, being one with the fighting Christ—Matt. 12:3; 1 Sam. 25:42. (Thursday)
D. Gideon and his three hundred men signify a blended group of overcomers who fight together with Christ to bring in His kingdom—Judg. 6:1-6, 11-35; 7:1-8, 19-25.
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III. The early overcomers are the firstripe in God’s field, reaped before the harvest of the crop, as the firstfruit to God and to the Lamb—Rev. 14:1-5: (Friday)
A. The meaning of rapture is to be brought into the Lord’s presence; we need to have a heart to love the Lord and treasure Him in His presence today for the Lord’s purpose—2 Cor. 2:10; 4:6-7.
B. Our rapture depends on our maturity in the divine life, which is through our walking with God, that is, taking Him as our center and everything—Gen. 5:22-24; Heb. 11:5-6.
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IV. The overcoming believers are signified by jasper and other precious stones—Rev. 21:9-11, 18-21: (Saturday)
A. Jasper signifies the appearance of God, shining with the glory of God as the light of New Jerusalem to express God—Rev. 4:3.
B. Through growing in the divine life in Christ as the living stone, we are transformed into precious stones to the praise of the glory of His grace, making us the New Jerusalem—1 Pet. 2:4; Eph. 1:6; Rev. 21:18-21.
