GALATIANS THE SONSHIP The Work of an Apostle Evangelizing Week 4 The Vision of Revelation 12 (Rev. 12:1, 5-6) Daily Food www.dailyfood.ca 1
Monday Scripture Reading: Gen. 49:11-12; Rom. 8:15; Eph. 1:5; Rev. 12:1, 5-6 That we might receive sonship. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father! Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ (Gal. 4:5b-7 lit.) GOD S DESIRE: SONSHIP God wants His children to reach full sonship full maturity through Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:5). Having sent His Son in the fullness of the times, God gave us a way to pursue the full sonship in that He gave us the Spirit of sonship by whom we cry out, Abba, Father! (Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:15). In Aramaic, the term Abba means Daddy, indicating the intimate relationship between a father and son. God our Father desires to work His own life into us, making us His true heirs. The work of sonship we are currently experiencing can be illustrated by the donkey and lion mentioned in Genesis 49:11-12, which represent the transformation we go through. In addition to speaking of Jacob s blessing for his son, Judah, this passage also describes God s desire to make us kings that we may reign with Him. We should never underestimate our donkey-like nature, ever obstinate and stubborn. Let us advance from the donkey stage and become lions! If we remain bound to the choicest vine and wash our clothes in the blood of grapes, that is, if we continually call on the Lord s name and take His Word in prayer, we will surely be transformed! This week, we will take a look at yet another illustration to help us understand how to reach the sonship. Revelation 12 speaks of a woman about to give birth to a man child, and of a great red dragon, waiting to devour him. Born mature and ready to reign with the Lord, the man child 2
was caught up to the throne of God before the dragon could snatch him. Revelation 12:1-2 reads, Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. The Bible gives us illustrations full of spiritual significance and application. Among them is the woman mentioned in the verses above, who represents the totality of God s people throughout space and time. They were a light shining throughout the generations, from the forefathers (the stars), to the children of Israel with God s commandments (the moon), to those clothed with Christ (the sun) as their righteousness the New Testament saints who have the testimony of Christ. This passage tells us that this woman was about to give birth, crying out in labor pangs. Her suffering indicates God s work throughout the centuries to produce overcomers out of those He called. Finally, through much suffering, this universal woman gives birth to a man child, who will reign over the nations. Hallelujah! Key Point: Being transformed from donkeys into lions. Your Key Point: Question: What is the relationship between the matter of sonship and the illustrations found in Genesis 49 and Revelation 12? 3
Tuesday Scripture Reading: Gen. 3:1-6; 1 Pet. 5:8-10; Rev. 12:7-9 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you (1 Pet. 5:10) THE WRATH OF THE GREAT RED DRAGON Continuing with the vision in Revelation 12, verses 3-4 read, And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. These verses speak of yet another sign, a dragon seeking to devour the son of the universal woman. Knowing that the man child is very important in God s plan, the dragon wants to devour him. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne (v. 5). Unable to devour the man child, the dragon focused his anger on the woman, persecuting her and causing her to flee into the wilderness. According to verse 6, this wilderness is a place prepared by God to nurture the woman for a period of one thousand two hundred and sixty days, corresponding to three and a half years. Then the following verses tell us of a battle between Michael the archangel, and his angels, against the dragon and his angels (v. 7). After the dragon and his angels were defeated, they were cast down to the earth (vv. 8-9). 4
In our own experience as believers, it is evident that God s enemy is also against us; he walks around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). What to do? We must be sober and watchful, and resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that our brothers throughout the world are experiencing the same sufferings (v. 9). Moreover, we have the promise that the God of all grace will perfect, establish, strengthen, and ground us (v. 10). Revelation 12 also reveals that the great dragon is, in fact, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world (v. 9). The craftiness of this serpent can be seen in Genesis 3, when it persuades Eve to eat of the fruit God had warned them not to eat. Eve also gave the fruit to her husband, and he ate it. After that, God cast them out of Eden. In Revelation, we see that the serpent of old has become a great dragon, the deceiver of the whole world. When the man child is caught up to the throne of God, the dragon and his angels will be fought and defeated in the heavens, and cast down to the earth; they will no longer find any place in the heavens. Praise the Lord! Key Point: We must be sober and watchful. Your Key Point: Question: What is the origin of the great red dragon mentioned in Revelation 12? 5
Wednesday Scripture Reading: Rom. 8:6; 1 Cor. 12:3; Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 1:13; 1 John 1:7; 5:19 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death (Rev. 12:11) WALKING IN SPIRIT TO OVERCOME THE RED DRAGON Revelation 12 speaks of 2 great signs: a woman with child, expecting the man child, and a great red dragon, standing before the woman ready to devour her son. As we learned yesterday, this dragon is the serpent of old which deceived Eve, and caused man to disobey God. We can say that throughout the centuries, Satan, the serpent of old, has been feeding on humanity s flesh and blood, made from the dust of the ground (1 John 5:19; Gen. 2:7; 3:14). Hence, it has grown up and become a great red dragon. This alarming picture should compel us to preach the gospel so that more people can be released from the kingdom of darkness, and brought into the kingdom of the Son of God (Col. 1:13). The dust of the ground represents human nature, which became flesh after the fall of man. In our flesh abide sin, lewdness, outbursts of wrath, revelries, and other works like these (Gal. 5:19-21). The flesh is constantly contending against the spirit. Whenever a man walks in the flesh, he becomes food for the serpent. What to do? Paul tells us that, if we walk in spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (v. 16). While a mind set on the flesh is death, a mind set on the spirit is life and peace (Rom. 8:6). Whenever we call on the Lord s name, we set our mind on the spirit (1 Cor. 12:3) and avoid becoming food for the serpent. 6
Revelation 12:11 reads, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. This passage tells us of three requirements to defeating the dragon: we must overcome sin by the blood, bear witness of the Lord, and deny ourselves. First and foremost, we need a life of continual fellowship with the Lord, which will result in the continual washing of our sins. The practice of seeking the Lord in His Word taking it as our daily supply, with much prayer will usher in the divine light. Then, as we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). The second condition has to do with bearing witness of the Lord by preaching His gospel. In addition to preaching the gospel of grace, we must also preach the gospel of the kingdom as a testimony to all the nations (Matt. 24:14). Today, we have a number of tools to help us testify of the Lord, tools such as the colportage and the BooKafé. Finally, we must not love our lives even unto death, which means denying our soul-life and restricting our ego (16:24). We must empty ourselves of the natural things of the soul that the divine life may grow in us. This is the profile of an overcomer. Key Point: Setting our mind on the spirit. Your Key Point: Question: Have you been emptying yourself from the natural things of your ego? 7
Thursday Scripture Reading: Eph. 6:13-18; Rev. 12:6 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12) THE VISION IN REVELATION 12 AND THE WORLD MAP We have been using the world map to illustrate the vision in Revelation 12 (see pg. 71). Verse 4 tells us that the dragon stood before the woman, ready to devour her child as soon as he was born. However, seeing that the man child was caught up to the throne of God (v. 5), the dragon directed all his rage towards the woman and the rest of her offspring (vv. 13, 17). The rest of her offspring refers to those who keep the commandments of God (the Jews), and those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ (the believers on earth who were not raptured before the great tribulation). Persecuted by God s enemy, the woman fled into the wilderness, a place of refuge God prepared for her (v. 6). Verse 14 tells us that the woman was given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness. Interestingly enough, while the outline of North America resembles the shape of an eagle, the outline of Europe and Asia resemble the shape of a dragon. Moreover, the silhouette of the African continent resembles the shape of a 8
fetus being formed in the womb. It is important to notice that the dragon here has its mouth open, as if it were about to devour the child being formed. This illustration portrays a state of battle. Throughout the entire Bible, we see God and His people fighting a universal battle. This battle was against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). In order to fight, we must put on the whole armor of God, and be strengthened in the Lord and in the power of His might (vv. 10-11), to withstand the enemy in the evil day (vv. 13-18). After we saw this Revelation, the Lord encouraged us to spread the gospel of the kingdom to other continents. May the Lord continue to grant us a special portion of His grace to serve His people throughout the world and feed them with His rich Word! Key Point: We have all been enlisted in this universal battle. Your Key Point: Question: What is the relationship between the vision in Revelation 12 and the world map? 9
Friday Scripture Reading: Matt. 22:39; 2 Cor. 5:7; Rev. 12:13-14, 17; 13:1-2, 17:9-12 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth (Rev. 3:10) THE MAN CHILD IS BEING PRODUCED TODAY Revelation 12:5 reads, She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. The man child represents the totality of the overcomers among God s people. They have matured spiritually and reached full sonship. It is important that we take some time to reflect on the greatness of this fact. Notice that the woman did not give birth to a baby, but to a man child, a fully grown man. In other words, we are all in this growing process today, growing in the divine life. Though we may not be so bold as to affirm that we will indeed be overcomers, we walk by faith, and not by what we see (2 Cor. 5:7). Let us not be afraid, for God s power is much greater than that of Satan! He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4b). When we call on the Lord s name, we turn to our spirit where the Spirit of God dwells. As a result, His divine life is manifested in us by our love towards our neighbor (Matt. 22:39). Thanks to the Lord, this universal woman, who represents the totality of God s people throughout all ages, is carrying a man child, the stronger part of the woman. Now this man child includes all overcomers of both the old and new covenants. Today, we keep the word of endurance and await the rapture of the man child, certain that the Lord will keep us from the hour of trial which will come to test all who dwell on the earth (Rev. 3:10). The fact the man child was given authority to rule over the nations is the reason for Satan s hatred. 10
Unfortunately, those who have not matured the woman, after she gives birth, and the rest of her offspring will remain in the great tribulation and will be persecuted by the dragon who was cast down to the earth (12:13-14, 17). Unable to seize the man child, the great dragon will set his sight on the woman. In order to flee the serpent, the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly into the wilderness. In other words, the church and the overcomers in particular are the object of the hatred of God s enemy, who is always persecuting and trying to harm us. Going back to the outline of the continents, we can see that the dragon, represented by Europe and Asia, has its mouth open over Africa, which represents the man child in this context. It is somewhat easy to identify the head of the great dragon in Europe. In typology, the seven heads of the dragon represent the seven Caesars of the Roman Empire, and the ten horns refer to the nations which the antichrist will use (Rev. 13:1-2; 17:9-12). Hence, we are led to believe that the great tribulation will be especially intense in that region. On the other hand, Revelation 12 also tells us of the Lord s care for the woman, which represents His remaining people on earth, in that He has prepared a place of refuge for her in the wilderness. Key Point: He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world! Your Key Point: Question: How do we become part of the man child? 11
Saturday Scripture Reading: Rev. 12:14-16 But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations (Mark 13:9-10) PREPARING THE WILDERNESS Although He desires all of His children to mature and become overcomers, God is also concerned with the rest of His people, those who will not have matured in time. Therefore, He prepared a place for them to flee the persecution of the dragon during the great tribulation (Rev. 12:13-14). The outlined shape of North America appears to be an eagle, not soaring in midflight, but as if it were about to land on South America. Therefore, we can infer that South America might be the wilderness prepared by God to receive and shelter His people during the three and a half years of the great tribulation. We believe that South America will be the place where God s people can take shelter from the red dragon. Now that we know this, how must we respond? While our desire is to be part of the man child, we still need to keep in mind that the Lord is preparing South 12
America to receive the woman, the remnant of God s people. Having seen this revelation, we must renew our burden for the gospel of grace and for the gospel of the kingdom, helping people to prepare for the Lord s coming. It is time to awaken out of sleep, for our salvation is closer than when we first believed! The night is far spent and the day is at hand. Let us have a holy living by casting off the works of darkness and by putting on the armor of light. We must walk in a worthy manner as in the day, putting aside fleshly things such as lewdness, lust, drunkenness, and envy. Finally, let us put on the Lord Jesus and make no provision for the flesh (Rom. 13:11-14). Praise the Lord for the vision of Revelation 12! Hallelujah! Key Point: The day is at hand! Your Key Point: Question: How can we cooperate with the furtherance of the gospel today? 13
Sunday Scripture Reading: Matt. 24:45-47; 25:14-23 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them (Acts 16:10) INTENSELY PREACHING THE GOSPEL IN AFRICA Revelation 12 presents a number of important signs, such as the universal woman, the great red dragon, and the man child. Our goal today is to be part of the man child, which represents the overcomers who will not experience the one thousand two hundred and sixty days in the wilderness, the time span of the great tribulation. When we first shared this vision of the world map, many brothers and sisters were encouraged to bring the work of the gospel to Africa. As previously mentioned, the outline of the African continent resembles the shape of a fetus in the womb. We believe that the Lord still has many people to save and many overcomers to produce in this continent. In recent years, many brothers have traveled to Africa to supply our African brethren with life so that they can grow in life and overcome to the point where they can be added to the 14
rest of the overcomers around the world. Recent testimonies indicate that the Lord has opened up a wide door for the gospel of the kingdom in Africa. Our burden is to continue what we started, and even intensify the work in this continent by means of conferences and trainings, especially helping them call on the Lord s name to deny their soul-life. The overcomers produced there will be raptured, and together we will meet our Lord Jesus! An overcomer is also someone who participates in God s work, trading and multiplying the talents God has given him (Matt. 25:14-23). If we preach the gospel of the kingdom, we will multiply our talents, beget people for God, and reign with Him in the coming age. Key Point: Preaching the gospel of the kingdom to multiply our talents. Your Key Point: Question: How can we help the newly saved to grow in life and become overcomers? 15
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) Additional Reading Enrich your reading of the Daily Food by simultaneously reading the books suggested below: The Great Diamonds in the Bible chap. 24 Dong Yu Lan My Goal: Reigning with Christ chaps. 1-2 Dong Yu Lan Prepared to Reign chap. 3 Editorial body 16