A TIMELY WORD CONCERNING THE WORLD SITUATION AND THE LORD'S RECOVERY
Message Two
S.eing a Vision of the Throne of God, the Spiritual Scene behind the World Situation, and Christ as the Center of God's Administration
Scripture Reading: Dan. 4:17, 26, 34-37; 7:9-10; 10:4-21; Rev. 1:4-5; 4:5; 5:6
I. We need to see a spiritual vision of the throne of God as the center of God's administration throughout the universe—Rev. 4:2; 5:1; Ezek. 1:26:
A. As the sovereign One, God has the full capacity to carry out what He wants according to the desire of His heart and according to His eternal economy— Rev. 4:11; Dan. 4:35; Rom. 9:19-24.
B. God on the throne is behind the scene ruling over everyone and everything— Isa. 6:1; 1 Kings 22:19:
1. Everything concerning the world situation is decided on the throne.
2. Nothing can happen outside the rule of God's throne—Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6.
C. The book of Revelation is a book of God's administration, unveiling the throne of God for the divine administration—4:2; 5:1; 6:16; 7:9; 8:3; 21:5:
1. The throne in Revelation 4 and 5 is the throne of divine authority.
2. Apparently, the throne is invisible and is not realized by man; actually, the throne is behind the scene ruling over everyone and everything.
D. The book of Daniel shows that all the kings and kingdoms of the world are under God's administration—7:9-10; 2:34-35:
1. All human government from Nimrod to Antichrist has been and will continue to be under the ruling of the heavens by the God of the heavens—7:9-12.
2. God caused Nebuchadnezzar to know that he was nothing and that the mighty God, the Ruler over the kingdom of men, the One who gives the king-dom to whomever He wills, is everything—4:34-37.
3. The entire world situation is under the rule of the heavens by the God of the heavens—v. 26.
E. The ruling of the heavens by the God of the heavens over all human government on earth matches the eternal economy of God for Christ to terminate the old creation for the germination of the new creation and to smash and crush the aggregate of human government and establish the eternal kingdom of God— 2:37, 44; 4:17; Rev. 11:15.
II. Chapter 10 of the book of Daniel presents a vision of the spiritual scene behind the world situation:
A. In the spiritual world Christ is the preeminent One; therefore, in chapter 10 He is mentioned first—vv. 4-9:
1. The excellent Christ, the centrality and universality of God's move, appeared to Daniel as a man for his appreciation, consolation, encouragement, expec-tation, and stabilization.
2. The Christ whom Daniel saw is precious, valuable, complete, and perfect:
a. As Jehovah becoming a man, He is the centrality and universality of God's move to carry out His economy.
b. As the Priest, He is taking care of us, and as the King, He is ruling over us—v. 5.
c. Christ appeared to Daniel in His preciousness and dignity, in His brightness for shining over the people, and in His enlightening sight for searching and judging—v. 6a-c.
d. Christ appeared in the gleam of His work and move and in His strong speaking for judging people—v. 6d-e.
B. The spiritual scene in Daniel 10 includes both good and evil spirits that are engaged in an invisible spiritual war—vv. 12-13, 20-21:
1. While Daniel was praying (vv. 2-3), a spiritual struggle was taking place in the air between two spirits, one belonging to Satan and the other belonging to God.
2. It is crucial for us to see that behind the scene a spiritual struggle is taking place, a struggle not seen with human eyes.
C. As the struggles are taking place between the human governments, God is behind the scene managing the world situation—7:10.
III. Christ is the center of God's administration according to God's eternal economy—Rev. 5:6; 22:1:
A. Christ in His ascension has been enthroned to execute God's administration, His governmental operation—Heb. 12:2; Rev. 3:21; 22:1; 5:6:
1. The One sitting on the throne is not only God but also man; He is the God-man, the man-God, the mingling of God and man—Acts 7:56.
2. After the Lord Jesus was crucified and buried, God resurrected Him and set Him at His right hand, making Him the Lord of all the universe—2:34-36; Phil. 2:5-11.
B. The enthroned Christ, the heavenly Administrator in God's universal government, is the worthy Lion-Lamb, the overcoming Redeemer—Rev. 5:1-14:
1. As the Lion, He is the Fighter against the enemy, Satan; as the Lamb, He is the Redeemer—vv. 5-6.
2. Because Christ has solved the problems of the rebellion of Satan and the fall of man, He is worthy to open the scroll of God's economy—vv. 1-7.
3. The Lamb, the Redeemer, the One slain on the cross for our sins, is now on the throne, carrying out God's administration over the entire universe.
4. We need to realize that the Lord of the universe is a man, the God-man, the man-God—Ezek. 1:26.
C. In His ascension and enthronement Christ is the Ruler of the kings of the earth—Rev. 1:5:
1. For Christ to be the Ruler of the kings means that He is far above the earthly rulers—Eph. 1:20-22; Phil. 2:9-11.
2. The earthly rulers are not the real rulers; Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, is the real Ruler—Rev. 19:16.
3. Christ carries out God's administration as the Ruler of the kings of the earth by the seven Spirits of God burning before the throne of God—1:4; 4:5; 5:6:
a. All the world rulers are under the flaming of the seven Spirits—1:5.
b. The world situation and international affairs are under the flame of the burning of the seven lamps of fire, the seven Spirits of God—4:5.
c. We need to realize that the seven Spirits of God are burning before the throne not only concerning the churches but also concerning the world situation for the churches—1:4-5, 11; 22:16.