CIRCULAR LETTER December 2002

“Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and for ever.” (Heb. 13:8)

Heartfelt greetings to all of you, my beloved Brothers and Sisters all over the world, in the precious name of Jesus Christ with Revelation 3:21:

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

In each of the seven messages, the promise is addressed to the overcomers. Who are they that should receive the highest honour and sit with Him in His throne? The mighty Conqueror Who died on Calvary and rose again gave this prospect to all those who would overcome “… even as I also overcame …” At the opening of the sealed book it is stated, “Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” (Rev. 5:5). HE conquered everything, death, Satan and hell and rose victoriously.

The messages addressed to the seven churches are of prophetic nature in regards to the plan of salvation; they include praise and rebuke, given by the respective angel to the believers in general. However, the promise is always given exclusively to the overcomers. They are the ones who hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, they overcome the conquered enemy by the Word, as the Lord already did in the temptation. Because of this crucial point the word “Selah” could be placed here, as it is found many times in the Psalms. It means “to stop and consider what was said and read”. Here we are faced with a very great lesson. The enemy always comes with the Word, with the “It is written”, but he takes it out of context and applies it wrongly. The temptation of our Lord was the direct Word test. Therein the temptation is now for the true believers. They have to discover the cunningness of the enemy, and if he says, “It is written”, they have to answer, “It is also written”, withstand him and put him to flight. We have to be as the Master was. HE was the Word made flesh and therefore rightfully used the written Word and applied it as the revealed Word to beat the enemy. Satan finally had to give up and leave Him (Mt. 4). Now the Word must become a living reality, the revealed Word a lived reality in the church. The written Word should not only be in our mouths, it needs to become the lived Word. Only then we can convincingly conquer Satan, so that he must also depart from us.

In the sixth church age message we read, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (Rev. 3:10). Now at last, after the full Word has been revealed, the hour of the direct temptation comes upon the whole earth, for now the Word, the Gospel of the Kingdom, is being preached as a witness to all nations. Some will be led by the Spirit from Bible reference to Bible reference, the others will take Scripture out of context and will not stand in the hour of temptation. Remaining in the Word leads into the significance thereof and into the fulfilment. The misinterpretation of the Word leads into temptation and the fall.

After the Lamb that was slain took the book out of the right hand of Him that set upon the throne, the sound of the harps was heard and the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders sang a new song, “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nations; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (vv. 9-10).

It is the blood-washed multitude of the firstborn that is being called out throughout the church ages by the divine message, purified and purged. The true redeemed humbly walk the way of the Lamb by faith and obedience, they bear their own and His reproach, they take their own and His cross upon them. Although children of God, they are as natural as all other human beings. As true children of Abraham they hold fast to the promises and do not stumble because of unbelief. They live with the unwavering conviction that God is more than able to perform what He promised.

The overcomers are destined to rule with Christ the King on earth after the marriage supper in glory. In the Revelation they are spoken of collectively as the “man child” that is born out of the church and will reign the nations. They are the ones who grow, “… unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:13). Briefly but very profoundly we are told about the overcomers in Rev. 12:10-11, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” The same promise to the overcomers is given in Rev. 2:26-27, “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron …”

We have now arrived at the end of the time of grace. This we realise because of the signs of the time, as Bible prophecies are being fulfilled in every realm and aspect before our eyes. We have to be aware of the fact that the dragon, which will implement its world-church power, will soon stand against the woman — the church. The New Testament church from the beginning was build upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20)) and is crowned with the teachings of the twelve apostles (Rev. 12:1). Now before the return of Christ, as the terrible Day of the Lord is about to break forth, God promised to restore all things and set them into the right order (Acts. 3:19-21). In the last chapter and the last verses of the Old Testament it is written, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet …” The Lord Himself then confirmed this promise, which now came to fulfilment, in Mt. 17:11 and Mk. 9:12. The church is spoken of as the woman, because the godly seed of the Word is placed into her. As the promised seed through begetting was placed into Mary and the Son was born, so the Word of promise is placed into the church whereof the man-child comes forth.

That is not only the way she was at the beginning (Acts 2:42), but John also saw her this way at the end, after the complete restoration, as she was at the beginning. Now the matter really becomes serious. True children of God do not believe as they wish, they believe what God has promised, as did Abraham, our father of faith (Rom. 4). They are spoken of to be “children of the promise” as Isaac was (Rom. 9:7-8; Gal. 4:23+28).

They believe only how and what the Scripture says. They recognise that God’s Word alone is the original seed (Lk. 8:11) that comes up in the children of God’s Kingdom (Mt. 13:37-38). For therein alone is the life of God. They have also recognised that ever since the Garden of Eden, every interpretation of the Word leads to spiritual death. Therefore they live by every Word of God and believe it the way it is written. They abhor every private interpretation. Thus they overcome because of the Word of God, as the Son of God overcame. The Word of God to them is also the sword of the Spirit, which they use in biblical faith against the enemy. They put on the complete armour of God, the truth has filled them entirely and they are girded with it. That is the only way they can extinguish the fiery darts of the wicked one (Eph. 6).

All can have a general belief; even Satan does believe and tremble (Jas. 2:19). The whole world is filled with believers: there are believers among the Jews, believers among Muslims, believers in Christendom, believers in Hinduism, believers in Buddhism etc. etc., the entire religious world is filled with all kinds of believers. Nevertheless, before God only the faith in Him and in what He said and promised is valid. All other things are homemade religion and do not even count before God. HE only assumed responsibility for what He decided and promised according to His plan of salvation. For all the promises of God in Christ are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us (2 Cor. 1:20). Scriptural faith that is valid before God is always tied to the promises of God. And only who believes as the Scripture says is justified before Him. Only those who have an ear to hear what the Spirit says unto the churches will become those overcomers to whom the final promise is given, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” (Rev. 21:7).