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Additional Quotes about the Local Church by Witness Lee and Watchman Nee
We face the danger of having our names erased from
the book of life during the thousand years. If you are defeated and refuse to
be an overcomer by the Lord’s grace, your name will not be there in the book
of life when He is reigning during the thousand years. This means that you
have been called but that you have not been chosen. In 17:14, we can see that,
at His coming back, after all the saints have been raptured, the Lord will
make a selection. This selection will depend on how we have lived our
Christian life. If we have lived in a defeated way, the Lord certainly will
not select us. But if we have lived in a victorious way, we shall be selected,
and our names will be there during the thousand years. This is similar to
graduation from school. Although all the names of the students may be on the
class list, only a few names will be on the list to receive a reward. To erase
the name of a believer from the book of life does not mean that he shall
perish for eternity. It only means that during the thousand years of the
coming kingdom his name will not be there. This means that he will lose his
birthright in the millennial kingdom, having no right to share what God
originally intended to give to all of His chosen ones.
God’s original intention is that all His chosen ones
should enjoy Christ to the uttermost today that they might also have the right
to enjoy Christ in the coming age. Since many are unwilling to do this now,
when the kingdom comes, they will lose their birthright. Only those who
cooperate with God’s original intention will be in the kingdom enjoying Christ
as their special portion. Their names will be in the book of life at that
time, but the names of many others will not be there. Because not many
Christians have seen this vision, they cannot understand the verses concerning
this matter.
God’s intention is to work Christ into us for our
enjoyment. The church age is the time for this to be accomplished. But whether
or not we are willing to cooperate with God in this matter depends on us.
Because many will not cooperate with God, in His wisdom He has decided to make
the enjoyment of Christ in the coming kingdom age a reward. This reward is an
incentive encouraging us to cooperate with God and to enjoy Christ today. If
we do not cooperate, we shall miss the kingdom age. The book of life is a
record of all the names who have a share in the enjoyment of Christ. During
the church age all our names are there. But in the kingdom age, the names of
the sloppy ones will be erased from this book. After the millennial kingdom,
their names will then be put back into the book of life. It is good to see
that God’s blessing in His salvation is of three ages: the church age, the
kingdom age, and the age of eternity. Whether or not we will be in the kingdom
sharing the full enjoyment of Christ depends upon whether we are willing to
enjoy Christ today in the church life. Do not miss the opportunity today. If
we enjoy Christ today, we shall be rewarded in the coming kingdom. Those who
miss the special enjoyment of Christ in the coming kingdom will be dealt with
by God that they might be brought into the full enjoyment of Christ.
Therefore, eventually, when we all have passed through these two ages, the
church age and the kingdom age, we all shall be ripe in the enjoyment of
Christ and shall enter into the age of eternity.
If we are overcomers, the Lord will not erase our
names out of the book of life; rather, He will confess our names before the
Father and His angels. This indicates that since the names of those believers
who are unwilling to be overcomers will be erased out of the book of life,
their names will not be confessed by the Lord before the Father and His
angels.
(Witness Lee, LS of Revelation, 169-170,
173-180)
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