Trumpet Ministries, Revelation 12:2
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And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. (Revelation 12:2)
The woman in the heaven, who is a sign and wonder, is the Church of Christ. The Son who is being born of her is Christ—Christ in the saints.
My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, (Galatians 4:19)
Paul’s "little children" were the believers who lived in Galatia.
Paul, a member of the Church of Christ, was travailing in his ministry in the pains of birth until Christ, the Son, was formed in the saints of the churches in Galatia.
In Galatians 4:19, as in the twelfth chapter of Revelation, it is the one Son who is emphasized. Other writings of the Scripture emphasize the perfecting of the saints. But these two passages are speaking, not of the development of eminent saints but of the bringing forth of Christ, of God’s anointed King. Christ, the Lord and Conqueror, is being formed in the members of His Body.
There is a time to stress the bringing of many sons to glory. In other instances it is more fruitful to stress the creating of the one Son in the sons.
Galatians 4:19 is not addressed to non-Christians. It is addressed to believers only, that they may press forward to the eternal formation of Christ in them.
It is not Christ-likeness that is to be formed in saints, as a figure of speech referring to an imitation of Christ’s Personality and behavior. Rather, it is Christ, His Substance, His Virtue, His Spirit, His Life. It is the Divine Nature, the Word of God, the Seed of God, that is formed in the saint.
There are other verses in the New Testament that reveal it is Christ who is created in the believer, not merely Christ-likeness:
To whom [the saints] God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Colossians 1:27)
The foremost revelation of the new covenant is that Christ is being formed in the saints and will abide in the saints.
The Christian Church is the Body of Christ, His fullness:
Which [the Church] is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:23)
The major statement is found in the fourth chapter of Ephesians:
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying [building up] of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Ephesians 4:12,13)
"Until Christ be formed in you." "Christ in you." "The fullness of Him." "The Body of Christ." "The fullness of Christ."
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
It is obvious these expressions are not figures of speech. They are intended to convey the truth that through the daily exercise of the faith God gives us, Christ Himself is formed in us and dwells in us. It is more than an imitation of Christ. It is Christ Himself.
What a gap exists between imitating Christ and actually receiving Christ and becoming part of Christ!
One is an imitation. The other is the genuine manifestation of Divine Life, Divine Righteousness, Divine Nature.
One is man imitating God. The other is God Himself dwelling in man.
One can lead to the False Prophet. The other is Christ.
One can lead to religion, Babylon (man-directed Christianity), man attempting to climb into the heavens.
The other is salvation, redemption, God reaching down from Heaven and being born in the hearts of men and women, boys and girls.
It may be true that the greatest danger existing in the present-day move of God is associated with the difference between the imitation of Christ and the actual receiving of Christ.
In our day spiritual wisdom and power are being poured on the saints. Preachers and teachers on every side are exhorting us to lay hold on the things of God, to believe for miracles, to "let our faith loose", to "step out in faith."
Speaking in tongues can be found in many types of congregations. The gifts of the Spirit are widespread. There is a renewal of interest in the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth. The understanding of the symbolism of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and of the feasts of the Lord is being presented to the believers. It is doubtful such an abundance of Kingdom treasure ever before has been made available to the Christian people, including those of the first century.
In this abundance there exists an unparalleled opportunity to work with God in the building of His Kingdom in the earth. In this abundance there also is an unparalleled opportunity to participate in the delusion that is the False Prophet.
It is important to understand the difference between attempting to be like Jesus, and becoming the expression of His resurrection Life and glory. The first is the work of the adamic soul. The second is the work of God.
Revelation, Chapters 10 and 11 are speaking of the end-time, latter-rain anointing for witnessing to the nations (Matthew 24:14).
But Chapter 12 of Revelation is referring to preparation for the rulership of Christ in the saints over the nations of the earth with the "rod of iron" of the Spirit of God.
Speaking precisely, it is never the rule of the saints, it is the rule of God in Christ in the saints. This is the true Kingdom of God.
Until we are incorporated into and become an integral part of the Life and Flowing of the one Godhead we are competing against the Glory of God. It is not what we are and do that is so important, it is that we become one in Christ in God that is of supreme importance.
Notice the oneness of Christ—Head and Body—in the installation of the Kingdom of God on the earth, as described in the seventh chapter of the Book of Daniel:
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. (Daniel 7:13)
Who is the One like the son of man to whom is given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples of the earth should serve him?
Beyond all doubt, the one like the Son of man is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ.
For any other person to attempt to seize such glory would be blasphemous. Christ, and Christ alone, is King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
Daniel asked for the interpretation of the vision (Daniel 7:16). He requested "the truth of all this."
Three times the messenger of God gave the interpretation to Daniel.
"But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom" (7:18).
". . . judgment was given to the saints of the most High" (7:22).
"And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High" (7:27).
Christ alone is King of kings and Lord of lords. But the interpretation given is that the one like the Son of man is "the saints of the most High," "the people of the saints of the most High."
In Daniel, Chapter Seven there is the basis for the highest glory; there also is the basis for the darkest delusion.
The Lord’s people today, in the manner in which they respond to the current spiritual opportunities, are partaking of the glory or partaking of the delusion.
If the current spiritual opportunities and revelation bring us into perfect union with God through Christ so Christ is formed in us and is abiding in us, then we will partake of the Glory of God.
If the current spiritual opportunities and revelation become the means through which we are able to "do great things for God," then we are in danger of falling into the snare of the devil. Satan himself desires to be like the most High and to exercise power and authority in the earth.
The closer the High Priest of Israel came to the Mercy Seat the greater the danger became that he would be slain because of his presumption. The priest was drawing near to the Glory of Israel, but also to his own destruction if he for one moment should forget that he was nothing more than the dust of the ground.
God is seeking saints who desire to come into union with Christ for Christ’s sake, not spiritually ambitious people who are demanding power from God.
Each saint who would rule with Christ must understand clearly that God has only one Son, in this sense. There is only one Overcomer, one Conqueror, one Ruler of the nations. He is the Son—Christ the Lord.
We enter a proper relationship with God and people on the basis of becoming changed into the death of Christ and being raised into the newness of the Life of Christ.
It is not that through God’s grace we become like Christ. Rather, it is that we become an integral part of Christ. We become bone of His bones and flesh of His flesh (Ephesians 5:30).
As Adam and Eve were one flesh, one bone, so Christ and the saint are one flesh, one bone.
We are one with the Father and the Son as Christ is One with the Father.
The Kingdom of God is God in Christ in the saints ruling the peoples of the earth. We are never to be separate from God when we are ruling people. We are one with God—an inseparable part of God Himself.
God will not give His glory to another person. It is as we become part of God through our oneness with Christ that we become eligible as coheirs, with Christ, of the nations and the farthest reaches of the earth.
We cannot become heirs of God through Christ until we become "married" to Christ. To be married to Christ is to become one with Him in total, complete spiritual union.
Our total, complete union with Christ is accomplished as Christ is formed in us and abides in us. This union is an actual transformation of our personality and substance through the working of the grace of Almighty God sent down from Heaven.
Antichrist is an imitation of Christ. It is Satan who wants to be like God (Isaiah 14:14). Trying to be like Christ easily can turn into Babylon—the attempt to construct a monument that reaches into the heaven.
It may be helpful for the beginning Christian to imitate Jesus and also to imitate mature Christians whom he knows. No doubt a baby learns to speak and walk by observing children and adults. But a baby is not an imitation human being. He is a human being. Imitation serves only for a season.
An ape might successfully imitate some human behaviors because his trainer would give him an extra banana. If the ape were able to master algebra he would be given all the bananas he desired. But he would remain an ape. An ape is an ape and a human being is a human being. What the human being can learn to do without much fanfare, such as to speak, would be for an ape an unbelievable accomplishment.
It is not remarkable when a human being speaks English or French fluently. But an ape who could speak English or French fluently would be an earthshaking prodigy—one of the wonders of the world.
Apes are apes and human beings are human beings and God is God. We might be able to imitate Christ to a limited extent and thereby gain some "bananas." But as Christ is formed in us we become godly in nature because God Himself is in us.
A human being does not have to be given a prize for acting as a human being. A son of God does not have to be rewarded for acting like his Father nor is it any special or noteworthy event when he becomes more like his Father each day.
Being part of Christ through union with Him is the true salvation of the Lord.
There is a difference between attempting to behave like Christ, and being one with Him in His resurrection life and glory.
The Scripture does not say, as He does, so do we in this world, although there is truth in this statement. Rather it states, "as He is, so are we in this world." He is at rest in His Father. We are to be at rest in Him as He is at rest in His Father.
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (I John 4:17)
The woman, the Church, is in pain as she is preparing to bring forth Christ—the Son. If Christ is to be brought forth the saints must die the death of the cross, which is death to self.
The little book that describes the forming of Christ in the saints, and the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the ends of the earth, is sweet when we eat it but bitter when we experience it.
. . . and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. (Revelation 10:9)
In order for us to bring forth the Son we must allow the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, to pierce our soul. We must be changed into the death of the cross. Only then can Christ be brought forth in our life in the fullness of glory and power.
Only as we suffer can we reign. The crown comes only from the cross. There is no painless path to authority and power over the nations of the earth, to the rule of Divine righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
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