As we have stated numerous times in the course of this Study, the book of Revelation is first and foremost a spiritual book. It is a book of spiritual realities communicated by means of signs and symbols. You will not read the fulfillment of its prophecies on the pages of Newsweek magazine, but you will see them manifest in the lives of men and women who walk with God and in the great accomplishments of the kingdom of God on earth. The word of the Lord in its spiritual meaning does not describe for us the carnal warfare between nations. For what have wars between nations to do with the kingdom of God? God does not conquer by carnal weapons, therefore the warfare between nations has nothing whatever to do with the kingdom purposes of God! This is where people go astray in their thinking. They suppose that God acts politically or militarily. Oh, no! The battles beheld in spirit by the eagle-eyed seer of Patmos signify spiritual combats, combats between light and darkness, between spirit and flesh, between Adam and Christ, between the carnal mind and the precious mind of Christ, between truth and error, between righteousness and evil, between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Babylon, between life and death. A man must experience this combat within himself to become a spiritual conqueror and possess the promised land. Our Lord, when in the world, carried on such spiritual warfare in an infinitely greater way than others, overcoming the compounded powers of the world, the flesh, and the devil, opening up the way to victory and triumph for all who are willing to follow Him into the lifestyle of the kingdom of God.
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"In the book of Numbers, the children of Israel were numbered twice. The purpose of the first numbering was to choose those who would be formed into an army to fight the battle. They were numbered the second time, not only as an army for warfare, but also according to their tribes to divide and inherit the good land. In these types and shadows, therefore, we may realize the great and glorious truth that God is forming a portion of His people into a spiritual army which, on behalf of all the people of God, is designated to conquer, divide, and inherit the good spiritual land of the fullness of Christ! We have heard much of becoming kings and priests to reign with Christ, and we have heard of becoming judges to bring righteous judgment to the earth; but today the Spirit of the Lord is drawing our attention to another matter, that God’s elect is in this hour of preparation being formed into an army. We as a company of the Lord’s people must be formed into an army to fight the battle for Him on this earth. Oh, this is tremendous! If this strikes fear in you, you may turn back. Only by the army of the manifest sons of God can the spirits and systems and powers of this present world order be conquered and destroyed!"