Along with the revelation concerning the overcomers, Brother Nee saw the truth concerning the kingdom. He was mainly helped by the teachings of Govett and Panton. The truth concerning the kingdom is scriptural and deep. Much of fundamental, traditional theology condemns the revelation of the kingdom truths. According to the proper teaching of the New Testament, not all the believers will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, the thousand-year kingdom, when the Lord returns. Only the overcomers will be kings with Him in the millennium. The kingship with the Lord Jesus in the coming age will be a reward to the overcoming saints.
The revelation of the rapture goes along with the revelation of the kingdom. In the general teaching of today's fundamental theology, people are told that the entire church will be raptured before the tribulation. However, according to the truth of the Scripture, this is altogether wrong. As we pointed out in the previous chapter, Brother Nee saw that there was a difference among the saints concerning their belief concerning the rapture. According to the truth, the overcomers will be raptured before the tribulation.
The kingdom is a matter of reward, and rapture is a matter of maturity. To be raptured can be compared to a crop being harvested from the field. The crop cannot be harvested when it is not ripe. When the crop is ripe with the maturity in life, the farmer takes it from the field and puts it into the barn. Thus, all of us need to become ripe in life. We need the maturity. Then the Lord will harvest us. Brother Nee saw the revelation concerning the overcomers and the kingdom as a reward to the overcomers. He also saw the truth concerning the rapture, which needs the maturity of the saints.
Somewhere around 1925, Brother Nee began to see the truth concerning spiritual warfare. He saw God's divine purpose and that there is the need of spiritual warfare for the accomplishment of God's divine purpose in this universe. Especially on this earth, there is a conflict, a war, between God and His enemy, Satan. This warfare involves all of God's children. If we take sides with Satan, we are fighting against God. If we take sides with God, we are fighting against Satan. All the overcoming saints have to realize that they are on the battlefield fighting for God's divine purpose. Brother Nee called a conference in 1928 in Shanghai and gave a number of messages concerning spiritual warfare.