The church with the kingdom as its reality brings in the manifestation of the kingdom. There are different aspects of the kingdom. The kingdom in reality is one aspect and the kingdom in manifestation is another. In the church we have the kingdom in reality, but not the kingdom in manifestation. The kingdom is realized by our church life, but it is not manifested. It is realized inwardly, but it is not manifested outwardly. While the realization, the inward reality, of the kingdom is in the church today, the outward manifestation will come in the future.
If you are in the reality of the kingdom, you will return extra change when it is given to you by a cashier in a store or restaurant. Other people cannot understand us when we do this. They are surprised by the fact that we do not take advantage of the situation. People simply do not understand that this returning of extra change and refusing to take advantage of others is an example of the inward reality of the kingdom in our Christian life. The worldly people cannot see that this is the kingdom. But when the Lord Jesus returns, the manifestation of the kingdom will be brought in. Then all the people will say, "This is the kingdom in manifestation."
In a sense, the kingdom is here; in another sense, the kingdom is coming. This is just like the Lord Jesus Himself. In a sense, the Lord Jesus Himself is here with us. Wherever we are, the Lord is with us. But, in another sense, the Lord is coming. While the Lord is with us in an inward way, He is still coming in an outward way. Today it is necessary for us to tell people that we believe in the Lord Jesus and that we have Him in us. We need to explain to them what it means to believe in the Lord and to have Him in us. But when the Lord comes in the outward way and brings in the manifestation of the kingdom, there will be no need for any further explanation. Everyone will see the kingdom in manifestation. This manifestation of the kingdom, the kingdom in manifestation, will be brought in by the church which is the reality of the kingdom. The manifestation of the kingdom will not come suddenly; it will come through the church life. Why? Because there is the need for the overcomers to conquer the evil one, to overcome the world, to prepare the way, and to establish the beachhead to enable the Lord Jesus to return. Then the manifestation of the kingdom will be brought in.
The church produces the overcomers. This is fully revealed in Revelation 12. In this chapter we see the woman who signifies the entire body of God's people (v. 1), including both the Old Testament saints and the New Testament believers, who (the New Testament believers) are the church. Do not think that the whole church with everyone in it will be the overcomers. No, some in the church will be overcomers and others will not. This is very similar to a family in which there are old ones, young ones, and strong ones. Who are the overcomers in a family? The strong ones. According to the book of Numbers, those who were over the age of twenty and under the age of fifty were the fighters (Num. 1:20; 4:3). All those under the age of twenty and over the age of fifty were the enjoyers. The fighters were the strong ones, those who were over twenty and under fifty. In the church life today we have some who are spiritually over fifty; they are enjoyers. Thank the Lord that we also have some younger ones, the ones who are spiritually under twenty; they are the young enjoyers. But we thank the Lord even the more that we have some who are spiritually over twenty and under fifty. These are the strong ones who fight the battle. These are the fighters. The battle is in their hands. All the rest are the enjoyers. The church is producing the strong ones, the overcomers, who will fight the battle against Satan, God's enemy, and against his world.
According to Revelation 12, when the overcomers are caught up into heaven, Satan will be cast down to the earth (vv. 5, 9). Then there will be the declaration that the kingdom of God has come (v. 10). The kingdom of God comes through the overcomers. The church produces the overcomers, and the overcomers defeat the enemy and usher in the manifestation of the kingdom. We shall say more about this when we have our life-study on the book of Revelation.