The believers in the realities of the new covenant are greater than the saints in the shadows of the old covenant. Matthew 11:11, a great verse, proves this. “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” John the Baptist was greater than all who had preceded him, including Abraham, David, and Solomon. Nevertheless, he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. Since John the Baptist was greater than Abraham and we are greater than John, then we also are greater than Abraham. All the saints in the Old Testament age looked forward to the realities of the New Testament age, but none of them saw anything of this reality. Between these two ages there was a transitory period lasting approximately three and a half years. During this transitory period, John the Baptist came and saw the Christ, whom all the saints in the Old Testament time had been waiting for. Because John saw Him, he was greater than all of them. Although John saw Christ, he did not get into Christ. But we, the New Testament believers, are in Christ. Abraham expected to see Christ, John the Baptist saw Christ, but we are in Christ. Therefore, since we are so much closer to Christ, we are greater than Abraham and John the Baptist. We are not only close to Christ—we are in Christ and Christ is in us. We can even say along with the Apostle Paul, “For to me to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). We are greater than Abraham, David, Solomon, and all the Old Testament saints, for they were in the shadows. We are not only in the reality—we are the reality. Because of this, the Old Testament saints cannot be perfected without us. Without us, they could never enter into the enjoyment of the realities which they were looking for.
If we exercise our substantiating faith, we shall sense that Abraham, David, Solomon, and all the overcoming saints who have preceded us are watching over us like spectators at a football game. They are cheering us on and encouraging us to win the game. Their enjoyment of the reality depends upon us. This is the correct meaning of verse 40, which says that “apart from us they should not be made perfect.” As verse 39 indicates, the Old Testament saints did not obtain the promise because God had in view “something better concerning us.” They all are waiting for us. Even the Apostle Paul and all the New Testament martyrs are waiting for us. They, the foregoing overcomers, are waiting for the fullness of the overcomers. The number of overcomers has not yet been fulfilled. One day the fullness of that number will be reached. Thus, verse 40 was a very strong encouragement to all the staggering Hebrew believers to come forward and to fill up the gap in the number of overcomers.
In His economy, God does not intend to have an individual expression. He desires to have a corporate expression. This expression requires a complete number of overcomers. Only God knows what this number is. As long as it has not been reached, the time cannot come, and the foregoing overcomers will still need to wait for us. What a responsibility we have! They are ready, but we are not. We are truly in the last days. Not only are we greater than John the Baptist, but we are even somewhat greater than all the martyrs in the first few centuries, because we are more important than they were. We can experience more than they did because they were at the beginning and we are here at the consummation. The consummation is always richer, greater, and higher than the beginning. It is not a small thing that we are in the Lord’s recovery today. We are living in the consummating period of God’s economy, and so many foregoing overcomers are expecting to see our completion. We are surely the most blessed people in the universe, for we have the golden opportunity to share in the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose.
Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore let us also, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, putting off every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, run with endurance the race which is set before us.” The cloud is for leading people in following the Lord (Num. 9:15-22), and the Lord is in the cloud to be with the people (Exo. 13:21-22). The children of Israel followed the Lord by the pillar and enjoyed the Lord’s presence in the pillar of cloud. All the witnesses of faith, even the martyrs of faith, are a cloud. By this cloud of witnesses we follow the Lord and enjoy His presence.