Christ's coming in incarnation as the twig was the revival of David's deprived royal family. David's royal family was deprived to such an extent that there was hardly anything left of it. But one day in God's incarnation, a child was born to David's family. Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David. Out of Mary a twig was born. David's "hewn down" royal family was revived at the birth of that twig.

We must realize that the revival of David's family is still going on. According to our thought, Christ has two comings, but according to God's realization, He has sent His Son once for all. This sending started from Bethlehem. When Jesus was born, that was the beginning of God's sending His Son to the earth. This sending has not yet been fully accomplished. It is still going on. This sending began at the time Jesus was born and will be completed when the Son of Man comes to the earth in an open way. Matthew 24:27 says, "For as the lightning comes forth from the east and shines to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be." That will be the completion of God's sending His Son.

Christ as the twig from the stem of Jesse came into existence about two thousand years ago, but His being sent has not been fully accomplished. The completion of His being sent by God is accomplished in three ways: by His building up of the church, by His preparing of Israel, and by His adjustment, His judging, of the nations. The present situation in the entire Middle East is altogether for the benefit of Israel. Israel has enjoyed the benefit of the recent war between the United States and Iraq. This can be considered as a part of Christ's coming in His preparation of Israel. The recent war involving Iraq was also God's adjustment of the nations. Since 1987 we have seen a great adjustment on earth among the nations—firstly involving Russia and its satellite countries and secondly among the countries in the Middle East. What an adjustment this has been! Christ has taken a big step in these recent years in the world situation. He is much nearer to appearing on earth in an open way, and He is still on His way.

The Lord came at His birth. Then He went to the cross to die. The disciples thought He was going to leave them. However, the Lord revealed that this was not His going but His coming (John 14:3, 17-20; 20:19-22). The Lord's going through death and resurrection was actually His coming to the disciples as the Spirit to get into them and dwell in them. He also came on the day of Pentecost as the Spirit, baptizing His Body in one Spirit (Acts 2:4a, 17). Today He is still on the way. He is coming. The entire world situation is an indication of the steps of Christ's coming. He was a little twig in the manger at Bethlehem, but as the lightning in Matthew 24:27, He will be a great standard to the nations.

We need to consider what is revealed in Isaiah 11. Isaiah 11 reveals Christ as the twig and the branch. He is full of the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of Jehovah (v. 2). What a Spirit! This Spirit is the sevenfold intensified Spirit (Rev. 1:4). Along with this Spirit is God's administration, God's government (Isa. 11:3-5). Then there is the restoration of life (vv. 6-9). Eventually the twig becomes a banner to the peoples (v. 10), and the branch becomes a standard to the nations (v. 12). Even the Gentiles will come to Christ. Where is the center of the earth? Where is the center of the human race? Where is the center of world history? Look at the banner. Christ as the banner is the center, to whom the nations must go. This is the revelation in Isaiah 11.

Christ as the twig and the branch has already come. On the one hand, Christ as the twig and the branch is in the heavens, and on the other hand, He is within the believers and the church. What is He doing? He is still going on. He is still on His way. He is still "stepping" toward us. He is in us, but He is still stepping toward us. This is the marvelous truth of His coming.

In His incarnation He was a twig. In His resurrection He is a branch in full. At the beginning this branch was the Shoot of Jehovah as revealed in Isaiah 4:2. His being the Shoot of Jehovah indicates His divinity. His being a twig from the stem of Jesse and a branch from the roots of Jesse indicates His humanity. Actually, He is one branch, a branch that is both divine and human.