Anointing follows redemption. The anointing comes by way of the dove, the Spirit, which is the continuation of the Lamb. The Lamb has removed sin and terminated the old creation, and the dove, the Spirit, has come to regenerate, impart life, transform, unite, and build. The dove, the Spirit, regenerates the created man, transforms the natural man, and unites the transformed man. We may be in any one of three situations. We may be a created man who needs to be regenerated. We may be a regenerated man who is still quite natural and who needs to be transformed. We may be a transformed man who is still separate and individualistic and who needs to be united with others. If we are properly transformed, we would be willing to be united with others. So, firstly, we need to be regenerated; secondly, we need to be transformed; and thirdly, we need to be united for the building. The dove, the Spirit, regenerates, transforms, and unites. We are all under the anointing of the dove, the Spirit. Although we may not realize it or may be ignorant of it, the Lord is working to transform us.
I have the full assurance that all of the Lord’s people eventually will be transformed. Sooner or later, we shall all be transformed. Transformation does not depend on us; it depends on Him. He has chosen us and ordained us, and we cannot escape Him. If we try to escape, we will simply waste our time and give Him a little trouble. Do not even say that you can delay Him, for with Him a thousand years are as one day. It is easy for Him to be patient with you. Eventually, every brother and sister will be transformed. When we enter into the New Jerusalem, we shall see that everyone is jasper, precious stone (Rev. 21:11).
The Lord is truly doing a transforming work within us. He is not a great eagle, but a little dove—the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). This little dove is the continuation of the little Lamb. Since the Lamb has died on the cross, the dove now in resurrection has His turn to work. Day by day, the little dove as the life-imparting Spirit speaks within you, rebuking you and touching your heart or conscience. Often, as you are in a department store, the dove bothers you from within. Do not expect a big experience or a sudden change. Expect the little dove to move and work within you all the time. We have become involved in a process from which there is no escape. This involvement is continuous and permanent. In a sense, we have inward rest; in another sense, the little dove troubles us constantly. The inward working of this little dove is the anointing.
We all are under the process of transformation. I have observed that certain brothers and sisters have experienced a significant change due to the dove’s transforming work. If you say that you do not like the church life and decide to leave it, you will find that you cannot escape the transforming work of the indwelling dove. If you want to be truly at rest, you should simply behave yourself as a “good boy” in the church life. If you do not behave yourself, but instead become a “naughty boy,” you will suffer. But this suffering will help you to be transformed. Who can escape the way of the Lord? Once we are caught, there is no escape. We may say, “I don’t like it,” but He says, “I like you so much. You don’t like Me, but I like you. The more you dislike Me, the more I like you.” What shall we do? What shall we say? We should do nothing and should just say, “O Lord Jesus.” Once you have been captured by the Lord for the church life, you are “hooked” for transformation, and there is nothing that you can do to escape it. You may not like it, but what can you do? Where will you go? There is no place to go. This is our destiny. God has destined us to be transformed for His building.
After creation, incarnation, redemption, and anointing, we have building. This building is for the house of God. God is building a dwelling place for Himself, and He is using transformed people as the stones (1:42). Praise the Lord that we are not only undergoing the work of transformation, but are also in the process of building. What God needs is not a great number of stones, but a house. For eternity God needs a builded house, a Bethel, as His habitation.
In order for the Lord to come back, He needs the nation of Israel to be prepared and the church to be built. Look at Israel: she is nearly ready. But Israel needs the church to match her. Although Israel is nearly ready, the church is not yet prepared. The Lord does not care for the number of people. Even if only a small number are completely processed, saturated, transformed, and built by and with Him, it will be sufficient. I do not speak this lightly.
The coming of the Lord will not be according to our natural concept. The religionists did not understand His first coming and neither will they understand His second. Do not follow the religious way of understanding the Lord’s coming. You must take the way of life. If you are in the way of life, then you know the way in which He will come. It will be a “sneaky” way. The Bible tells us that the Lord will return as a thief (Rev. 3:3; 16:15). He will not come as a visitor who knocks at your door. He will come in a stealthy way as a thief. You may miss Him. If you keep yourself in the way of life, you will see that the Lord will come in such a hidden way. He will come in a mysterious way, in the way of life. Praise Him that we are in the secret way of life.
The Lord’s coming back needs a solid building of His seekers. This building will be a stepping stone, a beachhead, for Him to take the earth, and it will be a mutual abode for both God and man. It will be the mingling of divinity with humanity and of humanity with divinity forever. Christ once was only divine. In order for Him to be the Son of Man, He must have the human life and the human nature. We are human, but we can be born of God to become the children of God (1:12-13). In order for us to be the children of God, we must have the divine life and the divine nature. Eventually, He, the divine One, will have the human life and the human nature, and we, the human ones, will have the divine life and the divine nature. Thus, He and we, we and He, will be exactly the same. This is the mingling of divinity with humanity, and this is the mutual abode of God’s building. This building will be the ultimate fulfillment not only of Jacob’s dream, but of God’s eternal plan. It will terminate the bridge of time and usher in the blessed eternity in the future. We must be for that building and we must be that building!
After all of these five items have transpired, we shall enter into eternity future with the Lord. At that time, He will be both the Son of God and the Son of Man. As the Son of God, He will be life to us, and as the Son of Man, He will be the dwelling place for God. We shall be joined to and even mingled with Him, and we shall enjoy eternity with Him forever. Nathanael, and all of us with him, will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. This is the revelation found in John chapter one.