THE RECOVERY OF THE REALITY OF THE KINGDOM
The Welsh Revival
Let us go on to one more subject, the kingdom. The kingdom is a common subject, but to merely discuss the term "kingdom" is useless. The question is whether or not the kingdom as the very thing itself has been realized. When do men see the kingdom? I can say that it was during the Welsh revival that the kingdom as a real thing was recovered. Between 1901 and 1910, Evan Roberts brought in the Great Welsh Revival. This revival was unprecedented in church history. No other revival could match this one. Its effects cut far and deep. Roberts himself was a coal miner, and he did not receive much education. Yet God greatly used him. At that time he was only in his twenties, a very young man, and he was not eloquent at all in preaching. Yet his spirit was strong. His prayers were so powerful that it was said that even God had to answer these prayers. He learned from Mrs. Penn-Lewis and also from J. C. Williams. He did not have much schooling; yet when others touched him, they were saved and were brought to their knees. He was not eloquent; during the Welsh revival, he did not preach many messages. When he did stand up, his speaking lasted only fifteen minutes. Yet even those who dropped by to listen were known to be saved through his words.
Some have said that the Welsh revival was affected by China, because the revival broke out in 1901-1910, whereas in 1900 there was the Boxer Rebellion in China. During that rebellion, many Christians were martyred. After the rebellion, between 1901 and 1902, many Christians throughout the world began to pray for God’s work. The answer to all those prayers was funneled into one man. Roberts himself was confined to his bed because of illness between 1903 and 1904, and he was not released until 1909. When he finally got up, he began to speak to everyone he met concerning the things he saw. In the Overcomer magazine, it was mentioned that many times during the meetings others would ask what he was going to say, and he himself would also wonder at the same time what he was going to say. Yet once his mouth was opened, something came out, and men saw the light.
The Kingdom Being to Gain Ground for God
During the past few years, I have seen a little of what God’s kingdom is. God’s kingdom is a great matter. Now when I pray, I pray for God’s kingdom. God desires that His kingdom come on earth. In order for God’s kingdom to come on earth, there is the need for the church’s prayer.
What is the kingdom? The kingdom is man gaining ground for God on earth. Where God’s kingdom is, there God gains the ground. Today man thinks that the kingdom is a question of history. Actually, the kingdom is a question of geography.
The Kingdom Being
a Matter of Spiritual Warfare
In order to have the kingdom and in order for God to gain the ground, there is the need for warfare. Hence, in order to recover the kingdom, we have to recover spiritual warfare. The messages on spiritual warfare were recovered by Mrs. Penn-Lewis. In her illness, she experienced spiritual warfare, and she saw that many people were deceived through their ignorance of spiritual warfare. Later, in collaboration with Evan Roberts, she wrote the book War on the Saints and released the truth concerning spiritual warfare. This light was hidden from man for two thousand years. Through Mrs. Penn-Lewis, it was recovered. Actually, this light was recorded in Ephesians 6 already, but no one before her had the experience of it.
(Messages Given During the Resumption of Watchman Nee's Ministry (2 volume set), Chapter 43, by Watchman Nee/Witness Lee)
