Pillars

In all the seven letters in Revelation, the voice of the Spirit says, “He who overcomes, he who overcomes.” If we only stopped for a moment and listened to the heavenly tones of these words, our hearts would be filled with a glorious joy over God’s greatness, grace, and power.

By faith in God’s living word we are lifted high above people’s unbelief, drawing back, and all kinds of wretchedness. By nourishing ourselves with the Word we become permeated by the spirit of faith so that we can powerfully overcome all the earth-bound and earthloving spirit powers.

It is our calling to overcome, and all those who overcome become pillars in God’s temple. We ought to take note of the fact that it is Je­sus who makes the pillars and puts them in their place; it is Jesus who guarantees that they will never go out. How blessed it is to be “installed” in this way, and what a sure, unshakable, and everlasting election this is. What an exceedingly great reward for overcoming!

God cannot use someone as a pillar as long as he goes “in and out.” One cannot rely on such people and reckon with them, and neither can God, because He is building a temple that will last forever and ever. Only two out of six hundred thousand could be used, and in these days Jesus’ words can be heard throughout the whole relig­ious world: “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” This is how serious it is. After they had walked in the des­ert for forty years, being fed with manna, Israel came to an inhabited land. Exodus 16:35. Then a flock of people were needed who were firm, steadfast, and unshakable pillars.

We need pillars when it comes to the edification of the church, which is the body of Christ. The members must be melted together to be a lampstand made out of wrought gold. If each one was supposed to grow up to the Head by himself, then the individual’s point of view would not cause any difficulties. However, because all of them shall go forward and come to the point where they all speak the same thing, have the same faith, and be of the same mind, the difficulties become great and the need for pillars in the church grows accord­ingly. They must be able to endure all things, believe all things, hope all things, and bear all things. Jesus, who made them pillars, has first tested them in the furnace of humility. There they have seen their to­tally corrupt condition and have received a perfect hatred against all flesh. Tremendous powers are released when an atom is split, and when God’s word divides between soul and spirit, with the result that death enters in, great powers that serve unto life and mutual ministry are released.

He who overcame would be made into a pillar, and on this pillar God’s name, “I AM” was to be written. Exodus 3:14-15. With such an authority and worthiness as our foundation we can stand as a pillar in God’s house and maintain its exalted state over all the powers of Sa­tan and the deceiving powers of unbelief.

It is not the calling or the election by itself that preserves a servant of the Lord until the end, but his faithfulness to his calling. We can see this from the account of Shebna and Eliakim, in Isaiah 22:15-25, who because of their pride and unfaithfulness were cast down from their high positions. There were almost no limits to how much one of them bore and how much he supported and how many people looked up to him. But when God’s time came, all of it was laid in ruins.

“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God.” What a blessed and faith-strengthening promise this is! If you feel drawn to be a pillar, and if your heart is beating at the thought of such an exalted position, then you are elected to live this overcoming life. Go forth in faith! God will confirm your walk by giving you His name on your forehead, and you will never again leave your steadfast position in Christ Jesus.