The Local Churches in the Book of Revelation

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This website is a brief presentation concerning the local churches in the book of Revelation based on the ministry of Christian writers Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. In Revelation, the final, consummating book of the Bible, the first vision seen by the apostle John is that of seven golden lampstands, symbolizing seven local churches. Witness Lee and Watchman Nee often refer to the symbol of the seven golden lampstands in order to unveil many deep as well as practical aspects of the local churches. Moreover, their writings reveal that even the speaking of the Spirit to the local churches in Revelation chapters two and three is full of significance for the local churches in this age.

The book of Revelation focuses not on the universal aspect of the church, but on the local churches. Witness Lee explains:

The universal church as the Body of Christ is expressed through the local churches. The local churches, as the expressions of the one Body of Christ (Rev. 1:12, 20), are locally one (Acts 8:1; 13:1; Rom. 16:1; 1 Cor. 1:2). Revelation 1:4 says, “John to the seven churches which are in Asia.” Asia was a province of the ancient Roman Empire in which were the seven cities mentioned in 1:11. The seven churches were in those seven cities respectively, not all in one city. This book does not deal with the one universal church but with the local churches in many cities.

(Witness Lee, LS of Revelation, 78)

However, seeing the local churches is much more difficult than seeing the universal church. For this reason, believers need to follow the Lord’s progressive revelation of the local churches throughout the New Testament until they can see the local churches unveiled in Revelation. Witness Lee observes:

It is easy for believers to see the universal church, but it is difficult for them to see the churches. The revelation of the local churches is the Lord’s ultimate unveiling concerning the church, and it is recorded in the last book of the divine Word. To fully know the church, believers must follow the Lord from the Gospels through the Epistles to the book of Revelation until they are enabled to see the local churches as unveiled here. In Revelation the first vision is concerning the churches. The churches with Christ as their one center are the focus in the divine administration for the accomplishing of God’s eternal purpose.

(Witness Lee, Footnotes, 1240)

I. The Local Churches in the Book of Revelation

A. The Seven Lampstands as Symbols of the Local Churches (Revelation 1:20)

1. The Seven Lampstands Being Seven Churches—Only One in a City

2. The Progressive Revelation of the Lampstand in the Scripture (Exodus 25; Zechariah 4; Revelation 1)

3. The Substance, Shape, and Expression of the Lampstand

4. In the Bible, Lampstands Always Being Related to God’s Building

B. The Spirit’s Speaking to the Churches Being in the Local Churches

1. In Revelation, the One Spirit of God Being Intensified as the Sevenfold Spirit

2. The Sevenfold Spirit Meeting the Need of the Local Churches

The first three chapters of Revelation are not concerned with the universal church; they are emphatically concerned with the local churches.

(Witness Lee, LS of Revelation, 74)

To summarize, the book of Revelation unveils the church as seven local churches in seven cities in Asia. Witness Lee points out that to realize the matter of the local church is more difficult than to understand the universal church. Nevertheless, God's people must endeavor to follow the progressive revelation of the church throughout the New Testament to its consummation in the seven local churches in the book of Revelation.

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Seven Lampstands

Spirit’s Speaking

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