The Local Churches in the Book of Revelation

Additional Quotes about the Local Church by Witness Lee and Watchman Nee

In Revelation 1:11-12 and 20, the seven golden lampstands, symbols of the seven local churches in Asia, are all identical in essence, nature, shape, color, appearance, function, and expression. In all these aspects the seven lampstands are identical. This signifies that all the local churches should be the same in essence, nature, shape, color, appearance, function, and expression. The seven lampstands were identical to the point that if they were placed side-by-side before our eyes, we could not discern which is which….By reading the epistles to the seven churches in Revelation, we can see that all the local churches should be the same in positive things, but not in negative things. The churches should be different only in business affairs. For example, whether a church buys a piece of land and builds a meeting hall should depend on the church’s need and on the Lord’s sovereignty. The churches should not be required to follow one another in affairs such as these, but all the churches should be one in all the spiritual aspects concerning the Lord’s testimony. This is the first item as the base for us to practice the proper one accord.

(Witness Lee, Eldership (2), 55-57)

In Revelation 1:20 we see that the seven churches are seven golden lampstands. If all seven lampstands were standing in front of you, you could not discern one from another. All of the seven would lose their separate identity. Therefore, at the end of Revelation we have the New Jerusalem with the wall on the four sides (Rev. 21:18). Each side of the wall is built with the same material—jasper. Thus, the four sides have the same appearance. If we consider all these things, we shall be convinced that all the local churches must be the same. But this does not mean that we should be organized. On the contrary, we must oppose organization. Nevertheless, all the churches, as part of the unique Body on earth, must be one in spirit, in life, and in testimony.

(Witness Lee, Spirit and the Body, 186-187)

In Revelation 1 the Lord showed us seven lampstands which are the signs of seven churches. These seven lampstands are all identical in nature, in essence, in size, in type, in appearance, in color, and in function. No one could discern which lampstand is which unless you put a label on each one of them. How could you say these seven local churches are different? The Lord rebuked them for all of their differences. Yes, the Lord did write epistles to each of them respectively. But He bound these epistles together to make a total epistle, an aggregate epistle.

(Witness Lee, Practical Points, 23)

The local churches are the lampstands, the local testimony, of Christ (Rev. 1:11-12, 20). Each local church is a testimony of Christ in its locality. Christ is the testimony, the expression of God, and the church is the testimony, the expression of Christ. A local church is a testimony, a “photograph,” of Christ. This “photograph,” this picture, is better than a thousand words.

(Witness Lee, Eldership (3), 10)

The local churches, composed with the believers to be the Body of Christ, are the golden lampstands (Rev. 1:11-12). The lampstands are a testimony.

(Witness Lee, Critical “Ones”, 59-60)

In Revelation, as the last book of the New Testament, the importance of the church is stressed even more as the testimony of Jesus in each locality. Every local church is a lampstand shining out Christ. Without a proper local church, the testimony of Jesus could never be practical and prevailing.

(Witness Lee, Genuine Ground, 12)

The beginning of Revelation shows us that in the whole universe God’s testimony is the churches in the different localities as His lampstands. The seven lampstands are the seven local churches, shining for God in the universe as His testimony.

(Witness Lee, Elders’ Management, 24)

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